***Official 2015 STL Cardinals Thread***

[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

• Made the postseason 10 times in the last 14 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 BDj23

Just call it

Agreed. I'd be okay if the score was turned around. Everyone knew the rain was coming and they play a doubleheader tomorrow.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Fair enough but it doesn't change the analysis - Heyward still should have taken 3b there.

I suppose it's possible that Heyward's a mad genius that was looking far enough ahead that he knew he'd open up the SS hole by staying at 2b...but I suspect not.

Your runs expected improve significantly by getting to 3b, even with 2 outs. He simply dicked up (because this team runs the bases like ass) and got lucky when his screwup put a shift in order that led to a run.

Yeah, was just correcting said statement

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Ultimately I guess you just have to define 'adequate'.

Would you concede that Defensive Runs Saved is probably among the best defensive metrics out there?

I went back as far as I could find numbers for and in that time I found 3 truly abysmal defensive seasons for 1b - 1 by Mike Jacobs, 1 by Carlos Delgado and 1 by Prince Fielder. Those 3 seasons are the only 3 seasons I could find where a 1b managed a -20 DRS or worse. Using James' fairly straightforward '10 runs equals a win' rule, the 3 absolute worst defensive seasons I could find by a 1b cost their team 2 wins each.

Prince Fielder was easily the most routinely terrible 1b I could find and he averaged about -10 DRS per season; so 1 win lost.

The absolute worst defensive 1b in baseball over a 10 year period cost his team approximately 1 win per year on defense.

Do I think Matt Holliday could do that? Yeah, yeah I do. There's nothing 'adequate' about that performance; it's quite terrible. But on the scale of terrible and in consideration of the damage a 1b is actually capable of out there, I think his offense at 1b would more than make up for clear deficiencies on defense.

I keep thinking about Allen Craig. He did NOTHING correct defensively. He didn't get into a proper crouch, he didn't break at his knees, his footwork was hot garbage, he didn't pick balls well. He was an abysmal defensive 1b. Everything he did looked like an OF playing 1b and yet he was worth 'only' about -5 DRS over a 1500 inning season.

It's not a great solution but I'm done overstating the difficulty of the position and the downside of the experiment. It's a calculus and in that calculus you'll absolutely take a hit defensive at 1b but you'll be a better team with Bourjos/Grichuk getting those ABs over Reynolds. Moreover, what you lose defensively at 1b you gain back, at least partially, by having Bourjos or Grichuk in defensively over Holliday.

Desperate times...

I think the more simple move is just to go get someone to play first.

Hell, I'll agree with Hamas and take Napoli at this point.

And pgm can eat shit.

[O.city]

It's about time to hand Piscotty a first base mitt.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

It's about time to hand Piscotty a first base mitt.

27 doubles with a walkoff 2 bagger tonight.

2 seasons removed from 3b I absolutely refuse to believe he can't play average 1b and I'm sure we could coax 1 WAR per 300 ABs out of him.

Like I said, before we go giving up talent for a 1b, we'd be extremely irresponsible to not try Piscotty at 1b. Even if we find a solution for this year, it's time to stop gifting Adams a starting job. Piscotty could either provide a long-term 1b option or perhaps even light a fire under that fat ****er's ass.

Dammit, I'm extremely angry at Matt Adams again. I still can't believe that we're in this position because that fat bastard couldn't be bothered to put in the work to keep his legs from exploding while jogging the bases.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

27 doubles with a walkoff 2 bagger tonight.

2 seasons removed from 3b I absolutely refuse to believe he can't play average 1b and I'm sure we could coax 1 WAR per 300 ABs out of him.

Like I said, before we go giving up talent for a 1b, we'd be extremely irresponsible to not try Piscotty at 1b. Even if we find a solution for this year, it's time to stop gifting Adams a starting job. Piscotty could either provide a long-term 1b option or perhaps even light a fire under that fat ****er's ass.

Dammit, I'm extremely angry at Matt Adams again. I still can't believe that we're in this position because that fat bastard couldn't be bothered to put in the work to keep his legs from exploding while jogging the bases.

Yeah, and the fatty has always hit. Although, he has she'd about 25 lbs since his days at Hammonds field. He should improve, don't think he will though.

Let Piscotty do what reynolds is doing with Adams next year

[DJ's left nut]

Jesus ****...it's not a damn slow pitch softball game - it's gametime, fellas. Stop dicking around out there.

I'm pretty sure Matt Holliday could've made less of an adventure of that mess.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

He wouldn't have been. So it would have been a simple force at 1b and the inning is still over.

Like I said, the analysis doesn't change - they scored because Heyward screwed up. It was simply butt lucky baseball.

People will use it to claim that Mike Matheny: Master Motivator had his guys playing scrappy baseball but the reality is that it was shitty baserunning combined with extreme fortune.

It was absolutely terrible base running to not be at 3rd, but the run would have scored regardless in this instance.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi

It was absolutely terrible base running to not be at 3rd, but the run would have scored regardless in this instance.

No, it absolutely would not have. That ball of Wong's bat was directly to where the SS would have been standing had Castro not been playing behind Heyward. That defensive alignment was directly in response to Heyward dancing off 2b.

The run was a direct result of Heyward's crappy baserunning.

[O.city]

There's a missed run, but grichuk picks him up

[George Liquor]

Pounding the Cubs never gets old.

[O.city]

The offensive issues just don't seem to be a lack of offensive talent, to me atleast.

They won't lead the league in homers, but (with a healthy holliday) they should wear out the gaps. Carpenter needs to get his shit together too.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Those insurance runs were great for the wear and tear they saved Rosenthal.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by O.city

I think the more simple move is just to go get someone to play first.

Hell, I'll agree with Hamas and take Napoli at this point.

And pgm can eat shit.

Napoli has fallen off the Earth in the last month. I'd pump my brakes on that one. I thought he was turning a corner in May, but he might just be a declining player with necrotic hips. Ironically, there is scuttlebutt about bringing up Craig to replace Napoli.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Napoli has fallen off the Earth in the last month. I'd pump my brakes on that one. I thought he was turning a corner in May, but he might just be a declining player with necrotic hips. Ironically, there is scuttlebutt about bringing up Craig to replace Napoli.

Well **** man, I don't know what we're gonna do at first. I think Lind is the best bet, but I don't think they'll trade in the division.

Do the A's have anyone they'll move?