Month: September 2015

Max Scherzer was a gamble Cardinals didn’t need to take

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When Washington Nationls and St. Louis native Max Scherzer was testing free agency in the offseason, many in St. Louis were wondering if the hometown Cardinals should put an offer in. Why not? Max is in the prime of his career, has the arsenal of an ace and would be able to put the Birds on the Bat on his chest at last. A alum of The University of Missouri, Columbia, it’d be a homecoming for Mad Max. There was just one thing. He wasn’t needed. I wrote about it then and confirming it now.

Let’s flash forward eight months. The best ERA in baseball belongs to the Cardinals(2.73) and the most quality starts(94) sits in St. Louis as well. This happens without Adam Wainwright for all but four starts and only a half order of lethal lefty Jaime Garcia. It includes an old tough cowboy in John Lackey, a durable innings beast in Lance Lynn, and two white hot phenoms in Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez. Along the way, Tyler Lyons and Tim Cooney have also helped. Where does Max fit into this equation? Where does his seven year, 210 million dollar contract fit in with the Birds?

Scherzer is making 17 million this year and 22 million from 2016-2018. After that, he is scheduled to make 42 million over the next three years(2019-21) but it is being spread out over the next seven years. The Nationals are going to be paying Scherzer for the next 13 seasons, but he isn’t scheduled to throw a pitch after 2021. Does that sound like something John Mozeliak would do?

The answer is no and the reason he didn’t step into that ring was due to the depth and success the Cardinals have established over the past few seasons. It seems like every year the Cardinals are hit with brutal injuries and just bounce back like warriors in a coliseum. That’s because they aren’t built on one insane contract. Mozeliak traded Shelby Miller and didn’t get close to the Scherzer tree because of guys like Wacha and Martinez. When you are growing perfect tomatoes, why pay outside the farm?

To be fair, Scherzer is having a solid season that needs to be appreciated. His fielding independent ERA is 2.75 and he has 219 strikeouts to just 26 walks. He has thrown three complete games and two shutouts. His record, 11-11, is just another signal of how useless the win total can be with a pitcher. He’s earning that 17 million dollars. I’m just glad he is doing it in a Nationals uniform and not a Cardinals one.

Pitching is not what the Cardinals are in need of. Prime hitting, especially in the future with aging bodies like Matt Holliday reaching the final stage of their career, is their need. The money that fans wanted to see put into an arm like Scherzer will go into a long term contract for Jason Heyward. In the end, Mo knows when it comes to what free agents to bring in and which ones to just smile and look at. A talent that has been growing out at 7th street and Spruce for a while now.

While Max Scherzer coming home to pitch for the Cardinals would have been a nice story and generated some waves across baseball, it simply wasn’t a gamble the Cardinals and Mozeliak needed to take.

Photo by Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Will Smith tackles head trauma in the NFL in “Concussion”

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“You’ve turned on the lights and given their biggest boogeyman a name.”

Watch out, NFL, because Will Smith and producer Ridley Scott are coming after head trauma in football with their latest film, Concussion.

Just in time for the kickoff of the regular season in the National Football League comes a movie about Bennet Omalu(Smith), a doctor who located the disease troubling football players. A condition called CTE(chronic traumatic encephelopathy), where the repeated hits to the head caused the brain to be “choked”.

The film co-stars Albert Brooks and Alec Baldwin as men who warn Smith’s Omalu about the door he is walking through. A door that started with Junior Seau taking his own life by shooting himself in the chest instead of the head, a maneuver that allowed doctors like Omalu to use his brain for research. No run knows if Seau did it on purpose or not, but it was the beginning. CTE was found in Seau’s brain.

The film arrives on Christmas and features Smith in a serious role that will command Oscar attention. He features an accent and is the face of a timely film that will get people talking, whether it’s in an NFL owners meeting, a family’s kitchen table or schools across the country. Writer/director Peter Landesman knows exactly what he is doing. Putting a well known face in front of a controversial movie about one man who decided to taek something further than anyone else and challenge the most popular sport in the world.

I’ll be there to watch it. Will you? The trailer is below.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi162572313

Michael Fassbender makes Assassin’s Creed interesting

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When it comes to adapting a massively popular video game, filmmakers and actors have their work cut out for them. It’s a dangerous walk. The last thing professional make believe players want to do is offend the 24/7 video game binge addict who drinks more Mountain Dew’s and Red bulls than humanly possible and calls a Big Gulp cup his spouse. I am NOT a video game addict or player. So when I see the first look at the December 16th, 2016 film Assassin’s Creed and see Michael Fassbender in armor sporting a menacing look, I am intrigued.

michael fassbender assassin's creed

The game could be about whatever you desire, but Fassbender instantly hooks me. Respected, talented and always watchable performers do that for a film-addict. We see, decide if this is for us and then wait for something else. This film is still a year away, but that doesn’t mean a picture can’t speak 365 words.

What’s it about? The film introduces a new character into the game’s world, Callum Lynch, a rogue assassin who finds out his ancestors provided him with quite substantial powers and he uses those to fight the evil Templar organization in the modern sophisticated world. Sound interesting? Well, that’s all you got to run on right now. Just keep staring at that picture. Pretty cool right?

The film co-stars the beautifully talented French actress Marion Cotillard, and is directed by Justin Kurzel(Snowtown, Macbeth), a name you may not recognize but has been given a decent two headed cast to push this adaptation forward.

The recent failure of Agent 47 rings doubt across the waters that spell success or not for Assassin’s Creed. As I say with any movie, it depends on the script and the care put into the production. If it’s there, there’s always a chance.

What do you think of this first look? Good, bad, or forget about it?

What else is new at the moment?

*More coffee is always a good thing, but espresso is best.

*Politicians aren’t robots in suits because they get caught having sexy time with wrong people too often.

*The St. Louis Cardinals are very good.

*The N.L. Central will have three playoff teams so suck it league colleagues.

*Just because a person goes on a murderous rampage doesn’t mean he or she is insane….they could just be evil. It happens.

*Staying fit is a well known plan. It’s just not easy to follow through with. You are either a shape or in shape.

Goodnight,

Buffa

The Horror Auteur: Rest in peace Wes Craven

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“Horror films don’t create fear. They release it.”-Wes Craven

When I was a kid, I was convinced Freddy Krueger was going to get me in my dreams. Or at the very least, he was standing in my doorway waiting for me to hit the snooze button. I told my dad all the time. “Look at the door, dad, can you see him?” My loving father did what every other father on this earth did. He reassured me that there was nothing there. Right, dad. Thanks to Wes Craven, true horror like Freddy and other horror film gems kept me awake many nights.

Craven passed away on August 30th at the age of 76 after a battle with brain cancer. The master of horror films like Nightmare on Elm Street, The People Under The Stairs, Shocker, The Hills Have Eyes and Scream went quietly, at peace with his life and accomplishments.

What he left for film fans was a reminder of what true horror was all about. Forget all the modern wannabe auteurs of gruesome cinematic fare. Craven laid the blueprint on how to not only scare someone, but deposit a fear in their minds as they left the theater.

The worst thing you could do was watch a Craven film during a thunderstorm. You came out of the theater and had to check every way and path in the parking lot before you got in your car. Once inside, you checked the entire backseat. He made you drag that excitement from the theater into real life. Renegade creators can do that and it’s not easy. Most films can be enjoyed but easily detached from the brain once the lights come up and the outside world is reintroduced.

I remember watching Craven films with my dad and instead of asking him 70 questions on the way home, I asked a single easy one. “Is any of that real, dad?” He always had a good answer but man Craven made me think twice.

Craven’s first film was released in 1972 and it was called The Last House on the Left. He wrote and directed it a film about a pair of teenage girls who try to score drugs at a concert and get kidnapped and terrorized by a gang of psychos. In 1977, he directed The Hills Have Eyes but it wasn’t until 1984 that he introduced Krueger, the tortured badly burned man with knives for fingers who attacked young teens in their dreams. Earlier this year, Craven was still writing short films about Freddy’s carnage. Throughout an epic career, Freddy was his baby and rightly so. How can you escape a boogeyman who gets you in your dreams? Brilliant.

That kind of horror will live forever. It will scare your kids and their kids. Long after Robert England(the actor who brought Freddy Krueger to life) is gone, he will freak people out. That’s Craven’s legacy. Long lasting terror.

Rest in peace, Wes. Your mark on film will be felt for decades.

Ray Stevenson talks “Big Game” when it comes to movies

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When you hear the name Ray Stevenson, your mind may wander and think, “I know that guy, he’s the one in the..what is it?”It’s time to get familiar with the man’s work. Ray Stevenson is a face of film and an actor to look up, dig into and appreciate. He likes what he does. “I’m a lifer. I’m going to do this for as long as I can because I absolutely love it.” You don’t hear many actors speak with the ambition that Ray does.

Stevenson Big game 2Working for 22 years in Hollywood and making 46 different projects separated through TV and film, the 51 year old tall dark yet vulnerable screen presence has done it all. He’s fought alongside Clive Owen’s King Arthur, dished his take on Frank Castle’s Punisher, locked horns with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in G.I. Joe:Retaliation, and matched minds with Showtime’s Dexter and played Marcus in this year’s Insurgent.

Stevenson’s latest film, the adventurous Big Game, where he co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson, was a particularly special experience and I had a chance to speak with Ray about the shoot, Jackson and what the film’s experience brought him.

On Sam L. Jackson-“It was fantastic. He’s one of the most interesting and creative wonderful actors to work with. He’s one of the best working actors on this planet. I had the opportunity to meet him in London and tell him how blown away I was by his work in Django(Unchained, directed by Quentin Tarantino). He’s that good. The difference in his roles is amazing. Special human being.

Does Sam have some fun or is he serious? Not on this movie. If there was something happening on set, he’ll make you get it together. He’ll loves what he is doing. His film sense is amazing. Working with him face to face is an experience. He is a giving actor and it was great seeing him work with the young actor Onni Tommila as well. 

On the differences between big budget films and smaller budget films like Big Game-It has to work like a well oiled machine. It will run away if it is not prepped to the highest degree. The pre-shoots and storyboards are important and if not done right, the entire production can be rough. It comes down to the people involved making it a convenient shoot and just rolling with it.

On shooting in the great outdoors and its effect on the story-We shot in a wonderful place called Bevaria, in Germany. It’s got an old schoolStevenson Big game 3 feel about it and also epic scope about it. At the heart of the film is a story about a child’s rite of passage. A very inventive way to shoot and lovely location.

Stevenson’s biggest legion of fans in America know him as Titus Pullo in HBO’s short lived yet brilliant series, Rome. Playing the playful yet ferocious warrior giant ally to Kevin McKidd’s Vorenus, Stevenson forged a cornerstone character. The effect the character had on Stevenson is apparent and is still something he literally carries around with him. “I still wear the 13th legion ring around, the one that Pullo wore in the show. It brought me my recognition in the states and connected me to so many fans across the country. It’s something that should have went on and on, for at least seven seasons. However, there was a change in HBO’s programming management and it was cut short. While we dropped the ball in not keeping it going, it is a treasured experience I will always hold dear.”  

When asked about a possible movie version of Rome, Stevenson was clear. “Wow, I’d love it. I’d love to go off and do a story about Pullo and Vorenus.”

On his upcoming slate, Stevenson is bringing the heat in different venues. He’s finishing a TV mini series called Saints and Strangers, about the first year of Pilgrims in America. He co-stars in the reboot of The Transporter series with the new Frank Martin, Ed Skrein(stepping in for Jason Statham), Transporter Refueled. He plays Martin’s father, a man with a shadowy past to MI-6. He plays Blackbeard on the Starz series, Black Sails this fall. When it comes to film, Stevenson is indeed a lifer. Someone who will work until it stops coming and judging by Ray’s unique set of skills, that time won’t be coming anytime soon.

While Big Game will be known as a Samuel L. Jackson experience, it will be hard to keep your eyes off the menacing Stevenson.

“No Escape” is a nonstop thrill ride

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No Escape is a classic “what would you do if this were you” thriller. There are no superheroes, robots or otherworldly characters. There are no tough guy cops or mobsters. Just a family stuck in a foreign city that is being ransacked by rebels staging a coup. Nail bitingly suspenseful and well paced, this B movie styled thriller works on three strengths.

First, the casting of Owen Wilson as the unlikely heroic dad. Here is the comedy star’s second serious role(next to Behind Enemy Lines)and it’s a slam dunk decision. When the trailers came out, people were shaking their head at the front and center part given to the Texas guy with the crooked nose, wacky sense of humor and mostly one speed resume. However, people forget what the role required. An everyman who we didn’t expect to fight and that’s where Wilson thrives. He has pocketed emotion and unsettling rage on display here. He’s going to surprise you. Don’t forget the man brought a country to tears in Marley and Me and was very fine in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. He can do more than comedy and he shows his skills here, playing a husband and father of two daughters who just needs to get them to safety.

Second, Lake Bell is equally effective as the wife and mother. This isn’t just a damsel in distress. This momma won’t be trifled with and it’s a fun experience watching Bell go from overworked and tired wife to survival mode queen bee. Bell is an experienced actress who can play many speeds. A poor woman’s Rachel McAdams with more depth. She blazes a quiet trail here as the ying to Wilson’s yang. They make a great convincing seemingly hopeless couple. It really makes the film run full bore.

Third, Writer/Director John Erick Dowdle(an experienced horror director with As Above, So Below, Quarantine, Devil) brings the violence and thrills right up to the bridge of your nose. The gunshots sound real and ring around the theater. The explosions are unsettling. The surprises in this easy to digest story raise the stakes just right and the suspense isn’t overbearing yet chilling. He doesn’t shy away from a good kill or a gruesome end for a main character. It’s all out and in your face.

Stop worrying about why the film was delayed and just enjoy the thrills. The pacing is excellent, and the slow motion shots work better here than in most films. As he displayed in the underrated Devil, Dowdle knows how to put your fingernails into your mouth, get your tendencies as a filmgoer broiling and turn up the tension. There are sequences in No Escape that just make you move right up to the edge of your seat.

Pierce Brosnan showing up as a seemingly friendly yet mysterious adventure ally adds an extra kick to the film. This is the first time I can remember the actor actually having fun with a role and showing some shades of his James Bond days. The gray beard, sharp wit, easy going charm and action mobility haven’t been dazed with age yet when it comes to the 62 year old Irishman and it helps the film run when the original tank of gas gets low.

All in all, you won’t see No Escape coming. The Weinstein Company seemed to dump it at the end of the summer season because they didn’t know how to properly market it. The shoot saw some delays and it wasn’t a smooth operation but what Dowdle, Wilson, Bell and Brosnan carved out here is an enjoyable suspenseful potboiler. If you take a chance with it, the payoff is there.

Instead of doodling with a sequel in Sinister 2 or a clumsy video game film in Agent 47, place a bet on No Escape, an action film that aims to please, thrill and keep things moving. Right before the heavy hitters step up to the plate in September, this old school thriller will settle in just right and just might floor you.

Why can’t Cardinals fans appreciate Lance Lynn?

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Tonight’s starter for the St. Louis Cardinals is Lance Lynn. You may have heard of him. He pitched for Ole Miss and likes to throw a heavy assortment of fastballs at various speeds. Up, down, and all around. He occasionally throws a curve because he gets bored or while he refills the propane tank for the next inning’s cheddar assault.

The thing about Lynn is that he drives fans crazy with his starts. He throws a lot of pitches early, works long counts, gets a ton of contact and occasionally gets dinged up. Does that warrant the complaining and “Lynning” tweets? Let’s dig in.

Lynn’s fielding independent earned run average is 3.17, which leads the team(if you exclude Jaime Garcia due to a lesser amount of starts). So I ask, is the discomfort with Lynn warranted or does it connect to his unorthodox manner of recording outs? He isn’t easy to watch but gets the job done with his own two hands the most.

Lynn wins. it can’t be denied. Since he picked up a baseball and starting slinging heaters for the Cards on June 2nd, 2011, Lynn has won games. His 58 games since account for a 61% win rate, and he is on pace for less than his usual 15 wins this season due to a lack of run support. Unlike his rotation colleague Michael Wacha, Lynn doesn’t get the steady diet of 5-6 runs. While Wacha got 10 runs in his Sunday victory in San Diego, Lynn got zero in his last start against the Giants on Tuesday. With a few more runs of support, Lynn would have at least 11 wins right now. Instead, tonight he vies for win #10 in Arizona.

Lynn’s strikeouts per nine innings is at its highest peak this season, sitting at 9.6. His strikeouts to walks ratio is 2.92-1, also his best in years. His ERA+ is 132, and 100 ranks as average. That is adjusted to the player’s ballpark to more accurately showed how much damage Lynn takes. He has faced 577 batters in 2015 and struck out 25% of them, which is an impressive stat.

Lynn is durable but doesn’t go deep into games. He’s only missed a couple starts this year, an occurrence that may hold him from reaching 200 innings. He has pitched 7 or more innings only 6 times in 23 starts. At 134.1 innings with roughly 8 starts to go before the end of the season, Lynn would have to dig deeper into games to reach 200. Still a durable man who has escaped major injury.

He’s a beast and doesn’t care or hinge on pitch counts. With all the close observation on Wacha and Carlos Martinez in 2015, Lynn regularly throws 100 pitches in a start. 17 out of his 23 starts, Lynn has thrown 100 pitches. Lynn has thrown 115 or more pitches in a start six times. He’s old school. He lets his emotions fly and has learned to harness his rage and also craft a fine post game media game. While the beast may not be tamed on the field, Lynn has evolved over the five seasons in the Majors as a man and pitcher.

So, why can’t the man get the love from his fans? He doesn’t have the child like adorable phenom combo of Martinez He hasn’t had the playoff sensation of Wacha. He doesn’t have the Lackey experience. Unlike Garcia, Lynn needs to work harder for his outs. Any of these sound justified? Yes and no.

Last week, I was asked about a playoff rotation and my four man set didn’t include Lynn. You know how bad I felt and how incomplete it sounded. The rest of my day was thrown off. I wrestled with the idea. I kept asking myself, how can I leave Lance “The Motorized Fastball” Lynn out of my rotation? It’s either him or Martinez and realistically speaking, Lynn will be in the playoff rotation over Martinez. You never know. There’s five weeks left.

Here’s how much I do know. Don’t underestimate Lance Lynn. Appreciate him. He doesn’t make it look easy every time out but he defines the reason why “wins” are overrated in this game. His WAR(wins above replacement) sits at 2.3, which is above average. He has the ability to get outs without his defense. His salary in from 2014 to 2015 did rise from $535,000 to $7,000,000. There are expectations with Lynn there and it’s okay to judge and be critical of his poor outings. At this point in his career, he most likely won’t change much.

Just remember this. When it comes to Lance Lynn, one can’t forget about the big picture appeal of this Indiana product. It won’t be easy for Mike Matheny to leave him out of the playoff starting rotation hustle.

Analyzing the Brandon Moss trade: Then and Now

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What I said on July 30th when Brandon Moss was acquired…..

First thing. No trade is a bust right off the bat because that term requires numbers to back it up. However, when looking at the Brandon Moss/Rob Kaminsky straight up swap with clear eyes, the forecast doesn’t suggest a fair trade. Or does it? Let’s take a crack.

What did the Cards get in Moss?

The Good-Moss now leads the Cards in home runs(15) and RBI(50). His bat has pop and he can fit into the middle of this lineup and help a team suffering at first base and left field. He also has hit lefties a bit this season, with a .260 average and .453 slugging percentage. Moss is under control next season and isn’t expensive. He can play around the field and has a good glove in left. If Matt Holliday is down, Moss can get time there and give the Cards some boom in their stick…

The Bad-Moss is Mark Reynolds’ twin brother. He has struck out 106 times in 337 at bats this season and is only hitting .217 with an overall OPS of .695. That’s not promising. If Moss recaptures the 2013 form where he hit 30 home runs and drove in 94, then the Cards have something. He’s 31 years old and has declined in past three seasons so there isn’t much initial hope. Moss can’t touch righthanded pitchers for his life, so don’t expect him to be more than a platoon player.

The Rub-With Matt Holliday’s injury, Mozeliak’s hand was forced. I get that. Being a solid GM means you have to roll with the punches. A player like Moss could come over to the Cards(a flip side from the Indians woeful mood) and provide a spark. He’s done it before and in recent memory. While Kaminsky is a higher type prospect, maybe fans are overvaluing this kid from New Jersey who is pitching in High A ball right now. Did Mo get swindled or did he just do what he had to do? Like the Heyward trade in November, Mozeliak’s hands were partially tied here due to the lack of power and injuries. With Matt Carpenter sinking, Holliday and Matt Adams hurt and Reynolds having a rough year, Mo had to make a move.

The Wrap-The initial reaction to this trade is negativity and that’s valid. It’s not Best Fans in Baseball ammo. It’s a basic reaction. We will never know how Kaminsky turns out and it’s fair to give Moss a fair look before determining if the trade was a complete bust.

I can only tell you what I feel right now and that’s let down. The market is insane. If the Cards checked with the Brewers on Adam Lind, the price must have been very high so that could explain the Moss acquisition cost.

Check back in at the end of September. Or after Moss’ first sombrero(4 strikeout game) or two home run game. Moss will be with the team tonight and be able to prove his worth right away. Kaminsky may not be with the Indians until 2016. There’s a small light.

The Brandon Moss show starts right away at Busch Stadium.

And the latest analysis…compiled on September 2nd before game time….

If baseball has taught us anything, it’s to trust the season and don’t give up too early. That can be attached to players as well and St. Louis Cardinals’ outfielder/first baseman Brandon Moss fits the bill perfectly.

Tuesday night was a typical Moss roller coaster. He struck out a couple times, collected a hit, got hit by a pitch and stranded some baserunners early, earning the gripes of fans on the web. If you trust the game, though, sometimes it can surprise you. In the end, Moss redeemed himself by cranking a walk off three run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The sweet isn’t as sweet without the bitter, right Mr. Moss.  The big acquisition at the trade deadline received a “meh” reception on July 30th, but is starting to turn it all around.

When Moss was acquired at the end of July for pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky, many Cardinals fans questioned what was running through General Manager John Mozeliak’s mind. After all, Moss was trudging through a painful July that was devoid of power and wasn’t hitting the ball well at all. Moss arrived in St. Louis finishing July with a .160 batting average, .220 on base percentage and leaky .306 slugging percentage. The question was, how could this guy help the team down the stretch?

The first few weeks with the Birds didn’t go well. Moss struck out a lot and couldn’t lift the baseball past the warning track. He couldn’t read a pitch, was overpowered by average heat and was seriously pressing at the plate. He helped the Cards with a walkoff win to finish off his first series with the team against Colorado but that was the summary of his fine contributions in the initial phase. Moss was lost at the plate. He collected singles here and there but had no power and struck out 10 times in a span of seven games. Moss was 7-42 in his first 15 games with the team, with nearly twice as many strikeouts as hits. The next 10 games were better.

Since the road trip started in San Diego, Moss is 9-21 with three home runs and 5 walks to just 6 strikeouts. Like most of his teammates, Moss found his swing in the desert against the Diamondbacks. He contributed a key game winning home run in Arizona, a ball that sailed over the wall, seemingly knocking a huge boulder off Moss’ shoulders. He added another home run in San Francisco, igniting a series win for the Redbirds. Tuesday, he cranks another game winner.

Cast off as an unneeded weakening bat before he even took an at bat for the Cardinals, Moss now looms as a big threat down the stretch. When he’s right, Moss’ can mash with the best lefties in the game. He did show up with 15 home runs and 50 RBI, and now has put a charge into his stats with the recent surge. Sometimes, fans have to see the forest through the trees with players coming over from losing teams. After a dusting off the rust in his bat and finally getting his legs back after offseason surgery, Moss looks like the guy Mozeliak dialed up Cleveland for.

Does all of this make him a contender for a postseason roster spot? Sure it does. The setback in Matt Adams’ return to the team helps his cause, as does the slow returns of Matt Holliday and Randal Grichuk from their injuries. Jon Jay is returning, but Moss’ ability to hit the long ball gives the Cards something they sorely need down the stretch. A one swing game changer. Like Peter Bourjos and Tommy Pham, Moss is going to have to slug his way onto the postseason roster with a thrilling September. There are no easy rides for these guys on a team this stacked.

Can Moss do it? Time will tell but his bat will paint the picture. He will start, in either left field or at first base until Holliday, Adams and Grichuk return. These next couple of weeks could be huge. These next 7 games against Washington, Pittsburgh and Chicago are big for Moss. Swing the big stick in a time of need and it will be impossible for Mike Matheny to keep you out of the lineup. Moss is also playing for a spot on next year’s team, a role that isn’t so easily defined with the crowded roster inhabitants.

I’ve had my reservations and doubts about Moss and his ability to contribute since his first day in red, but he’s starting to change my mind. Two weeks ago he was forgotten about, gathering dust on a weak bench. In the past week, he has changed a game with one swing twice. Welcome to a true pennant race, Mr. Moss. Do you have what it takes to succeed in the red sea? Just another exciting element of this final stretch.

In order to properly analyze a trade, some at bats need to happen and time is required. My then and now look at Brandon Moss.

Bryce Salvador: Captain of No Quit

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Most young kids get on a rink and all they can think about is wanting to be the next Alexander Ovechkin or Sidney Crosby. The next NHL sensation. It’s all they think about. A few wouldn’t mind playing in the NHL and putting together a respected career. While it’s not as sexy as leading the league in goals or hoisting The Stanley Cup, a 14 year career in the NHL is something to be extremely proud of.  Bryce Salvador played 14 years in the NHL, splitting time between the St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils. Salvador is calling it quits.

To Blues fans, he is the young kid who came to St. Louis in 2000 and played seven seasons with the Blues. He never put up gaudy point totals or was a perennial All Star, but he was a durable tough and solid defenseman for a playoff team. How can you forget Salvador’s game winning goal against San Jose in the playoffs in 2001? Many will know who Salvador was traded for(Cam Janssen) instead of the stout seasons he put in guarding the blue line. He was understated and did his job well. Not bad for a kid who was selected in the 138th spot in the sixth round and told by NHL scouts he would never play a single game in the league.

To Devils fans, he was the bullet headed lefty brick wall who solidified their blue line for the final seven years of his career, even after enduring a terrible puck shot to the face that almost ended his career. As Salvador revealed today in his heart pouring retirement blog for The Players Tribune(a website dedicated to providing players with a voice) the road back wasn’t an easy one. His issue were rooted in his vestibular system. Basically, his eyes weren’t working together anymore and were causing him to be constantly dizzy, nauseous and out of it. The shot had knocked his system out of wack. After a recovery that took several months and simple child like activities like spinning in a chair, Salvador came back in 2012, playing all 82 games. He made sure that he went out his way. The lights getting turned off when he said so.

To me, he will always be the quiet yet cool and polite neighbor. I met Salvador during his playing days with the Blues. He lived in a condo in Brentwood Forest, a suburban community in St. Louis county, next door to me. There were instances when fellow players like Jamal Mayers and Jamie McClennan knocked on my door instead of his. Salvador didn’t talk much but I did get to talk hockey with him after a couple games. One time, he came home after a game with a black eye and I had to commend him on the fight he won. He came home after the San Jose goal and I talked to him about it. It was cool living next to a hockey player. While I never got a 1 on 1 lesson like you would see in the movies, I couldn’t complain.

Salvador won’t get an extended clip reel on Sportscenter or be remembered for scoring a ton of goals(24 goals in 746 games). He will be remembered for hard work, defiance and playing the toughest position in hockey quite well for two teams and 14 seasons. He played in 74 playoff games and will be remembered for his 2011-12 postseason where he scored 4 goals and assisted on 10 others. When it comes to the little things forgotten by most NHL fans, Salvador leads the league in those. The gritty aspects that don’t fit into a website and must be seen in person in order to appreciate.

Take a moment and read Salvador’s career ending blog. It’s got detail, hope, fight, and all the power you would expect from a guy who just wouldn’t quit. He’s an embodiment of endurance that can’t be forgotten among young players, which is why Salvador’s post career will involve working with youth hockey leagues in New Jersey. He’s a testament to never believing in doubt and always placing your money on sweat equity. The next time your son gets told he isn’t good enough at hockey practice or at a tryout, just tell them about Bryce Salvador.

Leave the power and take the OBP with Matt Holliday

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With the new sensations in town in Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk, word on the street is Matt Holliday seems to expendable when it comes to the formation of the St. Louis Cardinals’ outfield this year, next year and beyond. While nobody is asking for the big guy to be traded or sent out, their lineups aren’t highlighting a hitter with some pop and production left in his bat. As Holliday works his way back from his second quad injury in 2015 and an injury plagued season, I’ll warn you. Don’t write off the Stillwater, Oklahoma native just yet.

Piscotty and Grichuk may be the brisket rub of the moment in this town, but they’ve been doing this for less than a season. Their contributions are great and have helped a team carrying an inconsistent offensive attack, but dismissing the idea of Holliday returning is quite humorous considering how this lineup thrives with him in the #3 spot.

It’s true. Matt Holliday doesn’t have the big boom in his stick anymore. It’s doubtful he will reach 30 home runs again. Those days are behind him but that doesn’t render his bat optional. While it’s nice to see Jon Jay making progress and Grichuk starting to do some activities, Holliday is the bat I am looking forward to seeing the most.

The Cards don’t run on power. They run on consistently good at bats and on base percentage. Holliday provides both and has been doing so for years.

People will complain he gets hurt a lot. Wrong. In five of the last six seasons leading up to 2015, Matt Holliday has played in 140 games or more. Holliday is no Tulo. He’s still durable at 35 years of age, and that comes from staying in marvelous physical shape and being smart with his choices.

Leave the power, take the OPS with Holliday. While his slugging percentage has decreased from .525 to .420 this season, his on base percentage still sits near .400. Before he got hurt, Holliday got on base 40 percent of the time. With his healthy .290 average maintaining fuel, Holliday’s OPS is a robust .829 this season. Over the past three seasons, it’s .876, .879 and .811. He isn’t diminishing in overall offensive value, so why hand this man the walker?

I understand transformation and bringing in new players but the kids will have to do more than spark a wire in a hot car during one summer in order to push Holliday to reserve status. He’s going to play when he gets back and he’s going to be here next year and more than likely, the year after that. If that means Matt Adams has to hold off Piscotty at first base, so be it. Competition keeps the kids hungry and the veterans on their toes.

Come postseason time, you’ll want Holliday and his 13 career October home runs. He has a thing for showing up in big moments. The man churns out game deciding hits like John Mozeliak changes bow ties. Sorry he doesn’t make diving catches in the outfield but there’s a guy named J-Hey for that.

Holliday has simply transitioned into a different hitter as his career hits the final strip of pavement. He has went from a power hitting Coors Field resident to an all around Busch Stadium stinger. Holliday still hits the ball harder than most, and his line drive rate is healthy. His plate discipline has never been better than it was this year, with 39 walks to just 44 strikeouts. He’s a smart guy at the plate and in a lineup full of easy 100 strikeout guys this season, that discipline is required.

While it’s normal to talk about the next generation of players, it’s wrong to start writing off Matt Holliday. If he is 100% in September and can contribute, he will play. He’s earned that right. Not to mention the effect he has on this clubhouse as a leader and in the community becoming the face of St. Louis Albert Pujols was before he departed for the West. Holliday can also hold his own in a broadcast booth, but that’s icing on the cake.

Appreciating Matt Holliday in 2015 is a little harder than it used to be, I know. The Baseball Card mafia has to look a little closer and see a guy with some gas left in the tank. Just remember this. Home runs are fascist and Matt Holliday isn’t going anywhere and for good reason.