Let's look forward to the Cardinals Methocalypse

[CBStew]

I just really love how many of them honestly believed last year was a fluke, the Cubs would go right back to irrelevance, the Cardinals were somehow the team on the rise. Their entire worldview has been shaped around taking it for granted that they'd always be better than the Cubs and they are just really trying hard to fight the evidence in front of their own eyes. It's never going to be what it was, people. This division will never be your playground again.

This was enjoyable. Because why wouldn't a guy with 32HR and an OPS over .900 want to take one base when he could get four?

(I admit it though, "Notorious HBP" is excellent.)

Actually, purely mathematically speaking, a guy that has a slugging percentage of less than 1.000 should absolutely want to take a HBP if it's on offer.  *pushes glasses up nose*

Wouldn't that be OPS? Because, you'd also want to take the HBP if your OBP was under 1.000.  So, the only way an HBP would be a bad outcome is if the average chance you got on base plus the average base you acheived was less than 1.  RIGHT?

1968.  The Dodgers' Don Drysdale had a streak of 58 scoreless innings when the Giants' Dick Dietz came to the plate in the 9th inning with one out and the bases loaded.  Drysdale hit him in the arm with a pitch, but the umpire ruled that Dietz had made no effort to avoid the pitch, called it a ball, continuing the at bat.  Dietz then hit an easy fly ball too short to allow the runner on third to score and the next batter made an out.  The streak continued. 

Nobody calls that anymore. Beege's career OPB would have been 50 points lower if they had.

I have to hand it to him  I can't understand how anyone wouldn't flinch with a 90+ mph projectile coming at him.  Except, of course, if he was wearing body armor.  Oh. Wait.

[SKO]

I don't understand bitching about Rizzo HBP anyway. His stance is perfectly legal. The reason most guys don't stand that close is they don't want to get hit. If Anthony is willing to take his lumps, fine. It's not like he's not aware that one of those could someday break a forearm or wrist.

[Tonker]

I don't understand bitching about Rizzo HBP anyway. His stance is perfectly legal. The reason most guys don't stand that close is they don't want to get hit. If Anthony is willing to take his lumps, fine. It's not like he's not aware that one of those could someday break a forearm or wrist.

I've said this before, but in the interests of encouraging a little self-awareness around these parts it bears repeating: I love Tony Ballgame like my own and have absolutely no problem with how he plays the game.  Nonetheless, if he were a Tard, his standing on top of the plate would bug the shit out of me.

[SKO]

I don't understand bitching about Rizzo HBP anyway. His stance is perfectly legal. The reason most guys don't stand that close is they don't want to get hit. If Anthony is willing to take his lumps, fine. It's not like he's not aware that one of those could someday break a forearm or wrist.

I've said this before, but in the interests of encouraging a little self-awareness around these parts it bears repeating: I love Tony Ballgame like my own and have absolutely no problem with how he plays the game.  Nonetheless, if he were a Tard, his standing on top of the plate would bug the shit out of me.

It wouldn't bother me. I mean Starling Marte gets hit all of the time because of his stance and it's never bugged me. If you're willing to take that risk of injury and your stance is legal, fine. Unwritten rules are dumb.

Also the rule is that you must attempt to avoid getting hit by the ball. Tony usually makes the attempt to get away and he does not lean into pitches, as far as I've noticed. Unlike Molina sticking his elbow out.

[Quality Start Machine]

Here's the thing...Since Cardinals baseball is "the right way" (aka traditional thinking), wouldn't it go to figure the way to approach the Cubs is to not let Bryant or Rizzo beat you? So by Rizzo getting hit by a pitch, which is tantamount to an intentional walk, he's actually doing the Cardinals a favor.

[PenFoe]

Here's the thing...Since Cardinals baseball is "the right way" (aka traditional thinking), wouldn't it go to figure the way to approach the Cubs is to not let Bryant or Rizzo beat you? So by Rizzo getting hit by a pitch, which is tantamount to an intentional walk, he's actually doing the Cardinals a favor.

You'll always lose when you try to rationalize irrational behavior.

[SKO]

Eat it, fuckheads.

[Quality Start Machine]

Eat it, fuckheads.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Cardinals on the Cubs win last night.

[Brownie]

Cardinals on the Cubs win last night.

They were so impressed with the Cubs, they awarded them the 2011 World Series title? Awesome.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Cardinals on the Cubs win last night.

They were so impressed with the Cubs, they awarded them the 2011 World Series title? Awesome.

God damn that World Series pissed me off.  Darren Oliver and Nelson Cruz can go eat a bag of horseshit.

[Quality Start Machine]

God damn that World Series pissed me off.  Darren Oliver and Nelson Cruz can go eat a bag of horseshit.

I, for one, am shocked that anything could piss you off.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

God damn that World Series pissed me off.  Darren Oliver and Nelson Cruz can go eat a bag of horseshit.

I, for one, am shocked that anything could piss you off.

Seriously, Nelson Fucking Cruz decides to go to the wall on the game-tying hit by Freese with Berkman on first base, whereas by playing it off the wall he'd have either held Fat Elvis to third or gunned that fat prick out at home.  But what bothers me is that after opting against the smart play, that motherfucker still alligator-armed the ball.  It's the final out of the World Series--if you're electing against the prudent play in order to end the game, and the series, and the season, then don't make a half-assed effort on the ball--catch the fucking thing, asshole.

I blame Chuck for triggering me by posting that pic (which I'll admit I hadn't looked at closely enough to discern that it was from the 2011 ill-gotten World Series until TJ pointed it out)

[Chuck to Chuck]

God damn that World Series pissed me off.  Darren Oliver and Nelson Cruz can go eat a bag of horseshit.

I, for one, am shocked that anything could piss you off.

Seriously, Nelson Fucking Cruz decides to go to the wall on the game-tying hit by Freese with Berkman on first base, whereas by playing it off the wall he'd have either held Fat Elvis to third or gunned that fat prick out at home.  But what bothers me is that after opting against the smart play, that motherfucker still alligator-armed the ball.  It's the final out of the World Series--if you're electing against the prudent play in order to end the game, and the series, and the season, then don't make a half-assed effort on the ball--catch the fucking thing, asshole.

I blame Chuck for triggering me by posting that pic (which I'll admit I hadn't looked at closely enough to discern that it was from the 2011 ill-gotten World Series until TJ pointed it out)

I was just looking for a fireworks pic. Pretty sure that scoreboard is photoshopped.

[Quality Start Machine]

God damn that World Series pissed me off.  Darren Oliver and Nelson Cruz can go eat a bag of horseshit.

I, for one, am shocked that anything could piss you off.

Seriously, Nelson Fucking Cruz decides to go to the wall on the game-tying hit by Freese with Berkman on first base, whereas by playing it off the wall he'd have either held Fat Elvis to third or gunned that fat prick out at home.  But what bothers me is that after opting against the smart play, that motherfucker still alligator-armed the ball.  It's the final out of the World Series--if you're electing against the prudent play in order to end the game, and the series, and the season, then don't make a half-assed effort on the ball--catch the fucking thing, asshole.

I blame Chuck for triggering me by posting that pic (which I'll admit I hadn't looked at closely enough to discern that it was from the 2011 ill-gotten World Series until TJ pointed it out)

I was just looking for a fireworks pic. Pretty sure that scoreboard is photoshopped.

If Morph were still alive, he could probably improve it.