PieOnMyHands

Mulder is not from Arkansas, and he's not going to take a home town discount. I figure he's as good as gone. The very formidable rotation of Carpenter, Burnett, Mulder will last just one year, I fear. I really wonder how Reyes will pitch next year.. He's got ace-caliber stuff. Maybe he's ready to step in as the #3 in 2007?

I don't think there's anything wrong with a 1/$10m deal for Burnett. The problem is the rumors are for 4 or 5 years, which is absurd. Wood signed what was basically a 3/30 extension a couple years ago. Last year's free agent market pretty much set the price for pitching at 3/27. Only Pedro and Pavano got 4 years, going to crazy free spending big market teams, one of which was about to launch a new cable channel to compete with YES. But he's Pedro has been a great pitcher for years. Burnett has upside, and he's had 2 very good seasons, he's never been dominant for a full season, he's had his limited success in a strong pitcher's park, he's had a couple major surgeries, and he's been on the DL a lot. 4 years is extremely risky for him. 4 years for anyone is risky. I guess that's a risk you've got to take, though, if you go the free agent route... I heard a rumor from a Blue Jays message board that said that the Cards offer is 4 years, $38 million... plus a 5th year option.

The free agent market right now is a joke. Let's take a look... - Kevin Millwood got a 1 year, $7 million deal after having a 4.85 ERA in 2004. - Matt Morris is on the verge of signing for 3 years at $8 million. - Esteban Loiaza just got 3 years at nearly $7 million. - Eric Milton is set to make $8.5 million in 2006... - Russ Ortiz made over $7 million in 2005. See where I'm going with this? Look at what Eyre and Howry got. Fact is that if you get your pitching through free agency, you inevitably overpay. That's just the way things are. Burnett at $10 million is bad, right? But is it really horrendous, when Matt Morris is getting $8 million? Or when Eric Milton is getting $8.5 million? I'll spend a couple extra million, because Burnett has the potential to be significantly better than those two, and everyone on that list up above, for that matter. I think the Cardinals are in a unique situation. They're going into a new stadium and have got some extra money floating around. Great attendance in 2005... While Bill DeWitt (Cardinals owner) said payroll will remain the same, I think that's a bit of a smokescreen. If the right guy comes around, he'll open his wallet and allow us to make the move, even if it means us going over the "salary cap." Apparently Jocketty and La Russa have convinced him that Burnett is that caliber player. I don't know what to think about Burnett. I certainly like the idea of him blowing his heat by hitters in St. Louis, though. Is he an injury risk? Yeah, he is. Am a little scared he could be the Cardinals version of Kerry Wood? Of course. But this is almost like playing with free money here, and it's worth the risk. I've heard the deal could be three years, and barring those seasons are ravaged by severe injuries, he'll easily get automated options picked up. I've also heard something like 750 IP over 4 season results in a 5th year being picked up. Who knows? It's all speculation. I hope Burnett takes a "home town discount" and signs in St. Louis. Carpenter, Mulder, Burnett is one hell of a 1-2-3... I'm optimistic.

Is it really fair to categorize fans based off of "trolls" on a message board? I think it's a bit silly to base your opinion on a team off of fans you've never met. Not that trolls are the only reason you dislike the Cards. Just sayin. That said... my GOD was that clutch from Pujols. Simply unreal. Not really. It was more Lidge's mistake than Pujols' ability on that AB. Most power hitters in MLB hit that ball for a HR. Lidge threw that right down the middle of the plate. That was a BP pitch if I've ever seen one. I personally don't think that's a fair assessment. When you're facing a pitcher of Lidge's caliber, all you can hope for is a mistake. With his unprecedented strikeout numbers, you wouldn't be going out on a limb calling the guy the nastiest closer in baseball. While Pujols may have gotten a pitch to hit, I don't know how you can discredit what he did.. How often do you see a meatball thrown up there, only to have it fouled straight back, with an ensuing remark of "he got a pitch to hit and just missed it" from the commentators? I'm still in awe at what happened tonight.

Damn, my heart was POUNDING during that at-bat. Well, good series... See ya guys next time we meet up.

Will they pitch to him?

Miller just jinxed Rodriguez by mentioning the double play... Damn you!

Crap. Wood is staying in. Game over.

I guarantee Wood strikes out Rodriguez.

One batter too late, Tony.. After walking Henry ****ing Blanco, it is inexcusable to keep Morris in.

Corey has been klling us..

Whoa! He got drilled.

117 pitches from Prior...

Holy crap.. That was a really bonehead play. We were extremely fortunate.

But the fact of the matter is, every team has players that overacheive, and those that don't live up to their billing. This isn't a unqiue situation the Cardinals are in. I'll say it again: if you think that the reason the Cardinals have been so successful their last 300 games is because of luck, then I believe you are sorely mistaken. There is more to the game to statistics. I'm as big a fan as sabermetrics as the next guy, but there are unmeasurable intangibles that, when combined with those stats, ultimately determine the outcome of games.

Old Happy... Do you have AIM? I'll tell you how to get passed the MLB.tv blackout.

Vintage Orlando Palmerio right there. That said, this means we lose in the 15th to a ... Jeremy Burnitz walk-off!

Hey, you still floatin' around here? I found out how to bypass it if you are still on...

Damnit. I thought you could bypass the blackouts with a proxy or something? I know I read about it somewhere. Any idea?

yes, yes it its. It's very quiet in here. Shhhhhh Sounds like they might keep you with the Braves/D'Backs game once the Cubs game starts, Der... How much longer is the FOX contract with MLB? Their Saturday games of the week are so frigging awful. Yep, didn't send me to Chicago. GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! They didn't send me either! Can someone confirm they've been "sent?" Otherwise I wanna MLB.tv this. They made an announcement that they were sending it to Buck and McCarver, then they paused and if you werent sent over they continued doing the Braves/DBacks game. MLB.tv wont work until like 6PM CST Damn...too late.

You have got to be kidding me. I just paid $4 to watch this game, and I clicked the St. Louis game...this is what popped up:

yes, yes it its. It's very quiet in here. Shhhhhh Sounds like they might keep you with the Braves/D'Backs game once the Cubs game starts, Der... How much longer is the FOX contract with MLB? Their Saturday games of the week are so frigging awful. Yep, didn't send me to Chicago. GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! They didn't send me either! Can someone confirm they've been "sent?" Otherwise I wanna MLB.tv this.

Uh oh... They didn't sound too optimistic during that Game Break, either.

If we can get this in by like...2:30...it would end just before I went to work! Man that would rock.

Womack Here's the problem with trying to use this: Womack didn't have a Bonds-esque season, as you make it sound like. His OPS on the season was 30 points higher that Eckstien's career average. Edmonds The fans of St. Louis are probably the most forgiving and overly-grateful fans in sports. They give curtain calls like Jenna Jameson gives... Here's an interview from Edmonds a few years ago: " It doesn't take a genius to come in here and learn what it's all about and learn how to play the game, and the fans accept you. That's what makes it all worth while. You go out here and you play hard, and these people stand up and cheer for you, and that's what makes it so much fun." He also mentions this, about his troubles in Anaheim: "I haven't put a finger on it yet. I think I had some run-ins with the media in Anaheim. And I just didn't appreciate the way that they put the team down. And I was kind of vocal towards it, and when anything was wrong, it was my fault. So I took that responsibility. That was fine, and actually took a lot of heat off the players in Anaheim. I think right now, what you see is what you get. And I'm trying to prove everything wrong. And it's obvious that I'm not the kind of person I was made out to be in Anaheim." Tavarez 2003 (with the Pirates): 1.22 WHIP, .244 BAA, 3.66 ERA 2004: 1.18 WHIP, .238 BAA, 2.38 ERA 2005: 1.16 WHIP, .258 BAA, 2.61 ERA I really don't see a difference in his stats, aside from ERA. You also have to factor in how Tavarez was used in different roles in Pittsburgh. (He was in a closer's role long enough to record 11 saves...) You can't argue that pitching as a set-up man isn't easier than being a closer, based on the pressure alone.. Just as soon as you call 2004 and 2005 "lucky," I'll counter it and say that 2003 was just the opposite -- unfortunate. Nunez Batting average by month: April: .273 May: .268 June: .375 July: .354 August: .233 He had a two-month stretch of playing as a spot starter when he was on fire. Neifi Perez, from when you acquired him last season through April of this year year, hit .369. How do you explain that? Carpenter For starters, I know that Carpenter was not first overall in the league, I meant first overall in the Blue Jay's draft that year. Walt Jocketty took a risk. He knew Chris Carpenter had the potential to be a very good pitcher. In all fairness, so do a lot of other guys. We paid Carpenter to rehab with us for a year and a half, though. It's not like we signed him and he instantaneously turned to gold. We put ourselves into a low-risk, high-reward situation, and it turned out to be successful. Did Jocketty expect Chris Carpenter to turn into one of the NL's premier pitchers? Only in his dreams. Then again, did Jim Hendry expect Derrek Lee to go on to have an offensive season comparable to Albert Pujols? Yes, Lee was successful...and yes, Lee was a very solid offensive player, but the Cubs did not trade for the juggernaut he's turned into. Al Reyes 2002 (with Pittsburgh): .94 WHIP, .161 BAA, 2.65 ERA 2003 (with Yankees): 1.29 WHIP, .201 BAA, 3.18 ERA 2005 (with Cardinals): .91 WHIP, .175 BAA, 2.54 ERA Why can't you say that 2003 was a fluke from his recent history? I think the point is that people in this topic are looking for ways to take away from the Cardinal's success. I'm just suggesting that it is absolutely asinine to suggest that "luck" plays anything more than a minimal role in the Cardinal's success. It's been acheived through intelligent management and the relentless, fundamentally-sound philosiphy of the coaching staff.