Readers select their top stories of the year for the 2010 St. Louis Cardinals.
As suggested by you, the readers of this blog, this is the first of a series of posts in which you can vote for your top St. Louis Cardinals stories of 2010.
We will start with the same list of stories that I used in my countdown, but you will set your own priority via a daily vote here. We will go as deep into the list as you would like. For example, we can stop the voting at your top five or ten based on your interest level.
Each day, I will add another voting option to the choices, the next story from my countdown. To get started, you can select any one of my top seven as your #1.
Here they are:
What was your top story of 2010 for the St. Louis Cardinals?
- The collapse – favored defending champs miss playoffs (57%, 16 Votes)
- Matt Holliday signing – seven or eight years (18%, 5 Votes)
- La Russa returns for 2011, Duncan for two or three more years (7%, 2 Votes)
- Other/no opinion (7%, 2 Votes)
- The Ludwick-Westbrook trade – Jay emergence, Westbrook re-signing (4%, 1 Votes)
- The Penny/Lohse injuries (4%, 1 Votes)
- Adam Wainwright, the new ace (4%, 1 Votes)
- The final year of Albert Pujols’ first decade (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 28
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The collapse is a good one but I think the Rasmus/LaRussa/Pujols trade drama was an underrated story. A lot of intrigue and a window into just how low LaRussa will go to try and smear and get rid of someone he doesn’t want…and how Pujols will blindly follow LaRussa w/o having all the facts. It’s a window into the clubhouse issues that dogged this team last yr.
Good point usaf, I agree 100%.
I didn’t vote for the collapse only because it happened in 2009 as well, so was nothing new.
So I voted for the Holliday signing, which brought the org to a whole new level in terms of player contracts. Also cemented the middle of the order power guy for many years to come. Everything else that the Cards do for years, will be to put a team around Matt and presumably Albert.
I voted for LaRussa/Duncan as the top story.
Everyone KNOWS there can be no Cardinal Baseball without them!
I agree with Brian on #1… the biggest story of the year was that the Cards, picked to win their division, did not make the playoffs. Lots of things fed into that result… injuries, The Trade, a lack of organizational depth, underperformances, organizational infighting, and a surprising year by the Reds. Those are the negatives.
On the other side of the coin, the team won 86 games and stayed in the hunt until nearly the end, despite the negatives. Solid performances by AP, Colby, Matt, Waino, Jaime, Carp and others… even the manager (I added that just for you crdswmn)
kept the team afloat under difficult circumstances. But in the end, the negatives weighed too heavily to allow the Cards to overtake the Redlegs.
Other individual stories address matters of the future… Berkman’s signing, the Cox draft… while still others address figures from the past like Whitey and Stan. These had little to no effect on the outcome of the 2010 season.
I voted the collapse as the number one story but I agree with usaMike that the Colby trade request story should have been at least in the top ten.
Ok, starting with tomorrow’s vote, I will include all the other 19 top stories as voting options for you.
Brian — Thanks for the links about past Cards drafts on the yesterday’s thread. Some day, I’d like to see a comparison of Luhnow-era drafts compared to the Jocketty era. Of course, analyses from 2006 don’t address the points I’ve been making about the farm system under Luhnow, but they do an excellent job of pointing out the strengths of Walt Jocketty as a baseball executive with the Cardinals.
That gets right to the heart of my beef… BDII’s decision to place so much of the future of this club in Luhnow’s hands over Walt’s strong objections, which led directly to Walt being fired. I don’t think it’s coincidental that the team has failed to make post-season in 2/3 subsequent seasons, or that Walt led the Reds to their 1st NLC title in 15 years in 2010. In my view, those events are all deeply related. The crux of the biscuit, ongoing still, is a battle for the soul of the organization between old school baseball types like Walt and SABR-centric guys in the Luhnow camp. The outcome is not yet clear, but I sense the tide of power shifting away from the Luhnow element. Whether that is temporary or permanent… an event or a trend, remains to be seen.
With just a few years as GM, it’s probably too early to judge Mozeliak one way or the other. He’s done some good things… signing Waino and Yadi to reasonable long-term deals and the Holliday trade/signing chief among them. But he’s also been very unlucky/unfortunate in some of his trades and signings… the Lohse deal, Brad Penny, the DeRosa trade and my least favorite of all… the Khalil Greene fiasco.
Luhnow made a strong draft in 2005, netting Colby, Jaime and Boggs, all of whom seem poised to become key parts in the future of the team. Others taken in that draft may not work out so well… guys like Tyler Greene, Anderson and Stavinoha. I’m assuming that even though Luhnow had ultimate responsibility for that draft, Walt and his people still had a great deal of input. The same may have been true in 2006, though likely declining after that as organizational battle lines were drawn. The promotion of Luhnow to run the farm system at the end of 2006 seems to have been the igniting event. So the real test of Luhnow’s efforts may be in the drafts from 2007 to the present, and certainly from 2008 forward, after Walt and many of his people had departed.
In losing Jocketty, the Cardinals certainly lost one of the best evaluators of baseball talent in the game and a fine horse-trader. His record of success is well established and ongoing. I don’t think that level of competence has yet been achieved by current management, but it may eventually. Only time will tell. I’m of the mind that Luhnow was put on notice last year when his responsibilities were curbed. He’s got a few years to demonstrate that his methods, centered on modern numerical analysis, can produce all that was promised. And that means producing a steady supply of low-cost talent for the Cards to compliment the high-dollar stars who are now the core of the team. How that works out will determine not only the fate of Jeff Luhnow, but the fate of SABR-metric theory in St. Louis.
Wow HBT, that is some back track/ rationalization. If the evidence shows that Luhnow’s drafts seem to be above average in 2005 and 2006 then it must have been Walt and his guys in charge then. When you either like someone (TLR) or dont like someone (Luhnow) you really are blind aren’t you.
The
was meant to go here.
CC — I think it’s entirely logical to assume that the GM would have input on draft matters, don’t you? It’s equally logical to believe that the breakdown in inter-organizational comity that occurred at the end of 2006, with Luhnow’s elevation as farm director, may have led to the end of that kind of cooperation. On those assumptions, clearly labeled as such, I based my observations.
Luhnow came in as a SABR consultant in 2003 without the benefit of any expeience in the sport whatever, other than playing fantasy baseball. Two years later, he’s handed the reins to conduct the draft of the St. Louis Cardinals. With Walt having been a baseball executive since 1981, isn’t it perfectly normal that he would have wanted to have input and perhaps provide supervision and guidance in the work of a relative baseball neophyte? Isn’t that precisely the sort of thing a manager does, in baseball or elsewhere?
I didn’t say Walt and his guys were in charge, I said they had input and that Luhnow had the ultimate responsibility. It’s likely Walt & his people had more input in ’05 than in ’06, and that it decreased as time went on. No backtracking here. I said the same things about Luhnow’s 2005 draft yesterday, credited him for Jaime and Colby as impact players and with Boggs as someone who may soon be. I credited him for players that were traded.
Today, in context of this Walt discussion, I’ve just added detail.
So adding this to your previous discussion, it must be Walt’s fault we dont have players ready to fill in is that correct?
CC — Walt’s drafts weren’t always things of beauty either, particularly ’04, which might explain the impetus for change in ’05. Mozeliak was re-assigned Scouting Director duty in ’04 while Asst. GM. He been Director of Baseball Ops for 3 years after serving as Scouting Director in ’99 and ’00, the years Albert & Yadi were selected. That probably explains why he’s now the GM.
Walt might bear some small responsibility for the current state of the farm system, but it’s miniscule compared to Luhnow, who’s been running scouting/draft for 6 years and the farm system for 4 years. I doubt that many ’04 and earlier picks are still in the minors, but admit I haven’t checked lately to verify that. The links Brian posted earlier on the other thread show that Walt’s drafts were, overall, very good compared to other clubs.
All drafts are a crap-shoot to some degree. There’s no sure way of knowing if stats in HS or college will translate up, or even if stats in the lower minors translate to higher levels or MLB. It’s still more art than science, despite the best efforts of SABR types to make it all scientfic. I think baseball has too much randomness/entropy for anyone to ever hope to predictively model with any great or repeatable degree of accuracy.
What Walt was particularly good at, in my view, was using farmhands to trade for established MLB talent before those farmhands were exposed as not likely to make MLB. Reviewing all his trades, he got tons of talented players in return for very little from the farm. I think the only farmhands he ever traded that amounted to anything were Adam Kennedy, Braden Looper & Coco Crisp… and oddly enough, the Cards ended up getting two of them back later.
IMO, that is a key skill missing in our current FO team, the ability to separate the wheat from the chaff before others do. In fact, I believe we’re often guilty of over-valuing our talent and hanging on to guys too long… and then getting absolutely nothing in return for investments in them.
And what is the current state of the farm system? Like I have pointed out (can give you more evidence if you like), the Cardinal’s have produced far above average and what would be expected for their draft position since Luhnow took over. Yet you still want to blame Luhnow for some perceived lack of depth.
As far as over valuing and not getting value for the talent we have – why do you assume that is Luhnow’s doings?
I still find your waffling between giving Walt credit for the good of the farm system in 2005/2006 yet blaming Luhnow for the bad quite amusing.
Welcome to my world CC.
… apparently a very dark and gloomy place.
I don’t live in Texas HB.
To your great misfortune!
Well my keyboard is very unhappy that I just spewed Coke all over it.
Furthermore it is still legal to hang horse thieves in Texas. A little known fact.
That’s why there aren’t any horse thieves left in Texas.
‘And what is the current state of the farm system? ‘
I described this in detail yesterday… the farm’s inability to meet needs the team had last year during the season and it’s inability to meet needs this offseason. Specifically, a starting pitcher, a LH reliever, a third baseman, a SS, a backup catcher, and a RF to replace Ludwick’s run production. All those needs had to be addressed through trades or free agency, and the one trade did not involve a farmhand, but someone from the MLB roster.
‘Why do you assume that is Luhnow’s doing?’
He is the man who, until recently, was in charge of international development, scouting, the draft and the farm system.
‘I still find your waffling… amusing.’
You must be easily amused. And you are completely mis-stating what I’ve said.
Just so we are clear on your level of irrationality on this subject, it doesn’t matter to you that the Cards farm system has produced near the top of the league in farm system contributions the last 2 years, it is still the farm system’s fault that we lack depth? It doesn’t matter how many players we traded from the farm system to fill other needs?
A smarter person might look at what the Cardinals have spent on their bench the last 2 years compared to what other top teams have done. There might be a clue there.
Jeff Luhnow’s biggest problem has been the cardinals draft position. Its tough to find an impact player down in the 20-30 range. That combined with the organizations following of the slot bonus plan set forth by the commisioner has made it tough to get impact guys.
The only way to draft that low and get studs is to draft those players that have a high asking price and do what it takes to sign them. And surely Luhnow doesn’t control the purse strings so he can’t be blamed for not going above slot.
The problem I see with the farm system is that there is not much teaching or developing that takes place in the minor leagues. A player gets better if he does it on his own. I don’t believe there is much guidance that is given to these young players during their time in the minors. I know Colby didn’t get much which was why he kept asking for my advice and help. Initially I refused to help him because my thought was the cardinals would provide everything he needed in terms of workout routines and help in different areas. But when he convinced me that they weren’t doing any of that stuff thats when I jumped back in and tried to help.
Also there were a lot of pretty good players lost via drug abuse that runs rampant through the minors and further I’m afraid to say. Tyler Herron, Garceau, and others I’m sure were cut loose because of drug abuse. The cardinals seem to fail in the area of bringing along players and teaching them what to do and not to do in life as well as baseball. The large majority of parents seem to believe that their kids are under the watchful eye of the cardinals so they don’t have to worry about them. Wrong! That same problem runs all the way up into the Big leagues imo. Without guidance or mentoring what you see is young players choosing the wrong path unfortunately. But the cardinal’s system seems to push those players in that wrong direction.
Its a big difference from what my son Cory experiences with the Braves. Those kids are mentored from the jump in every facet of life as well as detailed training regiments. Colby has yet to receive any sort of similar advice or workout routines.
I said all that to say this. The cardinals seem to like to draft more college aged players and my belief is that they don’t have a system in place to work with the younger player. They basically draft the college player and its up to the player to figure out what to do or not to do. If you draft the high upside player who is fresh out of high school you damn sure better not turn the kid loose with no direction or he will end up like the Herron’s or Garceau’s. Those college players the cardinals have been drafting lack the upside and are considered more complimentary type players verses the impact guys.
Too bad George Kissell can’t run the farm from the grave, I think he did a pretty good job for decades teaching the young guys how to play, maybe not how to live tho–I don’t know about that part.
RC — Agree with you on the teaching point. Didn’t know about the drug issues and I’m sorry to read that… guys wasting their talent with self-destructive behavior. Also agree about draft position, a point CC raised earlier. It certainly makes the job harder, but not impossible. Walt, of course, labored under similar circumstances.
CC — What objective proof do you have that ‘the Cards farm system has produced near the top of the league in farm system contributions the last 2 years’…? Please present it.
The point about bench spending being part of the depth equation was first raised by Brian two days ago, and I agreed with him about it. Welcome to the discussion ‘smarter guy’.
It only makes my position stronger. In addition to the things I noted above: failure to provide a starting pitcher, a LH reliever, a backup catcher, a RF to replace Ludwick’s run production, a SS, and a third baseman… every one of the team’s needs… we can now add failure to provide adequate bench players last year as well; guys like Craig, sent down in late April hitting .056; or Mather, sent down in late May hitting .191; or Stavinoha, who had 2 HR and 9 RBI all year and who has little defensive skill. If the farm isn’t producing anything the MLB team needs, just what ARE they producing that makes you believe they’re tops in the league? Flatulence? And please, don’t say Jaime, Colby & Boggs. I’ve acknowleged and credited them to Luhnow repeatedly.
Mozeliak’s trades of farmhands who were Luhnow drafts include 4 RH pitchers (Gregerson, Todd, Mortensen, and David Carpenter), one OF/1B-man (Peterson) and Wallace, another 1B-man. The team already has a pretty good guy at 1B, and no shortage of RH relievers, another thing I’ve previously credited Luhnow’s drafts for producing. None of those trades created or contributed to current organizational depth issues.
What’s irrational is failing to see and admit the obvious. Like our discussion of Feliz, like our discussion on Winn/Miles vs. Greene/Mather, and our discussion about Suppan. A team that has to go outside its farm system for every major need over the past year is obviously one that has issues with depth… unless of course, the obvious is not your forte.
HB, This is where I personally believe that you may be coming down hard on Luhnow when there may be quality replacements available in the minors but a combination of , its harder for a young guy to play for Tony and Tony prefers the older veteran type of player has prevented those young guys from being able replacements.
Now I say that knowing you will never buy it but if I sent you to NASA tomorrow and you had an aeronautical engineering degree. You were fresh out of college and you walked in the door and not one swinging weiner told you what to do and you had to figure it out as you went, how productive do you think you would be? Well in my opinion, that is what you have going on. Like I said, you won’t buy into any of that but I feel it is relevant when you criticize Luhnow on one hand and defend TLR on the other.
What objective proof do you have that ‘the Cards farm system has produced near the top of the league in farm system contributions the last 2 years’…….And please, don’t say Jaime, Colby & Boggs. I’ve acknowleged and credited them to Luhnow repeatedly. ”
That is like saying “show me objective proof that the Cards offense is in the top half of the league but don’t say Pujols, Holliday, and Colby because I’ve already acknowledged that they are good”
A little on the silly side wouldn’t you say? (yes, silly amuses me)
What proof do you want? Before I waste my time doing research for a guy who won’t even acknowledge the commonly accepted comprehensive statistic of WAR and simultaneously refuses to offer any alternative, let me know what you want to see. I also need to know if I can use your technique of only using the partial aspects of seasons that support my argument when it is convenient.
Gregerson and Perez in the pen wouldn’t allow McClellen and possibly even Boggs to be the #5 starter? Yeah, right genius.
Mariner’s just signed Ryan for 2 years ($2.75 million).
Way to go Brendan!
You just watch. Ryan’s going to be Milton’s new BFF. Milton’s going to find Ryan charming. He will even laugh with him and at him, and open up to a teammate like he never has in the past. They will both have a good season and credit their friendship for helping them stay calm, relaxed, and focused on the baseball field.
Eric Wedge will marvel at how much this addition has helped his team.
Could it happen? Maybe. Will it happen? Probably not. There is one thing I know that is sometimes true: one mans trash is another mans treasure.
Isn’t Wedge the guy that said “either Bradley goes or I go” in Cleveland?
It’s my imaginary scenario. It plays out how I want it to.
And he doesn’t have to come up with cab fare either.
6:33pm: Jeff Evans, the team’s manager of baseball information, confirms via email that the Mariners have not reached an agreement with Ryan.
Saw that on MLBTR
Let’s see, that’s 1yr $3MM for a sub par SS in exchange for a 2yr 2.75MM GG caliber SS. Sounds like a good deal to me. :p
If anybody has the Bill James player predictions yet, let us know what Brendan’s forcast is.
Brendans forecast-total obscurity in Seattle except for the Brendanites who proclaim undying affection and anguish over His Royal Brendan being a employee of Seattle.
This Brendanite is glad Brendan is gone for the betterment of all involved.
CC – Moving to a new post number so we’re not all scrunched over to the right side of the page.
‘That is like saying “show me objective proof that the Cards offense is in the top half of the league but don’t say Pujols, Holliday, and Colby because I’ve already acknowledged that they are good”.’
You missed the point. I wasn’t saying don’t include Colby, Jaime & Mitch in your analysis. I was asking you to name other impact players Luhnow’s system has produced that I hadn’t previously identified. Three names doesn’t prove anything. You haven’t compared them to other teams. Nothing silly about it.
‘What proof do you want?’
To prove that “the Cards farm system has produced near the top of the league in farm system contributions the last 2 years” would require a thorough analysis. By your definition, it needs to include every team in the league. It needs to address draft/farm system contributions to MLB over the past two years. And to make it comparable to Luhnow’s work, it should cover drafts going back to 2005. You might use the methodology described in the links Brian provided for the Jocketty era. But that’s a lot of work. If you want to just agree with me that Luhnow’s system has produced two impact players (Jaime & Colby) and 1 potential impact player (Boggs) since 2005, I’d understand completely.
‘…a guy who won’t even acknowledge the commonly accepted comprehensive statistic of WAR…’
I’d dispute the statement that WAR is commonly accepted. It may be gaining ground in the SABR community, but not with the general population of baseball fans. If you want me to accept WAR, you could help by posting two sample WAR calculations… one for pitching and another for position players showing all intermediate steps, approximations, guesses, and assumptions necessary to go from REAL data to comparison with a theoretical replacement player. Or you could direct me to a source where I cold find such a thing. Until I know what’s in WAR, exactly how it’s calculated, I don’t trust it.
“If you want to just agree with me that Luhnow’s system has produced two impact players (Jaime & Colby) ……. since 2005, I’d understand completely.”
Sure, if you’ll acknowledge that almost no other team that has drafted as late as we have has produced as many or had as big an impact.
But if you want to look at the overall numbers you’ll see that the Cardinal’s have also produced many more players than average from the 2005 – 2010 drafts that have played in the majors already as well as the contributions of others besides the big two is probably slightly above league average as well.
‘…if you’ll acknowledge that almost no other team that has drafted as late as we have has produced as many or had as big an impact…’
I don’t recall ‘other team that has drafted that late’ being part of the statement “the Cards farm system has produced near the top of the league in farm system contributions the last 2 years”… Nope, my memory is correct. I don’t see it in there. ‘Drafted that late’ sounds like a new condition intended to narrow the discussion to just a few teams.
I’ll wait for the analysis to prove your original statement and the one you make above, citing ‘overall numbers’. I really would like to see that data.
Letting that ole’ Luhnow hatred come through loud and clear now Tex. If the objective of the argument is to show whether or not Luhnow has done a good job why would you even consider players that were drafted before he even had a shot at them (I’m only talking about excluding first rounders prior to the Card’s first pick of the draft.).
I’ve never said I hate Luhnow nor said hateful things about him. I’ve been critical of his work but there’s a difference between critical and hateful.
The discussion started with my noting a lack of depth to address team needs last year and this offseason. It’s my opinion that Luhnow is the guy most responsible, since he’s in charge of the draft, scouting, international development and the farm system (until recently). I think it’s a fair assessment. Ask yourself these questions… if he’s doing such a wonderful job, why was he demoted during the 2010 season? Are people normally demoted when they do their job better than most of their peers?
Look, you’re the one who said, ‘the Cards farm system has produced near the top of the league in farm system contributions the last 2 years’, I didn’t. And now that you can’t back that up without changing the parameters, you’re squirming like a 4-year old in church.
” the Cardinal’s have produced far above average and ****what would be expected for their draft position***** since Luhnow took over. Yet you still want to blame Luhnow for some perceived lack of depth.”
hmmmm…..looks like that was part of the discussion after all!
Now it is your turn. “You say Luhnow was demoted. Prove it. Moziliak specifically said he wasn’t. Was he lying? Did he take a pay cut? If I am an athletic director at a university and in order to retain a basketball coach I make him the athletic director for basketball (taking those duties away from me), have I been demoted? If I am the head of a manufacturing company in charge of all aspects of the operation and I create a marketing director position under me that reports to me and I am thus responsible for but allows me to focus more on the production end, have I been demoted? Positions are created to divide duties all the time. Sometimes it is used as a recruiting and retention tool, sometimes it is due to growth of the organization, sometimes it is by personal choice (in the example above, I may hate marketing). If you have some first hand insight (not Joe Strauss’ speculation), please inform us all.
Do you want to play gotcha on a phrase or do you want to participate in an exercise that will determine whether Luhnow has done a better job drafting than his peers and thus help determine how well a job he has done. You decide and let me know. (He would most likely come out in the top half either way, just not “near the top”).
Of course this is all a strawman anyway on your part. You want to say our farm wasn’t ready to provide depth last year because Tony and Mo didnt put the guys on Memphis on the roster, going with retreads instead (thus an assumption on your part that they weren’t ready) yet this year we most likely will open with Craig, Jay, Greene, Descalso, and probably one other pitcher from Memphis on the roster. So by your logic, if they are on the roster Tony and Mo must think they are ready (or they would have gone out and got replacements).
‘…I also need to know if I can use your technique of only using the partial aspects of seasons that support my argument…’
If using partial data helps improve the quality of comparison or make it specific to the question at hand, as I did in the Feliz discussion, feel free. There was no attempt on my part to distort the data by doing that, as you imply.
‘…Gregerson and Perez in the pen wouldn’t allow McClellan and possibly even Boggs to be the #5 starter?…’
I didn’t include Perez. He was a Luhnow draftee, but not a farmhand when traded. By then, he was a veteran of 70 MLB games over 2 seasons. Gregerson wouldn’t have given us anything we didn’t already have. Salas could have filled that role, or another RH pitcher from Memphis, or MacDougal, or Suppan (once Lohse returned). All were options when the team acquired Westbrook. Boggs and KMac could have been used as starters any time, but weren’t. Boggs started in ’09 and had control issues. KMac has never started. I’m not on the KMac/starter train anyway. He becomes vulnerable even when he pitches multiple innings in relief. That likely gets further exposed as a starter.
‘…genius…’
Thanks for the recognition!
I don’t know HB, I like Gregerson as an 8th inning guy. He’s better than KMac imo.
Here’s a look at some 2010 stats. Read as Category (KMac/Gregerson): Innings (75.1/79.1); W-L (1-4/4-7); ERA (2.27/3.22); Saves (2/2), Holds (19/40); HR (9/8); Walks (23/18), Strike Outs (60/89); WHIP (1.075/0.830); Inherited Runners (18/38); and IR Scored (6/7).
KMac has an ERA almost a point lower, and as ERA isn’t the best view for a reliever, I’ve also included inherited runner data, which shows KMac’s ERA isn’t artifically low based on letting inherited runners score. Luke has a sizable lead in holds, but that has to do with the way the Cards played last year. Franklin only had 27 saves in 29 opportuities. The team tended to win big when they won, depressing save & hold chances. Luke’s K’s are higher, but that has to do with Dunc’s contact strategy. Motte gets the call for K duty. WHIP difference isn’t great.
Your numbers prove my initial response. I like Gregerson.
RC — Responding to an earlier post… I am an electrical engineer and I’ve been to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, but for a tour, not for work.
Seems to me, Colby should know how to find the field and what to do when he gets there without a lot of hand-holding. That’s the big picture. The rest is just routine. Rookies are to be seen, not heard. If he keeps his eyes open and his mouth closed, he’ll learn. If he gets it done on the field, he’s in. Then those hot showers and Kumbaya won’t be such rare events. He’ll be adopted as Albert’s younger brother. You’ll get Christmas cards from Oakland. And just think, one more year and the bus is HIS!!!
That wasn’t my point HB. Colby and Albert aren’t buddies and most likely never will be. Ditto with Tony. I believe Colby will be just like them both this year and worry little or nothing about anybody but his self and him doing his job. I believe that was the lesson that was being taught. Do your job and don’t worry about the guy next to you. The methodology of getting to this point is the one area that remains to be a tough spot for young guys. Colby was a huge team guy and its just been a tough journey to break that team feel and get to this I don’t give a rip about anyone but myself stage. But i believe it is the ultimate goal of the system. I like it now but its tough to watch a player get to this point.
It is spelled T-E-A-M-I. That is the Italian version that TLR uses.
RC — It sounds to me like Colby has had difficulty transitioning from being the lead dog on the sled team to being one in the back or middle of the pack. I understand the view IS a little limited from there.
Pretty close HB. I would argue that there is not one sled pulled by many but everybody pulling their own sled. They just have to learn the best way to pull it.
But this is the way of the ML’s, its not just a St. Louis thing.
Some in the organization like Nick Punto……………………. now I know where that comes from. That be DG’s Tony phone………………….
I like Punto as well playing for Tony. Its another good fit as far as I’m concerned.
But I am holding out hope for a better fit in Edgar Renteria.
Give me a break. Miles has a higher career OPS and is a proven pitcher, too. I think the goal of floating Punto is just to force people to appreciate the inevitable return of Miles…
Miles has a little too much of Tim Lincecum in him. Its not a good influence on many of the youngsters imo. I’m almost positive that this off season has shown us that defense doesn’t override those issues, so hopefully OPS and pitching ability won’t override them either.
I meant JS phone……….. Punto is a bleeder……….real ones are hard to come by. Miles is through here……its not about baseball…………Found out something very interesting about TL RC. It will blow your mind. What a small world we live in.
email me WC.
A quote from Lance Berkman which shows you why Mo was willing to take a chance on him. This is something that this team has lacked imo. Wow, do I read that correctly? Its as important to Lance to be good teammate and a good influence off the field as it is to be a good player on the field. Man, 8 million is not enough to pay this cat. They need to double his salary as his philosophy could put this team over the top if some of the others can buy in to that philosophy.
“I’m not perfect by any means,” Berkman said. “But I do feel like that’s something I can offer a team –that good influence on some of the guys. To me, as important as being a good player on the field is being a good teammate and a good influence off the field.”
http://www.bnd.com/2011/01/06/1540324/berkman-glad-to-be-a-redbird.html#
I have yet to meet Lance, so I don’t want to cast any aspersions. I do have to wonder why if he is such a great leader that Houston didn’t want him to lead their young team in 2011 despite him almost begging them to take him back. If he would accept $8M from StL, I bet he would have settled for even less to return to his home team and home city, where he and his family reside. Yet the Astros would not even make an offer. Also, from a physical perspective, has he been the hardest worker in the past? Some have suggested not. Again, not attacking him, but trying to separate words from actions.
Embitterment over being a relic from a successful era ….happens….. the organizational problems that led to bailing all the vets left a bad taste. Uncle Lance will have all the youngster’s sitting on his knee this spring………. thats going to go well with any of the AP scenarios…..guarantee that one.
Thats was a nice read……….politically astute……….. to bad that “loose cartilage’ doesn’t grow back…handy stuff.