As the team turns from promise to seemingly fulfilling its pre-season predictions of mediocrity, I thought it might be appropriate to visit another bitter-sweet time.  Namely the Mark McGwire years.  As this season fades, do you look upon the big Mac era nostalgically, with regret and remorse or some mixture of each?  Given the responses generated by the question of whether or not to sign Barry Bonds, I thought it might be interesting to see how the VEBosphere distinguishes McGwire - home runs to Congressional Ks (www.youtube.com/watch?v=942HcHKbOno)  – from Bonds – homeruns to the memorable VEB phrase “douchebaggery.”

Quite apart from the PED issues, do we give Mac a pass because he brought a (goodly) measure of excitement to the Cardinals, or do we hold him to the ridicule that seems attendant with Barry Bonds?  What say you?

For those of us fortunate enough to have seen Musial in action, I thought it might be interesting to post memories to commemorate his day.  In no particular order ten that come to me:

1.  Watching him wind into that incredible corkscrew stance and sense the crowd’s anticipation as he uncoiled with amazing speed and deftness.

2.  Sitting in the cheap seats (right filed pavilion) and watching Musial tattoo line drive after line drive off the screen.  Often they’d land on the pavilion roof.

3.  Remembering the city of St. Louis collectively rising and threatening to lynch Frank (Trader) Lane when the latter offered to swap Musial even up for Robin Roberts.

4.  Wishing my family had enough money to just once take me to his restaurant.

5.  LOL with his advice to rookie Curt Flood.  On how to hit:  Wait for a strike and then knock the shit out of it.

6.  The grace and dignity with which he conducted himself – particularly in contrast to the taciturn sullenness that marked rival Ted Williams.

7.  Actually catching a foul ball he hit on his next to last game.

8.  Watching him depart with two hits in his last game.

9/10  Counts double – having the chance to interview him many years after his retirement, and having lunch sitting between Musial and Ozzie Smith.  For a Cards fan that’s an operational definition of sublime.

Has anyone noticed  that Shane Robinson is hitting over 400 in Springfield?  Slugging close to 600, OPS over 1000.   He went 3-4 yesterday and again today.   I gather that he is rather much on the diminutive side, but does anyone think he is a legit prospect?  Where would he fit at Memphis?  Can he play multiple positions?  Which position player is most likely to be called up thus setting the dominoes cascading and stacking?  Is Robinson the most likely Springfield call up?

 . . .on how much better the team would be with Ryan/Hoff at second, Raz/Mather in the outfiled and Kenendy and Duncan anywhere else?  In the last Houston game Shannon speculated that "Kennedy's back."  He is in fact back to back with 07's wretchedness.

Clearly the team is moving forward on other fronts.  Card kudos for unloading the undead - Rolen, Edmonds, Speez, but why in the name of Baseball Heaven (or whatever this year's dopey motto) do you cling to the deadly duo of Ken Dunc?  . 

 It is incomprehensible to see the team continually compound last year's blunders when there are vialble options now.