ManEatingTarp

Seriously, the guy is a franchise player. He's not going anywhere.

Who would the Bulls have traded Jordan for in 1991? Pujols is only going to one place after he leaves the Cardinals. Cooperstown.

I doubt Rich Hill breaks camp with the big team. He'd have to impress with a great Spring Training. Just a low risk / middle to high reward move. ..and to think the Cards just got rid of a lefty headcase.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's a deal for 5/90 with some options that could lead to an 8/140 contract. The comparison to Soriano doesn't really work for me. Soriano was a poor fielding .270 hitter with power and speed. Not the description I'd give to Holliday. They have totally different skill sets.

Cool. Sounds like you guys have a pretty good grasp of, and plan for all of this mapped out. If you need any help on the podcasting side of things let me know. I run the Around Comics podcast. It's not sports, but it is niche entertainment, and we've risen to be the #2 show in our category. 90% of the podcasts out there are garbage. Even the ones done by large media companies. It's a pretty unique medium. There are a lot of pitfalls out there in managing and promoting web delivered audio entertainment. We fell through most of them in the last 5 years. :) If you plan on doing a studio setup let me know and I can help guide you on equipment etc.

Yeah, it looks like it's gotten to that point in the year where feathers get ruffled easy. This is a really good baseball message board, but it's going to be too easy to upset some posters (both Cub and Card) in the next 5-6 weeks. It's a great rivalry, and friendly ribbing should be a part of that. As long as that's all it is. I know it's a fine line, and some posters on both sides are going to push the boundaries. Oh well. Better to step out for a while and come back in the fall. You folks have a great rest of the regular season. I hope your Sept. call-ups are good ones. I look forward to discussing stuff in the off season.

Every team has bitter and pathetic fans. One of the reasons I post here and at GWRB is that the majority of posters are pretty level headed, and good baseball fans. I think both sites showcase some of the best fans of both teams. It's the "pixie dust" and "luck" comments that strike me a silly. I know we'll never have a "love fest" as fans of rival teams, but the discussion here is pretty darn good. I know it keeps me from thinking too highly of my team and keeps some things in perspective.

exactly, I don't know if Cardinals fans don't understand it or what the deal is, but most of the Cards fans around in 1985 were around to see the 2006 title, how can that not make up for it? Maybe it's our fanbase that doesn't get it. MLB Network played Game 6 of the 85 series a couple weekends ago. I decided to watch it even though I knew what was going to happen. I actually got angry when I saw the play again. 24 years later and it still makes me want to punch something. Maybe I'm just crazy... The Cubs will win a series one of these days, but people will still remember 2003 & 2008. It won't hurt as bad, but it will still be there. Like I said, I have a interesting perspective because I'm a Cardinals fan, but I live in Chicago and the rest of my family are all Cubs fans. Pain through proxy.

That's EXACTLY why I included the Aramis trade. He was a bad defensive 3rd baseman with a little power. Now, when he's healthy he's one of the best hitters in the game, and he's become a + defender. Great trade. What people forget about 2006 is that team didn't get healthy till the playoffs. The 2004 104 win team had the lucky experience of running into the team of destiny Red Sox. Luck? Sure. Every WS team has luck working for them. That comes back to the whole "Playoffs are a crap shoot" discussion.

I'm not saying that good and unexpected things haven't happened to the Cards. The biggest "lucky" thing was taking that kid in the 13th round a little over a decade ago. I'm just pointing out that bad things have happened over the years. Not EVERYTHING goes the Cardinals way. Is it better to be lucky than good? I don't think it's an either or. Like the old saying goes "good teams make their own luck". The Cubs have had more than their share of bad breaks. My Dad is a die hard, and I actually feel bad for him. The Cubs ARE going to kill him one of these days... And believe me, we could win 10 more World Series titles and 1985 would still hurt. The same will always be true for 2003 and the Cubs. That stuff just doesn't go away.

Um.. Actually he was the #2 starter on the team behind Morris, and the unquestioned leader of the pitching staff. He had 2 bad years in Colorado after a lot of success in Houston. The only comparison that most Cub fans would understand today, is if Ted Lilly died suddenly. I don't want to rehash a tragedy. I just wanted to point out that luck, both good and bad, is subjective. Not looking for sympathy, just trying to add some logic to the conversation.

The "luck" argument is a funny one. Cardinal fans look at the last 2 years of Cubs teams and see a lot of "luck". Dempster coming out of nowhere to be one of the best pitchers in the league. Soto becoming ROY when he wasn't even a highly thought of prospect the year before. Theriot. The trade for Aramis that may be one of the best the Cubs have ever made. The "bad luck" for the Cards has been pretty freaking bad. "The Call" in 1985 is historic. Rolen's shoulder injury in the playoffs that I've always believed cost them a shot at the WS. Vince Coleman having his leg broken by an automated Tarp (see user name) before the World Series. Mathany almost cutting his thumb off a few days before the playoffs. Ankiel's meltdown in those playoffs. And of course the veteran ace of our pitching staff dieing. Not looking for sympathy, just pointing out that not all of the Cardinals' luck has been in the "good" column over the years. It's all relative to the teams you root for and root against.

The "Pixie Dust" comments always crack me up. It's like nobody around here remembers Kip Wells...

I'm a Cardinal fan, and I'll go ahead and say it. 2006. 83 wins. Won the World Series. It's a crapshoot.

Wow. Just looked at the score. Did Lou take away the clubhouse deli tray?

You mean like missing Carpenter for the last 2 years, Wainwright for half of last year, Pujols for almost a month? I know the Cubs have been racked with injuries, but this does happen to other teams. The last round has been a kick in the nuts, but a team with a 140 Mil. payroll should have enough talent to weather that. And the Cubs have for the most part. If they had been 100% healthy all year there's no doubt in my mind they would have a 6-8 game lead in the division.

This post is funny. Magdal, you never cease to entertain me with your lack of baseball knowledge. Happy to be a sourse of amusement Tarp. But don't you think their #2 RBI man should be playing in favor of Ank/Ras? (Ludwick) DeRosa is getting a day off because of a stiff upper back. Lugo isn't playing because Ryan may be the Gold Glove SS in the NL. Ludwick could use a day off. AND they're playing one of the worst teams in the league. If they can't beat this pile of crap with the lineup they have tonight they don't deserve to win.

Pujols is up with the bases loaded. 9 for 11 ?

This post is funny. Magdal, you never cease to entertain me with your lack of baseball knowledge.

Yes! There is an honesty in that I can respect :) Seriously. It's not a charity he donates to, it's a charity he FOUNDED. There's a difference. Once again, is he perfect? No. But I think he's a pretty good human being. Like Tim pointed out, it's cool if you don't like him because he managed the Sox, and manages the Cubs' main rival. I can respect that. (Not that my opinion or respect should count for anything)

I'm not saying this is the case here, but being a selfish jerk and doing good charity work are not mutually exclusive. Oh, and I'd trade Lou + Larry for TLR + DD any day. Agreed. I just thought the discussion deserved a more balanced look at the man. Is he perfect? No. As far as the DUI, yeah, that was a stupid mistake. Glass houses.

I've seen TLR do more with less for the majority of his time in St. Louis. Whatever your opinion is of him personally, I don't think there's much of a question that he's one of the games best managers. St. Louis fans may not truly appreciate him till he leaves, and Cub fans will rejoice when he does. Does he out think himself on occasion? Sure, but what manager or coach doesn't? He has the third most wins in the history of the game, and his teams almost always play meaningful games in September and often in October. He's shown that he can win with talented high payroll teams and flawed mid salary teams. I also think it's pretty funny that some people (in St. Louis and Chicago) talk about what a jerk he is. His Animal Rescue Foundation is a fantastic charity that he's very involved with, and not for the PR. Hate him because he wins. Hate him because he's not Whitey Herzog. But hating him for being a selfish jerk seems a little ridiculous.

Any team with Albert Pujols should be feared.

You guys are so full of bravado right now it's ridiculous. The red kool-aid is flowing through the streets. You guys are a juggernaut and the Cubs are barely hanging on by their nails because teams are rolling over and others are turning bad just in time to play them. It's just a matter of time before they fall to the new murderer's row. Or not. Not saying you're totally wrong, but even most Cubs fans would admit you've only played two good teams since the break, and both of those were series loses. I think this weekend will tell us what kind of team the Cubs are. If they take 3 of 4 in Colorado I'll start to really worry. On the flip side, the Cubs have been blown out exactly once since the break, and played both good teams fairly even in their home parks. They're 12-1 against all other teams, while scoring has been way up, which was the primary issue in the first half for the club. Truthfully, the Cubs are a couple unlikely bullpen implosions away from being 16-3 since the break, and that's about as well as any team can play at this point. Agreed. That's why I'm watching what the Cubs do everyday. It's getting past the point of a hot streak, and turning into a consistent level of play. The next week or two are huge for both teams. The Cards have to feast on the cellar teams like the Cubs have, and the Cubs need to go no worse than .500 against the above .500 teams they play. This is when the division race gets fun!

You guys are so full of bravado right now it's ridiculous. The red kool-aid is flowing through the streets. You guys are a juggernaut and the Cubs are barely hanging on by their nails because teams are rolling over and others are turning bad just in time to play them. It's just a matter of time before they fall to the new murderer's row. Or not. Not saying you're totally wrong, but even most Cubs fans would admit you've only played two good teams since the break, and both of those were series loses. I think this weekend will tell us what kind of team the Cubs are. If they take 3 of 4 in Colorado I'll start to really worry.