Cardinals news and notes: Rosey, Ravech, and the rookie

May is a hectic time for sports. The NBA and NHL playoffs are in full swing and even in seasons in which local sports fans have no vested interest in the playoff games this late into May, it can be difficult for some to fully concentrate on baseball. In a year like this one, where the Cardinals are mired around .500 and a different local team looks like a legitimate title contender, it can be nearly impossible.

Games outside of the normal game-watching pattern don't help the matter. When the earliest game of the last week started at 7 p.m. Central on a day in which most games start six hours earlier and in which many local sports fans focused primarily on a different game altogether, it's tricky to maintain a rhythm. Non-playoff baseball is largely a matter of routine rather than planned-around events, so a Cardinals return to St. Louis and Busch Stadium should be a relief this week.

But baseball did still happen, even if it was relegated to the background of your life (I recognize that if you're the kind of person reading a 6 a.m. Viva El Birdos post, you're probably more inclined than most to place a very high premium on baseball, but I don't want to be presumptuous). And it was also analyzed. Right here. On Viva El Birdos dot com. For your reading pleasure. Here's what it was.

Aledmys Diaz

Ben Markham wrote about Aledmys Diaz and his abilities against fastballs. Well, it's about other things, too, but you'll have to click the link to find out about those. Diaz has had a wildly successful, impossible to maintain start to his MLB career but there is reason within the data to believe that while Aledmys Diaz isn't actually a modern combination of Ty Cobb and Ted Williams (he's probably nicer), he also has some control over the numbers he is producing and that he is not merely the beneficiary of tremendous luck.

Saturday's game

You can check out the game thread from Saturday night's 5-3 defeat to the Dodgers, or if you want to relive the game (I don't understand why, but I'm not in a position to judge how you spend your free time), As You Van Slyke It wrote it and it's right here.

Trade Trevor Rosenthal?

One of my favorite types of article is ones in which the possibility of trading Trevor Rosenthal is explored. I am a sucker for all of them, and that includes the red baron's latest. I love the discussions because such unusual factions form: some, like RB, are very fond of Trevor Rosenthal and want to trade him not out of contempt but because he could garner such a sizable reward. Others just don't like Trevor Rosenthal and would give him away if they could. And yet, these two form an allegiance for completely different reasons. If we could somehow work Trevor Rosenthal into hypothetical trades for Mike Trout, I'd probably quit my job to read all of them.

Karl Ravech

You may have also missed Part 2 of Craig Edwards's interview with ESPN's Karl Ravech. And in case you missed the first part on Friday, you should check that out too.

Sunday night's game

Game thread is here, and the recap of the 5-2 Cardinals victory is here.

Off-day today, Rockies tomorrow night. Hold tight, VEB.