Sorry, I don't understand why professional athletes need "opposition" from "skeptics" to motivate them. Or for any adult to perform anything for that matter. When I hear anyone beyond the fifth grade go down the "We wanted to prove people wrong ..." road, I just tune them out.
The rest of it is just delusional nonsense from people who are trying to sell tickets. There's no reason to believe the Cardinals are closer to equal to the Cubs now than they were on October 1.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cards-take-stock-as-fans-seem-unsettled/article_2cca3c28-52d2-58a4-97aa-70b121c68e5c.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=dlvr
 

i wonder what the maximum payroll is for this year, and how much under they have been in past years.  the storage of this dry powder has to be rather large.

I'm sick of Yadi:

https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/news/yadier-molina-reacts-to-comments-by-contreras/c-264854190

 

APIAD wrote:

artie_fufkin wrote:

Sorry, I don't understand why professional athletes need "opposition" from "skeptics" to motivate them. Or for any adult to perform anything for that matter. When I hear anyone beyond the fifth grade go down the "We wanted to prove people wrong ..." road, I just tune them out.
The rest of it is just delusional nonsense from people who are trying to sell tickets. There's no reason to believe the Cardinals are closer to equal to the Cubs now than they were on October 1.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cards-take-stock-as-fans-seem-unsettled/article_2cca3c28-52d2-58a4-97aa-70b121c68e5c.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=dlvr


 

Bernie seconds you

https://www.101sports.com/2018/01/17/memo-matheny-predictions-dont-matter-effective-leadership-matters/

I don't access Bernie but I also second you.  I suppose that the coaches feed them that crap to try to get them in a fighting mood but I can't excuse anyone being dumb enough to buy into it.
 

APIAD wrote:

There is a time and place that the underdog, we succeed in the face of adversity mind frame certainly works. 2006 cardinals, 2017 vikings ect....however i dont think tlr or zimmer pushing it at the players causes that mind frame. If a professional athlete, someone who had done nothing but play sports their whole life, cant see a challenge and have the motivation to attempt to rise to it then they probably are not much count. Imo the cards need less of that and more accountability from all sides. Id like to see matheny grab someone by the jersey and tell them they fucked up at some point this season. Or to simply pull them from the game after a blunder.

Matheny has no problem benching a player if that player's name happens to be Grichuk or Wong or Pham.  But Matheny doesn't have the balls to do it to a veteran player.  He doesn't have the balls to put Molina on the bench when he clearly needs it; to tell Wainwright that he's a 5th starter, at best, and on a short leash for heading to the bullpen or to tell (not ask) Carpenter that he's batting 3rd whether he pouts about it or not.

The Cardinals won the World Series in 2006, in part, because Larussa had the balls to bench Rolen in Game 2 of the NLCS.  Matheny is like the parent who wants to be their kid's best friend and the kid ends up being a fuck up because instead of needing a best friend, the kid needed someone who could actually parent.

APIAD wrote:

There is a time and place that the underdog, we succeed in the face of adversity mind frame certainly works. 2006 cardinals, 2017 vikings ect....however i dont think tlr or zimmer pushing it at the players causes that mind frame. If a professional athlete, someone who had done nothing but play sports their whole life, cant see a challenge and have the motivation to attempt to rise to it then they probably are not much count. Imo the cards need less of that and more accountability from all sides. Id like to see matheny grab someone by the jersey and tell them they fucked up at some point this season. Or to simply pull them from the game after a blunder.

Aren't the 2017 Vikings the #2 seed in the NFC?
My favorite "No one believed in us ..." moment was from Rodney Harrison right after the 14-2 Patriots, who were two touchdown favorites, beat the Panthers in the Super Bowl.

The Blue Jays have agreed to acquire outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Cardinals, per a Toronto announcement. Righties Dominic Leone and Conner Greene will go to St. Louis in return.

don.rob11 wrote:

The Blue Jays have agreed to acquire outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Cardinals, per a Toronto announcement. Righties Dominic Leone and Conner Greene will go to St. Louis in return.

Sounds like Grichuk talked his way out of St. Louis.

Leone looks like someone who could help the bullpen.  Had pretty decent stats last season in Toronto and has struck out more than a batter/inning over his career.

Green was Toronto's #11 prospect. Toronto's prospect page says he can hit 100 mph, but his walks say he has no idea where its going (83 walks in 132 IP at AA last season).

It's a shame they didn't move Grichuk back when MLB Network ranked him as one of the top 50 players in baseball.

APIAD wrote:

Have to look into what they got in return but im initially disappointed. Pham and fowler are bound to be on the dl at some point and grichuk would be a legitimate starter. I know they have other outfielders that can fill that void easily tho. Agree with fors, they sold low.

Martinez will be able to fill in if Fowler goes down and either Bader or O'Neal will be available if they need a CF.

I joke about Grichuk being ranked in the top 50 by MLB Network. If I recall correctly, they use some computer to do the rankings.  Randall Grichuk was never one of the 50 best players in baseball.  Anyone with 2 eyes who has seen him flail helplessly at a slider down and away can see that.  There may have been a time when he had more value than today, but I doubt it was that much more.

If the reliever who pitched last season for Toronto can duplicate his numbers, he'll help the team more than Grichuk would have.

artie_fufkin wrote:

forsberg_us wrote:

don.rob11 wrote:

The Blue Jays have agreed to acquire outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Cardinals, per a Toronto announcement. Righties Dominic Leone and Conner Greene will go to St. Louis in return.

Sounds like Grichuk talked his way out of St. Louis.

Leone looks like someone who could help the bullpen.  Had pretty decent stats last season in Toronto and has struck out more than a batter/inning over his career.

Green was Toronto's #11 prospect. Toronto's prospect page says he can hit 100 mph, but his walks say he has no idea where its going (83 walks in 132 IP at AA last season).

It's a shame they didn't move Grichuk back when MLB Network ranked him as one of the top 50 players in baseball.

 
Moz obviously didn't want Pham, Fowler and Ozuna looking over their shoulders at the looming spectre of Grichuk.
Not to be an alarmist, but the Cardinals have off-loaded Piscotty and Grichuk. I know they're deep at outfield, but what are the odds Pham replicates last year's numbers and/ or stays healthy for all 162?

None, and let’s not forget that Fowler missed quite a few games last season as well.

They had to put O’Neal on the 40-man and Bader is already on it. That gives them the flexibility to move them up and down as much as they want during the season.

I guess im more disappointed that grichuk was a player they intended to trade, didnt get a deal done, then was traded after he voiced his displeasure.  Probably didnt decrease his value much.  And grichuk is a repeated commodity in the cardinals system so they did lose much.  I agree that they will not miss him much.  I also expect him to do well for the blue jays.  I think he was miss handled here and expect him to be a 30/80 player.  We will see.  I hope 2017 isnt an abnormality for leone.

Doesnt seem like your run of the mill relievers repeat breakout season often. It is more like for every great season a reliever has he has an equally bad to average season.  It is truely a crapshoot.  I still am becoming more on board with the move.  Id have like to see 2017 be less of a break out and his 2015 and 2016 be more of a stairstep to 2017.  They have gregerson who was shit in 2017 and had a good career outside of that.   They leone who was great in 2017 and shit for his career.  I suppose one or the other will be useful.