tourniquet of errors

thank god for errors... if you can't hope for good play, at least hope for the other guy's mistakes. last night was ugly, but i was hanging on shannon and rooney's every word. i've never been so happy to hear about a bad throw, even if it allowed the game winning run to cross the plate, as i was about this one.

the bullpen still needs some help.

the starters still need some help.

this win is like the first food a man starving for eight days gets to eat. even after he has consumed it, he is still technically starving, though he damned sure feels better.

where did albert leave his bat? ok, that really isn't fair, as he did just come back from an injury, and if the production he's had since the injury had come from say, yadier, we'd be thrilled. however, i worry that perhaps he is trying to push too soon and playing at less than 100%. i'd rather have a 100% el hombre in september/october than a 85% el hombre for the remainder of the year. true, since he's the best player in the game, at 85%, he's still amazing, but it's more like jeff francoeur amazing. we won't be hanging our championship hats on a jeff francoeur type player. on the other hand, if we can kick the pitching in the ass to get things back to normal, we can ride the (100%) pujols gravy train to at least a pennant.

but damnit, i'll not be satisfied by a pennant. this season was supposed to be our world series winner. if they don't spend, we don't win. i don't advocate throwing money at a problem, but with walt jocketty, that wouldn't be the case anyway.

shel·lac also shel·lack (sh-lk) KEY NOUN:
1. A purified lac in the form of thin yellow or orange flakes, often bleached white and widely used in varnishes, paints, inks, sealants, and formerly in phonograph records.
2. A thin varnish made by dissolving this substance in denatured alcohol, used to finish wood.
3. An old phonograph record containing this substance, typically played at 78 rpm. TRANSITIVE VERB:
1. shel·lacked , also shel·lacked shel·lack·ing , shel·lack·ing shel·lacs , shel·lacks To coat or finish with shellac.
2. Slang
a. To strike repeatedly and severely; batter.
b. To defeat decisively.

i think both of the slang definitions apply to last night, don't you?

we already knew ponson was having issues, but without at least a tolerably decent mulder (and for that matter, brad thompson), we are in serious trouble...

the boy at busch

call me kool-aid man

but oh yeah! good god we needed to win a series, even if it was against the brewers. we needed to learn that we didn't have to hang every win squarely on el hombre's broad shoulders. we needed yadier to figure out what to do with that stick he's been flailing about with. we needed scott rolen to continue playing like he's the on-base master he's been this year (i won't worry about power yet). we needed a first baseman who's head doesn't look disporportionately tiny and young when compared to his massive physique. ok, we don't always get what we need.

i'll post the 2 pictures of jack's first game soon. they're at home, and i just haven't had the time to do so yet.

what's all this about great minds?

i think that it's really funny that three cards bloggers other than me titled a post since saturday "the sky is falling."

izzy, izzy, izzy, damnitall.

the sky is falling

ok, so i'm most concerned about albert and his work ethic right now. he's going to be itching to come back, and could end up making this injury a lifetime problem if he comes back too soon. for the love of god, dierdre, keep him at the house!

but seriously, let's think about this rationally.

the last two years, the cardinals have breezed through the season, running away with the division, only to be beaten inthe playoffs by the team with something to prove who had come from behind with an amazing september/october hot streak. we've played like we were tired from playing a long winning season in these games. this probably won't be the case this year, now will it? i think we'll maintain a winning percentage even without el hombre (call me a kool-aid drinker if you will), especially if we go ahead and make some kind of net positive trade. i mean, despite his ups and (scary) downs, i'm a jason marquis fan, but right now he's tied for first place in wins in the major leagues, and that can't hurt his trade value. someone is blind enough to trade a decent bat for him, right? (maybe not...)

jack really will be headed to his first cardinals game on wednesday. i'll post baby at the game pictures when i have them.