The Nooner #4: End of an era – Jason Isringhausen

Jason Isringhausen’s Cardinal career officially ended this weekend with news that he signed with the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays. A lot of fans were down on Izzy in recent years, especially (and deservedly) last season. But this guy really did some phenomenal work for the Cardinals as their closer. If you look at his career stats and think about his injury history, the parallels between his down years and his hurt years are undeniable. I believe that, all things considered, Cardinal Nation must tip its collective cap to Izzy for a job well done while he was here.

So now, who takes the reigns from Izzy? Certainly it’s going to be either Jason Motte or Chris Perez…or can the Cardinlas get away with closer by committee? I think it’s better to let someone earn the closer title and keep it until he loses it, for whatever reason. I liked what I saw from Perez in 2008, but Motte seems to have that crazy guy attitude that sometimes works so well. Both have the potential for dominance. Stay tuned…