fuzzy math
by lboros on May 12, 2008 8:46 AM EDT
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Printif the cards had gotten competent bullpenning, some of you are saying, they’d be 5-2 on the current road trip and playing for a series win tonight, instead of 3-4 and needing a win to break even on the trip. that’s true as far as it goes --- but it’s also true that the cards very easily might find themselves 1-6 on the current trip, and staring up at the cubs. 2 of their 3 wins came in their last at-bat (monday at colorado and saturday at milwaukee), and in both of those games the opposing team had the go-ahead run on 3d with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th but couldn’t bring him home. st louis got both wins by the skin of their teeth; if they can salvage a win tonight behind wainwright and go home with a pair of splits, i don’t suppose we can really complain. that’d be a good trip.
it doesn’t seem as if they’ve scored a lot of runs on this road trip, only 29 in 7 games. but in truth that’s not drastically below their season average --- 4.1 runs a game on the trip, vs 4.5 runs/game overall. their slash lines on the trip (.282 / .359 / .420) are an almost perfect match for their season-long figures (.278 / .368 / .414). so why does it seem as if they’ve squandered one opportunity after another? well, the truth is they have: they’re 13 for 62 on this trip with RISP, a .210 average, and they’ve lost a passel of runners on the basepaths (including 4 yesterday). those two factors explain why the cards have underperformed by 5 runs on this trip, according to bill james’ runs created formula --- their inputs yield an estimate of 34 runs, vs the 29 actually scored. per dave smyth’s Base Runs formula (which is more accurate in small sample sizes like this one), the cards have underperformed by 8 runs on the road trip --- more than one a game. it turns out that’s a season-long pattern:
| runs | RC | BR |
|---|---|---|
| 177 | 197 | 206 |
the cardinals are not wringing full value out of their offensive accomplishments; the offense as a whole is less than the sum of its parts, and by a sizeable difference --- at least half a run a game. what gives?
the obvious place to look first is hitting with RISP; on this road trip, anyway, lack of timely hitting helps to explain their low run output. but for the entire season we can’t pin the blame there; the team is hitting .270 with RISP, which ranks 5th in the league. it’s true, as houstoncardinal showed a while ago, that they’re not hitting for much sock with men on base --- slugging only .390 --- but the league slugging average with RISP is .392. so something still doesn’t add up here; the number of baserunners the cards put on base is way above average, and with RISP they have an above-average BA and an average SLG. . . . yet they’re still scoring a slightly below-average number of runs per game. whatever’s going on here, it ain’t a lack of timely hitting.
to double-check that conclusion, i looked at runs scored per RISP plate appearance. in the national league as a whole, the average plate appearance with RISP yields .319 runs --- that’s 2051 runs in 6416 plate appearances, if you’re scoring along at home. the cardinals as a team have scored 143 runs in 452 plate appearances with RISP --- or .316 runs per plate appearance. so they’re plating their fair share of runs in scoring opportunities . . . . . that ain’t the problem.
then what the hell is the problem? i fished around, looking for clues. here’s some of what i found:
- 21 of the cards’ 30 homers have been solo shots, versus only two 3-run homers. that’s right ---- only two 3-run homers all season, and no grand slams. their 30 homers have been worth just 41 runs, or 1.36 runs per homer; the league average is 1.53 runs per homer. with a normal distribution, the cards would have plated 5 more runs via the longball. i don’t expect this pattern to change, and here’s why: teams won’t pitch to pujols with men on base. 5 of his 7 homers have been solo shots this year; the other two were the team’s lonely pair of 3-run jobs. no other cardinal has hit a 3-run homer this season. (paging mr. glaus; paging mr. duncan . . . . ) by the way, 7 of ryan ludwick’s 8 homers have been solo shots, and 5 have come in low-leverage game situations (a spread of 4 runs or more). without looking at any data, i’d have to guess that he’s just whacking fastballs out of the park --- bases empty; lopsided score; what the hell, here’s your pitch big fellah --- but he’s not seeing those pitches in rbi situations. ankiel, in case you’re wondering, has 4 solo shots and two 2-run shots.
- the cards are dead last in the league in baserunners reached via error --- they’ve only had 10 gift baserunners, or one per 154 plate appearances. the league average is one per 95 plate appearances. at a normal rate, the cardinals would have 16 reached-on-errors (ROEs), worth about an extra 4 runs.
- the cards lead the league in grounding into double plays, which isn’t surprising --- they put lots of men on base and hit lots of groundballs. the cards have had 550 plate appearances with a man on first base this year, all-inclusive --- ie, man on first only, first + second, first + third, and bases loaded --- and 40 of them ended in double plays, or one per 13.8 plate appearances. the league as a whole GIDPs only once per 16.5 pa. at a normal GIDP rate, the cardinals would have saved 7 outs / baserunners, or about 5 runs.
- while the cards are scoring at a normal rate with RISP as a whole, that is not true with respect to scoring men from 3d base with less than 2 outs. the nl as a whole is scoring .61 runs for every plate appearance with a man on 3d and less than two outs, but the cards are scoring only .55 runs per PA, which ranks 14th among the 16 nl teams --- and about 5 runs below average. now this gets a bit fuzzy, because a single PA in this situation can be worth more than one run ---- e.g., you might have guys on 2d and 3d with nobody out, and the batter migh hit a single and drive them both in. it’s possible that the cards, via random chance, have had fewer multi-run scoring opportunities in this situational split; it’s possible this is all noise. but here’s one last consideration for you: the cardinals rank next-to-last in the league in sacrifice flies. only the rockies have hit fewers. the cards have had 85 sac-fly opportunities and only 7 sac flies, or 1 per 12 opportunities. the league average is 1 sac fly per 8 opportunities. the cards ought to have 3 or 4 more sac flies than they do. now, it doesn’t necessarily follow that they stranded all of those un-sac-flied baserunners ---- maybe they simply drove them in via groundball or basehit, rather than via the flyball. there’s so much noise here that i hesitate to jot down a run value, but i do think this is interesting and worth paying attn to.
items:
- the 1986 cardinals had a 6-1 lead in game 4 of their nlcs tilt against houston; a win would have put them up 3-1 in the series. but they gave up 3 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th, lost it in the 13th . . . . ouch. game 5 is tonight.
- here's joe sheehan's paean to jim edmonds at BP (subscriber only).
- also for BP subscribers: dayn perry asks if the cards are for real . answer? nyet.
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Glaus is starting to worry me
My “patience, it’s only April” mantra doesn’t apply anymore. I wonder if he often gets off to a slow start.
Typically
he is a slow starter, but more importantly, he is one of the streakiest hitters you’ll ever see. Hopefully he’ll get rolling here shortly….if not, could spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E!
Retraction
Actually he starts off April/March quite strong – he hits his highest average during that month. And he has hit his most HRs in April and May. Here are his splits.
Nice work as always Larry,
what do you think that the team can do to REALISTICLY remedy this situation? I just do not see any magic wand or unknown trade in this seasons future to fix or repair our lineup. I’d love to hear a realistic plan of action.
Steriods is...is bad.
Im a day late and a dollar short as usual getting here, but this ties a bow on the offensive situation….... well stated with numbers to back it up as usual! Now like HJ says above where to go from here?
Im guessing patience until at least the 1-2 week of June on both the closer situation and offensive struggle before we see any real lasting impact type changes. Playing dumb on the bases sure doesnt help. Glaus and Duncan better find some pop in their bats pretty damn quick, if they hit Albert will hit.
by cardschinmusic on May 13, 2008 5:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Baserunning
It was nice to see La Russa admit his bad call, which was calling for a hit and run with a guy who can’t run (Glaus) and a guy who can’t hit (Larue). However, I was troubled by Pujols’ blanket defense of his baserunning, saying in so many words, “I play aggressive”. I haven’t looked at any data, but I’m wondering if Pujols’ is running more aggressively (foolishly) this year than in years past, or is he just getting caught (or unlucky) more often. Relatedly, I wonder if his reputation for aggressive baserunning has his opponents prepared for some of his decision-making. Just thinking out loud.
Yesterday’s game smarts less because the team simply did not play well enough to deserve a win. Friday just kills because despite leaving tons of runners on base we still entered the final frame with a lead. Let’s go Wagonmaker!
Pujols Aggressiveness
Pujols always gets credit when he takes the extra base, like he did against Colorado last week, but his outs on the basepaths seem to go unnoticed. I don’t know if there is data available, but it seems for each extra base he takes running aggressively, he makes an out running foolishly.
JOSE OQUENDO!!!
I posted something like this in the open thread, and ...
I basically got blasted for it. It seems as though the Colorado play has emboldened him to the point of foolishness. I completely agree with the reason he got thrown out at 3B, he was drawing the throw so Kennedy could score. However, a few games ago he should have been picked off 2B; and there were fewer than two outs. He was already in scoring position. It didn’t make sense to take the extensive secondary lead. Then, last night he got picked off of 1B without good cause. I know they’re having trouble scoring, but it seems like he is getting TOO aggressive.
I don’t typically criticize his baserunning or approach at the plate. That said, some seem to think that it is sacreligious to do so at all. In general, I think his aggressive approach at the plate, in the field, and on the bases generates more good things than bad. It is still possible that he is starting to cross that threshold.
no, you are absolutely correct
nothing makes me more angry than seeing outs given away on the basepaths. Albert ran us out of two rallies yesterday and there is no excuse for that.
I’ve seen some people say it was a good move to get thrown out going to third so that Kennedy could score—that is bull. If Kennedy can’t score without giving up an out, he needed to be held at third. In the game yesterday, he would have been safe even if the throw had gone through, so it was a totally wasted out.
The only time it might be a good move is in close and late situations.
And I awoke in California, far far from Spancilhill...
I don't know that it was necessary ...
for Pujols to try to draw the throw last night, but I’ve seen him do that repeatedly over the last few years. I guess I have a soft spot for players that think that way. I loved watching Larry Walker deke players on balls hit to RF that he knew he couldn’t catch. Maybe it’s not always necessary, but that kind of aggression may also cause errors by the other team.
I'll take 4-4
On a 8 game road trip. Lets go Wainwright!
Speaking of soloshot home runs. I called Ludwick’s last night. I was over at my buddies out watching the game after working on my car. I turned to him and said, “You know, It’s time for one of Ludwicks trademark solo shots right here.” Next pitch there it went…
Honestly though. I just hope the Cardinal’s came come out somwhere around 10 games above .500 when May is over. Cubs sweeping the Diamondbacks is scarey. But we can’t worry about that.
come for the stats and insight... stay for the vocab lesson.
What can we expect from Wainright tonight?
This guy is really having to carry the load so far this year. For the most part, he’s handled it really well. But how long can he be expected to be the stopper?
I hope he stays within himself tonight and doesn’t try to force things.
I’d be thrilled with 7 innings and 3 runs allowed.
My first memory of Cardinals baseball is seeing Darrell Porter jump into Bruce Sutter's arms on October 20, 1982!
I expect Wainer to pitch well like top of the line pitchers are expected to do..........
Ted Lilly had some ridiculos amount of wins/quality starts last year for the Cubs to stop losing streaks. If Wainer is what we think he is I expect a solid outing from him something around 7 innings of work.
WHIP is .95
Wainwright is a stud. I don’t worry about him. I worry that we’ll not score.
OT: is Albert’s day off tonight’s game?
according to the RotoWorld sidebar,
yes, it is. Looks like Dunc the Yunger will be displaying his 1st base prowess tonight.
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on May 12, 2008 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I've heard
The Giants are looking for a first baseman
by Merry CRasmus on May 12, 2008 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I was actually going to include that into my post
but, I figured I would let yall have some fun with it :-p
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on May 12, 2008 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
They need some left-handed power, don't they?
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
The Cards NEED
Messers. Glaus and Duncan to start providing “Doctor Longball”... I think Tony’s current batting order (with Kennedy/Miles hitting second) makes sense, if only to break up the singles hitters at the bottom of the lineup.
The guys who can run (Barton, Ankiel, Izturis, Schumaker, and Ryan) aren’t effective base stealers—at least not yet! Iz2ris has a sub-standard 62% success rate, while the others I’ve mentioned don’t have enough attempts to get a “read” on their effectiveness.
Tony prefers the hit-and-run to the straight steal (when he doesn’t have Rickey Henderson, anyway)... but the Birds have been victimized by swing-and-miss batters hitting behind the guys who can run. While Kennedy would seem to be a good hit-and-run candidate, ya don’t wanna leave first base open with Albert at the dish!
Let’s hope Young Dunc’s bombs are a portent of things to come… and that Glaus can swing the bat freely with that bunged-up forearm!
The Wagonmaker always gives me confidence that the Cardinals will have a good chance of winning any game he starts; and Mr. Bush has been abused by the rest of the League this season. A 4-4 road swing (with four of those games being in the un-friendly confines of Coors Field) would suit me just fine.
Don’t worry about what the Cubs (or anybody else in the division) is doing—worry about how many game you can put yourself over .500!
"In this game, don't nobody know nuthin' about nuthin'." -- attributed to Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra
Oh no. Cubs are apparently
doing “due diligence” as Edmonds clears waivers according to local radio. Man just seeing him in the uniform would make me want to smack someone.
Well.........
The Cubs do really need another LH bat with POP and they don’t want to play Felix Pie everyday and they don’t want Reed Johnson in CF everyday either.
I guess they can’t lose by seeing what Edmonds has left, however I just think Jimmy is done.
+1
I would hate to see him in a Cubs uniform, but most likely it wouldn’t be for long anyway with how he’s been playing of late…
if it's any consolation
it must have killed them to see Shawon Dunston in a Cardinals uniform his last year or two (I forget how long Dunstan played for the Cardinals)
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
or Lou Brock
"...but If I can do some damage and help my team win, I'm going to stay in there" -Albert
or Lee Smith
"Do what you want to the women and children but leave me alone"- George Carlin
by That's a Winner on May 12, 2008 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah...
I don’t think that Edmonds meets that need of a LH bat with pop. The guy is toast as far as being a legit power threat goes.
"Your Holiness, I'm Joseph Medwick. I, too, used to be a Cardinal."-Joe Medwick, to Pope Pius XII.
by redbirdnation8206 on May 12, 2008 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I really hope they don't sign him
although my reasons are more selfish. I was at the Braves/Padres game on Thursday, and decided to record Jimmy’s AB. I didn’t realize at the time that it could have been his last MLB AB. He grounded out to 2nd, but I still think it’s cool to have a recording of his last AB.
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
While Dayn Perry is the dolt from Fox Sports
he is somewhat right, the Cardinals aren’t very legit. Alongside what larry pointed out today, the Cardinals have burned out their bullpen. By ‘grinding’ seemingly every game, the bullpen is put in high pressure situations every day. And while the offense seems to hit into a bunch of bad luck, the total lack of XBH is, as Dusty would say, clogging the bases.
There are ways of fixing this. Trying to steal bases instead of always hitting and running.
But, unless this team very quickly figures out how to score all those baserunners it can’t seem to do, this downward slide by the club will probably continue.
by Hardcore Legend on May 12, 2008 11:22 AM EDT reply actions
downward slide?
Wait, going on an 8 game road trip to Coors Field and Miller park and coming back home with a 4-4 or 3-5 record is a “slide”?
Had they gotten their butts kicked in for 7 of 8 games and losing games 10-0 and 14-5 would be a slide—you know, like certain stretches of 2007!!!
With WW on the hill today, hopefully they can grab a split in Milwaukee, which will allow them to grab some momentum going into the Pittsburgh series.
Going in, I think we all know that this team was going to have problems scoring runs, and that was with most of us assuming that Duncan would return to April 2007 form and Glaus would provide better production at the three sack than we got last year out of Rolen. Ludwick and Ankiel have started well and picked up some slack, Schu has played well, Barton has done really well in limited AB’s, and the pitching has been fantastic to this point. Because of all this I believe that we are expecting more and, therefore, hoping this team is going to continue playing over it’s head.
We’ve only lost on series all year, let’s see how they bounce back against a weaker schedule this week with Pittsburgh and hope they play well against a suddenly hot Tampa team this weekend.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Don't forget Yadi
hitting .301 is a HUGE upside. Now if we could just find a backup to spell him that could hit at least as well as Izz2. . .
Not concerned...
about Larue—he plays once a week, and nothing about Tony’s past handling of backup catchers makes me think that’s going to change. It’s not like Bennett set the world on fire last year, and Larue is quite a bit better behind the plate.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Milwaukee and Colorado were playing horrible
baseball and the Cardinals let them steal 4 wins. Milwaukee hadn’t won a game in a week and Colorado had lost 16 of 20 or something awful like that.
With the soft schedule the Cardinals have played, 4-4 on the roadtrip is a let down.
by Hardcore Legend on May 12, 2008 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
in other words
Both of those ballclubs were probably due to have a few good nights ahead of them - the Rockies are much better than a 4-16 stretch, and we all know that Milwaukee hasn’t had anybody hitting all year outside of Kendall and Hart. I’ll take a split on the road with those two teams because we took both series from them at home. If they can play at a .580 clip at home and have a .500 record on the road….well that works out to about 90 wins - around 10 more than most people expected them to win, and probably enough to keep them in the division hunt until the last week of the season.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Good observation
We’ve seen a LOT of hit & run, which puts batters’ focus on contact & not power. And as Goaler pointed out, our younger guys may have potential as basestealers. Seeing more fastballs as a consequence might help power hitting as well.
And less bunting might help, especially early in the game. Drives me nuts. Play for one run & that’s all you’ll get.
The pirates have a doubleheader
with the Braves today before coming into St louis tomorrow. That should help, unless the Cards get mixed up in some long extra inning affair today and wear out their bullpen. Hope Wainwright can give at least a good seven.
And to add
Thing might look even more bleak after next weekend. Don’t look for anything but a tough series from the Rays next weekend, while the Cubs will have the lowly Pirates at home.
One idea to boost production...
Keep Duncan on the bench, keep Ankiel in the lineup.
"because at the end of the day they still are the Chicago Cubs"
by rockin the red on May 12, 2008 11:32 AM EDT reply actions
agreed
Duncan should really only be playing limited duty right now—getting pinch hit AB’s in the late innings until Ludwick or Schumaker begin to slump.
It’s awful hard to keep Duncan’s .380 OBP out of the lineup though—even when he’s not hitting he’s getting on base…
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
That's true...
but the guy he’s been platooning with is leading the team in homers and has a higher OBP…the problem stems from having to play Skip in the outfield.
I’d almost like to see this lineup to see if this helps the run scoring problems:
1. Kennedy 2B
2. Duncan LF
3. Pujols 1B
4. Ankiel CF
5. Ludwick RF
6. Glaus 3B
7. Molina C
8. Pitcher
9. Izturis/Ryan SS
I don’t like Kennedy in the leadoff spot - but I just don’t know what else you do to get the most pop in the lineup at one time. What this team really needs is a middle infielder that can hit leadoff - is Brendan Ryan that type of guy? I just don’t know if he is.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Concerns
My biggest concerns with Duncan are that he doesn’t seem to be adjusting to how he’s being pitched. Pitchers keep working the inside of the plate on him trying to get in on his hands. Most of his power comes from his ability to get his arms extended and pull the ball over the right center field wall. I would suggest that he either crowd the plate a bit more and take a few balls off the shoulder, or work on getting his hands through the zone quicker to get to the inside pitch
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Even so
You can’t take Ankiel out of the lineup, and you can’t take Ludwick out of the lineup. A lineup like fourstick’s below would solve both those dilemmas, and I could live with that.
"because at the end of the day they still are the Chicago Cubs"
by rockin the red on May 12, 2008 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Actually
that would be fourstick’s above
"because at the end of the day they still are the Chicago Cubs"
by rockin the red on May 12, 2008 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
OBP hasn't been our weakness of late
Duncan’s defense has cost us multiple runs & we’re leaving men on base at an alarming rate. His OBP is awesome, but what we could really use is some added power.
Dunc's D
I can only think of a couple of times where his defense really cost the Cards any runs. I think his D has actually been a bit better this season as he seems to be taking better routes to balls. Obviously it’s not as good as our other outfielders, but it’s not killing the team to Manny Ramirez proportions yet.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
manny being manny
the manny ramirez comparison is tiresome. if dunc hit like manny, i wouldn’t care how he played defense. unfortunately, he doesn’t/hasn’t.
It could be worse, you could be on fire.
by themanthemyth on May 12, 2008 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Wait...
I didn’t compare them—I simply said he’s not near that bad in left field. Agreed, if he hit like Manny I wouldn’t care how he played out there either, but if Manny played at Busch, his liabilites in LF would be much more pronounced than they currently are in Boston with the Monster leaving him less ground to cover.
I think Chris has shown a lot of improvement in the outfield over the last couple of years—he’ll never be a great defensive outfielder, but if he can post replacement level defense and hit with a +.850 OPS then he can play in my outfield anytime.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
For me the tradeoffs are a little different
I don’t think Duncan will ever play “replacement level defense”. We can debate all day long how bad his defense has been or will be, but I can’t think of another outfielder in the last 50 years of Cardinal baseball who has been as bad as Duncan. That being said, the Cardinals have typically had pretty decent outfielders.
I am being fair and assuming that Duncan will perform offensively at a level that is similar to his past performance, maybe even slightly better. The big issue is: will he ever hit lefties? His career numbers against lefties are: .199/.265/.333 and this year (smaller sample) is : .083/.154/.083. With the OFs we have and Rasmus in our future, a platoon outfielder who is a defensive liability really doesn’t (shouldn’t) have a spot on the major league roster.
With our only legitimate lead-off hitters being outfielders (Schumaker, Barton, Rasmus), Duncan has to be compared against Ludwick and Ankiel. They are both far better defensive players who have the skills to play everyday. Unless we can get a MIF to lead-off, Duncan’s role is fifth outfielder and pinch hitter. I am tired of seing Ludwick sit so Duncan can play.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
I'm not convinced that Duncan is that bad
Of course he is bad, when you compare him to a guy like Skip or Luddy, (though he’s outperforming skip in LF by RZR so far) but he looks pretty good when you compare him to Adam Dunn or Pat Burrell or Carlos Lee or Josh Willingham or Wily Mo Pena or Matt Diaz or… the list goes on, but he’s been better than the average NL LF. Even if he does fall down sometimes when he catches the ball.
And even in his early slump, he’s hit as well as the average NL LF. Quite a bit better, actually.
And I awoke in California, far far from Spancilhill...
The thing with Duncan...
is he looks bad defensively. No matter what the defensive stats say, he looks bad out there, so people will rag on him.
Similarly, other players who look smooth while fielding get away with errors and missed balls.
Start Ludwick
I have been following Cardinal baseball since 1964
and I have never seen an outfielder for the Cardinals who was this bad. I have never seen a major league outfielder miss two catchable fly balls and let a routine grounder go between his legs in the same inning.
I must bow in the direction of RZR, but I don’t think we will ever see Skip removed from LF and Duncan inserted as a defensive replacement.
I will admit that he runs pretty well for a big guy and he has at least an average arm, but he is still a distant fifth in defensive skills among the Cardinals current outfield. Barton’s arm isn’t terrific, but at least he catches the ball and covers quite a bit of ground.
I still say if it comes down to competing with Ankiel and Ludwick for playing time, Duncan should be riding the pine.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
Lil Dunc
Went 3-5 with 3 RBIs and 1 HR in his last two starts.
The whole outfield can make a case for starting.
True...
But if Ludwick, Ankiel, and Duncan are putting up +800 OPS, I don’t see how Skip can keep getting playing time…that’s going to be a tough decision for Tony.
There’s too many singles hitters in the lineup to keep legtimate power hitters on the bench
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Not to beat a dead horse
I’ve always liked Izzy, even with his flair for the dramatic. That said, the reason you pay a closer $8M is to “shorten the game.” A closer taking home that kind of coin ought to be able to hold a lead and he didn’t in two games . That is a glaring problem and the one that sticks in the collective craw of Cardinal Nation. Watching the Cards snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, especially with your veteran closer on the hill stays with you a lot longer than the ‘pen holding onto a win.
Another area of concern is scoring a few runs early and then doing nothing for the final 2/3 of the game.
A split on a road swing through the defending NL champs and Milwaukee would be pretty nice.
I'm not sure if anyone posted on this yesterday, but
...the slovenly French Canadian is no longer the Brew Crew’s closer.
The Brewers yanked Eric Gagne from the closer’s role on Sunday after the reliever called his latest performance embarrassing and said he didn’t feel he deserved to pitch the ninth anymore.Manager Ned Yost said he read Gagne’s comments and will use a closer by committee approach while Gagne takes what Yost called a “mental break.”
I bet...
The crappy sunglasses all the time are next, followed by the massive stack of note cards. I bet after that he’ll bench one guy, probably his third baseman (lookout Bill Hall!) for being hurt, which will develop into a massive bru-ha-ha that leads to that player being traded for his long lost twin of a player. Oh, and he’ll probably make a portion of the Milwaukee fan base mad by juggling his lineup like a madman.
"Your Holiness, I'm Joseph Medwick. I, too, used to be a Cardinal."-Joe Medwick, to Pope Pius XII.
by redbirdnation8206 on May 12, 2008 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Pujols sitting tonight
Manager Tony La Russa plans to rest first baseman Albert Pujols tonight, potentially giving Pujols his first day off this season. He didn’t start an earlier game but appeared as a pinch-hitter.
Yes,
but he made one PA as a pinch hitter. Albert walked and that is how he has been on base in every game the Cards have played so far this year.
by cardsgirl95 on May 12, 2008 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I Hope...
that he doesn’t get a PA, because that would lessen his chances of extending is on-base streak! but of course if we’re tied/down in the 8th and there are two or three guys on, I’m sure I’ll be begging otherwise.
"...but If I can do some damage and help my team win, I'm going to stay in there" -Albert
If he doesn't get a PA, the streak will end anyway.
It may be a different kind of streak, but the streak as it has been described is “reached base every game of the year”. If we play a game without him in it, it is still a game.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
The streak in terms of Cardinals games played
But the streak of getting on base stays alive. Guys take days off during hitting streaks, same deal.
With no evidence to the contrary, Colby Rasmus is clutch
Be honest
The family needs to evolve. You won’t find a single team that will take Duncan on. Same way with Glaus, no one would touch his contract. Duncans numbers came primarily from hitting second, getting all those pitches in front of Albert. He is a liability defensively. I think your seeing these players for their true abilities and appetites right now. A momentary streak by either would simply obscure the fact that the team can do better through trade of minor league advancement. Ankiel batting forth again is a perfect example of a player being injured by having to compensate for Glaus and Duncans inadequacies. Ankiel will grow in to a superstar if he is not mangled by the pressures of team dependencies.
Westcoastbirdwatcher
by westcoastbirdwatcher on May 12, 2008 11:56 AM EDT reply actions
Lots of flaws in this statement...
Duncans numbers came primarily from hitting second, getting all those pitches in front of Albert.
Duncan’s best numbers of his career don’t come from hitting in front of Albert - in fact, some of his worst splits are from hitting in the second spot. He’s starting to come around, and his ability to get on base is undeniable - he’s been better and better at that the more AB’s he gets.
Ankiel will grow in to a superstar if he is not mangled by the pressures of team dependencies.
So, where should Rick hit then, if not 4th? He’s a left handed power hitter who doesn’t hit for high average - he probably should be hitting fourth, that’s where most guys with that profile bat in the lineup, fourth or fifth. Hitting him 4th provides the team with a RLR at the 3-4-5 spots, which Tony really craves. I’m really not sure that he’ll be a “superstar” - if he can match Edmonds numbers from age 30 – 35 I would take that, but I’m not sure if he’ll be able to do that.
A momentary streak by either would simply obscure the fact that the team can do better through trade of minor league advancement
So, you think that trading Glaus or Duncan would prevent Rick from having to hit fourth? Can you explain how trading two power hitters would enable Tony to move Rick out of the cleanup spot? I don’t see how that would help the situation at all actually.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
i disagree on a whole lot of levels
You won’t find a single team that will take Duncan on.
i’ll see your assertion and raise you one: many teams, including the cards, should be happy to have him.
Duncans numbers came primarily from hitting second, getting all those pitches in front of Albert.
the sabermetric community appears to consider strong protection a myth
He is a liability defensively.
but if he gives more than he takes away, his presence is still a net positive.
With this type of thinking
This team could easily be 7or 8 games back, in third or forth place at the all star break.
Love Ankiel….he has had an interesting and storied career. If you think he is bullet proof, sober up.
I could give a shit about Duncan’s career numbers, saber-metrics ect. Baseball is a Romantic game, played by wild ego feeding males…(Pujols) not ex surfers like Glaus or momma’s boys like Duncan. If moves aren’t made, this team will fall hard and fast…... These players aren’t responding to game situations and team chemistry. The wouldn’t last a week with the Red Sox. This reminds me of the Reds, and Adam Dunn. Dunn is a massive liability, especially playing with Griffey. Griffeys ego is so isolating, he rarely responds to team needs. He will never play on a winning team. The fact that Dunn is in the same outfield is just camouflage for Griffey constant choking. They will both hit tape measure shots in a blowout or most often when is to late to make a differents. Everyone here throws statistics around like its a convention of Quantum physicists. Great after the fact analysis. How come Tony doesn’t carry a slide rule. Any activity is subject to a statical analysis. What do you think is going on in Glaus’ head after he is struck out by the same sequence of pitches every time. I’m ranting…......
Westcoastbirdwatcher
by westcoastbirdwatcher on May 12, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd love to see you
walk up to lil’Dunc in a bar and call him a “momma’s boy” to his face. He’s a 6’5”, 210 lb “momma’s boy” who could probably remove your head without spilling his beer.
He’s also following a very comparable career path to fellow “momma’s boys” Justin Morneau and David Ortiz, though their age 27 seasons, and could very well put up MVP-caliber numbers in one of the next couple of years.
And I awoke in California, far far from Spancilhill...
by the way
through May 11th in David Ortiz’ age-27 season, he had a .683 OPS with 1 home run. He ended up finishing 5th in the MVP voting that year.
It’s way, way too early to read anything into Duncan’s power numbers so far this year…
And I awoke in California, far far from Spancilhill...
OK, but
How many other guys who were comparable to Ortiz at age 27 continued to be comparable to him afterwards? Maybe if Duncan was traded to Boston and turned into a DH…..
Seriously, though, the big difference with both Morneau and Ortiz is they can both hit lefties. Ortiz is pretty good against lefties and Morneau is at least competent. If there was any legitimate hope that Duncan would develop the ability to hit lefties then Tony would have him in there.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
This is silly
SleepyCA isn’t saying that Duncan is the hitter that Ortiz is, just that Ortiz is going through a rough stretch too.
Pick your battles, man.
Huh?
I didn’t realize that was the point. I thought the point was that Duncan was, “following a very comparable career path to fellow ‘momma’s boys’ Justin Morneau and David Ortiz, though their age 27 seasons, and could very well put up MVP-caliber numbers in one of the next couple of years.”
Didn’t mean to be silly.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
nope, you're right
I think Duncan is a much better hitter than given credit for being, and could one day be as good of a hitter as David Ortiz. It’s unlikely, but it COULD happen. No one predicted a string of 1.000+ OPS seasons from Ortiz after his age 26 season, and the main reason I mention Ortiz is that he was released by Minnesota after his age 26 season, after a performance that was very similar to Duncan’s last year.
Ortiz also started off very slowly in his age-27 season, much like Duncan has. while that proves nothing about future performance, it was just meant to show that it is too early to say “Duncan is broken, trade him for scraps”. Anything can happen in 100 PA’s.
You’re right about the “inability to hit lefties” bit, as ortiz has always been good at that, but take a look at Morneau’s first 300 PA’s against lefties—.612 OPS. Since then, .793. Duncan has 155, at a .598 OPS. Give him another year or two of steady at bats and he’ll improve, imho. Platoon him strictly, and he won’t.
And I awoke in California, far far from Spancilhill...
Agreed
I have written before that Duncan needs to play everyday so we can see what we’ve got. I really wish we had a MIF who could bat leadoff as I would prefer the main OF rotation be Ankiel, Ludwick, Duncan with Barton in the mix as needed. However, if TLR continues to insist on playing Skip everyday, then I would still rather see Ankiel and Ludwick play ahead of Duncan. Nothing against Skippy, but since he really seems to struggle against lefties, and we have a need for “damage” from our outfielders, I see him as the odd man out. Especially when Rasmus is ready.
If Duncan can contribute against lefties enough to stay in the lineup and can be a .280/.380/.550 guy then I am prepared to put up with his defensive inadequacies. I just don’t know how we can play him everyday without putting an important run producer like Ludwick on the bench. Do I even dare to dream that AK could be a productive leadoff hitter? I really don’t want to see Miles or Iz2 in that role, and I don’t think TLR would let Ryan have the opportunity.
It would be wonderful if Duncan was able to prove himself an everyday run producer and both Ankiel and Ludwick continue to perform. Rasmus would make it very interesting. It would be nice to have someone to trade that other teams actually want.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
Joe Morgan?
You use computers now?
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
i smell fremp..
the spelling and grammar is too consistent. fremp wasn’t concetrating hard enough and made it a little too obvious. kudos on the attempt though, i give it a B.
i always thought griffey and dunn were pretty damn good players but i haven’t watched them play very much so i can’t say anything about them.
Thanks Matty
I’m rehearsing my very limited key board skills. I’ll take a B. I’ve met Justin and Large Poppy. Both have found there way through a very complex matrix of variables. They were and are now playing with some pretty good players. They play a role that fits in with their teams goals. Duncan is at best a back up first baseman. He is not Manny playing if front of the Green monster 80 games a year. Not quite the hitter probably too, wouldn’t you agree. Duncan doesn’t fit. He would be traded if anyone would take him. Sorry….....
Westcoastbirdwatcher
by westcoastbirdwatcher on May 12, 2008 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions
didn't mean to offend...
though i could totally understand if you were… (i’m assuming you were being a little sarcastic). basically i was trying to make a joe morgan joke (a la valatan’s comment), and it kind of fell flat. i sometime try to hard to be funny.
anyway, i think you bring up some good points… duncan may end up being unnecessary in this team, especially with rasmus inevitably emerging from memphis, and i think ankiel’s pure talent and rather unique career path may enable him to end up being a much more solid all-around player than he seems capable. however, i hate to see the overall disparaging remarks about statistical analysis in general at the expense of stuff about clubhouse karma and personality. i’m sure issues like those have their importance, but i just thought you went a little too far with it. i know baseball players aren’t walking baseballreference pages who produce a completely predictable effect over the course of a season. but i also don’t buy that ken griffey junior somehow builds up a reputation on “cheap” homeruns that “don’t matter” and other stuff like that.
Not offended at all
unfortunately the Griffey observations are true. I understand he is very amiable in the club house, but I have rarely seen him produce as the go to guy. In recent years anyway. I’ve seen the negative effect his attitude has had on players with less talent than his. He is a feeder, always playing on a loser. He thrills the fans when there is no performance pressures. He could not play with a player like Pujols, who would no doubt come to blows with him over any number of issues. I would not have Dunn as a player. I’m understand he is a fine fellow. No Rhodes scholar there …
Westcoastbirdwatcher
by westcoastbirdwatcher on May 12, 2008 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Duncan
Is not as consisent as Gary Sheffield either.
by Merry CRasmus on May 12, 2008 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions
And probably
doesn’t consetrate as much.
(Joe Morgan’s spelling in the original)
by Ray Lankford on May 12, 2008 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow.
So, what you’re saying is that facts aren’t important if they don’t support your assertions? Dunn is a liability that many teams would like to have, and your comments about Griffey are myopic. He has clearly degraded as a player, but once upon a time he did play for some very successful Mariners teams. Perhaps, you forget the fact that this guy was once one of the few premier players in baseball. Duncan’s numbers have been good in a short sample size. He still has things to prove. When he is bad in the field, he is very bad; and it leaves an extremely lasting impression. However, most of the time he makes the plays; and the numbers have supported that time and again. He could potentially develop into a second tier offensive threat, on par with the likes of Todd Zeile, Juan Encarnacion, and Reggie Sanders. Degrade them if you want, but those guys were always in demand around playoff ball clubs. He’s not going to be Pujols, but it amazes me that some people seem to believe that it requires exceptional talent at all positions to win. That has never been the case, nor will it ever be the case.
The Reds have issues because they can’t pitch. They haven’t been able to pitch in a decade. The offense there has been above average for several years.
I don't know where Dunn's contract stands
I bet the Reds trade you Dunn for taking his contact right now. For a pocket full of beans.
They will let Griffey go soon enough. He sells popcorn and hot dogs, especially as he approaches the 600 hr hype. You will see the truth of this at the July deadline this year.
Westcoastbirdwatcher
by westcoastbirdwatcher on May 12, 2008 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions
The Reds had bad management, and ...
they gave Dunn a contract indicative of a much more well-rounded player. His contract is coming up, but that is what has made it difficult to trade him. I see him the same way I see Duncan. For the right price tag I would definitely take either. Currently, Duncan is a great value. Dunn is NOT a great value.
Griffey is 87 years old. You can’t discuss his skills at this point as though he were in his prime. They are already talking about sending him back to Seattle. That has also been an horrible contract for the Reds because injuries hastened his decline significantly during his tenure there. That said, you don’t chase 600 HR by only hitting them without people on base. He has hit 45.72% of his HR with runners on. Pujols (your gold standard) has hit 47.75% of his HR with runners on. I consider 2% to be pretty insignificant.
Griffey
is a statistical hall of famer. He is capable of contributing to a team right now. But he doesn’t. He will go to Seattle for a mid-level prospect. For marketing, not baseball. Dunn will be traded for something similar. Maybe…...they won’t pick up his option. Look for a multi player deal there. Prospects.
Westcoastbirdwatcher
by westcoastbirdwatcher on May 12, 2008 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Time to approach the Giants...
with a Duncan/Reyes/Brian Anderson package for Lincecum. If they don’t bite, substitute Rasmus for Anderson. Hell Anderson might be the better prospect at this point anyway.
not to disagree with you about APPROACHING the Giants,
But, I think that Lincecum would require a much larger haul than that to be landed. Dont get me wrong, I would LOVE to see him in Cardinal red instead of that brown and orange. Though, you cant catch a fish, unless you first dip your baited line.
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on May 12, 2008 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you kidding?
Rasmus is far and away still the much much MUCH better prospect. One slow month at AAA doesn’t diminish the fact that he is still a top 10 prospect in all of baseball. Anderson isn’t even in the top 50.
boo cubs, hooray beer
Well...
one is moving up, the other down. But you’re right, no sense being a nervous nelly after only a month…
that being said, Tim Lincecum is one of the few players in the game that i'd include Rasmus in a package for
but San Francisco wouldn’t trade him. He is about the only player on that team that is keeping fans around.
boo cubs, hooray beer
Especially
considering that Colby went 3-6 with a homer last night, and at least one of those outs (I listened in for a while) was solid contact that carried the ball to the track.
Yeah I'm sure he'll be fine...
I’d still deal him for Lincecum. That guy teamed with Wainwright could be the best one-two in the game.
I think.....
I agree. Between Rick, Ludwick, Skip, and Barton, we have some pretty decent OF depth. If we could move Duncan, and “acquire” a more powerful OF bad, we’d be fine.
Ages and ceilings
Rick is 28, 29 in August
Luddy is 29, 30 in July
Skip is 28
Barton is 26
Duncan is 27
Colby Rasmus is 21, 22 in August, and his ceiling is higher than any of those players. He is the centerfielder of the future for us, and will be a solid player for many years. Lincecum is a rare talent, of course, but not worth giving up so many years of Rasmus.
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
I don't know if Rasmus has a higher cieling than Ankiel
He’s certainly a lot younger, and therefore, could obviously give us many more years of that cieling, but Rasmus looks to promise slightly less power than Ank currently offers, and it’s beginning to appear that their outfield defense may be pretty equivalent.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
Rasmus is ceiling is that of Grady Sizemore, Ankiels ceiling is that of Carlos Beltran
in my opinion.
boo cubs, hooray beer
Just curious, but...
What are you basing that off of?
And I awoke in California, far far from Spancilhill...
Off their abilities
Numerous scouts have called Rasmus a Sizemore clone, and Beltran seems like the best candidate for what Ankiel’s upside is.
boo cubs, hooray beer
Which means the scouts are probably wrong
Rasmus has displayed WAY more power than Sizemore did in the minors at the same age/level. 29 bombs in AA as a 20 year old is rare stuff.
With no evidence to the contrary, Colby Rasmus is clutch
So...
Ankiel is a moody, inconsistent CF who shows some extended flashes of brilliance but also has the disturbing capacity to disappear when his team needs him, sometimes for full seasons?
Joy!
"I believe he’s been reincarnated, that he played before, in the twenties and thirties, and he’s back to prove something." - Former teammate Mark McGwire about Albert Pujols
plus
i heard he is growing a really nasty mole
If you are in St. Louis check out my band, Griffin and the Gargoyles
(formerly Gargoyle Reign, Gargoyle Lounge)
www.GriffinandtheGargoyles.com
www.myspace.com/GriffinandtheGargoyles
:-D
by jealousblues on May 12, 2008 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Wouldn't we be getting.....
Nearly the same number of years out of Lincecum, as we would Rasmus?
I think you have to think about the team, and it’s needs. Now maybe management has an exit plan for turning all these excess OF’s into “something” in the coming years, and they believe we have enough pitching. I might actually agree with that, assuming Carp comes back at 90% of what he was before. Gotta believe we’re going to lose Clement, Mulder, Lohse, and Reyes before next season though.
hope
we can only hope we lose 2 of the 4 pitchers you cited. Not even sure why Clement was signed. Mulder…. sunk cost to mildly assert. Lohse, pleasant surprise. Reyes, I still like him; I really wish he could get it figured out and wouldnt be traded that way. Now, I’m not saying that if we can get a good to great package for him, after he gets it figured out anyway, that we shouldnt trade him away, just not now.
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on May 12, 2008 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Clement
He was a no risk, decent reward signing. I have zero problem with the Clement deal.
Did I say I was upset that Hanley Ramirez was signed to a long term deal! Oh well what can you do at least it takes away some trade for Hanley talk on the boad. Man he is good!
decent reward?
have we seen any such thing as this from this deal?
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on May 12, 2008 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions
mmmm....
carpenter
waino
Lincecum
arheshdrhg…homer drool
i know its obviously not going to happen but that would be neat to see.
Screw you Arizona’s rotation ;-)
If you are in St. Louis check out my band, Griffin and the Gargoyles
(formerly Gargoyle Reign, Gargoyle Lounge)
www.GriffinandtheGargoyles.com
www.myspace.com/GriffinandtheGargoyles
:-D
by jealousblues on May 12, 2008 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I would be a little afraid
of giving up too much for Lincecum. He is a small power pitcher and they don’t have a good History for endurance, although Oswalt has held together pretty well, Lincecum is even smaller though.
Pedro
was once considered too small to have any lasting success in the majors. I think were all aware of how that turned out.
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on May 12, 2008 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
thought i read somewhere...
that the correlation between size of a pitcher and durability was mostly bunk? or maybe that was “size” as in bulk, or fatness, not height. feel free to correct me if i’m totally wrong, but i could have sworn i saw this recently.
I think we need to save a Duncan/Reyes/Anderson package
for another month or so and try to trade for a legit RBI guy if Glaus continues to slump. Only problem is this RBI guy would have to be an Outfielder, and I don’t think Tony is going to bench Skip for anyone. And we have to have Ankiel and Ludwick out there. So I’m afraid we’re stuck with what we have…so I am praying for Glaus to find his groove real soon.
I wouldn't be so quick to trade Anderson
he may be our back up catcher come July.
boo cubs, hooray beer
Tickets for Milwaukee tonight
I have two tickets for tonight’s game at Miller Park, but I’ve run into a couple scheduling conflicts that won’t allow me to go. If someone wants to go to the game for free, I can forward you the info.
That said, the Cubs do deserve my pity, but never my support.
Pitt has won 6 straight, 7 if they win the second game of the doubleheader today
we are facing them at the wrong time.
boo cubs, hooray beer
holy crap, Pittsburgh will be .500 if they win the second half of the doublehader
when was the last time Pitt was .500 in May? Good for them.
boo cubs, hooray beer
+1
No team is capable of sustaining that forever. Look at the Brewers on the opposite end of the spectrum; coming into the series with us, they hadnt won in a week. Theyve played pretty well against us, I think anyway.
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on May 12, 2008 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Not really
they’ve played pretty awful, we’ve just left a disgusting amount of runners on base that has allowed them to steal 2 wins.
by Hardcore Legend on May 12, 2008 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Line ups
CARDINALS
Schumaker, lf
Molina, c
Ankiel, cf
Ludwick, rf
Duncan, 1b
Glaus, 3b
Kennedy, 2b
Wainwright, p
Izturis, ss
BREWERS
Weeks, 2b
Cameron, cf
Braun, lf
Fielder, 1b
Hart, rf
Hall, 3b
Hardy, ss
Bush, p
Kendall, c
It just doesn’t look right without Pujols.
LOL
He’s swinging it pretty well right now, but he might be the slowest runner to ever start a game in the 2 hole.
Ryan
I still wish we’d give Ryan more at bats, especially in games where we pull Pujols or another power bat out. Ryan just has more pop than the other 2b/ss’s.
Why not go 5 blades, Tony?
If Pujols isn’t playing, why not move Wainwright even FURTHER up the lineup?
by Hardcore Legend on May 12, 2008 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe even cram the fifth blade in perpendicular to the other four
You heard me right, the second one lathers.
With no evidence to the contrary, Colby Rasmus is clutch
gilette actually went to five blades
which made the onion article even funnier in my opinion. life imitates art i guess. but i’m still waiting for snakistan to open up diplomatic relations with fritolaysia
here ya go
seven jokes that came true. I will also note that one of the fake commercials in the very first 1975 episode of Saturday Night live featured a three bladed razor because “people will believe anything”
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
...
What the f? Molina batting 2nd? I just don’t understand why Tony starts something that works so well (Kennedy batting 2nd) and then never uses it anymore.
We haven’t lost on my birthday since 2000. Not this century. I have a feeling that streak is coming to a close.
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
The Cards haven’t lost on my birthday either. Then again, there are very few baseball games in November. ;)
Tracking the Cards' playoff chances daily: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/statistics/Cardinalspsodds.php
by ColinMacLeod on May 12, 2008 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Touche
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
That's the spirit!
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.
1984 NLCS Game 4
is on ESPN Classic right now. Boy, it’s fun watching the Cubs dreams get crushed.
by Hardcore Legend on May 12, 2008 5:29 PM EDT reply actions
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