No sunshine and puppies and sparkly unicorns here when it comes to the St. Louis Cardinals. Things are ugly.
The Cardinals were swept by the Dodgers last night — hey, did you know the Dodgers have a lot of injuries? Man, they do. It’s unbelievable. It’s amazing they can do anything with all the guys they have out. Like Matt Kemp. Did you know he’s the reigning MVP? And he’s hurt? How can those Dodgers go on? Oh, and Mark Ellis. Damn that Tyler Greene. And Juan Uribe. And Jerry Hairston Jr. And — oh! Look at that! There was an eclipse last night. Did you see it at your house? Or just on the countless eclipse updates that were for some reason part of a baseball game on a sports network?
Anyway, yeah, the Cardinals were swept in a nationally televised game on ESPN that subjected us to featured the incredible and sympathetic to the Dodgers insights of Dan Shulman, Orel Hershiser and Tito (who used to be known as Terry Francona but must be trying that one name Sting- and Cher-like thing now … unless the other two just forgot his real name in all their Dodgers’ compassion).
Third base umpire Alfonso Marquez also must be on the “feel sorry for the Dodgers because of all their devastating injuries” bandwagon given the calls he made on Rafael Furcal in the first inning and Yadi in the sixth. (The ESPN guys even stopped talking about the eclipse and the Dodgers injuries long enough to agree that the latter call was, in fact, blown. Can you believe they even noticed?) According to my math, those two runs ultimately would have given the Cardinals seven to the Dodgers six.
Oh, and the Dodgers scores in each of the games against the Cardinals? Six runs. 666.
I’m sorry, which team is having trouble?
The one bright spot last night was the solid debut of Matt Adams, who hit the first pitch he saw as a major leaguer into centerfield. He also singled in the sixth and scored when Rafael Furcal singled both him and Daniel Descalso home. Furcal and Descalso each had two hits on the night also.
Otherwise, frustrating game. Yet again … and again and again. And while it was going on, much talk on Twitter centered on the player who Matt Adams is replacing on the roster, Lance Berkman. Karl Ravech of ESPN tweeted this (apparently not knowing his network’s story of the night was supposed to be the Dodgers injuries):
berkman believes he has torn acl..i believe him too..it could very well be end of his career
— karl ravech (@karlravechespn) May 21, 2012
Joe Strauss has a similar report in today’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Sources familiar with Saturday’s preliminary examination by two Dodgers team doctors said Sunday that an ACL tear is suspected.
And talk of LB’s retirement were running rampant last night as well. Here’s what the man himself had to say in Strauss’s article:
“You think about it when you have a potentially major surgery at this stage of your career,” he said. “… I don’t think it’s one of those deals where you sit out a week and see where you are. I think it’s much more serious than that.”
Of course, for you, the idea of Matt Adams now in the big leagues might make you hope that LB is done permanently.
To each his own. Some of us do appreciate what Lance Berkman has meant to the Cardinals, and what they’ll be missing with him gone — perhaps for good.
But just remember: those Dodgers have a lot of injuries.
Christine Coleman is the senior St. Louis Cardinals reporter for Aaron Miles’ Fastball. Follow her on Twitter, @CColeman802, or email aaronmilesfastball@gmail.com. Also follow @AMilesFastball for the latest updates.
Aaron Miles' Fastball 
There are only 8-10 regulars in the major leagues aged 36 or older. What did we think, that Lance Berkman was going to be an exception? The Cardinals got an amazing year out of him in 2011, but it was tempting fate to try to catch lightning in a bottle again.
Teams that depend too much on veterans on the wrong side of 30 are just begging to be hit by injuries — and injuries which take much longer to heal. This is what should trouble everyone going forward with the dependence upon Carlos Beltran, and in coming years, Yadier Molina.
At least this organization isn’t fearful with promoting the obvious talent from within. Perhaps next they can promote Shelby Miller to replace Wainwright, as Wainwright goes to help out an absolutely incompetent bullpen.
There are only 8-10 regulars in the major leagues aged 36 or older. What did we think, that Lance Berkman was going to be an exception? The Cardinals got an amazing year out of him in 2011, but it was tempting fate to try to catch lightning in a bottle again.
Teams that depend too much on veterans on the wrong side of 30 are just begging to be hit by injuries — and injuries which take much longer to heal. This is what should trouble everyone going forward with the dependence upon Carlos Beltran, and in coming years, Yadier Molina.
At least this organization isn’t fearful with promoting the obvious talent from within. Perhaps next they can promote Shelby Miller to replace Wainwright, as Wainwright goes to help out an absolutely incompetent bullpen.
I got so pissed off last Sunday watching the ESPN guys spend 2 full innings talking about Albert Pujols’ swing from 2006 that I couldn’t actually bring myself to watch this week. They actually missed 2 different at bats completely because they felt it necessary to look at Albert’s batting stance. Looks like I would have been cursing my TV yet again…and not because the Cardinals lost. Sigh.
I got so pissed off last Sunday watching the ESPN guys spend 2 full innings talking about Albert Pujols’ swing from 2006 that I couldn’t actually bring myself to watch this week. They actually missed 2 different at bats completely because they felt it necessary to look at Albert’s batting stance. Looks like I would have been cursing my TV yet again…and not because the Cardinals lost. Sigh.
Unicorns and sarcasm! I LOVE IT!
Unicorns and sarcasm! I LOVE IT!