The St. Louis Cardinals’ offensive hero the last two evenings in San Diego was infielder Daniel Descalso. His single won the game in the 11th inning Tuesday night after he singled home the go-ahead run against Padres All-Star closer Heath Bell in the ninth inning on Monday.
After Descalso’s Tuesday hit, catcher Gerald Laird was shown in the dugout rubbing the fingers on his non-broken hand together in the universal symbol for money.
“We call him D-Money,” manager Tony La Russa said about Descalso after Tuesday’s win.
This season, Descalso has now driven in nine runs from the seventh inning on with the game tied or the Cardinals down a run. This is generically called a “late and close” situation.
I asked researcher Tom Orf to put Descalso’s early-season, late-game feats into some historical perspective.
In the last 60 years, only ten Cardinals had collected at least seven late and close RBI through the end of May. Descalso makes the 11th player to do so.
With six games to go in the month, Descalso needs just two more late and close RBI to pass his teammate Albert Pujols and join his hitting coach Mark McGwire at the top of the list as the most productive early-season, late-game Cardinal since at least 1950.
Big Mac collected 11 RBI to kick off his record-breaking 70-home run season of 1998. Pujols had ten early-late RBI in what went on to become the Cardinals World Championship season of 2006.
Descalso may not reach those kinds of heights this season, but his success in crucial situations still deserves notice.
St. Louis Cardinals, late and close RBI, through end of May, 1950-present
| Year | Player | RBI |
| 1998 | Mark McGwire | 11 |
| 2006 | Albert Pujols | 10 |
| 2011 | Daniel Descalso | 9 |
| 1997 | Ron Gant | 9 |
| 1992 | Felix Jose | 8 |
| 1996 | Luis Alicea | 8 |
| 2008 | Ryan Ludwick | 8 |
| 1963 | Bill White | 7 |
| 1971 | Joe Torre | 7 |
| 1954 | Stan Musial | 7 |
| 1988 | Geromino Pena | 7 |
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It’s borderline amazing how well he is hitting in these criticial situations given his overall numbers, but I sure am glad that he’s doing it.
Many factors are contributing Nut…………… if you were listening to the SD feed, they were readings signs and calling pitches……..after getting blow away by a couple of fastballs…….they said this, “he’ll probably throw the slider down’……….nope, he’s going with the fastball again”…….Danny D. is on it thinking middle with everything……smart, safe, practical……compact swing…….they were arrogant because of the results of the earlier pitches……….bad call………
Cruz hits the old fashioned way……it works a little bit…….
AP’s personal construct has broken down. Since it is so unique, so specific in its function, it really can’t be repaired with out damaging the emotion interface that runs it…………. only a mad man, and or WC/madman, could disarm such a thing. The one chance is Tony changing his environment////moving him in the order…….. and hope he really is a hero and can make the needed adjustments. If he is dropped from high enough……he will bounce…….if they remain in denial, letting him down slow…….thats the killing floor……………keep in mind, if he looses face here, regardless of what happens with the market……..he will seek a change…………. Tony getting tossed, covering for him, is just the beginning of that debacle………… Tony has to do the right thing, for the right reasons………….
1. Jay, RF
2. Craig, 2B
3. Pujols, 1B
4. Berkman, LF
5. Rasmus, CF
6. Molina C
7. Descalso, 3B
8. Greene, SS
9. Carpenter, P
I think this has more to do with Jay hot … Holiday hurt than anything else………. The way Carpenter’s luck is running….this will be the game that Craig’s “experience” will show…………Latos has good breaking stuff and works away well…….not Craig’s or AP’s cup of tea……………. maybe he makes some mistakes…………… who can say.
On Monday night, Descalso’s single just slipped past Hudson. It could have been snagged. Descalso did a good job to hustle to 2B on the throw home. This put him in position to score a very helpful insurance run. Given how low scoring games are in San Diego, baserunning is important there.
Tyler G. has reverted back to his original stance………….. incredible. That swing was a perfect example of its inadequacy. All the grip tension used in the bat waggle…….up over his head no less, completely congests his pitch reading sensibilities………illusions of a quick and aggressive response………unfortunately, the ball is rarely involved……….. the guy is a dud.
I watched Brendan today………he has made adjustments, and it shows. He is still a nervous looking kid.
Bad pitch by Carp……..not even close.
Hawpe seemed washed up last year, but is reviving when facing the Cards.
He liked the tailing fastball……….that got better by the foot.
Low………or away to AP……..he can’t cover that………….
Check out Jay………cut the bat moment by 80% ………. loads whats left in plenty of time…….and he is the best hitter on the team save for Lance…………..if he fades……notice the reasons……..he will be attracted to the hands dance again………….
Carp is working hard………all the extra body efforts are really hard on the shoulder……or caused by tension there……….. I think that is the real reason Kmac came out early last night……to many spinners…and they know it.
he looked less busy that inning
Notice the pitch clusters to Colby…………..he will see that until he adjusts. All up and away save the setup pitches out of the zone………Thats why he undercuts, even doing his bet to stay on top………… this is the Bigs Colby…2011…….not a 1934 train ride to see face a guy who may be using tobacco juice on his fingers…….told to you by the shoeshine boy…………….
I’m missing a Beat up Colby post………
We have seen enough of those, have we not?
this one was good though Jmb…………. pointing out what I’ve beens saying for days…..
You have beens saying stuff for years, man.
Its a wonder any fans go to games in San Diego. Game 1: tied at 1 through 8 innings. Game 2 tied at 2 through 10. Now game 3, tied at 1 through 5. Few home runs at San Diego to liven things up.
I like the game in KC where they walked 13 of our guys.
And I liked the games in Phoenix in which Lance homered each game. If Berkman played for the DBacks, he would hit 90 dingers in a season.
Yeah, I don’t really understand the appeal of such a deep outfield, myself.
We’re up to our ears in 2nd basemen on the 25 man and Craig starts. I’m for it, but its weird. Not very long ago the suggestion would have been laughable.
What will D$ do whenever Freese comes back?
I don’t see any other rookie seasons on the table in the article.
It seems like his D has to be the equal of any 3Bman in baseball so far.
Maybe Schumaker has the flu. Its strange Kozma has come in for Craig.
The rookie observation is another sharp one I should have drawn attention to myself.
At the hospital. Just welcomed a 7 lb 8.2 oz baby boy into the world. Can’t find the game on tv. They have the Royals/Orioles, or the Phillies/Cincy game but no Cards.
hoping that they get a win on his birthday.
Congratulations Birdman!
I’ll tilt one back in his honor Kansas, right now in fact. Nice job by Mrs. Kansas.
Congrats K!
This game is putting me to sleep.
Congratulations!
Congratulations KB…………. don’t call him Sam Diego Kansas………..for me.
Congratulations to the Mr. and Mrs.!
San Diego can really screw up a promising inning. Descalso seems to be able to do everything right. Mr. Clutch on O and D. Give him a corner locker with a view.
Didn’t Franklin lose one of the first games of the season giving up a HR to Maybin? Carpenter is not having any problems with Maybin.
Really a nice job by Carp. No walks. Too bad he never gets run support.
And sometimes shaky defense.
A complete game loss is rare these days.
Starters are carrying this team………they did again today……….. Tony is sitting on a powder keg.
Matt will play Colorado……….Sit AP…. put Craig there.
TLR is “sitting on a powder keg.” TLR has been around for decades. He must find those kegs comfortable.
Thanks all. Too bad they didn’t win today, but hopefully they will for many. May 25ths to come. I didn’t get to see the game. At least they are still in first. Last I saw philly was beating the reds.
Here is an eyebrow raising response by Joe Strauss in his ‘Joe Strauss Live’ column.
“. . . Do the Cards really envision Boggs as a starter or is this just an excuse to send him down? He needs to pitch, but they didn’t have to make him a starter.
Joe Strauss: Boggs’ long-term future with this organization remains in the bullpen. However, other organizations may view him differently.”
Elsewhere in the column he responded to a question about rumors the Cards might trade for an experienced closer, like Heath Bell. He said a 2 or 3 month Bell rental would make the pen ‘dominant’.
The jist, IMO, is Joe thinks a possible plan is to streatch out Boggs as a starter for a month or so, then trade him as a cost controlled possible starter to a team with an unsignable closer they are wanting to get something for.
Another thing mentioned was that Boggs got himself in Tony’s doghouse big time a while back. I don’t remember anything like that, can somebody shed any light?
Link to the column:
http://interact.stltoday.com/discussions/sports/joe-strauss-live/LD0521111439/all
Just a guess, but the Houston meltdown could have been a big part of it.
That’s the time frame. But everybody except Salas has had a rough stretch. Pen guys I mean.
If the Cards do have a plan with Boggs for a closer rental, they might include Franky. Would be easier for somebody else to tell him its over.
BB, Cards were forced to bring up Salas and Sanchez………..this wasn’t part of the “business plan”. In order to make it and keep “on field” , there was some performance grooming taking place. Creating appearances to justify an end has become Tony’s modus operandi….think Chris Duncan etc,etc……
Team went from 4th to 1st……….. Boggs got caught up, or was the goat in some of these issues. He didn’t take it well. That is not to suggest that there weren’t pitching related issues as described by DD. The point is……Boggs was never the solution in Tony’s broader campaign. His fate is still in his own hands.
He just didn’t like it that he and his buddy Motte got passed up by the new guys.
We all saw Motte last time out. Ball of fire.
“Another thing mentioned was that Boggs got himself in Tony’s doghouse big time a while back. I don’t remember anything like that, can somebody shed any light?”
I knew this had to be it, I was just waiting for somebody to spill it. He’s gone for sure now. No one makes TLR mad and lives to be a Cardinal for very long. Buh bye Mitchell.
Boggs first AAA start. 1.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB. I think it was 34 pitches.
TLR likes a closer who can throw a low breaking ball, not just fastballs. Salas is good for TLR.
Man, the Reds pitching staff is dropping like flies. Bailey went out today with a shoulder injury and one of their relievers, Maloney, is going on the DL. Arroyo is having back issues. Add these to Volquez and Chapman being sent down. Wow.
But they’re not whining about it, that’s the main thing.
Yes they are. They just haven’t figured out a way to blame it on Carpenter.
Now thats funny…………………..