Even just a little?

OK, dumb question …

Let the new century of futility begin. The Cubs’ shocking departure in the first round of the NL playoffs was just more of the same.

Figures that an ex-Cardinals player and manager, Joe Torre, would take the Cubs down this time. Torre’s Los Angeles Dodgers made it look easy, sweeping the dreadful Cubs in three games.

The North Siders haven’t won a World Series since 1908, and I have to admit that I thought this year’s collection of high-priced talent would change the course of history.

I’ve never fully bought into this idea that the Cubs are cursed. I get tired of hearing about Bartman, the Billy Goat, the Black Cat and all of the other ”Greatest Hits” from the Cubs’ sad October playlist. It gets old. And it seems foolish. And the Cubs for some stupid reason enjoy perpetuating this “curse” craziness. For instance, why did the Cubs bring in a Greek Orthodox priest to sprinkle holy water in their dugout before Game 1? It was a silly, senseless, attention-drawing stunt. Why put that stuff into the players’ heads and make the Cubs start thinking of all the past postseason failures?

The 2008 Cubs were put together with a lot of money, with more than $500 million in new player contracts over the last two-plus seasons. The 2008 Cubs seemed to be a good investment; they led the NL in runs scored this season, and they had strong starting pitching, and a fearsome closer, and they played sound baseball in the field, and on the bases.

But it all fell apart in three games to the Dodgers.

Just as it did last season in a three-game sweep by Arizona that sent the Cubs home after the first round in 2007.

In going 0-6 in the last two seasons, the Cubs scored only 12 runs and batted .218. They went 7 for 51 with runners in scoring position in the six losses. Key performers such as Alfonso Soriano (3 for 28) and Aramis Ramirez (2 for 32) were MIA. And even though Derrek Lee stroked some hits, he failed to drive in a run in the six losses.

After the Cubs were thrashed by the Dodgers in Game 2, Cubs manager Lou Piniella was overheard challenging a few of his players, including Soriano and Ramirez. Piniella used the word “cojones” in the conversation.

Apparently the cojones — and the bats — didn’t make the trip to Game 3 in LA …

It’s obvious that the postseason pressure got to the Cubs — again.  During the regular season, they had the best onbase percentage in the NL, but hacked at everything the Dodgers lobbed at them in the three games, and struck out 24 times. They played atrocious defense. And starting pitchers Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden wavered when the Cubs needed a lights-out performance from them.

The 2008 Cubs became the ninth team in the last 14 seasons to lead their league in wins, only to get eliminated in the first round.

It makes me appreciate Tony La Russa even more. The Cardinals manager has had his problems in the Championship Series and the World Series, but he’s done a masterful job of getting his Cardinals through the first round. La Russa’s NLDS record is an astoundingly good 20-5. He lost only one NLDS, in 2001 to the Arizona Diamondbacks that had Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson making four of the five starts. And in that one, the Cardinals weren’t eliminated until the bottom of the ninth inning of the fifth and decisive game.

I thought Piniella would make a difference; he seemed tough enough to push the Cubs through all this “curse” nonsense, once and for all.

But Lou is building his own history of stunning postseason failures.

True, his 1990 Cincinnati Reds defeated La Russa’s mighty Oakland A’s in a four-game World Series sweep. But since that triumph, Piniella’s postseason record is 15-25.

Not only is Piniella 0-6 as the Cubs’ manager in the posteason, but he’s lost eight straight postseason games and 10 of his last 11.

Piniella’s 2001 Seattle Mariners won 116 games in the regular season, only to get ejected in five games by the Yankees in the ‘01 ALCS. And during Piniella’s eight-game postseason losing streak, his teams have scored only 16 runs.

What the heck is going on here?

How do you win 97 games and send eight players to the All-Star Game, as the Cubs did this season, only to show up for the postseason and look so lifeless?

The Cubs franchise is 18-50 in the postseason since winning that World Series in 1908.

So despite spending about a half-billion dollars to try and buy a pennant and a World Series title, the Cubs have won exactly the same amount of postseason games as the Cardinals over the last two seasons:

ZERO.

“The organization tried the Greek priest,” Piniella told reporters before Game 3. “I don’t know what the hell else to do.’’

How about an exorcism?

Thanks for reading…

-B

The Rams’ brass is in meetings to discuss Linehan’s future, but at the time of this update, no decision has been made.

The Post-Dispatch is monitoring the situation.

The Rams were outscored 25-0 in the second half Sunday, falling 31-14 to the Buffalo Bills.

The Rams are 0-4.

They’ve lost their last eight regular-season games, 17 out of their last 20, and 24 out of their last 31.

EARLIER:

‘Tis the season of rampant speculation by national football pundits, so as the Rams prepare for their 3 p.m. game against the Buffalo Bills, I thought I’d take a few minutes to clear up some misleading information being reported on various Sunday-morning cable shows.

Here is Scott Linehan’s job status, and I have excellent sources on this:  

* If the Rams play poorly today, if the Rams play without fire or emotion today, if it’s another bad loss — then Linehan will be fired.

* If the Rams upset the Bills today, Linehan will stay — at least for now. And this is an important point. If Linehan makes it to the bye week, it doesn’t mean he’ll survive the remainder of the season. He could go at anytime; if his team gets slaughtered in any of the upcoming games, Linehan won’t last.

* The only thing that could change this equation — Linehan stays with a win over Buffalo — is some occurence behind the scenes. That’s difficult for me to define. But let’s talk hypotehticals: suppose there’s an ugly post-game incident between the coach and his coordinators, or that the players’ take their (mostly) silent rebellion to the next level? Suppose there’s a hostile meeting between Linehan and the owner, Chip Rosenbloom? Again, I fully believe Linehan will stay if the Rams win Sunday. Unless he blows a gasket after the game, or something like that.

* The most difficult thing to assess is this: suppose the Rams play reasonably well, and fight hard, and lose a heartbreaker to the Bills? Does Linehan stay or go? The key figures in the Rams organization are wrestling with that. No advance determination has been made on this scenario. It’s a mistake to assume that Linehan is gone if the Rams lose a close one.  Close loss? He’s on the bubble.

Two other things:

1. If Linehan goes, the choice for the interim comes down to offensive coordinator Al Saunders or defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. And the slight edge goes to Haslett.

2. If Linehan is fired this week, general manager Jay Zygmunt won’t be part of the move. One way or another, he will last the season unless he chooses not to. But do not misinterpret this. This does not mean Zygmunt is safe as the team moves forward, to 2009.  The organizational power structure will change after the season. 

-B 

Pardon my boxing analogy, but on any given Sunday, Bulger usually hit the canvas more times than Joe Frazier did in the fight against George Foreman.

“Down goes Bulger! … Down goes Bulger!”

 Bulger has been rag-dolled so frequently, he’s no longer comfortable or confident in the pocket even when afforded the luxury of protection. That was the case Sunday in Seattle; Bulger looked like a guy who expected to get walloped, even when he had all the room he needed to step up and fire the football with authority. He’s locking onto one receiver and the ball is slow coming out of his hand. He’s throwing off his back foot. He’s feeling pass-rush ghosts.

 As one former All Pro player told me on Tuesday: when the No. 1 thing on a quarterback’s mind is the anxiety over being clobbered, he can’t function effectively and needs to sit for a spell and mentally regroup.

Bulger is at that point.

The heat has gotten to him.

The heat has also gotten to the extremely unpopular head coach, Scott Linehan, who benched Bulger in part to shake up the team and send a message to snarling fans and media that he’s capable of being a bold, assertive leader.  

It’s a valid benching … but also a convenient one.

Surely the coach wouldn’t have us believe that Bulger is the only problem … if he’s going to make a change, then make a bunch of them and really scramble the depth chart.

Anyway …

Now it’s Trent Green’s turn to line up behind the pylons that form the Rams offensive line.

Best of luck to a proud, stout-hearted quarterback who has a history of concussions.

As a potential quick fix, Green should be able to boost the offense (at some level) for several reasons.

1. Green is fresh. He’ll play with energy, and will have a strong presence in the huddle. He will give the other players confidence. The other Rams’ offensive players will, at least for a while, play hard for Green.

2. Green knows the Al Saunders offense and guided it with cool-hand expertise in Kansas City. The rhythm of this offensive should improve.

3. Unlike Bulger, Green will be decisive, he’ll get the ball out of there, and can quicken the tempo of a sluggish attack.

The downside?

The imminent threat to Green’s health and safety.

If you are so inclined, say a little prayer for the dude. Mrs. Green thanks you in advance.

Green is 38, his last two seasons have been ended by concussions, and he doesn’t have very good bodyguards.

Kansas City’s offensive line was a crucial factor in Green’s success with the Chiefs.

I worked some numbers, courtesy of STATS LLC, and here’s where the Chiefs ranked in the 32-team NFL during Green’s peak seasons of 2002 through 2005 in the category of percentage of sacks allowed per pass attempt:

* 2002:  sacked on 5.2 percent of passing attempts,  9th in the NFL.

* 2003,  sacked on 3.8 percent of passing attempts, 4th in the NFL.

* 2004,  sacked on 5.4 percent of passing attempts,  7th in the NFL.

* 2005,  sacked on 5.9 percent of passing attempts, 13th in the NFL.

For purposes of comparison, let’s take a look at the Rams’ pass protection since Linehan became head coach in 2006:

* 2006,  sacked on 7.6 percent of passing attempts, 23rd in the NFL.

* 2007,  sacked on 7.7 percent of passing attempts, 23rd in the NFL.

* 2008, three games, sacked on 11 percent of passing attempts, 30th in the NFL.

Big difference. And the numbers don’t include the times Bulger was rocked by hits that weren’t sacks.

Unfortunately for Green and his cranium, he doesn’t have Willie Roaf, Brian Waters and Will Shields to serve as his security detail in St. Louis.

Roaf (now retired) was an 11-time Pro Bowl left tackle for New Orleans and KC. Waters made three Pro Bowls as KC’s left guard, all during the Green years. And Shields (retired) was one of the league’s all-time best right guards — a 12-time Pro Bowl honoree.

From 2002-2005, with Green as the QB, Roaf, Waters and Shields combined for 10 Pro Bowl appearances over the four seasons. That’s right: Green was operating behind a wall that featured three Pro Bowl lineman. And the center, Casey Wiegemann, was a fine player. Underrated.

And the Rams?

Orlando Pace has returned to left tackle after two injury-torn seasons, and his last Pro Bowl citation was 2005.

As for the other laborers on the current Rams’ offensive line, they wouldn’t get anywhere near the Pro Bowl unless they paid their way to Hawaii and bought tickets to the game.

That said, the pass protection was better on Sunday against the Seahawks. The only sack occured when fullback Dan Kreider missed a block.

The big guys buckled up in Seattle. They did pretty well in pass protection.

Now they have to do even better.

Green won’t make a difference unless this O-line improves dramatically to give this old-but-new QB the kind of reinforced insulation once provided by Roaf, Shields and Waters in KC.

Do it for Mrs. Green.

Thanks for reading …

-B

These days they’re playing baseball only slightly better than the Rams play football. And I have contempt for the Rams; that organization represents the two worst traits you can attach to a pro sports franchise. The Rams are (1) clueless and (2) gutless.

The Cardinals have been different. This was a team to admire, a team to respect, a team that almost always played a hard nine, a team that respected the game. The Cardinals tapped into an underdog vibe and rode it through most of the summer. And they were led by players who finally got an opportunity to show what they could do in the bigs. It was an endearing team. Even during slumps and bad spells, it was a team worthy of our approval.

So what’s been happening this month makes me sad more than anything. The Cardinals are throwing it away, all of those good feelings they’d generated from the start of the season, until late August. They’ve taken a nice surprise of a season, a delight of a season, and they’re discarding much of their fine work by staggering to the finish line. Remember all of those doom-and-gloom 90-loss predictions made before the season? Late in the season, the Cardinals are that team. And that’s disappointing.

The Cardinals lost to Arizona 4-2 on Monday night at Busch, and are 6-16 since Aug. 29.

That’s a shame.

 There’s certainly no embarrassment in losing to Arizona’s Brandon Webb, a Cy Young Award winner and one of the game’s top pitchers. But it was another unfocused, fuzzy loss. Felipe Lopez got picked off base. Troy Glaus ended a late threat by getting doubled off second base. Jose Oquendo, the third base coach,  erred in stopping Cesar Izturis at third base when Izturis seemingly had a good opportunity to score on a single to center at an important moment of the game. And the Cardinals gave away too many ABs. “A very frustrating game,” is how manager Tony La Russa framed it, several times.

With another drab loss, the Cardinals fell to 80-76 … and with six games left to play, it would really tarnish and taint the season if this team finished under .500. I don’t think anyone realistically expected the Cardinals to finish above the Cubs, and for a while now it seemed pretty obvious that they weren’t going to be able to win the NL’s wild card spot. But as recently as Aug. 27 the Cardinals were 14 games over .500 (74-60), and were set up to finish respectably. Again, it would be such a waste for them to soil all of their good work in these final days.

I know this team has taken some hard knocks this month. They lost slugger Rick Ankiel to a season-ending hernia surgery,  Glaus hurt his shoulder, and catcher Yadi Molina has been sidelined with a deep thigh bruise. And collectively, the players began leaking oil. Fatigue and declining morale have been obvious factors in the fade. And at the trade deadline, no help came from the cavalry

But how much slack should we give the Cardinals for this 6-16 fade?

Some of this erosion is due to neglect … or at least a failure to really concentrate and be mentally sharp.

Joe Sheehan and my friends at The Baseball Prospectus like this mantra: OBP is life, and life is OBP.

(OBP as in onbase percentage)…

And in the Cardinals’ case, that’s spot on. 

From April 1 through Aug. 27, the Cardinals had a .352 OBP — and in the NL only the Cubs (.359) were better at getting runners on base.

 But during this 6-16 slide, the Cardinals’ OBP is .309…   and only Pittsburgh and Colorado have a lower OBP during the corresponding period. 

By failing to maintain their standard of quality at bats, an attribute that lifted them through much of the season, the Cardinals let their blood supply, their oxygen tank, run low. And it’s just choked the offense. Again, I know the Cardinals have taken some wallops and lost a couple of important contributors. But a lot of this just comes down to locking in and grinding out good ABs. And they haven’t been doing it.

Take a look at some of the OBPs during the last 22 games:

* Pujols, .383.  … a drop from where he’d been (.453 through Aug. 27).

* Glaus, .323 … it was .373 through Aug. 27.

* Ludwick, .281 … out of gas.

* Schumaker, .312 … another drop.

* Molina, .275 … was slipping before the injury.

* Izturis, .294 … which, come to think of it, is just about normal.

* Ankiel, .227  …. only 20 ABs, and he was playing hurt.

* Aaron Miles, .339 … not bad for him.

* Adam Kennedy, .286 … nothing to add to that.  

* Lopez, .395 … really, the team’s best offensive performer as of late. Which certainly is an indictment, eh?

Not that the pitching has been sharp; it hasn’t. Over the last 22 games, the starters are 5-11 with a 4.48 ERA. But in 15 of the 22 games, this STL lineup scored three runs or fewer while their starting pitchers were still in the game.

And when the Cardinals have gotten runners on base, they’ve often been doomed by poor hitting with runners in scoring position. Some of the recent performances with RISP include:

Ludwick 3-18, .167;

Schumaker 3-14, .214;

Glaus 1-10,  .100

Miles  1-11,  .091

Izturis  0-14,  .000  (yikes).

Pujols is 7-21, .333.  But he’s had some big misses.

So this has been a perfect storm; low OBP combined with a drop in performance with runners in scoring position.

One more thought before I close it down for the evening: is there a reason why Brian Barton isn’t playing? With so many of the Cardinals on fumes, the rookie outfielder is 5 for his last 12, a batting average of .417, and he has a double and a triple. He could provide something of an energy boost for a flat team. I don’t get it.

Thanks for reading…

-B 

They went 12-17 in the final month in 2006, before  rallying and reinventing themselves in an October gallop to the World Series championship.

In 2007, they collapsed to a 13-18 mark in September after making a valiant run that got them within a game of first place.

The Cardinals are 4-8 so far this month. But if you want to stretch it out a bit, their 4-11 record since Aug. 29 is the worst in the NL Central.

I was curious to learn just how bad the last three Septembers have been for the Cardinals, relative to other teams. The answer: really bad.

In MLB, only Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Baltimore have a worse winning percentage in Sept. over the last three years.

Here are the NL “September Standings” covering 2006-2008:

1. Phillies … 43-26 … .623

2. Dodgers … 39-30 …  .565

3. Astros …  37-29 …  .561

4.  Rockies … 38-31  … .551

5.  Braves … 38-31 … .551

6.  Padres … 39-32 … .549

7.  Nationals … 35-33 … .515

8.  Mets … 35-34 …  .507

9.  Marlins … 33-34 … .493

10.  Cubs … 33-35 … .485

11.  D-Backs … 31-36 … .463

12.  Reds … 30-36 … 455

13.  Brewers … 31-38 … .449

14.  Giants … 28-39 … .418

15.  CARDINALS …. 29-42 … .408

16.  Pirates …. 28-41 … .406

That’s terrible, especially considering Tony La Russa’s reputation for being a strong closer.   What are the reasons? Well, it isn’t easy to pinpoint. Of course, the La Russa haters will heap the blame on him. While it’s true that every manager is responsible for how the team plays, targeting La Russa seems like a reach. At least to me, anyway.

The 2006 team opened September with a jumbled situation in the bullpen. Jason Isringhausen opened the month still trying to pitch with a serious hip injury, and ultimately withdrew. By his standards, Chris Carpenter labored some that month (3-2, 3.57) and let a big lead get away in a game at Washington. A bunch of Cardinals pitchers just didn’t throw very well at all late in 2006; the ERAs of Jason Marquis, Randy Flores, Josh Hancock, Izzy, Anthony Reyes, and Tyler Johnson went soaring. Albert Pujols hit (10 HR, 28 RBIs) and should have been the league MVP, but Jim Edmonds had only 15 ABs that month, and guys like Scott Rolen, Juan Encarnacion, Yadier Molina, Chris Duncan and Preston Wilson stopped hitting. The struggles were a collective, across-the-board thing.

In 2007, a September fade wasn’t really surprising, considering the incredibly rough season the team endured. There was the death of Hancock, Encarnacion’s tragic eye injury, the loss of Carpenter. Rolen stopped hitting for power and went on the DL in August, never to return. Molina tried to play on a bad knee that required late-season surgery. Duncan, who was a good hitter for the first half of 2007, suffered a hernia injury that would require surgery. David Eckstein played with considerable back pain. Rick Ankiel stopped hitting after the New York Daily News exposed his past use of HGH. Adam Kennedy was shut down (knee surgery). And then there was the Scott Spiezio soap opera. The 2007 Cardinals fought hard, but couldn’t overcome so much turmoil.

This month, so far, we’ve seen a broken-down team that’s missing key parts — Rick Ankiel, Troy Glaus, Molina. Carpenter’s promising comeback attempt was aborted. The rookie outfielder, Joe Mather, was helping out until he went out with a broken hand. Very little worked right in the 0-3 weekend in Pittsburgh — not even the stellar Adam Wainwright. And Ryan Ludwick, one of the most important players in this attack, has seemingly run out of fuel; since Aug. 18 Ludwick is batting .226 with two homers, a .295 OBP, .393 SLG and 26 Ks in 84 at-bats. Kyle Lohse, another key part to the Cardinals’ success, is 1-4 with a 4.92 ERA in his last nine starts.

An overachieving 2008 Cardinals team pushed hard all summer, didn’t receive any reinforcements (other than Felipe Lopez) and just hit the wall.

But if you’re trying to identify the No. 1 factor in the last three sad Septembers, it would have to be injuries.

That answer won’t please many people, but it’s really the most logical and sensible theory.

Here are a few things about the Cardinals-Reds 3-game series, which begins Tuesday night:

* The Reds have won 7 of their last 10 at home.

* The rebuilding Reds are No. 1 in the NL in home runs by rookies (45), and RBIs by rookies (150). The bulk of that has been supplied by Joey Votto (19 HR, 72 RBIs) and Jay Bruce (18-48).

* The Reds are 10-5 this month; only Houston (12-3) has been better in the NL Central.

* Tonight’s starter, Bronson Arroyo, is on a roll: over his last 14 starts he’s 10-3 with a 2.90 ERA and has turned in 11 quality starts.

* Since June 29, Arroyo has as many wins as the other Reds starters combined. He’s 10-3; the other starters are 10-22 with a 5.48 ERA.

* Wednesday’s starter, Aaron Harang, has had a brutal year but his ERA is 2.45 over the last five starts.

* Edinson Volquez (who starts Thursday) is one of the NL’s best pitchers, with a 16-5 record and 3.22 ERA. But since July 20, his ERA is 4.92.

Thanks for reading …

-B

A Giant 41-13 kicking of the Rams backside, this time.

Let’s get to it, in the old Stream of Consciousness style:

– OK, I don’t think No. 5 Missouri could play the Rams and win. When peeps say that Mizzou would beat the Rams, it’s an easy joke, and I laugh at it, too.  But there’s a big difference between college and the NFL in terms of athleticism and size.

– But I tell you what: I don’t think the Rams’ defensive backs have a chance to shut down Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman, Tommy Saunders, Jared Perry, Danario Alexander and the other Mizzou receivers. No way. So at the very least, Missouri piles up some passing yards.

– By the way, just wondering what you think — and buddy Bryan Burwell dissented and shot it down as soon as we started yapping about it in the Ed Jones Dome press box: but what about Gary Pinkel as coach of the Rams in 2009?  I don’t think there’s much chance of that happening, and I don’t think it’s a particularly good fit, though I’d like to see the Rams have an offense again at some point. It’s one of those things that’s fun to talk about.

– Memo to Al Saunders: less Dante Hall, more Torry Holt. Holt makes plays. The Rams need to make plays. Thank you.

– So when did the (baseball) Cardinals turn into the Rams? Lookit, I know the team is damaged by injuries, and worn down, and probably demoralized…. but getting swept by a hideously bad Pirates team? Please. I’d hate to see this Cardinals team completely fall apart and end up with a losing record. They played admirable baseball for much of the summer, and I don’t want to see this team go into the tank.

– OK, back to Hall: what is the infatuation with him from Rams coaches? Hall has lost his speed. He isn’t a game-breaking force any more. Which means (1) he’s little threat as a return man; (2)  he can’t stretch the field as a receiver; (3) he can’t make guys miss after he catches those short passes and turns upfield.

– It is absolute football insanity to be playing Hall over those fast, promising rookies — Keenan Burton and Donnie Avery.  Let the kids play. They should be out there instead of Hall, instead of Dane Looker. I don’t care how many mistakes they make. You’re getting your tails whipped with these old, slow, non-threatening wideouts. What’s the point? Go with the youth, go with the upside. This team has had so many awful drafts, you’d think they’d want to play a couple of kids who possess such exciting potential.

– It’s ugly for the Jim Haslett defense: two games, an average of 36 points and 482 yards allowed. Through the air, they’ve been plundered for six touchdown passes, a 67.4 completion percentage, 674 yards, six TDs, and a passer rating of 129.1. Ouch.

– To that, CB Tye Hill insisted that “everything’s fine” in the secondary … and just to think, this team actually traded their chance to draft Jay Cutler and swapped places with Denver to take Hill.

– But back to Haslett: we all beat up on HC Scott Linehan because the team won’t play for him, but what’s up with Haslett’s guys? Why is this unit so lame, so lax? I was fired up when the Rams hired Haslett as the D coordinator, but his players are tanking worse than any area of the team. It’s ridiculous. I was a Haslett guy, but I just can’t defend him anymore. I know the Giants are the defending Super Bowl champs, but shouldn’t the Rams defense be able to stop something? They allowed 200 yards on the ground, and they were burned for three TD passes. This defense has given up nearly 1,000 yards (963) in the first two games. Unacceptable.

– Memo to the defensive coaches: safety Corey Chavous can’t run. We’ve seen it for more than two years, and Troy Aikman talked about it on the Fox broadcast Sunday.

– On the NFL Network Sunday, Marshall Faulk offered the opinion that Linehan had lost the team.

– Some would say no, that’s not right, the Rams played hard most of the way against the Giants. But you know what? This isn’t the JFL. You don’t get points for playing hard. It’s your duty, your obligation, to play hard. And you don’t get points for playing hard for three quarters, or three and a half quarters. It doesn’t work that way. The Rams packed it in late Sunday, and it was disappointing.

– I realize the Saunders’  offense needs some time to find “rhythm and timing” which is how the Rams’ offensive people like to describe it. But two games, and no trips into the red zone? None at all in eight quarters of football?

– If you’re gonna pay all of that money to Steven Jackson, then you’ve got to give him more than eight first-half carries. That’s what he had vs. the Giants in the 1st half.

– By the way, for those of you out there who wanted to trade Steven Jackson and draft Darren McFadden … I probably don’t have to tell you that McFadden dropped 164 yards rushing on the Chiefs Sunday at Arrowhead.

– Speaking of tired acts, is there a reason why Richie Incognito continues to have an automatic starting job at RG? He’s been terrible in the first two games. He nearly got Marc Bulger crushed in Sunday’s game. The dude is just whiffing on blocks. Get the kid in there, the No. 3 pick, John Greco.

– Nick Leckey at center? That’s the best they can do?

– If Linehan has any sense at all, his credo should be: when in doubt, play the kids. Why go down with guys who already have shown you, many times over, that they can’t play at a high level in the NFL?

– Honest, I don’t know how Bulger has avoided a trip to the hospital emergency room, considering the beating he’s taken in the first two games. He’s been sacked 10 times in the first two games, and that doesn’t even include the hits on his body that don’t result in sacks. In his last 14 starts, Bulger has been sacked 47 times.

* Congrats to Chris Long on sack No. 1 of his NFL career. I like what Joe Buck said about it on the Fox broadcast: “There’s a Hall of Famer with a flat-top haircut watching in a studio and I’m sure he’s beaming.”

– Isaac Bruce had four catches for 153 yards for the ‘Niners in their OT win at Seattle. But hey, he’s no Drew Bennett.  (That’s a cheap shot, I know).

– Brian Leonard: Yet another brilliant draft pick (a second rounder) by the Zygmunt-Linehan regime.

– When Linehan declared “the buck stops here” after Sunday’s loss, it didn’t exactly make me think of Harry S Truman.

– But I can think of a few other Truman quotes that may apply to the 2008 Rams:

* “A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.”

* “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”

* “Carry the battle to them. Don’t let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive and don’t ever apologize for anything.”

* “Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”

* “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”

Thanks for reading…

-B

They’re good. And much better than most of us expected them to be in 2008. I really admire and respect this team.

But the Cardinals are not good enough to keep pace with a vastly improved NL Central. Once the neighborhood improved, the Cardinals got left behind. Not by a lot, but still …

Some perspective:

- After losing two of three to the Cubs at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals are 78-68 after 146 games … but are 10 games out of first place, and 4.5 games out of the wild card.

- In 2006, before they’d go on to win the World Series, the Cardinals were also 78-68 after 146 games … and with that record they led the NL Central by 5.5 games.

The difference is obvious.

The Cardinals are racing against much better competition.

Here’s a look at the NL Central Standings on Sept. 15, 2006 — or the 146-game mark for the Cardinals:

1. STL   78-68  –

2. CIN   73-74 ,  5.5 games back

3. HOU  71-75,  7.0  back

4. MIL  67-80,   11.5 back

5.  PITT  61-87,  18 back

6.  CHI  59-89,  20 back

The division was awful. So bad that the Cardinals could lose seven in a row (and 9 of 12) in late September and still hold on to win the NL Central.

And now the division is tough. Really tough.

The Cardinals have the same exact record as those 2006 Cardinals, but forget about first place this time around.

Instead, the Cardinals find themselves in fourth place, trailing the Cubs (88-58), Brewers (83-64) and Astros (80-67).

Things changed because other contenders were more aggressive than St. Louis, the longtime kingpin of the NL Central.

The Cubs have invested $500 million in new player contracts over the last two-plus seasons to keep core veterans, scoop up pricey free agents and boldly upgrade the roster in an extravagant but successful makeover. The Cubs really have no excuse for not winning the division again, for the second consecutive season.

Milwaukee’s acclaimed player-development system finally kicked in and started to deliver some talented players. And once the Brewers the nucleus established — with still plenty of prospects in the minors — GM Doug Melvin was able to add to the base by making ambitious moves for pitcher CC Sabathia and others.

The Astros aren’t nearly as formidable as Chicago and Milwaukee … but the team owner (Drayton McLane) is relentless about adding pieces, so the Astros spent spent millions on free agent OF Carlos Lee, swapped multiple players to Baltimore for SS Miguel Tejada, and acquired the superb closer Jose Valverde from Arizona. (Just to name a few moves). Tejada hasn’t had a great season, and the Astros have played very well since Lee suffered a season-ending broken pinky early last month. But the Astros have had enough to overtake the Cardinals, at least so far.

The Cardinals haven’t spent as much on players as the Cubs.

And they didn’t develop players as well as the Brewers.

And they haven’t been as active as the Astros (but read on… as I second-guess myself on this one).

That’s why the Cardinals have lost so much ground the last two seasons.

That’s why they were passed up by teams they once defeated on a regular basis.

The shift in power is even reflected in this season’s head-to-head matchups.

* The Cardinals are 5-7 against the Cubs, and have lost the last three series. They have averaged only 3.8 runs per game against the Cubs. And even that is misleading, because the Cardinals scored 12 runs in one of the games, meaning they averaged a flat 3.0 runs per game in the other 11.  The rivals still have one more series to go, next weekend at Wrigley Field.

* The Cardinals went 5-10 against the Brewers this season and lost 7 in a row at one point. They averaged only 3.6 runs against the Brewers. And Cardinals closers blew 5 saves against Milwaukee.

(In their last 20 games, combined, against the Brewers and Cubs the Cardinals are 5-15. Yipes).

* While the Cardinals had a winning record against the Astros (8-7), they were swept in a three-game series at Houston at the end of August. Those three wins over St. Louis were part of a berserk Astros rush of 14 victories in the last 15 games. It’s incredible, what the Astros are doing…. 26-8 over the last 34. And by the way, Roy Oswalt has allowed one run over 33.1 IP in his last four starts.

(Late update from the second-thoughts department of my sleep-deprived brain at 2:45 a.m.: As some readers have already pointed out… and I agree with them, actually, because they are right: the Astros aren’t much better than the Cardinals. If anything, it’s a sliver. And we’re talking about this year, only. After all, the Astros were only 73-89 in 2007; that didn’t even match the savaged, ravaged, 2007 Cardinals’ win total of 78 … so I thank you for nudging me to take another look at the Astros… certainly the gap between the Cardinals and Cubs and Cardinals and Brewers is potentially greater. You could make a very strong case that the Astros have only one “X Factor” that pushed them ahead of the Cardinals: Valverde. Think of all those blown saves, 30, scattered about in the Cardinals bullpen; Valverde, on the other hand, has been an imposing, reliable closer. He’s saved 42 of 48 this season and has only one blown save since July 8. Put Valverde in Tony La Russa’s ‘pen, and where would the Cardinals be? Headed for the postseason? Certainly an effective sales pitch can be made, no?).

Again, the Cardinals are a good team.

But once the division improved and powered up, the Cardinals were left standing in place.

And just as the other teams put together their plans to find a way to catch, then pass, St. Louis — the Cardinals now must come up with their own plan to make up that lost ground.  That’s the challenge for chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., and GM John Mozeliak.

***

 After their depressing 3-2 loss to the Cubs on Thursday, the Cardinals flew to Pittsburgh for a three-game weekend series.

The Pirates are a mess, having lost 17 of their last 20 games — including the last six.

They have scored 3.6 runs per game over the last 20, and over that stretch their starting pitchers are 2-12 with a 5.85 ERA.

By trading outfielders Jason Bay and Xavier Nady for prospects, the Pirates gutted their offense. From the start of the season through the July 31 trading deadline, the Pirates were 50-58 and averaged 4.9 runs per game. Since the end of July,  they are 10-28 and have scored 3.3 runs per game.

3B Andy LaRoche is batting .150 since coming over from the Dodgers in the 3-way deal that landed Manny Ramirez in LA and Bay in Boston. OF Brandon Moss, who came from Boston in the same deal, is batting .226 as a Pirate, with 35 Ks in 124 ABs. And pitcher Craig Hansen, who was also part of the deal, has an 8.76 ERA for the Pirates in 12 games.

First-year Pirates GM Neil Huntington is trying to replenish the roster with youth, and he has a lot of work to do.

Thanks for reading…

-B

The Cubs were invincible … only not so much.

Those cocksure Brewers had finally arrived … except now they’re backing up.

The Cardinals were finished (and I said so) … except now they’re alive again.

The Astros were off the radar screen … and now they’re the hottest team in baseball and back in contention.  

(Late-afternoon update: the Brewers rallied to defeat the Reds 4-3 at Miller Park; Milwaukee can exhale for a few hours).

Through Tuesday night, the Cubs have lost 8 of 9, and manager Lou Piniella is fuming. The Cubs, however, have a big cushion in their positioning for the playoffs. They lead the second-place Brewers by 5 games, but the key number is 7.5 games … that’s because the Cubs have a 7.5 game lead over the Phillies in a potential wild-card scenario. So even if the Cubs should continue to falter, and lose first place to the Brewers, they’re in firm shape to make the playoffs. Especially with Rich Harden returning to the rotation Thursday, and Carlos Zambrano scheduled to start Saturday in Houston.

The talk of the Brewers overtaking the Cubs doesn’t have strong legs, because the Brewers have been so shaky before getting a win on Wednesday. Manager Ned Yost has once again raised the doubts about his ability to get a talented team to the finish line, running strong. The Cubs left a huge opening, but the Brewers haven’t taken advantage. With the pressure squeezing them tighter, they went gone 2-8 on the current homestand. Things should calm down a bit after the Brew came back from a 3-1 deficit to salvage Wednesday’s series finale with the Reds. But what about the Milwaukee offense? Going into Wednesday, the Brewers were hitting .216 in September and had scored 24 runs in the nine games. (Make it 28 in 10 games now). Through Tuesday, Prince Fielder was 5 for 30 this month, with no homers. Ryan Braun was one RBI this month. Bill Hall was batting .125 this month; Mike Cameron was at .120. And Corey Hart, at .194 and two RBIs, wasn’t much better. How can a lineup slump this badly when it is equipped with so many robust hitters? A mystery. And now Brewers head out on a 10-game road trip that starts with four in Philadelphia.

As for the Cardinals … we know the storylines. Albert Pujols is gunning for the MVP.  The rotation has been very good, with a 3.17 ERA since Aug. 2. Felipe Lopez (.380 BA as a Cardinal) has provided an unexpected lift. But it’s never easy in STL, and there are new injury concerns — this shoulder thing with 3B Troy Glaus is not minor. He could be done. Will the bullpen hold up and not give away any more games? The Cardinals can’t afford to slip. The Cardinals had trimmed Milwaukee’s wild-card lead from 6.5 to 4 games as the Cards and Cubs prepared to go at it Wednesday night. But can the Cardinals put together a torrid streak and keep winning? They’re 25-23 since the All-Star break, and that pace won’t do. They can’t blow any more saves. They need more from Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick. Their starters can’t fall apart. Someone (Lopez?) has to provide production from the 3B spot. The margin for error is slim.

Besides, if the Cardinals stumble, even just a little, the Astros may well overtake them.

Houston is the most interesting team in the NL Central right now.

The Astros have the NL Central’s best record since the All Star break (34-16). They are 24-8 in their last 32 games, and have won 12 of the last 13.

Where the heck did this come from? This is a team that lost slugger Carlos Lee (100 RBIs) for the season to a fractured wrist  broken finger in early August, but they keep rolling. This is a team that lost their hottest hitter, Ty Wigginton, who had 11 homers and 27 RBIs in August. But over the weekend, Wigginton  was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained groin. Didn’t matter; Astros keep racking up the Ws. They’re also doing without injured 2B Kazuo Matsui — but David Newhan stepped in and has batted .291 over the last month. Others have filled the void: Hunter Pence got hot, and Darin Erstad got hot, Geoff Blum got hot.

And then there’s this other fellow, Lance Berkman. He’s also making an MVP push, having reached 100 RBIs for the season in Tuesday’s win over the Pirates. Over this 24-8 stretch, the Astros lead the NL in slugging, and are fourth in runs, and in the 32 games Berkman has 23 RBIs and is batting .330 with a .624 SLG.

Pitching? You bet. The Astros are 8-1 in games started by trade-deadline acquisition Randy Wolf, and Roy Oswalt is healthy and firing bullets again. Now comes more adversity; starter Wandy Rodriguez strained an oblique over the weekend and will be scratched from his scheduled start vs. the Cubs this weekend. Brandon Backe hasn’t been healthy, either, but Alberto Arias (age 24) was slotted in, and he has a 1.93 ERA in 18 IP.  Unlike the Cardinals, Brewers and Cubs, the Astros have not been squandering games late. During the 24-8 run, closer Jose Valverde is 14 for 14 in saves, and he’s allowed only six hits and one run in 14.2 innings. And while the move for Wolf has gotten the most attention, GM Ed Wade pulled off another good deal, picking up reliever LaTroy Hawkins. He’s been very effective, so far.

You keep waiting for the Astros to cool down, and feel the loss of Lee and Wigginton and others, but it just hasn’t happened.

The good news for Cardinals fans is that their team is 4 out in the wild card race.

But the bad news is, the Astros are only 4.5  out in the wild card.

And look at the Astros remaining schedule:

* 2 more left in the current home series against Pittsburgh, which is 16-34 since the All Star break.

* 3 against the Cubs at home this weekend.

* 3 @ Pittsburgh, which has lost 18 of the last 25.

* 3 at home vs. Cincinnati, which  is playing much better, having won 8 of 11.

* 3 at home vs. Atlanta, which is 31-53 since June 6.

In terms of schedule, the Astros have the most advantageous route to scooting in for the wild-card.

That’s why the Cardinals can’t afford to lose many more games … not only are they trying to catch the teams ahead of them in the wild card (Milwaukee and Philadelphia) but they have the Astros all but climbing their backs.

It’s been a crazy season in the NL Central, and the craziest part may be still ahead of us…

Enjoy tonight’s Cubs @ Cardinals game, and thanks for reading…

 -B

Retired Rams RB Marshall Faulk, an analyst for the NFL Network, was a Tuesday afternoon guest of the “Fox Hole” radio show hosted by Martin Kilcoyne and Maurice Drummond on Team 1380 AM.    www.team1380.net 

Faulk, the future Hall of Famer, had a lot of strong things to say about the sorry state of the Rams and their season-opening 38-3 loss at Philadelphia.

With a big thank you to Team 1380 producer Ben Boyd, who recorded and transcribed the interview, here are some excerpts of Faulk’s most notable comments…

Faulk suggested that the Rams should be better than they are:

“Decisions have to be made. Do you blow it up, where do you go, what do you do? I mean, players that have had big time success, we’re talking Pro Bowl caliber players: Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, Orlando Pace, Steven Jackson. They look like they don’t belong in the league. And it’s not because they can’t play. You’re not going to tell me that. I’m not believing that they all of a sudden can’t play in this league.”

Faulk contrasting the Bears’ upset of Indianapolis to the Rams’ poor play:

“You’re not going to tell me that the (Bears) offense that they put out there is more talented than the offense that the Rams put out. It’s preparation, it’s understanding what you have; it’s having guys that are reliable.”

Faulk, on the Rams’ decision to release WR Isaac Bruce to open a starting job for Drew Bennett:

“I’m sorry, I’m a little biased to Isaac Bruce. I love Isaac Bruce, and I’ll let facts be known that there’s no way — and I don’t dislike Drew Bennett — but there is no way that this guy is better than Isaac or belongs or should be on that team instead of Isaac. It’s things like that, it’s misjudgment of talent. The guy’s been hurt. He’s often hurt. No knock on him personally, but they needed (Bruce). They could have used him (Sunday).”

Faulk on Steven Jackson:

“I said this earlier in the year, and I think people took it wrong, because I heard a couple comments. I said the Rams shouldn’t pay Steven Jackson. I don’t understand why they’re going to pay him. And I think people took it, like, maybe Steven’s not good or not dynamic. When you can’t block, and when you can’t sack the quarterback and stop the run, there’s no need to have a running back like this. There’s no need to pay him what you’re going to pay him–you’re not going to get to use him. What was he, like, 11 (actually 14 carries) for 40 yards? That’s a lot of money sitting in the backfield, and not have it or be able to use it, or you fall behind by 20 points. Now he’s definitely out of the game. And his effectiveness and what you love about him and what you’re paying him for is no longer necessary. I only forecasted that the Rams would be playing from behind, and people thought I was taking a jab at Steven–it had nothing to do with Steven; it had more to do with the team.”

Faulk on Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett:

“I love Jim. I used to find his defenses to be the most complicated to play against. And now I look back and I say even at (age) 35 with a bum knee I might go for maybe a hundred yards rushing and another hundred receiving right now,” against the Rams defense.

 Faulk continued talking about Haslett:

“I like Jim. I’ve always thought highly of him. And I don’t know, maybe he’s upset of the old Rams-Saints days and he’s throwing games or whatever. Some of the things I saw happening out there the other day, I wonder when he sat in his office yesterday morning, what was his mindset? Was he thinking, ‘I need to change it up.’ Was he thinking, ‘my players screwed it up.’ Or was he thinking that he messed it up. Because one of the three things happened, or needs to happen.”

(Note: I think Faulk was joking about Haslett throwing games).

 Faulk said Rams coaches should avoid showing the players the game film from Philadelphia:

“I went through a rough patch like this with the Colts, and coaches often don’t even want to look at the film. You don’t want guys to look at the film because it can be so bad that when players notice that it’s that bad, it’s hard to recover from. So I’m hoping that he didn’t allow them to watch the film, the coaches watched it and they go out there and try to make corrections and try to get guys to move forward from the debacle that happened. Something like that can linger though out a whole season just like last year with the Dolphins. It’s tough to get over losses like that.”

If you’d like to listen to an audio of the entire Faulk interview, it is posted at Ben Boyd’s web site, www.STLsportsInsider.com

OK, a quick postscript from me on this: 

* I know for a fact that Faulk wants to step in and do what he can to turn the Rams around … he is willing to come back as a personnel executive or possibly even as a head coach … but he will not do so as long as Scott Linehan is the coach. And he probably would stay away as long as Jay Zygmunt is the GM. Faulk has told me that he likes Zygmunt personally but isn’t sure how a working relationship would go.

* Faulk has a good rapport with Rams managing partner Chip Rosenbloom and Rams president John Shaw.

* I believe Marshall is being a little disingenuous about the Steven Jackson stuff. I don’t think he has a lot of love for Jackson. I don’t think Jackson has a lot of love for Marshall; let’s just be honest about this. And I know Faulk wants to see how Jackson competes after signing the big contract.

* Faulk has intense feelings about the Rams and is saddened and frustrated by their demise … after having the best and most successful years of his career in St. Louis, he is disgusted by the decline of the franchise, which he blames on many years of terrible mistakes made on personnel decisions. It kills him inside when he hears the Rams being the butt of jokes with analysts at the NFL Network, or elsewhere on TV. Some critics will say that Faulk should hold his comments instead of speaking up and possibly creating controversy … I disagree. He’s like anyone else who loves the Rams. He’s mad as Hell. And it’s hard to keep those feelings bottled up.

This won’t be the last time we’ll hear from Faulk this season …

-B

They’ve lost seven of their last eight games.

And you know what that means.

I’m not suggesting Cubs fans are worried, or anything, but check out this lead to a story in Tuesday’s Chicago Sun-Times:

Thirty-nine years ago today, a black cat found Ron Santo in the on-deck circle at Shea Stadium in New York, walked around him, then headed through the Cubs’ dugout, past manager Leo Durocher and disappeared under the stands.

Of course, the Cubs’ high hopes during an extraordinary season disappeared right behind the feline. They lost to the New York Mets that night — the sixth of eight straight losses — and the next day, the Mets overtook them in the National League East race for good.

After the Cubs blew a lead in Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, irate manager Lou Piniella refused to speak to the media, the only time that’s happened this season.

The Cubs’ lead over second-place Milwaukee is down to 4.5 games … and in that regard, the Cubs are fortunate, because the Brewers are also dragging, having dropped six of their last 8.

So what’s gone wrong for the NL’s best team?

* Two frontline starters, Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden, are nursing tender shoulders, though Harden is slated to pitch against the Cardinals on Thursday. It’s a nervous time; if these aces blow up, the Cubs will make a quick disappearance, either now or in October.

* Cubs’ pitching, which was third in the NL with a 3.75 ERA from the start of the season until the end of August, is getting pounded this month. Their 6.29 ERA in September is the NL’s worst. In this 1-7 crash, the bullpen has allowed 24 runs in 27 innings, and Kerry Wood blew a save on Sunday. And setup men Bobby Howry, Neal Cotts and Jeff Samardzija are taking a beating.

* And then there’s underrated reliever Chad Gaudin, who came over in the same deal that sent Harden from Oakland to Chicago. Gaudin hasn’t pitched since Aug. 29 after injuring his back in a bizarre off-field accident; he slipped off a curb and slammed his back on a dumpster.

* In their last seven losses, the Cubs have scored a total of 17 runs.

* Aramis Ramirez, Jim Edmonds, Kosuke Fukudome and Derrek Lee are scuffling.

Ramirez is 5 for his last 33 and is playing with a sore quad.

Fukudome is batting .233 since May 17.

Lee has three homers in 182 ABs since the All-Star break.  

Since homering twice against St. Louis on Aug. 8, Edmonds is 9 for 53 with 15 Ks.

These are just a few of the reasons why the anxiety is spreading on Chicago’s North Side. As we mentioned earlier, this 1-7 slump is being likened to the Cubs’ shocking collapse in 1969, when they went 1-11 in the first two weeks of September and coughed up a 9.5 game lead to the Mets.

And pulling out of this malaise won’t be easy; the Cubs are beginning a season-ending stretch of playing 19 consecutive games against winning teams. And 13 of those final 19 will be on the road.  The Cubs are 19-17 so far this season against their remaining opponents.

All of that said, the Cubs have a lot working in their favor.

The Brewers’ own mettle is being tested. At this point, Milwaukee hardly looks like those late-rushing ‘69 Mets, who went 23-7 in the final month. And there was no wild-card playoff berth in ‘69.

As Gordon Wittenmyer of the Sun-Times pointed out, even if the Cubs went 6-13 the rest of the way, the top wild-card contender, Philadelphia, would have to go 13-5 to the Cubs.

Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune — a proud Mizzou grad — offered this entertaining comparison of the Cubs of 2008 against the Cubs of 1969: 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-080908-1969-chicago-cubs,0,1165947.story

Cardinals fans may be tempted to make fun of the Cubs’ current plight, but I doubt that any Cubs fan would be willing to trade the teams’ positions in the standings. Even with the Cubs’ slump, the Cardinals still are 9 games out in the NL Central.

The Cardinals, of course, still cling to the hope of making a comeback bid for the wild card.

As play opens Tuesday, the Cardinals are 4.5 games behind the Brewers and trail the Phillies by 1.5 in the wild-card race.

That’s a lot of ground to make up with only 19 games remaining. While it’s true that the Cardinals have shaved a couple of games off the Brewers’ lead in recent days, last week’s 1-5 road trip through Houston and Arizona really destroyed a great opportunity to dramatically close the gap.

The Cardinals have to win as many games as possible (uh, obviously).

And the Cardinals would be well advised to jump on the Cubs early. This season when the Cubs score first in a game, their record is 60-20. When their opponent scores first, the Cubs are 26-37.

If they can get closer to the Brewers, the Cardinals may be in the strange position of rooting for the Cubs, who will play six games against Milwaukee in the final two weeks.

And Brewers fans surely would like to see the Cardinals help them out by doing some damage to the Cubs. The Cardinals and the Cubs will go at it again in a three-game set at Wrigley Field beginning Sept. 19.

The Brewers also have four games at Philadelphia. The Phillies could help the Cardinals out by beating the Brewers, but by doing so, the Phillies could also put a safe distance between themselves and STL in the wild-card race. Then again, the Phillies are only 1.5 games in back of the Mets in the NL East, so maybe the Mets — and not the Phils — will be pushed into the wild-card derby instead.

The Brewers have 10 games left against teams with a winning record. So far this season the Brewers are 44-21 against losing teams (best in the NL) and 38-41 vs. winning teams.

We’ll be doing a lot of scoreboard watching.

Thanks for reading …

-B