***Official 2015 STL Cardinals Thread III.***

[BigRedChief]

2011 World Series Championship
2012 NLCS. One win from another WS appearance.
2013 World Series. Two wins from another World Series Championship
2014 NLCS. Three wins from another WS appearance
2015 Central Division title. Won 100 games. Lost in the NLDS.

• Made the postseason 11 times in the last 15 seasons.
• Only 1 losing season since 2000.
• Reached the World Series 4 times since 2004 and won as many championships (two) the past eight seasons as it did from 1965 to 2005.
• Made the NLCS 9 times including the last 4 years 2011-2014
• Three million attendance? Take it to the bank.
• 65 post season wins since 2004. 22+ wins more than any other team.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Grichuk had a better ISO than Cespedes this year.

The problem with Randal is that even if he has a .340 BABIP because he scorches the ball that's going to take him down into the .240 range unless he starts putting the ball in play more. That puts his OBP at the sub-.300 level.

So we can't trade him and get anything of value, correct? What if he figures it out and starts putting more balls in play and lays off the shit in the dirt?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Or Washington fan being beat by Pete Kozma. Or Met fan being beat deep by a no hit catcher. This list could go on forever. Why? The playoffs are a crapshoot. The best team rarely wins.

I don't have any sympathy for the Mets because Chavez robbed a HR from Rolen in that game that he catches one out of infinity times.

Kozma? Yeah, that's gotta sting, but think of how many times we've been rat****ed by the following types:

Craig Counsell
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Yuniesky Betancourt
Jonny Gomes
Marco Scutaro
Travis Ishikawa

Or when ****holes like Barry Zito, a broke-ass Clay ****holz, Jose Lima (burn in hell, mother****er), or Brandon Backe shut us down in the playoffs.


The Cardinals have been bent over many, many times.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

With a .412 BABIP over 80 PA. Baez is who he is--an undisciplined hacker with a 30+% K-rate.

He's exactly right.

Kris Bryant also had a 30% K-rate. Is he an undisciplined hacker too? Schwarber was 28%.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

So we can't trade him and get anything of value, correct? What if he figures it out and starts putting more balls in play and lays off the shit in the dirt?

Guys generally are who they are. You don't see players dropping their K-rates by huge amounts without significant drops in power.

He can refine himself somewhat, but he'll never get his K-rate below 25% w/o a significant change in approach that likely saps his power.

His pitch recognition can improve, but by how much?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Kris Bryant also had a 30% K-rate. Is he an undisciplined hacker too? Schwarber was 28%.

Kris Bryant doesn't strike out five times as often as he walks. You're a ****ing idiot, man. Go back to the kids table.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Kris Bryant doesn't strike out five times as often as he walks. You're a ****ing idiot, man. Go back to the kids table.

He just put the ball in play less than Baez. Baez must have been pretty lucky this year.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by jd1020

He just put the ball in play less than Baez. Baez must have been pretty lucky this year.

A .420 BABIP is pretty much completely unheard of. Take it down to still an ungodly .350 and he's hitting .219 and getting on base 27% of the time.

Eighty ABs mean nothing.

The goal of batting is out prevention and run creation. Both Bryant and Baez can do that with their power. Bryant can also get on via walks. Baez can't.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Eighty ABs mean nothing.

Exactly. Which makes it all that more impressive he put up those numbers on spot duty.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Exactly. Which makes it all that more impressive he put up those numbers on spot duty.

It doesn't make it impressive; it makes it fortunate.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It doesn't make it impressive; it makes it fortunate.

The bitterness tastes so sweet.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Guys generally are who they are. You don't see players dropping their K-rates by huge amounts without significant drops in power.

He can refine himself somewhat, but he'll never get his K-rate below 25% w/o a significant change in approach that likely saps his power.

His pitch recognition can improve, but by how much?

So you trade him? If so, whats the market?

Put him with Wong/Adams/Grichuk

we sign Zoebrist as a FA?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

So you trade him? If so, whats the market?

Put him with Wong/Adams/Grichuk

we sign Zoebrist as a FA?

**** Zobrist. That guy is going to be 35 years old.

You probably have to look at moving Grichuk, but you need to be getting a good 1B or SS back to make the deal. Otherwise it's not worth it.

DJ has said it before--his comp might be Adam Jones, but it's pretty rare for players like Adam Jones to come around. It's a highly unusual skill set.

Given that the Cardinals are about as healthy as a bisexual hemophiliac heroin-addicted Haitian in 1986, count on severe attrition in the outfield and him playing a ton of games.

Holliday is old
Jay sucks
Pham is fragile

I don't know if Adams has options left. He's certainly not a quality starter. I'd send his lazy ass down to Memphis until he decides to make baseball a priority.

If you tender Moss you could roll him out at first, but that depends on a lot of moving pieces (Heyward, namely)

This is why Mo makes the big bucks.

There is jack and **** available at short and first.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by jd1020

The bitterness tastes so sweet.

It has nothing to do with bitterness; it's a simple statement of fact.

Normally I'd tell you to act like you've been there before, but...so I'll just tell you this: enjoy the ride.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It has nothing to do with bitterness; it's a simple statement of fact.

Normally I'd tell you to act like you've been there before, but...so I'll just tell you this: enjoy the ride.

Act like I've been there before because I think it's funny that a pitcher throws a belt high fastball to a HR hitter and gives no credit to the hitter? Ok...

2014 Baez is trying to pull that ball to left field.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Act like I've been there before because I think it's funny that a pitcher throws a belt high fastball to a HR hitter and gives no credit to the hitter? Ok...

2014 Baez is trying to pull that ball to left field.

You're acting like the guy is something he isn't. You brought up his BA like it was an indication that he had improved. His peripherals show that his BA is entirely supported by a ridiculous BABIP and he's still K'ing just as much and never walking.

On top of that, you're making dispositive statements about an 80 AB sample.

You don't know what you're talking about. Just shut up and move on.