Dose of Buffa

Anyway….The Cards lost tonight.  They lacked the big hit at the right time  They had 11 hits and couldn’t get the….wait for the screams….CLUTCH swing.  They lost 6-4 and the Cubs got another night to be happy and not depressed at their uniforms.  Lance Lynn had another alien invasion in his right arm and allowed 10 hits and let two errors and a couple mistakes by interim catch Tony Cruz allow the Cubs to break him for 6 runs in 4+ innings in a bad night.  Mike Matheny stayed with Lynn too long.  After three rough innings and 4 runs allowed, there was a bases loaded situation and Lynn hit for himself and grounded out.  You are down 4-1 and in the game.  Waste a guy there, use your Memphis starter Carlos Martinez and throw up Rob Johnson or Shane Robinson there.  You save Yadi unless you want to insert him into the game.  Still…even though it’s only 4-1 with Lynn at less than 75 pitches, you get him out and go for the throat.  Now the Cards can lose the series at Wrigley and possibly go into the break on a down note.  I am not complaining.  The Cards are 56-36 and still in first place.  Their rotation has come back to life after three months of stellar performance.  Lynn and Shelby Miller are hitting that innings wall.  There could be a move made by Mozelaik in addition to a bench bat at the deadline.   This team lost 2 starters(more on that in a minute), their setup man and closer and are 20 games over .500.  There are at least 10 games where we had the winning run at the plate and lost the game.  What I am saying is this team is playing good baseball, recovered from a late June swoon and in the game.  There’s something else…

Chris Carpenter is going on a rehab assignment.  On Monday he starts in Springfield. This man, declared dead in February, is coming back. He..just..won’t…go..away. Paging Joe Buck there but this is exciting.  Joe Kelly had his last start on Friday because the next time the Cards need a 5th starter is on July 27th and that will be after Carp makes 2 starts.  There’s something about Carpenter.  Toughness doesn’t begin to explain it.  He is, as a man once described a British action star, something else.  His durability and body recovery tactics are legendary.  He called John Mozelaik and told him he was done.  He couldn’t throw.  The nerve in his neck was ending his career.  Cardinal nation, including this man, truly lost something with the thought of losing the long time ace to this latest injury.  In case you were under a rock for the past 10 years, Chris Carpenter has had many lives in baseball.  He’s gotten 2 shoulder surgeries, Tommy John Surgery, neck surgery, and probably a few others off the books.  He’s got a bionic body beneath his neck.  He’s truly a throwback.  We will never see a pitcher of his kind again for quite some time.  Pitchers in this era will get hurt a few times and fold up.  They will go under the knife and never come back the same.  Carpenter may come back and pitch like a small fraction of his former self, but just the idea of him returning is a good reason to be excited about the last 71 games.  The Cards are 20 games over .500 and in first place without Carpenter’s services.  If he is 85 percent of his 2011 performance capability, we are in for something special.  If not, this one last hurrah ends for good.  This is it folks.  Take it lightly or bypass it all together.  Chris Carpenter is coming back.  The Terminator with brass ball guts is making one last stab at glory.  He may be the deadline move this club needs.  Or he could have nothing left.  For weeks, it seemed like this would never happen. Reality kept coming to the doorstep of this miraculous return. Now it’s happening. He’s facing hitters in a live game that counts on Monday.   Sink or swim, this is why sports are great.  You never know.  Are we talking about Carp’s return in November at a parade or looking over his jersey like a rainy funeral.  We will find out soon enough.

The Dave Matthews Band played their asses off on Wednesday night at the concert venue formerly known as Riverport.  Every summer, the band makes a return to St. Louis and puts on a show for their fans.  A diverse group of followers that range from very young to old.  I see people that probably wouldn’t normally shake their asses get down and move their hips. I smell reefer.  I see a group of musicians put on a 3 hour show.  Ask me and I want my money’s worth when I shell out 45 dollars and a night out.  Play or be dead. After not having listened to a CD in months, I got a great show from my band this week.  Haters can hate because its music and a popular band.  DMB gives back to their fans when they play live.  For one night a year, we get to spend it with them and their large collection of music.  They played some very rare oldies and covered Tom Petty.  Matthews got into it with the crowd and the band followed him.  They are my band and the rare group that doesn’t let you down in person.

Tim Lincecum has a shot at a no hitter tonight.  I hope he gets it.  He has battled some demons and adversity the past three season.  He’s not perfect but a great pitcher and worthy of a no-hitter.

I do believe George Zimmerman committed, at least, an act of manslaughter and if not that, murder in the 2nd degree.  It wasn’t all self defense.  It just wasn’t.  The man got off last night on a crime he committed.  He followed, profiled and took long hard looks at Trayvon Martin.  He killed him.  There’s lies inside Zimmerman and Florida once again dropped the ball.  Sometimes the hardest thing to find in life is justice.  Reminds of a kid named Oscar Grant.  This is just worse.

Brisket Nachos are ALWAYS a good idea, even at 10pm.

The Blues will contend and do quite well in 2013-2014.   They will make the playoffs.  What else?  No idea but misery is prescribed.  This past season was perfect.  Young team.  Lots of players getting work overseas.  Short season.  We blew it and choked.  It’s hard to get TOO excited for the Blues.  I’ve watched them since I was 7 years old.

Shocktop Wheat, the original and not the 45 different shit kinds to come after it’s birth, made a return to me tonight.  Fabulous summer beer.

Saturday is a day that will go down as the rare 24 hour period where I don’t have Starbucks.

Someone helped my family in private.  That is all.

Have a good weekend.  I am having some fun on mine.  It’s time to sleep.  Thanks for reading.

So long for just awhile,

DLB