Cardinals first-half recap

RockintheRed · 07-16-2008, 09:30 AM

I asked Rockin' the Red friend Aaron Borchelt if he would like to write his opinions on the Cardinals' season so far. The true All-Star that he is, he was happy to oblige. This is the first part of a two-part series Aaron will be writing, with the second part focusing on what we can expect in the second half of the season. You can read more about Aaron in the Stories from the Stool series or see him ushering down the right field line the next time you're at a ballgame.

"It was the best of times ... it was the worst of times." It was the Cardinals first half of the 2008 season. What a roller coaster ride it has been. Coming out of Spring Training, expectations certainly were not as lofty as they have been the past couple of seasons. A corps of Cardinals made up of a handful of veterans and a slew of rookies drove fans to their local scorecard vendor and favorite blog sites to find their new favorite player.

"These guys won't be able to make noise in the Central this year."

"There's not enough experience."

"The team lacks a decent starting rotation."

But this team of Redbirds didn't seem to pay much attention to the so-called experts. Call it overachieving. Call it luck. Call it playing beyond itself. Call it what you will, but this team has closed out the first half of the season with the second best record in the National League. And you could even point to some games and situations and play the "what-if" game, but that's for another blog at another time. Through (literally) the blood, sweat, and tears (and RAIN!), this team, under the supervision of the master chemist Tony LaRussa, has continued to persevere and surpass every expectation and soar beyond every hurdle placed in its way.

Here's a look back at the first half of the season and some highlights (and lowlights) from Baseball City, U.S.A.

WHO NEEDS A SCORECARD?!?!?!? 2008 marked the Major League debut for 10 Cardinal players (and perhaps more to follow). Here's the list: Brian Barton, Mitchell Boggs, Jaime Garcia, Joe Mather, Kyle McClellan, Mike Parisi, Chris Perez, Nick Stavinoha, Rico Washington, and Mark Worrell.

CARDINAL NATION - LOUD AND LOYAL!! Team personnel had set a season attendance goal of 3.2 million, a bit lower than previous years. But the St. Louis faithful have been just that, faithful, packing the stands at an average of better than 42,000 fans per game.

"HOME" AWAY FROM HOME Good teams find ways to win, no matter where they are playing. This Cardinals team has done just that, boasting the best road record in the National League with a 27-22 mark.

COMEDY CENTRAL NO MORE The National League Central has been the target of many jokes over the past few years. After all, 83 wins secures first place in the division?!?! But this year is a different story. The top three teams from the National League reside in the National League Central - the Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers. I guess it's no laughing matter any more in the midwest. Perhaps it will turn to the "Wacky West" as their first place team is under .500.

AS GOOD AS GOLD??? They say that "defense wins championships." Well, this team might just prove that to be true. At the close of the first half, the Cardinals own the best fielding percentage in the National League. Newcomer Troy Glaus, in fact, leads NL third baseman in fielding percentage, giving up only 3 errors in 235 chances. Albert Pujols, the Cardinals All Star first (and second) baseman only has 2 miscues in 777 chances. That's good for third in the league.

IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE??? At times throughout the first half, our disabled list looked more like a lineup card. With names such as Pujols, Molina, Wainwright, Carpenter, Mulder, and a host of others missing time due to injury, the Cardinals have been forced to play shorthanded for much of the season.

MO KNOWS PITCHING John Mozeliak has, of late, been the subject of conversations regarding personnel moves, or a lack thereof. Although, after watching the performance of our starting rotation on the mound, I'm starting to think that he knows something we don't know. Start with All Star snub, Cardinals Ace???, Kyle Lohse. 11-2 ... 3.39 ERA ... 12 out of 20 quality starts ... not bad timing for a guy who will be a free agent at the end of the season. And then there is the National League Pitcher of the Month for May, Todd Wellemeyer. During the second month of the season, Todd went 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA while chewing up 37 inningsin 6 games.

THAT'S A BUNCH OF "B.S" I began my bit with the popular passage from "A Tale of Two Cities." This couldn't be more true for the Cardinals bullpen. Through one-half of the season, the Redbird relievers lead the league in holds, but also in blown saves. Arguably the most frustrating BS of the first half came last Saturday in Pittsburgh when the Cardinals blew a 6-run lead to the Bucs.

YADI LEAVES IT ALL ON THE FIELD One of my favorite memories of the first half, Yadier Molina continued to lead by example in Milwaukee. On May 12, Yadi had a "different interpretation of the strike zone" than home plate umpire Paul Schrieber. To drive home his point, Molina littered the home plate area with his catching gear and walked off the field.

MORE ON MOLINA Here's undoubtedly the "Stat of the Year." Who leads the Cardinals in infield hits this season? Yadier Molina. Who would have thought that?!?!?!?!?!?!? Flashes of speed aside, Yadi is putting together a career offensive season, posting an average of better than .300. He would get my vote for Offensive Most Improved Player of the Year.

IF THE "SCHU" FITS ... PLAY HIM!!! One of the many pleasant surprises this year has been Skip Schumaker. This has been Skip's first chance to play everyday in the big leagues and he has embraced the challenge and thrived. It started on Opening Day - Take 1 - when he made a dazzling diving catch in left field. While that Web Gem doesn't officially count as a putout since the game was rained out, it is certainly one of the plays of the year in my book. Looking at the numbers, Skip has been a quality leadoff batter by hitting .293 with 6 homers and an on-base percentage of .357. Dare I say it, exactly what the team needs in the top slot of the batting order. All of this productivity has come in 89 games played, which is one more than any of his previous seasons (previous high - 88 games in 2007).

WELCOME BACK!!! First half 2008 gave Cardinal Nation the opportunity to formally welcome back to beloved Cardinals of recent history - So Taguchi and Jim Edmonds. When considering my favorite moment of the first half, the reception that these two players received from the home crowd is definitely up there on the list. Both players were greeting to the batters box with a standing ovation, both of which delayed the game a bit until the guest tipped his cap and stepped in. I'd put our quality fans up against any other group of supporters in the league, especially those from Philly and Chicago.

MAGIC NUMBERS I know, I know, it is still WAAAAAYYYYYY too early to start talking about those countdowns to a clincher at this point in the season. In fact, word to the wise, don't dare utter those words to Tony LaRussa. But the numbers, well really number, I am referring to is "300." This number has special significance to the Birds on the Bat this year. Albert Pujols hit his 300th career home run against the Cubs on July 4. Yadier is hitting over .300 for the first time in his career. Troy Glaus is 8 home runs shy of 300 for his career. But the real question might lie with another "300" ... Will Jason Isringhausen record his 300th save this season? Stay tuned ... Only time will tell.

A GLAUS-SY FINISH??? The newcomer with the highest fan expectations for the year was none other than Troy Glaus, the 2002 World Series MVP. He got off to a slow start, battling unfamiliar pitchers and "allergies," just to name a few. The opportunities to shine were there as it seemed like he was always batting with runners on base. But as the weather started heating up, so did the native Californian. After hitting .259 with 3 homers and 33 RBI in April and May, the keeper of the hot corner has bounced back with a .286 average and 11 HR while driving in 24 runs in June and July. That includes a .310 average in the month of July. I don't know about you, but I like the trend that this is leaning towards.

I'll be honest. I did not have much faith in this Cardinals team as we turned the calendar from March to April. 75 wins would be a great season in my book. But this team has continued to surprise all of the doubters, like yours truly, and have put together a season that all of Cardinal Nation can be proud of. What will the second half be comprised of? Will there be a Jocketty-esque move before the trade deadline? Who knows. But one thing's for certain ... this team won't quit! They are geared up for the long haul. So sit back, relax, and get ready, because this roller coaster ride is only halfway done!!!

More...

07-16-2008, 09:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
RockintheRed Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 196	Cardinals first-half recap I asked Rockin' the Red friend Aaron Borchelt if he would like to write his opinions on the Cardinals' season so far. The true All-Star that he is, he was happy to oblige. This is the first part of a two-part series Aaron will be writing, with the second part focusing on what we can expect in the second half of the season. You can read more about Aaron in the Stories from the Stool series or see him ushering down the right field line the next time you're at a ballgame. "It was the best of times ... it was the worst of times." It was the Cardinals first half of the 2008 season. What a roller coaster ride it has been. Coming out of Spring Training, expectations certainly were not as lofty as they have been the past couple of seasons. A corps of Cardinals made up of a handful of veterans and a slew of rookies drove fans to their local scorecard vendor and favorite blog sites to find their new favorite player. "These guys won't be able to make noise in the Central this year." "There's not enough experience." "The team lacks a decent starting rotation." But this team of Redbirds didn't seem to pay much attention to the so-called experts. Call it overachieving. Call it luck. Call it playing beyond itself. Call it what you will, but this team has closed out the first half of the season with the second best record in the National League. And you could even point to some games and situations and play the "what-if" game, but that's for another blog at another time. Through (literally) the blood, sweat, and tears (and RAIN!), this team, under the supervision of the master chemist Tony LaRussa, has continued to persevere and surpass every expectation and soar beyond every hurdle placed in its way. Here's a look back at the first half of the season and some highlights (and lowlights) from Baseball City, U.S.A. WHO NEEDS A SCORECARD?!?!?!? 2008 marked the Major League debut for 10 Cardinal players (and perhaps more to follow). Here's the list: Brian Barton, Mitchell Boggs, Jaime Garcia, Joe Mather, Kyle McClellan, Mike Parisi, Chris Perez, Nick Stavinoha, Rico Washington, and Mark Worrell. *CARDINAL NATION - LOUD AND LOYAL!!* Team personnel had set a season attendance goal of 3.2 million, a bit lower than previous years. But the St. Louis faithful have been just that, faithful, packing the stands at an average of better than 42,000 fans per game. *"HOME" AWAY* FROM HOME** Good teams find ways to win, no matter where they are playing. This Cardinals team has done just that, boasting the best road record in the National League with a 27-22 mark. COMEDY CENTRAL NO MORE The National League Central has been the target of many jokes over the past few years. After all, 83 wins secures first place in the division?!?! But this year is a different story. The top three teams from the National League reside in the National League Central - the Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers. I guess it's no laughing matter any more in the midwest. Perhaps it will turn to the "Wacky West" as their first place team is under .500. AS GOOD AS GOLD??? They say that "defense wins championships." Well, this team might just prove that to be true. At the close of the first half, the Cardinals own the best fielding percentage in the National League. Newcomer Troy Glaus, in fact, leads NL third baseman in fielding percentage, giving up only 3 errors in 235 chances. Albert Pujols, the Cardinals All Star first (and second) baseman only has 2 miscues in 777 chances. That's good for third in the league. IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE??? At times throughout the first half, our disabled list looked more like a lineup card. With names such as Pujols, Molina, Wainwright, Carpenter, Mulder, and a host of others missing time due to injury, the Cardinals have been forced to play shorthanded for much of the season. MO KNOWS PITCHING John Mozeliak has, of late, been the subject of conversations regarding personnel moves, or a lack thereof. Although, after watching the performance of our starting rotation on the mound, I'm starting to think that he knows something we don't know. Start with All Star snub, Cardinals Ace???, Kyle Lohse. 11-2 ... 3.39 ERA ... 12 out of 20 quality starts ... not bad timing for a guy who will be a free agent at the end of the season. And then there is the National League Pitcher of the Month for May, Todd Wellemeyer. During the second month of the season, Todd went 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA while chewing up 37 inningsin 6 games. THAT'S A BUNCH OF "B.S" I began my bit with the popular passage from "A Tale of Two Cities." This couldn't be more true for the Cardinals bullpen. Through one-half of the season, the Redbird relievers lead the league in holds, but also in blown saves. Arguably the most frustrating BS of the first half came last Saturday in Pittsburgh when the Cardinals blew a 6-run lead to the Bucs. YADI LEAVES IT ALL ON THE FIELD One of my favorite memories of the first half, Yadier Molina continued to lead by example in Milwaukee. On May 12, Yadi had a "different interpretation of the strike zone" than home plate umpire Paul Schrieber. To drive home his point, Molina littered the home plate area with his catching gear and walked off the field. MORE ON MOLINA Here's undoubtedly the "Stat of the Year." Who leads the Cardinals in infield hits this season? Yadier Molina. Who would have thought that?!?!?!?!?!?!? Flashes of speed aside, Yadi is putting together a career offensive season, posting an average of better than .300. He would get my vote for Offensive Most Improved Player of the Year. IF THE "SCHU" FITS ... PLAY HIM!!! One of the many pleasant surprises this year has been Skip Schumaker. This has been Skip's first chance to play everyday in the big leagues and he has embraced the challenge and thrived. It started on Opening Day - Take 1 - when he made a dazzling diving catch in left field. While that Web Gem doesn't officially count as a putout since the game was rained out, it is certainly one of the plays of the year in my book. Looking at the numbers, Skip has been a quality leadoff batter by hitting .293 with 6 homers and an on-base percentage of .357. Dare I say it, exactly what the team needs in the top slot of the batting order. All of this productivity has come in 89 games played, which is one more than any of his previous seasons (previous high - 88 games in 2007). WELCOME BACK!!! First half 2008 gave Cardinal Nation the opportunity to formally welcome back to beloved Cardinals of recent history - So Taguchi and Jim Edmonds. When considering my favorite moment of the first half, the reception that these two players received from the home crowd is definitely up there on the list. Both players were greeting to the batters box with a standing ovation, both of which delayed the game a bit until the guest tipped his cap and stepped in. I'd put our quality fans up against any other group of supporters in the league, especially those from Philly and Chicago. MAGIC NUMBERS I know, I know, it is still WAAAAAYYYYYY too early to start talking about those countdowns to a clincher at this point in the season. In fact, word to the wise, don't dare utter those words to Tony LaRussa. But the numbers, well really number, I am referring to is "300." This number has special significance to the Birds on the Bat this year. Albert Pujols hit his 300th career home run against the Cubs on July 4. Yadier is hitting over .300 for the first time in his career. Troy Glaus is 8 home runs shy of 300 for his career. But the real question might lie with another "300" ... Will Jason Isringhausen record his 300th save this season? Stay tuned ... Only time will tell. A GLAUS-SY FINISH??? The newcomer with the highest fan expectations for the year was none other than Troy Glaus, the 2002 World Series MVP. He got off to a slow start, battling unfamiliar pitchers and "allergies," just to name a few. The opportunities to shine were there as it seemed like he was always batting with runners on base. But as the weather started heating up, so did the native Californian. After hitting .259 with 3 homers and 33 RBI in April and May, the keeper of the hot corner has bounced back with a .286 average and 11 HR while driving in 24 runs in June and July. That includes a .310 average in the month of July. I don't know about you, but I like the trend that this is leaning towards. I'll be honest. I did not have much faith in this Cardinals team as we turned the calendar from March to April. 75 wins would be a great season in my book. But this team has continued to surprise all of the doubters, like yours truly, and have put together a season that all of Cardinal Nation can be proud of. What will the second half be comprised of? Will there be a Jocketty-esque move before the trade deadline? Who knows. But one thing's for certain ... this team won't quit! They are geared up for the long haul. So sit back, relax, and get ready, because this roller coaster ride is only halfway done!!! More...