Random Cardinals Observations

Like most sports fans in St. Louis, now that the Blues have won the Cup, my focus for the summer turns to the Cardinals. Unfortunately, the focus is on their struggles; even though they are far from out of the race in the Central. Some of the things that I'm seeing have me scratching my head.

-It seems to me that Paul Goldschmidt's swing is not right. If this is how he has always swung the bat, I can't believe he has the numbers he has from previous seasons. It looks like he is guiding the bat through the zone in hopes of making contact. And in doing so, his bat seems slow on a lot of easily hit-able fastballs. I'm talking about pitches that you would think a guy with his history would mash. High 80's or low 90's center-cut offerings that appear to say "hit me". But as his bat gets to the zone, the barrel is fishing for the ball. He's not swinging at it like he wants to smash it...just make contact. Thus he's getting beat by pitches that should turn into extra-base hits or homers. Do you see that too? The Cardinals thought they traded for a superstar...and paid him like one. So far, just a guy.

-Matt Carpenter appears to be baffled by the shift. Last season when he had the incredible hot streak with gobs of homers, he just hit the ball over the shift...or so hard that it didn't matter much. He seems to be totally befuddled in his approach right now. How long will the Cardinals have patience with a lead-off man who isn't getting on base or hitting homers like last season?

-Harrison Bader. Is his defense enough to keep him in the lineup consistently? He obviously is not hitting like a major-league outfielder at this point.

-Jack Flaherty. A world of talent, but seems to be struggling to find the right mental approach. The stuff is there, but not consistently. I hope his friendship with Gibby helps.

-Miles Mikolas. Just doesn't seem to have the command he did in 2018. And his numbers prove it.

-Dakota Hudson. Bright spot

-Adam Wainwright. Brighter spot than we expected. Good for him.

-Marcel Ozuna. The arm is apparently better for hitting...not throwing. Still chicken-winging the ball in to somebody who can throw.

-Jose Martinez. Seems to have a better feel for things in the outfield, but still occasionally gets exposed on a tough play. I liked Rick Horton's observation last night that he seems too far from the plate to do much with the outside pitch these days.

-Paul DeJong. All-star early in the season. Lately...not so much. OK defense...but so many swings and misses.

-Jordan Hicks. Did anybody think he would get through more than a few years throwing at max effort without needing a TJ? The phenom will have a tough time getting that sort of fastball back. 

-Carlos Martinez. The mystery continues. Hopefully, his new role will suit him.

-Alex Reyes. A superstar only in the advertising. MIA.

-Tommy Edman. Does his boyish appearance work against him? Seems like he is deserving of a shot at extended playing time. What could it hurt?

-Jedd Gyroko. The forgotten man. (I know he's dealing with injury rehab). 

-Andrew Miller. Boy, the Cardinals have had a lot of luck signing lefty relievers eh?  Some days serviceable. Others horrible.

-Mike Schildt. Does he have too much patience? I know it's a long season but..... 

-John Mozeliak. Not getting close to the value he's paying for. Or he invested in the wrong people. Interesting trade deadline coming up.

-Albert Pujols. His visit reminded us of the days when he showed the consistency lacking in most of the players above.

Time for A Blues HOF

Jimmy Roberts, Glenn Hall, Jacques Plante, Red Berenson, Bob and Barclay Plager. Just a few of the outstanding names from the early days of the St. Louis Blues. Not all were spectacular players, but all were terrifically noteworthy and instrumental, either as a player or in some other way, in establishing the Blues on the sports landscape in St. Louis.

If there were a St. Louis Blues Hall of Fame, undoubtedly all of these men would be in it. If there were a Blues HoF, there would be many more deserving players, coaches, executives, broadcasters and other contributors in it from subsequent eras. I mention those above simply to indicate that there would be plenty of candidates to consider, and many worthy of being enshrined, in such a hall. It appears to me the time is right to establish one.

• The Blues have captured their first Stanley Cup. 
• We have over a half-century of Blues history to draw from. 
• Interest in the team is at an all-time high.
• Blues fans are perhaps the most loyal and passionate in hockey and would surely engage.  

Considering this, I propose that the owners and management of the Blues take a cue from the baseball organization down the street and create a shrine to their already rich history. This would not only create another revenue stream, but also serve to honor those worthy of recognition and continue to build the brand of the Blue Note.

Not many of the expansion teams of the 60's can boast the type of early success and player recognition that the Blues enjoyed. The team was ultra-aggressive in luring high-end, name players to the team. Some had seen their better playing days, but the early success of the Blues speaks to the type of athlete that wore The Note back then.

Even during later decades when the team struggled, there were usually highly-talented players wearing the Blues uniform. It doesn't serve my proposal to name them all here; but if you love the Blues, you certainly know the people to whom I'm referring.

Think of what a Blues hall of fame and museum might look like. A display of some of the early days player equipment would baffle young people with it's simplicity and lack of protection. A display of the team trophies won over the years could be another. Player jerseys old and new. Awards won by individual players would be included in featured player displays. Certainly we could fill a lot of square feet with these and other historical presentations.

We can debate for months about what players would be deserving of hall of fame consideration or election. But that's part of the fun of these things. And it also keeps the fans of the team involved in it's history and current make-up.

As someone who's not getting any younger...are you?... I would really enjoy a visit to such a place. And I would pay a pretty, shiny penny to go there.