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 by brianandjaclyn via Flickr

Yeah, I’m a little behind on this one – so what, wanna fight about it?

5. Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay go fishing

I’ve been told, over and over and over and over again, that this was a thing. And then Doc saved someone from a snake and Carp busted up his toe. Story! (You can listen to Carpenter tell the real story at Winter Warm-Up here.)

4. Matt Holliday IS GOOD AT BASEBALL

Somehow, defending the baseball ability and honor of Matt Holliday has become a crusade of mine. Maybe it’s because all of the “he’s not worth the contract” and “Holliday should be traded” or “Holliday has been disappointing” is just nonsensical. Maybe I think he’s a dreamboat. Either way, he’s GOOD AT BASEBALL.

See arguments here … and here.

3. Cardinals minor league system rates highly

With or without a first baseman making north of $25mm per season, developing players from within that can contribute – see: Cardinals, St. Louis, c. 2011 – is a critical component of the Cards’ desire to remain consistently competitive for years to come.

To that end, it is meaningful then, to see well-regarded prospect/talent evaluators such as John Sickels rank the Cards’ organizational depth so well and highly amongst all MLB teams.

Obviously prospects don’t always pan out – but the more chances you have with higher odds, the better, no?

2. Organizational reconstruction

Being tardy in compiling this list has afforded me the knowledge that more coaches have departed and the organization continues to undergo a complete makeover from front office to on-field staff to player personnel, with varying levels of impact.

Clearly the departure of a future Hall of Famer will have the largest impact in terms of wins and losses, but what about the mainstays that have retired, prioritized family (and don’t misunderstand that, it’s with good reason), and/or found greener pastures elsewhere?

Having a rookie manager, Mike Matheny, is bound to cause Cardinal fans even more heartburn than the previously infuriating Tony La Russa. Time will tell if Derek Lilliquist can work any sort of magic similar to Dave Duncan‘s well-documented success with reclamation projects and creating superior pitching staffs.

But what of the departure of Jeff Luhnow and some of the other important front-office brains like Sig Mejdal and Mike Elias? This clearly will have an impact on the item we just discussed, continuing to develop the organization’s farm system toward being more self-sufficient, higher-performing, and most importantly – maintaining depth. The Cardinals have a very important position in the draft this year, holding many picks from free agency departures – Dan Kantrovitz should have some fun.

1. Cardinals win the 2011 World Series

Really, this entire list could’ve been made up of moments from the last month or so of the 2011 season, but what fun would that be? A lot, you’re right, but I decided to condense the season into one list item.

The Cardinals won the 2011 World Series. Is there more that must be said? Yes, it’s a fascinating and unfathomable story to hear how they got there, but at the end of the day Game Six of the World Series was one of the best ever (certainly in my still somewhat young memory) and the Cards finished the job in Game Seven.

As was said at the Winter Warm-Up last weekend – that was a great time to put the finishing touches on a celebration of 2011 and the organization’s success. Now it’s time to look forward to 2012, time to do work.

I’ll surely take a beating for this perhaps sounding a bit trite, but I say it with as much sincerity, genuine appreciation, and wonderment as I can – isn’t being a Cardinal fan awesome? Thanks Dad!

Image via Wikipedia

If you haven’t already seen Dennis and Josh’s ballots for the Cardinal Blogger Awards, please take a minute to read those as well.

Below is my ballot – we elected to have three different ballots so that we could all express our own opinions without having to argue which way to direct a single PH8 vote – I’m glad we did, just because there’s really no wrong answer, all should be recognized.

Cardinal Player of the Year

Lance Berkman

Is there any doubt that this team would’ve found much different results without Puma’s bat in 2011? If he can produce slightly better than half as well in 2012, the $12mm extension will be worth it.

Cardinal Pitcher of the Year

Chris Carpenter

Given the benefit of seeing his post-season performances locks this. Inconsistency was the name of the game for Cardinal pitching in 2011, but when they needed a win, needed a big-game start, Carp was the guy.

Regular Season Game of the Year

September 24 vs. Chicago (Marmol meltdown)

I remember watching this game, entering the bottom of the ninth inning, and thinking to myself “well, it was a good run, fellas.” Then Marmol totally Marmol-ed it. Winning.

Postseason Game of the Year

WS Game 6 (two rallies with one strike left)

Obviously to each their own, I just don’t know how one could vote for any other game. I leave you with this:

Courtesy of FanGraphs

Surprise Player of the Year

Lance Berkman

Again, who could’ve called his 2011? Yeah, he believed in himself and came into camp in great shape. But, really? Nice job Puma.

Disappointing Player of the Year

Tyler Greene

I’m going off the chart a bit with this one, but for me, Greene failing to take the next step – failing to make good on an opportunity to seize playing time when injuries and poor middle infield play was seriously affecting the Cardinals’ ability to win games – was disappointing. Every season we wait for Tyler to make the transition from great play at Memphis to the big leagues, and disappointment continues to follow him. He’s dangerously close to inheriting the quad-A tag, if he hasn’t already.

Cardinal Rookie of the Year

Allen Craig

This isn’t even a contest for me. Eduardo Sanchez and Lance Lynn were great and played huge roles in the Cards’ successful season, but neither had the impact that Craig did. 2.6 fWAR in a partial season? Yes please. Give this guy 500 at-bats next season.

Pre-Season Acquisition of the Year

Lance Berkman

Please see multiple items above.

Mid-Season Acquisition of the Year

Octavio Dotel

Did you know that Dotel was worth almost a full win (fWAR) since coming to the Cards in the end of July? 11.68 K/9 as a Cardinal, and just dominated right-handed hitters. Helped to stabilize a bullpen desperately in need of a guy who could get outs. He got outs.

Most Anticipated Cardinal

Matt Adams

It’d be a little hypocritical of the Official Honk for Matt Adams Blog™ to choose anyone else, wouldn’t it? I know Shelby Miller is the popular choice, and for good reason. I want to see Adams swing at everything thrown to him, and hit three-of-ten with one-of-three going over the wall. Hear all about Matt in PH8 Podcast Episode 4.0 with Kevin Goldstein.

Best Individual Cardinal Blog (written mainly by one person)

C70 at the Bat

I’m still amazed each and every season (and off-season) by the work that Daniel does on his own at C70. Kudos sir, on another great season – hope you’re awash in World Series swag.

Best Team Cardinal Blog (written by two or more people)

I-70 Baseball

Seems obvious that an assembly of several great writers who have their own Cardinal blogs into one location would get the nod for this award, no? Bill and his team of writers consistently put out top-notch opinion and coverage of the team.

Best Professional Cardinal Blog

Obviously, You’re Not A Golfer

Hard to go wrong with any choice here really, but personally, I just like the vibe of Matthew Leach’s blog and appreciate his insights and how he shares them – gotta be a delicate balance between the main .com, the blog, and dissemination on Twitter. Cheers, Matthew.

Best Rookie Cardinal Blog (began December 1, 2010 or later)

Redbird Dugout

Jon really does a great job of staying (or at least trying to, like most of us) even keel in both his opinion and analysis. It’s very easy as a blogger and fan to get caught up in falling too far on one side or another of the blind fanboy versus club can do no right spectrum, and I think Jon’s found it.

Post of the Year

Backyard Dreams

Bill Ivie wrote a post that was clanking around in my brain almost verbatim. So really, a vote for Bill’s post here is a vote for my unwritten post that he beat me to writing. (I’m kidding, of course, about deserving part of the vote – great job, Bill!)

Best UCB Project

Roundtables

Consistently the most fun and engaging project the UCB produces each season.

Most Optimistic Cardinal Blog

On the Outside Corner

This is really as much a vote for Bob’s Twitter feed (@throatwarbler) as it is his blog, but Bob was the first this season (that I saw anyway) to latch onto the similarities between the 2011 club and one of the other great underdog stories in Cardinal history, the 1964 Birds. I’m glad Bob’s faith and undying support for the team was rewarded.

Best UCB Podcast

Conversations With C70

Have you listened to any of these? If not, you must make time. I just caught up on all of the back episodes and each one is thoughtful, insightful, and very well done – knowing Daniel personally, the format just fits his conversational style to a tee and the entire program comes off very casual and informative (those are good things).

Best UCB Twitterer

@throatwarbler

See above – both positive throughout, and I love the old-timey Twitter tales. Cheers, Bob!

Best Fake Cardinal Twitter Account

@TrollStrauss

Dead. Ringer.

—–

There you have it, my votes for this year’s Cardinal Blogger Awards. Agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments below!

Dennis did a much better job describing the fun earlier right here, so I get the easy job! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine getting to take part in something so cool as the CBA’s when this all started for me. I am blessed to get to work with a great pair of guys on a regular basis, and the entire UCB is awesome. Here’s to celebrating #11in11 on 11/11/11 and looking forward to an amazing 2012.

Join in on the fun and vote for your favorites as well!

Award 1: Cardinal Player of the Year

Yadier Molina is easily the best write-in candidate ever. The other three on the list deserve to be there, but I shudder to think where St. Louis would have ended up without his MVP performance down the stretch. Now show HIM the money!

Award 2: Cardinal Pitcher of the Year

It’s time.  Yes, it’s time for the UCB (United Cardinal Bloggers) members to pat each other on the back and remind each other just how awesome we think we are.  Okay, I’m exaggerating…slightly.  It is actually time for the UCB members to vote on the various annual awards which honor various people and blogs for outstanding…er, whatever it is they do.  However, a twist has been added this year, and you the 4 loyal readers of this humble blog also have the opportunity to vote for the same awards we do.  Since a picture tells a thousand words, and it takes me practically days to type a thousand words, I’ve decided to simply show you my completed ballot instead of providing you with instructions.  The fact that I have to make my ballot public in order for it to count has almost nothing to do with this seemingly magnanimous gesture.  After you finish looking over my ballot, please click HERE to go to the official balloting page and fill out a ballot.

Award 1: Cardinal Player of the Year

Yadier Molina.  I’m sure that Lance Berkman, Albert Pujols, and Matt Holliday all had fine years, but none of them were “Ya-di” in stature.  When a catcher known for his defense leads the team in batting average, you know he is something special.  Hitting .305 while batting mostly in the 5th and 6th spots in the lineup is really special.  Gold Glove?  Got it.  Clutch?  For sure.  Molina hit .342 in August and .341 in September/October, and then he hit just under .300 for the entire playoff run.  Please step aside and make way for the man with the cannon where his right arm should be.  Yadios.

Award 2:  Cardinal Pitcher of the Year

Chris Carpenter.  He didn’t have a Cy Young kind of year, and he wasn’t particular dominant for most of the season, either.  However, he was an absolute workhorse for a team that relied heavily on innings from a beleaguered bullpen, and he went straight into “Bionic Carp” mode when the team needed it the most.

Award 3:  Regular Season Game of the Year

September 28 at Houston (Carpenter shutout on last day).  On quite possibly the best day of baseball I have ever seen, Carpenter went and shut down the Astros to guarantee the Cardinals at least a play-in game.  In the regular season, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

Award 4:  Post-Season Game of the Year

WS Game 6 (two rallies with one strike left).  I fully realize that this game will be remembered for David Freese‘s walkoff blast to center.  That’s all well and good, but I was captivated by two different sequences during the game.  After Allen Craig homered in the bottom of the 8th inning, David Freese grounded out for the 2nd out of the inning.  Molina, Daniel Descalso, and Jon Jay went back-to-back-to-back with singles to load the bases.  The Cardinals were not able to push a run across, but loading the bases helped turn over the lineup, and it guaranteed that the heavy hitters would have another opportunity to bat.  The second sequence that stuck with me is from the 10th inning, and it again involved Descalso and Jay.  Facing a crafty left-hander in Darren Oliver, both Descalso and Jay managed to get on bases ahead of the pitcher’s spot.  The pair then went on to score and tie the game later in the inning.  Big time players make big time plays in big time games.

Award 5:  Surprise Player of the Year

Allen Craig gets the nod with Berkman a close second.  I expected a fair amount from Berkman, although he definitely surpassed my expectations.  However, he didn’t surprise me as much as Craig did, though.  In just 200 at-bats, Craig batted .315 with a .362 OBP, .555 slugging percentage, and a .917 OPS.  He also had 11 home runs and 40 rbi.  That translates to something like 33 home runs and 120 rbi for a full season with 600+ at-bats.  Wow.

Award 6:  Disappointing Player of the Year

Colby Rasmus.  For all his talent and potential, it is incredibly hard to imagine Raz hitting just .246 with 11 home runs and 40 rbi in 338 at-bats with the Cardinals.  If the home run and rbi totals sound familiar, see also “Award 5″.  There are not a lot of so-called “5 tool players” in baseball, and it’s a shame to see one digressing year over year.

Award 7:  Cardinal Rookie of the Year

Allen Craig.  Craig posted a 2.9 WAR seasonwith just 219 plate appearances.  For reference, the only Cardinals with a higher WAR total for the entire season were Pujols, Berkman, Holliday, and Molina.

Award 8:  Pre-Season Acquisition of the Year

Lance Berkman.  If only the Cardinals could add a Berkman to the team every season for $8M.

Award 9:  Mid-Season Acquisition of the Year

Edwin Jackson.  Jackson went 5-2 with a 3.58 era after being acquired by the Cardinals.  He also helped out a little at the plate by hitting .308 during his time in St. Louis as well.

Award 10:  Most Anticipated Cardinal

Matt Adams.  I’ve been really excited about Shelby Miller for a long time, but Adams looks to be one of those guys who can just go out and produce.

Award 11:  Best Individual Blog

On The Outside Corner.  If there is a more reasonable fan/blogger with encyclopedia-like knowledge of the Cardinals history, then I don’t know who it is.

Award 12:  Best Team Cardinal Blog

I-70 Baseball.  If you want a talented team with depth and comprehensive coverage, then I-70 Baseball is the site for you.  Of course, I could say the same thing for about a half dozen other blogs, but I-70 gets the nod for its content variety.  We shared this particular award with I-70 Baseball last year, and I’m honored to call the folks there friends of mine.  #Winning

Award 13:  Best Professional Cardinal Blog

Bird Land.  Professionally done with a great feel for what readers don’t get from all the mainstream media pages.  Just a half-step above the rest, and that’s a small step.  We’re fortunate to have so many legitimate pros bringing insight to Cardinal Nation.

Award 14:  Best Rookie Cardinal Blog

Aaron Miles‘ Fastball.  Good name.  Better people.  Spot-on coverage of real-time events practically before they even happen (yeah, they are fast).

Award 15:  Post of the Year

Fungoes – Why The Cardinals Will Still Beat The Brewers.  Convincing and well-conceived, this little gem is absolutely dense with useful information without a heavy stat overload.  Well played.

Award 16:  Best UCB Project

Roundtables.  Great opportunity to interact with the ever-growing and changing UCB community.  Intelligent discourse with thread rejoinders?  Yes, please.

Award 17:  Most Optimistic Cardinal Blog

Diamond Diaries.  The glass is always half-full with the ladies of Diamond Diaries, and the optimism is so infectious that even I almost grinned once.  Seriously, you just can’t stay down when you read this blog.

Award 18:  Best UCB Podcast

Conversations With C70.  If you only picked one podcast by Daniel (C70 himself), then you would pick a good one, because there isn’t a single bunt in the bunch.

Award 19:  Best UCB Twitterer

@poisonwilliam (aka Bill Ivie).  He’s real, he’s geniune, and he’s not afraid to run through a Taco Bell while wearing a loincloth screaming “I got your Black Ops right here, Brian Wilson!”  Okay, I might have made up that last part.  Regardless, he has a variety of interests, and we’ll enjoy watching him next year on “The Sing-Off”.  The honorable mention here goes to @throatwarbler, because Bob is the equivalent of a real life “sanity check” for Cardinal fans.  If his blog didn’t already have a name, I would suggest “The Ledge”, because he’s always reminding people to back away from it.

Award 20:  Best Fake Cardinal Twitter Account

None.  There was some clever stuff coming out of the various alter ego Twitter accounts, but I really like being able to put a face with an avatar.

Now that you have made it this far, maybe you are willing to go an extra mile and click here to vote.  Since the rules prohibit me from voting for myself, the PH8 blog, or anybody on the PH staff, I’m going to have to ask some of you to vote for us as well as the blog.  It’s not that I’m biased, though.  I just think Josh deserves credit for best original screenplay, and Nick should get something for best original motion picture score….oh, nevermind.  Just do us all a favor and rock the vote a bit.

-Dennis

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

It’s that time of the year again, for the United Cardinal Bloggers’ Fall Roundtable discussions.  You can find all of the other question and answer sessions by visiting the UCB site - but yesterday was our turn to do the asking, thus today is the day to do the posting.

We asked:

It seems with every organization, every season, there is at least one player that winds up on the major league roster as a result of some unforeseen circumstance. Sometimes these players contribute heavily, other times it’s a cup of coffee before heading back to the minor league grind.

We saw it happen in the Cardinals’ bullpen in 2011 and with Adron Chambers. My question for you then is, which player (or players) with ZERO previous major league experience will see time with the St. Louis club in 2012 and for what reason (injury to others, forces his way onto the roster, or otherwise)?

For bonus points, which one (if you think there will be more than one) will make the most significant contribution to the 2012 Cardinals?

And the responses (some rejected for not following the rules!):

Bill Ivie, I-70 Baseball

It may end up being a pipe dream, and honestly I feel he needs to not debut until 2013, but I see Shelby Miller arriving in St. Louis by mid-summer.

The kid has some maturing to do (see: underage drinking suspension, 2011) but his stuff is electric, he thinks a good game, and he could be a jolt in the arm for the team should it need it.

As for how he arrives, well, I’m citing 2006 as a blueprint. Struggles for Motte (not that he’s the closer or anything) will see Shelby arrive as a non-closer himself for the second half of of 2012 before taking his projected spot in the rotation the following year.

There are other exciting names in this system right now with Matt Adams and Ryan Jackson being two of the more prominent, but I feel they are a bit further out than next summer at this point.

Daniel Solzman, Redbirds Fun

I’d rather someone make the roster out of ST but I’d like to see someone like Miller up in St. Louis. Whether he is ready, I don’t know.

G-d forbid we lose a key starter to injury though.

Daniel Shoptaw, C70 at the Bat

I do expect to see Shelby Miller next season, perhaps in August when the team feels it can finally cut bait on Jake Westbrook and not have a prohibitive payroll hit.

I could see Matt Adams forcing his way onto the roster if Albert Pujols doesn’t resign with the club and then Lance Berkman has a short DL stint.

On the whole, though, I’d select Miller as my answer for the one that would be most likely to make the most impact.

JE Powell, STL: Fear the Red

Even before I saw any of the responses, my first thought to the question was: Shelby Miller. I think that Miller could go the way of Wainwright and be used in the bullpen before seeing any Major League starts. He could even get a spot start or two, I suppose, later in the year. From what I have seen and heard, it appears that his stuff is too good to keep in the Minors for too long. My guess, then, is that the Cardinals will use Miller out of the bullpen in 2012 and will put him into the starting rotation in 2013. I think Miller’s arm will be important in August and September.

Ray DeRousse, STL Cardinal Baseball

It’s a tantalizing question. Predicting the answer involves better knowing where Shelby Miller, Matt Adams, Zack Cox, and Ryan Jackson will be next year. The current players in Memphis are either not good enough or they don’t fit within the parameters of the question.

Clearly, Adams is the front runner if the Pujols/Berkman/Craig situation totally collapses. Cox sounds like he needs more time. Jackson sounds close, but i dont see the club doing much with him in the bigs next year.

However, I suspect that we will absolutely see Miller at some point late in 2012. And he will contribute in huge ways if/when he does show up. Our starting rotation is still so shaky that I cannot imagine a scenario in which Miller doesn’t ascend in ’12.

Erika Lynn, Cardinal Diamond Diaries

Stepping away from the popular answer of Shelby Miller, I’ll throw out a new name and predict we see Donovan Solano in the big leagues for the first time in 2012.

If Nick Punto, Ryan Theriot (take him, please?) and Skip Schumaker all move on, the Cardinals’ shallow infield gets even thinner. Daniel Descalso claimed a spot for himself in 2011 by being a posterboy for versatility. Donovan Solano may be able to do the same. Solano has split time in AAA (and AA) at SS, 2B & 3B. And without looking up any stats because 1) I’m too lazy and 2) stats wouldn’t have predicted Pete Kozma or Adron Chambers’ 2011 MLB appearances – I’m relying on what I’ve seen. Watching Solano with Memphis (in OKC) this year, I swear every time I blinked Solano was on base. It made an impression.

Solano may never boast the defensive plus of Danny D, but he’s my pick for surprise appearance in 2012.

Tara Wellman, Aaron Miles’ Fastball

Not to simply follow the crowd here, but my initial reaction was Shelby Miller, as well. If he can “keep his nose clean” and grow up a bit, he certainly has the stuff to make it to the big club in 2012. I think the Cardinals are very interested in seeing what he can offer, so I expect him to get a shot somewhere along the line. And when he does, I think we’ll like what we see.

But if this season has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected (Pete Kozma? Yeah…). So we shall see!

Dustin McClure, Welcome to Baseball Heaven

I definitely agree with the mentions of Shelby Miller and Matt Adams. If Shelby can get off to a good start in 2012 and those who make these kinds of decisions feel he’s commanding his secondary pitches I think we’ll see him at least for a spot start or two in the 2nd half. I’m fully expecting him to be in the rotation at the start of 2013 so getting him some time next season would be beneficial.

As for Matt Adams, if he hits in Memphis like he did in Springfield the organization will almost be forced to find him a spot to get him AB’s at the MLB level. Obviously the Pujols situation will have a lot to do with his overall timeline. A good time to do so could be around interleague play. Having the DH available would allow Adams to get in the lineup one way or another.

My dark horse selection is Kolten Wong. Our 1st round selection in the amateur draft last year could be on a faster track than most based on his college baseball experience. He was drafted to play 2nd base and unless his production hits some serious hurdles I’d hope they’d want to give him a look fairly quickly. I’m assuming he’ll start the season in Springfield and not QC but of course I have no insight on that (maybe someone does). As we saw last year the jump from Springfield to St. Louis is not out of the question. Again, this all may sway one way or another based on the free agent action.

Tom Knuppel, Cardinals GM

I will go with Shelby Miller for all of the reasons everyone else has stated.

Jon Doble, Redbirds Dugout

This is a really tough question as most of the players who are considered “ready” or “near ready” in the system spent time in St. Louis this year. You have Matt Adams and Ryan Jackson as two guys who are penciled in as future guys, but both are viewed as at least a year away.

I’ve got to go with Erika. Donovan Solano. He was having a pretty strong year in Memphis (.284/.336/.397 with 23 doubles in 81 games) before they demoted him to give Kozma the starting job at second base. It’s a low sample size of just 21 games, but last year he was the best defensive short stop in the organization by fielding percentage. He could be a potential short stop/second base guy who gets a good look.

But the demotion indicates the organization may have given up on him a little. But he’s definitely a guy that should get a good look in Spring Training. It’s unlikely he’s anything special, but he could be the type of guy who sticks around the majors as a utility-type infielder for several years.

Kevin Reynolds, Cards ‘N Stuff

Okay…I’m gonna’ punt this one, in a way…simply because I have very little knowledge of the unknown guys this time around.

But I’ll say this…I don’t think anyone without MLB appearances makes a “significant” impact this year. There won’t be a Descalso or Lynn this season (I know, DD had MLB appearances…but you get my point). We just have too many young guys up and contributing now to believe another will emerge.

As far as simply making an appearance, the smart money would be on Shelby Miller in September or slightly before…but that’s by no means assured. Also, I believe the Cards will let someone (Theriot, Punto, Schumaker) walk this year on the infield. If it were me, it would be Theriot – Punto can play a better SS and Schumaker is considered by many players as a “core” player who has value in the OF – but i’m not the GM. Regardless, that means a AAA infielder is just one Punto/Schumaker/Furcal? injury away from coming up. Of course, at that point it’s a grab bag…depending on the severity of the injury…but assuming the Cards only need a temp fix, Solano could be the guy. A long-term option needed at mid-season, however, could see Ryan Jackson get his shot – but I doubt it.

Of course, all this is based on whether Pujols signs or not. If he does, then the outfield and 1B is stacked. If he doesn’t, then there could be room for a Matt Adams or a grab bag outfielder to make a debut in mid-season if Berkman et al goes down.

Anyway…to be vague…if something happens early in the season to the ‘pen by way of injury, and considering the arms that are either gone (Walters) or up and contributing now (Lynn), we could see a relative unknown fill an innings spot in the ‘pen from the AAA rotation.

Ultimately…I have no idea.

Just happy to be here!

Eugene Tierney, 85 Percent Sports

FYI…Solano is a minor league free agent according to Baseball America.

Shelby Miller is the easy answer and the one I’d say too. For a position player, I’d go with Ryan Jackson. First off, if we are relying on Rafael Furcal (like many are predicting), he’s good for a DL stint. The organizations has shown they won’t give Tyler Greene a real shot at the position and I could see Jackson getting a look if Furcal is out for an somewhat extended period.

Erika Lynn, Cardinal Diamond Diaries

Is Chuckie Fick still in the organization? We’re running out of potential Baby Bird candidates that haven’t already been called up.

OK… with Donavon Solano gone (shoot.) I’ll shift my prediction to shortstop Ryan Jackson as the non-Shelby candidate.

Bob Netherton, On the Outside Corner

Don’t give up quite so soon, I liked your choice of Solano. Just because he’s a free agent doesn’t mean he’s not coming back. I’d rather keep Solano than Kozma, but I guess that’s not happening Solano has sort of a Jose Oquendo quality to him that I like, a lot.

Miranda Remaklus, Aaron Miles’ Fastball

John Gast.
It’s well documented! I’ve had a thing for him since March!
I was listening to a spring training game he was pitching. The way Mike Shannon talked about him… and the way he was pitching at that moment. I was in love! He is a lefty who may have better stuff than Jaime. He is able to pick off runners at first with great ease. Someone speaking during the broadcast added that Gast worked with Jaime to improve his pick off move. Obviously there needed to be more work, because we didn’t see it much out of Jaime. But still… we have this guy in our system. I really look forward to seeing Gast, Yadi and … hopefully, Albert work together!
I thought after his spring he might move up quick. But that didn’t happen. And it’s probably a good thing!
Let him get some time in the minors, pitching and then he can move up and pitch in meaningful games in the future.

Bob Netherton, On the Outside Corner

It was such a great part of the 2011 Cardinals story, the opportunities in 2012 should be fewer. I suspect we will see many of the same kids we saw last year:
Adron Chambers, Matt Carpenter, Maikel Cleto, Tony Cruz. There will be a housecleaning in Memphis this year, some of that has already happened (Andeew Brown), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few intriguing kids that will make an impact next year – but I don’t think it will be Shelby Miller. Miller blew his way through AA on the strength of his fastball, but his secondary pitches need a lot of work to be effective at a higher level. There is no doubt that he will get there, but he will need all of the AAA time and I would be surprised if we saw him in St. Louis next year.

My 2012 surprise will be Chuckie Fick. He might even make the team out of spring, especially if one of the right handers (Boggs, Dotel, McClellan) isn’t back with the club. Fick has a rubber arm and could go out there every other
day. He is somewhat of a slinger, but has a lot of natural sink on his pitches, which will make him effective in the Dave Duncan system. He should be deadly against right handers with that high almost buggy-whip delivery. The only knock on Fick is occasional wildness, but if he can put together a solid spring or first month in AAA with a reduced number of walk, he will be in the Cardinals bullpen.

My sleeper is Adam Reifer. Oh what an arm! He missed nearly the entire season with an injury, but on the plus side, it was a knee and not arm or shoulder (like Pete Parise). There is no reason to believe he won’t come back with a vengeance, and his arm could provide a big lift to the bullpen if they struggle in the summer. Imagine a power arm like Mitchell Boggs, but with very good control. Parise was starting to look better near the end of the season, so he could be an interesting possibility of Reifer doesn’t come back quickly.

Two interesting port-siders are Nick Additon and Samuel Freeman. I don’t think either are ready for 2012, but should there be a need for another lefty, one of them could get the call.

In the “wishful thinking” category, Francisco Samuel is another young arm that showed a lot of promise until injuries last year. His pitches were just as electric as Eduardo Sanchez, but never demonstrated Sanchez control. Shoulder trouble is always a cause for concern, especially with a young power arm. He is pitching this winter in the Dominican league (along with Samuel Freeman), so we should keep an eye on his progress. If he could stay healthy, the Cardinals bullpen could be seriously dominating in a year or two.

Being a dependable every other day one inning guy (DEODOIG) doesn’t sound terribly sexy, but Chuckie Fick will the big “where did he come from” player next year.

Malcolm Pierce, The Redbird Menace

My guesses are Shelby Miller and Zack Cox. I think it will take a very unfortunate injury to a major player on the Cardinals for either of them to see the majors next season. But if the Cardinals are in a playoff race, there’s no one else who quite compares in the system. Based upon the interviewees revealed to the media, it seems like we’re going to have a manager who is fairly comfortable with younger players. And both Cox and Miller close enough to ready that they will be seen as viable choices and preferable to the largely replacement-level talent surrounding them.

Adams is also a possibility, but I chose Cox over Adams because I suspect that an injury to David Freese is more likely than an injury to whoever we have manning 1b. Further, if Pujols comes back Craig will be first in line to join the lineup full time. Adams wouldn’t just be brought up to be a bench bat. Or at least I hope not. Cox, Adams, or Miller won’t and shouldn’t be in the majors unless they’re getting all the playing time they’d get in the minors.

Christine Coleman, Aaron Miles’ Fastball

Since there really aren’t any logical names out there who haven’t already been mentioned, I’ll go with two who have already been discussed: Chuckie Fick and John Gast … and, since they each did such a great job explaining why, for exactly the reasons that Bob and Miranda stated!

For the record, my opinion on Shelby is that he’ll be a September call-up next year.

Tom Knuppel, Cardinals GM

I think the call-up of Miller is more dependent on who is name manager. Someone currently in the organization is more likely to leave him in Memphis longer than a new person, in my opinion.

Mark Tomasik, Retrosimba

Shelby Miller will be a September callup so that the Cardinals can get a look at him at the major league level and get him acclimated for a spot in the 2013 rotation.

Joseph McBrayer, The McBrayer-Baseball Blog

Shelby Miller is the first name I think of when it comes to 2012 season but my must see is Victor Marte. With 31 saves at Memphis he also carried a 1.44 ERA. A hitter I like to see from Springfield is 2B Jose Garcia. He had a 320 batting AVG. I hear he has a great upside. I saw him briefly on TV during the 2010 Mid-Season All Star game. Fun to watch

[ED Note: Victor Marte has pitched in the big leagues!]

Chris Mallonee, Birds on the Bat 82

There are obviously many variables in play here that have already been mentioned. Which players resign, who becomes manager, who gets injured, etc. I think Mo will exhibit more control over personnel decisions with the new manager than he did during the TLR reign however, and will continue to get the young guys up early and often.

I like a lot of the pitchers that have been mentioned, and could see many coming up in September. The first player I see coming up in 2012 with zero major league experience is Ryan Jackson. Think about it…if the Cards re-sign Furcal chances are he will face an injury sometime before September. If they don’t re-sign him, there are not a lot of great options on the free agent market right now (we are not going to pay Reyes people). Therefore, the Cards will want to see what they have in Jackson and determine if they spend big money on a middle infielder at the trade deadline or platoon current guys if Jackson can play in 2013. Barring significant injuries that force young pitchers up before they are ready, Jackson is the guy you will see first and the only guy that may come up all year with no big-league experience. I get all the Shelby love, but he’s not ready until he develops secondary pitches to go with that fastball.

Oh, now you want my answer?

Even though there’s obviously going to be a lot of movement with it as the off-season progresses, I don’t think it’s necessary to look any further than the Cards’ 40-man roster to choose.

There are two names on there without prior big-league experience: Zack Cox and Adam Reifer. Cox is really only on it by way of his signing a major-league contract out of the draft when he was selected. I don’t think he’s near to the big-leagues on performance merit.

That leaves Reifer, and who else, but a live-armed reliever to make an impact in 2012 – particularly as we’ve come to know volatility when it comes to the Cardinal bullpen.

Thanks to everyone for their time and answers to our question.  Keep tabs on the rest at United Cardinal Bloggers!

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…

Local

At CBS St. Louis, Chris Kerber opines that Albert DOES owe something to the Cardinals and their fans. I think it’s a bit pie-in-the-sky, but tend to agree. At least if you’re going to go, pay respect to the organization you’ve been with for so long and give them time to execute their follow-up plans.

Dominic Genetti thinks Pujols should be named player-manager. He’s not the only one. (Not me.) Did he see the failed hit-and-run Albert called in Game Five? I just can’t agree with this.

National

At Forbes.com, Patrick Rishe notes the same thing I’ve been thinking for a while: “Albert Pujols knows that his iconic status will only be enhanced if he remains a Cardinal.”

Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star puts odds of the Blue Jays signing Pujols at 100-1.

Jon Morosi expands upon his David Eckstein – Jose Oquendo piece from Monday. It’s a persuasive argument.

Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune thinks that age and expected future production may lead the Cubs and Theo Epstein toward Prince Fielder rather than Albert Pujols.

Ryan Theriot thinks that signing Pujols would “be a game-changer” for Chicago and the Cubs.

Joe Capozzi reports that for the Marlins and Larry Beinfest, “all options are on the table”.

Blogs

An interesting bit from Murray Chass, blogger, on agent Ron Shapiro and how he has managed clients who have chosen to “stay home” when free agency came calling. Not sure it entirely applies to Pujols, knowing what we know currently, but it’s a nice story nonetheless.

I-70 Baseball started off the United Cardinal Bloggers Off-Season Roundtable today with a simple question – Albert Pujols is gone. How to you shape the 2012 team?

Aaron Gleeman at Hardball Talk has a quote from Brian Cashman that the Yankees will be focusing on pitching.

Joe Pettini has a good chance at being named manager? And that’s going to make Pujols stay? I am clearly behind on my research.

—–

Have more Pujols links to share?  Post them in the comments below!

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

Follow @PitchersHit8th on Twitter and get the Daily Pujols as soon as it’s posted!

Once a year, along with the rest of the United Cardinal Bloggers, we get to put this list together as a review of the Cardinals’ farm system.

So far, pretty much every year has been an improvement over the previous. This year is no exception.

The Cardinals have multiple prospects on the national radar, and some aggressive promotion have some of them on the cusp of contribution to the big club.

Let’s start with the crown jewel, shall we?

1. Shelby Miller

In my opinion, Miller is the undisputed top prospect in the organization both on potential and performance. But alas, he can’t be associated with the Cardinals without being involved in some type of drama, right? Miller was suspended this season after reports of being involved in a bar fight in Springfield, and rumblings of “entitlement issues” from the likes of the Post-Dispatch’s Joe Strauss.

Lest we focus solely on the negatives, Miller certainly still has the goods to be a top of the rotation starting pitcher. He cruised through high-A Palm Beach competition, earning a promotion to Springfield where early returns were excellent, making the transition to the more-hitter-friendly Texas League almost seamlessly. As acknowledged by Kevin Goldstein on the Pitchers Hit Eighth podcast, the jump from single-A ball to double-A is the second most difficult in baseball, after the jump to the bigs from triple-A. Seeing Miller succeed in Springfield is a great sign for his continued development and movement in the system.

Shelby’s secondary pitches still need work, as Texas League hitters started to catch up to the fastball and Miller’s stubborn streak when continuing to throw it when maybe he shouldn’t.

Prior to his suspension, there were rumblings that Miller may be able to put himself on a track to win a job out of Spring Training in 2012, but now I think we’ll see a minimum of half a season in Memphis first, if not starting out back in Springfield.

2. Carlos Martinez

Cardinal fans, and perhaps even the organization, are still learning about Carlos Martinez with every start he makes. Martinez carved up Midwest League hitters prior to a promotion and finishing the season in Palm Beach. Still a very young nineteen years old and also still acclimating to life in the United States, the Cardinals have been a bit more cautious with Martinez’ development and progress, and he has responded well.

Does he have an even higher ceiling than Miller? Perhaps, only time (and again, those pesky secondary pitches) will tell. For now, it would be foolish to place any limits on how good this lanky youngster can be.

Similar to Miller, I wouldn’t rule out a quick start to 2012 back in Palm Beach and quick promotion to Springfield. Another strong Camp Jupiter could escalate that track even more.

3. Oscar Taveras

Friend and sometime contributor to the site Andrew chimed in on this one:

Taveras exploded onto the scene with a huge year at Quad Cities, posting a slash line of .386/.444/584. Taveras struggled with injuries early on, but when healthy, he flashed at least average ability of all five tools.Taveras has a great feel for hitting, and he’s arguably the best pure hitting prospect in baseball. He’s an aggressive hitter, but he took more walks and cut down on his strikeouts this year, which is a good sign that he’s developing his approach as he gains more experience. The hitting mechanics are violent, with a big leg kick and a high finish. He quieted it down some, keeping his back elbow more level, allowing for a quicker path to the ball, which let his (great) hands produce line drive after line drive. With good bat speed and leverage, Taveras currently has above-average power with ceiling left to improve. He’s got an athletic build (6’2, 180), with some room left to fill out if he stays at a corner. He’s a solid-average runner currently, but it remains unclear if he has the defensive instincts and abilities to play center.

Tools             Present Future
Hitting           70      70
Power             50      60
Plate Discipline  50      60
Running Speed     50      50

4. Matt Adams

The official prospect of Pitchers Hit Eighth ™ just keeps hitting. He may not have a place to play, depending on the Cardinals’ proceedings with one Albert Pujols, but by golly, get him in the lineup and give him a bat and he will put it to good use.

The hefty slugger impressed enough in the spring of 2011 to earn a spot with Springfield to start 2011, and had it not been for a late-season injury and subsequent slump, Adams may have found himself finishing up with Memphis.

Adams continued to mash in 2011, carrying over his successful 2010 campaign with Quad Cities. The aforementioned late-season slump left his batting average down to .300 to finish the season, but he hit 32 home runs and ended up with a .923 OPS. Straight rakin’, y’all.

The issue with Adams going forward is how he fits into the Cardinals’ organizational depth chart. If Pujols re-ups with the Redbirds, is it as an outfielder (a move that Adams acknowledges will likely require some serious “body work”)? Or if Pujols leaves, does a Lance Berkman extension play out while Adams gets another year of seasoning in Memphis while being groomed to take over the first base job with the big club?

One thing is for certain with Adams – if he continues to hit, he will be on a big league club somewhere, and soon. Must work on his plate patience – less “see it, hit it” and more focus on finding just the right pitch to drive.

I’d be truly shocked if he’s not Memphis bound out of camp.

5. Kolten Wong

“Hitters hit.” “All the guy does is hit.” “Just rakes.”

Kolten Wong has been described with all of these phrases at some point in his baseball career, most recently with Hawaii in college and forty-seven games with Quad Cities. Well, it just so happens Wong can play his position a bit too.

Another player who “fell” to the Cardinals in the recent draft, the Cardinals were happy to see Wong available at the top of their board when their pick came due.

Finding a home in an organization truly lacking quality depth in the minor leagues up the middle, Wong’s experience playing college ball at Hawaii figures to make him another quick mover so long as he continues to hit at each successive level. Seems logical, right? Well, I’m thinking more quickly than that – wouldn’t be surprised to see Wong hitting in Memphis by the end of 2012.

6. Zack Cox

Zack Cox is seemingly another bat without a position. His power finally came around at Springfield in late summer, a relief for many prospect watchers and fans of Zack.

A player who seemingly squarely divides the Cardinal fan base (and even moreso nationally) between those excited about his potential and those who see a four-A guy, Cox to me represents another Cardinals pick that was simply the best player available at the time they came on the board.

In the vein of Brett Wallace years before, Cox has a projectable bat, but doesn’t really project at the position he plays currently, third base. So what to do with him then? Let him continue to develop as a hitter, then trade him off to a team that needs a first baseman or designated hitter?

Maybe, I certainly think John Mozeliak would’ve liked to have someone like that at his disposal this past trade deadline. Now if only there weren’t that pesky major league contract besides…

7. Jordan Swagerty

Finding success as both a starter and a reliever while pitching across three different leagues in 2011 really put Jordan Swagerty on the map to be involved in this discussion.

Swagerty’s ability to flexibly transition between roles in a pitching staff is obviously a huge asset for someone in the Cardinals’ organization whether it comes to performing exactly that role eventually in the big leagues – also known as “The Brad Thompson Spot” – or taking more of an Adam Wainwright-style approach to breaking in with the Cardinals, Swagerty’s potential to contribute is also likely sooner than later as the Cards continue to move toward being a more self-sufficient organization, particularly in the bullpen.

There will be a lot of pitching coming off of the roster in 2013 that lends itself well for some of these guys finding, or perhaps more accurately – winning, themselves a spot on the big league staff.

Other notables: Tyrell Jenkins, Trevor Rosenthal

Hope everyone is enjoying the colder weather now that the dog days appear over and the playoff race still smolders away. On another key front, today is one of my all time favorites for the United Cardinal Bloggers.

While normally this would be a week-long process for me, I am choosing to take a simple route and will explore the PH8 top 7 prospects in more detail next month.

For our three loyal viewers, here’s Shelby!

1. Shelby Miller (Springfield)

2. Oscar Taveres (Q-C)

3. Carlos Martinez (Palm Beach)

4. Zack Cox (Springfield)

5. Matt Adams (Springfield)

6. Trevor Rosenthal (Q-C)

7. Lance Lynn (Memphis) Ed. Note/ Counts as a starter still for me

The August project for the United Cardinal Bloggers was to get to know each other.

We’ve had meetups at Busch for various events, we’ve invaded Pujols 5 for an evening – but this was an opportunity to ask and learn from each other with randomly selected pairings.

We drew Rob Darnell from the Cards blog Rob Says Really?.

Our questions for Rob, and his responses, are below:

PH8: Your blog has a pretty unique name and premise – what inspired the name and how it’s tied into your posts?

Rob: The way I came up with my blog post is pretty simple, I was watching one of the many disappointing Cardinals games and like everyone else was scratching my head. It was actually easy to come up with the name of the blog since I’m Rob and I can’t help but say everytime I see the games I go—-really? It just seemed to match up pretty well, and since I’m not a big stats guy I just went as a “ticked” off or “elated” fan with opinion based blogging.

PH8: If you had to use just one sentence to explain how or where the 2011 Cardinals season went wrong, what would it be?

Rob: The inconsistent managing of Tony La Russa, and the inconsistency with the middle infield defense and failure to hit with runners in scoring position as well as several mental errors on the basepaths.

PH8: Which current Cardinal prospect are you most excited to see playing at Busch III?

Rob: That would be Matt Adams, if Albert does leave I am very comforted knowing there’s a masher on the horizon. I mean look at his numbers, .314 avg 30 HR and 94 rbi’s. What’s not to like?

PH8: Hypothetical: You’re a Cards season-ticket holder who has made the decision, following the lackluster 2011
campaign, not to renew your seats for 2012. What is the one thing the Cards could do or say to get you to renew?

Rob: Honestly I think this team nees an overhaul at the top. First off I would let Tony La Russa ride off into the sunset. In the perfect world the Cardinals would pry Joe Maddon away from Tampa Bay.  He’s a good manager, his team plays hard for him and I just don’t see the inconsistencies.  Plus his temprement is a bit more even keel.  He’s also a big fan of the organization, and would look great in the Cardinals dugout.  Secondly, I’d still find a way to re-sign Albert and maybe increase payroll enough to keep the core players here.  I think if the nucleus of this lineup can stay fairly intact, and rid ourselves of the bad apples (Theriot etc…) the team will be fine.  I’m still not sold that the Milwaukee Brewers are really this much better than the Cardinals,and I remember when they rented CC Sabathia to make the playoffs the next year they faded again.  I don’t see the Brewers keeping Prince Fielder either, and he’s the glue that holds that team  together.  Make no mistake, I feel the Brewers are not in it for the long haul, they just don’t have the tradition.

PH8: Isn’t it about time Matt Holliday was given a catchy or appropriately reverent nickname? Any suggestions?

Rob: Matt “Moleman”

Tin Cup (from his little mishap in the playoffs a few years back)

Cracker Barrel, he’s kind of a country guy and the bat makes a nice “crack” sound when he connects. And Cracker Barrel represents country living.

Thanks Rob, it was fun exchanging questions with you!

Find the rest of the back-and-forths over at the UCB site.

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)!

Come join the United Cardinal Bloggers today for live chat during the afternoon game with the Diamondbacks at Busch III!

Cardinals fans at Busch Stadium this weekend have been treated to three starting pitching gems so far in just two games – two for the good guys (Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse) and one by the opposing Brewers (Yovani Gallardo).  Lohse’s required a bit more wiggle work, but he was outstanding again nonetheless.

We enter the ninth inning with a score of Brewers 1, Cardinals 0 – as the Cards got the leadoff hitter, Daniel Descalso, on to break up Gallardo’s no-hitter in the bottom of the eighth, but another display of sacrifice bunting “prowess” from Tyler Greene left the bottom of the lineup unable to capitalize on the early base runner.

—–

Top of the ninth – Brewers 1, Cardinals 0

Mitchell Boggs pitching…

vs Casey McGehee

Boggs gets a first pitch foul ball on the fastball, then a good slider for strike two.  McGehee chops one over Descalso’s head that is fielded by Greene on the outfield grass – Greene’s strong throw makes it close, but McGehee beats it out.

vs Mark Kotsay - McGehee on at first

Quick 2-0 count to Kotsay, while John Axford, Milwaukee’s closer, begins warming in the bullpen.  Excellent location on the outside corner by Boggs to get strike one.  A much less successful location for the fastball results in the second hit of the inning, runners now at first and second.

vs Jonathan Lucroy - McGehee on at second, Kotsay on at first

Boggs desperately needs a double play ball here, Lucroy squares to bunt and is barely able to keep the pitch from hitting him in the face while fouling it off.  Strike two on a high pitch, Boggs sitting 91-95 on his fastball according to the Fox Sports Midwest broadcast so far.  Lucroy fouls the third pitch off of his foot after taking the first pitch on the finger while fouling the bunt – the catcher is beating himself up a bit here in this at-bat.  Nasty slider from Boggs with great location outside of the zone low and away – but unfortunately, Lucroy does not chase.  94 miles per hour fastball high and away gets Lucroy swinging and now a double play gets the Cards to their half.

vs Carlos Gomez – McGehee on at second, Kotsay on at first

Gomez fouls off a 95 miles per hour fastball straight back – strike one.  Boggs throws a slider in the dirt to even the count, and the ball bounds away from Yadier Molina, allowing the runners to move up.  (McGehee on at third, Kotsay on at second) As Molina walked back to the screen to pick up the wild pitch, he apparently got up-close-and-personal with a Fox Sports Midwest microphone and voiced his displeasure with the play – watch your mouth Yadi!  Reigning Over-Manager of the Year Tony La Russa elects to switch pitchers mid-at-bat.  Jason Motte pitching The discussion between Dan McLaughlin and Al Hrabosky has centered around Motte being more likely than Boggs to get the strikeout of Gomez here, but they fail to mention that he’s probably also more likely to issue a walk.  Instead, Motte tries to get cute with a slider and one of the worst hitters in the Milwaukee lineup triples over Lance Berkman‘s head.  Brewers 3, Cardinals 0.

vs Yuniesky Betancourt - Gomez on at third

First pitch fly-out to left field scores Gomez from third easily.  Two outs, three runs scored in this inning.  Yay.

vs Rickie Weeks

Now Motte decides maybe he should stick with the fastball.  97 miles per hour for strike one.  Motte continues to throw fastballs and – SHOCKING! – he strikes Weeks out – with the gas – 97 miles per hour – you know, the heater? – WHY DIDN’T YOU THROW THE FASTBALL TO GOMEZ?!?! – to end the top of the ninth inning.

Bottom of the ninth – Brewers 4, Cardinals 0

John Axford pitching

vs Colby Rasmus

Colby takes a long look at strike one, followed by a 98 miles per hour heater for ball one inside.  Strike two is a 97 miles per hour fastball swung through by Rasmus.  Straight gas from Axford – this one upstairs for ball two.  Axford apparently subscribes to the Anti-Motte theory – get hitters out with your best pitch.  Another fastball, this one fouled off.  Finally, you guessed it, another fastball finished off Rasmus swinging.

vs Albert Pujols

Pujols walks in oh-for-three, further confounding fantasy baseball experts (among others).  Quickly 1-2 to Pujols as Axford finally shows off the off-speed breaking ball to Albert.  Another breaking ball in the dirt.  One more breaking ball and Pujols feebly strikes out.  This game reminds me of 2010 – ugh.

vs Matt Holliday

Axford has fallen in love with the breaking ball, and his first one in the dirt draws a swing from Holliday.  Fastball inside runs the count to 1-1.  One last breaking ball induces a weak little bouncer back to the mound, and that’s all she wrote.

Brewers win, 4-0.

—–

I mentioned it above, and will do so again, this game eerily reminded me of watching a 2010 Cardinals game – seemingly lethargic, questionable decisions late-game, defensive miscues that won’t show up in the box score as errors but affected the game – didn’t like a bit of it.

To be fair, Yovani Gallardo had the goods today – he was dealing much like Garcia last evening, working the corners, getting bad swings.

To me, this is the type of game that I have come to expect the 2011 Cardinals to win.  Go into the ninth inning down a run, take care of your business (keep in mind that the bullpen has mostly been blowing leads, not letting the other team add to them), and have your two-three-four hitters walk it off in the bottom half.  I know that they won’t win every game in that fashion, this one just leaves a bad taste.  The Brewers had been scuffling and this one was there for the taking.

Hats off to Kyle Lohse for another great start – shame that he couldn’t get any support today.

After watching Tyler Greene‘s exploits today in the field and at the plate, there might be a few more Ryan Theriot fans in Cardinal Nation.

Every time the world hops on the “Pujols is breaking out of it” bandwagon, he drops a nasty oh-fer – today’s was nasty.

Mitchell Boggs may want to find himself a warm seat nearer to Ryan Franklin‘s end of the bullpen – I’m not saying, I’m just saying.  Yadi didn’t do him any favors.

Now for the manager – you’ll remember from above that McLaughlin and Hrabosky believed that Tony brought Motte in because he was more likely to get a strikeout than Boggs.  Hopefully Tony had a different reason.  Not only is Dan and Al’s assertion false, but my assertion that Motte was more likely to issue a walk was true.  Hard to imagine what Tony was thinking there (maybe someone asked him in the post-game I couldn’t watch?), but I’m not certain Motte had any measurable advantage there over leaving Boggs in with his superior repertoire.

At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this recap of the ninth – please visit Cards ‘N Stuff and Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Night for the top and bottom of the eighth inning, respectively, and C70 at the Bat for the postgame recap.  You can find all of the innings posted at the various United Cardinal Bloggers sites via the UCB website.

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.

I’m usually hesistant to predict individual awards, because there is about a 20% chance of getting any of them correct, and I’m all about hitting the 1/4 mark.  Then again, this is for the UCB, and I’ll gladly sacrifice quality for quantity in the name of the UCB.

American League

• AL MVP – Robinson Cano
• AL Cy Young – Felix Hernandez
• AL Comeback Player – Joe Nathan
• GG – 1B – Adrian Gonzalez
• GG – 2B – Robinson Cano
• GG – SS – Brendan Ryan
• GG – 3B – Evan Longoria
• GG – C – Joe Mauer
• GG – P – Mark Buehrle
• GG – OF – Franklin Gutierrez, Carl Crawford, Ichiro Suzuki

National League

• NL MVP – Albert Pujols
• NL Cy Young – Tim Lincecum
• NL Comeback Player – Jimmy Rollins
• GG – 1B – Albert Pujols
• GG – 2B – Brandon Phillips
• GG – SS – Troy Tulowitzki
• GG – 3B – Ryan Zimmerman
• GG – C – Yadier Molina
• GG – P – Bronson Arroyo
• GG – OF – Michael Bourn, Shane Victorino, Marlon Byrd

Let me make a few things abundantly clear.  The difference between Teixeira and A-Gon at 1B is miniscule at best.  At peak performance, A-Gon is better, but Tex is far more consistent year-over-year.  I think the difference between the two in 2011 depends on who is throwing the ball to them on the infield.  As long as the Boston infield stays healthy, I believe that the incoming throw quality is about equal, and A-Gon has a shot to win based on his individual work at 1B.

Albert Pujols is NOT the best defensive 1B in the NL, but he makes his sometimes terrible infield throws look just fine.  Ike Davis deserves a lot more consideration for this award than he’ll get as long as Albert is playing in St. Louis.

Finally, I don’t believe Carlos Gonzalez ever deserved a Gold Glove award for making a half-dozen highlight plays last season.  He makes highlight plays, because he doesn’t have the range that speedy outfielders do.  Check the range and zone numbers on him.  At least he hit well enough to earn a GG, though.

TIDBIT:  Ryan Zimmerman got robbed.  I had them 3rd behind Polanco and Rolen, but I went back and took a closer look.  I think he’ll do even better this season.

Like it?  Do you think I’ll get even 20% correct?  Follow gr33nazn on Twitter and remind me of this one at the end of the season!