Losing Rolen and Edmonds is addition by subtraction

by MilCardFan on Apr 6, 2008 4:46 PM EDT

I don't write that title to enflame passions and create anger among VEB nation, but at this point, I think it's a true statement.

After watching Ankiel make yet another great catch, I think it's apparent the Jim Edmonds of 2006 and 2007 would have been hard pressed to make those plays. Maybe one of them, but not all.

I think Glaus v. Rolen is a push at this point, but Rolen is injured. Would he have broken his finger had he been at Cardinals spring training and not Toronto's? Probably not, and I concede that point, but other than that one ugly throw in the home opener, his defense has been downright respectable, and his bat is coming around.

Now, I fully concede the Edmonds and Rolen versions from 2001-2004 were hands down above and beyond anything Glaus has done or Ankiel probably will do, but I think Ankiels play in particular has saved some extra base hits that either prevented biginnings from starting or squashed them as they were on the verge of getting ugly.

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I'll say it again

It's been 6 games. You can't judge transactions by what happened in that one at bat, or on that one play. Yes, so far, in a teeny tiny sample size of 6 games, those deals have worked in the BOB's favor. But no one will know anything about the gains/losses of said trade for quite some time.

"Your Holiness, I'm Joseph Medwick. I, too, used to be a Cardinal."-Joe Medwick, to Pope Pius XII.

by redbirdnation8206 on Apr 6, 2008 5:53 PM EDT 0 recs

ya i love this

you see a lot of this on espn..

I can't believe i gave up a homerun to that punch and judy hitter-major league 2

by punchinjudy on Apr 7, 2008 5:51 PM EDT up 0 recs

I agree on Edmonds

Thinks remain to be seen with Rolen and Glaus. But the bat behind Albert sure will be nice.

As for Edmonds, I don't really think it's new news that we needed to move him -- after all, that's why we did the Edmonds-for-Freese trade. His defense is probably somewhere just south of Ankiel's at this point, plus he simply cannot hit anymore. Whether Ankiel hits better than him remains to be seen, but there's the one thing that you didn't bring up at all -- Rasmus.

by mojowo11 on Apr 6, 2008 5:55 PM EDT 0 recs

agreed

I'm watching the Dodgers/Padres game right now. Edmonds isn't the guy we knew three years ago.

Side note: I actually just bought his St. Louis jersey (only $30 for the official jersey now that he's gone). A couple of years after he retires, i'll be able to bring it out of the closet again for sentimental value. I'm glad he's not in our lineup at the moment, but he'll always be one of my favorite players.

by effin fisk on Apr 6, 2008 6:17 PM EDT up 0 recs

Only $30???

where did you find it that cheap? i think it's still worth wearing for all of the great years jimmy gave us

by urgeernieball on Apr 6, 2008 10:59 PM EDT up 0 recs

ebay

Although I also saw it on some online retailers for $60-70 before shipping. Better than the $199 or so that the new ones normally cost.

by effin fisk on Apr 7, 2008 1:02 PM EDT up 0 recs

thanks!

i'll have to check that out. i figured with all of these players gone the jerseys would be cheaper on mlb.com but even taguchi's '06 is going for nearly $100...

by urgeernieball on Apr 7, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

Off the field and in the clubhouse.

writers, namely Bernie Miklasz, think the change is positve:

The Cardinals were an unhappy bunch in 2007. Miserable, even. I don’t know how much these early positive vibes will translate into winning, but it can’t hurt."There’s a lot of great guys in here and they’re hungry to win," Pujols said. "It makes it fun."

It will be interesting where the leadership will be during a losing streak

Here's the deal, I'm the best there is, plain and simple, I mean I wake up every morning and I kiss excellence, and nobody can hang with my stuff, uh, you know I'm just a, just a big hairy American winning machine.....

by Schnake on Apr 7, 2008 8:38 AM EDT 0 recs

Yeah, the emotional backslide can be tough to stop.

That's the downside of a young clubhouse. At the same time, though, they have a great veteran who lets shit slide off his back on a daily basis in Isringhausen. I believe it's rare for a pitcher to become a true "clubhouse leader" but he is definitely the elder statesman of this group now, and I think that's a potential positive.

"Attaway to stomp 'em. Stomp the piss out of 'em. Stomp 'em when they're down. Kick 'em and stomp 'em. Attaway to go boys. Pound that old Budweiser into you and go get them tomorrow." -- Joe Schultz

by taiko on Apr 8, 2008 11:29 AM EDT up 0 recs

A positive attitude goes a long way

towards winning. When veteran core guys are disgruntled about playing for the team they're on, or have a beef with management, they might not act like it bugs them, but it's got to be felt by the other players.

Winning cures a lot of bad feelings, but losing magnifies them, and I think there was a fair amount of both in 2006 and 2007.

"Is this Heaven?"
"No, it;s Iowa."
"I could've sworn it was Heaven."

by MilCardFan on Apr 8, 2008 7:17 PM EDT up 0 recs