Topps Thinks Cardinal Fans Aren't Worthy
Soccer Was Played At Busch Stadium
Aaron Miles Robbery Story Comes To TV!
Rally Pig? Why Not.

NLCS Game 2: Boondoggle By The Bay

Written by athooks on .

Come on. 

You didn't think the Cardinals were just going win four straight and give you a few extra days off this extended summer, did you?
 
Nope.
 
The 2012 Cardinals do things the hard way. Sometimes the very hard way.
 
It's hard to win a baseball game without scoring a run. But it's almost as hard when your starting pitcher is also the only person to drive in a run. So the fact that the Cardinals got pancaked in NLCS Game 2 shouldn't come as a surprise. And neither should the lack of offense. Give the Cardinals enough time and they'll find a way to lay an egg.
 
Again, it was the 3 & 2/3 mark of the game that provided the Giants with four runs. This time, Carpenter survived the inning, but no more. Didn't matter a lick, though. Because it was one of those nights where the best offense in the NL was in hibernation. We've seen it before. We'll probably see it again. 
 
By the time the Cardinals take the field on October 17th, it will have been 9 days and 5 games on the road. Both numbers never equaled in playoff history. They come back to St. Louis with a split series and the ability to win the series at Busch Stadium.
 
They won't. 
 
Not that I don't want them to. But they won't. Again, this team had the rotation, somehow, set up perfectly after escaping a Game 1 start from Lance Lynn. Is there anyone else you'd want on the road in the playoffs than Chris Carpenter? And come Wednesday, Kyle Lohse will take the rock for Game 3.
 
It was too good to be true and once again we're thrust into limbo. A split in SF is what we wanted... yet, it felt like they could have done more.
 
Buckle up kids, this series is going to be dramatic. It's going to be draining. And by the time it's all over, we'll wonder what the hell just happened.
 
no comments

Change Your Social Media Profile Pic...

Written by athooks on .

Moutain Fresh has updated his 11 in 11 social media profile pic to a 12 in 12 pic.

Please rip it off and save it as your own. You know, if you want. 

no comments

NLCS Game 1: Giant Win (See What We Did There?)

Written by athooks on .

There's a shot lady at the STL bar Double Ds that is blind.  

Many weekends, it's hard to walk in that place, even sober, without banging into someone. But still, it's your natural reaction to bow up when someone gets in your space.10x moreso when it's a bar.
 
Anyway, this shot lady is blind. And pretty much nightly, some glory boy says something rude to her after she bumps into him. She apologizes, explains that she's blind and all his buddies make fun of him for being such an a-hole. 
 
It's clockwork.
 
(BTW, who else misses the old DDs location in Brentwood? New place, meh.)
 
Twitter was abuzz with jokes about the 6-0 lead the Cardinals built in Game 1 of the NLCS. Variations were bountiful and the underlying tone was trite. The Cardinals can overcome any deficit, however, this game was over.
 
The Giants begged to differ and ran starter Lance Lynn after 3 2/3 innings and 4 ER. Suddenly Twitter was now a real-life snapshot of regret, as 5 innings to get 3 runs at home wasn't such a tall order.
 
Turns out the Cardinals are more resilient that ever and the bullpen absolutely crushed another outing, ending the game with that 6-4 mark frozen in time. Point is, as soon as an inning finished 6-0, we knew people would be talking about it. We also knew that would be a terrible idea. Just like that shot lady in DDs, it doesn't pay to pop off at the mouth until you know the whole story.
 
The Cardinals are riding high tonight. But they're also playing a team that was down 2-0 heading back to Cincinnati and ended up not losing a game on the road. 
 
Let's all enjoy tonight. Get our batteries charged and go try to get another one tomorrow night. 
 
And while we're at it, save the bluster for Thursday night. Because we'd never do anything presumtious on this site. 
 
no comments

NLDS Game 5: No Words.

Written by athooks on .

Memphis. 

I can't say that I'm a Memphis Redbirds fan. I mean, if you forced me to root for a minor league team, I'd pick the Redbirds, but without looking up their record this year, I couldn't tell you if they were good, bad or other. 
 
So maybe it's a bit hypocritical of me to be in Memphis Friday night and expect the city to be buzzing with Cardinals Game 5 anticipation.
 
But I fully expected Twitter to not only come through with some hot spots to watch the game, but actually lead to another amazing night like the one we had in 2011 for the NLDS Game 5. (LINK HERE)
 
Tweeted out a call for THE places to be.
 
Didn't get a single response. 
 
Tweeted it out again. Got 1 response. To go to the bar we were already at that had 1 other Cardinal fan and 80's hits for audio, instead of the game feed. A few people did mention that it was 'Midnight Madness' for the Memphis Tigers basketball team... but still, 1 cards fan in all of Memphis excited about an elimination game?
 
It wasn't as prescient an issue after about :45 minutes of Adam Wainwright pitching. The Cardinals were in a 6-0 hole and I didn't want to hear Dick Stockton give the National fans verbal head anyway.
 
It was off to Beale Street to meet up with the wedding party. 
 
A funny thing happened on a the way to resignation of our fate, though. The Cardinals kept chipping away at the Nationals lead.
 
I'll spare you the play-by-play - by now you've already got many of the sequences memorized. But I will share with you an antidote that pretty much summarizes the Cardinals season.
 
In the Top of the 9th, the Cardinals were down to their last strike... twice. The second time, my friend Pat walked away. I thought he was just nervous and moved to another part of the bar. Turns out, he literally thought the game was over. He went back to the non-baseball fans in the group and told them the Cardinals season was over.
 
It was a good run.
 
After the Descalso single, he sees the now 15 or so Cardinal fans going nuts and walks back over. 
 
Me: "DUDDDDDEEEE.... HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!"
 
Him: "What? What are you doing?"
 
Me: "WE TIED IT. UNREAL!"
 
Him: "No, dude, the game is over."
 
Him: (Looking up at the TV) "HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"
 
He literally thought the game and the season were over. Not in a walking away in disgust, and giving up way. But in the way where he thought the Cardinals were literally done. He had told people this in a very matter of fact way minutes ago across the bar. Now he's back next to me for Kozma's game winning hit and telling me this must be what coming back from the dead feels like.
 
You probably had to be there to see just how amazed he was. Hell, he was probably more stunned than anyone. 
 
It's a symbol of the 2012 season, though. Even when we're 101% SURE that that Cardinals are dead, they're not. Somehow they keep coming back from the brink. 
 
I'd have to believe that if Jack Buck were still alive he'd REALLY not have believed what he saw that night.
 
I'm not sure I do. 
 
Oh, and in case you're wondering, at least the band had the sense to play someting timely. (LINK HERE) Can't commment on if they knew what they were doing, but it was serendipitous nonetheless.
 
no comments

NLDS Game 4: Whoops.

Written by athooks on .

Well shit.

I mean, I guess I could sit here and concoct some sort of narrative that would make you feel better or worse about the Cardinals 2-1 loss the Nationals on Thursday. But I don't think it'd help anything.
 
Baseball, sometimes, isn't as complicated as we want to make it. We had a game where pitchers were dominant. And the game ended up coming down to two good players working over each other for 14 pitches in the bottom of the 9th and the better player winning.
 
It's not a disgrace. Or a symptom of something bigger. Somebody has to win these games and Lance Lynn happened to be the guy that got beat. 
 
Shit happens.
 
Luckily, the Cardinals had the game advantage and get another shot at the NLCS on Friday night. 
 
Am I confident? No. No I am not. Because the 2012 Cardinals are capable of any type of game Friday. They could win 15-0. They could lose 15-0. Every single scenario is in play. 
 
 
Also, Jason Werth, everyone.
 
no comments

Trumbsy Presents: Playoff Ramblin's

Written by Trumbsy on .

Holy crap, you guys. The Cardinals are in the playoffs.  

THE PLAYOFFS!!!  

It’s so awesome yet terrible yet the best thing ever yet I might suffocate someone please give me a glass of water I hate life and oh my god MY LIVER!!!  

You guys know what I’m talking about.  

It’s like being on a rollercoaster on which you are so miserable that all you can think about is holding in your vomit. It isn’t until the ride is over that you realize how much fun you were actually having. 

I know it makes ZERO sense, but this is honestly the most articulate way I can describe the past two games. It’s been a delightful hell beast of barf inducing euphoria.

The Cardinals are one win away from advancing and for that I am ELATED. But DAMMIT, this is stressful! And I realize that there are fans ALL OVER THE PLACE that would murder their first born children and feed them to coyotes in order to feel this exact pain and anxiety. (HI, CUBS FANS!) And I’m really not trying to complain or brag.  

HOWEVER, these games have done strange things to my behavior. I spent Friday afternoon sitting cross legged on a conference table at my office wearing someone else’s necktie while drinking white wine through a twisty straw. 

I am currently wearing an unwashed David Freese T-shirt that I wore for both Monday’s and yesterday’s game despite the understandable scorn of my co-workers. I started earnestly stalking my cousin’s girlfriend earlier in the week, as I became convinced she was a good luck charm.  

I AM NOT WELL.

In fact, this is all bringing back a lot of memories. I’ve begun a running dialogue with several friends that I haven’t really spoken to since the World Series run last year. And wouldn’t you know it, we have picked right back up where we left off!

JUST AGONIZING AND MOANING ABOUT EVERYTHING.  

You’d honestly think we were all had food poisoning or were dying from some sort of bird flu/malaria hybrid. It’s just so over the top, yet it’s COMPULSIVE. I’ve turned into a complete drama queen  AND I REGRET NOTHING.

The greater point is that we, as Cardinal fans, have postseason baseball to watch in October. This was by no means a given and it should be treated like the gift that it really is. Therefore, we (by which I mean, ME) really need to pull it together.  Someone please call my therapist. 

I hope she gets paid overtime.

no comments

NLDS Game 3: #SADITUDE

Written by athooks on .

This was on my Facebook page this afternoon. I've covered last names.

It's not complicated. 

Losers lose. Winners win. The Nationals haven't been to the playoffs since before both World Wars. The Cardinals won the World Series last year. The Nationals started a guy the Cardinals let walk in free agency. The Cardinals started a guy who let a rib walk away this summer, but somehow is now pitching in the postseason. 

For the second straight game, the Cardinals absolutely DEMOLISHED the best team in the NL regular season. And after a heavy pitch count in the first two innings, Chris Carpenter gutted out 5 2/3 innings giving up 0 runs. It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't exciting. It was a methodical takedown. 
 
It was a thing of beauty.
 
Pete Kozma with a 3 run home run? The fuck! David Freese heating up? Of course! It took 165 games to get there, but the Cardinals played their absolute best 9 innings of the 2012 season in the most important game yet. 
 
The Nationals are shellshocked. Their dreams are about to be extinguished tomorrow. Meanwhile the Reds are in a do or die with the Giants. 
 
Sleep well Cardinal Nation. Today, today was a good day.
 
3 of 12 in 12.

no comments

Predict NLDS Game 3 Score; Win Cards Headphones

Written by athooks on .

Hey you. You're a Cardinals fan, right?

You're also probably a fan of looking cool, too. Am I wrong? Well everywhere you look, all the awesome beautiful people are wearing headphones. Probably so they don't have to listen to you trying to act cool.
 
Point is, you need a kick ass pair of cans. And our friends at BiGR Audio have you covered. Check these mothertruckers out:
 
Boom.

They're the official headphones of MLB and have as good of specs as 'Beats by Dre'. Retailing for $149, they're on sale right now for just $49. But if you're good at predicting things, then you can get a pair for free.

Did I mention they come with a killer Cardinals collectors case? LINK HERE
 
All you have to do is leave a comment (before first pitch 10/10) that predicts the score of NLDS Game 3 between the Cardinals and Nationals. Same score predictions that are correct will go in a drawing. If no one guesses exactly, then we'll go closest to the score.
 
You game?
 
Oh, and while you're screwing off on the internet, please follow BiGR Audio on Twitter: LINK HERE
 
UPDATE: Congrats to @JPVogt for winning the headphones. 
 
no comments

NLDS Game 2: Come On Out And Get Your Whuppin'

Written by athooks on .

#Natitude.  

Lulz. Have you met our little friend Carlos Beltran? Doesn't look like it because he completely wrecked your face. In fact, somebody check and make sure Jordan Zimmerman got on the NOT Happy Flight home, because he might still be shivering in a corner somewhere underneath Busch Stadium.
 
Oh, and Jon Jay. Don't even think about forgetting Jon Jay.
 
The Cardinals pulled out one of their patented 12 run games out of their asses they've become famous for in 2012. Couldn't get a run home with the bases loaded and no outs? What? Us worry? 
 
Boom. Out comes the whuppin' stick.
 
It was fun to watch, friends. Very fun. You know, after Jamie Garcia got pulled in the 2nd inning. That wasn't all that fun, now that I think about it. But the rest of it? TOTALLY FUN!
 
The Cardinals now have a day off before heading Nationals Park (What, couldn't even get a sponsor? Weak.) for an exercise in which rich white guy can get tickets closer to the field. Hell, if you have a Nationals shirt over 1 year old, you should get a free hot dog. I'd say it's going to be hostile, but Mike Wilbon says that it won't. 
 
So it won't.
 
It's now a best of 3 with the Road Warrior Chris Carpenter taking the pill. I promise you he'll be ready. 
 
The Cardinals did what they had to do on Monday afternoon. Duces, STL. We'll be seeing more October baseball in you soon. 
 
no comments

NLDS Game 1: Mike Matheny Blew It

Written by athooks on .

You want 5 reasons to be pissed about the Cardinals 3-2 loss to the Nationals in Game 1of the NLDS? Ok, I'll give you 5. But you don't need 'em. 

Beacuse Mike Matheny took an gamble he didn't need to and the house took his money. It was bold. It was wrong. And it put the Cardinals in a deep hole. 
 
1) Matheny brining in Rzepczynski in a critical spot.
 
Why? WHY? WHHHHHYYYYYYY?
 
Mike Matheny, microscope. Microscope, Mike Matheny, I mean, it'd be one thing if Rzepczynski was even OK the last 1/3 of the season. But I'm not sure that if the Cardinals had another viable LH option in the bullpen he'd even be on this team at all. So when you need one out, in a pressure packed situation with pinch hitter called on specifically to bait you into using Rzepczynski, what do you do? 
 
You bite.
 
Single. 2 runs. Ballgame. And OHAI, why don't we use Motte in the 9th just to add insult to injury. This loss is on Matheny. If you want to keep reading to find things to be pissed about, feel free. But you really don't have to. 
 
2) Jason Werth robbing another Cardinals post-season home run. 
 
Worse, these were almost exactly 24 hours apart. And both sun drenched blind stabs that sno-coned before becoming long outs. Son. Of. A. Biscuit. One is bad enough, but 2 games and the Cardinals have already been Endy'd twice? Brutal. 
 
3) Kozma's defense. 
 
Coach Lou brown was not happy with that OLAY bullshit. Peter, you finished the season strong. But you're not Derek Jeter. Move your feet and get in front of a ball. You do not win in the postseason by giving teams extra outs in the 7th, 8th or 9th innings. It comes back to kill. Everytime. 
 
4) Cardinals not scoring a run with the bases loaded and 0 outs in the 7th
 
What can you say here? That was the ballgame. Guy comes in with the bases loaded and 0 outs and you let him off the hook in two pitches? Two as in two PITCHES. Molina, you're better than that. 
 
5) Carpenter's third strike call.
 
Come on blue, that call was TURRRUBLE. Low, outside and pretty much a sign that you're looking to make your 6:30 table at Shannon's. The guy isn't wearing any batting gloves. That means he's here to HIT!
 
Cardinals had a runner at 2nd stranded. The game was pretty much in the bag when blue started jumping in. 
 
no comments
Sophomore Slump- Fact Or Fiction?
Colts Authority
Can Cabrera Repeat The Triple Crown?
The Outside Corner
Worst Umpire Gaffes Of 2013
The Outside Corner
Tebow Being Blackballed By NFL?
This Given Sunday
70 Facts And Stats From 2013 Regular Season
Puck Drunk Love