SB Nation User Blog: gibbyfan

The end of a era.

gibbyfan — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:45:04 -0000

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.

This era could be called all kinds of things and incompasis a wide range of players. This was the era of Jocketty, LaRussa, and Edmonds. This era was defined more then anything by heart. This was not really the razel dazel of the El Birdos group, or the hardnosed baseball of the Gashouse Gang. This was an era of humble stars, and over preducing players. The first player I think of in this generation is Big Mac himself. Say what you want about Big Mac, he saved baseball. There was Jimmy Baseball who came to us as a lazy stuck up player, and ended up the captain. There was Steve Kline who truly did love to play in St. Louis. There was Will Clark filling in for the injured Big Mac, and just glad to be here. There was Tino Martinez, who was a fallen star. There was Rick Ankiel, who was great, then not, and thene rose from the ashes. There was DK. Even Woody Willems and Matt Morris. The Benes brothers. And at the end of the era even extreme over acciver Jeff Weaver. Rolen was also in this time period, but it's looking like his day's are over. I don't know if this is an exeptable diary, but if not then Larry please deleat it, but I just couldn't stop thinking about this. The biggest thing is that I am 19 years old, and as my mother and I agreed, when I "grow up" I'll be telling my kids about the players of this era.

Good luck to the future cards, and on with the "youth movement."

The Loop

gibbyfan — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:12:10 -0000

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.

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.
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.
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.
AW
Jeffy
Mark Mulder
JoL
Thompson (Carp comes in when he's back)
Spring training fling Mark Prior.

We'll what does everybody think? What might we get for the Loop. Peace out all.

A-Rod in the postseason

gibbyfan — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:23:13 -0000

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.

TLR/Youth

gibbyfan — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:07:30 -0000

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.

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.
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.
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.
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?

That's what I've got to say. I didn't get much sleep, so take that into consideration. Have at.

Prior?

gibbyfan — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:49:00 -0000

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.

TLR Manger of the year?

gibbyfan — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:24:01 -0000

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?

Poll

Should TLR win Manger of the Year?

Yes

28 votes

No

41 votes

69 votes | Poll has closed

Dream Weaver

gibbyfan — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:45:39 -0000

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).

Return of the captain?

gibbyfan — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:12:20 -0000

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?

Poll

How will the team react if Rentria should return?

Welcome him home with open arms.

80 votes

He's back, but never the captain again.

35 votes

They don't really welcome him, he just happens to be there.

4 votes

Albert and Edger fight the way Jeter and A-Rod fight.

1 votes

120 votes | Poll has closed

A little fun.

gibbyfan — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:02:48 -0000

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.

1b-Stan the Man-simply the best
2b-Rodgers "Raja" Hornsby
SS-The Wiz
3b-Scott Rolen
lf-Lou Brock
cf-Jim Edmonds
rf-Enos Slaughter
c-Ted "Simba" Simmons

Starting Rotation
Ace-Gibson
Carpenter
Dizzy Dean
Matt Morse
Mort Couper

Closer
Izzy

Bench
King Albert
Big Mac

So as you can see you can use active players as well. I'm not going to specife if this is single season or career, lets just let that be part of the fun.

New Idea for 08/09

gibbyfan — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:31:43 -0000

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.

Next we package Rolen and Molina and send them to the Angels for Figgins and Santana. The Angels will get the third baseman they want, and another Molina can say he was a Angel. They don't lose much so they should be willing to go for this trade.
So with the catcher spot open we call up Anderson. Now comes the part I'll get ripped hardcore on. Gulp, here goes, we move Pujols to third. He has played there before, and although he may not win a gold glove there, but he is a natural and won't be a defence problem. Duncan can then fill in first base where he played in the minors. This would lead to a 09 lineup something like this

Figgins SS
Rasmus CF
Pujols 3B
Duncan 1B
Ludwick LF
Ankiel RF
Anderson C
Ryan 2B

Rotation looking something like this
Carpenter (If healthy)
Wainwright
Reyes
Santana
Wells/Thompson/Looper/Whoever

Not a bad lineup. We gain defence in left, center, and 2B. We do lose defence at 3B, 1B, C.
We stay about the same at SS, and RF.
So there it is rip it apart so I can stop thinking about it.