Been too long-my friends too long

Indeed, it has been a long time my friends since my last posting; the Royals won a World Series that doesn’t need an asterisk-congrats boys in blue,

Yadi won yet another (8^th straight) Gold Glove

and Jason Heyward won his first, and I hope not last, Gold Glove with the Redbirds

, Lance Lynn had TJ surgery-WTF

, Ray over at All Cards All the Time sent me a fantastic 2014 Topps Tek Ron Gant

(as a Redbird) auto-thank you Ray!, reader Jim some extra 2009 Topps T206 cards to get closer to completing that set

, some a@# hat totaled our Jetta VW (I am banged up but I will be OK)

, which means I can’t attend the card show later this month that Jim turned me on to, and some other a@# hats murdered a bunch of folks in Paris.

Put a Fork in 'em

OK, my period of mourning has officially ended, and my in-laws have departed. At times I hate when I am right, I really do, about something or someone. But I have to say I checked out the minute when it was announced by this guy 

  this guy would start  

for pivotal Game 3 in Chicago.   Beginning August 23rd Wacha’s record is as such. August 23rd he went 6 innings, August 28^th 6 innings, September 8th 4 innings, September 13 6 innings, September 19^th 5 innings, September 24^th 4 innings, and September 30^th 4 innings. Over the span of these games he gave up a total of 36 ruuuuuuunnnnnnssssss! My wife put it bluntly the minute I said the Redbirds were starting Wacha “Why don’t they start Tyler Lyons?” Well said honey, great question for Mike and Mo?

They will not fire this guy

but they should. Like I said, I stopped watching at that point as it was inevitable they weren’t going to win the series.  Any who, I am going to be more active posting than I have been the last few weeks as another passion of mine is genealogy (family history) and that has taken up some free time I would have otherwise used to blog. I have a box of 2015 Donruss Soccer waiting to be busted and I am expecting a Hobby box of Topps 2009 T-206 this week as the dealer didn’t have the rack pack boxes he did in June at Serramonte Mall a few weeks ago ( shock of shocks). I have some cards from Ray over at All Cardinals All the Time and I have been picking up some reasonably priced autos and a cool 1/1 Yadi card !

The only bright spots for me this weekend in the world of sports is the Cubs being down two games to zero-but those Cubs are wily so I hope the Mets don‘t let them off the mat. We also received the Cardinals’ Magazine with this freaking great cover-best ever.

And so it Begins.

 

This afternoon the Cards face off against the "lovable" losers from the North Side of Chicago. I am fairly certain everyone but Cardinals' Nation is rooting for the Cubs because they have lost for so long and they aren't the Birds. The Cardinals are underdogs picked by many to lose to the upstart Cubies.  I don't feel sorry for the Cubs fans for not having won a World Series since 1908-it is your fault for supporting an organization that hasn't worked all that hard to win-up until now.

The have been able to make some trades with their deep highly seeded draft picks (again for being a loser) to beef up their young talent. I don't begrudge the Cubs for doing so but please don't make it seem like you all created a miracle roster from barebones draft picks from continuously loosing-as the Redbirds did. Listing to the Astros-Yanks game the other night Kruk and said what I have been saying, the Astros and by extension the Cubs,  ought to be good for getting great draft picks for loosing for so long. Not rocket science.

              Round  Overall  Pick                    

2015      1            9            9            Ian Happ (minors)

2014      1            4            4            Kyle Schwarber (minors)

2013      1            2            2            Kris Bryant (minors)

2012      1            6            6            Albert Almora (minors)

2012      1s          43          43          *Pierce Johnson (minors)

2012      1s          56          56          *Paul Blackburn (minors)

2011      1            9            9            Javier Baez (minors)

2010      1            16          16          Hayden Simpson (minors)

2009      1            31          31          Brett Jackson (minors)

2008      1            19          19          Andrew Cashner (minors)

2008      1s          41          41          *Ryan Flaherty (minors)

2007      1            3            3            Josh Vitters (minors)

2007      1s          48          48          *Josh Donaldson (minors)

I am very concerned about the Birds-they looked a little bewildered the last two series against the Cubs-as if they didn't have a clue. This in turn empowered the already heady Cubs into believing they can beat up on the Birds. Second, the Cardinals are not going in to this series with any momentum. They lost their last three games, and their offense was flat,-yeah, against Braves!Lastly, this seems like the Cubs year- a "story" book season for them.

Having said that, who do I think will win the series and how so?

 

 

My prediction-

1. If the Cardinals get down early the first game they are in trouble.

2. If they loose the first game today they will not win the Series.
3. Injuries, injuries finally catch up with the Birds.

4. They have to take the two in STL because they can't go in to the Windy City down one game or two.

5. This is important because you are going to get Arrieta for Game 3. An interesting fact about Jake. He was born in the same town, Farmington, MO, that some of my family are from and live.

6. The Birds have the world rooting against them.

7. Joe is a better manager than Mike.

8. No Carlito Martinez,

instead Wacha

- who seems gassed to me.

Prediction? Cubs win in 4 Games.

 

That's a Winner!

The boyz have pulled off one of the best seasons (regular) in recent MLB history in undoubtably the toughest division in baseball. Exaggeration you say? Through the course of the season they were with out Oscar Taveras, Waino, Adams, Holliday, Wong, Carlos, Randal, Steven, Walden, Belisle, Jaime, and of course Yadi for long stretches of time. The Cubs in comparison only Soler, yet in spite of my issues with this guy.

The idiots that make the decisions on Manager of the Year will go with Joe Maddon, again because they are idiots.

I am not sure how far they will go in the post season but I am very proud they repeated for a third straight year having had all of the aforementioned injures.

I didn't watch the first game of yesterday's double header but I did the second-and Jason 

was the man-he Tyler Lyons, Tony Cruz, Adams, and Carpenter-amongst others had a great game. Highlights


Go Cards!

R.I.P Yogi

We lost a great player, person, veteran, and St. Louisan yesterday. Here is a repost of the All-St.Louis All-Star Team post I wrote earlier this year. Yogi

Packs 22, 23 & 24 (That's a Wrap (er))

Pack 22

Brett Gardner Damn Yank -1

 Mini Black ‘Cutch +3

Starting Point Stanton +2

Pack total +4
Box total +150

Pack 23

Jimbo who? -1

Starting Points Davish +2

Mini A&G Bryant +2

Pack total +3
Box total +153

Pack 24

Joey Bats FP +2

Menagerie of the mind Griffin +2

Pack total +4
Box total +157

All in all I had a good box especially since I pulled a Julie auto-the issue has been not enough FPs or FT cards. This is really the key to success-yes you need big hits but it is the small points that add up. Plus a second straight year of pulling a Yankee relic doesn't help. There is always GAC2016.

Rest in Peace you Crazy Dominican

 I can honestly say that before 1982 I can’t remember too many baseball events-I can remember clearly The Mad Hungarian and his antics, I have a vague recollection of Reggie Jackson and his ’77 World Series Game 6 three homerun history, I can remember Lou Brock and his breaking of the all-time stolen base record of Ty Cobb in 1977-How could I not have living in the STL suburbs. I can remember the ’79 “We are Family” Pirates and that World Series. However, the first real and consistent memories began in 1981 when my dad and I watched Gary Templeton make an obscene gesture towards Redbird fans on live TV and his departure soon after for a light hitting defensive wizard from San Diego.  

 

 The 1982 World Series became etched in my Cardinal Nation memory-as I write this I fear the Birds are in an epic and historical collapse.  But in 1982 it was with Joaquin Andujar that I became hooked, and ditched football. He was exciting, emotional, dedicated, and passionate.

He won the 7^th Game of the 1982 World Series, he punched a fan after the horrible, shameful call, in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series (Royals’ fans-how do you in good conscious claim that title so proudly?). So I was saddened to hear of his passing at 62 from diabetes yesterday via one of my many Android Cardinals’ alerts. I will always remember you with fondness. Rest in Peace you Crazy Dominican.

GAC 15 Packs 19-21 End is Nigh

Pack 19

Full Size Relic FSRB Justin Verlandr +6 We jinxed him in his no hit bid by turning the game on in 7th. 

Mini A&G Back Andrew Cashner +2 

Starting Points Miggy +2 

Pack Total 10

Box total 140

Pack 20

Great Scott Dolly the Sheep +2 

Regular Craig Kimbrel FP +2 

Pack total +4

Box total 144

Pack 21

Starting Points Jose Abreu +2

Pack total +2

Box total +146