I would think (but I do not profess in any way to understanding how TLR and DD think) that a Mulder stint on the DL is a foregone conclusion.  And I think there is a high likelihoiod that Ponson is gone, DFA or otherwise of the team in the very near future.

I think Reyes will happen.  But I think Wainwright, while I agree he should be in the rotation, is a longer shot.  I can already hear TLR/DD saying how he's been training his arm for 1-2 inning stints and asking him to expend to 5-7 innings is a different propgram, blahblahblah.

More of that obstinance you mentioned.  I really hope it works for Reyes and Wainwright.  Mulder can't get anyone out, and Russ Ortiz is a RH version of Mulder.

Hancock does not inspire confidence though, so I say if they do this, they will need to trade for a good bullpen arm.

The words should read

likelihood
expand
program

I hate spelling errors.

I'm really starting to like Chris Duncan's makeup.

Took the HBP like a man and then hit a HR.  A lot of pop in his bat.  I have more confidence in his bat than in J Rod's at this point.  Especially in a PH role as we get closer to October.

And we're still in 1st place by a good margin.

Last night really stunk, but the sun rose this morning and it's a new day.

If it was ever really in doubt, the official site now lists Reyes as the probable starter tomorrow.  This is the first time I've checked so I don't know if it's been that way for awhile, but it's still comforting.

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/probable_pitchers.jsp?c_id=stl

It's definitely time to see what Reyes and Wainwright can do in the starting rotation.  Success, of course, is certainly not guaranteed, especially for Wainwright.  He has the big hook and a decent fastball but appears to need another pitch to be a consistent starter.  He was less than overwhelming at Memphis and has been getting hit a little bit harder up here as opponents have gotten more familiar with his pitches.  And left-handed batters have a .289 BAA and a .919 OPS against him.  But we need to see if he can adjust.  Get him in there.

is as gutless as Mulder's performance last night.  You called it lboros.  He gave up in that 3rd inning.

I am not happy with our team right now but I'm not ready to panic, yet. It's a 162 game season.

It's time to see what Reyes can do. Bring him up and let him start. Not just one game but maybe the rest of the season. Tony and Dunc need to forget about his youth and inexperience. Keep him in there and don't send him down unless he has a Mulder Meltdown.

As for Wainwright, I'm all for starting him as well if he can handle the extra innings.

Mulder's issues are a big problem for this team. He needs to get it fixed. He is our #2 starter. We cannot go into the playoffs without a solid Mulder or someone who can replace him and pitch like a # 2.

I agree with you lboros, DL Mulder and send him to AAA for some rehab assignments when healthy. Then pray he gets it back.

first-time poster. And what could get me to finally post, you wonder? Yesterday was my BIRTHDAY! Thanks, Mulder. You shouldn't have.

Last night's mugging was kind of a numerologist's dream, wasn't it? On the 20th day of the 6th month, the Cardinals lose 20 to 6. Makes me wonder what will happen tonight. shudder Of course, as somebody noted, we haven't given up an 11-run inning since 1926 (that's nineteen 20 6, spooky!), so maybe last night was a good omen, since that was the year of our last WS victory. What's that? Oh, right, 1982. It only SEEMS like we've been waiting since '26.

With regard to inserting the rookies in the rotation, I'm no great shakes at statistical analysis, but if Mulder, Ponson, Reyes and Wainwright were the last four guys on the playground, I would take the rookies in a heartbeat at this point. Without even thinking about it.

Anyway, I want to thank all of you for all the thoughtful comments that are always being posted here. I wouldn't want to have to get through the season without VEB.

i listened to the 1st inning got to my friends for a pool party and its 9-1.I said it last night this is a test and Walt and Tony need to think fast.We got humiliated last night and peeps i just think this is a wake up call but on a bigger scale.It was the Reds a week ago now its the Sox's time to either role over for the Reds or get some SP help or just fold and rebuild.Last night made me sick and reminded me of 03 when we played the Red sox and got are arses handed to us in Boston for 3 nights.Walt got took by Beane and anally raped with no vasiline.

They showed the midwest league all-star game here on tv in eastern Iowa, and Garcia's third inning wasn't as bad as it looks. He was the victim of a horrible call at first base on the second of the singles. The announcers were even joking about trying to come up with a possible reason why the umpire would have called the runner safe. If the correct call is made he gets out of the inning giving up only one run.

I actually heard Hawk and DJ say a few decent things last night.

One was this..on Sunday, June 11 the Sox got TROUNCED, at home, by the Indians. Down 10-0 late in the game. The Sox score some late.

Amazingly, the world didn't end for the Sox after a bad/blowout loss to the Indians. In fact, they have gone on to win seven of eight since then.

No doubt this team has some question marks. But why dont we see what the answer are before pointing fingers and jumping off the Poplar Street Bridge?

Calm down. I know it's tough after getting our asses handed to us in such ignominious fashion, but so far IT IS ONE GAME. A horrible travesty of a game, but one game nonetheless. And there is, believe it or not, some good to be taken from it: 1)It's still the first half. Last year at this time Matty Mo was pitching like Cy Young. If this kind of horror has to be dealt with, it's better now than later. 2)Decisions will have to be made. If Mulder had been so-so or bad but not awful, whatever the problem is would still go unaddressed. Now, the organization HAS to do something. 3)The Reyes question is likely to be answered. He'll get his shot and we'll see what he can bring. 4)This may somehow end with a deal that will bring the power arm we've all been clamoring for. How? Who? Got me. But Walt has worked magic before, give him a chance to get something going before throwing him under a bus. If he fails or does something really stupid, then throw him under a bus--but give him a chance to do something first. 5) IT IS ONE GAME. Even if the next two are embarrassing blowouts, it's one series in June. There is a lot of ball to go and worse-off ships than this have been righted. The rest of the division is sucking ass too, so even a few losses in a row will probably find our boys still in first place or well within striking distance to get it back.

Believe me, I didn't like last night any better than many of you--but there is a tendency to panic around here. Many of you guys were willing to concede Albert is a juicer on the flimsy suggestion that his trainer might have been named in a document as a guy who might know where to get greenies. Take a breath and see what the organization does and how the team does in the next week or so. There will be plenty of time to panic over the next 3 months if need be. I just don't think it's time for that yet. Disgust, yes; Panic, no.

are that Mulder's back is killing him and he may need surgery after the season.

For what it's worth.

I just did some looking at the Memphis Redbirds site. How about DL'ing Mulder and bringing up ole' Dennis Tankersley. I realize his overall numbers aren't good but lately he has pitched quite well.

In his last seven starts the lad hasn't won much (1-4) but he has a 2.76 ERA and 1.252 WHIP. 33 K's in 42.1 innings. Since May 1 his ERA is 3.58, 1.28 WHIP with 43 K's in 55 innings.

Put it this way, if we need another starter (assuming Reyes is in) then I would prefer Tankersley and leaving Wainwright in the pen. Am I out of my mind?

the Sox used up all their runs for this series last night.  We're home free

We all know that's just not so. Say what you will about Ponson, the one thing you can't accuse him of is not having a gut...

I heard about this on the radio (I believe it was 1580 in Columbia, Missouri), and just wanted to make a comment about the grammatical errors. First of all, it should be los birdos, not el. Secondly, if birdos is plural, that would mean that viva should be vivan. If that's to hard, you could always change birdos to birdo and have it done that way.

On another note: how 'bout them white sox?

-Devoted Royals Fan

According to ESPNs rumor Central Bowden is itching to make an impression on the new Managment in Washington, and wants to make a trade. Livan Hernandez is on the list of guys avaliable. Why not make a run at Hernandez? He he has had postseason success, is a workhorse and Bowden is trigger happy (and has been known to make bad trades in the past) Can Hernandez be had for Chris Lambert and/or Stu Pomeranz? Hernandez would be a de-facto number 2 starter in our rotation (and is a pretty close to a natural number 2). Furthermore, if somehow Mulder and work out his problems (he HAS to go on the DL and work in AAA to work out his problems doesn't he?) and return to his old (April and May) self then we have a pretty good rotation going into the post season.

Carp
Livan
(Mulder)
Reyes
Marquis
Supp

I dont know much about Livan's contract status, but if he is under contract for next season it would seem like there is a good fit, not only for the Nats but for us as well.

A definite undertone of dejection today...which I understand. My power came back on this morning and I spent a good five minutes swearing at Mulder. I'm going to go ahead and agree with lboros and most everyone else and say we need to do something. As I see it, we could:

1. Rebuild. We don't have the farm system or the bottom feeding place in the standings to pull that off, so forget that.
   
2. Call up Reyes, plug in Wainwright/Tankersley/A Janitor, slap Mulder on the DL, and kick Ponson to the curb. This scenario generally makes sense to me, because whoever you have in there isn't going to get pounded much worse than Ponson or Mulder at this point, and there's always the chance Reyes will look exceptional in the bigs.
   
3. Swing a trade...but not for a hitter. I know we need a bat. I know. But at this point, it's pretty clear that we could use a pitcher more than a Craig Wilson. We might even be able to swap one of our frustrating pitchers for a slightly less frustrating pitcher that another team has gotten tired of. I'd like to see another middle of the order bat as much as anyone, but it's going to be the pitching that kills us in the playoffs if we don't make a move to fix it.

There are other options, of course, but none I see realistically happening.