The 2010 Cardinals are who we thought the 2010 Cardinals were
by DanUpBaby on Sep 9, 2010 6:00 AM EDT
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PrintNow the Cardinals have a 3-4 record in September, which is not ideal. They've done it by occasionally looking truly awful—Kyle Lohse comes to mind, though his five inning/four run performance shouldn't be cause to bring Jeff Suppan in to do the same thing—and mostly just looking listless. But listless is a comparative quality—they're listless compared to the team we expected and to some degree still expect this team to be.
For me any late-season swoon brings 2006 to mind, both the frustration from the collapse and the rationalizing after they managed to win after all. It's the rationalizing I'd like to do, a few weeks in advance.
The thing about the 2006 Cardinals, the saying went a few days after I was sure they wouldn't win the NLDS, and then the NLCS, and then the World Series, was that The Real Cardinals were actually a pretty good team. I'm not sure this was actually true, now that I look at it—the team that entered the playoffs added Chris Duncan, who was outstanding that year but did nothing in the playoffs; and got a very well-timed hot streak from Scott Spiezio, who was vital in the NLCS. Jim Edmonds was back in time for the playoffs, and pretty good, too.
But that second-half team was legitimately bad. Scott Rolen appeared to lose it for good, only to have that huge World Series and get jobbed by David Eckstein for the MVP vote; Preston Wilson became a vital cog in the offense; in the second half three Cardinals started and put up OPSes under .670, and all of them continued starting heading into the playoffs. Their third, fourth, and fifth starters put up ERAs of 5.18, 5.90 and 6.72.
They were better than that in the playoffs, which made the difference, but the ways in which they were better were either impossible to predict (Jeff Weaver?) or possible to predict only by saying, "2006 aside, this guy is pretty good, right?" (Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Anthony Reyes.)
With the 2010 Cardinals I'm getting a little more confirmation for the opposite idea: The Real 2010 Cardinals might still be a pretty good team, but The Current 2010 Cardinals have more than listlessness and poor clubhouse chemistry to blame for their failings: They have problems.
In the second half Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and Adam Wainwright have made 31 starts. They're 15-9 in those starts, and the team, thanks to Wainwright's late swoon, is 19-12. The rest of the Cardinals are 6-11; Lohse is 1-3 with a 10.31 ER in four starts, the Cardinals have been unable to avail themselves of Jake Westbrook's solid pitching, and the worst of the bullpen has been confined mostly to low-leverage innings.
It's not a great pitching staff, and it's filled with pressure points—Suppan and Lohse are a ticking time bomb and a bomb, respectively, and 58 relief appearances have gone to pitchers with ERAs over 5.00. It's better than the 2006 team's rotation, but then, this is a better team. The offense we saw in April could probably still win 90 games with this pitching staff, assuming it's prepared to lose every fifth one.
But the offense from April isn't around. Put aside the discretionary decisions, the really frustrating ones—the team has had to give 171 plate appearances to Felipe Lopez (.182/.287/.270); it's watched Colby Rasmus hit .229/.317/.376 over his last 126 plate appearances; it's lost David Freese and watched Jon Jay fall, luckily very slowly, back to earth. Worst of all, Albert Pujols has been great but not all-time-great—.309/.376/.590 can't carry an offense that's got two starters whose OPSes are lower than his slugging percentage.
The 86 plate appearances Aaron Miles got should have gone to Skip Schumaker (.763), Tyler Greene, or, I don't know, Ruben Gotay. Nick Stavinoha should have zero at-bats instead of ten. But as big a disappointment as this team has been on the macro level, a lot of the problems are more easily seen by drilling down than they are by making sweeping observations about the team as a whole, which at times has appeared to have a pathological aversion to winning streaks.
Albert Pujols has underperformed; Colby Rasmus has underperformed; Brendan Ryan has underperformed; Felipe Lopez had drastically underperformed. That's where all the runs have gone, and most of the wins. I'm sure there are reasons beyond random variance and decline at work there, but I don't think we have the means or the knowledge to get at them. The team just isn't as good, right now, as it was in April. The 2006 squad got a chance to turn the burners back on; the 2010 team could, but they'd have to start much earlier.
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question - when did this team jump the shark?
If you’re still here on VEB… which is doubtful…
pick a tipping point. the slam? the ankle? a pickup? the kneel? the avocado? the clench?
opinions only, no need to justify.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
the grand slam was the definite falling-off point
"on gameday it says duke loves to face the four seamer and hates to face the four seamer" -VolsnCards5
"perhaps it's a computer joke about the duality of man." -tom s.
by Tudor's Electric Fan on Sep 9, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions
I would throw Lohse in there, too.
The team was counting on him to come in and hold down his spot in, at least, a plausible fashion.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Sep 9, 2010 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed. First step was the Penny injury...
Second was the Freese re-injury just after the trade deadline.
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Several guesses could be made
but I’m still going to take the monumental collapse by the bullpen when the Rockies scored nine runs in the ninth.
Baseball makes the world go 'round, or at least in my world it does.
Trades and Acquisitions
From the time period of bringing in Miles/Winn to the trades made to bolster the rotation and further cripple the offense, that was the jumping of the shark.
This
Let’s review this years midseason acquisitions:
Little Mario
MacDougal
Winn
Feliz
Suppan
Westbrook
Now realizing we had to give up Brass Monkey (I never got the Tastee nickname) for Westbrook I’ve never seen a team spending a season trying do hard to make itself worse, I know there have been injuries and Colby has been up and down but the roster management this year seem to make the roster management in 2003 look like a sterling example of greatness (Estaban Yan, enough said)
"IF CARDS CAN SIGN SUPPAN THEY CAN GIVE ME A HOME"
by Buddhasillegitimatechild38 on Sep 9, 2010 9:10 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I thought Tastee was for Tastee Freese? I am confuse.
But yeah, Why in the hell is MacDougal still on this team?
This year was apparently an experiment, testing the hypothesis that a team can compete for the World Series while at the same time functioning as some sort of “second chance” jobs program for wayward major league baseball players. I know that all the data probably hasn’t been analyzed yet, but I am feeling pretty strongly that the idea has not been supported by the results.
I still am fine with Winn. The problem with Winn is that his job should be filled by Jay. Now Jay is the starting RF (as much as we have starters on this team), which shouldn’t be the case, but injuries led to trades, etc.
But Suppan, Miles, Feliz, MacDougal, and Stavinoha do not belong on a competitive team, at least not all at once. That is one fifth of our roster. One fifth! I count Stavinoha as a wayward major leaguer because we all know that he has nothing left to prove in the minors.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
by mattybobo on Sep 9, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Winn's posted a .337 wOBA...
…which actually isn’t that bad for a fifth outfielder. A team could do a lot worse than that as it’s 25th man.
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Sep 9, 2010 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, he just shouldn't hit against lefties anymore.
Or maybe try batting lefty against them? He’s been truly awful against lefties this year.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Winn should be our 25th man
but he’s like, 17 or 18 if you figure in the suck-ass pitchers with the suck-ass bench players.
/sigh
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Sep 9, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, Winn is a perfectly fine player when used properly
I don’t even know if he should be our 25th man. Maybe he should be our 24th or so. Some mop-up reliever should be our 25th, I think.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Winn
He is hitting pretty well for a 5th outfielder. After the trade, though, he is our 4th outfielder easily over Stavinoha and the oft-forgotten (by management) Craig. However, he cannot play defense any better than I can (a slow-pitch catcher by nature).
Freese
As improbable as it might seem that David Freese had a large impact on the team, it was obvious that not only we as fans, but the front office, was counting on him big time to come back. He was the reason it was okay to trade Ryan Ludwick. When rumors started spreading that he had re-injured himself in a minor league game, it completely took the wind out of everyone’s sails.
It couldn’t have happened at a worse possible time and 3rd base (as well as the 5 hole in the lineup) has been a big pile of suck ever since.
Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid.
- John Wayne
I would actually go with the Philadelphia series
the seconds-from-disaster slam is close second, as it kind of lead to the prematureness of the Ludwick trade, but that series is when morale started to break down, and it never recovered. big series, two big contenders — then in the course of it, doubt set in. I don’t mean man stew per se — they were just all pressing, including Albert.
(moar below that’s tl;dr)
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
what is tl;dr?
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
I much prefer INRAT
I’m not reading all that
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't think there has been a tipping point, really.
The failure to win against the bottom feeders of the league after the Reds sweep is as good a point as any, I suppose.
A team can only overcome so many 25th men on a roster. The Cardinals have seemed determined to collect as many as possible. As though baseball were some terrible, grotesque version of Pokemon.
Plus their manager is embracing senility. That hasn’t helped.
The injuries, both of season-ending and nagging varieties, have been big as well. The loss of Penny and Freese gutted the team at their respective times. Who’s to say that either or both wouldn’t have fallen off, though? The expectations for either weren’t terribly high at the start of the season. Replacing those roster spots with some of the worst players in the game seems like it torpedoed the team. If even barely competent players had been called up or acquired at the time, well, who knows.
Ah, the joys of hindsight.
You're Walgreen's sunglasses, Aaron Miles, you son of a bitch. -Alex Fritz
by The Continental on Sep 9, 2010 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions
it required foresight
if every roster blank is filled by another blank
it really doesn’t take much foresight
to foresee the outcome
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
...to DFA TLR
I think the tailspin started with the demotion of
Bombs and Craig, and replacing them with Miles and Winn. This is not a bash on Winn. Just seemed to be the start of the slide. Miles’ first game was 6/1, Winn’s 6/5. Our record since then, 42-43. Listless.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
Bombs I can go with
he hasn’t torn it up till recently.
Allen Crag, on the other hand….
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
If I'm not mistaken,
we replaced Jon Jay with Winn initially.
"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
It's a blur......
just my arbitrary cutoff date.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
Penny Lohse one two combo
ouch
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions
i do believe his contract
and lack of same for apu
have been really big issues this year
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
...to DFA TLR
this has to be a joke right?
how do the contracts have anything to do with the season when both have outperformed their contracts
not performance peer $
relative valuation by management of the player to do holliday and not do apu
puts a burden on both
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
...to DFA TLR
then they need to get over it
holliday was a free agent. pujols was not.
it’s also funny how soon we forget that albert kept saying to sign holliday first, “i have 2 more years, etc.”
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
twatter
yes,
albert said etcetera, too. i am not bad at type
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
twatter
what else can he say?
holliday as relacement or complement is the question?
apu/holly and fill the inevitable holes with waiver/dfa will keep them behind the reds for years
i believe the uncertainty is wearing on lots of folks and has clearly affected their spending
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
...to DFA TLR
freese...easily
at that point i just wanted to try and make the playoffs
we were only .5 game back and still 11 games over .500
by guillermozeliak on Sep 9, 2010 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions
twas the slam in my book
"...and pujols has given st louis the lead"
follow me on teh twitterz @greenfieldt
philly alternate history
and what gets me about it is if those umpires had called Brendan Ryan safe at third and safe at first, who knows when he could’ve gotten out of his tailspin. a triple and a single? think of what that would’ve done for his stats, which everyone — including himself — were obsessively watching. that series is when he started to take the fail into his defense. which lead to benching him more. which meant some of those mediocre pitching performances turned into disasters instead of double plays.
it’s more odd connections than responsibility, but it could have turned out differently.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
the pedro feliz trade
was the jump-the-shark moment for me. up until then, for all the frustrations and inconsistency, it was a .550 team that had spent the entire season in first place or within a couple games of it; they were one winning streak away from a 95-win trajectory. and then they completely panicked and saddled their starting lineup with one of the worst position players in baseball. up until that trade, i had doubts about the team but i still believed they would get things figured out in time. my opinion changed with the feliz acquisition.
by lboros on Sep 9, 2010 8:59 AM EDT reply actions 8 recs
Agreed
When I heard about this deal, it was at that very moment that I accepted the realization “we’re not going to win this year.” Put simply and with extreme generalization: Winning teams make trades for impact players for the stretch run. We pick up retreads that other teams (much less in-division teams) discard.
Yeah this is reasonable
I’d say I agree with this. Peter Happy is simply not a major league caliber hitter.
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Sep 9, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't know
The Cardinals had to find someone to replace Freese, and it sounded like all of the better options (Inge) would not have gotten through waivers. Feliz might be the worst hitter in baseball, but his defense really is excellent. I don’t think he’s cost us any wins. Stav, Miles, MacDougal, Suppan, on the other hand, have.
Fire Tony La Russa
I think this is the reason that Miles is more the turning point:
Without him, we might have had Ruben Gotay or Tyler Greene on the 25 man roster and had the ability to cover third with someone competently above replacement level. With Lopez’s tailspin and Miles existence a single injury to a position that we technically had three players for turned into a nightmarish descent into the depths of lack-of-depth hell.
"What exactly is that thing? A pessimism meter?" - Bruce McCurdy
by hazel on Sep 9, 2010 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I know a run saved is a run earned
but i don’t know how we can win with such a terrible hopeless lineup
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions
because his defense isn't that good
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions
well it pretty much is awful
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Molina's habit of swinging for the fences
conjured up 4 runs against the Brewers the other day, but other than that this is a team lucky to score 3 runs in a game
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
lol wat
That is most certainly not Yadier’s approach at the plate
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
Yeah,
this is a guy who literally throws the bat at pitches when he has two strikes on him.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions
WHO'S INFALLIBLE NOW, BITCH
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
unfair of me
not on every pitch true, but often enough to dig that hole that puts him at two strikes so that he throws the bat at pitches when he has two strikes.
He does it, and he almost always swings and misses or makes weak contact when he does
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions
right
Even though we have 2 of the best 10 hitters in the league, our offense is “awful”. You do realize we’ve been exactly average with the bat this year despite having down years from nearly every single player?
Fire Tony La Russa
exactly, we have 2 of the best 10 hitters in the league, therefore it is sickening to me that we’ve put together such a mediocre/awful offense
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions
but it hasn't been awful
it’s been exactly average. The league scores 4.38 runs per game, the Cardinals are scoring 4.48 runs per game. In August they scored 4.96 runs per game.
Fire Tony La Russa
do you happen to have the #s since the beginning of the Cub series?
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
August 13
I’d look it up myself, but my internet & computer are being totally fucking wonky.
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
fortunately, B-R has a last 28 days split which is about the right time frame
We’ve averaged 3.88 runs per game and given up 4.54.
Fire Tony La Russa
well that did seem about the time the offense quit
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
so you contend that this team has played <.500
since April due to bad luck, and, I’m sure, the Mario Bros.
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions
We're not the Mariners
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
by mysterui on Sep 9, 2010 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'd swear I say an article or study or something somewhere...
…that advocated the position that a run saved = a run earned so long as the first run had already been scored. Seemed to make sense, since you can’t win without scoring at least 1 run.
I'm amazed by Feliz....
Every time I have the game on (and I’ll admit, it’s been far less often recently than most of the summer—combination of my apathy and my wife’s recent grasp on the remote…), Feliz is actually doing well. Every time I have the TV on, he’s on base.
The truly amazing part is, when I look at his line as a Cardinal and see that he’s actually been WORSE than he was when we got him.
That pretty much tells me he’s probably actually batting .000/.000/.000/.000 when I’m not watching.
The obvious implication being watch all the time so that Feliz doesn't suck the life out of the cardinals.
What’s left of it, anyway.
Having been at the debacle in Denver
where they blew the 9-2 lead, that was my moment. I know other teams have had similar meltdowns this year, but it a combination of so many things: Aaron Miles starting, epic mismanagement (bench AND bullpen), waste of a decent start by Hawksworth, all of it. The Rockies hadn’t been playing that well at that point and the Cards couldn’t get 6 outs to get the win. It was just a killer to me.
Looks like I picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue....
by Futility Infielder on Sep 9, 2010 9:23 AM EDT reply actions
Didn't we lose twice that series in heartbreaking fashion?
I remember thinking we “should” have swept or at least won the series, but I can’t remember specifically what happened other than the gigantic comeback by the Rockies.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
They swept us
to add insult to injury. You’re right, I think the Wednesday night game was another Rockies rally in the late innings.
Looks like I picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue....
by Futility Infielder on Sep 9, 2010 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Cool. So, potentially we could have won the series but instead we got swept.
That was definitely a big “well, fuck, here we go…” moment for me. I can’t really pick a single moment from this year because there are so many.
I was worried when both Penny and Lohse went down, but told myself Penny would be back and Lohse wasn’t that much of a loss because he might not be that good anymore. Or something.
I was worried when Freese got injured the first time but told myself we had enough pieces to patch it together until he came back (ha).
I remember thinking that if we don’t sweep the Red in this latest home series against them, I’ll just give up. This was after telling myself I had given up a couple times before (getting our butts kicked by the Nationals and Pirates). Then I told myself I’d see how we did against the Brewers, and I had another “oh well I give up” moment last night. There are too many to keep track of.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
well, this is more of a brainstorming thread
failure analysis really would be like a Seconds From Disaster episode. all the rivets have to come off and all the inspectors have to be high.
‘course, in terms of responsibility, it’s more about which inspectors.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
was Miles on the team ?
or Stav?
I think these players came later, right?
Why the hell didn’t you stab Tony and/or Mo?
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
I dunno about the shark jump
but that’s the moment I’d point to.
Boog gets #6 for spinning
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
There is some organizational good news.
Memphis won Game 1 of their series with Oklahoma City, 7-5, despite an off-night for Brandon “A.D.A.M. 2.0” Dickson. And Shelby Miller set a new career high in strikeouts in a game with 13 in the River Bandits beat Kane County, 4-0.
Yeah, it’s a little sad for me to be focused so much on the minor leagues while ignoring the big league team. But we find our little joys in life where we can, and Memphis has provided a lot of little joys over the past two weeks.
Repeal The LaRussa Tax.
by Michael_68_1999 on Sep 9, 2010 10:02 AM EDT reply actions
Kinney
And Kinney got the save. Again.
I know he struggled last year but I was sad to see him removed from the 40 man, him being a local PA hero. (2006!) But I’m glad he’s had a tremendous bounce back season at Memphis. It seems clear the team doesn’t need him so I hope he catches on somewhere else in 2011 and gets more big league time in.
We would be remiss
If we didn’t also mention that Mather had two Joey Bombs last night and Craig hit a 2-run jack in the win.
At least the AAA squad is clicking.
that's why he's a bombsquad.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
we don't need Kinney
we have MacDougal!!!!!
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
Dickson's fastball struggles to reach 90 mph.
I don’t think he is A.D.A.M. 2.0.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
I guess
I considered him that because of the guts he showed getting out of a couple of jams when I went to see him and Memphis beat up on the Omaha Royals here. He reminded me of the way Wainwright does it.
Repeal The LaRussa Tax.
by Michael_68_1999 on Sep 9, 2010 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions
OT when i hear "Tom Brady" and "car accident"
my first thought was “where’s the golf clubs”
d’oh
apparently he’s ok, but that’s the early reports.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
oho, a van ran a red light
if that guy’s okay, he might consider a change of address…
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
F(&*(
That’s all I’m going to add for today.
I didn’t get on base. One time I did (Wednesday) and we scored a run. That shows if I get on base, things can happen - Oilspill
by Evilfrog on Sep 9, 2010 10:18 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
So, Shelby Miller is awesome.
Just thought I’d say that to make myself feel better.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Very awesome.
"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
towels
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
I think he's back in the big leagues.
haven’t checked lately.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
He got a minor league contract
with the Rangers.
you're a towel
Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid.
- John Wayne
by Tackle Box on Sep 9, 2010 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Indeed
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Sep 9, 2010 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions
August 29
Losing to the Nationals and blowing the series after looking miserable against the Pirates. The light was dim and fading, but when Wainwright lost that game – it all went dark. In all my 40+ years, I cannot remember a team that played so nearly to the level of the other team. It scares me to think that the Cardinals are an injury and/or free agency player move away from becoming the Cleveland Indians.
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
it Seemed Like We Really had a Chance....
…after sweeping the hated Reds too, a cruel mirage. When we cudn;t beat the Gnats or the Pie-rates I knew we were done. I have been mooing sadly and forlornly in a corner of my barn ever since. Ahhh, even the sweet milk of life tastes sour and bitter as ashes, and the udder balm brings no succor.
:=8(
Spare me your taradiddles!!!!
:=8O
Yeah, the Pirates series was it for me.
That was the worst.
by mattisnotfrench on Sep 9, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Correction
F. Aaron Miles
That is all.
by WizardofOz1982 on Sep 9, 2010 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
Why the F
is F’in Aaron F Miles still on this F’in team?! F!
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
target?
i keed
Chris Carpenter for Manager
"He’s in his own world out there. He says he doesn’t cuss. I disagree." - Skip Schumaker, on Jason Motte
What's worse
is that if LaRussa returns in 2011, we’re going to go through this all over again.
Repeal The LaRussa Tax.
by Michael_68_1999 on Sep 9, 2010 11:20 AM EDT reply actions
but barring injuries, we still have the players for next year
4/5 of the rotation will be back, and hypothetically jake westbrook should/will be resigned for a reasonable price. hell, even brad penny might sign for a cheap, incentive-laden deal if we’re convinced he’s healthy. starting the season anew in 2011, you’ve still got a lineup of
schumaker 4
jay 9
pujols 3
holliday 7
rasmus 8
freese 5
molina 2
ryan 6
pitcher 1
that’s still a good lineup imo. the biggest needs in my opinion for 2011 are a serviceable #5 starter and an upgrade at second base.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm not sure
Id pencil rasmus in at the 5 if la russa returns.
by lopey986 on Sep 9, 2010 12:09 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't think that's a good lineup, though
Schumaker needs to be replaced with a much better player. Jay is still a good 4th OF in my mind but should only start if he’s the 6th/7th best bat in the lineup. In your scenario, he’s the 4th/5th best bat (depending on Freese, which is no sure thing). Freese would have to be completely healthy and raking.
I don’t see success for the Cards unless there’s a significant FA signing, Z. Cox orM. Carpenter essentially comes straight to the majors and rakes (unlikely, but possible), and/or Craig throws up a .355-.360 wOBA in RF.
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions
We're pretty much expecting a Craig-Jay platoon in RF next season, aren't we?
That leaves 2B and 3B as the spots most likely to see activity around, since I think the pitchers really like having Boog’s defense behind them. So we need to hope Craig does well, that Freese comes back, and pray for a 2B to fall into our laps. That’s a lot.
I'm fine with Boog and Molina in the lineup....
but they have to be your worst offensive players. You can’t add them to Schu, and whoever plays 3rd if they’re not an offensive force, and whoever plays RF if they’re not an offensve force.
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I like Boog and Molina too.
Just sayin’ that we need 2B, 3B, and RF to be worth 2-3 WAR individually, not collectively, next season.
I completely agree....
which is why I disagreed with the OP that the lineup posted is “good.”
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
i'm not saying the lineup is "good," per se
but that’s basically the lineup we had in april that raked, and that lineup would still have a chance to succeed. however, i did mention the need for an upgrade at second base, which is what i think would put the lineup over the top. we need a legit leadoff hitter as well. skippy just doesn’t cut it.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
yes, except it doesnt include ludwick and it assumes freese will return healthy
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
YOU GUYS HAVE ZERO CONFIDENCE IN FREESE AND IT HURTS MY HEART
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
we like freese.
just not his ankles.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
He just had ankle surgery on his OTHER ankle
What reason do we have to be optimistic?
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
BECAUSE MODERN TECHNOLOGY WILL MAKE HIM BETTER
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
David Freese, MLB player. A man barely alive.
Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world’s first bionic man. David Freese will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.
The Six Hundred Thousand Dollar Man
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
by TBender on Sep 9, 2010 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Your use of all caps just broke a undetermined body part of Freese.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
by TBender on Sep 9, 2010 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
rec
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
papier mache ankles
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions
i've learned not to expect anything from anyone playing 3b for the cardinals
i’ve been hurt too many times
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
It's the Defense Against the Dark Arts job
Allen Craig is Snape. He has squinty eyes and kind of a pointy nose. Just needs to grow his hair out long and let it get kinda greasy. He has wanted the job for years, and he is finally going to get it, right before [SPOILERZZ LOL] he is forced to kill Dumbledore.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I agree WMT
The lineup must be upgraded at at least one of 2b, SS, 3b or RF. I’m not sure that it matters that much which one or ones you upgrade but this team needs more offense and I’m not sure you get it when you fill five slots in the lineup with Schumaker, Ryan, Freese, Jay and Molina. Molina is obviously not going anywhere and I’m fine giving up some offense there. Freese showed some decent offensive ability but there are huge questions about his ability to stay on the field.
I agree 100% with Willie McGee's Twin
Schumaker is, let’s face it, abysmal. Boog’s superb defense will once again be nullified if he puts up similar offensive numbers. Greene ain’t gonna improve too much of anything in the MIF. Freese is gonna be injured, and I’m not overly encouraged by the internal options there. Jay is crashing hard right now and showing that his potential is more 4th outfielder than starter. All in all, I’m not that optimistic barring some significant offseason moves, which are probably not coming. Our entire infield, minus Apu, is probably gonna be a black hole again, with relatively minimal offensive production from RF. Maybe I’m just being pessimistic because of how this season turned out, though…
Jay as 4th outfielder
I think this is relying on minor league stats a bit too much.
.847 OPS this season. I guess one of us will be able to say, “see I told you so” at some point however.
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
i think jay is good as a starter, or even in a platoon with allen craig. jay is simply regressing right now.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions
and as Dan points out
he’s not really regressing THAT much
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions
he's still at .365 wOBA
18.6 LD%
6.7% HR/FB
not sure how good those last two are, but wanted to throw in some peripherals… they seem at least above average to me
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions
luck/park neutral
he’s a .332 wOBA hitter. so about .730-.740 OPS
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
twatter
that seems rather idealist
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I think it could be a bit higher
I mean he hits some bombs – it’s not like he’s Skip Schumaker up there.
Fire Tony La Russa
C'mon now
.368 BABIP and he too is managing to rock a almost Milesian .316 BABIP on groundballs.
Not afraid to nitpick
he's also hitting .322 though
normalize the BABIP and he’s still got an average around .290, no?
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions
.300 BABIP=.265
.315 BABIP=.277
.330 BABIP=.290
His upside is a starter yeah, but I wouldn’t really want to go into a season expecting him to be a starter.
Not afraid to nitpick
sigh. that's really depressing.
he’s basically colby rasmus with less power, worse defense, and no walks.
speaking of colby rasmus, he’s got a .268 AVG with a .345 BABIP. that’s not exactly encouraging.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Wouldn't expect Rasmus to continue to K at the rate he has either though
And there’s probably some causation between the two anyway.
Not afraid to nitpick
Definitely
Also, umpires are fucking terrible on Colby, when they are replaced by robots he should see a big spike (only half kidding).
Fire Tony La Russa
is there proof on this?
is there some sort of “rate of umpiring suckage” stat that i’m not aware of?
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions
that would be a cool fanpost
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
i mean the umps vs Rasmus thing.
maybe compare him with Albert. or is that too high on the veteran respect meter? can’t think of a good control scheme.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Lefties get jobbed on the outside pitch so it's not quite as bad as it looks
But that’s pretty ridiculous.
Not afraid to nitpick
by joker24 on Sep 9, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
holy shit
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
WOW.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions
i agree with the legend
that’s BS
can we fire these umps already
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Like I said it's not quite as bad as it looks
Here’s Votto for reference:
But I mean Rasmus’ goes farther out and lower
Not afraid to nitpick
holy cow
it took me a minute because i thought the left border was WAY further left than it really is. but that is freakin ridiculous. would looking at schu’s give any enlightenment on the subject, since they’d be playing with the same umps more often than colby would with votto?
Chris Carpenter for Manager
"He’s in his own world out there. He says he doesn’t cuss. I disagree." - Skip Schumaker, on Jason Motte
It's not quite that bad
All lefties get hosed on those pitches, but Rasmus seems to take it to the extreme.
Schumaker:
Not afraid to nitpick
Skip's chart looks "acceptable" in my non-expert view
How about a righty? Maybe Ryan? (Or some not Pujols/Holliday righty?)
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Upon review of Ryan, Molina, and Pujols
It looks like lefties do get shafted on the outside pitch.
All 3 righties listed above do have some strike shift outside, but very few out of the zone.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Ugh...to be clearer
The center of the strikes for righties is offset to the left, but much fewer strikes off the plate outside.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Joker,
how do you get the images to our comments section?
"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 Sep 9, 2010 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions
So you save them to your HD, then?
"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 Sep 9, 2010 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I've seen him take plenty of walks
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Jay's actually been very patient this year
O-Swing and Z-Swing both below the league average. I don’t know why he’s not walking more.
Fire Tony La Russa
I think it's because his high batting average
he’s good at putting balls into play
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions
good point, his contact rate is well above the league average
Still, he should be walking more given his swing rates.
Fire Tony La Russa
Abysmal is a bit of an overstatement. . .
Schu’s offensive performance in the first half of the year was bad, that’s true, to the tune of 255/318/324, but not truly abysmal. But for the previous three years, Schu was an average-to-above-average leadoff hitter, OBPing 358, 359, 364. For that matter, he has been the same old Schu with the bat in the second half of this season, to the tune of 305/364.398.
That’s not to say that 2B shouldn’t be upgraded next season, given Schu’s defensive “value”, and it’s certainly possible that Schu’s 2010 is the beginning of a long slide toward mediocrity, and he should never face a southpaw, but none of that adds up to abysmal.
It also might be possible that other positions are more important and easier to ugrade than 2B.
by SouthsideCardsFan on Sep 9, 2010 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions
The problem with Schu is that he absolutely has to keep up the ~ average offense
or else he is pretty much worthless. His defense is just not good. I can’t see why we shouldn’t expect a rebound next year offensively, but at some point I don’t think it’s gonna make much sense to keep him around.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
2010 wOBAr
Schumaker, .341
Jay, .332
Pujols, .435
Matt Holliday, .415
Rasmus, .352
Freese, .330
Molina, .328
Ryan, .293
Per Statcorner.
That could be a very good offense, if their batted ball luck evens out.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
just not our year I guess
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Why does Holliday merit having his first name listed and no one else?
Trying to make sure we don’t confuse him with all the other Hollidays on the roster?
Just pulling your chain.
"matt holliday"
rolls off the tongue nicely.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions
the problem is that you have too many guys who don't walk and don't hit for power.
I don’t think it’s smart to build a team that relies on no one getting injured, and no one having bad luck. It’s a team of too many empty batting averages. Plus, with someone like Schu, there’s no defense, so it kills in two areas.
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Nothing wrong with Schumaker
He’s been a league average hitter all throughout his career – heavy on the OBP side of things – and only a low (for him) BABIP has made him so bad this year. There are certainly worse options for 2nd base – I would not complain if Skip started for us next year (along with Greene against lefties).
As for Jay, I think he’s an excellent player, even with his offfensive regression. He’s at least a league average hitter, given the pop, plate discipline and contact skills he’s shown, and an excellent defender in the corners. Should be a 3 WAR player next year.
As for “success”, the Reds are not a very good team. Almost everyone single player on their team has overperformed their preseason projections and they are still only an 85 component winning percentage team. The Cards should be heavy favorites next year.
Fire Tony La Russa
by vivaelpujols on Sep 9, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
it's going to be hillarious when they get destroyed in the playoffs
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
THIS.
i so cannot wait to see the reds blasted in the nlds. cueto as your game 1 starter? adam wainwright laughs at you.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
and yet they won't be.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Perfect.
That sets them up nicely for the “No One Belived in Us” gimmick to get psyched up for the season.
we do well as the underdog
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Sweet!
This is the kind of positive thinking we need more of, vebers.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Just like we weren't in '04 and '09.
(Granted, in ’09, our roster changed dramatically.)
"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 Sep 9, 2010 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
I like both Skip and Schu; we do need Boog to hit better, though, and PLEASE, let’s field a much better bench – not to mention a healthy, hitting 3B. It all went to Massive Cow Pies after we lost Freese and cudn’t cobble together a decent replacement from the spare parts, wads of half-chewed bubble gum, and general flotsam floating about the League this year. The sooner we develop Cox and Lil’ Carp the better off we’re gonna be.
Spare me your taradiddles!!!!
:=8O
i looked over next year's roster last night
in preparation for a potential fan post and i don’t see how they fit westbrook’s salary in and still manage to do anything else. anyway, if we’re spending that kind of money, and he can be had on a one or two year deal, give me de la rosa
i say we sign/invite to ST chad gaudin and maybe one other of the sort and have those 2, plus kmac fight for the fifth starter spot. maybe give lynn a legit shot also
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
twatter
i still think mitchell boggs should get a legit shot at the #5 start.
or have we determined he’s too valuable in the bullpen?
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions
he turns wild as a starter
he loves the bullpen.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
fair enough.
he’s got such a live arm though. seems like he’s got a lot of the tools necessary to be a good starter.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't think he can throw strikes as a starter.
Looks like he has trouble repeating his mechanics (which, to me, are not very good) in longer stints. He’s an asset as a reliever and I would leave him there.
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions
would you at least consider trying it though?
i mean, he’s a hell of a lot better of an option than kyle lohse is.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
................you did watch all of Boggs' starts, right?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
you mean when he was surprisingly called up to make a couple spot starts
when he likely wasn’t ready for the show?
yeah, i watched those.
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by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not good at math, but am fairly sure 6 games and 9 games do not add up to "a couple"
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
No, it's been tried.
He was a starter throughout his minor league career and made several starts in the majors. He doesn’t throw enough strikes as a starter.
Further, his fastball is much better and plays up out of the in the pen, as does his slider. Leave him in the pen and let him be a really good reliever.
Last, because of the above, I don’t think he’s a better starting option than a healthy Kyle Lohse (and I’m no fan of Lohse).
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Fastball
Boggs’ fb was beautiful a few nights ago. Looked like it was was softball ‘riser’ but coming in at 98.
Keep him in the pen.
yup
not only does his lack of control get limited in the ’pen, but he has a better fastball there too. he could even blossom into a closer at some point
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions
do not use "blossom" irt boggs again
I look forward to our future Botte overlord(s), though.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Botte?
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions
well... not Moggs. that seems like the bad version.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
ah
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
not sure I can believe that the difference between this year's awful lineup
and next year’s good one is David Freese. Assuming Rasmus is even still here and that he improves, I think you still have to upgrade one of the MIF positions.
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions
yup
removing Miles and Stav is totally in the Cards power too… except for that one guy
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I think
we underestimate the value of a decent bench with TLR around. We could see a major lineup upgrade from the likes of Mather, Craig (just leave him up and let him play. The boy will produce), Anderson, and Greene. We would have a bench of players that might actually produce.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
also if we have few injuries next season
that always helps a lot
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
You mean no TLR, right?
Because that looks like what it will take to keep the likes of Miles, Stav, and Feliz out of the lineup.
Now that Freese has had surgery on his other ankle
I wonder if the Cards can expect him to be available at the beginning of the year. Or to depend on him long-term at all.
You're Walgreen's sunglasses, Aaron Miles, you son of a bitch. -Alex Fritz
by The Continental on Sep 9, 2010 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions
does that dude have papier mache ankles or what?
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
this surgery wasn't re-attaching anything
“debridement of his left ankle” minor surgery. It should not impact his return. I have not seen that reported anywhere. Just an observation.
What does a mama bear on the pill have in common with the World Series? No cubs. ~Harry Caray
Sad Season
Most of the posts about the Cardinal struggles are right on and indicate the frustration we, as fans, have with various elements of the team. The prime whipping boy seems to be TLR, and that is what it is. He certainly should enjoy a lot of credit for this mess.
But I don’t see nearly the wrath directed at John Mozeliak. I don’t understand why he gets a hall pass here.
It was clear in early May that the Cardinal offense was struggling at times and inconsistent. We later lost Freeze and traded Ludwick – obvious subtractions. But throughout the ENTIRE SEASON, Mozeliak was unable to come up with a single bat. Not one. To me this is outrageous. Why doesn’t he get called to the carpet on this?
We had a bat....you alluded to it already.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
It's a three-headed monster.
TLR has a say in the roster construction. So does Mozeliak. But, DeWitt allows this dynamic. I believe that something needs to change, if the Cards want to re-sign Pujols and remain competitive. DeWitt is the only one who can re-shape the chain of command. We will see if he chooses to do so after this debacle of a season.
"I'm gonna throw the nastiest curveball I have ever thrown...if he hits it, I'll tip my cap, but if not we're going to the Series."
--Adam Wainwright on the final pitch of the 2006 NLCS
I do think he has been inadequate this year
But there was so much that went wrong with the offense this year I don’t know if it was possible to really fix it. Think about it; Colby might be the only hitter who was an improvement over last year. Skip has really come back recently but will probably not match the production we have come to expect. Ryan has been worse than expected, though maybe our expectations were unrealistic. Holliday has been exactly what we expected. Pujols has been a little off from his usual production. Freese was great and then broke. Lopez was fine for a while than did a nose dive. Craig has been the victim of some terrible luck plus a tough time adjusting to the majors (it can’t all be luck, can it? He has struck out a lot). Ludwick was adequate but we traded him. Mather needed more time to heal. Yadi took a huge step backwards this year (I can’t recall how much of it is bad luck) and has not been rested as much as he should have been.
We should have had an offense that was more than good enough, but injuries and down years have really taken their toll. That said, the team didn’t do a good enough job of filling the holes. Winn has been good against righties. Stav sucks. Miles sucks. Jay has been very good but also very lucky. Feliz is a joke offensively. I would have liked to see a better process of reacting to the offensive troubles but even a good process might not have done the trick.
This really isn’t a defense of MO I realize, but maybe people are just more concerned with the more obvious causes of the bad season? I dunno.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Here is my only quibble with Boog criticism,
The guy had wrist surgery right before ST, was it both or just one? Anyway, that takes seemingly forever to come back from, and, I think, that was Bombs problem, too. How long did it take DLee to start hitting again after his? It was quite a while, if I remember correctly. He isn’t hitting near where he was when he was vying with Albert, but he literally couldn’t hit anything there for a while. Bombs has seemingly turned a corner and I think Boog will too, when it heals eventually.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Sep 9, 2010 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
It was just one wrist, but it shouldn't be discounted.
I believe the surgery had an impact on his hitting.
what really did him in was not having a full spring training to work out
the shopping list of changes he was making
Bombs is the one with the multiple wrist surgeries, methinks.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
That's a good point
I wasn’t meaning to criticize Boog or anything. But even if/when his wrist is healthy, I don’t know if it was realistic to expect last year’s production or anything. Regardless of the reason, most people expected better offense from him this year. That is not necessarily his fault. It is just another tally in our disappointing offense.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I know you weren't.
I just used the Boog point as a springboard. It has just been a bad season to try and evaluate whether his worth. Who knows how much it effected his D? Some guys can probably isolate the O from the D, but with him it probably has a much more symbiotic attachment.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Sep 9, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
dammit, I really should learn to proof-read.
whether
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Sep 9, 2010 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I get what you're saying
For what it’s worth, I am a Boog believer.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I think part of the reason TLR gets more of the blame than MO is that the process is much more public on TLR's side of things than it is with Mo's/
Every single decision TLR makes, we see – all the lineup decisions, the double switches, the pitching changes, etc. Even his dustups with Colby and others over the years have played out through the media. Whether or not that’s entirely TLR’s fault is irrelevant fo this comparions – they happen in the public eye is all that matters.
Contrast that with Mo, where largely, we only see the results of what he does. We don’t know the intricacies of the negotiations/thought process that went into “Ludwick for Westbrook,” or “[whatever we gave up] for Feliz” or “Hey, we need as many versions of Aaron Miles on the roster as possible.” That opacity lends a certain aura of mysticism to Mo’s job, to the extent where I think we don’t question things as much as we probably should. For example, my reaction to the Ludwick trade, when I first heard about it was, “Huh, seems like we should have gotten more, but I guess Cleveland just didn’t want anything in our farm system.” Not an endorsement of the trade, but more like a semi-free pass, as I couldn’’t examine what was taking place so I just figured Mo had made the best move available to him at the time.
Wheter that’s the right approach or not to evaluating Mo (I tend toward the ‘not’), it does, I think, explain why he’s shouldering less blame than Tony for the season.
Yeah, that's a huge part I think
It’s just more clear what is going on with Tony’s decision (or at least it seems much more clear; we can only know so much that happens behind closed doors one way or another).
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I totally agree.
I think Mo is a pretender, a wannabee. Jocketty actually had the ability and skills to recognize and bring in undervalued talent. I give all the credit for Cincy’s success to him (Votto, Phillips, Bruce, Gomes, etc). And look how young and cheap they are for the most part. We are ready to spend $30M on Albert on top of the $20M for Matt, and way to many $M for Lohse. Long-term salary commitment is fixin’ to get huge (I live in the South), and DeWitt will probably not increase payroll much.
LaRussa or no LaRussa, whatever, I don’t like the guy, but I would be glad to see a change in the FO.
Jock got Rolen, JED, etc.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
Right, but read his comment.
Jocketty is not responsible for Votto. Or Bruce. Did Jock bring in Phillips? And most of their pitching talent was pre-Jock, too.
Right...I was just thinking of what Jock did bring in....
The only “world beater” that I can think of is Chapman.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
in stl, I believe that's "finna"
though i might be spelling that wrong.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
i take offense to that
finna = going to – and its not a st. louis thing, its uhh… “ebonics”
“We finna rock this shit”….
what do you think "fixing to" means?
whatever, dude, I was talking about the regional differences. Mr. Wilson’s got a ‘d’ in his.
why would you be offended if it’s a dialect? you have something against it?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
It's easy to be young and cheap
if you don’t mind missing the playoffs every year.
hey rb, my stupid internet won't let that load for some reason
Could you email me the body of the article?
Fire Tony La Russa
Hmm... I like the cut of this "Aaron Schafer's" jib
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
Smithers, who is that goat-legged fellow in sector 7-g?
I like the cut of his jib!
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Just curious...
…but of the Votto, Phillips, Bruce trioka, which one did WJ draft/sign? And Gomes? He’s been -.3 WAR this year. Sure WJ is a damn fine GM but you’re giving him WAY too much credit.
VivaElBirdos: Celebrating glorious mustaches since 2009
by redbirdnation8206 on Sep 9, 2010 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm going to blame it all on Larussa
not very creative, but works for me.
-brought in Big Mac (probably not the best idea)
-makes inxeplicable decisions, dogmatic, does the double switch just for flair
-pitches LOOGYs vs. the wrong people
-worst of all, advocates playing “trusted veterans” over better, younger, developing players. to top it off he gets some reputation among some circles for developing young players. I don’t really see him doing this, other than not playing them as often as they should be playing. to me this is not “protecting” them. it is basically just relying on bad players to overperform. but then to make matters worse, he trusts players such as Stavinoha over other young players just because he has a few more PAs or because he thinks he’s “gritty”
-thinks batting average is an important stat
-plays Molina almost every game even though there are plenty of options to give the guy a break
-I could go on with twice as many points but I gotta get back to work before my manager reprimands me
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:21 PM EDT reply actions
where's the mural!?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
an avant garde interpretation of Tony Larussa's overall effect on the Cardinal psyche?
working on it.
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
might have to give you the photoshop version though
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
call it a "digital collage" and you can charge for it.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
I should start a digital college and charge for that too
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
and then put it on a t-shirt
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
and a mousepad
maybe a cup of coffee. things on my desk right now anyway
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
bitter, black coffee?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
french roast
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Kona is the way to go.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
kona blend isn't that expensive,
and most gas stations even have it around here, anymore. But yes, 100% Kona is an ankle grabber.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
Might as well get a good quality "normal" coffee
Most of the “blend” in those is dogshit from what I gather so that’s why it’s reasonable, but I’ve never actually had it so not really sure. The coffee shop around the block from me here in Columbia has 100% Extra Fancy……I can’t quite justify buying some but I want to.
Not afraid to nitpick
I like the blends better than the French roasts, etc.
I miss the good old days when my mom was an office manager for a food distributor. I used to get 5lb bags of 100% Kona beans for about $8.
If I was pissing money, I’d find a way to have a cup of that cat shit stuff.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
i have great VEB déjà vu....
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
I just got a Keurig
It’s awesome (because I’m that lazy), but the coffee so far has been pretty bland. any recommendations? Right now I have Coffe People’s Donut Shop, or something like that, but it’s not strong, black, and thick enough for me
/don’t even think about it
I love mine....
I get the Kona blends, Newmans was pretty good. I also suggest getting the adapter that lets you use you own coffee. You can get whatever type you like best then. They’re about $15.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
I was thinking about getting one of those
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Dude, come on.
That’s not fair. I’m teetering on the edge of an aneurysm trying to let that comment go. Gah!
Semper fidelis tyrannosaurus!
by the red baron on Sep 9, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions
K-cups are available for
all of your tea drinking needs as well. You’re on your own for crumpets.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
hey they both have caffeine
whatevs
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, But tea tastes good...
….and coffee tastes like butt sweat.
:=8P
Besides, tea makes me feel good and coffee makes me jittery and upsets my stomachs (all 4 of ’em!).
Spare me your taradiddles!!!!
:=8O
I like how coffee tastes
but I agree, tea is much much better for you
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Tea is weak and can suck it.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
OK I'm gonna settle this once and for all
God tier:
Coffee
Good tier:
Tea
Shit tier:
Energy drinks
Most diet sodas
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
by mattybobo on Sep 9, 2010 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hot chocolate doesn't have very much caffeine...
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
That gives me the shakes
just thinking about it.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Sep 9, 2010 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions
maybe I should send the collage to Tony
maybe he wants to run an avant garde baseball team, a juxtaposition if you will of amazing talents with horrible players. compare, and contrast, Albert Pujols and Nick Stavinoha, if you will. a study in chiaroscuro>
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Tony's not going to understand any trope not phrased in baby animals
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
save the kittehs
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions
someone should make an lolcat with tony's face
o hai! iz krushen ur hopes and dreemz wit my poor lineupz!
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
Ceiling Tony is watching you "pull the ball"
i can has Stavinoha???
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
by mattybobo on Sep 9, 2010 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
brought in Big Mac?
im sorry that’s not a legitimate gripe with TLR to me… Big Mac has been fine, hard to blame a hitting coach for their hitting problems
The sheer volume of give away at bats
has been too much to overcome. That’s stating the obvious, but I did a little digging around just trying to quantify it, and I think it’s safe to say only Seattle and Houston has given more AB’s to people that can’t hit and shouldn’t really be expected to hit.
I am probably going to put a fanpost on it, but want to look at some other things too like average age of the give away ABs (OPS+ less than 85), relative to other teams, and then the % of give away AB% being given to players rated plus defenders (by fangraphs), also relative to other teams. What kinda took the wind out my sails on that last point was that Stav and Miles are rated plus fielding value (barely). I don’t see that at all, but that’s what it says so I’ll stick with it.
and playing horrible lineups in the third game allow for very few sweeps
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
wait
Stav and Miles are plus defenders? get outta here
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions
That's why defensive metrics are flawed.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
Yeah I know
The whole thing is a little suspect, just because I’ll be rating a lot of bench people on very minimal samples for defense, but I wanted to see how many more AB’s we give to weak hitters vs. the average (a lot), and then how many of those weak hitters are plus defenders (probably around the average even with Ryan and Molina, and adding Miles and Stav). I’m of half the mind to take out Miles and Stav, but then I wouldn’t be able to do the same thing for others, which would be wrong. I went too far into it though, so I think I might throw the whole defense thing in anyway, just with a big asterisk.
by Merry CRasmus on Sep 9, 2010 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
they seem even more flawed this season
WAR is going to have to start using 3 year windows or I’m not gonna trust that stat
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I could look them up again
And then just look at the total fielding value from 2008-2010, and rate them plus or not based off that. That might be a better idea. If they’re a rookie or something, we’ll just have to deal with the SSS we have but might take out some of the noise on the others.
by Merry CRasmus on Sep 9, 2010 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
no, he said chair
c.h.a.i.r.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
by Eckstreem on Sep 9, 2010 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
there's no point in adding in stav's and miles's defensive stats this year
you’re just adding noise (whether it’s positive or negative).
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Hard to ask the question without including them all
All I was trying to get to was a % of easy outs that were at least going to + defenders at an organization by organization level. Some teams have cycled out a series of non-productive hitter for 50-100 AB’s and then tried something new. We tend to hang on to the same people all year. So if I set some arbitrary cutoff point, like 50 or 100 AB’s, I’m already skewing things to get misleading data that way too.
Might not be worth the effort. I’m ruling out just doing this year. I am considering doing last 3 years, for anyone that has the history to get it. You think that might be useful?
by Merry CRasmus on Sep 9, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
not mentioned
and I am sure I will be the only one. But the shark-jump moment for ME was when I saw Chris (we love what he gives us but he is a real dick) Carpenter embarrass B Ryan right in front of God, country and ON MY TV SCREEN.
Twice (I also count his bitching about the ground ball single to left).
I know this doesn’t even belong on the list, but it was for me the moment where I finally said, “what the f—- is going on with this team?”
eh
everyone’s done that to Brendan Ryan. everyone. there was a classic with him and Tony in Colorado last season.
FESPN poked their nose into something that was supposed to be private, and then blew it up. don’t play into their hands and their stupid camera tricks.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Hey,
Tony is is manager. He’s supposed to do that. Carp is a whiny, self-important b*tch that should just throw the damn ball and shut up.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
wtf?
go root for the reds then.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
That's a load of crap....
TLR clubhouses have always been policed by the players.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
this, exactly.
that’s kind of a hallmark.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
By that reasoning...Ryan should know that Carp is such a character and be ready to play.
Alternatively, why are teams allowed to have player-only meetings? To sort out golf foursomes? Canasta pairs?
Carp is a team leader and a bit of a prima donna / fierce competitor. Everyone on the team knows that. And considering Carp wants Ryan behind him, you’d think Ryan would know he’s got to be ready to play a game.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
I don't understand why anyone has a problem with what Carpenter did, or,
how he did it. Carpenter had a grievance with something Ryan did. After the inning, he asked Ryan to speak with him in the tunnel where Carpenter aired that grievance (a mini Festivus, if you will). Then, the matter was over and done with, which, to me, is a very mature way of handling things.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
rec'd for reference to Festivus.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
I think the second incident (yelling on the mound) confuses the first one.
Carp did appear to jump on Ryan, but then backed off that stance afterwards, probably after cooling down and thinking about the situation.
And with that “incriminating” evidence of Carp talking to Ryan in the tunnel, it leads to some poor speculation.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
It was pretty embarassing situation...
From a fan perspective…
I agree Carpenter is a freak train of intensity, and I love him for that (most of the time) – but it should’ve been after the game. Chewing-out a struggling/headcase/shortstop in the 1st inning is an awfully dumb thing to do for a pitcher. I just never like to see my team having personal spats on ESPN… It’s Carps fault that it blew up the way it did – he waits and nothing happens… On the other hand, it’d be nice to have players that could see past something like that… but, we’re all human I guess…
"I don't like to sound egotistical, but every time I stepped up to the plate with a bat in my hands, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the pitcher." Rogers hornsby.
If the discussion had happened another 6 feet down the tunnel, you would have never known it happened.
And ESPN would have had nothing to blow up.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
So?
That doesn’t make it right.
Baseball's only fun if you're playing it, watching it, or thinking about it.
well i think the point is, that shit might go on all time, with our team, with other teams, whatever
but we never know about it
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
It was in the tunnel
He made every attempt to hide it. I don’t think that had anything to do with anything.
Part of being a team leader. I had no problem with it at all.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
Carp's display on the mound after he felt Boog misplayed the grounder later in the game (I think it was the 7th inning)
was egregious. That’s the shit I used to do as a pitcher in Babe Ruth league. His after game explanation that he was mad at himself was not credible and I’m sure he later apologized to Ryan for it.
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions
uh guys
he’s always mad at himself. I’ve heard enough F-bombs to know that’s entirely credible, and those microphones are not there to pick up what the pitcher says. but the difference is that FSM knows not to cut to that scene. FESPN made a game plan of closing in on it, for “narrative.”
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
No, I watched his actions during and after the play. it was perfectly clear what was going on. It had nothing to do with media editing.
by Willie McGee's Twin on Sep 9, 2010 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions
elaborate?
did he point at Ryan?
because… seriously, he does that. he stands or walks and just rains profanities. how do you know it’s directed at Brendan Ryan?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
i mean... in general my deal with this is
Chris Carpenter’s conduct on a game day is a known quantity.
Brendan Ryan’s conduct (and how others treat him) is a known quantity.
when the two intersect, why is it only one guy who gets the heat? and how is it any of our business? in some five years, we’ve never seen anybody in the Cardinals clubhouse break anything or anyone of their own, besides a bat or two. there aren’t a whole lot of MLB teams that can say the same. why is this suddenly beyond-the-pale behavior?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
When we became sellers...of Ludwick
Other mysteries remain. TL
Sellers of Ludwick.
Sounds like a British auction house.
by dronemc on Sep 9, 2010 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
seems like we got out at the right time to me
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions
should have either waited till this offseason or gotten at least one extra guy out of it.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
to me it hinges on if we sign Westbrook to a good deal in the offseason
if not, yeah, it was a waste.
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions
I... seem to remember... something like this...
getting dizzy… black spots in vision…
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
or if Jay ends up being a horrible baseball player
but I don’t really foresee that happening. I think he’s about as good as Luddy but not as much power obviously
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
perhaps but the morale hit the team took killed the season
i do think that was the moment.
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
Here's my tipping point...
August 14th, 2010
The Cardinals have just swept the Reds and taken the first from Chicago. Carp is on the mound against Zambrano – Sounds like a recipe for a fantastic Saturday victory.
but wait they go down 3 – 2 and then…
“Ryan was one of two Cardinals who failed to get a bunt down in the late innings, execution lapses that may well have cost the club. After Holliday’s leadoff single in the eighth, interim manager Joe Pettini called for Colby Rasmus to bunt. Rasmus popped up, and the next two batters went quietly against closer Carlos Marmol. An inning later, Aaron Miles led off with an infield hit, taking second on a throwing error, and this time it was Ryan who couldn’t get the man over. He popped up twice, with Hill dropping his first one. Felipe Lopez popped up and Allen Craig struck out to end the game.”
So began the collapse
by YepYouGuessedIt...CardinalRed on Sep 9, 2010 1:42 PM EDT reply actions
we do have the worst bunting team in MLB
last time I checked anyway
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions
but *why* were we bunting!?!
That’s one of the things that has driven me crazy about TLR this year. It seems like every time we get a leadoff double, or even single in a close-and-late situation, we bunt. I know it hasn’t happened as often as I think it has, and it’s probably only cost us 5 or 6 runs this year, but it’s been very frustrating. Especially down by a run, on the road, in Chicago. playing for the tie doesn’t make sense.
Especially Colby Rasmus, who should NEVER bunt, if he’s the go-ahead run in a road game against a
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he would drive down the street in his El Dorado... -the modern lovers
as far as I'm concerned this team should never bunt
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 10, 2010 2:27 AM EDT up reply actions
whoa, my news really has been sporadic this week
Votto’s liner broke Aaron Cook’s leg?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
I heard on XM this morning that Cook
may not be out for the rest of the year. Pulling a Gibby, I guess.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
The X factor was the roster...
…we are used to seeing Cardinal teams improve at mid-season through roster moves. Mo this year tried a different approach.
OT: MLBN showing Reds - Rockies right now.
Later Cards-Braves (or Rangers-Blue Homers)
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Votto check swing single scores Phillips from second as the fielder never checked Phillips' location.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Correction: Phillips scored from third (took third on a wild pitch).
Gomes single, Hernandez double, another wild pitch, Janish blooper…
3-0 in the 2nd. 1 out.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Giambi HR, 5-2 after 4
Wood at 70 pitches…
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Fast son of a fast former player is fast.
EY Jr scores from first on a short double, 5-3 bottom 5.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Chapman in for the Reds
Colorado has runners on 2nd and 3rd, no out.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Chapman walks 'em loaded after giving up a run
1 out, 5-4, CarGo batting.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Game tied...
Tulo HR, 5-5 off of Massett
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
wait, which team are we cheering?
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions
i have no idea
its all lose lose in my book…i guess we want the team that will be weaker (going on an extended losing streak) down these last 4 weeks to lose?
by guillermozeliak on Sep 9, 2010 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions
it really doesn't matter
because the Cardinals are not good enough
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions
HFS, Colorado leads 6-5.
Nelson steals home. Straight steal as Massett was clueless.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
OMFG
im watching a stream so i need to stop listening to you!
and plus i didnt believe it
by guillermozeliak on Sep 9, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
And game.
Street strikes out the side, Colorado wins 6-5.
Reds blow a 5-0 lead.
Hope springs eternal.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
hahahahahaha!
go rox!
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Be careful what you root for
The Rox are always dangerous.
"I actually used about nine pitches--two different fastballs, two sliders, a curve, a changeup, knockdown, brushback, and hit-batsman" - Bob Gibson
by ISawGodInGibby'sRightArm on Sep 9, 2010 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Much need for "New and Improved"
Outfield = OK
1b = A OK (prefer contract extension)
C = Need a back up so Molina will still have bendable knees by the end of 2011
2b = Need better OBP and speed (needs upgrade)
SS = Could get by (prefer OBP upgrade)
3b = healthy Mr. Freeze (or significant power upgrade)
Starters = have 1-4, count on 2 getting injured for periods of months (need = 2 more for back of rotation)
Bullpen = x factor (need upgrade for closer)
bench = fill in the blanks (upgrades all around for middle infield, 3b, catcher)
Is it any wonder this 2010 team is slowly sliding to a .500 record?
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
I have no idea why Anderson can't be the back up catcher
I don’t see much upgrade on the free agent market, I would rather concentrate on pitching and then perhaps make a trade for 2b, SS or 3b (I’m least worried about SS since Brendan is a + defender there)
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Pitching, Pitching, Pitching
That’s what is always needed – agreed. But this version of the 2010 bats simply won’t fly if we expect a playoff caliber team. If it wasn’t for Pujols and (most of the time) Holliday, this team would be fatally offensively anemic. I had high hopes for Freese but my 98 year old grandmother seems to be healthier than he is.
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
I know what you're saying, and I mostly agree, but
I’m not sure saying, “If it wasn’t for Pujols and Holliday this would be a really bad offense,” is fair. I would be willing to bet removing the two best hitters from just about any lineup is going to make it look fairly weak.
Semper fidelis tyrannosaurus!
by the red baron on Sep 9, 2010 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions
you missed the crux of my point
the free agent market sucks this year
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
the offense IS fatally offensively anemic
even with Pujols and Holliday. It isn’t their fault, obviously, but they aren’t enough.
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Has anything else that's happened this season made any sense?
Why start now? Personally, I would leave Boog at SS. I’m betting that he’ll be better by ST. We need a 2B and a 3B though. This is on top of pitching. But there isn’t much for 3B in FA.
You're the fail to my win?
"There is not a better feeling in the whole world than knowing that you are the best team in both leagues."- Bob Forsch on winning the 1982 World Series.
by MaytheForschbewithyou on Sep 9, 2010 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I was so looking forward to a Scotty-Curse free season.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
the 2Bs are pretty horrible too
except for O-Dog and I don’t think we have the $ for him
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Honestly, you remove the detritus from this team and it's pretty good.
It’s the detritus that’s been bogging down the team. We all know who that is.
They should be pretty good next year if the kids who actually have talent are allowed to play, and if maybe they go out and sign Adrian Beltre or something. There needs to be one less hole in the infield, which is absolutely KILLING this team.
Actually, my recipe to fix this team for next year is as such, and it isn’t that difficult. In 10 steps:
1) Resign Albert.
2) Get rid of Miles, Skippy, Feliz, the Stav infection, LaRue, Pagnozzi, McDougal, Reyes and if possible, Franklin.
3) Resign Westbrook as cheaply as possible.
4) Pray to whatever God you believe in that Lohse can at least put up a 4.50 ERA and then cross your fingers about 10,000 times.
5) Install Allan Crag in the OF and platoon him with Jon Jay.
6) Sign Adrian Beltre (if possible) to play 3b. If he’s too expensive (likely), just give the job to Freese and find a cheap veteran who can back him up when he gets injured.
7) Install Jason Motte as closer and keep Salas, Boggs and McClellan in the bullpen. Try out Eduardo Sanchez and Adam Riefer to see if one of them can cut it in the pen as well.
8) Bring up Descalso and Tyler Greene for the infield and KEEP them there, unless they OPS .300 and make 40 errors a piece. Keep Brendan Ryan at short for one more year.
9) Have Colby bat in the 2 hole for the entire year and make sure he’s actually happy.
10) Force Tony out and find somebody who isn’t still living in 1988.
Would this work?
by mattisnotfrench on Sep 9, 2010 3:34 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
...you mean re-sign. yes?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
we're not signing adrian beltre.
period. the end.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions
I can dream, can't I? the infield defense has been fugly this year.
Who else could we sign at 3b that would provide decent defense and offense?
by mattisnotfrench on Sep 9, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Matt Carpenter
should be given every opportunity during spring training to make the team. There have been players who have made the jump from AA to the majors, it can happen again.
Repeal The LaRussa Tax.
by Michael_68_1999 on Sep 9, 2010 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions
At least
Ridiculous played in three regular season games for Memphis in 2000.
Repeal The LaRussa Tax.
by Michael_68_1999 on Sep 9, 2010 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
But Carpenter isn't a top prospect
So there is really no reason to expect him, of all people, to make the jump. I would give Freese the job out of ST, start Carpenter in AAA and hope that the timing works out.
Fire Tony La Russa
Carpenter is intriguing.
Here are his wOBA’s:
Low A (‘09): .498
High A (’09): .295
High A (‘10): .396
AA (’10): .413
Here are his walk rates:
Low A (‘09): 10.8%
High A (’09): 7.8%
High A (‘10): 20.2%
AA (’10): 13.6%
"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 Sep 9, 2010 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions
He's not a kid either
Matt Carpenter is nothing if not a polished hitter. He may not have the youth or upside of a top prospect, but he’s definitely a candidate to handle a jump to the major leagues.
If knowledge is the key, then just show me the lock.
Got the scrawny legs but I move just like Lou Brock.
Not without some changes to your list
2) Getting rid of Skippy and Franklin would be a poor move, IMHO. Franklin is a fine reliever and a sufficient closer, if not one cut straight from central casting. Skippy is a fine platoon 2B against righties or at the very least a 4th OF. Both have enough value that they shouldn’t be discarded out of spite.
4) I’m a big believer in the power of prayer, but. . .
5) I would prefer to have a very good back-up plan to a Jay/CRaig platoon in RF, unless there are significant offensive upgrades elsewhere. Counting on a Jay/Craig platoon to be above replacement level is a dangerous game.
7) I wouldn’t have a problem with this, although I think McClellan might be better utilized as a starter.
8) I like Descalso and Greene as much as the next guy, but you have to upgrade from outside somehow, as going into the season with Boog/Yadi as fixtures, and filling in RF/2B/3B with the likes of Descalso/Greene/Jay/Craig is likely to be almost as disappointing as this season.
by SouthsideCardsFan on Sep 9, 2010 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I'll quibble with your assessment of Schumaker.
Even as a platoon player, his offense simply isn’t good enough to properly overcome his lousy defense. He needs to go.
Semper fidelis tyrannosaurus!
by the red baron on Sep 9, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I can certainly see that argument. . .
I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I understand it.
Guys who are capable of putting up a 360 OBP don’t just go grow on trees. Of course, given that his profile relies on batting average, and more specifically, not having bad BABIP luck, I would also be fine with trading him for something of value.
by SouthsideCardsFan on Sep 9, 2010 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
If everything goes right, Skip is an OK player. I really like him, but I’m not convinced everything will continue to go right. And even at his best he’s not all that great because of his defense.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I really, really wish he would just overperform for a while and net us some good players in return.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
if he had done that this year, would we have Oswalt...?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
eh
He was worth 1.5 WAR last year, and that comes with a -4 UZR (-40 UZR/150) score for the 130 some odd innings he spent in the OF last year. That seems to be a bit of an aberration, so I’d rather cut that out.
He was a -8 run defender last year by UZR and is a -18 run defender this year. IMO, he should be somewhere in the middle – he’s not THAT bad.
Fire Tony La Russa
Franklin can not close over a full season.
He’s been outright terrible in August / September the last two seasons. They can only take so many deflating losses before morale is completely broken. I like Skippy too but if you can upgrade at 2b you have to.
by mattisnotfrench on Sep 9, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah
Franklin should not be counted on as closer next season!
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Actually,
he was only outright terrible in August/September in 2009.
He was outright terrible from May-August in 2008.
He has been consistently solid, if unspectacular, this season, and to TLR’s credit (not something you hear me say often), i believe that he has mostly figured out how to use Franky, granted with a few hiccups here and there.
by SouthsideCardsFan on Sep 9, 2010 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions
we are paying
schu
miller
franky
no matter
unless…..
I may be in a rut, but at least I know where I'm going
...to DFA TLR
I seriously wouldn't mind DFAing half the team including Tony in the offseason
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Ugh
Was up all night puking, had to skip class all day, and now I’m achy and fatigued
The Cardinals will make me feel better, right?
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
this is what happens when you drink too much.
has turning 21 not taught you anything?
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I WISH it was because I was drunk
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
did you finally get food poisoning???
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
This is very possible
Late night Taco Bell…
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
Taco Bell is atrocious and should be avoided at all costs.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
you fail.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions
This coming from the Imo's fan.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
i do not envy you
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
also, stop eating so much fast food and candy bars FFS
and get off my lawn
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
Hey man, I play a sport at school (kind of)
I can eat whatever I want
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
you fail.
1. she’s a woman
2. frisbee is definitely only “kind of” a sport
3. fuck you and your metabolism
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
1) I know that she's a woman
2) Have you ever played competitive Ultimate?
3) Fuck you and your Lunchables
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
2. with my friends, sure. and i know it’s intense, and i know you have to be in shape, and i know there’s a freakish amount of running that goes on, and i like it, but it’s still frisbee. it’s not like you’re on scholarship to be on the frisbee team or anything.
3. i haven’t had a lunchable in several months. not having a metabolism worth a damn is really, really, really frustrating sometimes.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Well of course there's no scholarships given for frisbee... there's no NCAA league, just a Club one
And metabolism: Squat 3x a week (mornings preferably), eat spicy foods, join a club sport
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
i would honestly love to join a club sport.
but i’m one of the least-athletic people you’ll ever meet. it’s honestly just kind of pathetic.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
...ping pong? Have you seen the thighs on those guys?!
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
uh...
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
Also, Biba Golic
Google that, fellows
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
Ultimate Frisbee is a sport.
Do not confuse the PCU scene with actual Ultimate.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
I love that movie.
Sometimes I feel like nobody else has seen it but my brother and me.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
you're what, 26? i don't think you can tell us to get off your lawn.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
27
there are lot of differences in what you can eat and your body can handle between those 6 years
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
eh, my body already thinks it's 35.
and damn, i was close. i’m honestly kind of impressed with myself.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Um, I think we've gotten away from the focus of this subthread
Pity me more please
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
its hard to feel pity for someone who once bragged about how he had an infallible immune system and never got food poisoning and then laughed in the face of said infallible immune system by eating at taco bell
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
no. missing some commas perhaps, but that's it
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
Your face isn't
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
unfortunately, i don't have a lawn.
fucking arizona
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
get off my gravel configuration!
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
by IHeartBoog on Sep 9, 2010 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
So I was right.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought people had lawns of sand in Arizona, decorated with rocks and cacti...
"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 Sep 9, 2010 5:19 PM EDT up reply actions
prepare to vomit some more
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, I enjoy learning. Also my film symposium is tonight, so hopefully I get better before then
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
has anyone posted the lineups yet?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
skippy 4
winn 9
pujols 3
holliday 7
rasmus 8
molina 2
feliz 5
wainwright 1
ryan 6
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
probably going to miss the game tonight
watch, now they will play an amazing game
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions
mysterui likes this lineup
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
. . .
BJRains Those asking about Winn over Jay….I’ll check, but could be because Winn is 5-for-9 with 2 2b in career vs. Braves starter Jair Jurrjens. 38 minutes ago via web
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
sss
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I wonder if anyone has sat down with Tony and tried to explain the small sample size thing
but yes, sss
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions
They've tried, but haven't had the conversation with enough times for it to be effective.
by dronemc on Sep 9, 2010 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
maybe after 20 or 30 tries
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
at least Stav is not playing
but the danger is always there
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions
If Stav's not playing...
…then he’s lurking. Anticipation of Stav is almost as bad as the real thing.
Gotta wipe him off the roster – only way to be sure.
NO ONE EXPECTS THE STAVINOHA INQUISTION!
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
just wait for the double switch
he will strike (out)
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Cool. I hope that we don't put the "Cavalcade of suck" lineup out there tomorrow or Saturday
I have tickets to both those games.
by RollBirdsRoll on Sep 9, 2010 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Seems pretty straightforward what happened to the 2010 Cards...
in April the middle of our lineup was Rasmus-Pujols-Holliday-Ludwick-Freese
Thanks to mismanagement and injury that became Jay-Pujols-Holliday-Stavinoha-Feliz
Done.
Fire La Russa!
you have to at least play fair
rasmus plays way more than stavinoha does, even now.
otherwise i agree.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah but he bats 7th
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
TLR = 2 years left
Just breezing through a STL PD article about TLR and B. Cox. TLR has 140 w’s to get before getting to be 2nd all time for manager wins. That’s either 2 bad seasons (by Cardinal standards – About 3 by Pirates/Orioles standards) or 1.5 regular seasons. Come on… who wouldn’t want to see TLR just about 900 wins shy of Connie Mack?
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
He would like also get within 1,000 losses of Mack, which would lead non-owner MLB managers.
Oh wait, my bad. TLR already leads non-owner MLB managers in career losses.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not one for milestone stats
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Why does Big Mac get a pass?
Everyone(almost) is having a down year at the plate, and we don’t walk enough. What has changed? Should big Mac be the first to go?
by Remember Kenny B on Sep 9, 2010 4:52 PM EDT reply actions
Because it's almost impossible to gauge how much impact a hitting coach has, especially in just one year
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
I think it's fair to say
that at least he isn’t helping any
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I think that is unfair to say.
If you look at the batted ball adjusted wOBA’s above, if seems to me that the problem is results, which Big Mac has no control over.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions
ok
maybe they should hit the ball fair more often
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
or whatever
Big Mac is probably just reiterating the BE AGGRESSIVE thing anyway
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
actually he's not.
he does, however, think everyone on the offense is a young guy.
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
What's fair to say is that hitting coaches matter very little
Really seems that way. Luck has a lot to do with it, and I’m not really sure what a coach at the major league level can do to make a bad hitter okay, an okay hitter good, and a good hitter great.
Adios Esposito.
Adios Sarge. Say a prayer for Surf Boy...wherever he is.
do we really need a hitting coach then
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions
coaching staff=
butt slaps and back rubs
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
let's just hire Colby's dad
kill two birds with one stone, or something.
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he would drive down the street in his El Dorado... -the modern lovers
Big Mac is gold in this city and always will be.
He played a large part in reviving baseball in ’99, and thanks to him a significant part of the tremendous wave of good baseball karma was focused on St. Louis. Regardless of the PED issue or the crappy hitting performance or whatever else happens, a significant portion of the fanbase here will simply remember 70 and 65 and how cool it was to follow him back then.
Mac would have to take a bat to Albert’s knee and poop on Waino to get booted. Or TLR would have to go, but really, I’m thinking the first is more likely.
1998 was when the revival happened.
And then, in 2000, Jimmy Baseball arrived, as did Daryl Kile, and a decade of general baseball happiness ensued…
"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 Sep 9, 2010 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions
1998 was the beginning of my love affair with the Cardinals.
Big Mac is essentially THE reason I am a fan today.
Silly humans, this world is for robots.
And you still follow baseball?
Haven’t you heard that Mark McGwire is a no-good, lying cheater who destroyed the sacred gold calf record book by taking performance enhancing drugs and, in doing so, soiled the virginous reputation of a once virtuous endeavor amongst rightly gentlemen?
"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 Sep 9, 2010 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
I'm gonna have to rec this, and eventually steal it.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
why am I the only one
who has recced this?
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
Extend lineup this way
1. Trade for S. Drew with package with some combination of Ryan/Boggs/Lohse/Craig/Hawskworth/Kozma/prospects.
2. Open 2b to Descalso/Greene/Sch.
3. Pick up Mora/Wiggington/Tejada type as Freese contingency.
4. Try to sign Westbrook on one-year deal with option.
5. Dump Lohse to anyone who will assume at least $2-3million.
6. Be creative and find a young, athletic 4th outfielder like Joe Mather who can hit.
7. Fifth starter either Lynn or dumpster dive.
you couldn't get drew with that entire package
unless the prospects were our very best one(s)
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
Drew isn't THAT good and probably isn't worth more than any two on that list
(Lohse doesn’t count)
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not impressed with Drew, either
but why would Arizona want anyone on that list? Boggs,Craig, and Ryan are not bringing back Drew.
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
well they probably don't bring him back
but I still think those three bring more value to the Cards than Drew would. I could be wrong…
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions
i dont think you're wrong
but i wouldnt go this route anyway
i want a better 3b….like making a trade for one
by guillermozeliak on Sep 9, 2010 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Boggs, Ryan, and Craig
wait, yeah, I agree with what you just said.
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
arizona could use a boggs for sure
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
they could also use Ryan
so I am now posting against my regular comment.
I just think Arizona thinks that wouldn’t be enough to get Drew.
I’ve been wrong before, though.
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
me too
steven drew hasn’t really been consistently good. not good enough to lose boog’s defense and our second best BP arm
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
Lohse has a NTC. but otherwise i agree
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
I'm hoping they put Lohse in the pen
and he starts hating it enough that he requests a trade. Of course then you’d have to wonder who the eff would want him.
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
1) Unless "prospects" is Miller, not happening.
2) Fine with that.
3) None of those names really seem able to field the position anymore.
4) Ok if it’s for reasonable $.
5) Lohse isn’t leaving. He’s ours for two more years. We just have to hope he can do 5 innings/4 runs every time out.
6) That’s a little vague, isn’t it?
7) 5th starter is Lohse, see #5, but Lynn could get a look as #6.
package with some combination of Ryan/Boggs/Lohse/Craig/Hawskworth/Kozma/prospects.
who is going to give anything for that package? Better off DFAing all of those guys except for Craig and sign guys to give Cards better depth for next year.
One day, the dream will come true.
Boggs has a FIP of 3.89.
Why would we DFA him?
Ryan is a top 5 defensive shortstop. Why would we DFA him?
We owe Lohse $24MM over 2011-2012. Why not see if he gives us any sort of surplus value?
Craig could develop into a nice offensive player since he has hit at every level. Why would we DFA him?
Hawksworth is not very good. Kozma is horrible. Still, both are cheap and probably not worth DFA’ing.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah
I would definitely keep Boggs on the team
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
1. needs better spects
2. okay
3. 38 years old/okay/terrible
4. probably to oexpensive
5. NTC
6. young like joe mather
7. kmac
"Moneyball: It's kind of like communism."
twatter
how did pedro feliz ever have 4 seasons of 20 or more hr's
perfect exaomple of hitting a wal after age 30
is this ... i have no idea anymore.
BJRains Tony La Russa said today that the Cardinals “made some claims” in August, trying to get a hitter, but it didn’t work out. 4 minutes ago via web
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
I read this on MLBTR a little while ago.
Not at all surprising.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions
but was it from Tony?
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
Yes. He told it to a columnist.
One of the ones who peddle in front office gossip.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't wanna hear any effin excuses
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
Now Tony is covering himself
“I can’t win without a team full of great players. So it’s not my fault I don’t have them.”
He's been saying "great" rather than "grit" all this time?
Damn, our season’s gone to shit ‘cause our GM can’t hear.
yep
a manager does need a good team in order to win. huh… coulda fooled me, thought he wanted all the bench guys
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions
The offense hasn't been the problem
In August we had a .731 OPS and scored 4.96 runs per game. We gave up a .713 OPS and allowed 4.63 runs per game.
So for one, our pitching has been bad this past month. On the season we’ve given up 3.92 runs per game, so it’s been much worse in August. Secondly, we are continuing to get boned, hard, on run distribution. We’ve averaged .3 more runs per game than our opponents in August, yet are 11-15.
On the season we’ve won 5 fewer games then our Pythag. That’s pretty much the entire reason we are a longshot at the playoffs.
All stats from Baseball Reference.
Fire Tony La Russa
I feel like we've earned our record
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
i'm leaving in 4 minutes and don't to be so flip, and i'd write a fanpost later
but I’d be ridiculed for my gut-think…
this team can’t beat bad teams in must win situations when bad/mediocre pitchers are pitching. this team makes a lot of mental mistakes. this team has been put together poorly.
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
...
None of those are reasons why the Cardinals are winning less than their runs scored and runs allowed says they should.
Fire Tony La Russa
My own personal belief
(i.e. wild ass guess with absolutely no eveidence to support it) is that teams like the Cardinals (i.e. those with 3-4 dead spots in the lineup) are feast or famine offenses. So, they beat teams 11-2 or lose to them 2-1.
by SouthsideCardsFan on Sep 9, 2010 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
....
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/pondering-pythagoras/
Teams with balanced lineups outperform their Pythagorean records; one point of balance is worth 1.62 wins above what we would expect. For 95% of all teams, this impact will be limited to +/- 0.05 wins.
So even if the Cardinals are a team that will have an inconsistent offense, the effect on their Pythag record will be very small.
Fire Tony La Russa
Applied to the Cardinals
If you look at there everyday lineup right now, with their seasonal wOBA’s next to the names….
Schumaker: .304
Jay: .365
Bert: .411
Holliday: .387
Rasmus: .360
Yadier: .291
Feliz: .240
Pitcher: ~.200
Ryan: .252
That lineup has a coefficient of variance of .233 points of wOBa. Plugging that into Gassko’s formula above means we’d win -.002 games than expected.
Fire Tony La Russa
how do u get a coefficient of variance?
by guillermozeliak on Sep 9, 2010 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions
with a K-means clustering algorithim?
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
they occasionally pile on a team when winning
and often fall just short when losing
I’d say the run distribution argument just means that when a team plays poorly enough to beaten by the Cardinals by several runs, then sometimes the Cardinals do that. But they don’t play well enough to consistently beat shitty teams by any margin.
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions
FUCK
Sorry. There’s almost nothing worse than evidence that we’re just getting screwed. Emotionally I would prefer to lose and have the losing make sense. This indicates maybe it’s just the cruel machinations of fate. This is like some sort of Greek tragedy only without the parts that we deserve.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I guess the unlucky kind at least has the potential for the bad luck to stop
but I don’t find it nearly as frustrating. With a bad team eventually I will just accept that they are bad and start thinking about how they can get better.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
I'm hungry, but am almost positive that I will not be able to keep the food down
WHY IS MY LIFE SO HARD
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
7up and crackers, friend
Mangia
Adios Esposito.
Adios Sarge. Say a prayer for Surf Boy...wherever he is.
have some rich greasy food
and think about stuff that rots while you eat it
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Hmmm.
You live in L.A., attend USC, just got down with a summer internship where you lived in Seattle and worked for the Mariners, and seem to have a cool fiance. Now, you have a stomach bug. Sorry, I don’t think it tips the scales to “hard life” for mysterui.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
well everyone should just hope
that it’s a huge stomach parasite and that his life will end horrifically with a giant worm-thingy bursting from his chest
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions
make sure the fiance has your password here
so she can post pictures if that happens!
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
by mattyfrommo on Sep 9, 2010 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Already in my will
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
by mysterui on Sep 9, 2010 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
to be honest
if she gets it wrong and uses the fanpost function I’d let it slide this time, out of respect for the dead, and also awesome ways of dying, and also that scene in Spaceballs.
by DanUpBaby on Sep 9, 2010 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
well you have the authority
but that won’t stop me from linking to the community guidelines several thousand times in the fanPOST’s comments
by infallibleopiniongenerator on Sep 9, 2010 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I like visiting
On my last trip there, I saw James Cromwell walking down La Brea Avenue, and then I sat next B-Real at a pizza place.
I. Was. Starstruck. Especially by b real.
Adios Esposito.
Adios Sarge. Say a prayer for Surf Boy...wherever he is.
I don't know who James Cromwell is, but I assume it's the guy that Cromwell Field at USC was named after
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
Actor
Tall and old, was in Babe and L.A. Confidential.
Adios Esposito.
Adios Sarge. Say a prayer for Surf Boy...wherever he is.
Oh man, I completely forgot about "Babe"
I should watch that…
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
mmmm bacon
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions
James Cromwell is Stretch off of All In The Family
or the guy off of L.A. COnfidential, Babe, The Green Mile, and Star Trek: First Contact
Fire John Mozeliak up a nice steak, or stake ( haven't decided)
THIS.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
It was tongue in cheek, my friend.
I’m more than aware how lucky I am
But seriously, I’m hungry as shit
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
I know, I know.
I’m just teasing you a little bit.
"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 Sep 9, 2010 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Eat slowly my friend.
I feel your pain as I’m in the same position due to having wisdom teeth pulled.
Well, except I have drug to help get through. But I really want some real food.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
Boob Grab at Phillies game (NSFW)
Looks like he…
Stole Second
YEAHHHHHHHHH
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
Not THAT unsafe. No nudity
Of all sad words of tongue or pen; the saddest are these: 'It might have been!'
Oh now I get it
I kept reading it as “Boog grab”.
Adios Esposito.
Adios Sarge. Say a prayer for Surf Boy...wherever he is.
spinning.
http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=11868629
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
what's up with that pic?
it won’t go away!
"Nah….He’s an infielder. Second base…..I played second base, how hard can it be?"
by Cards Fan in Chitown on Sep 9, 2010 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not sure when/why it happened...
But the GOB decided to be SOB this year. It just seems like everything that could go wrong has in fact gone wrong.
Lohse’s Comeback Disaster? Here ya go, I’ll also throw in a Penny injury!
Boog or Skip eventual regression? How about both of them, and THEN SOME!
Isn’t Freese somewhat fragile? yeah his ankles are made of wet paper! BOOYAH!
I wonder if Albert can play like a human? Well…kinda.
And because of this, it just seems like the organization as a whole panicked, signed turds, and then became discouraged. With the Feliz trade, Miles & Winn signing (I think both of them have actualy been serviceable), it just seems like Mo said “well, i guess we gotta do something…f*ck it.”
Mike Shannon: "That strikeout was brought to you by...by...well, I don't know what it was brought to you by!"
John Rooney: "It wasn't brought to you by anything Mike."
I generally agree with this
A whole bunch of shit went totally wrong one after the other. Then our responses were just really awful.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Also I still really love that avatar.
SHO-NUFF!
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
meh
carpenter, wainwright, holliday, pujols, molina and garcia have all been healthy. That is probably more than we could reasonably expect- losing lohse, penny and freese hurt, but two of those were high-risk players to begin with.
Well the girls would turn the color of the avocado when he would drive down the street in his El Dorado... -the modern lovers
yeah, we haven't really gotten unlucky with injuries
More general underperformance and TLR.
Fire Tony La Russa
by vivaelpujols on Sep 10, 2010 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions
MLBN showing Holliday taking BP
That is one large, bald noggin.
Albert has the advantage of being ridiculous - FredbirdisaDork
you forgot sqaure.
and the fact that he has very large forearms.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
he's pretty weird looking honestly
You teach me baseball and I'll teach you relativity. No, we must not. You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball. --Albert Einstein
a few girls i hang out with find him very attractive.
follow me on twitter @nickg105, @Rams_Fan_Voice
by stlcardinalsfang on Sep 9, 2010 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions
He really is. He's a hulking slab of marble manliness
Here is photo evidence. It even has the leg kick, but the sculptor ruined it by putting the hydra underneath his foot.
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
That photo came out way smaller than I expected...
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
Behold, the Underminer!
I am always beneath you, but nothing is beneath me!
I hereby declare war on Peace and Happiness!
Albert Pujols does not have "down" years. He has "~6 WAR" years.
by mattybobo on Sep 10, 2010 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
sometimes I think Mattel designed him
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
especially in a hammock.
Asshattery: it's an epidemic.
Second base….I’ve played second base, how hard can it be? -TLR
Also, Dave Concepcion.
he should do that more often
BJRains When the Reds were leading 5-0, Brendan Ryan told me “Hey, the Rockies can win this game.”….turns out he was right. Rockies win 6-5. 19 minutes ago via web
Lick that shoulder—you're in the doghouse now.
"But listen, and understand: more Molinas are out there..." - THT
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