SB Nation User Blog: Hinkster

Is This a Great Game or What?

Hinkster — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:08:15 -0000

As a kid, I knew some of my baseball tendencies were a little weird so I kept them to myself. My sisters, however, would take note and remind me of how strange I was. How strange?

- I accumulated stacks of spiral bound notebooks filled with hundreds of homemade-from-scratch Cardinal game boxscores that I completed real time listening to a transistor radio. One hour before each game I would begin carefully constructing the box score with blank paper, wooden ruler, stat sheet and Pilot Pen (black - medium). My scorecard version was vastly superior (in my mind) to any I have ever seen since. The task was complete when the game was over and my boxscore was written on separate page - which would be compared to the morning paper for perfection.

- I practiced my infield grounder defense by pounding a rubber (sharper return) ball against the garage wall and firing the return throw to a square box that I had painted on the concrete block garage wall. I repeating the process daily for hours on a gravel drive (developed sharper reflexes due to bad hops).

The game was to imitate every National League infielder (ten chances each) while Jack Buck (in my whispering imitation) provided the play by play. Infielders name and "hinkster stats" were kept in a spiral notebook on the nearby porch. Example, 2b - Sizemore .900, Tito Fuentes .800, Glen Beckert .700 etc Funny how the Cardinal infielders (especially Reitz) always finished first and landed on my "defensive all-star team". I can only imagine what my family thought of me as I talked to myself, chased grounders for hours and kept scribbling notes in a mysterious book - deep into the night thanks to a large security light my Dad installed on the garage wall.

Now there are plenty more examples of my baseball "weirdness" but I will not list them here for fear you may have me committed. I will, however, say THANKS to VEB for giving me the awareness that there are a zillion other weird baseball fans out there just like me - some of you that perhaps should be committed.

After reading Tim Kurkjian's book - "Is This a Great Game or What?" - I believe little Timmy may have captured the crown of "King Weird".

By his own admission, Tim still begins EVERY day by not just reading the boxscores but CUTTING EACH OF THEM OUT AND PASTING THEM IN ORGANIZED NOTEBOOKS THAT NOW FILL CLOSETS IN HIS HOME. This exercise takes him approximately 90 minutes. He has done for this years. Now keep in mind that Tim is not 10 years old (the peak of my weirdness). He is a grown man with a 30 year baseball writing career, a nice ESPN TV gig, a wife, a daughter and supposedly his sanity.

Good for you Tim!

My question to VEB is..........how weird are you?

btw, Tim's book is great

A Conversation with Mr. Reality

Hinkster — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:59:22 -0000

Mr. Reality, having recently returned from a six month New Zealand hiatus after successfully predicting a dormant Cardinal off season, graciously agreed to sit down for a conversation with me on everything Redbird

So it's safe to assume you were not impressed with Mo's off-season?

MR - "Any off-season that features the names Haltiwanger and Maekawa makes me want to take a long nap."

So, you're upset with the front office?

MR - "No, the FAs available were either over-priced, a bad fit or not an upgrade plus I prefer young cheap talent and a financially prudent organization. I just like making fun of Mo."

Speaking of Mo, we hear he is a friend of yours? What kind of guy is he?

MR - "Yeah, we both worked for Walt in another life. He was the front man while I drank alot and read blogs like yours to figure out what to do. Mo is a good guy...very smart....a quiet leader and not nearly as subservient to TLR and DeWitt as some think.....he will be a good GM for a long time...but please, let's continue making fun of him"

What does Mo do all day long?

MR - "He is a very spiritual man as evidenced by all the time he spends in prayer for Carp's health. As a hobby, he tracks Astro and Brewer transactions - a practice he claims bolsters his self-esteem and fine tunes his favorite strategy - Opposite Day."

And Walt?

MR - "Walt's a good guy too and the Reds are lucky to have him. Unfortunately he doesn't understand the little known Pete Rose Curse that has hung over The Queen City since Pinella left town. It's really much worse that the Billy Goat thing. Until Pete Rose comes clean and tells the entire truth, the Reds will continue to suffer thru folks like Ray Knight, Dusty Baker, Willy Taveras and Jerry Hairston Jr."

Do you despise DeWitt like many of the posters at post-dispatch.com?

MR - "No. Hate is reserved for the Cubs and rich lying hypocrites like Bud Selig and Barry Bonds. Posters at post-dispatch.com are idiots."

Okay, so the off-season didn't sizzle. There appears to be some great competition in camp for the the 25 spots heading north. Right?

MR - "Wrong. The roster is already set. Spring is an an exercise of Tony warming up his brain to constantly tinker, while giving the illusion of performance based decisions - choices were actually made in the deep recesses of his mind long ago on the patio of his west coast home, surrounded by hundreds of rescued animals (some of which speak to him), eating tofu and drinking only 2 glasses of wine with little sleep."

So who is on this pre-determined roster?

MR - "Carp, AW, Lohse, Welly, Pinata......Perez, Franklin, K-Mac, Kinney, Long-Brad....Miller/Ring.....Molina/LaRue.....Pujols, Khalil, Freese, Skip....Ryan, Thurston.....Ank, Luddy, Duncan, Mather, Barton......but TLR will pretend to play out the drama until the 11th hour.....why I am not sure"

NO COLBY?

MR - "Colby could have a monster spring and send the Astronaut into a Memphis orbit but I see Colby goin to Graceland for a least a few months

There are 37 catchers in camp including Bryan Anderson...any chance of one of them unseating Molina/LaRue?

MR - "You, Sir, have a better chance of making the roster than any of the 37 who are not allowed to even dress in the same building as Molina/LaRue. If you look closely you will notice they were all assigned uniform numbers higher than 100 in a deliberate attempt to further demoralize them"

What about Motte?

MR - "LaDunc has a little known clause in their contract that allows them to choose one pitcher to continually f*$#* with every year. This year it's Jason. On another note, I see Anthony Reyes having a big year in Cleveland."

You seem ready to annoint Skip as the 2 bagger?

MR - "A TLR favorite taking grounders at second is a worse case scenario for Hoffpauier, Greene, Ryan and Barden. Utley could not beat out Skip this spring. Plus TLR can't wait for all those cool double switches that involve infield and outfield. The only decision not made is who will ceremoniously deliver the "other" glove to Skip."

What about B Ryan?

MR - "Ryan will make the roster because he is versatile, nearly out of options and will serve as a constant TLR example to Mo as to why Miles should have been re-signed. Dog Ryan serves the same purpose as our family pet - loveable and funny but easy to blame when something goes wrong."

And you have annointed Freese at third?

MR - "Yeah, along with Mather, Ryan and everyone else TLR can use to make it a nightmare merry-go-round until Glaus returns. Freese will get the primary job because orderliness of promotion must be honored in TLR's 1980s computer brain - thus sending Craig and Wallace to minor league camp. Wallace will set a record for number of ribs consumed at Rendezvous this year. (though Neely's BBQ is much better)"

Why so sure on Thurston?

MR - "Usage of the nickname Thirsty is way too tempting plus there must, for unknown reasons, be one player on the Cardinal bench who can only play second base."

Brad the Long-Man out of the pen?

MR - "Yeah, by default. They brought in Cal Eldred to work with him. Cal showed up to simply tell Brad that the job sucked but it beat being unemployed. I think we'll be ok here if for no other reason than major league hitters refuse to take Brad's face seriously."

Are you a fan of the pitcher batting eighth?

MR - "I'm not really a fan of anything that can best be defended by saying Ned Yost does it too. But I really don't care. More bizarre TLR ideas are near the launching pad. They are much too frightening to mention here but I will tell you that one is called The Triple Switch and it requires the umpire and Tony to share a special pencil."

So what do you REALLY think of TLR?

MR - "He's not bad for an old school Italian perfectionist lawyer who grew up in Florida, played MLB as Aaron Miles the First, cut his managerial teeth on the south side of Chicago, picked up odd habits on the west coast, hangs out with a grizzly old catcher and now makes a living in the Midwest. I can certainly understand how he can be tormented at times."

Any thoughts on steroids and A-Rod?

MR - "I miss the old days when players were merely drunk and hungover"

How do we solve the outfield log-jam?

MR - "Due to simultaneous and eternal Ank/Dunc/Skip love, the laws of physics will not allow any movement in this stalemate. Dr. Phil will be brought in to denounce the thought of an entire lineup featuring only lefty outfielders. The jet propulsion lab in Los Angeles is currently working on the issue but no resolution is imminent. Their progression charts currently predict Colby, Jay and Jones all blossoming into MLB outfielders and some sort of explosion occurring near non-lake DeWitt in mid 2010."

Are you happy that Izzy is gone?

"Yeah, especially to TB where they take good care of disabled and elderly people. Izzy is just short of legend status so he's overdue some love in St. Loo but it is Perez time. Unfortunately, we will be reminded that even Bruce Sutter blew saves - especially when young. So I see plenty of opportunity for a Perez alcohol-rehab and Franklin coming on to make us feel better about a drunk Perez who can't find the plate."

Thoughts on Piniero?

MR - "Jo-El is not a stable man. While that can work to a pitcher's advantage (see Joaquin Andujar), I ultimately see him on a fast track back home where he will live handsomely off Cardinal millions, serve as a Puerto Rican goodwill ambassador and hold a grudge against the Cardinals eternally"

Who is the smartest man in St. Louis.......and the most dangerous?

MR - "Smartest is Goold......Bernie & Gordon would be the most dangerous if anyone paid attention to them"

Given your insights, any secrets you can share?

MR - "I probably shouldn't say this but TLR is looking at his last year or two in uniform as PETA is eyeing him for a lucrative board position. A relative unknown has already been selected as replacement and it's not Oquendo. The Top Secret selection has purposely stepped out of the public limelight to get his head right and is currently spending alot of time at Grant's Farm drinking beer and eating braunschweiger with Whitey Herzog. I can't reveal his real name but I will tell you that he will prefer all non-caps on the names of players on the back of uniforms."

Finally - and thanks for your time - what happened in New Zealand?

MR - "Unlike Vegas, what happens in NZ does not stay in NZ. I hang out and drink tequila with some of the great Cardinal thinkers of all-time.......Carlton, Tudor, Templeton, Mitchell Page, Rex Hudler, Vern Rapp, Pedro Guerrero and Ray Lankford......when spring hits, we head home to cause as much trouble as we possibly can."

Baseball Nicknames are Important

Hinkster — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:48:04 -0000

I am so thankful that nicknaming has creatively evolved from the days of my youth when a Y was merely added to some portion of everyone's name.......with p/c reporting, its important I brush up my Redbird nicknames.......who have I missed?.....new contributions?

THE ROTATION

Waino, Wagonmaker, AW

Carp

Pinata'

The Colonel

THE BULLPEN

Applesauce - (not mean enough)

El Toro (perez?)

Wonderbrad, Puppy-Kicker

K-Mac

Franklinstein

That independent league team nickname for Kinney?

THE INFIELD

Yadi

Pornstar

Sir Albert

Spicoli

Santa

THE OUTFIELD

Lil Dunc

Thudwick

Schu, Cobbler

Ank

Joey Bombs

The Astronaut

THE BRAINTRUST

Don Tony, TLR

GrimFace

LaDunc

The Secret Weapon

Grave Diggers to Gold Diggers?

Hinkster — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:18:52 -0000

As you know, the ballplayers of old held off-season jobs to make ends meet for their families. Typically these were labor jobs - truck driving, farming, etc. As late as the early 1970s, players like Richie Hebner (grave-digger) of the Pirates worked in the family business when not playing baseball.

I've often wondered about the long-term effects of players (and the next several generations) becoming so wealthy. We know that each player handles his wealth differently but we also know that even the John Mabrys and Aaron Miles of the world - and their kids - are set for life barring ignorance or theft. Let's face it - no one in the family HAS to work anymore and they live a life of luxury. So, good for them.

But what does that mean for the next generation? Certainly the sons of ballplayers have genetic advantage and connections but now they have financial and time advantage. Ozzie Smith may have grown up on the wrong side of the tracks but his kid hasn't. I'd bet Ozzie Jr has every baseball tool, technique and hired trainer he wants not to mention attendance at the camp of his choice, batting cage in the basement and mock stadium in the backyard.

But we also know human nature and the generational tendency for the sons of wealth to under-achieve if not down-right blow it. I suppose it comes down to parenting but I wonder what we'll know in a few years.

We've seen a few sons (Gwynn, Griffey, et al) come on strong but we don't know about the others. Will we have generations of super-athletes or alot of lazy couch potatoes?

Dear Mo..............Dear John

Hinkster — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:12:21 -0000

Dear Mo………Dear John

Mo, I hope you enjoyed my humorous take on the early days of your administration. I envisioned an ongoing comedic analysis of your work but alas, the inspiration died.

My original editions (a great place for a hyperlink if I knew where it was or how to do such things), imho, were quite funny, but subsequent efforts faded in their hilarity.

Was I a one hit comedy wonder? Perhaps. But I realized why I could no longer slam you, Mo. I began to like you. In my mind, you have transformed from the man who happened to be standing nearest Uncle Walt when the sword fell to someone who might actually be an improvement. It’s harder to deliver the sharp wit when I start to care for someone. Like the guy falling on the ice – the laughs are much louder for a stranger or enemy.

I’ve gotten to know you a bit and I like what I see – even those folksy web interviews you do that reveal nothing of substance. You’ve earn respect via a good performance turned in along with grace, style, humility and humor. You did not re-sign Cairo. You got rid of Kelvin. You ended the silly Rolen fued and delivered Santy Glaus to boot. You swallowed hard and then wisely and gracefully said good-bye to Jed. You’ve made no major mistakes except Jo-el who was probably pushed onto you. But more than approval, you’ve earned my empathy. Empathy is good – just not as funny.

Empathy indeed. You have a glut of maybe pitchers and average outfielders. You have no lead-off hitter or decent middle infielders. You are lacking in starting pitchers and you have carp size injury questions. Your closer role is as uncertain as Perez control or Motte’s second pitch. You have no LOOGY and we all know that Tony can’t think properly without at least two. Half of your roster will over-achieve next year, while some will tank. But – they don’t have the common courtesy to let you know who is who.

You have limited funds at your disposal, you have stiff competition in the NL Central, MLB competitors with gargantuan budgets and you have limited experience as the head guy. Heck, you can’t even consult Walt anymore for fear of being fleeced. You are partially in charge of one of the most storied sports franchises ever.

Few in your sport can keep a secret – some even leak rumors as a negotiation ploy. Your every move is scrutinized publicly. Btw, why did you change brands of socks? To make matters worse, you have the most intelligent fan base in MLB, a million geniuses watching your every move via the Post-Dispatch, ESPN, VEB and a thousand other inferior blogs. And you must admit, in the midst of the occasional verbose dim-wits, there are definitely geniuses lurking on VEB. Feel free to use our best ideas and take credit.

Don’t worry a second about all those recently out of work GMs that litter the sports landscape or that if need be, St. Louis could raise the money before lunchtime to buy out your contract.

Like the rest of us, you probably have an unrealistic boss who occasionally yells. Maybe even his son yells at you. You probably have sharply differing opinions within your own staff and probably a few incompetent subordinates not to mention those who want your job. You have to deal with agents, players and other GMs who are undoubtedly difficult to deal with if not downright clever, mean, unrealistic or insane. Some agents and GMs are probably asking for the moon, some are trying to play you and some probably don’t return your calls. About the time you near a deal, something changes.

How does it feel to humbly negotiate with an arrogant high school drop-out who makes more in a year than you do in a lifetime? No one cares if you work really hard and really truly care. Just win.

I’m guessing Tony calls from time to time to remind you to take care of Miles and that he needs “protection” for Albert. You’re probably still scared of Duncan and for good reason. Gaining the consensus of your management team is probably a nightmare. You have to interpret those mysterious medical reports from Paletta and then there’s that minor issue of Albert’s contract extension hanging over your head. You’ve got to maneuver with HR, legal, MLB and the Player’s Union in mind. You probably have your fair share of knuckleheads to deal with. As with our companies, you probably have terribly embarrassing in-house issues that the public doesn’t even know about.

You have to daily deal with the press - the caring intelligent professionals and the lazy hacks who lack integrity. My guess is that you too have wife, kids and a family to manage. Heck, like me, you probably have household chores, kid’s math homework that’s over your head, an annoying dog and a bizarre neighbor. You probably field a couple thousand voice and e-mails per day. Since you are human, we can assume that you have good days and bad and that you probably make mistakes from time to time.

Do you sometimes feel you are playing poker against sharks, with not enough chips, a bad hand, your Cards showing and the entire world looking over your shoulder while your career has been anteed?

Please remember, Mo – this is empathy, not sympathy. There is no sympathy for you are handsomely paid to do a job we are all convinced we could do better – plus you get to travel in the cool private plane and watch every game from a luxury sky box. But there is empathy, Mo. So much so, I just no longer have it in me to make fun of you.

I wish you the best. I really do. With limited funds, you’ve somehow got to magically turn Duncan, Mather, Shumaker, Ludwick, Ankiel, Haerther, Stavinoha, Jay, Jones, Kennedy, Anderson, some of your pitchers but NOT COLBY into Furcal, Burnett, Peavy, Fuentes or something like that – all within budget and without selling our favorites or your soul, first-born, farm system, long term club stability or job. Speaking of Kennedy, have you investigated trade partners in the Pioneer League?

You don’t have a bad hand but you’ve got to turn it into a very different hand in about two months time. Oh, and in case you didn’t notice – the clock is ticking and we are all watching your every move and non-move……ready to critique at a moment’s notice. May I suggest the extended life cell phone battery that you will be using while your family is enjoying the holidays?

Yes, we will be watching. In fact, some of us have been known to consult our Blackberry during the Sunday sermon for hot stove updates. For if nothing else, lboros taught us that roster management is nearly as interesting a sport as the game itself. Btw, do you have a cool matrix or do you use ours?

So, good luck Mo – really. We’re all pulling for you. But I do have one warning for you. While we empathize with you, we can also turn on you. Think you’re safe? Just make a bad move and see how many volunteer to give you a one way ride to the top of the Arch. My own sharp wit has been known to return as quickly as it disappeared. GMs come and go but Cardinal Nation lives forever.

Drive successfully for you are temporarily holding the keys to the precious family car that we dearly love. I sure hope that my next inspiration is a complimentary Dear Mo letter and not a sarcastic Dear John letter.

Go get ‘em Mo!

I like you – for now,

Hinkster

dhinkle@insightbb.com

The Reds

Hinkster — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:06:33 -0000

Living with 90 miles of the Great American Ballpark, I hear much of the Reds. The tired story of cheap ownership and inept front office mgt has typically been a replay every year for over a decade.

Now we have a new drama - this team 52-66? and last place. I bet Castellini is fuming - and he should be. When the Reds had zero starting pitchers for several years and a fortune invested in Eric Milton, you could almost feel sorry for them. But now they have some decent starters (Harang, Arroyo sort of, Volquez, Cueto) a nice collection of veterans some exciting youngsters like Bruce and Votto.

Though a Cardinal fan, I picked the Reds as my surprise team this year but boy have they underwhelmed. It's sort of ironic that for years the Reds have fired capable managers who lacked the assets to win but now they have assets but a manager who will not be fired. (yet)

I loved Dusty as a player but never as a manager. Walt should fire him yesterday.

A Diamond in the Rough

Hinkster — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:54:33 -0000

A Diamond in the Rough

The old ballpark closed for good today. I suppose 48 years is long enough but I sure hate to see it go. We had some really good times at that ol’ ball yard. My, time does fly because it seems only yesterday that my friends (imaginary and real) and I graced this magical field – which was actually the front yard of my childhood home.

A worn circle of hard packed dirt near the front porch served as home plate, a board nailed into the ground was the pitching rubber. First and third base were tall maple trees that graced the infield with glorious shade. Whatever tossed in that general direction became the second base bag. It was usually my sister’s red softball glove which no self-respecting future major leaguer would use. Beyond the yard (infield), the road in front of our home was the warning track and tall weeds beyond the road were home run territory. We spent a lot of time looking for lost balls in that tall grass.

We lived too far in the country to field a full team. Jeff Webb, Dennis Craig, Terry Henderson and I were a typical line-up but what we lacked in numbers we made up for in creativity. A pitcher, a batter, a second baseman and a right-fielder were all we needed. No first baseman necessary as a solid peg that nailed the maple tree prior to the runner’s arrival was a definite out. Of course, we batted left-handed and used ghost runners. We played baseball but it was just as often a tape ball, a rubber ball, a wiffle ball, a tennis ball or anything else we could afford or find. If it was round – we hit it. Our field was never short on competition, intensity and laughter. Every unique batting style had to be imitated. Our favorites were the same as yours – Willie Stargell and Joe Morgan.

Anything hit to the left side was an automatic out. This rule was practical on two fronts – there were no players on the left side and Dad’s truck was often parked in that direction. Our bullpen literally featured a live bull as foul territory was indeed the cow pasture that bordered our yard. If a flyball happened to land on our mailbox on the far side of the road (where my prized Sporting News arrived once a week) – it was an automatic grand slam no matter how many were on base. The Juice Box in Houston did not invent quirkiness.

Often it was just me and my Saturday routine. The morning was reserved for cutting the grass. Every blade had to be perfect, every base line straight and cross cuts whenever time permitted. After lunch, in the hot part of the day, I retired to the living room with a frosty cold 16 ounce Pepsi in the bottle, fresh from Mom’s Saturday visit to Whipple’s Food Market in town. There, with scorecard in hand, I flipped the three channels on the old black and white until I found the NBC Game of the Week with Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek. The game was not to be missed. It was, after all, it really was the (only) game of the week.

Following the game, I was back in the front yard to play my own home version of MLB. Ever play baseball by yourself? I did. In my version of solitary front yard baseball, every out was played in a full nine inning game. Fungo style, I would pitch my scuffed baseball in the air, take a cut with my Rawlings monogrammed bat and promptly place the ball exactly where I intended – a grounder to short, a single to right or a scorched double down the left field line. Playing alone, the full field was in play. The only problem was retrieving every ball I hit. Did I say problem? I meant to say opportunity.

Ever talk to yourself? I did. The walk or occasional jog to retrieve the ball was never a bother because that’s when I imitated Jack Buck play-by-play or Mike Shannon color commentary. Yes, my siblings and parents thought I was crazy. Sometimes I whispered under my breath to go unnoticed but usually I didn’t care because what I was doing was important – and fun. I not only didn’t need others, I generally didn’t want them. Yeah, I was a little strange.

I imagined all the best on my field. Bonds (the Dad), Mays, McCovey and Marichal led the Giants into town (actually country). Tom Seaver and the Miracle Mets played at my field as did Hammerin’ Hank, the Big Red Machine and The Lumber Company. Jim Lonborg pitched there before he was a U.S. Senator. Cito Gaston, Ralph Garr, The Toy Cannon, Maury Wills, Don Drysdale and a thousand others made appearances.

Occasionally I hosted the all-star game just to bring in Killebrew, Carew, Reggie, Yaz, and Frank Howard from the inferior league. When the leaves fell and World Series time rolled around, it was time for the Baltimore Orioles to visit – Frank, Brooks, Davey, Earl, Boog, Elrod, Belanger, Buford, Blair and the 20 game winners, Cuellar, Palmer, Dobson and McNally.

As a side note, few youngsters today would believe that I never missed a World Series game on television in that era. It was not because I stayed up late, it was because all Series games were played in the afternoon and our school principal always rolled a giant black and white set into our classroom so all could watch. Thank you, Mr. Evans. I wonder what the girls in the class were thinking.

My team of choice was always the Cardinals as our Kentucky farm was in the heart of the St. Louis Cardinal Radio Network. The 1970’s did not bring us championships but they did deliver excitement. Teddy Sizemore taking a strike while Lou swiped another base, Gibby hitting home runs and pitching shutouts, Reitz scooping hot shots at third, The Calloway Kid going first to third and Reggie Smith with bat held high. Ted Simmons and Joe Torre usually hit line drives into the gap. Red was always cool as a cucumber on the bench.

My favorite opponent was the Cubs – Hundley, Banks, Beckert, Kessinger, Santo and Williams – Jenkins, Pappas, Holtzman and Hands on the mound. The Cubs oddly struck out a lot in my games and the Cardinals always won – usually in dramatic fashion. My Small Bear hatred goes way back.

We broke a few windows, we lost a lot of balls, had a few arguments and occasionally even hit a passing car, truck or tractor but I have only good memories of the ol’ ball yard. I’d pay a lot of money to be ten years old again and play till dark.

Truth be told, the ball park closed a long time ago. It was about the time I discovered girls and cars. College was to follow and the ballpark was empty – but never forgotten. Mom and Dad turn 79 this year and it was finally time for them to move. They seem happy in their new town home and I’m happy for them. While my memories are grand, I bet theirs are better. As we packed up a few remaining items at the old home place, I took a good long look at my old ball park. I thought about cutting the grass one last time. But I didn’t.

Yeah, they closed the old ball park today but maybe a new kid will move in and renovate. But even if he doesn’t, my son and I are opening a new park at our home about 4 hours away – should be a lot of fun.

TLR and Ankiel - an update

Hinkster — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:15:52 -0000

Tony certainly catches more than his fair share of critque and flak on this site - including much from me. I suppose he's fair game and I suspect much of the criticism is well deserved. I, for one, have even advocated that it's past time for Tony to be properly thanked and replaced.

But.......but, but, but..........it's also fair to praise where praise is due.

I take you back a few short years ago to the era I refer to as Ankiel Purgatory - the gulf between pitching flameout and Rick's epic homer last summer.

The NLCS nightmare was well documented and long over. Rick's repeated efforts to regain his groove all fell short. We all watched the nightmare unfold with sadness and what could have beens. We saw Rick disappear into injury, oblivion, family issues and finally a position change that quite frankly appeared to be a sad last ditch effort to salvage something - anything - of this once promising career. Short of Babe Ruth, none of us had ever seen such a transition so we held little hope. In some ways, it seemed like a sympathy move that was awarded only on the basis on "well, he's been through so much".

Let me also remind that most in Cardinal Nation were quite vocal during Ankiel Pugatory of their Rick Fatigue. Despite our love for Rick, the most common mantra was, "Let it go and move on" was the most common mantra.

One person never gave up on Rick. Perhaps TLR felt some guilt for the way he handled Rick during that fateful NLCS or the aborted recovery attempts in the months to follow. Maybe Rick is the son TLR never had.

One thing is for sure. Tony never gave up and he made sure the Cardinals did not either. It's really a miracle that Rick was not released during the purgatory period. This was a clear case of Tony's classic stubbornness working in everyone's favor.

So whether Rick becomes an all-star, a reserve outfielder or a hockey player - thanks Tony for not giving up on Rick, seeing what most did not see and perserving despite criticism.

Gibby

Hinkster — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:46:14 -0000

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blackhistory2008/columns/story?page=keri/080221

someone might want to help me with that hyper-link thing

excellent article on Bob Gibson and 1968

the Dal Maxvill story alone is worth the read

Bob was one of my childhood favorites. He just seemed plain old great at the time. Looking back, his numbers are hard to believe. The pitchers were so great that year, MLB stepped in and altered the mound - and baseball. the hitters of that time seemed larger than life......Aaron, Mays, McCovey, Clemente...........yet, they were frequently bested by Gibson, Marichal, Drysdale and others

Interview with Mo

Hinkster — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 01:13:53 -0000

[Update by azruavatar: 1:10am] I'm not going to even attempt to compete with the hilarity of this "interview". Huge props to Hinkster and this deserves front page status. I'll wrap up my review of the NL Central next week with the Cubs. Have a good friday and stay safe in the nasty weather around the STL area. [/end update]

Last week, new Cardinal GM, John Mozeliak, graciously agreed to sit down with the Hinkster to answer a few questions for VEB. Here, unedited, is the first ever public interview with the man known simply as Mo.

Thanks for the interview. Why now? Why me?

"Mr. DeWitt and Mr. LaRussa insisted that I not speak publicly for the first year or two but I figured this was okay since I heard them say VEB was irrelevant. I chose you, Hinkster, because you seem to understand my inner child plus my mom likes you."

Your name......should we call you John or Mo?

"I actually prefer, "Mr. Big Balls" since I traded both Edmonds and Rolen thank you very much. But Mo will be fine."

Okay, Mo. Any reverberations from those trades?

"The real change was in what stopped coming my way. The nasty-grams from Rolen stopped as well as the non-stop ridicule from Cashman and Epstein. I believe I finally got a little overdue respect because I got a lot of voicemails from GMs wondering if I needed to get rid of anyone else."

What was the most difficult part of taking over for your former boss, Walt Jocketty?

The toughest part was just getting to the desk. The office was jammed with stacks and stacks of back-loaded contracts. Getting rid of those has been a nightmare but I can now see across the room.

Speaking of Walt, how's our old friend doing?

"I think he's really enjoying keeping a watchful eye on Wayne and Dusty. We talk a lot. He's got a bunch of really good relievers and he needs an everyday first baseman so I think there's a logical basis for a trade with us. I trust him. We'll see."

Are you happy with your first off-season?

"Wasdin, Brazelton, Itzuris, Miles, Clement, Politte, Freese, Flores, Piniero, LaRue, Villone, Barton, Jimenez and Juan Gonzalez............I think those names speak for themselves."

Best thing to happen to you so far as Cardinal GM?

"Easy......... the Miguel Cairo signing in Seattle....that eased a lot of daily pressure."

Who are your heroes?

Other than lboros, I'd say houstoncardinal, the red baron, Hardcore Legend, gdm426, the ol Goaler, liam, Zubin and erik. Since I don't have any real friends, I like to think of these guys as my imaginary buddies. I get most of my vast medical knowledge from a guy known as SilentBob. I really like the name azruavator but I still can't pronounce it. I'm kind of curious about jillsinmo and cardsgirl95 but don't tell my wife. You will edit this won't you?"

What do you think of Idaho?

"Never been there"

Do people really not recognize you in public?

They didn't at first but they are beginning to. I love the creative nicknames I'm starting to hear. My favorites so far are "The Ass who traded Jed" and "DD" (DeWallet's DeButler).

How do you see yourself as a GM?

I'd like to think of myself as a trend-setter. For example, I see a time where we once again use starting pitchers in our rotation. I see a time when the pitcher might bat seventh. I see a day where we once again have a lead-off hitter. I guess I'm kind of like a white Martin Luther King. I have a dream.

What DO you dream about?

Getting to wear a uniform at least once....sitting in the dugout and flashing a bunch of cryptic signals to Jose Oquendo with an indifferent look on my face....clapping, spitting, making secret notations in my dugout charts.....maybe someday even making a double switch or getting to alter the big line-up card on the wall at the end of the dugout.....Mr. LaRussa said he'd work on it if I kept doing a good job.

What do you do in your down-time?

I'm trying to learn Spanish so I can figure out what Oquendo, Pujols and Molina are saying about me when I walk through the clubhouse and why they laugh so loudly afterwards. I'm also a big history buff. I think we can learn a lot about the future by studying the past. For example, did you know that every era of Cardinal greatness has been followed by an immediate period of completely forgettable baseball.........wait a minute, I don't know where I'm going with this.....just forget this question.....okay?

What worries you?

I worry about Jeff Luhnow, guys like Tim Purpura, being put in charge of Lake DeWitt and running into Dave Duncan in a dark alley. I don't mess with his pitchers. I don't go near the mound, the bullpen or his secret charts. I don't even look in his direction. He scares me.

What excites you?

Mr. DeWitt's private plane is really cool. I got to sit up front one time and pretend to fly the plane. (kinda like my job) All the free soda you can drink plus popcorn, spicy chex mix, and those real linen napkins.......I did not like carrying everyone's bags to and from the plane but I understand it's some kind of baseball tradition thing for rookie GMs.

What's the most stressful part of your job?

"I'd say it's keeping up with the key to that lockbox where we keep all those photos that Aaron Miles keeps sending along with threatening notes. I've been told never to talk about it and never let that key leave my sight."

Lots of changes this spring training. Which one excites you the most?

"Anthony Reyes with a curved bill hat. You know, everyone was waiting for me to trade AR but I like to surprise people. It would be great to see his tattoos, jewelry, high socks, and SoCal attitude all disappear - as well as some of those fifth inning line drives off the wall. Maybe we could even see him miss a bat or two this year."

What are you most looking forward to about spring training?

"Other than the plane ride, I guess it's the little things. Like Mark Worrell. Who knew he was still pitching? He has always been one of my favorites. I still say his foot was on the bag first. I'm looking forward to meeting him."

Any big trades in the works?

"Yeah, there's lots of cool stuff going on but it's all top secret. Heck, I don't even know until right before the press conference. But they do give me enough heads up to wear my nice suit and get my hair done. Sometimes I even get to talk at the press conference."

Thanks so much for your time, Mo. Anything else you'd like to say to the folks at VEB?

"Yeah, thanks for your support and for those posts where you explain those complicated sabrematrics terms. The charts, graphs and videos are very helpful too. If you can continue to make them easy to cut and paste onto my Power Point slides, that would be great. Oh, and one other thing..........if you could look up my photo on the team website, memorize what I look like and then acknowledge me in public - that would be great and a huge encouragement. I've been working on my fancy autograph in case anyone ever asks. Send your questions and comments to my pal, Hinkster, I'll be watching and I'll be back."