***OFFICIAL*** 2013 STL Cardinals Thread

[BigRedChief]

From Bernie's column:

People have asked me why we’re not more emotional,” Matheny said in his office after Sunday’s game. “They say that we look subdued, always intense. That our actions are methodical, robotic at times. That’s what got us here. This isn’t the time to change it.”

It’s hard to argue with the manager’s assessment. The Cardinals finished with 97 victories, most by a Cards team since 2005, and tied with Boston for No. 1 in the majors this year.


Their 54-27 showing at Busch Stadium matches the 1985 team for the best single-season home winning percentage (.667) by the Cardinals since 1944.

A postseason theme has emerged, and it echoes the mantra that surfaced before the start of 2013: remember the fall of 2012. Remember falling to San Francisco in the NLCS.


The Cardinals’ veterans still haven’t forgotten. They still aren’t over it. It’s why Matheny resists GM John Mozeliak’s urgings to smile and put on a happier face.


Here's the most impressive aspect of the Cardinals' division championship: they prevailed over two other outstanding teams, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.



The 97-win Cardinals were better this year (regular season) than they were in 2011, when they won 90 games, and 2012, when they won 88.
Here are a few numbers that help put the Cardinals' Central title and No. 1 NL seed in perspective:



* Since MLB switched to a three-division format in each league in 1994, this was only the sixth time that a division had three 90-plus win teams. St. Louis won 97, Pittsburgh 94, and Cincinnati 90.
* Since the format change, this was only the second time that an NL division had three 90-win teams. In 2002 the NL West had Arizona (98 wins), San Francisco (95) and Los Angeles (92).
* The 2013 Cardinals faced more esteemed and difficult competition at the top of the division than any of the division-winning teams managed by Tony La Russa.

The Pirates were hardly pushovers; the Cardinals had to work like mad and kick in with a strong finish to put the division away, and didn't clinch until Game No. 160.



The Cardinals went 9-10 against Pittsburgh this season and were 11-8 vs. Cincinnati.


The Cardinals won only three of 10 games at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and split the 10 games at Cincinnati. The Cardinals were 6-3 against both teams at Busch Stadium.


The Cardinals (1st), Pirates (3rd) and Reds (5th) ranked among the top five in wins in the NL. The three teams were among the top 11 in wins in MLB. All three teams finished in the top five in the majors for best overall ERA, and each were in the top five MLB for best starting-pitching ERA.


The original purpose to this piece was to point out that the Cardinals managed to finish with the league's best record while competing in a division that had three 90-win teams for only the second time in the last 19 years of National League baseball.



The Cardinals really earned this.
Thanks for reading ...
— Bernie

[Mi_chief_fan]

Damn, I'm dragging at work today, but at least not pissed off; if I'd stayed up until 1:00am and they'd lost, I might have taken the day off.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

Damn, I'm dragging at work today, but at least not pissed off; if I'd stayed up until 1:00am and they'd lost, I might have taken the day off.

I got pissed and turned it off in the 7th or 8th, I don't even remember.

Oh well at least they won.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

OMFG.

He looked out.

Thank ****ing God.

Piss off and die Rob Johnson, Pete Kozma, and Mike Matheny. Thank you, Chambers.

That was an outstanding slide from Jay.

He's much slower than he looks (short legs and a dumpy ass will do that to you), but he's a very savvy baserunner. Without the hook slide there, he was dead to rights.

[Pepe Silvia]

I can't believe they won last night, I had thrown in the towel with the way they've been playing.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

And losing.

Not last night.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by PackerinMo

I can't believe they won last night, I had thrown in the towel with the way they've been playing.

Well its not like the 0-41 if down after the 8th inning clouded your thinking.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

No way the Cardinals win this game.

is a hazard that we get to raz you about.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

is a hazard that we get to raz you about.

Here's something I'd like to know: how many runs/inning does the average team score in extras? Compare that to the average # of runs/inning they score in innings 1-9.

From there, I'd love to see the explanations given for the discrepancy.

The Cardinals, for example, have had an absolutely atrocious offense in extras for years, and I don't think all of it can be pinned solely upon having bench players hit in the pitcher's spot or another place in the lineup. There has to be a reason why they are so abjectly pathetic, especially given that they are usually facing far worse pitchers in extras (Jeanmar Gomez) than in innings 1-9.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Here's something I'd like to know: how many runs/inning does the average team score in extras? Compare that to the average # of runs/inning they score in innings 1-9.

From there, I'd love to see the explanations given for the discrepancy.

The Cardinals, for example, have had an absolutely atrocious offense in extras for years, and I don't think all of it can be pinned solely upon having bench players hit in the pitcher's spot or another place in the lineup. There has to be a reason why they are so abjectly pathetic, especially given that they are usually facing far worse pitchers in extras (Jeanmar Gomez) than in innings 1-9.

Your the sabermatrics guy. Who can answer that better than you?

For me, it just feels good to get off the 0-41 snide.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Your the sabermatrics guy. Who can answer that better than you?

For me, it just feels good to get off the 0-41 snide.

This seems to be the best explanation.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/blog/archives/402

['Hamas' Jenkins]

The Cardinals score 4.96 runs/game in 118 games 1049 innings.

Their offense plays 8.89 innings/game and they average .55 runs/inning.

They've played 22 extra innings this year, scoring nine runs. Seven of those runs came in one inning. They average .40 runs/inning in extras, even with a seven run inning.

If you take one swing away, Holliday's slam against Partch, they will have scored five runs in 22 innings, averaging .228 runs/inning.

[O.city]

@dgoold: #Cardinals prospect Oscar Taveras will have season-ending surgical procedure on foot next week to address high ankle sprain. #stlcards

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by O.city

@dgoold: #Cardinals prospect Oscar Taveras will have season-ending surgical procedure on foot next week to address high ankle sprain. #stlcards

Not surprising. People just don't appreciate how ****ing bad of an injury that is. It's the worst named injury this side of turf toe.

And Freese is about goddamned worthless.

[Mi_chief_fan]

Originally Posted by O.city

@dgoold: #Cardinals prospect Oscar Taveras will have season-ending surgical procedure on foot next week to address high ankle sprain. #stlcards

Reminds me of 2003: everything that can go wrong, is. Well, at least Liriano won't no-hit them tonight, it'll just be a shutout.

[O.city]

Tavares thing is about right, I don't think e was coming up this year anyway