There should be a congressional law banning the DH and astroturf
by Valatan on Jun 27, 2007 11:41 AM EDT
in St. Louis Cardinals News
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PrintI got back Monday night from a weekend trip to visit the family. My girlfriend, who is from Italy, and hasn't completely learned the ins and outs of baseball yet, initiated the following dialogue with me
her: I missed you enough that I actually read a baseball article while you were gone
me: Oh, that's cool
her: This article from may claims that the Cardinals are going to have problems with the rotation... is that still true?
[Explanation of the injury to Carp and the parade of 10,000 relievers in the rotation ensues]
her: Oh, and one other thing, I kept on reading references to this thing called the DH, what's that?
me: The Designated Hitter--in the American league, the pitcher doesn't bat, and they have this guy in the lineup who does nothing but bat, in the pitchers' stead.
her: That's stupid.
Getting that immediate, direct response from her was truly overjoying to me. I know that the DH is going nowhere, but I still hate it, and I will still rail against it at every chance that I get.
So, the second eleven inning game in as many days turns out on the positive side. My Mlb.tv feed died out sometime around the 4th inning (or the coffee shop I was at decided to start cutting off my bandwidth), but it is plenty encouraging to see Wellemeyer start to mature as a pitcher--it seems like he's changed his game a bit in the last couple of his starts--trusting his fastball more, chaning location more often as a means to keep batters off of balance, rather than trying to go to his inferior stuff so often. It's the approach that we've seen so often called for with respect to Anthony Reyes, but, all of a sudden it seems to be working, at least over a one wee span for the two headed monster of Well(s)(emeyer).
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Awesome conversation!
And
Oh, she has italian league soccer
Let me get this straight...
Definitely not an AC fan
Or at least
your girlfriend's from Italy and is interested in
What the hell are you doing on the internet?
Oh, I cant help myself
Pedro: Is she hot?
Valatan: See for yourself.
Pedro: Wow.
Valatan: Yeah, I took her to the mall to get some glamor shots for her birthday one year.
Pedro: I like her bangs.
Valatan: Me too.
I caught you a delicious bass...
The true test.....
No, the true test
Before every game ask her:
1-Would you start Chris Duncan against the LHP?
2-Would you ever use Randy Flores with less than a 9 run lead?
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
The trouble is
by BleacherBum on Jun 27, 2007 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions
So the White Sox may be extending Buehrle
Looks like either the Sun-Times are lying or Mr. Buehrle is lying, cause he'd get 4/$60 from the Cardinals, no sweat.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 11:55 AM EDT reply actions
Good lord
Maybe they are basketball fans
We have talked a lot on here about the types of trades that Walt used to make, and well, no chance of that happening here. The Maroth deal was a perfect match, and the Cards can spend the money this offseason in plenty of ways.
Done deal
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions
If that's true
If he went to market this offseason, he could do much better than 4/50.
Maybe he's realistic...
Has this season been the calm before the storm for Buehrle? I wouldn't bet $50 million it wasn't if I were him.
Even if you're right
The same things were true about Zito -- downward trajectory, worsening peripherals, and he got enormous money. Right now, 4/50 just isn't big money for a pitcher and his agent could argue about what a good year Buehrle's having. He could get much more on the market so, if he signs this contract, he has to really want to stay w/ the Sox. God knows why. That Guillen is a complete idiot. I'd have it written in my contract that they have to get a real manager.
Now ESPN 1000 is reporting that
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Buehrle's agent says
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Bernie on Buehrle
http://www.stltoday.com/blogs/sports-bernies-extra-points/2007/06/hurly-buehrle/
by SmashedAtoms on Jun 27, 2007 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Which shows Bernie
Sometimes I wonder if he actually talks to club officials about things or just goes off 'what they traditionally would do'.
Mike Gonzalez of the Trib now says that NO talks have taken place, however the Sox have sent their assistant GM to St. Petersburg, which is where Buehrle's agent is.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I would guess
Honestly, I think he's an FA at the end of the year, the ChiSox get their picks, and he signs somewhere. Us if we give him the money, elsewhere if we don't.
by SmashedAtoms on Jun 27, 2007 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions
It's in Buehrle's interest
I wonder why the Sox would leak that stuff that they're close to an extension.
Can't believe I'm saying this
Rolen to have MRI
He had it X-ray'd earlier this week, do they still think it might yet be broken?
They'll have to keep the roster spot full with Rolen until Friday when Eck comes off the DL. Then, we'd probably see Rolen go to the DL and Eck be activated with Ryan being the emergency 3rd basemen.
Rolen going to the DL is not a good thing. Pujols would remain completely unprotected in the lineup even longer.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 12:06 PM EDT reply actions
Eh...
He's slugging .385 on the season, and his June was worse than his May which was worse than April...
Ryan story
Better than the brownout he pulled Monday.
The four-game series at Shea Stadium wasn't a day old when Ryan was ready to leave. He hopped into a taxi from the team's Manhattan hotel, told the driver to take him to Shea, to the New York Mets, "to the blue and orange." The cab took him to Yankee Stadium. Late to the ballpark, he found his clothes frozen by his teammates. As they thawed, the clothes dripped water onto his glove.
He tried to blow dry his gear and blew a fuse in the visitors' clubhouse, knocking power out in, of all places, manager Tony La Russa's office.
His glove was still water-logged for his start Tuesday.
Lessons learned. He took the subway Tuesday.
"Good thing he showed up here this time," Thompson said.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 12:12 PM EDT reply actions
Yet another nagging mystery solved...
Jeff Sackaman has the answer.
wow, how did the 2006 team
no it was two 8 game losing streaks
by kyle man on Jun 27, 2007 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Still don't get the hate for the DH
But when boiled down, does anyone really have a problem with seeing a professional hitter take an at bat from a guy whos success rate is so low, he's encouraged to make an out with a runner on base?
For 8 spots in the line up, we see pitcher vs. hitter. We see baseball. Then we see this aberrant side show in the middle of the game we love?
The pitcher batting is a windmill in the middle of the green on Sawgrass #17.
by Jonathan23 on Jun 27, 2007 12:48 PM EDT reply actions
That's not true
If kids in high school and college weren't allowed to use the DH, they'd be able to hit.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions
and look at the cubs
upon further review...
but definitely zambrano. the guy is slugging almost .500. good lord. he might be able to hit 6th.
And Zambrano
Zambrano....
not just for pitchers
Not true.
i disagree
There, fixed that for you.
Do you not understand...
Basically, the DH undermines strategy and simplifies the game.
You probably advocate getting rid of the pawns in chess because they're weak...
the DH is Sawgrass
Fairness
Basically the advantage is held by the AL teams in AL parks, and the advantage is basically even in NL parks.
Whether you agree or disagree - that's just my POV.
by billyhoyel on Jun 27, 2007 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions
nah
if the cards wanted to have a guy like ortiz - awful fielding, but incredible hitter - they could; they'd just have to pay for him, and then either find a place for him in the field (1B, LF), or just have him pinch hit. same thing the red sox have to do with ortiz when they come to nl ballparks.
now, you'll say, but of course an nl team would never do this, because it wouldn't make sense - they'd only get the full benefit of this when they played in al ballparks and the guy could dh.
well, that's true, but the rules, and the prospective advantages, are the same for both teams - sign the guy, and he gets to dh in al parks, and doesn't in nl parks. to the extent an nl team doesn't think it's worth ortiz money to pay for a pinch hitter, fine - but that means they're saving money that boston has to spend, and it means the nl team has that extra money to get better somewhere else, and boston doesn't. it's not really an advantage.
the flip side of this would be a guy like carlos zambrano - an nl team should be willing to pay more for him than an al team would, because the nl team gets the advantage of having him bat, and the al team doesn't. you could just as easily say that nl teams have the advantage when al teams come to town because the nl teams have an incentive to stock up on the best-hitting pitchers.
Francona was bitching about this
(To Francona) -- If you really want Ortiz in the lineup, put him at 1st base! Cincy uses Adam Dunn in LF. Other teams make it work. Or, better yet, teach him how to field the damn ball. Or, since he's at first base, how about teaching him to catch it?
The conventional wisdom is that this favors the NL b/c their pitchers are used to bunting and hitting and the AL pitchers aren't. To some degreee that's true b/c NL pitchers are better hitters than AL hitters. However, b/c NL pitchers aren't good hitters, the difference isn't that great.
Meanwhile, as you point out, the difference between the DH in the AL and the utility player that NL teams use as the DH can be very big. I'm not sure how and would love to see Baseball Prospectus research this, but my hunch is that the respective advantages tend to balance out. NL teams have an advantage in NL parks. AL teams have an advantage in AL parks and it evens out.
intuitively
Here's the positional OPS splits for the 2007 AL:
1B 0.809
RF 0.806
DH 0.792
3B 0.769
CF 0.758
2B 0.757
LF 0.738
C 0.720
SS 0.717
P 0.365
So, basically, 2006 John Rodriguez or 2007 So Taguchi would be a "league average" DH. The teams at a real disadvantage are the ones who count on the DH for a disproportionate amount of offense- boston, cleveland, etc, or NL teams who don't have a decent bench.
DH makes for boring baseball,
It is inane to say that a purist would not enjoy the internet or blogs, those have nothing to do with the way the game is played. Purist want baseball to not get involved in gimmicks (interleague play, Allstar game that "counts", all that noise making crap at the ballparks, THE DH). Basically baseball sells out any time it can to make a few extra bucks, then the owners pass that money off to the player in HUGE contracts, and then they complain they aren't making any money and come up with more gimmicks.
Real baseball fans enjoy 1-3 games more than 23-18 games. Its just the way the game is supposed to be played
Amen, brother..
I'm sure glad to see all "anti" replies to this post. I knew the vast majority of folks on VEB were my kind of baseball fans.
by ArkansasTravs on Jun 27, 2007 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not surprised VEB folks
by ColinMacLeod on Jun 27, 2007 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Nah
I love using the following argument against the DH
of course
Excellent observation
I guess I shouldn't be so dogmatic about saying that NL ball is more "real" than AL. But, suffice it to say that I like it much better.
even then, though,
My favorite kind of game will always be the 5-3 variety, to be honest. Just enough scoring without making the game last four hours.
Wasn't baseball originally played to 20?
Yeah, I think it was
Steppin' on toes
I don't understand the decision to say "I love the formula of baseball, but once every nine at bats, i want to watch a completely different game. One where the goal is to make an out on offense, and throw batting practice on defense. I want to play something other than major league baseball 1/9th of the game."
I think the pitcher hitting is an interesting element, but in the same vein as the kicker player quarterback every nine drives, or a golfer having to putt left handed with his 7 iron every 9 putts. Very interesting. Extremely strategic. Not Football. Not Golf. Not major league baseball.
by Jonathan23 on Jun 27, 2007 1:18 PM EDT reply actions
It's not a black/white thing...
So Jonathan, how would you feel
Still, it's just "pitcher vs. hitter," and, to use your argument, it would be a better game because you'd get to see REAL HITTERS all the time, and not crappy catchers and shortstops and second basemen.
Also, pitchers should be able to enter an leave games as often as necessary to allow for the best possible "pitcher vs. hitter" match-ups, which would, of course, yield the best, most-exciting baseball yet. DH for everyone!!!
as long as we're going ad absurdio
i'm not sure how this argument is different from the one you're making. requiring that 1 out of 9 hitters be the catcher, or the shortstop, isn't any different on a lot of teams than requiring that 1 out of 9 be the pitcher.
Don't give the owners any ideas
People come to the park to see Pujols, well he gets to hit anytime hes not on base. He could go 7 for 20 with 4hrs. It would be great.
Oh you mean
Say we DH'd for catchers and SS too, we'd get to see the sweet defensive chops of guys like Adam Everett and Yadi Molina more, while quality hitters like Jack Cust and John Rodriguez get at bats in ML lineups. I guess i just don't see the beauty in watching Adam Dunn drop a fly ball in left, or watching Kyle Lohse strike out looking on three pitches. Is there strategy in these type of decisions? Yes tons. I just don't see much baseball in these decisions.
I don't get appreciating the game for its inefficiences. Its just not for me. I wanna watch a game of "whos the best" not "whos not the worst".
by Jonathan23 on Jun 27, 2007 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
But wait a minute, what if
by MdRedbirdFreak on Jun 27, 2007 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions
nope
by Jonathan23 on Jun 27, 2007 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions
"rules entrenched in tradition"
some of the other worst "rules entrenched in tradition":
- the rule that, in (NL) baseball, a lineup must consist of nine players at any given time, and of these nine, one must pitch, eight must field, and then these same nine must each bat.
- the constitution and bill of rights
- the golden rule
- the 5-second rule
- most of the laws in any of the first world countries
- you don't mess around with jim
- thou shalt not kill
- don't eat yellow snow
Wow
look, that's fine
however, i think in doing so, you should at least acknowledge three things:
- that really makes the sport of baseball into something completely different. at that point they almost have to change the name of the sport itself. it just isn't the same thing.
- that, in exchange for seeing only "the best" hitters or fielders or pitchers or whatever, you're also encouraging - no, actually, you're mandating - that from that point forward, there's no such thing as a well-rounded player. all players, or at least 95%, would be one-dimensional. they'd be trained starting in little league to either be hitters or fielders or pitchers, and they'd spend all their time training for just the one skill. almost never again would you see guys who are just all-around great. guys like edmonds or pujols or rolen: guys who win - deservedly - both silver sluggers and gold gloves. instead of being well-rounded (or penalizing their team for not being well-rounded), players would be one-dimensional.
- that, at its essence, this is really what the DH is all about.
I question the entertainment/game value of special
I want the person who is best at baseball, and I want to leverage their ability as much as a I can. The game isn't at its best when good hitters don't get major league at bats because Anthony Reyes and Ted Lilly are taking those from them.
by Jonathan23 on Jun 27, 2007 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions
well, no, you don't, really
what you want is the opposite of that. you don't want people who are "best at baseball." you want people who are the best at one particular element of baseball, and have nothing to do with any of the other elements.
sorry to keep at this
i'm just wondering if you would really apply this to other sports as well. for example:
- basketball: why does the person who gets fouled have to take the free throws? why don't we have a designated free-throw shooter just for this purpose? i bet that person would be awesome at shooting free throws.
- doubles tennis: why do they rotate? why not have one person in the pair always serve, and one always return, one always at the net, etc? i bet that would raise the level of play.
- volleyball: same concept - why make the players rotate? keep the best server serving the whole match; keep the best hitters on the net; keep the best defenders in the back court. that way, everyone is only doing what they are "best" at. in fact, why have the server be on the court at all? have a designated server. their whole job is to serve, and they don't have to do anything else. they stay out of the court for the rest of the point. i bet you could find some people who would be great at just serving (actually, i probably would have been one). come to think of it, this would work in tennis, too.
- i think this could really be implemented with a lot of success in "traditionally" individual sports like golf. john daly is great at hitting long drives, drinking, smoking, and marital strife. but who wants to watch him three-putt? golfers should be able to create teams so that one guy drives, one pitches/chips, and one putts. this would certainly improve the average scores on the pga tour. if a wiseass like tiger woods thinks he can do it all himself, he can try, and if he wins, he gets to keep all the money instead of splitting it three ways. this would also work in the biathlon, ironman triathlon, pentathlon, decathlon, and gymnastics.
Very nice
P.S. The DH's mutha is a terrible cook!
NL ball is simply more interesting...
--is it worth pinch-hitting for your starter late in a close game? Factors to consider include: score; outs/runners on; pitcher fatigue; upcoming hitters for opposition; pitchers' ability with the bat; opposition pitcher and possibility of forcing their hand. This is not a situtaion that occurs in an AL game.
--1st and 2b with 1 out, pitcher up. Bunt or swing? How is the defense playing? Is the 3b pulled way in? The defense has to react to the situation, but also try to anticipate the strategy. Of course this occurs in the AL, but not to the extent that it does in the NL.
--Intentional walks/pitching around No. 8 hitter: it always bugs me when TLR early in a game intentionally walks a No. 8 hitter with 2 out to get to the pitcher---I remember a game last year in which he did it and Aaron Harang then drove in the game's only run. But this is a strategic decision that is not part of the AL game.
I can go on and on, from pitch selection to roster construction, on reasons why having pitchers hit makes for more-complex and more-interesting baseball.
The so-called negatives of "having to watch a pitcher hit" are greatly outweighed by the added strategic implications. To appreciate it, though, requires paying more attention and using your brain---things that many fans have a hard time doing.
Did you happen
There was a lot of strategy -- the 2 managers going against one another. A lot of tension and Tony chose to NOT try to make an out -- and it worked.
I'm not a big fan of sac bunts either but the NL game is still much better than the AL game partly b/c there are a lot of options when the pitcher steps to the plate -- if you have the balls to try them.
All this DH/non-DH brings to mind my fantasy
No lineup moves needed.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 1:47 PM EDT reply actions
Remember
Right hander?
Maybe
I thought about Worrell but it never made sense in my scenario that he only pitched to 1 batter.
it was Worrell
Wha?
It's like running into a Celine Dion fan at South by Southwest.
I don't mind the DH...
PS: Valatan, does she have a sister?
by Ankiels Missing Curveball on Jun 27, 2007 2:02 PM EDT reply actions
Fat Prince Fielder
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 2:32 PM EDT reply actions
Woody's getting shelled again...
How depressing is being a 'stros fan right now?
They absolutely mortgaged their future to win now and they're no better than the Nationals.
They gave up Hirsh, Taveras, Buchholz, the #17 pick in the draft (Blake Beavan), the #81 pick (Eric Sogard), and, assuming the final half of Lee's and Woody's contracts will produce nothing, they took on about $60 million in dead money.
Purpura should be touching up that resume right about now...
The game between
That's pretty funny ...
by Leo on Jun 27, 2007 3:01 PM EDT reply actions
Nate Silver on Anthony Reyes:
Nate Silver: It seems like every time I turn the TV on Reyes is down 5-0 in the first inning. He doesn't miss bats -- just 19% of his strikeouts have been of the swinging variety, as compared to a league average of 22% -- and it seems like most of his strikeouts are just the result of his nibbling a whole lot and hoping for the best. And he has to nibble because he's going to get creamed if he works in the middle of the zone. I think he could be a league-average starter if he played in a big park like San Diego -- otherwise, he's fringy.
ugh.
That's not suprising
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Reyes' "outlier" qualities--
by MdRedbirdFreak on Jun 27, 2007 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions
there's more
How about some bullet points?
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
the theory is interesting
batters miss on only 17 percent of their swings against wainwright and 18 percent against todd wellemeyer. against chris carpenter last season, batters missed 20 percent of the time they swung.
reyes misses plenty of bats, nearly as many as the team's best pitcher. he just makes too many mistakes.
Is there any data on pitches fouled off?
Larry, does that data show ball and strike percentage too? I'm sure that we'd see a difference between pitchers there.
for both reyes and wellemeyer
reyes and wellemeyer also lead the team in another aspect of "missing bats": only 30 percent of the strikes they throw result in a ball in play. the percentages for the other starters are 31 for wells, 35 for wainwright, 36 for looper. again, for comparison's sake: carpenter allowed a ball in play on 31 percent of his strikes in both 2005 and 2006.
to finish off the thought
What I see when I watch Reyes
Looper's done pretty well this year w/ basically 2 pitches -- primarily b/c he's stayed out of the middle of the plate. Reyes seems to have trouble throwing strikes w/ his 2 seamer and that slurvy thing he throws, and often falls behind in counts and ends up throwing one over the middle of the plate. IMO, his stuff is plenty good (though I think his curveball needs to be much better, it's almost unusable right now) to be a successful pitcher as long as he stays out of the middle of the plate.
Nate's comment on translating MiLB stats
Ronnie (BK): How'd Reyes go from a very good prospects (25th on Baseball prospectus list last year), to a marginal major leaguer in yopur opinion? He was highly touted, now he's Paul Wilson? When did that happen?
Nate Silver: One category that we're learning to be wary of is pitchers with good K/BB numbers but problems with home runs and flyballs in the minor leagues. Since power is the thing that most differentiates major league from minor league hitters, that really tends to get magnified once a player hits the bigs, and it's often a proxy for pitchers that are getting by with marginal stuff.
Hope this helps.
again, it's a theory
and no, the adjustments i have in mind do not involve pitching to contact. . . . .
Not drinking the A. Reyes Kool-Aid
The patience shown for Reyes, by at least some folks here, baffles me, as does the extreme aversion to pitching to contact. Hopefully we all understand that "pitching to contact" means making them hit YOUR pitch, whereas Reyes continually winds up being forced to throw the pitch that hitters want to hit. He may aim for strikeouts, but he winds up pitching to contact -- HARD contact.
Strikeouts are nice, but nibbling at every batter, going deep into the count, and then failing to get strikeouts -- Reyes' typical M.O. -- just doesn't cut it. Five or six strikeouts along with five or six earned runs doesn't do much good.
As far as his peripherals, his performance this year has certainly forced me to reevaluate how much stock I put into peripherals. If you have two pitchers with similar peripherals (as AW and AR supposedly do) and yet widely varying ERA's and W-L records, I don't think it's a matter of small sample size, chance, or bad luck. Rather, it tells us that there are real limitations to what peripherals tell us.
If Reyes gets slaughtered tonight, I sincerely hope not to see him pitch for this team again this year, period, end of story. Let's move on.
by willievinceterry on Jun 27, 2007 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Speaking of the DH
Watching the CWS I was sort of ticked they had DHs. I'm guessing it has something to do with scholarship # limitations and their smaller pitching staffs. But still, I thought those games would have been more exciting if there was more pinch-hitting.
DH in college
Anthony Reyes
Your St. Louis Cardinals.
Boxscore (from Shea) here:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN199306270.shtml
As far as Reyes, he is pitching for his Cardinals future this second half of the season. Per Joe Strauss live chat today:
What was especially significant about his recent demotion to Memphis is that it exhausted Reyes' last remaining options. The Cardinals can not send him out next spring, season, etc., without clearing him through waivers. Unless they are sold on him as a starter (which does not appear the case), the Cardinals are more likely to move him now than before they had to spend that option.
Reyes has the second half of this season to prove his worth to the Cardinals or else face the possibility that a rotation already slotted for Carpenter, Mulder, Wainwright and Maroth will not have room for him.
Go get 'em, Iron bill.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 4:43 PM EDT reply actions
I like Reyes tonight
If they continue to be very aggressive at the plate, I think Reyes will be able to get ahead in counts and get people out.
As for Glavine, I'm not that optimistic. So it doesn't necessarily translate to Reyes breaking that losing streak.
Does this mean he can't be sent back...
Sorry to sound so negative. I've been a supporter of BT, TW, and AW, and am very happy about the Maroth acquisition (and do not expect 2-hit performances to become the norm), and remarkably, there have been four straight good starting pitching performances -- which seemed inconceivable about two weeks ago.
But I despise Reyes' pitching and the unending soap opera and barrage of excuses surrounding him. Hopefully the bullpen doesn't get worn out tonight and/or Glavine struggles again, otherwise it could be a long night.
by willievinceterry on Jun 27, 2007 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Reyes can be sent back and forth
Reyes in the bullpen has been scoffed at like Eckstein at 2nd base: their arms can't do it.
So, Reyes either gets his head on straight, stays out of the middle of the plate and proves himself a #5 starter the rest of the way out or he gives was to Braden Looper in 2008 and is traded for something.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Next year
by willievinceterry on Jun 27, 2007 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Please be cautious when
Wood's injury
Mulder's injury came as a result of altering his mechanics to compensate for a sore back. With being retaught his proper mechanics, I don't see why Mulder can't stay healthy.
Return to form? I dunno. Healthy? Should be.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Ohka
Not ready.
Rolen in lineup
I'm guessing the MRI today showed no significant damage other than bruising and thus, he's back in the lineup.
He's horrid against lefties, but maybe he won't throw 1 hoppers to our 1st baseman.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 6:04 PM EDT reply actions
Rolen career vs Glavine
PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
70 55 19 6 0 2 7 14 7 .345 .486 .564 1.050
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Valatan and Burhle(SP)
According to mlbtraderumors.com the CHisox planted that trade involving them and BoSox, so I'm gonna wait to see an official release as to whether or not mark resigned.
Game thread?
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 6:17 PM EDT reply actions
Wow!
Is this a prelude to a premature Colby Rasmus sighting? (not necessarily this year, but early next year?)
Honestly
They can't really bring up Rasmus or Ankiel, both are lefties and would create and all LH outfield.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions
This year, I agree
This would seem to give them an opportunity to promote Rasmus early in 08 or give him an opportunity to break camp with the team.
Strauss believes that Juan will be traded
Doing so creates some problems. The Cardinals would still be left without ANY legit RH bats for the outfield. Candidates for the outfield in 08: Duncan, Edmonds, Ankiel, Rasmus, Speizio, and aging Gooch.
Gooch and the switch hitting Speezer are the only 2 righthanders they can use out there, baring some sort of major off-season signing.
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions
gotta believe
Surprise, Surprise, Suprise
Rolen is back though. Ludwick gets the start.
So does Ryan
Where is the game thread? 30 minutes until expected first pitch.
VAAAALLLLAAAATAN!
by Hardcore Legend on Jun 27, 2007 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions
So Rolen's playing tonight, right?
by kyle man on Jun 27, 2007 7:39 PM EDT reply actions
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- The Cardinals Hall of Fame can now be found at Bill Clinton’s library in Arkansas (Huh?)
- Will Bryce Harper start the season with the Nationals?
- Mitch Mustain puts football behind him, signs reported rookie deal with White Sox
- Robinson Cano and Denzel Washington face off in Jay Leno’s Yankees trivia contest
- Shane Victorino lands role on ‘Hawaii Five-0′
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