5 Questions for Spring Training

As Spring Training games officially begin today, there are still plenty of questions that need to be answered before the regular season begins. While this team is sure to make a playoff run, here are the five questions that MUST be answered come Opening Day at Cincinnatti.

1. WHO’S ON 3RD?

To answer that question, as of now, I Don’t Know is manning the hot corner (literally and figuratively). With Mark DeRosa departing via free agency and the Cards basically telling Troy Glaus farewell, the Cards’ third base job has become an open audition this spring. Here’s a look at the three potential candidates.

DAVID FREESE (The Favorite)

It’s probably time for Freese to catch a break. After hitting .306 with 26 homers and 91 RBIs for the Memphis Redbirds in 2008, Freese won the third base job outright last year when it was revealed Glaus was going to be sidelined all year with a shoulder injury (WHO KNEW!) But as fate would have it, Freese would be injured in a car accident and would have surgery on his damaged ankle in May. He wouldn’t be back in the Cards’ lineup until September call-ups. To make things worse, Freese was pulled over for driving under the influence this offseason and it was revealed this was not a first-time thing. Freese however has faced the music, admitted his wrongdoing, apologized and has basically done everything he can to deflate the situation (including adding several pounds of muscle through an extensive offseason workout plan). Assuming Freese performs the way he did last Spring Training, the job is surely his…assuming he avoids any off-field incidents.

ALLEN CRAIG (The Rookie)

The reigning Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year performed well last Spring Training and probably could have been added to the 25-man roster for Opening Day, but the team thought it better for Craig to get some more work in down on the farm. And work he did. After having a career year with Double A Springfield in 2008, Craig out performed himself at Triple A Memphis last year, posting career highs in batting average (.322) and home runs (26). While Craig may not be the favorite to win the starting job, he would make a great addition off the bench if Freese were ever to go down with an injury…again.

JOE MATHER (The Long shot)

Could this FINALLY be the year that Joey “Bombs” is on the Opening Day roster? Hopefully. Mather, knowing his spot in left field is being filled by a highly paid player (Matt Holliday…ever heard of him?) he decided to attempt life at third base in the hopes of boosting his chances of making the club. While this is admirable, Mather is probably not the answer at third for a groundball, defensive minded team. For his Minor League career, Mather has appeared at third in 132 games. During that time, he’s compiled a .894 fielding percentage. Mather’s glove is less than stellar, but that doesn’t mean the Cards can’t use his bat coming off the bench. Plus…let’s throw him a bone. He turns 28 in July.


2. WILL THE REAL KYLE LOHSE PLEASE STAND UP?

Lohse’s first two seasons with the Cardinals really are a study in contrasts. Lohse had the best year of his career in 2008, pitching to a career high 15 wins and a career low 3.78 ERA. 2009 started with the same success as Lohse was 3-0 through his first five starts of the season, including a complete game shutout against Houston. Lohse suffered an injury on May 23 when he was hit by a pitch on the elbow of his throwing arm, causing it to go numb. Lohse would land on the disabled list for the first time in his career and would miss the entire month of June. When he returned he wasn’t the same pitcher he was in April. Lohse finished the season with only six wins. Speaking at the Winter Warm-Up, Lohse stated that his arm was feeling much better and he expected to be completely ready to go by Spring Training. If he is healthy (and can stay healthy), Lohse will be quite the 3rd pitcher to complement the one-two punch of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright at the top of the rotation. If Lohse can perform the way he did n 2008, this roster will solidify the title of the best starting rotation in the National League, if not the entire Major Leagues.

3. IS RYAN FRANKLIN STILL THE CLOSER?

Franklin had a stellar year last year….then the All-Star Break came. Before the break, Franklin was one of the most dominant closers of the year, saving 21 out of 22 games with a 0.78 ERA. The second half of the season was a different story. While Franklin managed to save 17 out of 21 games, his ERA was 3.33 and he walked 17 men, 10 more than he walked in the entire first half. To add to the trouble, batters were hitting .284 against him, including a month of September when they hit .382. Franklin just hit a wall at the end of the season and just couldn’t get his pitches to go where he wanted them to. And for a pitcher who relies on location as much as Franklin does, that can be a serious problem. I have trust in Franklin that he will be able to carry the closer’s role for the first few months of the season, but at some point, Tony LaRussa will have to appoint a younger pitcher to the position who has the ability to blow batters away. In order to succeed in the postseason, a team needs a strikeout-type closer. It’s no coincidence that the Cardinals won the World Series in 2006 with Adam Wainwright closing out games (who, by the way, closed out both the National League Championship Series and the World Series with a strikeout). Franklin relies on groundballs which can find holes in the infield which can lead to base runners which can lead to late inning runs which can lead to late inning losses. This was the exact formula that plagued Franklin in the second half of last season. If he starts falling victim to it again, it may be time to turn the job over to a young fireballer capable of carrying the load, or even start taking a closer by committee approach.


4. CAN BIG MAC TEACH HITTING?

Lost in all of this steroid talk is the fact that Mark McGwire is back to actually do more than answer question after question about performance enhancing drugs. Does anybody actually remember that he’s the hitting coach? I said it before and I will say it again: I love this move by the Cardinals. Steroids aside, McGwire was (and still is) a home run hitter. He has hitting down to a simple science and has already helped Skip Schumaker become a .300 hitter and even helped Chris Duncan find his power stroke before injuries turned him into a Washington National. As of now, McGwire shouldn’t be judge on what he’s done in the past, but on if he can get a group of 25 guys to consistently hit with runners in scoring position. Last year, the Cards ranked either in the middle or near the bottom in terms of hitting in clutch situations. In 2009, the Cardinals hit a mediocre .264 with runners in scoring position the 14th highest average in the Majors. They hit .226 with runners in scoring position and two outs, ranking them number 22. Hitting with the bases loaded was not much better as the Cardinals only hit .247 with the bases juiced; the 7th worst average in the league. Poor hitting in clutch situations plagued this team late in the season and it carried over into their short playoff appearance. In order for this team to be successful, McGwire has to improve this team’s ability to hit with runners on base. Big Mac does have some help though. Matt Holliday enters his first full season as a Cardinal and last year he hit in the clean-up spot in 62 of 64 games. During that time, Holliday hit .333; an 83 point jump to what the Cardinals were able to do in that spot before acquiring Holliday. Oh, and Big Mac has Albert Pujols at his side. Last time I checked, that guy is pretty talented.


5. WHO IS YOUR 5TH STARTER?

This is, by far, the biggest question going into Spring Training. With the top four slots pretty much taken by Carpenter, Wainwright, Lohse and newcomer Brad Penny, the 5th spot is up for grabs in what looks like a four man race. Will it be Kyle McClellan, Blake Hawksworth, Mitchell Boggs or Jaime Garcia? All four candidates would be a definite upgrade over last year when Todd Wellemeyer successfully made an entire city instinctively shout a curse word every time he took the mound. McClellan should get a good look this year as he was briefly considered last year for the starting job, though his greatest value may be as a mid-reliever or a set-up man coming out of the bullpen. Hawksworth should receive strong considerations after stellar work out of the bullpen, including a multi-inning appearance against the Dodgers that set the tone for the entire month of August when the Cardinals went 20-6. Boggs has shown that he can pitch at the Major League level, but until he learns to keep his pitch count down and get through more than five innings he won’t be your answer as the number five man. Garcia is coming off an injury plagued season, but don’t be surprised to see him receive strong consideration. He’s been a highly touted prospect for a couple years now, plus it would be nice to have a left handed pitcher in the rotation which is something the Cardinals haven’t had since the days of Mark Mulder, which doesn’t really count.

Mark Mulder was the last lefty to be in the Cards' rotation. Unfortunately by the end of his career, he needed that tape and wrap to actually keep his arm attached to his body.

While the answers to these questions remain to be seen, fans have reason to rejoice. Spring Training games start the official countdown to Opening Day. The grass is starting to turn green and the baseballs are being rubbed down. Tickets are being sold and that Cardinal jersey is being cleaned. Baseball is here. And in less than a month, the Redbirds start playing for real.

No One Else Like Him

It’s September 8, 1998. A 12 year old boy is sitting on the floor in front of the television with his father watching a baseball game. It’s a school night, but the father doesn’t mind that his son doesn’t have all of his homework done. History is going to happen tonight. They could feel it. This was the moment they had been waiting for all summer long. Watching game after game, this was the night that records were to be broken. Then at 8:18pm it happens. A swing and a line drive into left field; the ball is hit low, but it is just hanging up in the air. Just hanging and traveling so fast that it could make it. It had to make it. It will make it. It DID make it.

As flashbulbs go off throughout the stadium packed with 43, 688 and fireworks go off nonstop, our hero rounds the bases, nearly forgetting to touch first base on his celebratory trot around the diamond. He’s smiling, pumping his fist and receiving congratulations from the opposing team as he head towards home. As he stomps on home plate, he picks up the batboy, his son, and shakes him in excitement as the rest of his team comes out to greet him.

Back at that 12 year old’s house, it is a similar, though not as boisterous scene. Both father and son are no longer sitting, but rather standing, jumping up and down and hugging each other. Signs of tears are in the father’s eyes, but he doesn’t let them even come close to dripping down his cheeks. The boy is all smiles. His hero has done it. A record that many thought to be untouchable had finally been broken.

By now I’m sure you know what event I’m talking about. On September 8, 1998 at approximately 8:18 pm, Mark McGwire rewrote the history books with one swing as he sent his 62nd home run of the season into left field, just barely clearing the wall. The celebration that ensued was a spectacle unlike anyone had ever seen, one which may never be seen again in the history of baseball.

I was that 12 year old boy. And I remember that night like it was yesterday. My mom was out of the house and my dad and I were in the family room watching the game on the floor together, both of us locked in to the television set, just waiting for the moment to happen. I had my back resting on the couch and my dad was lying on his side, resting on the old brown and white floor pillow that we have. When McGwire sent that ball over the wall, my dad jumped from his position and in mid-air let out a loud, “YEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!” I was right behind him jumping for joy. We had both watched McGwire chase history game after game that summer and this was the culmination of that season. We hugged briefly and stood side by side watching the celebration unfold on TV. As we watched McGwire round the bases and leap into the stands, I looked up at my dad. The smile he had on his face at that moment never left his face the rest of the night.

“Why are you smiling so much,” I asked.

“Because,” my dad responded. “That’s Mark McGwire. And I will never see anything like this again.”

Lying in bed that night was fruitless. As I tossed and turned, the image of McGwire’s blast landing 341 feet away (his shortest home run of the season) kept playing in my mind. In my ear’s I continuously heard Joe Buck’s call:

“Down the left field line! Is it enough? GONE!! THERE IT IS!! 62!! TOUCH FIRST MARK! YOU ARE THE NEW SINGLE SEASON HOME RUN KING!.”

It was a call and a moment that neither I, nor my dad, will ever forget.

Fast forward now to January 11, 2010. McGwire is crying again, but they are no longer tears of joy. He’s pouring his heart out to Bob Costas, barely able to form sentences and taking long breathes between questions. He’s admitted to steroid use and admitted that he used them during that magical 1998 season. The image is quite the contrast to the one painted nearly twelve years earlier.

McGwire’s revelation came as a shock to few. His records and his career had already been tainted because of his horrid testimony before Congress back in 2005. Yesterday was simply a continuation, if not a conclusion to that testimony nearly five years ago.




Of course some fans were outraged by all of this and some were supportive. Some felt as though they had been cheated and lied to, while others simply accepted it.

I would be in the supportive group. I’m disappointed by this news, but I also understand why McGwire did what he did and others should be more understanding too.

Like it or not, come the first day of Spring Training, McGwire is this teams hitting coach and he will need the support of not just his players, but all of Cardinal Nation as well. To those wishing McGwire would just stay out of sight, here are a few facts that I would like to point out.

1. MCGWIRE DID NOTHING ILLEGAL

It’s common knowledge by now that steroids were not illegal in baseball during McGwire’s playing days. What he did can be considered morally wrong, but it did not go against the rulebook at the time. McGwire simply took part in a trend that several ballplayers were giving into. We are just now learning the extent as to how deep the steroid ring in baseball really was. McGwire was going with the way the game was played. In order to stay competitive, you have to stay up to par with the competition. Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson was asked if he would take steroids if they were legal in an interview conducted several months ago. Gibson, known for his competitive and hard nosed attitude responded very bluntly, “Absolutely. Anything to give me an edge.” Not that Gibson saying he would take steroids clears McGwire of any wrong doing, but it does give insight into how competitive Major League Baseball is and how far players are willing to go to stay competitive.

2. MARK MCGWIRE LED THE CARDINALS TO A WORLD SERIES

This one sounds odd because the Cardinals won the World Series five years after McGwire retired, but that championship would not have been possible without him. The Cardinals traded for McGwire at the trade deadline in 1997. On the day of the trade, the Cardinals were 51-56 and 7.5 games out of first place and going no where fast. The team was aging (the average age of that team was over the age of 30) and nobody was standing out as a franchise player. While McGwire didn’t address the problem of age, he did answer the call to be the star that the team was lacking. In his first full year, the Cardinals won 83 games (a 10 game improvement) and drew over three million fans for the first time since 1989. The next year, the Cardinals record didn’t improve (in fact it got worse) but more than three million fans entered Busch Stadium again.

With fans entering Busch at record rates to witness McGwire swing for history night after night, the Cardinals had found their star, but he needed a supporting cast for the team to be a true contender. The 1999-2000 offseason became key as General Manager Walt Jocketty made several key moves to give Big Mac the supporting cast he needed. In early November the Cardinals traded for veteran pitcher and 1996 Cy Young award winter Pat Hentgen to help bolster the starting rotation. The ballclub would also acquire catching specialist and all around hard guy Mike Matheny to be their backstop.

Five days later the team made a large trade with the Colorado Rockies that brought in Dave Veres and Darryl Kile. Veres would save 29 games for the Cardinals in 2000 and Kile would quickly become the ace of the pitching staff winning 20 games for the club.

The biggest acquisition came just days before the start of Spring Training when Jocketty traded Kent Bottenfield to the Anaheim Angles for centerfielder Jim Edmonds. Edmonds’ impact was immediate as he hit a career high 42 home runs and recorded 108 RBIs in his first season in a Redbird uniform as well as winning a Gold Glove.

2000 saw the supporting cast that McGwire had been waiting for and had needed. Though he went down with injury, Big Mac still managed to hit 32 home runs, but his biggest impact came in his relationship with Edmonds. Both were from California and both formed an immediate friendship. McGwire wooed Edmonds into signing a long term deal with the Cardinals, telling him how great of a place St. Louis is to play baseball for. Edmonds listened to McGwire’s wisdom and signed a long term deal.

No Mark McGwire = No Jim Edmonds.




2001 saw the rise of Albert Pujols. Pujols quickly became a fan favorite and under the tutelage of McGwire and Edmonds, became a team leader and the future face of the franchise.

McGwire retired after that 2001 season, but his effect was still being felt throughout Busch Stadium. The Cardinals were once again in contention in 2002 and this year brought another franchise player to St. Louis: Scott Rolen. Rolen was a local talent and after listening to both Edmonds and Pujols (as well as several others by this point) about how great of a baseball city St. Louis was, Rolen almost immediately signed a long term deal with the team.

No Mark McGwire = No Jim Edmonds = No Scott Rolen



In 2003, the Cardinals struggled almost the entire season. But the victory came in the offseason, when the team signed Albert Pujols to a long term deal worth $100 million over seven years with a team option for an 8th year. Back then it was the most lucrative deal in club history. How could the Cardinals afford to pay one player so much money? From 1998 to 2002, the Cardinals drew over three million fans, the longest such streak in team history. With so many fans coming through the turnstiles at a record rate, there was bound to be some extra cash to dedicate to the team payroll. It’s no coincidence that the team started drawing three million fans annually when McGwire first came to town.

No Mark McGwire = No Jim Edmonds = No Scott Rolen = No long term deal for Pujols

Together, the trio of Edmonds, Rolen and Pujols (affectionately called the MV3) created the greatest heart of any batting order during the 2000s. They lead the team to 105 wins and a National League Pennant in 2004, 100 wins in 2005 and of course, the 2006 World Series Championship.




No Mark McGwire = No Jim Edmonds = No Scott Rolen = No long term deal for Pujols = No World Championship for St. Louis.




It took a while, but McGwire’s influence on the ballclub was turning the Cardinals from a team on the brink of disaster into a National League powerhouse in the span of an eight years.

3. MCGWIRE (AND SAMMY SOSA) SAVED AND UNITED BASEBALL

In 1998, several fans were still hurt and left with a sour taste in their mouths after the 1994-1995 baseball strike. Fans were jaded and were letting their teams know it by no longer showing up to the ballpark on gameday. Somebody needed to let the fans know they could come back and give them something exciting to watch, something to look forward to. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa did just that with their historical home run race.

Every night, fans couldn’t help but turn on Sportscenter and watch the highlights to see if McGwire or Sosa or both homered that night. It was a spectacle and it was a traveling one at that. Everywhere McGwire went, the fans went. Everywhere Sosa went, the fans followed. Not only had the fans come back, but they were all united with a common goal: To see history in the making.









McGwire would get a standing ovation on the road whenever he would go deep (including at Wrigley Field) and the same went for Sosa (including at Busch Stadium). Fans were packing some ballparks in record numbers as the historic home run chase renewed interest in the game for older fans and helped introduce the game to younger fans as well. The 1998 season saved baseball. And the game has been growing ever since.

4. WHAT HAPPENED IN 1998 HAPPENED, NOTHING CAN CHANGE THAT

Some baseball writer’s will tell you that the statistics created during the Steroid Era were lies. But pictures and videotape will tell you otherwise. McGwire still hit the longest home run in Busch Stadium II history. He still hit 70 home runs in 1998 and 65 in 1999. While those numbers may be skewed because of steroids or human growth hormone, they still happened.

But more importantly is the memories and the moments that those events created. The fans jumping up and down and screaming at the top of their lungs happened. The flashbulbs lighting up the stadium in every corner happened. The curtain calls on all the road trips happened. The hugs, the tears, the joy all happened.


But most of all, that moment at 8:18pm on September 8, 1998 in the family room of my home with my dad happened. Those yells happened. Those tears happened. My dad’s smile happened and the vision of that baseball disappearing over the wall happened. No sportswriter can tell me that that moment wasn’t real.

McGwire did more than hit home runs. He gave all of St. Louis and the country memories that will last a lifetime. He gave us smiles, joy, bewilderment and a handful of those “Oh my God” moments whenever we saw a ball land where we didn’t think it was possible. Did steroids play a role in that? Yes. But hitting a baseball is still the hardest thing to do in sports and it still requires a load of talent to be good at it.

McGwire admitted the darkest secret he’s ever kept to an entire nation. He did what was right and sometimes that is the hardest thing to do. In my mind, that makes him more of a hero and more of a man than a 535 foot home run ever could.

When baseball returns to St. Louis on April 12 this year, I plan on being in attendance. And when McGwire is introduced as the Cardinals hitting coach in the traditional motorcade that lines the warning track around the field, I will stand and I will cheer him on the same way I did when I was twelve and I hope everyone does the same. Because there’s a new generation of Cardinal fans out there and they need to be taught how to cheer and need to know how to forgive a person who’s done wrong. That’s what makes St. Louis so great.

We need to do it for that young fan who doesn’t know who Mark McGwire is and what he accomplished (steroids or not). When I see him, I’m going to jump out of my seat, scream and clap as loud as I can. And some tears may even enter my eyes, but I will be smiling the entire time.

My little brother will be with me. He was one year old in 1998.

“Why are you smiling so much,” he’ll ask.

“Because,” I’ll respond. “That’s Mark McGwire. And I will never see anyone like him again.”

McGwire's 62nd HR from David Levine on Vimeo.

Monday Doubleheader

Two stories.  One Post.

1.     TIGERS SHOW HEART IN CLOSE CALL

 

When the clock finally struck triple zero on Saturday night at Faurot Field in Columbia, 65,401 fans were allowed to breath again.  Everyone had seen this story before.  On September 1, 2001, Coach Gary Pinkel made his home Tiger debut with a thud, losing to Bowling Green 20-13.  The next year when the Tigers visited Bowling Green the outcome remained the same.  Bowling Green 51 - Missouri 28.  Saturday appeared to be heading towards a similar outcome, as the Falcons lead the Tigers 20-6 halfway through the third quarter.

 

But these Tigers aren’t the 2001 or the 2002 Tigers.

 

After a hot start to his career against Illinois, it took Blaine Gabbert two and a half quarters to find his rhythm and start moving his offense downfield.  In the end he threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns, both coming after his team went down by 14 points.  Not the impressive numbers from the Arch Rivalry Game, but enough to get the job done. 

 

While Gabbert’s performance may appear underwhelming, he accomplished something that the Tigers hadn’t done since 2005:  Be down in the fourth quarter and come back to win the game.

 

After a rough start, Gabbert lead his Tigers to 21 unanswered points

The last time the Tigers accomplished a late, come-from-behind win was the 2005 Homecoming game against Iowa State.  In that game, Missouri went three quarters without recording a single offensive touchdown.  Down by ten points with a little over nine minutes left to play, the Tigers came back with a field goal and a touchdown pass with just twenty seconds left on the clock.  The Tigers went on to win the game in overtime by the score of 27-24.  This was Chase Daniel’s first real appearance wearing a Mizzou uniform and is credited as the game that saved Pinkel’s job.  Daniel came in to replace a hurt (and struggling) Brad Smith.  This would be the only time Daniel lead the Tigers to a late victory.  Since he didn’t get the start, Daniel also has the dubious record of never starting a game for Mizzou and leading his team to victory after trailing for three quarters.

 

While Gabbert’s late leadership was impressive, the story of this game was Derrick Washington and the play of the defense.  Washington ran for 124 yards on 23 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown.  While Gabbert figured out the Bowling Green defense, Washington kept the Tigers hopes alive by moving the ball and setting up Mizzou’s two second quarter field goals.

Washington realized the Tigers were playing Bowling Green before anyone else on the team, and played as though his opponent was Bowling Green

After a questionable first quarter, the Tiger defense played with more heart than it did in any game last year.  When the Mizzou offense fumbled within their own red zone twice, the defense held Bowling Green to just two field goals to keep the game within striking distance.  They also made the key stop at the end of the game to lock up the Mizzou victory. 

 

It was a telling win.  While this team showed it may not be as talented as team’s in recent memory, it certainly has the heart to have a great season.

 

Of course, this close call could have been avoided all together.  Pinkel may have learned his lesson to never schedule Bowling Green again.  Dating back to his days as the head coach of the Toledo Rockets, Pinkel is 6-7 against Bowling Green, including four straight losses to the Falcons from 1991-1994.  This team just has something against Pinkel, but it was nice to see him somewhat make up for his debut loss from eight years ago.

 

Maybe the smarter thing to do is just not schedule any teams at home that have a shade of orange as one of their primary colors.  Since Pinkel took over the job, Mizzou is 0-3 at home when playing teams with orange in their uniform.  These teams being Bowling Green and Oklahoma State.  Since Oklahoma State has to play the Tigers in Columbia once every four years per Big XII scheduling, Pinkel should not play against the color orange any more than he has to.

 

It was not a great game to witness, but in the end the Tigers got the job done.  Gabbert showed he can play through adversity and not lose his cool and the defense proved they are capable of keeping their team in the game when they are not running at full speed.  This was a wake up call to the young players to never overlook an opponent, no matter how beatable they appear.  Lesson learned.  Victory intact. 

 

FOOT NOTE:  The official attendance of 65,401 was the largest opening day crowd at Faurot Field since 1978. 

 This picture was taken immediately after my pre-game breakfast meeting with Coach Pinkel.  I offered him such pointers as, "Score more points than Bowling Green" and "Don't lose."  He used both of my game strategies. Both were successful

 

2.     CARDS COOLING OFF, BUT NOW’S THE TIME

 

It was an absolutely horrible three game set against the Braves this passed weekend.  The statistics don’t need to be repeated.  In essence, the offense sputtered (I’m sensing a theme for this season), Kyle Lohse doesn’t have the same stuff he did last year, and Chris Carpenter proved he’s human.  With the exception of Lohse, I’m not too concerned with the other two problems.  The Cards bats went silent for a series.  After two weeks of smacking the cover off the ball, they were bound to experience a setback.  Even after struggling this weekend, the offense is still averaging over 4.50 runs per game in the month of September.

 

What does concern me is the pitching of Ryan Franklin.  While the five days off this month helped him boost his velocity in his latest outing, he demonstrated the same lack of control that has plagued him this month.  So far, Franklin has walked five batters while pitching in 3.1 innings.  Last month, Franklin walked just six in eleven innings.  Since the All-Star Break, Franklin has actually walked more batters (12) than he has struck out (11).

We've been seeing too much of Franklin holding his head down.  Time for him to get back on track, or for LaRussa to hand off the ninth to someone else

His control problems also feed another issue:  The number of base runners Franklin allows in an inning.  Franklin is averaging over one base runner per inning.  While this seems insignificant, one base runner could mean the tying run is on base or at the plate.  In his last save against the Pirates, he let his one base runner, acting as the tying run, reach third base until he recorded the third and final out in the ninth.  His save before that against Milwaukee, Franklin entered the game ahead by three runs.  Two hits, one walk and three hard outs later, the Cardinals won by one run. 

 

I’m not sounding the alarm yet, but these increasingly below par numbers are becoming more worrisome.  This team needs the ability to win close games in the postseason, and still needs to win close games in the regular season to finally close out the division.  If Franklin continues to struggle this way, there is no way you can allow him to close out games in the postseason (look at Billy Wagner in 2006 and his struggles to see how frustrating this possibility could be).  The good news is you have a veteran closer in John Smoltz who could fulfill the role the rest of the way (assuming he’s healthy and hopefully won’t be needed as a starter in the playoffs).

 

While this three game skid is alarming, it’s not completely bad.  It is better to slump in September than to slump in October.  The Cardinals are also a step ahead of their 2006 World Champion pace.  On this date three years ago, the Cardinals’ magic number stood at 12.  Today it stands at 11.  Going back further, in 2002, the Cardinals again stood at 24 games over .500 and still had a magic number of 7.  Slumps around this time are normal, especially when a team has a large division lead.  The key is getting your head back in the game and realizing you haven’t accomplished anything yet.  Tony LaRussa is good at reminding his players of this as he frequently chews out players that celebrate too early (see John Mabry during the 2004 season).

 

For now this team is right where it needs to be.  Carpenter will be fine and this offense won’t stay down for long.  If anything, it’s relieving to see the team struggle as it shrinks egos and makes players more cautious as they get closer to postseason play.  If Franklin can figure himself out, or is simply replaced before it gets out of hand, this team is right back to where we thought they were last Thursday.

 

But if they continue to struggle for the next week or so, get back to me.  Then we can start talking about panicking.

Don't cry Tony.  Your team is still in first place by 9.5 games

Awakening the Dome

February 3, 2002: A nation still recovering from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks turns to its most popular sporting event, the Super Bowl, as a chance to just forget about the world for a while and celebrate the conclusion to another NFL season.

It’s Super Bowl XXXVI and the Superdome in New Orleans is rocking.  People are waving flags and are filled with the American spirit as a singing ensemble made up of Barry Manilow, James Ingram, Wynonna, Yolanda Adams and Patti LaBelle sing, “Let Freedom Ring”. A video message of President George W. Bush, former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton reading excerpts from the Declaration of Independence is played. People are screaming and shouting. People are crying. It is quite the spectacle leading up to the biggest stage in all of sports.

In the middle of all of this, there are the St. Louis Rams waiting to take the field for their second Super Bowl appearance in three years. After another record breaking 14-2 season, they are heavy favorites over their opponent, the aptly named New England Patriots. Lead by quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk, wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt, the Rams highly touted offense waits in the entrance tunnel to be introduced onto the field, on there way to the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory.

With flashbulbs going off left and right and the cheers getting louder with every name announced, Rams Wide Receiver Ricky Proehl looks into a television camera and bluntly states, “Tonight, a dynasty is born.”

Four hours later, the Patriots beat St. Louis 20-17 on a last minute 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri.

The launch of a dynasty...just not the one we expected.

Perhaps Proehl should have been a little clearer when he said that a dynasty would be born. After the Patriots upset the Rams, they went on to win two more Super Bowls in three years and have become a mainstay in the NFL Playoffs ever since, including a near perfect season in 2007.

The Rams have gone on to plunge into what seems like a never ending tailspin. Poor play on the field and poor management on the sidelines in the front office has frustrated the majority of a budding fan base to the point that the Edward Jones Dome has seen a decline in attendance every year since the 2001 season.

The disastrous Super Bowl loss was only the beginning. The next season, the Rams took the field expecting to repeat as NFC Champions. But Kurt Warner came out flat, starting his season with seven interceptions versus one touchdown pass before breaking his finger and missing a majority of the season. With Warner’s injury, St. Louis was introduced to Marc Bulger who helped dig the Rams out of an 0-5 hole and back to a .500 record and a shot at making the playoffs. But 5-5 was as close as the Rams would get as they finished the season with a 6-10 record. Fans began to turn on Kurt Warner and head coach Mike Martz for not giving the ball to Marshall Faulk more often. Both became the fan whipping boys for the Rams first losing season since 1998.

FINAL TOTAL FAN ATTENDANCE: 528, 498

Warner was out most of the 2002 season due to injury. Eventually he lost his starting job to Marc Bulger and was not resigned by the Rams. He has gone on to revive his career with Arizona.

The 2003 season started with controversy as Mike Martz named Marc Bulger the Rams starting quarterback, relegating NFL and Super Bowl XXXIV M.V.P. Kurt Warner to the role of back-up. For some, it was a breathe of fresh air while others shook their heads in disgust. However, Bulger somewhat proved his critics wrong, leading the Rams to a 12-4 finish and a first round bye in the playoffs. But the good times would stop there as Martz’s poor coaching decisions lead to an overtime win for the Carolina Panthers on the Rams home turf in the divisional playoff round. It would also be the last season that St. Louis saw Kurt Warner in a Rams uniform.

FINAL TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 528, 456

Marc Bulger lead the Rams to a postseason appearance in his first year. He is yet to repeat the success he had in 2003.

The next season, the Rams were projected to repeat as NFC West Champions and got off on the right foot with a 17-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at home. However, the season proved to be an up-and-down season and dropped to 6-8 with two games left to play on the season. The Rams rallied to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 20-7 on Monday Night Football and won a thrilling overtime victory against the New York Jets at home to clinch a playoff spot. The team went on to beat the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card game, but the good feelings were short lived as the Atlanta Falcons, lead by Michael Vick, steamrolled the Rams 47-17. Arguments between the front office and Mike Martz become very heated and both sides start using the local press to fuel the feud.

FINAL TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 527, 384

2005 was another season to forget. An injury to Marc Bulger kept him on the sidelines for the majority of the season and health problems to Mike Martz kept him from coaching the team, leading to Assistant Coach, Joe Vitt being named interim head coach. The Rams finish the season with a 6-10 record and Martz is dismissed from his head coaching duties.

FINAL TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 523, 685

"Mad" Mike Martz quickly fell out of favor with fans with his perceived pass heavy offense. Eventually he was chased out of town by fans and dismissed as the head coach.

The 2006 off-season brought signs of change and optimism to Rams fans. But that quickly changed as Miami Dolphins Offensive Coordinator, Scott Linehan was hired to replace Mike Martz as head coach. The pick of Linehan did not resonate well with fans as they expected a new approach for the team and wanted a more defense oriented approach. However, fans were excited because there young running back, Steven Jackson, would get a shot at his first full season as fan favorite Marshall Faulk was out for the season with injury and was most likely going to retire. Things started off well as the Rams got off to a 4-1 start, but a close loss to the Seahawks at home lead to a five game losing streak. The team and the fan’s frustrations were summed up in a Monday night shelling to the Chicago Bears, a game in which Bear fans outnumbered Rams fans, leading to some nasty words from Steven Jackson towards the people of St. Louis. Later in the season, a Rams game is not classified as a sell out and for the first time since the Rams relocated to St. Louis, a home game is blacked out on local television.

FINAL TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 522, 610

After an 8-8 season and a breakout Pro Bowl season by Steven Jackson, the early projections were for the Rams to make the playoffs and potentially win the NFC West. However, any optimism went out the window very quickly as the Rams lost their first eight games on their way to the worst season since moving to St. Louis. The lowlight of the season came on a Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Dome, when the Rams retired Marshall Faulk’s number…in front of a dome full of Steelers fans. Once again, a Rams home game is blacked out. Fans begin calling for the heads of Team President John Shaw, General Manager Jay Zygmunt and Head Coach Scott Linehan for poor draft picks and for poor team leadership. Linehan’s feuds with team stars Bulger, Jackson and Torry Holt become very apparent.

FINAL TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 504, 354

On what should have been a special day for Rams fans, Marshall Faulk's number 28 was retired at the Dome on a Thursday night national broadcast. Unfortunately, Steelers fans clogged the dome and Faulk's number was raised to the rafters amidst a sea of black and yellow.

2008 brought more poor feelings towards the Rams. After starting 0-4 and losing control of his team, Scott Linehan was fired and replaced with Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett on an interim basis. The Rams would win their first two games under Haslett but would lose their last ten, on their way to setting a new low in St. Louis Rams history. This appeared to be a breaking point as the total attendance at the Dome fell under 500, 000 for the first time since 1998.

FINAL TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 479, 843

Scott Linehan's tenure with the Rams can be summed up in this picture: A lot of shouting and a lot of pointing fingers.

As the 2009 Rams season begins, the Dome looks to be as empty and as silent as it has ever been. The days of the Greatest Show on Turf are long gone and have been replaced with a losing, pessimistic culture that St. Louis football fans are all too familiar with. How could a franchise on the brink of starting the next NFL dynasty fall so hard so fast and how can the Dome start rattling with the sounds of roars and cheers again?

After several bad drafts and ignoring fan pleas, the organization quickly went into disarray. The fading health and eventual death of former team owner, Georgia Frontiere left stakeholders vying for power leaving the front office and coaching staff with no clear leader. The fight in the front office trickled down to the playing field and eventually, players started fighting with coaches and suddenly the game being played wasn’t nearly as important as everyone’s self interests. The more selfish people became, the more the Rams lost and the less fans that came through the turnstiles. This season looks to mark a new low in fan attendance as season tickets are near an all-time low and predicted attendance figures have the Rams having another blacked out home game, if not more.

While the years after Super Bowl XXXVI have been some of the darker years in recent memory, 2009 marks a season of change. With the resignations of both John Shaw and Jay Zygmunt, the front office appears to be taking shape under the direction of Chip Rosenbloom. While Rosenbloom is simply cleaning house for the impending sale of the Rams, it’s a good sign to see the franchise rebuilding itself and starting off on fresh ground and having everyone working together to build a true contender for the first time in years.

For the first time since Dick Vermeil, the Rams appear to have a fairly uncontroversial coach in Steve Spagnuolo. The team appears to have rallied around Spagnuolo’s philosophy and posted their first winning record in the preseason since 2003. Spagnuolo faces a large task in getting the leaders on this team to be leaders and getting everyone to play team oriented football. He will need help from his top players in Bulger and Jackson. If Bulger can play the way everyone believes he’s capable of, that will be a start. If Jackson can keep his mouth closed and just run the football, that will be a start.

The keys to success for the franchise to move forward will be unselfish play, leaders fulfilling their rolls and players just getting back to playing the game of football.

This team will not win their division and will most likely miss the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year. But why not win five or six games? It won’t be a season to break records, but any improvement will work to show the fans the team is moving in the right direction. Any improvement will do to get them back in their favorite seat, wearing their favorite player’s jersey, sipping on their favorite beer. Any improvement to turn the Dome into the visitor’s house of horrors that it once was.

On February 3, 2002, a potential St. Louis dynasty came to a crumbling end.

On September 13, 2009, a new era in St. Louis begins. The fans will be slow to show, but every great season starts with one victory. The process of reawakening the cheers will take time. After all, the Dome wasn’t built in a day.

Steve Spagnuolo and company look to turn the entire Rams franchise around and win back the heart of St. Louis.

9/9/09 Sports Munchies

Today on Sports Munchies:

1.  We talk about how awesome Matt Holliday is and how 83 wins pretty much means a successful playoff run.

2.  We root for Old Mizzou.

3.  We talk about everything from hockey, to Kevin's lack of football knowledge.

GET MUNCHIES ON THE GO!  Right click here to download our podcast and listen to the intelligent sports talk that only Sports Munchies can provide.

Pinkel to Media: "Neener, Neener, Neener!"

The following quotes were overheard before the 2009 Arch Rivalry Game (paraphrased to help our analysts get to the point much faster)

KIRK HERBSTREIT: I just don’t see how Missouri will be able to handle that Illinois offense. Last year they allowed Juice Williams to pass for over 400 yards and gave up 42 points. This offense just isn’t the same that it was last year. Illinois hands the Tigers the first loss in this game since 1994.

LEE CORSO: Missouri just can’t handle that Illinois offense and Gabbert is unproven at running the spread. No question: Illinois takes it.

LOU HOLTZ: Blah, blah, blah, (insert something stupid about Notre Dame here), blah, blah, blah, Notre Dame could beat God in a hot dog eating contest, blah, blah, blah, blah, what do you mean there’s more than one team that plays college football?

"The great thing about Notre Dame is that Notre Dame is Notre Dame."

Okay, one of those quotes may have been exaggerated just a little bit, but you get the general idea. This year, the national media does not like the Tigers chances. Some prognosticators had the Tigers finishing as low as fourth place in the North Division of the Big XII. And for the first time since the Arch Rivalry was renewed, analysts across the board picked the Illinois Fighting Illini to beat Mizzou.

FINAL SCORE: Missouri 37 – Illinois 9.

I’m not one to say I told you so. Instead I will simply reference you to my previous post about the upcoming Tiger season. If it helps, please picture me waving my hands in the air and sticking my tongue out at you.

I understand the media’s pessimistic outlook on the Tigers. It’s hard to be positive about a team that just lost the most successful class in school history. Plus, it is simple protocol for national sports journalists to follow the formula of, “I know nothing about you, therefore, you are a bad team.” For example, look at the national coverage the Tigers received in 2007 before they entered the rankings. College Gameday did not even recognize their existence until the Tigers destroyed Nebraska 41-6 in Columbia, when players like Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin became household names.

Needless to say, several media outlets (including local Mizzou homers) were shocked at how Mizzou performed. Granted Illinois played a sloppy game, but nobody expected the largest Mizzou victory in this rivalry game since the Tigers won 31-3 in 1993, the last time the game was played at Faurot Field in Columbia.

Coach Pinkel wanted to say I told you so, but he couldn’t and is too much of a professional to say such a thing. Instead, he kept things in perspective.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do…Remember we are talking about one game,” Pinkel stressed in a post-game interview. This is fine. This is exactly what a fan wants and needs to hear, especially with the Tigers next game coming against frequent trouble maker, Bowling Green.

"YOU were wrong. And so were YOU and so were YOU!"

I don’t want to jog any bad memories so I will make this quick. In Gary Pinkel’s very first game as Mizzou’s head coach, The Bowling Green Falcon’s upset the Tigers on their home field and walked away with a 20-13 victory. The next year, the Falcons destroyed the Tigers at Bowling Green by the score of 51-28. The Tigers haven’t scheduled the Falcons ever since.

It’s easy to see why Pinkel is concentrating hard on next week. He doesn’t want his team to be overconfident and would really like to makeup for a rough start to his Mizzou career. But there are several things I would be smiling about if I were Gary Pinkel.

1. BLAINE GABBERT

It was one game, but what a way to make your presence known. Gabbert completed 25 of 33 passes, compiled 319 yards with three touchdown passes and topped it off with 39 yards rushing, including an 8-yard touchdown run. His quarterback rating of 186.96 was the highest QB rating of any Big XII quarterback playing last Saturday. It’s just one game, but Gabbert showed he can run the spread offense. The great thing is, Gabbert says he can get better.

"Chase who?" (at least for one game)

If Gabbert can find a way to improve on a very complete game (for a quarterback), Mizzou fans should be salivating about now.


2. DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT

Under new defensive coordinator Dave Steckel, the defense held Illinois to nine points; a 33 point improvement from last year. Steckel greatly simplified the Tigers’ defensive scheme and frequently had three pass rushers running down Illini quarterback, Juice Williams, making him rush throws and not giving him enough time to look down field for deep passes, which plagued the defense all of last year. Using three pass rushers is nothing new. In fact, this type of defense has already lead a team to a Super Bowl victory. In 2008, Steve Spagnuolo (then the New York Giants defensive coordinator) used this type of defense, often called a Scorpion defense, to contain Tom Brady and a very explosive New England Patriots offense. Granted it is just one game, but the defense looked much faster and much more responsive this year than it did last year when it gave up 42 points and allowed Juice Williams to throw for 451 yards.


3. STILL UNDER THE RADAR

Mizzou won’t be receiving much national attention this year, which is exactly what Pinkel wants. It allows the Tigers to sneak up on teams and to put a game away before their opponent realizes what just happened. In 2007, the Tigers very quietly got off to a 5-0 start. After gaining the spotlight with a win over Nebraska, the Tigers lost to the Oklahoma Sooners and fell off the national radar. Again, they quietly won five games in a row and rose to number four in the BCS rankings before beating the Kansas Jayhawks on the national stage. No media spotlight means Pinkel has an easier job of keeping his players focused purely on the next game to be played. He doesn’t have to worry about the distractions of frequent interviews and questions about a possible national championship or BCS bowl run. His players can live and play for right now. Just look at last season. The Tigers started off red hot, but with a nation watching and a possible number one ranking waiting, Mizzou stumbled against Oklahoma State and never fully recovered. No attention means no big head. Of course, if the Tigers rattle off the wins, this will all change. In which case, Pinkel will have some experience under his belt and be able to prepare his players better.

Pinkel was right when he said this was just one game and there is plenty of season left. But why not get excited? After all, it’s not everyday that you get to rub a victory in the face of the nation’s sportswriters.

Traverse City Game 1 Recap

Sure it's not really NHL hockey, but for guys like me who will stay up all night watching truncated versions of 2009 NHL Playoffs games on NHL network to pass the summer once St. Louis Cardinals games are over, it's a start. I'm of course referring the the twelfth annual Traverse City NHL Prospects tournament. For those in the very small minority I'm sure that don't know what the NHL Prospects tournament is all about, I'll fill you in (the rest of you bear with me and try not to laugh at our clueless fans). Every year, eight NHL franchises, including the Blues, organize a squad complete with the top prospects of the organization, as well as various unsigned and undrafted players who the respective franchises would like a longer look at. While officially the tournament doesn't give the prospects any advantage in training camp (which is just around the corner!!!!), it does give a coach another point of view if they still are having trouble placing a prospect in the system. However the tournament doesn't only make it easier for the franchises. As per NHL.com's Mike Morreale, Blues' standout T.J. Oshie says, "I think just the confidence you gain there by meeting new guys gives you a sense of the pro life and it makes you a little more comfortable for training camp."

Last night, the Baby Blues defeated the Baby Stars in game one of the 2010 tournament, winning 9-6 in a defense optional first game. The Blues' squad features notables such as, 2008's fourth overall pick Alex Pietrangelo,

University of Michigan and Team USA standout Aaron Palushaj (already anointed the next T.J. Oshie), unsigned St. Louisan Jack Combs (a flashy forward with a huge offensive upside), Goalie of the Future Jake Allen, WHL All Star Brett Sonne (who looks to make a big enough splash to stick with the big club this season, and CBC alum Phil McRae (who once could only watch helplessly as I dangled a puck between his legs then sniped it top cheese to take the lead in the 2005 MOIHA season opener)

In a 9-6 game the scoring was well spread out. Palushaj, McRae, Combs, and Sonne all had goals (Palushaj netting the pair). Pietrangelo remained absent from the scoresheet but from what I've heard he settled into a shutdown role, holding the Baby Stars' top two snipers scoreless. Despite letting in 6 goals, Jake Allen still made 31 saves for an .838 save percentage. Nerves plus the fact that tournaments like this are akin to all star games and feature less defense may have contributed to the skewed numbers. But numbers aside, this kid got the win in a western shootout type of game. I won't make a judgement on him til the end of the tournament.

For the complete scoresheet from game one visit, http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/gamesheet_full.html?gameid=1083428

Some thoughts following the first game:

1. The Blues have a very bright offensive future. Can you imagine a 2012 top 6 forward core consisting of David Perron, Brad Boyes, T.J. Oshie, Andy Macdonald, Patrik Berglund, and David Backes? Now look at a possible 2012 third line of Aaron Palushaj, Phil McRae (who in all seriousness could find a way to score on a nun), and Lars Eller, (who honestly belongs in the top 6)? Somewhere in the mix you expect to see Brett Sonne, Pat Combs, and depth guys like Jay McClement, and Alex Steen. Run the numbers Blues fans, all of these guys aren't going to ever fit on one team, and that's a good thing. Like the 2009 Cardinals, the 2010-2014 Blues will be able to make any deal necessary to fill any hole they have, and with the smart front office currently in place I doubt there will be that many holes to fill anyway.

2. The Blues have a very bright defensive future. Erik Johnson, Alex Pietrangelo, Ian Cole, Carlo Colaiocovo, Roman Polak, David Rundblad, and Barret Jackman figure to be the 2012 starting seven. But let's not forget Brett Ponich, Cade Fairchild, and Jonas Junland. Damn it feels good to be a Blues fan.

3. Kind of a conclusion after reading the first two...How nice would this look traveling down Market Street for the first time (Hayden included)?