McGwire story and association with Yardbarker leads to national exposure for Cardinals-oriented blog.
I am pleased to announce that The Cardinal Nation Blog is FOXSports.com’s Blog of the Day, achieved through this site’s association with Yardbarker. What caught their attention was my unique spin on the Mark McGwire pinch-hitting story, “La Russa dreams of activating McGwire (honest)”.
If you’re one of the many first-time visitors here and consider yourself a St. Louis Cardinals fan, please check this site out, register and join the discussion. I think you will enjoy the articles and commentary, with new, thought-provoking content posted 365 days a year.
The link to my McGwire article is featured on FOXSports.com’s main MLB page just under Ken Rosenthal at the lower left under the heading “Blog of the Day”.
Regulars on this site may have noticed recent evidence of my decision to join the Yardbarker network. This broader exposure is a prime reason why. Thanks to all for reading!
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Congrats Brian. Wish I had said something smart on that thread.
Thanks, bb. There’s still time!
Jumbo mentioned national audience yesterday, scary.
Canary… mine… danger…
Bernie M. went through all kinds of trouble to not talk about clubhouse atmosphere when he asked Holliday about the cards clubhouse atmosphere. Lots of hemming and hawing, “not that you’d say anything”, “not that you’s name names”, etc, that sort of thing. Holliday sounds like he’s all for the all business all the time approach. Said the team-mates/atmosphere thing was a factor in wanting to come back. Sounded like he was pretty much set on coming back the whole time and just needed to wait until the Cards best offer hit the table. He sounded sure that he would have had a chance to take it or leave it before the Cards went another way. The general impression I get is that Scottie probably had a good time watching Mo sweat. Some have the impression its Boras doing the sweating this year. I doubt Mo will go anywhere near another SB client this year.
Many things happened in those meetings BB. BD had Scottie where he wanted him. Scottie had BD where he wanted him. MLB boys tossing in the jello mix and praying for rain.
Some truths…………………. Scottie doesn’t do differed payouts. He loathes the idea. Those were likely interest free deferments. Any reason that you can think of, in which BD would want to have 10+ million hanging around for 10yrs interest free. Scottie wrote it in for his share…….which comes out of Matts check. You get the drift. You write it down as 120, but its kind of flexible huh. You can go from 90 to 136 in a hurry, and everybody looks important.
Boras knew he was caught in between a rock (BD) and a hard place (Matt’s heel), so what does a smart guy do………..opens a gravel pit, then runs for office on a “build roads” campaign!
I can see a way in which BD would know AP’s agents future intentions. I would bet on it. But I digress. I have a vivid imagination I’ll admit. Sometimes it seems like I can see the future. But hey, I don’t believe in a future………or a past ……………………………go figure.
Don’t know what to say to all that Westy, but you’ll never match Jumbo in the future seeing department. That national audience thing yesterday I mean, and today, voila’. The old testament has nothiing on that.
On another note, hows this for can of worms, from S.F. Chronicle today:
If McGwire can go up to the plate and belt one out in September, we’ll marvel over how 46 has become the new 26. The words “human growth hormone” won’t cross our minds or lips.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/08/SPPA1BF5EV.DTL#ixzz0c4SZdcKx
bb, how come I don’t get any clairvoyance points for having mentioned Bonds in the McGwire thread this morning?
Regarding Bernie’s interview, I didn’t hear it, but I am quite positive he drew any conclusions about clubhouse dynamics from what he saw with his own eyes, rather than from the discussion here. Important that Holliday took the high road and is looking forward. If he saw it to be a major problem, one would think he’d be playing elsewhere next season.
You’re the all-seeing eye Brian. You would have lost points for not mentioning it.
I would guess that Bernie and the rest of the media peloton are well aware of various atmosphere scenarios floating arround. I thought it was funny how he tried to ask about it without mentioning it, and apologizing for asking about it without asking about it. Like he was afraid he’d have to stand in the corner. Matt did take the high road, he can talk the talk as well as Albert.
bb, you seem to have the proper antennae and frequencies tuned to those here and elsewhere. It is all in the filters used…
(Sorry, I realize that sounds a bit like a WC post. OK, maybe more like me masquerading as WC… What a boring place this would be if we all evolved into a single mind…)
Westy had a good point above, which I just deciphered, about making the numbers say one thing and mean another. If Albert makes $16.5, paid out so as to have a present value of $16.5, and Matt makes $17 paid out so as to have a present value of $16, who is making more? A contract stated as being 90 and one stated as 130 might have the exact same present value. Westy gets points for that wisdom as well as for slipping the ‘M’ word in the other day without getting a slap-down from the wonks.
Congratulations Brian, you deserve it for all your hard work on Cardinal baseball. I know you will say it isn’t hard but you are tireless and unrelenting in pursuit of Cardinal commentary, analysis and history.
Thanks, chief.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/78682/kokoyakyu—high-school-baseball
Here is a gift………..watch it…………….it raises very interesting questions about unity, performance, and the immersion of performance desires in deep emotional currents.
It makes me want to buy Jumbo a drum. I hope you will enjoy it RC. It should effect all baseball lovers.
Nice video WC.
As for clubhouse issues and Matt Holliday, Matt would have to be scared of the clubhouse dominatrix in order to run from a 120 mil contract. And if you’ve seen Matt lately he is a GROWN man and would most likely fear no man. No, quite the contrary IMO, Matt knows he is coming to save the day, knows that the large majority of players are doing double back flips as we speak because he signed, and is ready to take on the role of Co-Leader in the clubhouse.
Someone like Matt would already be texting or calling other players, getting them excited about the changes that are coming. Making those young players understand that he will be willing to buffer the clubhouse issues(wow isn’t that a refreshing idea my Matt). ladies and gentlemen, Matt Holliday is that leader I have spoken about and kudo’s to Mo and Bill for recognizing how important he really is
While I would guess you certainly have more insight in to the true nature of Holliday’s leadership and actual actions (yes, I can read between the lines), the more I read about Holliday the more I believe that Matt is going to be a team leader. The question is how will pujols react? Will he welcome it and gladly relinquish the role? Will he fight Holliday for the role? Will Pujols basically say “I’ll take care of the Latin guys, you take care of the rest” ? Who knows. My guess is that 2 leaders (if they a professional about it) are better than 1 and certainly better than none!
The ONE true advantage of Tony LaRusa, is that he will likely foresee the obvious troubles. I am a little curious as to whether they’re gonna need extra security when Molina jogs one out……………..or Pujols!!!!!!!!!! If there is a reason for signing Smoltz, his stature in addition to the Starters already in the dugout, who are all team leaders, should avert any dog fighting.
I’m still chewing on that movie RC. It raises some interesting questions about society in general.