The Player To Have Been Named Yesterday
by DanUpBaby on Mar 24, 2009 9:00 AM EDT
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PrintLast time to trot out this cliche lede: if you don't like the World Baseball Classic after that game, then there's nothing to be done. I started off an Ichiro skeptic—no walks, no power, inexplicably stuck in right field—but he is just too enjoyable, too generationally unique, a player not to enjoy watching.It's not just the hits and the fielding and the weird wrists-first bat motion—it's that the man has never made an awkward motion in his life. If he appeared on Dancing with the Stars, like the guy who was my idol in junior high, they would have to rename it to Stars Dancing with Ichiro.
The awkward part of the World Baseball Classic is that I've gotten all this playoff baseball in March, and now there's a solid week until opening day. So: back to caring about how deep a player goes into a game, who's going to win out in the endurance match at second base... who's going to San Diego to complete the Khalil Greene trade.
I would say Luke Gregerson—a strikeout an inning as a 24-year-old in AA—was a best-case scenario, since some worried Cardinals fans were as far afield as Jason Motte and Jon Jay re: the PTBNL. Gregerson might make a good middle reliever, but the Cardinals had a glut and they traded from it. Now that we know Player Who Was Named Earlier I think it's fair, finally, to declare this an A trade for Mozeliak.
#
Tyler Greene getting cut means my fearless roster predictions live to fight another day, but the real dark horse as far as screwing up my plans to go public as a psychic go is David Freese, who seems all the way back in the competition for third base just as we hear that Troy Glaus has started down the Matt Clement slide. Dan'n'Al are live on the field:
DAN: Well, partner, this is like making that big trade that seems to come at some undefined point without any warning whatsoever, almost at random, only you don't have to trade anybody!
AL: You know, it really is.
Freese's return to relevance illustrates the ultimate mutability of Spring Training performance. You can have open competitions, you can marvel at someone's improvement, you can put someone in the doghouse, but in the end Spring Training, and the sketchy information it provides, is a tool, not a contest.
Allen Craig wasn't going to hit his way onto the team, because he just wasn't in the plans, and there was no information out there this spring that was going to change that; David Freese wasn't going to lose out on the third base job because of a spring disappearing act, because he's still got that entire year of being David Freese as equally valuable evidence. It's frustrating when it applies to the Allen Craigs of the world, but it's probably for the best.
#
The other bit of late-spring intrigue is Kyle McClellan, who's been shaky enough to merit a full article on the mothership. Speaking of information, McClellan's final 2008 numbers don't exactly make him look like an Opening Day lock; to be in the moment and feel like he's the only reliever worth turning to in July is one thing, but the fact remains that his career stats above A ball look like this:
| YEAR | LEVEL | G | IP | K | BB | HR | ERA |
| 2007 | AA | 24 | 30.2 | 30 | 6 | 2 | 2.35 |
| 2008 | MLB | 68 | 75.2 | 59 | 26 | 7 | 4.04 |
I don't doubt that McClellan is a major league pitcher, but he doesn't have a long track record—just a few great months at each stop, an ugly September, and an ugly March.
More pertinently, the Cardinals have no idea what they want to do with him; I can imagine getting into starter's shape while aware, all the while, that you're destined for the pen is a tough way to go into your second season in the bigs. It wouldn't be a terrible shame if the Cardinals wedged him into the crowded Memphis rotation for a month to see if that long-time Duncan dream is worth dumping Pineiro for, once and for all. It would be, if nothing else, one more way to leverage that deep right-handed bullpen.
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KMac
If Perez is healthy and KMac ends up being the odd man out, then your idea of putting him in the minors as a starter would be ideal.
Even if he didn’t make the show as a reliever right away, he’d be ready to step in as the necessary “long man” in the event Thompson was injured or ineffective
www.salukihoops.com
?
I don’t understand why, they didn’t/don’t slate him as the long man already. Frankly thompson looks to be a AAAA player, With a glut of right handed set up men why not put him in that slot? Yes, you could say they were waiting on kinney and the kids, but if the picture kmac as a starter to begin with he should fit will into this role. I b confuseded
"When the boogie man goes to sleep he checks his closet for Chuck Norris"
by elirock83 on Mar 24, 2009 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
2 reasons
1) He’s not pitching very well right now
2) I think the Cardinals brass has already decided on Brad Thompson for that role
www.salukihoops.com
by salukihoops on Mar 24, 2009 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The Greene Trade
looks to be a steal at this point, but we need to remember that it was as much about dumping salary as it was about players traded. If Greene reverted to last year’s standards then the Cards would be on the hook for a substantial salary from a non-productive player. I don’t think that is going to happen, but that is really what is at risk.
McClellan – I don’t think he is in any trouble of loosing his job. He has been inconsistent but he has also been very good. He just needs to be more consistent and I think he will mature and do exactly that.
3B – The 3B position seems to have replaced the Duncan / Rasmus and Schumaker at 2B as the hot debate topic. Word on Glaus’ delay in returning and the pretty obvious fact that this is probably Glaus’ final year really adds intrigue to this situtation. Mather and Freese appear to be the front-runners for an early season replacement, but don’t count Barden out either. Barden is solid defensively and he has hit the ball very well during spring training.
McClellan is absolutely in danger of losing his job
He is NOT a lock to make thi team by any stretch. If he continues to be horrible this spring, you can expect to see him start the year in AAA. He has done nothing to merit an automatic roster spot. He was not all that good last year.
well
it depends on if you are talking about pre-fatigued McClellan, or late season McClellan, there is a huge difference… but I agree, he is far from a lock to make the team at this point
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 24, 2009 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Just to remind myself...
It seems accepted that KMac simply wore out last season, and that seems to be a good diagnosis. Is there any other data or statement by anyone to confirm that this is the mostly likely reason he tapered off? In other words, is there any other support for the argument that he simply got fatigued rather than injured or something like that, besides fan logic?
Fatigue vs. Injury
If I’m not mistaken, nothing has ever been reported that McClellan was injured at the end of last season. So, fans assume that M-Mac was fatigued (myself included). However, his ST does make one wonder what is going on with 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
Fatigue and Injury
There’s an interesting interview at Full Count Pitch with Will Carroll that touches on this.
"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
The thing about him
Is he really hasn’t pitched that much professionally, period. So it’s hard to get a read on him
In 6 minor league seasons he only pitched 328 innings, including 128 innings one year as a starter. (I also don’t understand why he’s considered to be a starter, given his low inning totals in the minor leagues.)
And he basically only has had one good year in the minors (2007). So I think it’s possible he’s just not a very good pitcher, but had a Bo Hartian streak.
Or it could be injury. That’s why he hasn’t pitched much professionally, two times he had elbow problems.
Felipe Lopez - next year's Joel Pineiro (on another team, thank you Mo!)
"ST is a tool, not a contest"
duncan and rasmus 08 ST? predetermined. craig and freese 09 ST? predetermined. watching tlr’s usage of players during ST, usually indicates his predetermined decisions. it’s really not that hard, once you give into “not a contest”.
Contest
So, does TLR getting Mather a single-digit jersey and a third baseman’s mit constitute predetermination?
"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
necessity
is the mother of all invention. glaus down… freese was down…. did craig play there and get a legit shot? predetermination for me, how about you? i’d call mather a placeholder for freese, this spring.
by ball in play on Mar 24, 2009 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Wait...
when is LaRussa going to start hating rookies again?
I’m starting to get confused.
Getting two tickets to an execution is like getting two tickets to NASCAR, except you KNOW Jeff Gordon's gonna die.
w/freese and craig
having zero mlb experience, i don’t understand how the reply applies. guess i agree w/confused.
by ball in play on Mar 24, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
having no options readily available
never stopped them from signing Miguel Cairo in the past…
Getting two tickets to an execution is like getting two tickets to NASCAR, except you KNOW Jeff Gordon's gonna die.
Mather isn't a rookie
and those of us that believe we will see Brendan Ryan playing more 3B than David Freese, please raise their hand.
by Hardcore Legend on Mar 24, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Tongue in Cheek
I mean my comment as a joke. It seemed to me that TLR had penciled Joey Bombs in as the third baseman and everything else was just side dressing to that ultimate decision. This was a product of TLR’s intrigue at Mather, Freese’s injury, and the seemingly organization-wide attitude that Craig is not good enough defensively to play third. That said, I’m pleased that Mather’s cold snap has prompted a reassessment, even if that reassessment was at the behest of Mo rather than the manager.
"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 think it's more that
they thought Craig isn’t as advanced as Freese, for whatever reason. mainly because he’s not as “seasoned”?
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 24, 2009 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I like my third baseman with a pinch of saffron
Really spices things up, ya know? Good glove and some pop at the plate.
"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
saffron is too expensive
to be expecting that kind of quality from a rookie third baseman
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
and....BEN SHEETS!!! **
**not that BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment, just BEN SHEETS!!!
(BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment)
Good point
"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
Yep, a little dose of
turmeric will look about the same and most people won’t notice.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Mar 24, 2009 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions
am i the only one who thinks it would have been super awesome if you had said
necessity is the mather of all invention?
BEN MOTHERHUSHYOURMOUTH SHEETS
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
Why?
With Glaus a FA at year’s end, if Freese plays well, wouldn’t we be shopping Glaus?
"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
glaus is limited by no-trade protection.
on the other hand, if he’s looking at a long-term contract, he might be fine with waiving his protection to a winning team where he’ll spend the next 3-4 years.
if we can find a mutually agreeable suitor for glaus and freese is playing well, yes, we could trade him.
Forgot about Glaus's no-trade protection
I imagine that he would waive it for a west coast team…
"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
What about the Yank-offs if
A-Rod doesn’t recover well from his surgery?
by MdRedbirdFreak on Mar 24, 2009 9:20 PM EDT up reply actions
or if the yanks recover from heavy doses of hallucinogens
and realize jeter is too old to play shortstop, shift him to 2b, A-rod to SS, and glaus to 3B? yes.
what will they do with Cano?
BEN MOTHERHUSHYOURMOUTH SHEETS
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
probably nothing.
this is the yankees we’re talking about. the fact the dude makes a ton of money will not faze them. they’ve got kei igawa in the minors.
then MO should ask for him then
couldn’t hurt
BEN MOTHERHUSHYOURMOUTH SHEETS
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
maybe Duncan could fix him
I think it was Gammons who accused the Yankees of breaking him by messing with his mechanics. Any lefty who touches 90 is worth taking a flyer on, I’d figure.
I'm pretty sure I never thought for even a second that Craig...
might start the year at STL. I still consider him third (at best) on the minor league depth chart at 3B behind Freese and Wallace…perhaps behind Barden and Mather now. Two weeks of hot hitting does not a major leaguer make.
Sometimes I wonder,
"Why is that frisbee getting bigger?"
...and then it hits me!!
by cardzfanbub on Mar 24, 2009 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Minor league track record
Apparently Craig’s minor league track record of productive hitting and average defense mean nothing as well. He is a superior hitter to all but Wallace.
In what way
superior to Freese, who hit at least as well in Triple A as Craig did in Double A?
Craig's minor league track record
In my opinion, Craig has hit just as well as Freese in more difficult hitting environments.
it's tough to sort this out.
the average ops is higher in the PCL than in the texas league (.783 v. .745).
freese had a .910 ops at memphis in a full season in 2008, while craig had an .867 ops at springfield. i’d say it’s probably a wash, given the disparities from league to league.
And he accomplished all this...
below the AAA level. Craig may end up being a better major leaguer than Freese, but he doesn’t have an EXCELLENT year of AAA defense and hitting on his resume.
Sometimes I wonder,
"Why is that frisbee getting bigger?"
...and then it hits me!!
Defense
Wouldn’t defense be level-neutral? Fielding a hot shot in AA really isn’t any different than AAA, right? And I might even suggest that doing so at AA is more difficult because the field is not as well-kept. I could be completely wrong on this, but I’m throwing it out there for discussion.
I do agree on the hitting, but Craig can mash.
"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
Wouldn't it be...
more logical to assume that there would be more majory league hitters at AAA rather than AA? And hence, defense wouldn’t necessarily be level-neutral?
I don't know about that
AAA might have more major league ready hitters, but it is also going to have a lot more hitters that are never going to be anything more than AAAA hitters.
I just think there are too many factors here to decide who had the better year. Yes, Freese was at AAA and Craig at AA, but if you are going to take into account levels, you have to take their ages as a factor as well.
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
and....BEN SHEETS!!! **
**not that BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment, just BEN SHEETS!!!
(BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment)
Any plans to do NL Central team previews?
It would be nice to see a community view of the other teams in our division, similar to Al’s preview over on BCB.
That said, the Cubs do deserve my pity, but never my support.
Agreed
Az did them last year. Could someone do team reports for our NL Central foes this year?
by cardsgirl95 on Mar 24, 2009 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
I've already got the Astros and Pirates report:
teh suck
The artist formerly known as...
Mr Redbird @ Viva El Birdos
PowerOfDixieland @ Track Em Tigers, other SEC blogs
by jd is legend on Mar 24, 2009 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Perhaps the NL Central SB Crew?
Maybe each individual club’s SB Nation head could put down a few paragraphs and cross-post them for the other NL Central team blogs? Just an idea.
"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
BTB had a good chat with our man in memphis about the NL Central.
Actually, i doubt he’s in memphis. but it was a good chat.
Thank you
for that in-depth analysis. :)
by cardsgirl95 on Mar 24, 2009 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions
For in-depth analyis
You need to read the Fox Sports 2009 St. Louis Cardinals Preview.
According to the Retarded Monkey* that wrote this piece posted last week “There has been talk of giving outfielder and leadoff hitter Skip Schumaker an opportunity at second.” Didn’t that “Talk” turn two double plays in the same game last week?
Someone needs to tell the 250? pound Mexican that just showed up in camp that “The Cardinals have revamped the left side, with Trever Miller (Tampa Bay in ’08), Charlie Manning (Washington) and Royce Ring (Atlanta) as specialists.” Either that or Manning and Ring need to be told that their jobs have been outsourced to immigrant labor.
For the back end of the rotation we have “Two other youngsters, righthander Mitch Boggs and Mike Parisi, could compete for jobs.” Parisi is an option. (Left Handed?) Whoever did his Tommy John surgery last fall needs to take care of Pujols and his elbow. Combine these surgical talents with The Mang’s healing properties and he’d only miss a week max.
It’s been up a few weeks but I just came across The 25 Things You Didn’t Know About St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training. My favorite’s are 6,7,13 and 20.
*On second thought I think I may have offended Retarded Monkeys, my apologies.
"Do what you want to the women and children but leave me alone"- George Carlin
by That's a Winner on Mar 24, 2009 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Lets break this one down a little further
Rotation:
A late spring-training addition in 2008, Kyle Lohse wound up being a godsend with 15 wins. Rewarded with a new contract, he has to do more of the same. Adam Wainwright (11-3 and 3.20 ERA in 20 starts) will be atop the rotation if he can stay healthy. In its dream of dreams, the club hopes 2005 Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter can rebound from a series of nerve issues in his right arm, but they dare not count on it. Todd Wellemeyer (13-9) is solid, but then things get hazy.
So we have four solid and/or awesome starters, but the rotation is hazy. Awesome.
MIFS:
There has been talk of giving outfielder and leadoff hitter Skip Schumaker an opportunity at second.
I’ve heard none of this “talk!” Site your source, Athlon!
Corners:
You can’t ask for a lot more from these spots. Despite playing on a fourth-place club, first baseman Pujols won the league’s MVP award with his .357 batting average, .462 on-base percentage and .653 slugging percentage. He also well could have won a Gold Glove, which he has done in the past. Third baseman Troy Glaus got off to a slow start — three home runs through May — but wound up batting .270 with 27 home runs and 99 RBIs. He’s already off to a worse start in 2009 by having shoulder surgery in January, leaving him unavailable for at least the first four weeks. Although his range is somewhat limited, Glaus’ .982 fielding percentage was tops at his position in the NL. Together, Pujols and Glaus combined for 64 homers, 77 doubles and 215 RBIs
Yep, why we ask for more when only half of these guys are playing?
Annnnd, a curious case of contradiction:
The depth of the outfield means a platoon that will always leave a solid bat on the pine, whether it be Duncan, Schumaker or Mather. Both Mather and Duncan have home run power and have been effective pinch hitters.
but later…
The Cardinals have some lineup issues, to be sure.
My head hurts.
hecanthithecanthithecanthithecanthit
You know...
The Cardinals have some lineup issues, to be sure.
I think this just refers to batting the pitcher 8th.
25 things columns is well worth the read
If you like off beat humor. My vote for funniest goes to Number 16
I'm still trying to figure out how the astros finished ahead of us last season
will they be worse?
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 24, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
don't forget the flubs
they are the very definition of suck
BEN MOTHERHUSHYOURMOUTH SHEETS
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
bleed cubbie blue
actually did a pretty solid one over the last couple weeks. there are entries team by team then relatively intelligent debate in the comments. it’s worth a look.
If I were Luke Gregerson, I'd be very worried today
Just the mere fact that he was traded from the Cardinals to the Padres means he is at a greater risk of a freak (or normal) injury. He’s going to start the season on the DL after a rat bites off a digit of his index finger on his throwing hand. When we get him back after the Pads release him, he will have finally harnessed his deformity into a wicked slider.
The artist formerly known as...
Mr Redbird @ Viva El Birdos
PowerOfDixieland @ Track Em Tigers, other SEC blogs
Leach's Roster Prognosis
FWIW here is Matthew Leach’s roster projection from the official site:
Except for starting pitchers, in each case they are listed from the guy I am most sure will be on the team down to the guy I am least sure.
Starting Pitchers (5)
Adam Wainwright
Kyle Lohse
Todd Wellemeyer
Chris Carpenter
Joel Pineiro
Relief Pitchers (7)
Ryan Franklin
Dennys Reyes
Trever Miller
Kyle McClellan
Jason Motte
Josh Kinney
Brad Thompson
Catchers (2)
Yadier Molina
Jason LaRue
Infielders (6)
Albert Pujols
Khalil Greene
Skip Schumaker
Joe Thurston
Brendan Ryan
David Freese
Outfielders (5)
Rick Ankiel
Ryan Ludwick
Chris Duncan
Colby Rasmus
Joe Mather
There really aren’t many questions left at this point. One is right side of the bullpen. Looks like three guys for two spots — Perez, Kinney and Thompson. Even more specifically, I think it’s Thompson vs Perez for one spot. I still think they’re going to take Thompson, but I wouldn’t bet the house on it.
One is Mather. If he’s on, at this point I think he’s on as an outfielder and they take six infielders. Another possibility is to send him down and go with seven infielders, with the knowledge that Ryan and Thurston would play some infield. Ultimately I think that competition comes down to Mather vs Barden. But I’m also not certain that Barden is in third place versus Ryan and Thurston. More broadly, and probably more accurately, it looks like four guys for three spots: Ryan, Thurston, Barden and Mather.
I have a very difficult time right now seeing this roster without Rasmus on it.
-M.
Ugh…Thompson and K-Mac over YP. Yeah!…Colby Rasmus.
I would suggest posting just the link...
and a summary next time. This may be more convenient for we readers, but the writer is being paid to draw viewers to his/sponsor’s website. Thanks for posting!
I can’t say that I agree on the Rasmus comment at the end.
Sometimes I wonder,
"Why is that frisbee getting bigger?"
...and then it hits me!!
Yeah, I agree about Rasmus,
if Leach has some inside info that makes him that confident about Raz on the roster he should say so.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Mar 24, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with that assesment
Rasmus is probably the 4th outfielder at this point and we all know TLR’s stance on that issue. He needs the ABs and at the ML level won’t be getting enough of them.
Chuck Norris hit a Home Run
with his beard
by bearcatcardfan on Mar 24, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd be willing to bet
whomever the 4th OF is, they’ll get about 350-400 ABs.
hecanthithecanthithecanthithecanthit
400 AB minimum in 09
look at how many at bats Miles got in the last two years. If Rasmus is on the roster for all of 2009, then Ludwick, Ank and Duncan would have to be healthy all year and on fire at the plate to keep Rasmus from getting 400 ABs
Yep, and I'm not expecting
any iron man streaks out of Ank, Luddy or Duncan either. One of them will be hurt by May 1.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Mar 24, 2009 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Normally
…that is what I would do. But with a roster breakdown, it helps the discussion to have it visually presented so that would be commenters do not have to toggle between pages.
I personally think that breaking in as a 3rd/4th outfielder is a good idea. He can adjust to the big leagues without feeling the pressure to produce everyday. It is kind of like breaking a starter in in the bullpen IMHO.
I won't argue your last point...
but Rasmus hasn’t done anything this Spring to win the spot in my opinion. I still think Mather (unless he wins the 3B job) and Duncan are ahead of Razzle, leaving him as the fifth OFer…I would prefer that he played everyday in Memphis for a month or so over playing sparingly in STL for the first month or two.
Sometimes I wonder,
"Why is that frisbee getting bigger?"
...and then it hits me!!
What has Mather done to be ahead?
Duncan has had a very nice spring and he has ML success in his past. Mather has not really done much outside of his AAA numbers last year and he certainly is having a much worse ST than Colby.
he has played 3rd base
and put up Izturis numbers?
Barton going down; imho; suggests that Rasmus has a 90%+ chance to make the team.
Really...
Mather has not really done much outside of his AAA numbers last year and he certainly is having a much worse ST than Colby.
Rasmus Spring BABIP = .415 with 19 K’s in 60 AB’s (about 30% K rate)
Mather Spring BABIP = .233
Funny how small samples and luck can make one guy look that much better than another. Also Mather’s ISO of .158 compared to Colby’s .134 suggest that the BABIP number is not a matter of Colby hitting the ball with more authority.
Mather also had a decent half season in STL last year after a MONSTER first half at AAA. Likewise he had a decent half season at AAA in 2007 after a MONSTER first half at AA.
Sometimes I wonder,
"Why is that frisbee getting bigger?"
...and then it hits me!!
I think our bench.....
Is going to be considerably stronger this season.
Not many teams “could”, in theory, have greater punch than Duncan and Mather available to come in late in the game. I could see both of those guys as 25-30 HR types, if they started all season.
"Stats are for losers," Muschamp said after last week's victory. "I like winning games."
by SoonerfanTU on Mar 24, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Our outfield overall is gonna have some serious power
with the possible half exception of Rasmus who will probably need to adjust to big league pitching.
Yeah Brendan Ryan
Brendan Ryan on 2B, Skip to OF, and Duncan to DH. You know tony won’t be able to resist.
I agree with Mr. Leach
This looks dead-on with what I anticipate our Opening Day roster to look like. I think that TLR has decided to address the lefthandedness of the OF with Mather and will pencil both Mather and Freese in at third. At this point, I’m almost wishing that they’d send K-Mac to Memphis so that he can iron out the kinks down there rather than in St. Louis. I can’t believe I’m advocating Thomson over McClellan and this point, but if McClellan doesn’t turn it around soon, I think that would benefit everyone involved.
"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
Nice
A few haiku are just what we need to class up the joint. Because its not like people ever make obscure literary references or write a post in iambic pentameter around here. :) But a haiku reminds me of game threads and that just makes me miss baseball all the more. /sigh.
My god
Their uniforms are hideous
The artist formerly known as...
Mr Redbird @ Viva El Birdos
PowerOfDixieland @ Track Em Tigers, other SEC blogs
by jd is legend on Mar 24, 2009 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
What a boring guy to play defense behind...
he strikes out 20 guys per 9, so that makes like 3 balls in play during a 7 inning game…
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
3 balls in play?
theoretically, there could be tons of balls in play since, in conjunction with all the strikeouts, he could be giving up 50 hits.
Getting two tickets to an execution is like getting two tickets to NASCAR, except you KNOW Jeff Gordon's gonna die.
Did you watch the video?
3 batters…two of them actually fouled off a pitch, the other guy never saw the ball as he was swinging at it.
He’s given up 21 hits on the year in 34 innings, so, theoretically, he could pitch for another 2 years and not give up 50 hits in college. :-D
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
I get it.
I didn’t realize you were talking about him and this video specifically.
I thought you meant if a guy (just some guy, not necessarily Strasburg) strikes out 20 batters, you were assuming the other hitters made outs too.
I get a "D" in common sense ... and an "F" in general helping.
For example, this guy:
Steve Dalkowski. I have to confess, I’d never heard of him until I saw this Hardball Times story earlier this week. Some of the stats there are almost beyond belief – multiple games with 20-ish K/20-ish BB… losing multiple 1-, 2-, or 3-hitters because he gave up 5-10 runs on BB and wild pitches….
Out of fairness to HT I won’t quote all the bizarre entries under “The Lore,” but here are a few of the most bizarre:
-In one extra-inning game in the Eastern League, Dalkowski struck out 27 batters and walked 16 while throwing 283 pitches.
-A Dalkowski pitch once tore off part of a batter’s ear.
-A Dalkowski pitch once struck a batter on the helmet and the ball rebounded to second base.
His career minor league stats: 995 IP, 1396 K, 1354 BB – more than 12 K/9 and more than 12 BB/9 (To go along with 145 wild pitches and a 5.59 ERA)!!
He was, according to some, the hardest thrower ever, but he never made the big leagues because he had absolutely no control. This guy is probably old news to a lot of folks here (although based on a google search he’s apparently never been mentioned here), but I’d never heard of him, and those numbers are just mind-boggling.
by BTown Birds fan on Mar 24, 2009 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I love Dalkowski
What a fascinating story he is. If he didn’t throw 110 god only knows what the fastball looked like to produce those numbers.
i love that guy's story
it seems batters figured out the best way to get on base against him was to just not swing the bat and hope he walks you.
Ichiro
“I started off an Ichiro skeptic—no walks, no power, inexplicably stuck in right field” I stopped reading after that !
So, you don't like Ichiro?
Because that statement was obviously leading into praising him. I assume since you didn’t want to read, you didn’t want to hear how good he is.
But, something tells me you actually kept reading….
Getting two tickets to an execution is like getting two tickets to NASCAR, except you KNOW Jeff Gordon's gonna die.
then you have learned an essential rule of life.
anytime someone confronts you with an opinion that contradicts your own, you should simply avoid it. no need to investigate or inquire, for no one could have an opinion more learned than your own.
that is how I have managed to live so long without injury from flying or sailing off the edge of the world — i have thoroughly blocked out all the opinions of these “round-worlders” who seek to do me harm, by telling me the world is not flat like a table. I can see it is flat. It stretches out in every direction. I don’t need their crazy theories.
keep blocking out contradictory opinions. that’s the only way.
by tom s. on Mar 24, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
are you saying that no one should be an Ichiro skeptic?
or what? or you just don’t like writing?
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 24, 2009 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
i think we're making too much of this.
the simple explanation is that he just stopped to look up the meaning of “inexplicable.”
yeah
that’s probably what happened
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 24, 2009 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions
That's amusing
There’s pretty much no reason why anyone should find that statement off-putting. Either you like Ichiro and you see that he “started off” skeptical (implying that he is no longer as such), or you dislike Ichiro and you agree with the reasons he was a skeptic.
Congratulations. You got offended by the single least offensive sentence ever.
That's not true
I stopped reading Dickins after “It was the best of times”. No book could possible be any good that only discussed the rosiest of situations.
by Hardcore Legend on Mar 24, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
you stopped one sentence too early
that must be a common mistake, considering SEC 172 did the same thing.
Patience people!
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
and....BEN SHEETS!!! **
**not that BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment, just BEN SHEETS!!!
(BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment)
originally my plan
was to start off with “I used to hate Japanese people”, but it looks like I just couldn’t win…
by DanUpBaby on Mar 24, 2009 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
somehow your writing style is controversial in some circles
though I really can’t figure out what the heck they are whining about
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Mar 24, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions
hmmm....
i am going to look at it as controversial reading skills. my way makes me feel better about myself, and that dan guy too
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
and....BEN SHEETS!!! **
**not that BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment, just BEN SHEETS!!!
(BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment)
I only got as far as "originally my plan was to" in this comment
Nonetheless, I feel compelled to post something demonstrating that I did not, in fact, read your entire comment.
I SAID GOOD DAY, SIR!
by mojowo11 on Mar 24, 2009 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I stopped at "I"
…everyone is so self-centered around here. DAMN, I started this comment with “I”. My apologies to anyone still reading this.
What does a mama bear on the pill have in common with the World Series? No cubs. ~Harry Caray
and decided to come back
and chime in w/ this? It’s difficult to stomach your criticism of someone else’s writing when yours is so lacking as well.
I shouldn't have included the words
“as well” here. It implies that I found Dan’s writing lacking. Nothing could be further from the truth. Of course, I took the 5 minutes or so to read the entire piece. Maybe if I had read only 1 sentence, I would have found his writing as bad as sec. 172’s.
i really don't get the nerve of some people clogging the comments with this crap
if you don’t like it, don’t let the door hit you where the good lord split you & get the hell out. no one cares if you don’t like it & we really don’t want to hear about it.
i’m really sick & tired of people ripping on dan, you, red & az. seriously, enough is enough.
BEN MOTHERHUSHYOURMOUTH SHEETS
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
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