When it’s over
That’s the time I fall in love again

-Sugar Ray

If you’re still following @PitchersHit8th on Twitter, this post will come as no surprise to you, and is actually long overdue.  If you loyal four readers are REALLY loyal and only come here, well, then I apologize for the lack of updates on this site and for not clueing you in sooner!

Yes, I’ve quoted a Sugar Ray song above, and no, it won’t be the last time in this post.  Again, my apologies.  However, as I was thinking of what to write here, this song kept coming back to me as apropos of what’s happening (has happened) and a general descriptor for what it means to me as the end of one thing but – I think – the great beginning of another.

From the first post here ( Soriano = Zito? – circa May 2008 ) to the last ( Josh’s two-part lead-up to the 2013 draft – circa May 2013 ), this website has been a labor of love – admittedly sometimes more labor than love – but one born out of my desire to continue to be a fan of the ball club I grew up with, despite the many miles between us.

It’s that part where it became more labor than love that helped lead to the next chapter.  Pitchers Hit Eighth has moved to Cards Conclave.

Cards Conclave is a collaboration of many great Cardinal blogs, including this one, that will allow all of us to focus on great writing rather than just making sure we have something new on the website every day.  Rather than trying to keep current, we can each focus on what we do best individually while providing great content across a wide array of topics at the main site.  Confused yet?  Basically what this means is that Pitchers Hit Eighth will retain its own identity at the Conclave, and if all you want to read is stuff from Josh and I, you can very easily do so.  But if you want to get all of the Cards coverage you can handle from a bunch of great writers, you  can go to the main Cards Conclave site and read new posts every single day of the week.  It’s really a win, win, win.

And when it’s over
That’s the time you’re in my heart again

Between the first Sugar Ray line and this one, it’s easy for me to translate what this move is really all about for me (and by extension, Josh as well) – falling in love again.  Getting back to enjoying watching Cardinal games instead of looking for angles for the next day’s post.  So when this website as it was constituted is, for all intents and purposes, over – we’re falling in love with a great ball club all over again, and with writing about them.  I know I don’t speak just for us, but for many of the other writers at the Conclave as well.

When it’s over
Can I still come over?

Of course!  As previously mentioned, you can still visit Pitchers Hit Eighth every day at the Cards Conclave!

And, since I know how much you love reading PH8 from 2009, this site will never cease to exist in its current format.  We’ll keep it up for referencing when something said many seasons ago requires shaming, etc and so on.  So you can still come visit PH8 here too!

And when you go go go go
I know
It never ends
It never ends

We’re not done, we’re just getting started!  Come visit Pitchers Hit Eighth at Cards Conclave.  Thanks, as always, for reading.

The post When it’s over… first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

The excitement of Draft Day feels similar to the start of Hot Stove action with the main difference being June almost always brings promise. December typically offers highs and lows depending on the season, but only an occasional head-scratching move in the first round can dampen the mood of adding new hope to the ranks. With the Cardinals  about to add to the game’s best farm system, the top two picks are in focus today with an eye on possibly finding the next Wacha already in the organization.

All of the following views come from an arm-chair scout as I have not had the good fortune of seeing any of the top arms in action. And while I do think it is possible for St. Louis to end up drafting a position player (shortstop anyone), my money is squarely on at least one of the seven names below wearing the Birds on the Bat. Due to the joys of technology, there is almost no such thing as a surprise prospect. The Cape Cod League still ranks high on the Cards’ list as are a number of high school showcases.

No matter which direction the club decides to take, one certainty will play out Thursday when a couple of names get the call every young boy dreams of from the time they can swing a bat. Potential beats out playing time as St. Louis proved last year, and the opportunity to find yet another top of the rotation arm grow as other teams look to make the splashy pick. The Cardinals’ brain trust will stick to their plan but only 18 picks stand in the way of knowing just how good the summer can be for State College or Johnson City.

Of course, the rest of the picks are important too, and the dramatic first pick can be debated only so long until #28 gets announced. Much like with last year’s haul, the new rules put planning at a premium so expect the unexpected. Reports continue to swirl about who may fall due to a variety of reasons so feel free to add to this list in the comments or tell me I’m nuts!

Prospects are not created equal and now just seems like the perfect time to dig into the high school ranks. Before looking at the Fab Five high school hurlers, however, two college southpaws have also put themselves into the discussion. Once considered a top pick, Indiana State’s Sean Manaea has not been able to maintain the same level displayed last summer on the Cape. He is a Scott Boras client as well and could prove an expensive investment, making for an interesting option at either pick. On the other hand, polished Gonzaga junior Marco Gonzales consistently has been tied to St. Louis in mock drafts and could be plugged into a full-season role quickly.

While both LHP present ‘safer’ picks given their pedigree, many moving parts have to fall into place for one or the other to be on the board. If the Cards are thinking about going the left-handed route, there is a pair of talented high school athletes who project to help from either the mound or the batter’s box. Trey Ball is the more heralded of the two but also positioned to go anywhere from the top ten to maybe the end of the first round. He stands at least 6-5 and projects as a strong option to stay in the rotation or transition to the outfield. The Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year has committed to the University of Texas and won’t come cheap, something that could allow him to drop within range of #19.

Perhaps the wildcard in the race for the 28th pick, St. Louis prep star Jake Brentz took the unconventional method towards the draft. He didn’t play his senior year, opting to strengthen his resume in Iowa with a wood-bat league. The two-way player signed with Missouri but mainly for his bat given the short amount of time on the mound. Brentz could also appeal to a number of teams looking to utilize the power arm from the left side. While other lefties are sure to be drafted in the first round, a trio of high school arms has caught my attention for very different reasons. The first, Devin Williams, has two things in common with Brentz as he is a fellow University of Missouri recruit who hails from the Cards’ backyard. Williams also ranks in the top 50 of Baseball America’s Prospects with a good chance of being snatched up before the 2nd round.

There are long shots and then there are hail mary passes that typically wind up on the ground. My final pair belong in this category, strictly from the lack of buzz that normally surround St. Louis draft picks. Every once in a while a couple players come around that just seem to have ‘it’ even though the fit may not make sense. Hunter Harvey screams that to me, right down to the fact that his father was a big league closer. I appreciate that they have had a plan from the start and let teams know that turning pro was the No.1 option. Of course that could backfire, and the Cardinals rarely gamble when drafts are concerned.

As the saying goes, there is an exception to every rule, and Kohl Stewart certainly fits that bill. It appears Texas A&M has locked up another star, this one of the two-sport variety. Stewart would be the gamble worth taking in my opinion, since he would surely get top billing in the readjusted Top 1o list. With as many as four more graduating off to play under the Arch, Stewart may be the one player who could bump into the top 3 from what many consider a down year. It should be a pipe dream that the future quarterback even makes it out of the first five picks, but I can always dream of having a third Texan flamethrower drafted with the 19th pick, right?

Well, if the loyal three have made it this far, it is time for the reward. Tomorrow brings much excitement for the PH8 family, and it will be way better than seeing St. Louis catching royalty past and present tossed by a punk. With the final draft preview before Thursday’s big day, I get to look at my favorite part and that is only a sliver of the fun. Puzzles were never much fun for me, but I always did enjoy building teams. The above links for State College and Johnson City already have some of the holes filled in, so I get to do the rest. The one gap I look forward to the most, though, has nothing to do with the draft.

Former 2nd round pick Jordan Swagerty recently hit the mound again in Florida, as his recovery from Tommy John surgery provides yet another story line to follow this summer. He already has experience at Springfield and could provide a nice spark in a variety of ways for a few different Cardinal rosters. Check out his progress here and then get ready for the new PH8 experience!

The post Stacking the Draft (Part 2): Arms Race Times Two first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

As much as I enjoy the lead-up to the MLB Rule 4 Draft, the honest truth is way too much misinformation comes out in the week before Ryan Franklin represents the Cardinals. It appears picking 19th serves St. Louis well in the first round, however,  with the 2013 edition looking to score the third potential ace in the last five years. While I don’t personally make mock drafts, enough of the names have circulated now to get a good feel for who could be the next Shelby Miller or Michael Wacha.

Thursday was a wealth of emotion, mixing huge highs with Franklin-like lows in closing out the longest game in memory since a certain 20-inning live blog that shall go unmentioned ever again. But in honor of our three loyal readers, my draft preview will stretch across the weekend right into next week where more big news (white smoke?) leads up to Thursday’s next bite at the prospect apple.

Two more first round picks will join the hallowed ranks of the Birds on the Bat, and recent history shows a good chance of making it to the all-important Texas League sooner rather than later. Since I live just down the I-44 from Springfield, all of my minor league games dating back to 2007 have been spent watching the defending TL Champs turn many unknowns into household names for the Cardinals. Not only is Hammons Field a great place to take in a game, there is not a bad seat anywhere, and I highly recommend the Redbird Roost.

As nice as the stadium is, by far my favorite part of taking in an SCards game is the competition. Springfield is one of only four teams in the North Division and plays the other three squads eight times. Double-A can make or break your career, and St. Louis has taken to aggressively promoting its top talent in order to test them. Look no further than the first two months for the Cardinals and where each of the reinforcements pitched at least part of 2012.

Aside from Miller who spent the season in Memphis, eight hurlers who wore an SCards uniform at some point last year have been called up to the Majors. Wacha earned a late season promotion and was a member of the Championship squad. Joining him in raising the first title for Springfield were Carlos Martinez and Seth Maness in the rotation. They replaced John Gast and Tyler Lyons who earned mid-season promotions to Memphis as well as Trevor Rosenthal, who brought his 100 mph fastball to the big league bullpen.

You can’t win without a strong bullpen, and recent call-ups Michael Blazek and Keith Butler have provided as strong a duo as the Texas League has seen the last two campaigns. Any way you look at it, Springfield’s model has proven successful but can not last without continued support. All of the injuries have a trickle-down effect, putting stress on each level. Palm Beach and Peoria have stepped up with last year’s draft picks filling in admirably, but the true test will come in the next two months.

The Cardinals have a real shot at adding another late season burst as Wacha did down the stretch. The question will be which direction the organization takes especially if another big-armed college hurler drops in their lap. Check back for part two on Sunday, where the list of potential rotation mates gets introduced, PH8 style.

The post Stacking the Draft (Part 1): Singing in Springfield first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

With Tuesday night’s impressive performance – again – Tyler Lyons (who is this guy, really?) has continued the success of Cardinal rookie starting pitchers in 2013.

Leading all of baseball in 2013 with nine wins from rookie starting pitchers, the Cardinals have relied on one pitcher they hoped would have this success, Shelby Miller, and two that they probably hoped they wouldn’t have to use in Lyons and John Gast.

Miller has impressed with a 5-3 record that probably should be even better, given his peripherals.  Gast won two games before going on the disabled list with a bum shoulder, and Lyons has allowed just one run in each of his two starts, going deep into both games.

Getting several wins out of rookie starting pitchers is nothing new to the Cardinals, even in recent history.  You’ll remember that Lance Lynn won 17 games as a starting pitcher last season while still qualifying as a rookie.  Lynn led the way for Cardinal rookie starting pitchers in 2012, with the team posting a total of 21 wins by rookie starting pitchers.  Even those numbers aren’t THAT impressive when you consider the Oakland A’s got 40 wins from rookie starting pitchers in 2012 (in 101 starts).  The Cards’ 21 wins was good for fifth most in MLB for 2012.

Interestingly enough, the Cardinals “franchise” (dating back to predecessors of the modern day mascot, from 1871) leads MLB in rookie starting pitcher wins with 1491, according to Fangraphs.  Led by names like Silver King, Jumbo McGinnis, Jack Harper, Harvey Haddix, and Johnny Beazley – Cardinal fans might also recognize the two pitchers who won 19 games in their rookie seasons, Dizzy Dean and Paul Dean.  Lance Lynn’s 18 rookie wins (unfortunately, at this volume of data, it’s not separating out his one relief win from 2012) is good for a five-way tie for eighth most by a rookie for the Cardinals.  Jaime Garcia also makes the top 30 list with his 13 wins from 2010.

Next to try to add to the rookie win total?  Michael Wacha, heralded prospect and hot shot of Spring Training this season, Wacha will make the start this evening, again more out of necessity than desire for the Cardinals.  Injuries to the Cardinals’ staff (including Gast) has forced John Mozeliak’s hand into calling up the 2012 draftee seemingly ahead of the front office’s planned schedule for him.

Can Wacha add rookie starting pitcher win number 10 in 2013?

The post Lyons and Miller and Gast (oh my) first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

The Cardinals’ starting pitching rotation is on this week’s cover of Sports Illustrated.

Well, what WAS the Cardinals’ starting pitching rotation.

Image courtesy sicovers.com

Two-fifths of that photo are now on the disabled list. One for the season (Jaime Garcia) and one indefinitely or until the medical staff runs out of elbow injections (Jake Westbrook).

Damn you Sports Illustrated, and your nefarious cover jinx.  I bet your editors are the types of people who openly talk about a no-hitter while it’s in progress too, right?  *ducks*

All kidding aside, it’s a great photo, excellent recognition for what these five guys have accomplished to date, and I’m sure the cover piece is wonderful as well.  Now, about getting that elbow fixed…

The post Sports Illustrated cover jinxes the Cards rotation first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

As the Redbirds prepare to begin another road series, this one their first trip to Wrigley Field in 2013, they bring with them a 2013 MLB best seven-game road winning streak. By virtue of a three-game sweep in the nation’s capital and four games worth in Milwaukee, the Cards head into Chicago with an opportunity to set themselves apart with the longest road winning streak in the league this season, a distinction currently shared with the Atlanta Braves.

While the Cards obviously hold the longest current streak, you’ll note that the Detroit Tigers are lurking right behind, albeit having taken four off of the Houston Astros.  Yes, albeit.  As in, hapless.  Not to be confused with J.A. Happ-less.

I digress.  The goods on 2013 road winning streaks from B-Ref:

Lest we be “ho-hummed” or non-plussed by this achievement, let’s look at it in a more historical context.

In the Cardinals’ history (nevermind how many total games Baseball Reference argues versus how many the team claims, especially since we can only use B-Ref’s data), the team has only recorded 38 such streaks or better since the beginning of the 1916 season.

A win tomorrow will put the 2013 Cardinals in some pretty rare company in franchise history. A sweep at the hands of the Little Bears will put this year’s club in “not in the last 43 years” territory. Fascinating yes, but also illustrative of how these things can be, well, streaky. *cue drumroll*

It is notable, for a club with documented issues early in this season (read: bullpen, some concern over streaky offense – although maybe streaky offense is the reason for the season?) to be so dominant against teams of talent, teams of note within the early “these teams are good!” race, to have the aforementioned success.  I mean, for crying out loud, Allen Craig JUST HIT HIS FIRST HOME RUN!

The Cards will likely require several more dingers from their clean-up hitter if they wish to equal the longest road winning streak since 1916 in MLB.  The Detroit Tigers did something silly between the 1983 and 1984 seasons.

Even the most recent double-digit road winning streak, by the Oakland A’s is but a twinkle in the eye of the current Cards streak. “Get to ten and we’ll talk,” kind of territory. Frankly, the Cards don’t have to get there to be successful. They’ve already succeeded in winning the seven they have in hand.

But it’s fun to dream on a twenty-one game road winning streak, right?

The post Cardinals proving Road Warriors first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

Pitchers Hit Eighth has the distinct honor of calling the third inning action in the United Cardinal Bloggers’ 2013 Progressive Game Blog.  If you’ve not seen one of these things before, here is the gist of it, from the UCB site:

If you’ve never read one of our Progressive Game Blogs before, you are in for a treat.  The PGB is a unique way to look at a game–you’ll not find anything like it elsewhere–and is always a lot of fun.  Nine blogs will each analyze a different inning, linking to each other in a seamless line.  When you are done, you’ll have read a number of points of view and seen the one game through many different eyes.

We pick up the action in the top of the third inning, with the Cardinals leading the Brewers 3-2.

Top of Third (Cardinals batting versus Yovani Gallardo)

Matt Carpenter

One of the Cards showing the most patience at the plate this season, Matty Carp conversely quickly lines out to center field on a 0-1 pitch.

Carlos Beltran

Fox broadcast talking to Kyle Lohse about facing the Cardinals again.  Lohse wistful about winning a World Series, Cardinals “not wanting anything to do with (him)” coming off of the year he had.  Meanwhile, Beltran runs the count to 3-1 before taking a fastball for strike two.  Full count tapper back to Gallardo makes for the second out.  Lohse has an outstanding golf handicap.

Matt Holliday

Holliday shows Lohse what a real golf swing looks like for strike one.  Gallardo loses an 0-2 pitch up around Holliday’s noggin.  A 1-2 fastball that likely should’ve rung Holliday up is called inside, Lohse thought it was a strike.  Ground ball to shortstop Jean Segura ends the inning quite innocently.

What seemed like a great inning for the Cardinals to continue to batter Milwaukee starter Gallardo (the Cardinals have straight OWNED Yo in recent seasons) falls by the wayside with little to show from the top three in the Cards’ lineup.

Bottom of Third (Brewers batting versus Adam Wainwright)

Ryan Braun

First pitch swinging, Braun almost kills Wainwright with a broken bat, ground ball to Allen Craig ranging to his right, Waino barely beats Braun to the bag for the first out.

Yuniesky Betancourt

I would just like to take this opportunity to make it clear to everyone reading that Yuni Betancourt is batting clean up for the Brewers.  That is not a typo.  Betancourt lifts a 1-1 pitch to center field, the home crowd gets excited, and it is a routine F8.

Rickie Weeks

Weeks lines a 0-1 pitch into left field, causing Matt Holliday to dance around a bit before finally charging on to make the catch.

Uneventful inning for Wainwright as well, with very few pitches.  A welcome sight.

—–

Well folks, sorry there wasn’t much to see here for our third inning.  To catch the rest of the action, check out the following sites for their inning recaps for the UCB Progressive Game Blog!

First inning: Aaron Miles’ Fastball
Second inning: Stl Cards ‘N Stuff
Third inning: Pitchers Hit Eighth
Fourth inning: I70 Baseball
Fifth inning: On The Outside Corner
Sixth inning: Keene On MLB
Seventh inning: Fungoes
Eighth inning: ManFridge Baseball
Ninth inning: Cards Tied For First
Extras/Postgame: C70 At The Bat

The post 2013 UCB Progressive Game Blog – Cards vs Brewers – Third Inning first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

Dearest Cardinals fans,

I am before you today, a humble basement blogger, asking – nay, pleading – that you stop your incessant booing of Brandon Phillips when he plays at Busch III.

Exhibit A:

No, I am not convinced that there is some snake-oil in your boos that fuels Dat Dude.  However, there’s simply no reason to any longer provide him the crooked, misplaced fuel that he so desires.  The guy clearly gets off on your disdain.

May I suggest an alternative?  (I’m assuming you said yes.)

Just do nothing.  Absolute silence when he’s at the plate.  It might not work, but it certainly can’t be any worse than the OPS-fluffing boos.

That is all.

Sincerely,
Nick

The post Please stop booing Brandon Phillips first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

For the third straight season, the United Cardinal Bloggers were guests in St. Louis and in my opinion, the team may even invite us back! It is the least we can do since the win streak was snapped by Pittsburgh. Christi and I made the trip up Saturday to attend the dinner and brought with us the unseasonal Winter Warm-up weather instead. Those festivities will be covered later in the week, as tonight’s offering is strictly about the insider knowledge the Cardinals bestowed before the chilly battle with the Pirates.

UCB Weekend

Those pictures are courtesy of Lindsey Weber, who again gets all of the credit as well as Ron and Paige for putting up with us. We are willing guinea pigs for the new food offerings, and my personal opinion is that every ballpark should have a pasta station! Bill DeWitt III and John Mozeliak again were gracious with their time, and everything from Ballpark Village to Lil’ Pedro was fair game. Since the loyal readership (up to 4 now!) has to be curious, PH8 again picked Mo’s brain to dig up some dirt.

Two weekends in a row will feature Cards’ baseball, but the upcoming trip to Springfield may offer a glimpse at more than just Carlos Martinez. Today brought news that site favorite Matt Adams will be making a rehab trip back to the Texas League just in time to hand out the shiny replica rings. That could double the interest for this scribe, as Mo made it clear that Martinez will not be enjoying AA hitters for very much longer.

PH8: Mo, what are the chances of being able to catch Carlos Martinez in the near…

Mo: You better hurry up big boy.

I am a quick study, so that gave me all the insight needed heading into Saturday’s scheduled affair. And as the weather could inadvertently work to our advantage, Martinez now appears to be on tap for the start against Tulsa. That is unless he gets called up prior to that! And where might the hard thrower end up first? My money is on the Rosenthal plan that could very well involve skipping Memphis altogether.

The post UCB Weekend: Mo Knows Drama first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

[ED. note – I am not a pro-fesh-un-ul scout nor do I pretend to be one.  I am far from qualified to be giving advice to big-league pitchers.  That said, here are some things I would consider, were I in a position to communicate things to the staff in charge of said advice and/or improvement amongst Major League Baseball Cardinals.]

In the spring of 2012, Pitchers Hit Eighth completed a pretty thorough (at least we’d like to claim so) review of the hot new middle relief band Mitchell Boggs and the Consistent Delivery.

Boggs had adopted a more over-the-top approach, noticeably.

Mitchell Boggs sometime 2011:

Keeping in mind that Boggs’ 2011 had some, well, ups and downs, let’s take another look at his 2012 delivery:

As noted in the previous post reviewing these approaches from Boggs…

You can see a less-pronounced angle in his front (drive) leg toward the first-base line, far less (and seriously, watching this live he looks like he’s standing up on his front leg) hinge at the waist, and the arm angle is much higher.

Having looked at this closely last spring, I obviously had to go to the tape this season to see where Boggs is winding up at release.

I’m still no scout or pitching coach, but look at this release:

I see a lot more of 2011 Mitchell Boggs in this frame than 2012.  To wit:

1. Falling off to the first base side (even more!) again.
2. Left shoulder falling out of delivery more than even the 2011 release.
3. Drive leg back into compromised angle instead of driving over top of it.
4. Arm slot back into three-quarter release instead of coming over top.

Tell me I’m crazy (please!), because these are the sorts of things that keep me up at night thinking bad bullpen thoughts.  Tell me Mitchell Boggs found some foul talisman under his in-season mattress that removal of said foul item will restore order to the Cardinal bullpen (how’s that for a reach? you still with me, loyal four?).

I’m no expert.  I see things that interest me.  Mitchell Boggs had a tough go in 2011 with a three-quarter release and falling toward first base.  Boggs’ 2012 was successful when he “stood up” on his release and came at hitters over the top.  2013 (at least from the video I can poach from MLB.com) shows Boggs maybe falling back into three-quarter fall-out…

Lilli?

The post Re-reviewing Mitchell Boggs’ Mechanics (they seem bad) first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

Adam Wainwright (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shelby Miller: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Adam Wainwright: 8.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Three total innings of relief in two games.

This is an opportunity for the much-maligned Cardinals bullpen and their manager to reboot. Reset expectations. Survive and advance (am I wandering into the wrong sport here?).

Mitchell Boggs needs fixing, and the manager has all but acknowledged it.  Trevor Rosenthal needs a break.  Joe Kelly needs innings.  And there’s not a more appropriate time than following the starting efforts of Miller and Wainwright to do it.

Give Rosey another day off, just for good measure.  Let Boggs have a day or two to shake out the demons, and when you bring him back, make it more of a “Joe Kelly-ish” role.  In other words, low leverage and well-chosen (read: perhaps sparingly).  On the other hand, let that Ferrari out of the shed a bit.  Matheny was either getting closer to that point tonight, with Kelly warming up, or was itching at the chance to use Kelly in his originally intended “long-relief” role if and when the game was tied up.  I choose to believe the former.

So if there is only one bullpen role solidified (ok, two if you count Randy Choate throwing a third every other game) – Edward Mujica appears to be the closer du jour – then what’s to say that going forward anyone else down there has to be beholden to a particular inning or job?  If the situation calls for triple digit heat and a deftly located 89-mph slider, Rosey’s your guy.  If it’s upper-90’s and then a filthy sinker, based on batter or batters coming up, then Joe Kelly.  Boggs can fill in until he decides he can pitch again.  Choate and Marc Rzepczynski can arm wrestle (with their right arms, natch) for the job of frustrating left-handed batters.

Oversimplifying?  Why yes, I am.  It’s my hobby job hobby.  You’ve forgotten Fernando Salas, you say?  I beg to differ, I retort. **

** ED. note – For the record, I didn’t forget Fernando Salas.  I also didn’t have anything further to add.  He is not included in this web log post.  I’m not sure how to be any more clear about this subject.

Early usage of Rosenthal, Boggs, Mujica, et al has seemed to follow a pattern of “these are my guys in these innings” instead of a focus on who is rested, who matches up best, and perhaps most importantly who can get the most important out – which is the one currently at the plate.  If that’s the starter, great.  Let him bunt with runners in scoring position and two outs (let the record show I disagreed vehemently with this decision, but was roundly dismissed by the masses).  But as much as that unfortunate situation may have been an indictment of the bullpen, let’s not confuse it with letting Miller hit for himself Monday night with the bases loaded, only 75 pitches thrown, and cruising.  MIKE might be protecting his bullpen in some cases, but in others, the dominating starter is the guy to run with.  ‘Twas the case Monday night, and is likely to be the case again sometime soon.

Get the best arm into the game for the situation.  I can’t believe I’m arguing for small sample size situational use, but by golly, this whole “YOU GET THE SEVENTH” and “YOU GET THE EIGHTH” ad infinitum makes me bonk my head.

The post Miller, Wainwright Allow Matheny to Reset Bullpen first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

Oh, you thought it was going to be of hits?

The post Ty Wigginton Spray Chart – 04.19.2013 at Phillies first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

[Ed. Note – the following post is sponsored by PH8 Partner DraftKings.com – we encourage you to visit their site and participate in this fantastic contest that offers our wonderful readers the opportunity to win $50,000!  Thanks for reading.]

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The post Want a Shot at $50k Playing Fantasy Baseball? first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

Have you ever wanted a personalized message from a big-league ballplayer?  From one who plays for the Cardinals, at that?

Nevermind asking a Cardinal to write a treatise to how cool you are on their latest baseball card or a fresh horsehide from the team store – now you can get a personalized voice message from them!

Enter EGraphs.com – a cool new venture aimed at further connecting ballplayers with their fans by sending an autographed image with a personalized voice message for the recipient.  Not only is it ballplayers now, the egraphs folks have also added NBA egraphs if that’s your cup of tea.

How does it work, you ask?  From “Inside an egraph” at egraphs.com:

What is an egraph?

An egraph is a shared moment between you and your favorite star. It is immortalized forever with a beautiful high resolution photograph, handwritten note, signature, and personalized voice message. It’s their voice, their handwriting, their time — every egraph is one-of-a-kind.

Still not sure exactly what we’re talking about here?  Check out a sample from Matt Carpenter after the jump…

Technology is always creating cool new ways for folks to interact, across different lives, different geography, etc – and this is another.  Several Cardinal players (and one former Cardinal) have signed up: Matt Carpenter, Jason Motte, Jon Jay, Daniel Descalso, Shane Robinson, and Mark Mulder.

Thanks to the generosity of the kind folks at egraphs, we have a few of these things to give away.  DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?  Good.

Here’s the gag:  tell us your favorite on-field moment involving one of the above-mentioned players.

We’ll choose three winners from the stories posted in the comments below.  We won’t necessarily pick one for each player, this is totally subjective, and the more vivid your memory or story the better.

Post your story in the comments below by this Friday at 5:00pm CT and we’ll choose three winners then, to be put in touch directly with the egraphs folks to redeem your prize – one egraph from the Cardinal of your choice.

Good luck, and thanks to the folks at EGraphs.com!

The post Win a Cardinals egraph from EGraphs.com! first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.

Michael Wacha was a guest on TexAgs Radio in late January, with fellow former Aggies Barret Loux and Brooks Raley, both members of the Chicago Cubs organization.

There’s obviously a lot of chatter about the latter two throughout the video, but Wacha gets his time to talk about going to Cardinals camp in Jupiter and what his experience was like as a first-year professional last season right out of the draft.

Check out the video after the jump.

If you’re most interested in Wacha talking about the Cardinals, skip to about 4:45 when he talks about going into big-league camp with the Cards and learning from the veteran pitchers. He goes on to talk about spring plans for being a starter at about 11:25, and continues to talk about learning the “Cardinal Way” (love that he knows it already, by the way), and how he figures he managed to achieve a 10 K/BB ratio in his short stint as a reliever in the Cards’ minor leagues last season.

Looking forward to seeing more of this guy in the coming season.

The post Michael Wacha talks about learning from Cardinal veterans on TexAgs Radio first appeared on Pitchers Hit Eighth.