Tag: postseason

If the Cardinals want a 12th World Series, they’ll need Yadier Molina

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(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

How important is Yadier Molina to the St. Louis Cardinals this month? Well, how important is water to the human body? Without it, the overall function of the body goes down. Specialized units are damaged. The longevity of the operation is hindered. Imagine a car engine without oil. A pizza without cheese. A salad without dressing. A barbecue without charcoal.

The Cardinals need Molina in more ways than a baseball card can reveal. If a chef was looking at the 2015 Cardinals in a kitchen before the last big meal and saw no Yadi available, he would be lost. The status of Molina this week is the biggest story for a good reason. Yesterday, a hand specialist told Molina that the ligament in his right hand still wasn’t fully healed but that a splint could put on and the player could try and manage the pain.

The next 48-72 hours will be interesting. Can Yadi catch 100-125 pitches in a game? Can his hand handle the pain, especially when a guy like Jaime Garcia is throwing pitches every way but loose towards the plate? What will he be able to do with a bat in his hands? Will the cool chill blunt force of the bat meeting the baseball send a shockwave of pain down Yadier’s hand? Can he handle it? Well, he did just lead the Major Leagues in innings caught behind home plate and those knees have endured 1464 games in his career. I wouldn’t count him out. He’s just too valuable.

Remember last year’s NLCS against the Giants? Molina missed the last three games and the Cardinals were eliminated. You think there’s a connection there or we all still agreeing it was Randy Choate’s fault? The Yadier Effect is powerful ladies and gents.

Why did the Cardinals pitching staff keep it together this season? Molina. He is the captain, general, sheriff or whatever you want to call him on the field. Opposing managers lose sleep thinking about him behind the plate controlling the running game. Baserunners have to rethink their stealing abilities because Yadier has a good chance of gunning you down if you try to go. The Cardinals rotation ERA led the Majors without Adam Wainwright. The bullpen ERA was second in the league. You see a connection here? Yadier Molina is the constant in this successful operation. He is the scalpel. His catcher’s ERA of 2.79 led the majors as well. He also led the league in “Don’t Even Think About” staring contests.

Take that away and what are the Cardinals? Human. Beatable. The Cardinals will be a fragile human species in this playoff hunt if they don’t have Molina. There’s death, taxes and Yadier catching playoff games. He has the most playoff experience of any Cardinal on the roster. He doesn’t have a bad bat either, compiling a .290 batting average in 86 playoff games with 31 RBI and 17 doubles. He’s a smart hitter who can work a pitcher over without even swinging the bat. He’s valuable anywhere on a baseball field.

If you are a religious person, toss in a few Hail Mary’s for Yadier’s thumb this week. Don’t think. Just do it. Remember, back in the Great Depression, people gathered in a church and prayed for a boxer to score a huge win. This is not far fetched. If you are friendly with the big man upstairs, talk to him about Yadier.

If you want to see the Cardinals go deep into this postseason, they will need their general in tow. Sure, Yadier can be a fine cheerleader and mentor to Tony Cruz. Sure, Cruz has done fine in relief of Molina. As everybody and their four year son knows, however, there is only one Yadier Molina and he’s very good at his job.

He’s needed this month and maybe the first week of November as well. If the St. Louis Cardinals want to celebrate on Clark and Spruce this winter, they will need a little cowbell and Yadier Molina to get the job done. He’s been a part of the last two World Series titles and knows his way around a big game. He won’t be 100 percent, but then again who is this time of year?

Get well, Yadier. Cardinal Nation needs you to be ready Friday night.

Four years ago: Carpenter, Halladay, and hospitals

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Time flies, but tragic situations never leave the mind. Ever. Pardon me as I blend Cardinal baseball and a tragic stop in my family’s history. A personal dose for a beautiful October day, as I flash back to a less pretty day. October 7th, 2011.

Four years ago at this time, I was in a small hospital room at St. Louis Children’s hospital. My son, Vincent, was taken to the emergency room earlier that afternoon because he was pale white and not breathing normally. It would be later announced that he was suffering from SVT, which is superventricular tachycardia, which is caused by Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. Basically, there is an extra pathway sending signals towards your heart causing it to speed up. One pathway is enough so this extra route causes more action and jumped the kid’s heart rate into the 200’s. In other words, not good. We were shoved into a small room at first with about 20 nurses, doctors and surgeons.

Eventually we were moved into a slightly bigger room with less people. Family came and went. Sad faces. After they electric shocked Vinny’s heart(causing my wife to crumble), he was stabilized but he had a breathing tube shoved down his throat. We were miserable but he was worse. There’s nothing worse in life than feeling defenseless as a parent in a hospital. Anyway, let me tie this to the Cardinals before you click away.

October 7th was Game 5 of the NLDS between the Cards and Philadelphia Phillies. Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay would oppose each other in Citizens Bank Ballpark that evening to see which team moved on to the NLCS. After a hard fought series that seemed like 16 games instead of four, two buddies were duel for the next series. What a game to take in with your son clinging to his life?

On a small 19 inch hospital television, my dad and I watched the game. My mom and wife tried to but the kid being in bad shape held their attention more. I’d be lying if I told you I wanted to stare at my poor kid for three hours while he lied there helpless. I wanted to watch baseball. I’m not a doctor and never sought out to be. I was at the mercy of doctors, nurses, fate, and whatever you want to slide into the emotional blender. I needed baseball. At our lowest moment, sports can be the greatest painkiller. A time travel special. A glorious distraction that turns our bodies away from the harshness of life.

Skip Schumaker put the Cards ahead 1-0 in the first inning, and I could have swore the Phillies would break through for at least a run against Carpenter. Here was a guy who refused to lose that fall. He was Lee Marvin in the Dirty Dozen. Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter. Chuck Norris in Delta Force. Rambo in First Blood. Chris Carpenter didn’t care if he was pitching in a hitter’s park sandbox. He didn’t care about the noise. He didn’t care about the odds. All he did was pitch the game of his life or another gem. After all, he pitched two complete games and three straight gems to finish September. After the Phillies got to him on October 2nd, Carp wanted revenge and he got it. He didn’t allow the Phillies to score that night. He allowed three hits, struck out three and induced 19 groundball outs. He didn’t just beat the Phillies. He took away their dignity and in the end, their best hitter in Ryan Howard, as the slugger crumbled to the ground after making the 27th out.

This win was much needed. My dad and I smiled at each other throughout the night; Two men appreciating the game like it was our first one together. Between innings, doctors came in and gave us updates on Vinny. Nurses came and went. A few family members said hello and left. I was a six foot tightened case of emotions that night. The thing about hospitals is you are never in control. You enter them and all bets are off. The docs can tell you everything is okay but the next day it may not be. When I needed a lift the most, Carpenter, Skip and the Birds gave it to me.

The rest of that postseason is fine history. The Cards beat the Brewers in six, and after falling to their knees against Texas, fought back in arguably the greatest playoff game of all time. Championship #11 belonged to St. Louis. Health returned to Vincent. He left the hospital only to return a short while later for a stomach procedure but has been healthy since. These days, his weight and height are in the high 90’s when compared to other kids. He’s a beast for all intents and purposes.

SAMSUNG

It’s a date I’ll never forget. I refuse to forget. You can’t forget where you came from because the moment you do, you leave yourself very vulnerable for what’s coming ahead. Four years ago, Chris Carpenter outdueled a Doc on the field, and the real docs helped keep my son alive. That’s baseball and life rolled into one night.

Thanks for reading.

Cardinals NLDS opponent: Cubs or Pirates?

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Tonight, the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates take aim at each other for the final undecided playoff spot in the 2015 postseason. The NL wildcard spot. While they duel, the St. Louis Cardinals await the victor at Busch Stadium for Game 1 Friday night. As we wait for the skies to go dark and the final order of regular season business to be resolved, I ask you this question Cardinal Nation. Who are you rooting for? Who do you want the Cards to face in the NLDS? Let me tell you who I want.

I’ll take the Cubs and for a few reasons. 

*Big bats have little experience in the postseason. The majority of this Cubs offensive attack is green when it comes to playoff experience and that means something. It’s a different beast in the postseason. The crowds are louder. Every at bat means something. The stakes are as high as ever. The opportunity to acquire something special looms over the regulars. You can tell me how good Jake Arrieta has been in the second half or how polished Anthony Rizzo has become at the plate, but they haven’t tasted the playoffs yet. They don’t know what it’s like. The only thing Rizzo knows about the playoffs is making ill-advised predictions. Jason Hammel has three starts in the playoffs. Dan Haren hasn’t pitched in October since 2009. Jon Lester has the most experience. A lot of these Cubs are new faces in the postseason.

*The Cubs rotation is weaker than the Pirates, not by much but enough. After Arrieta, Jon Lester is the likely candidate to start the NLDS. At most, Arrieta will pitch one game in this series. While they only hit .216 off Lester, the Cards beat him three times in 2015 and hit three home runs. He isn’t invincible, and neither is Hammel or Haren. If the Cards get Kyle Hendricks, they beat him in their one start. The Pirates have Francisco Liriano and J.A. Happ, two Cardinal killers, waiting for the Birds. The Cubs starters, while posting the third lowest ERA behind the Cards and Pirates, aren’t as formidable in a short series.

*The Cubs bullpen is weaker than the Pirates. Pittsburgh’s bullpen ERA of 2.67 led the Majors in 2015. The Cards had the 3rd best bullpen ERA. The Cubs have the 8th best, which is solid but not as scary as the Pirates. In the playoffs, the bullpen efforts are magnified. There are tons of small leads and the Cubs bullpen is more likely to break. If I have to chose between Tony Watson and Pedro Strop, I’ll take Strop. If I have to choose between Jorge Soria or Fernando Rodney, I’ll take Rodney. If I have to choose between Mark Melancon and Hector Rondon, I’ll take the latter. And so on so on. The Cubs’ late inning crew isn’t as formidable and has less playoff experience to boot.

*The Pirates are a better overall hitting team. They ranked 11th in runs scored(697), 9th in batting average(.260), 9th in on base percentage(.323) and slugged two points less than the Cubs as a team. While the Cubs can hit the long ball, the Pirates are more balanced and can break through against many pitching staffs. They have speed in Starlin Marte, Gregory Polanco and Josh Harrison and home run bats in Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen. The Pirates played the Cards better overall in 2015.

Both teams have very good managers in Joe Maddon and Clint Hurdle. Each field is an extremely loud and difficult place to play baseball games in.

I understand losing to the Cubs would be a very bad ending to the 2015 campaign. Depressing in fact. There’s something sinister in that potential result should the two teams meet in the Division Series. The Cubs were supposed to be playoff ready in 2016 or 2017 but instead used a very good second half and an unreal Arrieta to earn a Wildcard play in spot. The gap is closing and with a playoff victory over the Cards, the rivalry would be as fresh as ever. A loss to the Pirates would be unfortunate but more of a year to year build from Hurdle’s bunch after seasons of falling short. Let’s be honest. The Cards don’t need to lose to either of these teams, so in the end it’s a matter of which poison you want. All three teams had amazing seasons. Both batches are potent. Which one stings the most?

In the end, the Pirates pack a better all around punch. Sure, they don’t have their breakout talent in Jung Ho Kang anymore or have a 100% lethal A.J. Burnett, but still have a great rotation and lineup that hits Cardinal pitching well and played a lot of close games this season. More than five games between the Cards and Bucs ended in a walkoff this season. A playoff series would be very similar and for my money, their bullpen is what separates these two clubs. Plus, the Cubs are more free swingers, strikeout prone and can be locked down.

If I had to choose which team I’d like the Cards to face in the NLDS in 2015, I’d take the Chicago Cubs. You can’t tell me that series wouldn’t be thrilling. As my dad said after a Cards comeback victory over the Cubs this season. “We gave them a taste. Now that’s enough.” If the Cubs make it out of Pittsburgh with a victory, it will be appropriate for the sheriff in town to quickly shut them up.

That’s my take. What’s yours? Tell me in the comments section and thanks for reading. You can also find this article on KSDK Sports page.

Finally, Jaime Garcia is back in postseason action

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Jaime 2015It’s been a long time since Jaime Garcia has been healthy when the playoff started. Four years to be exact. I’m sorry, but 2012 doesn’t count. When Jaime Garcia took the mound in an NLDS game against the Washington Nationals, lasted less than 3 innings, got hammered and informed the press afterwards he had pitched hurt. That wasn’t as shocking of a revelation as Manny Pacquiao saying he fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. with a bum rotator cuff but it was enough for General Manager John Mozeliak to question Garcia’s loyalty. The next two seasons Garcia made a total of 16 starts and zero playoff innings.

Flash forward to this weekend and Garcia is ready to give the Cards a dose of nasty on the mound against the Cubs or Pirates in the NLDS. He doesn’t have to hide an injury this time. Just be deceptive enough to cause hitters to go insane at the plate trying to guess where his next pitch wants to dance. This Jaime Garcia is a far better pitcher than the young one who took the mound in the memorable Game 6 against the Rangers in 2011.

In every way, Garcia was more efficient in 2015 and harder to hit. His fielding independent pitching was 3.01 and his ERA+(which adjusts it for a player’s ballpark) was 162, which is 62 points above average. Garcia was good on the road, at Busch and anywhere else the Cards needed him to pitch. This is a guy who doesn’t need a lot of pitches to break a lineup. He doesn’t induce 7 foul balls in an at bat like Lance Lynn or struggle with his location like Michael Wacha. Garcia’s pitches have so much movement that hitters have zero clue which pitch is coming or where it will end up. His ERA of 2.43 and WHIP of 1.05 is filthy and among the best in the league. Once an risky gamble of talent, Garcia looms as one of the best kept secrets in October.

Is he pitching differently? Yes and no. In 2011, Garcia relied on his four seam and two seam fastball along with his slider and changeup. His slider got the most whiffs per swing while his two seamer did damage as well. In 2015, he is relying on that slider to collect a high whiff rate and throwing his fastball. Over the 2015 season, Garcia has thrown his fastball an average of 26 percent while relying on his two seamer and slider. Garcia isn’t throwing the curve a lot in 2015, but hitters are swinging and missing on it when he does choose the bender. As the season has gotten older, Garcia has used his changeup more as well. If there is one change between 2011 and 2015, it’s the higher use of his four seam fastball to go with his regular two seam heater attack. When he throws off speed, it appears as a golf ball to hitters.

Call it older age and higher knowledge or a more adept sense of his craft, but Garcia is a different pitcher right now and it’s exciting to watch.

A healthy Garcia gives the Cardinals a unique weapon in the playoffs. A guy who can pitch anywhere and carries a huge chip on his shoulder for time lost. While Garcia is still only 29 years old, he has to feel like his career is just beginning and there’s a lot to prove as the Cards varied assortment of young pitching filters through. Pitching that is cheaper and more flexible in their options than his own plans. 2015 may not feel like the final stand for Garcia in a Cardinal uniform to fans, but for Garcia it’s a chance to bury the hatchet.

For the first time in four years, Jaime Garcia is a legit playoff weapon for the Cardinals.

Research courtesy of Baseball Reference and Brooks Baseball