The mood coming from the St. Louis Cardinals throughout 2023 has been one of dysfunction and distress, even bordering on panic.

Basically, the opposite of what you think of when you think of "The Cardinal Way."

This week's three-game win streak helped dispel some of the despair, but not to the point of inviting actual optimism. At 13-25, the Cardinals are off to their worst start in 98 years and at the very bottom of the National League standings.

According to FanGraphs, they've gone from being preseason favorites to win the NL Central to just a 22.2 percent chance of making the playoffs in any capacity. That's down from 67.4 percent on Opening Day, marking the single largest drop of any team.

Say this about the Cardinals' sudden propensity for losing after posting winning records in all but one season between 2000 and 2022: they haven't made it boring.

After picking a fight with umpire C.B. Bucknor in spring training, manager Oli Marmol picked another fight with one of his own players, outfielder Tyler O'Neill, in April. Then there was the sudden demotion of erstwhile rookie sensation Jordan Walker and, most recently, the scapegoating of $87.5 million catcher designated hitter Willson Contreras.

Never mind just operatic. This is soap-operatic stuff, and it couldn't be more out of tune with how the Cardinals usually operate.

What Even Is the Cardinal Way?

At this point, "The Cardinal Way" is easier to understand as a meme than as an organizational philosophy. To borrow from former manager Mike Matheny, it's shorthand for the particular "holier than thou" brand that the team has cultivated for the better part of the century.