If you havent saw it, tests revealed fractured forearm, out 4-6 weeks. Could have been worse, but obviously could have been better. The good news is that the All star break will eat up one of those weeks he will miss. As a team, I think they can make it ok without, him until August, bearing it doesnt linger and zap his refound power. Berkman moving to first will be a defensive improvement as far as the outfield is concerned. I still think our pitching is a much bigger issue, as the ERA's are growing in the hot weather. If it is his last year in St Louis, I hope he is able to come back and maybe make a run at keeping his 30 hr, 100 rbi streak in tact. His doing so will probably mean the Cards will be playing meaningful baseball in late September. I understand LaRussa's being upset at the thought of not having him in the lineup for an extended period, but thought calling out Kozma in the post game was a little busch league(pardon the pun) The guy is a career shortstop playing at 2nd, and it was a heckuva athletic play just to field the ball, much less making the play close. In hindsite, yea it would have been nice had he stuck it in his pocket or at least planted and thrown, but these guys are freakish athletes, even the 25th guy on most rosters. It wasnt all that bad, but I just thought it was poor taste, especially knowing how bad the rookie probably felt as it was.
Thoughts on the Pujols news?
- Thread starter PineGroveBully
- Start date
Matt will get a chance to prove me right.
It really sucks that Pujols is going to be out, because I think he was warming up quite nicely... but this should definitely end the .300 AVG, 30 HR, and 100 RBI kick that he's been on. This will be the largest chunk of any season he's ever missed. Hopefully it puts a little life in him and he comes back on fire. The NL Central is shaping up to be a pretty tight race, with Milwaukee and Cincy right in it... and Pittsburgh (yea, I said it) on the outskirts trying to find a map in.
Makes no sense whatsoever that Pittsburgh is this far ahead of Chicago...</p>
It really sucks that Pujols is going to be out, because I think he was warming up quite nicely... but this should definitely end the .300 AVG, 30 HR, and 100 RBI kick that he's been on. This will be the largest chunk of any season he's ever missed. Hopefully it puts a little life in him and he comes back on fire. The NL Central is shaping up to be a pretty tight race, with Milwaukee and Cincy right in it... and Pittsburgh (yea, I said it) on the outskirts trying to find a map in.
Makes no sense whatsoever that Pittsburgh is this far ahead of Chicago...</p>
It might be a blessing in disguise because it might bring his market down. Who knows? When it happened, my first thought was that he broke a carpal bone, so I was a little surprised to find out that it was his radius.
This is just one of those years where the Cardinals are not going to be 100%. Wainwright, Freese, now Pujols, Holliday was hurt, and etc. They are doing good to be tied for first place right now- they're a scrappy team.
Getting Freese back will help, and Jay is a good outfielder and is better defensively than Berkman for sure. Theriot was a good pick-up. Molina is a good player and hitter as well. But, there is no question that taking Pujols out of the lineup hurts big time.
I do think that they need another relief pitcher of two. I think Salas is a good closer, and Motte is pretty good. But they need someone else that's consistent and can do the job in relief, and they don't really need a closer which is good news because a guy like Heath Bell would command a lot in terms of prospects and closers have a tendancy to "lose it" quickly and suddenly at times.
Also, I do agree with you 100% about LaRussa calling out Kozma. All he was doing was hustling and trying to make a play- and there is nothing to criticize about that. He was trying to get the guy out, and it was tough play, and would have been tough for most of the best second baseman in baseball. Although, I will say this about Kozma- he belongs in AAA. He can't hit. And while the throw was not a good one, it wasn't like it was that far off line either. Also, Daniel Descalso belongs in AAA as well. If for no other reason for trying to run on Jeff Francouer.
Jeff Francouer should be a perinneal all-star. But he still swings at pretty much anything that is throw to the plate. If he would just be a little more selective, he would be a no doubt all-star. But the Royals have some really talented young players- Moustakas, Hosmer, Gordon is coming around, Escobar and Danny Duffy who pitched Sunday all looked good. Butler and Soria are pretty established guys as well. Aaron Crow throws gas, and then they have Mike Montgomery who is supposed to be the best pitching prospect that they have in the minors, and he isn't even up yet. Then Lamb who just had Tommy John surgery is supposed to be a good prospect as well.
I'm looking forward to the Future's Game because most of the Cardinals talent is in AA right now- Zach Cox, Shelby Miller, and the guy I really want to see in Carlos Martinez. So, I think the Cardinals are in great shape for the future as well.
On a MSU note- I got to see Louis Coleman pitch for the Royals. He us from Greenwood and Polk didn't want him- you know the story- so he goes to LSU and is now in MLB. He knocked down Pujols, which pissed Albert off. So, Pujols works the count full and then just absolutely sends a missle into the left field stands which probably decapitated someone. Now THAT is how you deal with getting knocked down. I also got to see Matt Holliday's moon shot on Sat.- that was pretty impressive as well. And I got to see Pujols lose a game on Friday because of an error that he committed. But, all in all, great weekend.
This is just one of those years where the Cardinals are not going to be 100%. Wainwright, Freese, now Pujols, Holliday was hurt, and etc. They are doing good to be tied for first place right now- they're a scrappy team.
Getting Freese back will help, and Jay is a good outfielder and is better defensively than Berkman for sure. Theriot was a good pick-up. Molina is a good player and hitter as well. But, there is no question that taking Pujols out of the lineup hurts big time.
I do think that they need another relief pitcher of two. I think Salas is a good closer, and Motte is pretty good. But they need someone else that's consistent and can do the job in relief, and they don't really need a closer which is good news because a guy like Heath Bell would command a lot in terms of prospects and closers have a tendancy to "lose it" quickly and suddenly at times.
Also, I do agree with you 100% about LaRussa calling out Kozma. All he was doing was hustling and trying to make a play- and there is nothing to criticize about that. He was trying to get the guy out, and it was tough play, and would have been tough for most of the best second baseman in baseball. Although, I will say this about Kozma- he belongs in AAA. He can't hit. And while the throw was not a good one, it wasn't like it was that far off line either. Also, Daniel Descalso belongs in AAA as well. If for no other reason for trying to run on Jeff Francouer.
Jeff Francouer should be a perinneal all-star. But he still swings at pretty much anything that is throw to the plate. If he would just be a little more selective, he would be a no doubt all-star. But the Royals have some really talented young players- Moustakas, Hosmer, Gordon is coming around, Escobar and Danny Duffy who pitched Sunday all looked good. Butler and Soria are pretty established guys as well. Aaron Crow throws gas, and then they have Mike Montgomery who is supposed to be the best pitching prospect that they have in the minors, and he isn't even up yet. Then Lamb who just had Tommy John surgery is supposed to be a good prospect as well.
I'm looking forward to the Future's Game because most of the Cardinals talent is in AA right now- Zach Cox, Shelby Miller, and the guy I really want to see in Carlos Martinez. So, I think the Cardinals are in great shape for the future as well.
On a MSU note- I got to see Louis Coleman pitch for the Royals. He us from Greenwood and Polk didn't want him- you know the story- so he goes to LSU and is now in MLB. He knocked down Pujols, which pissed Albert off. So, Pujols works the count full and then just absolutely sends a missle into the left field stands which probably decapitated someone. Now THAT is how you deal with getting knocked down. I also got to see Matt Holliday's moon shot on Sat.- that was pretty impressive as well. And I got to see Pujols lose a game on Friday because of an error that he committed. But, all in all, great weekend.