The Cardinal Nation blog

Brian Walton's news and commentary on the St. Louis Cardinals (TM) and their minor league system

Post archive for ‘Events/Info’

A Historical Look at Garcia’s Gem

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia tossed a three-hit shutout on Sunday. How often has it happened in the last 90 years?

Carpenter builds historic streak against Cincinnati

Putting St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter’s nine consecutive wins against the Cincinnati Reds into historical context.

Westbrook’s first Cardinals start: A historical take

A look at how starting pitchers acquired in deadline deals prior to Jake Westbrook fared for the St. Louis Cardinals.

FOX Sports Midwest Cardinals ratings tops in MLB

In the most recent Nielsen research data, the St. Louis Cardinals games have taken over the highest local ratings in baseball.

Great Museums: The National Baseball Hall of Fame

A one-hour video tour of one of nation’s greatest museums, located in Cooperstown, New York.

Batavia Muckdogs financial situation eroding

Lack of attendance is killing the St. Louis Cardinals New York-Penn League affiliate, the Batavia Muckdogs.

FOX Sports Midwest confirms full slate of Cardinals games in 2011

Starting next season, FOX Sports Midwest will be televising all games that were on KSDK in recent years.

Stavi’s hot pinch-hit home run pace

Nick Stavinoha is only one short of tying for the most pinch-hit home runs in a season by a Cardinal since Tony La Russa became manager in 1996.

Garcia invokes early memories of another “Lefty”

Of course it is early, but Jaime Garcia’s 2010 start matches that of a couple of Hall of Famers, including one named “Lefty.”

Cardinals quality start streak pushing 1973 run

With another quality start on Monday night in Philadelphia, the St. Louis Cardinals rotation would establish their longest string of quality starts since 1973.

Lohse adds to list of Cardinals tough-luck starts

Kyle Lohse deserved a win on Saturday after tossing seven innings of one-run ball for the St. Louis Cardinals, but instead took a no-decision.

TCN blog’s Freese article featured on KSDK Channel 5

The Cardinal Nation Blog will again be highlighted on KSDK Channel 5, the Sunday home of the St. Louis Cardinals. This time, the focus is on David Freese’s six RBI on Thursday.

Rasmus’ unusual run-scoring day

On Thursday, St. Louis’ Colby Rasmus did something only four other Cardinals in team history had accomplished in a single game.

Freese’s six RBI in historical context

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese drove in six runs against the Atlanta Braves Thursday afternoon. We tell you how unique that is.

Penny matches Wainwright stingy streak

Two St. Louis Cardinals hurlers have current runs of four starts of seven innings or more and two or fewer earned runs. The last time it was done even once to start a season was in 1973.

Wainwright extends streak to four in Saturday loss

Three St. Louis Cardinals starters are working on pitching streaks of six innings or more while allowing two or fewer runs.

Carp’s 10K report

Chris Carpenter added his name to an exclusive list on Thursday night with his second consecutive ten-strikeout game for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cardinals starting streak broken at seven; not close to record

The St. Louis Cardinals’ run of seven consecutive starts of seven innings or more allowing two or fewer runs ended Tuesday night in Arizona. The team record may be 12, set in 1944.

Penny extends Cardinals starting streak to seven

The St. Louis Cardinals are working on run of seven consecutive starts of seven innings or more allowing two or fewer runs.

Wainwright extends Cardinals best streak in almost a quarter century

With his complete game on Sunday, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright extended the team’s streak of seven or more innings pitched while allowing two or fewer earned runs to six games, longest since 1986.

Garcia extends Cardinals best starting streak since 1993

The St. Louis Cardinals are working on run of five consecutive starts of seven innings allowing two or fewer runs.

Lopez’ and Carpenter’s Friday feats

Felipe Lopez and Chris Carpenter powered the Cardinals to a comeback win over the Mets Friday. Each man’s feat was notable in the context of team history.

Another bad Bud idea: More MLB wild cards

Major League Baseball’s commissioner sees more Wild Card teams as “very attractive.”

The Cardinals’ Mike Leakes

Brothers Lindy and Von McDaniel along with Bob L. Miller joined the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1950’s without playing in the minor leagues first.

Cost to attend a Cardinals game up slightly in 2010

The St. Louis Cardinals rank ninth in the 2010 MLB Fan Cost Index with a 0.7 percent increase compared to 2009.

Pujols’ four runs scored put him in elite company

When he crossed the plate four times on opening day, Albert Pujols tied for the fourth-most such games in St. Louis Cardinals history.

River Bandits to Broadcast Home Games via Internet Only

Rather than stop audio broadcasts of their games entirely, the Quad Cities River Bandits will live stream 2010 home games on the internet.

Smoltz clinging to the past while moving ahead

Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Smoltz accepts three broadcasting jobs.

Cardinals spring training hitting and pitching in the last decade

Comparing St. Louis Cardinals spring vs. regular season batting average and ERA during the 2000-2009 period.

La Russa sinks floating realignment speculation

A wild idea reportedly offered up in an MLB brainstorming session seems to have many overly concerned while a key member in the room denies it even came up.

Miscellaneous Cardinals links: March 8, 2010

Offering up some links to interesting St. Louis Cardinals-related reading around the web.

Cardinals spring training records under La Russa

With Thursday’s first spring training game upon us, I looked at St. Louis Cardinals spring records during the La Russa era with an eye toward the regular season.

Walton on KXnO FOX Sports Radio Wednesday

Catch me talking St. Louis Cardinals spring training baseball news with Matt Perrault and Ken Miller on KXnO FOX Sports Radio 1460 in Des Moines today (Wednesday) at 5:45 p.m. Central.

The Cardinals organization roster matrix: Pre-camp update

The St. Louis Cardinals full system rosters are refreshed to reflect spring training camps, both major and minor league.

Long-living former Cardinals

Stan Musial isn’t the oldest or even second-oldest former St. Louis Cardinals player living. The latter is the relatively-unknown Freddie Schmidt.

Is Cards Cash right for you?

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced a new program to add money to tickets for spending at the ballpark. Like anything, there are both benefits and risks.

St. Louis Cardinals spring training radio and television schedules

Spring training television and radio plans for the 2010 St. Louis Cardinals.

Quad Cities River Bandits silence radio broadcasts

In addition to a change in personnel, the St. Louis Cardinals Midwest League affiliate’s games will no longer be on radio.

Cardinals-based Cubs commentary

A quick check of recent news items pertaining to the St. Louis Cardinals’ chief rivals from Chicago.

Albert Pujols: On his contract

Wanting to set the record straight about his contract status, the Cardinals first baseman takes his story directly to the fans.

Cardinals to appear eight times on FOX Network in 2010

FOX Sports will carry eight St. Louis Cardinals Saturday afternoon games during the 2010 season.

Current Cardinals heritage spans eight decades

Those working for and around the St. Louis Cardinals today reach back to the 1940’s.

Cardinals spring training rosters and numerology

New and changed uniform numbers for players invited to St. Louis Cardinals major league spring training.

When Musial didn’t wear number 6

A search through baseball history is underway to identify a most unusual Stan Musial photo.

The Cardinal Nation Blog top stories of 2009 #4: Holliday’s free agent romp

For the ongoing services of outfielder Matt Holliday, the St. Louis Cardinals and agent Scott Boras carried out an intricate dance for months.

Cardinals arbitration, spending and more dry powder

The St. Louis Cardinals wouldn’t have to wait until their arbitration cases are settled to make their next move, but they may have good reasons for doing so.

2010 Cardinals spring radio and television

Preliminary spring training television and radio plans for the 2010 St. Louis Cardinals.

Cardinals Winter Warm-Up autograph prices reflect economy

Autograph prices at the St. Louis Cardinals fan event, Winter Warm-Up, demonstrate an appreciation of the down economy.

What if Albert Pujols becomes Mark Teixeira?

If the Cardinals ever reach the point of considering the unthinkable, trading Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira’s history provides an important lesson.

Time to act on the Holliday-Pujols contract FUD

Why the conditions may be right for the St. Louis Cardinals to move to lock up Albert Pujols.

Can the Matt Holliday trade be judged now?

Now that the Cardinals have agreed to terms with outfielder Matt Holliday on a record-setting new contract, is the jury in on the big trade that brought him to St. Louis in the first place?

Cardinals rumor control getting out of control

Erroneous news on a supposed new Matt Holliday offer from the St. Louis Cardinals is amplified all over cyberspace before being pulled.

Would two years be better for Holliday and the Cardinals?

Why might both Scott Boras and the St. Louis Cardinals consider a shorter-term contact for free agent Matt Holliday?

Who just blinked: DeRosa or the Cardinals?

Is Mark DeRosa’s reported two year, $12 million deal with the San Francisco Giants out of line with the market? If not, why didn’t the St. Louis Cardinals jump in?

Busch Stadium debt may hurt players more than taxpayers

Some major league clubs have advantageous leases that offer flexibility but shackle their communities. Others carry stadium-related debt.

The Cardinal Nation Blog top stories of 2009 #18: Shelby Miller

The St. Louis Cardinals ventured into unfamiliar territory when making their first-round pick in the 2009 draft.

Duncan’s yo-yo agent

The agent of former Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan is making some interesting claims.

Is Boras alone wearing the black hat?

The MLB Players Association plays a powerful, but almost-invisible role in placement of top free agents.

When chasing dollars lead to regretted outcomes

There may be something for Matt Holliday to learn from this week’s Johnny Damon saga and a similar story from over two decades ago.

Cardinals lessons from Teixeira, the Yankees and stealth mode

Can the St. Louis Cardinals learn anything from a dissection of the New York Yankees’ 2008 pursuit of Mark Teixeira?

The Cardinal Nation Blog top stories of 2009 #20: Wagner Mateo

The sweetest amateur free agent signing in St. Louis Cardinals team history quickly went sour.

It’s about time for Mo to channel his inner Theo

The St. Louis Cardinals are getting to the point where they need to force Scott Boras to declare his hand regarding Matt Holliday.

An Atkins-Holliday comp

A pair of former big bats from the Colorado Rockies are now free agents. The St. Louis Cardinals are thinking about at least one of them.

Walton joins Hadley and Claiborne on KTRS Friday evening

Brian Walton joins Friday “Sportsnight” on St. Louis’ KTRS 550 at 8:05 p.m. Central.

Cardinals spring training ticket prices this decade

The progression of St. Louis Cardinals spring training ticket prices since 2000.

Breadon outshines Busch and DeWitt as Cardinals owner

Passed over in the Hall of Fame veterans committee vote was the winningest St. Louis Cardinals owner ever, Sam Breadon.

Don’t retire Herzog’s number – a different approach

Rather than retiring the number of every new Hall of Famer, the St. Louis Cardinals need a two-tiered system.

Herzog follows top Cardinals managers to Cooperstown

Whitey Herzog and the other six most-winning St. Louis Cardinals managers in club history are either in or locks for the Hall of Fame.

Ballpark Village holding Cardinals Museum hostage

St. Louis Cardinals history remains in mothballs while development project flounders.

‘Tis the early Holliday season for Cardinals second-guessers

Why is the Matt Holliday contract situation causing heightened emotions across Cardinal Nation?

Is the international draft inching closer to reality?

Recent comments attributed to management and the union are positive, but will they actually get to work on it?

Exactly what compensatory picks will the Cardinals receive?

Based on Tuesday’s arbitration offers, the St. Louis Cardinals may get four compensatory picks, but exactly where they will fall in the 2010 draft is unclear.

Walton and Sickels on Cardinals prospects on Tuesday Fantasy Focus show

Brian Walton joins minorleagueball.com’s John Sickels and host Jeff Erickson of Rotowire.com on Fantasy Focus on Blog Talk Radio Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Cardinals Rule 5 available players

How the St. Louis Cardinals went from 59 players eligible for the Rule 5 draft down to 21.

Collusion or just getting younger?

A net of four veteran jobs may be lost on the St. Louis Cardinals year-to-year. Does that mean anything?

Fixing the USAToday Salary Database

A significant discrepancy in a widely-used database reflecting the St. Louis Cardinals’ player payroll has been corrected.

Breadon among deserving Hall of Fame candidates

The St. Louis Cardinals owner during a record period of prosperity is being considered for election to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Would a Cubbies spring move to Florida help the Cardinals?

With distance a problem in spring training, would the Cardinals benefit by a possible move of the Chicago Cubs to Naples, Florida?

Cardinals minor matters: November 1

A collection of recent St. Louis Cardinals-related links of interest with a little commentary sprinkled in.

Cardinals Minor Matters: October 25

A collection of recent St. Louis Cardinals-related links of interest with a little commentary mixed in.

Cards no better than #6 in Holliday chase?

It looks like a number of big money teams will get in on the Matt Holliday chase. Every one decreases the Cardinals’ dwindling chances of retaining him.

Cardinals passing up comp draft picks

The St. Louis Cardinals have passed up the potential opportunity for 16 additional draft picks the last four seasons.

Checking Cardinals early draft pick return

A review of the St. Louis Cardinals early draft picks over the last six years, with special focus on regular versus compensatory selections.

More on La Russa’s future

A San Francisco article offers additional insight into Tony La Russa’s future plans.

Might the Cardinals let Holliday and Boras pull a “Drew” on them?

A long-term contract with a two-year out for Matt Holliday might not be as crazy as it first may sound.

Walton on Wednesday Talking Baseball Live show

Brian Walton joins FantasyPros911.com’s Lenny Melnick and Paul Greco on their weekly Talking Baseball Live show on Blog Talk Radio Wednesday at 8:15 p.m. Eastern time.

After Ankiel hit the wall, is it now time to hit the road?

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel will become a free agent. It may be best for all involved for the 30-year-old to move on.

MLB spinmasters at work on down attendance news

As the old saying goes, figures never lie and liars never figure. Have it your way – 2009 is the fifth highest total attendance in history or the biggest single-season loss since Harry Truman was president.

Cardinals 2009 closing time opens 2010 offseason

To kick off the off-season, a quick look at those who may have played their last game as St. Louis Cardinals.

Cardinals NLDS optimism and pessimism

Two perspectives on the Cardinals chances of coming back against the Dodgers based on past League Division Series.

Walton on KXnO FOX Sports Radio Friday

Catch Brian Walton talking Cardinals baseball with Matt Perrault and Ken Miller on KXnO FOX Sports Radio 1460 in Des Moines today (Friday) at 6:05 p.m. Central.

Holliday isn’t Denkinger or Buckner

Matt Holliday’s error did not end the 2009 NLDS, yet the blueprint for the blame game has been in place for a long time.

Reheating Cardinals NLDS game one leftovers

Historically-based factoids from the Cardinals’ NLDS game one loss Wednesday night.

Smoltz and Lohse: Different post-season bullpen histories

Now available in relief, two veteran Cardinals starters have been there before.

Meet the Cards-Dodgers NLDS umpiring crew

Dana DeMuth and his crew of five umpires have been assigned to work the St. Louis-Los Angeles NLDS.

Cardinals top minor league manager – Chris Maloney

No Cardinals minor league skipper with at least six years of service has won a higher percentage of regular season games than Chris Maloney.

Does a big September lead mean Cardinals October success?

2009 is the third time this decade that the St. Louis Cardinals entered the final month with a double-digit lead. That hasn’t yet meant much in October.

Cardinals and September not made for one another

The St. Louis Cardinals have not played well in recent Septembers. That doesn’t mean they will fail in October, however.

TCN blog’s trio of 15-game winners article featured on KSDK Channel 5

The Cardinal Nation blog has again been highlighted on KSDK Channel 5, the Sunday home of the St. Louis Cardinals. This time, the focus was on three 15-game winners – if Joel Pineiro can squeeze out one more…

Tough Friday defeat invokes memories of past 1-0 Cardinals losses

Looking back at recent 1-0 St. Louis Cardinals defeats, including Friday’s game with Atlanta