Join columnist Ben Frederickson for a live chat at 11 a.m. Tuesday
Ben Frederickson answers all of your Cardinals, Blues, St. Louis City, Mizzou and SLU questions in Tuesday's 11 a.m. live chat.
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If Yadi and Waino end up signing somewhere else I don’t think there will be winners or losers, just losers. The Cardinals will look like losers because they didn’t come up with the extra change to keep them as Cardinals, and if Waino and Yadi sign somewhere else for just a few more dollars they will look like the losers because then it’s only about the money and not about their legacy, or how much they really love the organization. If they both sign then there are winners to go all around. What’s your take? -
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Am I crazy for thinking that Mahomes will easily reach 10 superbowls (Brady's number)? He's already at 2 and is 25. With modern medicine and the game becoming safer and safer for QBs, I think it's pretty likely Patrick plays at least 20 more seasons. He'd only have to win the AFC 8 out of 20 more seasons which isn't crazy.
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No, you're not crazy.The idea that Brady will forever hold that number is shortsighted because of Mahomes.But the Chiefs better get Young Patrick some legitimate linemen.They are playing with fire, leaving him exposed to injury.The Patriots made sure Brady was protected.KC should do the same starting this offseason.
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The calls & non-calls that are having major impacts on these NFL playoff games is maddening. Sure, the Packers should have gone for it, and sure Rodgers should have run that in on 3rd down...how in the world was the PI called on the Packers any different than the non-call on the Bucs on their earlier interception? I often hear the game didn't come down to that one play, and that's often an excuse, b/c in the end of the game when there's a still a chance to win, the game did actually come down to that one moment.
How crazy is it that the booth can end up adding a 12 men on the field penalty on an unrelated review in the Packers game, but they can't add a penalty on a review for a play like Sorensen's spearing tackle that caused the touchback in the Browns game? That play was just truly unbelievable. Never mind the issues of the fumble being a touchback, but just how can that possibly be missed? It wasn't exactly bang-bang. -
I know I'm in the minority but I saw the Sorensen hit and did not have the same reaction as most. I really don't think fans want the NFL to turn into a targeting-fest like college football, especially not in big moments like that one. And I don't have a problem with the fumble rule, either. As an offensive player, you have to hold onto the football there. Have to. Can't put it in a position where a hit -- even one that maybe should have been flagged -- can take the ball away.
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Ben, There has been talk and articles about platooning players. Some think it maximizes a lineup, some think it hinders it's growth. I am of opinion it works but not in the 2,3,4 spots for 2 reasons. 1 it creates vulnerability in the heart of a lineup and 2 IF you can hit 2,3,4 finding the reciprocal player that also does that and the players position is unlikely, because they're starters. In a deep LA lineup great but they weren't platooning Joc in the 4 spot with Tyler. What is your take?
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Ideally you would have 2-3-4 guys who are in the lineup every day. The platoon approach can be a way to cover those gaps if you don't. The Dodgers are interesting because they do both. They've got studs and savvy platoons. That's rare. In general, the old rule of, if you have two quarterbacks you really don't have one, seems to apply. If you don't have 2-3-4 guys as regulars you want hitting against all pitchers, you are in trouble. But still better to acknowledge the obvious and try a more advantageous approach by platooning them than simply insisting they are something they are not, if that makes sense. Best case scenario would be to have obvious answers. But better to improvise than pretend non-obvious answers are obvious.
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Hi Ben. I am just jumping in so this has likely already been covered. I enjoyed your article this morning in the PD about Tom Brady. Yes I grudgingly admit he is the GOAT but I will forever believe his number of Super Bowl wins is tainted whether the Pats would have prevailed anyway or not. You did , however, miss one of the reasons to hate him. The darn guy is married to a super model!! Grrrrr
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After last season Mo said the Cardinals brain trust would review how they evaluate players and provide playing time to "unlock" talent. Hard to believe it's 2021 and they are still trying to figure that out, but have the FO folks given any indication of what they have learned? If so, how do they plan to change? Thanks a lot. Enjoy your chat.
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One example would be their disinterest in making any definitive calls on the current outfielders. They seem determined to give this group another shot to make sure they are not getting rid of another player they don't have an accurate read on. How, exactly, they are going to get a good reason on guys like Lane Thomas and Justin Williams while also playing Dylan Carlson a lot is going to be interesting, considering the existence and previous prioritization of Dexter Fowler, Harrison Bader and Tyler O'Neill. It's one thing to say you will get guys reps. It's another to do it. But until there's a chance to do it, the Cardinals are saying they will get a better read on the outfield options.
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Hey Ben
Seems like DeWitt is having a hard time saying good bye to Molina Waino and Carpenter - isn’t 2021 a good year just to move on to a new core of players - 2022 brings new hope and revenues why not just hit the reset button, these players have served the team well but have very little left to give
End the sentimental charade and plan for the future -
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I'm not anti NBA in St. Louis. I'm just a realist who points out that until there is an owner committed to bringing a team here, to a place the league has not shown much interest in being, then the conversation is a non-starter. What else is there to talk about?Considering how the NFL and the Rams trashed St. Louis on its way out the door, I'm not rushing to the front of the pack to cheerlead for the return of the league to The Lou. And right now the NFL is not interested in coming back anyway.I'm not the one holding up either. Trust me.
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Thank you for answer my question about the NET. You educated me. If you will, here's a follow-up: are efficiency metrics really a good way to evaluate teams? Again, why would a team that has defeated fewer good opponents be ranked higher because their offensive efficiency his higher? That does not make sense to me. The name of the game is wins and whom you beat. (And no, I'm not a thousand years old, yelling at kids to get off my lawn as I wax nostalgic about the days when I walked to school uphill both ways in the snow in my bare feet. I love metrics . . . when they mean something.)
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No system is perfect, but the NET has done a pretty good job collecting (no pun intended) the best teams in the country.If it was based solely on schedules, it would punish the teams that don't have the benefit of a Power 5 conference schedule, along with the tough yet smaller schools that have a hard time scheduling.A blending of the two is a decent approach, but it will never be perfect, and that's the best part. Some teams defy the numbers. Coaching matters. How teams rise to the moment. All of that stuff that cannot be calculated shows up in March.
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I have been a Cards fan since 1969 and have completely enjoyed contributions from many many players from Brock and Gibson to Pujols and Molina and many much less well known. But ultimately I am a fan of the Birds on the Bat for the city of St Louis and much of the Midwest thanks to KMOX. Only rarely have I missed a game. The Cardinals are clearly punting on this season for reasons discussed ad nauseaum and will be mediocre with or without Yadi & Waino. At some point every player will get pushed out by someone younger/potentially better. See Matheny, Mike. As great as the two of them have been I wish them well and would not be upset if they moved on. However the Cardinals must show significant improvement by the 2022 season. No excuses.
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Ben, We are in a time where we have forgotten how to truely negotiate. Think of what might happen IF Manfred would say lets bring in the DH and lets look at roster expansion maybe to 26. The relationship totally changes at the table. That leads to which side being placed in a bad light and having more pressure on it?
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It became clear this week that the owners are doing their thing again, getting word out through the media that they view the players union to be holding things up and refusing to negotiate. I guess that is a negotiating tactic, but does it help? It just makes the players mad, because they are being painted as bad guys. I don't see how it helps resolution. To me, the biggest problem with baseball right now is owners and players seem more interested in beating one another than they are interested in baseball winning. The NHL, you know, the sport so often called a garage league, ironed out an entirely new collective bargaining agreement DURING THE PANDEMIC. And baseball could not get out in front on what 2021 was going to look like EVEN AFTER it was the first pro sport to play through a non-bubbled pandemic-affected regular season! It's just bad business, and the fact that it so often spills out into the public in the form of bitterness does more damage to baseball than it does to good for owners and players alike.
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Against, unless the regular season is going to be shortened.Playing a 162-game season and then letting .500 teams (or worse) into the postseason is a great way to render the regular season useless.The idea of it making teams more competitive is a joke, considering we have seen how teams operate now, when tanking is accepted and all but a handful of others often seem interested in doing just enough, and nothing more, to compete -- if they are among those trying.It would reward complacency more than eliminate it, and baseball needs to do more things to motivate teams to win, whether that's applying a salary floor or scaling back revenue sharing for teams that don't spend to a certain point.
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Ben, do you think the Cardinals have a perspective that Yadi deserves a little more than the average player of his current ability is worth because of what he’s meant to the team and the community? He’s the premier player and face of the franchise for this generation and I think it can be argued that over the course of his career has been worth more to the team’s success and image than he’s been paid. First ballot HoF don’t come that often. Maybe they should just pay the man, especially since it’s in the twilight of his career. What do you think?
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That would mesh with what they have said in the past about legacy players and how important it is to them that Molina finishes his career in a Cardinals uniform. There was a time where the contract that just expired was thought to be on the one that would do that. Molina used to say he would retire when it ended. Then he changed his mind. So, Molina got his BIG payday, one that paid him $20 million per season up through last season, though last season of course that was a prorated amount due to the shortened season. He's not going to get paid anything close to that now. By any team. And the Cardinals, citing pandemic-caused financial stress, are going above and beyond to not spend money they don't have to spend. If Molina has a realistic view of his current value, I think the Cardinals would be wise to bring him back on a short-term deal. One season would be ideal. One season with some sort of an option. I can understand the hesitation for two seasons. If Molina has unrealistic expectations, I think he's going to find a hard time getting the deal he wants from the Cardinals, or any other team. Hopefully, Realmuto being off the board will move the Molina story line along.
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High energy. Some recollection of plays. A healthy team at the end of the night. I think that's about all you can expect. A win would be great, but it's just hard to know what a team is going to look like after a month with no games. We will have a much better feel for how uphill this battle will be for the Billikens by halftime I would think.
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