You're welcome. Tough call on the first one. The game was a different game on turf, which Ozzie and Tom Herr had. Both duos were terrific. I would give the 1964 infield an edge on offense and last year's club a slight edge on defense. DeJong, I think, was a better defender than Groat. But Groat also was a much better hitter than DeJong. That's the swing vote.
Yes, the kids are all right. Teams often have trouble with pitchers they haven't seen no matter how many reports they read or videos they watch. I'm not concerned about Arenado. He's actually stuck in a few run-scoring singles lately, such as last night, and he has been much better lately than he was in May.
You can't release players while they are on the injured list. But Dickerson may stay on the injured list for a while until the Cardinals figure out what to do with him. He did homer twice in his last previous game, you know, albeit one of those was off a first baseman.
Tony is signed for next year, too, and the White Sox just came off a big series win in Tampa Bay. The White Sox have had a rash of injuries and shortstop Tim Anderson, their best player, is out now. Chicago isn't pulling any triggers yet and the Twins are very catchable in that division.
The base runner on second to start the extra inning is the hitter who made the final out in the previous inning. Teams can pinch run for that player with somebody who hasn't been in the game yet. Hope that helps.
Mo and Girsch will be happy to read these sentiments. That was a fun series in Chicago. Considering that the Cardinals had to pull out two of their three wins in the series in extra innings and had to ride their top relievers hard in the final two games, it was a successful weekend.
Donovan has to play somewhere almost every day. I wouldn't take Gorman off second base to create space for Donovan, though, but I would give Yepez the majority of the at-bats as the DH over Pujols. It seems something always happens to solve these dilemmas but it is a good one to have for Oli Marmol. And DeJong is beginning to produce at Memphis. You can't leave him down there all season either.
Walker will be in Class AAA before the season is over, I would think. But there's no rush. Let him prosper for much of a season at Class AA before you move him.
Wittgren has been all right, especially lately and he's the most durable of the Cardinals' relievers. McFarland has been better, too, although he hasn't had a good season. He will have to show more, especially with Thompson now here as a possible left-handed starter/reliever.
There is little doubt in my mind that the Cardinals are a playoff team and a potential division winner. Flaherty is on the way back and you won't get a more legitimate starter than he if he stays healthy. It looks to me as if the Cardinals have plenty of outfield/DH candidates with Yepez a strong likelihood to get more DH at-bats with O'Neill and Carlson in the field. .
I would think Nootbaar would go down when the dust clears but he's helped win a couple of games lately, including last night. Dickerson will go eventually, in all probability.
It appears Thompson will get a start in Tampa Bay and Pallante might have one more although Matz appears close to returning. Oviedo will go back to Memphis. Woodford and Liberatore already have gone back.
I don't see any real problems with the Cardinals' base running. They're one of the top base running teams in the league.
If there is a chance to get Bumgarner, you take a look. But, before that happens, the Cardinals would have to see how ready Matz and then Flaherty are after their injuries, with Hicks on the horizon.
So where would he play? O'Neill and Carlson will be back this week. Burleson's time will come.
And. . . thank you. I don't like the "ghost" runner either. His presence on second base is considered as an error or unearned run if he scores although no player is charged with that error. So one of the Cardinals' runs in extra innings each of the last two nights was an unearned run.
He could used at least one of those. Waino still needs 11 wins to make it to 200 and he has about 21 starts left.
Jake Walsh ranks ahead of them right now. And neither of the other two is on the 40-man roster.
I don't know that any of the names you mentioned would help you get a quality starter unless it was DeJong.
As mentioned, Nootbaar is the most likely immediate casualty with Dickerson next when he is deemed healthy. The batting order when all the players are back might go something like this: Edman, Gorman, Goldschmidt, Arenado, Carlson, Yepez/Donovan, Molina, O'Neill, Bader.
The Cardinals wouldn't want all of that contract for two more years-plus although he would be intriguing.
Hello, Mr. Hummel. Thank you for your time. I'm glad Julian Javier was named to the Cardinals' Hall of Fame. I'd love it if he would make baseball's Hall, put I don't think his numbers on offense are good enough. Plus, he was unfortunate to have played at the same time as Mazeroski.