Post Off-Day Inner Monologue: Pete Kozma
by DanUpBaby on Aug 14, 2009 4:21 AM EDT
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PrintBefore we get to today's game-recap-free entertainment, some bullet points:
- Bernie Miklasz will be pleased to know that Albert Pujols made it through his Shaq-instigated home run contest alive. At this point I think I'm getting nervous once-removed whenever Pujols participates in an exhibition; I worry less about his health than the gnashing of self-satisfied teeth that would probably drown Chris Berman out if someone were injured in the middle of a Home Run Derby.
- I was sorry to see Homer Bailey get knocked out so early on Wednesday. As a recovering Anthony Reyes fan I think I get sympathy-frustrated when I see him do something else that will undoubtedly become grist in the sure-he's-great-in-the-minors mill. As a Cardinals fan, though, I hope the Reds really do think he'll only be successful in the minors; I love his stuff.
- The impending Shelby Miller Deadline had me thinking about Cardinals first rounders tonight, and with Brett Wallace treading water in Sacramento (turning double plays, no less, with Daric Barton) that meant it was time to check on Pete Kozma in AA Springfield. He went 0-4, struck out three times, and didn't once powerslam Kevin Youkilis, which led to this:
Good news, everyone—I've invented a device that allows off-day baseball bloggers to confront hastily personified versions of the thought processes that led to much-maligned personnel decisions! It works by... er... ah, yes, I'll just turn it on. Greetings, personified thought process number one! State your humorously contrived vitals!
CONTROVERSIAL DECISION: YOUR MONEY OR YOUR ROTATION?
CONTROVERSIAL DECISION: Drafting high school shortstop Peter Kozma instead of amateur pro wrestler Rick Porcello with the eighteenth pick of the 2007 draft.
THE BREWERS OF CONTROVERSY: The bloggers and blog-readers who later reclaimed the phrase "Faberge eggs."
THE PERSONIFIED THOUGHT PROCESS: Noted blog avatar and penny-pincher Jack Benny.
In 2007 the Cardinals, who had made a habit of winning in the regular season and thus picking in the back of the first round every year, were given a rare opportunity: Rick Porcello, that year's best high school pitcher in ten years, had caused fingers to cross and uncross all the way down to the eighteenth spot, the Cardinals' lowest pick since 2000 but still considerably further than he'd have dropped on merit alone.
It's been said that Porcello was tops on the Cardinals' draft board at that point, but monetary risk won out: In a post-draft interview with the mothership Jeff Luhnow said that "When you look at the chance that [a player] pays back that investment, it's not a slam dunk." Since then Porcello has at least made a layup, making 21 MLB starts in this, the third year of what amounts to a six-year major league contract worth $6.5 million, not counting his $3.5 million signing bonus.
Kozma has been pushed aggressively, as well, but with somewhat less intriguing results. After two and a half years in the system he's a .246/.323/.329 hitter who's made 74 errors and hit 10 home runs. Yesterday he went 0-4 with three strikeouts, to move his AA line down to .216/.290/.294.
FOR THE CONTROVERSIAL DECISION
MR. JACK BENNY
Well. Friends, this is Jack Benny talking, and I'd like to talk to you a little about cost controls. [FROM THE ORCHESTRA: "Cost controls, Jackson? Like how you make all five trumpet players read from the same worn-out sheet music?"]
Now cut that out! Maybe it'd be different if anybody in your orchestra could read. [LONG, BEWILDERED PAUSE]
Now, anyway, I won't deny that Rick Porcello is an exciting pitcher. He's yet to strike anyone out, either in A ball or the majors—only the great Miguel Asencio has a lower K/9 among recent sub-22 starters—but he's shown extreme groundball tendencies (as well as, it should be known, extreme gopherball tendencies) and whenever a young starter shows a remarkable fastball and those two characteristics the hope is that he will take the Kevin Brown career path and one day inexplicably double his strikeouts.
But that career path won't come cheaply. It's like I was telling Jeff Luhnow, one day, when he treated me to lunch. The Tigers paid Porcello $2.5 million more than the Cardinals paid Kozma on the day he signed. In 2008 they paid him another $1.1 million, or about what the last four or five picks of the first round were getting, for zero major league wins; it was like they signed another first round draft choice, without getting anybody at all. [ORCHESTRA: You know, Jackson, it really was.]
I... I don't really get that one. I suppose I should check the glossary.
All in all the Tigers paid Porcello $5 million before his first trip to the Major Leagues. Thus far, in spite of his FIP of 5.11, he's been worth a little less than one win above a replacement pitcher. He'll continue to be a major positive value over the life of his MLB contract, but in spending so much to acquire him (and losing the extreme financial upside of the minor league contract) the Tigers neutralized, to some extent, the pre-free agency benefit of the deal. Forced to start his service time now, when he's a hair below average, they'll be paying market value for his best years.
As for Kozma, he's been rushed. The high-A success that supposedly warranted his call-up to the Texas League was tenuous at best, and the mental lapses in the field make it seem like his futility at the plate has gotten to his defense, the one tool everybody agrees on. He might never be an impact player, which would be a major waste of a first round draft pick, but if he is he'll be both good and cheap. Now, I have to be going, the employees here at the Apple Store are starting to get suspicious.
VERDICT: Unlucky Strikeout. The Cardinals' choice of Kozma, whose potential for success in this exercise is found in the payroll as much as it is on the baseball field, isn't an altogether terrible one in the abstract, given the shadow future Albert Pujols negotiation casts on the team's every expenditure. Draft money is tough to gauge, as a fan, because unlike the payroll we don't have any skin in it; either it's spent and the player's ours to root for or it isn't and it disappears into the ether. But Porcello was quite a cash outlay for a team unprepared, at the eighteenth spot, to lay it out.
But the particulars of this decision are almost certain to wash out the Cardinals' theoretical objections to the deal. Young pitchers aren't nearly as likely as young hitters to portend future greatness with their average performance, but Porcello has followed his gameplan and found it workable against American League teams just two years removed from his high school squad. Kozma, one baseball year older, has washed out in his first shot at the high minors, and while that's not the end of his career—there was nothing in his career to date that suggested he was ready for AA in the first place—it's not the kind of third season you'd like to see out of a first rounder, especially one drafted under such unlucky circumstances.
Coming next time: Rick Astley discusses the particulars of Cardinals fans' infatuation with a pitcher traded in the Mark Mulder deal; TV's David Caruso attempts, through the magic of the one-liner, to personify every controversial decision the Cardinals have ever made in ten minutes.
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Failed Pick...
It was just a bad pick and we should all let it go. Kozma’s seing looks like a minor league Japanese player’s and he apparently doesn’t posses the talent to change it.
It was a bad pick, a really bad one in hindsight and in light of Porcello. We as fans need to stop picking the scab open.
Giving up on a prospect at age 21 because he hasn’t been sucessful at a level that he honestly shouldn’t be at right now in his development seems incredibly foolish. Kozma was never tagged by scouts and analyists as the kind of player who would rapidly move up through the system; the fact that the Cardinals chose him instead of Porcello should not color that. While Porcello has everything to do with the way fans look at Kozma, he has absolutely nothing to do with Kozma’s development.
Yes but...
…Kozma’s swing is gawd-awful. One of the worst I have ever seen in pro-ball. It is the root of why he suck so bad right now. He will have to change his swing to make true progress and he hasn’t shown that he will do it or that he has the hand-eye coordination to do it. I am trying to look at him through scouting eyes (by the way I have scouted for college programs and did some local work for the Expos/Nats) and not from the “we got Kozma, boy he is no Porcello” vein.
by BigJawnMize on Aug 14, 2009 11:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Just let Hal McRae work his magic
Everything will be fine
Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!
by jd is legend on Aug 14, 2009 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I saw him play last year and was not very impressed
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
I saw him last year at QC. All of the video and photos I have seen since don’t give me any confidence that he has change much of anything.
If you've ever missed a Caruso one-liner
[puts on sunglasses]
it’s because you couldn’t pony up for the signing bonus.
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!
by arch support on Aug 14, 2009 9:05 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarYH0z948
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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.
I dislike that show even more now.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I always watch the first scene before the show's opening credits.
I do this solely for the Caruso one-liner before the music starts.
"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
When Caruso is in a scene
on that show, I just can’t stop laughing. And I’ll bet a lot of other watchers do the same thing. Do the producers even realize that?
by MdRedbirdFreak on Aug 14, 2009 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Somebody needs to make a mock cop show
ala “Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime” in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
It’s be awesome and easy to make.
Shut up, Fritz™.
A mock crime show?
There’s already been one: DRAGNET.
The most unintentionally hilarious show in TV history.
by MdRedbirdFreak on Aug 14, 2009 2:22 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I can't stop reaching for my gun
My wife stopped watching that show because I wouldn’t stop making fun of it.
Odd, face though. Apparently it used to be one of the most-watched shows internationally. I have ZERO idea why.
...to make fun of people in Miami?
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
by Yadi2Second on Aug 14, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for the great laugh
now I remember why I don’t watch that show either, but this makes me want to watch his one liners now
by from First to Third on Aug 14, 2009 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Wow.
That was great. Awful show, but his lines are so cheesy. I love Jim Carey’s spoof of it.
“It looks like we’ve
[puts on glasses]
got our man."
The first thing that a pitcher has to understand is that Albert is better than you.-- Jim Palmer
Scene:
Frank: Brett Wallace has to be the #1 suspect. He’s been killing the ball.
Horatio: Then we should put him away for a long…Holliday.
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!
by IA Card on Aug 14, 2009 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions 16 recs
Awesome
"It reminds us of all that once was good, and could be again." - Terence Mann.
by Futility Infielder on Aug 14, 2009 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions
He has to put on his sunglasses while he says it.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Or, look off in the distance at nothing in particular while squinting (because he doesn't have his sunglasses on).
"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
Good alternative.
Would he have just taken off his sunglasses? I think that would happen pretty often too.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
With hands on hips, and body turned slightly to the side, of course.
"Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it." - Whitey Herzog
by Bring Back Tommy Herr! on Aug 14, 2009 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Of course.
"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
Scene 2:
Frank: Word is that Porcello has been working w/ NASA on gravity studies to induce more grounders.
Horatio (taking off shades): Well Frank, he will never be a Kozma…not.
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!! – Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all week.
by IA Card on Aug 14, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions 10 recs
I didn't get this the first time around
I would have gotten it had it said “naut.”
Anyway, now that i get this one, it, too, gets a rec.
HS stats
http://www.owassobaseball.com/index.html
Pete’s HS webpage. Can still see some of his stats. Kinda weird. He did dominate in HS though. (granted it’s not pro-ball) Anyway just thought I’d pass it along.
"It is easy to be brave from a safe distance." - Aesop
I'd stab myself in the eye if we draft anyone above the 3rd round who didn't dominate HS
HS baseball sucks relative to these guys.
Not afraid to nitpick
I'm not going to say that it was a bad pick.
It was just potential that was never reached or, at best, hasn’t been reached yet. If every player that had great potential reached the majors, the majors would be a very crowded place and everybody would be an all-star.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Aug 14, 2009 9:31 AM EDT reply actions
color kozma
tyler greene
"No matter where you go, there you are" Buckeroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension
Remember, this is still a young kid.
I’m unwilling to declare Koz a miss until he’s been in the system for five years. That comes with being a draft choice out of high school; the window for success with a college draftee is shorter.
Kozma may turn out to be just fine..
..but that doesn’t mean the pick wasn’t a miss. If it takes him five years to develop into a serviceable talent, we would have been much better off drafting a talent more seasoned to contribute in a shorter time frame. Waiting five years is a big opportunity cost to pay – contributions five years from now are not nearly as valuable as contributions today.
That said, we can’t expect all of these prospective talents to pan out, and risk appetite is crucial for stocking the farm system. The FO shouldn’t be ashamed that the kid isn’t panning out exactly as they had envisioned – its the nature of the draft. This isn’t the NFL or NBA where there are clear-cut talent tiers.
"I'll be glad to have Ryan [Braun] help if he wants to. I'll give him a badge and he can be my deputy." - Doug Melvin
I tend to agree
remember, people here on this board were going crazy for Tyler Greene earlier this year and he’s about 4 years older and much further beyond being a prospect than Kozma. I don’t have any illusions that Kozma will be an All-Star (and I never was crazy about the pick anyway) but I still think there’s hope that he’ll be a decent major league shortstop.
i agree
When you compare the Kozma pick to other SS picked in the 1st and 2nd rounds. Kozma looks like a lot better pick. The Cardinals decided they needed a SS for long term growth. When compared Kozma is doing better than almost all other SS picks near him
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Aug 14, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions
I wish they'd put Kozma back into A ball
given he’s clearly over-matched in AA and it seems to be hurting his fielding and other aspects of his game. At least down in Palm Beach or Quad Cities he can work on refining his swing, and maybe progress a little.
I’m not convinced that our aggressive-promotion, “sink or swim” system with top prospects is in the best interests of a lot of them. Kozma should still have time to develop in the lower tiers of the system, especially as we now have a cost-controlled MLB SS (Ryan) for a couple more years.
Felonius Monk - bitching to contact since 2008
by Felonius_Monk on Aug 14, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Btw, loved your analysis on Carp's pitch types at FanGraphs.
Good, insightful stuff. Thanks.
"I'll be glad to have Ryan [Braun] help if he wants to. I'll give him a badge and he can be my deputy." - Doug Melvin
Na
Mojowo11 is an extremely common username.
"I'll be glad to have Ryan [Braun] help if he wants to. I'll give him a badge and he can be my deputy." - Doug Melvin
Felonius, I think that the sink-or-swim approach is great
for college athletes. However, I think we may need to be a bit more judicious with HS’ers.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
Yeah perhaps you're right
the thing that bothers me is that it might be an organisational, one-size-fits-all policy with the higher draft choices. I guess it’ll work for some, but not for others, and they need to be more judicious about it. It’s clearly not been good for Kozma; I can’t see how he’s learning anything/developing in a league where he’s totally over-matched. It can’t be good for him psychologically either.
Felonius Monk - bitching to contact since 2008
by Felonius_Monk on Aug 16, 2009 5:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Big bonuses
are always a crap shoot. Has anybody ever heard of Paul Paul Pettit.
In 1951, the major league rule was if you paid over a 10,000 signing bonus to a player, you had to keep that player on the major league roster for a full year before you could send him to the minors.
The Pittsburg Pirates went all out and outbid several other clubs for a 19 year old surefire high school picther named Paul Pettit. They gave him a 100,000 bonus.
That was as much as Ted Williams and Joe Dimaggio were making a year and 20, 000 more than Stan Musial was making a year.
Paul Pettit pitched 2 innings for the Pirates that year and was never heard from again.
Maybe the Cards remembered the Paul Pettit story.
Let's hope they forget it then
While what you say is true, if you never taken any big bonus risks, you will rarely reap the rewards that come with them.
These kids get big bonuses for a reason, they all have the talent / tools to become all-star caliber players. To be able to get players like that, at a cost controlled salary for many years , is incedibly valuable to an organization and definitely worth the bonus money.
and yes, I realize only about 1 in 20 of them actually pan out (if that)
but you gotta take that risk.
and the Cardinals, if they sign Shelby Miller (along with the signing of Mateo), will prove that they are willing to take that risk.
I doubt the Cardinals forget
the perils of rushing a kid to the MLB roster as long as TLR is around since he was a failed bonus baby himself having spent a year on the KC Athletics roster at 18.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
See Von McDaniel (18 year old brother of Lindy McDaniel) - Cardinals version - 1957 spectacular beginning and then
F
L
A
M
E
OUT
An optimist is a man who upon discovering that a rose smells better than a cabbage concludes it will make better soup.
HL Mencken
Well, if they gave up on him after 2 innings
they either did one hell of an awful job scouting him, or they were idiots.
it's Clydesdales vs Goats. Actually sums up Cards vs. Cubs quite nicely. -all4tookie
+1
I think that this subject has been discussed, debated, and wailed about quite thoroughly. I’m sure other teams are regretting the same decision. Think the Blue Jays would rethink Ahrens? The Royals would rethink Moustakas? The Rangers would rethink Beavan? On the other hand, the Braves passed on Porcello for some guy named Heyward. I’m guessing they have no regrets.
It’s okay to be upset that the FO chose economy over talent. (Who are we, the Pirates?) But to keep “picking the scab open” (thanks BigJawnMize) is beginning to wear thin. Hopefully Pete can pull it together. If not, let’s hope the FO learns from this experience.
Ironically Pirates is a poor choice of teams to choose there
Since recently including this last current draft. The Pirates have been over paying slot choices. They under drafted in the 1st round so they could overpay slots in every other round.
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Aug 14, 2009 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
The lessons learned...
…don’t fall for this “every tool is abover avergare” scouting junk, it just means nothing is exceptional. Really I don’t care about 5-tool talents, I want players to have some Gawd inspiring tool to start with. I want them to pick it like Ozzie or just crush balls 500 feet. I want every player to have a tool that you don’t have to worry about developing too much to get it to a pro level, something that make them worthwile to have play everyday in the minors. Usually if a player does something insanely well they have enough god-given athletic talent to do some other things at an average major league level.
Second, (along the same lines as the first) I want pitchers with atleast one devastating pitch and some reasonable control. Franlky every pitcher needs an out pitch and to be able to get enough of their pitches into the zone to have a reason to use that out pitch. Look at the pitchers we traded away this year. Mort—no exceptional out pitch. Todd—no exceptional out pitch. Perez—no reason to use his slider, because he can never get anyone to two strikes—because his control sucks.
by BigJawnMize on Aug 14, 2009 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Perez is doing very well in CLE
After the first 2 games in CLE to give the new pitching coach time to remove the duncan programing.
11 games
11.2 IP
13 k
4 BB
.265 OPS against.
His velocity is back, his control is better, and gasp, he appears back to his old pre-duncan arm slot where he releases his slider and FB from slightly different points. Also known as that think that duncan worked with him to fix in spring training.
Thanks for ruining my morning.
Philles announcers about Toronto:
"Well they go out West after this series, this weekend, against the Tampa Bay Rays"
Blargh.
I know it’s a small amount of innings, but relievers kinda sorta make their living off small amounts of innings.
.265 OPS against? That’s not a typo for one of the slash stats or something?
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Nope, the slash is .086 / .179 / .086 / .265
He has always been very good at suppressing BA against. He just has his walks under control and his K rate up. The fact that he is back to near his 2008 velocity, about 2mph more than he was throwing here in 2009, says a lot.
Now, if we could just bolster our bullpen with a righty reliever...
"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
Trade DeRo for Perez, straight up
Call up Allen Craig from AAA.
DO IT NAO MO!!!111
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
The issue was Perez was never going to pitch like that for us.
Its the same thing we have seen many times. Duncan sees a pitcher that had great success in the minors but doesn’t like the way he did it. Pitcher makes it to the MLB, has some good games. Then Duncan declairs he needs to fix (some made up problem) then pitcher suddenly loses velocity and effectiveness. Then the pitcher gets demoted to “work on his new stuff”. This continues until the player is traded or released (Perez, Rijo, Marquis, …) or injured (Reyes)
Duncan is a great pitching coach IF you are a pitcher that throws sinkers and sliders from a tall and fall delivery. Otherwise, run the other direction.
that's not really fair.
marquis got much better with duncan. perez NEVER threw strikes. check his minor league data for his BB/9.
anthony reyes may be one point in your favor. i didn’t follow rijo enough to say yes or no. but neither marquis nor perez are clearly duncan specials.
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
doh
apparently duncan can’t work with people that can pitch fast or have their own style of pitching
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Now why the heck did I think he was on the D/L?
I have no idea.
yes and no
If he were getting the same numbers with no change in velocity I would agree. But when pitchers suddenly recover 2-3mph on their FB, thats not a sample size issue.
The thing I don't like
is that the question about Kozma is always portrayed as being Kozma vs. Porcello. It’s not that way at all. The decision to pass on Porcello was reasonable given the amount of money he was seeking and the fact that he was a high school pitcher. Just b/c he’s been fairly good at the major league level doesn’t mean that teams were stupid to pass. It’s just that there were other options available at the time besides Kozma and Porcello. I was never opposed to them passing on Porcello. The risk was pretty high. But neither was I very fond of the Kozma pick.
by chuckb on Aug 14, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I think that it should also be a separate question
Porcello received a lot of money in a bonus plus a contract with him already on the 40 man roster. A HS pitcher just has too high of a chance to bust to be worth that risk. If I double down in black jack when I have 16 than catch a 5. It doesn’t mean I made the right move but I simply got lucky. If you gave away that kind of money and contract again to a HS player. You are more than likely going to fail the second time
Stat Whore
by FlimtotheFlam on Aug 14, 2009 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Yup - have (m)any of the other post Kozma choices excelled? I truly do not know. . .
An optimist is a man who upon discovering that a rose smells better than a cabbage concludes it will make better soup.
HL Mencken
That’s really the problem. Kozma’s potential development was always going to be the complete opposite of Porcello. The reason why Porcello was able to demand so much—big bonus, far above slot, a spot on the 40-man roster—was because he was a risky, high schooler with a high reward. Kozma was a safe pick—a guy who didn’t excel in any area but was better than average in most. He also was the highest rated shortstop of that draft and projected to stay at his position by most scouts.
Comparing the two will always be senseless and the expectation heaped onto Kozma because he’s not Porcello is no where near objective.
Well said, Chuck
You succinctly stated what I was going to say in two/three ugly paragraphs. If the FO really thought that Porcello was too big of a financial risk, alright…but taking Kozma, who was a supplemental round talent at best (according to the in/post draft chatter I heard), is sort of indefensible. Kozma could end up being a decent player…but this was a poor pick nonetheless.
VivaElBirdos...Scoring less, but more frequently since approximately 1903.
by redbirdnation8206 on Aug 14, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions
as far as I can see
Kozma is a slightly younger version of Ryan Jackson (give or take a bit of pop), who we took in the 5th round this year. That says a lot, I think.
Felonius Monk - bitching to contact since 2008
by Felonius_Monk on Aug 16, 2009 5:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Oh!
I agree that a certain amount of calculated risk have to be taken and The Porcello was a good calculated risk. Wish the Cards would have taken it.
I just brought up the Paul Pettit story because it made such big headlines and was talked about for so many years. I bet it is still familar among GM’s today.
Is there a glitch in the Matrix or something?
When I look away from the AP photo in Dan’s post (weird choice for a photo by the way, what gives?) I swear I can see something that looks like a pitcher in my peripheral vision. But every time I focus on it again… there’s just nothing there! Odd stuff.
Would someone with a deeper knowledge of the Cardinals prospects than my own care to rate Kozmanaut compared to our other SS’s in the minors? Kthanx.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
and is that an attempt at William Carlos Williams in the caption?
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
by Yadi2Second on Aug 14, 2009 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
This is just to say
that so much
depends
upon
an appetite
for risk,
when drafting
inchoate fireballers.
—2009
by santiagofish on Aug 14, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
beside the red cardinals?
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/05jP8GK18Adeh/610x.jpg
by EsemplasticSaxum on Aug 14, 2009 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
I would rate Kozma about a 18, 19, something like that.
Felonius Monk - bitching to contact since 2008
by Felonius_Monk on Aug 14, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions
OK, I'm confused.
18 or 19 what? I just meant, is Kozma currently the top SS prospect in our system right now? I know it’s hard to make that kind of judgment because of all the questionable comparisons you have to make. Ceilings and floors, development time, age, etc. etc.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I was being an ass, basically
by just posting an arbitrary number with no relevance to anything…
I suspect Kozma is the top SS prospect in the system, yeah, though you could argue that Tyler Greene still has a chance to contribute at the MLB level. Ryan Jackson, if he can turn his crappy start with the bat around, is apparently an unbelievably good fielder, so he could leapfrog Kozma in future, I guess. I really like what I’ve seen/heard from Jason Stidham, our 8th round pick this year, although there’s maybe a question as to whether he can be a pro SS (maybe more of a 2B, unfortunately we have a ton of those – Descalso, Luna, Hoffpauir) but I think his bat has way more upside than any of the other SS prospects. I think he might turn out to be a better player than the rest, too, but I don’t really think I have any objective reason for that belief….
I guess Kozma’s still top, by a gnat’s wing, but I dunno if we have any SS above a C, C+ grade at the moment…
Felonius Monk - bitching to contact since 2008
by Felonius_Monk on Aug 16, 2009 5:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Your use of the name "Dan" confused me for a second.
I vaguely remember a player, I believe a pitcher, for the Cardinals with that first name…
"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
Huh...
Maybe you’re thinking of Daniel Calhoun?
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
That *must* be 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
i would strongly suggest that a
Quantum leap spoof might work better than a csi miami spoof for reexamining bad decisions past.
Sam leaps into the body of david eckstein just as a bad-hop grounder comes towards him. “Oh boy.”
“Sam, Ziggy says there’s a 73.2 percent chance you’re here to keep the Cardinals from trading for Mark Mulder.”
Then, kirkwood-native scott bakula would travel back and forth among the cardinals brass while trying to be a ML second baseman, discover that the mulder trade was a red herring and not his mission, convince scott spiezio to go into rehab, and eventually be compelled to roundhouse taekwondo kick hee sop choi to prevent him from colliding with scott rolen.
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 14, 2009 11:46 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 13 recs
i watched the 10 episodes on hulu the other day
that show rocked a great rocking
I wish I could rec that a serious number of times.
Best post I’ve read in a while.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
I love me some quantum leap
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
my cat's name is ziggy
"I think he's the best hitter of all time. I think there has never been a better hitter than him. And I know I didn't see them all, but I just don't think there could be." - Adam Wainwright on The Mang
The question in my mind...
isn’t really Porcello vs. Kozma. It really isn’t even Kozma as he’ll either develop or won’t. With his age we just need to be sure we give him time.
The question really becomes Shelby Miller for me because we haven’t signed him and the issues surrounding him are really the same as they were for Porcello though I believe Porcello to be higher rated. Is it worth giving a high school pitcher millions that has yet to prove himself? I think not but that appears to be today’s reality.
If not.....
then we shouldn’t have drafted him.
Obviously we didn’t have the money set aside for such a pick when it came to Porcello. We’ve been told that this year we’ve set aside that money, and drafted that player. I too will be a little ticked if we don’t at least make an honest offer. We knew his demands, and we drafted him anyways. Now we need to sign him.
There are 3 things the average man thinks he can do better than everybody else: build a fire, run a motel, and manage a baseball team.
-- Rocky Bridges
by SoonerfanTU on Aug 14, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Big difference in the signing requirements for Porcello and Miller
Miller will cost considerably less and won’t require a major league contract. Paying $3-4m in a signing bonus is a LOT less than having to put the guy on the major league roster, AND pay him ~$10m for his first 6 years with the ballclub.
Felonius Monk - bitching to contact since 2008
by Felonius_Monk on Aug 16, 2009 5:17 AM EDT up reply actions
so we're supposed to find out if we've signed Miller by tomorrow, eh?
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 12:44 PM EDT reply actions
thnx
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe people are en route for the VEB get together day
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Probably going to be
quiet around here this weekend.
Philles announcers about Toronto:
"Well they go out West after this series, this weekend, against the Tampa Bay Rays"
Tomorrow.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
But some people have to travel
Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!
by jd is legend on Aug 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions
:(
No I don’t
Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!
by jd is legend on Aug 14, 2009 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions
No
Bad things appear when VEB tinkers with ASCII.
Future Redbirds - tracking Cardinal prospects for Cardinal Nation
But are they funny?
b/c I could really use a laugh.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
This one always makes me laugh multiple times
Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!
by jd is legend on Aug 14, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Doesn't do it for me.
That’s what she said.
I’ll go watch the Sandoval cake incident. Also, Ibanez spiking the ball into the ground always makes me giggle.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
Spants, if a dude were saying that, it would be so old by now, but
I chuckle every time I see you make that comment.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
Excellent.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
hahahahaha!!!
it’s going with the music I’m listening to too!
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions
nope, it's some dubstep darkwave kinda stuff
hard to explain what it is, but it has a cool beat
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Who is it?
Is it Bradley?
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
I think it is
at least, that’s who I assumed it was, the guy who throws the ball into the stands with 2 outs
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 5:07 PM EDT up reply actions
My only regret
Is that I can’t rec that twice.
"The first thing that a pitcher has to understand is that Albert Pujols is better than you." -Jim Palmer
by tangledbrett on Aug 14, 2009 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions
that's sort of funny
but I am worried about the dog now
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Two weeks ago?
Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!
by jd is legend on Aug 14, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions
perhaps a male eagle laying an egg will help?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-vjD3ih2dk
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
no, there's plenty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fplj61Y5QME
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah, he scares the shit out of me
now for a little peace of mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nISG7iBk-A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y1MzruvvJc
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
also
this little girl can play guitar better than you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98y0Q7nLGWk
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, Youtube
Just when I think I’ve had enough of you, I fall in love all over again.
In all 6ness though, those are pretty cool. The Water Organ especially is a completely sweet and awesome idea.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
And I would hope that girl can play better guitar than I can
Since I can’t play guitar. In fact my musical skill basically involves being awesome at soprano and alto recorder in grade school. That’s about it.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
If I were a richer man, I would go to see that water organ
and meditate there all day.
that was more directed at anyone who plays guitar than you personally. I’ve been playing for over 15 years and she makes me sound like a 2 bit hack
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Haha
Yeah, never underestimate the power of talented asian girls.
I kinda hope someday I get a chance/have the ambition to visit at least some of Eastern Europe. If nothing else they ought to have some good beer.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
What is up with his lower teeth?
Jebus.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
I can't imagine that guy having a family
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
also, spants
you’ll like this one, or anyone who uses photoshop really, this guy cracks me up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXeZ0s8DXZ0
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
poor cat.
Don't ping my cheese with your bandwidth.
by RosevilleRedbird on Aug 14, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions
awh, I love cats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3U0udLH974
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions
it could have something to do with the off day yesterday
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
OT......Did anybody go to the Shaq vs.
Derby? A run down perhaps for those of us that weren’t?
Philles announcers about Toronto:
"Well they go out West after this series, this weekend, against the Tampa Bay Rays"
There's this rundown
from Cards Diaspora.
by BTown Birds fan on Aug 14, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions
That is pretty great.
I love how “douchebag” has migrated to other sites! BTW, they did use it improperly. Since the commentor was referring to one person, he should have used the capital “Douchebag”.
Rhymes with Albert Pujols, that’s funny.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
Thanks for that
Philles announcers about Toronto:
"Well they go out West after this series, this weekend, against the Tampa Bay Rays"
OK, did you see the photo of Albert standing next to Shaq?
Albert is a big dude, and he looks like Shaq’s 5-year old little brother. Holy crap!
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
That's awesome!
That “picture” almost made me feel like I was really there.
"Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it." - Whitey Herzog
by Bring Back Tommy Herr! on Aug 14, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes I was there.
Shaq better stick to basketball. Albert hit the ball out of the balllpark 6 or 7times and came close on all the others he hit. Shaq had a bad the size of a small tree. He managed to hit it out of his shortened homerun fence 11 times in his 3 rounds. Lots of funny charging the mound at his pitcher John Mabry . At the end Shaq threw 10 pitches to try and strike Albert out. He took the first one out of the park. It was lots of fun to watch.
I got a kick out of this
Philles announcers about Toronto:
"Well they go out West after this series, this weekend, against the Tampa Bay Rays"
by RiverRat on Aug 14, 2009 1:50 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs
Funny, especially because of the Cubs fans/White Sox connection
However, does this toe the thin line between appropriate and inappropriate use of LOLitics in a baseball blog?
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I was thinking that
and hoping it would be viewed in baseball terms and not political.
Philles announcers about Toronto:
"Well they go out West after this series, this weekend, against the Tampa Bay Rays"
Now that I think on it again
It’s vague enough that I can imagine someone reading it, finding it funny, and not even necessarily getting the political issue it’s referring to. So I don’t personally have a problem with it.
It’s not like anybody is logging on and commenting today anyway, so no worries!
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
so not only am i the most hated poster in veb history, i'm also a nobody
perfect
pretzels pretzels pretzels pretzels
Did someone reply here?
There’s just this blank space closed in by horizontal lines. Weird.
J/K dood, J/K!
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
everything and nothing, my friend
everything and nothing
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm a mushroom cloud layin...
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Hey, lazy post day victory for me!
I finally got my avatar to fit in the box!
Yay me!
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
cripes..
got a struggling baseball team? Play the bucs!
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
Yeah,
after a very rough week, the Cubs have found a cure for their poor play: Pittsburgh. I just hope the Pirates win one of the games in the series.
"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
Doubtful.
They’ve won 1 out of their last 10. A shame, because I figured facing another decent team would knock out all the confidence left in Randy Wells, but now that he’s staked to an early 4 run lead he can work around mistakes and gain his confidence back. He’s the winner of the Jason Marquis award this year after pitching well but not picking up the win his first 5 times out.
by cloistermaximus on Aug 14, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions
The catcher triples...
then the pitcher walks. Next thing you know the fans will embrace sobriety.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
This is painful...
I feel for Morton. I have a feeling the Bucs could still make it interesting.
Hellooo… Is anyone out there?
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
Barely....
Not much action on the ole VEB today.
Philles announcers about Toronto:
"Well they go out West after this series, this weekend, against the Tampa Bay Rays"
This second inning is remarkable...
baseball doesn’t get any worse than this. I wonder if a city could actually expel it’s ball club.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
Regress, dammit!
Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!
by jd is legend on Aug 14, 2009 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow
11 to 0? This is getting ridiculous.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
All games against your minor league affiliates only count as exhibitions, right?
Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!
by jd is legend on Aug 14, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
You'd think so
Maybe the Pirate’s AAA team switched places with the MLB Pirates. It’s like relegation in soccer.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Not that you can tell the difference right now
Since the entire Pirates roster has been traded. But yeah.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I'm all for relegation in MLB
there are too many teams for the available talent
Proud sponsor of the Official 2009 StL Cardinal theme song: Reason to Believe
67 pitches, 4 outs.
Pirates pitching having another “inefficient” day.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
Heh. And now a HBP to load the bases again.
This is ridonkulous
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
This is one of those games...
where you have to reserve some adjectives… it just keeps getting worse.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
14-0 at the end of the 2nd.
mercy rule, plz.
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'm flattered
Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!
by jd is legend on Aug 14, 2009 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Its funny because it only takes a game like this for Cub fans to forget that they are coming off a 5 game losing streak
Now they will have their chests puffed out and believe that this game means something
SlamalamaJackADongWick cares very little about your draft pick standing-by gdm426
by FredbirdisaDork on Aug 14, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Boom there goes Jaramillo...
if they don’t pinch hit for Bootcheck I’m not watching anymore. I mean, if they’re not even going to try….
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
This is outrageous...
what a bunch of pathetic losers. Down 14-2, runners at 2nd and 3rd, and you let your long man hit.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
I think maybe they decided to go for some sort of record.
It’s currently 17-2. They’re trying to see if they can top that 30 run game last year.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
If they were in Pittsburgh
I’d say they were trying to allow one run for every fan in attendance.
by BTown Birds fan on Aug 14, 2009 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions
it is a bit of a ghost town here isn't it?
SlamalamaJackADongWick cares very little about your draft pick standing-by gdm426
by FredbirdisaDork on Aug 14, 2009 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Could just be regression
The number of comments has been really high lately. Maybe VEB’s true comment level is lower than we had come to assume.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
VEB Sucks!!!! Worst Website EVAR
SlamalamaJackADongWick cares very little about your draft pick standing-by gdm426
by FredbirdisaDork on Aug 14, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Season over, time to plan for next year
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
time for a pointless meeting
better than watching the cubs take batting practice though
SlamalamaJackADongWick cares very little about your draft pick standing-by gdm426
by FredbirdisaDork on Aug 14, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions
you're underestimating the power of VEB to prevent
people from posting stupid comments. a stupid comment prevented is just as important as a clever one posted. this has been shown again and again. check fanposts.com or the hardweb times to learn more.
everybody just says “ooh look at this fancy website with the clever comments,” but they underestimate how much the TVE (total visiting experience) is diminished by stupid comments like “can we trade brian roberts for skip schumaker?” noobs.
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 14, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Hm, a value-based approach?
I’m intrigued
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I'm the same
except instead of hungover, I’m in pain.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
your back again?
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
My back has never given me problems until recently.
I used to have neck issues, though. But yeah, my back is killing me. Can’t see the doctor until Monday.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
some drug stores have walk in clinics now...
you might be able to score something stronger than advil.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
My mom
is bringing me some of her left over painkillers, muscle relaxers, and prescription strength naproxen from that car accident when she emerged nearly unscathed. I’ll just (safely) wing it with those until Monday.
But that’s a good suggestion.
I’m skeered I herniated a disk in my back. It’s either that or I pulled this really weird muscle.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
that's cool...
no reason to suffer all weekend waiting for a doc.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
party at spants house!
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah. Woo.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
lol
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions
i hope she's able to post when the meds kick in
i really do
hope you feel better spants. i have an f’ed up spine as well. it’s no fun
pretzels pretzels pretzels pretzels
Oh I will.
I hope I don’t say anything too crazy. I know you guys will never let me live it down.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
uh huh.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
you do realize the end of the game is like 1-2 AM?
you’re going to take painkillers then stay up late? i think you’re just gonna fall asleep.
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
so you somehow know that it will be an extra inning marathon?
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
they're in SD, so it's a late start.
okay, maybe midnight, but it’ll be late is the point.
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
VEB day in San Dan does sound kinda fun
It's official. Cardinals third basemen are jinxed.
by YesWeOquendo on Aug 14, 2009 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
do it
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions
we're at home.
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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 coulda sworn i checked mlb.com and
it was in SD at 10pm edt. sorry. nm.
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
it's all good :)
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
man, between this and your pig flu, your summer has sucked dude.
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
it has not been as enjoyable as i had planned
that’s for damn sure
pretzels pretzels pretzels pretzels
That's okay. Fall is where it's at.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
i love fall, it's by far my favorite time of the year.
but i really needed this summer to be rockin. and it’s been just one giant disappointing day after another. i
pretzels pretzels pretzels pretzels
Mine's been
really great and then really shitty. Then really great, and now monumentally shitty. The rollercoaster from hell.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
it had all this promise of something really special
and then without warning, the bottom fell out & it’s been hell ever since. that’s just so freaking depressing. for a few seconds there, i almost thought things had turned a corner & finally happy times were here to stay. f’in gdm, i should have known those bastard coated bastards would never let that happen.
pretzels pretzels pretzels pretzels
hang in there
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
aaaaaand life just keeps getting better
i can’t go into it, but i’m now suddenly missing the game tonight. have fun everybody. feel better spants.
awful. just freaking awful.
peace out.
pretzels pretzels pretzels pretzels
peace
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions
take care y'all
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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 hungover this morning
and was cussing at everything… the door, the shower curtain, anything in my way
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions
i felt like hell till i went & ate some horiabley greasy fast food & drank some VH2O
now i almost feel back up to 60%. thank you McD’s & Wendy’s.
pretzels pretzels pretzels pretzels
I think I was still half drunk when I woke up
but the hangover went away pretty fast, since I paced myself. no shots last night luckily… my bandmate, I think, is in much worse shape, due to a very odd disgusting looking shooter that the waitress decided to give him. she’s sort of sadistic
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions
i've been really lucky when it comes to bartenders & waitress's
i can only remember one giving me a shot that laid me out
pretzels pretzels pretzels pretzels
excedrin works wonders for me except in the most dire of cases
hangovers can be the most painful shit
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions
So is it possible to remove...
Wells after 26 pitches and send him out there again tomorrow instead of Gorzelanny? Or does that not work?
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
Strasburg
So if the Nats don’t sign him, I think MLB should really contract that franchise. Come on, they knew what it was going to take to sign him. The franchise needs to sign him. They failed to sign their 1st round pick last year too right? Are these guys even trying? I realize the contract demands are outrageous, but they really really must sign him.
Maybe we can get the Nats and the Cubs AAA team in Pittsburgh relegated to the minors. Who’s with me?
DLee 3 for 3 and a walk...
7 rbis and he’s out of the game after 4 innings.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
Miles is in - now the Cubs are really going to bring the pain
All they’re doing with all these runs is screwing up their pythag. The fools!!
by BTown Birds fan on Aug 14, 2009 4:17 PM EDT reply actions
Not handing Miles..
a 2yr/5mil contract is basic common sense. No points for that.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
i understand your point
But then they DFA’d Kennedy and moved Skippy to second. And I’m glad it worked out. But it still doesn’t seem like a well thought out plan
"Oh Rochester!"
Rochester: “Yes, Mr. Benny?”
Jack: “Rochester, can you have them bring the car around? I told Mary I’d take her to the draft today and the bus doesn’t run that far.”
Mary: “Would you like him to drive us too, Jack”
Rochester: “Maybe I could push the car, Mr. Benny. You know, it’s downhill most of the way after the first 10 picks anyways. We could save even more that way.”
Jack: “Oh cut that out!”
Mary: “Who are we taking anyways, Jack?”
Rochester: “Well….I was thinking about taking that young fella Pete Kozma.”
Mary: “Oh Jack, just take the young pitching prospect for once. I know it costs more but it’ll be nice.”
Jack: “Now Mary, what makes you think money has anything to do with it? I happen to think shortstops are better investments than pitchers.”
Rochester: “Plus, there are fewer letters to pay for on the back of his uniform!”
Jack: “Now cut that out! How’d you like to push from the back?”
Rochester: “I’ll hold the back end up and save wear on the rubber!”
Jack: “Rochester!”
Mary: “Oh Jack, let him be. Are we really going to be bothered by a signing bonus?”
Jack: “No, I guess your right. Oh shoot, I forgot my pen.”
Mary: “Your pen? What does that matter?”
Jack: “Without the pen, I can’t sign his bonus!”
<Cue Orchestra>
by Hardcore Legend on Aug 14, 2009 4:30 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
well done, sir.
Don't ping my cheese with your bandwidth.
by RosevilleRedbird on Aug 14, 2009 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
going up against Mat Latos tonight
who is that, one might ask? he’s the Padres started who’s had about 30 innings in the majors, and has a stellar ERA of 2.43. His FIP, however, is 5.07. why such a disparity? I’m guessing the relatively low amount of innings is warping both stats?
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 4:37 PM EDT reply actions
tRA is 5.24
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I got to watch him play in Single-A Fort Wayne for about 3 games earlier THIS YEAR
…before he was called up almost immediately. The kid’s good…I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of the Pad’s young talent.
Latos has some dirty stuff…he might be able to give us some trouble, but with Waino on the mound, I’m at ease.
BTW, Padres gotta slugger in Jaff Decker here in Fort Wayne…
do you know anything about the Pad's pitcher tomorrow?
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Stauffer's name doesn't ring a bell to me...
…and rightfully so. He started in High-A in ’04, never saw the ball in Low-A Fort Wayne, so I never got to see him play.
By the way, I was PUMPED when the Cards got David Freese pre-08… loved watching him play here.
yeah
I thought he’d be heard about more
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
+1 for being a Hoosier
We are few and far between. Or at least it feels like that when everyone makes fun of us.
"I'll be glad to have Ryan [Braun] help if he wants to. I'll give him a badge and he can be my deputy." - Doug Melvin
Evansville
Just barely on the good side of the river
"I'll be glad to have Ryan [Braun] help if he wants to. I'll give him a badge and he can be my deputy." - Doug Melvin
I was trying to read up on Latos before I got busy again
There was something about bad BABIP. Then I had to go.
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
Yeah, he's got a really low BABIP
And I think he has a LOB% of 100. Yes, 100. It’s not a huge amount of innings, but I think it was close to 30 or so? Which is a handful of starts. He’s been very lucky to have such superficially good stats.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
it seems that he gives up a lot of line drives
I’ll bet his luck will run out soon (hopefully tonight!)
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions
18% of his flies...
have gone over the wall. His LOB% is 102%. Haven’t seen that before…
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
I don't think it's possible...
it’s an anomaly caused by his combination of generally great pitching and lots of solo home runs allowed.
The formula is (H+BB+HBP-R)/(H+BB+HBP-(1.4*HR). I don’t get the 1.4 adjustment for home runs.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
Six home runs allowed..
in 29 innings, but only 8 runs allowed. Lucky.
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
I'm so looking forward to the game tonight.
"If I prepare myself, my stuff is good and I'm going to get outs. That is a fact." - Chris Carpenter
BoSox search for SS continues
Proud sponsor of the Official 2009 StL Cardinal theme song: Reason to Believe
Sometimes you just throw shit at a wall...
VivaElBirdos...Scoring less, but more frequently since approximately 1903.
by redbirdnation8206 on Aug 14, 2009 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Lineup
Schumaker, 2b
Rasmus, cf
Pujols, 1b
Holliday, lf
Ludwick, rf
DeRosa, 3b
Molina, c
Ryan, ss
Wainwright, p
Any complaints about tonight’s lineup? Didn’t think so…
THE SKIP IS LEGIT!!
y para los padres
Gwynn, cf
Eckstein, 2b
Gonzalez, 1b
Headley, lf
Kouzmanoff, 3b
Venable, rf
Blanco, c
Cabrera, ss
Latos, p
THE SKIP IS LEGIT!!
oh man, I forgot Eck is still in the lineup.
I wonder what he’d say to Skip and Boog.
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
is it true the younger Gwynn is the second coming?
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
good to know
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
agrees
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope we get that lineup tomorrow too
well, at least have boog and razzums in there, I want to see some crazy defense with Pineiro on the mound
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions
If ever
I would say when Pineiro pitches, that’s the day to sit Rasmus. If the sinker is working, ground balls galore!`
That works in theory...
except remember that 15 inning game against the Dodgers? Pineiro vs. Kershaw. Ludwick starts in center to give Stavinoha (!) the start against a tough lefty. The Dodgers score their only run in regulation on a ball that’s misplayed by Ludwick – he let it skip by him and it went for a triple. The Dodgers would have won 1-0 except for the hit in the ninth by… Rasmus!
Please take this comment in the spirit it was intended.
yeah, CF is really an underrated defensive position imo
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions
boog trying to bat yadi over
Hmmmm.
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
Yadi can just jog...Boog is doing some avenging tonight
"I'll be glad to have Ryan [Braun] help if he wants to. I'll give him a badge and he can be my deputy." - Doug Melvin
I wish he'd earn his cape already
So I didn’t have to worry.
He’s rockin’ the stache, though, so that’s a start.
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
Boog the Avenger to the rescue!!
with his sidekick Cheese!!
About as good as it gets for us
Chlorophyll? More like borophyll!
by jd is legend on Aug 14, 2009 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe swap Rasmus and FiveHitterwick....
…and swap Waino and Boog, but the right guys are all playing. At that point it simply becomes squeezing the last drops out of a lemon.
VivaElBirdos...Scoring less, but more frequently since approximately 1903.
by redbirdnation8206 on Aug 14, 2009 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Can we not bat Rasmus second please?
How bout putting him in front of Yadi rather than putting Yadi in front of one of our fastest runners.
Future Redbirds - tracking Cardinal prospects for Cardinal Nation
First time posting.
I have been lurking since the Holliday trade I am a Rockies fan and sadly none of our fansites are anywhere near as amusing as this one. I have been to St. Louis I really dug Forrest Park, the Crown Candy Kitchen, the Gateway Arch, and the new stadium.
I am glad Holliday is backing up something that I have long suspected, namely that some of the Rockies could play with anyone.
P.S. have they decided what to do with the giant hole left by old busch yet?
it is now... a.... [drumroll]
parking lot!
There’s allegedly a softball field too.
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
There is a softball field
It doesn’t look great, but it’s much better than a big muddy hole.
VivaElBirdos...Scoring less, but more frequently since approximately 1903.
by redbirdnation8206 on Aug 14, 2009 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Just one more place to
breed mosquitoes:) The downtown area is very nice there but I was staying out by the St Louis U. campus and took I think natural bridge road into downtown, lets just say it is due for some urban renewal.
Welcome!
I’ve long wanted to head to Denver to see a game in your stadium. Is it as nice as I’ve heard?
by MdRedbirdFreak on Aug 14, 2009 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Rocky Mountain Oysters!
VivaElBirdos...Scoring less, but more frequently since approximately 1903.
by redbirdnation8206 on Aug 14, 2009 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Ever checked out Purple Row?
It’s the SBN Rockies site. Haven’t visited it in a long time, but I thought it was supposed to be pretty good.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Coors Field...
is a class act I was thirteen when we got the Rockies I still love Andres, Dante, Hojo, and Charlie Hayes. That first two years we played in old Mile High Stadium and had over 4 million in att. our first two years, but when Coors Opened it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen until I stumbled across a picture of Monica Belluci ;)
Did you all know that Aaron Miles hit leadoff here and finished right ahead his Legoman teammate 4&5 in the ROY?
the more he hits, the better for us. if he decides to go the money route to the Yankees or another
big market team, the higher his score is on the Elias rankings, the better for us. i want him off the charts so we don’t end up Brewered and taking the Yankees’ third round pick.
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
Brewered.
A very apt term for that whole situation, both then and now.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Aug 14, 2009 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions
The guy is slacking a bit
I think of the eighteen games he has played as a redbird only eleven of them have been multi-hit games and his BABIP has dropped from .462 in July to a mere .438 in August
Heh. You're right, he's slacking!
In all seriousness though, I’m a little worried that his hot streak is gonna hit a brick wall and he’ll go hitless for a week or two.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
He has done this before
The guy is a big game player(I know I know there is no such thing as clutch hitting) but in our 2007 run he hit 12 hrs and posted a 1.236 OPS over 27 games when we needed every game. I really hope he sticks with you guys he said he would give COL a discount but they had to be close so they offered 5/80 the year after Zito got 120 and Wells got 7/126
oh btw
it looks like Mr. Haren would have some wicked dance moves
Positronic Upgraded Juggernaut Optimized for Logical Sabotage
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Aug 14, 2009 6:51 PM EDT reply actions
The Cat playing with the TLR cell phone clip
Looks like he’s fearing for his life.
"It was like two ankles." AVENGE BOOG
"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
Been lurking on the blackberry all day
just wanted you to know that there are some posters still here tonight
He had decided to live forever, or to die in the attempt
Late to the party and this has probably already been said
but my problems wasn’t not picking Porcello…I think the outlay of cash and lack of future contract flexibility made him prohibitive…but its that we picked a guy that almost everyone said was second rounder at best…there were better players left on the board that weren’t porcello who could have helped this farm system
"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
we should have drafted SS Todd Frazier in '07
he’s actually producing in AA and he put up great numbers in college.
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