Thanks for the Memories

I can't believe it's nearly September. Our reign as the current World Series Champions is nearing an end, and I can't help but feel an impending sense of loss as the Cardinals enter the last month of the season with slim playoff hopes. I say "impending" because this season is not yet over, but I say "loss" because I feel as if an old friend is reaching the end of his days after a long, fruitful, and celebrated life. The friend I am referring to is the current incarnation of the St. Louis Cardinals.

As a long-term fan, I've seen several versions of the Cardinals come and go. I've seen Oquendo, Cairo, Vina, Griz, and Kennedy. I've watched Ozzie, Clayton, Renteria, and Eckstein. I remember Clark (both of them), Jeffries, McGwire, Tino, and now Pujols. I loved Pena, Pagnozzi, Matheny, and Yadi. Each year the Cardinals subtley change - and each year we say goodbye to old friends and greet new ones. But this year...this year is different...this year I can feel the pains of departure as I prepare for the inevitable loss of a very special team.

Edmonds is nearing the end. He's only under contract for one more season, and it's difficult to see a situation where the Cardinals would resign him after that. Eckstein, although a short-term family member, is up for renewal after this season. Rolen - his shoulder problems are making it clear he is just now entering the twilight of his career. Carpentar is a constant worry issue...his recent surgery carries the risk of career-ending damage. And Izzy. Izzy will, hopefully, remain a Cardinal for one more year...just long enough to record his 300th save, and then exit gracefully. In truth, the only stalwart that remains is Pujols...one lone elder to guide the new batch of Cardinals into the next decade of St. Louis baseball. True...Yadi is an integral part of this team...but he belongs to the next generation. The catcher of the current generation was, and always will be, Mike Matheny.

We've seen this coming for some time, now. We saw Vina leave with a sour expression. We were forced to endure the tragedy of Matheny's departure. Matty was a necessary evil. And Edgar was a piercing blow. Supp was just another long-term Cardinal that finally succumbed to the changing of the seasons. And now...the next is surely Edmonds, the first blow to the true heart of the Cardinals...the MV3 generation.

Who will pick up the slack? What will a team without Edmonds look and feel like? And soon...what will a team without an Izzy or a Rolen look and feel like? I fear we will find out all too soon...as the old generation gives way to the new, and the seasons in St. Louis quietly change.

Let me be the first to say...it's been fun. Thanks for the memories.

Whew! All the King's horses...are in my kitchen...

I don't really know what the title for this post is supposed to mean...other than it has the distinct feeling of being a bit scatter-brained...which is exactly what I'm going for with this one.

Whew...it's been a while since my last post. Let's review what's been going on in my life: the Fall semester at John Brown University started, which means I'm knee deep in graduate reading material; I've taken on a contract writing project in addition to my current full-time job as a Technical Writer for a software company; my son started 3rd grade at a new school - goodness I'm old; my brother (39 years old, he is...) had his first child - a baby boy 6 lbs. 5 ounces - lemme' tell ya', that was a blessing because that little boy has been a long time coming on one helluva' bumpy rode; and I am just about a month and a half away from my 30th birthday (told you I'm old). I say again...Whew...

And to top it all off, the Cardinals are giving me an ulcer...sheesh. I leave you with this quote regarding the playoffs...I think it is appropriate here in this emotional, white-knuckle regular season as well:

"The trouble with the playoffs is, as exhilarating as it is to get there, once there you actually have to watch the games. And when you lose, it feels you will never win again, and when you win, you are only relieved you did not lose." -- Author Unknown

How true...how true...

Oh My Goodness...Karma, Karma, Karma...

This post is in relation to my earlier "I Call JINX!" post.

In addition to all the crazy karma-killing events before tonight's game, the teams are even wearing the 1982 uniforms (Cardinals in their baby blues - which look like ass, by the way). This is like some odd nightmare fantasy - for the Brewers. It's almost as if they WANT to recreate their sickening defeat at the hands of the Cardinals. Again, just to review...

1. The 1982 Cardinals came back to win the WS after being down 3 games to 1.

2. The 2007 Cardinals are attempting to overcome a 5 1/2 game deficit and take first from the Brewers.

3. The Cardinals overcame a 3 - 0 first inning deficit to beat the Brewers in comeback fashion tonight (hopefully...it's 10 - 3 us in the 8th right now) - the night of the Brewer's suicidal, twilight zone like festivities.

Sheesh...Jinx, nothin'...can you say 'self-inflicted curse'?

Guess the Lineup: Cards vs. Brewers 08/14/2007 UPDATED!

Let's play a new game I'm calling Guess the Lineup. With all of Tony La Russa's options lately, the lineup card has the potential to be drastically different from game to game. So, let's see if we can't guess the lineup he'll play before it's submitted. Here's mine...

1. David Eckstein SS
2. Rick Ankiel CF
3. Albert Pujols 1B
4. Juan Encarnacion RF
5. Ryan Ludwick LF
6. Scott Rolen 3B
7. Yadier Molina C
8. Kip Wells P
9. Brendan Ryan 2B

Tonight's starter is a lefty (Capuano) who has been struggling, so expect La Russa to maximize his right-handed bats. However, So Taguchi isn't exactly stellar against Capuano (6 for 30), so expect the hot-hitting Ankiel to be in the lineup in Edmonds' place (1 for 9). Ludwick's right-handed slugging ways of late could earn him the spot in left field tonight (Ankiel or Ludwick could play center or left...it's a toss up, but I go with Ank in center). Juan Encarnacion will take the clean-up spot and play right field, dodgy knee or not...the man with the hurt feelings is hitting .350 against Capuano (7 for 20) with 2 home runs and 3 doubles. Finally, Brendan Ryan seems like a good bet at second. Aaron Miles is not exactly great against this lefty (.235 lifetime) and Ryan has been swinging the bat well in limited time with the club. Plus, Miles' switch-hitting makes him more valuable off the bench.

So...that's my guess...what's yours?

UPDATE! So much for statistics...good thing La Russa is managing this team instead of me. Edmonds has a three hit night and Encarnacion doesn't even play.

(My thanks to http://www.baseball-reference.com/ for the stats!)

2008 St. Louis Cardinals...Maybe?

Okay, it looks like we suddenly have a bevy of bright, talented young players at our disposal. So, let's take a look at what I think would be a good Opening Day roster for 2008.

Opening Day Starting Lineup:

1. David Eckstein - SS
2. Chris Duncan - LF
3. Scott Rolen - 3B
4. Albert Pujols - 1B
5. Rick Ankiel - RF
6. Brendan Ryan - 2B
7. Jim Edmonds - CF
8. Yadier Molina - C
9. Adam Wainwright - P

Bench: Aaron Miles (S), Ryan Ludwick (R), Gary Bennett (R), So Taguchi (R), and Scott Spiezio (S).
Starting Rotation: 2. Mark Mulder, 3. Kip Wells, 4. Anthony Reyes, and 5. Braden Looper
Relievers: Ryan Franklin (R), Russ Springer (R), Randy Flores (L), Tyler Johnson (L), Troy Percival (R), and Josh Kinney.
Closer: Jason Isringhausen

Okay, okay...calm down! I know you've got your dander up...and I'm pretty sure I can guess a few reasons why...so let's address those right out of the gate:

Missing Players: Adam Kennedy and Juan Encarnacion. I'm hoping we can unload both of them with the emergence of Ryan and Ankiel. Kennedy hasn't produced and there is no indication he could ever produce well enough to justify losing a young talent like Brendan Ryan. My thoughts on Juan are well-documented here, so we'll move on.

Pujols in Clean-up Spot: Okay, look...our power hitters are banged-up and aging, meaning Rolen and Edmonds can't protect Pujols anymore. It's one of the reasons he is having an off year this year - no protection. Duncan and Ankiel can't do it - they are still too undeveloped and too liable to strike out. They are still in need of protection. So, let's just give in and stop trying to protect Pujols and start using him to protect other hitters, like Rolen and Duncan. Rolen is still enough of a threat that he can protect a less-threatening player like Duncan, and maybe pitchers will challenge Duncan and Rolen more knowing they have a chance to escape the first inning without facing Pujols.

Second Half of the Order: I know I just got done saying Ankiel can't REALLY protect Pujols, but what he can do is mop-up after him if Pujols doesn't get it done or when Pujols walks because pitchers aren't as scared of Ankiel. If they become scared, all the better because he then does offer Pujols a bit of protection. I toyed with the idea of Ankiel in the 3-spot, but I like Duncan in the 2-hole and two lefties in a row is bad business.

Then, Brendan Ryan has the ability to both pick-up any runners on ahead of him as well as set the table for our next hitter - Jim Edmonds. I know, it's hard seeing Edmonds so far down in the lineup, but let's face it - he's not what he once was and this spot makes more sense for him than the 4 or 5 hole. It also, I think, gives him some unique RBI opportunities with Ankiel and Ryan in front. He is, in essence, the second half clean-up man.

Retaining Eckstein: His contract is up this year, but who you gonna' get? He's a great lead-off hitter, a multiple WS Champion, and an All-Star shortstop. His veteran SS tenure would be a great teaching tool for the younger Brendan Ryan. Remember, any slugging shortstop is going to cost quite a bit of money (more than the Cards are used to spending), and not every player on your team needs to or should be a slugger. I say sign Eck for a few more years and possibly move him to second and Ryan to SS later on.

Okay, so there it is...maybe I'm a little too taken with young guys like Ankiel and Ryan too early in their careers...but I don't think so...all indications so far suggest they are part of our future.

Thoughts?

I Call JINX!

Oh, boy...I just took a moment to read through the Brewers version of the "Game Preview" for tomorrow night's game against St. Louis. Keep in mind, the Cardinals are 5 1/2 games behind the Brewers as of today.

Apparently, the Brewers beat writer is more concerned with talking about the promotion night at the ballpark than he is writing about the actual upcoming game between the Cards and Brewers. He describes, at length, how the Brewers will host a special pregame celebration honoring the members from the 1982 World Series Brewers team. The Brewers haven't made an appearance in the playoffs in the 25 years since that World Series (remember, they were in the American League, then). Clearly the Brewers organization is feeling so thrilled and confident about being in first place this year, they've organized the celebration and even scheduled a 45 minute autograph session with former 1982 players such as Paul Molitor and Rollie Fingers.

It's interesting to point out that the Brewers were actually ahead 3 games to 1 in that World Series before coughing up the lead and ultimately losing to the comeback champions of the 1982 baseball world. Who was that mystery team that came from 2 games down to defeat the Brewers? Well, who else? The 1982 World Series Champions...the St. Louis Cardinals.

Way to go Brew-Crew...don't you think it's bad karma to schedule the celebration on the very day you're playing the team with a very real chance of knocking you out of first place AND who just HAPPENS to be the same team that beat you in that World Series...from behind????

I call Jinx...

The Calm Before the Storm

Can you feel it? The Cardinals surging momentum, the Brewers desperately clinging to life, the Cubs scratching and fighting to maintain a shaky second place. All three have the day off, today.

Appropriate.

The veterans will gain much needed rest. The bullpens will recharge their arms. And then...a seven-game explosive clash between three teams clawing, biting, and just flat out pummeling each other for the one, solitary honor of standing atop the National League Central. It's gonna' be a helluva' week, fellas. A helluva' week...

Analyzing Rick Ankiel: A Walk-Through of The Natural's Swing

Rick Ankiel’s swing is a thing of beauty. It has all the right components to deliver power one wouldn’t expect from a somewhat average frame. Here are five key components to The Natural’s swing:

1. The Chamber: Rick’s swing begins in his stance. By holding the bat lower and close to the chest, he accomplishes two things. One, he gets the bat closer to the hitting zone. This appears to be a slight modification from his earlier stance when he held the bat a bit higher. By holding the bat down near the zone, it allows him to hit through the ball rather than down on the ball. Hitting through the ball (you might remember your dad telling you to do this by yelling “Level swing!”), he delivers all the power in his swing in one direction (mostly forward) as well as maximizing the potential contact area. It’s pretty simple. The longer your bat is in the hitting/strike zone, the better your chance is of hitting the ball. A downward swing, on the other hand, slices through a small portion of the zone and requires more precise hitting. This, by the way, is also the way Pujols hits – by swinging through the zone rather than down on it.

2. The Body Swing: The second thing accomplished by holding the bat where he does is the necessity to turn his body (hips) to hit the ball. If he tried to simply swing the bat with his arms alone, he wouldn’t get near the power delivery he does. Instead, Rick turns his body into the swing and brings the bat along with it. This serves two purposes. One, it delivers more power by taking advantage of his full body mass and momentum. Second, it stores all that energy and power for a single point of contact rather than expending it by swinging through the zone with just his arms. His arms become the mechanism for delivering his power, not the source of it.

3. The Explosion: That brings us to the third component of Rick’s swing – power delivery. By turning his body into the swing, Rick stores his power for one large explosion or outburst of power. At just the right moment, Rick’s body momentum causes his arms to naturally extend and all the stored power from his body swing is delivered outward through his bat, striking the ball with the force of a full-body swing rather than a simple arm swing.

4. The Point of Contact: Because Rick stores his power delivery for such a late contact point, he’s able to hit the ball at the front of the strike zone rather than the back or the middle. By doing this, he straightens out the delivery path for his power or energy transfer. It’s all heading in one direction – in direct opposition to the ball/pitch path. If the swing made contact earlier in the hitting zone, the power/energy delivery would be at an odd angle causing him to shed some of his power and hit the ball off to left field or elsewhere.

5. The Follow-Through: Finally, Rick’s follow-through is reminiscent of the older, Hall of Fame hitters such as Lou Gherig, Babe Ruth, and Stan Musial. He keeps both hands on the bat and twists his body with the swing. By doing this, he makes sure he delivers level contact and doesn’t upper cut his swing or shed some of that stored power by cutting it short.

The result of this natural swing is a thing of beauty…a long one into right center field for a Cardinal home run and a home town victory!

Juan Just Don't Understand

Juan Encarnacion just doesn't get it. With Juan's blatant reduction in playing time, he and Manager Tony La Russa have been going at it in the press. Tony thinks Juan could put forth a bit more effort. Juan thinks Tony should just shut the hell up while insisting he's playing hard and doing his best. Juan, you just don't get it, do you? It's not about doing your best or playing hard, it's about laying it on the line because you refuse to lose - or, at least refuse to be the reason your team loses. Juan just can't see the difference.

You take Chris Duncan, for example - that man is fearless with his body. He isn't even close to being the best fielder on the team, but he lays out his body, runs headlong into the wall, and bounces around the outfield head first just to make an attempt at making a play. As one ESPN analyst on the Mike & Mike radio show stated, players like Duncan play with a certain level of fear - not fear of failing or fear of losing or fear of getting hurt, but fear of letting your teammates down. That's what compels Duncan to stretch out his massive frame and go for a ball seemingly out of reach. It's the fear of walking back in that dugout and seeing the look of disappointment on his teammates faces.

Take Rick Ankiel as another example, the young slugger who may have just snatched Juan's regular spot from him. In one of his first games in the Big Leagues, Ankiel was beat on a ball hit over his head and near the wall. I am absolutely positive Juan would have turned his back and faced the wall, waiting to play it off the bounce. Not Rick. Knowing the hit could give the Dodgers life and a chance to erase the 5 run lead (which Rick helped build with a 3-run homer), Ankiel made an over the shoulder basket catch, hit the ground on his back, and tumbled on the warning track until slamming into the wall. And you know what? He held onto the ball.

That's it, Juan. That's the "bit more effort" La Russa is talking about. You just don't have it in you, because it has to start with a mental and heart-level commitment to winning and your team that you just don't have. You're not a winner, but you're not a loser, either...you're just a ball player. And ball players are a dime-a-dozen, Juan. What are YOU going to do to be special?

Chris Duncan Plays First Base

Sunday's game against the Dodgers saw a 2007 first for the Cardinals' regular left-fielder - a brief stint at first base. With Scott Spiezio out, you knew this was coming. Duncan is said to be a natural first baseman, and apparently the only obvious option for the Cardinals when Pujols needs a bit of time off. But I gotta' say, it concerns me just a bit. Not enough to say I'm worried about it, but just a bit, nonetheless. Dunc has worked so hard becoming an outfielder, the last thing he needs is to have to return to an infielder mentality. Don't underestimate how difficult it is to switch from outfield to infield, especially at this level.

I think the main reason I'm ever so slightly concerned, however, is Duncan's performance at the plate, lately - or lack thereof, I should say. The kid's in a funk. He doesn't look comfortable at all, he's expanding his strike zone more than I've seen him do all year, and he's psyching himself out so badly that he can't help but swing at bad pitches again and again. His problem doesn't seem to be mechanical, physical, or anything so easily cured. It appears to simply be one of those mental hang-ups we've all seen him deal with from time to time. The difference this time? Possibly a return to playing first base and coping with the mental strain of switching back and forth from infield to outfield in the public eye. We all know how painful it is when Dunc misjudges a fly ball...for him and for us.

Unfortunately, I don't really see another option for the Cardinals. Ludwick looks like a first baseman, but I don't remember any first base experience on his resume. I like him where he is - left field against lefties. Edmonds has played first a time or two for the Cardinals, and was decent. He could most likely handle the mental aspect much easier than anyone on the team. But, I can't say I like the idea of spelling one aching veteran for another. One advantage to Edmonds at first for Pujols, however - it allows us to take advantage of all those outfield bats on our bench, same as Duncan. Moving an infielder to first means you substitute another infielder. We just don't have an extra infield bat with power (except Ryan, but he's going to get a lot of playing time with Kennedy out already). From an offensive perspective, moving an outfielder to first makes the most sense.

Now, all that said, we really only have to worry about it for the next couple weeks. September first will allow us to pull up one of the prospects in our minor league system to play first as needed, and with the Cubs and Brewers on our schedule this week, Albert isn't going to be getting a lot of time off, anyway.

Let's hope it all works out and the next problem we have to worry about is who the hell to leave off the post-season pitching roster!

Wild Ride: The Rick Ankiel Story

With the dramatic emergence of Rick Ankiel, many have mentioned the Hollywood value of Rick's story. So, with that in mind, let's begin the casting speculation for what Cards 'N Stuff is calling "Wild Ride: The Rick Ankiel Story."

Below, I've made 3 or 4 casting decisions for a few key roles. Feel free to add to, change, or just comment on any and all choices.

Rick Ankiel: Ankiel himself would do well to be portrayed by Jim Caviezal, the man who played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" as well as the leading role in "Frequency." He has the look, the youth, and the ability to tug on the heart strings of audience members during Rick's more emotional moments.

Tony La Russa: The somber, intellectual Manager has been the bookend figure for Rick Ankiel. He was there when Ankiel came up as a pitcher in 2000 and has been a key force in bringing him back to the Bigs. I go with Robert Deniro to play the iconic St. Louis Manager.

Dave Duncan and Walt Jocketty: Okay...I'm split here. Both need prominent roles in the movie. Dave as Rick's pitching coach during the much-discussed fall from grace, and Walt as the man behind the decision to make the switch from pitcher to hitter. I like both Robert Duval and Gene Hackman, but who for who? You decide. (I prefer Duval as Jocketty and Hackman as Duncan)

Brendan Ryan Back! So...Who's the Odd Man Out? UPDATE: Kennedy Out

Brendan Ryan is in the lineup at third base for today's game against the Dodgers. Encarnacion is suspiciously absent yet again as Ankiel gets the start for the fourth straight game in right field. Ludwick is scheduled to play left field and So Taguchi is in center. Looks like La Russa is giving lefties like Edmonds and Duncan a break. Today's starting pitcher for L.A. is a left-hander - most likely the reason Miles is also in the lineup instead of left-handed hitter Adam Kennedy.

This begs the question, who is the odd man out on the Cardinals' roster? For Ryan to come up, a move discussed since Spiezio's departure, someone had to go down. Juan has been clearly bothered by his lack of playing time since the arrival of Rick Ankiel. With Ludwick and Taguchi both in the lineup today, I have to wonder if Juan is the odd man out. Of course, keeping Juan out of the lineup today COULD mean the Cardinals have finally cut a deal to send him elsewhere.

This should be interesting...

UPDATE! Oops...looks like Kennedy is the odd man out. The second baseman injured his knee and is scheduled to undergo surgery soon. He's been placed on the 15-day DL. I hate to see Adam injured, but, on the bright side, Ryan has been a better offensive option in his limited time with the club. Miles has as well...so...who knows? Maybe this is all for the best...especially if Kennedy comes back better than before.

Encarnacion Trade Pending???

With the emergence of Rick Ankiel, Jim Edmonds a Cardinal for at least one more year, and so many young outfielders in the Cardinals system (Schumaker, Rasmus, etc.), is it finally time to cut bait with Juan Encarnacion?

He hasn't been in the lineup the last three games, and with the way Ankiel is performing, it doesn't look like Juan will be returning anytime soon (against righties, that is). Suddenly, Juan has gone from starter to spot-starter/pinch-hitter against left-handed pitchers. In interviews, he is clearly unhappy with his reduced playing time. Hell, Cardinals fans have been clearly unhappy with his playing time for the last two seasons, so quit yer' bitchin', Juan!

I say it's time for a change. Juan is a dime-a-dozen outfielder who has never really understood what it means to be a St. Louis Cardinal. His apathetic appearance and play on the field has already cost the Cardinals at least two games this season...and let's face it - we can't afford to give away even one game. We have too many young, good outfielders in our system now to flounder around with an average one who doesn't seem to give more than 80% on any given day. Just to refresh your memory, future Cardinals outfielders already in the organization:

Chris Duncan
Colby Rasmus
Skip Schumaker
Rick Ankiel
(Need I go on???)

Juan...I wish I could say it's been nice knowin' ya', but for the first time in a long time, I've actually found a Cardinals player I'm looking forward to trading. Sorry, Juan...but dems the breaks....

On a related side note...when the hell did we gain so many damn good outfielders????!!!!

Ankiel Strikes Again...

Holy Carp!!!! Ankiel does it again with 2 homers in a 3 for 4 performance on Saturday afternoon. And, as if that wasn't enough, he topped it off with an amazing play ala Jim Edmonds in right field. Still attempting to get a feel for the dimensions of new Busch Stadium, Rick made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch that ended with a tumble on the warning track and an abrupt stop against the wall. Wow...this kid can play...

It makes me wonder, if Rick had not contracted a case of the wild willies a few years back, would we have converted him to an outfielder anyway after realizing just how good a hitter he is??? Hell...it happened with Babe Ruth...you can't waste a bat like that by giving him 3 or 4 at bats every fifth day.

Way to go, Rick...keep sluggin'!!

Cardinals Manager Caught Napping on the Job

Tony La Russa, Manager of the World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, was found asleep on the job Friday night after the Cardinals loss to the Dodgers 2 - 1. Third Base Coach Jose Oquendo entered the home team's dugout after the final out and found the inebriated Manager leaning next to the bullpen phone undisturbed.

"With his sunglasses on, I wasn't sure if he was asleep or just really focused," said Oquendo. "After a minute or two, I kinda' nudged him with my finger...like this...and he, you know, kinda' snorted and coughed. That was when I smelled the beer on his breath, and I knew." Earlier in the year, La Russa was found in his vehicle, intoxicated and asleep at the wheel, during Spring Training.

"Well, I hadn't heard that," Walt Jocketty, General Manager of the Cardinals, said when told of his Manager's nap. "But it explains a lot. I can see how a few things make a bit more sense now."

Jocketty was referring to some interesting "non-moves" made during the course of the game against the Dodgers that night.

In the top of the ninth, St. Louis and L.A. were deadlocked at 0 - 0 with one out. With his pitch count over 100, Adam Wainwright, the game's starting pitcher, walked a man to put the go ahead run on first. Having done his job, it seemed imminent the Cardinals skipper would go to his bullpen for a lefty to face the left-handed slugging first baseman, James Loney. Instead, he opted to stick with the right-hander and Wainwright promptly served up a monster two-run homer to Loney.

Pitching Coach Dave Duncan was unsure of what, exactly, transpired prior to the home run. "Well, I looked over at Tony to see what he wanted to do, and he leaned to the left and scratched his right ass cheek with his right hand. Tony and I have been together a lot of years, and I'm pretty sure that meant stick with the righty." When asked if he could have been mistaken about the unusual sign, Duncan conceded the possibility by saying he had "never quite seen him use that particular sign before."

The oddities continued in the bottom of the ninth with the Cardinals trailing 2 - 1 with one out and two men on. With the pitcher's spot due up and a right-handed hurler on the mound, a pinch-hitting left-hander seemed guaranteed. But, to the surprise of Cardinals fans, Aaron Miles remained on the bench and Ryan Ludwick came to the plate in his place. When asked about the move, Ludwick revealed the Manager had nothing to do with the decision.

"Look, Tony was three sheets to the wind. When I saw the old man snorin', I turned to Juan (Encarnacion) and asked him what he wanted to do. He said 'Uh...I don' know...whatta' you wanna' do?' I was like 'Screw this' and grabbed my bat. It was kind of a foot race, you know...Miles is a midget. I got long legs. It was no contest. I beat him to the on-deck circle by a mile." Ludwick quickly struck out.

After Ludwick's spirited failure, Adam Kennedy walked to the plate in what appeared, at the time, to be another unusual "non-move."

"Hehe...yeah, I suck," said Kennedy after the game. "But with Tony boozin' it up all game, I knew I was going to get a chance to hit with the game on the line. Miles tried to beat me to it, but I just kind of swatted his midget ass outta' the way and took my hacks. That little shit's been after my job all season." After a drawn-out battle with the Dodger closer, Kennedy finally struck out when he swung at a fastball that nearly took his eyebrows off.

Cards-'N-Stuff finally caught up with the Cardinals Manager as he walked to his vehicle early Saturday morning. "Well, obviously I didn't intend to fall asleep during the game. I think I was still a little spent from celebrating Ankiel's home run the night before. I got to the stadium late Friday and realized we didn't have anywhere to store all the beer we removed from the clubhouse after Hancock's death. So, I made a decision. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't. That's baseball. There's no justice in this game."

La Russa added he was sorely disappointed one of his players didn't wake him up before leaving for the night.

"He seemed kind of peaceful, you know," said Scott Rolen, the Cardinals third-baseman. "We didn't want to mess that up...he might be dreaming of a win."

A Look at the Numbers...

Okay, so...before the game against the Dodgers tonight (while we are all still feeling euphoric with hope after the Ankiel game last night), here are the numbers for the rest of the season (50 games left):

Can we do it? We'll see...but it looks like eighty-something wins is going to be enough to win the division again this year - IF the Brewers and Cubs continue their slide and IF we can put a whuppin' on 'em both when we face them.

5 Reasons Why the Cards MIGHT Have a Shot

Oh my goodness…we have life. For the first time all year, I honestly feel like we have a shot. A shot at what, I don’t know - .500 ball? Maybe. A playoff spot? It’s not impossible. A division title? No…No, that would be going too far…or…would it? A week ago – hell, for most of the season – I would have said, “Oh, come on. There is no way this team is going to win the division. Uh uh. No way. You’re crazy.”

But now…?

It’s almost as if one swing of the bat jacked this team right out of their identity crisis and gave them a second chance. After last night’s game, 5 ½ games back doesn’t seem that bad. Let’s review the reasons to feel optimistic:

1. Rick Ankiel. Not just his bat, his presence on this team. The team feels good, they feel happy, and they feel encouraged. This is just the kind of affect a young, likeable talent can have on a down-trodden team.

2. Starting Pitching. Suddenly, we have some. Wells seems to have figured out his issues, same goes for Reyes, Wainwright is, well…he’s just solid and continues to look more and more like a younger, stronger version of Chris Carpenter in the making. And then comes Joel Piniero (we’ll affectionately call him JP for short). His first start…okay…the guy was a reliever trying to start for a depressing team in which almost anyone could claim the Ace role…that is, if any one of them could pitch. But his second start…whew…what a performance. Again, credit Ankiel. The attention being lavished on the young outfielder effectively eclipsed any spotlight trying desperately to focus on JP. He was able to relax, focus, and just pitch.

3. Young Bats. Rick Ankiel. Chris Duncan. Ryan Ludwick. Youth is exactly what this team needs down the stretch. These guys can provide the energy needed to power a team late in the season.

4. Veteran Leadership. If there is one thing we have in abundance, it’s experience. Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Eckstein, Izzy, and even young Yadi. These guys know what it takes to not only win, but win with a purpose. And every one of them is (or has been) All-Star caliber – Yadi will be…you watch…oh, yes...he will be.

5. Our Division Sucks. Let’s face it…it sucks. The Cubs are…well…they’re the Cubs. With Soriano out and Ramirez heading back to Chicago for examinations, the Cubs are a 3rd place team with decent pitching. Plus, they have Marquis…and we all know how Marquis tends to pitch late in the season. Nope…not lookin’ good for the Cubbies. The Brewers…well, they’re so young they don’t know what to do with first place. It reminds me of that movie where the kids paid the hooker for a flash of her breasts (Milk Money?). All they can do is stare in a stupor…it’s embarrassing, really…watching the Brewers flounder around like that. Just like those kids in the movie...they’re just happy to be there. In fact, the only real team I worry about…really…is the Astros. But, hey…they still gotta’ catch us, right?

Yep. After last night, things are lookin’ up. The only question now…What the hell are we gonna’ do with Juan Encarnacion??? If all else fails, he could always play Eeyore at Disney World...God knows he has the disposition for it...

Lost in the shuffle...

The night undoubtedly belonged to Rick Ankiel - no one can deny that - but lost in the shuffle of a great baseball story was the incredible performance by Joel Piniero. Sure, at times he didn't look like he had his best stuff, and yes, more than once his high fast balls gave me the willies as they flirted with home run distance. But overall...wow...what a job for a team that desperately needs starting pitching. Joel pitched 7 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits, striking out 4, and walking none. Great job, Joel. Now, go do it again.

WELCOME BACK, RICK ANKIEL!!!

Rick speaks softly, but he carries a damn big stick - a stick he used to belt a 3-run homer over the right field wall in his first game back to the Big Leagues. If Busch Stadium truly is Baseball Heaven, then welcome home, Rick...we've been waiting.

Rick Ankiel Called Up!

Usatoday.com is reporting Rick Ankiel has been called up to the big league team and will be in uniform tonight (Thursday's game against San Diego). Reports have him scheduled to start in right field and hit second. No roster move to make room for Ankiel has been announced - yet - although Spiezio has been battling yet another odd sickness that could land him on the DL to rest and fully recover (he's had a tough year). I can't WAIT to see the home crowd's reaction when Rick comes to the plate for his first at-bat!

UPDATE! To make room for Ankiel, the team announced Scott Spiezio has been placed on MLB's Restricted List. From what I can tell, this is sometimes referred to as the "reserves list" as well. Players on this list are not paid and do not count against a team's 25-man roster count. However, it seems odd because all I've read (which is not much) seems to suggest placement on this list has a negative connotation.

Considering Spiezio's odd illness recently, this move is most likely a way to make room for Ankiel by removing an unavailable player from the roster without making him unavailable for the full 15 days (result of placing a player on the DL). It buys the team time to see how Spiezio's illness will develop and still bring Ankiel up. Still, Scott can't be happy about not being paid. Wonder if the team is making special arrangements to pay him while on the list...hmmmm...interesting. The report I read said the team offered no explanation for Spiezio's move.

Tony & Walt: Should they stay or should they go?

It looks like, according to the Cardinals GM, Walt will be sticking around for quite a while longer. In an interview with Mike Shannon yesterday evening, the Cardinals GM refuted the rumor(s) that he and Cardinals manager Tony Larussa are looking to sneak out the back door after this season.

I remember this rumor…it was primarily focused on the concept of Tony going to the Reds after this season (his contract being up and all) and Walt asking to be let out of his final year to follow along. At the time, the rumor seemed to come out of nowhere (although we all saw this coming at some point), but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a real possibility.

So…here’s the question I pose to Cardinals fans: Do YOU want the Manager & General Manager combination to remain, or is it time for a change? If you’re looking for a change, man-up and get specific…who would you want to replace one or both of them and why?