indifferent

VA, do you post at birdsonthebats.com?

Looks like it What's the old saying if you can't beat em, join em? If Wandy Rodriguez turns into a stud in the postseason, it's in the cards for Houston.

Is everyone here rooting for the Stros?

More than Marquis' bad season is the fact that Walt doesn't do FA's. He doesn't like to commit to big fa contracts. Marquis will be dealt for an Of'er. If the Cards don't want Marquis for the price that he'll command this year, what makes you think that another team will, and that they'll be willing to give up something of value for him? Because other teams need starting pitching. You don't think a team like the Devil Rays, Reds, etc wouldn't want Marquis for around 6 mil? Why do you think he'd get 6 mil in arbitration? He made 3 mil this year, wouldn't it be more like 4 or 4.5 mil? If the Reds would pay 3.55 mil for Ramon Ortiz, I'd think there'd be several teams interested in Marquis at 4 or 4.5.

You can come back now, the trolls have been slayed.

I think he was just in a foul mood because he isn't a big fan of going to the gym. Agreed, now if you were at an "All You Can Eat" buffet, I'm sure Ray would have said "Pass the mashed potatoes" and he would have offered to break bread with you.

Latest in the developing King saga: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/4DB31BC6FC87A65C862570A1001FEDD8?OpenDocument Not only does LaRussa completely call King out, King takes a swipe at Morris on his way out the door. If he was a free agent, I could understand, but he's under contract and if no one else will pick up his relatively hefty (no pun intended) contract, it will pretty uncomfortable for Ray next year. It does make one question if other pitchers feel the same way about LaRussa's loyalty to Morris though, namely Jason Marquis.

Snood, Dalgreen, and anyone else, what do you say to a weeknight WS game next week?

Phil Cuzzi and Greg Gibson

Obviously he can't execute on the field and I didn't find any of his moves in the post season that questionable. But given his inability to win the big one, is he that unlucky or does he manage in way where his players performances are affected, too tight, etc? Why does his above average offense disappear?

I think Marquis will be traded in the offseason. The stretch this year when he didn't win for a month and a half and seemed virtually uncoachable (kept abandoning his sinker) and his comments over being left off the playoff rotation have put him in LaRussa and Duncan's doghouse.

Is there anything worse than arguably your most disappointing player clamoring for a trade and whining the day after your team loses the playoffs? Seriously, why is it always the underachievers whining at inappropriate times?

Were you in St. Louis for the game last night, Gus? I have to say I was very impressed logging on here this morning, no senseless gloating to be found, only analysis over why the Cards lost. I don't know how NSBB has managed to accumulate such a quality group of posters in an anonymous internet forum. I hope to meet you and many others in Chicago next year.

Nicely done Stros, no hard feelings here. I wish like heck we would see another round of baseball, but the Astros won fair and square.

Well, it was them last year, too. Although I guess they were never up 3-1, but they still came back to Busch up 3-2.

White Sox seem to believe they have a great offense "with power up and down the lineup".

Spidey is red, Batman is blue nuff said

I thought Mulder was from IL. True, but Chicago qualifies as a big city, just not on the coast. He seems to have grown accustomed to the CA lifestyle from his OAK stint. He likes to golf also, so STL wouldn't be his choice. He also seems to prefer a younger team.

This is also the reason I don't think Mulder will sign with St. Louis after next year. What can you do in other baseball cities that you can't do in St. Louis? And who says that Cardinal players have to live in St. Louis anyway? Edmonds doesn't. McGwire didn't. Walker doesn't. Yet they all love the organization and the fans, and probably wouldn't want to play anywhere else. Go out in the city and have a good time any night of the week. The St. Louis downtown area sucks for the most part. Also, there are very few cultural things to go out and do on a regular basis. That's not really true, I don't think. It's partially true, you can find these things to do, there's just not as many choices. Unless Mulder gets married in the next year, I think he's gone. I'm from OH, an original midwesterner, so I find St. Louis perfectly fine. Mulder is a single guy from CA and I think he'd prefer a bigger city on either coast.

This is also the reason I don't think Mulder will sign with St. Louis after next year.

It's easy to spot a best fan. They walk around, dressed in red, with a beatific look on their face and an overall golden aura, spouting obscure baseball stats to the enlightenment of lesser fans everywhere.

:lol: , so if Jimmy goes au naturel tonight, you'll be there?

Dusty Baker's voted the best manager in that poll. :?

The thing that keeps my eyebrows raised (If ya smelllll....) is the fact he was was born in the Domican Republic, and yet I haven't heard one time he has gone back to his home country. Sammy, Pedro, Moises, Papi, etc, etc...always seems able to get back home, but not Albert. Now unless I am wrong, I think he doesn't leave the states, cause that would require a background check on his passport (if he has one), and with the crackdown on "phony" passports, you know.......I think Pujols is actually closer to 35, then he is 25....he just won't "risk" leaving the stats. But...until the age is "verified" (come on....he ain't 25) people will take it at his word. But IMO, he is the greatest hitter to ever lied about his age. :twisted: Two things: One, Pujols came to the USA when he was 16 and went to high school in the US, not at 9, 10, or 12 like most of the kids who fake their age so that they can dominate in little league. If he has faked his age it doesn't fit into the normal pattern. Two: He went to the Domincan this past offseason. His charitable foundation is active in the domincan. Personally, I don't think he looks older than 25. His face looks a lot more youthful when he shaves and he isn't playing with stubble or a goatee. I think mostly what makes him seem older is the way he carries himself and what a mature presence he has. Some people just seem older than they are because of the way they act. And by the way I know 23 year olds with receeding hairlines and thinning hair. Also, as has been pointed out, his whole family moved here almost 15 yrs. ago. Unlike the others you mentioned, he doesn't have family to go back to visit. But as vaball pointed out, he's been there through his charity in the offseason.

It is a "bargain" because I do think he's the best player in the game. However, it wasn't a "hometown discount" like McGwire's. Pujols himself said, "No hometown discounts." And arbitration is a crapshoot. Yeah, he could've been awarded $20 million (although I don't think his agent would've asked for that, but you get my point) or he could've been awarded $6 million (a figure the Cards could have offered and would still be a nice raise over his 2004 salary). Neither side wanted to take a chance. But taking an average of $14 million is not a hometown discount. Pujols said "no hometown discount" because he was in bargaining mode, at the time. What do you think he was going to say? "Anything they want to offer me is fine"? He wanted to stay in St. Louis, but he's not braindead. Maybe it wasn't a hometown discount. Maybe Edmonds' relatively cheap salary isn't, either. Maybe Carpenter's isn't. Maybe Morris' isn't. Maybe Jocketty is just a genius. Either way is fine with me. Steve Kline is on record as saying that he wishes he had taken less money to play in St. Louis this year. That didn't go over well in Baltimore, but he said it, nontheless. Look, I'm not saying the Cardinals haven't had guys who publicly said they would take less money to play here. Heck, I live here, I know about Edmonds, McGwire and Rolen. But I just have to refute anyone (and I'm not necessarily saying you) who even pretends that type of stuff only happens to St. Louis. Need I remind you of Andre Dawson's blank check offer to the Cubs back in 1987? Anyway, for every Rolen there's a Renteria, who didn't want to accept less money. And don't forget Matt Morris turned down a lucrative offer from the Cardinals in 2004, but then got hurt so he had to sign the one year $2 million contract he now has. Had he not gotten hurt he wouldn't even be a Cardinal today. I think Carpenter took the best offer possible after coming off of surgery. Yes, Pujols could've said nothing just as he did even though he was grossly underpaid after the 2003 season when he got a raise from $900,000 to $3 million. Plus, he, I'm sure, was fully aware of guys who had said they'd take less to stay here. I doubt he would've accepted a 7/$65 million contract just because he wanted to stay in St. Louis. It's a bargain for the Cardinals but Pujols didn't give them a hometown discount. Whether they purposely took a discount or not, I don't think Carpenter and Pujols are good examples. They are both being paid less, and will be paid less next year than the open market would pay them. Rolen, on the other hand, has a lengthy contract and many years on his contract (and one career year). He is being overpaid this year, and he will most likely be overpaid next year.