| St.
Louis Sports Online 99.9% Original Content--Since 1995--The Online Source for St. Louis Sports WDBX Sunday Sports Review ========== Geary Deniston, Derrick Langston, Mike Huss, Don Ford, Mike Rainey & Mike Baker talk sports with host Mark Bausch every Sunday ========== SSR Show Intro mp3 #1 (featuring Ozzie Smith, Tony La Russa, Bruce Weber, Jerry Kill, Rich Herrin and Charlie Spoonhour and Joe Buck) ========== click to listen to SSR audio SSR 100103 |
Mike
Huss: "Cards Sign Matt Holliday and Mike Channels Chevy Chase" & new Take Five (posted Feb 1); and "Mike Goes (Super) Bowling...the Rams Do Not" ----- Mark Bausch on Matching Cardinals with Four TVs...(click to read) What follows is an attempt to match up one
man's memories (mine!) of St. Louis Cardinals players and managers with
the various-sized TVs. |
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posted February 7 This weekend the rich &
arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League is in
South Florida for its annual debutant ball: the Super Bowl. Sunday will
mark the 44th edition of the big game with Roman Numerals when the
Indianapolis Colts takes on the New Orleans Saints on the field that
during the summer months serves as the home of Major League Baseball’s
Florida Marlins.
Mac is BackThis should be a good one and should be a shoot-out. Both teams have high-powered offenses and outstanding quarterbacks. Plus, for those of us in flyover country, the game should also be fun to watch. Both of these teams come from middle-America and their names don’t begin with the words New York, New England, Philadelphia or Dallas. Watching the national media cover these two middle-America teams reminds me of October 2006 when the Cardinals played Detroit in the World Series. There were no Yankees or Red Sox or Dodgers or Phillies. I witnessed many of those national pundits rather unhappy over their assignment. Some of those exchanges were priceless and I’m guessing much of the same pouting is occurring in South Florida: but on a grander scale. Indianapolis and New Orleans illustrate the long road to the Super Bowl. It wasn’t that long ago when the two teams were nicked the “Dolts” and the “Aints”: while their fans went indoors to watch games wearing bags on their heads. But paraphrasing the lyrics of a song penned during World War I (that also doubles as an introduction by Marching Mizzou), “It’s a long way to the Super Bowl (OK, Tipperary). It’s a long way to go”. And that brings us to the Home Team: the St. Louis Rams. It’s hard to believe that eight and ten years ago, it was our town preparing for the Super Bowl. Back in the day the Rams were the toast of the town and were in the upper echelon of the fraternity of that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League. Then, St. Louis was a glamour team: a fun team to watch. But times have changed. Man, how times have changed. In 2009, the Rams won one regular season game. Since 2007, team has compiled only six regular season victories. Meanwhile, it’s been a carousel of coaching, front office, and executive changes in Earth City complete with finger-pointing, sound bites and innuendos. More and more empty seats have been appearing on Sunday afternoons at the facility formerly known as the Trans World Dome. Even the bandwagon-jumping local & adoring media no longer are enamored about the Rams or carrying their water. “It’s a long way to respectability. It’s a long way to go.” Amid the much-needed improvement on the field, the Rams ownership is influx. The team is operated by the heirs of the late Georgia Frontiere with 40% of the team owned by Columbia, Missouri businessman Stan Kroenke. Down the line, Georgia’s kids will be getting a large estate tax bill. Indications point that the family will sell the Rams. Reports are surfacing that there are three bidders considered as “favorites”: one from the Gateway City and a second with reported St. Louis ties. This will be an on-going issue/distraction. But for now, Frontiere’s son Chip Rosenbloom is the Managing Partner for the Rams. In a recent interview with St. Louis Post Dispatch football writer Jim Thomas, Rosenbloom attempted to make lemonade from a bunch of lemons. "I think fans should be optimistic about the direction of this organization," Rosenbloom told the PD. "We made a sweeping restructuring of the entire organization so that we could be winners on the field to put us in position to start winning games. Now, this is not a one-season fix. This past season was sort of an interim year in my opinion before we see a more successful on-field product. I think this year it was necessary to get through a lot of stuff." I suppose that’s one way of putting it. But the numbers scream the loudest. In 2 ½ months the Rams will get the Number One pick in the entire NFL Draft. You earn that “honor” by having the worst record in the prior year. St. Louis is now on the clock and everyone is watching. While Rosenbloom’s spin sounds good, the Rams have offensive, defensive, and depth issues that must be addressed. This team is not very good because they do not have much talent. The personnel sins that depleted this team were started by former Head Coach Mike Martz and continued by subsequent bad drafting and free agent decisions. Meanwhile, last week the Rams received word that their best player could have some serious off the field concerns: namely in the legal courts and in the court of public opinion. Last week it was announced that All Pro Running Back Steven Jackson has been accused of beating up former girlfriend Supriya Harris while she was nine months pregnant with his child. This accusation came from the tabloid website TMZ.com: whose accuracy in such matters has generally been fairly accurate. According to published reports: “Harris, 29, has accused the running back of pushing her repeatedly and throwing her against a door, when she was nine months pregnant with the couple's son, Kingston. The incident allegedly occurred March 8 at Jackson's Las Vegas home. “Steven became enraged and pushed me to the ground, repeatedly,” Harris said in a complaint filed with the Las Vegas Police Department. She went on to claim Jackson “forcibly grabbed my arm and flung me against the door. I was crying and trying to protect my stomach from the blows, as I was nine months pregnant.” This is not what the Rams needed. Suddenly Earth City is again in damage control: now with their marquis player. “We are aware of the situation involving Steven Jackson,” said Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo in an official team statement. “We are in the process of gathering information. We are always concerned with issues involving our players.” This is an ugly situation for you just do not know who to believe. Is Jackson the monster that he is alleged to be or is this just another example of another individual playing the victim for the sole person to extort money from a prominent and wealthy public person? Folks, I don’t know and I am not venturing a guess on this one. But I do know this: the Rams, who are trying to rebuilding their image and their fan base, did not need this news. So let’s review: the Rams’ ownership situation is uncertain, their talent level and football stadium needs a major makeover, and the face of the franchise is having high-profiled off the field issues: all while the team is ready to send out 2010 season ticket renewals. Happy Super Bowl Sunday, Gateway City: “It is a long way to respectability.” In 2010, the Rams will host Arizona, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Carolina, Kansas City, San Diego and Washington at the facility formerly known as the Trans World Dome. Meanwhile the team will travel to Arizona, San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Denver, Oakland and Detroit next season. Said another way, the Rams will play five games against teams with winning records in 2009, seven games against teams with losing 2009 records and four games against teams that finished .500 in 2009. Said in even another way, six of the Rams 2010 opponents had five or less wins during the 2009 season. At first glance this shouldn’t be a very difficult schedule. You earn that privilege with the worst record in the previous regular season. This weekend the rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League is in South Florida for its annual debutant ball: the Super Bowl. Sunday will mark the 44th edition of the big game with Roman Numerals. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Rams are in the infant stages of that journey to that party. “It’s a long way to go” posted January 12 “I never knew when, but I always knew
this day would come. It's time for me to talk about the past and to
confirm what people have suspected. I used steroids during my playing
career and I apologize. I remember trying steroids very briefly in the
1989/1990 off season and then after I was injured in 1993, I used
steroids again. I used them on occasion throughout the nineties,
including during the 1998 season.”
“I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era.” And with those words, Mark Mc Gwire finally admitted what we already strongly suspected: that during his playing days he used performance enhancing drugs. The truth is finally out. The genie is finally out of the bottle. We’ve peeked behind the Lone Ranger’s mask. We saw the man behind the curtain. We have found the location of the Bat Cave and discovered Superman’s secret identity. (Feel free to insert your own here.) How about this one: Once again best-selling author Jose Canseco was proven correct. This announcement had to be made, although it was a carefully choreographed performance. From the timing of the issuance of the statement (as most news agencies were scrambling for their nightly newscast), to the availability of and scripted responses from Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa’s to Commissioner Bud Selig to Bob Costas: who just happened to be in the neighborhood of Mc Gwire’s gated community for an a one-on-one sit down on the league’s owned and operated MLB Network. Throughout the process Big Mac’s Irish eyes were periodically crying. It was clear this was a carefully written script where everyone had their roles. Now the deed is done. For the next few days Mc Gwire will have to deal with the piling-on and “I told you so’s” by the national media, as well as from local second-tier radio gab-masters/sportswriters, sport squawk radio callers and the misspellings on Internet bulletin boards. This matter will continue to be debated in the court of public opinion. But by the end of the week, Mc Gwire will likely be warmly welcomed into the Cardinal Winter Warm-Up and subsequently at the Monday night St. Louis Baseball Writers’ dinner as Cardinal Nation’s returning prodigal son as a start to turn the page. It’s finally over. But it seems like we’ve been discussing this for a long, long time. After the 1994 strike, the Lords of Baseball were looking for something, anything to put the game back on the map & butts back in the stands. Then, Mark Mc Gwire and Sammy Sosa captivated the nation’s attention by their version of Home Run Derby. Fans began returning to the stadiums with their discretionary income. That home run chase proved to be the springboard for higher league attendance, new stadiums and increased revenue. But right, wrong or indifferent Mc Gwire became the poster boy of the so-called steroid era in baseball. Back in the day, Big Mac was the Pied Piper. Thousands of fans arrived early to watch him blast baseballs in batting practice, left in droves when it became apparent Mc Gwire completed his final at-bat of the game and was the new star of Sport Center: as he blasted long, long flies on TV screens from sea to shining sea. We didn’t care how it was done. But now a dozen years later, it almost seems that someone made a pact with the devil. We view those glory days much differently today than a decade ago. Still, Monday’s announcement shouldn’t be a surprise to any reasonable thinking person. With his admission, Mc Gwire’s mystery is over. Yet the national pundits and the usual suspects in the agenda/shtick-driven local media are all predictably pontificating: each sounding like the vessels of virtue by using words such as “the integrity of the game”. Now here are the next bombshell revelations: Tiger Woods announced his infidelity and Barack Obama admitted that in the past he might have mentioned airing the Health Care Bill negotiations live on C-Span. Please spare me the rhetoric and the sermons from the good people. Big Mac’s statement was issued and the content is what we expected. Said another way, it’s over. In the end, we knew what we saw and we came to the same general conclusion. With Mc Gwire’s mea culpa, there is really nothing more to say. So now it becomes time to talk about the future. "On behalf of the entire Cardinals organization, I believe Mark McGwire today did the right thing by telling the truth and openly acknowledging his past mistakes," said team Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. "No one condones what Mark did more than ten years ago. I'm glad Mark has gone public and the Cardinals welcome him back as our hitting coach." As long as Mc Gwire resided behind the gated community, he reserved the right to say or not say anything he wished. However, once Big Mac chose to accept the Cardinal Hitting Coach position, the landscape changed. Had Mc Gwire not cleared the air, it would have been chaos in Jupiter, Florida and every opposing city the Red Birds would travel. Knowing the mindset and psyche of the Manager, this would not be acceptable. Now after his statement, his interview with Costas, follow-up discussions and the subsequent reaction, Mc Gwire and the Cardinals can now move forward with Big Mac’s new duties. Once this dust finally settles the Cardinals, with La Russa leading the charge, will expect the local and out of town media to treat their new Hitting Coach no differently than Hal Mc Rae or Mitchell Boggs were. We’ll see: Stay tuned But to get an outside perspective, we offer comments from Hall of Fame Baseball writer Tracy Ringolsby who writes: “The cleansing process continues for Major League Baseball. Thanks to Mark McGwire, the game is now another step closer to being able to close the book on a period of shame. The feel-good moments of the late '90s when McGwire and Sammy Sosa were luring fans back to a game torn apart by longstanding labor unrest have turned to painful suspicions that all wasn’t fair in the war on the baseball field. To McGwire’s credit, at least he never made a public denial of using steroids, unlike a Rafael Palmeiro, who flat-out lied under oath. McGwire simply refused to discuss the matter, even when called upon by a Congressional committee, which fueled the speculation that McGwire was an abuser. Finally, on Monday, McGwire came clean. Now, if baseball could somehow wave a wand and clear up the uncertainty that hangs over others from that PED-tainted era it could move on and allow that shady part of its past get pushed into a corner: much like the cocaine scandals of the late '70s and early '80s that ravaged the game or the amphetamines that were such a staple in the days of Pete Rose have become an afterthought. It doesn’t make everything OK to have admissions or factual revelations like Alex Rodriguez being outed from the testing plan that was supposed to be confidential but it does, at least, bring closure. But until a definitive answer is provided for the questions that still remain about a Sosa or Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens, baseball will live with the cloud hovering.” But for Big Mac, it’s finally over. Mark Mc Gwire finally admitted something that we already strongly suspected: He used performance enhancing drugs as a player. Look out, old Mac is back: warts and all. “I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come.” So did we, Big Mac. So did we. |
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St.
Louis Sports Billikens UpdateEric Niederhoffer  posted February 5 Saint Louis University Billikens (13-8, 4-3) posted a
67-65 last-second win over the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies
(9-11, 2-5) at the Chaifetz Arena (reported paid attendance = 6687).
The first half ended with the Billikens leading 31-27 and little
scoring contribution from sophomore guard Kwamain Mitchell. Although
the second half saw St. Bonaventure outscore SLU 38-36 and erase an
11-point deficit, Mitchell poured in 16 points, including a last-second
basket to seal the victory. One consistency has been SLU's poor
free-throw shooting. SLU was led by sophomore guard Kwamain Mitchell
(17 pts, 3 assists), sophomore forward Willie Reed (11 pts, 11
rebounds), and freshman forward Jon Smith (11 pts, 3 rebounds). The
Bonnies were led by senior guard Jonathan Hall (13 pts, 8 rebounds),
sophomore forward Andrew Nicholson (13 pts, 4 rebounds), sophomore
forward Da'Quan Cook (12 pts, 8 rebounds), junior guard Ogo Adegboye
(11 pts, 4 rebounds), and senior guard Chris Matthews (11 pts). Saint
Louis shot 53% from the field (36% from 3-pt range) and 47% (8-17) from
the charity line. St. Bonaventure shot 41% from the field (41% from
3-pt range) and 75% (12-16) from the charity line. The Billikens had 27
rebounds (8O, 19D), 15 assists, 9 steals, 8 blocked shots, and 12
turnovers as compared with 36 rebounds (16O, 20D), 14 assists, 5
steals, 4 blocked shots, and 16 turnovers by the Bonnies.
 SLU sophomore guard Kwamain Mitchell (3) was quiet in the first half but turned it on during the second half, finishing with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 5 turnovers.  Bonnies sophomore forward Andrew Nicholson (44) fights for a rebound against Billikens sophomore forward Willie Reed (33). Nicholson fouled out in the second half after scoring 13 points. Nicholson also had 4 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, and 2 turnovers. Reed finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocked shots, and 4 turnovers. posted January 22 Saint Louis University Billikens (12-6, 3-1) dominated
the Fordham University Rams (2-15, 0-5) with a 75-48 victory at
theChaifetz Arena (reported paid attendance = 7067). This was a game
that was never a contest for the young Billikens team. SLU was led by
sophomore forward Brian Conklin (15 pts, 5 rebounds), freshman forward
Cody Ellis (14 pts, 9 rebounds), sophomore guard Kwamain Mitchell (13
pts, 5 assists), sophomore forward Willie Reed (10 pts, 6 rebounds),
and freshman forward Jon Smith (8 pts, 8 rebounds). The Rams were led
by freshman guard Lance Brown (15 pts, 8 rebounds) and freshman forward
Chris Gaston (10 pts, 7 rebounds). Saint Louis shot 49% from the field
(30% from 3-pt range) and 56% (5-9) from the charity line. Fordham shot
33% from the field (67% from 3-pt range) and 74% (14-19) from the
charity line. The Billikens had 41 rebounds (14O, 27D), 18 assists, 12
steals, 3 blocked shots, and 11 turnovers as compared with 28 rebounds
(6O, 22D), 9 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocked shots, and 20 turnovers by
the Rams.
 Billikens freshman forward Jon Smith (21)
jams in 2 points of his 8 points. Smith also had 8 rebounds, 2 assists,
and 1 blocked shot
 SLU sophomore forward Brian Conklin (14) scores over Fordham freshman forward Fahro Alihodzic (15). Conklin led the team with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 turnover. Alihodzic finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 2 turnovers additional Bills-Rams pix here posted December 30 Saint Louis University Billikens (9-4, 0-0) won easily
60-42 over Eastern Illinois University Panthers (7-5, 0-0) at the
Chaifetz Arena (reported paid attendance = 7354). In a game that played
closer than the score reflects, the Billikens were led by sophomore
guard Kwamain Mitchell (19 pts, 7 assists), sophomore center Willie
Reed (13 pts, 5 rebounds, 3 blocked shots), freshman guard Justin
Jordan (9 pts, 4 rebounds), and sophomore forward Brian Conklin (8 pts,
6 rebounds). The Panthers were led by junior guard Tyler Laser (11 pts,
7 rebounds) and freshman forward Shaun Pratl (11 pts, 6 rebounds).
Saint Louis shot 40% from the field (32% from 3-pt range) and 56% (5-9)
from the charity line. EIU shot 30% from the field (33% from 3-pt
range) and 71% (5-7) from the charity line. The Billikens had 35
rebounds (11O, 24D), 16 assists, 6 steals, 10 blocked shots, and 8
turnovers as compared with 41 rebounds (17O, 24D), 9 assists, 2 steals,
4 blocked shots, and 15 turnovers by the Bears.
-------------------- SLU sophomore guard Kwamain Mitchell (3) waited until the second half to turn on his offense. Mitchell finished with a game-high 19 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 turnover ...more SLU-EIU pix here posted December 21 Saint Louis University Billikens (7-4, 0-0) lost 73-63 to
the undefeated Missouri State University Bears (10-0, 0-0) 79-51 at the
Chaifetz Arena (reported paid attendance = 8483). Without the services
of sophomore guard Kwamain Mitchell (eye injury), the BIllikens were
unable to preserve their undefeated home court record. Five scorers was
needed but only four stood up to the challenge. The offensive skills of
sophomore guard Kyle Cassidy were absent during the contest. The
Billikens were led by sophomore center Willie Reed (19 pts, 8 rebounds)
and freshman guards Christian Salecich (15 pts, 2 steals) and Justin
Jordan (15 pts, 5 assists). The Bears were led by junior guards Adam
Leonard (15 pts, 5 rebounds) and Jermaine Mallett (15 pts, 3 assists, 2
steals), sophomore forward Kyle Weems (11 pts, 4 rebounds, 2 steals),
junior center Will Creekmore (10 pts, 5 rebounds), and senior guard
Justin Fuehrmeyer (9 pts). Saint Louis shot 39% from the field (28%
from 3-pt range) and 78% (18-23) from the charity line. MSU shot 44%
from the field (19% from 3-pt range) and 87% (26-30) from the charity
line. The Billikens had 28 rebounds (9O, 19D), 14 assists, 6 steal, 4
blocked shots, and 16 turnovers as compared with 35 rebounds (11O,
24D), 9 assists, 8 steals, and 13 turnovers by the Bears.
 Billikens sophomore center Willie Reed (33) drives home 2 points with this dunk on his way to a game-high 19 points. Reed finished with 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocked shots, 1 steal, and 4 turnovers Many more SLU-Missouri State photos (including crowd shots...Whitey Herzog?!) here -----
Blues News--Stop the Presses posted October 22 So
the Bluesmen open their season in Sveden and take two from last year's
SC finalists (the hated Red Wings).
The local puckheads (honest) began opening discussing ginormous parades on Market Street...and no, they weren't talking about Brenda and Kurt Warner leading their ever-growing family into old Union Station for a PTL-styled revival. No, these gents were talking about Lord Stanley's Cup in the good old STL... Then we watched bits and pieces of the Blues loss to Pittburgh earlier this week--the game's final score (5-1) is not indicative the dominating effort put forth by the Penguins (perhaps the Bluesmen being outshot 20-3 in the game's first period is, though...) The time is right for John Davidson and his fan-friendly lieutenants--the Cards are done and not likely to sign Matt Holliday for several weeks (if ever), and the Rams are garnering national attention for BEING THE WORST TEAM IN THE NFL...while the SLU Billikens men's basketball team, in addition to fielding a team comprised exclusively of first- and second-year players, are coached by a legend (Rick Majerus) who appears to care as much about his local media coverage as, well, the Rams do! Repeat after me: no NHL games...and I mean...NO NHL GAMES...that are played in October...are important. So we won't call this weekend's two game homestand at the Scott Trade Center 'big', 'huge', or 'important'. But all the good will that Davidson, GM Larry Pleau, and coach Andy Murray built up last spring...good will that by all accounts has led to a resurgence in local hockey interest...could all go pffffffft. Where is Brian Sutter when you need him? Skate Boys Skate! ----- Blues
News--Let the Pucks Begin!!!
 Tom Settles posted September 15 As the Blues begin their training camp for the upcoming season, there are a few names coming back that could be the missing piece of the puzzle for the team. Most notably, Paul Kariya, who is returning after undergoing double hip surgery. Kariya says he is skating faster and feels great for the upcoming season and is excited about being back with the team. He also said, "I think we have the best group of young players in the NHL and I am very excited to be a part of it and see where we can take it." Defensmen Erik Johnson, who was also out last season due to an injury, has gained some weight and bulked up as a hopeful force on the Blueline; sure to compliment the others. Also, lets mention Alex Pietrangelo, who will be making a strong bid to make the team. Keith Tkachuck is back for another season as well, to see if he can gain his name to Lord Stanley's Cup before hanging up the skates. Along with Brad Boyes, David Bakkes, Patrik Burgland, Andy McDonald, and the speedy David Perron, you will have to keep your eyes on this team to make a move this season. President John Davidson commented " We are going to have a competitive camp this season, and its a good chance for some guys to come in and show what they can show us and make the club" Also new to this years training squad is 2-time Stanley Cup winner Daryl Sydor. The 37-year old defensmen will be here on a trial basis, with the anticipation of providing leadership to such a young team. It also seems, for the first time in a few years, that the Blues will have a good goaltending two-some in the addition of free agent Ty Conklin, who won 25 games last season in Detroit. Conklin will help take the work load off of Chris Mason this year. Most of the Blues drafts picks, including Center Lars Eller, Defensman Jonus Junland, and St. Louisian Goalie Ben Bishop will be in camp. Eller, who has shown symptoms of mono, will be able to get on the ice sometime in late September and should be ready to play this season, if he makes the team. In the off season, the Blues coverted free agent Brenden Bell, formally of Ottawa, but breaking this tough lineup will be a chore. Bell had 21 points (6 goals and 15 assists) in 53 games last season for the Senators. The Blues also signed former LA King Derek Armstrong. The 36-year old foward played in 56 games with the Kings last season, recording nine points (five goals, four assists) along with 63 penalty minutes. Coach Murray is eager to get on the ice and see what talent he has accrued, and how to best distribute it for a winning combination. Even though he hasn't been able to coordinate practices until this weekend, he has been at all the skates, to see the talent come together. He has said that he would like the team to be a better "5 on 5", which is what cost them the first round loss to Vancouver last season. There are only a few spots available on the team, and the toughest will be on Defense. Even with Captain Erik Brewer back on the ice skating in British Columbia following minor knee surgery, his return remains uncertain, but John Davidson expects the Blues captain to play this season. After a few practices and scrimmages, the Blues will hit the ice this Tuesday for their first pre-season game of seven against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Scottrade Center. The Blues will start the season Friday October 2nd in Stockholm Sweden against the Detroit Red Wings, and return home for the first game on home ice on October 8th playing the Atlanta Thrashers. If the last half of the 08-09 season is any indication of how the Blues will be in the 09-10 season (best record after the All-Star game), this team could make a big splash in the upcoming season for the division!
posted August 3  The 2009 version of #15 hits with power to all fields and has been 'adopted' by baseball's best fans...  But the most recent Redbird outfielder to model the #15 jersey could play a bit, too...  Indeed, one could argue that the Jim Edmonds years in STL should be referred to as the 'Edmonds Era'...with no disrespect intended toward any other Redbird who also has '5' on his jersey |
Mike Huss' Take Five
posted February 8 Well how about that: former Mizzou QB
Chase Daniel gets a Super Bowl ring.
One of the amazing things about television these days are how quick news is spread. Case in point: Eight seconds after the final gun sounded in Miami, buying channel QVC began selling “New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Championship” stuff. Perhaps the economy is improving. Has it really been twenty-two and twenty one years since the passing of former Blues Captain Barclay Plager and the greatest hockey announcer ever, Dan Kelly? Just think: the Rams get to travel next season to New Orleans to play the Saints. AND FINALLY FROM THE “HOME OFFICE” BUREAU: From the February 8, 2010 Indianapolis Post: ”Gate Hogan, 25, and Reed Hogan, 27, Jackson, Miss., attracted a lot of attention from other fans and a crew from the "Late Show With David Letterman." The brothers painted their bodies gold from the waist up, including gold hair. They had the Saints logo painted in black on their faces and "Who Dat" on their chests. Other Saints fans just wanted pictures with them and maybe a "Who Dat" cheer. David Letterman wanted material for a comedy piece. "They were asking us hard questions about the economy and stuff," Reed Hogan said. The brothers were told the segment is likely to air today or Tuesday.” One can only guess how our locals would react should the Rams ever return to the Big Game with Roman Numerals. posted January 27 Well, what do you know? Chase Daniel is
headed to the Super Bowl.
Speaking of the big game with Roman numerals, since there will be two teams in flyover country participating (or said another way, teams that do not begin with the words, New York, New England or Dallas), will the World Wide Leader in Cable Sports Programming actually cover the big game or will it opt to begin its pre-game coverage of Major League Baseball’s opening day between the Yankees and Red Sox? Joe Posnanski of Kansas City Star offers his thoughts on the Royals’ signing of former Red Bird southpaw, turned-outfielder Rick Ankiel: “(The Royals) sign Ankiel. I’m not saying this is a bad move: I’m so completely confused by it that I can’t even think in terms of good and bad. Ankiel is one of the more famous stories in recent baseball. And all that’s fine but what is he beyond the storybook pages? He’s a 30-turning-31-year-old outfielder who has never had 500 plate appearances in a season. Last year, in 404 PAs, he hit .231/.285/.387. He is a guy with some power and no plate discipline. He is a pretty good athlete with a great arm and shaky instincts. He’s an interesting right fielder because of his arm, but the Royals figure to put him in center where he’s at-best OK. He has a gigantic hole in his swing. He hit .266 in the minors and .251 in the majors, and there’s really no reason to believe that’s changing. People talk about him improving but guys generally don’t start improving at age 31.” Scott Cullen of TSN.com offers his views of the playoff chances of the St. Louis Blues: “Underachieving and out of the playoff picture right now, the Blues need to make a charge if they are going to get back into the race and they have been playing better under new head coach Davis Payne. An already young team the Blues’ either need their young players like T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund, David Perron and Erik Johnson to rise up and lead the way or have to find players capable of ultimately filling the leadership role as veterans Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk are in the twilight of their careers.” Cullen also points out that the Blues potential trading deadline veteran candidates (Eric Brewer, Barret Jackman, Kariya, & Tkachuk) all have No Trade Clauses in their contracts. AND FROM THAT “TOTTLING TOWN” BUREAU: Hey, who knows? Perhaps SLU Basketball Coach Rick Majerus prefers to listen to and participate in Chicago Sports Talk Radio than St. Louis Sports Talk Radio. posted January 23 Do you mean it is THAT Jimmie Kennedy that
will be starting for Minnesota on Sunday in the NFC Championship game?
Somehow, I don’t think Joel Pineiro is going to make Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim fans forget about John Lackey. I’m guessing that the signing of a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals is not exactly where Rick Ankiel, his Agent & the Cardinal Cable announcing tandem thought he would land up after declaring free agency. On a related note, didn’t a prominent St. Louis media member once pen on an internet blog last May or June when speaking of Ankiel’s upcoming free agency: “I guarantee you that next year he will be wearing pinstripes”? Just in case you are wondering why the St. Louis Blues are stuck in a rut, check out these stats courtesy of NHL.com. After 50 regular season games in 2009-10, the Blues have scored 41 third period and only 2 overtime goals. Meanwhile the Note has allowed 55 (or 25.45% more) third period goals and 4 overtime goals. Plus, as the Blues continue to cough up more late leads, it’s reminiscent of the Juan Agosto era. AND FINALLY FROM THE “MANY HAPPY RETURNS” BUREAU: Happy Birthday on Sunday to my best friend and soul mate: my wife Pam. She is the glue that holds our household together while serving as the ultimate role model wife and mother, allowing me without interference to go and cover ball games: all the time with a smile on her face. Folks, no doubt about it: I’m a very lucky guy. posted January 19 Random observations & questions as
the Gateway City and Cardinal Nation welcomes back Mark Mc Gwire to
town as the Prodigal Son
I nearly drove off the road when I heard
during a 7:15AM morning KMOX sportscast on January 15, 2010 lead with
the words “Are we watching another amazing comeback by the St. Louis
Blues?” This comes after winning three games in a row, two at home
against opponents that would also not make the NHL playoffs.
(Subsequently that streak reached four games) When this report was
read, the Blues had the third fewest points in the Western Conference:
one point more than the second fewest points in the West. Am I the only
one that thinks this “glass half-full”, over-reacting local media
mentality is getting way too predictable?
After listening to the comments by former Red Bird Slugger Jack Clark, how many bullets do you think the Cardinal Cable announcing duo would be sweating if the Ripper would be allowed to share a microphone during one of the broadcasts? On a related note, in his 1/16/10 St. Louis Post Dispatch piece, Rick Hummel quoted Fox Sports Midwest head honcho Jack Donovan with these remarks on Jack Clark: “Jack’s opinions are his own and do not represent Fox Sports Midwest”. I’m guessing we are missing the opening sentence of Mr. Donovan’s quote—“Attention Cardinal Management and Front Office”. You know, St. Louis University would likely not have an issue with chartering flights if the Billikens were competing in the Missouri Valley Conference. AND FINALLY FROM THE”COMING ATTRACTIONS” BUREAU: During their 1/17/10 “Sports Reporters” segment, ESPN aired a promo for its first and second round coverage of the 2010 Masters. The clip showed very golfers teeing off and several winners receiving their green jacket. It was a sign of the time that none of the golfers shown on that promo had the name Tiger Woods. posted November 20 Random thoughts & observations as the
Indian-Summer weather turns into actual November weather here in the
Gateway City
You mean it is THAT Kelly Stouffer (a
former St Louis Football Cardinal #1 Draft Choice Bust) that was the
expert color commentator in Saturday’s Missouri/Kansas State game on
the Versus Sports Network (assuming anyone saw it).
Somehow I think the Blues’ 2009 Marketing Slogan is incorrect. After seven weeks, there is much more than just you missing with these St. Louis Blues. So does former Mike Martz #1 Draft Choice Alex Barron now lead the entire world in career False Start penalties in that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League? I think Rams Wide Receiver Donnie Avery got the memo. After catching his 2nd quarter touchdown against New Orleans, he did not perform a silly and immature celebration dance. New Memo to #17: Much Better: this is the way a professional handles that situation. AND FINALLY FROM THE “UPCOMING PROGRAMMING” BUREAU: Inquiring Minds wonder: if f things continue and either New Orleans or Minnesota take on either Cincinnati or Indianapolis in the February 2010 Super Bowl, will ESPN even cover the game since the participants would be from “fly-over” space? posted November 18 Random
observations & questions as the Gateway City welcomes the return of
Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner (and oh yeah, the rest of the Arizona
Cardinals, too)
Happy
89th Birthday this Saturday to the Greatest Cardinal of them all: Stan
“The Man” Musial. We should treasure each day this legend is with us
and his reception at July’s All Star Game resembled one of royalty. One
of my favorite Musial stories occurred in the 1980s when he was asked
during an interview how he would fare against today’s bigger &
stronger pitchers: with a lower mound and specialized hurlers. Musial
responded, “I’d probably hit about .255 or .260”. But before the
shocked interviewer could respond, The Man displayed that famous smile
and said, “But you’ve got to remember, I’m over 60 years old”. He
remains and will always remain The Man.
So who had Dick Jauron in the first NFL Coach to be fired pool? Somehow I don’t think Sunday’s middle-finger salute by Tennessee Titans’ Owner 86-year old Bud Adams falls in line with Commissioner Roger Goddell’s code of contact for owners in that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League. The announced attendance for last Sunday’s Rams/New Orleans sell-out was 59,858. Inquiring minds wonder if the announced attendance for any of the remaining four St. Louis home games will begin with the digit 6. AND FINALLY FROM THE “SPORTS PSCYHOLOGY” BUREAU: According to our friends at Deadspin.com: “A new study of sports fan psychology concludes that fans who have the most negative emotions toward their team's prospects, get the most enjoyment out of games. So treasure your angst because it's more fun that way. Ohio State researchers studied 113 college students who were watching the 2006 game against Michigan (when both teams were undefeated & ranked #1 and #2 in the country.) The students were asked to check in during commercial breaks and say whether they thought their favorite team would win or lose, how suspenseful the game was, and if they were having fun or not. The results showed that the group that enjoyed the game the most were the Ohio State fans who were convinced that the Buckeyes would lose the game. (They won by 3.) It seems to suggest that folks get more satisfaction out of the negative emotions that sports create, because sports fans are sick, perverted masochists. In other words, winning is more exciting if don't believe in your team to begin with. Also, if you expect disaster and your team always fails, then you're never disappointed!” See I knew there was an explanation for all those Gateway City professional sport squawk radio callers and those compulsive misspellings on local sports bulletin boards. posted November 11 Well, if her anticipated job in the WWE
doesn’t work out, perhaps University of New Mexico woman soccer player
and new ESPN favorite Elizabeth Lambert might find employment as a
defenseman for the Blues
Does any college football team want to win the Big XII North? After last month’s “rush of opinions”, it sure has been quiet about the impending sale of the St. Louis Rams. So has anyone received an invitation to the ground-breaking ceremony in downtown St. Louis for the area we are told will stand Ball Park Village? AND FINALLY FROM THE “THEN AND NOW” BUREAU: Feel free to insert your own caption on this one. On November 7, 1999 in a game against the Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams’ quarterback Kurt Warner completed 25 of 42 passes, threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns. Now fast-forward ten years and one day later. On November 8, 2009 in a game against the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback Kurt Warner completed 22 of 32 passes, threw for 261yards and five touchdowns. Again, feel free to insert your own caption. posted November 3 I really don’t understand why the local
football media (mostly newspaper) continues its bashing of former St.
Louis Head Coach Scott Linehan. I just don’t get this. It flared up
again this past weekend as the Rams played in Detroit where Linehan is
the Lions’ Offensive Coordinator. This piling on reminds of one of the
Democratic Party’s obsession with Sarah Palin. Guys, we get it: you
don’t like Linehan. But he’s gone: no longer here. Let it go.
Instead of criticizing this fall’s World Series Umpiring and bloviating over the use & validity of Instant Replay, shouldn’t someone ask this question: why was a Fox TV camera even hanging over the right field wall (a k a in the field of play) during World Series Game Three in Philadelphia? At this writing the St. Louis Blues are in last place in the NHL Western Conference’s Central Division: as last season’s also-rans such as Colorado and Phoenix continue to improve their records. So instead of fantasizing on a victory parade down Market Street, perhaps the local hockey fans should be more concerned about the Note’s power play & just making the playoffs. On Sunday 11/7/09’s ESPN Sports Reporters, Boston Globe writer Bob Ryan, in his “Parting Shot”, criticized the hiring of Mark Mc Gwire as Cardinal Hitting Coach saying “Mark Mc Gwire should not have a job in baseball”. Boston Bob is certainly entitled to his opinion, but it is interesting to note that he did not mention the names of Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz or Roger Clemens during his tirade. AND FINALLY FROM THE “TIME FLIES” BUREAU: Has it really been forty-one years this Saturday (11/7/68) when St. Louis Blues’ Center Red Berensen scored six goals in one game against the Philadelphia Flyers? The radio calls by the late Dan Kelly of the Red Baron’s six goals remains a priceless relic of hockey lore in St. Louis. posted October 22 At this writing, the St. Louis Blues are
ranked 18th (up from 23rd) in this week’s NHL Power Poll Ranking, with
a record of 3-2-1. Said another way, the Note are 1-2-1 in games played
in North America. So don’t you think those who were trash-talking and
pontificating after a couple of wins in Sweden during the first weekend
of October were a tad premature?
I wonder just how many fantasy football owners are scrambling to put Peyton Manning on their roster for this weekend. Among the verbal bouquets & soliloquies that he has been bestowed during the American League playoffs, you sure don’t hear the words “admitted steroid user” when speaking about the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez these days, do you? Now that the Los Angeles Dodgers are feeling the pain of losing a playoff game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, inquiring minds can’t help but wonder how the Cardinals would have fared in the NLCS against these Phillies. AND FINALLY FROM THE “TIME FLIES” BUREAU: Has it really been twenty-seven years since Bruce Sutter struck out Gorman Thomas to end Game 7 of the Cardinals 1982 World Series winning season against Milwaukee?
For those of us who attended the
Rams/Vikings game, we received a treat. Our halftime entertainment was
the March Salukis band from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
After all these years, they are still outstanding. The only down side
was that the Marching Salukis did not get to perform their rendition of
our National Anthem. It remains still the BEST version of the anthem:
Period.
Is it really a good idea naming Richie Incognito a Rams captain? Should the highly-penalized Incognito have the privilege of speaking directly to the referee? After losing two straight at home, do you think the local hockey fans and local hockey media perhaps were a tad premature and overreacted of the St. Louis Blues two wins over Detroit in Sweden? Memo to Donnie Avery: For you to perform a bad & amateurish rendition of a touchdown dance after catching meaningless TD late in a fourth quarter, cutting your opponents lead from 31-3 to 31-9 makes you look foolish, immature and highly unprofessional. Perhaps that’s why the Minnesota second string then when right down the field to pile on more points against you and your teammates. Memo to Coach Spags: did you see your player perform this foolishness? AND FINALLY FROM THE “DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME IS EARLY THIS YEAR” BUREAU: After the final gun sounded in the 10/11/09 Vikings win over the Rams, new Public Address Announcer Randy Wright reminded the handful of fans that hung around of the Rams next game: Sunday November 1 in Detroit. OK, what happened to 10/18 at Jacksonville and 10/25 against Indianapolis? I’ve heard about moving the clock forward in October, but never heard of moving the calendar forward two weeks. posted October 11 What a coincidence: there used to be a
Manager in St. Louis about 15-18 years ago also named Joe Torre that
the callers on local squawk radio said couldn’t manage.
So how many fantasy football owners picked up Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson this weekend? One of the perks of this media gig is that you get an opportunity to meet some famous folks. I experienced this prior to Game Three when I had the honor of riding down the elevator with legendary broadcaster Vin Scully. He was warm, friendly and genuine as with chatted: leaving me with a smile and a “see you later”. Sometimes you do get lucky once in a while. Inquiring minds wonder: which Minnesota opponent score more on the second Sunday of October: the St. Louis Rams or the New York Yankees? AND FINALLY FROM THE “NUMBERS DON’T ADD UP BUREAU”: During the top of 2nd inning of NLDS Game 3, Cardinal Broadcaster Mike Shannon held court and shared his thoughts. “The Philadelphia Phillies are the defending World Champions of Baseball”, Ol’ Irish said. “Who will it be in 2009? Well, were down to six teams: four in each league.” God Bless You, Mike: please don’t ever change. Comments? Contact
Mike at: mike@stlsports.com NFL Stadium Leases (with LA Times odds of each team moving to LA's proposed new stadium in parentheses) --------------- expires after 2008 season San Diego Chargers (5-1) ----- year-to-year Buffalo Bills (30-1) ----- expires after 2010 season New Orleans Saints (80-1) ----- expires after 2010 season Oakland Raiders (35-1) ----- expires after 2011 season Minnesota Vikings (25-1) ----- can expire after 2015 season St. Louis Rams (35-1) |
stlsports.com Cover Story
posted January 10 Cards Sign Matt Holliday and Mike Channels Chevy Chase... "Every
player wants to play well enough for six years to be able to make his
own choices. I think you want to see what's out there. You make sure
you're correct about what you sense. I mean, you date people before you
get married. There's some of that involved. You want your questions
answered. It just took a little longer than I expected."
With those words, the prodigal son has returned. At a press conference on a cold winter’s afternoon, Matt Holliday announced that he is back in St. Louis as a Cardinal left fielder, likely clean-up hitter, batter behind Albert Pujols and the Gateway City’s newest millionaire resident. As this long and winding free agent journey finally comes to its end, I’m reminded of the lyrics performed by Lindsey Buckingham: perhaps better known from the classic National Lampoon Vacation movie sequels. “I found out long ago, it's a long way down the Holiday Road.” Now the new journey begins. We’ll soon find out if that road will be smooth or bumpy. This winter the Cardinals put all their chips in a high-stakes game of poker with Holliday and his agent Scott Boras. Although Red Bird talking points alluded to a Plan B, with free agent outfielder Jason Bay signing with the Mets and former player Mark De Rosa heading west to San Francisco, it was obvious it was Holliday or bust. There was not feasible Plan B: unless the team wanted us to believe they would try in May to re-sign soon-to-be 31-year-old and the cable network broadcasting duo’s favorite Rick Ankiel. No, in the final hand of this poker game the stakes were Holliday or not. You can decide who won. If you believe the numbers that have been published America’s newest multi-millionaire inked a 7-year contract totaling $120 million: reportedly complete with a no-trade clause. According to my calculator, that comes to an average of $17.1 per season. Holliday will be 30-year old on January15, so who says turning 30 is all that bad. “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Take a ride on a West Coast kick: Holiday Road” Holliday, who was traded to the St. Louis in July from the Oakland Athletics, batted .353 in a Red Bird uniform with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 63 games. The power-hitting outfielder has a career .318 batting average, 152 home runs and 592 RBI's: in six-plus seasons with the Colorado Rockies (2004-2008), Oakland (2009) and the Cardinals. But it’s the most recent memory that stands out. It was in Los Angeles when the potential twenty-seventh out of Game Two of the National League Divisional series was hit right at Holliday. But on the same turf where Pedro Guerrero slammed his glove when a Jack Clark home run went flying over his head, Holliday dropped that routine fly ball which should have preserved a Red Bird win and a series split. Instead it gave the Dodgers a second chance that they took advantage of. Los Angeles would never look back. Still, in the end, the Red Birds felt Holliday was the best option. On this cold and bitter January day, he returns to town with a new contract and a new uniform number. But in the words of Howie Mandell, Cardinal Nation wants to know, “did they make a good deal?” While this question provides plenty of fodder for squawk radio and for misspelling on Internet bulletin boards, the real answer remains to be seen. Certainly Holliday fits the profile of what the Red Birds desired to bat behind Pujols. Plus if you believe #5’s comments, this signing should certainly be a positive step in Pujols’ demand for the Cardinals to remain competitive during his stay in our town. If you believe him, Pujols has said such a signing was vital in order to consider signing a lifetime contract to remain with in St. Louis. I’m guessing that #5 is aware of this. Although the dollar amount has many zeroes, the reported seven-year length of the Holliday contract could be risky. History tells us the Cardinals have been generally fortunate when they have dished out long-term deals. It was a success with Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Albert Pujols, and technically Chris Carpenter: when the Cards added five years with an option to the one year with an option remaining on his previous deal. Yet it wasn’t always successful. Do you remember the names Ron Gant, Danny Jackson and Donovan Osborne? Plus back in the winter of 2001 when the Cardinals were looking for a bat to replace Mark Mc Gwire, they chose free agent first baseman Tino Martinez over free agent outfielder Moises Alou. Martinez’ durability was the likely reason for that decision. Although productive, Alou did log much time on the disabled list. Since being burned by Gant, Jackson and Osborne during the mid/late 1990’s this Red Bird ownership group has been reluctant to offer long-term deals to players not named Pujols. So we ask again, “Did they make a good deal?” To get outside perspective of the signing we offer commentary from Tim Marchman of SI.com: “Matt Holliday is a big, line drive hitter with a sweet, even swing, a good batting eye and deceptive speed that shows in the outfield and on the bases, the kind of player who isn't great at any one thing but does everything well. Dwight Evans and Paul O'Neill in his Yankees days come to mind. So does Billy Williams, maybe the best of this class. Such a player might be the best hitter on a good team, or the second-best on a very good one. He'll usually be in the running for an All-Star spot nearly every year, and win the occasional batting title or lead the league in walks or some such. Holliday does lots of things well. He'll age nicely, making up at the plate for what he loses elsewhere. Lock such a player up and you won't have to worry about his position for a decade.” “The Cardinals may have overspent a bit by signing Holliday to a seven-year, $120 million deal this week, as there was no obvious rival for the outfielder's services willing to pay nearly as much; only Holliday's agent, Scott Boras, knows for sure. Still, it's fair pay since lesser players such as Torii Hunter, Andruw Jones and Vernon Wells have signed for more, and worrying about how it might constrain payroll years from now is a bit silly. When you have a guy who could end up rating as one of the dozen best players of all time still in his prime and two ace pitchers you should field the very best team you can afford and let the future play out as it will. Compare this to the Mets' slightly desperate signing of the market's other top outfielder, Jason Bay, to a four-year, $66 million contract with an easily attained vesting option for a fifth year. Bay may be a vaguely better hitter than Holliday right now, but given his much narrower range of skills he's also a good bet for a quick decline. The Mets will likely wish they were rid of their new prize at some point during this contract. The Cardinals likely won't.” We’ll see. Welcome back to town, Matt Holliday. Let’s hope the stay will be pleasant, productive and profitable: for all parties involved ”I've come back long ago: Long way down the Holiday Road: Holiday Road, Holiday Road, Holiday Road, Holiday Road” And time will tell if this road leads to success or to a closed-up Wally World. posted January 3 It's a New Year, Sports Fans... Happy
2010 Gateway City Sports Fans
As we turn the calendar to this New Year and new decade, we focus our attention to the plights and perils of our local sports heroes and their 2010 resolutions. Some are bolder than others. The Cardinals are attempting to finalize their roster before making the spring migration to Jupiter. It appears the Home Team is playing an all-or-nothing hand of poker with their top free agent Matt Holliday and his top agent Scott Boras. By not pursuing former teammate Mark De Rosa and free agent outfielder Jason Bay, the Red Birds have sent a message that it’s the Holliday Road or nothing. Published reports and our spies indicate an agreement is likely: but not certain. Meanwhile Boras continues to canvas the remaining teams looking for a New Year’s week sale. It’s not a done deal but tea leaves are pointing in the Cardinals’ direction. Stay Tuned Sunday will mark the finale for the Rams’ long season. If they beat San Francisco, the Rams will finish 2009 with the exact same record as 2008: 2-14. If they lose to the 49ers, then the Home Team will secure the #1 selection in April’s rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League’s draft of college players. It will be interesting to see if more fans brave the single digit degree walk to the Dome than those headed to the Scottrade Center to watch the Harlem Globetrotters. It could be a strange atmosphere at the Dome as those fans in Navy & Gold could be cheering for the hated 49ers so that the Rams get the #1 pick. But even if they do secure the top pick in the draft, the Rams have a long, long way to go in this makeover. Serious decisions must be made with many of their highly-paid veterans and establishing priorities. How the times have changed. A decade ago, the Lou and its local media was rooting and hoping for a Super Bowl shot. Today, both are rooting and hoping for the #1 pick. Again, Stay Tuned But the first big sports story of 2010 came on the first palindrome date of the year (01/2/10, or as Harry Caray would say, “spelled backswords is 01/2/10”). On a cold winter’s morning from 14th & Clark these words were issued in a press release: “I would like to thank Andy Murray for the job he has done here the past four seasons. He was an integral part in turning the St. Louis Blues around. He is a true professional and I wish him the best of luck in the future.” And with those words the Blues relieved Murray of his duties as Head Coach effective immediately. The team promoted Peoria Head Coach Davis Payne as the new man behind the bench: the 23rd Head Coach in franchise history. Murray took over the team in December 2006. Last season he led the team to a 41-31-10 record and a return to the NHL playoffs. Murray was a 2008-2009 NHL’s Coach of Year Award finalist. But it’s a long way from Sweden, eh? Some type of a big shakeup had to be made at the building formerly known as the Savvis Center. This team was in a rut. Back in the day the Blues Management was never this patient after such unacceptable results. Fans would see a blockbuster trade to the New York Rangers or a Head Coach firing. To illustrate in one season St. Louis actually fired their Head Coach on Christmas Day. Back in the day Blues Captains such as Al Arbour, Barclay Plager and Brian Sutter would have taken matters into their own hands had their teammates performed at such an unsatisfactory level. To that end, have we heard anything from Eric Brewer? But these Blues have been underachieving and underperforming since returning to North America in the first week of October after two wins in Stockholm. At this time of the coaching change St. Louis is 17-17-6 with 40 points, fourth in the five-team NHL Central Division, behind first-place Chicago and 12th overall in the Western Conference. They have lost four straight, blowing a three-goal lead in an overtime loss to Vancouver on New Years’ Eve, and are a league-worst 6-13-3 at home: only 5 home wins in St. Louis. The Blues are in 14th place in the 15-team Western Conference in goals: scoring only 104 (the last place team has scored 105); Meanwhile the results indicate that the Note cannot finish off games: blowing many third period advantages. The Blues have coughed up so many more late leads that it was reminiscent of the Cardinals bullpen during the Juan Agosto era. Watching the Philadelphia Flyers blow a lead with less than two minutes remaining at the Winter Classic at Fenway Park only to lose the game in overtime, I wondered if the Blues were skating around in those black & orange uniforms. Now Payne enters the scene. The question is how much pain can he take? According to the press release, “Payne, was named head coach of the Peoria Rivermen on July 8, 2008 after serving one year as an assistant with the club. This season, Peoria has posted a 19-13-1-2 record combining for a 62-44-3-6 (.578%) overall mark in two seasons with Payne behind the bench. In his first year (2008-09) as an AHL head coach, Payne guided the Rivermen to a 43-31-2-4 record and returned Peoria to the postseason following a two-year drought. Prior to joining the Rivermen before the 2007-08 campaign, Payne had spent a total of seven seasons as a head coach in the ECHL. The Kamloops, British Columbia native established a .691% winning percentage over four years as head coach for the Alaska Aces, the Blues’ ECHL affiliate. The 2006-07 ECHL Coach of the Year, Payne led the Aces to the 2006 ECHL Kelly Cup Championship and also guided the club to three consecutive trips to the Conference Finals.” While it all sounds promising, Priority One is for the new Coach to change the stagnant, bland and underachieving mindset of this team: especially the highly-paid, under-performing veterans. It will be interesting to watch how the 39-year old Payne reacts and deals with the likes of 35-year old Paul Kariya, 37-year old Keith Tkachuk, 32-year old Andy McDonald, Barrett Jackman and others. It will be also interesting how the Front Office reacts to Payne’s first impressions. Meanwhile the heat should be turned up on Davidson also. JD came to town as the new President and final word on player personnel decisions. While Payne is now a Davidson hire, so was Andy Murray. 2009-2010 is the fourth season since Davidson left the broadcast booth in 2006 to the President’s office: when he came to town with zero hockey executive-management experience. To date, his results have been sub-par. The Blues have only reached the playoffs once and are likely headed to an early summer vacation again. You can’t blame Larry Pleau anymore. This team has been put together by Davidson: and the 2009-2010 results have not been good. Yet for some reason Davidson continues to get a pass by the local media and local hockey fans for the hockey situation he has created. This guy’s middle name might as well be Teflon. Yes, it’s true that JD is a great guy, a wonderful speaker who works the room very well and a person that has the knack of making you feel really warm and fuzzy. But actions speak louder than words: and Davidson’s actions/results need improving and should be called out. The Payne era begins on the first Saturday of 2010 at home against the Blackhawks: a team that currently leads the Central Division. (This is the same Chicago team that some members of the local media said would not make the NHL playoffs last October). Then it’s a three-game West Coast road trip followed by three straight games at the Scottrade Center. The Blues are scheduled to play 15 games in 30 days in January and seven games in ten days in February before the Olympic break. It’s now or never for St. Louis if they have any wish of making the NHL playoffs in April. Welcome to our town, Coach Payne. You have a big job ahead. I hope you know that. So as Gateway City sports fans watch closely if Matt Holliday returns and if the Rams obtain the #1 draft choice, it was the Blues that snatched the first big sports story of 2010. Like it or not, the Note our attention now. It’s time to see if this team can perform. Stay Tuned Happy 2010 Gateway City Sports Fans. posted October 27 Wow! La Russa & McGwire...Return!!! After a little down time, Tony La Russa decided it was not yet time to walk away. So after a reasonable period of time to reflect (two weeks and two days after the Cardinals were eliminated from post-season play) and with only a few days before the end of his current deal, #10 made his decision. It’s not time to walk away right now. In a press conference at Busch Stadium, La Russa announced that he would return in 2010 as Cardinal Manager: his fifteenth season with the club. While contract details were not given, neither was the length of the pact. In past seasons La Russa has signed 3-year deals and most recently two-year contracts. But the term of this extension was not disclosed. In these negotiations the 65-year old La Russa held all the leverage. After 31 big league seasons, La Russa has compiled a record of 2,552-2,217. Only two men in baseball history have more managerial wins than La Russa and #10 is 211 wins shy of second place on that all-time list. Plus, the suits at 700 Clark wanted him back. There are several good reasons. During his 14-year St. Louis tenure #10 has a record of 1,232-1,034 with seven playoff appearances including two National League pennants and one World Series Championship. But perhaps the strongest argument to retain La Russa is that the Red Birds have drawn at least 3 million fans at Busch II or Busch III in 11 of his 14 seasons: including at least 3.3 million in each of the last five. We know that money trumps everything at 700 Clark Street. La Russa is the only Manager this ownership group has hired and they don’t want to hand him a gold watch quite yet. In addition long-time Pitching Coach and La Russa ally Dave Duncan will return in 2010. And it seems that La Russa will major authority in all baseball matters. But there’s more. There will be a new coach with a name that sent shockwaves throughout Cardinal Nation & the baseball world. “Mark McGwire is going to be our hitting coach,” La Russa said. “He’s a very special talent.” (Side note: Wouldn’t you have loved to have been in the room during the contract talks when the Manager broke this news to the suits at 700 Clark Street?) Yes, THAT Mark Mc Gwire: the pied-piper of 1998-2001 that brought fans & their discretionary income through stadium turnstiles in droves just to watch him hit a baseball a long way. Yes, that Mark Mc Gwire, who abruptly retired from the game via the fax machine. Yes, that Mark Mc Gwire who, while addressing performance enhancing drugs and its impact on pro sports, seemed powerless as he was awkwardly cut down to size by a Congressional panel on St. Patrick’s Day 2005. Yes, that Mark Mc Gwire who was painted as the poster boy for Baseball’s Steroid Era. Yes, THAT Mark Mc Gwire “This is the time for Mark to join our club,” said La Russa at the press conference. For whatever reason, this time Mc Gwire couldn’t stay away. Look out: old Mackie’s back. And look out for anything It will be fascinating to watch how this soap opera unfolds. Mc Gwire has worked successfully with several players sent to him for one-on-one instructions. Skip Schumaker, Chris Duncan and soon to be wealthier Matt Holliday have all publicly praised Mc Gwire on his teaching. Still, tutoring selected students is one thing. Teaching to a class of million-dollar students is something else all together. Mc Gwire has never been a team hitting coach on any level nor has never faced the second-guessing of fans and media on his tutorial skills. Remember the Peter Principle. But Mc Gwire needs to first address “the Big Issue”. #25 absolutely, positively must: hold “clear the air’, “no-holds barred”, “come to Jesus” press conferences/interviews before Spring Training to address the “S” word & him: once and for all. Spill your guts and let the chips fall where they may. If not, next summer when the Cardinals travel to major media markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Philadelphia, it could become an ugly three-ring circus. You have to believe Mc Gwire discussed this La Russa, his family, his inner circle as well as someone from Bud Selig’s Office. It’s the big 800-pound gorilla in the room. It’s time to talk about the past. Perhaps Mc Gwire should sit down with a Bob Costas and/or a Dan Patrick and/or a James Brown and/or a Joe Buck and/or a Peter Gammons and/or perhaps a Chris Wallace and/or a Larry King. Have these professional interviewers step up to the plate look Mc Gwire straight into those baby blues and ask all the questions that need to be asked while letting the cameras roll and letting the microphones record. Hit #25 with your best shots and no lawyers or no spin doctors are invited: just one-on-one, sooner rather than later. Whatever happens after that will happen. Home run king Barry Bonds is scorned by most of America but is still revered in San Francisco. Alex Rodriguez has been treated as a royalty in the Bronx this post-season despite his mea-culpa last spring. It’s now time. Mc Gwire needs to fully, completely and publicly address “the issue”. Otherwise, the circus will be arriving in Jupiter Florida in mid-February. To get a national perspective, Hall of Fame baseball writer Tracy Ringolsby pens: “McGwire deserves the opportunity. He doesn't deserve the constant snide remarks and innuendos. Manny Ramirez has been caught violating baseball's drug-testing policy, and Dodger fans never wavered in their hero worship. Barry Bonds remains an icon in San Francisco despite grand jury charges dealing with his association with performance enhancing drugs. So what's the knock on McGwire? Better yet, what's the knock on baseball for allowing McGwire to return? It's laughable when Congress decides to intercede, politicians looking to pamper their image at election time, and then chastises baseball for allegedly illegally doings of the players. If laws have been violated, then where are the federal authorities charged with enforcing the laws? It would seem that Congressman Henry Waxman would better serve his constituents if he spent time finding out why the law enforcement agencies have failed in their area. If McGwire has not been proven to have violated any laws or rules, he shouldn't be denied the chance to be a part of the game. On a baseball level, what the move with McGwire would seem to show is that La Russa is expanding his power within the Cardinal organization, winning his battle with Jeff Luhnow, whose ties to ownership led to the departure of former general manager Walt Jocketty, a long-time La Russa ally who is now the general manager in Cincinnati. If not, La Russa would not have been willing to accept a multi-year deal to return, and his long-time sidekick, pitching coach Dave Duncan, would not be returning, much less McGwire joining the dugout staff. But then La Russa does have a résumé that involves winning World Series, pennants, division titles and games: not office rotisserie leagues, a key element of Luhnow's résumé.” No other Cardinal Player has worn #25 since Mc Gwire left town in October 2001. Only time will tell with those old #25 Cardinal shirts will start reappearing around town. Stay tuned So, 2010 will be Year #15 of the Tony La Russa era in St. Louis. And look out Old Mackie’s back. After a little down time, it seems neither felt it was time to walk/stay away. posted November 3 Mike on the Rams... (Editor's Note: What Would Harry Caray Say--Rams Win! Rams Win! Rams Win!) Remember the January 1995
headline of the St. Louis Post Dispatch when the then-Los Angeles Rams
decided to head east & move their show to the Gateway City? It was
“Finally, Football!!”
But now almost fifteen years later, the Post might consider a new early-November banner: Finally, Victory! It’s just too easy to pile on these St. Louis Rams. What more can be said? Going into November the team was 0 for 2009: 0 for over a year. We know the Rams aren’t very good. That’s a given. But for the first time since October 19, 2008, the St. Louis Rams have won a regular season game in that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League. Said another way it has been 378 days since the Rams defeated the Dallas Cowboys at the facility formerly known at the Trans World Dome. That was two St. Louis Head Coaches, two St. Louis General Managers, one recession & 2 US Presidential Administrations ago. It’s been a long, painful time. And yeah, it’s true that the 17-10 victory came against the Detroit Lions before an announced crowd of 40,857 and loads of empty Ford Field seats. (Imagine the outrage if this attendance was a Rams home game, eh?) And yep, it came against those winless tabbies from one year ago who were the punch lines of late night comics. But it still counts. Beating the Lions equals defeating the Patriots or Steelers in the win column. It goes down as a crooked number in the win column. For Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo it was his first regular-season win as a Head Coach. And with the win, the Rams maintain their hopes for a winning 2009 regular season. (OK, that last comment was made with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek while giggling!!) But the Rams finally have posted a crooked number in a win column. Granted the win was far from text book or pretty. It likely won’t be used as an instructional film for youngsters in the Pop Warner league on how to play the game. But in the end, it still goes down as a W. “As a rookie I said, 'That was an ugly win,' and I got chewed out," Running Back Steven Jackson said after the victory in Motown. "I understand in the National Football League, there's no such thing as an ugly win. I haven't forgotten how it feels: it's just been a long time," We have been critical in this space of Jackson in the past: his contract holdout last summer and wondering if his commitment to the team goal is sincere. We cannot level that criticism this season. Jackson has been a workhorse: trying to put this talent-challenged team on his back. In 2009 Jackson has demonstrated the leadership skills that a player of his stature demands. #39 deserves better results this season. But on this Sunday against the Lions, Jackson would simply not allow his team to lose. The big guy carried the football 22 times for 149 yards. The yardage total passes Eric Dickerson for fifth place on the Rams’ all-time yards from scrimmage list. As you would expect with two teams with a combined 1-13 record and with all due respect to Jackson, this was an ugly football game. It was competitive, but ugly. The Rams held a 10-2 halftime lead. Throughout the first half the Detroit receivers dropped football after football tossed to them by rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford. Meanwhile, offense failed to score a first-half touchdown. The place kicker had a hand (and foot) in all St. Louis’ first half points. Josh Brown scored the first points of the game when he put the Rams up 3-0 with a 41-yard field goal capping the opening drive. But on this day after Halloween, things got really spooky as Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press describes: “The Lions scored on a classic play when both teams messed up: Lions receiver Aaron Brown tried to catch a pass, but instead he tipped it to the Rams’ James Butler, who ran out of the end zone, then back into the end zone, where he was tackled for a safety. That cut the Rams lead to 3-2 pending the extra pointlessness.” An incident bystander might conclude the scoreboard meant Cardinals 3, Tigers 2. But this is still football and the weirdness didn’t stop there. On fourth-and-8 from the Detroit 36-yard line, the Rams lined up in a field goal formation. But instead of kicking the football, the holder pitched the football back to Brown who attempted his first career pass: a completion to Tight End Daniel Fells for a touchdown. Brown went back to his job description and kicked the PAT. Halftime score St. Louis 10, Detroit 2. After a scoreless third quarter, the Lions tied the game. With 13:51 remaining, Stafford rambled into the end zone from the Rams’ 4-yard line: capping a 10-play, 82-yard drive. Stafford’s would then pass for a 2-point conversion to tie the game. Meanwhile, back in the Gateway City, Rams fans could be heard saying “here we go again” (as well as likely other colorful adjectives). But remember these two teams have a combined 1-13 record, so the game is far from over. After both offenses misfired, St. Louis got the football back with 2:26 remaining at their own 38-yard line. The Rams offense failed on first, second and third downs: forcing an apparent 4th down punting situation. But alas: these are the Lions. Detroit was slapped with a defensive pass interference penalty: giving St. Louis a first down. Two plays later, Jackson rambled for 25 yards and a go-ahead touchdown with 1:38 remaining. Stafford and the Lions could not duplicate. St. Louis took over on down & ran out the clock. Ball Game: The Rams finally have a win. They are now 1-0 in November. Rosenberg continues his biting critique of this struggle: “This was billed as the worst matchup in NFL history, and it lived up to the hype. The crowd of 40,857 had to wait another three quarters for this to end. For them, the key stat was 3 hours and 3 minutes. That was their Time of Incarceration. The game was strikingly awful, but in the end it felt awfully familiar. On Sundays, you can still believe in one essential truth: The Lions are the worst team in the NFL. What other conclusion can we reach? Coming into this game, the Rams had lost 17 straight games, which doesn’t sound like much to Lions fans but is still pretty bad. They hadn’t scored a rushing touchdown all season, which is like a chef going two months without using an oven. Naturally, the Rams’ clinching score was a rushing touchdown, by Steven Jackson. The Lions remain the cure for everybody’s ills. They ought to bill St. Louis for three hours of therapy.” It’s just too easy to pile on the St. Louis Rams. What more can be said? Going into November the team is 0 for 2009 and 0 for over a year. We know this team is not very good. That’s given. But they are now 1-0 in November. A baby step, yes: but a step forward still. And they can’t lose next week (thanks to a BYE). It’s another baby step. Finally, Victory! posted October 16 Mike on Rush; No Rush? News Flash: The hottest
news story this week is the St. Louis Rams. Yes, THOSE Rams
It has nothing to do with whether Marc Bulger should be re-inserted as the #1 quarterback or if Steven Jackson should get the football more or if Richie Incognito will pile up more penalty yards than points scored by the Rams’ offense or if the team will or will not win a game in 2009. No, it’s about money. The Rosenbloom kids are trying to peddle the St Louis franchise. We are told there are several groups interested. Among the groups vying for the team is one led by St. Louis Blues’ owner Dave Checketts. His pockets are deep: but not deep enough to bank roll the purchase of a majority share in a franchise in that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League. Checketts needed to find others with deep pockets to join the group. He found one: & he can be heard weekdays over the 50,000 red-hot watts of KMOX Radio. Checketts asked Rush Limbaugh, the Cape Girardeau-born, highly-successful conservative talker to throw his wallet into the bid. Limbaugh agreed. He is a football fan and has loads of cash. But Limbaugh’s presence to help purchase the Rams triggered a national firestorm. Noise from both the political and the philosophical sides of the aisle set off an avalanche of opinions. Suddenly the St. Louis Rams are the talk of the land. They are on the front page of national publications and the lead on national cable news shows. And it has nothing to do with being 0-5. After several days of name calling, ratcheted rhetoric and accusations from both sides across the fruited plain, Checketts concluded that it was in their best interest to sideline Limbaugh. Said another way, the group would not have the approval votes if El Rushbo was in it. In his prepared statement, the Blues owner said: "Rush was to be a limited partner: as such, he would have had no say in the direction of the club or in any decisions regarding personnel or operations. This was a role he enthusiastically embraced. However, it has become clear that his involvement in our group has become a complication and a distraction to our intentions, endangering our bid to keep the team in St. Louis. As such, we have decided to move forward without him." Now I’m not talking sides in this national trash-talking catfight. There has been too much energy exhausted. But since this is my space, let me sum it up as I see it. It’s actually quite simple. In this country Rush Limbaugh, as any other American, can spend his or her money on any investment he or she sees fit. If Limbaugh chooses to make a bid for a franchise share in that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League there is nothing to prohibit that: as long as he has the funds. And Limbaugh does have the dough. In the same vein, that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League is an exclusive clique of wealthy men that can accept or deny any new members. Whether there are financial, philosophical or political disagreements with a prospective new member, the bottom line is the owners collectively decide who gets the thumbs up or who gets the thumbs down. Apparently Checketts polled the audience and found out that his group would not be approved by the fraternity as long as Limbaugh was a member. So the group decided that Rush should leave. Meanwhile, Checketts has to locate a new sugar daddy. (Inquiring minds wonder if the Blues owner will open his rolodex and call someone who helped bankroll his 2003 failed attempt to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers: liberal billionaire George Soros. Here we go again, eh?) Putting aside Limbaugh’s national popularity or disdain as well as the screaming rhetoric on both sides, the crux of the matter is no different than any other such screening. If a private county club does or does not wish to approve a member, they may. If a fraternity or sorority wishes to deny a particular pledge, they may. If a University decides not to offer tenure to a prospective colleague, that decision rests with them. If a company’s Board of Directors chooses to allow or disallow an executive’s promotion or another member, they can proceed in the “best interest of the firm” That’s the way it works in that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League. And I see no issue on that. But there is hypocrisy: and here’s where it lies. When questioned on the Limbaugh application, the Commissioner of that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League Roger Goddell to reporters via the New York Times: "I've said many times before, we're all held to a high standard here I would not want to see those comments coming from people who are in a responsible position in the NFL: absolutely not." Meanwhile, Jim Thomas wrote in his 10/15/09 St. Louis Post Dispatch front page article: “Without Limbaugh, the Checketts' group enhanced its status, NFL sources said (on October 14). "Now Checketts can have a restart on this thing and he can clean it up," said a league source familiar with the potential sale of the team. "This makes the Checketts group more competitive: it probably puts them in the top three (bidders)."” Did I hear this correctly? “We're all held to a high standard here?” “Now Checketts can have a restart on this thing and he can clean it up & it probably puts them in the top three?" Are you kidding me? Please, give me a break. This piling-on should result in a 15-yard penalty. Since when did the owners of that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League all of a sudden become the vessels of virtue? I didn’t get the memo. Just when did these guys suddenly become the Jerry Falwell of the game: the Jiminy Crickett of football? Isn’t this the same fraternity that recently welcomed convicted felon Michael Vick back into the league with open arms? Isn’t this the same bunch that will likely do the same with the gun-toting Plaxico Burress in a couple of years? Isn’t this the league leaders that have no problem receiving advertising dollars from male enhancement products while airing their commercials during games as children watch? Isn’t this the same group that did not object to the foul-mouthed Chingy performing during a past NFC Championship Game? Isn’t this the same outfit that by their silence last month approved the San Francisco 49ers honoring admitted felon and former fraternity brother Edward DeBartolo Jr. as the inaugural member of the team’s Hall of Fame? Meanwhile, these rich white guys are bloviating, pontificating and trash-talking to any open microphone or camera while arrogantly lecturing all of us on the moral high ground. Again: Are you kidding me? Please, give me a break. Talk about hypocrisy Yep, the hottest news story this week is the St. Louis Rams. As we said earlier: the owners of that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League can admit or deny anyone into their exclusive fraternity. In the end, theirs is the only votes that count. And these voters apparently say Rush Limbaugh didn’t make the cut. Stay tuned for the next episode. Meanwhile, the search goes on for approval of the next owners of the St. Louis Rams. That is the real question for local football fans. Perhaps, the search will proceed with a gag order for each of the owners of that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League. We don’t need them preaching to us. Mega-Dittos, eh? posted October 9 Be Careful What You Wish For... “Be careful for what you wish for”. posted October 1 Thinking of 1964... As October arrives, the Cardinals are
preparing to close out their regular season while focusing on the
upcoming National League Divisional Playoffs. The Red Birds final 2009
regular season game will be Sunday afternoon October 4 at Busch Stadium
against Milwaukee.
It’s somewhat fitting that the 2009 finale is on October 4. Aside from it being Red Bird Manager Tony La Russa’s 65th birthday, forty-five years ago, October 4, 1964, was a red-letter day in Cardinal history. On Sunday 10/4/64, announcer Harry Caray uttered in triplicate those famous five words that have since become a part of Red Bird lore. “The Cardinals win the pennant. The Cardinals win the pennant. The Cardinals win the pennant.” Forty-five years ago this Sunday marked the climax of one of the most memorable baseball pennant races ever. It was a story of an incredible journey of the Cardinals and the collapse of the Philadelphia Phillies. 1964 was also the year that as a fourth-grade student attending St. Raphael the Archangel school in South St. Louis I first fell in love with baseball. There were many nights I fell asleep with a brown Lloyd transistor radio (which I still have) under my pillow while Caray and Jack Buck painted the pictures of the Red Birds and that 1964 pennant race. 1964 was an unforgettable season. Back in that day our land was undergoing major changes and challenges: politically & socially. The President of the United States was gunned down in Dallas eleven months prior. Racial tension unsettled the land. Lyndon Johnson introduced the Great Society. Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater was at the top of the Republican Presidential ticket. And behind this backdrop was the 1964 Major League Baseball season. Locally, expectations were high for the Red Birds in 1964. In September 1963, the team won 19 of 20 to come within an eyelash of capturing the pennant. But St Louis would lose three straight at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the final week. 1963 would also be Stan Musial’s final professional season. 1964 started badly for Johnny Keane’s Red Birds. They stumbled out of the gate: losing more games than winning. Back in those days, there were no such things as Divisions or Wild Card teams. On June 15, St. Louis was stuck in 8th place in the National League with a record of 28-31. It was then when General Manager Bing Devine sent shockwaves across Cardinal Nation. Devine traded right-handed starter Ernie Broglio, an 18-game winner in 1963, to the Chicago Cubs for three players: Paul Toth, Jack Spring and a 25-year old outfielder named Lou Brock. The phone lines exploded over the 50,000 red hot watts of KMOX: the Red Birds radio flagship station and host of the only real sports call-in show at the time. Broglio was a very popular player in town and no one really knew a lot about this guy Brock. But they would soon. #20 would finish 1964 with a .348 batting average and 33 stolen bases. He’d be the catalyst for the pennant push. After the Brock trade, the Red Birds went 65-38 for the rest of the way in 1964. Although Brock’s presence in the lineup seemed to ignite the Cardinals, the Phillies maintained a solid lead in the Senior Circuit. On August 15, 1964, the Red Birds’ overall record improved to 61-54. They jumped into 5th place, but trailed Philadelphia by 9 ½ games. It was then when team Owner August A. Busch Jr. finally erupted. Busch fired Devine and replaced him with Branch Rickey disciple Bob Howsam. Busch (with Caray heavily lobbying) strongly considered firing Keane also. His replacement was rumored to be Leo Durocher. But the Big Eagle would eventually cool down: withholding a decision on his Manager’s fate until the end of the season. Exactly one month later (9/15), Philadelphia was solidly in first place with a six-game lead over the second place Cardinals. Only seventeen games remained. But the Phillies would nosedive: losing ten straight games. For some reason, Phils’ Manager Gene Mauch used only three starting pitchers during second half of 1964. In the final 2 ½ weeks, fatigue would hit those starters hard. Philadelphia came to St. Louis to open a crucial three-game series in the final week of the season. In the end, the Cardinals won all three games. In Game One, Bob Gibson would beat Chris Short 5-1. Southpaw Ray Sadecki got the win in the second game: a 4-2 St. Louis victory. Suddenly the National League race was in a first place tie between the Cardinals and Reds. In the finale, former Phillie Curt Simmons would defeat Jim Bunning 8-5 for the sweep: putting the Cardinals in first place: pending the outcome of the Cincinnati/Pittsburgh game. As Buck later put it, “that game did some pending”. It was a scoreless tie at Crosley Field after seventeen innings. Caray and Buck stayed on the air in a darkened and deserted Busch Stadium reporting on the game in the Queen City. Pittsburgh announcer (and ironically Caray’s St. Louis replacement) Jim Woods was providing play-by-play over the telephone to Cardinal Nation. The Pirates pushed across a run in the top of the 18th inning on a squeeze play. The Reds didn’t score in their half. 1-0 Final: So after Midnight on October 1, 1964 the Cardinals sat alone in 1st place On the final weekend, the Phillies would travel to Cincinnati for two games and the Cardinals would host the last place New York Mets in a three-game series. Things would then get more interesting. St. Louis lost the first two with the Mets while Philadelphia beat the Reds on Friday night. On the morning of 10/4/64, the National League race was in a first place tie: St. Louis and Cincinnati each at 92-69, with Philadelphia just one game back. The Red Birds sent Simmons to the mound to start the finale. He only lasted 4 1/3 innings and left the game trailing 3-2. Gibson relieved: pitching on only one-day rest. The Cards would score three runs each in the 5th, 6th, and 8th innings to take a commanding lead. Meanwhile in Cincinnati, the Phillies were pounding the Reds 10-0. Back at Grand & Dodier, Gibson was pulled with one out in the top of the 9th and 38-year old knuckleball pitcher Barney Schultz took over. Schultz got the final two outs: preserving an 11-5 Cardinal win and sending the team into the World Series for the first time in eighteen years. St. Louis would meet the mighty New York Yankees in the World Series. Gibson, Brock, Ken Boyer, Tim Mc Carver, Carl Warwick, Mike Shannon and others contributed as the Red Birds beat the Yanks in seven games: bringing down the curtain to this remarkable season. A few days after the Series clincher, Busch offered Keane a contract extension. But the Manager, remembering what occurred in mid-August, told the Big Eagle at a Press Conference no thanks: turning down the extension & agreeing to accept the Yankees’ open Manager job. The Cardinals would finish in 7th place in 1965 as the team grew old quickly. Boyer and Bill White would be traded after 1965 and Sadecki in 1966. Gibson, Brock, Shannon, Mc Carver Julian Javier, Curt Flood & Dal Maxvill would play in two more Series for the Red Birds. Time would move on. But for Baseball Fans across the fruited plain, 1964 might have been as good as it gets. “The Cardinals win the pennant. The Cardinals win the pennant. The Cardinals win the pennant.” Has it really been forty-five years? (Post script: While researching this piece, I re-read the late David Halberstam’s work October 1964 which chronicled that season. This book should be required reading for all Cardinal fans.)
stlsports.com Cover Story Batting Order Chatter: PItcher Batting Eighth? posted August 28 Sometimes a
ballgame's box score says it all...and sometimes it does
not.
In the first game of the just-completed two-game series, the Milwaukee Brewers scored at least one run in every odd-numbered inning and defeated the Cardinals 12-0. The Brewers scored seven runs in the ninth inning after scoring single runs in innings 1,3 and 5, and two runs in inning #7. Cards' starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer allowed the game's first five runs, and was replaced by lefty Ron Villone after allowing a two-run home run to Ryan Braun in the top of the seventh inning. An important moment in the game transpired in the bottom of the fourth inning. After the Brewers had failed to score in the top of the fourth, Cards' catcher Yadier Molina (batting sixth) hammered a one-out single to center field. Molina advanced to second base after Brewers' starter Ben Sheets uncorked a wild pitch. SS Aaron Miles (batting seventh) then singled to right field; the slow-footed Molina stopped at third base--setting up a one out/first-and-third situation. Next batter? For the '08 Cards, the eighth position in the batting order is reserved for the pitcher...and in this particular situation, that pitcher (Wellemeyer) sported a .159 batting average (and four RBIs). At the time, Milwaukee led 2-0. A run-scoring out would have cut the lead in half, and perhaps changed the momentum of the game. I don't have to remind you that Tony La Russa is a big believer in momentum, and a big believer in the benefits of offensive pressure early in a baseball game. But eighth-place batter Todd Wellemeyer struck out, leaving the ninth batter (Adam Kennedy,.274 batting average, 26 RBIs) with the two-out assignment of driving in a run or two. Kennedy flied out to left--inning over--Milwaukee retained their two-run lead--and followed up by scoring another run in the top of the fifth. Baseball is baseball and there is no way of knowing what Adam Kennedy would have done had he listed as the game's eighth-place hitter for the Cards (with Wellemeyer batting ninth). But there is little doubt that Kennedy would have had a better chance of driving in Pujols, and changing the momentum of a game that, from the Cards' perspective, was in serious need of change. On a related note--Brewers' manager Ned Yost is a big believer in the methods of Tony La Russa...so much so that Yost emulated La Russa in toying with the pitcher-batting-eighth batting order. In 2008, the Brewers' won-loss record when the pitcher bats eighth is an even .500: 21 wins and 21 losses. When Yost's batting order features the pitcher in the #9 spot, the Brewers' record is 55 wins and 29 losses. Food for thought? |
updated February 8
WDBX Sunday Sports Review SSR Show Intro mp3 #1 (featuring Ozzie Smith, Tony La Russa, Bruce Weber, Jerry Kill, Rich Herrin and Charlie Spoonhour, and Joe Buck) SSR Show Intro mp3 #2 (featuring Jan Quarless, Rick Ankiel, Ron Caron, Walt Jocketty, Brian Jordan and Joe Buck) stlsports.com Googling for St. Louis Sports? We're #2 on the List...out of 33,800,000
Matching the Cardinals with the TVs posted
January 4 On the homefront yours truly watches
sports on four different televisions.
Television #1 (TV-120) is what is known as a front projector; ours is installed at the rear of a 5.1 surround-sound equipped family room and projects a bright, sharp 120-inch (16x9) diagonal high definition image. TV-120 affords bigger-than-life (think movie theater-sized) views and sounds of live-action sports. Television #2 (TV-37) is a garden-variety 37-inch 16x9 high definition LCD flat-panel located in an upstairs loft. TV-37 is a superior flat-panel that, for its size, is state-of-the-art. Television #3 (TV-13) is a ten year-old 13-inch diagonal standard definition cathode ray tube TV that is used daily in our kitchen. TV-13 is a workhorse, conventional television that most adult Americans would call a "TV". Television #4 (TV-2) is a home office-based 2-inch diagonal standard definition monitor. TV-2 is used to monitor sports while editing stlsports.com... What follows is an attempt to match up one man's memories (mine!) of St. Louis Cardinals players with the various-sized TVs. These lists are limited to Cardinals from the mid-1960's to the present; in essence, players who played in the round Busch Stadium (Busch 2) and the current Busch (Busch 3). The criteria used to place players with TVs are not statistically based. No books or computers were used to come up with the names on each list. Rather, the memories of the personalities involved were the sole guidelines for matching seven players with each TV. Each list is limited to seven names and is presented in alphabetical order. -----
TV-120
(Compelling
Cardinals)
Lou Brock-- ...imposed his will on the game Steve Carlton-- ...his departure ruined a decade of STL baseball Jim Edmonds-- ...the straw (that stirred the STL drink) Bob Gibson-- ...see Lou Brock Mark McGwire-- ...in the words of Red Schoendienst: "I've never seen anything like him" Albert Pujols-- ...the dominant player of an entire decade Ozzie Smith-- ...the Wizard seemed to dominate games while playing defense! -----
TV-37
(Cardinals of Excellence/Distinction) Chris Carpenter-- ...a mini-Gibson when healthy Bob Forsch-- ...tried to impose his will on the game (and often succeeded) Tim McCarver-- ...Gibson's catcher (and Carlton's) Willie McGee-- ...hardware that belies his humble nature Joe Torre-- ...once a Cardinal, always a Cardinal Ted Simmons-- ...distinctive player and distinctive hitter on a collection of bad baseball teams John Tudor-- ...seemingly unhittable in his prime STL days -----
TV-13
(Cardinals
of Significance)
Rick Ankiel-- ...one could argue that 'Ank', in the oughts, was as compelling as any Cardinal Al Hrabosky-- ...distinctive player and distinctive relief pitcher on a collection of bad baseball teams Ray Lankford-- ...football player's body with significant skill and longevity Roger Maris-- ...a winning Yankee, a winning Cardinal Yadier Molina-- ...defensive and leadership skills are the mark of a a winning catcher; Molina has both, and a clutch bat as well Matt Morris-- ...a good curve ball for a good long time Terry Pendleton-- ...defensive skills and a clutch bat (September 11, 1992: think Mets' reliever Roger McDowell -----
TV-2
(Cardinals of Notoriety) Alan Benes-- ...shoulder problems ruined the career of the author of a one-hitter in ATL when the Braves were at the top of their game Bobby Bonilla-- ...his injury in the spring of '01 led to the early arrival of Mr. Pujols Glenn Brummer-- ...the guy stole home once, right? Bob Horner-- ...was supposed to replace Jack Clark (why isn't Clark somewhere on this list?) Mike Laga-- ...wonder if Laga could hit a ball out of Busch 3 (the newest Busch Stadium)? Jim Lindeman-- ...Whitey Herzog's hope for a power-hitting corner man in the late '80s So Taguchi-- ...Taguchi's post-season '06 HR (Billy Wagner) made his mark on Cards' history, and makes the SoMan worthy of this list -----
...a post-script: the Cards have had four managers of significance since the mid-1960's: Red Schoendienst, Whitey Herzog, Joe Torre and Tony La Russa. If you had to place one manager on each list, who would go where? Send your comments, criticisms, queries and complaints to editor@stlsports.com
Who Is Lucky Today? posted
July 31 *St.
Louis-area NFL fans are lucky, I think. The Rams have opened
their training camp...which means that the NFL season is thisclose. NFL
games at the Ed...that is a good thing for our town's football fans,
right? Right?
**Pertaining to the 'luckiness' of STL-area NFL fans described above, the return on placing one hundred dollars on the following 2010 Super Bowl-winning teams...are listed below. Arizona Cardinals +$2,200 Atlanta Falcons +$2,000 Baltimore Ravens +$1,600 Buffalo Bills +$4,000 Carolina Panthers +$1,700 Chicago Bears +$1,700 Cincinnati Bengals +$7,500 Cleveland Browns +$5,000 Dallas Cowboys +$1,200 Denver Broncos +$4,000 Detroit Lions +$10,000 Green Bay Packers +$2,000 Houston Texans +$3,500 Indianapolis Colts +$1,100 Jacksonville Jaguars +$3,500 Kansas City Chiefs +$5,500 Miami Dolphins +$3,500 Minnesota Vikings +$1,300 New England Patriots +$400 New Orleans Saints +$2,000 New York Giants +$900 New York Jets +$3,500 Oakland Raiders +$8,000 Philadelphia Eagles +$1,200 Pittsburgh Steelers +$800 St. Louis Rams +$8,500 San Diego Chargers +$1,200 San Francisco 49ers +$3,600 Seattle Seahawks +$4,000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers +$5,000 Tennessee Titans +$1,800 Washington Redskins +$2,800 ...evidently the betting public views the Rams as the 31st most-likely team to win the '10 Super Bowl. Says here Las Vegas is lucky... On the other hand, REMEMBER KURT WARNER! ***Since 1996, Cards ball fans have been lucky, and continue to be lucky--for one ginormous reason: by hook or by crook (perhaps a poor choice of words in the steroid era), the STL teams managed by Tony La Russa have given 'the best fans in baseball' reasons to remain interested through the months of August and September. What more can be asked of La Russa and his owner during his STL tenure, William DeWitt Jr? Interesting and compelling baseball in August and September is the mark of STL baseball teams since the mid-90s. Kudos to #10 and his owner. Who Is Lucky Today? A Blue Edition posted
January 7 *St.
Louis-area sports rehabbers are lucky...a quick check of the Blues
website stlblues.com reveals the following recent links:
Kariya
Opts for Surgery on Injured Left Hip
and Brewer Has Successful Back Surgery ...lots of work for the Blues. And plenty
of rehab assignments for their respective sports therapists.
**As the halfway mark in the hockey season approaches, the Blues are lucky in the NHL's current standings ONLY IF you look at them upside-down...the local pucksters are last in the Western Conference. Those who criticized the Blues for not winning the Stanley Cup during the twenty-five year run of playoff appearances...where are they now? ***Blues' starting goalie Manny Legace is lucky (when healthy). Legace sports a 3.23 goals against average but has a won-loss record of 11-8-1. On the other hand, Chris Mason's goals against (3.15) has resulted in a won-loss of 3-12-1. Go figure... ****Brad Boyes is lucky. Here is why. While Boyes is recognized in STL as a good player, 786 NHL players have 'marked the scoresheet' during the first three months of the current season. One...exactly ONE...player has a worse +/- than Boyes, whose +/- of -22 is 'surpassed' by only (drum roll...) Hurricanes C Rod Brind'Amour's -24. Rod, we hardly knew ye. *****Blues' management on the hockey side...John Davidson, Larry Pleau and Andy Murray are very lucky. If these men worked in hockey-mad NHL cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, and Philly, they would have something in common with (former) employees of Anheuser-Busch and Chrysler: they would be looking for work, or at least looking over their shoulders every day. ******Blues' forward Keith Tkachuk is lucky; the team's senior statesman was named to his fifth NHL All Star team. After scoring eight goals in his first ten games this season, 'Walt' has tailed off and has only fourteen goals in thirty-nine games. *******Blues fans with tickets for the January 17th game at the Scott Trade Center are lucky--it is a Saturday night Blues-Black Hawks game. Chicago is very good; perhaps a rollicking Saturday night crowd at the STC can inspire the Blues. Back-in-the-St. Louis Arena-day a scrap or two on the ice was matched by some Saturday night 'raslin in the stands between the fans of both squads. Old time hockey! posted
November 20 *St.
Louis-area sports fans interested in a local slant to their sports
radio are lucky...with AM
550, AM 590, AM 1120 and AM 1380 all streaming audio on their
websites...free-o'-charge...and chock-full of sportstalk. The
stlsports.com staff pays particular attention to the 1380 signal, as
stltoday.com Cards' beat writer Joe Strauss often appears on the 1380
airwaves--guesting on shows throughout the day. The St. Louis
sportstalk dinner menu is about to expand by one as FM 101.1 debuts on
Jan 1, 2009. Look for former stlsports.com contributor Randy Karraker
to host their afternoon drive-time show...
*St. Louis-area sports fans who tire of the local angle to their sports radio are lucky, too. -----Dan Patrick's show (8-11 am M-F) offers a national perspective, great guests, and a midwestern sensibility (Patrick is an Ohio native). Patrick seems a bit relieved to be out of the shadow of ESPN, and delivers listenable sportstalk most of the time. Of note is the fact that Patrick's primary producer is a graduate of SIUC. -----The Michael Irvin show (11 am - 2 pm) gets first-rate guests and Irvin's co-host, Kevin Kiley, brings out the best in Irvin as well as regular guest Nate Newton. The Irvin-Kiley show is based in Dallas, TX...and has a heavy emphasis on allthingsCowboy...but remains a good listen, in part due to intelligent and provocative discussions of matters in which sport intersects with race. -----The PMS show (6 pm - 9 pm) is based in Los Angeles, and is hosted by Petros Papadakis and Matt Smith. The bombastic Papadakis, an LA native who (correctly) describes himself as the former starting fullback on the worst Southern Cal team in recent history, fits nicely with Smith, who grew up in northwestern Indiana near the IN-IL border. Both men have achieved other sports success--Papadakis does Pac10 football play-by-play while Smith hosts LALakers pre- and post- shows on the Lakers radio network. The PMS show is very very good talk radio--both hosts know their sports and are also well-rounded young men with strong opinions in other areas as well--in part due to their diverse backgrounds. -----The Tony Bruno show (9 pm - midnight) is also based in LA, and goes by the moniker 'Into the Night...with Tony Bruno'. Bruno does a first-rate guy-oriented sportstalk show that is easy on the ears. *You'd have to think that the bleak St. Louis-area real estate market would be feelin' lucky (at least a bit), in light of the horrid performance of the local NFL squad. Ya'think at least a couple of dozen of high-end homes will be on the market soon? And that a couple of dozen of new buyers will be in town prior to the next NFL season? Realtors...start youuuurrrr engines! *Folks in the market for discounted St. Louis Blues tix...if they're not feeling lucky now...they will be feeling lucky in early '09. The injury bug that has bitten the Blues has bitten them hard...
The Key Man in '09  The suits at Busch say it with their words, with their actions and with their inactions: the DeWitts, the Johns (Mozeliak and Abbamondi, the GM and Asst. GM, respectively) and the Stat Man (Jeff Luhnow) know they have millions of dollars invested in the right arm of Chris Carpenter...and they want a return on their investment in '09. Can the nerves, muscles and tendons in Carpenter's right elbow and shoulder...shoulder the weight of these expectations? Curiously, the expectations of the uniformed Busch management team of Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan, at least as far as their '09 projections for Chris Carpenter are concerned, are not as high as their well-dressed 'partners' upstairs. Can you say Matt Clement? Can you say Mark Mulder? The health of Chris Carpenter is the single most important barometer of '09 success for the St. Louis Cardinals: if, in 2009, Carpenter's number of starts surpasses his jersey #, the Cards can challenge the Cubs. If not... stlsports.com Editorial Mark McGwire Covers It would be so
easy for Mark McGwire to get his face on the cover of, oh, Time,
Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine and The Sporting
News...in 2008.
That's right...ten years after his record-setting chase of Roger Maris' exalted single-season home run mark, Mark McGwire could singlehandedly do more for the world's youth, and youth sports...than any foundation...if he 'came clean' regarding his own involvement with steroids. The nation's news media would recognize the heroic nature of McGwire's truthtelling...and the nation's baseball media would reward the guy with increased support for a deserved Hall of Fame induction. After all, there was no bigger story in the tail end of the twentieth century...than Mark McGwire. TNP saw enough of McGwire, during the end of his Oakland tenure as well as his Cardinal years, to hypothesize that there is a good man, a great man...wrapped tightly inside of the surliness that so many saw during his time in St. Louis, a surliness that served as a cover for one simple fact: McGwire was (and remains) a shy person. But here's to you, Mark McGwire--and, paraphrasing from the movie 'Batman Begins': "It's not what you are on the inside,
it's what you do that defines you."
Now, go ahead and do something that redefines yourself, Mark McGwire. And make your legacy one that the entire sporting world will remember. Mark Bausch editor@stlsports.com Traveling to Disney World? First-Rate Accommodations... Caribe Royale Orlando All-Suites Resort & Convention Center  The Caribe Royale Orlando All-Suites Resort & Convention Center is perfectly suited for a touch of Disney World and all that surrounds greater Lake Buena Vista. Located less than five miles from The Ballpark at the Disney World Sports Complex (and less than three miles from Downtown Disney), the Caribe Royale's all-suites configuration, first-class heated swimming pool, and diverse selection of restaurants on the premises together make it an excellent choice for St. Louisans wishing to do Disney and the surrounding area. 
St. Louis
Sports News
Memories of Fernando Tatis With Topics Like These...the Darn Column Writes Itself
News Item: The Baltimore Orioles have
recalled 3B Fernando Tatis
While Fernando Tatis made baseball history when he hit two GRAND SLAM home runs in the same inning, your correspondent is also reminded of an incident that transpired just inside (and outside) of the clubhouse, post-game, at old County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  It was the summer of 2000. And Tatis was coming off of a 34 HR/107 RBI 1999 season, a surprise that led Cards' GM Walt Jocketty to sign the young third baseman to a long-term contract. The visitors' clubhouse at County Stadium was an old-style clubhouse in which the manager's desk was literally out in the middle of the very same room in which the players peeled off their uniforms. In other words, there was no office for Tony La Russa to conduct his post-game interview. In an effort to gain some semblance of privacy for himself and for the small number of STL-based media in attendance, La Russa chatted up that night's game details at the edge of a closet just inside of the entrance to the clubhouse, in an area no more than six feet from the clubhouse door itself. All of which made for an interesting interview session because, in essence, the back-up clubhouse doorman, for those ten minutes or so, was none other than Tony La Russa. And when a young twenty-something year-old male knocked on the clubhouse door, and asked in a loud voice if he could be allowed entrance, 'because I'm Fernando Tatis' bodyguard'...well, the eyebrow raised by La Russa, and his glance in the general direction of "The Bodyguard" ...made it clear to all those who were in close proximity to the Redbird manager that he, #10, was in charge of his clubhouse...and that he, #10, made it his business to keep tabs on his players. All of which begs the question; or maybe two questions: For the 13+ years that Tony La Russa managed Mark McGwire, does La Russa's claim that he was unaware of what McGwire was doing, in an extra-curricular body-building sense, to become The Biggest Mac of all, does that claim hold water? And, is it likely that McGwire's off-the-field habits (some of which, if Jose Canseco's book is accurate, were carried out in the A's clubhouse) could have escaped the attention of one of the most detail-oriented and best-prepared managers in the history of baseball? The steroid scandal that has enveloped MLB and Barry Bonds as the Giants' slugger aims to overtake the career home run record held by Henry Aaron has many more headlines within it. Surely Mark McGwire is one of those headlines. Will Tony La Russa, or more specifically, the managerial legacy of Tony La Russa, be another casualty of baseball's steroid era? SIUC Coaches Corner  
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...the left field wall at Busch Stadium
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Cooperstown|Canton|Springfield|Toronto|SouthBend|Eveleth|Hamilton|Holyoke|Oneonta|StL |
Busch Stadium 1966-2005
