la Beisbolista

baseball is back

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:25:00 +0000

First, a question. What in the hell is in Yadi's mouth?

Okay, I know. You don't know. You're probably even thinking, "Huh?" Or, "What?" Seriously, though. It was not your run-of-the-mill mouth guard. Is he wearing a retainer?

What a beautiful day for baseball. Be sure to sit outside and soak up some vitamin D, sports fans.

Now, on to the game. (How exciting is it that we finally have real baseball to talk about?)

Good things about the 2010 Opening Day in Cincinnati:

Yadi in the lineup (and, maybe more importantly, behind the plate).
A-Rey, Jr. rocking the stirrups.
The Best Player In Baseball. AB: 1. HR:1.
The Wood-smith on the mound. "Screaming at Votto down the line."
Scott Rolen on deck.
End of the first, Cards up 1-0.
Scott Rolen flying out to left field.
Raspberry Tart going deep in the fourth.
Lug-nut's base hit to left.
The Penguin's RBI single.
Rolen bobbling the ball, allowing Yadi to go to third.
The Wood-smith's bunting stance.
Carp powering through the fourth and keeping the lead intact.
End of the fourth, Cards up 3-2.
TBPIB now 2 for 3 with a single in the fifth.
The Captain sliding cleats-first into the 2Bman.
"The ball gets away and Pujols will score!"
End of the fifth, Cards up 4-2.
Molina beating Rolen's throw to first.
Raspberry Tart climbing the wall and taking a homerun away from Rolen.
Realizing (during the interview) that my respect for Moze has grown exponentially since his start.
TBPIB adding on 2 more with his second HR of the season/game following a Boog single.
The Captain collecting his first hit with a single in the seventh.
Carp leaving with a decent line. 6IP, 5H, 2ER, 3K, 0BB.
End of the seventh, Cards up 6-3.
End of the eighth, Cards up 6-4.
YADI TAKING ONE YARD FOR A GRAND SLAM!!!
"The Redbirds have pulled out the power sack." -Mike Shannon
Cards win the first game of 2010 by a score of 11-6.

Not-so-good things:

On 3-0, Matt Holliday lining out to Aaron Harang.
Yadi hit by a pitch in the fourth. Holliday in the fifth.
Stranding 2 in the fourth.
Votto's solo shot in the fourth.
Rolen's solo shot in the fourth.
Batman booting an easy grounder.
The Reds' circus act in the sixth to get Carp at first.
Jason Motte.
The ball through the legs of The Penguin.
"That was stolen off McClellan."
Ryan Franklin

Well, at any rate, there is one thing we can all agree on: the Cardinals are back.

Oh, and the Cubs ~~are losing~~ lost. *smile*

Ahhh, baseball. It's going to be a great year.

10 NDD points for Yadi. For his FIRST GRAND SLAM EVER.

planting seeds for Spring

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:27:00 +0000

I know I've been a little remiss in my blogging this offseason, and for that I apologize. Some things can't be helped, though, and I figure it's better to just move on and see what the 2010 season has in store for baseball, the Cardinals, and fans. After all, it's a new year, with new possibilities, and some new faces. What could be be better? (Other than actually getting to go to Jupiter and watch Spring baseball in person, that is.)

We're still waiting for a few of the transcripts to go up, but if you've missed out entirely, you can check out the Roundtable discussions, all archived over at the UCB site.

Excited about the season? About the '10 Cardinals? You should be. There's a lot to be excited for!

Sounds like Jaime Garcia, barring any major natural disasters, will be the fifth starter in a pretty sound rotation. I like that. I like him. I'll tell you why (don't even bother asking, it just slows me down). (1) He's young. (2) He's a lefty. (3) What little we have seen from him in the past was very promising. (4) You can tell he wants it.

Fingers crossed that he turns out to be our just-what-we-needed-but-didn't-know-it-at-the-time player. It's nice to have one of those each year, and it's definitely pitching's turn to contribute.

Speaking of the rotation...

What really needs to be said of Wainwright and Carpenter? They're doing what they do.

Penny, if you judge by the excitement in Mike Shannon's voice (which I do), was absolutely owning the Marlins batters he faced yesterday. He was working fast, too, which is always a good sign. Whatever weird injury he may have sustained this Spring doesn't seem to be affecting him much at all. (Hopes that Yadi recovers equally well.)

Lohse goes today (on 550, if you live close enough to pick it up) against the Mets. I heard somewhere he's predicted to be roughly as good as he was in '08, and nothing would make me happier. (Actually, I'd even take '09 Lohse, for what it's worth.)

Also, yesterday...

Brendan Ryan made some very nice, not so run-of-the-mill plays at short, and again, Mike was jumping out of his chair (metaphorically speaking) with each call. Maybe they were as spectacular as all that, or maybe Mike was just in a "jumping out of his chair" mood. Either way, I can't wait to get this season started.

Felipe Lopez has 5 stolen bases this Spring? Huh. Maybe I'd put him in the leadoff spot and save B-Ryan for the niner.

That leaves Rasmus for the 2-hole, captains obvious for 3 and 4, Freese for the fifth spot, Skip in #6, Yadi (or LaRue *sob*) batting seventh, and the pitcher eighth. Of course, unless I'm playing Flip in right field, I'll need to thin out the infielders a little. Luddy would bat fifth, in that case, with Freese sixth, and move Skip to the first spot. If Lugo is playing, I'd bat him ninth, so not much rearranging needed.

Whew. No wonder TLR never smiles. I smell a new record for number of unique lineups in a season. (Previously held by TLR.)

8 days until Opening Day! 15 Until the Cardinals Home Opener! See you in Saint Louis!

um... duh.

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 04:42:00 +0000

First of all, if you're reading this, you probably aren't reading this.

Well, that made a lot more sense in my head than it obviously does in type, but since you probably aren't reading this anyway, it doesn't matter much, now does it? I could even misspell a few words and who would be the wiser, I ask you? No one. Not even you, who aren't currently reading.

My domain is a mess. I don't know why my site is down, nor do I know why I can't redirect it. And I don't know how to fix it.

But regardless, I have things to mention. (By the by, my feed still works, and if I knew why that was, I'd undoubtedly be even more confused.)

[Update (3-27, 8:45pm): It's all fixed. How? Why? I'll probably never know.]

But on to those "mentionables".

Yadi is hurt. I'm sure I'm only the latest person to mention this, but it bears repeating. He strained his oblique on the basepaths and may very well miss opening day.

*blink*

Do I sound calmer than you would've thought I'd be? Worry not. I'm currently chewing on the keyboardcxzCVSCz FSXCDC SXWsxzcdcvSXZDSXAzXZ SCX CS X

FDCX

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WHAT WILL WE DO WITHOUT YADI?!?!?!

Oh, sure, Jason LaRue is a great back-up, but he's no Yadi! No one is Yadi! He's, he's... YADI!!!

TLR said this about his catcher:

I don't think there's anybody on our team more important than Yadier. There's others that are as important, but Yadi is right there tied for first.

Aaauuuuggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Good gods, what will we do?

now that's what I'm talking about

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 02:10:00 +0000

It's good news, Cardinals fans!

The Cardinals are bringing back the amazing Flip.
F-Lo. Fe-Lo. Lo-deck.

Finally.

No, that's all.

Just the news I've been waiting for all off-season.

Ready for some baseball? Me, too.

UCB Roundtable: Salary Cap

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:46:00 +0000

My turn at posing a question to the UCB began with buying myself a new purse. Well, it's Spring Training, right? New season, new opportunities, new jerseys. Why not a new handbag to announce my fandom to the world? (And some pretty cool new earrings to boot!)

Spring makes me feel like shopping, and shopping makes me wish I had a lot more money. Money got me thinking about salaries and bonuses and team spending, and that made me wonder about payroll discrepancies across baseball.

Sure, some teams can get by spending less, and some teams feel the need to write blank checks to bring in the talent, but amazingly, there seems to be very little correlation between the number of zeroes and the number of trophies. Maybe this is because of the farm system. Maybe players feel more connected to the team that brought them up, and this loyalty shows itself in the form of "hometown discounts". Maybe arbitration and options and years of service have a positive impact on team development. Maybe a salary cap would only give players more incentive to "test the market".

At any rate, I was curious what the rest of the bloggers thought about the notion. Is a salary cap necessary? Would it work? And how would it affect the Cardinals specifically?

Daniel (C70 At The Bat): I've never been a big fan of salary caps. I'm a bit more on the side of the unfettered market, though I have no problems with the luxury taxes baseball has in place now, so that you can spend what you want, if you are willing to meet that price. Salary caps, in my mind, are owners desperately trying to find some way to control themselves.

As for necessary, I don't know that it is as much in baseball. Now, if you want to make sure that teams are able to compete long-term, maybe you have to do something of that nature. But in the decade just past, the Yanks only one at the beginning and end, the Rays were in the series, Philadelphia (which should play as a bigger market, but doesn't always) won one and was a runner up, Arizona took home a title, and unless you were in Kansas City or Pittsburgh, you saw your team in the playoffs at least once in that span.

The problems in baseball aren't necessarily in the money department, but in the brains department. A smart ownership with a focus on the draft and large upside bargains can go a long way. Can they sustain it beyond a couple of years? Maybe not, as those players start pricing themselves out of the budget. But there should be new ones ready to take their place.

I don't know how much a salary cap would affect the Cardinals, either. They have their own internal cap, of course, but they play in a division where most everyone is spending less than them anyway, so that wouldn't change much. They would probably lose Pujols, though, or they wouldn't have signed Holliday.

Jack (Thoughts About Cardinals): I really don't like the idea of a salary cap in Major League Baseball. It would change the nature of the game tremendously. The luxury tax is enough socialism in baseball for me. The Cardinals would probably not be affected by it terribly, however, because we tend to be in the middle of the pack payroll wise. Our organizational philosophy would likely not change that much.

Jeff (Five O'Clock Blogger): My Short Answer is "No, a salary cap is not necessary." I'm not sure I'm smart enough to provide a well-reasoned Long Answer, but I usually don't let that stop me.

For one thing, I'm opposed to salary caps on philosophical grounds: I'm not a fan of rules to protect one from oneself, and it seems that salary caps are in place to do just that.

Secondly, I don't see where caps necessarily level the proverbial playing field. In the capped NFL and NBA, it always seems like the same handful of teams are the top teams and another handful are busy putting down carpet and paneling in the basement every year. Sure, you'll get the odd Cincinnati Bengalses or Golden State Warriorses surprising folks every now and then, but then they go right back to hanging with the Detroit Lionses and New York Knickses.

Meanwhile, your Indianapolis Coltses and L.A. Lakerses seem to dominate every year anyway. And that seems to be because they are well-run organizations that employ smart people who know what they are doing, which is what the more successful baseball teams do, without a salary cap.

Say what you will about the well-heeled Yankees and Red Sox "buying" championships (a notion I disagree with), but Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein and their minions are smart people. Meanwhile, the (nearly) equally well-heeled New York Mets and Chicago Cubs can't seem to stay out of their own way. I'm not saying that Omar Minaya and Jim Hendry aren't smart; they're just throwing their millions at the wrong guys.

And that's what it boils down to, whether in MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, EPL, PDQ or WTF... it's not how much money you have, but how well you spend it. Teams like Tampa and Colorado seem to have figured this out, while the Royals and Astros haven't. A salary cap isn't going to help the poorly run MLB teams any more than it has helped the crappy teams in other capped leagues.

What's frustrating about our Cardinals is that while our front office seems to be more forward-looking, the ... how do I put this charitably... "more traditional" field manager seems to have too much pull with the owners for my taste in terms of personnel decisions.

Ryne (Redbird Rants): I don't think baseball needs a salary cap. Maybe I fear change, but I think the system works fine. For all the jokes that the Yankees buy championships, the truth is that the organization earns them. And the Yanks and Sox and the rest of the big market teams don't win every year. The Cubs are up there in payroll and it will be 102 years since a championship for the franchise. Yes, the small market teams have a tougher time sustaining success and winning championships, but their owners could spend just as much. I mean, these guys are all billionaires right? Some owners just care about winning more than others (George Steinbrenner). The Tampa Bay and Kansas City owners could pour just as much into a team as George does. They choose not to. Small markets would do make just as much money with a good team on the field. People like to see wins not losses, and regardless of the market, fans will pay to see a good, competitive ballclub. So, I would leave the system alone, it really does work.

As far as the Cardinals are concerned, a change wouldn't hurt them. The team doesn't throw money around on free agents and has a solid front office and coaching staff in place. With good baseball people in the organization and coaches to develop talent, an organization can thrive. Look at the Minnesota Twins. The Cards don't spend too much or too little and still dominated the decade in the NL Central, so the organization's strategy works.

Kathy (Redbird Chatter): As an employee, I cannot imagine wanting to work for a company with a salary cap. The concept just seems to go against the principles of capitalism and competition that Americans hold dear. Picture working for a company that no matter how great a year you have, you cannot get the raise you deserve or the company cannot hire the best and brightest in their field.

Now, if I were an owner, particularly of an already profitable franchise, I would be pushing for it. My biggest cost would become fixed. If I raise ticket prices, sell more tickets or merchandise, that money would just go into my pocket. The players union will never go for this. They could build in some sort of profit-sharing, but then each team's payroll would end up being exactly the same as it is now.

It seems like most of the teams that are regularly in contention have payrolls in the $80-120 million range. A salary cap would likely land in the middle of that range, which is right where the Cardinals' payroll typically is. So, it would have very little effect on the Cardinals.

The current "revenue sharing" or "luxury tax" gives teams in smaller markets money to actually spend. Without it, those teams would be spending even less. So, the problem of competitive balance, or imbalance, would likely be worsened by a salary cap.

Justin (Intangiball): (Ed. note: Welcome to the UCB, Justin!) As far as the game of baseball is concerned, I’d have to consider myself a purist. But I’ll be the first to admit that, “Because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”, is a weak defense. Let me offer a more visceral argument.

For many others as well I’m sure, the Cubs and Yankees are two teams that I love to hate. While Chicago is also "large market" and plays into this debate, the Yankees are the clear epicenter of any salary cap discussion. Because they win. Attempting to level the playing field by constricting them or any other organization would not only be detrimental to the game, but fruitless.

In 2008, the Yankees carried a payroll of over $200 million and failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1994. They watched as Tampa Bay and their $40 million roster claimed the pennant from within their very own division. The Rays had never even sniffed a winning record, much less the postseason. Prior to last season, there hadn’t been a championship parade in the Bronx since 2000.

New York is not exactly Pittsburgh, folks. Steinbrenner law practically mandates that the span of time between season-ending celebrations be amortized mathematically equal to dog years. Therefore, even as we discuss this in February 2010, a mere 4 months after their most recent championship run, George & Sons have already began suffering withdrawal symptoms for what to them is the equivalent of 2.33 years of failure….or 47 minutes in Cubs “years”. (Cue the rim shot)

There are, how many millions of people in NY? LA? Chicago? Unfortunately for smaller market teams, there is in fact strength in the sheer number of people paying attention to your product. There is no way to negate the impact of advertising dollars and ticket sales that "big market" teams achieve. We should also not forget that it is businessmen running these shops. A salary cap may prevent a team from fielding 3 or 4 A-Rods (pauses to throw up a little in throat) but beyond that would only force them to allocate funds to other areas of operation.

While the long term effects of a recession are debatable, a resulting corporate philosophy I predict is here to stay in all industries is one of lower overhead and less liability...greater agility in times of crisis. In other words, while the Yankees and their seemingly unlimited resources may forever represent a separate perception of risk, the days of reckless spending are over. Especially for aging superstars. Even more so for aging superstar pitchers. How many young, cost-effective studs are passed over for deals like Barry Zito's 126 million over 7?

If GM’s haven’t realized by now that the future is in smarter deals, farm systems, and international operations, they weren’t likely to be competitive regardless. But it appears that they have. Evident with every free agent Hall of Famer that vanishes into retirement. The fact that financial behemoths like the Red Sox and Yankees seem to have also figured this out is what should scare us the most. They're shooting a double-barreled shot gun while Baltimore throws rocks.

But forget all of that for a minute. Let’s get to the visceral part. Emotionally, baseball needs an Evil Empire as much as Star Wars did. What's a hero without a villian? When us “small market” fans inevitably watch the teams we love fall, who is there left to cheer for if not the underdog? The beauty of this is that when the Yankees or Red Sox or Angels face a team like Florida or Arizona or Colorado, teams that even by name are reaching out for market share beyond city limits, that club has not only their city rallying behind them, but so many of ours as well. I like that. And even when Goliath comes out on top as they did last year, it feels cheap. I'll take the feeling of our victories over that every time. Even if it is less frequent. To these prima donnas and their fans, I say GO to New York. You're not our type. We're baseball fans. You're playing a different game.

Ryan (Cardinals GM): Salary caps are generally not a good idea. Teams would probably be reluctant to guarantee dollars over a long period of time (especially to pitchers) because they would be locked into a budget. That could mean that the Cardinals might not have the impressive core that they do under the system currently in place. There would also probably be a greater emphasis put on scouting and development, as the value of 0-3 players would increase under fixed budgets. Not sure how this would affect the Cardinals. Luhnow has done some nice things with the farm system, but I also don't think that he can be considered one of the best vp's of player development. To go along with 0-3 guys, undervalued things like defense (it's still not being valued the same way by all teams) would also be at a premium, which I think the Cardinals do a fair job of taking advantage of. The Cardinals have traditionally always been a strong defensive team, and I think TLR and Duncan have a way of bringing out the best in players-Ludwick, Jeff Weaver, Chris Carpenter, etc. In short, if everyone had equal budgets, I still think the Cardinals would be ok in the division, because I believe they are the best run organization.

Mike (Stan Musial's Stance): Like some others who have already responded, I think the competitive imbalance is a function of talent evaluation. If you read any Joe Posnanski you see a humorous take on the Royals' personnel gaffes; the Pirates always seem to be blowing up the roster and starting over; the Padres didn't draft well in the last years of Kevin Towers. That evaluation disconnect does far more to keep those teams in the second division than the free market for free agent salaries does. A salary cap isn't going to fix problems in evaluating talent.

I don't think a salary cap is the answer. Not saying the league couldn't make it work, they probably could; but the same teams would still miss the playoffs because of the talent evaluation issues above.

Seems to me a salary cap discussion starts only when a team can't keep a talented free agent (like Johan Santana) due to cost. If teams could designate a guy as a franchise player and retain his services that way it might keep the playing field a bit more level, so that we don't seemingly see all the high-priced talent end up in New York/Boston/LA or other large market teams.

Should a salary cap be enacted, I don't see it affecting the Cardinals much. They've constructed their team with a couple of expensive marquee players (AP, Carpenter, Izzy, Rolen, Edmonds, as examples), then filled in the roster with guys they controlled or economical veterans. I don't see this team leaving that model soon.

Pip (Fungoes): First, if the goal of a cap is to increase parity, that begs the question "How much parity?" After all, MLB has experienced greater parity since 1995 than at previous times in its history. But the problem is that a salary cap, more accurately called a "payroll cap," doesn't even work either in theory or, as with the NBA, NHL and NFL, in practice.

Restricting the amount that a revenue-rich team can spend on its payroll only pushes its resources into other areas, such as international player scouting and player development, where it can still gain advantages. In other words, a payroll cap doesn't limit a team's revenue; it just moves it somewhere less traceable.

How might a payroll cap affect the Cardinals? Since the Cardinals tend to spend more than their division rivals, they'd lose some of their payroll flexibility. But, since they have been one of baseball's most efficient franchises (according to JC Bradbury), they would likely continue to excel in such a rigged environment.

A simpler idea that might actually achieve the intended consequences would be to give teams the freedom to relocate without owners being able to block them (requiring someone other than the feckless current commissioner). For instance, the New York market, home of the team that payroll-cappers most often target, the Yankees, could easily support three teams (as it once did). Allowing a revenue-poor team to relocate there would simultaneously increase its revenues and cut into the Yankees' and Mets'. Combined with the current alignment of teams, which already tends to reduce disparity (the Yankees and Red Sox, after all, play in the same division), allowing a team to tap into the revenue supplying the hefty payroll would further increase parity. Rather than reducing teams' economic freedoms, a better answer is to increase them.

Chris (Bird-Brained): Salary caps can work, generally speaking, but I don't think baseball needs one. I like the idea of revenue sharing, because teams like the Yankees do have a bit of an unfair advantage when you look at their big picture (including TV) revenues compared to, say, KC or Florida. Maybe a better solution would be a "salary floor," or just better tracking of how the teams that reap the benefits of revenue sharing spend their money, to keep the have-nots a little closer to the parity line. I used to get miffed about the Yankees "buying" championships until I noticed that half of their 2010 playoff roster is made up of players that came up through their system. Granted, the other half made over $100 million last year, but still. Drafting a championship team can work, but only if you hang on to the good draftees.

I think the Cards have done a pretty good job of holding on to the guys that can truly help this team long-term, and balancing that with quality free agent/trade acquisitions put them where they are today. Bill DeWitt can balance a budget. I don't think he'd be scared off or emboldened by a salary cap for Major League Baseball.

Thanks for your input, guys!

Personally, I can't see a salary cap improving the system, even if it didn't cause any damage.

Be sure to check out the rest of the UCB Roundtable fun by following the blogs over at the UCB site.

it's spriiiii-iiiing

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:32:00 +0000

The awesomely talented photog over at stltoday.com is back in Spring action, and the boys in red are back at work. Pitchers and catchers reported today for the St Louis Cardinals (although evidence suggests a variety of position players showed up), and Jupiter is once again the best place on earth. (And believe me, as I stare out the window at another sunny yet snow-covered day in the Midwest, I'd much rather be in Florida.)

Of course, nothing is as important as the arrival of hitting coach Mark McGwire to camp (at least if you judge importance by the amount of ESPN coverage dedicated to something). Derrick Goold even got to speak on SportsCenter about the colossal and world-altering event. He described it as "mooted".

The most fitting definition I could find goes something like this: Of no practical importance; irrelevant.

Never mind me, I'll just be enjoying the pictures.

planet Schumaker

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:58:00 +0000

Yay! Skip "the second baseman" Schumaker is ours for the next TWO years. Arbitration avoided. Negotiations done. Trato hecho. And for quite a reasonable price, as well.

Ooh, buddy. I gotta tell you, there are a lot of our guys whom I would hate to see playing somewhere else--Albert, Yadi, Wainwright, and Carp come to mind--but none any more so than Skippy, er, Jared. (Whatever.) He has quickly become one of my most favorite Cardinals.

Last off-season, after some confusion regarding the second base position, Schu stepped up and made us all question our concerns. "Were we concerned?" we questioned ourselves, some of us aloud. And after waiting an acceptable period of time for a response, we gave up (and just as well since we knew the answer all along anyway). The answer was, well, yes, but that's not the point, actually. The point is that we needn't have been concerned at all. We needn't have worried. We needn't have run out into the street, stopping traffic, concern showing plainly on our faces as we wondered, some of us aloud, "It's a week before Spring Training and we don't have a second baseman?"

But, as I may have mentioned, Skip rescued us. He came through when we needed him the most (a week before Spring Training without a second baseman), and gave us not only a replacement, but a pretty darn decent second baseman.

So darn decent, in fact, that I named him my intermedista of the 00s. What? Me worry?

United Cardinal Bloggers to interview Kyle McClellan

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:47:00 +0000

The United Cardinal Bloggers will be interviewing St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle McClellan on Saturday, February 6, at 4:30 pm Central for a special edition of the UCB Radio Hour.

McClellan, a Missouri native who has spent two years with the Cardinals, was 4-4 with a 3.38 ERA coming out of the pen last year. He has been a solid part of the bullpen since his debut in 2008 and has been conditioning himself to challenge for the fifth spot in the St. Louis rotation this spring.

The United Cardinal Bloggers was formed in 2007 to foster communication and collaboration among those that blog about St. Louis. The UCB Radio Hour began late in 2008 and now is a weekly staple, airing Wednesdays at 9:30 pm Central at Blog Talk Radio and available for download as a podcast from that site and from iTunes.

No callers will be taken for the McClellan interview, though callers are encouraged on the regular Wednesday show.

The McClellan interview can be heard here, and the show page at Blog Talk Radio can be found here.

[ps ~ I gave K-Mac 10 NDD points for being an awesome enough guy to make an appearance on the show. Yes, I am trying to resurrect novios and NDD; we'll see how it goes.]

up, up, and away... again

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:09:00 +0000

So, in case you hadn't heard, SuperMiles will be back in red soon. No, not Cardinals red. Reds red.

To be honest, I'd kind of lost touch with his comings and goings; I wasn't even aware that he had been traded to Oakland by the Cubs. I guess Chicago just couldn't recreate the magic St Louis had with the Super (utility) Man. Either that or the Chicago river is actually full of kryptonite.

Aaron had some nice memories to share at a recent baseball academy opening in California:

The happiest place you have ever seen is the inside of a clubhouse after a World Series. Some guys play their whole career without playing in one. I lucked out being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis is an amazing baseball town. They pack the stadium – every game is sold out. The fans are great. They cheer you if you work hard and play hard. If you have a bad game they will boo you every now and then. But that comes with the territory.

It will be nice to see him across the field again this year. Maybe we'll even get to see him pitch a few against the Cards, depending, of course, on how Dusty decides to use him.

is Julio Lugo really still on the team?

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:25:00 +0000

Really?

All right. If you say so.

Speaking of middle infielders, I want Felipe López back.

In 43 games (169 plate appearances) with the Cards in '08, he hit pretty darn well.
BA .385, OBP .426, SLG .538, OPS .964

He defended pretty well, too, not to mention the fact that he can play almost anywhere you put him.

He's currently looking for a home, and some people seem to think we're in the mix to sign him.

I promise this has nothing to do with his ethnicity (even though it doesn't hurt que es boricua).

Also, I'm not above begging.

my picks.... team of the 00s

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:54:00 +0000

Okay, back to blogging with the big boys, and I've decided to jump back in with this project.

UCB proudly presents The Cardinals TEAM of the DECADE.

Of course, there aren't too many options, considering the amount of talent we've had the last 10 years, but I intend to make it as interesting as possible.

Now, where to begin....

Ah, yes, how about with the player of the decade. Albert Pujols at first base. The Best Player in Baseball. (I really believe that he could play any position with as much success as anyone who's ever played it, and if you doubt that, just challenge him and see what happens.)
The. Best. Player. in. Baseball.

Jim Edmonds in center field. Again, there's no argument that he's the best Cardinals CF of the decade because there's no argument that he's the best Major League CF of the decade. (On a side note, this is just despicable.)

Scott Rolen at third. He may not be my favorite of all-time, but I still must give him a lot of credit for playing as well as he does. And who can argue with all those gold gloves? (Does it make me a bad person that I laughed when this happened? After I found out he was okay, of course.)

Here's where it gets harder.

Catcher: I'm going with Yadier Molina. If you told me Matheny was "technically" better, I might shrug and admit that he probably taught Molina everything he knows, but you could never convince me that anyone outplays or outworks our Yadi. He exemplifies what catching ought to be. Take note, all you catchers.

Left field: ~~If you've read here before, you know whose name I want to put in this spot, but I'll resist because deep down I know that there are better fielders at that position.~~ Screw it, Chris Duncan. Outfield blunders aside, this guy contributed a lot with his bat. Maybe he was easy for some to make fun of, and maybe he had a lot to learn, but he wasn't a slacker and he loved the team. Oh, and he has a titanium disc, people.

Right field: Ryan Ludwick. The man is a force to be reckoned with, both at the plate and in the field, and it makes me shake my head every year the front office doesn't offer him the moon. His problem is that he just does his job. He's not flashy or spoiled or loud. He comes to the park, takes practice, plays the game, and lets everyone else soak up the attention. But you can always count on him.

Second base: Skip Schumaker. The point is to pick a team, using players from the entire decade, that you would like to see on the field and could stand up against anybody, right? Schu is the guy I want at second. Maybe it's an emotional choice, but there's nothing wrong with sentimental value.

Shortstop: Edgar Rentería. His resume with the Cardinals reads pretty nicely: AS, GG, SS, and MVP votes. Of course, given the revolving door of middle infielders we've had lately, you have to like the fact that he was around long enough to earn some tenure, even as funny looking as he is.
(Brendan Ryan is a close second, just because he is so much fun to watch. I think I'll make him my bench player.)

Starter: Chris Carpenter. Not only is he one of the best pitchers in the game, but he's one of the best pitchers in the game who had TJ surgery, came back, and contended for the Cy Young. He is the decade.

Reliever: Jason Isringhausen. My feelings about Izzy are no secret. He gave every ounce of himself for this team, even when things were bad and "Cardinals fans" were booing him in his own house. Plus, he holds the team all-time saves record, or something like that. I don't want to talk about it anymore.

Manager: I would pick Tony LaRussa even if he weren't the only choice.

Well, that wasn't too hard, or probably too interesting. Be sure to check out the rest of the bloggers' choices for team of the decade at the UCB site.

19 days!

I can smell Spring Training!

the return of pitching tuesday

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:49:00 +0000

23 days until pitchers and catchers report. (Yes, that's counting today. Just work with me, please.)

23 reminds me of A-Rey, and A-Rey reminds me of pitching. The 5-man rotation has a pretty solid foundation going into 2010, but questions linger, primarily concerning the fifth spot.

We've got Carp and Wainwright (I still refuse to call him Waino), two of the best pitchers in the NL who should've shared the Cy Young in '09 but ended up with only each other to hold. Then there's Lohse, who wasn't stellar the year after signing a huge and very well-timed contract with the club, but who has the talent and experience to contribute quite a bit this season. Brad Penny rounds out the main four as the latest addition to the team, and it should be very interesting to see not if, but how Duncan is able to build on his strengths and help him pitch his way into our hearts.

The last spot in the rotation is where the question lies. Jaime Garcia? Kyle McClellan? Mitch Boggs? Or maybe someone else will step up during ST and give us another name to chew on. None of these options is ideal, Garcia because of missing all of '09 and with not much major league experience to begin with, Mac because he is so valuable in the 'pen, and Boggs because, well, he tends to go downhill very quickly when he goes. Brad Thompson is gone, but I wouldn't have been too excited about him in the rotation, anyway. There's still an outside chance of bringing Smoltz back, but I'm not holding my breath. Besides which, it's hard to imagine him lasting all year without any issues.

Truth be told, it might make sense for the Cards to sign a fifth man at this point, but I don't look for that to happen. At least not until Tony and Dave get a better feel for what we have to work with.

The bullpen is evidently going to look very similar to last year. Ryan Franklin will hold down the 9th innings, Dennys Reyes and Trever Miller will primarily come in against lefties, and Kinney and Motte will cover the gaps. Some newer additions could include Walters, Jukich, Samuel*, and Ottavino, but again, it's hard to know which of the hopefuls will have their dreams come true until we actually see them take the ball in ST.

*Youngest pitcher on the roster.... He just turned 23.

Once upon a time I heard talk of Russ Springer rejoining the team. That was probably just a fairy tale.

Know who I'd really like to have? Max Scherzer. He's a Missouri native, so I feel kind of possessive of him. I just know someday he and Mark Buehrle will wear the birds on the bat.

Think the Mariners really have a chance now that they've got Cliff Lee? Think the Phils could've made it as far as they did without him?

exclamation of delight

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:16:00 +0000

Picture me smiling.

No, on second thought, picture me lounging on a sunny Puerto Rican beach, daiquiri in hand, well-tanned towel boy massaging my feet, Cards versus Nats on my laptop, watching ba-Dunc-a-dunc hit one deep into the right field stands as his father and former teammates smile inwardly.

On third thought, picture me in the right field bleachers at Busch Stadium, cold Bud light in hand, on my feet as Duncan steps into the batter's box, holding my breath as the ball explodes off his bat and lands in my outstretched bare hand, as his father and former teammates celebrate silently.

As is the fantasy, the Cards triumph over the 'Natinals' by a fairly lop-sided score, but not before Chris has his way with a couple of fastballs and makes a couple of Sportscenter-worthy plays in the outfield (or possibly at first base, depending on how Washington decides to use him).

You know you want to come along.

whoa.

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 03:03:00 +0000

I'm not quite certain why, but I don't love Colby Rasmus. I'm sure he's a fine, upstanding young man with a bright future ahead of him and many admirable qualities, but I just don't love him. I don't hate him, or even dislike him. I tolerate him. I accept him. But if he were to be traded tomorrow to, say, the Royals, I wouldn't bat an eyelash. Why? Heaven knows. Maybe he is destined for greatness in this crazy game of baseball, and I wish him all the luck in the world (especially as long as he's playing for St Louis), but I just can't get excited about him, and I apologize to anyone who is at all offended by this.

To recap, I'm not a fan of the current center field option for my team.

So, as you might imagine, I'm reeling a little with all the CF noise circulating these parts. To start with, Rick Ankiel makes news by going and getting himself signed by Kansas City. First of all, good for the Royals. Rick is a story no matter where he goes or what else is going on there, and playing for the Reales certainly will only add to the interest. Second of all, good for Rick. I never expected him to end up back with the Cards after free agency, but I can assure you that KC was the last place I would have bet on him landing. I think it will be a good fit. He's a good guy and they are certainly in need of something... good.

Then there's Jimmy Baseball's sudden decision to put himself back out there, hoping to play somewhere, and publicly challenging TLR to give peace a chance. As you may or may not be aware, Jim Edmonds is the best center-fielder of this generation and occupies 10 or 12 spots on the "Most Unbelievable Catches" without even trying. (Imagine if he were trying.) There's a facebook group entitled "2/3 of the world is covered by water and the other 1/3..." yeah, you know the rest.

Here are my questions.

1) I understand why he still wants to play, but does he still have anything left to contribute? Maybe just veteran leadership and a lot of experience. That's worth quite a bit, actually.

2) Why would the club bring him back? He and Tony had some very unfriendly words (if you believe everything you hear on tv), but I don't think it was quite as antagonistic as the Tony-Rolen feud. A big part of me believes they could patch things up, and maybe already have. Besides which, he claims to be willing to work for peanuts (although the league minimum is currently exponentially more money than I make, so maybe 'peanuts' isn't an appropriate term), which only makes him that much more appealing.

and 3) What if he ends up playing against us again? I don't think I can handle much more of that.

In other CF news, did I completely miss the fact that Curtis Granderson is now a Yankee? And, then, how? (Insert irate rant about the free-spending New York Yankers and their quest to own us all, here.)

peekers and ballyhoo and reason #14,998

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:56:00 +0000

I have a startling and tragic confession to make, fellow baseball and Cardinals fans. I won't draw it out or string you along, I'll just blurt it right out, and hope upon hope that you can find it in your hearts to forgive me.

Ready?

Here goes.

Until two days ago, I had not yet read 3 Nights in August.

Go ahead, berate me if you must. I can take it.

I undoubtedly deserve it.

And I only hurt myself with my procrastination. For as interesting and informative as I knew it would be, I could not have guessed how GOOD this book is.

It is magnificently well-written and extremely complimentary to the St Louis club and fans. It is chock-full of the inside jokes and stories we outsiders long for. It is interspersed with touching and heart-breaking descriptions of the loss of Darryl Kile, the meltdown of Rick Ankiel, and the emotional withdrawl of JD Drew. And throughout it all, Buzz captures the excitement and passion of those 3 games so well that I felt like I was right there in the dugout with Tony.

It helps if you're a Cardinals fan, but any baseball fan (with the possible exception of Cubs fans) would enjoy this book. If you're like me and are taking your time with your list of "to-reads", skip ahead. In fact, drop whatever you are currently doing and read this book. Now. No exceptions. And if you've already read it, read it again. My copy is now a permanent fixture in my purse.

without a jot of blood

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:16:00 +0000

Well, with exactly one month and one day until pitchers and catchers report (Yippee!!!), I figured now was as good a time as any to jump back into this whole blogging thing.

Actually, I've started countless posts over the last couple of months, but just couldn't finish one, at least not satisfactorily.

Not that there hasn't been anything going on.

Heavens, no. It's been busy. And a little loco.

Of course, you don't need to hear from me that the Cards signed Matt Holliday for $119-120 over the next seven years, or that he inexplicably changed his number to #7 (and no, the "Jim Edmonds wore #15 and I want to set myself apart, blah, blah" nonsense is not an acceptable explanation), or that no matter how hard he tries (and he will try), he will never usurp Albert's throne, or that there was absolutely no factor in his decision more motivating than all those zeroes (no matter how the idiots on KSDK try to spin it). So I won't tell you.

I also won't tell you that somehow, someway, we let Mark DeRosa get away to the Giants, and no one in the front office even hiccupped. That was disappointing for me. I mean, I had a feeling he wouldn't be back, but I didn't expect him to get the Aaron Miles treatment, for goodness sake.

And, finally, I most definitely will not tell you about the long overdue confession/explanation/apology we all heard from Mark McGwire. I believe I've made my feelings about Big Mac pretty clear, so there's little reason to continue beating that horse. It's dead.

Want to know the truth? I didn't even watch it. Why should I? I know the plot. I know the characters. I know the outcome. His words, no matter how well-rehearsed, were predictable and pointless.

Heck, yes, he took steroids. Heck, yes, he would have taken anything to improve his performance. Why? Because baseball is hard. Because it's all about appearance. Because he was getting old. Because everyone else was doing it. And mostly because there was no risk of getting caught.

See. What else is there to say?

No one is going to stand in front of a nation of baseball lovers and say, "I did it because I have no respect for the game." Or in front of a nation of people struggling with unemployment and debt and say, "I did it because the millions of dollars I already had weren't enough."

Don't get me wrong, though. I love the man. His pedestal is almost as high as Albert's for me.

Sure, he should have said it long ago.

I have heard all the arguments, and I understand people's outrage and disappointment. But in the end, how do you justify cheating? You don't. You come clean and move on. You can't make it right. You can't give back the home runs. You can't undo the damage. So what exactly do we want from him? A pound of flesh?

It's time for us to move on, too. Move on from this, and from the whole steroids scandal of the 90s in general. We need strict rules, strict testing, and strict punishment, and that way, 10 or 15 years down the road, we won't be subjected to another generation of apologies.

Did I mention that pitchers and catchers report in 32 days? Does anything else really matter?

give me all you've got... I won't break your heart

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:22:00 +0000

Right. Okay. Well, then....

So I've been mulling over this latest development at Camp Cardinals, and trying desperately to put into words all that I'm thinking, but (as you might imagine) it's pretty difficult.

I love Big Mac.

No, not the sandwich. (I actually don't like Big Macs.)

I don't really care what you think of me regarding that love, and I completely understand that I'm in the minority with my feelings.

But still, I love him.

I've written about this before, and I don't particularly want to revisit it right now, especially considering that the 2010 pre-season promises to be chock full of MacGoodness until we're all vomiting blood and cursing the national sports media with our dying breaths. So there's no need to burn it all out this early. Best to save some bile for later.

Don't get me wrong, I like Hal McRae. I like recognizing him when his infamous "Royal Rant" is played on the "Top Most Outrageous Sports Meltdowns". I like seeing his hat perched precariously on the peak of his head, ready to fall at any moment. I like his enormous and slightly mischievous smile. Unfortunately, when you're the hitting coach and your team gets swept out of the playoffs due largely to a complete lack of hitting, you probably shouldn't make any plans for redecorating your office.

Mark McGwire may not be the answer, but the better half of the Bash Brothers belongs in a Cardinals uniform for the rest of time, as far as I'm concerned, and if he has to actually wear the uniform for the rest of time to make that a reality (rather than the immortalization I'm hoping for), well, then, so be it.

If nothing else, I guess this effectively settles the question of who will next wear number 25. It will be none other than number 25 himself.

Welcome back, Mac.

fizzle... pop... dead

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:45:00 +0000

We played hard and lost. We have nothing to be ashamed of.

Good season, everyone. Now go home and rest up, because Spring Training is only about five months away.

I guess it wasn't meant to be.

(pause for dramatic effect)

Oh, well. There's always next year. (Egads, did I just say that? Deep breath, I will not turn into a Cubs fan.)

I like a good underdog, so I'll be rooting for the Rockies and Twins.

Where do the other playoff teams stand? Glad you asked? (And yes, I realize you didn't actually ask.)

I heard on ESPN yesterday(?) that it might be "a while before they can play competitive baseball in Colorado again."

Minnesota, with ankles in hands, are on the verge of a fate similar to the Cards.

The BoSox were swept out of their series as well.

No promises, but if it comes down to the Yankees and the Dodgers, I might just put in a DVD and forget about baseball altogether.

The offseason should be interesting, if nothing else.

TLR and Dave Duncan may or may not be back. I would love for them to return, but I'm not holding my breath.

Matt Holliday will probably end up with the Yankees (unless you believe in karma).

Mark DeRosa will probably end up back with the Cubs (or possibly the Padres).

Troy Glaus won't sign anywhere this offseason, but I expect him to get ST invites.

Rick Ankiel will NOT get everything Scott Boras thinks he's worth, but he won't do too badly. He'll stay in the NL, because as we all saw this year, his defense is much better than his offense.

Joel Pineiro will get a 1-year deal to stay with the Cardinals.

Jason Motte has seen the last of big league action for a while.

Todd Wellemeyer... well, it's hard to say if he'll get any interest this winter, but he's a very likable guy, and I hope he gets another chance. Somewhere else. Cause, well, likable is nice and all, but I want to win next year.

John Smoltz will definitely get interest, but I'm not entirely sure he wants to come back, regardless of what he says. I'd love to see him back in a Cardinals uniform, but that's a hard one to pick.

I guess that's the upside of a long season--you don't have to wait too long for another chance.

(forced smile)

(sigh)

(sob)

I'm just going to bury my face in a pillow and cry for a few weeks.

One more season over, one more opportunity missed.

Blah.

the games that play us

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:18:00 +0000

All of this means nothing if you can't knock down that shot.

Does a 162-game season really come down to this? One game? Can you win 91 games and the division and still go home with nothing to show?

Yes. And no.

We will slump our shoulders and shuffle off the field, knowing that for now, for this moment in time, we are losers.

We played hard.... We have nothing to be ashamed of.

But there was a lot to be proud of during the regular season this year. Lots of drama. Lots of hard work. Lots of excitement. Lots of unforgettable moments (and a few we'd maybe rather forget). All in all, it was a blast. Sure, the last few weeks were pretty rough, but with a 162-game season, you can't really expect every day to be peaches.

Less than what we wanted? Yes.

But nothing to show? No way.

Minutes away from the start of this playoff game.

Will it be the last? Or the first?

I told you if you missed that shot it was all for nothing, but I was wrong.

It matters.

No regrets.

can we play a meaningful game, already?

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:14:00 +0000

I have started this post over and over, looking for the right words to tell you how I'm feeling, but in all honesty, I don't know how I'm feeling (unless you count sick as a dog with something flu-like). Truly, it's hard to know what to say or how to feel about a team that played so hard and clinched the division and then just decided to bag the rest of the season. Am I supposed to be excited? Disappointed? Outraged? Yes and no, I guess.

The post-celebration season was a drag. Nothing interesting happened, and while it was really no fun to watch, we can at least take solace in the fact that nothing disastrous happened, either. Maybe that was the point. Maybe it was all pre-arranged to prevent serious injury. It would have been nice, however, if they could have managed one or two more wins. You know, just to get the enthusiasm up a little headed into the playoffs. But, whatever.

Like I said, I had a lot of trouble conjuring up any emotion (one way or the other) about the situation, but then I thought, "wait, what about some emotionless writing to convey my emotionless thoughts?" And if you've ever read or written nurse's notes, you know that it doesn't get much more emotionless than that.

So, here's my best attempt at NN (nurse's notes) to describe what has been a less than impressive season finale...

9/26/09 2230 Team in playoffs p clinching against Col. Celebrating c alcohol in clubhouse. Media present. A&O x2, unable to identify time of day/date or purpose possibly r/t ETOH consumption. Team pleasant, smiling, cooperative. VS 120/80 72 20 98.6o. Skin warm, dry. LCTA. Respirations even. BSx4. No c/o pain or discomfort. No distress noted.

10/1/09 1600 Team c one win of three in Cin series. A&O x4. Mood labile. Denies SI/HI. Catcher c/o pain in L knee p incident c foul ball. Reports pain as "8" on 1-10 scale. Unable to bear weight L leg. Swelling & bruising noted to area. Pedal pulses present B. Prn pain meds given as requested. Ice pack applied. Player replaced. VS 114/66 98 24 98.0o. Skin warm, dry. Respirations even. BSx4.

10/4/09 1830 Team swept by division foes. Regular season over. Three series losses to end season. VS 102/60 110 28 96.7o. Skin cool, clammy. Respirations labored. Lung sounds diminished B @ bases. Oral mucosa pink, moist. Cap refill 2 seconds. No cyanosis noted. Sa02 90%. 02 applied per NC @2L/min. HOB elevated. A&O x4. Mood anxious.

Hopefully, the post-season adrenaline will kick in and we'll stop the bleeding and survive the NLDS.

...

Whatever.

finally.

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Yikes. I'll write more later, but for now suffice it say that after much too much waiting and worrying and wondering, we have finally clinched the National League Central.

Yay!

Fate = Yadi coming out and LaRue breaking up the 3-3 tie.

If we end up playing the Rox in the playoffs, it will most likely be a bloodbath.

we're saving all the runs for the Cubs

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:43:00 +0000

So said a Busch Stadium usher as we were leaving yesterday. I can only assume he has some inside information to which the rest of us are not privy. I guess we'll find out this weekend.

The game yesterday was the first I'd been to since Chris Duncan was traded. I gotta say, I caught myself (more than once) glancing down at the dugout, looking for number 16. It was kind of haunting, because I could still see him there stretching before the game. Running in from left field. Taking swings in the on-deck circle. But he wasn't there. And it was sad.

Actually, the whole game was sad. There wasn't much to cheer about, and it didn't end the way every other game I've ever been to (and yes, I may be exaggerating) has ended. Even my lucky jersey couldn't get it done.

Josh Johnson would be great in the Cards rotation. Just saying.

If you'd told me at the beginning of the season that on September 17, with 15 games left to play, that we'd have an 8.5 game lead in the division and a magic number of 9, I'd have been a happy camper. Ecstatic. So why am I frustrated? Because the Cards have lost 5 of their last 6 and have let a 12.5 game lead get whittled down. This series with the Cubs, while not make-or-break, is certainly important. Too important to let Kyle Lohse pitch, as a matter of fact.

The UCB is finalizing its latest project, so head over and check out The Top 7 Prospects and find out whom the participating bloggers are predicting to be big parts of the organization's future.

One more thing. I've decided that since my pledge of canned goods for Cardinals wins hasn't really gone very well so far, I'll change things up. (I was going to abandon the plan entirely, but I'm not sure that would be the most charitable thing to do.) So from now on, I'll donate canned goods, but it won't be based on anything the Cardinals do. So win. Lose. Whatever. I'm on my way to the food pantry.

back to your regularly scheduled programming

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Sorry about the earlier craziness. My PTBD got the better of me.

Looking for a silver lining in today's loss, I guess you could focus on the fact that it wasn't the bullpen, as Carp was touched for a whole basket-full before the 'pen ever had a chance to lose it. Oh, and Thompson didn't look half bad. If you can call that a silver lining.

So the magic number remains at 11. The lead over Chicago drops to 9.5 (with the Cubs win over Cincinnati). The losing streak climbs to 3. It's going to be okay, though. It's hard to say that I'm not nervous, but contrary to what my earlier posts may have suggested, I'm not really panicking. Just thinking. Hard. About what this team needs. And there's only one thing I can come up with.

We need a closer.

If Franklin can get his stuff figured out and be effective once again, fine. If we need to put Smoltzie in that role for the remainder of the regular season, fine. If one of the other relievers can step up and take over, fine. And if we need to look outside the organization for back-end help, and I'm looking right at you, John Mozeliak, F I N E. After all, you can't do all the "remodeling" we've done this year, just to have it all fall apart at the end of the season because you can't close out games.

Anyway, I'm taking my daughter to the game on Wednesday. It's a day game, so no late-night navigating through downtown. Seats in my favorite section. 4 tickets for 2 bodies, so plenty of room to maneuver and hold the copious amounts of stuff necessary to keep her entertained so I can concentrate on the game. Scheulduled to see Joel take on Josh Johnson, so it promises to be a good game. As long as the weather holds out, I'm looking forward to a fun afternoon. Plus, shopping afterwards. See you there!

ugh

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:28:00 +0000

Thoughts I had while watching the travesty of a game we were subjected to this afternoon:

I blame big Fox. Mark Grace may be the biggest suck-up in the history of announcing, and Chris Rose makes me want to chew on glass just to drown him out.

So the Braves temporarily forgot how to play baseball, and it all began with Chipper Jones doing his best third base coach impression while running from third to home on a play that should have easily scored him. No one, including Chipper, knew exactly what he was doing.

Ahead by one in the eighth, three "errors" in a row for the Braves led to two runs and the (temporary) lead for the Cardinals. Is this real? Did they really just boot three easy grounders? Wow.

Ryan Franklin obviously cut his beard, a move that sapped all his power and left him impotent and unreliable. Yeah, I said it. What?

Maybe it wouldn't hurt the team to lose a few. Bring them back down to earth. Give them just enough of a scare to kick their butts back into gear.

I hate playing the bottom of the ninth at home, but I love walk-offs. This game, unfortunately, did not end with one.

This team, the one that lost today even with the gift that was the eighth inning, will not make it far in the playoffs. After today, I wouldn't even hold my breath for them to make it to the playoffs. I'm not trying to be an alarmist, but PANIC PANIC PANIC....

ahh, disappointment

sarah-bug@labeisbolista.com — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:43:00 +0000

How long had it been since the Cards had dropped a series opener? 11 series? 12? Well, no matter. We can still win the set, right? All is not lost.

The Cubs did manage to gain a game on St Louis, a feat they haven't accomplished for well over a month, but at still 10.5 games back, we probably don't need to worry yet.

Magic number remains at 12. Unfortunately this means at least one more day until I can put up my "11" (or better yet "10") picture in the sidebar.

The worst part of last night's game? Not the quiet bats or the ridiculously bad umpiring or even the TWO errors by The Best Player in Baseball. No, the worst part was that after a seven-inning, one-run outing by Piñeiro, he gets the L. Talk about a tough loss.

My first instinct? Chalk this game up to a malalignment of the planets and move on. Everyone has a bad day now and again.

My second instinct? How can we get Jair Jurrjens? Seriously. Like, now. I mean, Atlanta isn't really using him for anything. Sheesh.

And finally (might I add), this team, with the way they're playing this year, has given me reason to stay up. Until the final out of the ninth inning last night, I was just sure they would pull one out. I knew that they would come back and win it, just like they've done for so many other games this season. That, in itself, is probably the biggest victory they could get. They've turned into the team you don't give up on. And how awesome is that?