Cardinals ***Offical 2012 STL Cardinals World Champions Thread *** - Page 92

**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 · 10-07-2012, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcpasco

Can't really blame Holliday
The ump expanded the zone about 3 inches on both sides of the plate

Yeah, he was horrible all game long, but screwed Washington as well.

**BigRedChief** · 10-07-2012, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by O.city

That was pathetic. Craig and yadi. Combine to see 2 pitches with the bases loaded and no outs

And that right there was your ballgame.

Bullpen was excellent again. That ball that was hit off Zep was a mile ourside to a pull hitter.

We won't choke like that very often. If our bullpen holds up, we got a chance.

Frazod · 10-08-2012, 06:43 PM

I was too busy at work to follow the game and forgot to record it, but apparently the Cardinals were as perturbed by their crappy performance yesterday as I was and laid a 12-4 asswhipping on Washington.

rico · 10-08-2012, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

I was too busy at work to follow the game and forgot to record it, but apparently the Cardinals were as perturbed by their crappy performance yesterday as I was and laid a 12-4 asswhipping on Washington.

God damn it would feel nice to be up 2-0 right now.....

**BigRedChief** · 10-08-2012, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rico

God damn it would feel nice to be up 2-0 right now.....

We lost the first game in both the NLDS and the NLCS last year. No worries. It's baseball. I'll take bases loaded and no outs with Craig, Molina and Freese coming up. They just didnt get it done the first game.

**BigRedChief** · 10-08-2012, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

I was too busy at work to follow the game and forgot to record it, but apparently the Cardinals were as perturbed by their crappy performance yesterday as I was and laid a 12-4 asswhipping on Washington.

Pulled Garcia after the 2nd inning. He had only allowed one run and we had the lead but Garcia had ran a lot of counts full and they were hitting him well. Left Boggs in to face the left hander this time in the 8th. Brought the rookie out of Lees Summit in to pitch the 9th. He hit 100 consistently and struck out Werth, Harper and Larouche to close it out.

Mi_chief_fan · 10-08-2012, 07:27 PM

According to Jen langosch, Garcia getting MRI on shoulder tonight.

**BigRedChief** · 10-08-2012, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mi_chief_fan

According to Jen langosch, Garcia getting MRI on shoulder tonight.

Thats not good. He's probably done for the year. He could have took a future game at Bush and if on gave us 7 good innings. It will hurt our depth. But, I have more confidence in Rosenthal and Kelley, Lynn to pick up the slack.

**BigRedChief** · 10-08-2012, 07:59 PM

Marcellus · 10-08-2012, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Lol, yea Jay is the anti Rasmus.

DJ's left nut · 10-08-2012, 08:04 PM

Yeah - my bad, Tony.

Though in the defense of many (myself included) - the gripe was never that we traded Rasmus, but that we got so little in return for him. That gripe remains legitimate, IMO. Dotel was a salary dump that we could've had for free. Jackson we know was a salary dump, afterall the Blue Jays got him for a nominal prospect in return for taking on Teahen's salary in order to facilitate the 3-way deal.

Had we traded Rasmus for someone like Alex Cobb (rumored return), nobody would've been that upset. Instead we traded him for a couple of salary dumps and a lefty reliever. That's a pretty awful return for a guy who 8 months prior had the highest OPS among center fielders in the national league and wasn't that far removed from not being able to drink legally.

But yeah, Jay is a bauce.

DJ's left nut · 10-08-2012, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Thats not good. He's probably done for the year. He could have took a future game at Bush and if on gave us 7 good innings. It will hurt our depth. But, I have more confidence in Rosenthal and Kelley, Lynn to pick up the slack.

Probably done - period.

Shoulders don't just heal, I always thought it was an odd idea to just have him 'rest' through a labrum issue. If it's aggravated, it's because rest isn't going to fix it. If rest isn't going to solve the problem, then it's going to require surgery. Surgery for fringe lefthanders is usually pretty damn close to the end game.

Maybe he comes back, but the track record for shoulder surgeries is spotty at best. It's probably a wise idea to consider anything we get from him next season as a happy accident.

**BigRedChief** · 10-08-2012, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Probably done - period.

Shoulders don't just heal, I always thought it was an odd idea to just have him 'rest' through a labrum issue. If it's aggravated, it's because rest isn't going to fix it. If rest isn't going to solve the problem, then it's going to require surgery. Surgery for fringe lefthanders is usually pretty damn close to the end game.

Maybe he comes back, but the track record for shoulder surgeries is spotty at best. It's probably a wise idea to consider anything we get from him next season as a happy accident.

oh well. We have a lot of young pitching in the pipeline.

DJ's left nut · 10-08-2012, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

oh well. We have a lot of young pitching in the pipeline.

That's my thought.

Attrition is part of the game. Move 'em up, move 'em out. If Garcia's done, well it sucks to lose the only real LHSP in the system, but shit happens. I guess we'll have to make due with Rosenthal's wipeout slider and 100 mph fastball instead.

Damn.

whoman69 · 10-08-2012, 08:35 PM

My cable company is really pissing me off. I taped the game because I had an appointment at 4. When I watched it I had the first inning, then it froze in the 2nd inning. It was 0-0 and when it came back up it was 7-4. The young kid looked good in the 9th. Could be a future closer or set up man. Has a nice easy delivery.

01-04-2012, 10:08 PM
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $-571038 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: 81,255

10-08-2012, 06:43 PM	#1368
Frazod Did you hear what I said? Join Date: Aug 2000 Casino cash: $-566615	I was too busy at work to follow the game and forgot to record it, but apparently the Cardinals were as perturbed by their crappy performance yesterday as I was and laid a 12-4 asswhipping on Washington.
Posts: 121,710

10-08-2012, 07:27 PM	#1372
Mi_chief_fan There was an idea..... Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Murfreesboro,TN Casino cash: $9942966	According to Jen langosch, Garcia getting MRI on shoulder tonight. __________________ Bandwagon Predators Fan!
Posts: 3,518

10-08-2012, 07:59 PM	#1374
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $-571038 VARSITY	__________________ Mahomes is not a game manager. Release the Kraken.
Posts: 81,255

10-08-2012, 08:04 PM	#1376
DJ's left nut Sauntering Vaguely Downwards Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Columbia, Mo Casino cash: $-640901	Yeah - my bad, Tony. Though in the defense of many (myself included) - the gripe was never that we traded Rasmus, but that we got so little in return for him. That gripe remains legitimate, IMO. Dotel was a salary dump that we could've had for free. Jackson we know was a salary dump, afterall the Blue Jays got him for a nominal prospect in return for taking on Teahen's salary in order to facilitate the 3-way deal. Had we traded Rasmus for someone like Alex Cobb (rumored return), nobody would've been that upset. Instead we traded him for a couple of salary dumps and a lefty reliever. That's a pretty awful return for a guy who 8 months prior had the highest OPS among center fielders in the national league and wasn't that far removed from not being able to drink legally. But yeah, Jay is a bauce. __________________ "If there's a god, he's laughing at us.....and our football team..." "When you look at something through rose colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags."
Posts: 66,722

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