Official 2017 STL Cardinals Thread

[BigRedChief]

My as well get it started. Here's my "Matheny" lineup.....

Fowler CF
Diaz SS
Carpenter 1B
Piscotty RF
Grichuk LF
Molina C
Peralta 3B
Wong 2B
Pitcher

My "Matheny" Starting rotation

Martinez
Reyes
Wainwright
Lynn
Leake

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi

Adams traded to ATL for a nobody.

Just heard the Atlanta announcers talking about it.

[VAChief]

Originally Posted by Frazod

The Cubs I would understand - but unless they simply tried to lowball him, why would anybody pick the friggin White Sox over the Cardinals?

The White Sox were one of the favorites apparently, but geez you can't let them beat you out for this kind of talent. It's a risk but, you have the once in a lifetime chance to get what many think is Mike Trout type talent and all the big market clubs can't bid and you lose out?

Sierra better turn into the second coming of Willie McGee and Ray Lankford combined!

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi

Adams traded to ATL for a nobody.

Yeah this trade has me wondering WTF

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Yeah this trade has me wondering WTF

FWIW, several people on my wife's Braves board are pissed that they traded Yepez. Maybe he'll turn into something.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

I feel sorry for whoever attended this game....

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Almost went to this game. Thank God I didn't. I'm really getting sick of the stupidity of this baseball team.

Carpenter should have to cut a check for 25 grand in kangaroo court to Martinez. Doubles in the bottom of the 9th of a tie game with no outs and the dumb ****ing **** tries to stretch it to a triple, only to get gunned down by yards. He really does play like a stupid sonofabitch sometimes. And not only did it likely cost the team the game, it also used four innings of work on an already shit pen.

[VAChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Almost went to this game. Thank God I didn't. I'm really getting sick of the stupidity of this baseball team.

Carpenter should have to cut a check for 25 grand in kangaroo court to Martinez. Doubles in the bottom of the 9th of a tie game with no outs and the dumb ****ing **** tries to stretch it to a triple, only to get gunned down by yards. He really does play like a stupid sonofabitch sometimes. And not only did it likely cost the team the game, it also used four innings of work on an already shit pen.

Martinez face back in the dugout spoke volumes. Maybe Carpenter should shave off that butt ugly beard.

[Frazod]

Finally, some ****ing runs.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Almost went to this game. Thank God I didn't. I'm really getting sick of the stupidity of this baseball team.

Carpenter should have to cut a check for 25 grand in kangaroo court to Martinez. Doubles in the bottom of the 9th of a tie game with no outs and the dumb ****ing **** tries to stretch it to a triple, only to get gunned down by yards. He really does play like a stupid sonofabitch sometimes. And not only did it likely cost the team the game, it also used four innings of work on an already shit pen.

You never make the first or third out at third base. That's common fundamentals drilled into your head in little league.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Swanman

You never make the first or third out at third base. That's common fundamentals drilled into your head in little league.

I disagree with that axiom slightly. I'm okay risking it, but you'd better damn well be right. I know the premise is that you can still get runners over and in from 2nd with nobody out but think of how many pitchers throw hot fire these days.

Strikeouts are higher than they've ever been and velocity is making even simple bunts harder and harder to get down. A leadoff double and giving up the out to get a runner over is nice, but the odds of that run scoring as significantly higher with the leadoff triple.

You're looking at about an 83% probability to score that run with a leadoff triple and a roughly 61% probability with a leadoff double. That extra 20+% is not insignificant and is worth the risk, provided that you're a smart baserunner.

The problem is that Matt Carpenter isn't a smart baserunner. It wasn't a matter of not getting fundamentals right (because the 'fundamental' play here is overly dogmatic and not as correct as many believe), it's a matter of not recognizing your own abilities and limitations.

[Swanman]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I disagree with that axiom slightly. I'm okay risking it, but you'd better damn well be right. I know the premise is that you can still get runners over and in from 2nd with nobody out but think of how many pitchers throw hot fire these days.

Strikeouts are higher than they've ever been and velocity is making even simple bunts harder and harder to get down. A leadoff double and giving up the out to get a runner over is nice, but the odds of that run scoring as significantly higher with the leadoff triple.

You're looking at about an 83% probability to score that run with a leadoff triple and a roughly 61% probability with a leadoff double. That extra 20+% is not insignificant and is worth the risk, provided that you're a smart baserunner.

The problem is that Matt Carpenter isn't a smart baserunner. It wasn't a matter of not getting fundamentals right (because the 'fundamental' play here is overly dogmatic and not as correct as many believe), it's a matter of not recognizing your own abilities and limitations.

Like everything, you need to weigh the risk and it better be pretty close to a sure thing if you risk it going to 3rd with no one out or 2 outs. Given he was out by a mile, it's just a massive failure on Matt or Maloney or both.

Also, I assume Gyorko was up next, which makes it a bit more assinine.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I disagree with that axiom slightly. I'm okay risking it, but you'd better damn well be right. I know the premise is that you can still get runners over and in from 2nd with nobody out but think of how many pitchers throw hot fire these days.

Strikeouts are higher than they've ever been and velocity is making even simple bunts harder and harder to get down. A leadoff double and giving up the out to get a runner over is nice, but the odds of that run scoring as significantly higher with the leadoff triple.

You're looking at about an 83% probability to score that run with a leadoff triple and a roughly 61% probability with a leadoff double. That extra 20+% is not insignificant and is worth the risk, provided that you're a smart baserunner.

The problem is that Matt Carpenter isn't a smart baserunner. It wasn't a matter of not getting fundamentals right (because the 'fundamental' play here is overly dogmatic and not as correct as many believe), it's a matter of not recognizing your own abilities and limitations.

Kados to you for being spot on in the Robert deal. You nailed it perfectly.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Swanman

Like everything, you need to weigh the risk and it better be pretty close to a sure thing if you risk it going to 3rd with no one out or 2 outs. Given he was out by a mile, it's just a massive failure on Matt or Maloney or both.

Also, I assume Gyorko was up next, which makes it a bit more assinine.

like I said - carpenter ****ed up something awful. I was speaking to the general idea that you 'never make the 1st out at 3rd...'

Eh, I'll allow it on occasion. Not when you're out by 5 feet, though. There's no question that Carpenter's decision as just reeruned.

Matt Carpenter may be the single worst fundamental ballplayer I've ever seen. That guy is a born DH.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by raybec 4

Kados to you for being spot on in the Robert deal. You nailed it perfectly.

I can't take that much credit.

It's like predicting that the sun will rise in the east.

Mozeliak's general laziness and complete aversion to risk, combined with the organizational malaise that has set in now that DeWitt has accomplished absolutely everything there is to accomplish in this sport, made the outcome of this thing incredibly predictable.

The franchise lacks the organizational will to win championships when someone else in the division is actually trying. We're looking at a loooooooong dry spell, gents. They don't have the stones to run with the big dogs on established players and evidently have now even lost the will to fend off such heavy hitters as the ****ing White Sox for a prospect in a year where they have no picks in the first 3 rounds, have already blown their international spending limits and continue to reduce payroll as a percentage of revenue (for the 10th straight year, IIRC).

This organization is simply sheering sheep at this point and it doesn't take much to see it. The leadership has become the Carl Peterson/Lamar Hunt era Chiefs and nothing more. They don't want to suck, but they don't particularly care if they're good anymore either. But at least Carl had a genuinely good head coach. The Cardinals have Mikey Dreamboat, the ****ing mouthbreathing idiot.

This is by far and away the worst I've felt about this franchise since I've been old enough to know anything.

But hey! The 2018 free agent class is coming up and I'm sure we'll be 'in the running' on Harper, Machado and a whole slew of other guys we'll make sure to come in second on. Then we can talk about all our payroll muscle and dry powder.

**** me...this was the big 'international spending push' year and we didn't even manage to sign a single top 10 international prospect. Can you believe that shit? Blew off the international market for 5+ years; sat on the sidelines for Moncada. Decided that this was the season and we got nobody that would've been more than a 3rd round pick in the amateur draft.

This ****ing organization just doesn't care anymore.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Going to the game tonight, I'll be sure to talk shit to Matheny for you guys. Hopefully I don't pull a La Russa and get popped for a DUI