Only 3?
The Cardinals won the World Series a mere four days ago. Four days ago the city, players, and fans were floating above the clouds, reveling in the unexpected championship. Just two days ago, Cardinal Nation was treated to a victory parade through downtown St. Louis, ending at a stadium filled with adoring fans.
Yesterday, a mere three days after the end of the World Series, the stories in the St. Louis Post Dispatch were looking ahead to next year. Jeff Gordon wrote this article, discussing the different tasks ahead for general manager Walt Jockety. Joe Strauss wrote this article depicting how different the team could look next year.
While looking forward and assessing all these possible changes will be necessary at some point, but can’t we sit back and enjoy the victory a bit longer? Have we learned nothing from the Yankees and now even the BoSox who’s fans seem to be perpetually disappointed unless their team wins it all each and ever year? Sure I’ll be posting on the off-season moves that will need to be made, but for now, I’m still pinching myself and I couldn’t be enjoying the off season more.
Buy or Sell?
Well, for all you fantasy baseball, football or basketball fans (do they even have Fantasy Hockey?) I figure this site will be right up your alley.
ProTrade is a game based on stock trading but rather than stocks, you are buying and selling players. You can buy or sell shares of Pujols, Tom Brady, Johan Santana, Dwayne Wade and many many more. I’ve not played around with it too much yet but it looks like a lot of fun and probably a BIG time waster. Anyway, enjoy!
Why Big Mac MUST enter the Hall…
Mark McGwire belongs in the Hall of Fame. Yeah, yeah, I realize I’m a St. Louis fan and therefore have a skewed perspective on this whole issues (which I’m sure we’ll all be fed up with come early January) but at least hear me out. Right now the only reason McGwire isn’t an automatic first ballot inductee is the suspicion of steroid use, and his well publicized refusal to "talk about the past". Now, don’t get me wrong, these are very valid reasons. No one was more angry with McGwire’s performance in front of Congress than I was. No one hates the idea that the game we all know and love, has been tainted by performance enhancing drug use. We can no longer just enjoy the game. There is a hint of doubt every time we see a home run hit. That’s just the way it is.
But, can we keep Big Mac out of the hall for that? Are we going to make him the sacrificial star and act like as long as we keep him out of the Hall of Fame, that all our records are clean and clear and the game doesn’t still have a problem? In 1998 baseball returned to the national forefront. MLB officials (including commissioner Bud Selig) at the very LEAST looked the other way, as steroid bloated sluggers hammered a record number of balls out of the park. Managers pretended not to notice, and other players kept quiet or started taking ‘roids themselves. Everyone in baseball shares the blame for allowing steroids to corrupt the game.
So, this brings us back to McGwire. Did he use steroids? More than likely yes. We still don’t have much hard evidence but I think its reasonably safe to assume so. But, keeping McGwire out of the hall without rock solid evidence (like a failed drug test) would set a precedence that I don’t think most voters are willing to stick to. By that standard you would have to keep not only McGwire out, but Sosa and Bonds out as well. We have just as much, if not more evidence of Barry Bonds’ steroid use than we do of Mac’s. Keep in mind, Big Mac never failed a drug test like Raffy did after angrily point a finger into the camera and proclaiming his innocence. Even fan favorites, such as Roger Clemens, have been implicated in different steroid investigations. Just because the fans chose not to accept those accusations doesn’t make them any less credible than those leveled at McGwire. So, are you prepared to have a Hall of Fame without the likes of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, just so you can punish Mark McGwire for not talking about the past? Me neither. Vote him in.
Let’s Party!
The Cardinals celebrated their 10th World Series championship with a victory parade. Cardinal fans are the best in the game and probably the only one’s other than the team who thought they stood a chance in this post-season. So, for those of you who weren’t able to attend here are a few images I’ve gathered for your viewing pleasure.
From ESPN.com
From CNN.com
From MLB.com
Click Here and Here for even more images of the parade and rally. Enjoy!
An interesting look at the Playoffs…
I just found a very interesting report created by Information Builders. It compares the salaries of all the post season players with their production. The example they use is that Yadi basically outperformed Albert in the NLCS in batting and yet is making only 1% of the teams payroll while Albert is making 23%. While I dont think these stats mean a whole lot its definitely interesting to look at. I still cant believe Jimmy Edmonds had 10 RBI this post season. Maybe we SHOULD bring him back… that’s a post for another time. Anyway, enjoy the report!
An absolute MUST READ!
I don’t know if you have heard it or not, but its only been one day since the Cardinals won the Series (I still have trouble realizing that its actually true) but I’ve already heard the grumblings about an 83 win (in the regular season) team doesn’t deserve to win. The system is broken, they say. This wasnt a "real" World Series.
Well, ESPN.com’s Jason Stark answers those arguments masterfully. All baseball fans should read it. Whether you’re a Cardinal fan (like me) who wants to be able to enjoy the improbable victory, or you’re a fan who was doing some of the grumbling, READ IT.
One point Stark doesn’t mention, that Tony LaRusa made was that in baseball a 90 win team is said to have a good year. Not great, not historic by any means, but a good year none the less. Well if you count the 83 wins the Cardinals had in the regular season, and add the 11 games they won in the post season, and you (at least should) come up with 94 wins, which is only 4 fewer than the mighty Yankees won (including the post season). After accounting for the fact that the Cardinals actually played one fewer regular season games than the Yankees (due to a rain-out), and the gap could have been narrowed to 3. Sorry, but I don’t remember the last time someone grumbled about a World Series winner who won 3 fewer games than the "best team" in baseball do you?
Didn’t think so.
Wish I were there…
Well here’s some footage from the game courtesy of WorldSeries MLBLog
GO CRAZY FOLKS, GO CRAZY!
Wow.. I don’t yet know what to say but Congrats Cards! This is so very very sweet. More later on…
THE 2006 WORLD SERIES CHAMPION ST. LOUIS CARDINALS!!!!
Tie goes to the Runner!
Now I’ll admit, I’m usually pretty biased while watching Cardinal games, but usually after watching the replay I admit when I’m wrong. That being said, the Cardinals got hosed on the call to end the first inning. After verlander had walked the bases loaded, Ronnie Belliard grounded a ball up the middle. Guillen fielded it in the hole and threw a one hopper to first. Sean Casey scooped the ball up and the umpire punched the less than fleet footed Belliard out. The only problem is, he was safe. Belliard beat out the throw by about half a step and even if he didn’t, a tie is supposed to go to the runner. I know its early, but that blown call cost the Cardinals at least two runs if not more.
As I type this Yadi just smacked a leadoff single so lets hope this is a sign of things to come.
GO CARDS!
EDIT: Eckstein Delivers again! A screamer down the third base line and a throwing error by Inge, Cardinals lead 1-0 with a man on second. Lets Go Dunc (and hopefully Pujols)!!
Cartoons!
Here are a few cartoons my dad drew for the World Series this year. To see all his other sports cartoons just click on that link.
And of course you can’t forget this one (enjoy Tigers fans!).
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