The Nationals broadcasters pissed me off throughout the entire game today. Losh this and Losh that. I was really getting aggravated. I thought it was pronounced Lowse. Then I looked it up and learned that Bob Carpenter (now with the Nats broadcasting team) and Don Sutton (a lunatic!) had it right. Anyways, even though I was displeased with the pronunciation, I was pleased with the context. "Lohse has retired 5 in a row," "Lohse pitched his way out of trouble," and "Lohse earns the victory." Great stuff all around!
I was also pleased with the broadcasters' mentions of Rick Ankiel's name, but that is becoming expected. Right?
Not to repeat myself, but are we really as bad as predicted? Bernie sees what I have seen (and he wrote the article before Sunday's game). The big picture: we are 5 - 1 and our only loss was a 2-1 game (granted, there is no excuse for losing to Kip Wells). We're 2-0 against lefties. Schumaker doesn't have a hit and Glaus is batting .190 and we're 5 - 1. I know it's early, I know we've only played two teams, but isn't all of this worth noting? One of the teams we beat is the reigning National League Champion and the other was 3-1 coming in, with wins over Atlanta and Philly. Our starters have a sub-1.00 ERA! Alright, I am going to stop gushing right now, but suffice it to say that I love what I am seeing.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Some positive Cardinals health notes
According to the Post Dispatch, Pujols' hand is fine, Piniero and Mulder are getting geared up, and Duncan is alright, but not yet cleared. The Post's notes also note that Shumaker is pressing. As much as I enjoyed seeing Barton contribute tonight, I hope Skip gets his wits about him. I think he has a great upside and that he can be a good Cardinal in the years to come if he will just stop suffering from prolonged lulls in performance.
Oh, and for those of you for whom this went unnoticed, Josh Kinney is also on the road back to good health and he is projected to return to the team sometime in May.
By the way, did you know I am glad Kevin Slaten is off the air? I am. The aritcle my update links has all the details.
Oh, and for those of you for whom this went unnoticed, Josh Kinney is also on the road back to good health and he is projected to return to the team sometime in May.
By the way, did you know I am glad Kevin Slaten is off the air? I am. The aritcle my update links has all the details.
Aren't we supposed to suck?
Did I miss the memo? We're supposed to be worse than this, right? I mean, I know it is early, and on any given day any given pitcher can look like Cy Young long enough to contribute to a victory, but aren't we Adam Wainwright and a bunch of shit? Here's what we know:
* The Cardinals are 3 - 1.
* Our (current) ace, Adam Wainwright, hasn't made a start yet (right?).
* Our one loss was not the fault of our latest rotation addition, Kyle Lohse.
I am still trying to temper my excitement, I see some of the same things that the experts do, but isn't it worth giving some thought to? Ugh. Probably not, right. :(
Anyways, we didn't suck tonight. Our 7th inning relievers did, but thankfully Felipe Lopez sucked more (both in the 7th and in the 9th). Exciting game. So glad I got to watch it because the Nats games are on my cable! Two more days of this gloriousness.
* The Cardinals are 3 - 1.
* Our (current) ace, Adam Wainwright, hasn't made a start yet (right?).
* Our one loss was not the fault of our latest rotation addition, Kyle Lohse.
I am still trying to temper my excitement, I see some of the same things that the experts do, but isn't it worth giving some thought to? Ugh. Probably not, right. :(
Anyways, we didn't suck tonight. Our 7th inning relievers did, but thankfully Felipe Lopez sucked more (both in the 7th and in the 9th). Exciting game. So glad I got to watch it because the Nats games are on my cable! Two more days of this gloriousness.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The newness and The Natural?
Tonight, rather than follow the Cards game online, I watched the Orioles and Nationals at a friend's house (a Nats fan with whom I shall argue this coming weekend when our teams face-off). I will therefore comment on what little I know and what I heard. I saw the box score, the highlights and the mlb.com summary, and I heard a friend call Rick Ankiel his old nickname, "The Natural."
First off, it sucks that Duncan got hurt. That said, what excites me most about this team is that someone else is going to be playing. I have seen Duncan. I like Duncan. I am fine with him being in the lineup, but I also like some of these other folks, some of them a lot. Take, for instance, Rico Washington. 11 years in the minors? More than 4,000 minor league at bats before his first major league hit? Then he cashes in with an RBI double! This is something I can get behind. Like I said, I like Duncan, but I like newness, and the excitement that comes with it, also. Looking at it from the proper perspective, this is an exciting time to be a Cards fan for just this reason - who will we meet next and what will the bring to the table?
All that having been said, I want to talk about a once proven, then broken, then completely irrelevant, then rising, then risen, then twice-broken, then ... Rick Ankiel. I am not going to make a big deal out of a good night. We all saw, all of us that looked for it, what Ankiel did last night. I am impressed, you should be, but it was still only one night. Let me leave it at this: enjouy this pure joy, this is good stuff.
First off, it sucks that Duncan got hurt. That said, what excites me most about this team is that someone else is going to be playing. I have seen Duncan. I like Duncan. I am fine with him being in the lineup, but I also like some of these other folks, some of them a lot. Take, for instance, Rico Washington. 11 years in the minors? More than 4,000 minor league at bats before his first major league hit? Then he cashes in with an RBI double! This is something I can get behind. Like I said, I like Duncan, but I like newness, and the excitement that comes with it, also. Looking at it from the proper perspective, this is an exciting time to be a Cards fan for just this reason - who will we meet next and what will the bring to the table?
All that having been said, I want to talk about a once proven, then broken, then completely irrelevant, then rising, then risen, then twice-broken, then ... Rick Ankiel. I am not going to make a big deal out of a good night. We all saw, all of us that looked for it, what Ankiel did last night. I am impressed, you should be, but it was still only one night. Let me leave it at this: enjouy this pure joy, this is good stuff.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
We'll pretend this never happened
The Cardinals didn't play any baseball yesterday. I know you think they did. You may have watched, listened to or otherwise followed a baseball game that featured decent pitching by the Cardinals Ace, some discipline at the plate when the opposing starter struggled, big hits from Ankiel and Yadi, good defense in the Cardinals outfield, and/or a homerun from Pujols, but none of it actually happened. Can someone please explain this rule to me? An hour of baseball, stricken from the records. Go ahead, look for the box score, you won't find it. When they start play tonight, they start at 0-0, not 5-1. It's just stupid (unless you're a Rockies fan).
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Kevin Slaten has gone too far (again)
(For those of you with the good fortune not to know who Kevin Slaten is, I am sorry that I have to introduce him here.) Kevin Slaten hosts the evening drivetime talk show, The Bottom Line, on KFNS AM in St. Louis. Kevin is "best known for not being shy about offering up his opinions." This is KFNS's way of saying he is universally regarded as an asshole. I used to listen to his show when he actually had co-hosts (he's birned through 3 in the past 2 years, that I know of), and I personally find the man sickening. He berates callers and fights with guests and basically stirs up trouble with anyone who doesn't call him "King" or who doesn't want to be on his shitty program.
Skip to Thursday went Cardinals Pitching Coach Dave Duncan was unwittingly a guest on Slaten's show. The Post Dispatch has details of the entire incident here, but here is the gist of it: in an off-air conversation with a producer, Duncan turns down an opportunity to be on Slaten's show; Slaten then called Duncan while on the air and did not inform Duncan that they were on the air ("Could we grab you for a couple minutes to talk a little bit about the (Anthony) Reyes decision?"); Duncan then said he did not want to be on Slaten's show (again), because Slaten is a "nasty man" and Duncan doesn't like him; Slaten then bickers with Duncan, even stating that Duncan is committing slander (he wasn't), until letting it slip to Duncan that he is on the air, at which point Duncan gets furious and gets off the line. Duncan has since stated that he is pondering legal recourse.
I do not practice law in Missouri, so I won't pretend to know the potential causes of action in play here, but I am quite confident that Slaten has none and Duncan has at least one (in many states it is illegal to tape conversations with informing the party being recorded). As stated in the Post Dispatch, the normal procedure for interviewing an individual on the radio is to get them on the line with a producer before the host begins the conversation. After Duncan hung up, Slaten went on one of his typical rants: "He's either a liar or he's the dumbest man on the face of the earth. He either lied when he said he didn't come on, or he's so stupid he doesn't know he was on. ... Does this give you an insight what's going on with this organization? Do you need any more?''
I am completely on Duncan's side in this matter, and I think, as I have for a long time, that Slaten should be taken off the radio. Kevin Slaten is not Colin Cowherd or Jim Rome or Charles Barkley, his irrationality is not even remotely thought-provoking and his awful temper is disgusting. If you don't believe me and this incident detailed in the Post Dispatch doesn't convince you, just google Slaten and see what comes up. Here's an overview: fight with Steve Savard, fight with every sports organization in town worth discussing, getting thrown out of an indoor soccer game that he was calling for using intolerable language and punching a player, and the cherry on top: he was convicted of felony assault in 1993, and in another incident that year, was arrested after allegedly hitting his wife in a suburban St. Louis bar. Swell dude, right?
UPDATE: Slaten has been fired! In his usual fashion, he handled it with class (or he claimed that the Cardinals were behind the move and KFNS is spineless).
Skip to Thursday went Cardinals Pitching Coach Dave Duncan was unwittingly a guest on Slaten's show. The Post Dispatch has details of the entire incident here, but here is the gist of it: in an off-air conversation with a producer, Duncan turns down an opportunity to be on Slaten's show; Slaten then called Duncan while on the air and did not inform Duncan that they were on the air ("Could we grab you for a couple minutes to talk a little bit about the (Anthony) Reyes decision?"); Duncan then said he did not want to be on Slaten's show (again), because Slaten is a "nasty man" and Duncan doesn't like him; Slaten then bickers with Duncan, even stating that Duncan is committing slander (he wasn't), until letting it slip to Duncan that he is on the air, at which point Duncan gets furious and gets off the line. Duncan has since stated that he is pondering legal recourse.
I do not practice law in Missouri, so I won't pretend to know the potential causes of action in play here, but I am quite confident that Slaten has none and Duncan has at least one (in many states it is illegal to tape conversations with informing the party being recorded). As stated in the Post Dispatch, the normal procedure for interviewing an individual on the radio is to get them on the line with a producer before the host begins the conversation. After Duncan hung up, Slaten went on one of his typical rants: "He's either a liar or he's the dumbest man on the face of the earth. He either lied when he said he didn't come on, or he's so stupid he doesn't know he was on. ... Does this give you an insight what's going on with this organization? Do you need any more?''
I am completely on Duncan's side in this matter, and I think, as I have for a long time, that Slaten should be taken off the radio. Kevin Slaten is not Colin Cowherd or Jim Rome or Charles Barkley, his irrationality is not even remotely thought-provoking and his awful temper is disgusting. If you don't believe me and this incident detailed in the Post Dispatch doesn't convince you, just google Slaten and see what comes up. Here's an overview: fight with Steve Savard, fight with every sports organization in town worth discussing, getting thrown out of an indoor soccer game that he was calling for using intolerable language and punching a player, and the cherry on top: he was convicted of felony assault in 1993, and in another incident that year, was arrested after allegedly hitting his wife in a suburban St. Louis bar. Swell dude, right?
UPDATE: Slaten has been fired! In his usual fashion, he handled it with class (or he claimed that the Cardinals were behind the move and KFNS is spineless).
Let it begin.
Since the Red Sox-A's series in Japan was a total joke, these still qualify as my preseason predictions:
AL West:
- Seattle (I doubt it will take many more than 90 wins to take this divison and I think the Mariners have the best staff and the best closer to do it)
- Angels (just too many injuries already - I also don't think Torii Hunter will make much of an impact)
- Athletics (if they still had Danny Haren I'd of picked them to win the division)
- Rangers (their only starter I can name without looking it up is Kevin Millwood and their closer is someone named "C.J.")
AL Central:
- Detroit (everyone focuses on the Cabrera acquisition, but Renteria is no joke either; I think this team will win the most games in baseball if they stay healthy)
- Indians (they'd win any other division)
- White Sox (should improve over lat year, but only just barely)
- Twins (their rotation: Livan Hernandez (R), Scott Baker (R), Kevin Slowey (R), Boof Bonser (R), Nick Blackburn (R) - their offense has improved, I think, but their starters are going to give up runs aplenty, right?)
- Royals (so sad)
AL East:
- Yankees (good lineup, good enough pitching, end of analysis - I hate talking about these f'ers almost as much as I hate talking about ...)
- Red Sox (... these f'ers)
- Blue Jays (if Halladay and Burnett stay healthy, this team could conceivably compete for their division, but that's a big if)
- (Devil) Rays
- Orioles (since I am stuck here, I will watch them, but this is a rebuilding year and I doubt they'll win 70)
NL West:
- D-Backs (this is a vote for Webb and Haren, more than anything)
- Padres (a vote for Peavy and Young, diminished by their crummy lineup)
- Rockies (why'd I put the NL representative in the World Series 3rd? Just don't believe in their staff)
- Dodgers (I don't believe in their lineup or their staff)
- Giants (crap)
NL Central (I will discuss it a lot during the season, let this suffice for now):
- Cubs (good lineup and good enough pitching ... ugh)
- Cardinals (this is admittedly optimistic - but I think we're gong to score plenty of runs
- Brewers (their youth movement continues, but I am not big on their rotation and
- Reds (blah)
- Pittsburgh (the Royals of the NL)
NL East:
- Braves (I just believe in this organization (and in Mark Teixeira spending an entire season with the club))
- Phillies (good lineup and, I think, more pitching than the Mets)
- Mets (good lineup, but one pitcher does not a pitching staff make)
- Marlins (crap)
- Nationals (turds)
The Mets or the Phillies will win the NL Wild Card, I think, and the Indians (or the Tigers if they don't win the division) will win the AL Wild Card. Tigers beat the Cubs in the World Series. I HATE that the Cards won't get it done this year, but they just don't have the horses. I think if Carpenter and Mulder were healthy we could compete for the penant, but that's just not the case.
AL West:
- Seattle (I doubt it will take many more than 90 wins to take this divison and I think the Mariners have the best staff and the best closer to do it)
- Angels (just too many injuries already - I also don't think Torii Hunter will make much of an impact)
- Athletics (if they still had Danny Haren I'd of picked them to win the division)
- Rangers (their only starter I can name without looking it up is Kevin Millwood and their closer is someone named "C.J.")
AL Central:
- Detroit (everyone focuses on the Cabrera acquisition, but Renteria is no joke either; I think this team will win the most games in baseball if they stay healthy)
- Indians (they'd win any other division)
- White Sox (should improve over lat year, but only just barely)
- Twins (their rotation: Livan Hernandez (R), Scott Baker (R), Kevin Slowey (R), Boof Bonser (R), Nick Blackburn (R) - their offense has improved, I think, but their starters are going to give up runs aplenty, right?)
- Royals (so sad)
AL East:
- Yankees (good lineup, good enough pitching, end of analysis - I hate talking about these f'ers almost as much as I hate talking about ...)
- Red Sox (... these f'ers)
- Blue Jays (if Halladay and Burnett stay healthy, this team could conceivably compete for their division, but that's a big if)
- (Devil) Rays
- Orioles (since I am stuck here, I will watch them, but this is a rebuilding year and I doubt they'll win 70)
NL West:
- D-Backs (this is a vote for Webb and Haren, more than anything)
- Padres (a vote for Peavy and Young, diminished by their crummy lineup)
- Rockies (why'd I put the NL representative in the World Series 3rd? Just don't believe in their staff)
- Dodgers (I don't believe in their lineup or their staff)
- Giants (crap)
NL Central (I will discuss it a lot during the season, let this suffice for now):
- Cubs (good lineup and good enough pitching ... ugh)
- Cardinals (this is admittedly optimistic - but I think we're gong to score plenty of runs
- Brewers (their youth movement continues, but I am not big on their rotation and
- Reds (blah)
- Pittsburgh (the Royals of the NL)
NL East:
- Braves (I just believe in this organization (and in Mark Teixeira spending an entire season with the club))
- Phillies (good lineup and, I think, more pitching than the Mets)
- Mets (good lineup, but one pitcher does not a pitching staff make)
- Marlins (crap)
- Nationals (turds)
The Mets or the Phillies will win the NL Wild Card, I think, and the Indians (or the Tigers if they don't win the division) will win the AL Wild Card. Tigers beat the Cubs in the World Series. I HATE that the Cards won't get it done this year, but they just don't have the horses. I think if Carpenter and Mulder were healthy we could compete for the penant, but that's just not the case.
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