The Cubs /Cards series

[Crack Wilson]

The Cardinals will be pumped on their opening day return to St. Louis. The crowd will be loud, the weather fair. They have gotten over the "loss" of their hero already as the bats have been hot...very hot. Between Freese, Molina, Furcal and Beltran they lead the NL in just about every offensive catagory.

 

Their starting pitching has been solid, the defense improved by subtraction. (Theriot and Schumaker) But they have an Achilles heel...like all teams they cannot hit great pitching. The 2 losses has come facing Grienke and Cueto. So it's up to Cub pitching to keep the games close.

 

If the Cubs can split the 1st 2 games there's a very good chance of winning the series: for the final game of both the Reds and Brews series', Matheny BENCHED 4 and then 3 starters in favor of rookies, ala Tony LaRussa's getaway day "strategy". He acually put rookie Matt Carpenter in the cleanup spot to face Cueto to "protect" Holliday.

 

Since he got the job w/o a day of managing at any professional level, I guess he has a LOT to learn.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

It'd be just like the Cardinals to ruin the Samardzija buzz and hit a half-dozen home runs off him. And it won't be Holliday or even Beltran, it'll be some stupid no-name AAA outfielder they just called up who gets three of them.

[NonProfitCow]

If the Cubs can split the 1st 2 games there's a very good chance of winning the series: for the final game of both the Reds and Brews series', Matheny BENCHED 4 and then 3 starters in favor of rookies, ala Tony LaRussa's getaway day "strategy". He acually put rookie Matt Carpenter in the cleanup spot to face Cueto to "protect" Holliday.

The benchings for the Brewers game (Berkman, Jay, Descalso, Molina) were to get the platoon advantage since it was a LHP and a standard catcher rest day. The Reds benchings were due to Berkman being injured and to give Beltran and Freese an extra day off since they are huge injury risks. Rookie Matt Carpenter hit .316 .412 .487 .900 and .300 .417 .463 .880 in his first time through AA and AAA and I assume that Matheny is smart enough to understand that protection doesn't exist. Pretty straightforward managing actually.

[Crack Wilson]

If the Cubs can split the 1st 2 games there's a very good chance of winning the series: for the final game of both the Reds and Brews series', Matheny BENCHED 4 and then 3 starters in favor of rookies, ala Tony LaRussa's getaway day "strategy". He acually put rookie Matt Carpenter in the cleanup spot to face Cueto to "protect" Holliday.

The benchings for the Brewers game (Berkman, Jay, Descalso, Molina) were to get the platoon advantage since it was a LHP and a standard catcher rest day. The Reds benchings were due to Berkman being injured and to give Beltran and Freese an extra day off since they are huge injury risks. Rookie Matt Carpenter hit .316 .412 .487 .900 and .300 .417 .463 .880 in his first time through AA and AAA and I assume that Matheny is smart enough to understand that protection doesn't exist. Pretty straightforward managing actually.

Descalso is the only Cardinal that can't hit same arm pitching. Berkman's a switch hitter and Molina, and nobody else needs a rest 3 days into the season.....because Carpenrer hit good in the minors he bats cleanup instead of the HR, RBI and base hit league leader Freese?

 

I can't believe that anyone thinks that's a good Idea.

Edited April 13, 2012 by Crack Wilson

[SouthSideRyan]

It's called playing the percentages. It's what good managers do.

[NonProfitCow]

Descalso is the only Cardinal that can't hit same arm pitching. Berkman's a switch hitter and Molina, and nobody else needs a rest 3 days into the season.....because Carpenrer hit good in the minors he bats cleanup instead of the HR, RBI and base hit league leader Freese?

 

I can't believe that anyone thinks that's a good Idea.

Berkman has been bad against LHP for 3 years. His numbers vs LHP last year were inflated by a few HR in the 1st half and he was awful against them in the 2nd half. Jay's success against LHP, and success in general has been because of an unsustainable .350+ BABIP (and the RHB who played for him hit a HR). Carpenter hit cleanup because Freese wasn't in the lineup because he's an injury risk with both of his ankles surgically repaired. He's played 17, 70 and 90 games over the last 3 years. Giving him an extra off day against a tough RHP early in the year is fine by me. It isn't about his health now, it's about keeping him healthy for the next 155.

 

I don't see what's so crazy about it.

[Guest]

Who the [expletive] cares? This is a Cubs board.

 

[expletive] the Cardinals, they're a bunch of cunts (rhymes with bunts).

 

I hope their bus runs over Stan Musial, Joe Buck, Al Habrosky, and Shingles LaDrunk.

[NonProfitCow]

Who the [expletive] cares? This is a Cubs board.

 

[expletive] the Cardinals, they're a bunch of [expletive] (rhymes with bunts).

 

I hope their bus runs over Stan Musial, Joe Buck, Al Habrosky, and Shingles LaDrunk.

I remember my first beer.

[XZero771679666304]

Who the [expletive] cares? This is a Cubs board.

 

[expletive] the Cardinals, they're a bunch of [expletive] (rhymes with bunts).

 

I hope their bus runs over Stan Musial, Joe Buck, Al Habrosky, and Shingles LaDrunk.

 

Who cares what strategies the team the Cubs are about to play might employ? I mean that's totally irrelevant on a Cubs board. Waste of time.

 

I'm glad you stepped in, and in such a non-sophomoric, civilized manner.

[imb]

Who the [expletive] cares? This is a Cubs board.

 

[expletive] the Cardinals, they're a bunch of [expletive] (rhymes with bunts).

 

I hope their bus runs over Stan Musial, Joe Buck, Al Habrosky, and Shingles LaDrunk.

 

this is the kind of post i can get behind

[SouthSideRyan]

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/tony-la-russa-eye.jpg Edited April 13, 2012 by SouthSideRyan

[El Duderino]

Who the [expletive] cares? This is a Cubs board.

 

[expletive] the Cardinals, they're a bunch of [expletive] (rhymes with bunts).

 

I hope their bus runs over Stan Musial, Joe Buck, Al Habrosky, and Shingles LaDrunk.

 

Shingles LaDrunk got me, not gonna lie. nice.

[BeerHere]

The best rivalry in sports as far as I'm concerned. Lately the Cubs have crapped the bed anytime they play in St Lou. So glad that Pujols is gone but WTF is up with David Freese?

[illiniguy]

The best rivalry in sports as far as I'm concerned. Lately the Cubs have crapped the bed anytime they play in St Lou. So glad that Pujols is gone but WTF is up with David Freese?

He's my fantasy league MVP as I got him for the minimum bid. Keep it up David.

[javy knows my name]

Their starting pitching has been solid, the defense improved by subtraction. (Theriot and Schumaker) But they have an Achilles heel...like all teams they cannot hit great pitching

 

Joe Morgan approves of this analysis.

[treebird]

Their starting pitching has been solid, the defense improved by subtraction. (Theriot and Schumaker) But they have an Achilles heel...like all teams they cannot hit great pitching

 

Joe Morgan approves of this analysis.

 

i like how their achilles heel is something that also applies to all other teams

 

another achilles heel is that that they cannot stop bullets with their minds and their skin is sensitive to temperatures over 500 degrees

[illiniguy]

Their starting pitching has been solid, the defense improved by subtraction. (Theriot and Schumaker) But they have an Achilles heel...like all teams they cannot hit great pitching

 

Joe Morgan approves of this analysis.

 

i like how their achilles heel is something that also applies to all other teams

 

another achilles heel is that that they cannot stop bullets with their minds and their skin is sensitive to temperatures over 500 degrees

Yeah, what team doesn't hit like crap against great pitching?

[jersey cubs fan]

Their starting pitching has been solid, the defense improved by subtraction. (Theriot and Schumaker) But they have an Achilles heel...like all teams they cannot hit great pitching

 

Joe Morgan approves of this analysis.

 

i like how their achilles heel is something that also applies to all other teams

 

another achilles heel is that that they cannot stop bullets with their minds and their skin is sensitive to temperatures over 500 degrees

 

Another achilles heel is that all of the players have achilles heels, which can be destroyed by a single arrow.