St. Louis Cardinals & Cincinnati Reds Brawl In Heated NL Central Race

1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006

Yesterday we posted the story of Cincinnati Reds all-star second baseman Brandon Phillips saying he hated the St. Louis Cardinals and that they where bitches. With that Major League Baseball had a 10-31 in progress, shots fired.

In the second game of a three game set, tempers boiled over when Phillips tried to act like all day long no one heard his statement and tapped Cardinals all-star catcher Yodier Molina on the leg in the bottom of the first inning. Molina who I assume doesn’t like being called a bitch in the media and then fronted on like nothing ever happened took issue and confronted the culprit.

Phillips comments wasn’t really about any newcomers to the Cardinal origination,  they where about a core that has been together for multiple years which Molina has been part of for six years. In all Phillips awoke a passion in the Cardinals and their fans that hasn’t been seen since Matt Holliday took one off the apple sac in Los Angeles last October.

If this was a high stakes poker game, the Cardinals are sitting on a big stack with the river card being all-star pitcher Adam Wainwright taking the mound on Wednesday. No matter if the outcome goes against St. Louis, the Cardinals look to be a new ball club in just one outing. A team with passion and Phillips a big thank you for walking that giant up.

Oh and Johnny Cueto next time you think about taking metal spikes to the face of a Smithson Valley Rangers alumni you better make sure you have no schedule trips through San Antonio, Texas.

If you missed the melee you can watch it HERE

Aug 11, 2010 | MLB | Comments Off

Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player: National League All-Star Team

National League All-Star Team

Every Tuesday Sports Grind Entertainment presents you with the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player of the Week. This week the recipient of this prestigious honor goes to the National League All-Star team for it’s first win since 1996 and awarding home field advantage to the top National League squad in the World Series which simply is BLAZIN.

The National League hadn’t won the All-Star Game since 1996 but in the 81st All-Star game was backed by powerful young arms and the timely at bats of Chicago Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd and Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann to bring and end to the drought.

Washington Nationals pitcher Matt Capps earned the win to become the first pitcher from a team based in Washington to win an All-Star Game since 1943 when Dutch Leonard did so playing for the Senators.

In the seventh inning Byrd came to the plate with Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen on second and St. Louis Cardinals outfield Matt Holliday one first. Byrd quickly was put in an 0-2 hole battled back to take a walk leaving room form McCann to hit a three-run double and earn the MVP award as the National League won 3-1.

Congratulations National League All-Star team you are this weeks Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player.

Jul 20, 2010 | Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player | Comments Off

SGE Fantasy Baseball Preview: Outfield Part Deux

Sleeper Pick

It’s just 3 days away from Opening Day and its time for a bonus edition of the outfield position for those still to have their fantasy baseball draft this weekend. As stated in part one of the outfield rankings this is where you will find players who will gather the most points for you through out the season in five categories. Those categories being hitting for average/home runs/RBI’s/scoring runs and stealing bases. Guys like Cleveland Indians Grady Sizemore, St. Louis Cardinals Matt Holliday and Philadelphia Phillies Jayson Werth are the best at this and will be sure to be taken early so lets go deeper.

Breakout Player:  Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates

• McCutchen surely will be on quite a few radars since he led all rookies with 47 extra base hits and showed plenty of speed on the bases paths. As with any sophomore there is the potential for a slump but McCutchen can rely on his legs to help avert long slumps. In 511 career minor league games he hit .286 and stole 105 bases and his 2010 numbers should resemble 100 runs, 20 home runs, 60 RBI’s and 30 stolen bases with a similar batting average to last year.

Sleeper Pick: Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies

• Can you be a sleeper pick if the Oakland Athletics where hesitant on trading you away for Matt Holliday, the answer is yes because he’s still 24 and has only 508 at bats under your belt. He has all the tools to rack up points in the five categories and is very similar to McCutchen in Pittsburgh. Gonzalez will have the benefit in playing in a hitter friendly home ball field but he is as equal threat on the base paths. See his 2010 numbers to reach about 25 steals, 18 home runs, 75 runs and 90 RBI’s.

Risky Player: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

• I can say this since I was on the come back Hamilton band wagon back in 2007 when the Cincinnati Reds gave him a chance in April. That success lead me to draft him far earlier than anyone would have anticipated in 2008 and he rewarded me with 32 home runs, 132 RBI’s and 190 hits but I watched as he hit a wall towards the end of the year when national jumped on his band wagon. I speak from watching 246 games of his before he became the 2009 spring training hot topic. Hamilton suffered more than one setback in 2009 when photos surfaced of him drinking and taking shots off women who weren’t Mrs. Hamilton. Then he endured a back injury that limited him to only 89 games. Can Hamilton repeat 2008, yes of course, but the back problem should be taken into account. I said he is of risk, not saying he’s undraftable.

Slipping Player: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs

• Soriano can thank Milton Bradley for being a Cub last year as if wasn’t for the disastrous season Milton had on and off the field, Alfonso would have taken the majority of the heat for his lackluster performance. One main reason for Soriano’s downfall over the years is injuries have plagued him and they have cut back his ability to steal bases and hit home runs which is what made him such a threat earlier on in his career. Soriano missed time in September with knee problems and add to the fact he has never been a selective hitter the evidence is showing its ugly head he is slipping. For the third year in a row his numbers in the runs, hits, home runs, RBI, stolen base, and hitting for average departments have been worst than the previous year.

Apr 01, 2010 | MLB, Predictions | Comments Off

Matt Holliday Re-Signs With St. Louis For $120 Milli

Matt Holliday is still taking balls off his nuts just at a hefty cost now to the St. Louis Cardinals as they have agreed on a contract of 7 years worth $120 milli that includes a full no trade clause.

When the Cardinals traded for Holliday it seemed as if I was the only one voicing displeasure about it and today is no different. The cost to obtain and keep a guy that has been an All-Star but nothing more is ludicrous.  The Cardinals gave up prize prospect third baseman Brett Wallace to acquire and now have strapped themselves in those future negotiations for the likes of outfielder Ryan Ludwick, starting pitchers Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and that doesn’t include finally acquiring a bat in front of Albert Pujols. That’s the key, for if no one gets on base in front of Pujols, why pitch to him? Just take the best bat in all of Major League Baseball out of the lineup.

So Holliday today you’ll hear all the cheers about your signing but not from me because you and your agent Scott Boras backed St. Louis into a corner and screwed us again, just like you did in Game 2 of the National League Divisonal Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jan 06, 2010 | MLB | Comments Off

Mike Cameron Signs With Boston Red Sox

Diamond Stud

The Boston Red Sox signed outfielder Mike Cameron to a two-year contract in the range of $15.5 million

Cameron, who turns 37 next month, batted .250 with 24 homers and 70 RBIs last season for Milwaukee. A three-time Gold Glove winner in center field, could switch to left as the Red Sox already have speedy Jacoby Ellsbury in center.Cameron isn’t without his offensive merits. He has decent pop and draws walks, although he does strike out a lot and his lifetime average is .250. His main value, though, comes from his glove.

I bet there are Red Sox fans out there than do not agree with this move simply because Mike Cameron is not a sexy name Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. While Cameron is not nearly the offensive force of Bay and Holliday, he does hit for some power, get on base, play splendid defense, and provide good leadership in the clubhouse. Mike Cameron is a good role player on a playoff caliber team.

Dec 15, 2009 | MLB | Comments Off

120 MLB Players Opt For 2010 Free Agency

On the third day of Major League Baseball free agency a 120 players have elected to pursue Article XX B (2) of the Basic Agreement out of the 183 eligible. Bobby Abreu, Tim Hudson, Cliff Lee, Manny Ramirez, Brandon Webb, have had their 2010 options picked up bringing a total of 58 players still eligible but have yet to file. November 19 marks the last date in which players may give notice of their election of free agency. If that punk ass Matt Holliday decides to leave my St. Louis Cardinals, I do see suitable replacements…cough Jermaine Dye.

Est. 1869

Nov 08, 2009 | MLB | Comments Off

Mark McGwire Returns From Exile

That's Not Harvey Milk On Your Lips, Is It?

Mark McGwire has ended his baseball exile and accepted a position with the St. Louis Cardinals as their hitting coach. He’ll replace Hal McRae, who’s held the position for five years, and he never did much with it. McRae had the Cardinals finish 3rd, 6th, 11th, 4th and 7th in the National League in runs scored during his tenure.

McGwire played 4 1/2 season with the Cardinals, and has since been surrounded by steroid rumors. After his 2005 Congressional testimony he has fallen out of the public eye instead devoting his time to the Mark McGwire Foundation for Children to help children who have been sexually and physically abused come to terms with a difficult childhood.

McGwire though hasn’t gone completely off the baseball radar has he has offered his hitting instructional services to the like of Major League players Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins, Bobby Crosby, Chris Duncan and Skip Schumaker. All but Duncan have benefited of his eye and teaching.

This comes on the heals of Tony La Russa saying he would be back as Cardinal manager in the 2010 season. Cardinal fans know that La Russa has tried to pull McGwire back into the game as a Spring Training hitting instructor the last two years down in Jupiter,Florida but McGwire has declined the offers. Saying the media circus he would draw would be a distraction onto the guys that are there completing for a chance at a World Series title.

So what’s changed? I’m not sure but if this is the direction that the bum La Russa wants to take with his coaching staff, then this is the perfect time to do so. Baring any unexpected controversy, the Cardinals and McGwire can expect to see to waves of media storms coming their way. The initial press conference to announce the hire and the first couple weeks of Spring Training.

By the time games start actually counting in April, McGwire and the Cardinals will have rode the wave out as the media finds its next big story, that is as long as he doesn’t have a mental breakdown somewhere into the season like Rudy Tomjanovich.

By the way, just because I’m a St. Louis Cardinal fan does not mean I think he is a Hall of Famer, cause he’s not and I love steroids. But I do wanna thank Mark for 1998 and ol 2005.

Oct 26, 2009 | MLB | Comments Off

THE MATT HOLLIDAY APPRECIATION SONG

It’s October 15 and I still hate you Matt Holliday. Dodger fan could’ve used a little help staying on key but hey I’m not going to rain on his parade because when you get beat you got to take the heat.

Matt HOLLIDAY

Oct 15, 2009 | MLB | Comments Off

What Is Your Major Malfunction Numb Nuts!!

I still hate you.

Oct 09, 2009 | MLB | Comments Off

I Still Hate You Today Matt Holliday

Absolutely Disgusting

Oh was it a rough night yesterday, even rough this morning. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday literally cost the Cardinals a victory in game two of the National League Division Series in Los Angeles. If your smart enough and have watched sports for some time now, you’re well aware of the fact that it’s hard to pin point one particular play to a loss. Last night would have been no different except for the fact that the line drive hit out to Holliday in the bottom of the ninth with two outs was very catchable. VERY CATCHABLE!

San Antonio McAllister Park Little Leaguers can attest to it. Everyone on the Cardinals should have been on the plane heading back to St. Louis. Instead closer Ryan Franklin already pitching lousy, became mentally defeated after watching his defense let him down. Topping it all off was a dominating pitching performance lost from starter Adam Wainwright.

Cardinal nation will hear all the political correctness coming out of the mouths of players, management, and coaching staff, that its all about game 165 and they can’t look into the past. That will be their intention but it’s trapped in their minds and I doubt they overcome such. Not to be forgotten is they are playing the Dodgers who is no scrub team.

So here it comes full circle on the same man I was catechized for when I voiced my displeasure that Cardinals traded for him. When I considered all the factors in the Holliday trade, the contract demands that would be put on by his agent Scott Boras in the off-season, the strain his contract could have on the organization when it comes to trying to resign Albert Pujols, losing some of the Cardinals top prospects, his tendencies to have mental lapses (2007 World Series being picked off by Boston Red Sox Jonathan Papelebon ), and his defense being no better than former terrible Cardinal Chris Duncan.

Could the season be a wash due to Holliday’s blunder, could Chris Carpenters/Adam Wainwright  CY Young and Albert Pujols MVP season mean nothing? What I do know, is for one night I hated the very game I love so much and for that I hate Matt Holliday.

Absolutely Disgusting.

Oct 09, 2009 | MLB | Comments Off

Holliday Season For Cardinal Fans

Matt Holliday arrived in Philadelphia and was in lineup for the St. Louis Cardinals, on the same day he was traded. He didn’t necessarily bring the power as he was expected to but did finish 4-for-5 with a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored. The Cardinals beat the Phillies, 8-1, in front of 45,166 at Citizens Bank Park.

“Yeah, I was lucky, but I’ll take ‘em. I’ll take ‘em all,” Holliday said. “It may not be pretty, but it’s effective.”

Holliday singled in his first at-bat, promptly stole second and scored on Rick Ankiel’s base hit. In the Cardinals’ four-run sixth, Holliday hit an opposite-field, run-scoring flair. In the seventh, he launched a double to right-center that nearly left the yard, and in the ninth he legged out an infield single.

To Cardinals fans this means Albert Pujols finally has legit protection, who has a Majors-leading 34 intentional walks.

“It changes the complexion of our lineup,” Mark DeRosa said. “Guys feel they can pass the baton. They don’t need to be a hero.”

That’s exactly what they did on Friday: Pass the baton, without heroics. St. Louis’ deeper, longer lineup managed a big inning without big hits, stringing together five consecutive singles off young Philadelphia lefty J.A. Happ, who had not lost since 2007.

“Now I would say it’s up to our pitching,” Joe Pineiro said. “The front office did what they needed to do to get hitters, now our pitching’s gotta step up and keep on doing what we’ve been doing.”

Holliday did not even have time to check into his hotel. He had a team meeting and press conference to attend. Shortly thereafter, he was on standing on second base, stealing his first bag with his new team.

“That’s part of my game,” said Holliday, who had 28 steals for Colorado last season. “I kind of pride myself on playing good baseball.”

That’s the quickest way to a Cardinal fans heart.

Jul 25, 2009 | MLB | Comments Off