We Won!

 06/04/2012

Cardinals 5 Mets 4

Dear Cardinals,

Considering that the one run win (heck, wins in general) last afternoon is a very rare thing, like-- I don't know-- as rare as the Sun, Venus, and Earth aligning (which is happening this evening and won't happen again for 105 years-- there's a joke about the Cubs there, but it's way too easy), I think this is cause for celebration.

How should we celebrate?  

Water balloon fight? No.

Barbecue? Good one. But no.

Wet T-shirt contest? In your dreams.

No. We will celebrate by winning another game. Tonight.

Til Later

"Happy Flight!" meter: 9/15
From The Big Apple to H-town Houston

But They/We Scored a Run (It's almost like a victory)

"I hate losing more than I even wanna win."

-Brad Pitt as Billy Beane in Moneyball

06/03/2012

Cardinals 1 Mets 6

Dear Redbirds,

Another day, another loss.  When is it going to end?

I've noticed that during this VERY HORRIBLE stretch, I have been confused about whether to us they or we when referring to the team.  I'm still mostly using we (yes, grouping myself in with losers), I think.

Some people hate when fans say "we."  I like "we."   It means you support the team, you are (hopefully) there through the winning streaks and the losing streaks.  People say we when they identify with the team, when they have accepted the team as part of their identity.  Is it harder to accept a team that is losing as part of your identity?  Or do you stick with the we during losing streaks because you see the traits that can make the team special?

I really hope the Cardinals figure this out.  I hope we are still within striking distance at the All-Star Break.

It is never easy.  It wasn't easy last year, either.  I don't think we were ever under .500 last year, though.  Actually, we were 4 games under on April 9th, 2011.  Last year was a tough summer (August was ugh), but we were still over .500.  We definitely can't have a bad August this year, we don't have enough early season wins to support a failure like that.  We are at .500 now a third of the way through the season.  Where will we be when half the games have been played?  Hopefully we start trending upward.  And soon.

I watched Moneyball last night.  Maybe we'll go on a winning streak like the 2002 Oakland A's!

Til Later

It is obvious

06/02/2012

Cardinals 0 Mets 5

It is obvious that the birds are never going to score again.  Well, they might.  Perhaps five games from now.  Perhaps.  I'm sure they're out to set some type of record-- most consecutive games without scoring.

Okay, I guess I'll stop treating the team like my black sheep uncle and address the boys directly...

Dear Memphis Redbirds edition of the St Louis Cardinals,

Um. Yeah. I love ya'll. We'll go get 'em tomorrow!

And this has been a spectacular road trip!  You've really improved your record against Eastern division teams. (There's that darn sarcasm. Sorry.)

Guess what? You can still finish this trip at .500 if you win the rest of the games-- take them one day at the time. ( I can be sincere.)

A short aside: my dad thinks Jon Jay is "factor x." "When he's in the line up, we win," he says.  I just hope that Jon is fully healthy when he comes back.

'Til Later

P.S. The knuckleball is a mean and unusual trick, R. A. Dickey.

Oh, Bitter Irony

06/01/2012

Cardinals 0 Mets 8

Both Adam Wainwright and Johan Santana both had no hitters through three innings, only Adam eventually allowed seven runs, and Santana never allowed a hit.  (Actually, a ball Carlos Beltran hit down the left field line should have been called a hit, but was ruled foul. That, unfortunately, is the way the cookie sometimes crumbles.)

Yup, my birds were no hit yesterday. (First no-hitter in the Mets history, ugh). Can you believed that this was the next game after my last post where I praised the offense, and completely fried the pitching staff?  Yesterday, I hoped that this month the offense would keep up what it did in April and May, while the pitching found a (very) happy medium between being awesome (April) and thoroughly disappointing (May).  And the last night happened-- the offense did poorly; and the pitcher who showed improvement his last starts, regressed. Or something.

At least when you start a month this poorly, there is no way to go but up.  Right?

Til Later :)

Thnks Fr Th Mmrs

Dear Albert, also known as:

"El Hombre"(an alias you've never actually assumed),

"Phat Albert," "The Machine,"

"Prince Albert" and "The Mang,"

Minute Maid's train

I will always remember that October night in 2005

when baseball fans coined the term "Lidged,"

for epically blown saves.

You sent Brad Lidge's pitch soaring

through Minute Maid Park, over the Crawford boxes,

and onto the railroad tracks.

Three runs scored, and the Houston crowd was so silent

I bet they heard the dirt fall from your cleats

as you step on home plate.  They had been so loud

that the TV crew kept mentioning the decibel level, marveling

at each new high.  After the umpteenth update I had wanted something

to steal the breath from the crowd, and was thinking of all the ways

I would break that infernal meter myself.  The louder

that crowd became, the more desperation replaced

hope in my heart and the louder the disbelief and doubt

pounded between my ears, but your home run restored my world.

I had Cardinals baseball for one more night.

In 2009, you hit five grand slams.  My favorite

was during this game against the Mets.  That game was a thrill

because the team had just done the impossible

against K-Rod-- scored not only one, but two runs to force

extra innings.  The only problem 

was it occurred shortly after that long, crazy

15 inning game against the Dodgers.  My nerves

couldn't handle another one of those games so soon.  You

saved my sanity with those insurance runs.

Last summer you stroked a double

for your 2000th hit.  As you stood on second, fighting

tears and acknowledging the crowd, I bet you could hear

how the crowd's congratulatory applause sounded

an awful lot like "please stay."  

You didn't stay.  I was relieved

that the Cardinals hadn't signed you to a ten year deal.  Relieved

because I wouldn't have to watch you at forty, hobbling to first

on a grounder to third.  There will be only good moments

for me to recall, spectacular memories to smile and mull over.

I am happy I saw you play ball

for eleven historic years.  And I am sad that there are only

eleven years of memories.  I am sad that your 3000th hit

and 500th home run won't come in a Cardinal uniform.

It would have been the perfect

story, wouldn't it?  It would've been sweet

if you had continued your starring role in St. Louis-- the city embraced

you because you so fully embodied our beloved team-- playing

for the fans who watched the central role you held in the Cardinal

memories formed since your debut.

In December, this letter would've only said:

Thnks fr th mmrs & good rddnce, #@!%! 

I feel no ill will now, and there's only this left to say:

Thanks for the memories, and good luck!

Good Bye.

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