Ok some of you may think this is just about Jimmy Ed, but it's not.  I was just talking to my mother (a hardcore cardinals fan ever since she first watched Bob Gibson and Stan Musial play together) and we agreed about something.  An era is comming to an end this off season.  I'm not saying it's a bad thing or that I'm against the so called "Youth Movement", but it still deserves a moment.  

Continue reading this post »

Well I'm up late again tonight, and I had a idea.  We've all been talking about who would want Rolen, and what we could get for him, and I don't know how many trade's I've heard that start with Reyes, and Duncan.  Here is what I though of, you know who the cards best trading chip really is?  Looper.  Here is my quick argument as to why the cards should trade Looper.

1. He can be marketed as both a starter and a reliver.  We could easily bill him as a possible closer for teams that need help there ( I know you love Big Joe Larry but come on).  And any other teams could see the potetial for a four or five man in the rotation.
2. His trade value won't go up.  I'm not a beliver that Looper will feel no effects from his first season as a starter, and I don't think he will be near as good next year.  As is we might get a couple of good prospects for him, but if we wait to long we'll just have an old free agent on our hands.  
3. We can replace him with out much work.  I'd say we already have his replacement in Joel, and we could go out and sign Jeff Weaver.  Then our rotation could look something like this.
1. AW
   
2. Jeffy
   
3. Mark Mulder
   
4. JoL
   
5. Thompson (Carp comes in when he's back)
   
6. Spring training fling Mark Prior.

I was talking to some guys, and we came up with a intresting idea as to why A-Rod can't hit in the postseason, and just killes people in the regular season.  When you get to the postseason you only use your top three maybe four pitchers.  This is what we came up with.  Maybe A-Rod hits 4th and 5th starters better then any player in the major right now, but can't hit the top guys.  The best way to show this would be to show A-Rods numbers against a average pitcher vs. Say Pujols numbers against an average pitcher.  Then show A-Rods numbers against a top flight pitcher vs. Pujols number against a top flight pitcher.  I'm not good at this kind of number cruching, and I was wondering if someone on here had the time to do this.  

Ok I just wanted to say some stuff.  All I have read is that Tony is anti-youth.  I don't belive it at all.  I know it's been said that TLR dosen't play young guys, but what young guys have we got?  I mean is he supposed to start Rasmus over J-Ed now?  Come on people.  I can think of four perfect examples for Tony useing youth.

1.  Matt Morris.  All the knocks about Dave Duncan not being able to handle Rookie pitchers, and here is Matty Mo.  Morris won over a hundered games, and was a staff ace for a while.  Tony said when he first got here that a big reason why he came was because of Morris, showing he planed on useing Morris right from the get go.  
2.  Albert Pujols.  I know AP only made the roster because of injurys, but lets look at this for a secound.  He went up our farm system at crazy speeds, and hadn't played a full year at triple a yet.  He was just to young to use yet, kind of like Rasmus now.  Then when he came up and proved he could hit, you notice Tony didn't sit him.  No Tony put AP in the three hole and let him hit.  He didn't have to do that, but he did.
3.  Adam Wainright.  Ok there are too parts to this.  First Tony went with a Rookie to close games in the postseason.  I know you can say all you want about how he tried to use Looper and Flores before he went to Wainer, but yet again he did go with Adam.  He could have done the whole red sox closer by commite, but he didn't.  He gave the ball to Adam in the most important moment of the season (Beltran).  Then just look at last year.  For as bad as Reyes did, Wainright killed.  I think that Duncan can work wonders, for any pitcher, if they just listen to him.
4.  Rick Ankiel.  I know that they didn't call Slick Rick up as early as everybody want him to be called, but he was out of options.  He needed everday at-bats, and he could only get them at memphis.  We had Enc, Dunc, and J-Ed in the outfield at the time, and off the bench Ludwick was hitting at the time.  If you called him up he would be the fifth out fielder, and not getting at-bats.  Then when he did get called up, he was in the starting line up the first night.  Anybody remember Enc being anger because he the vet was sitting as Rick the Rook got to start?  

Ok I was reading this mornings main thread, and it's all about pitching.  This just got me thinking what ever happend to Mark Prior?  I'm not saying the cardinals should go get him (god forbid another broken down pitcher), but what happend to him.  I know he got hurt (big surprise) last year, but I thought he was supposed to be healthy this year.  Just asking.

IF the cards make the postseason, should Tony win the manger of the year award?  I mean we've had all kinds of problems this year, and we might finish above .500.  This is just crazy.  We all know what has happen this year, but just to some it all up...
We had the DUI thing with Tony in the pre-season
We lost Carp
We lost Hancock. RIP
We've had about everybody go on the DL
We had Ankiel, and now he's in trouble for HGH

I feel like I've forgotten about a dozen things.  In spite of all of this we are still in the divison hunt, and I think that a big part of this is TLR.  What do you guys think?

We all know what Jeff Weaver did last year in the post season was amazing.  IF the cards make the post season this year who do you think will be there X-factor (if you think there will be a x-factor).  All kinds of options, from Slick Rick to the Kipper (although if you take him your on your own).

I've seen it said in a few diffrent diarys so I thought I'd ask.  Do you favor the return of what most of us considerd the captain Edger Rentria?  I know most of you guys would welcome him back no problem because of what kind of year he's having, but what about the other guys on the team?  I'll be honest I kind of thing of Edger as a trader after he went to boston.  Let's be honest the money wasn't that much of a diffrance.  What do you guys think?

I don't know if this has been done before, but around my area in Illinois we like to play the game all-time all-star cardinals team.  The concept is pretty simple, you fill out your starting lineup, add two bench players, a entire pitching roatation, and a closer.  The other rule is Stan Musial can only play one postion, so no Stan in right, left, and first.  So haveing said all this I'll start.

Continue reading this post »

Ok so we are about to face some major decisions in the outfield so here is a quick idea I had at like three in the morning that is kind of growing on me so I'll throw it down, let you guys ripe it apart, and then I'll forget about it.
So here is the problem, we have four very good young outfielders, and only three postions to fill.  As we've already seen Juan has discovered this and is the first out the door.  Here is my idea.  We put Tricky Rick in right field, Rasmus in Center, and Lud in left.  Not so hard to follow yet, don't worry it get's better.

Continue reading this post »

Ok I know, we just got beat two of three by the cubs.  But that last game is getting my hopes up alittle.  So here it is, lets say the cardnials manage to pull the upset and take 3 out of 4 against the Brew Crew.  If that's the case are we done.  With (please don't jinx it) Scotty Rolen starting to get hot, Jimmy Baseball back if not quite there yet, and Dunc just hitting the crap out of the ball (of corse I leave off our MVP at first) we may have a chance.  What we need is a pitching staff.  So what moves should the cardinals make IF (yes this is a very large if) they take three of four?

Ok with all of the talk about trades the names I'm hearing are Scotty , Juan E, and Izzy.  I can see the Juan trade, not because I like it, but because you can either just start Lud, Skip, or So, or call up tricky rick.  Also I guss I can see the Izzy trade.  Then you just move Troy P to the closer role, and call up Perez at some point to take over.  Having said that here comes my question. Who takes over for Rolen at third if we move him. I like Scott Rolen alot and feel his defence is worth his contract, not to mention that when he is on he dosn't like commit an out. But having said that I am more a cards fan then a Rolen fan so lets say they trade him.  Who takes over in the hot corner?  Dose the trade bring us a third baseman, or do we call up whoever is at third in Memphis, or do we go with the last option and that is Scotty Spezz who I love, but is worth much more off the bench where he can play anywhere, and I fear a touch of overexposer.  This is a honest questoin, not a real hole harted defence of Rolen. That will come later.

How come every time someone talks about a trade they say Duncan?  This guy is a stud, and the answer to a problem that is starting to effect the cardnials.  He is a power hitter wich outside of Pujols the cards don't have.  I mean come on the next best is Rolen for crying out loud.

Continue reading this post »