"Official" 2011 St. Louis Cardinals Thread

[BigRedChief]

This is so unreal. We were dead. No hope. A season over. Somehow, someway we find some team chemistry and squeak into the playoffs on the last day of the season.

Only to find us facing one of the best pitching staffs assembled in years with home field advantage. We somehow, someway find a way to beat the best pitcher in baseball on the road in an elimination game.

We have to go on the road and beat the team with the best home record in baseball. A team who mortgaged their future to make this run .We somehow, someway find a way to beat them on the road and make our 18th World series trip.

We take game 1, we give away game 2 and home field advantage. Albert goes off for probably the best performance in World Series history and we take game 3 easily. Games 4 & 5 our bats fall asleep, Phone gate happens and its not looking too good.

Game 6, one of the best baseball games of all time and it takes place in a season ending go home game. Cardinals are down 2 runs in their final chance on the season, twice. They are down to their final strike of the season, twice. They give up a 2 run homer in extra innings. In the bottom of the inning their final 3 batters are a combined 3-26 in the Playoffs and a pitcher because the bench is empty. Somehow, someway they get some runners on and the comeback player of the year drives in the tying run. Mr. Freese hits the walk off home run. We will see you tommorrow night.

Game 7, With our bulldog on the mound pitching on 3 days rest he is able to give us 6 good innings and get us to within 9 outs of our 11 World series title. Texas meltsdown, probably left over from last nights game and its over.

The underdog, come back team who had no business even being in the playoffs wins a World championship. They make movies about events like this in life. Events that you remember even if your not a fan of the sport or team for the rest of your life.

When it is your team.......Priceless


.

[Scott Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Carl Crawford is a 5-7 WAR player most years, you stupid ****.

Batting average is a stupid ****ing statistic to use, BTW.

Holiday is much better using WAR too. the ONLY part of the game that Crawford is better then Holiday, is Speed and Defense. and I was not saying I would take Pierre over Crawford but i would take Pierre at 8m over Crawford at 20m any day of the week and twice on sundays

[Scott Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

He didn't. He flipped a routine flyball into the jet stream for a solo homer and had a bunch of seeing eye singles. BFD.

IDK I think 10 hits in a playoff series 3 of them being xbh is a pretty damn solid series.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Scott Pilgrim

Can some please explain to me the Holliday hate. I understand he had a shit World Series, but have we already forgot the LCS were he came up huge? He had dealt with injures most of the season yet still had a higher OBS and OPS then "King" Albert.

Let's see - he's a liability at the plate. He's a liability in the field. He's a liability running the bases. Other than that, yeah, I ****ing love the guy.

Reminds me of the exchange from Major League:

I thought you said we didn't have any high-priced talent.
Oh, I forgot about Dorn because he's only high-priced.

[Scott Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by frazod

Let's see - he's a liability at the plate. He's a liability in the field. He's a liability running the bases. Other than that, yeah, I ****ing love the guy.

Reminds me of the exchange from Major League:

I thought you said we didn't have any high-priced talent.
Oh, I forgot about Dorn because he's only high-priced.

He is a liability at the plate? do tell me more.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Scott Pilgrim

He is a liability at the plate? do tell me more.

There were seven fairly important games played recently. Apparently you missed them.

[Scott Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by frazod

There were seven fairly important games played recently. Apparently you missed them.

you are judging a baseball player on 6 games, sorry without Matt Holliday they do not play in those 7 games. He had his worst season at the plate this year and still put up star numbers that are well worth 17 million.

[Scott Pilgrim]

But maybe we can get Michael Young from Texas because he obviously sucks! or he did in the last 7 games of the season and you know that is all that matters

[SuckForLuck]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Carl Crawford is a 5-7 WAR player most years, you stupid ****.

Batting average is a stupid ****ing statistic to use, BTW.

Player A

2007: 7.7 WAR
2008: 6.2 WAR
2009: 5.6 WAR
2010: 6.7 WAR
2011: 5.0 WAR

Player B

2007: 3.3 WAR
2008: 2.8 WAR
2009: 5.9 WAR
2010: 7.6 WAR
2011: .2 WAR

Player A is about 1.6 years older than Player B. Whom would you rather have?


Player A= Matt Holliday
Player B= Carl Crawford

Please, I'm begging you again. Use data to drive your conclusions about Holliday. Not emotion.

[SuckForLuck]

And let's not forget:

Matt Holliday is going into year 3 of a 7 year contract that pays him an average of 17.1 million a year.

Carl Crawford is going into year 2 of a 7 year contract that pays him an average of 20.3 million a year.


So, how would Crawford be a preferable option to Holliday? The data cuts against your idea of Crawford as the obvious preference.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Scott Pilgrim

you are judging a baseball player on 6 games, sorry without Matt Holliday they do not play in those 7 games. He had his worst season at the plate this year and still put up star numbers that are well worth 17 million.

Well, that and the typical steaming pile of fail he always brings to the playoffs. He truly seems to resent playing ball past the end of September. I've hated him since he dropped that fly ball against the Dodgers and he's rarely done anything to improve my opinion. This guy is Mr. Anti-Clutch and always has been, and his fielding is atrocious. If he's your hero, so be it, but I'd trade him back to Colorado for a six-pack of Coors, and I really don't give a shit how you feel about that.

[SuckForLuck]

Originally Posted by frazod

Well, that and the typical steaming pile of fail he always brings to the playoffs. He truly seems to resent playing ball past the end of September. I've hated him since he dropped that fly ball against the Dodgers and he's rarely done anything to improve my opinion. This guy is Mr. Anti-Clutch and always has been, and his fielding is atrocious. If he's your hero, so be it, but I'd trade him back to Colorado for a six-pack of Coors, and I really don't give a shit how you feel about that.

Frazod,

I discussed this claim with 'Hamas' Jenkins earlier in the thread. View my previous posts for my thoughts. I'm interested in your thoughts on them.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Hootie is right, you guys are ridiculous.

Trade Holliday? Dump Garcia?

Name one team that wouldn't love to have these guys. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Hootie is right, you guys are ridiculous.

Trade Holliday? Dump Garcia?

Name one team that wouldn't love to have these guys. Absolutely ridiculous.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

McClellan really has no use for this team. What can he do that Lance Lynn can't do better?

Hell, he's worse than Boggs.

2012 wise, you're probably hoping for this as your 25 man:

SP: Carp
SP: Waino (I think we should skip every 5th start he has to save his arm)
SP: Garcia
SP: Lohse
SP (Pick One): Westbrook/Dickson/Lynn

CL: Motte
SU: Sanchez
MR: Salas
MR: Rzep
LOOGY: ??
LR (Pick 2): Lynn/Westbrook/Dickson

1B: Albert
2B: ???
3B: Freese
SS: Furcal
C: Yadi
LF: Holliday
CF: Jay
RF: Berkman
4th OF: Craig
C/Util: Cruz
Util: Descalso

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by SuckForLuck

And let's not forget:

Matt Holliday is going into year 3 of a 7 year contract that pays him an average of 17.1 million a year.

Carl Crawford is going into year 2 of a 7 year contract that pays him an average of 20.3 million a year.


So, how would Crawford be a preferable option to Holliday? The data cuts against your idea of Crawford as the obvious preference.

He fits what the lineup needs more and gets out of the toxic environment in Boston. He's also a far superior defensive OF, one of the best in baseball before this year, actually.

His contract is horrible. It just so happens that Holliday's is as well. That considered, I'll take the guy who was, on average since he became a full-time player, a 4.5 WAR guy over what I've seen from Matt Holliday the last 2.5 years.