Right after that first game, La Russa called Ankiel's return the Cardinals' greatest joy in baseball "short of winning the World Series." This, from a manager (as chronicled in George Will's classic "Men at Work") not given to happy talk. La Russa is the ultimate baseball logician, driven by numbers and stats. He may be more machine than man, but he confessed at the postgame news conference: "I'm fighting my butt off to keep it together."
Great personal story.
Side note: watch out Cubs :-)
I can't wait for football and basketball seasons.
Thanks for posting this. I would have to agree with LaRussa. I'm extremely happy to see Rick back in the bigs and to have him remain a Cardinal makes it all the more enjoyable. And after his big game the other day he was still humble enough to warn the fans not to expect him to hit like that every day. Rick seems to be a neat guy and very driven. I'm glad Walt Jocketty talked him into becoming an outfielder.
I almost choked up myself when I watched him hit that first home run. To have it all, then lose it like he did - Wow, what a comeback!
Thanks for the post RSW.
IP,
If only you were part of the winning tradition that entails being a Cardinal fan, you might have an appreciation for The American Pastime.
I almost choked up myself when I watched him hit that first home run.
Aye! I thought to myself that this year I really don't care if they come in behind the Cubbies.
IP - How about letting us hopeful (some would say hopeless) Cubs fans enjoy the last few weeks of our angst before we are subjected to another 2-10 Illini football season or another "convicts in orange" basketball season (sorry, I just call em as I see em). Go Cubbies!!
ps- There is an Urbana native up for voting for the seventh inning stretch contest on Cubs.com.
I wish I could watch the game today - Mike Shannon sure is making it sound exciting on the radio.
Dang - tough loss for the Cards. They need to at least split.
Cubs win! Cubs win!
This is going to be one fun series!
Mike Shannon sure is making it sound exciting on the radio
Wow, that's probably a first - I think the Shannon/Rooney team is one of the worst radio teams in MLB. Pitches go by without any update from them. Granted, they're leagues ahead of the Sox TV team (Harrelson/Jackson).
Cubs win, yeah they always beat the Cards and that's always the excuse, but hey we are 1/2 game up. this is going to be fun.
this is going to be fun.
I think it'd be more fun if the close race didn't rival the '05 West for "worst record ever in the postseason." When three teams are at .512, .508, and .487, and all within 3 games, it's pathetic.
Don't get me wrong - I want to see this close race, and I think it's great for baseball. But considering the three teams' records in the West and East (40-39 and 38-49, respectively), and that only one team has a winning record on the road (at an overpowering 30-29), I don't see the Central as much of a contender this year.
But that's what's great about baseball - the underdog can always win. No undefeated teams, no such thing as a "sure thing." That's why I really hate watching football and basketball - you can stop watching most games when you're only 3/4 done, and some games don't even need to be watched (like most Illini football games).
I guess it is raining outside, TP but you don't have to make it rain inside too. :-)
Someone needs to explain to me why LaRussa wouldn't start Ankiel, the spark plug of the last 5 games before the Cubs series. Idiocy I tell ya.
Someone needs to explain to me why LaRussa wouldn't start Ankiel, the spark plug of the last 5 games before the Cubs series. Idiocy I tell ya.
.678 road OPS with Encarnacion, only .490 with Ankiel. They're almost identical (.714 and .712, respectively) vLH, so the road OPS is probably it. But I bet he starts tomorrow - he leads the Cardinals with vRH OPS (a whopping 1.141).
That's in 13 PAs. If LaRussa is picking his lineups based on 13 PAs, then that is truly idiocy. Especially when Encarnacion has sucked on the road in many more PAs...
.490 road OPS with a sample size of 11 at bats is no reason to bench a guy that brought life to a dead team
What the heck does all that mean, are you Cards fans trying to distract from the fact you have lost 2 outta 2?
We apologize for discussing stats and managerial tactics. We Cardinals fans unfortunately have a baseball IQ higher than a six-year-old. Back to the left field bleachers for us ... getting drunk on Old Style and paying attention to the blonde two rows down for 7 of the 9 innings.
"What the heck does all that mean, are you Cards fans trying to distract from the fact you have lost 2 outta 2?"
Elephant? What elephant?
Axom-man you Cards fan just don't have know have any fun do you. You have to learn to lighten up your losing to a team that has not won a series in 99 years, that could be bad. :-)
That's in 13 PAs. If LaRussa is picking his lineups based on 13 PAs, then that is truly idiocy.
We're talking about the same LaRussa, right? Mr. "Burn through the bullpen in the seventh inning based on minute differences in opposing averages?" I think this move is completely normal for him...he's a machine when it comes to certain stats.
We apologize for discussing stats and managerial tactics. We Cardinals fans unfortunately have a baseball IQ higher than a six-year-old.
Oh, well, I'm actually a Cubs fan. But I'll discuss baseball stats any time. Only real baseball, though - none of that AL crap.
Ha!! Nicely played TP, check and mate.
You mean the only current Major League? And don't give me that "there was a .500 team that won a few games last October". Every current baseball analyst worth his salt says that the AL is significantly better. There's even a built-in conversion to downgrade player's stats as they transition from NL to AL.
Of course, if you do believe in the power of the short series, then we'd have to agree that the Champion of the NPB is the true world champion, right?
I was mainly referring to the DH. I think it ruins a lot of the game - replacing your worst hitter with your best? Come on - that's like the NBA having a free-throw specialist for Shaq. Or the NHL having shoot-out specialists that are fresh and didn't play on a line. Plus, I love the strategy of double-switches - they make those late innings a lot of fun to watch.
I feel that. I like the double switch too. I just hope you aren't one of those National League folks who thinks that the double switch is like assembling a backyard swingset. They are a nice strategy move to watch and see more of the roster get involved, but my pet dog, who doesn't even exist, could easily handle one.
I do enjoy watching a great hitter hack, so it's kind of a trade-off for me--to see a great hitting pitcher hit or bunt well is a treat, but I'd rather see Edgar Martinez hit a few more years than watch some terrible hitting pitcher flail away. Also it demands a higher level of consistency from pitchers, who cannot depend on a hole in the bottom of the order.
I agree that the DH adds some diversity to the game. Don't worry, I don't think that the double switch rivals D-Day in its strategic implications. I just like seeing managers make trade-offs - a team that is down in the seventh might pull a great pitcher to try to get that extra bat in. I like watching them make those "do or die" moves late in the game.
To Run4cvrlib:
It's sad that the Cubbies' only realistic goal, year after year, is to beat the Cardinals in head-to-head play. Also sad is the fact that the Cubs rarely beat the Cards when it matters (except to the Cubs, of course). Who knows, maybe the North Siders will have a postseason this year after all...if they can get past September 14-16 in St. Louis.
And to TP:
"...considering the three teams' records in the West and East (40-39 and 38-49, respectively), and that only one team has a winning record on the road (at an overpowering 30-29), I don't see the Central as much of a contender this year."
Are you recycling this prediction from last year? But seriously, IFF the Cardinals managed to get into the postseason, they might be able to turn up the consistency with their offense but their pitching wouldn't cut it. Wait -- doesn't that sound like a rehash from last year?
You folks should remember that the goal of any professional sports team is to make MONEY. If that can be done without winning games such as the Cubs have done for years, mission accomplished.
You folks should remember that the goal of any professional sports team is to make MONEY. If that can be done without winning games such as the Cubs have done for years, mission accomplished.
Yeah, thanks to the multitude of hapless Cub fans that root for the "lovable losers". That may make the Cubs organization brilliant, but.... well, you can probably figure that out :-)
Rick opens game 4 (but really 3) with a double in the first !!!!!
Are you recycling this prediction from last year? But seriously, IFF the Cardinals managed to get into the postseason, they might be able to turn up the consistency with their offense but their pitching wouldn't cut it. Wait -- doesn't that sound like a rehash from last year?
Well, predicting the post-season is a foolhardy exercise. The Cardinals won last year because they won several short series in a row. You know--like every team does every year. They proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were a crappy team last year with their record over 162 games.
I understand that that does nothing to temper a Cardinal fans' elation over the victory (believe me--I'm a Sox fan, I understand), nor should it. But it doesn't speak to the quality of the team.
The team that wins the Central will almost certainly be the worst team in the post season. But they may also win the World Series.
In that spirit, I bet that few would say that Korea, Japan or Cuba play the best baseball in the world, but those (and DR?) were the best teams in the WBC last year....
I'm not a Cubs fan because they win or lose. I'm a Cubs fan because I want them to win. Wrigley is where I first started watching baseball... being a bleacher bum and joining in the right/left field sucks banter. I still have the ball I caught from years and years ago on my desk. I got to play catch with a Phillies player who was throwing the ball back and forth into the bleachers. I got an autograph once... plenty of narsty hot dogs. Always wore my glove to the game... just in case. Always cheered when someone who caught the other guy's home run threw it back to the field. Cursing the losses, laughing and celebrating the victories. Loved the game ever since I was in little league. The underdog team (I led the league in walks one year!). Cubs are my home team, win or lose. Go Cubbies!
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Glock21 Op/Ed
I understand that Glock, and can't argue with that logic.
However, if fans like you decided you wouldn't support the team until it really started winning, maybe the organization would be under more pressure to produce a winner. As it is, LV got it right - the Cubs can make money no matter what kind of product they put on the field. The only incentive they have is the desire of ownership to actually produce a winner - so far, that has not been enough to get it done.
I've heard that a lot, but that's like saying, "I can get paid whether I'm working at putt-and-play or building rockets for NASA, so there's no difference!"
They make money no matter what, but they could scalp their tickets for a lot higher if the team is a winner...
Anon-that’s right and if they won more games more people like me might watch the games and they would make more AD revenue. I think they are trying to win, I am no expert by any means, but hey the Cardinals are 3 games back that’s good enough for me.
:-P to RSW (you are right on most things but) we are not falling for it.