Hope everybody is doing well. Feel free to fire any questions my way.
I never had a source verify that the Cardinals were in on Dozier, which is why I never ran with that story. But judging by reports of what the Twins want, it would seem very unlikely for the Cardinals,
The best way to guarantee St. Louis gets an MLS franchise is to have an ownership group committed to building a stadium without public funding. If they take it out of the public's hands and build it on their own, I have to believe that would make it easier to bring a franchise here. The key, however, is to find an ownership group that has the funds to make that happen. Otherwise, it's going to be an uphill battle to get the public funds. It also might help if the SC STL folks build a more modest stadium.
I don't think that the Blues' problems can be traced back to the players tuning out Ken Hitchcock. I don't think anybody in the Blues' organization expected Jake Allen to struggle as bad as he has this season. Allen let in a pair of goals early that you would expect a good goaltender to stop. He just hasn't been consistent enough. The team is too inconsistent defensively as well.
For the Cardinals to contend, they'll need Adam Wainwright to bounce back from his disappointing 2016 season. If Alex Reyes settles into the a front-line starter and Carlos Martinez continues to pitch like an ace, the Cardinals will definitely have the pitching necessary to contend for a playoff spot. If Peralta bounces back, you also have to like the Cardinals' playoff chances.
If I had to bet right now, I would bet that the Cardinals will win 86 games. That should put them in contention for a wild card.
Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda is one of the athletes I have admired the most. Obviously Curt Flood and Lou Brock are two other greats that stick out. And you have to appreciate Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, who was an impressive 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in the 1967 World Series.
This is a very interesting question. Sometimes the Blues play like a very good team. Unfortunately, they are way too inconsistent. They are a decent team at best, and some might even call them mediocre. I will tell you that the Blues would be the first to concede that they should play better.
I'll take your request under consideration.
I don't know if the Blues are quite ready to gamble on Ville Husso. Nonetheless, you have to wonder how much longer the Blues can afford to stick with Jake Allen. I think Ken Hitchcock has earned the right to walk away on his own terms.
He hit a career-high 30 home runs last year in 438 at-bats after hitting only 16 in 458 at-bats a year earlier with the Padres, who play at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. He definitely has the power, but are you willing to put up with his defensive liabilities?
Those goals on the goal side are quite troubling for Jake Allen. That has to be a huge concern for the Blues.
I couldn't answer that question for you because I agree that the jury is still out on Wong. He's a young player who hopes to establish himself. The Cardinals have gambled that he can be an everyday second baseman.
I don't know if it's a reflection on the coach or a reflection of a team that has gone through lots of transitions since Doug Armstrong let David Backes and Troy Brouwer leave via free agency. Also, keep in mind that the Blues are a young team with young leaders still settling into their new leadership roles.
I try to give the SC STL ownership group the benefit of the doubt, but I cannot honestly disagree with your statements. I also wouldn't say that we have enough information to blame them for all the failed miscommunication out there. On more than one occasion they or local politicians appear to have been completely caught off guard by things that you would have thought they already knew.
The middle of the infield hasn't changed much, but you have to believe that Diaz might benefit from his year in the majors. It took him a while to adjust to the speed in the majors. I don't know what Wong can do on a consistent basis, but Matt Carpenter is better off at first base defensively.
As long as Alabama is in the SEC West it's going to be difficult for every other SEC West school to win a football championship. Nonetheless, Kevin Sumlin has a good recruiting class this year. At this point, the Aggies need to worry about beating LSU consistently before they are too concerned about Alabama. Don't fret too badly.
That's a good question. We need to see the blueprints to try to figure out where they can cut.
You can never have enough pitching, so you have to brace for an injury to a starting pitcher.
As long as Carson Kelly stays healthy and continues to develop, I wouldn't worry too much about the backup catching situation with the Cardinals.
I would say 60 percent. Grant Wahl, the stellar Sports Illustrated soccer writer, tweeted yesterday that he thought the SC STL group's $80 million request was ridiculous. I have said that same thing from the start. I honestly think that the SC STL folks shot high in hopes of getting as much public financing as possible, and you can hardly blame them. Now they must decide how committed they are to bringing MLS to St. Louis. If you consider all the initial numbers they mentioned when they introduced the ownership group, you'll notice that the expansion fee is $50 million lower than they initially predicted. That's a huge savings right there. Then if you lower the stadium cost from $200 million to $150 million, that's another $50 million savings.
Only MLS can answer that question.
I think MLS is a longer shot now than it was a week ago, but I think it's still possible. You have to believe that such accomplished businessmen would have a Plan B and even a Plan C.
I agree with you. They're a solid team. They just need to improve their defense and goaltending.
I haven't been able to attend the local BBWAA meetings because they run an hour before I start my chat. I need to check on that question.
St. Louis is a solid major league town with the Cardinals and Blues. I don't think that the national media holds the Rams' departure against the people of St. Louis.
Ultimately, the leaders must decide how they prioritize tax funds.
I think the people make a community great. I think people looking to move here consider schools and safety issues more important than sports teams.
Don't fool yourself. The SC STL folks can control their own destiny. They either are strong enough to build a stadium on their own or they give control of their destiny to the voters who must decide if they want to build a stadium. Don't let anybody tell you anything different. If MLS doesn't come to St. Louis it's because there wasn't an ownership group that could make it happen. As of now, SC STL is an ownership group that has said MLS can only happen here with heavy subsidies by the public. That would be like me saying I will bring MLS to St. Louis and then claiming I can't bring it because the public failed me by not approving the $200 million I need in tax credits.
Many people agree with you.
I have to take a work call now. Thanks for participating.
