Send me your pictures from Brockabrella Night on Friday July 2, 2010 and I’ll post them (and a link if you like)

Well, that might be a bit of a stretch in terms of changing the world, but at the least Lou Brock is responsible for a kid growing up in Northeast Ohio becoming a Cardinals fan even when he had no affiliation with the St. Louis area.

Lou made his MLB debut on September 10, 1961 for the Chicago Cubs.

Lou was traded on June 15, 1964 in what many people call “The Worst Trade Ever”  The Chicago Cubs traded Lou Brock, Jack Spring, and Paul Toth to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ernie Broglio, Doug Clemens and Bobby Shantz.  As we know Lou Brock went on to have a Hall of Fame Baseball career over the next fifteen years and Ernie Broglio went on to win 7 games over the next 2.5 years.

His final game was was September 30, 1979.  In his final season at the age of 40 he was still able to steal 23 bags and hit .304 in 120 games.

Lou was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOU!

Alberto IS the machine!!!!

Cardinals are third best in Strikeouts (24) in the NL.  Only the SF Giants (20) and the Phillies (18) have struck out less.

Cardinals are leading the NL in Walks (24)

Cardinals are tied for third in the NL in Total Bases (70) and RBI’s (24).

Mea Culpa to Ryan Ludwick.  Ludwick has been solid on the offense.  His OPS is just over 1300 and he’s hotting .400 so far.  Yes, it’s early, but he did have that poor spring so this is a nice change.

Chris Carpenter – Baby…. you look sooooooo good! 

Jason Motte – uhhhhhhh  You’ll get a few more chances, but TLR won’t be as patient with you as he would be with Izzy.

Cards win tonight, so their in first place.

Oh, and here’s why Albert is the MVP!!!  http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=4082705

I don’t feel the need to write multiple times a day here, there are plenty of great writers that earn a living doing such a thing and they do soooo much better than I ever could.  But when I do write, it’s usually because I feel a need to.

Tonight it’s because one of my favorite writers Derrick Goold conveyed a story that resonated so much with me as one of the reasons why I love Baseball so.  One little moment, probably no more than 3 minutes of what is typically a hour affair makes all the difference in the game.  Heck, at this point it could be the difference in making the team…if it’s the regular seasons it could be the difference in staying up at the big leagues or making the playoffs or in the right moment winning the World Series.  Three minutes of a game.

I’ve taken the liberty of adding an excerpt from that Post-Dispatch article here (please forgive me, there is a link at the bottom t make it up to you).

In the fifth inning, the Cardinals and the Dominican Republic were tied, 1-1. Rasmus, batting ninth, reached base with a walk. On the first pitch to leadoff hitter Skip Schumaker, Rasmus takes a lead, and La Russa reads the Dominican as watching Rasmus to steal. They are eyeballing him to see if he flinches, if he lurches, if he does anything to give away his intentions. He does not. The pitch is made, taken, and Rasmus eases back to first base.

With Schumaker up — a lefthanded hitter — and speed on base in Rasmus, the levers La Russa likes to pull all lined up, so he signalled: Hit & Run.

This is the lead that La Russa lauded this morning. Having received the sign, Rasmus takes his lead from first. The Dominican team has fixated on him, watching him for any hint that he’s going on this pitch. If he settles in a half stride further away from the bag. If his hands are fidgeting, if he’s bouncing on his feet — anything that any number of young players do once they get a sign to do something. They are reading Rasmus to see if there is a play called and what that play might mean.

According to La Russa, Rasmus did exactly what he did on the pitch before. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Team Dominicana doesn’t do a pitch out, doesn’t do anything to shoo Rasmus back to the bag and, La Russa assumes the next day, believed that Rasmus was just doing on that pitch what he had done on the previous pitch. He didn’t “do anything different,” La Russa said. Rasmus sold status quo with his lead. And then, with the pitch, he was off …

Schumaker scalded a grounder through the hole opened on the right side of the infield. Rasmus sped around second and reached third, and then scored the go-ahead run on a groundout. The Cardinals scored two runs in the inning, pulling away for good.

Makes the hairs stand up on my neck.

If you’re a patient person, Baseball is the most beautiful of symphony’s being played.  Mr Goold’s insight makes me love the game even more.

Via Birdland via @dgoold via The game itself

Scott: “If the Cubs and the White Sox both make it to the World Series?

Obama: “I would be going.”

Scott: “Who would you root for?

Obama: “Oh, that’s easy. White Sox. I’m not one of these fair weather fans. You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there. People aren’t watching the game. It’s not serious. White Sox, that’s baseball. Southside.”

ESPN Video (about the 2:20 mark)

Via BizofBaseball.com

“I loved the opportunity to play for the Cardinals and the fans,” said Springer, who turned 40 earlier this offseason. “I did everything I can to come back. I told them I’d take a pay cut, play for incentives. And it just never went anywhere.”

Even though Big Russ is 40, he’s been very productive in his latest turn as a Redbird.  His 2008 WHIP was 1.113, Struckout 45 and only walked 18.  I (and probably the Cards) are hoping that Josh Kinney can step back in and get the job done.

Via MLB

Russ Springer @ Baseball-Reference.com

Via ESPN

Jay Bell for Felix Fermin....wouldya?

Via BizOfBaseball.com

Jay Bell stats