Lohse Signs 4-Year Deal
Written by Mike on September 30, 2008 – 12:17 am -
The St. Louis Cardinals wasted no time extending one of their most successful starting pitchers, free-agent-to-be, Kyle Lohse. It seemed a deal was imminent when the righty was scratched from his scheduled start in the last game of the season to undergo a physical. Today, the Cards made the official announcement. Matthew Leach has more.
The 4-year contract is said to be worth $41 million, and offers a full no-trade clause. It’s a deal similar to the one he was hoping to get last offseason before the Cardinals signed him cheaply when there were no other takers. Earning only $4.25 million this season, Lohse finished the year with a 15-6 record, and an ERA of 3.78 in 200 innings.
The backloaded contract is reportedly worth $7.125 million for 2009 (plus a $1.25 million signing bonus). So, the Cardinals should still have plenty of money to try and fill the remaining holes on the roster.
Overall, I like the move. I know that Lohse had a career year in his first season with the Cards, but I also think that you’re a product of your environment, and I’ve seen plenty of players play their best baseball in St. Louis. It’s no secret that Lohse likes it here, and I have no reason to believe that he’ll be any less of a pitcher next season.
So, John Mozeliak can already put a check mark in one of the offseason to-do boxes, but he’s still got a lot more work to do. It should be an interesting winter.
Make it Five
Written by Mike on September 27, 2008 – 10:40 pm -
Five! Five wins! Ah ah ah! The Cardinals kept the winning streak going with another win over the Reds tonight, and with only one more game in the season, have a chance to end on a positive note.
Pin this win on Todd Wellemeyer. The Colonel was good again, giving up just three runs over 6.1 innings, while striking out three. Wellemeyer finishes the season 13-7, with a 3.71 ERA. Go ahead and write his name into the starting rotation next season, and use pen.
The Cardinals were able to put up eight runs, which included a two run shot from Troy Glaus, and solo homers from Felipe Lopez and Albert Pujols. Here’s tonight’s box score.
Kyle Lohse will take the mound for the Redbirds tomorrow afternoon, hoping to put an exclamation point on the end of the season for St. Louis. He’ll be opposed by lefty Adam Pettyjohn. Let’s end it the right way boys. Sweep!
Cards Trying to Finish Strong
Written by Mike on September 26, 2008 – 10:29 pm -What’s going on with the Birds on the Bat? They stayed in the race all season long before an ugly, unmotivated, and injury plagued September. Now that they’ve been eliminated, they’re winning baseball games again.
Taking three of four and spoiling the playoff chances for the Arizona Diamondbacks was first, and now the Cardinals have stretched their winning streak to four games with tonight’s win over the Reds. They’re now 84-76, despite a September record of 10-13, with two more games to play in the ‘08 season.
You could argue that the games don’t count anymore, but in some ways they still do. Maybe the guys aren’t playing for October, but they could be playing for pride. Some could be playing for milestones. Some could be playing for next year’s paycheck, and some for next year’s opportunity. Whatever the reason, seeing the Cards play winning baseball is still fun, and much better than the alternative.
The latest win didn’t come until the bottom of the ninth, when Troy Glaus knocked in Felipe Lopez with a walk-off sacrifice fly. The final score was 7-6, with Ryan Franklin getting both the blown save and the win. It’s crap. Franklin was again the worst of the Cardinal pitching, and doesn’t deserve any more positive statistics. Here’s a quick recap of tonight’s action, along with the complete box score.
Tomorrow’s game features Todd Wellemeyer and Aaron Harang. Hopefully the Cardinals can continue to roll, and end this season on a high note.
In the other meaningful action, the Marlins beat the Mets 6-1, while the Brewers beat the Cubs 5-1. Milwaukee again leads the Wild Card race by a game, but I’m really hoping they blow it. If I have to see any more shirt untucking I’ll probably puke. Go Cubs!
Mike at Yankee Stadium
Written by Mike on September 24, 2008 – 10:38 am -Every once in a while, there comes a time in your life when a unique opportunity will present itself. Sometimes, these opportunities are easy to pass on. Sometimes, a great self debate is needed to make sure you’re making the right decision. And sometimes, it’s a once in a lifetime shot that you can’t miss, regardless of the consequences. Last weekend, I had such an opportunity.
When you think about all the great ballparks in this game we love so much, none is more hallowed than Yankee Stadium. It’s the cathedral that houses the winningest franchise in the game. It was the daily office of some of the most famous players to ever put on a uniform, guys like Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Lou Gehrig. And there’s that other guy, the one that “built” the place, Babe Ruth. So much history lies in that one spot in the Bronx. It’s a must see for any fan of the game. The problem was, I’d never been.
This is the final season for Yankee Stadium, and with the Bombers finishing the year on the road, their final home series was set for this past weekend. It was now or never, no debate needed, a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I pulled the trigger with no hesitation whatsoever.
It was a three day trip to the City That Never Sleeps. Three friends and I boarded a plane from Ft. Lauderdale to JFK for a weekend full of fun and baseball. We stayed in Manhattan, of course. We saw the city, we partied like rockstars, and most importantly, we watched baseball at Yankee Stadium.
It was a trip I’ll never forget. I’ve got stories to share for a lifetime. If you’ve ever been, I’d love to hear yours.
Here’s a link to some photos from the park. I’ll add more when I get a chance, and might put another link in the photos area of the sidebar.
Now to help me transition my way back to St. Louis baseball, check out the most famous Cardinal moments at Yankee Stadium, courtesy of Derrick Goold.
End Hiatus
Written by Mike on September 23, 2008 – 9:49 pm -After a ten day break, which included a weekend trip to New York for the final series at Yankee Stadium, I’d say it’s about time I get back to daily posting. Don’t worry, baseball fans, I’ll have plenty to tell about my trip tomorrow, along with a bunch of pictures from The House that Ruth Built. For now, let’s just throw out the latest happenings of our favorite team.
First off, as I write this, the Cardinals are up on the Diamondbacks 7-4 in the eighth inning. A rare September win would be nice. Hopefully our boys can hang on.
Secondly, the news on Chris Carpenter’s status has been up and down for a couple of days now, but the latest appears to be promising. If he and the team opt for surgery to repair the compressed nerve in his right shoulder, Carp could be back to full strength by Spring Training. Robert Falkoff has the full story, although an official release should be available sometime tomorrow.
How about some more good news? Baseball America has published their Midwest League Top 20 Prospects (complete story for subscribers only), and two Cardinal farmhands made the list. Brett Wallace is ranked 5th, and Pete Kozma is 15th. Not too shabby.
Now for the bad news. With the Mets’ win over Chicago tonight, the Cardinals have finally officially been eliminated from the playoff picture. Of course I’ll still watch the their last five games, hoping the Brewers don’t get in, and then rooting for anyone but the Cubbies. Who will you be rooting for?
The Fat Lady Has Sung
Written by Mike on September 12, 2008 – 10:47 pm -
For those that missed it, the Cardinals got pummeled by the Pirates 10-2. Here’s the full recap, along with the complete box score.
Chris Carpenter is done for the season, and Rick Ankiel is going to have surgery. Derrick Goold has the story.
More to come when I get back from playing in traffic…
Remembering 9/11
Written by Mike on September 11, 2008 – 10:46 pm -It’s already been seven years since the attacks, but it sure doesn’t seem like it. Of course none of us will ever forget that day, but emotions can fade. I think it’s good to recall the feelings you had at that time, so to stir your emotions up, here’s the clip of Cardinal broadcasting legend Jack Buck, reading his poem, For America, to the Busch Stadium crowd on September 17, the day that baseball resumed play.
Cubs Even the Series
Written by Mike on September 10, 2008 – 10:50 pm -
Ted Lilly is good, and that sucks. Really, he’s good. Seriously, that sucks. Lilly kept the Cardinal hitters off balance all night, lasting eight innings, giving up just one run on five hits. He was brilliant. To me, he looks hittable. I guess to Major League hitters, he’s not.
So you’d think that Lilly’s dominance was the difference in the game. You’d be wrong. Blame it on the Cardinals’ defense. The Cards committed two errors, both by Felipe Lopez at third, but they had several other defensive miscues, and it clearly cost them the game. Only one of the Chicago’s four runs was earned, and the Cardinals lost the game 4-3. Here’s the full recap and box score.
I took note of a few other things in tonight’s loss:
- Jason Motte still kicks ass.
- Josh Kinney was awesome. Welcome back.
- Ryan Ludwick now has 33 home runs.
- Cubs pitchers and balks go hand in hand.
- Josh Phelps shouldn’t play in left field.
Chances are, since you’re reading this, you follow the Cardinals as closely as I do. I’m sure you were scoreboard watching, and noticed that although the Phillies lost to the Marlins, both the Brewers and the Astros won tonight, which is bad news for the Redbirds. The Cardinals have now fallen to fourth place in the NL Central, trailing the Cubs by nine games, and 4.5 games back in the Wild Card race.
Yesterday was great. Tonight was horrible. That’s the way it goes, I guess. One thing is for sure, though, the National League Central can no longer be considered a weak division.
So, tomorrow is another day. It’s the rubber game of this heated rivalry. Todd Wellemeyer gets the ball for the Cardinals. Rich Harden will take the mound for the Small Bears. A Cardinal win is imperative for their playoff hopes. Go Cards!
Cards Not Done Yet
Written by Mike on September 10, 2008 – 2:54 pm -The Cardinals were able to come away with a win last night in the first game of a three game series against the division leading Chicago Cubs. Two key swings stood out in the win. One, a rocket three run homer off the bat of Albert Pujols to tie the game in the sixth. The other, a weak, check swing dribbler past the pitcher from Cesar Izturis to score the winning run from third. Baseball is funny that way.
This was one of those games that I was waiting for what I thought was inevitable, a Cardinal mistake, and loss. Instead, the Birds got solid contributions from all facets, and picked up an important win.
It started with Kyle Lohse. After struggling early on, he was able to settled in, coming within two outs of another quality start. Aside from Ron Villone, who walked the only batter he faced, the bullpen pitched very well. And the offense, held quiet for most of the game by Chicago starter Ryan Dempster, played a hard nine, ending the game in walk-off fashion, complete with an on-field celebration after Brendan Ryan’s fantastic slide.
The final score was 4-3. Matthew Leach has the full recap, and here’s the complete box score.
The Cards have now matched their win total from a year ago, and have pulled to 3.5 games behind the Brewers in the Wild Card race. It sure is fun to watch a team still in the hunt this late in the year. Braden Looper will hope to keep the winning streak alive tonight in game two. He’ll face lefty Ted Lilly. I’m hoping last night’s win has added some fuel to the Cardinals’ hopes in the playoff race. Boo the Cubs!
Finally, a couple of links. Over at Bird Land, Derrick Goold has a follow up post concerning the latest UCB project, where all the bloggers rated the team’s top prospects. Also from the Post Dispatch, Joe Strauss has the latest news about Pujols’ elbow, and whether or not he’s planning on surgery this offseason.
#62
Written by Mike on September 8, 2008 – 9:34 pm -It was ten years ago today that Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire hit his 62nd home run of the season, beating Chicago’s Sammy Sosa to the punch, setting a new single season home run record formerly held by Roger Maris. It was an exciting time to be a baseball fan, and even more so, a Cardinal fan. Here’s the video of the feat, called by Joe Buck. Enjoy!
