This Team is Brain Dead

Last Friday night I wrote how poorly the 2017 version of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team is playing.  After I wrote that the 'Birds" won three out of four and got my hopes up for a possible pennant run.  Because St. Louis plays in the weakest division in baseball, I thought in the back of my mind they still have a chance.

But, after watching them get to within a game of .500 the Cardinals have lost two straight to a mediocre New York Mets team.  Last night the Mets won 7-3 after a poor start from Cardinal right hander Mike Leake.  Leake gave up seven runs in two innings.

The trip to New York could have finished on a bright note but mis-management and lack of focus cost the Birds the final game of the series.  The Mets won 3-2 today after the Cards had taken a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning on a Tommy Pham home run.

I don't know why, but for some reason Cardinal manager Mike Matheny sent left-hander Brett Cecil to the mound to start the bottom of the eighth. Cecil was promptly lit up by Met's pinch hitter Wilmer Flores, who jacked his 17th HR of the year to tie the game.  Cecil is OK against left-handers but I have no idea what Matheny was thinking.  Hopefully, it was the upcoming left-handed hitters in the Mets lineup that prompted the move.

Then in the bottom of the ninth the Mets put runners on the corners against Cardinal setup man Trevor Rosenthal with two outs.  Rosenthal gave up a sharply hit ground ball to Jose Reyes that Cards first basemen Matt Carpenter fielded on one hop.  But, Rosenthal didn't get off the mound right away and with no one on the base Reyes beat Carpenter to the bag.  The Mets scored, the Cardinals lost and go three games under.  So, much for my new found enthusiasm.

There is something fundamentally wrong with the team and it's not going to get any better until management gets rid of the attitudes and players going through the motions.  At this point the Cardinals should be sellers at the trading deadline.  This team has no chance of winning even in a weak division.

Tomorrow it gets even tougher as the team opens a three game series against the Cubs in Chicago.  If you haven't noticed the Cubs are unbeaten since the All Star break.  They will probably remain unbeaten through the weekend.

Another Chance and the Same Old Result

My beloved Saint Louis Cardinals started the second half of their season tonight in Pittsburgh.  I have been excited all week because they were only five and a half games back of the first place Milwaukee Brewers.  The Cardinals ended the first half of the season strong and were just two games under .500.

But, the optimism was misplaced.  The Cardinals closer, Seung-Hwan Oh, couldn't get out of the ninth inning and the Birds lost 5-2 on a walk off homer by the Bucs Josh Bell.

The Cards bullpen is a huge problem as is the defense.  Cardinal fans have given the bullpen the following names because they are terrible.  Closer Oh has become "Oh-No".  Set up man Trevor Rosenthal is "Blows 'Em All" and 7th inning specialist Matt Bowman is "Blowman".

I fear it is going to be a long second half of the season.

I am Blessed - Happy Birthday USA!

I originally posted this article three years ago and it is still as true today as it was then.  The nation may be even more divided with the media constantly criticizing Donald Trump and showing continued bias against this administration that was legally elected by the American public last November.  This nation has a lot of problems and maybe the media can focus on those problems and what our elected leaders are doing to try to solve them.  I pray this will happen soon.  In the interim I still am proud to live in the United States of America and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.  So, without additional delay, here is the article I wrote on Independence Day 2014.


"I am blessed to live in the United States of America.  It is still the richest and most powerful nation in the world.  But more importantly I am allowed to express myself and to criticize our leaders as I see fit due to the Bill of Rights of this great nation.

Today  marks the 241st birthday of the United States of America.  It is one of the longest running democracies in the world.  This has been accomplished through the sacrifice of thousands going back to the Revolution against the British to today with our troops deployed in Afghanistan and other Middle East hot-spots.  These brave men and women paid the ultimate price for our enduring freedom.  I have no good way of sufficiently expressing my gratitude to them and to those who have served in conflicts such as World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.  Today I say thank you to all of our armed forces past and present.  Because of you I am able to live in what I truly believe is the greatest nation on Earth.
Happy Birthday America!  Long may you stand"!