No. And that's fine, because I've never been a scarf guy. Not even close. I can't imagine Mo wearing anything in my closet.
Yes, well, it's about time. They haven't been to the playoffs since 2006. They have won one playoff game since 1998.
The Cardinals developed Matt Carpenter into a highly productive hitter. Then he got old. It took a while, but Tommy Pham deveoped into a very good hitter. Stephen Piscotty had work to do coming out of college, but he made the transition. Luke Voit became a beast in New York. Paul DeJong developed into one of the better power-hitting shortstops in the game. Kolten Wong has realized his potential as well. I'll put a bet down on Carlson making it. So the development track record is not all that bad.
Good question. That's one for Rick or Derrick. I don't believe he's ever had his "Doug Gilmour moment."
I don't see the Cardinals being especially aggressive after absorbing losses well in excess of $100 million this season.
That's a good call too. Juan wasn't a dynamic performer but his numbers weren't so bad on balance. And then his solid MLB career ended in a most horrible fashion.
Right now I'll say the NHL because so much has to go right for you. Puck luck is a thing. There is no equivalent in the NBA. One player, a hot goaltender, can lift a lesser team past a superior team. The parity in the NHL is tremendous thanks to the salary cap. Loading up a Dodgers-like juggernaut is not possible in hockey. Injuries are a factor in every sport, but the NHL is up there with the NFL in terms of the quanitity of guys getting hurting and trying to play hurt. And in a normal year, winning 16 playoff games after an 82-game grind is extremenly difficult.
DeWitt didn't make that call, though, Rolen wanted out because his tiff with Tony La Russa.That clubhouse situation became untenable.
That's a good one. Also, Eric Brewer was an all-time whipping boy due to the Pronger trade, how bad the Blues were and the fact Brewer was diminished by injuries. Jackman took heat just because of longevity. He kept coming back to the team afrer the Blues failed to win. Also, the game did change with the crackdown on interference and he lost his edge. But Barret was a heart-and-soul guy who had a heck of NHL career.
Perhaps. But Castillo and Bauer have combined for a 3-7 record this season thanks to poor offensive support from the Reds.
Who knows what the future will be. Will the Cardinals be more successful that the White Sox (Robert) and Phillies (Harper)? Let's hope so, because those franchises have done a great job of missing postseason play year after year after year after year.
Nothing has been decided on the 120 minor league markets to survive, but it make sense for the Cardinals to keep their top four affiliates in place. The rest the diminished prospect pool will work out in Jupiter, I suppose. I imagine the Dominican Summer League will remain and perhaps expand, since teams won't have rookie league teams in the U.S. to put those prospects on. The Cardinals would lose three teams in this, the GCL Cardinals (in Jupiter), State College and Johnson City.
I heard all the same whining last season before the Cardinals reached the playoffs and beat the Braves. So who knows how a full season might have played. The top 20 Cardinals pitchers have performed well, so that might have given them a nice edge over the long 162-game haul. Also, Dylan Carlson could have gained valuable minor league at bats before making the leap.