ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

Unless you live under a rock, I'm sure you've heard about Albert Pujols' wrist injury by now. He was 3 for 3 with a home run so far in the game when he went down. Hard. I had a friend in attendance yesterday whose Facebook status read, "And that's the quitest I've ever heard Busch Stadium..." I think fans collectively held their breath as he writhed around in pain on the grass: I know I sure did.

The good news is that the injury may not be as bad as it looked. He has been diagnosed with a sprained left wrist and will undergo further testing today. If the results of said tests show anything significant, our All Star first baseman and face of the franchise may be headed to the Disabled List. So many of his teammates already occupy the DL that there might not be any room for him!

If Albert can't play for a couple of weeks then I think my Cardinals are in big trouble. Although the past 2 games at Busch have been exciting with several lead changes, our starting pitching has been anything but impressive. Westbrook, Garcia, and Fernando Salas were lucky that Matt Holliday and Skip Schumaker had some late-inning heroics up their sleeves (or should I say socks) to get their pitchers off the hook.

The key word here is lucky. If Matt Holliday was still injured then we probably wouldn't have won Saturday's game. Instead we would have ridden an 8-game losing streak into Sunday afternoon. Thank God Matt is back, and looking healthier than ever.

Now a congratulations to the man of the hour, Skip Schumaker. I read that the walk-off yesterday was his first Major League home run EVER off of a left-handed pitcher. It couldn't have come at a better time, that's for sure. This brings up a valid point however, and a question that I have to ask...

I read Buzz Bissinger's "3 Nights in August". The book is basically an in-depth look at what goes through Tony La Russa's mind before, during, and after a baseball game. It seems that the skipper is a numbers guy. He pays a lot of attention to match-ups, and pores over pages of statistics before game time every night. He even keeps index cards with his scribbles in his pockets as reminders.

Tony had to know that Schumaker had yet to hit a home run off of a left-handed pitcher. After Descalso was thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double, I'm willing to bet that the thought crossed his mind. Lucky for us, Kozma had started the game. With Punto on the DL and Tyler Greene back in Memphis (thankfully!) Tony didn't have a choice but to let Skip hit. If he pinch-hit for him to no-avail, who would play second base in extra innings?

If Kozma hadn't started the game, or Berkman was still on the bench, or Pujols was still healthy, what would La Russa have done? Managing a professional baseball team has to be hard-work, which is why he makes the big bucks. It is also why he has managed over 5,000 games in his career from the dugout steps, while I sit at home on my couch with a beer in hand ready to second guess him!

Here's to hoping for good news this afternoon about Albert, and another congrats to Skip Schumaker. I hope it was a Father's Day to remember!

MR CLUTCH! (IT'S ALL IN THE SOCKS)

Last night's game against the Kansas City Royals was exciting to say the least. The best part about the eventful evening was that the Cardinals FINALLY came out on top. I would have preferred to win by more than one run, but beggars can't be choosers.

Who was the man of the hour? Matt Holliday of course! We were down by a run with 1 out in the bottom of the 8'th inning. I had a bad feeling that the game would end like the rest of the past week's worth, in bitter disappointment. Luckily Holliday had other ideas, and his 2 run bomb to straight center field gave us a lead that we would not relinquish. The Cardinals desperately missed their left fielder when he was on the DL, and last night he reminded us why. 

As we all know, our boys were in a 7-game losing streak heading into last night's game. It's common knowledge that baseball tends to be somewhat of a superstitious affair. Yadier Molina, Ryan Theriot, Skip Shumacher, Matt Holliday, and several of the guys on the bench decided that it was time to switch up their routine, because the team couldn't snap out of their downward skid. Enter the high socks...

I'm all for teams doing whatever works for them. If they believe in it, then go for it. High socks, shaved heads, and rally caps are cool with me. Some guys like Pedro Cerrano from "Major League" take it a little too far. The only thing I ask is that they wash their underwear, because dirty sweaty undies aren't lucky: they're gross.

The socks worked. I for one think they're kind of goofy. I guess Pujols and Berkman felt the same since they didn't rock the socks. Baseball isn't a fashion contest though. The only thing that matters is the end result: who goes home with the W. Last night it was St Louis, even though we won by a thread. I'm hoping that that's all the inspiration the team will need to right the ship. I want to see them come out swinging today. Get the lead fast and don't look back. With Jaime Garcia starting, there is a good chance that they can make that happen for me.

Another thing that impressed me yesterday - Tony La Russa and John Mozeliak finally agreed with me on something: Tyler Greene stinks! I was wondering how many more errors the guy would make before the club would finally do something about it. I have a baseball with his autograph on it from Spring Training. I got it because he was a first round draft pick at one point, so I figured it was a good investment at the time...I doubt I could get 50 cents for it with the way he has been playing. I might have to pay someone to take it off my hands instead. Friday night, he struck out twice in the same inning. I guess that performance earned him a one-way ticket back to Memphis!

I'm a Cardinals fan. I don't want to see guys like Greene or Ryan Franklin struggle. I feel for them, just like I'm sure their coaches do. However, enough is enough. They have jobs to do and games to win, and players are either assets or liabilities for their clubs. Let's write Franklin off next! I want to see my Birds doing this dance again come the end of October.

LEBRON WHO?? THE REALLY BIG 3: PUJOLS, HOLLIDAY & BERKMAN

When Cleveland Cavaliers star Lebron James decided to "Take his talents to South Beach" there was a big fuss about the projected Big 3 that the Miami Heat would have in their starting lineup: Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Lebron himself.
I'm over it.
 Let's talk about the REALLY BIG 3: Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and Lance Berkman. When these guys are healthy, I would hate to be the National League opposing pitcher up against our 3,4, and 5 hitters. Throw Colby Rasmus, Yadier Molina, and clutch-man of late Ryan Theriot in the mix, and the fact of the matter is that we should be unbeatable.
Before Holliday came to town, opposing managers had the option to intentionally walk Albert, or simply pitch around him, putting him on base. They would have rather faced the cleanup hitter, whoever that was. I guess you could say that they still have that option...except now Matt Holliday waits in the on-deck circle, and Berkman lingers in the dugout beyond. Pick your poison Bruce Bochy, Dusty Baker & company: Pujols, Holliday or Berkman? I guess you could pitch around all 3 of them and load the bases if you really wanted to...

Cubs first year manager Mike Quade had his pitchers go right after Albert this weekend, and he learned the hard way (twice in fact) that he made the wrong decision. I read an interview with him after Saturday's game and he said that he would never make that mistake again...Fast forward to Sunday as Pujols circled the bases yet again...want to take back that statement Mike?

As of June 7 it seems that St Louis's REALLY BIG 3 are headed to Arizona in July for the 2011 All-Star Game as projected starters for the National League. So far Holliday has torn it up at the plate, and torn up his appendix and quad in the process. Berkman has cooled off a bit as of late, but the Cardinals begin a series with the Astros tonight. We all know what happened the last time Lance went home. With the way his season has been going thus far, he's on track to be the NL Comeback Player of the Year. Not bad for a guy who had a dismal second half of the season with the Yankees last year, and everyone said that his career was over then.

From the Cubs series over the weekend, I think we've all seen what Albert is capable of doing on his own. I just think it's always easier to get by with a little help from your friends. We have Holliday locked up in a 7 year contract. If Berkman's season keeps going the way that it's going, he might want to stick around as well: all the more reason for Albert to sign with the Cardinals again. If he needs an incentive, he's got it in the 2 guys behind him, protecting him in the lineup.

We've all seen what the Miami Heat are on their way to accomplishing this year. Here's to hoping that the St Louis Cardinals can do the same. When Big Puma decided to "Take his talents to Busch Stadium" Cardinal fans should have realized what we were in for. Hang on for the ride!