tkihshbt wrote:

I'll never understand the no doubles defense. Never. It never. fucking. works.

They didnt allow a double.

Pujols' screwup was huge, but I don't think Motte should be used in save situations two nights in a row. Especially against a team like Texas that can zero in on his stuff pretty quickly. I think you need to keep those guys guessing, and I think Motte thrives on lowered expectations.

On a brighter note, Max thinks we're toast. You all know what that means. I might need to bump the season over thread.

The Cardinals best baseball is coming up tomorrow.

My take was the manager made two glaring mistakes. The first, pulling Freese, is obvious. I know he's put Descalso at third all year, but last night they had only a 1-run lead. Freese's spot was either going to come around with runners on base in the eighth or in the ninth.
I would have yanked Motte after he gave up the single to Kinsler, even as bloody as it was. Hear me out. Optimally, he should have been taken out after his second pitch. That would have probably been too Belichickian and it's with the benefit of hindsight, but Motte isn't a pitcher. He's a thrower who is only effective if he's in the 98-99 mph range. His first two pitches, if I recall correctly, were 94-96.
It makes me laugh when blockheads like Mitch Williams and Rob Dibble who haven't seen Motte pitch say he should have gotten a chance to get to pitch his way out of it with runners on second and third, because that's their macho dickhead closer mentality. Motte is not going to miss bats unless he's got his best fastball, and he's not going to fool anyone with that slider. If Motte had stayed in the game, everyone who went to plate against him would have scored, just like the Mets did the last time he didn't have his heater.
I'm not blaming Motte for the loss. They've relied on him a lot, and he's almost always come through. The reason he's not been annoited the closer by the manager is because the manager knows he has games when he just doesn't have it. Those moments are fewer these days, but LaRussa needs to recognize when they happen and react instead of crossing his fingers and hoping Motte pitches his way out of it, because he's not going to. I realize taking him out after a bloop single by Kinsler would have been even more controversial, but that was the move.

JV wrote:

Well said, Artie. All in all, although we'd like to and should be up 2-nil, this is hardly unfamiliar territory. Backs against a too-close wall. Let's outslug 'em in at least one game down there.

Thanks. Bear in mind this is coming from a fan who recoginzes the Cardinals have been playing long odds with house money for far too long. I'm not bitter they lost last night. Maybe a little disappointed because the game was right there in front of them, but no one from that team owes us a damn thing anymore. This will be a memorable season whether they win the WS or not.

artie_fufkin wrote:

Thanks. Bear in mind this is coming from a fan who recoginzes the Cardinals have been playing long odds with house money for far too long. I'm not bitter they lost last night. Maybe a little disappointed because the game was right there in front of them, but no one from that team owes us a damn thing anymore. This will be a memorable season whether they win the WS or not.

Bitter?  No just annoyed that they wasted a great chance to take control.  Now they are playing from behind again.  That was likely the best pitching they get this series.  I agree with Fors, that the Rangers starters are not impressive.  We still have a chance to see the Cardinals win the series.  Still if they last two innings of last nights game goes our way I would be almost sure the Cardinals pull it out.

artie_fufkin wrote:

Max wrote:

"I don't think anybody expected this out of Jaime Garcia"

*ahem*

As soon as he said that, I said out loud: "Max did!"

True, but in fairness I've expected that from him the last three games.

I think Passan was doing some garden variety yellow journalism with his headline: "Pujols displays zero leadership after Game 2 loss"

the issue is a reasonable one.  but as a college lit teacher once observed, there are stupid ways to question an issue and there are perceptive ways to do it.  "Pujols displays zero leadership after Game 2 loss . . . of the type of leadership that this Random Blogger can perceive" would have been a better title for the stupid way.  A more perceptive way, to paraphrase my lecturer, would have been to ask, "How does Pujols exhibit leadership on this team, in light of his disappearing act last night?"

Last edited by Max (10/21/2011 10:58 am)

artie_fufkin wrote:

if I recall correctly, were 94-96.

I remember the second pitch, at least, being 96, and think, . . . 'huh?  this isn't good.'

"Are they this retarded when it comes to other teams or just blind as to the Cardinals roster?"

In fairness, it's hard for these national guys to keep track of 30 teams. I didn't hear what Pierzynski had to say, but I can't imagine he's tracked Jason Motte's career from the dugout at Comiskey Park.
Passan is just grinding his axe again. His columns ought to come with a disclaimer.
At the same time, Pujols should have hung around and said "It's on me. I took my eye off the ball when I went to check on how far Kinsler rounded the bag,  and gave Andrus what turned out to be a critical extra base." I don't know how much of an inferiority complex you have to have about yourself to feel the need to hear him actually say that, but sometimes people like to feel better about themselves when someone who has accomplished things in life owns up to a mistake.

artie_fufkin wrote:

In fairness, it's hard for these national guys to keep track of 30 teams. I didn't hear what Pierzynski had to say, but I can't imagine he's tracked Jason Motte's career from the dugout at Comiskey Park.
Passan is just grinding his axe again. His columns ought to come with a disclaimer.
At the same time, Pujols should have hung around and said "It's on me. I took my eye off the ball when I went to check on how far Kinsler rounded the bag,  and gave Andrus what turned out to be a critical extra base." I don't know how much of an inferiority complex you have to have about yourself to feel the need to hear him actually say that, but sometimes people like to feel better about themselves when someone who has accomplished things in life owns up to a mistake.

We are lucky to have Buck calling the game.  He is a season ticket hold and often knows why a move is made.  If I were the MLB network I would try and find people who knew what was going on.  With most of the viewers being fans of one team or the other they are going to know when someone is talking out of their ass.

APRTW wrote:

I could see Passan going with the story if been ill tempered in an interview or refused verbally to speak about the play.  Instead Pujols just wasnt around to be spoken to.  Then he expects the manager and other players to throw the future hall of fame free agent under the bus?  I wouldnt have really bugged me because I know Passan is a douche but Yahoo put it as one of their front page stories.  That is to much credit to give Passan and his bogus story.

Not only that, but they teased it with a headline that read "MLB star's cowardly act," like he had just strangled a litter of kittens or something.
Berkman called in to MLB Radio during his drive to the airport to explain himself. I didn't hear the entire interview, but he gave kind of a lame "It was late and we all have families at the game ..." explanation.