Sunday notes
by vivaelpujols on Jan 3, 2010 9:00 AM EST
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PrintOkay, I was planning to do a Brad Penny post. You know, with some Pitch f/x, a little storyline thrown in there, maybe even a .gif or two... it was gonna be sweet. Unfortunately, life got in the way, and I didn't start this post until 12 last night (or this morning, whatever floats your boat). Then, when trying to decide what the hell Penny was throwing that looked like a 90 MPH slider last year, I decided to hold off till next week. Instead, you get to read a very random assortment of notes and observations. Yeah!
First let's talk about Holliday... he's always going to be on my mind until this deal gets signed. It's no secret that we are really the only ones in the mix for him. Felonius, in an excellent comment in the hot stove post, actually went over all 30 teams and logically eliminated nearly every team. Once you get past the Yankees, as they are always a threat, only the Angels appear to have the resources and an opening in the field. Given the Angels have been silent throughout this whole process, in inclined to believe that they are not really in it. If you trust my inclination, and are confident that the Yankees are satisfied with adding ~8 wins from Granderson and Vazquez, that raises the question of what the hell Boras and Holliday are doing. There is nothing wrong with playing for the best offer, but when it's pretty clear the best offer is already on the table, it just seems like they are just jerking us around for little to no gain. Either that, or the Cardinals are still competing with other teams for Holliday's services and all of the shenanigans being pulled by Boras are validated. Like I said, it's always on my mind.
If we don't sign Holliday, there still appears to be a wealth of potentially valuable free agents still on the market. MLB Trade Rumors keeps an up to date list of all remaining free agents, but I'll just list the ones who I think would be the best options:
- Russel Branyan (3B, 1B): Branyan had a breakout 2009 in which he posted a .368 wOBA and a 129 wRC+ in the pitcher friendly Safeco field. It wasn't so much of a breakout in terms of production - his career wOBA is .349 and his wRC+ is 114. It's was a breakout in terms of durability, as he broke the 500 plate appearance barrier for the first time in his career. As a player, Branyan has great plate discipline and a lot of power - however, his strikeouts will always prevent him from ever reaching Pujolsian levels of offense. As a defender, he has limited range and hasn't played 3rd base in a couple of years. Even though he's a very good hitter, when you factor in his defensive limitatoins and injury risk, he's simply not much better than Freese or Craig.
- Adrian Beltre (3B): This is a guy who I'm surprised so few people are clamoring for. Despite playing in a home ballpark that absolutely kills RH power, Beltre has averaged 3.2 WAR over the past 3 years. He's roughly an average hitter, but is Rolen-esque at third base defensively. He's also only 30 years old. He's probably a 1-1.5 win upgrade over Freese at third, and if he's available somewhat cheaply, I would jump all over him.
- BEN SHEETS (SP): The same story still holds true for Mr. Sheets. Despite missing the last year due to injury, he still has the potential for extraordinary performance. And according to reports, he'll be ready for Spring Training. For an incentives laden deal, Sheets would be a great pickup.
- John Smoltz (SP): Smoltz is 43 and coming off of his worst season in 2 decades... he had an 3.87 FIP and struck out 8.4 batters per 9 in 78 innings last year. The man can still pitch, and teams don't appear to have much interest in him. Our own hazel had a nice breakdown of Smoltz a while back, and he appears
- Felipe Lopez (2B, 3B): Floppy was great for us in 08, and even better for the D-Backs last year. He posted a .383 OBP and was an above average defender at third base. FanGraphs has him at 4.6 WAR last year, which is really quite amazing. Still, he was replacement level in 07 and 08, so it might be wise to temper expectations for him. Going forward, he's probably a below average defender at third and an average hitter. That's useful, but not that much better than Freese.
There are other guys, including Kiko Calero, Russ Springer, Brett Myers, Orlando Hudson and Joe Crede - but I don't have time to go through all of them. It will suffice to say that there are still a lot of options still available shall we fail to sign Holliday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A while back some people asked to see some Pitch f/x info on Ankiel, which would hopefully shine some light on his miserable 2009 season. Again, Felonius comes to the rescue saying, very specifically, what I should look at:
Digging further into his contact and swing numbers, his Out of Zone (OOZ) swing % was only a tiny bit higher than his career previously. His in-zone swing % was only a tiny bit lower. The NUMBER of pitches he received in and out of the zone was pretty much the same as it was in 08 and 07, so pitchers weren’t throwing MORE pitches outside. HOWEVER, his OOZ contact% was CONSIDERABLY worse (it was down like 5-6%, which is massive).
The next questions is whether or not this stemmed from something the pitchers were doing differently or something Ankiel was doing differently. First off, let's look at the O-Swing and O-Contact numbers for 09 vs. 07/08. I recalculated the numbers myself, defining the horizontal zone using the numbers in this article by John Walsh and the vertical zone by the numbers input by the Gameday stringers. Here is what I got:
| 2007-2008 | 2009 | |
| O-Swing | 32.0% | 31.9% |
| O-Contact | 57.7% | 48.2% |
As you can see, he made contact with roughly 10% fewer pitches that he swung at outside of the strike zone in 09 vs. 07 and 08. Let's check out the location of those O-Swings to see if we can make out any major differences:
You can click for a larger view.
There don't appear to be any major differences - he still gets hammered on the pitches low and out of the strike zone - at least to the naked eye. So let's break it up by pitch type to see if there is anything there. Here are the percentage of swinging strikes on pitches outside of the strike zone by pitch type:
| 2007-2008 | 2009 | |
| FA | 13.1% | 10.8% |
| CH | 10.4% | 9.9% |
| CU | 6.3% | 13.5% |
| SL | 12.3% | 15.8% |
The major difference appears to be with the curveball and slider. In 2007-2008, only 6.3% of pitches that he swung at outside of the strike zone were swung on and missed on curveballs. Last year, that number doubled. I'm not sure whether or not that's sustainable going forward, or if it really means anything. Using my definition of O-Swing, Ankiel made contact on about 22 fewer pitches outside of the strike zone last year than he would have given his 07-08 numbers. While that's significant, it's really too hard to slice and dice 22 pitches and see anything interesting.
At any rate, Ankiel is gone for good, I hope, and we won't have to witness his horrific plate discipline and contact skills anymore.
SIGN JOHN SMOLTZ. And Matt Holliday too.
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Comments
vep
always nice to see data support observation. rick-dick’s drop-off is hard to understand in terms of how he was being pitched. seems like his judgment is what changed as he, like luddy, tried too hard to surpass the previous year. hopefully, for him, he finds a place where he can restore some equilibrium to his approach at the plate.
still have options beyond holliday, that i hope we still have if bouros asks for too much ouro
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
My son wonders
whether Ank’s problem this year was pitch recognition, and whether it had something to do with running into the wall. Concussion effects that went undiagnosed, maybe? I have my doubts about the second part — his pitch recognition was lousy before he hit the wall, IIRC — but one wonders.
by StanTheManFan on Jan 3, 2010 10:35 AM EST up reply actions
according to this o-zone contact data
that is his problem (in this domain). However, you have to keep in mind he wasn’t a professional hitter until recently. Pitch recognition comes simply from experience. People his age and MLB experience probably have probably have 2-3x’s the amount of pitches fed to them. In reality he has the hitting experience of a 23 year old.
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
+1
forces equal to a car accident against a wall…. okay, I’m going to use a frowny face, but I feel it’s merited.
:(
"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
but he was terrible before he hit the wall
he hasn’t done anything since the HGH story came out about him. it’s not his eyes, it’s his head. he’s still the same basket case he was that caused him to lose it on the mound. until he get his head right, he’ll never do anything ever again.
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
by gdm426 on Jan 3, 2010 10:33 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
actually
he did a lot worse after he ran into it
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 3, 2010 11:07 PM EST up reply actions
yeah because he was playing scared even more than he was before
he even said he was jumping or something like that every time he got on the warning track. i’m not saying he’s mental issues are the only reason he’s not playing well, all i’m saying is they are a bigger reason than some realize. his pitch recognition & selection are still terrible & may very well be due to a vision problem because he hit the wall. his shoulder was also jacked up because he hit the wall too. i think we can all agree that he’s a mess.
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
that last at-bat against broxton I won't forget
I kept hearing Iron man and I could’ve sworn he swung the last pitch as hard as he can with his eyes shut.
I am the Batman
such a sad, yet fitting at bat
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
nice post VEP
Holliday is going to be first on everyone’s mind until he signs – whether it’s with us or someone else. If Holliday signs, I think the Cards should still try to pursue someone for 3rd – someone like Lopez or Branyan, preferably Lopez.
Best moment I've ever seen at a Cards game in person
Follow me on Twitter: @zoomzoomj88
Looking forward to Cardinals baseball in 2010!
I think it is imperative
that the Cardinals get production from at least one rookie a year. This year, it certainly appears that that rookie is going to be Freese, unless he has drank himself out of a job. I think that Craig looks like a nice 4th outfielder, though his defense is apparently suspect. I would love to see Garcia prove his worth this year, but I suspect that the Cardinals will let him ease into the season by starting him in AAA. That leaves Boggs or Hawksworth as the #5 starter to start the season, unless they sign John Smoltz. Although, I think a nice pickup would be Jose Contreras. You never can have too much starting pitching. I like Smoltz as an 8th inning guy a lot as well as a someone to spell Franklin if need be in the 9th. The question is, as always, how much does Holliday cost and how much is left over for somebody else.
not to pick on you,
you’re probably just following the lead, but i’d really like to see some substantiation to the fact that craig is a bad defender. there’s very little reliable MiL data of the sort and most people who have seen him play don’t think he’s any less than average, but he still has this reputation for some reason
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
I am going only by what I have read
Clearly the guy can hit at any level and will be a valuable addition to the bench. I certainly like the idea of Craig as a PH better than Khalil Greene, Stavinoh, or Ankiel. From what I have read, he should be fine as a backup corner outfielder. But, who backs up Rasmus? I suppose you could see Ludwick move over in a pinch, or Skippy, but then who backs up 2nd, Tyler Green?
I guess the main point of my comment was that, as an organization, it is imperative that the Cardinals get some decent production out of a rookie every year. This is certainly the primary factor in controlling costs long term.
Whoops
Forgot that Lugo would be backup 2nd baseman.
Clearly though, the organization doesn’t think much of Craig’s ability in the field as his not being called up in September showed. Personally, I would have preferred to see him get the PH at bats that went to Glaus. But then again, TLR seems to have a preference for “veterans”. I think that Mozeliak basically has had to force TLR’s hand when it comes to rookies with his roster moves. If Craig can play 3b adequately, at least as a backup, he will get at bats spelling Ludwick, Holliday (I hope), and Freese. I think that Jay also makes a lot of sense since he can play CF too.
Why would you call up Craig..
Durring the middle of a pennant race when he would be fighting for ABs and you are starting his arbitration clock? Also, I’m pretty sure that he wasn’t on the 40 man last year. So that would have resulted in a roster move in order to bring him up.
i thought
they counted to the arb clock, but did count against rookie status
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
it is irregardless either way
A month of play would not be enough to make him a Super Two and he was going to be on the 40 man roster regardless
by FlimtotheFlam on Jan 3, 2010 2:03 PM EST up reply actions
-30 points for irregardless
Hate to be the grammar nazi but…well, okay, no, I don’t hate to be the grammar nazi.
We're going through a new avatar test phase here at mojowo11. Please be patient as we may try a variety of new ideas over the coming days and weeks.
by mojowo11 on Jan 3, 2010 2:15 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
i think they added it to the dictionary
those dirty, rotten, comma-abusing fuckers. and I mean that invective.
"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
So, are you a fan of the serial comma
or not?
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jan 3, 2010 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
I, I am not sure.
"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 guess it depends on
if you like to add a comma right before the end of a list (though that’s not the only place a serial comma can be used, I belieive). Me, I like commas, but not when they are overused, abused, or when they are rude, crude and lewd (no serial comma for me).
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jan 3, 2010 11:14 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
a rec for you, sir.
"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
(even with the misspelling)
"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
*shakes fist at the idea of adding irregardless to dictionary*
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 3, 2010 9:04 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah
It’s bizarre how people just tow the party line when it comes to Craig. I, for one, would not be surprised at all if he ends up being a baller in the big leagues. At his worst, he couldn’t possibly be worse than Dunkiel.
by Mulliganstew on Jan 3, 2010 11:56 AM EST up reply actions
If we sign Holliday
I think there’s little chance that Craig will make the team. There is no scenario for using him as a sub that wouldn’t require that either he or Holliday play right field and I don’t think TLS would do that, at least not enough to give him significant player time. I actually think that Jon Jay might be a more likely candidate for fourth outfielder as he is more versatile defensively. Should they not sign Holliday I would love to see Craig get a good shot at left.
Boggs seems to me to be a major league talent in search of a role. I don’t think that role is starter and I doubt that it’s closer. I agree that Garcia will start in AAA. If we don’t sign a veteran starter I think they might follow through on trying Mclellan as a starter. Not saying I like the idea but they’ve floated it before.
agree about mclellan
i’ve cooled on the idea of starting him, but they’ve always said they wanted him as a starter but only if they could stretch him out and leave him starting. seems like this is their chance
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
But
if we don’t sign Holliday, where is Albert’s protection? Not Craig, I presume. Beltre? I think that we should have picked up Garrett Atkins, but that would have been a big gamble.
by kkkkathmandubirdsview on Jan 3, 2010 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
i think atkins is finished.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 3, 2010 5:55 PM EST up reply actions
Point taken, but
James projections have him with 435 AB at 14 HR, 60 RBI, and .285/.353/.448. If believable, it was an alternative, although risky, just like trying to keep Glaus.
by kkkkathmandubirdsview on Jan 3, 2010 6:32 PM EST up reply actions
yeah
but those projections are probably regressing him in the wrong direction. i don’t think he had a down year so much as just fell off the map all together
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
A la
Rocky Colavito? I never saw anyone fall off the world as fast as he did.
by kkkkathmandubirdsview on Jan 3, 2010 6:45 PM EST up reply actions
Does the name Ryan Leaf ring a bell?
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jan 3, 2010 11:15 PM EST up reply actions
You're way too young for RYAN LEAF?
Dear god, take me now
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 3, 2010 11:52 PM EST up reply actions
RYAN LEAF
remember it like it was yesterday. SO NO, I WILL NOT BE GETTING OF YOUR LAWN!
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Jan 3, 2010 11:55 PM EST up reply actions
Well
I was talking only baseball. Rocky was a serious HR hitter, and I can’t think of any hitter who regressed like he did over 2 years. I don’t know if injuries were a factor. Pitching-wise, Steve Rogers for Montreal went down like the Titanic. Again, I don’t know if it was injuries, or just that he lost his stuff. But to go from 17-12 to 6-15 was cataclysmic. A year later he was out of baseball.
by kkkkathmandubirdsview on Jan 4, 2010 10:43 PM EST up reply actions
I'm not sure if the James projections are park-adjusted?
that’d maybe be a fair projection for Colorado, but you’ve got to think if that line is adjusted for Busch he’d be about average with the bat, which isn’t very good for a very poor defensive 3B (who should probably be playing 1B).
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 5:36 AM EST up reply actions
Thanks for Ank stuff
I’ve been of the view that the head injury created a lot of the problems. The much reduced contact rate is indicative of some issue: injury, discipline, etc.
I’m not yet of the opinion that he is done here. I’d still like to see him back — I think there is plenty of upside. Everyone thinks he will go for $1-2 million, if that is his price — take it. I feel the same about Rick as I do lohse — let’s give them a full healthy year before passing judgement.
I don’t see him signing that low given the ability to play CF.
Just win
But him being healthy isn't a given
- He’s had Tommy John surgery one his elbow.
- He’s had his knee rebuilt.
- He had injury problems in 2008 due to his reckless play in the outfield.
- He had injury problems in 2009 due to his reckless play in the outfield.
We dismiss candidates all the time for injury issues, and these are PRODUCTIVE players that we’re dismissing. Ankiel has been productive for exactly 4 months at the MLB level, and he’s been banged up the whole time. So essentially you’re taking two risks with him: The injury risk and the lack of production risk. Let a team with a hole in CF that has payroll issues and probably won’t contend next year roll the dice on him on a one year deal and see if he can stay healthy and be productive.
Please consider any Hot Stove talk in the above comment is spoken under the assumption that the Cardinals are not signing Matt Holliday.
surprised to see
that branyan is around average at every position he’s played. most innings at 3B and a little below average, but probably better than DeRo. certainly no worse
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
"we won't have to witness his horrific plate discipline and contact skills anymore"
Am I missing cause and effect here? we’ve admitted he was good 07-08. The only difference in his out of zone swinging is less contact (technically he swung less) due to being fed more outside curveballs….pitchers changed the way they pitched to him, correct?
Am I missing something here? If he recognizes Curveballs better/sooner theoretically he’d be back to 07-08 levels….amirite?
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
he just needs to
hit them before they break
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
there were supposed to be tildes wrapped around that to show my sarcasm
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
well my question is he was a good hitter in 07-08....he pretty much
carried the same approach to 09 but the pitchers caught on….
he was good, they adapted. he adapts and then……
What am I missing here? Am I over simplifying things? DOESN’T ANYONE ELSE NOTICE THIS?! I FEEL LIKE I’M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
well that's one thing i was missing....
I mis-read the second chart….I totally thought it was just amount of pitches, not swinging strikes….
Is he swinging outside of the zone MORE? No.
Is he making worse contact? Yes.
Is he making worse contact on more than one pitch? Yes.
That leads to to believe he’s neither swinging more at o-zone OR swinging at worse pitches (because he’s botching all types of pitches too) I don’t see how that adds up to bad plate discipline….maybe mechanical?
Would looking at his FB/LD/GB rate for the o-zone pitches per type of pitch help any? When he does make contact how does it compare to when he was hitting good?
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
I'm a pretty big Ankiel support
But I think his time with the Cardinals have past.
Am I missing something here? If he recognizes Curveballs better/sooner theoretically he’d be back to 07-08 levels….amirite?
I also agree that his issue is with pitch recognization. I am just not sold that this is fixable in one seasion. Also; even if he reverts back to the 07-08 levels, I’d prefer to have an outfield of Holliday, Rasmus, and Ludwick. And if we have those three playes I wouldn’t want Ankiel because I am afraid he would take too many ABs away.
Though I wouldn’t be completely against Ankiel if we don’t sign Holliday and platooning him in left.
Maybe he's never recognized them well at all,
he’s just being thrown more of them and he’s swinging at more of them out of the zone. He saw 5-7% fewer fastballs last year than in the ’07 and ’08 combined, and that rate of curveballs and other offspeed pitches has gone up.
In other words, pitchers have figured him out. Some guys are able to adjust their approach when this happens and are able to be productive players afterwards. But now that the league has the book on Ankiel, he’s going to really have to change something in order to continue to be productive. He’s has a lot of power, and if he could just get more fastballs to hit, he’s be much better off, but that isn’t going to happen unless he sees more counts that he’s ahead in. That just isn’t going to happen if pitchers know they can throw a deuce up there low and away and get him to swing over top of it all the time.
Please consider any Hot Stove talk in the above comment is spoken under the assumption that the Cardinals are not signing Matt Holliday.
I'm sort of curious
to see what big Mac would do with Ankiel. I wonder if he’d teach Rick a different (patient) approach than McRae that would help him get right. That said, barring unforseen circumstances, I don’t want him.
The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.
Or maybe he'd make him a right handed hitter
That is the side where you hit dingers after all…..
Please consider any Hot Stove talk in the above comment is spoken under the assumption that the Cardinals are not signing Matt Holliday.
or get him to go see a good shrink
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
Beltre
would make a nice complement to a Holliday signing because of his ability to play excellent defense at 3B. I am guessing that there is no way that the Cards sign Holliday and Beltre but if there is money available then I believe that he would be the best option for 3B. I think that there are certain positions where defense is vitally important and 3B seems to be one of those positions. Beltre may not be a good option to bat behind Pujols but he is the best available defender at 3B who can also provide significant offensive production. Branyan might be a good option if you knew that he would continue to hit, but if his hitting comes back to earth then you are left with an average defender at 3B. Beltre may not hit but he at least gives you excellent defense at a premium defensive position.
Exactly
Plus, who the hell knows how well he could hit if he gets away from Safeco
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
I'm against Beltre
I really don’t see Beltre being a significant enough upgrade over Freese to justify either the dollars or the years it would take to sign him.
Freese, according to fans projections at fangraphs (and granted there aren’t a lot of them), project Freese to a .780 OPS. Compare that to Beltre who has only had 3 seasons in his career with an OPS greater than .800, with one of those being the career year that at this point has to be viewed as an outlier. Also, while Beltre is a ++ defender at 3rd, I believe that Freese is considered an above average fielder as well. Now, I’m not saying he would be in Beltre’s league as a defender, but it’s not like Freese is a negative player there.
One of the real questions is how much do you project Beltre to improve offensively moving away from safeco? Over his career he’s had 5 seasons with a SLG over .450 and 3 of those 5 were in safeco. Also, his HR/FB rate was not significantly hurt while playing with Seattle, once again the numbers are very similar to his years with the Dodgers minus the outlier monster season.
Also, there has been a great amount of focus placed on defense this offseason, and while I do agree defense is important, I think that for the Cardinals it is a less important factor in upgrading their roster. Already having ++ defenders at SS, CF, 1B and C make for a very strong defensive core. Mixed with what should be a strong starting staff and I think the area where the roster needs to be improved is in run production. Granted a run saved = a run scored, but I feel like there may be a diminished return for the Cardinals to sign a player that generates much of his value from defense. This is just an opinion though.
by stickman179 on Jan 3, 2010 3:27 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
i think i agree with most all of that.
I quite like beltre, but i think there are better options unless he falls to the 6m/yr region, which seems unlikely.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 3, 2010 5:58 PM EST up reply actions
The issue is price
I think I’d much rather have Beltre than any other option if I could afford him because I think he helps put us over the top comfortably. I’m assuming we sign Holliday for $18 million a year.
VEP seems conservative with 1-1.5 wins. Beltre is a multi-year ML player. Freeze has never done it in the big leagues. I’d say he is worth 2 wins over Freese. If Holliday gets us to 90 ish wins then I would say an additional 2 wins is worth quite a bit. Freeze might then yield a reliever or Smoltz quality number 5 in a trade as well.
How much are those addtional 2 wins worth to us? I’d say in a three year contract they are probably worth a lot in that we probably win the Central three years ina row, Albert re-ups, and we have our best chance the WS while Carp is still in his prime.
My only question is where else you might be able to get those two WAR (either now or mid-season).
Just win
it looks like
pitchers just realized that Ankiel can’t differentiate the curves and sliders and just threw a bunch of those trailing out of the zone. no wonder his contact rate went down! I suppose he could have a bounce back season, but I wouldn’t say that it is likely, since that may just be his main weakness as a hitter, which would mean really bad pitch recognition. hope he turns it around next year for the marlins or pirates.
Branyan is a fine option at third base if we don’t sign Holliday… although a SHEETS signing still intrigues me.
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 3, 2010 12:02 PM EST reply actions
I am starting to come to the conclusion
That the Cardinals are going to sign Holliday. That currently they are not negotiating as much the overall contract but how he is going to get paid. Knowing the Cardinals their is probably a stupid amount of deferred money which is their style. Also, what is he going to get paid in 2010, will it be back loaded or equally spread out? Is their options on the contract? If so are the team, player, or mutual? Are they based on incentives? If so how difficult is it to reach these incentives?
My bet is that it is a 5 year contract with AAV of $18M that is back loaded and also has 3 options. To me if I was Boras I would have the options lower than the previous years like $14M a year or so. With a buyout of like $3M or so. This contract to me just reeks of being complicated. Boras likes to negotiate. With the Cardinals holding stead fast on the money he will try to add as many clauses and favorable stipulations for Holliday.
how do mutual options work
is it both have to exercise or either of the two can exercise. or does it just depend on how they structure the option?
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
I think they both have to exercise it
They seem rather stupid to me. I doubt the Cardinals would do anything like that. I prefer something like a contract with a $10M team option, $7M player Option, and a $1M buyout. Something similar to the recent Varitek contract.
by FlimtotheFlam on Jan 3, 2010 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
well when people go out but can't find a plan A
by last call it’s time to booty text your mutual option.
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
other piece is NTC
IIRC, Holliday is very interested in controlling where he plays for the duration of the contract. He has three young kids and I am under the impression the family stability for the next five to eight years has a big influence on the negotiations.
His father hinted to the same thing
That Holliday doesn’t want to move again and just wants to play ball
by FlimtotheFlam on Jan 3, 2010 1:55 PM EST up reply actions
NLDS = family planning?
"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 Jan 3, 2010 2:08 PM EST up reply actions 8 recs
That's funnier than it probably should be.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
sadly, yes.
still hurts… might as well get a little scrap of something out of it.
"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
Bah-doom CCCCHHHH
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 3, 2010 8:22 PM EST up reply actions
annnnd green
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
wtf
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
i think the cold has f'ed you up
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
is that what you kids are call watching porn these days?
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
you kids & all your fancy names for everything
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
mission accomplished
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
the 'family' aspect is encourageing
because I don’t sense the Hollidays are large metropolitan lovers (or the east coast in general). If wifey and kids get a vote, I suspect St Louis would be favorable to them.
That said, I still say the crucial under-key as to whether we sign Matt H. is..ta-da, Albert.
Pujols is, and has earned, the Lola status on this team.
Alas, I have no skinny as to what Albert is lobbying for, behind the scenes. It seems obvious, from a baseball sense, that Holliday provides the best ‘protection’ for Albert that is reasonably available (in house or out) at this juncture, and Pujols is not stupid. But how the two of them got along (personal acceptance, ego factors, etc) I have no feel for.
In short, if Albert wants him on the team he will BE on the team, whatever it takes.
Lastly, I think that the worst scenario is NOT if we fail to sign Holliday; the worst would be if we do sign him and it causes friction with Pu, Yadi, Carp, whoever.
kid's enrollment in local school while he was here
once again it’s all about the edumecation. they’ll want to say they came from a good high school, for the rest of their lives…
"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'm really thinking
that nobody else has $15-18 million a year to pay Holliday. If duration of the contract and a NTC are really the important factors, why don’t they offer something like 7 or 8 years at a lower AAV with a NTC? The offer could be incremental, one million dollars per year less for each additional contract year over 5, as in 5/85, or 6/96, or 7/105. I see no reason that the offer needs to be 5+ years at $18 million a year when that is beyond what anyone else can come close to offering.
The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.
sounds to me like
Boras wants 18+ per, a full 8 years, and the NTC. And I bet Mo is willing to give him 2 out of 3. So I bet Holliday will still get a very nice contract—I’d be appalled if Mo was lowballing Boras—and I bet he’ll sign it soon here. Holliday himself has to be getting impatient at some point.
It's not lowballing
If Mo is making the best offer yet. As far as we know, Boston’s 5/82.5 offer was the best yet this offseason, and that’s off the table now. Boras may want all of those things, but there is no way he is going to get that from anyone. I would be very disappointed if Holliday signed here for 7-8 years with $18M guaranteed per year.
The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.
SIGN BEN SHEETS! <ah, that felt good.>
-- GOOCH
by GOOCH24 on Jan 3, 2010 12:12 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
cheers, Gooch!
"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
did we ever find out
what number penny is gonna have?
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
.01(squid)
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
by mattybobo on Jan 3, 2010 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
it's a Brad Penny
that one’s my fault… still no time to do a proper glossary update
http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2009/12/8/1190756/brad-penny-signs-with-cardinals#26804707
"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
Fat Beaker. they are co-nicknames
I think we may have to see him in action before one or the other shakes out.
he may turn into Mudflap II for all we 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
I think based off of conservation of mass
it would have to right?
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
former players will probably just be moved to the misc. section
If not for the previous fanposts that are already linked, I’d go all the way back to 2006 for all those VEB nicknames. Many of them were used for lineups, so definitely a need for it.
Just never know. Case in point, after I added Snowcones, look what LaRue did in Colorado.
If it’s baseball, it stays.
"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
quid = british slang for one pound (sterling)
penny = one-hundredth of a pound (or dollar, I guess, but centibuck doesn’t sound as good).
Centiquid = mythical creature with four arms and a mid-90s four-seamer who dates hollywood skanks and pitches in the middle of the Cards’ 2010 rotation.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 5:41 AM EST up reply actions
did you just really hate on alyssa milano?
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
I may steal this definition, Monk.
"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
Franklin has his main number
He wore 31 (Franklin) for the Marlins, Dodgers & Giants and 36 (Reyes) for the Red Sox. He wore 30 (Smoltz/Mulder) for his first season with the Dodgers and 28 (Rasmus) for his rookie year.
So I can only assume
he’s getting a number in the 80s now… because why not…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
nice work
"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
So...
John Smoltz (SP): Smoltz is 43 and coming off of his worst season in 2 decades… he had an 3.87 FIP and struck out 8.4 batters per 9 in 78 innings last year. The man can still pitch, and teams don’t appear to have much interest in him. Our own hazel had a nice breakdown of Smoltz a while back, and he appears
He appears what? During every full moon? Only at night? When you say Smoltz 5 times fast while looking in the mirror?
Now with extra feisty!
by spants on Jan 3, 2010 1:55 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
John Smoltz is
Kaiser Soze!
* is an Asshat
by RiverRat on Jan 3, 2010 1:59 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs
The greatest trick John Smoltz ever pulled
was convincing the Cardinals he wasn’t a closer.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
by mattybobo on Jan 3, 2010 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 6 recs
John Smoltz is not made of bees.
"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
That's what she said?
Wait I think I did that wrong…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
totally called this to myself
correct meme and everything
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
What's with the no meme thing anyways?
I was out of touch with VEB for a few days and don’t feel like hunting for where it’s at.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
look at recced fanposts
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
and it's not a no meme thing
i’m not sure what it is. some poeple just think there are too many, so other people are trying to tone it down
so we have a post with 66 comments in it
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
No meme is the new meme.
Way to go, robot.
by Mister Eff on Jan 3, 2010 3:23 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
we've finally became a parody of ourselves...
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
2010: year of the anti-meme
Best moment I've ever seen at a Cards game in person
Follow me on Twitter: @zoomzoomj88
Looking forward to Cardinals baseball in 2010!
I just ate dinner
but steak sounds like a good dessert
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 3, 2010 9:09 PM EST up reply actions
Could the Rams be so mind-numbingly stupid...
as to actually win today and lose out on the guy from Neb.? That would be perfect.
4-6 more WAR in 2010!
yeah...
I’ve been watching the Detroit came with baited breath, hoping they’d beat the Bears so we wouldn’t even have to worry. That’s obviously not going to happen.
So now I find myself bizarrely cheering about the 49ers scoring a touchdown. I’m almost horrified with myself.
by RedbirdAvenger on Jan 3, 2010 3:07 PM EST up reply actions
The NFL....
needs a lottery among the bottom three teams…. not that it really matters most years. This year though the Rams are obviously better off losing.
4-6 more WAR in 2010!
I like the toilet bowl idea
Make the two worst teams play in the week between Conference Championships and Super Bowl. Winner gets the #1 pick…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
I love the NBA lottery
Would like to see it in the NFL
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
Nah
Players don’t make enough of an immediate impact
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
and another.
here we come, mr. suh.
though watching this game, all i can think is ‘jesus, our offense needs help.’
by RedbirdAvenger on Jan 3, 2010 3:44 PM EST up reply actions
Here's the plan...
- - Suh
Trade Jackson for a first rounder in the 20s – Bradford or Tebow - - Tate, Bryant, Damian Williams, or another WR
- - O-line
In other news, New England has an incredibly bad defense. They’ve given up 34 points, and the Texans have missed a couple field goals and turned it over on the goal line twice. They could easily have 60 points.
4-6 more WAR in 2010!
No go on Tebow
Bradford would be a GREAT pick in the 20s, and Suh is the best player in the draft. That would be one hell of a draft.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Tebow isn't an NFL QB
He’s not very accurate with the slowest release in history and is universally panned by scouts for his reads (nor would anyone describe him as being “cerebral” in projecting improvement in that). He’s not a Wildcat QB, he’s simply not fast enough to run in the NFL. He’s just not an impact player and I plan on laughing if a team picks him in the 1st round.
That and Bradford, if he shows he’s healthy, won’t be around anywhere near 20s. If the guy was the #1 overall pick last year, what exactly has changed? He got knocked out with an injury a slew of NFL QBs have had. Put it this way, if the Lions had taken Bradford #1 and he got injured in the first half of the first game, would they regret the pick?
Not afraid to nitpick
We went up to the Nebraska game last year
Some Nebraska guy was yelling about how Chase Daniel was going to be an NFL bust. He was wearing an Eric Crouch jersey.
I’ve never seen anyone shut up faster upon this realization.
Not afraid to nitpick
Um...
Was any serious football fan expecting Chase Daniel to be a big time NFL’er anyway? Can you be a bust w/o ANY actual hype?
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 3, 2010 8:26 PM EST up reply actions
Yah
except Crouch was FAST. Tebow is not. I think he would be a fantastic tight end in the NFL though, and you’d always have that trick play thought in the back of your head defensively when he’s on the field.
Please consider any Hot Stove talk in the above comment is spoken under the assumption that the Cardinals are not signing Matt Holliday.
And he could double
as team chaplain so he’s got that going for him too… really double threat that man…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
Tebow is a product of the spread
and isn’t an NFL QB. I’m not that high on Bradford either, given his recent injury problems.
I’d like to see Danario Alexander in a Rams uni…
Best moment I've ever seen at a Cards game in person
Follow me on Twitter: @zoomzoomj88
Looking forward to Cardinals baseball in 2010!
So
Derek Jeter would be a good QB too?
Please consider any Hot Stove talk in the above comment is spoken under the assumption that the Cardinals are not signing Matt Holliday.
Trading Jackson
is that absolute worst thing they could do. He’s the best player on the team, is still pretty young, and RB’s just don’t bring back any kind of value on the trade market these days anyway.
If they are serious about contending in the next two years, they need to sign or trade for a legit #1 WR (think Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin), draft 2 good offensive lineman and sign another one, preferably a solid center or right tackle.
I think that they should either draft Bradford or try to trade out of the top spot and get a mid-1st rounder and 2 second round picks from someone. Drafting Suh is just a horrible idea, imo — the fucking Redskins have the best defensive tackle in football and they stunk all season because they don’t have a coach and don’t have offensive talent. I don’t see how drafting Suh really helps them, especially when they’re paying him more than the Texans pay Mario Williams. Trading down and getting more picks would actually be a much better idea. Second round picks generally give you more value anyway.
Please consider any Hot Stove talk in the above comment is spoken under the assumption that the Cardinals are not signing Matt Holliday.
by fourstick on Jan 3, 2010 8:01 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed
You don’t trade away Jackson, the only constant force on offense. I believe that he is the best RB in football. If he had better pieces around him, he would be that much better than he already is.
They do need WR depth, but then again, they need depth everywhere.
Bradford is a fantastic idea in my opinion. Depending on where he gets drafted. Also, despite my golden domer bias, Clausen will be a good NFL QB, but there’s no telling where he gets drafted. McShay has him in the late 20s and Kiper has him in the top 5! I think Clausen is the safer bet, but Bradford has a higher ceiling.
You are referring to the Patriot strategy of drafting, which isn’t necessarily a bad one, but I am not a fan of it. You need impact players, and the 1st round is the best place to find them. I know that their results beg to differ, but I think Brady has covered most of their mistakes. They tried to rebuild their defense on the fly, and it looks terribly outside of Mayo and a few others.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
My less than informed opinion
is to trade Jackson. It’s obvious the team is going nowhere. Might as well blow it up and get what you can with what you have. I don’t see any real direction from the team other than “hey look we’re awful… want to buy us…”
It’s been pretty clear that Jackson can’t win games by himself so why not turn him into multiple bodies in the passing game which is how you win in the NFL now? In my opinion running backs are little more than decoys in any properly run NFL offense. So why not try to pawn him off to some team who doesn’t under stand that in the NFL AP (After Peyton) playing defense on receivers is virtually illegal and the way to win games now…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
Disclaimer...
I’ve watched less NFL football this year than virtually any year in my life. But from what I’ve seen receivers are given skirts along with helmets as standard team gear so I feel my analysis is somewhat valid…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
As an Illinois and Rams fan
I’ve decided anything is a better use of my time than watching that crap… even meth… which is where I might turn next year if things don’t shape up for either team…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
As much as I hate Iowa...
it was nice to see someone running the white out offense when I flipped over to the game yesterday… keep fighting the good fight on that front. Iowa has provided me with way too much unintentional entertainment over the years…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
I was referring to the basketball team...
I know of your impending loss on Tuesday…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
Totally agree
Jackson is really good, but running backs go from peak to over-the-hill in a second. If absolutely everything falls in to place, the Rams still aren’t going to be SB contenders until 2011, or more likely 2012. At that point Jackson is going to have another 700 carries on the odometer… I think he’ll have lost a step or two. Better to trade him to a 2010 contender who is one piece away.
4-6 more WAR in 2010!
If you trade him
You will literally struggle to score double digit points ever week. How the hell would you develop a QB in that offense? That QB, let’s say Bradford, would be the only threat to the defense, therefore making it harder for him to develop.
If you keep a guy like Jackson, the Defense has two things to focus on, with Jackson being especially the main threat. Is trading him to a contender for a pick that’s in the 15-25 range really worth it? You might get a decent defender or receiver, but rarely will you get a true impact player, like that franchise needs.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
I'm sure you can find a servicable running back
if you have a good enough line to block for them such as what Denver does. The key to success in my opinion is to have a consistent coaching staff. Instead of playing musical coaches/coordinators just hitch your wagon to one group of coaches for say 5 years and I’m willing to bet even the worse QB could look pretty good with all the team on the same page. I really think we put way too much faith in coaches as a whole. As Bill Self once said “I’ve found the best way to win games is to have good players.” Hence turn one great Jackson into 3 or 4 good players.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
The Broncos have 2 really good RB's
Correll Buckhalter was behind Brian Westbrook in Philly the entire time, and did really well while he was injured, and Knowshon Moreno is incredibly talented and quick. A good O-line helps, but you have to have talent.
Coaching stability is also incredibly important. Take a look at the Colts. Tom Moore has been the o-coordinator since 1988, or Howard Mudd, the O-line coach since 1998.
You would be surprised how hard it is to find a decent RB. Derrick Ward, the lightning of the Giants run offense last year, has been utterly abysmal since signing in Tampa Bay. You can’t just sign the Arian Foster’s of the world and hope one sticks.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
You will literally struggle to score double digit points ever week.
I love to rain on any Rams parade, so I’ll just mentioned that the Rams failed to reach double digits in 7 games this season.
Future Redbirds - tracking Cardinal prospects for Cardinal Nation
Tebow?
What? Do the Rams need a new fullback or TE or something?
Tebow cannot be anything more than a backup QB in the NFL. His accuracy is okay, I guess, but he’s got a really slow release and has never had to read defenses or drop back in that offense. He’s an average-speed, punishing runner, which is fine if you’re opponents LB’s are 20 pounds smaller than you, which they won’t be in the NFL. I mean, what happens if Tebow takes on Patrick Willis or Ray Lewis?
In addition, the Rams would be trading one of the best players in the NFL for a guy who would probably be available in the 2nd or maybe even 3rd round anyway. Not exactly wise.
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 3, 2010 8:41 PM EST up reply actions
So you want to pay a defensive tackle
$70M for 6 years with a $15M signing bonus? Okay.
Please consider any Hot Stove talk in the above comment is spoken under the assumption that the Cardinals are not signing Matt Holliday.
Good DT's don't come that often
let alone Elite DT’s like Suh is projected to be. I understand that the Rams need help EVERYWHERE, but at least give the coach with a defensive background some good players.
This guy is not going to turn into Glenn Dorsey (He’s not a bust yet, but he is getting there). He takes over games. He singlehandedly put Nebraska one last minute field goal away from a BCS bowl. I mean, Glenn Dorsey was good with LSU, but he often disappeared games, and Suh makes a much bigger effect on games.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Well they're probably going to do something dumb...
…and draft Tim Tebow or something. You never can tell with the Rams FO.
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 3, 2010 8:24 PM EST up reply actions
I can't wait to see...
all you Tebow haters back in the dome for the first time since ’01 cheering as Suh and The Great White Hope hoist the Lombardi in ’11.
4-6 more WAR in 2010!
Um..
How does it make me a “hater” to point out the obvious on Tebow? That most of his success is the result of the following:
- His powerful running ability and his size vs. SEC LB’s and safetys
- His head coach’s rather clever offense
- Really good players like Harvin and Hernandez
- A good offensive line
Yes, he’s one of the better players to step onto the field in recent college football years. Yes, he took advantage of the favorable situation around him and put up great results. Yes, he’s a good dude and a good leader.
BUT: In the NFL he’ll HAVE to read defenses, he’ll HAVE to get the ball out quickly, and he WON’T just be able to run a draw and plow a smaller LB on 3rd and 4. These are things he’s either never had to do or hasn’t shown the ability TO do.
So please, lay off the obnoxious Pat Forde-schtick where anyone who states they honestly believe Tebow will struggle as an NFL QB is some kind of “hater.” This is VEB and people should be smarter than that, even when we’re not talking about baseball.
By the way, I was referring to the #1 pick. They’ll have a hard time taking Suh if they’re pissing away that #1 on Tebow, no?
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 4, 2010 1:22 PM EST up reply actions
Note... feel free to ignore all that if you weren't being serious. Internets, you never can tell.
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Jan 4, 2010 1:25 PM EST up reply actions
nobody cares about football
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
It's fifteen below out...
and there hasn’t been an interesting hot stove occurrence since the Cubs traded good for bad. Cmon…
4-6 more WAR in 2010!
I really...
think SD will make it this year in the AFC. It’ll be a hell of a game with Indy. Everyone else has huge problems – Baltimore, Cincy, NE, and the Jets might be the worst foursome in the history of the NFL playoffs. Cincy has seven yards at halftime against the Jets – 15 plays, 10 incompletes, 3 runs for no gain, a completion for no gain, and a nine yard run… and Carson Palmer is playing. I can’t believe this team is going to host a game next week. Texan fans should lodge a protest.
On the NFC side, it’s the strangest situation possible. As far as I can tell there are five teams with exactly the same probability of making it to the SB, and then there’s Arizona which is somewhat below the other five. But then you thinki about last year and clearly anything is possible. All I know is that my life has improved considerably since I stopped gambling on football. There’s simply no logic, no reason, no possible way to predict what is going to happen week to week, even with the newfangled stats.
What do you think?
4-6 more WAR in 2010!
DIIIIIIIIITKA!!!!!
BEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
that's not true, i care, just not about the lambs
i feel bad for their fans though
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
I do
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 3, 2010 11:07 PM EST up reply actions
All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy.
All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy. All Holliday talk and no play make Jack a dull boy.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
by ducttape16 on Jan 3, 2010 11:25 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
All work and no play make Homer something something.
Now with extra feisty!
by spants on Jan 3, 2010 11:35 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
so
what you’re saying is that you’re nobody?
oh snap a lap!
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
lets tank the 2010 season and pick up Locker next year
I want Tung Po!
by ILoveTheSt.LouisCardinals on Jan 3, 2010 4:01 PM EST reply actions
Not a bad strat
Grab Suh though, he is a beast.
In football, the object is for the quarterback, otherwise known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his recievers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use the shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! "I hope I'll be safe at home!"
-George Carlin (RIP)
Acknowledging that I have been driving the F. Lopez bus...
I have to disagree with your assessment that he is not much of an upgrade from Freese. Lopez has a proven ability to get on base at an above average clip in the major leagues. That is the single most important skill that a batter can possess. Furthermore, while Lopez is not great with the glove, the numbers at 3B over a decent sample size (760 innings) show that he is probably not “below average” as you characterized him.
On the other hand, Freese has no track record offensively or defensively. The scouts seem to think that he is average to above average with the glove (making him on par with Lopez, not better) and there is a decent chance that he flops completely with the bat.
While I am not necessarily against giving Freese the job, I think it is imperative that the Cards sign someone to mitigate the risk of Freese bombing out.
"I learned a long time ago if you keep checking your stats all year, you're going to end up in the toilet." - Chris Carpenter, 2009.
i like him
he’s like DeRo, but better and cheaper
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
Maybe Eric Hinske would work
He’s left handed and can hit a bit. I just want the Cards to do something to protect themselves against the very real possibility that Freese doesn’t make it. IF this were 2007 or 2008 I would be all for giving the job to Freese and letting him sink or swim. However, in 2010, the Cards have a contending team and they need to make sure they aren’t carrying negative players if they can find a viable fallback option.
"I learned a long time ago if you keep checking your stats all year, you're going to end up in the toilet." - Chris Carpenter, 2009.
hinske isn't a great 3b (DeRo level)
and hasn’t played it for about 2 years, i don’t think. Not that he couldn’t, but I don’t think i’d want him as a full-time starter (even though I’ve banged his drum harder than anyone, pre-emptive that’s what he said, i think he’s more of a backup, 1-day-a-week 3b).
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 3, 2010 6:06 PM EST up reply actions
In the SteaknShake drive thru...
I don’t want Hinske as an everyday 3b either but I want some protection for Freese failing to hit at the ML level. Hinske played for 1.5M last year so he would certainly fit in the budget.
"I learned a long time ago if you keep checking your stats all year, you're going to end up in the toilet." - Chris Carpenter, 2009.
by indakind on Jan 3, 2010 7:24 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
ah the steak n shake drive thru
the slowest drive thru in america.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Jan 3, 2010 7:46 PM EST up reply actions
No doubt
Plenty of time to read & comment.
"I learned a long time ago if you keep checking your stats all year, you're going to end up in the toilet." - Chris Carpenter, 2009.
by indakind on Jan 3, 2010 8:30 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
i once spent 20min in one of those for a large shake
unfreakingbelieveable
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
I hate the concept of the SNS drive thru
They make a bunch of commercials about how they’re a real restaurant… but don’t worry we still have a drive thru… Really Steak n’ Shake? That’s where you want to be when Jesus comes back?
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
From the people
I’ve seen working at Steak n’ Shake that could be a very dangerous proposition… granted I"m usually there in the middle of the nite so there might be a time of day sampling bias…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
i can think of worse places to be
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
I've only been to culvers a few times,
as I prefer to get my artery-clog on elsewhere, but it’s always been a snappy experience.
Now with extra feisty!
the one in powell is painfully slow, i've only been there 2or3 times
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
All this talk is making me think it's time
for a shake run… Then I realized it’s frickin freezing Mr. Bigglesworth and decided against it.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
i made some bacon, so i'm good for the night
but i do wish i had a good burger right now
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
We don't have them in Chicago...
yet I see commercials for them all the time… probably a bad business model…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
I saw them for three year before we got them in my town
then it was packed for a month until people got tired of it.
I am the Batman
last time i ate there it came right back up a few hours later
i’m in no hurry to go back any time soon
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
all i had was a single burger & tater tots
i shy away from other people’s chili dogs, i just don’t trust them unless i make them
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
Portillo's chili dogs are awesome...
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
never heard of them
where are they at?
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
Chicago
It’s that place that offsets all the Cub fans to make Chicago tolerable… then winter comes… and it makes that tolerable too…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
i doubt he's cheaper
similar price, at least, i’d have thought. He might want 3 years, at his age.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 3, 2010 6:05 PM EST up reply actions
well
i kinda forgot dero already signed at 6 per. so, yeah, about the same. but we could probably get him for one year. maybe not. still better than dero
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
yeah, i prefer him to DeRo too
and i’d happily sign him for 2/12 if we can’t get holliday.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 5:49 AM EST up reply actions
Nice post
As good of a story Ankiel was, the organization owes it to him and for their sake to let him go.
Believe it if you need it
or leave it if you dare......
I dunno if this has been talked about
Here’s a hypothetical I’m just tossing out there.
Assume 1) the Cards do sign Holliday, 2) the Cards stand pat at third, and Freese is the opening day 3B starter, and 3) after a month or so, Freese has been playing at about a mid-2009 Joe Thurston level.
In such a situation, would it make sense to try shifting Ryan to third? He has the arm, the reflexes, and probably the range. If so, then does that mean Greene gets called up to start at short, and the Lugo/Schu platoon continues at 2nd? Or do you let Lugo and Schu be the full-time SS and 2B respectively, and Greene is the backup? Do you have to take expected offensive production into account here?
no.
Boog is a GG-quality SS. I don’t think he should be moved. If we need a 3B, why not put Greene Tea there? He’s played everywhere else.
And Schu should not be anywhere near SS unless the shift is on.
"I knew they were up to shenanigans." --TLR
oops
I see now that you didn’t mean to say Schu would be the SS. Whew.
"I knew they were up to shenanigans." --TLR
I imagine Ryan could probably be a GG 3B too
I’m not sure Greene has the arm for 3rd. But I’m not sure I like the idea of either Greene or Lugo being a full-time SS.
Given that TLR is still running the team, it’d probably be up to Dusty’s Dugout Dice as to who would be playing where on a given day, in any given inning. Skip might play 3rd, what the hell….
Either one could handle the position defensively,
but neither one has the offensive skillset needed for the corner, IMO.
* is an Asshat
anyone can play...!
oh, wait.
no, no Boog at 3rd. if only because guess what… that means no Boog at short. if y’all wanna see Skip exposed, that’s the quickest way to do it. or a nice reminder of why Lugo is called Stone Glove.
"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
or for that matter, some of our pitchers exposed.
"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
...also, he's not tall enough.
sorry, 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
i thought greene had a great arm
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 3, 2010 6:08 PM EST up reply actions
in any case, I think if freese falls flat or gets hurt, lugo is plan B
as a full-time 3B. Craig can fill in, and we’ve got Greene as backup MIF (in an emergency with two injured MIFs, Craig can play 3B and Lugo can fill in at 2B/3B). I think all these options are, blessedly, slightly better than Joe Thurston.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 3, 2010 6:09 PM EST up reply actions
I envision
Ryan at SS in the long term. Ryan’s bat doesn’t play at 3B. If you’re looking for a stopgap, I’d rather put Greene there seeing as he doesn’t seem to fit in as a ML regular in the future anyway.
The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.
greene's bat is worse than ryan's at this point
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
really?
HFS © when did that happen?
"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
2009
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
well....
eff.
"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
w/o looking it up
off the top of my head I recall TG stepping into a few pitches, but otherwise being pretty lamentable with the bat in 09. Ryan meantime became a decent contact hitter.
I didn't say anything to the contrary
But why would you move a gold glove caliber defender away from SS to third base when you know that it’s going to be temporary because of his bat? Ryan has a perfectly acceptable bat for short, but not at third. Greene, on the other hand, is likely not a major league regular, and would be more suited to playing third in the short term in the event of an injury.
The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.
free allen craig!
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
I'd stick Craig there without a doubt.
After seeing him regularly at Springfield, I see no reason why the organization feels that he is not a third baseman. He looked fine to me at third base, and he’d be my choice especially since his bat is much better than Greene’s.
The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.
A trade for him was just vetoed because of a thumb injury.
Not sure we want in on that.
Now with extra feisty!
tongue slightly removed from cheek
lowell had successful surgery and sox had agreed to cover all but a few million of his salary in the deal to the rangers; don’t recall the prospect status. one year left on contract, but more likely to go where he can dh.
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
i think ramirez is worth a bit more
but then lowell is broken, and the rangers pulled out of that deal because of that. I’m not sure he’s really a 3B anymore, either. Consider me a Lowell skeptic.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 5:50 AM EST up reply actions
Craig
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 3, 2010 9:12 PM EST up reply actions
well, he'd still probably be better than t. greene
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 3, 2010 9:22 PM EST up reply actions
Third Base
Perhaps we can trade two prospects to the Giants for DeRosa…
In all seriousness, Skip should not bat versus lefties. The Lugo/Skip platoon ought to remain intact. Ryan is such a talent defensively at shortstop, where defense is at a premium, that he should remain there. If we sign Holliday, Plan A ought to be Freese and Plan B ought to be Craig. Or, perhaps, we could look at Felipe Lopez on the free agent market, who might be cheap in dollars and short in years. His OBP in the no. 2 slot of the order is also pretty enticing.
"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
by bgh on Jan 3, 2010 7:25 PM EST up reply actions
I really worry
that Floppy just had a career year and we’d be paying more than he’s worth. But I agree with Freese being plan A and Craig being plan B. I’m still confused why Craig is so disliked by the organization.
The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.
No
because if Freese sucks offensively, he’s probably still better than Ryan, lol. We’d essentially be making this move for defensive purposes only, since a Greene/Ryan side of the infield would be death to all ground balls hit that way. I’m not opposed to this, but I don’t think you move a GG quality SS off of the SS position, especially since he doesn’t have a great bat.
I think Tyler Greene might be an interesting choice to put there if needed, because he’s got pop and if he can iron out his plate discipline he could hit 10-15 homers there over the course of a full season.
Please consider any Hot Stove talk in the above comment is spoken under the assumption that the Cardinals are not signing Matt Holliday.
he also had an amazing, amazing season on the basepaths
i’m guessing his base-stealing/running alone would be worth somewhere between 0.5 and 1 win, if he maintains his SB% from last year.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 5:53 AM EST up reply actions
Definitely Not!
We just solved our SS situation, moore or less – the worry is that Boog’s hitting regresses. But his glove will not. We have enough candidates for 3rd (Mather, Allen Craig Craig Allen, etc.).
Big McLargehuge!
:=8O
Joey Bombs?
I wonder if there is any feeling in the organization that Joe Mather could be a plan B at 3rd this season. I have no idea what his health situation will be come spring training, but if he’s available he would at least be in the mix for the 3rd base job just like last spring.
Mather has had three surgeries on his wrist in the last 18 months.
I don’t see him being a force, sadly.
Now with extra feisty!
this breaks my heart
not as bad as the thing with lil’dunc, but close, and only because dunc made me realize how fragile elite MLB power can be.
Major League Baseball is a cruel mistress…
it's Clydesdales vs Goats. Actually sums up Cards vs. Cubs quite nicely. -all4tookie
don't give up on him yet
he might not have the full strength in that wrist till late this season. if the powers still gone next season, then he’s probably done. which is very sad.
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
Not a fan
of Johnny Damon, huh? I think he’d be a pretty good option for LF and don’t really understand, except for the lame “throwing arm” excuse, why no one else really does.
It seems there's an all-or-nothing approach going on here.
If the Cards are going to drop big money on a free agent LFer, most would hope to see Holliday. If he signs elsewhere, then a cheap LFer can be found in house. That money can then be spent on aging (but high upside) pitching rather than an aging OFer who will likely command more $ than the Cardinals will want to spend on someone his age.
Personally, I’m bummed the Cardinals missed out on Mike Cameron. Of course, he may have insisted on playing CF, which pretty much rules out the Cardinals anyway.
Now with extra feisty!
The Red Sox say Cameron is going to be in LF.
(Insert Your Own Joke)
by AWolfAtTheDoor on Jan 3, 2010 7:11 PM EST up reply actions
He must be good!
(Insert Your Own Joke)
by AWolfAtTheDoor on Jan 3, 2010 7:19 PM EST up reply actions
I think the whole Red Sox/World Series sweep thing probably dampens Cards fan enthusiasm for Damon
plus, we’re all still pulling for Holliday.
You’re right, Damon wouldn’t be a bad fit. But he’s a Boras client. What are the odds he’s asking for more than 10-12M per year?
keep in mind
holliday and damon share the same agent. this won’t work in damon’s, or the cardinal’s favor. they won’t be able to use one against the other.
Probably because
he’s frightened and confused by the world…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
i don't mind damon much either
though I recall fourstick making a fairly convincing argument that his offense will fall off a bit next year (and in Busch). Overall, I think there’s better options, but a 2yr, $16m or so deal wouldn’t be that bad at all.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 3, 2010 6:11 PM EST up reply actions
yeah the price is what keeps me away from Damon.
Your contract offer is palatable but isn’t exactly making me think bargain. And undoubtedly, Damon is asking for at least 5M more total right? I’d rather keep the money and not give up the all-important 1st rd draft pick.
Some people who have their own bowling ball and their own bowling shoes and no friends.
he wanted something like 3/36 originally
obviously that’s not going to happen, but I guess he gets at least 2 years and something like $20m, which (to my mind) is a slight over-pay in the current climate.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 5:55 AM EST up reply actions
plus the first rounder
for us at least
Some people have their own bowling ball and their own bowling shoes and no friends.
36 year old with questionable defense
coming off a career year. and he’s a boras client. seems safe to keep our distance
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
well, if it wasn't a career year...
it was close, at least offensively.
It was the best year of his career by OPS+, a career high in HR, career high in wRC+, and the best year by wOBA since he was with the royals in 2000. And it coincided with the Yankees building a new ballpark; his extreme home/road splits last year make me wary.
Granted, the park factors for NYY will likely reduce all of those park-adjusted numbers a bit once there is a larger sample. But the stuff above is not typical for age-35 players, afaik, and expecting him to repeat that is pretty risky.
it's Clydesdales vs Goats. Actually sums up Cards vs. Cubs quite nicely. -all4tookie
your mom?
okay the last two years. last year he played in front of the yankee right field porch and had an unsurprising 3% jump in hr/fb with a large jump in fb% (and a decrease in ld% which i guess could sampling error) and prior to that was cruising a babip 30 points higher than career (league) average
i think it would be a mistake to expect better than .340 – .350 wOBA out of him in 2010. especially if he’s playing at busch. bill james agrees. i guess a league average player (what he is projected to be) is technically worth $10MM, but tell me we can’t get those 2 WAR somewhere else for cheaper and only one year. we can
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
I expect Damon to be better than Eric Hinske
but not one year and ~$15m better.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 5:56 AM EST up reply actions
This
The Godfather himself has decided to grace us with his presence. This is his damn house. He sleeps 20 feet away.
Read your post on THT
And I agree with it. I actually think the Cards are a better team with Damon in LF and F. Lopez at 3B than they are with Holliday in left and Freese at 3B.
"I learned a long time ago if you keep checking your stats all year, you're going to end up in the toilet." - Chris Carpenter, 2009.
by indakind on Jan 3, 2010 8:37 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
People don't like Damon because he had such bad UZR numbers in 2009
But to me those seem more like a fluke than anything else. Most of the lost was from his range but his other speed related numbers didn’t see anywhere the same kind of decline. Plus, He murders righthies and is the best platoon partner possible for Craig.
by FlimtotheFlam on Jan 3, 2010 9:03 PM EST up reply actions
his other advantage is he's not TOO bad vs lefties
so he could, in a Colby-can’t-hit-lefties-still emergency, a possible CF option (yes, I know his glove sucks there).
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 5:57 AM EST up reply actions
if not Holliday
I’d like to sign Branyan, Sheets, and Smoltz, have Allen Craig/whoever makes it play LF
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 3, 2010 9:13 PM EST up reply actions
why is his weak arm a lame excuse?
it’s a legit reason not to want him in the Cards OF. add in the fact Boras has gone crawling back to the Yanks trying to get them to bring their offer back & still trying to get someone else to pay him $30+ million, it’s not hard to see why we shouldn’t want anything to do with him.
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
why is his weak arm a lame excuse?
Because arm strength really isn’t a very big factor in how good a LF is. It’s going to be worth a run or two per year, max, between your Damons and guys with accurate cannons (like Luddy).
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 5:59 AM EST up reply actions
can you say the same about borne down in htown?
he has about the same arm that Damon has, and he’s faster & can get to more balls than Damon can. i know he plays CF, but if you’re saying speed is more important than arm strength for OF’s, can it be comparable?
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
pretty much
although obv. bourne is a better fielder than Damon, who can’t really handle CF anymore. From what I saw last year, Colby has an awful arm (that was never mentioned when he was in the minors, which seemed a bit odd) but it didn’t stop him being our best CF by far.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 5, 2010 5:25 AM EST up reply actions
Colby is supposed to have a great arm
and he showed it off a few times last season. There were a few games where he made some absolutely awful throws though, and it seemed people picked up on these games only. I am hoping this is just a SSS thing going on.
Lighten up, Francis - Sergeant Hulka
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
I have always heard Colby has a fantastic arm.
I don’t think he showcased it very well last year and I don’t know why that is. I hope it returns to form.
Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?
sell it, Colby.
"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 think it's a combination of things...
His age, for one.
His splits for another. Away from Yankee Stadium.
And his being a NY/Boston/ESPN sports darling probably rubs a lot of fans here the wrong way.
It’s another Tino Martinez all over again. Could be ugly. Even if he produced what could be expected of him (like Tino did), he won’t live up to the hype and there will be pressure to dump him
That said, I wouldn’t mind having him & Holliday, and dumping Ludwick. Holliday could probably play RF. Maybe.
But he would be a great solution to I think the Cardinals biggest problem – #2 hitter. If I can believe ESPN, Cardinals hitters in the #2 slot had an OBP of .316. No Ankiel should help a lot, but still, TLR will be tempted to use Ryan there if there isn’t a better, obvious option.
Or better yet...
Move Holliday to 3B, apparently his first position he played in the minors.
Look at Skip, he hadn’t even played 2b since college.
I expect Rasmus will get a lot of time in the 2-hole
Here’s hoping his on-base powers take a step up from 09.
We're going through a new avatar test phase here at mojowo11. Please be patient as we may try a variety of new ideas over the coming days and weeks.
Maybe if he had spent a little more time in the 2-hole last year
He wouldn’t be a father right now
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 4, 2010 1:50 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
and not generally true, historically.
"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
er, not re: Rasmus. re: history.
though … well. I won’t say too much. pictures are sometimes worth a thousand words.
"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 going to make a similar statement after the HEYO
but decided not too… thanks for falling on that sword for me.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
such a shame this thread is now a couple of days old and everyone is going ape-poop over Matty Holls
otherwise this would be a one-way ticket to GREEN.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 5, 2010 5:26 AM EST up reply actions
hey, VEP got linked on MLBTR!
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
New idea....maybe
What about Brian Anderson for Mike Lowell with BOS picking up 9-10M of his salary? Good glove when healthy. Steady bat. Should fit in the budget.
"I learned a long time ago if you keep checking your stats all year, you're going to end up in the toilet." - Chris Carpenter, 2009.
by indakind on Jan 3, 2010 8:35 PM EST via mobile reply actions
i think expecting Lowell, aged 35 and coming off a year of poor health
to have a good 3B glove in 2010, when he’s (for his career) in the ballpark of average, is probably wishful thinking. His bat’s kinda fallen off a bit of a cliff the last two years, as well. Don’t get me wrong, we could do worse for a couple of million, I just think he’s probably a part-time contributor now. He’d be better off staying in the AL on a team that has a DH slot.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 4, 2010 6:01 AM EST up reply actions
according to this site
http://www.springtrainingonline.com/features/reporting-dates.htm
it hasn’t been announced yet, but if I had to guess it between feb16-19.
I am the Batman
According to the Cards' official calendar,
(which I received for Christmas) the date is Feb. 17.
So you must know someone
who is the target market for this.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
Everytime I look around that site
All I can think of is something similar to this.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
gdm will not stand for that
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
neither did Panda
"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
It could take literally seconds of sifting through stock footage
to find something to work with for that…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
by ducttape16 on Jan 3, 2010 11:48 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
So you saw what I did there???
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
I'm not sure if you can make this work
but I found something here. And yes it took me about 30 seconds of scrolling through the MLB video page after a search for Joe Thurston to find it…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
I still enjoy the stupid look on his face after they call him out...
Life won’t be nearly as interesting without him…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
WS bloopers...
if there’s one place I would not expect Thursty it is the WS…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
So are you looking for bad Thrusty plays
Or Thursty award winners???
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
From what I've seen
most of the stuff on MLB.com are scoring plays… and apparently good defensive plays he made, but I don’t believe the hype and am refusing to click on it out of principle…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
I think the first appeal wasn't done right...
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
i still think that's BS legalism.
He clearly hit that ball well enough for a double, and was close enough to the vicinity of first base that it was borderline unsportsmanlike to challenge it.
Obviously the GOBs disagree, since they caused the umpire to mis-call that RBI triple by Ludwick in the NLDS, but no one ever said they were fair.
it's Clydesdales vs Goats. Actually sums up Cards vs. Cubs quite nicely. -all4tookie
I would not be surprised if the sheer incompetence throughout the playoffs
not just one game, but every single game throughout the playoffs — turned out to be Something Else. Y’know. Years from now.
Since MLB and the umpires are negotiating their terms at the moment.
"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
sonofbiatch
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
HFS
lohse just threw a perfect game against the braves right after a start where i had to pull him in the fourth
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
'09 the show
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
the show is pretty hard to as a hitter
it;s almost too realistic unless you turn the pitch speed way down
oh and colby is leading the league in batting average and kahlil and glaus are both monsters. them with albert, holliday and luddy and this team is a force
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
welley is in the bullpen
roster is exactly like the end of ’09. all my starters are solid. disappointments are skip, boog and yadi (like .170)
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
smoltz
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
oh and franklin suck
motte is my closer
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
i have a road to the show character
he’s in his third year with the rockies. he’s a high obp, high slugging guy who doesn’t hit many home runs. but he’s still only 23 and won roy and a silver slugger. and those chumps wouldn’t even offer me more than $1mil per year on an extension! (and i accidentally accepted it. like 2.8 over 4 years)
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
3 years
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
I like to go with a pitcher and start at the youngest age possible.
when you’re 20 and striking out 502 in one year, there’s no way I’m going to accept a extension.
I am the Batman
haha
i don’t think you can really do that. sony wants to to be super realistic, so it’s hard to have insane seasons like that
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
no, I did it
I just had a four man rotation every other time around the rotation, so I could have 42ish starts.
I am the Batman
in the show?
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
How do you get a 4 man rotation...
I can’t even get it to do that in the playoffs…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
when it's the fifth starter's turn in the rotation I put the first starter in his slot
and so on until the fifth starter is fourth, thus he is skipped in the rotation.
I am the Batman
You can do that from your career?
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
No, 2k8 doesn't have career mode
but it has a GM one, where I can manage the pitching rotation.
I am the Batman
I see.
I will go back to being misused by vidya game TLR…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
here are my career numbers in 2k8(as a pitcher)
2578IP
4745Ks
273Ws 30L
453BB
355GS
79CG
66SHO
0.95WHIP
I am the Batman
While we're talking about video games
I recently bought NHL 10 for my Xbox 360. For some background info, NHL 94 for Sega is by far my favorite game of all time. The last game in the NHL series I own is NHL 06 for PS2, which I was awesome at. It was one of the few games I could put the difficulty all the way up and still win 90% + of my games.
I just got my 360 a few months ago, so I’m still learning, but I figured a nice hockey game would be a good addition.
I suck at this game. I cannot figure out the controls, and even when I go back to the old school controls, I still can’t play this game. I just got beat 6-0 on the easiest difficulty.
IIRC, someone on VEB is an NHL video game aficionado, and I’m wondering if he/she can throw some tips my way.
Anyone else have any experience with this game? Positive or negative?
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 4, 2010 12:02 AM EST up reply actions
Best game ever
And I got to #1 on PS3 online. I swear to god I have/had a social life even during this time.
Passing is what drives the entire game and you have to get comfortable with actually passing it where you want it to go. Don’t bitch about how it didn’t go where you wanted it to, just get better at it. Once you can pass you can set up a lot of easy timers and can spring your guys free for breaks. That and there’s almost no penalty for setting the “breakout” to full attack—-and that makes it infinitely easier to gain the zone.
On defense DON’T CHASE THE PUCK. If you are constantly switching players you are going to draw people out of position and even one guy out of position leads to a goal. You don’t need to switch players as much as almost everyone naturally does. Keep the guy you have in position and block passing lanes.
Not afraid to nitpick
I guess I just need to play it more
The controls feel completely unnatural to me. I can’t shoot for shit.
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 4, 2010 12:25 AM EST up reply actions
When you get the hang of it
The controls are really amazing because there’s so many things you can do in controlling your player. But yeah I can see how they could be difficult to learn to begin with. I’ve been playing a lot since NHL07 and they keep adding little things you can do from the one on one moves to one-hand dekes to spin-o-ramas so I’ve really only had to figure them out one at a time.
Not afraid to nitpick
you could calculate it
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
By hand
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_independent_pitching_statistics#FIP
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 4, 2010 12:18 AM EST up reply actions
Oh
I see how the thread went now. Why doesn’t it give HRs?
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 4, 2010 12:22 AM EST up reply actions
ah right
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
part of what sucks about the game
is they will force you into slumps to make it more realistic. even if every swing is down the middle in your wheelhouse with perfect timing, it’s like a chopper to the pitcher. makes me mayud
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
now that you mention it
i was looking at league leaders and pinata is best in era. 0.56. still only late april, but still
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
boog probably won't have a chance
unless greene gets hurt
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
where?
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
i think he's pretty much just a dh now
the only position he played last year was first base. hasn’t played OF since ‘06 and his numbers at third were trending pretty badly through ’08. his bat also projects as below average. i’d pass
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
so, it's really effing cold outside
9 degrees? jebus! sounds like baseball outside in minnesota in april.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Jan 3, 2010 11:52 PM EST reply actions
haha
it’s 45 here!
Of course, hope means being cut down on some street corner, as you run like mad, by a random bullet.
it's 0 where i go to school right now
luckily i’m still on break. if you consider nine degrees luck anyway.
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Jan 3, 2010 11:57 PM EST up reply actions
Sounds like it's time to use
my theory of leaving for class from my college days… feel free to apply it to work if you’re done with college… basically if you’re a guy and the temperature when you first check it in the morning is below the length of a certain body part in inches you should be excused from class/work. And for the ladies the sum of the bra size number is below the temp same thing…
I really think this half baked idea has some legs… by slackers everywhere…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
Where the hell do you live
that you are used to the cold, but prefer the more than 100 degree weather??? Oh wait Illinois sounds about right for that…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
i can't take heat at all, but this 0degrees crap stuff is garbage
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
Hot > cold in my book
I’d rather it be 100 degrees than 40 degrees. I know it’s colder for almost everyone here, but it’s getting down to damn 19 down here in Georgia tonight! What the fuck!
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 4, 2010 12:09 AM EST up reply actions
that's global warming for you
it won’t be above 19 till later this week up here. good times
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
I don't want to start a political debate
But when it’s in the middle of a summer heat wave, and 100+ degrees, you never hear anyone say “Man, that global warming stuff must be right! Feel how hot it is!”
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
you know JD, you really don't
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
me too.
I sometimes wonder if JD and GDM are related
both are gingers and they have a “d” as the second letter in their name.
Hmmmm…..it’s a very compelling case.
I am the Batman
JD's a blonde
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
Blond
Women are blonde
Men are blond
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
really? i've never heard that
i always wondered why it was spelled two different ways
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
The more you know!
Thanks for helping set the record straight, btw!
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
they should know by now you're way to smart to be related to me
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
No Whey!
Come to to Ol’ Virginny, where u get 100 degrees and 100% humidity, and about a billion biting insects. Give me 40 degrees every time!
:=8/
Big McLargehuge!
:=8O
This is why every day
I think San Diego is where I should move…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
If I had my druthers
it would be between 65 and 75 most days, perfect soccer/baseball weather, not too much rain, but some, to keep the grass green without having to water too much. Humidity would rarely be over 35%, sunshine about 300 days of the year.
This is southern Colorado, but only in the spring and fall. Although it got up to about 45 today, and is supposed to be in the 50s on Tuesday.
The only other place I’d like to live is Hawaii.
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jan 4, 2010 12:14 AM EST up reply actions
have you been to hawaii?
ugh.
you oughta check out SoCal sometime, though. Was 75 and sunny today in redondo beach. I didn’t GO to the beach, today, since we went on new year’s eve and I was kind of burned out on it, but it was an option…
it's Clydesdales vs Goats. Actually sums up Cards vs. Cubs quite nicely. -all4tookie
I spent some time in Hermosa Beach
when I was out for the Rose Bowl a couple years back and fell in love…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
yeah
hermosa is, unfortunately, the ryan braun-like man-sleaze capital of south bay. But the downtown area itself is nice, as long as you avoid it on weekends, and it’s close to the best beaches in LA county.
And rent is cheaper than redondo/el segundo/santa monica/etc, so the “early-20s non-professional female” to “semi-retired 40ish divorced female” ratio is fairly high. But no one under 50 can afford to buy, unless they are drug dealers, lawyers, or known pornographers…
it's Clydesdales vs Goats. Actually sums up Cards vs. Cubs quite nicely. -all4tookie
The guy we stayed with
said he lived there during grad school and loved it. He’s not the Ryan Braun type so I figured it wouldn’t be a bad place to lay my head down at nite.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
Yeah
I’ve had two great holidays on Maui, both about 10 days long, one in ‘87, and one in ’99. We thought about buying a condo there after the second time, but the $$ didn’t work out. Of course, the last 10 years or so might have made a big difference there; I wouldn’t know. We also really like Santa Fe, though our kids are indifferent to it. It’s about a 4-hour drive from here, and I have an aunt who lives there, so we go every once in awhile. Nice weather, interesting people, great food. I especially like the native culture there.
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jan 4, 2010 1:19 AM EST up reply actions
yeah, you won't find native culture in SoCal
unless you consider mall-ratting native culture, or go to an indian casino ;)
but the beaches in Socal are much better than hawaii, and the price of home ownership is comperable. And traffic in hawaii is, shockingly, somewhat worse than LA.
I guess it just depends what you are looking for.
it's Clydesdales vs Goats. Actually sums up Cards vs. Cubs quite nicely. -all4tookie
Never go to the Indian casinos
It’s their way of getting back at the white man. They’ll take your money so fast it’ll make your head swim.
(Aside: I won $900 on a $1 slot in Tunica a week or so ago! Yay me!)
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
well, it's as "native" as the silly stuff they do in hawaii
or colorado. But people don’t like to hear that, since the indian dances in CO and the lu’au stuff in HI are tourist attractions, and it’s human nature to want to be attracted.
it's Clydesdales vs Goats. Actually sums up Cards vs. Cubs quite nicely. -all4tookie
Don't know of many (if any) Indian dances in Colorado
New Mexico, yes, where Santa Fe is, along with numerous Pueblo Indian reservations.
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jan 4, 2010 3:19 AM EST up reply actions
sounds a lot like Albuquerque
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
i heard theyre trying to move the team there
“i’m kinda like jesus, but not in a sacrilegious way”
R.P.O.F.Y.M.
i would miss like 5-7 days of class/year
i can get behind this idea!
follow me on twitter @nickg105
by stlcardinalsfang on Jan 4, 2010 12:02 AM EST up reply actions
Psh
It doesn’t get below 2 degrees that many times a year
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 4, 2010 12:04 AM EST up reply actions
Or was jd talking about himself???
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
he better hope he's talking about himself
unless he somehow knows something about fang only fang should know.
I am the Batman
Not that there's anything wrong with that...
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
Just a guess
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 4, 2010 12:11 AM EST up reply actions
my apartment is freezing
there’s a reason why I got a great deal on this apartment in this neighborhood…. this apartment is frickin COLD! layers and space heaters help though
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 12:07 AM EST up reply actions
Bonfires work too...
just make sure you have renter’s insurance…
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
I'm ready to move to warmer climes
I suppose I’ll make it through one more chicago winter though, I don’t know if I have another one in me after this one though.
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 12:10 AM EST up reply actions
I can relate...
Where abouts in Chicago are you again. I’m sure you’ve probably said, but I suck at remembering such things.
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
80+ please
I’m retiring to Arizona
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
by jd is legend on Jan 4, 2010 12:13 AM EST up reply actions
I am now in Ukrainian Village
lots of beautiful women around this neighborhood, I must say
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 12:14 AM EST up reply actions
even going to the grocery store can be fun
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 1:00 AM EST up reply actions
you guys ever go to the depot diner?
i saw it on DDD on the food network last year. it actually makes me want to come to chitown. here’s the video, but don’t watch it unless you’re not hungry.
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
I have a friend in Arizona
and another one in New Mexico, that could work
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 12:15 AM EST up reply actions
Good news everybody
there’s canned bacon now
We now have a food source when disaster strikes.
I am the Batman
Because he missed the rec you deserve???
"When I knocked a guy down, there was no second part to the story." - Bob Gibson
Prolly because it's a meme that our local robot
flagged as “so last decade”.
There was Gibson in the Reds' dugout, visibly manhandling about three Reds and tossing them bodily out of the dugout and onto the field...He was the toughest athlete mentally I ever saw, and the greatest competitor. JACK BUCK
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Jan 4, 2010 1:23 AM EST up reply actions
I don't understand how or why just mentioning bacon without any contextual prompting or reason became a meme
It is, in my mind, probably VEB’s worst meme ever. It’s basically just spam. And yes, bacon is godly. But no, pictures of bacon apropos of nothing every single day are not funny, and they’re certainly the furthest thing from clever, since it’s basically just regurgitating a word over and over and over. (This rant isn’t directed at you, CodyG, just the meme in general.)
/mini-rant
Can we just sign Holliday already so I can be less grumpy?
We're going through a new avatar test phase here at mojowo11. Please be patient as we may try a variety of new ideas over the coming days and weeks.
my secret pet theory
because it goes against my actual observations
is that the moment ClemsonGirl declared she did not like bacon, the meme got a second wind.
"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 just knocked my laptop off the table
but it doesn’t seem to have phased it in the slightest
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 1:01 AM EST reply actions
too many usb cables!
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 1:06 AM EST up reply actions
once upon a time
we had serial cables and parallel cables and scsi cables etc, so when you knocked your computer off the table, it didn’t hit the ground.
Those were the glory days. USB is a tool of shaitan.
it's Clydesdales vs Goats. Actually sums up Cards vs. Cubs quite nicely. -all4tookie
must not be a dell
this thing is a weak pos
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
Asus makes tough computers I guess
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
first time, I genuinely read that as "anus"
not that that’s particularly funny, just that it’s, well, weird. I’m normally fairly competent at reading 4-letter words.
RELEASE THE CENTIQUID!!!!
by Felonius_Monk on Jan 5, 2010 5:27 AM EST up reply actions
"fazed"
I’d flag you, but the comma ninjas will find you.
"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
danka
fazed sounds more cool anyway
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
just remember
phased is what happened to Geordi and Ro. so some may assume your computer fell through the floor, or was hit by Federation fire.
"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
lol
I cannot repeal the words of the golden eel
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Jan 4, 2010 8:54 PM EST up reply actions
according to mlb trade rumors
the bay deal was done 4 days before it was announced.
MAYBE WE’VE ALREADY SIGNED HOLLIDAY? EH? EH?
R.P.O.F.Y.M.
TLR's tweet the other day would seem to indicate so
You know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France?
i don't trust that tweet, something just doesn't feel right about it to me
Every morning I wake up & smoke a dart. Then I eat five strips of bacon, & for lunch I eat a bacon sandwich. And for a midday snack? Bacon! A whole damn plate! And I usually drink my dinner. And I'm still here! Sometimes I wonder if God forgot about me.
that would be the very idea of TLR using twitter
there’s no way he’s content with just 140 characters.
Heaven has brick walls and St. Peter is a red bird.
by EinFesteBusch on Jan 4, 2010 3:21 AM EST up reply actions
he has legal arguments before each letter
so it’s actually 14,000 – 15,000.
"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
comment in three parts
1. How “extensive” is Bay’s extensive medical exam? Is he gonna have to bend over…?
2. Go GoodReporter for having an mlbtr article all to himself.
3. mlbtr has a new commenting system. They’re going to be adding avatars. Cue robot deathsquad in 5, 4, 3, 2…
"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
that's like fifteen centiquids!
"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
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