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Expect Greatness

Az_tiny by azruavatar on

[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!

by 82Special on Jul 18, 2008 7:46 AM EDT   0 recs

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).

by Jumsy on Jul 18, 2008 7:48 AM EDT   0 recs

The more I see Ludwick,

the more I think this year isn’t really a fluke.

The St. Louis Cardinals- 11 time World Champions!

by Zubin on Jul 18, 2008 11:03 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

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...

by giveml on Jul 18, 2008 4:19 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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

by random on Jul 18, 2008 12:24 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by mojowo11 on Jul 18, 2008 8:14 AM EDT   0 recs

to add to that

Glaus had quietly raised his OPS+ to 133. I’ll take that.

by jdub176 on Jul 18, 2008 3:13 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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   0 recs

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.

by azruavatar on Jul 18, 2008 9:08 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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!!!

by joshbaz12 on Jul 18, 2008 9:13 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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

by SleepyCA on Jul 18, 2008 6:15 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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

by Mr Redbird on Jul 18, 2008 8:53 AM EDT   0 recs

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.

by ridgesee on Jul 18, 2008 10:26 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by random on Jul 18, 2008 12:30 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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…

by stlfan on Jul 18, 2008 5:01 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

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!”

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Jul 18, 2008 10:39 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

If he replaces Joe Mather

it matters plenty. It means the bench, late game hitters are Kennedy, LaRue, Skip/Duncan.

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Jul 18, 2008 1:06 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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).

by Tackle Box on Jul 18, 2008 1:10 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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?

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Jul 18, 2008 1:51 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Outside of Ryan

that’s not a bad bench. Now if only Duncan truly could regain his power stroke…

by Tackle Box on Jul 18, 2008 4:00 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by Alxfritz on Jul 18, 2008 8:56 AM EDT   0 recs

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!!!

by joshbaz12 on Jul 18, 2008 9:10 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by lboros on Jul 18, 2008 9:18 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by mattybobo on Jul 18, 2008 9:51 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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

by Mr Redbird on Jul 18, 2008 10:04 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

exactly

he only is at fault for trying too hard to help the team win. it’s like blaming atlas for also trying to hold up the moon with his left foot and dropping it every once in a while.

by mattybobo on Jul 18, 2008 10:12 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

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???

by mattybobo on Jul 18, 2008 2:14 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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

by punchinjudy on Jul 18, 2008 5:23 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by mattybobo on Jul 18, 2008 6:52 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

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.

by mattybobo on Jul 18, 2008 6:54 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

what doesnt get much love?

we often are discussing defense and how best to assess/measure defensive impact in quantifiable terms

by FunkeeC on Jul 18, 2008 7:50 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

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.

by Eckstreem on Jul 18, 2008 10:46 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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

by Mr Redbird on Jul 18, 2008 10:48 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

"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 to parent up   0 recs

Thanks

for gettin my back Mr. Redbird!

Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.

by Eckstreem on Jul 18, 2008 10:51 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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

by Tackle Box on Jul 18, 2008 12:12 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

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

by riotmute on Jul 18, 2008 9:29 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by mojowo11 on Jul 18, 2008 9:29 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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!!!

by joshbaz12 on Jul 18, 2008 9:37 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

"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.

by ridgesee on Jul 18, 2008 10:41 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

AND he is a crime-fighting superhero!

Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.

by Eckstreem on Jul 18, 2008 10:47 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

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.

by ridgesee on Jul 18, 2008 11:00 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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!

by Zubin on Jul 18, 2008 11:05 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

you're right

I should have said constantly

by ridgesee on Jul 18, 2008 4:36 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by chuckb on Jul 18, 2008 1:12 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by mojowo11 on Jul 18, 2008 1:17 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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

by gocards62 on Jul 18, 2008 9:04 AM EDT   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

+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 to parent up   0 recs

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

by totalloser on Jul 18, 2008 3:23 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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!

by TBender on Jul 18, 2008 9:11 AM EDT   0 recs

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

by Mr Redbird on Jul 18, 2008 9:13 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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.

by Alxfritz on Jul 18, 2008 9:15 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

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 to parent up   0 recs

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…

by mojowo11 on Jul 18, 2008 9:35 AM EDT   0 recs

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!

by OKCARDSFAN_411 on Jul 18, 2008 9:44 AM EDT   0 recs

I'm afraid

every time Franklin gets the ball in the 9th.

by chuckb on Jul 18, 2008 9:57 AM EDT