fizzle... pop... dead

We played hard and lost. We have nothing to be ashamed of.

Good season, everyone. Now go home and rest up, because Spring Training is only about five months away.

I guess it wasn't meant to be.

(pause for dramatic effect)

Oh, well. There's always next year. (Egads, did I just say that? Deep breath, I will not turn into a Cubs fan.)

I like a good underdog, so I'll be rooting for the Rockies and Twins.

Where do the other playoff teams stand? Glad you asked? (And yes, I realize you didn't actually ask.)

• I heard on ESPN yesterday(?) that it might be "a while before they can play competitive baseball in Colorado again."

• Minnesota, with ankles in hands, are on the verge of a fate similar to the Cards.

• The BoSox were swept out of their series as well.

• No promises, but if it comes down to the Yankees and the Dodgers, I might just put in a DVD and forget about baseball altogether.

The offseason should be interesting, if nothing else.

• TLR and Dave Duncan may or may not be back. I would love for them to return, but I'm not holding my breath.

• Matt Holliday will probably end up with the Yankees (unless you believe in karma).

• Mark DeRosa will probably end up back with the Cubs (or possibly the Padres).

• Troy Glaus won't sign anywhere this offseason, but I expect him to get ST invites.

• Rick Ankiel will NOT get everything Scott Boras thinks he's worth, but he won't do too badly. He'll stay in the NL, because as we all saw this year, his defense is much better than his offense.

• Joel Pineiro will get a 1-year deal to stay with the Cardinals.

• Jason Motte has seen the last of big league action for a while.

• Todd Wellemeyer... well, it's hard to say if he'll get any interest this winter, but he's a very likable guy, and I hope he gets another chance. Somewhere else. Cause, well, likable is nice and all, but I want to win next year.

• John Smoltz will definitely get interest, but I'm not entirely sure he wants to come back, regardless of what he says. I'd love to see him back in a Cardinals uniform, but that's a hard one to pick.

I guess that's the upside of a long season--you don't have to wait too long for another chance.

(forced smile)


(sigh)

(sob)

I'm just going to bury my face in a pillow and cry for a few weeks.

One more season over, one more opportunity missed.

Blah.

bring it on

September 2. We're comfortably in first place in the Central, 10.5 games ahead of the Cubs, and tied for the best NL record with the Dodgers. Magic number: 20. And yes, it is now officially acceptable to start talking about the magic number. Magic number = the number of Cardinals wins plus Cubs losses that will guarantee us a spot in the playoffs. It is also the number that will eliminate the Cubs from the NL Central race. (Isn't it fun how that works out?) Twenty. Veinte. Venti. Vingt. A score. An icosahedron. Calcium. An actual magic number. Here's what I'm thinking about today:

• Our mid-season acquisitions have all lived up to/exceeded expectations, and everyone on the team is contributing (and by everyone, I of course mean everyone except Joe Thurston who is nearly worthless).

• TLR will will let you know when it's finally safe to talk about the post-season, probably about 10 minutes before the first pitch of the NLDS. Until then, you will live in the moment and YOU WILL LIKE IT.

• No comment on the Duncan situation. Do you suppose it would be too weird for the Cards to pick the Dunc-inator back up?

• September call-ups? Um.... Can I get back to you on that?

• Chris Carpenter has a place deep inside where he goes when he doesn't have his best stuff. A place, apparently, where he can find the strength to muscle out a quality start and give his team a chance to win even when his command isn't there and his best pitches aren't quite right. That's what makes him one of the best in the business. Where would we be without him?

• Brad Penny is a jerk. I know he was on my wish list, and I know he pitched magnificently for the Giants in his first start back in the NL, but you have to draw the line somewhere, and sometimes that line is right around "he is a jerk". I know talent is important, but you don't want to sacrifice clubhouse chemistry. And no, this is not sour grapes.

• Jason Motte pitches much better with no pressure (can you believe 5 K?), while John Smoltz likes a little fire under his butt. Mm-hm. San Fran can have Penny.

• Troy Glaus is back, sort of. He's as tall as ever, and the uniform still fits, it seems. Therefore, I hereby predict that he will be one of the highest paid pinch hitters in the majors this post-season*, but he won't really do much. I love Troy and I wish him the best (and yes, I was giving him a mini standing ovation of my own in the living room last night), but Mr DeRosa has won my heart and I'm desperately hoping we can bring him back in 2010.

There's probably more, but I'll save that for later. Later. *Knock on wood.

one more year with big-D, sr.

I was pleased to hear that Dave "the recycler" Duncan signed a one-year extension to stay on-board with the Cards for the 2009 season. I'm not really surpised. He and Tony have been together for most of their careers, and since Tony has one year left on his contract, it only follows that Dave would agree to stick around as well. After next year, well, that's anybody's guess. I think a big part of that will depend on the acquisitions made this off-season as well as how competetive the 'Birds are next year.

too shocked to think

Anthony Reyes is no longer a member of the Cardinals' organization. 

It hurts, it really does. He was such a big part of the World Series team (like so many others that are no longer around), and I'd become a bit of an A-Rey fanatic. I think he's got great stuff and a lot of potential, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. 

You know what? Good for Anthony. I'll continue to follow him (well, his stats, anyway, I'm not really a stalker), and hopefully this will turn his career around and give him a chance to get some starts or at least pave the way for him to become the big league pitcher he's destined to be. 

I've said it many times before, but now that we're at the end I guess I'll say it one more time: A-Rey never did mesh with Dave Duncan or his demands from his pitchers. 

Anthony would be at Memphis, pitching great, and then when he'd inevitably get called back up, he'd lose his control and give up big innings. I'll not get into the differences between facing AAA hitters and major league hitters, or the difference between pitching for ground balls and pitching for strike-outs (and how the latter is more likely to get you into trouble with fly balls), or the difference between a two-seam and a four-seam fastball, but suffice it say that Anthony will be a terrific starter for some lucky club sometime in the future (maybe it will be Cleveland, maybe not) I'm just sorry it wasn't the Redbirds. 

Good-bye and good luck, Anthony. I'll miss you. You'll always be a Cardinal to me. 

In happier news, Chris Carpenter pitched well at Memphis and is poised to return to the rotation, maybe even as soon as WEDNESDAY. 

Yeah! Maybe Wednesday we'll win. 

The Cubs have lost two in a row to the Marlins. The Brewers lost to Houston last night, and they play again tonight. As much as I hate the Cubs, I'd rather they be in first place than the Bloated Brewers. I just came up with that. 

Have you read the Onion lately? You should. 

Luis Perdomo, according to Matthew Leach and the Cardinals' team site, is, "a big-armed reliever who began the year at high Class A Kinston before being promoted to Double-A Akron. For the year, Perdomo has a 5-1 record, a 1.66 ERA, 60 strikeouts, 24 walks and one home run allowed in 54 1/3 innings. Perdomo, 24, is reported to have a fastball in the mid-90s, a slider and a changeup. The right-hander has spent his entire career in the Indians organization. He will be assigned to Double-A Springfield."

credit where credit's due

Many people, especially those who aren't familiar with the inner-workings of baseball, are unaware of the quiet genius at work behind Cardinals pitching. Dave Duncan is recognized by those-in-the-know as one of the all-time greatest pitching coaches, primarily for his ability to turn around pitchers (and careers) on the downslide. Cardinal Nation knows how valuable Duncan is to the organization and to the pitchers he has instructed, but it's always nice to have people on the outside give accolades where they are so richly deserved and often neglected. Bradford Doolittle recently did just that. Have a look here.