Each year usually just prior to the beginning of baseball season, I make a short wishlist of all the things I wish the Cardinals would do throughout the year.  Items like “Win the World Series” seem pretty obvious and do not belong on this wishlist.  “Sweep the Cubs” is nearly just as obvious.  See for yourselves:

1. Bring back Jason LaRue for a first pitch at a home game against the Reds.  Let him plunk Johnny Cueto.  This does not condone revenge in any form.  It would just represent a great way of burying the hatchet and getting past “The Brawl”.  Also, it may save us all from another 150 replays of the stupid brawl.
2. Sign Roy Oswalt.  If the Cardinals do not sign Oswalt, then some other team will.  That “other” team could be a division rival.  Yes, the starting rotation appears to be in fine shape, but people think that just about every year.
3. Ban the wave.  Thank you for your support.
4. Sell a special clock in the team store that features Adam Wainwright and Carlos Beltran.  Be sure that the hands are always fixed with the big hand on the “12″ and the little hand on the “6″.  No, this never, ever gets old.  Would I buy a clock that does not actually work?  Yes, yes, and heck yes.
5. Forget all about “planking”, “Tebowing”, and even “Bradying”.  The newest craze is really “Gronking”, but even that will get old as soon as men start taking their shirts off and dancing on one foot.  Start a campaign for “Skipping”.  For those of you who don’t know (all of you), this form of “Skipping” involves diving headfirst into anything and everything you see.
6. Get Mike Matheny to grow a mustache.  Seriously.  Josh (from that www.pitchershiteighth.com site) has agreed to get a neck tat, if Matheny grows a mustache that is on display during the season.  Someone let Matheny know about this, because we can put together a drive for funds that can be donated to the charity of his choice.  Money for doing less in his morning routine?  That’s practically easier than “Skipping”.
7. Do not allow Rafael Furcal to bat 2nd in the lineup.  That is all.
8. Keep Adam Wainwright in that bubble wrap suit between starts.
9. When the Chicago Cubs come to town for a series, bring a live bear cub into Busch for the pregame festivities.  Allow the bear cub to crush various objects.  Why?  Because baseball’s version of the Cubs don’t know how to crush anything.
10. Sign Yadier Molina to a reasonable extension.  This is not about the numbers or a man crush on Yadi (although that could be an issue, too).  This one is about continuity and the other options.  Are the Cardinals ready for Tony Cruz to be the man behind the dish?  Even if Molina’s hitting drops back off to the usual levels, he is still worth far more than WAR.  Besides, how many other All-Star catchers with multiple gloves are just waiting to be signed?
11. Make “Scrappy” part of a year-long theme.  Make it complete with “Scrappy Meals” at the concession stands with really short cups that feature famous scrappers like Aaron Miles and David Eckstein.
12. Host another UCB Weekend for Cardinal bloggers, and allow us to use a tshirt cannon in a suite.  It is worth pointing out that the Cardinals are 1 for 1 in World Series championships for years in which they hosted a UCB Weekend.
13. Bat the pitcher 8th a few times just for ol’ times sake.  Seriously.  I have somewhat of a vested interest in this one.
14. Cough up a few hundred dollars and sponsor any Cardinal players not already sponsored on Baseball-Reference.com.
15. Remind everybody to remove their hats, caps, sombreros, and ski masks during the National Anthem.  Ladies, too.

That’s my “Plea Deal” for the season.  Now someone go make me a sammich.

Follow gr33nazn on Twitter for an even larger wishlist that includes nachos and the live sacrifice of gummy bears.

Having read some of the other great lists posted at the other United Cardinal Blogger sites today, it’s both clear to me and worries me a bit that I’ve interpreted the assignment differently. Not convinced that’s a good or a bad thing, I’ve decided to press forward with my own interpretation and list.

As such, you’ll note that I’ve chosen not to list out five plays – and that’s not a criticism of those that did, again just my interpretation – but rather to pick five things that to me “stand for” the Cardinals. Events, traditions, and yes, some great plays that collectively, to me, represent what I think of when I think of the St. Louis Cardinals. Iconic Cardinal Moments.

5. Ozzie Smith flips

For a child of the Eighties, Ozzie WAS the Cardinals. Yeah, sure, they won a lot, and there was Whiteyball – but an eight-year old can only appreciate a World Series against the Minnesota Twins so much. I wanted to see Ozzie flip.

4. World Series Championships

Sometimes, and it’s become more frequent and easier living amongst many friends that are Cub fans, I have to stop myself from being frustrated with the Cardinals and their current performance and appreciate what good fortune I’ve had as a baseball fan.  Eleven World Titles, three during my lifetime, and three more appearances in the Fall Classic during my years to boot.

Stop to think about that. Do the math. The Cardinals have appeared in more World Series during my lifetime than sixteen teams have in their respective franchise histories.  The Cardinals have WON more World Series in my lifetime than seventeen teams have in their entire histories.

Brian Bartow, the Cardinals’ Director of Media Relations shared a great story with the group of us bloggers that covered the Winter Warm-Up, telling us that a sportswriter friend of his had called after the Cards won this last Series, and asked if the team’s parade route through downtown St. Louis was going to be “the usual?”  The answer? “Yep.”

That’s iconic.

3. Enos Slaughter‘s Mad Dash and the Iconic Plays

That’s a kick-ass band name, eh?

I list Slaughter’s play specifically because it’s one of the most well-revered in Cardinal history.

But what others do we have?  Mark McGwire‘s home run record chase in 1998. Adam Wainwright versus Carlos Beltran. Ozzie Smith‘s “Go crazy, folks!” home run in 1985. David Freese in pretty much the entire 2011 World Series. Glenn Brummer stealing home…

Bob Gibson‘s seventeen strikeouts in 1968. Albert Pujols in 2005, 2011 – well, just a lot of Albert. Jim Edmonds circus catches. Yadier Molina‘s home run in New York in 2006. Mark Whiten‘s four home runs. I digress, but you get the point.

And there have been a fair share of solemn memories too. Darryl Kile‘s death in 2002. Jack Buck passing in the same year. And who could forget Jack’s poem after 9/11:

Yeah, there’s a lot of history there.

2. Opening Day in St. Louis

The Clydesdales and “Here Comes the King”. The Hall of Famers in red sport jackets. Good luck finding a seat.

I was privileged enough to attend Opening Day (yes, it’s something to be capitalized) in 2006. Opening not only what turned into a championship season for the Cards, but also the new (and at the time, yet unfinished) Busch Stadium was truly a treat.

If you are a Cardinal fan and you have the means and/or opportunity, Opening Day is a must on the bucket list.

1. Meet at Musial

A long-held Cardinal tradition, and one that has had a little extra meaning for me since 2004, Cardinal fans have been meeting up at the Stan Musial statue by Busch Stadium for years.

Groups of fans, whether meeting up from different workplaces or different places on the map, routinely will decide to “Meet at Musial” before a game, collecting their group and heading into the stadium to watch that night’s contest.

One of my personal favorite Cardinal memories was driving in from my new place of residence to meet my Dad before a 2004 World Series game. We were on the phone with each other throughout the day, making arrangements, planning details, when finally it was obvious I wasn’t going to make it into St. Louis until just before first pitch. What to do? Meet at Musial, of course.

After years of having just driven from across the river with my family and friends to attend a game, I finally had reason to make use of this long-standing tradition. Dad and I met at Stan’s statue and went into Busch II and enjoyed perhaps my favorite Cardinal loss ever (it makes sense, trust me).

We’re very blessed, Cardinal fans. Think about these lists of moments on the various Cardinal blogs today, and they don’t even begin to scratch the surface.

Hopefully you enjoy this list. What are some of your “iconic” Cardinal moments?

Image via Wikipedia

On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with minimal effort – that discuss the Albert Pujols contract discussions. Why? Who knows, yet here they are. Oh, and to serve you all, our three loyal readers! The Daily Pujols certainly won’t be a comprehensive list, but between local, national, and blog coverage, maybe you’ll find something here you otherwise wouldn’t. Without further delay, here is today’s Daily Pujols…

Today’s conclusion includes reactions…

Local

Jeff Gordon says Bill DeWitt “sent Albert Pujols packing.” I’m not sure I’d phrase and frame it that way. Yes, DeWitt and John Mozeliak had a plan, and a ceiling they were willing to offer. But Albert packed all on his own.

Greg Leuthen covers both sides of the coin, and now what? for the Cardinals.

Various reactions from Cardinals and local figures.

BJ Rains looks ahead to where the Cardinals might spend all of their newfound payroll space.

Matthew Leach also lays out the tasks remaining for the Cardinals in the wake of being left by Pujols.

David Wilhelm reiterated what many have already said. Paraphrasing: “it sucks, but the Cards are likely better off for it.”

The Alton Telegraph had some hard hitting local reaction. From Facebook, of course.

KSDK has video of Mozeliak’s press conference after returning to St. Louis sans Pujols.

Go read everything Bernie Miklasz has written about the Pujols negotiations. Just do it.

National

There was much rejoicing in Milwaukee.

Astonishment in New York.

Pitchers sleeping better in Cincinnati.

The Red Sox never really tried to find a place for Pujols.

Cards loss of Pujols means Cubs adding Fielder would shift balance of power in division to Chicago? Um…

Lozano called the Yankees about Pujols. Of course he did.

Phillies also glad Pujols is in the American League.

Even Pirates fans are happy!

Gregg Doyel expresses what many Cardinal fans are feeling – it’s not necessarily about loyalty, deserving something, or even necessarily honesty – it’s about the legacy Pujols threw away. Personally, my thinking is very much in line with Doyel’s. Albert had his reasons for choosing Anaheim, the Cardinals had their reasons for not breaking the bank – but in the end, it was Albert’s decision to become “just another great ballplayer” rather than a near-deified legend.

More “all is not lost” from Jerry Crasnick. To be clear, I agree, not mocking the sentiment.

Cliff Corcoran expects the Cardinals to contend in 2012, without Pujols.

Can we please stop the Albert Pujols equals LeBron James nonsense? Please.

Stan McNeal thinks the Cards will come out ahead in the long run, especially without being able to DH Pujols in the later years of the deal.

Long-time Cardinal fan Will Leitch’s reactions, numbered.

How did some AL West execs react?

Blogs

A look back at Pujols by the numbers against his former NL Central foes – and that Houston Astros team that he’s following.

David Schoenfield summed the Cardinal future, and what fans should expect, up quite nicely: “The Cardinals will move on. … Because, in the end, we don’t cheer for stars. We cheer for our team. Trust me, Cardinals fans: You will recover.”

Bloguin’s The Outside Corner assessed Pujols signing impact on both the Angels and the Cards.

Dennis took a more lighthearted approach to figuring out why Pujols would bolt for the West Coast.

A great write-up from Steve Kelley at Review STL. “And when you come back to Busch Stadium for the first time, I hope the fans remember that, too. We gave Craig Biggio a standing ovation, and he was an arch-rival for years. I hope they afford the same to you. And then I hope the Cardinals beat the living $#!+ out of the Angels. We are Cardinal Nation.”

Chicago Now has a great post looking at Pujols’ decision to leave St. Louis and the decision soon facing the Indianapolis Colts over what to do with Peyton Manning. Is the team bound to the same expectations of loyalty as fans expect players to be?

From Viva El Birdos… Both Pujols and the Cardinals made mistakes. Great opinions.

—–

Finally, here, courtesy of @MattSebek, is the full-page “thank you” advertisement in today’s Post-Dispatch from Albert and Dee Dee. It’s a nice gesture, but over-played. Just take your money and go.

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Want to read the previous Dailies?  You can find them all here.

Thanks for following along with The Daily Pujols posts, if you have been.  This marks the end, I guess fittingly.

World Series Game Seven’s are best watched from the edge of a seat.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

I learned that last night as the Cardinals slowly, systematically – thankfully – secured their eleventh World Championship in franchise history.

What a game. What a series. What a season.

The Texas Rangers were the perfect, formidable foe for this season’s Fall Classic. Strong offense, good pitching, a manager invested in his players and his organization, almost to a fault. Sound familiar?

After Game Six’s epic, classic finish the discussion, as tends to happen, turned to momentum and how the Rangers would respond. The answer? By putting the Cardinals behind early, yet again. They were not going to allow the prior disappointment affect their pursuit of a celebration – their pursuit of being immortalized among the great teams in Major League Baseball history. Sound familiar?

Like a thief in the night, David Freese once again pulled momentum and a lead from the Texas team and faithful – more than one person watching wrote on Twitter that they expected Freese to come through there – as if it were written somewhere, say, the stars? (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

And so the score was 2-2 until Freese’s contemporary, the guy who had just as unexpectedly as Freese helped propel the Cardinals into such a position, into this opportunity of a lifetime, stepped to the plate. And like Freese on Thursday night in Game Six, it only took one good swing for Allen Craig to make Cardinals fans believe that this improbable dream, this improbable season could end so positively.

It seemed fitting that for such a backward season, one that was turned upside down for the Cardinals in mid-season, then right-side up on the last day of the regular season – the Cards would once again make something of nothing in the fifth inning. Not long removed from the manager’s disembowelment of the movie Moneyball and its focus on on-base percentage, the Cards would score two runs in the fifth inning without getting a hit. Fitting.

By that time, the buzz was rising in Busch Stadium III. The body language was looking weary and beaten in the Texas dugout. The strike zone seemed to be shrinking. Before long, the Cardinals found themselves in the same position as the Rangers were on Thursday night. Six outs. Then five. And so on, until only one out remained between Jason Motte, Yadier Molina, and the rest of their teammates finding a cool spot on the ground to celebrate.

“Come on, baby!”

Jeff Passan says that Motte said “Come get some!” as Yadi approached the mound. My amateur lip-reading skills saw “Come on, baby!” Nevermind, it was awesome.

So it was that the Cards’ thick-bearded closer had set the opponent down in a deciding Game Seven, in St. Louis, in front of the home faithful. Sound familiar?

I mentioned yesterday before the game that we as Cardinal fans have been, and continue to be, spoiled. Thank you, Cardinals. Thank you Bill DeWitt. Thank you John Mozeliak. Thank you Tony La Russa.

Thank you Chris Carpenter – if only your ovation last night could’ve gone on longer. What a masterful performance.

Thank you David Freese – you’re living not only your boyhood dream, but that same dream for many of us.

Thank you Allen Craig – I sincerely hope you are rewarded with six hundred at-bats next season.

Thank you Yadier Molina – just, you know, for everything.

Thank you Jason Motte – for being the best not-closer in baseball for the last two months.

Thank you Lance Berkman – for finding the fountain of youth and sprinkling just a little on the rest of this team. See you next season.

Thank you Texas Rangers – for providing all of us with such a great spectacle of sport, and doing it with class. See you next season, same time and place?

Thank you Cardinal fans, everyone who reads this site, follows us on Twitter, and all the amazing well-wishes and congratulations I’ve received (even though I didn’t do anything) since last night’s final out.

Thank you Dennis and Josh – this site is infinitely better for your work on it. I know you will enjoy this as much as I am.

The St. Louis Cardinals are the World Champions for 2011. Happy flight.

Too many things are still floating through my head after last night’s magic and thankfully, I have that little distraction called work to get me right up to Game 7.

No matter how many times this story started writing itself during the back and forth of possibly the greatest World Series finish, a Hollywood ending was predicted by none other than my wonderful wife. She never lost her faith even though getting down to the last strike twice should have spelled doom.

Instead, we will all remember this one for the rest of our lives.

Much like a great movie, the Cardinals overcame every obstacle and now are nine innings from #11in11. Two themes keep playing in my head no matter how many times I attempt to move on to tonight’s winner-take-all.

In 2004 the AL Champs celebrated a title at Busch II which was painful to watch from Iraq. Instead of focusing on a comeback, my mind drifted to seeing Texas partying under the Arch. You want to hate the Rangers, or at least I do, but admit it — this series could go on for a month!

Two worthy competitors with respect for each other gutting it out sounds a lot like a movie script, and that leads to the second half of my thought process. Every other city/team gets love at the cinema, but the flicks with even a small baseball theme fly right over the Gateway to the West.

Unless it only takes a little two-month stretch of history to make it happen!

Before it is reader participation time, I do grant that this is out there somewhere. TLR and Co. will surely trade any amount of press from an August series with the Cubs for a storybook finish in 2011.

It is time to write the ending, but I will need all the help I can get. Movies are another love of mine, and this time our three loyal readers get to pick the script. The cinema list that includes baseball expands well past my knowledge base, and that is where I need your help.

Kevin Costner always wanted to be a ‘ball player, and his film choices are a small reminder of how powerful sports can influence life. Of all the clips that float around my head, one scene in particular always brings me back to St. Louis every time.

Billy Chapel: The game doesn’t stink, Mr. Wheeler. It’s a great game

That is LaRussa in a nutshell for me, hands down. He deserves all the credit in my opinion for getting the Birds on the Bat in this position, and his drive makes the players even better. It is a great game and now we all get to enjoy one more.

Either in the comments, on the PH8 Facebook page, or via Twitter give us your favorite baseball movie/scene and which Cardinal it reminds you of.

Bringing this to a close, it has been one of my greatest thrills to have even a small part in all this fun. We here at PH8 could not have written a better script and surely didn’t fathom this way back in April when we all met. Let me just say to Nick and Dennis — been an amazing ride, enjoy tonight my friends!

Call it Puma Power if you like or maybe a Berkman Bomb is your preference. Either way the NL Comeback Player of the Year has made it all the way to the top again, this time ready to bring a title home to St. Louis. Home is fitting since the former Houston star and native Texan has to go through the Rangers to do it.

A little under two months ago, everyone is familiar with the struggles the Cardinals faced. To top it off, more than a few stories were circulating after Texas lost a key bat in their lineup. That player was ALCS MVP Nelson Cruz, and many expected Lance Berkman to fill the void.

Of course a funny thing happened before that deal went down, as the premature death of the NL Champs led some to count their chickens before the eggs were even hatched. Berkman may have lost most of the power stroke he displayed prior to the All-Star break, but he certainly found his stride protecting Albert down the stretch.

Brought to the Cards for his veteran presence, Berkman was rewarded with a contract extension, a playoff push, and a new spot in the lineup. All this for a player who was said to have lost a step or two and responded by delivering everyday.

Performing on the biggest stage is also nothing new, so St. Louis can expect to see a prime Puma when the World Series kicks off tonight. Lance is the key especially given that the Rangers employ plenty of left-handed hurlers. No matter where his spot in the lineup falls, expect Texas to pay attention.

After all it isn’t everyday that an object of your affection gets a chance to return the favor. I’m not big into predictions but feel timely hitting is the key to capturing the title. Give the Cardinals credit for believing this team was built to survive and playing the underdog role to a T — just not who the Rangers were expecting.

And for the St. Louis cowboy, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Evidently being the favorite just doesn’t suit the 2011 edition, so it is back to square one as far as these Cardinals are concerned. And as much as it pains me to write this, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

St. Louis gets to go out with a bang, fitting since the opposite can be said for most of the past two months. In this best-of-three series, none of the Milwaukee starters posed a problem for the top NL offense the first time around.

Of course it isn’t all positive, given the Cards have needed at least four innings from the bullpen the last two outings. It won’t be classified as an elimination game tonight, but the Brewers have already passed their biggest mental hurdle. Jaime Garcia, on the other hand, takes the hill aiming to show how Game 1 nearly worked out as Tony LaRussa planned.

With a typical Busch start, Garcia can let his offense do the rest and put the series in the capable hands of Edwin Jackson. Milwaukee’s two stars did most of the damage in the opener, something that must be minimized to give Albert Pujols another run at a World Series.

As Pip from Fungoes tells us, the fifth inning struggles for St. Louis continue putting the pressure on the next game’s starter. Instead of dragging up the NLCS stats, the rotation should look at the work done to get here. Anchored by Chris Carpenter, the three best hurlers are again lined up when the Cards need them.

Garcia must throw like he did against the Phils for the games to matter at Miller Park. Matt Holliday and David Freese are hot at the right time, and the roster needs an energy boost after Game 4. TLR has brought teams this far before, one huge benefit over the opposing skipper.

All eyes are on Busch tonight, and I leave the three loyal viewers with this: what will the scene be like after the pivotal Game 5? Will everyone be Honkin‘ or will the visitors be taking their Monster party strait to the airport?

So the Cardinals have made it to the National League Championship Series, beginning today in Milwaukee.

Are you interested in going to any of the games?  Should’ve snapped up those tickets Friday night after the Redbirds won, or even yesterday morning…

Our ticket partner TiqIQ, is tracking the secondary market prices for tickets (as always) and yesterday afternoon provided us with the following graphic showing average ticket prices for all possible seven games of the NLCS with the Brewers:

Over the course of the day yesterday, ticket prices were fluctuating so much as ducats were snapped up left and right that TiqIQ sent us another graphic last evening showing the latest updated prices:

With the seemingly odd exceptions of games three and four, prices are going up across the board.

Snap up your tickets (for either Busch III or Miller Park!) to catch this series live by clicking the images in this post, the PH8 Tickets link in the nav bar at the top of our site, or use the widget in the sidebar at right!

How about some extra reading material?

Yes?

—–

The Hardball Times’ Chris Jaffe has been doin’ work on the St. Louis and the Redbirds the last two weeks.

First, a piece about the anniversary of the Eddie Gaedel game that includes a lot of Cardinal notes in the list below as well, including Harry Walker, Lindy McDaniel, Bob Gibson, and Jim Edmonds. Regarding Gaedel, I never knew Bill Veeck threatened him with a sniper. Hilarious.

Jaffe follows that with an article about the debut of Mark McGwire for the A’s. As a third baseman. Heh. As pointed out in the other anniversaries, it’s the same day Mac hit one of his 500+ foot home runs in 1999.

Continuing the anniversary posts, last week marked thirty years since Garry Templeton told the fans in St. Louis that they were number one. I still love watching the clip of Whitey Herzog yanking Templeton down the dugout steps.

The last piece is the most fascinating to me, reviewing managerial matchups. Did you know Tony La Russa and Dusty Baker will manage their 200th game against each other this weekend? Tony’s been around a loooong time.

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Want to read a review of the home park? Stadium Journey has you covered. Find out what their correspondent thinks of Busch III.

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Finally, a little levity. Gary Finkler’s 7th Inning Sketch found good humor in Matt Holliday’s moth landing. (Oh, and Gary already knows about #7. It’s still funny.)

Have you seen this man?

If you see this man, please buy him an icy cold beverage and direct him to a comfy chair.  Then please contact the nearest person you can find with a laptop, iPad, or smartphone.  Do not try to apprehend this suspect without assistance.  Be forewarned that he’s a “blogger”.  You know the type.  He falls asleep at night with his hand gripping that Atari  2600 controller that isn’t actually there anymore.  He’s still got that old Betamax connected in his basement just in case he comes across the spare parts he needs to make it work at a yard sale some day.  He has a poster of Bill Gates hanging above his bunk bed.  Every time he gets retweeted, he celebrates with fist bumps from his special edition Starbuck & Apollo Build-A-Bears.  Everybody knows someone like him.  He’s that social introvert who just needs to come out of his shell and embrace the current decade. 

Based on an anonymous tip, we understand that he plans to be at Busch Stadium for Social Media Night to break in the Bowtie Bar today (August 25th).  We’ll be there to take him down and force him to blog about the event with us.  He needs amateur help and the support of other bloggers at the event.  Please feel free to purchase tickets for the event and join us.  We’ll need all the help we can get.  Help spread the word.

If you are on Twitter, please be aware that he uses many aliases including the handle @DJ_McClure which he uses to perpetrate many crimes against the blogosphere.  Most notably, we’ve seen this “blogger” out in broad daylight dressed in clean clothing and fashionable jeans – most decidely not appropriate apparel for a blogger.  It’s also suspected (but not confirmed) that he tweets under the handles @PrettehFly4AWhiteGuy and @Welcome2BaseballHeavenInMyYadiJersey, but we have NOT fully investigated these claims. 

If you do encounter him, please be careful when using the words “playoffs”, “Denkinger”, and “tarp”.  Also, please keep in mind that he is a human being, and he just needs some help in his 12-step program to return to his true blogging roots.  His fellow members in the United Cardinal Bloggers community are there for him.  We just need to locate him, put an icy cold beverage in his hand, and place him in front of something with WiFi access.  It’s just that simple.

TIDBIT:  If you do plan to attend Social Media Night at the new Bowtie Bar, please let us know by leaving a comment below or tweeting about it.  Remember to use the officially designated hashtags #CardsSMN and #Bowtie, so that your tweets will be noticed.  Also, remember that “the wave” is inappropriate for sporting events, religious gatherings, political rallies, and all situations in which children, adults, livestock, aliens, or Cardinals fans are present.  Ban the wave.  Don’t even think about it.  Watch the game.  Also, don’t even think about sticking that huge sign up in front of my face.  My pimp hand is strong.

MORE BITS OF TID:  If you aren’t planning on attending Social Media Night on Thursday, August 25th, then change your plans and help stop the zombie apocalypse.  $20 for a pretty darn good seat, $5 in Cards Cash, access to the Social Media event in the Bowtie Bar which includes an appearance by current Cardinal players, and the chance to mingle with some really cool folks (and DJ) is a sweet, sweet deal. 

FINAL BIT ‘O TID:  Look for me at #CardsSMN.  I’ll be wearing my nice pair of sweatpants which really are just the “blogger’s tuxedo”.

Follow gr33nazn on Twitter, because I really do wish I was a little bit taller (I wish I was a baller)!

Let’s just dispense with the pleasantries and list them all here, shall we?

This way, Cards fans have a repository to come back to game after game, without having to continue to come up with new reasons for a lost season.

In no particular order:

1. Moths
2. Ryan Franklin
3. Takashi Saito
4. Rob Drake
5. Tony Rasmus
6. Dan Lozano
7. Corey Patterson
8. Shelby Miller’s Fists of Fury
9. The frog in Al Hrabosky’s throat
10. Matt Holliday’s (former) appendix
11. Albert Pujols
12. Colby Rasmus
13. Alex Anthopoulos’ dreamy bedroom eyes
14. Miguel Batista
15. Mitchell Boggs
16. Fernando Salas
17. Corey Patterson
18. The offense
19. The bullpen
20. The starting rotation
21. Defense
22. The roster
23. John Mozeliak
24. Adam Wainwright’s (former) elbow ligament
25. Miller Park
26. Corey Patterson
27. Milo Hamilton
28. Arthur Rhodes
29. Brandon Phillips
30. Bloggers
31. Ryan Theriot
32. Tyler Greene
33. Tony La Russa
34. Brendan Ryan
35. Jake Westbrook
36. Corey Patterson
37. Jaime Garcia (but only on the road)
38. The fact that Pete Kozma was on a big league roster
39. Lighted ribbon boards
40. Marty Brennaman
41. Keith Law
42. Bill DeWitt
43. Ballpark Village
44. Rafael Furcal
45. Shingles
46. Corey Patterson
47. Mark McGwire
48. Brian Tallet’s facial hair
49. Sock/stirrup/long pants inconsistency
50. That gosh-danged Aaron Miles
51. Rust at Busch Stadium (on the building and the field)
52. Bud Selig
53. Payroll
54. Heath Bell
55. Jon Jay, full-time starting outfielder
56. Day games after night games
57. Sabermetrics
58. Pitches up and in
59. Corey Patterson

Whew! I think I’ve covered most of them.

Anything missing? Post ‘em in the comments below or find me on Twitter @PitchersHit8th.

Notice the way this shot was framed magnificently against the backdrop of the Busch Stadium crowd at night.  The warning sign for “Interfering With Ball” marks the boundary, and the foul/fair pole with its ghastly school bus yellow color is matched in the background by its twin.  More importantly, check out the guy in front of me wearing the “St. Louis: A Drinkin’ Town With A Baseball Problem” shirt.  Suhweeet.  Go me! 

First, I want to begin with a huge shoutout to all the social media tweeps that made Social Media Night at Busch Stadium as awesome as it could possibly be (before the game).  Hat tip to @DJ_McClure, @poisonwilliam, @CardinalsGM, @Dathan7, @birdbrained, @maryschless, @CardsFaninBigD, @Amy_Ennis, @nickmodlin, and @txgirlygirl.  Also, a special hat tip to @Diane1611 who happened to be the winner of the Cardinal Diamond Diaries’ tickets to the game.  She may or may not have visual evidence that several of the aforementioned people were in attendance, wearing Puma outfits, and blogging from the basement of Busch.  I must say that I’m disappointed that I didn’t get to see everybody else in attendance, but there’s always next time.

As for the game itself, who doesn’t love a pitcher’s duel?  Better yet, what Cardinal fan doesn’t love a pitcher’s duel that ends with a walk-off hit by the Cardinals in the 9th inning? 

Yeah, I thought so.  The people lucky enough to be in attendance last night were treated to something special, though.  Descalso’s mad glove play at third base was a thing of beauty.  Tyler Greene‘s “uncatch” was not.  There still was something beautiful in his error, though.  It was the sound of thousands of fans groaning in unison.  Maybe that doesn’t sound beautiful to you at first blush, but give it a moment.  At a single point in time, thousands of fans are having a similar reaction to a single event.  It’s harmonious.  The combination of anger and disappointment was palpable.  We’re talking about something like 30,000+ people lifting up their voices at once. 

Sure, the error marred an otherwise spectacular outing by Jaime Garcia and probably cost him the win, but there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for Cardinal fans.  Without the score being tied, the walk-off would not have been possible.  Enter Albert Pujols with the runners on 1st and 2nd, and some people were getting pessimistic and chatting about how he was going to hit into a double play.  Instead, he flared a single into right.  After Holliday’s at-bat produced a force out at home, Berkman was up, and the Phillies brought in a lefty to turn Berkman around to bat as a righty.  All this did was allow the tension to build in the crowd.  You already know what happened next.  The pitch.  The crack of the bat.  The cheers from the crowd that had been standing since Pujols had stepped to the plate.  Call it a night, folks.  That’s a winner. 

If all Social Media Nights are going to be as good as last night was, you can count me in from now until I no longer think that “Interfering With Ball” signs are funny and poorly written.

TIDBIT:  As for the “Dougie Style” part of the title, if you don’t know, you better ask somebody.  Seriously, it’s a reference to a dance move made famous by rapper M-Bone who was recently the victim of a drive-by shooting.  For anybody who might be confused, it is definitely called “The Dougie”, and it is not “The John Wall”. 

MORE BITS OF TID:  After last night’s outing, Jaime Garcia is tied with Kyle Lohse with a team high WAR value of 2.1.  The last time a pitcher led the team in WAR, the year was 1992, and the pitcher was Bob Tewksbury.  Just dropping knowledge on you like Prince Fielder drops celery sticks. 

Follow gr33nazn on Twitter for more poorly framed photos!

After celebrating a very long but exciting day at Busch Stadium for the Blogger event, it became apparent that a tradition needed to be started here for our three loyal readers. The Cardinals put us up in some amazing digs and to honor that a new segment will be running every few weeks (or when the team gets through two turns of the rotation). It will include one part for each of the St. Louis icons who graced the rooms where Honkin’ for Jaime took center stage.

J. = Jack Buck, who needs no introduction. This player may be a star or the last pinch hitter off the bench but was a vocal reason for good/bad play and all that entails.

O. = Ozzie Smith, perhaps the best at doing what it takes to win. But that wasn’t always the case, and the 2011 edition of the Birds on the Bat have many who fit into this category.

B. = Bob Gibson, hands down the most intimidating ever from the mound. Only a hurler who goes above and beyond can make the grade and hope for some ‘Gibby-like’ praise.

As far as the name goes, it is subject to reader approval. We here at PH8 are Semper Gumby, which for our non-military speaking friends means always flexible. The categories are set in stone, but the acronym can change as little or as much as the people want

Now on to what you stopped by for — PHExclusive Material!!!

Lance Berkman takes top honors for two reasons in the Jack Buck division. His veteran presence has already paid off in a big way with just the talks we know about it, and the younger hitters are sure to learn from the great competitor. Anyone who was worried about his bat saw Monday just why the Cardinals took the gamble.

Tyler Greene may seem like an odd choice for the Ozzie Smith winner until you read some of the manager’s quotes from before the season. TLR made it known that Greene was going to be a big part of this year’s club, even going so far as making him an option in CF. The Georgia Tech product has a make or break campaign that may come down to how he plays before Nick Punto returns.

Kyle McClellan will fall victim to the ‘sample-size‘ argument for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t stop him from garnering Bob Gibson honors for his play so far this year. With his arm and his bat, K-Mac is doing quite the Adam Wainwright impression that must continue for St. Louis to battle back in the NL Central.

Baseball Heaven

Yep, it felt good just to walk up to the stadium knowing that real baseball would be played inside it after the long, cruel winter.  It also felt good knowing that there were plent of bathrooms inside said stadium since I’d been practically chugging water since leaving home that morning.

Legends

With Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Red Schoendienst, Ozzie Smith, and Whitey Herzog all together, it looks like a pretty good start to the All-Time Cardinals team.  I was sorry to learn that Bruce Sutter was unable to attend due to an illness in the family, but the all-time team wouldn’t need a closer anyway.  No way Gibby wouldn’t go all nine innings.

The Man

Adding Stan Musial probably wouldn’t hurt that team, though.  I understand that he was pretty good as well.  It was great to see Stan wearing his Presidential Medal of Freedom, although the thing looked a bit heavy on him.  Must get tiring being a hero to so many.  That’s why he’s still “The Man”. 

Ernie Hays should be on that sweet ride!

When I hear “Here Comes The King” played, I always think that the Clydesdales should be pulling a loaded wagon….or a loaded set of broadcasters. 

If that bald eagle poos on my head....

So many birds all in a row….

Just waiting for flying Elvis impersonators to jump...

The flyover during the National Anthem was a nice touch.  Next year I hope they upgrade to either hovercraft or the ship from Firefly.

mini-Edmonds got game

Jim Edmonds did alright, although I still maintain that throwing the ball from CF was a better idea.  Still, it was great to see that mini-Edmonds has game, and he’s also scrappy.  Sign him now!

Sneak beakage is uncool

Fredbird was in search of his next victim.  Little did I know that his next victim would be me.  Silly bird walked past me, and I thought I was safe……then I got “beaked”.  I’m still traumatized. 

Awesome Mary is awesome! #winner

Several people walked away with PH8 swag, and Mary was kind enough to smile for the camera and show off the awesomeness that is a PH8 tshirt made from fabric sourced from Mars, magically stitched at Hogwarts, and shipped by teleporting jackelope.  Special stuff.

Don't ever do this, kids. Ever.

Um….yeah.  Froggy, Bunny, Lamb Chop, and Scooby were seated a little too close to me for my own comfort.

TIDBIT:  I never got the opportunity to even tweet about my location during the day in order to give away swag.  In the time it took me to walk just over a block (between Hooters and Shannons), 3 different people spotted me (or the giant “Pitchers 8” on the back of my hoodie) and won stuff.  Note:  It’s a bit disorienting to hear people randomly yell “Pitchers Hit 8th” as though it’s a battle cry from Braveheart while you are walking through a group of several thousand people.  Take my word on it.

REMINDER:  All photos are property of some the PH8 site, and any re-transmission, re-broadcast, reuse, recycling, stealing, Photoshopping, editing, modifying, abduction by alien editors is prohibited by intergalactic law or something like that.  In other words, don’t steal our stuff.  Just ask for it, and we’ll be happy to charge your an exorbitant rate, or we’ll gladly exchange the original images for free food. 

Like it?  Wish you had gone to the game with Froggy, Bunny, Lamb Chop, and Scooby?  Follow gr33nazn on Twitter, and maybe we can all plan ahead for next year’s opening day!  (I’d go as Lamb Chop!)

What’s the best part of the Cardinals opening day festivities planned for Thursday, March 31st at Busch Stadium?

1. Appearance by Team Fredbird
2. Trixie Delight performance
3. Fredbird
4. Danny Cox & John Mabry signing autographs
5. Danny Cox, John Mabry, & John Rooney Q&A
6. Dennis from PH8 giving away free PH8 stuff

That’s right, it’s “1” – appearances by Team Fredbird, followed very closely by the Cox/Mabry autographs with Trixie Delight a distant 3rd.

However, it’s pretty darn cool that I’ll be giving away some PH8 swag on opening day.  It’s cool, because it’s FREE.  So, how do you win some of this awesomely cool stuff?

It’s easier than falling off of a log…..or giving up a HR to Albert Pujols. 

1. Follow me on Twitter starting at noon on Thursday, and I’ll be giving directions to my whereabouts that day.  First lucky person to find me wins.
2. Check the blog during the game.  I’ll be giving away something before the 5th inning, but you have to figure out where I’m seated based on the clues revealed on the blog.  It won’t be easy.  Remember when Google used a series of clues in which one clue led to another, and only the brightest minds in the world managed to reach the end to find that it was basically job application?  Yeah, this is nothing like that.  I’m not posting some form of the heat equation and asking you to determine the temperature of a point in a 3-dimensional object tumbling through space with a heat source at one end.  You thermodynamics folks can relax now. 
3. You can also just randomly run into me and scream “Ekke Ekke Ekke Ekke Ptang Zoo Boing Zow Zing“.  That will suffice as well.  If you struggle with that, then just declare yourself as one of the “Knights Who Say Ni” or yell “Groinstring“, and you shall be rewarded with some swag (if there is any remaining at that point).

RULES, CAVEATS, & DISCLAIMERS: 

1. My relatives are disqualified from entering, because they either received PH8 gear for Christmas gifts, or they should support my blogging habits by buying from the team store.  Hosting costs and bandwidth for 3 loyal readers isn’t cheap….okay, actually it probably is, but that’s not the point.   #GuiltTripsFTW
2. Alien life forms are not allowed to enter.  This is a strict rule enforced by me, Lord Garthon of the planet Florg-apet.  (Lord Garthon approves this message.)
3. You may only win once, but you may lose thousands of times.  Also, you may win nothing.  You may also choose not to try to win.  You may even accidentally win.
4. You are disqualified from participating, if you are currently my friend on Facebook, LinkedIn, or if you have my cell phone number.
5. You are disqualified from winning, if you’ve ever driven more than 100 miles with me with your head hanging out the window while singing show tunes.
6. You are disqualified from participating, if you ever attended a house party thrown by my roommates in college.  Even though the statute of limitations is now expired, the vow of silence is still enforced.  Pinkie swears are good for life.
7. You may potentially win a bonus item, if you are able to convincingly perform the “Fat Guy in a Little Coat” routine from Tommy Boy.  Alternatively, you can try to convince me that you live in a van down by the river, and I should hire you for some menial task. 
8. If you win, you must be willing to have your picture taken with your swag and have that photo published on PH8 just to prove that we have indeed given something away.  I totally promise NOT to Photoshop any of the pictures of you and the swag.   
9. Members of PH8 and their families are not allowed to participate, unless they are over the age of 105 and wear a size Medium.
10. You automatically win, if your name can be proven to be Beavis, Cornhulio, or Butthead.

TIDBIT:  If you don’t know the schedule for the Opening Day Pep Rally, then you may raise your hand, and Tommy will come around and hit you over the head with a tack hammer.  Alternatively, you can read the rest of this tidbit.

• Thursday, March 31, 2011.
• Clark Street & Broadway
• Team Fredbird  11am – 2pm (Cardinals tickets raffle, autographed pics & merchandise)
• Trixie Delight  11:30am – 1:30pm (not to be confused with “Afternoon Delight”)
• Fredbird  12:30pm – 1:30pm
• Danny Cox / John Mabry:  1pm – 1:30pm (Autographs)
• Danny Cox / John Mabry / John Rooney:  1:30pm – 1:45pm (Q&A)

Like it?  Thought you wouldn’t see “Pujols” and “Cornhulio” in the same blog post?  Follow gr33nazn on Twitter, and you might see even stranger combinations!