new Take Five
| St.
Louis Sports Online 99.9% Original Content--Since 1995--The Online Source for St. Louis Sports WDBX Sunday Sports Review ...listen online live as Chicago native Derrick Langston and regular guests Mike Huss, Mike Rainey & Don Ford talk sports with host Mark Bausch every Sunday ========== mp3 podcasts here ========== |
----- Thinking About Dan (Kelly) ----- The Key Man in '09 ----- If (& the Cards in '09) |
-----
| WDBX Sunday
Sports
Review hosted by Mark Bausch 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) Listen on the 'net to Mark Bausch The Sunday Sports Review Sundays at 10 am on WDBX FM 91.1 stlsports.com 2009 Rams Schedule
Troy Glaus Undergoes Shoulder Surgery posted January 14  The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that third baseman Troy Glaus underwent arthroscopic surgery yesterday (Jan. 21) for the debridement of his right shoulder. The surgery was performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles, Calif. Glaus will begin physical therapy next week and his recovery is estimated at 12 weeks. 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) |
posted July 2 The Great:
Albert. Ryan Franklin The Good: Colby Rasmus...more specifically, the potential exhibited by Colby Rasmus.. The Skip Schumaker second base experiment. Chris Carpenter. The overall performance of Brendan Ryan. The Bad: The team's May offensive output. Collectively, the outfield defense. The Ugly: The defensive skills exhibited by Chris Duncan. St. Louis Sports Billikens Update Eric Niederhoffer  posted March 8 Saint Louis
University Billikens (17-13, 8-8) let a 34-28 halftime lead
disappear as the La Salle University Explorers (18-12, 9-7)
discovered a way to beat the Billikens 68-62 on senior night at the
Chaifetz Arena (reported paid attendance = 9,746; a reported sell-out
with many empty seats) during Spring Break. It looked as if the
Billikens would maintain their home court advantage and negate the
Explorers' road success with their first-half play behind the efforts
of freshman guard Kwamain Mitchell (14 pts) and senior forward Barry
Eberhardt (9 pts). La Salle was able to remain close until the final
minutes of the game when they scored 9 straight points and took the
lead for good. Senior guards Kevin Lisch (10 pts on 4-14 FG, 2-9 3FG, 0
FT) and Tommie Liddell (4 pts on 1-8 FG, 0-1 3FG, 2-2 FT) had sub par
performances in their final regular season home game. The Billikens
were led by freshman guard Kwamain Mitchell (26 pts), freshman center
Willie Reed (13 pts, 5 rebounds), senior guard Kevin Lisch (10 pts),
and senior forward Barry Eberhardt (9 pts, 5 rebounds). The Explorers
were led by junior guard Rodney Green (24 pts), junior forward Vernon
Goodridge (13 pts, 8 rebounds), and sophomore guard Darryl Partin (13
pts). Saint Louis shot 43% from the field (33% from 3-pt range) and 59%
(10-17) from the charity line. La Salle shot 43% from the field (50%
from 3-pt range) and 74% (17-23) from the charity line. The Billikens
had 32 rebounds (10O, 22D), 13 assists, 6 steal, 1 blocked shot, and 12
turnovers as compared with 37 rebounds (11O, 26D), 8 assists, 4 steals,
2 blocked shots, and 13 turnovers by the Explorers.
 SLU freshman guard Kwamain Mitchell (3) scored a game-high 26 points to go with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, and 3 steals  Billikens senior guard Kevin Lisch (21) was kept in check most of the game but was able to score 10 pts to go with 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, and 1 steal more SLU-La Salle photos here |
Mike Huss' Take Five
posted July 2 Wanna feel old: Happy belated 70th
birthday to Cardinal Hall of Famer Lou Brock.
What a difference a year makes: A year ago, the Chicago Cubs came to town with a new player: a veteran outfielder that contributed in the Cardinals reaching two World Series. Cardinal Nation was not amused. This year the Red Birds will head to Wrigley Field next weekend with a new player: a veteran infielder/outfielder that contributed in the Cubs reaching two post-season appearances. Meanwhile baseball fans on the North Side of Chicago are not amused. To that end, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.com writes: “The idea that the Cubs need to counter the Cardinals' acquisition of Mark DeRosa is preposterous. The Cubs' $134.8 million payroll on Opening Day was the third highest in the majors. They should not need any help, other than the return of injured third baseman Aramis Ramirez. And frankly, it's pathetic that such a talented club would miss Ramirez this badly. Oh, the Cubs could use another bullpen piece, just like most contenders. But, give or take a DeRosa here, a Kerry Wood there, this group is not much different from the one that won the NL Central the past two seasons. Enough excuses already: Enough drama. Win some games. The Cubs could not have played any worse, yet they're only 3-1/2 games out of first place. They do not need to counter the Cardinals' acquisition of DeRosa. They need to get over DeRosa, get over their poor start and get over themselves.” So when will Rams’ first round draft choice Jason Smith going to sign a contract? AND FINALLY FROM THE “I’LL TAKE THE OVER” BUREAU: “ADELANTO, Calif. (AP) - The Lake Elsinore Storm and High Desert Mavericks combined for 51 runs and 57 hits in a California League game Sunday, won 33-18 by the Storm. Lake Elsinore, a Single-A affiliate of The San Diego Padres scored eight runs in the first inning, six runs in the eighth and had two five-run innings. A story on High Desert's Web site, attributed to MLB.com, said the 51 runs beat the old league record of 44. The Storm had 32 hits and five home runs, including two by Matt Clark, who went 5 for 6 with seven runs scored and five RBIs. Felix Carrasco drove in six runs for Lake Elsinore and was one of five Storm players with four hits. High Desert hit five homers, two by Kuo Hui Lo, who was one of four Mavericks players with four RBIs. James McOwen went 2 for 6 for High Desert, a Seattle Mariners affiliate, to extend his hitting streak to 36 games and break the California League record. Lake Eisinore starter Jeremy Mc Bryde allowed 13 hits and 11 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. Matt Teague got the win in relief, allowing eight hits and three runs in 3 1/3 innings. Starter Nathan Addock took the loss, allowing 7 hits and 8 runs while registering two outs.” This just offers more pore proof that even in these tough economic times, pitching remains a recession-proof industry. posted June 28 After
the United States’ 2-0 major upset win over Spain this week in soccer,
I have to think somewhere in the Gateway City local legends Frank
Borghi and Harry Keough are smiling.
It is common knowledge that Cardinal Owner Bill De Witt Jr. is a major Republican fundraiser and a huge ally and friend to former President George W Bush. So inquiring minds can’t help but wonder just who was the one that broke the news to Mr. De Witt that President Obama will be coming to town to throw out the first pitch at the All Star Game? So do you think the Chicago Cubs asked for a personality evaluation before giving a 3-year $40 million contract to outfielder Milton Bradley? So as we move into July, let’s review the performances of some of the past Cardinals. At this writing, infielder Adam Kennedy has six home runs, 24 RBIs and a .298 batting average in 44 games. Closer Jason Isringhausen has no saves, 1 blown save, and is currently on the 60-Day Disabled List Shortstop Cesar Izturis has one home run, 13 RBIs and a .260 average in 45 games. Utility player Aaron Miles has no home runs, 4 RBIs and a 2.03 average. Finally, pitcher Braden Looper is 5-4 with a 5.16 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 83.2 innings. AND FINALLY FROM THE “HERE’S TO THE WINNERS” BUREAU: And this time the winner is me. On Thursday, my wife Pam and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. I’m the lucky one: as Pam smiles as I write about the sports of the day while reporting from the ballpark or at the arena. Without a doubt, Pam is the brains and is the looker in our family. There is no question on this one, folks: I’m the winner in this one. Comments? Contact
Mike at: mike@stlsports.com |
stlsports.com Cover Story
posted July 2 Taking Stock of 50% of 2009! Happy July, Gateway City Sports Fans
Well, believe it or not, we’ve reached the midway point of 2009. All things considered, it’s been an eventful six months eh? In the Super Bowl the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Kurt Warner-led Arizona (and former St. Louis) Cardinals. In college basketball North Carolina led by Poplar Bluff’s Tyler Hansbrough made a prophet of President Obama’s bracket by winning the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament. Meanwhile the Pittsburgh Penguins outlasted defending champion Detroit in seven games to capture the Stanley Cup. While all of these national items had little to do with our town, the Gateway City’s sports front also has been quite busy over these past 180+ days. To that end, let’s review. Finishing 2-14 in 2008 and with only five wins in the past two seasons, the St. Louis Rams are in major need for a major makeover. To start the process Chairman Chip Rosenbloom pulled the trigger by putting the past regime out to pasture. Into the world of retirement go former President John Shaw and former General Manager Jay Zygmunt. Come on down, new Director of Player Personnel Billy Devaney. His first job was to identify a Head Coach to change the mindset in Earth City. For his selection, Devaney looked toward the east. “I will be committed to doing everything possible to bring success to this franchise. I’m not about predictions, I’m not about bold statements, but we hope that we’re going to be about faith, character, core values and team first those will be the four pillars that we will hang our hat on. The group here, Billy, myself and all the people who work here in the St. Louis Rams organization, we all know the overwhelming amount of work and effort it takes to build success and to sustain it, but I think with the help of the people involved and the support of an outstanding ownership group, I think we will be able to do that…“I will be committed to doing everything possible to bring success to this franchise. I’m not about predictions: I’m not about bold statements” And so with those words, one day before the United States inaugurated its new Leader, the Rams introduced Steve Spagnuolo as their new Head Coach. The former New York Giants Defensive Coordinator accepted a four-year, multi-million dollar offer to try and right the Gateway City’s rudderless and confused entry into that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League. Shortly thereafter, the new bosses began turning the page and purging the past. Goodbye to major players of those Super Bowl teams, Torry Holt and Orlando Pace. Offensive lineman Jason Smith was picked in April as the team’s #1 draft choice. Meanwhile, these changes and moves have been issued with current ownership in question and the future of the team up in the air. Rumors continue to fly over who will own what & where it will be at the end of the day: although the Rams are locked in a lease with the Gateway City until 2015. In few weeks, the Rams will open Training Camp in Earth City: a camp the new coach vows will be tough. Yep, it’s been a lively six months for our town’s Male Sheep. Meanwhile the St. Louis Blues surprised this bureau as well as others by qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in five years. The Note finished 2008-09 with 92 points and a record of 41-31-10: the team’s first winning mark since 2003-04. Andy Murray’s club wasn’t always pretty or efficient and the team had to come back strong to make the playoffs. But at the end of the day, they got the job done. How far did St. Louis have to come back? On February 18, the Blues were dead last in the Western Conference. But late in the season the Blues went 16-5-3 including an 8-1-1 stretch with most of those final ten were on the road. Somehow the Blues found a way to wiggle up the standings and finished the season with a playoff invitation. The Note met Vancouver in Round One. The Canucks promptly sent the Blues to the golf course in 4 straight games. Still enthusiasm for hockey is returning to The Lou. The Blues are a young club that fits nicely in the NHL’s tight 2009-10 salary cap. The team hopes to have Erik Johnson and Paul Kariya back with them in the fall: two players that provided little to nothing last season. For the Blues, the past six months have been eventful. Up I-70 in Columbia, it too has been a good six months. Mike Anderson’s men’s basketball team caught lightning in a bottle late in the season and advanced to the NCAA tournament. Once there, the Tigers wiggled their way to the Elite Eight: defeating #1 seed Memphis along the way. But Connecticut eliminated Mizzou in a hard-fought regional final game. Meanwhile this spring the Mizzou softball and baseball teams advanced to their respective playoffs. Plus two Tiger football players (Jeremy Maclin and Ziggy Hood) were selected in the first round of the NFL draft and one Tiger basketball player (De Marre Carroll) was picked in Round One of the NBA Draft. Yep, it’s been a good six months in Columbia. That brings us to the Red Birds. With a questionable pitching staff the team received word in mid-January that third baseman Troy Glaus suddenly needed surgery. His anticipated return was announced to be in May. That didn’t happen and it still hasn’t happened. The Cardinal brass is tight-lipped about Glaus’ status. Hence the season opened amid question marks and ifs. Tony La Russa’s squad started strong: posting an April record of 16-7. But the team fell back to earth. In May the Red Birds were 13-14 and were 12-17 in June. Still, on the morning of July 1, La Russa’s squad was in second place in the National League Central Division with a record of 41-38 only two games behind leader Milwaukee. Said another way, despite all the warts, injuries, misplays issues, and thanks to the mediocrity of the NLCD, at this writing the Cardinals are very much in contention for the division crown. St. Louis’s fortunes have been carried on the shoulders of their cornerstone: Albert Pujols. #5 has been nothing short of spectacular these three months: despite more and more teams avoiding the issue by intentionally walking him. After 79 games, the Great Pujols has hit 30 home runs and 77 runs batted in with a batting average of 332. #5 has carried the team. Hopefully the suits in the Front Office have their eyes wide open. You see, the Great Pujols put them on notice in Spring Training. In Joe Strauss’ St. Louis Post Dispatch column of February 16, 2009, Pujols said that if his current employer doesn’t offer any indication that winning is Priority #1 he’d take his highly-rated talents out of town to a team that wants to win. "I'm not going to lie to you: It's not about the money all the time. It's about being in a place to win and being in a position to win,” #5 said. "If the Cardinals are willing to do that and put a team together every year like they have, I'm going to try to work everything out to stay in this town. But if they're not on the same page of bringing championship caliber (players) to play every year, then it's time to go somewhere else where I can win. It's about accomplishing my goal, and my goal is to try to win," Pujols continued in his conversation with Strauss. "If this organization goes the other way, then I have to go the other way." So far, #5 is living up to his end of the deal. To that end and after coming to the epiphany that this team has a legitimate chance for post-season play in 2009 (and the anticipated additional revenues that accompany those playoff games) the team broke from its stubbornness and traded for veteran Mark De Rosa in an effort to bolster an anemic offense. After sitting on their hands for over 18 months, it seems the Front Office sent a signal to the clubhouse, media and fans. We’ll see if it works or if more changes will be approved or if this was a mere token gesture. The Cardinals limp into July losers of three straight and losers of seven of their last nine games. However the short term could spell it all for La Russa’s 2009 squad. On Friday, the Red Birds will open a ten-game road trip: three each in Cincinnati and Milwaukee and four games in Chicago. Said another way these are ten games against their immediate divisional foes: all in enemy territory. At the All Star Break, we will have a clearer picture of these Red Birds: but it’s safe to say these past six months have been a roller-coaster ride for the members of Cardinal Nation. And it doesn’t seem to slow down. Believe it or not, we’ve reached the midway part of 2009. It’s been an eventful six months eh? From the looks of things, there will be much on the plate until New Year’s Day. Happy July, Gateway City Sports Fans posted June 14 Calling Bill DeWitt...Calling Bill DeWitt Major League Baseball has reached the
period of its schedule that makes the game’s purists still cringe. It’s
mid-June so it must be time for Inter-League Play.
I remember being present at the Busch Stadium II was the concept debuted in St. Louis. The date was June 13 1997. Ironically it was also a Friday the 13th. The Red Birds hosted the Cleveland Indians that night in the first of a three-game weekend series. That game never started. Early in the evening the heavens opened up and a mammoth rainstorm followed. The Cardinals first ever inter-league game was rained out. Baseball Purists immediately noted that the baseball gods from above were sending a message. But let’s put history to the side and deal with the present. 2009 so far has been a roller-coaster ride for Cardinal Nation. There have been times this season when Tony La Russa’s troops looked very good: as in winning a sweep against the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets. Then there have been other times the team has looked very bad: as in losing a sweep to the Milwaukee Brewers and the lowly Colorado Rockies. Plus there have been injuries: including the current patient list. Starter Kyle Lohse (strained right forearm) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 4. He is likely to miss at least a month. Shortstop Khalil Greene (social anxiety disorder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 28. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Memphis on June 8.Third Baseman 3B Troy Glaus (right shoulder surgery in January 2009) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He hopes to return by late July: with the key word “hopes”. But the saving grace we have seen after ten weeks of this baseball season is that no one seems to want to win the National League Central Division. At this writing, the Division is tight. The Red Birds, with all their warts, injuries and issues are only one-half game out behind first place Milwaukee in the NLCD: one game back on the loss side. Meanwhile surprising Cincinnati is 1½-games back with the talented, but highly underachieving Cubs at 29-20, 3 ½=games behind the Brewers. The good news is the Red Birds are still in contention. The real question is, have they used up their lifelines and what (if anything) will they do to improve the club the rest of the way? The Cardinals’ margin for error is not very great. They simply cannot afford to miss opportunities. Since opposing pitchers have allowed Albert Pujols has been allowed to see strikes again by opposing pitchers, the St. Louis Offense has bounced back somewhat. Still, in the long run, someone in the Cardinal Lineup needs to come forward and make opposing teams pay for walking and/or pitching around Pujols. Frankly, that is still the best strategy. Until that occurs on a regular basis, Pujols will continue to lead the universe in intentional walks. But as we enter the middle of June, St. Louis is in playoff contention. Shortly we are going to see other teams tweak their rosters and deal to improve their arsenal. History tells us that both the Cubs & Brewers are not bashful to expand their roster/payroll if it helps the cause. Will the Cardinals Front Office continue their “safety-first” policy by simply choosing not to do anything aside from a Triple-A call-up or two? Will General Manager John Mozeliak continue to tap dance around this team’s commitment with silly clichés? I hope his act improves. While the GM might think he sounds like Theo Epstein, his remarks are more in line with Theo Huxtable or Theo Kojak. Meanwhile the Nation is starting to get what we have been pointing out in this space for almost two years. You can’t just sit on your hands, hoard your money and hope La Russa & Dave Duncan has one more miracle in their bag of tricks. To that end, team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. addressed the issue and said that the Cardinals would not shy away from taking on a large contract if they had to in order to make a deal. "We're always open," said DeWitt to the St. Louis Post Dispatch earlier this week. “We're always looking. But I'm not certain a market's developed for any of the players who would help us. We'd be reluctant to do something on a marginal basis, just to make a change." But DeWitt left himself some wiggle room. "It's too early for clubs to start moving players that could have an impact. There's a lot of parity now and there's not too many clubs who are ready to say, 'We're out of it.'" Memo to the Front Office: since you are headquartered in Missouri, just Show Me. Said another way bragging about being “creative and aggressive” or low-hanging fruit will fall upon deaf ears. We don’t believe your words: only your action/incaction. During his tenure as General Manager, Walt Jocketty found a way during the season to bring Will Clark, Mark Mc Gwire, Woody Williams, Chuck Finley, Larry Walker and Ronnie Belliard. Each of these moves resulted in the Red Birds advancing to post-season play. Jocketty was fired in October 2007 and St. Louis not returned to the post-season since, Mozeliak has done little to dispel the image that he is nothing more than the return of Dal Maxvill: a company man that follows orders. . Just Show-Me: And while you’re at it you might want to show your first baseman with the #5 on his back and the gentleman with the #10 in the dugout. La Russa is in the final year of his current contract. If the Front Office again chooses to sit on their hands while the team is within striking distance to reached the post-season, you can’t fault #10 for wanting to bolt. Support goes both ways. To that end, Scott Miller of Fox Sports.com writes: “At 64, La Russa always seems year-to-year with the Cardinals, by his own choosing. Lots of people thought he would leave after Walt Jocketty was fired as general manager following the 2007 season, but two years later, La Russa is still here and the Cardinals are still in contention. He was frustrated last season when the front office didn't make any significant acquisitions to help down the stretch, and that same scenario -- how much help he gets for his roster this summer -- probably will play into his thinking about whether to return in 2010. If Bruce Bochy is out in (SF), a return to the Bay Area, where he & managed Oakland from 1986-1995, could be intriguing for La Russa” Inter-League Play has arrived and the 2009 Cardinals are again well in contention. OK, Now What? Just Show Me. posted June 7 Take a Breath, Rams Fans Since the death of long-time owner Georgia
Frontierre last year, it’s been obvious that the ownership status of
the St. Louis Rams would be influx. The two Rosenbloom kids, Chip
and Lucia, are running the franchise and trying to steady the ship
after two dreadful seasons that produced five wins in that rich &
arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League.
While they enjoy their status, both Chip & Lucia realize that the Rams likely need to be sold. In our land there is this nasty thing called Estate Tax: a somewhat unfair practice that will likely be encouraged: knowing the mindset of our current President and his colleagues that are in control of Congress. The Estate Tax is a requirement that before ownership transfer of a sizeable asset is finalized from a deceased party to his or her heirs, a portion must be paid to Uncle Sam. So it is with the Rams. Published reports value the franchise at approximately $925 million with the Rosenbloom kids holding 60%. Just do the math. The Estate Tax on this would be taxing. As such, the only reasonable method to acquire this load of cash to pay the taxes is to sell the team. We all knew this would happen: especially in today’s economy. Such a major transaction is slow to develop. The pool of potential buyers is not that big. They are likely thinking long & hard for such a major cash outlay. Plus, there is a distinct possibility that a players’ NFL work stoppage could occur in 2011. Why get involved until this is resolved? Bottom line, it’s a seller’s market for anyone wishing to purchase the Rams. Meanwhile Chip and Lucia are facing an iron clad deadline to give the IRS a big check. Suddenly their timetable has been moved up considerably. While their intentions have been noble by insisting that keeping the Rams in the Gateway City be a prerequisite before any sale, the clock is now ticking. The Rosenbloom kids can no longer be choosy. Making sure that big check clears, has become now priority one. Behind this backdrop, St. Louis Post Dispatch Lead Columnist Bernie Miklasz broke the news last weekend of the status and suggested timetable. The reaction of our town, our town’s media and our town’s movers and shakers was predictable: everyone overreacted. Internet Bulletin Boards posted misspellings how the Rams are headed out of town: likely back to Los Angeles. The desperate voices from squawk radio callers sounded like they are on top of bridges ready to jump wearing their Kyle Turley jerseys. The reaction from our media talking-heads ranged from concern to holding a telethon to build that new stadium while begging the team to stay. STOP THE MADNESS—Take a Breath—Please settle down and come down off the bridge. First of all, repeat after me: the Rams are not leaving town. To that end I offer two reasons. First, the team cannot find a better situation than The Lou right now. Name me another city/region that would be willing to provide the Rams more money right now than St. Louis is. Remember: in that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League, money trumps everything. It’s no longer 1994. Secondly, the current lease at the facility formerly known as the Trans World Dome locks the team to St. Louis until 2015 at the earliest. The Rams couldn’t leave even if they wanted to. Plus, glance at this website & note the NFL franchises that could cleanly relocate before the Rams. I suggest the LA situation will be well decided before 2015. But regarding that perceived pot of gold in L A, I wonder if it’s just Hollywood: just make-believe. I question if there is a true passion to bring back the NFL. It’s not going to happen without a new stadium. By virtue of California’s recent “Hell No” vote on new state taxes, the chances of a publicly-funded football playpen in LA is not likely. To that end, Dan Pompei of NBC Sports.com writes: “If a team were to move to the city of Angels, what better team than the Rams: who played there for 48 years? The Rams don’t have particularly deep roots in St. Louis, which has been their home only since 1995. But the NFL would much rather have a team in Los Angeles without losing one in St. Louis. The league tried for many years to get a team in St. Louis after the Cardinals headed west. St. Louis is a big enough city with enough passion in the stands to justify having an NFL team of its own. The NFL would rather see an expansion team in L.A., or a team move there from a market that has proven incapable of necessary support. It would make more sense, for instance, for the Jaguars to be uprooted than the Rams. But really, this is more about stadiums than about market size or passion levels. And until Los Angeles is able to come up with a feasible plan that would entice a team to call it home, there will be no NFL in the nation’s second largest city. The Coliseum won't cut it. It is inconceivable that a potential owner would foot the bill for a new stadium in L.A., which probably would run upwards of $1 billion, and then also buy the Rams. Forbes recently valued the St. Louis franchise at $929 million. Sixty percent of the team is for sale, so the new owner would have to spend roughly $557 million to purchase the team. How many people would be capable of financing a $1.5 billion deal in this economic climate? And who would be crazy enough to try? Meanwhile, a cry has been made to find a local buyer or local buyers for the Rams. That pool is even smaller. You would need to identify someone with very deep pockets and the willingness to go into them. Money is everything in this transaction. As much as Jerry Clinton lobbied and worked, his NFL expansion franchise application would never advance without the checkbook of James Busch Orthwein. Back in the day, Fran Murray talked a good game but didn’t have the cash. Mike Shanahan did not have the deep pockets needed to purchase the St. Louis Blues from the evil empire known as Civic Progress. Bill Laurie wouldn’t be considered without his wife’s portfolio to back up. In this rich man’s game, you have to be able to run with the big dogs. So enter Dave Checketts, current owner of the Blues. Reportedly he has been expressed interest this week in buying the Rams. We are told he has also discussed his interest with Chip Rosenbloom. Checketts said all the right things this week to get the media fired up. Heck, listening to some of the media react to Checketts, you would think some talking-head, scribe and/or gab-master would drive the bulldozers themselves to break ground for the new stadium. But, can Checketts compile a group that has the big, big money? That’s the major question. Fifteen years ago, Clinton had good intentions but did not have the deep cash. Again, money trumps everything in that rich & arrogant cartel better known as the National Football League. Back in early 2003, Checketts put together a group to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers from News Corp. Christopher Tritto of the St. Louis Business Journal wrote on March 31, 2006: “Checketts acknowledged that he made a serious run, with Soros Private Equity's backing, at the Los Angeles Dodgers in early 2003. Checketts and his investors made a bid of more than $600 million for the baseball team, their stadium and the TV channel that carries their games. TowerBrook committed $100 million in equity toward the purchase from News Corp., according to the Los Angeles Times. But the deal fell through after News Corp., parent company of Fox Sports, refused to sell the regional sports network that carries the Dodgers games on television.” Soros means George Soros: the radically left-leaning billionaire with incredibly deep pockets. Can Checketts find such a partner in his quest for the Rams? He better—Stay Tuned. So here is the bottom line: the Rosenbloom kids would like to get this sale resolved: from their standpoint, the sooner the better. Meanwhile, any potential buyer is really in no hurry. All sides are correct. Hence the issue: This may or may not be resolved in 2009. We’ll see. But in the meantime, repeat after me: the Rams are not leaving town: at least until 2015. And please relax: There will be plenty of time to overreact. posted April 25 Albert Pujol$ IJust call it the latest chapter in the
legend of Albert Pujols.
At this writing, the Cardinals are surprisingly in first place in the National League Central Division with a record of 11-5. The team has been offensively strong in those sixteen games: scoring 104 runs to date. In the matinee finale against the New York Mets, Pujols blasted two home runs: leading St. Louis to a three-game series sweep. One night later before a packed house at Busch Stadium in a showdown series with the Chicago Cubs Pujols stole second base in the eighth inning of a tied game. He would eventually score what would be the winning run of a St. Louis victory: keeping the Red Birds in first place in the NLCD. Once again it is Pujols leading the charge. To date, his early 2009 numbers are staggering and inspiring. Going into the final Saturday of April, #5 is hitting .355 with six home runs, 21 runs batted in, an on-base percentage of .454 and a slugging percentage of .724. So far in 2009, Pujols has scored 19 runs with 22 hits and three stolen bases. #4 is hitting .500 with runners in scoring position, .368 with runners on, while being walked 13 teams and struck out only four times. At this writing, Pujols leads the Senior Circuits in home runs and RBIs. After the recent Mets’ series, Red Bird Manager Tony La Russa referred to Pujols as the “perfect player”. “Just look at what he did”, La Russa said after the finale against New York. ”He’s got great instincts, just wants to win. Every 10 times he does something, eight times it works. He’s playing to help you win. The other day he was upset because he didn’t move the runner across.” In addition, Pujols’ shadow as an ambassador of the Gateway City continues to grow. This past week our town held a press conference to promote July’s All Star Game: inviting everyone to come to St. Louis and Missouri. With city and state politicians as well as high level Major League Baseball Executives given their chance to pontificate, it was Pujols that grew the attention. He is now the Poster Boy for the 2009 Midsummer Classic. #5 is not only the face of the Red Birds but is also the face of St. Louis. Pujols standing in a red & white shirt with the birds on the bat on a summer afternoon is now a live size, walking, talking and breathing billboard to come to visit the Gateway City. Pujols is like the Gateway Arch. Pujols is like the St. Louis Zoo. Pujols is like toasted ravioli. Pujols is like the Clydesdale. Pujols is like hot & humid July and August days. Yes, Albert Pujols is a symbol of St. Louis. And his legend continues to grow. Meanwhile, you have to wonder if the suits counting all that revenue Pujols is bringing in are watching. The 29-year old Pujols is signed until the end of the 2010 season. When that day of reckoning comes, #5 will be looking for & will be entitled to a huge payday. But Pujols said in the Spring that it’s not all about the money. In Joe Strauss’ St. Louis Post Dispatch column of February 16, 2009, Red Bird First Baseman and defending National League Most Valuable Player said that if his current employer doesn’t offer any indication that winning is Priority #1, he’d take his highly-rated talents out of town to a team that wants to win. "I'm not going to lie to you: It's not about the money all the time. It's about being in a place to win and being in a position to win,” #5 said. "If the Cardinals are willing to do that and put a team together every year like they have, I'm going to try to work everything out to stay in this town. But if they're not on the same page of bringing championship caliber (players) to play every year, then it's time to go somewhere else where I can win." "It's about accomplishing my goal, and my goal is to try to win," Pujols continued in his conversation with Strauss. "If this organization goes the other way, then I have to go the other way." This week veteran New York baseball writer George Vescey quizzed Cardinal Owner Bill De Witt Jr. about the future of his biggest star in 2011 and beyond. “I do know we have him guaranteed for three years,” William O. DeWitt Jr., the chairman and chief executive of the Cardinals, snapped back on Wednesday after the All-Star Game news conference. “I’m not thinking beyond that. Three years is three years.” Memo to Mr. De Witt, Jr.: With all due respect, you better start. Pujols is your meal ticket. People hand over their discretionary income into your account, even in this economy, to see this man play baseball. Pujols is from Missouri and wants the Front Office to Show Him that they want to win and do everything reasonably possible to achieve that objective. Yet, despite promises from being “creative & aggressive” to something called “low hanging fruit”, the St. Louis Front Office has chosen to sit on their hands. Recently the organization has been crying poor mouth in response to requests of adding payroll to compliment La Russa’s roster. Yet, some recent published third-party numbers questions the sincerity and arguably the validity of that position. In its annual listing of Major League Baseball Franchise worth, the St. Louis Cardinals are ranked 8th in the game at a franchise value of $486 million. The current ownership group purchased the ballclub and adjacent stadium parking garages in late 1995 from Anheuser-Busch for $150 million. Twelve months later, the new owners peddled the parking garages for $90 million. Forbes projects 2009 revenues at $195 million. In their analysis, Forbes wrote this about the Home Team: “The Cardinals are feeling the effects of the economy in 2009 like the rest of baseball when it comes to attendance & sponsorship sales. For the first time since the new Busch Stadium opened in 2006 the team did not sell 3-million tickets before opening day. One thing that has helped ticket sales is St. Louis' role as host of the 2009 All-Star Game. This carrot for season ticket holders has kept season ticket renewals at over 90%, one of the highest rates in baseball. The Cards need to keep people coming through the turnstiles as the team has a heavy debt load from building Busch that costs $17 million in annual debt service.” Meanwhile back on the diamond, La Russa has again defied the odds by inducing an overachieving mindset into his ballclub. How long that will continue remains to be seen. Many things have to fall perfectly in place for the Red Birds and their margin for error is razor thin. Still, in the marathon of a Major League Baseball season, reinforcements will be needed. Cardinal Nation remembers when Will Clark, Woody Williams, Chuck Finley, Larry Walker and Ronnie Belliard all came to town late in the season to help out the club. In each case, the Red Birds advanced to Post Season Play. Over the past two seasons, Red Bird management chose to sit on their hands regarding late-season acquisitions or adding salaries. Over the past two seasons, the Cardinals did not make post-season play. Meanwhile Pujols and the entire Cardinal Nation continue to watch. The suits at 700 Clark Street have to know of this. Suddenly, the suits’ motives are being questioned. A very prominent voice is calling them out: and they can’t very well ignore their meal ticket. This will be an interesting showdown to watch unfold. Tune in at a later date and we will see if #5 will stare down the suits in the front office much like he does against National League pitchers. In the next edition of the legend that is Albert Pujols. posted April 20 ...an Idea Whose Time Has Come: Stan Musial Field at Busch Stadium It’s funny when sometimes a great idea
presents itself when you least expect it.
For my wife Pam and I, such was the case. Last Saturday night we assisted in a major fundraiser for one of St. Louis’ best-known youth service agencies. It was a successful night where the agency made a fine profit and all attending had a good time. During the event I had an opportunity to chat a length with a good friend & one of the organization’s longtime employees: a very modest and dedicated man who loves sports. Our conversation eventually turned to the Cardinals, their recent losses at Wrigley Field, concerns over the pitching staff and questioning why Ryan Ludwick doesn’t start in the outfield every game. Then the talk moved to the 2009 Opening Day at Busch and all of the hoopla. Eventually, the topic shifted to the Greatest Cardinal of them all: Stan Musial. For my friend, The Man remains his ultimate hero. We spoke of the good old days of Musial smacking doubles off the Sportsman’s Park right field screen. Then we spoke with concern how Mother Nature seemed to do what opposing National League pitchers could not: wear down the Man Though greeted like royalty by the Opening Day faithful, my friend and I knew that that time was starting to catch up with Musial. It was then when my friend offered this great idea: “Why don’t the Cardinals dedicate the playing field at Busch Stadium to Stan Musial?” I couldn’t respond: expect by simply saying, “Yeah, why don’t they?” In today’s era of professional sports where games are played in venues from Citi Field, to Lincoln Financial Field, to PNC Park to U S Cellular Field to Ford Field, to Minute Maid Park, to American Airlines Arena to the Peps Center to Safeco Field to the Staples Center, naming rites of these facilities have become the revenue stream of the 21st century. There are big bucks here. Still some franchises have avoided the lure of big money. The new Bronx baseball palace will be called Yankee Stadium, for example. Still, some of the venues, mostly on college campuses take naming-rights a step further. For example in Columbia, Missouri the Tigers play basketball on the Norm Stewart Court at the Mizzou Arena. Should you travel to Durham, North Carolina, the Duke Blue Devils play in Cameron Arena on the Coach K court. Memo to 700 Clark Street: you see what I’m talking about? This one is a no-brainer. Said another way, in the legendary words of Larry the Cable Guy Git Er Done”. There would be no more fitting tribute to the Greatest Player in St. Louis baseball history but to dedicate the field in his name: where present and future Red Birds hone their crafts. It would reinforce what we all already know: that Musial is the benchmark. He is the level that baseball players strive to achieve. The Man was the ultimate model of consistency. Local baseball fans can utter the numbers with pride. A career Cardinal and lifetime .331 hitter: (with a .331 batting average at night game and a .331 average in day games.) 3,630 career hits (that includes 1,815 hits in games played on the road and 1,815 hits in games played at the old facility at Grand & Dodier.) Musial was the Natural before Roy Hobbs hit the Silver Screen. Most licensed merchandise bearing the Man’s signature actually is not worth much on the open market. Why? Because he is so accommodating with autograph requests, there are loads of items circulating with his signature. Plus, this summer would be the perfect opportunity for the Red Birds to make this gesture. With the national pundits come to town for this summer All Star Game, what better way to give one more rousing cheer to the Man? Ten years ago, we watched with tears in our eyes when Ted Williams was driven to the Fenway Park pitchers mound prior to the 1989 All Star Game: and how he was received by the All Stars of the day. It would only be right if we see the same scene this July 14: this time at Busch Stadium when the Man is welcomed by the All Stars at the pitcher’s mound with Albert Pujols leading the charge. It would be the photo-op of all times. And wouldn’t it only be right for the diamond and grass to remained “Stan Musial Field at Busch Stadium” prior to the festivities of All Star Week? Then followed by the game’s greatest stars competing in a home run competition and playing the first nine-inning game under the new moniker. There wouldn’t be a dry eye found in the Lou, It’s funny when sometimes a great idea presents itself when you least expect it. I hope this idea takes off like the recent Tea Parties we witnessed this week across the fruited plain: that is an idea conceived by a baseball fan that came to life by a grass roots effort, This time, instead of Democrats or Republicans or Independents, it will be local baseball fans driving the effort. “Stan Musial Field at Busch Stadium”—yeah, it just sounds right. Memo to 700 Clark Street: Git Er Done. It is not only the perfect tribute at the perfect time, But it is the right thing to do. posted March 8 This One Is Not So Difficult: SLU Should Be In The Valley... This
weekend the Gateway City welcomes the annual invasion of
basketball-crazed fans from the Missouri Valley Conference. This is the
nineteenth straight year our town has rolled out the welcome mat for a
local dose of March Madness. Meanwhile, travelers from the likes of
Springfield, Missouri, Normal Illinois, Wichita, Kansas, Peoria and
Carbondale, Illinois will grace our town: visiting our restaurants and
staying in our hotels.
The Tournament started at the original Kiel Auditorium, traveled west to the Arena before returning back downtown in 1995.Every March since the first year of the first Bush Administration, the Valley Tournament has been a staple in the Gateway City: setting and breaking attendance records while recently having its championship game aired nationally on CBS: versus the World Wide Leader in Cable Sports Programming. Meanwhile while all this hoopla is generating at the facility formerly known as the Savvis Center, about three miles/two Metrolink stops west, St. Louis University is preparing for its final regular season game against La Salle. Once that final buzzer sounds at the Chaifetz Arena Saturday night, the Billikens will pack their bags, hop on a plane and head out of town: east to Atlantic City to participate in the annual Atlantic Ten Tournament. So let’s review: The fraternity of the Missouri Valley Conference schools comes to St. Louis to play basketball. Meanwhile St. Louis University heads out of St. Louis to play basketball. Sorry, folks: I still don’t get it. SLU to the A-10 was a mistake then and it is still a mistake now. From late 2003 to the summer of 2004, there was a major reorganization throughout all of collegiate sports. Teams were shifting conferences for dreams greater exposure and the lure of greater revenues. Back in those days, SLU was a member of Conference USA: an attractive group of schools that included De Paul, Cincinnati, Marquette, Louisville and Memphis. But during the time of change, C-USA decided they only wanted member schools that fielded a football program. The League salivated over the thoughts of big crowds in big stadiums and big checks from ESPN. Then the Big East raided C-USA: but SLU wasn’t asked to be part of the deal. Since SLU doesn’t have or doesn’t want to have a football program and not receiving an invitation from the Big East, they needed to find a new group of playmates. After much review and research, the school decided to align with the Atlantic Ten Conference. SLU with a few others would bring the A-10 roster to fourteen teams. The reasoning at the time was that SLU had more in common with those private institutes of higher learning on the East Coast then the primarily state schools of the Missouri Valley. Also, soon-to-be A-10 colleagues Xavier and Saint Joseph's each advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. When SLU joined the A-10 in 2005, it looked as if they had found the perfect match with what looked to be a very up-and-coming conference with mass-potential to be very solid. School decision-makers thoughts the Billikens were entering the conference when both were peaking. But those philosphocial & cultrual reasons were quickly evaporated by a strong dose of reality and practicality. SLU is the westernmost Atlantic Ten School and is the only conference school that is in the Central Time zone. As such, traveling A-10 campuses has been challenging and expensive. Opponents such as Duquesne, Fordham, Rhode Island, Richmond and St. Bonaventure haven’t spurned the interest for Gateway City fans to purchase basketball tickets. Plus the Atlantic Ten officials are terrible. The Conference’s television package is worse. Now five years later, let’s review the findings. The verdict is in. The wrong decision was made. A St Louis University return to the Valley would be a bit of a homecoming. The Billikens played in four decades as a MVC fraternity member. But after a thirty-seven year association with the MVC, SLU departed in 1974. Since that date, Saint Louis has been a part of seven different conferences including: Metro, Midwestern Cities, Midwestern Collegiate, Horizon, Great Midwest, C-USA, and the Atlantic-10. Saint Louis joined and later left most of those conferences with the intent of being part of perceived more highly-profiled cluster. The City of St Louis is in the middle of the location hub of all Missouri Valley Schools. Saint Louis University is in the middle of the City of Saint Louis. It only makes sense. Plus with the new on-campus arena, it is more likely that fans from Bradley, Creighton, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois-Carbondale and Wichita State. These visitors would be spending money here. . Now, I’m not a travel expert nor play one on TV, but I would wager a cup of coffee that more Illinois Red Bird fans would make the trek from Normal and more Missouri State Bear fans would make the trip from Springfield to St. Louis than those one or two that currently come to town from the Bronx to cheer for Fordham or those four or five Richmond Spider or Temple Owl supporters who traveled over 1,000 miles to St. Louis. Said another way: more fans translates to more ticket review for SLU and more visitor revenue for the area. Again, the verict is in. It only makes sense. It’s time to correct the mistake. When Rick Majerus was hired as the Billikens Men’s Basketball Coach in 2007, it was reported locally and nationally that one of his demands was to return St. Louis University as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference. Majerus is the highest paid and most prominent member of the school’s Athletic Staff. One would think he would not have signed without these assurances. Since he arrival on the SLU campus, the Majerus Men’s basketball program has been incredibly secretive. So if there are on-going talks, we likely will not know. Meanwhile the Valley has never totally closed the door on the return of the Billikens. Commisioner Doug Elgin said of SLU in 2007: "I can't imagine there is an institution that is a more perfect fit for our schools." Elgin told CBS Sportsline.com in 2007 "It's not an issue right now, but if it ever came up we'd have to look at it. We've always had an interest in looking at institutions that could have a positive impact on our conference." Memo to Reverend Lawrence Biondi: Under your watch, the physical appearance, safety, ambiance and overall climate of student life at St Louis University has vastly improved. You have successfully overseen continuous campus improvements including the recent opening of the Chaifetz Arena. SLU is financially strong, highly respected and on the upswing. Now, please make the right decision to continue the trend. Head for the Valley. This weekend the fraternity of the Missouri Valley Conference schools comes to St. Louis to play basketball. Meanwhile St. Louis University heads out of St. Louis to play basketball. Sorry, folks: I still don’t get it. SLU to the A-10 was a mistake then and it is still a mistake now. Now it’s (past) time to correct those errors. But first, you have to admit you were wrong. posted February 8 Thinking About Dan... Has it really been twenty years?
Next week will mark the twentieth anniversary of the death of long-time St. Louis Blues broadcaster Dan Kelly. A legendary broadcaster, he once was called the "purest, most knowledgeable, most accurate" in hockey The 52 year-old Kelly died at his home in Chesterfield after a five-month struggle with cancer. Patrick Daniel Kelly was simply the best play-by-play announcer ever to broadcast a hockey game. He was an announcer, a salesman, a preacher and a teacher. Born on St. Patrick’s Day 1936, no one has ever come close to his talents. To this day he remains the gold standard: the benchmark those in the industry aspired to achieve. When Dan Kelly’s voice boomed behind a nationally televised hockey game, you knew it had to be important. There will always be a debate on who is/was the best baseball announcer, mostly depending where you live. While Cardinal fans lobby with good reason for the talents of the legendary Jack Buck, one can understand why those on the West Coast provide equal testimony for the great Vin Scully. Yankee fans speak with pride about the calls of Mel Allen. Yet those in Michigan fondly will counter about the homespun style of Ernie Harwell. You will never get consensus on the best baseball announcer. But there is no debate on hockey’s best announcer. As NBC’s Bob Costas once said: “hockey is a sport that should never be broadcasted on radio. Yet in hockey, Kelly is like Secretariat in the Belmont: whoever is second is really closer to third or fourth”. The Canadian-born, portly Irishman cut his broadcasting teeth on his native land’s best-known hockey vehicle: Hockey Night in Canada. It was THE event on TV in Canada. Back in the day when only the original six teams skated in the National Hockey League, a young Kelly would assist legendary broadcaster Danny Gallivan in calling the Saturday night Game of Week as it aired throughout all the provinces and in the northern U S. Then in 1966, the NHL decided to expand: doubling its roster from six to a dozen franchises. The new markets would be Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Insurance Executive Sidney Solomon Jr. and his son Sidney III owned the St. Louis franchise, and nicknamed them the Blues. The Solomons purchased the deteriorating haunted house/fire trap at 5700 Oakland Avenue and transformed it into a hockey arena. During that first year, the Blues games were aired over the 50,000 red-hot watts of KMOX Radio. Buck was named as the team’s first radio play-by-play man with former NHL defenseman and Coach Gus Kyle providing the analysis. Jay Randolph would replace Buck on the radio once spring training arrived. The Blues finished third that first season, but behind the goaltending work of veteran Glenn Hall in the playoffs, the team advanced to the NHL Finals: only to lose to the mighty Montreal Canadiens in four straight games. The following year, the Blues searched for a new play-by-play man to take over for Buck: who resigned after year #1. A young St. Louis hockey executive named Scotty Bowman recommended Kelly to the Solomons. They’d pay Kelly a king’s ransom to move his family from Ottawa to St. Louis. It would be money well spent. In a 2005 interview, Bowman described his relationship with the Great Kelly: “His personality was such that all hockey people felt very comfortable with him. They knew that if he got some information from the coach or the manager he wasn't going to bring it back to the other side. He was very private; when he talked to people from other teams he kept that to himself. That was his way, so he could do his job professionally. I used to kid him a lot. He would always come to see me for the lines and everything when I was coaching, and when you're a coach you try everybody on for information. I remember one game in St. Louis I gave him something and I said, "I'd like you to go over to the other team." I think it was Boston; they had a very strong club in the late Sixties. And he got pretty upset when I asked him to get the Boston lineup. He said, "I'm not a scout for any team. I'm a broadcaster, and if it takes that to get information from you then I don't want it." He let me know early. He wasn't afraid to let anybody know what was on his mind.” It took the 35-year-old Kelly and his partner Kyle only a short period of time to earn the respect and admiration of the St. Louis listening audience. Kelly would educate his mid-America radio audience about the rules, traditions, beauty and skills of hockey. With the help of the KMOX signal, Kelly and Kyle would spread the word into over 44 states and throughout Canada. Kelly’s familiar “He Shoots, He Scores” call quickly became and still remains a St. Louis hockey staple. Kyle would be the loveable sidekick: referring to close games as “barn burners” and occasionally butchering the English language. A classic “Kyleism” occurred after a jolting Bob Plager hip check. Old Gus said: “Plager hit him so hard, his socks changed feet”. It was just great stuff. Back in those days, the Blues were the hottest ticket in town. There was actually a season-ticket waiting list for Blues games. 1968-1969 was a year to remember for the franchise and Kelly would serve as the narrator. He painted the pictures over the KMOX airways as Hall of Fame goaltenders Hall and Jacques Plante would capture the Vezina Trophy. Kelly’s description of all six goals scored by Red Berenson on a November 7, 1968 night in Philadelphia remains legendary. Kelly and Kyle would describe with fervor frequently-occurring on-ice fisticuffs: when the Plager Brothers and Noel Picard would not back down from the tough guys of the National Hockey League. The Blues would win the Conference title and would again advance to the NHL Finals: only to again be swept by Montreal. Kelly would narrate KMOX-produced album with all those 1968-69 highlights. It took less than one season, but Canadian born Dan Kelly became a St. Louis original. He would serve as the Gateway City’s hockey evangelist. For the next nineteen seasons, it would be Kelly’s voice describing Blues action on those cold winter nights. He was behind the microphone in January 1972, when some Blues players went into the stands in Philadelphia to confront the Flyer fans: eventually sending Head Coach Al Arbour and those players to jail. He calmly explained to fans why the Berenson trade to Detroit was a good thing: as a young star named Garry Unger was coming to town. Kelly helped hockey fans grieve over the sudden death of young defenseman Bob Gassoff. He told fans to keep the faith as the Solomons were contemplating bankruptcy due to rising team debts. He introduced Ralston Purina as new Blues owner and Emile Francis as the team’s new President. A few years later, he watched helplessly as Ralston left the Blues for dead: with the distinct possibility they would be relocated to Saskatoon. He introduced and interviewed Harry Ornest: a Beverly Hills businessman who bought the team off the scrap heap while bringing hockey executives Ronald Caron and Jacques Demers to town with him. He provided the play-by-play in a classic 1981 first round Game 5 playoff game when Mike Crombeen’s double-overtime goal sent the Blues to Round Two. It was Kelly’s voice that narrated perhaps the most memorable game in the history of the franchise: May 12, 1986 (a. k. a. the Monday Night Miracle) when the Blues battled back from elimination in Game 6 against Calgary: trailing 5-1 in the third period, only to win it in overtime on a Doug Wickenheiser goal at the Arena, forcing Game Seven It was Kelly that introduced Mike Shanahan to hockey fans as the team’s new owner. Dan Kelly was the link. From the Solomons to Ralston to Ornest to Shanahan: from player trades to coaching changes, from possible relocation to financial stability, it was Kelly that was the constant for Blues fans. He not only taught the Gateway City the game of hockey, but also served as the voice of reason and experience. Kelly was heard also on other memorable local sport moments. He was in the Olympic Stadium locker room in Montreal when the Cardinals clinched their first National League Eastern Division title in 1982. A year later, he and Mike Shannon described Bob Forsch’s second no-hitter. He was one of the CBS regional NFL broadcasters. Kelly was behind the University of Missouri network microphone when the Al Onofrio-coached Mizzou football team marched into Columbus to upset Ohio State. Kelly teamed with Bob Starr during the glory years of the St. Louis Football Cardinals: including the legendary Mel Gray phantom catch game against Washington. Plus Kelly made countless cameo appearances on Jack Carney’s highly rated KMOX morning radio show. Then in 1988, hockey’s greatest voice grew weak and ill. Eventually we would find out that cancer was the culprit. Others would describe Blues action but it wasn’t the same. Only then we realized just how spoiled we all were. In January 1989, the Blues held a Friday night testimonial for their play-by-play man. That night it was announced that Kelly would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. It was a who’s who. Local celebrities such as Buck, Costas, Whitey Herzog and Shanahan as well as his hockey colleagues Don Cherry and Jiggs Mc Donald all took turns to playfully roast, yet honor the Voice of the Blues. But the Great Kelly was too ill to attend in person: ironically listening to all the festivities from his hospital room on KMOX Radio. A month later, hockey’s greatest announcer died at the far too young age of 52. “Hockey is a sport that should never be broadcasted on radio. Yet in hockey, Kelly is like Secretariat in the Belmont: whoever is second is really closer to third or fourth”. Yes, he was that good. Almost a generation has passed since we heard Dan Kelly announce a hockey game. Thank goodness for audio tapes. He was simply the best. And boy, could the Blues use him now. Has it really been twenty years? posted January 29 McGwire & the Pope--Ten Years After It was ten years ago this week when Pope
John Paul II made his historic visit to St. Louis. As one who attended
the events, the Pontiff’s visit was a moving and memorable experience.
Perhaps the most exciting event was the Youth Rally at the (then known
as) Kiel Center: as over 20,000 young people jammed into the home of
the St Louis Blues to listen to the words of the Holy Father.
Prior to his entrance, deep in the bowels of the Kiel Center, the Pope met a special guest: Mark David Mc Gwire. Big Mac kissed his ring and chatted before the Pope entered the auditorium. A photo was taken of the event of which my late Father (a life-long baseball fan) said: “Hey look, the Pope got to meet Mark Mc Gwire.”  Yes, it’s hard to believe that was ten years ago. But now, ten years later, the legend of Big Mac is much different fable: a MUCH different fable. Back in the day, Mc Gwire was the Pied Piper. He owned St. Louis. Fans followed him wherever he went. It was unheard of to arrive at the ballpark two hours prior to game time before Big Mac showed up in town. Fans actually booed when #25 was walked: even when his presence at first base represented the tying or go-ahead run. Customers exited Busch in droves, regardless of the score, when it became clear that Mc Gwire had batted for the final time that game. Fans throughout the fruited plain paid their money to see this man play baseball Even, the local media jumped on the Mc Gwire bandwagon. During 1998, Big Mac was pursued by many local so-called sports journalists: who were mostly nothing more than self-glorified gab-masters or self proclaimed reporters from either FM or so called all-sports radio stations, or writers in second tier publications or wire services. When talking to Big Mac, many in the local media acted like groupies. Mc Gwire retired abruptly in 2001 and shortly thereafter whispers questioning the legend of Big Mac grew louder and stronger. You see many baseball players were bigger. More home runs were being hit. The word “steroids” became more common and became a scarlet letter on suspecting ball players. And to that end Mc Gwire became the poster boy of the steroid era of baseball. It would get worse. A book written by Jose Canseco and #25’s confusing, bumbling and questionable appearance to Congress on St Patrick’s Day only added fuel to the fire. Mc Gwire would stay in his gated community, playing golf & being virtually aloof to the outside world. Still, the steroid controversy had legs with consequences. Despite hitting 583 career home-runs: currently 8th on the all-time list, the now 45 year-old Mc Gwire could only harvest at best 25% of the votes for Hall of Fame consideration. In 2009, his third try, Big Mac’s name only appeared on 118 ballots. Fast-forward ten years from meeting the Pope, Mc Gwire’s name has come up again. It seems Big Mac’s younger brother Jay, a body builder and self-proclaimed born again Christian, is peddling a book about the family in general and Mark in particular. "THE MCGWIRE FAMILY SECRET: The Truth about Steroids, a Slugger, and Ultimate Redemption" offers readers an opportunity to peek at the Big Man behind the curtain. In his proposed book, the younger Mc Gwire writes: "Who knows what might have happened if I didn’t get Mark involved with all the training, supplements, the right foods, steroids, and HGH. He would not have broken any records and the Congressional Hearings would have gone on without him. Maybe Barry Bonds wouldn’t have ever gotten involved with the stuff, either. Mark McGwire might have gone silently into the night long before breaking Roger Maris’ home run record. But that’s just not the way it went down, so we’ll never know. But at least I feel better about setting the record straight." Shortly after Jay Mc Gwire’s story appeared, a former flame from the past offered her two cents. Lauren Brown was engaged to Jay McGwire in 1996 and provided her thoughts in a recent interview: "I know the truth. It needs to be told. And why shouldn't Jay tell the story instead of some random media person? He knows the truth, Why shouldn't he be the one telling this story? What's being said about him, that he's a bad person, is awful. People don't want to believe that a superstar is fallen. That Mark lied. Mark made his own choices. So did Jay, but he's owned up to them. I tip my hat off to him for that." Strong stuff, eh? Ten years after his meeting with the Pope and being the toast to the town, the flames of the Mark Mc Gwire controversy are stoked again. Although no tangible proof has been submitted, logic tells us we can’t ignore our own eyes. Connect the dots. It is what it is. Whether the younger Mc Gwire is simply trying to make a buck off the controversy or if he is using this manuscript as a confession remains to be seen. But the Mark Mc Gwire story, complete with innuendoes, theories or conclusions, has returned to the front page. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports wrote on the 10th anniversary of Mc Gwire eclipsing Roger Maris’s home run record: “There is little as quintessentially American as hitting a home run. It is quick, powerful, majestic, the dynamic result of a game of chicken between the hitter and pitcher. Mark McGwire hit home runs as well as anyone. His were special. They climbed deep into the night, another fleck of white on the panorama of stars, and landed farther from home plate than any of his contemporaries’. Stadiums opened early because fans clamored to see McGwire take batting practice and swat balls into upper decks 500 feet away. He was Paul Bunyan, a bat his ax, with biceps as big as oil pipelines. The caricature was apt. As McGwire crept closer to Maris’ hallowed mark, it was like he was some sort of fictitious force, literally a machine built to hit home runs. How true that was. No one knew, and no one really cared, either. Logic should have screamed that this was all a fraud, a sham, a pharmacologically aided freak show. But it was fun. Logic loses in the face of fun.” Mr. Passan is correct: It was fun: but now, logic tells us differently. It’s hard to believe that was ten years ago. But now, ten years later, the legend of Big Mac is much different fable: A MUCH different fable. Comments? Contact Mike at: mike@stlsports.com
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?
Closer Issues in 2008, Closer Solution in 2009? Ladies & Gentlemen, I Give You Chris Perez... posted Thanksgiving Day The Cardinal bullpen blew 31 saves in 2008. It's a stat that's been well broadcasted, but how many wins did the bullpen actually cost them? Of the 73 save opportunities the Cardinals had, they converted 42, a "success" rate of 58%. The National League average was 62%, so had the Cardinals performed at an average rate they would have, on paper, netted 3 additional wins (62%-58% = 4%, 73 * 4% = 3). In a suddenly competitive NL Central the Cards will need to win a higher percentage of those close games to earn a division crown this coming season. So what changes will be made in the 'pen for 2009? First off, the Birds will need to add two left-handed relievers. The Cardinals will look towards free agency to acquire players such as Trevor Miller, Arthur Rhodes, or other lefties of their caliber to fill this void. While those types of players won't break the bank, signing two lefties off free agency will burn about $5MM of the approximately $25MM or so that John Mozeliak has to work with this off season. With needs in the middle infield, and the starting rotation, the Cardinals would have to be extremely "aggressive and creative" to fit a 10 million dollar closer into their budget while simultaneously meeting other needs. Translation- They can't afford a top dollar free agent for the 9th inning. Trade options are out there, but the closers that teams are willing to deal come with a fair share risk. Houston Street might be available since the Rockies already have young fireman Manny Corpas for the 9th. However, Street lost some velocity off his fastball last season and has already been discarded by Oakland this winter. The Cardinals know first hand about the risks of acquiring a pitcher that Billy Beane has sold high on, and shaky performance down the stretch last season makes Street and unlikely target. The Mariners won't be playoff contenders for the near future so they'll probably listen to offers for J.J. Putz. Due to make 5.6 million in '09, Putz could fit the budget, but he was injured for a large portion of last season and its unknown if the Cardinals would be willing to give up the prospects required to land him. Outside of the trade route, "low hanging fruit" on the free agent market, such as Brandon Lyon, lacks appeal. Fortunately for John Mozeliak there are internal options in Jason Motte and Chris Perez. While both of these players deserve an opportunity to compete for late inning roles I believe that Chris Perez should get the first crack at the 9th inning job. In his rookie season the 23-year-old Perez recorded a 3.46 ERA with 42k's in 41 innings, gathering 7 saves in 11 tries along the way. Perez has classic "closer stuff" with a mid to high 90's fastball that many hitters can't catch up with, and a slider that he became more consistent with last season. From a mental standpoint the closer role is one that Perez has been groomed for since his college days at Miami. The key for Perez is cutting down on walks. He issued 22 free passes last season, but his 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio in Memphis last season indicates that he should be able to overcome any control issues. While he may still experience some growing pains, if Perez is given a chance to earn the full time closers job he could give the Cardinals payroll flexibility to address needs in the middle infield and starting rotation while also helping the team cut down on their blown save total from last season. |
updated July 2
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
posted
January 22 As we 'go to press' this afternoon, the
NHL's All Star break has arrived, and the Blues are last in the Western
Conference.
The Blues have played 46 games and have 42 points to show for their efforts; 52 points would the Blues in sixth place in the West, since three clubs are currently tied for sixth (Edmonton, Vancouver and Anaheim) with 51 points each. So what gives? Let's aim to pose three questions, and postulate answers to those questions. (1) How do the Blues stack up? (2) How do St. Louisans view their Blues? (3) How does Blues' management view their squad? At a recent Blues game (Jan 15 vs. Colorado), Blues' chairman David Checketts provided his view of his team and in essence supplied his own answers to these questions (the audio can be accessed here). Summarizing, Checketts believes (and stated) that... *coach Andy Murray has his team playing hard every night: "all you can evaluate is effort" *injuries have taken their toll on this year's effort to qualify for the NHL playoffs: "if we had all of our guys, we would be in the hunt for the playoffs" *St. Louisans like what they see at Scott Trade and would support an outdoor game in St. Louis: "the place is alive most nights"...and "St. Louis would be a spectacular place for the outdoor game; awhile back we had preliminary discussions with the Cardinals" *the future of the Blues (Patrik Berglund, David Perron and T.J. Oshie) is solid: "I heard those three names after tonight's first goal. We'll be hearing those names a lot in the next few years" Checketts also stated that the Blues were currently in negotiations to re-sign currently injured C Andy McDonald, who, before suffering an injured ankle, had six goals and twelve assists in only sixteen games. But how do the Blues really stack up? Last night's 2-0 shutout of the emerging Blackhawks, in front of over 22K United Center partisans, provided some clues about the 'note. The '08-'09 Bluenote have been saddled with average goaltending; a shutout of Chicago (with 152 goals in 45 games the 'Hawks have the third-highest goal total in the Western Conference) speaks volumes about team defense as well as timely saves by backup goalie Chris Mason. The quickest route to respectability, for the Blues...in both the second half of the '08-'09 season as well as the next year...would be STAND-ON-YOUR-HEAD goaltending. Can Manny Legace and Chris Mason fill that role? The second goal in Chicago was scored by the Blues lone All Star--Keith Tkachuk. The goal was the fifteenth scored by Tkachuk this season. Veteran leadership, leadership by example, from players such as Tkachuk, (injured) defenseman Eric Brewer and (injured) centerman Paul Kariya...is another important element in the Blues' return to night-in and night-out respectability. Our last snapshot/projection of the Blues demands that the coaching ability of Andy Murray be scrutinized...particularly in the area of nurturing, cajoling, energizing and challenging the team's young talent--along with the aforementioned Berglund, Perron and Oshie, players such as David Backes, and (injured defensemen) Roman Polak and Erik Johnson. The Blues hockey management--president John Davidson, GM Larry Pleau and advisor Al MacInnis-- have the best data to evaluate Murray. And those men are not likely to share their metrics... But watch those young players--if they improve, the team will improve, Andy Murray can rest easy...and playoff hockey will return to St. Louis. It all looks so easy from here...
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  
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
...the left field wall at Busch Stadium
|
Cooperstown|Canton|Springfield|Toronto|SouthBend|Eveleth|Hamilton|Holyoke|Oneonta|StL |
Busch Stadium 1966-2005
