***Offical 2012 STL Cardinals World Champions Thread ***

[BigRedChief]

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

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

The game has changed.

That dude needs to have his ass beat. He should have stomped him in the face.

[Chief Henry]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

I have always been for replay. If I had it my way the strikezone would be done electronically. I am for eliminating the errors of the game as much as possible and the influence these umps have on the game

Electronic balls and strikes would be a HUGE improvement for the game of baseball. The subjectivity of the strike zone bugs me to no end.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

The game has changed.

Players make too much nowadays for that kind of shit to go on. That happen to "Captain " they'd have the opposing player dangling from a noose.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Was that a dirty slide by Holliday? The Giants seemed upset about the slide.

It was late. It was poor execution of a clean takeout slide.

If he goes down a step earlier, it's fine. He started his slide right at the bag though. If it happens to Descalso, I'd be pretty pissed off about it.

That said, Scutaro was foolish to hold his ground there - everyone knows that Holliday is going to bull your ass at 2b (he's done it for years). And really, it's one of the things that is always admirable in Holliday - he may be a lummox at times, but that guy absolutely plays his ass off. He's a gamer in the same sense that Rolen was - he knew it was his job to bust up that DP and he did everything he could to make it happen. Scutaro used the back of the back to dig in and get more muscle on the throw as opposed to getting in the air and mitigating the impact.

Moreover, it's the 2b (or SSs) job to drop down sidearm and get that runner on his ass. I know when I was playing infield, I was taught that if I take a pivot and a runner is bearing down on me, tilt my shoulders and come in from low with the throw. That runner will get his ass on the ground or he'll take it in the face. It's pretty damn apparent as a baserunner what's happening as that windup starts - they always get down.

Holliday's slide was late, Scutaro didn't do nearly enough to protect himself. Both parties had some fault in it but in the end I'll at least recognize that I'd be looking for heads if someone did that to one of our middle infielders (unless it was Tyler Greene or Ryan Theriot).

Danny D should keep his head on a swivel around the bag.

[DJ's left nut]

I found the blog post that the .gif KC Connection posted was from - here's a quote from Billy Martin in there:

"Two guys tried that on me when I first came up," said Randolph's manager, Billy Martin, after the game. "I hit the first guy in the mouth with the ball, and I hit the second guy in the face with the ball and broke his nose and his glasses. But my second baseman is a gentleman. I didn't play as a gentleman all the time."

That's. What. You. Do.

Sure, Holliday slid late - that's why the 2b puts your ass on the ground. It's easier to do from SS, but the 2B can do that drop-down as well and it gets the baserunner's attention really quickly.

To me it's kinda like a batter that dives over the plate every AB and finally gets hit in the head with a fastball. Sure, the pitcher shouldn't have come that far up and in, but if the batter wasn't diving into the plate, he wouldn't have gotten hit either.

Sometimes guys need to take responsibility for failing to protect themselves and this is absolutely one of those times. Next time Scutaro will do a better job.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Baseball games are already long enough. Replay should be designated for base running plays (tags, bang-bang throws, etc), catches, and HR's. Anything more and it's just going to drag the shit out too ****ing long.

Doesn't even have to be delayed really. Just need 1 ump mic'd into the CC that is watching replays somewhere in the box and just radio's it in. **** this shit with the umps leaving the field for 5 mins to walk where ever the **** they go to watch a replay.

Just give them a single challenge a game.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Swanman

After the first two games, it's clear. Tim McCarver is the ****ing worst. He gets names wrong more frequently than Harry Caray after 3 cases of beer. Joe Buck isn't good, but it's tough to be good when you are needing to correct that dumbshit every 45 seconds.

He's gotten old and entering Madden at the end territory. For crissakes, he was catching Bob Gibson when he played.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Mujica Salas Jr. Luckily Sandoval is slower than molasses. HUGE storms rolling in. This thing is getting delayed soon.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

1st and 2nd for Pence, one out. Turd out, Boggs in.

[O.city]

Should have stayed with rosenthal

[Frazod]

Score update, please

[ChiefsCountry]

Rain has to be hitting downtown St. Louis soon.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by frazod

Score update, please

2-1 STL Top 7

[Pasta Little Brioni]

BOGGS!!!! Threat over. Thanks for the favorable call ump

[Frazod]

Thanks. What happened to Beltran?