The body just isn't designed to throw objects overhead repeatedly.

Actually surprised more QB's dont have problems, but I guess its a little different motion?

The windup places tremendous pressure on a pitcher's UCL. I read once that every time a pitcher throws a slider the ligament is placed under a load that is near its ultimate tensile strength.

QBs don't tend to throw at as high of an arm angle either.

Taveras is going to start at AAA Memphis.

Anybody else they are conaidering flipping mephis and springfield to make spf aaa?

For what reason?

Well, we're off.

Also, anyone know the timetable for Freese?

Nice recovery by Wainwright.

Good to see Salas is still ****ing terrible. How did he make this team?

Did you watch the game? It really wasn't that bad. Just some bad breaks. He hit 94 on the radar gun.

With Kelly in the bulllpen why are you using Salas at all?

Sweet, the Salas bashing as already begun. Cut his worthless ass.

I turned in somewhat early, but I watched most of it. Probably a good thing I stopped before they put that useless **** Salas in :banghead: HOW IN THE HELL IS HE STILL ON THE TEAM :banghead:

Wainwright didn't look bad. Unfortunately, the other guy looked great.

Our bullpen is way too strong to allow Salas to keep blowing or making games worse. There is no excuse.

Better than the Cubs , not as good as the Reds.

There is way too much pitching depth in this franchise for Salas to be in the major leagues.

Wainwright looked really good the first three innings, but ran out of gas... IN THE FOURTH INNING!?

The offense also reminded me a lot of last year. It became clear after the third inning that it was gonna be one of those games. Hopefully just opening day jitters, or I'm gonna have a long, pissed off season.

I think that line drive off his right shoulder may have had something to do with it.

Hit his arm, not his shoulder. Said it didn't affect him in any way.

No idea, I assume because of Sprigfields stadium, just a rumor ive heard.

Looked like the back of the shoulder to me but thats not really relevant anyway.

I know what he said. Things also took a nose dive shortly there after. He wont admit it effected him now either even if it did. He and Carp are pretty stubborn that way so its hard to tell.

Regardless it wasn't pretty but it was 1 game. The shit base running is something I still cant figure out. That's going on about 3 years now.

Need to take game 2 tonight. Frickin' Montero!

Bats woke up today!

Heath Bell has that effect on bats.

Side note - Trevor Rosenthal still throws really really hard. Went up the ladder twice to punch guys out at 100 mph tonight. The kid has some of the easiest gas you'll ever see.

Nice bullpen...young kid from Lees Summit running up there at 100 mph

Mitchell Boggs is in there to wrap up this game.

St.Louis wins 6-1

In regards to Waino, his results wouldn't look that bad if Beltran were 100% and ran down a couple of those catchable balls that ended up being run scoring doubles.

Kozma and Jay absolutely MURDERED those two homeruns. Bell was less effective than a pitching machine. And what's up with that pussy in center field that ran away and let his gf/wife/sister get hit square in the face by Kozma's homerun? The Cardinal announcers were dogging him pretty well, and he deserved it.

I know it hurts the Reds, but I feel kinda bad for Ryan Ludwick. He may come back this year, but I doubt he'll be effective.

You see his girlfriend? I'm not going to put myself in the line of fire for that either...

No shit. Beltran is going to be a huge liability in RF this year.

And Jay misplayed the other hit that should have been an out instead scored two runs.

Luckily we have Holliday in left to balance everything out! :facepalm:

I've been shocked by Beltran so far. He looks to have the range of Jeff Francoeur, circa 2012. Didn't seem that bad when I saw him last year (30 games or so).

hey the dude hit a two run homer last night and got the bats going.:harumph:

In his defense, he is trying to play on a broken toe. That's going to hamper your mobility a bit.

But yeah, I've seen RFers in Co-Ed softball games with better range than we're getting out of Carlos right now. Lance Berkman was a better OFer in 2011.

Garcia and Westbrook may avoid the pain due to their extreme GB tendencies, but Wainwright, Lynn and Miller are all going to have to be razor sharp to get around that. Lynn and Miller may have even more trouble as power righties that RH hitters are going to look to serve balls the other way against.

That's nice. He gets paid millions to do it, too. Doesn't change the fact that he's a marginal fielder.

Well, the Cardinals have some potential solutions. What would it take to go to them? Why not let Beltran get healthy now?

Besides, if you figure you're only going to get 130 good games from Carlos, it wouldn't be a terrible thing if the last 15 of those are in September rather than July...

Adams at 1B/Craig in RF or Taveras up for a RF stint would seem to make a lot of sense.

Would be shocked if Tav comes up before June 15th or whenever the deadline is that gives St Louis arbitration/player control for another year.

It's all about service days, though. They could bring him up for, say, 2 weeks to give Beltran time to get healthy, then send him back down. Just would mean they'd have to leave him down for 2-3 weeks longer down the road.

The deadline for the extra year of control is a moving target, but early MAy (first two weeks) is likely safe. If they brought him up for two weeks now, they could always send him back down and wait until the end of May to call him up.

Not the only option, though. Adams up and to 1B and Craig to RF seems sensible.

No

@dgoold: RT @thefishnation Breaking: Sources: @Cardinals close to striking deal to purchase @memphisredbirds & AutoZone Park. Talks moving quickly.

I didn't realize this until I just read it.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseb...734c28cf5.html

OK, we now return you to the regular Bird Land blog already in progress ...

The Church of Clutch hasn't had a chance to warm up its vocal chords yet this season, but when it does perhaps it can turn to the Book of Holliday for the update stats after his two-run homer broke a 1-1 tie last night against Arizona starter Trevor Cahill. According to the home run database kept by Tom Orf, left field Matt Holliday tops the current era of Cardinals when it comes to putting the team ahead in the sixth inning or later with a home run. The leaders, from 2009-2013, and No. 3 on the list might surprise you because he hasn't taken an at-bat for the Cardinals since mid-2011:

Matt Holliday 13
Albert Pujols 11
Colby Rasmus 5
Yadier Molina 5
Lance Berkman 4
Allen Craig 3
Ryan Ludwick 3
Rick Ankiel 3

LMAO delusional Springfield locals. Memphis is a much bigger city with a stadium that's just as nice as Springfield's, except with double the seating capacity.

No body is being delusional, it's a rumor I have heard from various people..

Springfield probably has the nicest AA stadium, that generates decent revenue for a double a club.

Lynn is the best half-pitcher ever! 4321

Our pitching is teh suck, but this is a very entertaining game. Cards retake the lead on a Yadi HR.

I said on my Cards board that the D-Backs hitters would probably lodge a protest for having to try to square up all that moving mess that Mujica throws after getting razor straight slop at the same speed from Kelly all night.

A guy responded "Yeah, it always sucks when they flip the switch from beginner to expert on you"

I'd say that about nails it. The difference between Kelly out there throwing like Armando Benitez ("Hmmmm....they hit that one, I should throw the next one harder") and Mujica keeping his wits about him, staying within himself and getting the job done was just night and day.

Now its Rosenthal's turn to come out and kick everyone's ass so we can hold our breaths for Boggs. The 'pen definitely feels a man short right now.

"Screw the curve, give 'em the hard stuff Ricky!"

Rosenthal needs to keep that in the back of his mind. Isn't fooling anyone with that offspeed shit.

**** me. :facepalm:

Nasty split.

Shit, that looked like it might drop in for a second.

"Not a good ballpark for Salas." What is, Yellowstone?

LMAO I was thinking something similar.

Actually, I was just thinking the announcers should be beaten for even mentioning his name in the 9th inning of a tie game.

Getting tired, letting his shoulder fly open.

I'm getting tired, need to go to bed. Hope this ends quickly.

Slightly OT: Now that Andrus has been locked up by Texas, what does that portend for Profar?

Do they move Kinsler and put him at 2nd, or try and move Profar for a corner bat?

Does he have the power to be a corner bat? :shrug:

Boggsringhausen. Great.

coool. salas. boggs was dealin

It keeps going, and going, and going, and going.....

Wheres Heath Bell?

Short-term, I think they move Kinsler to a corner OF spot or 1B (or trade him).

Long-term, I think Profar is their 2B and a lineup anchor for a decade or more. Just can't see them choosing to commit to Kinsler (who is 30) rather than Profar.

I don't know. Why would you move the best SS prospect in baseball to a new position? He or Kinsler could get mad about the move even if Profar had no choice for 6 years. He could become average at 2B, a lot of things could go wrong.

I still think Taveras for Profar is more of a possibility now than last week. It just makes sense for both teams.

I've been drooling at seeing Taveras probably like Ranger fans have been for Profar. But we have options at the corner OF position. We have nothing at SS. The Rangers are set in the middle infield but need a long term solution for a corner Outfielder.

I agree with this. I don't see Texas doing this straight up though because SS are at a premium compared to OF. I'm torn because I've been following Taveras for years but looking at it in a general managerial big picture kind of way, it'd be a no brainer for the Cardinals to trade Taveras for Profar and have that cost controlled franchise SS for years.

Maybe thats the hold up. Maybe the Rangers want Taveras and someone like Kelly?

One of the things EVERYONE loves about Profar is his approach, leadership and attitude. At least most scouting reports I've seen. I can't see the guy complaining about being asked to play a different MI position. He's a baseball rat on top of his extraordinary baseball skills.

I'm also not convinced Profar isn't a better defensive option at SS than Andrus in the long-run (based on recent scouting buzz), but the big-money commitment seems to indicate the Rangers are sticking with Andrus there.

It doesn't make sense to me to commit to Kinsler long-term rather than Profar (one is 20, the other is 30). It's also much easier to find an above-average corner OF than it is to find even an average 2B/SS.

I can see that it would potentially increase the likelihood they move Profar, but if they were trading with the Cardinals for Taveras, everything I've seen indicates you're talking about Taveras + another quality name (at least, maybe two, with one being at a lower level).

Personally, I'd love for Taveras to end up in Texas, as I have him for $1 in my auction/keeper league, and he'd put up insane numbers in Arlington.

Kelly not close to enough by himself, I don't think (Cardinals fans like him much more than the rest of baseball). Could be the third piece, though (maybe they convince Texas to do it for Taveras, Kelly and Jenkins or Martinez rather than Taveras + Rosenthal).

I'd be against trading Taveras+ Kelly+ a AA prospect. Maybe I'm too close to the situation but that seems way too much to pay for Profar. Cardinal fans would go ballastic if they traded Taveras and one of Rosenthal/Jenkins/Martinez for Profar.

I think that's what it would take. Or Miller/Wacha + Rosenthal/Jenkins/Martinez.

I've got to admit, I don't see what Cardinals fans see regarding Joe Kelly. I see a league average starter/replacement-level starter (OK No. 4/5 guy). A valuable commodity, to be sure, but not a star by any means. And the 7th or 8th best young and controlled option the Cardinals have in the next few years.

Pretty sure if Profar can play SS he could play CF too...

Or they could just get rid of Kinsler.

Then it will never happen. The Cardinals FO knows that the fan base would be so pissed off about the deal. The FO needs those 3 million fans every year to break even financially.

Really?

The Cardinals fanbase would be be that pissed off in trading for the No. 1 prospect in baseball, at a severe position of need, and solving the franchise's SS situation for the next 12 years?

What would piss them off? Moving Taveras by itself? Or having to surrender some secondary prospects in additional to Taveras to get him?

A straight-up swap of Taveras and Profar isn't going to happen.

Have to give up enough to make the trade worth the Rangers' while...

Kelly's a good kid with a nice fastball and a great nickname, but he's pretty much a one pitch pitcher.

I'd be fine with trading him.

Here's the problem: the Rangers Chief'd themselves with the Andrus deal. Unless they move Kinsler they've blocked their best prospect.

If I were the Cardinals, I might take the Andrus contract as a red flag WRT Profar. If you believed in him to the extent that you say, why would you block his natural position of greatest impact and need?

I'd offer them Tavares and Kelly for Profar but no more. To be honest, at this point I could see why the Cardinals would be reticent to do more than a straight up deal. The Rangers could have easily moved Andrus for a corner outfielder and kept a cost-controlled Profar but didn't.

Why?

Addendum: Cardinals fans are not going to riot or stop attending games b/c they trade Taveras. That's preposterous.

I was talking about the fan base being pissed at trading Taveras + Kelly + one of Rosenthal/Jenkins/Martinez for Profar not the idea of trading Taveras.

They wouldn't revolt. They'd be pissed, but they'd show up.

Yeah Card fans showed up 22K+ for every game in the late 70's when we sucked ass. We are just too loyal. the fandome runs too deep.

I don't think they'd ask for Rosenthal+Taveras+ another piece.

You'd see Texas take Taveras + Rosenthal, IMO.

I think a third piece becomes involved ONLY if Joe Kelly is part of the deal. He's not a strong enough second piece by himself. The third piece would likely be a minor-league guy, and not part of the elite core that is basically ready to start for an MLB team (Miller, Wacha, Rosenthal)

Is anybody else concerned about Lynnderella's arm falling off in the 5th inning? I realize it's only one game, but it sure looks like he's picking up where he left off last year, and not in a good way.

Not really. The guy is a load and it's early in the season. I'd be far more concerned with Garcia, as he's proven over multiple seasons that anything more than 6 innings from him is an absolute godsend.

Lynn is just a second year starter. He's got good, but not great, stuff and he's going to occasionally fall off the cliff. If it happens for two more starts then get concerned, but I wouldn't read too much into last night's struggles being a carryover from last year.