Are the redbirds better than we think?

[B]

a few topics to respond to here....

i have respect for the cardinals...t uses them often, ive used them a few times...and they have alot of grit...ill give em that...they can pitch well and if coleman gets on base its usually a double....so a base hit will score him....however, the biggest problem with st louis and houson for that matter is inconsitency....with the other teams, you'll get an occasional bad game or a dominating pitching performance by the other guy...but for the most part, you can scatter at least 5 runs around....the problem with the cardinals is that they only have 2 real power threats (clark and lindeman) and the speed doesnt come into play if you keep hitting flyballs to second....coleman is fast, but he aint taggin up and taking third like that.....

as far as throwing people out, coleman is the only one who can consistiently steal bases....i get him out about 1 every 5 times....alot of it depends on situation and the pitch....usually, i just gas it down the middle if he's on 1st because that gives you the best chance to make a throw...also, t knows i do this, so he sometimes tries to swing away with ozzie, which works sometimes, but a great deal of the time you can turn 2 (the toughest in the game) or get the force out at 2nd....

[Black_Thing]

I disagree with your sinopsis of the Cardinals power.  Clark and Lindeman are the biggest power threats, however, Morris and Pena are pretty damn good.  Pena is good for at least one homer a game, and if you put in Morris for Herr, he will hit two or three.  Morris is the key sub in this lineup.  Pendleton always hits his token dong.  He is the most consistent base-hit guy on this squad.  I have also noticed that he is deadly with the bases juiced.  This team is exponentially better than Houston.  I just wish they had Tom Lawless!

[Dill]

St Louis isn't as good as Houston when we play.  They really can't hit.  Houston, with the insertions of Davey Lopes and Phil Garner, are a better hitting team, with nearly as much speed.  If Nolan is pitching, you can write the Cards off.  He has their number.  Token Homers?  Think Ken Dayley.  He gives up at least one token homer per inning.  

[B]

i  have mixed feelings about morris...we like to call him "blank" morris...cause we never knew his name...anyways...ill say that he can hit on occaision...he does have alot of pop sometimes....but he, and pena, are very touch and go....you never know which one youre going to get...

[Gwynn3k]

cardinals and power is an oxymoron... like oil and water... they don't mix...  black_thing, the tony pena in your game must be on the juice like caminiti.  morris is good for a couple hard hits,  not saying they will result in hits.  jack clark(a.k.a.  obiwon) rarely clutches up anymore.

[Gantry]

Since we've been playing mostly curves and using the 8-sided die to choose teams (a very good technique BTW), I have played more games with Stl in the last week than I have in the previous 6 months.  My comments:

1 - Coleman and Ozzie are the keys to this lineup, they have to get on base.  Going for the cheapie hit is tough in curves, but that's what I generally do with these guys when the bases are empty.  

2 - Jack Clark is the only player in the game that Potsie pitches around since we've started playing curves.  He's more afraid of him than potatoes!  Needs to cleanup the mess and generally does...

3 - "Blank" Morris is a decent player, but I don't think he's all that and a bag of chips.  Much more effective with a runner on first, but I don't see the power.  I find him a definite 9-inning sub, but don't expect too much.

4 - Ford is a sack of garbage, one of the worst lefties in the game.  All Lindeman in the 7 spot.  

5 - John Tudor is a kick-ass starter.  I love throwing inside on the righties with him.  Seems to tire a bit early for me though.  By about the 4th, his speed is still decent, but the ball doesn't cut as well.  

6 - I always sub Toly Pena, perhaps I need to keep him in.

7 - I've hit two pinch-hit homers with Jose Oquendo, he's the fucking man!

8 - Steve Lake is a complete sack of crap.

[dkshaft]

gantry, good call on pitching around jack clark. he'll kill you in clutch situations.

you gotta play small ball with this team, beat out the infield hits, hit and runs, steals, sac bunts, etc. that's what made the real Cardinals during that Whitey Herzog era great.

john tudor is the best pitcher in the game. he has the best stuff coming hard inside to the righties, and painting the corners on the outside. his endurance is solid, and if properly pitched, you can get even murderer's row from the red sox to ground out to third.

[Gwynn3k]

to get clark out, mix fastballs in and sliders just off the outside corner... follow this formula and you will have him grounding into double plays rather than driving in runs.  

gantry,  its good to see you fellas in the dee-nee house playing curve style.  

[Gantry]

I find the outside corner to be the key when pitching curve.  You get it a bit further outside than a straight toss, yet they are still able to get the bat on it.  That is how Clemens fared so well for me today.  As for Jack Clark, I simply don't give him anything to hit when protecting a lead.  Barely strikes or balls.  If I walk him, so be it.  I'll take my chances against McGee...

Tudor is one heck of a pitcher, but I am not getting the endurance from him.  Potsie had to sub him in the bottom of the 4th today.  Though I was taking a lot of pitches (probably half a dozen 3-2 counts).  Both inside and outside are very solid with him though...

[Burnzky]

I keep rolling sl alot also.  But my dice have ten sides for the all star teams.  I'd say out of my last 15 games, sl has been in 10 of them.

[Gwynn3k]

who have you been playing against there burnzky?  you been beating up on wholesale or felix the cat?

[Burnzky]

Ive been playing my season, david wont play me.

[B]

speaking back a few posts to what gantry said about the cards.....one of our earlier and more heated series....cardnials vs tigers...the cards somehow got up 3-1 on the heels of timely hitting by the cards and a huge series for mr tony pena....then, the tigers won two games in a row to tie it...and it came down to the last of the 9th...two on....tie game for jose oquendo....pinch hitting for ford...he came in and drilled his third pinch hit homerun of the series...to win it...afterwards t signed him to a 10 year, 400 million dollar contract and signed his first of 12 lifetime contracts with the cards...since then, his numbers look a bit like this

1-35....one single.....17 K's....3 balls to the outfield....oquendo is a microcasm of the entire team....good speed....a tough luck loser that you root for....occasional pop...but as reliable as a toilet paper condom...

[Gwynn3k]

so you are talking about beating up on the computer...  wow,  i didnt know that we were playing the season any more... i dont think greg is playing his... the belt is still mine and you are going to have to go through me to get it... and playing the computer is only going to dull your skills.

[Burnzky]

The last i heard the season was on, and dont be so sure the title is yours, u have everything to lose and i have every thing to gain.  But u can keep your little tengen title, im set on the undisputed rbi championship.

[Gwynn3k]

you obviously havent talked to greg cause there are some changes to be made...  the tengen title is going to be more important than you think...

[Gantry]

Things are looking up for the redbirds...

Potsie and I played two best-of-three series of Stl (me) vs SF in straight-pitch.  Day before yesterday he won the series and yesterday I took the crown.  I scored 23 & 20 runs in the last two games with Stl, some of my personal bests.  It really does come down to getting hits with Coleman & Ozzie.  Practice that slapper to short - if you can get that hit consistently, your chances of winning are drastically increased.  

Terry Pendelton & Lindeman have been incredible for me lately.  Go redbirds...

[Gwynn3k]

the cardinals have their moments...  the thing is if they arent hitting, you had better pitch your ASS off if you want to stay in the game...  their pinch hitting corps is crap but i cant see keeping ford and herr in the game...  thus, oquendo and lindeman have to play...   i used to enjoy playing with the cards...nowadays, everyone knows how to throw to bases and their speed is nullified.

[Gwynn3k]

just to prove my point... i just played andrew with the only team more impotent than the red birds,  that would be the astros... the game was scoreless until the bottom of the tenth... with a runner on first, phil garner hit a line drive that was sure to be double play... unfortunately, tommy herr made the third error of the game for the cards...  leading to a terry puhl infield hit to short as ozzie tossed a moon ball to first... it would have been close it the throw were flat...

[Gantry]

You gotta get Tommy Herr out of there and go with Blank Morris.  While not stupendous, he's decent and has some pop.  He also doesn't tank grounders with the game on the line...

I do the "Lipitz Detroit" thing with regards to Ford/Pena/Lindeman.  If Ford is up with a runner on first, I'll keep him in and go Lindeman for Pena.  Otherwise I'll put Des Plaines in at the 7 spot and keep Pena in.  Ford isn't the greatest, but he really isn't much worse than Pena.  He's had quite a few dingers for me lately...

Oquendo got me another pinch hit dinger yesterday, keep him on the bench...

And I am sticking to my statement that Steve Lake is the worst sub in the game....