when they run the count long (i.e. 2-2, 3-2, a 10 pitch at bat, etc.)? 

As I was watching today's game, there were a couple of hitters that ran the count long, and that got me to thinking about this.  I'm guessing that some of you fans out there have those statistics, and I'm wondering whether that's changed over the years, percentage-wise (for example 30% better chance in the 1970s vs. 55% better in the steroids era, etc.).

Obviously, the chance for the hitter to get a walk improves, but I wondered about actual hits, and whether they're of the single or extra-base variety.

One final note, no matter what Bissinger says, love the blog here.  Intelligence need not be measured by the number of books a person has written.

Did a search through the diaries, and didn't find this, so thought I'd ask;  has anyone come up with a projected starting lineup list lately?

Again, if I'm missing this elsewhere on the forums, just delete the post, moderators.  But I think it would be handy if no one  else has posted an updated roster/lineup.

is rising in the East, and to me, it's the Boston Red Sox.  Why?  After all those years of being the team the whole world felt sorry for (always a bridesmaid, never the bride), they are quickly becoming a team that bores many similarities to their much-hated brethren in New York.

I'm reminded of the idea "You become what you hate."
In certain respects, I feel the Red Sox have become a mirror for the boys in pinstripes.

Go Rockies.

While I realize this season is far from over, we all know how mentally draining this season has been for Cardinal fans.  I can't even begin to imagine what it's been like for LaRussa, Duncan and Jocketty.

That said, I'm wondering out loud whether any of the three noted above will return next year.  No, I'm not saying they'll be removed; perhaps the events that have transpired this season will be enough for any or all of these three to determine they're ready to move on.  

I think there's a correlation here to when Whitey hung it up; matter of fact, I think Herzog bailed  in a situation that was nowhere NEAR as life-sapping as what our Big Three have been through this (and last) season.

Look forward to everyone's thoughts.

NOTE:  I'm not advocating letting any of the three go;  I just know this:  if I were in their shoes, I'd be looking long and hard at whether or not I wanted to come back next year.

I pose this since he's just been benched by the Yankees.  My guess is that he's done there.  While he's struggled this season, I believe a change of scenery could be just the thing he needs, and could be a great catalyst to move us on to another World Series championship.  

Look forward to everyone's thoughts.

So, now that we've all beaten the Albert/TLR thing to death, how would you like to see these two (and the team) perform damage control?

I believe they should both be open about it; discuss the situation in a press conference together, and then put it behind them; on to the second half.

Obviously, they need to have a closed-door discussion to iron things out first, but I believe if they both choose to ignore the 800 pound gorilla in the room the rest of the season, it will just become a bigger distraction the longer the season goes.  

What do you think?

The reason I say that is this;  we're only 6 1/2 back; so isn't everyone else, but I could see us going on a run and the Brew Crew stumbling.  That would put us near .500 and in striking range.

And as I stated earlier this year, I think it's quite possible that the NL Central champ will be below .500 at season's end.

What a hoot it would be to finish at 79-83, win the Division, then add title number 11 to the trophy case.

Gotta give it to that guy; he's been one of the only bright spots on this club this season.  When I looked up at the game, saw the score and him on the mound tonight, I felt comfortable for a win.  Sure enough, he prevailed.

His ERA is miniscule, he now has five wins, and has been a pleasant surprise.

If not for him, I think this club would be in a MUCH worse place right now.

Watching the NL Central standings, I get the feeling that the champion of the division could end up below .500 at the end of the season.  Seems that, with the schedule tilted towards division teams, that each club is taking turns kicking the tar out of the other, therefore the records are currently standing at around .500.

Your thoughts?  My take is, even if that happened, I wouldn't be too concerned because, much like last year, the NL Central champ would be overlooked, and could go on a tear in the playoffs.

Please, oh please, tell me those goofy hats I've seen teams wearing in spring training are NOT the gameday hats, but just for practice.  I'm talking about the ones with the "swoosh" colors on the side, just above the ears, with the white piping.

Yes, I know they're switching from wool to something else this year, but I do hope the MLB is keeping the gameday hats a SOLID color.

Anyone know the story behind these hats?  I looked in past diaries here, but saw no posts.

Although this could be from the "Who Cares!" department, thought I'd ask you fine folks about Kenny Rogers.  Yes, I know his face has been pulled back through plastic surgery, but do you feel that it was in Detroit's best interest to start him in Game 5?  I did before the game, and still do.  They HAD to win 5 in order to even GET to 6 and 7, so I would have put my ace on the mound and sink or swim last Friday night.  Verlander could have started Game 6 in a friendly environment.  

What say you?

BTW, went to the parade.  Other than an annoying old lady that kept pushing herself and her frickin' grandkids to the front (which I finally stopped by telling her off), it was a lot of fun.  Actually, telling off the old lady was a lot of fun, too.  :)

I know that the owner of this blog has talked about Reyes alot, but I'm wondering if this whole situation with Reyes doesn't come back to one thing (or person as the case may be);  Rick Ankiel.  Don't know if this has been talked about previously on this blog, but I have a strong feeling that the reason why TLR and (perhaps) Duncan and Jocketty have real difficulty allowing youngsters a bigger role in the Cardinal pitching staff is that they have "seen" what happens when a talented rookie gets pushed too fast;  i.e. he'll self-destruct in the playoffs, and then be ruined for his career.  That's not me talking; that's what I think the powers that BE think.  Basically, I believe the Ankiel situation has made them gunshy to give youth a larger role in their pitching staff.  I think it also explains why Wainwright has (seemingly) been babied along.

Personally, I don't believe in this garbage one bit.  I think Ankiel's situation was an anomaly; yes, it could happen again, but in reality, what do the Cards have to lose by putting their "trust" in a rookie?  Like the veterans have shown us so much this season (i.e. Ponson, Weaver, Mulder).

Look forward to other's comments on this.

After seeing a lot of folks (not necessarily on this website) complain about the new ballpark, just saw my first game in it today.  I think it's an alright place!  Seems pretty easy to get in and out of; I took the Metrolink from North Hanley on in, and worked out great.  St. Louis should be proud of the train; makes the town feel like a big city.  And cheaper than driving and parking, for sure.  I imagine if I ever have to fly out of Lambert, I'll park at North Hanley and take the train, considering Metrolink is free parking.

Back to the park, we sat out in the bleachers (where Albert hits 'em), and I'll be darned if he didn't hit THREE out there today!  One was to our right, the other way to our left, and the third towards centerfield.  It's still warm being "bleached" in the sun (85 today), but the park does allow air to flow, which is good.  In some respects, it feels like the old park, just a much-better version.  By the way, I'd strongly suggest folks to try out those cheapie bleacher seats; yes, you are away from the infield action, but really, you're right on top of everything else.  There isn't a better bang-for-the-buck seat to be had, IMO.

And nice attendance today!  Place was full, even on a holiday weekend!

Bought 4 tix on Stubhub.com at the last minute for the Sunday, Sep. 3rd game against the Pirates, and now am wondering if the tickets are phonies.  The price for bleacher tix on the Cardinal website shows $16 apiece, whereas the face value of the ones I have show $11-something, plus tax equals $12 apiece.  I'm hoping the $4 diff. is an online service charge for the tix through the Cards website.  I would have bought the durned things on their site, but they only have singles left.  

By the way, the tix have a picture of Scott Rolen on the front, and a picture of the new stadium behind him (if that helps).

Perhaps these are season tickets and cheaper in bulk; who knows.  

With what has transpired this season for our beloved St. Louis Cardinals, I thought it was time to analyze why we have gotten to this point.  I believe that the fall of our little "Roman Empire" can be clearly seen by the items I will outline below, in a chronological outline (of sorts) that dates back over the past few seasons.   Remember, these items are not in order of importance, they are ordered chronologically.

1.  The Loss of Renteria

I believe this guy's leaving may be the one single item that began the flipping-over of the apple cart.  Look at his numbers; in 2002 and 2003, he hit .305 and .330, had 100 RBI in '03, and was a Gold Glove Award winner in both of those years.  Yes, his '04 was not as spectacular, but what (I believe) Edgar gave to this club was an intangible; he was, simply, a winner.  After all, he had the game-winning hit in the first World Series title game for the Marlins, and won who-knows how many game for us with his bat and glove.  Most importantly, HE TOOK PRESSURE OFF THE TOP OF THE LINEUP!  Meaning this; if the big guns didn't produce at the top of the order, there was always Renteria down in the bottom half to get on or get some RBI.  And if he was in the top half of the lineup, the Cards' offense was as good as any in both leagues.  Look, I like Eckstein; but I'd like to see him at second and Renteria back at short for us.  That would be a durned good infield.

2.  The Fall of Matt Morris

As happens with any athlete, they decline with age.  I think of Matt Morris fondly as a great, competitive Cardinal, and former number one starter.  But when he began going downhill, so did the Cardinals' starting staff.  Remember when he first came up?  The guy could throw BBs, and had decent breaking stuff to augment the heat.  But as he aged, his competitive fire sometimes got in the way of good pitching, and cost him wins.  His numbers this year with San Fran speak for themselves; but when you think of a staff that had three quality starters in Morris, Carpenter and Williams (and an above-average starter in Suppan, at least then anyway), it's not too hard to see why the Redbirds this year are floundering.  There's only ONE top-shelf starter on this year's club, and everybody else is just, well, everybody else.

3.  The (Decline?) of Woody Williams

Now, I don't know if Woody wanted to go back to San Diego because he likes the weather (who wouldn't?), but losing him didn't help matters, either.  As noted above, it took another quality pitcher out of the rotation.  His numbers were down in his last season as a Redbird (11-8 with a 4.18 ERA), but we'd sell our souls for that kind of pitching this year.  I will say this about Woody;  at times he could drive you to drink.  Remember the gopher balls he gave up to Rich (freakin') Aurelia against the Giants in the NLCS in 2002?  He had a tendency to do that at the wrong times, plus he seemed to be oft-injured.  He was on the shelf this year for the Padres as well, and I believe that's one reason why he wasn't asked back to the Cards in '05.  Oddly enough, his numbers this year are quite good (7-4, 3.60).  Ah, for the good ol' days...

4.  The Revolving Door at Second (Not Signing Grudz)

Let's face it; the Cards need a decent second baseman.  My problem is, they've had one; THREE DIFFERENT TIMES!  Look, Fernando Vina may be finished (out for the year in Seattle), and his numbers were down in '03, but he was a good 2-bagger.  So wasn't Womack and Grudzielanek! Why in heck they didn't hang on to either of the latter is beyond me.  Yes, money is always an issue in a small market, but Hart/Luna/Belliard/Miles, etc.?  You can do better than that, management.

5.  The Decline of Larry Walker

As with Morris' case, the Grim Reaper known as Time caught up with a very good ballplayer.  More importantly, I think his fire and competitive attitude are gone from today's Cardinal clubhouse.  I have no idea what the guy was like as a person, but the Cards lineup was formidable with him in it.  Thank goodness Duncan looks to take over his role.  That kid deserves to play here in StL for what he's done this year.

6.  The Inability to Find an Everyday Left Fielder

Let's see; Pujols, Taguchi, Sanders, Spiezio, etc., etc., etc.  And no one (besides AP of course-at first base, not left field) has ever caught on to this spot.  When you don't have an everyday player at this position, to me, it's just one more bat that you don't have in your lineup.

7.  Steve Kline's "Finger"

First of all, I never liked the damned dirty hat thing, but he was a pretty good left-hander out of the bullpen (most of the time).  When he didn't return to the Cards, I thought at the time "Good Riddance", but now we'd kill to have him in the bullpen.  No question that his flying the bird at TLR from the bullpen sealed his fate in St. Louis, but I think it also may have created a bad vibe in the clubhouse.  By that, I mean it may have created enough of a "My way or the highway" attitude regarding LaRussa.  This may have either scared current players or created resentment amongst those players towards TLR.  And just maybe that is playing itself out in 2006.

8.  The Decline of Isringhausen

What once was a flame-throwing, butt-kicking monster of a reliever has now become an (at best) 90+ fastball hurler that nibbles with everything, including his famed "cutter", so much so that his lack of aggression towards opposing hitters leads to THEIR aggression, like knocking one out of the park.  No more excuses for this guy; his time as a closer is finished, and perhaps his time in Cardinal red is as well.  I remember the July 4th, 2002 game I attended; he came in and simply was Master and Commander, chucking it at 94-95-96 and just overpowering hitters for the save.  Like Walker and Morris, age eventually catches up to you.  I'd hate to be Izzy right now; how would you feel if you've suddenly lost "it"?

9.  The Decline of the Greatest Centerfielder to Ever Play In St. Louis

Jim Edmonds.  I've had this debate with my older brother before, but to me, this guy is simply THE greatest centerfielder to ever play in Cardinal red.  My brother thinks Curt Flood was, but Flood's power numbers are nowhere near Jimmy's, and I don't think Flood (R.I.P) could have made some of the circus catches that Edmonds has made over the years.  That said, perhaps his hard-nosed play in the outfield has finally caught up to him (see the White Sox game where he crunched his melon on the warning track).  He doesn't look the same anymore; is it contract squabbles?  Is he losing it?  Who knows.  But when you pull one of your Big Three out of the lineup, suddenly Pujols or Rolen have to pick up the slack, and on those days when they're off, well, that's why we're basically a .500 club.  When the Big Three are on,  we can put 12 runs on the board and spank the Yankees/White Sox/Tigers/Red Sox, etc.  But when they're off,  the Royals can crush us like a beer can.  All of this said, Jimmy's been a good Cardinal, and I wish him well, no matter what happens in the future.

For that matter, I wish all of the folks well that I've mentioned in this post.  They were all once valued Cardinals; apparently time has taken its toll, and perhaps it's time to move on.  Let's hope for the best the rest of '06 and beyond.

Howdy folks,

I'm sitting here, watching the Cards get toasted against the Cubs in this final of the four-game series, and can't help the thought that maybe LaRussa has "lost" his team.

Yes, I realize that this club has been up and down like a penny stock this season (and therefore perhaps no need to panic) but after reading the "3 Nights" and Canseco books, I believe LaRussa is his own worst enemy.  He's very intelligent, and a great student of the game, but I believe he may overthink his job way too much.  In his book, Bissinger pretty much admits that LaRussa is a slave to the numbers, and the problem I have with that is that if you are a robotic manager,  you cannot develop any kind of positive rapport with your players.  Now no, I don't think a manager has to be a "rah-rah" kind of guy, but I also believe in what I call the "Wall" factor.  A manager should be the kind of manager that players would go through a brick wall for, out of (if only this) total respect and admiration for their skipper.  Tony doesn't have that.  To me, guys like McKeon and Leyland do.  

From reading Canseco's book, it also sounds to me like players either love or hate TLR.  Canseco mentioned the fact that LaRussa occasionally calls out players for mistakes when they return from the field.  I always found that uncool, even when I played Little League.  Look, you know you f'd up; you really don't need to be embarrassed in front of your teammates because of it.  It doesn't make you play harder for your manager or coach; it makes you resent the guy.

So, upon watching this game today, the players look like they could care less and are going through the motions.  I've seen that a lot this year, which makes me believe that Tony perhaps has worn out his welcome in Cardinal red.

And let's face facts; in reality, this team is not that damn good.  It's an above average club, and that's about it.  That said, you never know; they could catch fire and smoke everyone in the playoffs.  But they NEED someone or something to put some emotion or fire back into this club.  The Automaton look of this team won't cut it in October.