Crushed Hopes (no longer undefeated)

04/07/2012

Cardinals 0 Brewers 6

Dear 'birds,

I do not like losing... at least it came against a pitcher who went undefeated at home last season.

Adam Wainwright looked good in his return.  Well, his numbers (5.2 IP, 4 Hits, 3ER, 1 BB, 1 K) were good, and his breaking pitches were great.

I hope we won't get shut out anymore this season.  I hate not scoring at all. 

Just win the series tomorrow, boys.  I'm worried because Lance Lynn is pitching tomorrow... what if he is taken out early and it becomes a bullpen game, ruining the bullpen for the Cincinnati series?  I am worried that whoever is pitching for Milwaukee will keep the bats quiet.  I hope not.  I will be disgusted if that happens.  Prove me wrong, Cards.  I want to write about how silly my fears were tomorrow.

This is a good opportunity to show how you respond to losing.  I wonder how Mike Matheny is handling his first loss.

Tomorrow is a "get away day"-- will it be a "happy flight?"

'Til Later

 

What, what!

04/06/2012

Cardinals 11 Brewers 5

Dear Cardinals,

Way to lay the hurt on the Brewers today! Too bad those three Brewers runs scored in the ninth and made the score somewhat respectable.

It's fun spoiling teams home openers.

I'm falling in love with ya'll-- speed and stolen bases, timely hits and home runs, and sexy, gutsy pitching. There's so much swag these first two games.

You all are striving for the extra base.  No one seems afraid of making a mistake, and it shows in the freedom you all give yourselves on the field.  In order to accomplish a goal or the seemingly impossible, you can't be afraid to fail.  If you don't try at all-- if Furcal didn't try to stretch his single into a double because of the fear of being tagged out-- you never know what could occur. You could find yourself in scoring position. Sure, you could play it safe and stay on first, but I like that the team is running the bases aggressively. 

I do hope, however, that you guys will run a small bit more conservatively on such hits if losing.  

I hope Matheny finds the proper balance of resting the old guys and playing the young bench players.  The young guys need to stay sharp and the old guys need to rest their surgically-repaired knees (I am looking at you-- Berkman, Beltran, and Furcal).

The team already look unstoppable.  (Winning makes me write fanciful  nonsense.)

I hope the first loss never happens. But it will, and when it does, I hope this is the sort of team that always come back and wins the next day.

It looks like it may be.

 

Please win tomorrow in Wainwright's first game post- surgery.

'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