DEVELOPING: Lance Lynn is growing on me. Sources close to the situation credit Lynn’s flourishing maturity for the ever-evolving appreciation. It seems to have happened overnight, this controlled and commanding Lance Lynn. But I know it didn’t. It’s been three seasons in the making; three exhilarating and heartbreaking seasons of impassioned successes and calamitous struggles. I’ve never [...]
This is fifth installment in the 2014 United Cardinal Bloggers “Progressive Game Blog,” following the pre-game, first, second and third innings. We pick up the game with Joe Kelly needing to settle in a bit, after flirting with trouble in the last couple innings. To his credit, though, he’d done what Kelly so often does and [...]
It’s time to make way for Oscar. The second time, really. It’s true. This time, he’ll stay; This time, he’ll play. That’s what we’re told he will do. It’s time to give Oscar a shot. We’ve been hearing how great he can be. The offense is cold; Not scoring gets old. Come, Oscar, and set [...]
That’s the general consensus, right? Allen Craig: has-been. Oscar Taveras: savior. Only, it’s not as obvious as it seems. But then it is. And then it isn’t again. It’s … complicated. Craig is down, that much is certain. But while some numbers are shockingly low, others are reasonable enough to defend. For example, he’s swinging [...]
Without fanfare, without bow tie, and even without those black-rimmed glasses, John Mozeliak entered the open space outside the executive offices in the upper level at Busch Stadium last Sunday. He slipped past the podium that stood front and center before the v-shaped chair arrangement, now filled with anxious bloggers and fans. He’d played this game [...]
Each year that I have the opportunity to attend the UCB Weekend festivities, one thing becomes clearer: It is immensely enjoyable to be around people as obsessive about Cardinals baseball as I am. Taking in a game with people who understand the inside jokes, who know the players’ stories and tendencies, who celebrate and / [...]
Let me get this out of the way: Contrary to (semi) popular belief, I do not, in any way whatsoever, hate Lance Lynn. In contrast, I quite like his particular skill set; I greatly appreciate his competitive intensity; I often laugh at his sarcastic wit and dry humor. I don’t hate Lance Lynn at all. However, [...]
Expectation is a funny thing. To have no expectations of someone means they’ve done nothing to excite you about their potential. Do something worth paying attention to, though, and the hopes and dreams of an entire (occasionally overwhelming) fan base drop from the sky and land squarely upon the shoulders of an unsuspecting hopeful. Thus, [...]
How about Kolten Wong?! Finally, we’re seeing the version of the young second baseman that we all expected hoped for. Since he rejoined the team (and overcame the ill-timed stomach bug that delayed his first game back), he’s done nothing but collect five hits (including two bunt base hits in one game and a bases-clearing [...]
“Is THIS going to be the [fill in the blank – hit, start, win, etc.] that starts the momentum rolling?” …is anyone else kind of tired of (and, honestly, slightly annoyed by) that question these days? Sure, momentum is a real part of a championship team’s success. Momentum shifts can be powerful. Sometimes, even more [...]
Lately I’ve found myself in the extreme minority of Cardinals fans still believing Mike Matheny has a method to his madness. Thus far, I’ve refused to accept the idea that Matheny’s the root of all the problems the Birds have had, and that the only logical solution is to fire the man who just signed [...]
The Cardinals just lost the second game in a row to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Gross. … no time like the present to make my Conclave debut, eh? Much like the Cardinals’ offense, I’ve been MIA from the blogging world for entirely too long (for me, at least. You can decide how you feel [...]
