NL Central thread

[Myles]

I never hit for a lot of power as a second baseman but I was blessed with good speed turning a lot of singles into doubles. At the single A and double A level I hit pretty consistently at around .300 but when I got to triple A Memphis the opposing pitching got much better and my average dropped to around .275 which just wasn't good enough to make it to the next level.

Archie Graham?

This is the part of the season that hurts. Sitting at .500 and it feels more like we can drop than climb. I don't think our rotation is suddenly going to improve. Maybe an addition or 2 can spark them. They have the lineup that can explode for 6 runs a game, but I'm afraid they will give up 7.
Can anyone give me some hope? Next 4 series don't give too much relief - Phillies, Cubs, Reds and Cubs. I suppose the hope is that if we take 4/6 from the Cubs maybe we can move within 3 games.

 

[tomcat1]

Archie Graham?

This is the part of the season that hurts. Sitting at .500 and it feels more like we can drop than climb. I don't think our rotation is suddenly going to improve. Maybe an addition or 2 can spark them. They have the lineup that can explode for 6 runs a game, but I'm afraid they will give up 7.
Can anyone give me some hope? Next 4 series don't give too much relief - Phillies, Cubs, Reds and Cubs. I suppose the hope is that if we take 4/6 from the Cubs maybe we can move within 3 games.

Hope just arrived my friend!

The bad news: I agree with you.

The good news: As badly as we have played in May we are still only 4 games out because the Cubs and Brewers haven't been setting the world on fire either.

We know we have the talent to compete as evidenced by having the best record in all of baseball at the end of April. As Yadi said "We have the players right now to win, we've just got to start playing up to our capabilities." This Phillies series bothers me because they are hot and we are not but we've got to play the games according to the schedule. If (a big if) we can get through the Phillies series without too much damage our next three series (Cubs, Reds, Cubs) will be against teams that are not as hot right now. Simply put, we've just got to start playing Cardinals baseball once again. My pep talk for us for today is over and aren't you glad?

 

[Myles]

Just to throw the Reds fans a bone. The Reds have the best record of any last place team. By a pretty large margin too.

 

[tomcat1]

Just to throw the Reds fans a bone. The Reds have the best record of any last place team. By a pretty large margin too.

And . . . we don't want to take last place away from them anytime soon either!

I knew the Reds would be better this year and so far they are and they remain in contention just like the rest of us at this point.

Earlier this season the Cubs went from worst to first in less than 30 days so a lot of things can happen.

 

[tomcat1]

Once again, Cincinnati is the only team in the NL Central who won tonight. I told John, a Cincinnati fan here, before the season started, that his Reds would be competitive this season and guess what, even though they are in last place they are only 5 games out. With both the Cardinals and Pirates 4 games out and the Cubs and Brewers not setting the world on fire, this mediocre NL Central appears to be pretty tight right now. This should make for a good race for the last 2/3 of the season but we'll see.

 

[scoutyjones2]

Cards are a disaster. Under 500, after 50 games into a season for the first time since 2007...

Mike Bubbles Shildt can't manage...team slump

Laughable

 

[scoutyjones2]

Could be the Cards first month in their long history where they don't win back to back games within a month

 

[Myles]

Cards are a disaster. Under 500, after 50 games into a season for the first time since 2007...

Mike Bubbles Shildt can't manage...team slump

Laughable

I think it is mostly the starting rotation they came into the season with. Tomcat and I were in agreement that it was missing an ace and a 2nd good pitcher.
I blame Mike Girsch more than anyone. He did great in getting Goldschmidt, but totally whiffed on starting pitching.

 

[tomcat1]

I think it is mostly the starting rotation they came into the season with. Tomcat and I were in agreement that it was missing an ace and a 2nd good pitcher.
I blame Mike Girsch more than anyone. He did great in getting Goldschmidt, but totally whiffed on starting pitching.

Front offices can make or break a team. Managers and coaches have to play the hand that is dealt to them and they get way too much praise when their team is winning and way too much criticism when their team is losing because they don't pitch, field, or hit.

Carlos Martinez should have been ready to pitch on opening day but he wasn't. Reyes should have been ready to pitch weeks ago but he isn't. That's 2/5 of what could be a good starting rotation but the only ace we have right now is an ace bandage. Last season we were winning series after series and this season it's the opposite so far. I remain optimistic simply because even with the terrible month of May that we have had we are still in the hunt since nobody is running away with the NL Central yet.

 

[Myles]

Front offices can make or break a team. Managers and coaches have to play the hand that is dealt to them and they get way too much praise when their team is winning and way too much criticism when their team is losing because they don't pitch, field, or hit.

Carlos Martinez should have been ready to pitch on opening day but he wasn't. Reyes should have been ready to pitch weeks ago but he isn't. That's 2/5 of what could be a good starting rotation but the only ace we have right now is an ace bandage. Last season we were winning series after series and this season it's the opposite so far. I remain optimistic simply because even with the terrible month of May that we have had we are still in the hunt since nobody is running away with the NL Central yet.

I am still hopeful as well. With Martinez and Reyes, maybe the rotation can be salvaged.
It's a bit worrisome when we are bringing up Cabrera to start tonight's game. In the minors he is 10-12 the past 2 seasons with an ERA around 5. I hope they know something I don't because those numbers won't usually get you called up to start.

 

[scoutyjones2]

Box of Chocolates getting benched so Yairo can start...Yadi gets a break, which is lonnnnnnngggg overdue...

 

[tomcat1]

I am still hopeful as well. With Martinez and Reyes, maybe the rotation can be salvaged.
It's a bit worrisome when we are bringing up Cabrera to start tonight's game. In the minors he is 10-12 the past 2 seasons with an ERA around 5. I hope they know something I don't because those numbers won't usually get you called up to start.

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I don't understand Cabrera starting tonight either. I looks like a desperation move to me but guess what, we're desperate right now. I think Shildt will have a short leash on Cabrera tonight if he doesn't have his command of the strike zone which he has struggled with in the minors. Since Cabrera will be pitching on the big stage for the first time nerves might be an issue for him too but we will hope for the best. Like you said, I hope they know something that we don't know.

 

[Myles]

I don't understand Cabrera starting tonight either. I looks like a desperation move to me but guess what, we're desperate right now. I think Shildt will have a short leash on Cabrera tonight if he doesn't have his command of the strike zone which he has struggled with in the minors. Since Cabrera will be pitching on the big stage for the first time nerves might be an issue for him too but we will hope for the best. Like you said, I hope they know something that we don't know.

I think they should start completely over as far as the rotation and bullpen go. With what they know now, decide on the 5 man rotation and all the way through.
Perhaps it would look something like this:
1 - Flaherty
2 - Martinez
3 - Hudson
4 - Mikolas
5 - Reyes/Wainwright

Move Wacha to the pen. Maybe get Gant in the starting rotation.

 

[tomcat1]

I think they should start completely over as far as the rotation and bullpen go. With what they know now, decide on the 5 man rotation and all the way through.
Perhaps it would look something like this:
1 - Flaherty
2 - Martinez
3 - Hudson
4 - Mikolas
5 - Reyes/Wainwright

Move Wacha to the pen. Maybe get Gant in the starting rotation.

View attachment 206508

You're preaching to the choir my friend! The only thing I'd like to add or subtract to what you have proposed is that IF Wacha can perform well in the pen I'd give Gant a shot in the starting rotation in the place of Mikolas. Also, I would also like to see Gyorko get more playing time as a position player. Last but not least, I'd like to see Hicks become a more reliable closer. I guess I'm asking for too much with that last sentence.

 

[scoutyjones2]

They started Cabrera because Wacha sucks...hell, DFA the garbage. And Gomber is injured, Reyes is nowhere near available, Ponce just pitched, and CMart is a one inning reliever now...

Complete Turds on a bat clusterfuck in the Lou...welcome to last place in the NL Central Cards fans...

 

[Myles]

You're preaching to the choir my friend! The only thing I'd like to add or subtract to what you have proposed is that IF Wacha can perform well in the pen I'd give Gant a shot in the starting rotation in the place of Mikolas. Also, I would also like to see Gyorko get more playing time as a position player. Last but not least, I'd like to see Hicks become a more reliable closer. I guess I'm asking for too much with that last sentence.

So much for him performing well in the pen. I think it is time to send Wacha down.

 

[scoutyjones2]

So much for him performing well in the pen. I think it is time to send Wacha down.

Do you understand how that works? Do you understand if he has options left???

DFA him if he wont go on the IL...he's toast, done. FA to be, set him free now and let him try elsewhere.

 

[The Derski]

Anyone know the status of the girl that got hit by the foul ball yesterday? I can’t find any updates. Which is probably a good thing I suppose.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Anyone know the status of the girl that got hit by the foul ball yesterday? I can’t find any updates. Which is probably a good thing I suppose.

Sounds like she’s gonna be fine.

That’s what they were reporting last night. That everything was positive

 

[tomcat1]

So much for him performing well in the pen. I think it is time to send Wacha down.

There was too much drama in the bottom of the 8th today to suit me but FINALLY Hicks shut them down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th which doesn't happen often. Hopefully this win today will give us a lift for a big series with the Cubs starting tomorrow night in St. Louis.