What could have been. We knew in our heart of hearts that it wasn't going to happen, but we still got excited.

As word trickles in that the Philadelphia Phillies are thiiiiiis close to sealing a deal with the Astros for the services of one Roy Oswlat… it’s become painfully clear that the team you see now with ‘Cardinals’ emblazoned on their chest is the team that will either not win or win the World Series.

Rumors persist that fringe players like Miguel Tejada could be acquired, but anything other than trading for Dan Haren (already happened) or Roy Oswalt was going to disappoint The Nation.

Sigh.

It’s gotten hard to root for the Cardinals in 2010. And last night is a incredibly apt microcosm of why.

6 runs off of Johan Santana in the first inning? Hell yes! This team is so stacked. 1 run in the next 11 innings? WTF! This team sucks. Did this group of asshats really blow that lead- I hate these bums. Pujols comes through in the clutch again!!! That’s a winner!

When it gets to the point that wins feel like losses, It’s pretty much a sure sign that something is wrong.

But what? What is wrong?

That’s the problem. We start bitching about hitting and the Cardinals show they can destroy top flight pitching. We start bitching about pitching and Wainwright, Carpenter and Garcia go out and pitch 27 innings of 3 run ball. We zig… they zag. And at the end of the day nobody, not even the Cardinals, know what the hell to make of this team.

I suppose it’s encouraging that the Cardinals have shown that they can put it all together for a stretch of time. And after Saturday it will be officially up to only the 40 guys on the roster now to make it into and through the playoffs.

The Cardinals play today @ 11:30, if you have any idea what they’re planning on doing, let us all know. We’d appreciate it.

What’s better than doing work? NOT doing work.

We tickled your curious bone with the story on Monday that former beloved Cardinals Catcher Mike Matheny was in deep shit with the bank and that his manse here in the STL was being auctioned by the bank. I called on our friends at Punching Kitty to get more details about the situation and where we stand now with the whole bloody ordeal.

Friends… They didn’t unearth good news.

• MIKE MATHENY FORECLOSURE UPDATE HERE

Also, since the Cardinals decided to win games at the most opportune time for us, the fans, the STL Cardinals are giving away 8K tickets via their website @ 10a CST today. Click on the link below and see if you can’t score a couple of free seats.

Be warned that everyone and their mother will be on the Cardinals site at 10a, so expect this to be a bigger clusterfuck than Mike Matheny’s real estate ventures.

• FREE CARDINAL TICKETS GIVEN AWAY TODAY HERE

The boss over at SB Nation is taking some time away from the office this week, so he’s cracking the whip and demanding two articles from us on the Rams. So that means you get the pleasure of watching me tear the heart out of the marketing department of the Rams today.

I think anyone that’s been to a Rams game in the past 10 years will appreciate the list I’ve put together. Like it if you want, re-tweet if you would.

• THE HISTORY OF HOW THE RAMS KEEP EMBARASSING ST. LOUIS

Last-

Rootbeer returned to the scene of the crime (sorta) and got dealt what the Mets hoped for back in 2006. It was a poor pitching performance, yes. But even the best have an off night.

More troublesome was, again, the silence of the bats. The Cardinals had a chance for a big first inning and only managed 1 run. Then… NOTHING.

We’ve got a tie for first place in the NL Central and it’s July 28. Expect a Cardinal Confidence Meter to be up and running soon.

Mr. Jose Alberto Pujols was up to some late night grab ass with Letterman last night. Here's the video:

From the excellent website Punching Kitty comes this tid-bit about former Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny: his house is in foreclosure and is or has been recently put up for public auction. Can we get PK to find out more about this story, please? Did this house sell? How the hell did Matheny get in this situation after only being retired a couple of seasons? Can we take up a collection outside a game next week?...

Sunday morning I watched an interview with Whitey Herzog and Bob Costas and one of the things that Whitey stressed was how much his teams actually worked on base running. Obviously this was boring to the MLB Network producers, since they edited out some of the more granular detail, but you could still tell how passionate he was on this one aspect of his job. Fast forward to 2010 and the Cardinals might be one of the worst base running teams of ALL-TIME. Just last night, 2 guys were gunned out at home and Matt Holliday and Ryan Ludwick both missed opportunities to score after getting turned around on the base paths with fly balls. It’s just brutal to watch. Let’s hope Whitey got to be early after a big day and didn’t watch the game…

For a million dollars, Flip Lopez might be one of the best deals in MLB…

Jeff Suppan and Blake Hawksworth are doing their best to convince Johnny Mo that he needs to get cracking on bringing in Roy Oswalt to the Cardinals. The longer the Birds keep running out punching bags 2 out of 5 games, the longer the Reds will stick around in the NL Central. Let’s be real here, the Cubs are not a good team. And great teams absolutely FEAST on the bottom feeders. The Cardinals are lucky to not get swept. Plus the horrible, horrible trade that the Angels got the D’Backs to sign off on for Dan Haren should lower the price for Oswalt. Let’s do this…

Between Jon Jay’s ill-advised dive, Skip’s error and missed double plays all night, the Cardinals are proving to be one of the weakest defensive teams up the middle, no matter what combination of players are thrown out there. Maybe David Freese’s return helps get the middle infield in more of a platoon and the Cardinals get lucky with players getting better not playing everyday? I know, terrible solution. But what are the other options? Ryan and Shumaker are pretty much toxic assets. Can’t trade ‘em. Can’t waive ‘em. We’re just going to hope they get better…

Let’s hope this is the year Carpenter actually get’s in a fight. He likes to yell a lot and seems to want to punch somebody, so let’s see him unload and if he can do much damage…

Can we figure out a way for every Pujols at bat broadcast on ESPN. I would have seriously bet 50 bucks that Pujols was going yard after the pre-game package that showed him struggling in the cage and requesting extra BP after his session. Sure enough, he cranks one out…

As of early this afternoon, Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog is offically a member of the Hall of Fame.

St. Louis is a baseball town, without a doubt. When it comes to levels of fanaticism for sports teams, the Cardinals reach is longer, deeper and wider than any other organization or college. It's a borderline religion for many, and for those indoctrinated in the 1980's- Whitey Herzog was and will always be the high priest.

Generationally, my dad and I were pretty lucky. He grew up on the Cardinals of the 1960's. I on the 1980's- two of the most successful decades in the history of the franchise. (Conversely, I wonder if 70's and 90's kids and parents are just a little less enthusiastic about the Cardinals? Two fairly brutal decades...) Just like you'll never convince my dad that trading Steve Carlton was ever a good idea or that Ubaldo Jimenez could wash Bob Gibson's jock, you're not going to tell me that their was a more important figure for Cardinals baseball than Mr. Herzog.

You may be wrong, you may be right- but I'm just not listening.

Again, I fully admit that I'm tainted by the fact that when I first even realized what baseball was, he was the manager. And when I first played little league ball and dreamed about becoming a Cardinal, he was still the manager. Tony LaRussa is perhaps the greatest leader of the Cardinals franchise we've ever witnessed and I defend him oft on this site, but he can win 10 more World Series and I don't think he'll have the same emotional impact for me as the White Rat... It's pure luck that he was at the top of his game when I had 24 hours a day to concentrate on everything that had to do with the Cardinals.

It also helped, I suppose, that Whitey had the same haircut as my grandpa. White hair, spiked crew cut; cool as hell.

Congratulations to Mr. Herzog and his induction today.

Some reading and links on this, induction day for Whitey Herzog to the BWAA Hall of Fame:

• Tim Kurkjian of ESPN on how Whitey changed the game: LINK HERE
• Rick Hummel of STLToday on ex-players feelings: LINK HERE
• Bernie Miklasz of STLToday on the the case for Whitey's induction: LINK HERE
• The Cardinals will retire #24 on July 31st this year: LINK HERE
• Whitey credits the NY Times with getting him his first managerial job: LINK HERE
• Full coverage from MLB.com- including streaming/video of the ceremony: LINK HERE
• Randy Kovitz of the KC Star on Whitey's legacy with the Royals: LINK HERE
• The Sporting News interviewed Vince Coleman on Herzog: LINK HERE
• The Star-Telegram on Whitey's time with the Texas Rangers: LINK HERE
• David Wilhelm of the BND on Whitey's speech preparation: LINK HERE
• The Suburban Journal recounts Herzog's youth in New Athens IL: LINK HERE
• R.B. Fallstrom of the AP on following Herzog: LINK HERE
• A random photo gallery on the set of KTVI: LINK HERE
• Herzog believes the instant replay has a place in MLB: LINK HERE
• Perhaps the best commercial ever? Featuring Jack & Whitey: LINK HERE
• Whitey talks to the NY Daily News about his early days with the Mets: LINK HERE
• Richard Sandomir of the NY Times with the paper's offical Whitey piece: LINK HERE
• Bill Ivie from I-70 Basball checks in with thoughts on Whitey: LINK HERE
• A cool photo gallery of Herzog with Cedeno, Lasorda, Gussie, Templeton, etc: LINK HERE
• Inside Sports on the 1980 Brewers/Cards trade (w/pic of Whitey playing poker): LINK HERE
  

We'll add to this list as we come across more articles and video from today. Please feel free to add any we missed in the comments section so everyone can share and read/watch/listen...

We’ve got a shit ton to get to today, so let’s burn right through it…

ROY OSWALT: Roy Oswalt? Yes please. I’ll have some of that. Starting two days ago, I was getting e-mails from all over the place wondering about the chances of this actually happening. I told pretty much everyone the same thing- it ain’t happening.

Now, 48 hours later, Jayson Stark is on ESPN telling us that Roy wants to come to the Cardinals, that he’s willing not to demand that the Cardinals guarantee his 2012 option and that this deal is heating up quickly.

Ho-ly shit.

Wainwright, Carpenter, Oswalt in a 5 game Divisional series? Jamie Garcia as a fourth option? 20 million dollars worth of starting arms being squeezed out of playoff action? I mean the Cardinals aren’t fucking around anymore. We’re the NEW YANKEE’S! DeWitt as the new Steinbrenner?

Read my open letter to John Mozeliak on InsideSTL.com LINK HERE

CUBS/SEAT GEEK: Now the Cardinals move to Chicago for a weekend series against the Cubs. You know that the Cubs still haven’t been to Busch Stadium and won’t be for another 3 weeks. I know we thought this was ridiculous when the schedule came out back this winter. But now you see how far mid-August actually is into a baseball season.

Hell- Sweet Lou has already retired!

Our friends over at Seat Geek have worked up some graphs on ticket prices on the secondary market for the Cubs and Cardinals and it’s worth the read. Do those guys a favor and read it … LINK HERE

SB NATION: SB Nation in St. Louis is growing. Yes, this is a shameless plug for the site. But the NFL season is coming sooner than you think and I need to get all of you conditioned to go over to that site and read about how horrendous the Rams are.

Read my SB Nation piece on the 6 horrible things that could happen to the Rams this season LINK HERE

VENUING: Got an interesting e-mail from an app developer that have created something called Venuing. What the hell is Venuing? Good question. I’ll let them tell you:

“It is designed to connect fans attending live events to one another through a chat feature that emanates over a series of 3D views and seating maps that recreate the physical atmosphere of the stadium. The guys over at i70baseball have come along and will help monitor games by administering the ticker that feeds information to those using the app and helps to facilitate the conversation going on throughout the stadium. In the future we will "geo-fence" Busch Stadium, meaning only those inside of it will be able to use it, but for now we are allowing all to "virtually attend" games and chat along.”

I CC’d the CD team on this one and the office consensus was that this was a pretty freaking ambitious application. If they can get people on board with it and make it simple enough for everyone to understand, then it might be a hit. If they don’t, it could be a spectacular flop.

But since we like guys and girls that flop the proverbial nutsack out, here’s some links to try the thing out. May be ideal to try during today’s afternoon game against the Cubs? LINK HERE

Now, The Friday Links…

• Ever wonder how those voice over people live day to day? LINK HERE (HT: JRH)
• Guy offended that ex-wife didn't pay more to get him killed. LINK HERE (HT: JRH)
• Cool fire animation. This must have taken forever. LINK HERE (HT: JRH)
• Craigslist is a never ending source for crazy. I love it. LINK HERE
• Best idea of the day? Best idea of the day. LINK HERE
• So you think it's a girl and then... it's not. LINK HERE
• I have no idea what the point of this mash-up is, but it's awesome. LINK HERE (HT: JRH)

That's it for this long-ass post. You've got tons to read and click on today, so don't act like you're too good to not investigate each one. Oh, and if the boys from Venuing want to explain further their app, do so in the comments.

It's late July, and the home dates on the Cardinals' calendar is dwindling. It's good because we get a little closer to (possibly) seeing playoff baseball in our little town. But bad because no one wants to see the baseball season end, even if it is about 430 days long.

And you might be thinking about how fast this summer has gone by. You might want one or two last bits of excitement before the Rams come in and ruin your fall. This list below gives you some top-notch options of where to go and when. They are all weekends, since I know you are vital to your company and can't be away from the office for more than a day or so.

And if you're like me - not vital at all, but can't be out for more than a half day without all hell breaking loose.

So in order from now until the end of the season, here are five baseball road-trips you can still make this summer:

Where: Springfield, MO
When: Fri July 30 - Sun August 1
Who: Springfield Cardinals vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals

I was at a couple games in Springfield during the summer of 2008. One of the in-game promotions was that if a Cardinal hit a home run that inning, everyone in the park would get a free sundae at one of the local ice cream places. Since that day, I've always had a special place in my heart for Tyler Greene, who sent us home a little happier. As for the weekend suggested above, Saturday the 31st is I-70 throwback night, in which the Cardinals will wear powder blue unis, and Naturals (Royals affiliate) will wear 1985 throwbacks. The Naturals have a few good prospects, including Eric Hosmer (#3 pick in '08), and former Mizzou SP Aaron Crow. Plus, they've got one of the best names in minor league baseball - Rowdy Hardy. Yes, that's his name and it's fucking outstanding. If all of that doesn't make you want to clear your weekend, I can't help you. You are a communist. Also, be sure to say 'hi' to Sign Guy for us. He owes Hooks a bunch of Domino's pizza coupons.

Where: Kansas City, MO
When: Fri August 13 - Sun August 15
Who: Royals vs. Yankees

Alright, I'm refraining from any "go and visit your little brothers" jokes here. It's tough, so I'll talk fast and get it over with. There is a lot of appeal to head west for this series: A) The Yankees are a really good ballclub with a lot of talent that you don't get to see in person every year. Actually, the Yanks have visited Busch only once since interleague play started in '97. Makes lots of sense. B) You might dislike and/or laugh at the Royals and their fans, but you hate the Yankees, so go join in the fun. If you're gonna act like an ass, go do it 250 miles or so across the state. C) It'll actually be a big, raucous crowd at Kauffman, which was renovated (completed last year) and looks a lot nicer. How many more chances will you get to yell "Jeter's a Homo!" I rest my case.

Where: Memphis, TN
When: Fri August 27 - Sun August 29
Who: Memphis Redbirds vs. Round Rock Express

I finally made my first trip to Memphis about a year ago, and it left me wondering why the hell that took so long. The Redbirds have a pretty nice park, which I've noticed is common among a few of the Cardinals' minor league stadiums. I'm not sure if that's just a coincidence, or if it's a reflection on ownership. Either way, I applaud the effort. Okay, enough boring shit - Memphis is awesome. BBQ, beer, and baseball: what else could you really ask for? And Beale St. was pretty cool. I wasn't sure what to expect, but spending a few days there last year, I highly recommend going. Plus, the beauty of minor league parks is that you'll always have a good, cheap seat. Oh, and Brad Thompson pitches for Round Rock. THE Brad Thompson. Go.

Where: Chicago, IL
When: Fri September 24 - Sun September 26
Who: Cubs vs. Cardinals

Do I have to explain anything to you on this one? It's always good to clinch the division at home, but if there's an almost-as-good place to do it, Wrigley's the spot.

Where: St. Louis, MO
When: Sat October 2 - Sun October 3
Who: Cardinals vs Rockies

The last Cardinal game of the season is always fun. Sure, it can be bittersweet if the boys aren't making the playoffs, but after this winning streak, the outlook is a lot better than it was just a couple weeks ago when the Cards and Rockies last met. The reason I'm including Busch is that with a 1:05 Saturday day game, you and some friends could get a hotel room Saturday night and get absolutely hammered downtown. I'm sure the mayor's office will provide a scorecard of who still has their liquor license by then (/rimshot). Then on Sunday, stumble over to the stadium to see the ultra LaRussa wet dream - playing 36 guys in one game. It's always a four hour game with the double-switches, pinch runners, curtain calls, etc. which means getting even more obliterated. I'm chalk full of great ideas today.

 Honorable Mentions:
-Gateway Grizzlies in Sauget, IL (You know you want a donutburger. And strippers.)
-Omaha Royals (Royals AAA affiliate) in Omaha, NE (Last year at historic Rosenblatt Stadium)
-Peoria Chiefs (Cubs Low-A) in Peoria, IL
-Quad Cities River Bandits (Cards Low-A) in Davenport, IA (If Shelby Miller's pitching, that's a huge bonus)
-Louisville Bats (Reds AAA) in Louisville, KY

If you have absolutly nothing better to do right now, I'd reccomend you listen to your favorite asshat talk some baseball with Kevin Orris of Baseball Insiders on the radio from earlier today.

LINK HERE

For whatever reason, I sound semi-drunk.

I probably was.

CHICAGO- Over the past several weeks, longtime Cubs organist Gary Pressy has gradually stopped playing the light ballpark organ riffs that typically fill Wrigley Field’s stands in favor of more brooding, chilling songs.

“I have to say that lately the sounds coming out of that organ have made me anxious and sad and in no mood to clap along,” said season ticket holder Mike Preston, adding that instead of playing “Hava Nagila” or using his organ to start a “Let’s Go Cubs” chant, Pressy will strike an oppressive minor chord and sustain the unsettling tone for up to an entire minute.

“Yesterday he played a really slow fugue on ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ in this dark, funeral key. It was haunting.”

When asked for comment, Pressy drove reporters away by playing a demented arrangement of “Happy Birthday” on his newly installed 20,000-pipe, seven-story-tall organ.

- Courtesy of the best website ever: The Onion

Brilliant win for the Cardinals Sunday afternoon. Brilliant series for the Cardinals all weekend long. The Phillies are coming to STL on the ropes after getting worked by the Scrubs. Roy Halladay got lit up on Sunday Night Baseball. The vultures are circling in PA. If the birds can take 6 of 7 against 2 teams that are at least competing for a division title in 2010, then that’s the type of week that can create physical and mental separation between themselves and the Reds…

The Mel Gibson tapes were made for satellite radio and Howard Stern. You may be one of the cheapasses that wonders why some of us pay for radio. Mel Gibson is the answer.  At least twice last week I was crying laughing. Possibly some of the funniest radio of all time…

In the annals of Cardinal baseball history, Dave Ducan’s epitaph won’t mention his ressureaction of Jeff Suppan’s rotting corpse in 2010 as a seminal achievement in his career. Perhaps is should. Sup was an absolute train wreck in Milwalkee and getting mop-up duty out of their bullpen. Now a month after coming back to the Cardinals, he’s able to give 6 innings of 1 run ball? This is borderline miracle-ish…

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide commercials don’t lie. That’s the Ferrari of disposable razors. For the first time since puberty, shaving was actually mildly fun. The damn thing zips around on your face with no tug, no pull and takes about a quarter inch of your skin off as a bonus. It’s the most expensive razor on the market as well. If and when they start writing loans for these, I’d consider one at the right interest rate…

Easy Allen Craig. We’ve already got people wanting to trade Ludwick to get Jon Jay some playing time. We don’t have room for another guy that everyone will want in the OF everyday…

Lady Gaga is without a doubt, the most influential performer in the United States today. St. Louis is about as progressive as your grandmother’s wardrobe. On Saturday night 100’s of people all over downtown were dressed in ridiculous outfits, not giving a shit, having the time of their lives after Gaga played the Kiel Center. Don’t think any other show could have come to this town and had the same effect. Good for her…

Why would you rest Albert Pujols on a Sunday when people are in from out of town to see the Cardinals, you ask? TV. That’s why. Can’t rest him tonight or Sunday because ESPN is televising those games….

This is the new paradigm of entertainment. 1) Somebody finds old outtakes from an angry Winnebego dealer. 2) Those clips get placed on YouTube and become viral, racking up millions of hits. 3) Filmmaker gets curious and decides to find this guy. 4) Winnebego guy has a much more interesting back story than anticipated and the filmmaker makes a movie. 5) Movie becomes critical darling, racking up awards all over the world at film festivals. 6) St. Louis, the non-progressive city mentioned above, doesn’t have a theater that will show it. 7) We settle for watching the trailer again. LINK HERE

Matt Holliday, earning…