Long Walk Home
by chuckb on Aug 10, 2008 10:35 AM EDT
in St. Louis Cardinals News
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The Cards definitely have a tough row to hoe from here on out if we want to advance. Of course, we’re still 6 back in a division race that’s looking, if not impossible, certainly less and less likely. These Cubs aren’t going to fall apart, folks. I could see them playing .500 the rest of the way, but even going 22-23 would force the Cards to go 27-16 (.628) just to tie. It’s not out of the question but we’re certainly not the favorite. Indeed, BP has our playoff odds right now at about 19% -- w/ just a 2.9% chance of winning the division.
While winning a division title is nice and it makes a great banner, we all know too well that it’s not imperative if you want to have success in the postseason. If the goal is to win the World Series which, at this point, it should be, winning the Wild Card gives you almost as good a chance as winning the division. Sure, you’d like to have home field advantage but we won it all in 2006 w/o having 1 series w/ home field advantage. It’s not at all determinative.
So the Wild Card presents us w/ a real opportunity. Right now we sit in 2nd, 2 games behind the Brewers, a half game ahead of the Phillies and a game and half ahead of the Mets. Of course, one of the Phillies and Mets are likely to win the East so we’re definitely in the hunt. Unfortunately, of the 6 non-NL West playoff contenders, as even the D-backs would be in 5th place in the Wild Card hunt, the Cards have probably the toughest schedule from here on out. Here are the schedules of the 6 NL Central and East teams still in contention (sorry, Ed Wade!).
| Cards | Cubs | Brewers | Phils | Mets | Marlins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| at Cubs -- 1 | Cards -- 1 | Nats -- 2 | Pitt -- 1 | Marlins -- 1 | at Mets -- 1 |
| at Marlins -- 4 | at Braves -- 3 | at Padres -- 3 | at Dodgers -- 4 | Pirates -- 1 | Cards -- 4 |
| at Reds -- 2 | at Marlins -- 3 | at Dodgers -- 3 | at Padres -- 3 | at Nats -- 3 | Cubs -- 3 |
| Pitt -- 2 | Reds -- 3 | Astros -- 3 | Nats -- 3 | at Pirates -- 4 | at Giants -- 3 |
| Braves -- 3 | Nats -- 3 | Pirates -- 3 | Dodgers -- 4 | Braves -- 3 | at Dbacks -- 3 |
| Brewers -- 2 | at Pirates -- 3 | at Cards -- 2 | Mets -- 2 | Astros -- 3 | at Braves -- 3 |
| at Astros -- 3 | Phils -- 4 | at Pirates -- 3 | at Cubs -- 4 | at Phils -- 2 | Mets -- 3 |
| at Dbacks -- 3 | Astros -- 3 | Mets -- 3 | at Nats -- 3 | at Marlins -- 3 | Braves -- 3 |
| Marlins -- 3 | at Reds -- 3 | Padres -- 4 | at Mets -- 3 | at Brewers -- 3 | at Cards -- 3 |
| Cubs -- 3 | at Cards -- 3 | Reds -- 3 | Marlins -- 3 | Phils -- 3 | at Phils -- 3 |
| at Pirates -- 3 | at Astros -- 3 | at Phils -- 4 | Brewers -- 4 | Nats -- 2 | Nats -- 3 |
| at Reds -- 3 | Brewers -- 3 | at Cubs -- 3 | at Braves -- 3 | Braves -- 3 | Astros -- 3 |
| at Cubs -- 3 | Cards -- 3 | at Reds -- 3 | at Marlins -- 3 | at Nats -- 4 | Phils -- 3 |
| Dbacks -- 4 | at Mets -- 4 | Pirates -- 3 | Braves -- 3 | at Braves -- 3 | at Reds -- 1 |
| Reds -- 3 | at Brewers -- 3 | Cubs -- 3 | Nats -- 3 | Cubs -- 4 | at Nats -- 3 |
| Marlins -- 3 | at Mets -- 3 | ||||
| .503 | .502 | .481 | .484 | .474 | .486 |
| 20/23 | 20/25 | 24/21 | 23/23 | 24/22 | 22/23 |
The 2nd row from the bottom is the opponent’s combined win percentage. You see the Cards’ opponents have a slightly better win percentage than the Cubs and the other 4 teams play considerably easier schedules than the Cards and Cubs. They get the advantage of being able to play multiple games, and often multiple series, against the feckless Nationals. A couple of them also get to play the Padres as well. Between now and the end of the year, the Brewers play only 5 series’ against teams w/ winning records and, unfortunately, only 1 of them is against the Cards. That series, only 2 games, becomes a huge one. Getting swept in that short, mid-week series coming up at the end of the month would put us behind the eight ball.
The bottom row is the number of home games/road games each team has to play through the end of the year – the only advantage we have over the Cubs. The Cubs, who have been very mediocre on the road (26-30) have 25 road games left to play vs. the Cards 23. The Brewers and Mets, the Cards’ closest competitors in the Wild Cards chase, both play more home games than road games down the stretch.
Is there a critical stretch for the Cards over the last month and half? They’re all critical, aren’t they? I would say that the 2 homestands offer the Cards distinct opportunities. The first includes the Pirates, the Braves, and the 2 game series w/ the Brewers. That 7 game homestand allows the Cards the opportunity to play 2 bad teams and defeat the team ahead of the Cards in the Wild Card hunt. Winning 5 of 7, or even 6, should be the expectation. We’ll need to take advantage of every opportunity.
We’ve got a 6 game homestand w/ the Marlins and Cubs – 2 good teams that, if the Cards aren’t careful, could really set the Cards back.. Winning 3 or 4 out of those 6 games has to be considered imperative. Finally, there’s a 9 game road trip to Pittsburgh, Cincy, and Chicago in mid-September where the Cards have to take advantage of their ability to win on the road and the fact that they’re playing 6 games against relatively weak teams and win 5 or 6. If we don’t play well in any of these stretches, the final 7 game homestand against the Dbacks and Reds may be irrelevant. If we’re close in the last week, you’d have to like our chances w/ the Brewers playing the Cubs and the Mets playing the Marlins. The tough part will be staying within a game or so by the time that Dback series begins.
We’ll get to listen to Joe Morgan tonight on ESPN. Prime time, Cards/Cubs, Carp/Dempster at Wrigley. It’ll make for great theater and a series win would be really nice. I’ll get a game thread up later and will probably set up 2 or 3 overflow threads. There’s gonna be a lot to discuss.
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Every game is "critical"...
whether ya love Tony or loathe him, I think his approach - “win today’s game; it’s the only one we can control” - works well for maximizing a team’s chances. As fans, we can look “down the road” with impunity; the players can’t really afford that luxury.
Whether the Cardinals make the postseason or not, it’s been an entertaining summer! Here’s hoping Ankiel can make the lineup tonight, and Carp can extend his outing as far as possible. Taking two of three from the Cubbies is never a bad thing!
"In this game, don't nobody know nuthin' about nuthin'." -- attributed to Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra
i agree up to the point
where tlr puts out line-ups that have an inherently low chance of winning. last example was game 4 against the braves. although i understand the need to rest players, they don’t all have to rest in the same game. putting piniero out there (who’s been having a hard time anyway) with a sub-optimal offense and defense is mind-boggling to me. that team was ripe for the sweep. all games count the same, so that could have evened us for the 4 losses to the brewers, but no, he goes for the preemptive capitulation approach. the next series was philly and you know we aren’t going to sweep them, so why not spread out the resting over these games? i used to think tlr was ok, but after getting EI this year and following more closely, i’ve changed my mind and now believe he is an overly manipulative manager who isn’t happy unless he presses every button in every game, regardless of the consequences. i will hand it to the players for overcoming the obstacles he puts in front of them this year before giving kudos to tlr. without duncan’s reclamation success, he’d have a mediocre record as a manager.
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, perhaps you haven't grasped the situation!
+1
I also think he has become far more arrogant since winning the Series in ‘06. He seems to think he is bona fide and totally beyond reproach. He reminds me of Bill Parcells who had everyone believing he was some kind of miracle worker until he lost Bellicheck. How many rings does Parcells have since then? How many rings/pennants/div champs, etc. would TLR have w/o Dunc?
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
I still like our chances.....
At the WC, assuming Ankiel comes back soon, and healthy, and assuming Carp keeps pitching like he has been. I think the move to stick Waino in the pen is a good one. He’ll upgrade the pen more than he’d upgrade the rotation at this point. Sounds like he needs another 10 days or so, at least, to get where he needs to be.
Everybody forgets that our rotation has been near the top of the league all year. We have the second best offense in the NL. If we can start saving games, I see no reason we won’t win the WC. I really believe it’ll be us or the Brew Crew. I don’t see any of the East teams catching up. I really don’t.
Big game tonight. I went into the series thinking if we got 1 win, we were on par. I think we have a good shot tonight. Hopefully Carp can continue what he’s been doing.
our starters' ERA
is 8th in the NL - at 4.28 - and that includes 91 or so innings w/ Wainwright, our best starter, in the rotation. Replacing him w/ Looper or Pineiro isn’t going to improve it.
Didn't say that.....
Obviously taking out our worst starter, and replacing him with Wainright would improve the rotation. I just think sticking him in the pen, with the way things are right now, improves the pen MORE. He can impact more games from the pen, he can get back on the roster sooner, etc.
It just makes sense, especially since we can go to a 4 man rotation for alot of the next month. Carp, Lohse, Welly, and one of Looper/JP. I’m fine with that.
by SoonerfanTU on Aug 10, 2008 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
5th starter only needed 4 times
in the next six weeks with two of those starts (8/11 & 8/16) coming before Wainwright would be ready to start. Pineiro is headed to the bullpen after Saturday’s start to wait for two spot starts.
so?
you’re still going to have Looper rather than Wainwright in the rotation. I guess I just trust Chris Perez for 1 inning more than Looper for 6.
Comment directed to Pineiro
being pulled from the rotation regardless (or is it irregardless !!!) of Wainwright’s status. The rotation improves through that subtraction.
I would like to see Wainwritght in the rotation too. All the role juggling and re thinking seems like he isn’t fully recovered to be as effective in the rotation as he was pre injury. I just don’t want the team to do anything to jeopardize 2009. And since they gave him a contract, their is probably a good discussions between “win now” and “protect the investment” thinking.
irregardless
IS a word. It’s just bad English. Kind of like unravel.
just because people say it, doesn't make it a word
it’s a double negative, so the meaning in context isn’t correct. Kind of like when someone says “I could care less”. Really? Then why don’t you? Unless you mean “I couldn’t care less”.....
In the world I see--you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty carpool lane of some abandoned superhighway.
Can we just assume
that anyone who uses the word “irregardless” has been over this well-plowed ground many times here and is just joking? Please?
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
Seems to me that
“I couldn’t care less,” would be the double negative…but irreregardless, believe what you want.
No
Tackle Box is right. I could not care less means you don’t care. At all. If you could care less, then to some degree you care.
Even so, “I could care less” is a fairly accepted idiomatic phrase. There was quite a discussion about it here a while back. Brian Gunn, noted baseball blogger, was the strongest defender of the phrase. I’m not sure he has posted here since. The discussion went on and on. And on. Some of it was fairly interesting. Some of it.
I tend to agree with giveml, that people using irregardless around here these days are just being silly.
by Youneverknow on Aug 10, 2008 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions
That isn't the proper comparison.....
Waino doesn’t have to close, for starters. I’d rather have Looper throw one game a week, and have Waino in the pen, then vice-versa.
And like I mentioned above, Waino is going to take some time to get ready. He can succeed with a smaller pitch selection in the pen. If we have to wait for him to have starter stuff, it might be 2 weeks longer.
by SoonerfanTU on Aug 10, 2008 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions
but the plan is for him to close
of course he doesn’t have to. He could go into the rotation where he belongs. I’d rather have Wainwright throwing 6-7 innings for every 1 thrown by Looper than vice-versa.
the problem with Waino in the pen is not just about where he'll be more effective
There’s simply no argument that supports relievers value being greater than a starters value so it’s also about the precedent and similar expectations. If he gets hurt next year is he going to be installed as the closer again? Why isn’t Carp a consideration for the bullpen? Has the team considered the expereiences of Joba and Smoltz respective to future injuries? The answers to these questions may not havean impact on Waino going to the bullpen, but it seems like there are more questions surrounding a return to the pen than a return to the rotation. Add that to the fact that he’ll be more valuable as a starter and I think there’s a clear choice.
I'm not saying.....
That relievers are inherently more valuable than starters. But on THIS team, we need more help in the pen.
The upcoming series
down in my area against the Marlins could be tough. The Fish are no joke this year. Their young pitchers are doing well, and they’ve got some mashers. I’ll be at all four games rooting for the Birds!
by mikeonthecards on Aug 10, 2008 11:00 AM EDT reply actions
that will be a huge series
I wish I could see those!
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
It's a good test
This is really a blessing because we’ll get to see how good this team is, and if they survive these last couple weeks then they will be battled tested come the playoffs. The team that wins the world series isn’t the team that wins the division by 6 games, it’s the team that gets hot at the right time while everyone else is winding down, (see marlins and cardinals recent world series titles.)
by ghostofjimlindeman on Aug 10, 2008 11:08 AM EDT reply actions
+1
We certainly know from first hand experience in the last few years: below expectations in 2004 with our 104 wins and way above them in 2006. The only thing that matters is getting to the playoffs, and then it’s basically a crap shoot 1/8 chance from there. I think this team has as good a chance as any in the hunt to win the Wild Card (or the Division, though that is less likely, as much as we would all love to see the Cubs take a nose dive- we can dream, right?)
"A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while."- Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh
Yesterdays game means nothing
if we can’t win today. For as fun as it was to beat Zambrano’s head in, for playoffs chances…yesterday’s game becomes meaningless if the Cardinals can’t win today.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 11:32 AM EDT reply actions
I don't agree
winning 1 out of 3 would sink the Cards’ playoff chances? It wouldn’t matter which of the 3 we win. 2 out of 3 is the preferred but only winning 1 wouldn’t eliminate us. We should be expected to win every game.
Winning 1 out of 3
gains the Cardinals no ground. In head-to-head matchups with teams ahead of you, it is imperative you win 2 out of 3, 3 out of 4, etc.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Who said it was over?
I said it makes yesterday’s win mean nothing. And it does. Playing .500 baseball doesn’t get you into the playoffs this year.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Red Baron said so.
Yesterday. There was black crepe hanging on the VEB homepage. I saw it with my own eyes.
by Red in Chicago on Aug 10, 2008 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Really?
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
No!
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on Aug 10, 2008 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Disagree.
You don’t NEED to beat the Cubs 2 out of 3 games, in Chicago, to have a shot at the WC. The one thing we couldn’t do is get swept, and we avoided that.
We gotta beat up on the teams we should, handle the Brewers in the remaining games we have left, and try to play slightly above .500 against teams like the Mets and Marlins.
by SoonerfanTU on Aug 10, 2008 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
One could say we don't NEED to beat the Cubs today to have a shot
at the Wild Card but with the Brewers playing the Nationals and will more than likely win today as well..we really can’t afford to loose any series going forward including this one and in turn falling further behind the Brewers. Plus a win today over the Cubs brings the standings in the Central closer to where the Brewers could be 3 games back and we would be 5. That is always good. While I think the Cubs will still win the Cental….putting more pressure on them can’t hurt. I don’t think any of us want to see the Cubs have too big of a lead in the Central going into September. We need to try and keep this race as close as possible with the hope of some type of improbable collapse. We need to remember the Cubs play quite a few road games in September. If we and the Brewers can keep the Cubs from getting too big of a lead the pressure for them to win will mount even more the final 3 weeks of the season and that could lead to some choking.
last 19 are brutal for the small bears
keeping it close now will put a ton of pressure on them going into september, also I hope we can break some of their “home mystique” considering part of that 19 is the cards at wrigley.
by duncans_army on Aug 10, 2008 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions
And also note that the Brewers have six against the cubs
If we can take the Brewers for the two game we have against them, and the Brewers go 4-2 against the Cubs, this coudl be a very close divisnion around Mid-september
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
And it was so so so much fun to watch them "beat Zambrano's head in"
"A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while."- Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh
yeah
it really was
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
How scary is this lineup when Troy Glaus is hot?
We’ve said before that Pujols can single handedly carry this team when he gets on one of those rolls. But I’d argue that Troy Glaus, when he is blasting gargantuan shots carries this team offensively.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 11:47 AM EDT reply actions
When three of the big four are hot.
This lineup is scary. Pujols; Ankiel; Ludwick; and Glaus. I would love for them all to get on hot for a week or so. But anything three of them are hot it’s a show. (either one can carry the team also.)
we still have a chance
for 4 players over 30 home runs… now that would be awesome!
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Glaus
He reminds me of Edmonds with his streaks. Both, when hot, can carry an offense. Yesterday, it was a lot of fun to watch Glaus carry the offense. Hopefully we get some more bombs tonight from him.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
yeah
he really should feast on home runs at Wrigley. just think of all those fly balls on the warning track he so often hits…
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
there's an outside chance we could have
3 players with 100 RBI’s, too. We haven’t done that since ‘04. If ankiel had stayed healthy we could probably have had 4.
Shockingly, Glaus’s OPS is only .860ish. i thought he’d be a lot higher than that. Also thought his OBP would be closer to .400 than it is…
"..and that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana shaped." -Sir Belvedere
With out team OBP, we'd better have a few guys at or over 100 ribbies
At .349, our team OBP is the 4th-highest in MLB.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
Why have they resisted putting Ankiel on the DL?
He’s not playing again today. They have pushed back his return day to tomorrow. Or is it the next day or the next day or the next day aftert that? Do they think playing short a bench player is a good idea? Why put him on the field as a pinch hitter when he’s not well and hasn’t been very good at that role? Some things I will never understand about the way this roster is managed. ......
She isn't crazy, she's just not impressed.
I don't get it either
I talked to madeintiwan yesterday and he said in batting practice on Friday, Ankiel was launching balls onto Sheffield. That tells me he might not be far away. But this whole not starting and then being wasted as a pinch hitter is maddening.
And I say “wasted” because it ruins any chance of back-dating his DL time.
In the world I see--you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty carpool lane of some abandoned superhighway.
Yes.....
We should fire them all. The coaches, the trainers, the front office people.
Bunch of incompetent boobs.
by SoonerfanTU on Aug 10, 2008 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
No, but ...
the handling of Ank’s current injury, and the reluctance to see reality re Izzy, is a black mark on their collective judgment.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Aug 10, 2008 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Reluctance to see reality re Izzy?
Not sure what the problem is with the handling of Izzy. When he struggled early he was given a couple of chances to right himself and when he didn’t he got pulled/put on DL. When he came back he got 1 chance to close out a game, blew it and then hasn’t sniffed a high leverage situation since.
To me, that’s perfect handling of the situation. You don’t just DFA someone making his salary and with his history of success because of a couple of blown saves. You’ve got to give them a chance to right themselves and regress back to their mean (yes it can mean improving as well).
Yes
and he got some chances in no-save situations when he came back, and was effective there. There is something really bizarre going on with him, that extends beyond ‘sucking’. Especially for the first one or two batters he faces, his fastball still has zip, and his cutter still cuts, and he’s hitting his spots, for the most part. He’s tipping his pitches, or falling apart mentally, or just fatiguing waaaaay too fast.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
I wish I had your confidence that TLR
really sees it that way. I’m afraid Tony is just itching to find a way to get Izzy back into the closer role permanently.
Am I saying Izzy is done? Yes, I am.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Aug 10, 2008 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Regarding the dfa
Why exactly can’t you DFA someone making his salary? He makes 8M this year, there are roughly 40 games left. If you can’t absorb a 2M hit to make the team have a better chance to make the playoffs then, in my opinion, you are not doing what is right for the team.
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
Far too many of your comments are of the derisive and dismissive
type with no cogent argument behind them.
Alternatives for bench outfielder
are limited with Rasmus and Duncan injured, Barton finishing rehab and Stravinoha just not a better alternative. They probably didn’t want to add someone to the 40 man roster for what looked like a five day fix. The error in evaluating the injury two weeks ago is maddening, but now it is prudent to use the day to day approach.
The team always uses a pinch hitter and Pineiro runs fairly well. I’d rather have Ank hitting off the bench than Stravinoha.
good point on not as many options in the outfield
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions
but would you really rather have FLopez
in LF than Barton?
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
because TLR wants to keep on letting him PH in the 9th
despite the fact that Ankiel is awful late in games.
boo cubs, hooray beer
yeah, I agree
Ankiel the 9th inning pinch hitter doesn’t resemble Ankiel, the starter. He swings at anything and strikes out each time.
by ccthemovieman on Aug 10, 2008 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Every single time
except for yesterday.
In the world I see--you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty carpool lane of some abandoned superhighway.
and the couple of times he walked
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
i disagree
since ankiel has pinch hit since the injury his at-bats have not been horrible. he has 8 at-bats since the injury- only six official, two walks (one hbp), two hits (including one off of lidge), and three strikeouts. he has lost .002 in his ops and stayed the same in his ba. you could have put him on the dl but it hasn’t affected him and he says it only hurts when he runs. i think he is a helluva pinch hitter to have if he can’t run
They have definitely screwed up
this Ankiel situation. It’s difficult to argue otherwise. He’s just a day or two from being eligible to return from the DL if he’d gone on it when he was hurt. But they’d rather use Felipe Lopez in LF than bring Barton up from Memphis.
How long can they leave BB at Memphis?
I mean, doesn’t a rehab assignment have to be limited to 30 days, especially in an instance of a Rule 5 guy?
I think he's still at 25 days or something like that
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
I hope not
since he only gets a 20 day rehab.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Weirdly, I can't find the day that he was activated to the Memphis roster
He doesn’t show up in the list of PCL transactions for July or for August.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
Yeah, it's a huge mystery
someone a few days ago said that he should be back on Monday but the Cardinals have made no mention of it.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions
His first game with Memphis
was July 23rd in LF/CF. Here
That would make August 11th his 20th day on rehab. He would have to be activated on August 12th in Florida. I bet they dump a pitcher at that point, since we can go to the 4 man rotation. I’d bet on Thompson down, Pineiro to long relief.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Need one more start
on Aug 16th from JP, then it’s off to the pen. Agree on Thompson getting a three week vacation to Memphis since we need the lefty Jaime.
He was hitting .307 as of yesterday
small sample sizes are fun!
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
No, the Barton
that was hitting .309/.406/.564/.970 two days ago before he went 1 for his last 10. His rehab is up today or tomorrow and he is going to have to come back.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
Why don't they have
a Hall of Fame induction ceremony EVERY Sunday so that barnacle Joe Morgan can be constantly awol from ESPN’s Sunday night telecast? He is a twerp and a plague on my soul. And if you want a second opinion, he’s ugly, too.
With me having no TV package via internet, I relish the few chances I get to see my boys play on TV, and I am grateful that the Cards seem to get more than their share of Sunday games on ESPN (far below the RedSawx and Yankees share, of course)... but Morgan blemishes my joy considerably.
My only corrective alternative is to mute Morgan et al and listen to Shannon and Rooney via the internet {the blow of losing KMOX as the flagship station to some 15 watt radio station haunts me still} but that means there is a 20-second or more delay between action and word. Harumph!
Anyway…go Cards. Pu loves Sundays, Luddy is on a hot streak, Santa is off the schneid, and Carp, in his third game back, might be even closer to his old self.
if only there was a mute announcer button...
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
you can sync the video and audio
Particularly when the audio is what is delayed. Hit pause on your TiVo and then play again about 20 seconds (or whatever the delay is) later and voila, synced audio and video. I rigged up a system to delay the audio on my stereo so that I can sync up video and audio for Colts broadcasts (video delayed about 7.5 seconds because of wardrobe malfunction, etc.), but it is far more complicated than the convenience when the audio is delayed.
10 run Sunday's?
What happened to em?
Lets have one tonight!
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on Aug 10, 2008 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions
A few suggestions
First, take a deep breath. I don’t like Morgan either, but for some reason I don’t get bothered about it. I don’t really care what he says, therefore I don’t get worked up when he says something that is blatantly wrong. His rambling doesn’t effect me too much since I just watch the game and focus him out, which isn’t too difficult to do.
If that’s an unreasonable suggestion, and you feel the need to “mute Morgan” then rewind your dvr slightly so you can line up the tv picture with the radio.
Of course, if you don’t have a dvr, then you’re shit outta luck and just have to deal with it I guess.
In the world I see--you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty carpool lane of some abandoned superhighway.
when did I say anything
except “we get to listen to Joe Morgan?” I need to take a deep breath? Ok. It doesn’t sound to me like I’m the one in need of taking a deep breath.
I think that was meant to be a reply to the Tewk's post directly above
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
Actually it does sound like you need to take a deep breath
i was responding to Tewk. My bad about missing the “reply” button.
jk
In the world I see--you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty carpool lane of some abandoned superhighway.
in all honesty
the guys yesterday may have been worse than JM, I don’t know how many times I heard them say that “Pujol’s power numbers are down this season”
I mean, I understand that some people don’t like sabremetrics, but Slugging is not that “far-out” a category…(pujols is currently first in the league in slugging!)
The worst part of it for me is that there IS an interesting discussion in the fact that Pujols slugging number is so high, yet his HR total isn’t as big. I think there is also a good discussion of the fact that slugging numbers as a whole seem to be down this year (lowest MLB number in the last 8 years, possibly a remission of steroids?)... but no, instead of any of this discussion we get the simple and wrong assertion that Pujols power numbers are down…
by duncans_army on Aug 10, 2008 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
He's also on pace to beat his career high in BA by twenty points
while his slugging percentage for this year is slightly below his career norms. So his singles numbers are up, and his xbh have to be down. So I think it’s fair to say his power numbers are down this season, irrespective of the slugging percentage.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
He batted .359 in 2003, when he won the batting title
But your general point seems to stand – not so much just this year, but this year and last. His isolated power is .267 this year and was .241 last year. His average ISO over the four years before that (2003-2006) was .313, with a low of .279 (in his MVP year, interestingly) and a high of .340 (in his royally-hosed-out-of-the-MVP year, 2006). If the numbers for this year hold up, his ISO numbers for last year and this will be the lowest and third lowest of his career, respectively (ISO was .247 in 2002).
by BTown Birds fan on Aug 10, 2008 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Yep, and you watch, if Wainwright makes
2 appearances out of the bullpen this year, next year announcers across the land will be referring to him as “former reliever Adam Wainwright.”
by MdRedbirdFreak on Aug 10, 2008 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I heard...
that if you synch up a Joe Morgan broadcast with Pink Floyds “The Wall” it totally matches up.
boo cubs, hooray beer
Perhaps...
But it definitely makes me realize that although the mike may be on, there’s “Nobody Home.”
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.
Braun back injury
Braun injures his back and is listed as day-to-day, according to the Worldwide Leader:
Braun, the NL player of the month for July, is listed as day to day, and said he had “no idea” when he would return to the lineup. He said it appeared the injury was to his intercostal muscles, which are several groups of muscles that run between the ribs.“We think it might be spasms,” he said.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
It's too bad they are playing the Nationals and then the Padres.
Because this might be a factor. But against the two worst teams in the NL I doubt the loss of Braun will make much of a difference…
Way to burst my bubble
Reading the article washed the schedule breakdown from my mind immediately.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
Looking forward to hearing Miller & Morgan discuss Favre
and every other topic other than the ones they should be discussing, like the Cards and Cubs.
congrats to Felipe Lopez on a good game yesterday
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 2:04 PM EDT reply actions
Continues to hit well on the road
thankfully all of his remaining games this year are on the road (ie., Not in Washington D.C.).
In the world I see--you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty carpool lane of some abandoned superhighway.
a fun OT fact
yesterday’s offensive outburst single-handedly added almost a half-run to Z’s era, knocking zambrano, not only out of the league lead in ERA, but all the way out of the top ten. We may have just taken his cy young away ;)
Now to get Dempster out of the league lead in H/9.
"..and that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana shaped." -Sir Belvedere
Wow - fun fact
It’s always a good reminder of how consistent you have to be to have a good ERA, One single bad day can really impact a pitcher’s season.
It was also the most Hrs he gave up in a game in his career
and I think the most runs as well. Getting the monkey off the Cardinals back that was us not being able to beat Zambrano will be pretty big for us in the upcoming games we have against the Cubs. No more can Big Z face the Cardinals and think he has a big advantage over them like the past couple of seasons when he would shut us down on a regular basis. He will have flashbacks of Glaus taking him to the woodshed instead.
"Run like Rolen! Run like Rolen!"
Hopefully Troy ran the bases to Z’s expectations, or he could get a plunkin’ next game…
"Fortune favors the bold!" - Virgil
by player2bnamedl8r on Aug 10, 2008 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Just saw Tony leaving his hotel and getting into a cab
at 1:15. He actually signed a kid’s autograph book. Must be in a good mood.
TLR
He signed for me at a game here in Houston. Seemed like a genuinely nice guy. He signed for a good 10 minutes or so, no matter what colors you were wearing.
C'mon you Redbirds, lets prove em' wrong, again!
by yer dog first on Aug 10, 2008 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions
man, is this bizaro world or what...
Prior to 08, what world would you not drool at Carp vs Dumpster.
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
Damn you Ronnie Belliard
you not only cost your pitcher his no hitter, but you gave the Brewers a run.
boo cubs, hooray beer
If both the Red Sox and Yankees fail to make post season
Will ESPN petition for MLB to cancel the 08 Post season?
boo cubs, hooray beer
It might make a few FOX guys jump off a building.
And it would make the playoffs far more interesting for me.
For my dream world
I hope Boston makes it, wins their first series and Tampa mops the floor with them in 4 games.
"Regression to the mean is so much more fun to watch when it’s a Cub who is regressing." SleepyCA
Unfortunately all they'd probly talk about the whole postseason
is how shocking it is the sox and yankees aren’t there
According the talking heads,
A postseason without Boston or New York is like the NFL without Brett Favre: meaningless.
meh
they’ll spend the whole time talking about what they’d need to do better to make it next year, rather than focus on the good of who is there
They will in all likelihood still have
the “heartwarming 100 year drought” story of the Cubs to bludgeon us over the head with in the postseason.
"A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while."- Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh
Thank god we didn't pick up Livan
He’s getting destroyed by the freaking Padres right now
boo cubs, hooray beer
Barry Bonds strangeness
Why did he say to Joe Torre yesterday: “I’ve beat you before Joe and I’m going to beat you again.”?
First of all, when was the last time he beat Torre, 1995? Secondly, does that mean he is signing with a NL team?
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 4:02 PM EDT reply actions
Before the Giants game yesterday
they had all the great Giants OF’ers make speeches on the field. Barry trotted out, said some stuff and then pointed at the Dodgers’ dugout and said ‘And to you Joe Torre. You know I’ve beat you before Joe and know I’m going to beat you again!” Then laughed.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
i missed that
work way too much on the weekends.
i guess he was just hamming it up for the dodger-hating giants fans?
Here is the exact quote
“I want to thank the Giants for inviting all these great guys,” Bonds said. “It’s weird for me not to be in uniform with the Dodgers right there. You heard me Torre, I beat you before and I can beat you again. I haven’t retired. Thank you.”
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions
in uniform with the Dodgers?
it makes even less sense now
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions
"...weird for me not to be in uniform, with the Dodgers right there."
by notmorganfreeman on Aug 10, 2008 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
thanks
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions
It reminded me of something out of WWE
I was waiting for Torre to grab a mic and say we can settle this in a Steel Cage at Madison Square Garden.
I didn't even think of that when I first saw the replay of it last night
but after you say that, it totally did look like something out of a WWE wrestling match.
boo cubs, hooray beer
street fighting incident that didn't make the papers?
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
Maybe Jeff Kent and Joe Torre
tried to ICE Barry a few years ago.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
haha now it's 4-1
back to back HRs
I have a love/hate relationship with the Cardinals' middle relief corps.
Brewers announcers complaining about Milledge
showboating on his HR.
Which, is ironic isn’t it Billy Hall?
But, the funny thing was that Milledge didn’t show boat at all. He hammered the ball to the gap, kinda flipped his arm back towards his body (imagine a following through with your arm, then bringing it all the way back), dropped his bat and SPRINTED around the bases. I mean, he would have beat Scott Rolen around the bases. Only thing he did was at each base hold his helmet on to make sure it didn’t fall off. Then, he touched home, pointed to the sky and went in the dugout.
It was like the classiest thing I’ve ever seen Lastings Milledge do in baseball and the Brewers announcers were grumbling about showboating. HA!
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions
kind of like
cardinals broadcasters complaining about other teams showboating without ever noticing albert doing it.
except, as you said, milledge wasn’t even showboating.
Confirmation bias at it's finest.
"Regression to the mean is so much more fun to watch when it’s a Cub who is regressing." SleepyCA
And now the bases are loaded
with 2 outs for the Brewers.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions
It's probably they pederass
Hanerhan bucking for a promotion.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Thank you for
the “Fletch” reference…
“What kind of a name is Poon?” “Comanche Indian.”
"Fortune favors the bold!" - Virgil
by player2bnamedl8r on Aug 10, 2008 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
when he injured his knee
they said a month. but also i heard somewhere else they will shut him down for the season…
He was injured on or around July 24
And was expected to miss at least a month. I wouldn’t expect him to be called up in September unless we really need an outfielder or we’re out of contention.
Its not out of the question that the Cards could win 90 games and still finish below the Brew..
...unless Braun is really hurt…Torres starts blowing up… Sabathia comes back to earth….
by greenwichvillagecard on Aug 10, 2008 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
that usually isn't very long term
the ego thing is though
by cardsfaninmass on Aug 10, 2008 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Photo shoot with super model
is what Uecker said yesterday. I can’t remember who but it was a photo shoot with Remington shavers before yesterday’s game. The announcers were laughing pretty hard at the possible injury methods.
it's not them
it is the gnats
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, perhaps you haven't grasped the situation!
come on Ronnie B - do it for your ole boys
when I saw the cards play in DC, during batting practice, Yadi, AP, and Ronnie B were immersed in conversation for a half hour
he went down in mid july
so before the lopez release-they also released paul lo duca at the same time
Along with Nick Johnson?
Rough year for the Nats.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
Well, Nick Johnson being injured is more a sign that it's July
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
Or May, or June, or August, and sometimes even September
He seems like a constant on the DL.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
Can't get diabetes under control
Proud sponsor of the Official 2008 StL Cardinal theme song: "Beautiful Day" by U2
Geez Hanrahan
I wonder if he’s ever seen the movie slapshot
by greenwichvillagecard on Aug 10, 2008 5:04 PM EDT reply actions
If the Nats had brought him in a batter sooner,
they may have already won the game. Here’s hoping for an epic 18-inning battle that grinds down the Milwaukee ‘pen.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
Wow, huge strike out there
go to the 11th yee nats and brewers
When the time comes for me to not be bothered by losing that is when I know it is time to retire my fandom
wow
I thought the game was over for sure
strikeouts from left-center
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 10, 2008 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
twas a hit, but it loaded the bases
Ronnie B is up now for the nats
When the time comes for me to not be bothered by losing that is when I know it is time to retire my fandom
Wow, the Nationals are just bad
When the time comes for me to not be bothered by losing that is when I know it is time to retire my fandom
Odds
Isn’t it likely that a Brewer belts a homer here and ends it?
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
I would say that is the best likelyhood
When the time comes for me to not be bothered by losing that is when I know it is time to retire my fandom
Did you know that Corey Hart has 20 stolen bases
holy crap
When the time comes for me to not be bothered by losing that is when I know it is time to retire my fandom
Do they walk Rivera here to get to Counsell?
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.
Guess not
On to the 12th!
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.
sweet, to the 12th
When the time comes for me to not be bothered by losing that is when I know it is time to retire my fandom
This just in...
The Nats are not very good.
That is all.
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.
this just in
the brewers are not taking advantage of that right now
When the time comes for me to not be bothered by losing that is when I know it is time to retire my fandom
whoever made the 18 inning prediction
they are only five innings away
FYI:
Springfield Cardinals vs Round Rock will be on Fox Sports Central for those with the channel.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 6:11 PM EDT reply actions
how does that work?
SCards are AA, Round Rock is AAA
by longhornscardinals on Aug 10, 2008 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Well that's just how good
the Springfield Cardinals are! They have to play AAA teams to keep it fair.
by Red in Chicago on Aug 10, 2008 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions
It's Corpus Cristi
btw, Matthew Arburr hit 3 home runs today.
In the world I see--you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty carpool lane of some abandoned superhighway.
Yeah, that's what I meant
They show both PCL and Texas League on that channel, so the two get crossed up in my mind.
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Random Thoughts on the Schedule
- With 24 games, Chicago has the most against the Playoff Teams. FLA has 23, NYM & PHI 19, STL 16 and MIL 15.
- The Cubs play a series at FLA, STL, NYM & MIL.
- The Cubs vaunted home record gets tested by closing out the season with visits from PHI, HOU, MIL and your St. Louis Cardinals.
- Phi, & Mil have a two city west coast trip this week, FLA has one next week.
- The Cards have a Labor Day visit to Arizona (flying out from Houston)
- Let’s hope the Nationals and Braves start playing with 29 and 27 games to go against the playoff teams. (That is except when ATL comes to town)
- Root for the Astros on the road when they visit Milwaukee, New York, Chicago and Florida.
- Arizona has 7 games with us, LA has 8 with Philly and 3 with Milwaukee. Watch out for the west coast losing sneaking into the WC race.
damn you brewers
When the time comes for me to not be bothered by losing that is when I know it is time to retire my fandom
The Brewers
everytime I make a comment about them being for real, they lose 5 straight. When I say “they’re done”, they rattle off 6 out of 7…
THE SKIP IS LEGIT!!
Seriously... what were Rich Harden's parents thinking?!?!?!
Lineup
Kennedy plays the entire series:
Schumaker 8
Mather 7
Pujols 3
Ludwick 9
Glaus 5
Molina 2
Kennedy 4
Carpenter 1
Izturis 6
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 10, 2008 7:11 PM EDT reply actions
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