2nd Half Offensive Semi-Swoon

A spoiled Cards fan bummer of a summer

Growing up, reading the great Bill James, I was always struck by how he analyzed players' performances, dividing a season into two separate and distinct parts, using this as a tool in understanding the grind of the campaign.

The Cards, led by Albert's monstrous April/May, had a first half that had most fans thinking big. Remember all those ridiculous projections? Ha! But that's all changed. Other than Chris Duncan, every position player has wilted, relatively speaking, in this lackluster 2nd half of what is turning out to be a lackluster season. Here are the sorry numbers of a team struggling to play .500 ball in the 2nd half (granted, there are about 21 games left):

Encarnacion - only 3 homers in all of Aug/Sept
Rolen - .267 and 5 HR/24 rbi in 2nd half
Pujols - HR/RBI: 29/76 1st half;  15/40 2nd half
Eckstein - OBP: .372 1st half; . 287 2nd half
Miles -  only 7 rbi in 2nd half
Molina - 33 rbi 1st half;  13 rbi 2nd half
Edmonds - 47 rbi 1st half; 18 rbi 2nd half
Taguchi - .295/27 rbi 1st half;   .198/3 rbi 2nd half
Spezio - .302 1st half;  .236 2nd half
Belliard - hitting .228 for Cards, which is a 2nd half stat
Preston Wilson - .hitting .235 for Cards, "  "   "   "   "  "