SB Nation User Blog: Czechguardsman

Shawn Hill.....

Czechguardsman — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:40:29 -0000

It was a move so low-key that no one has even noticed it... Shawn Hill was released by the Nationals two days ago. He had only pitched in 2 games for the Nats in ST, starting 2 games and throwing up a scoreless frame each time. 2008 was supposed to be a breakout year for him but instead he posted an atrocious 5.83 ERA over 12 starts. His 2007, although shortened by injury, was fairly decent.

Hill has seemed like an underachiever who can't seem to stay healthy.; sort of like a lowercase Mark Prior. I'd like to get him out of Washington and see what he could do on a better team. He's attracting no interest so far as a FA so he could certainly be had on a minor league deal. Of course, the FOs and the fan base interest in SPs has seemingly waned what with Piniero's strong ST so far, but over 162 games, having a talented guy like Hill as 6th starter depth couldn't hurt.

The Nats released John Patterson last year in ST and he is seemingly out of Baseball. Is Hill done too? Or should he get another shot?

LOOGY Bonanza...

Czechguardsman — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:17:48 -0000

Which FA LOOGY would you most like to see inked during Spring Training. It appears that Beimel is about ready to sign with someone.

I nearly forgot that Dennys Reyes was still a FA. I hadn't seen his name being tossed about at all. I always kind of liked this guy, and he was tougher on lefties and had a lower WHIP than either Beimel or Ohman.

I have to make my thing 75 words so here I knock out a dozen or so words in one sentence.

Poll

Which LOOGY would you most like to see signed during Spring Training.

Dennys Reyes

7 votes

Joe Beimel

15 votes

Will Ohman

35 votes

Ron Villone

5 votes

Convert a stater(Odalis Perez/Chuck James)

1 votes

Other

1 votes

Sign no one...... our current options are fine.

18 votes

82 votes | Poll has closed

Who would you like to see open 2009 at 2B???

Czechguardsman — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:15:09 -0000

While we are waiting for the big FA bargains of 2009 to develop and for the FO to deal an outfielder and/or Kennedy, I thought I'd probe your minds and see how you are feeling about the future of the 2B position for the Cardinals.

Lets give MO some credit for not jumping the gun on Free Agents like the Giants did and give all that money to Edgar Renteria and Jeremy Affeldt. I know all of this inactivity over the last month is frustrating but there will be plenty of FA bargains in March. I can't ever remember seeing this many good, unsigned FAs this late into the offseason. At the very least, I'm sure someone like Jon Garland or Braden Looper will be forced to take a "Loshe-type deal."

At least Jocketty is no longer the GM, if he was still here, our starting OFs would probably be Corey Patterson, Willy Taveras, and Michael Bourn. Just a guess.

Poll

4 votes

Jeff Kent

0 votes

Ty Wigginton

7 votes

Christian Guzman

0 votes

OTHER

7 votes

231 votes | Poll has closed

Moving Adam Kennedy and an OF/3B...

Czechguardsman — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:11:58 -0000

It is common knowledge that the Cardinals organization can not find a taker for Adam Kennedy so far this offseason, despite his request of a trade. Thus, it has been decided, apparently, to commit to him as the starter at 2B in 2009. But I personally feel that the apparent reconciliation between Kennedy and LaRussa is just a show to make Kennedy look halfway attractive and not completely disgruntled to any potential suitor. After finding no takers at the Winter Meetings, Kennedy supposedly "changed his mind" and decided to show up to play next year. But I just don't see it.

To move Kennedy by himself is near-impossible, but the Cards also have a depth of outfielders, third basemen, and RHP setup men from which they could deal. In fact, I don't even see how they can enter 2009 without clearing up some of the OF/3B glut, and that is a good problem to have. Realistically, the 2009 season can not start with the whole group of Ludwick, Ankiel, Rasmus, Schumaker, Mather, Barton, and Duncan as OFs on the roster. How would the five of the above group that make the team all get enough ABs and playing time? You could make a case that any of the above could be capable regulars at the big-league level to commence next year.

It is pointless, however to keep repeating the need to deal from the outfield strength that is discussed daily. It seems to me that one could package Adam Kenndy with, say, Skip Schumaker/David Freese and Mitchell Boggs to bring back a quality 2B from one of the other 29 teams.

Now I put forth to you a few dark-horse trade possibilities to play 2B next year.

Inquire to the Mariners about Jose Lopez. He is a free agent in two years, and the M's are rebuilding from a 101 loss season. Lopez was a standout last year on an abysmal M's team, with 191 hits, 17 HRs, 89 RBIs, and 41 2Bs. It would take a substantial offer to bring him here, and the M's certainly won't be interested in Ankiel, who is a FA after 2009. But I don't know if the M's are convinced with Jeff Clement at C, and with Kenji Johjima imploding last year, they might be interested in Bryan Anderson. Beltre is also a FA after next year, so they'll have a hole at 3B. So perhaps; Anderson/Freese/Boggs(give or take) for Lopez.

Or what about Christian Guzman from Washington? Jim Bowden seems to be collecting mediocre outfielders these days, and we have OFs. He also likes to get sub-mediocre to mediocre SPs and call them Aces. Washington seems to be dysfunctional these days, so who knows what they might want. The Nats might want to unload his contract, so who knows? Anyway, its speculation.

I wonder if the Angels would want back Adam Kennedy with Rick Ankiel+pitcher for Howie Kendrick? Having Ankiel for one year would obviate the need for the Halos to give a big contract that they don't really want to give to M.Ramirez or Dunn. Ankiel would give them a bat to partially replace Teixeria and then they could make a run at Matt Holliday in 2009 for their long term solution. And/or, the Angels might want Freese/Craig to play 3B for them next year so they could move Chone Figgins back to the outfield where his skillset makes more sense. I would be fine with offering Kennedy, Ankiel, and Freese for Kendrick, whom could possibly fill our 2B revolving door for several years.

Also, as a sidebar, I knew that someone would give Willy Taveras a sweet 2 year deal. Thank you Walt Jocketty. I don't think it is possible to misGMmanage a team worse than you are currently doing.

The Next Move.......

Czechguardsman — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:22:27 -0000

At a stroke, acquiring Khalil Greene makes the Cardinals infield situation look a whole lot more palatable entering next season. Acquiring a second baseman via a trade seems more cost-conscious and realistic as opposed to overpaying for a free-agent. As of now, the disgruntled Adam Kennedy is still the starting second baseman, but I earnestly hope he is traded to a forlorn club such as Washington or Baltimore where he can finish out his playing days.

With regards to Baltimore, I think the rebuilding Orioles are the club to which the Cardinals should be looking as a trade partner to fill current holes on the team. Two players stand out in my mind whom would look good in a Cardinals uniform next year; Daniel Cabrera and Brian Roberts.

Even though Cabrera was completely unresponsive to Leo Mazzone's tutelage two seasons ago, Cabrera is the type of pitcher with whom Duncan has had success working with in the past. The upside is enormous if Cabrera can realize his full potential. Getting him out of the stifling, dysfunctional atmosphere in Baltimore would probably help. By this point, the prospects of Daniel Cabrera having a breakout season in Baltimore are slim, after 4 disappointing years. If Cabrera can "figure things out", he has the raw stuff to contend for the CY Young. In the Cardinals rotation, even if he improved slightly on his mediocre numbers from last season, Cabrera would be a very strong #3 starter. If the price is right, he is a borderline reclaimation project with tremendous upside.

Getting Cabrera out of the offensively overwhelming AL East and into the NL would probably help too. He was pretty good for the first half of last season until the wheels came off again in the second half. If the price is right, Cabrera would be a very good calculated risk to take to improve the Cards' rotation.

Brian Roberts, of course, would fill the 2B hole and give the Cardinals a legitimate leadoff man. His name has come up time and time again over the last few years, but Baltimore would certainly move him for a couple prospects in the right deal as they rebuild. He is getting closer to becoming a Free-Agent, so he'll have to be moved eventually, even though its been discussed endlessly for the last 4 years.

What about trading for J.J. Putz?? Signing Jon Garland? It wouldn't hurt to ask.

The Paradigm Shift

Czechguardsman — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 01:08:58 -0000

The only thing constant in this world is change. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of baseball. The core of the Cardinals team that had been so successful for seven years in this decade pulled things together for one last effort in 2006 to win that World Series. Resting on their laurels, the Cardinals entered 2007 still built around the declining Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds and were swiftly eclipsed by the rising Cubs and Brewers.

D. R. B.

The world, our society, and baseball function around paradigms. The definition of a paradigm is something that serves as a pattern or model. A paradigm shift is what happens when that pattern or model changes, eliminating the old, tried way of doing things and bringing in a new blueprint for success. When the paradigm does shift, you must get on board and discard your old methods, for all of the success you had had doing things the old way now counts for nothing.

For the first 50 years of professional baseball, the game was defined by "small-ball"; singles, steals, strategic placement of hits, a foucs on precision as opposed to power. In the 1920's the elimintation of the spitball and the entrance of stronger, power-oriented players into the game moved the emphasis towards scoring via the longball. Teams that grasped this change such as the Yankees and later the Philadelphia A's enjoyed stunning successes, and the old guard that continued trying to play the conservative old way fell by the wayside. And every subsequent change from then on, such as Rickey's Farm Teams, Desegregation, Free-Agency, the coming of Steroids, came with the result that those teams that embraced the new concepts and used them to their advantage won championships and formed dynasties. Talented black players gave the Brooklyn Dodgers an edge over others who shunned integration over the course of a decade and enabled the Dodgers to win several pennants and one WS.

Indeed, one can look throught history and cite numerous examples of paradigm shifts. European armies used gunpowder and steel weapons to overwhelm societies still trying to fight with ancient strategies and technology; All of the successes the conquered had had fighting the old way had counted for nothing. The electronic watches manufactured by the Japanese in the 60's virtually eliminated the old Swiss timepiece industry, which was still based around gears and small moving parts in their expensive watches. Henry Ford used Assembly Line technologies to reduce his less efficient competitors. The introduction and use of the Atomic Bomb completely rewrote the book on war and forced entirely new strategic thinking on global and military lines. Once the new invention, concept, or idea comes along and the paradigm shifts, you must get on board and embrace the new method of doing things, the new "rules of the game." Clinging too rigidly and conservatively to the old rules and traditions, thinking inside the box, will only result in defeat, for your business, army, or baseball team. All the success you had doing things the "old way" now count for nothing.

The paradigm is shifting right now in the world of Baseball. Ultimately to what it is shifting to is unclear. The success to be had with deploying a core of veteran, aging players is being usurped by teams stockpiling young talent in the minor leagues and not signing expensive, older, proven but vulnerable players. One only has to look at the recent struggles of the New York Yankees and the late Red Sox/Rays series to view this in a bottle. It seems like the Cardinals are belatedly catching on to the concept of building from within, but what is certain is that the "Old Guard" is crumbling.

All of this, of course, was painfully obvious even by early 2005, when the Cardinals were looking old and tired. That year, they won 100 games, but they staggered to the finish line. The happiness and enthusiasm that come with a contending club were absent. The painful memory of 2004 hung in the air and the expectations of the season were so high that it was almost miserable to watch, despite the success on paper, because nothing less than ultimate success was acceptable. 2005 was the lone window of opportunity, and if the WS was not won that year then it would be another two decades. Guys like Matt Morris, Larry Walker, Mark Mulder, Scott Rolen, Tony La Russa, and Jim Edmonds were clearly declining and there was a faint premonition and strong pessimism in the air. The Dan Haren trade was already being lamented. People knew that a rematch with a vigorous, vibrant Houston club was all but inevitable, as Atlanta and San Diego were expectantly destroyed in the 2005 NLDS'. Even if the Cardinals had somehow beaten Houston and then the White Sox, the victory would have been less a celebration than a sigh of relief. As it happened the limping, aging Cardinals lineup and rotation were outplayed all around, and the matchups of starting pitchers were tilted decidedly in Houston's favor. Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter made statements in the series but it was over before it even began.

2006 should never have happened, but it did, and it was a deeply satisfying championship. Fading pitchers and players on the cusp of falling off the edge of the baseball map pulled things together for one last superhuman effort against younger, more dynamic foes whom had dominated them in the regular season. As great is it all was, the first three months of the 2007 season showed how quickly things had deteriorated and fallen apart, for the 2006 team had become a 5th place club over the course of five months. Things change quickly in baseball.

But things are generally looking up. The 2008 rebound showed steps in the right direction. Indeed, if the bullpen of 2007 had come back and pitched well in 2008, the Cardinals would certainly have gone to the postseason. But this offseason, the Cardinals are showing signs of being lulled into a dangerous complacency. The management appears content to continue to fill holes with bargan-bin, low level singings, as opposed to actually improving the team. It would be nice to say, "Let the farm team continue to develop." However, the minors are generally lacking in those blue-chip, sure thing prospects to develop in to superstars that are so essential of contending clubs. It seems the way we are going now is going to lead us right back to an 84 - 78 third place finish.

Unless the Cardinals can shift the paradigm or jump aboard a current paradigm transition. How can the Cardinals change their organization to give them a decisive advantage over the rest of the field? What new strategies can the team use, wether in drafting players, signing players, training players, or the actual on-field play of the game itself, to stun. overrawe, and dominate opponents. What will the game look like 5, 10, or 20 years from now? The Cardinals have to change their current conservative way of management and wage war aggressively with new strategies and techniques, from the dimensions of the GM's office to the on-field game.

What these "novel strategies" are, remains entirely to be seen. It seems obvious that one should focus on developing talent internally in the minors, thus possessing cost-controlled, homegrown players. Other trends include a renewed emphasis on pitching, defense, and speed, while getting away from a power-oriented lineup. One could cite many more examples.

Of course, one should not just run out and jump on board every new bandwagon with every new trend. But that rigid, inflexible, reactionary style of thinking has to be discarded. One definite suggestion I would make is for the Cardinals owners to surround themselves with young, innovative thinkers with novel ideas and get rid of baseball men whom shut down and automatically react negatively to any suggestion of change. Having said this, I think it is time to end the Tony La Russa era in St. Louis. This team has to start playing baseball like it is 2009 instead of 2002. What worked 8, 18, and 25 years ago is quickly becoming obsolescent. When La Russa first became a manager, he was the vanguard of "the New Order", and he was fantastic for his tenure in St. Louis. But other teams are quickly ascending, and the Cardinals are in danger of falling back and being crushed by others embracing the effective measures of today. As Monsieur Darcy said, "Those who do not advance go backward and those who go back go under."

The dangers of ignoring the warning signs of decay and decline are too great. If the Cardinals are not careful, they could fall into so deep a hole that recovery is almost impossible. One needs only to look at the long droughts and sufferings of Pittsburgh, Washington, Baltimore, and Kansas City. And it seems that a constant among these sorry situations was a fatal complacency, An attitude of, "What was good enough yesterday is good enough today." Only monumental shifts in how the organization functions will get the Cardinals back to the top of the N.L. Central. Will they evolve and vitally regenerate, or will they crumble and become obsolete?