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Also, the Brewers happen to be 3rd best in the NL in ERA so maybe there is something to this pitching thing.
You’ve got a lot to learn about the game of baseball, gscott. Run prevention is overrated. I remember Johnny giving a response early in the season to a question on why Burly and Walker kept getting so much corner OF time while looking so shaky. His answer was, “Slug matters.”
I am guessing the Brewers are not near the bottom in percentage of total baserunners who score or in the percentage of getting a runner in from third base with less than two outs. I am guessing their offense is pretty efficient. Ours makes a lot of noise. (When it matters that is. They are doing great now that it doesn’t)
Not sure about the percentages but the Brewers have scored 30 fewer runs than the Cardinals but given up 125 less.
You’ve got a lot to learn about the game of baseball, gscott. Run prevention is overrated. I remember Johnny giving a response early in the season to a question on why Burly and Walker kept getting so much corner OF time while looking so shaky. His answer was, “Slug matters.”
I worry about Mo sometimes. He looks like a smart guy but I am afraid he might be surrounded by yes men. Sometimes a devil’s advocate is needed to avoid groupthink.
Here is the top 10 in OPS for the Cards so far this year with a minimum of 200 PA’s.
1. Contreras- .816
2. Goldschmidt- .814
3. Nootbaar- .812
4. Gorman- .806
5. Arenado- .787
6. Donovan- .787
7. Walker- .786
8. O’Neill- .734
9. Knizner- .723
10. Edman- .708Amazing considering all the grief Contreras took early that he has risen to the top. Of course, it helps the comparison when your two stars have subpar years…
Another guy who took a lot of criticism is Walker, who as a 21-year-old rookie has an OPS that is essentially the same as Donovan and Arenado.
Interesting way of looking at things. Does this suggest poor clutch hitting, poor late innings relief or both?
I think it suggests a team that finds ways to lose and doesn’t find ways to win, which defines the Cardinals in the first half. Poor fundamentals and execution generate ways to lose and thwart efforts to pull out a win. Early on, the team consistently played some of the worst ball I’ve seen.
I attribute it to:
1) a poorly constructed roster,
2) lack of depth on the pitching side,
3) key players including veterans not present for ST,
4) coaching staff turnover,
5) the vacuum with Yadi gone not correctly planned for nor handled,
6) weak leadership in the clubhouse and on the top step,
7) issues with the process of integrating output from the analytics staff into game preparation and in game decisions by the coaching staff.Clutch hitting is a random event and one that sometimes is good, sometimes bad. One year Allen Craig hit something crazy number with runs in scoring position, like .450 or something like that. But it is not something some players consistently do well at and some not so well.
So on that front we are just having a down year. As far as things that can be done, for one the batting order construction has not been the best. Others have pointed this out, and some of us have harped on it all year long.
In addition we are not the best at the fundamentals – moving runners up being the biggest weakness. We also are not the most athletic club, but we have some guys coming along who will help in that area.
I have to disagree with GC on Masyn Winn. He is exactly the kind of player we need. The issue is that he might be a year or two away, but no way I trade him now. We will be in a world of hurt at shortstop in a couple of years, so don’t trade your future at that key position. A better course is to deal a couple of outfielders, which is where we have depth. Most notably, you probably need to move on from Dylan Carlson and Tyler O’Neill. Both guys still could put things together and be productive big leaguers, and that is what will attract a trading partner. We may need to part with one of either Herrera or Knizner as well. If we could deal those guys and get a decent mid-rotation starter, then sign a solid top rotation starter, that would go a long way. Then you have to go on faith that a couple guys between Mikolas, Matz, Liberatore, Rom, Hudson, and perhaps a McGreevey or Graceffo can dial it up a notch or two and be dependable, below 4.10 ERA pitchers.
And finally the wild card – guys need to stay off the injured list as much as possible. But that is another of those things you do not have much control over.
Ollie’s lineup construction makes absolutely no sense. Maybe Goldschmidt wants to bat second but he needs to bat third for the team. Also for Goldy because they would pitch him different if Aranado is in the on deck circle instead of high strikeout guys like O’Neill. That would also allow them to have a couple of on base guys with speed batting in front of them.
I think he also is way too platoon oriented. In late August Edman had just hit walkoffss two games in a row batting leadoff and Walker batting 5th went 4-4. The next game against the Pirates with a right handed pitcher Ollie has Edman batting 7th and Walker batting 8th.
Also it appears to me that the Cardinals are still using the Jeff Albert approach to pulling everything and the uppercut swing. That got Shildt fired when he protested and wanted to get rid of Albert. I think this one is on Mo rather than Ollie since Jeff is no longer around. Gets more homers in a pitchers park but fewer runs and wins.
The Cardinals just announced that Ollie is returning next year. Should have been gone at the all-star break.
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