Redbird Report Cards-Outfield & Bench

Reggie Sanders-Reggie was on the verge of a great season until he collided with Jim Edmonds. One would wonder what could’ve become of his season if not for the injury. I don’t know what was harder to watch, the replays of the collision or that tumble he took in Game 2 of the NLCS. All I know is I saw them way too much. He did have a heck of a NLDS. B

Jim Edmonds-He did better than what many give him credit for. He only batted .263 but he had a .918 OPS, batted nearly .300 w/RISP, (much better then Andruw Jones paltry .207 w/RISP) and played Gold Glove caliber defense. (Which cannot be said about Andruw Jones this year) Most stat heads will all tell you Edmonds is actually more valuable then Jones in spite of Jones’ 51 homeruns. He is still the best center fielder in the National League, people. A-

Larry Walker-He was limited in his playing time but still managed a .886 OPS. I salute Larry for doing his best to play through the aches, go through painful treatments to get on the field and still contribute some decent offense. His defense was a far cry from what it used to be, but that is to be expected being he was in so much pain. Enjoy your retirement Larry. I can imagine Larry is someplace cold in Canada right now, watching hockey on the couch with a beer. B

So Taguchi-Interesting stat- .407 BA w/RISP. Saw more action then ever and continued to improve. He has a great attitude, he’s a good guy and you can see why LaRussa loves him. A-

John Rodriguez-Made quite a splash since he joined the Cardinal organization. It didn’t take long however for pitchers to figure out he couldn’t hit a breaking ball. But J-Rod did seem to adjust well later in the season. He made a lot of rookie mistakes in the field and on the bases too, but overall I think he did pretty well. It’s a stretch but he could possibly be the outfielder of the future, and should make a good bench player next year. B+

John Mabry-Still hit for decent power but had a hard time getting on base consistently. He’s probably more of a liability and I’d be suprised to see him back, though he is a good “clubhouse guy”. C-

Hector Luna-Improved at the plate and was versatile in the field, playing outfield and infield. I will still remember that terrible throw home in the NLCS. B

Einar Diaz-Blah. You got problems when Mike Mahoney is getting more playing time then you. D-

That’s good enough for now, I will skip Skip Schumaker, John Gall, Mike Mahoney and Scott Seabol. They all had their moments and I think could be a part of a decent bench in the future perhaps. Okay, scratch that. Give me Gall and Skip, forget Mahoney and Seabol.

Redbird Report Card-Infield

1b-Albert Pujols-Without question the NL MVP in my opinion. Albert continued to put up big numbers at the plate, show good defense, and led the Cardinals in a category I never would have expected him to-stolen bases. He also seemed to have stepped up even more in his leadership role. And it is yet to be seen if Brad Lidge will ever be the same. Would it be considered inappropriate for the White Sox to send Albert a thank you card? A+

2b-Mark Grudzelaniek-I was unsure about Mark becoming a Card due to his history of injuries, but he hit nearly .300 and played Gold Glove caliber defense. And he is the last player to hit for the cycle at Busch. Another solid bargain found by Walt Jocketty. B+

3b-Scott Rolen-Get better Scott-Incomplete. Abe Nunez-What is it about St. Louis that sometimes brings out the best in a player? Nunez played solid defense at third for a guy who normally is a middle infielder and he had a career year at the plate. B

SS-David Eckstein-Again-What is it about St. Louis that brings out the best in a player? Eckstein had career highs or tied career highs in hits, walks, OBP, slugging percentage, homeruns. He made his first All-Star team and for all we heard about his lack of range and arm, he seemed to me better then advertised defensively. And who can forget his walkoff grand-slam against Atlanta? A

C-Yadier Molina-To quote Mike Shannon “You cannot run on this man, you cannot run on him!” Sure he could get on base more and slug more but I think that will come with more experience. Did well handling a veteran staff given his age and lack of experience. Bright things are still to come. B+

The infield really played great this year. They played good defense together, too, setting a Cardinal record for double plays in a regular season. You can accuse me of grading on a curve, but I think given all these player’s past history and their reputation it would be safe to say all exceeded expections and were pleasant suprises. Other than Pujols, of course whom we have come to expect greatness from. We are really lucky to have him, let us never take him for granted.

Next post-The outfield and bench.

Bye-bye BB

I regretfully admit I have not read much of his writings or know much about him, seeing he retired in 85 and I’ve only been a fan since 87. But from what I have heard he was a terrific sportswriter for the Post-Dispatch, so much so he’s in Cooperstown. A witness to much Cardinal history, and a true Cardinal legend in his own way. Bog Broeg passed away at the age of 87.

I’ll have to put some of his books on my must read list.

Sorry Astros Fans

I feel for you. I really do. I know from my previous posts I wished the Astros would lose. Mainly because I was being a sore loser. I apologize. Your team deserved to win the NLCS. Your team was much better then ours. And if I were an Astro fan, I would be proud of that. I was proud last year that the Cardinals won the NLCS. And I was bitterly disappointed to see them lose 4 in a row to the Red Sox. To a “cursed” team. To a team that hadn’t won in nearly a decade. I feel for Biggio. I feel for Bagwell. I feel for the Rocket, who I regard to be the best pitcher in my time.

I think Houston deserved better. They played a good series and could’ve won any of those games. Anyways, if you are an Astro fan and have stumbled by this blog and seen my immature behavior, I apologize and must say I am very much looking forward to the next few years of great rivalry between us. And I promise to try to not gloat when the Cardinals win, and begrudge when the Cardinals lose.

The End is Nigh

Tonight is the night the White Sox win the series and end the 88 year championship drought in Chicago. At least one would think they would. I am beginning to wonder if this is a sign of the approaching apocalypse. First the Red Sox win, now the White Sox would appear to have it locked up. Who is next, the Cubs? May it never be. All I will say is at first I rooted for the White Sox to win out of spite. Spite for the Cubs. Spite for the Astros. And I admit, part of me was happy when Renteria eerily hit a chopper to Iguchi to end the ALDS. The White Sox are seemingly the team of destiny. Almost all the umpiring calls have gone there way. Some controversial and downright makes you wonder if there is some sort of conspiracy. They’ve got great pitching, timely hitting, and luck going their way.

The National League advocate in me wants the Astros to win at least one. I would hope the NL would not get swept in the World Series two years in a row. It would be nice to see Roger Clemens get to pitch in one last game this year, and possibly his last one. But after seeing the way the White Sox beat up on Oswalt (which was maddening to watch, seeing how inept the Cardinals looked against him) I don’t think they stand much of a chance. But as Andujar said-”Youneverknow.”

Everyone Has One

An offseason wish list. I know there is still the World Series to be played. But my season is done. I admit I am somewhat rooting for the White Sox to win partly because Mark Buehrle & I were both going to high school in the same town of St. Charles, MO,but not the same school. Cliff Pollitte & Joe Crede are Missouri homeboys, too. And of course, the other reason I am rooting for the Pale Hose is because if the Sox win it will really bug Cub’s fans. I mean really,really bug them. Which is always sort of fun. And it hurt me to see my Cardinals lose to the Astros, so Go Sox! It is sad however, that I am having to root for another team out of revenge and spite. But those are the breaks I guess. Anyway, on to the offseason!

• Matt Morris is a free agent. And probably will be overpriced. Think of what the D-Backs shelled out to get Russ Ortiz. Russ Ortiz! Unless Matty Mo is willing to take a serious discount to stay in St. Louis for sentimental reasons, he’s gone. I echo what most have said. Replace him with Anthony Reyes. What I have seen from this guy so far is he has the potential to be another Mark Prior. Or better yet, maybe another Roy Oswalt. Mid-nineties fast-ball and a sharp curve, he has electric stuff. He set a Memphis Redbird record with 15 k’s in 7 innings. He also in AAA had a total of 136 k’s in 128.2 ip. He brings a power pitcher element that, outside of Carpenter, is missing on this staff.
• Reggie Sanders is a free agent. I think he could be had for not too much, given his age. He has bounced around his whole career, I’m sure he could appreciate some stability in the form of another 2 year contract. He is in my opinion the best plausible option as far as left fielders on the free agent market go. But, if he commands too much of an investment or if there is another better, more expensive free agent that could put us over the top then we may have to sacrifice resigning him. In that case we could use a temporary solution of platooning J-Rod/Taguchi/Gall. Which leads me to my next point.
• Larry Walker retired. So I will echo what has been said by many, sign Brian Giles! A lefty who can bat second or cleanup is a hot commodity. A lot of teams I’m sure will be hoping to get him. I hope the fans at Busch in the NLDS made an impression on Mr. Giles. He has stated a wish to play in Atlanta with his brother, but that spot thankfully has been filled by Francouer. If he costs us the luxury of resigning Grudzelaniek & Sanders, I would still sign strongly lean on the side of signing him.
• Mulder and Suppan both have options. No brainer here, we should pick up these options. Suppan has been steady and we gave too much up to get Mulder not to pick up his option. The jury is still out on if he was worth trading Haren & Barton. He had some solid playoff games outside of last Wednesday’s Game 6. He pitched well in many in some games during the course of the season and not so well in others. But overall I think Mulder can improve from last year after hitting an extended rough patch in his career and I think by now he has adjusted himself to the National League. (And the St. Louis heat!)
• Julian Tavarez is a free agent. Given his antics (Phone, pine tar & Piazza) and the type of money he will command I could see him gone. I’m not sure at this point who you replace him with. The only options that come to mind is Kyle Farnsworth, Uggie Urbina, and Mike Timlin. Some of these names maybe overrated and probably soon to be overpaid. Rudy Seanez maybe a more affordable option if San Diego doesn’t resign him first. There were some Billy Wagner rumors floating around on the net, but I doubt it. He is going to command too much salary and there are too many teams in need of a closer.
• Ray King has demanded to be traded. Let me give you a hint on why you didn’t get to pitch in the playoffs Ray. You have a knack for blowing it. Jason Marquis is whining too. Package these 2 malcontents together and get some prospects. Replace King with a high profile LOOGY like Scott Eyre. Or you can more cheaply replace him with Randy Flores and bring up Tyler Johnson. Too bad we offended Mike Myers by trading him before the season started, he would have been a decent option. If we trade Marquis or fail to pick up his option, we could possibly re-acquire Woody Williams. He does have an option in San Diego, but I wonder if they will pick it up. Tony LaRussa loves him and he’s a guy who has thrived in Dave Duncan’s system. He’d also be a lot more pleasant to have around than Marquis and if he falters, we could always work in Adam Wainwright. Fifth starters aren’t the most important player on your team, just ask the Houston Astros. A guy who can keep his ERA below 4.90 is really all we need.
• Mark Grudzelaniek is a free agent. If you can resign him, great. If not, Abraham Nunez played almost every day at 3rd. Why could he not play everyday at 2nd? He too, is a free agent. But I’m sure Nunez will be the cheaper option. I like Grud for his bat and especially his glove. But he has a history of injury problems and didn’t do much in the post season. Hector Luna is decent insurance to have in backing up Nunez, and Aaron Herr and Travis Hanson also are waiting in the wings.
• John Mabry is a free agent. He’s played his 10 years and will get his pension. He’s a great guy and has had a good career as a bench player. But he’s about done here after a mediocre year. Bring back Mark Sweeney. He had an .861 OPS in 267 plate appearances. That’s the power off the bench we could use. He plays the corner OF positions and 1st.
• Finally, bulster the bullpen. With who exactly, I don’t know. Cal Eldred is a free agent and his arm is being held together by duct tape. Al Reyes was our most effective reliever, and it’s a shame he hurt himself. I’ve heard he won’t pitch again until at least 2007. Mike Lincoln? Who knows if and when he ever comes back? I would not completely rule out seeing Mark Worrell, the minor league reliever of the year, in a Cardinal uniform late next year. I would at least invite him to spring training.

So in a nutshell, I could possibly foresee-

Eckstein, Giles, Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Sanders, (or Taguchi/J-Rod/Gall)Nunez, Molina

Sweeney, Taguchi, Rodriguez, Gall, Luna and maybe a Mahoney, Bako or even a Widger as a backup catcher. Forget Diaz.

Carp, Mulder, Suppan, Reyes, Williams/Wainwright

Thompson, Flores, Eyre/Johnson, Timlin/Seanez, Izzy

Regardless what happens, I’m sure it will suprise us as usual. It will probably be what we didn’t expect. And it will probably mean saying goodbye to some players we love to get some players we need. It will be interesting to watch.

Bittersweet

Sorry, Tom Hanks. There is too crying in baseball. Last night was farewell to Busch Stadium. The lights are off. The celebration was brought to a halt as the Astros celebrated on our field. It was great to hear during that celebration the chants of “Let’s Go Cardinals”. And how once again the fans in St. Louis proved their class as they clapped for the Astros. Sure it was a frustrating game, with again a lack of hitting and some shoddy umpiring. But the bottom line is the Cardinals were overmatched by the Astros pitching. But that means little to me now. I grew up going to that stadium. And now that I’ve moved I got to make one last pilgrimage to that stadium earlier this year, my wife got to see it for the first time. For me personally it held a lot of memories. Great memories like Big Mac’s #62, Jim Edmonds walkoff in Game 6 are one’s that will of course loom large for me. And watching great players like Ozzie, Willie, Big Mac, Pujols and well, the list can go on and on. And of course the sad moments, like Jack’s death, DK’s death, Ozzie’s retirement.

But most of all I think the thing that Busch meant to me wasn’t just the great moments or players. It was somewhere I grew up going to with family and friends. The memories were special because they were shared by people I care about and with the city I love and miss. I just wish it didn’t end with this. I was hoping for a storybook ending and a World Series title. We’ve won 205 regular season games in the last 2 years and have no ring. And while I am happy for the Red Sox and their fans for winning World Series last year, and for the Astros and their fans who get to make their first World Series appearance ever, but seeing I was only 3 years old when the Cardinals last won the Series I was hoping for more. I am tired of the Cardinals playing the bridesmaid, when do we get to be the bride with the ring?

Hopefully soon. Maybe next year. That would be a great way to christen the new Busch Stadium. I am looking forward to new memories in the new stadium. It will be an intersesting off-season. I’m sure there will be time to ponder that later.

Thanks team, for bring it home for one last farewell. Good bye Busch.

Time To Get Back To Reality

eu·pho·ri·a (yū-fôr’ē-a)n.
A feeling of great happiness or well-being, commonly exaggerated and not necessarily well founded

Yesterday I had to pinch myself when I woke up. I could hardly believe what happened. Did Pujols really hit that monster homerun? Did the Cardinals really win? Are they really going back to St. Louis? It was the highest I have ever felt from watching a baseball game. It was almost miraculous. I felt on top of the world all day yesterday.

But today is game day, and now it is time to go back to the gut-wrenching, live and die with every pitch drama this series has become. Now it is time to go back to reality. What now can we expect?

• Will the Cardinals be a different team after Monday’s game? Let’s be honest, guys like Larry Walker, Jim Edmonds, Reggie Sanders, Mark Grudzelaniek, were not hitting well against the Astros pitching this series.
• Will the bullpen be able to hold this thing if Mulder can only pitch 7 innings? Tavarez and Marquis have both had their problems, and Tony left Carpenter out there too long in my opinion, leading up to that big inning with Berkman’s fly ball homerun into the Crawford Boxes. That shows me he doesn’t trust his bullpen much right now. I can’t say I totally blame him, though this was one of the league’s best pen this year. I doubt Mulder and Morris can do a White Sox and pitch 9 innings the next two games. Tavarez, Marquis, and maybe even Ray King may have to redeem themselves.
• Roy Oswalt has been tremendous down the stretch, and may already be feeling confident after beating us in Game 2 in St. Louis. But hey, the Cardinals seemed to find out Lidge, and they have now faced Oswalt 3 times in 2 and 1/2 weeks. That should give them ample video to study.
• How will the Astros respond to such a devastating loss? Especially their hitting. They won’t have the advantage of being in their “ballpark”. Busch is much more of a pitchers park and they have a time scoring runs as it is. They don’t fare too well against lefties either, with the exception of Ensberg, Berkman, and Ausmus. How we handle those 3 could determine a lot. Berkman is hot right now, Ensberg is cold, and Ausmus does seemingly have a knack for getting a big hit when it counts.

This series is going to continue to be exciting to say the least. I cannot wait to hear the ovation the fans will give the home team. I think Mulder will be good tonight. I hope the bats can string together some hits against Oswalt. How the hitters respond will tell me a lot. The reality is the Cardinals face a daunting task with Oswalt and perhaps Clemens. We can’t be sure of the outcome, but we can be sure the Cardinals play hard 9 innings. Let’s hope for some good pitching, some timely hitting, good defense and some more Busch Stadium magic. Monday night was awesome, but it’s over. The Cardinals still got work to do. Just ask Albert Pujols-

“It was probably the best hit of my career, but like I said, this is over, so let’s talk about tomorrow and what we need to do to try to get a win and push it to Thursday,”

Buzzkill

Wow. What can I say? I’m sure if you are reading this you saw it. I thought it was over. They were a strike away. But Eck got a hit. Edmonds walked. And then Albert just destroyed that baseball. I think it is probably on the traintrack somewhere still. I thought we were dead, that it was over but my wishes and prayers have been answered!

Back to Busch for at least 1 time, and now the tide has turned. The Astros fans and players were already celebrating. I’m sure the champagne and the beers were already on ice in their locker room. I would imagine the vendors on the street already had NL Champs t-shirts and caps all ready to sell at the end of the game. The “Killer B” fans were buzzing. They have been hoping for this for a long time. And then Albert. Wow.

Thank you Albert, for keeping us in this one. I did not want last Thursday’s game to be the last one Old Busch will ever see. Now back to St. Louis and the Red Sea. No more choo-choo trains. No more buzzing noises. No more rally hankies. No more Crawford Boxes. (No offense to you Astros fans, you guys are great. The team, the organization is 1st class. But admit it, your stadium is one of the most annoying places to play in the world.)

Just 50,000 + fans known as the Sea of Red who are ready to cheer the Cardinals on as the fight for their shot at the World Series and redemption.

Can’t we Catch a Break?

I am sure we all can recall the disgusting things that happened in yesterday’s game and recall them to ad nauseum. Pujols nearly homers to left field only to strike out later. Pujols’ bad baserunning. (Take Ausmus out, big guy!) Poor strike zone. Check swings that were constantly called strikes. Marquis mishandling a bunt. LaRussa’s ejection. Edmonds ejection. Taveras’s circus catch. (In any other park is a HR.) Excellent scoring oppurtunity in the 9th on the “unhittable” Lidge and nothing to show for it. It was sickening and frustrating to say the least.

The thing that I took most out of this game is that the Cardinals just can’t catch a break. I’m not sure if I believe in destiny when it comes to sporting events, but it seems almost as if it’s not our destiny to win. All these games have been pretty close. We just can’t catch any breaks. I don’t believe in luck, but if there is such a thing as bad luck the Cardinals paths have all been crossed by a black cat after walking under a ladder and stepping on a crack 13 times. I agree with what John Schlegel said on MLB.com “Overall, you just have to peg it to this being a very tight series that’s turning on the head of a pin, and the Cardinals keep getting stuck with the pointy end.”

I have almost accepted defeat. With Carp on the mound I have a glimmer of hope. I think I would be happy to see this game extended to at least 1 more game so the Cardinals can get a good hand at Busch Stadium for the last time. Hopefully more than that, heck the Braves did it against the Cards in 96 by coming back 3-1. The Fish did it to the ChiTown Chokers. Or in more recent memory the Red Sox did it to the Yankees last year. Not that it is fun for a Cardinal fan to draw inspiration from a Red Sox player but to quote last year’s post-season hero Curt Schilling “Why not us?”