I’m a Cardinals fan
… in case you didn’t know.
The St Louis Cardinals are World Champions, and I couldn’t be any happier! As a fan, it always feels good to be part of the celebration when your team wins. However, not being from St Louis, you’d think I’d stay true to my original faves.
I'm a Cardinals fan
… in case you didn’t know.
The St Louis Cardinals are World Champions, and I couldn’t be any happier! As a fan, it always feels good to be part of the celebration when your team wins. However, not being from St Louis, you’d think I’d stay true to my original faves.
WS Game 5 – St Louis 4, Detroit 2
Cardinals secure first title since 1982 (MLB.com)
Jeff Weaver gave yet another brilliant playoff performance, twirling eight innings with just four hits and two runs — one earned. Weaver, known for postseason letdowns before this year, pitched as effectively, as consistently, as any Cardinals starter this October.
big mistake?
No Rogers in Game 5? No chance for Tigers (Wojciechowski – ESPN.com)
‘This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.’
The Tigers finally hit the ball, but the catching and throwing part? Not so much. For that they can blame themselves, as well as the Cardinals, who continue to grind down the Tigers into baseball mulch.
WS Game 4 – St Louis 5, Detroit 4
Cards one win from title after thriller (MLB.com)
They call the new Busch Stadium “Baseball Heaven”. It seems all of St Louis showed up at the pearly gates, and David Eckstein led the way. Eck was 4 for 5 with 2 RBIs and 3 doubles, including the game-winner in the bottom of the 8th.
delay
Currently, Game 4 of the World Series between the Cardinals and the Tigers is in a rain delay. I’ve got Fox on one TV (where I usually play video games) while CL and I watch our other shows Jericho and Lost on another. The rain has been pretty much non-stop all day today. It hasn’t been a downfall, but a constant drizzle. It must be exciting to go to a World Series game, but I think I’d be more comfortable at home than at Busch Stadium where it’s cold and wet.
WS Game 3 – St Louis 5, Detroit 0
Carpenter dominant in Fall Classic debut (MLB.com)
Everyone’s underdog is now everyone’s favorite (Wojciechowski – ESPN.com)
The Tigers are playing as if they’ll be charged a late fee if the Series lasts seven games. Carpenter handcuffed them to the bedpost and noogied them to death, allowing just three hits, issuing no walks and striking out six.
rambling
So much is happening these days, I don’t even know where to begin.
My headaches come and go. Work is not as stressful as I try to continue to separate both jobs. I was assured that my replacement will be starting in a few weeks. With the remodel finished, IT is somewhat back to normal.
WS Game 1 – St Louis 7, Detroit 2
Cards shock Tigers in Game 1 behind rookie Reyes (ESPN.com)
Don’t count Cards out so quickly (Wojciechowski – ESPN.com)
We loved the Cardinals — until mid-June. Then they became the Chicago Cubs, then the Cardinals, then the Cubs, and then who-knows-what by the end of the season. Whatever they were, they didn’t look like a team that was going to require a victory parade. But now the romance is back, or at least it should be after the way the Cardinals sent the Tigers to the chop shop. They neutered the soldout and once-geeked Comerica Park crowd. And they neutralized the Tigers’ home-field advantage.
MLB to offer individual World Series games to fans on DVD
This is my first story submitted to Digg …
For the first time ever, this year Major League Baseball fans will have an opportunity to buy a commemorative DVD of an individual World Series game, and receive it within days after the event.
Cards win classic Game 7
“I was praying to God,” said Yadier Molina, “to keep that ball away from Endy Chavez.”
Suppan is superb; Cards lead series 2-1
Suppan goes deep — at the plate and on the mound (Stark – ESPN.com)
It isn’t every night, you know, that you can turn on an October baseball game and see a pitcher hit a home run.
It really isn’t every night that you can turn on an October baseball game and see a pitcher hit a home run and throw eight shutout innings against the best lineup in the league.
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.
TV roundup
Thanks to my friend Scott, I’ve been watching too much TV lately (and in his eyes, not enough).
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.
Rams 18, Broncos 10
Rams ride defense, Wilkins past Denver (NFL.com)
“Scott Linehan’s NFL coaching debut was a success, but much of it was owed to Jim Haslett, the new St. Louis defensive coordinator who was Saints head coach the previous six seasons.”
Defense was big for St Louis, forcing 5 turnovers and sacking Jake Plummer 4 times. If only the offense can get going: 0 for 5 in the red zone, and first string is 0 for 22 in the touchdown department since the preseason. Linehan had a nice balance of run (28) and pass (34), a major contrast to former coach Martz’s high flying “greatest show on turf”. All in all, a good start for the Rams. We’ll see how they do next week at San Francisco.
end of an era
The last of the Fab Five (ESPN.com)
“He is the last of his fabled generation still playing, and when he shoulders his racket bag after his final match at the U.S. Open, he’ll formally end an era in American men’s tennis that may be impossible to replicate.”
Since coming to the Midwest, I somewhat lost interest in tennis. I haven’t played competitively since the early 90′s. In those days, I always imagined myself as Andre Agassi, with his powerful forehand and two-handed backhand. I even grunted like he did. Even though my personality was more like Pete Sampras, I still wanted to be like Andre. He was the rebel who wore flashy shirts, long hair, and denim shorts; his commercials were like rock videos. His rivalry with Sampras was magical; fitting that Sampras’ last match was with Agassi in the US Open. We can only hope that Agassi’s last match will be as thrilling. He will definitely be missed.
speed stacks
I saw a report on this new “sport” several months ago on the local news. It looks like a lot of fun, and I’d like to try it it out. I told Christine I would like a set for Christmas.
the greatest ever?
Woods is the greatest individual athlete ever (ESPN.com)
I’ve always considered Michael Jordan the greatest athlete of all time. I picked His Airness over Muhammad Ali due to the fact that I grew up watching MJ and never really saw the Greatest dominate in the ring.
At the age of 30, Tiger already has 12 majors, 6 shy of the all-time leader Jack Nicklaus. He is 12-for-12 when leading (or sharing the lead) going into the final round of a major. What happens when he catches Jack? Who knows; maybe he’ll take up tennis.
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!”
great outdoors
Barbaro feeling well enough to enjoy daily outings (ESPN.com)
With all the crazy stuff going on in the world these days, it’s always nice to read about something good and positive.
