Better 201st Post - Anthony Reyes

Let me pull out my old moniker (The AngryRant, for those of you new to the site) to discuss Anthony Reyes for a moment.

As you know, Reyes was sent back to AAA Memphis on 4 May. He wasn't happy about it, and I don't blame him; I don't think his performance was so bad it merited his being demoted. But let's look at the data to see what it tells us.

In his first 6 appearances, he pitched very well. He did have a hiccup in his second, against the Nationals; he gave up a 1 out 2 run HR to Flores, Washington's catcher. He got the next guy out and was replaced by LaRussa, getting credit for a hold.

For his first 6 games, his line looked like this:

9 2/3 IP, 3R (all earned), 8 H, 1 BB, 8 K, 2 holds, 1 save, 1-0 overall record, 2.79 ERA, WHIP 0.93.

Pretty darn good.

LaRussa at least evinced some faith in him then, using him in tight, close games. You get holds only if you come into the game in a save situation; his save was in the 10th inning against the Giants, who the Cardinals had trouble with (they went 4-3 against St Louis this season). Reyes was pitching about every 3 days to start the season. Since he had gone through spring training as a starter, I thought that was a reasonable approach to a kid now shifted to the bullpen, as you work him into working on consecutive days.

Reyes' 6th appearance was as the long man out of the pen, spelling Looper after Loop gave up 6 runs in the third to those same Giants. He pitched as he had in the previous 5, but he was working on 4 days rest.

It's his next appearance that apparently did him in. Entering in the 8th, against Pittsburgh's 4-5-6 hitters, he gave up 4 hits, one loud flyball, and a groundout. The damage might have been worse had Schumaker not cut down Mientkiewiez at second trying to stretch a single into a double.

After that, he pitched at the back end of 2 blowouts, and got sent down.

Why would a poor outing after 6 good ones get him reassigned? Putting on my JFK "there was a second shooter on the grassy knoll" conspiracy hat, doesn't this ooze something nefarious?

It's almost as if LaRussa and Duncan gave Reyes just enough rope to hang himself. It's no secret neither one of them trust Reyes, otherwise why would he have spent the better part of 2 seasons wearing out the road between St Louis and Memphis? If they really bought into Reyes as a top-flight pitching prospect, why did they not let him work out his problems in 2006 and 2007 at the big league level, like other teams have done with Edwin Jackson, Cole Hamels, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and several other young pitchers over the past 4 years?

But they didn't; they turned him into a yo-yo, and in the process sapped his confidence to the point he was a wreck last season.

And this year was even crueller. The kid worked his butt off in spring training but would have been sent down anyway if not for the intervention of Mozeliak at the start of the season. So LaRussa and Duncan (seemingly, I have no proof of this) went into a dark room and decided to let the kid pitch out of the bullpen until he made enough of a mistake to justify sending him down.

Which he did in that game against the Pirates.

1-1, 2 holds, 1 save, 1 really bad inning, and back to Memphis you go. Obviously I think he got the shaft...again.

He's pitched only once since returning to Memphis - 3 shutout innings in an abbreviated start on 9 May (4 hits, 3 walks, 3 K). He should start again Thursday (Memphis is off tomorrow) at home against Oklahoma City.

Clearly I want him to have a chance to succeed at the Major League level for the Cardinals. I think he's good enough and the team was foolish for cycling him between St Louis and Memphis last year (yes I know he was 2-14 in 20 starts over 107+ innings). But it may well be time to trade him away, especially if he continues to have this to look forward to as long as LaRussa and Duncan are in charge in St Louis.

GALA 200th POST!

Too bad it follows a lack luster effort at Milwaukee. It's tough to go 3-5 on a road trip when you won the first 2 games.

And as a reward, they come home and get the Pirates, winners of 7 of their last 8.

It doesn't get any easier.

Padres are in Chicago this week, so I get a close-up look at our rival (courtesy of local TV). They exploded for 6 runs in the 5th and 5 in the 6th enroute to crushing San Diego 12-3.

Kyle Lohse tries to stop the bleeding, both personal and team, against Phil Dumatrait of the Pirates. Dumatrait is 0-1 with a 9.45 ERA lifetime against the Cardinals. Lohse is slightly better (2-0, 1.78) lifetime against Pittsburgh.

A new blog of note

My thanks to USS Mariner for mentioning this item and providing the original link.

You may remember from reading this blog that Paul DePodesta, former GM of the LA Dodgers, is now a consultant for the San Diego Padres. He spoke to the local SD SABR chapter; a synopsis of that presentation can be found here, and here, and here.

Paul has started his own blog, to provide 'some unfiltered access to [the Padres'] internal conversations and feelings.' If the blog approaches the quality of Mr. DePodesta's presentation to SABR, it should be well worth the read.

There's a permanent link to his site in the margin.

Izzy OUT as closer

That's what I get for posting before finishing my morning round of sports websites.

Here's a link to the story about it.

Wow. My respect for Izzy just went through the roof. How many guys wouldn't have the guts to tell their manager, "Hey I need a break," instead going out there day after day with a hole in their bat, or their glove, or throwing meatballs?

Looks like it's just a re-shuffle of responsibilities. No word on if there will be a call-up from AAA (Chris Perez?) yet.

Stay tuned.

Edmonds released; Izzy struggles

Yesterday the biggest news locally was the release of Jim Edmonds. Normally on the drive home I have the radio tuned to XX 1090, which covers the Padres; they either have Padres pre-game programming on the air or, as has been true over the past week with the Padres on the East Coast, the game in progress. Because the Padres are at home this weekend, they were doing pre-game stuff, so the Edmonds release was a hot topic.

Edmonds was bitten by two things - a slow start to the season (hitting .180), and becoming an unexpected liability in the outfield. As the Padres continued to struggle (losing 18 of their last 22 after last night's 4-2 decision to Colorado), the discussion became more and more animated out here that something needed to be done; and local fans focused on Edmonds.

He's the new guy, he's making a lot of money, and they jumped on him.

For argument's sake, here's what the other Padre regulars are hitting (minimum 81 AB; that's within 10% of Edmonds' total before he was released): Giles .269; Gonzalez .303; Bard .204; Greene .205; Hariston .208; Iguchi .252; Kouzmanoff .279. Edmonds certainly wasn't the only one struggling at the plate. Also, he wasn't the only one kicking the ball around in the outfield; witness Giles' 2 errors in one inning last week in Miami that torpedoed that game for Maddux, as an example.

I think most of us will agree Edmonds hasn't been the same player he was since the concussions he suffered in mid-2006, but I also think he got a raw deal from the Padres. And I'm sad to see him go; I didn't get a chance to see him in person at the ballpark, which I was really looking forward to doing, seeing as St. Louis comes through the week after next.

I doubt Jimmy will latch on somewhere else; he's probably finished as a major leaguer.

**********

Speaking of players who look finished, Izzy blew his fifth save of the year last night against Milwaukee. What makes it even more painful is he had 2 outs when the rally started. Viva El Birdos had a graphic up this week detailing how Izzy's swing and miss percentage is way off this year; if I remember the article correctly, historically he's missed bats at a 11% rate, but this season it's closer to 6%. If he can't throw it by you anymore, given his recent (as in since 2006) trouble getting his curve ball over for strikes on a consistent basis, he's going to have trouble getting guys out.

This is also the third game already this season that the Brewers have rallied to score runs off him; he's lost 2 of those games, and in the third the Cardinals prevailed in extra innings.

Alarms should be going off in the Cardinal front office. They need to take a close look at Izzy and, frankly, Franklin; neither is pitching as effectively as they did last season. We cannot expect the starters to be as good over the whole season as they have been for the first 6 weeks, which means LaRussa needs a reliable option at the back of the game. Yes, Izzy has 11 saves so far, but the recent trend (1 save, 3 blown saves, runs given up in 3 of his last 4 outings) is disturbing to say the least.

I hope their record going into Wednesday's game at Coors wasn't the high water mark for the season; they've lost 3 in a row since, and two of those games they led in the eighth.

Yikes.

Until next time. Links to it from your site are always welcome.

If anyone has a video link...

To either of Ankiel's two throws last night, please email me or post a comment. I can't find one, and I really, really want to see them.



Boy what must it have been like to be at the last 2 games at Coors? First Pujols' mad dash, then the Rick Ankiel Show. Wow.



I hope they're still playing that well when they hit the West Coast in 2 weeks.

I'd have that look too if I had the game he just did (AP Photo/David Zalubowksi)

[Update 1124: I found the video on MLB.com, but it WON'T PLAY ON MY WORK COMPUTER! AARGH!!]

Way to go, ALBERT!

Was anyone else reminded of the final play in Major League while watching AP round third and sprint for home? I hope Shannon said 'Good GOD Almighty, Albert's trying to score!' while calling it on the radio...

United Cardinal Blogger Project - Cubs vs Cardinals

Our pregame prep for this game can be found over at C70 at the Bat.

Thanks Dan, Hi everybody, and a veeeery pleasant good afternoon wherever you may be; welcome to today's game between the 17-12 Cubs, and the 19-11 Cardinals. St. Louis enters today's game in first place in the National League Central, leading Chicago by 1.5 games. The Cardinals fast start over the first 30 games of the season is surprising, given the uncertain nature of their pitching rotation coming out of spring training and the significant changes to their everyday lineup from last year. What's more surprising, however, is that as of today, the Cardinals are the best team in the National League in defense, and have the league's #1 rated pitching staff.

The old mantra is you win with pitching and defense, which they are certainly doing so far.

Your line-ups for today:

CHICAGO CUBS
Soriano LF
Theriot SS
Lee 1B
Fukudome RF
DeRosa 3B
Soto C
Fontenot 2B
R. Johnson CF
Lilly P

ST LOUIS CARDINALS
Schumaker LF
Ryan 2B
Pujols 1B
Ludwick RF
Glaus 3B
Ankiel CF
Molina C
Lohse P
Izturis SS

The most glaring omission is Aramis Ramirez, who is not in the lineup. He took an Adam Wainwright fastball off the wrist in the sixth inning of last night's game. Ramirez is 5-5 with a HR lifetime against Lohse, so I'm sure Kyle doesn't miss him in the lineup.

Game time temp is a cool 57 degrees, and we're ready to begin!

(Note: I'm listening to the game on XM radio, because, even though the #2 and 3 teams in the NL (by won/loss record) are playing in this game, FOX has decided we'd rather watch Arizona play the Mets. I miss the old NBC Game of the Week, which was actually the Game of the Week, not the regional game of the week.)

Lohse, who's 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA lifetime against the Cubs, starts Soriano with a strike, ball outside, another ball outside. On the 2-1 pitch Soriano hits a shallow pop to right. Ludwick does a nice job fighting the sun and makes the catch.

We're joined today by my youngest son, although he's more interested in chewing on the stuffed dog he brought with him and examining every power cord in the room than the excitement on the radio. I am chasing him around as I try to keep some notes on the inning.

Theriot is next: Strike, off-speed away for a ball, then he hits the 1-1 pitch to Izturis, who retires him 6-3. Two out.

The missus has returned with lunch, and we will all be eating while listening to the game.

Derrek Lee with two away. Cutter away, foul ball to right, ball inside, fastball outside and low, called strike, foul to RF, and on the 3-2 pitch he pops out to first.

1-2-3 go the Cubs, after a half inning, Cubs 0, Cardinals coming up.

In the meantime, my sons are chasing burritos, soda cans, shoes, and whatever is not bolted down to the rug. So far, there's a lot more action at my house than at Busch. Maybe I should do a running play-by-play of the events here?

Nah.

Bottom of the first. Lilly is 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA lifetime against the Cardinals.

Schumaker gets a nice hand as he steps in. Lilly starts him with a strike; Schumaker hits a chopper to Lee and is retired 3-1.

There is a significant amount of burrito stuffing spread all across the room. It's being used as a diversion by my oldest; we go to clean it up, he takes off for another item (like the soda cans). High comedy.

Brendan Ryan digs in; he's 3 for 11 lifetime against Lilly. Ball high, strike, breaking ball high, swinging strike, and he strikes out swinging on a 2-2 fastball. Two out.

I've hidden my soda under the bed. My youngest, undeterred, has crawled to the bed, and is reaching under it for the can. He now has managed to get his head wedged under the bed. A brief time out as I pull him free.

AP is 5-16 against Ted Lilly. Curve ball for a strike, fastball high, another fastball high, another fastball high. AP tries to hit the 3-1 pitch to East St Louis and swings through it, losing his balance (his loss of balance is not something you see everyday). He fouls the next offering back to the screen, fouls the next pitch out of play off to the right, and then hits a weak grounder back to Lilly. Albert is retired 1-3.

1-2-3 go the Cardinals; after 1, no score.

Lunch is proceeding here at the homestead; the youngest is done, and still annoyed he didn't get the soda can. I need to assist the Missus with the oldest, so thanks for stopping by, and over to John at The Cardinal Virture for the second inning. John?

Until next time...

Cubs vs Cardinals - Game 1

Thank goodness for WGN. The Cubs are back to broadcasting their games on the superstation. The majority of Cardinals games I will see this year will be played on WGN. I ignore the announcers for the most part, so it really isn't so bad.

Of course, with all that's going on I didn't think to check and see if they were showing the game until almost 1900 PDT, by which point it was 2-1 Cardinals, bottom of six. But a little baseball is better than none.

What a strange game. Alfonso Soriano had a seventh inning to forget; first he struck out with runners on second and third to end the top half, then he lost Pujols' pop-up in the lights (that was charitably scored a single), then he made perhaps the worst effort for a lazy (although well-struck; it was very high) fly ball off Molina's bat, and missed the catch. I'm not sure he got any leather on it at all. That was even more charitably scored a ground rule double, although if he didn't touch it how can you give Soriano an error?

Franklin proceeded to ride the ragged edge of disaster in the top of the eighth, but induced Soto to ground to third and end the inning. However, he faced six hitters, which meant Soriano would get a chance to redeem himself in the ninth.

I will now validate my soothsayer credentials by reporting that, as Soriano strode to the plate, I remarked to no one in particular, "Don't be surprised if he hits a 2-run homer here."

Wouldn't you know it.

At least the Cardinals pulled it out in the eleventh. Single by Miles, wild pitch, well executed sacrifice bunt by Ryan (on a 3-1 pitch, no less, on a pitch that was high), then Schumaker's 2-run shot.

Izzy didn't look comfortable to me warming up in the bullpen before he came in. I'm certainly not an expert, but he didn't look comfortable. And I swear he was aiming his fastball. He had a good curve tonight (except for the one he hung to Soriano), but can't locate his fastball at all. No wonder he's blown 3 saves so far this season. He looks like he did in 2006, when his hip was really bad. Perhaps it's time to call up Perez from AAA Memphis.

And although I understand why the fans were booing him, I don't agree with it at all. Izzy's been a rock for this team for years; he's not the Cardinals all-time saves leader for nothing (and considering that Bruce Sutter and Lee Smith pitched for this club, that's saying a lot). He deserves better. He's being treated much like Trevor Hoffman's being treated here in San Diego, another guy who deserves much better from his fan base.

On to tomorrow. I'll be reporting on the first inning of tomorrow's game, and hope to see you then.

Until next time...

Time to get serious. Seriously.

Some cleanup: Cardinals win 7-2. Again, other priorities prevented me from listening to the game on XM, but boy, I wish I had seen Cincinnati's little league baserunning in the first inning. Or heard Mike Shannon's call. Must have been hilarious.

How do you get caught in a rundown between second and third after watching one of your teammates get caught in a rundown between third and home? Ridiculous. I've coached little league teams with more baserunning sense than was displayed in that half inning.

I see Anthony Reyes gave up another 2-run HR in relief. That pushes his ERA to 6.17. Yikes. He has not been good in his last 3 outings (5 inn, 6 ER). I hope this doesn't mean the focus he showed in spring training has faded. I'm sure it's frustrating for a guy who has started his entire life to be sent to the bullpen; just see Barry Zito (although Zito has been even more of a train wreck coming than Reyes; how much, again, of Zito's early success was due to that huge ballpark in Oakland?).

I also didn't know Glaus leads the NL in doubles. That's good and bad; good that he's driving the ball, bad that it may be a sign he's lost some of his power. Merits further study.

**********
You've probably noticed I've used essentially the same title for the last 2 days. Why, do you ask? Because yesterday, while perusing my email, I noticed Dan at C70 at the bat had sent out an announcement email on the next United Cardinal Blogger project to some people.

To summarize what we're doing: 10 of us are covering the 3 May game against the Cubs. Most folks will be able to watch it, since it's apparently the FOX game of the week; I'll be listening on XM radio, since FOX insists on showing regional games of the week, meaning I'll get the Dodgers or Angels or Padres or some other weak west coast baseball matchup. We're each covering one inning, and posting our thoughts on the events that transpire. There will be links to the previous and following innings.

I've got the first inning, for two reasons: (a) I get to describe an Albert Pujols at bat, and (b) it allows me to schedule a definitive time to do this on Saturday, instead of waiting around all afternoon, a must if you have 2 energetic toddlers in your house vying for your attention.

Hope you stop by this weekend and check it out. Some of the contributors can really write, and I'm looking forward to reading what they have to say.

The people that Dan sent out the announcement to? Nobody in particular; just Larry Borowsky at Viva El Birdos, Berine Miklasz, HOF writer Rick Hummel, Jeff Gordon, Joe Strauss, and Derrick Goold at the St Louis Post Dispatch; Matt Leach at MLB.com, and some local St Louis radio and TV people.

I know Larry will check it out this weekend; if one of the others stops by, it will be the most exposure your humble correspondent has had - ever.

So best foot forward, as the saying goes.

One last item: I've added a link to Mike on the Cards in the margin. Check it out.

Until next time...

Time to get serious

Cardinals lost today to Cincinnati, 4-3. For a recap, go here. Sounds like they were done in by some bad luck (Duncan lost it in the lights) and a lack of timely hitting.

Bronson Arroyo joins a long list of pitchers who get well against the Cardinals. Let's see, 0-3 this year until tonight, last ML win was Sept 12 ... against St. Louis. Figures.

With 2 days left in April, the team stands at 16-11. That's the second-most wins in April for a LaRussa-led Cardinals team, tied with the 1998 start. The only years better than that were 2000 and 2006, which both started 17-8. You know how those seasons ended. A win tomorrow and Wednesday would give the club 18 wins for the month; if you had told me in February this team could finish April 18-11, I would have called you a liar. It has been a most pleasant April.

This team seems to have recaptured the play hard attitude that marked the 2004 and 2005 versions. They don't quit, ever. In fact, with some better situational hitting and work at the back of games, they could easily be 19-8 right now; I'm thinking of the two extra-inning losses to Milwaukee and Friday's 3-2 loss to Houston. I sincerely hope this trend continues the entire season.

One other item: Matt Morris was released Sunday by Pittsburgh. His exit interview with the media, as mentioned on Viva El Birdos, indicated he was hanging them up. Morris was one of my favorite Cardinals. Not only did he attend a Big East school (even if it was Seton Hall), he was a stud for some pretty bad Cardinals teams in the late 90s. He lost all of 1999 to injury, and came back in 2000 as a reliever, still hitting 95-97 on the radar gun. I remember sitting in Busch II and watching him pitch, glad to see his stuff had returned to where it was before the arm surgery. He had the great misfortune to have his best year the same year (2001) Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling had their last dominating campaigns, so he didn't win a Cy Young. Man he was good in the NLDS that season. I will believe forever the 2001 Cardinals were good enough to win the World Series that season, even with all their bullpen woes, because Matt could have started 3 games. Morris lost NLDS Game 1, 1-0, and got a no decision in Game 5 (final score 2-1). His other stats for that series: 1.20 ERA, 15IP, 2 ER, 12 K. Wow.

In recent years he had declined noticeably; in 2004 he was ineffective from the stretch, and it went downhill from there. Ever the consummate professional, he took this latest development in stride, with humility and thanks. Gonna miss you, Matty Mo. Thanks for the memories.

Until next time...

Still Playing Catch-Up

Yes, that refers to me vice the Cardinals, who caught up last night and beat Milwaukee 4-3. Sounds like it was an exciting game.

I've spent the past 2 weeks moving my family into a new house, so I'm still buried in boxes (although we're opening them feverishly to find the TV remote. How did we live before remotes?). I have a couple of thoughts, although not all of it is Cardinals related.

a. The Post-Dispatch reports today that 'Mulder's not close', and they have no time table for his return. This, unfortunately, is consistent with how his rehab went last year. I think, based on multiple surgeries and his inability to return to the pitcher he was before 2004, that Mark's career may be over. It's a shame to see a guy lose his best years to injury. However, it reminds us all that we need to be realistic about our expectations for this season. What we got now is probably what we got for the long haul; I haven't heard any reports on Clement's rehab, and Carpenter is still targeting July assuming all goes well.

b. Jim Edmonds was interviewed on the local Padres station (XX 1090 if you're in the SD area) last Thursday. Most of it was happy to glads about playing for the Padres, being on the west coast, blah blah blah. But he did say a couple of things I found interesting:

- LaRussa apparently prefers to deploy his CF to cut off doubles, but the starting pitchers like the CF to play shallow and catch those bloop hits. Jimmy, as you well know, prefers to play shallow, and allegedly some of the starters (not named) had to go to Tony to get him to allow Edmonds to play his usual CF (vice backing up). Interesting. I certainly am not a major league caliber outfielder (if I ever was, which according to my one little league coach was NO), but I have noticed (after years of playing beer league softball) that the number of balls hit over your head is not significant compared to the number of balls that land in front of you because you were playing too deep. I can choke off more rallies and prevent more runs by playing up and catching those bloop shots and soft line drives than by playing deep to prevent the extra base hit. Funny that Edmonds and his pitchers prefer to play that way too, and that LaRussa is (again allegedly) adverse to it.

- The other thing he said was he loved playing behind guys like Woody Williams (local interest, former Padre) and Jake Peavy, because those guys tell him, hey, if a ball gets hit over your head, that's my fault, not yours for not catching it. Pretty cool.

b. Matt Vasgersian is the primary play-by-play guy for the Padres on their local channel. Matt is an idiot. Yesterday the Padres got dusted by Houston 10-3. In the fourth, Padre starter Justin Germano was finally yanked after giving up 7 ER and loading the bases (Bourn on third, Tejada on second, Berkman intentionally walked on first) with one out. On comes Wilfredo Ledezma. Now, here's Ledezma's line for the outing:

3 2/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, SO 2, BB 1.

Pretty good, right? Except that he gave up a first pitch single to Carlos Lee that scored Bourn, threw a wild pitch (missed his target by almost 3 feet) that scored Tejada, and a sacrifice fly to Blum that scored Berkman. So all 3 inherited runners scored, making the score 10-2.

After Ledezma is replaced by Kevin Cameron to start the eighth, Vasgersian the bonehead says "Another great outing by Ledezma." Wow. And Mark Grant (former ML pitcher) agrees with him. I don't think Germano would agree. Padres eventually scored another run, and had two on with one out in the eighth with Edmonds and Greene due; if the score had been 7-3, this game's a lot more interesting. So no, I don't think Ledezma deserves platitudes for his effort.

FInal 'Slidegate' comments; Giants are hot right now, so whatever

The Padres preceded St Louis into ATT (nee SBC, nee Pac Bell) Park to face the Giants; San Diego has the second-best starter ERA in baseball after 9 games. They trail the Cardinals.

San Fran was 1-5 when that series started, and they took 2 of 3 from the Padres, winning in extras on Tuesday and 1-0 in the ninth Wednesday. Since the Padres are one of 3 teams that can make the playoffs out of the NL West (along with Arizona and Colorado), as either division champs or the wild card, that series win had to lift the Giants spirits - especially since they are widely considered to be the worst team in the NL this year.

So Thursday the Cardinals ran into a team that's got some confidence, and a pitcher that's pitching especially well against left handed hitting. Wainwright pitched credibly into the seventh, but the bats were silent, and the boys lost 5-1.

Listened to the first 4 innings or so on XM radio. Question: why o why did Izturis try to stretch his double into a triple? Since Schumaker followed it with a single to RC, the Cardinals would have had 1st and third with 1 out and Duncan/Pujols due. Or, best case, they have a run in, Schu on second, and Duncan/AP due, with the score 2-1. Completely different game from that point.

Way to go, bonehead.

**********

It's been covered to death in the local media (and, apparently, in Houston), but I wanted to pile on with some final thoughts on 'Slidegate'.

If Towles was really upset about AP's slide, why didn't he jump up and say something right after the play

If the play was clean, and by all accounts it was, why did AP, a respected veteran, feel obligated to call and apologize to Towles, a rookie? Has the game gotten that soft? Does no one play hard anymore? Is this fallout from the Rays/Yankees spats during spring training, which also started with a play at the plate (although to be fair, that involved an injury to the Yankee catcher

If the Astros were really peeved at AP, why didn't they throw at him in yesterday's game? Why let him get comfortable at the plate and hit 2 HR?

Can we all agree Brendan Backe is an idiot? Way to motivate one of the most feared hitters in baseball, who was struggling (1 RBI in 8 games) until that point, ya bozo. Then again, no one ever said pitchers were the sharpest tools in the drawer.

Especially converted shortstops.

What the hell?

Man, we're getting some good pitching from our starters. Two of 3 from Houston. Nice.

Belated Kudos to Anthony Reyes for getting the win on Tuesday after throwing 3 innings of 1 hit ball. Well done.

The title of this short post is in reference to the AP/Brendan Backe incident during BP before today's game - what the hell? Can someone explain what got Backe so irate? ESPN showed AP sliding into home and knocking over the Houston catcher in (I believe) Tuesday's game - was that the source of the angst?

Er, Well, Um.....Wow

Nice start to the season, eh?

Cardinals starters haven't allowed a run in the first 3 innings of any game so far this season, and have a 0.96 (not a typo) ERA combined after the season's first week. In my wildest dreams I didn't see a start this good.

And it doesn't help that Rick Ankiel is unconscious right now at the plate. He's carrying the Cardinals, not AP. I said earlier that Rick should hit fourth behind the big guy, but right now he's hitting so well in the 2-spot leave him there. If Glaus can get his stroke back look out; this team will be downright dangerous through the heart of the lineup.

At least Glaus' defense hasn't entered a slump; that was a nifty double play he started yesterday in the 4th (I think it was the fourth).

Reyes watch: Pitched the ninth on Saturday; 2 outs on shallow flyballs, two extra base hits (including a HR to let Washington get within 5-4). I was really hoping LaRussa would leave him out there to finish it, however, I can't argue with the decision to pull him, and since Flores got Guillen on the first pitch to pop to center, it all worked out in our favor.

So enjoy it while you can; we have the best record in baseball after week 1 (tied with Milwaukee at 5-1). Your pitching matchups:

Todd "Mr 5 innings" Wellemeyer vs Wandy "Elmer Fudd" Rodriguez (I loved the comment yesterday by the Cardinals play by play guy (I've lost track of who it is) saying he always wants to break into his Fudd imitation whenever he says Wandy's name. Hilarious).

Wellemeyer (1-0, 1.80) vs Rodriguez (0-0, 7.20; ND at San Diego)
Thompson (1-0, 0.00) vs Shawn Chacon (0-0, 3.00; ND at San Diego)
Looper (1-0, 1.50) vs Sampson (0-0, 2.70; ND at Chicago)

Minute Maid hasn't been kind to the Cardinals in recent years (other than AP's HR), so if the team can keep it going there we may be on to something.

Two of 3 from the NL champs is, well, pretty good!

Before tonight's series kicks off with the Nationals, I have a moment to post some thoughts on the opening series, for your review, possible comment, and probable ignoring.

Wellemeyer worked his standard 5 innings with 96 pitches. Lohse, in contrast, worked 5 innings with 74 pitches. Wellemeyer's high pitch count (and 3 walks/6 K's) is typical of his effort; I'm hoping Lohse's is more because he came to spring training late and is still getting into shape. Otherwise, it's going to be a looong year to be a middle reliever in the Cardinals bullpen.

Franklin faced 4 hitters on Tuesday and didn't get anyone out (took the loss). OK, benefit of the doubt, no one's perfect. Franklin faced 4 hitters on Wednesday - soft fly ball from Holliday, line shot from Atkins that almost took Izturis' hand off, booming double from Hawpe, and then a weak ground ball to first from Torrealba.

I think, perhaps, there's some cause for concern. Franklin isn't anywhere near as sharp so far as he was last year. Two outings don't a season make, but bears watching.

Congratulations to Rico Washington and Brian Barton on getting their first ML hits during the series. Rico's was a big RBI that made the game 5-3 in the eighth on Wednesday. Must have felt good to knock that run in after 4000 AB in the minors.

Thompson pitched about as well as can be expected in winning yesterday's game. I didn't know he owned the Rockies, but he's 2-0 now with a 1.50 ERA against them. Fantastic.

ANTHONY REYES WATCH: Struck out the side in the eighth on Thursday. Whom, do you ask? Only Spillborghs (meh), Tulowitzki (hmmm), and Helton (yeah!). Not bad, not bad at all.

Loved Schumaker's throw to cut down Helton in the sixth, but Molina made that play happen by getting back to tag Helton before he got to the plate (or did he? whatever). Outstanding. This is why I don't think Duncan is destined to start for the Cardinals; his defense is too suspect, and we now have too many good defensive outfielders that can also get on base. Once Glaus heats up, Duncan will become very expendable.

Three game set with Washington, as I mentioned before, starts tonight. Your pitching matchups:

Tonight: Odalis Perez (0-0, 1.80; ND vs Braves 30 March) vs Looper (first start).
We LOVE Odalis Perez, or more accurately, Pujols does (13 for 20? That's sick). Odalis is also 3-4 with a 8.46 ERA lifetime against the Redbirds. Yes, I'm salivating.

Saturday: Matt Chico (0-0, 5.06; ND vs Phillies 31 Mar) vs Wainwright (he of the rainout start)
Apparently Chico has changed his mechanics somewhat to get more MPH on his fastball. Good for him.

Sunday: Tim Redding (1-0, 0.00; defeated Phillies, 1.0 Apr 2)
Redding makes his first start at new Busch. He was 0-3 with a 6.83 ERA at the old edifice, so hopefully some of that karma remained in the new ballpark.

Wells Returns, Shows Finger

Anyone surprised Wells handcuffed the Cardinals bats yesterday? I'm not; it figures a guy who was 7-17 for us would make our lineup look silly for most of 6 innings.

And even with that, we had a chance to win, leading 1-0 into the eighth inning.

KFW for an entirely different reason this year.

Glad we only play these knuckleheads in a home and home vice 19 times (or 12 times, as the schedule used to be for interdivisional play before 1993).

Didn't hear much of the game - too busy feeding the little guy dinner.

Remember the Simpsons episode where Homer goes to the all you can eat diner run by the Sea Captain?

"Tis not a man (Homer); tis a remorseless eating machine."

Well, that's my youngest. Ate the Gerber Chicken Noodle dinner, BLEW threw a tub of pears, and inhaled most of a Turkey/Sweet Potato dinner. Ate for an hour. Amazing.

As you can see, not much time left over to hear the game (he's a little vocal when he's hungry and Dad's not fast enough with the spoon).

Did hear Ankiel's 6-4-3 DP to end the Seventh.

Did hear Flores strike out Torrealba in the eighth, then walk Nix on 5 friggin pitches.

Did hear the Birds go quietly in the eighth and ninth.

So far, from what I can tell, no egregious things to discuss (other than Franklin's horrible outing). Lohse pitched well.

Get another crack at them later today.

It's the Opening Day Extravaganza!

Cardinals! Rockies! Wainwright vs Francis! Yipee!

(Insert photo of ominous cloud cover above Busch here)

So I'm stuck at work and can't watch the game. Which is OK, because it's not being telecast nationally anyway. Something about the Cardinals not being very good this year. Over to sportsline.com for the streaming gamecast. Why the CBS website? Because it also hosts my fantasy league. I know, I know - nobody cares about my fantasy league, but I do, so their site is an obvious choice over ESPN.

Game starts. I'm late seeing it due to meetings. By the time I get back to the computer, it's 1-0 Rockies and Wainwright had to wriggle out of a bases loaded jam. Oh, boy.

You know how 'you can tell how the season will go by the first hitter'? (thanks, Harry Doyle) Well, Schumacker walks.

On 4 pitches. The rest of your first inning:

Ludwick: Ball, Ball, Ball, Ball (Schumacker to second)
Pujols: Ball, Ball, Strike Swinging, Flies out to deep left (remember, I'm watching this on the computer, so I envision the Rockies LF (Holliday?) crashing into the wall to prevent a 3-run HR).
Glaus: Ball, Ball, Ball, Ball (Schumacker to third, Ludwick to second).

(Anticipation rising)

Ankiel: Ball, Ball.....

Waiting for update......

Tired of waiting, hit manual refresh.....

Score updates: 4-1, Cardinals, then freezes. Crap. What happened?

My ISP picks this exact moment to shit itself. Fantastic. What the hell happened?

Luckily, there's another Cards fan in the building - and he has MLB TV at his desk. Stop by to chat. His computer is running slow, too. He tries to pull up the box score...and it won't come up.

God Damnit.

Eventually, we discover that Ankiel has a hit and 2 RBI, and Molina has a hit and 2 RBI. I assume that Ankiel doubled in 2, and Molina singled in the other 2. Correct.

Pujols hits his first in the second. 5-1 Cardinals. I tell my friend, watch, the game will get rained out now.

Damn jinx.

So we'll try again to kick off the season tomorrow at 6:15 PDT.

**********

Have to share this story. There's a new Tiger Woods gatorade out, and the ad campaign shows him hitting a golf ball on the moon. That leads to this exchange:

Me: (groans) "Jeez, now he has a sports drink? What's next, Tiger Woods Condoms?"
Mrs. Rant: (stunned silence, then rolls eyes) "That's disgusting."
Me: "Think about it: Men want to be him, and women want to be with him. Now you can! Tiger Woods Condoms!"
Mrs. Rant: (leaves the room)

I feel you need to know about this. Especially if, sometime soon, there are Tiger Woods Condoms. Note I didn't touch the obvious pun on his last name.

Maybe I'm not so crazy after all

Western Kentucky is about to succumb to UCLA; score is 77-71 Bruins, 1:25 to go, and Boris Siakam (A black guy named Boris? cool) just fouled out. I tip my hat to the Hilltoppers who, down 21 at the break, managed to cut the lead to 4 with just under 5 minutes left. Heck of an effort, fellas. Well done.

We can only hope Villanova shows the same heart tomorrow against Kansas. And that it doesn't take a 21 point deficit for them to reach that deep.

**********

This academic quarter is finally, mercifully over. I had a take home final that I started Thursday last and finished Tuesday afternoon. Four, count them 4, problems. Problem #3 took me 11 hours to do. Never been a fan of the take-home exam. I also had a group project that wrapped up last night, and a final this morning. Needless to say I'm much more relaxed right now than I have been since New Year's Day.

Which is good, because I can quit ignoring this blog and start it up again. Nice timing, considering the season starts Monday.

**********

Sports Illustrated's 2008 Baseball Preview is out. Cardinals are picked to finish 5th in the division, one game worse than the Astros (73-89). 5 years ago (2004) the magazine picked them to finish 3rd, and they won 105 games. Not seeing that this season. The magazine projects the following every day lineup:

Schumaker RF
Duncan LF
Pujols 1B
Ankiel CF
Glaus 3B
Kennedy 2B
Molina C
Izturis SS

Adam Kennedy in the six slot? Yeesh. I'd flip him into the 2-hole, bench Duncan, and put Ludwick in left hitting sixth. You win with pitching and defense; we have minimal pitching, so we need lots of defense - something Duncan doesn't excel at. Of course, I'd only stay with this lineup as long as Kennedy wears his hitting shoes. When they wear out, or he loses them, he moves down in the order rapidly.

**********

Let's return to the subject of Anthony Reyes. Two very interesting posts appeared on Viva el Birdos this week - the first by The Red Baron, the second by Larry. Lboros gives a nice summary of what organizational strife is now playing out in the Reyes saga, but I want to focus on von Richthofen's article, because I finally figured out why I'm rooting for Reyes.

He reminds me of my brother.

Not literally, of course; my bro stands 6'4". He doesn't iron the bill of his cap. And if you're sitting down and he walks between you and the sun, you'll think a solar eclipse is in progress. My brother is an imposing man, and a good athlete, who for a portion of his youth aspired to be a big league pitcher.

He tried out for his high school team as a freshman and got cut. He then buckled down and got to work to try and make the team his sophomore year. I know my dad found a pitching coach in the local area to work with him, and I believe it after his freshman year disappointment that he started working with the guy; this wasn't one or two sessions, but several over the course of the year. Younger Brother (YB - I can't call him Little Bro because, well, he ain't little) played Pony League baseball that fall and summer working on his mechanics and pitching. I distinctly remember one game he was pitching in, where he had runners on first and second and two out, and got the count to 2-2 on the hitter. He threw a fastball over the outer half of the plate. Now, it may have been the approaching dusk, or the fact that after a while the balls aren't very clean at the little league level, but I had trouble seeing the pitch. So did the umpire, who called it outside. YB was starting to throw some gas.

Anyway, by the time tryouts rolled around YB was another year taller and bigger. The coach came over to watch him throw (this story is what my late father told me afterwards). YB was messing with a breaking ball that he never really had good command of, so the coach asked him to throw a fastball. YB fired one over the plate, at the knees, that was a dart. The coach blinked. I think YB made an impression.

To make a long story short, YB was cut in the final cut that season. When he approached the coaches to find out why, he was told 'You weren't dominating enough.' What kind of a bullshit answer is 'You weren't dominating enough'? Tell me I don't have a breaking pitch, that I suck at holding runners on, that I'm tipping my pitches, that my pants don't fit - in short, tell me something objective. Not something subjective like relative domination level.

As I recall, that particular incarnation of the high school team won 3 games that year. Nice job selecting a squad, jackass.

However, the 'dominating' rationale sounds an awful lot like the rationale Duncan and LaRussa are using to keep Reyes out of the rotation. In addition (quoting the Baron):

Anthony Reyes has pitched as well as any other pitcher in competition for a starting spot this spring. He has the second most strikeouts of any pitcher, the second best ERA, (despite throwing one game while still recuperating from the flu) and has walked almost no one. However, there is some mystical thing, some magical thing, some fantastic, bamstaferous, flamtabulous thing that Anthony Reyes simply does not do. Unfortunately, whatever that single thing is, it's the only thing that can possibly make him into a major league pitcher.

How can Brad Thompson, who I also like, only make 1 start and be anointed as the #5 pitcher? How can dead weight like Wellemeyer, who routinely can't get out of the fifth inning due to a high pitch count and walks more men than "Wild Thing" Ricky Vaughn, be guaranteed the #4 slot? Reyes probably thought, if I pitch to my ability there's no way they can send me down this season. Looks like he was wrong; Duncan never wanted him on the starting staff, and is doing whatever he can to ensure that Reyes doesn't make the team.

Reyes is getting railroaded, just like YB did. Now I understand. Stick it to them, kid. This blog will be vocal in your defense all year, starting now. If you make the team (and the rotation) out of camp, I'll tone it down a little bit, but don't worry - I got your back.

Quid Erat Demonstrandum

Exhibit A:

AP Photo (Mike Carlson)

San Diego 70, Connecticut 69 (OT).

Exhibit B:

AP Photo (Mike Carlson)

Villanova 75, Clemson 69.

Moral: NEVER bet against a Catholic School on Good Friday.

What's that? What about this?

Oklahoma 72, St. Joseph's 64 (AP Photo - John Bazemore)

OK, never bet against a GOOD Catholic school on Good Friday.

United Cardinal Blogger Round Table Discussion

Because we are all diehard Cardinals fans, and don't have nearly enough going on to keep us occupied during the course of a normal work day, all week some of us have been discussing various hot topics on the Cards.

The beauty of it is, when its your day to moderate, you pose a question and let the discussion go. Jump in as necessary.

Since I'm convinced somewhere in the deep Mideval past of my family we were actually named 'Murphy', it follows that today, my day to moderate, all hell would break loose at the office. Luckily, I had enough foresight to pose my questions of interest Tuesday night, so folks could chew on them all Wednesday.

What follows is a rough transcript of the discussion. Your players:

Me (playing myself)
Don (of Redbirdblog)
Bryan (of Rockin the Red)
haedar (of Redbird Ramblings)
Dan (of C70 at the bat)

Question #1 - We've discussed whether Reyes or Duncan would be on the team 1 August. One of the Cardinals consistent strengths since 2004 has been their bullpen (they get a bit of a pass last year because the starting 5 was so fluid; Franklin and Izzy were solid at the back of games). Is there anyone in our pen that might be an attractive trade option come July? If so who and why?

Don: If you assume the Cards will not be in contention in the NL Central by July (and, frankly, I'm not sure they won't hang around in the race for awhile), then I think Izzy becomes an attractive trade target for a contender that has issues at the back end of its 'pen. He's in the last year of his contract, and by all accounts Chris Perez is the closer-in-waiting.

Bryan: It partly depends on what the bullpen looks like in July. If Mulder, Clement, and Pineiro come back at their expected dates, along with Carpenter's estimated end of July/August arrival, the bullpen could look significantly different than it does now. Any of the current starters aside from Wainwright could be pushed into the 'pen when our guys get back and instantly become trade candidates. Kyle Lohse and Anthony Reyes are two names that come to mind. Out of the current bullpen, however, I think the only real trade candidates that would have value would be Ryan Franklin and Tyler Johnson. I think Isringhausen will stay with the team, as he wants to finish his career in St. Louis. Keep in mind he's from the area.

haedar: I gotta say springer would be the most enticing one. he is on a one year deal, he pitched pretty good last year and if he can match that his value will only rise. he is a grizzled veteran that has been through everything, the type of guy you need on a playoff team going for it all. the problem is he does not want to be traded, and he won't be. the other guy is obviously izzy, but he has said earlier that he will not waive his no trade clause so it's a lost cause.

Dan: Springer and Izzy are the obvious candidates, but don't forget the possibility that Looper could be back in the pen when all of the other arms get healthy. If he shows he can still do it there, he could be intriguing to some people that either need a fifth starter, a closer, or an 8th inning guy. All the arguments for Izzy staying or going make sense, but the big key is if Perez actually pitches in the majors and how he does. I don't know that, if the Cards feel like they can contend next year, they'd want to give the closer job to a rookie. Signing Izzy for another year and letting Perez throw the 8th (if they don't do that most of this year) may make the most sense.

Follow-up question: Agree Izzy is probably the team's most attractive veteran that could be moved at the deadline, and he has been steadfast in his desire not to leave St Louis. Can you envision a scenario where he would change his mind - perhaps like what Jim Edmonds did (although not, probably, tied to playing time as in Jim's case)?

Don: While I understand that Izzy has expressed a desire not to be traded, I think the writing is on the wall. He'll be a free agent at the end of the year, and I seriously doubt the Cards will try to negotiate another contract with Izzy given Perez waiting in the wings. That being the case, Izzy is leaving at the end of the year anyway (assuming he doesn't retire). So I doubt he'd be opposed to going to a contender for a couple of months at the end of the season. I can understand why he objected to a trade with a full year remaining on his contract, but that's not the case in '08.

Bryan: I think the Cardinals could try to bring Izzy back, as I'm not sure that Chris Perez will be outright handed a job next year. Even if Izzy left, I could see them bringing in a "transition" closer to help ease Perez into the spot. Tony will be back next year, remember, and he has a good relationship with Isringhausen. Izzy will be turning 36 in September and has had problems physically in the past years, so it's hard to tell what he's thinking in terms of how long he's going to play. While I'm a huge fan of Perez, I could honestly see Izzy and Perez being in the same bullpen next year. I could be wrong, but I think Izzy would jump at the opportunity to mentor his eventual successor.

Me: Assuming the club doesn't move Izzy at the trade deadline, I think re-signing him will really depend on when Chris Perez is brought up from Memphis. If he's a September call-up, then perhaps they'll try and sign Izzy to a 1-yr deal. If he's up before the All-Star break, and performs well in the seventh and/or eighth, then Izzy's more expendable.

Bryan: I agree. It depends on how the bullpen formulates during the course of the season, which is almost impossible to predict right now.

Consensus: None. Most thought Izzy would be the best trade chip assuming (a) Perez matures as expected and (b) Izzy waives his no-trade clause. Other possibilities included Franklin, Johnson, and Springer.

Question #2: Tony LaRussa is signed on through 2009. Is 2009 his last year as a manager? What style of manager (or who, if you have someone in mind) do you think the Cardinals will pursue as his replacement?

Bryan: Tony La Russa will be done after his contract runs out. There's too many opportunities outside of baseball that I think he'll want to pursue. That said, I think it would be beneficial to the club too to have a new manager. La Russa's antics for getting veterans in the lineup at whatever cost have gotten old, and I think the club will be heading in a totally different direction by then. Jose Oquendo is a frontrunner to succeed Tony, and I think he has some of the qualities that we need in a manager - a good relationship with the players, knowledge of international players, and a willingness to play the best player, regardless of age or contract status. The new manager must be able to see the value in developing young talent. It is a must. I've noticed that the Cardinals are preferring to stay in-house when filling positions lately, which could affect who our next manager is.

haedar: I think 2009 will be tony's last season as a manager of any team in the mlb; especially if he doesn't make the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 because he is all about winning and making the playoffs. he is a "win now" guy and I don't think he has the patience to see the youth get established and play like polished big leaguers nor does he want to which is proven by all the moves that they have made to block some young and potentially good players (miles/izturis vs. ryan, gonzalez vs. schumaker/barton, etc.).

Daniel: I don't see how TLR stays after '09. He really had to debate coming back this time, it sounded like, and I think he'll be ready to move on after it. I'm not huge on having Oquendo follow him--I think a lot of the Oquendo love is from his Cardinal background, not necessarily his managerial chops--but I don't know who else it'd be. I do think it'd be a young gun, not a retread in the LaRussa/Baker/Leyland mold.

Don: I do think '09 becomes LaRussa's last year, but I really think it's his decision. It seems DeWitt is very loyal to Tony. So if Tony is still energized and the Cards are seemingly close to another post-season run, I can see him staying beyond '09. As far as potential replacements for Tony? The obvious candidates, in my mind, are Oquendo and minor-league manager Ron "Pop" Warner (Springfield AA). But the name that really intrigues me is Mike Matheny. He'd need some time as a bench coach, but I think he's a future managerial star.

Consensus: 4 out of 5 Bloggers surveyed (including me) think LaRussa is done after 2009. Who the new manager will be is a lot harder to predict, but the belief in this forum is that whoever it is will have to be able/willing to coach young players and let them develop, vice plugging in the grizzled veteran and/or having a preference for the veterans which seems to be how the team is run now.

Question #3: Jeff Gordon had a nice summary yesterday on stltoday.com of the Memphis Redbirds roster for 2008. We've discussed Rasmus and Mather; who else has potential to be on the big club before September 1st?

haedar: you got jarrett hoffpaur, mark worrell, chris perez (if he doesn't make the team), and a couple of guys that have left huge impressions on dunc and tony (mclellan and parisi). maybe even the legendary Marti if he continues to hit. also, maybe brain barden if they need another infielder. ron flores for lefty relief and josh phelps if pujols goes down (god forbid).

Dan: Perez, if he's sent down at all. Hoffpauir I think will be up at some time this year, especially if there's a chance to move him over to SS. (Not sure if he's got any experience there.) Mather should be up as well.

Don: Chris Perez is an obvious candidate. I also think you could see Mike Parisi and/or Kyle McClellan. Don't sleep on Marti for a spot start here and there in case of short-term injury.

Bryan: I think Jose Martinez has an outside shot of getting the call to the big leagues at some point this season, especially if Izturis really does turn out to be a complete dud. He's starting to get more attention with the upper management, which is always a good sign. I agree with Don with the bullpen talent available, and I would add Jason Motte to that list. Joe Mather will be the first outfielder called up after a trade or injury. That is, unless Juan Gonzalez decides to continue shaking off the rust in Memphis.

Consensus: Chris Perez will be promoted from Memphis prior to the trade deadline. Lots of other candidates are available, but their ascension really depends on who gets hurt or bombs during the first month or two.

My thanks to all the contributors to today's discussion. See you again tomorrow.

Hope this isn't a sign of how my fantasy season's going to go

Update from the tournament of champions: I'm completely out.

Yep, my champs (1934) played a simulated Game 7 today against the 1964 club - and led 1-0 going into the ninth. But Mike Shannon hit a backbreaking 3-R HR to win the game (and the series) 3-1. Ouch. My other teams were all knocked out, too.

I currently sit in third place, but that's as high as I'm going to go. It's all downhill from here.

Oh well - only pride at stake. I hope this isn't a precursor of how my Rotisserie league will play out (we draft on Saturday).

There's a United Cardinal Blogger event in progress - we're posing some questions among 4 of us - Redbird Ramblings, C70 at the bat, The Redbird Blog, and yours truly. I'll be posting the results of my question (still formulating that one) on Thursday. Please visit the other sites - lots of interesting points being made.

I still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny

Wow! Villanova made the NCAA Tournament! WOO HOO! WOO HOO! WOO-

Who are they playing? Clemson? CLEMSON?!?

Didn't they just lose on a last-second shot to the #1 team in the country? I guess that means they're pretty good, hunh?

Crap. Looks like 1 and done for our favorite #12 seed.

(To my mind only Dayton has a legit beef as a should-a been in. If they'd beaten Xavier in the A-10 tourney, they'd have probably made it; unfortunately, injuries to their big men early in the A-10 league schedule did them in.)

Oh, this week I'm sure we'll be treated to the high-pitched whine from the All-Cash Conference about how Va Tech should've been in, that Villanova doesn't deserve it, blah blah blah. And that whining will certainly peak if Villanova loses - especially if they get blown out. And since the club has been Jeckyll and Hyde again (meaning we don't know which team will show up on a given night), that's entirely possible.

We got one thing going for us, though - playing on Good Friday. Do you really want to play a Catholic school on Good Friday? That's when the magic started.

Assignments and other fun stuff

Monday night the University of San Diego somehow beat #22 Gonzaga to win the West Coast Conference tournament - and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. This was cause for some celebration here in the hometown. Being the casual local sports fan, I picked up Tuesday's sports section to read the summary and reaction to the game. All positive. Even though USD will probably be first round fodder for a #3 or higher seed.

Underneath the Tuesday sports section was the Wednesday section (today's paper to me, tomorrow's by the time you read this). In there I found this little tidbit:

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (NL)–Optioned RHP Mark Worrell, RHP Blake Hawkesworth and INF Jarrett Hoffpauir to Memphis (PCL). Assigned RHP John Wasdin and INF Josh Phelps to their minor league camp.

Most of the names on this list didn't surprise me, but Josh Phelps' name did. Here's a guy ostensibly picked up as insurance for AP; if AP's elbow exploded, at least we'd have a right-handed guy with some pop to step in for him.

If he's in minor league camp, and therefore on his way to the minors when the team breaks camp, that isn't going to happen.

So who backs up AP at first? Here's a thought - Chris Duncan.

Lets face it - Duncan tries hard, but he ain't the best defensive outfielder in the league. But he worked his way through the system as a first baseman. Moving him to first as a back-up removes one name from a still crowded field of guys vying for the 3 starting spots - and it gives the team a good power bat off the bench.

The downside is that his LF spot will probably be inherited by... Juan Gone. A minimal upgrade (in my mind) in power, and probably a wash on bad defense. Interesting.

----------------

A note about today's big brawl between the Rays and Yankees. This was allegedly started with Elliot Johnson (2B prospect for Tampa) collided with Francisco Cervelli (C prospect for New York American) on a play at home, and Cervelli caught the worst of it, breaking his wrist. There were some things said in the paper by Yankee manager Joe Girardi and Rays advisor Don Zimmer, and then today's events (Longoria hit by a pitch, Duncan sliding in at second with his cleats up).

First, Johnson is trying to make the team. You make the team by making an impression, by playing hard. So for a guy trying to make the majors to come charging around third when there's a play at the plate and make an aggressive move for the bag is part of the game. Cervelli breaking his wrist is unfortunate and tragic, but sometimes that's the way it goes. Rabbit Maranville broke HIS LEG in a play at the plate during a spring training game; it ended his career.

It would have probably died this weekend if Girardi hadn't called the play bush. He's responsible for what happened today. His comments fanned the flames, and then Zimmer had to chime in, and the next thing you know some guys are getting thrown at and other guys are sliding into people's legs with their spikes up. Nice call, Joe.

I'll tell you what - if it's me, and I'm trying to make the team, I'm playing each inning like it's my last. Because it definitely could be. And if that means I've got to run someone over to make the roster, banzai. [clarification note: playing hard does NOT include trying to stick your nails into someone's knee. If Girardi wants to complain about something, there's a good topic to start with.]

------------

Final college hoops thought: Today's Syracuse/Villanova game was touted as a NCAA Tournament play-in game; winner would go, especially if Syracuse won. Well, the Orangemen got crushed by 19. Now the talking heads are saying, well, Villanova improved their chances, but they really need to beat Georgetown tomorrow to lock it up. Bastards.

You know tomorrow if Nova beats the Hoyas, they'll say, well, Villanova really improved their case, but they probably still need to beat Connecticut.

Go Cats. [Update 3/13 2100: Hoyas 82, 'Cats 63. So much for that.]

"We were different people with different morals."

For one Monday, things fell into place - got my work work done early enough to dig into my homework; actually understood the homework and was able to finish it in under 3 hours (for this course, that's a statement; I'm not a dummy, but this Optimization class is kicking my ass).

Which left me time to poke around on the internet, you know, to see what's out there. And naturally, time to blog about it.

Spring training means I spend some time monitoring the Cardinals, but most of it searching for nuggets that will help my fantasy team. I know, I know - nobody cares about my fantasy team. But I've got a title to defend.

Which is how I ended up reading about the Toronto Blue Jays. Well, it's more than that; as you know, the left side of their infield played for the Cardinals last year. While reading the article by Jayson Stark, I came across this gem of a quote from Scott Rolen:

"St. Louis is as good a place to play baseball as there is anywhere -- the city, the fans, the personnel there, teammates, the whole package," [Rolen] says. "My wife loved being there. I loved being there. I had every intention of finishing my contract there. And from what I'm told, many of the people who make the decisions there had every intention of me finishing my contract there. So the fallout, and the situation that became untenable, was personal. There was no contract issue. There was no organizational issue. So when I'm asked about that relationship [with the manager], the way I look at it, everybody has their story. And if you give both sides of the story, I don't think they're going to match up. I've said it before. We were different people with different morals."

Isn't that an interesting thing to say? What the hell does that mean?

After Rolen's injury in 2005, and the debacle with his surgery/rehab that required a second procedure, there were questions raised on how the team handled his medical treatment. I asked them here; Bernie Milkasz asked them publicly in his column and took some heat from LaRussa at a subsequent press conference.

Could we speculate that perhaps the sub-standard medical treatment Rolen received wasn't the whole story? Was perhaps he rushed back to help the team before he was physically ready to, and, being the gamer he is, he tried it to his physical detriment?

And what does it say about LaRussa if he has 'different morals' in light of the steroid era, when two of the biggest stars now associated with steroid abuse played significant years for him (Canseco and McGwire)? Did he really know what was going on and turn a blind eye, to get any advantage to win?

Of course, this supposes that Rolen's moral code closely approximates mine, which doesn't condone cheating on any level. I'll never know that, just like I'll never know what LaRussa's code is. But as someone with some leadership experience, I did find it interesting that LaRussa took their issues public, including his excoriating comments against Rolen this winter.

Seemed like someone trying awfully hard to set the ground rules for how the dispute would be viewed.

Seemed like someone trying awfully hard to spin the story in his favor.

Seemed like someone with a guilty conscience.

Once around the field, then hit the showers

Well we've been playing spring training games for about a week now. I've never gotten too excited about what happens during Feb/Mar at the major league level. For one, the veterans typically have a time table or workout schedule they adhere to - a product of many, many springs getting ready for the long season. That means the majority of at bats go to the kids - kids trying to make the team, kids being evaluated as to where they should start the season, etc.

Every now and again a veteran climbs into camp, more often than not an old Cardinal from days gone by (Andy Van Slyke, Willie McGee, Ray Lankford) trying to will themselves onto the team. That's at least interesting to watch, especially if they have a good spring (like Van Slyke and Lankford did their last go-around); you can't help but root for them. Even if, in Van Slyke's case, they tear a hammie and ultimately don't break camp with the club, or, in Lankford's case, get hurt early in the season and are really not the same afterwards.

We have a story-line sort of like that in Juan Gonzalez this year, but he's not an old Cardinal hand, and I've expressed my opinion of him previously, so you know I'm not that excited about this either.

So there won't be much analysis of the 2008 Grapefruit League Cardinals here this month. We'll continue trying to fill the weeks with somewhat interesting blather until the season starts.

Although I will continue to watch Anthony Reyes' progress this spring. I really hope that guy turns it around and has a good season. Two starts so far, one a teaser of all his talent, the other a reprise of last season. If he's throwing strikes, that's a start; if he has velocity on his fastball, that's a plus; now he needs to put hitters away when he's ahead in the count.

Come on, kid - we're rooting for you.

One final note - the Sweet 16 round in the Tournament of Champions (hosted by vivaelbirdos) is complete. Going into today, I was tied for third with 18 points; two series remained, 1944 vs 1964, and 1934 vs 1886 (my pick in bold). 1934 won, as did 1964. I should know better than to bet against Gibson. I end up 4-4 in this round. Based on a rough calculation, I should be tied for second with 21 (one point out of first); but the most important thing is both my finalists are still alive.

Enjoy your weekend.

Has it really been 2 weeks?!?

Seems like just yesterday pitchers/catchers were reporting. Oh, well.

Some quick thoughts as I try to get back into a regular posting schedule:

Speizio - What a sad, sad soap opera his life has turned into. I hope he gets the help he needs to get his life back on track. His baseball career is over, in my opinion. But Scott - you've got 3 kids you need to worry about, protect, and take care of. Fix yourself so you can do that well.

Rolen - Spoke with reporters but refused to bad mouth LaRussa. Rolen's been pretty consistent on that; not wanting to speak about issues he classified this week as 'personal' between himself and his former manager. I applaud that; what purpose does it serve to continue the acrimony when you've finally escaped it? His comments to the Post Dispatch this week didn't make LaRussa look good, though - especially if the manager let a personal issue with his third baseman start to cloud his professional judgement.

Reyes - Apparently threw well in yesterday's exhibition opener. I was quite happy to see the Cardinals not jettison him this past off-season. I know he's done well in spring training in previous years, and then not performed up to expectations in the regular season; I hope this year is different. We need him in the rotation, especially after the news that Clement won't be ready by opening day (which surprised me, as well as lots of folks in the Cardinal blog-o-sphere).

Hope you have a pleasant weekend.

A short break from the action....

No post today - I have 2 mid-terms in the next 7 days and need the time to study. In more happy news, pitchers/catchers start reporting Thursday!

Talk about a Happy Valentines Day.

Following a thread from last post: In my opinion Cardinals/Cubs is a rivalry in proximity only. Defining a rivalry to mean playing each other with something on the line (like a pennant), this hasn't been that since the 1930s. There will be a longer post on this subject soon, but currently (again my opinion) the chief Cardinals rival is Houston - and historically it's been the Dodgers.

Enjoy your week.

Tourney of Champions Update

I've purposely ignored this topic for a while, because my bold predictions haven't held up so well. In the first round, I picked exactly 1 series correctly - I had the 1888 Browns beating the 1987 Cardinals. This should have mired me in the cellar, but two other bozos didn't pick any of the first round series correctly.

The second round has gone somewhat better. The 1943 club did indeed beat the 2005 version, and today the 1985 club outlasted the 1996 club. I almost had a third series win, 1885 over 2000, but Dave Veres was able to pitch out of a jam in the ninth (thanks to some good defense and a ground rule double that held the tying run at third). So with 3 series complete in this round I'm 2-1, and can go 4-1 if things go as I predicted. I need the 1885's to win; if that happens, and Gibson's 1968 squad comes through, 9 points should put me in third or fourth place, which would be cool.

With only 6 days left until pitchers and catchers report, there isn't much going on. The lads over at USSmariner.com recently ran a ZIPS simulation on the 2008 Mariners; that data is here. If I get a chance I will try and do the same thing with the 2008 Cardinals and post it next week.

Something to discuss in the comments: rivalries. Are the Cubs the Cardinals rival, and by what metric do you make that claim (competitiveness, geography, trades, etc)? If not the Cubs, then who? We'll post more on this topic next week.

Cardinals sign Juan Crybaby

Juan Gonzalez is a Cardinal, signed to a minor-league contract which would be worth close to $1 million dollars if he makes the big club out of spring training.

Story reported in the Post-Dispatch today.

Juan Gone. Great.

Last good season: 2003 - 24 HR in 82 games with the Rangers. Last good full season: 2001 with Cleveland. He hasn't been good since the last time the Rams won more than 10 games.

This is the same guy who, after playing one year in Detroit, whined the park was too big (his excuse for the power drop-off in 2000). Can you see Ruth whining about the dimensions of any ballpark? Didn't think so. If memory serves, Detroit moved the fences in expressly for him; he bolted for Cleveland that off-season as a free agent. I have had no respect for him since that story broke.

Just what the Cardinals need - another head case.

Nope, not too happy about this.

In other news, apparently there's a large tiff out there because Bill Belichick left the playing field with one second left yesterday. Let's re-cap the situation:

Brady's fourth down desperation heave has fallen incomplete; there :01 on the clock; New England trails by 3; a snap/kneeldown typically takes 2 seconds; a timeout doesn't prevent the game from ending; New England will not get the ball back this day.

SO, Belichick jogs onto the field, SHAKES COACH COUGHLIN'S HAND congratulating him on his victory, and heads for the locker room, with the time still on the clock.

Why is this an issue?

From where I stand, that's good sportsmanship. The game was over, people! Why prolong the agony to run a meaningless play? Let the Giants celebrate their victory; they totally deserved it. You want to make fun of Belichick? Question his play calling; question why his vaunted offensive line got shredded; question the hoodie; question why he didn't attempt a 49-yd field goal midway through the third quarter. But don't question his conduct at the end. I thought it was the height of class in what had to be an extremely difficult, emotional moment.

The San Diego SABR meeting - Part 3

If you missed the first two parts, they are here and here. This entry will wrap up the question/answer period with Paul DePodesta.

Question (Q): We haven't talked about the elephant in the room - steriods. What's the Padres corporate opinion?
Paul DePodesta (PD): We wish we had full knowledge.
Q (interrupts): Would full knowledge change your evaluation standards?
PD: There is no proof steroids helps players. If it does help, that makes the job of evaluating players much more difficult. You have a projection of what a player is expected to do. If his performance goes way, way up or way, way down you have to ask why? Is he working hard or is there something else? Steroid use does screw up the models we're using, which is why it's so much more difficult to evaluate. Paul said he's all for getting Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) out of the game.

Q: Why are minor league penalties for steroid use heaver than at the major league level?
PD: MLB was able to impose stricter penalties and testing on the minor leagues. At the major league level, they have to negotiate with the union, which makes the process much slower.

Q: Are the Padres pursuing player development in the Dominician Republic and China?
PD: Sandy (Alderson) is a big believer in development. The Padres now have 2 complexes in the Dominican, oustide the capital city; these facilities are as good or better than MLB spring training complexes.

Q: What process are you following to find an heir to Hoffman?
PD: Right now we think Heath Bell is a good candidate to be Trevor's successor at the back of the game. We're not overly concerned about finding the next closer, because middle relievers are a little bit easier to find on the open market - they're more available. As we find candidates that we think can do the job, we'll give them a chance at the end of ball games to see how they hold up in pressure situations (7th and 8th innings), and evaluate from there.

Q: Heard a lot about the salary cap. What are the repercussions for going over?
PD: There is no hard salary cap in baseball, there's a target amount that clubs should try and stay under. If your payroll goes over, you pay a tax which goes to MLB for distribution to all other teams. So far only the Yankees and Boston have gone over, and they don't seem to care what they have to pay as a tax. Basically if they pay a guy $10 million, and have a 30% luxury tax imposed, they're signing him for $13 million.

Q: How do you determine what salary to pay a foreign player?
PD: We have lots of information now on how Japanese players will perform in the majors, and that information has really expanded over the past 5-6 years. We also have more data on how they played over in Japan (statistically speaking) then we used to. So we can use that data to come to a determination on what the player's value is.

Q: How many scouts do you employ? Is the number driven by cost, and how does it compare with other teams?
PD: Most teams are consistent on how many scouts they employ. (He then went into a description of the organizational structure of the scouting department of the Padres that I didn't write down). It's also important to cultivate relationships with college coaches, and each scout does do that in his particular area of responsibility. Some coaches are very good about giving honest evaluations of their players, some not so much. But remember - they're trying to win to and run a successful program, so their evaluations may be driven by their own selfish needs, which is understandable.

Q: What is the Padres minor league philosophy - win now, or develop players?
PD: Obviously the minors develop players who can contribute at the major league level. But we don't just focus on player development. Its also important to win, and to teach players how to win. Its not the only thing, but it's important. We've had success recently in the minor leagues with successful teams (division winners, champions, and the like).

Q: One of the things that the Padres struggled with last year was holding on runners and throwing out baserunners. Has the team considered teaching all their pitchers a slide-step to speed things up to the plate?
PD: We're looking at that. And we evaluate whether to teach that to pitchers based on their capability to hold runners. Greg Maddux, for example - he's not very good holding a guy on, and never will be at this point. But he believes it's more important to concentrate on the hitter, because the hitter can hurt him much more than the baserunner. That guy on base doesn't hurt him until he touches home plate. That's his philosophy and he's been successful with it. A guy like Chris Young, well, he's 6' 10" - he's not going to be very fast to the plate in any situation, and the thing we worry about is the effect on his stuff if we try to speed up his motion with a guy on. So we decided, during the season we're not going to try and change him, let him focus on what's made him successful. There's no doubt our struggles last year with baserunners was more based on our pitchers than our catchers. Our two guys aren't Pudge Rodriguez, but they certainly are both capable.

Q: How is the luxury tax distributed, and are there requirements for the teams to actually spend them on their payroll?
PD: Not 100% sure, but believe it goes to a central fund at MLB and is distributed from there. It's not part of revenue sharing right now. Its actually a relatively small number in the grand scheme of things. I doubt it would make a large difference. There are no guidelines on how teams have to spend that money. Some teams hoard it - we don't; but they may keep it for some later time when they are more competitive.

Q: MLB publishes a suggested bonus to pay players drafted in the first round based on what slot they are taken. Some teams follow it, some don't. If you had a player you wanted, would you violate the pay scale to sign him? (Angry Rant question)
PD: We're willing to do that if its needed, but depends on the individual, and if we thought it was the right thing for the Padres. Those are really recommendations - you don't have to follow them. Typically we try to remain within the structure given by MLB, and I think we've done a great job of doing that. Part of the reason those recommendations are in place, about fifteen years ago there was a team that blew the structure out of the water. One player was asking for a lot of money, much more than most clubs thought he deserved based on his ability. He had been forecast as a very high first round draft pick, but his asking price scared team after team away and he fell in the first round. Then one team stepped up, drafted him, and paid him what he wanted - which angered a lot of other teams. The player was Todd Van Poppel, the team was the Oakland A's, and the GM was Sandy Alderson. So yes, we're willing to break the scale if needed. But not to that extent again.

Q: If you have a player you're considering drafting, who has the tools, but his personal life has some issues, does it count when considering who to draft?
PD: Significantly for us. We use various tests over the years to measure their 'mental make-up', and I think we've had decent success with hit. The minor leagues are a real grind, even for the really talented; so we strive to draft players who are capable of thriving in that environment. We think players like Chad Hutchins and Mark Antonelli, they're high character guys, and we think they're having success not only because of their physical skills but also their mental toughness. Obviously the tests aren't fool proof, but we think we've been successful using them.

Q: How has Scott Boras affected the draft, if at all? Has it affected the competitive balance of the league?
PD: Hasn't affected us all that much, but has affected the draft. There are certain players that Scott says, he won't sign unless he gets 'x', and that guy will slide through the draft until there's someone willing to pay 'x', and he does that with a number of players. He doesn't do it all the time, but when Scott feels he has a special player, he lets people know what that is. Competitive balance - it does work to a degree. But it certainly is a far from perfect system. And it's something that we've tried to address in the collective bargaining agreement; it's an area of concern for some of the small market teams. It hasn't affected us, but some of the big market clubs have access to some of the better players.

Q: How do I get your job? (Angry Rant Question)
PD: Start as a van driver? (laughter). Get very, very lucky, in all honesty. I was ridiculously lucky at several points in my life. Have to be willing to go anywhere and do any job just to get your foot in the door, then once your foot's in the door do as good a job as you possibly can. Because so many people want to work in sports, and once they get jobs they typically don't leave them, unless they're asked to, which also happened to me (laughter), it makes for a situation with very low turnover, so it can be a frustrating process. Sorry, I wish I had better advice.

(applause)

End Session.

As you read, a lot of good information there. These are the kinds of things SABR tries to bring to what I would call the serious baseball fan (yes, this is a shameless plug for SABR). I would encourage you, if you're interested in broadening your horizons beyond just the Cardinals, to look up your local chapter and see what they've got going on. For me, over the past year, its been time well spent.

Even if the local chapter here teems with Padre and Cub fans. :)

My Personal Cardinal All-Star Team

Welcome United Cardinal Blogger patrons!

I had a bit of a tough time coming up with a personal favorite team. After all, I have many favorite Cardinals, and since the team has existed in its current form since 1892 there are a lot of Cardinals to choose from. Just sticking with HOF players would make a very formidable team.

So I had to find a way to make the choices more manageable. Here's my idea: my Dad took me to my first Cardinal game on August 28, 1977, a most memorable day. So, my All-Star team will include only those players I've actually seen play. The good news is that lets me include my favorite childhood Cardinal on the team if I so choose (Lou Brock). The bad news is it excluded the 'patron saint' of this site. In everyone's life a little rain must fall. So, here we go:

First Baseman - Not as much of a no-brainer as I thought. Jack Clark was the power anchor of the mid-80s championship Cardinals teams. Pedro Guerrero was always a dangerous hitter, even at the end of his career. Mark McGwire was the heart of the order for years and a deft touch at first. But in the end, there can be only one. Pick: Albert Pujols. Do I need to explain why? Honorable Mention: Jack Clark, Mark McGwire.

Second Baseman - Given the current rotating door of guys playing the position (Adam Kennedy, if he is the opening day starter, will be the first guy since Vina to start at second two consecutive years), the field is sparse. So I went with an old favorite - a guy who was a leader in the clubhouse, an All-Star in 1985, one of the rare birds that drove in over 100 runs while hitting less than 10 home runs. Pick: Tommy Herr. Honorable Mention: None.

Shortstop - Another position with several good candidates (Renteria, Templeton, Eckstein). But one candidate stands out - 15 time all-star, 13 time gold glove winner, author of one of the most dramatic HR's you'll ever see. Pick: Ozzie Smith. Honorable Mention: Edgar Renteria, Garry Templeton, David Eckstein.

Third Baseman - I had a lot of trouble here. Terry Pendleton or Scott Rolen? Pendleton's won an MVP, Rolen hasn't; Pendleton won 3 gold gloves, Rolen has 7; Rolen was a feared power bat in his prime, Pendleton was one of Herzog's slap hitters with occasional power. In the end, Pendleton's best years were with the Braves. So that made the selection easier. Pick: Scott Rolen. Honorable Mention: Pendleton, Ken Oberkfell, Ken Reitz.

Catcher - Do you go with the overall package, a good hitter/no glove, or a great glove/weak hitter? It turns out the Cardinals haven't had a good hitting catcher for most of the time I've watched them. Remember Todd Zeile? Unless Brian Anderson becomes the next Mike Piazza, Zeile will remain the best hitting catcher the Cardinals have had in the last 25 years. And he spent most of his career at third base. No, not much to pick from. So I defaulted to the best overall catcher the club has seen in the last half-century; and the beauty is, based on my rules he's eligible. Pick: Ted Simmons. Honorable Mention: Tom Pagnozzi, Mike Matheny, Yadier Molina.

Left Field - When going over the options in my mind, I couldn't help but shudder remembering Ron Gant, Reggie Sanders, and Chris Duncan butchering plays in the outfield. So this selection was very easy for me. I'm indulging my inner child. The fact he's in the Hall doesn't hurt, either. Pick: Lou Brock. Honorable Mention: Vince Coleman.

Center Field - We've had a bunch of good ones. In fact, I can't think of a CF that I didn't like, or that wasn't a consumate professional, or that wasn't an all-star sometime during his tenure. I went back and looked at who I'd selected so far, and noticed I had a lot of right-handed power. Need to balance the order out a little. Since we've got 2 parts of MV3, why not complete the set? Pick: Jim Edmonds. Honorable Mention: Willie McGee, Ray Lankford, Andy Van Slyke.

Right Field - Larry Walker isn't eligible for consideration, for the same reason Pendleton didn't win at third - Walker's best years were in Colorado. So that leaves the field wide open. None of the guys that played right stood out to me. We've had some good ones (Van Slyke, Jordan) and some really bad ones (Mark Whiten, for example). So I decided to reach for a long shot - another guy who was really good at what he did, and was the power bat in the lineup before Jack Clark arrived. The fact my Dad really liked him also helped his case. Pick: George Hendrick. Honorable Mention: Brian Jordan.

Starting Pitchers - For all the other positions I looked at their overall contributions as Cardinals. For pitchers, I allowed a single outstanding season to qualify for inclusion, if needed. Initially I didn't think I could come up with 5 quality starters for this rotation, and might have to incude a one season wonder like Bottenfeld; but that doesn't seem to be necessary. I also stated which season version of the pitcher I'd choose to take.
Ace: 2005 Chris Carpenter. As the only Cardinal pitcher besides Bob Gibson to win a Cy Young, a slam-dunk.
#2: 1985 John Tudor. Started 1-7, ended 20-1. An unbelieveable year, the greatest by a Cardinal pitcher that I've witnessed. How do you start 1-7 and end up with an ERA of 1.93? Ridiculous.
#3: 1982, 1984-1985 Joaquin Andujar. It's unfortunate most folks remember Andujar for his tantrum on the mound (and subsequent complete destruction of a toilet) during Game 7 of the 1985 World Series. They forget Andujar was the last Cardinal to win 20 games in consecutive seasons. In 1982 he went 10-0 down the stretch and won Game 7. 'One Tough Dominican' was just that; besides, his throws to first on comebackers were always filled with high drama.
#4: 2001 Matt Morris. Another forgotten year. Matt Morris was the best pitcher in the NL not wearing a Diamondbacks jersey. Remember the 2001 NLDS? He gave up 2 runs in two games; unfortuately for the Cardinals, he was matched against Curt Schilling at the peak of his powers in both. I will maintain the 2001 team was better than the 2000 and 2002 versions probably forever (and most likely in the face of any statistical evidence to the contrary). I won't digress into a diatribe on why they were great; suffice it to say if they could have gotten past the Diamondbacks in that NLDS (and they should have, but they gave away Game 3), they would have faced a Braves team they swept in the previous year's NLDS, and a legit chance to beat the Yankees.
#5: 1988-1989 Joe Magrane. 18-9 in 1989 for a team in the pennant race until Labor Day. The previous year, although he went 5-9, he had a 2.18 ERA. Put him in front of this lineup he wins 20 games.

Relief Pitchers. To keep it simple, I'm not picking a long man; rather, a left and right handed set up guy, and a closer.
Left-Handed Specialist: I had more options from the left side than the right. I reached back to another favorite, who was always ready to answer the call and even spot start if needed. Pick: Ken Dayley. Honorable Mention: Ricky Horton, Steve Kline.

Right-Handed Specialist: A lot less clear-cut. In fact, I had trouble remembering a good right-handed reliever out of the bullpen. But in the end, I went with a reasonable choice. Pick: Jeff Lahti. Honorable Mention: Brad Thompson, Ryan Franklin.

Closer. The Cardinals certainly have had a lot of good closers over the past 30 years. Who to pick? Bruce Sutter? Best years were with the Cubs; was great in 1982, but went to Atlanta in 1984 and was out of baseball a year later. Todd Worrell? No Friggin way. Anyone can throw hard, but when it's straight-as-a-string eventually you'll get hit (and he did). Lee Smith? Don't know much about him, to be honest. That leaves one obvious pick. Pick: Jason Isringhausen. Honorable Mention: Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, Jeff Lahti.

Bench. I decided to put a bench together so as to give the team greater flexibility, and also to get a couple of guys on the roster that hadn't made it already. So, I created three positions: Power, 4th Outfielder, and Utility.
Power: Mark McGwire. I've been defending him for 2 years; how can I continue if I don't get him on my all-star team?
4th Outfielder: Willie McGee. Speed, defense, and class.
Utility: Jose Oquendo.

That leaves one slot:
Manager. Here are the Cardinals managers since 28 Aug 1977: Vern Rapp, Jack Krol (interim twice), Ken Boyer, Red Schoendienst (interim twice also), Whitey Herzog, Joe Torre, Mike Jorgensen, and Tony LaRussa. In terms of success, this is a battle between LaRussa and Herzog. But I'll leave that debate to someone else. For this collection of talent and ego, there's only one clear choice. Pick: Joe Torre. And yes, Herzog and LaRussa get honorable mention.