Random Thoughts at Baseball's All-Star Break

My beloved Cardinals baseball team has fired Mike Matheny as its manager and now starts the second half of the season with interim manager Mike Schildt.  I'm not sure I would have made the change to Schildt now.  If the Cards are serious they would have named a new permanent manager immediately.  My choice would have been former infielder Jose Oquendo who reportedly relates well to Latin players and young players.  But, the Cardinals went interim instead.  Perhaps Oquendo doesn't want the job or the Cardinals have something else planned.  I am skeptical the team will get back into the National League Central division race this season.

-The MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night epitomized everything wrong with the professional game.  Just like regular season games, batters were swinging for the fences in each at bat and striking out at a record pace.  While the home run is an exciting part of the game its pursuit results in a lack of action on the field.  Wake up MLB.  As far as the All-Star Game, thank God we won't have to deal with it for another year.

-Finally, if you put a gun to my head and ask who will be in the World Series this year, I will say the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The Dodgers have struggled at times, but in my opinion they are the best of a mediocre National League.  Ultimately I expect the Dodgers' pitching to put them into the series.  I also think the Red Sox are much better than any team that would face them in the World Series.  The Bosox pitching, hitting, defense and speed will carry them to their second world title in the last six years.

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.

My take on Baseball's Post Season

It's taken me about three weeks to get past the Cardinals being eliminated from the MLB playoffs to be able to write about their demise and this post-season.

The Cardinals were beaten by a better Chicago Cubs team three weeks ago.  The Cubs pitching and timely hitting for power was more than the worn out Birds pitching staff could handle.  I am a fan of Cardinals manager Mike Matheny but also think he may have over worked his staff during the regular season.  But, then who am I to argue with his success.  The Cards won 100 games this year, more than any other club in Major League Baseball.  Matheny did a great job of running the Cards even when the club was torn up with injuries.  I will remember this season because of all the lost games to key players all season long.

As far as the rest of the Playoffs:

-I was surprised at how easily the Mets swept the Cubs in the NLCS.  I thought the Cubs had their best chance in years to make it to the World Series.  But the Mets' pitching was even better than the Cubbies.  And pitching and defense win championships.  As I write this the Mets are down three games to one in the Series.  The Mets' defense has cost them two games already and I would not be surprised to see the Kansas City Royals clinch the Series tonight.

-Royals and Blue Jays players showing up the other team after hitting home runs is disgusting.  José Bautista's flipping his bat after his home run in the final game of the Blue Jay - Rangers' series was sickening.  Bautista had better be looking for a fastball in his back the first game they meet in 2016.  Likewise, Kendrys Morales' behavior after jacking a homer against the Astros was also immature.  His skipping around the bases like a six year old girl will also be welcomed with a fastball to the back the first time those two teams meet next year.

I am looking forward to the 2016 MLB season and watching my beloved Cardinals play in the NL Central, the toughest division in baseball.  The Cubs are going to be good for a while, the Pirates are good and the Brewers and Reds should also get better.  And it all starts in just 155 days! Woo-Hoo!

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One Down and Hopefully Many More to Come

My beloved Cardinals won their season opener last night over the Miami Marlins 4-1. The Birds jumped on the Marlins early and Kyle Lohse was hitless until the 7th inning. The bullpen took care of the rest and Jason Motte came in and overpowered Miami to close out the game.

If you read this blog regularly you will know I'm not much of a prognosticator. Two years ago I said the Cards would kick ass and take names. Obviously, they had too many injuries to make that happen and didn't get a sniff of the playoffs.

Last year, I said they were one of the worst Cardinal teams I had ever seen, and they won the World Series.

So, this year I am cautiously optimistic. I dont think the Cardinals are good enough to win the Series but I think they are good enough to make the playoffs. (Especially the watered down version with an additional Wild-Card team). A lot will depend on how well, or how poorly, rookie manager Mike Matheny handles his first ever team.