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Join columnist Jeff Gordon for his live St. Louis sports chat at 1 p.m. Friday

Bring your Cards, Blues, Mizzou, SLU and MLS questions and comments, and talk to columnist Jeff Gordon in his weekly live chat.

3rd & 7 37yd

Bobo's here. With Cardinals fans in a state of panic, we might as start letting the masses in. Enjoy!

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 4:50:33 PM
Opening day is what happens when you have an organization that has silenced any dissenting voices. They all believe that you don't need an experience manager you don't need an ace your farm system can provide everything you need in the pitching department.. Mo been there too long
They need some fresh blood that might not agree with everything the propaganda department of the Cardinals put out.

by B 3/31/2023 4:51:08 PM
Yep, the Cardinals are on pace to lose 162 games.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 4:51:09 PM
Is anything new going to happen with the Diamond/Bally bankruptcy in regard to St. Louis fans being able to stream games or is it business as usual? I'm a cord cutter who doesn't like Fubo and in the infamous blackout area. I am really discouraged about not being able to view my cardinals. I'll make a game or two but live over three hours from St. Louis.

by wishin he was seein 3/31/2023 4:51:47 PM
I believe there is prevailing optimism that the Bally Sports Midwest will get through this season operating as normal. But MLB is prepared to pick up the pieces wherever the company falls. I believe for the Cardinals the bigger concern is for what happens after this season.
But . . . the situation is fluid.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 4:54:10 PM
Jeff, I’ll let others pile on to some of the most horrid pitching we’ve ever seen in these parts on Opening Day. Get ready for many more. My question is why was Walker still in the outfield in the 9th inning? Since Walker made the last out in bottom 8, the manager missed an opportunity to insert Carlsen and realign the outfield for defensive purposes in a one run game. As it turned out, it didn’t matter, but seemed like a big miss by Marmol.

by Jack 3/31/2023 4:54:45 PM
Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. That seemed like an idea time to plug Carlson in and keep him engaged after starting Opening Day on the bench. Obviously Walker is still learning the position and I expect him to be switched out of a lot of games this season when the Cardinals are holding a late leader.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 4:56:12 PM
Here’s an unusual question.
I’m sure that the business people have estimated the projected loss in revenue expected to the shortening of the length of games but I’ve not read anything regarding this issue.
Any idea?
Thanks
Chris

by CHRIS 3/31/2023 4:56:49 PM
I have not seen anything on that. But bulk of the food/beverage sales obviously comes in the first seven innings, counting pregame. So the impact of shorter games should be disproportionately smaller on food/beverage sales. And there should be some savings on labor costs as well.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:00:30 PM
How do you not walk Arenado to pitch to Kizner?

by CHRIS 3/31/2023 5:00:33 PM
Great question! I all worked put for Toronto, but that was an obvious managerial lapse for Toronto.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:01:08 PM
Jeffo'..... Where do the 'rooks' stay when they're called up on the I-55 express, especially if they're only here fora cup of java? Thanks

by Easter Bunny 3/31/2023 5:01:25 PM
Typically they stay in a hotel until the team tells them it's safe to rent place because they are sticking around. Sometimes a player will stay with another player.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:02:21 PM
Jeff -

Contreras taking that sinker off of his knee was horrible to see. Really hope he's okay.

But even if our prayers are answered and he misses no time due to this injury, doesn't the scare alone make it abundantly clear how urgent it is that Knizner is replaced as our plan B?

by AG 3/31/2023 5:06:19 PM
That was a big topic in last week's chat. It was like we sensed a disaster on the horizon. A few years back the Cardinals were hoping that Ivan Herrera could develop into Yadier Molina's successor. Now the team would settle for him developing into Willson Contreras' backup/injury replacement.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:08:11 PM
Jeff -

It seemed as though this offseason was Lars Nootbaar's coming out party. Its been a relentless hype train that started with him being labeled as "not on the table" in our trade discussions for one of the blue jays catchers, and peaked with Japan winning the WBC.

BUT as excited as everyone is to see what he can do in full-time work, wouldn't you say that this SHOULD have been the offseason of Brendan Donovan? I think Cardinals fans have been high on him since mid-season last year, but this guy looks like he could legitimately be our 3rd best player.

by AG 3/31/2023 5:08:30 PM
Donovan went to work on improving his exit velocity. And it worked. He is hitting the ball harder. That improvement -- to go with his patient hitting approval and his ability to play everywhere but behind the plate -- makes him very valuable.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:09:40 PM
Hey Gordo -- some parts of Cardinal Nation are all ready to dump on Mo & the pitching staff after yesterday's fun. It's one game. Relax. Here's what I wonder though. It seemed like every pitcher (both sides) were clearly amped up with opening day adrenalin. I'd be curious as to your take on the impact that pitch clock had. With the running clock in a meaningful game, there is no time for a pitcher to step off, take a deep breath and maybe a bit of a wander around the mound to gather themselves. And maybe that's a coachable thing? If you need to gather yourself -- as much as it stinks to have that automatic ball called, maybe it isn't such a bad thing sometimes. Thoughts?

by ATLRob 3/31/2023 5:10:06 PM
That is a fair point. Pitchers will need to learn to reset quickly. Catcher visits are limited as are coach/manager visits, so for the most part pitchers will need to learn to slow themselves down. When a pitcher gets hammered, especially a young one, you often hear his manager say that "the game sped up on him." Mental toughness becomes even more important in the pitch-clock era.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:12:22 PM
Jeff -

Looking around the league on opening day, these were the final scores:

10 - 9
7 - 2
5 - 0
10 - 9
4 - 0
4 - 0
11 - 7
2 - 0
5 - 3
5 - 4
3 - 2
7 - 2
8 - 2
3 - 0
2 - 1

What jumps out to me is the volume of runs scored all across the league. Is this a sign of things to come given the new rule changes? Is this what the league was going for? And is it good for the game?

by AG 3/31/2023 5:12:52 PM
A number of top pitchers had rough starts, including Jacob deGrom, Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen and Blake Snell. An old adage said that pitchers are ahead of hitters early on, but that may not be the case. Perhaps the previous point about the pitch clock helps explain that.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:14:14 PM
Jeff -- We all know the quote, there are opening day starters and pitchers who start on opening day. Can the Cardinals (or anyone) win a world series without at least one dominant starter?

by Jock Ewing 3/31/2023 5:14:29 PM
Sure. If you hit consistently well enough, you can win that way. The Padres invested a fortune in their offense and their top two starters, at least by salary, are Joe Musgrove and Blake Snell. Those guys are fine, but they aren't Max Scherzer in their prime.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:18:00 PM
Jeff -

Should we be concerned about the Cardinal's pitching, or is this level of run production just the state of the MLB these days?

by AG 3/31/2023 5:18:04 PM
Gordo, I know it’s one game, but the pitching looks atrocious, especially in the bullpen. Do you think Mo’s reluctance to invest in more established relievers, especially from the LH side, will bite the Cards all season?

by Jake the Snake 3/31/2023 5:18:25 PM
The Cardinals have played one game and the roster is not frozen for the year.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:18:30 PM
Donovan looks like a star. When Winn eventually gets called up, do you think Edman will go back to a utility role instead of Donovan?

by Jake the Snake 3/31/2023 5:18:39 PM
It could either way, but Edman has Gold Glove credentials at two spots and more experience -- so I believe Donovan could end being the guy who moves around.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:19:23 PM
So.....if you don't have cable you can get the Bally's app......except it seems to only allow Blues and not the Cards. You can't watch the Cardinals on the Bally's app. What's going on with that?

by Evil Calvin 3/31/2023 5:19:32 PM
I can't help you that one. I do know that Bally was hoping to build a robust direct-to-customer business before running into bankruptcy. The goal was to get folks to buy a baseball package directly from it.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:21:27 PM
I think MLB has an issue with the clock and umpires. ie 9th inning Helsley appeared to be in motion when the ump called it. What I think happened is that the ump wasn't watchi8ng the clock., Nor should he be, he should be watching the field in particular the pitcher. MLB needs a system to notify umps so they don't have to watch the clock..

by Walt M 3/31/2023 5:22:01 PM
How about a loud clock ticking sound over the stadium speakers, then a foghorn?

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:22:33 PM
Jeff, of all the pitchers on this team, Hicks is the biggest mystery to me. How does a guy throw 104 mph and seldom miss a bat unless the hitters easily pick up his delivery and/or his pitches come in as flat as a pancake?

by Jack 3/31/2023 5:22:42 PM
Ah, it's what the analytics folks call the "shape" of his fastball. Some guys can throw a 96 mph fastball with angle/movement that makes it harder to square up than another guy's 99 mph pitch.. The analysis of pitching mechanics and pitch movement has reached higher and higher levels. I'm guessing that engineers who couldn't land a gig at NASA found work at pitching labs instead.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:28:18 PM
Gordo, did the pitch clock perhaps have an effect on some of our pitchers yesterday? Perhaps they threw some pitches they rushed a bit and did not locate? It is different when every pitch counts, as opposed to Spring Training.

by Kevin in DC 3/31/2023 5:29:47 PM
We touched on that earlier. Starting pitchers will need to train themselves to slow down mentally and physically without stepping off the rubber. That's tough to do in a marathon inning that Miles Mikolas and Ryan Helsley endured.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:31:06 PM
Arenado is a stud. That guy is going to win the MVP. That is where my money is.

by Kevin in DC 3/31/2023 5:31:13 PM
He has a lot of preseason support for that. I believe Juan Soto is primed for a big year. So is Trea Turner. But Arenado's fielding brilliance could earn him the award if he has a peak offensive year.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:32:23 PM
Since this season is gone is it time to see what Mo could get for Goldy, Aeranado so they can start the rebuilding process? Given they would approve a trade.

by Jimmy Racer 3/31/2023 5:32:37 PM
Yes, it does appear some fans have already lost all hope. This IS going to be a hard first month in terms of the scheduling and if Contreras misses notable time, the task will get even harder.

by Jeff Gordon 3/31/2023 5:33:30 PM
Well, another great 2-year extension by Mo… kidding, kidding, $16m per for Mikolas is a solid deal. That said, he can’t be your opening day starter in 2024. There were a ton of positives yesterday but the lack of an ace, even against that offense, was, and continues to be, glaring.

by JoJo Disco 3/31/2023 5:42:44 PM