Category: Buffa’s Bullets

The salt, pepper, and oregano of my mind. The Emilio lunch bag from Breakfast Club version of a blog.

Firing Round

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So often in life, justice isn’t served and never meets the proper setting.  In other words, bad men go unpunished and walk free.  No, I am not talking about George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin.  That case is soiled, overcooked, old news and quite simply needs to be locked away somewhere where a media rep can’t find it.  I am talking about something simple.   Baseball scum.  Let’s get right into it.

 
TOPIC OF THE DAY

 
Ryan Braun cheated.  He took performance enhancing drugs.  He did this to heighten his game, recover from injury quicker, hold on injury with a stronger body and well, get a step ahead of everybody else.  Baseball is no longer a pure game, but it does hold one of the freshest toughest drug testing programs in sports.   During the Biogenesis testing trial, over 100 ballplayers were found to be guilty of using illegal PED’s.  Braun was one of them.  This is the same guy who said in front of a million people that he was wrongfully suspected last year of testing positive for a PED and that the testing party, a regular man called Dino Laurenzi Jr., was the one at fault.  Braun was guilty as charged and walked away clean because the sample taken was held over the weekend instead of sent to the MLB headquarters right away.   Braun got behind his suits and blamed Dino for being the dirty one.  It’s too bad every baseball fan in the world knew Braun was dirty.   He cheated then and apparently, in a new study that will cost him the rest of the 2013 season, cheated a few times.   
 
Now, Braun will tell you he isn’t a perfect man and has made mistakes.  Wrong sir.  You are worse than a cheat.  You are cheating liar and a repeat offender.  Braun didn’t just cheat his teammates, bosses, league and many around him who trusted him since he was a little kid playing little league ball.   He cheated us, the fans.  He told us he was clean and took many Milwaukee fans for a ride with his high powered play.  He hit home runs, made great plays in left field and wowed anyone who saw him play.  Well, except me.  I looked at Braun and saw a jerk.   He untucked his jersey on the field after games and always had his mouth running.  He thought he was king of the world, and I knew he was the dirty scum of the baseball earth.  He may have ruined Laurenzi Jr.’s life for nearly a year.  I am sure if he walked into a bar for a drink, many Brewers fans gave him the meanest treatment because he tried to take away their Braun.  The only people in the world who thought Braun wasn’t guilty all this time were mostly Brewers fans.   How could they?  After Prince Fielder left, John Axford got Ankiel nerves in the 9th inning and their pitching staff went to shit, there was no way their star player could be as dirty as the ground at a biker bar.  
 
Braun will come back in 2014 and play.  He will hit less home runs, look a little weaker and won’t be the flash and dash event he once was.  The lying repeat offending cheater will get another chance.  They give those to killers coming out of prison, so Braun gets a few.  He won’t make it into the Hall of Fame because voters made an example out of cheaters when Mark McGwire was held out and fellow steroid bashers Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa may not get in as well.  Roger Clemens won’t get into the hall.   Braun will continue to play but won’t get the respect of a ballplayer back.  Like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds(two ballplayers who cheated but got out of the game before they could be publicly ridiculed), Braun denied usage.  Rafael Palmerio denied it in court and was later found to be dirty.  McGwire didn’t say a word in court but we knew he did it so his admission wasn’t surprising.  Braun denied, denied and denied usage until he was caught and there was no technicality waiting to bail him out.  
 
Look, PED usage is hard to fully attack.  It’s not an easy fight.  Most players took them in a day and age where there were no rules or laws against it.  Big Mac, Sosa, Canseco, Palmerio, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Caminiti, and others took it because there wasn’t a suspension waiting for them nor was there a fine.  It was out there to be had.  While we can look down on them for doing it and breaking the purity of baseball, its hard to get too mad at them because what separates them from the thousands of other baseball players who took steroids yet didn’t improve on the field.  The reason I am fed up with and think of Braun as scum is because he didn’t own up to it.  He lied, cheated, and also repeatedly broke the rules.  If I did that at my place of employment, I would be fired and not be able to come back in a few months.  Braun knowingly broke the rules and lied about doing it.  He is scum.  I always knew he was and now that it is confirmed, I can just sit here with a smile on my face.  
 
A smile that won’t last because the game still isn’t clean.  Alex Rodriguez will be suspended soon.  He was also found to be guilty in that same biogenesis study.   This will be his 2nd or 3rd offense.  His legacy is ruined.  He won’t get into the hall.  The game is still full of cheaters.  However, baseball is getting cleaner and I applaud the sport for it.  They are suspending and dropping the ball on baseball superstar ballplayers and no longer protecting them.  That is a small light in a dark tunnel.  
 
The Real Question is-Who is next?  
 
Moving on….
 
Edward Mujica is starting to show signs of wear as a closer.  In his last 10 appearances, the outings have been getting more dicey and tension packed.   As Bernie Miklasz pointed out, Mujica is a pitcher who defies the sabermetrics crowd laws of being a great closer.  He doesn’t blow you away or strike out a bunch.  He pitches to contact and has a decent splitter.  However, contact pitchers are going to get sooner or later.  Time will tell if Mujica turns into Ryan Franklin 2.0, but while he is 28-30 in saves, Chief is getting more human by the outing.  Pitching to contact involves luck and some of the hit balls are finding holes.  This is nothing to get stressed out about.  Mujica saved the Cardinals in a number of ways.  After 4 blown saves in the first 12 games, the Cards have suffered 4 the rest of the season.   Mujica has blown two saves in his last 7 chances.  He blew both on the road.  He nearly blew Sunday’s finale against San Diego but got a lucky hop from a hit down the line and a leaping catch by Allen Craig to save the day.  Eddie is gambling and still winning.  If he starts to seriously falter, the Cards have options.  Not that Mike Matheny would pull him anytime soon.  I am just saying the man is still getting the job done but yes the crack are showing.  They always do in late July.  
 
Lance Lynn is starting to not be liked by his teammates and coaches because he acts like a big baby on the mound when a fielder commits an error or he doesn’t get a call.   Well, now they know how the fans feel watching Lance pitch.   I am sure the fielders hate it when they give the guy a lead and he blows it right away.  Lynn’s problem isn’t in his arm.  It’s in his head.  
 
Once again, calm down about Chris Carpenter.  He has made TWO starts in 2013.  He is still in spring training mode.  I second what pitching coach Derek Lilloquist said.  As long as he is throwing hard, feeling good and making some pitches click, good things are happening.  Carpenter will be back.  He threw a bullpen yesterday and throws against this weekend.  Give it time.  If we get him back in early August for a stretch run, that’s as good as a free agent signing. People are jumping ship too early on Carpenter and please don’t expect the world to shift when he returns.  He will provide whatever his right arm can handle and it will be nothing close to ace material.  This is his last stand.  Let him complete it.  
 
Shelby Miller starts tonight against the Phillies.  This is a big start for Shelby.  The guy has had nearly 2 weeks off since his last start and comes to the mound tonight fresh and without excuses.  If the Cards are going to be sharp in the second half, Shelby needs to contribute.  The 5th spot is a question mark and Lynn is in limbo so Shelby needs to put his foot down, collect innings and get back to the pitcher he was in May.  His biggest issue is his pitch count.  It gets extremely high and he can’t go more than 5-6 innings.  That’s fine if they are effective outings, but lately they haven’t been.  Getting 7 innings out of Miller hasn’t been easy for 2 months.  He can either keep trending downward or get back on the horse and eat innings and win some ball games.  Forget Rookie of The Year.  Just get out there and pitch.  
 
I met with a film critic friend today to begin the process of getting into the St. Louis Film Critics association.  This is a big step for me in becoming fully part of the film world.  The man I met today would sponsor me and help me get voted into the group and that would make me an official bad ass to the bone critic.  I would get tons of screeners, be a part of a special group and be taken a little more seriously.  It’s exciting and something this movie guy has been waiting for his entire life.  
 
Will Witherspoon coming back to the Rams to play outside linebacker is great news.  He was a fine player for years here, plays the position well and will complement James Lauranitis and newcomer Alex Ogletree perfectly.   The Rams D was tied for the lead in sacks in 2012 and played very well.  They kept up their end of the bargain and if the offense can put up some points and do it quickly, this team may be able to win quite a few games this season.  
 
Hopefully, you got a chance to read my tribute to the late yet great character actor Dennis Farina yesterday.  He passed away suddenly, so I went home and fired something out.  It’s a faithful piece.  Farina was a cop and then a pro at stealing scenes from stars.  
 
Ryan Gosling could play Bruce Wayne/Batman in his sleep in the 2015 sequel to Man of Steel. You heard it here first.  (also on my website)
 
What else?  Quick Firing Round Ending. 
*People don’t realize when they get into accidents that they are delaying a lot of people’s day.  I mean, the dumb asses who drive stupid and cause accidents.
 
*My parents will never let this boy go hungry or be without lawn furniture.  Every visit from the folks involves frozen pizzas and chairs for the backyard.  
 
*My son Vincent tests me everyday.  My soon to be 2 year old doesn’t act his age and seems to think he can do a lot of things on his own.  Work the TV remote.  Open and shut doors.  Hurt himself to get attention.  The kid is an adventure.  In a year or so, Rae and I may be adding to the family.  That’s a tentative plan.  TENTATIVE!!!  HA, kidding.  It will happen.  
 
*I want a little sister for Vinny.  A delicate, sweet little angel to oppose my brutish little man.  
 
*My family blood line is full of boys so I can forget about it.
 
*When will the Blues add the piece to the their puzzle that gets the fans seriously thinking about a Stanley Cup?  
 
*Going to the Zoo in the summer has its dangers.  You cook out in the open sun, look at poorly caged endangered animals like they are glassware at a store, ride a train and finally leave when the family smells like animals.   Its fun but only when you are ready for it.  Sometimes I think humans should be in the cages.
 
*The royal baby was born.  Who gives a shit?  Not this guy.  Tons of beautiful ambitious babies are born every day.  Not all of them are born kings, but I would like to think this big birth needs less attention.  My son Vinny is a lot cuter and tougher than that pampered little British baby.  Let’s see that baby struggled with heart and stomach issues and still come out looking like a million bucks and not even needing hair to be adorable.  DO that British royalty!  
 
*Seeing The Wolverine tonight.  Screening a film at home called BLOOD for my future interview with Mark Strong and catching Only God Forgives, the violent followup film from the Drive director starring Ryan Gosling.  Busy week for the movie guy.
 
*Doing a piece on Hugh Jackman this week.  How good is this guy?  He won a Tony award for playing The Boy From Oz, where he sang and danced on stage.  He was nominated for an Oscar this year for Best Actor for the musical Les Miserables.  He also happens to convincingly play one of the biggest bad asses in Marvel’s arsenal of heroes, Logan aka Wolverine.  Jackman is a true jack of all trades.  Read more on Friday on Film-Addict.
 
That’s it.  Thanks for reading and stay cool.
 
-DB
 
 
 
 
 

Quick Rundown

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Before I settle into another subpar episode of True Blood, let me bring you the news.  First, I sound like this because I just watched the superb show entering its second season called Newsroom where Aaron Sorkin writes sensationally true Mamet like dialogue and pisses off Republicans with his blunt story telling antics.  Second, I am only watching True Blood because I have given the long overrated series this many hours of my life, I will be damned if I miss a scene with Jessica taking her clothes off or seeing how it all plays out.  I am dug in.  So here we go. The rest of the points will be quicker than this lengthy quite preachy Buffa like opening statement.  Fuck I want coffee but it’s midnight and I just cleaned the teeth.  Rules….

 
The Cards won 10-6 in ugly fashion.  They blew three leads, including a blown save from Eddie Mujica, questionable managerial tactics from Matheny, and a 4 hour battle where the Cubs kept coming back before coming up worthless again.   Yadi Molina fired off 4 hits on one leg and could have had 6 hits.  He leads the NL with a .341 average and is doing it minus a fully able right knee.  He is the MVP right now hands down.  I don’t care about Buster Posey’s age or power.  Also, Yadi owns a record label.  Suck it Buster.  
 
Waino didn’t get win #13 and has been denied at least 4 wins this year due to his bullpen or the quick hook from his skipper.  He may not win the Cy Young due to this but who knows?
 
Matt Adams looked good for 4 games starting but please Holliday haters stay seated.  He’s still very young and good off the bench.  
 
I don’t want Matt Garza because he isn’t worth the prospects needed to acquire him.  Carpenter at 75 percent is better than Garza anyway.  Scratch him off the list.  Cliff Lee is worth it but will cost the Cards half their farm system for a lot of money and years. Scratch him off and insert Carlos Martinez after you trade Lance Lynn.  Oops..I just said that.  
 
If all goes well, Chris Carpenter takes Joe Kelly’s spot and Joe is in the bullpen again.  Sorry Joe.  Depth sucks for a few people.
 
Boardwalk Empire showed its first real teaser and I can’t wait for this Tommy Gun infused gangster politics bloody opera to begin.  It starts when baseball crawls towards its end.  Last season took this show to a whole new level.  
 
The wonderfully cult Banshee(on Cinemax) also showed us a few new clips but unfortunately doesn’t come back on air until January.  That’s too long. I’ve told every cast member on Twitter about this.  They sympathize with me and go back to filming.  
 
The Trayvon Martin/Zimmerman case happened a year ago and the trial ended Saturday.  Let’s just put it behind us.  Stop the riots.  Plenty of African American kids have been killed by men in authority or in this case, portraying authority.  It happens every day.   Come on now.  Case in point.  Watch Fruitvale Station when it opens in STL on July 26th.  This case carried bad apples but there’s no telling what really happened and all we have is our gut.  More importantly, the media gave it a bump and miss the millions of other unfortunate justice lacking cases in the world on a daily basis.   Stop the riots.
 
Never never ever shoot a deadly assault rifle without ear plugs.  Your ears will ring and give off a shimmering sound for hours.   I made that mistake today when I fired 20 rounds from a M4 assault rifle(shooting 223 caliber rounds) this afternoon.  I can hear but its shattered glass at every turn and if someone around me screams I feel like a man with chalk boards and knives dating around him all night.   Just wear the ear plugs.  Safety is first when it comes to firearms.  
 
And yes, people kill people.  Not guns.  It takes two to tango with death.  The peace honks can suck it twice here.  As Raylan Givens said on Justified, you don’t put your finger on the trigger unless you intend to fire.  
 
Hot music that I can’t get my hands on.  Marcus Mumford(Mumford and Sons lead) and actor Oscar Issacs coming together for a duet on a cover of a Bob Dylan song for the new Coen Brothers film.   That soundtrack will be mine. The song is Fare Thee Well(Dinks Song).  
 
I’d rather Yadi Molina not play as much in the ASG this week but the other Cards can get in there and help win the NL home field advantage.  For a team heading for the postseason, you want this.  Whether it’s fair or not(it’s not), rules are rules.  Don’t get me started on parking rules on McCausland by Highway 64 and Manchester where residents can park on a skinny two lane road.  Rules are rules so I digress.  
 
Monday isn’t important for a HR derby.  It’s important because Chris Carpenter takes the mound for Springfield with the intent to fire up this comeback on the right foot.  If he is anywhere near right, this Cards team just gets better and has tougher questions.  
 
Stop hating on Aaron Sorkin’s show.  If I am going to put the blood, sweat and tears into creating a prime time HBO show, I am going to spin my take on real news stories and not use a safer route.  Sorkin puts his views out there and people attack him like he should behave like some robot.  Why do it if you aren’t going to do it right?  Watch the Newsroom or this part doesn’t make any sense.  
 
Oh wait, maybe it does.  Anyway…
 
Road trips suck when your kid controls your mood.  He screams, you can’t do much about it yet play ball so the entire trip becomes a drag.  It’s raining, your wife is on edge and the 22 month old beast in the back wants 43 different things yet can’t put a word or two together.  So he screams because he can. 
 
Yes, I have been a dad for exactly 22 months.  Well, with some hours attached to it.
 
The clock doesn’t start when the kid comes out for me.  It starts when your wife turns into the girl from The Exorcist and squeezes the blood out of your hand.  It only lasts for a day or two.  
 
My son has uttered the word…”Cards”.  Once.  It has begun.  
 
That’s all I got.  Short and sweet.  Blunt.  My blend.  
 
Have a good week.  I’ll be right here.
 
-DLB

Out of Town Post

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Let’s just get right to it,

I’m in Kentucky at the moment.  City called Paducah.  My brother and sister in law live there and the Buffa family took a weekend trip.  It’s an easy going time.  You wake up and you don’t see your house.  It’s unusual.  Your kid still wakes up at 6am but you have different things to do and opportunities.  I left the house one time today and that was to buy ammo for my brother in law, Brian “Biscuit” Jordan, and I’s shooting range afternoon.  We got burgers at Station Burger.  Before the shooting, I had to go for a run.  I love running on foreign ground.  You have barely ever ran on these roads and people don’t know you.  Everybody waves in a rural country style area.  They are nice.  The dogs bark. The run was good.  My bald head cooked and I got home and it was time to set up the targets.  We spray painted different designs on wooden spikes(zombie, x and o, different faces) and set them up.  It was designed as a shooting course.  We were shooting two different M4 assault rifles(one made, one bought) and a Springfield Armory .45 caliber handgun.  Holster and rifle strap included. We had 10 spikes and settled into certain spots that required different styles of shooting.  Crouch and fire.  Walk and fire.  Turn and fire.  Look, anybody can stand still and pull a trigger.  Move and fire and hit something and feel good about yourself.  We set up a course that kept us moving.   We had some fun.  A video of my shooting course take #2 is on Facebook.  There’s still nothing like firing a weapon.  There’s no bigger adrenaline rush.  Maybe jumping out of a plane.  There’s something about firing at a target and releasing a stress with a weapon in a safe environment that gets the juices flowing.  Try it sometime.

Anyway….The Cards lost tonight.  They lacked the big hit at the right time  They had 11 hits and couldn’t get the….wait for the screams….CLUTCH swing.  They lost 6-4 and the Cubs got another night to be happy and not depressed at their uniforms.  Lance Lynn had another alien invasion in his right arm and allowed 10 hits and let two errors and a couple mistakes by interim catch Tony Cruz allow the Cubs to break him for 6 runs in 4+ innings in a bad night.  Mike Matheny stayed with Lynn too long.  After three rough innings and 4 runs allowed, there was a bases loaded situation and Lynn hit for himself and grounded out.  You are down 4-1 and in the game.  Waste a guy there, use your Memphis starter Carlos Martinez and throw up Rob Johnson or Shane Robinson there.  You save Yadi unless you want to insert him into the game.  Still…even though it’s only 4-1 with Lynn at less than 75 pitches, you get him out and go for the throat.  Now the Cards can lose the series at Wrigley and possibly go into the break on a down note.  I am not complaining.  The Cards are 56-36 and still in first place.  Their rotation has come back to life after three months of stellar performance.  Lynn and Shelby Miller are hitting that innings wall.  There could be a move made by Mozelaik in addition to a bench bat at the deadline.   This team lost 2 starters(more on that in a minute), their setup man and closer and are 20 games over .500.  There are at least 10 games where we had the winning run at the plate and lost the game.  What I am saying is this team is playing good baseball, recovered from a late June swoon and in the game.  There’s something else…
Chris Carpenter is going on a rehab assignment.  On Monday he starts in Springfield. This man, declared dead in February, is coming back. He..just..won’t…go..away. Paging Joe Buck there but this is exciting.  Joe Kelly had his last start on Friday because the next time the Cards need a 5th starter is on July 27th and that will be after Carp makes 2 starts.  There’s something about Carpenter.  Toughness doesn’t begin to explain it.  He is, as a man once described a British action star, something else.  His durability and body recovery tactics are legendary.  He called John Mozelaik and told him he was done.  He couldn’t throw.  The nerve in his neck was ending his career.  Cardinal nation, including this man, truly lost something with the thought of losing the long time ace to this latest injury.  In case you were under a rock for the past 10 years, Chris Carpenter has had many lives in baseball.  He’s gotten 2 shoulder surgeries, Tommy John Surgery, neck surgery, and probably a few others off the books.  He’s got a bionic body beneath his neck.  He’s truly a throwback.  We will never see a pitcher of his kind again for quite some time.  Pitchers in this era will get hurt a few times and fold up.  They will go under the knife and never come back the same.  Carpenter may come back and pitch like a small fraction of his former self, but just the idea of him returning is a good reason to be excited about the last 71 games.  The Cards are 20 games over .500 and in first place without Carpenter’s services.  If he is 85 percent of his 2011 performance capability, we are in for something special.  If not, this one last hurrah ends for good.  This is it folks.  Take it lightly or bypass it all together.  Chris Carpenter is coming back.  The Terminator with brass ball guts is making one last stab at glory.  He may be the deadline move this club needs.  Or he could have nothing left.  For weeks, it seemed like this would never happen. Reality kept coming to the doorstep of this miraculous return. Now it’s happening. He’s facing hitters in a live game that counts on Monday.   Sink or swim, this is why sports are great.  You never know.  Are we talking about Carp’s return in November at a parade or looking over his jersey like a rainy funeral.  We will find out soon enough.
The Dave Matthews Band played their asses off on Wednesday night at the concert venue formerly known as Riverport.  Every summer, the band makes a return to St. Louis and puts on a show for their fans.  A diverse group of followers that range from very young to old.  I see people that probably wouldn’t normally shake their asses get down and move their hips. I smell reefer.  I see a group of musicians put on a 3 hour show.  Ask me and I want my money’s worth when I shell out 45 dollars and a night out.  Play or be dead. After not having listened to a CD in months, I got a great show from my band this week.  Haters can hate because its music and a popular band.  DMB gives back to their fans when they play live.  For one night a year, we get to spend it with them and their large collection of music.  They played some very rare oldies and covered Tom Petty.  Matthews got into it with the crowd and the band followed him.  They are my band and the rare group that doesn’t let you down in person.
Smaller tidbits now.
Tim Lincecum has a shot at a no hitter tonight.  I hope he gets it.  He has battled some demons and adversity the past three season.  He’s not perfect but a great pitcher and worthy of a no-hitter.
I do believe George Zimmerman committed, at least, an act of manslaughter and if not that, murder in the 2nd degree.  It wasn’t all self defense.  It just wasn’t.  The man got off last night on a crime he committed.  He followed, profiled and took long hard looks at Trayvon Martin.  He killed him.  There’s lies inside Zimmerman and Florida once again dropped the ball.  Sometimes the hardest thing to find in life is justice.  Reminds of a kid named Oscar Grant.  This is just worse.
Brisket Nachos are ALWAYS a good idea, even at 10pm.
The Blues will contend and do quite well in 2013-2014.   They will make the playoffs.  What else?  No idea but misery is prescribed.  This past season was perfect.  Young team.  Lots of players getting work overseas.  Short season.  We blew it and choked.  It’s hard to get TOO excited for the Blues.  I’ve watched them since I was 7 years old.
Shocktop Wheat, the original and not the 45 different shit kinds to come after it’s birth, made a return to me tonight.  Fabulous summer beer.
Saturday is a day that will go down as the rare 24 hour period where I don’t have Starbucks.
Someone helped my family in private.  That is all.
Have a good weekend.  I am having some fun on mine.  It’s time to sleep.  Thanks for reading.
So long for just awhile,
DLB

 

Weekly Sendoff

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I’m going to Kentucky this weekend so allow me to fire off some words before I depart.   I’ll be back but in order to truly enjoy a weekend your head has to be clear and you writing weapon must be empty.  Here we go.  Random and obviously delusional.  

 
  • The Cards lost to the Cubs last night.  Who cares?  Sometimes Polar Bears go for jogs too.  We can get over it.  We lost our 5 game win streak but didn’t leave Wrigley last night without Mike Matheny nearly killing a hot head umpire.  In the 9th inning, home plate ump Dan Bellino(if that’s not his name I don’t care, I almost used dickhead joe) rung up Matt Adams and the big guy didn’t like the call.  He turned to the ump and said “No chance” and a few more none threatening words and without delay Ump Dick pulled off his mask and waved off Adams with his hand.   That’s just disrespectful.  Why not tell Adams it was a strike and that’s it?  Most umpires take the high road and just stay cool.  This hot head lost it and just resorted to childish maneuvers.   Matheny stepped out of the dugout and was ready to tear the ump in half and when the game ended and he had to exit the Cards dugout, Big Mike let him have it.  This is why I love Matheny.  He goes to bat for his players and doesn’t care about fines.  He’ll pay the price to unload his piece of mind on an umpire.  He got ejected 2 times in his career as a player and in 2 seasons as a manager he has gotten kicked out 4 times.  That’s not Tommy LaSorda mindlessness.  It’s defending his young players.   Matt Adams is a rookie and the ump used that to his advantage.  I am sure if Matt Holliday was standing there the hands wouldn’t have waved anywhere and the mask would be on.  Umpires aren’t stupid.  They pick fights they can win.   Last night, in my mind, we lost the game but Matheny helped us take one of the important battles.   I love the guy for that reason alone.  
  • Other game notes.  Westbrook pitched fine and the Cards caught former Redbird Edwin Jackson on a night where his slider was working and we hit like pigeons.  The Cubs got 3 early runs and made them stick.  We cranked a lot of balls well but right at Cubs outfielders and the wind was blowing in.   So we lost.  Big deal.  We go back at them today and every time we get shut out the next day we seem to come to the park locked and loaded.  
  • Matt Holliday left the game with a hamstring injury, pulling up short of first after a groundout.  Early signs have it as a cramp or slight pull.  If the thing popped, we’d know about it today and get the bad news.  I think it’s a bad cramp or pull and he may miss a week.   The Cards are ready for this.   We have an arsenal of weapons ready for this kind of loss.  Adams moves to first base and Allen Craig goes to left field.  Big Adams gets a spotlight and Holliday gets a rest.  If needed, there’s a guy named Brock Petersen with 20 HR in Memphis who can fill a bench role for a week or two.  Bench power is an underrated weapon in a 162 game season.
  • Edward Mujica has 25 saves.  Something I thought you should know.  While Mitchell Boggs wilted like a dead flower after a blown save, here is what Eddie did after Thursday’s blown save in Anaheim.  He pitched in six consecutive games, recording 5 saves and a win.  That’s all.  We saw his resolve and tenacity and its stronger than iron.  Okay, almost as strong as iron.  
  • My interview with Virginia Madsen is up on Film-Addict.com.  I am proud of the piece and the 20 minutes I got to talk with her.  She’s a strong woman as well as a talented Oscar nominated actress.  It was my pleasure. Check it out.  
  • Don’t forget to check out our character actor spotlights every Saturday.  We take a look at the actors you often can’t match a name with the face.  Last night I did a piece on Mark Strong, and you can read that below.  This week I tackle the British actor Idris Elba(Stringer Bell From The The Wire) and his many exploits.  Something that we are trying to do a little differently.  
  • Once again, I have no problem with the Blues trading David Perron.  He is an underachieving player who had a chance here and was going to cost the team 3.8 million this season.   We traded him for a younger bigger player with an upside that we haven’t seen yet.  Why not?  Cry all you want about the Frenchie departing, but it was him or TJ Oshie and because TJ has the ridiculous 5 year contract he stays put.  Perron will never score 30 goals because he hasn’t been the same since his concussion two years ago.   Magnus Paajarvi is a younger bigger more ambitious talent and could help the Blues and cost less.  The Blues still have to sign Pietro, Chris Stewart and Jake Allen.  There is limited cap space.  Who do you keep..Perron or Stewart?   Perron scored 10 goals in 48 games last season.  Stewart is a streaky player but can net 10 goals in less than 2 weeks when he is hot.   Just saying.  Blues cut dollars and added talent here and the move was needed.  Get over it.  
  • Sam Bradford is set up to succeed.  He led an improved red zone offense in the last half of the 2012 season and got some new toys this past offseason.   Tavon Austin and Jared Cook will be newer bigger and faster targets for the young QB than previous chest plates.  Bradford has a decent third season after his disastrous sophomore campaign.  He played well, led the team to key victories and finished strong.  Jake Long will be protecting him this season with Roger Saffold swallowing his pride and moving to the left guard spot.  If Bradford stays upright, like most throwers, he will do fine.  If he is sacked a ton, guess what, he may fail more often.  NFL QB craftsmanship isn’t a hard game to crack.  You need to get protection.  It’s a team game.  It’s not golf or tennis.  A QB depends on his linemen and RB to throw their bodies in front of charging muscle bound enemies.  If they block for their QB, the plays will be made.  If not, well, grab the stretcher.  People make this game of contact out to be scientific but it’s not.  Survive.  Kill or be killed.  I expect big things from the Rams and in return Sam Bradford.
  • After a brief break to mow the lawn while the kid was down for a nap, I am back with more material before I depart on my trip.  Some random fire topics.   That is how you have to do it as a parent.  You have to be rational with your time and divide it up.  Go to the gym too late and he may not take a nap, which means no mow of the lawn.  Go home and he may hit a second win and there still will be no cut grass.  It’s so unpredictable being home with a kid NO MATTER what system you take on.  Being a parent isn’t easy at all.  No shortcuts.  Every other avenue in life has a shortcut.  Except parenting.
  • Hey George Zimmerman, what goes around comes around Mr. wannabe cop who was profiling a kid for no DAMN reason.  The sick power happy people in this world really need to have their ass set on fire.  And thrown in a cage with two alligators on veggie diets for the past two weeks.
  • Fruitvale Station, the true story of Oscar Grant is the best film I’ve seen all year.  Easily.  The movie rocked me in so many ways its not even describable.   I had to take a long walk after this film.  To think about it.  As I told my close friends via text afterwards, this movie with enough power and resonance for three films will buy up real estate in your soul and never leave.   It’s the best I’ve seen all year.  5/5.  Opens wide on July 26th. See it.  Please.  I’d join the advertising campaign for this movie.  Grant had a daughter and a girlfriend and a loving mother.  He had a criminal background but made a decision to go clean on New Year’s Eve of 2008.  He went out with his friends and girl. And then something happened.  That’s it.  It’s tragic, powerful, poignant and it will hit you.  Leave the prejudice ideals at home.  I won’t give you the trailer because you need to go into this film fresh and knowing as little as possible.  Don’t look up his name and spoil it.  Know this though.  Writer/director Ryan Coogler got the facts straight.  Believe me.  He tells it blow for blow.  This movie is award worthy.  You will know Michael B. Jordan’s name after this movie comes out.
  • Jason Statham deserves your attention.  Every time I watch this guy I feel like I am watching the best action hero since Bruce Willis went bald.  Check him out.  Does his own stunts.  He doesn’t need hair.  Talks like a gangster.  Loves his parents.  Dates a supermodel.  Drinks tea in between asskickings.  Do I need to go on?  Good.  Here is my first feature piece I wrote for Film-Addict and it’s on him.  Posted April, 2012.
  • The Newsroom, one of the best shows to arrive last year, returns for its second season Sunday.  Aaron Sorkin writes about what he feels and holds nothing back.  It’s impossible to leave politics out of the show but he is telling his side and doing it his way.  His writing these days is second to none.  His cast, especially Sam Waterson, Jeff Daniels and Olivia Munn, are aces.  Great show.  That and Banshee are MUST WATCH debuts from 2012 and early 2013.
As my fastball loses some heat, I am going to fire off one liners to wrap this erratic yet meaningful batch of prose up.  Stay calm.  I’m a professional.
 
*My first trip will be to NYC to see the One Freedom Tower and the waterfall dedication to the 9/11 victims.
 
*My beer of choice right now is Whale Ale, a mixture of pale ale and amber wheat.
 
*The Cubs aren’t a good team and if they win today, just remember they will never win a World Series.(no need to knock on wood)
 
*The Blackhawks may win another cup or two in the next five years.
 
*I think Vlad Tarasenko will score 30 goals this upcoming season.
 
*Jaro Halak is in contract year and has A LOT to prove so watch out.   
 
*Chris Stewart isn’t white.(contract status update)
 
*Give me cold weather over hot unless it’s just warm enough for me to not sweat off a pound within 30 minutes of being outside.
 
*I sweat like a broken pipe attached to a fresh water valve.
 
*Derek Jeter came back yesterday and already got hurt again.  He’ll retire after this season.
 
That’s it.  I’m firing guns this weekend, riding ATV’s, averaging a penis joke per 30 seconds and laying back.   It’s nice to get out of town every once in a while.  Off to Kentucky.  
 
Stay calm and live a little,
 
Dan L. Buffa

5 Things From Buffa

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Random fire style here in a quick blunt dose of thought.  My hands are hot right now.  I wrote up an interview piece with Virginia Madsen, wrote a review of her film, posted a Red 2 screening giveaway and come to you now with a few bullets left in the chamber.  

 
1.  Cardinals Clicks.  The Cards regained equilibrium and took their season back.  After a June month spent spiraling out of control and into second place, the Birds have won 4 in a row on their home stand and aim to make it 5 tonight.   Over the weekend, we swept the Marlins, beating them in walkoff fashion, a beatdown on Friday and a close edge on Sunday.   Facing Houston last night, Waino went to 12-5 with a brilliant performance and the offense romped for 9 runs.  
 
Mitchell Boggs was traded to Colorado for international slot money(aka 200,000 dollars in draft cash) so that loose end is cut.  Marc Rzepcyzski is next.  Ty Wiggington’s stay with the Cards was cut short with Mozelaik cramming 4.5 million down the team’s throat and making a proper cut.  The loose fat is being taken off the team because rookie phenoms like Trevor Rosenthal, Kevin Siegrist and veterans like Edward Mujica are giving more than expected right now.  A playoff team has to make changes and stay sharp.  
 
The team is back to 54-34 and in sole possession of first place with 5 games against soft competition(Cubs and Wrigley for 4 games will be treacherous especially with the Cubs playing great ball) remaining.   That’s baseball for you.  Down one moment and up the next.  
 
I am okay with Pete Kozma at shortstop as long as Daniel Descalso platoons with him.  DD’s bat is sharper yet Kozma gives you the better defense.  Each will hit .230 over a long stretch of time so they can’t be exposed.  Matt Holliday is heating up after a rest in LA.  He is cranking those tailing low line drive home runs and hasn’t hit into as many DP’s lately.   
 
If Carlos Beltran wants to stay for another year, give him a 15 million dollar 2014 contract.  If he wants 2 years, you part ways.  Those knees won’t hold up for that long. 
 
Allen Craig continues to spit out run producing hits.  He has 71 RBI with 5 games left before the break.  Beltran has 52.  Holliday is nearly at 45.  Freese isn’t far behind.  Yadi is still hitting in the .340’s.   This team can be ridiculously multi-dimensional when they are all firing on every cylinder.   I still think we have the edge in the division.
 
Wainwright not pitching in All Star Game is fine by me.  I don’t want our players hurt in that game.  It decides home field advantage but you must get there first.  I love Waino wanting to give his spot to Mujica, who was more than deserving.   People want to see Aromis Chapman(20 saves and lot more blown chances than Eddie) throw 100 mph so he made the list over Chief.  Waino knows thats top rank baby back bullshit.  He’s first class.  
 
Loved Bernie Miklasz’s video this morning talking about the courageous fight of Chris Duncan.   Baby Dunc lost his lovely mother to cancer last month and is fighting brain cancer himself, doing chemo once a month.  He had a playing career cut short by injury but has made a transition into a radio and TV analyst.  The man is true grit personified. Breakfast With Bernie airs weekly around 9am on stltoday.com.  I am a Miklasz honk.  I have read his words since I was 6 years old.  He inspired my writing.  Love or hate his take, he inspired this guy to write and put his mental thoughts into motion.
 
2. DMB hits STL tonight.  Love or hate their music, the boys of summer always put on a show for their fans at Riverport.  They play for 3 hours, incorporate old hits, unknown gems, do a few covers and play some new material.  Rae asked me if they had anything new coming out and I said no.  This band loves to tour and play in front of their fans.  They don’t need a new album to support.  They do just fine making the rounds and they sell out every time.  Their fanbase isn’t all frat boys and pot heads.  I have gone to 5 shows and see a wide range in the age of the fans in their seats and shaking their asses to the music.   Dave Matthews and his crew just know how to put on a show.  The haters hate.  The admirers get their money’s worth.  The end.  It’s not scientific.  It’s music.  
 
3. The Blues are dumping David Perron off at the Oilers for an unknown and a draft pick.  That’s salary release right there.  One of them had to go.  Oshie or Perron.  The group had to be broken up.  Perron has the high end of maybe scoring 30 goals but he was too enigmatic to ever reach his potential.  Oshie has the 5 year deal no one wants.  Perron is a talented young Frenchman who may make Edmonton very happy but I just didn’t see it happening here.  Berglund has the upside of a big body and a potential wing man goal producer who doesn’t go blank in the playoffs.  Perron got on my nerves almost as often as Oshie because he just didn’t produce for a week at a time.  Doug Armstrong is trying to get Pietro, Stewart and Allen signed and under the cap.  
 
I approve of the Derek Roy move.  If healthy, he could be better than Andy McDonald and minus the concussion factor.   He is a playmaker who put together great years in Buffalo.  Max Lapierre is a talent as well.  The team needed new centers and Armstrong delivered.  
 
I don’t like the Jordan Leopold signing.  To me, he disappeared in the playoffs and played horrible defense at the big time.  Jay Bouwmeester is a great pickup.  Leopold was an average player and we keep him over the cheaper scrappier Kris Russell.  Strikeout.
 
I still think a goaltender is being moved.  I don’t see this team entering camp with three starting able goalies.  While I have contempt for Halak’s health, I’d keep him over Elliot because I think he is the better goalie when healthy and is better in the playoffs.  Armstrong says 3 is fine but I think not. 
 
4. Music to Listen to.  Simple listing of 3 tunes to grab, listen to and digest properly.
The National-Start a war
The Fossil Collective-The Magpie
The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club-The Toll
 
5.  Watched a hell of a documentary on public defenders on HBO called Gideon’s Army.  In 1961, the Supreme Court decided every arrested soul deserved the right to council and created the spot for lawyers to be assigned free practice.  These are true renegade lawyers who work long hours, have 100 cases at a time and most of the 15,000 members of Gideon’s Army give a shit.  Travis Johnson, down in Gainesville, Florida, wears his cases like a badge of honor.  He puts the winners on a bulletin board in his office.  He gets the cases that he lost and should have won imprinted on his body.  The last name of an inmate he lost a case for gets tattooed on his back as a reminder.  Every convict has to enter a guilty plea because that’s the way the system is designed. It’s the public defender’s job to prove to the jury that the innocence is there or basically show up and watch a guilty man get put away.  They defend the scum and the rest and get dirty in the process.  Watch the doc and get a dose of their life.  I have a newfound respect for these people.  
 
That’s all I got.  I have more to write but I’m out of time.  I’ve withheld from listening to a lot of DMB over the past few months in preparation for this show tonight.  It’s time to get the kid up from his nap and get the night rolling.  
 
Thanks for reading and see you next time in the Buffa Nerve Center,
 
Buffa 

5 Takes From Buffa

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The kid is asleep so I am firing out a dose today that entails everything but the Cards.  I promised more single subject rants/blogs but today is a few different things.   5 takes from me starting with…

 
1. Blues and Free Agency
There’s part of me that wants to be naive and think owner Tom Stillman has a load of cash stuffed in his backyard like Tony Soprano and he can fund a big move or acquisition but in the end reality shows us that the Blues don’t have the revenue.   As Bernie Miklasz writes in his daily bytes, “They need an infusion of corporate dollars on luxury suites and sponsorships.  Stillman knew what he was getting into.  Buying into a franchise with short money concession and TV deals negotiated by prior ownership.”   In basic terms, the Blues don’t have the hidden Swiss vault full of TV money and the team doesn’t make enough annually to be consistent in adding pieces.  They have built up a youthful bunch of players that have underachieved and have to boost their attack with a forward.   
 
As much as I cried out yesterday for the team to look at Jarome Iginla on a short term deal, they would have had to pay him a high ceiling salary of 6 million on 1 year.  Unless they move Halak and/or Perron/Oshie, they simply don’t have the money to match an offer from the Bruins or Red Wings.  The Blues not only have to reacquire the influx of local dollars and fan support but they also have to convince top tier players to come here over more competitive franchises.  We are a midwest low market team with little lottery cash.   Sure, we have a great record the past two seasons but still exist as a risk for any veteran scoring talent.  Iginla, simply put, would have been the difference making winger who can deposit 30-40 goals when healthy.   He did it with Calgary, a horrible team, so having him here would have benefited both sides.  However, The Bruins have held the cup in recent years and were in the finals last year, so the 36 year old star went there.  
 
Here’s the thing.  The Blues didn’t even get involved, instead vying for the services of Stephen Weiss(Detroit) and Vilpi Filppula(Tampa Bay).  They lost out there, unable to match the money or be the lucrative city for a star player to want.  There are other fish out there, but the scoring talent is lean and mean.  
 
In a nut shell folks, the Blues could be screwed unless they find a buyer for Halak and can get some talent in return.  We could see the same bunch, with a few low hanging fruit acquisitions(2 guys yesterday I can’t even name) being our main catch.  It is early and I trust GM Doug Armstrong almost as much as I trust the Cards GM Mozelaik.  These are the times I wish Armie had Mo’s money to play with.
 
2. Rams and their future
The Rams proposal to renovate the Ed Dome was rejected by the Convention Center committee so both sides go back to the drawing table.  This match is in the early stages, so there won’t be much movement or a winner soon.  I’ve researched it and done my homework and can say the team isn’t going anywhere.  Some deal will be worked out and the lease will be renewed.  I do have some fresh thoughts and perspective.   Starting with, the proposal being a 700 million dollar fix.  For that much money, why not build a new stadium in St. Louis County all together.  It makes little sense to renovate a dead sack joint like the Dome if you ask for that dough.  The Rams were a little dumb there.  The CVC will agree to less money(prob 400-500 million) and the fixes will be done.  I maintain that the thought of a new stadium needs to be discussed at least.  An outdoor stadium would do wonders for the team and puncture a serious market of revenue in St. Charles or Earth City.  That’s a bit dreamy yet still my own.  
 
The team isn’t going anywhere and that’s a good thing.  LA wants an expansion team and has already owned the Rams once.  Jacksonville is going to London some day so the Rams are in STL.  My thing is Stan Kroenke showing more interest and involvement to get something done.  He waited 15 years to own the team himself and doesn’t seem to be getting involved.  The man has had a piece of 3 different sports franchises so he knows business and getting stuff done.  Stan is a quiet mild mannered poker faced suit so I don’t think he will roll up his sleeves.  I do expect him to  open his wallet and mind and show real interest in finding a way to fix the Dome or make a plan for a new home in the STL area.  Jay Nixon wants to help and if Stan and the Governor get together, a deal can be hashed out.  Don’t expect any of this to happen in the near future.  Just parlor room talk.  
 
3. My Desire for the Rams
I want the team to stay for obvious reasons.  Fisher Ball has injected a sense of optimism and pride into Rams football here in St. Louis.  Les Snead and Fisher have sharply redirected this franchise’s path and made them a possible contender inside a year.  Two years ago when we were in the hazardous area of Spag’s pillars and boring stigma, any Rams fan would have passed the bill to kick the team out of the city and invest the money in an NBA or more specifically a soccer team.   Now, with Jeff Fisher building this team from the inside out, I want them to stay put and become something.   They had a great draft in April.  Tavon Austin looks like moneyball magic.  Jake Long will be protecting Sam Bradford, who also has a new toy in TE Jared Bell and growing WR targets like Brian Quick and Chris Givens.  The defense is back and stronger than ever with a new strong safety to team up with corners Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins.  The running back group will be a battle between young hungry ballers.  Fisher has a chance to overthrow the rule of the 49ers and the Seahawks in the coming seasons if he maintains course.  The bottom line is this team needs to stay put.  
 
4. Banshee and Newsroom
If you want a new TV series to dive into that has a full season under its belt, choose between the greatness of Aaron Sorkin storytelling with HBO’s Newsroom(new season debuts this month) or Cinemax’s gritty pulpy dish called Banshee(new season comes out on DVD this month, 2nd season comes in January).   Both shows are juicy treats and offer different things.   Newsroom is the golden goose of Sorkin’s political rebel spirit, taking on real news stories from 2011 and giving his take on them.   Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterson and Emily Mortimer are terrific and the writing is superb.  Banshee is all action and hardcore dirty romance with a secret weapon lying in the middle and that’s a multi-layered plot involving two old thieves meeting up in a crazy town called Banshee and getting into serious trouble.  One of them takes over the identity of the sheriff while the other reforms herself with a new family.   The acting is great and the in your face brutality of the fight scenes are memorable.  Check them out while they are young and growing.  
 
5. Mark Strong Film-Addict Piece
I posted a character actor spotlight on http://www.film-addict.com about the great, versatile and underrated talent, Mark Strong.  He’s been in Sherlock Holmes, Body of Lies, Zero Dark Thirty, Rocknrolla, Robin Hood, Kickass, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Revolver.  He is the face you know but the name you don’t so allow me to connect the dots.  He steals scenes from the movie stars and is quite superb.  Read up at the link below.  
 
That’s all I got today.  Watching The Cards and Marlins do battle. You may see a blog on them later or it may come tomorrow or Monday.  I truly have no gauge these days.  Being out of work, I can barely keep track of what day it is.  
 
Have a good weekend,
 
Buffa

Buffa Dose #1

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A Few Pointers From Last Night’s Painful Loss-
 
Disclaimer-I didn’t any of it.  I was at a fireworks carnival in Webster Groves and only had updates on the phone.  I did read up, watch highlights and gave it a few minutes to suck it all in.  Simple blown save had some legs to it.  By the way, it’s not cool forgetting where you park at a festival and coming back to your car later to see your side mirror smashed and pulled off.  Someone just hit my car and ran.  One of those times where you get a serious homicidal rage flowing your bones.  Anyway…
 
*Adam Wainwright pitched a helluva game.  He pitched into the 9th inning, and was given a chance to finish it.  Albert Pujols saved his one hit of the series for a good time and flared a single for a rally starter.  Matheny pulled Waino and inserted the extremely rusty Edward Mujica.   At 104 pitches and looking sharp(12 of last 14 retired and hitting 92mph), Waino was good to go.  He had a two run lead and could have continued.  I understand Matheny wanting to go to his bullpen to a certain degree, but agree with other sources that Randy Choate was an option.   Yes, yes, I know its a save situation and I usual sit in the party of closer first because he is your last line of defense.  Well, Choate is on this team to get out lefties and Josh Hamilton is pitiful against lefties with a good slider.  In my mind, if you are ever going to do the multiple reliever shuffle, that is the time.  See what Choate can do with Hamilton and bring in Mujica for the rest.  It may not have worked that way but that is the better plan if you pull Waino.   Just a thought.  Adam is your ace and wanted to finish it.  Matheny pulled Waino 10 days ago against the Rangers in a close game and the bullpen burned a lead.  With better luck, Waino could easily be 13-5.  That’s baseball.
 
*Mike Matheny has made great moves this year.   Inserting Mujica as the closer.  Putting Matt Carpenter Jr. in at the leadoff spot.  Going to the Memphis well many times for internal solutions. He has also had some bumps.  Staying with Mitchell Boggs too long.  Staying with starters in games too long or pulling them too quick.  Managing is a tough gig but who ever said it was going to be any different.  It’s the big leagues and not the California Penal League.  His managing skills will be tested in close games.  At least we didn’t see Holliday or Freese double switched out of the game in the 7th inning but the AL park saved them here.
 
*Be easy on Mujica.  This was his first blown save in 22 tries.  Read that again.  22 chances and only 1 blown game.  That’s a 95 percent conversion rate for the people who don’t have calculators.  I didn’t think the guy would have an 80 percent rate when he started, so this blown save was simply bad timing but expected.  We can’t expect a journeyman reliever to be aces all season long.  That’s crazy mang.  He hasn’t closed since June 19th.  LONG layoff.  That’s the Cards recent struggles mixed in with a few blowout victories.  He threw a meaningless inning on Tuesday but climbing the mound for a save is a different beast.  Closers need to close or work in close ballgames to stay fresh.  We’ve seen it with a number of pitchers.  Rust is real.  
 
***Movie Recommendation break-Speaking of rust, the beautifully powerful drama Rust and Bone is now on cable on Starz.  It’s a movie full of fantastic performances and a real gut punching end.  It’s got a pair of French actors and they are great.  Give it a look.  A quiet indie gem and one of my top 10 from 2012.
 
*We face the Marlins tonight and I seriously hope the bats stay alive and the pitching is there because I want this team to improve at home.  We are 22-16 at Busch, and that’s just not good enough.  I don’t care if Miami is 13-6 since they took a series from us.  I want us to beat this team or at least win the series and get back on track.   We haven’t won a series since we took 3 of 4 from the Cubs at Busch 8 days ago.  We split with the Astros, and lost 2 of 3 to Oakland and LA.   Two of those clubs are average to bad teams.   No way.  We face the phenom Jose Fernandez on Sunday so I suggest taking the first two but they won’t be easy.  We face a young lefthander Nathan Eovaldi tomorrow.  The Marlins are not in contention but they can be the irritating bunch that nags good teams.   Let’s take care of business.  That starts with keeping the starting pitching primed and the bats moving.  
 
*Daniel Descalso getting more starts at SS is a good plan.  He is hot right now at the plate and plays solid defense even at short.  Pete Kozma needs a break to take his mind off his struggles and can come off the bench.  DD is a streaky bat and you have to ride that horse when it’s going.
 
*I am in favor of a save chance for Chief tonight.  Let Eddie Mujica clear the cobwebs from his arm and take the weight off his shoulders quick and get back in the saddle.  The worst time to blow a save is on the last day of a road trip where you have the whole plan ride to think about it.  I hope Eddie got some good food down today, did a shot of whiskey at noon, and cleared his head.  Tonight, he can make amends.  
 
*Jake Westbrook starts tonight and it’s huge.  Since returning from elbow soreness, Jake has been cold and rough.  After being sharp in April and May before going down, Westbrook hasn’t pitched well or deep into games at all lately.   Tonight is huge because if he struggles you have to reconsider the fact that his elbow isn’t 100 percent and you may have to call Memphis again. There’s no time to waste.
 
*Where is the Chris Carpenter update?  Is he rehabbing in Siberia?  Nothing on twitter or STLToday.  
 
*Carlos Beltran may stay put next year in STL and you may see Jon Jay get bumped in a trade or relegated to the 4th OF spot.  Oscar Taveras is coming up next year and Jay is hitting .246 right now and hanging around that mark.  His defense is down and his bat isn’t .300 sharp anymore.  If Beltran wants to play another year in the NL(still a long shot because he could easily get a 3 year deal at DH in the AL).    Just something think about.  
 
*Overall consensus.  Pete Kozma and Jon Jay need to platoon and Shane Robinson and Ty Wiggington aren’t scaring anybody.   The bench needs a boost at the deadline and I wouldn’t rule out Mo making a stab in center field(on a 2013 loan only) or at shortstop.   When it comes to this crafty Cards front office, anything is possible, even insanity.
 
*Albert Pujols went 1-11 in the series with a walk.  Barely a dent from the one legged slugger but he made his one hit count.  He started a 3 run ninth inning rally last night that let his team win the series.  Reminded me of his Game 6 2011 WS leadoff single in the 9th before Freese made history.  Only this time…well..for the other team.  The guy looks hurt and hopefully gets a little down time soon.  That probably won’t happen since the team is hot right now.  I just think Pujols’ right leg is going to completely snap off soon.  However, that’s not our problem anymore.
 
That’s it.  Hope to see a good start from Westbrook and some decent offense against the St. Louis kid Jacob Turner tonight.  Some action from Super Smoke Tank(aka Rosenthal) and Chief.  
 
Later tonight, as I watch the Cards, I will blog about the Blues and then the Rams and the Convention Center’s decision to not put forth the 700 million needed to renovate the Ed Dome for the Rams and what that means.(Still don’t think they are leaving but we’ll see as I try to breakdown Kroneke’s poker face.  
 
Thanks for taking this in and hopefully you return later.
 
-Buffa

Quick Hits on Independence Day

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Hey ladies and gents,

 
I’m bringing the heat on the holiday.  Ready, set, fire away…
  • STL Cards facing Joe Blanton.  This guy is as average as a diner’s coffee.  He’s 2-10, carries a 5.07 ERA, has allowed 126 hits in 97 innings and given up 17 bombs.  Basically, tee ball for the Cards tonight.  Fireworks indeed.  I know I could be throwing a jinx on our boys but if they don’t score at least 4-5 off this dope, something is rotting. Let Holliday DH, get back in there, and sit down the poorly struggling Pete Kozma for Descalso.  
  • Wrote a piece on the underrated character actor Mark Strong for Film-Addict’s character actor spotlight, which publishes Saturday.  Check out these weekly doses.  They spotlight the faces we all know yet never know the name.  Well, unless you’re a nut like me.  Strong is a very talented Brit who does fine work and likes playing bad guys.  Still fuzzy on the face.  Check the attachment.  For the soccer fans, he is a diehard Arsenal fan and was giddy to play a soccer nut in one of his films.  So there is that angle for you to pursue.  Just a notification of my website movie marvel work.  
  • I hate it when I get a 20 ounce coffee and let it go cold.  Heating it up is like placing a egg or fried rice in the microwave.  It’s never coming back the same.  From now on, this guy is getting a smaller size and smashing it. 
  • Nelson Mandela is going to leave us soon.  He is in a vegetative state and has been taken off life support.  The legendary humanitarian fought every brand of force in his day and spent a good portion of his life in a square cell and dug rock.  He came out and wanted to help others, including the ones who put him in prison.  The unstoppable force finally met an immovable object.  Truly good man.
  • I am interviewing Virginia Madsen, the sister of Reservoir Dog Michael Madsen on Monday evening for her new film.  I will be talking to her over the phone.  This is my 2nd phone interview and another cool step for Film-Addict.  
  • Watching some fireworks in Webster Groves tonight.  I don’t lose my mind over these events but my wife loves them and Vinny will surely get a kick out of colorful explosives in the sky.  
  • The Blues would be wise to deal from their 3 goalie collection.  Jaro Halak has playoff success 4 years ago but now can’t stay healthy.  Brian Elliot is a proven backup who can play for a period of games yet can’t stay strong in the playoffs for more than a series.  Jake Allen is the future but may be too raw to play 60-65 games.  Good problem to have for Doug Armstrong.  We will see.  Since Halak has the most value and him and Hitchcock are feuding, I’d trade him and let Allen and Elliot duke it out.  
  • Good to see Shelby Miller increase the velocity on his FB and pitch a solid 6 innings in LA last night.  I expect a Jaime like 6 innings every time out until he can be more sharp with his pitches and not gun for the strikeout so often.  Young pitchers wants to dominate so bad they forget about democracy.  
  • Jake Westbrook could be an arm to watch.  Since his return from elbow soreness, he has been quite rough.  If he goes down, you call up Carlos Martinez.
  • Albert Pujols is 0-8 with a walk through two games.  Just as I predicted.  I like the guy but will let him unleash his mistake power on other teams.   He looks hurt and a fraction of his previously dominant self.  He may be 33 years old on his VISA but he looks 46 years old out there right now.  The Angels would be wise to sit AP down, get some surgery done on the foot and knee and get him right for September-October or more realistically, April 2014.   He has 8 years left on a deal that I feel won’t be completed and one that he will walk away from.  Or else Arte Moreno can go buy another bat or instead play the stock market with his millions.  The Angels are building a team in the wrong way.   As Bernie Miklasz said in his column this morning, they could take a page from the Cardinals and keep some of their young talent.  They traded the AS shortstop Jean Segura for Zach Greinke last July.  They traded Tyler Skaggs and Patrick Corbin(both top rotation starters in the near future, especially Corbin) as well and handed AP and Josh Hamilton 375 million dollars.   STUPID.  
  • The Cards’ biggest contract is Matt Holliday and that only has 3 years left on it and Holliday will bring justification to it.  Waino, Yadi and Craig were signed to modest 5 and 6 year deals.  Our team isn’t giving away money(unless you count future bus driver Ty Wiggington) in huge amounts.  We are smart.  The LA Angels need to reset their clock.  It may be too late.
  • Watched last 10 minutes of Saving Private Ryan last night and as my wife pointed out, there isn’t a better film to watch before Independence Day.  She was watching the whole thing for the first time.  It’s cool to sit with someone as they see a legendary film for the first time.  The ending of that movie gets me every time.  The battle in the small town in Germany.  The whisper from Hanks to Damon.  The look on Burns’ face, and the Abe quote and salute at the grave.  Spielberg’s crowning achievement.
  • I can only hope the fierce Mexican champ Canelo Alvarez gives Floyd Mayweather Jr. all he can handle in September.  I can’t wait for the pre-fight Showtime series(yet I miss the 24/7 episodes with Liev Schreiber and Floyd letting his wicked personality loose).   This fight is as good as it gets.  A young undefeated battle tested power puncher against an old undefeated defensive pro.   Boxing is alive and well if you look close enough.  
  • Song of the Day-“Tree to Grow” by the fine new band The Lone Bellow.  
That’s it.  Thanks for reading.  
 
Happy 4th of July. Be safe and have fun. 
 
Yours truly,
 
Dan L. Buffa 

The Daily Dose of Thought

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As I apply for jobs that I don’t really want yet need to take on because of a money flow vacancy, I take a break to unload quick hits on certain material that’s clogging my head.  There are small advantages to being out of work and hanging with the kid and being able to write more freely and often are two of them.   One of the shitty parts is having to fill out job applications that include 100 question assessments that basically ask questions over and over again.  NO I have never used drugs or sold them to employees.  NO I have never stolen money from my employer.  There must have been a whole pack of worthless assholes who stole from their companies and set up these questions.  There isn’t a day that goes by in my life where I feel sympathy for criminals or ex-cons.  You fuck up, you pay a price and you live with the stigma for life.  I could have taken an easy way out and stole or broke the law but I fucking didn’t and here I am filling out 2-5 apps a day for warehouse gigs that make me feel like a useless lifeless shit eating robot.  Yeah, that’s my morning.  Can you tell I have only had one cup of coffee?  Let’s continue while I change out the magazines in my guns. 

 
Rain sucks.  Why?  It delays me mowing my lawn and making it look short and pretty so I don’t have to worry about it for another 5-7 days.  Rain sucks big time.
 
Raising a puppy is a lot of damn work.  It’s the same as having a newborn kid.  They are stupid, reckless, shit taking, pissing, crazy creatures that don’t listen and make you insane.  BUT…it will be all better when they are properly trained and older, right?  WRONG.  I hate dogs and pets as a whole.  No more.  
 
My son Vinny is so independent he doesn’t have to participate in the kid activities at Gymboree or any other place where kids and parents get to play with shit and not worry about breaking anything.  He goes every Tuesday and likes to do it but for the most part flirts with chicks, knocks other kids over, steals toys, plays by himself or with me or Rae and avoids the songs, dances and games that go along with the place.  My son is self-motivated.  He is above it.  Yes, he will continue to go but I don’t look down on my kid because he doesn’t want to get in a circle with other kids and sing about making……circles.   Not here.  What did kids do 30 years ago?  Back in the day and age where real men and women were made and forced to work their way through life and pick up skills and traits.  ON THEIR OWN.  I love my kid but he is part of a soft generation and fights that sometimes.  My prodigy doesn’t need extra help.
 
The Cards play three games with the LA Angels aka Albert’s new team tonight at 9pm.   I read a couple truly outstanding pieces by Bernie Miklasz about the Pujols situation and feel like adding my final bit before the games start tonight and all the announcers get on their knees and worship Albert and Cards fans hate on him.  Let’s get a few things straight.
 
(5) Albert Pujols Thoughts
*He left.  So what?  When Pujols left STL, he gave us the opportunity to truly start over, play younger players, rebuild in a way and start a new regime.   The Cards front office suits played Russian roulette with Pujols in December of 2011 and almost gave him 10 years and 200 million before Albert jumped the plane to LA and took their 10 year(plus 10 years of service off the field) offer for 250 million dollars.   In the end, Albert helped the Cards by LEAVING.  He stays and we are on the hook for a lot of money and would have gotten the declining shittier years of Pujols.   He will NEVER be the player he was in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010 with the Angels today.  It just won’t happen.  We got the best for 104 million over 11 years and the Angels will get the worst of Albert for 10 years and 250 million.   
 
*The Cards got lucky here and saved serious cash.  Instead of getting robbed with one player, they circulated the money throughout the whole team.   They signed Carlos Beltran to a 2 year deal that is paying off wonderfully and more soundly than the 2 year Lance Berkman project.  They signed young RBI machine Allen Craig to a 6 year deal worth 30 million.   They signed both Adam Wainwright and Yadi Molina to long term extensions.   If Albert stays, Waino walks and Craig doesn’t get signed.  There also is no place for the slugging talents of Matt Adams.  
 
*This crazy Italian bastard wanted the Cards to sign Albert no matter what.  People on this mailing list battled me with a realistic baseball bat over and over and I wouldn’t wilt.  I wanted AP to stay a Card for life.  I also thought it made the most sense for Pujols to stay.  He could have broken every record in the organization and been tied with Stan for #1.  Instead, he left and I think we all know he resents his decision.  Any man who still has bitterness towards a decision knows he made the wrong move.  The Angels didn’t make the playoffs last year and the Cards were 1 win away from the World Series.   This year, the Cards will be in until the end and the Angels may not make it.  So who really won here?
 
*I am not bitter towards Albert.  The man’s family keeps their home right here and Albert gives back to the community here in a ridiculous manner.  He has helped so many families with kids affected by Downs Syndrome and helped so many people.  He stays in touch with his Cardinal teammates and in my opinion, had a lot to do with Molina becoming a NL leading hitter.  Pujols and Joddy were best friends and were highly competitive.   Albert helped mold the catcher into a seriously dangerous hitter.  He did that with Skip Schumacher and Allen Craig.  He is as smart of a hitter as we will ever know.   Why do people feel so much bitterness towards him?  By leaving, he helped the team.  He didn’t let the on field business affect his off field business.  He is a good decent guy who let things get personal in a business negotiation and made a bad move that benefited the team that watched him go.   
 
*Feeling hatred towards Pujols is downright childish and Cards fans are better than that.  Anytime I hear a horrible word on Albert, I laugh when I hear the Best Fans in Baseball Bullshit routine.  The BFIB wouldn’t say such heinous things about a player who delivered 11 seasons of magical baseball.   Albert hit .330 in the regular season and in the playoffs over his career here.  He was a fierce postseason producer and is underrated there.   He helped us win 2 World Series and won 2 MVP.  He is still, in my eyes, a Cardinal Legend.  And he respects the hell out of fellow Cards legends like Stan, Bob Gibson and Lou Brock.   Albert Pujols isn’t a bad man.  He has bitterness towards the Cards front offense because he knows he made a bad choice and let FEELINGS get in the way of a business deal.   That’s it.  Cut and dry.  
In conclusion, get over it and be happy with the team assembled Post Pujols but remember to cherish what he did here as a Cardinal and still does here off the field.
 
Moving on to more random shots….
 
*The Lone Ranger and Pacific Rim look like huge piles of cinematic garbage dumps.   Movie fans, unless possessed or told otherwise by better sources, please avoid these bombs.  I can tell you from afar without even watching them that these two movies(with credible talent involved) are up to no good.   The Lone Ranger could be fun but it’s Jerry Bruckheimer excess at 2.5 hours long and looks campy and tired.  Johnny Depp is the bravest actor around but even he can’t save that turd.   Rim looks like the Matrix Revolutions and Clash of the Titans met, had some sexy time and had a baby.   And that’s not a good thing.  Avoid these movies.
*Rent The Impossible and Not Fade Away on DVD.   The Impossible is the true story of a family surviving the 2004 Tsunami in Thailand.  You won’t see better acting than you see here from Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor(a real surprise for him and a sign of his better role choices).  The movie is gut wrenching and delivers a visceral shock.   Not Fade Away is Sopranos creator David Chase theatrical debut and its a juicy tale of a young group of musicians who get wooed by The British Invasion of the Stones and Beatles and attempt to make a band themselves.   It has a killer soundtrack and an end of innocence vibe and stars several HBO character actors, including the late and truly great James Gandolfini.
*DO NOT WATCH Cold Light of Day with the new Superman, Henry Cavill.  It may co-star Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver but man that movie is pure trash.  Horrible CIA spy thriller crap.  Henry must have been drugged to do that right before Man of Steel.  Also proves his ass can’t carry a film unless he is wearing a suit.
*I am glad Christian Bale won’t return in the Justice League film as Batman.  Him and Chris Nolan are old school creators.  They say things and they back them up.   Keep promises.   When they said they were done with Batman, they meant it.  They made a truly superb trilogy and are done.  Bale is so talented he needs to do other things.    His growl is retired.
*World War Z is still one of the biggest surprises to come out this year.  That and After Earth(pretty sure I am the only one who liked Will Smith in Earth, but hey that’s a true critic for you).  I stand alone there but Z was a well made thriller and a pleasant surprise.  I liked Man of Steel a lot but it is very heavy and gets idiotic towards the end.   World War Z is a tighter more entertaining movie and if I am asked what I would recommend right now to the average movie fan, it would be World War Z.  Pitt’s gamble paid off.
*Once again, I would love to write for a living.  People have certain talents and wants and desires in this world.  The thing I am most proud of in this world after my wife and kid is my understanding of what I want to do in this life.  I love sports and would love to play them but I know my talent lies in writing.   Writing about anything.   I just got a hot tip on a stay at home writing job from a friend and that would be my dream boat.   Doing what I love for a living until Film-Addict takes off.  It’s amazing what a little opportunity can do for your day.  Coffee is a mood boost but an exciting career opportunity is the supreme face lift in this life.
*Talking with actors like Liev Schreiber and Antony Starr on Twitter never gets old.   Stars of the cable series’ Ray Donovan and Banshee aren’t stupid and know that social media is the main source of connection in this day and age.  They get on there, show some passion and care about their fanbase.  These guys aren’t going to be Brad Pitt or Channing Tatum any time soon.  They need this exposure.  They are indie performers.
*True Blood is seriously running out of creative gas.   The bloodsucking genre is tiring and this series is on fumes.  Original showrunner Alan Ball left this series to start up Banshee on Cinemax and the replacement isn’t doing much to save the series.   I was never a serious fan of this show.  It was a campy guilty pleasure with lots of nudity.   I still watch but can admit the proceedings are becoming an exercise in redundancy.
*Dexter is smartly closing out this season.   The first episode of Season 8 was pretty solid and sets up an intriguing and unpredictable end for our heroic serial killer.  It will have to end with him landing on someone else’s table and being killed or him going to prison.  I would prefer him going to prison and for this reason.   You could revisit the character in 3-5 years. An older Michael C. Hall looking more gray and weary, coming out of prison after a 5-10 or even 15 years(makeup included) and us finding out if he has seriously lost the urge to kill.   You could set up a big bad that opposes him and the whole movie would determine if he jumps back in or stays away and clean.   Killing for Dexter is a code and also a necessary drug.  It’s part of him so this would be intriguing.   This could work.  I wonder what they will do.
*Ray Donovan is only going to get better so if the first episode doesn’t hook you(don’t see how, with the juicy father-son-siblings triangle of rage), stay in because my feeling is it will only get better.  Liev and Eddie Marsan are aces and that blonde is extremely hot and will play a pivotal role in the rest of the season.
*Lance Lynn facing Albert Pujols and a fierce Angels lineup when he is “working on things” is downright scary.
*The Cardinals 14-14 month of June was bound to hit.  An uneven month is always around the corner.   Young rotation with injury issues and innings limits was going to start showing signs of wear.   The bats and bullpen are doing fine, but the rotation may be the area where the Cards try to upgrade in a month.   I don’t think we will see the preposterous signing of Cliff Lee but you may see a guy brought in.   Pete Kozma worries me.  He is hitting now at .246 and starting to trend down.  His defense(2 errors) has been sharp but his bat can’t linger down around .220-.230.   Ryan Jackson is hitting up a storm in AAA but no telling of it translating to the big leagues.  Chris Carpenter is still an X-Factor.  He is throwing and will face hitters this week.   If he can make a comeback and Wacha and Carlos Martinez continue to build pitches and innings then you may not need a starter.   You can then see what is out there at SS, but Stephen Drew isn’t an option.  He is hitting .233 with stats worse than Kozma and is injury prone and making 9 million.   Jackson may get a look soon if Kozma continues to drop.  I would like to see him hit better and stay at SS because he offers you that steady presence.  We’ll see.
 
*The ugly month of June coincided with The Pirates playing ridiculously good baseball.  This year, they may keep it up because their pitching is so deep and talented.   I can see them making a move for more offense at the deadline and overstepping the struggling Reds as our main competition.  The Bucs lead the division by two games but they played very very good baseball in June.  Seeing that continue against the rebound of the Cards and Reds is an interesting narrative for July.  Who drops first?
*Death is a son of a bitch and always will be.   The ultimate gut punch.  Thoughts go out to Pierce Brosnan, whose daughter Charlotte died of ovarian cancer, the same disease that took her mother. Charlotte was 41 years old and had a husband and kids. Pierce is 60 and has definitely lived through some pain. Lost a wife and daughter to cancer.  Just sad.
 
That’s it.  Back to job applying and then getting the kid up.  Maybe some yard work if it stops raining.  
 
Thanks for reading and so long,
 
DLB

A Dose of Buffa

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Hello folks,

 
As I watch a food show involving the making of chocolate donut stout and a sweet treat combination of donuts and potatoes.  In other words, I am typing hungry so this will be quick as I can possibly make it.  I write about whatever gets into my head and sounds like something that needs to be spread around.  I’m a news desk and crew in one.  Here we go.
Attention Lance Armstrong.  Shut up and go away.  Unlike Pete Rose, you have no candle to burn or hope in the world.  It doesn’t matter if everybody cheated when you won 7 Tour De France titles.  YOU CHEATED and LIED about cheating.  Cheating is one thing Lance(weak ass name for a man with only one testicle) but lying about is another.  Tell the truth.  Stay clean.  Don’t become Rafael Palmerio.  For now, Lance can just go away.  He is as annoying as Lebron James’ legacy right now.  
 
Again, the NBA Finals are over.  Stop talking about James and the finals.  Let me sum it up.  He turned on the mojo train against The Thunder last year and did the same thing against San Antonio this year.  When Lebron turns it on, the game and series is over.  The end.
 
The Philadelphia Flyers want Jaro Halak.  Am I an idiot for not wanting to just give him away?  I am as big of a Halak critic as anybody but something about his playoff experience makes me want to pull him back into the train instead of dangling him out onto the trade block.  Halak has proven playoff stout and can turn it on at the biggest time.  Brian Elliot in two series against the Kings, has wilted and went bad at the wrong time.  If we are going to trade Halak, get a very good player in return and be prepared to either push Jake Allen to take over the #1 goalie spot or make a small play for Ryan Miller.  We need big time goal keepers.  Elliot, as good as he was the past two years, isn’t that guy.  
 
I agree wholeheartedly when Bernie Miklasz says the easy cozy rock star Blues locker room needs to be rocked by a veteran and eventually dismantled.  Backes is only as strong as the respect he has from his fellow linemates.  They have all skated and come up with Backes, so he is limited in his shouting reach.   That means an outside personality needs to come in and change the face of that locker room.  You can’t expect the same group of guys to make a difference after a certain amount of years.  In short, Patrik Berglund isn’t going become a different personality or player at this point.  He is who he is and if that’s not a good thing, the 2013-2014 season needs to be a one off for some of these “aging” youngsters.  Just an idea.
 
The Cards send Shelby Miller to the mound tonight against Bartolo Colon and the Oakland A’s, who are surprisingly 46-34, hitting well and pitching strong.  They have a great closer as well who has been as sharp as Cards’ Edward Mujica in the ninth inning.  In other words, this will be a test.  Colon, still as thick as pan pizza, is 10-2 with a 2.90 ERA in the AL.  Another Billy Beane magic trick find.  He likes to throw the heat and mix in his curve. Miller will try and not throw 100 pitches inside 6 innings and mix and match his pitches to stretch himself out.  I like this series right now for the Birds.  They need this test.  On the road and at the end of a month where they have played .500 baseball.   The Pirates have closed the gap in the division and the Reds are right behind them.  We have to prove ourselves this weekend.  They need to jump on Colon’s first pitch fastball and get a lead and finish things tonight.  Get ahead and land a punch first.   The AL league is the beastly presence area.  Use the bat and do something productive with it.  
 
My Cards insiders(you know who you are) and I decided on something pretty logical.  Matt Adams needs to get 4 at bats a night when the Cards play in an AL park.  Put him at the DH spot or move Craig to RF, Beltran to DH and put Big City at first base.   Whatever the mix, get Adams some playing time while it affords you the chance.  Mike Matheny has no reason to put Shane Robinson or Ty Wiggington ahead of Adams here unless he wants to be compared to an idiot.  
 
Mike Matheny also needs to stop taking out big hitters late in games.  Stop pulling David Freese, Matt Holliday and Yadi Molina out in the 8th inning of a close game for baserunning.  I don’t mind it in certain spots(down by 1 run in the 8th and you badly need speed) but overall I’m not a fan.  Keep in mind extra innings can always happen and wasting your bench is a bad idea and your bench has a guy named Ty sitting on it who gets a hit every 10 at bats.  
 
We play Albert Pujols and the Angels next week.  For the first time, the Cards will oppose Jose Alberto Pujols in a regular season game.  It will be weird but interesting and a thrill.  He is finding his stroke and the Cards pitchers know him very well.   The Angels can hit for days but have ZERO reliable pitching.  Instead of signing a pitcher in the offseason, they handed Josh Hamilton Pujols money and went insane.  Jerry Dipoto’s big idea is now looking like a big crock of shit.  He is in trouble and the fans aren’t backing him up.  Pujols is there, though and the series will be interesting.  
 
Speaking of AP, we can’t get through this week without him opening his large trap about his Cards past.   In an interview with Fox Sports, he was mostly respectful but still found a way to be a bitter ass.  He still blames the front office of the Cards for disrespecting him and treating him badly.  This is where I find trouble.   How did they do that,Albert?  They offered you a smart 5 year deal worth 30 million a year and eventually offered you a stupid(I even backed this crazy deal up in desperation) 10 year, 200 million dollar contract that didn’t include a 10 year service fee after and gave you an opportunity to retire with one team and retire as the #1 Cardinal record holder of all time.  Instead, you bolt to the West Coast like a whiny baby who just shit his pants and continue to whine about it.  First, you sent your wife Didi to go all Brenda Warner on a STL radio station before you left in December of 2011, and today you still find a chance to whine about it.   I love what Pujols did here over 11 years and still say we got the best of him.  He won’t do in LA what he did in STL.  No way.  Health or not.  However, Pujols wanted to be cuddled like a little child by the DeWitt and Mozelaik team and that didn’t happen.  Baseball is a business and if I know one thing, dollars and feelings don’t play on the school yard together.  As I told Lance earlier, Albert, shut up and play.  Keep your feelings to yourself.  You made the choice and left.  Shame on you for still looking back a year and a half later.
 
White House Down is a solid form of summer entertainment and legitimizes Channing Tatum as a leading man star to reckon with.  Tatum is a versatile talent and in my column posted on Film-Addict, I go into detail about the early roles that showed an abundance of talent.  In this summer White House take down flick, Tatum teams up with Foxx(spinning a comic take on Obama) and saves the day against one of my favorite character actors Jason Clarke(Brotherhood, Zero Dark Thirty).   It’s an easy smooth film that is the polar opposite of the heavy and starting to tire in my mind MAN OF STEEL.   WHD is downright cool.  Go see it and spare your mind for 2 hours.
 
If not, check out World War Z, which is not the loud stupid CGI zombie fest that the trailer makes it out to be.  It is a smart taut tension building thriller.  Hoorah for Brad Pitt for stepping up and sharpening the almighty blade of editing here.
 
For DVD, rent Snitch because its a reliable true story that shows a different side of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.   In this film, he doesn’t throw a punch or dive off a moving plan shooting bad guys.  He is a desperate father going undercover in a drug cartel to free his son from prison.  Susan Sarandon and Barry Pepper co-star in this solid little drama.  
 
For all the people who were dying for Arnold and Sly to team up in a real movie, check out the Escape Plan trailer.  For the real movie lovers, check out this Buffa Trailer of the Week , a film called Prisoners.   It stars Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Terrence Howard and details the lengths a father goes in order to find the man who kidnapped his daughter.  Maria Bello plays Jackman’s wife and tells him something that will break any dad in half, “You told us you could protect us from everything!”  What a line and what a trailer.  Check it out.
Drinking a Bolus and Infusion from Shaw’s Coffee on The Hill in St. Louis.  Iced bold coffee with two extra shots in it.  This tastes like pure gasoline and it’s fantastic.  Shaw’s is the place for good reliable coffee when Starbucks gets too predictable.  I’ve been going to Marconi and Shaw since I was 6 years old because I grew up on Kingshighway and Tholozan.  I live right next to where I grew up and that is one of the proudest parts of my life.  Raising my son right where I grew up.   Every time I run around this neighborhood, I feel proud to still call it my own backyard.   Shaw’s is good stuff.  If you love strong coffee and live near the Hill, go get a cup.  They use raw pasta spaghetti strings for stirring and used to be a bank.  You can have a cup of coffee in their old vault.  Speaking of the Hill, the delicious Zia’s could be the Buffa’s dinner choice tonight.  
 
I will be watching Ray Donovan when it premieres tomorrow night after Dexter because Donovan is so damn good.  It’s a pilot that can be appreciated over and over because there are so many stories being introduced in that opening hour.   Liev’s main fixer is the heart and soul but there is an array of cast members who will play a defining role in the opening season.  This show feels like Brotherhood, an old Showtime original series gem that ran a perfect three seasons.  Yes, I will keep talking about Ray Donovan.  Writing a piece for my website this next week.  
 
Conducting another phone interview soon for Film-Addict.  This time with a female star of another independent movie.  I will be talking to either Daryl Hannah or Virginia Madsen.   If it’s the latter, I will be asking about her brother, Michael.  I may ask Hannah about the wonderful experience of Kill Bill 1 & 2.  Things are looking up for my website.  We have a new writer, Alana Hammonds on our staff and she is very sharp, witty and a good writer.  Its amazing what the 6 full time workers do with this website.  We just find the time.  One day, FA will be our main job.  That’s the dream.  That’s the goal.  Every day.  
 
Ladies and gents, that’s all I got.  Goodnight.  Thanks for reading.  The job search continues but I do get to stretch my blogging hours a little more and spend more time with my little Italian prodigy, Vincent.  
 
-DLB