Phillies Voting For Pedro?
Pedro Martinez is ready to stage his second-half comeback. After an OK showing at the World Baseball Classic, he spent the first half of this season trying to drum up interest from contending teams.
Tipsheet was hoping the Cardinals would make a bid, since Pedro could add some presence to this rotation while only costing money.
Do you think Albert Pujols would like having Pedro in the fifth rotation spot?
Alas, it appears the Phillies will take this plunge instead.
If reports are true from the Dominican Republic – that Martinez hit 93 miles per hour with his fastball this week – then Philadelphia will be glad to have him.
So what if he is just a five- or six-inning pitcher at this point of his career? Many teams (the Cards included) employ five- and six-inning starters possessing none of Pedro’s big-game credentials.
Philadelphia Daily News columnist Phil Hoffman had reservations about Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. making this move: “It would be a reach into the past. It would be wishful thinking writ large. If it is the only move Amaro can make - either for budgetary reasons or because no one else shakes loose - it would become the shorthand that everyone would use for the general manager’s first season.”
BILLY GOAT CURSE, CONT.
Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey wonders if the Cubs should start looking for the white flag:
“When Ryan Dempster broke his toe jumping over a short fence in front of the Cubs’ dugout the other day, it should have made the standard North Side fan stand up, take notice and begin the wallowing-in-self-pity process. Lou Piniella coined the term ‘Cubbie occurrence’ to describe the strange things that seem to happen regularly to this franchise. He probably regrets coming up with the phrase now, having seen his share of them in 2 1/2 years on the job.
“But he was dead-on with it, and Dempster’s injury is absolutely one of those Cubbie occurrences.
“Given the Cubs’ history, that broken big toe would seem to be a blinking neon light indicating this most definitely is not the year. The team hasn’t played well, hitters who normally are consistent hitters aren’t … and now this. It looks a lot like cosmic taunting, probably because it is.”
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while wondering how the Cardinals can go out in public wearing those mustaches:
- Isn’t it fun watching Tony La Russa and Piniella approach this mid-July series like a playoff series, juggling their pitching rotations and the like?
- Shouldn’t both managers just focus on getting their under-productive veterans on track for the second half of the season?
- Now that Ryan Ludwick is hitting again, do the A’s regret not acquiring him from the Cards in a deal for Matt Holliday?
- Since Holliday hasn’t hit a home run since June 5 — and has just six RBI since June 6 — what can Oakland realistic expect to get in a trade for him now?
- Should ESPN ever put Erin Andrews into the line of fire?
- Would anybody be surprised if Jose Canseco ended up marrying Tonya Harding in another one of his publicity stunts?
- Why did Sports illustrated airbrush away the tattoo adorning the back of St. Louis Aces star Anna Kournikova? Why couldn’t SI let Anna be Anna?
- Why would a man wear a bra to the ballpark in support of Manny Ramirez?
QUIPS ‘R US
Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:
Terrence Moore, FanHouse, on Mark McGwire: “There is no better time than now for the former St. Louis Cardinals star to end his cowardly seclusion. He could leave the shadows of southern California to speak in the spotlight of the All-Star festivities that begin this weekend in St. Louis. He could do so without a Jimmy Swaggert confession, but it wouldn’t hurt his rapidly sliding chances for reaching Cooperstown if he included some crying and a lot of pleading. Now is the time for McGwire to do what he hasn’t done since the start of his little controversy involving performance-enhancing drugs, and that is, provide folks with answers to a slew of questions. Did you use steroids to bash most of those home runs? If so, when did you start the practice? If you are innocent, why did you vanish regarding baseball in general and the Cardinals in particular? Now is the time for McGwire to tell us the truth. Now is the time for McGwire to tell us everything. Now is the time for McGwire to tell us something.”
Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle: “The Cubs have some interesting chemistry working, with blow tops Lou Piniella, Carlos Zambrano and others feeding off the group’s mad energy. May I suggest two moves? Hire Bobby Knight to coach third base, and hang a piñata in the dugout.”
Greg Cote, Miami Herald: “North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams has an autobiography out in November called, Hard Work: My Life On and Off the Court. I just hope the book is half as exciting as the title!”
Joe Posnanski, SI.com: “You can’t compare Roger Federer to Tiger Woods. There’s no way. No way. They’re in totally different sports. Their styles are too contrasting. And yet, how can you NOT compare them? Here we are, living in this time when Federer and Woods are making their arguments for history, their cases as the greatest tennis player and greatest golfer ever. They are ever-present. They are friends. They are the two most dominant athletes in the world. How can you not compare them? Do you want to compare their numbers and trophies? Pointless. Futile. It’s like trying to find the starting point of a circle or the strengths of the Washington Nationals.”
Patrick Hruby, ESPN.com: “In a new book, Los Angeles Galaxy teammate Landon Donovan rips pricey MLS import-cum-American soccer savior (David) Beckham as overpaid, undercommitted and a poor leader, shocking the futbol world with the revelations that: a) there is something called MLS; b) MLS has a team nicknamed Galaxy; c) the Galaxy feature a guy named Landon Donovan.”
Ostler again: “The Arizona Diamondbacks saluted one of their fans for punching out 50,000 All-Star Game ballots. Apparently there were some hanging chads, and now, somehow, Eric Byrnes is the president of the United States.”
MEGAPHONE
“NASCAR can take steps to look at it. If the second-place driver dumps the leader, then black flag his (backside). He doesn’t get the win. If he’s up alongside the leader and dumps him, give the third-place car the victory.”
Kyle Busch, reacting to Tony Stewart’s impolite bump-and-pass victory at Daytona.
I’m glad Tipsheet is not the Cards GM. Still pushing for Pedro? The only “presence” that guy is going to have is the “presents” he serves up to opposing batters…
Ludwick, 9 Ribbies the last 8 games. Maybe, just maybe, he is finding his way out of it.
Can’t believe the Blues will have Darren Pang as the color guy on FS-Midwest next season (way to have that in Tipsheet today “Hockey Guy”). My only concern - that the Blues forced #24 out of the booth. Bernie was admittedly not the best color man, but he is a Blue and a fan favorite. Pang is one of the best so I can’t complain at all with him getting the gig, I just hope it wasn’t at Federkos expense.
One more thought. Tiger Woods will end up being the greatest golfer in the history of the sport. He is not, however, an “athlete” like Federer, or Pujols, or Tom Brady, or any other sports player. Does Woods have incredible hand-eye coordination? Hell yes. So does the other guys I listed. And they have to run, and reverse direction, and occasionally dive. And they hit moving targets too. Tiger hurt a knee from walking too much…
One thing that will dog Tiger’s accomplishments forever will be the fact that he has no ongoing epic battles (like Federer/Roddick, or Nicklaus and Palmer/Watson/Player, etc). The PGA has a Number One player….Tiger Woods, no question about it. But, the PGA does NOT have a number two player that regulary challenges Woods. There is no number two or number three that is always in there fighting and pushing Tiger.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe Tiger would still be king of the hill even if he had a constant archrival….it just isn’t the case and that will always cause a question.
Makes you wonder what would have happened had David Duval not gone crackers a few years ago…
Hey Kyle, wht don’t you cry about it you big friggin’ baby! Let’s change the sport to make it more fair.
Tim,
I mean this in a nice way, but you are crazy. More correct physical actions have to go precisely right in a golf swing for it to be effective. Proper alignment, arm placement, wrist placement, forswing, backswing, hip movement, shoulders, arms, your entire body has to be in sync for th shot to be right. If thats not being an athlete, I don’t know what is. Hockey players can get away with throwing their stick in front of an already moving puck and get a goal, same with soccer. Even occasionally baseball player can get a hit over just sticking their bat out in front, all requiring minimal “athletic” effort. In a golf swing, everything needs to click. I am not taking away from the other sports by any means, just illustrating how golf is an athletic event, sorry if it doesnt get your heart rate up.
Pang is one of the best? Are you kidding? Have you actually heard him broadcast? I would look like one of the best if I were with Bill Clement, Tom Mees, and Barry Melrose. Get real Panger is awful, if he were one of the best why would he be working here? I’ll tell you why, because no one else wanted him. I don’t want him either! Dumb move on the part of the Blues and FSNMW. It’s KTRS for me next season!!!
WOW, so you actually won’t watch the game, on television, because of a color commentator?? Get a life man, trus Blues fans would learn to deal with it if it were so bad because they want to ”WATCH” their tema play. I hope there is a delay in the TV reception and the radio if you decide to listen to the radio brodcast and watch the game. One guy preventing you from enjoying it, ridiculous.
A few things from a Cards fan in Wrigleyville.
1) Hoping the rain stops long enough for the Cards to whoop up on the Cubs. Going today and tomorrow. Like to see Ludwick’s bat coming alive. Only one hit yesterday (1-4) but with runners in scoring position. Perfect.
2) I love Darren Pang. Will miss Federko, but Pang is national quality.
3) I have had the debate about golf being a sport or not for a long time. Where do you draw the line? Bowling. Darts? All very skillful talents. But a sport? That is a hard one. I guess it’s up to one’s definition.
I do lean towards a game that involves another competitor–head to head. Baseball, tennis, football, soccer, hockey, volleyball, swimming, track and field etc.
Things like horse racing/NASCAR I do not consider sports because something else is providing the motion.
Gotta run. Starting pitch in 1 hour. A Cardinal just landed on my soaking porch. A good sign? Hope so.
Just want everyone to know that there is a really long delay on KTRS for Blues hockey as they are broadcast by KMOX.
lisn2me, LOL!
Matt, I don’t agree with your assessment of a golf swing at all. He has incredible hand-eye coordination as well as superior muscle memory. He works at his craft all the time too. Now let’s see him do it with 40,000 people screaming their head off, a defensive end breathing down his neck, and a 12-6 curve put on the ball moving 86 mph…
Enjoy the game Garry. I don’t count bowling as a sport either. Again, there is a lot that goes into doing it, but that doesn’t make it a sport or it’s participants “athletes”…
A REAL Blues fan doesn’t want a Blackhawk doing anything other than lose at a Blues game, PERIOD. Anyone who disagrees is NOT Blues fan. No Panger doesn’t belong here, he can broadcast to the two people who watch Blackhawks on PPV cable in Chicago. And yes, I guess it would be a long delay, you got me on that one. Since I travel quite a bit during the season, internet radio broadcasts are what I get most often anyway (bookmarked under Blues! not KMOX, KTRS or whatever). Delay or no, even if I do watch on TV, the sound will still be OFF. With the idiot John Kelly and now this bozo it the TV broadcast won’t be worth listening to.
Has anyone ever walked a golf course 4 straight days and fired in the low 60’s each time? And I’m not talking your local municipal golf course either. If those guys are not athletes then baseball players shouldn’t be either. All they do is throw a ball and swing a bat. Maybe a 90 foot jog thrown in once in a while. Hitting a golf ball and making it actually go where you want it to is the hardest thing to do in sports with the exception of hitting a round ball with a round bat.
A few things from a Cardinal fan in StL:
1. I love the long posts by our old Blue, Gary Unger. Especially yesterdays where he feels the need to lecture us like we care what HE thinks.
2. I don’t consider soccer a sport either. Any game that involves guys that take dives like that and roll around giving the impression that they broke their leg for a free kick………they should take up modern dance.
3. Would you like to know what I think is a sport and what I think is a skill?? Didn’t think so, so I will save you from mindless babble…..just listen to Slaten during drive time. He’ll fill you in!
back to PS3!
That bra clad Manny Ramirez fan give me the creeps. Stop being a nut job weirdo!
I will second that Garry Unger is probably the biggest loser of anyone who comes on this website, and that includes the Cards Talk forum people. Hey Garry, get out of your mother’s basement and go to the game or a freakin bar in Wrigleyville, for God’s sake. And please do not wear any Cardinal gear or tell anyone you are a Cardinal fan — you will just reinforce the STL hoosier stereotype.
And Tim, a word of advice. Stop posting 18 times a day on this Crapsheet. Get a job — more specifically, go make me a Frosty at Wendy’s you little…..
I must say, I believe(and I think the majority will too), that there is not a more mentally demending sport then golf as well. 2,000 people, surrounding you in all corners except straight ahead, praying and hoping you hit a nice shot. Just look at the guys in the Tee-Box at the local course, who have other people waiting in line at the 1st tee, and see how many shank and duff one.
Golfers are athletes, especially in the hardest mental sport by far.
Soccer players are as well, their endurance, agility, and stamina is amazing. But yes, I get so annoyed everytime one guy gets hit and grabs his leg in “pain” and then 30 seconds later is up without a smirk on their face and running. Thats what annoys me most about soccer, but International Soccer is great, even they do it.
Bowling….no
I too wish McGwire would come out from under that rock, I was there when he hit number 62 on my friggin birthday…but it ain’t happenin’. The last pic I saw looked like the guy weighs like a buck-eighty now which would only add to the whispers if he didn’t just come out and admit to somethin’…
the definition of whether the fringe sports are “really” sports usually hinges on how much you like them. I think an argument can be made for almost any game that has professional leagues…but does it even matter?
…so, all of a sudden Josh “I’m Sloshed” starts making witty comments, and this heartless Darryl Kile poser and S.W. knock-off come out of nowhere spewing a bunch of hateful nonsense on the same days. I know a punk who changes his user name when I read one dude. Name the place and time in St. Louis and I will meet you there and kick your puny, momma’s basement troll a**. Oh, and that Frosty line is lame even for the obvious minimum wage worker that you are. At least ask the guy on fries for some better material troller…
by the way heartless, if you’re not using multiple names, the fact that you just copied another guy’s style shows what a weak little girl you are…and you’re the one who nobody cares what you say. I’m only commenting now because you tried to come after me yesterday and I don’t back down from pansies, I crush them. But this will be the last time I mention you until you name the place for me to come kick your pansy a**…
2020vision, I’ve gotta copy and paste you a comments Hall of Fame induction speech.
For now, I’ve gotta run upstairs and help my mom put away groceries. I think she got me some Sunny D! Oh, and Blues Clues is on.
Later!
Don’t like my long post, don’t read them. I was offering up my opinion. Isn’t that what one does on posts?
If you can’t read someone’s thoughts and disagree with them, then you talk to your friends who agree with every little that comes out of your mouth.
I personally like when someone challenges my thinking. Doesn’t mean I have to agree but maybe, just maybe I might learn something.
I know that frightens some of you–Darryl, Sloshed, SW etc.–that’s okay. I don’t really need your approval on anything.
By the way, great game yesterday. I TOLD EVERYONE I was a St. Louis fan just for you. Not one hoosier comment, Hmmmmm.
JG and the other local writers - you have a couple of days here when more people will be reading your stuff. Take the opportunity to make a statement about PEDs. If you haven’t already bought in to the ‘fans don’t care about PEDs’ excuse (hogwash) and you have a spine, now is the time to make a point. Don’t let us down.
Why should Mark McGwire admit to taking something that wasn’t banned by baseball at the time? If a player takes a cortizone shot to releive pain and it allows him to play better, must he come clean to the press? Athletes should maybe take a lesson from our old friend George Hendrick, “Dont’ feed the animals”. Sportswriters are becoming like the “people” from Hollyweird, - whatever sells the tickets!