Yadi needs a day off.

APIAD wrote:

Beating the giants in a series is promising.

Smoltz on Saturday and then Aaron Boone last night both said to bookmark Saturday's comeback win, because it may become a turning point.
It's going to come down to four teams for the two WC spots - whoever finishes second in the East, whoever finishes second in the West, the Pirates and the Cardinals.
I don't think the Marlins have enough juice to last 162 games, and the Phillies are already starting to fade.
The Cardinals' schedule gets a bit easier next month. Between July 1 and August 10 the only contending team they have to play on the road is the Mets. 
There's a huge hump at the end of the season. After a 3-game series at home with the Cubs, they make a 10-game trip to San Francisco, Denver and Wrigley Field before they finish at home against the Reds and the Pirates.
 

Excerpted from a Hummel story on the P-D's website:
"The Cardinals’ second baseman of the past was out early Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium taking 20 minutes of ground balls as the second baseman of the future.
"Asked if his workout Sunday was like riding a bicycle, Carpenter joked, 'It’s like riding a tricycle. But it feels good.'
"Carpenter finished Saturday’s game at first base, and he has changed positions during games a couple of other times this year. 'It is a challenge when you jump around in the game,' said Carpenter."
"But Carpenter added that Matheny had made it 'pretty clear' that he would not have Carpenter playing third base one day, second base the next day and first base the day after that."

OK, I'm officially done with this guy. I realize he's the greatest .287 career hitter who ever lived, but geez-us, does he have to have his way with everything? He pouts when he doesn't bat leadoff, even though he's not even attempted a stolen base, would be better off hitting lower in the order and there are three faster guys who would be more effective in that spot.
I understand changing positions from one side of the diamond in the middle of the season is like pretty much the baseball equivalent of the Trail of Tears, but just shut the fuck up and do it. And you know if he goes into a batting slump, he's going whine again until he gets moved back to third. 
And there are players, plenty of 'em, I think, who don't moan about the "challenge" of moving from one position to the other during a game. Piscotty isn't even an outfielder, much less a centerfielder, but when he started in center last week and then moved to right, he kept his mouth shut. Moss isn't particularly adroit at any position, but he's played right, left and first without whining about it.
And 20 whole minutes taking ground balls?!? What a trooper. I'm sure the guys who spend 10-12 hours a day working in a coal mine can relate.
Carpenter is to the 2010s what Wade Boggs was to the 1980s. Except Wade Boggs won batting titles, a couple of Gold Gloves and had a career average about 40 points higher.
 

Last edited by artie_fufkin (6/06/2016 2:21 pm)

I'm tired of the team revolving around Matt Carpenter. He should be hitting in the middle of the order, driving in runs. His production is being wasted at the leadoff spot. But if Matheny moves him out of there, he pouts. Now we find out playing two different positions in the same game is inconvenient for him. Moving to second base is inconvenient for him. It's all about him. The front of his jersey reads St. Louis Cardinals, not St. Louis Carpenters.

APIAD wrote:

I dont get the bitch. At third carp is a top 10 third baseman. At second he is a top 3. He is jeff kent. He is a rarity. Average/power/leadoff....honestly if he spend his whole career at second he would be one of the top second baseman in this franchise and viable numbers vs hall of fame type second baseman. At third he is just a guy that played there. He is tatis. He is gaetti. He could make so much more money and name for himself at second.

I'm not sure Carpenter's agent could make a Jeff Kent comparison with a straight face, and the only reason you think Carpenter is a top 3 second baseman is because you don't watch AL baseball.  Carpenter would barely be a top 5 second baseman in the AL.

Carpenter is a nice ballplayer, but he isn't good enough to be as big of a diva as he seems to have become.

forsberg_us wrote:

APIAD wrote:

I dont get the bitch. At third carp is a top 10 third baseman. At second he is a top 3. He is jeff kent. He is a rarity. Average/power/leadoff....honestly if he spend his whole career at second he would be one of the top second baseman in this franchise and viable numbers vs hall of fame type second baseman. At third he is just a guy that played there. He is tatis. He is gaetti. He could make so much more money and name for himself at second.

I'm not sure Carpenter's agent could make a Jeff Kent comparison with a straight face, and the only reason you think Carpenter is a top 3 second baseman is because you don't watch AL baseball.  Carpenter would barely be a top 5 second baseman in the AL.

Carpenter is a nice ballplayer, but he isn't good enough to be as big of a diva as he seems to have become.

Im a bit of a mcarp fan so that might bias my opinion.  I dont like the idea that a player dictate their position in the lineup or on the field...so ill agree with that.

However Kents and carps number are very similar.  They are at a dead heat in ops and ba.  Carps hr numbers are lower but he has changed his approach there and is hitting more.  Hos rbis are lower but he is batting lead off.  I dont believe carp will play 20 years or ne boarderline HOF but i do think kent is a very fair comparison.  Either way he is a top of the league player. 

And i still think long term being at second is a bigger advantage to him.

As far as his position as the league top 2nd baseman/ 3rd baseman, he actually ranks higher as a third baseman.  He is top 3 in war and ops.  As a second baseman he is 4th/5th.  Im not sure how many others are leading off either.

Maybe, but right now he's just a guy with a 3 percent walk rate and a .260 batting average.

I mentioned it but didn't really make it the main point last night: Carpenter's batting position is dictated by he being the only one capable of it. This could've been Kolten Wong. He's expressed desire for it, he changed his batting approach to get deeper into counts and it backfired. Diaz is way too much of a free swinger to be batting leadoff. If the Cardinals trade for a new center fielder next season or sign Dexter Fowler, I think Carpenter will be moved to No. 2 (assuming Holliday is back) or No. 3 (assuming Holliday's option has been declined).

APIAD wrote:

The second best leadoff hitter on the team is piscotty and he has the same profile as carp.

I really dont mind a guy like carp leading off as long as the 2-5 hitters are capable of getting the job done.

I agree with you that on the team as it's currently comprised, Carpenter is the best option at lead off.  I also agree with Artie that if the manager decides he wants to try someone else at lead off and drop Carpenter into the #2 or #3 spot, he shouldn't bristle at the idea.  It's the manager's call, not his.

Of course, the manager doesn't have the stones to tell his catcher to take a day off, so why would we expect him to tell Carpenter where to bat in the order.