***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.

[O.city]

With 1 out now, I don't know that I keep 5 infielders in there

[ChiefsCountry]

That looked like a ball.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I guess but it takes the walk away when your pitcher cant throw strikes.

Like I said, you take away the walk with the intentional walk.

[George Liquor]

lolololol

Did axford purposely throw that game?

[DJ's left nut]

You da man, Greg Garcia.

Pete Kozma would've K'd.

I still can't figure out the organizational blind spot for Garcia. That guy has always taken quality ABs, always played sound D. He's a steady, dependable ballplayer that just gets his job done every time he's up here but he just keeps getting sent down.

And I think we can go ahead and leave Marp at leadoff. It was a noble experiment but he's clearly more comfortable leading off.

[ChiefsCountry]

Your guy's voodoo magic shit works. Crazy. Played like mental morons and pulled one out.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

And I think we can go ahead and leave Marp at leadoff. It was a noble experiment but he's clearly more comfortable leading off.

Carp 1 and Wong #2. Heyward at 3 while Holiday is out.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

Your guy's voodoo magic shit works. Crazy. Played like mental morons and pulled one out.

Just couldn't out-Axford Axford.

He pretty much single-handedly lost that game for the Rox.

I gotta figure he is not closing for the Rockies tomorrow should the need arise.

[O.city]

I'd actually hit grichuk 3rd, Wong 2nd, peralta 4th and Heyward 5th.

If Moss would not be a black hole at first and hit a little for power, I really like the lineup we rolled out tonight.

Piscotty in LF is pretty cool. He kinda profiles for me as an Allen Craig type hitter. I like him.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

I'd actually hit grichuk 3rd, Wong 2nd, peralta 4th and Heyward 5th.

If Moss would not be a black hole at first and hit a little for power, I really like the lineup we rolled out tonight.

Piscotty in LF is pretty cool. He kinda profiles for me as an Allen Craig type hitter. I like him.

In a perfect world, Grichuk is your 6 hitter. Great power to clean up the bases behind your better OBP bats. Enough protection behind him that pitchers can't just throw him junk all day but far enough down in the order that his lousy OBP skills won't hurt you as badly.

I'd stick Heyward at 3 and sink or swim with him there. This team will not win a championship if he doesn't become a run producer. There's no sense in playing the slice with him, so to speak.

1) Carpenter
2) Wong
3) Heyward
4) Peralta
5) Piscotty (the dude is a hitter)
6) Grichuk
7) Moss
8) Molina

I just think you need an experienced hitter with good plate coverage in the 8 hole in the NL. Pitchers pitch that spot so carefully that if you put someone like Moss there, they'll just throw him trash until he gets himself out.

Actually, after looking at that line, I don't like going LLL to start it. I could talk myself into putting Heyward at 4 and Peralta at 3. I just do not like Grichuk in the 3 hole at all with that BB rate.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

In a perfect world, Grichuk is your 6 hitter. Great power to clean up the bases behind your better OBP bats. Enough protection behind him that pitchers can't just throw him junk all day but far enough down in the order that his lousy OBP skills won't hurt you as badly.

I'd stick Heyward at 3 and sink or swim with him there. This team will not win a championship if he doesn't become a run producer. There's no sense in playing the slice with him, so to speak.

1) Carpenter
2) Wong
3) Heyward
4) Peralta
5) Piscotty (the dude is a hitter)
6) Grichuk
7) Moss
8) Molina

I just think you need an experienced hitter with good plate coverage in the 8 hole in the NL. Pitchers pitch that spot so carefully that if you put someone like Moss there, they'll just throw him trash until he gets himself out.

Actually, after looking at that line, I don't like going LLL to start it. I could talk myself into putting Heyward at 4 and Peralta at 3. I just do not like Grichuk in the 3 hole at all with that BB rate.

I'd switch Wong and Grichuk if that's the case. I think you've gotta give grichuk the best chance to win you can, be it putting him in a place they can't throw trash at him.

I'm sure it's small sample size confirmation bias but he seems to be taking more balls of late.

I don't really like yadi hitting 8th in the instance that he gets on 8n front of the pitcher and is bunt ed to 2nd (our manager is bunting) with his speed.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

I'd switch Wong and Grichuk if that's the case. I think you've gotta give grichuk the best chance to win you can, be it putting him in a place they can't throw trash at him.

I'm sure it's small sample size confirmation bias but he seems to be taking more balls of late.

I don't really like yadi hitting 8th in the instance that he gets on 8n front of the pitcher and is bunt ed to 2nd (our manager is bunting) with his speed.

Yeah but worst case scenario is your pitcher bunts and fails - oh well, you've gotten through the pitcher's spot. It's not ideal, no, but it's not the end of the world.

I just can't talk myself into Grichuk in the top 5 hitters. The guy's OBP is just way too bad to have him setting up the RBI guys. I recognize that the power is insane but he just has WAY too many ABs where he looks completely overmatched up there.

Eh, give it a week - he'll have Moss batting cleanup soon enough because 'he's a veteran that knows the ropes'.

[ChiefsCountry]

If you plug the numbers in, the lineup should be....
Carpenter
Grichuk
Wong
Peralta
Heyward
Molina
Piscotty
Moss
Pitcher

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Yeah but worst case scenario is your pitcher bunts and fails - oh well, you've gotten through the pitcher's spot. It's not ideal, no, but it's not the end of the world.

I just can't talk myself into Grichuk in the top 5 hitters. The guy's OBP is just way too bad to have him setting up the RBI guys. I recognize that the power is insane but he just has WAY too many ABs where he looks completely overmatched up there.

Eh, give it a week - he'll have Moss batting cleanup soon enough because 'he's a veteran that knows the ropes'.

I keep thinking that, but grichuk keeps mashing. I dunno what his OBP or BB rate is, but for what he's capable of doing, he doesn't have to raise it by much to be effective.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by O.city

And I'm turning this shit bird off for the night

It was a very weird game. So many face palms were done by both teams.Weirdest game I've watched in a while.

• Siegriest needs to learn how to throw to a base.
• Is Heyward the worst base runner in MLB? WTF? Oquendo is standing right in front of you with both hands up yelling at you to stop. You blow by but then stop in no mans land like a deer in the headlights. You realize your in trouble but still just stand there.X100
• Martinez lost his cool for the first time this year. Even Yadi couldn't get him calmed down. Then he flashes a finger? Does that get him suspended? If I was Wong I'd be pissed at Carlos.