Just wanted to rub in that the Birds were collasping and the season was over for them. Somebody said wont you just wait and see how it plays out and he said he didnt have to, he could just look at the roster and say they was a joke. Well here they are 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs after a 5-4 road trip through the AL. With the Cubbies coming to Busch next weekend the Cards may very well find themselves in 1st place at the break. Albert's back slugging, Ank looks to have his swing back and the starters keep cranking out quality starts. This thing is along way from over.
Where's the guy that brought the thread from the dead about the Cardinals?
- Thread starter PineGroveBully
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Just wanted to rub in that the Birds were collasping and the season was over for them. Somebody said wont you just wait and see how it plays out and he said he didnt have to, he could just look at the roster and say they was a joke. Well here they are 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs after a 5-4 road trip through the AL. With the Cubbies coming to Busch next weekend the Cards may very well find themselves in 1st place at the break. Albert's back slugging, Ank looks to have his swing back and the starters keep cranking out quality starts. This thing is along way from over.
lets see what happens in late July and early August. If they could just get the team back to full strength it would be great. Seems like half of the them are on the DL.
is why they don't put Mulder in the bullpen like they are possibly going to do with Carpenter. Why do they insist on putting him into the rotation, especially when virtually every starter is pitching reasonably well?
I wish LaRussa would trust some of the players that they develop a little more. Mitchell Boggs is a great example. Give guys like him a shot instead of trying to rush back injured stars. They have to know that there is no way that Mulder and Carpenter will ever be 100% this season.
I wish LaRussa would trust some of the players that they develop a little more. Mitchell Boggs is a great example. Give guys like him a shot instead of trying to rush back injured stars. They have to know that there is no way that Mulder and Carpenter will ever be 100% this season.
The only lefty in the pen was Villone because they put Flores on the DL and they still arent comfortable with Mulder starting. If you go and look at his stats in his rehab starts he shut down left handed batters.
The Cards are currently defying their statistics. It's tough to do that for an entire season. The D-Backs did it last year, as they got outscored and managed to win 90 games, but it doesn't happen often. The best column to pay attention to at this point in the season is the "XW-L" column in the standings on MLB.com. That column takes a team's performance statistically (runs scored vs. runs against) and plays it out to show what their record should be based on how well they are playing.
If it wasn't a 162 game season, that column wouldn't matter, but with that many games, it usually gives a better gauge of where teams will end up. As of today, these are the standings in the NL Central:
1. Cubs - 49-33
2. Cards - 47-36
3. Brewers - 44-37
This is what the "XW-L" column shows:
1. Cubs - 50-32
2. Cards - 44-39
3. Brewers - 40-41
The Cubs have outscored their opposition by nearly 100 runs. The Cards have outscored their opposition by 28 runs. Using these numbers, the Cardinals have a really good shot at the wild card, but most likely they'll have trouble keeping pace in the division race for the entire year.
And the reason I mention this column is that it was very prophetic last year. The Brewers' overall record midway through the season was significantly better than their XW-L. The Cubs' overall record midway through the season last year was significantly worse than their XW-L. However, the Brewers luck finally ran out, as they hit a skid and fell back closer to in line with their XW-L, and the Cubs luck finally turned, as they went on a run to win the division.
If it wasn't a 162 game season, that column wouldn't matter, but with that many games, it usually gives a better gauge of where teams will end up. As of today, these are the standings in the NL Central:
1. Cubs - 49-33
2. Cards - 47-36
3. Brewers - 44-37
This is what the "XW-L" column shows:
1. Cubs - 50-32
2. Cards - 44-39
3. Brewers - 40-41
The Cubs have outscored their opposition by nearly 100 runs. The Cards have outscored their opposition by 28 runs. Using these numbers, the Cardinals have a really good shot at the wild card, but most likely they'll have trouble keeping pace in the division race for the entire year.
And the reason I mention this column is that it was very prophetic last year. The Brewers' overall record midway through the season was significantly better than their XW-L. The Cubs' overall record midway through the season last year was significantly worse than their XW-L. However, the Brewers luck finally ran out, as they hit a skid and fell back closer to in line with their XW-L, and the Cubs luck finally turned, as they went on a run to win the division.
I feel like that is the best move for the team- especially one that is in the pennant race.
I still say that LaRussa should trust some of the younger players a little more, though.</p>
I still say that LaRussa should trust some of the younger players a little more, though.</p>
Brendan Ryan needs to be on the field somewhere nearly everyday. I also like Boggs. I would leave him in the rotation till he proved he couldnt handle it. I wish they would do something with Reyes. I feel like he is wasting away in Memphis. If we arent going to give him a legit shot them get something for him and let him move along with his career. I always hoped he could get back to that form he had the night he one hit the White Sox.
the Cards had 2 or 3 games where they were outscored 10 runs or so due to pitchers like Parisi against the Pirates. Take those out and its a different story.
The stats I think are most telling is that they are 2nd in the NL in batting average, 1st in fielding percentage, and 1st in wins by starters. Their achiles heal has been bullpen. We have blown 19 saves. They blew all of 11 last year. We win have of those blown and the Cubs are looking up at us. If Izzy can get back in the closers role and let everyone fall back into place that should shore that area up
The stats I think are most telling is that they are 2nd in the NL in batting average, 1st in fielding percentage, and 1st in wins by starters. Their achiles heal has been bullpen. We have blown 19 saves. They blew all of 11 last year. We win have of those blown and the Cubs are looking up at us. If Izzy can get back in the closers role and let everyone fall back into place that should shore that area up
I don't know what the Cardinals can get for Reyes, but I bet it isn't very much.
I'd also like to get rid of Izturis and let Ryan play more, and I'd like to see what Chris Perez close. That's what I'm talking about as far as trusting younger players more, but I do agree that LaRussa has done that more this year.
I'd also like to get rid of Izturis and let Ryan play more, and I'd like to see what Chris Perez close. That's what I'm talking about as far as trusting younger players more, but I do agree that LaRussa has done that more this year.
AceLeroy said:
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I don't know. Ask the Red Sox (31-10 home, 19-24 road), or the Devil Rays (30-13, 19-19), or the White Sox (27-11, 19-24), or the Braves (28-14, 12-29), or the Brewers (25-13, 19-24), or the Tigers (25-17, 16-23).
For some reason, this year more than others, there has been a big discrepency between teams winning on the road and winning at home. The Cubs is one of the biggest discrepencies, but there are a lot of teams with similar looking home and road records. Basically, they hit better and pitch better in Wrigley. Why? Who knows, but the stats bear that out.
Reyes has had his chances and most of the time bombed out. He dominates AAA but cant cut it in the majors. They might get something for him but not much at this point. Ryan is playing almost everyday now that Izturis is on the DL but I think Ryan is still learning the ropes. He tends to get in a hurry and make mistakes.
By the end of the year I wouldnt be surprised to see Perez closing some.
Another young one is McClellen. He has been lights out as of late. Nasty curveball.
By the end of the year I wouldnt be surprised to see Perez closing some.
Another young one is McClellen. He has been lights out as of late. Nasty curveball.
could very well be Carpenter, Wainwright, Boggs, McClellan, and Mulder and if Mulder is still not healthy, they could go with Lohse or Piniero.
I'd also like to see Wellenmeyer get a shot at the closer job along with Perez.
I think Clayton Mortensen will likely start next year at AAA at the very least, but he could also be a candidate for the 5th starter.</p>
I'd also like to see Wellenmeyer get a shot at the closer job along with Perez.
I think Clayton Mortensen will likely start next year at AAA at the very least, but he could also be a candidate for the 5th starter.</p>
I also predicted Ludwick would end up in the .260's and Ankiel in the .240's. There is a long way until September and I don't have a whole lot of confidence in a rotation that includes Looper, Weilemeir, and a rookie who struggles to go 6 innings. August has a way of taking its toll on a staff like that. Before you get too excited, rewind to late August last year when the Cardinals were within a couple of games of first, only to fade badly in September.
williecunningham said:
</p>because Scott Rolen, David Eckstein, Jim Edmonds, Scott Spiezio, and Yadier Molina were all shaky players who had never been through a 162 game season before.
It's already taken it's toll, the injury bug has already hit. And still, just 2 1/2 games out of 1st.
MissStFan87 said:
</p>
The injury bug hits everyone. It's just a matter of how bad it hits and how deep your team is. If your bench is weak, then injuries obviously have a bigger effect. I think what willie was saying is that the Cards's bench was weak last year, so when the injuries hit, the team hit a skid.
Todd4State said:
</p>And who did they replace them with? The same guys you are counting on this year. Thanks for helping me make my point.
because Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel,Troy Glaus, Skip Schumaker, and Brendan Ryan/Ceasar Izturis all suck to, right?
You're right, the Cardinals are all doing this with smoke and mirrors.
</p>
You're right, the Cardinals are all doing this with smoke and mirrors.
</p>
In 07 they were about 10 games under 500 for the majority of the season. That team nucleus was an unhealthy Pujols, a gimpy Eckstein and Edmonds, and a grumpy Scott Rolen. They were about 10 back when Ankiel joined the team mid July early August. His emergence lit a fire under the club. The first weekend of September they had climbed to within a game of first but their record was exactly one game over .500. They did fade but it had little to do with anyone that is on the 08 roster.
This years clubhouse is a much younger, eager, and harmonious one. Theres not a grumpy Rolen/Larussa fuel plagueing the lockeroom. To be fair players like Skip, Miles, Ryan, Ludwick, those players that have never really been full time players probably will hit a wall at some point. But this team has had as many injuries as anyteam in baseball and havent skipped a beat. Word is that the Cardinals are going to make a strong push for Matt Holiday and lefty reliever Fuentes. Even if they dont they will be in the mix for the wildcard if not the Central in the final weeks of September.
This years clubhouse is a much younger, eager, and harmonious one. Theres not a grumpy Rolen/Larussa fuel plagueing the lockeroom. To be fair players like Skip, Miles, Ryan, Ludwick, those players that have never really been full time players probably will hit a wall at some point. But this team has had as many injuries as anyteam in baseball and havent skipped a beat. Word is that the Cardinals are going to make a strong push for Matt Holiday and lefty reliever Fuentes. Even if they dont they will be in the mix for the wildcard if not the Central in the final weeks of September.
If they can package 3 or 4 of those guys plus Perez and/or Boggs and get Holliday, Fuentes, and maybe Sabbathia, then they can contend. Otherwise, those journeymen you mentioned will eventually play like journeymen and the Cardinals will fade from contention.
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