Join columnist Ben Frederickson for his live STL sports chat at 11 a.m. Tuesday
Ben Frederickson answers your Cardinals, Blues, St. Louis City, Mizzou and SLU questions in Tuesday's 11 a.m. live chat.
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Gambling has produced scandals in sports before it was legalized.Of course it's going to happen when it is legal, too.I'd be more worried about college sports than the pros, when it comes to the really bad stuff, like point shaving or throwing games.The pros make enough money that they would have to be pretty dumb to risk losing their careers on something like that.College athletes are a different story.They are also younger, and more likely to be influenced.The most immediate problem I see right away is less sinister, but also important.College athletes need to be taught why they can't be gambling on the sports they play, and why their doing so is drastically different than some other kid at their school doing it.
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Hi, Mr. Frederickson. Thank you for the chat and your time. Every time I think of the Cardinals having Arozarena as a DH and fourth outfielder instead of Corey Dickerson, and Sandy Alcantara and Max Gallen in the starting rotation, I want to cry. I give "Mo" all the credit for trading for Goldschmidt and Arenado, but I'm frustrated. The Cardinals say they never have the opportunity to draft the elite prospects, yet when big-name players who could really make a difference become available via free agency or in trades, the Cardinals say they cost too much money or too much in prospects. Well, when is the time to land those top players? Seems like the Cardinals aim low (like, Dickerson and Nootbar at DH, and going with DeJong instead one of the players in this year's loaded shortstop class) and hope for the best. And, mostly the Cardinals seem to get burned. I know it's early in the season, and Dickerson and DeJong, for instance, could turn out just fine, but their recent track records don't instill a lot of confidence.
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I get having some what-if pains watching some of the guys you mentioned thrive elsewhere. Alcantara more than anyone else, if you're asking me. But I'm having a hard time connecting the dots between you giving Mozeliak the credit for landing Goldschmidt and Arenado right before asking when the Cardinals are going to land some top players. The bets on the DH platoon (Dickerson/Pujols/others) was a settle spot between admitting the internal options were not ready and bucking up to pay for a proven DH masher. The bet on DeJong at shortstop was even more stubborn, due to his extended struggles and the options at various price levels that were available elsewhere. Those are big components to this season, and so far the shortstop position is not producing offensively and the left-handed side of the DH is lacking. Fair complaints.
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Wanting to stay doesn't mean you get to, though. Maybe that will be the case for DeGray, but let's not pretend players are making those decisions all on their own, either. New coaches keep the players they want and make it clear to others it's best to move on, one way or another.
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Good morning Ben, I don’t understand the Donovan promotion over Gorman and it’s leaving a sour taste in a lot of fans mouths because this is how the front office does things the best player never gets the call up and eventually ends up with another team just like they give up on certain outfielders, infielders and pitchers in recent years and they become stars which I’m thinking is going to happen to Gorman Jack and yes the way the drop Dylan in the order he’s next on the chopping block.
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The Cardinals have no interest in Gorman playing for any team but the Cardinals. That has been proven by their refusal to consider moving him in previous trades. Other teams have wanted him. The Cardinals have said no at every turn. They think he's a key part of the team's future, and how they are handling him is proving that, not disproving it. They are not going to promote him until he's got a role in the majors, and they are not going to promote him to let him sit on the bench. They are more willing to do that with Brendan Donovan, and it was Donovan not Gorman who made the most compelling case at spring training to break camp with the team before he did not secure that spot. Donovan (24 years old), unlike Gorman (21), can play pretty much anywhere and everywhere, and the Cardinals have a plan to use him to get some regulars some days at DH and off their feet in the field. Gorman is going to debut at some point this season. With the Cardinals lacking in middle infield production at shortstop and the offense sagging against right-handed pitchers, combined with how he's tearing it up at Memphis, he is probably expediting his timeline.
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Is it unreasonable to already be tired of people saying things like, "They faced Scherzer/Alcontara/Lopez, of course the offense was quiet."? They have billed themselves as an elite offense and a WS contender...at some point, hitting has to beat even great pitching. We've seen the offense go flat against future HOF pitchers but also against guys with little MLB experience. Not calling for Jeff Albert's head yet, but this pattern even with great talent is getting really old. Thanks for doing the chat!
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The notion of excusing flat performances against strong to elite starting pitching doesn't make a lot of sense to me, especially when it's strong to elite starting pitching that usually awaits in the postseason, where the Cardinals have won just one NLCS game since 2014. So, I tend to agree with you on this one. We should be quicker to throw out booming displays of power and run-scoring against meatball pitchers than we should ignore the opposite of that against good to great arms.
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I think what Dennis R mentioned a few minutes ago is what several passionate Cardinal fans feel about ownership. It's not the fact that they've missed on some really good players or that they've hit on Goldy and Arenado to make the current team pretty good, but not extremely good. It's that we as fans feel ownership has the resources to field a better team than what's out there. I feel that way. It's like they take one step to create this good team and just when they have the chance to make the Cards a World Series contender they decide enough is enough. Take this past offseason. I know the lockout was a factor, but still other teams went out and got exponentially better. This Cardinal team doesn't look like it is any better than it was last year. That's what many Cardinal fans get frustrated about.
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The way I've described it before is that the Cardinals have taken to building teams where things have to go right to win big, while other teams they are chasing build teams where things have to go wrong to not win big. It's a topic that is covered often, and this trade deadline will turn into another opportunity to prove wrong that label. The offseason did not.
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Mikolas matched zeroes with Max Scherzer, who was fueled by his furnace of Cardinal motivation.That is not easy to do.He's looked very strong since his shaky first start. Matz faces is hold Mets teammates on Wednesday in a chance to add a third solid start since his shaky first one.These two guys, Mikolas and Matz, are the biggest pitching factors in the Cardinals being able to stack up series wins. Good signs are adding up after a rough first start for both.
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Hi Ben, i agree with gs right now Gorman is your hottest hitter. They should of sent dejong down. Also the organization said before they wouldn’t trade many top players they have traded that turned out to be stars all that proves is you can’t believe a word they say. I would ask this knowing Jack, Dylan and Nolan all are from the west coast and it’s seems they have been hinting at playing back at home what’s the likelihood of them being a part of this teams future. We know this team is not going pay them what they deserve. Dylan probably will be looking for 10year/200m Jack is looking for max money and Gorman will be looking for arenado money.
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This West coast narrative has gone bonkers. First it was Flaherty, now it's Carlson and Gorman too? Is DeWitt also planning on relocating the team to Los Angeles? I'm not trying to be a crab, but come on. Flaherty's future with any team is murky until he proves he can get healthy, stay health and pitch well. The Cardinals promoted Carlson when he was 21 and have made him a key part of their team despite his struggles at times, and view him as a huge piece of their future. Gorman will also be promoted at some point this season, as 21-year-old, and the Cardinals see him as a long-term player for them as well. Flaherty and the front office have had some scrapes. Carlson and Gorman have not. Come on!
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The team points to it being the last season of Wainwright, Molina and Pujols together.Which it is, sure.The wording often makes it sound like it's Wainwright's last season, period.He has said that has not yet been decided, and it's his word -- no one else's -- that matters there. The Cardinals decide if it's Wainwright's last season pitching for the Cardinals. Wainwright decides if it's his last season pitching.
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Believe it or not, mistakes happen, Gio. Don't beat yourself up despite what The Chat says. If you are feeling down, remember that you have pitched the fourth-most innings of any MLB reliever since 2019, and have produced the fourth-highest Wins Above Replacement (4.5) among relievers during that span. Bad days happen. Great high-leverage relievers don't have many, and they are sure to flush them when they arrive.
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A hit in three of his last four games. Just three strikeouts in those 13 at-bats. There have been some encouraging signs after a slow start. Molina admitted to anyone who would listen -- I wrote about it twice at spring training -- that he showed up not in his normal shape, and that this season was goin to be different, with Knizner playing a lot more than he had in the past. It's playing out like that. No surprise to me. If the sample size grows and Knizner is an overwhelmingly better player than Molina, then the playing time can continue to tilt in that direction. But calling Molina washed on April 26 is something I'll pass on. I know better.
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Hi Ben, this is gonna sound reactionary because of last night, maybe it is, but I havent really seen anything impressive with Oli's bullpen management so far, especially when it comes to Gio. For all the talk of their being no "traditional closer", Gio only has 0.1 IP outside of the 9th inning this season, and he's the only pitcher with a SV. I find that fact frustrating because Gallegos has not been a particularly great closer. He has 13 BS to his 24 SVs and a 4.50 ERA in his 42 career IP in the 9th. With guys like Helsley and Whitley performing so well, I was hoping for a bit more nuance. Your thoughts?
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It's easy to talk about not having a traditional closer.It's hard to not fall into the rhythm of using a guy you trust in the ninth, especially when he has not failed.Gallegos was four-for-four this season before Monday's blown save.Time to find out if Oli goes back to him for redemption, or reshuffles.More nuance was the pledge. It's always better to see it before buying it wholesale.
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I get it. Nothing left to prove in college ball. He's 22. Could have made some nice NIL money sticking around another year at Illinois, but he knows he's going to have to prove he can play a different game in the NBA, and he sounds up for that challenge. I liked his comments about declaring. He said the stuff that is being said about him himself. He knows he needs to change his body a bit and be a role guy until/unless he can prove he can do more. That attitude should help him. There's a place for him in the league, even one that has changed away from the traditional big.
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The expected starter is Ville Husso, who wrestled the job away from Jordan Binnington this season and continued to play well as Binnington seems to have found his grove late. That said, it's Binnington who has the contract, the playoff experience and the ring. Those are not things to simply dismiss, especially when looking at the only thing that really matters to this question -- who can give the Blues the best chance to beat the Wild. You worry about the rest later. Husso has a 3.92 goals against average and a .892 save percentage against the Wild. The Blues won both of those games, but did so in overtime. Binnington in one game against the Wild allowed four goals in a win. Minnesota is good. That should be mentioned here. I'd probably go with Husso but nothing would surprise me, and I would not be surprised if we see both goalies in the series.
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If Mizzou is going to have the kind of season that looks like the Tigers got underestimated, then there is just one answer here. It's Brady Cook. If the quarterback many assumed would be pushed aside by an incoming transfer excels, the outlook will be brighter than some of the preseason predictions suggest.
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Ben,
I hope the XFL is paying attention to what is going on with the USFL and their hub city approach, and they decide it's not the way to go. Obviously nothing has been announced but I am assuming STL gets the BattleHawks back, and we need that team to play in STL so the fans can fill the dome. The HUB city doesn't work for teams who are represented outside of the market, and its an awful look. What are your thoughts? -
A hub approach would kill whatever good vibes STL had going with the B-Hawks.No doubt about it.Unless STL was the hub.I don't know which way it ultimately goes, but if it helps, I was told last week that the league has been in continued communication with multiple cities, and that St. Louis is one of those cities.
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