Last night, the St. Louis Cardinals won the NLDS, and also the sun rose and set. That has become the standard during the division series era. The Cardinals have now won the NLDS eleven times in my lifetime, which probably explains my obnoxiousness on the matter. But I’m greedy and I want more! So let’s…
There’s nobody in the world I want on the mound tonight more than Jack Flaherty
Nearly a decade after the most famous NLDS Game 5 in St. Louis Cardinals history, the team's 1-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011, there has been plenty of myth-building to go around. One of those myths is the perception that the two starters that night, Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay, were comparably dominant…
The five greatest individual Cardinals playoff performances this decade (before last night, which I cannot yet be objective about)
So, um, that was fun. The rational part of me knew that last night was possible, and maybe even likely. I have the receipts to prove it. But the dumb fan in me couldn't fathom the Cardinals ever winning a game after Sunday night's heartbreak, much less the next game. I fancy myself an analytical person who…
Brian McCann had an 89 wRC+ this season
Not unlike Yadier Molina, Brian McCann is going to sneak into Hall of Fame consideration once he retires. I don't think he's going to make it--he has a weaker narrative case than Molina by a fair amount, and this is particularly advantageous when it comes to cases that are less than extremely obvious when looking…
The Tomahawk Chop is a regressive, embarrassing relic of a bygone era of disgusting cultural appropriation vs. no it isn’t
Editor's note: With the use of the "Tomahawk Chop", a popular chant among Atlanta Braves fans, once again a hot button issue in Major League Baseball, I have asked two long-time online opinion columnists, Nathan Eckert and Bob Sheffer, to contribute their takes on the matter.--JF Nathan Eckert I am a lifelong fan of the…
It’s time for Matt Carpenter to start for the Cardinals
Long-term, I haven't given up on Harrison Bader. Bader is an inner-circle candidate for best defensive center fielder in baseball, and center field is a position where if you're the best fielder at it, you can get away with more than a few shortcomings at the plate. An OPS+ of 80 is considered pretty lackluster…
Six observations from all this Ronald Acuna business
In the wake of last night’s chaotic mess of a baseball game, culminating in a 7-6 victory for the St. Louis Cardinals over the Atlanta Braves, no player has garnered more attention than Ronald Acuna Jr., the young Braves superstar who managed three hits for seven total bases, an additional walk to lead off the…
A quick primer on how to root against the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves, occasionally known as the Atlanta Barves, are a baseball team that has some nice things to them. They are the franchise which saw most of the career of Hank Aaron, one of the most noble and gentlemanly superstars in baseball history. They currently have a mostly likable roster of players with a…
The ten players I most want to see win a title for the Cardinals
Man, the Major League Baseball playoffs are awesome. The hockey team I've been watching choke every Spring my entire life just won the Stanley Cup four months ago. The title of "greatest sports championship of 2019" is already decided. And yet this doesn't dull my excitement for what's about to happen. It's only been four…
A look ahead at the Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves won 97 games in 2019. When the St. Louis Cardinals won this many games in 2013, it was considered a sign of a team that was dominant (and also historically lucky with runners in scoring position, but that’s a separate matter). When the Braves did it, it makes them an afterthought compared…
St. Louis Bullpen 