TLR wants Greene to be able to play CF because he doesnt have anyone who can do so and bat right handed.  Jay, Skip and Rasmus are all left handed.  I dont think TLR would make a habit out of putting Greene in center but he wants an option for late inning righty/lefty matchups.

Max wrote:

I would never be accused of being irrationally exuberant in my support of Rasmus, but i think we are getting past the point where La Russa should be mapping out playing time for anyone based upon the idea of switching out Rasmus for a right-handed bat.   At a critical point in a playoff game, OK, maybe.  But as the kind of thing that would happen often enough to mention it to the press, NO.

I assume Rasmus isnt going to play 162 game.  For one most players dont play every game.  Also in his previous two season he has always come up with injuries.  I think both years he has spent time on the DL. So if Rasmus isnt going to play every game then it would seem logical to sit him against lefties.  In that case it would also seem logical to start a right handed bat.  Your options would be Pujols, Molina, Theriot, Freese, Craig, Berkman, Holliday or Greene.  So take your pick.

don.rob11 wrote:

Craig 1 for 3 ; no errors, but found out he was at the hot corner early and often ...........


http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/article_c992321a-4369-11e0-a898-0017a4a78c22.html

What the story doesnt say is if Craig misplayed any balls.  Were those balls that got past him going to get past Freese as well?

Good point AP, since there was no tv, we are looking at Strauss' viewpoint. I can't tell if he is assuming Hop-a-long would have gotten to any of those balls or not . Craig knocked one of them down, but could not make a play and he was not credited with an error . I would like to believe they were well hit balls , that were tough chances .

APRTW wrote:

Max wrote:

I would never be accused of being irrationally exuberant in my support of Rasmus, but i think we are getting past the point where La Russa should be mapping out playing time for anyone based upon the idea of switching out Rasmus for a right-handed bat.   At a critical point in a playoff game, OK, maybe.  But as the kind of thing that would happen often enough to mention it to the press, NO.

I assume Rasmus isnt going to play 162 game.  For one most players dont play every game.  Also in his previous two season he has always come up with injuries.  I think both years he has spent time on the DL. So if Rasmus isnt going to play every game then it would seem logical to sit him against lefties.  In that case it would also seem logical to start a right handed bat.  Your options would be Pujols, Molina, Theriot, Freese, Craig, Berkman, Holliday or Greene.  So take your pick.

OK, maybe this is just me, but young guys like Rasmus, who contribute with their bat to the extent that they are arguably impact players, ought to play 150+ games per year.  Pujols averages 156 per year.  I don't think of him as injury prone and don't recall the DL stints at the moment.  But for him to be the kind of impact player who is so good that we don't trade his ass when he cries like a baby to be traded, he has to be on the field, and I think the days of platooning him should be over.

"But for him to be the kind of impact player who is so good that we don't trade his ass when he cries like a baby to be traded, he has to be on the field, and I think the days of platooning him should be over."

Corby has to show more maturity and better production. He can be Jim Edmonds, or he can be B.J. Upton.

artie_fufkin wrote:

don.rob11 wrote:

Craig 1 for 3 ; no errors, but found out he was at the hot corner early and often ...........


http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/article_c992321a-4369-11e0-a898-0017a4a78c22.html

Hard to opine about Craig's adventures today without seeing highlights, but is anyone else distressed by the idea the Cardinals are planning on a defensive alignment that includes a DH with two bad knees and a sore elbow in right field, a second baseman at shortstop, an outfielder at second base, and the solution at third base is a trioka of a converted rookie outfielder, a guy with two bad ankles, a drinking problem and about 100 games of major league experience, and a retread who currently has his balls in a sling?

I dont think I am distressed.  It should be feeling kind of normal by now.

APRTW wrote:

Max wrote:

APRTW wrote:

I assume Rasmus isnt going to play 162 game.  For one most players dont play every game.  Also in his previous two season he has always come up with injuries.  I think both years he has spent time on the DL. So if Rasmus isnt going to play every game then it would seem logical to sit him against lefties.  In that case it would also seem logical to start a right handed bat.  Your options would be Pujols, Molina, Theriot, Freese, Craig, Berkman, Holliday or Greene.  So take your pick.

OK, maybe this is just me, but young guys like Rasmus, who contribute with their bat to the extent that they are arguably impact players, ought to play 150+ games per year.  Pujols averages 156 per year.  I don't think of him as injury prone and don't recall the DL stints at the moment.  But for him to be the kind of impact player who is so good that we don't trade his ass when he cries like a baby to be traded, he has to be on the field, and I think the days of platooning him should be over.

I believe rookie year he got a the flu or something real bad and last year it was a strained calf.  Still he played 150 games.  TLR just wants options.  I think that is smart.  If Rasmus would go on the DL giving Greene playing time now in center would allow TLR to mesh Jay and Greene into a more productive center fielder.

That's fine, except do you really want Jay and Greene playing that much? Unless Jay reverts to the guy he was in August instead of the one he's been during the rest of his career, they're nice complementary players that give you depth and can fill in capably for a week or so.
If one of the primary goals this year is to get Tyler Greene more comfortable in the outfield, I'm clearly being too pessimistic or the Cardinals are being too optimistic.

APRTW wrote:

TLR is just looking for a worst case solution.  I think that is smart considering this year could be a worst case situation.  No I dont want Jay or Greene in center but if Rasmus is on the DL who is in center.

If it gets that bad, I'd put Skippy in center. He's probably the second best defensive outfielder on the team.

APRTW wrote:

Max wrote:

APRTW wrote:

I assume Rasmus isnt going to play 162 game.  For one most players dont play every game.  Also in his previous two season he has always come up with injuries.  I think both years he has spent time on the DL. So if Rasmus isnt going to play every game then it would seem logical to sit him against lefties.  In that case it would also seem logical to start a right handed bat.  Your options would be Pujols, Molina, Theriot, Freese, Craig, Berkman, Holliday or Greene.  So take your pick.

OK, maybe this is just me, but young guys like Rasmus, who contribute with their bat to the extent that they are arguably impact players, ought to play 150+ games per year.  Pujols averages 156 per year.  I don't think of him as injury prone and don't recall the DL stints at the moment.  But for him to be the kind of impact player who is so good that we don't trade his ass when he cries like a baby to be traded, he has to be on the field, and I think the days of platooning him should be over.

I believe rookie year he got a the flu or something real bad and last year it was a strained calf.  Still he played 150 games.  TLR just wants options.  I think that is smart.  If Rasmus would go on the DL giving Greene playing time now in center would allow TLR to mesh Jay and Greene into a more productive center fielder.

It is not unheard of in the La Russa Era that stints on the DL can be fortuitously timed to co-occur with the need to promote someone from Memphis, or even to give someone needed playing time.  Usually the injured person is not as valuable to the team as is Rasmus.

APRTW wrote:

TLR is just looking for a worst case solution.  I think that is smart considering this year could be a worst case situation.  No I dont want Jay or Greene in center but if Rasmus is on the DL who is in center.

What's Randy Winn doing?

Max wrote:

APRTW wrote:

TLR is just looking for a worst case solution.  I think that is smart considering this year could be a worst case situation.  No I dont want Jay or Greene in center but if Rasmus is on the DL who is in center.

What's Randy Winn doing?

Hopefully, something that prevents him from playing for the Cardinals in 2011.