**THE OFFICIAL ST. LOUIS CARDINALS BASEBALL THREAD**

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Awesome game! Been waiting forever for this to be an even matched rivalry!

DewieCox

That was an awesome game. Incredible atmosphere. I gotta make it over for a Cubs/Cards game this year. I'd love to see a closer race this year and I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility. The Cards young talent is understandably overlooked in the shadow of Bryzzo and the crew and the Cubs pitched a little over their heads last season.

We need somebody to step up into that All star level. Grichuk or Piscotty are primed for it. I think Diaz may already be there. Kid just takes great at bats.

I like the Yadi deal too. Dont think his impact can be overstated and his familiarity with the next generation of pitchers is gonna mean a lot as they deal with Cubs mashers for the next decade.

Martinez is the real deal and it looks like Wacha figured out his mechanical issues. Bullpen could be a strength, results wise, but I don't anticipate have fingernails at the end of the season,

Now a few negatives...Peralta needs to come off the bench. Wong needs to be named the everyday 2b to clear his headspace. Should keep his mouth shut, but he just looks scared to make a mistake out there. Matheny has handled him horribly. I think he'll hit better when that pressure is off and they need as many good gloves as they can squeeze in.

I want Rosenthal back asap. Being able to rear back and sling a 100mph fastball is the most lethal weapon when guys don't see enough pitches to time it. Oh is perfect for that middle relief role.

HesCalledDyer

Heard Piscotty could be in the lineup today. That's good news. Man, that was an unfortunate trip around the bases! Glad he's not seriously hurt.

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DewieCox said:

That was an awesome game. Incredible atmosphere. I gotta make it over for a Cubs/Cards game this year. I'd love to see a closer race this year and I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility. The Cards young talent is understandably overlooked in the shadow of Bryzzo and the crew and the Cubs pitched a little over their heads last season.

We need somebody to step up into that All star level. Grichuk or Piscotty are primed for it. I think Diaz may already be there. Kid just takes great at bats.

I like the Yadi deal too. Dont think his impact can be overstated and his familiarity with the next generation of pitchers is gonna mean a lot as they deal with Cubs mashers for the next decade.

Martinez is the real deal and it looks like Wacha figured out his mechanical issues. Bullpen could be a strength, results wise, but I don't anticipate have fingernails at the end of the season,

Now a few negatives...Peralta needs to come off the bench. Wong needs to be named the everyday 2b to clear his headspace. Should keep his mouth shut, but he just looks scared to make a mistake out there. Matheny has handled him horribly. I think he'll hit better when that pressure is off and they need as many good gloves as they can squeeze in.

I want Rosenthal back asap. Being able to rear back and sling a 100mph fastball is the most lethal weapon when guys don't see enough pitches to time it. Oh is perfect for that middle relief role.

Let me know when you do! Buy ya' a beer!

DewieCox

Crazy play and a bad break there with Yadi? Without that play I think we take 2 outta 3.

Need to get Rosenthal back to sure up the pen. Let the other guys get back to their natural spot.

Lynn looked good. Hope he's in full workload mode this year. Pitches as many quality innings as anybody in the game.

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No doubt. Weird ending. Cards look good!

Gtilley8

Good to hear you Cards fans valuing Fowler. I hadn't heard that he's been taking heat locally. But you guys got a ball player in Fowler. I wish nothing but the best for that guy, as he's everything you want in a lead off hitter/CF. I'll always root for that guy to do well - no matter the jersey he's wearing.

From a Cubs fan, this was a heck of a series to start the year, and I feel lived up to the hype that should be the Cubs/Cards opening year series. A game we thought we had - you won, and a game you thought you had - we won. pretty good parity there. I personally think that we just have too much fire power for the Cards to match, but if you were to make the post-season, anything can happen in a short series.

Take a step back from your Card-colored glasses for a second......You gotta love Schwarber. That dude mashes - and almost mashes like no one we've ever seen before.

Good series. Looking forward to the rest of the season. PS - that was way too much pine tar - make any excuse you want......but Yadi really helped fuel the cheating narrative today.

HesCalledDyer

Great series, glad we came out on the plus side but all 3 games could have gone either way!

Like Gtilley8 said, I too will always root for Fowler to do well. Dude's a hell of an asset to a clubhouse. I like Gyorko, too. He's a local boy, WVU kid. I'd start him every day, Wong and his career .240 can go fuck himself. We had a guy like that last year in Tommy La Stella. Mediocre utility guy thinks he's owed a starting job and wants to whine about it. Managers need to stob enabling these crybabies.

DewieCox

I think they should put Peralta on the bench and Gyorko at 3b. Give Wong the job at 2nd. Remove the pressure on him and help the d up the middle. Wong needs to keep his pie hole shut, but Matheny has handled him horribly and he's not the most mentally strong player anyway, since he got picked off to end they WS game and bawled about it. Not the first guy to complain about pt and won't be the last.


Not sure what was up with the sticky ball. It didn't look like excess goo anywhere. I don't know what the rules are with what catchers can use. If it was some kinda ultra stickum the Cubs seemed ok with it, which tells me that they probably use something similar or it's at least pretty widespread. I kinda wondered if it was wedged in there or snagged on something. Hard to imagine there's any substance that can stop a baseball like that. I'd lean towards too much of something, but I don't know if there's such a thing as too much.

HesCalledDyer

In one of the replays, it looked like there was an indentation - at least some discolored spot - where the ball was stuck. I'm wondering if maybe it pierced the outer later of the chest protector and the threads on the ball got stuck on the inner material. I don't know, just shooting a theory out of my ass as I don't know what those things are made of. I don't think it's worthy of any investigation nor was it any tactic to cheat. I'd just chalk it up to one of those weird oddities that we might never see again.

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Count on Cards and Cubs fans to continue to talk about it all season. Haha! Love me some good baseball people.

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Well well...

DewieCox

Yes, yes. Go on.

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The Birds are playing good ball! Hot streak! Let's put some early distance between the top and the rest fellas'! 

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1st place, series win over Cubs. Hot streak! 

DewieCox

Let's grab the lead here. I wanna see Scooter go for 5. But he damn sure ain't no Mark Whiten.

Wobbie

DewieCox said:

Let's grab the lead here. I wanna see Scooter go for 5. But he damn sure ain't no Mark Whiten.

it would have been a travishamockery had he hit 5. 

I think his 10 rbi would make him the Giants SEASON leader.

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Love the dig Gordo had at the Cubs in yesterday's PD. Easy to tank on purpose and retool then to stay competitive with the crew you have for many, many years. I don't mind that we didn't pick anyone up at the trade deadline. Will be interesting to see how this flawed team moves forward the rest of this season and into the future.
*Edit to include article to hear Gordo's thoughts.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/quick-hits-jeff-gordon-on-the-cardinals/collection_803e2975-8f8b-5aeb-835c-ac93c4f9967b.html

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Let's get fired up. Cubs and Brewers are falling apart!

HesCalledDyer

2-feign-reluctance said:

Let's get fired up. Cubs and Brewers are falling apart!

I'd say my Cubbies never had it together to begin with.  How did our division go from having the 3 best records in baseball 2 seasons ago to the mediocrity we are now??