***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

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

Well, jury's still out on the Shields/Myers trade, but how was the Sanchez/Cabrera trade not a fail?

Because Jon Sanchez was turned into Jeremy Guthrie, who doesn't sign in KC without his excellent second half as a Royal.

There also is the whole "50 game suspension for positive PED test" thing.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

Well, jury's still out on the Shields/Myers trade, but how was the Sanchez/Cabrera trade not a fail?

Melky's a joke now and they stole Guthrie for Sanchez. Guthrie's been a stud as a Royal. It was a Cardinalesque find.

[Mi_chief_fan]

Originally Posted by PGM

Melky's a joke now and they stole Guthrie for Sanchez. Guthrie's been a stud as a Royal. It was a Cardinalesque find.

Fair points. Guthrie's been pretty good.

[Mi_chief_fan]

I would say, however, that if the Cards had traded Taveras for Shields, many Cards fans, myself included, would've been pretty angry. Guessing the Royals think they have enough offense with Butler, Gordon, Hosmer, etc.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

I would say, however, that if the Cards had traded Taveras for Shields, many Cards fans, myself included, would've been pretty angry. Guessing the Royals think they have enough offense with Butler, Gordon, Hosmer, etc.

Team needs.

The Royals desperately needed quality starting pitching to be a winning team, and so far it has worked.

Part of that is Santana and Guthrie, but part of it is also the mentality and leadership Shields has brought to the staff. I'm sure it will help when less experienced guys like Duffy and Zimmer and Ventura make their way to KC over the next two years.

Wil Myers is also NOT QUITE the prospect that Taveras is. His K issues (49 K in 139 AB at Durham, 189 K in 661 AB over the past two seasons) are going to make it hard for Myers to hit for a high average in the show with any consistency.

The Royals DO need more offense, but they needed more pitching worse.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

Fair points. Guthrie's been pretty good.

He hasn't. He's been the luckiest pitcher in baseball. The dude's FIP is 5.59 and he's been a below replacement level starter. He's survived on an absolutely ridiculous 95% LOB percentage.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

He hasn't. He's been the luckiest pitcher in baseball. The dude's FIP is 5.59 and he's been a below replacement level starter. He's survived on an absolutely ridiculous 95% LOB percentage.

I assume that's a fangraphs number on the WAR? I looked him up last night on Baseball Ref, and they had him at 1.5 WAR this season.

Guthrie is what he is. A battler who will eat innings. He also is much more effective at Kauffman, where his FB tendencies don't hurt as much. When he does a better job of limiting walks (like he did last season after coming to KC), Guthrie can be a solid No. 3 starter (His FIP as Royal last year was around 3.90).

Prior to the start against the Angels, his FIP was sitting right around that level (3.85 by my figures).

I'm willing to throw that game out unless it becomes a trend, as Tim McClelland squeezed him all night and was basically forcing Guthrie to center the ball to call a strike. The Angels capitalized, hitting 4 solo shots.

[Frazod]

Just a thought, but aren't there enough ****ing Royals threads here without turning the lone Cardinal thread into one?

[duncan_idaho]

question for you Cards fans: have you been paying much attention to the advanced stats on pitch framing that are really hot right now?

Yadier Molina, as might be expected, grades out EXTREMELY high. The run-saving value works out to the equivalent of multiple "wins" per year for an elite guy like Yadi.

It's all about positioning and reflex when receiving the ball.

Molina and his brother Jose grade out extremely high. I know the Rays are all over this - is this something the Cards org recognizes and is seeking out in other catchers?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

question for you Cards fans: have you been paying much attention to the advanced stats on pitch framing that are really hot right now?

Yadier Molina, as might be expected, grades out EXTREMELY high. The run-saving value works out to the equivalent of multiple "wins" per year for an elite guy like Yadi.

It's all about positioning and reflex when receiving the ball.

Molina and his brother Jose grade out extremely high. I know the Rays are all over this - is this something the Cards org recognizes and is seeking out in other catchers?

Saw a blurb for it on Grantland, didn't read the article. Logically, it makes sense, but our system hasn't produced any worthwhile catchers other than Yadi in the last two decades.

Bryan Anderson was a complete bust and Tony Cruz isn't a ML-quality bench player, but it's cheaper than 20 games of Gerald Laird or Jason LaRue.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Saw a blurb for it on Grantland, didn't read the article. Logically, it makes sense, but our system hasn't produced any worthwhile catchers other than Yadi in the last two decades.

Bryan Anderson was a complete bust and Tony Cruz isn't a ML-quality bench player, but it's cheaper than 20 games of Gerald Laird or Jason LaRue.

Gerald Laird really annoys me.

Probably because every time I watch him play, he tries to bunt for a hit. Idiot.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Gerald Laird really annoys me.

Probably because every time I watch him play, he tries to bunt for a hit. Idiot.

[Mi_chief_fan]

Oh goody, Ty Wiggington starts at 1b today.

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

[Jewish Rabbi]

Looks like we have the old throw in the towel lineup today.