Right off the bat I want to say I thank the heavens that I am a Cardinals fan and the success this franchise has had over the past 13 years! We have been really lucky and in the current system we should be able to compete...BUT...

If your a fan of an American League team that's not the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and you haven't given up on baseball you are a true die hard fan.  I say that as a joke but it's not really a laughing matter anymore. And this isn't to put down the Yankees and their 27th Championship because believe it or not deep down I really respect their history and a lot of their true die-hard fans. This isn't about the Yankees...this is about the current system that baseball has that a team like the Yankees can thrive on. Yeah some can say that is a good thing but the fact is almost half of the teams in baseball don't have a year to year glimmer of hope to win it all like the Orioles, Blue Jays, Royals, A's, ect. because of the way the business of baseball has become over the past 12-14 years. Like it or not the sport has become somewhat of a sport of the haves and the have nots. The large market teams are thriving right now and are playoff bound almost every season in the current system...for better or worse.  But it's not a suprise because baseball like everything else in entertainment has become about ratings, big coorporations, big dollar sponsorships and high dollar TV contracts. And in this era of big time money the small market teams just can't compete with the big boys when it comes to paying these free agent contracts. This is where the problem is. Is it a problem? Probably depends on what part of the country you live in but for some....yeah it's a problem.

Right now MLB is in a big money making boom (the sport as a whole).  But it will change at some point.  It may take another 10-15 years or so but this current system will crash on MLB and things will have to change. It could be that some teams will have to fold because fans in the small markets will just finally give up on the sport (and this is starting to happen to many of the small market teams now) or maybe a new system will have to be established but the boom won't last forever and if baseball is to survive.. changes will have to be made. If not then at some point Major League Baseball is going to become just a large market sport when every team will be located in just the large markets and markets where baseball is king (St. Louis) and the league could be shaved to where there will only be about 20-22 teams in baseball. I know that sounds drastic but the small markets are slowly being killed off from the sport and if the fans give up and don't show up anymore and buy tickets and they start to lose local sponsorships then several of these teams (Pirates, Reds, Royals, Marlins, Rays, A's ect.) will go bankrupt....maybe not the owners of the teams per say but the franchise in that city will go bankrupt. I know that sounds crazy but when you really look at the current structure of MLB is it really? And maybe that might not be a bad thing...maybe MLB needs to contract 4-6 teams in the future.

In most of these small markets in recent years they have got by the problems by building fancy new stadiums (some by using the tax payer's money) to try and lure in the fans and it has worked to some degree but that is starting to wear off.  So here soon if they don't have a team they can get behind and want to spend money on, these teams can't sell just a new stadium forever and they are going to be in big trouble and getting the luxury tax checks from MLB won't be enough to survive.  If things don't change in the next 10 years or so there might not be any turning back. There are no easy answers and yeah there are some teams where the owners are greedy and won't put money back in the teams for a real chance to contend. That is a huge problem that is eating away some of these small markets as well.  But the deal is.... at some point MLB has to forget about the media pointing at steroids as baseball's biggest problem and ignore the calls for big ratings from the networks for a little while and find a way to work with the owners and player's union to somehow fix the problems that has become the ugly business of baseball.....for the good of the game...as a whole..

I have seen many people on this site and others saying let's trade Ankiel for this minor league pitcher or this 5th starter from this team. Maybe I am the only one who thinks this...but ...who says the Cardinals can't re-sign Ankiel? I mean is it realy a forgone conclusion that Rick will want to sign with a Yankees or Red Sox for the biggest payday? Is it for sure that the Cards can't offer a competitive offer for him to stay a Cardinal?

Yeah I realize that Darth Boras is his agent and he goes for the biggest payday, but is this for sure going to be the case with Rick? Who says Rick wants to leave the comforts of St. Louis anyways? Has Rick been talking in the media about wanting to play with other teams or talking about a big payday? I'm all for getting something for Rick if it were a sure thing that he will leave for good after the season for greener pastures but is everybody sure this is the case?

I could be over reacting, but this whole thing to me reminds me of what teams like the Pirates, Royals, A's or even the Twins would do when one of their players is going to become a free agent.  Are we really becomming one of those teams?  I mean I know St. Louis can't compete with the money of the East Coast teams or Chicago & L.A. but is it coming to the point to where the Cardinals are going to start trading away their good players right before they become free agents because they don't think they can afford them or maybe they just are not willing to spend the money to keep players? And should we start worrying about Pujos leaving in a couple of years??

Back to the Ankiel situation. Maybe it's just me but I would think for all the Cardinals origanization did for Rick that maybe he might be willing to stay and sign a long term contract (for a fair price)?? I mean it can't be the fear of the dealing with Boss Hogg Boras, because Mo didn't seem to have a problem talking to him when it came to re-siging Lohse. So I'm not sure why so many people are trying to push Rick out the door for any young pitcher we can get. I think we should think of this...does Rick want to be pushed out? I am probably the only one but this really confuses me because I think Rick is going to be a great power hitter for at least the next 3-4 years and I think it would be a mistake to just trade him away because of the **THOUGHT** of not being able to re-sign him.  I really hope Mo gets some kind of feel on what Rick might be planning on doing when he becomes a free agent before just trading him away for some team's 4th starter. 

I know we have a glut of outfielders now and someone has to go....but the thought of an outfield of Ludwick, Rasmus, Ankiel for the next 2 years sounds good, great even, I would hate to take out one of those pieces because of the thought that we have to.

I could be wrong but would it be so terrible to maybe offer Rick a contract to see if he might sign it before they trade him away for a overhyped Yankee pitching prospect???  I would hate to read several years down the road that Rick would have re-signed with the Cardinals if they would have offered him something that could work for both sides but they traded him away before they could even really start to talk business.

I pose this question because I see how the Red Sox seem to have such a HUGE home field advantage at Fenway.  The Red Sox are a good team...not great but good.  But when they play at Fenway their park seems to help them out in many ways. This season Boston is 36-11 at home while playing below average baseball on the road at 21-29.

I'm not sure if it's the Green Monster, the history there or because the media pumps that place and the team up so much but something happens to teams that go into Fenway. Except for our Cardinals just about every team that goes to Fenway this season turns into Don Knotts in the Ghost and Mr. Chicken. There has to be something to it. A few weeks ago the Twins were a red hot team on a big win streak, they go into Fenway and are swept. Big time offensive teams like the Angles are shut down there in the playoffs. There has been two no-hitters there in the past two years.  Even the 2004 Cardinals fell apart there.

Now I am not saying the Cardinals should build a large green wall in left field or have a large statue of Al Hrabosky in center field but should the Cards think about adding something to Busch to give it more of an intimidating feel for visiting teams in the future? With the stadium being so new, I doubt there will be any "add-ons" anytime soon...but adding something down that road that might make visiting teams be in awe might not be a bad thing.  Of course we have the Arch overlooking the stadium but that doesn't seem to put the fear in the hearts of guys like Lance Berkman or Ryan Howard.

This whole thing is kind of tounge in cheek...and maybe a little more history in the new Busch will help....but I think we still need "something" for a little extra home field advantage...anyone agree?

Sorry I couldn't resist. 

Quote from Hank Steinbrenner:

"My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said in Tampa, Fla. "They need to grow up and join the 21st century.

"Am I [mad] about it? Yes," Steinbrenner added. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. He's going to be out. I don't like that, and it's about time they address it. That was a rule from the 1800s."

Is this guy for real?  This guy needs to think before he speaks, he sound like a complete tool.

I swear if Comish Bud bows down to his demands and considers or even has a vote about using the DH in the National League because of this windbag I will just about give up on my favorite sport.  

Starting tonight I am not going to follow the Cubs or care if they win another 100 games this season. This might be a good idea for my fellow die hard Cardinal fans.

Look I'll give the devil their due...the Cubs are a really good team, they are healthy and are more than likely going to run away with the Central Division. Good for them.

BUT....As long as the Cards can keep the pace they are currently at this season they will win the Wild Card. Sure winning the division is what we hope for but I think we as die hard Cardinals fans need to focus on just getting to the playoffs. We are not going to have as much fun if we are always keeping an eye on what the Cubs are doing.  I have been guilty of this and I even found myself not being as happy after a Cardinal win because the Cubs also won and we didn't gain anything in the standings.

So in closing... the Cubs can win the rest of their games this season (except the ones against us)....all it means is that they will have a spot in the playoffs. We also have a good chance of getting a spot as the wild card. And as we know once October starts it's a new season and anything can happen. So save your sanity this summer, enjoy the Cardinals and their suprising great start this season, let the Northsiders have their run and their fun. We can worry about them in October when we beat them for the NL Title.

The 2nd edition of Classic Cardinal is George Hendrick.

"Silent" George Hendrick was known to many as a guy who spoke silently (at least to the media) but carried a big bat. George had long history of refusing to speak to the press, but he was well-liked by his teammates and Cards fans. He was one of the NL's premiere hitters in the late 70's-early 80's and is now a VEB Classic Cardinal.

Hendrick began his career in 1971 with the A's where he got his first World Series ring in 1972.  In early 1973 George was traded along with current Cards pitching coach Dave Duncan to the Cleveland Indians. He played with the Indians for 4 seasons when he was then traded to the Padres.  On May 26, 1978 the Padres traded George to the Cardinals for pitcher Eric Rasmussen.  He played for the Cardinals for 6 and a half seasons and won his 2nd WS ring as a member of the 1982 World Championship team. 

In 1980 (his best season as a Cardinal) he posted 25 Hrs and 109 RBI (which was 2nd in the NL behind only Mike Schmidt) and batted .302. In the 1982 Championship season George had 19 HRs with 104 RBI. With the Cards George won the Silver Slugger Award Twice (1980, 1983). Silent George was by far the biggest power threat on those early 80's Cardinals teams.  In December of 84 the Cards traded George and catcher Steve Bernard to the Pirates for pitcher John Tudor and OF/catcher Brian Harper.

Hendrick was a 4 time All-Star (1974-75, 1980, 1983) and in total played with the following teams Oakland Athletics (1971-1972), Cleveland Indians (1973-1976), San Diego Padres (1977-1978), St. Louis Cardinals (1978-1984), Pittsburgh Pirates (1985), California Angels (1985-1988). His career totals include 267 HRs, 1111 RBIs, 1980 hits, and had a career BA of .278.

George was a roving hitting/outfield instructor for the Cards from 1993 to 1995 and was a coach for Tony Larussa in 1996 & 1997. George is currently the first base coach for the Tampa Bay Rays. He will return to St. Louis for the May 16th, 17th & 18th series when the Rays take on the Cards.

Here's something different for a fan post.  And if this goes over well I will add a new Classic Cardinal every week.  The object is to get the good folks here at VEB to give their memories and opinons on some of our favorite Cardinals from the past.

The first "Classic Cardinal" is Vince Coleman. Vince won the NL Rookie of the Year in 1985 after stealing 115 bases. He was a key part of the Cards winning NL Championships in 1985 and 1987.  In 1985 a freak "tarp accident" at the old Busch took Vince out right before the World Series taking away a huge part of the Cardinals offense.  To this day people still wonder "What if" Vince was in the line-up for the World Series against the Royals.

Vince played with the Cards for six seasons (1985-1990) he stole over 100 bases in 3 straight seasons from 1985-87. He was an All-Star for two seasons (1988 & 1989).  Vince's best season of his major league career was 1987 when he posted a .289 batting average and a .363 on base percentage while totaling 180 hits, 109 stolen bases, and 121 runs scored.

Vince was an very popular player while in St. Louis.  It seemed like Vince was on his way to a Hall of Fame career. But after he left St. Louis it all went down hill. After three lackluster years with the New York Mets, Vince's star was starting to fade.  Late in his career he went from team to team like the Royals, Mariners, Reds and a cup of coffee with the Tigers when his career ended in 1997.

In 13 seasons Vince totaled 752 stolen bases, 1,425 hits and had a career .264 BA.