"Official" 2011 St. Louis Cardinals Thread

[BigRedChief]

This is so unreal. We were dead. No hope. A season over. Somehow, someway we find some team chemistry and squeak into the playoffs on the last day of the season.

Only to find us facing one of the best pitching staffs assembled in years with home field advantage. We somehow, someway find a way to beat the best pitcher in baseball on the road in an elimination game.

We have to go on the road and beat the team with the best home record in baseball. A team who mortgaged their future to make this run .We somehow, someway find a way to beat them on the road and make our 18th World series trip.

We take game 1, we give away game 2 and home field advantage. Albert goes off for probably the best performance in World Series history and we take game 3 easily. Games 4 & 5 our bats fall asleep, Phone gate happens and its not looking too good.

Game 6, one of the best baseball games of all time and it takes place in a season ending go home game. Cardinals are down 2 runs in their final chance on the season, twice. They are down to their final strike of the season, twice. They give up a 2 run homer in extra innings. In the bottom of the inning their final 3 batters are a combined 3-26 in the Playoffs and a pitcher because the bench is empty. Somehow, someway they get some runners on and the comeback player of the year drives in the tying run. Mr. Freese hits the walk off home run. We will see you tommorrow night.

Game 7, With our bulldog on the mound pitching on 3 days rest he is able to give us 6 good innings and get us to within 9 outs of our 11 World series title. Texas meltsdown, probably left over from last nights game and its over.

The underdog, come back team who had no business even being in the playoffs wins a World championship. They make movies about events like this in life. Events that you remember even if your not a fan of the sport or team for the rest of your life.

When it is your team.......Priceless


.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Holliday is banged up and Berkman has been hot garbage this series.

I said its not something I would have done but it wasn't one of TLR totally bone headed moves. Berkman is leading the team in hitting with RISP and Holliday missed a grand slam by inches on the bat. He centers that baseball.....

['Hamas' Jenkins]

This NLCS is going to cause my BP to skyrocket.

There isn't a player on Earth I hate more than Nyjer Morgan. There isn't a bigger cocksucking prick in baseball, and that bug-eyed douche Ryan Braun is so hate-able he started his own Affliction style t-shirt company.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

I'm still shocked Raul's warning track power shot didn't go out in that joke of a ballpark.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I said its not something I would have done but it wasn't one of TLR totally bone headed moves. Berkman is leading the team in hitting with RISP and Holliday missed a grand slam by inches on the bat. He centers that baseball.....

I understand the logic behind why you'd trust Berkman and Holliday in a vacuum, but Holliday is hurt and has shown little power and Berkman looks totally lost at the plate. He's having Reggie Sanders-type ABs.

Just like you should never steal second when Albert is batting, you can't take the bat out of the hands of your best player in that situation.

To me, Tony managed most of that game not to lose. He's very, very lucky that Carp wouldn't allow him to lose.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

This NLCS is going to cause my BP to skyrocket.

There isn't a player on Earth I hate more than Nyjer Morgan. There isn't a bigger cocksucking prick in baseball, and that bug-eyed douche Ryan Braun is so hate-able he started his own Affliction style t-shirt company.

I hate the punks on the team, but I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Milwaukee - I spent a lot of time up there when I was stationed at Great Lakes. Sure, I hope we beat the piss out of them, but if they advance I'll probably root for them against the AL team.

Especially if it's Texas. **** all things Texas.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I understand the logic behind why you'd trust Berkman and Holliday in a vacuum, but Holliday is hurt and has shown little power and Berkman looks totally lost at the plate. He's having Reggie Sanders-type ABs.

Just like you should never steal second when Albert is batting, you can't take the bat out of the hands of your best player in that situation.

To me, Tony managed most of that game not to lose. He's very, very lucky that Carp wouldn't allow him to lose.

I didn't understand the bunt either. Why not just hit away with Jay, not give away an out, and ensure the best hitter on the planet gets an AB with runners on?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by frazod

I hate the punks on the team, but I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Milwaukee - I spent a lot of time up there when I was stationed at Great Lakes. Sure, I hope we beat the piss out of them, but if they advance I'll probably root for them against the AL team.

Especially if it's Texas. **** all things Texas.

From all things I've heard, Milwaukee is a great city, but those players could not conduct themselves with greater one who sucks the penisy.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

From all things I've heard, Milwaukee is a great city, but those players could not conduct themselves with greater one who sucks the penisy.

Sure they could - they could be the Reds.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

I actually felt sorry for Howard at the end of that game. It was kind of pathetic to watch him founder like that.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I actually felt sorry for Howard at the end of that game. It was kind of pathetic to watch him founder like that.

Been perusing one of the Phillies' sites - apparently Howard told reporters that he thought he tore his Achilles.

He could be out next season.

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2011/10/8/24...lphia-phillies

[luv]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big...rn=mlb-wp23142

Gut punch: Ryan Howard injures Achilles on last play of season

By 'Duk

Gut punch: Ryan Howard injures Achilles on last play of seasonIt looks like Ryan Howard(notes) and the Philadelphia Phillies are embarking on his five-year, $125 million contract extension in the worst way imaginable.

Not only did the first baseman make the final out in the loss that booted the favored Phillies from the postseason on Friday, but he hurt himself badly while doing it. After grounding to second with two outs in the ninth, Howard fell to the ground as he left the batter's box. He was tended to by trainers as the St. Louis Cardinals celebrated the 1-0 triumph in NLDS Game 5 that lifted them into the next round.

Initial reports are saying that Howard hurt his left Achilles tendon and will undergo a MRI to survey the full extent of the damage. Howard left Citizens Bank Park on crutches. If it is fully torn, he could miss the entire 2012 season.

"It felt like my bat came around and hit the back of my Achilles," Howard told reporters after the game. "I tried to run and felt a pop and it felt like the whole thing was on fire. I tried to run, but felt like I was literally on a flat tire. I tried to get up, but I couldn't go."

This obviously doesn't look or sound good and it comes right as Phillies fans are suffering the disappointment of an early first-round exit. Howard started the series with a bang, hitting a big three-run homer in an 11-6 victory in Game 1. But he went 1-for-16 over the final four games, a mark that included an o-for-4 performance on Friday night.

Considering that it begins in his age 32 year, Howard's extension received a lot of criticism when it was signed in April 2010. He's done nothing to prove the doubters wrong either, as he has posted the lowest two OPS figures of his career the last two seasons.

But while decreased production might have been expected from an aging and big first baseman, the possibility of his complete absence for a whole year was not. The Phillies are already facing a lot of questions with several key players headed toward free agency (Jimmy Rollins(notes), Ryan Madson(notes), Raul Ibanez(notes)) and the future of others like Roy Oswalt(notes) remaining uncertain. Finding a replacement for a $25 million a year player is the last thing the Phillies want to deal with right now.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by frazod

Been perusing one of the Phillies' sites - apparently Howard told reporters that he thought he tore his Achilles.

Saying stuff like that is certainly one way to draw attention away from his 2 for 19 series. It's too bad ARod didn't have the same excuse last night (not that I give a shit about ARod, but he gets blamed for a hell of a lot in NY).

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Saying stuff like that is certainly one way to draw attention away from his 2 for 19 series. It's too bad ARod didn't have the same excuse last night (not that I give a shit about ARod, but he gets blamed for a hell of a lot in NY).

Is it really your contention that Howard faked an Achilles injury to avoid the shame of being thrown out at first, and then lied to reporters about it?

Really?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Here's what I'm hoping our 25 man looks like for the Milwaukee series. I'm assuming Schu is out due to a strained oblique.

SP: Carpenter
SP: Lohse
SP: Garcia
SP: Jackson

LHRP: Rhodes
LHRP: Zep
RHRP: Salas
RHRP: Sanchez
RHRP: Motte
RHRP: Dotel
RHRP: McClellan

1B: Albert
2B: Punto
SS: Furcal
3B: Freese
OF: Holliday
OF: Jay
OF: Berkman
OF: Craig
OF: Chambers
Util: Descalso
Util: Tyler Greene
2B: Theriot
C: Yadi
C: Laird

[Pasta Little Brioni]

If he didn't like it that people were saying Bautista was on roids, he shouldn't be throwing stones at Howard for "faking" an injury.