Running 2011 Baseball Thread, Vol. I: Dedicated to spnited

Fielder quietly gave up on the veggie diet a couple of years ago.

 

I know a Brewers beat guy who says the Veggie diet lasted all of one week.

 

. . . and I hate the Cardinals (yeah, I'm probably more than a little jealous of them . . . ), but you block out the team names, and Suburbia's comment is dead on.

What's more, it's the way it goddamn should be. Nothing I hate more than athletically-blessed teams who are more than few bricks shy of a load upstairs, coasting to titles despite pulling one mental rock after another. Grinds my gears to the max.


And Tommy . . . I'm still thrilled about the Mavs. They addressed their shortcomings, played the game the right way, and beat a bunch of swellheads with zero chemistry. Other than the Bulls', don't recall enjoying an NBA
finale quite so much.

 

The Cardinals didn't make repeated mental mistakes?

I like the fact that the championship means more than being some imaginary "best team."

But I hate the way the history of the team that wins the championship is immediately revised.

 

Look, the Cardinals were 10 1/2 out in the last week of August. They had to beat the two best teams in the NL to get to the World Series and then a 96-win, defending AL champion in the World Series. They came back from one strike away TWICE to force Game Seven and win the Series. I don't know how anyone can dismiss the idea they weren't the best team--the best sum of the parts. To possess that kind of intestinal fortitude is incredible, and incredibly rare.

 

They still suck.

 

Why do so many people not like Carpenter?

 

Eight seasons with LaRussa?

 

Because he's a punk-ass bitch on the field. Much like his manager and freak first baseman.

 

They are the champions, yes. But at the same time, one could also make the same argument heard about the Giants all last winter: They got hot at the right time.

 

So how is that different from a lot of years? You think Gene Tenace was actually good?

 

The Cardinals, as they were constructed in the playoffs, were not the worst of the eight teams. I think they were clearly better than the Brewers, Diamondbacks and Rays. They only won 90 games largely because of injuries, horrible infield defense and bullpen blowups. All those things were fixed in the playoffs.