forsberg_us wrote:

Mike Trout has spent his whole career in LA. I had to do a google search to remember any endorsement he had done. He was in a Subway commercial.

He also did some stuff for MLB Network, but I doubt you need to be in a big city for baseball to promote its best player.

That said, still no chance we sign Harper.

Wasnt there something last year about how the commissioner wanted trout to promote himself and the mlb more?

I like trout for the same reasons i like harper.  Trout is authenticly humble and harper is an authentic dick.

Personally im tired of the ho hum cardinals.  This Christian collation, eat salas at second base, dumbass train after a hr.....blah.  how about somebody get mad once in a while.  There has been plenty to be mad about.

Fors,

What is the local justification and feasibility for spending 350mill on harper?

APIAD wrote:

Fors,

What is the local justification and feasibility for spending 350mill on harper?

I don't think anyone locally believes it will happen. For those trying to justify it, it's the usual material: left-handed power bat, he's only 26, he'd be the face of the franchise, etc...

Personally, I'm torn on this.  As much as I complain about the team not being serious about winning, I'm not sure Harper is the guy I'd pursue.  When 2019 starts he's going to be one of the top two highest paid players in baseball, but I don't think he's one of the top two players in baseball.  For that matter, I'm not sure he's one of the top 10 players in baseball.  He's in the top 20 (position players, not pitchers), but I'm not sure that's good enough for me to spend that kind of money.

When I look at Harper's numbers, I see a guy who had one fantastic season, and that's really it.  Last year was his 1st with 100 RBI, and only his 2nd with 30+ HR.  And he isn't considered particularly good defensively.  

One other thing, I know he's only 26, but I suspect he's a somewhat old 26.  This is a guy who started playing college ball at something like 15-16.  He's been playing at advanced levels most of his life.  There are more miles on the tires than the odometer claims.  I'm not as swayed by the "he's only 26" argument.

With all that said, Harper is still a very good ballplayer, and the Cardinals would be better with him than without him.  The question is whether he moves the needle in terms of fan interest enough to justify the deal.  Last year the Cardinals almost didn't have an All-Star representative.  The team is of little to no interest on a national stage.  I'm guessing if you asked a casual baseball fan outside of the St. Louis area to name 5 players on the Cardinals, they might not be able to do it.  One other thing--the Cardinals' reputation is that they never win these free agent battles.  That reputation is well-earned.  No one cares that they were willing to take on Stanton's deal or that they made offers to Pujols, Heyward and Price that they felt were good enough.  In the end, they always come up short.  I think it may be a reason why we see players not be particularly interest in coming here.  The Cardinals aren't exciting, and the organization simply wants to win enough--it isn't committed to winning.  Is that something the organization wants to change?  

If I'm signing Bryce Harper, it's for reasons that are bigger than on-field production.  Which is why I don't think there's any chance they'll do it.  I don't think the organization cares how they're perceived away from Busch

forsberg_us wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

APIAD wrote:

Bader is by far the most interesting player to watch because he hustles. He is a foot or knee injury away from irrelevant.

He's become one of my favorite players. I don't know how much play his Twitter battle at the end of the season with Keith Olbermann got, but Bader just crushed him. When you make a self-described Smartest Man in the World resort to the "I know you are but what am I?" response, you're good with me.

I generally don't do Twitter because 99.9% of the people on there aren't smart enough to deserve having anyone know their opinion on the world.  What happened between Bader and Olbermann?

Yes, please tell us.  Your answer could change my whole outlook on Bader.
 

Im sort of in the "no player is worth 10y 350million" camp.  Id be excited to see him play from a near future cardinals fan.  As far as a smart long term/bussiness deal i highly doubt it is.  What huge contract has been a win?  The majority are not.

artie_fufkin wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

I actually went and found it.

During the Cubs/Cards series at the end of the year, Olbermann tweeted “So far nothing in this Cubs-Cards game suggests Harrison Bader is a major leaguer, never mind a superior outfielder or heady player.”

To which Bader responded, “Wolves dont lose sleep over the opinions of sheep .. Always keep the fire burning baby .. ”

Olbermann subsequently responded with something like: "Been doing this for 40 years. I don't lose sleep."
Been doing what? Acting like an asshole?

If you are referring to Obermann, I don't think we're talking about acting.
 

Who in the fuck doesnt drive?

artie_fufkin wrote:

APIAD wrote:

Who in the fuck doesnt drive?

When he was young, he apparently incurred a head injury that caused him to lose depth perception.

Well dont i look like a dick.

APIAD wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

APIAD wrote:

Who in the fuck doesnt drive?

When he was young, he apparently incurred a head injury that caused him to lose depth perception.

Well dont i look like a dick.

Then I didn't write it the way I had intended. My point was Olbermann is a pain in the ass. 
 

APIAD wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

APIAD wrote:

Well dont i look like a dick.

Then I didn't write it the way I had intended. My point was Olbermann is a pain in the ass. 
 

Even if he is an ass i still made fun of someone with a brain injury. But hey, never stopped me from making fun of matheny.

Well done, sir.

forsberg_us wrote:

The Cardinals traded Wisdom for a LH utility guy who can’t hit.

I’ve never understood the fascination with a LH hitter who can’t hit versus a RH guy who can. I’d rather have Gyorko, O’Neill, Martinez and Munoz on the bench than have one of those guys replaced by a LH hitting Pete Kozma.

I had not searched the new guy yet but this post doesnt give me good feelings.  I was hoping the delscalso rumors were true.