Cards Sign Royce Ring, Tree Falls In Forest

by wyld stallyns on Jan 5, 2009 4:57 PM EST Comment 42 comments

I understand we were looking for another lefty reliever, a LOOGY. But no more LNOGYs (no-out) please.

Ring in '08:

ERA: 8.46

WHIP: 1.88

Against LHB: 58 PA, .264, 5 BB, 7 R.

Against RHB: .419

His 3-year split is better, but at this point, our righties may be better than that against lefties.

I guess anything is better than Flores was last year, but I seem to remember us already getting a couple of middling lefties this offseason.

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Oh. It's per MLBTR:

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/01/cardinals-sign.html

and the Post:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/D245962ADFB6B67886257535006BBEF5?OpenDocument

by wyld stallyns on Jan 5, 2009 4:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm pretty happy with this...

in his last 2.2 innings of work he gave up 11 runs. July first his ERA was 3.31, August first it was 8.46. Clearly something happened to him, be it injury, or mechanics, or whatnot.

I think it’s worth finding out what on a 28 year old lefty that was effective before that one month. If not, cut him in spring. I’m not excited at all by our current lefty options, and Ring might have the highest upside.

Not that I researched this thoroughly at all, obviously.

by bretsyboo on Jan 5, 2009 6:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Good Point

To often we look at overall stats but with a reliever the ERA can sometimes be misleading. Even though he walks a lot of people, I think he could help the Cards but who knows. I guess the Cards will find out

There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

by wizardofozzie on Jan 5, 2009 10:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Uh...yeah, whatever

Remember when Cliff Politte got invited to spring training last year?

by mojowo11 on Jan 5, 2009 7:54 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

I proudly sponser this comment

* sarcasm might be involved in this comment

by mattyfrommo on Jan 5, 2009 8:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's a great Fanpost title

The artist formerly known as...
Mr Redbird @ Viva El Birdos
PowerOfDixieland @ Track Em Tigers, other SEC blogs

by jd is legend on Jan 5, 2009 7:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Since there is a fanpost about this signing

does that mean somebody heard the tree fall?

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and sometime it rains.

by garden nome on Jan 6, 2009 11:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

On the same sports-page...

I also read that Milton Bradley has just been offered a 3-year, $30M deal.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/EBE6190C964D8A7986257535007B662E?OpenDocument

I like to think of myself as a patient fan. And I understand these things are kind of a coincidence. But signing a LOOGY on a day your division rival inks an eight-figure player feels kind of like ashes in my mouth.

by JWO on Jan 5, 2009 8:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

But when the eight-figure player was only affordable when that other team traded a good player in DeRosa and replaced him with Aaron Miles

Then I feel much better.

by mojowo11 on Jan 5, 2009 9:23 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs

Oddly, our Left-handed relief was considered a strength of this team until about July.

Florez and Vilone both took 0 ERAS deep into May and were still under 3 until early July. And then the wheels came off. Concidentally, that took place along with the general bullpen struggles.

Thank god the cubs moved DeRosa and brought in Bradley. I agree that that move makes their team much worse.

by Czechguardsman on Jan 5, 2009 9:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

If Bradley

somehow stays healthy it doesn’t. But I don’t see that happening.

by spants on Jan 5, 2009 11:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

the eye of saron

will be upon him

"No matter where you go, there you are" Buckeroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension

by sportsman on Jan 5, 2009 9:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Bradley will revert to 2000 -2007 Bradley, not...

The guy sheltered in obscurity in a bandbox in Texas in the middle of a Murderers row. And Bradley still missed time last year and didn’t crack 30HRS or 100RBIS. Bradley is a hothead who won’t adjust well to Chicago. And the Cubs no longer have DeRosa.

by Czechguardsman on Jan 6, 2009 1:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Bradley was still pretty good from 2000-2007

But not as good as DeRosa and for double the price and half the amount of playing time.

by vivaelpujols on Jan 6, 2009 2:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Is He..

…the One Ring to Rule Them All???
I doubt it…
:=8/

by The MooCow on Jan 6, 2009 8:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If this guy climbs out of my television and tries to kill me I'm gonna plotz.

Other than that I don’t see any harm.

by mattybobo on Jan 6, 2009 3:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

For the love of Willie McGee...

Mo…buddy…what the…? Why are you offering this guy the money we give you as fans?

I CAN THROW LIVE CRAWFISH AND DO BETTER THAN THIS GUY.

This guy isn’t a LOOGY, he’s a loogie. Maybe Memphis needed a lefty?

I have discovered in twenty years of moving around a ball park, that the knowledge of the game is usually in inverse proportion to the price of the seats. ~Bill Veeck

by bukowski on Jan 5, 2009 10:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I Wuz Thinkin'...

…the same thing, only with cow pies…
;=8)

by The MooCow on Jan 6, 2009 8:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

THANK YOU BABY JESUS

PRINT THE PLAYOFF TICKETS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still looking for 1985 Regular Season games on DVD/VHS

by Hardcore Legend on Jan 5, 2009 10:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Glass half full

His 8.46 ERA came with a .390 BABIP and a 4.48 FIP. 14 of his runs came in his last 4 innings.

He will also ride a pegacorn to the mound to make him look better. It’s the intimidation factor.

The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.

by thegodfather on Jan 5, 2009 11:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I though the song "Ring of Fire"

was supposed to do that for him?

Chuck Norris bows to no man...but he does bow to The Mang.

by miniboscorino on Jan 6, 2009 2:35 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

When I hear that song

all I think of is Preparation H, which used it in a TV spot a few years ago. Disturbing.

by spants on Jan 6, 2009 2:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That is most certainly disturbing

Maybe Ring needs some after what MLB hitters did to him last year.

Chuck Norris bows to no man...but he does bow to The Mang.

by miniboscorino on Jan 6, 2009 9:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It never happened.

Cash Family wouldn’t sell the rights.

Link

The boys are all here for ya...we'll back you up...we'll be there...cause, Billy, we don't stink right now. We're the best team in baseball right now...right this minute...because of you. You're the reason. We're not gonna screw that up, we're gonna be awesome for you right now. Just throw.

by Tackle Box on Jan 6, 2009 10:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe

I saw a joke commercial? What the hell am I thinking of?

by spants on Jan 6, 2009 11:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think it made the news

and SNL might have done something on it. Not sure, but the only reason I knew about it was because I remembered seeing something on tv about the family not selling the rights. Maybe that whole thing just kinda stuck in your head?

by Tackle Box on Jan 7, 2009 1:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

SNL

And yeah, I’m sure I heard about it. I must’ve merged everything. Whoops!

by spants on Jan 7, 2009 1:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Can "Pegacorn" become the new VEB name for the bullpen cooler-scooter?

by mattybobo on Jan 6, 2009 3:18 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Sounds good to me

The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.

by thegodfather on Jan 6, 2009 4:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hmm

Sounds like the old “throw shit at a wall” approach to solving the left-side bullpen question. This guy sounds mediocre at best…and if so he won’t make the team and we’ll never hear about him again. I see no downside really.

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

by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 6, 2009 2:36 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

It's better than overpaying for a LOOGY

Ohman would be much different from Miller and Ostiland/Ring/Manning but he would cost twice the amount and for multiple years.

by vivaelpujols on Jan 6, 2009 2:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

exactly

nothing wrong with pulling in some Spring Training glut for the specialist role and letting them battle it out.

One Century down, next on its way. Cardinals '09 : Preserving the Cubs tradition.

by AdjustedExpectations on Jan 6, 2009 5:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Middle relievers are a crapshoot anyway.

Neal Cotts and Cliff Politte were awesome the year the White Sox won the World Series and they’ve been shit ever since.

by Tackle Box on Jan 6, 2009 5:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Does anyone know

what’s gong on with Tyler Johnson? I’m pretty sure the Cardinals chose not to offer him a contract. Does anyone know where hes landed or if the Cardinals are thinking about bringing him back on a lesser deal?

by stl522 on Jan 6, 2009 10:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Supposedly Tyler Johnson gained 35 pounds last year and

they were upset with his conditioning. My guess is he won’t be back.

by Czechguardsman on Jan 6, 2009 12:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Commish says

the Cards are not interested anymore. bummer. i always like TJ.

I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!

by gdm426 on Jan 6, 2009 4:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I like the move

I know we signed Khalil Greene, but now that Braden Looper and Cesar Izturis are gone, we have a huge hole in the cool name department. We can fill that hole on Opening Day with Colby Rasmus, but you never can be too safe.

"The Mollusk" makes me want to rail LSD crystals off my friends' sternum. Rage."

by ICEYhawtSTUNNAZ on Jan 6, 2009 10:44 AM EST reply actions 1 recs