Rich: Hey Gordo,
Wow - where to begin. I am sure you will get dozens of posts for the secondary so I won't go there except to say I don't think everyone should give up on Tye Hill just yet.
My question is what are the Rams going to do to get the passing game out of park. With the exception of McMichael and that great catch by Jackson no other receiver made any plays of note.
I don't think the Rams have anything to lose by seeing what Burton and Avery (once he is cleared to practice) can do. |
| Jeff Gordon: Yeah, the Rams need to explore all options to get the WRs going. Bennett's demise isn't the end of the world, since he hasn't done a thing to spark the offense since signing that $30 million deal. I'm a big Burton fan, so, yes, turn him loose. |
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| Mike: Thank you for your time, effort and on occasion willingness to accept abuse. Even though SL is not the leader they need shouldn't these players be bringing an effort? While SL lacks leadership (seemingly) these players lack character. I agree with one of the Sunday posters that you could build a better team from NFL taxi squads. |
| Jeff Gordon: That's harsh. There is talent on the team. That is why the no-show was so disturbing. There are coaching and leadership issues, for sure. Anything less than a 180 reversal this week will be unacceptable. The Rams were the NFL's laughingstocks Sunday. If that embarrassment doesn't fire them up, nothing will. |
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| Tackleberry: The marriage between Linehan and Haslett has always been forced, and there for awkward, from day one. Haslett may be a sharp defensive mind, but his time with the Rams can be best described as "marginally effective." Yes, he wanted Glenn Dorsey and they took Long, but he also stood by that entire secondary this off-season especially his pet Chavous (who continually does not reward his confidence)and they are postively terrible. I would never go as far as to suggest that Haslett tanks it to get a shot at the head coaching vacancy, but if he isn't doing that than his defensive prowess might be less than advertised. Can he do anything, with the players he has, to put a different product on the field next Sunday. Will Manning Jr. be an upgarde once he is up to speed? |
| Jeff Gordon: Trouble is, Manning has lost a step. He can help take away the middle of the field as a nickel back, but you can't expect him to survive out on the island at this point in his career. Hill will have to suck it up and get better -- fast! |
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| vikelt: Do you think Felipe Lopez, with some work by Oquendo, could be the shortstop answer for the Cards? If so, what would it take to sign him? |
| Jeff Gordon: Utility guy, yes. He has more pop than Miles in that role. Shortstop -- no, he doesn't have the defensive consistency. This team has money to spend and that would be the position to invest in. A lot of teams are looking for help there, but the Cards have to be aggressive. |
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| MonkeyLooker: After this embarrassing, unemotional effort I say it is time get rid of Linehan, trade No-Show Holt for a #1 draft pick while he is still worth something, get rid of Haslett and, and release Chavous. It is also close to the time to bench gutless Bulger who is scared to death - he was curled up into a fetal position when when he fumbled and luckily the ball dropped into his lap because he was definitely NOT trying to recover it - he was trying to protect himself by curling up into a ball. When our two veteran leaders, Bulger & Holt, will not take a hit to make a play it is time to make drastic changes right now. I am still a Rams fan but when veterans don't want to make plays it is time for the rookies to get experience. I know the Eagles had a great pass rush but the QB still cannot quit like Bulger does. I do think Stephen Jackson played hard and with effort and our punter was fabulous. Your thoughts? |
| Jeff Gordon: Holt won't fetch a No. 1 pick at this point of his career. Bulger has taken lots of hits, which is the trouble with his game. Releasing Chavous doesn't help because there is nobody great to replace him. |
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| HEG: Gordo briefly as possible the Rams don't have a clue and the saddest part of all is they have Bulger on 6 year contract and the others on long term contracts; ie- Holt on last year seems to care less about the team-he is more interested in where he will be next year- Pace seems to be prone to injury all the time; Bennett a bust; Ty Hill could not cover nor tackle me and I am 65 years old; overall they cannot block, tackle and don't seem to have a clue on either side of the ball how to play the game. I wonder from their performance if they ever accomplish anything in pre-season? they would best suited to admit their mistakes and start with coaching staff, front office,and most of the players to be gone and start from scratch; granted yesterday was 1st game for 08 but it not going to get any better; do you agree or disagree with any of this? |
| Jeff Gordon: With cap figure continuing to climb, the Rams will be able to ditch some guys with long-term deals if necessary. The franchise will be able to absorb those hits. Trouble is, rebuilding could still take another two to three years. How do you replace Little and Pace AND address the future QB issue? |
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| tim: Do you think the Cards will make a big Push for K-Rod in the offseason or is Perez the future closer hands down? |
| Jeff Gordon: K-Rod will command an eight-digit salary, so bidding on him will be limited to the really big spends. Perez skill looks capable of closing here. And don't give up on Motte. He is early in his development. |
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| tim: My guess now I would say AJ Burnett is A Cardinal next season.Would you agree? |
| Jeff Gordon: The Cards like him, but his salary expectations, combined with his injury risk, make him an interesting case. I'd still like to see the team re-sign Lohse and possibly Looper to have behind Carpenter, Wainwright and Wellemeyer next year. |
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| tim: In your guess who is the Cardinals starting SS next season. Furcal isnt my guess but hes the guy I want |
| Jeff Gordon: Yeah, if it appears his injury woes are behind him, he would be the perfect type for the job. He would add impact offense. The Dodgers may rather put their dollars into Ramirez. |
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brokeu91: Thanks for taking my question Jeff,
I know that a lot of people are going to gripe about the lack of talent the Rams have, but can you really judge the talent on this team, given the lack of effort and how out of position the players were? Does this team need to be blown up and started over or does there just need to be drastic changes at the coaching level? |
| Jeff Gordon: Fair question. The Rams do have talent. And a lot of the guys were trying out there. But this was a team collapse, which comes back on coaching. This team has a few hole, but most NFL teams do. Most NFL teams did not open with a 38-3 loss. Most teams haven't lost 13 of their last 17 games. |
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LKP: Wow! What an effort our Rams put forth yesterday! The motivation of the Rams players reminded me of my son's 9 year old team picking their noses on the sidelines. How is it possible for a team to be this bad and to appear as though they don't even care? I almost feel sorry for Linehan, he looked like a deer in headlights watching his team go down again in flames. I'm really sick of hearing about Haslett being such a defensive guru and how complicated his defense is, apparently his players can't figure it out but the opposing offenses have no problem doing so. The players effort was disgusting..they were beat from the opening snap. Hill a first round bust (how did they pick him ahead of the corner in San Diego?, we took Avery instead of DeSean Jackson?, and kept the tea cup fragile Drew Bennett at wide receiver instead of the still productive Bruce? and Bulger mentally has lost before he even takes the field, and Jackson please keep your mouth shut and try to earn your big contract. Not only is the coaching bad, but the player evaluation is pitiful. If I were their coach and fortunately for their sakes I'm not I'd bring them in on Tuesday, let them watch the film and then we would head to the field and run wind sprints for 2-3 hours and nothing else, until each of them were puking on the sidelines. Then I would tell them that would be repeated every Tuesday after a loss. I think then you'd see more effort on Sunday's. This team has to get motivated or their toast. Thanks Gordo.
P.S. Where do I get a refund on my season tickets? |
| Jeff Gordon: Tuesday is an off day and the players association does have rules, but, yes, I would do something dramatic with a team after that loss. I always liked the old college approach of making the team practice after returning home from a loss. But that's more a high school thing than a NFL thing. |
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| marpdagn: Hey, Gordo. Has Rasmus' stock fallen recently? All last year and up to the trade deadline this year, he was a can't miss "untouchable", yet we are hearing rumors that that is no longer the case. What's your take on Rasmus, where he fits next year and in the future? Seems to me that there is not room in the outfield for both Rasmus and Ankiel. Your take? |
Jeff Gordon: Ankiel is pushing 30 and about to hit the big money. Rasmus is pushing 22 and a long way from free agency. Rasmus has more speed, Ankiel more power. Ankiel has a better arm, but Rasmus is better overall defensively.
Something does have to give in the outfield. The Cards will have to make a trade or two involving outfielders. Nice problem to have. But they would be crazy to deal Rasmus unless they get a 22-year-old shortstop or a 22-year-old left-handed starting pitcher. |
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| HEG: Gordo summarizing the Cards year up to this point; the starting pitching has been adequate with all the injuries taken into consideration; the offense has struggled with men in scoring position with less than 2 outs; defense o.k.; then we get to the bullpen; you know at times they did their jobs but overall a disaster and I feel they are responsible for the Cards not being any higher in standings; boy they have a lot of major decision after- season ends; ex. whether to go with youth in pen, whether to add an impact bat in outfield because Shoe and Ankiels lack of hitting vs. lefthander; how many free-agent pitchers to re-sign; whether to go after better offensive hitters up the middle at second,shortstop; what is yuur take on these comments? |
| Jeff Gordon: You're on it. The Cards need a big RH bat at SS or 2B, two LH relievers and then two starting pitchers to replace Lohse and Looper -- unless the Cards keep those two. The righthanded relief will be OK with Perez, McClellan, Motte and Kinney. |
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The Goat: GORDO,
I don't know why everyone is giving Linehan such a hard time, he has shown he is really intense and wants to win? I think we need to get an even nicer guy in here to coach football?
Playing in a survivor pool this year will be fun, just pick who ever the Rams play.
At least we won't have to watch their home games on TV, they won't sell out anymore this season. They might torture us and make the game available to St. Louis Fans, that would be brutal.
Serena Williams and Ben Johnson would be a nice couple.
What did you think of Villegas' yellow belt and hat, metrosexual..I think not?
Do you think the Cubs will win the World Series? That's all they talk about in Chicago, how their going to win, who their going to beat..
Whatever you do, don't drive thru Chicago! |
Jeff Gordon: The Cubs won't win the World Series without Zambrano. And the way they are playing, they won't get to the series.
Camilo can pull off that look. I can't. |
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| bird_man: Gordo, thanks for your time. By now, we know what the needs of the Cardinals are for 2009, and the demand from other teams at those same positions. Could you please tell me what you envision as the starting lineup for the Cardinals next season? It's a hypothetical, but I figured you have a good grasp on who the Cardinals will acquire. Position players and pitching. Thanks! |
Jeff Gordon: What the Cards will do is anybody's guess, because we are still learning about Mozeliak. He can make big deals, as he proved with Rolen/Glaus. I'll throw out a lineup that would be better that what the team has and would be easy to assemble.
1-Rasmus, CF (Over TLR's objection)
2-Ankiel, LF
3-Albert, 1B
4-Ludwick, OF
5-Glaus, 3B
6-Molina, C
7-Renteria,SS
8-pitcher
9-Lopez, 2B
Get Ankiel some more fastballs. Get some power and speed with Rasmus in the leadoff spot. Renteria provides more pop than Izturis. Lopez provides more pop at second base.
Of course, Mo will try to hit something bigger -- but there are so many pitching issues.
Rotation I can't predict, other than Carp, Wainwright and Wellemweyer will be at the top. |
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Doug in Bowling Green, KY: Gordo,
What was that? The Rams were about as inept as their draft picks have been over the last several years. I'm thinking Jay Cutler and DeSean Jackson look real good over Tye Hill and Donnie Avery about now. That is just for beginners. This team is in a downward spiral and John Shaw and Jay Z had better belly up and take most of the blame. We have had awful drafts, awful coaching and awful front office leadership. If this team is this lifeless on opening day, they have a bunch of guys who want a paycheck but don't love the game. A big difference. Our coaching is horrendous and the playing is worse. Marc Bulger is like a scarecrow back there in the pocket. It is amazing that Kurt Warner is still winning games and Marc Bulger is not. It is amazing that Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco are winning games and Marc Bulger is not. Thanks for letting me vent, but this is totally unacceptable and I would clean the whole house because this bunch hanging out at Rams Park and his office in LA is doing nothing but stealing money. |
| Jeff Gordon: How good would Cutler be if he took the beating that Bulger has taken? Failure of this magnitude is the result of many things going wrong. |
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Ken: It is 24 hours later; I still want Linehan fired; Zygmut fired; Shaw fired. But it won't happen as long as the RAMS are owned by the Rosenbloom family.
I understand the Rosenbloom family has to came up with a bunch of money to pay estate taxes and the deadline for the same is coming up soon. It seems that if this sale is going to happen it will have to happen before that date. Do you know when that date is? Who are the likely buyers? Although I dislike Rush Limbaugh, I think he would be a good owner and for the sake of RAMS football I would be happy if he would buy the team.
I have given up on the Rosenbloom family in ever turning this franchise around. This team will move by 2015 unless it starts winning and that means to save the RAMS in St. Louis we must have new ownership. What are the chances? |
| Jeff Gordon: I would expect Chip to sell and the next owner to size things up. If Chip wants to stay, he will need to add more investors and find the right management combination. That's a lot of work for a guy whose heart in the movie business. Failure this year will only make a sale more likely. |
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Paul: Gordo:
Is Alex Barron going to get any better in not having so many offside penalties? One thing that is distressing about the Ram's offensive line is the number of penalties they have. This seems to be something that they should grow out of as they become more experienced. But this doesn't seem to be happening with Carron. What is up with that guy?
Paul |
| Jeff Gordon: Different coaches, same results, turn the page. This guy should not get another contract here unless he plays like a Pro Bowler the next 15 games. Enough! |
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Brian: Jeff,
I read your chat yesterday, so I wanted to mention something that no one else mentioned. What disturbed me most yesterday was after the game I saw several of the rams players smiling and hugging Eagles players. Torry Holt and Bulger stood out the most. If I were on that team my head would have been down heading right for the locker room.
If I were Linehan I would have dragged them off the field for that behavior. This whole organization is ridiculous. |
| Jeff Gordon: In fairness to the players, post-game love-ins are the norm. The coaching staff has all week to wipe those smiles off their faces. |
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| Ramsfan14: Leadership requires among others providing motivation to achieve goals. Is leadership and accountability being provided by the new ownership or is the status quo their expectation for "NEW Ownership"....with all due respect to Ms. Frontiere, this franchise needs an overall from Shaw down! How does this happen to a team that has appeared in 3 Superbowls? I do not believe any other Superbowl champion franchise has ever begun a season with such a total lack of any indication of caring. |
| Jeff Gordon: In the Not For Long league, collapses happen. There is not much margin between the teams. It doesn't take much to ruin a season. |
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Steve (Roch. NY): Gordo,
How long can this team stick with Linehan, Haslett and Bulger? This team was no where near ready to play especially in a harsh environment and that falls on the HC. The defense was pathetic, especially the secondary, these guys still don't make plays on the ball - even if they have good coverage the receiver comes down with it, bring back Dre Bly. Bulger looks like a deer in the headlights he doesn't step into a throw and held the ball too long on several occassions. And everyone in the organization is in denial about how bad this team really is. Otogwe said the defense wasn't confused at all..well they sure looked it especially on the 90 yd TD on 3rd and 8! And then to read that they were laughing and joking in the locker room after the game!!! Somebody needs to step up and kick them square in the behind, too bad they can't dock them a game check for that pathetic effort. |
| Jeff Gordon: There was a lot of confusion there, with was surprising. They had months to prepare for this game. |
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| Larry: Jeff...it did not take us long to regret not drafting DeSean Jackson with our 2nd pick. What was rhe deciding factor of Avery over Jackson? |
| Jeff Gordon: The Rams liked -- and still like -- Avery's speed and make-up. I liked what I saw of Donnie in his limited preseason work. But Jackson could have been a great upgrade over Hall, who can't do much to help this offense. |
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| George M.: I noticed that 4 different offensive linemen had false start penalties yesterday. Quarterbacks like to try to draw defensive linemen offsides, but Bulger seems to be mostly drawing his own linemen offsides. Is Bulger's count unusually difficult for offensive linemen? Have the coaches worked with him on it? When it was just Barron, I tended to blame Barron, but when everybody is having problems, I wonder if part of the problem is Bulger. |
| Jeff Gordon: That was a classic unit breakdown -- across the board. Everybody had issues. Other than McMichael, which of those guys can be proud of their effort? |
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| Lawarence Marmie: So, a few weeks ago, you made the statement that barring injury, there was no way this Rams defense would finish in the bottom 3rd of the league. Did the befuddled looked washing over Has-Been-Lett's face the entire game while the Eagles 3rd and 4th recievers lit us up like a Christmas tree done anything to change your mind? Also, do you actually watch any of the games before making statements like that or do you just believe all the hype about Has-Been-Lett being some sort of defensive genius that has all these exotic blitzes in his playbook? To me, it looked like the Eagles knew what he was doing before he did. |
| Jeff Gordon: Gotta say, that defensive performance shocked me. But losing Little right off the bat was one issue and Brown playing hurt was another. So I'm not sure we'll ever get to the "barring injuries" stage. Does that take me off the hook? |
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therealdealankiel: Gordo,
Assuming the Cards hang in there for another week or two, is there ANY GOOD REASON why AP wouldn't win his 2nd MVP? Ryan Howards '06 Phillies didn't make the playoffs. Lance Berkman's Houston Astros are no closer to October than the Cardinals.
Ryan Braun is hitting with a 20 HR hitter in front of him and three more behind him. David Wright has Beltran, Reyes and Delgado to attribute his success to. Chase Utley can thank J. Rollins, R. Howard and P. Burrell. Matt Holliday and Chipper Jones' teams are irrelevant. Hanley Ramirez's team is fading quickly.
My question is, what has Albert done to deserve this type of neglect? He was not voted in to the ASG despite being the best hitter in the game. He has a higher OBP%, SLG%, batting average and has more walks and fewer K's than all of the guys I've mentioned. He is second only to Braun in HR's (despite 73 fewer at bats) and second to Jose Reyes in hits (despite 144 fewer at bats)!!!
He is on a tear when it matters most, he is the most feared hitter in the game, he is vying for a batting title and a playoff berth on a team that was picked by many to finish 5th in the division. He makes Ludwick, Ankiel, Glaus and Molina better hitters/players, not the other way around. I would love to plug these numbers if he had Carlos Lee, Prince Fielder, Carlos Beltran and Ryan Howard hitting behind him...
What gives? |
Jeff Gordon: Albert is killing the ball lately and building his HR/RBI totals. And the Cards will stay mathematically alive until the end, so he should get consideration. The last three weeks really changed his season.
Earlier, Albert lost MVPs to Bonds. Which, in retrospect, is a real shame. |
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| Lawarence Marmie: Will Tye Hill has his breakout season from the bench this year? I can't believe you actually thought this defense would be any good. You probably thought Jimmmy Kennedy and Claude Wroten would have great careers also. |
| Jeff Gordon: Wroten yes, Kennedy no. Jimmy was an underachiever in college, so he never excited me. Wroten had the ability to be a stud in this league. It's sad what happened to him. |
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therealdealankiel: Gordo,
In your opinion, what kind of contract (extension) would Ludwick and Ankiel be looking for this winter? With Rasmus coming in '09 (he has to be, right?) and Wallace possibly folling him shortly thereafter (I can only see him in LF in STL, is this off season a good time to move known quantities to make room for these guys?
Ludwick/Ankiel may never have this much value, and they certainly will lose it if we try to deal them midseason, right? |
| Jeff Gordon: I'd lock Ludwick up for three, Ankiel for four. That would give Mozeliak some options. The closer they get to free agency, the less trade value they would have. |
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| Lawarence Marmie: Do you think the fact that across the field from Haslett was a great, innovative Defensive Coordinator in Jim Johnson made him look anymore like the hack he is or do you think at this point- it's impossible to make him look any worse? I don't understand why his fieryness isn't enough to propel this defense to the top? Do you suppose that maybe you actually need to be a good defensive coordinator for that to happen? |
| Jeff Gordon: Yeah, well, Haslett didn't build the resume with that game. That surprised and disappointed me. Jim's track record is pretty good, but this isn't helping. |
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Jim Allen: The headlines read "What do the Rams and Cards need to do to win?"
Sure wish I had questions like that back when I was in school in the
'40s and '40s in the Dent County and Salem (Mo) School systems!!!
The answer to the headlined question is simple..."Score more than the
other teams!" |
| Jeff Gordon: Easier said than done. |
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| Lj: Fixing the Rams will be a long process. The team needs to be gutted. Would you start by getting rid of the coach and quarterback? With the Cards could it be possible to move catcher Bryan Anderson to 2nd that way they can keep a lefthanded power bat and not move him? |
Jeff Gordon: As a second bsseman, Anderson would just be another guy who can hit. As a catcher who can hit, he has value -- here or elsewhere.
As for rebuilding the Rams, start at DE and OT as Little and Pace get older by the moment. |
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| Tony Bell: When do the Blues begin training camp and what would you say their "To Do" list for camp looks like? |
Jeff Gordon: Good question:
1) Speed the development of Perron, Oshie and Berglund to fill huge needs up front.
2) Clean up the defensive zone play and cut back on all these turnovers. Brewer and Jackman have to turn their games around.
3) Speed the development of young D Wagner, Polak, Junland and Pietrangelo -- which would create some trade leverage.
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Ramfrank: Gordo - A brief analogy, if you'll allow me: If you were starting a business (say, a construction business) and you hired a lawyer and an accountant to run it (without ANY job-related experience), then compounded the error by allowing the lawyer and accountant to handpick the employees (architects, designers, electricians), how successful do you think this new business would be?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you think this is the crux of the problem with this team/organization? I've said it a thousand times...until Shaw and Zygmunt are GONE FOR GOOD, this team will continue to be a sorry punchline. |
| Jeff Gordon: Remember, these guys did win two NFC titles and a World Championship. Unfortunately, they didn't make the right moves to save Martz and then to replace Martz. |
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Will: G'Afternoon Jeff,
Hey Rams.....When you lose, all of us are sure it hurts your pride a bit.....but can you tell us how it feels to not try or care when your losing? My wife & I sat down Sunday afternoon & watched a team with no sense of self respect or pride lose a game so badly, for the first time in our football lives we actually lost some respect for you. Aside from a handful of players, we saw no passion for the game they were playing at all. What is wrong with all of you? This is your chosen profession & being in the NFL is the highest you can go in your field of work but yesterday most of you shown no glimpse of anything resembling a player, coach or staff that is supposed to be a representation of this fine league. You truly looked like the worst team in the NFL on Sunday. It didn't even look like you were there to collect a check, we swear you were playing for free jobbing so badly to the Eagles(hey eagles-thank you for showing us Rams fans the contrast of what a good/bad team is supposed to look like). My wife & I will go back working our 50hrs each this week busting our butts then we will tune in this Sunday to watch our favorite football team either come in and collect a game day check that totals our yearly salary or watch a Rams team give everything they have & be able to look each other in the eyes & say "We Gave It Our All" win or lose. Because if we continue to watch a team simply not care about what they are supposed to love to do; we cannot cheer you, we cannot buy your jerseys & caps, we cannot purchase your tickets, we cannot watch your games. Please show all of us against the Giants this Sunday you still want to be here-you still want to fight-your still hungry for this game. Cause backing a bunch of quitters is a hard sell anywhere. Pride in your team isn't built around a few catchy tunes played through a speaker hanging high in a Dome, it's starts with you, The St. Louis Rams....
Thanks For The Soapbox Jeff |
| Jeff Gordon: Fans won't be satisfied seeing a few guys throw a tantrum. They want to see concerted whistle-to-whistle. This team has lost 14 of 17 games. Anything less than full-speed, whistle-to-whistle effort will be unacceptable. |
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| R.C.: Nobody got mad. Nobody put up a fight. The only person with ANY emotion was Richie Incognito, but all indications are he’s psycho regardless of whether he’s winning or losing. I guess one could interpret Stephen Jackson as showing emotion after he got absolutely steamrolled – but he was the same dude laughing it up with the other team after they lost 35 points. Is the laughing thing really that big of a deal? Are we over hyping it? |
| Jeff Gordon: A little bit, but there is nothing funny about becoming a league-wide laughingstock. Every national media expert is just killing this team, for good reason. |
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| Jay: Why don't the Rams contact Lynch to provide some leadership for the secondary? He might not be able to play every down, but he's better than anyone else we have right now - and he always played hard. I think the Rams need somebody like that!!!!!! |
| Jeff Gordon: But why would John wade into this mess in the twilight of his career. |
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R.C.: Some fans spend a large percentage of their income which they’ve budgeted for entertainment to be able to spend a Sunday at the Ed watching the Rams play – and all indications are they playrs simply...don't...care.
But hey, the players are “gettin' their paper" on the 1st and 15th! |
| Jeff Gordon: They say they care, but do they show it? |
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Brian: Everyone is calling for Cower and or Marty to take over this team. We both know that neither one of them would take on this debacle. If you had to speculate, with the current roster who would be a realistic candidate to take on this team and put some discipline in place?
It is clear these players don't respect Linehan at all. |
| Jeff Gordon: Saunders got a long-term deal here for a reason, in case disaster struck. |
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| itdsntmttr: Who in your opinion will be the hardest to sign this offseason ludwick, ankiel, or Lohse(or do you say, hell with boris and move on to someone else). I think ankiel and lohse will be to expensive, even though i feel ankiel owes us some kind of a break in contract money. And if you are Mo which outfielder/AAA players do package to get some pitching, big bat, or middle infield help. Thanks always a pleasure to read your chats |
Jeff Gordon: Ankiel will be costly, but he didn't go Matt Holliday on the NL. If Boras wants too much, the Cards can move on -- there are so many outfielders.
I'd keep Lohse for sure. The other signing could be a lefty, if a quality alternative is available, or Looper if every other option is overpriced.
As for trade chips, catcher Bryan Anderson is an easy guy to deal. Brett Wallace could be a chip, since he has no place here. Schumaker has optimal value now. I would keep Mather for his versatility and his right-handed bat. |
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Caliramfan: I know the coaching staff is not getting it done. But if Saunders can't make this offense go, the personnel just isn't there. Even when Linny gets fired, we have bigger issues. Players should be able to motivate themselves just a little if they have any pride and it didn't appear to me that anyone was concerned they were completely embarrassed, barring a couple.
The bigger issue though is management, which won't change until a new owner comes along. But this organization can't continue to run things as they have. That is evidenced by the past drafts and the real reason this team is where it is:
Players on team from past drafts (Round drafted in parenthesis)
2000 – None - Gone: Trung Candidate (1), Jacoby Shepherd (2)
2001 – None - Gone: Damione Lewis (1), Archuleta (1), Ryan Pickett (1), Tommy Polley(2)
2002 – None – Gone: Robert Thomas (1), Travis Fisher (2), Lamar Gordon (3)
2003 – Pisa Tinoisamoa – Gone: Jimmy Kennedy (1), Kevin Curtis (3)
2004 – Steven Jackson – Gone: Anthony Hargrove (3)
2005 – Alex Barron, Ronald Bartell, O.J. Atogwe, Incognito
2006 – Tye Hill (looks like a bust), Klop, Mark Setterstrom
A lot of wasted picks above and many later rounds are not even listed.
Any chance there will be a restructuring of the folks above, Shaw, Ziggy, etc., even if ownership doesn't change? |
| Jeff Gordon: The Rams have changed their approach a couple of times over that period. You can't expect Shaw and Zygmunt to go college campuses. I like their hiring of Devaney -- maybe they got it right, finally. |
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| BEN, StL: What realistic/possible positions can Brett Wallace be moved to considering David Freese is doing so well? |
| Jeff Gordon: If Albert's elbow holds up, Wallace really lacks a position. He'll make it here as a part-time bat, then he'll be trade bait unless something bad happens to Ludwick. |
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| SoldiersofVictory: how worried should rams fans be about that terrible defeat of the rams yesterday against the eagles |
| Jeff Gordon: REALLY worried. |
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| jim63129: Kinda hard to get the fans fired up, when the players aren't. Tell Steven Jackson, I already sold my two PLS tickets to a Bears fan. |
| Jeff Gordon: We'll pass that along. |
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| Taylor Knapp: With the whole youth movement, the blues are not considered playoff contenders and it looks like they might be 2-3 years away from being contenders. With that being said how long will Andy Murray and the Coaching staff get to prove themselves? Will they get the whole 2-3 years or will he/they be let go and bring in someone with the movement? Is Andy Murray on the hot/warm seat? and is it fair for him to be on the hot seat? Thank for taking our questions. |
| Jeff Gordon: Andy's whole regime will last (or not) on his ability (or inability) to develop (or not) young forwards and D. This just HAS to happen. Not an easy job, but the necessary one. In two years, this team could be great. This year could be dicey unless Andy can find a way to nurture these kids and make things happen. |
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BRYAN: Rams,
So when are we going to figure out that Scott Lenahan is not a coach and Mark Bulger is too afraid to be a quaterback? How is it possible to have all of that tallent and suck as bad as we do? I think we have some serious personel issues. Maybe instead of a Head coach we need a Head shrink! |
| Jeff Gordon: This team has better talent than it showed Sunday, for sure. Bulger isn't afraid, but he isn't real confident right now. Battered QB syndrome! |
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| Nauseating: In all your years as a sportswriter, was yesterday's game the most pitiful diplay you've ever seen? |
| Jeff Gordon: It's up there. The Vermeil-era night game game at Philly was real bad, but the Eagles were terrible in that game. So it was just another loss. |
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Eric Watt: How in the world can a team of professional athletes play so poorly as both individuals and as a team....and still pick up their paycheck?
They were not expected to win against Philly....but with yesterday's demo they shouldn't be expected to win more than one...maybe two games this year.
It's time we expect them to win every game.....and settle for a few losses instead of expecting them to win 6 and accept the kind of performance they put on yesterday. Someone needs to be fired....pick someone and fire them !
This sucks.... |
| Jeff Gordon: Pick somebody and fire them -- much earlier in my career, I worked at places like that . . . |
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| Brian: With Boras being Ankiels agent I am scared he is going to talk him into taking a huge contract outside STL. I know he owes this city, but do you think Ankiel will take a home town discount to stay? |
| Jeff Gordon: No, but I don't Rick can command outrageous money. He hasn't done enough. If Boras can get him that kind of money elsewhere, fine -- this team has Rasmus, Ludwick, Schumaker, Mather, Daryl Jones, Brian Barton and Wallace. |
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| SoldiersofVictory: when do u think troy glaus will be more helpful to the team when he's on the juice |
| Jeff Gordon: He's doing fine this season and I'm not aware of any positive tests. |
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| Rashard Tate: I love the direction the Blues are going and like how they are not committing a lot of money to guys for 2010-11 so they can lock up some of these young prospects in 2-3 years. Do you see how we will be able to lock up all the young talent we have? Or will we have to let a few go via trade? |
| Jeff Gordon: Erik Johnson will get big money, but the Blues will have room for it. The team hopes that Perron, Oshie, Berglund. et al are that good too. But free agency will be too pricey for this team, for the most part. |
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| Jonathan: I know if was only the first game of the year, but come how can you not be excited for the first game? The analysts on FOX were tearing apart the Rams for having zero energy, no enthusiasm, etc....doesn't that fall squarely on Linehan's shoulders? |
| Jeff Gordon: It starts there, but at some point it would be nice to see veteran players take charge. |
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| Barry Bonds: Hey Gordo at what point do Pro Sports teams and cities say no to spoiled athletes? This whole Stephen Jackson debacle is ridiculous. They should have made him sit out the whole season. |
| Jeff Gordon: But then selling tickets would have been difficult. Business is business. |
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Zuke354: For 09, I still think the cards need to sign a #3 innings guy. However, to finish off the rotation (with Pinero being fall back option), do you believe the cards can find a reliable starter out of boggs, Parisi, todd and McClellan?
As far as free agents go, can this year's class be as terrible as last year? |
| Jeff Gordon: There will be some solid free agent options among the pitchers this year. Boggs could help the bullpen and McClellan could be viable, if the Cards don't need him in the bullpen. Parisi and Garcia will miss next year with injuries, so that creates more need to make trades or FA signings. |
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Josh: Jeff, how is it possible for the Rams to be this incompetent year after year? We had a good three year run, but the football idiots in the front office (Zygmunt, Shaw, and cronies) have managed to take that lightning in a bottle and ground it straight into bedrock. They lucked into that talent pool, plain and simple. There's no way they suddenly became idiots when Vermeil left; they were idiots all along. They just managed to hide it behind good coaching.
Firing Martz was a huge mistake; I wasn't a big fan of him as a head coach because of his bonehead play calling at times, but at least his teams were competitive!! And as much as people like to rag on him for his draft picks, ultimately, the burden of our crappy drafts falls back on Shaw and Zygmunt. Period. The have no excuse for being such football dunces.
I'm seriously considering sending my resume into the Rams for the position of GM. I've put together better teams on Madden than this sorry excuse for a front office; there's no possible way I could do a worse job than this lot. |
| Jeff Gordon: Give them credit for hiring Vermeil, sticking with Dick, making him make adjustments (Martz!), getting the Faulk deal done and so forth. Charley Armey did a great job. Martz took Charley's power and the personnel issues began. Devaney is putting an end to those problems, but now the team still has lots of need. |
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| The Tin Man: I'm still looking for a heart. I know better than to look in the Ram's locker room after that debacle.... |
| Jeff Gordon: Rim shot! |
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| Lawarence Marmie: Do you think much like Tye Hill- this will be Alex Barron's Breakthrough season also? Or do you think we might have to go the extra step and bring in a 2nd grade math teacher to help him understand how to count so he doesn't continue to jump offsides every game? |
| Jeff Gordon: Poor Alex. It seems that all the Pro Bowl potential may never be realized. |
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Craig Matson-Wilson: Hi Gordo writing you again as a old time So Cal Ram fan. Ricky Manning was quoted as saying he had alot of studying to do to get up to speed on the Haslett D and he inferenced the Bear (Lovie Smith )Defence being more simplistic.
My thought is the Bear defence works , Lovie Smiths' defence worked here .
Marmies' defence didnt seem to work and it was assignment heavy by reputation , and Hasletts is also rarely effective to either complexity or the players abilities not fitting the scheme.
So if we do better and the average NfL player can perform better in a simpler defence then why are we killing ourselves with a defence for near mensa types when we are stuck with mostly average defencive players both from the mental and the physical standpoints.
We cant ask our smart slow players to cover the entire field , and we cant ask mentally unsure players to make too many adjustments no matter how fast they can run.
We need to re-think things on defence and get the thing right for our current personel or get the players to run the type of defence they want which would take 2-3 years of pure unadulterated luck !!
Your take please !! |
| Jeff Gordon: The defense is NOT that complex. Tye Hill got beat on some one-on-ones. How complex is that! |
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| Go Mizzou: I said this after the Arch Rivalry game and keep repeating it to myself, was Linehan or any of his coaching staff or any of his players in attendance for this year's Arch Rivalry game? Maybe they could've seen what electricity can be generated in the dome when two teams play their hearts out. |
| Jeff Gordon: Great point. The place rocked! |
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| craig s: Jeff, Who do you see as the most probable to be signed - Lohse or Looper and what is your take on Tony and a possible GM position in Seatle next year? |
Jeff Gordon: Tony is such a great field manager. I'd hate to see him become a GM and have to deal with agents and budgets and all the other craziness of that job. That wouldn't be as much as running a game.
I'd made Lohse a priority, then a lefty if one was available. If not, I'd take Looper. |
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| courtney: unless the rams improve throughout the season how many games do you expect they will win? what is your prediction for the score in next weeks game vs the Giants? |
| Jeff Gordon: Giants 27, Rams 17. |
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Michael Kent: Jeff ...
With 19 games left on the Cards' schedule, what sort of miraculous record will they need to compile to get into the postseason? 15-4? Or something more Colorado-like?
Also, what's up with TLR and DD holding back on bringing in Josh Kinney? He's activated, and it's not like the Cards couldn't use the extra bullpen help. What gives?
Thanks. |
| Jeff Gordon: Using a comeback case like Kinney is tough, unless the game is out of hand one way or another. That time will come. The Cubs and Brewers are scuffling now, but I see the Cards needing to be 20 over .500 to make it. |
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| Barry Bonds: Espn had a survey in regards to each franchises greatest player. Obviously Stan Musial was the Cardinals. Why doesn't Stan get more national recognition? He is arguably one of the top 6 players of all time. |
| Jeff Gordon: St. Louis is St. Louis, New York is New York. That's it. |
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| Petey123: Any chance Linehan realizes he's in way over his head and does rams fans a favor and steps down? Is he smart enough to realize he's in over his head? |
| Jeff Gordon: This guy is not a quitter. |
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| Barry Bonds: How much are psl tickets? This laissez faire attitude with the Rams is nothing new. Bulger has been like that since he arrived in The STL. I thought emotion, and desire were positive attributes for football players. Why would ownership continue to sign players to long term contracts who have no desire to win, i.e Jackson and Bulger? |
| Jeff Gordon: These guys want to win. And Jackson was fine Sunday, except for his blocking. A good program could put him to great use. |
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| Lawarence Marmie: Hey, how's that pick of Avery over Jackson looking so far? Do you think it will be just as great as the pick of Tye Hill over Cromartie? When are we going to stop thinking that the clowns in this front office know what they're doing and stop letting them and this coaching staff run the franchise into the ground? |
| Jeff Gordon: I'm still an Avery guy and I like Burton. But Jackson would have been great in the Hall role, had the team gone that direction. Overall, this draft looks pretty good. |
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| Darrell: Hill can't cover anybody, Chavous got old really fast, Brown is out of football shape, Little is hurt already. This defense couldn't stop Mizzou's offense. We may give up 1000 points. Going to be a terrible year. I'll still keep my tickets and go to the games....They're a mess, but they're our mess. Hey the draft party was fun at the dome this year.... |
| Jeff Gordon: So there was one positive this year. |
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| SoldiersofVictory: Jeff do you think Pro athletes read articles about them or even discussions like this one? If so do you think it effects them or do they just ignore it and laugh at us because they make millions a year? |
| Jeff Gordon: Some guys pay attention and get miffed. Others ignore it. I find that more wives and girlfriends pay attention -- and then they bring the shots to the attention of the athletes. |
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Doug in Bowling Green, KY: Gordo,
In response to the beating that Bulger has taken, I always thought it was much tougher to hit a moving target than a punching bag. I'm sure Ryan Fitzpatrick would just stay back in the pocket and keep taking the hits.........that's right we traded him for a seventh rounder.....just another example of letting a bunch of accountants and lawyers make football decisions. I knew the moment they let Fitzpatrick go, this coaching staff DID NOT have an eye for National Football League talent. |
| Jeff Gordon: I'm still not sure Fitzpatrick can really make a difference in the NFL. Maybe he can, but we haven't seen much of him in real game. |
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J. Horn: I hope the Ram ownership moves this (team?) back to LA or ???? Who cares!
They have screwed the fans in St. Louis worse than Bidwill. At least Big
Red fans didn't have to pay for PSL to be able to see Div 3 College class
football like the Rams. |
| Jeff Gordon: But Bidwill didn't take the team to two Super Bowls and multiple playoff berths. |
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StLbLuEs: I won't even comment on the rams... there has been enough sad tlak about them today and all of yesterday after the game.
Now, do you know how much money is actually going to be free'd up after this season for the cards? and who do you think we mihgt keep here?
Also... Tell me are you as excited for Oct 10th as i am? |
| Jeff Gordon: After Sunday's game, I'm really looking forward to hockey. The Cards will have $30 million to $35 million to keep players, give raises, take on acquired salary and acquire free agents. There's plenty to do and plenty to spend. |
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| Slim: Why did the Cards draft Wallace if there's no place for him and they might have to trade him by the end of next year? |
| Jeff Gordon: The guy can hit. Hitters are assets. You never know what can happen to a roster. Maybe he ends up in the outfield, maybe he moves along in a deal. There is an outside change he could play third and Freese could move on. |
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BlackCatBartmanGoat: On a more pleasant thought...
Every team left on the Cubs schedule has a winning record.
What are the chances they blow this?
And, MLS is considering raising their expansion fee $50 million,
does that kill a St. Louis bid? |
| Jeff Gordon: Don't know about the MLS. As for the Cubs, they are certainly reeling. It could be a fun few weeks. |
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Rich: I played linebacker in college, and I can't understand how "complex" Haslett's defense is.
Defense, at it's core, is simply desire. You've got to stop the the 11 guys in front of you.
The front four didn't do a great job of beating the Eagle's line, and the linebackers rarely ran downhill to make tackles. This gave McNabb all kinds of time.
That being said....
It didn't matter to me that a couple of cornerbacks got beat, or turned around. What mattered to me is that the entire team simply showed nothing and gave up. If I were on that team, especially the defensive side, I'd be wanting to whip some butt. Including my teammates.
There's no doubt we need an infusion of talent but to get whipped up and down the field was just sickening. We appreciate hard work and desire here in the midwest, and I won't be watching or going to any games if this is going to continue. |
| Jeff Gordon: There is more talent here than you would guess. Most of these guys would excel on a better team. But they aren't good enough to elevate a really bad team. |
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Ryan: Hi Gordo, great stuff.
It's my opinion that the Rams are trying to force a coach change by laying down. I don't blame them, as Linehan won't ever win in this league.
I think a lot of this secret directive comes from Torry Holt, Marc Bulger, and Leonard Little.
Put on the tin foil hat with me and tell me, have you heard anything that might prove what I'm saying? |
| Jeff Gordon: I don't think there is a secret directive. There is a collective lack of belief. |
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therealdealankiel: Gordo,
Is Joel Piniero all but out of the rotation/organization next year? I like the guys stuff, but he seems to have mashed potatoes between his ears. I know he's under contract, but can we really go into 2009 and give him anything more than a chance to compete for a 5th spot in spring training?
It would be nice if he were competing with Sabathia/Sheets or Lowe for that spot... |
Jeff Gordon: There will be lots of competition for starting roles next year. Joel is OK in the fifth spot, as a fallback, but it took him all season to settle in this year.
Given the injuries to Parisi and Garcia, he adds valuable depth. |
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bleedblu17: Yo Gordo,
One of the top SG's in the country was in town for a visit this week, Michael Snaer. He is supposedly very interested in Mizzou. What, besides being better with his signature, would this mean for Mizzou, maybe some more highly touted recruits interested?
What is your outlook on the upcoming Mizzou basketball season? What would be reasonable expectation? NIT or bust? There is a lot of turnover from last year, which, in this case, I believe to be a good thing. |
| Jeff Gordon: I think the NIT is a solid bet. They should have the depth up front to get this done. They have a lot of slashers and shooters. For Mike's future, he needs to get more 4-star instead all these UAB-caliber 3-star guys. |
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therealdealankiel: Gordo,
Let's call a spade a spade. We're picking top 5 in the 2009 NFL draft. Who are the top five players (in your opinion) and who would be the best fit in STL? |
| Jeff Gordon: The top OT available, period, should be the priority. Barron is lost and Pace is falling apart. |
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tulcardfan: Hiya Jeff!
Not that I'm a proponent of moving Rasmus, but if Mo could get David Price from the Rays for Rasmus, would you make that deal? |
| Jeff Gordon: Sure, but I don't know why any team would move a top young pitcher for an outfielder. |
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BrotherBri: As you mentioned in the past with Lynch, Willie Anderson, Cowher and Schottenheimer, why would any self-respecting free agent *anything* choose to come here? As long as Shaw and Zygmunt are in charge, we will choose the Hills over the Cromarties, the Trung Canidates over the best OG on the board, the Jacob Bells over the Alan Fanecas. We'll keep the Jamie Duncans and Corey Chavouses on the roster FAR too long (and that's not an anti-Vandy rant; I work at Vandy!) and overpay the Bennetts rather than restocking the O-line with quality. We won't trade up to get an A.J. Hawk, instead praying that fragile Pisa will somehow hold up. And so on, and so on, and so on ...
It starts at the top. Shaw and Zygmunt have to go. And not just immediately ... 18 months ago!!!
Ok ... guess that won't work. So immediately will have to do. |
| Jeff Gordon: Again, Devaney just got here. I think he did OK with Bell, who cost less than Faneca. I like his draft. I thought he picked up nice guys before the season started. He can't coach the team. |
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jcanaday21: In regards to the Cards...No matter what the outcome is this year I think you have to give props to the Organization, Coaching Staff and Players for holding it together through so many injuries. Most teams would have folded a long time ago and chalked it up to injuries. This team never seems to use injuries as an excuse for losing. They expect their bench and minor leaguers to take advantage of opportunities. With all that said I would like to look ahead to the offseason and see what your thoughts are. It is not rocket science to see what are major needs are. We have to sign at least 2 SP's, a lefty specialist, a big bat at either SS or 2B or both, and if possible a reliever that has closer experience in case Perez falters. Here is my wish list (and trying to be realistic due to cost, etc)
2 SP's - I think they should go aggressively to get Burnett (assume he opts out of his contract which I think he will) as I think we need a solid #3 SP. He would be great as our #3 guy and take the pressure off of him to be a #1 or #2 type guy. He showed he was healthy all year so that is a great sign. The other guy would be trying to keep Lohse(even though I think his price tag will be too high) or going after Wolf, Graland (great fit for STL and the type of pitchers we like), and maybe Byrd.
Lefty Specialist - There are plenty out there...this doesn't have to be a multi million dollar signing...just a guy that has a good track record against left handed hitters. Obviously Fuentes would be nice as he has closer experience in case Perez imploded (which I don't think he will). But he will get a ton of money thrown at him.
Big Bat SS/2B - There are only a few options out in free agent market that would help. Furcal is the ideal candidate for a leadoff hitter and SS. Also O-Dawg would be a nice fit. Also Renteria has attraction for the right price. I would not be opposed to bringing Lopez back for a yr and put him in competition for 2B and spend the money on a SS.
Reliever with closer experience - I named Fuentes even though I think there is little to no chance of this. Maybe a guy like Lyons or Torres would make sense.
With all that said what are your thoughts? Thanks for taking my Q Gordo. |
| Jeff Gordon: These are all legit ideas. There are a number of things to be done, but there should be the money there to do it. And the options will be there. |
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therealdealankiel: Gordo,
IF the cards were to sneak into the playoffs, would Carpenter even be considered for the rotation, or is it too late/risky with '09 in mind?
I would imagine we'd be looking at AW, Lohse and Wellemeyer. |
Jeff Gordon: The longer the team plays, the more possible that move would be. But the team is a long shot, still, so it's a moot point.
Gotta run. See you next week! |
