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
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
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
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
Friday, July 16, 2004
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
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
Thursday, July 15, 2004
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
-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
Monday, July 12, 2004
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
"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
"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
Sunday, July 11, 2004
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."
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."
Saturday, July 10, 2004
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
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
Friday, July 09, 2004
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
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
Thursday, July 08, 2004
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
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
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