Victoria, Cesar, and SCOTT

I meant to blog last night, however, a little thing known as the Victoria's Secret fashion show was on. So I was unable to type, as my blogging hand was busy.

WITH THE REMOTE. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Things I learned from watching that boob-and-ass-fest:

- Brazil could become a creditor country to the world if they bottled Amazon River water and sold it under the byline "drink this and look like a lingerie model!" You gonna tell me the 'fat' lady in the green muumuu down at the trailer park wouldn't guzzle that stuff by the gallon?

- I'll bet the after-walk spread was a bowl of tic tacs and some fortified water. That's a lot of bony women. Beautiful faces, but not much meat.

- 'Dream Angel Heavenly' Fragrance? Come on. They ought to name that shit 'Spilled Semen', to memorialize the 10 million adolescent boys who use those catalogs for other than their intended purpose.

And now, back to baseball.

I've got some catching up to do from my last post, so here it is in a nutshell: Cardinals signed Cesar Izturis to a 1 year, $2.85M deal. Stltoday.com reported the contract included incentives that, if met, could make it worth $3.5M. There's no option for 2009, so this is a one year rental.

Here's a comparison of what Izturis and Eckstein did over the past 3 years in some categories I selected. These are their averages from 2005-2007:

Izturis: 90 Games, 317 AB, 31 R, 81 H, 14 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 4 SB, 5 CS (nice), 19 Walks, 28 K, .255 AVG, .298 OBP.

Eckstein: 133 Games, 521 AB, 72 R, 155 H, 22 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 9 SB, 5 CS, 38 W, 36 K, .297 AVG, .356 OBP.

To be fair, Eckstein lead off for the Cardinals all 3 years, while Izturis hit all over the batting order; and Izturis was relegated to the bench the last 2 years as a Dodger, Cub, and Pirate.

For a fielding comparison, I just looked at fielding percentage and errors:

Izturis: Average .975 fielding pct, 7 errors (I just looked at his stats playing short)
Eckstein: .976 fielding pct, 14 errors.

So it's a wash there; Izturis made fewer errors on average, but he also had fewer chances to make a play than Eckstein.

Frankly I don't see how the club improved with this signing. Izturis is a weaker bat who hasn't played short full time since 2005. Basically the organization has decided to tread water this year under the assumption that Brendan Ryan, who isn't ready for prime time full time (which most prognosticators agree is true), will take over at short full time in 2009.

Not to mention the Cardinals parted ways with one of La Russa's favorite players; the 'toughest man I've ever had play for me,' I believe was the sound bite.

Which brings us nicely to one of La Russa's least favorite players: Scott Rolen.

Not sure when this article went up, but it's scathing. As far as La Russa's comments on the organization's best interests, I completely agree. Rolen, when healthy, makes this club infinitely better. The last time the club dumped a veteran on a snap decision was the shipping of Keith Hernandez to the Mets; worked out pretty well for Keith, and the Mets (we got Jack Clark to replace him, so I can't really complain about the consequences to the Cardinals).

In all seriousness, what did the Cardinals expect to get offered for Rolen? Other teams are dealing from a position of strength. They know Rolen is unhappy in St Louis, and they know the Cardinals are trying to move him. They also know he's had the three shoulder surgeries in the last two years, and they've seen his power numbers decline steadily since the collision with Hee Sop Choi in 2005. If St Louis was trying to deal him in 2004, at the peak of his powers, they could have held out for a king's ransom; but now, other GM's are like sharks circling for the kill.

Additionally, I think now, based on how this situation has blown up in St Louis, and the ugly way Rolen left Philadelphia in 2002, that Scott can justifiably be classified a clubhouse cancer; and what contender wants to insert a malcontent into the mix in the locker room? Rolen was golden in Philadelphia initially, and then went to play for the team he idolized as a kid (and admitted was perfect for him), yet both periods of employment ended (or are going to end) very badly.

Who would willingly want to deal with that nonsense?

The Cardinals have also been rumored to be shopping Jim Edmonds and Anthony Reyes. The Padres are rumored to be interested in both (at least according to the Channel 8 sports guy on the 11 o'clock news out here). St Louis can lose Rolen or Edmonds, but not both; AP got very little to hit last year, can you imagine what he'll see pitch-wise this season if his protection is Duncan or Ankiel? For Reyes: I'll say it publicly now: unloading Anthony Reyes would be a mistake the Cardinals rue for years to come. His stuff is too good. Quit treating him like a yo-yo and let the man pitch.

Book Review: Best St Louis Sports Arguments

On or about 2 November, I was minding my own business when I received an email about Bryan Burwell's book, The Best St Louis Sports Arguments: The 100 Most Controversial, Debatable Questions For Die-Hard Fans. The publisher (Sourcebooks, Inc) was asking if I 'would be willing to review this book for your blog'.

Gotta be a joke, I thought.

Well: Sourcebooks, Inc actually exists - it's an independent publishing company based out of Illinois. When I called the number, a person answered - and the name she gave matched that on the email I received. They were serious. So I told them sure I'd read and review it. They asked that the review come out the week of 26 Nov; so it follows below.

Here's a photo of the book cover:

Now a disclaimer: I haven't written a book report since high school, so if you're expecting this to read like a New York Times book section review, you're going to be SORELY disappointed. Of course, if you think the writing on this blog approximates the New York Times writing style, either I'm in the wrong line of work or you should stop drinking. Immediately.

Bottom Line Up Front: If you're tired of slogging through the Confessions of St Augustine and want an intellectually non-threatening book to read for that 3-hour flight anywhere, this book is for you. However, I was disappointed with the book, mostly because the amount of facts used to back up any of the opinions expressed inside it are scarce to say the least, and there are no references given for the reader to review to see the veracity of his arguments.

It lists for $14.95, which I think is a bit much for 265 pages of Bryan Burwell's opinion.

Having said that, I've been kicking around how I was going to write-up this review, and all my rough drafts focused on what I thought was wrong with some of Mr. Burwell's arguments, which means he succeeded in what he was trying to do, namely, present a position as a jumping off point for you to say, 'yep, that's right' or ' that's BULLSHIT! And here's why.' So although I was disappointed in the book overall, I must admit, in all fairness, many of the positions presented got me thinking, which again, is the intent of the book.

Some specific constructive comments:

- There is one outright error, on page 95: Chris Pronger has only won 1 Stanley Cup as of the printing of the book, vice the two quoted, and that was with Anaheim in 2007. He has been to the Finals twice (last year and 2006 with Edmonton); perhaps that's what Burwell meant.

- Burwell's picks in just about every category lean heavily and almost exclusively to players and teams he watched personally or that played during his lifetime. This is understandable when you realize....

- Burwell appears to have done very little research other than talk to some sportswriting cronies and do one interview with Jim Hanifan. It's hard to say for sure, since there are no footnotes included in the discussion, no references cited, and virtually no hard facts quoted throughout the book.

- His statement that Don Denkinger can't be blamed for the 1985 World Series loss to KC is valid, but his argument is so weak that it almost forces the conclusion that Denkinger WAS to blame (pg 117).

- Same can be said about his argument for who the greatest Cardinal manager of all time is. I would have used a different metric than longevity and division titles, since the men he's trying to compare (Southworth, Herzog, and LaRussa) managed the game under different rules and in a different league (8 teams, 1 division vs 12 teams, 2 divisions vs 16 teams, 3 divisions and a wild card). Perhaps wins per year? NL titles (although a difficulty factor would have to be added - it was easier to win a league title before one or two tiers of playoffs were invented)? WS titles (which, after all, is the goal of every baseball team)?

- I think he's arguing that St Louis isn't the great baseball town its reputation says it is (pg 201-205), but his argument is a little convoluted and I couldn't tell what he was arguing for when it was over.

- Curt Flood's challenging the Reserve Clause is a significant moment in baseball history, but the most significant moment in St Louis sports history (pg 49)? I don't think so. The most significant moment in St Louis sports history is signing Branch Rickey to be team president and manager of the Cardinals in 1919. The Cardinals we all know now as the NL's marquee franchise (in terms of World Series titles)? Didn't exist until Rickey invented the farm system. Those 9 NL titles and 6 World Series titles from 1926-1946 don't happen without Rickey. He laid the foundation for success that continues to the present. If that's too esoteric, I would suggest four others that deserve mention: trading for Lou Brock (led to the El Birdos 3 WS appearances and 2 titles), trading for Mark McGwire (led to a revival of interest in Cardinal baseball and the long term signing of Jim Edmonds, a key member of 2 WS teams), trading for Brett Hull (which revived Blues hockey, not to mention bringing the Greatest Blue of them all to St Louis), or Trent Green's blown knee (letting Kurt Warner get a shot and 2 Super Bowl appearances).

Some general comments about content:

- I completely agree with his position on whether Cardinals/Cubs is a great rivalry (pg 100), on whether the Rams should bring the throw-back unis back (like the Chargers do with the powder blues - one home game a year) on page 152, and the things he says about kid and high school sports on page 263-64.

- I continue to find it amusing that a man who was an unrepentant apologist for Barry Bonds for years, and manages to include Leonard Little on his 'All St Louis Football Team' (pg. 177) without mentioning the fact that Little killed a woman with his car while driving drunk, never misses a chance to savage Mark McGwire by talking about his alleged steroid use. There is no discussion about McGwire's performance on the field, just page after page screaming "HE CHEATED!" Bryan: (a) Andro was legal when McGwire was taking it; (b) McGwire, although not as forthcoming as many sportswriters would have liked at the Senate hearings, at least was honest (unlike Palmerio); (c) McGwire has never been found to have failed a drug test or been indicted by the Feds for perjury and obstruction of justice (although if his name appears in the Mitchell report, I may have to rewrite this paragraph).

- I found one passage on page 71 to be patently offensive: "With the early 1940s National League watered-down because of both the war and the lack of black players in the majors..." (emphasis mine). Why did he feel the need to throw the second part of that comment in? Would he say the early 1940s Negro Leagues were watered-down because of both the war and the lack of white players? Saying the league was at less than it's best because of all the players in the service during the war would have been enough. But no, we've got to bring race into it, which weakens the argument, insults the reader, and discredits the author.

- I can't believe he didn't find room for Marty Marion at SS for the all-time Cardinals team (3 WS titles, 8-time All Star, NL MVP in 1944).

- I can't believe Orlando Pace continues to get the props he does even though he breaks down with injury virtually every single season.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STAN!

He's 87 years young today. SO, in the spirit of the occasion:

Here's some cake:

Please pardon the right-handed batter. But the stance is about right, isn't it?

St Louis Post Dispatch's site has two articles on Stan today, and they are linked here and here.

A day late and a dollar short.

Yes, I've been busy (aren't we all). No, it's not going to slack off until mid-December (midterms, finals, and my regular job). This is a quickie to let everyone know that I'm still.....alive.

Today it was announced that the Cardinals signed Jason LaRue (late of the KC Royals, formerly of the Cincinnati Reds) as Yadi's back-up. They also signed a Dewon Brazelton (also late of the KC Royals), and John Wasdin (most recently a Pirate and Ranger), both pitchers, to minor-league deals.

Let's see...

The aforelinked (I just made that word up, go me) article used such superlatives to describe LaRue as "..we also want to get him back with Hal [McRae, hitting instructor] and get him back to where he's more comfortable at the plate," and "He carries a career .235 mark depressed by a combined .170 mark the past two seasons." Not to mention the fact he couldn't cut it with the Royals. So we have a no-hit backup we're paying $50K less than our previous no-hit backup (Bennett). I don't know, maybe someone in the organization needed that $50K to pay for Christmas.

Brazelton's been cut by both the Royals and the Pirates, two of the pitching-richest franchises in the league.

Wasdin has appeared in 21 major league games TOTAL the past two seasons.

Memo to Mozeliak: Sign me! I'm left handed, and have good control. I can get one lefty out a game. I'm sure I'll work well with Dunc and Tony.

Because it seems you're the big boss man guy picking up illegals, er, MIGRANTS, on weekday mornings, who are looking for work at Sawtelle and Olympic.

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One programming note: I've added a new Cardinals blog in the list - C70 at the bat. Another regular Joe [not his actual name] who follows the Cardinals; also he's commented repeatedly on this site, meaning he's either one of the brightest CPAs in the land or really, really bored.

Bill Simmons doesn't know Jack about bad calls

Bill Simmons spent several thousand words on Friday whining about how the Patriots got homered last week in Indianapolis. Even though they won the game.

That's OK; it's what we expect from the Mass-hole contingent.

I hope he watched tonight's Colts/Chargers game. You want to see a team get homered by bad calls? Try these on:

1. First Quarter: LB Session makes a tremendous 'alert' play to catch a bouncing ball in the end zone. He then returns it to the San Diego 6. BUT WAIT! There's an inadvertent whistle! Apparently, the referee standing in the back of the end zone can't follow the bouncing football. Indy is at least awarded the ball, but on their own 20. Manning subesquently throws his 4th pick, leading to San Diego's only offensive TD.

2. Fourth Quarter: Third and 8, 7:35 to play. Peyton throws a deep ball towards Moorehead. Ball goes through his arms; he protests for a flag. There isn't one. Replay shows the Charger DB grab his arm just before the ball arrives - clear PI. The referee, STANDING LESS THAN 3 feet away, makes no call at all. Indy forced to punt.

AND THE PIECE DE RESISTANCE:

3. Fourth Quarter: Fourth and 1, 1:36 to play. Indy in a run formation. Center Saturday looks up, 3 Indy players shift....and the back judge calls a false start on Utecht. Al Michaels and John Madden are left wondering, 'where was the penalty?' as they peer at the replay.

I've been watching football for over 30 years, and I'm having a hard time remembering when an officiating crew was that bad. Including last week's Colts/Patriots game.

Yes, two special teams lapses in the first quarter really crippled the Colts. Yes, Peyton threw 6 picks (although the last one is a whatever pick). Yes, Vinateri missed 2 chip shots at the end of each half. Despite that, the referees played a DECISIVE role in determining the outcome of this game.

Ya think Simmons will mention this travesty in his next article? Or will the big cloud of smug over the Simmons house at another Colts loss preclude his judgment?

Lidge to Phillies; Pujols shakes head sadly

The GM Barbeque meetings in Orlando concluded today. I don't know what else to call this precursor to the winter meetings; why do they need a pre-meeting a month to 6 weeks before having the actual meetings? This is one of the worst practices corporate America has foisted on the working man: the pre-meeting meeting. "We're going to have a meeting to discuss what we'll discuss at the next meeting." Why not just have the next meeting now and dispense with this waste of time?

Of course, if they do it as a way to get away from their wives, drink some beer and go to the Orlando area strip clubs (which, I hear, rock), then good on them.

This week the meetings concluded with some big news (drawn up on a cocktail napkin? On Bambi's equipment? Is that taking the joke too far?), namely, that Houston had shipped Brad Lidge and parts to Philadelphia for Michael Bourn and some other names.

Looks like a really good move for the Phillies. They solve their closer problem and move one of their better pitcher (Brett Myers) back into the rotation, where in 2005-06 he was 25-12 with an ERA of about 3.8.

Houston gets a legitimate CF in Michael Bourn to fill that hole. Not sure who will close for them next year (Chad Qualls? someone else?), but they have picked up a great prospect in Bourn. Someone who's been bandied about on some Cardinals blogs as worth getting to play in St Louis.

Which begs the question: given our fiscal woes for the 2008 roster, did the Cardinal hierarchy consider shopping Isringhausen or Pervical to Philadelphia to get Bourn?

Granted, Izzy is 35 (and Percival 38) while Lidge is 31, but who was the better closer last year? Who has been the more consistent closer over his career - Izzy or Lidge? It's Izzy by a lot. I know hindsight is 20-20, but we could have shopped Izzy to Philly and, if we were able to broker a deal for similar pieces that Houston got, gotten a ML ready CF to step in for Edmonds (letting Ankiel stay in RF), and shaved about $7M off the payroll for next year. Sign Percival to a $1M deal that's incentive laden to be worth more, and wha-la! more wiggle room to sign those starting pitchers we so desperately need. We certainly could have thrown in a used piece (like Brunlett) - perhaps John Rodriguez or someone of similar ilk.

Are there any other clubs out there looking for closer help?

Say It Ain't So, So

I don't blog much from work; there never seems to be enough time, and, since my monitor faces the passageway, it's fraught with danger. However, I was remiss in my post yesterday in that I didn't mention Gary Bennett's contract was bought out, meaning the Cardinals are in the market for a back-up catcher.

And then today is the report they've bought out So Taguchi's contract.

Based on the payroll the team has already allocated for next year (upwards of $95M), the holes they still have to fill, and the glut of young outfielders they have on the 40-man roster, this move was inevitable. John Mozeliak wouldn't slam the door on Taguchi, saying there was a chance he could come back; but at 38, that's not likely (for the aforementioned reasons). I'm a bit glum about this; I'm going to miss So.

So's loudest hit - HR off Wagner, Game 2 2006 NLCS. Courtesy ESPN.com

Why do I like So Taguchi so much? He played the game right.

So played 10 years in Japan for the Orix Blue Wave. Yes, the same team Ichiro played for before he joined the Mariners. Imagine the OF where Ichiro played RF because So was a better CF! A 4-time All-Star (1995, 1996, 1997, 2001), his teams won 2 Pacific League Championships (1995, 1996) and the Japan League Championship in 1996. He wasn't the first Japanese player to win a Japan League title and a World Series title (Tadahito Iguchi has also done it, at a minimum), but he's a member of that very select group.

All that's great; but then, following the 2001 season, he headed for the states to play Major League baseball. Didn't speak a lick of English; he learned that on the fly and from his wife. He struggled mightily to hit Major League pitching, but he wanted to play at the ML level so HE WENT TO THE MINORS AND STARTED FROM SCRATCH WITH HIS SWING. I play a little bit of softball now and then, and I have a swing honed from 30 years of swinging a bat; it's not great, but it's good. I can't even imagine a successful baseball player willing to start over from scratch learning how to hit. Can you see any successful American player being told, 'yeah, you need to start over or you might as well quit' and then the same player willingly and without complaint doing the work needed to fix it?

So eventually made it back to the majors, and you know the rest. He carried the Cardinals during the summer of 2005, when Edmonds was down with an assortment of nagging injuries, batting .379 in July at the top of the order - easily the brightest he shone until that great HR off Wagner last fall.

He was also an excellent defensive outfielder. I haven't been able to find any Gold Glove statistics for him in Japan (or if they even give out a similar award over there), but So could play the OF. However, the thing that sticks with me about him defensively happened in the 2006 NLCS as well. He mis-judged a fly ball to CF that hit the wall behind him, and then caromed away. Of course, the bases were loaded, and the hit cleared the bases. Not good.

So went out to CF with a coach the next day and practiced taking balls off the OF wall so he wouldn't make the same mistake.

Which is exactly what I would have done had I been burned like that.

I'm glad I was able to get a hold of a 'Taguchi 99' shirt last season. I seem to play better defense with it on.

So a toast - to the great So Taguchi. You will be missed in this corner of Red Bird Nation.

Not Enough Hours In The Day

Small children have a tendency to monopolize your time. That isn't a regret for having children; it's a fact. They also like to derail plans. For instance, I had/have a research project in mind that I'm going to finish and publish results here. My intentions were to do it over the weekend and have it up for Monday morning. My boys essentially said, 'Nice idea, Pops, but we're taking over your weekend and you'll LIKE IT!'

It's amazing that they can get their point across when neither one of them has uttered a word, much less a complete sentence.

So I'll keep plugging away and try to get my project out to you by the end of the week. In the meantime, the biggest news of the past week is Mozeliak being named GM (vice filling in as interim GM) and the reported overtures the Cardinals made to Curt Schilling.

Mozeliak getting the job does a lot for continuity in the office; he knows the playing field and the players, which is a plus, and he had a chance to learn from Walt Jocketty. It remains to be seen where his priorities lie in rebuilding the club. I don't think a high-profile free agent signing will fix what made the 2007 Cardinals a sub-.500 team, but with that said, they have holes they need to fill, and the cupboard within the organization is pretty bare. I have some thoughts on which way they should go, but that's a later post.

The Curt Schilling thing - he's an attractive name, in all likelihood a first ballot Hall of Famer when he comes eligible for enshrinement - but he's 40 now. As has been pointed out elsewhere, (and because I kept pretty close tabs on the Red Sox this season thanks both to my wife's affinity for the franchise and the sheer number of Boston players I had on my fantasy roster), he wasn't the same pitcher who won 20 games in 2003. He would certainly be a large upgrade over KFW or Reyes, but I'm not sure he'd be worth the price he'll probably command for one year. Late breaking tonight is the Red Sox appear close to a deal with him, so it all may be speculation washed down the drain by mid-week; even if that deal falls through, I think I would look somewhere else for starting pitching help.

Well that's it. The GM's are meeting in Orlando this week; if anything interesting comes out of it, we'll discuss it.

No Soup Today

Hi All. No post today, however, I am working on something and intend to have it up Monday. Please check back! Cheers!

The King Is Dead; Long Live The King.

And with Jonathan Paplebon's strikeout of Seth Smith, the Cardinals reign as World Champions officially came to a close.

Congratulations to the 2007 Boston Red Sox.

Isn't it interesting how the worm has turned? The Yankee mystique began to crack in Game 7 of the 2001 Series, took another hit while losing the 2003 Series, and officially turned south with Dave Roberts' stolen base in 2004 ALCS Game 4. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Look at your modern Red Sox - they really have become that which they despised most, the Yankees. And they broke their streak of appearing in one World Series every even numbered decade.

Of course, Boston won 5 of the first 15 World Series contested, so we'll have to see if this is the dawning of Red Sox Century or proof they're like the city Brigadoon - allowed to appear as a power for 15 years out of 100, then they disappear for the rest of the century.

I don't have much to say about the last two games. I thought Game 4 was the best game of the set; it certainly (to my mind) was the best played game. I must admit to being slightly off on a few things. Game Three (Dice vs. Fogg) did NOT favor the Rockies. I thought Fogg would acquit himself well - 10 hits, 6ER in 2 and 2/3 isn't a very good effort. Some prognosticated he would get torched:

"...the long layoff seems to have hurt colorado (although their lack of offense in game 1 is probably josh beckett's fault); their pitchers aren't sharp, and they've made mental errors in the field and on the bases. i haven't counted them out just yet, but in the next two games they will start josh fogg --- a finesse pitcher who the patient red sox hitters ought to slaughter ---"

and they were right. I also thought Dice K would pitch poorly (wrong), and that Francona was silly not to start Beckett in Game 4 (wrong) because the extra day off between Games 4 and 5 (wrong, no day off) would allow him to pitch on normal rest (not needed).

This is why I don't play the lottery on a regular basis.

This is also symptomatic of why I no longer blog at mvn.com - I'm not paying as close attention as I have in the recent past to what goes on in sports (general themes yes, minutae no). Speaking in broad brushes is, to my mind, OK on a personal blog; not so much when you're more mainstream.

A couple of quick thoughts on some recent events in Cardinal-land:

1. Cardinals released Mike Maroth. With the way he got lit up in the NL this season post-trade, and the low 80s hop on his fastball, he's probably finished in baseball. Mike's a high character guy the likes of which the world needs more of, not just baseball. Here's hoping he'll latch on somewhere else; if he doesn't, Major League Baseball is poorer for his release.

2. It appears almost a formality that Chris Antonetti will become Walt Jocketty's replacement as GM. Sites that I frequent - www.ussmariner.com and the aforequoted Viva El Birdos - both have high praise for him. I certainly don't always agree with the opinions expressed at these sites, however in this case I have no reason to quibble with them. Chris is 33 years old, and about to become the General Manager for my favorite team. It is an opportunity I would jump at if I had the chance. I'm not that much older than him (37); anyone out there got some advice on how to get a job in a Major League front office?

One thing: It appears Chris will not be allowed to pick his own staff; he will work with those already in place (Mozeliak, LaRussa, Ludnow, et al). Coming in as the boss and working with an established core of professionals can certainly be done - it's how the USN works on board ship for COs, XOs and Department Heads - but it's got to be a little disconcerting for Antonetti. Whatever the bag is, he's just been handed it. With all the inherited internal politics, hidden agendas, strong personalities, and the like. Again, it can be done; but it will take a tactful man to turn the trick, something I'm not sure I could have done as a 33 year old (and to hear my wife tell it, probably not something I can do now).

To Chris: Good Luck; be patient; keep your wits about you.

3. A-Rod opted out of his contract. That'll save the Yankees about $70M in salary and the Rangers about $22M. This is better news for Texas than New York. It also leaves a huge hole in the Yankee infield and batting order. Some thoughts on this:

- I wonder if the Steinbrenners did a 'worst case' analysis when they decided to low ball Joe Torre. Did A-Rod leaving figure into their decision?
- How many other Yankees will follow him out the door?
- Will this mean New York is planning on backing a dump truck full of money up to Mike Lowell's house in an attempt to woo him from Boston?
- A-Rod and Scott Boras don't make this kind of financial decision without a lot of prior research and some assurance they can get what they're asking for (reputably in the $27 to $30 million per season range). If that's true, there are only really 5 places he can go: Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, and Cubs.

I don't see him remaining in New York to play for the Mets.
I believe the history between he and Boston precludes him playing for the Red Sox.
Arte Moreno reportedly has said he won't pay what Boras is seeking for A-Rod's services.
The Dodgers are an option, especially if they fire Grady Little and hire Torre (more speculation).

However, my money says he'll sign with and play for Piniella's Cubs. Now, I have a source in the Cub organization that says it won't happen due to the impending sale of the team; the Tribune Company hasn't finished enumerating all their assets, and MLB won't allow them to take on the kind of financial burden A-Rod's signing would require before the team is sold. But I still think that's the most likely place he'll end up. If he does, Chicago immediately becomes the team to beat in the NL - they would have the most feared lineup in the league, and their pitching is good enough.

Besides, I've been wrong about so much over the past 2 weeks, I'm sure to be right about this thing...

Who's The Hobo?

Tough loss for the Rockies in Game 2 - certainly a winnable game for them. Long day at work for me (got home after 1830, which is about 2 hours later than normal), so I didn't hear the Rockies score their lone run. I also started doing homework after the seventh inning stretch, and didn't tune back in until the top of 9.

Some random thoughts on Game 2:

- Jimenez's fastball is legit. He generates a lot of power from that skinny frame of his - a la a young Pedro. This isn't to imply he's going to be as good as Pedro, but that he has easy gas - 97 mph.

- With that weapon, why oh why did Torrealba mess around with his other pitches? And why did he insist on flipping junk up there when behind in the count and with runners on in scoring position? I agree with what Joe Morgan said on the radio - quit messing around and throw the heater (that's a paraphrase). Lowell was sitting on a breaking ball when he lined the ball into left for the go-ahead run in the 5th.

- Based on Schilling's hat tip while exiting the game in the sixth, you get the feeling he won't be back next year and he knows it?

- Are we sure that's Eric Byrnes in the Fox pre and post-game shows, not some Hobo they pulled out of the Cask and Flagon? Dude, showing up on TV with a severe case of bed head is bad enough, but do you have to dress like you slept in a trash can?

- Boyz II Men had 4 members in their heyday. They sung God Bless America with 3. Apparently, the guy with scoliosis was the one that could carry a tune.

- I think the Fox contract with MLB includes the following two caveats: (a) Boston is not allowed to be retired in order at home during the World Series; (b) A random draw is held before the series and that player is not allowed to be retired from an 0-2 count (Youkilis right now, Manny in the ALCS). How else to explain why the 0-2 and 1-2 pitches to Youkilis have been nowhere near in this series?

Colorado really needed this game. They can still win the series, but now two things are assured: They will have to win it at Fenway, and they will have to beat Beckett at least once. Dice K against Fogg is a favorable matchup (in my opinion) for them in Game 3. They need to do something to rattle Beckett early in Game 4, like bunt for hits, be real aggressive on the basepaths, step out a lot, something. Hopefully the series will be 2-1 at that point, but the way their bats have cooled off (again, nice 8 day layoff, Bud) they may be in a 3-0 hole instead.

Steal A Base....Steal A Taco

It's hot, my head hurts (as it normally does when the Santa Ana winds start a-blowin'), the entire eastern county is on fire, I haven't been to work since Monday, and we're all out of coffee.

OK, I made the last thing up.

And, the World Series got underway today.

The game is still in progress, but it's been over since the bottom of the fifth. 13-1 Red Sox. Yikes. Colorado gave up 8 runs total to Arizona in four games. Some instant observations from Game 1:

- Beckett is really good.

- Eight days off will kill a pitching staff (way to go, MLB and FOX!). Denver's a hockey town, rumor has it the Nordiques play there. Sometimes, during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when one team has survived a grueling 7 game series and their opponent won in 4 or 5 games to earn some days off, you hear the 7-game survivors say, we'll give a good effort, but we really don't expect to win this game. Think Clint Hurdle told that to his guys before Game 1?

- When Drew scored the 12th Red Sox run, Joe Buck intoned, 'That breaks the team record for runs in a World Series game.' The previous record? 11. As in 11-9, Boston, Game 1 in 2004. Thanks for the reminder, Joe. A small part of my mind secretly hopes Boston wins this series; maybe then we'll stop seeing ads of the team celebrating as Cardinal players exit the field from 2004.

- I don't think I can sneak Pedroia by everyone next season in my fantasy league. Probably not going to get Ellsbury, either.

- A lot of air has been heated comparing the Red Sox's 30-5 blitzing of Cleveland to Atlanta's 32-1 blitzing of St Louis in 1996. Note to all overconfident Red Sox fans: In 1996, Atlanta blasted the Yankees 12-1 in Game 1 and 4-0 in Game 2. They then lost 4 straight. Stay tuned.

- One more thing about that comparison: 30-5 doesn't do justice to the Indians. They trailed 4-1 in Game 5 when Boston scored 3 runs on 1 hit (and 2 balls hit out of the infield; both were sac flies) in the seventh. They trailed 3-2 in Game 7 until Pedroia's HR in the seventh, then got blown out in the eighth because Wedge stayed with Betancourt about 4 hitters too long. Cleveland lost the series because Carmona and Sabathia went 0-3, and their bullpen finally turned mortal. St Louis lost to Atlanta because Atlanta was better; it just took Atlanta until Games 5-7 to show it.

- The best part of this game was Clayton's conversation with Coco Crisp about the Taco Bell promotion. No wonder baseball can't attract new fans.

Two More Years for LaRussa

As reported in the Post-Dispatch today, Tony LaRussa agreed to terms with the club and will return to manage the Cardinals through the 2009 season. Specifics of the deal were not released.

So that's settled. Now all we need do is find a GM.

And a shortstop.

And two starting pitchers.

And a bench.

And select who will play in the outfield.

I'm ambivalent about Tony's return. There is no question he's one of the great managers in the history of the game. But I think he was driven to experiment this season with players and line-ups based on the number of injuries and because he'd run out of traditional ways to motivate the team. Based on how ungracefully some of the veterans have aged, he needs to continue to give the younger members on the roster playing time, and not just platooning. Or every 5th day. Playing the kids over veterans hasn't exactly been LaRussa's mantra in the past, and I think to be successful next season he's going to have to change his stripes, as it were.

When he's had roster questions that he would fill from within the 40-man roster, like he will with the outfield, Tony's gone about it two ways. The first was to declare an open competition for the spot (a la Royce Clayton and Ozzie Smith). That backfired on him so badly that Ozzie won't speak to him to this day, and doesn't attend Cardinals functions that Tony's at (which, frankly Ozzie, get over it - it was 12 years ago. What are you, 6?). The other was to declare a player had the spot and that was the end of it (a la Braden Looper as a starter last season). That worked out much better.

Unfortunately, the OF situation is sufficiently muddled that declaring who will man each position at this point is probably counter-productive. Tell Edmonds he's the everyday CF? Jimmy hasn't played 150 games since 2005; his hitting is clearly declining, although he's still above average defensively. Will Duncan's defense improve sufficiently to justify leaving him in left, especially with Ludwick and Schumaker proving they can hit at the major league level last season (and both are significant upgrades defensively)? And we haven't mentioned Ankiel yet.

Viva El Birdos (as usual) does a superlative job laying out the players and the options for the 2008 outfield; so what does La Russa do?

(Footnote: I was wrong about Game 7 - Dice K did start, and pitched well for 3 innings. Given his history over the last 3 months, that was a ballsy decision by Francona. And Dice did rise to the occasion, for 9 hitters.)

Piniero, Playoff schedules, and ALCS Game 5

- Piniero

There's been a lot of excellent discussion about the Piniero signing. Look at the comments for the below post, to start. Other articles to read include Fungoes, the Society of American Baseball Research chapter in St Louis; comments at That's a Winner; and of course Viva El Birdos.

All of it is making me slowly realize my initial thoughts that this is a good signing may be wrong. The problem is I don't know what the right answer for the rotation is. We've been through this. Wainwright and Looper are givens. Reyes? I still he's a good option, but I know his manager/pitching coach don't trust him. Mulder? Carpenter? Thompson? Wellemeyer? Who knows who fills out the rest of the rotation. For a free agent fix, what are our options? Jae Seo?

I guess it's wait and see who declares for free agency time.

- There's a great article at sportsline.com about playoff scheduling and the current malaise affecting MLB. Well worth the read.

- Some comments about the just completed ALCS Game 5:

1. I loved the Beckett/Lofton confrontation. Beckett's a competitor; Lofton is too. Lofton had already admitted to some gamesmanship before his first AB (he homered) against Dice-K, which I'm sure rankled the Red Sox a little. Beckett's 3-0 pitch to him, that he thought was ball four, was clearly a strike. Beckett let him know what he thought after Lofton hit the fly ball. Lofton, of course, didn't back down. That's all good to me. Frankly it's about time a little emotion showed up, since I don't think Manny will get drilled with a fastball (that he richly deserves for showboating, by the way).

2. Speaking of Manny, nice 390' single, slap head. When did he forget to hustle out of the box? All this 'Manny being Manny' excuse spin is horseshit. He should have been hustling, and he shouldn't act like he won the series when he hits a HR while his team trails by 5 runs. It didn't matter; he wouldn't have scored anyway; but come on - you're fighting for your playoff life; you gotta care a little bit.

3. Speaking of the 390' single, exactly why are there 6 umpires on the field again? Oh, yeah - to prevent mistakes like this. The replay clearly showed the top of Sizemore's glove at the bottom of the yellow stripe, and the ball landing above his glove. HOME RUN. Six guys screwed that up. MLB should mandate what was suggested during the division round - make the two umpires down the lines stand further down the lines, like at least half way, so they don't have to run to get into position (and miss a call because their vision is jumping around). I'm not an advocate for replay in baseball, but the umps could have used it tonight. That play was the most egregious error since the Jeffrey Maier 'homer' in 1997.

4. Youkilis' triple in the seventh? All Gutierrez' fault. Yes, Sizemore didn't hustle and the ball glanced off his glove, but realize this: A ball hit by a right handed hitter to right field will ALWAYS slice towards the line. Always. I know this and I play beer league softball now. A Major League outfielder should damn well know this. Gutierrez should have anticipated that ball slicing back to him, and been in position to make the play. Sizemore knew it, and fully expected Gutierrez to play his position correctly. Gutierrez didn't; Sizemore tried to cover; and you saw what you saw.

5. So, assuming Schilling wins on Saturday, who pitches Game 7 for Boston? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Here endeth the experiment

Well, I blogged over at mvn.com for about a month. I'm back over here. We won't go into why, however, it's nothing that mvn.com did, and I'm glad I got an opportunity to write over there.

One by-product is I was introduced to Dustin Mattison, who writes for the blog Whiteyball - a great resource for news on the Cardinals farm system. His site is bookmarked under Cool Cardinals Links to the right, and is worth a look.

If you're interested, and missed it, I've included a link to all the stories I posted there in the margin. Below my LEAGUE CHAMPS Rotisserie Baseball roster. You may not care about my fantasy team, but I do - and the reward for my obsession was a not insignificant amount of scratch (which my wife has already spent, by the way).

Speaking of scratch, the Cardinals signed Joel Piniero today to a two-year, $13 Million dollar deal. This will keep him in St Louis through the 2009 season, and provides some much needed depth in the rotation. As I pointed out here, the Cardinals had holes to fill in the rotation; this gives them Wainwright, Looper, and Piniero as definite starters next season. What remains to be seen is who will fill out the final two spots. KFW? No friggin way. Reyes maybe, but I firmly believe that will depend on whether LaRussa returns or not. Mulder says he'll be ready for spring training, but after two surgeries in less than a year on his shoulder I think he's much more of a question mark than he's saying publicly.

In the same linked article above we briefly discussed the Cardinals payroll for next year. With Piniero's signing, the numbers stand at $80.55 Million.

Personally - I think this is a good pick-up. Piniero was solid down the stretch, much more so than we had a right to believe (seeing as he was jettisoned by Boston). With the clubs dearth of starting pitching, and slim pickings expected on the free agent market, this is a good move.

Some non-related Cardinals news

Writing for mvn.com has been interesting, at least. Hopefully my loyal readers have wandered by the site to see what's being said by all the writers, not just myself.

No, I do not look like Fredbird in real life, but I thought it was a funny photo to use so I'm going with it.

Some non-Cardinals notes:

- The Padres elimination game last Monday was tough to take for this town. Their best pitcher gives up 6 ER in 6 1/3 innings, and then their franchise pitcher blows a save that would have put them in the post-season - for the second time in three days, no less. The really odd thing about that inning in Colorado was the absolute lack of change-ups that Hoffman threw to the 4 hitters he faced. By my count, he threw 2 - both for balls, and one bounced. Hoffman not being able to locate (or have any confidence in) his change-up is what undid him in that game. Some of my co-workers (I'd been off work since my second son was born, Friday was my first day back) mentioned that the change-up gap had come up on local sports radio here, but I've not heard anything about it nationally. Interesting.

- The Chargers are really bad. More to follow if they lay a gagger this Sunday in Denver - and since they haven't won in Denver in consecutive seasons since joining the NFL, I fully expect a gagger.

- Some in blogdom have railed against the off-day format for this year's playoffs, and I can't agree more. TV driving (a) a playoff game in Boston to start at 2130 EDT, (b) a playoff game in Chicago to start at 1700 EDT (the only, mind you, majority daytime game ballpark left in the majors), and (c) the ridiculous fact Boston vs Anaheim will have 2 days off before Game 3 is played just makes me sick. Baseball series aren't played this way from April through September; why do the powers-that-be in baseball allow greed to play a role in determining who makes the World Series (beyond payroll greed)? Why is the most difficult thing about playing baseball (the day after day grind) allowed to be less important when the chips are down? It makes no sense.

The amount of abuse St Louis has taken since winning last year has been a favorite topic of mine to defend around here, but let's not discount the role favorable scheduling played last playoffs. Allowing the Cardinals to throw Carpenter in Game 4 on REGULAR REST against what had been the hottest team in the NL (Padres) immediately prior to the playoffs starting was a huge advantage for the Cardinals.

Maximize TV revenue is today's mantra. Gone are the days where you could sneak a radio into class and listen to a day game in the playoffs (as I did all through high school). MLB says it's got the fans interest at heart; it wants a big national audience; it wants to recruit kids to be baseball fans. Starting every game at night guarantees most kids (at least the ones with involved responsible parents) won't be around when it finishes. Starting a game at Fenway at 2130 guarantees young Sox fans won't be awake to see how it turns out, which to me is really criminal.

Having the Division Series be on TBS exclusively is a 'Fuck You' to the fan that should be discussed separately.

That's enough for now. For my thoughts on Jocketty's dismissal see mvn.com. Also, vivaelbirdos has a great article on Jocketty that's worth reading.

So Long and Thanks for all the Fish

The one year anniversary of this site is this Sunday, however, the odds of there being a gala celebration a la Kissing Suzy Kolber is pretty low.

One, I don't have the readership that most excellent blog has.

Two, I've been called up.

MVN.com offered me a writing position on their Cardinals blog, and I decided to take it. Why? Because what difference does it make if a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it. I figured what the hell. I'm writing there under my real name, not this psyudomym; and I hope it becomes a springboard to bigger things.

I intend to keep the same posting schedule (Tues/Fri) for the rest of this season; after that, who knows.

I may still post periodically here (you can't forget where it is you come from), but for all the Cardinals content, surf on over to MVN.com.

It's been a blast writing here for the past year. Thanks to all who stopped by to read this and even left a comment or two. I would certainly still be toiling in the wilderness without you.

Read This

I came across this article while at ussmariner.com. Read it, and read it all the way through. I think you'll enjoy it.

It's HOT

We've had a heat wave here the likes of which I've not seen since I left my parents home in LA in search of fame and fortune. Wow. 104 degrees at the homestead; we fled to the beach, where it was a cooool 90.

Once again proving it's good to be a guy - my wife, who is mit kinder, didn't get to sleep until after 2 this morning - a combination of the heat, physical pain, and the fetus just beating the shit out of her because he's hot too. I don't know how she hasn't gone insane the last 4 days. I'm not sure how I haven't.

Anyway, back to the team of interest. First off, I spent most of the last 5 days in a media blackout, so I didn't realize Juan Encarnacion had been horribly injured until after I posted on Friday. Believe what you want about Juan E - he didn't hustle, he's a liability in the outfield, whatever. The fact of the matter is, he carried the club offensively throughout the month of July; his grousing when Rick Ankiel got called up is completely understandable (he hadn't really done anything to merit a benching); and he's played hard since that day when he's had an opportunity. To be injured so greviously on such a freak play is awful. No one deserves to get hurt as badly as he did, not even Barry Bonds. Baseball has a short list of players who've suffered eye trauma; for most, the prospects of getting back on the playing field isn't good. Hopefully Juan bucks the trend and is able to make a full recovery.

Scott Rolen is shut down for the year. I personally applaud that decision. Get better Scott and tear it up next season.

The club gets to a game over .500 for the first time since April...and KFW lays his traditional egg. 11-0 whitewash yesterday. Ouch. Based on reports in the Post-Dispatch today, Reyes is officially out of the rotation for the year. With that, and the expiration date having passed on KFW, what's the Cardinals rotation look like for the rest of the year? Apparently Wainwright, Looper, KFW, Piniero, Mulder, and Maroth. The six-man rotation is a novel concept, much like hitting the pitcher 8th; the Club is, I believe, 17-11 since La Russa moved his hurler up one spot in the order, so who's to say the six-man rotation won't work?

Despite the gagger yesterday, St Louis is 3-1 on this homestand. Taking the next 3 from Pittsburgh, in preparation for their road trip to AZ and CIN, will be important. Luckily the two clubs they're chasing also got shellacked yesterday, so we're still 2 games out. Anything can happen from here on out.

One shining moment amidst a bunch of clunkers

I had hoped that the team would take 2 of 3 in Houston, but thought they would lose 2 of 3. Woody had been hot; Oswalt usually hypnotizes Cardinal bats; and then we can beat up on the rook. Didn't quite work out that way.

Houston of late has been a house of horrors for the Cardinals - except for one indescribably exquisite HR in the 2005 NLCS - so losing 2 of 3 doesn't bother me. What's more important is they didn't lose much ground to the Cubs, and they made up the one game they lost by beating Cincinnati last night 8-5.

Some comments on happenings around Cardinal Nation.

- Looks like I was dead wrong about Joel Piniero. He's pitched quite well since being acquired. He certainly pitched well enough to win on Thursday, but for the fact the Cardinals haven't figured out Albers like the rest of the NL has.

- Lots of type has been spent concerning the physical condition of Scott Rolen. He is, and remains, one of my favorite players; if he asked out of his final AB on Wednesday because he was in too much pain, well, that's a warning shot to the organization. Shut him down and let him heal. Making the playoffs this season is a long shot, anyway; even if by some miracle the Cardinals do make it, it's unrealistic to believe they'll survive past the NLDS. I'm not saying we should mail in the rest of the season, not by a long shot - the team's fought hard these past 3 weeks to get back into contention, and will continue to do so - but the long term health of Rolen is much more important than keeping him active at 50% or less for the rest of this season.

- Should they make the post-season, what will their rotation be? You gotta go with your best 3 starters, of course. Wainwright being the ace of the rotation is a no-brainer. I would think Looper's earned a chance to be the #2 starter. So who do you choose for #3? KFW, no friggin' way. Too inconsistent, and it is true he seems to have reverted back to his first half form in recent starts (I can't believe a rainout in Chicago would have messed with his head/preparation so much he's lost the bubble). So it's Piniero or Reyes. Reyes, although he has pitched much better in this turn in the rotation, is still VERY prone to the big inning, whereas Piniero has been tough.

So I'd go with Wainwright, Looper, and Piniero. Note that I use no statistical analysis to back this up; call it a hunch.

Of course, this is all subject to change depending on how the month of September plays out.

At any rate, Wainwright attempts to pitch the club back to .500 tonight against the Reds, and we will be waiting anxiously to see how that works out. Our old friend Jason Marquis works today for Chicago against those Astros, and the Brewers send Dave Bush to the mound at home against Pittsburgh.

Let Slip....the Dogs of War!*

7-0 whitewash. Nice.

For the first time since April 16, we're not rooting for a loser. Keep chugging, fellas.

Now, as a .500 team that happens to be in second in the division, let the serious discussions begin about making the playoffs.

Just keep an eye on the Reds in the rear view mirror. They're just as hot as the Cardinals are right now.


*Originally written by some dude named Shakespeare

Focus....FOCUS!

A couple of quick thoughts.

With Chicago and Milwaukee beating each other up this week at Wrigley, a golden opportunity presents itself to climb into second in the division or (dare I say) into the lead. To take over the division lead would take something of a miracle, as the Cubs and Brewers are virtually tied for first, Cardinals trail by 2, and both teams can't lose all three games! (although it would be cool, I'm not ready to rip the space-time continuum).

Not to mention it still makes me chuckle that we're talking about a team that's been under .500 since April 16 taking the division lead in September.

So let's focus on what's important here - taking 2 of 3 from Houston and getting level again.

Houston's had a tough year, have played better of late, but are tied with Pittsburgh at the bottom of the Central. It appears Woody Williams has regained his St Louis mojo, and Oswalt is (as always) one of the elite pitchers in the league. Nice of the Astros to line up their two best pitchers for us in the first two games of the series. It's the thought that counts. Matt Albers will toe the slab in the third game.

Adding insult to injury, today comes word that Garner and Pupura have been fired. From a callous perspective, a little disarray in the clubhouse will probably help. Of course, if Cecil Cooper is a breath of fresh air, then the club might get a bounce and play really well. We'll see.

Cardinals counter with Looper, KFW, and Piniero on the hill. Not exactly Carpenter, Mulder and Suppan, (or even Wainwright, Reyes, and a pitching machine) but they've pitched fairly well of late - St Louis wouldn't be a game under .500 without them (take that any way you want).

So let's keep our focus this week - get to .500. After that start worrying about catching the Cubs.

Nobody cares about your fantasy team - SMS version

I have (amazingly, for how much time I spend agonizing over it) not blogged much about my fantasy team this season. The club has recently run into a rough stretch, for two reasons:

- the Indians aren't hitting. Yes, the entire team has stopped hitting. Victor Martinez has hit 2 home runs since the All-Star Break. C.C Sabathia has given up 2 ER OR LESS in his last 7 starts (including tonight); he's 1-3 in those starts (including tonight's loss). Fausto Carmona: 1.80 ERA since 15 July; he's 4-4.
- My pitchers quit winning. See the Indians starters above, as well as Dice-K (Boston doesn't seem to hit for him - 3-3, 3.06 ERA since the break).

So tonight I'm monitoring the Indians game. Sabathia's starting, as mentioned, against Kansas City. Should be a grapefruit game, right? NO. Indians get 6-hit, lose 2-1.

But here's what really gets me. Cleveland's scuffling. They need some momentum; they're desperate for some momentum. They trail 2-0 in the 6th, get a 2-out clutch hit, cut the lead in half. Seventh inning, they get a 1-out triple from their #9 hitter. Up steps Kenny Lofton.

He's the leadoff hitter. A speed guy. Knows how to lay one down.

Did I mention the team's struggling? Need some momentum?

I can tell you what LaRussa would have done in that situation with Eckstein - somewhere in that at bat, Eck-er would have tried to lay one down on a safety squeeze. Damnit, get that run it. This pitcher's working his but off, and has been for over a month. Give him a break.

Instead, Lofton fouls off 2 pitches and waves at the third. Sit down. Blake then rolls out to second. Inning over.

Managers have to be willing to step outside their comfort zone occasionally and try to shake up the team. Again, LaRussa's did that by moving the pitcher to the #8 position in the order - and the team has taken off (there are other factors, I know, but you get the idea). Would it have killed Eric Wedge to try something new, like a squeeze? If it doesn't work, so what? You've still got a guy on third and your #2 hitter up. If it does, and you tie it, who knows what would have happened next?

A team that has no confidence at the plate needs help scoring runs. Way to sleep at the switch, Eric.

Yet another bone of contention with the MLB front office

It's nice to have a home field advantage again; since dropping the first game of the last home series with Milwaukee, the Cardinals have won 10 of their last 12 at home. It's a large part of their current surge - the ability to win at home.

Milwaukee's loss tonight means the two teams are even in the loss column. Milwaukee has played 4 more games than the Cardinals, which accounts for the two game deficit in the standings. Chicago has also played more games than St Louis (2).

While looking at the Cubs and Cardinals records against the NL, I noticed they have remarkably similar records. St Louis is actually better against the Central (30-22) than either the Cubs (27-26) or the Brewers (28-27). Cubs are .500 against the other two divisions; Brewers 1 game over, and St Louis 6 under (most of those losses are against the East).

Adding up their records against the NL, here's how it shakes out:

Cardinals 55-53 .509
Brewers 57-55 .508
Cubs 57-56 .504

That's right - without Interleague, the Cardinals are leading the Central by percentage points, and have a 2 game lead in the loss column. So it may come to pass that St Louis has the best record in the division against the division but won't win the division.

I hate interleague play. Thanks a lot, "Bud".

Don't Look a Gift Horse In The Mouth

Some will say, well, they lost 2 of 3 in Chicago (and may have lost 3 of 4, considering Zambrano was pitching).

I say, they just completed a 6-game road trip to the two cities they're chasing, and they went 4-2.

I say, they departed on the trip 5.5 games out of first and return 3 games back.

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Now, the team plays 13 of its next 17 games at home - where they've suddenly become very tough to beat. Here's the golden opportunity to move even closer (or even take) over the lead in the Central.

For the first time this season, I've become more interested in the Cardinals than my fantasy team. Though that may be in part due to the fact that my once commanding 14 point lead is now down to a single point.

Thanks for the beer, fellas

Nothing like taking 3 from the division leaders to propel yourself firmly back into the pennant race.

The most ridiculous part of this remains the fact St Louis is still 2 games under .500 for the season. They shouldn't be 2.5 games back and be 2 games under .500.

Take 1 game from Chicago this weekend and it's a winning road trip. Take 2 and we split in Chicago, which would be a major victory. Anything more than that is in the realm of impossible dreams, where it will stay - especially since our best pitcher (Wainwright) pitched today, so he won't go against Chicago.

However the way the guys are throwing the ball right now it may not matter. So for now let's just enjoy the ride.

Five and a half..... 5 1/2......

If you read this site, there are probably two things we have in common. One is obviously an affection for the St Louis nine. The other is a love of most things baseball, to include cinematic treatment of America's Pastime.

Which means you probably love 'Major League'.

Vaughan's next pitch is crushed towards South America. Cerrano's gonna need a visa to catch this one...

The Indians in that movie had a pretty good team, but still spent the majority of the year hovering around .500. Until that one thing happened to "put it aaallll together".

The mood, at least according to published reports out of St Louis since Friday, in the Cardinal clubhouse since Ankiel joined the club has been positively upbeat. They've played 4 of their best games since last Thursday. Even the 2-1 loss Friday night was a nail-biter between two great pitchers. And in the other 3 games, the offense has positively exploded, with the pitching being solid across the board.

You don't think we've had our Rachel Phelps moment by calling him up, do you?

This team remains flawed. Not enough starting pitching. Too haphazard an offense. And yet, through all that, they're only 5.5 games out of first.

If I were the Cubs and Brewers, I'd be looking over my shoulder every day now. They should have left this Cardinals team for dead months ago. But they could never put the final stake through the team's heart. And now, with all that talent on the team, and all that playoff experience, and all that baptism by fire since 2000.....

And Edmonds looking more and more like the Jimm-E of 2004-2005 each day, and Rolen driving the ball, and the kids (Ryan, Ludwick, and Rick Ankiel) providing a spark...

"I figure it will take 30 more wins to win this thing. Each time we win...a piece comes off."


Other notes:
- I attended the Chargers mini-camp at MCAS Miramar yesterday. Photos and story to follow this week. I have some doozies, so stand by. I think the lads at 'Kissing Suzy Kolber' will be pleased.

- I've updated my fantasy team roster and will be adding links this week. As my team is in free-fall, but still has a 6.0 point lead in the standings, I've started to become anxious...but it's not a full-fledged panic yet (would it kill you, Justin Morneau and Victor Martinez, to hit a few more HR before the season ends?)

- I've added a new Cardinals link to the margin - Cardinal Nation Globe. Check it out.

Chris Young is a class act

Continuing the maddening, lurching, schizophrenic path this season has taken, the Cardinals lose 5 of 6 to the two worst teams in the NL, and turn right around to take 3 of 4 from the best pitching staff in baseball - the Padres.

I got to think the Padres must dread playing in St. Louis. It's been a house of horrors for them for years. Only since they moved into Petco Park have they been able to consistently beat the Cardinals in San Diego. Why, in the last salad days of Jack Murphy/Qualcomm, we OWNED the boys in Brown and Yellow. I used to loove going to games there. Saw my only in person no-hitter there. Not so anymore; now the Cardinals lose 2 of 3 every year here.

But in St Louis, they always seem to get ambushed. Which is, even in this lost year (which still finds the team only 5.5 out and 6 under), they still own the Padres at home.

But I don't want to talk about that. I want to discuss Chris Young. And to do that, I'll start with Rick Ankiel.

As you may (and if you read this blog, probably do) know, Rick was the #1 pitching prospect in baseball from 1999-2000. Made the majors in 1999. Second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2000. Forgot where the strike zone was in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Braves, knocked around for 5 years before hanging them up as a pitcher and trying to make the majors as a hitter.

Well, he's back. Called up today, started in RF tonight and batted second, hit a 3-R HR in the seventh. Storybook stuff.


Cardinals fans have long memories. This is why they booed Rickey Henderson 16 years after he broke Lou Brock's single season steals record. So they know all about what Rick's gone through these last 7 years. So as he strode to the batter's box in the top of the first inning, they gave him a standing ovation.

Chris Young then stepped off the rubber to allow the applause to build.

He didn't have to do that. He's trying to win. He spent the first 6 innings allowing only 3 hits, 2 walks and 1 run to the Cardinals. But he felt it important to recognize the effort Ankiel's put in in trying to make it back to the majors. And that's the definition of a class act.

I am a Cardinals fan. Have been since I was 7, will be (barring the team moving to Mexico) for the rest of my natural life. But I have always reserved the right to cheer for the guys who play the game right, or who are examples of the kind of men we should all strive to be.

Chris Young is one of those men.

Baseball is Life

After the euphoria of taking 3 of 4 from Milwaukee, many in the blog-o-sphere (myself included) thought the Cardinals had a legitimate chance of returning to the pennant race. Especially after they one the first game at Pittsburgh - a team we've pretty much abused throughout this millennium in their home ballpark.

And then the Cardinals lose 5 straight to two of the worst teams in the NL. Now 3 games under .500 after the all-star break, 8 under overall, and 8 back.

Yep - that should just about do it.

In come the Padres. They're hot. They just got finished sweeping San Fran at home. Winners of 4 straight. David Wells is on the mound - a lefty. Not looking good.

So of course, the team ties a Major League Record with 10 consecutive hits - and explodes for ten runs in the fifth inning. 10-5 is your final.

I don't get it. Much like life, you got to take it one day at a time.

Do I think the team has a reasonable chance of competing for a playoff spot? No. I just want them to finish at .500. That, after all that's transpired this year, would be a accomplishment.

Piniero? Why?

On to the 4 game winning streak! From all accounts, the Cardinals looked like a team that played hard and knew how to win, which is refreshing (especially this season).


On the heels of the trade deadline, let's discuss pitching for a moment.


Cardinals acquired Joel Piniero from the Red Sox. I did a modicum of research on Piniero. Here's what ussmariner.com had to say:


"The Cardinals just traded for Joel Pineiro. On purpose! He now gets to team with Spiezio again. Hope the pharmacies stay open late in St. Louis."

And here's what Viva El Birdos had to say:

"the cardinals picked up joel piniero for a ptbnl. this guy's career era away from capacious safeco field is above 5.00. even in his good years (2002-03) his era was largely a ballpark illusion --- more than 1.50 lower at home than on the road in both seasons. i don't know why the cardinals even bother with players like this"

Of course, I can't find the numbers now that I looked at yesterday, but suffice it to say that Piniero's pitching numbers since 2005 are so bad only SIDNEY PONSON pitched worse.

So naturally the Cardinals have decided to give him a slot in the rotation and bump Brad Thompson, one of the rare starters the team has used this year that can actually get people out consistently, to the bullpen.

Why do we insist on giving these hopeless rejects a chance? It's as if the Cardinals clubhouse has turned into the Betty Ford clinic for recalcitrant pitchers. I can see the slogan now: 'Made the Majors? Having trouble sticking? ERA over 4.00 career? Lost more than you've won? Then come on down! We've got a uniform and a plane ticket for you. Believe in yourself!"

When you want pitching really bad, you get really bad pitching. If La Ro Ro and Dunc would stick with Wainwright, Looper, Reyes, Thompson, and a pitching machine as their rotation, they might actually make up ground in the race. Sure, you'd lose with the pitching machine...but would you notice the difference between the machine's outing and KFW's? Or Maroth's?

[update 2300] So much for the 4 game winning streak. Looper and Maroth get baked.

[update 2 August 2129] I found the story I was looking for yesterday. It's here. Never mind about the article, just read the gray box at the top right hand corner.

Well, That Really Didn't Solve Anything...

I thought the team needed a 5-2 homestand - take 2 of 3 from Chicago, and 3 of 4 from Milwaukee. They went 4-3. So we really haven't solved anything; they're still not quite out of it, but not quite in it, either.

Some random thoughts from this recently completed homestand:

- The Cubs have the look of a legitimate playoff team. In fact, I daresay right now they are the best team in the NL. This pains me for a couple of reasons: (a) it's the Cubs; (b) I hate to see a team that spends $300 million rewarded immediately - it makes the hole in the space/time continuum that much bigger; (c) Jason Marquis is on a winner AGAIN (although his 11-1 pasting in the salvage game of that series was fun). It's not a big pain, though.

- How good would Milwaukee be if their bullpen was worth a shit? Realistically the Cardinals should be very fortunate they're not 11 games out and buried right now. A legit playoff team doesn't blow leads of 6-0 and 5-0 in consecutive days.

- Welcome back to the fight, Scott Rolen.

- Anthony Reyes finally got off the schneid (is that even a word?). Apparently he looked good as well. I continue to maintain he's a better option both short-term this season and long term for the franchise than KFW (or, unfortunately, Mike Maroth), so it would be nice if the team pulled him aside now, said, 'nice start kid - you're on the big club for the rest of the year, so just pitch', and let him go to work - regardless of the outcome.

- Team's .500 at home again.

- I haven't been keeping that close tabs on the pennant race, mostly because the club's been so bad for long stretches this year. But today I noticed that St. Louis is only 4 games out on the loss side. Yep - the Brewers have played 4 more games, and the Cubs 2 more, than the Cardinals. Not sure if that's significant, but there you go.

So it's off to Pittsburgh and the Nation's capital for 6 games. With two of the NL West's teams (San Diego and LA) coming to town on the next homestand, the club needs a good trip here. 4-2 at least. 5-1 puts them back at .500 for the season. I don't know if I could stand that much excitement.

Atta Boy, Skip!

Striding to the plate after David Eckstein couldn't get the sac bunt down n the tenth inning, Skip Schumaker hit an 0-1 pitch into the right field seats, breaking a 2-2 tie and leading the Cardinals to a 7-2 win. Way to step up, Skip!

Several things to like about this game. Taguchi played well in CF. Molina cut down Willie Harris twice trying to steal (although the first time it appeared Harris beat the tag). Thompson limited the damage to 2 runs through 6 innings - and picked Andruw Jones off first for good measure. AP with yet another clutch HR - this one to tie the game in the 8th. Rolen homered. Yes, it was piling on, but given his offensive struggles this year it was good to see.

And most importantly, the team trailed 2-0 after 5, with Eckstein's single to start the game their only offense, and still came back to win.

I said earlier I would be very pleased if they ended up 5-5 on this road trip. They did, and I am.

What's this? Momentum headed into a key 7-game home stand against the Cubs and Brewers? Maybe my last post was a trifle premature.

Then again, KFW is starting Tuesday night. Let's not get too excited (yet).

RIP, 2007

Chris Carpenter to have Tommy John surgery. Good luck on your rehab, my friend. We'll add you to our intentions.

Mike Maroth gets pummelled by Atlanta.

This photo sums it all up.

Photo courtesy of Deadspin.com and joesportsfan.com

I have to ask: When they looked at Carp's elbow earlier in the year, and decided he needed to have bone spurs removed, don't you think they would have noticed his shredded elbow ligament then? How did they miss that? Were no X-rays taken of his arm?

Carp has been hurt - literally - since day one of the season, and his return was a hope and a prayer in my book. But this new diagnosis, somewhat out of the blue (at least until last week), boggles the mind. It sounds a lot like the medical bungling of Rolen's shoulder injury 2 years ago. I asked it before, and I'll ask it again - do we have quacks on the Cardinals medical staff?

[Update 22 July 8:50pm] Bernie Miklasz asks this exact same question in his Sunday column. Proving we here at the Stance have our fingers on the pulse of those burning questions you want answered. :) Or it could just be coincidence.

No Way

You're kidding, right? Can't be.

KFW threw a 2-hit shutout? Nah. I'm living in bizarro world. Hang on, I've got a phone call...

"Hello? What? He did? No shit. Yeah. Yeah. See you then."

Guess he did throw a 2-hit shutout for 8 innings. Cards win 6-0. Apparently, the Novena is working. So keep going once around the beads, burning those votive candles, giving to the poor.

Can't hurt.

More importantly, the Redbirds have won 3 of 4 since being blown out of 'The Vet' those first two games after the break. That levels their record at 3-3. Hey, got to start somewhere.

So it's on to Atlanta for 4 against the Braves. Keep building momentum, fellas. 9 out in the Central, 7.5 out in the Wild Card. I have no reason to think this is a playoff team. But, if I can finally fix my softball swing (which I did) and start driving the ball again (which I am), any thing's possible.

KFW a winner. Wow. Don't blink, you might miss it.

Now Wellemeyer is hurt

Whacked his elbow on his knee during his last start. So he's headed to the 15 Day DL.

Which means we're stuck with Wells (hereafter abbreviated as KFW).

So we go to war in the second half with Looper, Wainwright, Thompson, Maroth...and KFW.

Perhaps now is a good time to start a novena to St. Jude.

Wells instead of Wellemeyer?!?!?!?!

Well, the All-Star game extravaganza is over yet again. NL loses, AGAIN. Oh, I long for the salad days of my youth (1980s) when the NL ruled this exhibition.

So the AL will host the World Series again this year, as they have every year since 2001. I despise this method of selecting the host team, and have a much better alternative, but that's a blog for a later time.

Today we discuss Kip friggin' Wells returning to the starting rotation. Let's look at this logically: Wellemeyer is 3-1. Wells is 3-11. The Cardinals are 7-1 (I believe) in Wellemeyer's 8 starts. Wells is 3-11. Wells has a 0.82 ERA as a reliever.

So why is this a good idea? Has La Russa finally lost his mind?

Tony's job is to give the team the best chance to win. Wells has not done that when it counted. Just because he had a great spring, and then had a reasonably successful 3 week stint in the bullpen, doesn't invalidate the 3 in-between months of shitty pitching. Wells, as a starter, does not give this team it's best chance of winning. He essentially gives them NO chance of winning. Tony might as well start sending me out there every fifth day.

I hope LaRussa and Duncan aren't stubbornly sticking to Wells as a starter in a lame attempt to salvage their reputations as geniuses overhauling journeyman pitchers.

Stick Wells in the bullpen or release him. Let Wellemeyer keep starting until Mulder and/or Carpenter return, with Brad Thompson holding down the other slot. You've already (probably) permanently damaged Anthony Reyes with your incessant yo-yoing of him between AAA and the majors, as well as constant tinkering with his delivery/pitches.

Where have you gone, Fernando? The Senior Circuit turns its lonely eyes to you...

So much for the first half

I'll bet the Redbirds are collectively glad to have the week off, if for nothing else, to regroup from a below expectations first half.

Some quick notes before I'm booted off the computer for the night:

- Lots of people in Redbird Nation don't like Taguchi. I've seen that sentiment on message boards and in blog articles over the past year (since I joined in the fun). I have not been able to figure out why. For those who don't like him, read this short article on Taguchi that appeared in today's Post-Dispatch. That attitude is why he's one of my favorite players.

- Lots of hitters decline the HR derby invitation because they're afraid it will mess up their swing. I think AP accepted this year because he's looking for his swing. Since he's not hitting HR with the regularity we've come to expect from him, perhaps entering this competition is a good idea. However, I always caveat that comment with this thought: Edmonds entered the HR derby in 2003, and stated later that he hurt himself doing it. His production clearly suffered that year after the All-Star break (28 HR, 67 RBI first half; 11/22 second). This team cannot afford AP to go in the tank in the second half. Again, just a thought.

Posts may be scarce this week. See you for sure after the break.

Mets fans don't like Taguchi? OK, that I do get.

Wishful thinking and bad defense

After I wrote my last post, I thought it may have been wishful thinking to believe the Cardinals could sweep San Francisco. We were to face 2 of the best young pitchers the Giants have in Lowry and Lincecum, and then a lefty (Zito) who, like all lefties, will give our lineup fits.

And then the first two games happened. And if certain folks could FIELD their POSITION, LaRussa's boys would have won both games.

First, Friday night's 4-3 loss. Key play: Taguchi's drop of Benji Molina's fly ball led to three runs - and a 4-0 lead. I love Taguchi. He's my favorite Cardinal after AP. I play softball most nights in a Taguchi #99 shirt. He hustles, was willing to re-make his approach at the plate in the minors just to have the opportunity to play at the Major League level in the States, and he's a great defensive outfielder. Although you wouldn't know it from last night's highlights.

Sorry, So - I love ya, but you should have made that catch. Cost us the game.

Of course, it is always difficult to predict what would have happened if a particular play had been made or a hit had been gotten in a specific situation. However, I think it's entirely reasonable to believe LaRussa would have deployed his bullpen almost the same way (maybe Franklin instead of Cate in the eighth) and that the Cardinals would have started the ninth tied 1-1. Then Duncan's double wins it.

Next, tonight's 7-6 loss. Aaron Miles had one of those horrible innings. His 3 errors (in one frigging inning!) led directly to 3 Giant runs, indirectly to a fourth, and the margin of victory. If he fields his position, the Cardinals win this game 6-5. The throw to first on Sweeney's slow roller - shit happens. The ball Randy Wynn hit that went through him - inexcusable. The other bad throw - the first two plays were clearly in his head at that point.

We've lost enough games because our starting pitching is God-awful, or because our big bats haven't produced this year. Now, with the first two finally starting to click, to be betrayed by our defense? That REALLY hurts.

So much for being .500 at home. Best case scenario is we win tomorrow and go into the break 5 games under overall, 21-22 at home. Ugh.

I can't wait for the All-Star break. At least my Rotisserie Fantasy team is kicking ass....

kids: If you want to learn how to play short, DON'T watch the highlights of this game.

The Cardinals reach .500! The Cardinals reach .500!

Hey, Happy Day! We're a .500 team again!

Er.....at home.

See what this season has been reduced to? I'm actually excited that the Redbirds are now 20-20 at home. Although they very nearly weren't, based on the game highlights courtesy of the WWL. Let's thank the designers of Busch III for making the warning track out of concrete - otherwise Stephen Drew's 9th inning double scores the tying run from first. Instead, it's second and third with one out, Izzy walks them loaded, and gets the inning ending twin killing.

Hope for the future? StL took 3 of 4 from the Diamondbacks - one of the better teams in the league. It's tough to leap over two teams, and they are still 4 games under .500 overall, but they're now only 7.5 games back of Milwaukee. If by some miracle they can sweep the Giants (matchups: Lowry vs. Maroth Friday, Lineceum vs. Looper Saturday, and Zito vs. Wellmeyer Sunday - not the most favorable for the Redbirds, I'd say), they'd enter the break only 1 game under. To play as badly as they have this year and only be 1 game under at the break would be a miracle.

Well Done

As was announced by MLB this afternoon, Chris Young (P, Padres) won the All-Star bakeoff and was added to the NL roster.

Pat yourselves on the back, dear readers - well done.


Apparently Chris is pretty pumped about it as well.

Fix this Injustice!

The All-Star teams were announced today. I have one major gripe:

Chris Young is not an All-Star.

Young is 8-3 so far this year in 16 starts. Against the best team in the AL, Boston, he allowed one hit over 7 innings and struck out 11. Chris is second in the league in WHIP, first in fewest hits allowed per 9 innings, 4th in strikeouts per 9 innings, and third in ERA. His stats are as good or better than those of Brad Penny, Jake Peavy, Ben Sheets, and Cole Hamels, all of whom are All-Stars.

I implore both my readers - go to mlb.com and vote for Chris. Vote early and often.

Fans of baseball thank you.