Cardinals Link Blog

Musings of a Philosophical Scrivener....

2004-11-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

Musings of a Philosophical Scrivener....:

Below the fold, you'll find a listing of the 207 players who have filed for MLB free agency (some conditionally pending decisions by their clubs to pick up contract options). I'm posting this because the only sites I can seem to find this info are "registration required" sites....

The 207 players free agents are (*provisional free agency filing; club can still pick up contract option for 2005):

GQ best dressed franchises

2004-11-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

St. Louis Cardinals (1962 - 1970 and 1992 - present): Yankees pinstripes get all the attention from old-schoolers, but the Cards’ birds-on-the-bat insignia, which debuted in 1922, is every bit as classic-and more playful.

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Prospectus Today: Finis

2004-10-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Prospectus Today: Finis: "'We've secretly replaced the National League Champions with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Let's see who notices.'"

Fuck Your Couch: Is That A Tear In My Beer?

2004-10-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

Fuck Your Couch: Is That A Tear In My Beer?: "The word 'Suppan' is now relative to doing something so stupid that it leaves spectators mouths open. As in 'Dude, you pulled a major Suppan by not taking that chick home last night! What were you thinking?'"

Redbird Nation

2004-10-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Redbird Nation: "I said before this series began that no matter what happens, we'll never forget this week as long as we live. And sure enough, I'll remember tonight's baserunning snafu by Jeff Suppan 'til the day I die. It's the touchstone for the entire series -- equal parts fluky and inept."

STL Outsider: Matt Morris

2004-10-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

STL Outsider: Matt Morris: "In the fifth Morris hit Millar and then proceeded to give up two more runs on two doubles. It's not fair to blame this kind of blow-up on Matheny, but isn't blow-up prevention precisely why Matheny's been give almost 2000 at-bats the last five seasons?"

Redbird Nation

2004-10-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

Redbird Nation: "The best word I can think of to describe Rolen's homer is 'sudden.' From where I was sitting behind third base I couldn't see the ball clear the wall so I quickly shifted my gaze to Pujols to watch his body language. He was pumping his fist and trotting home but I still wasn't sure so I looked over to Rolen, recognized the head-down sprint, and just lost all control. The time between his swing and my recognition of what happened was about three seconds but, as I just described, I remember all of it like a three hour movie. I then felt, honestly, a surge of electricity that seemed to be passing through all the fans. It was absolute unbridled, sudden joy. Phenomenal."

STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals

2004-10-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals: "Rolen's explanation for what happened next was equally simple. 'I put a good swing on the ball. It came off the bat pretty well. That's probably the most excited I've ever been after a home run.' "

Random Redbird Reasoning: Report from the Game

2004-10-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

Random Redbird Reasoning: Report from the Game: "And to be completely honest, that moment was the first time it had dawned on me that the Cardinals could actually go to the World Series. It just didn't seem real until that point. But with Busch stadium rocking, the Cardinals leading, and fans screaming '9 more outs', it just seemed as if nothing was going to keep it from happening at that point.
"

craktpot's Xanga Site - 10/22/2004 8:48:32 AM

2004-10-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

craktpot's Xanga Site - 10/22/2004 8:48:32 AM: "'We got ourselves a real series, this year don't we? Just like when I was a kid. Did you remember that the Cards and the Sox played in 1967, when I was nine? I remember you teaching me how to keep the box scores... and us pulling for Lou Brock and the Cardinals,' I reminisced. "

Musings of a Philosophical Scrivener....

2004-10-22T07:37:00.001-07:00

Musings of a Philosophical Scrivener....: "I have never been so happy to be wrong in my life....

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals:

2004 National League Champions!!!!!"

Big Bad Reviews

2004-10-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

Big Bad Reviews: "Go Crazy Folks!
Cards are in the World Series. That was an awesome game. A well played game by both teams and the Astros really pushed the Cardinals but we survived. Now the Red Sox stand in the way. Don't sing it, just bring it."

Get Up, Baby, Get Up!

2004-10-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

Get Up, Baby, Get Up!

10/21/2004: "THE CARDINALS WIN THE PENNANT, THE CARDINALS WIN THE PENNANT!"

I'LL RIP OFF WHATEVER FAMOUS RADIO CALL I WANT, BECAUSE THE CARDINALS WON THE PENNANT!

throws like a girl: I think continually of those who were truly great, part two

2004-10-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

throws like a girl: I think continually of those who were truly great, part two: "Great game, St. Louis Cardinals. Good luck at Fenway.

Great season, Astros. I am disappointed that it ends here, but feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to watch this comeback up close."

Astro In Exile: No what ifs

2004-10-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

Astro In Exile: No what ifs: "The Cardinals were a worthy opponent and are a worthy representative of the National League in the World Series. The Astros played them as close as you possibly can, far better than most people who didn't have Astros fever had predicted."

Redbird Nation

2004-10-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Redbird Nation: "When one samurai warrior defeats another, he doesn't gloat over him; he thanks him for giving him a worthy competition, for bringing out his best. These Astros brought out the best in us. And even though I don't feel great about denying them the first World Series in their entire existence, I thank them all the same."

Fuck Your Couch: Why I Do What I Do

2004-10-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

Fuck Your Couch: Why I Do What I Do: "Julian Tavarez...you are a mother-fucking weirdo...God Bless You."

I'm a big fat ho?

2004-10-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fat ho: "I wonder if Garner and Kent trade moustache grooming tips?"

Astro In Exile: Bad signs

2004-10-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

Astro In Exile: Bad signs: "Bottom 8: So if I'm Phil Garner, the game is tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 8th, and the Cardinals have their three MVP candidates coming up to bad, I go with Lidge rather than Miceli here. If your best pitcher shuts them down and the heart of your lineup scores in the next half, you have a great shot at winning. Hopefully Miceli can see us through.

... and as I typed that, Pujols homered. I hate being right."

Peanut Butter, Foreskins, Ice Water: Vote for the Cardinals; Early and Often

2004-10-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter, Foreskins, Ice Water: Vote for the Cardinals; Early and Often: "Ok, baseball fan or not, this is embarassing. somewhere in Texas, the radio stations are telling texans to come to the Cardinals' website and vote for the Houston Asstros winning the series in the poll they have up. Right now, it's very close. earlier today, the Asstros were winning the poll. ON OUR WEBSITE! This is wrong. please go to the website and show your cardinal support. Vote for the Cardinals to win on the poll in the lower left corner."

Management by Baseball

2004-10-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

Management by Baseball: "The Cardinals' Tony LaRussa: Relentless
Optimism Co-Exists With Relentless Realism"

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Expect surprises in baseball postseason

2004-09-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Expect surprises in baseball postseason: "The Cardinals are more vulnerable to an early exit. They have five decent starters, but no true aces. "

U.S.S. Mariner � Madritsch

2004-09-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

U.S.S. Mariner � Madritsch: "The fact that Bill Bavasi is quoting Whitey Herzog is not a good thing."

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Will Carroll

2004-09-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Will Carroll: "Josh (San Diego): In your monday UTK you said 'We'll see if that holds when Ankiel starts Monday' WTF?

Will Carroll: Speaking of not being perfect ...

I made a mistake here. Short explanation - you know where they show the pictures of tomorrow's starters at the top right of every MLB team page? They also show the CURRENT pitchers there. I saw Ankiel, thought he was in for the next start, and ran with it. I should have double-checked, but I'm such an Ankiel fan that I geeked out a bit. I did correct it and apologize for the error.

Ankiel COULD start and I think they've really failed to find out what they have with him. The Cards are 900 games up, so why not give it a chance?

Cubs up 4-1 after 3. Prior's still struggling to find his release point, but when you're winning and the left side of the infield is Perez/Macias, you can't help but worry.
"

Royalties & Cardinalate

2004-09-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Royalties & Cardinalate: "I have covered several baseball games at Busch Stadium, but before this weekend it had always been for the visiting team. Either way, it is always memorable. Now that the Busch press box has wireless Internet, covering games is much easier. I handled the Cards-Diamondbacks series for MLB.com this weekend and it went pretty well."

Lucky Bastard.

Wait Til Next Year: As Good As It Gets

2004-09-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Wait Til Next Year: As Good As It Gets: "Rick Ankiel was sidelined, but for what no one knew. More like, for what no one could understand. No one could understand that a professional athlete could wake up forgetting how to throw. No one could understand that such a bright prospect had such a fast burn out. No one understood Rick Ankiel, and his name has faded into oblivion since the ugly 2001 playoffs. A tarnished life, seen through a few ghastly pitches."

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Clay Davenport

2004-09-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Clay Davenport: "Pablo Ozuna was supposed to be a big deal after a monster Midwest league season, and was a key player in a trade; that didn't work so well. Those are the ones that stick out in my mind."

The Southern Illinoisan - Top Stories - REDBIRD PRIDE: CARTERVILLE RESIDENT IS ONE OF REGION'S MOST ARDENT CARDINALS FANS

2004-09-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

The Southern Illinoisan - Top Stories - REDBIRD PRIDE: CARTERVILLE RESIDENT IS ONE OF REGION'S MOST ARDENT CARDINALS FANS: "
One Southern Illinoisan who has cheered on the Redbirds since he was old enough to walk and is thoroughly enjoying this year's run for a title is Carterville resident Steve Stevenson. The affable 81-year-old barber said this year's team reminds him a lot of the 1942 World Series championship team. "

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Nate Silver

2004-09-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Nate Silver: "brad (morristown): Is there still a question about Pujols' actual age? If he really is only 24, is there any reason to believe he is not the NL MVP for the next 10 years post-Bonds.

Nate Silver: Last question. Thanks to everyone for turning out and my apologies again for the late start.

Nobody that I know has been presented with any sort of evidence that Pujols is in fact older than he is listed. And while I am not nearly as well-informed as I pretend to be, I do know of a couple of other prominent players who *are* widely believed within baseball circles to be older than listed.

Pujols profiles something like Hank Aaron - extemely good and extremely consistent for a long time. He's probably not quite the athlete that Aaron was, but like Aaron he's shown a propensity to stay healthy early in his career, and that's a very positive sign for his future. The thing is, though, that Hank Aaron won just one MVP award; Pujols will have a lot of great seasons, but so will a lot of other guys.

Nate Silver: Thanks!"

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Nate Silver

2004-09-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Nate Silver: "TheLaird (Williamsburg, VA): I liked your Wily Mo article. Maybe you can help clear up another player for me. When PECOTA takes a look at Rick Ankiel in the offseason, what will it see?

Nate Silver: PECOTA's fuel is data, and it just doesn't have very much data to work with in the case of a player like Ankiel. Personally, I'm on the buy side on Ankiel, but I don't think that PECOTA will have much useful to say about him until 2006 or so."

Ichiro's Edge -- The Hardball Times

2004-09-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ichiro's Edge -- The Hardball Times: "A friend of mine claims that it is obviously impossible for a modern hitter to hit .400, because, if it could be done, Barry Bonds obviously would have done it by now"

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Can Of Corn: Terrific Tandems

2004-09-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Can Of Corn: Terrific Tandems: "There's just no excuse for a Cardinal post-season rotation fronted by veteran faves Matt Morris and Woody Williams. At least not when Chris Carpenter and Jason Marquis grade out as the seventh-best tandem in baseball this season."

Newsday.com - New York Mets

2004-09-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Newsday.com - New York Mets: "As a parting gift, Howe said he will try to get Zeile an inning behind the plate before the season is over, commemorating his early days as a catcher."

The Cardinal Nation

2004-09-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

The Cardinal Nation: "It appears that the Cardinals will have to find a new Low-Class A minor league affiliate for next season as the Peoria Chiefs will likely affiliate with the Chicago Cubs according to the Peoria Journal Star."

An example of why sports fans are so great

2004-09-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

An example of why sports fans are so great: "On Wednesday, I drove to San Diego with my friend Michelle to see the Padres host the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the first time either of us had been to PETCO Park, the new home of the Padres, and seeing the place was something we were both looking forward to."

The Desert-Mountain Times :: Bad news: El Paso loses Diablos baseball

2004-09-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Desert-Mountain Times :: Bad news: El Paso loses Diablos baseball: "Over 40 years of Texas League tradition came to an end Sunday (Sept. 5), when the El Paso Diablos played their last game. The team, which brought decades of fun and a number of baseball championships to Far West Texas, has been sold to the St. Louis Cardinals organization, which will move the franchise to Springfield, Mo., for the 2005 season."

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Breaking Balls: Pitch to Him!

2004-09-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Breaking Balls: Pitch to Him!: "The essence of baseball, like any sport, is competition, and teams should pitch to Bonds in the same way they shouldn't refuse to field a team if they're facing the Cardinals (92-45, folks, that's nutty) and forfeit the game to save their starters for a better matchup."

Random Redbird Reasoning: 09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004

2004-09-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

Random Redbird Reasoning: 09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004: "As long as he's healthy come October (Note to Larry: Avoid automatic tarps and gift hunting knives) then I am fine."

throws like a girl: Hurricane warning (ignored)

2004-09-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

throws like a girl: Hurricane warning (ignored): "Cubs Fan tells me that a certain Cardinals fan of her acquaintance admits to being 'creeped out' by the Stepford-esque excellence of St. Louis' play these days, he suspects that deals have been made with the devil, black magic worked. Something just doesn't seem right.

I never get tired of referring to King Kaufman's ancient column about the 2000 Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets, in which he likened the Yankees to 'a gigantic titanium robot with chainsaws for arms.' At least St. Louis has the courtesy to feel a little abashed about it."

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | When Greatness Comes Early

2004-09-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | When Greatness Comes Early: "But let's say we have a player--call him Albert--who, at a very young age, is already performing at a level which almost every player in baseball would kill to reach at his peak. The club that holds Albert is lucky indeed, you would reason, because not only does it benefit from his outstanding early years, but it can look forward to an even better peak. "

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Prospectus Matchups: Being Valuable

2004-09-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Prospectus Matchups: Being Valuable: "That's what we're looking at here: the Loneliness Factor. How much help do the best players on each team have? Beltre's Loneliness Factor is 2.88 - it takes the next two best players on his team and 88% of the one after that to equal his value over replacement. For Pujols, it's only 1.05. Here are the five highest LFs the National League:

6.16: Barry Bonds, San Francisco
3.78: Lyle Overbay, Milwaukee
2.88: Adrian Beltre, Los Angeles
2.51: Todd Helton, Colorado
1.68: Lance Berkman, Houston

I'm not arguing that Overbay is more valuable than Pujols, I'm merely pointing out for those keen on the contextual argument for MVP, that Bonds and Beltre are operating in a relative talent vacuum compared to their Cardinal counterparts."

The Cub Reporter: Guest Column: Brian Gunn

2004-09-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Cub Reporter: Guest Column: Brian Gunn: "Cubs fans believe Steve Kline is a psychotic asshole."

Random Redbird Reasoning: 09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004

2004-09-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Random Redbird Reasoning: 09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004: "In those games, he's hitting .550 with a .591 OBP and a 1.400 SLG, good for an 1991 OPS. Any time your OPS looks like a year in recent history, you're doing something right."

Royalties & Cardinalate

2004-09-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Royalties & Cardinalate: "I had a dream last night that I was in the bleachers at Busch Stadium and was part of a frenzied standing ovation as Ricky Ankiel made his first appearance for the Redbirds in a very, very long time. He proceeded to blow hitters away with ridiculous stuff, the kind of pitches you can only dream about."

STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals

2004-09-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals: "'It's a little silly, I guess,' admitted Cardinals right fielder Larry Walker in admiration. "

All-Baseball.com: Batting First, At Pitcher, Ben Grieve?

2004-09-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

All-Baseball.com: Batting First, At Pitcher, Ben Grieve?: "Over at Dodger Thoughts, I suggested a solution for the problems at the bottom of the Dodger lineup that would take good advantage of the expanded September rosters. In road games, start regular pinch-hitters or minor league prospects at pitcher and catcher at the top of the lineup, then substitute in your actual pitcher and catcher in the bottom of the first inning. This would postpone the pitcher batting until the 11th spot in the game, instead of the ninth.

Do you like this idea for your team? It would seem to work best for a team that has a leadoff hitter of some limitation, like the Dodgers have in Cesar Izturis."

Bloglines | Preview Feed

2004-09-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

Bloglines | Preview Feed: "In 1987, St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog continually asked umpires to inspect bats from the New York Mets’ Howard Johnson because he believed they were corked. Johnson was on his way to hitting 36 home runs that year, three times his previous career high of 12, and Herzog reasoned that the jump in production could only be explained by subterfuge. But no cork was ever found, and after Johnson blossomed into a legitimate power hitter over the next four years, Herzog was forced to admit he had made a mistake."

Random Redbird Reasoning: 09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004

2004-09-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Random Redbird Reasoning: 09/01/2004 - 09/30/2004: "I would have no problem with Hector Luna starting games in October. He's not exactly Rogers Hornsby, but compared to Marlon Anderson...well, he kind of is."

Towers sought Pujols in 2000 deal | The San Diego Union-Tribune

2004-09-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

Towers sought Pujols in 2000 deal | The San Diego Union-Tribune: "Imagine Albert Pujols in a Padres uniform. General Manager Kevin Towers tried to make it happen four summers ago when Pujols was playing for a low-Single A club in the St. Louis farm system."

Big Bad Reviews

2004-09-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

Big Bad Reviews: "Ankiel has been recalled. I'm pretty excited about it. Here's a guy who had a realistic chance of never pitching in the majors again and suddenly he's dominating the minors. He's done with his rehab assignment and could potentially be in the playoff picture. Of course time will tell but I'm rooting for him. A dominant lefty is a good thing to have. He's also got a new number. He's not #66 anymore, but #49. Interesting change."

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: Neifi's Coming

2004-09-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: Neifi's Coming: "The black cloud is back over the Cards bullpen. New hat and all, Steve Kline is done for the regular season. Just a day after saying he felt better, an MRI came back with a Grade III strain of his groin. You and I would call that a tear. The four weeks he's likely to be out may make it hard to put him on the playoff roster if he's unable to show what he can do. I'm unsure which way the Cards will go, but they do have that cushion and a full month wit which to figure it out."

Will the Cards make it?

2004-09-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

Odds the Cardinals will reach the postseason:: "St. Louis 82 43 .613 .495 .618 104.9 99.9% 0.1% 100.0% 90"

That's 100%.

I like those odds

The Cardinals' Birdhouse, Home of the Fans

2004-09-01T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Cardinals' Birdhouse, Home of the Fans: "Kiko Calero followed with two innings, fanning five of six hitters faced. "

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Prospectus Matchups: Jim's Up To Something

2004-08-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Prospectus Matchups: Jim's Up To Something: "Conversely, the Cardinals' most burdensome starter has not been that much of a burden. In spite of being the weak link in the Cardinal rotation, one cannot picture Matt Morris not getting a start come playoff time."

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Teams: A Critical Guide: In Which A Myth is Shattered

2004-08-31T13:48:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Teams: A Critical Guide: In Which A Myth is Shattered: "The rest of the starters combined to go 5-0, 3.00. Imagine that in a postseason series."

Royalties & Cardinalate

2004-08-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Royalties & Cardinalate: "The highlight of my Sunday baseball viewing was seeing what Rick Ankiel had done in his AAA start earlier in the evening. During the late part of Baseball Tonight the spine-tingling words scrolled by in the fine print on the bottom of the screen. It gave me chills. Ricky went six innings and allowed 0 walks and 0 runs. But what sent me into a state of ecstasy was later learning that Ankiel threw just 53 pitches, 44 of which were strikes. He allowed no balls out of the infield. Seems too good to be true; this adds yet another reason to not miss a single September game."

ESPN.com - Gammons: Wacky AL race

2004-08-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com - Gammons: Wacky AL race: "This is the Cardinals' worst nightmare: The Twins have home-field advantage if they make it to the World Series."

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: Thirty Games Left

2004-08-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: Thirty Games Left: "Losing a starter doesn't help any team, but the Cubs are better positioned to deal with an injury than most. Matt Clement left Sunday's game with what has been described as a back or neck strain. The injury is of unknown severity, but seems to be muscular in nature. Depending on how long it takes to interrupt the pain/spasm cycle, and Clement's response to treatment, he could miss as little as one start. Glendon Rusch is the likely fill-in on a short- or long-term basis."

Glendon Rusch? That's better than most? Are other teams holding lottery's and letting fans pitch if a starter goes down?

Redbird Nation

2004-08-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Redbird Nation: "RBN: I would be able to let it go if it weren't for Stinkhat.

MLB: Who's Stinkhat?

RBN: Steve Kline. Krazy Kliner. Says he won't wear his greasecap now for fear of getting busted by the boys upstairs.

MLB: So what?

RBN: That cap's like Samson's hair, man. It gives Kline power and courage. If he gives up a salami to Derrek Lee in the NLCS, I'm blaming you.

MLB: Jesus, I gotta go..."

McClendon responds to La Russa - PittsburghLIVE.com

2004-08-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

McClendon responds to La Russa - PittsburghLIVE.com: "McClendon said several of his players complained that Tavarez was throwing a 90 mph pitch that had the movement of a knuckleball. Two players yesterday confirmed yesterday that Tavarez's pitches had unusual movement. They added that his pitches continued to flutter suspiciously in the two games he pitched against the Pirates following his ejection."

Musings of a Philosophical Scrivener....

2004-08-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

Musings of a Philosophical Scrivener....: "Charlie Lea, noting that since Calero is on a rehab assignment, is trying to stress that Calero shoudn't worry about his stats. Quoth Charlie: 'From the point of view of the Cardinals, Calero should be in no rush. The Cardinals are set to enter the postseason, they're playing great baseball, and they're doing it without him.'

That would just have to make Kiko feel good about himself if he were in a position to hear it.... "

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Rational Exuberance: A Better Way to Build a Baseball Team

2004-08-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Rational Exuberance: A Better Way to Build a Baseball Team: "Once again, we can reserve a lot of the blame for a damaging trend to Tony La Russa."

ESPN.com - MLB - Dirty misdeed: Tavarez suspended 10 days

2004-08-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Dirty misdeed: Tavarez suspended 10 days: "CINCINNATI -- St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Julian Tavarez was suspended for 10 days Tuesday for applying a foreign substance to balls while pitching last week.

Tavarez was ejected during the opener of Friday's doubleheader against Pittsburgh after umpire crew chief Joe West inspected the pitcher's grimy hat. West said Tavarez and Cardinals and manager Tony La Russa 'as much admitted' it was pine tar on his cap."

The Cardinals' Birdhouse, Home of the Fans

2004-08-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

The Cardinals' Birdhouse, Home of the Fans: "One method, endorsed by Major League Baseball is to take the number of games remaining for the division leaders, add 1, then subtract the difference in the number of losses between the leaders and the second place team. In other words:

M = G1 1 - ( L2 - L1 ) "

I'm implementing a string search algorithm: Does Major League Baseball endorse any particular one?

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Prospectus Triple Play: Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers

2004-08-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Prospectus Triple Play: Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers: "Sorry, Cards fans, but the MVP is still in San Francisco. But the postseason run that your team is primed for should more than make up for it."

Redbird Nation

2004-08-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

Redbird Nation: "I liked the curtain call for Renteria in the first, and the one for Walker in the 8th was nice too, and the three last night weren't bad either. But I sorta hope these curtain calls don't become too much of a 'thing' at Busch. They strike me as sorta self-congratulatory (if not autoerotic), and I'd prefer if we doled 'em out more sparingly."

Second.

The Transaction Guy: Cardinals Option Haren, Purchase Reyes

2004-08-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

The Transaction Guy: Cardinals Option Haren, Purchase Reyes

"At this point, all of the Cardinals starters could self-destruct (the way I’ve been expecting them to all year), and I think they’d still be the World Series favorites."

From a Cubs fan no less.

STLtoday.com :: View topic - Cardinals' notes after Game 1 and Game 2 lineups

2004-08-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

STLtoday.com :: View topic - Cardinals' notes after Game 1 and Game 2 lineups: "And this is the best part: after he got ejected, Tavarez walked to his clubhouse, grabbed several of his caps, marched down the hall to the Pirates clubhouse and put the hats on McCledon's desk. 'You want hats? I give them hats,' he said. "

Random Redbird Reasoning: Starting Left Fielder (Part II)

2004-08-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Random Redbird Reasoning: Starting Left Fielder (Part II): "Finally, I used http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/stats/ to find the defensive win shares that each player has posted this season. Win shares stats had only been updated through August 12th, and do not differentiate between outfield positions, but the information should still give us some insight into who may be the better fielder.

Mabry - 0.8 win shares through 281 outfield innings
Taguchi - 0.9 win shares through 322 outfield innings

In other words - Mabry comes out on top again!"

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Rany Jazayerli

2004-08-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Events | Chat with Rany Jazayerli: "Rany Jazayerli: Chaim Bloom and Keith Woolner have already covered this, but the *heart* of the Cardinals' lineup - the murderer's row of Walker-Rolen-Pujols-Edmonds - is among the best ever.

But the team as a whole is sixth in the majors in runs scored. The Giants, playing in a great pitcher's park, have scored just four fewer runs. There's nothing historic about that. "

STL Outsider: Tonight's Game

2004-08-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

STL Outsider: Tonight's Game: "At least the Cardinals lost a one-run game, which improves their post-season chances."

Sports - theworldlink.com - Serving the Great South Coast of Oregon

2004-08-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

Sports - theworldlink.com - Serving the Great South Coast of Oregon: "Larry Walker has learned quickly that St. Louis Cardinals' fans know how to celebrate."

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Can Of Corn: With A Bullet

2004-08-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Can Of Corn: With A Bullet: "At this writing, Alex Sanchez, So Taguchi and Brandon Inge lead the majors in productive-outs percentage, the regrettable and largely useless product of idle hands and consistent decline at ESPN.com. When the answer is Alex Sanchez, are you really asking the right question?"

Hey, he's a league leader at something.

ESPN.com - MLB - Recap

2004-08-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com - MLB - Recap: "'We're not the only ones, they beat up on everybody,' Graves said. 'They've got the best team in baseball in my eyes. That lineup never ends.'"

Redbird Nation

2004-08-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

Redbird Nation: "Last Saturday my brother and I posed a few trivia questions about the '82 Cardinals. Here are the answers:"

St. Louis Cardinals History

2004-08-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

St. Louis Cardinals History: "The St. Louis Cardinals have won more World Series Championships than any other National League team, nine."

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: Back From the Big Apple

2004-08-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: Back From the Big Apple: "Albert Pujols has figured out how to get past his foot injury: just hit homers. "

The Business of Baseball website

2004-08-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Business of Baseball website: "WELCOME!
My name is Maury Brown, and I want to welcome you to The Business of Baseball website. As a member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research), the goal of this site is to provide research tools for those wishing to learn more about the business end of professional baseball."

STL Outsider: Wachovia Ad

2004-08-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

STL Outsider: Wachovia Ad: "Tony Womack is a human being and not a stock, so you don't just dump him on the street at the first sign of trouble. Beyond the ethical issues, there's always sample size to consider. But the Cardinals are a business and they need some limits in place. In particular they needed to ask themselves how long they would let a slump continue before they look for solutions elsewhere."

BravesBuzz: Braves 9, Cardinals 7

2004-08-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

BravesBuzz: Braves 9, Cardinals 7: "St. Louis took the lead the next half inning (is it just me, or do they seem to score every inning?)."

CourierPress: Lifestyle

2004-08-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

CourierPress: Lifestyle: "A short street near the Little League field on the south side has been named Scott Rolen Drive. On it is Kimball Kids, a daycare facility where employee Amy Traylor described how her son, Devon, 9, 'idolizes and wants to be Scott Rolen.'

"

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: The Final Tear?

2004-08-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: The Final Tear?: "The change in diagnosis, if true, doesn't affect Pujols in the short term, but seeing McGwire on Pujols' PECOTA list can't make Cards fans feel good about that long term-deal."

Will Carroll: Cubs fan to the core.

Redbird Nation

2004-08-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

Redbird Nation: "But we're no longer competing with the rest of our division so much as we're competing with an ideal of perfection, with the ghosts of Cardinals past. It's simply thrilling to see how good this team can be."

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: Luck

2004-08-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: Luck: "# The cushion that the Cardinals have built is starting to pay off. Chris Carpenter left Wednesday's game with back spasms as his catcher, Mike Matheny, saved him from further damage. Matheny saw that Carpenter's mechanics were changing and brought the trainer out. According to Matthew Leach at MLB.com, Carpenter doesn't have a history of back problems."

Mike Matheny: Earning his check?

Get Up, Baby!

2004-08-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

Get Up, Baby!: "Cal Eldred, since June 1: 30 1/3 ip, 24 K, 3 BB, 6 ER, 1.78 ERA
Mysterious Competitor, same time period: 30 ip, 24 K, 6 BB, 7 ER, 2.10 ERA

One is $900,000 long-relief man, the other is Mariano Rivera. Hm... "

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Murderer's Row

2004-08-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Murderer's Row: "So even as we watch Barry Bonds hit, and prepare stories for our grandchildren like the ones we were told about Babe Ruth, we should make time for the 2004 Cardinals. Even Babe Ruth never saw a lineup like this."

The New York Times > Sports > Baseball > Very Different Birds of a Feather

2004-08-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

The New York Times > Sports > Baseball > Very Different Birds of a Feather: "Asked about the feat, he sounded like Barry Bonds, minus the sense of humor. 'I don't care,' Pujols said, puffing his chest. 'I can do it every year.'"

SJ-R.COM - House of Cards

2004-08-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

SJ-R.COM - House of Cards: "The 83-year-old Smith has been a season-ticket holder for more than 45 years, but his love affair with Cardinals baseball dates back to 1931 when he was 10 and watched the Gas House Gang's antics at Sportsman's Park."

Blissful Knowledge: ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY? Archives

2004-08-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

Blissful Knowledge: ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCY? Archives: "The last manager I can think of who really changed the game was Tony LaRussa, who bequeathed us the hyper-specialized, overloaded bullpen."

Baseball Cards in the Library of Congress

2004-08-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

Baseball Cards from 1887 to 1914: "This collection presents a Library of Congress treasure -- 2,100 early baseball cards dating from 1887 to 1914. The cards show such legendary figures as Ty Cobb stealing third base for Detroit, Tris Speaker batting for Boston, and pitcher Cy Young posing formally in his Cleveland uniform. Other notable players include Connie Mack, Walter Johnson, King Kelly, and Christy Mathewson."

The Cardinal Nation - News

2004-08-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

The Cardinal Nation - News: "Burch, a 21st round pick in 2003 out of the University of Nebraska, was the Chiefs closer at the end of 2003 and for all of 2004. This season Burch saved 21 games for the Chiefs while posting a 5-5 record and a 3.61 ERA. In 44 games the right-hander tossed 52 1/3 innings striking out 60 and walking 24."

STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals

2004-08-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals: "A team riding its seventh win streak of at least five games since the start of June, the Cardinals outscored the Mets 14-7 without a home run in the series. "

ESPN.com - Gammons: No more 'NomarGate'

2004-08-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com - Gammons: No more 'NomarGate': "There were a lot of us who picked the Cubs to win the World Series back in March. And while the Cardinals are clearly the best team in the National League and the Braves are doing what the Braves have done every year, if Kerry Wood and Mark Prior are in form in October, the Cubs have a lot better chance of making it to the World Series with Nomar Garciaparra than without him."

Get Up, Baby, Get Up!

2004-08-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Get Up, Baby, Get Up!
"Monthly trends for Matt Morris, putting June and July together for larger sample size purposes:

BAA K/9 HR/9
Apr .217 4.23 2.38
May .233 4.78 1.45
Ju* .316 6.55 1.39

So what does that mean? Well, I'm not totally sure. That he's become more hittable while simultaneously striking out more batters and allowing fewer home runs is a little bizarre. Anyone care to try and interpret that?
"

Get Up, Baby, Get Up!

2004-08-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Get Up, Baby, Get Up!
"Look, Walt, I've praised your shrewd moves on countless occasions, even devoted entire articles to them, but there comes a time to realize that you signed a total zero to a three year contract, and playing him in the majors ahead of superior players doesn't do anything to change that. Cut bait with Taguchi, or send him down; just don't waive one of the best players in Cardinals history because you were duped into signing him. "

The Cardinal Nation

2004-08-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

The Cardinal Nation: "I think the Rockies have already chosen who they want: Chris Narveson and John Gall. "

Info about how PTBNL work as well.

FOXSports.com - Lankford mulling option, release

2004-08-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

FOXSports.com - Lankford mulling option, release: "St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Ray Lankford was not with the team on Sunday while mulling whether to accept an option to the minor leagues or be released."

HaloScan.com - Comments

2004-08-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

HaloScan.com - Comments: "He's amazing. Not a great farm developer (which is strange, b/c that's the area he came from), but there may be no GM in the history of baseball who is better at in-season deals, Beane included. He just does things that other GMs don't have the wherewithal (i.e., the networking skills or the balls) to pull off."

Brian Gunn on Walt Jocketty

MSNBC - An Entrepreneur Steps to the Plate

2004-08-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

MSNBC - An Entrepreneur Steps to the Plate: "For example, the user can identify the most likely pitch—inside fastball, low-and-away change-up—that Boston’s Pedro Martinez is probably going to throw at any point in the count; then, depending on the result of that pitch, what he typically throws next. Cracking this code has been one of baseball’s holy grails. “I’d like to get my hands on that,” said Alex Rodriguez, the Texas Rangers’ All-Star shortstop when he learned of Antinoja’s data service. “You always want to know everything about your opposition.” Adds New York Mets general manager Jim Duquette, whose club this season bought Tendu’s full $30,000 annual service: “This gives you a chance to validate what an advance scout is telling you, and learn trends they can’t pick up.”"

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: The Dog Days

2004-08-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Baseball Prospectus | Articles | Under The Knife: The Dog Days: "Cards fans can hold out hope that Ankiel could finally live up to his promise, while medheads have another data point that 'Steve Blass Disease' is actually a medical condition related to proprioception in the elbow."