Part of the conversation for second base, DH, left-handed sock off the bench.
Not from what I've been able to determine.
That would definitely stretch thin the pitching talent in the game and make it a greater game for hitters, alleviating this era when it's harder to hit than ever. I'm not sure there are enough owners/markets to support that kind of investment, let alone what stadiums ask of the local populace when it comes to construction. Just seems like the potential for overreaching and then a whole lot of stadiums abandoned like so many Olympic venues. Expansion, yes, to 32, steady expansion. Maybe there's a 34 out there. That would be a place to grow. But too many too fast means too likely it will fail too spectularly.
Alright, let's get to a lightning round to finish up the weekly Cardinals chat.
OK. There were two moments in there to make the move ahead of when he made the move. The first was before the Bohm at-bat. The next was after the slider that was wild to Bohm. That was a signal of trouble.
The separation of players is a major part of both players' careers and a factor to be considered in any conversation. Only one of them however never got the chance to say he played in Major League Baseball, and because of that you've helped prove my point -- Hornsby played in the majors, but the majors did not represent all of the best talent available in the world.
I have not heard or seen a comment on that. It's that time of year and it's a midterm election. Some of that is going to be driven by the local channel, and that is especially true when the games are, for example, on Channel 2 in St. Louis. There is a considerable amount of revenue that comes from political ads at this time of year, and that revenue does help fund the journalism that is necessary to keep those politicians honest so you can see the truth beyond those ads.
That means he becomes a free agent when LA does not tender him a contract.
There is no if in my statement. Hornsby did not play against all of the best baseball players of his time. Period. Full stop. That's history. There is no "if". It's not speculation. It's not fan fiction. It's not musing. It's history. Cannot put it any more bluntly.
It's a fun, spirited read and there are so many great details, deeper stories, and sharp lines in it. I have enjoyed reading it at this time of year, especially. Kepner is a great friend and I've learned a lot about how to be a better baseball writer from reading him, watching him work, and just flat asking him how he does what he does.
Makes sense to have him on the list as possibilities. Makes sense to also explore if there are better options ahead of him. But from the theme of the chat that has included questions about Martinez, Abreu, and others, there's a good fit for Myers that doesn't take long to see ahead of others mentioned.
The Cardinals have, traditionally and strategically, avoided the longterm commitments that it takes with ace-level starting pitchers on the free-agent market. They believe -- like many many teams -- that Max Scherzer is the outlier, and that the risk of injury is great and return is likely not as much as the expense because, as one executive told me years ago, you have to plan as if the pitcher is going to miss a year of a longterm contract, at least, and that has to be reflected in the cost. Well, the market doesn't exactly work like that. So, the Cardinals have stayed away from the high-dollar, free-agent pitchers with one notable exception: David Price, a lefty. They felt he was going to have the longterm performance, durability. Turns out Scherzer did. They've acknowledged their miss on that move. But remain steady with the numbers to back them that he's the outlier and that it's better to spend more on shorter term options than commit a lot to longterm options. Mike Leake would only seem to fortify that. And then they have their experience with Steven Matz in the first year of his deal which was largely interrupted by injuries.
Television programming. The postseason schedule is set based on all of the series going to the max, and that delays the start of the World Series in the event that both ALCS and NLCS are over quickly. Logistics also play a part. But not as much as the television partners and their programming.
Stay tuned. But likely. Streaming is obviously a clear and present issue for the local broadcast affiliates, and a solution has the attention of MLB Network, possibly. We'll see in the coming year (months?) how this plays out.
Got a comment or just a laugh track?
He did not play against "the talent at that time." He did not. Not in the majors. He never had to field a grounder in a major league game hit by Josh Gibson. And that has to be acknowledged.
For Justin Verlander? No. That does not seem realistic, no.
