St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols now has as many 30 doubles-30 home run seasons as anyone in MLB history.
Home runs aren’t the only indicator of power and production. Doubles are another important measure.
On the same Thursday evening he earlier blasted his 400th career home run, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols reached another milestone that measures both home run and doubles proficiency.
When the first baseman stroked his 30th double of the 2010 in the eighth inning off Washington Nationals pitcher Tyler Clippard, he reached the 30-30 mark, doubles and home runs, for the tenth time in ten seasons.
That ties the 30-year-old Pujols for the most such seasons of anyone to have ever played the game.
In the process, Albert joined Manny Ramirez and Carlos Delgado, who each last reached the milestone in 2008. While both are 38 years old, they are still active; however Delgado is in the minor leagues while Manny has just 15 doubles and eight home runs currently.
Albert is the only one of the top three to have accomplished it in ten consecutive years and in every season possible.
Note that Barry Bonds accomplished this version of the 30-30 only seven times and the great Babe Ruth just six, same as Cardinals icon Stan Musial.
All things considered, Pujols is well-positioned to take the career lead in this category in 2011.
30 double-30 home run seasons, MLB, career
| Rk | Yrs | From | To | |
| T1 | Albert Pujols | 10 | 2001 | 2010 |
| T1 | Carlos Delgado | 10 | 1997 | 2008 |
| T1 | Manny Ramirez | 10 | 1996 | 2008 |
| T4 | Jimmie Foxx | 9 | 1930 | 1940 |
| T4 | Lou Gehrig | 9 | 1927 | 1937 |
| 6 | Jeff Bagwell | 8 | 1994 | 2002 |
| T7 | Alex Rodriguez | 7 | 1996 | 2008 |
| T7 | Rafael Palmeiro | 7 | 1993 | 2002 |
| T7 | Albert Belle | 7 | 1993 | 1999 |
| T7 | Barry Bonds | 7 | 1990 | 2002 |
| T11 | Mark Teixeira | 6 | 2004 | 2009 |
| T11 | Miguel Cabrera | 6 | 2004 | 2010 |
| T11 | Todd Helton | 6 | 1999 | 2004 |
| T11 | Vladimir Guerrero | 6 | 1998 | 2006 |
| T11 | Frank Thomas | 6 | 1991 | 2003 |
| T11 | Frank Robinson | 6 | 1959 | 1966 |
| T11 | Hank Aaron | 6 | 1958 | 1969 |
| T11 | Stan Musial | 6 | 1948 | 1955 |
| T11 | Ted Williams | 6 | 1939 | 1949 |
| T11 | Babe Ruth | 6 | 1920 | 1931 |
Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for the above table.
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This is a terrific indicator of Albert’s extra-ordinary career, thus far. Great job Brian.
crdswmn says:
August 29th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
I would be better able to take this lousy season if someone in the clubhouse would have the guts to tell the fans what is happening.
I have often expressed the same beef crdswmn, to no avail of course. Here is an interesting Tony quote and a link to an article posted on the VEB blog. (One of Westy’s favorites).
“He’s had all the work,” La Russa said. “He’s never backed off the work, taking batting practice. I think it all has to do with what his concentration is, and what his focus is. I do believe that, you just watch his swings in batting practice and in the game, I think he is convinced that he helps us more if he just yanks the ball out of the park. That normally is not the case, because you’re limiting yourself to a side of the park and you’re vulnerable to too many pitches. We really push, ‘Just play the game.’ That’s what Jon [Jay] does. He plays the game. take a single, take a walk, let the home runs come.”
Post Game Thread: The Rasmus-LaRussa Connection
http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2010/8/29/1657569/post-game-thread-the-rasmus
Jumbo, he is unbelievable. When you think that he is number one all time for numbers accrued during the first 10 years of a career it is hard to digest. He may set the 15 year mark and put himself in another stratosphere……or better yet universe numbers wise.
Like bling says, the fact that Albert has played with numerous dings and injuries over those 10 years makes him seem almost superhuman. Lou Gehrig was the iron man but Albert could easily be grouped in that area code as far as toughness and being able to play with injuries.
The Colby LaRussa stuff goes way back to a manager should be able to play who he wants. TLR feels Jay is the more consistent and reliable player. Its hard to argue with him. Its like I said, the Ludwick trade was a save money trade, it wasn’t I’m trying to win this year trade. Because Colby was this same player before that trade as he is now, nothing has changed. So evidently TLR had those thoughts back then as well. As for TLR and Colby, I’m sure nothing is different today than it was at the beginning of the season. same ol same ol.
As the author of the VEB articles supposes, there is a lot of backstory nobody wants to talk about. For the benefit of participants like crdswmn, I pass on this link to an old article because it may help to grasp some of the context within which todays absurd Colby/Tony lineup malfunction has to be considered. Not that I believe one thing instead of another, or one person rather than another, I have no idea, but there is just such a load of bullshit going back several years. The paying customers are not entitled to anything, except the chance to buck up.
http://busleagues.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/wacky-doings-in-the-rasmus-family/
That is a terrible pic is it not Bling?
With Luddy gone, Colby and Jay should both be playing everyday, so it doesn’t matter which is better than the other. That one goes in the circular file in the corner along with the umpire match-up nonsense.
For my thought on the situation, I really believe TLR felt that it wouldn’t be a good game for Colby to come back in…….against Lannan. And the way he approached Colby about it was to make the reason Colby wasn’t playing anything other than that he didn’t think Colby was a good choice against Lannan. The problem is JA Happ goes tomorrow night for Houston and if Lannan wasn’t a good pitcher for Colby to see in his first game back then JA Happ most certainly won’t be. I believe Colby could handle the truth, you know, Colby it may not be helpful for our team for you to come back against these left handed guys considering the fact that you have been so inconsistent. I think it would be hard for anyone to argue with that logic.
The pic isn’t so bad RC. Makes him look kinda young, but he was, and still is.
Its a pity that a post about Albert has to attract VEB ravings.
Lets put things in perspective. Rasmus has had a sore leg and been out for a couple of weeks. Today is about the first day he was cleared to play. Since there was a lefty on the mound, giving Colby another day of healing is not a bad idea.
If anyone should have a question about today’s lineup, it could be Mo, because Mo may have expected Allen Craig would get to play against lefties and this would be one of several factors involved in moving Ludwick. Craig is the one who got benched today, not Rasmus.
I can understand TLR benching Lopez, after he got picked off yesterday. That was unacceptable.
Maybe today TLR wanted to see some good defense in RF. Schumaker has a strong arm and tossed out a runner trying to advance after a catch. I would have gone with Craig, but TLR usually has good reasons.
As to CF, in terms of hitting, Jay is a better choice against a southpaw like Lannan, because Jay can take a lot of outside pitches to LF. When the opposing team starts an RHP, then both Rasmus and Jay should be in the lineup.
I would argue with you there Bling, If the manager doesn’t have the confidence in you to be on the field on a daily basis then you should not be on it on a daily basis. TLR has to go with what he believes to be the best available players, doing that has gotten him a lot of ML wins and like I have repeatedly stated, how can anyone go against his experience? TLR is trying his best to win every game, that you can bet on. He doesn’t believe that Colby is one of his best options and who are we to differ? I definitely can disagree with what Tony stated in the article. Colby has been inconsistent. At this stage he should send Colby the message he wants to send him, you won’t play until you show some consistency.
So Tony found out a lefty was starting right before game time. Of course, I should have realized. I was hung up on him finding out who the umpire was right before game time. It has not even occurred to me yet the adsurdity of putting in Skip because Colby is inconsitant against lefties. Skip . . .against lefties . . . ? OK, whatever. Bottom line we end up with the sub .700 OPS guy in right instead of the guy leading the team in OPS away from Busch in center. We score two. We get about three guys as far a second base all day.
Actually Colby’s BA against LH pitching is, I believe, higher than it is against RH pitching for this year. It all comes down to this……whatever everyone thinks is irrelevant, Tony has his reasons, and you can bet those reasons are well thought out when it comes to his lineups. And you can bet Tony wanted to win this game, if for no other reason, that it was Waino on the mound. And TLR would do everything in his power to help Waino get that Cy Young.
I would also make the same point about Colby as I made about Lopez. Inconsistant as compared to what?
The way we’ve been playing, you have to put Colby in there when he’s fit. He hasn’t played in a while, so we don’t know if he’ll suck or not. We already know what the alternatives will do, they’ve played into 5 games back. So lets keep trotting them out there?
Colby has 115 Ks in 112 games. He is whiffing 32 percent of at bats. Its a nice testimony to his talent that he has an OPS above 800, despite the whiffs. Every slugger racks up Ks, but he could reduce the K rate to 25 percent by doing a bit more situational hitting.
No arguement there Jumbo.
Good point Jumbo, and Tony may feel like he is gonna make a point with Colby in regards to the situational hitting you mention, and not play him until he shows the ability to make some adjustments.
The best punishment that one can give a player is to put their behind on the bench and let them stay there for an extended period. The only way that can backfire on you is when you sit that player on the bench and your team loses most all of the games in which he doesn’t play.
If your familiar with Aurevator BB. He has a very unusual relationship (adoration) of Colby. Its basis has some unsavory aspects…………and I’m from California. But this is hardly about his analysis. So lets talk Colby.
RC will testify that I have been very outspoken on Colby. I will heap on praise, but most often its criticism that draws out the words. So lets speak frankly.
Tony’s observations are exactly right…………………but so what…………..what do Colby’s behaviors actually represent to him. Irresponsibility? Ineffectiveness in a team setting?
Performance arts are always about something. The smallest emotional display and response to competitive scenarios loan themselves to interpretation as to causalities…………………I’m also aware that the young virtuoso is susceptible to being over analyzed, too much emphasis put on expressive elements that in many ways are just imitations of ideas and concepts they really don’t understand yet…………………………………… Colby doesn’t understand the nature of Tony’s criticism…………………Tony isn’t aware of the real source of Colby’s immaturity.
I’ve been talking about Colby’s hand position here for some months. I’ve said, “its not about right or wrong”………….its about solutions and results……………..resolving conflict in complex emotional states……………………………………RC, you said Colby sent you a text????? Doesn’t sound like weaning for some reason……………………Point here is it is very likely that Tony’s opinion is reflective of multiple observers in team meetings……….. There may be problems arising that are totally unforeseeable, especially when so many will now start to hunt goats.
I’m not going to speculate about motivation………..I could………but I’m not. What AP has done (appears to have done) completely blows my mind………….. What BD has done surrounding this weeks Washington activities blows my mind…………. there are heavy hitters at play here, lots of money involved. If Colby becomes a chew toy in the Tony/AP ——–BD/MLB/Mo cage fight. That can’t be good………. sounds a little like the film guys are starting to jaw……….or MM is becoming opinionated……………. I see many ways to the promised land here for Colby. The rest of the league might be less forgiving than you seem to think. The kids a natural, but he isn’t a big league hitter right now. Its about his ability to adjust…..to adapt. This teams only concern is marketing. Better pay attention……………if they do send him down the line, they will shorten his pants some………….long range contracts go to the stable investment.
Colby sent me a text about his not playing today because my son, Case, was on the way to the game and he couldn’t get in touch with him to tell him he wasn’t playing. You see Case was touring the city and he wanted to tell him to continue to site see
WC, only time will tell but I don’t worry about Colby’s long term baseball career if he can become separated from TLR. You see, you mention long range contracts and stable investments but I think of Milton Bradley and have to giggle just a little bit.
I don’t read that blog hardly at all Westy, so know nothing about the author. But when something that seems big happens and we are fed a shit sandwich by the organization, and the media stampedes for the exit, I have to look around some.
When the team has been woefull, and on the verge of playing itself out of the race, and one of your heavy hitters is ready, you play him. Period. Most especially when there is no real alternative. It doesn’t matter if Jay is better and it doesn’t matter if Colby needs to adjust and improve. It still doesn’t make sense not to play him, given the alternatives and the team’s poor play. I am totally sure Tony’s decision to sit Colby had nothing at all to do with trying to win today’s game. From the way the team played they knew it too, including Wainy. As a fan, I don’t care about all the agendas and strategems and whatever, I want to see a well played game by an enthuiastic team, with the best players on the field. I have been feeling cheated for a while now.
Don’t stop with Milton, there are dozens… or should I say were dozens. Don’t forget, Albert is likely to make Tony a condition………………………if they let him…………..they won’t I’m guessing… Tony is making a fair argument. He is likely to be offered another job…….maybe he takes it, maybe he wins the fight here. Today’s AB showed Washington had opinion. Why get in a pissing contest with a guy who really needs you? Adjust……………
As a fan who spent a good chunk of change for tickets that I probably shouldn’t have, I don’t care about conspiracies, or egos or psychobabble. I want my money’s worth and that is what I should be getting. Blame Tony, Albert, Colby, Mo, BD or Alfred E. Neumann, it makes no difference to me. Just get the job done or move along.
BB, there is a relationship between players…………………Tony may of had his pitchers in mind when he sat Colby. They need to believe someone is going to help pick them up…even if it come the next day……. he is looking a Happ and then Wandy on Wednesday……………. he isn’t sitting Jay…….Craig is helpless…Skip was a move of desperation………….and he is desperate ……………….this is what cancer does……………… everyone is conscious of their earnings future at this point………………except the guys under long range contracts……………….. watching Wainwright face an .083 hitter and letting fear overcome him is enough to make you sick……………Lopez is gone……..Colby in his current stance is history…. Tony didn’t even pinch run for Molina in the 9th…………over site??????????? I don’t think so. He is almost paralyzed now………….
A little Tony context
http://stlouis.sbnation.com/2010/8/30/1658048/top-five-tony-la-russa-clubhouse
WC, all of the analysts at NASA aren’t needed to figure this one out. The hitting woes you mention I could get into until I’m blue in the face and the sun goes down and I would have only just begun.
Colby is a pull hitter, and has always been one. I think you have seen him at his best this year when he gets up to the plate and just hits. He has been feeling the heat to go the other way throughout the year and when you see him go into these prolonged slumps thats what he is trying to do, go the other way. I believe him to be trying to do what is asked. Unfortunately he may not be good enough to be the hitter TLR wants him to be at this point.
Why does Tony insist he hit to the opposite field? He has pleny of players that can do that. Let the kid hit the way he hits. What I am starting to think is Tony’s control freaking has taken on monumental proportions. I know Tony is the “talent’ as you say RC, but the talent is losing it.
If I remember the situation correctly, Colby slumped one year in the minors trying to take the ball the other way as he was asked to do. Seems some people never learn.
Crdswmn, this is what I really believe………Tony truly thinks Colby needs to hit the ball the other way more often, and I wholeheartedly agree. I do believe Colby has/is trying to do that but he has really struggled and then panicks and goes back to his old way of hitting. The problem is he tries so many different things to try and go the other way that he can’t seem to find his way back to where he can hit at all.
I also believe TLR is doing his level best to get what he wants across to Colby, I’m just not sure if Colby is listening at this point. That is Colby’s fault, not TLR’s.
I believe it all goes back to Colby trying to live up to all the hype and just not being able to so he has got real frustrated. Again this is not TLR’s fault, it is Colby’s.
It is Colby’s job to fit his style of play into TLR’s style, not vice verse. Colby has not done the best job at changing like TLR wants him to, and this, again is Colby’s fault.
Now none of this has anything to do with the teams struggles during this recent stretch as I’m not sure if Colby could help much so this issue is seperate from the teams struggles in my mind, Tony is managing today like he has always managed. The players may not be doing as much as they’re capable. I do know TLR cares big time about winning and is giving it his all every day to win all that he can. Ultimately it is the players who have failed, and Colby is a part of that failure.
RC, it would make a big difference if Colby was hitting the ball like he was earlier in the year, this team would be in first place
I understand what you are saying RC, but if Colby can produce better by pulling the ball then why not let him do it, at least for now. In time he may be able to adjust but if he hits better by pulling the ball then let him do it and gradually he can work on hitting the ball the other way.
You know better than I RC, I only know as a fan I don’t like what I am seeing. I can understand one or two players slumping but most of them? There has to be more to it than just the players not performing.
RC, every day hitters face pitchers. There is a contest going on. Colby isn’t kicking little leaguer’s asses………….he isn’t pounding high school pitching………..he isn’t beating up the mutts in A ball.
He may have arrived here a pull hitter…………wanting to get paid for that glory………but he is in trouble now. If the Cardinal PR machine stops pumping, and the questions about his throwing begin to mount……….those haven’t went away of course, he has been spared those situations of late………that’s going to be trouble. He will end up on another team possibly, needing to achieve the same expectations that Tony needs from him now…………………..He will never be a player that requires a shift………….. the hitter he has always been is the problem. Every AB is not a party time exploration for the second deck…………….. All the drama in recent days is putting Colby in the spotlight. He can’t stand that exposure. If he continues to slump, he exposes Tony/MM and the wallet of BD/Mo. He heightens the tensions surrounding the Ludwick salary maneuver. And I well know for caring less for Luddy than almost anybody…..except the SD fans it looks like.
On hitting…………..Colby’s unique personal style is a marvel of efficiency……..and inadequacy.
It allows him almost an Adam Dunn style power display. When that happens. If you think about it from a pitching standpoint………..he is meat. His very limited contact zone is defeated by a 1000 combination’s…………………… Even the best hitters have to compensate to counter successful pitching tactics……………Colby strength is his weakness at this point. He will find a 260 average and 20 hrs, just by exploiting poor pitching year in and year out. It will always exist……….but that also means that his success in competitive situations will always be based on facing poor pitching………….every blue moon he will hit the glorious grand slam……….. that isn’t going to cut it. No one but St Louis …….with BD making Colby his poster child for the youth movement, is going to pay him for that……………… Your aspiration are unclear to me. Is this a proving ground for some of your personal hitting theories? They may be inspired, they may be the future….they may be exactly right………….. but they are not the solution at this juncture.
Tony wouldn’t be talking trash about Colby unless Colby wasn’t responding to coaching suggestions. ……………….. Colby isn’t going to solve this crisis by prospecting for his favorite pitches………………….. His recent spate of strikeouts, trying to being more selective about his strike zone…………didn’t work………..more than one umpires said so………….
You know well by now my suggestion……………..it is the easiest way to move yourself away from a dangerous impasse. It will slow down the pitching onslaught………..it will slow down his swing speed………..it will increase his targeting zone………. and will produce the occasional 2 strike flare to left field that will earn him some mistakes down and in by foolish pitchers…………… You’ve got MLB on your computer……….go back and study the up periods in the last 2 months………its right there.
CC/Crdswmn – This goes back to what I’ve felt for a long time. You surround TLR with the players that can do what he wants. If Colby can’t learn to spray the ball around then he may not fit into TLR’s style of managing. I know Colby has tried repeatedly year after year to since way back and spent entire months in the minors working on that very thing, not have much success, and then bail back to what he did to begin with.
Heck he finished up in springfield with like 13 or 14 HR’s his last month there after struggling on a off trying to hit the ball the other way.
His struggles last year were that and this year he had a big month of June to give himself some cushion and then has spent the rest of the year trying to figure out some way to hit the ball the other way more. Its always the same thing. When he does it he can only hit balls that are down and in. When he is just trying to hit like always he can hit anything. Its crazy and frustrating for him.
At this stage I just don’t think he can do it. Maybe next year or the next he will figure it out but today he can’t do it.
My thoughts are maybe Albert has spoiled Tony in regards to players who can make adjustments on the fly. Albert is the very best hitter of all time and there may never be another like him as far as making adjustments.
Tony has stated many times for the young guys to watch Albert and see what he does. Colby will tell you it don’t help because nobody is as good as he is in any facet of the game. He outworks everybody and can do what noone else can do. And its frustrating to try and be Albert because its a hopeless battle that one can never win.
And its quite possible that the players Tony prefers may be able to do a lot of the same things Albert does, just not to his level, and that is why you may see some older guys who have been around forever and during their long career may have figured out how to be more of the Tony type of player. The younger guys may not be able to do it good enough and TLR gets frustrated with them for that reason.
But if you don’t surround TLR with those types of players his system doesn’t seem to work quite as well, and with this influx of younger players it may have put a level of failure upon TLR that he hasn’t experienced in a while. This is pure speculation but something has gone awry that seems to be a certainty.
But it goes back to making sure you surround Tony with the players he wants and if you don’t do that the problem with this team lies elsewhere.
I fully believe Tony wanted to keep Ryan Ludwick and Jon Jay in the outfield. Monetary issues prevented Mo from doing that though so Tony is stuck with a couple of guys who don’t fit into his managing style, and you see how tghat has worked out?
WC, I haven’t spoken to Colby since I told you in late June that I was not going to about hitting. There is no doubt he would hit with me in his ear every day but he wants to figure things out on his own, his words. I respect that and don’t intervene. For all I know Colby works with MM every day or Aldrete. We don’t talk about it.
If he never hits above .260 it really doesn’t bother me. I don’t care about a long term contract or any of that other stuff. If he quit tomorrow I wouldn’t lose one wink of sleep about it. I would actually wake up the following day with less stress because the entire family would stop stressing over the same stuff you stress over
You see they all complain to me daily about his hitting just like you do. He’s a young man who is trying to fully grow up, the lessons best learned are learned through failure. All you can do is sit back a watch and hope he learns from his mistakes. If he does, good for him. If not, well then he will have to find a real job like the rest of us.
I’m not gonna get into a dick measuring contest with you in regards to hitting because I can date every tear Colby has went on by my working with him so that is not the issue. Since June Colby has bought in to what the cardinals are teaching, and is trying his best to do it from what he tells me. If you are concerned with fixing his swing, call Big Mac. You are wasting your time lecturing me over and over again. All my job consists of is repeating these things……..keep working hard…….through hard work things will get better…… Tony is pushing you to be the best you can be…..etc etc. and I have finished off with a couple of man if you don’t like what you are doing quit and roll on back to the crib
Those are my words of wisdom these days.
Hmmm….RC says hasn’t talked to Colby about hitting yet Struass writes they were working out at a local HS. Working just on his throwing maybe? Or someone got bad info…..
CC, Colby and I worked out at a local high school in the st. louis area during June. After that we couldn’t seem to find access to that same school anymore. Right after Strauss’ article we couldn’t get back in touch with the coach there
he disappeard and lost his phone. and his 5 coaches as well. crazy coincidence.
it then became evident that someone somehow had eliminated that hitting facility from being available to us. I haven’t been back and hit with Colby since. I got the message.
I haven’t worked with him on his throwing. They told him to never miss the cutoff man so he started making sure he didn’t over throw him. The ball may bounce 5 times but it would be to the cutoff man
I did tell him if it was me I’d throw the freaking ball like I could. Ankiel did it and people were all about his arm. ITs another one of those I do what I’m told to the extreme. You kept getting onto me about hitting the cutoff man until I hop it to him on 5 hops so you can’t say anything to me about it.
Kind of like bunting last year, he was chewed out for bunting a couple of times and now you couldn’t make him bunt for a base hit. He will do what he is told, trust me, and go in the tank making sure he tries it to the extreme. If LaRussa told him to never have sex he would be in Tibet tomorrow getting his Monk uni on. you’ve got to hit the other way, hell he’ll go 0 for 25 with 20 K’s trying to do just that.
sounds like he has a fear of authority figures — I wonder who instilled that in him,
RC…………..I take your word for it………………… I hope somebody steps up soon. If you get a chance, give him my message …………….
Brian…………………………deal with it.
Most of you have hashed and rehashed the Colby thing (especially his dad) and don’t really need any extra input. The reason that I’m copying and pasting a portion of the following article relates to an appeal that I had made to the Warrior a couple of weeks back, that the situation would improve for Colby if he could just hang in there until the end of this season. I am very hopeful that Tony will not be back next year…
From “Bernie Bytes: The LaRussa-Rasmus standoff”:
* Tony La Russa and Colby Rasmus: I have no idea what’s going on between them. But to repeat something Joe Strauss said in his STLtoday.com chat the other day: you just get the feeling that one of these guys won’t be back in 2011. It just isn’t working very well, or smoothly. TLR’s explanation for scratching Rasmus from the Sunday lineup a few minutes before first pitch did not make sense. TLR said it himself earlier on Sunday: Rasmus was physically ready to play after missing so much time with a calf injury. And the alternate theory — that Rasmus was removed because La Russa didn’t like having Rasmus playing with umpire Rob Drake behind the plate — borders on howl-at-the-moon crazy. Even if Drake doesn’t like Rasmus, so what? You think that every umpire loves every player? This is all very strange, and I have to believe that there’s a lot more going on here, a lot more than La Russa or Rasmus are willing to share publicly.
POLL:
Who is most likely to be gone next season?
72% Tony La Russa
28% – Colby Rasmus
Total Votes: 922 (as of 2:50 PM CST)
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/article_9009366a-b449-11df-907a-00127992bc8b.html
The Comments section is also very interesting:
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/bernie-miklasz/article_9009366a-b449-11df-907a-00127992bc8b.html?mode=comments
I believe everything you are saying RC (except for the sex part
) but I still go back to the same thing. If he can hit the way he feels comfortable, let him do it for now. I agree with WC that he needs to learn to expand his strike zone . In law school they teach you how to think on your feet by constantly putting you on the spot in front of everyone to know the answer to the question or embarrass yourself. For some that lesson was learned quickly, for others it was not. I struggled with it my first year, but eventually I was able to learn. The learning process is different for everyone. I am not a baseball manager so comparing my law school experience to what is happening to Colby is probably not a fair comparison. But you can see why I feel Colby’s pain and I believe he can learn to do what is expected of him if given time. But you know your son better than I do, so I wil shut up about it. 
Lineup: Skip 2B, Winn RF, Pujols 1B, Holliday LF, Feliz 3B, Molina C, Rasmus CF, Ryan SS, Westbrook P
Regarding post #41, I am curious what the perceived connection is between an online reader poll and the personal career decisions of the manager. It’s not like there haven’t been plenty of La Russa non-backers for years. I recall seven or eight years ago when a group of extremists hired an airplane to pull a banner over a spring training game that said “Fire La Russa and Jocketty.” They convinced themselves it worked and took credit for the later world championship to boot! (Edit: softened adjective)
Winn of the .300 OPS against lefties? HE better make Tony/Mo look good about the Craig decision.
I guess in Tonylalaland there is a good reason for sitting Jay.
Was thinking about this some more. It would be great if there was a regular professionally-done opinion poll on fan confidence level in the manager that could be tracked over time. Lacking it, I suspect there might be a correlation to standings and playoff appearances. Clearly, TLR would be trending down, as he should be. Whether or not it is really 72-28 and how whatever it is would compare to last week or two years ago is unknown. Edit: I suspect some percentage of the current unrest is due to the Washington, DC rally.
ALL of the players shaved their heads. This is going to win games? I think I am going to hurl if they take their caps off.
Colby and Jay ought to be playing every day, no matter who is pitching. I don’t care if they have holes in their swings. They are the two best fielding options and the second and third best hitting options in the outfield. Shumaker or Winn against lefties doesn’t make sense. Rasmus has a .782 OPS vs LHP and a .874 OPS vs RHP. Play him every day.
I had been thinking about losing 3 of 4 to a team made up mostly of inconsistant rookies and wheezing retreads, then I took another look at OUR lineup. Maybe over a larger sample we go .500 with them. Figure the two and five holes are keys to any lineup, sandwiching your big boys. So we have Wynn and Feliz. Washington has that beat and so does Houston. We have Jay and Rasmus, but we play Wynn and Feliz, sit Jay and stick Rasmus at seventh. Westbrook is surely getting tired of this, like Penny. I hope and pray Mo is too, or if not him, then Bill.
Here’s a really great idea: leadoff with Skip against the lefty. Oh, Tony already thought of that, should have known.
I see on TV Colby has his head shaved. Surprised they told him about it. Now, if Tony walks out with a buzz job, maybe we’ve got something going.
Chapman debut tomorrow they say. Just in time.
Not starting well. Deja vu. Sigh
Hmmm. Doesn’t look like Westbrook shaved his head…
Niether did Tony.
Only players was what was said.
Damn that Colby. He needs to learn how to take a walk to the opposite field.
That was a good inning for Jake
I’m waiting for the head shaving to work.
Maybe it is working, its only 1-0
Dugout shot shows a bunch of miserable dogs after they’ve been groomed…………sad
how many mistakes can pujols miss?
I guess you can hve team solidarity when losing — they all go down with the ship together.
Again, Craig does not appear against a LHP, so he must have done something to get deep in the doghouse.
Colby is not a huge guy. He is not going to hit many out to opposite field. As he has developed in high school and the minors, he has probably aimed to be a pull hitter. This means he has to commit slightly earlier and makes him more vulnerable to Ks. It just goes with his territory. In contrast, Jay does not hit for much power and has long aimed to make contact and collect hits. He is a super set up guy. Rasmus is different.
In the history of the game, loads of guys have come up to the majors and expanded their repertoires with experience, whether pitchers or hitters. A great number of star hitters have looked bad as rookies or as 2nd or 3rd year men. A player often only begins to achieve his full potential at year 4 and beyond. Did Rasmus look bad as a rookie? No. Has he hit badly this year? No. He is progressing and there is nothing wrong about where he is at. On the other hand, a lot of managers would encourage him to do more situational hitting. Its not just a TLR thing. TLR gave him an extra offday yesterday, today Jay grabs some pine. No big deal.
Brett Wallace has two hits and his lifted his pathetic OPS to 510, beneath Brendan and Craig. Great we traded him.
Craig’s in Memphis.
So far, we are the one hit wonders.
I wonder what could crush a teams spirit like this………………?????????
That’s a rhetorical question…………….
On subject of Lohse, he has only worked out of the pen once in his career, in 2006, he stunk.
Westy, If I’m not mistaken, the same thing happenned about this time last season. Hmmm.
Westbrooke is tiring in the low energy environment…………… he is likely to give up something long this inning.
Good for Jake………………… Lohse doesn’t have much to offer BB.
Man, this is like watching paint dry. I’ve darned near walked my dog’s legs down to nubs this last week, but that’s how it has to be. Check back later on.
Maybe the head shaving is a gradual process.
Great job by Studbrook so far. 77 pitches through 6. 12 ground outs, just 2 fly outs.
Tony needs to go to Miles right now………………….he can get on……….. we don’t have much more in there.
Defensive style points for Brendan anyway………….strike a pose…………..Madonna
Poor Suppan………………..has to face Wandy with this rabble…………..if he only gives up 10, I say put him in the rotation…………
Don’t think for a second that the prospects of a prison style “initiation” by the Reds isn’t on these guys minds.
Carp is pitching against Wandy.
Colby is getting in a little better position………..just no luck………snake bit.
The Houston feed had a nice a nice side view of his load.
We just can’t get those pathetic dinks and dribblers to fall in. Not fair.
Two hits, nice work.
BD is the luckiest man alive…………….all the work is being done for him.
I’m thinking Penny doesn’t have much incentive to go out there……………. I’m listening to the Reds feed………….there so excited about a chance to take a punch a the Cardinals when they’re down.
Thanks CRD……………………I’m sorry to here that. Maybe he will start chewing some azz, call AP into the tunnel and tell him the party’s over……………………
Their first baseman sure out hit ours. Like Jumbo said, “Great we traded him.”
Wonder what kind of a lineup Carp will get?
BB-Does it matter?
Sigh.
Reds won. 6 games back.
More new for the hospice……………. Halladay has given up a couple……….
Shumaker sits……….. I wouldn’t eve guess the rest……….Winn sits maybe………..Tony is packing his office……………………they could shave their balls……………
I feel back about jinxing Studbrook by pointing out how well he did through 6. Piano Legs Wallace had a good game.
Each others more likely
Lohse is the team barber…………he is making plenty…………..he gets the job.
Maybe they could try voodoo.
That can irritate sensitive skin CRD……………………….
Not if you use moisturizing voodoo balm.
Colby was getting some separation today. That’s a good thing. We will need Jay and Colby to lead the way out………….in case you haven’t noticed……….AP is chasing again, and Holiday’s vulnerability to off speed down is now division wide. I hope we can avoid injury to the war ponies……..Mo should bring up 10 AAA guys and make these guys watch them play.
That’s a performance enhancing substance crdswmn.
That is not my experience BB.
We have lost the division…………..if we got hot, we could wild card with the specific goal of playing the Reds for the NL…………It much more realistic.
Stand aside Kyle, we have somebody with experience.
The Phils are having a worse day than us. Not only are they being shutout, but they are hitless in 6 innings.
Kuroda lost his no-no in the 8th. Phils still shutout 3-0.
Padres have lost 5 in a row. I have nothing left except to rejoice in the misery of other contending teams.