Borne Back Ceaselessly Into the Past
by the red baron on Jun 24, 2009 11:34 AM EDT
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PrintOkay, so who had a two-hit shutout in the pool? No one? Really? Huh, that's weird. You would think that someone would have predicted a pitcher of Jo-El's obvious brilliance to shut down the Metropolitans quite roundly.
Personally, I now find myself in the odd position of rooting for the Mets to win their division. Why, you ask? Because if the Cardinals were to meet the Mets in the playoffs, there's no way the Cards could possibly lose. All they would have to do is throw Jo-El in every game, and we would have a nice, clean sweep. Unfortunately, I have yet to come up with a good rhyme for Pineiro, thus I cannot offer you anything as charming as Spahn and Sain and pray for rain. Maybe Joel Joel and hope like hell?
So as I was doing my standard postgame research, reading the various blogs and news stories and all the myriad sources of Cardinalia, I happened upon this little gem over at Gateway Redbirds:
| Name | K/9 | BB/ | HR/9 |
| Joel Pineiro | 4.2 | 1.2 | 0.2 |
| Christy Mathewson | 4.7 | 1.6 | 0.2 |
Rather eerie, isn't it? A poster by the name of Haltz, who also occasionally pops by here, is responsible for this info, and it got me to thinking. Thus, with a firm assist given to Haltz, I present to you Joel Pineiro: Jazz Age Superstar.
| Name | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 | H/9 |
| Joel Pineiro, 2009 | 4.2 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 9.4 |
| Cy Young | 3.5 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 8.7 |
| Pete Alexander | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 8.4 |
| Kid Nichols | 3.3 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 8.7 |
| Old Hoss Radbourn | 3.6 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 8.6 |
| Eddie Plank | 4.5 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 7.9 |
| Mickey Welch | 3.5 | 2.4 | 0.2 | 8.6 |
| Pud Galvin | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 9.6 |
So, what can we glean from this table? Well, first off, Joel has essentially transformed himself into a Hall of Famer from the Dead Ball Era. Secondly, very few of these pitchers actually fit into the Jazz Age, but the phrase Jazz Age Superstar just sounds really cool, and my Gatsby line doesn't work if I try to modify it for the period of time from 1895-1915. So there.
Honestly, I have no idea if this tells us anything real or useful, but I think it's interesting, at the very least, that each time we watch Joel take the mound this season, we're essentially seeing pitching much the same way as it was in the earliest days of the game. Very few strikeouts, very few walks, and very, very few home runs.
And really, last night's game against the Metropolitans of New York was exactly the sort of contest one might expect to see in the aughts. The Mets seemed to swing at nearly everything, putting the ball into play constantly early in the count. Let's face it, no matter how efficient a pitcher is working on a given night, he has to have some help from the opposing batters to go nine in 100 pitches. (Hopefully, the Cardinals were taking notes on exactly how not to go about scoring runs.) Watching last night's game, it felt as if it should all be at that faster rate of speed that early film always recorded things at, along with a soundtrack by way of Scott Joplin.
There is one other thing we can pretty solidly deduce from looking at these numbers, and it's not nearly so good a news as the other stuff. The most similar number throughout all those stat lines is the HR/9 number. Of course, one would expect that from most of those players; after all, they are Hall of Famers from an era in which home runs were extremely scarce top to bottom most years. The problem, of course, is that Joel Pineiro is not a Hall of Famer, and when the Cardinal travel to Pittsburgh, they aren't playing in Forbes Field and it's 457' power alley to left-center.
What I'm saying is that as well as Joel is pitching this year, and he has been brilliant at times, a huge portion of his success has been predicated on his ability to avoid the long ball. And in this current era of baseball, he simply isn't going to be able to sustain that indefinitely. It actually dovetails somewhat with what I was talking about last week, when we were discussing possible stresses on a pitcher. (By the way, I've taken all of the ideas and concepts discussed under advisement, and will do a bit more work with that whole thing when I have some extra time.) Pitchers nowadays have to concentrate so much harder on every single pitch, in large part because any hitter can hit the ball out of the park at pretty much any time. You can't simply work at a lower intensity until a couple of runners get on; if you try, you'll likely end up taking an early shower.
For now, though, I'm just going to enjoy possibly the most unexpected development of all in this bizarre, completely unexpected season: Joel Pineiro is a really good pitcher right now. A really good pitcher from before the advent of radio, yes, but a really good pitcher nonetheless.
And now for the Baron's playlist for this week. The other day, I was digging around in my attic, cleaning out a couple of old totes of stuff I've had hanging around for more years than I care to count. At the bottom of one of the totes full of stuff that had actually followed me from my parents' house (and I haven't lived at home for about nine years now), I found an old cassette tape. On it was an installment of Les Aran's New Music Sunday from sometime in early 1998. My girlfriend from our senior year of high school taped it for me (in fact, it was the same girl I wrote about back at Christmas time), and I had been dragging it behind me ever since.
Anyhow, I drug out my old tape deck, hooked it up, and popped in the tape, and was immediately shocked by just how good everything on it seemed. I suppose that's one of the easiest ways you can tell just how fucking old you're getting, whenever all the old stuff feels better to you than the new stuff, and far better than it ever was to begin with.
Bentley Rhythm Ace- Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out
Fatboy Slim- Going Out of my Head
Roni Size- It's Jazzy
Pulp- Like a Friend
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I would much rather meet the Mets in the playoffs
than the Phillies. The Phils (and especially Ryan Howard) kick our butt most of the time, but we’ve shown that we can handle the Mets (including Pineiro’s gem last night). It would also be good to remind Mets fans of the 06 NLCS again…
Welcome to Baseball Heaven.
Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I'm just hoping we can win a game, another game.
"It starts at the top with the manager."
-- Clint Hurdle, when asked what's behind the Colorado Rockies winning 17 of 18 games
Did anyone else notice that San Fran is leading the Wild Card lead?
Where did they come from?
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Jun 24, 2009 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions
saw that this morning
1st in the wild card and more games out of 1st than the last place team in the central
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
Nobody has come out of nowhere quite like the Rockies
Suddenly they’re 4 or 5 games over .500 — I mean, huh-what?
should we feel good about that,
since the cardinals were what seemed to spark them?
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
I like to think we helped get them started
"It starts at the top with the manager."
-- Clint Hurdle, when asked what's behind the Colorado Rockies winning 17 of 18 games
nah, it was Mrs. Molina
Flown in by Yadi, so I regret to say it’s Yadi’s fault.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there. They can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear." - THT
last week.
NL Central was ruling the wild card for the first month and a half.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there. They can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear." - THT
That is pretty amazing
How-the-hell can I make my
teammates better by
practicin’
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
Who knew
a pitcher’s duel would erupt between Piniero and Hernandez? You all did notice that Hernandez threw a pretty good game too, didn’t you? That dude has nine lives.
She isn't crazy, she's just not impressed.
Were you guys aware of the groundscrew debacle?
Alxfritz, gotta hand it to you: “Problem with the tarp at Citi? How ironic.”
"It starts at the top with the manager."
-- Clint Hurdle, when asked what's behind the Colorado Rockies winning 17 of 18 games
That's hilarious
"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'm not certain
but that might actually count as irony. Which is a big plus.
But that begs the question of whether politics and the English language and proper use of idioms are appropriate subject matter at a baseball blog, though personally it’s something I could care less about.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
With your permission...
I will keep this picture for all eternity.
Just a little pet peeve of mine.
"Don't do anything till I get back!" - Jesus to the Cubs
I posted it on facebook and it generated a nifty little conversation
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions
rec'd
Death to improper English!
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jun 24, 2009 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I think he's saying that he cares a little bit about it
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Hmm
I misuse “begs the question”, “couldn’t care less” and I end a sentence with a preposition, and this is all you guys come up with?
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
"and this is all that with which up you come?"
all better.
the truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark/ it scares you witless, but in time you see things clear and stark -- macmanus
Hey Chief!
Isn’t that the guy who’s camper they were wacking off in?
"If on-base percentage is so important, then why don't they put it up on the scoreboard?" - Jeff Francouer
by jd is legend on Jun 24, 2009 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions
I thee you have brathes
I have brathes too
Um, excuse me, is this a God dam?
Don't argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. - anon.
Grounds crew definitely has to be two words
Groundscrew sounds like something Chris Duncan might do if he got too happy and there were no trophies around.
by mojowo11 on Jun 24, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
brilliant
I have a very, umm...photographic brain. A lot like Ansel Adams but in color and with a lot more, uh.....insertion and pubic hair.
Is that "grounds crew"
or “ground screw”?
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jun 24, 2009 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Dang.
Note to self: read to the end of the thread b4 posting (for the umpteenth time!)
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jun 24, 2009 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions
This might be my favorite VEB post ever.
Kudos to you, sir. [“Kudos,” though coined in the early 1800s, sure sounds like a Jazz-Age word, don’t it?]
by MdRedbirdFreak on Jun 24, 2009 11:52 AM EDT reply actions
23 Skiddoo!
You can't teach a hammer to love nails.
by the red baron on Jun 24, 2009 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
And how!
I’m enjoying a cherry phosphate on my Davenport, too!
by Anonymous Communist on Jun 24, 2009 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Pineiro just tested positive for a PEP
Performance Enhancing Pitch. Franklin is peeing in the cup as we speak
(sorry if that’s been used before)
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
Oh, thank god.
Our worries are over!
Now, just give me some time to figure this thing out…
You can't teach a hammer to love nails.
by the red baron on Jun 24, 2009 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I thought dinero...
was the obvious one.
"Don't do anything till I get back!" - Jesus to the Cubs
by cardzfanbub on Jun 24, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Carp and Piniero then save your dinero?
I think that was coined sometime early last year when Joel was hot.
Many spanish word can conjugate to rhyme with pineiro, right?
Decrease runs scored?
Maybe.
Decrease winning? Never seen that proven.
-SFTU
probably
I was just thinking of a tasty meal at the local mexican eatery
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
awesome
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I assume you are referring to
Cañonero II, the winner of the 1971 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes?
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jun 24, 2009 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions
i was thinking of
the feminine SUV that Homer withdrew his entire 401(k) to purchase. thank god for matt lauer.
R.P.O.F.Y.M.
In addition to getting him to use the sinker,
Duncan also taught Piñeiro to do a mean Charleston.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
by mattybobo on Jun 24, 2009 11:56 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
And on top of a flagpole, no less.
You can't teach a hammer to love nails.
by the red baron on Jun 24, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
His season will be derailed by a federal indictment for tax evasion charges
He’ll end up being convicted, though they will never be able to get enough evidence to bring him to court for the Metropolitan Massacre.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
keep it low in the zone
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Not walk 5/9IP
Decrease runs scored?
Maybe.
Decrease winning? Never seen that proven.
-SFTU
by hazel on Jun 24, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
which is why he was good last year
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions
He wasn't that good last year either
St. Louis relievers... defying win expectancy since 2008
http://www.drivelinemechanics.com/
by vivaelpujols on Jun 24, 2009 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
he could learn that he too is not nearly good enough to represent the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico.
the truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark/ it scares you witless, but in time you see things clear and stark -- macmanus
Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth?
"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
claro que si.
[T]he Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Spanish: “Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico” — literally Associated Free State of Puerto Rico), is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands.
the truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark/ it scares you witless, but in time you see things clear and stark -- macmanus
Wouldn't it be cool to see
two teams of modern-day players play games under 1910 conditions? Ballpark size, unis, itty-bitty gloves, and bats and balls of that era—and revive the practice of keeping the balls in the game much longer than we do today. And go all-in and allow spitters.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Jun 24, 2009 12:04 PM EDT reply actions
I've played a few times
in a league that uses the old-old rules. the ball is softer. no gloves. anything caught on the fly or after one bounce is an out. you can advance on anything, so you don’t have to tag up. pitcher throws underhand. everytime you score a run you have to let the official scorer know and then ring a bell. if you spit or cuss you are fined 10 cents. I’m sure there are more rules, but I haven’t played in a couple years.
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
Hurl your best apple, hurler!
I always love a good opportunity to link to this video.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
Thanks for the cool breeze!
It was most cooling on my mustache. Please, cool me again!
"If on-base percentage is so important, then why don't they put it up on the scoreboard?" - Jeff Francouer
by jd is legend on Jun 24, 2009 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
vintage was the word I was searching for
I could never play a whole season, but the occasional game now and then was fun.
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
Wow... i mean...
Conan is such a knave.
Decrease runs scored?
Maybe.
Decrease winning? Never seen that proven.
-SFTU
I didn't mean to cause you...vexation
Decrease runs scored?
Maybe.
Decrease winning? Never seen that proven.
-SFTU
by hazel on Jun 24, 2009 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I know that one
my roommate in college and I used to pick out a new word every day and use it around our teammates as much as possible, just to see them trying to figure out in their head what in hell we were talking about
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
we did have entertaining conversations
and played jeopardy every day for drinks
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
Can anyone name the last pitcher
who was leading his league in both shutouts and losses? I sure can’t. That just seems to sum up Piniero’s incomprehensible season for me.
I don’t think you’re giving Joel enough credit for walking 1 fewer batter per 9 innings than he did last year. He’s forcing guys to put the ball in play and he’s throwing more first pitch strikes than he did last season as well. Look here at his 2009 splits: Notice how there’s nearly twice as many PA’s after 0-1 and 1-1 counts than there are after 1-0 and 2-0 counts? He’s getting ahead of a lot more hitters and getting one of his first two pitches over for strikes more often. Another interesting point is to look at the batting averages for players on the first pitch and on 1-0 counts. They have a .921 OPS on the first pitch and an .870 OPS on an 0-1 pitch — every other count their slugging is below .440. That’s pretty damn impressive to me and it shows that he isn’t giving in to hitters in the middle of the zone, he’s pounding the zone with the sinker and forcing him to hit his pitch. Looking for similar numbers? How about this guy. He racked up more strikeouts than Joel ever will, but he was deadly once he got ahead of you.
I also think that pitching ahead in the count has a lot to do with him leading the NL in HR/9. Sure, it’s probably unsustainable, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t improved his approach. Guys can’t go deep on you nearly as much if they are always looking at a 1 or 2 strike count.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Good post RB
Although you could have used a Ragtime reference for those pitchers as Scott Joplin and Ragtime were huge during the era you were talking about.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Scott Joplin is in there.
You can't teach a hammer to love nails.
by the red baron on Jun 24, 2009 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Really?
Huh. Any particular reason why? He seemed like such an inoffensive syncopationist.
You can't teach a hammer to love nails.
by the red baron on Jun 24, 2009 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
FYI
I’m waiting for my monthly FYC post. You’re down to 7 days slacker.
Future Redbirds - tracking Cardinal prospects for Cardinal Nation
the book of faces and twitters
have taken away my bloggin’ abilities. I’ll try to think of something.
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
Hard to believe anything one reads on Wikipedia these days, but
according to that source….“Although often believed to be named for ragtime composer Scott Joplin who lived in Sedalia, Missouri, Joplin is actually named for Reverend Harris Joplin, the founder of the area’s first Methodist congregation.”
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jun 24, 2009 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Oops...I missed that the first time around
and a well used reference I might add.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
it's a little astonishing that that whole pre-WWI period is so culturally vacant.
when i was trying to think of something that referred to that period, joplin was the only cultural reference i could think of.
if i try harder, umm, “birth of a nation” . . . ezra pound . . . almost nothing going on in america in that decade and a half. the visual arts were starting to take off in europe, as well as some of the people who would be giant in literature. but not much on this side of the pond.
the truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark/ it scares you witless, but in time you see things clear and stark -- macmanus
"Suppose you were an idiot,
and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
Just for the record again
Pre-WWI America is probably the most relevant part of American history to today. Worker rights and women’s suffrage come to mind immediately.
P.S
Jack London
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Jun 24, 2009 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions
It's not culturally vacant
It’s culturally regionalized and there were fewer national press outlets to report trends and such. There’s plenty of culture in that period, just not the type we identify with today. When the Saturday Evening Post, Life magazine, and the Woolworth’s catalogs started circulating we got the start of the national cultural references that we have today. Also, the national identity created during both WWI and WWII expanded the “American” culture.
That said, I think Frederick Douglass, Mark Twain, O Henry, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Henry James, and Booker T. Washington were providing plenty of culture for that generation.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
mm, without looking, i'm thinking douglass, melville, and whitman were late-19th
century. i associate twain more with that era, too, but I don’t recall when he died. i’ll give you henry james and can’t remember for o henry. booker t. i think of as a political figure.
the truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark/ it scares you witless, but in time you see things clear and stark -- macmanus
I've always thought of Melville as mid-19th
Moby Dick was in 1851.
Henry and William James might be the awesomest duo of intellectual brothers that I can think of.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
Agreed...
but they had major influence in that decade and a half that you were talking about.
Also, you had the beginnings of blues and jazz music in the south, which were going through the process of being culled from plantation tunes in the slavery era. There just wasn’t a way to transport that music to the northeast, where all the papers of record were at the time. Bluegrass music was still taking root in the Appalachian and Smoky Mountains and would begin to gain relevance going in the next 12-15 years.
To be really honest, if Joplin hadn’t played at the World’s Fair in St Louis and published his “Maple Leaf Rag”, some of the earliest improvisational music published, his legacy would largely be like that of the early jazz and blues pioneers that most people have never heard of.
"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 guess jelly roll morton would count in that period too.
a lot of the great jazz and blues names didn’t popup until the 20’s.
the truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark/ it scares you witless, but in time you see things clear and stark -- macmanus
I went to New Orleans last year
and in between getting my drink on in a major way, we (my best friend and I) were able to really drink in some of the jazz culture that is still prevalent down there. I loved Preservation Hall (Jelly Roll Morton played there all the time a century ago) because you get a great idea of what jazz clubs were like back in the day — they were the seedy, rundown dive bars and gin joints in the heart of the French Quarter that packed people in as they heard the tunes while walking down the street.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Just bought an album in the Big Easy with jelly roll tunes
Great stuff — learn something new at jazz fest each year
Just win
Honestly, I'm not too awfully worried if Jo-El's HR rate rises a tick or two.
As long as he keeps runners off the basepaths, a few solo homeruns won’t break our backs. Now, if the HR rate rises because Joel has lost the ability to keep the ball down, then we are in a bit more trouble.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
If Joel's home run rate goes up
and he allows a whopping 1.2 home runs per 9 innings, therefore, say, throwing a complete game and allowing 2 runs, I’m OK with that.
Btw, in referencing Pujols’ performance with men on base, I can only say: Albert Pujols is ridiculous.
Remember when Jess Todd was on the team?
That was weird.
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
Yeah, I remember all 10 minutes of it
It was one of those “get up to go make a sandwich, and by the time you’re back he’s been sent down” call-ups.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
mmm...sandwich
it’s about lunch time, anyone have any suggestions?
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
Confusing to me
They then called up Hawksworth the very day they sent Todd down, presumably so Hawk could collect dust on the bullpen bench. Why call Todd up for a day? I don’t get 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
Just for fun?
there was never an explanation. Just another bizarre roster move.
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
So they could put him on the 40 man roster
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Jun 24, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
They could have just done that whenever they wanted to, though.
No need to call him up for 12 hours.
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
It might have been a science experiment
They were probably taking some sort of energy readings to determine how quickly Todd would destroy us all. I’ll bet they saw an unexpected spike on one of their graphs and decided to pull the plug early. Sadly this probably means he’s less likely to be called up in the future.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
I'm pretty sure
Hawksworth was unavailable to pitch the day they called Todd up. I think he pitched the day before.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
Who is responsible for these? Front office or Field Staff
Mo seems to savvy to do something this crazy. Because Todd had to be added to the 40 man right?
I was at his Major League debut
was fun to watch him come out, wasn’t fun to watch a 9 run inning by the Rockies
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
FWIW
I was at Waino’s major league debut and he gave up a bomb, so…I guess this bodes well for Todd?
Late 2005, also against the Mets, yeah?
I don’t recall who the batter was that took Adam deep offhand.
You can't teach a hammer to love nails.
by the red baron on Jun 24, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Victor Diaz
A three run bomb.
Also, we got completely carved up by Pedro that day. I had pretty good seats, close enough to watch his pitches dance in all directions. Man, when he was good, he was good.
beat me to it
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN200509110.shtml
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
just noticed
Looper finished that game
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
Diaz was a catcher, right?
does the fact that Duncan was a catcher lead him to not gameplanning against the other teams’ catchers? maybe it’s just me, but it seems like other teams catchers,especially poor hitting ones, seem to destroy cardinals pitching
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
Todd May Have Been
brought up to either showcase for Cleveland or to determine if they could give up one of their middle relievers and replace them with Todd. Just a guess – but it is the only thing that makes any sense to me for the bizarre move.
It's possible
But, if that was the case, then why only give a single appearance? It is impossible to measure a player’s ability based off of a single inning.
"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 he was brought up
to add bullpen depth, but after throwing as much as he did that day he wasn’t available for the next game and tony had burned his bullpen that night anyway so he “really” needed another arm so Todd went down. I don’t think it was anything against Todd just weird happenstance that he had to go that long in his debut.
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
I'm countering those music choices too
Everytime you list some, I’m always wondering who these bands are because I’ve never heard of them.
3 Oh 3! – Don’t Trust Me
The Fray – Never Say Never
Shine Down – Second Chance
Eric Hutchinson – Rock & Roll
Future Redbirds - tracking Cardinal prospects for Cardinal Nation
are they the ones
who did the “staring down the barrel of a .45” song as well?
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
yep...
and there remake of simple man is SUPER KICK ASS!!
"Don't do anything till I get back!" - Jesus to the Cubs
OT, but I was reading one of my favorite blogs
and I thought you guys might enjoy:
Casey at the bat, as covered by SportsCenter.
They say that it's never too late, but you don't get any younger...
The selection of movies in that video is amazing.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
That was awesome.
I have a very, umm...photographic brain. A lot like Ansel Adams but in color and with a lot more, uh.....insertion and pubic hair.
RFT Rundown
Red Baron,
I was wondering if you knew if anything was wrong with the RFT Rundown site. I have been trying to access it the past week to no avail. It just stalls and times out. I loved the post recently about the woman tennis player getting a reduction. Thanks for your hard work.
I can get to it no problem
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/therundown/2009/06/game_notes_23rd_june-_cardinal_joel_pineiro.php
Loved this post about last night
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
Not as far as I know,
but I’ll check with my editor and see if something weird is going on. Thanks for the heads up.
You can't teach a hammer to love nails.
by the red baron on Jun 24, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I tried
Clicking on the link provided by StLHugo and it still will not work. It just stalls and never makes it to the page.
by Salti Cracker on Jun 24, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
It's gotta be your browser...
or firewall cause I’m having no problems.
"Don't do anything till I get back!" - Jesus to the Cubs
I am at work
But I have never had trouble in the past. It just started doing that last week. I will check again when I get home. Usually if a site is blocked it lets me know.
by Salti Cracker on Jun 24, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
doubt it is blocked
but I had a problem with my browser hanging before, I would clear your cache (if you need help finding out how to do this let me know what browser you are using) because if it cached something that locked it up it may still be trying to load that.
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
listening to
Tortoise – Beacons of Ancestorship (jazzy live electronic feel mixed with ennio morricone overtones)
Soundgarden – Louder Than Love
The Mars Volta – Octahedron
Andrew Hill (genius avantjazz pianist)
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 1:18 PM EDT reply actions
Octahedron
Great call on the Mars Volta song.
I saw them in concert last year at the Pageant and it was one of the top 3 concerts of my life.
by Salti Cracker on Jun 24, 2009 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
the whole album
yes, they are a very very good live band imo, and each time they’re different. this new album is way different than their last one, but I still like it. lots of analog goodness
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
good call on Mars Volta
the last 4 songs to play on my iphone
Frightened Rabbit – The Modern Leper
Band of Horses – The General Specific
Circa Survive – Stop The Fuckin’ Car
Gogol Bordello – Wonderlust King
MyBrute - Where tiny gladiators rule the internets
I have no idea
which side is the artist and which side is the song title
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
hahaha
left artists – right songs
they are all great songs, i recommend them.
MyBrute - Where tiny gladiators rule the internets
the only cd player I have is my car
and I don’t drive much. my ipod hasn’t been touched in months, and don’t get on the computer much at home. therefore, unfortuantely, the only music I’m subjected to is whatever plays on the radio, so my music knowledge is very deflated. I can tell you, however, that will.i.am has beats so big, he’s stepping on lephrecauns and somebody blames his actions on al-a-a-alc-alcohol.
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
My turn
Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over
Daft Punk – Digital Love
They Might Be Giants – Birdhouse in Your Soul
Vampire Weekend – Walcott
"If on-base percentage is so important, then why don't they put it up on the scoreboard?" - Jeff Francouer
by jd is legend on Jun 24, 2009 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Blue canary in the outlet by the lighswitch
who watches over yooouuu
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
+1000 on TMBG
Minimum Wage (Hahh!!!)
Man It’s So Loud in Here
How can I sing like a Girl
The Statue Got Me High
Bangs
I could go on for hours.
youneverknow
Damn
there’s some old school in there. Crowded House and They Might Be Giants were both awesome live when I saw them back in high school.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Do Ringtones and Ringbacks count as music choices?
General Ringtone: Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody
Wife Calls: Foreigner, Waiting for a girl like you
Text Message: Foreigner, Double Vision
General Ringback: Lionel Ritchie, Hello
Wife Calls: same as above
Buddy 1: Rick Springfield, Jessie’s Girl (inside joke)
Buddy 2: Dexy’s Midnight Runners: Come on Eileen (inside joke)
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
what? no love for Louder Than Love?
that is classic rock, folks. check it out
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions
game changer from 1989
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Soundgarden?
because they don’t play good stuff on the radio?
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm just messing with you
I’ve probably heard the song. I’m just horrible at remember song titles
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
Louder than Love is one of their pre-major label albums
so there’s a good chance you haven’t heard it.
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Great call in Andrew Hill
listen to him a lot when I’m working in my office or messing around on the internet at home.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
so far I find him both calming and a little disturbing
although I have just been getting into him lately (after reading about him in Chicago Reader about a year ago)
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I love Tortoise
But “Beacons” is almost unlistenable.
by Anonymous Communist on Jun 24, 2009 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions
really?
why you say that? I’ll admit there’s 2 or 3 throwaway tracks, but High Class Slim Walked In and Dig Your Grave are both really really good imo
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions
maybe start calling Pineiro
reverse pinata
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 1:20 PM EDT reply actions
A Bizarro Pinata that refuses to be hit
"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
or when you hit it
groundballs come out
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
makes me think of a video game for some reason
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Viva Piñata or Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise?
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/v/vivapinata/
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there. They can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear." - THT
wow
that’s a great nickname too
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions
so if he gives up an HR, it's Trouble in Paradise?
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there. They can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear." - THT
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Piñeiradise
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
Head-to-Head (Scratcher)
Before last night, here are our outfielder’s lines against the immortal Livan Hernandez:
Duncan: 2-for-3 with 1 HR (.667 BA)
Ankiel: 2-for-3 with 1 HR (.667 BA)
Ludwick: 1-for-1 (1.000 BA)
Rasmus: 1-for-3 (.333 BA)
Clearly, Duncan and Ankiel KILL Hernandez. No wonder they started. Duncan went 0-for-3 with 1 BB and 4 LOB. Ankiel went 0-for-3 against Hernandez with 3 LOB. Ludwick went 0-for-3 against Hernandez with 5 LOB. Rasmus went 0-for-0 without a PA.
Now, the Cardinal outfield’s head-to-head splits vs. Livan Hernandez as of today:
Duncan: 2-for-6 with 1 HR (.333 BA)
Ankiel: 2-for-6 with 1 HR (.333 BA)
Ludwick: 1-for-4 (.250 BA)
Rasmus: 1-for-3 (.333 BA)
Because of Ankiel and Duncan’s success against Hernandez (each with a .333 BA and 1 HR), what are the odds that TLR starts the same outfield he did tonight against the Mets the next time we face Hernandez?
"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
Luddy sits
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Duh.
It obviously depends on if they got a hit the day before.
"It starts at the top with the manager."
-- Clint Hurdle, when asked what's behind the Colorado Rockies winning 17 of 18 games
I understand your argument
but giving Rasmus a day off yesterday allows for him to be in the lineup against Johan, while Ankiel or Duncan sits. of course this is me assuming what TLR will do, which never works. TLR might decide to sit the rookie against a veteren, tough, lefty, so who knows? I wasn’t too offended with Rasmus sitting last night and all’s well that doesn’t end wellemeyer (stealing from DanUp a bit)
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
I hope you're right.
I shared that sentiment but didn’t want to jinx that ultimate occurrence. Also, Rasmus did start quite a few games in a row before last night. I just hate the reliance on head-to-head numbers that TLR often seems to employ. He explains his lineups via head-to-head stats, which is generally silly—especially when we are talking about a mere handful of PAs.
"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
head to head probably aren't as important as TLR thinks
but I don’t discount them too much. I know luck can be a major factor with such small sample sizes, but sometimes certain hitters do see certain pitchers’ pitches better, and the only way to find out if it’s luck or better vision is to increase the sample size.
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
TLR with Costas on MLBNetwork Sunday night
Catch the interview and hear directly from Tony wtf he is thinking with some of these moves. Probably gonna be a generic interview, but maybe Costas hits him with the “why aren’t you starting the rookie more” question.
Tony wouldn't take crap from anyone
Not even Bob.
Incidentally, Bob Costas once called me on my cell phone. But that’s a long story.
the "why aren't you starting the rookie" bit is overplayed
he DID start the rookie, 7 straight games before last night. At this point he pretty much IS starting every day.
OTOH, the rookie still won’t take a walk, which gets more and more disconcerting with each passing game.
- "I went at it and didn’t slow down, so it kind of bounced off me." -Lil' Dunc
I had no problem at all with Rasmus sitting
and I am one of his biggest supporters. He can use a day off just like the other 3, I don’t mind having a full outfield rotation where each person sits one out of every 4 games and right now Rasmus is about as guaranteed a start as Ludwick is.
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
What I do mind, though:
Using Skip Schumaker as a late inning “defensive” replacement in LF. They should hit for Skip, take him out of the game, and install a good outfielder in LF and a good second baseman at second.
"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
This.
Plus, you all do know now that Andrew McCutchen is going to win ROY.
Yep. He’s going to finish the year with more PA’s than Colby. He doesn’t platoon, and they aren’t sitting him unless he gets hurt.
She isn't crazy, she's just not impressed.
maybe
actually having competition for the award will motivate colby?
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
So what?
I’d still take Colby in our OF over him. Who really cares about ROY anyway? I’d rather have a rested productive player come august/september than worry about winning him the hardware. PIT doesn’t have to worry if McCutcheon wears down…all their late season games will be meaningless anyway.
Pretty hard to do
AMcC has 87 PA, Colby has 223. 92 games left for the pirates. Colby would have to sit over half the games to lose the PA race. Colby should win HR & RBI, Andrew may win batting average
and triple percentage
guy has 87 PA’s and he’s already leading the league in triples. That is awesome. 3 out of 4 hits he has on fly balls are triples, 5 of 27 hits overall.
Imo McCutchen will finish with about a .750ish OPS, Colby .800ish.
- "I went at it and didn’t slow down, so it kind of bounced off me." -Lil' Dunc
Only difference in the numbers...
Innings pitched
Pineiro, on pace for: 190ish (assuming 30 starts)
career average seasons from the rest:
Young: 291
Alexander: 273
Nichols: 291
Radbourn: 299
Plank: 265
Welch: 293
Galvin: 293
If Pineiro could go an extra 100 innings this year throwing the way he is…he’d be worth his weight in gold.
Fun with numbers.
The current price of gold is $934 an ounce.
Per fangraphs, Joel is 6-1, 200 lbs or 3200 ounces. Joel’s weight in gold is therefore $2,988,800 dollars and 80 cents. Joel’s salary this season is $7,500,000, and he has so far been worth 2.5 wins over replacement or somewhere around $11,000,000. Joel will likely be worth nearly double his salary this season and if he drops an extra 100 innings onto that total he would likely add another 2.5 wins or another $11 mil.
If Joel pitched 290 innings of 3.3 FIP (his current ZIPS projection) he would be worth more than the weight of the entire starting nine in gold.
Decrease runs scored?
Maybe.
Decrease winning? Never seen that proven.
-SFTU
by hazel on Jun 24, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I want those facts about Pujols added to that site, pronto!
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
Which facts? These?
6/21/2009: Correctly predicted grand slam
6/7/2009: 2-run sac fly
5/6/2008: Scored GW run from second on a groundout
4/30/2007: Walked on 3 pitches
"It starts at the top with the manager."
-- Clint Hurdle, when asked what's behind the Colorado Rockies winning 17 of 18 games
No the worth your weight in gold
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
no clue
I found the game but it says his only pitch was an 8 pitch AB…maybe the AB was started by someone else?
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL200704300.shtml
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
I think the 3 pitch walk was right after he doubled on a HBP
Once in 2004 during a blowout, he volunteered to pitch for the other team, because they were out of pitchers. Albert managed to strike himself out twice, but he also hit two homeruns off of himself.
Possibly my favorite Albert Pujols fact is that in his first game for Maple Woods Community College he hit a grand slam and had an unassisted triple play.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
suppan was pitching
after ball 3 of a UIBB, albert jogged to first, and the brewers let him go.
- "I went at it and didn’t slow down, so it kind of bounced off me." -Lil' Dunc
Interesting information:
Pineiro leads the majors in GB% by a solid margin. He’s at 61.3% and the next highest is Aaron Cook at 58.6%. The number 4 guy on the list is Halladay, and he’s a full 5 percentage points lower than Pineiro. Pineiro’s LD rate is also the 8th lowest in the majors at 16.1%. All the while, his BABIP sits at a reasonable .300. So far, he’s been worth 2.5 WAR. He could not pitch another game and be worth more this season than we expected.
The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.
I'm getting the feeling...
that we’re getting from Joel what we expected from Lohse, from Lohse what we may have expected from Wellemeyer, and from Wellemeyer what we expected from Pineiro.
"Don't do anything till I get back!" - Jesus to the Cubs
so you're saying it's hat number 1?
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there. They can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear." - THT
Great caption
second only to “Is it possible for God to microwave a burrito so hot, that He Himself cannot eat it?” -Homer Simpson
Preemptive apologies for talking about soccer (for those who don't dig soccer)
But the U.S. is currently ahead of Spain 1-0 in the Confederations Cup semifinal, about 70 minutes in.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
GOAL!!!!!!
2-0!!!!!!
"If on-base percentage is so important, then why don't they put it up on the scoreboard?" - Jeff Francouer
by jd is legend on Jun 24, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions
JD runs around with his shirt over his head
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Jun 24, 2009 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions
4 dead, 27 injured in the carnage
"If on-base percentage is so important, then why don't they put it up on the scoreboard?" - Jeff Francouer
by jd is legend on Jun 24, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not sure, but it seems like a pretty big deal
The tournament is comprised of the winners of the six confederations, the host country (South Africa in this case) and the most recent World Cup winner (Italy) so it involves some pretty big national teams.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
However
I’m not sure if the big teams like Spain and Brazil play their “varsity” squads so to speak. In other words, I’m not sure if the Spain roster we’re playing against right now is the same as how it would look in the World Cup.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
the spanish roster today
contained their studs. that was a solid spanish team.
by longhornscardinals on Jun 24, 2009 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions
The tournament itself is not a huge deal...
but beating Spain on an international stage in a game that means something is a huge deal for the US team. Their world ranking will go up, and it will give our soccer players the confidence to know that they can beat the best teams in the world on any given day. I’m not quite sure they’ve ever beaten the #1 FIFA ranked team in a meaningful game before.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
If we win this
Do we play the Winner of Brazil vs South Africa… Right?
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Jun 24, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
In the finals, if I'm not mistaken
"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
Flopping?
Do you mean players taking falls? I really don’t enjoy that either. It seems some countries do it more but that could just be bias on my part.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
thats hilarious
that coach (or whoever he is) is a dbag – the player knew as soon as the guy started going down he would get red carded if it looked like he was to blame.
R.P.O.F.Y.M.
yeah, I can't watch professional soccer
They need a penalty for flopping. It’s just pathetic and un-manly.
- "I went at it and didn’t slow down, so it kind of bounced off me." -Lil' Dunc
Very nice intro Baron
There is such levity in this group. Life in good riding the first place wave.
I’m curious to know how many folks think we will do better than split this series? Or if valiant war horses like Carpenter and Wainwright survive this kind of offensive support, to pitch in Sept and October? A buzzard of any breeding wouldn’t have landed on the mets this week.
I see Carp pitching against Santana tomorrow for the split. Thats always easy. Pick a winner there.
Pujols overated?
http://www.prosportsdaily.com/forums/showthread.php?t=376180
I can't believe i gave up a homerun to that punch and judy hitter-major league 2
I'd love to see (or hear) the clip...
that prompted that post. It’s hard to believe anyone could have that opinion…
V, b.
In reality the opposite is true
The truly great players tend to be underrated
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Jun 24, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions
He's been massively underrated
because the casual fan just doesn’t understand how great he really is in a baseball sense. I would say that most casual baseball fans would consider Ryan Howard to be as good as Pujols when the competition isn’t even close.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
and apparently baseball writers. . . .
the truth can't hurt you, it's just like the dark/ it scares you witless, but in time you see things clear and stark -- macmanus
That's a fun thread
It still feels like Albert is a little underrated, but I imagine that in truth his underrated-ness is dropping significantly after last year and this year. However, in no way is he overrated.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "5.7 WAR" years.
maybe he will get even better now
sort of a reverse jinx
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
i liked the thread when
i saw the title at prosportsdaily i was like what no way, and it was on their main page not even the cards page..then i read it..someone having fun, and fans of other teams commenting..im nit sure what night it was said though or maybe it was TV the radio guys for KC seemed highly complementive..
I can't believe i gave up a homerun to that punch and judy hitter-major league 2
by punchinjudy on Jun 25, 2009 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
June 19, 2009 at Kauffman Stadium
This should be a fanpost but I’m too busy to go through the whole thing. Great views from everywhere. However you can’t do the wave at Kauffman Stadium….
- The tailgating was great. Cards and Royals fans setting up on the same row, lots of ‘mixed’ parties.
- Boog was doing drills with Oquendo and some other coaches, and caught a ball behind his back and between his ankles.
- Albert was giddy. Strode over to BP, passed TLR hanging on the batting cage, and booted him on the behind without breaking stride. As usual El Hombre was chatty, including talking smack with relief pitcher Wright before the game.
- Of course, most of his hits rewarded the fans hanging out under that glass building.
- The Royals announcer guy managed to find St. Louis fans who couldn’t name the third planet from the sun or the largest river in America or what happened in 1492. What one would call morans. (I hold that he did not specify which sun, or that the Missouri actually drains a larger watershed, or that the answer to ‘1492’ was Eurocentric.)
- None other than Blake Hawksworth stayed behind to sign autographs.
- Managed to catch Boog have a long communion with the dugout fan before his interview. Then he too did some contortions to sign and return autographed items around the dugout roof.
- “Let’s Go Cardinals” broke out in the first inning.
- The crowned scoreboard showed everything, including the last stat line of SB, OBP, SLG, and OPS. However, we had trouble finding the official scoring on pitches and errors.
- I think it was LaRue who passed the souvenirs around and then tossed them up the high bullpen wall to fans.
- I did not snag a launched hot dog from the cannon.
- Khalil looked tentative at first, but after that home run he visibly relaxed and hung on the railing with the rest of the guys.
- Royals fans love their country karaoke.
- It was kind of quiet… there were a lot of ushers but not as many vendors. I missed the siren call of Bud Light Bud Light. (Though, isn’t it Select, now?)
- Fireworks Friday made it a great deal for the money.
- Last but not least, the Kiss Cam lit on Joel Piñeiro and Todd Wellemeyer. After a moment’s hesitation, and despite the Colonel’s attempted retreat, Jo-El executed a lightning fast smack on the cheek.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there. They can't be bargained with. They can't be reasoned with. They don't feel pity, or remorse, or fear." - THT
When did Ryan Ludwick become our LF?
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/page/STL
CBS seems to think that our LF depth chart is Ludwick>Duncan, our CF is Rasmus>Schumaker and our RF is Ankiel>Duncan. Yet they do have K Greene at 3rd, followed by Glaus and Thurston.
"People call me El Hombre," Pujols said. "But only Stan is the Man."
maybe they are correcting the OF positions
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
AXE presents VEB
okay, this ad is horribly annoying.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Cardinals' middle relief corps.
yeah
it is super annoying
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Per MLBTR
The Rays would like to add a closer without adding payroll, which will be a challenge.
haven’t thrown out a crazy trade in awhile, so how about:
Ryan Franklin, Brad Thompson, Joe Thurston for Longoria & Sonanstine(sp?)
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
maybe if you add in Brett Wallace and Daryl Jones
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions
I think all of those players are shorter than Pujols
ok, maybe not Duncan…Ankiel?
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
I would probably trade Pujols for Longoria
- "I went at it and didn’t slow down, so it kind of bounced off me." -Lil' Dunc
I think he said
“I would probably trade Pujols for Longoria.”
And I co-sign on that statement, thought I’d imagine we might even be able to finagle a little more out of Tampa for the greatest player on Earth.
"If on-base percentage is so important, then why don't they put it up on the scoreboard?" - Jeff Francouer
by jd is legend on Jun 25, 2009 3:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Perez or Motte for that super utility guy they have who everyone here loves
but I can’t remember his name.
I was thinking about him the other day
there’s no way we get him now. He’s smacking the ball around.
Zobrist is awesome
4B - beer baseball bands blog
history tells us again and again how GOB points out the folly of man
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jun 24, 2009 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions
same section
says the cardinals and mets have both called about DeRosa. per Heyman
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
They have a closer
if they’d just use him as one…
82 K’s in 52 innings at AAA? Ridiculous.
"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller
Wow RB
BRA? Roni Size? Fatboy Slim? Pulp? Going all anglophile on us, eh? Just for the record, I really like Pulp – “His and Hers” and “Different Class” remain two of my favourite albums. Check ’em out.
Because chicks dig the intentional base on balls.
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