***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

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Ervin Santana??

Jorge De La Rosa would be a perfect fit for the Birds, IMO. He's due for some regression in his HR totals, but he's a LHP who has a team option for '14 that the Rockies surely won't take, and if they don't, I don't think they can get compensation for him.

I'm against trading for some average MLB pitcher and giving up 6 years of cost controlled pitching, especially a rental.

How is Peavy a better option than Martinez?

[Pepe Silvia]

Way to go shelby.

[whoman69]

Carpenter's rehab put on hold after he suffered numbness in his pitching hand after his last start.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by whoman69

Carpenter's rehab put on hold after he suffered numbness in his pitching hand after his last start.

[Pepe Silvia]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Someone had to do it.

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

ChiSox Reject Cardinals' Offer For Alexei Ramirez
By Mark Polishuk [July 24, 2013 at 12:29am CST]

The White Sox have as many trade chips as any trade deadline seller in the majors and they're putting a high price tag on their key players. According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, the Sox recently turned down a trade offer from the Cardinals that would have sent shortstop Alexei Ramirez to St. Louis in exchange for right-hander Carlos Martinez, one of the many elite prospects in the Cards' minor league system.

The Cardinals had been relying on Pete Kozma at short ever since Rafael Furcal underwent Tommy John surgery in March, and while Ramirez's production has dropped, he still would've presented a big upgrade. Ramirez entered Tuesday's play hitting .284/.310/.357 in 408 PA but only one homer and 23 RBI. Ramirez averaged 17 homers per year from 2008-11 but has just 10 homers total over 1029 PA in 2012-13. While his power isn't what it used to be, Ramirez has 20 steals (in 26 chances) this year and is one of the game's better defensive shortstops, with an 8.5 UZR/150 this season and a 7.7 UZR/150 for his career.

Ramirez still has value, but he turns 32 in September and is owed roughly $22MM through the end of the 2015 season, plus a $10MM club option for 2016 that can be bought out for $1MM. By that token it's surprising that the White Sox weren't willing to move the veteran for Martinez, a consensus top-40 prospect controlled through the 2019 season.

The 21-year-old Martinez was ranked as the third-best prospect in the St. Louis farm system by Baseball America, and he possesses "a biting curveball" and a changeup and could both become plus pitches. His fastball has touched 100 mph but usually clocks in the 94-98 mph range. Martinez made his Major League debut this season and has 11 strikeouts in 10 1/3 relief innings. His 6.10 ERA is largely due to a tough outing last Friday when he allowed three runs in a third of an inning against San Diego.

Also from Gonzales, Jake Peavy and Jesse Crain are drawing a lot of interest and scouts from the Diamondbacks, Reds, Braves, Red Sox and Dodgers are expected to be in Chicago through the end of the week to watch one or both men pitch. Peavy just recently returned from a DL stint while Crain is currently on the DL with a sprained right shoulder but could be activated by Sunday.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

ChiSox Reject Cardinals' Offer For Alexei Ramirez
By Mark Polishuk [July 24, 2013 at 12:29am CST]

The White Sox have as many trade chips as any trade deadline seller in the majors and they're putting a high price tag on their key players. According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, the Sox recently turned down a trade offer from the Cardinals that would have sent shortstop Alexei Ramirez to St. Louis in exchange for right-hander Carlos Martinez, one of the many elite prospects in the Cards' minor league system.

The Cardinals had been relying on Pete Kozma at short ever since Rafael Furcal underwent Tommy John surgery in March, and while Ramirez's production has dropped, he still would've presented a big upgrade. Ramirez entered Tuesday's play hitting .284/.310/.357 in 408 PA but only one homer and 23 RBI. Ramirez averaged 17 homers per year from 2008-11 but has just 10 homers total over 1029 PA in 2012-13. While his power isn't what it used to be, Ramirez has 20 steals (in 26 chances) this year and is one of the game's better defensive shortstops, with an 8.5 UZR/150 this season and a 7.7 UZR/150 for his career.

Ramirez still has value, but he turns 32 in September and is owed roughly $22MM through the end of the 2015 season, plus a $10MM club option for 2016 that can be bought out for $1MM. By that token it's surprising that the White Sox weren't willing to move the veteran for Martinez, a consensus top-40 prospect controlled through the 2019 season.

The 21-year-old Martinez was ranked as the third-best prospect in the St. Louis farm system by Baseball America, and he possesses "a biting curveball" and a changeup and could both become plus pitches. His fastball has touched 100 mph but usually clocks in the 94-98 mph range. Martinez made his Major League debut this season and has 11 strikeouts in 10 1/3 relief innings. His 6.10 ERA is largely due to a tough outing last Friday when he allowed three runs in a third of an inning against San Diego.

Also from Gonzales, Jake Peavy and Jesse Crain are drawing a lot of interest and scouts from the Diamondbacks, Reds, Braves, Red Sox and Dodgers are expected to be in Chicago through the end of the week to watch one or both men pitch. Peavy just recently returned from a DL stint while Crain is currently on the DL with a sprained right shoulder but could be activated by Sunday.

That is bullshit.

[DJ's left nut]

Thank God.

Maybe the leak there will get teams with legitimate long-term SSs to give us a call.

I still can't believe we aren't kicking the tires on Pastornicky in Atlanta. You don't get more buried than he is (because he's not unseating Simmons). He's young with legitimate upside and plenty of cost control. If you're going to deal Martinez, that's the kind of guy you deal him for.

You damn sure don't deal him for a 31 yr old SS that's decline for 3 straight years.

In the end, I don't buy this report because I can't see any chance in hell that Hahn turns that deal down. What's the upshot? They won't get a better prospect for him and they're not going to be competitive for the next 2 years (when his contract expires). Hahn would've taken that deal in a hearbeat.

Either it's complete BS or there is more to it than that (i.e. we were trying to get Peavy included as well)

[Mi_chief_fan]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

ChiSox Reject Cardinals' Offer For Alexei Ramirez
By Mark Polishuk [July 24, 2013 at 12:29am CST]

The White Sox have as many trade chips as any trade deadline seller in the majors and they're putting a high price tag on their key players. According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, the Sox recently turned down a trade offer from the Cardinals that would have sent shortstop Alexei Ramirez to St. Louis in exchange for right-hander Carlos Martinez, one of the many elite prospects in the Cards' minor league system.

The Cardinals had been relying on Pete Kozma at short ever since Rafael Furcal underwent Tommy John surgery in March, and while Ramirez's production has dropped, he still would've presented a big upgrade. Ramirez entered Tuesday's play hitting .284/.310/.357 in 408 PA but only one homer and 23 RBI. Ramirez averaged 17 homers per year from 2008-11 but has just 10 homers total over 1029 PA in 2012-13. While his power isn't what it used to be, Ramirez has 20 steals (in 26 chances) this year and is one of the game's better defensive shortstops, with an 8.5 UZR/150 this season and a 7.7 UZR/150 for his career.

Ramirez still has value, but he turns 32 in September and is owed roughly $22MM through the end of the 2015 season, plus a $10MM club option for 2016 that can be bought out for $1MM. By that token it's surprising that the White Sox weren't willing to move the veteran for Martinez, a consensus top-40 prospect controlled through the 2019 season.

The 21-year-old Martinez was ranked as the third-best prospect in the St. Louis farm system by Baseball America, and he possesses "a biting curveball" and a changeup and could both become plus pitches. His fastball has touched 100 mph but usually clocks in the 94-98 mph range. Martinez made his Major League debut this season and has 11 strikeouts in 10 1/3 relief innings. His 6.10 ERA is largely due to a tough outing last Friday when he allowed three runs in a third of an inning against San Diego.

Also from Gonzales, Jake Peavy and Jesse Crain are drawing a lot of interest and scouts from the Diamondbacks, Reds, Braves, Red Sox and Dodgers are expected to be in Chicago through the end of the week to watch one or both men pitch. Peavy just recently returned from a DL stint while Crain is currently on the DL with a sprained right shoulder but could be activated by Sunday.

Bullshit. Sox would trade Ramirez in a second, no way Mo gives up C-mart straight up for him. Way to troll.

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I still can't believe we aren't kicking the tires on Pastornicky in Atlanta. You don't get more buried than he is (because he's not unseating Simmons). He's young with legitimate upside and plenty of cost control. If you're going to deal Martinez, that's the kind of guy you deal him for.

So is Ryan Jackson, but he apparently is the new Bryan Anderson.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

Bullshit. Sox would trade Ramirez in a second, no way Mo gives up C-mart straight up for him. Way to troll.

Trade a 6 year cost controlled possible #1 or #2 pitcher for minor upgrade over Kozma? No way that trade was really offered.

[OnTheWarpath15]

I'm not sure what's more ridiculous about that report - that Mo would trade Martinez for Ramirez straight up, or that the White Sox passed on the offer.

[Mother****erJones]

No way my sox reject that. Alexei is havin a down year defensively which he's normally really good and has awesome range and arm strength. But he's has a good year offensively minus the power numbers.

[Marco Polo]

Confirmed: it's b.s.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colum...f8e0e992b.html

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Trade a 6 year cost controlled possible #1 or #2 pitcher for minor upgrade over Kozma? No way that trade was really offered.

He isn't a minor upgrade. His offense is way better. Even if he won't hit for power, he has more speed than Kozma. Plus, their defense is pretty even.