I didn’t get to see all of the game in Cincinnati last night (MLB.tv clearly still working out the bugs this season), but what I did see via the tiny little screen on my iPhone (AtBat working like a charm) left me with the following quick hits:

Cardinals 6, Reds 3

• Ryan Frankhausen?  Isringlin? Ryan Franklin is already conjuring up not-so-pleasant images in my brain of a Jason Isringhausen style of closing.  The instructions go like this:  Start with a three-run lead, put a few runners on base throughout your inning, eventually get out of the inning because of your great defense behind you.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until your head explodes.
• Clutch hitting. I’ve been impressed so far with the Cardinals’ timely hitting.  Matt Holliday and David Freese came through in the seventh inning last night with some much needed RBI bingo.  Like it.
• Colby’s fire is burning somewhere. So far it’s been moreso at the plate than in the outfield, but goodness is Colby Rasmus hot to start the season.  Keep it up, kid.
• Remember last season’s start for Adam Wainwright? He really struggled through his early starts last season, labored.  Had issues with his release point and overworking his arm.  Saw none of that in my sporadic watching last evening.  This is a great sign if Chris Carpenter continues to fight through his starts for a couple weeks.

Cards switch up starting assignments, again

Which means I will get to see Jaime Garcia on Saturday at Miller Park in Milwaukee.  Yes, I will be wearing my Honkin’ for Jaime t-shirt.  Will you?

If you are attending Saturday’s game also, tweet @PitchersHit8th on Saturday and find me – we’ll have an adult beverage.

Baseball at Busch Stadium

The University of Illinois and University of Missouri played ball at Busch Stadium on Wednesday night, providing stadium employees with a “run-through” before the Cards’ home-opener.

The Tigers topped the Illini, 7-4.

Free parking!

The City of St. Louis and the Hyatt Regency at the Arch are providing free parking meters downtown for the home opener on Monday.  It’ll be 100 bagged meters on the streets, so if you plan to use one, I recommend getting there early.

Cardinals top radio ratings

I can’t get into the full article because Newsday’s subscription model is awful, but the first paragraph says it all for me.

An impressive 20 percent of men ages 25-54 who were listening to the radio last year while a Cardinals game was in progress were tuned in to said game, according to Arbitron via Sports Business Daily.

That’s a big share number for that demographic.  The Yankees have the largest overall audience, but the Cardinals clearly still have a dedicated following for Mike Shannon and John Rooney.

Next Game:  Cardinals (Penny) at Reds (Arroyo), 04/08/2010 11:35a

To wit:

Wisconsin: 19 team fouls, 13-20 FT (mostly in garbage time)
Illinois: 18 team fouls (mostly in garbage time), 20-23 FT

…and I’m still pretty sure the Illini got jobbed by the refs.

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In all seriousness, the Illini were just flat today – as they have been for a good portion of the Big Ten season. Bruce Weber and Demetri McCamey had another boil-over today, and any hopes that DMac was having a Deron Williams-type epiphany about how to play the game and compete at a high level every time out is again in question.

Sigh.

Enjoy the NIT, boys. You deserve it. (I’m looking at you, Mike Davis.)

Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I’m trying to start up a daily morning post that will allow me to put up short tidbits (in addition to Twitter, Facebook, the UCB site, etc) on my thoughts from the previous night’s game, news and notes, etc.

I’m trying to keep things fresh for the loyal readers (all three of you) here.

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First off, I obviously think this decision by our esteemed manager is bogus:

http://yourenotagolfer.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/04/opening_day_lineup.html

Pitchers Hit Eighth Ninth?

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The NCAA Women’s Final Four is in St Louis this weekend (and into Tuesday).  They’re playing at Scottrade, which provides a bit more intimacy than the monstrous layout and spectacle up at Ford Field for the Men’s tourney.  UConn versus Louisville in the Women’s final (which is more than I can say for the much ballyhooed, over-hyped Big East on the Men’s side) on Tuesday night.  Check out the floor that they’re playing on (hat tip to Basketball Court Designs).  What do you think?  My first reaction was that it looks cluttered and overdone, but the more I see it on SportsCenter, I’m coming around to it…

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So tomorrow is Opening Day.  Matthew Leach made reference tonight on the UCB Radio Hour that the folks at MLB.com treat the first day of the season as a capital “O”, capital “D” – Opening Day – sort of event.  I like that thinking and am adopting it here at PH8.  Let’s hope they can get the game in.

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Speaking of Opening Day, you may have seen the guest post here from Josh at Redbirds Row from last night.  Well, I made a similar Opening Day retrospective post of sorts over at Josh’s site.  Check it out here.  Try not to get choked up reading it.

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Tonight was the actual start of live, meaningful, counts-in-the-standings baseball.  The Atlanta Braves survived a late scare to beat back the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies on the strength of long balls launched via Brett Myers’ service.  Derek Lowe, on the other hand, was dealing.  I know he got a big payday and was likely never considered, but I still can’t help but think what prognisticators would be saying about the Cards this season if they had Lowe in the rotation as well.  If they were willing to spend $10mm per on Brian Fuentes, why not at least take a long look at a guy like Lowe?

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Anyone think Jordan Schafer might get a surprise visit from the “random testers” after his bomb tonight?  No doubt his history is likely to follow him, despite his talent.

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Finally, Monday is an important sporting day for more than Opening Day.  The Big Ten is repping strong with Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans reaching the finals in Detroit.  As an Illini fan and alum, I’m generally inclined to root against and even despise Sparty.  For some reason, I find myself rooting for them this year.  Perhaps it’s that I’ve finally had enough of the Big Ten bashing and am riding the wave with our last remaining team, perhaps it’s that I still have my green State t-shirt from the t-shirt exchange that took place before the 2005 Final Four (organized by the Orange Krush and Izzone), but I think it also has to do with the amount of respect I’ve developed for Izzo over the years.  The Spartans have reached the Final Four five of the last eleven seasons.  Each player that has remained at MSU for four years has played in at least one Final Four.  Those are staggering numbers.  Izzo will go down as one of the greats.  Go Green!  Go White!

So, it occurred to me that I own this place and can pretty much write about whatever I like (with all due respect and apologies to my loyal readers – all three of you).

With that said, I have to make a shout-out to my favorite ‘underdog,’ my favorite ‘freak show,’ my favorite college football team of the 2008 season (since my beloved Fighting Illini dropped a huge turd this season).

As I’m sure I don’t have to tell most of you, the Big XII South is a total cluster this season, with Tech, Texas, and Oklahoma all beating up on each other and winding up in a three-way tie for first place and the right to face Missouri (blech) in the Big XII Championship Game.

So basically, in a world where Texas beats Oklahoma (earliest in the season), Texas Tech beats Texas (next in the season, logically), and Oklahoma beats (politely speaking) Texas Tech (last, see how this works?) – Oklahoma comes out on top – one is left to wonder… why?

Long story short, they had to go to the fifth tiebreaker in Big XII process to determine which team in the South goes to the title game.  Methinks they’d have been better off skipping five and six, going straight to seven.

So Oklahoma is due to play Missouri (blech), and in a way, Texas still is in better shape than some other teams hoping to sneak into the BCS Championship Game.  Now they can sit at home watching the game in Dallas, rooting for Missouri, and sneaking into the game via the backdoor.

At any rate, back to Texas Tech.  The Oklahoma game basically eliminated them from consideration for any title game – arguments about non-conference schedules and the like (and by ‘the like’ I mean the bogus reasoning that since Oklahoma has put up 60+ points in recent weeks means they are the best team – did no one notice that Oklahoma State put up 41?  Ask the Rams whether you can win solely on scoring points and never stopping the other team.  The old Rams.  You know what I’m talking about…) aside.

So again – the Red Raiders.  When asked his thoughts on how the conference should determine who represented the Big XII South in the Championship Game, Mike Leach offered the following:

“I think they should break that three-way tie based on graduation rate. I think the Big 12 conference should have an executive session [immediately],” Leach said. “When they do that, they will find that no one’s more deserving than the Red Raiders.”

Indeed, the Red Raiders boast a 79% graduation rate, first in the Big XII.  Texas came in eleventh of twelve at 50%.  Oklahoma finished dead last in their conference, with a graduation rate of 46%.  The national average is 67%.

While obviously the NCAA would never go for this standard of evaluation, it’s at most optimistic about the state of college athletics, and at worst a hilarious mockery of the BCS and the Big XII.  Kudos Mike Leach.  Put in a position where you knew you couldn’t win, at least you could still come out with the upper hand over your opponents – in an arena that a lot of people care a lot more about.

Then I read this article about Graham Harrell.

Good sweet Mary.  Read this and tell me Harrell doesn’t have a pair:

Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell played with two shattered fingers on his non-throwing hand Saturday in the Red Raiders’ victory over Baylor

…

The source said Harrell underwent four hours of surgery Sunday on the pinkie and ring fingers on his left hand, with 17 pins and two plates inserted in his hand to heal nine separate breaks.

…

The source said Harrell was x-rayed at halftime, and the Tech medical staff told him he was done for the day. Harrell responded, “Tape my hand up. I’m going out.” Harrell finished the game with black tape around the two fingers.

So let me get this straight.  Harrell smushed up his fingers (non-throwing hand notwithstanding) into a mangled mess, trainers told him he was done-zo, Harrell says “put some electrical tape on it, and I’m good” (I’m paraphrasing there) – and he brings his team back to win?  I am speechless.  Can we just give this kid the Heisman Trophy now?

Graham Harrell to reporters after the game?

“I’M A MAN!  I’M 23!  COME AFTER ME!  I HAVE BUSTED UP FINGERS!”