{"id":1382,"date":"2009-07-09T08:20:11","date_gmt":"2009-07-09T15:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2009\/07\/09\/a-tough-split-plus-win-free-stuff\/"},"modified":"2009-07-09T08:20:11","modified_gmt":"2009-07-09T15:20:11","slug":"a-tough-split-plus-win-free-stuff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2009\/07\/09\/a-tough-split-plus-win-free-stuff\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tough Split (Plus, Win Free Stuff!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

OK, most of you know about the free stuff, but let me get this out of the way first before we talk about the last two games against the Brewers.\u00c2\u00a0 Wilson<\/a>, the makers of the official ball glove and catcher’s mask of MLB, has given me the rights to 20 tickets to FanFest<\/a>, this week’s celebration of baseball in St. Louis.\u00c2\u00a0 These tickets are completely free and can be used at any time or day after pickup.\u00c2\u00a0 The only catch is that you have to pick them up in person Saturday between noon and three.\u00c2\u00a0 If you are interested, e-mail me (it’s at the top of the blog) by 6 pm tonight and I’ll get the names to Wilson and the pickup info to you.<\/p>\n

Speaking of FanFest, it’s a testament to how the walls between casual bloggers and professional media are blurring somewhat, but your humble correspondant has been put on the media credentials list for Friday, when I will be up in St. Louis visiting FanFest.\u00c2\u00a0 If I’m able to be coherent enough to actually do an interview, I’ll be sure to get it up somewhere, though it may be after I return.\u00c2\u00a0 Then again, the odds of all that are pretty slim if the past is any indication<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tuesday’s game<\/a> was a wonderful thing.\u00c2\u00a0 Even after Adam Wainwright<\/strong> had thrown 120 pitches against the Giants, he was able to come back and shut down the Brewers, though again, it was with 120 pitches.\u00c2\u00a0 You have to hope that the extra workload won’t cause him many problems down the stretch.\u00c2\u00a0 When he’s on, though, he’s a bulldog<\/a>, and it’s great to see him and Chris Carpenter running back to back like that, at least if you are a fan of great pitching.<\/p>\n

It’s also good to see Wainwright being so tough on a divisional rival.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s only allowed two runs in three games to the Brewers so far this year, so if they start thinking he had their number, that could play into the Cardinals’ hands down the stretch.<\/p>\n

If it wasn’t for Wainwright, Colby Rasmus would have gotten the Hero nod.\u00c2\u00a0 (Ironically, last time Wainwright pitched, Rasmus edged him out for the honor.)\u00c2\u00a0 Three hits, including a home run and a double, really helped set the tone and solidify him as possibly the biggest, most consistent bat outside of Albert Pujols on this team.\u00c2\u00a0 I hope he’s rested up, because Rasmus won’t see too many off days the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

A good night for Ryan Ludwick as well.\u00c2\u00a0 Getting that three-run homer early helped keep Yovani Gallardo from really settling in.\u00c2\u00a0 I still think Ludwick is going to have a strong second half.<\/p>\n

Our Goat is pretty easy too.\u00c2\u00a0 When you go 0-5 with the golden sombrero of four strikeouts, plus leave five men on base, well, you are the goat.\u00c2\u00a0 C’mon down, Rick Ankiel<\/strong>!\u00c2\u00a0 Possibly the most mindblowing thing I’ve seen recently happened in last night’s game, where the Brewers walked Ankiel intentionally.\u00c2\u00a0 Talk about giving up an out!\u00c2\u00a0 You can hear us go on about it close to the end of last night’s UCB Radio Hour<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Last night’s game<\/a> was pretty disappointing.\u00c2\u00a0 To get up 4-1 against the team closest to you in the standings and then immediately cough it up is a terrible thing.\u00c2\u00a0 It never should have gotten to needing a bases-loaded hit against Trevor Hoffman.\u00c2\u00a0 I think the world of Yadier Molina<\/strong> and he’s the guy I’d want up there in the situation (if it wasn’t Pujols), but that’s not what you want to see after such a lead.\u00c2\u00a0 Even with the grounder in the ninth, Molina’s two for five night still gets him Hero status.<\/p>\n

You really hate to realize that you lost because you couldn’t throw Prince Fielder out<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 If he hits one deep, that’s one thing, but this is not a guy that you’d expect to be beating out an infield single.<\/p>\n

There’s got to be a strong chance that Todd Wellemeyer<\/strong> is just about at the end of his rope.\u00c2\u00a0 Tony LaRussa’s comments after the game showed a large amount of frustration with the pitcher.\u00c2\u00a0 With Kyle Lohse ready to return<\/a>, Wellemeyer and Brad Thompson both are probably not wanting to be called into the manager’s office.<\/p>\n

On the positive side, the offense was able to put up four runs and take a lead with absolutely nothing from Rasmus and Pujols.\u00c2\u00a0 So maybe they are showing signs of life.<\/p>\n

The big talk off the field is, of course, the possibility that the Cardinals could be in on Roy Halladay<\/a>. This is going to be one of those classic “win now, be weak later” vs. “contend for a long time” debates that will continue to swirl for the rest of the month, I’d expect.<\/p>\n

On the face of it, even though I love pitching and I love Halladay, I didn’t think I’d be in favor of this deal.\u00c2\u00a0 The Cardinals are going to need young players to come up through the ranks and develop this team in order to support Albert’s next contract.<\/p>\n

The more I read about it<\/a>, though, the more I start wondering if maybe this isn’t a deal the Cardinals can make.\u00c2\u00a0 Obviously, if it’s a Brett Wallace and Colby Rasmus type deal, then no can do.\u00c2\u00a0 But Wallace, while I’d love to see him in St. Louis, is going to be a first baseman some day according to all reports.\u00c2\u00a0 For someone of Halladay’s stature, I wouldn’t make him untouchable.<\/p>\n

Throw in another few prospects, such as Bryan Anderson, Pete Kozma, Clayton Mortenson, even Daryl Jones (though the latter should be a last resort kinda thing) and, while you’ve damaged the farm system, it’s not completely depleted.\u00c2\u00a0 Not to mention the two draft picks you’ll get when Halladay signs elsewhere, assuming he doesn’t take a below-market deal to stay in St. Louis.<\/p>\n

Plus, what better way to prove to Albert that you are committed to winning than to put together a team that could go deep into October, at least for the next two years?\u00c2\u00a0 Then, in 2011, you’ve got some young guys to put into the mix and some funds to sign a FA or two to at least keep the team from being a Pirates-level disaster.<\/p>\n

Think about best case scenario if you make the deal.\u00c2\u00a0 Troy Glaus is close to going on a rehab assignment.\u00c2\u00a0 Say he does well and can contribute.\u00c2\u00a0 You could have a lineup of:<\/p>\n

Schumaker 2B
\nRasmus CF
\nPujols 1B
\nLudwick RF
\nGlaus 3B
\nDeRosa LF
\nMolina C
\nPitcher
\nRyan SS<\/p>\n

And a rotation of Halladay\/Carpenter\/Wainwright\/Lohse\/Pineiro.\u00c2\u00a0 Tell me that wouldn’t do some damage, especially in the NL Central and short series in October?\u00c2\u00a0 Plus, assuming you could resign DeRosa, only Glaus and Pineiro would change for next season, creating the chances for a strong 2010.<\/p>\n

I’m not saying that the Cardinals absolutely should do the deal, but it’s a more realistic and less damaging scenario than I originally expected.<\/p>\n

With that, I’m basically signing off for the next 10 days.\u00c2\u00a0 While I have internet on my phone, I’m not sure I can hunt and peck out an entry and probably won’t have the time to anyway.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ll share pictures from FanFest when I return.<\/p>\n

However, you won’t be entirely without content.\u00c2\u00a0 Later today I’ll put up the post for the United Cardinal Bloggers next project, a live blog on Sunday that will start at noon and hopefully go from there until the end of the second game of the Cards\/Cubs doubleheader.\u00c2\u00a0 You can see this live blog on any of the UCB members that are participating as well as the official UCB website<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 You can interact with the members as well, asking questions and just talking baseball.\u00c2\u00a0 It’ll be a chance to look back at the first half as well as get ready for the stretch run.\u00c2\u00a0 It should be fun (and I hate that I’ll miss it!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OK, most of you know about the free stuff, but let me get this out of the way first before we talk about the last two games against the Brewers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":347,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/347"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1382\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}