Originally Posted by BigRedChief (Post 9683122)

FYP

Originally Posted by BigRedChief (Post 9683108)

I'm noticing a trend. How many times did a Larussa coached team play down to its opponents talent?

No research to back up this opinion. It just seems to me that Matheny coached teams take care of business better than Larussa teams. Although they do share the same affinity for just winning series's instead of going for the sweep.:banghead:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins (Post 9683161)

There is some merit to this, but I think it's due to this reason:

Matheny rests players to give them a break. La Russa rested players to give the scrubs more PT. The result was that our bench players were sharp, but I felt it was very difficult to get marginal starters to play consistently, especially young players, as they were repeatedly yanked in and out of the lineup.

I'm not as concerned about the series thing. Far too often La Russa would outright punt the final game of a series or Sunday games.

Remember "Pujols and the scrubs"? Happened for years. Matheny seems to have a good feel of when to get his position players in and out of the lineup. His bullpen management has also improved, in spite of Boggsian implosions.

Overall, he's shown growth and an inability to learn to this point. I'm very pleased.

Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi (Post 9683539)

It also doesn't hurt that with the exception of Wiggington and Cruz, you don't really miss much from our bench players. Adams in the lineup instead of Holliday/Craig/Beltran, Robinson is very comparable to Jay, and the middle infielders are interchangeable.

It's still early, but this may be the most complete Cardinals team we've seen since 2004.

Originally Posted by O.city (Post 9683684)

Those 04 05 teams were just loaded.


But, with whats coming on, all goes well, I could see the 2014 being as good.

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins (Post 9683105)

Cardinals hitters to Met pitching:

Yo' wife is my baby momma/
God Damn, Mother****a/
She's a...good dick sucka'

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins (Post 9682797)

If winning begets winning then the Royals wouldn't have been in this 25 year slump, dumbass. The Pirates would have also continued to run through the old NL East, and the Yankees would have never faltered even as the core four aged.

If you want to win in baseball, you need a few things: the first is a good owner. That means someone who is engaged, willing to spend but not overspend, someone who is patient but requires standards. The second thing you need is a good development system and the final is a good scouting system.

The Cardinals have all three. The Royals used to. The Yankees were fortunate enough to have it for a few years when Steinbrenner was banned from baseball, which is what allowed them to build the team that won 4/5 titles.

Right now the Royals don't have much of any of that. Like the Angels from a few years ago most of their prospects are extremely overrated. I'm not sure why that is; perhaps it's due to the national influence of Royals fans like Rob Neyer and Rany, although I doubt it. It's not a coincidence that there hasn't been a single Royals hitting prospect who hasn't disappointed when promoted to the big league club in at least five years, probably longer. Hell, Aviles is the last over-performer I can remember.

The Royals can't develop talent from within their system. Because of that, it probably appears that they can't draft. I think there is an element of truth to that (Hochevar, and a few others to lesser degrees), but it's hard to tell because a lot of that falls on the player development side.

Obviously, they Royals have spent little over the last two decades, but Kansas City has shown that they'll support a winner. Arrowhead was a ghost town in the 80s and then it became nearly impossible to get STs in the 90s. Did the nature of sports fans change in KC, or are they willing to support teams that appear competitive? KC had great attendance in the 70s and 80s. The town just didn't start hating baseball. The Chiefs are the perfect example.

If you put Tampa's org in Kansas City they'd draw 2.5 million fans a year.

Ultimately, you're looking for excuses that make it easier to sleep, b/c the assumption that St. Louis has all of these ingrained advantages is just a fantasy. The Cardinals have more success than the Royals because they have better ownership, and that ownership has built a better franchise. There isn't a regional or financial roadblock, and there is no such thing as a small market team, only small market owners.

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins (Post 9684992)

I'm not responsible for your ignorance.

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch (Post 9680140)

We don't have the market STL does. Cards owners couldn't support that payroll here. Cards fans pay a lot to be good every year. Players like playing there too

Originally Posted by PackerinMo (Post 9685073)

Its not just a payroll thing, you guys can't develop talent pure and simple. Why has every stud prospect you've drafted in the last decade flopped? Carlos Beltran was the last prospect that you guys brought up in your system who produced at an elite level from what I can recall. The Royals organization reeks something rancid, its just bad from top to bottom, ownership,drafting,scouting, and player development is bottom of the barrel. Just look at Hosmer for example, he was supposed to be a can't miss and still failed in the Royals system. I respect you guys because you've stood by them but man you guys are playing with one arm tied behind your back, its a bad deal for ya'll.

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan (Post 9685094)

Greinke did win a Cy Young. That said, trades like Melky Cabrera/Jonathon Sanchez & Wil Myers/James Shields have bit the Royals pretty hard.

Originally Posted by PackerinMo (Post 9685100)

I forgot about Greinke, I was mainly referring to all the hitting prospects who bombed. Heck other than Greinke they haven't developed any pitching as well. Like I said something is wrong with the entire franchise, not just the owner.