Opening Night: Post Game Thread

maddash · Post by **maddash** » April 2 07, 9:49 am

jim wrote:I don't think the pitching will be the teams problem this year, it's scoring runs.

I agree, and that's even with a healthy Edmonds (IMO).

I won't say that we can't win the division with what we have, but a pick-up of a Burrell type player will definitely help.

cardfaninfla · Post by **cardfaninfla** » April 2 07, 10:27 am

GatewaySnayke wrote:OK, I've had a few hours to cool off and collect my thoughts, and I really don't like this team. I mean, I HATE this team.

I have zero faith in La Russa at this point. Let's count the dumb things he did:

1. Start Taguchi
2. Not bringing in Duncan
3. Calling for a squeeze with Carpenter at bat
4. Bat Molina fifth

Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Duncan, Eckstein and Kennedy...they'll all be fine. I don't think the latter four are going to have monster seasons by any stretch, but they aren't going to kill the Cardinals. I see St. Louis being the 2003 Dodgers. They had a great pitching staff, which I think the Cardinals will have, but their lineup was atocious.

Hitting Molina 5th certainly wasn't a problem as he actually hit Glavin. Why was the squeeze with Carp a bad call. He is a decent bunter and he had a better chance of bunting him home than driving in the run.

jim · Post by **jim** » April 2 07, 10:29 am

cardfaninfla wrote:
GatewaySnayke wrote:OK, I've had a few hours to cool off and collect my thoughts, and I really don't like this team. I mean, I HATE this team.

I have zero faith in La Russa at this point. Let's count the dumb things he did:

1. Start Taguchi
2. Not bringing in Duncan
3. Calling for a squeeze with Carpenter at bat
4. Bat Molina fifth

Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Duncan, Eckstein and Kennedy...they'll all be fine. I don't think the latter four are going to have monster seasons by any stretch, but they aren't going to kill the Cardinals. I see St. Louis being the 2003 Dodgers. They had a great pitching staff, which I think the Cardinals will have, but their lineup was atocious.
Hitting Molina 5th certainly wasn't a problem as he actually hit Glavin. Why was the squeeze with Carp a bad call. He is a decent bunter and he had a better chance of bunting him home than driving in the run.

The only coaching mistake - and it was a HUGE mistake - was sending Eckstein home when he got thrown out. Geez I can hardly think about it without cussing.

clement · Post by **clement** » April 2 07, 10:29 am

I'm a little startled by some of the reactions to one game. Granted, we all know that this team has some serious holes and question marks, we've known that for months. But what happened in one game last night is hardly reason enough to solidify whatever pessimistic opinions anyone might have already had.

The Mets are arguably the class of the NL, their only major weakness being their starting pitching. And last night they had the execption on the mound. They played great defense, and the Cards just had a few bad breaks, a few defensive miscues, and a few missed opportunities. So they lost the first game of a 162 game season.

cardfaninfla · Post by **cardfaninfla** » April 2 07, 10:33 am

raddy wrote:The key to the game was who was hitting in the 2 hole for both teams.

LaRussa had a power/k man and he failed to do the job

Randolph had a man that got a piece of the ball and could go to right field and he did the job.

The man making out the lineup is the one that lost/won the game IMO

Gee, one game in and lineup complaint, didn't see that one coming. It wasn't the construction of the lineup it was teh execution of the players in the line up and O'Quendo making a huge mistake by getting Eck thrown out at the plate with Pujols coming up. I believe it was that number 2 hitter that got the hit in front of Pujols that would have made him the tieing run coming up instead of having an open base with Wilson on second.

maddash · Post by **maddash** » April 2 07, 10:35 am

jim wrote:
cardfaninfla wrote:
GatewaySnayke wrote:OK, I've had a few hours to cool off and collect my thoughts, and I really don't like this team. I mean, I HATE this team.

I have zero faith in La Russa at this point. Let's count the dumb things he did:

1. Start Taguchi
2. Not bringing in Duncan
3. Calling for a squeeze with Carpenter at bat
4. Bat Molina fifth

Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds, Duncan, Eckstein and Kennedy...they'll all be fine. I don't think the latter four are going to have monster seasons by any stretch, but they aren't going to kill the Cardinals. I see St. Louis being the 2003 Dodgers. They had a great pitching staff, which I think the Cardinals will have, but their lineup was atocious.
Hitting Molina 5th certainly wasn't a problem as he actually hit Glavin. Why was the squeeze with Carp a bad call. He is a decent bunter and he had a better chance of bunting him home than driving in the run.
The only coaching mistake - and it was a HUGE mistake - was sending Eckstein home when he got thrown out. Geez I can hardly think about it without cussing.

I thought it was a little odd for Tony not to pinch hit Duncan for Wilson in the 8th. Very odd, in fact.

jim · Post by **jim** » April 2 07, 10:35 am

clement wrote:I'm a little startled by some of the reactions to one game. Granted, we all know that this team has some serious holes and question marks, we've known that for months. But what happened in one game last night is hardly reason enough to solidify whatever pessimistic opinions anyone might have already had.

The Mets are arguably the class of the NL, their only major weakness being their starting pitching. And last night they had the execption on the mound. They played great defense, and the Cards just had a few bad breaks, a few defensive miscues, and a few missed opportunities. So they lost the first game of a 162 game season.

C'mon, you aren't really startled, are you?

GatewaySnayke · Post by **GatewaySnayke** » April 2 07, 10:55 am

Richie Allen wrote:
GatewaySnayke wrote: No kidding here. Derrick Goold said on Channel 5 that all ST long the Cardinals said that Duncan would be playing. There was no "platoon."
Glavine is one of the greatest left-handers of ALL TIME.

Were you this miserable when Tags hit everything he saw in the NLD & CS?

You mean, was I upset when Taguchi got on a hot streak? No.

I'm satisfied with the squeeze call there. At that point a low scoring affair was still a likelihood.

A low-scoring affair is not why you squeeze. You squeeze because you're desperate for a run late. Were the Cardinals so desperate for a run that they wanted Carpenter of all batters to bunt? It shows that TLR must not have a lot of faith in Eckstein or Wilson.

We lost the game. Not Tony, not Yadi, not So, not any single player.

Well of course. But Tony's boneheaded calls and Taguchi's fielding blunders didn't exactly help matters.

How are you going to handle an entire season?

Fortunately for you, it's none of your business how I "handle an entire season."

GatewaySnayke · Post by **GatewaySnayke** » April 2 07, 10:59 am

Jesus, why is it that every time someone launches into a discussion questioning La Russa's moves, 10 people stand up and defend the guy and act like he invented baseball?

clement · Post by **clement** » April 2 07, 11:05 am

GatewaySnayke wrote:Jesus, why is it that every time someone launches into a discussion questioning La Russa's moves, 10 people stand up and defend the guy and act like he invented baseball?

With all due respect, you're the one who said you "hate" this team, that you have "zero faith" in LaRussa, using terms like "dumb" and "boneheaded" to describe him. Do you really think that's how to initiate a civilized and intelligent discussion about his moves?