One of the best days of the year. Go Cardinals!
Holy smokes, folks! It’s Opening Day!
The great John Fogerty in the great 1985 hit “Centerfield” sang:
Well uh beat the drum and hold the phone
The sun came out today
We're born again, there's new grass on the field
A-roundin' third, I'm headed for home
It's a brown-eyed handsome man
Anyone can understand the way I feel
Let’s go St. Louis Cardinals!
One of the best days of the year. Go Cardinals!
"This is the best of all possible worlds."
Dr. Pangloss - Candide
It's definitely about time. I so love baseball and have totally missed all the baseball conversations with Mr Sumner and Mr. Featherston from back in the day when spring training rolled around during basketball season.
Duke '96
Cary, NC
Hoping for a good year for my Metsies. LGM.
Good to have an owner who will actually spend and not treat the franchise like a small-market team.
Mets-Nat’s game postponed due to Covid.
Really, most of what I've seen has the Braves edging them out. Either way the NL East is stacked this year. I'm a Braves fan, have been since I was a kid, and I'm hoping the arms we added to the rotation will get us over the hump this year. The problem is the Dodgers, Padres and Mets are all as good or better so whoever comes out of the NL this year is going to have to earn it.
"The future ain't what it used to be."
Lol yeah I was done with the Barves when they left Richmond and moved the AAA Richmond Barves to Gwinnett. Haven’t supported them since. Married into a Cardinals family and find their organization much more pleasant to support. Grew up going to Richmond Barves games so it hurt at first not pulling for them anymore but just couldn’t support them after they pulled out of Richmond.
Most (not all) predictions I’ve read have gone with the NYM to win the NL East. I guess Mark DeRosa picked the Braves to win it all on MLB Network earlier today. The Braves are loaded. It will be nice to have Soroka back. Everyone has to get through the Dodgers. The Braves are good but the Dodgers to me are head and shoulders better than anyone in the NL. The Braves in the playoffs just can’t get over the hump, too. Can’t believe it’s been 26 years since their last (only) World Series title now. For the longest time they couldn’t even win a playoff series. I like Snitker as their manager, paid his dues in the organization and has been rewarded with a club that can compete for a title. That’s all you can ask for.
Tigers beat the Indians despite a heroic attempt by the bullpen to blow it...must photograph the standings tomorrow.
Unfortunately watched the end of the Yanks losing in 10 to the Blue Jays. I still need to get used to the rule putting a runner on second in extra innings - I was thinking "did I miss something? Where did he come from?"
The St. Louis Cardinals started off the 2021 season with an 11-6 win over the Cincinnati Reds today in Cincinnati. Always good to win the first one. The boys broke out the hitting shoes!
Notables: Nolan Arenado in his Cardinals debut at 3B - 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Paul Goldschmidt - 4-5, 3 R, 1 RBI
Tyler O’Neill - 1-4, 2 run HR
Dylan Carlson (Rookie of the Year candidate) - 1-3, 3 run HR
Was good to see Alex Reyes pitch in the 9th who has battled numerous arm injuries thus far in his young career. Cardinals manager Mike Shildt has tabbed him as the closer this season.
I'm really rooting for Reyes this season. He's had some tough injuries in his still young career. The Card's bullpen should be good with Reyes and Hicks at the end. Great to see Carlson hit that home run and get the team off to a good start. He could be Rookie of the Year. I'm anxious to see how Nolan will hit away from Coors this year. I believe he will be around .285, 30 homers and 100 RBI. The starting pitching has me worried. Jack didn't get off to a good start yesterday. 6 runs and all earned.
GoDuke and GoRedbirds!
I was so happy to see Reyes throw the 9th. He has so much potential if he can stay healthy. Like you said, the Cards back end of the bullpen looks strong. Hicks, Reyes, and Helsley are all power right handed arms that throw straight gas. Webb, Miller, and Cabrera are good LHP relievers that can be extended for a couple innings if needed. Yeah, the big question is how is Arenado going to hit away from Coors. I’d take .285 with 30 HR and 100 RBI along with his gold glove caliber defense at 3B. The rotation has potential but is questionable. Flaherty got ripped yesterday but I still think he’s a stud. Will be interesting to see how Wainwright does at his age again this year. Carlos Martinez is a question mark, Ponce de Leon is up and down but can throw a good game sometimes, Mikolas is injured right now, Gant when on is reliable with his changeup but still is a fringe starter and sometimes does better as a reliever.