Written by Mike on February 24, 2008 – 12:28 am -
Short post today. I’ll point you in the right direction for a few good reads about our Birds. As usual, Derrick Goold is blogging from Cardinals camp, and gives some insight on today’s simulated game. Check it out here. Yesterday, Goold had a gem of a story about some of the pitchers taking a road trip to Daytona in an RV to see some NASCAR action. It’s a must read. If you missed it, find it here.
And if that gets you thinking about which Cardinals might be rednecks, Tim McKernan of InsideSTL.com has all the answers
here.
Next, more steroid news. Cards’ minor league pitcher Scott Vander Weg has tested positive for an unspecified performance enhancing drug. He’ll receive a 50 game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy effective at the start of the 2008 season. Here’s the full
press release.
Finally, Bob Elliot of the Toronto Sun was in Jupiter asking some of the Redbirds about their former teammates Scott Rolen and David Eckstein. His post is loaded with great quotes. Find it
here.
Posted in Eckstein, Rolen, Steroids | 1 Comment »
Written by Mike on January 23, 2008 – 2:05 am -
The news of Yadier Molina’s new contract has finished making its rounds though the Cardinals’ corner of cyberspace. As I read others’ reactions and opinions of the deal, one article in particular, really caught my eye. The sabermetrics guys over at Fungoes further analyzed Molina’s effect on the running game (or lack thereof). It’s an excellent read with somewhat surprising results. Find it here.
A few other stories surrounding the ball club surfaced over the last couple of days, including Albert Pujols banning a local media team from a press conference. C70 has his take, and all of the links
here.
Lastly, Bud Selig was in St. Louis last night for the annual baseball writers’ dinner, further addressing the steroid issue, as well as the growth of the sport. Tom Timmermann has the full story
here.
Posted in Molina, Pujols, Selig, Steroids | No Comments »
Written by Mike on January 7, 2008 – 2:27 am -
After a relaxing day off work, watching the NFL Wild Card games, I decided to stay tuned for the Roger Clemens interview on “60 Minutes”. Although I found it to be worth watching, soon I felt disturbed after I realized that the controversies currently surrounding Major League Baseball will always appear more newsworthy than any on-field achievements. That’s when I decided to write this intro.
It really bothers me that athletes, especially baseball players, will always be scrutinized, rather than given the benefit of the doubt following outstanding performances. No matter how full of natural ability and talent a player has, there will always be questions regarding his legitimacy. Will there ever be another superstar that isn’t questioned? Even after the Mitchell Report, and all of the subsequent reports I’m sure will come out in the coming months, and even after the commissioner’s office exhausts ridiculous amounts of time and money into trying to clean up the game of baseball, this will still be the case. Even when the “steroid era” is over, the debate will not be. Was this problem caused by the guilty players, the league, the fans, the media, or a more likely, a combination of all of them?
Soon, we’ll see the results of the 2008 Hall of Fame voting. The ballot includes many great players, including our own Mark McGwire, a holdover from last year. The controversy surrounding him is just as prominent as with Clemens. Did they cheat? I don’t know. I’m sure we’ll know more eventually. So where in the history of baseball will these types of players fit? Nowhere? Asterisked? Cooperstown?
We’ll discuss that next time.
Posted in McGwire, Steroids | No Comments »
After a relaxing day off work, watching the NFL Wild Card games, I decided to stay tuned for the Roger Clemens interview on “60 Minutes”. Although I found it to be worth watching, soon I felt disturbed after I realized that the controversies currently surrounding Major League Baseball will always appear more newsworthy than any on-field achievements. That’s when I decided to write this intro.
