There's no Cards thread for this year, so I'm starting this one, but also I wanted to highlight the extraordinary play of Cards first baseman Albert Pujols, who's leading the league in home runs, runs and RBIs and who's on pace to break Bonds's single-season record. Pujols, unlike the others who broke Maris's record (McGwire, Sosa, Bonds) has never been accused of being on steroids. Over his first five seasons he's posted some of the best numbers for any MLB player, and Baseball Reference.com notes that players with similar numbers over their first half-decade include Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, among the greatest ever.

Some thoughts and questions:

Has anyone been to the new Busch Stadium? Thoughts? Impressions?

Will the Cards stay in first place, or will they be battling once again with Houston once Clemens joins the Astros' staff?

Do the Cards have the pitching to stay in first place with Carpenter on the DL?

With no real replacement for Sanders, can the Cards generate enough runs to stay in first place?

Is Edmonds irreparably on the declining track of his career?

What do you think Pujols's final numbers will be if he stays relatively healthy all season?

If the Cardinals stay in first place, what do they need to get back to the series and actually win it?

[ June 04, 2006, 07:37 AM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

I think given recent developments on the team, like Pujols going on the DL for who knows how long, the team's season is a question mark. I think it throws everything in flux. ESPN did a story comparing Pujolds' numbers alone compared to what the rest of the team was doing and it's more clear than ever how much power he provided to that team. I have to admit that I have really never been a Cards fan (cause I love the Cubs), but I have respected them for what they can do. This is a tough break for them, a very tough break.

Anthony

I agree. Without Pujols, that team is in trouble. Six weeks with no Pujols is going to give the division contenders a lot of time to catch up and probably put some distance between themselves and the Cards.

[ June 03, 2006, 11:00 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

Pujols being on the DL is a major test for the Cards. And it seems that every time I flip onto one of their games (I have MLB Extra Innings) and Jason Isringhausen is in the game, he is in trouble. I've seen him blow 2 or 3 games and nearly blow some others.

The other night against the Cubs it wasn't entirely his fault. He gave up a hit and two walks to load the bases with one out, but then he got a double-play ground ball -- except it shockingly went right through Scott Rolen's legs and allowed the tying runs to score. Still, he put the runners on base to begin with. Is he really that reliable as a closer?

Izzy has been getting the heat from the media and the fans here in St. Louis this year. Now with Pujols on the DL it's time for the Cards to test their mettle. Since I've lived here it seems like the Cards just hope they can out-talent their opponents, which often leads to them falling flat on their face come October. If the Cards (as we know them) are to ever win a World Series, I think they need to deal with some serious adversity and rise above it.

Pujols' MRI is "inconclusive" and he says he could be out the 15 days or as long as six weeks. The real problem is that once there's a tear, the chance for a re-injury increases greatly if the player returns too soon.

And this year, the Central seems a bit tougher than in recent years, with the Reds proving to be a team to watch. And, of course, the Astros will probably have their usual excellent second half of the season.

~Adam

Well, he blew another save just a few minutes ago, giving a 3 run homer to Ken Griffey Jr. in the top of the ninth to give the Reds the lead 8-7. So the Cards woes continue.

Anthony

Well, he blew another save just a few minutes ago, giving a 3 run homer to Ken Griffey Jr. in the top of the ninth to give the Reds the lead 8-7. So the Cards woes continue.

Anthony

Talking about the Cards, check out Chris Duncan, a fine looking specimen, I think.
[img]http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=408219[/img]

Cincinnati is nipping at the hells, ouch. But our Cardinals are hanging in there. And, oh my heart is beating every time Russ Wainwright pitches. Mmmmm, that man can pitch to me any time he wants, such a stud.

Whoops, I meant Adam Wainwright, [img]http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/players/playerpage/389743[/img]
Also, I think Suppan is a good looking man.

Now the Cardinals are playing like they were early this season. Six straight wins, including two extra-inning defeats of the Dodgers, is giving me hope that their recent success isn't a fluke. With Pujols back to form, Rolen now playing like an All Star, and better production from the rest of the Cardinals lineup, they will now mainly need more consistency from their pitchers to get to the postseason. Suppan, who pitched a gem last night; Marquis, who has been up and down; and Ponson, who has pitched like he's still playing for the Orioles, will all need to step up their games, because Carpenter is again pitching like a Cy Young Award winner. If Cincinnati keeps up its winning pace, they could wrap the Wild Card up, because the second-place teams in the East and West divisions are falling farther behind.

[ July 16, 2006, 07:44 AM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

The Cards are definitely doing well in their division. I just hope that everyone remains healthy in the lineup through the playoffs.

The main issue will continue to be their pitching, which is shaky after Carpenter and Reyes. Almost all the NL teams are at a disadvantage on this account, though, versus the AL teams.

Ha, ha. The Cards have lost 7 straight, and still the Reds cannot gain ground. And the poor Astros. Jeez. Even pretty boy Ausmus is only batting .232. Looks like the Cards are a lock no matter how much they lose? What do you think?

Here's the perfect tonic for the Card's woes: the Brewers are coming to town this weekend for 3 games! (they're one of the worst road teams, and are in their own slump since the All Star Break)

Yep, and now the Cardinals are winning again. Perhaps someone should remind LaRussa that they have to be able to defeat teams outside their division, and eventually their league, if he's ever to take a team all the way to a World Series championship again. That pitching staff is enough to revive memories of the Cardiac (Football) Cardinals of the 1970s, except that when Weaver, Marquis, Reyes, and Suppan take the mound, they don't have blowouts at the end of a game, they far too often proceed to give up 5-10 runs in the first six innings! And Weaver had an appalling 18.90 ERA over the last month or so according. There's no way they'll get past the Mets or any other NL team, let alone the better AL teams like Detroit, the Yankees, the Red Sox, etc., with a starting staff who seem to be able to channel only the worst moments from Matt Morris's last few years in St. Louis. Maybe Reyes can get it together and Jorge Sosa can get his groove back--the Cardinals badly need it.

Yea, Fantomas. Well, they fought mightily against the Reds last night and still lost. Do you think Isringhausen and the rest of the pitching staff is all washed up? I am beginning to worry. They better get their groove back. Maybe, a relaxing massage to those beautiful shoulders and pitching arms? I volunteer!!!! God, the Cardinal pitchers are handsome, but pretty is as pretty does.

I've commented on Isringhausen before, so last night's walk-off homer by the Reds was no surprise to me -- especially since I had that game on at the time it happened. It just seems like everytime I have a Cards game on and Isringhausen comes in, bad things happen. wink

I think they need to send a bunch of those high and mighty pitchers down to the minors for a while and give the young guys in Memphis and even Springfield a chance. Good game last night pitched by Carpenter. But the Reds are snapping at their heels again.

I'm not sure who on the pitching staff you're considering attractive, because I think they're all a bit homely (Marquis is kind of attractive), but Carpenter is the only reliable arm among them, which doesn't bode well for the post-season. There's no way they're going anywhere if they're not hitting and they have such terrible pitching. I still question the trade of Hector Luna for Ronny Belliard. I mean, I like the little corn-rowed cutie but he's not that much of an improvement on either the field or at the plate, and Luna had more power and range. They should have done whatever it took to get Dontrelle Willis or some other starting pitcher who didn't act like giving up home runs was a required part of every inning, OR they should have peeled Soriano away from Washington so that Pujols and Rolen would have more protection. And Isringhausen...yow! He doesn't have it at all these days--that gas tank is empty.

[ August 17, 2006, 12:57 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

Yes, pitching is at least half of the game. And, the Cards are just barely mediocre in pitching. But, at least Rolen and Duncan are coming through with some key hits. As long as the big guns like Pujols and some of the others keep firing the long balls, maybe it will make up for some pitchers who are wilting like spring flowers (pansies) in the summer heat. But, I would love to see lots of red in the World Series again, and I am not talking about Cincinnati.

I would love to see the Cardinals not only go to the World Series but win it, but I still am worried about 1) that pitching staff and 2) the consistency of the lineup. Duncan is on fire, which is great, and now the studly Preston Wilson is there to add a another bat. But the Cardinals are going to have to improve a bit more to stay on track against an NL team like the Mets, and if they do get past the rest of the NL, they are going to be up against it facing the AL's best teams. But hope springs eternal, even with Tony LaRussa in charge....

What's wrong with the Cards? The way things are going they are going to have to worry about the wild card let alone the division crown. They are 8-12 this month and most of the blame is pitching, particularly the bullpen. Izzy got his 9th blown save tonight. Even on a night when Pujols gets 7RBI the team still can't fend off the Mets. Rollen and Pujols can only do so much. Carpenter is dependable but what about the rest of the staff. If they don't shore up the pen this team will be looking up at the Reds.

[ August 22, 2006, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: phillyrunner ]

Fantomas, I am glad you are turned on by different men than me. I don't have to worry about you stealing my boyfriends. Ha, ha. I wish. But, anyway, the Mets are awesome this year, I have to admit. The only hope is that the Reds and the Mets meet each other in the playoffs and wear each other out, leaving the Cards to pick up the pieces????? We can only hope, I guess, at this point. The Phillies are coming on strong. Watch out Reds and Cards. Should be a hell of a pennant race this year.

Philiproy, je suis marié, as they used to say in Saint Louis, Saint Geneviève, et Saint Charles, but anyways, enjoy the Cardinal men! At least someone is getting something out of the starters (other than Carpenter). I think Mulder's arm is shot and he's not being up front about it, so LaRussa is going to have to make a decision soon and figure out if he's going to send him up again to get shelled or if he'll at least try starting Sosa, who couldn't be much worse. As for Izzie, something is obviously wrong with him too. I couldn't watch last night's game after the third inning, it was too painful. Mulder was like a little leaguer up there, and the Cardinals just couldn't find it in themselves to come back as the Mets had the night before and take that game. Marquis and Suppan are going to have to pitch like winners--I'm not asking them to be Bob Gibson or John Tudor, but come on!--or else the Cards will definitely be scrambling for the Wild Card, if they even get that far.

I am like you. I think the poor boys' arms are just wearing out. I need to give them each one of my wonderful massages to make their tired muscles relax and to pop bones and tendons back into their proper positions.

Aha, well the Cards rule after all. Three straight wins against the Marlins and the Pirates and a 5.5 games lead over Cincinnati. Looks good. Carpenter looks like a Cy Young winner to me.

What's happened to them? They dropped 4 straight to Houston and looked like they didn't know why they were on the field. If they keep this up they might not even be able to get a wildcard spot. Given how awful the pitching is, they don't have much of a chance even in the playoffs, but right now they're coasting towards not even getting there at all.

With the Phillies now leading the Wildcard, the SD series becomes bigger, considering that if the Phillies get the WC, the division winner with the better record gets them, and the other gets the Mets in the first round.

Very true. They collapsed again and have lost 6 games in a row, with only a 2.5 lead over Houston as of tonight. I blame LaRussa for continuing to send Looper out there, but at the same time, the entire team (except Duncan) looked flat. They had two errors, and when anyone but Carpenter's pitching, they have zero room for error. Rolen was 0-4 with 2 on in the bottom of the 9th, and did he bring either of the two baserunners home? No. Last night he struck out against Lidge and looked like he'd never hit a baseball in his life. Not good, Redbirds. Maybe they're trying to let the fans know they're tired and are ready for a long break. Sad, but that's what they're looking like in these last six games.

Oh well, Carpenter pitches tomorrow. I hope he gets his 16th win out of it. For his sake and the team's.

In 1964 the Phillies lost 10 in a row in late September to fall out of first place. The Cardinals eventually won the pennant. I was 2 at the time so I wasn't scarred by it. Much. Is this 1964 for St. Louis?

If Houston over takes them it would be worse, since that '64 team led by 6.5 with 12 days to go. The Cards were 8.5 up on Houston with 12 days to go. Considering how much I hate the Cardinals, this could end up being the best September ever

And why, pray tell, do you "hate" the Cardinals?

I'll admit that they're teetering on the edge of the precipice. I hope the Astros don't return to the playoffs after their ignominious play in last year's Series--and yes, I know, the Cardinals lost to the Red Sox in 2004 0-4, but they didn't go back for a return trip last year to get reacquainted with humiliation at the bats and arms of the White Sox--because I'd much rather see the Mets, or, Lord help me, even the Dodgers or the Padres facing whatever AL (the Yankeees, Detroit, Oakland, least likely Minnesota) and winning it all if it isn't the Redbirds.

My roots lie up around Chicago, so even though I don't obsess over the Chicago teams, my animosity for the St. Lameass teams remains. Plus if you live in this city, you'd understand how delusional St. Louis sports fans can be. Most of them seem to have tunnel vision that the rest of the league doesn't exist aside from their team.

Down to 1.5 games between the Cards and Astros, as the Cards blew a 5-2 lead to SD and Houston won in PIT

1964.......

and the Reds are only 2.5 out too. They were involved in the 1964 race as well.

The best hope for the Cards lies in this good news: the regular season ends with a 3 game visit from my M'waukee Brewers! That ought to be enuf to clinch the division.

(actually the Brewers have been playing better the last week or so -- and the Cards only hold a 7-5 record in the 12 games played this season -- so not quite the cake walk as in years past)

Please, please, Cards, do not BLOW IT. DO NOT BLOW IT, CARDS!!!!!

Yeah, ironically enough, those '64 Phils had that 6.5 game lead over the Reds, the Cards were behind them in 3rd

FF to 2006, with 12 days left in the season the Cards had a 7 game lead over the Reds, and Houston was 8.5 back

things that make you go ........

The magic number is down to FOUR now. I think the Cards will now outlast the Astros, who cannot possibly sustain their winning streak, although I see that the Astros are already selling playoff tickets at their website www.houstonastros.com. I guess Brad Ausmus and the gang are getting all cocky. But, the Astros have five more games, all of them away from Houston against the Pirates and the Braves. GO BRAVES. DO THE TOMAHAWK CHANT! Make pretty Brad sweat all up and down his fine body.

All the teams that have a legit chance are selling playoff tickets. This includes the Dodgers and Phillies. It has nothing to do with being cocky and everything to do with (1) selling them early enough so they don't have to sell them at the last minute and (2) getting to earn some interest on money so that even if a team doesn't make the playoffs and has to issue refunds, they still make some profit.

The main reason the Cards will hang on, if they hang on, is because the season is nearly over. If there were 10 or 12 games left the Astros would blow them out of the water.

Wow, it's now down to ONE-HALF game now, and had Pujols not had that jack against SD last night, the Cards would be looking up at the Astros.

Now it's down to a half-game! Marquis forgot he was in a real game and tossed batting practice!

The Cardinals will now have to pray Atlanta defeats Houston three straight or at least takes several games from them, and that Weaver, Suppan and Carpenter all pitch like Carpenter was before his last two disastrous starts.

More than anything, I'm hoping that Houston doesn't return to the World Series, but now the Mets are staging their own late-season swoon before the playoffs, so that leaves the West Division teams to step up if need be.

Marquis was AWFUL. I mean I've seen him pitch poorly, but never that badly. Wow. The announcers were particuarly hard on him and I don't blame them. He knows he won't be starting in the playoffs (if they Cards even get there) and he's already refused to pitching out of the bullpen. As he won't be back next year it seems, he's going out of St. Louis on a particularly ugly note.

As for the Astros, their pitchers are going to have to be on top of their game to silence those Braves bats. Given how difficult it is for the Astros to score runs they have to keep all three games low scoring affairs if they want to win.

Anthony

Well, you can't say that the Cards are short on drama, can you? Never thought that I would be rooting for the BRAVES. But, now I am suddenly a BRAVES fan. GO BRAVES GO!!!! TAKE SCALPS!!! NO MERCY!!!!

The Cards' magic number is one. If the Braves beat the Astros tonight the Cards will have survived their collapse.

The Cards are blowing another game to the Brewers, while the Braves are waging merciless war against the Astros. Oh well, I guess the Cards are CHAMPS.

The Astros' loss to the Braves gives the Cards the division. What a stretch run! Still, it's better than the alternative.

Thank you Atlanta Braves. All of the Cardinals and their fans thank you profusely.

The Cardinals nevertheless look to be a in poor state as the playoffs begin. Once upon a time I thought their chances against either of the NL West teams looked good, but now I think they'll need to rely on prayers to get to the championship series. Carpenter ought to be decent, and I also think Suppan might try to raise his game, but after that, what do they have on their pitching staff? Weaver and Reyes are hit or miss and mostly miss, and Marquis is a loss waiting to happen. Their relief staff is very shaky. Then there's the lineup, which after likely MVP Pujols (who hit his 49th home run today) has been unremarkable down the stretch. Everyone else is going to have to play much, much better if the Cardinals aren't going to be trounced by the Dodgers or Padres.