Ben Frederickson Live
Bring your Cardinals, Blues, Mizzou and STL sports questions, and talk to Post-Dispatch columnist Ben Frederickson in a live chat starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
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My response to your response about acquiring Machado: What other options do you propose to get a star player 'cause that guy ain't in the minors? This fan base is beginning to avoid Busch Stadium in droves. Machado brings them back. If Machado gets the Cardinals back into the playoffs, and if the team makes any kind of run, the team is relevant again (currently it is not). Even if he walks, that's worth it. And you would have to like your chances for this team in the playoffs with it's starting pitching (I assume CMart regains form) and Hicks and Norris on the back end.
The Cardinals aren't going to win the Machado sweepstakes coming in cold. This is their only chance. -
The fan base is not beginning to avoid Busch Stadium in droves.Baseball attendance is down across the league, but the Cardinals' decline has been lower than the league average.The tough talk about not showing up, often observed in these chats, doesn't seem to show up at the park as much as it would seem.Those who stay away can be replaced, often by cheaper tickets and promotional items.The Cardinals have issues. Their fate does not hinge on Machado. Both can be true.
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Fangraphs has Machado's defensive value as 4th worst among SS (fun fact Yairo Munoz is 2nd worst). For the Cardinals to go after him either as a trade or an FA wouldn't they want him to agree to go back to 3rd? Probably a catch-22 because he won't agree to a deal unless the team commits to him at SS
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Brief pause in the chat. I need to go film an episode of Inside Pitch with Jeff Gordon. We are hitting on the under-performing contracts for the Cardinals, something that is of interest here. Will be up later at STLToday.com for viewing pleasure. Hang tight, and I'll be back after I'm done.
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I firmly believe in being respectful towards peers (or anyone for that matter) but it seems like the last few seasons, baseball players from opposing teams spend way too much time talking, laughing and patting each other on the back when standing around at a base. Even at league minimum, players make adequate money which would allow them to vacation together in the off season if they so desire. I swear I'm not even a grumpy old man. I just find this irksome. I'm not even calling for passing along a fine to players for talking to opponents like back in the day. I only know of this because Al Hrabosky has talked about it hundreds of times.
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I've said since last season that trading Allen makes the most sense for the Blues.A fool-me-once, fool-me-twice kind of thing.If there are takers for him, do it.If you are stuck with him, make the best out of it.But don't expect to sell it to the fans that it's the best, because two seasons have said he can't be relied upon, meaning more than the ups-and-downs that are to be expected from the No. 1
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Hey Ben, Most, I think, would agree that MM would be on the hottest of hot seats if the team missed the playoffs for a 3rd straight year. While Im not in love with MM as a manager, I dont know why he seems to get all the blame and Mo seems to escape the criticism that MM gets. Im not advocating for anyone to lose their job, but should they miss the playoffs for a 3rd straight year, at what point does Mo become a focal point for that failure? I mean he is afterall the one who bought the groceries that he expects MM to cook with...right? Thanks, Max
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Sure.And every time Matheny's job security comes up, Mozeliak is the first to admit his should come up as well.The question is, is that believable?Mozeliak was just promoted last season.DeWitt's patience will thin with the manager long before his president, I think.To your point, there have been some signings that have not came through. Leake. Fowler. Cecil. Holland (though I'm not convinced that was Mo's move as much as it was appeasing the manager).As that list grows the front office feels more pressure, yes.
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Nothing diminishes fair questions about some of Mozeliak's dealings faster than refusing to acknowledge his success.Another thing: There's another step to the ladder. DeWitt is still the chairman. What would his reaction be to three postseason-less years? The desire to end a slump has to start at the top.
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Sigh.A few points, which have been made in the past, but I will try again.1. Scared? Of what? It's the job to ask questions, even about bad trends and uncomfortable topics. No one is scared. At least no one on our staff.2. The interactions you see on TV are not the only interactions. And sometimes you don't ask questions in front of everyone and the cameras that you would prefer to ask in a less public setting -- because you want the answer and don't want to give it away to everyone. Don't believe that? Ask yourself why the quotes you see in the paper are often not the quotes you hear on TV.3. Too often this notion of "asking the tough questions" comes with the image of an interrogation or, frankly, being rude. Asking the manger why the bleep he did something isn't going to get a very good answer. I imagine the same approach applies to you. What is likely to get a better answer? Why the heck did you do that thing that blew up in your face? Or, hey, can you explain what the goal was there? Same question. One is likely to get a better explanation. That, not grandstanding or playing tough guy, is the goal. At least it should be.
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