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Ways to Make the Rest of the Season Interesting.

I was just thinking of ways the Cardinals could make the last few games fun.  I thought that it might be cool for Aaron Miles to become the first Cardinal since Jose Oquendo to play every position.  Since he has already pitched this year, he'd need to play center, right, first and catch.  That arm would be painful to watch in the outfield or at catcher and he'd make a pretty small target at first, but at least we'd be saved from watching him throw a ball to first.

Then I got to thinking about who else might be able to match Oquendo's feat, when it occurred to me that a Cardinal could "break Oquendo's record" by playing 10 positions.  Scott Spezio this year has played: P, 1B, 2B, 3B, LF, RF and DH.  If Tony would let him play short, catcher and center for an inning, he'll play "all 10" positions this year.

Some other ideas:
Use Reyes as a closer, just to "teach him situational pitching."
Let Kip Wells (.327BA) play a game in left or right field.

Anyone have any thoughts or any more ideas on how the Cardinals could spice things up for a few games in Pitsburgh?

Star-divide


(Graphic courtesy of Hardcore Legend)

0 recs | Comment 34 comments

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They
could pitch underhanded.  That would be funny.

by spants on Sep 26, 2007 4:03 PM EDT   0 recs

arent some of them doing that already?
"Show me a guy who takes his time on the mound and I'll show you a damned loser." - Leo Durocher

by mattyfrommo on Sep 26, 2007 6:17 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

No
There are female softball players who could pitch better than the Cards have been.  Maybe the Cards could get some sort of advantage from the whole thing.  Or they could all go submarine-style.

by spants on Sep 26, 2007 6:37 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I have seen
female softball pitchers strike out MLB all-stars on three pitches.

by Valatan on Sep 26, 2007 7:34 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Jennie Finch
I saw that, too. The fellas didn't look like they were taking it easy on her, either.

I think Pujols managed to put the ball in play, then walked away, shaking his head in disbelief.

by liam on Sep 26, 2007 10:26 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Pujols
was pretty fooled.  He plays softball in the off-season, doesn't he?  I know his wife used to play.

by spants on Sep 26, 2007 10:42 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Keep in mind
Jennie Finch was pitching from 45 feet away, not 60, as all softball pitchers do.

The way baseball players build their swings, they're bound to struggle against someone who is 15 feet closer, because baseball swings are so much longer, whereas in softball it's mostly slap hitting.

by mtalken on Sep 27, 2007 8:02 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Whatever
She was also pitching 20 mph slower.  I'd say it evens out a bit.

by spants on Sep 27, 2007 1:25 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

But
She was also pitching from below her waist, not over her shoulder.

These guys have been looking at thousands and thousands of fastballs and curveballs that break down(and mostly away) every day since they were 10.

Her pitches are still rising as they cross the plate.

Give them an aluminum fastpitch bat(not the wood bat they had) and a few more pitches to look at and I'm sure they'd start smokin the ball.  

by JShell73 on Sep 28, 2007 10:45 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

There's always gotta
be a reason why a woman beats a man, huh?

by spants on Sep 28, 2007 12:39 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

That was not my point
Man or woman doesn't matter. I was making a point that it was a completely different style of pitching than they had ever seen. If you had seen the episode of TWIB that showed the matchups, you would know what I'm talking about.  

by JShell73 on Sep 28, 2007 3:17 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I did
see the TWIB episodes,  including the one with Albert.

I do think Albert, at least, has faced that type of pitching.  Hell, knowing how competitive he is, maybe he had his wife pitch to him for a few weeks before the episode taped. :P  It's no secret that baseball players play/played softball, too.  So they've seen that type of pitching before.

Now, we don't know what weight/length bats the players used.  Perhaps they used a lighter or shorter bat when facing Finch.  The fast-pitch softball is also larger than a baseball, though smaller than a slow-pitch softball.  They have a bigger target to hit than with the equivalent baseball fastball.  

I don't have footage of the TWIB episodes, so I don't know Jennie Finch's exact release point, but I do know that in fastpitch softball, the ball has to be released at or below the hips.  I'd like to see the TWIB footage to see whether Finch altered her release point when facing the MLB hitters, perhaps to compensate for their height.

Look, the whole thing was just kind of cool and fun.  She's obviously talented, as I doubt many (if ANY) other softball pitchers would be able to strike out a bunch of MLB hitters.  You can discount it by saying the mound was different, etc, and I've got just as much to say that the MLB players have advantages, too.  Such as, with the riseball that she threw, the MLB players are taller than her usual competition.  Thus, they have a height advantage, creating a different swing plane for them, one that could be advantageous as the riseball wouldn't appear to rise as much to 6'3" Albert Pujols as it would to 5'6" David Eckstein.  

by spants on Sep 28, 2007 4:00 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I found some footage
on YouTube.  Her release point is close to her body, but still higher than a submariner's release point.

by spants on Sep 28, 2007 4:13 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Use Reyes as a closer
Wouldn't we need a lead to do that?

I half expect that once Albert gets his 100 RBI the team just goes. "Hey we're good. Just go ahead and put us down for a 7-0 loss for the rest of the season...because we are out of here."

After all Card fans were able to see all their games. Would Pirate fans notice if there was only one team onthe field?

by Harknights on Sep 26, 2007 4:17 PM EDT   0 recs

you are talking about the Pirates
do they qualify as a team?
"Show me a guy who takes his time on the mound and I'll show you a damned loser." - Leo Durocher

by mattyfrommo on Sep 26, 2007 6:18 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

How about
Have our fielders all be pitchers, and our fielder be a pitcher:

Reyes SS
Jiminez 2B
Wainwright CF
Wells LF
Looper 1B
Percival C
Maroth RF
Isringhausen 3B
Miles P

And yes, Miles would still bat 9th in that order

Re-acquire Edgar Renteria

by Mr Redbird on Sep 26, 2007 4:19 PM EDT   0 recs

Er..
Have our fielders all be pitchers, and our pitcher be a fielder
Re-acquire Edgar Renteria

by Mr Redbird on Sep 26, 2007 4:20 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

love the speezer idea
  1. every outfielder must try to catch every ball backwards-basket-mays style.
  2. let yadi play OF and see if he can gun someone down tagging up. (answer: yes.) (also: probably shouldn't do 1 and 2 at the same time - could get reeeeeally ugly.)
  3. i dunno, maybe let ankiel pitch a little, whaddayasay.
Hello, playoff watching

by nycbirdo on Sep 26, 2007 4:19 PM EDT   0 recs

Everyone
becomes a switch-hitter.  Switch-hitters do the reverse split, thus batting left when facing a lefty.

by spants on Sep 26, 2007 4:28 PM EDT   0 recs

everyone
throws with the opposite hand. miles' arm improves.
Hello, playoff watching

by nycbirdo on Sep 26, 2007 6:16 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Miles's arm
would improve.  Sad.

by spants on Sep 26, 2007 6:37 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

let ankiel pitch
your throwing miles and speeze out there to save the bullpen, i wouldve loved to see the ovation ankiel wouldve gotten had they thrown him on the mound at home....

by Dankston on Sep 26, 2007 6:41 PM EDT   0 recs

the ovation
very quick, followed by everyone within 30 degrees of home plate ducking and covering.
Hello, playoff watching

by nycbirdo on Sep 26, 2007 7:07 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Since everyone is bored
watching the Cards getting slaughtered, how about if we totally change venue.  I think they should play Cricket for the last three games with the Pirates.  We can watch them all try to figure out the rules.  That would fun in itself.

by nycardfan on Sep 26, 2007 7:28 PM EDT   0 recs

how about
Playing like there are people in the stands who have waited all season for this game!

 How about playing for the fan who will be driving 5.5 hours with is family to watch is favorite team in all sport.

 How about looking in the P n C stadium crowd and seeing more red than black and gold, and playing like a world champion.

 I was so hoping that this weekend would be a clincher. I have tickets for the 29th and 30th. I will be celebrating my 48th birthday and 40 years as a Cards fan.

 Now I get to look forward to the free concert after the game. Anyone here ever hear of the CLARKS. Well I bet I'll hear all their best tunes on Saturday.

by nybirdfan on Sep 26, 2007 10:06 PM EDT   0 recs

Okay
but can they play cricket and still qualify?

by spants on Sep 26, 2007 10:12 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

There's also drinking.
Well, let's go to the old mill anyway -- get some cider!

by Alxfritz on Sep 27, 2007 8:09 AM EDT   0 recs

my life in 3 words.
Hello, playoff watching

by nycbirdo on Sep 27, 2007 10:03 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

the clarks
actually the clarks are a pretty good band. so i guess you have that going for you.

by tscherbel on Sep 27, 2007 4:13 PM EDT   0 recs

LET ALBERT PITCH!!!!
23 homers 71 rbis, yeah, albert's having an off year

by PujolsFan4Life5 on Sep 27, 2007 9:31 PM EDT   0 recs

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