After 50 games, outfielder Jon Jay has the third highest average of any St. Louis Cardinals player since 1920.
For those waiting for St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay to come back to earth, 50 games into his career, it hasn’t happened yet. Certainly the club’s comfort with Jay playing a regular role over a longer period was a factor in the trade of Ryan Ludwick this past weekend.
To that end, researcher Tom Orf pulled the stats from the top 20 players in Cardinals history in the last 90 years, since 1920, in terms of batting average through their first 50 career games. During that time, Jay’s .378 mark is third highest.
Several very familiar names are down the page from Jay, including Albert Pujols, Stan Musial, Jim Bottomley and Enos Slaughter. There are plenty of long-since forgotten players and ones who didn’t pan out, too.
Which will Jay become?
St. Louis Cardinals, highest batting average, first 50 career games, 1920-2010
| Player | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| George Watkins | 165 | 146 | 58 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 13 | 26 | 0.397 | 0.453 | 0.671 | 1.125 |
| Don Lang | 98 | 79 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 0.392 | 0.495 | 0.519 | 1.014 |
| Jon Jay | 134 | 119 | 45 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 0.378 | 0.427 | 0.571 | 0.999 |
| Stu Martin | 199 | 173 | 65 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 21 | 12 | 0.376 | 0.446 | 0.584 | 1.030 |
| Wally Roettger | 183 | 170 | 63 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 7 | 14 | 0.371 | 0.399 | 0.559 | 0.958 |
| Albert Pujols | 213 | 185 | 66 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 51 | 19 | 33 | 0.357 | 0.423 | 0.681 | 1.104 |
| Art Rebel | 79 | 72 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0.347 | 0.397 | 0.403 | 0.800 |
| Eddie Kazak | 201 | 183 | 63 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 26 | 12 | 12 | 0.344 | 0.388 | 0.470 | 0.858 |
| Wally Moon | 235 | 202 | 69 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 32 | 28 | 19 | 0.342 | 0.417 | 0.510 | 0.927 |
| Specs Toporcer | 165 | 144 | 49 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 0.340 | 0.391 | 0.479 | 0.870 |
| Heinie Mueller | 184 | 169 | 57 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 10 | 23 | 0.337 | 0.381 | 0.450 | 0.831 |
| Willie McGee | 171 | 161 | 54 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 7 | 23 | 0.335 | 0.361 | 0.429 | 0.790 |
| Mike Ryba | 60 | 51 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 0.333 | 0.404 | 0.373 | 0.776 |
| Stan Musial | 194 | 174 | 58 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 18 | 9 | 0.333 | 0.399 | 0.557 | 0.956 |
| Gus Mancuso | 160 | 147 | 49 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 31 | 8 | 11 | 0.333 | 0.372 | 0.483 | 0.855 |
| Jim Bottomley | 217 | 200 | 66 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 45 | 10 | 17 | 0.330 | 0.371 | 0.545 | 0.916 |
| Gene Green | 168 | 149 | 49 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 0.329 | 0.389 | 0.503 | 0.893 |
| Brian Barden | 71 | 64 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 0.328 | 0.386 | 0.500 | 0.886 |
| Brendan Ryan | 151 | 137 | 45 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 0.328 | 0.383 | 0.460 | 0.842 |
| Enos Slaughter | 227 | 211 | 69 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 34 | 15 | 18 | 0.327 | 0.372 | 0.517 | 0.888 |
Footnote: For those who wonder, after his first 50 games, 2003 phenom Bo Hart’s average had already fallen to .301 on his way to a .277 mark over 88 career games in that season and the next.
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The law of averages says Jon will not keep up this pace. Unfortunately (and unfairly) for Jon, when he does cool off it will just flame the fires of the Ludwick trade. His impressive performance will be forgotten, and the criticism will be piled on. He does not have the standing with the fans of players like Pujols and Molina. I like Jon and I wish him well but methinks a storm is brewing.
I think you hit the nail on the head, crdswmn.
Anybody that thinks Jay is going to hit in the .360`s in really grasping.Jay has the job and maybe once he relaxes and just plays he should be okay.The Cards lost Ludwick`s power snd gained some speed and batting average.The kid will be fine IMO.
Sadly, the “Jay’s average since the trade” will become the relevant stat for some of those looking for more reasons to criticize the Ludwick deal.
The treatment of BP is really the tell. Lohse will have to be treated as adequate. Westbrooke is adequate. Penny obviously has a generalized expectation of services policy that is paying………. Penny will avoid the pen for career reasons. Waver wire compensation for Penny and Soup this month………………………………………. Ludwick was going to be in a position to capitalize on the
Pujols/Holiday problem………now he isn’t…………..further softening and encouraging the pitch around tactics to numbers 3/4/ 5……….augmenting Tony’s penchant for hitting Molina 6th……its almost like someone further reduced Tony’s options on purpose……..exacerbating an already obvious problem…………………AP is covering the plate again. That’s a good thing.
Jay will be fine…………………………. The Freese situation along with the deterioration of Lopez is the breaking point. An unforseen varible that will reveal even more about the “business plan”.
Brian’s words are typically chosen carefully (“…for SOME of those looking for more reasons to criticize the Ludwick deal”). I am numbered among the others who need not look for additional reasons to criticize the Ludwick deal. Carioca can show conclusive statistical evidence that Jon Jay will eventually settle into a rhythm which will translate into significantly less production than that by which he has burst onto the scene, but which will nevertheless also enable him to be a consistent .290-.300 hitter. The issue of the controversial trade, in my mind, was not the burden that the absence of Studwick would leave upon Jon, but the disparity of worth between a proven star (Ludwick) and a proven mediocre (Westbrook). Last night’s performance by Jake was encouraging to the extreme, but did not resemble his career (or season) record. To expect Jake to perform similarly every time he pitches is to expect Jon to assume the record of Ludwick. I will be no more disappointed in Jon than I will be in Jake (the only surprises that either can give shall be pleasant).
Jon has many of the same qualities as Ludwick, he works hard and he hustles. But he is young and relatively unknown and that works against him. I hate to see him caught up in the middle of all this controversy because he had nothing to do with it and he doesn’t deserve the unreasonable expectations that are being placed on him.
LINEUP-Miles 3b Rasmus CF Pujols 1B Holliday LF Craig RF Skip 2B Molina C Garcia P Ryan SS
It’s really difficult to complain about tonight’s lineup… Aaron’s average certainly justifies placing him at Lead-Off and I doubt that he will do a worse job at 3rd Base than Flip. Ideally, the combo of Colby-Albert-Matt-Allen would make for a hellish Murderers’ Row for opposing pitchers (I would love to see half of such a scenario tonight). Not only are Skip and Brendan awakening from their half-season slump, but under the circumstances, the defensive posture that they represent is really the best that we can muster up the middle.
Even if it means compensating for faulty fielding, inept base-running or even another bullpen collapse, we’ve still got the offense (on paper) which is capable of doing maximum damage…
I consider it a ‘Hail Mary’ lineup. With Lopez doing what he has always done, Jay reverting to the hitter he has always been, and one of the best right fielders in the league being one of the best for the team we will likely have to go through to get to the pennant, Tony is throwing out a prayer. Be carefull what you ask for Tony.
I am watching the game at my cousin’s house again tonight. I will talk to ya’ll after the game (if there is anybody still here. )
Brian, I wish the chart above had a column for the year of the feat. I mean, ‘Specs Toporcer’?, come on.
A 14 pitch inning, featuring 2 strikeouts, ain’t too shabby! Jaime is lookin’ sharp!
Unbelievable! All the balls pitched to Colby were on the other side of the plate, except for that last one (the ol’ “down and in”), which our boy promptly golfed into the rightfield bleachers!
Imagine! Albert goin’ down swingin’, as though in obeisance to a 5.69 ERA mediocre! Shame!
Imagine! Matt goin’ down swingin’, as though in obeisance to a 5.69 ERA mediocre! Shame!
If the 2 biggest boppers can’t get the job done tonight, I have no doubt that Colby and Allen are sufficient to carry the weight…
Freese is done for the year, so now what. Flip doesn’t have the glove and Miles doesn’t have the bat. It might be Lowell after all.
What to do with Winn. He avoids errors by playing deep. But then too many fall in for hits. A detail his previous employer would seem to have figured out.
Nice HR by Colby. Nice K’s by the money guys.
It’s time for Jaime to put Brendan and Skip to work, by inducing a DP…
All Jaime can do is what he’s been generally doing; keeping ‘em low and inducing grounders. The 2 runs, morally, are hardly “earned”!
There would have been less grumbling, if Studwick had been traded for an answer to the very problem which is showing-up so painfully tonight….
Jaime has gotten flustered…
DD and Yadi out to talk to him 57. Didn’t help.
How utterly tragic!
The thing that would help calm Jaime down the most is the inspiration of a huge rally. Surely, the bottom-half of our order can get one started…
Roster Matrix shows Solano, Foli and Howard as ’3B’. Redbirds official site has Solano SS, Foli 2B, Howard 1B. It has Gotay and Stavanoah as 3B.
What’s Solano’s batting average?
.228
Do we have anyone at Memphis who could step in, defensively and offensively, at 3rd?
And he’s second to Gotay in errors.
Not even close 57.
Why, oh why, couldn’t Mo see our most obvious need?
ESPN is having problems with it’s Gamecast – so I’ve been disconnected. The last I saw was that Skip was at bat…
He thought Freese would be back until yesterday
Missed DPs, bad throws, dropped balls. Its looking bad 57.
Even with the anticipation of Freese coming back, the left side of our infield has been the persistent problem… Hell, we were even looking at the Toronto infielder for a while…
Top of 3:
Astros third. Ca.Lee singled to center. Keppinger grounded out, third baseman Miles to first baseman Pujols, Ca.Lee to second. P.Feliz singled to center, Ca.Lee scored. C.Johnson struck out.
Runs: 1, Hits: 2
Bottom of 2:
Cardinals second. Craig grounded out, shortstop Ang.Sanchez to first baseman P.Feliz. Schumaker struck out. Y.Molina grounded out, second baseman Keppinger to first baseman P.Feliz.
Runs: 0, Hits: 0
Thank you, blingboy… I don’t know how long ESPN will be down (it’s definitely not my browser, but some glitch in the ESPN software…)
Garcia K.
Let me know when you’re back up 57
Ryan K
Miles F7
ESPN has ceased giving scores for ALL the games! Would you happen to have a link for a live play-by-play?
Garcia’s difficulties show why Mo thought it wise to add another starter.
One possibility is a rotation of Wainwright, Carpenter, Westbrook, Lohse, and Suppan. Garcia could fall back to the bullpen, to cap his innings.
http://stltoday.stats.com/mlb/gameview.asp?gamecode=300803124
Reuben Gotay is the best 3B reinforcement from AAA.
Thanks for the info Jumbo. Don’t like that he leads team in errors.
Pittsburgh scored 6 in first vs Reds
What a damned shame! He was looking so good for so long, going at least 5 innings every 5th day… He’s only had 3 bad outings…
Thank you ever so much, blingboy! It ain’t the same as the Gamecast, but at least I can now keep up…
Jumbo, if Suppan becomes a better rotation option than Garcia, we’re doomed. Or, more doomed than we already are.
Nice smallball rally. Could use a thwack though.
Well, Yadi put a stop to that with the DP.
Hafta run out 57, good luck.
Ludwick is hitting clean-up for the Padres tonight. That would be the team with the best record in the National League. According to Mo, we have little use for somebody like that.
Houston is taking batting practice. Send McKay out there to chuck a few. Thank god for Westbrook, without him we’de be losing by more, right?
I’m not Westie so I wont make proclamations about what is or isnt going on in the minds of the players but I wonder if they are having a crisis of faith in their leadership. You’d like to think they are more professional than to let that have a huge affect but you never know.
Its either that or they stink. I hope you’re right.
The point has been made that the trade wasn’t taken too well in the clubhouse, and that Luddy was an important part of it, especially for younger players.
I left. I couldn’t take it anymore.
Maybe the trade of Ludwick so un-nerved Freese that this caused his ankle tendon injiury.
If only Luddy were still playing for the Cards, he would have hit three grand slams tonight and we could crawl back into this one.
Cinci has closed to 7-6 in the 8th.
Thank God the Reds lost.
Miles stopped the bleading, now lets get him the win.
Did Tony use up the bullpen? I stopped watching at 13 runs.
Boggs, Reyes, MacDougal used. All gav up ERs and BBs, unlike Miles.
A fitting conclusion, Albert fouls out with two runners on.
When I left Reyes was pitching. So just McDougal and Miles? That was so pathetic.
I’m surprised Tony left Albert in.
Imagine how much worse it would have been if we had Luddy instead of Westbrook. back at ‘em tomorrow. gnight.
Lets get the story straight………………….
Tony is given a choice. If he wants Westbrook, he has to give up Ludwick because BD will only use one cannon load of the dry powder. Net cost to Bd 1.6 /1.9. Subtract insurance investments, probably zero. That story has slowly leaked with Tony really not denying it at all……similar to the Kennedy assignation. The Cardinals are laughing as individuals at this point. Pujols is smiling thinking he has it whipped………………every Cardinal player competing against BD and the PR apparatus to gain public support for their personal careers thinking maybe they will become indispensable………. They are now just a bunch of individuates………………………….nice climate for Rasmus…….Lohse thrives on crisis……..Holiday is unaccustomed but hey, its a job…………Molina tips all of Albert’s cards………………………….With the loss of Freese, Tony no longer has much (any) flexibly. He just move the mopes he has around.
AP’s personal crusade to build an Island has crushed this team. He can’t hide his relaxed smiles as be bolsters his personal stats as the team falls away…..BD wants you to recognize this………. Ryan, last week clean shaven and pants pulled down to his shoe tops……………now sports a soul patch and knee socks again…………..that’s a good sign…………. Mo could not raise a dollar for any of these guys. But they were smart enough to play the Jay hot streak into our present situation. BD is good……….and he is ruthless.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not a Ludwick fan. But I see BD making moves with predictable outcomes………… he means to beat AP……….. in support of this popular conservative movement.
He will certainly trash Tony if they don’t find a third baseman……………the Miles move in the ninth has more significances than you think. This little rift is headed toward open war fare.
good stuff WC
I’m not quite sure I followed all of that.
“the Miles move in the ninth has more significances than you think. This little rift is headed toward open war fare.” Being the new kid on the block, I probably should keep my mouth shut, that has never been one of my finer qualities but…open warfare within a team can only lead to its downfall, and that would be such a disappointment to all fans who love and respect the Cardinals. Although the Astro’s won, it is no secret that they have been losers for sometime for many reasons. As a result, their fans have given up on them. After following them for many years, I can speak as an unbiased observer that they don’t have the admiration of their fans as the Cardinals do. No matter what is wrong right now within the Cardinal nest, they need our support more than ever right now. It’s hard to do your best when one is anxious and feels like the ax is about to drop…”and that’s all I’m gonna say about that.”
Its the least I could do RC. And I mean that……………… Colby’s inclination to keep his hands close to his body, looking for one of those “mistakes” lowers his average by 40 points. He is getting some push back, but he tends to tighten up and hooks up his body too soon when he is feeling the hunger………………I’ve always thought that a pro should have multiple looks based on different counts and responsibilities………….. If he torches them away and to the middle, he can keep those elbows tight for that inside pitch that he will have earned………..and they will be offering by necessity. The best of all worlds……… Create fear in your opponent by showing that you command and control your own vulnerabilities………and do not fear them.
Welcome BirdTalk50! Please stick around. Plenty of room for multiple voices…
Miles should have come in and drilled the first guy he faced. The pen has a lot to learn and so does Jaime for that matter. You can’t let the hitters stand there taking hacks like they’re facing the friendly old BP tosser. Throughout all of that, everything was away, away, away. Where have all the warriors gone? If Gibby is out there, Bob, talk to these guys, please.
There is warfare and there is warfare BT50. A populist uprising by back benchers might not be all bad. BDW, Tony and Albert all have one thing in common. Each thinks he is the Cardinals. They are all wrong.
Speaking of Colby, his season is coming together, .280, 18 HRs, looking somewhat better in the field. He should get more playing time now that Tony has Jay to kick around.
Craig had a nice game, he will get sat today of course.
Hello BirdTalk50. This is a fun place. Now that you are here I am not the newbie anymore.
After last night’s fiasco, I expect Carp to give the Astros the drubbing they richly deserve. If the offense backs him up, I think we can take this one.
Nice observations BT50. Your correct in your observations of the Astro’s. All the hero gone. Nothing left but baseball players, playing as a team, doing their jobs.
My observations concerning Brendan Ryan weren’t meant to be cruel. But they are very revealing. One minute his focus in on his job, trying to see himself as compatible with the competitive environment of a new team, the next moment, he is the Cardinal SS again…….no competition…….looking again for someway to express himself, his individuality……………………………………. AP’s vulgar displays of self interest have reduced the team environment to a free for all of personal agenda’s……….. kids wanting to live like Albert, carefree, money, fast car’s, public adulation……………….. The worst possible example is Molina. He is the best defensive catcher in world…………and the greatest offensive liability in the galaxy. And yet, he goes to the plate every time, looking for opportunity’s to express his individuality, his privilege to bat. No sacrifice fly’s for this boy, no hitting behind the runners. He is lying in wait for the mistake inside so that he might be the object of adoration for a moment, feeling the thrill of the big hack. His willingness to throw the bat head out, trying to go down and shoot a ball through the infield……………..with 10 second speed to first……….is a pitchers wet dream. And he does it over and over. He can’t hide the battle lines between what BD will have to pay him one day…………..if he just hits a few………………..and Tony bats him 6th?????????? because he is a member of the coalition……….and why not with Skip and Brendan to hide. The wannabe are leaderless now that Ludwick is gone………………………..and today its Hap…..a young lefty with good stuff……………………..the bull pen with the possibility of an over supply of starters falling into Pen roles is now unstable………..that’s not going away…………….I love Motte………but he isn’t ready with one pitch………MacK D is a much better pitcher who throws hard……….but he sucks because he can’t locate…………………Boggs wonders if he is headed down. …………………………And Carp mounts his war pony………like he does every 5 days, wondering if he will have a run to work with.
The Cards seem to be facing a confluence of challenges:
Freese out for the year;
Motte was getting his shoulder looked at, I thought I read somewhere;
Boggs ineffective of late;
Garcia slumping;
Reyes slumping;
MacDougal unlikely to unslump.
Hawksworth ineffective
The bullpen has been great this year, led by Franklin and McClellan. But some others are recently slumping. TLR and Duncan will sort it out and fortunately there are some possibilities at Memphis (Salas, Kinney, Gotay). But its not going to be easy.
A sign of the times: TLR not rejecting the idea of Craig playing some 3B.
“Imagine how much worse it would have been if we had Luddy instead of Westbrook”
Indeed, with regard to the impact of the Ludwick-Westbrook trade upon last night’s game, entry #75 is the most intelligent statement I’ve seen so far. If Studwick had been in the lineup, it is likely that the margin of defeat would not have been as great and Jake can only figure-in every 5 days. Aye, since the trade had such minimal effect upon last night’s game, it must be that the trade itself had miserably neglected our most glaring need. While there is nothing that we can do to prevent an occasional collapse of the bullpen, there has always been that glaring problem of offense and defense on the left side of the infield… We can only hope that Allen Craig will provide much more than a mere knee-jerk stop-gap…
From the Comments section of “Bird Land: Central Concern and the Hot (Potato) Corner”:
“jkoch25″ said on: August 4, 2010, 12:41 pm
Realistically, I would rather see Craig at 3B. His bat plays there, and it would force Lopez back to his more natural positions of 2B and SS. It would also mean seeing less of Ryan, and some less of Skip. The lineup would be more balanced with Craig hitting 6th (v/RHP) or 5th (v/LHP), and Rasmus hitting in the other spot. Molina would hit 7th with Skip/Ryan in the 8 hole (yes, the 8 hole; pitcher needs to start hitting 9th again). Could also replace Winn (PLEASE) with Stavi or Mather to (MORE)
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_5e8f8d5e-9fe6-11df-94f0-00127992bc8b.html?mode=comments
From the Comments section of Joe Strauss’ “Cards run out of answers”:
“pegpaw” said on: August 4, 2010, 12:38 pm
The TLR-bashers are becoming harder to ignore, as I question our leadership at the foot of the stairs in the dugout. Same old excuses, same old outcomes. LondonDave, thanks for pointing out out the camerawork last night. TLR demonstrates selective favoritism to this club’s detriment, affecting players and now affecting clubhouse morale. Might be time to clean house starting at the penthouse suite.
“stlfan5″ said on: August 4, 2010, 10:05 am
The main problem in my opinion is the pompous, arrogant person managing this team. Show no respect , receive no respect. The GM needs to grow some Kahunahs and relieve him of his duties. Want to shake things up? Then get rid of the cancer in the dugout LARUSSA!
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_0eb18077-7051-56e5-9767-05342caddced.html?mode=comments
BirdTalk50: I really like your distinctive gravatar! “Being the new kid on the block”, your opinion and take on issues affecting our team can only add to the richness of the discussions on this blog. Feel perfectly free to take issue (or agree) with any of us: A debate between respectful gentlemen is how our thoughts are challenged and refined.
Bw52: I am sure that your feelings about Jon Jay are shared by most of us. Please don’t hesitate to express feelings which may not be a matter of consensus (most of us are open-minded and enjoy the consideration of ideas which are “outside of the box”). I am hoping that Jon is settling into a mode which will go no lower than .290-.300. As you are aware, there is a vast difference of style and emphasis between Studwick and Jon. Whereas Jon Jay sets the table and hits for higher average, Ryan Ludwick cleans the table and hits the long-ball…
If our offense will reward Chris’ efforts tonight, we will remain only a half-game from the Reds (they crushed the Pirates this afternoon, 9 to 4)…
“jharvey_85: Hey Joe,
I know there’s a lot of variables that make trades easier or harder to get done (what’s available to trade for, what’s available to trade, payroll, etc.). But given what the Cards had to give up (25 HR, 100 RBI) to obtain a 3rd or 4th SP for the rotation, and their inability to acquire an impact bat to help a faint offense(a middle infielder, perhaps?), is John Mozeliak sitting on any kind of hot seat? Just seems like he did something just to do something…
Thanks,
Harvey Joe Strauss: He dealt from a percieved surplus to address what his manager and coaches insisted was a pressing need. The move was endorsed by TLR but was extremely unpopular within the clubhouse. Indeed, the trade may have been the most unpopular FO move among the rank and file in my nine years of covering this team. I don’t know if Mo’ is on the hot seat. But the question should be asked why a rebuilding franchise such as Cleveland would have little or no interest in anyone within the Cardinals system beyond Shelby Miller. That’s a huge indictment. Ludwick for a rental player, even one as potentially significant as Westbrook, is a massive price. Ludwick was as liked and respected as a teammate as he was productive as a player. The loss of Freese for the remainder of the season doesn’t improve the clubhouse take on the move.”
————————————————————————————
When Tony tried to put the stall on trading Ludwick to make room for Colby in the outfield in 09, he proposed the idea that Skip could become a second baseman, therefore relieving the outfield logjam that BD feared Tony might exploit to keep CR out of the line up…….all BD/Mo would have to do is “kill Kennedy”………………… to his surprise…….they did…..a. 4 million dollar loss……. making it clear to everyone that this was Tony’s idea. The rest is history.
The point………..Tony was offered the hemlock again…………even more potent it would seem….and this one only cost BD a pittance. Tony, knowing that we need pitching, excepts the cup/gambit. Instinctively, everyone on this team knows there is conflict. The weak or low confidence players are all unnerved………….
Without BD spending any money………this team is doomed, its coach history. Nicely played by BD, you must admit. Skillful is he in business…………………….The statement again by Joe pointing out how odd it was that Cleveland couldn’t find a player they wanted in this organization should be studied closely………………………the answer. Cleveland was anxious to dump Westbrooke. The inclusion of SD in this transaction was solely to find a place to dump Ludwick’s body in a salary bail. It was about clearing the 2.1 left on Luddy’s salary to pay for Westbrooke………..that was the condition of the trade, not lack of Cardinal talent…………Mo wasn’t feeling very much pressure as he let the clock run down on who would pick up the tab for Westbrooke’s bonus. He was confident that he had the upper hand. SD was just a smiling patsy……..left holding the goods………………………..EVERYTHING about this move and its consequences was foreseeable.
What some have a problem seeing, is that there is more to this than just an attack on AP’s negotiating position…………………BD is preforming under the watchful eyes of his peers. There is power to be wielded, face to be gained. There is a line here that even the brave WCBW knows not to cross……….and he is there.
It’s great to see a wide variety of people posting. Good discussion.
Appreciate Westy’s post above at 10:58. If the boys fold tonight, the road trip will be brutal.