[BrotherBri]

Let me preface my comments by reminding you all how much I hate strikeouts. HATE them. Argued forever with jdb and others that strikeouts DO hurt more than other kinds of outs. And Branyan is a strikeout machine that makes Preston Wilson look like a contact hitter.

That said, I think this pick-up is actually quite good. Branyan can play a number of corner positions, and does hit with power. Against RHPs, the Cards can run out an order that starts with Miles, Ankiel, Pujols, Edmonds, Branyan, Duncan. And maybe, just maybe, TLR will realize that it will be important to rest Pujols once or twice down the stretch, and Branyan's power just might allow him to do it, particularly if Speizio is back to play 3B.

Most importantly, this pick up does more to move Scotty toward the surgery he must have ... and before too much rest and rehab time is wasted on some futile attempt to play now. So, all in all, a pretty good pickup.

You'll just have to calm me down when he strikes out four times in a critical game.