2021 MLB Season

[CameronDuke]

Why don't we just rename this thread "The 2021 St. Louis Cardinals Season"?
That would certainly be a more accurate description of the contents.

Let's go, Mets!

It will be interesting to see if the Mets remain the only team above .500 in the NL East this year for the entire season like they currently are. I’m sure lots of teams would like to trade places with them - shouldn’t be too terribly difficult for them to secure a division title this season!

[duke74]

Why don't we just rename this thread "The 2021 St. Louis Cardinals Season"?
That would certainly be a more accurate description of the contents.

Let's go, Mets!

Well put. Beat me to it!

LGM!

[luvdahops]

Why don't we just rename this thread "The 2021 St. Louis Cardinals Season"?
That would certainly be a more accurate description of the contents.

Let's go, Mets!

Even as a Cubs fan, I don’t mind the volume of Cards related posts.

But the habit of regularly spelling out the “St. Louis Cardinals” in a thread entitled “2021 MLB Season” seems more than a little over the top.

I’m pretty sure everyone knows by now which team you’re referring to...

[CameronDuke]

The fussiness and hilariously dry takes by some of the old maids on this board is farcical at times. Who cares what we refer to our team as? Is it against the rules to call a team by their name? This isn’t a verbal conversation. It’s a message board.

I hope when I am of age to get senior citizen discounts and play from the forward tees that I am not as cranky.

Get off my lawn!

Let’s Go Cardinals! (Did I do that right?)

[camion]

The fussiness and hilariously dry takes by some of the old maids on this board is farcical at times. Who cares what we refer to our team as? Is it against the rules to call a team by their name? This isn’t a verbal conversation. It’s a message board.

I hope when I am of age to get senior citizen discounts and play from the forward tees that I am not as cranky.

Get off my lawn!

Let’s Go Cardinals! (Did I do that right?)

Someone didn't get their afternoon nap.

And stay off my lawn. Danged youngsters.

[CameronDuke]

Someone didn't get their afternoon nap.

And stay off my lawn. Danged youngsters.

I’m all hopped up on Bengay and Werther’s originals waiting in line for the early bird special at Shoney’s!

[YmoBeThere]

I’m all hopped up on Bengay and Werther’s originals waiting in line for the early bird special at Shoney’s!

Flexall 454 > Bengay

[cspan37421]

I’m all hopped up on Bengay and Werther’s originals waiting in line for the early bird special at Shoney’s!

6:51pm? You must be on the west coast. Hope you get back in time for Matlock!

[luvdahops]

The fussiness and hilariously dry takes by some of the old maids on this board is farcical at times. Who cares what we refer to our team as? Is it against the rules to call a team by their name? This isn’t a verbal conversation. It’s a message board.

I hope when I am of age to get senior citizen discounts and play from the forward tees that I am not as cranky.

Get off my lawn!

Let’s Go Cardinals! (Did I do that right?)

Oh, so I’m the one guilty of being overly fussy? Here on the Duke University Blue Devils Message Board? If you say so.

That my post struck such a nerve suggests you know exactly why I was calling you out. And btw, I’m not much a rule follower, much less a rule enforcer. More of an irreverent smart-I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this. by nature. Does that help?

[CameronDuke]

Oh, so I’m the one guilty of being overly fussy? Here on the Duke University Blue Devils Message Board? If you say so.

That my post struck such a nerve suggests you know exactly why I was calling you out. And btw, I’m not much a rule follower, much less a rule enforcer. More of an irreverent smart-I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this.I'm a real wanker for saying this. by nature. Does that help?

No, I don’t know why you called me out. For being a good, true fan of my team? It seems you are the one whose nerve was being struck if I’m being honest.

I come here to post my analysis, thoughts, and recaps of the team which I closely follow, as well as general observations from time to time about happenings in the MLB. If I’m breaking any explicit rules, let me know. If you don’t like what I post or the style in which I post it, though, that seems like your problem and not mine.

[CDu]

Why don't we just rename this thread "The 2021 St. Louis Cardinals Season"?
That would certainly be a more accurate description of the contents.

Let's go, Mets!

Big series this week between the first-place Mets and co-first place Cubs. The Cubs are looking to wrap up a brutal stretch which included 4 against the Giants, 6 against the Padres, 3 against the Cards, and now 4 against the Mets. Will be pleased to have this stretch in the rear view mirror. So far, they have gone 9-4, including a sweep of the Cards and the Padres in Wrigley.

[jv001]

Why don't we just rename this thread "The 2021 St. Louis Cardinals Season"?
That would certainly be a more accurate description of the contents.

Let's go, Mets!

Se ya, wouldn't won't a be ya! And;

GoCards!

[Blue in the Face]

MLB set to announce inspections of pitchers for sticky stuff.

The umpires will search starting pitchers at least twice and relievers at least once during games. They can check any part of the uniform or skin showing on the players. In order to keep with pace-of-play concerns, routine checks will only be made during commercial breaks. If a pitcher is suspected of use at any time, a check could take place during the inning. If a substance is found, the pitcher will be ejected on the spot and anything with the substance on it will be taken by MLB for examination.

The umps will check the gloves of position players if it is suspected they are doctoring the balls for pitchers.

[luvdahops]

Big series this week between the first-place Mets and co-first place Cubs. The Cubs are looking to wrap up a brutal stretch which included 4 against the Giants, 6 against the Padres, 3 against the Cards, and now 4 against the Mets. Will be pleased to have this stretch in the rear view mirror. So far, they have gone 9-4, including a sweep of the Cards and the Padres in Wrigley.

Good story in the Athletic today for Cubs fans titled How this Cubs season went totally off script as Cardinals are swept out of Wrigley Field: ‘It’s incredible’. It touches on one of the keys to their recent success, namely the timely and substantial contributions from a number of down roster players that have offset injuries and/or poor starts by some starters, or bolstered depth in the bullpen. After a long stretch of expensive mistakes, the front office instead filled out the roster this past offseason with a bunch of one-year and minor league contracts, most of which look like bargains if not steals at the moment (at least 10 have positive WAR ratings so far). Including, to the extreme delight of Cubs fans, former Cardinals prospect Patrick Wisdom, who has 8 HRs and a 1.202 OPS in 56 plate appearances, though he went just 1-8 in the weekend sweep.

In reality, pretty much everything has broken right for the Cubs since the beginning of May, the polar opposite of the Cardinals, who seem pretty snakebit lately. Including not being able to capitalize on a much needed gem from Carlos Martinez last night. But those things have a way of evening out over the course of a season, and I doubt that even the most optimistic Cubs fans expect them to sustain this momentum through the balance of the season, given how unlikely some of the sources of it have been. I thought before the season started that the Brewers were the best NL Central team on paper, and still think their rotational dominance and premier closer in Hader will carry the day, even if the lineup continues to underachieve. Unless the Cubs do something dramatic at the trade deadline, such as acquiring an ace to front the rotation. Which would be going totally off script for sure.

[accfanfrom1970]

With Snell gone I don’t think I can name a starter for Tampa Bay, much less their starting lineup, yet they have the best record overall - a testament to their developing and trading for talent. I hope they win it all, assuming St. Louis isn’t in it.

[Rogue]

It has been rumored in the national media that the St Louis Cardinal fan are the most knowledgeable . We have a couple of avid Cards fans here and I actually enjoy their post. They seem to know what my Padres are doing on any given day. THAT IS NOT NORMAL lol.

By the way, my Padres are in a nice slump. While currently , still 8 games over .500 , they are 3 and 7 out of the last 10. While on June 1st we were in first place, we are now 4 games back in 3rd place. Time for the Giants to feel a losing streak.

My personal favorite Cardinals story. I was in Chicago in late September 1987. The Cards were in first place, heading for the World Series. I'd never been to Wrigley Field. I was staying at the Hyatt on the Chi River. Hotel was full of Cardinal fans. The Rivalry. It was Sunday afternoon and I bought tickets outside the stadium, upper deck, first base. $11 a ticket .lol Crazy. Andre Dawson hit his 47th HR. That evening we ate at Ron of Japan on Ontario St. and 4 Cardinals and their wives were there dining. I recognized Terry Pendleton and Ozzie ( Padre ) Smith, Willie McGee, Alex Pena . ( no Jack Clark sighhhhhhhh ) . No, I didn't bother them lol. Had it been 2021 I might have figured out a way of getting a cell phone pic. Autographs were the only thing people asked for in '87 lol. Fun day and evening .

Side note: It was Sept 27th and the NFL was on strike. Had they not have been on strike, the Bears would have been hosting the Vikings at the old Soldier Field. The Blackhawks were hosting the Edmonton Oiler. The Oilers were staying at the same hotel as I. I never saw Gretzky, but did get to talk to Grant Fuhr and Jari Kurri ( 96 pts 43 goals ), and Mark Messier ( 111 points ) . They won the Stanley Cup

[jv001]

It has been rumored in the national media that the St Louis Cardinal fan are the most knowledgeable . We have a couple of avid Cards fans here and I actually enjoy their post. They seem to know what my Padres are doing on any given day. THAT IS NOT NORMAL lol.

By the way, my Padres are in a nice slump. While currently , still 8 games over .500 , they are 3 and 7 out of the last 10. While on June 1st we were in first place, we are now 4 games back in 3rd place. Time for the Giants to feel a losing streak.

My personal favorite Cardinals story. I was in Chicago in late September 1987. The Cards were in first place, heading for the World Series. I'd never been to Wrigley Field. I was staying at the Hyatt on the Chi River. Hotel was full of Cardinal fans. The Rivalry. It was Sunday afternoon and I bought tickets outside the stadium, upper deck, first base. $11 a ticket .lol Crazy. Andre Dawson hit his 47th HR. That evening we ate at Ron of Japan on Ontario St. and 4 Cardinals and their wives were there dining. I recognized Terry Pendleton and Ozzie ( Padre ) Smith, Willie McGee, Alex Pena . ( no Jack Clark sighhhhhhhh ) . No, I didn't bother them lol. Had it been 2021 I might have figured out a way of getting a cell phone pic. Autographs were the only thing people asked for in '87 lol. Fun day and evening .

Side note: It was Sept 27th and the NFL was on strike. Had they not have been on strike, the Bears would have been hosting the Vikings at the old Soldier Field. The Blackhawks were hosting the Edmonton Oiler. The Oilers were staying at the same hotel as I. I never saw Gretzky, but did get to talk to Grant Fuhr and Jari Kurri ( 96 pts 43 goals ), and Mark Messier ( 111 points ) . They won the Stanley Cup

Good post. I'm sorry if I offended anyone with my Cardinal updates but I did include other information at times. Like standings, etc. I read the first negative post right before going to church Sunday morning. I tried to type a comment that basically said; I wish more people would post information on their favorite baseball team. For some reason, my computer stalled and the post didn't happen. I love baseball and it was the first sport that I became interested in. As a kid growing up, I checked the newspaper every morning to see how my team did. I kept up with batting average on Cardinal players daily. I did the math my self after checking the box score ever day. In those days there were two divisions, the NL and the AL. I could name every player at every position on each team.
In the post that wasn't, I mentioned that I'd love to hear some of Mr. Sumner's stories on his Yankees(think he's a Yankee fan?). I believe he could give us baseball fans some interesting stories on Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Billy Martin, Phil Rizzuto, Roger Maris, Allie Reynolds, etc. By the way, I'm not saying Mr. Sumner is old, just that he reads a lot.

[CameronDuke]

Yes I am an avid baseball fan and a die hard Cardinals fan. Seeing The Birds on the Bat make me feel a certain way inside and I take pride in how their organization is run, their passionate Midwest fan base, and the success they’ve had in a relatively and comparably small market to teams such as the Yankees, Mets, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Red Sox, etc.

I come here to post my thoughts on them largely so I can go back and read memories from different parts of the season. It helps me remember key points, statistics, and occurrences in the season. Next to Duke Basketball and PGA Tour golf, the Cardinals are my bread and butter in sports fandom.

Part of the reason my analysis has centered around the Cardinals, other than them being my team, is that at times, this thread gets very light in analysis of other teams. But I am more than happy to give me thoughts on other teams, too. They’re just not the teams I passionately root for. But in no means am I a hater or gloater. I would be more than happy having a beer and watching a game with any fan of any team in the show as I enjoy baseball in any form.

And for the record, I still think my Cardinals have a good shot at making some noise this year if they can ever get to fully healthy!

[Phredd3]

I don't contribute much to this thread because I live on the East Coast, and the team I grew up with (and therefore have the most affinity for) is the Seattle Mariners. And here's the latest headline I found on my team this morning:

Mariners win baseball game, raising possibility that they could win additional games

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I don't contribute much to this thread because I live on the East Coast, and the team I grew up with (and therefore have the most affinity for) is the Seattle Mariners. And here's the latest headline I found on my team this morning:

Mariners win baseball game, raising possibility that they could win additional games

To be fair, it's not a headline you could have published in recent years...