Mound City
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
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St. Louis, Missouri
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Baseball
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
By: KMFP
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There’s not a whole lot to write about when things are going this good. The Cardinals have won 10-of their last 12-games and I was lucky enough to be at the real dud in Wrigley, though that’s what my hypocritical rump gets for entering that dump in the first place, mere hours after blasting just that on these very pages.
But hey – free tickets are hard to turn down, I’m out of town working and hypocrisy is a writer’s best friend! I make no apologies.
Even in the loss, I was able to watch Lance Lynn continue his dominance and set off another streak of incredible starting pitching... read more
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Tuesday, May 7, 2013
By: KMFP
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St. Louis is fresh off of a 6-game winning streak and head Northeast for a 2-game set with our favorite punch line of the last 104-years, the Chicago Cubs, in that musty little “box that futility built”, also known as Wrigley Field.
Seriously, when does the charm of this place wear off? It’s like people who still try to convince us that they actually enjoy Fast Eddie’s, instead of just admitting that they lie about it because legions of friends have been doing the same for years, and you somehow feel obligated to fake it – just to fit in... read more
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Wednesday, April 24, 2013
By: KMFP
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The Cardinals just completed in Washington D.C., in 3-days, what voters haven’t been able to do in 100-years…a clean sweep.
Starting pitching continues to carry the team which, while great, cannot realistically be expected to maintain this pace with such lackluster offensive output.
A lineup that looks so formidable “on paper” is having trouble surpassing a field goal and a safety on a regular basis here lately. That being said, my complaining about it, given the results, only enhances my resume for AM-radio on the afternoon dial, but it is concerning... read more
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Monday, April 22, 2013
By: KMFP
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Sunday brought another painful loss and another hour of copay for Mitchell Boggs’ therapist. It seems a bullpen issue arises with one Cardinal reliever per season and Boggs is the pitcher de jour in that department.
Aside from what has become the expected inconsistency of Jaime Garcia, though it’s early on, starting pitching has been borderline stellar, with the bullpen smelling like an ACTUAL bullpen.
Mitchell was lights out a season ago and settled into the 8th-inning role, holding lead after lead... read more
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Wednesday, April 17, 2013
By: KMFP
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The Cardinals opened their season at Busch with a thud and bookended the week with yet another one, both the result of a quickly emerging bullpen problem.
With 4-wins in the middle of that shelf, it’s hard to be too upset with the result, but the bottom line is that those other 2-games were there for the taking and that always stings at least a little bit.
I’m not going to pretend that most teams don’t go through this a few times in a season and I have all the confidence that things will be juggled, or simply straighten themselves out... read more
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Monday, April 8, 2013
By: KMFP
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It’s nice to see St. Louis with some momentum heading into their own home opener, after providing the Diamondbacks and Giants with some positive openers of their own.
The good news is that the Cardinals lineup heated up in the last 2-outings against San Francisco and that they were very close to coming out of the gates at 5 – 1, with a couple of losses in the “should have won” column.
The bad news is that a few more of those runs from the weekend relocated to last October could’ve had last season ending on a much higher note and that “could’ve” and “should’ve” mean about as much as “hope” and "change”, and “close” only counts in horseshoes and nuclear bombs, which isn’t such a funny analogy these days... read more
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Monday, April 1, 2013
By: KMFP
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The slowest five months or our lives are officially over.
First pitch…ah – drink it in.
You can have the kickoff, tipoff and faceoff, but I’ll take the first pitch.
You can wave a flag at a bunch of yahoo’s doing sustained, 190-MPH left turns or drop a ball between a couple of flopping Nancy’s and wait about 2-hours for it to POSSIBLY enter a net the size of a 3-car garage entrance, located at opposite ends of a ¾-mile long “pitch”…which the rest of us mortals simply refer to as a “field”... read more
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Monday, March 18, 2013
By: KMFP
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Only a few weeks left and I feel as if every scribe across the city could write the same column they did at this juncture each of the last 3-seasons.
It seems like the beginning of most recent Cardinal campaigns begin with the proverbial “if” of injury and performance questions, as I suspect most MLB-camps do really.
“If” Jaime Garcia performs as consistently on the road as he has at home…
“If” Lance Lynn’s new physique can help build on his impressive stats from last season…
“If” Matt Carpenter can crack the starting lineup as a second baseman…
“If” David Freese, Carlos Beltran and Allen Craig stay healthy…
And, “if” I were a foot taller and a whole hell of a lot more charming and better looking, Jessica Biel may return my letters…instead of the FBI doing so, but I digress... read more
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Monday, February 11, 2013
By: KMFP
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Baseball…has…arrived. Pitchers and catchers are reporting to St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training and all is right in the world once more.
Last week’s unfortunate announcement of Chris Carpenter’s unavailability for the season, and likely career, somewhat kicked things off early and the town has been abuzz since, mainly surrounding the starting rotation.
The good news is the availability and continued development of plenty of young pitching talent, which began last season, building invaluable experience and confidence at this level... read more
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Tuesday, February 5, 2013
By: KMFP
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I’m almost 42-years old and have been lucky enough to see the likes of Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Yadier Molina, Willie McGee, Ozzie Smith and Lou Brock play baseball, having also gotten to attend the retirement ceremonies of the last two.
With all of that talent, and with apologies to Bob Gibson, who I never witnessed, I have NEVER seen a bigger warrior in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform than the likes of Chris Carpenter, whom we all just received the unfortunate news about.
That’s saying a lot in this city and where baseball is concerned, but I don’t even hiccup at it... read more
Monday, February 4, 2013
By: KMFP
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You all smell that? Move your coffee away…it’s not that. Dig deeper…no, not that either – that’s River Des Peres – now concentrate. What you smell is the onset of Spring Training, my friends, and a fine aroma it is.
Football has finally ended and the media can quit lying to themselves by accepting that 6-1/2 foot men can naturally run 4.2-second 40-yard dashes while carrying around 2%-body fat on a 300-pound frame, yet turn around and pen weekly (and “weakly”) performance enhancing columns about baseball... read more
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Monday, January 21, 2013
By: KMFP
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I never witnessed Stan “The Man” Musial actually playing baseball, and neither did a majority of “Cardinal Nation”. The fact that we still held him in such reverence is a testimony to the man he was, as opposed to the player, and this is what I will remember, and miss.
The only evidence of his playing career that I was ever exposed to was through older relatives, bad video footage and the pages of many books, magazines and newspapers. I didn’t experience a single base hit or hustling play in the outfield... read more
Monday, January 7, 2013
By: KMFP
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It’s been a rather slow winter for the Cardinals so far, as needs and issues are minimal. Skip Schumaker is gone and Kyle Lohse still hangs in the balance, though it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that his days here are numbered, as much as I hate typing it. Beyond that, there hasn’t been too much to move this old pulse of mine.
That changed somewhat this weekend, but mostly on a personal level. Lance Berkman, like Davy Crockett before him, has decided to end his career in Texas, and hopefully with better results... read more
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Wednesday, December 12, 2012
By: KMFP
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The Skip Schumaker era in St. Louis appears to have come to an end and my reaction is that of being told that my payroll check was shorted about $1.17 and would be made up on the next one…eh, okay…thanks.
Don’t get me wrong, Skip is, by all accounts, a wonderful guy and a great teammate, also known as a fitness freak and a leader in the clubhouse. Putting the personal things aside, however, he’s never, in my less than humble opinion, been much more than an average player who’d be relegated to 4th-outfielder status on most teams around this league... read more
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Wednesday, October 24, 2012
By: KMFP
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I purposely took a day before writing this, as I don’t think what would’ve come out immediately Monday night would have been fit for print. The Cardinals, as we all know, squandered a 3-1 series lead to an inferior team and blew their shot at a repeat appearance in The Fall Classic. I’m not taking anything away from the Giants, though I do find a bulk of their “characters” nauseating, but the fact is that they were the lesser team…not that I’m bitter.
That said, as we all learned in ’06 and last season, the better team often isn’t the one who advances... read more
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Monday, October 22, 2012
By: KMFP
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Sometimes you just “feel it”. You felt it when Carlos Beltran flailed at a disappearing pitch in the first inning and when Allen Craig stood still for one right down the middle the very next at-bat. You felt it when Chris Carpenter couldn’t find the strike zone early and, when he did, his fielders were as tight as Barack Obama’s current campaign strategist.
For all of the memorable comebacks, some games are just over early and you know it. Sunday night was one of those games. I can have nothing but respect for this team, who are already where nobody thought they’d be and displayed enormous fortitude to be there... read more
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Saturday, October 20, 2012
By: KMFP
As often noted, pessimism is my nature, but the Cardinals may have just watched their best chance at a return to the World Series bounce off the corner of 2nd-base and result in 4-runs. Sure, they still only have to win one of two and they’ve obviously displayed huge resiliency. But they now have to do it IN San Francisco, and against Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong, who was so dominant in his first appearance against them in the series, not to mention the entire league.
The timing is also not looking good, as the offense has fallen into another one of their famous funks and that was with the shell of Barry Zito on the mound... read more
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Saturday, October 13, 2012
By: KMFP
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This is simply the greatest, most resilient team of men I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing compete in a professional organized sport. This isn’t hyperbole or empty campaign speak from a desperate incumbent, this is the truth. I’ve been lucky to watch the “Whitey-ball” Cardinals of the 80’s, the Rams of the early millennium and the dominant “MV3” lineup of the mid 2000’s.
This hodgepodge of slap-hitters, solid defenders, rookies and veterans have more fortitude, camaraderie and downright sack about them than ANY of the aforementioned squads, taking nothing away from them... read more
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Brian Matthews, Gabe Lozano, Meghan Lucas and 3 others like this
KMFPThanks guys. Agreed Brian. Carpe DB & folks of his ilk will never give McGwire credit but sure assess blame. He has been very instrumental I believe, especially with these young guys.
John M. MowreyYou nailed it, and so did Brian, still hoping for a Cardinals - Tigers WS
Monday, October 8, 2012
By: KMFP
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You knew we’d see a game like this. We’ve seen too many of them this season to not expect it in the playoffs. This vaunted lineup on paper simply goes comatose on the field, and against a pitcher who was doing all he could to hand you a HUGE Game-1 victory.
The strike zone was bigger than my ego, which made the walks that provided the lead in the first place even more of a testimony to how erratic Washington’s starter was. You MUST jump on that guy.
Mike Matheny looked every bit the rookie manager he is, seemed to manage scared and went away from what got them there... read more
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Saturday, October 6, 2012
By: KMFP
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Okay, NOW they’re in, and what a mess that was. Neither the Atlanta Braves, nor the MLB umpiring crew looked like they even belonged in such a game. And on the much disputed “infield fly” play, the Cardinals looked unworthy themselves. Catch that ball and we’re not discussing this mess so much today. We’ve seen that play too many times with this team and infield/outfield communication is one of the earliest things you’re taught in baseball. Work it out already.
The continual late timeout calls early in the game with Kyle Lohse on the mound were a bit sketchy too, if you ask me... read more
Monday, October 1, 2012
By: KMFP
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You may not be “Kotter”, but “Welcome Back” Carlos Beltran (look it up youngen’s). With a homerun from each side of the plate in the rubber game of the Washington Nationals series, this is HOPEFULLY Beltran’s return to early season form, and couldn’t be at a better time.
With one series left, a 3-game set with the Cincinnati Reds, the Cardinals sit 2-games up on the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second wildcard spot. The Dodgers got to build momentum against the Colorado Rockies and now finish with the rival Giants... read more
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Monday, September 24, 2012
By: KMFP
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The Birds did what they needed to do in Chicago, winning 2-out of 3-games against the Cubs, who apparently still have a professional baseball team. True, they left what should’ve been more than just an emotional victory for Chris Carpenter on the field on Friday, but at least they salvaged the series.
Carpenter was every bit the horse I expected him to be. Was he dynamic and dominant – no, but he came back, pitched productively and gave the club a chance to win. As I touched on before, his presence alone should help lift this squad and hold some people accountable... read more
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
By: KMFP
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It seems like it’s said every few weeks now, but this truly is the biggest stretch of games for the Cardinals and their playoff hopes. With 9-games against the hapless likes of the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs, St. Louis couldn’t have a clearer road to the finish with a scarecrow, lion, tin-man and ugly little ankle-biting mutt at their side.
If they can’t win AT LEAST six games on this stretch, I’m not sure I want to watch them in the playoffs anyway. The Astros are the biggest fraud perpetrated in Houston since NASA and “the moon landing” and the Cubs do what the Cubs have done for 100+ years…lose and suck... read more
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
By: KMFP
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This is a funk, no doubt about that. This is the exact opposite of last season. Last year, you sensed something was “about” to happen. As the famous September run took shape, there was energy about the team and an upswing in attitude and play. Well, now there’s everything but that.
True, the injury bug and old age we’ve worried about from the get-go have taken their toll, but the lack of production and execution have been most glaring. Mired in a stretch that has seen them lose 5-of-6 and 10-of-13, the Cardinals only find themselves miraculously still clinging to the 2nd Wildcard spot by the grace of the equally ho-hum play of the teams behind them... read more
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012
By: KMFP
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Thud! Yep, not only is that what a 9-0 drubbing to end a nice 6-1 stretch sounds like, but also the sound of the best, and toughest, catcher in either league having his clock cleaned in a collision at home plate. Word has it that a Cardinals batboy actually had to go out between innings and retrieve Yadier Molina’s neck tattoos that were buried in the dirt.
Somewhere, Pete Rose, Bob Gibson and Ty Cobb are smiling at this display of hardnosed, old school competition. “Baseball payback” was delivered later by a Jake Westbrook pitch to the upper leg of the offending Pirate and all is right in the baseball universe... read more
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Monday, August 20, 2012
By: KMFP
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What we just witnessed was the most frustrating, and there have been MANY, loss of the season by far, and also a blatant example of why this team WILL miss the playoffs. Pessimism is my nature and hell, it worked last year, so why not leap off the bridge already? But I’m telling you, the Cardinals do not show the consistency or urgency necessary to close the gap and history is definitely not on their side if they’re planning on another closeout resembling last year’s.
The frustrations were many and ALL indicative of the season as a whole... read more
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Tuesday, August 14, 2012
By: KMFP
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I usually save the hyperbole for afternoon blowhards on the AM-dial, but this 9-game home stand that kicks off tonight against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros is possibly the determining stretch of the Cardinals season.
Anything less than 7-2, in my less than humble opinion, and now you start rolling the dice and hoping for lots of help from those ahead of you in the standings. To expect a comeback worthy of last year is like expecting financial recovery in the current administration... read more
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Monday, August 6, 2012
By: KMFP
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The Cardinals completed the sweep of Milwaukee and arrived at 10-games above .500 for the 1st-time this season. However, the mood around town still seems to associate the team with underperformance, myself included. This is because of the nature in which the losses have arrived. The team leads the league in run differential but has struggled on many occasions to push that 1-needed run across in 3-2, 4-3, 1-0 contests. Like Charlie Sheen, they seem to score in bunches.
Regardless of their less than impressive record in these 1-run contests, they still have put together a pretty good season, especially given injury and the loss of an every-season MVP-candidate... read more
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Monday, July 30, 2012
By: KMFP
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Momentum…sputter – sputter. Momentum…sputter – sputter. This seems to be the aggravating theme of the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals. A 7-3 stretch of 10-games looks great until you put it in the perspective that it started on a 6-1 run against the Cubs and Dodgers, with a chance to really make a statement over the weekend up in the championship-less confines of Wrigley Field.
Instead, the offense went catatonic once more and a few good pitching performances were again wasted. In fact, the worst performance, Lance Lynn’s on Friday, would be the only series win... read more
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Monday, July 23, 2012
By: KMFP
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Lance Lynn got his 12th win on 5-K’, 7-runs and Jon Jay’s 4-hits, which are about 4-more than he needs per game to still be worth more than the useless Daddy’s boy he replaced a year ago. Mike Matheny rolled out the “we’ll give you this one” lineup and they still won, in spite of that fact, sweeping those loathsome Cubs (J,K,L,M…see what I did there, cleverness personified).
After scoring 19-runs in the 7-games leading up to Saturday, the Cardinals exploded to match that output in the last two alone, also hitting 10-doubles in a 4-inning span from the 7th on Saturday to the 1st on Sunday... read more
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Monday, July 16, 2012
By: KMFP
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Well, all that shiny optimism I had going into the All-Star break was burst quicker than that “hope and change” a lot of you signed up for just 4-years ago. Nothing would’ve been better than to hand Dusty Baker and his big mouth a series loss right out of the 2nd-half gates just as a little punch in the gut from ex-skipper, Tony La Russa, after Baker’s comments regarding his All-Star selections.
But it was not to be. The bullpen continues to be a huge problem and this talented lineup is back to somehow not being able to rise to the occasion, time and time again... read more
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John M. MowreySpeed is great, but you can't steal first, remember Ron Washington, Oakland ???
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
By: KMFP
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Our beloved Cardinals will not return to action until Friday, with a chance to leapfrog Dusty Baker and his “whiny little B’s” from Cincinnati, but were well represented in tonight’s All-Star Game. Carlos Beltran took a walk and scored, Rafael Furcal tripled in 1-of his 3-plate appearances and was flawless in the field, displaying more strength in his right arm than I had from 12-16 years old, if you catch my drift.
Matt Holliday would DH once and quickly capitalized on the opportunity by driving in his aforementioned teammate with a single... read more
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Friday, July 6, 2012
By: KMFP
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After dropping 2-out of 3-games to the suddenly very relevant Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cardinals got a much needed dose of the Colorado Rockies for what ailed them. Pitching and offense seemed to get right again but I caution too much optimism after a 4-game set with the Rockies, who are about as formidable an opponent as France in wartime.
The Florida Marlins are next and are coming off a slight upswing of their own after acquiring Carlos Lee from the hapless Houston Astros and getting to beat up on Milwaukee for a few games... read more
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Monday, June 25, 2012
By: KMFP
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Guess who’s back? No, not the Cardinals, Jon Jay or the hitting stroke of Rafael Furcal and Matt Holliday. After a week away from late-night keyboard pounding, your favorite writer has returned for “Fifty Shades” of baseball banter. No, you won’t find whips and lacy undergarments on these pages, but jockstraps and bats are in abundance. And if you all would bother to spread word of my (self-perceived) brilliance, perhaps I’d have more time to write instead of toiling away at the “real job” to pay the bills around here... read more
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John M. MowreyWelcome back, looking forward to a rematch in October, with both teams healthy and gaining momentum, the Tigers will (hopefully) have V-Mart back and add some productive hitting to the middle of what should be the best offense in AL, go Cards, see you in the fall classic!
Monday, June 18, 2012
By: KMFP
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The Cardinals obviously jumped on zero momentum attained after their big series win against the White Sox and quickly resorted to what has become form of late. They crapped the bed against the Kansas City Royals and wasted another 2-solid starting pitching performances by Adam Wainwright and Kyle Lohse.
The offense was as dormant again as my desire to write a column about it. That being said, and with this being the 10th-anniversary of the death of legendary Cardinals announcer, Jack Buck, I bring you a KMFP-oem of mine that ran in the Post-Dispatch that weekend in the memory of a great man and a great St... read more
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Thursday, June 14, 2012
By: KMFP
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Okay, fess up, who didn’t think that one would get away from the Cardinals like so many similar ones have here lately? I could’ve swallowed charcoal and pooped a diamond myself, especially when Mark Rzxxxxyzzzxpdq came in again to face Adam Dunn, one night removed from Dunn hitting a ball to Sauget off of him. The plus to that for Dunn was spraying on some Old Spice after the game and heading over to that neon-lit metropolis to retrieve said ball.
With defensive help from Daniel Descalso (Tyler who?) and Rafael Furcal, in turning a nifty double play, there would be no repeat of Tuesday night... read more
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Monday, June 11, 2012
By: KMFP
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Interleague play kicked off exactly how, unfortunately, I thought it would. And things won’t potentially get any better with the White Sox looming for the next 3-games. Sure, Kansas City follows and, like with Houston, it may be enough to ease the concerns of some folk, but I fear this season is now leaning toward being more back and forth than Obama’s rhetoric and my team confidence.
Sure, they tease us with 26-runs in a series against the lowly Astros, but look, you can take that 1-hot broad to the homecoming dance because your mothers work together and hers made her go, but let’s face it, by the time prom rolls around, you’ll be taking one of the trolls you were always meant to be... read more
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Tuesday, June 5, 2012
By: KMFP
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Wow, a little saving grace I suppose. Allen “never trust a man with 2-names” Craig comes to the rescue again and hopefully stops the bleeding. Prior to that win, the Cardinals lost 5-in a row, dipped into third place in the division and fell to .500 on the year. Through 54-games last year, they were 32-22 and thought to be rolling. This is scary.
The weekend in New York could’ve been subtitled the same as my high school yearbook picture…”will they ever score”. First, they’re one…er, no-hit by Johan Santana, followed by a knuckleball clinic by a guy named “Dickey” before finally managing to push a run across in the 8th-inningof Game-3 against Jonathon Niese, who I actually played golf with last fall, true story... read more
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KMFPHey, "House Of Cards" was actually a column title a few weeks back. As far as the "try being a Cubs fan"...uh, no thanks!
John M. Mowreysurvey says! you're right, but leadership and experience don't throw strikes or hit with men in scoring position, just ask Jim Leyland in two weeks when you visit the Motor City, hopefully both teams will be turning it around by then! Keep em comin K
Thursday, May 31, 2012
By: KMFP
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The end of May could not have come sooner. Today the Cardinals will get their first day off in 20-games, bookended by 2-losses to the Atlanta Braves, even though St. Louis managed to score 7-runs in both of those losses. Much like a man using a Loofah, this is completely unacceptable.
If indeed “April showers bring May flowers”, than there was nothing but cactus growing around these parts. After a big April push and a 6-3 start to the month, the rest of May saw our Birds go 7-13 to end the frame and give them a 13-16 record during that span, dropping 1-1/2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds and into 2nd place in the Central Division... read more
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KMFPThanks, John. Eventually my genius will be recognized by the rest of the world!!
Tim RacicotI still cannot get over Motte...a major league pitcher.... throwing eight consecutive balls to start the bottom of the eigth last night after the Cards had just scored in the top of the eight to get back in the game...Little League stuff...I would trust him about as much as LaTroy Hawkins or A.J. Burnett in a big game. I am also amused at how these guys cannot stay on the field because of injury...Most are not that old...If they were 60 plus or something, I could see it...They stretch all the time...Maybe they should stop stretching...I think if they were docked every time they missed a game most would play 150 of the 162.
Monday, May 28, 2012
By: KMFP
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I am back and, hopefully, so are the Cardinals. While the job that pays my bills and the holiday weekend took me off track, poor pitching, fundamentals and clutch hitting derailed our boys of summer. My lapses in production can be fixed by the ever-increasing popularity of LockerDome and The Card Room network, combined with your loyal word of mouth. Those of the Cardinals boil down to pitching.
Adam Wainwright and Lance Lynn have put them back on the winning track for now. And, though it’s only 2-games, they were against teams we’ve had no success against thus far and a big step forward with Cincinnati recently on one of those “never lose” streaks they seemingly get on every season... read more
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John M. MowreyGreat finish, keep the Toledo references coming, the Cards may pick up a few fans from here!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
By: KMFP
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Pardon the awful pun of a title, but it definitely holds true. We knew this team was built on a lot of “ifs” and question marks, with health being the ultimate factor in its success. And like the proverbial house of cards, when a few integral pieces fall, so may go the rest.
The injury bug has hit harder than Chris Brown and Lance Berkman is the latest victim. While it’s true they’ve been without him for much of the year already, a season ending injury would’ve been brutal for his leadership quality alone... read more
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Brian WomackThis article was more full of synonyms than an episode of Family Guy...Nice work KMFP.
Friday, May 18, 2012
By: KMFP
Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.
It’s a good thing last season happened. I like to think that ride has forever taught me not to get too high or too low, too early, in a 162-game baseball season. Streaks WILL happen and so will slumps, and the Cardinals are smack dab in the middle of the latter. But thanks to the “never say die” team of last fall, you won’t catch me on the street corner warning of doomsday or worrying about somebody renewing “Mike & Molly” for another season. There’s a lot of baseball left and there just can’t be that many easily-amused dullards out there watching TV…wait, WHAT?!!!
All of that said, a rough road is what this team is on and Mike Matheny is facing his truest test to date... read more
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Gabe Lozano likes this
John M. MowreyTry 50 shades of patience and count your blessings you're not writing about the Tigers, the naysayers around here thought they were going 162-0 after a 4-0 start. Keep up the good work !
Monday, May 14, 2012
By: KMFP
Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.
Yes, the Cardinals took part in their second consecutive sweep over the weekend. Unfortunately, they were on the receiving end of this one, being whisked right off of their own home field by the red-hot Atlanta Braves. This stung a bit. Not only, other than Friday, were they never really “in” the series, but now we have to hear the “can’t win out of their weak division” chatter incessantly again from those in town who’ve basked in Cardinal misery for 20-years, while equally basking in free bar tabs at every chain restaurant in St... read more
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Adam CollinsFriday's games was painful to watch. I was exhausted, and forced myself to stay awake only to be severely let down. But, hey, at least we aren't the Cubs.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
By: KMFP
Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.
The wait is over, success was achieved and the good guys finally won! This is also the sentence I hope to be typing on the morning of November 7th, but right now I’m referring to St. Louis finally closing out a series sweep, on the road nonetheless. I was completely sapped of broom jokes and probably losing followers quicker than that awful “Two And A Half Men” show when replacing a washed up 80’s over-actor with a washed up 90’s over-actor.
While the Arizona Diamondbacks aren’t exactly a juggernaut, they’re also not quite Chico’s Bail Bonds either and the Cardinals first test outside of the Central Division has been passed with flying colors, hopefully hushing that blowhard on the AM-dial and his loyal pack of naysayers... read more
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Terry C Chaplin and Kurt Warner like this
John M. MowreyYou're right, its now a 25 man team, and it shows. Hope to see you in the WS
Monday, May 7, 2012
By: KMFP
Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.
The teenage phenom in Washington stole home, our bitter ex-first baseman, undoubtedly motivated by my “Pujols Prison Blues” column, finally homered and the enigma that is Tyler Greene one-upped Albert and homered twice, just missing a third, all in the same day. Add to that Adam Wainwright’s numbers of 7-innings, 7-hits and 7-strikeouts and I think the stars are aligned for placing a hefty bet here in The Card Room.
Severely mixed emotions aside, I suppose it’s nice to see Pujols get that monkey off his back, even if he did feel the need to preen and stare it down like it owed him money and was his fifteenth, rather than first, of the season... read more
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Tim Racicot likes this
MattWith Berkman back, where does Craig get at bats? It is going to be tough getting him 350+ ABs this year. Even if he is healthly the rest of the year. Look for him to take over 1st full time next year for his first 500-600
Thursday, May 3, 2012
By: KMFP
Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.
And now, with apologies to Johnny Cash, I give you the “Pujols Prison Blues”:
The Cardinal train keeps rollin’, it’s rollin’ round the bend
And I ain’t hit a homerun since…I don’t know when
I’m stuck on zero homers…and 4-RBI
But I can’t get past the warning track, no matter how I try…
When I was in St. Louis, I always felt the love
My bat was pure destruction and I flashed a solid glove
But I bolted for the payday…and perhaps my foolish pride
When I watch the Cardinal highlights, I hang my head and cry…
I see David Freese raking like he did late last season
He’s the town’s new poster boy, I’m labeled for treason
Well I may have had it comin’…and now I can’t be free
But the team moves on without me
And that’s what tortures me…
Well if I could do it over – if the choice, it was, all mine
I’d bet I’d stay in St... read more
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Mark Sanders, John M. Mowrey, Brenda Pursifull Spaulding and 1 other like this
Monday, April 30, 2012
By: KMFP
Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.
Where’s the broom, where’s the broom, WHERE THE HECK IS THE BROOM!!?
The Cardinal locker room is littered with discarded tape, empty chewing tobacco cans and dartboard sized pictures of Nyjer Morgan and Kevin Slaten because it hasn’t seen a sweep all year. That broom has been harder to find this season than Anaheim’s 1st-baseman’s swing. Plus, I’m obviously running out of jokes to that affect, though that never stopped Jeff Foxworthy or Larry the flippin’ Cable Guy!
As St... read more
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John M. Mowrey likes this
John M. MowreyGood call on this one, managers don't play, and if the players execute they would always be right.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
By: KMFP
Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.
Well thank Vin Diesel the offense showed a little spark in the afternoon finale of this forgettable Chicago trip. Though they’ll stumble back home with their first series loss of the season, at least the Cardinals weren’t swept by a bunch of Scott Maine, Jeff Baker, Reed Johnson and Ian Stewart’s. Seriously, these are real players on the roster. These may be the whitest men on the planet and they sound more like the extras on an episode of Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica that you just KNEW weren’t coming back from the mission... read more
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Tuesday, April 24, 2012
By: KMFP
Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.
Our boys of summer completed another series win against the Pittsburg Pirates over the weekend, opening the season by winning their first 6-series and 16-straight dating back to last fall. While beating the Pirates is a notch above beating the Cubs, these are still professional teams (barely) and this run of series wins is very impressive.
Now that I’ve taken yet another shot at those Cubs, I’ll eat my crow sandwich after last night’s “blah” game and come-from-ahead loss. Dan McLaughlin summed it up perfectly when he stated something to the tune of “it feels like the Cardinals have dominated this entire game but are now a base hit away from losing it... read more
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KMFPJoe, I've been there & it is a blast, but I have to take my shots. I was referring more to the fan base than the actual park.
Friday, April 20, 2012
By: KMFP
Ante up folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.
Another series in the books and, while it’s nice to take 2 or 3 again, a sweep would be a welcome occasion. These guys are having more trouble finding their brooms then I did at my apartment in my 20’s. The good news is that the Cardinals were able to again build on their lead over another division foe. It’s like Khoury League around here playing the same teams over and over right now. It’s also nice that they survived another Johnny Cueto outing without a kick to the back of the head... read more
