October 12 has been a good day for Cardinal baseball over the years. For most other major league teams, whose postseason hopes usually disappear shortly after the All Star break, October 12 has been a good day to get in a round of golf. So there's always a bright side to every situation.
Of course, reaching the postseason isn't easy. The recent success of the Cardinals may have spoiled some fans, who now consider anything less than a World Series championship a disappointing season. Maybe they've forgotten (or too young to remember) the '70's - or most of the '90's. Even '96 - the only time the Cardinals qualified for postseason play in that decade - ended as nightmarish as could be imagined. Let's forget that even happened.
Whether or not 2014 will result in another trip to the Fall Classic for the Cardinals remains to be seen. Luckily, they're playing the Giants in Game Two of the NLCS on one of their favorite days for postseason success - October 12. How can they go wrong?
Top Five Cardinals' Postseason Games Played on October 12 (Since 1964):
5 - 2011 - Game 3 - NLCS vs Milwaukee Brewers
The Cardinals score four runs in the first-inning, then hang on for a 4-3 win over the Brewers.
Chris Carpenter gets the win and the bullpen provides some stellar relief, as St Louis takes a two games to one lead over their division rivals.
4 - 2013 - Game 2 - NLCS vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Michael Wacha strikes out eight in 6.2 shutout innings. Four relievers retire the final seven batters in order to preserve a 1-0 St Louis win.
The losing pitcher - Clayton Kershaw - only allowed one run - in the fifth-inning - when David Freese doubled, advanced to third on a passed ball, then scored on Jon Jay's sacrifice fly to left field.
As a side note, Carl Crawford made possibly the worst throw in major league history on the play - one day after Carlos Beltran made one of the greatest throws ever - nailing a runner at the plate (Mark Ellis) trying to tag up from third - in another game won by the Cardinals.
3 - 1964 - Game 5 - World Series vs New York Yankees
At Yankee Stadium - after the Yankees score two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth, Tim McCarver's three-run tenth-inning home run gives Bob Gibson a complete game 5-2 win.
Taking a shutout into the ninth-inning, the first batter Gibson faces - Mickey Mantle - reaches base when Cards shortstop Dick Groat boots his ground ball. One out later, Gibson made perhaps the greatest fielding play by a pitcher in World Series history - when he pounces on the ball that struck him off the bat of Joe Pepitone - making an off-balance throw to first to barely nab the runner.
Had Pepitone reached base, Tom Tresh's home run would have won the game. Instead it only tied the game - setting up McCarver's tenth-inning heroics.
Gibson got the final three outs in the bottom of the tenth - and became a legend in the process.
2 - 1967 - Game 7 - World Series vs Boston Red Sox
At Fenway Park, the Cardinals become World Champions for the second time in four seasons - with a 7-2 win over the Red Sox.
Bob Gibson goes the distance - allowing two runs on three hits and three walks. He also struck out ten batters.
Boston ace Jim Lonborg - working on just two days rest - is tagged for all seven runs - including a solo home run from Bob Gibson and a three-run bomb by Julian Javier.
Prior to the game, Boston manager Dick Williams was asked by a local beat writer what he expected in this Lonborg vs Gibson showdown. His response would be chanted by a relentless Gibson & company as the Cardinals celebrated in the visitors' clubhouse: "Lonborg and champagne!"
1 - 2012 - Game 5 - NLDS vs Washington Nationals
After the Nats had taken a 6-0 lead over Adam Wainwright and the Cards in the first three-innings of play, a newly retired and bitter Chipper Jones - formerly of the freshly eliminated (by the Cardinals) Atlanta Braves - felt compelled to announce to his Twitter followers what was going on in this game: "It's over!"
Not quite, Chipper. While the Cardinal bullpen kept the Nats at bay, the Redbirds pecked away at that deficit. Matt Holliday's fourth-inning RBI double scored Beltran: 6-1.
In the fifth-inning, the Cards scored two more runs on two hits, three walks and a wild pitch - as Washington starter Gio Gonzalez began to unravel: 6-3.
In the seventh, Matt Holliday's infield ground out scored Jon Jay from third, as the partisan crowd slowly went from raucous party mode to subdued paranoia: 6-4.
Daniel Descalso's eighth-inning lead-off home run drew the Cardinals within one run: 6-5.
The Nationals answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the eighth, as the mood of the crowd shifted to 95% high octane party mode again. As the ninth-inning began, nobody wanted to sit down. They had to savor the final three outs which would send their team to the NLCS: 7-5.
With closer Drew Storen on the mound, Carlos Beltran bounced a lead-off double off the wall in right center field. But then Matt Holliday grounded out to third - and the next batter - Allen Craig struck out on a pitch about a foot off the plate, for out number two.
As the crowd began singing and dancing and hugging one another, Yadier Molina and David Freese both walked to load the bases. The celebratory mood of the crowd once again shifted into stunned silence - although a few brave souls scorned the presence of Daniel Descalso now batting for St Louis. But Daniel was hot - lining a shot up the middle that was hit so hard, it nearly took shortstop Ian Desmond's glove off. Beltran and pinch runner (for Molina) Adron Chambers both scored: 7-7.
Descalso could also run - swiping second, uncontested. Two runners now in scoring position.
Next up - Pete Kozma - smacked a belt-high fastball on the outside corner down the right field line - scoring Freese and Chambers to give the Cardinals a shocking 9-7 lead. No one was more thrilled about this than the on-deck hitter - Jason Motte - who had allowed that insurance run the Nats had scored in the eighth-inning. But it wasn't enough insurance.
A reprieved Motte retired the Nats in order in the ninth to seal this improbable come-from-behind division series clincher. Bryce Harper, who fanned for the second out in the inning, was so thrilled about blowing this game, he defiantly grabbed his crotch while staring down a bemused Motte.
Undaunted, Jason then induced Ryan Zimmerman to pop out to the biggest hero of the night - second baseman Daniel Descalso - to seal the deal.
The Wild Cards had beaten the number-one team in the National League in the division series for the second consecutive year (the Phillies and now the Nats) - in a deciding fifth game on enemy turf.
It's no wonder so many opposing fans hate the Cardinals.
Let's hope the Giants fans will hate the Cardinals just a little bit more after this particular October 12 game.
Showing posts with label boston red sox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boston red sox. Show all posts
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
October 8, 1967 - World Series - Game 4: Gibson's 1st World Series Shutout
Sunday, October 8, 1967 - World Series - Game 4 - At Busch Stadium II (Bob Gibson - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Boston Red Sox (Jose Santiago - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 54, 575
Bob Gibson - who allowed just one run in defeating the Red Sox at Fenway Park in Game One - trumped that effort in Game Four at Busch Stadium by blanking Boston, 6-0. It was his first career World Series shutout, and it gave St Louis a commanding three games to one lead in the best-of-seven Fall Classic.
Gibson got all the runs he needed in the first-inning off Boston starter Jose Santiago. After Lou Brock and Curt Flood both singled to start the frame, Roger Maris scored 'em both with a double to left field.
After advancing to third on Orlando Cepeda's fly ball deep to right field, Maris scored on Tim McCarver's single to right field - to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. One out later, Julian Javier singled to left - bringing up the weak-hitting Dal Maxvill with runners on first and second.
After Maxvill's single to left field scored McCarver to make it a 4-0 lead - manager Dick Williams had seen enough - yanking his beleaguered starter after just two-thirds of an inning. Gary Bell - one of Jim Bouton's buddies frequently mentioned in his controversial and entertaining memoir, Ball Four - restored order for the next 1.1 innings.
Bell's replacement - Jerry Stephenson - didn't fare so well.
In the third inning, Orlando Cepeda greeted Stephenson with a lead-off double to left field. With McCarver batting, Stephenson uncorked a wild pitch - moving Cepeda to third. McCarver's sacrifice fly to center padded the lead to 5-0 - but the Cardinals weren't quite through.
Mike Shannon then coaxed a base on balls, then a red-hot Javier brought him in with a double to left field, scoring the sixth and final run of the game.
Stephenson regrouped to pitch a scoreless fourth-inning - then the next two Boston relievers - Dave Morehead and Ken Brett - pitched a combined four-inning no-hitter which nobody really noticed.
Bob Gibson was on center stage today - scattering five hits and one walk to keep the Red Sox from scoring all day long. He struck out a relatively modest total of six batters - but Boston never threatened to score until their last turn at bat.
Carl Yastrzemski - the AL Triple Crown winner - stayed hot all throughout the World Series. He led-off the ninth-inning with a double into the right-center field gap - becoming the first runner in scoring position Gibson had allowed in the entire game. He got as far as third base but that's where he remained, as Gibson closed the door on the threat to preserve the shutout.
The Red Sox were down, but far from out. They would go on to win the next two games to force a seventh and deciding game back home at Fenway Park. When asked by a Boston beat writer what he expected for the classic Lonborg vs Gibson Game Seven duel, Dick Williams uttered the words which would become the rallying cry for the soon-to-be World Champion Cardinals: "Lonborg and champagne."
Gibson of course, had other ideas.
Bob Gibson - who allowed just one run in defeating the Red Sox at Fenway Park in Game One - trumped that effort in Game Four at Busch Stadium by blanking Boston, 6-0. It was his first career World Series shutout, and it gave St Louis a commanding three games to one lead in the best-of-seven Fall Classic.
Gibson got all the runs he needed in the first-inning off Boston starter Jose Santiago. After Lou Brock and Curt Flood both singled to start the frame, Roger Maris scored 'em both with a double to left field.
After advancing to third on Orlando Cepeda's fly ball deep to right field, Maris scored on Tim McCarver's single to right field - to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. One out later, Julian Javier singled to left - bringing up the weak-hitting Dal Maxvill with runners on first and second.
After Maxvill's single to left field scored McCarver to make it a 4-0 lead - manager Dick Williams had seen enough - yanking his beleaguered starter after just two-thirds of an inning. Gary Bell - one of Jim Bouton's buddies frequently mentioned in his controversial and entertaining memoir, Ball Four - restored order for the next 1.1 innings.
Bell's replacement - Jerry Stephenson - didn't fare so well.
In the third inning, Orlando Cepeda greeted Stephenson with a lead-off double to left field. With McCarver batting, Stephenson uncorked a wild pitch - moving Cepeda to third. McCarver's sacrifice fly to center padded the lead to 5-0 - but the Cardinals weren't quite through.
Mike Shannon then coaxed a base on balls, then a red-hot Javier brought him in with a double to left field, scoring the sixth and final run of the game.
Stephenson regrouped to pitch a scoreless fourth-inning - then the next two Boston relievers - Dave Morehead and Ken Brett - pitched a combined four-inning no-hitter which nobody really noticed.
Bob Gibson was on center stage today - scattering five hits and one walk to keep the Red Sox from scoring all day long. He struck out a relatively modest total of six batters - but Boston never threatened to score until their last turn at bat.
Carl Yastrzemski - the AL Triple Crown winner - stayed hot all throughout the World Series. He led-off the ninth-inning with a double into the right-center field gap - becoming the first runner in scoring position Gibson had allowed in the entire game. He got as far as third base but that's where he remained, as Gibson closed the door on the threat to preserve the shutout.
The Red Sox were down, but far from out. They would go on to win the next two games to force a seventh and deciding game back home at Fenway Park. When asked by a Boston beat writer what he expected for the classic Lonborg vs Gibson Game Seven duel, Dick Williams uttered the words which would become the rallying cry for the soon-to-be World Champion Cardinals: "Lonborg and champagne."
Gibson of course, had other ideas.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
August 27, 1981 - Hendrick's 13th-Inning Home Run a Game Winner Over Padres
Thursday, August 27, 1981 - At Jack Murphy Stadium (Bob Forsch - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: San Diego Padres (Rick Wise - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 7,056
George Hendrick drove in all three runs for the Cardinals - including a thirteenth-inning solo home run - to lift St Louis to a 3-2 win over the Padres. Jim Kaat (6-2) - the fifth pitcher used by manager Whitey Herzog - pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to record the win.
Bob Forsch worked the first 7.2 innings - allowing just one run on five hits - but a blown save by Bruce Sutter gave the San Diego fans some bonus baseball in this strike-shortened debacle of a season.
Prior to receiving four innings of free baseball, the San Diego fans were blessed with the tearful reunion of former-Padres outfielder George Hendrick - who greeted the faithful gathering with a two-out third-inning double - scoring Tommy Herr and Ken Oberkfell with the first two runs of the game.
Padres starting pitcher - Rick Wise - the guy the Cardinals acquired before the '72 season in exchange for Steve Carlton - allowed just those two runs in his six innings of work. The San Diego bullpen - Boone, Lucas and Littlefield - took care of the next six innings of scoreless relief - until another former Cardinal hurler - John Curtis - entered the game in the thirteenth.
Before all that excitement, the eighth and ninth inning offensive outburst by the Padres lineup made it all possible.
Forsch was still working on a shutout with two out and a runner on third in the bottom of the eighth - when pinch hitter Randy Bass got San Diego on the board with a single to center - scoring Luis Salazar.
At that point, Herzog decided to bring in his well-rested closer - Bruce Sutter (all the players in major league baseball were well-rested - thanks to their two-month strike-inflicted summer vacation). Sutter struck out future teammate Ozzie Smith to end the inning - but trouble lurked ahead.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Gene Richards singled to left. Sutter then struck out Rupert Jones for the second out - but another former Cardinal - Terry Kennedy - singled to center - advancing Richards to third. Broderick Perkins then tied the game with another single to send the crowd into a post-strike frenzy. Free baseball! The fans were certainly getting their money's worth tonight.
Proving that the ninth inning was just a fluke, Sutter came back and pitched a scoreless tenth, before a new St Louis reliever - Bob Shirley - created more excitement in the eleventh.
Bob was a bit wild - walking the first two batters - Richards and Jones - before retiring a pinch hitter by the name of Gwosdz on a ground ball to third - advancing the runners to second and third.
Herzog then brought in Mark Littel - whose first order of business was an intentional walk to Perkins. With the bases loaded, there was no place to put Luis Salazar - so Littel struck him out.
Herzog made his final pitching change - as Jim Kaat was summoned to face Jim Lefebvre - and he got him on a force out at second base - to extend the free baseball for the unappreciative fans (by this time, they wanted to go home - savoring a Padres' victory).
After both teams failed to score in the twelfth-inning, St Louis seemed unlikely to score in the thirteenth - as Oberkfell grounded out and Keith Hernandez looked at a called third strike. But George Hendrick stepped up to the plate and whacked one into the nearly vacated left field bleachers - to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.
By the time one of the spectators meandered over to locate the home run ball from their former hero - Kaat retired the side in order - to preserve what seemed to be a very important win for the Cardinals (40-25) - who were in first place - 2.5 games ahead of Philadelphia.
The Redbirds would finish the season with a 59-43 record - the best overall record in the NL East - but not good enough to qualify for the postseason - because under the new rules for the strike-shortened debacle of a season - they finished "second" in each "half" (pre-strike and post-strike).
The Cardinals had company. The Cincinnati Reds had the best overall record in the National League - but they too failed to win either "half". That would be their last hurrah. Cincinnati was an aging team - in transition - spending the decade of the eighties in futility.
For the Cardinals, however, there would be redemption the following season - a world championship - followed by two more trips to the World Series in '85 and '87.
Strangely enough, the year they hit rock bottom - 1990 - was the year the Reds won it all - proving that success or failure in major league baseball can happen at a rapid pace. Just ask fans of the Boston Red Sox about that.
George Hendrick drove in all three runs for the Cardinals - including a thirteenth-inning solo home run - to lift St Louis to a 3-2 win over the Padres. Jim Kaat (6-2) - the fifth pitcher used by manager Whitey Herzog - pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to record the win.
Bob Forsch worked the first 7.2 innings - allowing just one run on five hits - but a blown save by Bruce Sutter gave the San Diego fans some bonus baseball in this strike-shortened debacle of a season.
Prior to receiving four innings of free baseball, the San Diego fans were blessed with the tearful reunion of former-Padres outfielder George Hendrick - who greeted the faithful gathering with a two-out third-inning double - scoring Tommy Herr and Ken Oberkfell with the first two runs of the game.
Padres starting pitcher - Rick Wise - the guy the Cardinals acquired before the '72 season in exchange for Steve Carlton - allowed just those two runs in his six innings of work. The San Diego bullpen - Boone, Lucas and Littlefield - took care of the next six innings of scoreless relief - until another former Cardinal hurler - John Curtis - entered the game in the thirteenth.
Before all that excitement, the eighth and ninth inning offensive outburst by the Padres lineup made it all possible.
Forsch was still working on a shutout with two out and a runner on third in the bottom of the eighth - when pinch hitter Randy Bass got San Diego on the board with a single to center - scoring Luis Salazar.
At that point, Herzog decided to bring in his well-rested closer - Bruce Sutter (all the players in major league baseball were well-rested - thanks to their two-month strike-inflicted summer vacation). Sutter struck out future teammate Ozzie Smith to end the inning - but trouble lurked ahead.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Gene Richards singled to left. Sutter then struck out Rupert Jones for the second out - but another former Cardinal - Terry Kennedy - singled to center - advancing Richards to third. Broderick Perkins then tied the game with another single to send the crowd into a post-strike frenzy. Free baseball! The fans were certainly getting their money's worth tonight.
Proving that the ninth inning was just a fluke, Sutter came back and pitched a scoreless tenth, before a new St Louis reliever - Bob Shirley - created more excitement in the eleventh.
Bob was a bit wild - walking the first two batters - Richards and Jones - before retiring a pinch hitter by the name of Gwosdz on a ground ball to third - advancing the runners to second and third.
Herzog then brought in Mark Littel - whose first order of business was an intentional walk to Perkins. With the bases loaded, there was no place to put Luis Salazar - so Littel struck him out.
Herzog made his final pitching change - as Jim Kaat was summoned to face Jim Lefebvre - and he got him on a force out at second base - to extend the free baseball for the unappreciative fans (by this time, they wanted to go home - savoring a Padres' victory).
After both teams failed to score in the twelfth-inning, St Louis seemed unlikely to score in the thirteenth - as Oberkfell grounded out and Keith Hernandez looked at a called third strike. But George Hendrick stepped up to the plate and whacked one into the nearly vacated left field bleachers - to give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.
By the time one of the spectators meandered over to locate the home run ball from their former hero - Kaat retired the side in order - to preserve what seemed to be a very important win for the Cardinals (40-25) - who were in first place - 2.5 games ahead of Philadelphia.
The Redbirds would finish the season with a 59-43 record - the best overall record in the NL East - but not good enough to qualify for the postseason - because under the new rules for the strike-shortened debacle of a season - they finished "second" in each "half" (pre-strike and post-strike).
The Cardinals had company. The Cincinnati Reds had the best overall record in the National League - but they too failed to win either "half". That would be their last hurrah. Cincinnati was an aging team - in transition - spending the decade of the eighties in futility.
For the Cardinals, however, there would be redemption the following season - a world championship - followed by two more trips to the World Series in '85 and '87.
Strangely enough, the year they hit rock bottom - 1990 - was the year the Reds won it all - proving that success or failure in major league baseball can happen at a rapid pace. Just ask fans of the Boston Red Sox about that.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
August 2, 2013 - Craig, Freese & Beltran Spark Redbird Assault on Reds
Friday, August 2, 2013 - At Great American Ballpark (Shelby Miller - Starting Pitcher) - Opponent: Cincinnati Reds (Bronson Arroyo - Starting Pitcher) - Attendance: 39,095
The Cardinals scored thirteen runs for the second straight game - in a 13-3 thrashing of the Cincinnati Reds - as the now-departed Allen Craig had a perfect night in four plate appearances: three hits - including a home run - one base on balls, three runs scored and three runs batted in.
Two other former Cardinals - David Freese and Carlos Beltran - made their presence felt in this game right from the outset. Freese launched a bases loaded first-inning double - scoring Beltran, Craig and Matt Holliday - to give St Louis a 3-0 lead - then later scored the fourth run of the inning to put the game on ice. He finished the night with four runs batted in.
After scoring another run in the second, the Redbirds exploded for four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth, to build a 12-0 advantage.
Shelby Miller pitched brilliantly for the first five innings, but ran afoul in the sixth, even with that twelve-run lead to work with. Joey Votto's three run home run prompted manager Mike Matheny to remove his enigmatic rookie - who still won the game (11-7) - but forced the bullpen into four innings of work - instead of getting a night off. It didn't seem to matter - as Kevin Siegrist logged two perfect innings of relief - striking out three - while Keith Butler allowed just one hit in his two-inning scoreless stint.
Beltran also had a perfect night in four plate appearances: three hits - including two doubles - one base on balls and four runs scored.
Jon Jay had two hits and three runs batted in, while Daniel Descalso added three hits - including two solo home runs - and scored three runs to round out the major offensive performances for a Cardinal team that would lead the National League in runs scored in 2013 - by a wide margin.
Strangely enough, lead-off hitter Matt Carpenter - who led the league with 126 runs scored - was 0 for 6 in this game. But he had a little help from his friends tonight - who had five hits in eight attempts with runners in scoring position.
For the season, St Louis hit .330 with RISP - giving perhaps a false hope that they could do something like that again in 2014. That hasn't happened - although the team is still competitive - with a greatly improved defense and a pitching staff that leads major league baseball with 18 shutouts.
The recent departure of another sentimental favorite - Allen Craig was inevitable - at least as far as I was concerned. On Twitter, just a few days before the deal went down, I tweeted: "Have a feeling Allen Craig will be gone...very soon." Of course, I had no idea who the Cardinals planned to acquire - I just felt he was going to be the odd man out - especially with the surplus of young outfielders in the system waiting to get a chance to play on a regular basis.
As it turned out, both Craig and the gregarious Joe Kelly are now members of the once dreaded Boston Red Sox - a team unlikely to reach the postseason in 2014.
The Cardinals, with shored-up pitching (Masterson from Cleveland, and now Lackey from Boston) will remain competitive. But if they're going to reach the postseason this year, it will be an entirely different path they'll be following - with pitching and defense overshadowing a once potent offense.
Last season, the Cardinals bludgeoned the opposition to reach the World Series; but they still lost in six games to a Red Sox team that had finished in last place in 2012. Quite possibly, Boston will finish last again in 2014. The Cardinals may start winning at a pace similar to last season's 97-win campaign. But it's going to be a different cast of characters leading the way. One year can bring about great change in baseball.
The trading deadline can do that over night.
The Cardinals scored thirteen runs for the second straight game - in a 13-3 thrashing of the Cincinnati Reds - as the now-departed Allen Craig had a perfect night in four plate appearances: three hits - including a home run - one base on balls, three runs scored and three runs batted in.
Two other former Cardinals - David Freese and Carlos Beltran - made their presence felt in this game right from the outset. Freese launched a bases loaded first-inning double - scoring Beltran, Craig and Matt Holliday - to give St Louis a 3-0 lead - then later scored the fourth run of the inning to put the game on ice. He finished the night with four runs batted in.
After scoring another run in the second, the Redbirds exploded for four runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth, to build a 12-0 advantage.
Shelby Miller pitched brilliantly for the first five innings, but ran afoul in the sixth, even with that twelve-run lead to work with. Joey Votto's three run home run prompted manager Mike Matheny to remove his enigmatic rookie - who still won the game (11-7) - but forced the bullpen into four innings of work - instead of getting a night off. It didn't seem to matter - as Kevin Siegrist logged two perfect innings of relief - striking out three - while Keith Butler allowed just one hit in his two-inning scoreless stint.
Beltran also had a perfect night in four plate appearances: three hits - including two doubles - one base on balls and four runs scored.
Jon Jay had two hits and three runs batted in, while Daniel Descalso added three hits - including two solo home runs - and scored three runs to round out the major offensive performances for a Cardinal team that would lead the National League in runs scored in 2013 - by a wide margin.
Strangely enough, lead-off hitter Matt Carpenter - who led the league with 126 runs scored - was 0 for 6 in this game. But he had a little help from his friends tonight - who had five hits in eight attempts with runners in scoring position.
For the season, St Louis hit .330 with RISP - giving perhaps a false hope that they could do something like that again in 2014. That hasn't happened - although the team is still competitive - with a greatly improved defense and a pitching staff that leads major league baseball with 18 shutouts.
The recent departure of another sentimental favorite - Allen Craig was inevitable - at least as far as I was concerned. On Twitter, just a few days before the deal went down, I tweeted: "Have a feeling Allen Craig will be gone...very soon." Of course, I had no idea who the Cardinals planned to acquire - I just felt he was going to be the odd man out - especially with the surplus of young outfielders in the system waiting to get a chance to play on a regular basis.
As it turned out, both Craig and the gregarious Joe Kelly are now members of the once dreaded Boston Red Sox - a team unlikely to reach the postseason in 2014.
The Cardinals, with shored-up pitching (Masterson from Cleveland, and now Lackey from Boston) will remain competitive. But if they're going to reach the postseason this year, it will be an entirely different path they'll be following - with pitching and defense overshadowing a once potent offense.
Last season, the Cardinals bludgeoned the opposition to reach the World Series; but they still lost in six games to a Red Sox team that had finished in last place in 2012. Quite possibly, Boston will finish last again in 2014. The Cardinals may start winning at a pace similar to last season's 97-win campaign. But it's going to be a different cast of characters leading the way. One year can bring about great change in baseball.
The trading deadline can do that over night.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
JUNE 10: 2003 - Cards Out-Slug Red Sox - 2005 - And Crush Error-Prone Yankees
2003 - At Fenway Park: The Cardinals and Boston Red Sox played a wild, see-saw slug-fest before a partisan Tuesday night crowd of 34,937 - and in the end, a two-run ninth-inning rally finally gave the persistent Redbirds a 9-7 win over the equally persistent Red Sox.
After St Louis failed to score in the first-inning off Boston starter Byung-Hyun Kim - a World Series basket case for the Arizona Diamondbacks in '01 (back-to-back blown saves against the Yankees) - the Red Sox scored twice in the bottom half off Woody Williams, with back-to-back RBI doubles by Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.
The Cardinals finally broke through in the fifth-inning against Kim. Renteria led-off with an opposite-field double down the line in right - then Tino Martinez - who greatly facilitated Kim's '01 Fall Classic meltdown - just missed hitting this one out to dead-center. Renteria advanced to third on the catch, and stayed there as Mike Matheny's lazy fly ball to right became out number two.
Part-time outfielder Orlando Palmeiro's base hit to right scored Renteria - then an infield single by Miguel Cairo, along with a throwing error by second baseman Todd Walker had runners on second and third for J.D. Drew, who got a pitch he could handle, and drove it way out to right field - for a three-run home run.
The Cards added three more runs in the seventh, on an Albert Pujols two-run home run and Edgar Renteria's two out RBI single, scoring Jim Edmonds - who reached on an error - with an unearned run.
The 7-2 St Louis lead quickly evaporated as Boston scored three in the seventh - including a Manny Ramirez two-run home run, which ended Williams' night - then a two-run eighth-inning blast by Jason Varitek off reliever Kiko Calero - which tied the game, 7-7.
St Louis answered back with a pair of runs of their own in the ninth, off reliever Brandon Lyon. Back-to-back one-out doubles by Edmonds and Rolen scored the tie-breaker, then with two out, Eduardo Perez punched an RBI single to left.
Cal Eldred preserved the 9-7 win for St Louis with one scoreless inning for his eighth save of the season.
Although the Cardinals hung on for the win, this game typified the team's biggest weakness in 2003 - an unreliable bullpen. That would change for the better in '04 - after one of the heroes in this St Louis win - J.D. Drew - would be part of a package to the Atlanta Braves that brought back some reliable arms for the bullpen - including a pitching prospect by the name of Adam Wainwright.
2005 - At Busch Stadium III: The Cardinals had no trouble in dispatching an error-prone New York Yankees team, as St Louis starter Jason Marquis (8-3) had one of his better outings: 8 IP - 6 H - 1 R - 2 BB - 3 SO. Final score: St Louis 8 - New York 1.
Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang (3-2) lasted just four innings - allowing seven runs (only four were earned runs) on seven hits - featuring a pair of big name players who each made an error tonight - Cano and A-Rod - as well as one by pitcher Chien-Ming "the Merciless" Wang, himself.
The Cardinals immediately jumped on Wang in a two-run first-inning - on RBI singles by Albert Pujols and Larry Walker - then piled on five runs (only two were earned runs) on three hits and two costly errors - in the third-inning to take a 7-0 lead - much to the delight of the 50,250 that packed the house tonight.
Pujols capped a three-hit-two-RBI night with a sixth-inning home run to end the St Louis scoring.
Derek Jeter's fifth-inning RBI double was all the Yankees could muster off Marquis tonight - as Randy Flores pitched a scoreless ninth to put the Bronx Bombers out of their misery.
After St Louis failed to score in the first-inning off Boston starter Byung-Hyun Kim - a World Series basket case for the Arizona Diamondbacks in '01 (back-to-back blown saves against the Yankees) - the Red Sox scored twice in the bottom half off Woody Williams, with back-to-back RBI doubles by Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.
The Cardinals finally broke through in the fifth-inning against Kim. Renteria led-off with an opposite-field double down the line in right - then Tino Martinez - who greatly facilitated Kim's '01 Fall Classic meltdown - just missed hitting this one out to dead-center. Renteria advanced to third on the catch, and stayed there as Mike Matheny's lazy fly ball to right became out number two.
Part-time outfielder Orlando Palmeiro's base hit to right scored Renteria - then an infield single by Miguel Cairo, along with a throwing error by second baseman Todd Walker had runners on second and third for J.D. Drew, who got a pitch he could handle, and drove it way out to right field - for a three-run home run.
The Cards added three more runs in the seventh, on an Albert Pujols two-run home run and Edgar Renteria's two out RBI single, scoring Jim Edmonds - who reached on an error - with an unearned run.
The 7-2 St Louis lead quickly evaporated as Boston scored three in the seventh - including a Manny Ramirez two-run home run, which ended Williams' night - then a two-run eighth-inning blast by Jason Varitek off reliever Kiko Calero - which tied the game, 7-7.
St Louis answered back with a pair of runs of their own in the ninth, off reliever Brandon Lyon. Back-to-back one-out doubles by Edmonds and Rolen scored the tie-breaker, then with two out, Eduardo Perez punched an RBI single to left.
Cal Eldred preserved the 9-7 win for St Louis with one scoreless inning for his eighth save of the season.
Although the Cardinals hung on for the win, this game typified the team's biggest weakness in 2003 - an unreliable bullpen. That would change for the better in '04 - after one of the heroes in this St Louis win - J.D. Drew - would be part of a package to the Atlanta Braves that brought back some reliable arms for the bullpen - including a pitching prospect by the name of Adam Wainwright.
2005 - At Busch Stadium III: The Cardinals had no trouble in dispatching an error-prone New York Yankees team, as St Louis starter Jason Marquis (8-3) had one of his better outings: 8 IP - 6 H - 1 R - 2 BB - 3 SO. Final score: St Louis 8 - New York 1.
Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang (3-2) lasted just four innings - allowing seven runs (only four were earned runs) on seven hits - featuring a pair of big name players who each made an error tonight - Cano and A-Rod - as well as one by pitcher Chien-Ming "the Merciless" Wang, himself.
The Cardinals immediately jumped on Wang in a two-run first-inning - on RBI singles by Albert Pujols and Larry Walker - then piled on five runs (only two were earned runs) on three hits and two costly errors - in the third-inning to take a 7-0 lead - much to the delight of the 50,250 that packed the house tonight.
Pujols capped a three-hit-two-RBI night with a sixth-inning home run to end the St Louis scoring.
Derek Jeter's fifth-inning RBI double was all the Yankees could muster off Marquis tonight - as Randy Flores pitched a scoreless ninth to put the Bronx Bombers out of their misery.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Greene's Game Winner Silences Critics
When asked to explain his somewhat unorthodox approach to hitting, Yogi Berra supposedly once said, "Ninety percent of hitting is half mental." Behind all the zaniness of the irrepressible Berra was a ballplayer with terrific hand - eye coordination, who used that natural ability to become one of the greatest hitting catchers of all time. He rarely allowed his mind to be burdened with outside distractions or an over-analysis of his hitting technique. When asked what he was thinking whenever he was in the batters box, Yogi responded, "Think! How the hell are you gonna think and hit at the same time?"
Nowadays of course, many fine hitters watch hours upon hours of video, trying to figure out what they were either doing right or wrong in their approach to hitting at any given time, and armed with that information, take appropriate action. For some - "the thinkers" - this is a very helpful tool; for others, Yogi Berra's "non-thinking" approach produces the best results.
That "non-thinking" approach certainly worked for baseball's all-time hit king, Pete Rose, who shared his perspective in a recent interview with sportswriter Michael Dolan:
"I never watched myself hit on video and I never hit a ball off a tee, and I got 4200 fucking hits. I mean, a guy strikes out on a ball that bounces in front of home plate, and he runs into the dugout to watch it on video. Why the fuck would you put yourself through that?
I used to get texts from A-Rod a few years back. A-Rod would say things like 'I don't know what's going on, Pete. I'm hitting inside the ball.' I would say, 'Alex, I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.' You can't think about hitting all the time. Calm down! I would tell him that you've got to just get a pitch and hit the fucking ball hard somewhere."
Let's face it; not all hitters are convinced that simple approach works best for them, especially when they're not hitting well; especially for extended periods of time. So they continue tinkering with their swing and continue trying new batting stances, until they find something that seems to work. Quite often they would have made so many adjustments, they come full-circle and return to an approach that worked well for them earlier in their careers, but abandoned at the first sign of a slump.
"Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting." That's how Yogi responded to a Yankees beat reporter who was pestering the three-time AL Most Valuable Player about his uncharacteristically slow start, early in the 1957 season. The previous year was one of Berra's finest, tying a career high with 30 home runs while driving in 105. Yogi also hit a solid .298, but most importantly, racked up a career high .534 slugging percentage.
It was bound to happen; after an impressive nine-year run (1948-1956) in which Berra averaged 106 RBI per season, the 32-year old Yankees catcher had his worst season in 1957, establishing career lows in three key offensive categories: RBI (82), BA (.251), and SLG (.438). That last number really stands out, since it's nearly 100 points less than the slugging percentage Yogi produced just one year earlier. It's also the best yardstick for measuring a hitter's true offensive productivity. Not only had Berra begun hitting for a lower average, his extra-base power was diminishing, as well; not uncommon for players on the wrong side of thirty.
When an aging player experiences a noticeable drop-off in production, the problem is often exasperated by drastic changes the player usually incorporates into his normal routine, designed to "fix" things. Typically, with all the changes happening, the player becomes confused and frustrated; especially if the fans and the media are constantly harping on what is perceived to be a prolonged "slump". Confused and frustrated players are usually unproductive hitters; that's why they're confused and frustrated to begin with! Unfortunately, by the time they start figuring things out again, their season is usually deemed a failure; especially, if they're an over-hyped superstar in the first year of a long-term multi-million dollar contract that seemed to come with a postseason guarantee as part of the deal.
Quite possibly, the pressure to succeed for some players is so intense, they self-destruct; especially when playing in front 40,000 now-hostile home fans, who boo them on every strikeout, pop-out, or error. That could explain why Cardinals second baseman Tyler Greene has had little success playing at Busch Stadium; while perhaps his finest hour came in a two-home run multiple-hit game in Houston earlier this year. ***UPDATE: Speak of the devil; Tyler's 2-out-2-run-8th-inning bomb was a game winner in St Louis! With the Cardinals already mired in a four-game losing streak, and only four outs away from losing their fifth straight game - at home - to the worst road team in the NL - the San Diego Padres - Greene's opposite field blast off a pitch clocked at 100 mph in front of 40,360 delirious fans, has now become the beleaguered second baseman's finest hour.
Or it could explain why a young and talented Kansas City Royals team endured that mysterious twelve-game losing streak earlier this year in front of their adoring fans at Kaufman Stadium; yet have played quite well on the road, away from the distractions they encounter at home.
Or it could explain why even a seasoned team like the Boston Red Sox have had so much difficulty playing in front of their rabid Fenway Park fans; but when they hit the road, they start winning with relative ease, away from all the noise of talk radio.
Quite possibly, the best solution for players going through any prolonged periods of poor performance is to stop thinking about it. That's easier said than done; especially when they constantly hear the outcry of public sentiment proclaiming them to be a bum. Of course, the larger the market, the louder the outcry. That may explain why some players simply don't feel comfortable playing under the intense scrutiny of New York or Boston, but thrive in more laid-back environments like Pittsburgh or Houston.
"Paralysis from analysis" can be a debilitating barrier to success in any endeavor; especially in a sport like baseball that requires split-second execution and timing. The slightest bit of indecision on any given play can be disastrous; that state of mind usually occurs when players spend so much time thinking about every little thing they need to do, they overload their brains with useless information, and don't seem to do anything right. If they were somehow unaware of their inability to perform their job description in a satisfactory manner, the fans would certainly remind them.
If more players would only heed the words of wisdom from both Yogi Berra and Pete Rose; to keep things simple; the quality of play would certainly improve, and the fans would really appreciate it. That's a real no-brainer. ***Finally; let's hope Tyler Greene will keep fans in St Louis cheering, rather than jeering his play. The Cardinals needed him to come through last night in order to escape another bitter defeat; he did it, in dramatic fashion. Lets hope this is the start of something big for Greene and the Redbirds!
Nowadays of course, many fine hitters watch hours upon hours of video, trying to figure out what they were either doing right or wrong in their approach to hitting at any given time, and armed with that information, take appropriate action. For some - "the thinkers" - this is a very helpful tool; for others, Yogi Berra's "non-thinking" approach produces the best results.
That "non-thinking" approach certainly worked for baseball's all-time hit king, Pete Rose, who shared his perspective in a recent interview with sportswriter Michael Dolan:
"I never watched myself hit on video and I never hit a ball off a tee, and I got 4200 fucking hits. I mean, a guy strikes out on a ball that bounces in front of home plate, and he runs into the dugout to watch it on video. Why the fuck would you put yourself through that?
I used to get texts from A-Rod a few years back. A-Rod would say things like 'I don't know what's going on, Pete. I'm hitting inside the ball.' I would say, 'Alex, I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about.' You can't think about hitting all the time. Calm down! I would tell him that you've got to just get a pitch and hit the fucking ball hard somewhere."
Let's face it; not all hitters are convinced that simple approach works best for them, especially when they're not hitting well; especially for extended periods of time. So they continue tinkering with their swing and continue trying new batting stances, until they find something that seems to work. Quite often they would have made so many adjustments, they come full-circle and return to an approach that worked well for them earlier in their careers, but abandoned at the first sign of a slump.
"Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hitting." That's how Yogi responded to a Yankees beat reporter who was pestering the three-time AL Most Valuable Player about his uncharacteristically slow start, early in the 1957 season. The previous year was one of Berra's finest, tying a career high with 30 home runs while driving in 105. Yogi also hit a solid .298, but most importantly, racked up a career high .534 slugging percentage.
It was bound to happen; after an impressive nine-year run (1948-1956) in which Berra averaged 106 RBI per season, the 32-year old Yankees catcher had his worst season in 1957, establishing career lows in three key offensive categories: RBI (82), BA (.251), and SLG (.438). That last number really stands out, since it's nearly 100 points less than the slugging percentage Yogi produced just one year earlier. It's also the best yardstick for measuring a hitter's true offensive productivity. Not only had Berra begun hitting for a lower average, his extra-base power was diminishing, as well; not uncommon for players on the wrong side of thirty.
When an aging player experiences a noticeable drop-off in production, the problem is often exasperated by drastic changes the player usually incorporates into his normal routine, designed to "fix" things. Typically, with all the changes happening, the player becomes confused and frustrated; especially if the fans and the media are constantly harping on what is perceived to be a prolonged "slump". Confused and frustrated players are usually unproductive hitters; that's why they're confused and frustrated to begin with! Unfortunately, by the time they start figuring things out again, their season is usually deemed a failure; especially, if they're an over-hyped superstar in the first year of a long-term multi-million dollar contract that seemed to come with a postseason guarantee as part of the deal.
Quite possibly, the pressure to succeed for some players is so intense, they self-destruct; especially when playing in front 40,000 now-hostile home fans, who boo them on every strikeout, pop-out, or error. That could explain why Cardinals second baseman Tyler Greene has had little success playing at Busch Stadium; while perhaps his finest hour came in a two-home run multiple-hit game in Houston earlier this year. ***UPDATE: Speak of the devil; Tyler's 2-out-2-run-8th-inning bomb was a game winner in St Louis! With the Cardinals already mired in a four-game losing streak, and only four outs away from losing their fifth straight game - at home - to the worst road team in the NL - the San Diego Padres - Greene's opposite field blast off a pitch clocked at 100 mph in front of 40,360 delirious fans, has now become the beleaguered second baseman's finest hour.
Or it could explain why a young and talented Kansas City Royals team endured that mysterious twelve-game losing streak earlier this year in front of their adoring fans at Kaufman Stadium; yet have played quite well on the road, away from the distractions they encounter at home.
Or it could explain why even a seasoned team like the Boston Red Sox have had so much difficulty playing in front of their rabid Fenway Park fans; but when they hit the road, they start winning with relative ease, away from all the noise of talk radio.
Quite possibly, the best solution for players going through any prolonged periods of poor performance is to stop thinking about it. That's easier said than done; especially when they constantly hear the outcry of public sentiment proclaiming them to be a bum. Of course, the larger the market, the louder the outcry. That may explain why some players simply don't feel comfortable playing under the intense scrutiny of New York or Boston, but thrive in more laid-back environments like Pittsburgh or Houston.
"Paralysis from analysis" can be a debilitating barrier to success in any endeavor; especially in a sport like baseball that requires split-second execution and timing. The slightest bit of indecision on any given play can be disastrous; that state of mind usually occurs when players spend so much time thinking about every little thing they need to do, they overload their brains with useless information, and don't seem to do anything right. If they were somehow unaware of their inability to perform their job description in a satisfactory manner, the fans would certainly remind them.
If more players would only heed the words of wisdom from both Yogi Berra and Pete Rose; to keep things simple; the quality of play would certainly improve, and the fans would really appreciate it. That's a real no-brainer. ***Finally; let's hope Tyler Greene will keep fans in St Louis cheering, rather than jeering his play. The Cardinals needed him to come through last night in order to escape another bitter defeat; he did it, in dramatic fashion. Lets hope this is the start of something big for Greene and the Redbirds!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
High Flying Cardinals Still Flying Under MLB's Radar
The defending World Champion St Louis Cardinals - written off by many before the season even began - sit atop the NL Central (19-11), led by rookie pitcher Lance Lynn's perfect 6-0 (1.40 ERA) start and a powerful offensive attack that is, arguably, MLB's best; certainly its most balanced.
Somehow, Mike Matheny's Redbirds are flying under the radar, and that probably suits the soft-spoken rookie manager just fine. Compared to Tony LaRussa, Matheny is practically invisible. Meanwhile, the on-going struggles of the dearly-departed Albert Pujols grab the headlines, while Matheny and company grab the wins. That seems fair enough.
Of course, there are many other stories that are far more compelling than the low-key, professional, mid-western Cardinals (one Brewers' blogger, Tim Schaefer, referred to the then-LaRussa team as, "boring and craggy", in the aftermath of Nyjer Morgan's September tirade). Give me a boring and craggy team that wins over one filled with unprofessional lunatics that don't win; okay? Tim's Brewers are currently in last place.
Getting back to those non-boring teams, just take a gander at what's happening on the east coast. The Baltimore Orioles are still leading the AL East, while the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are bringing up the rear; at least for the time being. If Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine could get permission to play the rest of the schedule away from Fenway Park, they might win the World Series. The Orioles, after sweeping Boston at Fenway - featuring an epic 17-inning marathon - returned home a bit tuckered out and now have to deal with the Texas Rangers at Camden Yards. Monday night's reality check: Texas 14 - Baltimore 3. Tuesday night's unbelievable reality check: Rangers crush O's again, 10-3; Josh Hamilton hits four (two-run) home runs and a double - good for an AL-record 18 total bases. Now THAT deserves some headlines!
Getting back to those non-boring teams, just take a gander at what's happening on the east coast. The Baltimore Orioles are still leading the AL East, while the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are bringing up the rear; at least for the time being. If Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine could get permission to play the rest of the schedule away from Fenway Park, they might win the World Series. The Orioles, after sweeping Boston at Fenway - featuring an epic 17-inning marathon - returned home a bit tuckered out and now have to deal with the Texas Rangers at Camden Yards. Monday night's reality check: Texas 14 - Baltimore 3. Tuesday night's unbelievable reality check: Rangers crush O's again, 10-3; Josh Hamilton hits four (two-run) home runs and a double - good for an AL-record 18 total bases. Now THAT deserves some headlines!
More eastern seaboard drama features the inexplicable admission of Phillies' pitcher, Cole "I Cannot Tell a Lie" Hamels, when he said: "I deliberately hit Bryce Harper with that pitch." The nineteen-year-old phenom's crime was apparently being a rookie; along with grabbing an enormous amount of media attention - and loving every minute of it. Just for fun, after the plunking, the irrepressible Harper, once he reached third base, stole home on the befuddled Phillies hurler. In your face, Hamels!
This saga will no doubt continue to heat up; and continue grabbing more headlines. It doesn't hurt when Harper's team - the Washington Nationals - have been the darlings of the national sports scene all season long; led by the NL Pitcher of the Month for April - Stephen Strasburg - and the rest of that vaunted rotation. Future contests between these two now-bitter rivals will no doubt be national headline-grabbing events. This just in: The highly touted Nationals lost to the underrated Pirates by a score of 5-4, on a two-run walk-off home run by catcher Rod Barajas.
This saga will no doubt continue to heat up; and continue grabbing more headlines. It doesn't hurt when Harper's team - the Washington Nationals - have been the darlings of the national sports scene all season long; led by the NL Pitcher of the Month for April - Stephen Strasburg - and the rest of that vaunted rotation. Future contests between these two now-bitter rivals will no doubt be national headline-grabbing events. This just in: The highly touted Nationals lost to the underrated Pirates by a score of 5-4, on a two-run walk-off home run by catcher Rod Barajas.
Along with the surprising success of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League has been the equally surprising success of the New York Mets in the National League. When rookie Jordany Valdespin spun a Jonathan Papelbon fastball over the right field wall on Monday night for a game-winning three-run home run - his first big league hit - he became an instant legend in Mets' lore. Of course, the Phillies fans have now added one more opposing player to hate. Not to mention one more Phillies player to hate - the former closer of the Red Sox who had the audacity to give up the first hit to any batter with runners in scoring position all season. Nobody's perfect. This just in: The Mets won again in Philly Tuesday night, 7-4 (their MLB-leading tenth come-from-behind victory). The natives are getting restless in Philadelphia.
Boston has had little to cheer about so far in 2012, but that changed in a hurry when they called up rookie sensation, Will Middlebrooks, to replace the ailing Kevin Youkilis on the roster. All Will the Thrill did was hit a game-tying grand slam home run against Baltimore in Saturday's eventual loss, then launch two more bombs in Kansas City - good for another five RBIs - in Boston's 11-5 win over the Royals on Monday night. If you expect me to make some snide remark about Will's 9 RBIs in 4 games matching what Albert Pujols has amassed in 30 games; forget it.
Boston has had little to cheer about so far in 2012, but that changed in a hurry when they called up rookie sensation, Will Middlebrooks, to replace the ailing Kevin Youkilis on the roster. All Will the Thrill did was hit a game-tying grand slam home run against Baltimore in Saturday's eventual loss, then launch two more bombs in Kansas City - good for another five RBIs - in Boston's 11-5 win over the Royals on Monday night. If you expect me to make some snide remark about Will's 9 RBIs in 4 games matching what Albert Pujols has amassed in 30 games; forget it.
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers got off to the hottest start in franchise history, prompting the universal-media consensus of opinion that they were sure to win the next World Series. The third time's the charm, eh? Not so fast. While Texas has stumbled a bit recently, those resourceful Tampa Bay Rays have taken it up a notch, even with Evan Longoria on the DL. This must be the best team in baseball; at least for another week or so. Not so fast. Josh Hamilton and his four home runs deserve some kudos, while Tampa Bay just lost to the Yankees. It's a close one; this fight for being acclaimed MLB's best team may take a while to settle. That's why they play the World Series, I do believe.
Naturally, we can't forget all that excitement taking place in the other media hotbed, Southern California (aside from the Pujols Career Decline). Matt Kemp and the Dodgers are tearing up the NL West, and a new ownership group - featuring the one and only Magic Johnson - is firmly in place. I'm not sure how closely Magic has been following his new team this year, but during last week's press conference, an emotional Johnson acted like he was taking over a last place - not a first place - club, when he solemnly vowed, "We'll turn things around here; it may take time, but we'll get it done!" Maybe he meant they'd try to figure out a way to slow Kemp and the boys down to keep the competitive balance intact in the Wild West? Otherwise, I'm not sure what else "may take time"? Nor did I hear anyone bother to inquire what Magic was referring to when he gave his little pep talk.
Other than all that newsworthy stuff going on around the world of MLB, the boring, craggy, Cardinals lead the NL with 39 home runs - five of which were launched Monday night against the D-Backs at Chase Field; (two more were launched on Tuesday night - both by Carlos Beltran, giving him 10 for the season, to go along with 26 RBI) they've now scored a NL-leading 167 runs in 30 games. That's over five and a half runs per game, which raises the obvious question: "Why haven't they won more games?" Maybe they'll pick up the slack as the season moves along.
As one might suspect, the Cardinals also lead the NL in the "big three" offensive saber-metric categories:
BATTING AVERAGE .283 - ON BASE PERCENTAGE .355 - SLUGGING PERCENTAGE .465
Oh yeah, they can also pitch a little bit. Their 3.11 ERA is second best in MLB; batters are only hitting .234 against them (third best in MLB); and their WHIP of 1.11 is second best.
Now you know. The St Louis Cardinals are a pretty good team; a balanced team. The defending World Series champions may have lost a few cogs from last year, but the replacement pieces are working out quite well (the most notable "replacement" - Carlos Beltran - is on a pace to finish the season with 54 home runs and 140 RBIs); arguably better than the originals.
Meanwhile, those high-flying Redbirds are still managing to fly under the radar, and I don't know how they're getting away with it; especially with a MLB-best +70 run differential in the 30 games they've played; an incredible pace; probably an unsustainable pace. At this current rate of domination, the Cardinals would end the season scoring 378 more runs than the opposition (902 to 524). To demonstrate how ridiculous that is, last season the Redbirds only outscored their opposition by a total of 72 runs for the entire year, but it was good enough to reach the postseason.
In franchise history, the largest run differential of a World Series winner occurred in 1944: +282. The narrowest run differential for a World Championship edition was 2006's +19; which is no surprise, since they only won three more regular season games than they lost, before limping into the postseason; yet they managed to win eleven more games to grab their tenth title; didn't they?
To say 2007 was a "down year" is quite an understatement. The returning World Champions were outscored by an embarrassing 104 runs that season; the only season in the current millennium they scored fewer runs than they allowed. On the other end of the spectrum, the 2004 Cardinals have been the most dominant team of the millennium, outscoring the opposition by a whopping 196 runs. Of course, all that good stuff gets tossed out the window when the postseason begins; actually, it was the Redbirds who got tossed around in the World Series by the Boston Red Sox; a miserable four-game sweep.
Of course, the current 2012 season is still young - just 18.5% complete. Still, the way it has begun is quite remarkable; it seems likely to result in a postseason berth for the Redbirds, barring some unforeseen misfortune. Certainly, if the team maintains its statistical dominance, franchise history will likely be made; quite possibly, leading to a repeat performance of 2011's magic. That would be something.
Come October, it's unlikely the St Louis Cardinals will be flying under anybody's radar.
Naturally, we can't forget all that excitement taking place in the other media hotbed, Southern California (aside from the Pujols Career Decline). Matt Kemp and the Dodgers are tearing up the NL West, and a new ownership group - featuring the one and only Magic Johnson - is firmly in place. I'm not sure how closely Magic has been following his new team this year, but during last week's press conference, an emotional Johnson acted like he was taking over a last place - not a first place - club, when he solemnly vowed, "We'll turn things around here; it may take time, but we'll get it done!" Maybe he meant they'd try to figure out a way to slow Kemp and the boys down to keep the competitive balance intact in the Wild West? Otherwise, I'm not sure what else "may take time"? Nor did I hear anyone bother to inquire what Magic was referring to when he gave his little pep talk.
Other than all that newsworthy stuff going on around the world of MLB, the boring, craggy, Cardinals lead the NL with 39 home runs - five of which were launched Monday night against the D-Backs at Chase Field; (two more were launched on Tuesday night - both by Carlos Beltran, giving him 10 for the season, to go along with 26 RBI) they've now scored a NL-leading 167 runs in 30 games. That's over five and a half runs per game, which raises the obvious question: "Why haven't they won more games?" Maybe they'll pick up the slack as the season moves along.
As one might suspect, the Cardinals also lead the NL in the "big three" offensive saber-metric categories:
BATTING AVERAGE .283 - ON BASE PERCENTAGE .355 - SLUGGING PERCENTAGE .465
Oh yeah, they can also pitch a little bit. Their 3.11 ERA is second best in MLB; batters are only hitting .234 against them (third best in MLB); and their WHIP of 1.11 is second best.
Now you know. The St Louis Cardinals are a pretty good team; a balanced team. The defending World Series champions may have lost a few cogs from last year, but the replacement pieces are working out quite well (the most notable "replacement" - Carlos Beltran - is on a pace to finish the season with 54 home runs and 140 RBIs); arguably better than the originals.
Meanwhile, those high-flying Redbirds are still managing to fly under the radar, and I don't know how they're getting away with it; especially with a MLB-best +70 run differential in the 30 games they've played; an incredible pace; probably an unsustainable pace. At this current rate of domination, the Cardinals would end the season scoring 378 more runs than the opposition (902 to 524). To demonstrate how ridiculous that is, last season the Redbirds only outscored their opposition by a total of 72 runs for the entire year, but it was good enough to reach the postseason.
In franchise history, the largest run differential of a World Series winner occurred in 1944: +282. The narrowest run differential for a World Championship edition was 2006's +19; which is no surprise, since they only won three more regular season games than they lost, before limping into the postseason; yet they managed to win eleven more games to grab their tenth title; didn't they?
To say 2007 was a "down year" is quite an understatement. The returning World Champions were outscored by an embarrassing 104 runs that season; the only season in the current millennium they scored fewer runs than they allowed. On the other end of the spectrum, the 2004 Cardinals have been the most dominant team of the millennium, outscoring the opposition by a whopping 196 runs. Of course, all that good stuff gets tossed out the window when the postseason begins; actually, it was the Redbirds who got tossed around in the World Series by the Boston Red Sox; a miserable four-game sweep.
Of course, the current 2012 season is still young - just 18.5% complete. Still, the way it has begun is quite remarkable; it seems likely to result in a postseason berth for the Redbirds, barring some unforeseen misfortune. Certainly, if the team maintains its statistical dominance, franchise history will likely be made; quite possibly, leading to a repeat performance of 2011's magic. That would be something.
Come October, it's unlikely the St Louis Cardinals will be flying under anybody's radar.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Bobby V & Ozzie G: Masters of Media Disasters
When the Cardinals hired Mike Matheny to take over the managerial helm in the wake of the Tony LaRussa retirement, many baseball analysts criticized the move, citing Matheny's "lack of experience". Many of those same analysts felt the Cardinals missed the boat by not pursuing the charismatic and overly outspoken former MLB manager (Rangers and Mets), Bobby Valentine. After all, he had "experience".
When the volatile and egocentric Bobby V landed in Boston in the wake of the September Red Sox Collapse of '11, many baseball analysts thought it would be a good fit, for some reason. I suppose it seemingly made sense to have a manager who is so comfortable being in the spotlight as Valentine; surely he would handle the media with relative ease and charm, while gaining the respect and admiration of his ballplayers; so they thought.
Of course, Bobby V's dumb move of openly criticizing the struggling Kevin Youkilis on a local Boston television station ("I'm glad he walked twice in yesterday's game, so his on base percentage will be higher than his batting average.") is the hot national story for Monday, April 17; however, it pales in comparison to the uproar created by the antics of the Miami Marlins' volatile and egocentric Hispanic manager, Ozzie Guillen.
In an interview with Time Magazine, the outspoken Guillen came across like the President of the Fidel Castro Fan Club (He "loves" him); a move so blatantly insensitive and dumb, an embarrassed Marlins front office hastily suspended Ozzie for five games. Hooray; I wonder if this is what they had in mind when they hired this babbling jackass to take over the helm for the new-look Marlins - with all their overpriced and mostly over-the-hill free agents?
It seemed like a good fit, eh? Surely, Senior Guillen would charm all those Little Havana residents into supporting this weird-looking, fundamentally ridiculous ball club, playing in that weird-looking, cavernous new ballpark; so they thought.
When Guillen returns from his little five-day vacation on Tuesday, it'll be interesting to see what the reaction of the fans will be to Little Fidel's appearance in the home team's dugout. Will they even care? My guess is, there will be little fan reaction, because there will be little fan attendance. When the season ends, and the Marlins are once again the last place team in the NL East, while hardly anybody bothered to come out to the old ballpark to witness those debacles in person; what will be the fate of Ozzie Guillen?
My guess is both Ozzie and Bobby V will be seeking new employment opportunities for 2013; while their former employers will be going back to the drawing board, trying to find another experienced manager to guide their teams deep into the postseason. Good luck with that.
Meanwhile, back in St Louis, the quietly confident Mike Matheny seems to be adjusting nicely to the challenge of managing in the big leagues. It helps when the manager knows how to communicate with his players by building mutual trust and respect. It helps when the manager avoids making dumb and controversial comments to the media, too. Over the course of Matheny's first year as manager of the World Champion St Louis Cardinals, there are bound to be some tactical mistakes made; moves that will be second-guessed. That comes with the job description; he'll deal with it well; and he'll continue to improve his managerial skills.
When the 2012 season draws to a conclusion, Mike Matheny's "lack of experience" will have proven to be a non-issue. He'll be in St Louis for a long time; his "experienced" counterparts in Boston and Miami won't fare so well, I suspect.
If nothing else, I'm sure both Bobby V and Ozzie G will provide us with a lot of laughs, along the way.
When the volatile and egocentric Bobby V landed in Boston in the wake of the September Red Sox Collapse of '11, many baseball analysts thought it would be a good fit, for some reason. I suppose it seemingly made sense to have a manager who is so comfortable being in the spotlight as Valentine; surely he would handle the media with relative ease and charm, while gaining the respect and admiration of his ballplayers; so they thought.
Of course, Bobby V's dumb move of openly criticizing the struggling Kevin Youkilis on a local Boston television station ("I'm glad he walked twice in yesterday's game, so his on base percentage will be higher than his batting average.") is the hot national story for Monday, April 17; however, it pales in comparison to the uproar created by the antics of the Miami Marlins' volatile and egocentric Hispanic manager, Ozzie Guillen.
In an interview with Time Magazine, the outspoken Guillen came across like the President of the Fidel Castro Fan Club (He "loves" him); a move so blatantly insensitive and dumb, an embarrassed Marlins front office hastily suspended Ozzie for five games. Hooray; I wonder if this is what they had in mind when they hired this babbling jackass to take over the helm for the new-look Marlins - with all their overpriced and mostly over-the-hill free agents?
It seemed like a good fit, eh? Surely, Senior Guillen would charm all those Little Havana residents into supporting this weird-looking, fundamentally ridiculous ball club, playing in that weird-looking, cavernous new ballpark; so they thought.
When Guillen returns from his little five-day vacation on Tuesday, it'll be interesting to see what the reaction of the fans will be to Little Fidel's appearance in the home team's dugout. Will they even care? My guess is, there will be little fan reaction, because there will be little fan attendance. When the season ends, and the Marlins are once again the last place team in the NL East, while hardly anybody bothered to come out to the old ballpark to witness those debacles in person; what will be the fate of Ozzie Guillen?
My guess is both Ozzie and Bobby V will be seeking new employment opportunities for 2013; while their former employers will be going back to the drawing board, trying to find another experienced manager to guide their teams deep into the postseason. Good luck with that.
Meanwhile, back in St Louis, the quietly confident Mike Matheny seems to be adjusting nicely to the challenge of managing in the big leagues. It helps when the manager knows how to communicate with his players by building mutual trust and respect. It helps when the manager avoids making dumb and controversial comments to the media, too. Over the course of Matheny's first year as manager of the World Champion St Louis Cardinals, there are bound to be some tactical mistakes made; moves that will be second-guessed. That comes with the job description; he'll deal with it well; and he'll continue to improve his managerial skills.
When the 2012 season draws to a conclusion, Mike Matheny's "lack of experience" will have proven to be a non-issue. He'll be in St Louis for a long time; his "experienced" counterparts in Boston and Miami won't fare so well, I suspect.
If nothing else, I'm sure both Bobby V and Ozzie G will provide us with a lot of laughs, along the way.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Cardinals Playing Like World Champions
The Cardinals have started the 2012 season looking like a team that just won the World Series; not at all like a team in disarray after losing its best player to free agency, its Hall of Fame-bound manager to retirement and its long-time pitching coach tending to family matters; and whose pitching ace is sidelined for an indefinite period of time with an ailing shoulder, just for good measure.
Indeed, even after the Redbirds captured their eleventh World Championship last fall in historic fashion, many skeptics attributed that to just being "hot" at the right time. So, when Albert Pujols, Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan vacated the premises, it was widely assumed the defending champions would stumble out of the gate, ice-cold, dazed and confused; led by a rookie manager - Mike Matheny - who would surely be overwhelmed by his new role.
Well, that scenario hasn't been on the agenda, and it doesn't seem likely to happen any time soon. The Cardinals are a very good team; maybe even a great team. Certainly, the measure of just how good this team really is depends on how well they navigate through the long 162-game grind, and of course, whether or not they reach the postseason. For this bunch of confident Redbirds who are off to a nice 3-1 start to the new season, reaching the postseason seems to be a foregone conclusion; they won't be satisfied with anything less than another World Championship. Even the most impartial observer would have to say the Cardinals' chances are at least as good as anybody's, at this stage of the game.
Meanwhile, MLB's version of Sweeps Week featured some interesting results:
The Tampa Bay Rays swept a three-game series at home vs the New York Yankees. In the Season Opener, the Rays rallied for two runs in the ninth-inning, as Mariano Rivera blew the save and the game for New York. The aging Yankees have widespread issues, but starting pitching is their biggest concern. Will the formerly-retired Andy Pettitte help bolster the rotation? Don't count on it.
Baltimore's three game sweep of Minnesota was impressive; the O's seem to have some quality starting pitching in that rotation. This could be the year Baltimore escapes the AL East cellar, although I'm not sure if the Yankees or Red Sox are ready to take that spot quite yet; but those appear to be the only candidates for that position in 2012.
Poor Boston. They deserved a better fate than the three-game annihilation at the hands of the Detroit Tigers; however, blowing a three-run lead in the ninth inning is inexcusable; then, allowing the two-run walk-off bomb to Alex Avilla in the 11th-inning must have Bobby V wishing he was still managing in Japan. If the Red Sox don't solve their back-end bullpen woes very soon, this could be another epic nightmare for Boston; a season-long disaster this time.
Poor Atlanta. Apparently, they haven't recovered from their September swoon, either. The New York Mets, with a healthy Johan Santana back in the starting rotation, and a healthy and confident David Wright swinging a hot bat, may be the surprise team coming out of the NL East this season.
Meanwhile, at Chase Field, the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame a six-run deficit to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday to complete a stunning three-game sweep of the 2010 World Champions. The Giants managed to avoid starting the season at 0-4, when Barry Zito, of all people, pitched a four-hit shutout against the Colorado Rockies' - in their Home Opener, no less. This is the first time a Rockies team has ever been shutout in any Home Opener (this was their twentieth); and it was Barry Zito who did it; Barry Zito. It only took six years for that seven-year Zito contract to pay dividends for the Giants.
In other news, both the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs would be 3-0 if their bullpens didn't blow late leads in their first two games of the season; however, they both came away with a Sunday win, and they both appear to have promising arms in the starting rotation. Could this be the year both teams play each other in the World Series? Not with those bullpens!
In the Battle of LA, the upper hand goes to the Dodgers, who just won three out of four games against the Padres in San Diego, while the much-ballyhooed debut of King Albert Pujols of the Angels was a non-event. The KC Royals took two out of three from the Halos in Disneyland, as Albert's bat was a bit dormant. So far, his only RBI of the 2012 season came on an infield ground-out in Sunday's loss to the Royals.
At this stage of the 2012 season, David Freese has driven in eight times (updated) more runs than the $240 Million Man. With teammate Rafael Furcal off to a sizzling start, it's no wonder Freese and Company are getting a lot of RBI opportunities. Despite being shutout in their one loss, the Cards have averaged six runs per game, and hope to improve on that average as they begin a crucial three-game series in Cincinnati.
UPDATE: The Cardinals did improve that six runs per game average (to 6.2), by scoring seven times in their easy win over Cincinnati, 7-1. The Redbirds jumped on Reds pitcher Homer Bailey for four first-inning runs, featuring three "homers" by Matt Holliday, David Freese (two-run job), and Yadier Molina.
One final observation: Less than 17,000 fans were in attendance at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati for the big showdown between the hometown Reds and the World Champion Cardinals. That seems unusually low, in light of the fact that the Reds have won a few games in the early going, including an exciting comeback win over the Marlins on Sunday, and particularly, in light of the front office locking in their big-time slugger, Joey Votto, essentially forever. Apparently, the fans aren't buying the notion that the Reds are legitimate contenders; or, they had a bad feeling about that game with "Homer" pitching?
Game two of the three-game series with the listless Reds featured another outstanding pitching performance from Kyle Lohse (2-0) and more long-ball from the heart of the Cardinal lineup; Carlos Beltran's solo first-inning blast (3) gave St Louis a quick 1-0 lead; David Freese's opposite-field shot (3) in the sixth-inning with Lance Berkman on base, padded the lead to 3-1, and that's how it ended. The Road Warrior Redbirds are now 5-1 on the young season, and now have hit eleven home runs as a team; they're looking forward to their Friday Home Opener, although playing on the road doesn't seem to bother them at all. This is a confident team, and it shows; they know they're good, and seem intent on letting the baseball world know they're for real.
They're certainly convincing folks from Miami to Milwaukee, and over to Cincinnati of that fact; in convincing fashion. Hopefully, the Redbirds will complete the three-game sweep of the Reds on Wednesday, and continue their red-hot play when they finally get to play in front of the home crowd. I know there are thousands of fans who can hardly wait to welcome their heroes home; they'll get their chance on Friday.
Meanwhile, MLB's version of Sweeps Week featured some interesting results:
The Tampa Bay Rays swept a three-game series at home vs the New York Yankees. In the Season Opener, the Rays rallied for two runs in the ninth-inning, as Mariano Rivera blew the save and the game for New York. The aging Yankees have widespread issues, but starting pitching is their biggest concern. Will the formerly-retired Andy Pettitte help bolster the rotation? Don't count on it.
Baltimore's three game sweep of Minnesota was impressive; the O's seem to have some quality starting pitching in that rotation. This could be the year Baltimore escapes the AL East cellar, although I'm not sure if the Yankees or Red Sox are ready to take that spot quite yet; but those appear to be the only candidates for that position in 2012.
Poor Boston. They deserved a better fate than the three-game annihilation at the hands of the Detroit Tigers; however, blowing a three-run lead in the ninth inning is inexcusable; then, allowing the two-run walk-off bomb to Alex Avilla in the 11th-inning must have Bobby V wishing he was still managing in Japan. If the Red Sox don't solve their back-end bullpen woes very soon, this could be another epic nightmare for Boston; a season-long disaster this time.
Poor Atlanta. Apparently, they haven't recovered from their September swoon, either. The New York Mets, with a healthy Johan Santana back in the starting rotation, and a healthy and confident David Wright swinging a hot bat, may be the surprise team coming out of the NL East this season.
Meanwhile, at Chase Field, the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame a six-run deficit to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday to complete a stunning three-game sweep of the 2010 World Champions. The Giants managed to avoid starting the season at 0-4, when Barry Zito, of all people, pitched a four-hit shutout against the Colorado Rockies' - in their Home Opener, no less. This is the first time a Rockies team has ever been shutout in any Home Opener (this was their twentieth); and it was Barry Zito who did it; Barry Zito. It only took six years for that seven-year Zito contract to pay dividends for the Giants.
In other news, both the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs would be 3-0 if their bullpens didn't blow late leads in their first two games of the season; however, they both came away with a Sunday win, and they both appear to have promising arms in the starting rotation. Could this be the year both teams play each other in the World Series? Not with those bullpens!
In the Battle of LA, the upper hand goes to the Dodgers, who just won three out of four games against the Padres in San Diego, while the much-ballyhooed debut of King Albert Pujols of the Angels was a non-event. The KC Royals took two out of three from the Halos in Disneyland, as Albert's bat was a bit dormant. So far, his only RBI of the 2012 season came on an infield ground-out in Sunday's loss to the Royals.
At this stage of the 2012 season, David Freese has driven in eight times (updated) more runs than the $240 Million Man. With teammate Rafael Furcal off to a sizzling start, it's no wonder Freese and Company are getting a lot of RBI opportunities. Despite being shutout in their one loss, the Cards have averaged six runs per game, and hope to improve on that average as they begin a crucial three-game series in Cincinnati.
UPDATE: The Cardinals did improve that six runs per game average (to 6.2), by scoring seven times in their easy win over Cincinnati, 7-1. The Redbirds jumped on Reds pitcher Homer Bailey for four first-inning runs, featuring three "homers" by Matt Holliday, David Freese (two-run job), and Yadier Molina.
One final observation: Less than 17,000 fans were in attendance at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati for the big showdown between the hometown Reds and the World Champion Cardinals. That seems unusually low, in light of the fact that the Reds have won a few games in the early going, including an exciting comeback win over the Marlins on Sunday, and particularly, in light of the front office locking in their big-time slugger, Joey Votto, essentially forever. Apparently, the fans aren't buying the notion that the Reds are legitimate contenders; or, they had a bad feeling about that game with "Homer" pitching?
Game two of the three-game series with the listless Reds featured another outstanding pitching performance from Kyle Lohse (2-0) and more long-ball from the heart of the Cardinal lineup; Carlos Beltran's solo first-inning blast (3) gave St Louis a quick 1-0 lead; David Freese's opposite-field shot (3) in the sixth-inning with Lance Berkman on base, padded the lead to 3-1, and that's how it ended. The Road Warrior Redbirds are now 5-1 on the young season, and now have hit eleven home runs as a team; they're looking forward to their Friday Home Opener, although playing on the road doesn't seem to bother them at all. This is a confident team, and it shows; they know they're good, and seem intent on letting the baseball world know they're for real.
They're certainly convincing folks from Miami to Milwaukee, and over to Cincinnati of that fact; in convincing fashion. Hopefully, the Redbirds will complete the three-game sweep of the Reds on Wednesday, and continue their red-hot play when they finally get to play in front of the home crowd. I know there are thousands of fans who can hardly wait to welcome their heroes home; they'll get their chance on Friday.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Is Curt Schilling Hall of Fame Material?
A couple of notable players from baseball's Steroids Era - Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens - were at one time considered to be sure-fire-first-ballot Hall of Fame shoe-ins. Next year, their body of work (no pun intended) will be scrutinized by Cooperstown's Hall of Fame voters for the first time, as 2013 marks their first year of eligibility.
Of course, we all know there's no way Bonds nor Clemens stand a chance of sliding into Cooperstown any time soon; certainly not on that first ballot. Despite their remarkable career achievements, Barry and Roger are perceived to be two surly Poster Children for Performance Enhancing Drugs. In time, the voters will gradually parole the pair for their Crimes Against Baseball; after all, both performed at Hall of Fame standards for the bulk of their careers (no pun intended), without the juice. Had their careers ended the day before they began their performance enhancing regimen, they would already be enshrined, and I wouldn't have used this segue to examine the Hall of Fame credentials for Curt Schilling - a former right-handed pitcher who toiled for twenty major league seasons* (and has never been linked to performance enhancing drugs).
*Note: Although Schilling spent the first three years of his major league career with the Baltimore Orioles (1988-90), he is still credited with playing for a "major league team" (technically).
Curt Schilling was actually drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the January, 1986 amateur draft. After signing his first professional contract with those Bambino Cursed Bo-Sox on May 30, 1986, the young Schilling no doubt dreamed of joining a rotation featuring the aforementioned Roger Clemens; on a star-studded roster boasting other talented players such as Wade Boggs, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, and Bill Buckner (the pre-World Series goat version).
Somehow, Schilling's dream job in Boston took a detour; by the time the hard throwing right-hander was given his shot in The Show late in the '88 season - it was with the hapless Orioles, working out of their hapless bullpen. Schilling's career seemed destined only for obscurity; by the time he was dealt to the Houston Astros after the 1990 season, Schilling had a lifetime 1-6 record, with three saves (only 600 behind Mariano Rivera's current total). He spent the entire '91 season working out of Houston's bullpen, notching eight saves in 56 appearances, with a so-so 3.81 ERA.
Schilling's next stop was to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1992, where he was gradually worked into the starting rotation, and flourished, on a team that floundered all season long; winning 14 games with an impressive 2.35 ERA and NL best 0.990 WHIP, Schilling was now a rising star.
The following season - 1993 - the Phillies shocked the baseball world by rising to the top of the National League, en route to their first World Series engagement in a decade; Schilling pitched well in one World Series outing vs the defending champion Toronto Blue Jays, and not so well in the other, posting a 1-1 record with a 3.52 ERA; Philly fell to Toronto in six games, highlighted by Joe Carter's dramatic 9th-inning World Series-winning home run off Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams in Game Six. Philadelphia would have to wait until 2008 to make it all the way back to the Fall Classic; beating Tampa Bay's Rays in convincing fashion - four games to one. Of course, Toronto has long been trying to figure out a way to once again get past the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays; oh my; in its quest to grab Title Number Three.
Meanwhile, Curt Schilling would spend the rest of the '90s pitching well enough, when healthy; but was frequently frustrated by arm troubles, and even more frustrated by his team's inability to reach the post season again. The Atlanta Braves - the National League's Team of the Nineties - virtually owned the East; reaching the post season in Philadelphia simply wasn't going to happen, so Schilling lobbied for a change of venue, which was granted mid-way through the 2000 season. Next stop: The Arizona Diamondbacks.
Schilling's move to the Arizona desert was a fortuitous one; teaming up with the incredible Randy Johnson in 2001 to form one of the most imposing "one-two" pitching tandems in baseball history, the D-Backs captured their first National League pennant, then prevailed over the vaunted New York Yankees in a truly classic Seven Game World Series, as Johnson and Schilling were fittingly named co-MVPs. Curt pitched brilliantly for Arizona in his three World Series starts (1.69 ERA), winning once and getting a no-decision twice.
Schilling's regular season work in '01 was superb, finishing second in the NL Cy Young Award voting to - who else? - Randy Johnson. While Johnson's ERA was roughly half a run lower than Schilling's that season, Curt actually led the league in wins (22), games started (35), complete games (6), and innings pitched (256.2). On top of all that, Schilling's strikeout to walk ratio (7.51) was the best in baseball; a feat he would accomplish in four consecutive seasons.
While his regular season accomplishments are noteworthy, they may fall just a bit short in the voter's eyes when it comes to Cooperstown consideration:
216 wins - 146 losses (.597 winning percentage)
3.46 ERA
3116 strikeouts
128 ERA+
1.137 WHIP
Major League Baseball Network analyst Mitch Williams - a former teammate of Schilling's - contends that Schilling's 216 regular season wins during his 20-year big league career doesn't cut the mustard: "He only averaged about 10 wins per season!" According to the "Wild Thing", a player's post season accomplishments are meaningless; the only "true measurement" of a player's value is derived from regular season play: "It's not the Hall of Post Season Fame", is Williams' perplexing concluding argument in his case against Curt Schilling's Cooperstown credentials.
It should be noted that a line drive once smacked off the "Wild Thing's" skull during one of his (unsuccessful) relief appearances, back in the day. The only reason I know this is because Mitch has proudly repeated this story numerous times on the air, claiming no long-lasting ill-effects from the head whacking. I'm not so sure about that; better get that noggin x-ray-ed again, Mitch; I think they missed something that first time around, old bean.
Perhaps a player's post season accomplishments have no "Hall of Fame" value when they don't help his team win post season games (for example, Game Six of the '93 World Series). However, when a player performs at astounding levels during the post season, helping his team win not one, but three World Championships in seven years; that should count for something. Bonus points should be awarded for helping one of his teams break an 86-year old curse one year, then helping them win the whole she-bang three short years later.
In essence, playing a huge role in a team's successful World Championship run is what matters the most. Repeating that magic on three separate occasions is the stuff of legends. Curt Schilling was at his best when the games mattered the most - on baseball's grandest stage. He was on the winning side in three out of four World Series showdowns. Without his contributions, it is highly unlikely any of those teams would have even made it into the post season; let alone win it all.
In case anyone has forgotten, here's how Curt Schilling performed during his post season career:
11 wins - 2 losses (.846 winning percentage)
2.23 ERA
0.968 WHIP
In seven World Series starts, Schilling was 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA and 0.896 WHIP.
Curt Schilling belongs in the Hall of Fame. Anyone who thinks otherwise, should have their head examined.
Of course, we all know there's no way Bonds nor Clemens stand a chance of sliding into Cooperstown any time soon; certainly not on that first ballot. Despite their remarkable career achievements, Barry and Roger are perceived to be two surly Poster Children for Performance Enhancing Drugs. In time, the voters will gradually parole the pair for their Crimes Against Baseball; after all, both performed at Hall of Fame standards for the bulk of their careers (no pun intended), without the juice. Had their careers ended the day before they began their performance enhancing regimen, they would already be enshrined, and I wouldn't have used this segue to examine the Hall of Fame credentials for Curt Schilling - a former right-handed pitcher who toiled for twenty major league seasons* (and has never been linked to performance enhancing drugs).
*Note: Although Schilling spent the first three years of his major league career with the Baltimore Orioles (1988-90), he is still credited with playing for a "major league team" (technically).
Curt Schilling was actually drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the January, 1986 amateur draft. After signing his first professional contract with those Bambino Cursed Bo-Sox on May 30, 1986, the young Schilling no doubt dreamed of joining a rotation featuring the aforementioned Roger Clemens; on a star-studded roster boasting other talented players such as Wade Boggs, Dwight Evans, Jim Rice, and Bill Buckner (the pre-World Series goat version).
Somehow, Schilling's dream job in Boston took a detour; by the time the hard throwing right-hander was given his shot in The Show late in the '88 season - it was with the hapless Orioles, working out of their hapless bullpen. Schilling's career seemed destined only for obscurity; by the time he was dealt to the Houston Astros after the 1990 season, Schilling had a lifetime 1-6 record, with three saves (only 600 behind Mariano Rivera's current total). He spent the entire '91 season working out of Houston's bullpen, notching eight saves in 56 appearances, with a so-so 3.81 ERA.
Schilling's next stop was to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1992, where he was gradually worked into the starting rotation, and flourished, on a team that floundered all season long; winning 14 games with an impressive 2.35 ERA and NL best 0.990 WHIP, Schilling was now a rising star.
The following season - 1993 - the Phillies shocked the baseball world by rising to the top of the National League, en route to their first World Series engagement in a decade; Schilling pitched well in one World Series outing vs the defending champion Toronto Blue Jays, and not so well in the other, posting a 1-1 record with a 3.52 ERA; Philly fell to Toronto in six games, highlighted by Joe Carter's dramatic 9th-inning World Series-winning home run off Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams in Game Six. Philadelphia would have to wait until 2008 to make it all the way back to the Fall Classic; beating Tampa Bay's Rays in convincing fashion - four games to one. Of course, Toronto has long been trying to figure out a way to once again get past the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays; oh my; in its quest to grab Title Number Three.
Meanwhile, Curt Schilling would spend the rest of the '90s pitching well enough, when healthy; but was frequently frustrated by arm troubles, and even more frustrated by his team's inability to reach the post season again. The Atlanta Braves - the National League's Team of the Nineties - virtually owned the East; reaching the post season in Philadelphia simply wasn't going to happen, so Schilling lobbied for a change of venue, which was granted mid-way through the 2000 season. Next stop: The Arizona Diamondbacks.
Schilling's move to the Arizona desert was a fortuitous one; teaming up with the incredible Randy Johnson in 2001 to form one of the most imposing "one-two" pitching tandems in baseball history, the D-Backs captured their first National League pennant, then prevailed over the vaunted New York Yankees in a truly classic Seven Game World Series, as Johnson and Schilling were fittingly named co-MVPs. Curt pitched brilliantly for Arizona in his three World Series starts (1.69 ERA), winning once and getting a no-decision twice.
Schilling's regular season work in '01 was superb, finishing second in the NL Cy Young Award voting to - who else? - Randy Johnson. While Johnson's ERA was roughly half a run lower than Schilling's that season, Curt actually led the league in wins (22), games started (35), complete games (6), and innings pitched (256.2). On top of all that, Schilling's strikeout to walk ratio (7.51) was the best in baseball; a feat he would accomplish in four consecutive seasons.
While his regular season accomplishments are noteworthy, they may fall just a bit short in the voter's eyes when it comes to Cooperstown consideration:
216 wins - 146 losses (.597 winning percentage)
3.46 ERA
3116 strikeouts
128 ERA+
1.137 WHIP
Major League Baseball Network analyst Mitch Williams - a former teammate of Schilling's - contends that Schilling's 216 regular season wins during his 20-year big league career doesn't cut the mustard: "He only averaged about 10 wins per season!" According to the "Wild Thing", a player's post season accomplishments are meaningless; the only "true measurement" of a player's value is derived from regular season play: "It's not the Hall of Post Season Fame", is Williams' perplexing concluding argument in his case against Curt Schilling's Cooperstown credentials.
It should be noted that a line drive once smacked off the "Wild Thing's" skull during one of his (unsuccessful) relief appearances, back in the day. The only reason I know this is because Mitch has proudly repeated this story numerous times on the air, claiming no long-lasting ill-effects from the head whacking. I'm not so sure about that; better get that noggin x-ray-ed again, Mitch; I think they missed something that first time around, old bean.
Perhaps a player's post season accomplishments have no "Hall of Fame" value when they don't help his team win post season games (for example, Game Six of the '93 World Series). However, when a player performs at astounding levels during the post season, helping his team win not one, but three World Championships in seven years; that should count for something. Bonus points should be awarded for helping one of his teams break an 86-year old curse one year, then helping them win the whole she-bang three short years later.
In essence, playing a huge role in a team's successful World Championship run is what matters the most. Repeating that magic on three separate occasions is the stuff of legends. Curt Schilling was at his best when the games mattered the most - on baseball's grandest stage. He was on the winning side in three out of four World Series showdowns. Without his contributions, it is highly unlikely any of those teams would have even made it into the post season; let alone win it all.
In case anyone has forgotten, here's how Curt Schilling performed during his post season career:
11 wins - 2 losses (.846 winning percentage)
2.23 ERA
0.968 WHIP
In seven World Series starts, Schilling was 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA and 0.896 WHIP.
Curt Schilling belongs in the Hall of Fame. Anyone who thinks otherwise, should have their head examined.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Surprising Predictions for 2012
Baseball has a history of unpredictability. Over the course of a 162 game schedule, anything can (and usually does) happen; injuries to key players can doom a team expected to play deep into the post season. Last year's defending World Champion San Francisco Giants, for example, were knocked out of the box by the end of May when they lost catcher Buster Posey with a season-ending knee injury. The fact that Posey got hurt was unfortunate and unpredictable; the fact that the Giants failed to reach the post season was not at all surprising, however.
On the other hand, when the St Louis Cardinals lost the ace of their pitching staff, Adam Wainwright, to season-ending Tommy John surgery before the 2011 season even began, the Redbirds were automatically counted out (by the "experts") for any realistic chance of post season play. Winning the World Series seemed about as likely as winning the lottery.
The Philadelphia Phillies were considered the best team to come out of the National League, and with 102 regular season wins, they were indeed the class of the Senior Circuit. However, we all know that anything can happen in the post season; including getting bounced after the first round. Nobody expected the Phillies to lose that NLDS to the long-shot Cardinals. Nobody.
And nobody expected the Boston Red Sox to fold up like a cheap tent last September, and not even reach the post season as the wild card. They were widely considered to be the best team in the American League; the team most likely to beat Philadelphia in the World Series; or maybe Atlanta; or maybe San Francisco.
There were many other surprises in baseball last season. Teams that looked good in the 2011 preseason (according to many "experts"), included such dismal failures as the Colorado Rockies, the San Diego Padres, the Cincinnati Reds, the Oakland A's, the Chicago White Sox, and the Minnesota Twins. None of these teams even finished above .500, let alone competed for a division title.
Of course, there were pleasant surprises, too. Aside from Kirk Gibson and his young team of over-achievers, nobody gave the Arizona Diamondbacks any chance of competing in the National League West last season; but, compete they did, easily winning the division title over defending World Series champion, San Francisco.
Even last year's runaway American League Central champion Detroit Tigers weren't expected to do what they did. Now, they seem to be a "lock" to not only repeat as division champions; many expect them to win the next World Series, after adding the huge bat (and body) of Prince Fielder to their lineup. We'll see.
I think 2012 will continue the trend of unpredictability; at least to a certain degree. Here's what I foresee:
NO REPEAT DIVISION CHAMPIONS - That's right. The American League East no longer belongs to the Yankees; same goes with the American League West, as Texas stumbles in 2012, still hung-over from their World Series disaster at the hands of St Louis. Even the Tigers will take a step back in 2012; unable to fit the newly acquired Prince Fielder into the mix. Moving Miguel Cabrera to third base will be the biggest disaster to hit Detroit since the Ford Pinto.
In the National League, five-time defending champion Philadelphia will find much more competition in the East; more than they can handle. The Central champs - the Milwaukee Brewers, will fade into obscurity after losing Fielder to the Tigers; even with Ryan Braun winning his appeal and not facing that 50 game suspension; their pitching, which looked shaky in the '11 post season, will be even shakier in 2012. Alas, in the West, the Diamondbacks will fail to repeat their 2011 magic, although they will put up a good fight until the very end.
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
AL - EAST: Boston - Pitching will improve; offense still very good
AL - CENTRAL: Cleveland - The magic will be back at Progressive Field
AL - WEST: LA/Anaheim - Relaxed Pujols will have a monster year
WILD CARD: Texas - Yu Darvish will solidify the pitching staff
WILD CARD #2: Tampa Bay - Enough pitching and timely hitting to sneak in again
NL - EAST: Atlanta - Healthy rotation and a great bullpen spells relief
NL - CENTRAL: St Louis - Albert will be missed; but lineup will stay healthy and be productive
NL - WEST: LA - Kershaw and Kemp will continue the momentum from last year
WILD CARD: Washington - Strasburg emerges as baseball's new best pitcher
WILD CARD #2: Arizona - Still good enough to sneak in
Who will win it all in 2012? I'll let you know at the end of September. However, if my prognostication is as accurate as the vast number of last year's experts, the ultimate World Series champion will no doubt come from the other twenty teams not included here...That's baseball; always giving us surprises every year!
On the other hand, when the St Louis Cardinals lost the ace of their pitching staff, Adam Wainwright, to season-ending Tommy John surgery before the 2011 season even began, the Redbirds were automatically counted out (by the "experts") for any realistic chance of post season play. Winning the World Series seemed about as likely as winning the lottery.
The Philadelphia Phillies were considered the best team to come out of the National League, and with 102 regular season wins, they were indeed the class of the Senior Circuit. However, we all know that anything can happen in the post season; including getting bounced after the first round. Nobody expected the Phillies to lose that NLDS to the long-shot Cardinals. Nobody.
And nobody expected the Boston Red Sox to fold up like a cheap tent last September, and not even reach the post season as the wild card. They were widely considered to be the best team in the American League; the team most likely to beat Philadelphia in the World Series; or maybe Atlanta; or maybe San Francisco.
There were many other surprises in baseball last season. Teams that looked good in the 2011 preseason (according to many "experts"), included such dismal failures as the Colorado Rockies, the San Diego Padres, the Cincinnati Reds, the Oakland A's, the Chicago White Sox, and the Minnesota Twins. None of these teams even finished above .500, let alone competed for a division title.
Of course, there were pleasant surprises, too. Aside from Kirk Gibson and his young team of over-achievers, nobody gave the Arizona Diamondbacks any chance of competing in the National League West last season; but, compete they did, easily winning the division title over defending World Series champion, San Francisco.
Even last year's runaway American League Central champion Detroit Tigers weren't expected to do what they did. Now, they seem to be a "lock" to not only repeat as division champions; many expect them to win the next World Series, after adding the huge bat (and body) of Prince Fielder to their lineup. We'll see.
I think 2012 will continue the trend of unpredictability; at least to a certain degree. Here's what I foresee:
NO REPEAT DIVISION CHAMPIONS - That's right. The American League East no longer belongs to the Yankees; same goes with the American League West, as Texas stumbles in 2012, still hung-over from their World Series disaster at the hands of St Louis. Even the Tigers will take a step back in 2012; unable to fit the newly acquired Prince Fielder into the mix. Moving Miguel Cabrera to third base will be the biggest disaster to hit Detroit since the Ford Pinto.
In the National League, five-time defending champion Philadelphia will find much more competition in the East; more than they can handle. The Central champs - the Milwaukee Brewers, will fade into obscurity after losing Fielder to the Tigers; even with Ryan Braun winning his appeal and not facing that 50 game suspension; their pitching, which looked shaky in the '11 post season, will be even shakier in 2012. Alas, in the West, the Diamondbacks will fail to repeat their 2011 magic, although they will put up a good fight until the very end.
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
AL - EAST: Boston - Pitching will improve; offense still very good
AL - CENTRAL: Cleveland - The magic will be back at Progressive Field
AL - WEST: LA/Anaheim - Relaxed Pujols will have a monster year
WILD CARD: Texas - Yu Darvish will solidify the pitching staff
WILD CARD #2: Tampa Bay - Enough pitching and timely hitting to sneak in again
NL - EAST: Atlanta - Healthy rotation and a great bullpen spells relief
NL - CENTRAL: St Louis - Albert will be missed; but lineup will stay healthy and be productive
NL - WEST: LA - Kershaw and Kemp will continue the momentum from last year
WILD CARD: Washington - Strasburg emerges as baseball's new best pitcher
WILD CARD #2: Arizona - Still good enough to sneak in
Who will win it all in 2012? I'll let you know at the end of September. However, if my prognostication is as accurate as the vast number of last year's experts, the ultimate World Series champion will no doubt come from the other twenty teams not included here...That's baseball; always giving us surprises every year!
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