Dead Simmons

Gotta give the Cubbies credit for that play. Pretty good.

I forgot that the Cards got a pick for Kyle. Who did they get?

In spite of my boy Ludwick's great efforts the Bravos are clubbing the Reds 4-1 in the 3rd.

See?

I hate bunting here.

Can't blame Braun...he hits everything.

I don't know! Flipping back and forth to the Reds game,

I decide to continue the masochism after watching the Cards get brutalized again and sit thru the upcoming massacre of the Cubs and there's no game thread to chat up.

Liriano just had to leave the mound after a pitch. Hard to tell what was wrong. (Bucs and Cards scoreless in the 3rd)

You forced me to go check and see if I'm losing my mind... I am, but I know why I thought 2011 was a disaster year. Not getting 100 RBI or batting .300 for the first time and breaking the GIPD record (while perfectly healthy) and after having so many 40-50 doubles years to only hit 29, and not a single triple. It's the highly paid Holliday that never leads the team in anything and since 2008 has seen his stats creep down in every department, year by year. Two players paid to be superstars that are not putting up any eye popping numbers for years. But thanks for the correction Chorizo. Speaking of Albert, I'm amazed to see how reinvigorated he appears this season. I'm watching the first Angels game of my life right now to check he and Trout out. (both look awesome)

THIS!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzVFugFcUto I didn't see that coming. I actually DID laugh out loud.

Sounds about right. I think '64 was his last great year on the mound.

It's a moot point Chirizo, but Craig is a career second baseman. He would be there right now if La Russa had not insisted on the hitless/fieldless wonder Skippy Schumaker "learning" the position. On Pujols in 2011: He led the team in nothing except SB (he and Yadi were the only ones with the green light) and GIDP, where he broke the all time ML record. (he failed to bat .300 for the 1st time too) The writing was on the wall, but the Angels did not read it. In my book, Berkman and Holliday were better, and if you throw in defense, so was Molina. Tho' Jay IS a career minor and major league .300 hitter, I must concede that he and Carp are not proven impact players. But did you really mean that about Craig not being impact?? Without Craig the Cards don't even GET to the playoffs in 2011, and DEFINATELY don't win the WS. He was second only to David Freese in that series.

Really? I had it in my mind that Joe, Aaron and Mathews were the only players that played in all three cities. (am I going senile already?)

Torre was from the '60s. Del Crandall is still with us. While not 'big' names, Gene Conley, Felix Mantilla and Don McMahon are still around too. Frank (Joe's brother) Torre was part of the World Series teams in the 50's and he's still around. Torre played significant role in both 57 and 58 in place of oft injured Joe Adcock. Juan Pizarro and Joey Jay are both still around as well. Both were young hurlers with tons of promise that Brave brass back then inexplicably dealt away after the 1960 season because they panicked after Pittsburgh had played way over their heads that year and because Brave brass thought highly of Bob Hendley and Don Nottebart. Wonder why the Braves ended up in Atlanta? There's a lot to it, but had they hung on to Jay and Pizzaro, the team might well have won another pennant or two in succeeding years and Atlanta would have ended up with an expansion team. Man, do I ever get a kick out of these types of conversation. (but I'm drawing a blank Nottebart) I must admit that I have no idea why the team moved to Atlanta. Turner's millions? But I do know that the Giants/Dodgers move was jump started by the Braves' relocation. Stoneham wanted out of Manhattan and had tried to move to Minneapolis, home of their AAA Millers. (blocked by the league) O'Malley did not want to leave Brooklyn, but fought a losing battle with a damn fool with power, City Commisioner Robert Moses, over a better location for the park. It has been said that O'Malley swayed Stoneham from fighting the NL for Minneapolis in favor of a joint move to the coast. Both men saw the enormous jump in attendance when The Braves went west, and god knows they were both money grubbing moguls.

Torre was from the '60s. Del Crandall is still with us. While not 'big' names, Gene Conley, Felix Mantilla and Don McMahon are still around too. No...Joe actually was a rookie in Boston! Edit: Del Crandall! Now there's a blast from the past. He was a pretty damn good catcher. No Aaron, but on a par with Red.

On Beltran: have to correct you there Chirizo. Matt Adams took his slack at the plate, as Craig has in the field. (so far) As to hitters with track records, only 2B man Wong lacks one, and I have to think he will hit at least as "good" as Descalso. But you are certainly right that the Cards can't hit a lick right now. And the base running....forget about it!

. ....I wondered who would jump on that one.

Wire to wire leading is exceedingly rare. Atlanta pulled it off a couple of times in the '90's, but how often does a team have a Smoltz, Maddux and Glavine? But see here Schneider.... don't go throwing cold water on this thing!

I wanted to use a name that was familiar with Milwaukee fans, but mix it with St. Louis. I considered several like Lindy Mc Daniel, Joe Torre and old Red Sheondienst but decided that they were too old for 30 something fans, not students of the game to catch the reference. So since Ted was my favorite Cardinal from the '70's I picked him. The only thing I could think of at the time that rhymed was "dead". As soon as I was finished registering I realized that RED would have been a much better first name choice, mixing the team color with the greatest pre-all star game 2nd baseman of his era, the still alive and kicking Albert "Red" Sheondienst. Too late now! P.S. Pre-allstar because he was playing with tuberculosis for years before it was diagnosed. By mid-season he would by shot and taper off to to a .260, decent fielding player. Recuperating over the winter he would come back in Spring and start hitting .350, stealing bases and flashing some damn fine leather. For that reason he was voted to the ASG the most in his era as the writers would forget how average he became after July. I think he and Aaron and Torre are the only surviving "big name" players left from the great Braves teams of the '50's. (at least all I can think of)

Their pitching should keep them in contention all season, but last year for all of the gushing about just how "clutch" the Cardinals are because of their incredible stats with RISP, it should have been predictable that it couldn't be repeated. They have a good team, but it was fluke more than anything to hit so well lat year with RISP. If something like that was repeatable, we'd see other teams do it over multiple seasons. As i said though, if their rotation stays healthy along with their key position players, i'd be surprised to not see St. Louis in the playoff mix come September. Any rotation with a healthy Wainwright, Wacha, Miller, Lynn, and Kelly should end up winning at minimum 85 games. Oh, for sure it was one of those crazy baseball flukes, and I could see it slowly begin to cool down in September, and finally crash to earth in Boston. And I agree that the starters will keep 'em in the hunt for the playoffs. But I seriously doubt that the Central can send 3 teams to the post again. The Giants and Dodgers have been joined by the mile high, hard hittin' Rockies. We best hold our own when we travel West.

Now that you mention it, they HAVE sucked since I joined!

True, but there are only 2 regs and 1 pitcher left from that team! (And only 1 coach in Oquendo)

The Pirates will miss Wacha and Kelly so there's a very good chance they 2 of 3. Mike Matheny does not believe in pitching around teams' #1 hitter. Witness: David Ortiz.