Author Topic: Cardinal Nation (Read 2498 times)

Masherbrum · « **Reply #30 on:** October 20, 2006, 08:22:38 AM »

Leyland will NOT allow the Tiger's to "relax". 1 week, 1 month, etc of rest doesn't matter. Yer forgetting who the Manaqer is. Also, the Cards and Mets have been clawing for 7 games wearing themselves out.

Tigers have pretty much accomplished the "Impossible" this year. I can say that I was one of the 8,000 fans attending the games since 1999. I've had my season tickets for 3 years, and went to 15-20 games a season before that.

Puljols is another that is one swing away from the IR. They are a MASH unit.

Saxman, please. The Cards are a large market team, the Tigers are not. Spare me the drivel "about being shunned by the National media".

The Tigers had the LOWEST ERA in the Majors this year.

Justin Verlander 30starts 17-9    3.63
Kenny Rogers 34    17-8 3.84
Nate Robertson 32    13-13 3.84
Jeremy Bonderman 34    14-8    4.08

Chris Carpenter 32    15-8 3.09
Jeff Suppan 32   12-7    4.12
Jason Marquis 33 14-16 6.02
THE CARDS DO NOT HAVE A QUALITY FOURTH STARTER!

Jorge Sosa is mediocre (The Braves,
Jeff Weaver has two pitches (I saw him for 4 years as a Tiger)

If ANYONE can sit there and think the Cards have "pitching", you're off your f**king rocker! Carpenter is the best they have (I have had him for 2 years on my Fantasy team).

And please, spare this "Cards are the underdogs" BS. Spew that stuff to folks who know nothing about baseball. I maybe a fan of the Tigers, but I am a fan of Baseball.

Widewing · « **Reply #31 on:** October 20, 2006, 08:33:57 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Saxman
To the derisive comments about Cardinals pitching:

Just remember that the Cards pretty much won this series with their arms. Except for Carp in Game 2 their wins came from Weaver, Suppan and the bullpen all but shutting DOWN the Mets.

Well, time to see if Dayne Perry beaten the horse AGAIN about how St. Louis shouldn't have even been there. Stupid national media.

The Cardinals have a terrific pitching staff. Suppan was at his best, as was Carpenter.

That said, both John Maine (a rookie) and Oliver Perez established themselves as big-game pitchers. Maine will only get better. Perez has great talent, but tended to implode. I think the Mets' pitching coach has done a lot to get Perez focused. Despite having three starters out with injurys (Bannister, Martinez and Hernandez), the Mets' emergency starters kept the Cardinals in check.

Endy Chevez made up for a letting Suppan's homer pop out of his glove in game 3 with what will be one of the greatest defensive catches in playoff history.

Umpiring, especially behind the plate was less than good. Last night's strike zone was beyond belief. It hurt both teams, but killed the Met's in the bottom of the 9th. Basically, Wright was handed two strikes that were clearly balls. I watched the replay on the diamond vision display. From where I was sitting (between home plate and first base, 8 rows back), Wright held up on the one pitch, the bat never crossing the plate. First base umpire said he went around. A second strike was called on an pitch that was a foot off the plate... When that happens, a batter realizes that he cannot let anything go by and swings at bad pitches. Both teams suffered from that last night, but the umpiring really hurt the Mets in their last at-bat. Los Angeles suffered from similar woes in their game three loss to the Mets.

Major League Baseball needs replay review... It's long overdue. Especially when an umpire stated (as was heard, picked up by microphone) to Lo Duca during a regular season game against the Braves, "Your guy doesn't get those calls because he's not John Smoltz".

Beltran watches strike 3 with the bat on his shoulder, bases loaded, two outs in the bottom of the ninth... Almost unforgivable. Any little league player knows that you protect the plate with two strikes and you don't look for any particular pitch. Beltran was looking fastball and was stupified by a 75 mph curveball.

Good luck to the Cardinals, I'm afraid they will need some luck to beat the Tigers.

My regards,

Widewing

Saxman · « **Reply #32 on:** October 20, 2006, 08:34:00 AM »

The only reason the Cards got the "prime time" series in the NLCS was because they were playing the Mets. Plain and simple. If they'd had any other match-up (especially if they played against another Central Division Wildcard team like the Astros) it would've been all day games. St. Louis may be a larger market than Detroit but it's STILL a midwest team, and the national media doesn't seem to recognize there's actually more of this country between the Rockies and Appalachians and that the Lower 48 doesn't just exist on the east and west coasts.

Choocha: What does Albert do with a 105mph heater? He puts it on the moon. That's where theone of Lidge last year would have ended up if it didn't hit the windows at Ten Run Field.

Masherbrum · « **Reply #33 on:** October 20, 2006, 09:20:12 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Saxman
Choocha: What does Albert do with a 105mph heater? He puts it on the moon. That's where theone of Lidge last year would have ended up if it didn't hit the windows at Ten Run Field.

Lidge cannot hit 103mph, nope, no way. Also, I recall the Tigers taking the series this year 3-0. Zumaya also SHUT DOWN Puljols in those three games.

megadud · « **Reply #34 on:** October 20, 2006, 12:04:24 PM »

baseball is for little fairy boys, i'm glad it's football season and also glad baseball season is almost over.

Masherbrum · « **Reply #35 on:** October 20, 2006, 12:17:58 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by megadud
baseball is for little fairy boys, i'm glad it's football season and also glad baseball season is almost over.

Where are the Reds?

megadud · « **Reply #36 on:** October 20, 2006, 01:29:47 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Masherbrum
Where are the Reds?

they should be in the playoffs and everyone knows it...too bad they are the reds....

Masherbrum · « **Reply #37 on:** October 20, 2006, 01:36:50 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by megadud

they should be in the playoffs and everyone knows it...too bad they are the reds....

<~~> bro, all in good taste.~~

megadud · « **Reply #38 on:** October 20, 2006, 02:05:35 PM »

i know, i'm just bitter because then reds blew it

2Slow · « **Reply #39 on:** October 20, 2006, 03:34:15 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Ripsnort
<

Did you have money on this prediction?

Choocha · « **Reply #40 on:** October 20, 2006, 08:11:15 PM »

Why did Oak- Town Lose?

Because Detroit knew fat and slow Frank Thomas couldn't turn on a fastball anymore.

They fed him a steady diet of heat and he didn't even make contact.

We'll see if Puljols can stay in the box and turn on a 105 mph fastie. The only man in the majors that has hit Zumya consistiently has been Ken Griffey... hand speed + courage to stand there.

Leyland is an old school manager. Puljols has looked like a deer in headlights this post season.

Watch Verlander or Zumaya throw a few 100+ at his head. They did that to A Rod and he turned to Jello.

Leyland plays baseball like they did 40 yrs ago. If you got the balls to stand up there and face that pitching- then you have a chance.

Widewing · « **Reply #41 on:** October 21, 2006, 12:15:28 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Choocha
Watch Verlander or Zumaya throw a few 100+ at his head. They did that to A Rod and he turned to Jello.

To a degree, you can get away with high and tight buzz jobs in the American League. However, in the World Series, 2, maybe 3 Detroit starting pitchers are going to have to step up to the plate in St. Louis....

Remember when Clemens beaned Piazza? Torre wouldn't let Clemens pitch at Shea Stadium during the Series... He knew that the Rocket would eat one in his ear as soon as he stepped to the plate.

Considering the investment the team owners have in big money players, bean ball is not tolerated like it was 40 years ago. If a pitcher is believed to have deliberately thrown at a player's head, the league may sit him down for the balance of the series.

Pitch 'em inside, use the whole plate, but pitch them high and tight often and you're asking for trouble. Retaliation would be certain. League involvement would likely follow.

My regards,

Widewing

Saxman · « **Reply #42 on:** October 21, 2006, 02:06:24 AM »

I know someone somewhere has the actual stats on this but...

Have you ever ACTUALLY watched Pujols play? About 90% of the time a hurler knocked him down that next heater ended up either in the bleachers, or coming right back up the box as fast as it came in. Can Zumaya dodge a 105mph heater about to take his head into center field?

Choocha, if you have to be nasty to think you've scored in a debate then you can take it somewhere else.

And here's food for thought...

A guy doesn't become the ONLY player with 30+ home runs, .300+ Batting average, 100+ RBI and 100+ runs scored in his first 5 years in the Major Leagues by not being able to turn on an inside fastball and keep it fair. Pujols has so far made a CAREER of making pitchers pay on the inside heater.

Second helping...

There isn't a hitter in the game that can make adjustments from pitch to pitch and at-bat to at-bat like Pujols. Who cares if he was shut down in one game the middle of the season? This is quite literally a whole new ballgame and what happened in Interleague play doesn't mean jack squat.

Dessert...

The Tigers were written off before the first post season game ever got underway so just remember a little bit of your OWN recent history. There isn't a team in the post season more dangerous than the one that everyone dismisses out of hand, because you can bet the nay-sayers only get a team fired up. And there's plenty of upsets in the past to back that up.

Frodo · « **Reply #43 on:** October 21, 2006, 07:01:42 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Saxman
I know someone somewhere has the actual stats on this but...

Have you ever ACTUALLY watched Pujols play? About 90% of the time a hurler knocked him down that next heater ended up either in the bleachers, or coming right back up the box as fast as it came in.

Yea I was thinking the same thing Saxman. Saw this several times over the season.
Also too much respect between the managers, for any throwing at people on purpose.
Cards might as well just go home now, and not even play the games.

Frodo

Choocha · « **Reply #44 on:** October 21, 2006, 12:38:48 PM »

Pujols is the ultimate HGH, Steriod (designer to beat the tests) head who excels when AAA mid relief steps in to pitch.

Pujols is the garbage man who steps up in garbage time.

Verlander is starting game one. The garbage man will be on a world stage in
35f weather and a pitcher thats going to bust him inside with 100 heat.

He will be exposed for what he is and has been this postseason.

Yes, American Legue ball is a bit more agressive than the NL because of the DH. Doesn't matter, Lyland don't play that sht.