Cardinals ***Offical 2012 STL Cardinals World Champions Thread *** - Page 85

**BigRedChief** · 08:57 PM

St. Louis Cardinals: 7 reasons fans should feel good about 2012

Posted Wednesday, October 24, 2012, at 9:26 PM

St. Louis Cardinals fans are likely feeling deflated after the collapse that put an end to the team's dreams of a World Series repeat, but there is good reason to be excited.

With all of the odds against them, the Cardinals managed to push their 2012 season beyond any anticipated boundary.

Given all of the season's changes and the adversity the team had to fight through, the fact that they played in October at all was an anomaly in itself. On paper, it made sense for the Cardinals to be in the playoffs, but few saw them as a true threat.
As the season continued, even fans began to doubt as they watched the team seemingly crumble in June and July. When the Cardinals finally came to life in September they went 11-5 in the last 16 games of the season to lock up the second Wild Card position in its inaugural year.

That run, despite it's crushing end in Cincinnati in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, lots of good came from the Cardinals' season and playoff run.
Following in no particular order are 10 reasons Cardinals fans have to be excited about the 2013 season.

Trevor Rosenthal
When rookie fireballer Trevor Rosenthal made his first trip to St. Louis, it was obvious almost instantly that he was something special.
Between his 100 mph fastball and the general inability for almost anyone to hit off of him, he became a huge part of the Cardinals playoff run.

He pitched in a total of 19 regular season games before the 22-year-old rookie from Lee's Summit, Mo. got his first taste of postseason baseball and he put on quite a show.
In 8.2 IP over seven postseason appearances, Rosenthal held opponents to only two hits and no runs.
It's possible that down the stretch he may have already earned his spot in the rotation for 2013.

Shelby Miller
The long-coveted fastball pitching prospect Shelby Miller also made his first trip to St. Louis in 2012 and put on a good show.
In 13.2 IP over six regular season games, Miller surrendered only two runs on nine hits. His postseason performance was more of the same with two runs on four hits in 3.2 IP.

Despite a dismal first half of the season in Memphis, Miller got himself together and still managed to make one major league start before the end of the season -- a very impressive start at that.
Against the Cincinnati Reds in the final game of the regular season, Miller posted 5.2 hitless innings. He gave up no runs and collected his first major league win.

Expect to see a lot more of Miller in St. Louis early in 2013.

Joe Kelly
When Joe Kelly made his major league debut on June 10, few could have guessed the importance he would play throughout the remainder of the 2012 season.
Kelly started 16 games for the Cardinals this season filling in for Jaime Garcia and Lance Lynn, but it was the postseason when he really came through for his teammates.

When starting pitchers struggled time and again in October, it was Kelly who came to their rescue.
In seven postseason appearances, Kelly threw 7.2 innings and surrendered only two runs on six hits. Kelly came through for the Cardinals from the bullpen.
There's a good chance that could be his home in the future.

Mike Matheny
When the Cardinals hired Mike Matheny to take over for Tony LaRussa, many question bringing in a manager with no experience to such a storied franchise.

He had a few hiccups and growing pains along the way, but for a rookie manager to get his team where Matheny did this year speaks volumes.
His players have a strong respect for Matheny and credit his positive style with being a driving force behind their 2012 success.
True, he didn't get them through the NLCS, but the team made it to an all or nothing Game 7. That's good experience for the players obviously, but also for Matheny. Not only did he learn a lot about managing in the media pressure cooker that is postseason baseball, he also got a taste of what it felt like to win as a manager.

NLCS loss means more drive to win
While the NLCS loss was a good lesson for a young manager, it's an even more important lesson for a young player.
The 2011 championship lit a fire under young players like Lance Lynn and Jon Jay. That fire helped drive them to extremely successful sophomore seasons.

What happened in 2012 will likely do the same for Rosenthal, Miller and Kelly. Their 2013 season may not be like Jay or Lynn's 2012, but now they've gotten a little taste of what it feels like to be a winner.

Both the excitement and the public humbling can be a great experience for any young player.

The run was without several key components
In a season riddled with injuries, none were as crucial as those late in the season.
The loss of Lance Berkman and Rafael Furcal significantly weakened the team's bench. Instead of having Pete Kozma, Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter to pinch hit, the team wound up having to use them in the lineup.

The loss of Jaime Garcia and Jake Westbrook also rocked the Cardinals. Instead of having Lynn and Westbrook also available from the bullpen, Lynn was pushed back into the rotation after a very successful NLDS bullpen stint.

Having gotten as deep into the playoffs as the Cardinals did in spite of the injuries is quite the accomplishment.

They did it without Pujols, LaRussa and Duncan
Few in the world of sports gave the Cardinals a fighting chance when Albert Pujols left the team to play on the west coast. Surely this team couldn't be as good as they were?

Few gave them a chance after longtime manager Tony LaRussa decided it was time to retire.
Few gave them a chance after pitching coach Dave Duncan left the team.
The Cardinals did it despite all of that. That's something any fan should be proud of.

No, they didn't hoist a trophy. There will be no parade or tickertape.
What there is, though, is hope for next year and that will come sooner than you may think.
After all, pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in just four short months.

From a blog I was sent on twitter: http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/...es/entry/50051

Frazod · 09-29-2012, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Motte is supposely having issues with a tired arm. They have used him a lot recently. You cant pitch him two innings.

But you could have used Kelley, Rosenthal instead of Salas.

He hadn't pitched since last weekend in Chicago. How tired could his arm have been?

Final, Washington wins 6-4. Salas should be cut immediately. He's the Latino Franklin.

kcxiv · 09-29-2012, 10:35 PM

Dodgers 2 games behind with 4 to go. Should be interesting, we play the damn Giants 3 times though, its gonna be tough.

Frazod · 09-29-2012, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fruit Ninja

Dodgers 2 games behind with 4 to go. Should be interesting, we play the damn Giants 3 times though, its gonna be tough.

You guys are taking advantage of a patsy like we did last week. We wrap up against Cincinnati. They don't really have anything to play for at this point, but I don't expect they'll lay down for a hated division rival that also happens to be the defending champs.

And you should all be huge Salas fans, too. That ****er is killing us - snatching defeat from the jaws of victory twice in the past 8 days.

kcxiv · 09-30-2012, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

You guys are taking advantage of a patsy like we did last week. We wrap up against Cincinnati. They don't really have anything to play for at this point, but I don't expect they'll lay down for a hated division rival that also happens to be the defending champs.

And you should all be huge Salas fans, too. That ****er is killing us - snatching defeat from the jaws of victory twice in the past 8 days.

they are, but its still 2 games with 4 to go, 3 against the Giants and 1 against the Padres. Can only play whoever is on the schedule. Ourp itching has been lights out all year, even with our 2nd and 3rd pitcher injured for most of the year. issue has always been with the hitting the 2nd half of the year. We been hitting a little lately. I dont know what will happen. In all HOnesty as bad as the Dodgers have played the 2nd half of the year, they shouldnt even be in contention for any kind of post season play. They had a 7 game lead over the giants and are now 10 behind them, thats a 17 game swing yet, they are still in the 2nd WC race.

The Doyers should be completely out.

**BigRedChief** · 09-30-2012, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

And you should all be huge Salas fans, too. That ****er is killing us - snatching defeat from the jaws of victory twice in the past 8 days.

Beltran is killing us also.

VAChief · 09-30-2012, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Motte is supposely having issues with a tired arm. They have used him a lot recently. You cant pitch him two innings.

But you could have used Kelley, Rosenthal instead of Salas.

That was some of the truly nastiest stuff I have seen from him last night. It wasn't the velocity, it was his movement. Werth, who usually owns him, was completely owned. The sink he had on that fastball was unreal, especially at 95 to 96.

If he's tired, they should run him in a marathon before every game.

**BigRedChief** · 09-30-2012, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VAChief

That was some of the truly nastiest stuff I have seen from him last night. It wasn't the velocity, it was his movement. Werth, who usually owns him, was completely owned. The sink he had on that fastball was unreal, especially at 95 to 96.

If he's tired, they should run him in a marathon before every game.

I'm going off what the announcers are saying. We can safely assume that is what the club is telling them. What their motive is for putting that information out there? Could be to make a move against Motte if he falters? Maybe set up a off season trade? Who knows?

Pasta Little Brioni · 09-30-2012, 10:26 AM

Salas showing again what a useless turd he is last night. Him and that P.O.S. beaker Freeman

Frazod · 09-30-2012, 04:22 PM

Lost in the epic suck of Chiefs is good news about the Cards - they won today and reduced the magic number to 2. LA's probably going to win today as well, but their cakewalk with the Rockies is over.

**BigRedChief** · 09-30-2012, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

Lost in the epic suck of Chiefs is good news about the Cards - they won today and reduced the magic number to 2. LA's probably going to win today as well, but their cakewalk with the Rockies is over.

LA is up 7-1 so yeah the magic # is going to stay at two.

This was a good series. Washington is the real deal. They were playing for home field advantage and a division title. The didnt phone it in. We took 2 out of 3 and should have swept.

Frazod · 09-30-2012, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

LA is up 7-1 so yeah the magic # is going to stay at two.

This was a good series. Washington is the real deal. They were playing for home field advantage and a division title. The didnt phone it in. We took 2 out of 3 and should have swept.

Beltran hit two homers, BTW.

**BigRedChief** · 09-30-2012, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

Beltran hit two homers, BTW.

You have Holliday, I have Beltran to kick around.

Frazod · 09-30-2012, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

You have Holliday, I have Beltran to kick around.

Holliday was 1-4 with no RBIs and two strikeouts.

Mi_chief_fan · 10-01-2012, 06:27 PM

Bump for a WC clincher tonight!

**BigRedChief** · 10-01-2012, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

Bump for a WC clincher tonight!

I'm holding off buying tickets to the game, booking a hotel room until we get one win away. Hopefully tonight.

01-04-2012, 10:08 PM
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3229627 VARSITY	*Offical 2012 STL Cardinals World Champions Thread * St. Louis Cardinals: 7 reasons fans should feel good about 2012 Posted Wednesday, October 24, 2012, at 9:26 PM St. Louis Cardinals fans are likely feeling deflated after the collapse that put an end to the team's dreams of a World Series repeat, but there is good reason to be excited. With all of the odds against them, the Cardinals managed to push their 2012 season beyond any anticipated boundary. Given all of the season's changes and the adversity the team had to fight through, the fact that they played in October at all was an anomaly in itself. On paper, it made sense for the Cardinals to be in the playoffs, but few saw them as a true threat. As the season continued, even fans began to doubt as they watched the team seemingly crumble in June and July. When the Cardinals finally came to life in September they went 11-5 in the last 16 games of the season to lock up the second Wild Card position in its inaugural year. That run, despite it's crushing end in Cincinnati in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, lots of good came from the Cardinals' season and playoff run. Following in no particular order are 10 reasons Cardinals fans have to be excited about the 2013 season. Trevor Rosenthal When rookie fireballer Trevor Rosenthal made his first trip to St. Louis, it was obvious almost instantly that he was something special. Between his 100 mph fastball and the general inability for almost anyone to hit off of him, he became a huge part of the Cardinals playoff run. He pitched in a total of 19 regular season games before the 22-year-old rookie from Lee's Summit, Mo. got his first taste of postseason baseball and he put on quite a show. In 8.2 IP over seven postseason appearances, Rosenthal held opponents to only two hits and no runs. It's possible that down the stretch he may have already earned his spot in the rotation for 2013. Shelby Miller The long-coveted fastball pitching prospect Shelby Miller also made his first trip to St. Louis in 2012 and put on a good show. In 13.2 IP over six regular season games, Miller surrendered only two runs on nine hits. His postseason performance was more of the same with two runs on four hits in 3.2 IP. Despite a dismal first half of the season in Memphis, Miller got himself together and still managed to make one major league start before the end of the season -- a very impressive start at that. Against the Cincinnati Reds in the final game of the regular season, Miller posted 5.2 hitless innings. He gave up no runs and collected his first major league win. Expect to see a lot more of Miller in St. Louis early in 2013. Joe Kelly When Joe Kelly made his major league debut on June 10, few could have guessed the importance he would play throughout the remainder of the 2012 season. Kelly started 16 games for the Cardinals this season filling in for Jaime Garcia and Lance Lynn, but it was the postseason when he really came through for his teammates. When starting pitchers struggled time and again in October, it was Kelly who came to their rescue. In seven postseason appearances, Kelly threw 7.2 innings and surrendered only two runs on six hits. Kelly came through for the Cardinals from the bullpen. There's a good chance that could be his home in the future. Mike Matheny When the Cardinals hired Mike Matheny to take over for Tony LaRussa, many question bringing in a manager with no experience to such a storied franchise. He had a few hiccups and growing pains along the way, but for a rookie manager to get his team where Matheny did this year speaks volumes. His players have a strong respect for Matheny and credit his positive style with being a driving force behind their 2012 success. True, he didn't get them through the NLCS, but the team made it to an all or nothing Game 7. That's good experience for the players obviously, but also for Matheny. Not only did he learn a lot about managing in the media pressure cooker that is postseason baseball, he also got a taste of what it felt like to win as a manager. NLCS loss means more drive to win While the NLCS loss was a good lesson for a young manager, it's an even more important lesson for a young player. The 2011 championship lit a fire under young players like Lance Lynn and Jon Jay. That fire helped drive them to extremely successful sophomore seasons. What happened in 2012 will likely do the same for Rosenthal, Miller and Kelly. Their 2013 season may not be like Jay or Lynn's 2012, but now they've gotten a little taste of what it feels like to be a winner. Both the excitement and the public humbling can be a great experience for any young player. The run was without several key components In a season riddled with injuries, none were as crucial as those late in the season. The loss of Lance Berkman and Rafael Furcal significantly weakened the team's bench. Instead of having Pete Kozma, Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter to pinch hit, the team wound up having to use them in the lineup. The loss of Jaime Garcia and Jake Westbrook also rocked the Cardinals. Instead of having Lynn and Westbrook also available from the bullpen, Lynn was pushed back into the rotation after a very successful NLDS bullpen stint. Having gotten as deep into the playoffs as the Cardinals did in spite of the injuries is quite the accomplishment. They did it without Pujols, LaRussa and Duncan Few in the world of sports gave the Cardinals a fighting chance when Albert Pujols left the team to play on the west coast. Surely this team couldn't be as good as they were? Few gave them a chance after longtime manager Tony LaRussa decided it was time to retire. Few gave them a chance after pitching coach Dave Duncan left the team. The Cardinals did it despite all of that. That's something any fan should be proud of. No, they didn't hoist a trophy. There will be no parade or tickertape. What there is, though, is hope for next year and that will come sooner than you may think. After all, pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in just four short months. From a blog I was sent on twitter: http://www.dailystatesman.com/blogs/...es/entry/50051 Last edited by BigRedChief; 10-24-2012 at 08:57 PM..
Posts: 78,937

09-29-2012, 10:35 PM	#1262
kcxiv In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central Valley, Cali Casino cash: $8807996	Dodgers 2 games behind with 4 to go. Should be interesting, we play the damn Giants 3 times though, its gonna be tough.
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09-30-2012, 10:26 AM	#1268
Pasta Little Brioni Consuming CP souls Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: U.S.A. Casino cash: $4068880	Salas showing again what a useless turd he is last night. Him and that P.O.S. beaker Freeman __________________ **Official TFWdemB Trivia Commisioner**
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09-30-2012, 04:22 PM	#1269
Frazod WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $3215085	Lost in the epic suck of Chiefs is good news about the Cards - they won today and reduced the magic number to 2. LA's probably going to win today as well, but their cakewalk with the Rockies is over.
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10-01-2012, 06:27 PM	#1274
Mi_chief_fan There was an idea..... Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Murfreesboro,TN Casino cash: $9942966	Bump for a WC clincher tonight! __________________ Bandwagon Predators Fan!
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