Is anybody else maybe possibly hopefully starting to get a little itch concerning the Cardinals possibly being the real deal?
Sure, there are still 150 games left. Big Papi is batting BINGO numbers. 0.7.8. The powerful Tigers look as bad as the Royals should be and the Royals, for a while anyway, looked as good as the Tigers should be. Nobody is really even paying attention to the Red Sox-Yankee series yet. The greatest closer, statistically, in the history of the game has two losses, one blown save, and an era over 7.00.
The season is still early. BUT, the Cardinals have exemplified many reasons to consider them more than bottom feeders. The offense is stroking, the starting pitching has done it's job pretty damn well so far (outside of the last two against the Candlestickers), and the bullpen is holding its own.
Mark Mulder seems to have shades of his old self so far in his rehab mission. Joel Pineiro was shaky in his first start, but I believe there's reasons to be optimistic about him. Chris Carpenter and Matt Clement, both prominent pitchers in their past, are still shelved. If the rotation can continue to string together quality starts, we can continue to buy time and resist the urgency to rush pitchers back into the rotation.
Who knows how long our pasty gluey puzzle of a rotation can hold up? And who knows how long this so-so lineup can continue to produce?
Nonetheless, the Cardinals are being talked about on the sports talk airwaves and the questions are all the same: "Will they continue this?" The answer across the board is a resounding "NO." But, in all honesty, the experts are hardly ever right. And that's the downright truth. Those guys rely on statistics that are drummed out of nowhere and make little sense, or at least have little relevance to baseball. They never rely on their gut, unless they're talking about the BoSox or Yanks.
But I'm telling you that my gut tells me we're the real deal. I didn't feel that way last year, I really didn't. The last time I felt that way was 2004, when we strung together a so-so ballclub that was so sub-par feeling that it featured Ray Lankford. On opening day, I looked at my buddy Jeff Fahrner and said "there's something special about this team." They ended up in the World Series.
Something different seems to happen when the odds are stacked against the Cardinals. Something special seems to happen when the odds are stacked against Tony LaRussa. Or at least when we have SOME legitimate talent.
This year's team has talent, it may be young but its ripe. And LaRussa knows how to manage a ballclub. I'm saying we've got something special here. And I wouldn't just throw that comment out there and risk my previously undiminished record when it comes to counting "special" Cardinal clubs.
Just watch. And listen and laugh as the experts stumble over their words the rest of the way.
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3 comments:
The only reason the Cardinals won the 2004 World Series is because Ray Lankford started on their roster!
They won the WS in 2006. Nice try. Why would you ever say that the Cardinals are shocking the baseball world? Since when have they been a bottom feeder in the last 8 years? They compete every year. Even last year when they were aweful they still had a chance to make the playoffs.
We dont even have our "good" pitchers healthy. I would like to thank that at least one of them can do something to help us this season.
If you want to say that a team is "shocking the baseball world", then the Royals is your team. At the same time, when did the Detroit Tigers become a dominate team? They were good the year we beat them in the WS. Other then that, they suck and are back to their same ole ways.
I think that the cards will continue to win ball games and it is going to be a close race, but we have a very good shot of making the playoffs
Wow. One heck of a post from one pissed off man. Sorry about the year of the Series being wrong. As an avid Ray Lankford fan, I wish he was on the WS team.
Shocking is the correct term however. Consider this. They have a make-shift rotation, with four very young outfielders. A horrible second baseman and shortstop and a third baseman that was good about five years ago. I would say their success so far has been shocking. Regardless if you are the biggest fan of the Cardinals or not.
When did the Detroit Tigers become dominant? About the same time their lineup looked like this:
Rodriguez
Polanco
Sheffield
Ordonez
Cabrera
Guillen
Renteria
Thames
Inge
Also Curtis Granderson is hurt, alongside Willis, Rodney, and Zumaya.
If that is not a one hell of a dominating lineup in your standards, I would love to see one that is.
I don't think the Tigers suck by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I would be willing to bet that they will make the playoffs this year and go beyond the first round.
I agree that the Cardinals will continue to ball games. Partly because their division is not the near the best in baseball. I would say we will make the playoffs. But pitching can go bad in a hurry. And there is no gurantee that Carp or Moulder will come back the same.
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