2010 MLB Catch-All Thread

[Jordan4life_2007]

Agreed. The Rockies are my second favorite team in the MLB, I like CarGo alot, more than you Tony. But J4L's consistent over-ration of him makes me like him less and less by the day. No offense bro.

 

Whatever. This coming from the world's biggest (and only) Garrett Jones fan.

[chw42]

The Padres falling apart is such good proof that talent eventually does overtake luck once the sample size gets large enough. Watching this happen is like being a evil scientist finally seeing his hypothesis come true.

[chw42]

Whatever. This coming from the world's biggest (and only) Garrett Jones fan.

 

Haha. Don't forget Jeremy Reed.

[SoxAce]

Haha. Don't forget Jeremy Reed.

 

This guy has it right. I love Reed (forever will since my 16 year old days and an autographed ball as a Baron), I only liked G. Jones as far as a LH cheap acquire when the sox rotating DH was sucking (so did fathom, pittshoganerkoff, pktmotion, lord chas etc..)

Edited September 5, 2010 by J.Reedfan8

[LittleHurt05]

Huge 2-run homer for Uribe in the 9th tonight. Padres are falling apart.

 

WTF happened to Jon Broxton? Dude has been awful since the break.

[flavum]

10 straight losses for San Diego. Very 1982 Braves of them.

[knightni]

Very 1985 Padres or 1995 Angels, perhaps.

 

At least the 1982 Braves won the division.

[SoxAce]

Wow....

 

The feud between Cardinals center fielder Colby Rasmus and manager Tony La Russa turned from passive-aggressive to possibly unsalvageable Sunday morning when the 24-year-old implied he’d like to leave St. Louis, prompting Albert Pujols to tell Yahoo! Sports “we need to figure a way to get him out of here.”

 

The gradual degradation of Rasmus’ relationship with the Cardinals has been a leading subplot in the team’s self-destruction.

 

 

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/1388856...rip-apart-cards

ST. LOUIS -- So what do we make of these St. Louis Cardinals, whose 4-2 win over Cincinnati in Sunday's series finale allowed them to dream another day?

 

I know this: What Colby Rasmus makes out of them is far different from what Albert Pujols makes out of them.

 

And I know this: As a deteriorating situation between Rasmus and Tony La Russa blasted into the public Sunday, memories of Scott Rolen came floating back, along with the increasing feeling that one of these two -- Rasmus or La Russa -- most likely will be elsewhere in 2011.

 

Though La Russa spent several postgame minutes expounding on the fact that he does not have a problem with Rasmus, it's become pretty apparent that there is a problem. A major problem.

 

And once Rasmus' trade requests -- first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch -- became public Sunday, Pujols administered a verbal blistering of Rasmus to the media, with a promise that there will be a follow-up personal discussion with Rasmus himself.

 

"I'm a player and I'm a leader on this ballclub, and if I hear a player say he doesn't want to be here, then he shouldn't be here," Pujols said. "That's the way it is. ... I'm going to say something to him too. This is something that shouldn't have gotten into the [media]. This is something that should be between him and the manager, and the GM.

 

"And plus, he needs to get more years in the league before he says something like that and disrespects the players."

 

Rasmus suffered a reduction in playing time coinciding with the July 3 arrival of Jon Jay from Triple-A Memphis, and his most recent trade request apparently came when the Cardinals were playing a series in Chicago in late July.

 

That was his second request, following one during the 2009 season.

 

Though neither of those happened recently, Pujols, saying it is a "privilege" to play for the Cardinals, was not happy when he learned about them.

 

"To play in this organization, just behind the Yankees in World Series [titles], to play in the postseason almost every year, it's pretty special," Pujols said. "I have nothing negative to say about this organization. And for a young kid to come up and say that he wants to be somewhere else, I don't know why.

 

"I guess he said it two months ago. Two months ago, we were in first place. If he doesn't want to be on a team that's in first place battling for a spot in the playoffs. ... He was young, but you need to approach that in a different way."

 

The Cardinals right now -- behind heavyweights Pujols, Matt Holliday (whose clutch three-run homer in the sixth ruined Homer Bailey's afternoon), Chris Carpenter (who was nails in fanning 11 and holding the Reds to two runs in 7 1/3 innings) and Adam Wainwright -- are struggling mightily to live up to expectations.

 

Sunday's win pulled the Cards to within 5½ games of the Phillies in the NL wild-card race. They still trail Cincinnati by seven in the division.

 

"You want to have guys that want to play and want to win," Pujols said. "You don't want to have somebody that's mad about something. With these young players coming up I don't think you need all that."

 

Rasmus is hitting .267 with 19 homers and 54 RBI, and his 23 doubles have, at times, helped boost a very inconsistent offense. But in reducing Rasmus' playing time, La Russa on Sunday essentially said Jay is more heads-up (he complimented his "savvy") and said that Rasmus still swings too wildly at times. The outfielder's 32.7 percent strikeout rate is third-worst in the NL.

 

The mix between the 66-year-old manager with the law degree and 24-year-old first-round pick (2005) out of an Alabama high school has been combustible before this. Rasmus has gone to his father for hitting advice and tips in the past, most recently in July, which reportedly has not sat well with the manager.

 

"This has gotten way too much attention," La Russa said of the Rasmus situation after Sunday's game. "I've tried to straighten it out.

 

"I don't have an issue with Colby. I think he's an outstanding player."

 

La Russa expanded on that to say he has not had an issue with the hitting clinics Rasmus has held with his father.

 

"They do not bother me," La Russa said. "In fact, I think they're a good idea because it's freedom of mind for the hitter.

 

"Last year, at the end of the season before the playoffs, Colby and his dad worked."

 

La Russa said Rasmus' father "did the honorable thing, asking, 'Do you mind?'" And when told the "two or three things" they were working on, La Russa said, no, he did not mind.

 

"I was not annoyed," La Russa said. "If you don't trust or believe me on that, then you don't trust or believe me.

 

"Colby is a young guy. I think if he hangs around here long enough, he'll appreciate what it means to be a Cardinal."

 

La Russa has clashed with a handful of players in the past, most notably with Ruben "Village Idiot" Sierra in Oakland and with Scott Rolen in St. Louis.

 

The Cardinals subsequently traded Rolen and, in an entertaining bit of timing, not only is he currently playing third base for the Reds club that is beating down St. Louis in the NL Central, he was on the field Sunday as the La Russa-Rasmus standoff moved onto center stage.

 

For his part, Rasmus, seeming overwhelmed by events (and well -- or poorly -- coached) before addressing the issues after going 2 for 3 in Sunday's win, said that everything is fine.

 

On the idea of requesting a trade, just before leaving the clubhouse for the Cards' trip to Milwaukee, Rasmus said, "I never did that. I don't know where that's coming from. I just want to play baseball and have fun."

 

On La Russa: "Me and him are good. Everything's good."

 

So, you do not want to be traded?

 

"No sir, I do not."

 

Rasmus said that "guys are starting to get to know me a little better. You kind of put up a guard being a young guy. You sit at your locker and don't say much. It takes time to get to know some of the guys.

 

"But as far as that goes, I think everything is square and we're trying to win baseball games."

 

Pujols wasn't having any of the "young guy" stuff.

 

"He's a young guy, but I also was a young guy and you need to know the mistake you made and be accountable to that," Pujols said. "I think for him to come up and ask for a trade and [the media knows about it], I don't think that was very professional by him. He should have known a little bit better than how he handled it."

 

Does Rasmus seem happy in St. Louis?

 

"With Colby, you never know," Pujols snapped.

 

As for Rolen, Pujols said, "He got his wish and he went somewhere else. It seems like the guys that don't want to be here, they always find a way to be somewhere else. I'm pretty sure that's the way it goes. I have a lot of respect for Rolen and if that was his wish, the problems between him and Tony and he wanted to go somewhere else, he went somewhere else, you know?"

 

Bottom line, Pujols said, if a guy isn't happy, leave. (Which, by the way, will make for an interesting scenario for Pujols himself between now and when his contract expires at the conclusion of the 2011 season and he becomes eligible for free agency).

 

"If you don't want to be part of this great organization man, this is one of the special organizations you want to play for," Pujols said. "And if you don't want to be a part of this, then you know what, you need to figure out a place to go and play."

 

As they stagger toward a finish line which everybody, including the club itself, thought would be far easier to reach than it's been, these Cardinals are so fowled -- er, fouled -- up right now that it's hard to see them figuring things out.

 

With 28 games left, they're going to have to reel off a serious winning streak if they are to play in October.

 

And with the dysfunction, there are serious decisions that will need to be made before even beginning the winter's work.

 

Starting with:

 

Is Rasmus tough enough to grow into the player the Cardinals think he can be?

 

And after 15 seasons, eight division titles, two NL pennants and one World Series win, is it time (maybe for the sake of both sides) for La Russa to move on?

 

The answer to the first question is increasingly cloudy.

 

The answer to the second may be making itself clear the more this Cardinals team -- and its young players -- fails to respond.

 

I'm sure there will be threads here in the off-season asking what St. Louis wants for Rasmus. Never thought he would be available, but apparently hes as good as gone next year... or LaRussa will be done as a manager there.

Edited September 6, 2010 by J.Reedfan8

[chw42]

It's ridiculous that La Russa would play guys like Stavinhova over Rasmus just because he wasn't hitting as well as he was earlier in the year. Even with his recent struggles, Rasmus has a .360 wOBA.

 

I get why Rasmus wants out.

Edited September 6, 2010 by chw42

[Kyyle23]

It also is not the first time that LaRussa has had a personal problem with a player who then wants out as fast as possible

[scenario]

Huge 2-run homer for Uribe in the 9th tonight (Saturday). Padres are falling apart.

 

You cannot stop him. You can only hope to contain him.

 

The Dodgers intentionally walked Uribe twice on Sunday... and when they finally pitched to him, he hit another homerun... his 19th of the year in a Giants 3-0 victory.

Edited September 6, 2010 by scenario

[Brian]

It's ridiculous that La Russa would play guys like Stavinhova over Rasmus just because he wasn't hitting as well as he was earlier in the year. Even with his recent struggles, Rasmus has a .360 wOBA.

 

I get why Rasmus wants out.

 

I agree. Colby was banged up for a bit, but losing time to Stavinoa and Randy Winn is ridiculous.

[Brian]

Never been to a baseball stadium outside of Cell, Old Comisk, Miller, Old/New Busch, and the Urinal.

 

Excited about going to Chase Field tomorrow. Lincecum is pitching.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Wow....

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/1388856...rip-apart-cards

 

 

I'm sure there will be threads here in the off-season asking what St. Louis wants for Rasmus. Never thought he would be available, but apparently hes as good as gone next year... or LaRussa will be done as a manager there.

 

I'd give up anybody in the system not named Sale for Rasmus. Unfortunately, that's like the owner of a brothel offering up Oprah, Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O'donnell and Sigourney Weaver to paying clients. Now watch scenario come in and tell me our farm is not that bad.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Oh, and it's Carlos Gonzalez's world, we just happen to be living in it. *waits for somebody to reference his home/away splits*

[WilliamTell]

Don't think we have a chance at the Wild Card but Tampa Bay is losing 6-2 to the Red Sox right now.

[LittleHurt05]

Oh, and it's Carlos Gonzalez's world, we just happen to be living in it. *waits for somebody to reference his home/away splits*

 

For all the triple crown talk with Votto & Pujols, CarGo now has the best chance with his .340 average. Its gonna be tough with 4 guys ahead of him in the HR race, but he does have 15 of the last 25 games at Coors Field.

 

Since you asked for it:

If he played 162 games at home, his numbers pace is .395, 65 HR, 172 RBI, 162 R

If he played 162 games away from Denver, his pace is .288, 17 HR, 93 R, 93 RBIs (actually decent numbers)

[knightni]

Fun Story about DBacks player Ryan Roberts.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_leagu...?urn=mlb-267942

[Jordan4life_2007]

For all the triple crown talk with Votto & Pujols, CarGo now has the best chance with his .340 average. Its gonna be tough with 4 guys ahead of him in the HR race, but he does have 15 of the last 25 games at Coors Field.

 

Since you asked for it:

If he played 162 games at home, his numbers pace is .395, 65 HR, 172 RBI, 162 R

If he played 162 games away from Denver, his pace is .288, 17 HR, 93 R, 93 RBIs (actually decent numbers)

 

He just hit a 3-run bomb a few minutes ago. Shack, Brian and Tony can kiss my buttocks (I mean that in a playful way). Carlos Gonzalez > life.

[Brian]

He just hit a 3-run bomb a few minutes ago. Shack, Brian and Tony can kiss my buttocks (I mean that in a playful way). Carlos Gonzalez > life.

 

Ha. How many home games does he have left to win that Triple Crown?

[Brian]

Has Chris Rose always been with the MLB Network or is this something new? I can not stand that guy. He has to be one of the worst national guys in the country.

[Brian]

No disrespect to the Sox Pride girls, but tonight I witnessed the awesomeness that were the Arizona Rally Backs. Holy crap. No weak links in that chain.

 

The eye candy in the stands rivals Wrigley bleachers as well.

[Brian]

How does the saying "Latos Intolerant" sound?

[LittleHurt05]

He just hit a 3-run bomb a few minutes ago. Shack, Brian and Tony can kiss my buttocks (I mean that in a playful way). Carlos Gonzalez > life.

 

Joe Posnanski with a great analysis of the season and splits of J4L's man-crush.

[Gregory Pratt]

Joe Posnanski with a great analysis of the season and splits of J4L's man-crush.

 

Came in to post that. Good to see another Joe Posnanski reader.