Tuesday, September 16, 2008
STLtoday - Reds' Arroyo sets career high for wins
4thebirds...
... Game summary.
Redbirds to be sold to St. Louis Cardinals - Memphis Business Journal:
If it goes through, the deal would follow what Dave Chase, president of baseball operations for the Memphis Redbirds, called a growing trend of major league baseball teams buying minor league affiliates."
4thebirds...
... The Redbirds will soon be owned by the Redbirds. Huh?
Glaus late addition to Cards' lineup | MLB.com: News
4thebirds...
... Yadi and Ank out, Glaus back in.
Molina a few days from rejoining Cards | stlcardinals.com: News
4thebirds...
... Yadi may yet be back in 2008. Ankiel, probably not.
Arroyo sets career high for wins as Reds top Cards : 24 Hour Breaking Sports : The Buffalo News
4thebirds...
... Game summary.
Tell us what you think: When will Cubs clinch? - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com
4thebirds...
... Chicago is posturing to clinch.
Bernie’s Extra Points » Blog Archive » Cardinals: Another September Swoon
4thebirds...
... Why? Why? Why ... are the Cards' faltering. Miklasz has ideas.
Reds up slightly at turnstiles | coshoctontribune.com | Coshocton Tribune
'I'm pleased . . . considering,' said Phil Castellini, the club's chief operating officer."
4thebirds...
... The Cardinals should have a hand in boosting the Reds' attendance.
St. Louis Cardinals (78-71) at Cincinnati Reds (68-81), 7:10 p.m. - 09/16/2008 - MiamiHerald.com
4thebirds...
... Game preview.
Fired Yost says he has no regrets managing Brewers - The Denver Post
Yost was fired Monday and replaced with third-base coach Dale Sveum. The Brewers are tied with Philadelphia for the NL wild-card lead with 12 games to play."
4thebirds...
... More Yost toast.
Rockin' the Red: Ned Yost fired
4thebirds...
... Apparently, Yost ain't the Most. This story posted today by Rockin' the Red.
The Final Stretch (C70 At The Bat)
4thebirds...
... Heck, I wasn't panicking about the pennant race, the Wild Card, the injuries, but ya just had to go and say "stretch of six months without a game," didn't you?
Wub-wub-wub-wub-wub.
Searching for a lefty in the desert | Future Redbirds
4thebirds...
... Future Redbirds has a new posting relative to left-handed pitchers and the Arizona Fall League.
Boston Red Sox - It's not just hitters taking cuts - The Boston Globe
4thebirds...
... Could these types of stories be the next black eye for MLB?
Brewers fire manager Ned Yost -- OrlandoSentinel.com
4thebirds...
... Too bad for Yost. This was like cooking the meal, serving the meal, then not being permitted to eat the meal.
ROCHESTER'S NEWS LEADER NEWSRADIO 1180 WHAM
Just one day after Carlos Zambrano's first no-hitter for the Cubs in 36 years, Lilly (15-9) didn't give up a hit until Mark Loretta got Houston's only hit of the series, a single in the seventh inning. He finished his outing with one walk and nine strikeouts to win his second straight start."
4thebirds...
... Ted Lilly continues to thrive with the Cubs.
La Russa comes to Yankee Stadium one last time : 24 Hour Breaking Sports : The Buffalo News
'A lot of memories here,' he said."
4thebirds...
... Some of Tony La Russa's memories of Yankee Stadium.
STLtoday - Future is now for Cards' bullpen
There's a lot of 2009 in this final month of 2008.
'We're probably going to be young,' Franklin said of next year's bullpen. 'I'll have to do a lot of fathering.'"
4thebirds...
... Somewhat of a picture of next year's bullpen is what you're seeing right now, according to Derrick Goold of stltoday.com.
Cheap seats blog: Fans get annual promise from Cards management
General manager John Mozeliak told KTRS following the Cardinals being swept by the -- ahem -- Pirates, that he sees a proverbial 'impact bat' help for the starting rotation and improvement in the middle infield to be a priority. Despite the fact that the bullpen was terrible this year and likely was more to blame than any other part of the team for the team's awful 2008 season, Mozeliak said he sees the 'pen men as 'a strength.'"
4thebirds...
... Speculation on off-season moves for the Cards, including references to Edgar Renteria and A.J. Burnett.
Redbird Randoms...9/16/08 Looper
Monday, September 15, 2008
LIVEblog viewers up
Cards' run exceeded expectations | stlcardinals.com: News
4thebirds...
... Matthew Leach seems to be giving a semi-homily, if that's possible. A full-blown funeral is probably out of the question, because unlike most bloggers, who never face these players in interviews, he has to make sure they'll still talk to him for his next assignment.
Fungoes » Blog Archive » Weekend wrapup: No fight left
4thebirds...
... Game exploratory, rather than summary, found on Fungoes, a United Cardinals Blogger.
Kirkwood-Webster Journal | News | Dog-tired and tired of dogs
“I’ve got a good dog,” he told them. “I’ve been accused of having a little bit too much mustard on myself at times.”
Hrabosky’s Chicago-style dog seems an appropriate addition to the tour. The Cardinals would play the Chicago Cubs later in the day at Busch Stadium. Executive Chef Steven Richardson talks up the hot dog. He listed the toppings — tomato, pickle, red onion, medium hot banana peppers and “atomic relish,” featuring buffalo wing sauce and sliced jalapeño."
4thebirds...
... 24, not the TV series, but the hot dog challenge: 24 dogs in 24 hours, and Al Hrabosky's restaurant was one of the midway stops. Read the article, but hold the mustard!
Colby sitting out winter ball for “personal reasons” | Future Redbirds
4thebirds...
... A story on Colby Rasmus's decision not to play winter baseball.
The Final Nails (C70 At The Bat)
4thebirds...
... C70 catches up with a five-game summary.
LIVEblog session today
The Muckdogs Win! | Future Redbirds
4thebirds...
... Here's a story regarding the Batavia Muckdogs championship win yesterday, found at Future Redbirds, a UCB blogsite that covers everything about the Cards' minor league system.
Carpenter shut down for the season | MLB.com: News
Carpenter, who is dealing with a muscle strain in the back of his right shoulder, ends the season with four appearances, three starts, covering 15 1/3 innings. He has pitched in five Major League games since the end of the 2006 World Series."
4thebirds...
... Matthew Leach stays on top of the status regarding former Cardinals' ace Chris Carpenter, detailing the hurlers' "shutdown" for the 2008 season.
Muckdogs capture New York-Penn title | MLB.com: News
Hector Cardenas pitched six strong innings and Shane Peterson drove in a pair of runs as the Muckdogs beat the Jamestown Jammers, 9-3, to capture the New York-Penn League title."
4thebirds...
... Writer Danny Wild describes the scene during the St. Louis Cardinals' Low-A affiliate Batavia Muckdogs' championship victory yesterday. 4thebirds had posted lots of stats on the team and other minor league affiliates during this season, and it's a great thing that they've received some much "bigger-time" attention for their accomplishments.
Tails will wag at Thursday's game | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com
4thebirds...
... It's Pooches Day at the ball park, but no at Busch Stadium, like I first thought. No, this one will take place at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.
STLtoday - Notebook: Molina leaves game
4thebirds...
... Goold updates Molina's injury and offers more Cards' tidbits.
STLtoday - Frustrated Redbirds suffer series sweep
It took the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates to impose reality."
4thebirds...
... Frustration for the Cardinals seemed to be the order of yesterday's game, and the team is recognizing it, dealing with it, and hopefully, will get beyond it. There are a couple weeks remaining and they are yet in the NL Wild Card race, regardless of how tough the odds are against them.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
ABC News: Zambrano Throws No-Hitter as Cubs Beat Astros 5-0
4thebirds...
... Zambrano throws no-no, Astros get "Iked."
Cardinals not throwing in the towel yet | stlcardinals.com: News
The Redbirds haven't been eliminated yet, and besides that, pride is a powerful motivation. A team that has played well all year doesn't want to go out on a sour note."
4thebirds...
... There's plenty to play for, and I'm glad the Cardinals are taking that attitude. Maybe this is what they mean by Play like a Cardinal.
Villone ejected after on-field argument | stlcardinals.com: News
A dispute between the two teams over a play on the basepaths nearly turned into a full-on fight on Sunday afternoon. Both benches and bullpens emptied and Cardinals reliever Ron Villone was ejected, but no punches were exchanged."
4thebirds...
... Matthew Leach gets the straight talk from Aaron Miles on what was said at second base that started the scuffle that found both benches and bullpens emptying.
Small-ball helps Phillies win big | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/14/2008
The manager had talked with Chase Utley today about the potential for a sacrifice bunt before his at-bat in the eighth inning of a 7-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park."
4thebirds...
... Game summary; not long ago, I stated of the teams in the hunt for the NL Wild Card, Philly was the team with the best shot.
Sports Update - MLB: Philadelphia 7, Milwaukee 3 (Game 1) - ArcaMax Publishing
4thebirds...
... Game summary of Phillies/Brewers game, having an impact on the NL Wild Card race.
ESPN - Astros' Cooper unhappy to play Cubs in Milwaukee - MLB
'It's like a Cub home game,' Cooper said. 'Only they're not the 'home' team, we are. I'm not happy about that. I need to tell the commissioner that. I will tell him that.'"
4thebirds...
... The forums are alive with talk of the seemingly unfair decision to have this game played just outside the Cubs' back yard.
McLouth homers as Pirates sweep Cards - FOX30Online.com Jacksonville News Leader
McLouth homers as Pirates sweep Cards - FOX30Online.com Jacksonville News Leader: "Nate McLouth went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and finished with two runs driven in and three scored, as the Pittsburgh Pirates completed their first three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals since August 11-13 of 2006 with a 7-2 victory."
4thebirds...
... Game summary.
Molina sits after aggravating injury | stlcardinals.com: News
4thebirds...
... And the Injury Parade rolls on for the Cards, this time a relapse of Yadier Molina's bruised leg after a collision at home plate with Ted Lilly of the Cubs.
Cardinals suffer fifth straight defeat | stlcardinals.com: News
4thebirds...
... Matthew Leach provides a game summary.
Early gamer: Pirates sweep St. Louis - PBC Blog - post-gazette.com
It is the Pirates' first three-game winning streak since taking four in a row July 21-24, their first sweep since taking three in Houston in that same span."
4thebirds...
... Pittsburgh area game summary.
The Cardinal Virtue: When it rains, it pours.
1. Four losses in a row, including two to the lowly Pirates.
2. Carpenter has been shut down for the rest of the year. Apparently..."
4thebirds...
... Trey at Cardinal Virtue weighs in on the current status of the Cardinals, like most, feeling like maybe it's time to make a call on the season ... or is it?
STLtoday - Cardinals Insider: Mozeliak pledges to be aggressive
Eleven days have lapsed since manager Tony La Russa spoke for himself and a significant portion of the team's fan base by saying, 'I think the issues are out there and it's up to the organization to prove if they want to have a fighting chance to finish first. The only way you do that is by your actions, not by the benefit of what you've done."
4thebirds...
... (comment left at Joe Strauss's article on STL-PD at the linked page)
STLtoday - Deadlock vs. Bucs
4thebirds...
... Game summary by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
STLtoday - Isringhausen plans to pitch in '09
'I'm sure I'm going to play,' Isringhausen said Saturday from his St. Louis-area home. 'I'm going to go through the rehab so that I can make that decision, but right now I plan on playing. We'll see how it goes from here.'"
4thebirds...
... (comment left on STL-PD linked page)
Do-it-all Thompson gets call for Cards | stlcardinals.com: News
Just this year alone, he's taken a wide range of assignments. He's started. He's pitched long relief and mopup in the early innings. He piggybacked Mark Mulder in Mulder's return from the disabled list, entering as a reliever in the first inning. He's pitched in the ninth inning with a save chance. He's pitched as a middle/setup man, and as a long man in extra innings."
4thebirds...
... Earlier in the year, I was a little miffed about how Thompson was dispatched back to Triple-A after coming to the rescue of a starting rotation that wasn't able to, well, rotate. And it truly was the "how" that was irritating. Thompson had learned that he was heading back to Memphis in the locker room, informed by the media, before the Cardinals staff did. It seems no one on the staff bothered to tell him they had finished using him. Maybe there was a bus ticket in his locker that he hadn't noticed yet.
In any case, Thompson handled it professionally, and without throwing a fit, which he had been prone to do on the mound and probably his biggest hindrance to pitching his best. So here he is again. He sure has earned it.
Scott Wuerz blog: Ankiel will be going under the knife
He has an injury similar to Chris Duncan's 2007 sports hernia that will require surgery, the Redbirds now say."
4thebirds...
... Ankiel's injury apparently was much worse than he let on, and that's the key. I believe Ankiel had led the Cardinals to believe that he was okay to swing, but that the running bothered him.
Still, medical and coaching staff might have questioned that, knowing Ankiel is a ball player who wants to win and will try to forgo any injury.
And further still, Ankiel, who has been injured before, knows this is not something you should take lightly or put off.
Wuerz is usually pretty hard on the Cardinals, but this may be a time when it is very appropriate, or, like Wuerz wrote, something should have been done weeks earlier.
STLtoday - Lead, game slip away
That there was a score to be untied, let alone a 12th inning to do it, traced back to the fifth inning, when Wainwright couldn't catch his breath and didn't get an out."
4thebirds...
... By now, everyone has figured out that Wainwright was gassed in the fifth. So why didn't anyone do anything about it?
Rattler Radio: More good news from Quad Cities
4thebirds...
... Apparently, the Quad-Cities River Bandits organization aren't the only ones glad that Modern Woodmen Park is going to get the twice-over.
But right now, I'm wondering what is happening with the home of the River Bandits with all this rainfall and the remnants of Hurricane Ike.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Raise the Jolly Roger!
4thebirds...
... Game summary post on the popular Pirates' blog, Raise the Jolly Roger!
Bucs beat Cards in 12 innings - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Bucs beat Cards in 12 innings - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Right fielder Brandon Moss's two-out double to center off Cardinals reliever Chris Perez scored Adam LaRoche from first base as the Pirates beat the Cardinals, 7-6, in 12 innings."
4thebirds...
... Game summary.
Molina, Glaus close to returning | stlcardinals.com: News
Molina, who sustained a thigh bruise in a collision at home plate on Wednesday, practiced crouching on Saturday and was able to do so. He's not entirely pain-free, but he's close enough that manager Tony La Russa hopes to write his name in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale."
4thebirds...
... Matthew Leach explores the status of the injuries to both Yadier Molina and Troy Glaus.
Pineiro, La Russa on same page | stlcardinals.com: News
So when the two men got together for a chat on Saturday, it's not surprising that they saw things eye to eye."
4thebirds...
... Uh-oh, a meeting in the boss's office can't be good. Or was it?
Carlos Delgado has cause enough to be National League MVP over Albert Pujols
4thebirds...
... The Mets fans believe Carlos Delgado is more deserving of the MVP than Albert Pujols.
Pirates rally in fifth, win it in 12th | pirates.com: News
4thebirds...
... MLB game summary by Todd Krise.
STLtoday - Molina could start Sunday
STLtoday - Molina could start Sunday: "Molina was available to pinch hit if needed Saturday, and the catcher felt good enough getting into and out of a crouch that he’ll be cleared to handle his position before the weekend’s final game at PNC Park."
4thebirds...
... Derrick Goold informs us about:
- status of Yadier Molina (injury)
- status of Troy Glaus (injury)
- Joel Pineiro meeting with TLR
- info on Josh Kinney
- the blue caps
Walk-off Moss gathers no loss for Bucs
Mostly Memphis for the St. Louis Redbirds
Cards looking to ride ace to victory | stlcardinals.com: News
4thebirds...
... Matthew Leach examines the usage of Adam Wainwright.
Raise the Jolly Roger!
4thebirds...
... Preview from a Bucs blogger at Raise the Jolly Roger!.
Cards' Carpenter Done for Season
4thebirds...
... more about Carp's shutdown.
InGameNow » Who’s Coming Back First - Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire?
4thebirds...
... In some of the forums, the word it has been said that the passing of the 10-year McGwire historic event, #62, has gone quietly, and for the better, one poster calling the event a "juiced up milestone."
Unfortunately, about the only hitting McGwire might be able to do is to call Barry; the two of them can stand about 715 feet apart and hit the ball back and forth.
UCB Autumn Roundtable reminder...Cubs/Cards LIVEcast
UCB members can use this tool to give themselves a reminder for the UCB project, but should email me separatly using the Email the author below this post, or if you have my regular e-mail. This is not required, but I'll only have so much room for "throughs" without moderation, so if you can send me a short note telling me you'll be attending, I can e-mail back a panelist's link (to the first ten, anyway.) NOTE: Although it would be cool to embed the live blog on your blog, it is not necessary to participate, as you can use the live blog that will be up here or on any participating UCB blog.
I would advise testing the live blog out prior to the event if you haven't done so in the past, in order to iron out any issues you may have with your site. The live blog window seems to embed without a hitch on Blogger and MLBlogs, with an extra step needed for Wordpress. There is also a way to paste it into a browser window, if nothing else.
To those receiving e-mail invites, they will be branded with Cover-it-Live, and often end up in the junk mail.
Anyone wanting to get on as a panelist to one the LIVEcasts I'll be doing this weekend and during the week can email me or hop on the live blog. I now have most of the email addresses, so I can flick out an email invite so you can test it, even if you're only on there for a few minutes.
Cardinals continue set in Steel City
4thebirds...
... Game preview.
New York-Penn League: News: Article
4thebirds...
... Game summary by John Torenli regarding the St. Louis Cardinals' Low-A affiliate Batavia Muckdogs as they get off to a good start in the New York-Penn League Championship.
Daily Farm Report 9/12/08 | Future Redbirds
Daily Farm Report 9/12/08 Future Redbirds
4thebirds...
... The DFR from Future Redbirds.
STLtoday - Season over for Carpenter
4thebirds...
... Derrick Goold continues to swarm all over the Cardinals' news that means something. This Carp stuff may (or may not) be bad news, depending on how you loo at it, but it is important to his career, the St. Louis Cardinals' organization, and to the fans.
STLtoday - Surgery for Ankiel?
STLtoday - Surgery for Ankiel?: "Ankiel received a shot Friday to address the irritation, and he was diagnosed with an abdominal strain/sports hernia."
4thebirds...
... Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gives us the line on a lot of Cardinal-concerns, including:
- Rick Ankiel's abdominal injury
- status of Yadier Molina (injury)
- status of Troy Glaus (injury)
- coin toss to determine home/away in the case of playoff with Philadelphia
- coin toss to determine home/away in the case of playoff with Milwaukee
- rotation of affiliate coaches with major league team
- info on Brian Barden
STLtoday - Birds take a beating from Bucs
STLtoday - Birds take a beating from Bucs: "'It all exploded,' Piñeiro said. 'Quick.'
It was that kind of day for the Cardinals."
4thebirds...
... Game summary form Derrick Goold.
This and That and More of the Same: Albert Pujols joins elite club
4thebirds...
... Fresh piece re: Pujols.
McLouth's career night carries Pirates | pirates.com: News
Two months overdue, in fact."
4thebirds...
... Game summary by Todd Krise.
Karstens questionable with dental issue | pirates.com: News
And as of Friday, you can add teeth to that list."
4thebirds...
... This Todd Krise article gives you the low-down on Jeff Karstens' dental dilemma. And we all know, an aching tooth can bring down a giant, let alone a human baseball pitcher. Odd but true. Only his dentist knows for sure.
staugustine.com: the oldest city's home on the Net
4thebirds...
... Game summary; Florida publication.
Cheap seats blog: Someone make the suffering stop
My response has always been that, while the odds have grown increasingly unlikely that the Birds could dig themselves out of the hole they put themselves in, it's not over until the numbers say it's mathematically impossible to catch up."
4thebirds...
... This Belleville blog by Scott Wuerz rages with frustration over not only the shellacking the Cardinals took in Pittsburgh last night, but when seems to be a lack of enthusiasm, Wuerz going so far as to accusing the non-star Cardinals of not trying as hard as the star-power.
There's not much positive here except the mathematical fact that the Cardinals are still in the hunt of a playoff spot.
If you like Wuerz, who covers the Cardinals inside and out throughout the season, read it; if you're indifferent, you can hear this tone in any Cardinals forum.
The Fat Lady Has Sung | Mike On The Cards
4thebirds...
... He calls em likes he sees em.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Bucs pound Cards in road trip opener
photo by David Watson
Read more...Sore back forces Chipper to sit out | braves.com: News
Jones, who is in a race for the National League batting title with Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, enters Friday with a .362 average and 71 RBIs. He went 2-for-8 with one RBI and two runs scored in his last three-game series against the Mets from Aug. 19-21. Against Johan Santana, who is set to start Friday at Shea Stadium, Jones is a lifetime 5-for-11 (.455) with an RBI and a strikeout."
4thebirds...
... News regarding Chipper Jones.
Blue caps, to answer your question
Redbird Randoms...9/12/08 Piniero, Thompson
Read more...
Stay aggressive, Brendan
By strategy, maybe he shouldn't have gone. But when you run bases on strategy alone, you miss out on extra bases. Albert Pujols, for all his hitting prowess, is a genius at picking up the extra base, knowing when and knowing himself well enough to quickly calculate whether he has a great chance at making it.
But mind the word, chance, because that is definitely part of it. Ryan took a good chance. And although the replay showed him safe, even that doesn't matter. What does matter is that the play was so close, you know it was the right way to go.
Honestly, when it comes to Cardinals and days late and dollars short, the crystal ball isn't tuning in to a base hit at the next at bat.
On the ball field, I always say: If you're gonna make a mistake, do it at a hundred miles an hour. Leave no doubt in the opposition's mind that whether out or safe, you're going to put every bit of pressure on them you possibly can.
Final analysis: Stay aggressive, Brendan Ryan.
photo by Barbara Moore
Cardinals at Pirates 7:05 p.m. (maybe) 09-12-08 - PBC Blog - post-gazette.com
4thebirds...
... Game preview.
Watertown Daily Times Online - Sports
Moyer pitched 5 2-3 effective innings on three days' rest, Ryan Howard hit his major league-leading 43rd homer and the Phillies beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 Thursday night to gain ground in the playoff race."
4thebirds...
... Of concern to the Cardinals, this entire series.
Bird Land » Blog Archive » Title Bout: Pujols v. Jones
This weekend, it’s Pujols’ turn to play the splits."
4thebirds...
... This race will go down to the wire, obviously, but for Pujols, it will be a distraction as long as the Cardinals are mathematically in the hunt for whatever is left over in the NL.
Knowing how Pujols sneers when asked about home run hitting, I can just imagine the look on his face as he has to answer media questions regarding his 100th RBI, which occurred during a one-run loss to the Chicago Cubs, at Busch Stadium, and on a night when Pujols made a costly fielding error and made the last out with two men on base.
photo by Barbara Moore
Read more...Above average: Cards' Pujols setting the mark
4thebirds...
... Pujols, Pujols, Pujols. Wow.
Redbird Report
Redbird Report: "Sadly, I was able to catch the balk instantaneously, while these Major League umpires couldn't pick it up. Any of the three other umpires could have stepped forward, but no call was made by any of them."
4thebirds...
... Yes, folks, this is a game summary from Redbirdfan13, the same fellow who stepped up to the plate for 4thebirds and assisted with the better portion of last night's play-by-play on the LIVEcast blog of the rubber match of the Cardinals/Cubs game.
Our viewers might have had a hard time keeping up, RB13 was posting so fast, at times, down to the pitch-by-pitch.
And during the game, RB13 had a lot to say about the shortcomings of the umpiring crew when it came to a "non-call," which I figured would be part of today's game summary, posted on his MLB Blog, Redbird Report. (There are a few blogs by the same name, but this link takes you to his blog.)
RB13's article hits all the important aspects of last night's game, and he has a more current article re: K-rod as well.
Raise the Jolly Roger!
4thebirds...
... A popular Pirates' blog entry from Raise the Jolly Roger!
Pittsburgh Pirates Blog | Blogging about the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pirates Tickets, Pirates Rumors and more!
4thebirds...
... A Pirates' blog game summary from recent game with Astros.
Cardinal Nation Globe: Pujols is human... maybe
Cardinal Nation Globe: Pujols is human... maybe
4thebirds...
... Cardinal Nation Globe weighs in on Pujols milestone.
Harden makes strong return in Cubs win :: Naperville Sun :: Sports
Harden makes strong return in Cubs win :: Naperville Sun :: Sports: "What's the big deal?
That's what Rich Harden said about his two-week hiatus over shoulder concerns, all the way up to the eve of his return Thursday to the Cubs' rotation in St. Louis."
4thebirds...
... Game summary from a Chicago-area publication.
Cards clubhouse blog: Agonizing loss for Cardinals
News-Democrat
It was a game of close calls and missed opportunities Thursday for the Cardinals, whose 3-2 loss to the Cubs could have been their most frustrating setback of the season."
4thebirds...
... Frustration for Cardinal Nation abounds in this piece.
680 The Fan - Atlanta's Sports Station
4thebirds...
... Another take on the Pujols' milestone.
Wild Cards
Bucs may opt to alter rotation plans | pirates.com: News
'[General manager] Neal [Huntington] and I have talked about that,' Russell said. 'We could move somebody from the bullpen to that spot. Since the [Minor League] season just ended, there's still the opportunity to call somebody up. We have a couple days to figure something out.'"
4thebirds...
... Pirates news now of interest to Cardinal Nation.
Rerouted Cubs wait to face Astros | cubs.com: News
The Cubs were originally scheduled to open a three-game series in Houston on Friday night at Minute Maid Park. But the Friday and Saturday games were postponed while Houston waits to see what Hurricane Ike decides to do. The storm was expected to make landfall in Texas early Saturday, and the city of Houston was in its path. Better to be safe, so Major League Baseball opted to postpone the games and take a wait-and-see approach."
4thebirds...
... info on Ike as it relates to the Astros/Cubs series.
Wood walks tightrope to close thriller | cubs.com: News
'It was a hand confirmation -- 'Go get him out,'' Piniella said. 'And then I said a little prayer back to the dugout.'"
4thebirds...
... Never shy to take center stage just when his team has the big advantage, Cubs' manager Lou Piniella goes to the mound with two outs in the ninth, instructing his closer, Kerry Wood, to get Albert Pujols out.
Duhhhh!
How Piniella can figure out these complicated game strategies, and so spontaneously, I'll never know.
Imagine that, I mean, telling the pitcher to try to get the batter out. You learn something new in baseball every game, I suppose.
But if that's all it takes, TLR better plan on visiting Perez, Franklin, Izzy, Motte, Springer, ect. a whole lot more.
photo by Barbara Moore
Read more...Redbird Randoms...9/12/08 Thompson, Hurrican Ike, Molina, Pujols, Miles
STLtoday - Cubs-Astros series delayed
And now, as the magic number has shrunk a little more and the end is in sight, another roadblock was tossed in their way Thursday."
4thebirds...
... Imagine the Cubs playing in Busch Stadium, but not against the Cardinals. That probably won't happen, but it could if the case would come up that MLB couldn't find a neutral site for the Astros/Cubs series due to Hurricane Ike's potential landfall in the Houston area.
So far, the best scenario for these clubs puts them (in Houston, of course, if everything is okay) in Atlanta, as the Braves will not be returning from their current road trip until Tuesday.
STLtoday - Carp shut down
4thebirds...
... Derrick Goold hits many points: Carpenter, Molina, Batavia Muckdogs, Memphis Redbirds, Brad Thompson, Colby Rasmus
Charitable ballplayers up for award | MLB.com: News
4thebirds...
... Here's the particulars on the Man of the Year deal involving Pujols. Learn about the Vote.
Smith, White talk about defense | stlcardinals.com: News
4thebirds...
... We heard it was quite a show. Now you can, too.












