hero of the day
Taguchi homers his way into October lore (Stark – ESPN.com)
We can all think of a few Cardinals who would have been more likely to hit a game-winning ninth-inning October home run off one of the best closers on earth, Billy Wagner, in a save-the-season kind of playoff game. Albert Pujols comes to mind. Jim Edmonds comes to mind. Juan Encarnacion. Scott Rolen. Chris Duncan. Heck, Red Schoendienst wasn’t a whole lot less likely. But it was none of them. Of course. It was So Taguchi — So Freaking Taguchi. How?
so long San Diego … hello NY
Cards earn third straight trip to NLCS (MLB.com)
Chris Carpenter was shaky in the first inning. After allowing 2 runs, and with the bases loaded, Carp escaped disaster. The Cards tied it up in the bottom of the first, and their ace didn’t let up again. It was nice to see the Cardinals’ offense come alive when the mighty bat of Albert Pujols failed to produce. Pujols is 0 for 7 at Busch Stadium after going 5 for 8 in PETCO Park in San Diego. I hope the slump is short-lived and the rest of the lineup will continue to step up. Next up – the NY Mets. Hopefully, the Redbirds catch them off guard.
so long San Diego … hello NY
Cards earn third straight trip to NLCS (MLB.com)
Chris Carpenter was shaky in the first inning. After allowing 2 runs, and with the bases loaded, Carp escaped disaster. The Cards tied it up in the bottom of the first, and their ace didn’t let up again. It was nice to see the Cardinals’ offense come alive when the mighty bat of Albert Pujols failed to produce. Pujols is 0 for 7 at Busch Stadium after going 5 for 8 in PETCO Park in San Diego. I hope the slump is short-lived and the rest of the lineup will continue to step up. Next up – the NY Mets. Hopefully, the Redbirds catch them off guard.
Cards take Game 1
Winning game 1 of their NL division series against the Padres has given the Cardinals a much-needed boost. They are the Central Division champions, but they haven’t played like champs. They pretty much limped into the playoffs having lost 10 of their last 14 games of the season.
Key players: Albert Pujols (2 for 4 with a 2-run homer in the 4th); Chris Carpenter (6.1 innings, 7 k’s, allowed 1 run, 5 hits); 2nd baseman Ronnie Belliard (made a great defensive play in the 7th inning to end a possible rally from the Padres).
Of the 8 teams in the playoffs, it’s been said that the Cardinals are the least likely to advance, and I agreed with that statement. However, if they continue to play like they did today, I won’t mind if they prove me wrong.
Cards collapse
Are Cardinals headed for . . . Fall Classic or classic fall? (St Louis Post-Dispatch)
“The pitching has been spotty, and the middle of the lineup hasn’t produced consistently. They [may] win the division, but I don’t think they’re going anyplace; they’ll get knocked out the first round.”
A 7-game lead in the NL Central division just a week ago, the Cardinals have lost 7 in a row with just 5 games left in the regular season. The Houston Astros are super hot and now only trail St Louis by 1½ games. It’s very frustrating that I can’t even watch the games anymore. Someone needs to step up and fast.
update 081906
It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged about what’s up here in the Midwest.
It’s been hot, but not too bad.
I’ve been to Busch Stadium twice in the past 2 weeks.
- First game was on a Sunday, and CL and I stayed through the 5th inning. It was so hot that day, the sodas and lemonade weren’t enough to keep us hydrated. As we left, we missed the 3-run homer hit by Juan Encarnacion. Cards beat the Brewers, 7-1.
- Second game was last Wednesday night; coworker had a spare ticket. The Cards stunk up the joint, losing 7-2 to Cincinnati.
I will say that the new Busch Stadium is a sight to see. Once I’m done uploading vacation pics (I know, I know; it’s already been a month; I hope to be done soon), I will post our pics of Busch.
Speaking of vacation pics, I’ve decided to bring back the vacation blog (started summer of 2005, but never finished). I will continue this personal journal of our travels. I will be working on this along with uploading pics, so I hope to have it up by next weekend.
D starts school on Tuesday. He’s excited to get back to some serious stud…, er, socializing. Look up “teenager” in the dictionary, and you’ll see his picture (see also “attitude”, “crab”, and the antonym for “good listener”).
I don’t normally weigh myself, but I know I’ve gained some weight. My belly has grown, and it bothers me. My pants fit a bit more snug than usual. And I feel the extra inch(es?) when I sit at my desk. Maybe it’s time to start doing some sit-ups. “Welcome to the 30′s!”
the heat is on again
The Cardinals are riding a 7-game winning streak, the longest of the season, after sweeping the Dodgers today. Prior to this streak, they had lost 13 of 16 and dropped 5 straight series. It’s certainly good to see them start the second half of the season on a surge like this.
Speaking of hot – highs in St Louis for this week will near 100, with heat indices between 105 and 115. The metro area is under an excessive heat warning through Friday. It is currently “cooler” in Fort Walton Beach, Florida (our destination next week) with temps near 90.
audio blog 070106
a walk in the park …
- killer chihuahua
- K2 and site design
- mexican train
- FL trip
- helpdesk – new duties
- countdown
- Busch Stadium in August
- Cardinals stink
- original Star Wars on DVD will be lame
- Superman Returns
(sorry for the thumping, jingling, and other ambient sounds)
<br /> <a rel=”enclosure” xhref=”http://www.hipcast.com/export/P873bbb31381c5dd430f2a078b35870eaZlt6QVREYmF8.mp3″ mce_href=”http://www.hipcast.com/export/P873bbb31381c5dd430f2a078b35870eaZlt6QVREYmF8.mp3″ >MP3 File</a></p>
update 061106
This past week was probably the busiest, craziest, and undoubtedly the most stressful one for the IT department. The billing department has been getting kicked out of their systems repeatedly (on average, 4 an hour, and some users 3-4 times a day). Then Wednesday, all our servers somehow lost power, taking the entire network down for nearly an hour. Users are now functioning, but we spent the next 3 days trying to put out recurring fires thanks to the big outage. When I went home Friday, outgoing e-mail to external addresses was still not working. We hope this week will be better.
Very summerlike here with temps averaging in the 80′s. We finally got some much needed rain last night and today with thunderstorms galore.
Sleep – I crave it now more than ever. My bedtime has always been between 930 and 10. I never really adjusted the bedtime since I started working earlier. So I sleep in on the weekends. I probably need to take a power nap when I get home. But that cuts into Salem’s time for walking (and for crying out loud, we can’t have that!).
Cardinals baseball – haven’t watched much lately. Never enough time, and when I do watch, they lose. Albert Pujols is on the DL list, and the team’s play has been horrendous lately. However, I did get tickets from a coworker for a game in August. So even if they’re not playing well, at least we get to check out the new stadium!
Pujols delivers another win
Just as the sun poked through the clouds in the 8th inning, Albert Pujols hit his 14th home run (a Major League record for April) to put the Cards on top for good.
fast weekend
Time flies.
- Cut the grass for the first time this year. I’ll need to treat the yard for weeds and prune some tree branches.
- Washed CL’s car; after last week’s trip, dead bugs everywhere. Looks good now.
- Being outside this weekend is beating me up. My allergies are getting the best of me. Need to stock up on drugs.
- cooling pad before
and after 
- Jarhead – *** – great performance by Jake Gyllenhaal.
- Mission: Impossible – **** – a birthday gift from the kids. It’s amazing how much more you enjoy a movie when you actually “get it”. Looking forward to M:I-III.
- Chicago Cubs 7, St Louis 3 – Greg Maddux still got it. What else is there to say?
Final week of April; one-third of the year is about done. Time flies.
good baseball
The Cardinals are playing well lately. Today’s game was the first I’d seen since the home opener. I’ve been missing all of Pujols’s homers (11 to date), but today he contributed with a two-run single to put the Cards up for good. The bullpen was impressive as St Louis looks to sweep the Cubs at Busch.
Cards open new Busch with win
Mark Mulder stole the show in 8 innings, allowing only 2 runs on 7 hits. He also managed some offense with a walk, a double, and a 2-run homer (a career first). The bullpen almost blew it again; with 1 out left in the 9th, they allowed a double, 2 RBI singles, and a walk before Pujols tagged the last man up.
Probably the most touching moment for me was while I listened to it on the radio in my car. I had to make a trip to the store, and I heard the fans sing the National Anthem before the game. I took my hat off and sang along. It’s one of those moments that makes me proud to be an American and proud to be a Cardinals fan.
click on the image for ESPN.com’s Zoom Gallery of Busch Stadium
home opener
Monday is Opening Day for the Cardinals in their new home. One of my friends got to tour the place at the Open House held today. He was very impressed with it. A few minor gripes: stairways are narrower, and restrooms are smaller (although there are more of them).
Cardinals Stop Selling Season Tickets
This is gonna suck if we don’t get to see the Cards play in their new home this year.
final section of Busch Stadium falls
Roughly one month after the first swing of the wrecking ball, Busch Stadium is now a pile of rubble.
KSDK.com story
Albert Pujols – MVP
Congratulations to Phat Albert, and thanks for a memorable season. Well deserved!
hello again
Hey gang, it’s been a long time since I last blogged …
The Cardinals were defeated in Game 6 at Busch Stadium by Roy Oswalt and the Houston Astros. St Louis fans were happy to see the Chicago White Sox sweep the Astros in the World Series (despite the NL link).
Work is crazy. The biggest problem we’ve had is our email server. It’s crashed twice in the last week and a half. We’re lucky to have it back, but the server’s a mess and all the data needs to be migrated to a new one. I’m also learning about the power struggles that goes on in this dept. Politics and control play a huge role, and I’m doing my best to stay out of it. For the first time in my career, I love the work but the teamwork sucks.
CL’s parents were in town last week; it’s always good to see them. We also hooked up with her brother and his family. Will post pics when I find the time.
I’ve been dealing with pain in my right ear. It’s similar to pain I feel when I’m sick and on a plane. The problem is I’m not sick and I’m not on a plane. If it continues this week, I may need to seek medical attention; super.
D celebrated his 13th b-day with friends last night at our house. We all ate pizza, then I took the boys to see The Legend of Zorro. Very entertaining; I liked it (as did the boys). They in turn stayed up all night, so they’re lacking in the energy dept.
Christmas is just around the corner. To my family – we need wishlists! I’ll probably post mine here. I’d really like cash towards a new PC. But I’ll have a list nonetheless.
Cardinals and Busch Stadium shut down
Houston 5, St. Louis 1
“A dramatic National League Championship Series, a remarkable Cardinals season and beloved Busch Stadium all deserved better, but Roy Oswalt was all business and in no mood for sentiment.”
turning point
Last night, everyone at Minute Maid Park had already assumed what Astros’ fans have been craving – their beloved team will finally play in the World Series. Even the commentators on Fox believed the deal was sealed after Berkman hit a line drive 3-run homer against Carpenter in the bottom of the 7th. Fox picked Berkman as Chevy’s Player of the Game in the 8th. The crowd was loud, the Houston dugout was giddy.
But the St Louis Cardinals were not done. They’ve stated time and time again – they play 9 innings, 27 outs. And when they were down to their final out, their final strike, Eckstein got a base hit. Then Lidge, the best closer in the National League, walked Edmonds. The winning run was at the plate. Albert Pujols cemented his status in baseball lore by smashing a monstrous home run over the train tracks in left field. And the silence was deafening.
Was Pujols’ homer a turning point in this series? The Cards no doubt needed this. The fans in St Louis get to watch them play at least one more time in Busch Stadium. And Houston, with 1 strike away from the Fall classic, saw their dreams slip away once more. It’s not over for them in any way; they still lead the series 3-2. But they led St Louis 3-2 in last season’s NLCS as well, only to have the Cards take it away from them in 7 games. What could hurt the Astros is their mental game. If they think about Game 5 and “what if”, they could be in trouble. The Cardinals are riding a wave, the 412 ft homer Pujols crushed, and it might be what the doctor ordered for St Louis.
Pujols’ blast forces Game 6
St Louis 5, Houston 4
How Pujols changed the world (ESPN)
Oh my gosh, Astros lose (ESPN)
Pujols' blast forces Game 6
St Louis 5, Houston 4
How Pujols changed the world (ESPN)
Oh my gosh, Astros lose (ESPN)
