Stl Cards 'N Stuff

By Kevin Reynolds The Colorado Rockies and the St. Louis Cardinals are neck-and-neck in the NL Wild Card race. If St. Louis hopes to ride a rejuvenated roster to the postseason with interim skipper Mike Shildt at the helm, they’ll have to dispose of the west-side bombers first. If successful, the Cardinals’ prize may be … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) I’m not saying the players could strike, but I am saying they would be stupid to consider it. And that is a serious problem for the Player’s Association. If you’re just catching up, the slow market this offseason and proposed game changes to address a mythical pace of play problem have led … Continue reading →

  By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) John Mozeliak, President of Baseball Operations for the St. Louis Cardinals, took a look at his team’s roster at the end of the 2017 season and came to one revealing conclusion. “They’re all good,” the former GM said, “But we need great.” Tommy Pham may take issue with that. “Personally, … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Addison Reed is a Minnesota Twin. A pitcher once thought a perfect match for St. Louis is no longer on the market, leaving confusion among those expecting Mozeliak and Girsch to push for the reliever. His two-year, $17 million deal and reported preference for the Midwest only enhances the mystery. Couldn’t the … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) I spent a lot of time defending Matt Adams last year. Understandable. He’s a polarizing player, much like Chris Duncan was during his time in the Redbird dugout. Many fans wanted his playing time cut, his role reduced, and ultimately applauded the trade that banished him from Mike Matheny‘s lineup card. … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) The Giancarlo Stanton drama is in the home stretch…maybe. Both the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals – the only two serious suitors left for the slugging super-bat – have made their offers and pitched their proposals. All that’s left now is to see which one Stanton himself desires. … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds  (@deckacards) It’s all about leverage. Right now, presumably, the St. Louis Cardinals are engaged in a cross-country staring contest with the Miami Marlins. The prize for he who blinks first? Bright lights slugger Giancarlo Stanton, the Mark McGwire of his time. If there’s a man positioned to hit 60-plus home runs next … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Tony La Russa, the winningest manager in franchise history and the most recent Cardinal figure to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, belongs in St. Louis with his old team. No, not for the reason you’re thinking. But since that elephant is going to hang from a rather … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Half of you reading this right now are already worked up – foaming at the mouth even – because you read those two little words Cardinals fans love to hate. Matt. Adams. Individually, they don’t really invoke too much furor. A person uses a yoga “matt” to achieve a unique state … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot of talent on their roster…their triple-A roster. Patrick Wisdom, Harrison Bader, and the ever-circulated Carson Kelly are all potential big-league prospects waiting for their shot. Wisdom, the best defensive third baseman in the system with a bat comparable to the powerful Todd Frazier, could mash … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) If you haven’t noticed, the Cardinals are playing better of late. Much better, actually. After taking 2-of-3 in Arizona – a series that could have easily ended in a sweep of one of the toughest teams in the NL in their own park if not for Seung-hwan Oh‘s best impression of a … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) After winning 2-of-3 in Arizona, the Cardinals probably sound a lot like that AMEX commercial in the movie Major League. “People still don’t recognize us, but…we’re contenders now.” The irony is, while playing their way back into the NL Central picture, the players solidifying their spots on the team are filling … Continue reading →

Hosted by Daniel Shoptaw of Cards Conclave (@C70), myself and a handful of other bloggers gathered together for our annual pre-All-Star discussion about the St. Louis Cardinals. The result is possibly the best Cardinals’ podcast episode you’ll listen to this year. Be sure to listen all the way to the end – even in multiple … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) The Cardinals lost again last night, this time 4-to-3 to the Pirates. Ho-hum. Next! Seriously. If this is how the season is going to go, let’s just line ’em up and knock ’em down. Get it over with. The losing in St. Louis has reached the point of morbid predictability, and it’s … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Adam Wainwright is no longer an ace. Through 14 starts, the once-great starting pitcher is dragging around a 5.75 ERA in 72 innings pitched. That’s the highest ERA on the Cardinals’ 25-man roster, a ranking that makes it difficult to lead from the traditional running position for a staff ace, in front. … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) After Matt Carpenter‘s return to leadoff and the Cardinals’ clubhouse shakeup, offense hasn’t been a significant problem for the Busch Stadium boys. St. Louis is averaging over five runs a game since kicking off a dramatic homestand against the Phillies last Friday night. In fact, aside from the opening contest – which they won 3-to-2 … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Episode 2: The Voice of the Fan… (Apologies in advance for the quality…images were a bit rushed.) Kevin Reynolds has covered the Cardinals for About.com, Yahoo! Sports, and various other entities. He’s been writing and podcasting about the Cardinals since 2004 at Stl Cards ‘N Stuff. Follow him and chat baseball on Twitter (@deckacards), … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Doesn’t that title just turn your stomach? There are fans in St. Louis who have gone their entire lives without seeing this organization bite the bullet and enter the trade market with wares to sell instead of a last-minute shopping list. But if this losing trend continues, it’s going to dovetail bitterly … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Continuously beating up on the Cardinals doesn’t help much. Actually, it probably doesn’t help at all, aside from making sure the front office continues to hear the fan angst beating on the office windows. Believe me, they know. Mozeliak and Company are not deaf to the moaning and wailing in St. … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Welcome to the latest addition to Cards ‘N Stuff…Mike ‘N Mo! Join us as we take a peak at the crazy adventures of that zany duo, Mike Matheny and John Mozeliak. Of course, it’s all in fun…so enjoy! (apologies in advance for the lack of talent…) Episode 1: What REALLY Happened… Kevin … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) (Note: All stats are accurate entering play Thursday, May 25th.) Mike Matheny admitted to Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com that he has considered moving struggling leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler down in the order to spark his bat. If that’s the case, then why not put everything on the table? Replace Fowler at … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Mike Matheny wants his players to be aggressive. Make something happen. Put the opposition in a position that forces them to execute perfectly. Create game-winning moments by selectively pushing the envelope and counting on things to go awry. So far, the Cardinals are aggressively blowing it. Matt Carpenter, attempting to needlessly … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) The Cardinals are rolling. After an agonizing start to the season, St. Louis used an 18-and-6 bum rush to pull away from the only team in the NL Central that matters. As of May 15th, they sit 3.5 games ahead of the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs and a game ahead of the second … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) If you watched the first two weeks of Cardinals baseball and then bailed, you’re probably scratching your head a bit at the water cooler today. Surprise! That resilient baseball team from St. Louis is in first place atop the NL Central. How in the name of Stan Musial did that happen? … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) There are times when a player’s path to the major leagues is so perfectly paved, you would swear the Cardinals’ Marketing department had a hand in laying the stones. Such is the case with Memphis first baseman Luke Voit. Born just 30 miles west of St. Louis, Voit attended Lafayette High … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) The Cardinals are a .500 baseball team. In all my years of watching St. Louis baseball, being a .500 team has never seemed so significant. Maybe there were some years in the 90s when mediocre was the norm, but franchise marketing aside, the Joe Torre years never carried the expectation of … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) In baseball terms, when a hitter is swinging too late to hit the fastball but too early to hit the off speed stuff, that hitter is said to be “caught in between.” The lingo could be applied to the St. Louis Cardinals. In their herky-jerky way, the Redbirds have been unable to significantly … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) The Cardinals are winning again, claiming victory in six of their last seven games to pull within two games of the first place Cubs. It must be because Mike Matheny made all those lineup changes we told him to, right? Think again. While benching Jhonny Peralta and Matt Adams was the right move, … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) With the upcoming “May the 4th be with you” shenanigans just around the corner, this time of year always brings references to Star Wars moments. Social media sites are buzzing with tidbits and treasures from comic cons and panels discussing the upcoming movies, and twitter feeds are full of references to … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Jhonny Peralta hasn’t played a game for the St. Louis Cardinals since April 15th. That’s four days for $10 million dollars to sit on the bench unused and all but forgotten. That’s a pile of discarded cash that even the revenue-rich Cardinals can see from the owner’s box. The match-up Wednesday … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) It’s always easy to feel optimistic the morning after a win. In the midst of all the doom and gloom, let’s take a step back and look at some of the players to get excited about for the St. Louis Cardinals. 10. Lance Lynn. In his first year back from surgery, the … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) When the Cardinals signed Dexter Fowler to an $82.5 million dollar contract to serve as their new leadoff hitter, the last thing they expected him to lead the club in was strikeouts. But that’s exactly where he is, tied for the team lead with Randal Grichuk with 16 strikeouts on the … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) The St. Louis Cardinals are 3-and-8, their worst 11-game start to the season since the advent of the Wild Card era. Only the Toronto Blue Jays (2-and-9) carry a worse record than the Redbirds. After a disappointing finish that saw them fall just short of a playoff spot in 2016, this kind … Continue reading →

  By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Yesterday, just before game time, I wrote that Stephen Piscotty must hit seventh or eighth as part of a platoon with Jose Martinez until he regains his swing. Predictably, the Cardinals’ right fielder went 3-for-5 with 5 RBIs and a home run hours later. St. Louis would ride his offensive … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) This Cardinals team looks like crap. They can’t pitch, they can’t play defense, and they can’t hit well enough to put up a fight against good, bad, or ugly teams. The problem revolves around poor management, but the solution may center on Matt Carpenter. It’s time for the St. Louis first … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) Tony La Russa was known for running a rigorous spring training camp during his tenure as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. Praised for his ability to efficiently and effectively prepare players for the start of the regular season, La Russa’s Redbirds broke camp hard and fast and relied on an often-used bench … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds (@deckacards) It’s the second game of the season, a match-up that takes a mere 48 hours to arrive after the first pitch of Opening Day is thrown but sure seems to take forever. The Cardinals pulled off a miracle – to hear the baseball pundits tell it – by defeating the mighty … Continue reading →

I paired up with Jon Doble (@jondoble) of Redbird Dugout to talk end-of-spring Cardinals topics last night. What was meant to be a “Season Preview” turned out to be a Yadier Molina contract rap session, but we managed to sprinkle in some other Cards talk along the way. What’s up with the Cardinals’ Kolten Wong … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds Everyone’s talking about Bengie Molina‘s comments on MLB Radio this week. The one-time catcher and prominent member of the Catching Molinas had some blunt words for anyone listening regarding his brother’s contract negotiations, especially John Mozeliak and the St. Louis Cardinals. “He said, ‘Hey listen, I battled my butt off for you … Continue reading →

Wecome back to the State of the Nation Podcast! We’ve been gone a while, but we’re making a comeback this season by way of Blogtalk Radio. Check the latest episode – the first episode in some time – by clicking the link below. This week, we’re talking about the Matt Adams roster pressure building in … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds For young players in big league camp, unlike their major-league counterparts, spring at-bats are less about getting ready for the season and more about opening eyes, showing coaches and front office executives something they haven’t seen before. With a .375 average, .474 on-base percentage (OBP), and six hits in 16 spring training … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds Spring training is just a few weeks old, but already we’re seeing prospects stand out in camp. Here’s a look at five position players that are making an early impression. 5. Paul DeJong. As a 23-year old former college player, DeJong entered camp with expectations. So far, he’s lived up to every … Continue reading →

By Kevin Reynolds In St. Louis, fans celebrate the life and career of Stan Musial, the most prolific Cardinal of all time.  With 3,630 hits, a .331 batting average, and  725 doubles – the third-most doubles in baseball history – enshrinement in the Hall of Fame was assured. Even by modern standards, his 124.7 offensive … Continue reading →

Stephen Piscotty has never been known as a pure power hitter. After three seasons in the minor leagues, he’s managed to amass nearly three times as many doubles (73) as home runs (28), and his slugging percentage has failed to reach .450 in either of the last two seasons Not that the Cardinals are concerned. … Continue reading →

Think Peter Bourjos flashed speed last season? Just imagine what he can do without that pesky hip injury. After offseason hip surgery to address persistent pain — pain that Bourjos said made it difficult to get out of bed and stand up without falling down — the speedy centerfielder is ready to get back to … Continue reading →

The St. Louis Cardinals played the Pittsburgh Pirates tough during the regular season…so tough, they’ve compiled an 11 – 8 record against their persistent challengers in the NL Central division title race. That record includes a three-games-to-one series win July 7th through the 10th. It also includes a late-season, three-game sweep of the Buccos from September 1st … Continue reading →

Cardinal Nation is suddenly afflicted with postseason fever, and it’s not hard to see why. After such a monstrous shift in position, the Redbirds are soaring and seem to be targeting the major-league playoffs in October. And whenever that happens, fans start discussing potential match-ups. Who are we going to play? Who do we WANT … Continue reading →

MLB Opening Day is a holiday in St. louis and Cardinals Nation — even if Congress has yet to officially recognize it as a National Holiday. And Celebrating that holiday with an annual blog post has become a wonderful tradition. Here at Cards ‘N Stuff, we usually like to take a look at each player … Continue reading →

The lines are gone, the players are headed home — or to Jupiter, or to rehab, etc. — and Winter Warm-Up at the Hyatt Regency in St. Louis has come to a close. I haven’t heard of a better way across all of MLB to ramp up excitement for a club’s pending season than the … Continue reading →

Joe Kelly tried to explain it to Stephen Strasburg while playing golf a few weeks ago — how the Cardinals’ have “a good problem to have” with all the “young studs” in competition for a rotation spot. Strasburg was amazed, not only at what Kelly had done as a starter — both in the second … Continue reading →