SB Nation User Blog: PhillyRedbird

playoff Scenarios and SPs

PhillyRedbird — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:05:45 -0000

playoff Scenarios and SPs

Just for S&G's, and because I don't relly have to post the bank's staffing report for an hour or so, here's my projected rotation for these the 2009 National League Playoffs, during October, of which there is not more than one.*

NLDS
10/07 - Carpenter
10/08 - Wainwright
10/10 - Piniero
10/11 - Smotlz
10/13 - Wainwright

NLCS
10/15 - Carpenter
10/16 - Piniero
10/18 - Wainwirght
10/19 - Smoltz
10/21 - Piniero (unless we're down 3-1)
10/23 - Carpenter
10/24 - Wainwirght

A few things jump out at me.
1) Not really scarred about any of this except potential for NLCS GM#2 in Philly with Smoltz on the mound.**
2) How awesome it is to have virtually no preferrence between Carp and WW.
3) How it is also awesome that our #3 doesn't scare me either

That's enough chicken counting - I won't deign to carry this over to the WS.

*anyone else feel ripped off that the 2006 logo was so lame? Last years WS/postseason logo could beat the shit out of 2006's

**As a Stl fan living in Philly, I am torn; of course I would love the chance to attend a Cardinals Postseason game, but I don't want anything to do with the Philles, unless I'm guaranteed at least 2 Lidge Pujols showdowns.

Shifting from Trade targets to FA targets

PhillyRedbird — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:52:00 -0000

I haven't contributed any hairbrained ideas, and am feeling left out. i also needed to put something in the body of this fanpost apparently.

So I am wasting time at work, looking at available free agents after the 2009 season. It would appear that reinforcements are again not forthcoming, so I have turned my attention to the upcoming 2010 FA class, looking specificly at hitting. It is foolish to try and distill the ills of the current offense down to two things, but that never stopped me before.

#1 We need a legit power hitter. This situation may improve somewhat if Ludwick (no longer deserving of a nickname?) regains his form, but even then I'd be hesitant to invest myself too heavily in his imcomplete resume. It wouldn't be such a bad thing if we could bolster the veteran presence on the club as well, especially if we want TLR to stick around. Personally, I've been waiting for the Secret Weapon to begin based mostly on the one time my Dad and I toured the old baseball museum at Busch II and Jose signed our tickets. The answer: Jermaine Dye. Model of consistency, and could sign shorter term given his age. A decent option to bat behind the Hombre, I would think he might sign a 2 year $22 million deal or something.

#2 We need a leadoff guy. Skip is not a leadoff hitter, no matter how often he slides into first. Ryan isn't one either - .323 and .343 OBP for those guys, respectively this year and .345 and .330 career. Having signed Dye already, this leadoff guy should be an infielder, and should be a versatile one. The answer: Chone Figgins. Stolen bases are something this team hasn't done in a while, and Figgins this year has a .399 OBP and .359 for his career (Last 3 years have been his highest in OBP - seems like a good trend). Figgns can also play 3B and 2B, allowing us to play/bench Wallace/Skip next year, whoever appears most ready to contribute. Making $8.5mil this year. I wouldn't want to pay more than that.

Proposed Lineup -

Figgins - 2B/3B

Rasmus - CF

Pujols - 1B

Dye - RF

Ludwick - LF

Wallace/Skip - 3B/2B

Molina - C

Pitcher

T Greene - SS

With Larue and minor leaguers on the bench, our signed and arb inelgible relievers and 3 starters locked up, this should put payroll at around.$80mil, seemingly enough room for a starting pitcher. What do you think? If anything, we could help shed the rep that we don't field any african american players.

Roster for August

PhillyRedbird — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:23:01 -0000

I'm bored at work thinking about the Cards' rotation for the rest of the month, and see a nice opportunity for going to a 4 man rotation w/o Looper or Piniero after 8/13 @FLA. If it were up to me, I might give Garcia one more start in place of one of them on either 8/11 or 8/13, but I don't envision TLR doing that.

8/8-10 @ CHC - Looper/Colonel (big start v Big Z)/Carp

811/-14 @ FLA - Piniero/Lohse/Looper/Colonel

8/15-17 @ CIN - Carp/Return of Waino (too late/soon?)/Lohse

8/19-20 PIT - Colonel/Carp

8/22-24 ATL - Waino/Lohse/Colonel

8/26/27 MIL - Big Guns Carp & Waino

8/28-31 @ HOU - Lohse/Colonel/Carp

During this time we move Loop into a 7th/8th inning role with Piniero as more of a long reliever. Who goes off the 25 man when Waino comes back? Well, I'd love for it to be Lopez, but seeing as he just got here and it would leave us with 3 bench players, so I knid of doubt that. That leaves a problem of who gets bulleted down to AAA from the bullpen. The worst performers have been Izzy/Villone but I can't see either of them shipping out. Even though I feel maybe Joel would be the best to go, it seems that Brad is more likely to lose his spot. What are your thoughts?

Starting 12(yadi,pujols,kennedy,iz2,glaus,lud,rick,skip,carp,waino,colonel,lohse)

Bench 4 (lopez,miles,larue,mather)

Bullpen 9 (perez,mcclellan,springer,garcia,looper,villone.franklin,izzy,piniero)

I'd like to think that adding Looper and Piniero to the BP would help a lot, but I just don't see it.

I know the price was too steep, but holy hell would a Fuentes/Sherril whoever have whipped this pen into shape. Is Burger King still available? Maybe lure Kliner out of retirement? Maybe one of these days we'll see McClellan take over in RF, Skip move to center and have Ricky come in to face a lefty.