An arbitrary agreement between MLB and the Players Union led to unfair discipline decisions – a systematic problem that should be fixed.
Like many St. Louis Cardinals watchers, I have been concerned about the growing inequity of the punishment handed down by MLB to the Cincinnati Reds’ Johnny Cueto. The pitcher was the aggressor in the August 10 melee between the two clubs as he landed multiple cleated kicks to the head and ribs of Cardinals reserve catcher Jason LaRue.
LaRue was left with a concussion, bruised ribs and a trip to the 60-day disabled list that ended his regular season. It also seems unlikely he could return during the post-season – if the Cardinals can even get past the Reds to reach that far. While no one knows where this will go for LaRue personally, post-concussion syndrome has ended more than one career, including that of former Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny.
On the other side of the ledger, Cueto’s seven-game suspension means he has to be skipped for one start – during a time of the year in which many tired starters would welcome a rest, anyway.
With Yadier Molina having started 21 games in a row and manager Tony La Russa likely uncomfortable starting rookie Bryan Anderson, especially when his team is 3 ½ games behind the Reds, it puts an even greater potential long-term impact on Cueto’s actions.
Regarding the incident itself and its aftermath, others have already weighed in, including:
- FOX Sports Midwest’s B.J. Rains: “Cueto’s suspension is a joke”
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “LaRue’s out, Cueto’s in: Is that fair?”
These and other reports, while extensive, have not focused on one point which I feel is most relevant and illustrative of the need for a change at the MLB-union levels.
In a Monday article with background on how the discipline was handed down, Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch included the revelation that in their haste to announce the punishment, MLB officials had no idea how severely LaRue had been injured.
The excuse: An agreement between the commissioner’s office and the Players Association that punishment for on-field incidents should be handed down within 48 hours.
“Sometimes we may miss something like (LaRue’s case) because of that,” MLB Senior Vice President for On-Field Operations Frank Robinson told Strauss. “If we had not acted, it would probably have been more severe. But as is, we really can’t take a starting pitcher beyond five, six or seven days because this individual may hurt himself being laid off for a longer amount of time. We didn’t know the extent of LaRue’s injuries until later on.”
So, the former Reds Hall-of-Famer Robinson was concerned about the risk of the current Reds star Cueto getting injured during an extended layoff? You mean, Cueto would be locked in a cell somewhere, not allowed to throw on the side during his suspension?
What about LaRue, who may have suffered a career-ending injury?
This lame explanation, spawned by an agreement that was used as justification to pass down a sentence while lacking important evidence, clearly points to a systematic problem at the top levels that needs to be re-negotiated.
Wouldn’t it be better to allow the investigators the time they need to fully understand the entire situation instead of being pushed into making short-sighted decisions that can neither be reversed or altered – especially when relevant new information surfaces?
Currently, MLB is so focused on having a “speedy trial” that they trample all over the even more important “fairness” aspect.
The bottom line here is that LaRue will be sidelined over 50 games or perhaps much longer while Cueto misses just one start.
How can anyone call this equitable?
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It is a travesty no question. If LaRue’s career is over, (which God forbid it is not) MLB discipline rules should be changed and quickly. What is the likelihood of that happening? Nil, probably.
Cards lineup: Lopez 4, Craig 9, Pujols 3, Holliday 7, Feliz 5, Molina 2, Jay 8, Westbrook 1, Ryan 6
Worst lineup I have seen all season. What is TLR smoking?
It ain’t crack CRD…………………..
I think that we all sympathize with LaRue’s situation Brian, but……….. I can’t help but sense that there is just a little……….”BASEBALL”……………… maneuvering in this decision to go 60 day………..
Feliz in the 5 slot is merely an example of Tony tinkering: The splits indicate that, although Feliz is terrible against RHP, he bats .270 against LHP. If the gambit fails, Tony will get the perfunctory mild scolding in the newspaper articles tomorrow. On the other hand, if Feliz should hit a single, the writers will be hailing him as a genius. C’est la vie…
From the Comments section of Jeff Gordon’s article, “Feliz trade is small step in right direction”:
“middle54″ said on: August 20, 2010, 4:08 pm
You want Rasmus to “deliver run production in the No. 5 spot”? Step 1 is the “genius” who fills out the lineup card slotting Rasmus in that spot daily. TLR is as much the problem re Rasmus’ consistency issues as Rasmus himself. Other young guys like Posey, Carlos Santana, Heyward, and others get a spot in the lineup and get comfortable in that spot. They’re not tinkered and toyed with. STL smoked Cincy three straight with, get this–the same lineup every game. Amazing how that works, eh????
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/article_5b6fe410-ac71-11df-8674-00127992bc8b.html?mode=comments
And Craig is 2nd and Jay is 8th why?
Excuse me Jay is 7th. I can’t count.
The arrogance of a pompous megalomaniac dictates that a ballgame must occasionally be sacrificed upon the altar of his self-serving whims. When powers-that-be submit to his designs, then he will deign to condescend to “conventional wisdom”. Until then, he shall construct one miserable Frankenstein after another and stick it IN YOUR FACE.
Imagine this scenario: Mozeliak notices that the seats of the stadium are becoming empty and runs into Tony’s office, shouting, “The fans are revolting! “The fans are revolting!”.
Tony replies wryly, “You can say that again.”
I thought crdswmn was playing a sick demented joke with that lineup but I found out its real.
He is known as a pretty good RBI guy, so placing him where he might pick up some of the many runners Matt fails to drive in may actually make some sense. I think Tony is challenging some guys tonight. Feliz is getting the chance to be more than a glove burried at the bottom of the order. Craig getting yet another chance to not be watching the playoffs on TV. Lopez gets a chance to be better than Skip.
Sober reflection hits like a slap in the face. All that money in a 3-4 combo, and they are sandwiched between the sub .200 floundering rookie and the .220 dumpster dive. Ahead of the sub .200 guy is a leadoff guy who hasn’t been on base in a couple weeks. And behind the .220 is our GIDP specialist, just in case anyone gets on. Then the slumping rookie, the pitcher, and the other .220 guy. Actually, I understand the dumpster guy is quite a GIDP hand as well, so we have two in a row. Just a heads up, don’t stand between me and the ticket window.
Cardinal Cast-offs are killing the Cubs…
After kicking our butts 2 games out of 3, the Cubs went on to lose 5 straight (4 to the Padres and 1, so far, to the Braves). Studwick (.276) got his 53rd RBI in San Diego’s win last night against the Flubs. Ankiel went 2 for 4 and smacked a 3 run triple to win the game for the Braves today against the Flubs.
The Giants, meanwhile are cringing in the face of an intimidating offense which includes .246 Lopez, .169 Craig, .221 Feliz, .250 Molina and .223 Ryan!
Garcia is pitching Sunday instead of Lohse.
I’m of a different mindset Brian. The punishment should be dictated by the severity of the act not the severity of the outcome of the act. This is one of the problems in soccer. The referee sometimes waits to see how bad the guy is hurt after being tripped to decide if it is a red card, yellow card, or no card. This often leads to injury faking. IT shouldn’t matter, a trip is a trip, independent of how the guy falls. I thought Cueto’s punishment was light regardless of how serious anyone got hurt — but I haven’t thought it should be more severe because LaRue is out for the season. In a flawed (mfg) process, the outcome might be randon. Some products might come out without defect while others might be defective enough to cause someone to get hurt. It doesn’t matter, the process is flawed regardless and the same correction is needed.
It’s storming here, so St. Louis will probably be getting it before the game is over.
BB-There are more GIDP specialists. Albert has done it more times than Yadi.
It is storming here so St. Louis will probably be getting it before the game is over.
“Just a heads up, don’t stand between me and the ticket window”
I am not lacking for originality, but there are some things which are simply worth repeating and worthy of serious thought…
“All that money in a 3-4 combo, and they are sandwiched between the sub .200 floundering rookie and the .220 dumpster dive. Ahead of the sub .200 guy is a leadoff guy who hasn’t been on base in a couple weeks. And behind the .220 is our GIDP specialist, just in case anyone gets on. Then the slumping rookie, the pitcher, and the other .220 guy. Actually, I understand the dumpster guy is quite a GIDP hand as well, so we have two in a row.”
If you don’t hear from me it is because the power went out. There was a lightning strike pretty close to my house.
Storm has passed.
Spoke too soon. Tornado siren is going off.
I’m sure you’re shelter is stocked crdswmn, hunker down and ride it out.
Siren went off. Don’t know what happened, but I am still here.
Flip and Craig did what they have been doing, nothing.
Albert’s fly ball to deep center was promising, but alas… Bumgarner went through our top three like a hot knife through butter and enjoyed a 10 pitch inning.
Maybe the siren got blown away by the tornado.
I wouldn’t exactly call it deep. Routine high lazy fly. On the bright side, Feliz made a nice play and strong throw.
The combination of approaching twilight and high overcast washed out looking sky gave Craig some trouble on the high fly.
C’mon now, blingboy, I’m doing my damnedest to make lemonade!
Sorry 57, what I meant was it got hung up in the heavy air.:)
I hate feeling like I don’t want to watch this game.
Notice, that Jake is beginning to pitch more like his season and career record…
What happened to the lemonaid?
The supercell responsible for the tornado warnings northwest of St. Louis is moving to the southeast and is about an hour away from the game…
Lets hope Matt gets on ahead of Pedro. kkkkkkkkk. nope
‘Twas too sour, blingboy: Had to throw it out…
Look at that! Pedro got a single! Tony is a genius!
Ya gotta hand it to Yadier… He moved the runner along and didn’t do the usual GIDP thing…
Just Jon Jay doing what Jon Jay normally does… set the table! Thankfully, Jake is proving to be a hitting pitcher.
If Brendan drives in a run, our small ballers will be shaming the two Boppers!
As often as Brendan seems to be up in key spots, maybe Tony the genious should hit Albert ninth.
Albert hits the lazy fly ball, Matt strikes out and the small ballers deliver; one single after another!
…so the Lead Off man kills the rally: C’est la vie…
At least they are hitting.
Here it is 57. Brendan bounces one up the middle, looks like a hit but no, the SS gets it and slings to first. Brendan looks safe but the ump calls him out. Brendan takes off his helmet in dusgust, but wait. . . the ball got past the first baseman, the ump signals safe, Brendan doesn’t know, McKay comes at Brendan trying to tell him, can’t seem to get through because Brendan is pissed. McKay puts his hand on Brendans upper arm and arguably nudges him back toward the bag. Brendan gets back on the base, safe, run scores. Luckily, the ump didn’t call him out for McKay assisting the baserunner. Pedro gets glad hands in the dugout as Flip steps in to kill the rally.
The Panda knocked that one a mile! Damn: ’twas downright Colbian!
Thank you, blingboy! There is so much that I cannot “see” on this Gamecast. Visuals like that really enhance my enjoyment…
Well… at least our hot hittin’ Number Two went down swingin!
Now THAT one was almost a homer, but alas… close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades…
Craig looks about like Westbrook up there. Really bad at bat. He and Flip so far look like the sorriest top of the order humanly possible.
The top 5 of our line-up is 2 for 10:
The bottom 4 is 3 for 4…
Notice Westbrook gave that run back a lot quicker than we scored it.
Bads swings by Craig and Feliz…………….bottom line……….WB is going to tire………..he will give up 5 a least………..73 pitches in the forth…………….what do you thing our Ben will do? We need a 3 run lead..
That’s what I call efficiency!
5 K’s after 4 innings, but it took Jake 83 pitches to get there. It appears that he will be pressing 100 at the end of the next inning…
Look out! Here come the small-ballers!
Imagine that! The guy who ought to be the Lead Off is batting seventh!
I tell you, Tony is a genius!
Brendan should have been more patient. We really needed that second run.
Jay is swinging again now that AP isn’t on his back………………….nice big swings by Brendan with a runner at third…………………MM sucks………… that’s my new position………..no roll players.
Keep hangin’ ‘em high and allowing for the fly balls, Jake, and the chickens’ll come home to roost….
Jake’s 6th K on his 96th pitch (4 2/3 innings)
blingboy; please give me a visual on that “infield single”
He doesn’t suck Westy. As soon as we gat some pumped mashers with popeye forearms he will turn them into champs.
Feliz bobbled that bare hand attempt every bit as well as Flip.
A slow roller and the pitcher (or SS) couldn’t get to it on time?
I was afraid of that… damn!
103 pitches after 5 innings…
It was right at Feliz. Only chance was him. Would have taken a nice play.
Westbrook is pitching on seven days rest I believe.
He lost site of it when WestB crossed his path………wasn’t his fault………………100+ for WB that’s got to be it. ………………….who ya gonna call……….. Westbrooke has good motion………these guys are going to tee off on a power pitcher.
Flip’s bid for a double didn’t work out… Now he’s .244
All RIGHT! Craig is now a .177!
Giants rookie lefty looks pretty good. Nice smooth easy motion, looks effortless, slings the ball in there. Looks like a guy that can go deep in a game. He’s the antithesis of a short-armer like Mott. Really reaches way back.
At the present rate, Bumgarner will get them through the 7th…
Did Matt just pull a classic Albertian GIDP?
How did holiday miss that first pitch????????????????????
With the small-ballers of the bottom-half of our order coming up next, there is a chance that Jake will not only turn-in a quality start, but also get a “W”…
Storm is whipping up again.
Westbrooke attacks the bottom of their order……….good for him………… we need jay to catch one.
Albert is starting to show signs of frustration………… first time this month…………
Gamecast has the 6inches off the plate
Hell, Bumgarner just might get them through the 8th!
Tornado siren here 10 miles southwest of Busch. No storm on us yet. Radar looks like a nasty cell may sneak by north of downtown and another to the south.
August 20th, 2010 at 7:46 pm (A little over an hour ago…)
“The supercell responsible for the tornado warnings northwest of St. Louis is moving to the southeast and is about an hour away from the game…”
Well, Blake… It can’t be called a blown save, but you did make damned sure that a big ol’ “L” is placed on Jake’s record. What a shame… you looked so sharp during your past three outings!
So far in this game… it’s another case of decent starting pitching, coupled with a weak offense and a bullpen failure…
We can’t swing with these guys……………………………………they are superior in their approach to the plate………..by a wide margin……………………….they will hit Carps curve……….he will need a cushion.
It must be admitted that if Suppan was pitching, we would be losing by even more, so Mo is a genius.
Here comes Craig. He has that look in his eye, reminds me of Kahlil toward the end. Body language is similar too.
As the genius so often says (projecting the blame away from himself), “You’ll have to tip your hat to their pitcher”…
If Carp is going to need a cushion he better grab one off his couch.
Lopez is at SS. Interesting.
The Giants are giving us a lesson on what is required for Wild Card contention….
MacD is throwing batting practice tosses.
Its MacDougal-Esteban Yan time.
No movement at all. Catching a lot of the plate, thigh high. Not hitting the glove.
Good one BB…………to be honest, this team with Brendan being Brendan can’t win. their BP is resting to………………. Race will be over by Monday if the Reds win.
Some rain should arrive at Busch any moment. Bad stuff passing north.
See how nicely paced that contact swing was used by Torres………….We don’t have any of that finesse………..
Blown call at first on the DP, 57. MacD needs to get 4 outs.
Thanks, blingboy… I think
We need a twister to hit the stadium…………..damage it good so we have a week to regroup……….
superfluous homers count in the triple crown race
A damned shame that there was nobody on for Albert to drive-in… Let’s hope for a back-to-back solo shot from Matt (so that we will be within striking distance)
To add insult to injury, Halladay pitched a shutout, so he is catching up with Waino.
Nice plate coverage by AP…………he isn’t a pull hitter any more……….is he?
Albert will have to work on his average, if he hopes to get the Triple Crown…
Who would you want on 57? The guy who has been on once in two weeks or the .177 hitter?
That was Matt’s 2nd strikeout (he got his obligatory hit in the first inning)…
Feliz is 2 for 4! Tony is a genius!
Just for your info 57. Feliz’s ‘hit’ fell in right next to Huff, the first baseman trying to play left field. Any outfielder would have had it easy, little floater.
If Jon was at Number 2 (where he belongs), there would have been a chance that Albert would have had someone to drive in…
Aw, shucks, blingboy! You know that Tony is STILL a genius!
Jay outran the DP. Nice.
Look at the bottom-half of our order: The small ballers are responsible for 7 of our 11 hits and 2 of our 3 runs.
I do know it 57. Whenever they have a shot of him on the screen I mentally do a I’m not worthy bow.
Too bad we don’t have a thumper off the bench. Well, we did have a reasonable facsimile, until he was sent out this morning.
They threw Romo last night in Philly and he did the same thing………..and they said he was overworked then?????????????
Looks like another too little too late. Sigh.
Albert Pujols is having a sensational month and we are losing our fifth consecutive game! Tip your hat to LaGenius
I hope they keep MacDougal in there. But Lohse would be nice too.
Tony figures 6-3 is insurmountable. Leave MacDougal out there for another inning.
The Panda has done some damage tonight (his 10th homer and his 28th double)
With 2 on base, this would be the ideal time to bring on either Miller or Reyes…
Jay forgot what everybody learns in little league. When a big guy hits it, go back. He hesitated, then took a sideways path, then tried to go back, but too late.
With all the storms blowing through here (#3 just started) I am surprised they haven’t hit St. Louis yet.
With Mitchell’s recent performances, he ranks right up there with Miller and Reyes…
Truthfully, it should have been caught. They hand out doubles like candy.
A 3 run deficit and it’s possible to take the order as far as Albert. Any bets?
I would like to see the Cards elevate Josh Kinney. He deserves it He helped in 2006, had an injury that knocked him out for 2 years, now he has worked himself back and is pitching well at Memphis. Release MacDougal, promote Kinney.
Everything north of the stadium has been getting rain for some time. One of my sons just called from the parking lot 6 blocks north and its raining there.
Wilson is lights out 53 IP and 73 SO
This is what the $120M is for.
This is an important month for Allen Craig. If he is ever going to become a ML player, now is the time to show it. Its audition time.
It’s all on Matt: He could easily tie it up!
OMFG. Took his pitch.
You only get one Matt, hafta be ready.
Wow! What an awesome million dollar ground out! I tell you, Tony is a genius! How humble of him to say, “You have to tip your hat to their pitcher”…
Nice first game by Pedro Feliz. Westbrook worked hard, continues to strike out a man an inning. Great Job by Albert.
With Reyes out, we need to add a reliever. Bring up Kinney.
Why did we send Stav and keep Craig? I figure it had nothing to do with trying to win tonight.
First 5 in a row loss at home since 1999. This is so pathetic.
Cincy took the lead, again.
After we lost to the Brewers, it was clear that we don’t have what it takes to win the Central Division. After we lose to the Giants this weekend, it will be clear that we don’t have what it takes to be a Wild Card.
So then, we can go into September relaxed and having fun being a spoiler, right?
Maybe we will get lucky and Lincebum will have another bad day. Hope springs eternal (but my patience is about 95% gone).
Dodgers have tied it, runners at the corners.
1-1
It would have been 7-3 with Suppan, 8-3 with Hawk. So you see, we are much better off. The giants having Koufax on the mound didn’t help. I really wish he’d quit coming out of retirement to pitch for our opponants.
Koufax,s career ended by injury, not retirement. But I get your point BB.
My one in a million fantasy—-We take the next two from the Giants and then go on a tear on the road.
I said it was a fantasy. 
Gloom Despair
Agony On Me
(ooaah)
Deep Dark Depression
Excessive Misery
(ooaah)
If It Weren’t For Bad Luck
I’d Have No Luck At All
(ooaah)
Gloom Despair And Agony On Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TDqvD34hEA
Heeee Haawwww!!
Brandon Phillips (3 for 3 so far) just drove in his 2nd and 3rd RBI. After 4, Cincinnati leads 3 to 1…
Reds are well on their way to their 7th straight win…
Saw Tony’s post game. ‘we got a lot of hits,’,,,yadda yadda He’s just not there. The fact that we got 13 hits and our offense still totally sucked is exactly the problem. Nobody does anything when it matters.
I don’t watch the post game when we lose because I can’t take Tony’s excuses. Just say we played crummy, it’s the truth. Blah, Blah, Blah.
The Brew Crew beat the Padres 10-6. They have become the NL spoilers.
AN OBSERVATION OF LAST NIGHT’S GAME…
From El Maquino:
* Felipe Lopez went 1-4 and left the bases loaded.
Where was Skip Schumaker? He’s hitting 29% this month (P.S.: He got a pinch hit in his only at-bat).
* Jon Jay went 2-4 (He’s hitting 35% and hitting 7th now) He, Yadier Molina and Albert had 2-hit games.
* Cards had guys on 3rd 4 times in the game that they didn’t drive in.
* The pitching was terrible, with only Mitchell Boggs going scoreless in 2/3: Jake Westbrook (3 runs), Blake Hawksworth (2 runs), Mike MacDougal (1 run).
* The Cards are now 1-5 since sweeping the Reds. The Reds are 6-0. If this keeps up for one more week, the Cards can count themselves out. Teams are dropping like flies; and the Cards will be one of them if they don’t get their act together fast.
* They are now 3gb in the Wild Card and 4 back in the NLC.
http://elmaquino.wordpress.com/2010/08/20/cards-quit-until-crunch-time-again-cards-3-giants-6-65-54-trail-series-0-1/
A BARRAGE OF NEGATIVITY…
from the Comments section of the article, “While Cards lag, NL powers pull away”, by Jeff Gordon:
“krdave” said on: August 19, 2010, 9:18 pm
It is really discouraging to watch this bunch. But, when you have 5 pitchers, a catcher, first baseman, and 2 so-so outfielders, its kinda hard to win. I feel sorry for Wainright and Carpenter. Suppan also. He does a good 5-6 innings but they don’t get any runs for him. Like Don Meredith said, “Turn out the lights, the partys over” We need better front office people and a new manager.
“dub the beachcomber” said on: August 20, 2010, 3:34 am
this team has shown flashes of who they could, and probably should, be. somewhere along the lines of communication and motivation things have broken down. there is a tragic flaw in this team that stops them from carrying momentum. the problem is that it doesn’t seem to be any one individual, except maybe tony. the truth is that this team is out of time. they must come together and play like they should beginning today.
“azbruce” said on: August 19, 2010, 4:47 pm
Perhaps the only good that will come out this season is that maybe the manager will realize the players are no longer responding to his managing style and he will retire. Even though the Cardinals will probably still be a flawed team in 2011, I would imagine there are several former and current managers out there that would jump at the chance to manage the Cardinals in 2011. And with a new manager will probably come a new hitting coach.
“Boski” said on: August 19, 2010, 10:24 am
It’s time for a change. Tony and his need for imprinting himself on the game is making me start to hate the guy. I know I’m not the only Cardinals fan that feels that way. TLR needs to go…and he can take his pet monkey GM with him.
“susanlee” said on: August 19, 2010, 10:46 am
This is no new hole that suddenly developed – it is the same inconsistent offense we have had all year. Mo said we could be inconsistent without Ludwick too and of course he is correct. The problem is that we are much more inconsistent without him and with Jay coming back to earth. Surely everyone should have expected THAT development? It doesn’t matter how well the pitching goes if the team does not score. It also doesn’t matter how many HRs AP hits as long as most are solo shots.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/article_4b54cae8-ab98-11df-ad25-0017a4a78c22.html?mode=comments
ANOTHER BARRAGE OF NEGATIVITY…
from the Comments section of the article, “Cards anemic in loss”, by Derrick Goold:
“DarthImmortal” said on: August 21, 2010, 12:47 am
This is the most pathetic Cardinal team I can ever remember. TLR should have left after the post season debacle last year. This team’s sluggish play continues from last August but TLR delivers no answers. Also GM salary dumps in the middle of a pennant race sends horrible message to the players. Cardinal baseball is over in 2010!!!
“Big O Redbird” said on: August 20, 2010, 11:44 pm
If Cincy survives their West Coast, the Labor Day weekend series won’t mean anything.
“Papagiorgio” said on: August 20, 2010, 11:25 pm
Usually good pitching wins. But this offense has just been awful with RISP. It’s been devastating to watch so many well pitched games go to waste. TLR got upset when asked about lack of offense, saying they got 13 hits. Unfortunately hits don’t win games, runs do.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_5848d890-3493-5066-a393-52eb2da1d056.html?mode=comments
A normal event, during the baseball year. When the going gets rough, out come teeming hordes of second-guessers, thumbsuckers, and crybabies. Wah-wah. Boo-hoo. Bleat-bleat.
It’s a long season. It would be nice for the Cardinals to pick up a win now and then, however.
In all fairness, Westbrook has been quite good for the Cardinals this season. In 25 IP, he has a 3.60 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and a 6.5 K/BB ratio! He also is inducing three ground balls for every flyball with St. Louis, compared to a 1.16 mark with Cleveland. I dunno if that’s Duncan’s influence or luck – probably a mixture of the two.
From BJ Rains’ article:
http://www.foxsportsmidwest.com/08/20/10/Offense-struggles-as-Cards-lose-again/landing.html?blockID=294881&feedID=3779
“Asked about his club’s offensive struggles, La Russa went off unprovoked on a handful of called strikes that the manager felt changed the complexion of the Cardinals’ unsuccessful rally.
“It wasn’t as tough as it looked,” La Russa said. “We had a great chance in the ninth and MLB can go ahead and fine me, I don’t care. There were several strikes that a guy as good as Brian Wilson got that he doesn’t need. Who knows how that inning would have been. They are supposed to review that stuff, and they are supposed to fine you if you say anything about it but that’s just not right.”
Felipe Lopez struck out looking on a close call for the second out of the inning before hits by Allen Craig and Pujols brought the tying run to the plate in Matt Holliday. The leftfielder spun around and appeared unhappy on the second called strike in the at-bat, which turned a potential 2-1 count into a 1-2 hole.
Holliday grounded out to end the game.
“You’re directed not to say anything about umpires or you get fined. MLB is supposed to take care of it. I don’t know if they are in that room right now getting a quick shower and getting out of there, but they should be checking to see whether I have a legitimate (gripe) or not.
“I think there were three or four hitters, at least three hitters, where it changed counts around. The strikeout on Felipe was not a strike.””
He’s actually right, though strikes on either side of the plate sometimes do get called. Lopez did get a blatant ball called as a strike:
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/numlocation.php-pitchSel=451216&game=gid_2010_08_20_sfnmlb_slnmlb_1&batterX=82&innings=yyyyyyyyy&sp_type=1&s_type=3.gif
Pujols had a close one go against him, but that didn’t hurt anything:
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/numlocation.php-pitchSel=451216&game=gid_2010_08_20_sfnmlb_slnmlb_1&batterX=84&innings=yyyyyyyyy&sp_type=1&s_type=3.gif
Everyone else’s AB looked good, and Holliday particularly ate a couple of good pitches:
http://www.brooksbaseball.net/pfxVB/cache/numlocation.php-pitchSel=451216&game=gid_2010_08_20_sfnmlb_slnmlb_1&batterX=85&innings=yyyyyyyyy&sp_type=1&s_type=3.gif
Studbrook has been good, as expected. It was hard work holding the Giants to 3 in 6 innings.
The Cards bullpen is depleted with Motte on the DL, Reyes with soreness, and MacDougal and Hawksworth in uniform. They should bring up Kinney. Since we are not going to score much, we have to have enogh pitchers to hold the other team down for 9.
The Cardinals let a great opportunity slip away after they swept the Reds. The Reds used the sweep to motivate themselves to play better. The Cardinals failed to use the momentum from that sweep to their advantage. Hence we have the debacle we see before us. I feel very much like the posters that 57 quoted. But, there are still games left to play and even if the Cardinals are out of the race, I am going to take Westie’s advice and just enjoy the play of the games.