Izzy...or Izzn't He?

-Even though the Cardinals are in first place, we have plenty to worry about these days. Albert Pujols' injury is not at the top of my list. Jason Isringhausen's total lack of any consistency is. In the days of Lee Smith, Dennis Eckersley and even Bruce Sutter, there were blown saves on occasion. But, so far, this year's version of Izzy has been way too unpredictable. He is not giving anybody confidence that the game is in good hands when he's holding the ball. Usually a closer is asked to protect a small lead. When Izzy starts an inning consistently giving up either a walk or a hit, he's always going to be in a position to blow that lead. He just doesn't have the stuff, or control, that he once did. Scary situation. Is it time to let Adam Wainwright...(who actually does have the electric stuff of a true closer)...take the ball in the ninth inning?

-Speaking of Albert, I'd be surprised if he plays before the All-Star break. The last thing they need him to do is go back out and re-injure that thing. Then they would be in trouble.

-Does anybody around here know that the Stanley Cup finals are going on? Because the Blues have been out of action for so long...and St. Louis is such a baseball-focused city...and because the NHL had to put its games on OLN...(Oddly Lacking Numbers)... I don't hear anybody talking about the Carolina-Edmonton battle for Lord Stanley's chalice. Too bad...because hockey now is much better than hockey was before the lockout. I'd like to think Gary Bettman and the NHL brass will negotiate a TV situation that offers more exposure for next season.

-I had my first Baseball's Best Burger at a Grizzlies game last week. That's the bacon-cheeseburger with a grilled Krispy Kreme doughnut for a bun. Don't expect health food when you get one. But do expect a very tasty treat. I enjoyed mine very much. You know...when you go to a ballgame, you're usually not interested in health food anyway. If you were going to a Cardinals game, you'd expect to eat a hot dog, cheeseburger, or some other fat-filled delicacy from one of the concession stands. If you had a pre-game meal, you might go to one of the nearby bars...or steak houses...and chow down on a 3,000 calorie meal anyway. So, all of the negative stuff you hear about the Grizzlies' burger is a little over-blown in my mind. All you're really doing is having a bacon-chesseburger with your dessert built in. Right? And, at $4.50 it's a darn good bargain compared to Busch food.

-Oh boy! Another summer of sitting on the Mississippi River bridges trying to get to...or back from...Missouri. When are we going to come up with a better way? Or, at least paving materials that don't need to be replaced every other year.

-I'm betting the new naming partner for the Savvis Center will be some company that sells beer. Just a guess. If I'm in marketing at A-B, I'd sure be pushing for the Michelob Center...or the Bud Center...to combine with Busch Stadium right down the street.

-I see where the latest on Chris Daughtry...my choice to win American Idol...is that he has turned down the offer to be lead singer for the band Fuel. He is also said to be leaning toward signing a deal with RCA Records. He said at a concert for people in his home town in North Carolina this weekend that he was going to "do his own thing". Whether that means a solo career...or teaming up with the guys in his own band...will probably be announced after the Idols Tour this summer. Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee will also have RCA deals.

-Other than The DaVinci Code, there hasn't been a movie in the last 3 months that I've actually wanted to go to a theater to see. Are we going through a movie drought? Or is it just me? X-Men 3 is supposed to be good. The Vince Vaughn-Jennifer Anniston flick did well at the box office. But, neither got me very excited about buying a ticket. I still haven't seen DaVinci either.

-This morning's Belleville News-Democrat featured a story on the front page about the recovery of Ashley Reeves. There were also pictures of the 17-year-old who was almost murdered in April. She is pictured strapped into a wheel chair and smiling at her rehabilitation center in St. Louis county. I hope the sight of her recovering doesn't lessen the public's outrage over what was done to her...allegedly... by one of her former teachers.