***Official 2015 STL Cardinals Thread II***

[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 Clinched Central Division title and Home Field advantage in the playoffs. First team in MLB to win 100 games since 2011.

• 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.

[George Liquor]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Jay since returning:
5-27 .185 with 1 RBI

Starting again. Let's just keep him in there in a playoff push. He will be hitting .300 soon..........says no one

We can beat Arietta in a wild card game anyway.

This is why most people don't like Matheny as a manager

[George Liquor]

But to be fair, that Brewers lineup is fuggin terrible.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

You want it the opposite way? Like 2004 and 2005 when we were the best team in baseball all year? Killed it all year and no WS trophy?

No, I would simply prefer some balance.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Great now maybe if he does that the next 10 games he will finally be worth a shit.

I read on ESPN some where he is on track for having a 5.4 WAR by the end of the year.

A player who has a 4.0 WAR is an All-Star. A player who has a 5.4 WAR is consideration for HOF......Not saying Hayward is a perennial ALL-Star or a HOF'er but after a slow start, he has been a good addition to the team.

[George Liquor]

Wooo! There ya go Pham!

[George Liquor]

Jon Jay.. Go ahead and have a seat right over there on that bench.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

9/16/15:

Remaining Vietnamese forces in Milwaukee launch the second Tet Offensive.

[George Liquor]

Jay, you are garbage. Gtfo

[George Liquor]

..and wth? Why leave Garcia in for that AB?

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by BDj23

..and wth? Why leave Garcia in for that AB?

Where is the damn urgency? Matheny thinks we are just going to score runs at will? Has he been paying attention? Don't answer that.

[George Liquor]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Where is the damn urgency? Matheny thinks we are just going to score runs at will? Has he been paying attention? Don't answer that.

I feel like you had to pinch hit for either Jay or Garcia in that situation. An insurance run would have been nice.

[George Liquor]

Yadi, I love ya man.. But God damn, you're brutal at the plate

1-12

[BigRedChief]

Lead back up to 4. Magic #15

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by BDj23

Yadi, I love ya man.. But God damn, you're brutal at the plate

1-12

He is aging. The next few years are going to be ugly at times. Matheny needs to wake up he is no longer a #5 hitter anymore.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by BDj23

Jay, you are garbage. Gtfo

From Bernies column today.

Pham has to be in the lineup every day, and you have to go with Pham in the lineup every day until opposing pitchers identify some weaknesses, and cool him down, and make him look like an out-of-place rookie. (Good luck. Pham is 27 and is a smart hitter that makes adjustments.) And if pitchers find ways to make Pham appear overmatched, if they leave him overwhelmed, and if he suddenly begins hitting like Pete Kozma … OK, then put someone else in the lineup.


But if that doesn’t happen … if Pham continues to produce and dazzle and energize this often fragile lineup _ well, seating him on the bench borders on managerial malfeasance.


I mean, is it really possible that Matheny will do something that the other teams’ managers or and pitchers haven’t been able to do — which is ice Tommy Pham?


Well, it’s already happened once since Pham’s promotion from Memphis.


Let’s retrace:
Pham started 11 consecutive games beteween Aug. 18 and Aug. 29. During that stretch of extended playing time he batted .325, had a .438 OBP, slugged .450. That’s an .888 OPS.


Then: on the bench for three consecutive games, no starts.


Then: on Sept. 2, Pham struck out four times (with Max Scherzer pitching) in the Cards’ loss to the Washington Nationals.


Then: Pham did not start again until Sept. 13 … a string of nine consecutive games.


Then: Pham’s two-run homer in Cincinnati ripped a 2-2 tie apart, and put the Cardinals in orbit for a much needed 9-3 victory that prevented a four-game sweep by the Reds.


Then: Tuesday in Milwaukee after a scheduled off day for the team … Pham … on the bench. (SIGH).


After the Cardinals nearly wasted a beautiful start by Carlos Martinez on Tuesday night _ needing a 10th-inning two-run homer by Jason Heyward for a 3-1 win _ Matheny reinserted Pham into the lineup. And without the Pham Bam on Wednesday, the Cardinals lose that game to the Brewers.
The Cardinals have played 17 games this month. They’re batting .234, slugging only .367, and averaging a mere 3.4 runs per game.


Despite the obvious malaise on offense Matheny has started his hottest hitter _ that would be Pham _ in only three of the 17 games.


(The writer pauses to scratches his head, throws his hands into the air, and prepares to shut down his laptop before succumbing to the urge to smash it against the wall of his radio-station office.)


Play Tommy Pham, Mike.


Get this division title nailed down.


Thanks for reading…
-Bernie