***Offical 2010 STL Cardinals Baseball Thread ***

[BigRedChief]

Holliday signs. The Deal is Done. $120 Million over 7 years.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=stl

Signed or controlled for the next 2 years

Shumaker 2B
Rasmus CF
Pujols 1B
Holliday LF
Ludwick RF
Molina C
Freese 3B
Ryan SS
And 2 CY Young caliber starting pitchers
Carp and Wainwright P

We get Lohse or Garcia to step up and be a reliable 3rd starter in the playoffs we can win a World Series with this line up.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

I have to wonder if strouds chicken is going to include a plateful of pujols homerun balls.

uhhh that sounds kind of gay. NTTIAWWT.

[DJ's left nut]

Kindof a sad story about Trever Miller's daughter

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/spo...0?OpenDocument

Tough deal all around...

[DJ's left nut]

I have to brag about this.

Last night we went to an auction for the children's hospital in Columbia and came home with the coolest damn piece of Cardinal memorabilia ever.

We got a jersey signed by:

Keith Hernandez, Willie McGee, Terry Pendleton, Whitey Herzog, Tony LaRussa, Mark McGwire, Steve Carlton, Bruce Sutter, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Stan Musial, Ozzie Smith, Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter and Albert Pujols.

I wish it had Edmonds and Schoendist on it, but those are minor complaints when you already have Gibson, Brock, Musial, Ozzie and Pujols on there (especially when you have a mancrush on Scott Rolen). It's going to be here in a couple of weeks, it just needs to be framed.

Wicked.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I have to brag about this.

Last night we went to an auction for the children's hospital in Columbia and came home with the coolest damn piece of Cardinal memorabilia ever.

We got a jersey signed by:

Keith Hernandez, Willie McGee, Terry Pendleton, Whitey Herzog, Tony LaRussa, Mark McGwire, Steve Carlton, Bruce Sutter, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Stan Musial, Ozzie Smith, Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter and Albert Pujols.

I wish it had Edmonds and Schoendist on it, but those are minor complaints when you already have Gibson, Brock, Musial, Ozzie and Pujols on there (especially when you have a mancrush on Scott Rolen). It's going to be here in a couple of weeks, it just needs to be framed.

Wicked.

Way cool.

Congrats! I'm officially jealous.

[BigRedChief]

WTF? This had better be BS. Pujols for Howard?

It's the sort of thing that is much more likely to happen in fantasy baseball than in real life, but according to sources, an idea has been kicked around the Phillies' organization internally, with discussions about proposing a swap of slugger Ryan Howard for St. Louis superstar Albert Pujols.

It's not fully clear whether the Phillies actually have approached the Cardinals with the idea, and even if St. Louis were to seriously consider such an offer, executives with the Cardinals would have to swallow very hard before dealing Pujols, a player widely regarded as the best in the sport.




Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro flatly denied that the internal discussions have taken place. "Lies," he said. "That's a lie. I don't know who you're talking to, but that's a lie."

The talk may well echo, in the end, another blockbuster deal that was discussed but never consummated many years ago: Executives of the Red Sox and Yankees once famously discussed a trade of Ted Williams for Joe DiMaggio.

The logic for a Howard for Pujols swap, as discussed within the Phillies' organization, could fall along these lines: Pujols, 30 years old, is eligible for free agency after the 2011 season, and early conversations about a contract extension have not led to any long-term deal. The expectation within baseball is that Pujols may ask for a deal that would rival, in annual value, the record-setting 10-year, $275 million deal that Alex Rodriguez negotiated with the Yankees in fall 2007.

If the Cardinals were to decide, at any point, that they could not afford to sign Pujols, they could consider dealing him, in the way the Toronto Blue Jays traded Roy Halladay, or the Minnesota Twins traded Johan Santana.
And Howard, who is just a couple of months older than Pujols, would not be a bad alternative. In the past four seasons, Howard has hit 198 homers and accumulated 572 RBIs, and has finished in the top five of the NL MVP race.

Here's the public relations kicker: Howard was born in St. Louis, and is regarded as a hometown kid in that city.

Howard is under contract for each of the next two seasons as well -- for $19 million in 2010 and $20 million in 2011 -- as part of a three-year deal he signed last year. He would be more expensive than Pujols in each of the next two seasons, but on the other hand, he probably will not be as expensive to sign as Pujols in his next contract.

Pujols is a right-handed hitter who would help to balance a Philadelphia lineup that has been very left-handed, and he is regarded as a superior first baseman, as well as being the best hitter in the sport.

Pat Gillick, who preceded Amaro as general manager and is currently serving as an adviser, knows something about making out-of-the-box blockbusters.

Twenty years ago, as general manager of the Blue Jays, he stunned the baseball world by trading stars Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff to the San Diego Padres for Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4994845

[BigRedChief]

Freese getting national props in USA Today
Rookie David Freese's smarts, skills turning Cardinals' heads
By Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY

JUPITER, Fla. — Before landing in Florida for spring training as the new hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, Mark McGwire spent weeks working with some of the team's players.

After one session with a hitter, McGwire used one word to sum up his feelings in a text message to manager Tony La Russa.
"Wow."

The hitter wasn't Albert Pujols, Ryan Ludwick or Matt Holliday but rather rookie David Freese.


SPRING PREVIEWS: Team-by-team

"What impressed me most was his understanding of pitch selection and what he can and cannot hit," McGwire said before a recent spring training game. "And he's really, really good about driving the ball to right-center, which is really hard to find in young kids. For a young kid to have a mind like that and a stroke like that, I told Tony that there is something special about this kid."


That kid, who grew up 20 miles from Busch Stadium and hung Cardinals posters on his bedroom walls, could be the starting third baseman for the National League Central champions.

"It's surreal. It's a privilege to put on this uniform," Freese said. "It takes me back to my childhood every day I wear it. And Lou Brock and Bob Gibson are always here. Now throw McGwire into the equation, you can't ask for anything better. I just have to work hard to make sure I keep wearing it."

Last year, after hitting .306 with 26 home runs in 131 games for Class AAA Memphis in 2008, Freese broke camp with the Cardinals. But a sore left ankle bothered him as he hit .158 with two RBI in 11 games before he was sent back to Class AAA. He had arthroscopic surgery on the ankle and returned in July to hit .300 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 56 games.

He went 7-for-12 after a September recall and left an impression that he could fill the vacancy created by Mark DeRosa's departure.

"He's worked hard and shown flashes of everything you like to see," La Russa said. "He's competing, and you like to see that.
"He's not afraid to mix it up."

Freese, battling veteran Felipe Lopez for the third-base job, also has impressed La Russa, the front office and his teammates in handling a personal issue. Freese was arrested on a drunken-driving charge in the St. Louis area in December. His blood-alcohol level of 0.23 was nearly three times Missouri's legal limit of 0.08. Shortly after the arrest, he entered the team's employee assistance program.

Freese said he hasn't had a drink since, welcome news in an organization jarred by pitcher Josh Hancock's death in an alcohol-related car crash in 2007 and La Russa's guilty plea to driving under the influence the same year.
"The biggest thing I learned is that I have the opportunity to play baseball for a living, something so many kids dream about being able to do, and it can be taken away from you in a heartbeat," he said. "I learned you just have to think before you act. I showed poor judgment.

"It's something I have to deal with every day, and I am going to do that."
Freese turned to working out, shedding 15 pounds in a busy winter. He hit three times a week with Pujols and worked on hitting and defense with former Cardinal Scott Cooper and current third-base coach Jose Oquendo.
The work hasn't tailed off this spring, especially with McGwire.

"What so many young hitters have to remember is there is a pitcher that is being paid a lot of money to get you out and some nights he's better than you," McGwire said. "So watch video, go through the Rolodex in your mind and figure out if the pitcher got you out or you got yourself out.
"I think he has a grasp on that. He's got a good head on his shoulders; he's working hard. I think he really could be something special for this team."
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...ardinals_N.htm

[McWickedson]

Pujols is looking good so far...

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Freese getting national props in USA Today
Rookie David Freese's smarts, skills turning Cardinals' heads
By Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY

JUPITER, Fla. — Before landing in Florida for spring training as the new hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, Mark McGwire spent weeks working with some of the team's players.

After one session with a hitter, McGwire used one word to sum up his feelings in a text message to manager Tony La Russa.
"Wow."

The hitter wasn't Albert Pujols, Ryan Ludwick or Matt Holliday but rather rookie David Freese.


SPRING PREVIEWS: Team-by-team

"What impressed me most was his understanding of pitch selection and what he can and cannot hit," McGwire said before a recent spring training game. "And he's really, really good about driving the ball to right-center, which is really hard to find in young kids. For a young kid to have a mind like that and a stroke like that, I told Tony that there is something special about this kid."


That kid, who grew up 20 miles from Busch Stadium and hung Cardinals posters on his bedroom walls, could be the starting third baseman for the National League Central champions.

"It's surreal. It's a privilege to put on this uniform," Freese said. "It takes me back to my childhood every day I wear it. And Lou Brock and Bob Gibson are always here. Now throw McGwire into the equation, you can't ask for anything better. I just have to work hard to make sure I keep wearing it."

Last year, after hitting .306 with 26 home runs in 131 games for Class AAA Memphis in 2008, Freese broke camp with the Cardinals. But a sore left ankle bothered him as he hit .158 with two RBI in 11 games before he was sent back to Class AAA. He had arthroscopic surgery on the ankle and returned in July to hit .300 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 56 games.

He went 7-for-12 after a September recall and left an impression that he could fill the vacancy created by Mark DeRosa's departure.

"He's worked hard and shown flashes of everything you like to see," La Russa said. "He's competing, and you like to see that.
"He's not afraid to mix it up."

Freese, battling veteran Felipe Lopez for the third-base job, also has impressed La Russa, the front office and his teammates in handling a personal issue. Freese was arrested on a drunken-driving charge in the St. Louis area in December. His blood-alcohol level of 0.23 was nearly three times Missouri's legal limit of 0.08. Shortly after the arrest, he entered the team's employee assistance program.

Freese said he hasn't had a drink since, welcome news in an organization jarred by pitcher Josh Hancock's death in an alcohol-related car crash in 2007 and La Russa's guilty plea to driving under the influence the same year.
"The biggest thing I learned is that I have the opportunity to play baseball for a living, something so many kids dream about being able to do, and it can be taken away from you in a heartbeat," he said. "I learned you just have to think before you act. I showed poor judgment.

"It's something I have to deal with every day, and I am going to do that."
Freese turned to working out, shedding 15 pounds in a busy winter. He hit three times a week with Pujols and worked on hitting and defense with former Cardinal Scott Cooper and current third-base coach Jose Oquendo.
The work hasn't tailed off this spring, especially with McGwire.

"What so many young hitters have to remember is there is a pitcher that is being paid a lot of money to get you out and some nights he's better than you," McGwire said. "So watch video, go through the Rolodex in your mind and figure out if the pitcher got you out or you got yourself out.
"I think he has a grasp on that. He's got a good head on his shoulders; he's working hard. I think he really could be something special for this team."
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...ardinals_N.htm

I just wish he could get his outside of baseball shit together

['Hamas' Jenkins]

I guarantee you that the vast majority of people on this forum have gotten behind the wheel with a BAC way above the legal limit when they were that age.

[raybec 4]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I guarantee you that the vast majority of people on this forum have gotten behind the wheel with a BAC way above the legal limit when they were that age.

No doubts, how can he be told not to when the skipper passes out behind the wheel in spring training. My point is if he keeps it up he'll either Leonard Little someone or hurt himself in the process.

[BigRedChief]

my visit to Wrigley.Sorry for the cell phone quality pics.

[BigRedChief]

http://interact.stltoday.com/blogzon...fifth-starter/

Garcia gets the 5th starting spot. Kyle McClellan to work the 8th inning again this year.

[DJ's left nut]

Just got back from a week in Jupter - David Freese is a ballplayer.

I'm absolutely sold on the kid. He's going to be a premium defensive 3b and an above average hitter. We have our 3b for the next 5 years, IMO. I was incredibly impressed by him.

He has a nice line-drive stroke; 35 doubles/25 HRs are a possibility. He has great defensive instincts and soft hands. His arm is not Rolen's, but it's above average (better than Glaus). He's very quick at along the line as well, he made 3 or 4 great diving snags in the 4 games I watched.

He's a natural 6 hitter, average baserunner and potentially premier defensive 3b. Him and Brendan Ryan are going to be revelations to a lot of people this year, IMO. That's the left side of our IF for a loooong time.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Just got back from a week in Jupter - David Freese is a ballplayer.

I'm absolutely sold on the kid. He's going to be a premium defensive 3b and an above average hitter. We have our 3b for the next 5 years, IMO. I was incredibly impressed by him.

He has a nice line-drive stroke; 35 doubles/25 HRs are a possibility. He has great defensive instincts and soft hands. His arm is not Rolen's, but it's above average (better than Glaus). He's very quick at along the line as well, he made 3 or 4 great diving snags in the 4 games I watched.

He's a natural 6 hitter, average baserunner and potentially premier defensive 3b. Him and Brendan Ryan are going to be revelations to a lot of people this year, IMO. That's the left side of our IF for a loooong time.

Very cool! thanks for the first hand info!

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Just got back from a week in Jupter - David Freese is a ballplayer.

I'm absolutely sold on the kid. He's going to be a premium defensive 3b and an above average hitter. We have our 3b for the next 5 years, IMO. I was incredibly impressed by him.

He has a nice line-drive stroke; 35 doubles/25 HRs are a possibility. He has great defensive instincts and soft hands. His arm is not Rolen's, but it's above average (better than Glaus). He's very quick at along the line as well, he made 3 or 4 great diving snags in the 4 games I watched.

He's a natural 6 hitter, average baserunner and potentially premier defensive 3b. Him and Brendan Ryan are going to be revelations to a lot of people this year, IMO. That's the left side of our IF for a loooong time.

If this is true, and not just a great offensive performance (d aside) based on hitting against grocery baggers, I'll be ****ing stunned.