October 2: Pirates @ Cardinals
Jenifer Langosch/MLB.com
Records: Cardinals (85-76, -17.5 in NL Central), Pirates (78-82, -24.0 in NL Central)
Wild Card: Mets (+1.0), Giants, Cardinals (-1.0)
First pitch: 2:15 pm CT
TV/Radio: Fox Sports Midwest, 1120 KMOX
Cardinals lineup: Matt Carpenter (1B), Aledmys Diaz (SS), Yadier Molina (C), Stephen Piscotty (RF), Jhonny Peralta (3B), Brandon Moss (LF), Jedd Gyorko (2B), Randal Grichuk (CF), Adam Wainwright (RHP)
Pirates lineup: TBA
Transactions: None
Reading material:
- The Cardinals’ bullpen saved the day with eight scoreless innings on Saturday (link)
- Game recap from the Cardinals’ 4-3 win over the Pirates on Saturday (link)
- From a part-time role to a 30-homer player, Jedd Gyorko has emerged as an impact player for the Cardinals this season (link)
- Matt Holliday, on his farewell to the organization and his future (link)
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By Gosh, It's Langosch 
Well that’s all she wrote. I am glad that the fans treated Matt so well. The season ends on disappointment from missed chances early in the year. The announcers finally acknowledged the defense, base running and missed RISPs that cost a few close games. They did not acknowledge the mistakes by MM re player use and strategy or MO re player transfers (Pena for Fryer etc).
If we scroll back on the season of our comments here we see so many of those missed chances. It will take time to sort through what to do but it will need to be a much more successful off-season than last to make a difference. And also they will need a new managerial strategy now that the Cubs are poised, like Dodgers or Yankees, to use their money freely to dominate the division in most seasons.
April 3rd 2017 at Home vs. the Cubs.
Will they be the WS champion cubs by then? Or will they fall short again?
Yep. It was great to see Holliday’s send-off was what it was. Very moving.
And nobody’s gonna’ probably critique MM. It’s too difficult to assess how Mo & DeWitt’s opinions influence his decisions. Some of MM’s calls may have been at the firm direction of “management”.
It’ll sure be interesting to see if the Baby Bears actually win the WS. At least, us Cards’ fans have the curiosity to keep watching.
I personally think it’ll be fun to have the 2017 opening game be at home vs the Cubs.
I wonder if Lance Lynn will be in the 2017 starting rotation. That’d leave Leake or someone else to round out the 5.
Well the sting of the end of the season was helped a bit here by Canada’s triumph in the World Cup of Hockey, lead by two players from my home town (an unusual honor for such a small city).
As for baseball, I will jump on the national bandwagon with the Jays but will watch more sparingly if they go out. There should be some good series ahead though. Then the hot stove speculation will step up too.
I believe all 3 players that scored were Bruins?
They only scored 2 goals in last minutes of the final game both by Bruins. One by Brad Marchand of nearby Hammonds Plains, the other by Patrice Bergeron set up by Sidney Crosby, from Cole Harbour, who also lead the team as captain and top point getter all tournament.
Didn’t Chara also score for the other team? That would make it all Bruins.
Yes I only counted for our side but you are correct.
Back to Baseball. As Haley pointed out about teams like the Cubs and Yankees as up and comers. What do they have and/or what have they done to be in the positions they’re in? I think its obvious, but does Mo and Cardinal management?
Just create in your minds a check list comparing the Cubs to the Cardinals. Use the following categories
GMs
Managers
Starting Pitching
Bull Pens
Offense/Power
Offense/OBAve.
Defense:
infield
outfield
Bench Depth
Minor League help
Others Category: (this could include base running, holding runners on, or create one of your own)
Based on the above list, I have the Cards checked off in only two areas. Off/Power and minor league potential help. Which is always potential; not a real thing.
This gives a real prospective of how far we’ve fallen behind. (17.5 games worth )
This also seems essentially correct though I do not know the Cubs minor league situation well enough to assess that Cardinal strength. We may still be slightly ahead at catcher with knowledge and managing pitchers (and Yadi had a great offensive season too) but their up and coming catcher is better than our future at the position.
One position does not make a defense. Yadi did have a very good year, but if he falls off like Waino, for example, we become even worst off.
It is rarely as focused and trolless as this group but the comments on the main team page are not too bad today:
http://m.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article/204707868/cards-miss-playoffs-for-first-time-since-2010/
Cards fans see the problems too. The question is does management? Next season will be interesting. Do the Cards add what they need or stand pat for another 85/86 win season and chance missing the playoffs again? The off season activity or lack there of will tell us their plan. Pitching FA are few and far between so OVER paying maybe an issue. And adding a big time outfielder and moving someone to 1B will also be exspendsive. There are no 1B worth it, FA wise, unless they trade for him.
Get out your crystal balls people????????
You might find Mo’s comments interesting in yesterday’s interview. Maybe click on Derrick Goold too, if you have the time. Both are approx 15 minutes long, so you know. http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/audio/sports-open-line/
Lotsa’ local chatter of late, that without Oquendo….the team’s fundamentals have suffered. Duh. Today, Mo officially announced that they’d be keeping Jose on the payroll, but left down in Fla, coaching the minors. The announcement CLEARLY Mo’s best effort to respond to the fans’ outcry.
However, there ARE some who suspect that Mo & DeWitt may make Oquendo a big-time offer later in the off-season, to come back to the bigs.
From an article I just read, it appears that the Cards want to try to keep Wacha as a starter. But it may depend on the gym. Sounds like they want him to try some heavier weight-lifting in order to protect the one shoulder-blade that seems to act up off & on. Maybe they’ll hire Holliday as their weight-trainer?
Incidentally, Dave…there’s also been a bunch of local talk that the Birds should at least try to take a shot at yer’ boy, Pollock during the off-season….IF possible. : )
Hadn’t heard that. Don’t tease Haley I’ll get depressed.
Oquendo should be the coach.
More athletic means Adams is gone, so too Moss.
What do you mean by “athletic = gone”?
Just heard DeWitt interviewed. Maybe I’m wrong, but it sorta’ seemed like the guy interviewing him was trying to see how much DeWitt would say “we” as opposed to “they” (meaning Mo & MM). I’m thinking managing decisions are seldom MM’s sole call.
I said athletic because it was the word Mo used to improve the team. Adams and Moss don’t seem to fit that role, so maybe they’ll be moved.
Pollock would truly be a major athletic upgrade.
I forgot one other comment. In the MO interview, he said, “As for Leake? He was pretty much as advertised”. Really? I don’t think so. Trading Leake if at all possible, by the way…HAS been brought up by several talking heads recently.
After watching the games thus far. It looks like a Chicago vs. Cleveland WS.
Jays bats are hot – pitching has held fairly well though with concern now about Liriano and Osuna. They could have enough to get by Cleveland to WS. Cubs still look to be the most complete squad though.
Rereading Mo’s comments. I don’t think he really gets the fact that we need to make up 17 games. Just getting more athletic won’t cut it.
Backes two goals in debut
Here is a link to revive our Redbird spirits in the off-season doldrums: http://deadspin.com/10-years-ago-today-carlos-beltran-didnt-swing-1787979716