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End of the Line

That's the last time we'll see Mark Mulder in a Cardinals uniform.  It's probably the last time we'll see him on a baseball field at all.

I don't say that with any malice or glee.  I really was hoping that Mulder's new arm slot would be the key to getting him, not to his Oakland level, but at least to a serviceable starter.  Instead, he faces three batters, walking two and leaving the mound again in pain.

If that was the end of the line for Mulder, it's too bad St. Louis never got to see the really good version.  (If Billy Beane knew about Mulder's health issues--and I wouldn't put it past him--I'm not sure how he sleeps at night.)  The only really positive memory I have of Mulder is that epic 10-inning shutout against Roger Clemens.  Other than that, there's not much.

Of course, there will be more revisiting of the most rehashed trade in Cardinal history.  I'm still firmly convinced that if Dan Haren had been a lefty, the trade never would have been made.  It was all about getting an lefthander into the rotation.  And, at the time, the trade was reviled because of the inclusion of catcher Daric Barton.  That's not the problem.  Barton had to move to first (which means he couldn't play in St. Louis anyway) and isn't just lighting it up yet, three and a half seasons after the deal.  It's the fact that Haren developed into so much more than the Cardinals (and the fans) ever thought he would that has made the deal so lopsided.

The hero from last night's game probably has to be Brad Thompson.  I really liked Troy Glaus's AB that tied the game, but Thompson coming in with two on and one out in the first and getting out of it, then pitching effectively from there really stands out.  I've got trouble giving out the Goat, though.  I can't give it to Mulder--just can't tag a guy like that after possibly his career ended.  Kyle McClellan gave up the go-ahead home run to Howard, but he pitched well the inning before that and it was Ryan Howard.  I guess I'd probably give it to Chris Perez, because the Feliz home run made it just that much less likely the Cards were going to rally off of Brad Lidge.

One last comment on the game.  Does anyone else think it was cheap that they gave Skip Schumaker just a double on that ball that "stuck" under the wall?  Victorino looked like he was going to get it, then realized he could just keep it there and get an advantage.  I think there should have had to be an attempt at the ball before he could throw up his hands.  That was pretty lame in my book, though must be part of the ground rules at Citizens Bank.

The team is already moving on the Mulder front, likely disabling him and bringing up Jamie Garcia, which will please Erik at Future Redbirds immensely. Garcia will work out of the pen at least until the break.  If nothing else changes, I'd expect him to move into Mulder's slot after the All-Star Game.

Changes, though, are what Tony LaRussa wants to see.  This will be the first real test of the Mozeliak/LaRussa dynamic.  Up until now, it's pretty much been "hey, this is great, more than we thought, but let's wait and see."  Now, Mo's still there but LaRussa's competitive nature has taken hold and he wants to see something.  This is where Jocketty would go out and make some move that, in recent years, was little more than combing the waiver wire.  Will Mozeliak do that?  Will he start looking for a bigger trade?  Will he take Tony's dogs hostage until he quiets down?

Couple of vets going this afternoon.  Braden Looper looks to keep the bullpen off the field when he takes the mound, but the Phillies may have other ideas.  Pat Burrell has two homers off of him and probably will be excited to take his cuts today.  On the other side, Jamie Moyer is one of those you'd expect the Cardinals to struggle with, a soft-tossing lefty.  Really, though, for a guy that's been around as long as he has, the Cards (save Glaus and Kennedy, guys that saw him in the AL) haven't gotten a lot of ABs against him.  Glaus does have five home runs off of Moyer, so maybe he'll break out the big bat today.

The UCB is working on their next project.  If you weren't e-mailed and want to join it, let me know.  It should be a good discussion.

Another Heartbreaker

For the second day in a row the bullpen couldn't protect a lead.  Albert Pujols capped a superior effort in his first game off the DL with an RBI single in the ninth to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead; but Ryan Franklin allowed a game-tying HR to Gary Sheffield in the home half of the inning, and Mike Parisi walked in the winning run in the tenth.  3-2 Tigers.

Lots of things to be frustrated about.  Can't hold a late lead.  2-11 with runners in scoring position.  Our #4 and #5 hitters, Glaus and Ludwick, went 0 for 6 and stranded 13 runners (I recognize that's a little misleading; some of those runners are double-counted).  Not to mention that they led the last 2 games in the eighth or later and lost them both.  So, instead of potentially being 5-1 on the road trip headed to KC, they're 3-3.  At least Chicago got blown off the field by Baltimore; the Cardinals remain 4.5 games out of first in the Central.

Heroes and Goats?  Pretty simple for this game.  Hero is Albert Pujols.  Welcome back, AP, we missed you.  4-4 with a walk; did he really sit for 2 weeks?  I couldn't tell based on how he hit the ball.   He missed a HR in his third at bat by about 15 feet, lining the ball off the wall in left.  Goats are Ron Villone and Mike Parisi, for each walking in a run.  Dishonorable mention goes to the Cardinal offense other than AP, for that 2 for 11 RISP stinker.

So on to KC.  Cardinals announced yesterday that Mitchell Boggs will start Saturday, not Mark Mulder.  This is a good thing, as I mentioned earlier in the week.  Your complete match-ups:  Piniero vs Gil Meche tonight.  Boggs vs Kyle Davies tomorrow.  Looper vs Brian Bannister Sunday, in a rematch of the 18 June game in St Louis; Braden outpitched Bannister, but the Royals won 3-2.  The good news is we miss the Royals best pitcher, in Zach Greinke; however Meche won 15 games last year, and Davies is unbeaten in 3 starts this, so the series won't be a picnic.  Not to mention the Royals are tied with Minnesota for the best interleague record in the Majors (12-3).  Should be fun.

Two closing notes:  Cardinals put Randy Flores on the 15-day DL when they activated AP.  Tendinitis in the right ankle was cited as the reason.  Finally, Dan should be back posting starting on Monday.  I may have one more post this weekend, but that will be it for me.  It's been fun; hopefully you've enjoyed reading what I've written, and will consider stopping by the old homestead in the future.

Cheers, God Bless, and Go Cardinals.

The World Series Reprise Continues

Before we get to the upcoming series with Detroit, lets pause for a moment and remember Sunday's game.  From all accounts, it was a doozy.  Piniero pitched great; Lester was slightly better.  Paplebon was proven human.  There were clutch hits (Kennedy in the ninth off the Sox closer), timely pitching (see McClellan in the 10th and Izzy in the eleventh), and off your seat drama (Duncan cut down at home).  I only wish I could have seen it.

Congrats to Nick Stavinoha, who got his first ML hit on Sunday in the sixth.

I'll award the Hero for this game to 2 folks:  Joel Piniero, who shook off my dire predictions of doom to throw 7+ innings and allow only 2 runs, and Aaron Miles, for his 5-hit effort.  Anytime your name is linked to Don Mattingly's (the last visiting player to have 5 hits in a game at Fenway) that's good.  Goat?  Mike Parisi.  Sorry, Mike.

Although the sting of losing that 2004 world series will always remain (granted, the sting will eventually fade to almost nothing as time passes), the Cardinals have won both regular season series from Boston since (in 2005 and this past weekend).  We haven't been so lucky with the Tigers, getting swept in Detroit last year.  Looper, Reyes, and Thompson were the victims during that May Series at Comerica.  Looper gets another crack at them today, facing Kenny Rogers.  The best pitching matchup of the series, however, is tomorrow, as Kyle Lohse meets rookie wunderkind Armando (don't call me Andres) Galarraga.  Wellemeyer's balky elbow will face hit or miss Nate Robertson in the finale Thursday.

The Cardinals, a team that has not shown much plate discipline lately, would be well served to be deliberate at the plate and run up the pitch counts early.  That would get the starter out and get us to their bullpen; other than Zumaya (who's just back off the DL), it is one of the worst in the AL.

One other item worth discussing today:  Mark Mulder's name has been bandied about for a possible start in Kansas City this weekend.  He was scratched from his rehab tune-up last night.  Despite two surgeries and countless hours rehabbing his shoulder, Mark's never gotten his arm back to the form he displayed as one of the Oakland A's anchors in the first part of this decade; whether it's a loss of velocity due to diminished strength in the arm following the surgeries, or his elusive arm slot issues, he isn't the same pitcher he was in 2004.  Also, as he progresses higher in the minors he's gotten slapped around pretty good by AA/AAA hitters.  I don't see how he's even an option at this point for a spot start with the big club.  Mark deserves all the credit in the world for his determination to get back on the field and resurrect his career.  I just don't think it's going to happen.

Frankly if Mulder's name appears as a better option for a spot start than Anthony Reyes from here on out (once Reyes returns from the DL), there's something seriously wrong with the thinking in the front office.

(PS - There was no Mitchell Boggs on the 1970s A's teams; the guy I was thinking of is Mitchell Page.)

Not Part of the Script

Hang on just a minute.  Something's not right.  The Cards lost last night?  They lost the series?  They aren't supposed to do that!  They were supposed to win the next two and keep the pattern going.  Instead, they lost a series for the first time since the Pittsburgh series May 13-15.  They've only lost four series all year, which is pretty impressive for this team as well.  I don't believe what I just saw.

I've never been a huge Braden Looper fan, but after his last couple of outings, you can't do much more than stand up and applaud.  I was afraid that he'd come out a little weaker, a little down after his complete game last time around, but instead he threw up more zeros before allowing a run in the seventh.

Unfortunately, the bullpen did it again.  This time, it was the fairly reliable Kyle McClellan serving up home runs to a non-home run hitting team.  The Cards continued to struggle mustering offense and so, at the end of two games with a last place team, they've scored a total of three runs and have two losses to show for it.

More agonizing, the Cubs have lost the last two nights as well.  The Cards could easily be sitting 1.5 out and knocking on the door.  With Zambrano possibly out, the Cubs could almost have the same problem the Cards did, losing their best player (well, Soriano may not be the best, but he's close) and their top pitcher at the same time.  We will see if the Cards can go crazy while the Big Crazy is out, if he is.

So the Cards have to try to avoid their first sweep of the year this afternoon.  Apparently, though, the pitching injury bug is contagious, with Anthony Reyes being scratched and placed on the DL while Brad Thompson will be activated and get the start.   Thompson in general doesn't necessarily inspire confidence in the fanbase, which makes this quote a little on the scary side:

"Easy call," manager Tony La Russa said. "Never ever risk a pitcher. ... We don't have a lot of innings (available from the bullpen), so we're going to have to get something from Brad."

It is mind-boggling that Reyes was within 24 hours of making his first start and then has to be put on the DL.  It seems a little strange in my mind, when you see what Reyes was saying:

"This is nothing serious," Reyes said. "The velocity has been the same. The command is the same. I wasn't sore after the games.

Apparently the thought was that he might get hurt and they didn't have the bullpen available to back him up.  I guess it's just a coincidence that it is Reyes that this happens to, but boy, is he cursed in St. Louis or what?

Thompson has seen the Royals before and the results have been less than inspiring.  Granted, no one has more than 9 plate appearances against him and nobody's gone yard, but a cumulative .280 average could be a problem today.  Zack Greinke goes for the Royals and the Cards have had success against him in limited appearances.  Greinke's not been the same pitcher he was the last couple of years, though, so it could be a tougher road to hoe.

One thing that didn't get a lot of mention yesterday and something that I honestly hadn't realized was upon us yet until FSN's montage last night, was that yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the death of Jack Buck.  That year of 2002, with his passing and then the shocking death of Darryl Kile just four days later, seems so much more recent than over half a decade past.  That is why I've sprinkled a few of Jack's better known calls in this entry.

That'll do it for me.  Mike takes the reins tomorrow and lifts the blog to new heights for a week.  We'll see you tomorrow night!  (Well, the 30th, but that doesn't have the ring, does it?)

Good First Step

The Cards could have come out flat, wallowing in the one-two punch of their top players being taken from them for a time.  Instead, they decided the best way to work through the adversity was to make someone else pay for it.  A few more games like that and the loss of Wainwright and Pujols might not be quite as devastating.

Not much doubt that the Hero of the piece was Braden Looper.  A complete game shutout anywhere, especially for a converted reliever, would get you kudos, but to do it in the bandbox that is Great American Ballpark is even more impressive.  It's not like the wind was blowing in--the Cards did smash three home runs--but he "made it look easy" as my Reds fan father in law said when he called for his weekly chat.

A number of players could have challenged Looper for the title.  Ryan Ludwick hit another home run.  Jason LaRue--yes, that Jason LaRue--broke out of his power outage with a home run in a two-hit night.  Rick Ankiel went deep.  Even Chris Duncan contributed, getting a hit in four trips and making a sparkling defensive play at first.

As hard as it was to narrow down the Hero, it is equally tough to name a Goat.  It comes down to Aaron Miles and Troy Glaus, both of whom were 0-3.  Miles had two walks, but also a strikeout.  Glaus walked once and didn't K.  Both scored a run.  Miles left two on, while Glaus only left one, so he gets the tag.

The Cards have already won the series, but they go for the sweep tomorrow evening.  It could be a tough task, depending on what Joel Pineiro brings from the disabled list.  Pineiro hasn't thrown since May 20, when he allowed three runs in 5.2 innings to San Diego.  He faced the Reds earlier in the year, throwing seven scoreless innings.  Corey Patterson has had the most success against him in the past, so he'll probably get a start.

The Reds counter with Bronson Arroyo.  Arroyo has struggled some this year, posting a 5.74 ERA.  However, his ERA stood at 7.56 when he faced the Cardinals back in April and he was able to get a victory, allowing only three runs in six innings.  He's done a pretty good job against the Cardinals in the past, but Ludwick and Ankiel both have had success against him.

On paper, at least, the Cards should have the advantage.  It could turn into a high scoring affair, though, if Pineiro has some rust on the arm.

After the jump, a couple of housekeeping items:

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First the Ace, Then the King

The Cards won a game last night.  But they lost so much more.

This rag-tag group has been surprising people, sticking around in a race people said they had no business being in.  2.5 games made them better than preseason favorite Milwaukee and, if the Cubs weren't playing out of their mind at home, they could easily be on top of the NL Central.

That all got a lot more difficult last night when Number Five crashed to the ground, screaming in pain.  Knowing that he had to sit out a couple of days when he just tweaked it, it was immediately obvious this was going to be a DL trip.  How long, we don't know.  Dr. Paletta is seeing Pujols today, which of course brings trepidation to the hearts of many a Cardinal fan.  We know it'll be at least two weeks.  Hopefully it won't extend past that.

Chris Duncan has been recalled from Memphis, touching off a lot of the kind of angst only he can provide.  It's true he's not shown the Memphis trip was a success, hitting .160 in his time down there.  I'm not sure what he's shown to get the recall.  Maybe he's getting good swings down there, I don't know.  I would expect, however, that the fact he is on the 40-man roster played a large part in his selection.  Most of the other options, including Josh Phelps, would have to be added, which means someone would have to be taken off.  That's going to be a tough enough call once Colby Rasmus is ready to come up, something that is getting closer to being an option with his rebound from his slow start.  The only thing that troubles me about Duncan was the statement I read at CCH where Al Hrbrosky said Duncan would have come back up this week anyway.  I'd love to know the reasoning behind that.

If this is a short-term thing, the Cards should be able to weather the storm.  They are well ahead of the third place team in the division and have a three game lead in the wild-card standings over Florida.  Even without Pujols, they could probably tread water for the next couple of weeks if the pitching can stay strong.  They have two more with Cincy, a three game set with the Phillies, then series with KC, Boston, and Detroit.  Philly and Boston would be the toughest of the matchups.  At least Philadelphia would be at home.

If he's out until, say, the All-Star Break, things get a lot more uncertain.  The beginning of July sees the Cards host the Mets and Cubs, two series that they really need to be able to compete in.  There's only so long Ludwick and Ankiel can hold the offense together, especially since they'll be pitched to a lot differently now with the big thumper out of the lineup.

Losing Pujols and Wainwright on back to back days is a tough thing to deal with.  How the Cardinals respond will be interesting to watch.  Imagine taking Santana and Wright off the Mets or Ramirez and Beckett off the Red Sox.  Of course, those teams have a deeper supporting cast, but they'd still feel the impact.  What will happen when the supporting cast is a little less proven?

The only positives are that Joel Pineiro will be back, taking the hill on Thursday, and Todd Wellemeyer will be able to make his start against the Phillies.  Pitching will be even more important while Pujols is on the DL.

Speaking of, Braden Looper and Johnny Cueto tangle tonight.  Looper had a good start against the Reds in April, throwing six innings and allowing two runs.   He's got good career numbers against the Red hitters as well.  Cueto was bombed in the first series between these two teams, not making it out of the second.  He's struggled since then, the hype that surrounded him in the spring fairly dissipated by now.

Cards need to shake off having a different first baseman and continue this improbable run.  Of course, that's easier said than done.

Oh, and before I forget, let's give Ryan Ludwick the Hero title for his 4-5 outing, including a home run and four RBI.  I'd give Mitchell Boggs runner-up status, because that was a pretty solid first start, especially in that bandbox.  Goat would be Cesar Izturis, just because he was the only one with a hitless night.  It was a good game all around, save the injury to Pujols, which meant it was a terrible night.

A Weekend In Houston

The Cards kept a couple of their trends alive this weekend.  They won a series after dropping the first game, something they've done five times this season.  And they had another game where early scoring was only scoring, though this time the cushion held up.  Let's do the traditional CATB wrap here.

Friday
Hero: Well, it's pretty much either Adam Kennedy or Skip Schumaker, since they are the only ones that got hits in the game.  I've given him the Goat before because he didn't produce in the leadoff slot, so it's only fair to give him the Hero nod when Skip gets two hits in that role.
Goat: Braden Looper.  He wasn't helped by his defense, true, but he really helped dig the big hole.

Saturday
Hero: Ryan Ludwick.  Not only was he 2-4 with what turned out to be a very big three-run home run, but he hit that home run after Pujols was intentionally walked.  He's going to have to continue to do that so Pujols can have pitches to hit.
Goat: Kyle McClellan. I know he was pressed into service with Adam Wainwright's finger injury, so maybe allowing the runner on second to score would be understandable.  But to allow two others and get the game into an area that allowed Houston to think they had a chance was not a good thing at all.

Sunday
Hero: Brendan Ryan.  Coming up with that game-winning hit was big, especially after Wandy Rodriguez had shut the Cards down until that inning. 
Goat: Albert Pujols.  This is more of a series-award than just particularly this game.  When was the last time Albert went hitless in a series?  (Apparently it was 7 years, at least in Houston.)

Cards get an off day today, then get another chance to be part of a Ken Griffey history celebration this week.

Another Downer

Really, was anyone surprised?

I missed both games yesterday, the afternoon win due to work and most of the evening one due to softball.  I did see them get down 5-0 and was pleasantly surprised to hear on the radio on my way home that the game was going into the bottom of the ninth.  I turned on the game at home to see the Cards up in the bottom of the 10th, but the Nats had a runner on and Ryan Franklin was pitching.

This is going to turn out badly, I thought.  And sure enough it did.

Since Izzy gave up the closer role, Franklin has pitched 9.1 innings.  Counting last night, he's given up four earned runs, for an ERA of 3.86.  Six of the nine outings, though, he's not been charged with any runs.  However, his WHIP in that span is 1.61, which is ridiculously high for a closer.  To put it in perspective, Izzy's WHIP for the year is 1.78.

I'd like to see Tony be a little more open to one of the rookies getting a shot in the ninth, but I think the more likely hope is that Izzy is mentally and physically ready soon to take the job.  And will Tony have to swallow a little pride and bring Anthony Reyes back to the majors after another disaster by Mike Parisi?

Hero of the second game has to be Mark Worrell.  Two scoreless innings with the team way down, then blasts a three-run homer in his first AB.  The Cards have had a number of people, including pitchers, do that in the last decade.  If I had more time, I'd look them up.  (About to leave the office, sorry!)

At least they won the first game, behind another blast by Troy Glaus.  He really does like the warmer weather!  The goat is a toss up between two players that went 0-3, but Aaron Miles left more men on than Brian Barton.  Awesome to see a pinch-hit HR by Pujols as well.

More draft today.  I'm sure everyone's seen that the Cards took a 3B with their first pick.  Sounds like a pretty solid hitter.  With David Freese, Allen Craig and now Brett Wallace, the hot corner is a popular place.

Cards and Houston tonight.  Looper vs. Moehler.  Could be a lot of fireworks at the bandbox.  Out of time, or I'd do the normal breakdown.  Enjoy the day!

Making Them Walk The Plank

The series isn't over, of course, but this weekend was a pretty solid weekend for the Cardinals.  Assuming you ignore the ugliness that was Saturday evening.

I actually didn't get to see much of the games this weekend, having various things take me away from the TV, and the only extended time I did see was the first three or so innings on Saturday.  Even with that bad taste, though, winning two of three and having Wainwright on the hill tonight has to give you a pretty good feeling.

Friday night, Albert Pujols did some great work again.  Two hits, two RBI, a home run to support Todd Wellemeyer, whose seven innings of one-run ball puts him in Hero consideration as well.  However, due to his amazing catch, his first hit driving in what turned into the game-winning run, all in his first game, you've got to give the kudos to Joe Mather.  Doing all that with the butterflies that had to be swimming in his stomach is pretty impressive.

That game got much closer than it needed to be as the bullpen had another ragged outing.  Even though Randy Flores has the worse line in the box score, the Goat has to go to Ryan Franklin.  Coming in with two on and two out and giving up two hits and three runs (two charged to Flores)?  That's not closer material.  Will many more of this missteps lead to Chris Perez getting more ninth inning time?

Saturday....well, what do you say about Saturday?  Not much.  Kelvim Jimenez probably won't get too many more calls to the big club after that performance.  Giving up a grand slam to your first batter?  Yuck. Giving up two more home runs was just icing.  Not surprising he got sent down to Memphis for Mark Worrell.  For a Hero, I'll go with Troy Glaus, if only because of his timing.  Right after Dan said that Glaus had commented pre-game that, as the weather warms up, so does his bat, he launched a home run.  Timing is everything.

Sunday, Braden Looper pitched fairly well, but when you couple that with his hitting prowness, he'll get the Hero nod.  Glaus was right there, though, with his three hits.  Goatily, I think I'll go with Ryan Ludwick, being that he had an 0-4 with 4 left on, but Ryan Franklin was right there, allowing the tying run to get to the plate before retiring the Pirates in the ninth.  Is there something about closing in St. Louis that brings out the daredevil in these pitchers?

Tonight, the Cardinals look to take the series before heading out on the road for nine games.  They've got Wainwright on the mound, like I said, so that's got to give them some confidence.  Friends of mine are going to be at the game and I told them everything is lined up for a Cardinal victory.

First, you have Wainwright, who can be a dominant pitcher, though he's had some struggles against Pirate hitters in the past.  He last faced Pittsburgh in his final 2007 start, allowing three runs in seven innings at PNC.  The last time he faced them in Busch was May 22 of last year, when he gave up 2 in 5.1 innings.  That was before his second half surge last year.

Then there is the Pittsburgh pitcher, Tom Gorzelanny.  A 7.38 ERA is never something you want to see if you are a pitcher, but the hitters are excited.  Gorzelanny had control issues the last time he faced the Cards, walking seven Redbirds and two dogs for Tony LaRussa.  The Cardinals have had reasonable success against him, though only Rick Ankiel has a home run off of him.

Hopefully everything plays out and the Cards are able to get a win.  The way the Cubs have been going at it, they'll need it!

In other news, it looks like Joel Pineiro will be on the disabled list longer than expected.  I would expect that Mike Parisi will make another start, but as rough as he looked on Saturday, I'm not sure that's the wisest idea, though it would be against Washington.  There's passing talk that Anthony Reyes could come back up and take the start.  Eventually, the club needs to get him back up here and effective if they plan on making any kind of trade with him.  Showing that he can pitch in the majors only strengthens Mozeliak's hand.

Losing Momentum

The glow from a nice road trip was quickly erased last night as the Cards lost their second in a row and their third straight Tuesday game (for what that's worth).

Braden Looper easily gets the Goat tag.  Four runs down before the Cardinals even come to bat?  You knew it was going to be a rough day when that happened.  When Houston kept piling on, it's time to start thinking about the next game.

A 4-4 game with a HR is classic Hero stuff, even in a game like this, so Albert Pujols adds to his total.  However, I did really like seeing Brian Barton get the first home run of his career.  In a game like that, you take your joy where you can get it.

Things should turn around tonight, as Adam Wainwright goes against Wandy Rodriguez.  Wainwright only has one start against Houston this season, but it was a complete game in which he allowed three runs.  In fact, until his last outing in LA, that game was his last win.

Rodriguez is coming off the DL, but does have a start against the Cardinals this year.  He has even a better line than Wainwright, going 7.1 and allowing only three hits, no runs.  He's been tough on the Cardinals in the past, especially Pujols.  Maybe I spoke too soon about things turning around.

Also on the Network: √ Yanks Beat A Lefty? [Depressed Fan] √ Yanks Start Second Half With "W" [Green Pinstripes] √ All-Star Breather: The Giants Catchers [El Lefty Malo] √ Rock Is Dead; Shea Stadium July 18, 2008 [Loge 13] √ Citi Field Revealed (FYI: No Loge Here) [Loge 13] √ My Rifle, My Pony and Me [Beantown West] √ Quick Chicago roundup [Tremendous Upside Potential] √ Giants Reveal New Stadium Ticket Plans [Loge 13]