Well, lots of things have happened since my last entry. There are several things I'd like to talk about, so grab a snack and enjoy.
Redbird Rollercoaster: The Cardinals have put me on an absolute emotional rollercoaster during the last few weeks. Last weekend, the Cards took three of four from the first-place Brewers and showed signs of a potential comeback in the NL Central. They scratched their way back into two games and comfortably won another against the Brew Crew, and I was very excited about the quality of baseball I was seeing. The pitching was good (13 scoreless innings by the 'pen), the hitting was timely, and the Cards were showing an energy that fans haven't seen for quite some time.
Then, the Cardinals traveled to Pittsburgh with the opportunity to really gain some ground on the Brewers and Cubs, as they were taking on the Mets and Phillies respectively. St. Louis took game one, and things were looking very promising. And on the second day, Tony LaRussa sent Braden Looper to the mound, and God said, "Let there be multiple Pirate hits and runs." The Pirates saw Loopers fastballs, and they said the pitches were good. I couldn't resist putting this Bible reference in because I remember thinking that only divine intervention could possibly keep the Pirates from burning Looper for seven earned through four innings. The final score was 15-1 in favor of the mighty Bucs.
Game three between the Cards and Pirates went 11 innings, and the Pirates came out on top after a David Eckstein error allowed the the eventual winning run to reach base. At that point, I felt so alone. I thought to myself that the Cards could salvage the road trip by doing well against the Nationals -- I mean, they ARE the Nationals. Surely, I thought, the Cards could take three from the NATIONALS.
Game One: The Nationals win in the bottom of the 9th to give the Cards another walk-off loss.
Game Two: The Cards get mashed 12-1 by the Nats. Mike Maroth was laughable, giving up five runs in 2/3 of an inning. During his previous apperance, he gave up seven earned in 1.2 innings. His ERA is now over 11 with the Cards. I think I can finally see how he lost 21 games a few years ago.
Game Three: The Nats win 6-3, thus pretty much driving a nail into the Cards' coffin.
The only hope for St. Louis is to dominate their final series with the Cubs and Brewers, but given their recent play against two of the worst teams in the majors, I'm not too hopeful.
I'll now give my impressions on some of the milestons that were reached this past week.
Glavine wins number 300: Congrats to one of the best pitchers to ever throw a baseball. He's only the 5th lefty to ever win 300 games. I think he'll be the last pitcher for a long time, maybe even ever, to reach the 300 win mark. Randy Johnson is 16 away from 300, but he just had back surgery and might not ever pitch again. If Johnson doesn't do it, I think that may be the end of the line for 300-game winners. Mike Mussina has the most wins of any active pitcher behind Johnson, but he's only got 245. Pitchers just don't throw as often as they used to, and they come out of games earlier, thus giving them fewer decisions in games where the bullpen is relied upon to finish the job. Again, congrats to one of the classiest guys in the game today.
A-Rod hits number 500: I just hate that he had to do it in a Yankee uniform. I, along with most other followers of baseball, believe he will ultimately hit 800-plus homers IF he stays healthy. Motivation will also be another factor since he is making such a ridiculous amount of money so quickly. If he does become the all-time homerun king, I hope he's not still in a Yankee uniform. P.S. - I hate the Yanks.
Bonds hits homerun number 755: Baseball fans have known it was inevitable for quite some time now. So, how do I feel? Well, as a baseball lover, I'm deeply saddened that there has to be so much controversy over Bonds' accomplishments. I do appreciate the fact that he has hit 755 homerun, and I will continue to do so until he is found guilty of steroid use. Do I think he used them? Yes, but until he is actually proven guilty, I will appreciate his feats -- even if I have to really grin and bear it. People must still realize that strength does NOT equal homeruns, and much skill is still involved to hit a round ball with a round bat, squarely. That's the baseball purist in me; however, if he is proven guilty, I will lose the respect that I have for him right now. I just wish it didn't have to happen like this.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Unlucky Number 7
On the luckiest day of the millenium, 7/7/07, the Cardinals had the worst luck of the millenium. Actually, luck has nothing to do with the 7th inning (ironic, no?) blow-up of shortstop Aaron Miles; lack of concentration, however, has everything to do with the fiasco.
Let's flash back to that fateful 7th inning, where the chance of a Cardinal victory was punched directly in the nose thrice.
With runners on second and third with one out in a 3-3 game, a slow roller was tapped to Aaron Miles. The Redbird shortstop scooped it up, looked home, looked to first, and air-mailed a throw to first that Albert Pujols barely knocked down. One run scored, and Miles was credited with an E-6.
Two batters later, a ground ball rolled under the glove of Miles. Two runs scored, and Miles was credited with an E-6.
The next batter hit a grounder to Miles, who promptly skipped an unpickable ball to first base. One run scored, and Miles was credited with an E-6. The Cardinal fans then showed their appreciation for Miles' hat trick with a showering of boos (which I don't agree with, but that's another post).
The score at the end of the inning: Giants 7, Cardinals 3.
Final score: Giants 7, Cardinals 6.
Tonight's loss was especially frustrating considering that So Taguchi cost the Cardinals the game yesterday by committing an error in centerfield that allowed three unearned runs to score with two outs. Toss in the fact that a run scored because Juan Encarnacion let two catchable balls fall in front of him in the first inning because he was in no great hurry to actually run, and you have all the ingredients that lead me to a heart-wrenching realization: The Cardinals will most likely be absent from the playoffs this season.
No desire, no heart, no hustle, no urgency.
No wins.
P.S. - Carlos Delgado hit a homer tonight at 7:07 on 7/7/07. How fantastic is that?
Let's flash back to that fateful 7th inning, where the chance of a Cardinal victory was punched directly in the nose thrice.
With runners on second and third with one out in a 3-3 game, a slow roller was tapped to Aaron Miles. The Redbird shortstop scooped it up, looked home, looked to first, and air-mailed a throw to first that Albert Pujols barely knocked down. One run scored, and Miles was credited with an E-6.
Two batters later, a ground ball rolled under the glove of Miles. Two runs scored, and Miles was credited with an E-6.
The next batter hit a grounder to Miles, who promptly skipped an unpickable ball to first base. One run scored, and Miles was credited with an E-6. The Cardinal fans then showed their appreciation for Miles' hat trick with a showering of boos (which I don't agree with, but that's another post).
The score at the end of the inning: Giants 7, Cardinals 3.
Final score: Giants 7, Cardinals 6.
Tonight's loss was especially frustrating considering that So Taguchi cost the Cardinals the game yesterday by committing an error in centerfield that allowed three unearned runs to score with two outs. Toss in the fact that a run scored because Juan Encarnacion let two catchable balls fall in front of him in the first inning because he was in no great hurry to actually run, and you have all the ingredients that lead me to a heart-wrenching realization: The Cardinals will most likely be absent from the playoffs this season.
No desire, no heart, no hustle, no urgency.
No wins.
P.S. - Carlos Delgado hit a homer tonight at 7:07 on 7/7/07. How fantastic is that?
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Opportunities.
I've gone quite some time without blogging because of work, but I'm rejuvenated after a weekend at the lake and a July 4th break on the horizon.
I usually blog about sports, namely the Cardinals, but given the fact that the Redbirds have been awful, I have nothing to say. Therefore, I'll give you a little taste of my summer job and the frustrations that lie therein.
Essentially, I work for the Missouri Government and their Summer Feeding Program. I arrive at a school cafeteria in Kennett at about 6:30 each morning and help to prepare, wrap, pack, and deliver free meals to surrounding towns for kids who don't have a whole lot.
The work, I thought, would be quite gratifying given the fact that I would have an opportunity to serve others, and through serving, minister to the less-fortunate by providing a smiling face and a warm meal. Though I do feel like I've made an impression on some people as a Christian, I feel saddened at how ungrateful the majority of the kids are that come and receive these meals for free.
Very rarely does a "thank you" escape the lips of these kids; however, such a fault lies not on them, but on their parents or guardians. I see the way that the parents of the kids act, and then I realize how important a good role model is because the children routinely participate in the same actions as their parents. For instance, one lady brings her children to eat every day and constantly cusses at them, threatens to beat them, and just mentally and verbally abuses them. In turn, I've noticed that the kids struggle to be kids---they can't do anything without being yelled at. Also, because those kids have been shown no respect, they show no respect, which is evident when they constantly badger me and try to break the rules at the serving site.
I honestly believe God has presented me with this job in order to test my patience and anger management. I am a former hot-head who would've erupted earlier if presented with these same circumstances. I think He placed me in a situation in which I thought people would be much more cooperative and understanding, given the fact that they are receiving lunches for free, in order to let me practice patience and calmness for use later on down the road.
I've been cussed at, yelled at, and made fun of simply for handing out lunches and enforcing rules.
As long as I continue to smile and serve, I think I'll eventually shine through as someone who is different, and that's just what I want to be.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thank you, Lord, for opportunities to shine your light to children who have only known what their parents have taught them. May I be as much of a blessing to them as they are to me. Amen.
I usually blog about sports, namely the Cardinals, but given the fact that the Redbirds have been awful, I have nothing to say. Therefore, I'll give you a little taste of my summer job and the frustrations that lie therein.
Essentially, I work for the Missouri Government and their Summer Feeding Program. I arrive at a school cafeteria in Kennett at about 6:30 each morning and help to prepare, wrap, pack, and deliver free meals to surrounding towns for kids who don't have a whole lot.
The work, I thought, would be quite gratifying given the fact that I would have an opportunity to serve others, and through serving, minister to the less-fortunate by providing a smiling face and a warm meal. Though I do feel like I've made an impression on some people as a Christian, I feel saddened at how ungrateful the majority of the kids are that come and receive these meals for free.
Very rarely does a "thank you" escape the lips of these kids; however, such a fault lies not on them, but on their parents or guardians. I see the way that the parents of the kids act, and then I realize how important a good role model is because the children routinely participate in the same actions as their parents. For instance, one lady brings her children to eat every day and constantly cusses at them, threatens to beat them, and just mentally and verbally abuses them. In turn, I've noticed that the kids struggle to be kids---they can't do anything without being yelled at. Also, because those kids have been shown no respect, they show no respect, which is evident when they constantly badger me and try to break the rules at the serving site.
I honestly believe God has presented me with this job in order to test my patience and anger management. I am a former hot-head who would've erupted earlier if presented with these same circumstances. I think He placed me in a situation in which I thought people would be much more cooperative and understanding, given the fact that they are receiving lunches for free, in order to let me practice patience and calmness for use later on down the road.
I've been cussed at, yelled at, and made fun of simply for handing out lunches and enforcing rules.
As long as I continue to smile and serve, I think I'll eventually shine through as someone who is different, and that's just what I want to be.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thank you, Lord, for opportunities to shine your light to children who have only known what their parents have taught them. May I be as much of a blessing to them as they are to me. Amen.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Not our year
The Cardinals have had the most terrible luck this season; in fact, their lack of luck is almost humorous.
If someone stings the ball to the outfield, it's right at someone. If they sting one in the gap with men on, the outfielders make a diving catch, get up, and double a runner off to end the inning. Basehits that would normally score a man turn into outfield assists. Cards that are safe are called out, and opponenets that are out are called safe. Double play balls thrown by the Cardinals are deflected by the pitcher for infield hits. Pitches in the opposite batter's box are called strikes against the Cards, but borderline pitches for us are called balls. Our pitchers make good pitches that result in broken-bat singles or off-balance homers---absolutely nothing is going our way.
The Cards are also plagued with injuries. I'll enumerate them.
Chris Carpenter - Cy Young winner that is out because of elbow surgery.
Mark Mulder - A guy that you can traditionally count on for 15+ wins. He's yet to pitch an inning this season.
David Eckstein - Ecky was just starting to get hot, but now he's day-to-day with a lower back injury. He'll have to get his timing back.
Yadier Molina - He was finally having a productive offensive year; not to mention he's one of the best defensive catchers in the game today. He's out 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist suffered earlier this week.
Chris Duncan - He's putting up the best power numbers of any Cardinal while hitting a respectable .277, but he's day-to-day with a leg injury.
Scott Spiezio - By far the Cards' best pinch-hitter. Also a very valuable utility player who is one of their best clutch hitters. Day-to-day with a stomach bug.
Also, let's not forget about the car crash that killed reliever Josh Hancock earlier in the season.
I suppose the luck that the Tigers' pitchers experienced in last year's World Series has found its home in the St. Louis clubhouse.
If someone stings the ball to the outfield, it's right at someone. If they sting one in the gap with men on, the outfielders make a diving catch, get up, and double a runner off to end the inning. Basehits that would normally score a man turn into outfield assists. Cards that are safe are called out, and opponenets that are out are called safe. Double play balls thrown by the Cardinals are deflected by the pitcher for infield hits. Pitches in the opposite batter's box are called strikes against the Cards, but borderline pitches for us are called balls. Our pitchers make good pitches that result in broken-bat singles or off-balance homers---absolutely nothing is going our way.
The Cards are also plagued with injuries. I'll enumerate them.
Chris Carpenter - Cy Young winner that is out because of elbow surgery.
Mark Mulder - A guy that you can traditionally count on for 15+ wins. He's yet to pitch an inning this season.
David Eckstein - Ecky was just starting to get hot, but now he's day-to-day with a lower back injury. He'll have to get his timing back.
Yadier Molina - He was finally having a productive offensive year; not to mention he's one of the best defensive catchers in the game today. He's out 4-6 weeks with a broken wrist suffered earlier this week.
Chris Duncan - He's putting up the best power numbers of any Cardinal while hitting a respectable .277, but he's day-to-day with a leg injury.
Scott Spiezio - By far the Cards' best pinch-hitter. Also a very valuable utility player who is one of their best clutch hitters. Day-to-day with a stomach bug.
Also, let's not forget about the car crash that killed reliever Josh Hancock earlier in the season.
I suppose the luck that the Tigers' pitchers experienced in last year's World Series has found its home in the St. Louis clubhouse.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Mizzou-Rah
Congratulations are in order for the Missouri Tigers baseball team that has been selected to host one of 16 NCAA Regionals, thus beginning the road to Omaha and the College World Series.
The Tigers boast a 40-16 record, a second place finish in the Big 12, and a number 11 national ranking.
If the Tigers can get past their four-team Regional, they will move on to a two-team Super Regional where they will have to win two of three to move on to Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the College World Series.
Last year, Mizzou beat nationally ranked Pepperdine twice in the Regional round to advance to a Super Regional matchup with a perennially dominant Cal State Fullerton squad, but the Titans advanced to the World Series.
Here are some Mizzou players to look out for in the tournament (pardon the sentence fragments):
Jacob Priday - The Tigers' biggest offensive threat. Hitting .299 with 10 homers and 55 RBI in 54 games. Hottest hitter in the lineup down the stretch, coming off of a 5 RBI game in a 13-1 rout of Oklahoma State (38-19).
Evan Frey - Run-scoring machine. Has scored 64 times in 53 games. Hitting .346, with 11 doubles, 5 triples, and 4 homers. Has also swiped 10 bases.
Brock Bond - Always on base. Hitting .319 and has scored 52 times in 55 games. 38 walks and 24 HBP to help spark the Tiger offense.
Aaron Crow - Boasts a 3.17 ERA in 108 innings of work. Leads Mizzou with an 8-3 record in 16 starts.
Scooter Hicks and Ryan Gargano - Big-time bullpen combo with combined 1.31 ERA in 48.2 innings. Allowed just 30 hits and 12 walks combined for a WHIP of less than 1.00.
Hopefully these players, along with the others, can carry Mizzou to Rosenblatt Stadium--- what I consider to be a real baseball heaven.
The Tigers boast a 40-16 record, a second place finish in the Big 12, and a number 11 national ranking.
If the Tigers can get past their four-team Regional, they will move on to a two-team Super Regional where they will have to win two of three to move on to Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the College World Series.
Last year, Mizzou beat nationally ranked Pepperdine twice in the Regional round to advance to a Super Regional matchup with a perennially dominant Cal State Fullerton squad, but the Titans advanced to the World Series.
Here are some Mizzou players to look out for in the tournament (pardon the sentence fragments):
Jacob Priday - The Tigers' biggest offensive threat. Hitting .299 with 10 homers and 55 RBI in 54 games. Hottest hitter in the lineup down the stretch, coming off of a 5 RBI game in a 13-1 rout of Oklahoma State (38-19).
Evan Frey - Run-scoring machine. Has scored 64 times in 53 games. Hitting .346, with 11 doubles, 5 triples, and 4 homers. Has also swiped 10 bases.
Brock Bond - Always on base. Hitting .319 and has scored 52 times in 55 games. 38 walks and 24 HBP to help spark the Tiger offense.
Aaron Crow - Boasts a 3.17 ERA in 108 innings of work. Leads Mizzou with an 8-3 record in 16 starts.
Scooter Hicks and Ryan Gargano - Big-time bullpen combo with combined 1.31 ERA in 48.2 innings. Allowed just 30 hits and 12 walks combined for a WHIP of less than 1.00.
Hopefully these players, along with the others, can carry Mizzou to Rosenblatt Stadium--- what I consider to be a real baseball heaven.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
That's a winner
Ah, yes...the Cardinals have made me happy the last two games.
Let's start with yesterday's 9-4 win over the Pirates.
Eckstein was back in the leadoff spot. He recorded three hits, scored once, and brought his customary scrappiness back to the top of the order.
Duncan, Encarnacion, Miles and Rolen all joined Ecky with multi-hit games, which is very encouraging, especially for the struggling Rolen. Perhaps this was his coming out party, so to speak.
Most importantly, however, Wainwright kept us in the game on the mound. He gave up 9 hits in his 5.1 innings of work, yet gave up just 2 runs as he pitched his way out of several jams. What this showed me is that Wainwright can win without his best stuff if he just bears down and makes some key pitches instead of getting flustered. He kept his head, made pitches, and came out on top.
Tonight's game was great because the Cards actually displayed some power (five homers in the month of May coming into the game). Eckstein led off with a homer, Edmonds hit an absolute moonshot, and Duncan homered in his third straight game.
The Cards also showed a bit of a killer instinct, tacking on an insurance run in the 8th. Though it may sound like I'm just looking for something to praise the Cardinals for, that's not the case. I was genuinely excited to see Spiezio drill a pinch-hit single to drive in the Card's fifth run because insurance runs just haven't crossed the plate for us this year.
Wells finally picked up a win, throwing seven solid innings while giving up two runs (1 earned) on five hits. He picked up key strikeouts in tough situations, and I was glad to see that LaRussa had confidence in him by sending him out to pitch the 7th.
Flores had a bad outing in relief, giving up a run in 1/3 of an inning, but Isringhausen picked him up, throwing 1.2 innings for the save. Izzy inherited the tying run on second, but struck out two batters to get out of the inning. He threw a perfect 9th to record his 11th save.
Beautiful day.
Only another Yankee loss would've made it sweeter.
Let's start with yesterday's 9-4 win over the Pirates.
Eckstein was back in the leadoff spot. He recorded three hits, scored once, and brought his customary scrappiness back to the top of the order.
Duncan, Encarnacion, Miles and Rolen all joined Ecky with multi-hit games, which is very encouraging, especially for the struggling Rolen. Perhaps this was his coming out party, so to speak.
Most importantly, however, Wainwright kept us in the game on the mound. He gave up 9 hits in his 5.1 innings of work, yet gave up just 2 runs as he pitched his way out of several jams. What this showed me is that Wainwright can win without his best stuff if he just bears down and makes some key pitches instead of getting flustered. He kept his head, made pitches, and came out on top.
Tonight's game was great because the Cards actually displayed some power (five homers in the month of May coming into the game). Eckstein led off with a homer, Edmonds hit an absolute moonshot, and Duncan homered in his third straight game.
The Cards also showed a bit of a killer instinct, tacking on an insurance run in the 8th. Though it may sound like I'm just looking for something to praise the Cardinals for, that's not the case. I was genuinely excited to see Spiezio drill a pinch-hit single to drive in the Card's fifth run because insurance runs just haven't crossed the plate for us this year.
Wells finally picked up a win, throwing seven solid innings while giving up two runs (1 earned) on five hits. He picked up key strikeouts in tough situations, and I was glad to see that LaRussa had confidence in him by sending him out to pitch the 7th.
Flores had a bad outing in relief, giving up a run in 1/3 of an inning, but Isringhausen picked him up, throwing 1.2 innings for the save. Izzy inherited the tying run on second, but struck out two batters to get out of the inning. He threw a perfect 9th to record his 11th save.
Beautiful day.
Only another Yankee loss would've made it sweeter.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
"Man, no comment."
The Atlanta Falcons' Michael Vick has been in the news lately for things other than his unhuman speed and his howitzer-like arm.
Vick is currently in the news because he is being investigated for allegedly hosting dog fights.
During an interview aired on ESPN today, Vick had plenty to say about how much support he has all over the world in the wake of the current investigations. He talked, and talked, and talked some more--- until he was faced with one particular question: "In the end, will you be exonerated?"
Vick's reply absolutely cracked me up.
The NFL all-star simply replied, after a slight hesitation, "Man, no comment."
He commented on all of the other questions, so why wouldn't he comment on this simple yes-or-no question? The answer is simple: Vick has absolutely no idea what "exonerated" means.
Had the reporter asked if Vick thought he would be cleared, rather than exonerated, I'm 100 % sure that he would've given an answer.
Ron Mexico never ceases to give me a good guffaw.
(Guffaw means laugh, Mike.)
Vick is currently in the news because he is being investigated for allegedly hosting dog fights.
During an interview aired on ESPN today, Vick had plenty to say about how much support he has all over the world in the wake of the current investigations. He talked, and talked, and talked some more--- until he was faced with one particular question: "In the end, will you be exonerated?"
Vick's reply absolutely cracked me up.
The NFL all-star simply replied, after a slight hesitation, "Man, no comment."
He commented on all of the other questions, so why wouldn't he comment on this simple yes-or-no question? The answer is simple: Vick has absolutely no idea what "exonerated" means.
Had the reporter asked if Vick thought he would be cleared, rather than exonerated, I'm 100 % sure that he would've given an answer.
Ron Mexico never ceases to give me a good guffaw.
(Guffaw means laugh, Mike.)
Monday, May 21, 2007
Andruw Jones' productive day at the plate
The Braves' Andruw Jones usually makes his way onto SportsCenter with his silky defense or his mammoth homeruns; however, Jones was featured on the show for a much less desirable achievement on Sunday.
Jones apparently thought that putting the ball in play was overrated on Sunday, as he struck out five times in five plate appearances. Yes, I said five.
Such an achievement got my wheels turning as to how to classify such a performance. For instance, if a player strikes out three times in a game, he completes the "hat trick." Likewise, if a player strikes out four times in a game, he gets to don the "golden sombrero." So what does a player receive for five strikeouts (besides extra batting practice)? Here are some ideas:
1. Five Grand: The symbol for strikeout, "K", is also acceptable as 1,000; thus, five grand.
2. The Platinum Panama: A play on the golden sombrero idea.
3. V-day: A play on "D-day", with "V" being the Roman numeral for five.
4. The Pentagon: Penta = five.
5. Summa Cum Laude: Latin for "with highest praise." Sarcasm is intended.
I probably had more fun coming up with these than you had reading them.
I definitely had more fun coming up with these than Andruw had during his excellent day at the plate.
Jones apparently thought that putting the ball in play was overrated on Sunday, as he struck out five times in five plate appearances. Yes, I said five.
Such an achievement got my wheels turning as to how to classify such a performance. For instance, if a player strikes out three times in a game, he completes the "hat trick." Likewise, if a player strikes out four times in a game, he gets to don the "golden sombrero." So what does a player receive for five strikeouts (besides extra batting practice)? Here are some ideas:
1. Five Grand: The symbol for strikeout, "K", is also acceptable as 1,000; thus, five grand.
2. The Platinum Panama: A play on the golden sombrero idea.
3. V-day: A play on "D-day", with "V" being the Roman numeral for five.
4. The Pentagon: Penta = five.
5. Summa Cum Laude: Latin for "with highest praise." Sarcasm is intended.
I probably had more fun coming up with these than you had reading them.
I definitely had more fun coming up with these than Andruw had during his excellent day at the plate.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
A glimmer of hope?
After the Cardinals lost their 5th straight contest today, many fans may be asking if there is any hope for the rest of the season. Here are some bright spots that I've noticed that may lead to some consistent winning soon:
1. Pujols is starting to heat up: Pujols finally had a great series, reaching base in eight straight appearances at one point against the Tigers. He's walking more, not swinging at low breaking balls, and most importantly, he's hitting the ball to the opposite field with authority. His homer on Friday was a shot to right-center, which tells me that he is locked in. Look for his average to steadily rise into the .300s and for his homers and doubles to start accumulating---if people around him can show any signs of producing.
2. Eckstein is coming around: People often take Eckstein for granted, not realizing just how important he is to the St. Louis offense. Every team needs a leadoff guy at the top of the lineup that can foul off pitches, bunt, and get on base for the middle of the lineup. Eckstein is finally cutting down on the pop-ups, having quality at-bats, and hitting line-drives, particularly up the middle and to the opposite field. This tells me that he's finally centering the ball and driving it. Don't be surprised if LaRussa moves him back to the leadoff spot shortly.
3. The bullpen --- aside from a few --- has thrown quite well: One of the Card's biggest weaknesses last year has been one of the few bright spots this year. Isringhausen is throwing lots of strikes, and his cutter is darting like it did in '04 (47 saves) and '05 (39 saves). Flores and Johnson have dominated lefties, and Ryan Franklin has posted a 0.95 ERA in 19 innings of work. If the Cards can consistently hand the bullpen a lead in the 7th, the back end of the bullpen should help boost the win total significantly. However, the Cards have made a habit out of falling behind in the first inning and trying to fight uphill the entire game, hence their 16-25 record.
4. Carpenter and Mulder will eventually return: Though their returns may come too late to do any good, Cards fans should hold out hope that if the Cards can start to pull it together and stay close until Carp and Mulder get back, they can give us the consistent starting pitching that we've yearned for all season. Of course, such an assertion rests on the hope that Mulder will return to his Oakland form, while Carpenter won't miss a beat from his last few years. If they return and throw like they should, and Looper continues to throw like he is, the Cards can have a formidable front three in the rotation. I hold out little hope for consistent quality starts from Wells or Reyes, but if they produce electric second halves, the Cards will have the option of putting Wainwright back in the bullpen if he continues to be less than mediocre as a starter.
There sure are a lot of "ifs" up there; however, anything is possible in the NL Central. The Brewers are starting a bit of a slide, and everyone else in the division has a lot of the same problems the Cards have.
There are 121 games left--- let's see how everything works out.
1. Pujols is starting to heat up: Pujols finally had a great series, reaching base in eight straight appearances at one point against the Tigers. He's walking more, not swinging at low breaking balls, and most importantly, he's hitting the ball to the opposite field with authority. His homer on Friday was a shot to right-center, which tells me that he is locked in. Look for his average to steadily rise into the .300s and for his homers and doubles to start accumulating---if people around him can show any signs of producing.
2. Eckstein is coming around: People often take Eckstein for granted, not realizing just how important he is to the St. Louis offense. Every team needs a leadoff guy at the top of the lineup that can foul off pitches, bunt, and get on base for the middle of the lineup. Eckstein is finally cutting down on the pop-ups, having quality at-bats, and hitting line-drives, particularly up the middle and to the opposite field. This tells me that he's finally centering the ball and driving it. Don't be surprised if LaRussa moves him back to the leadoff spot shortly.
3. The bullpen --- aside from a few --- has thrown quite well: One of the Card's biggest weaknesses last year has been one of the few bright spots this year. Isringhausen is throwing lots of strikes, and his cutter is darting like it did in '04 (47 saves) and '05 (39 saves). Flores and Johnson have dominated lefties, and Ryan Franklin has posted a 0.95 ERA in 19 innings of work. If the Cards can consistently hand the bullpen a lead in the 7th, the back end of the bullpen should help boost the win total significantly. However, the Cards have made a habit out of falling behind in the first inning and trying to fight uphill the entire game, hence their 16-25 record.
4. Carpenter and Mulder will eventually return: Though their returns may come too late to do any good, Cards fans should hold out hope that if the Cards can start to pull it together and stay close until Carp and Mulder get back, they can give us the consistent starting pitching that we've yearned for all season. Of course, such an assertion rests on the hope that Mulder will return to his Oakland form, while Carpenter won't miss a beat from his last few years. If they return and throw like they should, and Looper continues to throw like he is, the Cards can have a formidable front three in the rotation. I hold out little hope for consistent quality starts from Wells or Reyes, but if they produce electric second halves, the Cards will have the option of putting Wainwright back in the bullpen if he continues to be less than mediocre as a starter.
There sure are a lot of "ifs" up there; however, anything is possible in the NL Central. The Brewers are starting a bit of a slide, and everyone else in the division has a lot of the same problems the Cards have.
There are 121 games left--- let's see how everything works out.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Reyes throws another dandy
Where have the World Champions gone? And where have they buried situational hitting, smart defense, and effective starting pitching?
The Cardinals are now 16-24 and 8.5 games behind the perennial-cellar-dwelling Brewers in the less-than-stellar NL Central. Tonight's 8-7 loss to the Tigers got under my skin worse than about any other loss during the season.
The game started out just like normal: Anthony Reyes gave up two runs in the bottom of the first. Another run in the second inning and a 3-run shot in the third left the Cardinals with a familiar overwhelming defecit of six runs; however, according to the Cards' announcers, fans could still hold out hope for the remainder of the game.
They pointed out that opponents only hit .200 against Reyes the second time through the order, followed by a wretched .125 against him the third time through the order--- if he's fortunate enough to last that long.
My only guess as to why opponents hit a mere .125 against Reyes the third time through the order is that they are far too fatigued from running around the bases and scoring runs to have a quality at-bat against the pitcher who I've dubbed "The Butcher" for his uncanny ability to serve the batters copious amounts of meat. Apparently, he serves them so much meat that they can't possibly partake of all of it, hence the .125 average. Reyes' final stat line: 5.2 innings, 7 runs (all earned) on 9 hits. His record stands at an impressive 0-7, while his ERA rings in at an equally-impressive 5.84.
The Cardinals also showed their inability to participate in the essential baseball activity of capitalizing on opportunities by stranding 15 runners during the game. Once runners get on base, the batters seem to either be hyperactive (swinging at dumb pitches) or hypoactive (gazing at mistake pitches) at the plate. Adam Kennedy and Scott Rolen look like they are swinging an oar through vaseline instead of trying to hit a baseball. In fact, Rolen graciously decided to go 0-4 tonight and leave 6 runners on base, including popping up with the bases loaded to end the game. If only the game were played in a silo....
Then there is the absolute stupidity that the Cards are playing with. For instance, Juan Encarnacion's dive after an obviously uncatchable single by Ivan Rodriguez turned into a double. The next batter scorched a grounder to Pujols that advanced Rodriguez to third; however, had Encarnacion kept the single in front of him and held Rodriguez to first, the sacrifice grounder would've been a 3-6-3 double play. Rodriguez later scored on a sac fly to center, thus scoring the game's deciding run.
The aforementioned stupidity can only be rivaled by that of So Taguchi. Taguchi decided it would be funny to get caught stealing as the tying run in the 8th. There was a runner on 3rd, a 3-5 Scott Spiezio at the plate, and Albert Pujols in the on-deck circle. Yes, Taguchi was wanting to get in scoring position as the tying run, but you can't take the bat out of Spiezio's hands at that point. Even if Spiezio only singled in one run, there would be a runner in scoring position for Pujols, and the game could be left in his hands instead of in the hands of the 4'11", 100 pound Man from Japan.
Forty games down, 122 to go.
Oh, me.
The Cardinals are now 16-24 and 8.5 games behind the perennial-cellar-dwelling Brewers in the less-than-stellar NL Central. Tonight's 8-7 loss to the Tigers got under my skin worse than about any other loss during the season.
The game started out just like normal: Anthony Reyes gave up two runs in the bottom of the first. Another run in the second inning and a 3-run shot in the third left the Cardinals with a familiar overwhelming defecit of six runs; however, according to the Cards' announcers, fans could still hold out hope for the remainder of the game.
They pointed out that opponents only hit .200 against Reyes the second time through the order, followed by a wretched .125 against him the third time through the order--- if he's fortunate enough to last that long.
My only guess as to why opponents hit a mere .125 against Reyes the third time through the order is that they are far too fatigued from running around the bases and scoring runs to have a quality at-bat against the pitcher who I've dubbed "The Butcher" for his uncanny ability to serve the batters copious amounts of meat. Apparently, he serves them so much meat that they can't possibly partake of all of it, hence the .125 average. Reyes' final stat line: 5.2 innings, 7 runs (all earned) on 9 hits. His record stands at an impressive 0-7, while his ERA rings in at an equally-impressive 5.84.
The Cardinals also showed their inability to participate in the essential baseball activity of capitalizing on opportunities by stranding 15 runners during the game. Once runners get on base, the batters seem to either be hyperactive (swinging at dumb pitches) or hypoactive (gazing at mistake pitches) at the plate. Adam Kennedy and Scott Rolen look like they are swinging an oar through vaseline instead of trying to hit a baseball. In fact, Rolen graciously decided to go 0-4 tonight and leave 6 runners on base, including popping up with the bases loaded to end the game. If only the game were played in a silo....
Then there is the absolute stupidity that the Cards are playing with. For instance, Juan Encarnacion's dive after an obviously uncatchable single by Ivan Rodriguez turned into a double. The next batter scorched a grounder to Pujols that advanced Rodriguez to third; however, had Encarnacion kept the single in front of him and held Rodriguez to first, the sacrifice grounder would've been a 3-6-3 double play. Rodriguez later scored on a sac fly to center, thus scoring the game's deciding run.
The aforementioned stupidity can only be rivaled by that of So Taguchi. Taguchi decided it would be funny to get caught stealing as the tying run in the 8th. There was a runner on 3rd, a 3-5 Scott Spiezio at the plate, and Albert Pujols in the on-deck circle. Yes, Taguchi was wanting to get in scoring position as the tying run, but you can't take the bat out of Spiezio's hands at that point. Even if Spiezio only singled in one run, there would be a runner in scoring position for Pujols, and the game could be left in his hands instead of in the hands of the 4'11", 100 pound Man from Japan.
Forty games down, 122 to go.
Oh, me.
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