Great Home Stand

07/26/2012

Dodgers 4 Cardinals 7

Dear Redbirds,

Color me impressed.

A 6 and 1 homestand,

and 18 hits last night.

Motte pitched for the second day 

in a row and got a second save. The 'pen

hasn't blown a game during this streak yet.

Or did they screw it up Monday?

I can't remember too many good things

since then.

 

"Happy Flight!" meter: 12/23

Raffy has a habit

07/25/2012

Dodgers 2 Cardinals 3

Final/12

Dear Raffy Furcal (and Friends),

I like your new habit.  

What habit?

The walk-off hit habit.

And what about old man Berkman?

Getting the walk in the 12th inning.

And the Joe Kelly ran the bases because

the Puma is operating with one leg, these days.

Joe Kelly is fast but Puma gave him a new name.

Baby Giraffe.

The general belief of Joe's teammates is that

he  runs fast, but that he isn't so coordinated.

He tripped over second base last night.

Or second base reached up and tripped him.

Some people say that he was hit by a sniper 

when he fell rounding second.

They were joking, of course,

it would not have been a joke if the game

hadn't ended after the 12th.

I like Joe Kelly.

He pitches well, can hit, and can fly.

Wow. Bet he's having the time of his life up here

in the Bigs.

Til Later.

Catching Up

Dear Cardinals,

I have to play catch up today on THREE games. Why? Because I've been lazy. Sorry.

07/22/2012

Cubs 0 Cardinals 7

I am impressed that you guys swept the Cubs. They had been playing good baseball and you all hadn't been, so it left very good vibes. It was the second sweep of the season and first in the NL Central (which, by the way, we need to start playing better in the division, men). The first inning was entertaining with more of those "down the line" doubles from the seventh inning of the previous game.  We outscored the Cubs 23-1 in the series, which I still find hilarious days later. 

07/23/2012

Dodgers 5 Cardinals 3

I figured we were back to the same-old Cardinals after this game. Chad Billingsley hadn't been pitching well, but of course, we go out there and lose.  It was frustrating because it was something I've seen before.  After this game I determined that we weren't going to win a game in this series because this team just didn't want to win.

07/24/2012

Dodgers 2 Cardinals 8

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw, 2011's Triple Crown and Cy Young Award winner, started this game for the Dodgers.  He made the us look silly for four and two-thirds innings, the Dodgers had a 2 run lead that seem insurmountable, but then the we erupted for eight runs over two innings. The sixth inning was strange because the runs piled up quietly and quickly.  Talk about twilight zone. One second the game was tied, some guys reached base, and then somehow six runs touched the plate. Daniel Descalso, the only lefty in the line up, had the first two hits against Kershaw.  Adam Wainwright was batting .071 for the year, (An anomaly because he is a good-hitting pitcher. He has five career home-runs, one of which he hit in his first career at-bat) but he hit a double to bring home the first Cardinal run and a bases loaded walk.

Til Later.

Let's Be Positve (HAHAHAHHAHA)

05/20/2012

Cardinals 5 Dodgers 6

Dear Cards,

Positives from last night's game:

1. Matt Adams saw his first major league pitch and stroked it to center for a single!

Play smarter, harder this home stand, boys! Have FUN!

Love ya!

Til Later

"Happy Flight!" meter: 7/12

What a spectacular week!!!!

05/19/2011

Cardinals 0 Dodgers 6

Dear birds,

I am enjoying your painful fall toward .500. 

What a great week this has been! Two wins out of seven games!  How great is that!

Wonderful.

Let's look at something even more amazing...

Those Who Have Fallen: Casualties of the Weak Week

Jon Jay joined the disabled list Tuesday, May 15 due to a right shoulder sprain suffered to that fight he lost with the wall weeks ago. 

Allen Craig strained his hamstring (while showing SUPERB athleticism during a dive catch attempt) and was disabled on  Thursday, May 17.

Kyle McClellan strained his right elbow and was placed on the DL the day after Craig bit the dust.

And Lance Berkman returns to the DL after suffering from a collapsing knee during last night's ballgame.

***

Hey! Matt Adams has been freed! He's batting seventh tonight and playing first.  I hope he's a good defender, unlike Matt Carpenter who seems to have misplaced his glove this road trip (ugh).

'Til Later!

PS: Yes, most of  this letter reeks of irony. What of it?

Up to Par

05/18/2012

Cardinals 5 Dodgers 6

Dear Birdnals,

Please start winning at a better clip, okay? This is turning into an awful May (8-9).

The worse part about our losses is how close we come to winning.  Last night we lost due to a walk-off walk in the ninth inning.

The pitching isn't executing.  The players who are replacing the injured guys aren't executing on defense.

This team seems to be in a tail spin because of injuries. So often this year, guys aren't available for a few days, and the Cardinals have to play with a short bench.  For example, Jon Jay did not play for a few days after he injured his shoulder.  I thought then that he should've gone on the disabled list, because the shoulder is a very important part of a batter's swing.  For confirmation: See Scott Rolen. He has not been the same since colliding with Hee-seop Choi.  Jon Jay has been hitting so well, and it would have been better if he had more rest and avoided aggravating the shoulder by coming back too early.  I hope he returns completely healthy.

We need him.

And we need Lance Berkman and  Allen Craig. 

One more thing: free Matt Adams if Lance Berkman sees more time on the disabled list.

Til Later!

The Rise and Fall of Carpenter = The Rise and Fall of the Cards

Observe:

• 2003: The Cardinals sign Chris Carpenter, hoping that he'll be able to pitch by mid- season. He is not able to compete because of a muscle tear in his shoulder.
• The Redbirds finish third in the division. (They'd won the division in 2002).
• An aside: I'm not too sure this year should count, since he wasn't on the 40 man roster. 
• 2004:  Chris Carpenter re-signs with the Cards. He finishes the season with a 15-5 record. Unfortunately, a nerve problem in his bicep prevents him from pitching in the postseason.
• The Cardinals win the NL pennant, earning their first World Series appearance since 1987. 
• 2005:  Carpenter wins the NL Cy Young award with a 21-5 record. 
• Cardinals lose to the Houston Astros in the NLCS.
• 2006:  Carpenter finishes the regular season with 15-8 record.  He is healthy and pitches in the postseason.
• Cardinals win their first World Series since 1982.
• 2007: Carp pitches on Opening Day, the only game he pitches this season.  Tommy John surgery in July places him out of commission until mid-season 2008.
• Cardinals finish under .500 at 78-84, behind the Cubs and Brewers.  
• 2008: In July, Carpenter returns and makes his first of three starts before being shut down again.
• The Cardinals finish behind the Cubs, Brewers, and Astros with a 86-76 record.
• 2009: Carpenter wins NL Comeback Player of the Year, and is runner-up in the Cy Young voting.
• Cardinals win the division and lose to the Dodgers in the NLDS.
• 2010: Carp becomes an All-Star for the third time and wins 16 games.
• The Cardinals finish second in the division to Reds.
• 2011:  At the beginning of the season, Carpenter pitched well, but receive little run support. He finishes the season with only eleven victories.  He logs the most innings of all major league pitchers, when the post season is taken into account.
• Cardinals finish second in the division, and enter the post season as wild cards.  They win their eleventh World Series.
• 2012:  As of today: Carpenter is out indefinitely due to nerve irritation in his right shoulder-- sources are reporting it's similar to the shoulder discomfort he dealt with in 2008.  According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Carp will have to let his shoulder recover, then restrengthen it. This can take a matter of weeks or months.
• What will the Cardinals do this year?  I still think they'll be pretty good.  Hopefully, they'll do what they did last year when an ace went down-- accept it and move on.  I don't want to hear anything about "treading water" until Carpenter comes back.  This team can win without Carp, just like they won without Wainwright last year.    
 
tl;dr:  With the exception of 2010, every year that Carpenter was healthy and able to pitch, the Cardinals played in the post season.  And every year he wasn't able to pitch, they didn't make the post season. 
 
And that, folks, is what I call Kate-analysis!  I know, I know, very hard hitting stuff.  You may hold your applause.
 
'Til Later
 
 

Stealing Home!

The Cards beat the Mets 7-1 in a spring training game today.  Apparently, Waino was fighting his mechanics, but he still threw 3 scoreless innings.  His velocity was down, but no huge deal there ( I hope), because he's a stud and studs win even without their best stuff. 

The Cardinals scored those seven runs using power and speed.  Yes, speed.  Tyler Greene STOLE HOME!  I really want to see this during the regular season.  A few times.  Definitely once or twice against the Cubs.

I cannot wait to see the decisions Matheny make this year, I think he'll be more of a risk taker than La Russa in some areas.  If spring training is any indication, the 2012 Cardinals are going to bring more excitement to the base paths than previous years. 

Although, I suppose one could say that watching Yadi attempt to score from first on a double is exciting.  Or that watching Joe Thurston hit a double and get called out because he didn't tag first during that epic, everlasting July 2009 game against the Dodgers was exciting. (I almost broke the remote.)  And in 2010, when David Freese tripped over third whilst running home, breaking his ankle, I suppose that counts as excitement, too.  (I now think anyone rounding third is going to blow out a wheel.  Irrational fear?  Maybe.  Okay it is.)

I am looking forward to having excitement on the bases because of speed and good base-running and not because of lack of speed or bad base-running!  This team is long overdue.

'Til Later

Mercurial Missives

"A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings"  Earl Wilson

The 2011 Cardinals' season was a crazy, emotional ride for me.  I mean, I was more bipolar than usual over the course of a season (and I've had some dark baseball moments over the years).  August was the lowest month because my team had so much talent but was not playing up to par, my team had shown so much heart-- fighting back after losing their Ace to Tommy John, overcoming deficits in late innings, rebounding after blown saves (second most in the league)-- only to die on the metaphorical field of battle after being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in late August.

From NLDS Game 4 Post Game Interview (as I heard on Fox Sports Midwest):

Reporter: How many times has this team been announced dead by the proper authorities?

Lance "Puma" Berkman: A lot, I mean, but y'know, that's what we're here for-- entertainment purposes.



I didn't lose all hope, but the Cards certainly looked officially dead, so I and anyone else with proper sense declared them as such.  Of course, gladiators that they are (supreme entertainers), the Cardinals revived themselves (again), played a brilliant month of baseball and with the help of the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs closer Carlos Marmol (according to Cubs fans), and Cardinal Nation (according to Tony La Russa) the Cardinals claimed the National League Wild Card.

It is because of that September rush and the thrill of "Red October," that I have decided to blog my experience of watching Cardinals baseball.  At first, I was unsure exactly what I was going to focus on-- some blogs go into player and game analysis, others are vendettas railing against the front office.  I want this blog to be a reactionary blog-- reacting to all the funny and frustrating things that occur over the course of a season.  The best way to do this, I think, will be to write letters to the team after each game.  I believe baseball fans would agree when I say that one develops a strangely close and personal relationship with the team you follow throughout Spring Training to those first wary, exciting days of April, and through the dog days of summer to the stretch run.  You understand their weaknesses, marvel at their strengths, you watch the team evolve as they take hits but stay resilient. You share 162 nights with your team, and the team and the personalities it encompasses become an intimate friend-- granted, one you occasionally yell at -- but a friend nonetheless.  This is why I will frame my reactions in the form of a letter-- because I will be addressing a friend.  They will be "mercurial missives"-- I am sure my views in some letters will directly oppose one another-- but that is because I am a bipolar fanatic!  And that's okay.  It's that silly (and occasionally pathetic) perspective that makes the season fun, because it makes a triple in the bottom of the ninth, down by two runs, with two-on, two-out, and two-strikes one of the best moments of my life. 

So... in this space I will write letters to my Redbirds, letters "for the birds"--  meaningless little ramblings in the world's view, but special missives in my view, in my world. Take a peek through my lenses and stay awhile!

'Til Later