St. Louis Cardinals - Cardinal Country

patrick jane

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Opening day approaches and Wainright is out with an injury again. The best you can hope for these days is 6 to 10 years of good pitching from a major league pitcher. They all seem to get "injured" or have a few surgeries after 6 years or so. There are exceptions of course but pitching is for younger ball players.
 

patrick jane

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patrick jane

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[h=3]Evaluating Cardinals roster for 2018 season | St. Louis Cardinals[/h]
Excerpt : he 2018 season may be the most pivotal of the past 20 years of St. Louis Cardinals baseball.

After missing the playoffs in two consecutive years -- doing so a third straight time would mark the longest drought this century -- the Cardinals spent the offseason making dramatic changes, albeit not quite as dramatic as some of their increasingly disgruntled fans might have preferred. They traded for Marcell Ozuna, one of the best hitters in the sport, brought in a smattering of new bullpen arms and signed a starting pitcher who sparkled in Japan, but whom no one in America has seen in three years.


St. Louis shipped out former prized young players Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk and waved goodbye to rotation stalwart Lance Lynn. Perhaps most notably, the Cardinals reshuffled their entire coaching staff, hiring pitching coach Mike Maddux from the Nationals and bringing beloved franchise icons Willie McGee and (especially) Jose Oquendo back home, increasing the pressure on manager Mike Matheny to return the team to the October like its fans expect.


The Cardinals believe the past two seasons were a blip, that their inherently pragmatic nature will be rewarded in 2018. Naysayers and skeptics fear that the hated rival Cubs have long since passed the franchise, and the Cards are in danger of slipping further down the National League Central depth chart. (Remember: This was a third-place team in '17.)


If the Cardinals can compete or even pass the Cubs this year, their cautious approach will be vindicated, Matheny's job will be safe and the team will transition into a new era of contention led by the next cadre of young players. If St. Louis misses the playoffs again, the changes could start in the dugout, and might not stop there.


The Cards are not an urgent organization: They are patient, conservative and organized, and always prudent. But if they miss the playoffs this season, fans will demand urgency in a way we perhaps haven't seen in this franchise under its current ownership. Fans in St. Louis have been patient enough. They have watched the Cubs, and now the Brewers, pass their team. If it happens again, there will be a reckoning.


For the third consecutive year, it is time for my Cardinals Roster Audit, a look at every relevant St. Louis player heading into the 2018 season. In one week, we'll get our first look at what this Cardinals team is. For now, here's my best guess. (Also, if you want more Cards business, I host a weekly podcast called "Seeing Red" with legendary St. Louis sports columnist Bernie Miklasz. You can subscribe to it here.)
 

SaulToPaul 2

Well-known member
I think Skipper Whalen will have the Cards ready to go this season...especially since they signed Cleaver to play center field. Cleaver had a great senior season at State in 2017.
[MENTION=1851]john w[/MENTION]
 

john w

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Hall of Fame
I think Skipper Whalen will have the Cards ready to go this season...especially since they signed Cleaver to play center field. Cleaver had a great senior season at State in 2017.
[MENTION=1851]john w[/MENTION]

Hey, look, Casey, the only time I need your flattery/advice, re. my baseball prowess, is on how to avoid striking out 17 straight times, in one night, at your local sports tavern, with the chicks.
 

patrick jane

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2018 MLB Pennant Odds: Astros, Yankees, Dodgers Leading the ...


After taking the World Series champion Houston Astros to seven games in last year's American League Championship Series and adding the reigning National League home run champ to their lineup in the offseason, the New York Yankees have become co-favorites to win the pennant at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.

The Yankees and Astros are both listed at plus-275 (bet $100 to win $275) on the odds to win the AL pennant and therefore have earned the status as preseason favorites to meet in the 2018 ALCS.


Houston's Justin Verlander was the difference between the two teams in their 2017 ALDS matchup, as he went 2-0 versus New York after allowing just one run and 10 hits in 16 innings with two walks and 21 strikeouts. Verlander came to the Astros late in the season from the Detroit Tigers and ended up winning his first World Series title.


Verlander will be joined in this year's starting rotation by another new acquisition in Gerrit Cole, who came over from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the offseason. The big move for the Yankees was picking up outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (59 home runs) from the Miami Marlins.

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john w

New member
Hall of Fame
Since my 3 days ago update, that The Birds are in first place, and their "magic #" is at 162, they are 3 days closer to clinching their division.
 

john w

New member
Hall of Fame
I jinxed 'em saint john.

They are in last place, PJ, and should be officially eliminated by May 1st. Tickets will be cheaper then. They had a good spring training, though. Retool, I say! Martinez is done. He should retire. My knees have scrapes from jumping on/off that band wagon....
 
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