The Psychotic Cardinal

Eck Was The Right Guy

2004-12-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

I've seen a lot of criticism over Walt signing the pesky Eckstein. Why?? If you look at the numbers, he gets on base better than Renteria, and we needed a serviceable leadoff. He's got a great attitude and he hustles. He's not going to hit for power, but ahead of Walker, Pujols, Rolen, and Edmonds you just want a guy to get on base. He fits in well with this team...and...for about 8 million dollars less than Renteria. 8 mil less, and he might turn out to be more productive.

Now that we've got a solid, not great, leadoff. I would love to see us sign Grudzielanek. The guy has hit over .300 the last two years and would be perfect in the 7 hole as Renteria vacates the six hole and makes it a permanent Sanders slot. Grudz would come really cheap and we could sign him to a one year deal. He's the perfect stop gap until we can find what we really want for our 2 bagger. I'm very intrigued by a Jerry Hairston Jr that is entering his prime years and coming off a .380 obp year in limited duty...but I'm don't know if this guy can keep it up.

71 Days Till First Game of Spring Training

2004-12-21T01:02:00.000-08:00

1. Something struck me as odd while reading Bernie Miklasz's article entitled "Jocketty Moves Under the Radar." Jocketty was quoted as saying:

"We kept it under the radar," Jocketty said. "We knew if the word got out that Oakland was willing to trade Mulder, and we were trying to close in on it, other teams would get involved, and it would become a feeding frenzy. So we tried to keep it quiet."

This strikes me as odd the Billy Beane would want to keep it quiet. I mean wouldn't he want teams bidding on Mulder, thus getting him a better deal? Strange.

2. While I like the acquisition of Mulder, the Cards claimed their need was a "power pitcher" that could lead the rotation. Mulder had 140 Ks last year while Morris, Williams, and Marquis all had 130+ Ks. Mulder is hardly a power pitcher, but he projects at being a nice number for this staff, so I guess that is just splitting hairs.

3. In limited duty Hairston Jr posted a .378 obp last year. While I don't think he is quite that good, wouldn't it be nice to have that kind of production on our team a la Vina in 2000? While he can't steal bases worth a crap that guy still in his prime years could be an upgrade on Womack. Couple Hairston with Polanco's .339 career obp, and I think we might actually upgrade our offense this next year.

4. If we do get Polanco, where would he bat? I love having Walker and his .400+ obp at the stop of the order, but knowing Tony I'm afraid Polanco will be right there in the two hole b/c he can "handle the bat really well."

5. Polanco accepting arbitration means the Cards would have to trade for him and the word is that with Chase Utley in the balance the Phils don't really want him back. This has tempered Polanco coming to the Cards somewhat, but the Padres Ramon Vazquez is being looked on as a backup.

6. Thank God we didn't sign Orlando Cabrera...way overpriced!!!

Link Fixed

2004-12-18T22:57:00.000-08:00

I fixed the MLB Contracts Page Link so it is back up again. A very useful tool when thinking about who we can pick up and how much we can spend. Also, below I wrote something about the Mulder trade...cheers!

My Thoughts on Mulder

2004-12-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

Well, the Cards made a significant upgrade in their pitching when they acquired Mark Mulder for Calero, Barton, and Haren. Here are my thoughts on the trade.

First, we lose Haren, but we get Mulder so that is an upgrade. And at 27, Mulder is entering his prime. If we could sign him quickly to a five year deal worth roughly 8-10 mil a year, it's a steal and I think we can do that. I know that's a reach on the salary, but I really think we can get him for that. In Calero, we lose really a minor league free agent. But Calero was a stalwart out of the pen, and what some people thought could be a cheap replacement for Izzy. And now with his trade and the Kline departure, it looks like Lincoln and Reyes will be in the pen. As good as Reyes pitched at the end of last year, I just don't feel comfortable with Reyes and Lincoln just yet. So, all of a sudden, something that was a huge strength last year (and I'm talking about the pen here) becomes somewhat of a question mark. King will be asked to take a heavier load, when he has been virtually a lefty specialist. Lincoln and Reyes all of a sudden become important cogs. Not something to freak out about, but definitely a question mark and the strong pen was the reason our pitching staff was so effective.

Finally, the part that makes me want to puke is losing Barton. Oh Lord, I thought I was going to cry. Just when it looked like our farm system was up and coming with guys like Anthony Reyes, Wainwright, Haren, Journell...we get rid of our top position player in a farm system void of impact position players. And not just any impact player...at 19, this guy hit over .300. But the amazing thing is he showed enough plate discipline to have an obp. well over .400. It seemed to me the guy was destined to be a stud, and as a catcher, holy crap this guy would bring amazing value to our offense. I just want to hurl losing this guy, and I don't want to even follow him or hear his name b/c I don't want to think about how good this guy might be. The WS appearance kept me from jumping out the window but if he becomes a super star I might think about setting my house on fire.

I just thought Jocketty could get us a pitcher w/o sacrificing someone like Barton. It is clear to me, however, that Cards brass want to win the title next year. So they had better open up the pocket books b/c we still have 2nd and SS to fill. All you guys know I have talked about how the Cards got to do more building through their farm system and stop signing so many FAs. This was our chance to have a cheap impact player in the mold of Pujols but alas we have let it go by. I'm happy to have Mulder, but he does come with some question marks...the loss of velocity last year, the poor showing down the stretch, rumors that he was hurt..can you say Matt Morris.

No, I don't even want to think about it. He upgrades our staff enormously if we get the usual Mulder, and I'm glad we didn't give up Ankiel. If Ankiel develops and comes back to the rotation, this might turn into one of the leagues best.

But I hope Walt knows something we don't about Barton.

Free Agent Ramblings!

2004-12-13T02:39:00.000-08:00

Man, is it just me or does this offseason seem crazy. The Yankees and Red Sox are picking up all the good free agents in sight, further proving that baseball is the most unfair professional sport on the planet. I used to always side with the MLBPA, but no longer...these are the Nazis that brought you the steroid test free baseball season and continue to fight a salary cap at all cost.

The Cardinals Birdhouse reported Renteria as being signed by the Sox, and it looked like it was a done deal. Then today you have Renteria's agent coming back to the Cards and saying he hasn't signed with anyone yet. In other words, Renteria is trying to see if he can squeeze a few more bucks out of us. Hopefully, Walt has the balls to say final offer...I have no problem with them adding another year to the contract but no upping the avg salary per year. At 8 mil per year, Renteria is still too high priced. He has avg. power and his OBP is in the .320s. Now Orlando Cabrera is seeking a deal in the 4 years 32 mil range. My thinking of going with Cabrera is that Renteria is the better SS...so why would we want to pay him the same as Renteria? The market for SS this year is freaking gay. And you can think the gay ass Giants for forking over all that money to an over the hill Vizquel for setting the market. Sorry, but I say we pass, go with Luna and sign Polanco. Our offense will still be good enough if we concentrate on upgrading the staff and emphasizing pitching.

On the pitching front. Rumor is that low is asking for a deal in the 4 year 48 mil range. Good lord...Lowe is a moron. The guy makes three good starts and all of a sudden he wants to be paid like an ace. This guy is a joke. I don't trust his ability enough to dish out that kind of money...I'll pass.

I was hoping we would get Pavano, but it is obvious this guy is a Yankee dork and doesn't have the balls to be a Cardinal. I mean how hard is it to go to a team that spends all their money to make an all-star team and win?? What kind of skill is that? At least Schilling had the balls to sign with the Red Sox.

In any event, it seems like the right fit for us is Hudson. He's young and seems to want to be a Cardinal, so I think we can get an extension on him for a good price. I know what Beane is up to...this guy is thinking he can get a decent vet in the Suppan range, a solid prospect in the Haren range, and then get a project with a high ceiling like Ankiel. I really hate to lose Ankiel b/c I think he'll turn into something. If somehow Walt can get away with sending Suppan and Gall for Hudson and finding a way to keep Ankiel, Haren, and Barton then there's no doubt he is the best GM in baseball. I don't see how he is going to do it, however...in my opinion I would rather keep those guys than get Hudson. There are only a few pitchers in baseball I think are dominate enough I would want to trade that group of prospects for...and Hudson is not in that realm. But...I can't fault the guy if he does it...it's a tough choice but Walt always seems to do the right thing.

Morris Coming Back

2004-12-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge Morris fan book it looks like the Cards signed him for 2.5 million with incentives that could reach 7 mil. I hated to see us turn Woody away b/c I think he's such a bulldog on the mound. I love watching him pitch.

I think Walt was resigned to the fact that we could not land two starting pitchers so he had to sign either Woody or Morris. Now letting Woody go was the right move...if and only if we sign a pitcher to anchor or rotation. Walt has to figure if Morris comes back and is the pitcher of old he's signed a top of the rotation guy for pretty cheap. If not, the worst we get is a Garrett Stephanson type guy for the price of Garrett Stephanson. So not a bad deal at all.

Now if Morris can come back strong we have a guy that went toe to toe with Curt Schilling twice in the playoffs. If we get the top of the rotation guy we are looking for we have a great one-two punch. If we can get a full season out of Carpenter like last year, all of a sudden our rotation looks pretty strong. Add to that the usual steady year from Suppan and Marquis who looks like he is about to break out and we are looking like a team poised to finally take the title again.

Should any of these guys falter let's not forget we still have Ankiel and Haren....which I think is the drawback of bringing Morris back. Unless WJ is planning on trading Haren/Ankiel it's yet another year that these guys are rotting in the minors. I hate to see this b/c it seems like it takes forever for Cards prospects to make it to the majors. Sometimes I wonder if Pujols would still be in the minors if Bonilla wouldn't have gone on the DL.

In other signings, we got Mabry for a very cheap price. He's nice to have on the bench as a lefty. Now if we would just finally bring Gall up, we have a nice lefty and righty bat coming off the bench. Eldred is coming back and I have no clue why as we could get someone out of the minors to do the job that Eldred does. I don't trust Eldred in pressure situations and never will.

Finally, we let Kline go. Now I know Kline has been steady for us, but how many times has Kline choked in clutch situations...almost always. Kline is great when he starts the inning, but every time you bring him in the middle of a pressure situation it's a walk, hit, or HR...I just don't trust this guy with the game on the line.

Where the Cards Are Missing It!

2004-12-05T04:21:00.000-08:00

To start out with, I would like to say that I have the utmost respect for Walt Jocketty. Everyone likes to talk about the Cashmans, the Epsteins, and of course the Beane's, but I think we have one of the best in WJ. With that being said, I really feel like he'll be smart in his dealings with Arizona when it comes to Randy Johnson. The Big Unit very well could be that final cog for a world championship. But the Cardinal Nation thought the same when they signed Izzy and then Tino to horrible contracts. I don't think Walt will make that mistake again, and I think the Cards organization wants to compete year in and year out.

With all that, here's some things I would like to see the Cards do in the future:

1. Start promoting from within. I truly believe the Cards have what they need in their own system, and it comes a lot cheaper than signing free agents. We have Luna for the middle infield who's not a great hitter but serviceable. John Gall would make a great bat for the bench. Power pitchers we got Ankiel, Reyes, and Haren.

2. Stop signing closers to huge contracts. I don't understand the hype of having a closer. You can't tell me that out of Calero, King and Tavarez we couldn't have had similar results. Yeah, not everyone has the right stuff to be a closer, but one of those three would have had the same results and for a lot less money.

3. Put a premium on offense and obp. I'm really tired of the Cards spending good money on "leaders" like Mike Matheny that are dead weight in the lineup. One, a good catcher is nice to have for a young pitcher, but you can't tell me that a veteran pitcher isn't going to throw what he wants to throw. Two, the SB is overrated, therefore, having a catcher that can shut down the running game is overrated. Three, you can teach a catcher the fundamentals and make him serviceable at blocking balls. We have a young man in our organization by the name of Daric Barton that can hit. They are wondering where to play him, and I hope they keep him at catcher b/c I would rather have an offensive stud at catcher than a defensive genius. Notice one reason why the Sox kicked our ass in the WS? Because they had virtually zero automatic outs in their lineup that lacked power. Womack, Matheny, and whatever DH we use aren't going to scare anyone...I also don't think Renteria is that great, but that's for another story.

4. Stop thinking a leadoff has to be fast. I hate seeing a guy that has a sub .300 obp batting in a leadoff spot just b/c he is fast. It kills me. I would bet my ass had Womack not had an outstanding year he still would have batted in the leadoff position. I thought it was genius to TLR to bat Walker in the two hole. It completely changed our lineup, and I hope that he'll find someone with a high obp to bat at the top for next year.

Roid Talk

2004-12-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

Oh God I'm so tired of hearing about baseball and steroids. It is all that is on the radio talk shows right now. It's on all the websites, sport pages...it's everywhere.

It is annoying the crap out of me. It has to be worse than being locked in a room with loud mouth Rosie O'donnell. Honestly, I don't care. Whatever they do is whatever they do...which I don't think they'll do anything b/c Selig sucks as a commissioner. All I want to do is talk about baseball and see what the Cards do in the offseason to improve their team.

Readers Write

2004-12-02T01:42:00.000-08:00

I got this comment from Dan concerning Jimmy Journell:

"To be fair, though, Journell may have gotten Mike Lincoln's spot had he not been hurt himself."

Dan you might be absolutely right, but we'll never know. Here's my whole point about the thing. Remember Yan, remember Fassero, remember Borbon? Why did all these guys get a chance before we brought Journell up and said, "Alright hoss, here's the ball...it's yours...you get a whole season. Pass or fail." Instead, TLR kept rolling Yan out there night after night. It was sick.

If he puts Journell out there...not only do I think we get better pitching, but we would already know if Journell can pitch at the major league level. Now we are stuck with a guy that is entering the "prime years," yet still stuck in the minors.

Our brass has to do a better job of getting our young guys through our system and up into the majors in order to keep our costs down.

Power Arms/Prospects

2004-11-29T20:46:00.000-08:00

I was really excited to see The Cardinal Nation site tout Anthony Reyes as our number one prospect. I have been excited on this guy every since the Cards drafted him. The only drawback is can this guy stay healthy. He seems to have all the tools and even outpitched Mark Prior in college.

I was also excited to see Daric Barton #2. The kid is 19 freaking years old and has a great obp. I love to see plate discipline at an early age.

Herein lies the one problem I have with our Cards organization: we coddle our young guys. Look out of Haren, Ankiel, and Reyes...one of them could be 1 of the 2 power pitchers we are looking for. Yet, we are going to treat them like Journell and Gall and let them rot away.

Two questions arise in my thinking of the Cards: 1) Why did we need to trade for Cedeno, and why was the knock on our bench that we didn't have a power guy like Eduardo Perez when we've got Gall tearing it up in AAA? The guy should have been on our bench from day one. 2) Why has Jimmy Journell not had a full season to prove whether he can pitch in the majors or not?

No, instead we would like to wait until they are 27/28, to bring them up when they have zero trade value.

If you ask me, Reyes, Ankiel, and Haren should fight it out for a spot in our rotation. We should trade Suppan to clear salary, sign a top power pitcher, and start building from w/in. I like the direction our farm system is going right now. We are starting to stock it up again...but let's not get confused...we are a mid-market team. And we should be building from w/in and lowering payroll until we have the cogs for a WS...then with all the money we go out and sign what we need and lock them up into long contracts that expire in their decline phase.

Rumor Mill

2004-11-27T23:09:00.000-08:00

I'm getting strong indications that the Cardinals will trade Jeff Suppan to clear some salary for a big time acquisition. That is all I have that I feel strongly about.

Rumors are saying he could be headed to Arizona, which would mean Randy Johnson. I'm not so confident in that...but I am pretty sure that it looks like Suppan might be on his way out. I'm going to investigate and see what I can find.

Today's Rambling

2004-11-27T22:08:00.000-08:00

1. Will the Brewers ever be good? I keep hearing about this great farm system they have, but yet, they suck every year.

2. Not much buzz happening in Cardinal land. Names I keep hearing floating around are Hudson, The Big Unit, Pedro, and Pavano. Nothing even close yet though.

3. My guess is that we will end up resigning Renteria. I think it's a waste of money that we could use on pitching, but it sounds like we really want him back.

4. I'm still hearing Polanco for 2B or SS, but not seeing any action.

5. This sucks...I want some baseball now!!!

6. I'm working on a piece for the side bar. It will be a projected Cardinals Lineup for 2005 and what I call a future lineup. It's just something for fun that will list who from the current team will still be here...and then the rest will have homegrown guys that are doing well. It will be just something fun that I'll update as people get traded, move on, or don't develop, etc.

That's all for now psychos!!

My Fav Free Agents

2004-11-26T03:53:00.000-08:00

Here's who I like for our team:

1. Randy Johnson (not gonna happen)
2. Carl Pavano (this is my number one choice and a guy I think we have a shot at)
3. Tim Hudson ( i don't see it happening)
4. Placido Polanco (Would love to see him fill the 2B/SS spot and promote from w/in to fill the other middle IF spot)

I feel like we have enough offense to win a championship as is...I just feel that strongly pitching is more important.

Guys I hate for our team:

1. Matt Morris (I hear we are interested in resigning him. I guess TLR needs a pot supplier. Look even when Matt was good...his 22 win season he was flakey. He's just never been consistent...ever)
2. Pedro Martinez (great pitcher; total dork. I hate his hair, he has no guts, and he says stupid stuff...keep him off our team)
3. Eric Milton (soon I'll get drunk and go off about how much we don't need this guy...until then I think you guys know how much I hate this potential signing)
4. Anyone Alomar's age for our middle IF (no more retreads please...Womack was a once in a lifetime deal)
5. Kevin Millwood (Matt Morris, Jr.)
6. Anyone that the "experts" say has great "stuff" but just hasn't had the right scenery and could be a "great" Dunc project. Let's save our money and promote those kind of guys from w/in.

Ramblings

2004-11-26T03:25:00.000-08:00

1. Read on the StlToday Post Dispatch Today that the Cards would love to get two power arms off the free agency wire. Sorry Cards fans...not gonna happen. Anyone that thinks that is smoking more dope than that Cali Rasta Baseball Genius known as TLR. I would be happy just getting an ace at the top and filling in the 5th spot with Haren/Ankiel/whichever goober in AAA we can find to have a career year.

2. If the Cards pick up Eric Milton to be the power pitcher/ace/God, I am going to go out and get really drunk and then consider jumping off a bridge. This guy is not what we need. He's never had a "dominant" year. I would much rather hire from within. We can get the same sucking ass at a cheaper price.

3. The more I get into sabr the more I believe a "defensive" catcher is way overrated. Case in point...does a Daric Barton bring more value than a Mike Matheny. Assuming Daric Barton can follow in the mold of a Mike Piazza? My presuppositions are: 1) the stolen base has proven to be way overrated, 2) a passed ball isn't going to happen every game, 3) a catcher can be taught how to provide an adequate backstop.

4. Slight backslide for Ankiel as he gave up four runs in 5 innings. Remember he hasn't been going that deep into games, so maybe he just needs to get his arm strength up. It seems like that has been what they are working on...getting him deeper into games.

5. Finally, I purchased a top loading old school nintendo on ebay. A very rare item. Plays all the old Nintendo games, but loads from the top so you don't have the mysterious blinking game problem.

That is all for today psychoheads!!! Have a great psycho day!!

Stupid Messageboard Fans

2004-11-23T03:44:00.000-08:00

Saw this posted on STLToday Cards messageboard:

"If the Cards don't sign Renteria for next season they don't have a cut dogs chances of winning the division. Just hope LaRussa doesn't let him make out the lineup this yr."

Sorry but this is pure stupidity. I didn't know that a .327 obp, .728 ops with solid defense was the difference in this team winning and losing. I would love to have Edgar back, and if we were the Yankees, I say sign him. But he's not and he's not worth 10 mil. That's almost what Tejada makes and Edgar doesn't have near the bat Tejada does.

We can save so much money by signing someone that can play solid defense and contribute a little offensively for so much less than 10 mil. And I'm sure we could find someone that can get on base better than 32% of the time. Then we use the money we save to find an ace which we need much more.

Next Closer?

2004-11-22T18:27:00.000-08:00

Anyone have any ideas who the next closer will be??

I have heard a lot of people talking about Calero. The only problem I have with Calero is that he seems to me to give up too many HRs. Other than that, he has all the makings. Good K/IP, electric stuff.

I would like to say Journell has a chance but knowing how much TLR hates young guys, he'll continue to rot away with Gall. It makes me sick that you bust your ass, have good numbers, and this organization just lets you rot. I'm not saying either one of these guys is a major league, but hell GIVE THEM A SHOT!!! You mean to tell me you'll give knuckleheads Borbon and Yan a shot, but won't give one to Journell. Sometimes I think Tony needs to lay off the crack.

Fall/Winter League Players

2004-11-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

From stats taken from the Cardinal Nation, Ankiel looked impressive in his first outing in the Puerto Rican Winter League:

4 IP, 0 Runs, 1 Walk, 1 HBP, 3 Ks, 3 H

Dominate!!!

I plead with Cardinals brass not to let this guy go. As much time as we've put into Ankiel, we need to give him a chance. And not the damn bullpen. I'm talking he should have the opportunity to start. This team has to start thinking about cheap solutions. We can't continue to build from free agency. I know TLR hates young guys, but it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. We need more homegrown talent like Ankiel.

Carmen Cali continues to look awful. His ERA is over 5. A lot of people thought he was going to be a lefty reliever to replace Kline, but I don't think so. Guy supposedly has an "electric" arm, but all I see is a guy that throws hard...yeah...hard and very straight. It just isn't going to cut it. I don't know that Al Reyes is the answer either. Yes, the guy looked good at the end of the year, but can he do it all season w/o turning into Jeff Fassero. Lord, I hope so.

Hot Stove Speculation Continues Et Al

2004-11-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

Can someone post when baseball season starts again?? Lord, this is horrible. Life just isn't the same without my beloved Cardinals. Thank God football is still here to keep me alive, but it's not the same.

Rumors are flying that the Cards might be interested in Eric Milton. I hope not. I'm tired of the Cards signing all these "projects." Milton has a live arm but is not proven. I want to see the Cards sign a bonefied ace, and I don't think we should trade Calero, Ankiel, and Haren to get it. I think Calero is a potential low money replacement for Izzy, whom we are paying way too much. I still believe Ankiel is a potential ace (yea, I know I must be out of my mind), and Haren has a nice arm for a cheap 4-5 guy. Randy Johnson would be my first choice if he doesn't cost all those prospects. But if so, I would love the Cards management to dish out the dough to get Carl Pavano. He's young, a power pitcher, and he's proven he's one of the best in the game.

To all you Renteria lovers, I get this off of the STL Outsider blog:

(10) Luna's projected to hit 271/330/350 in 2005.
(9) Renteria's projected to hit 294/351/417. The difference isn't worth $10 million per year

Look, I have no clue why all the STL Post Dispatch is talking about how we have to resign Renteria...why? In today's game, it's all about the sluggers. Why we want to pay 10 mil for a .330 OBP with 10-20 HRs is beyond me. Renteria isn't worth it, and we can get steady defense out of someone cheaper.

Cubs are reportedly very interested in signing Womack...suckers. He'll never be what he was this past year again. They can have him but that does leave us in the market for a leadoff hitter, and no the answer is not Bo Hart. I would like to see us sign a cheap, young steady speedster that could give us .350 OBP at the least. I say this b/c I know Cards brass will never see the light and go with high OBP at the top rather than just speed. The reason I know this is b/c we put people like Bo Hart at the top of the order that do not draw walks. Here's my opening day lineup so far...call me psycho but here it is:

1. Gall LF (yeah I know you think this is crazy...but think about it. He'll get on base and bonus, he hits for power)
2. Walker RF (putting this guy in the 2 hole last year was the most genius move I have ever seen TLR make...so maybe he will put a guy like Gall at leadoff)
3. Pujols 1B
4. Rolen 3B
5. Edmonds CF (we really need to trade Edmonds as we lose trade value the longer we keep him, but he's still the best)
6. Luna/Polanco 2B/SS
7. Hart/Polanco 2B/SS (I would like to see us get someone else to plug in...maybe a cheapy...but not sure who I like yet.
8. Molina (Please don't pay much money for a backup catcher Walt and please no Cody McKay)

Rotation
1. Carpenter
2. Marquis (hopefully Woody will come back at a cheaper price...I would like to see him back)
3. Suppan
4. Ankiel
5. Haren

The Psycho is Back!!!

2004-11-19T05:18:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, sorry for the long hiatus. I really didn't think anyone ever read this. But I was bored the other day (yes, really board) and did a search for my name and found that I was quoted on all these other blogs. Needless to say that got me back into the blogging fever!!!

I want to change the blog up a bit. I love sabremetrics, but I'm not expert. I love learning about the Cardinals farm system but I don't have the good info like The Cardinal Nation has. I really like learning about the players, but don't have the access The Cardinals' Birdhouse has. So I'm just gonna make this more of a blog where I tell my thoughts. It will deal mostly about the Cards, but I might just bitch if I have a bad day. More of a source of entertainment and a voice of the common man, I guess you could say.

So let's get down to business. What is up with this rumored trade for the Big Unit? Ankiel, Haren, and Calero for Randy Johnson?? I'm just not down with it. We've heard this before...the Cardinals are one piece away from a WS championship. Yeah we were just one piece away, we just needed a closer when we signed Izzy to the huge contract...not. We were just one piece away...needed a first baseman to take over for McGwire when we signed Tino to the ridiculous contract...not. I just hate mortgaging the future to get the so called "final piece." The 49ers and Cowboys tried that approach and they haven't been the same since.

I would rather us just sign an FA like a Pavano et al. Our problem is we have Yankee management for a mid-market payroll. We can't afford to continue piecing together through free agency. We have to go with cheap alternative, i.e. homegrown talent. I don't think Haren will be that good like some do...low 4's in ERA if you ask me. But he's a cheap way to go.

And for your info...I am an Ankiel believer. But fat chance of having Ankiel/Haren in next year's rotation. La Russa just needs to wear a hat that says "I hate players under 25" b/c it's the truth. Let's not forget that the only reason the 2nd best hitter in the game got a chance to be on the team his first year was b/c Bobby Bo got hurt.

If you ask me, this team should go with:
Free Agent (Pavano, Pedro, et al)
Williams (hopefully he'll sign for less money...if not tell him to F off)
Marquis
Suppan
Ankiel/Haren

The Fundamentals

2004-07-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Watching the Giants beat the Cardinals again, I saw something that I hate to see...and something I think the Cards do a lot and it will catch up with them. You cannot...and I mean cannot give leadoff walks or two out walks. The former moreso than the latter, and that is what I will focus on.

I remember playing in college...leadoff walks used to drive my coach crazy. He would tell our pitchers to groove one as long as it wasn't to the middle of the lineup rather than walk someone to lead off an inning. The problem with a leadoff walk is that you let someone on base without making them work. Then your margin for error is slim. That guy can steal second, and then he is autmatically in scoring position with three chances to score; he can be bunt over giving the other team two chances to score him; you can make a mistake and let up a hit putting the guy on third with no outs or the guy can even score.

Looking at Saturday's game: Snow scored in the second after drawing a leadoff walk from Carp; Cruz walked to lead the ninth and came around to score; In the 10th Alfonzo homered which plated Mohr who got on ...by you guessed it a leadoff walk. That is three runs that scored off of leadoff walks. And let's face it, Snow, Cruz, and Mohr aren't exactly Barry. Throw one down the pipe and make them earn it.

That is what I think makes Carp successful. He doesn't give up walks...he is very efficient and comes right after hitters. He didn't have his stuff on Saturday and he uncharacteristically walked five people, but he'll get back on track. Our bullpen needs to start coming in throwing strikes...or rather, come in ready to pitch.

Hopefully, this won't be a trend as leadoff walks will be the death of me!

Musical Bullpen

2004-07-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

I sure wish I could figure out what Tony is thinking with the bullpen. With a guy on second and two out, Carp issues an intentional pass to Bonds in the 8th. No problem with that looks like he learned from yesterday. So I'm sure he is going to bring Kline in a very critical part of the game to get that final out and strand the runner. Kline had been warming up, and he doesn't go to him. I don't understand that. Yes, it ends up working out, but he should have gone to Kline. And don't give me that he is trying to show Carp he has confidence in him crap. It's late in the game, you need to bring someone fresh in to get that last out.

So then Kline sits down and Tavarez is warming up. Yet, Izzy comes in the next inning. You have your closer in that is supposed to be your dominator...you know your best reliever. But TLR decides to bring Kline in to face the lefty. I guess he doesn't want to show Izzy he has the confidence in him. I can't blame what happened next on TLR as Womack should have fielded that ball. Finally, he brings King in to face two righties and Alfonzo launches one on him, and then he gets Barry. Tavarez then comes in to face Cody Ransom who is batting .188? If you were going to bring Tavarez in anyway, why not use him against the two righties and then let King get Bonds? No sense at all...I can't figure out what Tony is thinking...he defies logic.

I will give him props though for trying to bunt Marlon over and go for the win. I thought that was a good call except JT gobbled it up and threw him out (even though the replay shows Marlon was safe).

The Case of Rick Ankiel and the Future of the Cards

2004-07-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

With news that Rick Ankiel might resume pitching in Peoria around 1 August, I can't help but think about what could be for this Cardinals team. I truly believe that the bad contracts of Tino Martinez, Matt Morris, and possibly Isringhausen- depending on if you believe paying 7 mil to a closer is way too much (which I'm inclined to believe)- are blessing in disguise. It has forced Walt Jocketty to rethink building this team through free agency. He has learned the value of a strong minor league system and was able to get solid personnel on the cheap.

To me, this team has to find a core nucleus to build around, and then fill the rest with solid proven players that come cheap. With Albert Pujols at the center of the lineup, we are insured of having a stalwart that can carry this team for years to come. Now we need a proven ace. Someone that we can turn to and expect to throw up goose eggs. I would love for us to get Randy Johnson as I think it would make us the favorites to win the title.

But back to my topic. I think the formula for success with this team would be to splurge for four position players that can rake (Edmonds, Pujols, Rolen, Renteria) and three formidable front end starters (like the A's big three) with maybe only one making over 5 mil a year. Remember that combined the A's Big Three will make less than Matt Morris this year! Finally, you have to fill out the rest of the roster with solid players that can play really good defense. I think what is overlooked about this team...and ultimately what makes it so successful is the sound defense. One other thing...I think it's extremely important we find someone at the top of the order that can get on base at a .350 clip in the least. I would love to have the .380 season that Vina had in 2000 but will settle for what Womack has done so far this year. Maybe I'm too old school, but I just think having someone at the top of the order that can get on base is extremely important. And then a solid pen with guys like we have this year, and we've proven that we can do it without spending tons of money.

So then what about next year? What if Rick Ankiel could get back to his old self? He could make this team a winner for years to come. For starters, we need to lock Carp and Marquis into long term deals...economical deals at that. And seeing as how we rescued both and both love St Louis, I think we could get them long term at 3-5 mil year. Maybe this is wishful thinking. If Ankiel goes back to his old self, you lock him into a long term cheap deal at 3-5 mil. All of a sudden, you have a pretty nice 1-3. We let Morris take a hike, and then we have Suppan to be a solid innings eater like Hentgen was back in 2000. I don't think Wainwright or Haren will be a front end starter, but they give us two guys we can use on the back end for dirt cheap. This club needs to learn how to plug in guys from the system. As a side note, I really like Woody Williams and would be glad to have him back for another year as I think he is a great number two. He's settling back into form this year.

Now with the position players. I think we have to lock Renteria into a long term deal as he gives us offense at SS where it is a premium. That gives us Edmonds, Pujols, Renteria, and Rolen as a nucleus. Reggie is serviceable in right, and if he keeps following his career path he should hit 30 HRs next year with a .340-.350 obp as well as solid D...we'll take that. Get rid of Metheny who is making too much to me for a catcher that can't hit, make Molina the starter and find a cheap defensive catcher to back him up. If Gall learns to play solid in the OF, he would be perfect to plug in left. Then all we need to look for is a second baseman type that can get on base at a .350+ clip. I don't think Womack will be the answer, but we can stick with him as long as we are looking for someone in the future. At this time, I'm not sure who we should go for as I would want someone on the cheap...maybe Hairston, Jr. or Cattolonatto.

We should keep everyone we have in the pen. Hopefully, Journell can start to mature as I would love to get a cheaper alternative to Izzy. I also think Calero could turn into a closer...maybe even Tavarez.

Okay, so I went off on a lot of tangents in this article. But I will conclude with this: This team is young enough to continue bringing us titles. And if Walt continues the work he started this offseason we'll have the financial flexibility to keep this going. One thing I want us to never do again is think we are one player away and go out and overpay because we think it will bring us a championship (that got us in trouble with Tino and Izzy). If we stay the course, build from within, and stay creative, the Cardinals could make a run similar to what the Braves have done in their division.

Magic Number At 58!!

2004-07-24T03:06:00.000-07:00

We are closing in on that division title.

TLR Does It Again

2004-07-24T02:59:00.000-07:00

I really get sick of harping on this guy...I really do. But come on. I'm not a major league ballplayer, nor am I a major league manager. But down only 3-0, two men on, and the best offensive force in baseball up...I mean we are still in the game. This is the critical time when we give ourselves a chance to win, or let them blow the game wide open. The way I see it TLR has two choices: 1) Walk Bonds and pitch to the righty Feliz, or 2) Bring in Kline/King to face Bonds (I would prefer King). Instead TLR chooses to pitch to Bonds...and continues to pitch to Bonds even though Suppan is behind 3-1. I also think Suppan has to have the smarts to just go ahead and walk the guy when he's that far behind in the count.

And don't give me this crap about Bonds to that point being 0-8 against Suppan. No one in the league is going to dominate Bonds. Eventually, he is going to get to you. TLR blew it and after the game he admitted it. It is mistakes like this one that make me wonder if he'll do something stupid in the playoffs to cost us again. Also, why would you ever walk JT Snow? I don't care if you have to groove one; Suppan should never walk him. I hope we don't do that again.

MAGIC NUMBER AT 68!!!

2004-07-16T03:51:00.000-07:00

Keep coming here for the Cardinals Magic Number Countdown!!!

Will We Get The Big Unit?

2004-07-16T03:43:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize for neglecting my blogging. But I am back!! This is the most exciting season I've ever been part of having been a Cards fan since the early 80s. And now I really think we might get the Big Unit. First off, he has narrowed his choices down to the Cards and Yankees.

So why will we get him over the Yankees? I believe that The Big Unit is a traditionalist...a small town guy. I think playing in a small town like St Louis would be the perfect end to his career. Not only does he get the quiet Midwestern life, but the glory of playing for a world championship.

He was worked way too hard in my opinion in Arizona. And I think TLR would and should protect him more. This could easily give him three more years in a Cards uni. But what do we have to trade? Well, I would hope that Walt would not strip our minor league system to get this guy as I think it is important to maintain so we can have a contender year after year. So we really don't have all that much to offer. However, I'm not going to doubt the man that could turn Polanco and Timlin into Scott Rolen. Walt can find a way to make a steal. And to me, he could trade Morris and possibly Gall to another team, which could provide the D-Backs with prospects. Look, if the Unit is serious about playing for a real sports town, Walt will get the deal done. I really think we'll get the Big Unit and my God he'll look good in a Cardinals uniform!!!

Back From Hiatus/TLR Blows It

2004-06-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, after a two week vacation in the states, I'm not back to normal in the Republic of Korea. I tell you...I sure do miss the good ol' US of A. There's no doubt we are the greatest country in the world.

Last night, the Redbirds kept their winning streak going and upped their record to a National League best 40-27. But TLR, once again, almost blew it by leaving Carp in too long. A lot of people on the board were whining that some of us were just bashing TLR. But if anyone can explain to me why late in the game you wait until you lose the lead to bring on the relief (especially given that our pen is one of the best in the league) then I'll kindly shut up.

There was also a questionable call on sending Renteria. I don't agree with calling a hit and run with 0 outs in the ninth. It seems like we have gambled on lost on this the last three times we've tried it in the 9th. I think you tell your runner if you can steal take the base, but it's too risky to lose those outs by calling a hit and run. Even so, we still win the game. I wasn't quite as mad about this as TLR leaving Carp in the game too long. If Tavarez is our setup guy then we should use him that way.

Glory Glory Hallelujah!!!

2004-06-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

What an exciting time to be a Cards fan. Pujols has heated up and is carrying the Cards offense. Rolen has looked like the HOFer that everyone predicted at the plate. Woody finally looks like the Woody of old. TLR finally brought up Yadier and he got his first hit. I could cry. And the important thing, the Cards are six games above .500 and looked poised to make a run.

I've said all along this team could be a great team. Unlike last year, we have the chance to win every night because everyone of our five starters can shut down the opposition. We have depth with Haren and Wainwright. And we all know what the offense is capable of. I'm excited!! Go Cards!!

Cards Are Breaking My Heart

2004-05-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Cards are breaking my heart once again as Izzy can't close it out. Too bad as a magnificent effort from Carp is wasted. I see a lot of people bitching that TLR should not have taken him out. Look I'm as hard on TLR as anyone, but come on you bashers. Carp has a rebuilt arm and was up to 120 pitches. The argument is that he was crusing. Yeah well, most of the time you don't even know you are injured until the next day, and the most opportune time for injury is up near that 120 pitch mark. I, personally, would have taken him out the previous inning and hold him to around 100 pitches. It was the right move for TLR to pull Carp. The fault is on Izzy who is paid way too much. I can't wait till we get the Izzy and Tino contract off the books.

It would really be nice to steal a Win off of a Clemens start.

Fundamentals Beat the Cards Again!!

2004-05-24T04:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, after watching the Cards game today something occured to me. Is it just me or have the Cards under La Russa been consistently sloppy? Once again, I watched the fundamentals beat the Cards.

Let's start in the first inning after Rolen singles home a very valuable run in the first inning. The outfielder fields the ball, and then proceeds to miss the cutoff man. The first mistake Edmonds makes is that he doesn't read the ball. Instead of taking off when it is obvious the throw is going to miss the cutoff man, the "sky cam" shows that he waits until the ball is past the cutoff man and then begins running. Even so, Edmonds makes a big no-no that you learn in third grade...you never...ever...make the last out at third. Therefore, Clement is let off the hook after walking two straight batters and a hard hit ball. All of a sudden, big Mo is switched back to the other side because they dodge the big inning.

Once again, if Morris is the staff ace he cannot give up first inning runs. You just can't. He's not ready to throw when he starts the game. I'm going to have to ask Ray Mileur and Brian Walton what his warmup routine is because he just isn't ready. First thing, I see is that he relies almost solely on his fastball in the first inning and the only thing I can think is that he isn't feeling his curve yet. So he throws three straight fastballs to Ramirez...THREE STRAIGHT...to a free swinger. How about mixing in a change or that curve...why not pitch him backwards or out of the zone? First inning runs are absolutely devestating...demoralizing!!!

Finally, I'm tired of hearing the announcers talk about how Matt Morris says he has learned how to pitch better now that he has lost some of his velocity. If this is so....THEN GET THE !@#$@#%!!$#@% BALL DOWN IN THE ZONE!! He keeps getting the ball up in the zone, and you can't survive there with an 88-91 MPH fastball.

I'm absolutely frustrated. This team has the talent, and it has the players...but this team has no discipline. Again, this is on the coach. You have to get a team to go out there and play the game correctly. You have to do the little things to win the close games, and I just don't see it.

TLR What Are You Thinking?

2004-05-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Well, the evil genius has done it again. Because of his hatred of rookies or his downright insistance that we go with the "track team" bench, the Cardinals are caught with their pants down. Pujols will most likely be out Sunday in a very important game due to a hip flexor strain. And we have no backup first baseman. He thought about going with Edmonds, but he hasn't carried his first baseman glove in over year. Now, it looks like he might go with our "secret weapon" Marlon Anderson. Do John Gall and John Mabry even exist? Tony is smoking crack. No way these guys should be down in AAA and guys like Roger Cedeno are on the big club.

It is also becoming increasingly evident to me that Woody Williams is still hurting. With all the injuries last year, why did Tony insist on starting this guy at the major league level? Instead of being down in AAA working out the kinks, he is up costing us ball games. Woody is a great battler, but he's still feeling the effects of the wing injury on should be on a rehab assignment while Haren pitches in his place.

Will TLRs nonsense ever end?

Where Has All the Offense Gone?

2004-05-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

As I've stated on here before, I am currently stationed at Osan AB in Korea, so I must rely on mlb.com to watch Cards games on off days. I might get to see a little bit of each game over lunch break, but I'm not fortunate enough to get to watch MSR each night for post game remarks. Therefore, I use Brian Walton and Ray Mileur's site, The Cardinals Birdnest, as my "Cardinal's Bible." These guys have shown me time and time again they are the source for Cardinals news and analysis. They get the inside stories, have a much better understanding of sabermetrics than I ever will, and are just plain damn entertaining. I love it when Mileur gets pissed! He reminds me of my flight superintendent. Anyways, I was elated to read on their site that Tony was upset about last night's loss. This is what I called for in my previous post along with my "next two games we must win" predicion!

I also must give props to Dunc/TLR/Walt for this pitching staff. All of a sudden this is one of the better rotations in baseball (I said better not best) and a weakness has become a strength. But now what was supposed to be our strength has become a weakness. Why?

Right off the bat, you can point to the obvious: Albert Pujols, who is supposed to be our heart and soul, isn't hitting. Look, this guy just received a nice contract extension. It is just amazing to me that so many ballplayers have these amazing seasons coming up on contract negotiation time (Albert had his best ever in my opinion), and then once they get the big contract, the numbers fall off. About not hitting as well, Albert had to say, "I guess you guys are getting spoiled," Pujols told the media. "I feel fine. Maybe I'm thinking a little bit too much. I'm getting my pitch to hit and just missing it." No Albert, maybe you are spoiled! Look I think we all know this guy is going to get his numbers, but it's highly frustrating right now that we are only two games over .500 with all the good pitching performances. I just expect more of a reaction out of Albert...more of a sign that he expects more.

The second thing is our tablesetters aren't getting on base. We all knew Womack was playing way over his head early in the season, but now he's coming back to Earth. His obp is in the .330s which isn't good enough for a major league leadoff in my opinion. A .350 obp is good enough, but one more time before I die, I would like to see us have a .380+ obp leadoff like Vina's 2000 season. Lankford has also started to fall back to Earth and doesn't have the power numbers to be betting in the middle of the order. I thought TLR was brilliant to put him at the top of the order because he does K a lot, but can draw a lot of walks. Now, he's moving him around and putting him in the middle of the lineup. Although, you can understand the desperation due to the lack of offensive output by this team.

Edmonds...will this guy ever get a clue? Look I'm a big Edmonds guy...I love this guy, but sometimes he really pisses me off. Take today for instance...buckling on 12-6 curves that are right down the middle. He's diving out of the way, and the ball isn't even close to hitting him. He has absolutely no ability to react at the plate. He guesses, and if he guesses wrong...screw it. This, to me, is a lack of concentration. I mean, how many major leaguers can't smoke a fastball if they think it is coming? But it takes great concentration to guess red, get a breaking ball, keep the hands back even though you've already reacted and lift one into the outfield. Edmonds has supreme talent...maybe a top ten talent in the league. I only wonder what kind of numbers this guy would put up if he had the passion/desire of a Will Clark. It's almost sad to me as a lot of people would kill to have what this guy has. Okay, maybe that was a little too dramatic.

Edgar needs to learn how to draw more walks. This guy has a decent avg at .285 which would be right around his career avg, but his obp is in the .320s. This is not nearly good enough for an elite hitter like Edgar. At this point in his career, the last thing missing is that ability to take pitches and get on base.

To me, Reggie Sanders is the key to taking this offense from above average to really good. This guy has got to start hitting. His Ks are up, even by Reggie Sanders standards, and he is in a huge slump right now. If this guy can hit .275 with a .350 obp and get his usual 30 HRs, and the rest of this lineup starts hitting...watch out!!

Finally, the last problem I would like to highlight is our bench. Does our bench scare anyone? How about the fire in So Taguchi's bat, the intimidation of Roger Cedeno, the fear that Hector Luna puts into a pitcher. Hello...John Gall? John Mabry? Most scouts say Gall can hit at the major league level. Mabry has already proven he can hit a little bit. Both guys can play the OF (unlike Marlin Anderson) Both are tearing it up at the AAA level, so why are we settling for this light hitting bench? It is almost like TLR has decided he wants to put together a relay team for the Olympics in Greece.

For the Cardinals to make it to the top of the division, the offense has to start coming through. This offense should be amassing 4-5 runs a game at the least. There is no reason Steve Trachshel should be dominating this team. I predict the Cardinals offense to expload tomorrow and get at least 7 runs...let's hope.

The Fundamentals

2004-05-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

First off, congrats to Randy Johnson. I love watching this guy pitch...the fire...the tenacity. The Cards could use someone that will look straight up into the sky and scream his ass off. The only guy I know that gets more fired up than Randy is Matt Morris...just kidding...Roger Clemens. I don't care who it is, but I long for the days when the cards pick someone up with the determination of these two.

Now to my point. Look, I know the Cards are going to lose games, and I know (especially after last year) that we are going to blow our fair share in the 9th. But what I can't stand is when major leaguers lose a baseball game because they don't follow the fundamentals. We get the other teams ace who had an ERA around 2.05, and we touch him up for 4 runs. Our guys can't catch routine fly balls. And what is the deal with Morris serving up the long ball? This is getting absurd. How can I smart guy like Morris that seems to have decent command not figure out how to get the damn ball down? He's got to do something about this. But notwithstanding, there we are in the 9th with a 4-3 lead and in comes our hammer. You couldn't ask for a better situation than to take one away from the Mets ace in his park.

So Izzy decides to walk the first batter. You never, and I mean never walk the leadoff! But even worse than that, Cameron is hitting barely above .200. Why would you ever walk this guy? Crap, groove one right down the freaking middle to this guy! Izzy knows this...this is Baseball 101!! This is third grade stuff. Then Izzy gets the light hitting Karim Garcia, and he walks another batter. At this point, you have wasted your room for error and baseball being an unforgiving game, they get the broken bat hits. Then you are back to the meat of the order, and you know the Mets are going to make us pay. Look I'm sick of seeing Izzy, Kline (even though he has an ERA under 2), King, Tavarez...whomever...I'm totally sick of these guys coming into a ballgame not ready to pitch. If you walk the first freaking guy you face, you aren't ready to pitch. Tony better light a fire under Izzy's ass because there is no excuse for this. Izzy goes out and just plain gets beat fine...Izzy goes out and starts walking people with his 7 million dollar salary not fine.

The Cardinals don't come prepared to play...plain and simple. There is no excuse for the lolly gagging and the mistakes I'm seeing. It's almost like if the Cards don't show up with their "A" game, they are on cruise control and hopefully talent wins out. You can forget about being gutty. I have to place the blame on the manager and the front office here. It is the managers job to get the players ready to play, and the front office's job to get us a leader. TLR better be jumping some ass tonight, and I expect the Cards to come out roaring tomorrow and take the next two. In fact, this is my prediction, you can call it b.s. all you want:

If the Cards get chewed out by TLR tonight, they'll come out and win the next two, and I think we are right in the thick of things in the Central. If we come out screwing around and lose this series, then I believe it is a sign of things to come. Call me crazy, but I'm saying the season comes down to this. If they win, I hope I'm right...if they lose, I hope I'm wrong...but again this year I don't see the heart.

The Worst Day of the Week

2004-05-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

I hate Mondays (for me it is Tuesdays because I am stationed in Korea) because sometimes the Cardinals don't play. Each day the Cardinals are off, I find it hard to get through the day. There is no box score to look forward to when I get home, no game to try and sneak on cbssportsline and follow while at work, usually no "Cardinals' analysis," ...nothing. I am a sponge when it comes to my love for the Cardinals. I want to read anything and everything about my favorite team. Today completely sucks, but never fear for I have written a couple of articles for your reading pleasure as you get ready for another day of Cardinals baseball. Hopefully, we are going to kick a little Mets arse.

Trade Matt Morris Today

2004-05-18T03:33:00.000-07:00

While watching Ben Sheets mow down 18 helpless batters yesterday, something occured to me. I know, I know, I realize that Ben Sheets isn't going to be the next K master of the universe. Something clicked, however, as I thought about Morris, Sheets, rumored interest in Sheets, Yankees, trade. Yes, folks it's time to trade Matt Morris. Hold on now and listen to my reasoning before branding me the tired old Morris basher. This is why would should trade Morris today:

1. Morris is not an ace, yet he is being paid ace money.
1A. Matt Morris makes more money than the A's Big Three combined!!!
1B. In an ace pitcher, you want a consistent performer that is going to shut the other team down most all of the time. A hammer! A stopper! A streak ender! Yet Morris is anything but that as he ranks among the "flakiest" pitchers in baseball. To find out more about what this means, please read the outstanding article by Brian on Redbird Nation entitled "What Makes a Flake?" Redbird Nation
1C. In contrast, Sheets is only making around 2.5 million in a one year contract. And I'm sure we could get him to sign an extension for far less than what Morris is making.

2. At almost 30, Morris sits a year or two from the decline phase of his career. And in my opinion, the fact that Morris was overused last year, remains top five in most innings pitched in the NL this year, and has already undergone TJ surgery, his value will never be more than it is now. Trade him while he is still healthy! Meanwhile, Sheets is only 25 and is poised to enter the prime years of his career. Therefore, there is no better time to lock him into a long term deal.

3. Morris is in a walk year, and so is Sheets. But do we stand more of a chance in signing Morris who has already expressed interest in leaving, or do we stand more of a chance in signing Ben Sheets, who has played for a perrenial loser, that we can offer more money than he has ever seen.

So Walt, it won't be easy, but I implore you to make a three team deal. How do we do this? You have to play the Yankees vs. the Red Sox and vice versa. If we do this, both team would do anything possible to keep Morris away from the other. Meanwhile, Morris agrees to a contract extension to either team we decide to trade to. We get Sheets...and each team ponies up a prospect/cash. Yeah, it's a stretch but Walt needs to do everything he can to get this deal done in my opinion.

New Cardinals Blog

2004-05-17T03:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am new to this blog stuff, so don't expect an aestically pleasing site for a while. But I promise I think you'll find the content thought provoking and coming from one of you...a fan with a great love of Cardinal baseball.

Here Come the Arm Problems

2004-05-17T03:05:00.000-07:00

Aside from the fact that the Cards offense has been about as effective as using a fork to kill a lion, there was something that really bothered me in the Cards 3-2 loss to the Marlins. Even though Woody, held the Marlins to 1 earned run, I think it was clear to everyone that Woody was really struggling and obviously did not have his best stuff. Yet, TLR left him out there for 124 pitches. Here is just some of the problems I have with this:

1. Woody is 37 years old and was clearly overworked last year as he had a serious dead arm in the second half.
2. The reason TLR and Dunc revamped the bullpen was because of the serious strain put on the starters, especially Morris and Williams, and the rash of injuries.
3. Woody was struggling through the game...why? What if his mechanics were off, thus increasing his risk of injury? What's the point of leaving a guy in to throw 120+ pitches when he is obviously not cruising?
3A. TLR and Dunc continue to say that Woody is still a few weeks behind in development because he didn't get to go through a full spring training. Therefore, why is he out there throwing 120 pitches.

I know I sound redundant, but for the Cards to win this division, we have to manage our team smarter than the Cubs and Astros. Remember how overworked Prior was last year. Everyone kept posting on how he was going to get hurt sooner or later...sure enough this year he goes down. And if you ask me, it is a blessing in disguise so his arm can heal up early in the year as Baker insists on working his pitchers to death. Come on TLR, you have got to be smarter than this. Let's keep our pitchers healthy. Keep Woody on at least a 90-100 pitch count until he is totally back. And even then, with the pen coming together we don't need our starters to pitch 120+ pitches. After all, you insist on using a 12 man staff, letting guys like Eldred rot on the bench.