I had an old friend of mine once refer to Busch Stadium as "Huckster Stadium". It's been about five years since he said it and the home of the St. Louis Cardinals has become little more than a blatant display of commercialism. Each year there are more and more advertisements on the outfield walls, each half inning brings sales pitches from the PA announcer and to top it off every part of the game has an "Official Cardinal" sponsor.
I still love the game. I was there last Thursday and watched the Cardinals beat the Mets 4-3 in 13 innings even though the game lasted over four hours. (Major League Baseball would say that's not bad for a long extra inning affair, but it's way too long. I will go into why baseball is played at a snail's pace in a future blog.)
When the game ended I was ready to go back for another game. But after watching four games in a row on TV. I am not sure I will go back unless someone gives me free tickets. And to top it off the 2018 version of the Cardinals is mediocre at best. The team has a terrible defense and an un-dependable bullpen. I hope I'm wrong but this Cardinal team will be lucky to finish the season at the .500 level.
Stay tuned for more on this boring team that plays games that are averaging well over three hours each.
Showing posts with label New York Mets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Mets. Show all posts
May 01, 2018
October 04, 2016
No Post Season for the Cardinals this Year
For the first time in the last five years, my beloved St. Louis Cardinals will not be playing in Major League Baseball's Post Season Tournament.
The Cards ended up ten games over .500 with a record of 86-76. Despite winning their final four games, it wasn't good enough to get into the playoffs as the Birds ended up a game back of the Mets and Giants for the Wildcard Playoff game tomorrow night at Citi Field in New York.
The Cardinals had a lot of power this year slamming 225 Home Runs. That was the best in the National League and second best in MLB behind the Baltimore Orioles.
The Cardinals ultimate downfall was its pitching and poor defense. The Cards ended up with the fourth worst defensive percentage in the National League. The starting pitching was spotty to say the least and the bullpen was the worst its been in five years.
When I look back at the season I see a number of games where the team blew leads and its bullpen appeared clueless. Its hard to point to one game or one series, but back in June the Texas Rangers came to St. Louis for an inter-league series and came from behind on both Saturday and Sunday to sweep the series. I think what might have been had the Cardinals bullpen saved one of those games.
Oh well, there's always next year.
The Cards ended up ten games over .500 with a record of 86-76. Despite winning their final four games, it wasn't good enough to get into the playoffs as the Birds ended up a game back of the Mets and Giants for the Wildcard Playoff game tomorrow night at Citi Field in New York.
The Cardinals had a lot of power this year slamming 225 Home Runs. That was the best in the National League and second best in MLB behind the Baltimore Orioles.
The Cardinals ultimate downfall was its pitching and poor defense. The Cards ended up with the fourth worst defensive percentage in the National League. The starting pitching was spotty to say the least and the bullpen was the worst its been in five years.
When I look back at the season I see a number of games where the team blew leads and its bullpen appeared clueless. Its hard to point to one game or one series, but back in June the Texas Rangers came to St. Louis for an inter-league series and came from behind on both Saturday and Sunday to sweep the series. I think what might have been had the Cardinals bullpen saved one of those games.
Oh well, there's always next year.
July 24, 2016
The Class of 2017
Congratulations to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Ken Griffey, Jr. and Mike Piazza become the 311th and 312th members of the National Hall of Fame.
I consider myself fortunate to have seen both Griffey and Piazza play in person. I saw Piazza when he played for the Dodgers early in his career and then later in his career when he was with the New York Mets when he would play against my beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Piazza had a .308 lifetime average over his 16 season career. I initially questioned his election to the Hall. This was his fourth year on the ballot and he made it with over 80 percent of the vote this time around. I think his election may help other catchers with similar numbers make it into the Hall.
I saw "The Kid" play in Seattle in the early 90s at the old King dome when vacationing in the Pacific Northwest and then later in his career when he and the Reds would come to visit the Cardinals. Griffey was elected on the first ballot and there is no doubt he belongs in the Hall. Griffey's 630 Home Runs were all natural unlike many of the juicers of his era. Griffey was always fun to watch in the outfield and would make the difficult look routine. I can remember watching Junior go above the wall in the old Seattle ballpark and rob more than one player of what looked like a sure home run off of the bat. Griffey is one of the best outfielders I have seen and to me his talent and likeability brought many fans back to the game after the strike of 1993.
In addition to Griffey and Piazza two other men joined the Hall of Fame this afternoon. Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe was the recipient of the J.G Taylor Spink Award and was enshrined into the writers wing of the Hall in Cooperstown.
Joining him in the broadcaster's wing was the late Graham McNamee who is the recipient of this year's Ford C. Frick Award. McNamee was a well known announcer of the 20's and was among the first to broadcast a World Series on the radio for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).
Congratulations to all four of these gentlemen on their selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
I saw "The Kid" play in Seattle in the early 90s at the old King dome when vacationing in the Pacific Northwest and then later in his career when he and the Reds would come to visit the Cardinals. Griffey was elected on the first ballot and there is no doubt he belongs in the Hall. Griffey's 630 Home Runs were all natural unlike many of the juicers of his era. Griffey was always fun to watch in the outfield and would make the difficult look routine. I can remember watching Junior go above the wall in the old Seattle ballpark and rob more than one player of what looked like a sure home run off of the bat. Griffey is one of the best outfielders I have seen and to me his talent and likeability brought many fans back to the game after the strike of 1993.
In addition to Griffey and Piazza two other men joined the Hall of Fame this afternoon. Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe was the recipient of the J.G Taylor Spink Award and was enshrined into the writers wing of the Hall in Cooperstown.
Joining him in the broadcaster's wing was the late Graham McNamee who is the recipient of this year's Ford C. Frick Award. McNamee was a well known announcer of the 20's and was among the first to broadcast a World Series on the radio for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).
Congratulations to all four of these gentlemen on their selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
November 01, 2015
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!
-
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!
-
April 19, 2010
Another Good (if Not Long) Week for the Birds
The Cardinals are now 8-4 after two weeks and have won all four series they've been in this year. The most recent series win was over the Mets with the Cards winning the rubber game last night. Adam Wainwright helped his team out tremendously by going the distance and pitching a complete game 5-3 win over the worn out Mets. You see, the two clubs played a 20 inning seven hour marathon on Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening that depleted both bullpens. (A friend of mine lives in Columbia, Mo and watched the first 11 innings at Busch Stadium before getting cold and deciding it was time to drive back to Columbia. That's about a two hour drive. Nonetheless, she made the trek back home down I-70 and back in time to see the last three innings at home. Yes that is a very long game).
Up next the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix starting this evening and then the San Francisco Giants this weekend at AT&T Park. The Giants are my pick to win the National League West so it should be a good test for the Cards.
Up next the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix starting this evening and then the San Francisco Giants this weekend at AT&T Park. The Giants are my pick to win the National League West so it should be a good test for the Cards.
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