|
STL weather
Sample Size... April 8
Baseball Is Back March 26
It’s
good to have Baseball back. The arrival of the MLB season means
that we have survived another long cold
winter. Warm outdoor activities are on the
way. Everyone’s mood usually improves. The return of the National Past-time
is a good thing. This bureau believes this
is one of the best times of the year. On Thursday, Cardinal fans will trek
downtown to self-proclaimed Baseball Heaven
to party, to witness the traditional
appearance of the Anheuser-Busch
Clydesdales, to watch the arrival of the
red-coated Hall of Famers and to welcome the
parade of convertibles carrying the 2025 Red
Birds and coaches onto the field. Thursday afternoon will be the
twentieth opening day at Busch Stadium III.
But 72 hours before first pitch,
tickets remain for this home/season opener.
And at this writing, plenty of tickets are
available for the rest of the homestand. Let that sink in. Apathy is alive, well and on display
all throughout self-proclaimed Baseball
Heaven. The unofficial St. Louis area
holiday is starting to look more and more
like just another Thursday. That sure doesn’t sound like The
Cardinal Way. Perhaps it’s the reset tone the team
has been selling since last October. Perhaps
it’s choosing not to re-sign Paul
Goldschmidt, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and
another free agent. Perhaps it’s more and
more trinket giveaways/special theme night
promotions announced well before Game One. Regardless, 2025 looks to be an
interesting season for the local nine. 2025
also looks to be a different season for the
local nine. 2025 also looks to be a telling
season for the local nine. Or as we in this little corner of
cyberspace suggest: all of the above. Welcome to the land of the reset.
Instead of wondering if the Cardinals are
good enough to reach the post-season, the
self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball ponder
what uniform Nolan Arenado and Ryan Helsley
will be wearing on Labor Day and who will be
the Red Birds skipper when the final out is
called on Sunday September 28. These are all
unfolding as the John Mozeliak farewell tour
occurs. Cardinal fans are anywhere from
skeptical to angry. Just take a look at the
readers’ comments on any Red Bird story this
winter to gage the temperature. The national pundits are unsure about
the local nine also. In a 3/19/25 piece, MLB.com writer
Mike Petriello listed his “Tiers of
contending teams for the 2025 NLB season”.
Petriello ranks St. Louis in Tier 8, “What’s
the direction here?” He writes, (the
Cardinals) might even make some noise in the
Wild Card race, because all the talk about
doing a “reset” never exactly happened,
since Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Ryan
Helsley, Miles Mikolas and Willson Contreras
are all still there. That’s good news for
2025 competitiveness; it just puts everyone
in something of an awkward holding pattern,
trying to balance competing now with giving
younger players room to learn, while knowing
that this is the final year of the John
Mozeliak Era before Chaim Bloom takes over
as the president of baseball operations.
They might be better than you think this
year. That wasn’t entirely the point,
though.” In The Athletic’s National League
Central Division preview, former MLB General
Manager Jim Bowden ranked St. Louis as the
least improved team in the division writing,
“The Cardinals were the only team I gave an
F to in my final offseason grades, as they
made only one major-league move, signing
reliever Phil Maton, and they didn’t do that
until March 13. They did reduce their
payroll by close to $40 million. As the
Cardinals reset for the future, they’re
depending on the development of their young
players — that’s the only way they’ll
improve this season.” But the show must go on. Opening Day
is Thursday against Minnesota. As the team embarks north the biggest
roster surprise is outfielder Victor Scott
II. The speedy Scott put up impressive
Spring numbers to earn a starting spot in
center field. It leaves visions of happy
memories dancing in the heads of the
self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball. The glass half full crowd will remind
you that in 1985 with Lonnie Smith injured,
the Cardinals promoted young outfielder
Vince Coleman as a stop gap. Coleman would
steal 110 bases, win the National League
Rookie of the Year Award as St. Louis
reached the post season. Time will tell if lightning will
strike twice with Scott II or if the
youngster will perform as someone who teased
with Spring Training numbers. We’ll see. When the real games start, the
Cardinals will list thirteen pitchers and
thirteen non-pitchers on the roster. Sonny
Gray will take the mound in Game One and
converted catcher Willson Contreras will
take over first base from the departed Paul
Goldschmidt. Regardless of the makeup, the
Cardinals will need to start 2025 strong.
St. Louis will host Minnesota for three
games before welcoming the Angels to town
for three more. Then the Red Birds head to
Fenway Park for three against the Red Sox
before traveling to Pittsburgh. The
Cardinals return home for three against
Philadelphia and then three against Houston
before spending Easter weekend in Queens
with four against the Mets. Saying it another way, the Red Birds’
first four 2025 will be against teams that
did not make the playoffs in 2024. Should
St. Louis stumble in these first dozen
games, the next ten games will be against
teams that appeared in the 2024 playoffs. And all of this will be unfolding as
the Red Birds will be competing for the
local sports dollar. The Blues have suddenly
become Stanley Cup playoff contenders and
more and more fans are coming through the
Enterprise Center turnstiles. St. Louis City
continues to pack them in the soccer palace
in Downtown. The day after the Cardinals’
opener, the Battlehawks will play their
first game in Houston, with a home opener at
the Dome the following Sunday evening. In a February 2025 with The Athletic,
Manager Oliver Marmol said: “The city only
cares about the St. Louis Cardinals. And
that's no disrespect to anything else that's
happening in this city. But that's what this
city is about."" We’ll see and we’ll be watching
stands at Busch III. Game One of 162 blasts off Thursday
afternoon with Sonny Gray as the expected
starter. 2025 looks to be an interesting
season for the local nine. 2025 also looks
to be a different season for the local nine.
2025 also looks to be a telling season for
the local nine. Here we go: Regardless, It’s good to have
Baseball back.
March 13 The St.
Louis Cardinals 2025 regular season Opening Day
is now just two weeks away. In fourteen days,
the Red Birds will host the Minnesota Twins at
Busch Stadium.
Winter Warm-up Weekend...and the Cardinals are at a Crossroads January 17 As
2025
arrives, the Gateway City has once again been
reminded that Mother Nature remains in charge. On
the first weekend of the new year, anywhere from
8-12 inches of snow were dumped in our town and
heavy and dangerous ice storms attacked the
outlying areas.
To those who were whining and complaining last summer about the 100-degree temperatures, we ask: please tell us how this is better? Watching the snow fall and fall and fall, this bureau’s mind went back to those warmer summer days in general and baseball in particular. With players scheduled to arrive in Jupiter, Florida in less than a month and the annual Winter Warm Up occurring this weekend, we revisit the state of the St. Louis Cardinals. Since we last visited, we’ve seen some old friends depart and the drama surrounding third baseman Nolan Arenado continue. It’s fair to label the local nine as a work-in-progress. During the off-season, Major League Baseball teams try to adjust/improve their roster and fire-up their fans for the upcoming season. That has generally been the battle plan here in the 314. So, a 1/10/25 piece in the Athletic by Jim Bowden who graded the off-season of each Major League Baseball team caught our eye. Bowden has a solid resume. According to the Athletic: “(Bowden) was formerly the Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals for a combined sixteen years, including being named the 1999 MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America. He is the lead MLB Analyst and Insider for CBS Sports-HQ and a regular talk-show host on SiriusXM for the MLB Network.” While one might disagree with his opinion, as the young folks might say, Bowden does have “street cred”. To that tend, Bowden provided this analysis of the local nine: “The Cardinals haven’t made a single trade or free-agent signing. They lost Paul Goldschmidt to free agency and have been trying to unload Nolan Arenado and his contract to no avail. Even if they can’t trade Arenado now, if he comes to spring training and demonstrates he could be a Comeback Player of the Year candidate, his trade value might improve and it might be easier to swap him. The Cardinals will probably have a better idea if they can move him before spring training once Alex Bregman signs, as teams that miss out on him will be forced to pivot. In the meantime, they’re building for the future in the final year under John Mozeliak’s leadership before Chaim Bloom takes over as President of Baseball Operations next offseason.” “Biggest question: Can Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman develop enough this year to live up to their potential on both sides of the ball?” “Season prediction: Fifth place” “Grade: F” Say what? Fifth place? Fifth Place is LAST Place. Grade F? This bureau knows some excellent teachers or instructors who do anything reasonably possible to assign this lowest grade. Let that sink in---“Season prediction: Fifth place”-----“Grade: F” Meanwhile, during this off-season we have seen: Juan Soto signed a reported multi-year $760 million dollar deal with the New York Mets. The Cincinnati Reds hire future Hall of Fame Manager Terry Francona to lead the team in 2025. The Reds are a rising team with much young talent. On the North South of Chicago, the Cubs acquired soon-to-be 28-year-old Kyle Tucker (who in 2024 hit 23 home runs in 78 games played) to roam the Wrigley Field outfield and bat third in the lineup. National League Central Division Champion Milwaukee quietly improved their starting rotation by peddling their soon-to-be free agent closer to the Yankees for lefthanded starter Nestor Cortes. Former Red Bird first baseman Paul Goldschmidt signed a one-year deal with the New York Yankees and Willson Contreras has been named as his successor at first base. But here is self-proclaimed Baseball Heaven, the local nine continue resetting. The St. Louis Cardinals LLC are at a crossroads. No longer is it a given that at least 3,000,000 self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball will dutifully parade through the Busch Stadium turnstiles in 2025. According to a 10/4/24 Sports Business Journal piece, Cardinals local television ratings hit record low and are down 47% over the last two seasons. According to that piece, the team’s 2024 ratting on Bally Sports Midwest was 3.9: compared to 5.2 in 2023 and 7.3 in 2022. More and more tea leaves are popping up and it is fair to ask if the thrill is gone. Apathy appears to be growing. Meanwhile, the team announced a very heavy promotion schedule after Thanksgiving while complimenting it with a flourish of local television commercials reminding the viewers Cardinal tickets do make great Christmas gifts. This week there was an on-line ad from a local based bank offering a contest drawing for anyone applying for a new credit or debit card. The prize for the lucky winner: two 2025 St. Louis Cardinal SEASON TICKETS. So how is all this playing? The tone of the responses from the readers on Cardinal related online stories have grown more negative and at times nasty. Now the off-season is growing shorter and shorter. The annual Cardinal Winter Warm Up is scheduled for to run from Saturday January 18 to Monday January 20 at self-proclaimed Baseball Heaven. Temperatures are expected to be cold and snow will likely be remaining on the ground. Inquiring minds must ask, what will the attendance and tone of those attending be? During the off-season, the goal of Major League Baseball teams is to adjust/improve their roster and to fire-up their fans for the upcoming season. “Season prediction: Fifth place” “Grade: F” As the tea leaves grow, pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report in Jupiter, Florida on Wednesday February 12 with the full squad workout scheduled for Monday February 17. According to the calendar on the wall, that is less than a month away. The snow still remains on the ground here in the 314. And the St. Louis Cardinals LLC remain at a crossroads. Mike's Annual Letter to Santa
Dear
Santa: T’was
but
days before Christmas and all through the Lou,
many of us are waiting for you. 2024 was rough
and frustrating here in the 314. The Cardinals
underperformed and are now resetting. The Blues missed out on
the playoffs again and fired their Head Coach
again. Professional soccer continued to flourish
in the 314 though the results waned. Missouri
football frustrated while earning to Nashville
for a Bowl Game. St. Louis University Men’s
basketball brought in a new coach while the
soccer teams continue to excel The Battlehawks
continued bringing big crowds into the Dome and
hosting the only 2024 playoff game in our town. While
this
bureau again asks its standard wish list of
being taller, thinner, darker hair and yeah, a
little bit younger, we again offer a few
suggestions before you hitch up the reindeer for
your midnight ride. We
do know way too well that we better not pout and
better not cry. This list is for our local
sports heroes, bosses, teams, and fans. Again, please keep this
quiet. It’s a secret. Full disclosure: some on
this list that have been naughty and some have
been nice. But
you
already know that. So,
from
this corner of cyberspace we submit this 2024
Christmas wish list: For the St. Louis
Cardinals: A compass You guys are at a
crossroads and need direction. You need to
recognize the old plan isn’t working anymore and
your ticket buying public is tuning you out.
Plus, other NLCD teams are passing you by and
are evolving. Whining about salary concerns, and
choosing inaction while blathering twelve-letter
words will only lead to more and more empty
seats at Busch Stadium this summer. For Oliver Marmol: A clock We
give you this because you are on it. This is
year four of your Cardinal Manager career and we
still are unclear how to interpret it. Again,
the already frustrated Cardinal fans have run
out of patience and right, wrong, or indifferent
you’re one of the faces of it. For John Mozeliak: A Gold Watch
and a thanks for the memories. It’s time for you
to leave. You are the face of the current
Cardinal franchise. After seventeen years, it’s
time (perhaps past time?) to pass the baton. Paul Goldschmidt: Our thanks and
best wishes: You have planed first base
professionally and with class during your stay
in St. Louis. Your quiet, workmanlike style
should be a model for others. Plus, we will
really, really, really miss your glove at first
base. We know there is some team that will take
advantage of your talents. For Yadier Molina: A GPS---it
would not be surprising if the Cardinals will
need to track you down this summer. For Willson Contreras: A big first
baseman’s mitt and videos of Keith Hernandez and
Paul Goldschmidt highlights to study. Forgive us
if we are skeptical this position change
experiment will not turn out well. For Tommy Edman: A tip of the
cap. While in a Cardinal uniform you’ll be
fondly remembered. This bureau doesn’t recall a
when traded player was so heralded and cheered
by Cardinal fans while appearing in the
post-season wearing an opposing uniform. For John Rooney: More and more
respect---he remains a top tier and sometimes
unappreciated, baseball announcer that this town
sometimes takes for granted For Adam Wainwright: More concert
dates and more TV appearances For Chip Caray: Our thanks and
appreciation again for coming back home. You
have made viewing some challenging baseball in
2023 and 2024 more tolerable. For the
self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball: The Show Me
State attitude—2023 and 2024 served as a wake-up
call that October baseball is not an
entitlement. Not showing up at self-proclaimed
Baseball Heaven remains the loudest signal you
can send to the Front Office: and that signal
was screamed loud and clear during August and
September. For the St.
Louis Blues: A playoff
return. You guys need to get in. In the past two
years, the Enterprise Center has been dark
during Stanley Cup playoff time. A three-peat
playoff miss will shake the core of your
(blindly?) loyal faithful. Plus, a playoff spot
is achievable For Blues
President Doug Armstrong: A microscope
and our respect. The microscope to take a hard
look at improving this team. Our respect for
acknowledging when it is time to pass the torch.
For Drew
Bannister: Good Luck Thanks for coming. But
business is business. For new
Head Coach Jim Montgomery: Tangible
Results—You’re here for a reason and the long
term. Let’s see what you got. For Jordan
Binnington: Pure focus.
Any 2025 Blues success/failure goes directly
through #50’s goal crease. For the
local hockey media—A deep breath.
The hyperbolic reaction of the Montgomery hiring
and the wins that followed were a bit much.
Hockey is a long season for a reason. For Kelly Chase: A positive diagnosis
and a strong recovery: The
former Blues tough guy is putting up a valiant
effort in the second round against a mean foe.
For what it’s worth, our money is on #39. For Blues Fans: A playoff return. You
deserve hosting mid-April and perhaps early May
hockey games at 14th & Clark.
Right or wrong, year after year, crisis after
crisis, through good and mostly bad times, Blues
Nation (although most times blindly) stand
loyally behind their heroes while swinging
towels and singing “Country Roads”. For the
rich & arrogant cartel better known as
the National Football League: Another lump
of coal, That’s still good enough for those
white billionaire owners and those millionaire
players with police records. Playing football
games on Christmas Days and making fans pay in
order to watch those games is simply business as
usual for the greedy Shield. To St. Louis City: An effective
new Head Coach and a warning. The hope here is
the new Coach will jump start team play. The
warning is City is now in year three and some of
the novelty of professional soccer could be
wearing off. Winning always keeps fans happy. To the
Battlehawks: A return to
the playoffs, a new quarterback, 30,000+ fans at
the Dome for every game and a hearty “Ka-Kaw”
throughout the 314 For the University of
Missouri Football Program: A successful
trip to Nashville, a quarterback prospect and a ladder: the ladder
is needed because the gridiron program at Ol’
Mizzou remains in the middle tier of the SEC. For the St. Louis
University Men’s Basketball program: Our attention.
We’re watching. Your hiring of Josh Schertz was
a solid addition and a bold move. Losing to
Woffard, not so much. Winning games and
improving the program will starting filling all
those empty seats at Chaifetz Arena. . For the St. Louis
University soccer programs: Continued
success. It was really fun watching how the
legacy of Billiken men and women kickers of the
past returned in 2024. You’re still our town’s
best kept secret. For local college
basketball fans: Two things: 1)
Relevancy for the annual “Bragging Rights” game.
Back in the day that game used to be the hottest
ticket in town. Now it’s played at noon on an
NFL Sunday afternoon 2) An annual Missouri/St.
Louis University basketball game rotating
between St. Louis and Columbia. Both programs
really need a shot in the arm For the flagship radio
station of the St. Louis Cardinals: A reality
check and relevancy. The glory days of Buck,
Carney, Kelly and Jim White are long gone. The
2024 Arbitron numbers were mediocre at best:
making the once mighty-MOX a non-descript radio
station that desperately cannot afford to lose
the Cardinal broadcast rights. While mostly
self-inflicted, the decline of this once
legendary radio station is just sad. Back in the
day KMOX was must listening. But, not anymore.
Also, please drop the moniker of “America’s
Sports Voice”, because you are not. For the faithful readers
of St. Louis Sports On-Line: A wonderful,
blessed, and safe Christmas, and a wish for a
great and prosperous 2025. Plus, our thanks for
bookmarking this site and visiting it on a
regular basis. Well
Santa,
that’s about it. Yeah,
I know it’s a long list so thanks for listening.
See you soon. Have a safe trip and we’ll keep
the lights at the top of the Arch lit. We’ll
have cookies & milk as well as a couple
Billiken/William Woods tickets waiting for you.
Your
friend,
A Cards Update and Some Questions
It
has been almost three months since the St. Louis
Cardinals completed their 2024 regular season.
Although the 2024 Red Birds finished with a winning record (83 victories), given all the empty seats that showed up at Busch Stadium in August and September, the self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball were voting with their absence about their heroes. It has also been almost three months when the Red Birds Front Office held their much-anticipated post-season press conference. At that conference the Front Office branded their makeover plan going forward as a “reset”. It’s now a week and a half before Christmas and the reset is eleven weeks old. Has time healed any of those wounds with the ticket-buying public in the 314? A few things have happened during the reset so far: In early October, St. Louis broke ties with former MVP first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and starters Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson. The Red Birds replaced Hitting Coach Turner Ward with veteran instructor Brant Brown. Also, they announced, old friend Jon Jay will return as a coach. On 10/22/24, the Cardinals welcomed former Cleveland Director of Player Development Rob Cerfolio as Assistant GM, Player Development & Performance. We repeat our thoughts from sometime back: given the cautious, “low hanging fruit” philosophy of the seventeen-year John Mozeliak era, we suggest Cerfolio’s hiring was driven by incoming POBO, Chaim Bloom. Meanwhile, a few other things have occurred: Juan Soto signed a reported multi-year $760 million dollar deal with the New York Mets. National League Central fraternity brother Cincinnati hired future Hall of Fame Manager Terry Francona to lead the team in 2025. The Reds are a rising team with much young talent. Another NLCD member based in the North South of Chicago acquired soon-to-be 28-year-old Kyle Tucker (who in 2024 hit 23 home runs in 78 games played) to roam the Wrigley Field outfield and bat third in the lineup. Meanwhile defending NLCD Champion Milwaukee quietly improved their starting rotation by peddling their soon-to-be free agent closer to the Yankees for lefthanded starter Nestor Cortes. Here is self-proclaimed Baseball Heaven, the Cardinals continue resetting. So, has time healed any of those wounds with the ticket-buying public in the 314? A few tea leaves have us in this little corner of cyberspace wondering: Shortly after Halloween, this bureau flipped on an Audacy music radio station. The Cardinals flagship radio station is also an Audacy station. When the tune ended, the friendly female music station DJ announced that if you are a certain caller, you will win a special prize: Tickets to Opening Day at Busch Stadium in March 2025 versus Minnesota. Say what? Aren’t tickets to the Cardinals home opener considered the “hottest tickets in town”? And there are more tea leaves. In a 12/9/24 press release offered details on the team’s 2025 promotional schedule: complete with over 30 giveaways for ticketed fans. To the best of our recollection, this is the earliest the promotional schedule announcement was released. The next day another press release announced that 2025 Holiday packs were available. Christmas shoppers had the choice of an Opening Day pack (including tickets for the Home Opener), Bobblehead Pack featuring all 2025 bobblehead giveaway dates, a package for all Friday night games regardless of opponent and a “Flex Pack” of at least three games choosing any of the 81 regular season homes games loaded with Cardinal Cash to spend. Again, to the best of our recollection, this is the earliest the ticket package announcement was released. But yet there are even more tea leaves. In the downtown garage structures across from Ball Park Village where this bureau parks for Red Bird home games, their website is posting reservations for upcoming season. According to the website the costs of parking for most 2025 games is 12.5% cheaper than it was for most 2024 home games. Adding to the curiosity, more and more commercials are popping up on local TV and radio stations suggesting Cardinal tickets for holiday gifts. In a 12/14/24 piece written by good-guy Lynn Worthy of out town’s only newspaper, Mozeliak reflected saying, ““If we can find the way to score runs on a consistent level, I do think we may surprise some teams. If you look at last year, our pitching kept us in games. Our bullpen carried us at times. Ultimately, we just really struggled scoring runs. This is going to be a big test, but it is about giving younger guys and opportunity, and it’s about seeing what they do with it.” While the POBO’s comments seemed lackluster in nature, what caught our eye were the reactions of the readers to the article. There were 102 of them. Conservatively 90% of the comments were negative. One of the many was: “Just watching some old video of Larussa and Dusty jaw jacking from the dugouts during a game. It’s amazing the HUGE difference in the electricity in the air and excitement. It’s been a really long time since we felt that here and tanking to save money won’t bring that back anytime soon. Yea. I said tanking.” So, how did we get here? In October 2021 days after a playoff loss, Mozeliak fired Field Manager Mike Shildt. With that firing, the Cardinals became Mozeliak’s team. Saying it another way, Mozeliak owns the current state of the St. Louis Cardinals. Right, wrong or indifferent, at this time Mozeliak is the face of the franchise. Based on the mood of the fans as Christmas approaches, they’re not accustomed to his face. Given all of this, we can’t help but wonder if the thrill is waning (if not gone) with many among the self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball. Is it to premature to ask during the waning days of 2024 if Cardinal baseball is not as relevant as in the past? The Front Office has to be aware and has to be concerned with all of this. Do they really want to play hot potato with the Hope Diamond? With Christmas less than ten days away, it’s far from the most wonderful time of the year down at 8th and Clark. While all is calm, is all bright? Inquiring minds wonder on the mood and attendance of next month’s Winter Warm-Up. It’s been eleven weeks since the end of the 2024 season. Reading the tea leaves, it is not unfair to ask: Has time healed any of those wounds with the ticket-buying public of the St. Louis Cardinals? Riddle Me This
Riddle me this, boys and
girls: Who will we next see playing in a playoff
game: the St. Louis Cardinals or the St. Louis
Blues? We in this little corner
of cyberspace pondered this question while
enjoying a complete smorgasbord of sports choices
on television. If you are a sports fan, you really
can’t beat October. On a given day you have your
choice of post-season baseball, professional
football, college football or the National Hockey
League. Heck, if you feel
adventurous there are even WNBA playoff games for
your viewing pleasure. Meanwhile, here in the
314 the weather has been spectacular. Temperatures
have been in the low to mid-eighties under sunny
skies with low humidity. In the mornings, there is
a chill in the air as the leaves on the trees
change colors. Saying it another way, it
sure would be a perfect day to host a playoff
baseball game. But back to the original
musings: In their 2023 inaugural
MLS season, St. Louis City reached the playoffs
and earned the #1 seed: only to lose to Sporting
Kansas City in the first round. During 2024, the only St.
Louis based team that has participated in
post-season play has been the Battlehawks. And
that run lasted only one game. So, it’s fair to ask: Who will we next see
playing in a playoff game: the St. Louis Cardinals
or the St. Louis Blues? Our Blue has missed the
playoffs the last two seasons. The team last
appeared in post-season play on May 27, 2022 when
they were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche.
St. Louis finished 2022-23 with a losing record.
In 2023-24, the Blues finished with a winning
record but did not qualify for the Stanley Cup
playoffs. The Cardinals have also
missed the playoffs the last two seasons. The team
last appeared in post-season play on October 8,
2022 when they were eliminated by the Philadelphia
Phillies. St. Louis finished 2023 with a losing
record. In 2024, the Red Birds finished with a
winning record but did not qualify for the MLB
playoffs. There seems to be a
pattern here. But it continues: After the regular season
ended in June, the Blues announced a succession
plan where President of Hockey Operations and
General Manager Doug Armstrong would serve in
that role for now but former player Alexander
Steen would take over the controls in 2026. As Drew Bannister begins
as Head Coach, the Blues opened the 2024-25
regular season impressively. The team started
their season with a three-game west coast road
trip. The Blues won two of those three games: both
in comeback fashion. St. Louis will host Minnesota
in their home opener. In a few months on New
Year’s Eve the Blues will travel to Wrigley Field
to play the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL’s annual
Winter Classic outdoor hockey game. Meanwhile, as the team
tries to reinvent itself in a salary cap
environment, Blues Nation remain loyal and
continue to display their support (and credit
cards) at the Enterprise Center. In 2023, St.
Louis averaged 18,094 per game: 99.9% of capacity.
As Ian Mendes indicated in a 4/18/24 New York
Times piece, “while even a disappointing season on
the ice didn’t stop fans in St. Louis from filling
their respective arenas” The Blues are retooling
with the goal of reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs
next spring. Their fans appear to be good with
that. Meanwhile, things have
been quiet down at self-proclaimed Baseball Heaven
since the much-ballyhooed post-season press
conference. Hours after the final regular season
game the Cardinals announced a succession plan.
President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak
would continue in his role for one more season and
former Tampa Bay/Boston Executive Chaim Bloom
would take over the controls in November 2025. “Our No. 1 priority will
be to lay the foundation for a sustained period of
competitive excellence in the years ahead,”
Cardinal chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said as he
opened the Press Conference. Those words “lay the
foundation” implies reduction in payroll. That has
begun with the team choosing not to pursue former
National League MVP and gold glove first baseman
Paul Goldschmidt to a contract extension.
Additional payroll cost-cutting decisions are
expected. Much like Boeing that has
recently announced a 10% workforce cut, questions
swirl down at 8th & Clark on who
will stay and who will go. Published reports
suggest third baseman Nolan Arenado, catcher
Willson Contraras, starter Sonny Gray and reliever
Ryan Helsley as targets for the reaching that
payroll reduction target. Arenado, Contreras and
Gray all have no-trade provisions in their
contract while Helsley is expected to break the
bank this winter in arbitration. The Red Birds are
branding all of this as a reset. Call it what you will,
you can’t hide your lying eyes. With beautiful
fall-like weather, it sure would be a good time to
host a playoff baseball game here in the 314. The Cardinals missed the
post-season in the past two years. The Red Birds
have not won a playoff game or playoff series
since October 2019. St. Louis has not won a World
Series in thirteen years and have not won a
National League pennant in eleven years. During this stretch of
beautiful weather in the 314, the baseball
playoffs are in full swing. Old friends are taking
center stage. Michael Wacha, Jose Quintana and
Jack Flaherty are starting pitchers in playoff
games. Lane Thomas is hitting home runs while he
and Tommy Pham are driving in runs. Harrison Bader
and Tommy Edman are versatile pieces for playoff
teams. Luke Weaver is closing out games in the
Bronx. And, Mike Shildt did not
encounter any philosophical differences as he took
his San Diego Padres into the second round of the
NL playoffs. For the first time in
twenty non-COVID seasons, the Cardinals did not
draw at least 3,000,000 fans. 362,976 fewer fans
saw 2024 Cardinal home games than 2023 Cardinal
home games. More and more rows of empty seats
showed up for August and September home games.
Local TV ratings were down 20% in 2024: after
being down 28% in 2023. Unlike the Blues fans,
the self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball don’t
seem to be good with it. Two professional sports
teams in the same market with similar situations
are perceived differently by their ticket buying
public. So we ask again, Riddle me this, boys and
girls: <>Who will
we next see playing in a playoff game: the St.
Louis Cardinals or the St. Louis Blues?
Sixty. Seconds? Minutes? ...or Years. It Has Been Sixty Years Since 1964.
“Like many of our fans, we were
disappointed with our results the last two
seasons. But our goals remain unchanged: to
consistently contend for National League Central
titles and playoff appearances, and ultimately
win the World Series.” “We have always prided ourselves on
drafting and developing our own players. It is
clear that we need make significant changes to
get back to this model. Our baseball decisions
going forward will focus on developing our
pipeline of players, giving our young core every
opportunity to succeed at the major-league
level.” With those words from Owner Bill DeWitt,
Jr., the St. Louis Cardinals welcomed the
off-season. On the morning of the first day of
October, the weather forecast in self-proclaimed
Baseball Heaven calls for sunny skies with
temperatures in the mid-seventies, though a tad
windy. In other words, a perfect day for a home
playoff baseball game. But there won’t be a home playoff game on
this forecasted beautiful day in the 314. Again The Red Birds began their off-season
after an improved, but frustrating 2024. St.
Louis finished with a winning record of 83-79:
tied for second place in the National League
Central Division. While a winning record might check a box,
drilling down on the numbers reveal
inconsistency and
underachievement. On Mother’s Day, the local
nine was 16-24. But at All-Star break the team’s
posted a 50-46 mark. Yet, in the second half,
St. Louis was a .500 team: finishing with a
33-33 record in the final 66 games. St. Louis
went 26-26 against NLCD foes. The Red Birds’
final dismal 229 team batting average with
Runners in Scoring Position was 27th in MLB. Meanwhile, the fans are losing interest.
TV ratings for Red Bird games were down
Attendance dropped 11.2% from 2023. The biggest crowd at Busch Stadium in
2024 came to see Billy Joel and Sting. So, a makeover is needed. Or, using the buzzword of the day utter
many times during the press conference: a
“reset”. DeWitt, Jr. announced that President of
Baseball Operations John Mozeliak would return
in that role for a final season, and Field
Manager Oliver Marmol would continue as skipper
for 2025. Also announced was that former Boston
and Tampa Bay executive Chaim Bloom will oversee
this overhaul of the minor league programs and
then, starting after the 2025 season, will take over as
POBO. Bloom’s new deal runs from October 2025
through 2030. How will Bloom’s overall be funded?
Although not directly stated but quite implied,
those funds will come from decreased spending in
payroll for the 2025 season. Inquiring minds wind how this was
received in the Cardinals’ season ticket renewal
department. The theme of this press
conference/intervention didn’t sound like The
Cardinal Way. Rather, it was how the Cardinals lost
their way. Lame duck Mozeliak added his thoughts in
his standard professorial and at times
condescending style. “I’d like to set us on a
course to get back to consistent winning. Focus
on the buildup of our baseball operations,
invest in new infrastructure and technologies.
What it is a multi-year strategy, a focus on
player procurement and development. It’s a
long-term investment in the organization’s
future… It’s not a Band-Aid solution. And this
is not an excuse. Focus on the word ‘change.’
Change. We need to make change to realize our
ultimate goal.” While he was quick with the jokes during
the press conference, Mozeliak did not address
was the obvious follow-up question: How did
Mozeliak’s team get here? Answer: Mozeliak owns the current status
of the Cardinals. The Cardinals missed the playoffs in the
past two seasons. The Red Birds have not won a
playoff game or playoff series since October
2019. St. Louis has not won a World Series in
thirteen years and have not won a National
League pennant in eleven years. Meanwhile, in San Diego former Cardinal
Manager Mike Shildt, who parted the team after
the 2021 season for “philosophical differences”,
will be the Manager of the host team in for the
first round of the NL playoffs. Mozeliak owns all this. He owns attendance results. The current
Red Bird business model is to sell 3,000,000
tickets and get butts through the turnstiles.
There, fans can spend their discretionary cash
on concessions, souvenirs, in-house activities
with finishing the day with all the fun at Ball
Park Village. At the core of this business model is
winning baseball games. Winning is the magnet
that draws fans and their credit cards downtown
to self-proclaimed Baseball Heaven. But the Cardinals
aren’t winning. And the ripple effect is
showing at the gate and the trend is speaks
volumes. The numbers say it all:
Meanwhile that Cardinal business model
which was so successful during the Tony LaRussa
era is alive and well in Milwaukee. During last
off-season, the Brewers lost their CEO, Field
Manager and top of the rotation Cy Young Award
winning starter. Six months later, the Brewers
are hosting the New York Mets in the first round
of the NL Playoffs. It seems the Cardinal Way is alive and
well and living in Wisconsin. Or, as third
baseman Nolan Arenado put it a few weeks back, “The Brewers won the division three out
of the four times I’ve been here. They’ve shown
they’re the team to beat in this division. And
that’s been tough. Because I thought that would
be us.” In a Memorial Day weekend conversation
with the team’s flagship station, Mozeliak said:
“I understand fans are not happy with myself.
They’re not happy with Oli. I don’t think
anything I say is going to change that. So, I
think we have to just keep trying to go back and
try to get this to work. We understand that if
it doesn’t, people are going to be held
accountable. And ultimately, that starts with
me.” Fast-forward five months, the Mozeliak
Farewell Tour begins and “reset” is the word of
the day. The Cardinals are Mozeliak’s team. He
owns this. “We have always prided ourselves on
drafting and developing our own players. It is
clear that we need make significant changes to
get back to this model. Our baseball decisions
going forward will focus on developing our
pipeline of players, giving our young core every
opportunity to succeed at the major-league
level.” Welcome to the off-season. We’ll see how
this plays with the self-proclaimed Best Fans in
Baseball.
“For
eight years, Travis led our men’s basketball
program with passion and dignity. This decision
was not made lightly.”
With those words St. Louis University Athletic Director Chris May announced that Men’s Head Basketball Coach was relieved of his duties. Earlier in the week May telegraphed what was coming: “Clearly our goals and expectations are to play in the NCAA Tournament and make a run, and this season has not gone by anybody’s expectations. There are a lot of positives programmatically, but this is a results-oriented business. We need to have success, and the goals haven’t been met this year.” During his eight-year tenure in Midtown, Ford became the third winningest coach in the school’s history: posting a career record of 146-109, that included a 72-64 conference record. While on paper the numbers seemed acceptable, the Billikens made just one NCAA appearance (2019) and two NIT appearances during the Ford era. According to published reports, the Ford/SLU divorce could be costly for the University. Those reports show Ford earned $2.45 million for the 2021-22 season (the most recent year available) and has been above $2 million for seven years, barring any unknown cuts. While it is unknown how many years remain on Ford's current contract, but it is believed there are multiple years left. Apathy has seeped into the school’s Men’s basketball program. There is no Billiken buzz in the 314. If you would read any 2024 game story, there were practically no respondents from the readers on the state of the team. The University of Missouri, whose 2023-24 team achieved zero SEC victories, received more interest/buzz/love than St. Louis University. But perhaps the biggest red flag was found in the rows and rows of empty seats at Chaifetz Arena on game nights. During 2023-2024, attendance for SLU Men’s basketball dipped to an average of 5,640 per game: one of the lowest average attendance figures in the past thirty years. This coaching change had to be made. These days SLU basketball is irrelevant in the 314. During recent interviews, Ford resembled the poster boy of burnout and came across as someone who has the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. So, now St. Louis University is in search of a new Men’s Basketball Coach to win games and restore relevance. To that end, we in this little corner of cyberspace asks two questions: First, just how attractive is the St. Louis University Men’s Head Coaching job? In 2005, instead of rejoining the Missouri Valley Conference, the University chose to open its first season in Atlantic Ten Conference. In a July 2005 interview, then-Athletic Director Cheryl Levick said, “Saint Louis University, its alumni and fans are extremely enthusiastic regarding the Billikens' inaugural year in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The profile of the A-10 membership is the best fit that Saint Louis University has enjoyed in the history of Billiken athletics. Plus, the A-10 provides new major market media exposure for our program and also opens the East Coast for undergraduate student recruitment for the institution. We look forward to a long, exciting and successful tenure in the A-10." Fast-forward twenty years and we now ask, how did that work out for you? SLU is at best a middle of the road member of the A-10: a middle of the road Conference. While we don’t know how much more lucrative it is for the University to rub elbows and to get conference paychecks with those East Coast schools, those Chaifetz Arena appearances of Fordham, Davidson, Richmond, Duquesne and the like sure don’t create much of a buzz. Inquiring minds can’t help but wonder if things would be livelier had Missouri State, SIU-Carbondale, Drake and the like (with their fans) would come to town for annual visit. But SLU made their choice to become the western most member of the Atlantic 10 conference. Now they are looking for a new Men’s Basketball Coach. Ironically, a couple of attractive/top of the list candidates are posting nice numbers in the Missouri Valley Conference. Will they or any other attractive candidate want to leave and come to the 314 to resurrect a program that is in the middle rung of a middle rung conference? It goes without saying that the University will need to start budgeting and/or contacting donors for a lot of money to entice a quality coach to the 314. While this might sound sacrilegious to many locals with their parochial, red state mindset, the St. Louis University Men’s Basketball Coaching position is really not a destination job. So, in order to get the attention of a top-notch basketball coach, the University needs to sell any prospective candidate that the job is attractive. That starts with money. This could be expensive. We’ll see The second question is, at this crossroads, this bureau ponders something SLU administrators discusses their students: What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s time for the University to decide where they stand on Division I Athletics. Remember, SLU lives within the same boundaries where the Cardinals, Blues, City SC and the Battlehawks reside. Those teams soak up loads the local sport interest and sports dollars. SLU must ask the tough questions. Are they content with its current middle-of-the road status while hobnobbing with like-minded East Coast schools or if they want the limelight, prominence and attraction of a school with a strong basketball team? Many members of Gen-Z likely couldn’t tell you what Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky or Kansas can offer academically. But most could likely tell you each have strong basketball traditions and likely can name you the names of prominent players and coaches. Right or wrong, Division I athletics do advertise the University. Particularly during March Madness. Everybody knows their names. With no disrespect to the University’s outstanding men and women’s soccer teams, the SLU Men’s basketball program is the flagship team for the school. So, for St. Louis University, it’s time to once again ask: What do you want to be when you grow up? Again, we’ll see. “For eight years, Travis led our men’s basketball program with passion and dignity. “This decision was not made lightly.” To the decision-makers down at Grand & Lindell: the ball is now in your court. You’re on the clock. Who and where you want to be when you grow up? A Busch Perspective... September 10 This bureau always enjoys chatting with the current Busch III ushering staff. To that end, while walking to the Press Gate prior to the finale of the Labor Day weekend series with the Pittsburgh Pirates, we chatted with an older usher who shared a tale. The night before the Red Birds blew another 9th inning save/opportunity that led to a loss. As the bottom of the ninth ended, the older usher said he thanked the departing fans for attending, reminded them to drive home safely and sked if they would see them tomorrow. When we asked the usher if the departing fans politely declined to returning the next day, the usher replied, “Actually, the fans didn’t say no” “They said, Hell No”. My, oh my This bureau has often questioned the real passion of the self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball. Naturally, loads of folks show up on Opening Day and appear during the playoffs. But it’s during tough time when the dedication is challenged. The summer of 2023 has indeed been challenging in the 314. Despite winning two straight in National League leading Atlanta, the local nine are still in last place in the Central Division at 61-78. Four more losses would guarantee the team’s first losing season since the Clinton Administration. At this writing, as a Big-League Manager Oliver Marmol has compiled a 154-146 win/loss record. Even the national pundits are noticing. In its recent Power Poll, The Athletic ranks St. Louis 26th of the 30 MLB teams with this review: “The Cardinals are not in a position to tear down and rebuild. They don’t really do that in St. Louis. The losing this season has been a shock to the system, but there’s always next year, and Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has emphasized that starting pitching will be a priority moving forward. The Cardinals could look to move some of their excess position-player depth. They could dip their toe into free agency. There are options. But one thing is clear: St. Louis’ pitching staff ranked 25th in ERA, and things have to be better than that.” Yeah, Self-proclaimed Baseball Heaven has not been the happiest place on earth this summer. In past seasons, the Cardinals success was directly proportional to a winning record against Divisional foes. But in 2023, not so much. At this writing St. Louis is 15-24 against NLCD foes. That includes the Red Birds going 4-9 against the Pirates and 5-8 against the Chicago Cubs in 2023. At thus writing the local nine is 12-24 in one-run games and are 17-53 in games when the opposition scores first. So, it has been a rough summer if you are a Cardinal fan. And it’s starting to show at the gate. With ten home games remaining, the Red Bird Official Home attendance is 40,120 per game. Now it should be noted that the “official attendance” does not equal the actual turnstile count or the “eye test”. Viewing the rows of empty seats from the Press Box while hearing the official attendance total, this bureau was reminded of that famous line of a song by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Eagles: “You can’t hide your lying eyes”/ Regardless, let’s examine that 40,120 number. Ten home games remain. Even with an expected large crowd for Adam Wainwright Day, that 40,120 per home game total likely will not get much better. How does that compare to past seasons? In 2022 the Cardinals drew 40,994 per home game. In the pre-COVID seasons of 2019 and 2018, the average per game attendance at Busch Stadium III was 42,967 and 42,019, respectively. Any way you slice it, the trend is moving the wrong way for for the home. Team. A deeper 2023 dive is more concerning. From August 1 through Labor Day, the Cardinals played nineteen home games. In those nineteen games, only three of them announced an official attendance total over 40,000. We repeat, Memo to the suits at 700 Clark Street: are you paying attention? Under this ownership group, the Cardinals have consistently been successful in the field. That on-field success translated to success at the gate, television ratings concessions and license merchandise sales. During their tenure, the current ownership group should be proud their franchise year in and year out has been in the top five of Major League home attendance. That has been the real Cardinal Way. At the core of the Red Bird business model is success on the field which translates to butts in the seats. Winning baseball brings fans and their discretionary cash downtown to purchase tickets, beers, sodas, hot dogs, souvenirs, parking and perhaps even enjoying all the fun at Ball Park Village. But last place Baseball will obstruct those plans: especially so in this red state where folks can sometimes be set in its ways. It sure looks like the fans are speaking: “Actually, the fans didn’t say no” “They said, Hell No”. Memo to the suits at 700 Clark Street: are you paying attention? Aptil 30 This
isn’t getting any better.
Soccer in STL:As the calendar approaches May, the St. Louis Cardinals are concluding their ten-game in ten days, three-city West Coast road-trip. The West Coast excellent adventure has been not a happy one for the pre-season National League Central Division favorites. On the morning of the last Saturday of April, the Cardinals have an overall record of 10-17. They are currently in last place in the NLCD: eight and one-half games behind the first place Pittsburgh Pirates (BTW: that is not a misprint). With two games remaining, the local nine are 2-6 on this West Coast adventure and are 3-7 in the last ten games Saying it another way, St. Louis needs a seven-game winning streak just to reach .500. The Red Birds are 0-9 this season in the opening game of each season. To reach ninety victories in 2023, the Cardinals have to post an 80-55 record (.592 winning percentage) the rest of the way. Any way you look at it, St. Louis is playing from behind. This is not the desired road map for a team whose cleanest path to reach the playoffs is to win the Division. April results so far suggest capturing a 2023 NL Wild Card spot will be challenging. That means winning the Division remains the cleanest route to the playoff. In an attempt to remedy the Cardinals have tinkered with their roster. After a 12-game hitting streak to open the season, rookie Jordan Walker was assigned to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Memphis. Shortstop Paul DeJong’s returned to the lineup with a bang. That is the good news. The bad news is this DeJong return has muddled the team’s middle infield structure. St. Louis has been a team influx during April. In their first 27 games of 2023, the local nine has a team batting average of .258 (third in the NL) and have scored 120 runs (4.44 runs per game) to date. Meanwhile, in the same 27 games the St. Louis pitching has posted a 4.49 earned run average while allowing 118 earned runs (4.37 earned runs per game) to date. Before returning on May Day to Busch III, the Red Birds still have two more games at Dodger Stadium. To date, the Adam Wainwright-less St. Louis starting rotation has logged 142.2 innings. That translates to a tad under 5 innings per starter per game. That also translates to the bullpen having to log those remaining innings per game. And, it’s only the first weekend of April This isn’t getting any better As the calendar moves to May, the Red Birds return to Busch III for a six-game homestand: three each against the Angels and Detroit, respectively. Then the team travels will play three games at Wrigley Field. Then comes nineteen games in nineteen days in four cities. It starts with three games at Fenway Park followed by seven home games: three against Milwaukee followed by four against the Dodgers. After the Dodger series, St. Louis heads to Ohio for games at Cincinnati then Cleveland. May concludes with a Memorial Day matchup against Kansas City in the eastern part of the state of Missouri. So, let’s review. For Cardinals, who are currently seven games under .500, are scheduled to play 29 games in 31 days. Fifteen of those games will be played at home with fourteen games played on the road. This is not the best scenario for a stressed pitching staff that to date has logged a lot of innings. This isn’t getting any better In its latest ESPN.com Power Rankings, the local nine is ranked 21st of the thirty NLB teams. Writer Jesse Rogers offers these thoughts: “A miserable month can't come to a close soon enough for the Cardinals. St. Louis is finally starting to pitch better, but that doesn't excuse lofty ERAs for starters Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz in April. The Cards aren't deep enough on the mound to withstand multiple starters struggling -- and that's not to mention Jack Flaherty, who is still slowly returning to form after all of his injuries. If those starters don't get rolling, it's going to be a long season in St. Louis -- no matter how well the offense performs.” In that same chart, the World-Wide Leader of Cable Sports Broadcasting ranks the Tampa Bay Rays in the top spot: with the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, Houston Astros and the New York Yankees, in that order, rounding out the top five. Looking at the upcoming schedule the Cardinals will have to travel to Tampa and Atlanta, with six games against the Mets with both the Astros and Yankees coming to Busch III. But right now, two games at Chavez Ravine remain. After the series opening loss to the Dodgers, Red Bird Manager Oliver Marmol offered his thoughts on the situation saying: “(first baseman Paul Goldschmidt) is about to get hot. The swings he is taking right now are really good. Nolan (Arenado) is looking a lot better, so that's a plus. ... There are several things pointing (up) but at the end of the day, you're paid to win." In a mid-week interview in San Francisco with the team’s regional cable sports outlet, team President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak tried to talk everyone off the ledge saying, “one thing I would ask from our fanbase is patience. We always have to remind ourselves it’s still April”. With April dwindling and May approaching, we’ll see if the self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball will agree. But this s not where the team was expected to be. Welcome to May, Cardinal Nation. Any way you look at it, This sure needs to get better. Today...and a History Lesson March 4 This
first Saturday of March is memorable for the
Gateway City. St. Louis City FC will play its
first regular season Major Soccer League home game
at their new stadium near Union Station. A sellout
crowd is expected.
Perhaps it is fitting this first match will be played on 3/4/23. You see, the team is in town to hopefully march forth into the 314’s sports calendar. To date, interest in the new team seems strong. The Opening Game has been sold out for weeks. There will be watch parties all over town. Merchandise sales have been brisk. You can see fans everywhere donning the familiar soccer scarfs throughout town. We in this little corner of cyberspace salute Carolyn Kindle, Jim Kavanaugh and their entire front office team in pulling this off. Given the political climate of this region, its resistance to change and the history of St. Louis snatching defeat out of the mouths of victory in such endeavors, the completion of the MLS dream is impressive. It didn’t hurt that Kindle and Kavanaugh are two of a dying breed: Executives of companies that are headquarters in St. Louis. There are not many remaining. Anheuser-Busch, Ralston Purina, Monsanto, Famous Barr and others have either relocated their headquarters elsewhere or ceased operations entirely. To that end, Kindle and Kavanaugh have clout that City Hall can’t counter. Again, we applaud their efforts and remain amazed they pulled this off. And this comes from a bureau that is not much of a soccer follower. The sport of soccer is engraved in St. Louis. From the Hill to North City to South City, youngsters through programs like the Catholic Youth Council and others played the game. The sport advanced to the college level at St. Louis University and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The sport flourished in the early 1980s when it went indoors. Back then the St. Louis Steamers Indoor Soccer team packed over 17,000 into the old firetrap at 5700 Oakland Avenue for their home games. But perhaps what brought St. Louis soccer to national/international attention occurred 73 years ago. That is when the 1950 United States Soccer Team shutout and dramatically upset powerful England 1-0 in World Cup competition. Five of the members of that US team hailed from St. Louis: primarily from the Italian “Hill” section of our town. Team goaltender Frank Borghi, Gino Pariani, long-time St. Louis University Head Men’s soccer coach, Harry Keough, Walter Geisler and Charlie Columbo, all from St. Louis, are members of the long-shot American team that competed in Brazil. All played instrumental roles. None realized at the time the impact their upset would have on the soccer world. They were all from St. Louis. All were family men who served our country honorably militarily and proud members of the Greatest Generation. Life was different in 1950. World War II just ended, but Korea was beginning. Many young families were converting from wartime to peacetime with their soldier-fathers and/or sons back home. Harry Truman occupied the White House. Television consisted of a black & white Philco. Cable was only buried in the ground. No one ever heard of “Internet”. Before that small high school in Hickory captured the Indiana Boys High School basketball championship, long before an unknown walk-on showed up on the fabled turf in South Bend, Indiana and long before we started to believe in miracles on ice in Lake Placid, New York, this young group of Americans shook the world on soccer’s biggest stage. In 1950, no one covered the soccer World Cup except for St. Louis Post Dispatch writer and Soccer Hall of Fame member Dent Mc Skimming. He was the only American journalist at the 1950 United States vs. England World Cup game. In order to attend Mc Skimming took vacation time from the Post and paid his own way to Brazil. In 1950 soccer is considered the “World Game”. But it never really caught on in the U S. Our country was fixed on baseball: with the explosion of football and basketball on the horizon. Still on the Hill and other parts of town, the World Game was a way of life. It was part of the fabric of the community. Despite their talents and successes on this side of the Atlantic, when this throw-together U S squad hit the field in Brazil, no one gave them much of a chance. Mc Skimming describes how this soccer team with players from all locations and nationalities, competed in the 1950 World Cup. The squad drew the powerful England in the first round. The game would prove to be a classic. Behind forward Joe Gaetjens’ sole goal and the incredible goalkeeping skills of Borghi, the US team would bend but would not break. Ninety minutes later when the final gun sounded, the Americans shut out heavily-favored England 1-0. The 1950 upset win over England might be the greatest unknown St. Louis sports story. Well before Ozzie Smith had us “Going Crazy” and David Freese walked it off in Game 6, well before the “Monday Night Miracle”, well before Bob Pettit scored 50 points to beat the Boston Celtics, and well before Mike Jones made “The Tackle”, this US soccer team beat England in 1950. While the dramatic win is considered sacred lore on the Hill and in the annals of local sports historians, few outside our town mention this event. The game was chronicled in the 2005 film “The Game of Their Lives”. The movie’s word premiere took place in St. Louis at the Esquire Theatre on Clayton Road. It was the only time (and likely ever) his bureau attended a red-carpet event. On this first Saturday of March, St. Louis City FC starts what hopefully will become a long and successful tenure in the 314. While there is much excitement around town, hopefully this interest will mushroom and not become just a flavor of the week. Time will tell but we wish the Front Office well and this bureau thanks them again for their efforts. If we may offer one suggestion, hopefully in that new soccer palace downtown there will be an area dedicated to our town’s past with the World’s Game. Hopefully included will be a spot reserved for that 1950 team that shocked the world with several St. Louis kids on its roster. As big of deal is that professional soccer is arriving in St. Louis in 2023, It may not have happened not for what occurred seventy-three years ago. Mike's Letter to Santa December 23 Dear Santa: T’was but days before Christmas
and all through the Lou, there’s a whole bunch of
us here waiting for you. 2022 was galore
throughout the 314. In a nostalgic season the
Cardinals returned to post-season play: but their
playoff stay lasted less than 36 hours The Blues
made it to the second round of the NHL playoffs
only to be sent home via a Stan Kroenke-owned
team. Football and
basketball at Ol Mizzou are still being bullied in
the tough SEC neighborhood. SLU Men’s Basketball
continues to tease us. The XFL and MLS are
scheduled to return in Q1-2023. While this bureau again asks its
standard wish list of being taller, thinner, and
darker hair, please allow us to offer a few
suggestions to assist in your list before you
hitch up the reindeer for your midnight ride. We
hope it’ll make it easier as you load up your
sleigh for the long trip south. We do know that we better not
pout and better not cry. This Wish List is for our
local sports heroes, bosses, teams, and fans. But please keep it quiet
because it’s a secret. Some on this list that have
been naughty, and some have been nice. But you
already know that. So, to that end, this bureau
suggests this 2022 Christmas wish list: For the St. Louis Cardinals:
A repeat National League Central Championship,
lots of innings from their starting pitchers, an
offensively-productive outfield and a happy
Willson Contreras. For Oli Marmol: A thumbs
up for a successful inaugural season as a mature
35-year-old Big League Manager and an open mind
and eyes to address things to come
For John Mozeliak: a
sense of urgency: The POBO saw the results first
hand when the much-needed transactions at the
trading deadline produced positive results.
Sitting on your hands while spinning professorial
excuses for inactions isn’t going to cut it and
everyone sees it. For Yadier Molina and Albert
Pujols: Thanks for the memories and specific
thanks for making 2022 a happy ending instead of
it not ending well. For Adam Wainwright: A
well deserved farewell tour, career win #200, and
a job offer in the broadcasting industry at the
end of the season. For Paul Goldschmidt: A
deep appreciation and respect from the fans for
solid and productive efforts in a businesslike
manner. For Alex Reyes: Our best
wishes: it’s a shame that things didn’t work out
better in the 314 Tyler O’ Neill: A healthy
2023 and a return to his 2021 form: whether in St.
Louis or elsewhere. Jack Flaherty: A strong
2023 season to enhance his soon-to-be free agent
resume and improve his value as a Cardinal trading
chip at the end of July MLB trading deadline. For John Rooney: More
appreciation---he remains a top tier baseball
announcer For the apologists on Bally
Sports Midwest: Broadcast adjustments:
PLEASE present telecasts that sound like more
baseball games rather than a Management-approved
talking point Cardinal pep rally. More analysis
instead of infomercials about ticket discounts and
giveaways; Please pull back on the hype and please
lower the volume. For Dan McLaughlin: the
help he badly needs. For Scott Rolen: a phone
call and invitation from Cooperstown, New York To Rick Hummel: A relaxing and enjoyable
retirement/semi-retirement: you remain the best
reason to buy a copy of the Post-Dispatch. Please
don’t be a stranger in your press box next summer.
To Tony La Russa: Good
health and satisfaction knowing your career is a
job very well done. For the record, those of us
you scolded during post-game press conferences, we
still wear the experience as a badge of honor. For the self-proclaimed
Best Fans in Baseball: Another red October
but longer. For the St. Louis Blues:
A playoff spot. From what we have seen so far,
that is not a given. For Head Coach Craig
Barube: His continued blunt management style
and feedback. It’s refreshing to see that old
school tactics are alive in 2022-2023 For Ryan O’Reilly: A
contract extension to keep the Captain in the 314.
Both parties want to get it done. It is the right
thing to do, so just get it done. For Vladimir Tarasenko:
Our respect and continued success wherever you may
be playing a year from now For Jordan Binnington:
A copy of the movie “Back to the Future circa
2019”. Any 2023 Blues success goes directly
through #50 goal crease. For Blues Fans: The
opportunity to swing their towels and sing “Take
Me Home Country Roads” deep into May down at 14th
& Clark. For the rich &
arrogant cartel better known as the National
Football League: Nothing because we don’t
care about you anymore---and once again thanks for
the big check. For the MLS-STL Group:
Thanks. and perfect February soccer weather when
the MLS arrives in that new downtown soccer palace
It’s still hard to believe it was really pulled
off in this town. To the Battlehawks: A
copy of John Sebastian’s TV theme “Welcome Back”,
30,000 fans at your home opener and a healthy
“Ka-Kaw” from the 314 For the University of
Missouri Football Program: A
season where the win totals exceed those in the
loss total, effective use of the transfer portal
for internal and external players and something
better than the Gasparilla Bowl (whatever that is)
in 2023. To Missouri Head Football Coach
Eliah Drinkwitz: a reminder---these are your
recruits, your transfers and your program and as
such you will own the results. For the St. Louis University
soccer programs: Continued success. It was
really fun watching how the legacy of Billiken
kickers of the past returned in 2022. For the St. Louis University
Men’s Basketball program: Tangible results
that include wins against ranked opponents. Also,
stop the teasing how “this is the year” each
season. For local college basketball
fans: Two things: 1) Relevancy for the
annual “Bragging Rights” game. Remember when that
game used to be the hottest ticket in town? 2) An
annual Missouri/St. Louis University basketball
game rotating between St. Louis and Columbia.
There’s no reason why this game shouldn’t occur:
especially as programs need shots in the arm. For the flagship radio
station of the St. Louis Cardinals:
Direction and a clue---The Q4-2022 Arbitron
numbers were terrible and the once mighty-MOX
continues to dive into irrelevancy in the local
radio market. While the decline has been
self-inflicted, what has happened to this
legendary radio station is sad. Also, please drop
the moniker of “America’s Sports Voice”, because
you are not. For the faithful readers of
St. Louis Sports On-Line: A wonderful,
blessed, and safe Christmas, and a wish for a
great and prosperous 2023. Plus, our thanks for
bookmarking this site and visiting it on a regular
basis. Well, that’s about it. Yeah, I know it’s a long
list so thanks for listening, Santa. See you soon.
Have a safe trip and we’ll keep the lights at the
top of the Arch lit. We’ll also have cookies &
milk as well as a couple Blues/Blackhawk tickets
waiting for you. Your friend, A Mission from God?! July 27 A classic quote from the film occurred when, after securing the needed funds by putting the band back together, the brothers hopped into their car to make the trip to the Cook County Accessor’s office in Chicago to pay the mortgage bill. Before leaving Elwood said to Jake: “There's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark out, and we're wearing sunglasses.” To which Joliet Jake responded: “Hit it!” This scene came to mind this weekend after the St. Louis Cardinals completed their latest series against the Cincinnati Reds: losing two of three games. This bureau could almost hear Elwood say: ““There's 100 games played, we've got a .500 record, we’re in third place, eight games out of first place, and most of our starting pitchers are still unavailable”. To which this Bureau could almost hear Joliet Jake respond: “Forget it!” After one hundred games, it keeps getting bleaker and bleaker for the local nine. They are running out of time. On the morning of the last Monday of July, the Cardinals’ record is 50-50. Meanwhile, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego keep winning. It’s looking more and more like the two National League Wild Card teams will emerge from the NL West Division. If that does occur, it means only one NL Central team will advance to the 2021 post-season. That also means that if that does occur, St. Louis must win the Central to move to the next round. For that to happen, during the next sixty-two games first place Milwaukee will need to go into a major tailspin. Given the strength of the Brewer starting pitchers, a lengthy losing streak does not seem likely. To that end, given the current condition of the Cardinals starting pitchers, a lengthy winning streak does not seem likely. Forget it? In its recent Power Poll, ESPN.com ranks St. Louis at the bottom of its middle third of teams (#20) saying: “The Cardinals are treading water until they get healthy on the mound, but it might be too little, too late. Unlike other veteran teams who are far from first place, it's not likely St. Louis subtracts from its roster before July 30. St. Louis is hoping its 13 remaining games against the Brewers will be the difference.” With the trading deadline approaching by the end of the week, all indications point to the local nine as possible buyers and/or sellers. Either way, a significant transaction seems unlikely this week in the 314. That ship has likely already sailed when the Front Office did not to make a noteworthy trade once the injuries mounted with the pitching staff. SIDENOTE--Memo to the apologists of the team’s primary funding partner formerly known as Fox Sports Midwest: during the games this week please do not parrot the talking point that getting a pitcher back from the Injured List will be just like making a trade. It’s not. You can do better than that. While the August schedule appears on paper favorable for the Red Birds, the September schedule look much tougher. Aside from three games against the first place Brewers and two against the second place Reds, St. Louis will play against teams that currently have losing records. In August, St. Louis will play twenty-two games against a combination of Minnesota, Atlanta, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Detroit. Meanwhile, September not so much: During September the Cardinals will play only six games against teams that currently have losing records. During September, the Red Birds will play twenty-four games against the first place Mets and Brewers, as well as the Dodgers, Cincinnati, and San Diego. Saying it another way, it appears the continuation of a path for a .500 team. Forget it? But could that be a red flag of upcoming storm clouds? The Red Birds have not experienced a losing record since 2007. If that occurs and given the labor situation of Baseball and the lingering effects of COVID, the Front Office should take a deep, hard look at its organization and business plan. In the DeWitt era, the Cardinal organization has been successful and profitable. Until COVID hit, over 3 million fans per season came through the turnstiles at self-proclaimed Baseball Heaven. But for the business plan to work, the baseball team must be successful. If the Cardinals are winning all is well. Fans will show up and open their wallets to giveaway their discretionary cash. But as indicated in this little corner of cyberspace, this bureau continues to wonder how strong the passion of the self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball really is. To that end, inquiring minds wonder: just how will the self-proclaimed Best Fans in Baseball react should their heroes post a losing record in 2021? We’ve asked this question many times recently. On the final game of the 2019 regular season, the Cardinals were hosting the Chicago Cubs. If St. Louis wins the game, they become the NL Central Champs. But as the 2:15PM first pitch approached on a beautiful autumn afternoon against the rival Cubs, rows and rows of empty seats were found throughout Busch Stadium. In Game Four of the 2019 National League Championship Series, the Red Birds forced a deciding fifth game on a walk-off single by Yadier Molina. But Busch Stadium was not sold out for this playoff game: Note the words—Playoff Game. On the Sunday after the All-Star break: an unseasonably comfortable July Sunday afternoon against the team with best record in the National League, rows and rows of empty seats were seen at first pitch. And did we mention, the current Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire at 12:01AM on Wednesday December 1, 2021. Yeah, the Front Office must be aware of all of this. Back to the present, there are now sixty-two games remaining. Next up, two games against the franchise that will soon be known as the Cleveland Guardians. Can the Cardinals make the 2021 playoffs? We suppose they “could”. But, will the Cardinals make the 2021 playoffs? It will likely require a mission from God. |
=====
...in the words of LA Times baseball writer Bill Shaikin: In the seventh inning, fans rise and sing about buying peanuts and Cracker Jack at the ballgame. But what if the concession prices have risen so much that fans have to think twice about buying? At Dodger Stadium, a Dodger Dog costs $7.99. As ticket prices have soared, a small but growing number of teams in all sports are offering a limited menu of basic concession items at fan-friendly prices. At Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a hot dog costs $2.99. read more... =====
stlsports.com Number of the Day April 20: 2 2:
In the second
(2nd) game of his rehab assignment for AAA
Memphis, SS Masyn Winn (batting lead-off as the
DH for the Redbirds) hit two runs. In the game,
Memphis outscored the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
(!) 6-5.
=====
Nolan
Arenado and Max
Muncy Update
2025$ AB R
H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS WAR Dodgers:
second place in NL West (0.5 games behind SD)
St. Louis Sports Online editor@stlsports.com April 14
...is depicted here
[graphic from mlb.com],
and occurred on April 12, 2025:
===== The outcome of the at-bat? On the 95th (and last) pitch thrown by Phillies 6'6" lefty Carlos Sanchez, Victor Scott II [VS2] hit a medium line drive over the head of Phillies SS Trea Turner, where it was fielded cleanly (on a couple of hops) by LF Brandon Marsh. Presumably Phillies manager Rob Thomson allowed Sanchez to face VS2 because of the lefty-lefty match-up; after Scott's single Thomas removed Sanchez to face (righthanded) Thomas Saggese. So what stood out as VS2 hit a medium liner to left, on Sanchez' final pitch of the game? Not the exit velicity (82 mph), not the distance (227 feet) and not the launch angle (20 degrees). What was truly impressive was the way VS2 held his ground against the seventh-inning mid-90s pitches thrown by Sanchez, a 2024 All Star who would be a #1 or #2 starter on virtually every big league team's pitching staff. Rest assured that the video jockeys and advance scouts for other MLB teams took note of Scott's hit vs Sanchez; the man is not an easy out against even the best lefties. ===== A cherished Busch II memory is one that recalls Padres OF Tony Gwynn, during batting practice, serving line drive after line drive to left field--literally a half-dozen or so in succession--several times within a single BP session! Basically, Victor Scott II, at game speed, mimicked Gwynn, who earned a plaque in Cooperstown, when he singled to left field. But there is more to the offensive tool set possessed by VS2 than 'slap' hitting to left field:  As the defensive anchor (in CF) of a youthful Cardinals outfield, Scott, LF Lars Nootbaar and RF Jordan Walker comprise an interesting part of the unfolding 2025 season, a part worth watching.  Busch Stadium II =====
St. Louis Sports Online editor@stlsports.com April
11 On Thursday, April 19, 1900, the St.
Louis Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates;
the score was 3-0. The game was the first played
by the St. Louis franchise as ‘The Cardinals’.
Between that day and April 1, 2025, the Cardinals
competed in a total of 19,373 regular-season games
(winning 10,108). On April 2, 2025 (the Cardinals 19,374th
game), catcher Ivan Herrera hit three home
runs vs. the Los Angeles Angels. Prior to
Herrera’s feat, no Cardinals catcher had ever
homered more than twice in a single game—not Hall
of Famer Ted Simmons, not All Star and
World Series-winning catchers Walker Cooper,
Tim McCarver and Darrell Porter,
not All Star and World Series participant Tom
Pagnozzi, and not [All Star and World
Series-winning] future Hall of Famer Yadier
Molina…no Cards
catcher had homered three times in a single
game.
Ivan Herrera’s slugging
accomplishments on April 2 stand alone, and he
will always be the unicorn as the first
Cards catcher to homer thrice in the same game. Glenn Brummer is
another Cardinals catcher whose stands alone in
Redbird lore. On August 12,1982, in the heat of a
pennant race, Brummer stole home in the bottom of
the twelfth inning of a tie game vs the San
Francisco Giants. Brummer’s ‘walk-off’ theft of
home occurred with two strikes and two outs, and
supplied the winning margin in an important
victory for the Cardinals, one that was crucial in
the team’s race to a divisional title and eventual
World Series championship. For a variety of reasons (including
the uniqueness of Brummer’s steal as well as
occasional reminders of Brummer’s effort from
broadcaster Mike Shannon and baseball writer Rick
Hummel), the game in which Brummer’s steal of home
occurred is now known as “The Glenn Brummer Game”. But there would be no such thing as
“The Glenn Brummer Game” if the Cardinals had not
gone on to win the 1982 World Series; winning
matters. ===== In the context of home runs, Mark
Whiten and Fernando Tatis are two
Cardinals from the past whose accomplishments are
worth noting. On September 7, 1993, in a
Cardinals-Reds game in Cincinnati, St. Louis
outfielder Mark Whiten hit four home runs and
drove in twelve (both team records), while on
April 23, 1999, in a Cardinals-Dodgers game in Los
Angeles, Fernando Tatis slugged two grand slam
home runs. Remarkably,
both Tatis home runs occurred in the game’s
third inning…and Dodgers hurler Chan Ho Park was
the pitcher for both. The 1993 and 1999 Cardinals completed
their regular seasons in third (87-75 W/L) and
fourth (75-86 W/L) place in their respective
National League divisions, and therefore did not
qualify for post-season play. As a result, the Whiten and Tatis
achievements have not been given the attention
that they deserve. ===== If the 2025 Cardinals finish the
regular season as also-rans, their April 2, 2025
victory over the Los Angeles Angels will be
remembered as the game in which Cardinals catcher
Ivan Herrera homered three times—a club record for
a catcher. But if the 2025 Cardinals qualify for
the World Series, and Herrera recovers from his
recent injury (a deep bone bruise to his left
knee) and makes significant contributions to a
pennant-winner in St. Louis…who knows!? The April 2, 2025 Cards-Angels game
may then become known as “The Ivan Herrera
Game”. =====
St. Louis Sports Online editor@stlsports.com
March
22 Late June marks the Chicago Cubs'
first of two 2025 visits to St. Louis: first pitch
for Game One of the Monday-Wednesday CHI(N)-STL
three game series is scheduled for 6:45 pm,
Monday, June 23.
Plenty of good and 'reasonably-priced' tickets remain--in fact, a quick check (March 23) of the Cards official ticket site at stlcardinals.com reveals that there are exactly 234 unsold seats (@$30.00 each) in Section 431 for that Cubs-Cards Monday night game... and 0 (zero) seats sold.  ===== [Update 4:00pm April 19: all 234 seats in Section 431 remain unsold] [Update 4:00pm April 11: all 234 seats in Section 431 remain unsold] ===== That's right: you can have your pick of seats in Section 431-- as this is written all 234 seats in Section 431 remain available for sale at stlcardinals.com. Perhaps of more significance is that the Cubs visit to Busch is the seventh 'mid-week' 2025 series...one that commences on a Monday. Mid-week Busch Stadium three-game series that begin on Mondays include the Angels (March 31), Astros (April 14), Pirates (May 5), Tigers (May 19) and Blue Jays (June 9). [The Royals three-game series commences on Tuesday, June 3.] As this is written it is impossible (at stlcardinals.com) to purchase Section 431 seats for any of the 18 'weekday' dates (including the May 20 game vs the Tigers, graphic below, unavailable sections in pink) within those six 'mid-week' series...  In other words, the Cards-Cubs rivalry and the start of summer (and no school the following morning for the youngest Cardinal fans) is supplying hope for the sales staff at Busch. Historically, when do Cards fans buy tickets for Busch Stadium Cub games? No doubt the Cards sales staff has data on this. You can be certain that everyone at Busch is sure-as-h*** hoping for a fast start on the diamond for the Redbirds A slow start for Oli Marmol's club would lead to a blue mood for the Busch sales staff. And if the Cubs have a hot 2025 start, the blue mood of the Busch sales staff might be matched by the color scheme at Busch on June 23, as the Busch red seats are likely to be filled with fans wearing blue. Cubbie Blue. ====================
St. Louis Sports Online editor@stlsports.com
March 22
As this is written
(Saturday, March 22), the Cardinals have exactly one
2025 Grapefruit League game remaining on their
schedule. In the team’s
already-played 2025 spring games, both SS Masyn Winn
(BA 0.083) and OF Jordan Walker (BA 0.179) have
struggled mightily--reaching safely via ‘base hits’
in exactly three and four spring games,
respectively. While Winn ‘proved
himself’ during the 2024 regular season (his rookie
year), Walker, who struggled in 2024 but had more
than 100 hits in 2023 (his own rookie season)—the
2025 season seems like a make-or-break year for the
22 year old Cardinal. So, how do Spring
Training numbers project into the regular season
that follows? The short answer
is that nobody knows. ===== The 2015 regular
season was a stellar one for the Cardinals (100-62
W/L record); indeed 2015 was the most recent year
that the Redbirds won 100 games. Perhaps a comparison
of both the 2015 Grapefruit League and National
League regular season statistics might reveal a
nugget or two about Spring Training projections? At-bat totals (AB)
and batting averages (BA) for the Cards’ 2015
season’s six ‘every day’ players, mix-and-match
‘regular’ outfielders, and reserves are listed
below; with 2015 spring training batting average
data in [brackets]: 1B
Mark Reynolds
382 AB; .230 BA [.132] 2B
Kolten Wong
557 AB; .262 BA [.214] SS
Jhonny Peralta 579
AB;
.275 BA [.318] 3B
Matt Carpenter 574
AB;
.272 BA [.324] C
Yadier Molina
488 AB; .270 BA [.217] RF
Jason Heyward
547 AB; .293 BA [.300] ----- OF
Randal Grichuk 323
AB;
.276 BA [.250] OF
Stephen Piscotty 233
AB;
.305 BA [.216] OF
Matt Holliday
229 AB; .279 BA [.389] OF
Jon Jay
210 AB; .210 BA [.214] OF
Peter Bourjos
195 AB; .200 BA [.149] OF
Tommy Pham
153 AB; .268 BA [.412] ----- 1B
Matt Adams
175 AB; .240 BA [.275] 1B
Brandon Moss
132 AB; .250 BA [.261 CLE] C
Tony Cruz
142 AB; .204 BA [.286] SS
Pete Kozma
99 AB; .152 BA [.408] ===== What to make of
these data? *The relatively
meager 2025 spring numbers for Kolten Wong, Yadier
Molina and Stephen Piscotti were in no way
predictive as far as forecasting their outstanding
2025 regular season performances were concerned. *The very good
spring statistics for Jhonny Peralta, Matt Carpenter
and Jason Heyward foreshadowed outstanding 2025
regular seasons for all three players. *While poor spring
stats for Jon Jay and Peter Bourjos were
more-or-less duplicated by poor regular season
stats, the abysmal spring data posted by Mark
Reynolds were followed by a fair-to-decent 2015
regular season performance. *Decent (or even
stellar) spring data for Matt Adams, Matt Holliday
and Tommy Pham were followed by average or
above-average regular season performances. …and now my head is
spinning. It is unlikely that
the 2025 spring batting averages for Masyn Winn
(.083) and Jordan Walker (.179) mean much of
anything. Except that numbers
don’t lie, and Cardinals fans as well as Cardinals
management will take a good hard look at both
players’ at-bats, and the results of those at-bats,
early in the 2025 regular season. ----- So how did the 2015
Cardinals manage to win 100 regular season games,
with a rather pedestrian group of position players? Tellingly, it is
unlikely that there will be a ten-year reunion of
the 2015 players at any upcoming 2025 game (although
losing to the Cubs in the NLDS may have something to
do with that). Of note is that NL
Central teams in Milwaukee and Cincinnati (the
Brewers and Reds) piled up loss totals in 2015 of 94
and 98, respectively; the Redbirds posted a combined
25-12 record against these two teams. In addition,
the Braves, Phillies and Rockies also lost at least
94 games in 2015…lots of bad baseball in the 2015
National League. Back to the
question: How did the 2015 Cards manage to finish
100-62? Pitching. Both the starting
rotation (Jaime Garcia, John Lackey, Lance
Lynn, Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha combined for
145 starts) and four primary relievers (all
with at least 68 appearances: righties Trevor
Rosenthal [48 saves] and Seth Maness, and lefties
Kevin Siegrist and Randy Choate) were more than
reliable; as a group they were outstanding. The team’s 2015 ERA
(2.94) was nearly one run better than the NL-average
ERA (3.90) and more than a quarter run better than
the next-closest NL staff (the Pirates; ERA=3.21). Indeed, current
Cards manager Olie Marmol probably wishes…oh, never
mind. So how did these
nine hurlers, all of whom posted solid 2015 regular
season statistics…how did they fare in the 2015
Grapefruit League? Don’t ask! But for future
reference, remember this: in four 2025 Grapefruit
League starts (and 14.1 innings pitched), Cards
Opening Day starter Sonny Gray has struck out 17
batters, walking only 6…while allowing 23
hits, 20 earned runs and 8 home runs. Play (real) ball…
October 28
Part I:
2012-2015
Let’s face it:
much of the fun of spectator sports is socially
acceptable voyeurism.
Sure, many of
you reading this played competitive team sports.
Years ago. Decades ago?!
But now most of
you just watch.
Not only do you
watch today’s athletes (and games), in the 21st
century world of 24-hour sports media, the
machinations of a team’s front office and ownership
are also scrutinized.
The Los Angeles
Dodgers are the National League’s 2024
representative in the upcoming World Series. Their
opponent? The American League champion New York
Yankees…
The Dodgers are
looking for their eighth World Series title, a total
that would tie them with the Giants for second
overall in titles by a National League team.
The St. Louis
Cardinals’ eleven World Series titles is the most in
the National League, and second overall behind the
Yankees’ 27 World Series titles.
===== The 2024 World Series features six of today’s brightest position player stars in the sport: Dodgers Shohei Otani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and Yankees Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton.  And two of the Dodgers important contributors [Game One starting pitcher (Jack Flaherty) and CF/SS Tommy Edman] are former Cardinals. Significantly,
of the aforementioned six MLB superstars and two
former Cardinals, only one (Aaron Judge) was drafted
and developed by their current team. In other words,
transactions involving big league players are as
important as they ever have been, in terms of
constructing competitive rosters.
In St. Louis,
the local team’s de facto General Manager is John
Mozeliak (title: President of Baseball Operations),
and Bill DeWitt Jr. is the Cardinals’ principal
owner—they are the decision-makers as far as
personnel decisions are concerned.
For a large
portion (1996-2011) of the DeWitt group’s tenure as
the Cardinals’ owner, Tony LaRussa was a primary
decision-maker as far as personnel decisions were
concerned. Yes, as General Manager, first Walt
Jocketty and then John Mozeliak were, on the team’s
management charts, LaRussa’s superior.
But in the same
way that 1980s Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog had a
direct line to (and the trust of) team owner Gussie
Busch, manager Tony LaRussa had the ear and trust of
Bill DeWitt Jr.
But after
LaRussa retired at the conclusion of the 2011 World
Series championship season, the decision-making
training wheels came off for John Mozeliak. Prior to the
2012 season, Mozeliak engineered the hiring of his
first manager (Mike Matheny) and signed a star free
agent (Carlos Beltran). These two
Mozeliak decisions were immediate unqualified
successes.
While Matheny
had never managed at any professional level, in his
first two seasons as Cardinals manager his 2012
& 2013 teams (88 and 97 regular season wins,
respectively) advanced to the NLCS (2012) and World
Series (2013).
Carlos Beltran
was signed to replace Albert Pujols (who departed
via free agency to the Angels).
Offensively,
all Beltran did in 2012 was perform at or near the
2012 level of the much-beloved superstar Pujols…at a
2012 salary ($13M) roughly half that of Pujols
($24M). But while the
shadow cast by LaRussa was long, clearly by the 2014
and 2015 seasons (Matheny’s third and fourth as
manager) the club’s roster was mostly of Mozeliak’s
making.
The 2014
Cardinals finished with a regular season record of
90-72, and advanced to the National League
Championship Series (where they lost to the eventual
World Series champion San Francisco Giants). The 2015
Cardinals finished with a regular season record of
100-62, and lost in the National League Division
Series round to the Chicago Cubs.
In the four
seasons (2012-2015) immediately following the
retirement of Tony LaRussa, Mozeliak’s Cardinals
finished 102 games over .500, finished first in
the NL Central three times (second once), and
advanced to the post-season every year (losing in
the World Series once, the NLCS twice and the NLDS
once).
For the
Cardinals, heading into the 2015-1016 off-season,
success…thy name was Mozeliak, and who was that
guy LaRussa, anyway?
=====
Post Tony
LaRussa: What Happened to the St. Louis Cardinals?
Part II:
2016-2024
Beginning with
the 2016 season, something has happened to the St.
Louis Cardinals During those
nine seasons, Mozeliak’s Cardinals finished 76 games
over .500, finished first or second in the NL
Central six times, but won exactly one (1)
post-season game (vs. the San Diego Padres, in
the 2020 Wild Card Series won by San Diego 2-1).
In mid-season
2018, Mozeliak fired Matheny as manager and replaced
him with Mike Shildt (another first-time big league
manager). In Shildt’s three-plus seasons as manager,
the Cardinals were 53 games over .500 and advanced
to MLB’s post-season tournament each season that he
started as manager (2019-2021).
Prior to the
start of the 2022 regular season, Mozeliak fired
Shildt as manager and replaced him with Oli Marmol
(yet another first-time big league manager).
A highlight of Marmol’s rookie season as manager
(2022) was the return of Albert Pujols, whose
monster second half propelled the team to a stellar
second half* and overall 93-69
finish…prior to the two games-to-none epic fail (vs
the Phillies) in the 2022 Division Series.
Back to that
second half* asterisk…
In trades that
were announced August 2, 2022, Mozeliak engineered a
makeover of the Cardinals starting rotation, trades
that contributed significantly to that successful
second half.
First, the
Cardinals acquired LHP Jose Quintana (a 2023 free
agent-to-be) and RHP Chris Stratton from the
Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for RHP Johan Oviedo
and 3B Malcom Nunez.
Then, the Cardinals acquired LHP Jordan Montgomery (signed through the 2023 season) from the New York Yankees in exchange for OF Harrison Bader.
Pujols’
‘Fountain of Youth’ second half, combined with the
Quintana/Montgomery August 2 Daily Double, propelled
the team to a 43-25 second half and a first-place
finish in the NL Central Division. The Quintana
and Montgomery acquisitions were a stroke of
genius by Mozeliak, who struck when the irons
were hot.
What irons?
There were two of them: 1B Paul Goldschmidt and 3B
Nolan Arenado.
The Cardinals’
big ticket corner infielders were both having
near-career years--each with career-high OPS+
numbers in their Age-34 (Goldschmidt) and Age-31
(Arenado) years. Goldschmidt’s season was recognized
with his first National League Most Valuable Player
award (Arenado finished third), and both players
were rightfully referred to as superstars in 2022.
So, for a
couple of prospects and Harrison Bader, Mozeliak
bolstered a fair-to-middling starting rotation with
a couple of veteran lefties who for the most part
looked good every fifth or sixth day in August and
September. Their stretch-run presence was essential
for a team that was poised to win in 2022.
But in a Wild
Card Series, the 2022 Cardinals lost Games One and
Two (both home games) and therefore the series to
the Phillies, despite a good start from Quintana
(two hits and no runs in 5.1 IP in Game One) and a
so-so effort from Miles Mikolas (two hits and two
runs in 4.1 IP in Game Two). In those two
games, Phillies starters Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola
combined to throw thirteen innings of shutout
baseball, allowing a total of only six hits and two
walks. Of significance was the Game One loss, in
which relievers Ryan Helsley and Andre Pallante blew
a 2-0 ninth inning lead and allowed six Phillies
runs to score.
At the time,
the loss seemed devastating to the Cardinals,
because early (second inning) in Game Two, they fell
behind 1-0 when Bryce Harper homered down the RF
line off of starter Miles Mikolas. The Phillies
doubled their lead in the fifth after two of the
first three Phillies reached base (Mikolas). Mikolas
was then replaced by Montgomery, who after walking
one batter allowed a sacrifice fly to Kyle
Schwarber.
The Cardinals
Game Two attack sputtered again, amassing only seven
hits (six singles, two by Pujols) and walking twice.
In eight Game
Two at-bats, Goldschmidt and Arenado struck out a
total of five times.
And the
Cardinals 2022 season was over, losing both games of
a Best-of-Three Wild Card Series to the Phillies,
after a 93-69 regular season W/L record that
resulted in the 2022 National League Central
Division Championship.
Then, after the
2022 season:
*Franchise
cornerstones Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina retired
These and
related events set the table for the disastrous 2023
season (71-91 W/L record), a season that resulted in
a palpable malaise in a loyal fan base, a malaise
that, to some, had not infected the St. Louis
franchise since the late 1970s when the team was
managed by Vern Rapp.
=====
On Deck Post Tony LaRussa:
Part III (Continued): 2023, 2024 and Beyond
A Big Baseball Article:
September 30
Summary: With a
hat-tip to the NBA’s Play-in Tournament, it is
proposed that MLB conducts its own Play-in
Tournaments (one each in the American and National
Leagues). Each league’s Play-in Tournament
commences at the conclusion of the 162 game
Regular Season. The top two Qualifiers (1 and 2 in
each league, based on Regular Season play) advance
to each league’s Division Series as Seeds 1 and 2,
while Qualifiers 3-5 advance to each league’s Wild
Card Series as Seeds 3-5. Each league’s Play-in
Tournament (comprised of single elimination
Play-in Semi-Final and Final games) features
Qualifiers 6-9 competing to earn #6 Seeds. The #6
Seeds advance to their respective league’s Wild
Card Series, where MLB’s post-season continues as
currently constructed: per league, two
(best-of-three) Wild Card Series, two
(best-of-five) Division Series, and one
(best-of-seven) League Championship Series.
Winners of each league’s LCS qualify for the World
Series. Qualifiers 1-9 (in each league) are
determined, in part, via earning ‘Post-Season
Tickets’. Post-Season Tickets are earned by
winners of each division at the conclusion of
three 54 game ‘seasons’: Games 1-54, 55-108, and
109-162. Teams earning three ‘Post-Season Tickets’
qualify at positions higher than those earning two
(followed by one). Each league’s complement of
nine Qualifiers is completed by consideration of
the remaining teams’ 162 game won-loss records. A
Big Baseball Article:
Reimagining MLB’s Regular Season and Post-Season
I.
The NBA and Its Play-in
Tournament II. Some NBA Play-in Details III. Meaningful (and
Meaningless) September Baseball? IV. A Three-Part Regular
Season? The MLB T-Mobile Play-in Series?!
V. Applying the
T-Mobile Play-in Series and Split-Season Plans
to 2024 AL Results VI. Applying the T-Mobile
Play-in Series and Split-Season Plans to 2024
NL Results VII. A Bracket, a Summary, a
Caveat and a Look Back at 2023
Many (but not
all) casual NBA fans know that ‘The Association’
recently instituted an annual play-in tournament.
The SoFi
Play-In Tournament! Here’s how it works.
Currently,
thirty NBA teams are divided into two fifteen team
conferences (Eastern and Western); each conference
is further divided into three five team divisions.
At the
conclusion of the regular season, the top ten
teams (in each conference) are ranked 1-10, with
division champions and best overall won-loss records
at or near the top of both lists.
In each
conference, teams ranked 1-6 automatically
qualify for the first round of the NBA
Playoffs and are assigned Seeds 1-6, respectively A play-in
tournament involving teams ranked 7-10 (in both
Eastern and Western conferences) is utilized to
complete each conference’s complement of first round
playoff qualifiers.
In other words, the
‘winners’ of the SoFi Play-in Tournament earn
Seeds 7 and 8 in each conference, therefore
filling out each conference’s eight team playoff
bracket.
The
entire article can be accessed here..to access this article on your current device ---> here . ..to access this article in pdf format click ---> here ===== A quick peek at the conclusion of A Big Baseball Article: There are two primary new ideas within A Big Baseball Article: Reimagining MLB’s Regular Season and Post-Season. First, the 162 game
Regular Season and the Wild Card, Division, League
Championship and World Series remain in place, but
for Post-Season play qualification, the Regular
Season is split into three, equal 54 game
‘seasons’: Spring, Summer and Fall. Baseball’s
current two-league three-division structure is
utilized, and teams with the best record, within
each division, for each 54 game season, qualify
for post-season play. Second, within each
League, the top two Qualifiers (1 and 2 in each
league, based on Regular Season play) advance to
each league’s Division Series as Seeds 1 and 2,
while Qualifiers 3-5 advance to each league’s Wild
Card Series as Seeds 3-5. Qualifiers 6-9 compete
in a two-day Play-in Series to determine Seed #6.
Seed 6 advances to the Wild Card Series. Ramifications of Reimagining
MLB’s Regular Season and Post-Season: *Pennant races result, in all
six divisions, in late-May, late-July and
late-September. Each team has three opportunities
to earn a Post-Season Ticket via, in essence, a
single two month stretch of games *For the purposes of seeding and
tie-breakers, 162 game records matter, and every
run scored matters *The six single-elimination
Play-in Games, because they are single-elimination
games, will generate interest all their own. In
essence, they are their own stand-alone Game
Sevens! *The Play-in Series adds length
to each year’s playoffs—pitchers for Seeds 1-5 get
additional time to rest *Including the Play-in Series,
while eighteen of thirty MLB teams qualify for
some form of post-season play, only twelve (as it
is now) participate in the Wild Card Series and
Division Series rounds *In virtually every conceivable
scenario, the nine Post-season Qualifiers in
each League will be teams with the nine best W/L
records in their respective leagues. In
essence, the regular season serves as the
laboratory where post-season seedings are earned ===== Uncertainty (Too Much) and Clarity (Not Enough) in Center Field: "Ask Me In a Week" March 11
Uncertainty
(too much) and clarity (not enough).
Both of these descriptions apply to the predicament facing Cards third-year manager Oli Marmol, who wrote a lineup for Sunday's game vs the Marlins that placed rookie centerfielder Victor Scott in the leadoff spot (producing two hits and a walk) and followed that up with today's (Monday) batting order that featured Dylan Carlson batting seventh (one single through seven innings) while manning the CF position. Since Lars Nootbaar fractured a couple of ribs on Saturday, March 2, Marmol's starting lineups have ping-ponged back-and-forth between Scott and Carlson at the all-important CF position. The Nootbaar injury, when combined with the (slower than expected?) Tommy Edman off-season wrist surgery recovery...has presented a very real bump in the road to the Cardinals first-month plans, plans that had Edman starting in CF, Nootbaar in RF and Jordan Walker in RF. Prior to the start of spring training, statements from the Cards brass indicated that they believed a more consistent line-up, one that featured outfielders primarily playing only one position, would lead to better team defense. Their proposed lineup included Dylan Carlson as a fourth outfielder, and Victor Scott gaining experience at AAA Memphis. Then the Nootbaar and Edman situations 'happened'. And Oli Marmol, who is in the last year of his contract, has unexpected availability in one of the most important positions in baseball: CF. In a pre-game chat with media on Sunday, March 10, Marmol was asked how he would like to see the center-field position in look in a week's time. His answer? "Ask me in a week." Real Life and Sports--Tied for First?! September 19 [better formatted for phone -->here<--]
I.
Rick Hummel: The Commish
Earlier
this year, long-time (really long-time!) St. Louis Post-Dispatch
sportswriter Rick Hummel passed away.
Although
Hummel occasionally covered other sports for the
P-D, evidence that the Cardinals were his primary
assignment for the better part of five (?!) decades
includes [1] his 2007 election into the writers’
wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and [2] his
nickname: “The Commish”…as in the Commissioner of
Baseball.
Truth:
actual MLB commissioners (Bud Selig and Rob Manfred)
referred to Hummel, in person, as Commish...
Additional
reminders of Hummel’s excellence (and legacy): [1]
his name adorns the current Busch Stadium press box,
and [2] the story that current Cardinals beat writer
Derrick Goold tells on himself—for years, when the
self-effacing Goold worked road games and arrived in
various press boxes as a visiting sportswriter, on
more than one occasion he was greeted by staffers
and writers with a bit of a grimace and an ”oh, it’s
you” comment—because media in other towns had
expected, and even looked forward to, renewing
Hummel’s acquaintance.
II.
Beat Writer Rick Hummel: Tied for First
For
most of his career, Rick Hummel was not a columnist.
Rather, his specialty was the construction of
informative and straightforward ‘game stories’, most
of which were leavened with post-game quotes from
that night’s notable performers. In
other words, in baseball-writing parlance, Rick
Hummel was a ‘beat writer.’ The
guy wrote thousands of game stories—a rather mundane
task to some, but in fact, game stories, for
decades, were the meat-and-potatoes of daily
baseball journalism…especially prior to the rise of
highlight shows such as ESPN SportsCenter.
It is
tempting to say that Rick Hummel qualified as
baseball’s best beat writer.
Or,
as former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa might have
said, perhaps Hummel was ‘Tied for first’ as
baseball’s best beat writer.
It is
hard to explain how well the hand of Rick Hummel fit
into the glove that is major league baseball.
Umpires, team and league executives and staffers, managers, players and stadium employees…as well as his sportswriting and media colleagues from all parts of North America—all willingly played starring roles in each summer’s edition of ‘The Rick Hummel Baseball Experience.’
III.
The Baseball Wisdom of Rick Hummel: One Last Thank
You
Of
course there was no such thing as ‘The Rick Hummel
Baseball Experience.’ His ballpark persona was far
too humble for that.
But
what Rick Hummel was able to offer his readers, from
Spring Training through the World Series, was
careful and judicious writing, based on his viewing
of that night’s game, as well as decades of
experience and true baseball wisdom. The man really
did know the game of baseball, an essential trait
when conversing on a near-daily basis with the likes
of former Cardinals managers Whitey Herzog and Tony
La Russa—neither of whom suffer fools.
It is
with that in mind that I share my very last
conversation with Rick Hummel, which took place
after a March 2023 Grapefruit League game, within a
virtually empty Roger Dean Stadium press box.
While
each of us were collecting pens, notebooks, laptops
and March Madness pools, our conversation turned to
the Cardinals, and their prospects for the upcoming
season.
“They
don’t have enough pitching,” Hummel said. He
continued: “I was a little surprised they didn’t do
more to address the pitching…in the off-season. Of
course they did add some guys I don’t know a lot
about, but it seems like they didn’t add enough
pitching. They are going to have to acquire more
pitching.”
As we
left the press box and headed for the elevator, our
chat turned to what I believed to be the singular
take-home message offered by the 2023 Grapefruit
League edition of the St. Louis Cardinals: the
organization’s abundance of genuine position player
prospects…young players who could be real stars.
Hummel:
“You’re right. In all the years I’ve been doing
this, I’ve never seen what is here right now, in
terms of prospects. Yes, every year in March, the
Cardinals might have one prospect to showcase. Some
years they had none. This year is different. In
(Jordan) Walker [67, left] and (Masyn) Winn [60,
left], they have two. Two! Two superior prospects,
both with legitimate chances to be star players…or
more. I’ve not seen that here before. Ever.”
Masyn
Winn was called up from AAA Memphis on August 18,
and made his MLB debut vs. the NY Mets the next
day.
As a big leaguer, Winn has
already dazzled defensively and evidenced repeated
hints that he possesses the combination of
superlative athleticism and baseball skills that
together, along with his jersey number (0), offer
echoes of another Cardinals player who wore jersey
number 1, and played shortstop in a sublime
(wizardly?!) fashion. Style and skills possessed by
Wynn sell tickets…and win baseball games.
Masyn Winn (0) Busch
Stadium (September
18, 2023) stlsports.com Offensively, Winn’s growth as a
hitter is happening as this is written. The
hesitation displayed in his initial big league
plate appearances is rapidly disappearing—the
young man is learning fast and is likely to
contribute in a significant way to the Cardinals
2024 batting order.
Spoiler: Masyn Winn batted
lead-off in more than one 2023 Spring Training
game.
Meanwhile, the 21 year old
Jordan Walker recorded his 100th major
league hit in mid-September of this, his rookie
season. Wearing #18, Walker has settled into right
field rather nicely.
Jordan Walker (18)
Busch Stadium (April
3, 2023) stlsports.com Whenever Winn is slotted in the
line-up immediately behind Walker in Cards manager
Oli Marmol’s batting order, I am reminded of
Hummel’s words about the young duo, and their
future possibilities as Cardinals.
It is a pleasant thought.
IV. Rick Hummel and Tony La
Russa: A Peek Behind the Curtain
Watching the man at work, it
seemed to this observer that Rick Hummel viewed
his job as one of gathering information while
remaining as invisible as possible, a perspective
that put Hummel in good stead as far as his
sources were concerned.
Considering only the 21st
century work of Rick Hummel: headline makers such
as Jim Edmonds, Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and
Adam Wainwright; decision-makers such as former
and current Cards executives Walt Jocketty and
John Mozeliak; former and current managers Tony La
Russa, Mike Matheny, Mike Shildt and Oli Marmol;
as well as dozens of rarely-heard-from-again
September call-ups…when Hummel needed a quote, he
usually got what he needed from these gentlemen.
But in what should not qualify
as news, not all big league ballplayers want to be
quoted by sportswriters, even those with the
pedigree and reputation of Rick Hummel.
For example, a half-hour or so
after a spring training game in the early 2000s,
Hummel entered the office of Tony La Russa, a
modest room immediately adjacent to the team’s
home clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium. There was
only one other visitor in said office at the time
of Hummel’s entry: yours truly.
After a bit of small talk,
Hummel shared with La Russa his reason for
chatting: he desired some quotes from a player
(Player X), and Player X, a rising part-time
player the previous year who was thought to be
ready to contribute as a regular in the upcoming
season, was not cooperating. No doubt a complicating factor
was that English was not the first language of
Player X.
As if he was shot out of a
cannon, La Russa sprung out of his chair while
telling Hummel, under his breath, that he would
‘take care of that.’
Hummel responded with a smile, a
nod, and a ‘thank you.’
La Russa left his office for the
clubhouse (leaving Hummel and I alone there) and
returned, grinning, to the seat behind his desk,
after only a couple of minutes.
Quotes from Player X were in
Hummel’s Post-Dispatch piece the next day.
V. My Mother-in-Law Has
Something In Common with Tony La Russa?
(AUTHOR’S NOTE: Dear
reader—stay with me here!)
More than two decades ago, it
became apparent to me that Betty, my
mother-in-law, was a lot smarter than she let on.
For me, what tipped it in was
when I figured out the genius of one of Betty’s
favorite conversational techniques.
It goes like this:
If everyone in our group was
ready to leave for a restaurant except for her
husband Bob, who might have been in an upstairs
bedroom getting ready…what did Betty say to the
rest of us?
“Bob’s making himself even
more handsome.”
Similarly, when her daughter or
a granddaughter were a bit behind schedule for an
event, what might she be doing? The young lady in question was
not said to be brushing her hair. Nor was she was
applying make-up, fixing her coat, or maybe,
dressing a child. Instead…“She’s making herself even
more beautiful.”
Betty’s explanations, always
delivered with a sly smile, accomplished multiple
goals.
After a while, the overall
utility of “She’s making herself even more
beautiful” came to mind whenever I thought of
former Cards manager Tony La Russa uttering the
phrase “Tied for first.”
And at times it seemed as if La
Russa utilized this phrase a couple of times a
month.
What happened was this—back in
the heyday of major metropolitan daily newspapers
and their deadlines, a given paper’s sportswriters
needed quick post-game quotes from significant
players as well as the team’s manager. Every
night. After every game. Over and over.
As a result, a short-hand
developed—if Player Y made a spectacular defensive
play, the writer might say to the manager: “Talk
about Player Y. Was that the best play you’ve ever
seen?”
And the response was usually a
ready-made quote for that night’s game story.
I first witnessed how this
played out with Tony La Russa early in the 1996
season, his first as the St. Louis manager. Remember, Tony La Russa had
managed over 2,500 (!) baseball games prior to
his hiring as the Cards manager.
As a result, La Russa’s standard
answer to that sort of question was a bit
different than most. Respecting his former players
and their accomplishments seemed important to him.
Therefore, he seldom referred to a given play made
by a current player as THE best he had seen, but
instead made nice with his current players while
mentioning his former players as well…by uttering
the phrase “Tied for first.” So mother-in-law Betty (“She’s
making herself even more
beautiful.”) has something in common with Hall of
Fame manager Tony (“Tied for first.”); they’re
wordsmiths!
I must admit that, over the
years, I’ve appropriated both of these phrases and
used them as my own. My oh my.
VI. A Wedding: Tied for First
Early last month, oldest
daughter Emma and Eric were married in a ceremony
that took place a few short blocks from Chicago’s
United Center.
During the wedding ceremony, new
bride Emma delivered heartfelt words to her
invited gathering of nearly 200 family and
friends.
She described the best days of
her life and stated that there were two: the
current day (her wedding day), and the day that
her sister Hannah was born.
Knowing the room and her
(mostly) Chicago audience, she reviewed the
managerial career of Tony La Russa—starting and
ending with Chicago’s own White Sox, stints which
surrounded his decades managing the Oakland
Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. Emma had read the room correctly
as it seemed most listening had at least some
awareness of the man.
She then explained La Russa’s
usage of the phrase ‘Tied for first.’
I had not seen a word of her
remarks in advance of the wedding ceremony…but I
knew what was coming.
Emma said that these two days
were ‘Tied for first.’
Emma’s words brought tears to my
eyes.
My oh my.
Real life and sports.
Tied for first.
My oh my.
=====
Thoughts of
Footwork and Masyn Winn When the St.
Louis Rams first ‘hit’, in the fall of 1999,
it was a sight to behold. =====
Defensively,
the man looks just about ready to play
shortstop at the major league level.
Wisdom and Projections: Miles Mikolas, Jordan Walker & Paul DeJong It Is Why We Watch
February 16
Three names come
to mind to most St. Louis sports fans when
thinking of this sort of stuff.
Back to wisdom
and projection.
In fact they
drafted Patrick Wisdom in the 2012 Amateur
Draft.
October 13
With the aid of the internet, I've attempted to reconstruct some of the details surrounding our conversation...thirty-six years after it occurred. The year was 1986. The month was April--probably (almost certainly) late-afternoon, Thursday, April 17. And the place was, I think, the lobby of The Hotel Pennsylvania, deep in the heart of New York City. If it wasn’t the Hotel Penn’s lobby, it was a hotel lobby like it—both in appearance and location (very close to, if not virtually inside of, New York City’s Pennsylvania Station). I was in NYC for a meeting…[not baseball-related(!)]…and at the conclusion of the meeting, needed to return home to upstate NY, by train—and Penn Station was the starting point for almost all things Amtrak in NYC. ===== Back in those days, MLB’s two leagues were each split into two divisions (East and West). In 1986, teams in the National League’s Eastern Division (including the defending NL Champion Cardinals and the Mets) were scheduled to play each other 18 times [18 x 5 = 90 games] and the six teams in the NL’s Western Division twelve times [6 x 12 = 72 games]…and 90 + 72 equals one regular season: 162 games. In a game started by current broadcaster Ricky Horton (7 innings pitched, 2 hits, 1 earned run), the Cardinals defeated the Mets that day, 6-2, in 14 innings.
Weather
data
indicate that New York City recorded four inches
of rain for the three days following Opening
Day (April 15-17)—so what was originally scheduled
as a three-game series for the Cardinals was
shortened to one game (because of rain) prior to the
Redbirds trip north to Montreal for a three game
series in Olympic Stadium that commenced Friday,
April 18.
Therefore, Games Two (April 16)
and Three (April 17) of the three game Cards-Mets
series in April were postponed…necessitating a
mid-August six game series between the two teams,
with two doubleheaders (August 14 and August 17)
bookending two single games (August 15 and 16).
So it was likely that, instead of
playing the Mets, at Shea, on the afternoon of
Thursday, April 17…that day’s game was postponed
early Thursday am, enabling the Cardinals entire
travel party to depart directly from the Hotel Penn
(via bus to the airport), avoiding a Thursday late
pm/early Friday am flight to Montreal.
All of which means that when I
walked through the lobby of the Hotel Penn on
Thursday afternoon, April 17, 1986 (in search of
Penn Station and the ‘gate’ for the train ride
return to Schenectady), I ran into a bunch of
athletes in a public area of a major NYC hotel,
literally waiting for their ride to the airport.
It was my aim not to gawk—I think
I was successful in that I didn’t realize that I was
observing the defending National League champions
until I noticed a face and head of hair I couldn’t
help but recognize: Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck,
sitting on a chair at the edge of the baseball
crowd.
I introduced myself, explained why
I was there and what I was looking for…and he
directed me to the train station.
I then stated that my parents were
St. Louis natives, and that the end of the most
recent World Series, the 1985 World Series, was a
bitter pill to swallow for our entire family.
It was then that Buck, a living
baseball encyclopedia with decades of personal
experience with the sport, looked me straight in the
eye…and said: “But
it was a very good year…a great year, in fact.
Don’t ever forget that.”
=====
I remembered those April 1986
words of Jack Buck when thinking about the
just-concluded 2022 MLB Cardinals season, a season
that ended with a pair of Busch Stadium losses to
the Philadelphia Phillies.
What at first glance seems like an
upset (the Wild Card-qualifiers defeating the NL
Central champions) really is not, when considering
that the Cardinals were twenty games over .500 vs
their four NL Central opponents (and twenty-four
games over .500 overall), while the Phillies were
only six games over .500 vs their four NL East
opponents (and twelve games over .500 overall).
In other words, the Cards played
76 games versus the relatively weak NL Central (W/L
48-28 total; Cubs, Reds, Brewers and Pirates) while
the Phillies played 76 games versus the stronger NL
East (W/L 41-35 total; Braves, Marlins, Mets and
Nationals).
So the Cards Phillies Wild Card
Series outcome is not really a surprise.
No matter: the 2022 Cardinals
season was a great year.
The reasons are numerous…and the
2022 Cardinals season overview includes a variety of
tantalizing storylines:
*iconic cornerstone veterans:
Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols and Adam Wainwright—A
Season to Remember
*superstar corner infielders:
Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt (Pujols)—MVP
Candidates
*rising middle infielders: Tommy
Edman, Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan—Young and
Talented
*quality starting pitchers: Jack
Flaherty, Dakota Hudson, Matthew Libertore, Steven
Matz, Miles Mikolas, Jordan Montgomery and Jose
Quintana (Wainwright)—A Mix of Youth and
Veterans with Obvious Upside
*quality relief pitchers: Genesis
Cabrera, Giovanny Gallegos, Ryan Helsley, Jordan
Hicks, TJ McFarland, Packy Naughton, Andre Pallante,
Zack Thompson and Jake Woodford—Young Arms and
Lots of Them
*promising outfielders: Dylan
Carlson, Corey Dickerson, Lars Nootbaar, Tyler
O’Neil and Juan Yepez—Promise and Potential;
Hints of High Ceilings, Additions are Likely
*catchers: Andrew Knizner and Ivan Herrera (Molina)—Change
Is In the Air
*a competent front office, manager
and coaching staff—John Mozeliak, Mike Girsch, Oli
Marmol, Skip Schumaker, Jeff Albert and Mike Maddux
and a cast of dozens (?!)—Beginning with the 2000
Season, the Cardinals Won 90 or More Games
Thirteen Times, and Only Once Suffered a Losing
Season
*a pipeline of major league
prospects—lists supplied by Derrick
Goold and Rob
Rains
=====
Indeed, 2022 was ‘A Great Year’
for the St. Louis Cardinals.
With some roster movement
inevitable (OF and C moves are likely), the team’s
first spring training game (Friday, February 25 at
Jupiter vs the Washington Nationals) is
closerthanthis.
The baseball future,
2023 and beyond, is bright in St. Louis.
More to follow. =====
====================
Memories of Place, Practice & Championships: Mike Shannon and DeAnna Price July 26  --->DeAnna Price: Off to Tokyo<--- ==========
Mark
Bausch
St. Louis Sports Online editor@stlsports.com Editor's Note: "Virtually Every Word" November 2 Earlier
this
week, Hall of Fame (baseball) broadcaster Bob Costas
announced that he will no longer work as a baseball
play-by-play announcer (MLB Network and TBS Sports).
Costas, who called St. Louis his home for much of his professional career, a St. Louis career that began in 1974 when, while working for KMOX radio, he was hired as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Spirits of St. Louis (American Basketball Association). It is easy to forget the unbelievable breadth of Costas' broadcasting career--a career with a magic number of 28 (he was the host for the NBC Olympics coverage spanning 28 years and he has won 28 Emmy awards) The Bob Costas sports broadcasting portfolio includes, well, just about everything (including the Syracuse Blazers of the Eastern Hockey League). And if Bob Costas isn't on the Mount Rushmore that features sports broadcasters, he is certianly in the conversation. In an appearance on the Dan LeBatard with Stugotz show, Costas has now made clear his views of the upcoming presidential election.  The existence of the first (and only) political 'editorial' ever posted at stlsports.com is known only to those who are aware of the signficance of the Uktrainian Coat of Arms, a monogram of which is on the military green t-shirt worn by yours truly at the top of this column. The Bob Costas view of the 2024 US Presidential election is consonant with my own; and therefore qualifies as the second stlsports.com editorial. Virtually every word. Thank you, Bob. Clicking on the "iGNORAMJS' graphic above links to the YouTube video... The upcoming election is that important...even more important than Jordan Kyrou's ten game scoring drought (wink emojji). I fear for the future of my country. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yours truly: “Rick, if
you include some of the young players who made their
first contributions last year (2022), I don’t think
I’ve ever seen the Cardinals as well-stocked as they
are now, in terms of prospects who look like they
can really play. And some of these guys look like
they will hit.”
-----
|
=====
Last
Saturday
(March 1), Harry Caray would have been 100 years
old. No
kidding: It might be—it could be—it is: a century For
those
of us baby boomers that grew up in the Gateway City,
state of Missouri, the Ozark region or throughout
the Midwest, Harry Caray was the soundtrack of
summer. For a quarter century, Caray was the voice
of the St. Louis Cardinals. His style was unique and
no holds bar. His voice boomed describing the
exploits of Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, Lou
Brock, Bob Gibson and others. For twenty-five years,
Harry Caray was the sound of St. Louis baseball. In
the world where one can be immediately identified by
their first name (Elvis, Ozzie, Madonna, etc), if
back in the day you said that “Harry” was on the
radio, you knew exactly who was on the air. For many
of us growing up in the 1960s and earlier, Caray’s
familiar, bold and dramatic musings heard through a
transistor radio muffled under a pillow (as we were
hiding it from our parents after being sent to bed)
created the perfect ending to a summer’s evening. Born
Harry
Christopher Carabina from Italian and Romanian
parents, he grew up on La Salle Street on the near
south side of St. Louis on 3/1/1914. Caray’s father
died when he was an infant and his mother died when
he was around eight years old. In essence he grew up
as an orphan. In
his youth Caray played semipro baseball before
auditioning for a radio job at age nineteen. It was
then when young Harry found his calling. He would
cut his teeth in the radio business in markets such
as Joliet, Illinois and Kalamazoo, Michigan before
returning to his home town. He joined the Cardinals
radio broadcast team in 1945. It was here in St.
Louis and particularly behind a hot KMOX radio
microphone where the legend of Harry Caray evolved.
It
was Caray’s voice that narrated the stories of the
successful seasons of the mid/late 1940s, the
challenging 1950s and the memorable 1960s for the
Cardinals. But it was during the down years of the
1950s when Caray’s career rose to prominence. In
February 1953, August A. Busch, Jr. convinced his
Anheuser-Busch Board of Directors to purchase the
Cardinals from Fred Saigh. The Big Eagle and Harry
Caray were both cut from the same cloth. Both wanted
to be the center of attention. Both appreciated
pretty girls. Both were Type-A. Both were highly
competitive. But
most
importantly, both could sell beer. That alliance
would make Harry larger than life. Over the KMOX
airwaves he was an unabashed homer. But above all,
he could sell beer. Busch once referred to Caray as
his best beer salesman. The bond was then formed. Behind
Busch’s
influence, the powerful KMOX signal and Caray’s
bombastic style the Cardinal radio network became
the largest in the Major Leagues. Prior to 1957, St.
Louis was the westernmost franchise. Cardinal fans
were emerging west of the Mississippi. Caray was the
evangelist. Casual and non-baseball fans listened to
the games only to hear what Harry had to say. During
it all, he promoted and pushed Budweiser. The match
seemed made in heaven. The
Cardinals
went to the World Series three times during the
1960s: winning it all twice. After advancing to the
series in 1967 and 1968, St. Louis was expected to
make it a three-peat. It didn’t happen. In 1969 St.
Louis finished a disappointing third in the newly
created NL East. But days after the final out, a
bombshell was dropped in the Gateway City. Harry
Caray and the Cardinals parted ways. The larger than
life broadcaster was out as Cardinal broadcaster. There
have
been many of urban legends as to what led to the
split. We’ll never know for sure. But we did observe
in a pre-cable, pre-internet era, that the divorce
was far from amicable. Leaving
St.
Louis, Caray took his talents to Oakland where he
spent one season working for the colorful Charles O
Finley’s A’s. One year later, Caray was signed as an
announcer by legendary owner and promoter Bill Veeck
of the Chicago White Sox. It would not take long for
Harry to discover that Chicago was indeed his kind
of town. During
Caray’s
tenure on the south side, the White Sox were not
very good. In his first season the Sox went 56-106. The high water mark was
1977 when they won 90 games. During Caray’s time on
the South Side, the Sox had a losing record in eight
seasons. But
despite
the ineptness on the field, fans listened to the
White Sox games because of Harry Caray. Partnered
with the colorful and unpredictable Jimmy Piersall,
the broadcasts were more entertaining than the
games. Caray introduced Comiskey Park fans to the
familiar chant from the musical group Steam as
pitchers were removed from the game or when the Sox
were going to win:
“na-na-na-na---na-na-na-na-----hey, hey, hey---Good
Bye”. Caray
and
Piersall would broadcast games from the bleachers.
On July 12, 1979 Harry spoke over the Comiskey Park
PA pleading for calm on “Disco Demolition Night”
where the Sox had to forfeit the second game of a
doubleheader. Fans rushed the field causing
extensive damage. Yep,
the
White Sox were not very good then—but it was sure
fun to listen to the games. In
1982, Caray moved to the north side of Chicago:
signing a contract to broadcast games for the Cubs.
It was there through the magic and power of the
WGN-TV Superstation signal where Harry Caray would
be introduced to a new generation of baseball fans.
The Cubs turned Harry loose over the airwaves and it
proved to be reality television at its finest. The
Cubs were not very good. But just like when with the
White Sox, baseball fans tuned in to hear Caray
offer his insight and opinions: from trying to
pronounce player’s names backwards to welcoming who
at the ball park that day to saluting the smallest
towns throughout the fruited plain. During
his
stay with the Cubs, Caray introduced his trademark:
the seventh inning stretch singing of “Take Me Out
to the Ball Game”. Regardless of the score or the
loyalty, Wrigley Field fans sang along with Harry:
as Caray, then in his 70s, used his microphone as a
baton. My
last conversation with Harry was in 1996. It was
during a Saturday afternoon game at Busch Stadium II
between the Cardinals and Cubs. Prior to the game, I
was in the press lounge. Sitting very quietly in the
corner was Harry Caray watching the Fox Network
pre-game show. On the screen was his grandson Chip.
As I passed his table, Harry smiled and said to me,
“isn’t he great?” I politely smiled, agreed
continued some small talk. During it all Harry just
kept smiling. So
here is this larger than life personality I grew up
listening to via a transistor radio under my pillow
savoring the moment as a proud grandfather. I
started smiling also. In
1989, Harry would be inducted into the Broadcaster’s
wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a year later,
into the National Radio Hall of Fame. He suffered a
stroke in 1987. But Caray would not leave the
broadcast booth. Then in February 1998, Caray fell
at a restaurant and suffered a head injury. He died
February 18, 1998 of cardiac arrest with resulting
brain damage. 1998
was
the season of the great Home Chase that rescued
baseball from the 1994 Work Stoppage. The Cardinals’
Mark Mc Guire and the Cubs’ Sammy Sosa would blast
long flies in pursuit of Roger Maris’s single season
home run record. It would have been fun and perhaps
fitting had Harry hung around one more year to
describe those events as only he could. Today,
television
(particularly cable television) is the primary
outlet for baseball. The legendary baseball voices
from past years have been replaced by some
combination of blow-dried polished announcers and
former ball players: each parroting team written
talking points and are nothing more than an
extension of the team’s marketing department. You
know: always remember that good seats are available,
always look for the positives and never criticize
the Home Team. I
wonder if Harry Caray would have been hired as a
broadcaster in today’s environment. My thinking is
probably not. And that’s too bad. Games were sure
more fun during Harry’s day. Last
Saturday
(March 1), Harry Caray would have been 100 years
old. Holy
Cow. =====
On the
same date the Beatles made their appearance on the
Ed Sullivan Show a half century earlier, this Sunday
will also mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of
the death of long-time St. Louis Blues broadcaster
Dan Kelly. He once was called the "purest, most
knowledgeable, most accurate" voice in hockey. Kelly
was 52 years old when he died at his Chesterfield
home after a five-month struggle with cancer. |
...from the
stlsports.com archives:
Check it out!
Editor originally
posted
June 17, 1995
In a nutshell, the guy has as much talent as any young broadcaster, since, say, a youthful Bob Costas. Most St. Louis Sports Online readers surely recall that Costas, fresh out of Syracuse University, took St. Louis, and then the country, by storm. In
thinking about Joe Buck and the kinds of questions I
would ask, two things came to mind. First, I hoped
to bring StLSO readers some new and timely
information about the Cards young broadcaster. On
this point I feel reasonably confident. In that regard I failed, as Joe Buck played all Shannon-related questions straight down the middle, earnestly saying that “Mike has been extremely helpful to me just starting out in this business.” Prior to a recent Cards-Braves game, Buck and I sat down in the dining room behind the Fulton County Stadium press box. He is 26 years old...and looks young enough (and fit enough) to be part of a double play combo with Cards shortstop Tripp Cromer. Indeed, Buck said that the Cards had thoughts of drafting him right out of high school. I should have reminded him that the Cardinals drafted Paul Coleman right out of high school, too. It should
surprise no one that Joe Buck, who makes his living
as a play-by-play sportscaster, is a verbal
individual. But I was surprised to find Buck to be
extremely intelligent, as well. Throughout the
interview he listened very intently to the
questions, and at times, gave quite specific and
carefully worded answers that sort of demanded that
the original question be rephrased. When a tough
question was posed, he wouldn’t give an inch. In
other words, the guy is good...and, at least in this
interview, didn’t really let down his guard too
much. In retrospect, perhaps I could have done a
better job interviewing him. And
before we started, Buck was kind enough to remind me
to turn on the recorder...
=====
Editor There's
always good radio to be found the day after the
Philly Eagles lose. That's because 97.5 The Fanatic
employs long-time sports-talk radio pro Tony Bruno,
who, with wit and wisdom and alacrity, persuades
most (but not all) of his ever-insufferable
listeners not to jump from the top of the nearest
tall building. The wonder of the internet brings
Bruno and his Philly-based station to anyone looking
for an entertaining listening experience. WDBX Sunday Sports
Review |
...from the
stlsports.com archives:
Read on...
Reluctance & Mystery,
Talent & Expectations: A Conversation with Rick Ankiel originally posted June 28, 1999 Rick Ankiel is the
brightest lefthanded pitching prospect in all of
baseball…and at 19 years of age, is gaining
maturity on and off the field…
Reluctance
Earlier this month, Thomas Harding, the Memphis Redbirds’ beat writer for the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, asked yours truly a simple question. It was a question I’ve heard before. But admittedly, the sports context of his question...was new. Certainly, though, Harding’s query brought a smile to my face. His question was this: “How was it for you?” The context? Harding, a friendly bloke, wanted to hear about the Rick Ankiel interview I had conducted earlier that evening in the Redbirds’ dugout. My answer was polite. “He was...uhhh...reluctant.” “Good answer!” said the beat writer, making like game-show host Richard Dawson. Generally speaking, if you want to know something about a professional baseball player, talk to his beat writer. Evidently, my description of Ankiel squared with Harding’s view of the youngster: reluctant. Mystery
But the
reluctance that Rick Ankiel displays, in his
interviews, only adds to the mystery that surrounds
him. Here’s an analogy. Think back to when you were fifteen or sixteen...a freshman in high school. Wasn’t there a pretty girl, a graduating senior girl, that you found mysterious? Wasn’t she difficult to approach? And wasn’t she hard to talk to? But from a distance...wasn’t she fun to watch? That’s one way to view the mysterious side of Rick Ankiel. ----- The first thing you notice about Ankiel, up close, is his demeanor. No, that’s not exactly right. It’s the combination of his demeanor and his appearance that is so striking. It’s like one of those “What’s wrong with this picture?” features, where one thing is out of place in a photograph. That’s because, while Ankiel is only 19, and his face and body have the unfinished look of a 19 year old, his outward disposition appears to be that of a veteran (or maybe a teenager trying to act like a veteran). In this reporter’s opinion, an opinion based on a limited set of observations, Ankiel’s disposition displays equal parts detached arrogance and active intimidation. And as the recent pre-game beaning in a collegiate baseball game evidenced, there is a substantial intimidation component to pitching . (Don’t believe that? Step into a batting cage and dial it up to 80 MPH. You’ll get the picture...and don’t forget your helmet.) So, for what it’s worth, Rick Ankiel appears intimidating...and mysterious. Talent
From a
distance, though, Rick Ankiel’s pitching talent is
obvious to anyone with even a modest knowledge of
baseball.For starters, Ankiel’s delivery has a bit of (ex-Met lefty) Sid Fernandez flavor to it. You remember El Sid--he hid the ball behind his front hip and leg for what seemed like an eternity, before projecting an above-average fastball toward the batter. Ankiel’s trickery isn’t as pronounced, but it’s there, and he uses it to his advantage. As a result, Ankiel’s fastball seems to handcuff hitters in a way that adds a few MPH to its 91-92 MPH velocity. Ankiel’s breaking pitch looks more like a curve ball than a slider. Its effects are best observed by observing the helpless, weak-kneed batter, who often looks like a Little Leaguer watching his first roundhouse. That’s because Ankiel can throw his sharp-breaking curve for strikes...which, when combined with his heavy fastball, leads to stupendous strikeout totals. But that’s not all. Ankiel’s change-up, though harder to spot from the stands, is apparently well developed, too. So where do those strikeouts come from? In the words of Cardinals minor league pitching coordinator Mark Riggins: “He has a very deceptive fastball...the ball jumps...it explodes at the plate. “He can pitch up in the zone...and the ball just jumps by the hitters’ bat. He can use his change-up to strike guys out...he can use his curve-ball to strike guys out...he has weapons that produce strikeouts. He’s a gamer. He’s an intense guy. When he has two strikes on a guy he tries to strike him out and he has the weapons to do that.” Riggins continues: “It’s amazing that [Ankiel] has the breaking ball and the change-up at 19 years of age. “We have guys in our system at the AAA level that we’re still trying to teach the change-up to. Rick has all of those pitches already. It’s just a matter of consistency and getting those pitches in the locations he needs to...all the time.” Which leads to... Expectations
Ankiel is
19 years old. The last 19 year old pitcher to make a
big splash in the big leagues was Dwight Gooden.Is it unreasonable to compare Ankiel, the summer 1999 Ankiel, with Gooden? “I think so,” said Riggins. “You don’t want to put that much of a burden on him. We as pitching coaches treat every kid the same...whether he was a number one [pick] or a free agent...whether he is 8-and-1 or 1-and-8... “We treat all these guys the same...and try not to put the pressure on him...that’s created more by the media.. . “The expectations are also created by the fans,” continued Riggins. “That’s great...I love that stuff. But we shouldn’t put that much of a burden on Rick right now. He’s still a young kid trying to develop his stuff.” And a young kid that, at 6-1 and 190 lbs, still sometimes looks like the teen-ager that he is. Yet one final word from the Cardinals minor league pitching coordinator, Mark Riggins. “His body is still growing. Usually at 21 or 22 years old...they fully develop. He’s got a couple more years...and may grow an inch or two…and his body will harden up,” Riggins said. “When we signed him he was just a soft kid...a little overweight for his age... “Last year in Peoria...Rick was very low on a test administered by our minor league strength coordinator. “Rick, he was very low in the group of pitchers. That really stuck in his mind...but the very next day he was out early, running... “By the end of the year, last year, he had grown into a man and he’s still growing.” The Last Words
And how
might Rick Ankiel finalize his development?Recently, it was suggested to Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan that a pitcher combining the veteran moxie of Kent Bottenfield with the talent and tools of a Rick Ankiel would be a superstar pitcher. Duncan’s response? “That would be a nice combination,” Duncan replied. “Hopefully that’s what Rick Ankiel will be when he gets to the big leagues. He’ll have his physical skills so that he can execute and the only thing that will be missing is what you gain with experience at this level. “And that’s knowing the opposition and knowing what you have to do to be a successful major league pitcher. He is 19 years old. There’s no getting around that,” Duncan said. “I think he’s a mature 19 when it comes to baseball...he has a very good idea what he’s doing. He pays attention...he’s been a very coachable athlete and he’s learned a lot in the short time he’s been playing professional baseball.” And Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty‘s view on Ankiel? “Rick Ankiel is a young man who just needs a little more seasoning. He’s going to get better with experience. He’s got great ability and great pitches...he has to learn how to get hitters out at the higher levels...how to set up guys....everything comes easy for him right now but it’s going to get tougher as he moves up. But I think he’s very capable of making the adjustments.” Jocketty’s parting shot, issued in March of 1999? Not a promise or a commitment; just a declarative sentence. “I don’t think it will be very long before he gets to St. Louis.” The Conversation
[recorded
June 12, 1999]
StLSO: We’re here in Nashville, Tennessee, visiting with Memphis Redbirds lefthander Rick Ankiel. Good afternoon, Rick. Ankiel: Hi…how you doin’? StLSO: We’re doing all right. Rick Ankiel…you’re 19 years old…you finished high school…two years ago? Ankiel: Yeah, I believe so. StLSO: That’s not too long ago. Fans are interested in your pitching ability and they are interested in some other things about you. Your pitching ability has brought you along way…do your high school days seem like a long time ago…or just yesterday? Ankiel: It seems like a long time ago…to be honest. Last year was a long year, this year has gone well and has been flying by and I hope it will continue to be the same. StLSO: What kinds of experiences from your high school days directly apply to what it is you’re doing now? Ankiel: What do you mean? StLSO: What I mean is…did you feel like your pitching skills were pretty well formed as a senior in high school…or not? Ankiel: I don’t think so. [In high school] I just went out there and threw. I’ve started to learn a lot about pitching rather than just throwing the ball by people. I’m learning a lot and it’s a lot of fun right now and it couldn’t be better. StLSO: It couldn’t be better…I guess you had a satisfactory for yourself last night…you feel pretty good about your performance yesterday? Ankiel: I think last night was probably my worst performance of the year. StLSO: In what way was it not as good as you would like? Ankiel: In every way…in five innings I threw 92 pitches. As a starter, you’re not going to be able to stay in the game and help your team. As a starter, you just can’t pitch like that. StLSO: We cover 40 or 50 games with the Cardinals every year…and you can hardly do a post-game interview with Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan without either of them using words like ‘adversity’ and people being able to come back from adversity…was yesterday as adverse a set of conditions that you’ve faced as a minor leaguer? Ankiel: I don’t know as a minor leaguer…but definitely this year. It just wasn’t a good outing…I couldn’t really find a zone and things just didn’t really go too well. StLSO: Rick, what is it that you like best about minor league baseball at this point…your teammates, the traveling…or not? Ankiel: Everything…I mean…you’re playing something that you love to do and you’re playing in a dream when you’re doing things like that. StLSO: So things are in a real positive sense for you…you’re happy where you’re at, biding your time, and looking to make good pitches… Ankiel: I guess so. StLSO: I’m wondering if there’s something I can ask you outside of baseball…that you’d be interested in talking about…high school…favorite classes…something you were interested in or not? Ankiel: No man…baseball…that’s it. StLSO: When you were eight, when you were ten, when you were twelve…you wrote on a paper somewhere that you wanted to be a baseball player…how long has this been a dream of yours? Ankiel: I think, like, most kids in America, just growing up…it’s always a dream…for me, I don’t know. I guess ever since I’ve been little…right now, I’m trying to fulfill that and just keep focused on baseball. StLSO: Do you have any sense of the anticipation that the folks in the city by the Arch, St. Louis, have for you? Ankiel: I don’t pay attention to that…I leave that up to you guys…I just try to stay focused on pitching…and not worry about media…and other outside influences. StLSO: Frankly, we’re interested, in the media, as well as the fans, in seeing that, that can happen for you, Rick Ankiel…good luck the rest of the year. Ankiel: Thank you. ===== =====
Editor
Out
on a Limb?
posted August 27. 1998A look at the way the St. Louis media handled the publicity surrounding Mark McGwire’s use of androstenedione
SUBJECT: DATE: August 27,
1998
....on KMOX radio,
Hall-of-Fame sportscaster Jack Buck said it was a
“non-story”, and pledged not to talk about the
Mark McGwire androstenedione controversy. Ex-St. Louis
Sports Online contributor Randy
Karraker, ably working the KMOX mike alongside
Buck, agreed. KTRS’ Kevin
Slaten pitched in
with his own bombastic opinion, saying that the
original AP account of the story, and the front
page androstenedione follow-up by the Post-Dispatch, only confirmed his
own view that print journalists, and
sportswriters in particular, are the lowest form
of life on this planet. In essence,
Slaten completely agreed with the stated
Buck-Karraker on-air opinion, saying that the
whole Mac-andro affair was a “non-story”. On KFNS AM-590, host Frank Cusumano expressed his view that
“it’s legal, and therefore I don’t have a
problem with it”. St. Louis media veteran Scott
Simon, another former St. Louis Sports Online contributor who now plies
his trade at Kansas City’s CBS AM outlet, KMBZ,
informed yours truly that the story was
overblown...that he himself suffers from asthma,
and the medication that he takes to control his
condition renders him ineligible for the
Olympics. (EDITOR’S
NOTE: I’m thinking of the Jamaican bobsled
team...Mr. Simon.) Post-Dispatch
columnist Bernie Miklasz, a recent guest of the
Saturday Sports Review, chimed in with a rather
balanced view of the McGwire andro connection,
noting that (1) the Olympic ban of andro can’t
be taken too seriously in light of the IOC’s
banning of various over-the-counter medications
(such as Sudafed); and (2) the NBA ban of andro
is ridiculous, too, since pot is not on the
league’s list of banned substances. But Miklasz
covered all bases by espousing the view that
androstenedione is legal, considered to be a
nutritional supplement, and not banned by
baseball’s establishment. In other
words, it’s OK to take andro because it’s not
against the rules to do so. KFNS’ Brian
Stull, yet another former St. Louis Sports Online contributor, noted that
the current media attention to Mac’s andro usage
is, in his view, overblown, since Stull claims
that McGwire openly discussed his use of
supplements on at least two occasions in the
weeks prior to the AP “scoop”. And in their
initial comments on the McGwire story, which
were apparently based on early media accounts of
the controversy, St. Louis Sports Online
columnist (and WGNU sportscaster) Mike Huss, and
St. Louis Sports Online
photographer Eric Niederhoffer both
leaned
toward the view that the story was
overblown...and that a possible driving force
for the story was the media’s incessant desire
to tear down the heroes that they themselves
elevate. So, despite
all those opinions, all which sound logical in
one way or another... …why does
McGwire’s use of andro leave a funny feeling in
the pit of the stomach of this observer? I don’t know. Well, maybe I
do. Maybe it’s
because all of Mac’s defenders sound, to my
ears, a lot like President Clinton’s defenders. Literally
straining to defend their man. Parsing their
words. And sounding
like lawyers. The Clinton
defenders...and the McGwire defenders...their
statements sound OK...they just don’t sound right. Complicating
issues include the fact that yours truly voted
for Clinton. Twice. And McGwire’s
mammoth home runs have lit up summer for this
particular sports consumer like no other recent
time in sports. But one thing
seems certain. In the 1998
baseball season, there is almost nothing
connected with Mark McGwire that can be referred
to as a non-story. And the
McGwire-androstenedione connection is, in fact,
a huge story. And, to this
observer, it seems wrong to blame the media for
publishing a story that, in more than one
aspect, defines sports in the ‘90s. We haven’t
heard the last of Big Mac and androstenedione. It does seem
unfortunate, though, that in this
one-in-a-lifetime baseball season, that Mark
McGwire’s historic chase has been tarnished. One more
thing, though. Recall that
longtime St. Louis baseball observers--guys like
Bob Broeg, Red Schoendienst, George Kissell, and
the aforementioned Buck (that’s about two
centuries worth of baseball there, folks)--all
grin and utter more or less the same line, when
asked about McGwire. “I’ve never seen
anything like him.” |