Wild Cards!! St. Louis Clinches Playoff Position on the Last Day of the Season

September 29, 2011 By 1 Comment
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After a lopsided 8-0 blowout of the lowly Houston Astros combined with another Atlanta Braves loss, the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals clinched the NL Wildcard playoff position yesterday. In doing so, it marked one of the biggest comebacks in baseball history.

As late as August 25, the Redbirds trailed the Braves by 10 1/2 games in the NL Wild Card race, and were 10 behind the Brewers in the NL Central. Since then, they’ve gone 23-9, while Atlanta went 11-20.

St. Louis came out swinging last night as the first five Cardinals reached base, and three scored, before a single out was recorded in a five run first inning. They put it on cruise control from that point on.

Manager Tony La Russa set up the rotation on purpose to have Chris Carpenter pitching the last day of the season and Carpenter, who was masterful, did not disappoint. After struggling during parts of the season, Carpenter needed just 106 pitches (75 strikes) in his complete game shutout as he allowed just two hits while striking out an eye popping 11.

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Cardinals, Berkman agree on one year extension

September 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Probable Comeback Player of the Year Lance Berkman will be a Cardinal in 2012

The St. Louis Cardinals and OF Lance Berkman have agreed to a contract extension that will keep the 36 year old in St. Louis thru the 2012 season.

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St. Louis Cardinals- Weekly Report- Is It Too Late?

September 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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I can’t say the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals aren’t “doing enough” as they are probably the hottest team in the majors right now in winning 10 of their last 12 games ….but is it too late? At this writing the Cardinals are just 2 ½ games out of the NL Wild Card playoff spot with just nine games to play.

I’ve been sitting here for the past several weeks saying they have no chance, they aren’t playing like a playoff team, they have underachieved and so on and so forth, but trust me when I tell you….I would like nothing more than for them to prove me wrong.

Losing Matt Holliday and Lance Lynn are two huge hits to take but it seems as though Allen Craig and Jason Motte have picked up the slack.

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St. Louis Cardinals: Holliday’s Strange Season Continues…Or Does It?

September 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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What’s up the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals this season? More specifically, what’s up with Matt Holliday this season? It’s been a very strange season for this club and perhaps even stranger for their All Star Leftfielder. Actually, I’ll get into the club’s season here in just a few weeks with my end of the season report. But for now, I want to focus on Holliday.

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St. Louis Cardinals: Redbird Report- Does Carpenter signing signal the end for Pujols?

September 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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But..and that’s a big but…where does this leave the St. Louis Cardinals in their efforts to sign three time MVP Albert Pujols? I mean, signing Carpenter is huge but the Cardinals, or GM John Mozeliak, have a lot more work in front of them.

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St. Louis Cardinals: Weekly Redbird Report 8/30 thru 9/5; September Call-Ups

September 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Milwaukee Brewers v St. Louis Cardinals

Take one step forward, take two steps back…it’s a line in a Paula Abdul song; it’s also the theme for the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals. I mean, after sweeping a three game series in Milwaukee (and remember Milwaukee was 50-15 at home this season), they promptly lose two of three to the, already completely out of the division race, Cincinnati Reds.

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St. Louis Cardinals: Redbird Report August 22nd thru August 29th- With A Very Special Game of the Week

August 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Skip Schumaker was Player of the Week....was he also Pitcher of the week?

The offense put seven runs on the board without the services of Albert Pujols, who was given a routine day off. The rest of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals provided plenty of firepower. Ryan Theriot, Skip Schumaker and David Freese, all had two RBIs. (Both of Freese’s RBIs came after intentional walks to Lance Berkman.) Matt Holliday had a pair off the wall doubles and scored both times.

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St. Louis Cardinals: Redbird Report- 8/15 thru 8/22- Molina Wins Player of the Week Award

August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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It pains me to say this, but readers? It’s over…and has been for a while now. After going 2-5 this past week and, at this writing, falling a whopping nine games behind the streaking Milwaukee Brewers with some 34 games remaining, the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals season is all but over.

I realized the Cardinals and Brewers still have 6 games against each other in the upcoming weeks, but the truth is the Brewers have been clicking (especially of late) and Cardinals have been struggling. The last time I checked the Cardinals would have to play close to .750 ball and Brewers would have to play .500 for them to be overtaken. Over the past month or so, it’s been the complete opposite (see the stats in the “closing” portion).

Player of the Week:

Who’s Hot:

Yadier Molina gets the Player of the Week Award. Molina batted .300 (6 for 20), hit three home runs and drove in six this week including two in the same game against the Cubs this past Friday. Friday’s game also happens to be the Game of the Week.

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St. Louis Cardinals News: Top Prospect Shelby Miller “Suspended Indefinately”

August 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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St. Louis Cardinals top minor league prospect Shelby Miller has been “suspended indefinitely” by the team, general manager John Mozeliak announced yesterday.

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St. Louis Cardinals- Weekly Redbird Report; Albert Pujols 0 for 525 ??

August 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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The 2011 St. Louis Cardinals went 3 and 3 this past week, more importantly they lost 2 of 3 to the division leading Milwaukee Brewers and, in so doing fell, a full five games behind them.

With some 40 games remaining in the 2011 season, if the Brewers played just .500 ball the rest of the way the Cardinals would have to go 27-15 the rest of the way to catch Milwaukee and beat them. Special thanks to my brother, who was the one that figured that out

To say the Cardinals are fighting an uphill battle might be sugar coating it. The outlook to this season, albeit we are just in the middle of August, is looking bleak from where I sit.

Player of the Week:

It’s been a while but Albert Pujols gets the POW Award his week. Pujols went 9-23 (.391), he popped two home runs and drove in six in the process.

Honorable Mentions to OF Lance Berkman and C Yadier Molina who both went 6 for 17 (.353

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