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Brandon Phillips Cardinals: Why Reds vs. Cardinals Brawl Is Good For MLB

August 10th, 2010

 

Brandon Phillips is a great man and just made baseball really interesting. Unless you're a St. Louis Cardinals fan or don't like the Reds you should agree with that statement. Phillips recently had some very colorful things to say about St. Louis that a ballplayer usually would say about their rival, comparing them to little female dogs.

With the Reds and Cardinals facing off this week in a showdown for first place in the National League Central division Phillips who suffered a leg injury over the weekend, made sure he would not miss this important series. After dropping the first game to St. Louis the Reds were on the edge and quite frankly so was St. Louis after Phillips' comments.

During tonight's game (August 10th, 2010) while Phillips was in the batter's box moving his bat around, St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina proceeded to move Phillips' bat with his leg causing the two to go face-to-face. Exchanging words and letting each other know they don't like them or their family, the benches soon cleared.

How is any of this good for baseball? A brawl started, people were thrown around and mean things were said among players. The reason being this brawl is one that can make us smile because it's all for a fight for first place.

The Reds are clearly one of the best feel good "Cinderella" stories in baseball this year while the Cardinals are still the dominating force that they have been for the past five years and even longer. 

 

Phillips mouthing off about the Cardinals is exactly what baseball needed. A franchise symbol for the Reds stepping up for his team as they face the biggest challenge of their season. While none of the experts could have predicted the Reds to be in a tie for first in early August, every Reds player believed they could be. 

The Cardinals have been in first place during early August for many years and have no soft spot for the Reds. The fact that the Reds have sent a message to Major League Baseball that they will not back down should make fans proud.

While commissioner Bud Selig might soon be sending a suspension message to both teams, he really shouldn't. It's like when a bully gets beat up in school you never want to punish the underdog (or nerd as they have been called).

The Reds and Cardinals will be fighting for first not only this season but for many years to come if both teams can keep their players together which would be scary for the rest of the division. The other feel-good team in the National League, the San Diego Padres should take notice. 

Get a little mean, talk some trash and fight for first and that's how all eyes turn on baseball. Reds and Cardinals both bleed red, and it wouldn't surprise me to see a little blood shed by the end of the year.

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Posted in Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds, MLB, Opinion, dusty baker

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Three Of A Kind: St. Louis Cardinals Dealing Aces for Pivotal Series

August 9th, 2010

The Cardinals head into Cincinnati on Monday looking to make up two games in the standings on their rivals, the Reds. For most of the season, the two teams have been locked in a to-the-death battle for first place in the National League Central. Who wins this three game series could likely have a major impact on the pennant race going forward.

With three of the National League's best starters taking the mound for St. Louis, they have the early edge in this series.

The Cardinals will send Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and Adam Wainwright to the hill to face a solid but inexperienced Reds pitching staff. This season, the Cardinals' first three starters have accounted for 32 of their 61 wins, second most in baseball, and by far the most among NL teams.

Monday, August 9, 7:10 PM ET, Great American Ball Park

Monday's game will be a treat for Cardinals fans living outside of the Central Time Zone, as it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The pitching matchup will pit longtime ace Chris Carpenter against rookie Mike Leake. Carpenter will serve as a trendsetter for the whole series. If he pitches well the Cardinals will have the early momentum.

He's coming off a strong start against Houston, whom he held to two runs in 7.1 innings.

He also spun a gem against the Reds in his last meeting with Cincinnati, giving up just one run and four hits in eight innings. He's won eight consecutive starts against the Reds, posting a 1.09 ERA, and beaten them three times this season.

He's also been red-hot of late, posting a 1.64 ERA in his last five starts, all St. Louis wins.

If Carpenter can continue his dominance against the division leaders, the Cardinals could inch closer by the end of the night.

Mike Leake, who broke camp with the Reds without ever pitching in the minors, looks to rebound from his last start, where he was plagued by the big inning. In the second, Leake hit Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen in the back of the neck, and was visibly shaken. He threw 33 pitches that inning alone, facing 10 batters and allowing six hits.

Tuesday, August 10, 7:10 PM ET, Great American Ball Park
On Tuesday night, the Cardinals will place their fate in the hands of rookie Jaime Garcia, who was been less than his usually brilliant self in his last two starts. Manager Tony LaRussa opted to give Garcia an extra two days rest, in hopes that he can return to form.
In his last start, he gave up four runs in just five innings pitched. The Cardinals are slowly allowing Garcia to go deeper into games, but with the way he's pitching, he hasn't lasted much more than five.
Taking the hill for the Reds is blazing hot Johnny Cueto. Cueto has been the Reds' best starter this season, posting 11 wins and a 3.24 ERA. He's looking to establish a new career high in wins. Over his last nine starts, Cueto has blown away hitters to the tune of 5-1 with a 1.55 ERA. Seemingly the only team he hasn't dominated is St. Louis.
This season, Cueto is 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts against the Redbirds.
Wednesday, August 11, 12:35 PM ET, Great American Ball Park
This looks to be the best matchup of the series. Cy Young favorite Adam Wainwright takes the hill, bringing along his 2.09 ERA and 16 wins, both second in the league. He joined Bob Gibson in his magical 1968 season as the only Cardinals starters to have as many as 16 wins with an ERA as low as 2.09 through 24 starts.
In his last start, Wainwright turned in the most dominant performance of his career, holding the Marlins to just two hits in a complete game shutout.
He currently leads the Cardinals in most major pitching statistics, and places in the top five in the Triple Crown categories of wins, ERA, and strikeouts.
For Cincinnati, veteran Bronson Arroyo takes the hill, coming off one of the best stretches in a long career. For only the second time in his big-league career, Arroyo has gone two consecutive starts without allowing an earned run. He showed good command of his pitches, especially his curveball, in seven shutout innings against the Cubs on Friday.
In Conclusion
This should be a heated series, between two division rivals, in the closest race in the National League.
In my opinion, St. Louis will take the opener and closer of this series. Cueto has been rock solid for the Reds this year, and for a Cardinals offense that has been shaky at times this season, he may be too much to solve. I could see the Cardinals winning all three, although I think it's unlikely.
In any case, this will be a good series pitting two strong teams and two of the National League's best pitching rotations against each other.

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Posted in Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, MLB, NL Central, Preview/Prediction, St Louis Cardinals

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Jim Edmonds: Cincinnati Reds Get Edmonds for Playoff Run

August 9th, 2010

Not to pat myself on the back, but on Saturday I wrote a story asking some questions as to what the Reds might do to aid their efforts to secure a playoff spot or even win the National league Central.

One of those questions was whether or not they would find another talent bat to assist in their offensive onslaught and today Cincinnati traded Outfielder Chris Dickerson for veteran slugger Outfielder Jim Edmonds from Milwaukee. It’s a good move, though I would not call it Earth shattering.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AqZ7QlRKhuvXGNFhk9J0v985nYcB?slug=ap-brewers-redstrade

Dickerson has been injured for the vast majority of the year and didn't have much impact when he was on the field. Edmonds, who is 40 years of age, may not get around as well as he used to but does have a big bat that is alive and kicking.

I like the fact the deal for the former Cardinal is done just in time to play, who else, the Cardinals in a much anticipated match up for the N-L Central lead. For the most part, I call this a move to show the Reds that there is more to this season than just coming back to life after ten years of slumber.

It’s a move to make sure Cincinnati understands the power of their situation and the amount of work they still have to do. I like it.

Edmonds, welcome aboard and make sure you keep that mindset we've been all too familiar with in the past. Its all down hill from here folks, grab a beer and enjoy the ride.

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Posted in Cincinnati Reds, Jim Edmonds, MLB, Opinion

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Pittsburgh Pirates Hopelessly Outmatched By Division Contenders

August 5th, 2010

In an earlier post, I pointed out that the Pittsburgh Pirates were showing signs of life against the three weaker opponents of the National League Central. This was because the Pirates could actually win, in some cases, and came within a run or so in other instances, suggesting that a stronger version of the team could win such games outright.

But this past week shows why the Pirates won't be contenders anytime soon. They were swept in a three-game series against the former division-leading Cardinals in St. Louis, then lost two of three against the now-leading Cincinnati Reds at home.

What's worse, the win, (and one of the losses against St. Louis) was by only one run, while the remaining four losses were decisive (by four runs or more).

After having started the season 3-0 against Cincinnati, the Pirates have gone all of 2-7 against the Reds since then. Although the opening series makes the Bucs a very competitive 5-7 for the season, that took place before Cincinnati had found its stride.

There was no such opening series against the Cardinals, and the Bucs are 1-5 against them so far, with the one win coming at home. In fact, it is the Cardinals' stronger showing against the Pirates that has kept them in competition with the Reds in the division.

And the inability of the Pirates to win even one game recently against San Diego at PETCO Park demonstrates they wouldn't be very competitive even if they made it to the playoffs by some miracle. The Bucs have done better against weaker NL West teams.

The Pirates aren't as overmatched elsewhere in the rest of the NL Central division.

Chicago is not only aging, but is the one team in the NL Central the Pirates can actually beat. Even otherwise weak Buc pitchers like Charlie Morton, Jeff Karstens, and Brian Burres can quash this team's hitting.

Pittsburgh lost the first six games against Houston in Minute Maid Park (by mostly narrow margins), but then won two of three at home by very large margins. Houston is a weak team, and just got weaker with the trades of a bunch of their best players for prospects, doing what the Pirates did a year or two ago, and what they should have done earlier.

A "reversal of fortune" in 2007 over 2006 (from Astro dominance to Pirate dominance) following the retirement of some of the Astros' better players may foreshadow what happens here next year.

Milwaukee is a stronger version of Houston, but should suffer at the end of 2011 with the loss of Prince Fielder, after having already lost Ben Sheets.

The Pirates lost their first four games to the Brewers, but after that have been a respectable 5-6 against this team, including having broken a string of more than 20 consecutive defeats at Miller Park.

The Pirates finally appear poised to make progress against some National League Central teams. But this recovery is embryonic and uneven, suggesting that the Bucs will have trouble holding their own, even in this weak division.

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Posted in MLB, NL Central, history, pittsburgh pirates

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Roy, Oh, Roy: Five Reasons Roy Oswalt Needed To Leave Houston Astros

July 30th, 2010
Like a relationship that had reached the point of no return, the Astros were left with no choice but to part ways with Roy Oswalt on Thursday, trading their ace to the Phillies for pitcher J.A. Happ and a pair of minor leaguers. For a franchise lagging in fifth place in the National League Central, holding onto Oswalt made little sense. The Astros need to rebuild, and keeping a slowly disgruntled hurler with a $44 million price tag wasn't the best way to achieve future success. There are other reasons the Astros had to let go of a three-time All-Star with 143 career wins, and we explain them here.

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Posted in Carlos Lee, Drayton McLane, Houston Astros, Lance Berkman, MLB, Rankings/List, Roy Oswalt, michael bourn

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