Comentary on Walt Jocketty at Yahoo

by Zubin on Feb 6, 2007 2:07 AM EST

Jeff Passan ay Yahoo has an interesting commentary on Walt Jocketty:

"The candidates for the final four spots of the reigning world champion's pitching rotation include a 32-year-old who hasn't started a game since he pitched in Class A 10 years ago, a free-agent acquisition who once tested positive for steroids, a prospect who spent all of last season in the bullpen, a long reliever with a face suited for Gerber jars, a fashion plate for those who prefer their hats flat-billed and a guy named Kip...

...Such confidence is borne of more than 20 years spent consulting one another. La Russa, Duncan and Jocketty built a championship team with the Oakland Athletics in 1989. And after 100-plus-victory seasons in 2004 and '05, now they have one in St. Louis, too. Following that with another World Series will depend on Looper, Franklin, Wainwright, Thompson, Reyes or Wells. Gosh? Maybe somewhere else. This is St. Louis. They're used to making their own luck."

Is he sacrastic about how "lucky" the Walt and the Birds have been, or is he saying that the Cardinals '06 sucess wasn't the residue of design?

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I think he's giving Walt his due

There may be some sarcasm in the article, but it's not meant to marginalize what Jocketty has done.

He's basically saying, 'This guy has pulled a rabbit out of the hat so many times, he must be doing something right'.

I know people were down on him for the Mulder trade and the Looper/JuanEnc signings, but nobody is perfect - Rickey, Devine, Herzog all made moves that look disastrous in retrospect. Now that he's got that ring, Walt is in the same class with those other Cardinals front office legends.

by musial6 on Feb 6, 2007 10:28 AM EST reply actions

Making your own luck....

to me means luck doesn't exist and that its skill. I think he's giving Walt his due as well.

by Brock20 on Feb 6, 2007 12:19 PM EST reply actions

hmmm.

I took it as walt being able to pull a diamond from the rough and then have his boys TLR and Dunc polish it until it shines.

What.. too many metaphors?

by Schnake on Feb 6, 2007 1:37 PM EST reply actions

also...

what's jeff passan got against guys named kip? funny names in baseball are a way to ensure someone will remember you no matter how bad or jsut painfully average you are.

Rabid Redbird

by gthedamned on Feb 6, 2007 3:42 PM EST reply actions

He was complimenting them...

...there is no scare in the top brass of this team.

by BigJawnMize on Feb 6, 2007 3:46 PM EST reply actions

Funny

I immediately thought Looper was the face suited for Gerber jars, and then had trouble figuring out who the 32-year-old who last started in A ball was. Can't be Looper, he's the baby-looking guy, so...

Thompson. He's the baby.

Maybe it's those Looper ears that get me thinking baby.

by jfs on Feb 7, 2007 8:12 AM EST reply actions

Baby Face Looper?

That would be on scary-looking baby!

The Cardinal Curmudgeon

by lawman3842 on Feb 7, 2007 9:54 AM EST up reply actions

1 up, 1 down

Keep in mind, for every Carpenter, there is a Tomko. For every Suppan, there is a Ponson. For every Kiko Calero, there is an Esteban Yan. Walt is a genius, but even geniuses have to play the numbers game.

I would hate to see the kids of someone who thinks Looper looks like a baby!

How about handin' me another helpin' of those mashed taters...thank you very much!

by Elvis on Feb 8, 2007 7:54 PM EST reply actions