SB Nation User Blog: Alxfritz

So What is the Point?

Alxfritz — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:08:33 -0000

It fucking owns you.

You spend too much money on it every year. You devout too much time to it, every day, from April to October. You obsess over it. Changing social plans and planning family events around it. It owns you. It encompasses your days at work, your nights at home. The first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing on your mind as you slumber. It's an addiction, plain and simple. It's not your fault, it's probably in your genes. Your father had it. Your grandmother had it. Your great-grandfather used to stagger home down Grand every evening because of it. In no other terms, you are an addict.

It's Cardinals Baseball.

And you're an addict.

So, what's the point? You give you're heart and soul to the franchise, only to see your devotion hit you in the nuts with a proverbial fly ball in the ninth inning of the game of life. What was the point of spending countless hours since Spring Training broke in February, virtually befriending a group of strangers that you invite into your living room all summer long, only to see the hometown nine wilt in October?

Why do we do this? Why do I find myself sitting in the car, in front of my house, having a cigarette at nine o'clock at night, listening to sad The Band songs, trying to wind down before I walk into my house to see my wife and dog, so I don't sound like a fucking raving lunatic after watching a random sports game at a friends house? Why is a grown man, that I will probably never meet, missing a fly ball, the most heartbreaking moment of the year for me? Why should I care?

I care.

I care because of Skip Schumaker. A fourth outfielder that I, along with many, hoped would get a shot at playing second base last year (anyone can play second base, I said, much as Thom Yorke assures us anyone can play guitar) and who finally got a last second shot at being a regular in the 11th hour before Spring Training this year and worked his ass of to become a serviceable second baseman and continued to be a serviceable leadoff man, all on the cheap. I care because he cares.

Chris Carpenter cares. He could have packed it in a year ago and lived off his giant contract, but he cares. He lives to get mother fuckers out, not to rehab. And after two years of rehab for this, rehab for that, he got mother fuckers out all year.

Adam Wainwright is fucking brilliant. He cares. His goal in life is to provide for his family, glorify Jesus Christ, and, like his mentor, get mother fuckers out. He is an absolute bulldog and proved again tonight he is nails personified. Adam Wainwright is a big game pitcher.

I care because John Smoltz cares. Because Yadier Molina cares. Hell, Boog cares! Because Colby Rasmus is proving he can hit lefties on the biggest stage possible.

I care because I get to watch the greatest right handed hitter in Major League Baseball history on a daily basis. And he, because he was bored, set the all-time assist record for first basemen this year. I care because Albert Pujols cares. Because he wants nine more rings for him, which means nine more unforgettable nights for me.

I care because of the Man Stew, Hawk's backpack, Lugo's glare, and all of the other random, idiotic moments that made this summer enjoyable.

I care because dinners on my deck during the summer aren't the same without Mike Shannon's cackle. Spring isn't the same without random tweets from Jupitor. My lunch break isn't the same without Goold's 10 @ 10.

We care because it makes us happy. It's Saint Louis summers, beers on a patio, and losing yourself in a kids game. It's how we were raised, it's what we know, it's how we do. We care because we cherish memories like "Go Crazy Folks!" "That's a Winner... A World Series Winner!" "Swing and a miss and the Cardinals are World Champions for 2006!" as much as we cherish life lessons from family.

We care because if the worst thing that happened to us that day is the Cardinals losing, in the big picture, it really wasn't that bad of a day.

And, most importantly, we care because in downtown Saint Louis, this Saturday eve, the Perfecto's are going to take one from the Trolley Dodgers, and after that, it'll be just two more wins until the NLCS.

Lets go Redbirds!

Game Worst Three Innings Possible Overflow

Alxfritz — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:26:21 -0000

Re: The booing, this is my final tweet on the subject:

I can live with physical errors, but I hate mental errors. And tonight's game had them in spades. By La Russa.

What a shitty game. 29 for fucks sakes.

Yadi isn't right, KMac shouldn't be pitching, Wainwright should have been pulled after six...

As excited as I was to wake up this morning for October baseball, I am as frustrated right now.

Right the ship, jerks!

OCTOBER!

Alxfritz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:06:45 -0000

As the cool breezes roll in from the Canadian North and the leafs change from dark green to hues of autumn, as Carpenter and Wainwright continue their dominance, and Pujols and Holliday get ready to slay that National League in the first round of five, the hot, never ending, triumphant days of August have changed to the cool, windy eves of playoffs baseball in Saint Louis, MO for the first time since that transcendent October of 2006 and I am reminded of past glories and run on sentences of past.

In late summer of 2007, I wrote the following:

It's July 20th and the St Louis Baseball Cardinals are 9.5 games back from the front running Brewers and six games back of the second place Northsiders. Their two all star starting pitchers are being paid not to play, the all star short stops deal with the devil appears to have run out, the all star center fielder is still leading the league in grimacing, but not much else, and the all star third baseman apparently has a small rodent living in his shoulder. The team right now is pretty much Albert Pujols, Chris Duncan, and a bullpen.

As much as it pains me to say it -- and as much as I can logically argue against it in my head (they only need to make up one game a week for the rest of the year!) -- for just the second time in the last eight years, the Cardinals will not be playing baseball this October.

It seems as if October baseball is a bit of an institution in St Louis by now like toasted ravioli, miss pronouncing the word "forty", and having a terrible public transportation system. I for one am particularly spoiled, every year since I moved to St Louis the Perfectos have played baseball in the crisp autumn air. I've gotten used to it and I bet you have as well. So as I began pondering what in the world I will do with myself this October w/out having baseball to distract me (focus on my career? Doubtful. Help plan that wedding of mine in November? Maybe. Play with legos? Probably, yes.), I started to think of all of the things I am going to miss about watching the home nine battle it out in the post season.

I thought of writing out a top ten list of sorts, but that would require structure and I tend to frown on structure unless it's abstract or keeping my head dry at night, so I'm just going to let 'er rip:

I'm going to miss the NLDS day game. It doesn't have the natural tension that the night games in the NLCS or the World Series have, but it has a different type of magic. A sense of joy mixed with a little mischievous adventure; skipping work to head to the ballpark, sitting in the sun, having a beer at one in the afternoon, Look! Bunting! It's like opening day all over again, it seems so familiar but is still new.

I'll miss waking up in the morning with sore hands and a hoarse throat and feeling great.

Listening to "The Heat is On" (and making the prerequisite "The H... is O!" jokes) on the way to the game. Hopefully listening to "Celebration" later on.

I'll miss getting a new playoff sweatshirt; I had gotten a new one three years straight now and my feelings about them run strangely parallel to each year's team: The '04 one is still comfortable and has a real classic look, the '05 one was a bit of a let down, and the '06 was easily the most comfortable one when I first wore it, but it has aged terribly.

Champagne.

Hi fives and hugs. Fist pumps.

Having like 18 pages worth of Cardinals article to pour through in the morning paper.

Strangely, I'll miss those few anxiety filled hours leading up to a big game. The pacing, the tongue chewing, the nervous habits which help pass the time.

A really, really excited Mike Shannon on the radio.

That mix of alcohol and adrenaline that makes doing things like climbing the Musial statue seem like a good idea.

Playoff beards.

I'll miss a well turned double play, a double down the line, a pinch hitter coming through in a tight spot.

Being pleasently surprised (and constantly amazed) by human achievement.

I'll miss Cardinals baseball.

And goosebumps.

So, that's what I'll miss. That's my list. What's on yours?

That summer was the first in which I have lived in the city and the Cards had not won their division. And the last two years have sucked something fierce come Fall without playoff baseball.

I will readily admit that I moved here for Cardinals baseball and it is without question that Cardinals playoff baseball makes living here, for all it's faults, completely, totally worth it. The sky is clearer, the air crisper, the people happier, and the Big Macs cheaper when the Cards are in the playoffs.

And, now, after two years of sacrifice, and trading away Wallace, Perez, Todd, etc, here we are. The 7th playoff trip of the decade and if cards are played right (and if the Cards play right) the chance for an 11th World Championship.

It's time for superfluous Post-Dispatch sections, self-fellating KTRS shows, and poorly produced KSDK half hour specials. It's October, cold weather baseball in Saint Louis: Sea of Red, Banners on downtown buildings, Busch Stadium rocking, Mike Shannon Rolling, high fives and hugs, living on every pitch and dieing on every out.

It's what baseball is all about: Playing in October. In Saint Louis. Lets go Redbirds!

Tim and Keith Tepas' Meeting With Albert

Alxfritz — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:08:40 -0000

Tim and Keith Tepas' Meeting With Albert

He lay on his back in the dirt of the Pittsburgh ballpark. His neck hurt. Striking his face on the crushed rock along the first-base side felt like breaking through glass. He was bloodied. And the foul ball was gone. He had missed it, missed his one chance to grab a game ball for his son on the boy's 21st birthday.

Tim Tepas, a retired schoolteacher, wanted only to climb over the short railing and sit back down next to his son. Disappear. Forget the whole thing. But the television cameras were on him. The stadium seemed to gasp in unison at his fall along the sidelines of that Pirates-Cardinals game in early August.

Tepas struggled to stand. He heard a voice behind him, felt hands on his back.

Please lie down, sir. Don't try to get up, sir.

The hands, huge meaty mitts, eased him to the ground, held him still.

Don't try to get up, sir.

Tepas was struck by the voice, its confidence, its calm, the way he was called "sir" again and again.
He looked up at the sky and struggled to focus on the face above him. He studied the man's ballcap. He could make out the number 5 written under the bill.

Albert Pujols. The father just knew. This is Albert Pujols.

Saturday 8/29 Open Thread

Alxfritz — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:09:03 -0000

Things to discuss:

Will the Washington Nine be dumb enough to retaliate for Albert's bat flip?

Doesn't Mitch Boggs seem like a random enough guy to randomly throw a no-hitter (while walking six)?

Interesting John Smoltz facts:

He has splits versus three of the four base coaches in the Nationals v. Cardinals series, and against the fourth's spawn (also known as the worst baseball player in the history of organized rounders).

Smoltz v. Marquis Grissom

Smoltz v. Pat The Bat Listach

Smoltz v. Jose Oquendo

Smoltz v. Cody McKay

Also, John Smoltz is so old, that following his first big league victory, he danced the Charleston on top of a flagpole whole holding the Lindbergh baby.

Leave all poetry, ASCII art, and other non-sense below.

Tony Calls Out The Starting Shortstop and The Fans

Alxfritz — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:46:46 -0000

Regarding the fans being "too hard" on Chris Duncan, esp. re: after his game ending PA last night, Via Leach:

"Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Valverde, [lefties are] hitting .300 versus .140 [for righties]. And did Ryan have a particularly good day? How can people ask? What's the question there? A guy who could hit a two-run homer versus Brendan doing what? Looking futile again?

"Did anybody watch Brendan's at-bats?

"Chris is a ... whipping boy. I'm so tired of the unfairness with Chris Duncan, it makes me want to vomit. You can tell anybody ... that he's getting treated unfairly. It makes me want to vomit. That's why I get upset as soon as he gets mentioned.

"They've got a great reputation in our town, but it's not a perfect reputation.

"It's a pretty clear difference [for Valverde between right- and left-handed hitters]. Plus Chris, even when he struggles, he's one of our better pinch-hitters.

"This guy is treated unfairly. For fans that have the reputation that they have, that they deserve, they do have a couple quirks that are not fair. And he's one of them.

"What's so ridiculous is, if you watch Brendan, Brendan had no chance yesterday for some reason. So he's going to do better in that at-bat? That's ridiculous if you think about it. I think it's ridiculous. And it has to do with the guy that pinch-hit. It's really a black eye for some of our fans that are not objective about him for whatever reason. I'm not sure what it is. I can't figure it out."

What is unfair, Tony, is putting in a guy who is a below replacement level player in the final at bat of the game, when you admit he is in a position to fail, and then being upset when he fails.

And, to be clear, nobody is personally mad at Chris Duncan. Most are mad at Johnny Mo for having him on the 25 man roster and not down in Memphis, others are mad that Tony La Russa continuously puts him on the field or, in this particular instance, in a high leverage situation, when it is clear t oeveryone that he is either still struggling from his fucking radical spine surgery and shouldn't be playing, or can just no longer hit.

I don't mind Tony having a virtual lifetime contract with the Cardinals, but I sure as shit mind him not being held accountable to his horrible in game decisions and the organization's ridiculous roster management (Hey, PJ Walters is still on the team!). If his only answer to criticism is to berate the fans, press, and well performing players to sacrifice one of the worst baseball players this year, so fucking be it.

But I wish one member of the Saint Louis press would remind him how terribly his teams have performed down the stretch over the last few years and that batting one of the worst OBP men on the team second, randomly sitting his best OFer, and sticking by one of the worst starters in the Major Leagues while there is an eight man bullpen during the first important series of the second half does not exactly put the team on sound footing going towards the pennant drive.

Or, they could just say:

Mr. La Russa, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

I said "good day."

Phillies AAA team wore jersey tuxes last Friday night. I, for one, hope this catches on.

Alxfritz — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:50:11 -0000

Phillies AAA team wore jersey tuxes last Friday night. I, for one, hope this catches on.

The Depressing Realization That The NL All Star Team Could Essentially Cost Less Than The Cardinals

Alxfritz — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:05:23 -0000

Gather 'round the ol' lemon tree, kids, a~~n old~~ man is going to tell you a story. A story about how with good drafts, cost controlled players, and a few shrewd free agent signings, somewhere in an alternate world full of bacon and vodka, you could essentially have the National Leagues starting lineup, rotation, and bullpen corps' core for less than the Cardinals are paying the team you see with Joe Thurston at third and Anikucan in left over the last 91 games.

First, lets go with the everyday eight:

Hanley Ramirez: $5.5M

Chase Utley: $11M

Albert Pujols: $16M

Ryan Braun: $745K

Raul Ibanaz: $6.5M

David Wright: $7.5M

Shane Victorino:$3.125M

Yadier Molina: $3.25M

Your lineup total: 53.62 Million Dollars.

That is some value.

And since you're probably not paying attention anymore, here's a random picture for you to make fun of:

Now lets take this even a step further and use the rosters to start creating a whole team.

Here is the rotation:

Dan Haren: $7.5M

Tim Lincecum: $650K

Matt Cain: $2.65M

Chad Billingsly: $0.475M

Zack Duke: $2.2M

So, your rotation will cost you: $13.475, which is $4M less than the Cubs pay Zambrano to be adequate.

Now, let us form the nucleus of our bullpen:

Jonathon Broxton: $1.825M

Heath Bell: $1.255M

Ryan Franklin: $2.5M*

K-Rod: $8.5M

The bullpen, before adding LOOGys and filler is $14.08M.

Which brings us to a grand total of $81.175M.

We are going to use only minor leaguers and vets who are willing to sign for the league min, so the remaining eight players will cost us $5M, give or take.

Our opening day payroll will be: $86.2M (I gave myself 25K to even it out and as a bonus. This adding and subtracting shit is hard.)

The Cardinals 2009 opening day payroll? $88,528,409.

*Even though he sucks.

[Note: I had to sign K-Rod to close for the team because in my alternate reality, someone named Mernie Biklasz with the Saint Louis Dispatch-Post complained that I was not spending enough money and started saying "it's time for him to open the 'wALlet Fritz.'"]

Mark DeRosa's Wrist Injury

Alxfritz — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:12:44 -0000

Mark DeRosa's Wrist Injury

ST. LOUIS — Three games into his Cardinals career, Mark DeRosa is hurt. He and the club are just hoping it’s not too serious.

DeRosa injured his left wrist on a swing in the fourth inning of St. Louis’ 6-3 loss to San Francisco on Tuesday night. He remained in the game for one more inning, but removed himself before taking another at-bat. He is expected to be re-examined on Wednesday.

"I took a swing there my second at-bat and felt a little tweak in my left wrist," DeRosa said. "I went in to hit off the tee after coming in from playing the field, and it just didn’t feel right. I felt like I should come out of the game and get it looked at."

Game 54 Open Thread- June 4th, 2009: Carp v. Harang

Alxfritz — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:22:51 -0000

game thread!

La Russa appreciated the information generated by computers. He studied the rows and the columns. But he also knew they could take you only so far in baseball, maybe even confuse you with a fog of overanalysis. As far as he knew, there was no way to quantify desire. And those numbers told him exactly what he needed to know when added to twenty-four years of managing experience.

Sabermetricians – those number-crunchers who have come to dominate thinking about strategy the last few years – believe that they have debunked clutch situations as statistically irrelevant. La Russa has read the various studies. Based on his own forty years plus of experience, he believes those studies to be bunk of their own.

La Russa respected [Bill] James, but based on managing nearly 4,000 games, was convinced James was wrong.