Unraveling the Week

Was there anything sexier than watching the Tigers put a whoopin down on the boys from Nebraska? I mean...anything? Firing Walt Jocketty sure as hell wasn't sexier than that. The Cubs getting swept in the first round is pretty darn close, but didn't we all pretty much know that was coming? And the Yanks going down, that was as nice as Jennifer Love Hewitt in "Can't Hardly Wait," but JLove Hewey in "Can't Hardly Wait" isn't even close to Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, AND Lucy Lu in "Charlie's Angels." And that was a terrible movie...thereby making Mizzou over Nebraska even sexier than that.

Recently I was reamed on Mark's blog about my known hatred for Gary Pinkel. He's starting to make me look like a fool I guess. He's got the stripes in the Top 10, and there's no shame in that. I'll tip my hat to him for now...

But I'll also say I think his "all shotgun, all-the-time" system is stupid. And just because I'm tipping my hat to him doesn't mean I won't be ready to jump into a steroid rage the next time he blows an easy W.

And my disliking a coach and doubting his play calling doesn't mean I'm not a fan. And if anybody can get on here and look this computer screen right in the eye and say, honestly, that you've never been pissed at the coach of your favorite team...then I commend you. We all commend you.

MOVING ON:

I don't know what to think about this Walt Jocketty thing. I guess my thinking is simple: we won the World Series last year. We did it with a beat-up lineup, a doubtful rotation, and a young bullpen. Jocketty didn't actually go out there and win games himself, but he and Tony LaRussa seem to have a knack for winning. I don't think one miserable season is enough to can the big man.

Yes, he's made some questionable moves over the last three years. But I always thought, and still do, that Cardinals fans are constantly barking up the tree about needing a big name pitcher. And you don't get a big name pitcher without dealing prospects. What did Walt do? He went out and got a Cy Young candidate who had the most wins of any left-handed pitcher over the previous five years. A lefty at that.

We asked, he gave. It just didn't work out.

And how sick were many Cardinal fans about never having a consistent second baseman? I'm not sure if that was a common sentiment, but among the people I hung out with it was talked about often. And finally, Walt went out and took care of those wishes. How the hell would he know that Adam Kennedy was going to be a flop? And it's not like we're paying him All-Star money. You might as well get over this one. That was not a bad signing. A sparky, energetic ballplayer who straight hustles is exactly what the Cardinals needed at second base. It's simply too bad it didn't work out. But don't blame Walt for that.

He brought you Mark McGwire for hardly nothing. He brought you Larry Walker for hardly nothing. He got you Jim Edmonds and signed you Albert Pujols. He brought in Chris Carpenter and was able to resign Chris Carpenter. He landed Scott Rolen. And he brought you Mark Mulder at a cost. Those are all All-Star's, who at the time the deal was made were the best in the league at what they did.

I'd be willing to bet you're hard-pressed to find a more potent resume than that during a GM tenure. And you can't say the Yankees or the Sox, because they're playing on a different floor level.

I'm not sure, maybe it was time. There's a new cast coming to Busch next season, a super-young cast. It's a change of the winds right now, and maybe it was time to clean house. I still think it was the wrong decision, and if I have to choose between a guy that brought us the aforementioned ballplayers and a money-tight, ornery Bill DeWitt...I'm taking BIG WALT every single time.

C'mon. Somebody fight me. It doesn't sit well with me that Mark is getting all the anger directed at him.