Rolen done for the year?

[UMFan83]

Gateway Redbirds has a thread up about it. Here is the link to the speculation:

 

http://www.stltoday.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=479632

 

 

Sorry I would have put this in rivalries, but with the pennant race heating up, I figure it would be better to place it here with more traffic.

 

Also sorry if this was posted already. I looked briefly.

[TMan92]

Doesn't matter. They will bring up a guy from the minors that bats .500 and hits 20 hr in September.

[Justin]

It's really sad as a Cub fan how the Cards seem like they can always plug in any player in any position and they always seem to do a serviceable, if not great job at it.

[Flames24Rulz]

The Cardinal announcers were expecting Rolen's injury to be pretty serious.

[Careless]

Usually I feel bad when a team in a playoff race has an important player get injured.

[Soul]

Why wouldn't Rolen have made sure his shoulder was healthy before playing on it? Is it some sort of degenerative condition that doctors can't help?

[David]

Doesn't he pretty much blow this year anyway? Or was he a big part of their recent push?

[synergy]

Actually with Rolen being out, the Cardinals are better off. He is garbage this year and they can put one of their prospects in who will probably become MVP.

[UMFan83]

Doesn't he pretty much blow this year anyway? Or was he a big part of their recent push?

 

Yeah he's pretty useless offensively these days with a .729 season OPS and a .654 OPS in August. Defensively, he's a huge loss.

[mjohnson71]

Even though he's a Cardinal I've always liked Scott Rolen. Plays hard yet not flashy: when he hits a home run he puts his head down and runs around the bases at full speed. None of this admiring the hit like Barroid or Pujols, or skipping and hopping down to first like Sammy.

[YearofDaCubs]

Granted, his offense has been bad, but his defense at 3B was outstanding.

[David]

In terms of my concerns about what could help the Cardinals overtake us in the standings this last month, Scott Rolen's defense at 3B was nowhere on my list.

 

It's quite possible that his replacement could out perform the piss-poor year he's having at the plate.

[Soul]

Even though he's a Cardinal I've always liked Scott Rolen. Plays hard yet not flashy: when he hits a home run he puts his head down and runs around the bases at full speed. None of this admiring the hit like Barroid or Pujols, or skipping and hopping down to first like Sammy.

 

True. I've never been able to muster up much hatred for the guy.

 

When he joined the Cards, I remember something about Rolen refusing to really talk to the Cubs at all. That's not going to score a lot of points with me, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

 

He does seem like a pretty decent guy. I hope he never plays well for the Cards again, though. Let him heal up and come to the Cubs for a resurgence 8-)

[Soul]

In terms of my concerns about what could help the Cardinals overtake us in the standings this last month, Scott Rolen's defense at 3B was nowhere on my list.

 

It's quite possible that his replacement could out perform the piss-poor year he's having at the plate.

 

I think you're right, and that would be so typical.

[David]

Even though he's a Cardinal I've always liked Scott Rolen. Plays hard yet not flashy: when he hits a home run he puts his head down and runs around the bases at full speed. None of this admiring the hit like Barroid or Pujols, or skipping and hopping down to first like Sammy.

 

True. I've never been able to muster up much hatred for the guy.

 

When he joined the Cards, I remember something about Rolen refusing to really talk to the Cubs at all. That's not going to score a lot of points with me, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

 

He does seem like a pretty decent guy. I hope he never plays well for the Cards again, though. Let him heal up and come to the Cubs for a resurgence 8-)

 

I think we've got 3B taken care of for a while. And it's damn nice to say that.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Why wouldn't Rolen have made sure his shoulder was healthy before playing on it? Is it some sort of degenerative condition that doctors can't help?

 

I don't think anything short of retirement would have gotten Rolen back to 100% with his shoulder. It's not something that he just came back from too soon, his shoulder is shot.

[moorecg]

In terms of my concerns about what could help the Cardinals overtake us in the standings this last month, Scott Rolen's defense at 3B was nowhere on my list.

 

It's quite possible that his replacement could out perform the piss-poor year he's having at the plate.

 

Their pitchers depend on that defense a LOT...I think this actually could hurt them quite a bit...also because the middle infield rotation was working well because of rest and matchups...if Ryan, Miles et al are playing every day, as opposed to just when matchups favor them, I think you'll see drop offs in their production.

[Soul]

Why wouldn't Rolen have made sure his shoulder was healthy before playing on it? Is it some sort of degenerative condition that doctors can't help?

 

I don't think anything short of retirement would have gotten Rolen back to 100% with his shoulder. It's not something that he just came back from too soon, his shoulder is shot.

 

Oh, for some reason I didn't know that. Must be sort of like Bagwell then. He's only 32, so that does suck.

[David]

In terms of my concerns about what could help the Cardinals overtake us in the standings this last month, Scott Rolen's defense at 3B was nowhere on my list.

 

It's quite possible that his replacement could out perform the piss-poor year he's having at the plate.

 

Their pitchers depend on that defense a LOT...I think this actually could hurt them quite a bit...also because the middle infield rotation was working well because of rest and matchups...if Ryan, Miles et al are playing every day, as opposed to just when matchups favor them, I think you'll see drop offs in their production.

 

They may depend on that defense a lot, but how many chances is the replacement 3B actually going to get per game that they won't be able to make but that Rolen would have made?

 

The difference between a great fielder and an average one isn't all that much. In the short term, it probably won't even show itself.

 

 

EDITED - to make a little more sense

Edited August 30, 2007 by David

[moorecg]

In terms of my concerns about what could help the Cardinals overtake us in the standings this last month, Scott Rolen's defense at 3B was nowhere on my list.

 

It's quite possible that his replacement could out perform the piss-poor year he's having at the plate.

 

Their pitchers depend on that defense a LOT...I think this actually could hurt them quite a bit...also because the middle infield rotation was working well because of rest and matchups...if Ryan, Miles et al are playing every day, as opposed to just when matchups favor them, I think you'll see drop offs in their production.

 

They may depend on that defense a lot, but how many chances is the replacement 3B actually going to get a game that they won't be able to make but that Rolen wouldn't have made?

 

The difference between a great fielder and an average one isn't all that much. In the short term, it probably won't even show itself.

 

I think it may...especially when coupled with forcing Miles, Ryan, and Eckstein to play everyday.

 

Ryan KILLS lefties, but doesnt' hit right handers very well at all (.255/.300)...he used to sit those games...now he starts every day...Miles was getting a day or two off a week...now he's got to start every day...

 

They dont' really have any solid system replacements....if this results in just a one game difference down the stretch that could be a lot in this race.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Granted, his offense has been bad, but his defense at 3B was outstanding.

 

AND WE ALL KNOW YOU DRIVE IN RUNS WITH YOUR GLOVE....

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Doesn't matter. They will bring up a guy from the minors that bats .500 and hits 20 hr in September.

:lol: In all seriousness...do they have any decent 3B in the minors?

[moorecg]

Doesn't matter. They will bring up a guy from the minors that bats .500 and hits 20 hr in September.

:lol: In all seriousness...do they have any decent 3B in the minors?

 

All the fans here seem to say no. There are many on Cards talk advocating pulling Spezio back from Drug rehab early....yes...the best baseball fans in the World....Stay Classy St. Louis.

[KyHen]

I'm personally interested in seeing if they give Jarrett Hoffpauir a try. I don't know how realistic that is, but here's what he's done this year:

 

AA - .345 / .420 / OBP / .527 SLG / .947 OPS in 61 games

AAA - .303 / .387 OBP / .427 SLG / .814 OPS in 50 games

 

I guess I'd figure that they'd give Ryan the gig at third base, and then have Miles and Hoffpauir split time at second.

 

In any event, I don't think that Hoffpauir nor Ryan are ready to start full-time yet. I think that La Russa is going to have to do a lot of mix-and-matching with those guys. It will be curious to see when -- if at all -- Spiezio comes back; that would help ease the loss of Rolen.

 

Now granted, as mentioned, Rolen hasn't been very good this year anyway...

 

Oh, and the Hoffpauir thing is complete speculation on my part. I don't know how realistic him coming up is.

 

 

There are many on Cards talk advocating pulling Spezio back from Drug rehab early....yes...the best baseball fans in the World....Stay Classy St. Louis.

I agree with this 100%. Cards Talk is home to the cream of the Cardinal fan crop.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'd be really surprised if Spezio was back this year.