talking turkey

by lboros on Nov 22, 2007 10:16 AM EST in News Comment 24 comments

news blotter: the angels signed torii hunter to a 5-year, $80m contract. damn, but centerfielders are expensive --- another reason why colby rasmus is so extremely valuable. the angels are now on the hook for $26m to centerfielders over 30 years old (matthews and hunter) for the next four years; good luck w/ that, gents.

today's post is a visual quiz. my younger brother found these pictures yesterday in a drawer in his old bedroom. they're all well-known cardinal players. maybe it's just me, but i had a hard time identifying three of these four guys --- none bears his "signature look" in these pictures. can you name all four players?

i hope this quiz isn't too easy. i'm off to loaf the rest of the day; the thread's open for discussion of these photos or anything else. enjoy the holiday everyone.

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I'll a shot...

Hungo, Mike Shannon, Ted Simmons and Keith Hernandez?

I don't get the Torii Hunter signing either, but I have to think it's part of some grand play to shuffle their pieces in advance of a major trade. I mean, it wouldn't make any sense at all otherwise...

by matt reeder on Nov 22, 2007 10:11 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

It's not Shannon...

It's Reitz! I agree with the others.

by HalfMagic on Nov 22, 2007 10:16 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

It is

Al Habosky, Ted Simmons, Ken Rietz, Keith Hernandez. Not sure about my spelling.

by ridgesee on Nov 22, 2007 10:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Vern Rapp's policy

Yes, Hungo, Reitz, Simba, and Hernandez. These pictures must have been taken during Vern Rapp's tenure as manager. If you recall, he had a no facial hair policy.

by red whiskers on Nov 22, 2007 10:26 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

What Sweet Memories

Hrabosky, Reitz, Simmons & Hernandez

A little memory for you youngsters. In the 1970's, a lad could write to the Cardinals (250 Stadium Plaza) and they would send you - FOR FREE - glossy photos of every player on the roster. Which is what these photos are. I lost a ton in the content theft of my storage unit a few years back but I miss my photo collection the most.

Another note on Reitz - (Kenny, The Zamboni, Reitzy, The Slow One, Mr Double cause he could never make it to third)- as a youngster I had to wear #44, play third base and mimic his batting style. Wonder where he is today?

by Hinkster on Nov 22, 2007 10:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Reitz....

was on the pregame show for KPLR near the end of the season. That's all I really remember about the interview with the Zamboni.

by Brock20 on Nov 22, 2007 11:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Glossy color photos?

If so, and anyone has them, I'd love some hi-res scans.

"Well, you wait for a strike. Then you knock the shit out of it. - Musial to Flood on how to hit a curveball

by Hardcore Legend on Nov 22, 2007 11:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I could only recognize Al and Keith

Happy Tahnksgiving to all.

The St. Louis Cardinals- 11 time World Champions!

by Zubin on Nov 22, 2007 2:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

glossy photos

all mine were black and white....roughly 8" tall, 4 wide....but evidently taken in spring training because they usually mailed me 30 or so each year

by Hinkster on Nov 22, 2007 9:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Haerther is back...for now

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/D4E02150480DEC748625739B00141210 ?OpenDocument

I thought the quiz was kinda easy, lb...but I'm pretty good with faces. Names not so much. Interesting photos, though.

What would've happened to Hernandez without his signature moustache??

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

"The only thing you know about pitching is that you can't hit it." Bob Gibson to Tim McCarver

by player2bnamedl8r on Nov 22, 2007 11:19 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Happy Thanksgiving

Well I hope everybody has a great day. Well Everybody seems to have guessed who this is, so I'll just say "yeah I agree with them". As for the Halos, man they are going to be fast now (not that they wern't before). NOT that we should trade him, but this makes me wonder what we could now get for Rasmus.

Save the Kipper don't make him go back out there.

by gibbyfan on Nov 22, 2007 11:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hunter

BBTF is reporting 5 year, $90M for Hunter.

Jesus Christ--for a guy whose upside is a 350 OBP?

For his ages 32-36 seasons? Check out his comps at BBRef: Carl Everett, Preston Wilson, Phil Nevin, Encarnacion are his top 4.

This for a guy whose bat and glove are only a bit better than Enc.

Yah, that's gonna get me roasted; but look at the career lines:
Torii: 271 / 324 / 469 (104 OPS+)
JuanE: 270 / 317 / 441 (97 OPS+)

That's in pretty much an identical number of games so far--and both are 31 years old.

Yes, Torii's a better defender, and admittedly a 104 OPS+ from a good CF is more valuable than a 97 OPS+ from a corner OF.

However, there was a lot of bitching over Juan's 3/$15M deal two years ago. Well, folks, is Hunter really 2 years and $75M better than Juan?

By the way, when Enc was signed two years ago (before two of the best years in Hunter's career), their statistical lines were significantly closer:

Torii: 267 / 321 / 458 (779 OPS)
JuanE: 268 / 316 / 440 (757 OPS)

I don't know what the purpose of this post is...
Torii's waaaaay overpaid? For sure.
Encarnacion was underpaid? I think that's a possibility, even though I think his production was replaceable for much less money if we wanted to punt defense and put a guy like John Rodriguez in the corner.

by gretchen on Nov 22, 2007 11:42 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

John Rodriguez

From Derrick Goold's article in the Post today regarding the Cards reclaiming Cody Haerther:

The move puts the Cardinals at the roster limit. General manager John Mozeliak said Tuesday he does not want to arrive at the winter meetings with a full roster.

That would keep the team from participating in the Rule 5 draft. Mozeliak's options include a trade to free up space or releasing an outfielder such as John Rodriguez, who did not appear in the majors this summer.

by HalfMagic on Nov 22, 2007 11:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't understand...

why not waive Encarnacion and free up a spot then? I understand he's supposed to be put on a bereavement list and not counted towards the 40 man roster, but I'm not sure how the IR/bereavement list works in the offseason. Either way, there's a free spot for the rule 5 draft and there's no need to get rid of anybody.

by outraged on Nov 22, 2007 2:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't have paid

$90 M and 5 years for a 32 year old CF whose career high OBP was .337 and career high OPS+ was 124. He'll be fine for 2 years and then drop off precipitously. Juan, also, was overpaid but I think your point about Hunter's being a worse contract is a good one.

by chuckb on Nov 22, 2007 12:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Mr. Hunter

will be a very thanks-giving man at today's dinner table!

by RedbirdRay on Nov 22, 2007 1:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Al, Mccarver, Slaughter, Simmons

I just hope there's not a disastrous signing like this in our future. I can barely handle Kennedy, and he makes 1/5 that much.

Don't sell the farm~

by tripleacabs on Nov 22, 2007 4:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Slaughter

looks really, really, really, really good

by baw on Nov 23, 2007 1:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Teams are rolling in cash...

$6 billion in revenue, only 40% spent on players. Especially the big market teams like LA.

by DiscoJer on Nov 22, 2007 7:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well

Do not always talk about players. Go Black Friday shopping! Here is my shopping list:
http://www.globalgmail.com/upload/BFridayHotDeals.pdf
This is a dead Friday better than the sports.

by enochyukt on Nov 22, 2007 10:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

i read some where

i think it was yahoo, that an angle official said matthews would move to right & vlad will be the full time dh. so maybe gary wont be traded.

good for torii. would have loved to see him playing in St. Louis, but not for that much cash.

I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson And That's A Winner!

by gdm426 on Nov 22, 2007 10:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I have also read that this is just the Angels

assembling all of the parts so they can go after the big fish Miggy Cabrera. The Marlins want a MLB ready outfielder, an infielder and a MLB ready starting pitcher. The Angels have a lot of spare parts in AAA, and I see all of these moves as a lead to landing the last missing piece-Cabrera. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

by jillsinmo on Nov 22, 2007 10:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i found what article i read

here
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7477188?MSNHPHMA

mike said vlad & garrett will split time at dh. but then later it said gary could be traded.

either way its pretty clear the angle's are not done trying to upgrade their team.

I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson And That's A Winner!

by gdm426 on Nov 23, 2007 1:31 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Reitz

That shot of Reitz was not from the Vern Rapp era. That's his rookie year. '73, I think.

League minimum salary that year was $19K. Reitzy later signed for a decent $40K. After Messersmith (sp?) and free agency in the mid 70s, Reitz took advantage with what was, for then, a nice contract, signing for something like $300K over a 3 or 4 year period. Times = changed.

I think the shots of the others are also pre-Rapp.

by Hoffa on Nov 23, 2007 11:24 AM EST reply actions 0 recs