Just to make sure this member of Cardinal Nation makes mention before the season ends...
... Jason LaRue gave us some awesome seasons in the role of backup catcher for the Cardinals. No other major league team's followers could've felt the comfort Cardinal Nation had when LaRue would spell Yadier Molina, knowing everything behind the dish was covered so well.
Mr. LaRue, your efforts are appreciated.
Well wishes in your future endeavors.
The Chicago Cubs came into Busch Stadium with what was left of their experienced roster and a bunch of youngsters and swept up the hapless Redbirds, all but ending and hopes Cardinal Nation has for a playoff spot.
Next encounter with frustration: the San Diego Padres are in town for a series in which Ryan Ludwick may well prove to Cardinals' management just what a bad move it was to trade away a potential spark to the sluggish St. Louis offense.
With all that has gone on with the Reds in the last series at Great American Ball Park, this weekend set should provide plenty of emotion and spark, something the Cardinals seem to guard against as SOP.
Getting too high or low during the season has its drawbacks, but making an effort to disregard the natural emotions of the game can have the effect displayed by the Cardinals for over a month: Disregarding natural high and low emotion flattens out a team as far as leadership and puts the team in a position where anyone who suddenly steps up can look like "Leader Come Lately."
The Reds provided the much-needed spark last series, but the Cardinals stomped it out themselves.
Guarding against highs and lows is an arguable strategy for a long season, but the season is not long for an end now, so the advice is that if there is any kind of occurrence which provides a spark of any kind whatsoever, to take said spark and fan it into some flames. If not, October will be much colder than we'd all hoped.
If there's any chance the Cards are going to get a run for post-season play, they'll need to sweep the Cincinnati Reds this weekend.
The Redbirds must be wary of too much talk about Wild Card. Sure, the Wild Card is there, but too much talk about shooting for the lesser ranking is roughly the same as saying, "We not good enough."
Most of Cardinal Nation seems to have hung up this season already. That's not so good, either, as that is the equivalent of bailing out.
The St. Louis Cardinals are returning to their radio relationship with KMOX next season.
The suits me right down to the ground.
Poll coming up for your opinion.
Centerfielder Nyjer Morgan of the Washington Nationals motored around third base in Saturday night's game versus the Cardinals and blindsided Cardinals' catcher Bryan Anderson in cheap shot fashion, leading many to wonder if there will be some sort of retaliation by the Cardinals in Sunday's afternoon game in DC.
Anderson had stepped forward into fair territory as Morgan sprinted for the plate, the lack of any play obvious. Morgan then angled hard toward Anderson, going so far out of his way toward home that he ended up missing the plate entirely. Morgan threw a forearm and shoulder into Anderson, giving a jolt hard enough to stagger him and make him drop his catcher's mitt. Anderson seemed okay, but things could have been far worse.
Most likely, Yadier Molina will return to the catching duties in Sunday's game, but visions of his altercation with the Reds' Brandon Phillips come to mind. If Nationals manager Jim Riggleman sits Morgan, things could calm down before they steam up, but there's always a chance of "roughhousing," considering the Redbirds have already proven they will not stand for low-class acts against their club.
The last time (Phillips) an opponent created a tiff against the Cardinals, the benches-clearing shoving match ensued. Cardinals' backup catcher Jason LaRue ended up taking several spiked-shoe kicks to the face and body, ending his season. Can the Cardinals afford to lose another teammate to "extra-curricular" activity?
Or can the Cards afford not to stand up for their teammate, Bryan Anderson?
Kyle Lohse isn't quite ready to return to prime time yet. In Saturday night's 14-5 loss to the Washington Nationals, Lohse failed to keep the ball low enough in the strike zone to prevent a bat-fest by the Nats. Lohse threw almost three out of every four pitches for strikes, but in very hittable areas.
After Lohse was done on the hill, the Cardinals had few choices out of the bullpen, as most of its arms had been used the previous game.
As for analysis, Jon Jay may want to consider not pressing the outfield wall on fly balls he knows will hit high off the wall. The ricochets are hard enough to predict, let alone having to chase them down. Jay can learn off of Matt Holliday on this point. Holliday seems to have worked hard on recognizing a drive off the wall and playing it accordingly.
Otherwise, technique aside, Felipe Lopez, who is very sound in many aspects of the game, simply must wake up on the basepathes. Some time ago, he was picked off first base a couple times, and has had many close calls on picks. Saturday night he got picked at second base. Suffice it to say the entire league knows Lopez hasn't learned yet and will keep on setting him up for a rally-killing pickoff.
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