They're Still Dead

06/09/2012

Indians 0 Cardinals 2

Dear Redbirds,

You all are still dead.  Flat lining.  Doctors are trying to recover your pulse and all that jazz.

Just to clarify: You aren't dead to me because I'm a masochist. You're just obviously done for the season, understood?

Now tell me why this can't happen more than once in a blue moon:

• A starter pitches 7 and 2/3 innings (GO KLo!), and we only use two relievers.  Why can't this happen every night?  Or at least most days a week?  Why can't our starters throw at least 7 innings each time they pitch? Why do I keep asking these questions? 

This is why you're dead, 'birds:

• If the season ended today, you wouldn't even be one of the two wildcards, losers.

I love ya'll.  Really I do. All I have to do is turn on my television and you provide free (well, that's debatable-- costs me my sanity) entertainment. 

On guarding the heart and distancing yourself from the team whilst waiting 'for the other shoe to drop':
Sometimes I lose sight that that's all this is-- entertainment.  I do like being entertained.  I like giving my heart to a team, even knowing that it'll probably be broken a dozen (or a hundred dozen) times over the course of the season.  The price of deep love is the severe pain you feel when you're disappointed, and the reward is the indescribable thrill you feel when all your hopes and dreams are realized.

This makes me think of how apathetic certain fan bases are when teams that have been bad for a few seasons begin a season well-- they don't want to get caught up again because they don't want to wind up with the broken heart when or if 'the other shoe falls.'

 Til Later

I was going to watch the Belmont Stakes

06/08/2012

Indians 6 Cardinals 2

Dear Cards,

I'll get to last night's game, but first:

I have been looking anxiously awaiting the arrival of  this Saturday ever since I'll Have Another won the Preakness.  Unfortunately, I'll Have Another is injured which basically means that I won't be watching the Belmont.  I won't lie.  I was only going to watch because of the Triple Crown aspect of the event in the first place.

I can't imagine how disappointing it is for everyone involved with I'll Have Another.  His jockey was an unknown named Mario Gutierrez, do you know what winning the Triple Crown would have done to his life?  He'll still have plenty of offers and opportunities, but it'll have been something for him to put  "Triple Crown Winner" next to his name.  Mario Gutierrez has been great through this whole ordeal, nothing but class since crossing the finish line at the Kentucky Derby to yesterday when he praised, expressed gratitude, and showed concern for I'll Have Another.  I wish him the best.  

Mario Gutierrez will ride the (very gorgeous) chestnut today. They will lead the post parade (and then sit out the race, obviously).

And I wish I'll Have Another the best in horse retirement.  It was a thrill watching you race. 

Back to our regularly scheduled Cards' nervous breakdown:

• Jaime Garcia is the most recent Cardinal to bite the dust, so may he rest in peace.

He joins a whole host of Cardinals on the DL. We could field a pretty good team with all the guys on that list: Berkman, Carp, Jaime, Skip, Baby Carp, Jon Jay, Kmac...

Joe Kelly, Memphis' best starter, will pitch tomorrow.  I said this before, but I really mean it now: we have culled Memphis of it's talent. (Well, Shelby and Ryan Jackson are still down there, though).

• Speaking of laying people to rest, should we now declare the Cardinals dead? 

 It's only June, I know. They aren't mathematically out of it, I know.  Shoot, I was here all last season, I witnessed the Zombie Cardinals (that should be a tee shirt! On the Front: I witnessed the Zombie Cardinals, subtitled 2011 World Series Champions. And the back of the shirt can list all the times we were sure they were "dead").  So this team may look down enough to declare officially dead, but as last year showed, don't count on it (I hope).  

Anyway, I'm declaring them officially dead until further notice.

Til Later.

Just Like Old Times

Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True.  And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.

George Will

06/08/2012

Cardinals 14 Astros 2

Dear Redbirds,

Happy Flight to the Lou!

Last night's game was great-- wonderful pitching from the starter and the 'pen, and a lot of offense!  I remember back in April when ya'll used to play this game that way all the time. Can we go back to that style of play permanently, please?

You don't have to outscore your opponents by 12 runs every night... or maybe you should, considering that when we score 5 runs-- which should be enough to win most games-- a pitcher always finds some way to mess it up.  Perhaps I should address the pitchers instead: STOP CAUSING US TO LOSE BALLGAMES!!  Starters-- go deeper into games so our bullpen stops be overworked and overexposed.  Thanks.

I'm excited for tonight's game against the Indians.  I hope last night was indication that we are going to start winning more.

Hey, let's do the "impossible" and win another game this week!

Til Later.

"Happy Flight!" meter: 10/16

PS. What is up with all the strikeouts that happened this road trip?

We've reached this week's win quota

06/06/2012

Cardinals 4 Astros 3

Dear Cardinals,

We've been winning like 2 or 3 games a week.  So prove me wrong and win more than two games this week. Okay?

Love ya'll.

Til Later

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

06/05/2012

Cardinals 8 Astros 9

Dear Cardinals,

We are going to make this really easy today.  Let's get started.

The Good

We scored eight runs...

The Bad

It wasn't enough...

The Ugly

Because we allowed nine.

Hey, at least we rallied.

Til Later