The fourth of FOX Sports Midwest’s live chats of the 2010 season will be held throughout Thursday afternoon’s Astros-Cardinals series finale. Join in the discussion with the FSM personalities.
You can participate via FOX Sports Midwest’s website.
Chris Carpenter (4-0, 2.80) faces Bud Norris (1-4, 7.52) as the Cards try to end the home series with a single win.
Thursday’s first pitch is scheduled for 12:40 P.M. Central.
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Duncan goes out to visit Carp…………….take a picture.
Carpenter feels the death behind him………..feeling threatened by the one run, gives up a Lohse inning. I love that guy. I get a hit for him.
You don’t know it yet…………but you what to get this stuff out of the way now…..not discover it in October. Pitches ti Albert had outer third. He couldn’t reach them.
That was a productive loss I think……….Carpenter with his hands full tries to take on a little bit more of the fight than one hero can expect to manage. Goes down swinging. He wins my admiration.
Freese has become a competent 3rd baseman……….. if he takes on to much or is given too much, you’ve got a Brendan Ryan on your hands. They need to be careful………….. If in fact Lopez needs this much time to recover…….that situation is fraught with complications. In fact as all teams will testify, Lopez becomes a problem when he is put into a harness.
Lohse and Rasmus are on the long bounce turnarounds. Anything might happen there. Lets hope that the hostile environs of Cincinnati bring the team closer.
An added barb………… Molina showed us all he can run this year . When he breaks into a run that deteriorates into a Gallop going home………. that’s mental. Berkman didn’t even throw that ball. He flipped it. That mentality almost cost a double play on a sacrifice earlier in the game. As did Albert’s running antics.
Albert running through a direct STOP SIGN begs a closer look. His thinking????? Can be only one though…….he was being dismissive because he thought they were just being protective of him….as a player………. It did not even occur to him that it might have been the 3rd out. The guy is out of control…..and I would say completely self absorbed. Not so good…….except if your lucky Billy D.
Good observations, Westy. I’d argue that Freese and Ryan are opposite personality types and wouldn’t respond to things the same way. Brendan excelled when he was a nobody and was expected to do nothing. Freese excelled when he was the annointed new third baseman with a full load of hype and pressure. That’s why I’d put him third in my proposed post Lopez return lineup.
Albert is really struggling to fit in. How wierd is that?
Westy, my brother has been doing some field research work for UC Davis around Placerville and he heard the Knockouts are doing a show around there somewhere Friday. He’s planning on going if he finds out where exactly. He’s not sure if they are billed as the Knockouts or not. Any info?
I’m not sure BB. I met with Norton’s wife the other day. She hadn’t even touched a guitar since he died. They used to have their activities listed on his web-site. Don’t know if that’s true any longer. She shut down his studio i know.
I think Freese and Ryan are more similar than you might think……………….. One exploring esteem issues……….the other thrown up against the whiskey bottle. Freese is looking for an identity. The first signs are the expressive gestures and liberties he is beginning to take at the plate. They tell me he is fragile, trying to gain confidence……………playing in big time sporting events is a challenge…….lots of energy to channel…….some can’t survive it…. some don’t even notice it.
I know this. Ryan has be using prodigious amounts of energy trying to prevent this collapse. That is of course why the collapse occurred. I know that feeling, and it ain’t good. That missed broken bat hit on Wednesday. Easy play. He was think redemption so he started looking for a double play at first. Just that fraction of a second, out of phase priorities…. a brief moment of self consciousness, and everyone’s world is coming apart……….. Look into Albert’s eyes when when he is making these decision. He is like a little league-er pressing the envelope. Any thing to add to his exceptional status……………………….. There is absolutely no way that baseball ownership isn’t aware of whats going on here. His inability to make adjustments and selfish play has his price plummeting. The few teams that might afford his asking price would never risk that much doe on a guy that could really become a liability. That’s why the Cardinals have leaked out their limiting conditions. The will offer him 27 or 28 on a five year deal with 5 mill a year differed. As it stand right now, he will have to take that. But…….they haven’t made that formal offer yet. They will see how bad this might get…………………..they could care less that it might cost them the playoffs……….. Albert knows the game that’s being played, and frankly its eating him up. He has lost his innocents. It is a familiar super hero mythological story line.
If this seems implausible to you…..watch what happens this weekend. He will be ceremoniously walked, in between vicious attacks on his weaknesses….again. Dusty with a little help from Walter knows what this contest is about. Tony will be using allot of hit and run with him trying to keep him focused………..watch.