Big Boggs Man
by chuckb on Aug 1, 2009 11:03 AM EDT
in St. Louis Cardinals News
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The other reason that Boggs’s starts will be important from here on is that this is somewhat of an audition for next year’s rotation as well. If he performs well here, the team ought to feel comfortable w/ him having the leg up on a rotation spot next year. If Boggs is able to handle it, then w/ Carp, Wainwright, and Lohse returning we have just one spot unspoken for. Needless to say, signing 1 free agent starter is much cheaper than signing 2. If Boggs is able to ascend to the 5th starter position for 2010, it allows the team to spend more money to acquire a better starter for the 4th spot rather than paying for 2 lesser starters on the free agent market.
While I won’t be as gushing as Tony in my praise for Boggs, he did a lot of nice things last night. He’s not the most consistent strike thrower on the staff and that was evident last night as well. For the season – as a major leaguer – only 57% of his pitches have been strikes and last night, in 5 innings, 55 of his 99 pitches were strikes. It’s not a horrible percentage, but neither does it provide a lot of optimism that he’s going to be able to get us 6 innings once in a while. He walked 5, though the walks to Chris Coste in the 4th and Hunter Pence in the 5th were unintentional intentional walks that he got away with. For the season, he’s walking 5.27 batters per 9 innings – a fair amount higher than the 3.79 BB/9 he’s averaging at Memphis.
There was a lot of good in his start as well. One of the things that should allow him to be successful in the big leagues is his ability to get ground balls, to which his career 49.5% GB% attests. (I realize that his major league numbers include some fairly small samples but his minor league GB% is 48.5%.) Last night, 7 of the 16 balls put in play against Boggs were ground balls (43.8%) and he was able to get out of 2 predicaments by getting double plays. He also struck out 5 batters in 5 innings and, for the season, has recorded 8.23 K/9. That’s higher than his minor league numbers but, importantly, it’s also higher than his K/9 last year at the major league level when he appeared to be severely overmatched. That seems no longer true.
Thursday, I made note of Boggs’s ability to get batters to swing and miss noting that his 19% swing and miss rate was tied for the highest on the roster. And while that, too, was a fairly small sample, he had faced more batters on the season than had many of our relievers. Last night he was able to get batters to swing and miss 10 times in 5 innings (18% of total strikes). Getting the ball past the batter is a key indicator of a pitcher’s ability to stick at the major league level so we have to be happy w/ 10 swing-and-misses. Wellemeyer has only had 4 starts out of 20 where he’s recorded as many as 10 swing-and-misses in 2009. Boggs has already done it 3 times out of 5 starts in ’09.
He had very good stuff, too, according to brooks baseball . His 4-seamer averaged 94.62 mph and he topped out at 97.1. His 2-seamer averaged 93.41 mph and topped out at 94.9. Those 2 pitches accounted for 52 of the 91 pitches the pitch f/x site was able to record. 31 of those 52 fastballs were thrown for strikes (59.6%). According to the site, he only threw 5 changeups and 3 curve balls but 6 of those 8 pitches were thrown for strikes, indicating probably that he was able to use them on occasion to keep hitters off balance. The changeup averaged 80.92 mph – more than 13 mph less than his average fastball. The mph difference is indicative of a pretty good changeup.
He also threw a lot of sliders last night – 31 – but was only able to get strikes on them 38.71 % of the time. Still, this was probably a pitch that he wasn’t intending to throw strikes with but, more frequently, was trying to get Astros’ hitters to chase when he was ahead in the count. His slider averaged 84.51 mph.
Boggs, therefore, was able to keep the team close and we were able to pull it out late. The Cards were still behind in the 7th inning when Mark DeRosa’s homer tied the game and then were down again in the bottom of the 8th when Pujols’s HBP, Holliday’s double, and Ankiel’s single allowed the team to win the game. Just as Boggs’s solid start shouldn’t go unnoticed, neither should the team’s 2 comebacks last night. Coming into last night’s game, the team was 7-38 when behind beginning the 7th inning and 3-40 when behind to start the 8th. It wasn’t that long ago when any deficit after the 5th inning seemed like the death knell but the team’s offense is stronger today than it was a month ago, thereby giving Cards’ fans hope if the team is within a run or 2 late in the game.
The best thing, though, about last night’s game is that we won the first game of the series against the dreaded, and always overrated, Astros and that we have Carpenter and Wainwright on the mound for games 2 and 3. Let’s get us some sweep!
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I'm happy with the start
Boggs has room for improvement, that’s for certain. But he has a few more outings this year that he can impress. The biggest killer (to me) seemed the walks. If he can shave his numbers there a bit, he can get to the end of the 6th inning.
Also, random question – anyone know if Oswalt is pitching Sunday, or is missing that start?
B. Norris is the listed starter
But knowing the Astros, they’ll magically get Oswalt on the mound on Berkman off the DL, just to torment us.
by cloistermaximus on Aug 1, 2009 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
I like
Mitch Boggs. I like his mound presence. He’s almost the anti-Wellemeyer.
Also: Matt Holliday has been ridiculous.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
by spants on Aug 1, 2009 11:17 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Except we keep him, right?
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
by spants on Aug 1, 2009 11:35 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Hell to the Yes
And DeRosa. Plus we get Julio Lugo for free next year.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
People sleep peacably in their beds at night because rough men stand at the ready to do violence on their behalf--George Orwell.
so far
he has been 2008 LA ManRam with better speed and defense…and of course we keep him with the “home town” (of one week) discount!
i'm not impressed
with his d so far
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
It's still better than Manny's. Or Duncan's. Or Joe Thurston in LF.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
it's still not impressive
and i don’t know if i believe uzr in that it’s above average
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
yeah
according to uzr
that’s what i was taking issue with. he’s clumsy, takes bad routes and drops the ball alot. maybe he’s just been unlucky since coming here, but he doesn’t look above average to me
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
He's dropped the ball a lot
since coming here? I haven’t seen any defensive miscues from him. When did these happen?
The first thing that a pitcher has to understand is that Albert is better than you.-- Jim Palmer
He hasn't Been Flawless
He had a blip last night (dropped ball on grounder to LF) and a few others that I can think of.
But he moves much better than Duncan.
Holliday fumbled the ball and then Ank did too
So they gave the E to Ank sinc ehe touched it last.
I think it was on Bourn’s 2B/3B.
ankiel missed it first
and then Holliday dropped it when he went to pick it up.
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
I've seen at least two
Or maybe it was 1.5. They seem to cut away from those a lot…
"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
one last night
where matsui (i think?) scored, but there could’ve been a play at the plate, a couple nights ago when ankiel mishandled the ball and then holliday did again where bourne stretched a should be single into a double. and then a couple in the corner where he didn’t play the bounce very well, but i don’t know if any of those directly affected the game. and then that sliding trap against the dodgers (game 1 or 2) could have been really bad. he just slid, closed his eyes and it landed in his glove
small sample size, sure, but that’s a lot of blunders for 2.5 series
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
to clarify
i don’t mean dropped a routine fly ball, duncan style, but more like where an easy hop ate him up and he had to run in circles to find the ball
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
question
Why isn’t the Holliday nickname “Trojan”?
It throws the antiquities spin into the mix. Among other things.
"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
Beause if we did
him and Swingin’ Dick Ankiel would be inseparable.
People sleep peacably in their beds at night because rough men stand at the ready to do violence on their behalf--George Orwell.
by Ted Glover on Aug 1, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
yikes.
"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
I was happy with Boggs' start last night
He was throwing hard, getting ground balls, and he got out of jams. More importantly, he was doing things that La Russa and Duncan like (besides the walks). It seems like he will get the next start the #5 will get, which means Wellemeyer won’t. That’s a victory in itself to me.
I was also pleased with the first two innings Thompson pitched. He seems to struggle badly the second time through the lineup. This was also the case when he was starting, correct?
Boggs' Changeup != Good
I have to quibble with this line…
The changeup averaged 80.92 mph – more than 13 mph less than his average fastball. The mph difference is indicative of a pretty good changeup.
Actually, this points to a pretty weak change-up, unless it has insane movement, which is probably why he didn’t use it that much.
The ideal differential for a change-up is 8 to 10 percent slower than one’s fastball. That way the change-up is slow enough to throw off the hitter’s timing but not so slow as to obviously be a change-up (and basically just be a slow ball).
A 13 MPH drop off of a 94MPH fastball is more like a 14% differential, which makes it relatively easy to distinguish from one’s other pitches (and which is a bad thing).
well he got two swing and misses on the 5 times he threw it
i thought it was a little slow as well, but it fooled two batters
"Albert hits good pitches hard and bad pitches even harder. And when he gets in the batter's box, if you pray, then you start praying. And if you don't pray, you think about starting."--Brian Bannister
Then the secret...
…is probably deception or movement more than velocity differential.
Does he throw another pitch around that speed? Maybe a slider?
I was at the game filming, so I couldn’t see what he was throwing.
slider comes in around 84...change was about 80
wish he threw the curve more…i remmeber it being a good pitch earlier this year(and when i saw him in memphis)
"Albert hits good pitches hard and bad pitches even harder. And when he gets in the batter's box, if you pray, then you start praying. And if you don't pray, you think about starting."--Brian Bannister
Surely it's more than simply the speed differential that defines a good changeup
IIRC Anthony Reye’s changeup was considered killer, and it was the speed of a curveball in many instances.
The changeup averaged 80.92 mph – more than 13 mph less than his average fastball. The mph difference is indicative of a pretty good changeup.
Actually, this points to a pretty weak change-up
unless your Trevor Hoffman, of course
Proud sponsor of the Official 2009 StL Cardinal theme song: Reason to Believe
I'll tell you what
I think watching the Cardinals beat the Astros might be the best kind of win to watch these days. After that last series, I want serious revenge, and last night was the first taste of that. Bravo Boggs, bravo DeRosa, bravo Holliday.
Now, would Albert please start hitting again please?
by cloistermaximus on Aug 1, 2009 11:22 AM EDT reply actions
for me, it's a toss up between them and Mil
both teams annoy me far more than the cubs, who I also hate. I really really want revenge after being swept in Houston’s ridiculous ballpark
I did a little h/w on the Cards "extra" starters this month.
The Cardinals have only won 1 game this month started by either Thompson or Wellemeyer. That was on July 2.
Date / Pitcher / IP / R / ER / K / BB / Result
July 2 / Wellemeyer / 7.1 / 2 / 2 / 6 / 1 / W
July 4 / Thompson / 5.0 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 2 / L
July 8 / Wellemeyer / 4.0 / 4 / 4 / 3 / 4 / L
July 11 / Thompson / 4.2 / 5 / 5 / 3 / 3 / L
July 21 / Wellemeyer / 4.1 / 5 / 4 / 4 / 1 / L
July 26 / Wellemeyer / 5.2 / 7 / 5 / 3 / 1 / L
July 31 / Boggs / 5.0 / 2 / 2 / 5 / 5 / W
The other thing I noticed in that research was that Thompson and Wellemeyer gave up at least one HR per start. Boggs managed to keep all the balls in the yard.
I think it’s obvious that a rate of 9 BB/9 is WAY too high, but this was only the second time this month that the starter managed to get out of the 5th inning with fewer than 4 ER allowed. I think it was pretty obvious that the defense was piss poor last night, and, though he probably hadn’t earned them, the umpire was not giving him anything close to the plate last night. If he can settle down, he definitely seems to give us a better chance to win than the last 2 who have auditioned for this role.
I feel ya
The outside zone of the plate where Boggs was pitching was highly erratic. One second a strike was no longer a strike but soon a ball. It seemed to flip flip back and forth all game. This was 1/2 the reason of the walks. But the other half was that he was just throwing way to many pitches away. He didn’t seem to throw anything inside at all. You can’t just throw to the outside without perfect command before you get burned. You have to occasionally bust them inside.
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Aug 1, 2009 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
It's not great
And I like that Boggs gave the team a chance. Really, what more can you ask from a #5 starter?
People sleep peacably in their beds at night because rough men stand at the ready to do violence on their behalf--George Orwell.
thanks for the research. Another factor attendant with those dreadful starts is the demoralizing effect it must have on the team.
The others surely know they are in for a very long and unpleasant time of it when they approach the fifth hole and the opposition tees off.
An optimist is a man who upon discovering that a rose smells better than a cabbage concludes it will make better soup.
HL Mencken
Yeah, ...
I just thought it was interesting all the pissing and moaning on the broadcast last night (not in the Game Thread, to be clear) about how many pitches he was throwing and how Boggs doesn’t go deep in games. The kid has kept his ERA below 4, and the team has won every game he’s started.
So, I just wanted to see how the other guys that have been used in his place were fairing as far as the innings/start. I don’t understand why they were dumping on a guy that went 5.0, as a 5th starter, and still kept the team in it. Especially when the alternatives have not been getting out of the 5th, and they have put us in a heckuva hole before the get yanked.
That's pretty impressive.
His 2-seamer averaged 93.41 mph and topped out at 94.9
That’s a pretty hard sinker. That will definitely generate that kind of GB% you indicate above if he locates it down.
I should just make a form post for this
Gameday has no idea the difference between a 2-seamer and a 4-seamer. It’s trying to classify them by spin angle/speed not by actual 4-seam or 2-seam rotation. I’ve personally witnessed innumerable times a pitch get classified as one but the super slo-mo replay obviously shows it as the other. I’m not really sure why they’ve tried to split these up when it’s clear they can’t get it right, but I keep seeing it referenced and it’s killing me. I’d venture to say he’s throwing way more than 26% 2-seamers out of his FBs anyway.
In any case, his fastball 2-seam or 4 is a big time pitch.
Not afraid to nitpick
by joker24 on Aug 1, 2009 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
my favorite thing about gameday
is that they have a classification for a 2-seamer and one for a sinker…where is the difference there?
it has piniero throwing 2-seamers and sinkers
"Albert hits good pitches hard and bad pitches even harder. And when he gets in the batter's box, if you pray, then you start praying. And if you don't pray, you think about starting."--Brian Bannister
The Difference...
…is that a 4-seamer will tend to be harder and straighter while a 2-seamer will tend to be a couple of MPH faster and tail (move horizontally to the pitching arm side) and/or sink.
Most pitchers tend to throw 2-seamers in general and 4-seamers to hit specific spots.
That's not what he's asking
What’s the difference (at least in gameday ) between a sinker and a 2 seamer?
I’d disagree that most pitchers tend to throw 2 seamers in general.
Only super hard throwers throw mostly 4-seamers
And the flatness of their 4-seamers makes them vulnerable to getting crushed.
Jason Motte is the perfect example of this
The fact that his main pitch is a 4-seamer gives him an extra MPH or two (or three), but it also makes his ball very flat and makes it possible for good hitters to just time it out.
"the fastball grip"
is a 4 seam grip. I just see no evidence that everyone’s main fastball is a 2 seamer.
And again, that isn’t the question.
Also, if 4 seam fastballs were normally really flat, why do people talk about how flat Motte’s 4 seamer is?
Fastballs
There are two common fastball grips…
1. The 4-seam grip which is typically used by position players (precisely because it is hard but flat and doesn’t move).
2. The 2-seam or sinker grip.
People talk about how flat Motte’s fastball is because his base pitch is a 4-seamer, which is usual because it is a naturally flat pitch. Only relievers tend to have a 4-seamer as their base fastball because it only works once through the lineup (because it’s a location and pure velocity pitch).
The 4 seam fastball grip
is the 4 seam fastball grip.
There is no universal “fastball” grip
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
Classification
A two-seamer will tend to break horizontally to the pitching arm side while a sinker will move down or down and to the pitching arm side.
The easiest way to tell the difference is...
1. Velocity
2. Movement
Generally, a pitcher’s hardest pitch will be his 4-seamer.
If he sits at 94 for most of a game but occasionally hits 96, then the odds are that the 94 is the 2-seamer and the 96 is the 4-seamer.
You are also going to see more tail on a 2-seamer.
That's still a heckuva sinker.
If his slowest fastball, most likely a sinker, is coming in at 93.41 mph, that’s pretty hard. Most sinkerballers tend to throw that around the 88-92 mph, so this is more like Morris at his best. If he can find his command, I would think he could be pretty dangerous for a long time with this kind of stuff.
Question
brooks baseball says Boggs only threw 91 pitches. every other source says 99 pitches thrown. is the site just incorrect? do you know how they are getting this?
91 was the number of fastballs.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Aug 1, 2009 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I can't explain the difference
as I alluded to in the thread, the only thing I can come up w/ is that there were 8 pitches they couldn’t classify. I have no idea if that’s right or not but it’s the only half-assed explanation I could come up with.
did he throw any ibb?
Because it makes sense that you wouldn’t care about the speed or break on an intentional ball. When I see a multiple of four, that’s what I think of.
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
by tom s. on Aug 1, 2009 4:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
That's not right
If they don’t classify them they mark it as unknown.
F*** Billy Beane... actually, I kinda like Holliday
The only explanation
Is that the pitchfx got distracted 8 times, possibly by a babe in the stands or an irritating beer man’s call.
I didn't realize the kid was throwing that hard.
Good stuff. I think that he might be more comfortable this time around. A little more maturity and experience goes along way sometimes. His strike percentage is livable and he can work on his change-up if necessary. If he gives them a steady diet of that kind of heat, then that much of a drop in a change would throw them off as long as he uses the exact same arm motion. I remember Todd Worrell threw a 78 mph change after throwing a guy four 97-98 mph pitches and the guy corkscrewed himself into the ground.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Aug 1, 2009 11:48 AM EDT reply actions
So how much longer does Wellemeyer have left on this team?
I would rather have Blaine Boyer than Wellemeyer. Too bad we have traded all our AAA relievers in the last couple months (Luke Gregerson, Perez, Todd). We could use one decent one about now. I bet as soon as Moz finds a cheap reliever through the waiver wires Wellemeyer is gone.
He will get one more shot at relieving from the start of the inning.
Stat Whore
Be grateful
we don’t have a Kelvin Jiminez to call up and lose games for us. Or Esteban Yan. Or (insert favorite crappy reliever of the last 15 years).
If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhea... does that mean that one enjoys it?
I know he is a lefty
But if Jaime Garcia can pitch effectively in the minors while building back arm strength, he could be a definite improvement to our pen
Is Hawkworth the
answer you’re looking for? Just asking, not knowing.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Aug 1, 2009 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I personally don't like career minor league starters
Coming as Relievers
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Aug 1, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions
The Slider
I liked Boggs’ slider last night, in terms of movement and speed. In my mind’s eye I see him learning to locate that thing better and getting Ks and weak groundouts.
Of course, in my mind’s eye I also see finding a gold-pooing unicorn in my basement, so…
Don't want to go back through the game thread
But was it me, or was the strike zone as inconsistent as it’s ever been this season? I was watching the game with my Dad and we were baffled over how many close pitches Boggs DIDN’T get.
It was the anti-Albert ridiculous.
People sleep peacably in their beds at night because rough men stand at the ready to do violence on their behalf--George Orwell.
this site has a strikezone plot
Chuck Norris doesn't need a bat.
he just roundhouse kicks the ball out of the park.
by bearcatcardfan on Aug 1, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought this too
it seems like there was one Schu strikeout to end an inning that was nowhere close.
by AWolfAtTheDoor on Aug 1, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah
that was a good 6-8 inches off the plate and had been called a ball all day…
Felonius Monk - bitching to contact since 2008
by Felonius_Monk on Aug 2, 2009 6:28 AM EDT up reply actions
i wish that boggs had thrown the curve more
i remember it being a pretty good pitch earlier this season…i think he threw the slider to often last nite, and the astros figured it out and just let it go…thowing the curve for strikes(if he could) would have given the astros another thing to think about and deal with
basically, i am saying i was not a big fan of the pitch selection last nite at times(not sure if it was larue, boggs, or duncan making the calls)
"Albert hits good pitches hard and bad pitches even harder. And when he gets in the batter's box, if you pray, then you start praying. And if you don't pray, you think about starting."--Brian Bannister
Do we dare...
hope that Boggs and Hawksworth are 4-5 material, thus leaving us the cash to sign Holliday and maybe DeRosa? That’s a lot of uncertainty I know, esp. considering Lohse’s streaky history and Carp’s bionic arm. But it might be worth going in to Spring with that in mind.
"I don't believe what I just saw!" ~ Jack Buck
then who's our backup plan if Carp goes down? PK?
i honestly see nothing wrong with the idea but then we need another starter in the minors, and i think it makes more sense to just sign a cheap starter also.
DeRosa: "I guess I was just an appetizer."
Ben Sheets
anyone know the current status of his progress. If he were able to come back for the final month or two and be even close to his dominant stuff could he be a potential cardinal target. Maybe a few million for 1 1/2 months? It was a random thought but if we “go all in” why not GO ALL IN…
He gone
Rotoworld says Jayson Stark says 3 teams said he won’t be able to pitch in 2009.
I know whom to call for a hole in my roof or a whole new roof.
Maybe if...
He signs a 2-year minor league deal with escalators for making the majors or so many starts/appearances or something.
or we could just sign him and pull a carpenter.
i was really hoping they’d do that earlier. i’m really, really surprised he hasn’t signed with someone, TBH. when healthy he’s got top 5 MLB starter stuff (not saying he lives up to it)
DeRosa: "I guess I was just an appetizer."
inside source, while not saying much...
“holliday is really, really happy where he’s at. he wants to resign.”
by longhornscardinals on Aug 1, 2009 1:08 PM EDT reply actions
My sources still say Wellemeyer sucks.
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
by Alxfritz on Aug 1, 2009 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
My source
says Boras will not allow him to take a less then market deal.
by Tom_Lawless_Bat_Flip on Aug 1, 2009 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I think that depends on the player
Some seem to have a definite preference—others just want the absolute most many—see Drew, J.D.
Of course Boras has a say
The reason players use him is because Boras gets the best deals for his guys. Saying Boras has no say is putting your head in the sand.
by Tom_Lawless_Bat_Flip on Aug 1, 2009 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Not really
If a player tells Boras “get me the best deal” then obviously he has the say. If a player tells him get me “the best deal from this team”, what is he supposed to do?
Not afraid to nitpick
The best deal
May not be the same thing for all people. If Holliday wants to stay here, and Boras burns bridges by overplaying his hand then he isn’t getting him the best deal. I’m sure he’ll still squeeze every last possible dollar from us, but Holliday will certainly have some influence on how he negotiates with us.
by Merry CRasmus on Aug 1, 2009 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions
The pies are working!
Time for Operation: Midwest-Nice Phase II- Small talk and a brewski.
I never would slip you Mickey! It is merely rhinoceros horn. This makes the champagna bubble.
by The Continental on Aug 1, 2009 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions
well, like i said, its not saying much
but the source is his soon-to-be brother-in-law. could always just be fluff-speak.
by longhornscardinals on Aug 1, 2009 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
He sure seems happy.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
help
Hey guys (and ladies) I’m in town for the game tonight and wanting to take back a few sixes of locally brewed beers back to arkansas with me…any suggestions? I’m on my mobile so I’m just going to watch the responses. Thanks!
by bmoorelikealbert on Aug 1, 2009 1:21 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Yes on Schlafly
Also, there’s pretty good fare at Schlafly’s outposts at the Tap Room and the Bottle Works.
Actually, I’m kind of blanking on another local-but-not-national brew around here. There’s Lemp, but I’m not really a fan.
I think you can get growlers at Trailhead in St. Charles. Some good stuff there.
I never would slip you Mickey! It is merely rhinoceros horn. This makes the champagna bubble.
by The Continental on Aug 1, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
O'Fallon Brew
and Boulevard isn’t St Louis, but it is Missourian.
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
Ack, O'Fallon!
I knew I was missing one.
Boulevard is national, I think, but good brew is good brew. If you can’t find it in AK, grab some here.
I never would slip you Mickey! It is merely rhinoceros horn. This makes the champagna bubble.
by The Continental on Aug 1, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Or AR. Or that state just south of MO...
I never would slip you Mickey! It is merely rhinoceros horn. This makes the champagna bubble.
by The Continental on Aug 1, 2009 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Anyone else concerned about Albert's recent numbers? Time for a day off? MRI? Christ, it's ever something. . .
An optimist is a man who upon discovering that a rose smells better than a cabbage concludes it will make better soup.
HL Mencken
I think we should all start doubting him.
He’s washed up!
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
these days it just puts him under more pressure
Even his kid is pressuring him. I caught Yadi trying to cheer him up and he just sat there and scowled.
More likely some [coughAstro] needs to disrespect the game of baseball.
"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
stupid astros
Seriously, his expression before he gets ready to bat looks more and more anxious. Which is not an adjective I thought I’d use with Albert Pujols. He’s got to be in pain, or not seeing well, or something mental is tailspinning.
I am just not encouraged with what seems, maybe, like an attitude that Albert will automatically fix himself, so there’s nobody to see to him if he needs help. I wanted this fixed shortly after the All Star Game, if not before. His explosion against Garland may have thrown everybody off.
"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
the team should pay her
"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
here's what the slump looks like
got it off fangraphs. white = hits, yellow = walks (ibb and otherwise, since sometimes the pitchers just give up), red = outs of any kind. green is men on base.
If you have access to Google Docs, here it is.
April – May
June – July 28
It’s possible the IBBs masked when exactly he started slumping.
Overview:
"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
I was going to make
a lame comment about the nice comb you posted. But that took a lot of work. Thanks for that, interesting stuff.
I never would slip you Mickey! It is merely rhinoceros horn. This makes the champagna bubble.
by The Continental on Aug 1, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I get a little mixed up with numbers
after a while. And I didn’t want to say anything about what I’m seeing with my eyeballs without backup. So hopefully this is a helpful visualization… if anyone has suggestions, I’m open to ’em.
"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
What amazes me is that while he is "slumping" he is hitting .320 and still leads the league in Homeruns and RBIs.
Maybe he is just pacing himself and will kick into that extra gear soon?
Holliday.
Uh huh, oh yeah.
Holliday.
He will be so nice.
Here's what I found ...
Currently from 7/17/09 – present (14 games)
Last season:
6/10/08 – 6/29/08 (16 games)
7/4/08 – 7/26/08 (17 games)
2007:
4/28/07 – 5/18/07 (16 games)
6/14/07 – 7/13/07 (24 games)
8/22/07 – 9/14/07 (21 games)
2006:
5/29/06 – 6/23/07 (20 games) *I think he was injured here
2005:
9/8/05 – 9/30/05 (18 games)
2004:
6/2/04 – 6/18/04 (14 games)
2002:
4/24/02 – 5/17/02 (19 games)
7/21/02 – 8/08/02 (24 games)
8/30/02 – 9/19/02 (18 games) *8/30 was a DH & he HRd in the 1st game
Now, that turned out to be more than I wanted to do, so I’m not going to research if any of those coincide with DL trips. If somebody would like to add that information, it would help identify how many of these are valid. That’s 11 times he’s been at or above this number of games without a HR (per B-R).
I looked up games played for these streaks.
Currently (played 13/14, started 13/14)
2008:
6/10/08 – 6/29/08 (played only 6/10, 6/26 – 6/29 so I’d ignore this one)
7/4/08 – 7/26/08 (played in all 17, started 16/17)
2007:
4/28/07 – 5/18/07 (played 15/16, started 15/16)
6/14/07 – 7/13/07 (played & started all)
8/22/07 – 9/14/07 (played 20, started all but didn’t finish all)
2006:
5/29/06 – 6/23/06 (played 5 games, injured from 6/3 – 6/21)
2005:
9/08/05 – 9/30/05 (played in all 18, didn’t play the whole game in 5)
2004:
6/02/04 – 6/18/04 (played 10/14, came out of game 6/06/04, missed games 6/05/04 – 6/10/04)
2002:
4/24/02 – 5/17/02 (played 18/19, came out early of 3 games)
7/21/02 – 8/08/02 (played 14/14, came out early of 2 games) * the 24 above was just wrong
8/30/02 – 9/19/02 (played 14/18, came out early of 7 games) *didn’t play 2nd game of DH
Just thought I’d add that info in. So, this current stretch isn’t without precedent, but it isn’t exactly common for him when he’s healthy.
He's not seeing the slider
…and looks as bad as I’ve ever seen him.
On the up side, this is unlikely mechanical and probably isn’t related to his elbow.
Definitely concerned,
If not for Holliday, we wouldn’t even be sniffing 1st right now.
Time for Diedre to do some film work with Albert.
by ArkansasTravs on Aug 1, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Pujols was on top of the world before the ASB
I know one of the Giants and spent about 8 hours on the field when they were in town, about 20 feet away from him, which was just before the ASB. His mood was great and he was absolutely holding court.
There was no sign of anything then, so whatever it is has to be recent.
Didn't the slump start in philly
Isn’t that the series where they were having trouble with the laser pointer? I thought he hit really well for the first few games after the ASB so I don’t think it was the home run contest.
Just win
He actually started "slumping"
before the ASB.
The first thing that a pitcher has to understand is that Albert is better than you.-- Jim Palmer
he hit his bombs against Harden and Garland
No other pitchers got lit up as badly. If you take those two out, the pattern holds up.
"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
if boggs can help us win half of the 6 or 8 starts remaiming that could easily be the difference in the division assuming our the other 4 stay healthy and stay on a similar pace… oh and matt holliday continues to hit over .500
by callmesir on Aug 1, 2009 1:49 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Matt Holliday is ridiculous.
Too soon?
The first thing that a pitcher has to understand is that Albert is better than you.-- Jim Palmer
The term ridiculous
has been reserved for St. Louis Cardinals 1st baseman, #3 batter, and force of nature Albert Pujols.
The terms “sick”, “on fire”, and “unconscious” have been approved for Matt Holliday.
Thank you.
I never would slip you Mickey! It is merely rhinoceros horn. This makes the champagna bubble.
by The Continental on Aug 1, 2009 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
besides
Holliday’s defense hasn’t been spotless.
It must be pristine before consideration for ridiculousness. Not “better than our old LFers.” hehe.
"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
OT:
Michael Phelps is just sick.
http://www.universalsports.com/mediaPlayer/media.dbml?db_oem_id=23000&sid=11652&catid=-1&id=633653
Dude is a beast
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.
seriously. absolutely nuts.
guy’s gotta be one of the most competitive people on the planet
DeRosa: "I guess I was just an appetizer."
Funny thing is
Just watched PTI yesterday (Friday) and Willybuns said of the Cavic-Speedo suit thing that he hoped Phelps wins and pops his suit, so to speak. Looks like he took his advice.
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.
on here in the midwest, too
not gonna say i’m hopping up and down in anticipation of watching this one…
This post's title got my hopes up
I just assumed Boggs was from Cobb County, GA and a new nickname would have been born. But he’s from Dalton, GA. Dang it.
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
by Alxfritz on Aug 1, 2009 2:58 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
thery are both in northern Georgia
I say CLOSE ENOUGH!
"Ludwick, I could kiss you on the nuts!" - the red baron 7-29-09
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
oh, nice caption chuckb
Pop quiz!
"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
don't look for help from Albert
Houston lefty Wandy Rodriguez is one of the few who has faced Albert Pujols in at least 15 at-bats and held him to a batting average of less than .200.
"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
i sure hope so.
but it’s complicated by Boogster being out too. Is Khalil officially back up yet?
if not we’re either going to see someone bizarre playing 1st base, or we’re going to see Joe Thurston, and I really don’t like either of those options.
DeRosa: "I guess I was just an appetizer."
it'll be derosa
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
yes, but if derosa's playing 1st
that means we see thurston.
DeRosa: "I guess I was just an appetizer."
and fuck, no way Skip starts against douche-wandy
so we’re gonna have to see Thurston anyway.
this is going to be one weird lineup. TLR probably leaves pujols in unless he wants to have LaRue play 1st or something, because without Boog we’ve got Lugo pencilled in at short, so that’d leave us 2 inf spots to fill with one joe thurston if DeRo was playing. not happening.
DeRosa: "I guess I was just an appetizer."
why is thurston a better option against wandy than skip?
Chuck Norris doesn't need a bat.
he just roundhouse kicks the ball out of the park.
by bearcatcardfan on Aug 1, 2009 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
because skip doesn't hit leftys at all
but KBOT IS BEING OFFICIALLY ACTIVATED (i probably missed the boat on this and everyone else knows already)
DeRosa: "I guess I was just an appetizer."
i didn't
ryan dl or what?
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
no idea
i probably shouldnt’ have used the word official, but this is per mlb.com
no transaction posted yet. i’d assume a pitcher down, but who knows
DeRosa: "I guess I was just an appetizer."
apparently
per BJ Rains it looks like it’ll be Boggs going back down. sigh.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090731&content_id=6173078&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
DeRosa: "I guess I was just an appetizer."
makes sense
he’ll be able to come back up next time we need a #5 starter
no point in wasting that roster spot for 10 days
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
i agree
think anyone would claim him?
i don’t
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
should've DFA'd Welley
sent Boggs down as well, activated KBot, and called up…ah screw it, it ain’t gonna happen, is it?
"Ludwick, I could kiss you on the nuts!" - the red baron 7-29-09
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
hmm?
we traded him
or are you talking about hoffpauir?
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
I am talking about Allen Craig
"Ludwick, I could kiss you on the nuts!" - the red baron 7-29-09
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
brian williams or something
some minor leaguer
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
Bobby Watson, right?
"Ludwick, I could kiss you on the nuts!" - the red baron 7-29-09
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
yeah, i think that was him
some no bat defensive wizard at ss kind of guy. 32nd round pick last year
i also think he paid us to sign
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
it could be YADI?LaRue?
they’ve played first before
Chuck Norris doesn't need a bat.
he just roundhouse kicks the ball out of the park.
by bearcatcardfan on Aug 1, 2009 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I've never been quite sure
what to make of Boggs. He always seemed to give up too many hits in the lower levels for me to jump on board the bandwagon. Then he had such a fantastic year last year, and I could start to see what everyone else was seeing. His fastball is very good for sure.
Usually, I think he is eventually going to find his way into the bullpen in the majors. I suspect he could be very good in that type of role. He’d be able to really let loose of that fastball, and his supplementary stuff could really play well off that in small doses. He shows the makeup to handle a jam well also. I think, at minimum, he’ll have a nice future in that type of role. It is definitely worth seeing if he can stick in the rotation first, but if he can’t ever gain the consistency with his secondary offerings I think he’d do well in the pen.
Wunderground doesn't like it until 10 o'clock tonight.
"I usually don’t read other peoples sigs." -Cuttah
Lineup via Bernie tweet
Lugo SS
DeRosa 3B
Pujols 1B
Holliday LF
Ludwick RF
Molina C
Schumaker 2B
Rasmus CF
Carpenter P
....my quick smells like french toast...
What "Just Missed It" Looks Like
So I was looking at some video I shot last night.
I just happened to have his first AB right at the point of contact…
This ball went to the warning track in Right Center Field.
This is a mechanically perfect swing and totally typical of Albert. The issue is that he got under the ball by maybe 1/8 of an inch.
I will say that Albert seems a bit more likely this year to swing at the high pitch (I noticed this pattern in ST), which is harder to square up.
PS
I can link to a clip of the whole swing if someone wants, but it’s a 3MB animated GIF and I don’t want to gum up the system. I could also post it as a fanpost.
link would be cool
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
awesome pic...
def needs to be a fanpost.
the end of every half inning IS a turning point. -Evilfrog
anybody else surprised to see
Limited movement in the division before the deadline? The MIL trade for floppy and the cubs trade for gorzelanny and a loogy were a bit underwhelming.
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
by tom s. on Aug 1, 2009 5:08 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
they have all decided to concede to the Cards?
great news!
"Ludwick, I could kiss you on the nuts!" - the red baron 7-29-09
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
seems like it to me
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 1, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
BUT TEH CUBS ARE DA BEST!
they juz had 2 git healthy, cuz they the best team.
How did the pig corner the breakfast market?
Dusty might have something to do with it
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 1, 2009 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
not really
Houston and Chicago have nothing in the farm to deal with, pretty much, and Milwaukee ran into a little problem called C.C. Sabathia.
The Pirates are all new! Shiny and new……. [trails off]
I hear the Reds have a new 3B.
"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
Volquez to undergo elbow surgery
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 1, 2009 5:55 PM EDT reply actions
tough break
he’s a great pitcher
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
Very much so....
Kid has a world of potential. He was a stud prospect for Texas. I realize that Texas got Hamilton for him, but that has to be a tough pill to swallow. On the flip side, the Ranger farm system isn’t doing to poorly either.
by stlcardinals15 on Aug 1, 2009 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I like Edinson :/ Trusty Dusty strikes again*
Speaking of the Texas farm system, I was just thinking about the Teixeira trade the other day and how lulz worthy it is. Elvis Andrus is 20 years old, already one of the best defensive shortstops in the league and projects to be a franchise player. Saltalamacchia and Harrison are two guys also already contributing in the majors, albeit not as much, but they’re still very young and valuable. And then you get to Neftali Feliz, who has been consistently ranked in the top 5-10 prospects in all of baseball, is just 21 years old, and projects to be an ace of a staff. All of that for Teixeira and Ron Mahay, neither of whom are still Braves. That is an absolute rip-off of a deal to begin with. The Braves just got hosed. Then you consider the Braves in turn traded Teixeira for Casey Kotchman, mediocre hitting 26 year old first-basemen and a C level prospect. Lollocaust.
*I’m unprepared to back up any claims of mishandling at the hands of Baker, I just wanted to get a shot in there because 1 it’s easy and 2 I really don’t like Dusty.
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die.
*I’m unprepared to back up any claims of mishandling at the hands of Baker, I just wanted to get a shot in there because 1 it’s easy and 2 I really don’t like Dusty.
Prior would be one example
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring" -Rogers Hornsby
Mo with that hanky
I want to believe he keeps his knife there.
"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
Mo likes Carp's leadership
I wonder if he has luggage.
"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
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