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St. Louis Sports Online DECEMBER.96.1 CONTENTS
1.0 StLSO News and Notes 2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts 2.1 Blues News 2.2 Rams News 2.2.1 Rams 1997 Schedule 2.2.2 Rams 1996 Results 2.3 Cardinals News by MIKE RAINEY 2.4 StLSO Quotes of the Week 2.5 StLSO Headline of the Week 3.0 StLSO Features 3.1 Tony La Russa's Hot Stove Questions 3.2 The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change 3.2.1 The Pleasant Surprise: Tom Pagnozzi 3.2.2 The Wizard and The Dragons 3.2.3 The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change--A Short Introduction 3.2.4 Ordering Information for "The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change" 4.0 StLSO Game Recaps 4.1 Rams Win Finale in Brooks Last Game as Coach by JIM HUNSTEIN 5.0 StLSO Numbers 5.1 Blues Statistics (through 12.26.96) 5.1.1 Blues Scoring 5.1.2 Blues Goaltending 5.2 Rams Final 1996 Statistics 6.0 StLSO Media Views 6.1 Oh Baby Part I and II by MARK BAUSCH 6.1.1 Oh Baby Part I 6.1.2 Oh Baby Part II 6.2 The Talk Shows by MARK BAUSCH 7.0 StLSO Interactivity 8.0 StLSO Editorial: Three Views of Mike Keenan
St. Louis Sports Online DECEMBER.96.1
With Mike Keenan out as the Blues C&GM, Jack Quinn out as Blues president, Rich Brooks out as coach of the Rams, and Steve Ortmayer essentially out as Rams GM...plenty of new faces are likely to hog the St. Louis sports headlines in the coming days.
But some old faces may be in line to replace those recently ousted execs...and other old faces have already returned.
To start with, the Kiel Center Partners (the local businessmen who own the Blues) have tabbed Mark Sauer, former Cards president (who was also president of the Pittsburgh Pirates), to replace Quinn and serve as the team's president.
In addition, ex-Blues forward Jim Roberts is serving as the team's interim coach, while longtime Blues GM (and current executive VP) Ron Caron has returned as interim GM.
While it seems likely that fan-favorite Caron will have some as-yet undetermined (but meaningful) role in the Sauer-led organization, Roberts seems "interim" (for this season) at best.
Heading the list of possible coaching candidates are two more faces familiar to Blues fans: ex-Blues coach Jacques Demers and ex-Blues player Paul MacLean. Apparently, Sauer and the Kiel Partners have put Caron in charge of the search for a new coach.
Another possible candidate to replace Keenan? Avalanche assistant Joel Quenneville.
And in several media appearances, the Professor, smiling from ear-to-ear, has remained a bit coy about the identities of the top coaching candidates.
The firing of Rich Brooks as coach of the Rams was not unexpected. Brooks headed up a disorganized team that seemed to lack focus. A change was needed.
What remains to be seen, however, is the future of Rams GM Steve Ortmayer. It does seem, though, that his future is limited as faras the Rams main guy on player personnel matters is concerned.
Ortmayer's legacy in St. Louis? High-priced free-agent busts Dwayne White and Leslie O'Neal.
As with the Blues, the menu for the Rams head coaching position includes names familiar to St. Louisans, including ex-Big Red coach Gene Stallings, two former Cards assistants named Joe (Bugel and Gibbs), and another former Big Red assistant--Emmitt Thomas.
A big concern for the existing Rams upper management team (including John Shaw, Jay Zygmunt, and Marshall Klein), though, is to overcome the stigma of being the losingest NFL franchise in the first seven seasons of the current decade.
Actually, it isn't hard to imagine a near-total housecleaning at Rams Park...starting at the top. Why, you say? Consider this: one NFL insider views the team's current management structure as swimming in the same mediocre waters as long-time losers such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Houston Oilers.
That's a real shot at majority owner Georgia Frontiere and team president Shaw, folks.
One final Rams note: the NFL's two recent expansion teams (the Jaguars and the Panthers) are engaged in playoff football this weekend. Ouch.
In the meantime, the lean-and-mean (and comparatively speaking...boring!?) Cardinals are lurking comfortably in the background. An NL Central championship will do that to you.
Spring training starts in two months.
2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts
2.1 Blues News
*In honor of Brett Hull's 500th goal, the Blues have announced that pre-game ceremonies prior to the December 27th game vs. the Maple Leafs will honor the Blues record-setting right winger. The festivities are scheduled to begin at 7:15.
*Look for the Blues to trade for a right-handed defenseman so that lefty Chris Pronger can be shifted to his more natural position of left defense. Currently, Al MacInnis is the only Blues blueliner with a righthanded shot.
*As the season lurches toward the All-Star break, rookie forwards Harry York and Jim Campbell are getting less ice time...is a change in order for the two Blues early season phenoms?
*Rumors continue to emanate from the Kiel Center that the Blues ownership group is going to try and find a way not to have to compensate recently-fired Mike Keenan for the millions of dollars remaining on his multi-year contract to coach and generally manage the team. Something about Keenan failing to fulfill his duties as GM because he overspent the budget...this one isn't going to go away. And recall how Keenan got out of his NY contract: a paycheck due Keenan was delivered one day late.
*Finally, Canadian hockey insiders say that Keenan's next coaching job may be with Canada's 1998 Olympic Team.
2.2 Rams News
The Rams home and away 1997 opponents have been announced.
*Pre-season home: Chiefs, Cardinals
*Pre-season away: Cowboys, Broncos
*Regular-season Home: Bears, Giants, Chiefs, Seahawks, Panthers, 49ers, Chiefs, Saints
*Regular-season Away: Packers, Broncos, Redskins, Raiders, Panthers, 49ers, Chiefs, Saints
WON 6 LOST 10
09/01 W 26-16 Cincinnati 62,659 09/08 L 0-34 at San Francisco 63,624 09/22 L 10-17 Washington 62,303 09/29 L 28-31 OT at Arizona 33,116 10/06 L 11-28 San Francisco 61,260 10/13 L 13-45 at Carolina 70,535 10/20 W 17-14 Jacksonville 60,066 10/27 L 31-37 OT at Baltimore 60,256 11/03 L 6-42 at Pittsburgh 58,148 11/10 W 59-16 Atlanta 58,776 11/17 L 10-20 Carolina 60,652 11/24 L 9-24 Green Bay 61,499 12/01 W 26-10 at New Orleans 26,310 12/08 L 9-35 at Chicago 66,944 12/15 W 34-27 at Atlanta 26,519 12/21 W 14-13 New Orleans 57,681
2.3 Cardinals News by MIKE RAINEY
The Cardinals announced several Busch Stadium changes in November and December.
Among the changes that will be in place for Opening Day 1997--a manually operated scoreboard, constructed of wood, that will render useless the terrace reserved and general admission seats between left-center and right-center field.
The new scoreboard, which will enable fans to monitor every major league game played that game on an inning-by-inning basis, will be built on top of (perhaps in front of is a better description) the existing outfield seats.
These changes, along with the removal of a few hundred upper-deck seats that were added to placate Bill Bidwill in the '80s (seats that were placed in what used to be the aisle that ringed the upper deck just behind the upper deck box seats), as well as the shrinking of the right-field bleachers so that the visitor's bullpen will complement the Redbirds pen in Homer's Landing, result in a somewhat reduced Busch Stadium seating capacity: ca. 47,000.
*In other changes, the Cardinals also began removing last year's crop of natural grass...which never quite took root...so that a new set of sod could be installed. All of the NL's outfielders are grateful, as last year's grass, although visually appealing, was considered to be the worst surface in the National League.
2.4 StLSO Quotes of the Week
Delino DeShields, on his relatively short time as a free agent, and his signing with the Cardinals. "No, it wasn't like being recruited. I waited to hear from the team that I wanted to hear from. They called...and I'm where I want to be."
Walt Jocketty, on the DeShields signing, on DeShields problems in Los Angeles/potential in St. Louis, and on how important it was having La Russa as manager: "I don't think I would have pursued [him] unless Tony was our manager."
2.5 StLSO Headline of the Week
From the 12.24.96 edition of the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald: "Keenan stays true to form: everybody at fault but himself"
3.0 StLSO Features
3.1 Tony La Russa's Hot Stove Questions
The Cardinals' manager recently sat still long enough for a conference call-style interview with various baseball media, including representatives from the New York Times, the Dallas Morning-News, the Orange County Register, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Belleville News-Democrat, St. Louis Sports Online, Baseball Weekly, the Chicago Sun-Times, the St. Petersburg Times, the Dallas Morning News, the Scripps News Service, the Albany Herald, .
What follows is a verbatim transcript of La Russa's session.
La Russa's Opening Statement:
"In thinking about this off-season versus last, last year we paid a lot of attention to trying to make a bunch of changes. We had needs in several areas...especially the infield. And [we had to] solidify our pitching, the reliability of our starters especially...and we were looking at some extra pop to solidify our offense. And now this year, our needs were much more limited because some of the moves we made last year...we had guys still with us...like Andy Benes, Todd Stottlemyre, Ron Gant...so we really first focussed on our guys who were free agents that we wanted to keep with our club. We've been able to keep everybody that we wanted...Gary Gaetti, Tom Pagnozzi, Willie McGee, we had options on our veteran relievers...Honeycutt, Eckersley, Fossas...and so part of the winter was not like searching for new guys...it was trying to keep the club together.
"The other thing that we looked at was our second base situation and we were really excited by Delino DeShields. I thought we had made an outstanding signing there...and we're still trying to refine the club but it's still a lot different off-season as far as the number of moves we made."
Q1: What advantage do you think that a manager like yourself will have regarding interleague play?
La Russa: "I think the only thing that mades sense is the recent familiarity with the league. At one time, when we were getting closer to the World Series...we thought that...as opposed to most situations we would have an advantage [because] we had just gone against the Yankees the year before. I think the most important thing is how your club stacks up against the American League club that you're playing...but because we have been playing in the American League Central up until last year we will know the personnel a better than some National League clubs."
Q2: You mentioned DeShields (and that) you're excited about that signing. He seemed to have a dreadful year this year and he seems to have gone back somewhat from his earlier years. Do you have any explanation for that and considering that...why were you so excited about signing him?
La Russa: Well we put several things together. Number one...you look at his early years with Montreal...he was one of the most exciting young players in the league...and on that talented team he held his own with any of the guys...Grissom or any of the other guys you want to talk about. As far as talent, he is a plus-plus guy at that position...and can win a game with a lot of his tools. His experience at LA was not a good one. He admits it...everybody...it was there to see. Part of it...I think he had a lot of aches and pains that prevented him from being the player that he can be...and sometimes when you get in a rut...especially in a high-profile situation it just...things escalate in the wrong direction. We just think that a change of scenery with some good health...it's gonna re-energize Delino and with the type of team that we have...he fits us perfectly. We were looking for someone at the top of the lineup that could really ignite our offense and he's got those abilities.
Q3: I just wanted to get an update on the health of Ray Lankford and how his progress from the surgery is going along and when you're expecting to have him available...
La Russa: We're real encouraged by it...Ray lives in the St. Louis area and is on a five-day-a-week rehab program. One of the moves that I didn't mention that we have made this winter...we have hired a strength-and-fitness coach. His name is Mike Gibbons. He was the assistant in Florida. Mike is already housed in St. Louis and he has a bunch of guys that work out there. One of them is Ray...who is monitoring his program, along with Gene Gieselman, our trainer.
Ray is improving steadily. When they went in there for the surgery...he definitely had some tears in there. It wasn't anything that was a minor thing...I'm kinda glad now that we held him out of those post-season games. Being conservative, we think that we'd get him back May 1. As good a shape as he's is and as strong as he is...I think there is a reasonable chance that he would play in April, but we're not gonna push it.
Q4: What role do you envision for Dmitri Young this year?
La Russa: That's a good question. I think he's gonna be an exciting player in our camp. He's come a long ways talent-wise...maturity in the last couple of years...the season that he had at Triple A. The type of ability that he has--switch hitter...legitimate from both sides...runs well for a big man. I think we may have a window early in the season where...we don't have to worry about playing time while Ray is healing. I think it's easy to see a combination of Dmitri at first and John Mabry in right...maybe moving Brian to center. That might give Dmitri as much as a month of at-bats to get his feet firmly entrenched in the National League. From then on, the better he does, the more he plays. But I know that we're excited about his progress both as a player and as a person. You know he signed as a young guy...a lot of the stuff is starting to make sense to him now.
Q5: Should you be flattered by the amount of moves that the other teams in your division have made to try to catch up with you...and do you worry that you might not have made enough changes as teams do from year to year to try to improve?
La Russa: Well it's typical that when a club wins...it's a competition...that's what drives the leagues. So whoever doesn't finish first...is gonna really look to improve their club...and is going to be active. It's what you'd expect from the teams in our division.
You've got to consider your own club...and you don't want to make moves...you know...last year we made eight changes....so let's make eight this year. We like our ballclub. We tried to be very well-reasoned with what we need and what we want to compete with next year...I think...second base is a priority and we're really excited about Delino. We've been able to keep a lot of the key people that we wanted. We're gonna have a carryover that...we built a lot last year as far as unity and everything. We don't have to start at zero like we did last year. I just think the division...you can expect them to try and take it away from us. We're paying attention to our own business and we're going to try to keep it.
Q6: How important did you see it to re-sign Pagnozzi and Gaetti the way some of these other teams have lost some of their key people? Was that an essential for you going into the off-season...to keep those veteran players?
La Russa: The thing you always look at is you try to balance. I think if there's a young player who's really ready to assert himself...like a Dmitri Young as a third basemen or a catcher...then that kinda changes the way you look at the position. But we really don't have a third baseman ready to take over...and you look at what Gary meant to the ballclub in '96. Same thing with Pagnozzi...there's a strong motivation to bring them back. Because not only were they good with their numbers but they were a strong part of the team leadership. What we needed, though, this is one of those economic things that happens nowadays...the more that each guy stretches, if you try to sign a couple guys you may run out and not be able to fill out your ballclub. I've really been pleased...guys like Gaetti and Eckersley and Pagnozzi...they signed a reasonable contract and that freed up a certain amount of money for us to keep trying to make some extra moves so that we could have a well-balanced team. So, I really believed that if we missed Gaetti or Pagnozzi that we would have been going backwards. I think it's a big plus that we were able to bring those guys back.
Q7: What needs do you see that still need to be looked at on the team as you get your team ready for spring?
La Russa: It's almost uncomfortable to say this. I know that Walt and I have talked about this a lot. We feel like we've got a pretty complete situation...except for...we did make an attempt to sign Bill Spiers. Because we're looking for that left-hand complement at third and short...on a day that you were going to sit the shortstop or third baseman. So with David Bell and Aaron Holbert...there is room for an infielder who could be good off the bench and who could protect us at two or three other positions. So that's one area that we're still looking at. We like our rotation...our bullpen is pretty set...we were able to obtain Lance Painter from Colorado. It's a little uncomfortable this time of December...to only be really looking at a utility infielder. As long as you qualify it by saying that you starting getting these non-tenders...if somebody becomes available that's better than what we've got then we'd be ready to make a move. But we just don't feel like we've got a big hole anywhere except maybe looking for another infielder.
Q8: I saw somewhere that Terry Collins hired Dave Parker in Anaheim. I know you were high on Parker as a coach. Can you talk about that a bit and have you finalized your own 1997 coaching staff?
La Russa: As a matter of fact, at the general managers' meetings, Terry and I sat down and we talked about...we shared stuff and I asked him about things he believed and he asked me about thoughts that I had...and one of them was the value of a coaching staff. Dave Parker's name came up...because he was high up on Terry's list. I just made the comment...which I've made publicly before...I think Dave Parker, he and Tom Seaver...and a couple other guys...are the smartest players I've ever managed or been on a ballclub with. He was a great player with a great personality...I think he's going to be a huge plus for California...so I think that was a very smart move by Terry.
As far as our situation...I think we announced there sometime during the post-season that Rene Lachemann is joining our coaching staff to replace Ron Hassey. I think we're...uh...I don't know where we are in...as far as finalizing that Carney Lansford will probably...or will certainly...be a part of our staff. It's about that time of the year...when we sort out and we're evaluating closely to see if anybody needs a switch in assignment based on new people being there--like with Lach and Carney around. But there won't be anything major going on with our staff.
Q9: Coming into the National League, I imagine you didn't know much about Brian Jordan. From what you had heard and what you expected, can you talk about that and what you ended up thinking after you saw him play for a whole year?
La Russa: Well, you try do as much last off season as you could, as far as listening to people in our organization that knew him...Mike Jorgensen, George Kissell, Marty Maier, Walt Jocketty, you know, Jerry Walker...everybody in our organization. I watched a lot of tape...but until you really get into a spring training and you ask a guy to work hard...to improve little things in practice. And then you get into the games where you have to grind through some tough situations...you can't appreciate what the guy's really made of. I think any of us that were new to the Cardinals situation were 100% impressed with Brian in every facet. Obviously he's a multi-talented athlete. He's a great athlete. But the concentration and effort that he puts into his defense and his baserunning...and what he did at the plate for us in clutch situations...he was our leader as far as getting the big base hit when we were putting together our charge...which carried right on through the end of the season and into the post-season. He was our leader at taking the tough at-bats. When it was all over, when you think about that package...a very talented athlete who practices right...who gives you effort in all parts of the game...defense and baserunning and is a tough out at the plate. And then you listen to him...he's talking about just scratching the surface as far as understanding. So I think he will continue to improve.
And the last piece I should mention...he received quite a bit of compliments at the end from veterans like Ozzie and Willie as far as his willingness to be a team leader. He's the complete package and we're lucky to have him.
Q10: How much do you think [Brian Jordan] is behind the typical person because of the time he's been playing football?
La Russa: If you look at his line...how many years he's played in the minor leagues and how many big league seasons he's had...he has not...he doesn't have a lot of experience. You look at his age, he's in his upper 20's...that football time set him back some. But he's got so much talent and his mind is so strong that he's going to improve faster than the average guy by a huge margin.
Q11: Would you go over the Central Division and who you expect to be good and what the competition will be?
La Russa: I think Houston is very much a legitimate club...well-rounded. They have a good rotation and potentially a good bullpen. They have a good group of veteran players that have been through it now for years. I'm real impressed with what Larry [Dierker] has done as far as his staff...the guys he's added...put a Bill Virdon on your coaching staff...there's a lot of quality there. I don't know Larry Dierker very well...but people talk about how much sense he makes. I think Houston can be a prime contender...
Cincinnati is...look at their talent. The bullpen is positioned right. If they get a little help in their starting rotation along with their good athletes...they have a lot of multi-tooled players. I can see Cincinnati being a part of it.
The Cubs. It pained me to see them sign Rojas...because a closer is so important and he's really good. They've improved themselves with Rojas. Dunston's coming back...I really admire Shawon. He's going to be very good for them...Sandberg came back. I think that Navarro is a loss. But they had a couple of young guys coming along in the starting rotation that have picked up some slack for them...so I don't see any way that the Cubs aren't going to be an improved club...and everyone knows that I think that Riggleman does a great job.
Probably the only club that, because of their changes, is not a contender...but has a future...is Pittsburgh. Because of the young guys with talent, though, they're going to be dangerous to play...but I don't think that over six months that you would rank them with the other four clubs in the division.
So I think everybody's improved. And...we're going to be real anxious to compete again. We've got what they're after...except that that was last year...so we really don't have anything going into '97. We're all going after it.
Q13: Last year as you went through the first part of spring training, there was so much attention and questions about making the transition (from the AL to the NL). After going through an entire year, did it end up being a bigger transition or not as big a deal as you first thought?
La Russa: The transition was separated into three parts. One is learning the league, one was learning our players, and third was learning the handling of the game because of the pitcher in the lineup.
Learning our players has been the same for years. You pay close attention and you talk to your coaches and you get to know them. Until you go through games [that] count you don't learn the lessons the right way.
As far as learning the league, that's something that, when we started 17 or 18 years ago, we had limited resources. But now, you can get some knowledge faster...there's video and scouting is much more advanced. I really felt like we were able to move on that quicker than I expected. I'd fool you if I told that, if you take an Alou or a Leyland or a Cox...I don't nearly feel comfortable that we know the league like the guys that have been around. I really feel like we've learned faster than I would have thought because there are more ways to get information than you used to.
The lineup thing...in the spring trainings of the past, I had always paid a lot of attention to the National League games. I had one experience in an All Star game, and had little bit of post-season experience and one winter ball with it. I knew I had done it some and I wasn't cold turkey. But I also knew that when you really get into a lot of games...maybe not the obvious things...but there are little edges that you can pick up. And I felt that as you got into it...there are little things that I learned...here again I still feel short versus guys that have been in the league longer than I have. But it was a thing that I worried about the least. I think I held my own but there are some other guys who have some tricks that I think I'm still trying to learn.
Q14: How much of an advantage will it be this spring without having to go through that transitional period?
La Russa: That's a good transition...because it's one of those, as a team and as coaching staff and manager...if you take it like a slam dunk it would be a big mistake. I think it should be a major advantage that we've been through a spring and a season together. But if you take that for granted and you don't really pay attention to all the things that you're supposed to do...to get the season started again and work it through...then you would just use up that advantage. So if we do it right it should be a major advantage for us...but if we take it for granted it could slap you.
Q15: After one year in the NL, could you give a description of the American League style of play?
La Russa: The majority of the stuff is the same. Pitcher against the batter. It's the same battle. The ball gets into play, the fielders make the same plays, you run the bases. To me the biggest difference that I saw, because of the extra hitter in the lineup, (and) because there are definitely more ballparks in the American League that are hitter-friendly, especially for the long ball...I definitely believe that in the National League there's a premium on doing some of the fundamental things right to either get you a run or save you a run. That can help you win the game. In the American League you can do some of those things, but somebody's liable to hit a pop-up that carries 350 [feet] and they've hit a three-run homer.
I think (in) the American League is...there's potential to score more runs. In the National League, if you really pay attention to doing things right, to make a run or save a run, I think you get a bigger payoff in the National League.
Q16: And AL games are longer because there's more offense?
La Russa: The lineups are deeper in the American League...and pitchers are always having to deal with a small ballpark and extra hitters and they just can't lay the ball down the middle. Not that they do it that much in the National League either, but there's some outs to get in the National League. I was real impressed with the quality of the starting pitching in the National League, and I thought there was real good depth in just about every rotation, and just about every club had a legitimate closer. I thought that was something that the National League had, that was, as far as depth, was a difference over the American League. I thought that the depth of the quality starters in the National Leagues and how many clubs had a quality closer...I thought that was a difference between the National and the American Leagues.
Q17: Texas won for the first time this season. What are the unique challenges facing the club the year after winning to try and keep that level?
La Russa: Human nature. You have a tendency to walk in...spring training and people are patting you on the back in spring training...the locals who haven't seen you in a year...or people who are visiting or the fans...everybody's saying 'what a great year' because you're still reliving the last year kinda walking around with this comfortable little smile on your face. Meanwhile, with these other clubs who didn't win....got a little more eye of the tiger and a little more fiercely determined. So you have to try to put the win in it's proper place, which is that it should give you confidence if you can do it...but you ought to understand that everybody starts at zero. I always hated the term 'defending champion' because that's OK for a couple months in the winter...but once you start getting into the part of the winter when you're thinking about next year, you've got to get that attitude on our club that you're chasing it all over again. You've got to be just as hungry and just as determined. The only edge is that you should have some confidence...no comfort...but some confidence that you've proven that can do it. Generally, it's human nature...people when they get successful they have a tendency to get comfortable. You've got to fight through that.
Q18: When you look at the guys coming back, would Alan Benes and maybe Royce Clayton be two guys you could reasonably expect to make improvement in the numbers over last year? Not that they weren't good years but that they are young players with a lot of talent...
La Russa: That's one of the points that we've discussed more than anything this winter. The key word--improvement. If there's one thing that we're talking about among our players and among the coaches it's how we're going to improve. Among the young guys, and you can see that they should improve. A Royce or an Alan or a TJ Mathews...even Mark Petkovsek, who started growing into that relief role. Those guys...you expect them to improve. Because our club has to improve. You expect Delino to improve...John Mabry, in his third year, we expect him to improve. And then you have to be realistic. The kind of year Pagnozzi had...you don't want to try to put something...'hey man you've got to improve that year'...we'll take the kind of year he had last year. Gaetti...two halves like the second half...you know you can expect that. Brian thinks he can improve...Ray thinks he can improve...Ron hit .250 and thinks he can improve.
That's really the major thought that our organization has...now through '97: we need to improve.
Q19: How do you feel about the expansion teams signing unproven amateur players to seven or eight or ten million dollar contracts?
La Russa: It's going to be one of those things, that if you're in a hurry to compete, which everybody is...and you have the resources...they're not going to be able to do that a lot. If you make a well-reasoned signing...I don't think there's anything wrong with it. You play by the rules and the rules make that available to you. What you find is...the younger the player, the bigger the risk. A guy has not played professionally yet, no matter what the reports are, you're risking that he's going to become a good pitcher or a good player. but I think it's a risk that you can take a couple or three times per organization. I don't think you can do a lot of it, or you're not going to have a lot of money left.
Q20: How well do you think Clayton handled the Ozzie Smith situation last year, and what do you expect his season now that the distraction is gone?
La Russa: I think that's one of those adversity-filled situations that's not any fun to go through. But when it's over, and you know that you're succeeding, you build a lot of inner strength. In spring training, when he played and fans would yell Ozzie, Ozzie, or when he happened to strike out or make an error, I think, the way he handled himself, it's gonna be real good for the rest of his career. So this year, as the main guy, I think he's going to come in knowing that he's got talent, but also knowing that he has a lot of inner strength. And that was proven through the adversity. So it's all going to be a help for him in the future.
Q21: Do you have any large concerns about the ages of some of your relievers and even Gaetti at third base...could they suddenly hit the wall at a certain age? And are you grooming Ludwick and Matthews as possible replacements for Eckersley as your '98 closer?
La Russa: With the veterans, as long as physically they're in good shape, the key is where they are heart-wise. As long as they're still enjoying the competition, which these guys do, they're going to be able to help us this year. As soon as they start getting tired of the competition...that's what I'm going to look at first and I don't expect that with any of the veterans.
As far as Ludwick and Mathews, yeah, the opportunities will be there for them to have clutch appearances in relief. At some point, Eckersley is not going to be around, and the hole is going to be there. And the guy that deserves it will the guy in that role.
Q22: You mentioned Larry Dierker before. This is an unusual situation [in that] the guy hasn't managed or coached at any level. With all the managerial experience you have, are you surprised that they would name him as a manager?
La Russa: I've got to believe that Houston knows their situation the best. I know that people that I've talked to who know him...I don't know him very well, having met him just a couple or three times...they really are impressed with him. It's a difficult job to get into if you've been a player without managing experience. If you're talented...which I think he is, you can pull it off. The other thing is, he has been involved at the big league level, watching closely from his vantage point. There are some built-in problems for him, but also some built-in advantages. He's been evaluating the league....and has a helluva lot more knowledge about the National League than I do. I think it is very possible he can pull it off.
Q23: Do you see the Marlins situation this winter as similar to yours last year? The teams lure a highly-regarded manager for a lot of money and then they go out and sign a lot of players for a lot of money. Can you see them making the dramatic improvement that the Cardinals made?
La Russa: Yes I can. I think [Leyland's] proven that when he's given a competitive club, that he knows how to get them into first place. And if you look at the moves that have been made at that team, I don't really see a hole on that team. They're the most improved team in either league. It kind of depends on how Atlanta plays. It's probably going to be a big year, and probably a winning year.
Q24: What is your general feel about interleague play and how do you prepare for clubs that you're only going to see a handful of times a year? What are your thoughts in that area?
La Russa: Well, I think it's going to be a difficult assignment for both clubs. As I said before, you look for any advantage you can...so it's going to be an advantage for us. Normally, though, if you're only going to play a few games against the other league, it's a problem because you're not going to have the same kind of preparation for your league. It's probably going to be one of those things where, the players...it's a state tournament or something where the players don't really know each other and whoever has the best ability that day wins. I think it's going to be exciting. I'm looking forward to it...and not just because we'll have an advantage."
3.2 The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change
The Tom Pagnozzi and Ozzie Smith excerpts that immediately follow this section (3.2.1 and 3.2.2) are from St. Louis Sports Online's self-published book..."The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change".
A postage-paid copy of "A Season of Change: The 1996 Cardinals" can be purchased by sending a check for $25.00 to St. Louis Sports Online, PO Box 1024, Carbondale, IL, 62903.
3.2.1 The Pleasant Surprise: Tom Pagnozzi
Going into the 1996 season, there was a lot of talk about the Cardinals catching position.
And most of the talk wasn't all that optimistic.
Here's why.
During the past several seasons, a cloud of bad luck seemed to follow the incumbent Redbirds catcher, three-time Gold Glove-winning Tom Pagnozzi. It seemed that wherever Pagnozzi went, trouble was just around the corner.
Whether it was a serious injury that limited his playing time as well as his effectiveness as a catcher, or mutterings from Cardinals teammates about the quality of his work behind the plate, controversy about his long-term multimillion dollar contract, or his ill-timed statements about baseball's labor situation...all of these things seemed to cast serious doubt on Tom Pagnozzi's future as a primary contributor to the 1996 Cardinals.
Indeed, as the 1996 season began, Tom Pagnozzi was on the disabled list, this time with an injured wrist. With backup catcher Danny Sheaffer's versatility an important component of a roster that included one player who looked to be ready for A ball (Rule V pickup Miguel Mejia) and two shortstop-only shortstops, Pagnozzi had to surmise that his IMMEDIATE future as a Cardinals seemed in doubt.
To say nothing of the fact that Tony La Russa, a former American League manager, was very familiar with the Cardinals' third catcher...off-season acquisition (and long-time American Leaguer) Pat Borders.
Then, with Borders off to a blazing start at the plate in April...well, Pags' baseball horoscope didn't look too good. Not in St. Louis, anyway.
But as the spring string ran out, and his playing time began to increase, a pleasant surprise began to unfold: Tom Pagnozzi began to play All-Star caliber baseball.
Indeed, because of his solid catching and timely hitting, it is likely that Pagnozzi would have represented the Cardinals at the 1996 All Star game in Philadelphia, had NL manager Bobby Cox not been persuaded to name Ozzie Smith to the squad.
The high quality of Pagnozzi's play was more than just a return to form. In only 117 games, Pagnozzi smacked 13 HRs (a career high) and had 55 RBI. And his .270 batting average in 1996 was nearly 20 points above his career average.
In addition, a healthy (and a bit trimmer) Pagnozzi also displayed the defensive skills that had been lacking in the previous season or two. In the '96 stretch run, manager Tony La Russa wrote Pagnozzi's name on the lineup card virtually every day. Although his batting average probably suffered a little as a result of fatigue, the high quality of his defensive play never changed.
In particular, La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan (a former big-league catcher) raved about Pagnozzi's overall defensive play, and specifically, his aptitude for catching pop-ups. So what had seemed like a problem area going into the '96 season...turned into a strength.
As a result of Pagnozzi's fine play, what seemed to be a sure thing in March (i.e. that the 1996 season, Pagnozzi's tenth in St. Louis, would be his last as a Cardinal) is now not a certainty.
Pags' future in St. Louis depends on several issues, including the negotiation of a new contract. The Cardinals could do much worse than to re-sign the rejuvenated Pagnozzi...
3.2.2 The Wizard and The Dragons
Long after an early season baseball game, Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith frowned as he stroked his wipsy facial hair, facial hair which had the look of equal parts salt and pepper.
It was yet another game that the seemingly healthy forty-one year old Smith had viewed from the dugout. So the Wizard was...grouchy.
"If I'd shave this off, you wouldn't write that I was old," said Smith.
The implication was clear. The Wizard knew his grey facial hair provided confirmation of his advancing age. But he didn't have to like it...and he thought that, if the world was perfect...well, if no one wrote about his age, then no one would talk about it, either.
Then, maybe no one would think about it; maybe he wouldn't think about it; maybe Tony La Russa wouldn't even know about it...and maybe the Wizard could perform the way he did ten years ago.
Heck, that's not so far-fetched, is it? It isn't if you were Ozzie Smith.
After all, in his baseball career Ozzie Smith literally redefined the most important defensive position in baseball--shortstop...
Simultaneously, defying all the odds, Smith made himself into a professional hitter...and at the end of the 1996 season was within spittin' distance of 2,500 hits...
Those two accomplishments alone qualify Smith for baseball's Hall of Fame--first ballot-style.
But context is important here.
And that context involves slaying dragons. Because Smith's successes as an athlete are derived not only from natural talent and hard work, but also because of his desire to identify, and then slay, the dragons in his path. And make no mistake, the Wizard LOVES slaying dragons.
One significant dragon in the Wizard's life is race. Says Ozzie: "It's a white man's world. And the O.J. Simpson trial was just an example of how all black males are always on trial."
Ozzie is an extremely successful businessman in St. Louis. So the Wizard is slaying the race dragon. Every day.
Another important dragon in the Wizard's life is his stature, or lack thereof. When it was suggested that, in his chosen career, his smaller-than-average stature was a bigger hurdle for him to overcome than race...Ozzie Smith stopped buttoning his shirt, and looked his questioner straight in the eye.
"You know, you may be right about that."
Obviously, another dragon slayed there, too.
Then, during the '95-'96 off-season, in comes Tony La Russa as the Cardinals manager. Followed by Royce Clayton...in as the starting shortstop.
Nothing personal, of course...just two more dragons for the Wizard to slay.
La Russa? To Ozzie Smith, he was a dragon because the manager controls playing time. For the Wizard in 1996, playing time was a matter of pride as well as a matter of livelihood...since Smith had in his pocket a sweetheart of a contract, a $3 million per year deal designed to roll over after the Wizard reached a certain number of games played and plate appearances.
Clayton? Well, his dragon status stemmed solely from the fact that he was brought in to replace the Wizard.
Did Ozzie Smith slay these two dragons?
Well, in 1996 the Wizard appeared in only 52 games at SS (and added to that number about 30 pinch-hitting appearances). Early in the year, he appeared to become so frustrated with his scant playing time that he announced his retirement, effective at the end of the year.
As the season wore on, Smith's comments about La Russa seldom varied: "He lied to me in spring training. I was never given a chance to compete for the job."
But dragon La Russa survived. Indeed, dragon La Russa flourished, in part due to stellar SS play from the Wizard. Talk about actions speaking louder than words...
As for dragon Clayton, the Wizard, in his address to the late-September Busch Stadium sellout crowd on Ozzie Smith Day, included Clayton in his list of major league players worthy of continuing the tradition of fine defensive SS play.
So dragon Clayton survived, too.
Maybe...just maybe...by the end of the season...the Wizard realized that La Russa and Clayton were stand-ins for another dragon...Dragon Time.
Not even Wizards can slay Dragon Time.
3.2.3 The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change--A Short Introduction
The 279 pages within "The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change" are devoted to the goings-on surrounding the 1996 St. Louis Cardinals. The articles within "The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change" were first published in St. Louis Sports Online, an Internet-based sports weekly devoted to St. Louis sports.
In other words, open the book to almost any page...and read about the 1996 Cardinals. A bit of help follows.
Chapters 1 (Preparing for Spring) and 2 (Putting the Pieces Together) commence in late-October of 1995, and conclude at the end of spring training in 1996. Articles within these two chapters include dozens of fea-tures about the hiring of Tony La Russa as manager, Anheuser-Busch's sale of the team, and player transac-tions engineered by General Manager Walt Jocketty prior to and during spring training. Articles filed from St. Petersburg, FL round out Chapter Two, and describe La Russa's first spring training with the Cardinals.
The 1996 regular season has been separated into four parts--Chapters 3 (Periscope Down), 4 (On the Backs of the Starting Pitchers), 5 (It's a Pennant Race in St. Louis), and 6 (Go the Distance...).
Each weekly StLSO issue generally includes:
*A News and Notes column--authored by KMOX sportscaster Randy Karraker
*Cardinals News--additional Cardinals-related notes, contributed by Mike Rainey, Brian Stull, and St. Louis Sports Online senior writer Jim Hunstein
*Feature-length Articles--commentaries, Q-and-A's, and other lengthier stories about the Redbirds, written by Hunstein, Stull, Rainey, Riverfront Times columnist Randy Hu, WGNU sportscaster Mike Huss, WIBV's Dan McLaughlin, Joe Buck, and many others
*Series-by-series summaries for every Cardinals series, home and away--authored by Jim Hunstein
*Box scores for all 162 regular season games--courtesy of the Major League Baseball Information System
*A Cardinals-related editorial
Chapter 7 focuses on the 1996 Cardinals post-season, and is laid out in a fashion similar to Chapters 3-6.
A selection of photographs (Jim Herren©) and profiles is sandwiched between Chapters 4 and 5.
3.2.4 Ordering Information for "The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change"
"The 1996 Cardinals: A Season of Change" can be purchased by sending a check for $25.00 to St. Louis Sports Online, PO Box 1024, Carbondale, IL, 62903.
4.0 StLSO Game Recaps
4.1 Rams Win Finale in Brooks Last Game as Coach by JIM HUNSTEIN
Well, the Rams managed the win, a 14-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints in front of 57,681 loyal fans who obviously had nothing much better to do, the smallest crowd ever for a Rams game at the Trans World Dome. But it wasn't a pretty sight. It was like watching your kid get stitches: It was painful, but you had to be there, watching it and after a seemingly interminable afternoon, everything was okay.
But that effort, and winning three of their last four and four of their last seven, was not enough to save coach Rick Brooks' job. He was fired by team president John Shaw just 24 hours after the season ended on Saturday afternoon. Shaw had declared after the Steelers trounced the Rams 42-6 in game nine on November 3 that Brooks had the last seven games to turn the team around to save his job. Apparantly, a 4-3 finish was not enough. Granted, the four wins were over the Falcons and Saints.
But the team was not playing well. They got the W on Saturday, but they'd have been crushed by nearly any other team this side of Division III. Put it this way. IN their first two possessions, they had the ball for nearly six and a half minutes, ran 17 plays, converted two fourth downs, and only gained a total of 23 yards. In between the possessions, the Saints had the ball for five seconds and one play, a touchdown after Banks' interception. This had the makings for a long afternoon. There were 13 punts on the day.
The Rams amassed (or amissed) only 187 total yards and only 14 first downs. One problem was a lack of rookies. Huh? QB Tony Banks went down at the end of the second quarter after taking a facemask on his right (throwing) elbow. Back-up Jamie Martin filled in admirably and threw for the only two touchdowns for the Bighorns.
What's a worse sign than having your defensive backs leading the team in tackling? Having your quarterbacks leading the team in rushing. The Rams had only 51 yards rushing; Banks and Martin combined for 18 yards on seven rushes while RBs Larry Phillips, Harold Green, and FB Jerald Moore gained only 21 yards on 17 carries. The extra two yards belong to Keith Lyle, who converted a fake punt into a first down.
Actually, the team did well on fourth downs, converting three of three attempts. Lyle made the first taking a direct snap and heading up field. (It was an interesting play, by the way, with Lyle starting up under center to show a fake punt. But it was a fake fake that turned into a fake fake fake. And a first.) The second was four plays later and courtesy a roughing the punter penalty. The third was an eight-yard pass to Phillips in the fourth quarter.
Martin finished the game 12 for 19 for 132 yards, the pair of TDs, and one interception. WR Isaac Bruce ended up just shy of another 100-yard game taking seven catches 97 yards. His longest was a 22-yarder in the third quarter for the Rams first score. And he had put a great move on the defender and wise wide open in the end zone. He also tossed the ball into the stands. The winning score was a 15-yard strike to WR Eddie Kennison midway through the fourth quarter.
One other positive sign was the fact that the Rams committed only one penalty all day, a holding call on TE Aaron Laing in the second possession. They are more typically flagged into the double digits.
The only other good thing that came out of the game was the way the team played much better in the second half of the game. This is completely against the norm for this team. They usually come out of the locker room flatter than the Bonneville salt flats. But not on Saturday. From all reports, Brooks raised a lot of hell, even throwing a cup of ice. It inspired the team to actually come back from a 13-0 deficit and outscore the Saints 14-3 in the second half.
The Rams finished the season 6-10, once again in third place in the NFC West. The division was won by the Carolina Panthers (who will enjoy a first round bye in the playoffs) with the San Francisco 49ers in second. The Rams were 13-19 during Brooks' two seasons as head coach.
5.0 StLSO Numbers
5.1 Blues Statistics (through 12.26.96)
5.1.1 Blues Scoring
POS NO. PLAYER GP G A PTS +/- PIM PP SH GW GT S PCTG R 16 BRETT HULL 36 17 17 34 11- 4 6 0 3 1 138 12.3 C 77 PIERRE TURGEON 33 5 25 30 6- 6 1 0 2 0 90 5.6 L 14 GEOFF COURTNALL 37 10 15 25 0 48 3 0 1 0 81 12.3 R 10 JIM CAMPBELL 37 11 13 24 0 49 2 0 5 0 107 10.3 D 2 AL MACINNIS 36 10 13 23 7 34 4 1 0 0 153 6.5 L 32 STEPHANE MATTEAU 32 10 11 21 3 29 1 0 0 0 44 22.7 C 37 HARRY YORK 36 8 10 18 4- 8 3 1 3 0 50 16.0 R 17 JOE MURPHY 31 8 8 16 10- 27 2 1 0 0 58 13.8 D 5 IGOR KRAVCHUK 37 3 13 16 6- 17 1 0 0 0 60 5.0 C 25 PETER ZEZEL 24 4 9 13 8 10 0 0 1 0 42 9.5 D 44 CHRIS PRONGER 35 3 9 12 4- 79 1 0 0 0 52 5.8 C 23 CRAIG MACTAVISH 28 2 5 7 8- 20 0 0 0 0 20 10.0 D 43 LIBOR ZABRANSKY 25 0 5 5 2 38 0 0 0 0 20 .0 C 22 CRAIG CONROY 16 4 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 19 21.1 C 36 ROBERT PETROVICKY 8 1 3 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 12 8.3 L 20 MIKE PELUSO 30 0 4 4 1 135 0 0 0 0 20 .0 R 26 KONSTANTIN SHAFRANOV 5 2 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 25.0 R 12 ROB PEARSON 17 1 2 3 5- 37 0 0 0 0 14 7.1 R 27 STEPHEN LEACH 10 1 1 2 1- 19 0 0 0 0 16 6.3 D 33 TRENT YAWNEY 22 0 2 2 0 11 0 0 0 0 4 .0 L 26 SERGIO MOMESSO 24 0 2 2 5- 37 0 0 0 0 29 .0 R 39 SCOTT PELLERIN 9 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 7 14.3 R 38 GARY LEEMAN 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .0 D 6 *JAMIE RIVERS 3 0 1 1 2- 4 0 0 0 0 0 .0 C 21 *JAMAL MAYERS 6 0 1 1 3- 2 0 0 0 0 7 .0 D 42 RORY FITZPATRICK 8 0 1 1 4- 8 0 0 0 0 6 .0 G 31 GRANT FUHR 31 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 .0 L 18 TONY TWIST 32 0 1 1 6- 57 0 0 0 0 15 .0 D 4 MARC BERGEVIN 37 0 1 1 12- 29 0 0 0 0 10 .0 R 15 *ALEXANDER VASILEVSKI 3 0 0 0 1- 2 0 0 0 0 3 .0 D 28 RICARD PERSSON 10 0 0 0 5- 0 0 0 0 0 20 .0 G 30 JON CASEY 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0
5.1.2 Blues Goaltending
# GOALTENDER GPI MINS AVG W L T EN SO GA SA SV % G A PIM
31 GRANT FUHR 31 1713 3.08 15 12 2 2 1 88 825 .893 0 1 2
30 JON CASEY 11 514 3.85 1 7 0 1 0 33 222 .851 0 0 0
37 2231 3.33 16 19 2 3 1 124 1050 .882
(GPI) GAMES PLAYED IN (MINS) MINUTES PLAYED (AVG) 60 MINUTE AVERAGE
(ENG) EMPTY-NET GOALS AGAINST (SO) SHUTOUTS (GA) GOALS AGAINST
(SA) SHOTS AGAINST (SV %) SAVE PERCENTAGE (RNK) OVERALL RANKING
5.2 Rams Final 1996 Statistics
PASSING Att Cmp Yds Cmp% Yds/Att TD TD% Int Int% Long Sack/Lost Rating
Banks 368 192 2544 52.2 6.91 15 4.1 15 4.1 77t 48/ 306 71.0
Walsh 77 33 344 42.9 4.47 0 0.0 5 6.5 32 4/ 27 29.4
Martin 34 23 241 67.6 7.09 3 8.8 2 5.9 22t 4/ 34 92.9
Bruce 2 1 15 50.0 7.50 0 0.0 1 50.0 15 0/ 0 35.4
Phillips 0 0 0 --- --- 0 --- 0 --- --- 1/ 12 ---
RAMS 481 249 3144 51.8 6.54 18 3.7 23 4.8 77t 57/ 379 65.0
OPPONENTS 558 341 3856 61.1 6.91 23 4.1 26 4.7 54t 32/ 181 76.1
RUSHING No. Yds Avg Long TD
Phillips 193 632 3.3 38 4
Green 127 523 4.1 35t 4
Banks 61 212 3.5 22 0
Robinson 32 134 4.2 24 1
Lyle 3 39 13.0 20 0
Moore 11 32 2.9 14 0
Martin 7 14 2.0 11 0
Walsh 6 10 1.7 13 0
D. Harris 3 5 1.7 3 0
Bruce 1 4 4.0 4 0
Ross 1 3 3.0 3t 1
Landeta 2 0 0.0 0 0
Thomas 1 -1 -1.0 -1 0
RAMS 448 1607 3.6 38 10
OPPONENTS 478 1854 3.9 66 22
RECEIVING No. Yds Avg Long TD
Bruce 84 1338 15.9 70 7
Kennison 54 924 17.1 77t 9
Green 37 246 6.6 19 1
Conwell 15 164 10.9 26 0
Ross 15 160 10.7 28 0
Laing 13 116 8.9 22 0
Phillips 8 28 3.5 11t 1
Thomas 7 46 6.6 11 0
Clay 4 51 12.8 34 0
D. Harris 4 17 4.3 8 0
Moore 3 13 4.3 7 0
A. Wright 2 24 12.0 13 0
Drayton StL 2 11 5.5 6 0
Robinson 1 6 6.0 6 0
RAMS 249 3144 12.6 77t 18
OPPONENTS 341 3856 11.3 54t 23
INTERCEPTIONS No. Yds Avg Long TD
Lyle 9 152 16.9 68 0
Lyght 5 43 8.6 25t 1
Parker 4 128 32.0 92t 2
Dorn 1 40 40.0 40 0
T. Wright 1 19 19.0 19t 1
Farr 1 5 5.0 5 0
Lincoln 1 3 3.0 3 0
McBurrows 1 3 3.0 3 0
R. Jones 1 0 0.0 0 0
Walker NFL 1 0 0.0 0 0
Walker StL 1 0 0.0 0 0
Jenkins 1 -3 -3.0 -3 0
RAMS 26 390 15.0 92t 4
OPPONENTS 23 252 11.0 42 1
PUNTING No. Yds Avg Net TB In Lg B
Landeta 78 3491 44.8 36.1 9 23 70 0
RAMS 78 3491 44.8 36.1 9 23 70 0
OPPONENTS 69 2801 40.6 32.5 6 20 61 2
PUNT RETURNS Ret FC Yds Avg Long TD
Kennison 29 16 423 14.6 78t 2
O'Berry 5 0 16 3.2 8 0
Figaro 1 0 0 0.0 0 0
P. Davis 0 0 0 --- --- 0
RAMS 35 16 439 12.5 78t 2
OPPONENTS 41 13 495 12.1 62 0
KICKOFF RETURNS No. Yds Avg Long TD
Thomas 30 643 21.4 43 0
Kennison 23 454 19.7 44 0
Crawford 4 47 11.8 19 0
Phillips 4 74 18.5 35 0
Laing 1 15 15.0 15 0
RAMS 62 1233 19.9 44 0
OPPONENTS 58 1290 22.2 93t 2
FIELD GOALS 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+
Lohmiller 1/ 1 11/11 4/ 5 4/ 7 1/1
Huerta LG 0/ 0 0/ 0 3/ 5 1/ 2 0/0
RAMS 1/ 1 11/11 4/ 5 4/ 7 1/1
OPPONENTS 0/ 0 5/ 5 10/11 3/ 8 1/3
St.L. Opp.
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS 255 329
Rushing 93 114
Passing 141 191
Penalty 21 24
3rd Down: Made/Att 84/224 95/226
3rd Down Pct. 37.5 42.0
4th Down: Made/Att 9/19 13/21
4th Down Pct. 47.4 61.9
POSSESSION AVG. 27:58 32:02
TOTAL NET YARDS 4372 5529
Avg. Per Game 273.3 345.6
Total Plays 986 1068
Avg. Per Play 4.4 5.2
NET YARDS RUSHING 1607 1854
Avg. Per Game 100.4 115.9
Total Rushes 448 478
NET YARDS PASSING 2765 3675
Avg. Per Game 172.8 229.7
Sacked/Yards Lost 57/379 32/181
Gross Yards 3144 3856
Att./Completions 481/249 558/341
Completion Pct. 51.8 61.1
Had Intercepted 23 26
PUNTS/AVERAGE 78/44.8 69/40.6
NET PUNTING AVG. 78/36.1 69/32.5
PENALTIES/YARDS 133/1015 111/832
FUMBLES/BALL LOST 42/21 26/13
TOUCHDOWNS 34 50
Rushing 10 22
Passing 18 23
Returns 6 5
SCORE BY PERIODS Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT PTS
RAMS 55 102 60 86 0 303
OPPONENTS 68 112 120 100 9 409
SCORING TD-Ru-Pa-Rt K-PAT FG S PTS
Lohmiller 0 0 0 0 28/29 21/25 0 91
Kennison 11 0 9 2 0 66
Bruce 7 0 7 0 0 42
Green 5 4 1 0 0 32
Phillips 5 4 1 0 0 30
Huerta LG 0 0 0 0 5/ 5 4/ 7 0 17
Huerta TM 0 0 0 0 2/ 2 0/ 0 0 2
Parker 2 0 0 2 0 12
Lyght 1 0 0 1 0 6
Robinson 1 1 0 0 0 6
Ross 1 1 0 0 0 6
T. Wright 1 0 0 1 0 6
Banks 0 0 0 0 0 2
Lyle 0 0 0 0 0 0
RAMS 34 10 18 6 30/31 21/25 1 303
OPPONENTS 50 22 23 5 46/47 19/27 2 409
2-Pt. Conversions: Banks, Green, RAMS 2-3,
OPPONENTS 1-2
SACKS: Carter 9.5, O'Neal 7.0, J. Jones 5.5,
Farr 4.5, J. Harris 2.0, Phifer 1.5,
Goss 1.0, Osborne 1.0
RAMS 32.0,
OPPONENTS 57.0
6.0 StLSO Media Views
6.1 Oh Baby Part I and II by MARK BAUSCH
6.1.1 Oh Baby Part I
One of the unfortunate sidelights of Mike Keenan's dismissal as Blues C&GM has to do with the demise of the "Mike Keenan Show" that ran on KMOX prior to the broadcasts.
Hosted by Blues broadcaster Ken Wilson, the "Mike Keenan Show" generally opened with Wilson introducing Keenan in one of the following three ways:
*"...Mike Keenan, the excellent coach and general manager of the Blues"
*"...Mike Keenan, the oustanding coach and general manager of the Blues"
*"...Mike Keenan, the excellent and outstanding coach and general manager of the Blues"
Oh baby, I'm going to miss those introductions.
6.1.2 Oh Baby Part II
Blues fans with long memories recall that Colorado Avalanche TV play-by-play man John Kelly, the son of the late Dan Kelly, did not get along with current Blues broadcaster Ken Wilson when the younger Kelly was the #2 guy on the Blues broadcast team.
In fact, Wilson and Kelly had a series of well-publicized squabbles that tested the on-air professionalism of both men.
When asked to mediate, Blues president Jack Quinn sided with Wilson. Not long after, Kelly headed off to do Tampa Bay Lightning games, before moving on to Colorado.
Significantly, John Kelly has talked on more than one occasion about his poor relationship with Quinn.
But John Kelly has kept his finger in the local market...and hosts a well-received weekly hockey show on WIBV AM-1260. Indeed, Kelly interviewed new Blues president Mark Sauer on the day it was announced that Sauer was to succeed Quinn.
With a delivery as smooth as his father's, Kelly sounded like he never left St. Louis as he asked Sauer all the right questions.
As the Blues return to a more fan-friendly atmosphere (and with Jack Quinn largely out of the picture as far as major Blues decisions are concerned), it isn't hard to imagine Sauer turning the tables on John Kelly...by asking him a few questions.
"Would you like to come back to St. Louis?"...is one question that comes to mind.
6.2 The Talk Shows by MARK BAUSCH
Kinda fun to listen to the talk shows...and read the articles...when big things happen in the St. Louis sports scene. Mike Keenan's demise as the Blues C&GM is a big thing...and the media's response to Keenan's firing has led the StLSO staff to coin a new six-syllable word: jumpoffthebandwagon.
...it's also been interesting to read and listen to those in the media who actually try and claim responsibility for Keenan's ouster. Whatever happened to the notion that...
Aw forget it. If I say anything more I'll be in real trouble.
7.0 StLSO Interactivity
Dozens of StLSO readers sent e-mail inquiries about our short absence from cyberspace.
We're back. For good.
During the month of January (and perhaps February), StLSO will be published on a twice-monthly basis.
But keep your eyes (and ears)! tuned to www.StLSports.com (our new web address...which we hope to get up-and-running soon) for more details.
8.0 StLSO Editorial: Three Views of Mike Keenan
VIEW #1
Mike Keenan's war with Blues megastar Brett Hull provided direct evidence of Keenan's defective people skills...and his total lack of common sense about the way things work in St. Louis.
Let's flash back just prior to the start of the '96-'97 season. It was interesting to watch Hull grinning broadly while stating that he was certain that he would finish his career in St. Louis.
"I know one thing. I'm not going anywhere," Hull said when asked about the endless trade rumors.
The once-Golden Brett seemed quite certain of that.
In other words, a little-known part of the Blues C&GM job description is "Get Along with Brett Hull".
If you're Mike Keenan, that just doesn't seem fair.
If you're Mike Keenan..and you think like Mike Keenan, with a championship on your resume, a long-term multi-million dollar contract in your pocket, and an unbelievably huge urge to succeed...it just doesn't seem fair to be asked to even act like you're getting along with the local sports icon.
Why was it important for Mike Keenan to get along with Brett Hull? And how should Keenan have gone about making that happen?
To get a clue, the now-deposed Keenan should have taken a moment to ring up Tony La Russa.
"Say, Tony...Mike Keenan here. Tell me about that Ozzie Smith controversy..."
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VIEW #2
In yet another comparison with La Russa, Keenan comes out on the short end of the stick. Perhaps it's a small point...but the point provides additional evidence of Keenan's unbelievably poor people skills.
In Keenan's post-game press conferences...when evaluating that night's performance by his Blues team, almost without exception Keenan would refer, sometimes repeatedly, to his past coaching experiences in Philadelphia ("it was the youngest team in the history of professional sports and we went to the finals"), Chicago ("when I traded Denis Savard for Chris Chelios..."), New York ("...when I coached superstars like Mark Messier..."), and in international tournaments ("when I coached Lemieux and Gretzky...).
Jeepers, if fans and media grew tired of those comparisons (and they did), it isn't hard to imagine current Blues players growing weary of such comparisons, either. Talk about an attitude buster.
For one thing, even the most blockheaded Blues player knew that Rick Zombo was no Brian Leetch talent-wise.
Contrast Keenan's post-game behavior with that of Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.
After 1996 Redbirds games, the Cards skipper often asks/requires/demands that questions be limited to what happened IN THAT GAME.
Even in late May, when the Cards were fading fast, the fans, the players, the media...no one was subjected to fond memories of the '83 Chisox...or the late '80s-early '90s Athletics teams. The focus was always on the current team...and the current game.
Only occasionally did La Russa refer to past baseball experiences...but only when asked...and the references somehow seemed appropriate. And modulated.
Modulated is not a word often associated with Iron Mike.
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VIEW #3
If Mike Keenan had scored in a goal in the past year and a half, here's how Blues broadcaster Ken Wilson might have put it: "He shoots...he scores! Oh baby...Mike Keenan! What a pretty goal! The goal was unassisted, and came after Mike Shanahan was issued a life-time misconduct suspension."
It is important to remember that Mike Keenan was lured to St. Louis by the troika of Mike Shanahan, Jack Quinn, and Ron Caron.
Sure, Caron was heading toward retirement...but the Professor was on-board to provide cheerful assistance, the voice of GM experience, as well as a friendly demeanor to Iron Mike as he grew into the dual role of C&GM.
Quinn, of course, would serve as the suit...and Shanahan was there to be...to be...to be...Mike Shanahan.
Shanahan's role? The word "glue" comes to mind.
In other words, there was an infrastructure in place...an infrastructure that the Shanahan, Quinn, Caron, and Keenan foursome felt would provide the foundation for Keenan, a recognized genius behind the bench, to succeed in St. Louis as both C&GM.
And those gentlemen seemed to recognize that all four were necessary in what was admittedly a high-priced gamble--turning over a successful hockey team to the mercurial Mike Keenan.
For whatever reason, after Keenan Year One, Shanahan's bosses decided that his services were no longer needed.
Looking back, (Mike) Shanahan's ouster was the beginning of the end for Iron Mike in the Gateway City.
Evidence for that bit of hindsight? After Shanahan left, the Blues leadership was so weak...that Keenan was allowed to finagle another year's worth of salary and commitment from Quinn and the team's owners in exchange for staying on!
That decision alone speaks volumes about the Blues management team left behind after Shanahan was fired.
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Those three views of Mike Keenan constitute a kind of hat trick.
To Blues fans, though, it's an unnatural hat trick.