Expect Greatness
by azruavatar on Jul 18, 2008 7:00 AM EDT
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Print[Update:] As mentioned in yesterday's comments, Randy Flores is on the way back up to St. Louis despite the fact that he's still not a good pitcher. Fun Fact: Flores has walked more batters than he's struck out this year. Chris Perez is being optioned back to Memphis, which is not an unreasonable decision as his command was never quite ready this season. Him dominating AAA hitters for a few more months can only be a good thing, imo.
A little more nauseating is the reference to a future call up of Kelvin Jimenez and the optioning of Joe Mather. Fun Fact: Jimenez had a 7.50 ERA in 40+ innings last year and was posting an ERA over 8 in his appearances this year (although in just 6 innings). Mark Worrell is a better pitcher than Jimenez but the Cardinals seem determined to try and prove that Jimenez can make it in the majors. Newsflash -- not gonna happen.
Happier thoughts below. [/end update]
St. Louis has been a hell of a story this year. Few expected the Cardinals to compete during their "transition year" with a variety of individual stories leading the way.
The Scott Rolen for Troy Glaus trade certainly hasn't been a bad one for the Cards. Ignoring the numbers (I know, perish the thought), even if Rolen is more valuable on a per game basis, the end of the drama between Scott and Tony is a blessing. Glaus has been a very good hitter since his powerless May (including the 2 HRs last night) and defensively he's been surprisingly spectacular. More than anything else, that has been a revelation I did not expect.
Ryan Ludwick offers hope to all of the toiling minor leaguers out there. Well at least the ones like Nelson Cruz. Plagued by injuries throughout his early professional career, Ludwick never really put up a monster season. Things never seemed to click despite having the toolset to succeed. After posting a 1.022 OPS in 100 odd ABs in Memphis last year, the Cardinals made him part of their rotation outfield where he hit .267/.338/.479 in 300 ABs. I doubt anyone suspected the breakout he'd experience this season (and on some level I still question whether this is sustainable). He's created a major league career where none was really expected.
I've written about Rick Ankiel before. He's a hell of a ballplayer with a multidimensional game that is astounding for someone in his 3rd year of being a professional hitter. His career arc is a sports writer's dream. A tremendous defender with plus-plus power and now he's taking walks. There's not a whole lot more you could ask from him.
.350/.466/.608 is a line that belongs to none of the above players. Overshadowed by the unexpected story lines of the season, Albert Pujols is being overlooked. Maybe it's the expectation of greatness that's become commonplace. Maybe it's the hitting of Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones that have overshadowed him on the national arena. Whatever the case, Pujols is having, arguably, the best year of his career. He's set to break 100 walks for the first time in his career and he's sacrificed nothing in terms of power to do so.
Pujols makes 16 million a year through 2011. To call that a bargain is misleading. He's making perhaps half of what his performance would be valued at on the free market. A 7 win offensive player who gets at least another win for his defense (some metrics show him as a 3 win defensive player -- I'm not sure I buy the 1B as 3 win defensive player necessarily), he's worth nearly 40 million on a yearly basis. That's an incredible value to the club.
He's hitting around his 75th PECOTA percentile. When that happens with most players you call it a fluke. For Albert, I think you just call it great. It's odd to think that the best player on the Cardinals, by a wide margin, gets overlooked but I think that's the case. The only modern players that approach him in terms of performance would be Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds. Indeed, Bonds and Pujols rank near the top of several all-time leader boards. Pujols is in a class with not merely the great but the once in a lifetime.
In a season with so much unexpected, the expected, even when exceptional, can be missed.
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you're right
We’ve witnessed some really impressive play so far. I, like you, am surprised by the performances of guys like Glaus, Ankiel, and Ludwick. I’m also surprised that we don’t have that many guys who are really under-performing. Duncan was for quite awhile, but he’s made improvements. The bullpen has underperformed as a whole, but that can be charged primarily to Izzy’s and Flores’s accounts. I’m not sure how we evaluate Kennedy at this point other than to say he’s been okay as a part-timer and thank goodness this forum wasn’t making the call about whether or not to resign Miles. Miles has been very valuable this year.
All in all, it’s just been a really enjoyable year to follow the team.
My first memory of Cardinals baseball is seeing Darrell Porter jump into Bruce Sutter's arms on October 20, 1982!
Even if Ludwick...
comes down from his great season, Pujols has always played better in the 2nd half of seasons. I don’t think Ludwick’s reduction in production will hurt the team as long as Pujols plays up to his career 2nd half numbers.
On another note, for the past 365 days (479 AB), Rick Ankiel has a .276 BA with 31 homeruns and 89 RBI. He has an OPS+ of 133 this season. Sounds like a pretty good major leaguer. (stats provided by BaseballReference.com).
The more I see Ludwick,
the more I think this year isn’t really a fluke.
The St. Louis Cardinals- 11 time World Champions!
Me neither.
One thing that will always be a weakness is his strikeouts, but when he does put the barrel on the ball it tends to go a long way, and in a hurry. If he did not hit the ball so hard I would be nervous about future production, but that bat speed isn’t a fluke.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Jul 18, 2008 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions
I definitely agree
his swing looks more compact, more powerful, and more fundamentally sound than the rest of the OFs. Ank is a freak, so he can be inefficient and still be very good. I think Duncan has way too much movement and too long of a swing to be consistently successful.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
Pujols' career 1st/2nd half splits
1st half: .326/.418/.610 1.028
2nd half: .341/.429/.631 1.061
His first half in 2003 was better than his second. 2002 is arguable.
From baseball-reference.com
I too am surprised
I’m not surprised so much by Ludwick (pats self on back), but I admit to being quite shocked by Ankiel’s performance so far. I expected we’d have a .240 hitter on our hands, a guy who couldn’t make contact enough to sustain a high average and didn’t have the patience at the plate to push his OBP over .300—instead he’s hitting a solid .267 and getting on base at nearly a .350 clip. Bravo, Rick. It’s amazing to think he’s still got a long career ahead of him. I feel like he should just go ahead and retire now, since he’s probably done doing new impossible things.
I, too, am VERY impressed by Glaus’ defense, and I wonder where it came from. Comfort level on the grass at Busch? Oquendo working some magic? If anyone has any insight, I’d love to hear it.
Time to give
Izturis his props? Yes, he has been nearly as bad offensively as feared, but his defense has been a large factor in the team’s overall improvement, especially the pitching. He looks as if he has almost regained his gold glove level. What’s the feeling on resigning him? I see a lot of talk about Furcal, but is that realistic?
IMO the biggest improvement the team has made this year is defensively, and all the players azruavatar mentions have added to that. Ankiel is much better than I expected for a player still learning a position. Glaus was supposed to be a plus defender, but not having seen that much of him, I was skeptical- he has been a revelation. Ludwick has also been above average, and Skip regularly makes Web Gems. Even the much maligned Miles looks better, as does Kennedy. Albert is also living up to his outstanding range factor. All in all this has been the difference between last year and this year. If they could get last year’s bullpen back they’d be in.
by vinniefromjersey on Jul 18, 2008 8:51 AM EDT reply actions
I really like the defensive improvement this year
on the whole team.
There's little if any reason to give Izturis (or the Front Office) props
he and Brendan Ryan are the exact same player on both sides of the ball. The only difference is that Izturis is a “veteran” and cost an extra 1.5M. That signing was still a bad one and has only been compounded by the continued use of 4 roster spots for middle infielders.
Somebody had to say it.
I just seem to think that spending that money spread around on four guys instead of upping the ante on one guy is a total mistake. I’m ready to end the carousel of middle infielders and get someone steady in there. This year is a prime example of what could happen if we had someone with a touch more talent.
Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy!!!
it's funny...
I’ve been considering Ludwick to be pretty disappointing to me defensively. Then I looked up his RZR in RF and he’s actually been quite good… just shows how hard it is to use the eyeball to judge an outfielder.
"..and that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana shaped." -Sir Belvedere
Groan
Kelvin Jiminez back up? I know how this movie ends
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
I can understand the frustrations
with Kelvin Jeminez being called back up….but, he always pitches good at AAA and everybody at Memphis is always impressed with his stuff ( I agree, and have wondered why he has had no success at ML level. He is also somewhat of a rubber arm.
I would not be at all shocked to see him at some point be a good bullpen pitcher. Probably a year or two down the road and for some other team other than Cards. I think he is just a little intimidated by ML hitters and lacks a little confidence. It could be due the Cards leaving him out on the mound to be shelled several times last year when he was not at his best. I think the Cards share my view, somewhat.
I shudder every time Jimenez enters a game
But see no reason for him not to have much better success if his head is on straight. Excuse me, I need to go wash out my mouth after saying that.
Same as Reyes...except
Reyes has put up even better numbers at AAA (and is younger?)...both of them deserve to have an equal shot…
I wouldn't say that Reyes
has put up better numbers than Jimenez (this season), but both of their minor league performances merit a call-up. However, we all know what happens when they pitch in the majors, and it isn’t pretty. I’d rather see Reyes over Jimenez of course, but unfortunately Kelvin keeps forcing their hand. Besides, I’d rather see Reyes get a start rather than pitch out of the pen. I’m by no means a Reyes fan, but if Jaime struggles tomorrow, I think its time to put Reyes back in. Hell, if he performs well, it could only help his trade value right?
"Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead!" - Wayne Hagin after the cardinals snapped a losing streak
by The Ghost of Todd Burns on Jul 18, 2008 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions
When they say 'to protect the bullpen'
what they mean is that the bullpen’s mental makeup if fragile right now from all the sucking, so they’ve brought Kelvin back to show them “Hey! You can’t be any worse than this guy!”
by Hardcore Legend on Jul 18, 2008 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Why does it matter?
He likely won’t pitch a single important inning for the Cardinals. Does it really matter if he gives up two runs in the 9th, if we’re already down 5-6 runs? Does it really matter if he enters a game in the 9th, a game we are winning 10-3, and the final score ends up 10-6?
Not really.
by SoonerfanTU on Jul 18, 2008 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
If he replaces Joe Mather
it matters plenty. It means the bench, late game hitters are Kennedy, LaRue, Skip/Duncan.
by Hardcore Legend on Jul 18, 2008 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Have you seen those 4 guys hit the past month?
You say those names like they’re Miguel Cairo, Rico Washington, Gary Bennett and Ozzie Canseco.
(couldn’t exactly come up with another name right away and figured that would at least make someone laugh).
I'm not saying they are garbage
but it shortens the bench. And, it leaves LaRue as the only RH hitter.
I forgot Brendan Ryan, though. Why do we have 4 MIF again?
by Hardcore Legend on Jul 18, 2008 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
and you made me go look at their last months
Kennedy: .359
Skippy: .241
LaRue: .316
Duncan: .279
Ryan: .186
by Hardcore Legend on Jul 18, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I've been saying it all season
but I think Albert Pujols is underrated not just on a national stage, but also locally. I think we’re all just used to his greatness and take it for commonplace, but man alive, is he great.
Also, I’d like to formally apologize to Aaron Miles. While I have always wished him the best of luck, I still didn’t think he was even an average baseball player. He has proved me wrong this year.
My fellow Americans. As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball, but tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.
Precisely
We expect way too much out of this guy. I understand that it comes with the territory of being a superstar, but c’mon. The thing that sucks is that I am probably the worst at this. I can’t remember how many times I’d come into work and say this phrase, “Well, the Cards won last night. Ludwick hit a frickin bomb (probably went 1-4), Ank made a hell of a play in center, oh, and by the way, Albert did his job tonight too. He went 3-4 with a homer and 4 RBI.”
Keep it up El Cinco. You aren’t THE man, but you are a man among men.
Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy!!!
i agree w/ you guys
after the cards won it all for 2006, i did a postmortem for the Hardball Times. they asked who the most underrated player on the team was, and i said it’s gotta be Albert. even on the heels of his best season (career highs in homers, RBIs, and slugging) he didn’t win the MVP award. and nobody was talking about him after the cards won the series - they were talking about jeff weaver, jeff suppan, adam wainwright, david eckstein, etc etc.
still a travesty in my opinion.
does anybody still think ryan howard deserved the MVP? you just don’t see OPS+s in the 180 range very often…
i totally agree that albert is underrated, even by myself. i have more than once caught myself thinking “it would be nice if albert would hit a few more homeruns, he’s not ever leading the team in that category anymore” and other similar nonsense. he pretty much has no weakness as a player, occasional base-running frustrations aside.
At least his base-running frustrations are usually because he's too aggressive
And if it weren’t for his aggressiveness, we wouldn’t have been treated to his scoring from 2nd on a groundout in Colorado
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
albert was better...
but howard had a huge season stat wise as well…
Ironically, they had almost identical slugging and OBP numbers despite Howard’s 9 extra HR’s, and 100 something strikeouts…
My feeling has always been that the MVP voting (like all MVP/GG voting) has always come with caveats, for MVP voting it seems like the voters love to nominate people having “huge” seasons relative to their careers, and tend to ignore those who are great at baseball for multiple seasons in a row.
I’d the more unfortunate thing is that I believe Albert lost out on the MVP to Bonds at least twice… if he’d won those he’d have 3 mvp awards in like 8 years which is simply ridiculous…
I guess one could argue, however, that if A-Rod played in the NL instead of the AL, Pujols would have some pretty fierce competition every year for those MVP awards.
Whatever, in the end he’ll be a first-ballot hall of famer, and be named to “all-decade” and “all-century” lists for years and years and years….
by duncans_army on Jul 18, 2008 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions
true on all counts; didn't mean to disrespect howard's 2006, i just think pujols' was better under scrutiny
just as lboros pointed out, a performance that is both exeptional and unexpected always gets more notice.
as a related aside, i’m still curious as to why derrek lee only finished third in mvp voting in 2005. i really think lee deserved it, with pujols acting as the respectable but incorrect choice (similar to howard in 2006… i guess when i said “travesty” above i was being too harsh). but andruw jones finished second? buh???
if you swap
howard for pujols and Howard is in the 2006-2007 lineup and AP is in the Phils…AP would dominate in stats…Chase utley and Rollins help out a lot and then Burrel when hes playing like he can come on its not even close. When did philly sturggle lats yr efore there run..when utley was hurt.. Utley is underated in my opinion b4 this yrs tear.
I can't believe i gave up a homerun to that punch and judy hitter-major league 2
yeah, howard's rbi numbers were way over-emphasized
he hit a handful more homeruns and actually hit for good average that year. there’s really no logical way to defend the award once you spend a couple minutes thinking about it.
And
This element just never seems to get much love around here, but…
Howard is an absolute butcher at first, costing his team many many outs and runs.
Pujols is fantastic with the glove, turning hits into outs and saving his team many runs.
Unrelated but I love pointing this out because most think otherwise: Howard is older than Pujols.
by Hal Lanier's Pants on Jul 18, 2008 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions
me too!
both on the defense (i figured albert’s awesome defense was taken for granted around here, actually… who did the study last year arguing that even in his “bad” year, albert might deserve the mvp when defense was factored?) and on the fact that pujols is younger. i was really tired of hearing about the crazy young phenom howard.
what doesnt get much love?
we often are discussing defense and how best to assess/measure defensive impact in quantifiable terms
El cicno de Mango!
sorry, that was lame of me, but I coudlnt help it
www.GriffinandtheGargoyles.com
www.myspace.com/GriffinandtheGargoyles
Dont take me seriously :-D
by jealousblues on Jul 18, 2008 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Please
dont’ ever call Albert Mango again!
Dammit, I have a pic of Mango, and I don’t know how to add it!
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
"No! Such is Mango"
www.GriffinandtheGargoyles.com
www.myspace.com/GriffinandtheGargoyles
Dont take me seriously :-D
by jealousblues on Jul 18, 2008 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
You-can't-have-a-de-Mango!
Can you know the mighty ocean? Can you lasso a star from the sky? Can you say to a rainbow….”Hey, stop being a rainbow for a second”? NO! Such is Mango
aggggggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my eyes… the pain….
When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
by RosevilleRedbird on Jul 18, 2008 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed on both parts
My dad has said for a long time how much he liked Miles and I always cringed a bit but this season he has been one of the most consistent producers for this team
Miles
I, too, have been pleasantly surprised by Miles. I mean, really, who hasn’t?
However, I remain totally skeptical. Miles has always been pretty consistent in his suckitude:
OPS+
2004: 72
2005: 65
2006: 74
2007: 76
2008: 98 (so far)
Yeek. I’m understandably scared that he will fall back to Earth. What he’s having right not qualifies as a huge breakout year for him, even though all that means is that he’s pushing averageness.
That being said,
is there any possibility what we read in the papers and online is true. These guys maybe feeding off each other? Look at Lud too.
Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy!!!
"Miles has always been pretty consistent in his suckitude:"
Miles is a #1 class A utility player that over half of the teams in the ML would try to sign if he were made available. He has been consistantly overexposed and over used outside his role and with a 110 percent effort has overperformed his whole time with Cards. There are still a lot of people in Colorado that still like him from his time playing there…Come on…give the little fellow his due.
AND he is a crime-fighting superhero!
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
He was made available
after the 2007 season. Were they knocking down the doors to sign him then?
by MdRedbirdFreak on Jul 18, 2008 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Mile would have been picked
up by another team before ST if not resigned by Cards. Cut him now, in mid season when teams know specificly what their needs are and there would be a clamor for his services.
I kinda argee
MIles has been consistantly overexposed. But he is (and propably will continue to be) a perfectly fine role player for a few more years. I can’t say I thought he fit into the Cardinals’ plans this year, but I am glad we have him.
The St. Louis Cardinals- 11 time World Champions!
the word "consistantly"
is consistently misspelled on this website
/spelling police
How depressing is it being you? Is it closer to being a lifelong cubs fan or being born without lips? - Janitor
by themanthemyth on Jul 18, 2008 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
he was made available this offseason
when he was Dfa’d by the Cards. There were no takers except the Cards who were only trying to avoid arbitration by dfa’ing him. Maybe this season will change others’ attitudes about him, but I sincerely doubt that he is coveted by half the teams in the majors.
Eh.
I have three problems with your statement: first, he hasn’t always been a utility player. He was a full-time second baseman in 2004 and he posted…a 72 OPS+. In 2005 he actually got less ABs and posted the lowest OPS+ of his career (also full-time at 2B). Then he came to STL and got more ABs again and posted 74 and 76 OPS+es. In any case, it doesn’t really matter where you put the guy in the field, until this year we knew exactly what to expect with the bat—that is, decent average and nothing else.
Second, if I recall correctly, he was released at the end of last year and nobody was clamoring for his services. I seriously doubt teams were falling over themselves to sign him.
The third is that he’s best used as a utility guy and is constanly overexposed, yes, but that doesn’t make him good. He still kinda sucks (well, not this year, but usually). He’s got no pop and doesn’t play particularly good defense in the middle infield. Any year but this one, he’s a below-average offensive player and a below average defensive player. I mean, really, that doesn’t translate to a good player, even if he does pitch for us every once in a while. His defensive flexibility is useful to an extent, but again, it’s not like he’s playing any of the positions very well.
I like him as a utility guy as long as he can be an average hitter or a good fielder. So far this year he’s an average hitter, and I’m happy. But usually he’s neither of those. Here’s hoping he keeps it up with the bat.
No props for Yadi?
Hitting at .312, currently bettering all three NL All-Star catchers, continuing to play (as yet unrecognized) GG defense, calling great games for the Cards’ SP, and providing solid leadership. Here’s another breakout year.
Proud sponsor of the Official 2008 StL Cardinal theme song: "Beautiful Day" by U2
As one who has bagged on Yadi's bat before...
I will give it up for him this year. The main source of his improvement has been cutting his K rate by more than half from 10.7% to 4.5&, that’s pretty damn impressive.
by mikedallas45 on Jul 18, 2008 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions
+1
I was all in favor of the Bryan Anderson era…now, not so much
www.GriffinandtheGargoyles.com
www.myspace.com/GriffinandtheGargoyles
Dont take me seriously :-D
by jealousblues on Jul 18, 2008 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Is there such a thing as pedigree?
I’ve always thought Yadi would improve on his hitting. I’ve followed his bros back when both were with the Angels. I’ve always wondered if hitting could run in the family. I’ve always thought that he hit a lot of line drives and hit the ball hard even when he made outs.
Looking at Yadi’s stats (Fangraphs):
Season GB/FB LD%
Total 1.34 19.10%
Postseason 1.23 22.10%
2004 1.33 19.80%
2005 1.69 18.50%
2006 1.09 18.50%
2007 1.31 18.80%
2008 1.41 20.90%
I am not sure if my impression is correct since I am not able to find a reference to compare him to . Well, the mlb average ld% for 2008 is about 19.5 (from astrostl’s post yesterday). And concurring with mikedallas45 statement on improved plate discipline, his contact% is 92.86% this year.
born Dodger blue, now dyed Cardinals red
Pujols gets overlooked because...
he’s too consistant, continually plugging away. Albeit at a very high level, but there’s no wow factor anymore. Good players like Jones, Berkman, etc. can perform as they are this year and get noticed because it is out-of-spec for them. Unfortunately for Pujols, he set the bar too high to impress anyone in real time, locally or nationally. Once he’s done (many years from now), I think then he’ll get his props.
Run Vince run! There's a tarp chasing you! Run! It's right behind you!
Fremp?
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
Consistently
consistent
My fellow Americans. As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball, but tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.
Well played, sir.
JoeBait on VEB?
"Well, folks, this game began as a tiny worm and is blossoming into a large cobra." - Mike "The Moon Man" Shannon
by Tudor's Electric Fan on Jul 18, 2008 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Also, about Pujols being underrated
Isn’t the consensus now that Busch III is rough on RHB? And yet here’s Pujols, plugging away, raising his OBP without losing any power…
Izzy
Was anyone else afraid that the 9th started with Franklin pitching and Izzy warming up? I was afraid TLR was going to do one of his “mind games” where Franklin gets the first two outs then have Izzy come in to get the last out for a save to build his confidence….. but alas, the two doubles took that option off the table. WHEW!
I remember thinking last night
“At least we have a two run lead, I think Franklin will go three up three down” because it seems like the more cushion we have the better he does (this line of thinking could all be a result of the drugs, but whatever), but back-to-back doubles threw that prediction out the window. Thankfully, he closed it out. That would have been an awful way to start the second half.
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
I'm afraid every time Franklin touches the ball. I'm terrified every time Izzy sees the ball.
An optimist is a man who upon discovering that a rose smells better than a cabbage concludes it will make better soup.
HL Mencken
Franklin quote in P-D on last night's outing
“This ain’t nothing new for me….my career hasn’t exactly been a paved road.”
I love this guy. Just wish he’d stop that horse-s**t slider over the middle of the plate.
yeah, he didn't want to throw that last slider
that ended the game. Molina had to go out there and basically talked him into it….. and Franklin threw it right where Molina wanted it, low and inside.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Why the rush to protect the bullpen
We just had 3 days off and we already need to shorten our bench in favor of a 13th pitcher? Why not wait and see how Garcia does on Sunday? If he fails, you could always send him out in favor of Jimenez. If you get short, there are 4-5 guys at Memphis that have essentially the same ability. Start the shuttle up without sacrificing a bench spot. It is nice to have some pop off the bench for a change. Plus if things get really ugly, we have Aaron Miles!
There's no reason for this
or any team to carry 13 pitchers. It’s a worse decision than carrying 4 utility middle infielders. And putting Kelvin Jimenez on an active major league roster is a mistake to begin with.
I’ll scratch that first sentence. Last year the Cards, due to weather makeup games, didn’t have an off-day after August 27. They played 35 games in 34 days w/ a doubleheader on 9/15. W/ a crazy schedule like that, it’s understandable to feel the need to carry 13 pitchers. Of course, most of this time was spent w/ the rosters expanded so the team probably carried 14 or 15 pitchers along w/ the requisite number of position players. Under normal circumstances, it makes no sense whatsoever.
I guess it is then safe to assume...
that we won’t see Barton until after Sept 1 when rosters expand? Has anyone heard how he is doing?
Here it is
Generally, Minor League rehab assignments for Major League pitchers can last up to 30 days (as opposed to 20 days for position players), pursuant to Rule 9(f) of the Major League Rules. The player is taken care of by the Rules, in that he continues to draw his Major League salary and accrue Major League service time while playing on the farm. So is the team, as the assignment doesn’t require an option.
LaRussa is just trying to comfort Garcia
by letting him know there are two fresh relievers on hand when he gives up back-to-back homeruns in the fourth inning. It’s all about psychology.
by Red in Chicago on Jul 18, 2008 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Those who fail to plan, plan to fail
But TLR has it “those who plan to fail, do so” or something of that nature.
Phils gave up a #2 & #4 prospect plus some other player for an sub-par starter? Heard that COL want 6 players for Holliday…..
Cards want to be a buyer in this market? Sheesh!
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Seriously?
Where did you hear this? Is it in an article somewhere? I’m not saying you’re wrong, I just want to read this ridiculousness. Is that even a word, RIDICULOUSNESS?
Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy!!!
If you mean my comment about Holliday
then I tell you I heard that info from a local sports talk radio host ( a former MLB player with connections). I think the info about the Phils prospects came from another sports talk show…. but cannot remember which one.
Ridiculous? you bet…... but it’s what I heard…..
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
The Phils
gave up two single-A players and a Double-A pitcher for Joe Blanton, per ESPN...
Did they give up too much? There’s many a slip ‘twixt Single-A and The Show… albeit a 1.42 WHIP, a .284 opponent BA and a 4.96 ERA over 20 starts (6 1/3 innings per start) isn’t very impressive…
"In this game, don't nobody know nuthin' about nuthin'." -- attributed to Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra
by The Ol Goaler on Jul 18, 2008 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
2 of the guys
were rated 2 and 4 in their system by BA…that is a pretty hefty price tag for joe friggin blanton. hell…i’d have given em piniero or looper or someone of that ilk for those 2 young guys.
Doubt Garcia will be in the game in the 4th. Fastballs at 88 with little movement tend to travel about 450 feet in the majors
An optimist is a man who upon discovering that a rose smells better than a cabbage concludes it will make better soup.
HL Mencken
Pujols
calling him a bargain isn’t misleading at all. It’s absurd understatement.
at least when they sent Perez down.
They gave him Clear instructions on what to work on.
“For every three fastballs, they want me to throw one slider,” Perez said. “They’re sending me down to get some consistent innings and some consistent work. They told me not to look at the outcomes. They want to see my slider get better.”
(from the P-D artical that Azruavatar already linked.)
Heh
So that means if you go up against him and you see three fastballs, you can expect the slider :P
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
That's nice to hear, actually
I don’t want him to injure his arm doing it, but he’s going to need two really good pitches to be the dominant closer he can be. Everyone’s been impressed with his electric fastball, but if he can harness that slider, he’s got a pretty bright future.
And then there’s the control issues, but I guess that’s a different story.
I heard rumor
that he was developing a change before he was brought up, but I don’t think he ever threw on for the big club. It would be nice have a potential third pitch for the days when he doesn’t have a plus fastball or doesn’t have a feel for the slider.
I think I read that here or at futureredbirds.NET
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
I know we are supposed to go easy on the swearing
and only use it in reasonable circumstances, so:
YOU MOTHER TRUCKING BASS LICKING BLOCK TUCKERS!
Randy GOOD RAM Flores!
Just when this team makes me all giddy inside by crushing HRs vs one of the best pitchers in the game and the roster looks pretty dang good for one night (minus Miles and Duncan putting up 0fors as I thought they would), they just have to go and smash their finger with the hammer again just to prove they can.
As azru-bot said: RANDY FLORES AND KELVIN JIMINEZ AREN’T GOOD! Improving the bullpen by making it worse doesn’t sound right when you say it outloud, which means….IT AIN’T RIGHT!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
by Hardcore Legend on Jul 18, 2008 10:33 AM EDT reply actions
Smashing their finger with the hammer again
That’s a damn good analogy. I like it. I might steal it.
by Ray Lankford on Jul 18, 2008 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
GOOD RAM
They, they blew it up…GOOD RAM them!
GOOD RAM them all to HECK!!!
www.GriffinandtheGargoyles.com
www.myspace.com/GriffinandtheGargoyles
Dont take me seriously :-D
by jealousblues on Jul 18, 2008 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
What the FRENCH, toast?
Dirty Mouth? Clean it up with orbit
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
Who are you calling cootie queen, you lint licker?
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
that broadcast school is really starting to pay off
i take your signatures and use them as away messages
by ihavebadknees on Jul 18, 2008 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Interesting tidbit from Sportscenter last night.
The Cardinals won despite not having a runner in scoring postion for the entire game.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
+1
who’da thunk it at the end of May? This team is on pace to have FOUR 30 HR guys. Unbelievable.
"Give a man a fire, and he’ll be warm for a night. Set him on fire and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life."
in NL
Cubs can say that. But their players were pretty much expected to…. who would have guess Ludwick and Ankiel to be 30HR guys?..... not me.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I think it would be interesting to revisit the community projection for Ank
of course, [pats self on back and chuckles] I only say that because I predicted 32 HRs and 86 RBIs.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
can the cubs say that?
They have one with 17 (Ramirez), one with 16 (soto), and two with 15 (soriano and Lee). Ramirez didn’t hit 30 last year and Lee hasn’t hit 30+ since his wrist injury in ‘06, though he did hit 46 in ‘05. 1/3rd of Soriano’s (5 of 15) have been “lucky”, IE wouldn’t have been HR’s without help from the wind.
They very well COULD have 4 30HR guys, but it’s by no means garuanteed, and even their team leader is only on pace for 28.9.
"..and that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana shaped." -Sir Belvedere
28.9
What would .9 of a HR be? Collapsing 36 feet from home plate?
I keed.
by Hal Lanier's Pants on Jul 18, 2008 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions
.9 of an HR
is usually actually an HR, at wrigley… but it’s an out in most non-ridiculous ballparks. So it just depends on where he is when he hits it, I guess.
"..and that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana shaped." -Sir Belvedere
Albert -
is getting a lot of props for having a season that is “arguably, the best of his career” ... and I guess I’m going to argue against it using a strictly old school stat. RBI.
Right now Albert’s ranked #35 in the NL in that category, and AT THIS RATE will end up with 83 (anyone want to bet that he ends up with more? I would). For someone who is a perennial Top Five performer in the RBI “race”, this is rather unprecedented. And I bet he’d tell you he has to do a better job, no matter the two weeks on the DL.
Sabremetricians will dump many other numbers on this argument to make their case, but is there anything more important than GETTING THOSE RUNNERS HOME? I mean, it’s not as if there are low OBP guys ahead of him.
He’s a great player, but this low-impact .350 average (by his standards) is perplexing.
Possibly...
it’s because when he bats with RISP, teams are even more liable to pitch around him. Albert, for the most part, refuses to expand his strike zone. Rather, he takes the walk, Therefore, fewer RBIs.
by 10worldchamps on Jul 18, 2008 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions
You assume...
there are runners to get home. You could find out if this assumption is true. The truth is out there….
Data for review
Here is a link to the 2008 Bases Occupied table from Baseball-reference for Albert.
Bases Empty – .
.376/.443/.691 (185 PA) 13 HR
Men on –
.312/.486/.488 (173 PA) 5 HR 37 RBI
For comparison purposes here is 2007 data and career numbers
92 PA/58 AB
so that means he has quite a few walks (and a few sacrifice flies) then?
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
30 walks! Kind of hard to get RBI's
when they throw junk. Maybe with the latest surge of Glaus and Ankiel, he will start to see better pitches.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
With RISP...
- 92 PAs
- 107 total RISP
- 30 walks (22 intentional)
- .276/.500 Batting Average/Slugging
- 138 PAs
- 160 total RISP
- 13 walks (2 intentional)
- .336/.578 BA/Slugging
- 145 PAs
- 168 total RISP
- 26 walks (9 intentional)
- .328/.629
Pujols has only seen 107 RISP versus 160 and 169 for the other guys.
He’s walked 33% of the time when he comes up with RISP versus 9% for Hamilton and 18% for Howard. Pujols is intentionally walked a quarter of the time.
His BABIP with RISP is .255 versus .397 for Howard and .321 for Hamilton.
You could argue those other guys have posted better rate stats, but that’s mostly luck on batted balls. Pujols also contributes a high OBP thanks to all the walks.
Good stuff.
And Albert, of course, is capable of one of those month-long tears that will jack up those numbers in a big way.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Jul 18, 2008 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions
indeed
despite the stellar numbers this year I can’t remember a time (I could be dead wrong) when it really seemed like Albert was locked in and just had an extended run where he was tearing the cover off the ball. It seems like this usually this happens once or twice a season.
The RBI argument
is a tired one and others here have done quite well at debunking it. Presumably, b/c Albert may not reach 100 RBI he’s not having a good year? I’m not buying it.
From 2000-2004, Barry Bonds finished the year w/ 106, 137, 110, 90, and 101 RBI. Only twice during those 5 years did Bonds finish in the top 10 in the NL in RBI. In 2001 he finished 4th and in 2002 he finished 6th. During this period his OPS+’s were 188, 259, 268, 231, and 263. He was, indisputably, the best offensive player in the big leagues during this time period and yet was never close to leading the league in RBI. Why? Teams preferred walking him in RBI situations and he was willing to take the walks. Pujols, though he hasn’t quite reached that level, has become today’s Bonds (w/o all the rest…settle down, everyone!).
The bottom line is that, though some still place importance on RBI, his lack of RBI doesn’t diminish his importance at all. Though casual baseball fans and sportswriters who don’t know better will say that Pujols is faltering b/c he has fewer RBI, those who truly watch and understand the game know that he’s as good as ever … and maybe better. I’d like to see him have more RBI also, so that we don’t have to hear it from people like John Kruk or Mike Lupica who say that Pujols isn’t what he used to be or some other BS like that. But deep down, I think most of us realize that he’s having a tremendous season and is largely the reason why Ludwick has so many RBI.
well said
Heck, if I were the opposition, I wouldn’t pitch to him either. It’s up to Ankiel, Glaus, Luddy and others behind him to make them pay.
That said, I agree that Albert is due for one of his serious hot streaks. His BABIP with RISP is due to progress to the mean. He doesn’t get many pitches to hit with RISP. He must hope the pitcher makes a mistake. When that happens. he needs to pounce hard for a 8-10 day stretch.
by 10worldchamps on Jul 18, 2008 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions
SLG with RISP or Men On is trending down
Slugging Percentages
Overall/RISP/Men On
2005 – .618/.593/.599
2006 – .625/.802/.729
2007 – .619/.556/.510
2008 – .691/.500/.488
2006 was out of this world, so I am not using that level in making the trending downward statement. It could be that he is seeing better pitches when the bases are empty while opposing pitchers are willing to let him hit a single when runners are on but don’t want to give him a pitch to drive. I haven’t seen enough games to be able to conclude anything on the data.
That's what has (slightly) disappointed me
this season. It seems like Albert is not getting those big bases clearing doubles, 3 run dingers, etc., that he has usually gotten. Thus, the depressed RBI numbers. Other teams are pitching around him more, yes, but even when they don’t/can’t (such as bases loaded) it seems like he’s just missing. Like the bases loaded sac fly in the TESS game when a double (or more) would probably have put the game out of reach even with Franklin/Izzy/et. al.
by ArkansasTravs on Jul 18, 2008 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Thats kinda' the way I see it too
Arkansas Travs, but I guess we’re just a couple of those casual fans that just don’t quite get it like some folks around here. It’s a shame too, ‘cause I been watching baseball for about 60 years…guess I’m just a slow learner.
I'm sorry, ridgesee
if I hurt your feelings w/ that comment. I certainly wasn’t referring to you, but rather to sportswriters and others who will denigrate and criticize Pujols b/c his RBI are down. RBI just aren’t that important a barometer. Disagree w/ that if you must. I’m just going to profoundly disagree w/ the notion that Pujols isn’t as good as he used to be, particularly if the basis for that argument is that his RBI are down. He’s 0-5 w/ SAC flies w/ the bases loaded. I’d rather he be 2-5 as well but I’m not going to jump on his back over 2 hits throughout the course of the season. He’s been intentionally walked 22 times w/ runners on base and unintentionally walked another 19 times w/ runners on base. He simply has had fewer opportunities than he did in 2004 or whatever.
Again, please humbly accept my apology if you feel I insulted you (though I didn’t realize you had entered this debate) by stating that casual fans put too much of an emphasis on RBI. My point was that Albert would lose some MVP votes by having fewer RBI b/c it gives the ILLUSION that he’s slipping. Albert’s been, by almost any measure (except RBI), one of the 3-4 best offensive players in the game AGAIN this year. He’s not slipping. He’s not worse than he was 3 years ago. Other teams have just made it a lot tougher on him to pile up the stats that some people care about and if you want make the argument that Pujols IS worse than he was a few years ago b/c he has fewer RBI, feel free. I, and many others, will just vehemently disagree.
But with the supporting cast coming around
they’re going to have to stop this IBB crap pretty soon. Having two of the three of Glaus and Ankiel behind him has already made pitchers pay for pitching around him. This team isn’t last year’s squad, and it isn’t the Giants circa 2004, where Bonds had J.T. snow to scare off pitchers.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
Not necessarily
even with a hitter like Ludwick, Ankiel, or Glaus behind him, you’re going to find that most pitchers would rather put Albert on and look to get one of those guys to strike out or hit into a double play (things that Albert doesn’t do much of at all) than tangling with The Great Pujols. Bonds had Jeff Kent, who was a pretty damn good hitter in those days, hitting behind him in 2002 and 2003, but Bonds still drew a ton of IBB because Kent was more likely to strike out or chase pitches out of the zone than Barry was.
Obviously, it’s better for the ballclub as a whole if players behind Pujols drive in runs and produce after he’s walked, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a sound strategy overall to pitch around him even with those guys producing. I’ve long said that I feel the best strategy for getting Pujols more pitches to hit is to make sure that the guys in front of him are on base at a .350 clip or better. With runners on 1st and 2nd he isn’t likely to be walked as much, and with runners on 2nd and 3rd, they have to load the bases by walking him, and that can lead to big innings because pitchers don’t want to walk runs in, so the guys in the 4 and 5 holes get more strikes to hit.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
No harm HC
I was just trying to be a little “snarky” in a harmless kind of way. It is just that I think… and I imphasize think.. that I have noticed Pujols pressing and trying to do too much in clutch situations beginning about the middle of last year and I also think it has effected his pitch selection, plate discipline enough to be in a slight funk for some time. He is still Pujols though.
I mentioned this a month or so back and was really chastized by a bunch of people on this blog and that made me want to rankle you just a bit. Of course you’re more than half right.
All they’re saying is that he hasn’t had as many opportunities for the big hits with runners in scoring position, but he’s still hitting pretty well in those situations. He’ll get more chances as the season continues and we can expect him to hit closer to his career rates going forward. That’s a good thing—it’ll make for a fun playoff run.
Maybe, I sure hope he does
but I’m afraid that it’s going to be like tonight’s game much of the time. Ludwick came up two (or was it three) times with 2 on and one out. The results? One homer, two strike outs (both on pitches in the dirt, BTW) and Albert bats with the bases empty (single), or two on, two out (intentional/unintentional walk, hard line out). He ends up with a great line for the night, 3/4 w/ a BB, 2 runs, but, again, no RBI’s.
I recognize that the lack (relatively) of RBI’s in NO WAY diminishes how good of a hitter Albert is, it’s just frustrating (probably some for him too) and I want him to keep his 30/100/100 streak going.
by ArkansasTravs on Jul 19, 2008 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions
I know Jimenez hasn't been good up here...
but maybe he’s figured something out? I mean in 37 innings at AAA this year he has an ERA of 1.45 and a whip of 1.04, he’s only issues 4 walks to 18 strike outs. The lack of strike outs isn’t good, but everything else looks pretty good.
I don’t have much faith in him either, but who knows, maybe he’ll surprise us.
boo cubs, hooray beer
Worrell vs. Jimenez
I think, or at least I hope, the team’s take is this is an blow-out innings eater reliever.
Worrell is obviously better, but he really hasn’t shown much maturity in his limited time up here (beyond his hitting). Why put Worrell in essentially meaningless situations only to possibly hurt his confidence? Especially since Worrell’s role is only projected as a righty specialist, and not a set-up/closer type.
OT - New closer
I listened the Strauss-Miklasz roundtable at STL Sports. Strauss indicated that Fuentes was a strong possibility, but the obvious issue is what to do with Isringhausen if you bring in another closer. He felt that Izzy would need to get another shot at closing this month before the trade deadline in order to see if Fuentes’s services are required. He thought Izzy would be offered a trade to a “contender” a la Edmonds if Fuentes was brought in to close. He also said he thought Burnett was “on the stove” but not “white hot.” Burnett evidently said today that he’s staying put.
by Red in Chicago on Jul 18, 2008 12:25 PM EDT reply actions
Say no to Fuentes
I think Fuentes will cost too much to be worth it. It seems like it has been rumored that everyone and their brother are looking at him and Colorado would be foolish not to use that to drive up the bidding to absurd levels.
While I like this time of year
because of all the trade anticipation, at the same time there is so much a) conventional wisdom and b) intentional misinformation from GMs and agents that it’s hard to get a grip on the market for anyone.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Jul 18, 2008 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I'll feel sick
if we give up anyone who has the potential to be an mlb player for Fuentes. He just isn’t that good.
It's difficutl to believe that the team will contend in the end if we are counting on the likes of Kelvin Jiminez and Izzyana Jones for any . . .
. .. relief of pain. Simply put Franklin, Izzy, Flores, Jiminez are not MLB quality pitchers. Worse, each occasionally has a decent outing which kindles counterproductive optimism.
An optimist is a man who upon discovering that a rose smells better than a cabbage concludes it will make better soup.
HL Mencken
can't totally agree with you
Franklin, Izzy, and Flores are “MLB quality pitchers” —just take a look at other teams’ bullpens to measure what constiutes “MLB quality.”
Whether other contending teams are handing the ball to guys like this to protect late-inning leads is a different story.
I won’t defend Jiminez.
Two problems with your dramatic statement
1. They aren’t “counting” on Kelvin Jimenez.
2. What exactly has Isringhausen done that was so horrible since he’s been recalled?
(Honest question. Since you’re in Bangkok do you even get to see the games, or are you simply looking at box scores and reading game threads?)
Oh, by the way. Franklin and Isringhausne ARE major league quality pitchers. Flores was a few years back, but I don’t think he is anymore and Jimenez is boarderline, with a slight chance of being okay.
Besides, the team has had two closers this year. Jason Isringhausen and Ryan Franklin. They’re 11 games over .500 and currently lead the Wild Card after 97 games.
Didn't Izzy start the ninth in the TESS at Pittsburgh last Saturday?
Gave up a couple of runs or something
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
Point taken
but now i get to use what a thrown in my face in the whole stupid Dan Uggla “debate”.
One game.
Just one game
But the only game he’s come in for a “traditional” (for lack of a better term) save since coming off the DL
Not saying that should knock him back out of the role, but we’ve started to see what he does in the 9th again
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
I know what you're saying
but that one bad game doesn’t mean he’ s not a major league player and that’s what I was referring my question to when I asked it.
I don’t really want to see Izzy in the closer role necessarily especially since Franklin has been getting it done for the most part. I just had issue with calling the two of them out as not being worthy of playing major league baseball, which i’m sure you’d agree is a ridiculous statement.
I'd call it an overstatement for certain
They haven’t been good this year, but neither has our whole bullpen. They’ve shown flashes of brilliance.
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
Get MLB gameday, and depend on broadcasts and PD on line for comments - and of course this URL.
Listened to the Pittsburgh game in which Cards surrendered leads of 9-3, 10-4 and was it 11-10? Lohse is 12-2 – there is the team’s 10-over 500 record. What would the record be if the team had a decent pen? Does anyone out there feel comfortable when the game is on the line and the team chooses between the pitchers I referenced?
I appreciate your comment and interest. Have you been to Thailand? Great place to do time. . .
An optimist is a man who upon discovering that a rose smells better than a cabbage concludes it will make better soup.
HL Mencken
the cards' main competition, milwaukee,
is using salomon torres to close games — he’s just as ordinary as ryan franklin. and their setup corps is as shaky as the cards’ - david riske, guillermo mota . . . . . they’ve already dumped gagne and turnbow.
doesn’t mean the cards unit is good — but if milwaukee is a legit contender with its bullpen, then the cards’ bullpen doesn’t disqualify them. i hope they pitch better. . . .
agreed
but to this point, Shouse and Torres have been pitching better than their Cardinal comparisons, so Franklin, Izzy, and Villone really need to get it together in the second half.
That, and Milwaukee has a guy who is solid at getting lefties out, Shouse, something the Cards have struggled with this year. IMO, McClellan is better than any comparable guy in the Milwaukee pen, although Villenueva has pitched very well since he’s been in that role for them. The Cards bullpen simply has to pitch at least as good as their career averages in the second half to be successful
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
What?
The Cards main competition is Milwaukee? Are you conceding the division to Chicago, sir?
by Hal Lanier's Pants on Jul 18, 2008 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions
What stands out to me...
Is Yadier Molina. He gets on base over 1/3 of the time which is more often than anyone not named Pujold or Glaus. But what really stands out to me 14 SO, thats it. To put that into perspective our two all-stars have struck out 30 (El Hombre) and 73 (Ludwick) times. The man rarely wastes an at bat. Hes gonna make the pitcher work. True he has has no power in his swing, but I’ll take a runner on base over a swing and a miss.
His only weakness is his running
He hits into a lot of double plays and can’t score from first and barely from second. Other than that, I love the dude and so does the team.
"He gets on base over 1/3 of the time which is more often than anyone not named Pujold or Glaus."
Ludwick, Ankiel, Schumaker, Duncan, Miles, LaRue, and Mather are all also getting on base 1/3 of the time or more (.333 exactly for Mather).
Of those guys, only Ludwick is getting on base as much as Molina, which is what I think you meant to say. Just clarifying.
Anyway, yeah, it’s cool that Molina never strikes out, but it just scares me all the more when he comes up in a potential double play situation.
Who is this Pujold person of whom you speak?
Why isn’t he in the lineup more often?
by Red in Chicago on Jul 18, 2008 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh he's there
but nobody really notices him….. an enigma kind of player.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Nah! The Devil resides with another team
Fabuloso Hombre, Forever!
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I dunno, I've never seen El Hombre
in a mirror, have you?
by MdRedbirdFreak on Jul 18, 2008 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions
no, but then if I did
I’d say “Damn, I look good!”.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions
read you're comment different in the light you intended
I think…..... I’m at a loss for words….
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
He's this utility 2b...
That does relatively little but hit for average. I believe all the people here call it an “empty” stat. Basically an “overexposed” bench player.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
One thing that sets the Cardinals apart from many teams
is that if a player underperforms or falls apart for the team they will always get several chances to make good….plus there is not much worry about being DFA’d.
Randy Flores, Kelvin Jimenez, Mike Parisi, Chris Duncan, Adam Kennedy and even Izzy are testiments to this.
I’m all for giving a guy a 2nd chance…but I don’t agree with giving these chances to some of these guys (Flores/Jimenez) while we are in the thick of the playoff race this late in the season. Sure they may work out this time…but I don’t think it’s worth the gamble when the wild card race is so tight and not a sure thing.
Alternately,
The current bullpen just isn’t working. I don’t understand why JÃminez would get another chance, but we certainly aren’t exactly demoting Rivera and Nathan to make room for them. D’Artagnan has at least shown signs of effectiveness in his rehab appareances (4 IP, 2 H [both to righties], 1 BB, 3 K), in a very small sample size. If TLR is insisting on using Captain Ron as a setup man, I can’t agonize too much about Flores.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
Well
Yeah, but what is the alternative? Going out and trading? Hoping a Wellemeyer gets released somewhere? Seriously, I think it’s less about “giving a guy a chance” than it is “we need people to fill these roles and you are the best we have right now.”
by Hal Lanier's Pants on Jul 18, 2008 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions
RESPECT
Some of the so called experts are already penciling the Cubs & Brewers for the playoffs.
I remember in 2004, when the Cards picked up Larry Walker at the trading deadline. What an exciting buzz felt through the Cardinal nation. It took the pressure off the team & drove us toward the pennant. We need to trade for an impact player to put us over the edge & have the rest of the league to be concerned about US!
CliffNotes: "My Dad wanted me to be a baseball player!"
Roy Hobbs: "The Natural"
Wasn't 2004 the year that every game was started by one of our 5 opening day starters
Until sometime in July or August? A bat would certainly help but we’re not going to be playing October baseball without sound pitching, whether that’s acquiring somebody or the guys we currently have stepping up
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
According to Mo on the "The Morning After Show" on 1380
this morning we are NOT in the market for another picture. And I don’t think getting an “Impact player” is on the “to do list” either. Sounds like Flores is going to be our BIG addition this week for the bullpen. No trades are coming soon…or in the works…from my take on his conversation.
Picture's
are to be taken after the World Series Win!
j/k
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on Jul 18, 2008 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
probably
pictures, not picture’s, as long as we’re at it.
ha ha touche
yer dog
I can't believe i gave up a homerun to that punch and judy hitter-major league 2
youre right,
but I wasnt trying to correct the OP. I was merely having fun with the statement. Notice the “j/k”.
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on Jul 18, 2008 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not sure even if we were pursuing someone that Mo would tell us about it
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
Yeah
if he’s dealing for someone who’s not on the radar, it’s better to just pretend that the team isn’t looking for anyone. Hell, if we’re dealing for someone on the radar, it’s probably best to claim that the team isn’t too nervous, and not looking to add anything.
If I remember, the Walker deal was completely out of the blue. I was certainly surprised that we got an outfielder, and a big name outfielder at that.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
it was after the 31st
deadline and was outta the blue
I can't believe i gave up a homerun to that punch and judy hitter-major league 2
he said they are not looking for a starting pitcher
They are looking for a lefty specialist….. not a closer type of guy, just someone to get a that one or two out.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
right...and they are going to give Flores every chance to be that guy.
before they try and make a move…
makes sense for the moment
why trade away propsects if Flores finds “his stuff”. If he doesn’t, then the phone lines will start to burn.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Does nobody else, including our GM,
realize that Villone has been really, really good against lefties? Like, to the point that if he was on another team, we’d probably have an eye on him as our new LOOGY.
My fellow Americans. As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball, but tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.
he has
but until he starts getting used as a LOOGY, he’s not helping the bullpen. With the state of it right now, he has to be counted on to get more than 1 or 2 outs in an appearance, unfortunate as that may be….
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
No offense
but do GM’s ever come out and imply that a trade is coming, or in the works? Not that i’ve ever heard
boo cubs, hooray beer
most do not
i think gm interview for the most part are stupid. you get very little insight.
I can't believe i gave up a homerun to that punch and judy hitter-major league 2
I agree
I also think its silly that Hendry makes it well known just about every time he’s interested in someone. Outside of the Kendall deal last year, it’s been common knowledge who he’s going after. Which, when you land ‘em you look like you’re going out and getting the guys you target, but when you don’t, you look like a fool.
And even when you land them,
it might make you look tough and authoritative, but it also does that at the cost of giving everyone a chance to outbid you, and therefore, makes you give up more than you probably could have.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
Which is typically the case
especially with his free agent signings. you don’t think all those no-trade clauses are a coincidence do you?
The only guy they reasonable signed as a free agent that wasn’t already one of their players (i.e., Wood) was Greg Maddux and that was because the cubs were the only team that wanted him. He tried and tried to drum up interest with the Cardinals and a few other teams, but ultimately he signed with the cubs right before spring training for what they were offering.
Hendry
“Silly” Hendry has assembled the best team in the NL. I’d judge him on that, and not how he handles acquiring players.
by Hal Lanier's Pants on Jul 18, 2008 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Didn't you know?
Young players are the only metric by which you can judge a team’s quality.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
Doug Melvin talks about what he's looking for when he's looking.
They are looking for a relief pitcher. And they still have TONS of talent parked at AA. Mr. Mo better hurry…...It’s in the Milwaukee paper today.
She isn't crazy, she's just not impressed.
Tons is an overstatement
They have Mat Gamel and Alcides , the rest of their farm system is rather average
boo cubs, hooray beer
OT from MLB.com
Tidbits
Though he was named to the U.S. Olympic team, Triple-A Memphis outfielder and highly touted prospect Colby Rasmus may still make his Major League debut in September. With the Olympics ending on Aug. 28, manager Tony La Russa and general manager John Mozeliak did not rule out the possibility that Rasmus will join the Cardinals at the end of the year. ... Thursday night marked the 34th anniversary of Bob Gibson recording his 3,000th career strikeout in a 6-4 loss to Cincinnati. ... The Cardinals’ Monday night game against the Brewers will now start at 6:05 p.m. CT, and will be broadcast on ESPN. On Aug. 3, the Cardinals game will move from 1:05 to 7:05 p.m. CT, and will also be broadcast on ESPN.
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
Hooray! Two national telecasts for me to see!
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
Red Sox Nation!
http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/5619630
I think I’m going to enjoy my Saturday afternoon outside of the house in light of this news, which was not very surprising of course.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Cardinals' middle relief corps.
Sorry for you
madding.... thanks for the info. Maybe you can find a sports bar that will have it. Good luck.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Interesting
I would have pegged Luhville as Reds territory
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
Louisville is "Reds territory" now because of the thier AAA Team "The Bats"
but there are still quite a few Cardinal fans still in the area thanks to the old Louisville Redbirds minor league team of the 70’s-80’s. I’m still mad they moved the team to Memphis. But I lived near Columbia MO for most of my life before moving out here so I didn’t get a chance to live here when the Redbirds were here.
I was just thinking geographically
Short drive from Louisville to Cincy, no?
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
Almost moved there, sight unseen
Nice area?
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Louisville is a cool city
Not too big..not too small. Not a whole lot to do here other than seeing Chuchhill Downs or the Louisville Slugger factory.
This city is really big into College sports and horse racing…neither is my cup of tea…so that can be frustrating for me being a big baseball fan..be we do have the Red’s AAA team the Louisville Bats…so that’s something I guess. Plus it is a short drive to cities like Cincy and Indy…..St. Louis is about a 4 1/2 hour drive. But if you are into horses this is the place to be.
Like the horses
Grew up in Inglewood, CA…. so my dad took me to Hollywood Park all the time. Live in OKC right now, so I understand the college sports mania.
Thanks for the info. Enjoy the game.
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Me 3!
Thank you WSJV for NOT picking the Red Sox!
i told you
i fraking told you i’d have to watch the sawx this saturday
good ram you mother trucking big fox
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
why am I always seeing Chevy Chase
during one on these rants?...... Oh, yeah…. great Christmas movie…..
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm kind of surprised and disappointed
that we’re getting the Sox game here in Houston. We almost always get the NL Central game. Still, it’s hard to be critical when the Padres are among the worst teams in baseball this year. I’m surprised the Cards’ game is even one of the options. If I were a TV exec, the Red Sox-Angels game sounds a lot better.
i am pretty sure Fox picked up the game in the last couple of weeks
because it was a night game on the DTV schedule last month
i to dont understand why they would want the Padres on “national tv”
well to be fair, i guess they’re not really on national tv if only 18% of the country gets the game
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
They probably figure they can get the best market share in the STL market with STL games
and then the highest national ratings with the BoSox. It’s not bad logic, if they would just have some damn way of lifiting the blackout restrictions so I can see the damn game I want to
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
here here!
adding them to the EI package is a MUST.
these f’ing saturday blackouts are retarded
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
So in other words...
It’s really about the “Surprising Cardinals” and the following they have. Smart Fox..
by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
You going to see Carp pitch
this weekend?
My fellow Americans. As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball, but tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.
oh the funny
Im sure we’ve all seen this. Infact one of the Cubs fans that I work with just showed it to me….
Remember when Cubs fans used to make fun of us because of this pitcture?
living in Chicagoland,
I have a Cubs fan show me that picture a couple times every year. It’s totally fake….. right?
THE SKIP IS LEGIT!!
Seriously... what were Rich Harden's parents thinking?!?!?!
Wasn't there some picture or gif last year
of someone from the Cubs grabbing another guy’s crotch in the taint area?
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
Well, then it's kinda like the pic above
Edmonds = Card then, Cub now
Izturis = Cub then, Card now
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
yes
and that one was actually real. There was actually a video.. good stuff.
THE SKIP IS LEGIT!!
Seriously... what were Rich Harden's parents thinking?!?!?!
I wonder if Skip got a taint rub after his plethora of walkoff hits
(I did some googling to find out Cesar rubbed him after a walkoff HR)
Maybe that’s why Skip hasn’t had a walkoff hit in awhile lol
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
Is that Marquis on the left?
Didn’t he bat lefty? Why isn’t his earhole covered on the right ear? The only thing I can think of is maybe he was a pinch-runner and just picked up someone else’s helmet, or it’s not Marquis
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
For those that didn't know...
Charter is currently offering a free preview of MLB extra innings
"Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead!" - Wayne Hagin after the cardinals snapped a losing streak
by The Ghost of Todd Burns on Jul 18, 2008 7:11 PM EDT reply actions
What the hell!
I have Charter and I’m not getting it :(
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
how do you have Charter down in the ATL?
isn’t that Time Warner’s back yard?
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
Well, I don't live in Atlanta, I live in Athens
But nobody that I know in ATL has Time-Warner. I’m not even sure if they have a cable service anymore, because the last time I distinctly remember seeing someone have it was my Aunt and Uncle in Memphis around 5 or 10 years ago (trying to watch a Cards game, naturally)
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
the cards game should be on game 10
"Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead!" - Wayne Hagin after the cardinals snapped a losing streak
by The Ghost of Todd Burns on Jul 18, 2008 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I see that
But when I look at the east coast games (currently playing) I get the message below
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
my bad
at least i had the right state
we have time warner up here in ohio & they aren’t so bad on the tv side of things. although there are time where the internet goes out without warning for hours on end. that gets old real quick.
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
did you try all the channels?
"Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead!" - Wayne Hagin after the cardinals snapped a losing streak
by The Ghost of Todd Burns on Jul 18, 2008 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Not all but alot
I just get the message saying “Subscription Service – Sports Pkgs. – for ordering information, press Info”
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
hmmm...sounds like BS
you should be able to get it, I’d call ‘em, but make sure they don’t place an order for you
"Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead!" - Wayne Hagin after the cardinals snapped a losing streak
by The Ghost of Todd Burns on Jul 18, 2008 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions
It's not really that big of a deal
I’m not gonna be around for the game tonight anyway, tomorrow’s game and Sunday’s though
Cardinal fan in the heart of Braves country
DFA Adam Kennedy and Randy Flores!
Track 'em Tigers - An SB Nation Blog for Auburn Tigers fans
sucks..
i couldn’t find out when it ends for charter but it ends for DirecTV on July 18, so assuming its the same, today would be the last day
"Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead!" - Wayne Hagin after the cardinals snapped a losing streak
by The Ghost of Todd Burns on Jul 18, 2008 7:32 PM EDT up reply actions
see above comment
"Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead!" - Wayne Hagin after the cardinals snapped a losing streak
by The Ghost of Todd Burns on Jul 18, 2008 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions
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