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Too bad it wasn't a noon start. The Cardinals bats came out cranking and it looked like they were well on their way to an opening day win.
Unfortunately, the rain came too soon after Albert Pujols, Rick Ankiel and Yadi Molina busted the game open 5-1, and the game was washed out.
Not only did the Cardinals lose good lead. But they lost a start from their best pitcher, Adam Wainwright, who threw too many pitches to bounce back on early rest.
American League West winner: Mariners
American League Central winner: Tigers
American League East winner: Red Sox
American League wild card: Indians
National League West winner: Dodgers
National League Central winner: Brewers
National League East winner: Mets
National League Wild Card: Braves
I plan on posting my fearless predictions for the 2008 season in the morning.
That being said, I'm trying really hard to be excited about this edition of the Cardinals. And, judging from the story about the Redbirds' efforts to create some hype about the team on the eve of opening day, I'm nowhere near the only one.
Here's a hint: Instead of spending money on a PR campaign, how about spending some on pitchers better than a guy who hasn't thrown in a game for a year and a half because of major shoulder surgery (Matt Clement) or a starting shortstop a little better than a guy who was a platoon player last season for the Pittsburgh freaking Pirates (Cesar Izturis).
A whopping 3,495 clicked on the ebay ad posted by the former Cardinals ticket office employee who offered his 2006 World Series ring for sale for a starting bid of $15,000. But nobody was willing to pony up the bucks to buy a piece of Cardinals history.
View the ebay ad for the ring here.
I made an impassioned argument to my wife. But there was no convincing her. So what can you do?
Continue reading "No sale for Cardinals World Series ring" »
There's nothing to make you optimistic for the upcoming baseball season quite like watching your major league club gets it's butt kicked sideways by its class AA farm team.
St. Louis Cardinals: 3 runs, 8 hits, no errors
Springfield Cardinals: 10 runs, 20 hits, one error.
Well, there you go. The big league club won the error category. So we've got that going for us.
Old friend Woody Williams was released Saturday after a brutal 2007 season and an even worse spring training.
He was 8-15 pitching for the Astros last season with the Juice Box as his home field and he had an 11.32 ERA for the spring.
As bad as Williams has been, I wonder if Dave Duncan sees any life left in the 41-year-old pitcher. But it doesn't look like the Cardinals will get a chance to try to straighten him out. Williams told the Houston media that he plans to take the $6.25 million the Astros owe him for this season and retire.
Barring a last minute deal, injury or change of heart by the management, this appears to be the final roster:
Starters: Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse, Braden Looper, Brad Thompson, Todd Wellemeyer
For the Cardinals to be successful, Wainwright needs to continue to progress to the point that he is a dominant starter. Kyle Lohse needs to prove general managers around the league were wrong not to give him a multi-year contract and Braden Looper -- on the verge of free agency -- needs to prove that he is cast correctly as a starting pitcher instead of his traditional position as a close. But, just as importantly, if the Cardinals are to compete, Wellemeyer and Thomson need to be back in the bullpen because Mark Mulder and Joel Pineiro are able to return back to their old form early in the season.
Relievers: Jason Isringhausen, Ryan Franklin, Russ Springer, Randy Flores, Ron Villone, Kyle McClellan, Anthony Reyes
A strength last season, the bullpen has three guys in it presently who likely wouldn't be there if not for injuries. Josh Kinney was expected to be back by now from an injury that ruined his 2007 season, but he has suffered setbacks in his rehab. Lefty Tyler Johnson has a shoulder problem that leaves him out indefinitely and then there's Mulder and Pineiro keeping Johnson and Wellemeyer out of the bullpen mix.
Associated Press columnist Jim Litke had an interesting column about the Cubs Friday.
While it makes some lighthearted jabs at the Wee Bears' futility through the years, it reveals an interesting bit of information that I have always believed to be true -- although Cubs fans have steadfastly refused to even consider the possibility.
Litke writes: Last June, my two sons and I got into an elevator at Macy's department store in midtown
Manhattan at the same time as Moises Alou and two friends. Alou was playing for the Mets, but on the disabled list at the time. Someone mentioned Chicago and the conversation turned to the Cubs.
"Everywhere I play, even now, people still yell, 'Bartman! Bartman!' I feel really bad for the kid," Alou said, shaking his head.
"You know what the funny thing is?" Alou added a moment later. "I wouldn't
have caught it, anyway."
Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. will fade away into our memories with the conclusion of spring training. Click here to read fans' memories about watching the Cardinals, Yankees, Rays, Mets and Orioles play there over the last 90 years from the Rays Web site.
It's a shame that Juan Gonzalez has apparently decided against going to AAA Memphis to continue his comeback effort.
Early in camp he looked like he could still swing the old wagon tongue well enough to hit big league pitching. But when he spent the last three weeks out of the action, what did he expect? Did he think the Cardinals were just going to hand him a job? Apparently so, because he was waiting around for something all this time.
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