Comments on: And That Happened: Wednesday's scores and highlights

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:43:41 +0000

That’s a bit disingenuous to Andre Ethier. There was one out, a runner on 1st AND 3rd and it was a deep fly ball to right field. The best arm in the MLB is not making that catch and throw to home to get Maxwell, who was tagging. So yeah. Nice.

By: Paul Sousa

Paul Sousa — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:35:53 +0000

This never gets old every year every sport
They had the champagne in their locker room!
They already have their bags packed!
They already have a parade route!
Who cares!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: KrisT

KrisT — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:32:19 +0000

Shely – I hope it is Lidge on the mound, then Albert can do what he does best. At least they are familiar with him and know what he’s capable of. It’s the pitchers they aren’t familiar with that scare me! lol!

By: Shely

Shely — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:20:25 +0000

OK:
All you guys are correct. Wait until the playoffs. When the bases are loaded with less then 2 outs and one of the birds GIDP with a top RBI guy at the plate, lets talk again.
Shely
P,S. It might even be Lidge on the mound.

By: KrisT

KrisT — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:20:23 +0000

Shely – Sorry if I offended you as, no, I don’t know you that well and I apologize for that statement. However, I get on the defensive when you talk about my Cardinals!
We’ll just all have to wait and see what happens, as nothing can be predicted where baseball is concerned. Hopefully, the Cards reach the WS and play the Yankees. That would be a heck of a series!!!
Robert – I agree, I think most of the champagne gets wasted in the clubhouse. Maybe a few bottles get consumed, but I can’t wait to see the celebration! I don’t know if I can stay up that late to see the Cubs lose, so I’ll wait until tomorrow night and hope they can clinch it or have it clinched (tonight) already! GO CARDS!!!!!

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:19:20 +0000

Shely,
Hard for the Cards to score off their own pitchers, Carp and Wainwright are leaders for Cy Young in NL this season in my opinion. The only game against previous Cy Young winner (Lincecum) they did get shut out. Your point is well taken and only the playoffs will be the final measure of whether or not they can score enough runs. It is very hard to explain why any of the W-S contenders lose games to teams that are playing less than .500 but it does happen year-in and year-out, but that makes the season fun. Finally, I grew up in Cincy (parents and brother still live there) and am still a very big Reds fan too. Just wish things would all come together for Cincy again. Nice chatting!

By: Robert L. Noe

Robert L. Noe — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:40:27 +0000

WOW! I didn’t know a team won ballgames by not leaving men on base. Sure, you’d like to drive everyone in but that is impossible. But to leave men on base you need to reach first, first.
I’ll take my Birds any day.
Oh, by the way. 25 cases of champagne? I wonder how much of that is really consumed? It looks like 95% or better ends up on the walls, clothing and down the drain.

By: Shely

Shely — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:26:15 +0000

Yes, you are correct. Lets look further into the stats. Even with all those runners LOB, the good teams do score most of the time. The Bosox at least scored 1 run off the Cy Young leader in the A-L. If the Cardinals would at least score a run or two against a poor team in a clutch game off a pitcher with about a 4.0 ERA, I might agree. They do not take advantage of the situations like this. They have been swept by teams with less than 60 victories. What is up that? It is like the Yankees being swept by KC or the Nats, in a crucial series. It shouldn’t happen to a W-S contender. How many games have the birds been shut out by lesser teams? Too many. Take a look at the pitchers who shut them out. They are not in the Smoltz, Carpenter or Wainwright class.
Shely

By: Church of the Perpetually Outraged

Church of the Perpetually Outraged — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:13:45 +0000

from espn.com:
OPS:
STL 14 (.751)
OPS with RISP
STL 15 (.762)
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/team/_/stat/batting/split/39/sort/OPS/order/true
So they actually hit better with RISP than without. Hmm…

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:48:23 +0000

Mike reply to comment from Shely
Cardinals are not in bad company based on LOB stats. My calculations show that the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Phillies, Angels and Cardinals all average approximately 8 LOB per game based on 150 games played this season. Not bad company since one of these teams will probably win the World Series!

By: Shely

Shely — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:44:43 +0000

Kris:
Glad you know all about me. However, I never said the 06 birds were anything but lucky in the series. They hit a very cold Tiger team and they played very well. No comments about backing into anything. I know TLR is a good manager, but if he can’t fix the hitting with men on base problem, it is lights out for them, even (or especially) if they play Colorado in the first round. They have such a good record against the Rockies, right? If they are lucky, the get to play in LA.
Shely

By: KrisT

KrisT — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:57:37 +0000

I’m sure TLR is well aware of the issues with the Cards and doesn’t need any advice from people who are not coaches of a major league team. People like you are the same ones who criticized the Cards for “backing into” the World Series in 2006, yet they won the World Series. That’s what I like about baseball, the suspense and the unpredictability. You’re dealing with human beings here, who may be trying too hard or a pitcher who is “on his game” each and every night, regardless of whether their team is good or bad. While these are teams, you’re watching individuals playing here.
This team will be just fine when they win their division and head into the playoffs. They may go into the World Series or they may not. I’m still a true blue (red) St. Louis Cardinals fan, born and raised, and nothing will change that. I support my team just like you should be supporting the Reds.

By: Drewshan

Drewshan — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:56:47 +0000

Not worried about the CArds hitting with runners on base, they will be just fine. But, the Phillies better start worrying about who is going to close out there games in the playoffs!
TG in ST Louis

By: Whistle blower

Whistle blower — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:56:14 +0000

The Rockies/Padres game was in Denver last night, not San Diego. That makes the loss even worse.

By: Shely

Shely — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:56:06 +0000

To H Town. I agree with you completely. Something happened to Houston, and they need an entire revamp with management. Maybe bring some of the Round Rock guys in to run things. I don’t know, but they need a boost somewhere or somehow. Who may be available is TLR, if the birds do not resign him. With all the Houston money, he may jump.
Shely

By: H-town Steve

H-town Steve — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:47:43 +0000

Well, even if Dave Clark never wins another MLB game as a head coach, he can take pride in having screwed StL for one night. That’s about all the Astros have going for them right now. Bust up that team, fire the GM, and sell it. Lets start fresh.

By: Shely

Shely — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:42:11 +0000

To both of you homer Boozos (and Skeet). Keep shooting the messenger.
They are terrible with men on base. I follow the Central closely. The Dead Birds leave 6 to 12 men on almost every game. That will get them no where in the playoffs. You should write to TLR and advise him that he will lose from here on out with that approach, and not make fun of a struggling team with mostly minor league players. Why can’t he close out one of the worst teams in baseball with a sweep, when so much hangs on the line? Just like they failed to do with the Cubs last Sunday. That is what you should worry about, not the Reds.
Shely

By: Fractured Psyche

Fractured Psyche — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:32:36 +0000

Nice comment coming from someone in a city that has not won anything since 1990.

By: Skeet Skeeterson

Skeet Skeeterson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:20:05 +0000

How you reds doing! Keep your comments to yourself until you win something this century

By: Shely

Shely — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:43:50 +0000

Hey Redbirds and TLR. You had better learn to hit with men on base, or this is the last time you will uncork those bottles, this year anyway.
Shely in Cincinnati