Sadly, I am running on a borrowed laptop donated very temporarily by an amazingly nice press box compatriot so this may be it in terms of updates this weekend. We shall have to see. However I did have an interesting and productive afternoon speaking with Cardinals players and coaches. I am especially happy to share it with you.
I spoke with P.J. Walters about his successful ninth-inning stint on Thursday. He and Ryan Franklin warmed up with Walters coming in since it is a non-save situation. P.J. says he can warm up quickly and can pitch on consecutive days as he did with State College back in 2006. Yet he is the only reliever shown as not available on Tony La Russa’s Friday lineup card.
Speaking of Franklin, La Russa finally broke down and admitted what we all could see. “At this point, he is the closer…. He was always the guy,” pronounced the skipper.
Spoke with Walters and Jason Motte about eyeglasses. Jason wears his trademark prescription specs on the mound and likes them because he can see all angles. P.J. had LASIK surgery two years ago and is very pleased with it, noting he experienced immediate improvement. Motte said he considered the procedure only for “a split second”. I may be a wimp, but I agree with him.
La Russa had penciled Jason LaRue into the lineup initially because catcher Yadier Molina “had a tough night, threw up” on Thursday. Yet when Yadi reported to the park, he told the skipper he was ok to go.
Thursday night’s home plate ump Jim Reynolds was not as fortunate. Beaned by a Blaine Boyer warmup pitch, he was unable to answer the bell on Friday. Substitute umpire Kevin Causey took over at third.
La Russa noted that his team’s fast start “has to do with what the players put in during spring training“ both in terms of drills and game experience.
TLR on Todd Wellemeyer (pre-game): Not as sharp as he can be. Will get better and better as he goes on.
TLR on Rick Ankiel: Once he is sharp, he is a potent bat. Started out ok but not surging as well as Ryan or Chris. He can be a number four hitter in MLB. Last three game key hits means he gets another start. Really been overtrying. When he relaxes more, he has better focus.
TLR on Khalil Greene: Emergency player in the field only for the remainder of this series. Injury to throwing arm, but no consideration of DL because he is pretty good pinch-hitter.
Khalil spoke about the role of being a pinch-hitter actually requires him to concentrate more over the details of the game from the bench than when he is actually playing. He watches the status of the pitchers on both sides so he is not surprised when he is given the heads-up to get ready. When he is in the game, he is less focused on the opposing pitcher, since he figures he will be hitting either way.
As a result, Tyler Greene is again getting the start in day two of his MLB career. Having been a little busy, he was unaware of the other shortstop moves in the system resulting from his promotion. Tyler concurred that the Double-A step Pete Kozma is making is the toughest due to better control and fewer mistakes by pitchers at that level.
K. Greene told me that in his first impression, he likes the new ballpark in DC. He was injured when the Padres traveled there last season and was not with the team. Khalil also liked the hitting background in the old RFK Stadium despite its large dimensions.
TLR on playing Joe Thurston vs. Brian Barden at third: Jokingly flipped an imaginary coin. Seriously, he mentioned he looks at how the opposing pitchers perform against right-handed batters (like Barden) and left-handed (Thurston). Both will continue to play a lot. Need extra pen man with 35 games in 36 days to start season.
TLR on his emergency catcher: “Probably one of the young, aggressive guys, maybe Thurston.” He said a definitive “no” when I jokingly suggested former catcher Motte.
Thursday’s winning pitcher Chris Perez says his heel still is giving him no problems at all, but expects his spring training shot will wear off soon. When he feels pain again, the plan is to do the injection on an off day.
On all the televisions in the clubhouse was the Marlins-Cubs game. I happened to catch Denise Richards do such a terrible rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” that it made Ozzy seem good.
A team official noted the club has sold about 29,000 full and partial season tickets, which was kept flat by the added attraction of the 2009 All-Star Game. As noted elsewhere, the higher revenue premium tickets and corporate spending are down.
Mitchell Boggs was not surprised by his nine strikeouts Friday as he noted the Nationals are an aggressive team. He was surprised when I told him that he took over the 2009 team single-game lead from Walters, who had seven against the Cubs. Mitchell noted that he expects Adam Wainwright to claim the lead sometime very soon.
Albert Pujols mentioned his wife Deidre is heading to the Dominican Republic later this month to deliver the rest of the 200 beds he is donating to needy families.
I mentioned to Ryan Ludwick Thursday evening that La Russa said he would be starting here on Friday. Ryan said he expected it, but admitted that in the two games in Atlanta, he did not feel good at all.
Forgot to mention that Chris Duncan almost choked on his chewing gum in the dugout before the game. I asked him how many months it has been since he used tobacco. He counted out to nine. Great for him! Duncan took a lot of heat in some quarters for his use, so he deserves kudos for quitting.
Wellemeyer credited Dave Duncan with a mechanical adjustment with his hips that he said helped with his better outing on Friday.
I watched the Cubs game today and witnessed Denise Richards singing during the seventh inning stretch. I thought it was a nine year old. I’m sorry, but I don’t know her claim to fame. I always try to tune out the bottom of the seventh because the announcers spend their time chatting with the singer of the day. I did notice they got her out of there during the pitching change. The conversation seemed strained, at the very least. What can you discuss with an airhead?
By the way, did I read somewhere that a 17-7 start is the best start by a team over 24 games since WWII, the big one?
That should read by a Cardinals team.
How can you be critical of Denise Dizzy. The announcers were afraid to stand up is why they got rid of her. School Bus Syndrome.
WC, I live in southern California. Girls like her are a dime a dozen here. You sure like to make juvenile remarks about the male anatomy. You’re not Russell Otis, are you?
Franklin was always the guy? I’m sur ethat is why Motte got the first save opp of the year. And people wonder why TLR grates on me!
I added a couple of comments at the end including one that I had forgotten about.
Motte got the first save opportunity, because he pitched well during spring training and TLR values spring training, so had to give Motte his due. Once games started to count, Motte terrible as a closer and was given a more suitable, lower pressure job. With his decades of observing the game, TLR foresaw how the closer role would unfold, anticipating the incumbent Franklin would turn out to be the most effective early in 2009, as he has now demonstrated.
Man, am I glad to hear about Duncan giving up the chew. I don’t understand how anybody does that stuff and I enjoy a good cigar as much as the next guy.
I’m not surprised that Dunc helped Welle with an adjustment. How fortunate are we to have had him and TLR for the last 14 years? Sorry, CC.
Duncan seems to be helping Boyer and Motte too. Boyer had been a mess in Atlanta.
Another recovering Brave, Royce Ring is pitching well at AAA.
The wins count in May, so good to pile them up. Let the Cubs battle the Astros for last place.
John Barleycorn again marches across cyberspace. …………… ):
I believe Tony is learning from his mistakes CC. The tell will be how he treats KMac. We need 5 guys to contribute in the 7th and 8th, not just a set up man. Its still to much pressure for the athlete. KMac’s stuff is fine, he’s just not ready to be the man.
brian,
i love these everytime you post’em….please keep the goodies coming!
Ditto
Even when the Cards are 17-7, complainers and second-guessers seem not at a loss for words.
Ask anyone who is good at anything jumbo. Its not our record. Its the process of excelling that has to be worked at. This team will find lots of competition before all is said and done. Lets make it with other teams, as a team. We will be lucky to sweep Washington. Sunday could be a good test. So far our schedule has been very generous. Lets create distance. Washington would be stupid to continue pitching to Albert. Lets see if Duncan can keep hitting when Ludwick is not.. The game is at hand and there are lots of things we can do better.
The Nationals are an uncommonly poor team. It will be hard for them to win one, even in their own park.
Luddy has 6 homers, a pace akin to last season’s splendid output.
Our schedule has few off-days. It has not been “very generous.”
Tony, Daddy Dunc, Mr. Quendo and Mr. McRae know what they are doing. Kid Duncan can hit, so long as he does not hurt himself fielding. Ankiel can heat up. We have a Cy Young winner who will return. Loads of good things in store. The welcome thing for the Cards is getting off to this strong start, because they could well get stronger as the season wears on.
Strange timing on your post, Jumbeau.
So the Nats got lucky. They had a Sugar pitcher and Kid Duncan is a danger with a glove, no surprise. TLR chose Saturday as a day of rest for Albert.
“TLR chose Saturday as a day of rest for Albert.”
If you hope to understand what the issues are Jumbo, as opposed to the way you need them to be, would be the start to a greater understanding of yourself and the game. I ran in a world record race when I was a young man Jumbo. At 30yds I couldn’t see anybody, at 90Yds I had the best seat in the house, I could see everybody. I distinctly remember the comment, “nice start white boy” from the winner. It was still an enjoyable experience. The sensation of people floating across the track in a collective state of perfect relaxation was something hard to describe. I was never one of them. Just a witness. I found that same quiet for myself later in life, somewhere in the Adagio of the Aranjuez Concerto. There are moments to strive for. You can contribute to this team by seeing who they really are, and helping them realize what may fulfill them. ……………………………. Who knows what that might be? The truth maybe? …………………………Think Albert gets a pitch tomorrow?
DD17,
the armistice was august 14th, 1945. IF that is your cutoff date, then yes, 17-7 is the best start since.
the 41′ and 44′ clubs both went 18-6.
the “streak finder” at BR, allows you to track it daily throughout the season. just remember to select “from the beginning of the season only”.
5 different clubs have gone 17-8 since the armistice.
i’ve had quite a lot of fun w/the streak finder tonight. thanks for the question
through 35 games played, here are the records we are trying to better (post wwII qualifiers).
20-8 is our next goal…….
18-8…..48′ & 05′
19-8…..48′
19-9…..48′ & 81′
20-9…..81′
20-10…..68′, 48′ & 81
21-10…..81′
21-11…..81′
22-11…..81′
22-12…..08′, 05′ & 81′
22-13…..82′, 08, 46′, 56′, 05 & 06
Thanks for the info, BIP.
Out of all the teams listed, the ’48 and ’08 teams are the only ones that didn’t have the best record in their division for that year. Remember the ’81 team got jobbed (as did the Reds) by the split season rules that awarded playoff spots to the teams that were in first place when the players went on strike. Both the Cards and Reds ended the season with the best records but neither won either half of the season.
Does anybody think that would have been the case if the Cards and Reds had been in first place instead of the Dodgers and Phillies? Of course, the Yankees were in first place in the AL East and that made it easy for the decision to be made.
The Dodgers were the first team in the history of baseball to be able to better position by losing a game when they rolled over for Nolan Ryan’s last no-hitter that allowed Houston to beat the superior Reds for the second half crown. Just one more reason why I have such hatred for that organization.
Oh, by the way, BIP, VJ Day was not an armistice. It was an unconditional surrender by the Japanese to the Allied powers. Sorry to nitpick but that’s what I do.
Nats pitcher Martis was signed originally by the SF Giants, traded to Washington when at low A in 2006, for loogy Mike Stanton. The Giants inked Martis out of Curacao in 2004. He was probably not a bonus baby, so has not gotten a lot of publicity. Just throws innings. Right now, Martis has one half of the wins for the Nats and is leading in innings. Good for him.