The Ringling Brothers are in town ....

Not too bad for Rosenthal, nearly gave up a slam, but pitched out of it with 2 K's and one pitch, 100mph.

Since returning, Berkman has gone 0 for 9, and several of those outs have been in critical situations.  The guy missed 2 months following knee surgery.  Has anyone asked the question why Berkman didn't go out for a rehab assignment?  They have to manipulate the lineup to find him at bats, what was the point of rushing him back?

If that's true, that's a horseshit move.

artie_fufkin wrote:

This is Goold's story from last week. I doesn't read like Berkman told the team "I ain't goin' ..."

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/87281bc8-cc5d-11e1-938c-0019bb30f31a.html

"The team has played pretty well," Berkman said. "Their offensive game has been great. They don't need me. I hope they'd like (to have) me. I don't feel like the team is in dire straights offensively."

We can put up all the impressive, fancy,smancy, offensive stats in MLB, but if our ass ain't touchin' homeplate I'd say the offensive sucks......

So this is why you read ahead.  I was just so excited I knew something.

APIAD wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

Since returning, Berkman has gone 0 for 9, and several of those outs have been in critical situations.  The guy missed 2 months following knee surgery.  Has anyone asked the question why Berkman didn't go out for a rehab assignment?  They have to manipulate the lineup to find him at bats, what was the point of rushing him back?

He didnt go because he didnt want to.  The dispatch reported that a player with his service time can force the club to add him to the 25 man roster instead of a rehab assignment.  I suppose the other option would have been to cut him.  Pretty selfish move for a player who has been said to be the ultimate team player.

I agree with you AP.  It's one thing if the team had injuries and was forced to play players who didn't belong in the major leagues.  But this team had more than enough bodies to cover for Berkman while he rehabbed.  Now, Berkman seems to be acknowledging that he made a mistake.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/notebook-layoff-compromised-berkman-s-bat-speed/article_042c56aa-88f3-5853-877d-5f517d18faf1.html

forsberg_us wrote:

APIAD wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

Since returning, Berkman has gone 0 for 9, and several of those outs have been in critical situations.  The guy missed 2 months following knee surgery.  Has anyone asked the question why Berkman didn't go out for a rehab assignment?  They have to manipulate the lineup to find him at bats, what was the point of rushing him back?

He didnt go because he didnt want to.  The dispatch reported that a player with his service time can force the club to add him to the 25 man roster instead of a rehab assignment.  I suppose the other option would have been to cut him.  Pretty selfish move for a player who has been said to be the ultimate team player.

I agree with you AP.  It's one thing if the team had injuries and was forced to play players who didn't belong in the major leagues.  But this team had more than enough bodies to cover for Berkman while he rehabbed.  Now, Berkman seems to be acknowledging that he made a mistake.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/notebook-layoff-compromised-berkman-s-bat-speed/article_042c56aa-88f3-5853-877d-5f517d18faf1.html

This item was at the bottom of the column:

"The Cardinals' three-error first inning marked the first time the club had endured the feat since Aaron Miles did so by himself on July 7, 2007 against the San Francisco Giants. Miles' transgressions occurred in the seventh inning."

Anyone else remember that game? I do. It was the night Miles went from annoying to despised.

tkihshbt wrote:

IMO, the offense is breaking down because it's out of gas, period. Furcal has been hitting under .200 since June 1. Jay has done nothing since coming back. Beltran has gone in the tank. Craig has gone in the tank. Holliday is hitting .350 since May 1, but it's come with nobody on base. Molina and Freese are hitting, but Freese has hit for practically no power. Schumaker has been canceled out by an ineffective Descalso/Greene. If they continue to get nothing out of their 1-2 and 4-5 hitters, then we'll continue seeing them average three runs per game.

Their lineup is populated by streaky guys, foremost among them Beltran. Freese is streaky. Berkman is streaky. Craig is streaky. Furcal is streaky. Holliday is more consistent, but his power is streaky.
I hate to say this, but this is the area where they really miss Pujols. He almost never slumped. Sure, he'd barf up a couple of 0-fers in a row once in awhile and there would be instances when he'd go a couple of weeks without a homer, but his consistency was his hallmark.

Last edited by artie_fufkin (7/19/2012 1:29 pm)

forsberg_us wrote:

I agree with you AP.  It's one thing if the team had injuries and was forced to play players who didn't belong in the major leagues.  But this team had more than enough bodies to cover for Berkman while he rehabbed.  Now, Berkman seems to be acknowledging that he made a mistake.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/notebook-layoff-compromised-berkman-s-bat-speed/article_042c56aa-88f3-5853-877d-5f517d18faf1.html

Cant they put him back on the DL and rehab him before the 15 days is up?  I could go two weeks without seeing him in the lineup.

"Now that the decision is made, that door is closed barring a return to the DL."

As Strauss ought to know, there are ways of massaging the DL. It wasn't too long ago Lance Painter would get a callup to replace a position player who suddenly came down with the La Russa Flu every time the Cardinals thought they needed another lefty in the bullpen for a series.

artie_fufkin wrote:

And the reverse is likely just as true.

"Hey Lance, come into my office, will ya? We need another bat for the series at Wrigley this weekend, so you're going on the 15-day with a strained glenoid."
"What's a glenoid?"
"No idea. But yours is in a lot of pain."

Rec.