The Cardinals had one huge, overarching challenge back in July: preserve their winning culture in the face of mounting frustration.
They succeeded, and then some.
When the team was sitting at 44-47, the realistic goal for this season was to prepare for the next one. Maintain morale, sustain work standards, groom young veterans, convince Nolan Arenado not to opt-out of his contract, nurture top prospects — those items topped their to-do list.
