An excerpt from the novel coming soon, Trading It Away:

Today, at 3:00 PM CST, the baseball world will have let another trade deadline slip by, like a steamship chugging along the choppy Mississippi waves. Fans huddled in masses hoping to step foot on the ramps leading up to their baseball dreams are left to wonder when their ship will come 'round again, only to realize it will be another year of vicious "What If" games until it grazes the shoreline once more. Others lucky enough to be aboard take solace in knowing they made it; although, as they look back at the drifting city landscape, a little nag sitting in the corner of their brains ridicules and rivets: "The cost is tall, but the dream is small. The cost is tall, but the dream is small." Indeed, at what cost does this trip come, with no real knowledge of where it heads? "Maybe they are the lucky ones," he says, as he watches their shapes turn into ants on a child's playtoy. "They know not the sacrifice. We know not the destination." Somewhere, Steve Phillips smiles.

Names to keep watching today: Chad Qualls, Jon Rauch, and Russ Springer.

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Last night's 15-inning game made one thing clear - Joel Pineiro is a different pitcher this year. When you look at his command of the strike zone, it's no wonder he's had such success.

First off, if anybody is interested in a Rockin' the Red t-shirt, send me an e-mail at kujo@rockinthered.com, and I'll put you on the waiting list. Price will be $15, including shipping, but I need enough people interested first. I need at least 9 more.

When you talk about a marathon game, you always wonder if the people that stay at the game for that long actually have lives. Well, yesterday - or earlier today, I should say - I was one of those people. Truth is, I don't have a life when it comes to Cardinals baseball. We probably could have stayed another 9 innings if we had to. The biggest concern I had was if we would be be mugged walking back to the garage at 2:00 in the morning.

The tickets were pretty good for getting at face value - section 597 bleachers, 6 rows up in left center field. I only mention this because it allowed us to have a great view of the strike zone and how Joel Pineiro was pitching, and, boy, he was masterful. 73 of his 112 pitches were strikes, which chalks up to a whopping 65% strike percentage. For the season, Joel's thrown pitches for strikes 66% of the time. If you take out this season, Joel has a 63% strike percentage for his career.

FanGraphs has a couple other stats that show the change in Pineiro's results this year. First of all, Joel's rate of using his fastball this year is 70.3%, up from 58.4% last year. For his career, Joel has used the fastball 59% of the time, and, if you exclude this year, that number drops to just 57.7%. The fastball, of course, is what has changed in Joel's repertoire, or, I should say, the sinking fastball.

FanGraphs has a stat that calculates a pitch's "Runs Above Average," giving a quantifiable value to how good a pitcher's pitches are when he uses them. This article is a great overview of how it works, but basically is accounts for the run values of each situation a pitch is thrown, i.e. whether it's a strike in a 2-1 count or a ball in a 2-2 count.

In Pineiro's case, his fastball has been much more effective this year in that it has accounted for more strikes in the strike zone and more outs from balls hit in play. This year, Joel's wFB - Runs Above Average for his fastball - is 17.8, which, in comparison, is the only positive number for Joel aside from 2003 with the M's (16.5). What this means is that Joel's fastball is actually saving him runs instead of costing him runs, and it's been quite effective.

FanGraphs also has a leaderboard for pitch values, and, sure enough, Pineiro is up there in 5th place for wFB, behind Washburn, Haren, Wolf, and tied with Verlander and... fitting, Clayton Kershaw. Last night truly was a great pitching match-up from an unlikely pairing. Chris Carpenter (15.1 wFB) is in 8th place.

The movement on Pineiro's fastball and the way it's been used has been a big factor in his 2009 success. When you're constantly getting ahead in counts with it, it's going to put up positive run-saving values because the hitter is always in the disadvantageous situation.

Even when the ball is hit, the movement on the fastball has boosted his ground ball percentage up to 61.1%, and, especially with this defense behind him, that's going to account for a lot of runs saved. So, not only is he pounding the strike zone with his fastball, he's getting lots and lots of outs with it. I would be throwing it more than two-thirds of the time too.

Last night was an awesome night of just plain good baseball. Sure, there were some mistakes made, but, overall, we were treated to a game that had everything in it but a home run. Let's make it a sweep tonight.

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I got on an art binge again, and I am pleased to unveil my latest creation:

Here's the deal. Would anyone like to order a shirt with "Fear the Beard" on the back and the Rockin' the Red badge on the front? Depending on how many I order, shirts will cost $15, which includes shipping. I am deciding to go a different route than Spreadshirt this time around, as I think I can get better prices for you and also support a local business rather than a worldwide one. Call it doing our part to save the St. Louis economy.

If you would like the idea of a shirt, send me an e-mail at kujo@rockinthered.com, and, if I get enough interest, I'll set up a paypal shop that allows for easy payment. I won't place an order for you shirt - so you're not on the hook - until I set up the paypal.

And, of course, all copyrights apply with my artwork. It may not be reproduced without my permission.

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Josh Willingham of the Nationals hit two grand slams in one game. Pshh... that's all? Done that before.

"I can't believe it happened. I did not expect to hit another one. I've never been a home run hitter. I just try to meet the ball. I'm not like Mark McGwire." - Fernando Tatis, April 23rd, 1999

The Cardinals have had their share of freaky incidents throughout team history, but Fernando's two-grand-slams-in-one-inning showcase has to take the cake for the most unlikeliest, uncommon event in Cardinals history. Earlier this year was the 10th anniversary of the feat, but it seems to get less and less notoriety as it fades into the shadows of baseball lore.

In 5 at-bats, the home runs were Fernando's only two hits and only two runs of the game, but they provided a goliath 8 RBI's in the inning and the game. To put a visual perspective on what went on, here's what FanGraphs shows:

In the span of one inning, the Dodgers went from a near 75% chance of winning the game to practically zero. Tatis' two grand slams nailed down the victory in essence, putting a cap on a milestone night with a .279 WPA.

A tic of suspicion accompanies that mammoth feat in 1999. Tatis hit 34 home runs in that year, setting a career high he would never get close to again. Like he says in his quote, he was not a home run hitter, with his previous career high being 11. Steroids seem like an obvious route to go down, and he was even part of the the Mitchell investigation with the Orioles. Then there's corking the bat. I honestly wouldn't rule out either.

But for now, as we watch Josh Willingham's two grand slam performance, we can take solace in the fact that we had a player who did something that might not ever be done again, especially in the post-Steroid Era. Sure, it looked like a 28-year-old crashed a little league game, probably after drinking one too many Red Bulls. But it was memorable. Oh, it was memorable.

***

Website of the Day: Pitchers Hit Eighth

PH8 is a Cardinals blog that has become one of my top five favorites. You'll always find insightful commentary there, making it a worthwhile stop for any Cardinal fan. In this era of internet blogging, insightful has become a crucial word.

Random Video of the Day: Holiday by the Scorpions

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So long, Jess Todd. I recap the past week's events with a little hint at the future.

In case you're just waking up from hibernation, here's a list of everything that has gone on in the past week:

1. Troy Glaus began making rehab assignments at Springfield in (gasp) the outfield.
2. Cardinals demote/trade/don't do anything with Chris Duncan. Apparently it's a trade because Julio Lugo is with the team now, for free until 2010.
3. Brett Wallace, Clayton Mortensen, and Shane Peterson are traded for Matt Holliday. Future Redbirds has a heart attack.
4. Holliday assumes number 15, frustrating many in Cardinal Nation.
5. Troy Glaus is probably going to be traded now. And he seems to understand this.
6. David Freese gets back into action at Springfield to solidify himself as the top unexciting 3B prospect in the system.
7. Jess Todd is revealed as the PTBNL along with Chris Perez in the Mark DeRosa trade. Future Redbirds goes into a coma.

What's next? A Troy Glaus trade will happen soon, as there's no place to put him other than on the bench. Maybe the Holliday trade was also done knowing this, maybe not. The deadline is Friday, but Troy's one of those guys that might be able to pass through waivers after the 31st.

After getting spanked by Philadelphia two days in a row, I need a day to recover.

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Recapping the storylines from Matt Holliday's debut.

So many storylines from yesterday's game, so little time to write them. For starters:

Matt Holliday makes his Cardinal debut a smashing success. Holliday did his best to make me look like a disgruntled blogger by going 4-5 with a double, 3 singles, 1 RBI, and a stolen base. Not only did he produce in the cleanup spot, it seemed like the entire lineup was rejuvenated by his presence.

15? Really? 15, Matt? Jim Edmonds was, in my mind, the last person that should wear the 5x3 in St. Louis. A sign of respect for a player who may have an outside chance at the Hall of Fame. Jim led us to two World Series, redefined the centerfield position for the franchise, was a hands-down fan favorite, winner of 8 Gold Gloves, and has the fourth most home runs in Cardinals history. If Holliday really is going to keep 15, we may have a petition start here soon.

Lugo hits a dinger. This is hilarious, really. The fans of Boston wait for Julio Lugo to show any power at all for the past year-and-a-half, and he hits a homer in his first start as a Cardinal. Heck, Lugo has already shown more power than Duncan the past few months. Are you kidding me?

Joel "Zorro" Pineiro. Joel Pineiro (.331 WPA) and Holliday (.162) alone gave the Cardinals a near 50% chance of winning the game. Pineiro and his sinker has been incredible this year. Simply incredible. 2.90 FIP, 0.21 HR/9, 4.15 K/BB, and 2.65 GB/FB. In my eyes, we have three aces on this starting rotation right now. Freakin' Joel Pineiro.

This team looks completely different. Did anyone else get the feeling that this team looks COMPLETELY different now. 1/3 of the starting lineup was acquired in the last month, and overall this team has a drastically different look at the beginning of the season. I feel like we're on franchise mode on MLB '09, and I just traded 3 70's for a 90.

Just what we needed. Another bald guy. I heard Vin Diesel is in negotiations with Mozeliak. I'll keep you posted.

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Oh, what the heck.

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EDIT: Follow me on Twitter for more updates here.

Sportscenter is breaking the news now.

More when it comes. Well, what else can I say? Welcome to St. Louis, Matt.

The Link.

The Athletics and Cardinals have completed a trade that sends outfielder Matt Holliday to St. Louis in exchange for third baseman Brett Wallace, outfielder Shane Peterson and right-handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen, sources confirmed to ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

In addition, sources said the Athletics will throw in $1.5 million to the Cardinals.

Optimal lineup with Matt Holliday: Skip-Pujols-Ryan-Ludwick-Holliday-Rasmus-DeRosa-Pitcher-Molina

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Matt Holliday is pretty darn close to being a Cardinal, ESPN is reporting.

I need only refer you to Future Redbirds to tell you why trading Brett Wallace for Matt Holliday doesn't make sense. A quote:

$25 million > $8 million.

Moving on.

No, what? What's that you say? The deal is getting closer? I thought it was defeated with common sense? Common sense checked out yesterday? Oh, crap.

"Don't hurt me like that, Mo."

Faster than you can say, "Whaaa-," the Cardinals have moved from being "reasonably close" to "Holy Mother of Musial" close in pursuit of Matt Holliday. I feel like I'm under the gun typing this, even. I feel like I can't even show internet frustration on this one. Curse you, Tim Kurkjian.

The latest update has the Cardinals parting with three prospects - Brett Wallace, Clayton Mortensen, and Shane Peterson - for Holliday, and presumably most of his salary. Shane Peterson was mentioned here several days ago as a possible chip in a deal for Carl Pavano, so we had the name right, at least.

This story is still developing, so it would be imprudent to try dissecting it before it's done. I admit, the prospect of getting Matt Holliday is pretty exciting. The prospect of getting rid of Brett Wallace for what may be a one-year rental, however, is devastating. I don't like this deal at all, not in the slightest, unless Holliday is locked up long-term. Don't get me started on Mortensen, either.

I was going to finish this post talking about why we should pursue Josh Willingham instead of Holliday. Looks like I won't even have time to.

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The Cards have traded Chris Duncan and either a PTBNL or cash to the Red Sox for Julio Lugo and cash; the collective Cardinal Nation is finally able to exhale.


The Chris Duncan Era is over, to quote a cliche, before it ever truly began. In a swift trade with the Red Sox for the also-fan-disgruntling Julio Lugo, the move was really about giving Duncan a new home.

Dunc never fulfilled promises of an excellent 2006 inaugural campaign, a year where, in just 90 AB's, he hit 21 home runs with a .952 OPS. Where we all expected a mediocre power hitter with decent on-base skills upon his call-up, we all got a potential slugger capable of becoming a mainstay in the outfield. A pleasant surprise.

Since then, we got injuries, questionable camera poses, cautions of nepotism, drama between the Skipper and the rest of the world, and looming frustration from a Cardinals fan base that wanted to forgive and forget Duncan of his awful one-and-a-half-year slump but simply couldn't.

Duncan never amounted to the big-time, 30-hr outfielder some hoped he could be, and the result of The Slump and a surplus of struggling lefthanded outfielders was one of the most obvious sell-low trades for the Cardinals this decade. Duncan, once the rising 25-year-old on a World Series team, now Duncan, the lefthanded slugger who couldn't hit home runs. The poetics of the situation are simply too tragic to bear, son of a coach, prodigy upon arrival, ushered out failing to do what he does best.

Even though Tony La Russa talks about how Chris played baseball the "Cardinal Way", you have the feeling Duncan never quite could live down the prospect of being a coach's son. It was always in the same paragraph, even if it escaped the sentence. Playing the game "right" doesn't mean anything if you're stuggling massively and are the coach's son. It won't work that way, it just won't.

Now, the Chris Duncan Era is over, before it even began. We'll be able to move on, as Duncan had become a redundancy on the team that will be better-suited being replaced by Julio Lugo, who has made a mark of hitting lefthanded pitching well. At least, I know I will.

How will you choose to remember him? I think the picture above will do just fine.

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The trade deadline is officially 9 days away, and I'm getting antsy. Todd Wellemeyer flubbed again last night; 4.1 innings of sheer letdown. Is there a better option? There might be.

I'm going to keep slamming my head against the wall that is Todd Wellemeyer's inadequate interpretation of the term "starting pitcher" until we get an official quote from Mozeliak saying the price is too high on the Carl Pavano and company.

Specifically, Pavano.

R.J. Anderson has a new article at FanGraphs entitled: "Potential Trade Deadline Bargain: Carl Pavano." Some quotes:

Pavano’s 5.13 ERA is misleading. His FIP is a crisp 3.59; xFIP is 3.92; tRA is 4.33; and tRA* 4.49 (and remember, tRA is based on the RA scale, not ERA, so when you scale it to ERA those numbers are more like ~3.6-4.2). In words: he’s pitching quite well.

In comparison, when you look at Todd Wellemeyer's sky-high ERA, it actually is a tribute to poor pitching. His ERA now sits at 5.68 and his FIP is 4.95, nearly a run and a half higher than Pavano's. R.J. continues:

Just like that, 2.4 million rolls off, leaving his new team with – at most – 2.9 million in performance bonuses and whatever is left from his base salary.

The new team wouldn’t have to worry about forking over a ton of cash if Pavano blows his shoulder or elbow in a few starts. Plus, given his 2.5 WAR to date, he’s almost certainly going to be worth more than his second half salary.

Welle, in comparison, has a 0.3 WAR and has been worth less than his $4.05 million salary. For reasons discussed yesterday, it's a long-shot that Todd is actually the decent 3-4 guy he was made out to be last year. As long as his walk rates stay above 4, his peripherals are always going to suggest otherwise. R.J. ends with this:

With their playoff chances nearly flat-lining, the Indians would be wise to take their chances with Pavano on the trade market; just as a NL team without the chips for Roy Halladay or Lee should inquire on Pavano.

No one here is bitter the attention has mostly been focused on Roy Halladay. But, like Matt Holliday, our presumed-savior just a month earlier, there are better options available that better suit our needs for an easier-paid price.

Carl Pavano has a lot of things working for him in a deal like this, despite the obvious injury concerns and uncertain background. He has a sinker, one that, when it's good, it's good (1.43 GB/FB), he has a pitch-to-contact philosophy while still able to strike guys out at a decent clip (6.48 K/9 vs. 1.68 BB/9), and he's in a situation where the Indians would be fine trading him, since he's not under contract next year and won't result in a high draft pick. Since he's Carl Pavano, since he still has that high ERA, the price will certainly be lower than other viable starting pitching options.

Pavano isn't going to save this team and he won't add considerable value as a playoff contender, but he will give us solid starting pitching from the back-end of the rotation, pitching that won't give away the game before it even gets half-way, while expending the bullpen too.

Time to go bargain shopping, Mo.

***

Website of the Day: FirstInning.com

Much like Minor League Splits dot com, First Inning is a great resource for tracking Cardinal farmhands daily. Follow the two combined, and you'll begin to understand why Daryl Jones' value is so high, and why Bryan Anderson doesn't get talked about quite as much anymore. All their information is in a pretty readable, user-friendly layout, which is one reason I like it so much.

Random Video of the Day: Ummm... Wait

Chase Sampson, doing all of us college students proud.

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Does Todd Wellemeyer need a saving moment tonight? With a 5.56 ERA and a 4.95 FIP, I would think so.

Is today Judgment day for our estranged starter? Considering that we have 10 days until the non-waiver trade deadline, and Wellemeyer has been called into question not just by the fans but by the skipper himself, it seems like this is now-or-never time for our struggling pitcher.

It would be great to have a set of statistics that highlighted how Todd has fared when his job was on the line over the course of these two years, but it seems like he's always able to dig himself out of a ditch for a game or two before falling back into it. Call it struggling to keep afloat; Welle's been doing the doggy paddle for two months now.

We can look at last season's 13-9, 3.71 ERA statline and wonder where Wellemeyer 2.0 has gone wrong. The fact is, last year's model was perhaps an overshot in perceived value, as his 4.51 FIP shows. Based on Todd's 2008 peripherals, keeping walks under three was crucial to his success as a mid-rotation starter. With a K/9 of only 6.29, he needed his BB/9 of 2.91 to maintain that 2:1 K:BB integrity that is crucial in the makeup of a decent starting pitcher.

This year, Welle has seen his BB/9 balloon back up to career norms - 4.22 - while his K/9 drop a little bit - 5.74 - leaving his K/BB at just 1.36. In terms of what's happening after contact, he's still getting ground balls at a similar rate as last year, has a nearly identical line drive percentage - 20.7% - as '08, and has the exact same HR/9 at 1.17. In essence, we can attribute the large part of Wellemeyer struggles simply to his ability to limit walks. What's that, fans in the left-center bleachers, slightly to the right of the visiting bullpen? DUH? I guess I should keep writing.

Can Wellemeyer save himself from the potential doom that is TLR's doghouse? That all lies on how you define "saving himself." Saving himself to me means he goes 7 innings, issues 2 or less walks, and turns in the illusive Quality Start. Saving himself means he shows he can provide 6-7 innings of average pitching, not just average pitching. Saving himself means showing Mozeliak why Carl Pavano or Doug Davis, two relatively cheap deadline options, aren't improvements to the rotation.

I am plagued with two questions: can he do it, and do I want him to do it? Call me on the fence for both.

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Today's Website of the Day: Minor League Splits dot com

Want to follow the Cards' farm system with daily box scores, highlighted pitching and batting performances, and meaty stats that show beyond wins and losses? Minor League Splits is a great resource for staying updated on the farmhands as well as other team's farm systems. You'll find yourself visiting this site everyday. Seriously.

Random Video of the Day: If Man Walked on the Moon Today

What would it look like in the press if we walked on the moon today? I got a chuckle out of it.

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At the pace he's currently on, Albert is set to join the ranks of baseball greats on the single-season home run list. No syringe required.

I didn't want to bring this up. In this era of baseball, with this crop of players, I didn't think I had to. But, after Albert's two-home run game last night, I feel I must.

What if Albert hits 60 home runs?

Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Maris, Ruth... Pujols?

Since 2002, only two players have come remotely close to the invisible fence that is the 60 home run plateau. One of those players, Alex Rodriguez, has been accused of juicing as late as the 2003 season, making his 57-bomb season in 2002 susceptible to lumping in with the rest of the "Steroid Era". As it is, three steroid-suspected hitters and Maris have been able to surpass the famed 60 home run mark, all hitters who, let's face it, played in a different era of baseball than today.

In 2006, Ryan Howard hit 58 bombs, making it the highest National League total for a hitter with no known connections to steroids. That season was ridiculous for Howard, going deep 58 times with 149 RBIs and a 167 OPS+. Aside from Howard, you have Luis Gonzalez on the big home run board in the sky with 57 in 2001, but even his numbers don't come without their critics. The next highest National Leaguer? Hack Wilson, 56, 1930. And now we have Albert.

Albert Pujols is on pace to hit 60 home runs, 157 RBIs, 184 hits, and walk 127 times. His OPS+ is 214. 214. No one even comes close to that. The highest any recent hitter has been able to get to the 200-level of OPS+ is Barry Bonds.

What happens if Albert Pujols gets close to the magical numbers 60 and 61? The numbers carry so much of a mystique around them still that it feels like they're alive. Albert not only has a chance to have the greatest season of his distinguished career, but he also has a chance to press the reset button on a era that leaves us feeling a little cheap, like Alex Rodriguez's girlfriends.

Can you imagine? Albert approaching 60, fans wearing those shirts that count down the home run locations, cardboard signs tallying up the total, the commercialization? It'll be a tough task to pull off, but it's yet another developing storyline in what has been a phenomenal season for The Mang.

I just hope Albert keeps on his game. We all saw what he's like when he's actively trying to hit home runs - straining, uncomfortable, forced. And then there's days like last night, when he looks completely at ease and able to do what he does best - help his team win.

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Doug Davis and Carl Pavano provide two alternative options to breaking the bank on Roy Halladay. Are they top-of-the-rotation starters? No, but who says we need one? I like our chances with either.
We all are aware of Roy Halladay.

Not only did he get a resounding reception from Cards fans on Tuesday night, he has become the new de facto favorite for improving our World Series chances.

First Holliday, now Halladay, as if there was a typo the first time around.

The problem is, Roy Halladay is going to cost a lot. The Blue Jays have a strong market for him, including the Phillies, Yankees, and Dodgers. What's more, they have him under contract for another year and no desperation to shed salary. Roy hasn't requested a trade, and the Blue Jays can easily survive another year with him as the ace of their rotation. Long story short, Toronto has all the leverage.

The Cards would be better suited to make a smaller splash in the realm of July deadline trades, and it's not as if supplanting Todd Wellemeyer will be the hardest task in the world. Do we really need a top 5 pitcher in all of baseball? Sure, it would be fantastic to make that type of acquisition, but I can't help but think it's more suited for my MLB '09 The Show Playstation game than real life.

As it is, a post-season rotation would consist of Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro, and Kyle Lohse. I would be willing to put that up against every rotation in the National League, and that's not counting our solid bullpen so far this year. Adding Roy Halladay would make that rotation the best in the league, but at what cost? Colby Rasmus? Brett Wallace and four other blue chippers?

I think that the Cardinals need not look farther than right in front of them if they're looking for solid rotation help. As in, this weekend:

Doug Davis, LHP, Arizona D'Backs

What's Good? Davis has been solidly unspectacular throughout the course of his career, and this year is no exception. That's a plus for this rotation: you know what you're getting. Think a lefthanded Kyle Lohse. Davis has provided 1.6 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) this year, compared to Wellemeyer's 0.3. In terms of money values, he's been worth $7.2 million this year.

What's Bad? We're used to Wellemeyer's control problems. Davis isn't much different. His 4.27 BB/9 is actually higher than Todd's. Doug's career BB/9 is around 4.01, however, so that shows that he's still been able to get results despite walking a fair number of batters. Still, it's a problem area that can't be ignored.

Can It Happen? At near the bottom of the NL West, the D'Backs aren't in need of Doug's services for a playoff push. With this being the final year of his contract, Arizona would be wise to trade him and get some value in return, although it remains to be seen how much value they'd need. Davis is making $8.75 million this year, and, assuming the Cards assume the rest of that salary, I think Mitch Boggs or Lance Lynn are the types of prospects with which you'd need to depart.

But wait, there's more.

Maybe the asking price for Doug Davis is too high. The Brewers have been trying to make calls for him but haven't offered enough, so who's to say the Cards wouldn't be met with the same barrier?

There's another name we should consider. Don't laugh.

Carl Pavano, RHP, Cleveland Indians

What's Good? I told you not to laugh. Pavano has a lot going for him in his grand journey to prove his haters wrong. A 3.60 FIP, 3.85 K/BB, and 1.43 GB/FB all are good signs for an otherwise ugly 5.13 ERA. Last year, his ERA truly was reflective of a bad season, with a FIP of 5.37. This year, Carl's been worth $11.2 million and has provided 2.5 WAR, despite only making $1.5 million in base salary (although he has $5.3 million in performance bonuses that he could meet). Pavano's velocity has improved, and he's relying on his changeup a lot more than before. He may not have the great ERA, but he has some solid peripherals that could bode well in Busch Stadium. Oh, and his favorite pitch? The sinker.

What's Bad? Carl Pavano is just that, Carl Pavano. His career has been so up-and-down that no one truly knows what to expect, or has any expectations at all. With a 5.13 ERA, it wouldn't look too great to the casual fan as a Halladay-substitute. Let me remind you, however, that Joel Pineiro had a 5.03 ERA at the time of his acquisition from Boston. Joel and Carl have actually had pretty similar careers. Just an observation.

Can It Happen? You bet that Cleveland will want to make bank on their low-cost, high-reward asset. We obviously have one deal with Cleveland still pending a PTBNL, and made a deal with them last year for Anthony Reyes (ugh). It's apparent that Cleveland and Mark Shapiro like something in our farm system, which could be good for a deal here. For Joel Pineiro, the Red Sox got a PTBNL, which ended up being Sean Danielson, a light-hitting outfielder in Springfield. A guy like Shane Peterson may be able to get it done this time around.

Either of these two guys would be an improvement over Todd Wellemeyer, although they are far cries from a Roy Halladay deal. Mainly, we need a pitcher who will give us consistent outings of average pitching. Maybe the occasional quality start. What we don't need is more of this 2.1 and 4-inning... dare I say it... crap. Doug Davis is the safer bet, but he will come with a higher price tag than Pavano. Pavano is a sinkerballer, has some similarities to Pineiro, and is expendable to the Indians. Either way, I think we need to consider them strong possibilities.

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Stan Musial was more than the game of baseball, more than any highlight reel could show in 60 seconds. Although it may seem like he was snubbed on Tuesday night, I don't think Stan would have wanted it any other way.

If you haven't taken the time to read Joe Posnanski's blog post on Stan the Man's snub at the All-Star Game, do so:

"Should Have Been the Man"

A quote: "You know who represents the Baseball All-Star Game? That’s right: Stan Musial. And the night should have been about him. It was his town. It was his time. it was his game. There were other terrific Cardinals there — Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Red Schoendienst and so on — and they should have been a bigger part of the night too. But mostly it should have been about Stan the Man, Baseball’s Perfect Knight, who played the game as well and with as much purpose as anyone ever."

While disappointment continues to mount over Stan Musial's very un-Ted Williams-esque salute at the 80th MLB All-Star Game, I can't help but think that maybe FOX and baseball did get it right. That's not easy for me to say, for very rarely does FOX ever get something right, but, upon further review, the tribute to the All-Stars Among Us was a tribute to Stan in many respects. Stan Musial has been a constant standard of class, on and off the playing field. He doesn't seek attention, gaudy trophies, or market himself as a bigger-than-life individual, although he certainly could.

You think about one of the most spited ballplayers in recent memory - Barry Bonds - and look at the traits that make him that way, and Stan Musial is pretty much the opposite of every one of them. That's not to throw Barry completely under the bus, because he is still a human being and does still have qualities that we would consider genuine and humane. Who is more remembered though? Who is the better story? This is what Posnanski is saying in not so many words, but maybe Stan's qualities, the qualities we all hope to achieve throughout the course of our own lives, don't lend themselves to the attention that we were expecting Stan to receive.

What's more, the kind of individual that Musial is doesn't need the gaudy ceremony or prolonged celebration that was expected on All-Star Night. His celebration is a humble one, just like his nature, and the sincere appreciation of those that truly were and are his fans, not those who will never fully realize how great his accomplishments have been, on and off the diamond.

Is recognition for his accomplishments truly what Stan stands for? Stan, the son of a Polish immigrant in Pennsylvania; Stan, who not only served over a year in the Navy in 1945 but who also, during the off-season, "took part in the war effort, working for the American Steel & Wire Co. back in Donora" and, along with some other players, "went on a goodwill trip to the Aleutians to visit the troops" in 1943; Stan, who has constantly made himself available to the St. Louis fans, even as his health declines; Stan, who not only is baseball's "Perfect Knight", but who also is "the embodiment of the American dream."

Rather, I think pairing the recognition of Stan Musial with the recognition of the people that are working to make a positive impact in our communities was the most fitting for such a strong community man. They, after all, are applying the standards that Stan lives by, that Stan applied to his entire baseball career, to the individuals that need a "Perfect Warrior" for them. A ceremony full of pomp and circumstance for Stan would have seemed a little misplaced for a man that doesn't live his life that way. No, he gets it; he gets that his measure isn't defined by what he was able to do on the baseball field, his measure isn't defined by how much he's celebrated individually.

Sure, I would have loved for there to be a video splice highlighting some of Musial's most memorable baseball moments. It could have been relatively short but would have helped relate who he was on the field more aptly with the rest of the world. They could have played some epic music in the background, could have displayed one of baseball true All-Stars in the spotlight. I think that was the main flaw that took place in the pre-game salute.

But, then again, the moment wasn't just about Stan, it was about the way we should live our own lives. I know this may seem sappy, but Stan is a model for what we all should strive to be. Is he perfect? No, of course. Are the people that were highlighted for their work in their communities perfect? No, they aren't either. It is the qualities that they outwardly show, and those that are implied inside, that should really be applauded, respected, followed.

Stan isn't just about baseball, never was, and never will be. On Tuesday night, Stan was juxtaposed with those who have made great sacrifices and showed incredible character to care for those around them. It literally was him, the people, and the President. I can't think of a more powerful tribute to an entire man, not just one part of him. More powerful than a highlight reel, more powerful than a bunch of words that would have just as soon been forgotten.

The night was about Stan Musial, even though we wouldn't deem so from our own expectations. For a humble man who has showed that he was more than just baseball, the night was perfect. In spite of its flaws, through its flaws, it was perfect. For the Perfect Warrior, the Perfect Knight.

Works Cited: Finkel, Jan. "Stan Musial." The Baseball Biography Project.

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I ended up taking several videos from the Home Run Derby on Monday, and, with this being an off day and all, I thought I'd share them to keep me from writing any elaborate dissections of the All-Star Game.

My initial reaction to yesterday's game: it was alright. I thought the pregame tribute to All-Stars Among Us was incredibly classy and moving, but I would have liked to see something more done with Stan Musial. It seemed appropriate for the kind of man Stan is - quiet, endearing, and humble - but the fan in me wishes they gave him an even greater spotlight, as this is probably one of the last times Stan will be on such a national stage.

As far as the game goes, it was a good, old-fashioned contest without the flashy home runs. In old school fashion, solid defense and baseball fundamentals won the game. The NL looks a lot more promising for the future though. In the next few years, I think we're going to see a turning of the tides. I know, we've all heard that before. No, really. They'll turn.

Some vids:

Albert Pujols in the first round of the Derby. Listen closely for the Drunk Guy: "Let's Go, Albert, Let's Go, clap clap clapclapclap. Are we in St. Louis? Yeah, we're in St. Louis. Are you kidding me?"



This is when Albert decided he would start trying, as he hits two home runs to tie Joe Mauer and Carlos Pena with five.



Pay attention to the crowd as Albert is batting in the tie-breaker round. Notice that NO ONE wanted Mauer or Pena to win.



Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the off day.

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A first-hand account of what it was like to be in that mosh you saw on TV last night.


Prince Fielder smacks a total of 23 dingers to win the Home Run Derby crown, and Albert goes home early after making it interesting in the first round. Brandon Inge hits zero, putting an exclamation mark on a dud of a Derby pick. Nelson Cruz has emerged as a masher 'n basher who we probably could have traded for when he was still in Triple-A last year.

Lots of storylines for a relatively quiet spectacle. And that's not saying anything about the zoo-like atmosphere around and inside Busch, where you walk in half-expecting to see a train of elephants walking around and a man breathing fire. Not to mention David Cook setting the stadium on fire. Such is the glorification of the home run, such an evolution of baseball over the past two decades. But I still love it.

I was fortunate enough to get a Derby ticket with my brother when they released some extras the day before, way up in section 428, right field, home run territory if you're on steroids. Apparently no one's on steroids.

The first thing you notice when going downtown is the sheer magnitude of this event for the city of St. Louis. Luckily, being a towner means you know some different routes to get out of the mainstream of traffic, but you're still riding bumper to bumper and hoping to God that parking is reasonably close for less than $20 bucks. (I recommend either the Kiener Plaza Garage or Macy's Garage on 7th and Market, by the way.) It's clear to see how MLB makes bank on making this a big deal, so it's no wonder why they want to "Make This One Count" despite its exhibition nature.

All the, forgive me for the frankness, tools were out in full force at Mike Shannon's in front of the stadium as well, and I think I saw more Lacoste shirts in just the Busch Stadium area than I've ever seen in my entire life. At a baseball game, mind you. The best way to approach such an encounter is to keep your eyes straight ahead, preferably focused on a distant object such as a street sign or a fence post. Usually they're not concerned with you anyways, so the important part is just staying out of the way.

I will say, that was the biggest turn-off for attending any of the All-Star festivities, the posh atmosphere of the crowd, especially at the stadium. The atmosphere is a lot different than what we're accustomed to at a normal Cardinals game. I can understand why Albert Pujols feels overwhelmed by this week. It just doesn't feel quite like baseball anymore. I felt overwhelmed just seeing so many people around, much less people who aren't the typical Cardinals fan base. I'm not sure that it's necessarily a bad thing for an event like this, but it's different. Definitely different. I prefer the atmosphere of a Cards game. Not this.

Ballpark Village looks a lot different than the artist sketches presented before the stadium was built. Did they forget to build it to scale? WHAT IS THIS, A CENTER FOR ANTS?!

Inside the stadium I felt a little more at home, but me and my brother had to make that wedge you see on kick-off returns to make it through in one piece. If you wanted to try to catch a ball, forget about it. Even showing up early - 3 hours early - leaves you a couple rows back. Autographs? Forget about that too. Unless you're seven.

I made sure to say hi to my buddy Aaron, the field usher along the right field foul territory. Hi was more like a wave and a "how's the weather". I would have had to crowd surf to get remotely close to the edge of the field. It probably would've worked too. A couple baseball celebrities were graciously accommodating the autograph seeking crowd, including Ozzie. You could tell he was ready to go, though. He had that look desperation in his face that is only possible at ALL-STAR WEEK, PRESENTED BY CHEVY, WATCH TUESDAY AT 7PM, ONLY ON FOX.

The seats were nose-bleeders for sure, but we had a great view of the field and the crowd. We were just left enough to glimpse the Jumbotron but directly on line for some dingers to go right under us. It was actually much more peaceful being on the top deck. We could eat our $5 hot dogs in peace and solace. That was, until David Cook arrived.

David Cook. Winner of the 2008 American Idol. Singer. Musician. ROCKER. Pyrotechnics. Exaggerated movements on stage. If intensity had mass, it's molecules would band together to form David Roland Cook. And would hopefully spontaneously combust.



The speaker system at Busch is really quite atrocious, but they did have the usual pounding techno music in the background, however, once the Derby began. Once Brandon Inge did the flake out that we all knew was coming, the crowd kind of fell into a lull. But there it was, that pounding discotechno music filling the air, breathing life into our tiring souls. I actually think my heart was synchronized with the instrumental version of Beat It by the end of the night.

Watching the home runs in person was so much better than watching it on TV. Sure, we weren't the closest to the field and could have gotten pointless interviews with players if we were watching it on ESPN. But it was awesome. We only had to hear Chris Berman's voice one time the entire night (the play-by-play was done by John Rooney, the epitome of class), and the only reason I knew Joe Morgan was present was because he was sitting in the relative area of Erin Andrews.

Home runs are instant gratification for baseball fans, and this Derby was full of cheap thrills. I loved it. Prince Fielder, contrary to the scoreboard, did not hit a ball to the Mississippi. I know this. I literally saw it caught by a fan. But they were some moonshots he was hitting.

The best part of the night was still Albert though. The entire crowd was behind him, a collective anticipation that is only made possible by the hype-machines that are the MLB and ESPN. Some fan tried to start the most ill-fated Pujols chant I have ever seen; it was like a combination of two different chants in one put together by a drunken 38-year-old. Nobody knew how to follow it, and he was getting ticked off at everyone for "not supporting the S-T-L". It was probably one of the funniest things I have ever seen that was actually quite sad at the same time.

Everyone was standing.

Everyone wanted to see Albert steal the show.

Everyone was a little uneased by the "Call Your Shot" promotion, and Albert's lack of getting a guy a new car.

Albert had the entire crowd at his beckoning. He probably could have commanded a takeover of the St. Louis metropolitan area if he wanted, name it PUJOLS-LAND or something epic like that. When he hit that final home run to force the three-way tiebreaker, the crowd went absolutely nuts. When he won the tiebreaker, the crowd went absolutely insane. Then we got quiet.



It was like everyone kind of knew that what we just saw was probably the main event for the night. Albert was gassed, looked gassed, and now how to swing again immediately after swinging an extra 5 times. When he didn't hit 15 bombs in the second round, we were ok with it, or at least I was. He deserves an opportunity to be a normal baseball player, a normal guy. Doesn't he?

The rest of the night went by relatively fast. Nelson Cruz caught my attention, and I was secretly hoping for him to beat out Ryan Howard and Prince Fielder. Home runs look so much more real in person, especially one that goes 503 feet. I'm worried I've become conditioned to the homer now, and anything less will disappoint. That's what kind of atmosphere it is there.

Overall, the Home Run Derby was all it advertised itself to be: some interesting storylines, unpredictable outcomes, and a home run-loving fest. I'm grateful for the opportunity to go, and I'm ultimately glad Albert came out of it in one piece.

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It's an off-day. It's mustache time.

Well, we could only keep one of the games under 3 runs yesterday, so a series split will have to suffice. The Cards go into the All-Star Break in first place, 2.5 games ahead of Milwaukee and 3.5 ahead of Chicago and Houston. Yes, Houston. The Astros have managed to float at .500 along with the 3rd best team batting averaged in the NL while remaining relatively quiet. It'll be a relief when they falter a bit.

I had a request to comment on Colby Rasmus' non-stache he's growing. I could probably count the number of hairs on his face. It looks a little bit like Rosie O'Donnell on testosterone pills. He looks like Danny Almonte with an American birth certificate. He looks like it was drawn on by a Sharpie Super Flex Twin Tip Permanent Marker and the fat side was all dried up. Nope, it's Colby.

I thought we'd take the off day to see how we can improve upon it and make it a:

MAN-STACHE

"I'm not Burt Reynolds, but I really admire the man's work and wish to take his look and do my own thing with it. I'm kinda shooting for a Burt Reynolds ambiance, but I want you to respect the fact that I'm not him."

"Two bottles of Captain for the Captain, por favor."

"The Freakzilla is gonna mess you up, because Big Poppa Pump is your hook up for all you hoochies out there. Holla, if you hear me."

"I'm not too smart, and I want you to know it."

I'm reading way too much into these mustaches.

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Get your televisions ready; they're in for a long day. An overview of your day in Baseball Heaven and the key to the twin bill against Chicago.

We could all see that one coming yesterday, I just didn't expect it to be over quite so quickly. Ted Lilly was definitely on his game, and it's tough to hit him when he's like that anyways, not to mention our own repulsion to lefthanded pitching.

If you want an action-packed day of sitting on your couch, today's your day to be alive. You have Cardinals baseball on KSDK at noon, featuring the return of Kyle Lohse against Carlos Zambrano.

Then, you have the MLB All-Star Futures Game, the showcase of top minor league talent and our very own Brett Wallace, Daryl Jones, and Francisco Samuel, starting at 1:00 on ESPN2. A couple other names to watch from the rest of the rosters: Dayan Viciedo, Jemile Weeks, and Josh Vitters.

Finally, you have the second game of the double-header on ESPN at 7:00, featuring Adam Wainwright and Randy Wells, the Cubs' rookie starter. Don't worry, he's righthanded.

I would do three keys for this day, but, since it's a double-header, I only have one real point to make:

Key to the Day:

1.) Keep Their Scoring Under Three. IF we can keep the game close enough on our terms, the Cards might have the gusto to get some wins in late innings. With Kyle and Adam going, I like our chances of keeping the game in-hand. Zambrano is prone to the occasional implosion; let's hope he has one today.

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I'm off to the All-Star FanFest today with the fam. Should be a really fun event, and I'm excited for everyone who gets to go courtesy of the Wilson Sporting Goods Giveaway. I'll be sure to post some pics and have more commentary tonight.

The Cardinals won a game they were supposed to win yesterday. Today is a little iffy, especially considering Ted Lilly is a lefthander and has been on fire at Wrigley.

My three keys to the game:

1.) Work the Count. Ted Lilly has been dynamite at the beginning of the game this year. As his pitch count rises, however, opponents' OBP goes up incrementally. The more pitches we see, the better chance we have of tiring his arm. And getting into that flawed Cub bullpen.

2.) Aggressive baserunning. The Cardinals are going to need every baserunner they can get today and take advantage of getting them into scoring position. Historically, Koyie Hill hasn't been tremendous at catching baserunners, so the opportunity is there to swipe some bags. Don't confuse aggressive baserunning with stupid baserunning. There's a fine line between the two.

3.) Get Scoring Early. The Cards don't have a lot of wiggle room in terms of winning a low-scoring game with Brad Thompson pitching, so the best strategy is to get on the scoreboard early. I don't really think that's a strategy, though. I mean, why wouldn't you try to get on the board early? Does trying to actually make it more likely to happen? I hate when FOX puts something like this on the screen.

So that's two keys, and one redundant statement that we already assumed would be in Coach's playbook. Insightful.

Enjoy the game today, assuming there's no rain.

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It's nice not having a dilemma at shortstop anymore.

Short post today, busy day ahead.

It's becoming apparent that there are certain players that should and shouldn't be playing everyday, even if they weren't slotted to do so at the beginning of the season.

Colby Rasmus should be playing everyday.

Joe Thurston shouldn't be playing everyday.

It has become strikingly apparent that Brendan Ryan should be playing every single game. In yesterday's game, Brendan not only had arguably the biggest hit of the day, but he also had some of the finest defensive plays we've seen all year.

It's fun to watch a ballplayer mature right in front of our eyes, going from a quirky, reckless young'un to a quirky, semi-reckless professional. His resurgence has put the shortstop debate on hold for now, at least while he's providing good defense and a capable bat.

The Cards play the Cubs today, in an all-important series on this NL Central road trip. With Carp going today, I like our chances.

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So you may have noticed I'm doing the Twitter thing now, which, I figure if I have a cool enough logo - "Something like Rockin' the Red Tweets... Yeah! That will catch their attention!" - it might make my contribution to the Twitter world appear slightly more important than it really is. You can follow me, reply to me, comment about me, or pretty much do anything that would be entirely creepy upon occurring in real life, from the left side of this page. I'm going to try to update it as I can when I can. Which is just ambiguous enough to keep you looking.

Also, this is a friendly reminder that you can use the RSS links available on the right side to see when Rockin' the Red is updated. Subscribing to RSS takes the mystery out of, "When's he going to write something?!" and instead changes it to, "Look, he just wrote something. Let me... read... it."

Finally, please tell your friends about this blog if you enjoy coming here. If you don't enjoy coming here, tell them that you enjoy coming here and send me an e-mail why you don't enjoy coming here. As a college kid, it's taxing to write everyday (which, as you may have noticed, I've haven't been quite as bad about), and I really do appreciate your support everyday.

This past week has been a big one, as a mention on MLB Trade Rumors brought a lot of passing traffic to and from here. The more people that know about Rockin' the Red and visit here, the more my work seems meaningful, in a way. I love writing, I love writing the Cardinals, but, most of all, I love having you all read it. Tell at least one friend/family member/co-worker you know about Rockin' the Red, and you'll get an imaginary high five from the html of this page. Which is even better than one in person.

Thanks again.

Kujo

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Roy Halladay to the Cardinals sounds good. Really good. But are we getting our hopes up too early?

First off, I still have a few tickets available for FanFest. E-mail me as soon as possible if you'd like to go. Once they're gone, they're gone.

Is it time to show Todd Wellemeyer the door? All I can say is Kyle Lohse will be a welcome addition to the starting rotation, a rotation that has turned into a continuum of the really, really good and the really, really bad. Imagine a line with Swiss Cake Rolls on the far left and an autographed picture of Sanjaya, complete with XOXO's, of the far right. Now fit the rotation in the middle. You figure out where everyone goes.

Much ado has been made about the Roy Halladay rumor, the one where we acquire one of the greatest pitchers in modern baseball, one of th- stop. Do I need to go any further? When has current management ever made a trade for a player of Roy's quality? Scott Rolen? That trade came out of a nasty situation in Philly and an inept worldview of stats and potential on the Phillies behalf.

Not only is Roy happy in Toronto, not only does he have another year left on his contract, not only is he one of the best pitchers in baseball, hotly pursued by other big-market clubs, not only is this J.P. Ricciardi we're talking about, the protege of Billy Beane and fairly knowledgeable GM of the Blue Jays, not only is this Roy freakin' Halladay, who could probably kill a bear with his bare hands, but this is the Cardinals we're talking about. We simply don't do deals like this. Ever.

I'm all for thinking outside the box, dreaming big, looking to the sky for salvation, and constructing epic trade rumors like this, but, I gotta say, if this trade goes down, it'll go down in my book as the one I didn't see coming in a million years. I really do keep a book like that. I use one of those glitter pens to write in it.

For now, I will advise you to use some caution when getting caught up in Holliday/Halladay-mania. Not only have we given up one of our most promising young pitchers - Chris Perez - but the forecast looks like we'll have to give up a second one in that deal as well. Parting with Brett Wallace, Darryl Jones, Bryan Anderson, and any number of our blue-chippers will be a sturdy price to pay in addition to the other things factoring into such a deal.

The Cards might be better suited to stop playing Chris Duncan and Rick Ankiel so freakin' much and making sure Colby Rasmus plays EVERY FREAKIN' DAY. Simple solutions, simple answers. It's the small things in life that make me smile.

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Ever wanted to go to the MLB All-Star FanFest for free? Now's your chance.

It's not very often that I come up with fan giveaways of a magnitude such as this, so you best be thanking your lucky stars that you stopped by Rockin' the Red today and that the good people at Wilson Sporting Goods love you.

Wilson Sporting Goods, the Official Ball Glove of Major League Baseball, the Official Catchers’ Protective Gear of Major League Baseball, the Official Umpire Gear of Major League Baseball, the Official Training Equipment of Major League, and now your Official Favorite People, has generously given Rockin' the Red 15 tickets to attend the upcoming All-Star FanFest, normally worth $30 a piece.

If you would like to get your hands on this awesome promotion, send me an e-mail at kujo@rockinthered.com titled "Wilson FanFest Giveaway". It'll be first-come, first-serve, and I'll give you directions for how to obtain your ticket(s) if you are selected. Once they've run dry, I'll post it up here.

Your ticket is good for any MLB All-Star FanFest date or time, but you must be available to pick it up on Saturday, July 11, from Noon to 3pm CST downtown. I'll give the exact location and directions via e-mail if you are selected.

In case you haven't seen all the cool stuff available at the All-Star FanFest, check it all out here.

Who uses Wilson gloves? How about: Hanley Ramirez, Jonathan Papelbon, Vladimir Guerrero, Evan Longoria, David Wright, and Justin Morneau, just to name a few.

There it is kiddos. Take advantage of this awesome opportunity, and be sure to support the folks at Wilson Sporting Goods, your lovely sponsors. Thanks for reading Rockin' the Red, and thanks for hating the Cubs.

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Discussing Jarrett Hoffpauir's promotion, his similarities to Dustin Pedroia, and minor league translations.

The phrase Jarrett Hoffpauir has been bandied about in different circles for quite some time now; some use the name in an upwards inflection, suggesting hope, anticipation, curiosity.

"What do you mean we don't have thin middle infield positional depth? We have Jarrett HOFFpauir!"

Some put a pause between the former and the latter, as if saying the name in full will conjure the Ghost of Darren Bragg.

"Who's the second baseman in Memphis who's hitting pretty well?"
"Jarrett... Hoffpauir."

The guy in section 417 with a sideways visor, triple-stacked beer cup, and mustard stain on his Tom Pagnozzi shirt slightly slurs the name.

"Jarrett HoffPOWER! Yeah!"

I don't do much at all when I say his name, almost as if I've become immune to the hype that Jarrett can occasionally generate, especially now with his career-high 10 minor league home runs and .187 isolated power. The truth is, Jarrett is a singles-hitting second baseman with flashes of power and limited range at second. The truth also is, this was a great time to promote and play the 26-year-old, given Mark DeRosa's injury and the Fallout of Khalil Greene.

Jarrett Hoffpauir isn't going to wow you with his glove, his speed, or his bat. Rather, Jarrett has a bit of that innate sense of scrappiness that we've come to expect from our former Memphis Redbirds and brings a little bit of everything to the table. That seems to infatuate the Cardinals fandom, in a spell of a rare form of David Eckstein-itus. And that seems to be the thing that will help Jarrett establish an eventual roster spot on a major league team.

Some other blogs on the internet have made the Dustin Pedroia comparison, and, aside from putting an MVP winner next to, so far, a career minor leaguer, I don't hate the analogy.

They both have the same look, a short 5'9" frame batting from the right side with a chip on their shoulder. Dustin's final season in Triple-A before his callup actually draws quite a few similarities to Jarrett:

	AB	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB%	K%	HR	ISO	wOBA
Dustin 2006	423	.305	.384	.426	10.2	6.4	5	.121	.364
Jarrett 2009	214	.276	.349	.463	9.7	7.5	10	.187	.356

In case you don't know what wOBA is, here's a detailed explanation, but basically it is a weighted version of on-base percentage which takes into account the different run values of different hits.

What this quick comparison tells us is, although everyone can agree that Dustin has the better skill-set of the two and was on a much faster track to the big leagues, Jarrett is in a decent place to become a fringe or better major leaguer. His EqA, equivalent average, is just around the "average ballplayer" designation - .267 - and is higher than Brett Wallace's.

Using the ever-great Minor League Splits database, you can translate a minor leaguer's numbers for the park they play in and for the relative luck they've had, and Jarrett's season should really look like .370/.433/.569 in 211 at-bats. Obviously, that's a dangerous tool to use for making blanket statements about whether a player is worthy of callup or not, but it shows just how well Jarrett's been playing this year.

In reality, Jarrett has been a slightly below-average major leaguer if you translate his numbers for the Major Leagues, playing in Busch Stadium: .246/.308/.392 with 8 home runs.

What does all this mean? Jarrett is no Dustin Pedroia nor a superstar second baseman, but no one expects him to be. Jarrett's scrappiness and minor league numbers warrant him getting a shot, and it's nice to see him up here when there's a shortage of second basemen.

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Happy Birthday, America! It's time to celebrate our freedom with hamburgers, baseball, and apple pie.

Jack Buck's memorable speech after September 11th is a perfect way of remembering what makes this country so great, how far we've come, and how much further we need to go.



Since this nation was founded under God, more than 200 years ago,
We've been the bastion of Freedom...
The light which keeps the free world Aglow.

We do not covet the possessions of
Others, we are blessed with the
Bounty we share.

We have rushed to help other
Nations...anything...anytime...
Anywhere.

War is just not our nature...we
Won't start, but we will end the fight.

If we are involved we shall be
Resolved to protect what we know is Right.

We've been challenged by a
Cowardly foe who strikes and then
Hides from our view.

With one voice we say there's no
Choice today, there is only one
Thing to do.

Everyone is saying the same thing
And praying that we end these
Senseless moments we are living.

As our fathers did before, we shall
Win this unwanted war.

As our children will enjoy the
Future, we'll be giving.

Transcript courtesy of Baseball-Almanac.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those that are serving or have served in the armed forces for our beautiful country. Words can't describe how grateful we are for their sacrifice, every day, every night, every month that they're away. From the American Revolution to the Civil War to WWI and WWII, to the Korean War to Vietnam to the Middle East, our troops have put their country and their ideals before themselves. I love this country, despite its imperfections, and I am forever thankful for the people that protect it.

I'm posting this trailer for Band of Brothers, as it demonstrates just how much of a sacrifice it is to protect our freedom. If you haven't had the chance to watch the HBO miniseries, please, please do so. You won't regret it, and it will make the sacrifice of our soldiers, especially those that gave everything to fight fascism and hate in WWII, clearer than it's ever been. It also shows the importance of coming together as a "Band of Brothers", in anything we do, to accomplish a common goal - the phrase itself taken from Shakespeare's Henry V speech:

And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Thanks, troops.

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On the newly-signed Wagner Mateo and a need for a nickname.

A lot of traffic has been driven here on the aftermath of the July 2nd international free agent signing period, including our own signing of 16-year-old Wagner Mateo of the Dominican Republic. I thought I'd revisit the subject with some more comments.

Personally, I love this signing, as it is a testament to our growing outreach into international markets. I'm a big proponent of looking beyond the MLB Draft for farm system material, and Latin America is a place teeming with talent - we have to look no further than our very own first baseman to know that. Mateo looks like he has the tools to at least show potential to be a big league player. It'll be a long, long time before we see him get close to a call-up, but he already has the frame and swing of an athlete much older than 16. It's too early to throw out predictions for Mateo, but I wouldn't be surprised if he developed into Colby Rasmus-like potential, minus the defense.

For now, it's time to make up some nicknames for the kid. Wagner Mateo is a name that has an old school ambiance to it, so any recent pop culture references should be ruled out. I hate those nicknames anyways.

There are different kinds of nicknames out there. You have nicknames like Stan "The Man" Musial, that use the name to rhyme, and then you have nicknames like Albert Pujols "The Machine" and "Hollywood" Jim Edmonds that use a player's characteristics or roots in them. And then you have "Big Papi" David Ortiz, that just doesn't make much sense at all.

"Honus" Wagner Mateo - It's a nice play on the everlasting great, but, eh, it's too obvious. Honus Wagner actually had his own nickname, The Flying Dutchman. Let's keep looking for something closer to that.

"Bingo" Mateo - No clear reason for this one; I just like the name for a baseball player. It sounds a little too much like a dog's name though.

Wagner "El Niño" Mateo - El Niño is Spanish for... The Niño. The name combines a characteristic of Mateo - Niño is Spanish for kid or child - and also plays off Albert's other nickname "El Hombre". Since both are native Dominicanos, it makes sense.

I like Wagner "El Niño" Mateo. Short, sweet, to the point. Plays off Albert's nickname and off Mateo's young age. Viva El Niño!

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Colby Rasmus has forgotten how to walk. That's OK, I still appreciate him. Taking a look at Colby's June success and other tidbits.

In an earlier post, I made the promise that if Colby Rasmus could make it the entire month without taking a walk, while still having a June OPS over 1.000, I would devote an entire post gushing over him. Well, the numbers have come in, and, although he made it the entire month without walking, his OPS came just a little bit short, ending at .869. After last night, he deserves this post anyway.

Colby is probably going to be one of the streakiest hitters on the team, throughout his MLB career. He's not a cyborg like Pujols, who's slump is a string of 1-4's and two walks. His streaks consist of some brilliant plays and some uninspired slumps, but the end result this month was quite what we would expect in a star outfielder.

Not to say he's one yet, because he's not, by far. But if he can put together another month like June, he not only will be the ROY, he'll also start showing up on the backs of a lot more fans at Busch.

Which reminds me. What is with this Colby and his streaming locks of Georgian glory? Three out of three ladies that somewhat follow the Cardinals find him attractive, or at least like to talk about him like he's the only player on the team. The same for Yadi, to a lessened extent. Yadier Molina? Is anyone else encountering this fickle display of baseball favoritism? I think they just like to say their names. Un-believable.

Colby's June was indeed impressive. His line drive rate sat at a very healthy, Ryan Ludwick in 2008-esque 28%, bringing his season LD% up to around 20%. His isolated power dropped a bit from May (.203 vs. .235), but his overall SLG increased (.536 vs. .447). He's added 2.1 Wins Above Replacement this year and is worth $9.5 million so far this season, according to FanGraphs. His defense has been good if not great, and his overall OPS is sitting at .768 for the season. He's been darn good.

Not many people know that Colby Rasmus is the result of the botched attempt to keep Edgar Renteria in a Cardinal uni. The 28th draft pick in the 2005 draft first belonged to the Red Sox, but we received it as a compensation pick for Edgar's departure. With Renteria back in town, let's reflect on how well that non-deal has worked out for us. We get Colby, the World Series in 2006, and avoid getting stuck with a big contract that the Sox looked to get rid of one year later. Thanks for Colby, Boston!

Finally, let's end with some hilarity that is sure to get some ladies friending Colby on Facebook. From an interview with GO magazine by Evan Fisk:

Do you have a girlfriend?
I’m single.

There’s a 24-year-old girl on our staff. She wants to know if you like older women because she thinks you’re really hot.
I definitely do. (Smiles) Definitely do.

Then the follow up question is that she wants to know if you’d go on a date with her if she buys you a beer. When you’re 21, of course.
Definitely will. No doubt about it.

So how much of your time in the dugout is spent looking at the hot girls in the stands?
We look every now and then.

Have you ever asked a girl out at a game?
Um, not really. I’ve asked for numbers a couple of times after the games, but not really. I don’t do that a whole lot. But, I don’t know, it’s all good fun. If you see a good-looking girl in the stands, everybody will be taking a peek. It’s pretty funny watching everybody.

I heard he likes tankinis. At least, that's what Brendan Ryan told me.

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Tony La Russa's post-game interview.

I have to imagine that Tony La Russa is feeling a little bit like David on his way home from the dentist.

Post-game interview:

Reporter: "Tony, how do you feel about losing 6 of your last 7 games?"
Tony: "I didn't feel anything."

Reporter: "Mr. La Russa, you must have something to say about your team's lack of offense in recent games."
Tony: "I feel funny."

Reporter: "It is kind of funny how Rick Ankiel keeps getting starts over Colby Rasmus, even though Colby's OPS is over 50 points higher."
Tony: "Ughhhh."

Reporter: "Tony, what do you have to say about Chris Carpenter's 11-hit, 6-run performance against Randy Johnson?"
Tony: "Is this real life?"

Reporter: "How many positions is Mark DeRosa able to play, realistically?"
Tony: "OK, now...OK, now I... I have two fingers. I have four fingers."

Reporter: "Tony, now you're holding up 7 fingers. OK, now stop...stop giving me the finger."

Reporter: "What can you see about this club that is causing the slump?"
Tony: "I can't see anything."

Reporter: "Did Dave Duncan just step on your toe right now?"
Tony: "UghhhAHHHHHHH."

Tony: "Maybe you should get some sleep. It was a long night."
Reporter: "I don't feel tired. Uh uh."

Reporter: "I'm sorry, Tony, but you have us in stitches right now. I don't know what's gotten into you."
Tony: "Do I have stitches? Do I have stitches?"

Reporter: "No, that's just a phrase we use. No, stop touching my microphone!"
Tony: "Why can't I touch it?"

Reporter: "Because it's mine. Do you feel OK?"
Tony: "I...I feel funny."

Tony: "Why is this happening to me?"
Reporter: "I don't know, maybe you should look at your players."

Tony: "Is this going to be forever?"
Al Hrabosky: "I think we need an impact trade."

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