Post by Mohandas Gandhi on Mar 3, 2006 15:11:35 GMT -5
St. Louis baseball fans are turning against their team. The expectations that have been put on the team by the fans are not being met. After 2 straight division championships, the Cardinals are in fourth place, albeit a winning record, and are behind the hated Cubs in the NL central. To make matters worse, the ownership group has shown interest in purchasing the Boston Red Sox, although the league has not been too leniant in that front.
This season has not been one St. Louis fans are accustomed to. The season began with familiar high hopes for the club, as the division was seen by many as a two-horse race between the Cardinals and the Brewers. The two teams were put together so siniliarly. The Brewers had Alex Rodriguez, Jim Thome, and Bobby Abreu in the heart of their line-up, to Albert Pujols, Manny Ramirez, and Travis Hafner in the Cardinals'. Each team had a perrenial Cy Young contender in their pitching staff, Johan Santana and Matt Morris. And with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs with their teams, the NL central was supposed to be among the funnest in baseball to see unfold as the season went on.
After a quick start out of the gate, the Cardinals pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Manny Ramirez and Paul Wilson to the rival Cubs for pitcher Bartolo Colon and Luis Montanez. While Colon put up respectable stats, it looked as though the Cardinals made this deal as a salary dump of Manny Ramirez while his value was as high as it was. It became crystal clear that was the case when the negotiations for a contract extension broke down.
As the season wore on, the Cardinals made it clear that nobody on the team was untouchable as the trade deadline got nearer. Albert Pujols was the teams main chip in the trading season. First, a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies was near completion that would have brought Sean Burnett, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Howard to the Cardinals for Pujols and a prospect. When that deal was shot down, it appeared as though Pujols was going to stay for a while. Then, out of nowhere, a three team deal that would have brought highly coveted prospect BJ Upton and Prince Fielder to St. Louis in return for Pujols was nearing completion until that trade broe down as well. Not long after that, a deal was completed with the Colorado Rockies for Fielder and OF prospect Jesse James. After this deal, the Cardinals traded OF Garrett Anderson to Florida for OF prospect Rudy Guillen. The next, and arguably the most damaging to Cardinals Nation was when they traded fan-favorite pitcher Matt Morris and Geof Jenkins to Detroit for OF Carl Crawford and three pitching prospects.
Fans were not happy with the team over the deals made during the trading season, but team officials assured the fans that the Cardinals will not be down for long, and will be better in 1-2 years, shorter than typical rebuilding projects. The team called up pitchers Bobby Jenks and Adam Wainright to see what they can do. Jenks especially has impressed the Cardinals brass. OF Matt Lemanczyk was called up, and not too long after he became the teams starting CF, moving longtime Cardinal great Jim Edmonds to right field in the process. He also supplanted David Eckstein and Carl Crawford to become the teams leadoff hitter. He could be a special one for the Cardinals. And recently, the team called up coveted pitching prospect Mark Michael to the ML squad to see what he can do. He has done little to disappoint, putting up a 3.46 era in his first two big league starts. He is beginning to show why the Cardinals have been so reluctant to trade him over the years.
So even though the big names have left St. Louis, and for the first time in a while will not be a contender for the World Series trophy, this team will not be down for long. Mark Michael has all the talent to become a #1 pitcher, yet the team has not decided where he will begin the 2008 season. Bobby Jenks and Adam Wainright will be solid contributers to the pitching staff next season and beyond. Prince Fielder will be a feared hitter for a long time. When the other young guns the Cardinals have, such as Jesse James, Erik Ross, and Rajai Davis reach the ML's for good, this lineup will be among the most complete in the National League.
Oh yea, and don't count this team out for next season quite yet says GM Coco Crisp, "With the deals we've made, teams around the league are looking at us as a contender for a high draft pick. I don't see that at all. All of the deals we've made have put us in a position to be contenders soon, and with adding a few spare parts here and there we could be as good as anyone next year."
Reporting for the St. Louis newspaper.
This season has not been one St. Louis fans are accustomed to. The season began with familiar high hopes for the club, as the division was seen by many as a two-horse race between the Cardinals and the Brewers. The two teams were put together so siniliarly. The Brewers had Alex Rodriguez, Jim Thome, and Bobby Abreu in the heart of their line-up, to Albert Pujols, Manny Ramirez, and Travis Hafner in the Cardinals'. Each team had a perrenial Cy Young contender in their pitching staff, Johan Santana and Matt Morris. And with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs with their teams, the NL central was supposed to be among the funnest in baseball to see unfold as the season went on.
After a quick start out of the gate, the Cardinals pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Manny Ramirez and Paul Wilson to the rival Cubs for pitcher Bartolo Colon and Luis Montanez. While Colon put up respectable stats, it looked as though the Cardinals made this deal as a salary dump of Manny Ramirez while his value was as high as it was. It became crystal clear that was the case when the negotiations for a contract extension broke down.
As the season wore on, the Cardinals made it clear that nobody on the team was untouchable as the trade deadline got nearer. Albert Pujols was the teams main chip in the trading season. First, a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies was near completion that would have brought Sean Burnett, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Howard to the Cardinals for Pujols and a prospect. When that deal was shot down, it appeared as though Pujols was going to stay for a while. Then, out of nowhere, a three team deal that would have brought highly coveted prospect BJ Upton and Prince Fielder to St. Louis in return for Pujols was nearing completion until that trade broe down as well. Not long after that, a deal was completed with the Colorado Rockies for Fielder and OF prospect Jesse James. After this deal, the Cardinals traded OF Garrett Anderson to Florida for OF prospect Rudy Guillen. The next, and arguably the most damaging to Cardinals Nation was when they traded fan-favorite pitcher Matt Morris and Geof Jenkins to Detroit for OF Carl Crawford and three pitching prospects.
Fans were not happy with the team over the deals made during the trading season, but team officials assured the fans that the Cardinals will not be down for long, and will be better in 1-2 years, shorter than typical rebuilding projects. The team called up pitchers Bobby Jenks and Adam Wainright to see what they can do. Jenks especially has impressed the Cardinals brass. OF Matt Lemanczyk was called up, and not too long after he became the teams starting CF, moving longtime Cardinal great Jim Edmonds to right field in the process. He also supplanted David Eckstein and Carl Crawford to become the teams leadoff hitter. He could be a special one for the Cardinals. And recently, the team called up coveted pitching prospect Mark Michael to the ML squad to see what he can do. He has done little to disappoint, putting up a 3.46 era in his first two big league starts. He is beginning to show why the Cardinals have been so reluctant to trade him over the years.
So even though the big names have left St. Louis, and for the first time in a while will not be a contender for the World Series trophy, this team will not be down for long. Mark Michael has all the talent to become a #1 pitcher, yet the team has not decided where he will begin the 2008 season. Bobby Jenks and Adam Wainright will be solid contributers to the pitching staff next season and beyond. Prince Fielder will be a feared hitter for a long time. When the other young guns the Cardinals have, such as Jesse James, Erik Ross, and Rajai Davis reach the ML's for good, this lineup will be among the most complete in the National League.
Oh yea, and don't count this team out for next season quite yet says GM Coco Crisp, "With the deals we've made, teams around the league are looking at us as a contender for a high draft pick. I don't see that at all. All of the deals we've made have put us in a position to be contenders soon, and with adding a few spare parts here and there we could be as good as anyone next year."
Reporting for the St. Louis newspaper.