Dead Simmons

One of the walking wounded, pitcher Joe Kelly returns tonight and will get the start. Like Garcia, his return seems a bit early. But it was officially OK'd by Cards medical expert, Dr. Vinnie Boombatz.

I would like to explain Molina to you guys but since I don't know what makes him tick all I can tell you is what I see. On the surface he's extremely shy. In the years he's been on the team I can count on one hand the amount of post game interviews he's done, and he's quick to get out of there. (have you ever heard him speak?) He sits quietly in the dugout taking no part in the occasional hijinx. Since his mentor, Pujols, left the team and he became the #1 man he keeps an even lower profile. Shows of temper are extremely rare, but when he finally explodes he's particularly virulent. He never flips his bat and even seems a bit embarrassed when he does something good. The biggest display I can remember was a little fist pump he did rounding the bases after hitting a HR in his first AB in GABP after the Brandon Phillips debacle. If Brandon had hit it he would have cartwheeled around the diamond. We never see his face on Cardinal promo's and he endorses nothing that I know of, nationally or local. In my mind he would have been the least likely player in baseball to get a Tysonesque neck tatoo. It flies contrary to his nature. It's a mystery and is ignored by fans and reporters alike. It's completely false that Molina is a team leader. He may or may not be an inspiration to some of his mates, but being the center of attention by giving pep talks or dumping Gatorade on game hero's you will never see. Still water may be running deep or the guy could just be self conscience of his bad English. Your guess is as good as mine.

1925.... At Sportsman's Park, George Sisler becomes a one-man wrecking crew when he comes to the plate with the bases loaded in back-to-back frames in the Browns' 10-5 victory over Washington. The St. Louis first baseman drives in seven runs in two innings, tripling with the bases jammed in the third and hitting a grand slam in the fourth. http://www.sikids.com/sites/default/files/multimedia/photo_gallery/0905/mlb.longest.hitting.streaks/images/george-sisler.jpg Perhaps the greatest forgotten player to ever play the game. In his rookie season, as a pitcher George out dueled Walter Johnson twice. Described for decades as the perfect ball player, George was the best fielding 1st baseman in the game and battled Cobb yearly for the batting, hits and stolen base leads. In the teens it was Cobb and Sisler as the preeminent hitters, with greats like Wagner and Speaker close behind. The only thing that keeps his name alive today is that every 25 or 75 years guys named Di Maggio or Ichiro breaks one of his records. Suzuki visited his grave in 2009 while in St. Louis for the ASG. The most prominent tribute to Sisler is the statue located outside of Busch III where fans stare at it and wonder who they're looking at.

In an odd quirk, BP will also be out for 8-12 weeks with a torn ligament on his RIGHT thumb. I suspect some voodoo at work here.

What is .gif? Anyway, this is terrible for the Cards right now, but if they manage to make it to the post season he will be rested and very dangerous. Nobody knows how Tony Cruz will play when suiting up every day, but if he can bat .260 and curtail the Martinez/Shelby Miller wild pitch caravan we might still get a wild card. I can assure you that there will be lots of tears in their Budweiser beers tonight at Busch Stadium. I don't know the nature of the BP/Hamilton injuries (or Baily for that matter) but without them the Cubbies they finally beat the Reds. This is a window that the Pirates and Brewers could slide right through.

8 to 12 weeks. Torn ligament. Thumb. Ouch.

With Baily, Votto and now Hamilton ailing the Cubs are giving them their moneys worth today. Benches emptied to the field. (Chapman chin music) in the 9th in this tie game. WGN FYI

I tell you Stache...Prince's days as an impact player are over. He is now a hobbled .270, 20-25 HR type player now. Texas has a problem.

Carp stayed in the game it's 4-2 Cards in the 5th. Neither pitcher is particularly sharp. Of course the Reds made short work of the Cubbies.

Yadi Molina taken out of the Game after a slide on the base paths in the 3rd inning. Score is 3-1 Cards over the Pirates. The dugout looks gloomy.

He must be some player then! I see him on the highlights but otherwise I'm unfamiliar. On the Reds: sure enough they gained ground on ALL seven NL post season contenders last night. Pretty scary. That's really hard to do. Surely the Cubs can get one tonight...........NOT!

Oh I believe that. I've known people that once tattoo'ed become prone to showing them off. For example, my two favorite female comedians, Margrette Cho and Geneane Garofollo BOTH started rolling their sleeves up on stage after being tatted. Before that I was unaware that they even HAD arms. Here is a more interesting photo from the 2011 issue of that magazine. http://espn.go.com/espn/photos/gallery/_/id/7030506/image/10/alicia-sacramone-bodies-want-2011 I have no idea who this athlete is!

Gross.

As discussed yesterday by Brewcrewdue80, the Reds were indeed to first to profit from the Cubs by sweeping the double header, coming from behind dramatically in game 2. That Hamilton kid trumps Polanco, Wong or any other rookie you can name in either league. http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/30/32/01/6398051/3/628x471.jpg

Brother, you know more about the Cards pitching than I do! But you failed to mention 4 relievers that are better than Rosenthal. Kevin Siegrist has a better K to walk ratio and a lower ERA than Rosie in twice as many innings, and rookie Sam Freeman sports a 1.50 ERA in 19 appearances, striking out 17 and yet to give up an XBH. Pat Neshak's ERA is a rediculous 0.75 in 41 games, a WHIP almost twice as low as even Wainwright, and get this: a 9-1 K to walk ratio! (36 and 4) So why are these guys unknown? Because they don't close. They just keep the game in check, holding the slim leads until Trevor comes in in the 9th and gets all the gravy. But I mentioned 4 relievers better than Rosie....no, It's not 100 MPH Jason Motte, back from Tommy John's but 2Bman Daniel Descalso who sports a 0.00 ERA in 1/3 inning of work that was required in one game where Matheny burned out the entire pen by the 10th! Can you imagine what a smart manager could do with a bullpen like this? This man is not a shortstop. It's rookie pitcher Sam Freeman, a complete ballplayer. I don't know how Matheny can keep this young man in the pen with all the starter injuries, but he does.

Down 3 nothing with Cueto dealing the Cubs get back to back HR's to make it 3-2 now in the 6th.

Cubs @ Reds on WGN now

.....Literally! http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24610987/pictured-prince-fielder-not-pictured-prince-fielders-clothes. NSFW

Why would the Cardinals trade Allen Craig? (or Miller). Craig is under contract through 2017 with a team option for '18. Sure he's having an off year (still hitting LHP well though) but he has a proven track record and is only 29 years old Two things Fastball: 1) Tavares is 22.... 2) Craig's power has been gone for 2 years. That's no slump.

This news is neither good nor bad for the Cards. It just is: Jaime Garcia has the same thoracic shoulder that ended Chris Carpenter's career. http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/c0/9c03abba-b3c9-50a6-b69d-bb3a5253528b/53b83461d3bd9.preview-300.jpg But it wouldn't surprise me if they make him a position player. Look at the time we wasted with Rick Ankiel.

I'm glad somebody's reading it. Slow day in baseball history. FDR became the 1st pres. to go to the ASG and this on another forgotten great: 1070... Rico Carty, the National League's leading hitter, becomes the first player voted to play in the All-Star Game as a write-in candidate. The Braves outfielder's name was left off the ballot that was drawn up by managers and general managers before the start of spring training. And this: 2008.... The Brewers trade four highly touted farm hands to the Indians to obtain C. C. Sabathia. The Brew Crew sends their first-round draft pick last year, Matt LaPorta, along with minor league pitching prospects Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson, as well as Taylor Green (identified as the player to be named later), who was Milwaukee’s minor league player of the year, to Cleveland. CC at his best. Better looking, but scuffling this year to stay under 5.00 ERA. I'm unfamiliar with those traded prospects. Did any of them amount to anything with the Tribe? It wasn't Taylor Green who went, it was Michael Brantley, who's having himself a fine time in Cleveland. Thanks for the correction.

I just feel Milw+St Louis or Cincy>than Atl/Wash or LA/SF Don't forget the Cubs just sold out their two best pitchers and that likely results in a .800 win pct for all the NL Central teams vs. the Cubs the rest of the way. Cake-Walk wins. Afraid so. Cincy will likely be the 1st to abuse them today AND tonite.

I'm glad somebody's reading it. Slow day in baseball history. FDR became the 1st pres. to go to the ASG and this on another forgotten great: 1070... Rico Carty, the National League's leading hitter, becomes the first player voted to play in the All-Star Game as a write-in candidate. The Braves outfielder's name was left off the ballot that was drawn up by managers and general managers before the start of spring training. And this: 2008.... The Brewers trade four highly touted farm hands to the Indians to obtain C. C. Sabathia. The Brew Crew sends their first-round draft pick last year, Matt LaPorta, along with minor league pitching prospects Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson, as well as Taylor Green (identified as the player to be named later), who was Milwaukee’s minor league player of the year, to Cleveland. CC at his best. Better looking, but scuffling this year to stay under 5.00 ERA. I'm unfamiliar with those traded prospects. Did any of them amount to anything with the Tribe?

So much for the Cubs passing anyone now. I feel sorry for them. They were on the way up. But Colorado has went from the winningest team in the NL to being completely out of even the WC picture. The Giants are floundering as well. (2-8 in the last 10) Now I'm not saying that they won't make the post season. Every team has it's down times. It's the Reds that are kind of scary. Hamilton has had a real impact on that team. I know Lucroy is a tremendous hitter, but how's his arm? Can he control Hamilton?

Of course winning 1 is an absolute MUST.