"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


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[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

DJ,

I like you, but I'm having a really hard time keeping track of where you stand on the Pujols saga given that you wanted to get rid of him, then thought that given Mozeliak's incompetence we should keep him and pay him what it takes, and now are fine with letting him go again.

It's a Hootiean display of flip flopping.

Everyone knows that you will be overpaying Pujols in the last 5 years of the contract. That's not the issue here. The issue is that the man has earned that money relative to his performance on the field and the compensation of his peers, of whom he really has none.

We've banked a remarkable surplus in value over the last several seasons, and while I can understand holding onto that in some situations, for iconic players, they deserve to get that back.

8/$200 is a ridiculous offer. Look, the market has been set. If Rodriguez is worth 10/275, even with a Yankees tax, then Pujols is worth 10/300.

You seemed to have no problem with giving him 30 MM per year when you responded to my earlier post about payroll dispersion in lieu of the expiring Carpenter and Berkman contracts. What gives?

My position has been three-fold (and I understand the confusion).

1) That Moe should've done this prior to the Holliday extension and all of this gets done for less than $25 million/season, IMO.

2) That barring that, I think the owners should've sucked it up and paid the extra money. They should've given him about $27.5 over 8 and raised payroll by $10 million. That increase should not have been met with an increase in ticket prices and should've been considered a "Pujols-Tax" paid by the owners as a payback to the fans for packing the seats and approving the stadium.

From there, they should've built the team as though Pujols has a $17 million 'payroll' figure as opposed to a $27 million one. That puts that 'tax' on them and ensures that the Cardinals remain competitive.

That's the PR argument I'm referring to. I absolutely understand that position and it's the one I'd have preferred. In the 'Berkman/Carpenter' response, I qualified my whole argument by saying that "If the owners make the right decision and raise payroll...." then it's easy to incorporate him into their budget.

3) That if the owners refuse to make the PR conscious decision and instead approach it from a purely baseball perspective, not signing Albert to that deal is the right decision. That contract is a poor baseball decision; he's simply not going to live up to it. If they believe they can take that money and build a better ballclub with it, I absolutely respect that and am fine with it. If, however, they take that money and pocket it in lieu of building the ballclub, I'm gonna be mighty pissed off.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

With regards to 3), what about DeWitt's past makes you think that he won't pocket it?

[Halfcan]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

damn clayton that is some funny chit.

yep

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

With regards to 3), what about DeWitt's past makes you think that he won't pocket it?

Very little, unfortunately.

And with Edmonds retiring today, I have one less thing to look forward to this season.

I just can't get excited about baseball this spring.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Very little, unfortunately.

And with Edmonds retiring today, I have one less thing to look forward to this season.

I just can't get excited about baseball this spring.

WTF?! Jimmy retired? That SUCKS A FAT COCK

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Very little, unfortunately.

And with Edmonds retiring today, I have one less thing to look forward to this season.

I just can't get excited about baseball this spring.

Doesn't suprise me. As soon as Edmonds signed that deal I kept saying he only signed it to retire a Cardinal.

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Doesn't suprise me. As soon as Edmonds signed that deal I kept saying he only signed it to retire a Cardinal.

I think he could have beaten out Jay because Tony tends to have man crushes on old players that are past their prime.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by Rams Fan

I think he could have beaten out Jay because Tony tends to have man crushes on old players that are past their prime.

Tony also shit all over Edmonds after they didn't resign him.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Doesn't suprise me. As soon as Edmonds signed that deal I kept saying he only signed it to retire a Cardinal.

I don't think that was his sole purpose. I think he did it thinking his foot would come around and he'd have a crack at 400 HRs.

But the foot never healed and his Achilles is evidently barking. So he shut down the comeback.

That just blows, IMO. I really really wanted a chance to see him in the BOTB one more time. I think he was under-appreciated in his time here and I wish the Cardinal Nation would've had another chance to show him how much they appreciate what he did for some truly special ballclubs.

This offseason has sucked so hard.

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I don't think that was his sole purpose. I think he did it thinking his foot would come around and he'd have a crack at 400 HRs.

But the foot never healed and his Achilles is evidently barking. So he shut down the comeback.

That just blows, IMO. I really really wanted a chance to see him in the BOTB one more time. I think he was under-appreciated in his time here and I wish the Cardinal Nation would've had another chance to show him how much they appreciate what he did for some truly special ballclubs.

This offseason has sucked so hard.

If Jimmy made the roster, I wouldn't have been pissed. He hit okay last year. Now, if Berkman butchers the OF badly, I'm going to be pissed.

[seclark]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

This offseason has sucked so hard.

c'mon now...lohse says he's back. so we've got that going for us.
sec

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

3 That if the owners refuse to make the PR conscious decision and instead approach it from a purely baseball perspective, not signing Albert to that deal is the right decision. That contract is a poor baseball decision; he's simply not going to live up to it. If they believe they can take that money and build a better ballclub with it, I absolutely respect that and am fine with it. If, however, they take that money and pocket it in lieu of building the ballclub, I'm gonna be mighty pissed off.

My point all along. Yes, on the back end we will be playing Pujols as if he has a legitamate shot at a triple crown, when its obvious that history says age will catch up to him by then. but there is more to the issue than on the field production. There could easily be a "Pujols " tax on seats no one is gonna bitch about and if he's hitting .280 and 15-20 dingers people will still come out to the ball park to see the great Albert Pujols in person, even if its not in his prime. Just to see if he can rekindle the moments we all saw when he was in his prime.

[BigRedChief]

So you guys happy with this TR lineup?

Theriot
Rasmus
Pujols
Holliday
Berkman
Molina
Freese
Pitcher
Shumaker

Who would bat 2nd? Rasmus is just to have cut down on his strikeouts if he bats 2nd.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

So you guys happy with this TR lineup?

Theriot
Rasmus
Pujols
Holliday
Berkman
Molina
Freese
Pitcher
Shumaker

Who would bat 2nd? Rasmus is just to have cut down on his strikeouts if he bats 2nd.

Bat Berkman 2nd and Rasmus 5th. Berkman does a good job of drawing walks.

IMO, you should have as big of a gap between Molina and the pitcher as possible. Batting the pitcher 8th is just stupidity.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Bat Berkman 2nd and Rasmus 5th. Berkman does a good job of drawing walks.

IMO, you should have as big of a gap between Molina and the pitcher as possible. Batting the pitcher 8th is just stupidity.

Not my lineup, Tonys. I'd bat berkman 2nd too for the higher on base %. Supposedly Tony is thinking rasmus in the 2nd hole.