José Fermín stood at the top step of the Cardinals’ dugout for an in-game interview with Cardinals.TV’s Dani Wexelman during Tuesday’s 11-7 win in Pittsburgh. It was a chance for Fermín to enjoy a spotlight that seldom seems to come his way.
But when Victor Scott II hit a 415-foot blast out of PNC Park and into the Allegheny River, Fermín couldn’t contain his excitement.
“Oh, come on!” Fermín exclaimed before apologizing for shouting on the broadcast. He immediately went back into his elation, yelling, “Come on, Vic! Let’s go!” while pounding on the dugout padding.
“Sorry, sorry, I got too excited!”
Fermín apologizing for an outburst of emotion for his teammate’s success is hardly an uncharacteristic thing for this team. All season long, this young Cardinals group has embraced its opportunity to go out and make names for themselves, and that hasn’t produced jealousy or animosity among them; they’ve been each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
Fermín’s excitement for Scott is the most recent example of that. Fermín has started just seven games, the second fewest among position players on the active roster, and yet he’s made the most of every opportunity. He has posted a .781 OPS while providing steady defense wherever he’s needed. It’s not hard to see how the struggles of a teammate could produce more opportunities for him on the field.
And yet, Fermín's excitement for Scott couldn’t be more genuine -- a testament both to the character of Fermín and the kind of buy-in that manager Oliver Marmol has had from this club.
From the moment the roster turned over this winter, this group didn’t just accept its opportunity; it rallied around it. Rather than sulking in the aftermath of a mini-roster teardown that saw key veterans sent elsewhere, this young Cardinals core has embraced the fact that this is their team to build. And they are making the most of it.
That vibe could be seen from Marmol following the Cardinals’ comeback victory over the Pirates on Monday. Marmol was all smiles while hugging and shaking hands with players and coaches on their way into the dugout, with Scott playfully tackling Marmol as they celebrated their 10th come-from-behind win already this season.
Scott did not start that day so he could instead focus on side work to address his hitting woes. It was Fermín who provided the pinch-hit two-run double to give the Cardinals the lead and cap off their comeback bid.
These young birds have played an exciting brand of baseball so far, very much earning their nicknames as the “Comeback” and “Cardiac” Cardinals. They defend, they run and they respond to adversity, rarely staying down for long.
That mentality doesn’t happen by accident.
For Marmol, who is now the sixth-longest-tenured manager in baseball, that’s not only the way he thinks this team will be able to win ballgames now, but it’s the style of baseball he believes will continue to draw fans back to the ballpark.
“I think St. Louis likes watching a team that plays the game the right way, that plays the game hard, that never gives in,” Marmol told flagship radio station KMOX. “Those are the things we can control, and we’ll hold ourselves, I’ll hold myself, accountable to. And then let everything else play out. It’s hard not to like this group. It’s hard to watch them and not get excited about their style of play.”
The Cardinals entered Wednesday at 16-13, good for third place in a competitive National League Central. Outside the clubhouse, no one expected this kind of success in the early going. But watching the vibe in the dugout, it’s clear that this 26-man group has full belief in themselves -- and even more importantly, in each other.
Young rebuilding teams aren’t supposed to be a pain to play night in and night out, let alone stack victories on top of each other. Inexperienced clubs don’t snatch victories from the jaws of defeat on a regular basis. But this one does.
That mentality is set by strong leadership. It’s built, reinforced and molded, starting with the manager. And in a season where the Cardinals handed the team over to their youth, Marmol isn’t just guiding this transition.
He’s helping define what this next era of Cardinals baseball looks like.