make mine medium rare

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 9:34 AM EDT in St. Louis Cardinals News

alright, then, it's settled: the cardinals aren't very good. we've suspected as much since december; now we have proof. they're not terrible, but they're nowhere near as good as a team anchored by pujols and rolen and edmonds and carpenter should be. what to do? options:

find another team to root for. braves? not this year. yankees? may finish 3d. dodgers? games start too late at night. white sox? hmmm . . . . could still antagonize cub fans, but would have to embrace guillen. uh uh.
find another sport to root for. world cup has reached the knockout phase; germany looks unstoppable, brazil's irrepressible, england keeps stubbornly advancing; but it's all over in 10 days. the tour de france starts next week; 1st lance-less race in well nigh a decade. nfl training camps open in less than a month. . . .
give up sports and find another hobby. cooking. ceramics. sudoku. model training. stamp collecting. folk dancing. gardening. scotch.

or, as a last resort, you could just root for this team as it is; good but not great, thin in the outfield and rotation and bullpen; a group of mortals, prone to blowing late leads and getting swept on the road (five times so far in 2006). a team that lapses into bad habits; a team that disappoints.

a team that's as human as you and i are.

if it's a choice between that or taking up knitting (no offense, elle), i guess i'll keep rooting for the fallen-from-grace team. they coulda/shoulda been better, and i'm still hacked off about that; but it's not the players' fault, and moreover it's too late to change it. even as of this morning the cardinals are considered a likelier playoff participant than any national league team except the mets. they still have the best hitter (cross fingers) and arguably the best starting pitcher in the league. and the competition just isn't very scary; the astros have already made their one and only roster move (adding clemens), and the reds are due to regress to the norm; i fear the brewers more than either team, and that club supposedly is fixing to dump carlos lee or geoff jenkins next month.

so take heart, cardinal fans: it's possible to live as well in a bungalow as in a mansion, enjoy a burger as much as a steak. if the cards are ground meat this year, at least they're 93 percent fat-free; with the right charcoal, a decent bun, a slice of gruyere and some red onion, they might yet satisfy.

before you throw the patties on the grill, you gotta scrape off the crud --- by which i mean, time to send brad thompson down to memphis and call up either brad falkenborg or josh kinney. the latter threw two more shutout innings last night, lowered his era to 1.77; he's getting a strikeout an inning and has held batters to a .194 average this season. right-handers are hitting .160 against him (thanks milb splits database). kinney walks a few too many guys, but at this point change may be good simply for change's sake. he throws a good slider (i'm told) and gets ground balls; bring him on up and let's have a look. (more on his minor league record in this post.)

another good minor-league pitcher, trey hearne, keeps blowing em away for quad cities -- 7 innings, 4 hits, 0 earned, 1 walk 6 ks. he has now allowed 2 earned in his last 29 innings (5 starts), allowed 21 hits while fanning 30 and walking just 5. DCGreg saw him first . . . . .

both hearne and his teammate, colby rasmus, are making strong cases for promotion. after a 3-for-4 night, rasmus is now among the midwest league leaders in nearly every meaningful category: 5th in OPS, batting, and rbis, 7th in slugging, 3d in total bases. and that's despite a 2-for-30ish slump to open the season. the last two quad cities sluggers, rick ankiel and nick stavinoha, skipped high-a ball and went directly to double a; there's a logjam in the springfield outfield, so if rasmus advances i expect it'll be to palm beach.

6 good innings for new draftee brad furnish (2d rounder, tcu) at state college -- 3 hits, 1 walks, 4 ks, no decision. but VEB fave mike parisi got clocked at double a: yielded 5 runs in the 1st, ended up with a 5 inning / 5 earned black eye.

some links: welcome college of cardinals to the card'l blog family. . . . . reverend redbird is ready for his close-up . . . . . gateway redbirds has a couple of new chat transcripts posted, with player-development vp jeff luhnow and fielding know-it-all john dewan.

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Comments

Great writing as always lboros

but I'm not so inclined to dismiss this team. (I'm going to use some Cub logic momentarily - forgive me)

If the following happens:

Jed gets healthy and hits for some more power
Mulder gets healthy and returns to Oakland-ish form
We trade for a Craig Wilson type to end the revolving LF door
We trade for some help in the bullpen (I haven't really looked at the market but Damaso Marte springs to mind)
Molina learns to hit a baseball
Timo Perez is removed from the 25-man roster (will only happen if he is run down by a bus and maimed horribly)

Again, things would have to go very well that haven't thus far but a few tweaks of the roster and a few midlevel trades and this team could really form up into a playoff team. The NL is weak and a seven games against the AL in October is anyones for the taking. And seven games in the WS just takes a few lucky moments to win...

Its still possible. But its frustrating that given better offseason moves we could have had a dominating team and may have missed our chance. For now I'm going to hope for the best and keep rooting for the birds on the bat.

by azruavatar on Jun 26, 2006 9:50 AM EDT reply actions

i'd endorse most of

your suggestions --- those would be the slice of gruyere, red onion, etc etc i was referring to. with the right amendments, cards could still be a pretty tasty meal.

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions

I BET COOLIO WOULD HAVE A HIGHER OPS!

---------Timo Perez is removed from the 25-man roster (will only happen if he is run down by a bus and maimed horribly)--------

Am I the only one who thinks Perez looks like Coolio???

by Schnake on Jun 26, 2006 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Timo Perez

Timo has an OPS of .786 (albeit in 22 at bats)
Juan E has an OPS of .786
Timo has 1 HR
JRod has 0 HR

Let's not put all the blame on Timo - he's doing what he can. I think Timo is fine as in his current role until and if we make a deal for another bat. You could argue he shoulda been sent down instead of Duncan, but I guess (and I have no empirical support for this one way or the other) Timo has better defensive OF skills.

by STLEdge on Jun 26, 2006 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Don't blame Yadi--

doesn't he have something like a .900+ OPS in June?

by salvomania on Jun 26, 2006 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions

ah but

hamburger gets falvor from the fat, so being 93% fat free is far worse than eating a 75% fat free burger. one kills you faster and the other gives you a long, boring life.

Cardinals Diaspora

by Ryan Van Bibber on Jun 26, 2006 9:54 AM EDT reply actions

Hey, weren't we grousing

that the playoffs are a crapshoot the past two years? They're still a crapshoot... it ain't about who the "best team" is... it's all about who the best team is over three series!

Hell, the National Hockey League bases its entire existence on the crapshoot known as the Stanley Cup playoffs... where you finish in the regular season is pretty much meaningless, as long as you finish as one of the 16 teams in the playoffs! Eighth-seeded Edmonton just barely got in... but got to within one game of winning the Cup!

This Cardinal team could use another starting pitcher (or have one of the current starters get "hot" in October), and another extra-base bat would be nice.

So they've lost six in a row... so what? They're still in 1st place; they still have an excellent chance of getting into the playoffs; and anything can happen after that. Hey, Jeff Suppan outpitched Roger Clemens in a Game Seven!

I'm not about to give up on this bunch yet... Reyes showed great promise, and Ponson (for one game at least) pitched himself out of the Chãteau de Bow-Wow. (I agree with you, lboros... I'd send WonderBrad back to Memphis to work out his woes and bring Falkenborg back... at least for the short term.)

by The Ol Goaler on Jun 26, 2006 10:30 AM EDT reply actions

Cards suck now means they won't suck in October?

Basically...I agree. I take the Cards sucking in interleague play as a GOOD sign. The last few years the Cards rocked in the regular season just to flop in the post-season. This just represents a reversal of that paradigm.

by Zubin on Jun 26, 2006 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe this will cause

TLR and Dunc to employ more of a "all hands on deck policy".

See what the younger, unproven types can give you on the mound.

For goodness sakes... Brandon Backe pitched great in the postseason last year.

If we can just tread water in the division... we'll likely be matched up with the weaker winner of the West in the playoffs... I still see the WC winner coming from our division.

by Matt @ Viva El Birdos on Jun 26, 2006 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions

the ring is the thing

i'm not giving up on us. never. at the same time, this interleague set has been an awakening of sorts.

yeah...we're probably going to make the playoffs. hell, pujo will strap us all on his back and drag us there. but is that enough?

a resounding "no" is my answer. i have that whole "been there, done that" thing inside me right now. it's just not enough anymore. another central division championship does virtually nothing for me. (although i'll probably b*tch and moan if we don't win it). and another spot in the nlcs? still doesn't do much for me.

i want the ring. and i'm not talking about one of those stupid silver one's they give out to people who get swept in the show by the r....r.....red.......rrrredd.......dammit. still can't say their name without throwing up in my mouth.

i guess my point is that this season has been disheartening. i still love the redbirds and every single loss kills me a littl bit inside. but i know that we can't win the world series with what we have right now. that's been painfully obvious over the past month or so. and that just plain sucks.

i understand the thinking behind the whole "let's just get into the playoffs and then anything can happen" scenario. however, over a 7 game series (baesball not hockey), the best team wins 99% of the time. and....gulp.....we're just not the best team right now.

can we put it all together and make a run at it? i'll be watching, listening and reading every single day - hoping for a miracle and enjoying the ride.

but the ring is the thing. everything else will be a disappointment for me.

by busch league on Jun 26, 2006 10:50 AM EDT reply actions

I'm not going to totally disagree with you

but c'mon, the TWINS won the Series in 87. The "best" team doesn't always win a 7 game series. The Astros beat us in the NLCS last year despite being blown away in the regular season by the Birds. The Red Sox were a Wild Card team.

The point is, it can be done. We just need to have the team cranking in October. I'd much rather expose our vulnerabilities now and try to correct them, than go all season thinking we're destined for victory (a la 2004 and 2005) and then get devastated when the team I thought I knew doesn't show up.

by dccardsfan on Jun 26, 2006 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions

no argument here....

we need to be playing our best baseball in october. the fact that we're scuffling right now can be seen as a good thing, i suppose. exposes our weaknesses so managment can correct them. of course, management has to be willing to make the necessary changes to get us on the right path.

the f'ing astros (which is now how i refer to them at all times) of last year are a great example of peaking at the right time. let's just hope we do the same.

and while these past few weeks have given me pause, i'm still confident. after all, we still have the best baseball player on the planet on our squad.

by busch league on Jun 26, 2006 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

It would be

interesting to run some of those computer simulations over baseball history, and alter the postseasons before 1969. IOW, create a three-round playoff structure for each of those seasons, and see how things might have turned out differently. How many WS champs would not have won the ring if they had to slog through as many as 19 playoff games?

My point is that, in theory, I agree with the "hot team can win in a playoff crapshoot" idea, but I think in today's game, with 3 rounds to win, it's a lot harder for an inferior team to just ride a hot streak to a championship. There must be some THERE there.

by MdRedbirdFreak on Jun 26, 2006 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm with you LB

I like this resurgence of optimism despite our current woes.

I was thinking last night that I hadn't seen us lose a bunch of games in a row before and still feel pretty good about where we're heading.

Reyes was outstanding and now has a spot in the rotation.
Ponson seems to have newfound resolve.
Pujols!
We still have Carp, Rolen, and Edmonds.
Encarnacion has really turned it around.

I am not too worried about our bullpen. Walt and company will make the moves they need to (such as sending Thompson down already - even he admits that he doesn't have the same stuff he did last year). Our starters are the key, and I feel like we've hit bottom and can only go up now (and already are).

We need to get a decent LF who has XBH power, or else we'll need Edmonds to return to form and Lemke-like performance from Aaron Miles in the playoffs to move forward.

I feel like Walt will make the moves he needs to. I'm encouraged and optimistic. And I can't wait to see Reyes pitch again tomorrow night. Go Cards!!!

by dccardsfan on Jun 26, 2006 11:01 AM EDT reply actions

Deja vu all over again

We've ridden a roller coaster - worried in spring training (about things that turned mostly to be real concerns).

Then exhilarated by Albert's super-hot start.

Then terrified by his injury.

Then giddy that other bats took up the slack.

Now teetering on the brink of despair because two very good teams swept us.

So, It's late June - we're ten games over .500; with a 2 game lead in our division, and if we keep winning at the same non-torrid .568 pace, we get 92 wins, and a playoff shot. We're not the team of the century; but we're a likely playoff team, which after all, is pretty much what we knew before the season.

Take deep breaths. Enjoy the divisional race, which we are still a strong favorite to win. Speculate about mid-season pickups and call ups.

Viva el Birdos.

by madridbend on Jun 26, 2006 11:13 AM EDT reply actions

well put

by azruavatar on Jun 26, 2006 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Larry gets some love from Will Carroll...

In his latest BP column:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5236

Subscription only, but he says that Mulder will miss at least a month and references lboros's Mulder timeline article from a couple of days ago.

by mikedallas23 @ Viva El Birdos on Jun 26, 2006 11:20 AM EDT reply actions

Welp

I always wondered what the post would look like after a 6 game losing streak.

It seems we are using the "Bill Parcells" coaching philosophy: Build the team up after a difficult stretch. Knock em down when they win.

Even great teams will have a tough stretch now and then, and this team is not great. I see a team coming home licking thier wounds from a one sided dog fight. This team has a tough-minded core of veterans. Pujols, Rolen, Carpenter and JEd can get this team to step up.

HEY! At least we can look forward to Reyes' next start.

by Schnake on Jun 26, 2006 11:30 AM EDT reply actions

re bill parcells

for the first 65 games, i thought the cardinal's w-l record was significantly better than the actual quality of the team, so i delivered an ongoing reality check.

but reality checks are no longer in order; reality has smacked us all upside the head. hence the "kinder gentler" post . . . .

i'm not really saying anything differently today --- i'm still saying it's a team with serious flaws --- but it no longer seems necessary to say it very forcefully. i'd be pointing out the obvious . . . .

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions

I like the tone of this post.

The team has issues. They have been exposed for the entire world to see. Therefore, no reason to say it all over again.

Anyone see Oral Hershiser on ESPN this morning? He still said the Cardinals are the #2 team in the NL. After the Mets and Cardinals there is no one. I've got to agree with him on this one. The Birds have a high ceiling.

by Schnake on Jun 26, 2006 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions

An hour later,

Herd called them overrated, but having the best player on the planet. I rarely agree with him but in this instance, he's spot on.

by cardsrul on Jun 26, 2006 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions

true

Good points and post. I was talking to a buddy about the Birds last night. I am confident that Tony, Duncan, Walt, etc. all know the same things we have said.

One thing about that group, they are realists. They may not say things publicly, but I am 100% confident Tony and Walt knows this team isnt that good. Im not saying it takes accountability away, but I dont think they are "stick their head in the sand" guys who don't see the problems.

I guarantee Tony knows this team has major flaws. Now, how do you fix it? If used correctly, these six losses can help the team. It really exposed weaknesses.

The Cardinals arent really dealing from a source of power regarding trades but I do see some things happening. As Lboros said, sending Thompson down has to be #1. The pitching has been the issue.

to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.

by beanocook on Jun 26, 2006 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I doubt anyone else cares but

The Orioles signed RHP Russ Ortiz, and manager Sam Perlozzo announced that Ortiz would make his first start July 1 in Atlanta. Ortiz, designated for assignment June 13 by Arizona, will take the rotation spot of LHP Adam Loewen, who was optioned to Triple-A Ottawa.

I think this would have been a good low cost high reward move for WJ but Mazzone and Ortiz have the history. I'm curious how much he cost them...less than a mill I would guess.

by azruavatar on Jun 26, 2006 11:30 AM EDT reply actions

the orioles only have to pay

about 60 percent of the league minimum ($327K), ie roughly $190,000.

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions

it seems

that if we'd offered a little more than that he would have said "sorry leo" and came to stl. would have been worth it if you ask me.

The St. Louis Cardinals: No Curses, No Excuses, Just Wins

by amettrick on Jun 26, 2006 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions

No way to Ortiz...

Is Ortiz better than Ponson? I don't think so. Look a the stats. He was horrible. He was 5-16 with 7.00 ERA and a 2.16 WHIP in Arizona.

Our pitching is struggling right now but I believe all of our guys are better than Ortiz.

by jdubya on Jun 26, 2006 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Baseball Nooz

Hello, lb,
Excellent writing--I really enjoyed your entry today.
I wanted you to know there is a new beta site following baseball bloggers called "Baseball Nooz." We just discovered your blog, so today I featured it on our main Community Page in a slot called, "The Catch".
At Baseball Nooz, we've aggregated a lot of feeds from bloggers and news sources, all on baseball.
Registered users can choose the feeds they like most and build a custom baseball news page, with headlines from their favorite sources.
Every time you post, you also appear in our unique blog roll. Thanks to you, Viva El Birdos has a chance to be near the top.
Register to be part of Baseball Nooz, then you can follow us following you!

Best of luck with your blogging,
Walter
P.S. It would be very cool to see a Baseball Nooz link on your site.
http://www.baseballnooz.com/

by Walter @ Viva El Birdos on Jun 26, 2006 12:10 PM EDT reply actions

who's the odd man out for the tribe tonight?

Haffner or Broussard?

There really is a significant advantage for the AL teams at home in interleague play, but wow they have cleaned NL clock this year.

by Schnake on Jun 26, 2006 12:12 PM EDT reply actions

hafner

i hope. poor defense at a place where almost everyplay is at at least once, and he is on my fantasy team :)

by viva el rojo pajaro 42 on Jun 26, 2006 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Bullpen

Amen to the Thompson move. I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of new additions to the bullpen. Falkenborg nearly had a job in ST, and he surely wouldn't do any worse than what we've been seeing lately. I don't think we necessarily need to trade for a reliever, we have several call ups to look at first. I'd rather save trade material for a more important spot (like LF).

Before I go, thanks LB, for the great site. I've been lurking since ST and finally decided to take the plunge and join in the fun.

by ArkansasTravs on Jun 26, 2006 12:34 PM EDT reply actions

optimism

This week reminds me of the 5-game series against Chicago in 2003. It was THAT bad. But we came out of that series a few games out of first, in September, and with no chance to improve the roster.

It's only June 26. If we were going to bottom out, I'd rather it happened now, and not, say, September with the season on the line. We know we aren't great; but we're still a better team than anyone else in the NL other than the Mets, and personally, I think they are vulnerable.

Let's enjoy the fun. Maybe we'll actually have a pennant race this year.

by matt reeder on Jun 26, 2006 1:00 PM EDT reply actions

Josh Kinney

He's looked really, really good in Memphis. Misses bats, gets lots of grounders, throws strikes. Haven't really been in a spot to recognize what his pitches are, but he doesn't really have an overpowering fastball. At the same time, he throws it hard enough to get the job done.

I'd like to see him in the Cardinals bullpen. He's earned it.

by whopperman on Jun 26, 2006 1:06 PM EDT reply actions

Now there's a thought

"give up sports and find another hobby. cooking. ceramics. sudoku. model training. stamp collecting. folk dancing. gardening. scotch."

Training models? Sounds like a plan :)

Blog about baseball and other stuff

by Neuronix on Jun 26, 2006 1:08 PM EDT reply actions

yes, i re-read that

and my 1st thought was: "man, i've been married a long time. . . . "

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Does fan loyalty foster team mediocrity?

We fans have tons of suggestions for turning this team into World Series champions. But, does the ownership care? Are they content with a season of sell out games? Do they not want to spend the extra millions to bring in the remaining pieces this team needs?

If we get swept midseason by our most likely competition in the World Series and ownership doesn't bring in some new parts do we boycott?

by secretweapon on Jun 26, 2006 2:16 PM EDT reply actions

Where...

has ownership proven they don't care?

Was it when they didn't sign Burnett (3 starts on the year) to 55/5?

Was it when they didn't sign Millwood (31 yrs old) to 60/5?

Was it when they didn't give Giles a blank check to leave SD?

Was it when they didn't re-sign Sanders (.250 .300 .452)?

Was it when they didn't re-sign Grudz (whom our 2B have outperformed)?

Was it when they didn't trade for Loretta (whom our 2B have outperformed)?

Was it when they didn't trade for Kevin Mench (.279 .333 .475...in Coors of the AL)?

Was it when they didn't trade for Javier Vazquez (5.00 ERA)?

Was it when they didn't trade Reyes for someone?

A diamond is just a lump of coal that performed well under pressure

by joker24 on Jun 26, 2006 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Does the ownership care?

That is a question.

by secretweapon on Jun 26, 2006 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

do you honestly think

this prosperous, well-supported franchise could have done no better in rebuilding the roster over the off-season? that seems to be your argument; i don't buy it.

it was team's choice to cap payroll at $90m. cards were one of only 8 mlb teams to see payroll decrease in 2006 -- despite spike in 05 revenues, a full season of 06 sellouts, a $60m increase in franchise valuation, etc etc. team's claims of limited resources ring hollow; you may believe them, but i don't. payroll could/should have increased to $100m, in which case the whole off-season would have played out differently.

re burnett --- the player identified by manager and GM as their #1 priority -- time will tell if cards' refusal to pay was prudent or merely cheap. burnett is back on the active list and pitched great in his 1st game back. cards could use him in rotation right about now.

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions

and btw, i'd take loretta and mench

over the guys we have now in 2b and lf

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Really?

Do you really think the Cardinals should've signed Burnett for 11 mil a year...for 5 years? Come on. I'd say sometime in the next 5 years there will be a guy the Cardinals use that 11 mil per on that will be a much better investment. Burnett probably would've looked good in the rotation now, he also would've looked good in the rotation for the first two months too...oh wait.

The fact remains that there wasn't a player/players worth another 10 mil. Can you come up with someone? I don't buy the ownerships "limited resources" claim---they have the financial resources and would've used them if there was actually anyone worth signing. They didn't invest in a bear market.

And with regards to trade, our only real trading chip was Anthony Reyes...anyone willing to deal him for a #2 starter now?

A diamond is just a lump of coal that performed well under pressure

by joker24 on Jun 26, 2006 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions

they had good trading chips

in suppan and marquis --- partic. the latter. indeed, plan A (as articulated by joe strauss and others) had been to sign burnett, then flip marquis for a young affordable outfielder.

the cards could've had burnett for much cheaper than what the blue jays paid. they nearly had him signed at 4yrs/$40m, even though the blue jays had a better offer on the table (4 yrs / $45m). the jays tipped the scales by offering a 5th year; if the cards had matched that and gone up to 5/$50m or thereabouts, they'd have got him.

seemed like a reasonable risk because a) the cards had two cheap mlb-ready starters available (reyes/wainwright) to offset burnett's high salary over the next 2-3 seasons, and b) they would have gotten further payroll relief by dumping marquis and his $5m salary for a young, affordably priced outfielder.

and it seemed reasonable because of all the new revenues pouring into the team's coffers --- including (along with those named above) big chunks of change from the new TV contract and the XM radio deal.

in an alternative universes, the cards could have signed giles right off the bat for $10m a year, then signed burnett, and balanced the payroll by shedding spare parts (ray king, marquis) and eschewing wasteful expenditures. they blew $4m this year on rincon, deivi cruz, and larry bigbie --- but those were better bets than burnett or giles? not in my book.

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions

if anybody cares

here are a coupla make-believe rosters i constructed back in november, when aj and giles were both still on the market, projecting how we might get a.j. into the fold and still fill out the rest of the roster at ~ $90m. i'd take either of those rosters over what we currently have . . . .

http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/story/2005/11/8/3419/22172
http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/story/2005/11/8/3419/22172

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 6:25 PM EDT up reply actions

hold on a second

i posted one roster 2 times . . . here's the 2d one

http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/story/2005/11/21/94219/782

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Astros Suffer Too

Yesterday, the Astros avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the White Sox by pulling out a 10-9 win in the 13th inning, after Lidge blew a four run lead in the 9th. The other games were 7-4, and 6-5 Sox.

Amazingly, each game was punctuated by a ChiSox grand slam.

The Sox, man--What a bruising team!! And curses that the Astros matched up against them better than us!

So says, The Dude

by Titus Pullo on Jun 26, 2006 2:17 PM EDT reply actions

it wasn't

merely a 4-run lead in the 9th. It was a 7-run lead in the 8th - Wheeler surrendered a 3-run dinger to Iguchi who also hit a grand slam off of Lidge in the 9th. 7 rbi in two innings!

by lawman3842 on Jun 26, 2006 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions

a silver lining

there is no denying that this team has been bad, really bad, over the last few games. there's also no denying that the team has holes, a lot of holes. it's frustrating, madding, irritating, and about 40 other adjectives, but after screaming at my tv for the last 6 games i've decided to try optimism. maybe stinking like this isn't such a horrible thing. sure, it'll give you a few ulsers, but in the end it might just be worth it. this team doesn't look anything like a playoff team right now, but this is just the kind of thing that teams like the '03 marlins and the '05 astros used to get themselves rolling heading into the playoffs. 5 of the last 8 teams to make the world series have been wild card teams, and 3 of those 5 have won the whole thing. now, the cards are probably still going to win the division, but the race is going to be a lot closer than in the last 2 years. those wild card teams will all tell you that it was the close race, having to play with that "win or go home" mentality weeks before october, that led to their success. i seem to remember lboros posting on this type of thing a while back, examining whether winning less led to more playoff success. it's obvious that the cards aren't going to win 100 games again this year, but maybe, just maybe, that lack of a cushy division lead will bring this team together and help them accomplish what they've failed to do the last 2 season.

The St. Louis Cardinals: No Curses, No Excuses, Just Wins

by amettrick on Jun 26, 2006 2:39 PM EDT reply actions

Interestingly enough

my knitting productivity has dropped off considerably since the start of the season. Maybe it's time to start knitting during games again...

Thanks for the link!

by Elle on Jun 26, 2006 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

those reyes socks

you sewed have worked like a charm

by lboros on Jun 26, 2006 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions

i gotta feeling

those socks are going to be a hot item come fall. that and gutted brimmed hats.

Reverend Redbird

by erik on Jun 26, 2006 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm half tempted to buy a pair of Reyes socks

But I'm afraid I'd then put some sort of hex on Reyes like I did on Dave Magidan (Or Gregg Jeffries) when I collected a bunch of his baseball cards thinking he'd be big time.

by secretweapon on Jun 26, 2006 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions

piling on...

<<<<<<it was team's choice to cap payroll at $90m. cards were one of only 8 mlb teams to see payroll decrease in 2006 -- despite spike in 05 revenues, a full season of 06 sellouts, a $60m increase in franchise valuation, etc etc.>>>>>>

Included amongst the "etceteras" could be the none-too-small matter of the ~$15M the team doesn't have to pay into revenue sharing as a result of the construction of Busch III.

I'm jussayin'.....

Also, if scotch is one's vocation could it also be considered my, er, one's hobby?

meat

by meat on Jun 26, 2006 4:12 PM EDT reply actions

yeah

at first i didn't wanna believe all this Bernieism. Cheap, greedy owners taking advantage of Cardinal fan's loyalties while resting on their laurels on the fact that they've transformed this team into a winning club the last decade.

But..

Reverend Redbird

by erik on Jun 26, 2006 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions

it sure is starting to feel that way

(oops)

Reverend Redbird

by erik on Jun 26, 2006 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Gateway Redbirds Chat Transcripts

I hope everyone enjoys them!

GatewayRedbirds.com - A Forum Dedicated to Discussing Cardinals Baseball!

by GatewayRedbirds on Jun 26, 2006 5:11 PM EDT reply actions

ok maybe im blind or something

but even if the cards do suck, I'm not bailing on them. They are my team and always will be unless they Move the team or somehing stupid, like trade albert for a set up man. I know they could have done more in the off season, but they are still afloat.

Yes i want to see them win, but if they play terrible I wont bail, even though lbros makes some good points for leaving them to knit, and i could make some fine money making reyes socks I hear. This could be much worse. At leat the cubs and Stros suck too. I'd rather see the brew crew or reds succeed if the cards fall than the Stros or cubs.

by punchinjudy on Jun 26, 2006 6:17 PM EDT reply actions

lboros for GM...

Or at least Assistant GM because I like Jocketty.

I agree with sending Thompson down. What will it take for the Cards to see that he needs to work out some issues? Bring up Falk or Kinney. I would like to see what Kinney can do. He's pitched well all year.

As for the rest of the cure, all is not lost. Remember this, Walt has a knack of finding the right player at the right time. He got Larry Walker AFTER the trade deadline. Woody Williams. Chuck Finley. Remember Will Clark!

As for me. I'm opening the scotch. Not giving up sports. Just easing the pain.

by jdubya on Jun 26, 2006 6:29 PM EDT reply actions

Trade

if we are still looking for an outfielder, why has nobody mentioned Raul Ibanez? i'ld also be ok with Eric Brynes or Craig Wilson :)

by viva el rojo pajaro 42 on Jun 26, 2006 7:17 PM EDT reply actions

wilson

is not the answer. What about Lee from Milwaukee? As soon as they finish their collapse he'll be available. Get him now before the AL east does.

What ever happened to John Romonosky?

by Columbus Jets on Jun 26, 2006 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I've mentioned Raul Ibanez

a couple of times, I think. But I'm not sure that we have what it'd probably take, unless we parted with Reyes or Wainwright, and they're too valueable at this point.

by rob is back on Jun 27, 2006 3:11 AM EDT up reply actions