I think he’s just trying to get in a positive state of mind. Or at least trying to take his mind off his poor playing by focusing on the change of scenery.

I’ve never experienced what he’s going through, thank goodness, but I’m guessing that he’s really trying to be positive and not worry about pressure or fans who think his "priorities’ aren’t what they should be. I was actually glad to see a positive quote from him, even if it was somewhat contrived, as Zou suggests.

Honestly, the least of my concerns (and I hope the Cardinals’ concerns too) are the 6 mill he’s getting paid this season.

He was probably prompted something like, “What do you think about the Texas League?”

And, I mean, what do you expect him to say? “I hate this place! What a dump!”

I think it’s kinda amusing that he’s looking at it from a “sociological” perspective (what a strange dude), but I don’t think this indicates his priorities are out of whack. He’s just feeding the press the lines they need so they can print something.

by that I mean, this whole super long paragraph bickering thing

and will again today.

More likely early next week

Do you think we can get a reliever for him from an AL team? I have no idea what he’s worth, but it seems like he could make for a DH in exchange for a veteran reliever. No?

awesome.

Rasmus is untouchable

There was just something about Wainwright that screamed “future ace” to me back then. I remember getting really excited when he’d come into a game and go berserk when he’d smash a batter with the yellow hammer. Seeing batters bail out of the box and have that sucker drop in for a strike just made me giddy.

In the beginning of the year when he was struggling with his command I found myself acquiescing a bit, but in retrospect it was a perfect sign that he could be an ace—he gutted through those bad outings and turned them into wins. They were the type of games that, if Welemeyer were starting, could have been 10-0 before the Cardinals even got a chance to bat…as the visiting team. Somehow, Wainer got through 6 with minimal damage.

When you look at his numbers at the all star break, he could almost be a Cy contender if we weren’t in a league with the likes of Haren and Linsecum. Amazing.

I think people are still remembering him as the pitcher who pitched the first 5 games of the season (shaky control, leading to high pitch counts). I stopped to look at his stats the other day and I was ASTOUNDED at how good he was this year. He’s young, signed to a very team-friendly deal, and seems to be able to handle 100+ pitch counts pretty well.

He was never that good in the minors, I don’t think. He battled injuries a lot, but I just didn’t think he would be that good

since the start of the season. I don’t know whether it’s better approach or better stuff but he’s started throwing that curveball by people in a way that he simply didn’t in his two de facto-ace years.

especially since he started out so shaky.

have just always thought Wainwright basically was the ace and that freak events were the only thing standing in his way. Naturally, the first time I started paying attention, he was in the bullpen and I wanted him in the rotation after I had seen ~2 appearances. Good on him for finally making my fantasy-draft reaches for him worthwhile.

• His slow start: I think after his fourth or fifth game some people just kinda stop paying attention

• Chris Carpenter being Chris Carpenter: The return to form of a Cy Young award is a huge story.

*Jo-El’s sinker of doom: We might be witnessing a “washed up” finally putting all the pieces to gether to emerge as a very good pitcher

• The Colonel’s struggles: He has been as surprisingly as bad as Pineiro has been surprisingly good.

• All Star Franklin: The guy sucks as a closer but somehow makes the All Star team and has a living beard.

• Motte’s role as a setup man: He is having one heck of a rookie year.

I think when you take all these things combined it gives the writers plenty of story lines to talk about. Wainwright doing what a lot of people expected him to do this year is just not as good as story most of the above. I also think the Job McClellan is doing this year is being over shadowed as well.

….the Wagonmaker’s ability to throw strikes? Looks like he’s gotten that straightened out.

The thing that was always, in my mind at least, keeping him from being a legitimate #1 was his issues with missing bats. Well…he’s not not missing them anymore, hence the higher K-rates. Hopefully we’re seeing an emergence and not a blip.

we have 9 days off in the final 9 weeks, and the lightest remaining schedule of any team in either league. therefore our fifth starter would be used less often, barring injury of course.

mainly due to injuries, but also weathering better performances by a few rookies (Hawksworth, Boggs). I see him as equivalent to slightly better than Thompson, but even that race is closer than it should be.

Thompson was and will be pretty bad. His FIP is 5.02 right now, which is ghastly. He barely strikes out more than he walks. He doesn’t have any kind of repertoire that would suggest possible improvement. Thompson should be the absolute last option to get starts from here on out.

Thompson is a replacement level pitcher, no question, but he gives me with more confidence than Wellemeyer (or Marquis in 2006), who just seem to melt down, flail, give up, I don’t know what.

Thompson is what he is: a groundball pitcher (gb/fb ratio above 2) with a low enough walk rate (WHIP of 1.29) to survive. It’s not overpowering. But it sure seems steadier than the Wellemeyer/Marquis experiences. I’ll take it over Wellemeyer right now.

And I’d like to see Boggs.

has he been this terrible at any point in his less than stellar major league career?

and that is why the Cardinals will handle the K Greene situation as graciously as possible. I look for him to gallop slowly off into the sunset.

but I think it was the contact between Ank’s psyche and the left-center wall more than his contact with the depressed KGreene that started his slump in earnest.

none of my friends who are sports fans (and not Cards’ fans) would even attempt to make that argument.

is assuming Jiggets or North are sports “writers”.

While, JIggets is a sports “personality” here in Chicago, he’s not exactly known to be much more than a radio/tv commentator. North on the other hand is a hot dog vendor turned radio personality and he, for one, never ever let facts get in the way of his story.

Honestly, I a little disappointed in Jiggets in this case, but I’m not sure he’s even been out of the city of Chicago let alone knows anything else actually exists south of I-80, west of DeKalb, north of Great America, and east of…..well, what could be east of Chicago? Hell, I can’t even see across that big ocean on our shores.

so have the Cubs…

At how everyone seems to ignore the fact that we’ve been without Glaus all year. My friend was telling me how the Cubs had it rough because they were missing Aramis Ramirez for a while. I bitched him out good.

Doesn’t deify, shows a jock that had great successes and heartbreaking losses, with a backdrop of mid-20th century america.

Did you read “Getting to know you” short stories by D Marusek?

the Winds of War yet?

The Science of Good and Evil… brilliant book. mostly about sociology, but has some history and philosophy in it too. for sci-fi I recommend Valis if you have not read that yet. or Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison is an amazing collection of sci-fi related short stories.

but Robert Sawyer writes some great stuff in that area. Nice short, encapsulated reads that are often very thought provoking. One of his books, Flash Forward, is being made into a TV series by JJ Abrams this year or next. I also enjoyed Calculating God and just picked up the first book in the Neanderthal Paradox.

but if you do, check out Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen series. First book is entitled Gardens of the Moon. His books are amazing, entertaining on multiple levels (humorous, philosophical, etc) and refreshing. He enjoys throwing classic fantasy conventions on their heads. Great stuff

bukowski
vonnegut

Guns, Germs and Steel?

I read it recently and found it to be a great read.

but you do have to think of these possibilities. I, for one, would see if Glaus could play even a passable 1b. If not, give Wallace 2 weeks to get the position, and call that man up immediately. Hope that his bat carries us into October.

Of course, you could easily go the other way and give up on the season, and trade a couple of guys (Pineiro, Franklin, DeRosa if he ever comes back) and see what you get in return. That would also be a valid way to go about this

Wallace will be good. Emphasis on the word “WILL”. He is not ready yet .
The Walrus is not getting a callup this year, even if half the team was on the DL. Unless they trade him for a premium blue-chip player like Halladay, Brett will get his ABs in Memphis, and be ready to go next year. NEXT YEAR. Did I mention the words, “NEXT YEAR”?

Good.

i’m excited for a games that matter too! but then it occurs to me that I haven’t been mad about anything all week so maybe I should appreciate the break more….