Winner Winner at the All-Star Game

Disclaimer: The current time tells me that the NL just closed out the win about 10 minutes ago. Also, I've had caffeine. I'm a little hyper. This could be awesome.

The last time the NL won the All-Star Game, I was 9. Despite my steadfast dedication to watching the All-Star game (which includes the year a storm knocked out the power and I freaked out in the dark for about two innings), I am fairly certain I didn't really watch the game until around 1998. Therefore, I am really really excited about this win.


I was talking to my grandpa before the game started, and he ended the conversation the same way he always does - by saying, 'Go Cubs!' He's the lost soul in my family. I laughed and said I didn't think I'd be able to cheer for Marlon Byrd, even if it was the All-Star Game.

Then, the seventh inning rolled around. Even though Cardinal fans had been treated to a Yadier Molina single in the third, which was only the second hit of the night for the National League, there hadn't been much to cheer for from the NL side of the stands. No NL batter had even made it safely into second base before the seventh began. It was then that the NL 'Comedy' Central took matters into their own hands (with a little help from the East).

After a quick groundout by Joey Votto (Reds), Scott Rolen (also Reds) came up and fought Phil Hughes (Yankees) in a 7 pitch at bat for a single. After watching Rolen for the past two days*, I remember all the things I loved about him as a Cardinal. He works his butt off, has a fun personality, and the man can flat out play third like no one I've seen. Anyway, after Rolen gets on, Matt Holliday lined a single up the middle and Rolen scampered all the way to third. Chris Young (D'Backs) popped out, and Marlon Byrd walked to load the bases with 3 members of 3 different teams in the Central. Then, NL fans everywhere watched with glee as Brian McCann (Braves) hit a double to the right field corner that cleared the bases. This was the scene at home:

cardinals.com

Yeah. You're looking at a picture of a Cardinal, a Red, and a Cub high fiving and cheering together. I'm confused too. I even received a tweet from a Cub fan that was addressed to a Reds fan, a Cubs fan and myself that said, 'The one night we can get along. Go NL!' I couldn't have said it better myself. I almost called my grandpa to apologize. Almost.

My other highlight of the night was the bottom of that same seventh inning: seeing Adam Wainwright take the mound. It was his first relief appearance since the last game of the 2006 World Series, and we all know how that ended! Adam was definitely pumped, hitting 96 MPH on his first pitch. Despite a botched catch in left field that I won't go into detail on, Adam pitched a dominant inning, striking out two and making several batters look silly with their swings and misses. Torii Hunter (strikeout victim #2) said after the game that Wainwright's stuff was flat out nasty, and I agree!

I love some of the fun insights you see at the All-Star game. Interviews (#chickcomment), anecdotes, and it's never the player you expect to get the job done. After the game, Matthew Leach (mlb.com) and BJ Rains (foxsportsmidwest.com) had interesting tidbits to note afterward:

Food for thought...

I can't wait to see it!

One last thing - today is literally the most boring day in the sporting world. No baseball games, the World Cup is over, and no other major sports are in season. That's just sad. You'd think someone would have come up with some gimmicky thing to do every year on this day. Oh wait, the ESPY's are on tonight. Leave it to ESPN...


*For those of you that missed it, Rolen was on MLBNetwork Monday during the media frenzy, and after basically conducting the interview himself by making fun of Kevin Millar ('Why are you 40 with highlights? Why do your shoes look like that?!'), he described a priceless moment with AJ Pujols. Yes, 9 year old AJ was tearing up the media yesterday. Sign him up now! Anyway, Rolen walked into the room where the players were being interviewed, and after Albert pointed him out to AJ, the kid looks over at Scotty, opens his arms wide and goes, 'How did YOU get here?!' Amazing.
UPDATE! I found VIDEO!

Happy All-Star Break!

With the All-Star Game tonight and the anticipation of seeing five of our Cardinals there at Angel Stadium, it's already a good day.

Hunky Holliday, living up to his nickname
Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Last night, Matt Holliday was in the spotlight as one of eight participants in the Home Run Derby. He only lasted one round, hitting five homers (and four of those mighty blasts when he only had one out left), but maybe that's OK as you'll see in my newest article today for Baseball Digest: "Is There a Home Run Derby Effect?" With all the talk about who wouldn't participate this year, I looked at if swinging for the fences in the Derby negatively affects players for the rest of the season. Sometimes, as we remember from Albert last year, it can. The good news? In 2007, the last time Matt participated, he hit more homers in the second half of the season than he did in the first as the Rockies went on their incredible march to the World Series.

To get you ready for tonight's game, take a look at Erika's All-Star Expectations at i70 Baseball to find out her thoughts on learning to appreciate the All-Star Game as well as what she's looking forward to tonight. Of course it's our five Cardinals, but maybe a few other players too!

Hopefully, tonight's game will finally be a National League victory again. And perhaps in late October the Cardinals will be the benefactor of the World Series home-field advantage that will be the prize for winning ... Let's go Cards and let's go National League!

i70 Launch Day

There might not be a Cards game today, but we still have some exciting news for you. Today is the launch of i70baseball.com! The site focuses on both the Cardinals and Royals, will have a weekly radio show starting tonight, and is an affiliate of BaseballDigest.com.

Why are we so excited about this new project? Because Erika and I will be contributing to the site on a weekly basis! Erika will have her first piece up there tomorrow, but I have a couple links for you already:

All-Stars At The All-Star Break: A look at all five of the Cardinal All-Stars that are on their way to Anaheim right now and how they perform from the first to the second half.

Surprising Frustrations: The Cardinal Players Of The First Half: Checking on who's been up and who's been struggling so far this season. Don't yell at me about which All-Stars made the 'frustrating' lists - read first, then argue! :)

The Cards finished off a series win against the Astros with a W yesterday. Blake Hawksworth had his fourth consecutive outing of 5 or more innings while allowing 3 runs or less. Matt Holliday continued his hot streak by blasting a 3 run home run, and Jon Jay is carrying an 11 game hitting streak through the break.

For those of you interested in the Futures All-Star game that was played yesterday evening, Shelby Miller (Team USA) and Eduardo Sanchez (Team World) both appeared and had flawless outings, facing a total of 5 batters, hitting 95 MPH on the gun and getting 5 groundballs. Somewhere, Dave Duncan has a huge smile on his face!

Tonight's All-Star festivities include the Home Run Derby (Go Holliday!) and the Celebrity All-Star Game. It's not Cardinal baseball, but at least we'll see a few St. Louis hats out there tonight, and with any luck, Ozzie Smith will be there and playing!

Short post today, because we want you to head over to i70 Baseball and check out what is already going on over there. We're excited about the new project and hope you enjoy it!

Parties, Gut-Wrenchers, and the Flat-Out WEIRD

Sometimes, the best thing about baseball is that during the regular season there's always another game tomorrow. For the Cardinals, after a brutal sweep at the hands of the Rockies, their next tomorrow couldn't come fast enough, but fans and scribes everywhere weren't sure what to expect coming into yesterday's game against the Astros and Bud Norris. Norris had been inexplicably dominant against the Cardinals... right up until last night. Eight shutout innings by Adam Wainwright and eight wild runs by the boys in red helped everyone find serenity last night!

The Cardinals have been wrapped up in their fair share of craziness already this season. Today we thought we'd look back at the good, the bad and the strange. Ready? Here we go!


Gut Wrenchers

Chris Lee - STL Today

May 21: Cardinals - 9, Angels - 5
I'm sure you didn't expect the first 'bad' game to be a win. However, after shocking everyone (including himself) with a third inning grand slam, Cardinal fans watched in horror as Brad Penny went out in the next half inning and, after throwing a couple of warm-up pitches, was quickly ushered off the field by the training staff. He hasn't seen the mound since. The team might have won the game, but was losing Penny worth it?


May 25: Cardinals - 0, Padres - 1
What on earth did Adam Wainwright have to do to win this game? Here's what he did do: give up 4 hits and 1 run over 7 dominant innings, walking 1 and striking out TWELVE. To add to the madness, the Cardinals actually outhit the Padres 7-4, but couldn't figure out how to bring any of those baserunners back around to home plate. It was a frustrating start to a strange six game road trip to San Diego and Chicago.


July 6: Cardinals - 9, Rockies - 12 and July 7: Cardinals - 7, Rockies - 8
What could possibly be worse to a fan than seeing your team give up a huge lead in the ninth inning? Watching them do it all over again the next day in the eighth and ninth. Salt? Meet wound. Both games were so winnable. The bats were getting things done and the baserunners were going crazy. Fans were lauding Matt Holliday and Jon Jay for having big games at the plate,  seeing so many 2 out RBI's and stringing hits together in a way that we haven't seen in weeks. Then, everyone watched in horror as the strong bullpen fell apart and some bizarre defensive positioning and play let to back to back walk-offs for the Rox. It was a horrible 2 days in Cardinal Nation.


Flat-Out WEIRD
April 17: Cardinals - 1, Mets - 2
The Fox Saturday game of the week provided fans with almost 7 hours of listening to Tim McCarver spout nonsense as the Cards and Mets clashed for 18 innings of no-run baseball, a 19th inning in which both teams scored exactly 1 run, and the Pond Scum finally pulling ahead to stay in the top of the 20th. 19 pitchers battled through the game that never seemed to end, including appearances by both Felipe Lopez and Joe Mather. Skip Schumaker had 10 plate appearances. Brendan Ryan, who pinch hit for Jaime Garcia after 7  innings of 1 hit ball, had six plate appearances. At the end of the game, fans couldn't decide whether to just breathe a sigh of relief that it was over, or agonize over enough missed opportunities to cover a week's worth of games.

Scott Rovak - US Presswire

June 28: Cardinals - 6, Diamondbacks - 5
In a game where the team was playing with an extremely short bench, Adam Wainwright became player of the game, and all he did was walk to the plate in the bottom of the 9th with instructions to bunt. A throwing error on Waino's bunt scored Jaime Garcia (who was pinch running for Yadier Molina), and after a weak groundout by Randy Winn, Skip Schumaker came up with runners on second and third. He slapped a ball to the first base side, and Adam LaRoche threw wildly to the plate, allowing not only Brendan Ryan to score, but Adam Wainwright to swipe home plate as well! If you want the definition of a gift-wrapped win, that was it. 


Parties
May 30: Cardinals - 9, Cubs - 1
After Erika had the gall to question Albert Pujols on Friday, Albert had his revenge on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in Chicago, blasting 3 home runs deep into the bleachers and on to Waveland Avenue. Wainwright knew what to do with that kind of lead, throwing 7 innings of 1 run ball and sending Cardinal fans home happy. David Freese also got in on the fun, going 3 for 5 with 3 RBI's and a home run.


June 4: Cardinals - 8, Brewers - 0
How did Waino choose to follow up his Memorial Day weekend game mentioned above? How about a his first complete game - a 9 strikeout, 2 hitter vs. the Brew Crew? The Cardinals were patient, tossing runs on the board in 4 different innings and putting up 5 runs on starter Randy Wolf and 3 on relief pitcher Jeff Suppan. 3 days later the Brewers released Suppan and... oh wait, this is the happy section. Moving on!

Broken!
Chris Lee - STL Today

April 9: Cardinals - 5, Brewers - 4

Mark this down as the day Nick Stavinoha broke Trevor Hoffman. In a game that the Brewers had seemingly been running away with since about the 4th, Cardinal fans had felt little reason to cheer coming into the 9th, save a Matt Holliday home run in the 6th that went farther than any other regular game home run I have ever seen at Miller Park (Yes, I was there). When Hoffman came trotting in for the 9th, it felt like game over. A walk to Colby Rasmus gave me a little hope, but then two warning track shots by David Freese and Yadier Molina left the Cards down to their last out, and pinch hitter Stavinoha trotting to the plate. Who could have predicted Stavi golfing a shot from his knees deep into the left field bleachers?! Miller Park went silent, and I went crazy. Poor Trevor Hoffman went into a dive, blowing 4 of 5 save opportunities. Brewer fans still haven't forgiven me for being at the game where it all went downhill.

We've had some ups and downs with this Cardinals team. By the end of the season, we're hoping that the good outweighs the bad. We'll find out! 

Game time tonight is 6:05. Go Cards!

Tough Enough To Be A Cardinals Fan?

This past week I have read vicious, bitter comments from Cardinal fans ranging from total outrage to personal attacks on players.  While there may be a rising sentiment of general disgust for the way this team is playing, do not count me among the malcontents.

These players have become like family to me.  I cheer their wins and my heart breaks for their struggles.  Just as I would no sooner put my children at the curb when they frustrate me, I cannot turn on my team just because games have been lost and errors made.

This past series in Denver has challenged us all. A pair of crushing walk-off losses and being swept by the Rockies has knocked Cardinals Nation to its knees. Our boys gave up substantial leads.  We had the win in our sights twice, only to have it ripped away. Many have fittingly used the phrase “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.” Yes, losing is tough, but how we respond to the loss speaks volumes.

Frustration is building.  Sportswriter Bernie Miklasz has tagged this Cardinals team an ‘embarrassment.’ Cardinals fans on Twitter have been demanding trades and roster moves on par with cries for ‘abandon ship.’ Everywhere I look, scribes are posting gloom and doom.

The obvious comparison is Cubs Fans.  Those poor baseball fans have not celebrated a World Series win since 1908.  Their drought has been well-documented and understandably the fanbase displays a different attitude about the game and relationship with their team.  Cardinals fans – the “best fans in baseball”- may have been a little spoiled.  We are used to winning, used to MVPs and Gold Gloves.   When the boys are playing well, Cardinals Nation are exemplary fans  However with a team that just cannot seem to get it together, many of those same fans are angry, cursing and even booing the team.

With all the complaining and huffing about rosters and management decisions the fortitude of true fans has gone MIA.  Baseball is a game of wins and losses.  Lately the losses column has been filling faster, but the sky is not falling.

Let’s take a step back and assess this situation. The Cardinals have been carrying a short starting pitching rotation of THREE capable arms, filling in the remainder as well as can be expected.  Two HUGE contributors - outfielder Ryan Ludwick and third baseman David Freese - are both on the disabled list. Our starting shortstop is in an unbelievable funk and yet we are in 2^nd place.  Not terrific, but not beyond hope.  The injured will return and there is much baseball yet to be played.

The Cardinals sit in 2^nd place in the NL Central, 3 games behind the Reds but 7 1/2 games ahead of 3^rd place.  The remaining season is yet unwritten and the race is far from lost.  This week’s games should be a testament to the fact that nothing is a foregone conclusion in baseball.

Teaching children to be good and gracious losers is a challenge.  Being disappointed is understandable.  Being courteous takes some practice.  Grownups may need to be reminded of those playground principles.  Nobody likes a sore loser. 

I started out this blog questioning if I were tough enough to be a Cardinals fan – implying that losing streaks or disappointing plays may be too much for me, but honestly I wonder if I am tough enough to maintain the joy I have for this team and the game when surrounded by others spouting such negativity.

Is the difference in my being a female fan or possibly a “young” fan that hasn’t experienced enough history to be justifiably angry?  I sure hope not.

 

Naturally fans will dissect decisions made in the dugout and plays made on the field.  That is part of the beauty and right of baseball fans.  I do thoroughly enjoy reading thoughtful, relevant critique of our team, but a line is crossed when comments angrily blast players and the manager. 

Let us not forget that while these players are paid exorbitant amounts of money to hit or catch a little ball and entertain the masses, they are human.  They will make mistakes and have bad days - and fate may string those events together for much too long.  True fans stay the course.  We may not be happy with an unproductive team, but we can have faith

Baseball is beautiful - and a winning baseball season would be glorious - but I will love this team through thick and thin.

Go Cards!

Photo Thursday

So... the last two games. They happened. The great thing about baseball is that we have another game to look forward to. Today. 2:10. Chris Carpenter vs. Ubaldo Jimenez. It promises to be a pretty fantastic match-up!

On to the week in pictures (Sorry, no sadness here)!

Ang wants a Brockabrella. No really, she does.
Who can make it happen?!
Scott Rovak - US Presswire

The Baby Birds are coming BACK! Tyler Greene doesn't plan
on leaving anytime soon!
Scott Rovak - US Presswire

See? Even Matt Holliday is happy to see him back!
Scott Rovak - US Presswire

Now this? This is just an awesome picture.
Would you run on this face? Not a chance.
Scott Rovak - US Presswire

It's not every day a B-52 flies over before the game!
Scott Rovak - US Presswire

More Baby Birds! How about Jon Jay -
back in business in St. Louis!
Scott Rovak - US Presswire

¡Vamanos!
Scott Rovak - US Presswire

We admire the hustle from Jason Motte, but...
yeah.
The Canadian Press

Ho hum, another complete game for Adam.
We don't like - we LOVE these games!
Dilip Vishwanat - Getty Images

'Oh! Look at it go!'
Best picture we've had yet? Probably!
Dilip Vishwanat - Getty Images

Five Bright Spots on the Cardinals

Let’s just forget yesterday happened. Rockies – who? The Cardinals haven’t even played them yet this season! Tonight will be the first time in 2010 because the calendar always goes from July 5 to 7, right?

Although I guess ignoring the game would mean ignoring that the Cardinals did score 9 runs last night – 3 on a powerful two-out Matt Holliday homer (with a runner in scoring position!) – which is definitely a plus for this season’s mostly inconsistent offense. That also would overlook the fact Blake Hawksworth pitched well enough to continually get out of trouble for five innings. So maybe we’ll just forget the 9th inning and instead look at five bright spots on the 2010 Cardinals.


1. Jason Motte
He had a “perfect game” and more earlier this season, when he retired 32 consecutive batters. He’s been a reliable, and entertaining to watch, presence from the bullpen and has 36 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched, as well as two saves.




2. Mitchell Boggs
As noted in the Post-Dispatch last Thursday, Boggs is thriving out of the Cards bullpen. At that point, “in Mitchell Boggs’ last two appearances, the Cardinals’ reliever has entered the game with opponents on base, a taut game on the line, and an All-Star or a .320 hitter as his assignment. He’s managed to retire both of them. It took him two pitches, total.” Since then, he’s pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out two.




3. Nick Stavinoha
A Baby Bird who’s been around the whole season, Nick has been playing more regularly instead of just pinch-hitting as he’d done earlier in the season. He’s hit a little better off the bench than as a starter, and both of his homers – including the memorable one off Trevor Hoffman at the beginning of the season – have been when he’s pinch-hitting.




4. Matt Holliday since June 1
The man we call Hunky has been heating up since the beginning of June, with 7 of his 12 homers coming in the last five weeks. Since he traditionally hits better in the second half, his production since the beginning of June gives us much to look forward to in the months ahead. (By the way, has anyone ever heard the nickname "Big Daddy" used for him? I haven't, but that's what's listed on his Baseball Reference page.)




5. Adam Wainwright
Let’s save the best for last. Is there anything he can’t do? Not only does he lead National League pitchers in strikeouts with 123, is second in the NL with 12 wins and is third in the league with a 2.24 ERA (just behind Jaime Garcia’s 2.10), he also has hit 4 doubles and has 4 RBI this year at the plate AND scores game-winning runs when he pinch-hits. He has finally been named to the All-Star team as well – could he be the starter for the National League? That would be a well-deserved honor.

Here's one more bright spot: the Mets beat the Reds last night.

Then there's the beauty of baseball: today’s a new day, tonight’s a new game. Plus Jaime Garcia is starting. Things are looking up already …

Go Cardinals!