By Mark Ashby Vaughan
Letting Albert Pujols take a walk over the off-season was received with mixed reviews in Saint Louis. On the one hand, the Cardinals offered Albert more than they had ever offered any player, but the Angels swooped in and snatched him up with another year, more total dollars and a 10-year “personal services” clause which kicks in after his playing days are over. Largely, the Cardinals were viewed as having gone out on a limb to keep Pujols. On the other hand, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak should have locked up Albert two years earlier and never allowed him to get to free agency. All in all, however, the Cardinals came off as the scorned lover in the Pujols/Cardinals break up. And the team made up for some of the loss by quickly signing Carlos Beltran. That helped to lessen the sting of Albert leaving for the West Coast.
But did anyone really think that the team that had 26 blown saves could really go into the 2012 season with Jason Motte as their closer? Going into this season, Jason had just 9 career saves against 4 blown saves for a career 69% success rate.
Mozeliak must take the blame for not making a run at Jonathon Papelbon, Heath Bell or Francisco Rodriquez, all of whom were available as free agents.
Let’s compare Papelbon to Motte.
Papelbon has a career 88% success rate in save opportunities with 219 saves compared to just 29 blown saves. That means that Jason Motte would need 317 save opportunities to reach 219 saves, by which time he would have blown 98 games in the process. That’s 69 more blown saves than Papelbon.
Let’s compare the two from another angle. By the time Motte will have blown 29 games he should have saved a grand total of 65 games. In other words, by the time that Motte will have the same number of career blown saves as Papelbon, he will also be 154 saves short of reaching Papelbon’s save numbers.
Here are the raw numbers:
Papelbon: 219 saves/29 blown saves.
Motte: 219 saves/98 blown saves.
Papelbon: 29 blown saves/219 saves.
Motte: 29 blown saves/65 saves.
If the Cardinals had been able to save just half of the 26 blown saves in 2011, they would have had 103 wins which means that they would have handily won the NL Central by 7 games over the 2nd place Brewers.
Letting Pujols get away was one thing. But taking a pass on the available, proven closers is likely to cost the Cardinals a lot of wins in 2012. For that, Mozeliak should not be given a shoulder to cry on.
A 2012 Preview, 2 Weeks In
by: Brian F. Logush
The quest for #12in12 is underway in the Gateway to the West, as the St. Louis Cardinals season is off to a solid start. The team has yet to lose a series, posting victories over the Brewers, Cubs, and Reds, as well as beginning the season in that gigantic LSD-trip , known as Marlins Park.
Currently sitting in first place, it is far too early to say with any certainty that they will be in the post-season. And some early injuries to players like Berkman and Freese have given fans a glimpse of where the talent lies waiting in the wings. But as we scout the other division teams, it isn't too difficult to see which teams have the best shot at winning the National League Central. However, being the thorough, investigative journalist I am, I present my findings to you.
Chicago Cubs (71-91 in 2011)
-Season Outlook: It's going on 0 for 104 in the North Side, and things don't look all that great. Fist off, the team will have to find a new identity, since their old identity "Former Members of the Pittsburgh Pirates Farm System" is no more. Alfonso Soriano is still on the team for the sole reason that years ago he gathered dirt on former GM Jim Hendry that led to his current, insanely large contract. Kerry Wood is pitching fairly well, which would be great news, except for the fact that this isn't 2003. And new GM Theo Epstein won't have to worry about his club losing interest down the stretch, since most Cubs players start planning their offseason vacations around Memorial Day.
-Player to Watch: Jeff Samardziga. For some reason, the former Notre Dame wide receiver has chosen to compete as a pitcher, which is surprising. After all, he had to try and catch balls thrown by Brady Quinn, so with that pitching staff, he should have gone out for catcher, and would probably be an All-Star. You know, since technically every team has to have one.
-Prediction: The happiest Cubs fans will look all year will be in that video game commercial where they won the World Series, but then we all see they really didn't, and it was just some poor, crying, sap as the L-Train rolls by, taking his hopes and wishes with it. That seems about right.
-Predicted finish: 5th.
Cincinnati Reds (79-83 in 2011)
-Season Outlook: 2011 had to be a let down for Reds fans, especially coming off winning the division in 2010. But a repeat just wasn't in the cards, as they finished third. While injuries and a lack of solid starting pitching certainly played a role, the Reds learned that you can't just win a division by continuously starting brawls and kicking opposing players in the face and back. They bolstered their bullpen for about four weeks after signing the presently-recovering-from-season-ending-surgery-after-signing-a-contract closer Ryan Madsen. But they signed Ryan Ludwick, who aside from giving the club some depth in the outfield, is on a personal mission to become the NL Central bicycle. Halfway there, Luddy. You can do it.
-Player to Watch: Joey Votto. Before the season, the 2010 NL MVP signed a ten-year, $225-million contract to stay with the team. It remains to be seen if he will follow the path of signing a massive deal and then mailing it in for the next several seasons, right Adrain Beltre? Corey Crawford?
-Prediction: It will be a good year for the Reds. Until Dusty Baker has Aroldis Chapman pitch 11 innings and destroy his arm in a meaningless game against the Astros in late August.
-Predicted finish: 3rd.
Houston Astros (56-106 in 2011)
-Season Outlook: The Astros finished dead last not only in the NL Central last year, but in the entire league. The only team to reach the heralded 100-loss mark, this year marks the team's last in this division, moving to the AL West in 2013. Which makes them the second saddest team to learn that Albert Pujols went to the Angels for the next decade. Realistically, they should just fold operations and save everyone the time.
-Player to Watch: Bud Norris. Can he continue to master the Cardinals, yet be dominated by every other team? No seriously, this is ridiculous. Bud Norris made me cry last year he was so good. The last time I cried before that I got a little tipsy and watched the last half-hour of E.T. I admit it.
-Prediction: I hate to give credit to the NBA, but they summed it up pretty well with one of their teams.
-Predicted finish: 6th. 30th. Whatever.
Milwaukee Brewers: (96-66 in 2011)
-Season Outlook: 2012 didn't appear to start off to well to the Brewer faithful. Prince Fielder followed his dad's legacy (and gravitational pull) to Detroit. And then there was the whole matter of Ryan Braun's failed drug test, which led to a 50-game suspension, because those things never get overturned. But he gets to play because of a technicality, the smallest of which is that Bud -Selig certainly wouldn't stand to have his former club at a disadvantage. Allegedly. I have to say that so MLB's lawyers don't come after me. Which wouldn't bother me because I would simply call Ryan Braun's lawyer. Anyway... No he gets to play, which makes them immediate favorites to repeat. Provided the constant cat-calls of "cheater" "steroids" and "M-V-Tainted Pee" don't get to him.
-Player to Watch: Whoever is in charge of taking incriminating evidence regarding Brewer players, which were known of before the playoffs, and putting them into Bud Selig's shredder. Allegedly.
-Prediction: Jose Canseco goes on "60 Minutes" and admits injecting Braun last year and then disappears forever, which is a shame, says Bud Selig in a press conference where he holds a shovel and a huge bag of lye.
-Predicted finish: 1st. Begrudgingly.
Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90)
-Season Outlook: 2011 was a glorious year for the Pirates, as they led the division at one point late in the year. Which lasted until they remembered they were the Pirates and promptly fell back to finish fourth. This year, Andrew McCutchen returns as their rightful star, and the face of the franchise, until he is inevitably traded away because that's what the Pirates do. But they know one thing for certain: they won't finish last again.
-Player to Watch: Their official website lists only 4 outfielders, and if the league allows them to play all four at one time, watch out for Pittsburgh!
-Prediction: Pittsburgh is a solid team, and the future looks bright, but are not at the next level yet. Which is good, because the city of Pittsburgh probably couldn't survive yet another black and yellow team choking in the playoffs.
-Predicted finish: 4th.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @Brian_Logush, where I make snide comments about whatever I feel like. I also occasionally tweet at famous-ish people, and they never respond. Woot.
The quest for #12in12 is underway in the Gateway to the West, as the St. Louis Cardinals season is off to a solid start. The team has yet to lose a series, posting victories over the Brewers, Cubs, and Reds, as well as beginning the season in that gigantic LSD-trip , known as Marlins Park.
Currently sitting in first place, it is far too early to say with any certainty that they will be in the post-season. And some early injuries to players like Berkman and Freese have given fans a glimpse of where the talent lies waiting in the wings. But as we scout the other division teams, it isn't too difficult to see which teams have the best shot at winning the National League Central. However, being the thorough, investigative journalist I am, I present my findings to you.
Chicago Cubs (71-91 in 2011)
-Season Outlook: It's going on 0 for 104 in the North Side, and things don't look all that great. Fist off, the team will have to find a new identity, since their old identity "Former Members of the Pittsburgh Pirates Farm System" is no more. Alfonso Soriano is still on the team for the sole reason that years ago he gathered dirt on former GM Jim Hendry that led to his current, insanely large contract. Kerry Wood is pitching fairly well, which would be great news, except for the fact that this isn't 2003. And new GM Theo Epstein won't have to worry about his club losing interest down the stretch, since most Cubs players start planning their offseason vacations around Memorial Day.
-Player to Watch: Jeff Samardziga. For some reason, the former Notre Dame wide receiver has chosen to compete as a pitcher, which is surprising. After all, he had to try and catch balls thrown by Brady Quinn, so with that pitching staff, he should have gone out for catcher, and would probably be an All-Star. You know, since technically every team has to have one.
-Prediction: The happiest Cubs fans will look all year will be in that video game commercial where they won the World Series, but then we all see they really didn't, and it was just some poor, crying, sap as the L-Train rolls by, taking his hopes and wishes with it. That seems about right.
-Predicted finish: 5th.
Cincinnati Reds (79-83 in 2011)
-Season Outlook: 2011 had to be a let down for Reds fans, especially coming off winning the division in 2010. But a repeat just wasn't in the cards, as they finished third. While injuries and a lack of solid starting pitching certainly played a role, the Reds learned that you can't just win a division by continuously starting brawls and kicking opposing players in the face and back. They bolstered their bullpen for about four weeks after signing the presently-recovering-from-season-ending-surgery-after-signing-a-contract closer Ryan Madsen. But they signed Ryan Ludwick, who aside from giving the club some depth in the outfield, is on a personal mission to become the NL Central bicycle. Halfway there, Luddy. You can do it.
-Player to Watch: Joey Votto. Before the season, the 2010 NL MVP signed a ten-year, $225-million contract to stay with the team. It remains to be seen if he will follow the path of signing a massive deal and then mailing it in for the next several seasons, right Adrain Beltre? Corey Crawford?
-Prediction: It will be a good year for the Reds. Until Dusty Baker has Aroldis Chapman pitch 11 innings and destroy his arm in a meaningless game against the Astros in late August.
-Predicted finish: 3rd.
Houston Astros (56-106 in 2011)
-Season Outlook: The Astros finished dead last not only in the NL Central last year, but in the entire league. The only team to reach the heralded 100-loss mark, this year marks the team's last in this division, moving to the AL West in 2013. Which makes them the second saddest team to learn that Albert Pujols went to the Angels for the next decade. Realistically, they should just fold operations and save everyone the time.
-Player to Watch: Bud Norris. Can he continue to master the Cardinals, yet be dominated by every other team? No seriously, this is ridiculous. Bud Norris made me cry last year he was so good. The last time I cried before that I got a little tipsy and watched the last half-hour of E.T. I admit it.
-Prediction: I hate to give credit to the NBA, but they summed it up pretty well with one of their teams.
-Predicted finish: 6th. 30th. Whatever.
Milwaukee Brewers: (96-66 in 2011)
-Season Outlook: 2012 didn't appear to start off to well to the Brewer faithful. Prince Fielder followed his dad's legacy (and gravitational pull) to Detroit. And then there was the whole matter of Ryan Braun's failed drug test, which led to a 50-game suspension, because those things never get overturned. But he gets to play because of a technicality, the smallest of which is that Bud -Selig certainly wouldn't stand to have his former club at a disadvantage. Allegedly. I have to say that so MLB's lawyers don't come after me. Which wouldn't bother me because I would simply call Ryan Braun's lawyer. Anyway... No he gets to play, which makes them immediate favorites to repeat. Provided the constant cat-calls of "cheater" "steroids" and "M-V-Tainted Pee" don't get to him.
-Player to Watch: Whoever is in charge of taking incriminating evidence regarding Brewer players, which were known of before the playoffs, and putting them into Bud Selig's shredder. Allegedly.
-Prediction: Jose Canseco goes on "60 Minutes" and admits injecting Braun last year and then disappears forever, which is a shame, says Bud Selig in a press conference where he holds a shovel and a huge bag of lye.
-Predicted finish: 1st. Begrudgingly.
Pittsburgh Pirates (72-90)
-Season Outlook: 2011 was a glorious year for the Pirates, as they led the division at one point late in the year. Which lasted until they remembered they were the Pirates and promptly fell back to finish fourth. This year, Andrew McCutchen returns as their rightful star, and the face of the franchise, until he is inevitably traded away because that's what the Pirates do. But they know one thing for certain: they won't finish last again.
-Player to Watch: Their official website lists only 4 outfielders, and if the league allows them to play all four at one time, watch out for Pittsburgh!
-Prediction: Pittsburgh is a solid team, and the future looks bright, but are not at the next level yet. Which is good, because the city of Pittsburgh probably couldn't survive yet another black and yellow team choking in the playoffs.
-Predicted finish: 4th.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @Brian_Logush, where I make snide comments about whatever I feel like. I also occasionally tweet at famous-ish people, and they never respond. Woot.
Nobody likes the Cubs
by LS Murphy
I think everyone in Cardinal Nation can relate to this little girl.
Happy Holidays.
Follow LS Murphy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LSMurphy
True Success Comes from Adversity
by: Brian F. Logush
Before I get too deep into this piece, I'd like to remind all Cardinal fans of one thing: Albert Pujols is not, I repeat, NOT LeBron James. I have seen that floated around all day, and it isn't even close to the same thing. Pujols wasn't born and raised in the St. Louis area. He didn't make up his mind weeks ago, have ESPN dedicate a whole show on his announcement and tell Peter Gammons that he was taking his bats to SoCal. He didn't throw use his foundation as a cover-up while doing it. Albert Pujols is a far better human being than LeBron James. Remember that.
Now, onto business.
Shock. Disbelief. A Mistake. Those are the words that immediately came to mind when I read on Twitter that Albert Pujols had signed a ten-year contract with the California Angels. After days of having the Miami Marlins shoved down our throats as the team to sign Number 5, they backed off, having signed an under-rated starter (Mark Buehrle, 4-year/$58 million), a solid closer (Heath Bell, 3-year/$27 million), and the reigning NL Batting Champion (Jose Reyes, 6-year/$108 million). I suppose they figure that was enough for one offseason. Then, late Wednesday, reports of the dreaded "mystery team" surfaced, and Cardinal fans felt a touch more uneasy. Was there really a team lying low, waiting for the Marlins to leave so they could jump in and scavenge the market? Was it just Dan Lozano with gamesmanship, trying to get the Cardinals to panic and overpay? Doubtful. John Mozeliak wouldn't fall for that. Wow. We sure are paying Matt Holliday a lot of money to drop fly balls in crucial situations and have small insects fly into his slightly larger-than-average skull. Anyway....
But once I accepted the fact that when the Cardinals and Marlins meet on Opening Day there was going to be a glaring omission from the line-up and ceremony, I started to understand and appreciate what the Cardinals didn't do. I applaud Mozeilak and DeWitt for standing their ground, and refusing to give in to demands that were, in a business sense, asinine.
Unless a player is twenty-two and bionic, there is no way, and The Rock means NO WAY, to justify a ten-year contract. And you especially don't give out a contract of that length to a man who takes eight seconds to run to first base and, in all likelihood, will not play out his entire contract due to injuries.
By not spending $250 million plus on one player, Mozeliak and Co. have some room to fix gaping holes on the roster. With Furcal likely gone, Allen Craig fresh off the operating table, and no proven shortstop on the roster who can give you 140 or so games and perform adequately, maybe the team takes a run at Jimmy Rollins. It's too bad the Pujols saga went on the way it did, otherwise the club might have had a shot at local-boy Buehrle to shore up the rotation. Ryan Madsen would be a nice piece in the bullpen to help get to Jason Motte, as would Andrew Brackman.
This is the best option for the future of the club. They aren't tied down to one player for the next decade. They now have a chance to make their team better, and while having Pujols at first base for the rest of his career would be great for him, for us as fans, and for baseball, since there is rarely a player with one team for their entire career. But that ideology is gone as Pujols, like Fievel, heads West to start a new chapter of his life.
Good luck, Albert. You helped bring this team three pennants, two World Championships, and jaw-dropping post-season moments (hey, Brad Lidge is available!) You are a three-time MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger recipient, and renowned humanitarian. I don't blame you for taking the money and leaving St. Louis. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing. What bothers me is what you said a few years ago. "It's not about the money. I've got my money. It's about winning and that's it."
I don't see where California gives you a better chance of winning than St. Louis. That's my concern. You talk about how you would listen to your family, to your God. My fear is you gave your agent an equal say, and you let him drown out the people closest to you.
Cardinal fans shouldn't be mad at Albert Pujols. It's for the best, people. It's not like he signed with the Cubs.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: @Brian_Logush, for all things St. Louis sports and world going-ons.
Before I get too deep into this piece, I'd like to remind all Cardinal fans of one thing: Albert Pujols is not, I repeat, NOT LeBron James. I have seen that floated around all day, and it isn't even close to the same thing. Pujols wasn't born and raised in the St. Louis area. He didn't make up his mind weeks ago, have ESPN dedicate a whole show on his announcement and tell Peter Gammons that he was taking his bats to SoCal. He didn't throw use his foundation as a cover-up while doing it. Albert Pujols is a far better human being than LeBron James. Remember that.
Now, onto business.
Shock. Disbelief. A Mistake. Those are the words that immediately came to mind when I read on Twitter that Albert Pujols had signed a ten-year contract with the California Angels. After days of having the Miami Marlins shoved down our throats as the team to sign Number 5, they backed off, having signed an under-rated starter (Mark Buehrle, 4-year/$58 million), a solid closer (Heath Bell, 3-year/$27 million), and the reigning NL Batting Champion (Jose Reyes, 6-year/$108 million). I suppose they figure that was enough for one offseason. Then, late Wednesday, reports of the dreaded "mystery team" surfaced, and Cardinal fans felt a touch more uneasy. Was there really a team lying low, waiting for the Marlins to leave so they could jump in and scavenge the market? Was it just Dan Lozano with gamesmanship, trying to get the Cardinals to panic and overpay? Doubtful. John Mozeliak wouldn't fall for that. Wow. We sure are paying Matt Holliday a lot of money to drop fly balls in crucial situations and have small insects fly into his slightly larger-than-average skull. Anyway....
But once I accepted the fact that when the Cardinals and Marlins meet on Opening Day there was going to be a glaring omission from the line-up and ceremony, I started to understand and appreciate what the Cardinals didn't do. I applaud Mozeilak and DeWitt for standing their ground, and refusing to give in to demands that were, in a business sense, asinine.
Unless a player is twenty-two and bionic, there is no way, and The Rock means NO WAY, to justify a ten-year contract. And you especially don't give out a contract of that length to a man who takes eight seconds to run to first base and, in all likelihood, will not play out his entire contract due to injuries.
By not spending $250 million plus on one player, Mozeliak and Co. have some room to fix gaping holes on the roster. With Furcal likely gone, Allen Craig fresh off the operating table, and no proven shortstop on the roster who can give you 140 or so games and perform adequately, maybe the team takes a run at Jimmy Rollins. It's too bad the Pujols saga went on the way it did, otherwise the club might have had a shot at local-boy Buehrle to shore up the rotation. Ryan Madsen would be a nice piece in the bullpen to help get to Jason Motte, as would Andrew Brackman.
This is the best option for the future of the club. They aren't tied down to one player for the next decade. They now have a chance to make their team better, and while having Pujols at first base for the rest of his career would be great for him, for us as fans, and for baseball, since there is rarely a player with one team for their entire career. But that ideology is gone as Pujols, like Fievel, heads West to start a new chapter of his life.
Good luck, Albert. You helped bring this team three pennants, two World Championships, and jaw-dropping post-season moments (hey, Brad Lidge is available!) You are a three-time MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger recipient, and renowned humanitarian. I don't blame you for taking the money and leaving St. Louis. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing. What bothers me is what you said a few years ago. "It's not about the money. I've got my money. It's about winning and that's it."
I don't see where California gives you a better chance of winning than St. Louis. That's my concern. You talk about how you would listen to your family, to your God. My fear is you gave your agent an equal say, and you let him drown out the people closest to you.
Cardinal fans shouldn't be mad at Albert Pujols. It's for the best, people. It's not like he signed with the Cubs.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: @Brian_Logush, for all things St. Louis sports and world going-ons.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
| Cardinals Mix blog featured writers | LS Murphy,Brian F. Logush |
| Write about the Cardinals | We believe that you the avid fan, student journalist, and or freelance writer deserve to be heard. Avid fans have a strong desire to hear from the common (or not so common) "man" as well. You are always free to write about the material of your choice, in your own unique style, and on your own schedule. So vent,enlighten and share with us! Contact us at: writers@sportsmixed.com |
| Enjoy Cardinals rumors, news, talk? | Please help us spread the word on the Sports Mixed Network by letting friends, and family know about it. The more we grow our community of avid fans, the more features we can add. So please send a Tweet, Facebook message or better yet tell them in person.
|