The Cardsfan in B'more

5 Amazing Games

2009-05-23T23:12:00.000-07:00

The Cardinals have only allowed 2 runs in the past 5 games. That ties the 2009 Cardinals with several other teams for the second best 5-game streak of the past 20 years (source: ESPN). It has been great, right?

Anyways, here is tonight's game summary care of the good people at ESPN during the 2 a.m. SportsCenter:

Before commercial: "... Cardinal Pitchers doing their best Bob Gibson impressions this week. Wait 'til you see the run the Cardinal rotation is on ..."

During highlight: "... [Pujols walk coverage] [Pujols steal coverage] [Stavinoha rbi double coverage] Kyle Lohse [doing well despite sucking recently] [Cards rotation doing great as of late]."

I am not a fast typist. :(

GO CARDS!!!

LIVE BLOGGING!! TAKE TWO!!

2009-05-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Top 9 (10:44): Well, there goes the shutout. Should have been over with a Soto strikeout, but the First Base Umpire is evidently an idiot. Anyways, a Reed Johnson strikeout brings this one to a close.

Meanwhile, in Houston, the Brewers are losing by 5. Good night. Goodnight.

Bottom 8 (10:28): Nothing happened. Whatever. C'mon Franklin!

Top 8 (10:22): Jason Motte sucks, then doesn't. Dennys Reyes made Fukudome look like an idiot.

3 MORE OUTS!!

Bottom 7 (10:11): Rick Sutcliffe is absolutely gushing over the new Busch Stadium. For a former Cub, I sort of like this guy.

Another hit from Duncan starts the inning off right. Sacrifice works from Barden (although it probably should not have). Walk to get to Khalil Greene who flies out weakly. Heads up running play from Duncan on a ball that shouldn't have scored the run.

Dempster out. 2-run lead. I feel better, but I wonder who is coming in

Top 7 (9:54): "Another good inning from McClellan."

Bottom 6 (9:49): Another inning ending double play. Chances of victory: 55%

Top 6 (9:40): McClellan pitched nicely. I hate hitting batters, but if you have to hit someone I suppose I prefer Fukudome, who is most likely to get on anyway. Nice K to end the inning.

GET SOME RUNS!!

Bottom 5 (9:30): Carpenter is done. Damn.

Waino pinch-hitting, that is how shallow the Cardinal bench is. Feeble strike out.

Kyle McClellan is warming up. I am confident that the Cardinals are going to lose if they don't score again.

Another easy inning for Dempster.

Top 5 (9:24): I ran to the restroom (TMI?) and suddenly the top half of the inning was over. I guess that's a good thing. I hope Carp isn't at 75. :(

Bottom 4 (9:18): Pujols turned a single into a double. My heavens this man is good! Molina moves him over to 3rd for Duncan. I am supremely concerned about a K here, or weak grounder back to the pitcher. What shall it be ... base knock! Run! Credit Albert Pujols for creating that opportunity.

Stavinoha adds a double-play to his strike out in his first at bat. I am not impressed.

Top 4 (9:11): Lead-off walk = shit. Fly out leads to double play! Another fly out ends the inning. I am pleased.

That said, the broadcasters seem to think Carp is on a 75 pitch pitch count. Dang. I fear we are looking at at least four innings from the bullpen.

Bottom 3 (9:00): Carp swung! Weak grounder though. Ugh. Schumaker reaches but Rasmus lines into a double play in front of Pujols. Crap.

Top 3 (8:52): The Cubs hitters that have reached have all done so by going with the pitches and taking them to the opposite field. Anyways, Carp gave up a double (it was a single and Stavinoha took his sweet time getting to it) but got out of it. Carp is up next, let's see if he swings.

Bottom 2 (8:44): DO SOMETHING!!!

Top 2 (8:37): Yep, a pitcher's duel. Settle in.

Bottom 1 (8:30): Ugh. Is this going to be a pitcher's duel? *Sigh*

Top 1 (8:22): Soriano K - grrrreat! So excited! Then the crap from Carp. Walk to Fukudome. Derrick Lee single. Then a double-play! It worked out. Whew!

Thank you, ESPN, for this evening. That said, your love of the Cubs is bound to annoy ths shit out of me tonight, but you can't be any worse than WGN ... I hope.

Before we start, let's have a look at Alphonso Soriano looking ridiculous during a WWE event in Chicago. PLAY BALL!

See more funny videos and Sports Videos at Today's Big Thing.

LIVE BLOGGING!!

2009-05-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

RECAP: Joel Pineiro was awesome. Molina was clutch in the first, and Rasmus homered (again).

Top 9th (10:19): Quick first out. Un-quick second out. Soriano K. Awesome game!

Bottom 8th (10:12): Two fly outs to right. Pujols double (how the hell did he get to 2nd on that?). Molina ground out. The Cards clearly feel they have scored enough runs. I hope they're right.

It's Ryan Franklin intimidating beard time!! EDIT: J.P. going for the shutout! What was I thinking?

Top 8th (10:02): Duncan and Stavinoha out. Improved defense. One pitch, one out. Another out and then a Geovany Soto K. Cubs look like shit, let's be honest.

Bottom 7th (9:57): Another easy inning for Lilly. The Brewers have a 2-run lead in Houston right now.

Top 7th (9:52): J.P. keeps rolling. Two fly outs in the game (this does not include Lee's line out to center).

Cubs broadcasters are so desperate they are hoping for Cardinal errors. "All Cardinals, all Pineiro so far."

Bottom 6th (9:45): Molina hustle out. Duncan hustle out. Stavinoha to the warning track. Lilly would be winning this game most days.

When Derrick Lee does pretty much anything the broadcasters make comments about his health. "Hope he is alright." Really? So fragile that his health is a concern everytime he fields a ball? Sad.

Top 6th (9:40): One pitch, one out. Lilly out. Soriano out. J.P. is working faster than I can type! (Not really.)

Bottom 5th (9:34): I thirst for runs. The Cardinals, however, are shit. Two hits. That's it. Two. Pathetic.

J.P. strikes out looking. Thurston lines out to 1B. The Cardinals have officially let the struggling opposing pitcher find a groove. this pathetic inning is about to end ...

Wait ...

Ryan reaches for the third time with a single to center. Rasmus no-doubt dinger. 3-run lead. Russ smiles, sips beer, sits back.

Lilly's curveball is nasty, btw. It look's unnaturally ... um ... curvy(?).

Top 5th (9:22): The Cubs keep swinging on the first pitch. Two quick outs. Unfortunately, Fontenot's swing gave him a double. Fortunately, Soto still sucks. Cubs stranded their first runner of the night. Good stuff.

Bottom 4th (9:15): Chris Duncan K's looking. Pathetic. Has he done anything recently? Stavinoha single followed up moments later by Barden double-play. I guess the Cardinals are satisfied with one run.

Rasmus' sacrifice is starting to look sensible.

Top 4th (9:10): One pitch, one out, for Soriano. 35 pitches to get the first 10 outs = nice. Two pitches, second out. One pitch, third out. 38 pitches through 4 IP = RUSS LIKES!

Now, SCORE!

Bottom 3rd (9:06): Thurston draws a walk and sprints to first base. I love that. Brendan Ryan, who also walked to lead off an inning, walks again. Two men on and no outs, Rasmus fails to move the runners over. Terrible. Got to get that runner to 3rd so the next hitter can get a sac fly.

Pujols through two at bats: 3 LOB, 2 in scoring position. Ugh.

Will Molina deliver? No. Wasted opportunity.

Bob Brenly stupid comment counter: 3 ("... when Cubs fans are in attendance all you see is blue." Really? Cubs fans don't wear white or gray?).

Top 3rd (8:50): Remember when Giovany Soto was good? Me either. Aaron Miles hits like a girl. Ted Lilly got embarrassed by a ball in the dirt.

J.P. looks pretty good. Now that I have said that I expect total failure.

Bottom 2nd (8:46): Stavinoha = CRAP. Barden = CRAP. J.P. = SHIT. Cards' half of the 2nd = *pfffttt* (that's supposed to be a fart noise -- I am trying to suggest it was a bad half inning).

Top 2nd (8:40): Before the first pitch of the inning WGN showed an overweight Cardinals fan with his chest painted and suggested a dress code for "this park." Whatever.

D. Lee gets a single up the middle. Milton Bradley hits into DP. Mike Fontenot swings like a girl.

Easy inning.

Bottom of the First (8:32): Lead-off walk, sacrifice (WHY!?), then Pujols. Teeming with anticipation ... for a foul out. Ugh. Thankfully, mercifully, Molina drives the run home -- improving his .429 average with runners in scoring position.

LaRussa looked PISSED after Rasmus' bunt. He isn't the only pissed off observer. Are the Cardinals so pathetic that they need to sacrifice runners into scoring position in the first? Terrible decision by Rasmus, who is batting .080 against lefties.

Broadcaster note: The Cardinals have only scored 13 runs with Ludwick out. I feel sick.

Top of the First (8:18): Bob Brenly just called Chris Duncan a "truck driver" and said to "be careful." I have no idea what he is talking about or who he is talking to. J.P. took one batter to piss me off. The broadcasters are already getting a lot of mileage out of how great the Cardinal staff was last month and how crappy it has been in May.

Molina pick-off! Cubs broadcasters think it was a bad call. Objectivity FAIL!

First Impressions (8:13): WGN looks like shit and their broadcasters are shit. Bob Brenly is a nice guy, but I don't like him as a broadcaster. I may have to mute this slop. They think Derrick Lee is going to have a good game because he had a good game yesterday. Great analysis, thanks.

Since I am watching this evening's game on WGN. And since I haven't watched or blogged the last three games (thankfully?). And since Art and Beth have left and hopefully un-cursed the Cards. Here goes the live blogging.

VICTORY!!!

2009-05-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

Cards won, finally.

Art and Beth are in town (bro and sis-in-law). Lindsay is in town too (pimp cousin). I am working otherwise. Lonely blog, write yourself. ... [GO.]

Well, It Could Be Worse

2009-05-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

At least none of the Cardinal pitchers have done this:

The Cardinals Are Sh** Right Now

2009-05-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

[End Blog Post.]

Good News, Bad News

2009-05-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

Good: Carpenter felt no pain in a 75-pitch, full speed outing yesterday and could make a start next week.

Bad: Ludwick is probably heading to the Disabled List. After having one too many outfielders for the past month and a half, the Cardinals now find themselves one short. Grrrrreat!

Break It Down! May 12th Edition

2009-05-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

I'll let this joker break it down for you:

This guy is a fan of the Pirates and he thinks they are only a 60 win, 102 loss, ball club. The only pitchers on the entire Pirates staff he has anything nice to say about are Olhendorf (whom he predicts will have more no decisions than wins) and Matt Capps. He also thinks that Doumit and McClouth are the only position players worth a shit. Sad outlook, but understandable after 16 consecutive losing seasons.

Anyways, I am sure the Cardinals will find a way to give away 1 or 2 games in the series. Duke and Olhendorf are 1-3 against the Cardinals, with their only win coming on April 8th. Jeff Karstens, Thursday's starter, hasn't faced the Cardinals, but he has been fairly crappy so far this season. Whatever the case, the Cardinals need to perform well in this series to build some momentum for a weekend series against the Brewers, followed by three against the Cubs (all 6 at Busch).

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Pittsburgh. GO CARDS!!

My First 2009 Trip to Camden Yards

2009-05-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight I will be following the Cardinals as I sit in the stands at Camden Yards. The Yankees are in town and a dear friend of mine and I and some other chaps will be in attendance. My friend, Ben, is a fan of the Yankees, but to his credit he hates A-Rod. Like, a lot. He told me all about it during the games we went to last weekend in Washington, right before the A-Rod book came out. Anyways, I will be wearing a hypodermic needle costume and shouting obscenities into a bullhorn for every A-Rod at bat, so that will be fun.

The Cardinals face Aaron Harang tonight. Kyle Lohse pitches for the Cardinals. I am not confident. Still, GO CARDS!!

Crap.

2009-05-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

Breaking news: Joel Pineiro is crap. There is only one out in the Reds' half of the 2nd and I am alreaady certain that the Cardinals will lose. Thanks, J.P.

Break It Down! May 8th Edition

2009-05-08T13:05:00.001-07:00

Guest analyst time:

This in depth Cincinnati Reds analysis was for last year's team, but I think the conclusion is still true today ("We suck."). Bet against the Reds, folks. They have had 8 consecutive losing seasons, after all.

"That's a Winner!" - 19

2009-05-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

Nice win. VERY nice sweep! I know it was only two games and I know it was the Pirates, but a sweep is a sweep and the Pirates are no slouches. (Alright, they're sort of slouches.)

Anyways, Todd Wellemeyer impressed for the first time in awhile, and that is good news. Also, ... well, ...

Let me just get something off my back: RYAN FRANKLIN has been the best closer in baseball so far! Three closers in Major League Baseball are perfect so far in 9 save opportunities. Two have 0.00 ERAs. One has the lowest ERA among the 9-save closers (0.45) and he also has the highest K/BB among 9-save closers (5.50). That closer's name is Ryan Franklin. To those of us following the Cardinals, this shouldn't be news. Still, SI.com's Cliff Corcoran is not convinced. Corcoran thinks that the Cardinals are 29th in closer rankings. THAT IS 29TH OUT OF 30 MLB TEAMS! Corcoran bases his rankings on "reliability." RELIABILITY!?!? I am sorry to get so emotional, but this is entirely ridiculous! Look at the stats, correct me if I am wrong.

Oh, btw, the same outfit that thinks the Cardinals have the second worst closer in baseball, SI.com, thinks that the Cardinals are the second best team in baseball without a suspended slugger. They also think that the Cardinals have the best manager in baseball. Shocking stuff.

Anyways, like I said: "Nice win. VERY nice sweep!" GO CARDS!

The Video

2009-05-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

Just saw this. In the brief clip that I saw yesterday I didn't notice that Pujols was there before any other non-outfielder. I also didn't see the video 8 times in about 3 or 4 minutes. The announcers seem uncomfortable with the video, but the director sure doesn't have any problem showing it repeatedly. Damn glad he sounds like he is going to be alright.

Good Work, Sir (Not Really)

2009-05-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

Not profane, but not cool. [Source]

Illness

2009-05-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

All the hours outdoors in the rain Friday and Sunday have got me ill. Very ill. I hope to return to blogging by Wednesday.

UPDATE: I don't have the H1N1 "swine" flu, so that's good.

UPDATE 2: At least I am healthier than Rick Ankiel. Sure hope we all hear the phrase "x-rays were negative" on Tuesday. I will be out of the office and away from my computer, so if you have my number and care to do so, please text me with the results.

UPDATE 3: Early Ankiel update from Leach.

Damn

2009-05-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Cardinals will not be at their best today. Pujols is sitting. Ugh.

"That's a Winner! - 17

2009-05-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

A very nice win! No time now to get into it as much as I would like. Bear with me.

Home runs from the 2, 3, 4, and 5 hitters. A quality start from Wellemeyer. Good defense too.

It was a great night at the ball park. Tons of Cardinals fans in attendance, including two very funny brothers sitting right behind me. I will post pictures and more later.

Break It Down! - May 1st Edition

2009-04-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Todd Wellemeyer is pitching for the Cardinals Friday night. How little confidence do I have in Wellemeyer? He makes me feel bad about the chances of the best team in baseball beating the worst team in baseball.

Jordan Zimmerman is pitching against the Cardinals Friday. Supposedly Zimmerman is the biggest thing in D.C. since ... Ryan Zimmerman. How good is he? He has 40% of his team's wins. Granted, his team only has 5 wins, but still.

I will be in attendance Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Pictures and absurdly emotional thoughts/analysis on the way! GO CARDS!!!!

"That's a Winner!" - 16

2009-04-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday night's game was closer than it should have been. Thank goodness for Julian Tavarez, right? Dude sucks.

Albert Pujols' home run couldn't have gotten 30 feet off the ground. It might not have been 25 feet even. What a laser. Eight home runs and 28 RBIs. Manly.

Ankiel had a nice game too. Respect.

I think I am about 24 hours away from announcing that Mitchell Boggs should start over Wellemeyer when Carp returns. We'll see.

Break It Down! - April 30th Edition

2009-04-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

As I have stated dozens of times (one time), the Cardinals are the best team in baseball and the "Natinals" (see above) are the worst team in baseball and I am looking forward to seeing this series. Tomorrow, however, the Cardinals send a rookie to the hill (Mitchell Boggs). Fortunately, the Natinals pitcher Thursday night is Daniel Cabrera, a crappy pitcher who is occassionally capable of genius. Cabrera impressed me several times last year as an Oriole, but ultimately he was so bad that the lowly Orioles let him go.

Karl Rove just said "Pre-9-11" three times during an interview on "Hannity." I will try not to make a habit of political talk on this blog, but everytime I switch it over to Fox News I am totally dumbstruck. Fox News, the current Republican leadership and their popular pundits, it's just totally ridiculous. Sad.

Anyways, here are the probable pitchers for the series. I will be in attendance Fri, Sat, and Sun. I am looking forward, but I am anxious too. Ugh.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Washington, D.C. ... oh wait, I am! GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 15

2009-04-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

Game summary from Dave (text messages he sent me while he watched the game in person and I played kickball):

- "We look so terrible. Mid 2nd no score." - True.
- "Down 1-0. We lose. We will not score a run. I hope we get a hit at least." - I messaged back: "Shit." Then: "Are we doing anything offensively?"
- "1-1!" - Exclamation point completely merited.
- "3-1 braves mid fourth. Wain looks terrible" - Wainwright still hasn't hit his stride. 5 innings just isn't good enough.
- "5-3 US mid fifth" - Amazed when I received this text! Overjoyed!
- "Same score. End fifth. Wain has 100 pitches"
- "We are in an eighth inning jam, same score. I think we've walked like seven guys. I am nervous" - I got home at this time, ran to my computer, and I was thankful to see that Ryan Franklin delivered. Again.
- "Shaky pitching but I will take it! Hell yeah!" - Ditto!

The St. Louis Cardinals have the best record in baseball: 15 - 7.

The St. Louis Cardinals have the largest division lead in baseball: 3.5 games.

Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals have the worst record in baseball (by far).

I am excited to see the next 4 games (3 in person, Thursday's on tv).

Break It Down! - April 29th Edition

2009-04-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy, busy. Site inspections make for a good tan, crappy analysis.

For today's "Break It Down!" post we have a special guest contributor, my dear friend Dave, who will be attending this evening's game. Go ahead, Dave.

* * *

Alright, I haven't actually had a chance to talk to Dave. However, since Dave attended Tuesday's game, I can fairly assume his post would go something like this:

I expect nothing less than unmitigated failure from everyone ... except maybe Pujols and Molina. We're completely miserable. Still, I am hopeful we will win.

Dave is smarter and better at writing/speaking/thinking than I am, so a degree of insight and eloquence should be factored in. Also, for those of you who aren't Dave, it is important to note that Dave is right more often than the rest of us. Place your trust in Dave. If only he had a blog ...

UPDATE: See Dave's analysis in the comments! Thanks, Dave.

A Power Outage

2009-04-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

The St. Louis Cardinals, the highest scoring team in the National League entering play Monday, have only scored 4 runs in two games against the Atlanta Braves. Tonight, the Cardinals managed a single run on 3 hits, 1 BB and 1 HBP. It was pathetic; hard to watch. Jo-Jo Reyes, the Braves starter, made 30 pitches in the first inning. The Cardinals let him off the hook.

Frankly, I feel sorry for my friends who witnessed the game in person.

The worst part of it all, for me, is that I had planned on writing a thoroughly comical post about the ineptitude of Casey Kotchman if the Braves had lost. Kotchman killed 2 rallies by grounding into double plays, then struck out twice. The loser stranded 7 runners in a one-run ballgame! I was going to say some really funny stuff. It was stuff you would have forwarded to your friends. Your status messages and twitters would have read: "For a good laugh, read: ..." You would have printed it out and posted it on your fridge. Maybe your fridge at work! You would have sworn to your grandchildren that my post about Casey Kotchman was the funniest thing you had ever read. "He's a regular Casey Kotchman" would have become a catchphrase and I would have made t-shirts. I could go on, but it is too painful. *Sigh*

Note: If you are a Cardinal pitcher and your name rhymes with "Pile DickClellan", then I am displeased with you. Dennys Reyes isn't off the hook either.

Tomorrow is a new day. Win the series!

Break It Down! - April 28th Edition

2009-04-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

Too busy. Must hurry. Quick sentences (or, not sentences at all). Go!

Kyle Lohse, ace so far, expect excellence. Injured? Evidently not.

Pujols' bat will awaken after Monday slumber. Ferocious blows will deposit balls in distant stands.

Jo-Jo Reyes, first name starts with "J" and he shares it with a female American pop singer, doomed to fail. Dude has also sucked against Cardinals in past (0-2 in 3 starts, fewer than 6 IP per), and sucked so far this season (surrendered 5 runs @Pit in 5 IP). Taste failure, Jo-Jo. Taste it.

(This is the finest blog post that I have ever written.)

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Atlanta. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 14

2009-04-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

I know he looks more than a little girly in this picture, but J.P. was a MAN on Monday night in Atlanta. Before an announced attendance of 16,739 (pathetic), at least two of whom I regard as very good friends, J.P. pitched efficiently and scored the winning run. The Cardinal defense, which has been abysmal to date, was also very good, and Rick Ankiel produced with the bat (2 RBI singles). A nice win, all things considered.

Depending on what the Dodgers do tonight, we could wake up in the morning to the Cardinals being in sole possession of the best record in baseball. Very proud of this ball club and the April they are putting together.

Break It Down! - April 27th Edition

2009-04-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

The Cardinals are in Atlanta this week. Atlanta is where my dear friends David and Emilee Terry work and live. I have not talked to him about it yet, but I am sure that Dave will guarantee Cardinals victories in each of the next 3 games, just as I will guarantee Cardinals victories against the Nationals later in the week. Thanks, Dave.

All three Atlanta starters this week have first names starting with the letter "J" (Jair, Jo-Jo, and Javier). The Cardinals are 2 - 0 so far this season against starters whose first names start with the letter "J" (Jon Garland and John Maine). We may therefore inductively reason that the Cardinals will sweep the Braves.

Why haven't I taken the time to actually analyze Monday's game? SWAMPED with work!

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Atlanta. GO CARDS!!

The Cardinals Lost

2009-04-26T20:58:00.001-07:00

Todd Wellemeyer isn't very good right now.

No biggie, he's only one of the Cardinals' five starters. The Cardinals can afford to spot their opponents to a lead once every five days, right? Errrrrrr, crap.

The Cardinals won the series. I'll take it. Monday they need to rebound against the Braves.

Break It Down! - April 26th Edition

2009-04-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

We all know it has been a mixed bag so far this year from Wellemeyer. Bad start, good start, bad start. That means he is due, right? Probably not, but Wellemeyer is pitching for a team that has won 5 straight and 9 in a row at home. The Cardinals have also scored the most runs in the National League, so he has that going for him.

Rich Harden is a fragile little girl. I expect him to strain something sneezing between innings - 3 months on the DL.

Sooooo, every so often I check ESPN's "Accuscore Projection" to find out who is going to win the day's ball game. The computer says the Cubs win Sunday, 58% likelihood. I guess there is no point in watching. Still, the game is on WGN so I will probably watch it anyway.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

Ohhhhhhhh, now I understand

2009-04-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

Apparently the Cardinals didn't beat the Cubs Saturday. According to the Cubs' website, the "shorthanded Cubs" "fell short" against the Cardinals. Here is a summary:

"Sean Marshall tossed six solid frames, but he scored half of the runs produced by a makeshift Cubs lineup, and the 'pen allowed things to get away in Saturday's 8-2 loss to the Cards."

Awfully early for the excuses, isn't it?

"That's a Winner!" - 13

2009-04-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Mitchell Boggs was pretty darn good, right? I'd bet he'll get a few more starts between now and Carpenter's return.

But enough about that, the show-stealer was Mr. Pujols. You have to see the video of Pujols' grand slam to believe it! Unreal! Eight more runs from the Cardinals, four on one amazing swing. I am really stoked about this team right now!

According to ESPN this was the first time in 3 seasons that the Cardinals beat the Cubs in two consecutive games. I wonder the last time the Cardinals won three in a row against the Cubs . . . ?

Break It Down! - April 25th Edition

2009-04-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last week Sean Marshall pitched 5 innings against the Cardinals and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks. Marshall didn't factor in the decision, but the Cardinals won 7 - 4. In that game Duncan had 3 hits, including a home run against Marshall.

During last week's series Mitchell Boggs allowed 1 run to the Cubs in 2 innings of relief. Two hits and a walk, three strikeouts. Not bad. Still, he's a rookie starting against one of the finest offenses in baseball (at least I am told they're one of the finest offenses in baseball). That having been said, the Cardinals score 1.4 more runs per game than the Cubs.

Notes:
- The Cardinals 8 game streak of scoring 5 or more runs per game ended last night (I expect them to start a new streak tonight);
- The Cardinals have won 8 straight home games entering today's game;
- St. Louis leads the Major Leagues with a .303 batting average. They lead the National League with 64 extra-base hits;
- Ryan Franklin is 5-for-5 in save opportunities;
- Earlier in the week LaRussa said that Albert Pujols is a "perfect player." Buster Olney of ESPN considered the question, and determined that Albert is in fact the second most perfect player, behind only Willie Mays.
- Somebody at ESPN actually took notice of a rivalry other than the Yanks-Sawx. In the article, which I think trivializes the rivalry, the author calles Aaron Miles "a cheaper version of Mark DeRosa." What a joke. I like Aaron Miles, but his slugging percentage was .398 last year. DeRosa's slugging percentage was .481, to go along with 87 RBI.

I was just looking at the Major League standings and I noticed that Boston has won 8 consecutive games. Ugh. Peter Gammons must be so happy.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 12

2009-04-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is what a winner looks like doing what it takes to win. A lot of stuff happened in tonight's game, but this was the play of the game. (Note: I am referring to the winner with the red hat, not the loser wearing blue.)

Respect the Mustache

2009-04-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Bear witness.

Break It Down! April 24th Edition

2009-04-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Adam Wainwright is pitching on 7 days rest tonight. He was flip-flopped with Lohse because Tony preferred Lohse against the Mets and Waino against the Cubs over the alternative. That worked out well against the Mets. Wainwright's last start was a win against the Cubs last Friday. The main reason the Cardinals won that game, however, was Zambrano's meltdown, not Wainwright's success. I am hopeful that Wainwright can get deeper into this game, but I am not confident of it.

- Cubs: Ryan Dempster hasn't pitched since last Saturday, when he gave up 4 runs over 6 innings (as I predicted). Dempster didn't factor in the decision (7-5 extra innings loss). I expect more of the same tonight, with a possibility of even more runs from the red hot Cardinal bats.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Ludwick, Schumaker, LaRue, Molina, Duncan, and Pujols (surprise!) have all enjoyed some degree of success against Dempster, but I wouldn't say anyone has owned him. Last Saturday Ludwick and Greene did the damage and Albert and Ankiel went a combined 0-for-10. After their success in the Mets series I expect much more from those two gentlemen.

- Cubs: These losers only scored one run over the past two days. Although Waino wasn't great last week, only Fukudome really did damage, and I expect the Cubs to be similarly productive tonight.

NOTE: This game is on WGN so I should get to watch it! If I am really lucky maybe I will get to see Jeff Smardzija, who got recalled the other day. *Groan*

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 11

2009-04-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Twelve runs complete the sweep! Eighteen hits, including 5 doubles and 3 dingers from the top 5 in the lineup. OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT!

Lohse wasn't great, but he was good enough. Two runs, only one of them earned, over 5 IP isn't bad, but 90 is too many right before a 3-game series against our arch rival.

With the Cubs' loss to the Reds today, they fall to 4th in the NL Central, 2 games behind the Cardinals. This a nice thing.

RUNS!

2009-04-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

On Sportscenter this morning the anchor doing the Cardinals-Mets highlight said that yesterday was the 7th straight game the Cardinals scored 5 or more runs. Pretty good. Matthew Leach took notice too. If the Cardinals can score like this for the next 5 months then I expect to see them playing in October. Beyond the Oct. 4 season finale, that is.

Break It Down! April 23rd Edition

2009-04-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Going for the sweep!

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Kyle Lohse has had mixed results against the Mets in the past, but I think he's probably good for a win Thursday afternoon. What makes me say that? (1) Lohse hasn't lost yet this season and he has a pretty low ERA and WHIP. (2) I only had one thing. I shouldn't have numbered that list. Check my in depth Mets lineup analysis below to understand my concerns.

- Mets: In 16 career starts against the Cardinals, Livan Hernandez is 5-5 with a 4.33 ERA. This guy has been the very definition of mediocre for the better part of a decade. Long gone are the days he was an ace for the Marlins. Anyways, nothing about this guy concerns me.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert Pujols (surprise!) is always a safe bet. Also, Ludwick's bat will be back in the lineup. Tony promised 4 straight days of Ludwick, in fact.

- Mets: A bunch of Mets have sort of owned Lohse. I don't care. The Cards will not lose to a team who starts this loser. If his appearance and general demeanor weren't reason enough to root against Jose Reyes, consider this. I am not saying the Cardinals players are saints, I think a lot of traveling athletes cheat on their spouses, but Reyes apparently did so very shortly after marrying his wife. Classy.

Prediction: First to 4 runs wins. Read: The Cardinals.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 10

2009-04-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

It is simple math:

Plus

Equal

Break It Down! April 22nd Edition

2009-04-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: J.P. (that's what I call Pineiro) faces the New York Metropolitans on Wednesday. J.P. is 2-0 to date, but he hasn't exactly shutdown his opponents (5.40 ERA). That comes with a 1.80 WHIP and a whole heap of concern. On the bright side, J.P. didn't lose either of his starts against the Metropolitans last season (nevermind the fact he gave up 9 runs in 9 IP). So what should we expect? Not much.

- Mets: John Maine is starting for the Metropolitans Wednesday. He seems underqualified. (Note: Maine was crap in his only start against the Cardinals last year: 4 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 5 R, and 3 ER.)

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert "The Machine" Pujols (surprise!) has 2 dingers (homeruns, round-trippers, 4-baggers, etc.) and 2 other hits in a mere 9 ABs against the Maine man. Others have been alright, but not exceptional. I feel alright about this.

- Mets: Jose Reyes and David Wright (WRONG! (get it?)) have enjoyed some success against J.P. That said, I think they're both crap. Forgive my inability to be objective, I just don't like these guys.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 9

2009-04-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Eleven hits and 7 walks, plus 4 innings of 1 hit relief ... glorious victory! I almost missed the entire thing, but since getting home I have discovered that Wellemeyer was basically crap, but that Perez was too. That'll do.

Oh, also, Ryan Franklin is 3-for-3 in save attempts. I am thinking the job is his until he loses it.

Suggested reading: Derrick Goold's Bird Land/10@10 pieces on StLToday.com. Interesting tidbit he pointed out: Albert Pujols has swung and missed only 8 of the 229 pitches he has seen thus far this season. Awesome.

Break It Down! April 21st Edition

2009-04-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

Too busy today. Big meeting tonight. Suffice it so say that I think the game is going to go something like this, minus the drama:

Suck it, Oliver Perez.

Rainout, Boggs, Boyer and Barton, Of My!

2009-04-21T05:33:00.000-07:00

- The rainout against the Cubs on Sunday apparently gave the bullpen a rest. That's cool. It also gave the Cardinals their first series loss of the season. I would love to put an asterisk next to it, but if it looks like a series loss and it feels like a series loss, it must be a series loss.

- Mitchell Boggs and a handful of others are in the running for the temporary (hopefully) position of fifth starter. Derrick Goold gives the nod to Boggs, which is fine with me I guess. I don't really care who pitches as long as they get results. If you tell me that Dave Duncan trusts Fredbird to throw strikes and command his fastball, then I will take it.

- The Cardinals added an eighth reliever on Monday. Don't get too excited though, Blaine Boyer had just been designated for assignment by the Braves, which means they mustn't have been too enamored with him. Boyer also comes over from the Braves in exchange for Brian Barton, who has been stinking it up in Memphis (.107 AVG) since having a pretty decent Spring. This should give Cards fans a lot of confidence:

Though the Cardinals plan to keep 13 pitchers only temporarily, Mozeliak insisted Monday's move is more than a quick fix. "I don't look at it as a Band-Aid at all," Mozeliak said. "We're looking to add depth in an area that needed it. Given some of the things we've had to face early this season. We see it as a positive. We want to put our best 12 out there."

Well, if Mozeliak insists then I guess it must not be a band-aid. Right.

- For the record, I hate the Mets and it is going to take a lot of willpower for me not to cuss repeatedly over the next few days. You've been warned.

Break It Down! April 19th Edition

2009-04-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Todd Wellemeyer was crap in his first start and he wasn't in his second. The result is a 1-1 record, a 4.50 ERA, and no idea what to expect from him. Last year Wellemeyer won his only start at Wrigley, but none of his 4 starts against the Cubs was particularly notable (2-2, 3.32 ERA). Hard to say what we can expect from Wellemeyer, but one would like to think he'll be better than his first start this season (5 IP, 5 ER on 12 hits and 2 walks) and at least nearly as good as his second (7 IP, 1 ER on 7 hits).

- Cubs: I hate Ted Lilly for some reason. Not sure why (other than his uniform). Anyways, Lilly was 3-0 in 5 starts against the Cardinals last season with a 3.06 ERA. Lilly is also 2-0 so far this seasosn. These are not things that make me feel confident. Crap.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Ted Lilly throws the baseball with his left hand, so it may be safe to assume that he will perform nicely against the Cardinals. In fact, no one on the Cardinals current roster has been terribly good against Lilly. Only Pujols (surprise!), with 2 HRs and 7 other hits in 28 ABs, has had any noteworthy success.

- Cubs: None of the Cubs have been very good against Wellemeyer - in 77 ABs the current Cubs roster has 0 HRs and 0 triples against Wellemeyer, and only 5 doubles. Still, the Cubs lineup is good, I am sure they will breakthrough for a few runs.

NOTE: This game is on national television, ESPN2 to be exact. I am looking forward to watching.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Chicago. GO CARDS!!

Figures.

2009-04-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Pretty much everyone on the Cardinals could have played better today. Lohse could have thrown fewer pitches and given up fewer than 4 runs over his 5 innings pitched. McClellan and Reyes could have been less crappy too. Ankiel (0-for-6, 5 LOB) was truly miserable, but none of the other position players had clutch hits, not really, with the possible exception of Molina's double in the eighth. While Reyes took the loss, the individual I am most frustrated with is Joe Thurston, who struck out with no outs and runners on 1st and 2nd in a tied game in the eighth. As I stated yesterday, this is a pet peeve of mine. Just like yesterday, the Cardinals could have taken the lead in the late innings but failed to do anything with a good situation.

Tomorrow is another day. I'll take a split of this series. Hell, I'll take a split of the season series. Just can't keep leaving runners on this way. Very frustrating.

Break It Down! April 18th Edition

2009-04-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Kyle Lohse has been awesome so far this season. Just so you don't think I am being a total homer, the stats back me up. Lohse is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings of work. This includes his shutout last week against Houston. All that having been said, I must note that Lohse was pretty mediocre against Chicago last year in three starts. To be precise, 18.1 IP and 13 runs for a 6.38 ERA. Conclusion: cautiously optimistic.

- Cubs: Something about Ryan Dempster just pisses me off. I don't know what it is. Anyways, he is 1-0 so far this season in 2 starts. 4.50 ERA. If Reed Johnson hadn't robbed Prince Fielder though, Dempster's ERA would be much higher. In three starts against the Cardinals last year, however, Dempster was 2-0 with a 2.90 ERA. That's pretty close to his 2.86 home ERA last season too. Ultimately I don't know what to expect from Dempster, but I assume will be 6-8 innings, 2-4 runs. Middle of the road.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Ludwick, Schumaker, LaRue, Molina, Duncan, and Pujols (surprise!) have all enjoyed some degree of success against Dempster, but I wouldn't say anyone has owned him. Then again, the Cardinals have scored more runs per game than any other team in the NL so far this season (6 per game). I feel alright about the Cardinals' ability to score runs against right-handed pitchers.

- Cubs: Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee, and Aramis Ramirex have all enjoyed some success against Lohse in the past. I guess all these guys will start. Geovany Soto has sucked so far this season, but he has 3-for-8 against Lohse, so I assume he won't sit Saturday.

NOTE: This game is on national television, FOX, in theory. I am sure I will get stuck watching some friggin' AL East game. Whatever. Enjoy it if you get to see it.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Chicago. GO CARDS!!

I'm An Ingrate

2009-04-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

You are great, Ryan Ludwick, and the Cardinals are not in today's game if not for your two dingers and four RBI, but in the top of the 9th you have GOT to move those runners over with 2 on and no outs. This is a pet peeve of mine, just like failing to score the run from third with fewer than 2 outs (thank you Brendan Ryan).

That having been said, since I expected a loss today this loss doesn't aggravate me that much. P.J. may not be ready for the big time, but he held up alright and got out of a few jams. I would love to blame Chris Perez for the loss, but that was a pretty good pitch that Soriano hit.

Brian Barden is a MAN. Three home runs in such limited time is awful good.

Big Z has lost a lot of his mystique in my eyes. I will try to remember this the next time we face him.

Sweet

2009-04-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

This has nothing to do with baseball, but I think it is cool. It is much cooler, somehow, than Letterman having QBs throw into moving cabs.

Break It Down! April 17th Edition

2009-04-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is the face of the enemy:

P.J. Walters and the Cardinals face off against Carlos Zambrano today. Zambrano is probably my most hated baseball player and if memory serves he performs really well against the Cardinals. Turns out, not so much. Last season Zambrano was 1-2 against the Cardinals with a 12.75 ERA. We won't talk about the preceding seasons (suffice it to say my memory hasn't actually faltered).

Albert Pujols (surprise!) has 5 dingers off of Big Z. I would LOVE it if he made it 6 today. Also look for Schumaker to get things going, he has a career OBP of .400 against Zambrano.

All this having been said, the Cardinals are starting a rookie today against one of the finest lineups in the National League (or so we are told). I expect a Cardinal loss, but as long as they are competitive today I still like our chances to take 3 of 4 in this series.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Chicago. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 8

2009-04-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Suck on that, Cubs. (I know it isn't poetry, but this is how I think.)

Wainwright still hasn't found his groove, but he was good enough yesterday.

Very nice holds from McClellan and a good save by Franklin. No drama = happy Russ (and happy rest of you, I am sure).

Our bats keep on a rattling. Twelve hits, including three dingers - good stuff. Ankiel is really the only regular that isn't off to a decent (or better) start, and he hasn't been that bad.

Milton Bradley is a lunatic. (Although, to be fair, the pitch he was called out on with the bases loaded and only one out was clearly off the plate.)

I told you the first team to 5 would win.

Finally, let us also observe a moment of silence for Chris Carpenter's left oblique. It isn't the end of the world, but my guess is 4 to 8 weeks will be more like 8, and that he will be swinging the bat like he is afraid of hurting the baseball for the remainder of the season. That said, I am inclined to agree with my friend Dave, who told me this morning that he would be satisfied if the Cards played .550 ball until they get Carp back. The Cardinals are already 5 games over .500, they just need to maintain.

Break It Down! April 16th Edition

2009-04-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

I am totally swamped at work today so let me just say this:

Wainwright has got to be sharp today against a very patient Cubs ball team. If he pitches like he did in his first 2 outings then he may be lucky to go 5 innings. For the Cubs, Sean Marshall is making his first start of the season. He has been pretty good against the Cards in the past (2-1 with a 3.38 ERA lifetime against the Cardinals). No hitter on either team has particularly notable success against either opposing pitcher. I predict the first team to 5 wins.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Chicago. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 7

2009-04-15T17:20:00.001-07:00

Lots of runs. Twelve of them. Very nice. Every starter but Khalil got a hit (o-for-6, ouch), seven got an RBI. Very nice win. I am glad these bats are rattling before the Cubs series.

Pineiro was not as good today as he was in his first start. He was a lot worse, in fact. Five runs in 5 IP ain't no good. Still, it's a win, and Chris Perez (2 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, and 2 Ks) and Jason Motte (2 IP, 0 H, and 1 K) performed well. Motte has had three sonsecutive scoreless innings, by the way.

Bring on them Cubbies!

Just Who Is P.J. Walters?

2009-04-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

According to the Post Dispatch, P.J. Walters will start for the Cardinals on Friday at Wrigley. Not a lot of detail there, but here is what we know from the article about Mr. Walters:

Walters was impressive in his first start for Memphis. He pitched seven shutout innings and struck out six against two walks. The righthander has a plus changeup that, early in his professional career, was actually described by scouts as a “screwball.” Walters rejects that description, and he has more velocity on his fastball that expected from a starter who steadily climbed the system with his changeup.

That's all good, I guess. In 2007 Walters was the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Surprising I have never heard of him (that I can recall). Here are Walters' stats since joining the organization. Good, but he was hardly spectacular in 2008. He was, however, impressive this Spring, where he became the last non-roster pitching invitee to be cut from big league camp. Even more significantly, Walters is being given this honor over other legitimate major league prospects Jess Todd, Blake Hawksworth, and Clayton Mortenson, not to mention Mitchell Boggs who also got a call-up.

All things considered, I don't know what to expect from this kid. Keep your fingers crossed.

It's Official, Carp to DL

2009-04-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

Bullpen loss last night plus at least 3 missed starts, this is a terrible bit of news. This also struck me:

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said Tuesday. "That kind of overwhelms everything else that happened in that game. ... I'm not happy. This is a [bad] day. I'm not going to fake it."

I am sorry if I am taking the quote out of context, but I would like it if Tony cared a little more about last night's loss. I wasn't privy to the whole interview, but while I think that a DL stint for Carp is terribly frustrating, last night's loss should not be brushed aside. The Cardinals have some other serious issues to address.

Break It Down! Tax Day Edition

2009-04-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: J.P. takes the mound again today. I am struggling to get excited about anything after last night's events. I feel like writing a bunch of gutteral noises and cuss words. That being the case, I will just lead you through the steps that I go to in order to draft a post. First, for some general stuff, go here. Then here. Now go here and look at road, day game, and Arizona splits over the past few seasons. Finally, and this also feeds the lineups section below, go here. That's about all there is to it. Venture a prediction if you care to.
- Diamondbacks: Same procedure, just do the last two steps for Jon Garland (Step 1, Step 2).

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: This info is primarily taken from the batter vs. pitcher pages of the pitchers, but I also try to consider who is playing well or poorly, and who TLR might sit for lefty-righty matchups.
- Diamondbacks: Same crap.

Now you know. Kind of like watching sausage be made, right? Whatever. Ugh. Now I need to here for some of this.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Phoenix. GO CARDS!!

Carp Destined For DL

2009-04-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

If you can find a silver-lining in this article, please let me know in the comments.

From the article:

The “fortunate thing”, according to Carpenter, is that he’s sure it has nothing to do with his elbow — which is twice surgically repaire in the past two years — nor is it anything related to the nerve condition he had in his right shoulder. The strain is on the opposite side of the body.
“It will just take time,” Carpenter said.

Grrrrrreat.

Josh Kinney FAIL, Brendan Ryan FAIL, Brad Thompson FAIL

2009-04-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Despite the injury to Carpenter the Cardinals were in a position to win Tuesday night's baseball game. Josh Kinney had other plans. Cardinals 4, Diamondbacks 6.

Then the Cardinals stormed back with four singles and a walk with one out in the 9th. Tie game. The bases were loaded with just 1 out. Brendan Ryan just needs to put a ball in play, get Skip home somehow, and this is a winner with a save. Brendan Ryan struck out swinging and Rick Ankiel followed. Nothing aggravates me or my friend Dave more than the inability to score a runner from 3rd with fewer than two outs. Dreadful.

Brad Thompson came in and squeaked out a stressful 9th. In the 10th Thompson wasn't so lucky. Drive home safely. Terrible.

Left Rib-Cage Strain

2009-04-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Hurt swinging? God, help us.

Break It Down! April 14th Edition

2009-04-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Chris Carpenter and all the Cardinals faithful must feel better today than they felt five days ago. I know I do. Five days ago I was cautiously optimistic about Carp's performance. Today I am thoroughly optimistic. That having been said, in just 7 innings against the Diamondbacks the past 3 seasons Carpenter has allowed 0 earned runs. That isn't saying much though, since many of the players on the D-backs weren't even in the majors 3 years ago. In fact, D-back regulars only have 23 ABs against Carpenter. I expect big things, frankly, but I will take a quality start. Baby steps. Oh, btw, Cardinals starters are 6-1.
- Diamondbacks: Max Scherzer, a D-back "phenom" starter, is making his first start of the season on Tuesday. This guy gets a lot of press, but he was 0-4 last season in the seven games he started. One of those losses was to the Cardinals, Scherzer's home town team, when Scherzer allowed 4 runs (2 earned) in 7 innings. That game was at Busch though, so there is a road-home off-set, maybe. Whatever the case, it is hard to guess what we should expect from this 24 year-old righty. According to ESPN, the Cardinals only have 6 ABs against Scherzer. That seems impossible, right? Then I looked up the one start Scherzer had against the Cards. So, yeah, not much to glean from that.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert Pujols (surprise!) is always a safe bet. Also, Skip Schumaker has 2 hits in 3 ABs against Scherzer. Expect to see Skip and Rasmus back in the lineup after a day off.
- Diamondbacks: A few of the losers have had a little bit of success against Carp, but it seems like so long ago. Tony Clark has had some meaningful success (11 hits in 31 ABs), so you should maybe expect to see him to start.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Phoenix. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 6

2009-04-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

A good start from Wellemeyer! Seven hits and no walks over 7 IP, only 87 pitches thrown. I could be happier, I suppose (fewer hits allowed?), but Wellemeyer FAR exceeded my expectations. Two holds and a save from the bullpen. Nice night, all things considered, for the Cardinals hurlers.

The game also featured home runs from Mr. Pujols and Brian Barden, who was drafted by the Diamondbacks and picked up off of waivers by the Cardinals in 2007. A nice moment.

Cards win! Cards win!

Patches

2009-04-13T12:40:00.001-07:00

The passing today of Harry Kallas, legendary voice of the Phillies, and the recent passing of Nick Adenhart, got me thinking about patches. In baseball there are two kind of patches, those commemorating anniversaries or events, and those commemorating the dead. The Cardinals have had their fair share of both varieties in recent history:

This season:

2007:

2006:

2005:

2002:

Break It Down! April 13th Edition

2009-04-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Todd Wellemeyer was crap in his first start of the year. Thankfully, I didn't have to see it. Wellemeyer was also crap all Spring. I didn't see that either. What I have seen is a very competitive baseball team in every game not started by Todd Wellemeyer, so the dude is on a my s***-list if he is crap again Monday. Giving us some reason to be hopeful, the Cardinals' website (hardly an impartial source) says "[Wellemeyer has] identified a mechanical key that he believes will solve the issue, so the hope is that he'll be sorted out in time for Monday's game." If that makes you hopeful then I have some swampland I'll sell you. In one start against the Diamondbacks last year, Wellemeyer took a loss, with 3 ERs in 6 IP. I would take that.
- Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks are 4-2 thus far this season and one of those losses was credited to Monday's starter, Doug Davis (4 ER in 5 IP). The Cardinals have a fair amount of history with Davis, who used to pitch for the Brewers, and the Cards should be happy to see his familiar face Monday night. Doug Davis has not beaten the Cardinals since 2006. Since then, he has allowed 16 runs in 4 starts. I expect the Cardinals to get to Davis, but nothing crazy. 4 or 5 ERs in 5 or 6 IP seems entirely possible.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert "The Machine" Pujols (surprise!) has enjoyed quite a bit of success against Davis (1.227 OPS). No one else has been particularly spectacular. Molina has been particularly bad (.077 BA), and LaRua has been pretty good against Davis (.304 BA), so Molina may sit, but who knows.
- Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks only managed 3 hits yesterday against Randy Wolf and the Dodger bullpen. Not impressive. They have only scored 5 runs combined in their 4 losses. Not impressive. They have, however, scored 9 runs in each of their two wins. Not bad at all. These characters don't have much experience against Todd Wellemeyer. A few Diamondbacks have some success against Wellemeyer, but all in small sample sizes.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in Phoenix. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 5

2009-04-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

Kyle Lohse was by all accounts "superb" today, beating the Astros with a 3-hit shutout. It was arguably Lohse's finest start of his career. Offensively, Greene, Ludwick and Duncan did the damage.

Break It Down! April 12th Edition

2009-04-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Kyle Lohse battled with the Pirates early last week, allowing 2 earned runs over 7 IP. Lohse won, but struggled at times, allowing six baserunners and throwing 108 pitches. Still, Lohse was 3-0 against the Astros in 4 starts last year with a 2.42 ERA. I generally have luke warm feelings about Lohse. I expect 6 or 7 innings, 3 or 4 runs allowed. Hopefully that will be enough.
- Astros: Wandy Rodriguez, a pitcher that throws the ball with his left hand, was 1-2 against the Cardinals last year in four starts. Great, right? Only problem: he had a 1.11 ERA over those four starts, allowing a mere three runs over 24 1/3 innings. That is not good news for the Cardinals. In his first start this season, Rodriguez allowed 1 run in 6 IP, with 4 hits and 3 walks given up. This is also not good news for the Cardinals. Personally, I hate it when the Cardinals face this guy for one simple reason: His name is Wandy. Losing to a guy named Wandy is like getting beat up by a girl.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert Pujols has been pretty dreadful against Rodriguez (actual surprise!). Pujols only has 3 singles in 18 ABs against Rodriguez. I am NOT saying that we should sit Pujols, expecially since he is a MAN who hits MAN-SIZE homeruns, but Tony might give it some thought since the Cardinals have so many consecutive games to start this season. Pujols' defense should keep him on the field, in my mind.
- Astros: Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence and Geoff Blum have hit pretty well against Lohse. Berkman hasn't been so bad either. These happen to be the Astros off to the best starts (Pence and Blum) and the Astros that are most fearsome (Lee and Berkman). Still, these guys haven't been very good this season, and I am pretty confident they won't be very good Sunday.

UPDATE: Bernie had a great piece on Pujols in today's paper. His point: Pujols is an Indescribable Winner. The point is well taken. I have only been writing this blog for a week, and I have to agree, Pujols makes it hard to not feel like you're repeating yourself. Anyways, read the article, it is written MUCH better than anything you'll find here.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

Hockey Post!

2009-04-11T19:52:00.000-07:00

By my calculations, if the Blues beat the Avalanche on Sunday then they lock up the 6 seed in the NHL Western Conference Playoffs. The 6 seed, rather than the 8 seed, means playing 3rd seeded Vancouver rather than the best team in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks. The Blues split their season series with both teams, but I have got to believe their preference would be to play the Canucks. Whatever the case, playoff hockey is on its way and I am going to do my best to follow the Blues!

"That's a Winner!" - 4

2009-04-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

Two dingers and seven RBI for Pujols. Seventeen other hits for the Cardinals. Pretty impressive day for the Cardinal bats. Pretty darn impressive. Can't wait to see the video of Alber's 1st homer again! Man-sized!

Wainwright still concerns me though. His first 3 innings were pretty dreadful. Sure, he did a good job of limiting the damage, but 79 pitches through the first 3 innings is pretty dreadful and it puts an awful strain on the bullpen. He was much better in the 4th and 5th, however, and I am hopeful that Wainwright will find his stride soon and have many more 10 or fewer pitch innings and far fewer 20+ pitch innings.

Break It Down! April 11th Edition

2009-04-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: According to ESPN, "Adam Wainwright loves to see the Astros. He's 5-0 in his career against Houston, with a 2.14 ERA as a starter." My thoughts exactly. Still, Wainwright wasn't that good in his first start. WAY too many pitches. 5.2 IP and 5 walks aren't going to cut it. The Astros aren't quite as patient as the Pirates though, and I expect an improved performance. 6-7 IP, 1-3 runs.
- Astros: I can't stand Roy Oswalt. He used to own the Cardinals, I think. So I look it up and I am right, only Oswalt did not own the Cardinals last year. It was a small sample size (2 starts), but was 0-1 against the Cardinals last year with 6 ER in 13 IP - nothing stellar. Anyways, Oswalt was pretty sharp in his first start this season against a good lineup (the Cubs), and I expect him to make life difficult for the Cardinals tomorrow.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert Pujols (surprise!) is the Cardinals with any meaningful success against Oswalt. Molina has been crap against Oswalt (.100 BA), so I won't be surprised if Jason Larue (.276 BA) gets the start Saturday. Ludwick may also sit Saturday, but since he is one of the hottest hitters wearing the birds on the bat right now I'd be surprised if he has to sit.
- Astros: Lance Berkman has 2 dingers and a .300 BA against Wainwright. Everyone else has sucked against him, basically. Hunter Pence is off to a decent start this season, so maybe keep an eye on him. Ugh. I just can't stand these guys.

UPDATE: Matt Leach has today's Cardinals' lineup. Raises a few of the same issues that I did, and then some.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 3

2009-04-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

First off, before I get to a very good Cardinals victory, I just want to acknowledge the Blues clinching a playoff spot. The Wild beat the Predators, the Blues beat the Blue Jackets, and the St. Louis Blues, against all expectations, clinched a spot in the playoffs. Also, depending on what the Ducks and the Blue Jackets do, the Blues could also finish 6th or 7th in the Western Conference. Good stuff.

As for the Cardinals, they got a good performance from their number 5 starter, J.P. If you would have told me before the game that J.P. could pitch 6.2 and allow 2 runs then I would have taken it. Btw, isn't J.P. the number 4 starter in light of Wellemeyer's performance? Anyways, J.P. performed well and Ludwick and Schumaker were the offensive stars. The only real bit of intrigue from this one, as far as I can tell, is the closer situation. Motte wasn't great, though he wasn't as bad as his first appearance. He got replaced by another right-handed pitcher though, so that should tell you something. Whatever the case, this is clearly going to be an issue for a some time.

Break It Down! April 10th Edition

2009-04-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: On Friday Joel Pineiro takes the bump for the Cardinals for the first time in 2009. (Editorial Note: For the remainder of this post, and maybe the remainder of the season, I will call Joel Pineiro "J.P." (I have been misspelling his name "Piniero").) J.P. had a good Spring by most accounts. He hasn't face the Astros since 1007, however, so Lord knows what he is going to do against the fellas. What I do know is that last season J.P.'s ERA was better at home than on the road, it was better during at night than during the day, and it was best during the month of April. A lot of signs point to J.P. pitching well, but I ain't convinced. I expect 6 IP, 3 or 4 runs allowed.
- Astros: Ten years ago Mike Hampton won 22 games for the Astros. That seems like a lifetime ago, right? Since then he has become generally regarded as the most fragile pitcher in baseball. Most recently, Hampton has bounced around a little bit, but he hasn't been terrible when he has been healthy. I'd expect a quality start from him, 6 or 7 IP, 3 or 4 runs allowed.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Albert Pujols (surprise!) and Khalil Greene have enjoyed some success against Hampton. I don't expect LaRue to get his first start of the season, he is only 2-for-11 against Hampton. Since Hampton is a lefty, Rasmus and Schumaker may sit.
- Astros: Carlos Lee (1.199 OPS), Lance Berkman (1.417 OPS) and I-Rod (.967 OPS) have had some success against J.P. Berkman and Lee have both homered twice off of J.P., but that may have been at Houston's juice box, I am not sure. Whatever the case, I am concerned about J.P.'s ability to get through the middle of this lineup.

UPDATE: Cards lineup:

1. Skip Schumaker, 2B
2. Khalil Greene, SS
3. Albert Pujols, 1B
4. Ryan Ludwick, RF
5. Chris Duncan, LF
6. Yadier Molina, C
7. Rick Ankiel, CF
8. David Freese, 3B
9. Joel Pineiro, P

Ankiel has fallen to 7th already? Thanks, as always, to CardsClubhouse.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 2

2009-04-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

This fella really exceeded expectations today, I think. Awesome. Exciting. Grrrrreat!

I am very thankful the Cardinal bats woke up in the bottom of the 7th. How awful would it have been if the Cards lost that game 1 - 0?

Please also note: The Blues have two games to play and they are tied with Anaheim with a two point lead for 7th/8th in the Western Conference playoff race. Nashville is 2 pts. back and play tonight at Detroit and tomorrow at Minnesota. Speaking of The Wild, they are 3 pts. back and play Nashville on Saturday (I just said that) and at Columbus on Sunday. Feeling good, real good.

The Power is Out at Work

2009-04-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

Russ is at home watching the Cardinals on MLB Extra Innings! Also flipping over to the O's-Yanks game and The Masters. Great afternoon!

Not Cool

2009-04-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

I like to think I am a pretty understanding guy with a pretty forgiving sense of humor, but the jokes in this article go a bit far for my taste. Not cool, With Leather. Deadspin handled the news more appropriately.

Typical

2009-04-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'm no Fred Astaire, but I have to take issue with the statement by the announcers that this gentlemen is "pretty good." Also, their accents are ridiculous.

Break It Down! April 9th Edition

2009-04-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: The good news: Former Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter says he is healthy and he only allowed 4 runs during the Spring. The bad news: The 4 runs Carp allowed were all in his last start. Oh, also, Carpenter is basically (considered?) as fragile as a faberge egg. (Four starts over the past two seasons.) Soooooooo, is there anything to be said here? Sure. When Chris Carpenter is at his best, he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Over the past three years (read: in 2006), Carp was 4 - 0 against the Pirates in 4 starts with a 0.90 ERA. Russ likes. Still, no idea what to expect from Carp tomorrow. He may be terrific and he may be Wellemeyer-esque. No idea.
- Pirates: Who is Ross Ohlendorf? I have no idea who this person is. I did a double-take when I read the name. What I have been able to learn from the various sources I consult (Ouija board, tea leaves, etc.), is that this fella is a starting pitcher who throws the baseball with his right hand. In addition, Ohlendorf "is known for his hard-biting sinker," "[h]e can hit 97 mph with a two-seam sinking fastball," and "he's working to improve his developing changeup, slider, and breaking ball." I haven't really got any idea what most of this means. What I do know is that this dude has 5 career starts and a 6.35 ERA. The Cardinals can hit him, right? *GULP*

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Since no one on the Cardinals has ever had an at bat against Ohlendorf I will just assume that Pujols (surprise!) will be the man today. That means Schumaker and Rasmus (most likely them, anyway), need to get on base in front of him. Joe Thurston may also get a start on account of his two doubles yesterday, but you never know, really, with all of Tony's lineup machinations. Since the Cardinals play 14 straight games to start the season, and today is a day game, Tony may also sit someone - but that would piss me off since it is only the 4th game of the season.
- Pirates: Can we PLEASE keep Nyjer Morgan and Brandon Moss off the basepaths? They have 7 of the Pirates runs in the series. Freddie Sanchez and Jack Wilson have done most of the rest of the damage, with 14 hits and 8 RBI. These are just a few of the names the Cardinals should be concerned about, since the Pirates enjoyed 17 hits yesterday.

Splitting this series is okay, I guess. It is the best we can hope for at this point. *Sigh*

Oh, also, GO ROGER EBERT!

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

Lucky the Pirates Only Scored 7

2009-04-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

12 hits and 2 walks allowed by Wellemeyer = Zero percent chance of a Cardinals victory.

I am sort of disgusted and don't want to talk about it right now. The Cardinals cannot afford to give away one in every five games. Ugh.

The tough part about this early part of the season is positivity in the face of crapiness. I just have to keep telling myself that it is a long season and this was just one game. It's difficult because it is also foreboding. All these early failures feel like harbingers of doom right now.

What is the cure? Tonight, this.

UPDATE: Matthew Leach gives us a reason to smile, sort of.

Break It Down! April 8th Edition

2009-04-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Todd Wellemeyer was garbage in the Spring. How bad was he? 17 runs in his last 20 IP of the Spring. That bad. Still, and you know this, Wellemeyer is a gamer. Also, Wellemeyer was 3 - 0 against Pittsburgh in 5 starts last year with a 3.45 ERA. Nothing to write home about, but not Zach Duke-ian either (see below). Long story short, the Pirates have never really knocked Wellemeyer around, and I don't expect them to do so tonight.
- Pirates: Remember back in 2005 when Zach Duke wasn't entirely crappy? He was 8 - 2 as a midseason call-up and he was anointed the Pirates ace heading into 2006. That was a long time ago. Since 2005 his career has followed roughly the same arc as Britney Spears' career. Last year Duke was 5 - 14 with an abysmal 4.82 ERA. Two of those losses were handed to him by the Cardinals, who battered Duke for 8 runs in 12 IP. If you have any reason to believe Duke will perform well against the Cardinals tonight, please post it in the comments.

NOTE: Zach Duke is so awful that when I did a Google Video Search for "Zach Duke" this was the 4th result (for those of you who can't view it, it's a video of a kid named Zach and his dog, Duke; 61 views):

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Duke (Zach, not the dog), awful though he is, throws the baseball with his left hand. I therefore assume the lineup will look pretty similar to Monday's (Ryan at 2B, Barden at 3B). Pujols (surprise!), Molina, Ankiel, and Ludwick have all had some success against Duke. I thirst for runs, and I expect them.
- Pirates: Ryan Doumit is the only Pirate with notable success against Wellemeyer (5-for-11 with a tater and 2-bagger). Still, until this Nyjer Morgan leaves town I am going to keep a close eye on him, just as the Cardinals should.

Finally, if you haven't read Keith Olberman's homage to his recently departed mother, then you must. For those of us who are sports fans, who have a parent who taught us the game, obsessed with us, celebrated and lamented with us, what Olberman wrote (and expounded upon during his show Monday night) should strike a chord.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

"That's a Winner!" - 1

2009-04-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm NOT an Idiot: Soooooo ... remember earlier today how I said that I expected Lohse to give the Cardinals 7 innings, 2 or 3 runs allowed? (Actual: 7 IP, 3 R, 2 ER) I also expected Pujols, Molina and Duncan to contribute offensively. (Actual: 1 HR apiece, 5 RBI) I also guessed that Snell would stink (4 IP, 6 ER) and Morgan would do most of the damage for the Pirates when he got on base (2 of Pittsburgh's 3 runs). So have I been wrong about anything? Yeah, Nate McLouth, who I have twice been concerned about, has twice gone hitless.

Also worth noting:
- Rasmus got his first 2 hits as a pro (good); and
- Schumaker went hitless and tallied his first error as a second baseman (ungood).

Enough recap, I am off to buy a lottery ticket.

NOTE: The Blues are 2 points ahead of Nashville for the last playoff spot. I won't pretend to be a regular season Blues fan, but I love me some playoff hockey. Watch those NHL scoreboards, folks.

Break It Down! April 7th Edition

2009-04-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Last season Kyle Lohse anchored our rotation. People tend to forget that. Wainwright was great, but an injured finger limited his innings. Lohse, on the other hand, had 15 wins and 200+ innings. Some of his good work was against the Pirates. Lohse was 1 - 0 against the Pirates in 2 starts with a 2.57 ERA. Lohse also pitched better at home last season, and at night. All things considered, I'd bet you a sawbuck Lohse is going to have a quality start tonight. 7 innings, 2 or 3 runs allowed. As for the bullpen, Bernie has convinced me to not get all panicky about our closer, for now, but I would like a bigger lead anyway, just to be sure.
- Pirates: Ian Snell was 1 and 1 against the Cardinals last season in six starts, with a 7.20 ERA, with an average of 5 IP per start. I kind of love it when the Cardinals face this guy, but after Monday's game, I feel less confident that the Cardinals' bats are alive. Still, Snell's stats against the Cardinals in '08 tell me one thing: he's not going to shut us out. Right? *GULP*

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Colby Rasmus will make his major league debut tonight and the ballpark should be all abuzz. Pujols (surprise!) and Molina have both had success against Snell, as has Shumaker who should get his first start of the season at second. Ludwick and Ankiel have been, for lack of a better word, shit against Snell (both are 1-for-11, .091 AVG), so I expect Duncan will get the start even though Snell isn't a lefty (.973 OPS against Snell).
- Pirates: No one on the Pirates has had a lot of success against Lohse, but I wouldn't be surprised if Craig Monroe got a start in light of his .966 OPS and 2 dingers in 22 ABs against Lohse, more than any other Pirate. Him aside, the Cardinals need to figure out how to keep Nyjer Morgan off base, and need to keep McLouth and the other bats from making too much noise.

UPDATE: Tonight's lineup:
1. 2B Skip Schumaker
2. RF Colby Rasmus
3. 1B Albert Pujols
4. LF Chris Duncan
5. SS Khalil Greene
6. CF Rick Ankiel
7. C Yadier Molina
8. 3B Joe Thurston
9. SP Kyle Lohse

Russ likes.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

Classy

2009-04-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

What's worse, the fight or the camera work? You decide.

And the Winner is ....

2009-04-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

Another Prediction sure to be wrong: Jim Leyland will be the first manager fired this season.

I spoke WAY too soon

2009-04-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Jason Motte, dude, what the hell? Goat.

So what now? Ryan Franklin? Call Chris Perez back from Memphis? I don't mean to be too reactionary, but Motte did NOT look ready for the big time. Not today.

UPDATE: So, my prediction was pretty right, right? Our bullpen is certainly an unknown. Two inherited runners and four other scored on them. It'll be a long season if these guys can't be more effective.

Your game winner so far

2009-04-06T15:42:00.000-07:00

According to Dan Mclaughlin, "Ryan Ludwick came to Spring Training one pound heavier than last year, with 2.5% less body fat." I imagine that is another 10-15 pounds of muscle onto a guy who hit 37 homers last season. Nice dinger today. Nice, Ludwick.

Whaaaaaaaa?

2009-04-06T12:38:00.001-07:00

Some joker from a little publication called The New York Times thinks the Royals are going to win the AL Central. I disagree. Only one of us can be all the news that is fit to print!

Break It down! April 6th Edition

2009-04-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Pitchers:
- Cardinals: Adam Wainwright gets the Opening Day start and he might not be pleased to see the Pirates come to town (although I am sure the rest of us are). Last year in two starts against the Pirates Wainwright was 0 - 1 with an 8.25 ERA. Weird, right? Never fear though, Waino's numbers at home last season were great (7 - 1 with a 2.63 ERA), his Spring numbers were great, and the Cardinal's overall record against the Pirates were great. I feel good about Waino, but the bullpen is an unknown (for now at least).
- Pirates: Paul Maholm is a pretty good starting pitcher and although he got beat up a bit by the Red Sox in his last Spring start, he was great otherwise (1.52 ERA in six starts). Last season against the Cardinals he was 2 - 1 with a 3.05 ERA in 20.2 IP. Plus he is a lefty. So, will the Cards fare better against lefties this season, Maholm in particular? We'll see, but I don't feel as confident as I would like to feel. If the Cards can get him out of the game, that bullpen is garbage.

The Lineups:
- Cardinals: Pujols has crushed Maholm (8-for-16 with 4 extra base hits). He has crushed the rest of the Pirates too. Me thinks this will be a theme this season: Pujols crushes the opposing pitchers. Everyone else on the team has limited experience against Maholm, except Ludwick who is 1-for-11 against Maholm. Sure glad he is batting 5th and not 2nd or 4th today. The story line of this game for the Cardinals bats will be how theyhandle the first lefty of the season.
- Pirates: With all due respect, I have no respect for the Pirates lineup. Don't give Nate McLouth pitches to hit, that's it. He has battered the Cardinals in the recent past, 6 homers and 18 RBI against the Birds last year. The rest of this team sucks, or at least they should.

Well that's it in the way of analysis(?). Wish I were in St. Louis. GO CARDS!!

Rebirth!

2009-04-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

A new season begins, and with it come predictions sure to be wrong.

Before I start, how pathetic is it that the first Major League Baseball game of the season, an inter-division game featuring the reigning World Champions, has been relegated to ESPN2? No major network? Not even regular ESPN? They'll probably interrupt the game to tell us some meaningless bullshit about Tom Brady or Jay Cutler. Sad.

Here goes:

AL East:
- Tampa Bay Rays: I don't see any reason to believe they won't perform as well or better than last season. Full season of Price, Sonnanstine and Longoria, add Burrell, and I think you have a 95 win ball club.
- New York Yankees: I think this team is pretty good, but with A-Rod out for a while, with Jeter on the decline, and with two overpaid, under performing free agent signee starters, I don't think they've improved enough. I do NOT believe that Sabathia and Burnett present a great enough improvement. I am as impressed by everyone else by the second half Sabathia had last season, but I haven't forgotten how shitty he was the first half.
- Boston Red Sox: They could also finish first if things fall into place. This just isn't a team I believe in. I suppose my problem with them is that I don't think Dice-K is going to get away with it again this year, too many pitches per inning, and with the exception of Beckett I don't think their other starters are reliable enough. They're still a 90 win ball club though.
- Baltimore Orioles: Out of the basement and making a run at .500. I am looking forward to watching this team this year. Wieters (once he gets called up) may be the next big thing, and I love their outfield: Felix Pie, Nick Markakis and Adam Jones. Staff is highly suspect, but I think this team may still get over the hump.
- Toronto Blue Jays: I wish Roy Halladay played for a relevant baseball team.

American League Central:
- Cleveland Indians: Every year the guys at ESPN get all a twitter over these guys and they dissappoint. I am tired of hearing about how great Grady Sizemore is, aren't you. Still, I think Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona are the two best starters in this division. Interesting note for you Cards fans: Anthony Reyes is in the Indians rotation. Yeah.
- Minnesota Twins: Who cares about this team and the rest of the AL Central? Seriously.
- Detroit Tigers: Remember when eveyone thought this team was going to be good? I think they're going to be better, but not good enough.
- Chicago White Sox: Bartolo Colon is on their starting rotation. 'Nuff said.
- Kansas City Royals: Not a bad lineup, actually. Bad pitching staff, actually.

American League West:
- Los Angeles Angels: What happened to this team last year? I guess injured pitchers is the answer, but after the Teixera acquisition I thought this team was AWESOME. Since losing in the playoffs the Angels have lost Texeira and K-Rod, and now I think they're a 90 win division winner, but nothing more.
- Oakland Athletics: Not a bad team, but not very good either. I guess they're a .500 ball club.
- Seattle Mariners: Warms my heart to see Ken Griffey Jr. back in a Mariner uniform. Additionally, I expect Eric Bedard and Felix Hernandez to rebound. This team just isn't good enough though. $10.00 to the reader who can name the MAriner's manager without looking it up. ... That's right, Don Wakamatsu.
- Texas Rangers: Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler are great, the rest of this team isn't.

National League East:
- New York Mets: Three MVP candidates (I'm told) and three of the best closers in the game. The Mets addressed their bullpen problem and then some. It's a 7 inning ballgame against the guys and I love their lineup, basically. Still, screw these guys. Everytime I see Jose Reyes dancing this season I am going to kill a kitten. The deaths of those kittens will be on his head.
- Philadelphia Phillies: How did this team win the World Series last year? I hate their pitching staff with the exception of Hamels and Lidge. They have three MVP candidates (I'm told), but I don't like their lineup nearly as much as I like the Mets. Seriously, can a guy have 200 strikeouts and be considered an MVP candidate? Pujols got robbed in 2006.
- Atlanta Braves: Just found out Hudson is going to miss most of the season. Pity, I kind of liked this team. Whatever.
- Florida Marlins: This team is only going to improve as their starters get older. Josh Johnson is a star folks, mark my words.
- Washington Nationals: With apologies to my friend Jeff, this team sucks. They should be exciting at times though. A lot of young talent, I think, but they're not going to put it together this season.

National League Central:
- Chicago Cubs: Yeah, they're good. Whatever, screw these guys. They're an injury away from mediocrity if Zambrano or Lee go down. Ryan Dempster is not going to win 17 games again. He won't win 15, for that matter and I don't think he'll lose any fewer than 10. Ultimately, although I think this is probably the best team in the National League, they're going to go out with a whimper in the playoffs. Losers.
- St. Louis Cardinals: If the Cardinals (who I will try not to call "we" too much on this blog) can stay healthy, then they can compete for this division. That's a big "if" though. Carpenter and Wainwright could be the best 1-2 in the NL, and lord knows Pujols is going to put up numbers, but they've all got to stay healthy. Glaus has got to get healthy too.Whatever the case, I am not as down on the Cardinals as a lot of "experts." 90 wins seems possible, the Wild Card, maybe. I could say more, but I'll save it for the season.
- Cincinnati Reds: I guess I like their rotation better than the losers under them on this list. However, since they're the Reds, I assume they'll fail.
- Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun and Corey Hart are good players, these other losers aren't. Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, Mike Cameron, Bill Hall - all capable of hitting long homers, all suck otherwise.
- Houston Astros: What do Wandy Rodriguez, Mike Hampton, Brian Moehler, and Russ Ortiz all have in common - they're going to piss off Houston Astro fans for the next 6 months. Roy Oswalt is going to be asked to stop a lot of 4-game losing streaks this season.
- Pittsburgh Pirates: I can't think of anything nice to say about this team. I don't like any of their players. 105 losses.

National League West:
- Los Angeles Dodgers: The best team in a bad division, if they can keep their key pieces healthy I think they're gonna win this division by 10 games. I'm concerned about their bullpen though.
- Arizona Diamondbacks: Still a good young team, still a few players away.
- San Francisco Giants: Their staff could be good, but probably won't be, right? Randy Johnson hasn't got it anymore. Barry Zito is shit. This team also lacks punch in their lineup.
- Colorado Rockies: Crap.
- San Diego Padres: Crappiest. Is it a contradiction to say they'll "compete" for worst team in the league?

Playoffs:
- American League: Rays over Indians and Angels over Yankees, then Rays over Angels
- National League: Dodgers over Cubs and Mets over Cardinals, the Mets over Dodgers
- World Series: Mets. Ugh.

Steroids Stream of Consciousness

2009-02-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

To be clear, this is a stream of consciousness about my feeling on steroids, not a stream of consciousness on steroids about my feelings. And ... Begin:

A-Rod, Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro, McGwire, Sosa, Ivan Rodriguez, etc. - they're the real problem. These are people who, in my estimation, deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. But what does that make the Hall of Fame? After all, they haven't enshrined the all time hits leader (SERIOUSLY?). My own perspective is this: let's regard Aaron as the all-time homerun king, even if we don't reflect it in the record books, let's regard Pujols and others as the real winners of MVPs that won't be redistributed, let's be pissed that the offenders thought so little of the game that they thought their behavior was acceptable (regardless of their motivation). Let us not think, however, that these aren't men deserving of the Hall of Fame (maybe some toward the end of the list aren't, but stick with me). Bonds and Clemens are HoFers merely on body of work. McGwire and Sosa saved baseball, and they have deserving numbers. Palmeiro's stats are absurd (I don't care what you're on, 3,000 hits and 500 HRs = HoF). With the exception of Piazza, has there been a premiere catcher in the past two decades other than I-Rod? The arguments could be articulated better, I know, but the point remains, if the Hall of Fame is about the best, most impactful players, don't these guys belong?

I despise what these men and others have done to the game, the way they've tainted my love of the game, but where else do we hold our heroes up to such high standards? Not in politics. Not in military conquest. Not in entertainment. How many philanderers, liars, hate-mongers, drug-abusers, and sycophants have we elected to public office, given Grammys and Oscars, enshrined and otherwise recognized as heroes?

All this having been said, I am dropping it (for now). A-Rod can go screw himself. So can Sheffield and Giambi and I-Rod and whomever else is out there today that I know to be guilty. Anyone I don't know to be guilty I hereby assume to be innocent. I don't want to be naive, but I prefer that to being cynical (for now).

GO CARDS!

I think that I think I'll think about posting again this season

2009-01-04T21:39:00.000-08:00

As much as I fear the Cardinals are going to be shit, I think I am going to want to talk about them.

Time to start looking up facts about the last time the football Cardinals were more successful than the baseball Cardinals. But that's a post for another day.

Lohse is apparently pronounced "lōsh"

2008-04-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

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.

Some positive Cardinals health notes

2008-04-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

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.

Aren't we supposed to suck?

2008-04-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

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 newness and The Natural?

2008-04-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

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.

We'll pretend this never happened

2008-04-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

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).

Kevin Slaten has gone too far (again)

2008-03-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

(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).

Let it begin.

2008-03-30T09:53:00.001-07:00

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.