National League All-Star Team

Major League Baseball is back at it again asking its fans to select the All-Star team.  This is a ludicrous idea because most baseball fans can't name many more players than those on the team they support.  Which is why you have moronic selections each year.

I'm no expert, but after watching the game for 55 years, I know who can play and who isn't living up to their hype.  So, with that in mind here are my National League picks for the upcoming All-Star game which will be played in Minneapolis at Target Field on July 15th.

C      Jonathan Lucroy          Milwaukee Brewers
1B     Paul Goldschmidt        Arizona Diamondbacks
2B     Anthony Rendon         Washington Nationals
3B     Todd Frazier               Cincinnati Reds
SS     Troy Tulowitzki           Colorado Rockies
OF     Giancarlo Stanton       Miami Marlins
OF     Yasiel Puig                  Los Angeles Dodgers
OF     Andrew McCutchen    Pittsburgh Pirates

Of these players only\Tulowitzki, Puig and Stanton are currently leading at their positions.

Happy Summer!

Today marks the first day of Summer 2014.  It is a warm sticky day where I live, but I'm not complaining.  After this past cold wet Winter and cool wet Spring I am glad it is finally warm.  Here's to you Summer!  May you have a nice long warm run this year!

Fox Midwest Broadcast is Un-Watchable

As I write this I'm watching my beloved Cardinals play the Philadelphia Phillies.  The game is  ugly and so is the announcing.  The Cardinals broadcast crew on Fox Sports Midwest is comprised of Dan McLaughlin and retired (fired) Fox Sports analyst Tim McCarver.

McLaughlin is the biggest homer in the world and seems clueless at times as to what is happening on the field.  McCarver is retired from FOX sports and well, should have stayed retired.  Case in point the two are talking about the World Cup and making mistakes and in the process ignoring the action on the field.

Please FOX please, have a talk with McCarver and ask him to stay away from Cardinal broadcasts.  And while you're at it, find someone who has a knowledge of baseball to replace McLaughlin.

Rant from A Baseball Traditionalist

I have been watching Major League Baseball for going on 55 years now.  I have been treated to some of the greatest games and greatest players you can imagine.  I have been fortunate to be a Saint Louis Cardinal fan and have seen them play in nine World Series in my lifetime and to be lucky enough to see the Cards win five World Series.

But, on the other hand MLB continues to tinker with a game that is already the best sport out there.  So here goes my latest old man rant:

1.   Get rid of the Designated Hitter.  It serves no purpose except giving old out of shape players a chance to extend their careers.  Instead, it takes away from the strategy of the game and artificially raises batting averages and ERAs.

2.   Get rid of inter-league play.  I could care less about seeing the Kansas City Royals play in St. Louis and then have to see the Cardinals play in Kansas City each year.  I would much rather see the Cards play three more games against the Dodgers or Giants or Mets than the Kansas City Royals or Tampa Rays.  Yuck.

3.   Restore the All-Star game to what it really is; an exhibition game between the best of each league in mid-season.  To say the winner gets home field advantage in the World Series is ridiculous.  Home field should go to the team with the best overall record for the season.  But, unfortunately the mental midgets in suits at MLB have come up with the All Star Game win in response to the demands of Fox TV.

Thanks for reading my latest rant.  I promise you there are more coming.

Maybe the Cardinals Bats are finally Warming Up

As you may or may not know it was a very cold winter and cool wet spring in Saint Louis.  Perhaps that's why the Cardinals have been hitting so poorly thus far this year as compared to last year.

But, this weekend the Birds swept the Washington Nationals at Busch Stadium III and showed a little pop in their bats.  Cardinal First Baseman Matt Adams homered in each of the game and gives St. Louis a legitimate power hitter now that he is off of the DL.

Hopefully, the warm weather has warmed up the bats and the Cards are on their way.  As I write this they trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 3.5 games in the National League Central Division and are only three out on the lost side.

Now that the Cardinals are hitting let's hope the pitching continues to be just as strong as the last few weeks.  Oh did I say that includes four shutouts of the opponent in the past eight days and a strong start this afternoon by number five starter Jaime Garcia.