Here's a couple of good tidbits

• ESPN.com has this: "The Red Sox World Series win was sheer mathematics: Number of days between Red Sox World Series triumphs: 31,459. The fabled mathematical concept, PI (of PI R SQUARED fame): 3.14159. Draw your own conclusions."
• Baseball Prospectus, courtesy of the Cardinals link blog: "We've secretly replaced the National League Champions with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Let's see who notices."
• Random Redbird Reasoning has a great breakdown of our Cardinals.
• Fox Sports has some interesting rumours concerning Randy Johnson and Pedro:"The Cards and D-backs may be close to a deal that would send young pitchers Dan Haren, Kiko Calero and or Rick Ankiel to Arizona for SP Randy Johnson." and "The Cards may have interest in free agent starter Pedro Martinez. Martinez, in turn, says he'd be willing to play for Tony La Russa."
• Musings of a Philosophical Scrivener has a great list of free agents.

Enjoy, but please don't stay away too long.

-CJ

Offseason Stuff

Things have been kinda sparce 'round here lately.

• Williams option was wisely declined. I would love to see him back with us but the $8M + is a bit steep and I like the buyout. The Aging Woody is best kept only if the price is right. My feeling is that he won't be here next season.
• Carpenter was wisely accepted and to no one's surprise, Chris will be a birdie again. With Morris and Williams most likely on their way out it was imperative to keep some semblence of last year's rotation. The key here is firepower. If you have 50 infantry soldiers great! But if I have a tank and 25 soldiers--look out! I think it should be the Cardinal's main goal to open up the wallet and get Johnson. Someone like Radke would be nice (I don't think the Twins are going to let him get away), but he still wouldn't be the big gun the Cardinals need.
• Congrats to Edmonds, Matheny, and Rolen on pickng up brand new Gold Gloves. Well deserved and really un-debated. These three won in their respective positions hands-down!
• Now let us all hope that the impossible will happen: Re-signing Renteria and signing a big name pitcher.

-CJ

Bye Brian

Brian at Redbrid Nation is closing up shop. Tis a shame as that was one of the best Cardinal blogs out there. I admire him for making sure his priorities are straight. Here's to the hard work and labor of love that was the Redbird nation.

-CJ

Sigh...

What a great year. The Cardinals played a great season. Its too bad things didn't end on a high note. I want to say that I was plesntly surprised by the class of the Red Sox. I have always seen Pedro and Manny is pretty arrogant guys, but I was impressed.

I was deeply dissappointed with the Cardinal "faithful" in game 7. When a pitch hit Umpire Merryweather (SP?) in the shin and hopped in pain a very large cheer erupted from the crowd. I thought we had more class than that-- Dispite his bizzare strike zone.

Red Sox won't be back next year.

We will. But there will be several changes.

Not that our bats where any better 9at least after game 1, but it was a case where our pitching sure let us down in the long haul--Carpenter's injury aside. Man I hate being right.

"I want to be wrong. Please let me be wrong. But Cardinal pitching is overachieving and it seems to be only a matter of time before we all come crashing back to this planet we call "Earth." " -CJ July 10,2004

-CJ

In the 6 or the 7

Its all in the number. 1986 or 1987.

-CJ

Almost Pure Bliss!

Been a while, 1987. Here's to better than you. I was smiling like a 5 year old on Christmas morning.

-CJ

Tell No One

If anyone who reads this blog (all 4 of you) lets this get back to my wife that I put this up here, I will take you down. I will take you down to Chinatown. That said, here goes: True story, I couldn't make this up if I tried.

My wife was being her normal wonderful self during the post season and was watching all the games with me. Game 7 ALCS 8th inning. All of a sudden while looking at the TV screen, she says, "Ahhh! I get it." Wondering exactly what this epiphany was all about I asked her. Her quick short reply was, "Nothing." I pressed her about it--curiosity peaked. "No! " she answered, "You'll just laugh at me." Figuring this ought to be good, I quickly lied and reassured her I wouldn't laugh. Being quasi-convinced this was the case she said, "You know that swastika looking thing on the Yankees' hats? Its a 'N' and a 'Y!'"

We need to get to Clemens early. This Rocket is getting old. Haren should be ready to go if Suppan can't keep the ball down. Haren looked mighty impressive in relief of Suppan last time. If you have time stop by your local parish and light a couple for our Redbirds. And, "No!" Camels don't count.

Have you ever heard a louder positive cheer for an intentional walk as Beltran's in game 6?

"Baseball is dull only to dull minds." -Red Barber

-CJ

"I doubt the series will go past game 6."

I sure hope that I'm wrong. Holy monkey! A dual 1 hitter through 6! I'm glad I'm not a betting man. My only question is: With two strikes to Berkman...why walk him. Talking to my friend Peter White from , Mariner Musings, he simply replied, "It's Berkman." Point taken. But we walked him to get to Kent? Lose lose situation. And don't give me that Kent hits into a lot of double plays if the only time you have watched him play was in the division series. Wow did Lidge make Pujols look silly on that last at-bat! That doesn't happen too many times. From a man who doesn't have cable--I was pretty steamed with the Red Sox. In the time the Cardinals finished their game, it took the Red Sox and Yankees 14 innings. Why am I only mad at the Red Sox, you ask. Well I'll tell you. (Back ground singers) *He's going to tell! He's going to tell! etc.* "Stop that! Stop that! No singing!" Because David "fat man" Ortiz was stealing! What in tarnation!?!!? Sure you can argue that he was safe (though called out), sure you can argue that it caught everyone surprised, but the fact of the matter is its David Ortiz stealing!!!!!! Do the Red Sox want to go home early? But there was an even more inept play. Earlier Damon has a lead off broken bat single.....and what does he do? He steals while Cabreara is trying to bunt. WITH NO OUTS!!!!! It must have been a missed sign or something. This does not appear to be a normal Damon. Maybe he's the anti-Sampson! He SHOULD cut his hair and he'll be back to normal.

"Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer."-Ted Williams
-CJ

Bah!

To all those out there who have started putting up your Christmas decorations I say, "Bah Humbug!"

Only thing more annoying than a "two fingered Texan" is a "two-pitcher ball club." That is why I sincerely doubt this series will go past game 6. It still doesn't make me happy that the series is now tied up.

Will someone like the Mariners please sign Beltran? If the Cardinals can't have him, please let him sign with the equivalent of Siberia.

Was that not the ugliest homerun you have ever seen?

Would like to face the Schillingless Red Sox. That's why I'm keeping an eye on the impossible. Every team has their token jerk. Some have more than their fair share. The Red Sox have Manny and Pedro. The Yankees have Steinbrenner (by popular opinion). The Astros have Clemens. We have Tavarez and Kline. While these boys aren't the face of the team as the other said players/owner, they have been very productive this year. That being said I feel that LaRussa made the move to the bullpen too early yesterday. Marquis had plenty left in the tank, and I believe that LaRussa may be a tad overconfident in said jerks. As I heard a man talk about his Oklahoman senator, "Yeah he's an SOB but he's our SOB."

"To me momentum is nothing more than tomorrow's starting pitcher."
-Brian at RedBird Nation

"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." -Dave Barry

-CJ

Keep Rolen Rolen

After an 0-14 start to the post season it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Rolen was due. Once again the Cardinals eventually broke through againt the Astros' suspect pitching. 4 Homeruns, 2 from Scotty. So here it is, before the World Series starts--my prediction: Cardianls in 5 over the Yankees. Look for Mussina to bring them a win, but the Redbird lineup is too dangerous. "Wait!!" you yell, "What about Clemens and Oswalt?" Look, the fact of the matter is the Cardinals will get through on at least one of them if not both. This would leave the Astros 4-0 or 3-1.

"Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for U.S. Steel." -Red Smith

-CJ

Just a Matter of Time

At the risk of sounding really over-confident: Its just a matter of time. All a matter of the Hot team vs. The Good team. After witnessing the Astros take a 4-2 lead I quickly thought to myself, "They're going to need more than a 2 run lead to stave off this offense." The real question is just a matter of how many games. Clemens and Oswalt might slow down the 'Stros' bleeding, but they have encountered a fatal disease in the Redbirds. The potent poison of choice last night was not the long-ball as the Cardinals often use (Pujols' being the exception). This just demonstrates that the Cardinals' weapon of choice is more a weapon of "Okay, we had a bad night and we still posted 10 runs." All in all most would like to see a better productive start from their number 1. ( I use that title carefully). Hopefully Woody is getting the chinks out now. We'll need his "A" game come Brooklyn time. Yes, that's right the Red Sox will get lucky to force a game 5. For our sake I will be cheering for the Red Sox to wear out Yankee pitching as much as possible. I would love for Mussina to have to make a game 5 start to clinch it. Then again, he'd still have enough time to rest up--probably. If a true miracle would occur I would love to face the Schillingless Sox. There is something creepy about the Yankee's post-season mystique. If you have time stop by the Basilica and throw up a novena for Carpenter. Jesus was a carpenter so there should be some bias there. HA!
-CJ

Was it just me?

Was it just me or

• were the Fox anchors miserable as usual? Especially after the handshakes between the two clubs when they commented, "the Dodgers came out to acknowledge the fans and probably got caught up in shaking the Cardinals' hands." Is it so hard to believe that this was done out of charity and goodness of heart? In just about EVERY sport except Baseball, on the professional level, there are congratulations between opposing teams. Why shouldn't this be the case here?
  
• were the Dodger fans horrible? I wasn't at the game so I might not have a perfect idea of all that went on, but 1) they seemed to boo every pitch that was called a ball...even those that seemed a foot or more off the plate (at least through the first 4 innings) what do they want from the ump?! 2) several fans were cheering and applauding the moment Edgar got beaned between the shoulder blades! This was not applause for him shaking it off. These were cheers for the beaning. While I did hear distinct cheers in favor of it, it wasn't as loud as other cheers so I know that their were plenty of LA fans who are not like this. But I was still shocked at the amount of fans that would cheer for something like this. Its not like we are Yanks in Boston.
  
• was Pujols' homerun a mistake? I'll take it. But it sure looks like he hit pitch out of the strikezone. It looked a lot like a long fly ball. I know of the theory that Homeruns are mistakes. Blah Blah Blah But this was a mistake. Tip your hat to Pujols because it was hit pure strength that put the ball out of reach.
  
• was the Cardinal defense amazing?
  
• was Jeff Suppan a class act?
  

-CJ

Game 2

Wow I hate blogger! I have lost so many posts.

• Fox was pretty annoying with their "Dodge Dakota Pre-Game Show" with that constant "Hit It!" (Insert annoying jingle here).
• Haren looked great! Glad to know that their is hope despite the free-agency of ... errr...let's talk about happier things.
• U-G-L-Y turns out we got an alibi! We UGLY hey hey We UGLY! Doesn't matter though we won. Was that not the closest 8-3 match you have ever seen? I was pulling my hair out in the 4th.
• Will the real best bullpen in the majors please stand up? Its way overdue for the Redbirds' Relievers to get some serious props. "No Cal, you can stay seated."
• Marquis gave up some monster-mashes! (What was up with that really lame monster-movie teaser?) Hopefully he's just getting that out of his system. The league has officially run out of tape measure!
• WOW am I looking forward to Staurday. It is HEAVEN REALIZED through sports for one day! At least for me. "This will be a day long remembered. It will see the end of the Longhorns and will soon see the end of the Dodgers."

-CV (Cardinal Vader)

Astros and Dodgers of the twenty-fourth and a half century!!!

Those looking for a non-early exit from the playoffs should cheer for Astros and Dodgers. Dodgers rotation looks like it took a nose-dive off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Cheering for the Astros is cheering against the Cubs. Despite its health problems the Cubs' rotation is the one of been cringing about all season. With the Cardinals getting a well needed medical rest they should be primed for the post season.

In other news I went 3-4 with 4 RBI's and two runs scored in our 12-11 loss in my first Seminary League softball game. I think my 3 errors (or was it 4) had something to do with us losing. Oh well that's why its Seminary league.

-CJ

Mints on the Pillow and Seasonal Cliches

The quality of a mattress and the softness of the sheets do not rely on the mint that is on your pillow. But you still want the mint. I'd sure like to see the Cardinals close out the rest of the regular season strong. It would give me something to savor as I slowly wake up from the "dream regular season" and arise into what will be a new day of Cardinal sunrise.

Cliches

• I hope LaRussa uses this time to rest all those nagging injuries.
  
• I hope LaRussa doesn't blow it and let his stars get cold on the bench.
  
• Why don't they play Ankiel more?
  
• They are coasting now. It will cost 'em come post-season.
  
• They aren't going to let up.
  

Not sure which ones if any I agree with. Anyone got any other ones?

-CJ

Perspective

Desepite a hurried comeback our Redbirds drop another! What gives? Many Cardinal faithful would like to see more dominance than mere .500 baseball. This SHOULD happen against the Astros and we better take the D-Backs.

That said, I want to ask anyone who reads this to pray for the people in the South in the way of Ivan. Florida and the surrounding areas have had it tough.

"Lord have mercy."
-CJ

A Glitch

I feel like the kid named "Mouse" in the first Matrix movie right after Neo fell during the building jumping scene. "He didn't make it...What does that mean?" I want to be one of the other crew members who says, "Nobody makes the first jump." But this ain't the "first jump." The Cardinals have just lost 3 in a row to possible post season teams. Just a few posts ago I was celebrating how we swept the Dodgers and the Padres. What gives?
Here is the conversation between Mouse and lets say Cypher, talking about the chosen one, namely the 2004 St. Louis Cards.

Mouse: They fell 3 times in a row.
Cypher: Nobody makes it the first time.
Mouse: First time?!?! We're in the middle of bloody September!
Cypher: Maybe they aren't the chosen one.
Mouse: What does this mean?
Cypher: It means that the Cardinals are vulnerable.
Mouse: They might win 110 games and you say vulnerable?!
Cypher: Anything can happen in a Sho...
Mouse: If you give me any of that Short-Series-my-diction-crap, you can cram it up your...
Cypher: Calm down. I'm only telling you this 'cause you need to be prepared. I'm trying to free your mind.
Mouse: Free my mind? Aren't you the bad guy?
Cypher: Shut up and listen! All it takes is the Bad Morris to show up. You know the one who tosses break-less breaking-balls while yelling, "Stop trying to hit me and HIT ME!"
Mouse: So what if he's streaky. Suppan, Marquis, Carpenter, and Williams. 'Nough said.
Cypher: As this season has proven the offense goes limp for a few games, and by chance the defense has saved them.
Mouse: So what are the odds that both fail at the same time? Better they get it out of their system now. They have been strong enough to pull this kind of record off, I doubt they will fall prey to what has happened on this most recent road trip. It would be like Deja Vu.
Cypher: You don't mean?
Mouse: Yes, for the Cardinals to lose in the post-season, it would take a glitch in the Matrix!
-CJ

Annnnnnd We're Back...So Listen Up!

First week of grad school is the excuse for my MIA bit. So I've missed the opportunity to post on a great 9 game winning streak that included sweeps of the Dodgers and the Padres. "Nay," I say! What an exciting time to be a Cardinal fan! Great posts on many weblogs lately! Here is a sampling of some great stuff:

• http://redbirdnation.blogspot.com/

"Cards record through May 26th 23-22

Cards record since May 26th 69-22"

Brian has some great posts lately especially his second most recent on what the Cardinals SHOULD be making.

• http://redbirdreasoning.blogspot.com/

Robb is on a roll! This is some of the best stuff I've read so far and is very refreshing.

"Interesting to note that out of those 5 teams (that have won 110+ games) only 2 won the World Series with 2 others losing the World Series, and 1 not making it there at all. As a matter of fact...the odds of winning the World Series may not be as high as you would expect."

• I could go on but we don't need another Cardinals' links site: http://cardinalslinkblog.blogspot.com/
• On the subject of a dream season, which many of my better counter-parts have pointed out, I would like to address satisfaction. My greatest fear is the 2001 Mariners. I believe that most Cardinal fans would agree that anything less than a World Series Championship would be less than preferable. The Cardinals, to this point, have exceeded EVERYONE'S expectations this year--if anyone disagrees they are lying. Such being the case they have set new expectations in the hearts of the Cardinals' faithful. So we arrive at the impass of hope and faith. I hope that the Cardinals win the Series versus I believe that they will win it all. In the end most fans will grant that the post-season is a completely different animal. However, post-season hopes are directly proportional to regular season performance. Few would admit that they had a strong faith that the Marlins would win it all last year. A good majority will predict happy October tidings for our Redbirds. I will be satisfied with an amazing season regardless of the outcome. Many of you know that I am also an Oklahoma Sooners football fan. The end of last season was disaterous beyond any of the Sooner Nation's expectations, yet it was an amazing season which I am, for lack of a better word, grateful for. It is a dream season. Now it is a dream season. Cardinal fans--Relax! Enjoy the dream season, and enjoy the dream post-season that might come--when it gets here.
• Sweeps of two possible post-season opponents! (Less likely now for the Padres) What great tidings! "Visions of sugar-plumbs" eat your hearts out! Be clear, in light of my last bullet point, that I am not eating the dessert the same time as my other course. I am enjoying it now. But the sweep of the Dodgers gave me goose-bumps! Hmmm I think I should go eat lunch now.
• Bummer about last night, but we were due for a beat down. 10-5 stinks no matter how you spin it. Morris proving once again with his $12 Million contract (I'm sure that the Cardinals are paying this one) he is expendable.

-CJ

Annnnnnd We're Back...So Listen Up!

RUINED! I had a wonderful post which apparently has been lost! I tried to publish it and it simply erased my post! Sorry about that all!
-CJ

Wild Cards, Ankiel, and Others

• Gosh, Obviously I want the Cardinals to win every game, but is it Possible that A Devoted fan of the Cardinals could Really cheer for the other team, simply because of the Ever-present looming possiblity of a Scary Chicago team in the postseason? ......NAH!
  
• Possiblity of 6 men added to the rosters as soon as Wednesday. LaRussa has already mentioned worries about the roster being "overcrowded." Here are the ones mentioned to be brought up from Memphis and who I think should be brought up and who should stay home (not counting that will come off the DL:
  
  

1. Ankiel-He's baaaaack. With the popular motif of strengthening a "tired" bullpen Ankiel is a likely candidate to join the Cardinals at expansion. Not only is he a Southpaw (much needed in the Cardinal's sea of righties), but he has been outstanding in his last few starts.
2. Danny Haren, Simo-man, and Evan Rust-These guys are in the same boat--as their chances of being recalled are the same. At that point only one of thse three will prolly get out of said boat. The post-season will push one of the starting five to the bullpen, which will lessen the need for another righty in the pen. Look for Jason to get the nod.
3. John Gall-scary hitting and suspect fielding is this kids story so far. With an already deep outfield I don't see the real motive to bring him up. However, Gall will be a Redbird...a Memphis Redbird that is.
4. Scott Seabol-The 29 year old 3rd baseman has been unbelievable this year hitting .299 and 32 roundtrippers. He has better hitting stats across the board compared to Gall. "Magic 8 Ball, will Seabol make the team?" "Sources say 'Yes'."
5. Bo Hart-You can't not like this guy. Hart has a ton of experience from last year and has huge upside. His experience and charisma is a plus. Outlook: On the bubble. Look for LaRussa to add him in case of late season injury.
6. Colin Porter-Porter got a call up earlier this season, but does not have impressive numbers this year. A reliable outfielder and known for his speed on the basepaths, he would be useful as a defensive sub and pinch runner. However, that position is pretty much filled by So Taguchi. On the other hand he would be a lefty coming off the bench. Magic 8 Ball: Outlook doubtful.
7. Cody McKay-Always nice to have a third catcher. Things can get ugly after just a few hard hits at home. Just ask Molina after Saturday's game. McKay impressed in Spring training, but what have you done for me lately? More than likely he'll make the cut.
   

-CJ

Great American Ballpark Bummer

I had a great time at the Great American Ballpark. I think that I might be able to say I had a good time. In the end though, I have to say I was bummed. Cardinals were snubbed by great pitching and super defending. Here are some of the highlights and some other thoughts:

• I didn't know that Cincinnati was Central Time. The Reds' home is just an hour and a half from my home near Lexington--which is Eastern Time. I was thrilled thinking I might catch some BP, but LaRussa cancelled it because of the evening flight. My wife had a huge headache--Lord bless her for coming. Did ever mention she is a Cubs fan? No? Well while we were in engaged I was flying home through Chicago and thought it would be funny if I got her a Cubs hat to wear while I wear all my Cardinals hats. Boy was that a mistake. She goes out of her way now to catch Cubs games on TV. I fear I may be sent to Purgatory a little longer for that one.
• If you told me before yesterday's game that the Cardinals would not reach second base all game I would have told you to shut up. Then I would probably have said something about how you know nothing of baseball. Then after the game I would have apologized to you. The Cardinals were dominated by the Reds. I guess they were due. We really have taken it to them this year. I am not pleased with the amount of close games lately. If Carpenter hdan't pitched so well himself I would have started ranting about how we need better pitching. But it has been our skinny hitting that has got me concerned as of late.
• Wow is that a beautiful stadium. Great view of the Ohio river. I was extremely dissapointed that the scoreboard was out for the entire game. Apparently a computer virus had accessed the system and they were attempting to fix it for the entire game. I feel for the slob who was downloading MP3's that got them in to that situation. Players kept wondering what inning it was.
• Shout out to the great Reds' fans of section 521, who tolerated having this outsider among them. Really great people there who were friendly and helpful. They cheered me on when I put on my rally cap in the ninth. Actually I think they were mocking me. That's what the problem was I waited till the 9th to put it on. I have never seen so many people go to the game and actually not watch the game. I think the scoreboard being out had something to do with it. 19,000 people at the game. A fourth of them were prolly Card's fans. 3,000 of the Reds' fans prolly left after the 7th. Otherwise the people of Cinci were great and I had a great time...except.
• Beer. $6 a pop. Not quite as pricey as our St. Louis brews but I witnessed one couple drop over $50 on booze. Can vendors tell someone, "You've had enough?" Might have been my imagination but there seemed to be more drinking than usual. I guess I might even drink a few if my team was 5 games below 500 and 3.3 Million games out of first.

-CJ

Pujols' Third Hit

• Fortunetly I don't have as much time as usually to spend on my post-- I get to spend the evening at the Great American Ballpark. I've never been to Cincinnati so I am quite excited.
• After a two-run homer and a double, Pujols lays down a great bunt to catch the Reds on their heels. I would love to see Barry Bonds lay down a bunt these days. Pujols' bunt single was the difference. At what point do you say, "Bonds gets a whole lot of walks, Pujols wins games." I think we are getting closer.
• Sanders should be back in the lineup, as he had padding on his elbow. Womack should be back as well.
• Looking closer at Cedendo's contract, the Mets might be picking up part of it. Anyone know where I might be able to track down this information?

-CJ

One of these Things is not Like the Other!

Ladies and Gentlemen! Here are some players and their salaries with less than 150 ABs for the 2004 season. (Players with significant injury time are excluded)

J. Macias-CHC-$75oK
T. Hollandsworth-CHC-$1M
A. Nunez-PIT-$625K
J. Offerman-MIN-$500K
J. Grabowski-LA-$301K
M. Sweeney-COL-$400K
Q. McCracken-ARI-$1.75M
T. Perez-PHI-$750K
V. Wilson-NYM-$715K
D. Berg-TOR-$800K
J. Carroll-MON-$310K
A. Nunez-KC-$300K
R. Gload-CHW-$302K
D. Brown-KC-$309.5K
J. McEwing-NYM-$500K
D. McCarty-BOS-$500K
D. Glanville-PHI-$550K
M. Ojeda-SD-$305K
R. Cedeno-STL-$5.375Million!!!

What are the Cardinals thinking?!?! Something has got to be done!
For a great article concerning Cedeno, go to: http://www.go-cardinals.org/ and check out the August 20 entry.

-CJ
Salaries from USAToday.com; Stats as of 8/25/2004

Pine tar, 26, Cinci, and Gymnastics

• It would take the Pirates skipper to call Tavarez for his hat. LaRussa made another one of his "bush-league" declarations. Seems to throw that around a lot. 'Lendon seems to be the type to go Pharisee-letter of the law stuff. Pirate fans would prolly refer to him as "scrappy." Although Tavarez deserves to get kicked if he really did have pine tar on his hat-which he does go to EVERY time-my question is, "Why is this the first time he's been nailed for it?" His hat has been checked twice before--however both previous times he was found clean. Not saying I have the answer here--but something doesn't fit.
• Magic Number as of 8/22/04 is 26. Wow! The Cards are 40 games over 500! This is the first time that has happened since the last game of the '85 season! Two more wins and they will have twice as many wins as losses.
• This Thursday will be my first time to see a game in Cincinnati. I sure am excited. I've heard that the ballpark there is great--guess the name fits.
• (Trust me, this is connected to the Redbirds) Before you stop reading 'cause I said the world "gymnastics" let me quickly inform you that "gymnastics" comes from the Greek word gymnos meaning "nude." Now that I have your undivided attention--I have a beef. There are two articles in particular that have drawn my attention. First is Christine Brennan. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2004-08-22-brennan-hamm_x.htm This article goes on to say that Hamm should give up his medal. At first I was outraged to hear such a statement. It is a logical conclusion to connect a request that Hamm give up his medal and that he did not deserve it. Brennan tries to detach her noble request that Hamm "transcend sports" and avoid saying that he doesn't deserve gold. Where she fails in trying to avoid implying that Hamm did not earn the gold, she makes a good statement about sports in general. When my father and I were watching the '87 series I would always yell, "Drop it! Drop it!" at every pop-up the Twins had a chance to catch. My father would ALWAYS say, "Now, Son. You don't want to win that way." Now that I'm older, I agree. I don't know what I would do in Paul Hamm's place, but that sure does seem to be the RIGHT thing to do. Funny how the right thing to do sounds so outrageous doesn't it. At this point you might be saying, "John, you told me this had something to do with baseball." You're right which brings me to this point. 1987 Tommy Herr is called out for being "tagged" out on the basepaths. After seeing the replay AFTER the game, the ump announced that he made a bad call. This play COULD have changed the outlook of the entire series. So let's call the twins and tell them they have to play it over. "But, John!" you interject, "You don't know if that could have changed the outlook." You're right. And we don't know that Paul would have done differently knowing that he might of had to score higher. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No! Which is why this next article makes me burn! http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/oconnor/2004-08-21-oconnor-hamm_x.htm Ian O'Connor demands that a second gold be given to the South Korean gymnast. This is absolutely ridiculous! Check this quote from Paul Hamm's mom in USA-Today, "It's particularly upsetting that the media is calling for him to give up the gold medal. Would you do this after the Super Bowl, ask the Green Bay Packers to give back their rings or award double rings?" Couldn't be put clearer! Paul Hamm, if he knows that he would have lost to Yang, should ethically give up his medal. If there was a chance that Hamm could have done differently than what is done is done. A second medal is a disgrace. All of this is moot. The South Koreans did not file their complaint in time. There are rules for this. By the way, did the U.S. basketball team in Munich get gold medals too?

-CJ

We Need So!

According to StLCardinals.com, LaRussa is considering putting Luna in center so Jimmy can take a break. Tony admitted he would have So starting center-field if he was not in AAA. Why not send Cedeno down? Rumor has it that Taguchi will be back with the Card's by the next road trip. His speed and his excellent glove would be gladly welcomed back. Inserting infielders so Edmonds can get rest is ridiculous, especially for a team of the caliber of the Cardinals.

Card's magic number is 31 after the loss. Looking forward to that number getting a lot smaller.

Carpenter should be starting this week. Looks like the skipped start was just out of precaution. Haren got the "W" anyhow. Looking forward to beating up on the hapless Pirates. Now a Brewer fan. Let's keep those Cubbies out of the playoffs. I really ain't got nothin' against 'em--they just scare me (at least while healthy). I am also interested in watching the Braves and Dodgers--should reveal some possible postseason tibits of interest.

-CJ

So Far...

So far the theme of my webpage has been: "Do the Cardinals have enough hitting to survive?" Most people laugh at me or tell me to be grateful that my team is dominating. After lurching on some message boards, I have seen that the ney-sayers are preaching loudly from their soap-boxes against Cardinal pitching.

To myself and to them I say, "Enough already!" The rotation and the bullpen have proven themselves. The lineup is unbelievable. 14 games ahead of their nearest division opponent! They just took 2 out of 3 against the NL East leader.

As an all sports adict I am glad the olympics are here. But at some point you get your fill of Gymnastics, SIMMING, and volleyball. Would it kill them to show some of the other sports?

Back to baseball. I am not the only one ( I think) that really wants the Cubs NOT to make the playoffs. Sammy will get out of his slump, pitchers will heal, and they are too dangerous. I would rather face Barry Bonds and SF's horrible bullpen. The Braves played some of their best ball against the Cards and only won 1 game. (the one game they would have lost it if wasn't for some silly Cardinal fielding errors) It really is looking like Yankees v. Cardinals. Any doubters?

-CJ

Email, Simo-Man, So, Trade, and Stuff

Please pray for all those who may be affected by the hurricane.

A. For those of you who have been trying to reach me at shelton@netscape.com and are coming up craps, please email me at my wife's email: gracejones18@hotmail.com. I will let you know when Netscrap decides to get its act together.

2. Looks like this old forcaster did okay. (Plus a good tip from another Cardinal website, Stlcardinals.com). Simo-man as Mike Shannon likes to call him has been called up from Memphis and So Taguchi has been sent packing. Personally I think the Cardinals would be better off sending someone like Cedeno down to AAA. So has a better glove, better speed, but doesn't really hammer the ball. With the aqusition of Walker, we can afford to send the $5M man (Roger)--packing.

D. Apparently I spoke too soon about a "player to be named." John Gall will still be in the Redbird's organization and instead the Rockies will receive 24 year old Southpaw Louis Martinez. He was involved in a shooting in the offseason, but was cleared of all charges (in the Domnican Republic). Card's claimed him during spring training off waivers. The final look on this trade seems to be a good one. Here's to Walker's health.

IV. It has come to my attention that I do a lot of complaining (not just from you, Pete) covering a team with the best record in baseball. Let me tell you why:
Because this is the most fun I've had in baseball since 1989. (Will Clark destroying the Cubs in the NCLS) But this is the most fun since 1987, when my beloved Card's had to play in the Metro-dodge-the-debris-that-the-evil-towel-waving-fans-are-throwing-on-the-field-Dome. I don't want the Cardinals to do so well and then blow it. I've seen it before and it isn't pretty. My father still loves to remind everyone at family occaisions how I cried whenever the Twins beat the Cards. Hey I was 9! But I digress, I haven't seen a team dominate like this since the Mariners were ripping it up what seems like just a few years ago. I can't say enough about how well the Cardinal's are doing in just about every aspect of the game. I guess that's why I concentrate on the negative-- I don't have to write as much.

-CJ

The Cardinal Zone (Part two)

Stymied by Marlins pitching Cardinal bats do just enough to squeeze out another dubya. Marlin pitching is pretty impressive. "At what point will I start to get on the Cardinal hitting and leave the pitching alone?" you ask. That's still a long way off my friends.
-CJ

2 Hits and some Injuries

Carpenter, Marquis, Suppan, Morris, and Williams have only missed 1 start COMBINED this year. Come Sunday, look to see that stat rise to 2. Carpenter made an early exit yesterday due to back spasms. Although he said he should be ready to go, I doubt Tony will start him. Look for some roster moves.

Pujols has bone spurs, and his trainer says that he will be able to play though the pain. This injury is one that does not go away easily and should have Cardinal fans alarmed.

If you told Beckett that the Fish would give up just two hits in the game yesterday, I guarantee you that he would have said, "Deal!" What you didn't tell him was that two of those hits would be homeruns and the Marlins would muster 1 run themselves. In one of the strangest games all year, Pujols and Jimmy did what they do best.


-CJ

The Cardinal Zone

Submitted for your approval. Stats that go beyond thought, sight, or mind. You have just crossed over into the....(dramatic pause) Cardinal Zone! Doo, doo, doo, doo....

Cardinals' Starting Pitching Stats

-CJ

Renteria, Marquis, Walker-Not Necessarily in that Order

I. Marquis has an excellent outing--against Leiter no less. He settles down after a 1-run first to win his 9th straight. To paraphrase the Little Rascals: (Insert Buckwheat's voice) Pretty Good Pitching.

II. Just realized that my new neighbor might be as big of a Cardinal fan as I am--NAH! Is there a way to measure--fanship? The level of a fan is equal to the square of the sums of his knowledge of the team and his/her attendence at the ballpark? But what about transplanted fans? Their mecca-like trips across country to Redbird Headquarters should factor in as well...right? I am passing this one over to the math department at the liberal arts college in town. I'll keep you updated on their progress.

III. Renteria goes 5-5 to tie the best hitting game of his career. (No homers) Which leads us to...

IV. Walker, 2nd or 4th. If Pujols, Edmonds, and Rolen don't clear the table with one of their many home runs, surely one of their doubles will leave them on base. Wouldn't Walker be good here--as a greater homerun threat than Renteria? With all due respect for Matheny and Sanders, why put Renteria in a place where he won't necessarily score runs. What a great problem to have!! I salivate every time I look at the lineup.

Womack .293
Walker .321
Pujols .319
Rolen .338
Edmonds .300
Renteria .294
Sanders .252 (Reggie is in a funk, and with his weak glove it's the one place where I can complain).
Matheny .253 (Matheny is worth his weight in gold via his golden glove behind the plate).

V. The two players that were "to be named later," have been named: Chris Narveson (AA) a 5-10 Southpaw who was a promising prospect (he has been strong as of late) and John Gall (AAA) outfielder, batting .297 with over 20 homers. Neither have seen MLB action. Seems like great tidings for the Cards, but many Fred-Bird faithful don't realize that with Walker comes a surplus in the OF. Ray Lankford, who was scheduled to come off the 15-day DL last friday might ask to be released rather than be demoted. You can't help but love Lankford. Here's wishin' him the best--whatever decision he makes.

VI. At some point I might have to demand that we do the impossible and find someone that wants to pay Cedeno his outrageous salary. Trust me. He'll clear waivers.

I'll be here all week. Try the veal.
-CJ

Interesting Move

Interesting. Very interesting. Walker, for a minor leaguer and two players to be named later. AND Rockies agree to pay 7.5 M of Walker's 2005 contract. I like-a lot-so far. Who are these two? Walker received a standing ovation and was key in the 2-1 victory over the Mets earlier today. But are the Redbird faithful applauding a tad prematurely? I hope not. LaRussa is all smiles. I hope--as I have chanted so many times now-that we don't need to add better pitching instead.
-CJ

Carpenter 8 IP (I'm wrong again)

A. Can't ask for much better.

B. Seems like every division leader is starting to seperate itself. Cardinals are still 9 1/2 better than the streaking Cubs.

C. When Rolen reaches 30 homeruns it will be the first time in Cardinal history that 3 players hit 30+ in a single season. (Edmonds, Pujols)

-CJ

Trade Traffic

Deadline has come and gone. I suppose the Card's big-wigs know more about this stuff than I do. I kept hearing the same refrain from players and "importants" alike: "We don't want to upset the balance." Marching to the beat of "If it ain't broke don't fix it," the Cardinals silently went through July 31--confidently. We will see if this will be another year of the "sins of the past."

Most important transactions:(in order of importance)

A. Cardinals staying put

B. Nomar-Cubs think they can make a run at the post-season by improving a glaring weakness. Once they get there, they are relying on pitching getting healthier. This trade should worry the most confident of Cardinal fans.

C. Loaiza-Yankees gain a VERY quality starter to an already stellar rotation. At what point will the Bombers stop spending $$? Does Steinbrenner have a limit? How much CAN he spend? Shouldn't teams at some point wisen up and stop selling their "pennant-souls" to the AL NYers?

-CJ

Pujols, Pujols, Pujols

3 Dingers from Albert in an amazing come from behind win against the Cubs.
unfortunately the story is very familiar--the Redbirds' offense bails out the starting pitching.  I weary of my Doom and Gloom, fire and brimstone, Jonathan Edwards impression, but we need a dominate starter. 

Could the old adage be wrong?  "Good pitching beats good hitting."  Can you have good enough hitting to overwhelm the best pitching available?  If the Card's stay as is, we will see a whether it holds true.
-CJ

Carpenter Comes Correct; Wish Zambrano would do the same

8 IP 4ER...not too shabby.  Still 4 ER.  The Cardinals are still relying on scoring a ton.  Please let me be wrong, but I still feel the Cardinals will come crashing back to Earth soon. 
 
On another note, Zambrano, regarding his second pitch that hit Edmonds: "Meanwhile, Zambrano insisted he wasn't trying to hit Edmonds, that he was just trying to 'make my pitch and the ball went out of my hand.'" 
 
Anyone who saw that game would tell you it was no accident.  This reminds me of when my mother asked my little brother, Joey,  if he pooped his diaper.  Looking her straight in the face he said, "Daddy did it."  Right now, Zambrano and his attitude just plain stink.  Hopefully his "accidents" won't get someone seriously injured in the future.  
-CJ

Johnson Rumors

Johnson Rumors <-- Click here
 
-CJ

How we can get more for our money...

1. Roger Cedeno ($5.4 Million)-Is this not the most expensive non-everydayer?  What an unfortunate bust.  I have no idea how we could unload this guy. 
 
2. Matt Morris ($12.5 Million)-Matt ain't what he used to be (altough he pitched decently yesterday).  He definitely isn't worth over 1/8 the team payroll.  It pains me to say this, but I seriously doubt Matt will be with us next year. 
 -CJ

Pitching...again.

"The Cardinals need someone to be able to put up all zeroes on occasion -- Morris has been a disappointment there...The pitching staff is serviceable, but not spectacular. Upgrades will be needed if they really expect to hold off the Cubs' charge. The stars are aligning (Wood, Prior and Sosa off the DL) for (the Cubs)...a serious second-half run at the vulnerable Cardinals, who might eventually show chinks in their rotation."
-Eric Mack
SportsLine.com Staff Writer

I am the homely man, unshaven, and dirty holding a sign saying, "Repent the End is near--if we don't aquire more pitching."

My friend Peter White, http://www.all-baseball.com/marinermusings, made sure to tell me not to be too picky. However, when your team has been playing way above itself you want to make sure your team stays there. More's the pity for the hapless Mariners. The Cardinals desperately (maybe not obviously) need a shut-down man in the rotation.
-CJ

More For Our Money?

Who has the best record per money spent? Where do our small Midwestern finches stand?

"You gotta spend money to make money." In the case of MLB you have to spend money to make championships. The following stats are Winning % divided by millions spent for 2004. Teams want to have a higher WPPM, but as you will see, teams that are not willing to be bargain hunters will probably wind up playing in October.

Current Standings:

NL Central WPPM
Cardinals 7.7
Cubs 5.9
Reds 12.4
Brewers 18.7
Astros 6.8
Pirates 11.3

NL East WPPM
Phillies 5.7
Braves 5.8
Marlins 12.2
Mets 5.3
Expos 8.3

NL West WPPM
Dodgers 6.2
Giants 6.7
Padres 8.3
Rockies 6.0
DBacks 5.0

AL Central WPPM
White Sox 8.1
Twins 10.0
Indians 13.8
Tigers 9.7
Royals 7.6

AL East WPPM
Yankees 3.5
Red Sox 4.7
DRays 16.7
Blue Jays 8.7
Orioles 9.2

AL West WPPM
Rangers 9.7
Athletics 9.1
Angels 5.3
Mariners 4.8


So where does a team draw the line? The Yankees spend more than anyone, but they're winning. Cardinals are doing great at 7.7 and have the 2nd best record in baseball. The Twins are only 2 games out. They're WPPM is much higher than their division rival ChiSox. Are the Twins' owners willing to drop their WPPM so as to increase the one stat that does matter PCT?

Question for Walt Jockety: Are you willing to decrease the WPPM just a little bit in order to help shore up a vulnerable rotation?
-CJ

I Hate to Be Right

I know that one bad outing by Carpenter doesn't automatically make me right. But...

"Chris Carpenter has the best record at 9-3. Like I said I want to be wrong, but Carpenter will probably not keep up this pace."
-July 10, 2004

The Cardinals witnessed first hand the old adage, "Good pitching beats good hitting." Kerry Wood's dominance of the Cardinals through 5 innings (Baker being careful on Wood because he just came off the DL) is just a taste of the power a dominate pitcher brings to the table. St. Louis has 1. Hitting 2. Bullpen (So far) 3. Speed 4. Fielding 5. Power, but not a dominate starter. Matt Morris is extremely streaky, and unfortunately can no longer be counted among baseball's top tier of SP's.

Pipe dream of the week: acquire Randy Johnson. He would look very "Ek" like in the Cardinal uni.
-CJ

I'm Wrong (Day 1)

Pitchers IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Jeff Suppan (W,8-5) 6 7 2 2 0 5 1 3.33
Kiko Calero (H,6) 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3.57
Ray King (H,14) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.15
Julian Tavarez (H,9) 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3.09
Steve Kline (H,9) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.03
Jason Isringhausen (S,21)1.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.83

Wow! I hope it works out like this all the time. 8 games up and I hope the Card's don't let up now.


"Cardinals pitchers have allowed three or fewer runs in 14 of the past 15 games. Five relievers combined on hitless relief the final three innings. Isringhausen got five outs for his 21st save in 25 chances. The bullpen has allowed two earned runs in the last 29 innings."

Pitching (Needs part II)

I want to be wrong. Please let me be wrong. But Cardinal pitching is overachieving and it seems to be only a matter of time before we all come crashing back to this planet we call "Earth."

The past few years the St. Louis Cardinals' mantra has been: "yeah....but we have no pitching." Riding the coat-tails of one of the best offenses in baseball will only get you so far. This year, especially this last month, has been quite the exception. The Cardinals' staff has mowed down opponents liked thin dried grass. Over the recent homestand Redbird pitching has held opponents to 3 runs or less. All 5 starters have been winning games. However, the lack of a dominant pitcher is noticable. Chris Carpenter has the best record at 9-3. Like I said I want to be wrong, but Carpenter will probably not keep up this pace. Before the 31st arrives, the need still remains: Pitching.

Simply because we are pitching well in this half month does not mean we can ignore the sins of the past. Jockety SHOULD pursue top quality pitching--especially with Matt Morris refusing his contract extention earlier this year.
-CJ

Out in Left Field (Needs part I)

Ok folks. Sit back take a deep breath and tell me why you want to trade for a left fielder. Many in the Cardinal nation are hoping that Walt will make a move to fill this position that many say is unmanned. I would agree that having a top notch regular left fielder would be a help. But is that our Redbird's biggest need? I don't believe it is. Essentially, LaRussa has been doing a LF by committee. Mabry. Cedeno. Lankford. With Pujols' move to first base to cover the departed Tino Martinez, the LF position was left vacant. Setting aside fielding ability, lets compare what we had last year with what we have this year Martinez vs. Madenford (Mabry, Cedeno, Lankford):

R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SB SO BB AVG
Tino 66 130 25 2 15 69 204 1 71 53 .273

Madenford 49 92 17 2 12 41 149 4 82 42 .271

"HA!" you say. "Tino's stats are so much better than this platoon manning LF. Hold on a minute "lead-foot," these are just half a season's stats for our three-headed LF'er v. an entire year's worth of stats for Tino.

Now the only glaring stat against this year's LF'er is the SO's.

If we are going to trade for anything let it be for something that has been our weakness for the past few years....
-CJ

Welcome-let's get going!

Let's cut to the chase and break down where our Card's are at:

CENTRAL W L PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST L10 STK
St. Louis 52 32 .619 - 26-17 26-15 10-8 26-22 5-1 7-3 W6
Chicago 46 38 .548 6.0 25-16 21-22 5-1 24-24 9-9 5-5 L3
Milwaukee 44 38 .537 7.0 24-17 20-21 8-4 16-18 12-12 6-4 W3
Cincinnati 44 40 .524 8.0 25-15 19-25 14-10 18-18 7-5 3-7 L3
Houston 43 41 .512 9.0 22-20 21-21 6-6 26-25 4-5 5-5 W1
Pittsburgh 38 44 .463 13.0 18-22 20-22 7-2 23-26 6-6 9-1 W1

With the 3-game series against the Cubs almost upon us, this is a great time to put even more distance between the Redbirds and the rest of the Central.

Probables:
7/9 Marquis(8-4, 4.10) v. Maddux(7-6, 4.43)
7/10 Suppan(7-5, 3.35) v. Clement(7-7, 2.83)
7/11 Carpenter(9-3) v. Wood(3-3)
*Wood is expected to start, but will not be a sure thing until he meets up with the team in St. Louis.

With the Reds and the Brewers beating up on each other this looks to be an exciting time for the Cards to continue to flourish in the strong Central division.
-CJ