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stlcard25…WINNER! The only HR Joe ever tatered-up for in his long career was allowed by his big brother Phil in ’76. It was no “gimme” either. It came in the 7th and broke up a 2-2 tie ballgame in which Joe went on to be the winning pitcher of decision in a 4-3 Astro victory over Phil and the Braves. Good guess on the second question. You’re on the right track with Martinez, but he’s not the guy.
Cards667…”Precautionary, no reason to push him?” Haha! Sounds like he’s working at a potentionally dangerous height and should be outfitted with a safety harness and lanyard tied off to a fixed point…
Tonight’s game thread trivia questions could both be considered easy. One is fairly recent and the other has a pretty good clue in the question itself…
1. Joe Neikro hit exactly 1 HR during his 22 year career in which he had 1165 PA’s. He hit it off of a future HOF pitcher. Who was that HOF pitcher?
2. Who was the player who in 1999, was awarded a GG despite playing only a record low 28 games for a GG winner in the field that season?
I feel a little bad for Yadier in his last season only because he seems to be a little overshadowed by his old buddy Albert as the great HOF catcher is also saying his goodbyes this year. Albert’s my all-time favorite position player, but let’s face facts. Yadier Molina never changed out of a Redbird uniform in his 19 year Big League career. Loyalty still counts for something and it’s my hope that Yadier displays some of the many heroics of his past during this post-season that Albert has displayed during this regular season. There’s no question in my mind that he had the second most important HR since I’ve been following Redbird baseball. I’ll never forget the smile that the young catcher flashed as he hit one over Chavez and the wall at old Shea Stadium to win a NL pennant in ’06. I’d like nothing better than to see that sort of Yadier Molina smile in the coming weeks.
Has anyone heard anything regarding a time for Friday’s opener? I’ve been led to believe it was almost certainly going to be a day game.
stlcard25…No, they’re entirely different types of hitters, but their numbers this season are nearly identical. And in addition to the numbers, both have posted them in the same manner of inconsistency. At least that’s my impression.
EuroDandy…It was directly stated by Marmol that if O’Neill doesn’t see any action in the OF in these final three regular season games, he wouldn’t see action in the OF in the first round. The article was dated Sept. 30th.
With the exception of Knizner, tonight’s line-up is almost certainly the one for the post-season opener on Friday. Good move to have the 40 year old backstop in drydock and refitted for the opener. My hope is that Molina will only see PH’ing duties for these final three regular season games.
Other than stepping in from opposite sides of the plate, Yepez and Dickerson are remarkably similar regarding numbers and are pretty much an even trade-off. As Rats pointed out, Yepez swung the bat well in May and June. He then flamed out for the first half of July before an injury sidelined him for about 7 weeks. Since the start of July he’s had 16 hits in 79 AB’s which isn’t too awfully bad until you see he’s only had 5 RBI’s since July 1st. Dickerson was a bust until around the trade deadline. He then got silly hot until almost two weeks into September. Since September 12th, he’s had just 7 hits in 53 AB’s. His only 4 RBI’s in those 53 AB’s came on the solitary tater he hit in that time span which was a GS the other day vs. Pittsburgh. Both of them make me nervous in LF, so I guess take your pick. I’d probably feel more comfortable with Dickerson than the rookie Yepez in the post-season.
stlcard25…Yeah, the Cardinals have to hit up and down the entire order starting Friday. If that doesn’t happen, whoever they play will simply pitch around the teeth of the order in Goldy, Nado and Albert and hope to limit the damage to the solo type tater or two. Eddie, Nootz and Donnie have to reach base to create some genuine pressure situations on opposing pitchers when the big kids step in. You never really know who’s going to be a catalyst in a play-off or WS contest, but Donovan’s my pick to really make a name for himself in this year’s post-season. If the Cardinals can advance, I can see him with 7 to 10 hits in a 5 or 7 game series. Eddie’s also a guy I’d forsee as being that type of difference maker. Heck, it could be DeJong…HAHA!
stlcard25…You have a good argument. Yepez makes me more than a little skittish when the baseball’s hit to him, but honestly Dickerson’s been an adventure at times as well. I’ve seen him involved in a couple of misplays that made LF look like a circus this season. I’m not sure how he was ever awarded a GG when he played in Pittsburgh.
Rats…A local article dated Sept. 30 quoted Marmol as saying if O’Neill didn’t play in the OF for these last 3 regular season games, that he would not be in LF for the first round. He also said that not playing him in the field “didn’t preclude him from being an offensive part of a configuration.” PH or DH…Who knows?
Lee…I don’t think he’ll start the opener, but I think he’ll be on the first round roster and if the first round goes to game 3, I wouldn’t be entirely astounded if he gets the baseball. A month ago, I would have bet a dollar he’d be the SP’er for game 1.
In regards to starters, I’d like to see these last 3 games with a line-up card that reads like one the Cardinal manager will fill out on Friday. Regardless of the SP’er the Redbirds will face, here’s mine with and without the availability of O’Neill.
Donovan 2B… Donovan 2B
Edman SS… Nootbar RF
Goldschmidt 1B… Goldschmidt 1B
Arenado 3B… Arenado 3B
Pujols DH… Pujols DH
Molina C… Dickerson LF
O’Neill LF… Molina C
Carlson CF… Carlson CF
Nootbar RF… Edman SSWell, this will be the first season that 12 teams will qualify for bonus baseball, so you would have thought that the last 3 games of the regular season would provide countless possibilities. But I can’t really detect any added drama. Most of the division races were decided weeks ago. Even the WC’s are pretty much cut and dried. I’m getting old and obsolete, but I can recall when the regular season provided more than a month’s worth of play-off type high stakes drama. I don’t really think that pennant races exist anymore, and at one time they could really be something. Many of the most pulse pounding games I’ve ever attended were in the midst of a hotly contested, old fashioned pennant race.
BikeMike…Judge stays dressed in pinstripes. Trout changes into Birds on the bat. You heard it here first…Haha!
I guess the Cardinals are going to wait until Molina and Pujols walk into Cooperstown before they retire #’s 4 and 5.
The correct answer to this game thread trivia question #2 is Eddie Mathews. He hit 370 HR’s in the first 10 years of his career in the Big Leagues which was the record until Pujols shattered it in April of 2010. The hint was in reference to Mathews being on the cover of the first ever issue of Sports Illustrated in 1955.
EuroDandy…Yep, the Braves are young too. They should be around for a while. I also think Snitker is a good manager. They lost Freeman and haven’t missed a beat.
GameCard…I have to believe Mikolas will get the baseball for the opener. My feelings regarding Flaherty are identical to yours.
