Reduction……………… The untimely announcement about Freese can be added to the “Holiday negotiations on the shelf” statements by Mo. Arrows aimed at Boras and Tony/Albert behinds without question. The beauty of this is that they won’t be required to spend much money because they will still need to save for Albert’s return offer. They may get a retread left fielder as the market wains in February……………………… Albert wouldn’t be using a second opinion unless he planed to have the surgery, or threaten to anyway, using the “mended” status in future contract talks. Tony is just waiting to see what he decides. Albert is waiting for God to speak. Mo/BD are in position to make a brilliant financial play. Victims of a cruel market.

Although this topic has been chewed to pulp here and elsewhere, I don’t think BW’s official anaysis and conclusion(s) is on the record. Its a long winter, plenty of time, but I for one would be very interested in that. Hope he doesn’t try to weasel out:)

Holliday was the only Redbird to hit a dinger and he almost won Game 2, until the Fateful loss of the white ball in the lights and white out. Like the rest of human activities, baseball outcomes are influenced by good luck and by bad.

Hal McRae was a terrific ML hitter, across many years. He knows what to do with the lumber.

Holliday has just 12 at bats in the playoffs. Trivial n. Nevertheless he poked the only HR the Cards obtained. Not surprising. Holliday is a stud athlete in his prime. This is why the Cards traded for him and why his market value is high.

The resolution to this is a simple realization. No matter how veiled and manipulated your chosen dogma maybe, that you are God already Albert, as are all other live forms gathered around you, so don’t sweat it, just play ball.

How many of Pujols first half numbers could be attributed to the unusual competitive circumstances surrounding being King of a weak team. He was walked, he was pitched around in a fashion………in a very predictable fashion, making pitch location much more predictable, especially in certain counts. That is where your 5 grand slams came from. These things are obvious.

The more subtle factors surround the mental state of Albert getting that much special attention. Clearly the introduction of a red hot Alpha male was disorienting to Pujols. The Dodgers in those famous early confrontations ate Albert alive by pitching him on the hands, a tactic he never adjusted to. All the scouts were on that. It turns out that self doubt, and inflexibility in his highly personalized hitting technique have us led to our current state wonderment..

One other though…………..Tony’s refusal to do a simple switch with Albert and Holiday during this crucial adjustment period, shows the depth of Tony’s understanding of Albert’s highly superstitious mental state. Even for one game. He is a ball player. It is a game.