Month: August 2013

A Quick Breather

· Leave a comment ·

Some guys do nothing when they need a breather.  They get a drink, walk outside, and sit down.  Think.  The problem is I am always thinking.  So when I need to relax, I come here and let it rip.  I can drink, think extended thoughts and sit still later.  Right now, the head is rumbling.  

 
I won’t spend a long time on the Cards today.  They are annoying me, killing my tolerance for baseball and quite simply driving me insane.  Slowly, the wee hours of August will start to approach and things will get serious.  I may go away for a couple weeks, come back and ask what happened.  Ask for a press release.  For now, I will tell you the Cards got beat by the Dodgers because bad luck, weak hitting and untimely pitching injuries seem to not want to leave the room.  On Monday, we had Buntgate with Beltran and a 3-2 loss.  On Tuesday, Joe Kelly outdueled Clayton Kershaw and we won.   Wednesday, Shelby Miller took a dinger off his elbow and left after 2 pitches.  Jake Westbrook entered, and gave up 9 runs on 14 hits even though apparently(via Dave Duncan) it takes 3 tough women with good hands, a snake charmer and a lot of heating pads to get him loose to pitch every 5th day.  Last night, Baby Carlos left with a cramp after giving up 4 runs in 4.2 innings.  The offense produced 1 run on 5 hits.  That’s it.   Rough week for Cards rookies and the team as well.  You take those losses and keep on trucking.  The lineup is rough because while Tony Cruz hasn’t sucked, he hasn’t exactly lit up pitching.  The loss of Yadi Molina to this lineup makes the bottom 3 slots in the order look like wretched shit.  Weak hitting catcher, shortstop and pitcher.  That’s a layup for an average pitcher.   There’s the problem.  The top 6 aren’t rocking mitts but the bottom half is plain weak.  Slide David Freese down to the 7th spot, push Tony Cruz up to the middle of the order to give him a shot and see where it takes you.  Molina can come off the DL this Thursday.  Until then, shake shit up.  The Cubs are in town,  They are bad but won’t roll over.  Chicago would love to come in here minus Alfonso Soriano and Matt Garza and beat us up.  Get to work Cards.
 
Dan Haren and Kyle Lohse are on waivers but neither make me lunge for the phone.  Haren is 6-11 with a 5.14 ERA and has allowed 21 HR.  If it were 2 years ago, I ‘d say yes.  Lohse is the same old crafty pitcher that may benefit from Busch’s walls but not sure if Mo springs for him.  He is the better option.  He is 7-7 but has a 3.23 ERA with a wretched team.  He has won 2 of his last 3 starts and has only allowed 2 runs or less in his last 4 starts.  Coming back to this lowly hitting team right now may not help him much, but I would support a Lohse acquisition over a Haren pull.  
 
The Cards offense is feast of famine right now.  Score 13 or score 1 or 2.  That’s dangerous and not very playoff like.  Our team isn’t good against good teams and can’t win close games against them nor can they come back late.   This 2013 team is a perplexing bunch of rogues.  Wait and see approach engaged.
 
Switching gears to movies-
 
Elysium was like a chocolate bar summer film.   A decent action flick that is easy on the eyes and entertains you yet melts quick after you hold in your hand long enough.  It deals with a future society where the rich live on a luxurious planet while the poor are stuck on a polluted dying earth.  Enter Matt Damon’s bald ex-con and he may be the one to reestablish the equilibrium.   Damon is fine but overqualified for a glorified action role and director Neill Bloomkamp takes a step back from District 9 with this blockbuster.  District 9 flip flopped the normal dilemma between aliens and humans.  For the first time, aliens were the victims of our government greed.  Here, it’s poor against the rich and the execution leaves nothing to be fought over.  As it is, I’d recommend it because it entertains and moves but don’t expect to be blown away.  
 
I still implore you to watch Fruitvale Station.   That 86 minute film will rock you.   The Spectacular Now comes out in 2 weeks.  A great HONEST coming of age high school romance.  Drinking Buddies is available on demand and comes out in theaters in 2 weeks.  Olivia Wilde proves she is more than a pretty face and Jake Johnson is excellent as well about a couple long time friends who work at a brewery testing the romantic shores of their relationship.  This isn’t your normal romantic comedy.  It’s honest, heartbreaking and leaves you a little wet.  
 
I am not good with time zones.  I am interviewing director D.J. Caruso today and was very excited because it’s my first big time director interview.  He has done a few of my underrated gems like Two For the Money and The Salton Sea.  He also directed Shia Labeouf in Eagle Eye and Disturbia as well as Angelina Jolie in Taking Lives.   He directed a kids film this month called Standing Up, and I was all ready at 130pm today.  Too bad it’s a PST based interview and it was 330pm PST.  Which means….530 CT.  I had in mind that it was 130pm all night and day.   Which is why this man needs to relax.  Anybody got a joint, a shot glass and a paper airplane?  Never mind.
 
Twitter is my friend these days as you all know.  It’s a 24/7 information highway and home to writers testing their craft at putting a thought into 140 characters.  It’s growing.  I got on the radio with http://www.redwolfrollcall.com on Wednesday for 25 minutes(4pm and 10pm for my Cards and movies segment) with Rob Butler and Aaron Russell in Arkansas.  I also interact with sportswriters, athletes, actors and filmmakers there.  If you use twitter, you know that hash tags are the connective tissue of the site.  If I use a hashtag like #STLCards, then anybody who uses that hash tag has the chance to see my tweet.  You can have fun with them as well.  I was writing about dealing with a crazy kid and I said #BabyBuffaBlues.   Common ones are #NoShit and #TakeYourBase.   Well, a popular one this week was Confess Your Unpopular Opinion.   Tell the twitter world something that you believe that may be hated by most.  Here are five that I came up with.  
 
Buffa Unpopular Opinions-
1. I am in favor of the NL getting the DH.  Unless you take it out of both leagues, I am for it.  Makes the game a lot more interesting and fun to watch and doesn’t let pitching changes enter the mindset so much.  I know that isn’t popular and I am not adamant about it.  I would be more for getting it taken out completely but also wouldn’t mind seeing leagues be made equal.
 
2. I really hate it when someone uses the phrase “LOL”.  I hate it a lot.  It instantly lowers my respect for that person’s intelligence.   If you are laughing out loud, record it, send me the tape.  I’ll approve. Nonsense.
 
3.  I am not a huge fan of the Godfather or Scarface.  Both are overrated and overlong.  I prefer Goodfellas over the Godfather trilogy.  I think Scorsese did in one film what Coppola did in three films.  A precise tight gangster story.  Sorry Al Pacino.
 
4. I don’t treat my pets like my children.  Dogs are pets, not children.  They are treated like an animal.  With love but also with a separate treatment than my kid.  My parents think their dogs are real daughters and while I can accept that, in this house, dogs are dogs.  Plain and simple.  
 
5. Not sure if the Blues win a Stanley Cup before my kid starts high school.  He is 22 months old by the way.  Just saying.
 
One More-While I don’t love their music, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry won’t burn out like Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus.  They actually have talent.
 
The new Mumford and Sons video for their song, “Hopeless Wanderer” is self deprecation at its finest.  The folky rockers hired four comedy guys(Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte and Ed Helms) to dress up as them and prance around, cry and dance through the number.  Result is quite hilarious.  Check it out.
 
 
I am gone.  Goodnight.
 
-DLB

The Decision and Other Cards Notes

· Leave a comment ·

All together now.  Starters can’t relieve and be effective in a MLB game EVER.  It’s always and historically been a bad decision.  Without getting into the details of tonight’s wretched Dodgers blowout, let me point out a few things I firmly believe.  Starters aren’t wired to relieve a game.  I don’t care if he comes in 2 pitches or 22 pitches after the start of the game.  They aren’t set up that way and can be hurt physically or see their ERA inflated.  Relievers are wired to relieve, deal with a catastrophe and be effective.  This is plain baseball logic.  

 
Disagree with me all you want, but this is my blog, my beliefs and I will say this all the way to the bank and back.  Jake Westbrook can’t be scratching his balls one moment, suddenly be told to warm up, and come in to pitch and be effective.  Michael Blazek, as we saw, got up, came in, allowed a couple baserunners but didn’t allow a single run after Shelby Miller took a laser off his right pitching elbow.  Blazek should have stayed in for at least another inning.  He used to be a starter, is expendable and can be sent down to Memphis tomorrow to retool.  Mike Matheny brought in Westbrook and the suddenly dismal veteran gave up 6 runs in the second inning.  Game lopsided and out of reach.  He gave up 3 more in the 6th inning and ended up with this pitching line.  

 
4.2 innings, 9 runs, 14 hits, 108 pitches.  BANG!  Game isn’t over but falling off the cliff to the bottom of the night.  
 
Let me play manager here.  Blazek gets through 2 innings, and Keith Butler comes in to pitch 2-3 innings.  Seth Maness barely threw any pitches Tuesday night.  He has pitched 2 innings before.  Kevin Siegrist can also throw 1-2 innings.  If you manage to have a lead, Rosenthal and Mujica take over in the 8th and 9th.  You never know.  I will say this.  I don’t think the bullpen would have given up 6 runs so fast or 9 runs after 6 innings.  The operation failed and I knew it would the minute it happened.  My words can be debated but I firmly believe in a bullpen rescue mission.  Westbrook throws tomorrow with Carlos Martinez and another Memphis hand backing the pen up.  
 
Understand this was plain bad luck for the Birds.  Miller leaves after 2 pitches.  Matheny has a lot of choices in his head.  I was ready to see a bullpen night, especially after Blazek gritted out the first inning.  I could see us contending in that game.  
 
Once again, relievers are ready every night to handle this chaos.  Think of the word relief.  Ready to be of help to a hurting party.  Aide the weak.  The bullpen is like a fire department on call every night for the worst possible event.  They came to the aide of Miller, Matheny and the Cards tonight.  They were quickly dismissed.  
 
Westbrook is a victim here.  He can’t say no to this mission.  He takes the ball, straps on a bullet proof vest and does his best.  He is the worst starter on this staff to come out of the bullpen.  Westbrook requires a slick equilibrium to his starts to be effective.  Fair strike zone.  Lucky ground balls.  Needs one pitch to work or else.  He can’t work or grit his way through a start he wasn’t making for another 24 hours.  He wasn’t cut out for the mission.  Once again, unfair night for the Birds.  If this thing happened with Joe Kelly pitching tomorrow, he would have fared a lot better than Westbrook in my opinion.  
 
The Cards have pecked away and it’s 9-4.  Winnable game if you believe in miracles.  The LA pen is stacked and ready to close this thing down.  We will fall to 3 games out behind the Pirates.  Worse scenarios exist.  We have 2 more series’ with the Pirates this month.  Deficits can be cut.  This game tonight isn’t easy to swallow because I disagree with the course taken.  
 
Miller suffered an elbow contusion.  Basically, a bad bruise on the bone.  He may be out a week or it could extend to 2-3 weeks.  If the Cards coaching staff wanted his pitch count down, it will be cut short now.  He returns towards the end of the month ready to go for the stretch push.  Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.  
 
The Cards are prepared to handle this.  Carlos Martinez was scheduled to start tomorrow and will be coming to Busch to make that start.  That is the only plausible course for this team.  Sacrifice Westbrook tonight and go with Martinez tomorrow.  He is the one hot prospect that hasn’t been given a start up in the show this year.  Let’s see what baby Carlos has in store.  He will be pitching for a split most likely but he can handle it.  He has had two stints here and been teased with this level of competition.  The Dodgers haven’t seen him and have no idea what he’s got.  The only positive of starting Westbrook a day early was having the chance to insert Martinez into the rotation after a long wait.  
 
I don’t want to see Tyler Lyons.  He is batting practice meat by the 5th inning.  NO…THANK YOU.  
 
David Freese got hot in Cincinnati but so do a lot of struggling hitters when they play in a sandbox.  Back at home, he is 1-6 this series against the Dodgers.  He is hitting .272 on the season with 6 HR and 41 RBI.  88 hits in 93 games.  We weren’t paying him 4 million to be Jon Jay.  Unless he heats up seriously, he will have a bad year and may be gone.  Tangy provel cheese ladies and gents!
 
Pete Kozma isn’t a good hitter but stop calling for Ryan Jackson.  RJ’s bat has calmed down the past 2 months. He hit .229 in July and cranking it up at a clip of .182 so far this month with Memphis.  He won’t be an improvement.  Cards are stuck with Koz/DD for 2013 unless Mozelaik pulls a bunny out of a hat.  
 
What else?  It’s 10pm and 9-4 Dodgers with Puig at the plate.  A Cards fan snatched a ball away from Puig a couple of innings ago.  It was legit.  The fan didn’t reach out and steal it.  He held up his glove in foul territory and caught a ball Puig wasn’t going to catch.  That fan will never forget that.  
 
Randy Choate has been a good reliever for this team.  He is good at what we brought him in for.  He isn’t a multiple inning guy.  He is being asked to get more than 3 outs tonight and starting to wear out.  In no other game this year will Matheny ask Choate to get a fierce RH like Puig out.  The phenom walked instead and now Randy faces the tenacious Skip Schumacher.  Groundout.  Inning over.  I don’t do play by play.  Which is the reason I would hate to be a simple beat reporter for the Cards.  Where’s the fun in that?
 
Goodnight.  Thanks for reading this dreary post. Game of baseball stings.  Up one night.  Down the next.  Time to reload for tomorrow.
 
-Buffa

Hot STL Cards Topics

· Leave a comment ·

Hot off my radio stint, which you can hear tonight from 8-11pm on http://www.redwolfrollcall.com streaming on their home page.  My first sports radio shot and it was a 25 minute blast talking with Rob Butler and Aaron Russell, who I met through a friend on twitter and took off.  In less than 12 hours, I talked to Rob on Twitter and was on his show the next day.  That is how 24/7 media runs these days.  Quick and blunt, like me.  I will be doing a weekly baseball/movies shot at 4pm on Wednesdays.  As long as I can or until I find a real job.  I promoted my website and my own writing.  Which I will unfold a little here.

As I type, Allen Craig is being scratched from the lineup for an unspecified reason.  Not sure if he has a hangnail, broken toe, fever or a case of the greatness disease, but this means Matt Adams’ hot bat goes back into the lineup and Beltran will definitely play(and not bunt) in right field.  Onward..

*Beltran and the Bunting Saga.  PUT TO REST HERE.  Beltran acknowledged it was him who ordered the bunt on Monday night.  Why do managers and athletes have a hard time understanding the notion that informing the media is the quickest route to burying a topic.  Tale of the tape is simple.  Beltran bunted Monday night to move runners over instead of swinging away to knock them home.  Matheny didn’t order it but wouldn’t tell all after the game.  He could have kept his close relationship with his players afloat by simply saying certain players have a freedom at the plate, and whether its good or bad it is apparent at all times.  Bad choice in my opinion because a man with a .300 BA and 19 HR shouldn’t be giving away outs, esp with runners on base.

*Cardinals’ Memphis rotation.   Good problems to have are having an entire rotation of arms ready to pitch in the majors next season.  With Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha, John Gast and Tyler Lyons, the Cards have that. This will make up for the loss of Jake Westbrook and Chris Carpenter, and create competition with Joe Kelly and Jaime Garcia.  You will have a boatload of rotation hopefuls which is why I see a trade happening for a SS coming in the offseason.

*David Freese and Jon Jay need to finish well or they may find themselves out of a job next season.   Kolten Wong and Oscar Taveras will be on this team sooner rather than later, and Freese is the guy who may not return.  Freese is putting up Jay like numbers this year and that is not good.  Stiff decline from his 2012 campaign.  We all know he is the hometown hero and the new face of IMOS Pizza but when facts come to stats, you have to produce.  Carp can play third base and Wong’s position is 2nd base.  This is another great issue for the team to have.  Pay Freese 3-5 million in 2014 or let him walk and roll the dice.

*Slow game, long season, lots of heartbreak for diehard fans.  It’s hard to not get romantic about this game.  It gets its own spotlight for 3-5 months per year in the summer and the games was calculating and slow moving.  Baseball fans, in my opinion, really have to EARN IT.

*Allen Craig’s emergence as an RBI machine quiets the Pujols loyalists and offers another smooth transition at a big position.  Now that he could be hurt, that idea gets a little brittle.  Hold on until the news is fresh on Craig’s absence.  He may be delivering pizzas for Freese’s IMOS.  Who knows?

*Jaime Garcia coming back? Don’t hold your breath.  I am sure Joe Kelly loves the news.

*Speaking of Joe, the guy keeps pumping out laborious tough outings that give the Cards a chance to win.  He’s waited his turn.  Let him run with it until it gets ugly.

*Cards stand at 66-46 and 2 games behind the Pirates and 4 games ahead of the Reds.  We play 2 more against the Dodgers, followed by 3 games against the Cubs and finish the homestand against the Pirates.   We started August with a 13-0 revenge fueled beating of the Pirates in Pittsburgh and tortured fans don’t have to wait long for our return to the East.  We finish August in Pittsburgh.  Lots of games in August at home and against teams with a winning record and that has been the Cards kryptonite this year.  Winning against good teams and winning games decided by 2 runs or less.

*Maness, Rosenthal, Siegrist, Mujica.   Long way from Mujica-Boggs-Motte.  This just goes to show how deep and impressive the Cards system has become.  The Cards are holding serve on every team in the league.

That’s it.  Quick and blunt.  Time to run.

-DLB

 

The Daily Dose on The Cards

· Leave a comment ·
CARDS BEAT KERSHAW AGAIN, EVEN SERIES
*They didn’t bust up Clayton, who is now 4-5 against us lifetime, but we did just enough and got a couple timely hits.  We manufactured some runs tonight early on and nicked the kid for 2 runs in 6 IP.  He doesn’t have a sub 2.00 ERA for nothing.  He’s really good and would have 15 wins right now if not for terrible run support in April and May.  I said get a win against either Kershaw or Greinke and we did, so the rest of the series is open season to win or pull out even.
 
*Joe Kelly matched Kershaw and held the Dodgers to less damage in 5.1 innings.  He required defensive help and labored like Jake Westbrook but got the job done.  He outdid Kershaw for long enough and got another win.  He validated to the home crowd that he deserves to be in the rotation from here on out.  In 24 starts, he has pitched decent in 75 percent of them.  
 
*The Cards got some great defense.  Jon Jay ran to the wall and tracked down a deep fly from Mark Ellis.  We turned 4 double plays, including the 12th from Seth Maness.  Sometimes it’s like he types “DP on this pitch” into his Predator arm band and just gets it.  Tony Cruz threw out a runner at third on a failed sacrifice attempt.  Edward Mujica stoppped a line drive and fell to his back before firing a strike to Craig in the 9th inning.  
 
*The Pirates won so we remain a couple games out, but there is time and this was a close win.  This season, we are only a game over .500 in 1 run games.  Those kind happen a ton in the postseason and we must get better.  The one thing the Cards don’t do is come back late or win in extra innings.  In August and September, close wins are gritty and stress inducing but frequent.  
 
*Yasiel Puig is a marvel and a fun kid to watch.  He swings with majestic pride, has a cannon in right, and includes a little flair that implies, “I’m good so deal with it”.  He doesn’t approach Bryce Harper arrogance or Ryan Braun snark and is a player to watch and be in awe of.  He is hitting .376 and can big time power.  I’d like to contain him for two more games and worry about him in October.  
 
*Hat tip to Don Mattingley.  His job was under fire in May and now his team is in first place by 4 games.  Good for him.  The team came together, Puig came by and the season has taken off.  They are tough.  They hit well, field good and pitch great.  We aren’t seeing them with the .361 hitting Hanley Rameriz either.  Be glad.
 
*My take on the Carlos Beltran bunting crappola from Monday.  He did it on his own.  So what?  It’s still a bad move.  He has 20 HR after tonight, hitting above .300 and is capable of changing a game with one swing.  He told the media that he bunted in the 7th inning and moved the runners over.  Why give away an out?  If it’s a one run game, I can maybe see it but still not with Beltran.  It comes down to using your head.  You have 2 runners on, zero outs, a 2 run deficit and you give Zach Greinke an out.  He needs to swing the bat.  There’s no place for excessive bunting in winning baseball.  It’s not just bad baseball.  It’s stupid logic.  And Mike Matheny bunts way too much. The Cards rank 5th in the league in bunts attempted and are 3rd worst in execution.  Basically, they suck at it yet try it a ton.  Unless Matheny wants to make them practice more in BP and do it against splitters and cutters, then stop attempting so many easy outs.  I don’t get it.  Also, Mike can be more candid with the media about it.  If you feel so avid about it man, then back it up and discuss it.  Quite little league for Matheny to go all Tony La Russa on the media when asked about Beltran’s bunt.  He gave away three outs in Monday’s ONE RUN Game.  It’s the media’s job to ask questions Mikey so be nice and answer them or we will ask you about your real estate investments again.
 
 
 
 

Midnight Dose of Buffa

· Leave a comment ·

Settle in because I am going to fire at will here.  Why mess around when time is money and it isn’t waiting for the slow people?  I have to get here and lay it out and get on with the daily walk.  I am not Kane but I will have to do some work tomorrow that doesn’t include unplugging here and going full steam ahead on my normal range of topics.  Feel free to send me topics to rant about.  I can do anything.  Chinese Ping Pong Strategy.  Iraqi Freedom Fighter outlook.   Washington DC watercooler talk.  I will look it up, get a perspective and fire at will.  Let’s get on with it.

 
CARDS BEAT KERSHAW AGAIN, EVEN SERIES
*They didn’t bust up Clayton, who is now 4-5 against us lifetime, but we did just enough and got a couple timely hits.  We manufactured some runs tonight early on and nicked the kid for 2 runs in 6 IP.  He doesn’t have a sub 2.00 ERA for nothing.  He’s really good and would have 15 wins right now if not for terrible run support in April and May.  I said get a win against either Kershaw or Greinke and we did, so the rest of the series is open season to win or pull out even.
 
*Joe Kelly matched Kershaw and held the Dodgers to less damage in 5.1 innings.  He required defensive help and labored like Jake Westbrook but got the job done.  He outdid Kershaw for long enough and got another win.  He validated to the home crowd that he deserves to be in the rotation from here on out.  In 24 starts, he has pitched decent in 75 percent of them.  
 
*The Cards got some great defense.  Jon Jay ran to the wall and tracked down a deep fly from Mark Ellis.  We turned 4 double plays, including the 12th from Seth Maness.  Sometimes it’s like he types “DP on this pitch” into his Predator arm band and just gets it.  Tony Cruz threw out a runner at third on a failed sacrifice attempt.  Edward Mujica stoppped a line drive and fell to his back before firing a strike to Craig in the 9th inning.  
 
*The Pirates won so we remain a couple games out, but there is time and this was a close win.  This season, we are only a game over .500 in 1 run games.  Those kind happen a ton in the postseason and we must get better.  The one thing the Cards don’t do is come back late or win in extra innings.  In August and September, close wins are gritty and stress inducing but frequent.  
 
*Yasiel Puig is a marvel and a fun kid to watch.  He swings with majestic pride, has a cannon in right, and includes a little flair that implies, “I’m good so deal with it”.  He doesn’t approach Bryce Harper arrogance or Ryan Braun snark and is a player to watch and be in awe of.  He is hitting .376 and can big time power.  I’d like to contain him for two more games and worry about him in October.  
 
*Hat tip to Don Mattingley.  His job was under fire in May and now his team is in first place by 4 games.  Good for him.  The team came together, Puig came by and the season has taken off.  They are tough.  They hit well, field good and pitch great.  We aren’t seeing them with the .361 hitting Hanley Rameriz either.  Be glad.
 
*My take on the Carlos Beltran bunting crappola from Monday.  He did it on his own.  So what?  It’s still a bad move.  He has 20 HR after tonight, hitting above .300 and is capable of changing a game with one swing.  He told the media that he bunted in the 7th inning and moved the runners over.  Why give away an out?  If it’s a one run game, I can maybe see it but still not with Beltran.  It comes down to using your head.  You have 2 runners on, zero outs, a 2 run deficit and you give Zach Greinke an out.  He needs to swing the bat.  There’s no place for excessive bunting in winning baseball.  It’s not just bad baseball.  It’s stupid logic.  And Mike Matheny bunts way too much. The Cards rank 5th in the league in bunts attempted and are 3rd worst in execution.  Basically, they suck at it yet try it a ton.  Unless Matheny wants to make them practice more in BP and do it against splitters and cutters, then stop attempting so many easy outs.  I don’t get it.  Also, Mike can be more candid with the media about it.  If you feel so avid about it man, then back it up and discuss it.  Quite little league for Matheny to go all Tony La Russa on the media when asked about Beltran’s bunt.  He gave away three outs in Monday’s ONE RUN Game.  It’s the media’s job to ask questions Mikey so be nice and answer them or we will ask you about your real estate investments again.  
 
Yes I went there.  And yes the font color of this blog changed a bit.  Instead of a thick bold, it’s grayish.  Call it a mistake in trying to copy and paste from another window.  Don’t do it.  
 
What else?
 
Movies-
*Rent The Place Beyond The Pines or Mud.  Both are quality films with good stories and acting.  Pass up Oblivion unless that is where you want your mind to end up.  
*The Spectacular Now is a gem.  Watched it yesterday morning(it comes out August 23rd).  Coming of age tale with some real teeth and grave honesty about transitioning from high school to “do something with your life” arena.  Miles Teller is a breakout talent and he will break your heart in the third act.  You heard it here first.
*Go see Fruitvale Station.  Pass up 2 Guns.
*Looking forward to Elysium, the new Matt Damon Sci-fi action thriller.  Damon shaved his head for the role, which is funny.  When actors want to look badass, they shave their head.  I shave mine every week.  That’s why I’m a BAMF!\
*Ever feel like catching an oldie?  Watch the classic Midnight Run.  DeNiro, Grodin, Farina, and Kotto.  Great comedy.
TV-
*Ray Donovan would be a shitty NBC crime show without its superb cast. Watch it now.
*Rent Banshee on DVD and soak up that ridiculously fun first season.
*True Blood is retarded and I watch it merely for the nudity these days.  Yeah, I do.  
*I fully expect a quality Entourage movie.  It’s coming in 2014.  Doug Ellin has a chance for a home run here with 90-120 minutes so don’t waste them.  Focus more on Jeremy Piven and Kevin Dillion and not the duller than dogshit actors who play Vince and Turtle.  I think they do adequate in their roles but Adrian Grenier and Jerry Ferrera aren’t worth a lot of minutes.
*Sopranos could have done a movie but then James Gandolfini died.  Oh well.
*I’ll be watching the Low Winter Sun on AMC this month. Why?  It has Mark Strong, the gifted British character actor, in the lead.  Done.
 
Miscellaneous-
*I could bitch about traffic and other drivers but then I would have no time left in the day.
*Shaw’s Coffee on the Hill has the best coffee in St. Louis.
*If I don’t get this Mark Strong interview this week, there will be blood in the water.  When I interview C-List directors, I would like my shot at the B-List and A-List actors.  Thanks.
*Watching Lee Daniel’s The Butler on Monday, which has the best cast ever assembled for a film.
*I love lamp.  Very much.  Only film-addicts will get that one.
 
Goodnight,
 
Dan L. Buffa

Opening Statement for the Week

· Leave a comment ·

Good morning soldiers,

 
As you crank up the work week, I am here to enlighten you a little.  My job is basically giving my side of a story.  I don’t bore you with a popular propaganda dance off here.  I dish it straight and blunt.  Whiskey without the ice to water out the floating sensation.  Let’s get into it.  
 
Hopefully the Cards celebrated their 15-2 club bashing of the Reds on Sunday on their flight home.  They ended the 3-8 road trip by scoring 41 runs in their final 4 games.  Not bad for a team declared dead on Wednesday.  Starting today, they face a red hot Dodgers team that has won 14 straight on the road.  That’s like beating down the monsters from within only to rest in a bed full of snakes.  LA has turned their season around, winning 31 of their past 38 games and looking like the contender every paper magazine chalked them up to be.  They are doing this while dangling Andre Ethier off the trade corner and without Matt “Gimp” Kemp.  They have rock solid pitching and a potent lineup which has been energized by Yasiel Puig, the type of young player the Cards can only dream Oscar Taveras turns out to be.  Puig hurt himself over the weekend but I doubt he will miss time against the Cards.  The Dodgers greet us with Zach Greinke and Clayton Kershaw the first two games of a four game set.  As noted earlier, home field advantage doesn’t matter when you are facing a crew of road warriors.  
 
Adam Wainwright needs to make a statement tonight.  Climb the mound, pitch like an ace and walk tall damn it.  He produced two shitty starts on a pivotal road trip.  He got outpitched by Joe Kelly in back to back starts.  No offense to Joe but Waino is a Cy Young hopeful and the general of this rotation.  He wears the badge and he knows it.  He can’t walk out there tomorrow, toss hangers and cutters that don’t slice.  He has to halt the LA bangers and give us a chance.  Fuck what he has done up to this point.  Now we enter the stretch run.  Get your fanny packs off and put on the hard hats because it’s time to bang.  
 
David Freese and Matt Holliday have woken up since Yadi Molina went down.  That is what big gamers do.  They rise out of the slumpy ashes when most needed.  Holliday has been hitting everything hard for a week and Freese had a huge weekend in Cincinnati.  Sitting back in his comfortable cleanup spot(where he hit with AP here), Holliday is bashing liners and knocking guys in.  Allen Craig has settled into the 3rd spot and Freese is either in the 5th or 6th spot.  If Freese is on, this lineup looks deadly and can overcome the short term loss of Molina.  Good timing Imos boy. The nice deluxe is on me surfer!
 
Anyone seen Edward Mujica lately?  Chief pitched 2 damn innings on the 11 game trip.  If the Cards can learn to create a save situation again, we need to get our rusty closer back out there.  August isn’t the time to have him ride the bench.  This isn’t a rally cry against 10 run deficit destruction.  Just saying Mujica needs to work.  Him and Trevor Rosenthal are playing too much blackjack down there.
 
Matt Adams can hit but he will strike out the more he plays.  He had a big 2 hit day on Sunday, including a long 2 run HR in the first inning.  He can play.  He is a deadly bench bat/occasional starter.  As a full time player, he is showing weaknesses yet may improve with more time.  This plays into the whole bring back Beltran or don’t bring back Beltran idea.  Beltran stays and Craig plays a lot of first base.  If you move Jay, you are doing it for Oscar Taveras.  The only way Matt Adams plays every day here is if Beltran departs.  The man is still young so be patient.  
 
Matt Garza needs to stop using twitter to attack players and their wives.  His treatment of a Oakland A’s player and his wife on Saturday was simply unprofessional.  Grow up Garzy or I will shave the squirrel off your face.
 
Busy week ahead for Film-Addict honcho here.  I have a screening tomorrow at 11am of a widely praised indie called The Spectacular Now, and a screening of the sci-fi action thriller Elysium on Tuesday.  I also have two screeners to watch and a possible interview with the Brit Mark Strong.  4 movies, 1 interview and a lot of typing.  I made need an injection by Thursday.  This is not a complaint.  I am able to send Vinny to his daycare 2 days a weeks so I can get FA duties and writing/job applying done without reckless noise in my background.  Some weeks are busier than others.  One day this will be all I have to do.
 
I haven’t contacted a good friend about a job fair opportunity and I feel pretty shitty about it.  Said person must not take that personally because I will be calling this week.  Amazing how quick time flies.  
 
I drove a party bus for my neighbor on Saturday and didn’t mind the experience.  It was a wedding and the group wanted to hit Ted Drewes and Kiener Plaza.  No big deal.  The groom was a Marine and was sweating profusely while his new bride took about 600 shots in 80 degree heat.  You drive them around, listen to them get drunk and listen to horrible music and try to create celebration by screaming “WooooHoooo” 45 times in a 30 minute ride.  It’s basically listening to children slowly become adults.  I didn’t get to use my cool driver transporter Jason Statham accent once.  I nearly played that role.
 
Aaron Sorkin is a great writer.  He writes dialogue like the ideas are bubbling up in his head and coming in at a clip of 45 million per second and under the notion that his hands will tire before his mind. He writes like a mind without a stop watch.  All passion and no limitation.  It’s a thing of beauty to watch and makes his HBO show, The Newsroom, a joy to watch.  You find yourself going back and listening to dialogue again because there is so much packed in there.  
You want a cool under the radar gem to revisit.  Watch Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  That was the real beginning of Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback.
 
Ray Donovan promises a dark ride through Hollywood and a family of Boston gangsters playing pinball against the past.  I will be writing a piece for Film-Addict on this bright young show with plenty of legs. We do TV spotlights on occasion, especially the shows that resemble “cinematic television”.
 
I can be as excited about the 2013 Rams as anyone and it doesn’t mean shit.  I need to see Jake Long protect Sam Bradford in a game.  I need to see Sam fire a pass into the chest of Jared Cook or Tavon Austin under pressure in a game before I declare the Sooner QB the second coming of Kurt Warner.  The 49ers and Seahawks are getting hit hard with injury and Fisher ball is a exciting, but games need to be played.  Don’t make the mistake of getting on the ride before it starts to move.  We are all fans.  If you love the team, it’s okay to watch things play out.
 
The Blues made a fantastic move in signing midseason trade acquisition Jay Bouwmeester to a 5 year extension.  After they sign Alex Pietrangelo to a long term extension, that gives the St. Louis Blues a strong tandem on defense for years to come.  No matter what happens with Oshie and Berglund, the team tosses an anchor in the water with Jay Bo and Pietro.  It’s been a long time since Pronger and Big Mac roamed the blue line.  Now we have another pair worthy of that hype.  Younger too.  Jay Bo is tall, has a fast skate and can thread the needle on an outlet pass.  He occupies space and knows what to do with it. The team signing Jake Allen(future #1 goalie) and solidifying the defensive core is Doug Armstrong hard at work.  Ken Hitchcock’s first full year will be interesting.
 
Jeff Daniels isn’t just great on the Newsroom.  He’s sensational. Give him the Emmy for next year’s ceremony.  Get the engraver ready.  Without great actors, fine writing is just words on a piece of paper.  The right actors can make that material sing.  Daniels’ Will McAvoy is Sorkin’s alter ego taking center stage on every political and human issue.  Daniels makes it sing.
 
Song of the Day-“Heroes” by Peter Gabriel
 
What else do I got?  
 
I can’t stand coffee with cream in it.  Why not pour sugar and ice cream in and make a fucking shake out of it?  The more people pour sugar and cream into coffee it loses its wonderfully creative flame.  They wonder why it doesn’t wake them up.  It won’t if you drown it in bullshit.
 
Gas prices are holding steady.  Back to the worthless news desk.
 
Politicians are full of shit.  CNN is like their own form of open play.  Watch the babies spit up on each other and play with big toys.
 
Barack Obama is a good guy I think.  He roots for the White Sox, likes basketball and can really really give a great speech.  What he stands for…I have no fucking clue.  
 
Look up the band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club(BRMC for those with short attention spans).  They are a true under the radar rock band and their album, Baby 81, is a classic rock n’ roll clashing of drums, steel, guitar and the blues infused with a punk rock spice.  Yeah, I’m aroused too.  If you like them, buy a ticket to their September 27th show at the Pageant.
 
I’m done.  Thanks for reading friends.  Good morning.
 
-DLB
I’m saving my creatively spiked ending for another rant…

A Quick Weekend Dose of Buffa Bits

· Leave a comment ·

Hello readers,

 
The last time I wrote you came on the eve of the Cards snapping of the 7 game losing streak.  In case you haven’t read my blog or know me well, I associate everything in my life with sports or movies. My last blog was bleak and nervy and while this blog won’t reach the stars, it’s not as bitchy as the last.  
 
The Cards didn’t break out of their hitting slump. They barged out of it.  They beat the Pirates down so bad on Thursday that I nearly saw a tear coming down Andrew McCutcheon’s eye after the 13th run came across the plate.  In a 13-0 assault, the Cards didn’t hit a home run but returned to their usual hitting with RISP proneness.  They bashed singles, mixed in a few doubles and completely shut down the Pirates.  Joe Kelly pitched shutout ball for 6 innings and the bullpen fired 3 scoreless frames.  The comeback included an 8 run 7th inning that silenced the Pittsburgh crowd and more than anything, sent a message to the first place Bucs that they got the early laughs but we got the last long sleep inducing chuckle.  
 
Give credit to Kelly.  He pitched very well and really deserves the 5th spot.  The Cards used Kelly in the rotation in 2012 when Lance Lynn went soft and Kelly pitched a lot better than his record.  He was 5-7 yet carried a 3.53 ERA and was a quality start machine.  He didn’t blow people away and will never win a Cy Young, but Kelly is a fantastic 5th guy to have.  He went long relief in the playoffs and when he came to camp in 2013, he had to battle Shelby Miller for a spot in the rotation.  That fight was over before it even began.  Kelly lost out, got shoved into a long relief bullpen role that saw him work every once in a while, usual in mop up duty.  When Jaime Garcia went down, the Cards overlooked Kelly for younger hurlers in Tyler Lyons, John Gast and Michael Wacha.  Kelly usually had to come in and mop up for those starters when they couldn’t finish a game.  Finally, after the team deemed Wacha not ready for the load, lost Gast to injury, lost Lyons to inefficiency, and couldn’t figure out how to use Martinez, they turned back to Kelly.  He has made spot starts before getting the 5th spot 2 weeks ago and he has pitched well.  His two starts on this very important road trip have been a lot better than Adam Wainwright.  Kelly has started 23 games for the Cards and delivered a quality start in 17 of them.  He only has 7 wins to show for it but the man has been a pure soldier for this team.  Since we didn’t find a worthy match on the trade market and can’t find an internal option ready for the late push, let’s stick with Joe.  We can let Lyons come up and get blasted again if that is fun.  Let’s not do that.  Let’s give Kelly the ball.  He might just shock the world and pitch decent.
 
Last night, the bats didn’t slow and pummeled the Reds 13-3.  We jumped on Bronson Arroyo’s soft pitches for 5 runs and chased him before he could pitch 4 innings and jumped on a rookie reliever afterwards.  The Cards are back in assault mode.  We are hurting teams and pushing them to the limits.  The Cubs are no longer a viable rival and the Brewers went sour two years ago, so the real rival in the division is still the Reds.  Dusty Baker is still there and Walt Jocketty still dreams of stepping on the Cards throats.  There is fire there, even without Tony La Russa around to spice it up.  Brandon Phillips isn’t the supreme villain that Cards fans treat him like when he comes to Busch(best fans in baseball my ass) but he is still a guy I LOVE to beat.  When we were scoring run after run, Phillips face gave all the answers that I needed.  Depression, awe and shock.  It’s always fun to make Baker chew harder on those toothpicks and make Phillips sweat.  It’s a rivalry and we made a statement last night.  
 
The Cards sent a message in the past 48 hours.  We reminded our NL Central foes that we are still king and need to be feared.  After scoring 9 runs in our 7 losses, we blasted them with 26 runs in 2 games.  Allen Craig came back to life.  We blasted 3 home runs last night(our first non Molina blasts since at Wrigley before the break) and Daniel Descalso had two of them.  We are heating up again and other teams won’t like it.
 
Shelby Miller only pitched 5 innings last night but it was shutout ball and he struck out 8 guys.  Miller is a rookie and still learning how to pitch and be durable in this league.  I’ll take 5-6 innings if they are efficient.  I compare him to MU alum and current Cy Young candidate Max Scherzer of the Tigers.  When he first came up and was starting in Arizona, Max was only throwing 5-6 innings.  He was striking out a bunch and needed time to develop an arsenal and approach.  He had a heater and a nasty slider so he worked those in.  I have a feeling when Miller develops a curveball that he trusts, things will improve.  He is 11-7 in his rookie campaign.  I’ll take it.
 
Tonight, Jake Westbrook takes the mound and tries to keep the good times rolling.  The Pirates lost last night so we are only a half game out of first place.  Tony Cingrani, a Reds rookie, opposes the Cards.  He is a reliever turned starter and is a lefthander with a 4-1 record and 2.90 ERA.  He has a 3-1 K/BB ratio and will be tough.  We made quick work of All Star lefthander Jeff Locke on Thursday so I have mixed expectations on how we will approach and do against this lefty.
 
Matt Adams is striking out a lot.  He is basically working through the exposure phase to pitchers and will return in fine form.  This could be a time for Brock Petersen to get a couple starts.  He drove in nearly 70 runs down at AAA and can hit.  
 
Non Baseball Notes-The Rundown
 
*I have fallen behind on True Blood and laugh at the episodes I tend to catch.  How far this show has fallen is quite humorous.  The vampire thing is getting very old.
 
*The Bourne Legacy getting a sequel with Jeremy Renner back in the saddle is good news.  If you haven’t seen Bourne Legacy, check it out.  It’s a very smart and fast paced action film.  Matt Damon has chosen to sit a couple films out and Renner was a great fit for Aaron Cross, a man from the same program as Bourne and whose story takes off right after Bourne’s story comes to a close.  I can only hope Tony Gilroy returns to write or direct.  He is responsible for all the Bourne scripts and never fails to deliver.  Legacy wasn’t just a clone of the previous films.  It attacked the side of the story that was affected by Bourne’s action and how they had an effect on Cross’ story while explaining what made these soldiers so advanced in the first place.  
 
*Robert Downey Jr. can sing as well as act.  He released an album in 2006 and climbed on stage to play with Sting at the singer’s 60th birthday party.  Any time Sting doesn’t get to sing is good news to me.  RDJ can rock it!
 
*I couldn’t afford a treadmill(I prefer outdoors anyway) so I bought a boxing heavy bag.  70 pounds and ready to be hit.  There is nothing better on this earth than standing and releasing stress by punching a bag as hard as you can.  It’s a great workout and will make you feel better.  Relatively cheap purchase.  70 dollars for the bag and 30 for the mitts.  
 
*2 GUNS is mindless Hollywood summer action drivel and can be passed up.  Denzel and Wahlberg are better than this.  See Fruitvale Station instead.
 
*My interview with Mark Strong is this week.  I can’t wait to interview the very talented British actor.  He is one of my faves.  I will be tested in keeping my movie lover boner down and remaining professional.
 
That’s all I got.  Quick and painful.  Goodnight.
 
-DLB 

Quick Take on Things

· Leave a comment ·

Cards fans, don’t panic.  After digesting and contemplating the long term effects of a 7 game losing streak for the past 18 hours, I can tell you that doom hasn’t settled over the team YET.  

 
Things to remember…
 
*We are losing to 2 of the best teams in baseball.  The Braves and Pirates are stocked with good young pitching and play very well at home. This isn’t an excuse but only a reminder when you think this 62-44 team is inching closer to their death.  Scratch that.  There is time and we aren’t done yet.  Sometimes when you lose so many in a row you forget who the opposition is.  
 
*This bad bad streak is happening with 2 months left.  Better now than late September.  A playoff savvy team has to be playing their best baseball in a tight division race.  The timing of this streak isn’t sweet yet not that bitter either.  If this happens at the end of June the team is probably barely above .500 and more than 2.5 games behind the Pirates.  It happened this past week, and took the pep out of our step but we still only sit a few games back and have tonight’s game to inch closer.  The Cards could be a totally different team in late August and September and show a few new members.  Don’t sweat this streak for long.
 
*One win can change everything.  Overall mindset. Outlook.  When we staked Adam Wainwright to a 2-0 lead last night, I really thought we were going to snap the streak and climb back in.  However, as Mike Shannon said last night via Twitter(yes that just happened), “they never said it was going to be easy”.  Waino was sloppy and the team blew it.  That’s life and that’s baseball.  The good thing about this is that the Cards get another shot tonight.  The turnaround in baseball is quick and that can be good or bad.  
 
The game of baseball can age a man.  I say this because I am a die hard baseball fan and am obsessed with the game and the Cards, as you probably discovered here.  It’s so hard to not get romantic and passionate about sports if you step too close for a long time.  This is why I whispered into Vinny’s ear last night that its okay to not be obsessed with sports and to actually get there and live a little.  This game will take pieces of your soul and sanity away little by little.  The more you give, the more the team will take when they plummet and suffer.  Cards baseball is the only sport in town that can drain my senses and control my mood.  I’ve watched the Blues since a young age but I can shake off their defeat and it’s even less with the Rams(playoffs not included).  The reason for me is baseball is such a slow diabolical game and it will wear you down.  It contains the most games in a single season and the games are very frequent.  It isn’t like in the NFL where you have 1 game per week and that is it.  Win or lose, you can recover in time for the next one.  In hockey, they play 2-3 times a week but the action happens so fast it can roll in and out of your system quicker.  In baseball, it’s a slow bleed and a painful boil inside your soul and mind.  It can kill you.  All the little inner mind games going on and the intellectual madness and despair involved in the decision making.   As fans, we take it all in and its dangerous.  For me, with baseball, I see all the signs and the lanes of opportunity.  Like last night when Matheny didn’t pinch hit for DD with Adams and Carpenter on the bench.  That one decision.  This game is truly a game of inches.  Inches that can decide a huge number of games.  As a fan this can be painful.  
 
Example.  When the Cards lost game 1 of the doubleheader on Tuesday, I was about to walk into a movie.  I watched the ball bounce off Kevin Siegrist’s glove and into left field for the winning hit and I walked into the theater and literally told my poor wife, “This movie better be fucking good!”.   I give a lot of credit to my wife for putting up with my sports and movie obsession.  It’s not always easy seeing your husband watch a movie for the 15th time or seeing him wallow with a team when they struggle.  She gets extra points for that.  I can say without hesitation that sports obsessions have ended plenty of relationships but the Buffa’s got it together.  She knows I have a mistress that is the Cardinals from February until November.  She accepts that and that’s why I’m lucky.  Most women would shake their heads(unless they were die hard fans too) and walk out the door.
 
So tune in tonight and don’t hold your breath for a victory but I wouldn’t rule out success at the same time.  They may crush our spirits again but we can at least keep in mind that they will do it again on Friday. Take the field, pitch to win, hit to succeed and try to make enough plays and smart decisions to come up with a win.   Also, the people who want Mike Matheny fired are stupid, ridiculously inept sad excuses for a baseball fan.  Probably a member of the best fans in baseball who desperately want Tony La Russa triple guessing decisions and perplexing strategy back.  
 
Alright, non baseball shit-
 
*The Bourne Legacy is nearly as good as the previous three entries.  Without Matt Damon, Jeremy Renner stepped into the role of Aaron Cross, a fellow Bourne like agent, and knocked it out of the park.  Together with a cast including Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton, the writer of the original three Bourne films, Tony Gilroy(along with his brother Dan) crafted a highly entertaining and intelligent film.  The same tense action and thrills and gutsy performances.  Check it out on HBO or DVD.  
 
*I have acquired my copy of the first season of Cinemax’s underrated and addicting new series, Banshee.  I have written two articles about it on my website.  The show is delicious and worth a look.  The entire season is only 25 dollars on DVD.  Check it out.  
 
*The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are coming to St. Louis on September 27th and I will be there.  One of the most underrated unknown rock bands return to a place they have piloted before and the walls and floor will be shaking.  Smooth old fashioned punk rock n’ roll.  Swirling guitars.  Heavy vocals.  Plenty of hits.  Tickets go on sale tomorrow and they are cheap.  Need a taste. Here it is.
 
*Trailer Spotlight-Peter Berg’s latest, based on a true story.  
Title-Lone Survivor
Check it out…
 
That is all I got for you right now.  Until next time, stay healthy.
 
-DLB

STL CARDS Recap

· Leave a comment ·

As I step over the dead body of another Cards loss, let me break it down QUICK. Bullet points used.

 
  • The Cards managed to fire up some offense tonight.  The grill was working tonight as the Cards scored 2 runs in the first inning and added on individual tallies.  Like a young kid slowly coming out of his shell, there was no eruption tonight.  Just stringing some singles together.  The team jumped a good pitcher, Jeff Locke, for 4 runs and 12 hits.  They gave Waino a lead.
  • Waino didn’t hold it.  His pitches weren’t sharp.  He didn’t have a 1-2-3 inning and wasn’t good overall.  He went 7 innings but didn’t hold a 2-0, 3-1, or 4-2 lead.  Unfortunate that your ace loses the first game of a road trip and then lets you down when you most need it.  Waino is 13-6 this year and rarely messes up but recently he has been rough.   Bad luck and timing
  • Trevor Rosenthal is slowly cracking in the 8th inning.  He allowed the go ahead run.  Made it 5-4.  Rosenthal has been one of the best setup men in baseball but hasn’t been too sharp recently.  He is allowing baserunners and getting beat on his heater.  No matter how hard you throw a MLB professional can time it and hit it hard.  Plain old rules there.  
  • The pitching wasn’t what we needed it to be.  
  • In the 9th inning, with 2 outs and the Cards down by a run and a bench full of power and capability, Mike Matheny didn’t go to Matt Adams or Matt Carpenter.  No excuse there.  You don’t let Daniel Descalso, who had an RBI hit early in the game, hit there.  You have to take your best shot.  Put your best bat up there.  Adams can tie it with one swing.  Carpenter can pinch hit and take over Descalso’s spot at 2B.  NO EXCUSE.  One run game in a must win situation.   DD can’t hit there.  DAMN!  Mike Matheny has shown plenty of veteran savvy so far in his managerial career.  He has also shown plenty of cracks in his rookie skipper facade.  
  • The Cards suffer from bad luck.  Line Drives caught.  A mis-call at first base that led to winning run.  Good hitting and bad pitching.  But this affects every club.  So no need to dwell here.
  • This isn’t the end of the world but it’s close.  The Cards were 25 games over .500.  Now they are 18 games over .500 and 2.5 games out of first place.  Things change quick in baseball and that is why you play 162 games.  Long summers burn certain teams.  How will the Cards rebound?  What will happen with Joe Kelly on the mound tomorrow?  Questions that ride my soul tonight.  
  • The trade deadline came and went.  One of the weakest impact days of my baseball life.  Nothing out there worth giving the future away for.  Waiver deals are common and Mozelaik will do something I believe.  Teams, like the Cards, don’t want to give up young prospects for 2 month rental fixes and instead keep their young talent and save money.  It’s the new way.  You will see less gambling because this game is getting younger.  Look at the age of the best players in the game.  YOUNGER.
  • The Cards need a move.  Their lineup is exposed and weak looking.   Weak spots right now are CF, SS, and C.  No offense to Cruz but he needs to play a little while before his bat convinces me it can walk and talk.  Jon Jay is weak hitting.  Pete Kozma is just plain weak.  David Freese aka FACE OF IMOS is getting close very close to becoming weak.  The Cards can’t excuse Kozma anymore because another weak spot lies in the catcher’s hole.  
  • Yes, the Cards big hitters need to hit.  We all know that.  Thanks Bernie Miklasz.  Matt Holliday, ridiculed by the little minds that still critique his defense, collected 3 hits and 2 RBI today.  He has 3 of the Cards last 5 RBI in the past 3 games.  He plays a shitty LF but finds a way to keep his errors down and has been hitting.  Move on haters.
  • What happens tomorrow?  No fucking clue.  What happens now?  I am going to the gym.  
Stay tuned for a job search operation update.  A good friend of mine, on this blogging list, is going to team up with me and set up a small personal job fair in STL this coming month.  A way to promote me, find me a job, get together, maybe promote Film-Addict and do something a little unconventional.  I still want to WRITE for a living but have 8 years of experience in the warehouse industry to fall back on.  Yeah baby.  
 
Goodnight,
 
Buffa