Wow, the Cardinals have been awful

[TruffleShuffle]

So I knew that the Cardinals have been playing poorly... I just didn't realize how bad until I took a look at their team stats yesterday:

 

-Their expected W-L is 13-28

-A total of four position players -- not just starters, but position players -- have an OPS above 620, and just two regulars have an OPS above 722

-Among their starters are Scott Rolen (209/299/318/617), Adam Kennedy (239/294/316/610), David Eckstein (256/315/286/601) and Jim Edmonds (225/293/283/577)

-Significant playing time has gone to So Taguchi (227/301/318/620), Preston Wilson (219/265/313/577) and Aaron Miles (236/273/278/551)

-Their team OPS is 652 and they've scored 143 runs, both second-worst in baseball to only the nationals. The NL average is 191 runs and a 725 OPS.

-Their starters' ERA is fourth-worst in baseball, at 5.48. Among the starters are Anthony Reyes (0-7, 5.84 ERA, 1.23 WHIP suggests some bad luck though), Adam Wainwright (3-3, 6.34 ERA, 1.91 WHIP) and Kip Wells (1-8, 6.75 ERA, 1.52 WHIP).

 

Usually you can't say that a team's 16-25 record isn't represtative of how bad it has been, but the Cards have actually been worse that this. Here's hoping that they keep it up.

[rocket]

even when they suck they get lucky. unbelievable.

[UMFan83]

At least Braden Looper has somewhat worked out for them

[NewUserName]

They do have some players if they are willing to part with, who would have some value at the trade deadline because of their postseason experience.

[Soriano12]

Cardinals are so bad MLB should really consider taking back their 06 WS trophy

[cubweiser03]

So much for the new stadium allowing them to get better players.

[The Voice of Reason]

The self-proclaimed "best fans in baseball" :roll: deserve better. Edited May 21, 2007 by The Voice of Reason

[Derwood]

The "best fans in baseball" deserve better.

 

yes we do.

 

oh, you meant the Cards

[C.C.]

So much for the new stadium allowing them to get better players.

 

Didn't they actually cut salary this year? New stadium, WS windfall, and yet they don't add salary.

[Soriano12]

How they won the WS last year still blows my mind. Just get in the playoffs and go from there I guess. Their outfield is utter trash and has been for quite some time now.

[mul21]

Being in the St. Louis area, they really are having some horrible luck and a very Cub-like year. They've got 3 guys that hit 1, 3, and 4 in their lineup last year who are all hitting probably 60-100 points below their career averages, their young pitching has just been bad, and their ace is hurt. I do blame them for low-balling Suppan (I think they offered him a Marquis type deal) and Weaver stupidly left after having success under Duncan. Plus, Jocketty finally made a mistake and kept Edmonds around a year too long and now has to pay him next year as well. They are completely screwed unless the young pitching figures it out and Pujols, Rolen, and Eckstein remeber how to hit sometime soon. I think Albert may have just gotten out of his prime years since he's about as old as Julio Franco now (sorry, obligatory old Pujols joke).

[Transmogrified Tiger]

At least Braden Looper has somewhat worked out for them

 

On the whole he's been solid, but he's been rocked twice in 4 starts this month(most recently in his last start), and he's starting to approach an IP threshold that he hasn't reached since College/HS, if ever.

 

And like previous posts illustrated, the Cardinals have had good luck, not bad luck. They have the worst pythagorean record in baseball.

[KaiserCesar]

At least Braden Looper has somewhat worked out for them

 

On the whole he's been solid, but he's been rocked twice in 4 starts this month(most recently in his last start), and he's starting to approach an IP threshold that he hasn't reached since College/HS, if ever.

 

And like previous posts illustrated, the Cardinals have had good luck, not bad luck. They have the worst pythagorean record in baseball.

 

Missouri is one bad bad state for baseball this year

[daske17]

Missouri is one bad bad state.

 

Fixed.

[Fred Hornkohl]

Maybe Bud Selig should contract the Cardinals, eh?

[KyHen]

So much for the new stadium allowing them to get better players.

 

Didn't they actually cut salary this year? New stadium, WS windfall, and yet they don't add salary.

 

Agree. I think they should have invested $28 million in a Jason Marquis-caliber player, or riddled themselves with an albatross of a contract (see: Carlos Lee).

 

Just because you have money doesn't mean you should spend it...at least when it means grossly overpaying for overrated players.

[XZero771679666304]

So much for the new stadium allowing them to get better players.

 

Didn't they actually cut salary this year? New stadium, WS windfall, and yet they don't add salary.

 

Agree. I think they should have invested $28 million in a Jason Marquis-caliber player, or riddled themselves with an albatross of a contract (see: Carlos Lee).

 

Just because you have money doesn't mean you should spend it...at least when it means grossly overpaying for overrated players.

 

At this point, no one one your staff is Jason Marquis caliber. :P

 

(for now, anyway)

 

 

 

But seriously, they could have made an attempt to at least stay as good as they were last year, which they are clearly not. They didn't have to sign Lee, Soriano or others, there were decent players out there, but Jocketty did nothing as his team got worse.

 

But if I were a Cards fan, I'd just be content with the title for now.

 

Having said that, I think there is a very good chance the Cards are headed for a run like they had in the mid-90's.

[Drew Doughty]

he tried to improve the team. i remember before the year a lot of people were lauding his ability to stay out of the market to some extent. i don't think anyone expected the combo of Wainwright/Wells/Reyes to be this bad. No one saw Pujols/Rolen/Edmonds being this horrible. No one foresaw Carpenter getting injuried.

 

he did sign Kennedy and Wells to try and improve the team, but the moves backfired.

[SouthSideRyan]

I have a hard time blaming Jocketty, but I'd certainly be pissed at ownership if I had no soul.

[Flames24Rulz]

Ugh, can we delete/lock this thread?

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid Cardinals.

[XZero771679666304]

he tried to improve the team. i remember before the year a lot of people were lauding his ability to stay out of the market to some extent. i don't think anyone expected the combo of Wainwright/Wells/Reyes to be this bad. No one saw Pujols/Rolen/Edmonds being this horrible. No one foresaw Carpenter getting injuried.

 

he did sign Kennedy and Wells to try and improve the team, but the moves backfired.

 

I think a lot of people saw Carp getting injured as being a strong possibility, as well as Edmonds and Wells sucking. Their rotation was under heavy scrutiny well before the season started, even from homers like Dayn Perry. Rolen is getting older and his injuries are starting to catch up with him, Reyes has never been this bad, but he has always had durability issues.

 

Really the only thing no one could have foreseen was Looper being this good.

 

This past offseason Jocketty looked a lot like Hendry did last offseason, it's the same sort of crap we roast Jimbo for.

[cubweiser03]

The Brewers signed Jeff Suppan, how could they get outbid by them. the deal he got was fair, it wasnt excessive. Compared to years past it seems like a lot but this is the newer age of baseball contracts and its not.

Jocketty's first offer to him was awful, especially for a team post a WS victory and 2 years removed from a new stadiums income.

[jersey cubs fan]

Just noticed the awful Cardinals are a game and a half behind the Cubs.

[Drew Doughty]

he tried to improve the team. i remember before the year a lot of people were lauding his ability to stay out of the market to some extent. i don't think anyone expected the combo of Wainwright/Wells/Reyes to be this bad. No one saw Pujols/Rolen/Edmonds being this horrible. No one foresaw Carpenter getting injuried.

 

he did sign Kennedy and Wells to try and improve the team, but the moves backfired.

 

I think a lot of people saw Carp getting injured as being a strong possibility, as well as Edmonds and Wells sucking. Their rotation was under heavy scrutiny well before the season started, even from homers like Dayn Perry. Rolen is getting older and his injuries are starting to catch up with him, Reyes has never been this bad, but he has always had durability issues.

 

Really the only thing no one could have foreseen was Looper being this good.

 

This past offseason Jocketty looked a lot like Hendry did last offseason, it's the same sort of crap we roast Jimbo for.

 

I'm looking at 4 projections right now (ZiPS, CHONE, Bill James, and Marcel). Here is the worst line officially projected before the year for the players I mentioned:

 

Jim Edmonds: 253/365/480

Scott Rolen: 278/362/477

Albert Pujols: 331/424/635

Adam Kennedy: 266/335/372

Adam Wainwright: 4.05 ERA/1.35 WHIP

Anthony Reyes: 4.59 ERA/1.35 WHIP (the other 3 projections have him boasting a sub-4 ERA)

Chris Carpenter: lowest IP projection = 195, I don't remember a lot of concerns about his durability directly before the season.

Kip Wells: eh, most thought he would be bad or injured. Still, 3/4 projected him to have a sub-5 ERA.

[illiniguy]

Just noticed the awful Cardinals are a game and a half behind the Cubs.

Because again, even when they are garbage like this year. They get lucky. There is no way their record should be as good as it is.