In Front of the World's Greatest Fans - a St. Louis Cardinals Dynasty

[5cards]

GM Blog Posts:

Week of April 16
Week of April 23
Week of April 30
Week of May 7

Seems to be a problem with the installation of WordPress but I'll just post the long link in the future and that should solve it. Unsure what caused this particular oddity...

[Orcin]

These new links are working for me, thanks!

[mpejkrm]

They are working now! Thanks.

[5cards]

Had an FTP issue last night, so the latest weekly update will be delayed for just a bit until the final files are in place.

[5cards]

Week in Review
Monday, May 14, 2012

Overall
Team Record: 20-14, 5 GB, 2nd
Power Rating: 112.9, 5th, --
Fan Interest: 90
Owner Mood: Good
Total Attendance: 616,532 (15th) (-1.5%)
Attendance per Game: 41,102/46,861

Week's Record: 3-3

Game Log
5/7: STL 5, ARI 8
5/8: STL 6, ARI 7 (11)
5/9: STL 4, ARI 5
5/11: ATL 2, STL 4
5/12: ATL 4, STL 5 (10)
5/13: ATL 2, STL 4

Players of the Week
AL: 1B Adrian Gonzalez (BOS) - .565, 3 HR, 8 RBI
NL: 1B Joey Votto (CIN) - .455, 3 HR, 10 RBI

Major News
5/1 (yes, I know) - Jose Bautista and Carlos Lee get Hitter of the Month awards for their respective leagues. Mariano Rivera and Mat Latos get the nods for Pitcher of the Month. Rookie of the Month goes to Eric Sogard (OAK) and Devin Mesoraco (CIN).

5/7 - Albert Pujols smashes three home runs against the Twins in a 10-5 victory.

5/7 - Placido Polanco reaches hit number 2,000.

5/8 - Rafael Furcal injured during game against Arizona. Will be out 5-6 weeks with elbow sprain.

5/9 - Washington's Ian Desmond goes 5-for-5 against the Pirates as the Nats beat the Pirates 6-3. One of the hits is a home run, the rest are singles.

5/11 - White Sox shortstop Alexi "The Cuban Missile" Ramirez has hit in 20 straight games, making him the second person this season to do so.

5/12 - Shane Victorino has signed a 6-year extension with the Phillies at $16 mil per season. He's hitting .280 this season so far with 3 HR and 19 RBI.

5/12 - In the closest game yet to a no-hitter, Detroit's Drew Smyly allows one hit and one walk as Detroit beats Oakland 8-0. He struck out three.

GM's Blog Post

Upcoming Schedule
5/14 - vs CHN - Maholm (4-2, 3.09) vs. Wainwright (3-0, 2.41)
5/15 - vs CHN - Volstad (3-2, 3.62) vs. Garcia (3-3, 2.80)
5/16 - @ SF - Lynn (2-2, 3.11) vs. Lincecum (4-3, 3.64)
5/17 - @ SF - Lohse (3-1, 3.80) vs. Bumgarner (2-3, 4.34)
5/18 - @ LAN - Westbrook (2-4, 4.99) vs. Harang (2-5, 3.47)
5/19 - @ LAN - Wainwright vs. Capuano (2-3, 5.23)
5/20 - @ LAN - Garcia vs. Kershaw (1-3, 6.08)

[5cards]

Aaaand... the issue that involved the links not working is an issue that will require me to reinstall my Wordpress installation. I beg your indulgence while I take care of this - should not be too long.

Edit - Issue appears fixed.

[5cards]

For those who have not ventured to the Blog, there are new journal entries on "The art of the draft".

[5cards]

Week in Review
Monday, May 21, 2012

Overall
Team Record: 23-18, 6 GB, 2nd
Power Rating: 105.0, 7th, -
Fan Interest: 90
Owner Mood: Normal
Total Attendance: 693,317 (20th) (-2.2%)
Attendance per Game: 40,783/46,861

Week's Record: 3-4

Game Log
5/14: CHN 7, STL 0
5/15: CHN 8, STL 0
5/16: STL 4, SF 7
5/17: STL 5, SF 4
5/18: STL 5, LAN 6 (10)
5/19: STL 4, LAN 3
5/20: STL 7, LAN 1

Players of the Week
AL: 1B Mike Carp, SEA - .345, 6 HR, 11 RBI
NL: SS Jimmy Rollins, PHI - .448, 3 HR, 12 RBI

Major News
5/16: Alexi Ramirez's streak reached 25 games today despite a 6-5 loss to the Angels. He was 2-for-5.

5/17: Mourning in Washington as owner Ted Lerner passed away. The reins go to his son, Jesus, who is considered to be financially generous and managerially tolerant. (I'd be tempted to go to Washington just for that combo.)

5/19: Alexi Ramirez's streak stops at 27 as the Cubs beat the White Sox 5-4.

5/20: KC starter Jonathan Sanchez will be out for 5 months (remainder of season largely) with a torn back muscle. Ouch. Sanchez was 1-5 with a 6.75 ERA.

5/20: Baltimore pitcher Jake Arrieta is out with a fractured elbow and will likely miss the remainder of the season. Arrieta was 4-0 with a 4.08 ERA.

5/20: In the string of pitchers being injured, Cincinnati SP Mat Latos is out for 4 weeks with a triceps strain. Latos is currently 6-0 with a 2.08 ERA.

GM's Blog Post

Upcoming Schedule
5/21: vs SD: Luebke (4-3, 3.10) vs. McClellan (2-1, 6.00)
5/22: vs SD: Oswalt (5-2, 2.82) vs. Lynn (2-2, 3.42)
5/23: vs SD: Stauffer (1-6, 3.97) vs. Lohse (3-1, 4.38)
5/24: vs PHI: Blanton (3-2, 3.67) vs. Garcia (3-4, 3.38)
5/25: vs PHI: Pinero (2-2, 5.75) vs. Wainwright (4-1, 2.34)
5/26: vs PHI: Halladay (6-1, 2.25) vs. McClellan
5/27: vs PHI: Hamels (3-5, 3.56) vs. Lynn

[beachbomer]

Really enjoyed your acticles on the draft at your blog page! Very good stuff!

[5cards]

Week in Review
Monday, May 28, 2012

Overall
Team Record: 26-22, 6 GB, 2nd
Power Rating: 98.5, 9th, -
Fan Interest: 90
Owner Mood: Undecided
Total Attendance: 984,174 (8th) (-1.7%)
Attendance per Game: 41,007/46,861

Week's Record: 3-4

Game Log
5/21: SD 1, STL 7
5/22: SD 2, STL 1 (12)
5/23: SD 0, STL 11
5/24: PHI 3, STL 2
5/25: PHI 5, STL 1
5/26: PHI 6, STL 2
5/27: PHI 3, STL 4

Players of the Week
AL: RF Nick Swisher, NYA - .550, 3 HR, 7 RBI
NL: 1B Carlos LEE, HOU - .476, 4 HR, 12 RBI

Major News
5/22: The Indians blank the Tigers 4-0 on a 5-hit shutout by Justin Masterson. Masterson strikes out 6 and walks only 1.

5/22: Under Vance Worley the Phillies beat the Nationals 2-0. Worley gives up 4 hits and strikes out six.

5/23: Jaime Garcia gets his first shutout of the year as the Cards whitewash the Padres 11-0. He gives up 3 hits and strikes out 8.

5/23: Yankee Ivan Nova gives up 4 hits and one walk while striking out 8 in a 10-0 shutout of Kansas City.

5/25: Nick Swisher (the AL PotW) belts five hits in a victory over Oakland. Four of them are singles while the fifth is a double.

5/27: Angel Trevor Bell will be done for the season. Bell has a partially torn UCL that will require 7 months of rehab. He was 4-3 with a 2.47 ERA.


GM's Blog Post

Upcoming Schedule
5/28: @ ATL: Carpenter (0-0, 0.00) vs. Minor (4-5, 3.73)
5/29: @ ATL: Garcia (4-4, 2.69) vs. Beachy (4-2, 2.69)
5/30: @ ATL: Lynn (2-2, 3.02) vs. Hudson (1-3, 5.63)
6/1: @ NYN: Lohse (3-2, 4.25) vs. Dickey (2-6, 5.79)
6/2: @ NYN: Wainwright (4-2, 2.54) vs. Gee (3-2, 4.00)
6/3: @ NYN: Carpenter vs. Batista (0-1, 3.14)

[5cards]

More draft articles posted today so far... I didn't plan to write this much, but when I'm spending 1,000 words on one aspect of the draft it becomes clear that I need to write several posts on it!

[5cards]

BNN Breaking News
Monday, May 28, 2012

Shields Pitches First No-No of Season

Tampa Bay (BNN) - James Shields was masterful today as he no-hit the Chicago White Sox in a Rays 4-0 victory. Aided by a solid defense, some luck, and some skill, the 30-year old righthander faced 28 batters - only one over the minimum. He came within two walks of a perfect game.

Shields is 5-4 with a 3.59 ERA so far this season for the Rays, who are 22-27 and in fourth in the AL East, but only 4 games back of the wild cards.

[mpejkrm]

Noticed in your last blog post you said you released all 20/20 guys in the short-season clubs...

I highly recommend you don't do this. In the end, you won't have enough players on the roster. Also, some of these guys are top prospects who your scouts are undervaluaing. Check the OSA ratings. You may have dropped a top-20 prospect in your organization or a future star that you scout doesn't like. Just my two cents.

[5cards]

Originally Posted by mpejkrm

Noticed in your last blog post you said you released all 20/20 guys in the short-season clubs...

I highly recommend you don't do this. In the end, you won't have enough players on the roster. Also, some of these guys are top prospects who your scouts are undervaluaing. Check the OSA ratings. You may have dropped a top-20 prospect in your organization or a future star that you scout doesn't like. Just my two cents.

That's certainly a valid point you make. In a lot of cases I do due diligence in reviewing their OSA ratings as well. However, I also watch the transaction log for released players from other organizations who have good scout ratings, so the short-season clubs aren't entirely devoid. In fact, right now I have 42 players in the three clubs total - 75 would be the fill line, so the draft and anything I pick up in the interim should replenish things.

To me, however, a 20/20 rating is usually an indicator that the player's potential is completely kaput. If I see a 21 potential I hold that player because, to me, it's a sign that there's still a chance for the player to improve. But again, I'm still getting a handle on that end of things, so my strategy may require adjustment.

[SkyeWalker]

Really enjoyed the insightful journal entries! Good luck for the draft

[5cards]

Week in Review
Monday, June 4, 2012

Team Stats and Ranks
Team Record: 31-23, 6 GB, 2nd
Power Rating: 6th, 108.3, ++
Batting Avg.: 6th, .257
On Base Pct.: 7th, .328
Starter ERA: 6th, 3.82
Bullpen ERA: 7th, 3.25
Defensive Eff: 10th, .684

Fans and Attendance
Fan Interest: 90
Owner Mood: Good
Total Attendance: 984,174 (16th) (-1.7%)
Attendance per Game: 41,007/46,861

Week's Record: 5-1

Game Log
5/28: STL 13, ATL 6 (11)
5/29: STL 8, ATL 5
5/30: STL 3, ATL 9
6/01: STL 9, NYN 3
6/02: STL 8, NYN 5
6/03: STL 4, NYN 2

Players of the Week
AL: 3B Russell Mitchell, OAK - .650, 1 HR, 3 RBI
NL: LF Carlos Gonzalez, COL - .556, 5 HR, 14 RBI

Major News
5/28: As seen already, James Shields has the first no-hitter of the season.

5/30: San Diego's Edinson Volquez allows 3 hits and one walk in a 4-0 shutout of the Cubs. Volquez strikes out 6.

5/31: Chris Narveson blanks the Dodgers allowing just four hits in a 6-0 victory.

5/31: Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez has a 5-hit night and just misses the cycle by a triple. Gonzalez had 3 singles, 1 double, and 1 HR.

6/1: Best hitters for May? Mike Carp (.320, 13 HR, 30 RBI in month) and Carlos Gonzalez (.349, 14 HR, 37 RBI).

6/1: The best pitchers for the month are the Angels' Dan Haren (5-0, 2.17 ERA, 50 K in month) and Halladay of Philadelphia (6-0, 1.45, 53)

6/1: Rookie of the Month honors go to Seattle's Jesus Montero (.385, 7 HR, 20 RBI in month) and Atlanta's Tyler Pastornicky (.319, 3, 13).

6/3: Ichiro goes 5-for-5 with two doubles against the White Sox. He is now hitting .255 on the year.

6/4: Giants' reliever Jeremy Affeldt has signed an extension with the club worth $13 million over 3 years.

6/4: Oakland and Atlanta have completed a trade sending minor-league RF Seth Smith to Atlanta for minor-league SS Andrelton Simmons. Smith is expected to be the starter for the Braves as Eric Hinske and Fred Lewis have not played well so far and Michael Bourn is expected out for two more months with post-concussion syndrome.

6/4: Andre Ethier is going from the Dodgers to Seattle in a trade. Ethier has been traded for three minor-league players. The move comes as the Dodgers sit 8.5 GB in last place in the NL West and Seattle sits at the top of the wild card and only 3.5 games behind the Angels. Ethier is batting .321 with 10 HR and 37 RBI this season.


GM's Blog Post

Upcoming Schedule
6/4: @ NYN - Lohse (3-3, 4.90) vs. Gee (3-3, 3.75)
6/5: @ HOU - Wainwright (4-2, 2.54) vs. Rodriguez (2-2, 5.55)
6/6: @ HOU - Carpenter (1-0, 6.75) vs. Norris (3-4, 5.86)
6/7: @ HOU - Garcia (4-4, 2.69) vs. Harrell (3-6, 5.22)
6/8: vs CLE - Gomez (2-2, 3.97) vs. Lynn (3-2, 3.28)
6/9: vs CLE - Huff (3-3, 3.78) vs. Lohse
6/10: vs CLE - Jiminez (5-3, 2.13) vs. Wainwright

[5cards]

BNN News Update
Sunday, June 10, 2012

Motte Done for Season

St. Louis (BNN) - BNN News has confirmed preliminary reports from St. Louis that closer Jason Motte will be shelved for the rest of the season following a severe case of shoulder inflammation. The 29-year old had to be taken from Friday's game against the Cleveland Indians after reporting severe pain in his throwing shoulder.

General Manager Martin Osterman, when reached for comment, had this to say: "We are disappointed to be losing Jason for the rest of the season. He's a fierce competitor but the doctors were clear in the matter. We will analyze the situation and determine the best response."

St. Louis has a number of considerations for closer including Fernando Salas, who was sent down to Memphis earlier in the week to make room for reliever Chris Resop who was claimed on waivers from Pittsburgh.

Motte was 3-3 with 10 saves and a 2.67 ERA. Salas' record so far this year is 3-1 with a 4.45 ERA.

[deandean1998]

Other than this year, I would say Boston has the greatest fans, but alas!

[Orcin]

I finally caught up with your draft posts. I think they should be considered required reading for any OOTP GM. Great job!

[5cards]

Originally Posted by deandean1998

Other than this year, I would say Boston has the greatest fans, but alas!

Well, the title is one that many media organizations have given the Cards before. Chipper Jones, when Atlanta came to visit, got a standing ovation in his first at-bat from the crowd to the point that he had to make a curtain call. Great defensive plays get applause from the home crowd no matter who makes them - the opponents get as much applause as the Cards! Heck, old players return on other teams and still get rounds of applause for being a former Cardinal. (Contrast that with the reception that Scott Rolen received in Philadelphia the first year he was a Cardinal - they gave him a standing boo!)

I won't nay-say another team's home crowd, but a lot of sportswriters have commented before that the St. Louis crowd is probably one of the politest and best-behaved towards opponents. (Yes, even those Cubs and Reds...)