The minor leagues are often glorified as a simpler, less corrupt version of America’s national pastime, where the game is unadulterated by fame or money and where long bus rides build character. But behind the pastoral charm is a less idealized reality: that it operates on the backs of workers earning poverty wages.

6:00pm til question mark. Civil Life beers, wine, food, darts, boggle, jenga. full spread. the works, really. topics of discussion: kids these days, allen craig's contract, tacos. fink will be there. WILL YOU????

Blues Season Opener Thread

Cardinals set to hire Matheny as manager 37 minutes ago tweet Email Print ST. LOUIS (AP)—The St. Louis Cardinals said they will announce the hiring of Mike Matheny as manager during a news conference Monday. Matheny, a former St. Louis catcher will replace the retired Tony La Russa. La Russa stepped down after leading the team to the World Series title. The 40-year-old Matheny was a minor league instructor with the Cardinals and has no managing experience. He played for St. Louis from 2000-04 and won three Gold Gloves. He won another with San Francisco. Matheny’s playing career blossomed after he signed a one-year free-agent deal to be the backup catcher in St. Louis. A career .239 hitter, Matheny did enough defensively to earn a starting job. Matheny was one of six men the Cardinals interviewed to replace La Russa. They also talked to Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, longtime Cardinals third-base coach Jose Oquendo, former Boston manager Terry Francona, Triple-A manager Chris Maloney, and Chicago White Sox coach Joe McEwing.

According to ESPN, THE 2011 CARDINALS PLAYED THE MOST INNINGS IN A SEASON IN MLB HISTORY!!! WE GOT MORE BASEBALL THAN ANYONE. EVER.

What happens on the flight, stays on the flight.

But in this room, we never lost faith. We never lost hope. Now, saying it and doing it are two different things. I’m still not sure how we did it. But we did.

This is the first time in the live-rodent era – 1920 on – that a squirrel has made consecutive appearances in a postseason [series].

LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND TORTOISES: Here in Albertofstan, it is the 1st Day of Ozzie Time in the Year of Our Berk, known as 2011! And the Cardinals are playing baseball.