Fear Vs. Reality - The AK Experiment

Tony La Russa has finally discovered a way to keep his lineup moving. Despite having an 18 - 11 record to start the season, the Cardinals have discovered a distressing problem...their ability to string hits together, bring runners in, and keep the lineup rolling consistently.

With the best on-base percentage in the National League, the Cards have a frustratingly sub-par number with runners in scoring position. Leaving anywhere from 7 - 18 runners on base in a game, one has to wonder which game will be the straw that broke the camel's back and force Johnny Mo to pull the trigger on a trade. Such a deal would sadly send some of St. Louis' most beloved and promising young talent elsewhere in exchange for a high-priced, well-established hitting monstrosity to bat behind El Hombre himself, Mr. Pujols.

I'm not entirely opposed to this idea of giving up a few guys to get a human highlight reel - I'm just sentimental. I like the team this year: Skip "Shoe" Schumaker, Chris "Slam" Duncan, and Rick "The Natural" Ankiel (affectionately known as Ank the Tank on this humble blog). They've all played their way into my heart of baseball hearts...and that's saying something. But, if one or two of 'em gotta' go, then they gotta' go. But I sure hope they don't gotta'...

And then, Tony stumbled upon something - a traditional, tried and true, baseball of yesteryear lineup. He hit an on-base guy in the two hole. With what appeared to be the latest in what may be a season-long string of experiments for one of baseball's most innovative Managers, Tuesday's lineup featured none other than Adam "AK" Kennedy in the coveted number two spot - blatantly placed in front of the game's most feared hitter, Albert "Nuff Said" Pujols.

The result? Seven runs in the first two innings off one of the Red's most promising young pitchers. And, yes - the victimized pitcher was, in fact, a "youngin', " so my optimism was somewhat restrained (joyous hootin' an' hollerin' aside). "Let's see what happens tomorrow," I said.

As I read the posted lineup the next day, I silently cursed the St. Louis Manager. AK was nowhere to be found. In his stead was Aaron Miles. Sure, he was also placed in the two hole, plugged in quietly behind Skip Schumaker, silently lurking in his guise as an under-sized top-of-the order hitter - but Miles is no AK. Now, don't get me wrong...I love Miles. But the guy has the offensive potential of a turnip.

Once again, I was pleasantly surprised. Miles was an eye-opening 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored, and the Cardinals walked away with a deceptive 5 - 2 victory (the game would have been much more lop-sided if not for a couple overly aggressive base running plays by the redbirds).

Hmmm, I thought, Tony may be onto something. This new lineup configuration seems to be working...I wonder why? TLR's explanation? More balance in the order. Sure, that's true. Putting an on-base guy in front of Albert allows Tony to slip Duncan and/or Glaus down a bit in the order and throw a bit more wallop into the bottom half of this St. Louis lineup. But I think there's more to be said.

Tony loves a guy with power in the two spot. He relishes the idea of making a pitcher sweat while pitching to a power guy with Pujols hungrily watching from the shadows of the on-deck circle. But maybe this configuration is more effective. Maybe this configuration is more realistic. Why? Because no one is afraid of this lineup.

In year's past, Cardinal teams have been able to boast the likes of Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Larry Walker, and Mark McGwire (just to name a few). But this year's retooled and inexperienced lineup begs the unimpressed question..."Who are these guys?" The result...a non-perspiring pitcher with very little to lose. Why not challenge Ankiel? The guy is so streak happy, he's as likely to go 0 for 5 with 4 strikeouts as he is 3 for 4 with a home run. Why not come right at Duncan? The man's power has so far been less than stellar, and one could argue he's been more effective as a human walk machine than he has been as a power-hitter. So throw the guys strikes. See what happens.

But this new lineup? This lineup doesn't rely on fear alone. This lineup is geared for an assembly-line like offensive attack that could easily subdue a pitcher from shear pitch count, let alone walk ratio. The result? Frustrated fastballs that guys like Glaus, Ankiel, and Pujols eat for lunch.

Ultimately, what does this new lineup configuration mean? It means a heavy dose of reality. This team isn't scaring anybody. Putting a guy in the two hole because he has the potential to be a power hitter does nothing. But putting together a well-balanced offense that can realistically string hits together and take advantage of the National League's best on-base percentage...there's something to say for that. And right now, Tony La Russa is saying quite a bit.

But don't speak too soon. The real test is this weekend. Tomorrow, the Cardinals begin a three game showdown with the hated Chicago Cubs - a team they currently share first place with in the NL Central, and a team that just knocked off the run-happy Brewers with a 19 - 5 shellacking. Will TLR stick to what's been working? Or will he succumb to the lip-licking temptation of power in the two spot?

Stay tuned trusty Cards fans...the Cubs are comin' to town!

GO CARDS!!!

"Come On, Boy! We're Gittin' Us Some Beer..."

I bet you're all wondering what we did with that extra day in St. Louis, aren't you? Yeah...I knew it. You've been sitting on pins and needles since my last post.

Well...I'll give you a hint...it costs $8.50 at Busch Stadium and rhymes with "gear"...as in...

"Git'cher butt in GEAR, boy! We're gittin' us some beer!"

That's it! You guessed it...we spent our extra afternoon at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis. And, as disturbing as this sounds, my 8 year old son hesitantly proclaimed THIS as his favorite part of the whole trip. Told you he was my son...

If you've never been to the Budweiser brewery, you're missin' out. This was my second trip, and it was even better than I remember. The tours are approximately one hour and fifteen minutes long, and they start every fifteen or twenty minutes. No appointments, tickets (although you do get a pass upon entry), or money is required. That's right...no money required...the entire tour is FREE! For those of you doing the math in your head, that's exactly the right price for someone who was just forced to drop an extra $115 on an extra night in a down-town St. Louis hotel.

The tour itself includes a walk (and brief trolley ride) through the historical 100 acre estate...I say historical because nearly all of the buildings look as if they were specially designed to blend in with the red-brick look of old St. Louis. This ain't no industrial park, that's for sure. The grounds even include one of the founders' actual third-grade school house, now converted into a small office building once occupied by Mr. Anheuser himself.

Stops and attractions include a view into the actual bottling factory, an informative and entertaining lecture on the process and history of Anheuser-Busch beer, and a lengthy visit to the Budweiser Clydesdale stables. For those of you thinking "Clyde who?," the Clydesdales are those freakishly large horses with the white hair on their hooves that you see on the beer commercials. In the stables (which are beautiful, by the way), you are close enough to spit on those massive hides (although, I do NOT recommend attempting to do so).

For us, the stables were especially interesting because it was those very same Clydesdales we saw the night before at Opening Day. In fact, our tour guide said it was "a mess" getting them ready the day of the game. Even the slightly obese Budweiser dalmatian (cleverly named "Bud") is allowed to roam freely around the brewery grounds.

Okay...now get a load 'a this...I've saved the best for last. After an hour long walk/ride around the brewery, the hospitable folks at Anheuser-Busch understand you might be a bit thirsty, so they've set aside a nice little surprise for those of legal drinking age...FREE BEER! That's right...at the end of the tour, each individual 21 years or older receives two free Anheuser-Busch products (Budweiser, Amber Boch, etc.)! This is no joke, people...FREE BEER! And for those of you too young to drink (or unlucky enough to get tagged as the DD), soft drinks are also offered in abundance.

Of course, there is a purpose to the madness...after getting you all happy-slappy on free booze (fyi, I recommend taking along a non-drinking friend or two so you can bum a few extra beers), the tour concludes by casually dumping you and your wallet off in the same spot you started from...the lobby...right next to the massive and appealing Budweiser store.

It was all I could do to keep from walking away with a new Budweiser cooler (you know, the cool ones with the radios in them...gosh...I've always wanted one of those).

Anyway...needless to say, we had a good time. Check back next time when we explore the many reasons why Harold and Kumar are lying bastards...really...bastards...

GO CARDS!!!