.....................4thebirds...

UCB Live Blog Event -- Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:15:00 +0000

The United Cardinal Bloggers will host a live blog on July 12, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. CT.

The live blog will run concurrently with the Cubs/Cards double header.

UCB Members should make request for html code if they desire to embed this live blog on their blog/site.

Happy Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:56:00 +0000

Happy Father's Day!

Short hiatus and hope to return before the ASG.

Tigers cramp Pineiro's style

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:39:00 +0000

Joel Pineiro pitched until he could pitch no more, writhing on the ground in front of the pitcher's mound, cramping uncontrollably.

But for his courageous efforts, the Cardinals as a team haven't supported him enough offensively to get the team through to a victory -- at least, not in Pineiro's last six starts.

Could've been the intolerable heat, getting whacked with a line drive in the calf, but whatever it was, Pineiro was hurting for some time the hill before succumbing to the ill effects. His teammates had to carry him off the field.

The Cards would go on to lose the game, 6-3.

The series with the Detroit Tigers, however, went to the Cards, 2-1, and the St. Louis squad is off to Kansas City for more inter-league rivalry against the Royals at Kaufmann Stadium.

Khalil back

Khalil Green is back with the major league team, getting into the Thursday night game, but striking out. It was obvious, though, that he had his bat speed back in order. Before Greene left the team to deal social anxiety disorder and do some work with the Triple-A club in Memphis, his swing had deteriorated quite a bit, looking very low energy and indecisive.

Thursday night showed a much better at-back for Greene, although he was fooled for strike three on a curve. (It's not the rest of the team doesn't suffer a similar fate, and quite often. It's called being human and it happens to everyone.) If you can detect anything from the few swings Greene executed, it can only be positive at this point.

Cardinal Nation seems very much behind Khalil.

Friday night in KC

Brad Thompson RHP is slated to start the first of the three-game set with the Kansas City Royals at Kauffmann Stadium at 7:10 CT. The game is on FS-Midwest TV and KTRS 550 radio. Thompson is 1-2 with a 3.60 ERA.

Thompson will start against the Royals' Kyle Davies, 3-6, 5.14, a RHP.

photo by Barbara Moore

Win while you learn for Cards' Rasmus and Wellemeyer

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Yadier Molina and Colby Rasmus supplied six of the St. Louis Cardinals' eight hits Wednesday night, helping edge the Detriot Tigers 4-3.

The three-game home stand -- and series -- with the Tigers is already won for the Cards, now 2-0, and who hope to sweep Thursday night at Busch Stadium.

Wellemeyer nearing acceptable level of effectiveness

The run production was just enough to help starter Todd Wellemeyer even his record at 6-6. Wellemeyer still did not look comfortable on the hill, but show signs of progress. He seems frustrated that cannot seem to maintain some level of effectiveness. Most noticeable was how well he pitched when following through, something he hasn't always accomplished, short-arming to some degree at times.

Too much mechanics on the brain may be the dilemma, and that happens to just about every pitcher at some time or other, and especially when struggling. Manager Tony La Russa pulled Wellemeyer in the sixth inning, not even to 100 pitches (91), having gotten in enough work and able to depart with a lead. Wellemeyer looked capable of going much further, but the skipper picked his spot, and things worked out for the squad in the end.

Molina reaps profits of controlled swing

Molina cranked a solo home run to left-center, about three rows up in the bleachers. He had been hitting many line drives, and normally waits out a pitch long enough to lace it into right field. A by-product of this productive style of hitting, however, is that once a hitter is in tune, he often times really "sees" the ball well, and without the self-induced pressure of trying to hit a long ball, hits one anyhow. In this case, a well-time stroke by Molina that pulled the ball about as far to the left side as you will see the Cards' catcher pull.

Rasmus (and Ryan)(and Thurston) as examples of potential, and how to learn

Rasmus continued to lash out at opponent's pitching, doing well at choosing fast balls and with a healthy dose of bat speed, able to pull pitches to right field and even smooth them out into center at times. Wednesday night, he cranked a ball high off the right field wall, inches from a round-tripper.

Once the bat is out of the rookie's hands, however, the baseball IQ seems to drop rapidly. The walled hit turned out to be Rasmus's first big league triple, but he may have created an opportunity for an inside-the-parker if he had run hard out of the box. Instead, he ran just off a full speed pace to first base, then turning on the speed once he saw the ball was indeed, not going over the wall.

Rasmus would end up getting tagged out at home plate not long after, on a ground ball in which he glided toward home, once more turning on the speed too late, his slide creating a close play at the dish, but one which would go against him and the Cards.

The center field defense of Rasmus certainly looks like a rookie, which is understandable, but the way in which he moves -- or doesn't -- indicates an indecisiveness which can appear as if he is lazy, but which suggests he simply doesn't possess the instinctual baseball knowledge that makes a player react and "go for it."

For an example of a player having a clue, or think he does, review many plays by Joe Thurston. Does he make mistakes. Yes, and enough to get a coach cringing, but Thurston's mistakes are often the right kind, meaning he had an idea of what to do in given baseball situation, and did it, full speed. The end result -- good or bad -- has taught Thurston a lot about that particular situation. Conversely, a Rasmus play of indecisiveness teaches him nothing.

Brendan Ryan is another great example of "learn while you burn." When you view a Brendan Ryan play, at least, after it's over with, you can say, "By golly, he gave it a 100%, even if it was the wrong play." But Ryan would then know the difference, well, maybe after a couple of the same mistake, but still.

So Rasmus, to pick on the rookie, would probably do himself a big favor and make everyone else feel much better about this execution of baseball plays if he let go of what appears to be fear of mistakes, or worry over choices, and simply went all out on his best instinct, even if that was way off the mark.

The bat is keeping Rasmus in the bigs; his other baseball skills ... maybe not so much. But another part of Rasmus that can make things so tough for him is that he does appear to have a lot of big league potential, and he has proven quite a bit of that potential as well. So the "pick-apart his every fart" attitude being put forth here is probably due to just how good a player Rasmus could develop into, for if he had not shown the potential, there wouldn't much of discussion going on here.

photo by Barbara Moore

Duncan follows Pujols in longball in win over Tigers

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:49:00 +0000

Chris Duncan has hit better on the road than at home, but Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, he launched a bomb into the left center field bleachers in an at-bat that followed a blast by Albert Pujols that narrowly missed thumping into Bic Mac Land.

The St. Louis Cardinals ran away with an 11-2 victory of American League rivals, the Detroit Tigers, helping starter Adam Wainwright continue to work toward maintaining a solid track of performance.

The offensive support for many of the excellent starting pitching performances showed up for the Cards, but the win may have been tempered a bit by what appeared to be a foot injury of some type to Brendan Ryan, the result of a quirky finish to a swing at the plate.

Swings of Change

The most important part, in my estimation, of the swings-of-change, so to speak, was that both Duncan and Rick Ankiel actually appeared to be "thinking middle," and taking the ball to the opposite field when appropriate. Both dead pull hitters if you track their respective hits on a spray chart, would be well served by "staying back" a bit more on their swings, allowing themselves to drive the ball into the opposite field when the pitch count and location dictate such a batted ball.

This is not hindsight, however. I've been harping on this for some time now, and whether the hitting of Tuesday night's game by Ankiel and Duncan was by design or accidental, it ought to open their eyes to a capability at the plate they don't seem to realize they possess.

Next maybe some work on the curve ball. (It appeared Ankiel's difficulty with this pitch is actually the curve part and not so much the change of speed, the latter the more likely culprit in fooling hitters.)(Duncan has had his difficulty with off-speed in general, when it is away, and then, only when he is obviously dead-pulling. His staying back may find him a bit tardy on a few fast balls, but only if severely jammed. Due to the areas in which Duncan hit Tuesday night, he has now created another zone in which he can crush a pitch.)

To further analyze Duncan, his usual swings almost make it appear he is a hitter who doesn't believe he can hit more kinds of pitches better, when actually, he is a far better hitter than he make realize.

To further analyze Ankiel, he appears to be making too many guesses at the plate. This observation, however, is totally a 20-20 hindsight thing. This doesn't mean something cannot be learned from it. It still appears Ankiel is "yanking" the bat too much with arm muscle, a tense condition which jerks the head and therefore, line of sight. He definitely has enough strength to get more relaxed, smoother, and with bat speed. A "Lauist" approach might serve him better, but this is such a matter of personal feel and comfortability, it could just as easily foul him up worse. In any event, I would stick with smoother, staying back and going for bat speed. Hitting some plastic golf balls with a broomstick handle is nice Old School way of working toward bat speed and while demanding keeping the had still; you can accomplish neither by muscling.

Please, add your thoughts. It's fun pretending to be Hal McRae.

photo by chetthejet

2006 rematch on tap at Busch

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:23:00 +0000

Weather permitting, the St. Louis Cardinals will play a three-game rematch of sorts versus the Detroit Tigers in St. Louis, starting Tuesday night.

Probables

DET -- Justin Verlander RHP 7-2, 3.02
STL -- Adam Wainwright RHP 6-4, 3.49

The last time the Tigers were in St. Louis was during the 2006 World Series, when they lost to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium for the series winner.

Cliff Lee too much for Carp

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:45:00 +0000

Chris Carpenter is one of the best pitchers on the St. Louis Cardinals, but he was outmatched Sunday in a nationally televised game on ESPN.

Cliff Lee, a former Cy Young Award winner, of the Cleveland Indians, threw no-hit baseball for nearly eight innings, then went on to shut out the Cardinals in a complete game.

The Indians supported Lee well with three runs, not usually enough to win a major league baseball game, but plenty when the opponents are held scoreless.

Mark DeRosa, the Indians all-around defender and hot bat in the clutch, didn't wait to take Cards' starter Carpenter deep in the first inning with a two-run shot with two outs. The base runner was a freebie, a walk by Carpenter. The Tribe would add a run later.

Lee had the luxury of pitching with a lead, which he admitted helps, in a post-game interview. But Lee says he approaches every inning with the intention of holding the competition scoreless, regardless of the current game score.

Much of Cardinal Nation states that as Carpenter goes, so goes the Cards, which is nice to say when the team is on a winning streak. But the danger in such fanfare is when Carpenter gets out pitched, and especially in a decisive manner. It's not a big deal. It is, after all, a game, and one in which wins and losses get handed out, so to speak, rather evenly on average.

Having lost the inter-league series to the Indians, 2-1, the Cardinals now head for home and a three-game set with the Detroit Tigers. After that, it's back on the road again. The Tigers' series starts Tuesday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

Wrong lineup

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:37:00 +0000

A post regarding police lineup photos intended for the blog, Innosense4u, was mistakenly posted here on 4thebirds...

While it's obvious cops cannot handle lineups properly, the type of lineups we fret over on this baseball blog are those concerning the St. Louis Cardinals.

To be sure, bad lineups in either area can cause big problems.

Cards crushed by Indians

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:44:00 +0000

Despite Albert Pujols' 20th home run and another solid outing for Joel Pineiro, the Cardinals fell short against the Cleveland Indians Friday.

The run production wasn't there. The relief pitching wasn't either. It's a simple analysis, but an accurate one.

As a team, the Cards failed to back up Pineiro, who kept them in the game, waiting for run support that was minimal at best.

The Cards will try again Saturday with Brad Thompson on the hill.

Cards fish victory out of Marlins

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:57:00 +0000

Colby Rasmus continued to provide great at-bats, joined by Rick Ankiel in a 13-4 pouncing upon the Florida Marlins Wednesday night.

Adam Wainwright had the right stuff on the hill, going deep into the game to hold the Marlins from a big seventh inning.

These quick observations are obvious to anyone who witnessed the game, but related stats and discussion are withheld in this piece as my time was spent on the FSMidwest live blog during the ball game.

The FSMidwest live blogs are quickly proving much more active than any UCB blog, and more so than the various live blogs I've posted on Cardinal Nation Ticker. FOX has the automatic audience built in, making the blogging much more available.

Thursday the Cards will take on the Marlins before the lunch hour and I hope to bring more insight into this game.

2B steal coverage

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:46:00 +0000

In the Monday game at Busch Stadium, there was a steal of second base by the Colorado Rockies in which no one covered second base.

Catcher Yadier Molina fired down to second, as he should, assuming, in this case, as he should, that one of the middle infielders would be covering the bag.

No one covered.

Brendan Ryan was playing shortstop; Skip Schumaker was playing second base.

We may not know who was responsible for covering second, but I've been asked to explain the basics of this play.

So ...

Normally, on an attempted steal of second base the shortstop covers the bag with a left-handed batter and the second baseman covers the bag with a right-handed batter. This does two things for the defense, the first of which may or may not even come into play. The first supposed benefit is that the "opposite side" defender gets a clearer view of the entire catcher play, making sure he gets a good read on the throw.

Secondly, the tendency is for a hitter to hit to the pull side, therefore, keeping the second baseman in pull-side position in case of a hit ball with a left-handed hitter at bat; the opposite for right-handed hitters, whose pull side is through the left side of the infield.

This strategy can be affected by a few factors however, that make the "standard coverage" less than ideal when considering tendency. For instance, a right-handed hitter is at bat whose tendency is to hit to the opposite field, or, the right side. In such a case, it would make sense for the second baseman to hold his position on the right side and allow the shortstop to cover second base.

Another factor is knowing the pitch choice and location. For instance, inside pitches tend to create a pulled hit, more so when the pitch choice is slower in speed for a particular pitcher. So there are a bevy of variable in pitch choice and location.

The shortstop normally makes the call as to who is covering second base on attempted steals, which the only two choices being either himself, or the second baseman. He accomplishes this signal by shielding his face with his glove, just so the second baseman can see him. The standard signal is open mouth/closed mouth. Open mouth can mean: "I'm covering. Closed mouth can mean: "You cover the bag." Or vica versa. Other signals known only to the shortstop and second baseman can be utilized, if desired.

To be sure, someone must be covering, and the shortstop must make that clear. The dugout may be signalling the shortstop as to who they prefer cover second base in an unusual situation, but the shortstop must pass that coverage along via the pre-determined signal with the second baseman.

In order to make open/closed mouth signal more definitive with younger players, I've utilized the shortstop signalling open mouth if he is covering; and, instead of closed mouth, he would stick his tongue out at the second baseman, meaning, "I'm pointing at you so you cover the bag."

As for the Cardinals, Brendan Ryan, one might imagine, would be making sure Skip Schumaker, new to second base this season on the pro level, would have the communication. Regardless of who missed the call, it is a basic mistake that looks bad for a defense at the pro level. The fans may not know whose fault it is when Molina's throw sails into center field, but the players on both sides have a good idea, and usually that's enough embarrassment to get it right the next time.

Cards to fish their way out of 4-game funk

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:44:00 +0000

The Cards will go fishing for a win on the east coast today, starting a three-game set with the Florida Marlins.

A split with the Reds wasn't bad, but things fell apart versus the Rockies, the offense falling flat and the starting pitching doing everything they could to keep the Cards in the game, waiting for a couple extra runs that would never come.

Today Chris Carpenter takes the hill, the Cards hoping to end a five-game losing streak. Out of the next 16 games, 13 are on the road; Florida, Cleveland, Kansas City, New York Mets. A short three-game set against the Tigers is the sandwich. After the 16 games, the rest of June belongs to Busch Stadium.

The obvious is that the squad is pressing for offense, which can have a cumulative effect on the team. When trailing by even a couple runs, the opponent's lead feels insurmountable, but a few big-inning breakthroughs can help boost morale and bring the team out of the slump just as fast.

It's the waiting for a rally that's a killer.

When slumps occur, even the defense seems out of kilter, every mistake amplified, adding to the frustration.

In reality, a few defensive boners wouldn't get much spotlight if the team was leading for a change. Any leathery mishaps get little more than a mention when things are going well.

In a post-game, Jack Clark mentioned the Cards are doing the best with what that have, meaning the AAA-help, but although the words can be taken as a slight, they should not be taken out of context. I speculate that Clark knows full well how much the AAA-kids, so to speak, have contributed, and while the "burn while you learn" experience doesn't help the Cards too much in the win column, the experience is invaluable to nearly a half-dozen Memphis callups, and could well help the Cardinals down the road.

For now, however, the talk that's getting bigger and bigger is whether the ownership will go after an impact bat, which seems the most needed item on the Cards' priority list for staying competitive after the All-Star Break.

If Cardinals' ownership plays it as usual, they will make what I consider a mistake in waiting until the bus has left the station before seriously going after the necessary player. The optimum fill right now is third base, though Glaus is expected to come back eventually.

I like Al Hraboskey's choice of Mark De Rosa, to play the hot corner until Glaus returns, then use his experience at no less than six different positions to assist in La Russa's perpetual tuning of the lineup, not to mention, in-game strategies. There are others to consider, but the money aspect of De Rosa is the closest to fitting the right (by choice or necessity) budget of the Cardinals' organization.

If you wait until after the ASG, however, you are making things terribly difficult in the acquisition department, as any other teams in contention will be shopping just as hard for the best deal-to-player ratio. De Rosa fits that for many teams. I say the Cards should go after him right away, because even with the current slump and the pitching staff having its yearly woes, the Cards are only a few games out and stand to remain in contention with the likes of the Brewers, Cubs and Reds.

photo by Barbara Moore

Ghosting ... till further notice

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:08:00 +0000

Sorry to be missing out on all the great Cardinals action, but I'm ghosting till further notice.

Hope to be back soon.

chetthejet

Shane Robinson -- AAA Memphis Redbirds Stats

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:50:00 +0000

Shane Robinson just got off the DL in his assignment for Triple-A affiliate Memphis Redbirds. Now he gets called up to replace OF Rick Ankiel, who goes on the 15-day DL after his horrific headlong crash into the outfield wall a few days ago.

Shane has played in 15 games for the Redbirds so far this season.

Robinson is 19-for-55 at the plate, giving him a .345 batting average, the highest on the team by 49 points. Tyler Greene (also up with the parent club) was second with .296. That leaves the Redbirds with Allen Craig as the next highest at .282.

Has scored 13 runs, second only to teammate Jon Jay.

Led the Redbirds in doubles with five.

Has a triple along with Joe Mather and Tyler Greene (three-way tie for team lead).

Has not homered in Memphis.

Tallied a scant two RBIs.

Accumulated 26 total bases, third on Redbirds.

Has stolen four bases; third best on team.

Was caught stealing once.

Walked only four times while striking out only six times.

Hits an OBP of .410, second only to Tyler Greene's .412.

Led the Redbirds in Slugging Percentage at .473.

Led the Redbirds in OPS at .883.

Committed no errors on Redbirds to date.

Definitely the highest ranked hitter Memphis had, an affiliate that will miss him in their lineup, but an affiliate that has done its job by helping Robinson develop his hitting to a high standard at that level.

Robinson caught everyone's attention at Jupiter, Florida, during Spring Training with his hitting and speed. And speed, on the bases, is something the Cardinals have lacked over the past few seasons, opting for power at every position possible.

The ability to get on base made Robinson a real Triple-A threat. Now he has a chance to test his abilities at the major league level.

Obviously, Robinson will not replace Rick Ankiel, once the Cardinals' center fielder has completed rehab in Florida.

But bumps and bruises and DL designations occur at times during a long major league season, so finding out how Shane Robinson can contribute to the squad in The Bigs is well worth the look-see in May.

Robinson has been assigned #33.

photo by Barbara Moore

Phils flush half of Cards homestand

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Wed, 06 May 2009 11:34:00 +0000

The 2008 World Series winners, Philadelphia Phillies, were back in championship form Tuesday night, handling the St. Louis Cardinals for a mini-sweep of two games with a 10-7 victory.

The loss kills off the first two games of a brief four-game home stand for the Cards, who have two games remaining against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wednesday and Thursday at Busch Stadium.

Adam Wainwright suffered his first loss of the 2009 season, now 3-1 with a 4.08 ERA. Brett Myers improved his record with the Phils to 2-2, now with a 5.35 ERA.

Rick Ankiel was back in the Cardinals' dugout, bringing relief to a Cardinal Nation who was in a state of shock and worry over his head-first collision with the outfield wall just the night before. X-rays and a CT scan results were negative, according to the Cardinals. Ankiel had been released Tuesday morning.

Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak reported Ankiel may be ready for action in a few days.

Brendan Ryan, by his own accounted, believes he is about ready to return to duty. Ryan, however, is stuck on the 15-day DL with roughly half of that time to wait. He blames wet field conditions for his injury, and revealed his frustrations about the same in regards to the challenges of playing defense.

Khalil Greene pinch-hit in Tuesday night's game, returning to shortstop for the first time since a forearm injury worsened about a week ago.

Albert Pujols, Ryan Ludwick, and Yadier Molina homered in the losing cause.

Wednesday night's probable starters are:

PIT -- Zach Duke LHP (3-2, 2.21)
STL -- Mitchell Boggs RHP (1-0, 3.29)

photo by Barbara Moore

Ankiel's scary moment overshadows grand slam and game itself

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:07:00 +0000

Suddenly, in the eighth inning, the game that means so much to so many meant nothing at all when Cardinals' center fielder Rick Ankiel lost his balance making a great catch, crashing head first into the left center field wall.

Ankiel's neck twisted viciously upon contact, the full weight of his body instantly halted from a forward running stumble. The outfielder crumpled onto this back, his body already motionless as he lay on the dirt of the outfield warning track, the ball, which he had somehow transferred to his throwing hand after the catch, just then dribbling off his fingertips.

Fellow outfielder, Chris Duncan raced toward the scene, his steps and mannerisms suggesting he was conflicted as to whether to instinctively go after the baseball or assist his downed teammate. Even as Duncan scooped up the ball with his gloved left hand, his right hand was gently clutching a bit of Ankiel's jersey, saying something before continuing the play.

A loud Ewww sounded from the crowd, followed by a silence you only hear at Busch Stadium before the bulk of Cardinal Nation arrives on game day. Eerie, uncomfortable, the audible emptiness replaced by the lingering gut-wretch of witnessing the obvious injury.

Simultaneously scary and sickening, for everyone, including the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, whose dugout was filled with players riveted at the gathering of Cardinals players and coaches around their fallen teammate. Most of those in attendance stood for nearly twenty minutes, distracted only briefly by the Cardinals' trainer racing across the field to Ankiel's aid, then the team's doctor coming onto the scene, then later, when staff drove out a motorized cart loaded with a backboard stretcher.

And then, after what seemed like an eternity of anguishing minutes, the cart was rolling toward the right field exit with medical staff and Ankiel aboard.

A moment of relief was then provided by Ankiel himself as he was driven through right field, when he lifted his left hand, giving a thumb's up. The movement and the gesture broke an almost unbearable anxiety, but as Ankiel and staff disappeared under the right field seats, Cardinal Nation was left with a lingering concern over Ankiel's well-being.

Before that, events that seemed like a distant memory from some other game: Lohse had pitched well, then struggled, Ryan Howard hat hit a grand slam, and Tyler Greene had made a sensational play at shortstop.

Ankiel also made a sensational play, but all anyone cared about was obtaining any scrap of post-game information regarding his condition.

At the time of this posting, x-rays and CT scans upon Ankiel were all reported as negative by the St. Louis Cardinals. Good news, so far.

But somehow, no matter what is reported to Cardinal Nation, the unease will continue until all can see that Rick Ankiel is okay.

photo by Barbara Moore

Cards/Nats Ticker 5/3/09 -- All Access

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Sun, 03 May 2009 17:22:00 +0000

Cards/Nats Ticker 5/3/09

Cards/Nats Ticker 5/2/09

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Cards/Nats Ticker 5/2/09

D -- LF/SS - Fly Ball Communication

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:05:00 +0000

With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Nationals' Nick Johnson hit a pop fly to shallow left field.

Cardinals' left fielder Skip Schumaker charged toward the infield, simultaneously, shortstop Tyler Greene raced toward left field, both tracking down the descending ball.

In these situations, the usual tact is for the left fielder to take any of these fly balls he can, and should call out, loudly, as soon as he is sure he can make the catch, or, as soon as he is sure he wants to try to make the catch, if indeed, he feels he will have the best play in on a ball he believes will be difficult for either player.

The shortstop (or any infielder) heading into the outfield, should attack the pop fly as if he is the one who will be making the play, not trying to guess that the left fielder (or any outfielder) will call him off.

(Knowing these zones where pop flies can drop and which defenders are likely to be in range is helpful for any defenders involved.)

In the game situation used as an example, left fielder Skip Schumaker would be the defender whose call for the ball would then halt shortstop Tyler Greene's progress toward a potential reception. It did not appear that Schumaker made any call, but failed to continue to attempt to make the catch. Greene backed off his reception attempt at the last moment, although there seemed no call made by Schumaker.

The defensive miscue here is that both players seemed to guess that the other would make the play, which resulted in a scored double for Nick Johnson, and a Nationals base runner in scoring position with one out where otherwise there would be two outs and no Nats base runners.

As Tyler Greene is new to the squad, Schumaker may have had second thoughts about whether he was "up to snuff" on these "tweener" types of fly balls, choosing to back off for fear of collision. But we speculate on the former.

In any case, Schumaker could easily have made the catch, and whether or not he uttered a sound, he should have called for the ball.

It would be okay for Greene to make a call for the ball, but only if he knows he can reach it, and only if he is just as prepared to back off if Schumaker makes the "priority" call.

Strict observance of fly ball communication as it relates to this play does not guarantee a successful defensive result, but it can reduce the instances of losing what are often thought of as "easy outs" to the opposition.

photo by Barbara Moore

Cardinals/Nationals -- May 1, 2009 (8th inning)

Touch 4 times 4 equals Cards win

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Sat, 02 May 2009 12:13:00 +0000

All six of the St. Louis Cardinals' runs Friday night were the product of four home runs as Tony La Russa's squad handled the Washington Nationals in an 8-2 win.

Albert Pujols, Chris Duncan, Ryan Ludwick, and Joe Thurston each launched homers.

Home run distribution:

Pujols -- 1st inning
Duncan -- 4th inning
Ludwick -- 6th inning
Thurston -- 7th inning

Even the Nats only runs came on a round-tripper, a two-run shot by Willie Harris in the seventh.

Cards' starter Todd Wellemeyer improved his record to 2-2, an outing that wasn't pristine, but another step in a course of steady improvement. Wellemeyer pitched more to contact Friday night, and didn't fall behind as many batters as he had in previous starts.

Wellemeyer helped the bullpen maintain decent a decent usage level (not too much; not too little), throwing seven complete innings, a 109 pitches worth, of which he threw 67 strikes. He issued only two walks while striking out three Nats. He gave up the one homer to Harris, amongst six hits on the night.

La Russa went to his bullpen for Jason Motte as set-up man in the eighth, Motte giving up a couple hits, one of them a defensive mistake when a pop fly fell between left fielder Skip Schumaker and shortstop Tyler Greene. Motte pitched through the defensive lapse, however, mixing a new and improved slider and a fast ball that was mid-90s and under control.

Blaine Boyer got a vote of confidence by La Russa, who chose him to close. Boyer showed much better command of his pitches than his previous work on the hill, especially in locating his slider and curve. His fast ball showed the most improvement, though, a sinker that gives hitters a very late tail to the right at the last second.

Jordan Zimmermann suffered the loss for the Nats, now 2-1, but the young rookie pitcher drew nothing but praise from La Russa in a post-game interview.

The Cardinals have taken the first two games of a four-game set with the Nats.

Next game: Saturday, 12:05 CT, Nationals Park, Washington , D.C.

Probable pitchers:

STL -- Joel Pineiro RHP (4-0, 3.76)
WSH -- Shairon Martis RHP (2-0, 6.20)

Look for a similar lineup to Friday night, La Russa more than likely willing to load the lineup with left-handed swingers. Rasmus may spell Ankiel as part of La Russa's platooning, rather than start ahead of Ludwick, who homered, and is feeling better, now getting over a short period of sickness.

It would make sense for Jason LaRue to catch Saturday, however, since Yadier Molina was rested on Thursday, and since Pineiro is pitching, look for Molina to catch Saturday again. He may take a seat when Pineiro does, but only if the Cards can score and carry a four-plus run lead against Martis, who carries a high ERA.

The Thurston/Barden platoon at third base is working well so don't look for La Russa to try to "fix what ain't broke."

Tyler Greene is playing in an acceptable fashion for someone just called up for the first time, but if La Russa feels Barden has an distinct advantage plate-wise versus one of the Nats' hurlers, there could be change. The current situation tells us to leave things alone, however, with newcomer T. Greene at shortstop. This, with the idea that there's nothing to panic about. The rookie isn't hurting the team in any way, has contributed both offensively and defensively, and may as well show the skipper what he can do at this level with Khalil Greene nearly ready to return to the infield.

It's not as if the Cardinals have a problem with their lineup right now. The team is hot, the bats are hotter, and the best play right now is simply to let them ride out the hot streak. The club is now 10 games over .500, what is considered by many as a necessary ingredient to maintain in order to reassure a playoff spot.

But if there's any place that might turn the Cards into complete offensive monsters to their opponents, it would be in the two-slot. Because the leadoff hitter has to be strong in order to let a power hitter swat away in the two-hole, the Cards are not quite there. Therefore, Ankiel, who otherwise make a lot of sense for the pre-Pujols slot, doesn't work as well he might under slightly different circumstances. Ankiel simply doesn't make enough contact to sit at number two for long, especially on days where the on-base percentage just isn't there in the leadoff position.

The Cards have a player of big potential for that two-hole in Colby Rasmus, but he suffers from the same problem of not having enough contact. And not that Schumaker is not a good leadoff man, but if you want to put players like Ankiel or Rasmus in the number two slot, you have to have a Reyes, ala Mets' Reyes, type of leadoff hitter.

(An example of how to waste the services of the Met's Reyes is how their awesome three-four-five doesn't take advantage of their great leadoff man. That may change with a bit more season.)

For now, though, the Cardnals are doing just fine, and Cardinal Nation should have no major gripes with the team's performance, especially on the road.

photo by Barbara Moore

Cards/Nats Ticker 5/1/09 - All Access

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:01:00 +0000

Cards/Nats Ticker 5-1-09 -- All Access

Cardinal Nation Ticker 5/1/09 -- All Access

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:00:00 +0000

Cardinal Nation Ticker -- All Access -- 5/1/09

Upcoming Live Ticker -- Cards/Nats -- All Access

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:13:00 +0000

Late rally sparked by Ankiel, T. Greene in Cards win

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Fri, 01 May 2009 02:37:00 +0000

In a game that ran tied at 2-apiece for four innings, then see-sawed up to 4-4 over the next four innings, then saw the Cards explode for five runs in the top of the ninth, it was as if you were either waiting for the Cards to do well or the Nats to do poorly.

Cardinal Nation got a lot of both, resulting in a 9-4 victory for the Cardinals in the first of a four-game series with the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.

Rick Ankiel sparked the late rally with a double off of former Cardinal Julian Taveras, scoring Chris Duncan, who had walked his way on base.

Taveras then issued a free pass to Joe Thurston, followed by hitting Jason LaRue in the gut, loading the bases with one out Tyler Greene, this, his major league debut. Green had hit well prior to this AB, but had nothing to show for it.

On this bases-loaded AB, however, Greene topped a slow roller down the third base line, Nats' third baseman Ryan Zimmerman unable to make a barehanded pickup, touching the ball, though, which rolled away on the foul side of the line. Ankiel had scored, but when Thurston saw the ball get by Zimmerman, he darted for the plate, unaware that shortstop Cristian Guzman was directly behind him and hustling up the ball. Guzman's throw to catcher Jesus Flores had Thurston beat by a good ten feet, but Flores muffed the reception and Thurston slid in safely, at the time, giving the Cards a 7-4 lead.

Nats' former closer Joel Hanrahan was called in to face pinch-hitter Brian Barden, but balked, allowing LaRue to score from third and move Greene up to second. Greene then stole third base, surprising the Hanrahan/Flores battery. Barden hit a sacrifice fly to Austin Kearns in right field, Greene tagging up and scoring from third base with the Cards' ninth run.

Manager Tony La Russa, with the five-run lead, called PJ Walters in to close. Walters had difficulties with the late duty, falling behind every hitter, forcing La Russa to get left-hander Dennys Reyes up in the bullpen. Walters made it through, however, and the Cards came away with a sigh and a win.

Going back to where the game began, Mitchell Boggs started and gave the Cardinals six innings, tossing 100, 60 for strikes. He allowed four runs on six hits, walking only two while striking out a healthy share of nine Nationals.

The Cards' bullpen gave up nothing, finished with the aforementioned Walters, but with Boggs' first relief from Blaine Boyer (1.0 IP), Trever Miller (1/3 IP), and Chris Perez (2/3 IP).

The relief corps of four hurlers gave up no runs and no hits, Chris Perez ending up the pitcher of record, recording his first win against one loss.

Early hitting for the Cards was highlighted by a first inning, two-run shot by Albert Pujols (Rasmus on base).

Ryan Zimmerman answered Pujols' homer with by copycatting with Nick Johnson on base. That made the 2-all game that went on for the first four innings.

Colby Rasmus hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth to score Schumaker and give the Cards a one-run lead.

Mitchell Boggs set up the loss of the Cards' 3-2 lead in the sixth by hitting Nats' pitcher Daniel Cabrera, who normally strikes out in almost every at-bat. Flores made Boggs pay for that mistake by jacking a fly ball over Rick Ankiel's head in center field, a triple that scored Cabrera and tie up the game at 3-3.

Anderson Hernandez compounded the Boggs hiccup by doubling to right field, scoring Flores with the lead run, at the time, 4-3 Nats.

Ankiel provided some punch before his late-inning heroics with a sacrifice fly in the seventh that scored Ryan Ludwick with the tying run.

The 9-4 win makes the Cards 3-1 so far on this road trip. They continue facing the Nationals for three more games, the next contest set for Friday night at 6:05 p.m. CT.

photo by Barbara Moore

Cards/Nats Ticker 4-30-09 -- All Access

noreply@blogger.com (chetthejet) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:46:00 +0000

Cards/Nats Ticker 4-30-09 -- All Access