M is for Victory

The guy on the right pulled out his Cubbies "W" flag before the sixth inning was done on Sunday.

After several Cards fans helping explain that the game wasn't over until the 27th out, he finally was right to celebrate when the Scrubs closed out the victory three innings later.

From Birds, Bat, BaseballTM

Too bad this isn't a common practice for the Small Bears...might have made a nice picture...

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Who needs pitching?

With another dozen runs on the board today, the bashin' Redbirds took their seventh straight home victory and Win No. 11 overall on the young season.

The pitching staff suffered another bad day, including a scare for Kyle Lohse, who will have his knee examined after feeling a pop in the 5th inning. In the post-game press conference, the skipper sounded optimistic Kyle would take his next turn as scheduled...

But who needs pitching, anyway?

Through the first 16 games of the season, just a hair under 10% on the books, the Cardinals lead the Majors in batting average and sit in the Top 5 for all other major offensive categories.

With the newly-stached Rick Ankiel heating up as Brian Barden and Joe Thurston fall back to Earth, and Ryan Ludwick and Yadier Molina proving they're more than one-year wonders, we're starting to see what kind of club this is going to be.

In 16 games, the 'Birds have tallied 100 runs. That's a 6.25 runs per game clip, also good enough for tops in baseball.

Projected over a full season, this team is on pace to surmount the elusive 1,000-run plateau.

And it's not like the pitching staff has been worthless. Considering we've lost Chris Carpenter and the completely reshuffled bullpen, the 4.375 runs allowed per game is tolerable.

Push that average out to 162 games, and you've got a season-ending run differential of about 300 runs.

What's the math mean?

Run differential isn't an end-all and be-all stat, but it certainly has to inspire some early confidence in a club that was picked by many to finish in the lower half of the National League Central.

Estimates using the runs scored and runs allowed figures to come up with a record for the year put us in the 108-win/.671 win percentage range today. That's an ungodly large number. For perspective, the 2004 MV3 juggernaut season netted 105 regular season wins.

We can't ignore the small sample size, and it's hard to imagine this club keeping up these trends while shuffling so many untested arms into the rotation.

Historically, only a handful of teams have topped 1,000 runs scored in a season.

But how can you not like our chances after this start?

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Miss me?

Since last I wrote, there have been some happenings in my life worth mention:

• Falling in love.
• Biggest pay raise of my professional career.
• Recording my first original solo track.
• Watching my heart stand in for a yo-yo.
• Pay cut twice the size of the raise I was promised [insurance company, if you didn't remember (R.I.P.F.J.M)].
• Not making the top 12, or even 13, of American Idol.

God damn you, Anoop!!

I'd be negligent not to mention the baseball season started two weeks ago, and because of the aforementioned issues, I haven't chimed in on anything from our first-place (10-5) club's strong offense to its anxiety-inducing pitching staff.

A few quick thoughts, and I'll let you get back to whatever it is you found to fill the hole I left in your hearts. I think:

• The Cubs aren't as good as they're paying for, and besides them, no one else in this division is as good as we are, even with our pitching in distress. The Small Bears are still the favorites but aren't going to run away with this.
• We're not as good as we've been so far. Barden and Thurston aren't going combine to hit .450 all year, and while Yadi's long-promised offense may have officially arrived last year, he's not going to lead the league at his position the rest of the way. The offense we can reasonably expect to be there should be plenty to compete.
• Every game this year has been entertaining. Maybe, it's the kids. Maybe, it's the journeymen getting another chance at the dream. Maybe, it's the fact that Carp got everyone so fired up about our chances. But no matter the reason, they compete, and they don't look like a team that will put up with anything less than 100% effort every game.

These things get me excited.

This weekend, I make my first visit to Busch Stadium in almost two years. The greatest rivalry in the game, and the forecast is for sun and 80-plus degrees.

Well, I'm back so maybe you already put the pieces together, but the string finally snapped on that yo-yo.

Probably be seeing a little more of you...

Go 'Birds!

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Leading off - Feb. 2

As noted last week, along with being Groundhog’s Day, today is also the birthday shared by Red Schoendienst and John Tudor.

I celebrate your day by ignoring this stupid varmint’s stupid prediction.

And then what?

Well, for 12 more days, pretty much nothing… This is the great void. Apologies to the hockey and college basketball fans out there, but I’m ignoring you like the groundhog and looking ahead to Feb. 14.

In case you missed it…

Albert Pujols proffered the idea of signing fellow perennial MVP candidate Manny Ramirez.

Johnny Mo said thanks but no thanks.

I can’t disagree with the GM on this one. As much as Tony covets a veteran bat, even at a discount, Manny doesn’t feel like a fit to me.

His numbers are huge, and – with the pitching we’d be able to add by dealing Ludwick and Ankiel – he’d immediately put us in the lead in the NL Central. But for what this team is doing, dumping cheap, productive outfielders for an incredibly expensive problem child.

Manny knocked a 60-year-old man on his ass for not giving up enough tickets for Manny’s friends and family.

Rumor-mongering Monday

The Cubs keep making moves, and the division foes keep watching their preferred players go elsewhere. The news this week with interest to the Redbirds and the rest of the NL Central:

• The Cubbies land Heilman for player’s second scenery change this off-season.
• Former small bear Ohman’s left arm may be bound for Philly.
• Hill’s headed for Baltimore.
• Peavy piques the Beermakers interest.
• Brewers lefty Shouse could be replacing new Cardinal Miller.

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Introducing birthday Thursdays

In honor of my stepdad’s birthday today, I’m rolling out a new, occasionally-recurring feature.

Birthday Thursdays will offer up some Redbirds and former Redbirds with their big days either recently celebrated or coming up soon. It’s like the Today show, only with generally younger and more able-bodied people.

Without further ado, Happy Birthday…

• Bill White – Jan. 28, 1934 – Five-time All-Star Bill White served as 1B/OF for the Cardinals from 1959 to 1965 while collecting five Gold Gloves for his infield play and putting up consistently strong offensive numbers. He won a World Series in 1964 while taking third place in MVP voting. White picked up one more Gold Glove in his three years in Philly, returning in 1969 to retire sporting the Birds on the Bat. Happy 75th, good sir!
• Brad Thompson – Jan. 31, 1982 – The young swinger with a shot at cracking the rotation out of Spring Training turns 27 on Friday. The baby-faced Vegas native made the roster at 23 and has spent parts of the last four seasons as a Big Bird, but he’s been a frequent rider on the St. Louis-Memphis Express. As he’s gotten older, Brad’s control has fallen off – not the right trend for a guy who’ll see a lot of competition from the kids in 2009.
• Ted Power – Jan. 31, 1955 – The journeyman righty, who hung it up in 1993 after 13 years, spent the 1989 campaign with the Cards. Notable for being on the list of Barry Bonds’ home run victims and because he’s my friend Edie’s uncle. By all accounts a really great guy, I wish you a Happy 54th, Uncle Ted!!
• Jackie Robinson – Jan. 31, 1919 – The late Hall of Fame breaker of the color barrier is an honorary mention since he never played for the Cardinals, but his number 42’s up in every park in the nation for good reason. Mr. Robinson deserves a tip of the cap every day possible to duly recognize his place in history. Jackie would be 90 years old.
• Hector Luna – Feb. 1, 1980 – The 2004 Redbird Rule V pick has clung to sparse MLB playing time since departing to Cleveland for Ronnie Belliard in 2006. After being plucked off waivers by Toronto in August 2007, he’s recorded just 43 ABs above AAA. A versatile fielder, a good spring with the bat could still land him a utility role, but Hector ain’t getting any younger. Happy 29th birthday, big guy.
• John Tudor – Feb. 2, 1954 – The crafty lefty and recent featured attraction on the Cards Caravan turns 55 on Groundhog’s Day. John’s 12-year career is highlighted by a ridiculous 1985 campaign in which he accumulated 14 complete games, 10 of them shutouts, over 275 innings. He ended 1985 with a few more career bests – 21 wins, 169 strikeouts, a 0.938 WHIP and a 1.93 ERA.
• Red Schoendienst – Feb. 2, 1923 – The Ole’ Redhead from Germantown, Ill., gets a little older this week, marking 86 years with us. A Hall of Fame playing career has been followed by a lifetime of dedication to the St. Louis Cardinals. Guys with statues outside Busch Stadium have to have your respect, but right alongside Stan the Man, Brock and Gibby, Red is a face of the franchise and an equally amazing living legend. Ten times an All-Star second baseman in his 19-year career, Schoendienst was twice a World Series winner, in 1946 with the Cards and 1957 with the Milwaukee Braves. As a manager, Red led the club from 1965 to 1976 and earned National League pennants in 1967 and 1968, toppling the Boston Red Sox in the 1967 World Series. He’ll don a uniform this spring as a special assistant to Tony LaRussa, making it his 64th straight season as a player, manager or coach.

I’m assuming Red and Tudor are with me in hoping for clouds and an early spring when the groundhog gets to his business on their birthdays next week. From there, less than two weeks until pitchers and catchers report.

Have a great weekend…

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Leading off - Jan. 26

Big Mac’s younger brother is determined to make right with the world on his bro’s behalf by exposing the truth about steroids.

Dicking over a famous family member for a quick buck is the route for Jay McGwire to help Mark McGwire find salvation. And who has to sacrifice in turn to save Jay’s soul?

The news comes from Deadspin.com, and few other places have pursued it beyond rehashing the Deadspin material. Already, pieces are questioning Jay’s truthiness, but it’s probably an accurate portrayal.

The deep sadness of Mark’s Congressional not-talking-about-the-past turns another stage sadder with this new chapter. I hope he one day comes clean, but the saving of his baseball soul is a lost cause.

I don’t believe the big guy ever makes the Hall of Fame, but I believe his real salvation will come if Mark’s human failings keep those big-headed fellas Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemens out of the Hall as well.

In case you missed it…

Joe Strauss over at the Post-Dispatch delivered a cool off-season feature on Kyle McClellan, talking about the St. Louis-area native’s work as an instructor over the winter.

It used to be that all players had off-season jobs, but for a promising young pitcher like McClellan to still be so actively working in this day and age is pretty refreshing.

He works with his dad, Springfield manager Pop Warner, Cardinals athletic trainer Keith Sanders – and an array of baseball guys young and old – to coach baseball and softball to kids.

The 24-year-old has an interesting Spring Training just around the corner with an outside shot of making the rotation. After a great rookie season, here’s hoping his talent develops like the kids he helps at his other gig.

He could play a big role in 2009.

A few other bits of note:

• Non-roster invitees for Spring Training were recently announced, highlighted of course by Colby Rasmus (he’ll wear No. 28) and big-boneded Brett Wallace (he’ll wear No. 84), but the list also includes Jess Todd, Adam Ottavino, Jon Jay and the litany of contestants to replace Troy Glaus.
• Speaking of which, there have been numerous well-done pieces (here and here and here and here and here) on the Glaus injury and said potential replacements.
• And, here’s a little bit more on Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel’s arbitration business.

Rumor-mongering Monday

Now that we know the line-up will start the season short-handed, it is with a bit more interest I watch the position players left on the market. The news this week with interest to the Redbirds and the rest of the NL Central:

• Poor Cubbies are still praying for Peavy.
• Prince is getting paid.
• The Mets are looking at Andy Pettitte and Ben Sheets.

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2001: A sick season

What an incredible season the 2001 campaign was for Major League Baseball…

Recently watched the MLB TV show Baseball’s Seasons on 2001, and I was absolutely struck by how many big things went down, the greatest of which was a dramatic seven-game Arizona vs. New York World Series less than two months after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

But that culmination was far from the only storyline:

• Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn took their historic retirement victory laps.
• Ichiro led the Mariners, breaking Spring Training as the first everyday position player from Japan.
• He collected his first All-Star appearance, Silver Slugger and MVP in a Rookie of the Year season.
• Racking up 242 hits, 127 runs scored and 56 stolen bases and 69 RBI, the right fielder with a rocket arm also helped his club set the Major League record for regular season wins.
• Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens showed the power of better living through chemistry.
• With 73 homers, Bonds laid waste to Mark McGwire’s single-season record, topping 50 for the first time in his career at age 36.
• The 38-year-old Clemens chalked up 213 strikeouts in 220-plus innings, “earning” himself a sixth Cy Young award.
• In the other league, in possibly his best year ever, the 37-year-old Big Unit’s nearly 250 innings included 372 Ks versus 71 walks in route to a third-straight Cy Young.
• Josh Beckett, Carlos Zambrano and CC Sabathia took the hill for the first time.
• Eric Davis, Mark McGwire and Paul O’Neill said good bye to the game.
• And Derek Jeter did this.

A number of storylines turned on the St. Louis Cardinals:

• Along with the imagery of American flags everywhere, of George W. Bush wearing an FDNY jacket to throw out the first pitch of Game 1 of World Series in Yankee Stadium, of full ballparks observing moments of silence, Jack Buck’s voice in these historic times brought comfort.
• On Sept. 17, a teary-eyed Buck took the field at Busch Stadium and declared a return to America’s game, offering us permission to be distracted occasionally while we stand up as a nation with these words that still bring chills.
• While lower Manhattan was still blanketed in carnage and little else seemed normal, when baseball returned, there really seemed to be a lift in the national spirit that only this boys’ game could accomplish.
• A 21-year-old rookie by the name of Albert Pujols introduced himself to the world.
• Albert appeared in the All-Star game, collecting Rookie of Year and Silver Slugger honors along with a fourth place finish in MVP voting.
• The 1.013 OPS set a standard that we’ve come to expect, but it’s incredible how big and how immediate an impact he had on the club, knocking out 37 home runs, 130 RBI and 112 runs scored.
• On Sept. 3, another 21-year-old, rookie lefty Bud Smith, twirled a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres.
• Yet another 21-year-old, Rick Ankiel, saw the meltdown of his pitching career come to an exclamation point with six starts, 24 innings and five wild pitches.
• In his last full season of life, Darryl Kile took the ball 34 times, as he’d done so many years before, and he put up great numbers as the anchor of the pitching staff.
• Stubby Clapp and Keith McDonald’s brief but inspiring MLB careers came to an end.
• For the first time since 1967 and 1968, the Birds made the playoffs in back-to-back years, taking the National League Wild Card with 93 wins.
• The good guys fell in the NLDS to the eventual World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

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