A male Painted Bunting, sporting colors that must be seen to be believed, has been hanging around in Potomac, just south of the Great Falls Tavern, causing quite a stir. Word spread via listservs and Facebook groups, bringing flocks of hopeful birders to the C&O National Historical Park. Continue reading
The Hot Stove is Heating up.
Here we are in the middle of Thanksgiving warm up time and the boys of summer are just beginning to make their splashes. The qualifying offers are being presented and things are ramping up.
Out in the midwest there is a big decision looming. A qualifying offer was presented and promptly refuses by two big pieces of the puzzle. The Cardinals are the team I reference here and I believe I know what they should do.
John Lackey and Jason Heyward are the two big pieces that I mentioned above. Both had acceptable seasons last year for the team with the best record in the regular season. For John Lackey, it was arguably his best. For Jason Heyward, not so much.
The thing that Heyward brought to the table this past season was clutch offense in the post season. His numbers in the regular season, however; were mediocre at best. What this team needs in this corner outfield position is a consistent .300 hitter who can smash the ball over the yellow line in the outfield. What Jason offers is less than this. I hope the Cards don't back up the Brinks truck for this player, who may or may not out perform any of our other options, the best of which is Piscotty.
As for Lackey, I have a sneaking suspicion that he is wanting the world after last season and he just may get it. The Cardinals have been very shy about giving a pitcher more than two years, especially one so close to the end. The money he will want, since he's declined the qualifying offer, will probably hamper the teams' ability to go out and replace Lance Lynn, who will miss the entire season recovering from surgery.
My advice for the Cardinals, keep doing what you've been doing to be successful and don't fall for these two for the wrong amount of money. Would they help, sure. Would the amount of money they want hurt us more - definitely. I'm not saying I don't like these two, I just like winning more.
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Do you Already Miss Baseball?
It's Monday and time to talk sports. The 2015 World Series is in the record books and another season complete. We now know who the Champions are and if they are your team - congratulations are in order. I know that in 154 days my team will be back at it, ready to chase down yet another crown. Until then, so many things are left undone. The off season has just begun.
I am sad to see the season go away, of course, but also excited to see what the clubs will do here in the preparation time for 2016. I know some of the things that will be on the Cardinals' minds and I hope they just make the right decisions. I can't tell you what those are, but they make the big bucks to make those calls and I just sit and wait in anticipation.
One of the moves on their mind, they've already made. The option for 2016 was picked up by the team on Jaime Garcia. I hope now that he has no desire to get hurt. I also hope he realizes that he is extremely valuable to this team and its' success.
Another big potential move the Cardinals will have to make or avoid making is that with our right fielder, former Atlanta Brave - Jason Heyward. His MLB-hating agent Scott Boras will undoubtedly want a lot. I just hope we can make the right decision with this position. The outfield happens to be such a tricky thing in MLB and a lot of clubs have been burned by throwing money away on one player only to have them end up on the DL or worse yet, just lose the talent that they had just a season ago. The regular season numbers for Heyward are far from All Star caliber. His post season average was very good (.357), but he still lacked the power and production numbers that a big budget outfielder needs to have. His clutch defense and presence in the lineup may just be enough to garner a fair offer by the Cardinals.
Either way that goes, the off season is so fun and full of anticipation. I can't wait for Opening Day, but until then, it's time to build another championship team ready to make a run at ring number 12.
Are you already thinking of your Opening Day party, too? If you still don't have that perfect place to watch the games, use the guide below and check out the listings. Today may be your day.
What does Playoff Time Feel Like?
I am a huge baseball fan and I love rooting for my team, The St. Louis Cardinals win or lose. I count down the days until Opening Day every off season and absolutely love the tradition involved with the scene at Busch Stadium every year on Opening Day, watching the Clydesdale's and motorcade of players. This time of year, however, is quite different than any other in the world of sports.
Fan expression of opinion (2006)
Hockey and football are well underway and the playoffs just started for major league baseball. It is quite an awesome feeling I get when my team clinches the division championship, which has happened three years in a row now. The feeling after winning a World Series and going downtown to watch the parade in the streets of St. Louis can't be beat by anything. But, the ride itself is special. The 162 game marathon with it's nuances is entertaining, to say the least. I don't say this just to throw out phony alternative feelings to the high I get being a fan of my team, but the road to the playoffs is genuinely thrilling.
The highs and lows that are thrown at us as fans of the game are at times almost too much to swallow. The feeling that is thrust upon us when our favorite player is helped off the field because he just crashed into the wall and hurt himself, maybe severely is not something that can be manufactured. These guys that I root for I will never know as friends, but they sure feel like it after all these years.
K Michael Nesbitt at the game
I have the shirts, bobble heads and ticket stubs to display proudly proving, yeah - when we lost in 2004, I was there. The extreme emotional swings that this ride takes me on is what it's all about. Knowing that somewhere out there in this vast world there is another fan thinking just as much about their team hoping they beat us tonight it - well - awesome! I love seeing all the opposing teams shirts, jerseys and pennants with all of their different color schemes. I don't hate the other teams at all. I used to have those feelings towards the opposite teams and their fans, but years ago I figured it all out.
Without the other teams, we simply wouldn't have the sport and more importantly my team. The importance of fans and their support can never be fully appreciated. Fan support in baseball is directly related to the success of the franchise and vice versa. It is also directly related to the level of effort at times of the home team. Crowd support at home and quality upper management of the team's funds make a team either successful or otherwise. I am extremely lucky and happy at the same time that I have an ownership group in charge of my team that is so tirelessly in tune with improving this team. Year in, year out, the squad is ready to go.
This season is a perfect example of how things can go with the right amount of support from a fan base and ownership group. The crowds that packed Busch Stadium this season and enjoyed many an evening at Ball Park Village, just over the left field wall, have put this franchise, once again, in a great position financially for next season. Options that otherwise wouldn't exist simply have become normal for this team. If we need to make a big splash to acquire a free agent, if he has proven himself worthy, we can. If we need some help from down on the farm, we have youth ready to come up and contribute to the big league squad. This point is well appreciated when I see a season like this past one go by. The amount of severe and repeat injuries to key players this season was unbelievable. What's more unbelievable is the success that we enjoyed in the standings, despite this. Wonderful control of the day to day operations of the team by the ownership group has allowed this to happen. What's more, we still have a chance to win. The players who took the spots of integral regulars in the lineup, make this franchise the success that it has been for years. Because of this, the team is poised to be just as successful for years to come.
All of this, the ownership preparation and fan support is focused on getting to today, the playoffs and a battle with a divisional foe looking to change their history - forever. Tonight is game four of the NLDS and the Cardinals have their backs against the wall, a familiar spot for us. If we get past tonight successfully, game five at Busch will be tense for sure. If the opposition wins out this evening, I will tip my cap and congratulate them. This game is one constant in my life and I'm happy to embrace it as I have. The love of the game was given to me by my parents at an early age and it's not going away any time soon. Are you playoff ready?
