Game Thread: 9/7 Champs @ Worms

[LHG]

Okay Posey, please drive in your younger twin.

 

[LHG]

Not surprising at all. The team left everything on the field in August and just didn't have anything left afterwards.

Injuries destroyed our depth, which destroyed the starters who didn't get hurt.

Hmm, I'm not sure how deeply I can buy that theory. Yeah, injuries create problems and can mess with other players psychologically. But not every team is going to free fall because of injuries.

 

[msgkings322]

Not surprising at all. The team left everything on the field in August and just didn't have anything left afterwards.

Injuries destroyed our depth, which destroyed the starters who didn't get hurt.

Feels very 2011ish to me, injuries making us fall short (but not by much), even with some deadline pickups. Biggest difference is the pitching was strong then, couldn't score runs, this year the opposite.

 

[calsnowskier]

Feels very 2011ish to me, injuries making us fall short (but not by much), even with some deadline pickups. Biggest difference is the pitching was strong then, couldn't score runs, this year the opposite.

This year, the pitchy was very iffy going in. We needed breaks to go our way to contend, pitching-wise. We didn't get many of those breaks.

The offense was better than we expected. Aoki was a pleasant surprise, but we never really experienced his defensive woes. That was an anomaly. We can't rely on him to put up a full season of his first-half 2015. He is a 3.5 OFer. Blanco, I think is closer to a 3 OFer than any of us give him credit for. His defense is near GG-level and he is a .350 OBP guy with wheels. Not sure what more we can ask. We found Duffy and Tomlinson with Craw and Panik stepping up into star-territory.

The thing that killed us on offense was injuries. Pure and simple. Pagan was doing awesome until he ran into the wal bruising his knee. He spiraled from there. Pence missed half the season from a minor leaguer breaking his arm in ST, then he pulled an oblique. Panik had unexpected back problems. Posey's backups couldn't avoid the DL to save their lives, so he was not able to stick to the 90-100 game plan. Aoki broke his leg from a HBP (and still did not require a PR and ended up scoring). Craw was durable, but got hurt at the worst possible time and missed the worst 2 weeks he could have possibly missed.

I remember 2013 being the injury water-torture season moreso than 2011, and I see 2015 as more a water torture season. However, with Pence going down, I can see the comparisons to 2011.

 

[msgkings322]

This year, the pitchy was very iffy going in. We needed breaks to go our way to contend, pitching-wise. We didn't get many of those breaks.

The offense was better than we expected. Aoki was a pleasant surprise, but we never really experienced his defensive woes. That was an anomaly. We can't rely on him to put up a full season of his first-half 2015. He is a 3.5 OFer. Blanco, I think is closer to a 3 OFer than any of us give him credit for. His defense is near GG-level and he is a .350 OBP guy with wheels. Not sure what more we can ask. We found Duffy and Tomlinson with Craw and Panik stepping up into star-territory.

The thing that killed us on offense was injuries. Pure and simple. Pagan was doing awesome until he ran into the wal bruising his knee. He spiraled from there. Pence missed half the season from a minor leaguer breaking his arm in ST, then he pulled an oblique. Panik had unexpected back problems. Posey's backups couldn't avoid the DL to save their lives, so he was not able to stick to the 90-100 game plan. Aoki broke his leg from a HBP (and still did not require a PR and ended up scoring). Craw was durable, but got hurt at the worst possible time and missed the worst 2 weeks he could have possibly missed.

I remember 2013 being the injury water-torture season moreso than 2011, and I see 2015 as more a water torture season. However, with Pence going down, I can see the comparisons to 2011.

I just remember in 2011 literally every single starting position player getting hurt except Huff, who sucked. The pitching was healthy, and very good, and we still won 86 games. My guess is we win around 84-86 this year as well, same result. Plenty of good to take away from this season, depending on how they address the SP for 2016 we should easily contend (assuming reasonable health). The dynasty rolls on.

 

[calsnowskier]

I just remember in 2011 literally every single starting position player getting hurt except Huff, who sucked. The pitching was healthy, and very good, and we still won 86 games. My guess is we win around 84-86 this year as well, same result. Plenty of good to take away from this season, depending on how they address the SP for 2016 we should easily contend (assuming reasonable health). The dynasty rolls on.

Yup.

Panik (back-dependent), Craw, Duffy and Tomlinson are all HUGE benefits coming out of this season. Heston is a questionable big plus. Also, Bum avoided the post-World Series heroics hangover. He is still having an Ace-like season, fully establishing himself as a durable Ace.

This team would have been a championship contending team without the injuries. Not an excuse. Every team has injuries and a championship team is 99% of the time relatively injury free. If the Cards can do it this year with the hits they have taken, VERY impressive.

 

[filosofy29]

MSG: ah, it was too high
Cal: what do you mean it was too high, it was hit too hard
filo: who gives a shit it's gone*




























*Mays, this was a Major League joke, not a concession to this season.

 

[Stokes1931]

The Cardinals have dealt with a huge number of injuries this year, and it has not affected them in the slightest. Of course, their starting pitching was very deep and solid. Ours was sketchy from the get-go, too many what-ifs and maybes which did not work out.

We found a gem in Duffy.

We found a gem in Tomlinson.

We found a gem in Heston.

We found a gem in Susac (until he got hurt, and then hurt again)

We found a gem in Osich.

I am hoping that Blackburn gets a long look-see in the Fall League and Spring Training.

There was this by Grant over at McCC

Giants lose by a bunch, are almost certainly hosed

 

[tzill]

I just remember in 2011 literally every single starting position player getting hurt except Huff, who sucked. The pitching was healthy, and very good, and we still won 86 games. My guess is we win around 84-86 this year as well, same result. Plenty of good to take away from this season, depending on how they address the SP for 2016 we should easily contend (assuming reasonable health). The dynasty rolls on.

This.

We are Leake plus a Zimm away from contention. This team is young and deep, and with extensions to the Brandons this off season set for a few years. Am looking forward to:

Shark/Seaweed CF/LF
Panik 2B
Duffman 3B
Gerald C
Herk RF
BB9 1B
Stamos SS
KT CF/LF

SP: Bum/Zimm/Leake/Cain/Peavy
RP: Strick/JLo/KCya/Romo/Kontos/Osich/Petit
Bench: Sac/Byrd/Oxy/??

With Moses in AAA as the #6 guy.

That team contends

 

[LHG]

This.

We are Leake plus a Zimm away from contention. This team is young and deep, and with extensions to the Brandons this off season set for a few years. Am looking forward to:

Shark/Seaweed CF/LF
Panik 2B
Duffman 3B
Gerald C
Herk RF
BB9 1B
Stamos SS
KT CF/LF

SP: Bum/Zimm/Leake/Cain/Peavy
RP: Strick/JLo/KCya/Romo/Kontos/Osich/Petit
Bench: Sac/Byrd/Oxy/??

With Moses in AAA as the #6 guy.

That team contends

I know it probably wouldn't go this way, but if we go with the first four you list for the rotation, I would hope the 5th guy would be Heston. The guy has pitched more innings this year than in any previous year of his professional career so I am ready to chalk up his last season struggles to simple fatigue. Peavy, however, I'm a little more concerned about. He just cannot make it through the lineup a third time through. He would make a great long reliever. I'd rather have him in that spot and ditch Petit. Sorry, but I'm not that sold on Petit returning for 2016.

 

[tzill]

I know it probably wouldn't go this way, but if we go with the first four you list for the rotation, I would hope the 5th guy would be Heston. The guy has pitched more innings this year than in any previous year of his professional career so I am ready to chalk up his last season struggles to simple fatigue. Peavy, however, I'm a little more concerned about. He just cannot make it through the lineup a third time through. He would make a great long reliever. I'd rather have him in that spot and ditch Petit. Sorry, but I'm not that sold on Petit returning for 2016.

I'd be ok with that, and it may indeed go that way.

 

[calsnowskier]

The more I have been thinking about Aoki, the more I am 100% convinced his option is picked up. it is only 5.5M, so it has value, even if only as a trade chip.

I am also more and more hesitant on bringing Byrd back. 1) He is almost as old as I am. 2) Will he accept a 1 year with us as opposed to a 1 year with (pick-a-team)? He would know that he would be going into the season as the #5 OFer and would need to earn just about every AB he gets. Why would he want that?

 

[Stokes1931]

The more I have been thinking about Aoki, the more I am 100% convinced his option is picked up. it is only 5.5M, so it has value, even if only as a trade chip.

I am also more and more hesitant on bringing Byrd back. 1) He is almost as old as I am. 2) Will he accept a 1 year with us as opposed to a 1 year with (pick-a-team)? He would know that he would be going into the season as the #5 OFer and would need to earn just about every AB he gets. Why would he want that?

Well, he has played in band boxes most of his career, and ATT is no band box. That would scare him away.

However, next year IS an even year, so sticking around for a WS would be motivation enough at 38 or 39 or however old he is.

 

[LHG]

The more I have been thinking about Aoki, the more I am 100% convinced his option is picked up. it is only 5.5M, so it has value, even if only as a trade chip.

I am also more and more hesitant on bringing Byrd back. 1) He is almost as old as I am. 2) Will he accept a 1 year with us as opposed to a 1 year with (pick-a-team)? He would know that he would be going into the season as the #5 OFer and would need to earn just about every AB he gets. Why would he want that?

I certainly don't want both back. Not sure I would want either, but I'd much prefer Aoki back if one does come back.