Hunt and Peck: Links of the Week

I am and always have been a very patient and calm person - even as a young child.

Except when I had soda.

Because of this and various other reasons such as soda just being terrible overall and water being free, my mother rarely allowed for me to be near the substance, which is sort ironic now, since I am practically addicted to the toxic beverage. I wanted soda; I wanted it bad, but whenever I was close, Mom would swoop in and snatch it from my weak, childish grasp. But sometimes, when my father would drive just my brother and me up to our grandma's on the weekend, he would stop and get us the best tasting soda I ever had. And right then, I realized that my patience had been rewarded.

One day, Oscar Taveras will be in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform and he will play baseball and he will hit baseballs. One day, Mom will stop swooping in and taking him from us. One day our patience will be rewarded. - Hardball Talk; Viva el Birdos

Other Things Going On in Baseball...

• OT isn't the only top young player having a rough go of it. Rangers' infielder, Jurickson Profar, will sit out a few days at least after getting his wisdom teeth removed. I got mine cut out when I was 15, just sayin'. - Hardball Talk
• Speaking of injuries, it must be tough to play in the Cactus League. Just ask Francisco Rodriguez. - Cut4
  Has there been a similar Grapefruit League injury? This is baseball, so of course there has. - Cut4
• And finally, rounding out the injury news, Kris Medlen will undergo season ending Tommy John surgery, basically forcing the Braves to sign Ervin Santana to a one year, $14.1 million deal. - Talking Chop
• Someone stole my bit about using a Magic 8 Ball to determine outcomes. Well, you can have it, because my Magic 8 Ball was getting to be a diva, anyway. - Sports on Earth
• Awwwwwwww! Someone give that man a MVP award, danggit! - Cut4
• There is constantly a fuss made over "pitch counts". How important is it, really? - Beyond the Box Score
• Even after 162 games, some teams will have played easier schedules. The difference is slight, but still there, with the Cardinals playing the third easiest schedule in the National League. (Shoutout to flood for sending me the link!) - Fangraphs
• I laughed way too much at a child potentially getting hurt. I mean, how hurt would he have gotten, really? - Cut4
• Here is an old video of the Griffeys hitting back-to-back homeruns, put here for your enjoyment. - Dugout Legends
• What is an impact prospect and what value does he bring to his team? - Fangraphs
• Aww, this is cute:
  <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Family time <a href="http://t.co/fpNm2GT6OO">pic.twitter.com/fpNm2GT6OO</a></p>&mdash; Carlos Beltran (@carlosbeltran15) <a href="https://twitter.com/carlosbeltran15/statuses/443231210635280384">March 11, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
  
  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The nightmares! How could this have gone so horribly wrong!? (In all honesty, I think it is sweet. I am still scared, though.)
  <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Good luck sleeping tonight. <a href="http://t.co/7UUDOOQ3zf">pic.twitter.com/7UUDOOQ3zf</a></p>&mdash; Matt Sebek (@MattSebek) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattSebek/statuses/443591899312828416">March 12, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What the Cardinals are Up To...

• I know this is Bleacher Report and some of you are against that, but it is about Trevor Rosenthal starting so I thought it could be overlooked. Thanks again to flood for the link! - Bleacher Report
• So, Lance Lynn is good at baseball and with the setback to Taveras, the door opens for outfielder Stephen Piscotty. - STL Today
• flood sent me another link, which I really liked, about Michael Wacha's less popular twin. I was pleasantly surprised because I thought they were going another direction with this. - Beyond the Box Score
• Grant Brisbee makes the argument that the Cardinals are the most trusted team in the league. I cannot disagree with him, but I may be biased. Don't forget to read the caption. I chuckled. - SBNation
• Xavier Scruggs misses ice cream. He talks about his offseason weight loss and trying to follow the examples set by Matt Carpenter and Allen Craig in this Q & A with Derrick Goold. - STL Today
• The Cardinals have enviable depth. And that is how they like it. - SI
• Kolten Wong is feeling relaxed and no longer flipping out. Well, sort of. - Fox Sports
• So... The Cardinals signed shortstop (maybe) Aldemys Diaz. - ESPN; Viva el Birdos; Viva el Birdos
  Did the Yankees make a mistake by passing on him? - Pinstripe Alley
• By the way, I heard Matt Carpenter signed an extension. - Viva el Birdos; SI

KNOW THY ENEMY...

• Billy Hamilton is practicing bunting. - MLB
• Mat Latos looks to be the Reds Opening Day starter, which happens to be in Cincinnati on March 31 against the Cardinals. - MLB
• "I hope you never have to make a choice as tough as 'Matt Holliday moth in ear'and 'Matt Holliday hit in balls.' It almost tore my family apart." - SBNation
• Cardinal70 at Cardinals Conclave continues with his Playing Pepper series with the Milwaukee Brewers. - Cardinals Conclave

Viva el Stuff...

• March Madness brackets for the Viva el Bracket Challenge can be submitted in two days. - Viva el Birdos
• stlfan continues his wonderful writing by talking about what the difference between league average and replacement level is. - Viva el Birdos
• creepyholliday, a new "face" around VEB has written a fanpost looking at who the Cardinals next breakout player will be. - Viva el Birdos
• Just a quick reminder about VEB day. - Viva el Birdos
• Catch up with the goings-on of VEB with Ben's Week in Review. - Viva el Birdos
• On Monday's Hunt and Peck I wrote a poem. It wasn't very good, but you should read it anyway if you haven't. - Viva el Birdos

Other Things...

• Tuesday night, the Blues lost to the Stars in overtime 3 - 2, with the Stars playing an emotional game after center Rich Peverly collapsed on the bench during the game before from a heart condition.
  The Note took out this frustration on the feeble Edmonton Oilers, beating them 6 - 2 on Thursday evening.
  For all things Blues - hockey version, check out hildymac and company (which ironically sounds like an old blues band name). - St. Louis Game Time
• Rams backup QB, Kellen Clemens is now a Charger and Roger Saffold failed his physical with the Orioles Raiders and is now a Ram again for the next 6 years or so.
  More on these stories and other things Rams at TST. - Turf Show Times
• We have now entered the finals of the SB Nation's Gif tournament. "Damn It, Astros, Part 6" appears to be the clear favorite, but I wouldn't count out "Buttgoal". - SBNation
• This exists. Be right back. - Yahoo

Weekly Scoreboard:

(I cannot get the charts to work on my Macbook. So frustrating.)

Monday, March 10.......... Tigers 17.......... Cardinals 5

Tuesday, March 11.......... Mets 9............... Cardinals 8

Wednesday, March 12... Cardinals 6....... Mets 4

Thursday, March 13........ Braves 0............ Cardinals 11

Today at 12:05pm CST the Cardinals take on the Astros. Today's probables have Michael Wacha squaring off against Jarred Cosart. A full Spring Training schedule is available here and the broadcast information is here. Today's game will be on MLB Network.

16 days until Opening Day, yo!

If you or someone you love have a link that needs to be shared, send it to me. Tweet me @lil_scooter93 or e-mail me at lil_scooter93@msn.com, day or night, weekday or weekend, rain or shine . Another thanks goes out to flood for sending me some great links this week!