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Playing Pepper: March 2011

Catching Up On The Cardinals

Posted on March 19, 2011 at 9:00 AM
Work has been pretty busy the last few days, so I've been unable to find the time to jot down any thoughts about how the last few games have gone.  Before I get to that, though, some housekeeping items:

1) The Playing Pepper series has finished.  I hope you enjoyed reading all of them, but if you missed any or want to revisit a particular team, you can find links to them all on this post.

2) You hear me on the UCB Radio Hour and Gateway to Baseball Heaven on a regular basis, but in case you aren't tired of my droning monotone just yet, there are a couple of other opportunities.  First off, I did an interview for the podcast of Ivy Envy, a Cubs blog, as they tried to get a feel for some of the other teams in the division.  It was a fun discussion and I hope to do it again sometime.  Then, this Sunday at 4 Central, you can catch me on Mets Public Record, talking about the Baseball Bloggers Alliance as well as some about the Cardinals as well.

3) I've not forgotten about the Approval Ratings; you'll find the remainder of them at the end of this post.  However, Jon over at Redbird Dugout is going to take them a step farther this season, doing them for a sample of players over the course of the season.  Check it out and help him with his project!

4) Coming up next week is the latest United Cardinal Bloggers monthly project.  As we do every March, we are going to take a week to do our predictions, how each division is going to shake out, who will win the postseason awards, etc.  Be sure to keep an eye on the official site to see links to everyone's posts.

5) As you may have heard on this week's UCB Radio Hour, the Cardinals have invited a number of bloggers (pretty much anyone they could contact, I think!) to an event before the Padres/Cardinals game on April 3, followed by tickets to a party suite for the game.  Thankfully, they didn't overlook this little portion of cyberspace and I am really looking forward to not only that, but the first ever UCB dinner the night before.  There will be plenty of pictures and descriptions, and the Cardinals are encouraging us to blog from the game, so that's a possibility as well.  Stay tuned!

OK, enough of the shameless self-promotion.  I've not changed my name to Bill yet.  Let's talk about the team, then get into the rest of the approval ratings.
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Playing Pepper 2011: Washington Nationals

Posted on March 18, 2011 at 7:58 AM
Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it's time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

Washington Nationals (69-93, 28 GB and fifth in the NL East)

First in war, first in peace, last in the National League.  The old saying about the Senators, with a minor modification, fit the Nationals last season.  

There hasn't been just a whole lot of success in our Nation's Capitol since the Expos became the Nationals.  (Some would argue it's been a long, long time since there's been success in our Nation's Capitol, but that's a political discussion that's a bit off the point.)  The optimism of Stephen Strasburg making his debut was damped weeks later with his Tommy John surgery.

That said, there are reasons to hope, at least in the future.  Strasburg will return.  Bryce Harper is projected to be a top talent.  Drew Storen should hold down the bullpen.  There have been worse times in the franchise's history.

Dave Nichols is a credentialed independent journalist who covers the Washington Nationals and Washington Capitals. You can find his work at NatsNewsNetwork.com and CapsNewsNetwork.com.  He joined me for the last of the Peppers to talk about what's coming for 2011.
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Playing Pepper 2011: Toronto Blue Jays

Posted on March 17, 2011 at 10:13 PM
Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it's time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

Toronto Blue Jays (85-77, 11 GB and fourth in the AL East)

85 wins.  In the AL West, that would have put the Jays second and third in any other division.  Yet since they have the misfortune to play in the powerhouse AL East, that eight-games-over-.500 mark was just good enough to beat out Baltimore.  At times, it just doesn't seem fair.

It's possible that misery, or at least misfortune, does love company because Toronto is one of the largest chapters in the BBA.  I was able to get three of those quality writers to sit down with the Playing Pepper questions.

Chris writes Infield Fly, a baseball blog with Toronto tendencies.  You can follow him on Twitter for a little north of the border flavor.

The Blue Jay Hunter is written by Ian Hunter, the president of the Toronto chapter of the BBA.  As with Chris, you can also follow him on Twitter to get his thoughts.

Finally, Jeremy writes from the cheap seats at his blog 500 Level Fan.  Along with the other two, he has Twitter but also has a Facebook group as well.

Jose Bautista and other nuggets of info after the jump!
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Playing Pepper 2011: San Francisco Giants

Posted on March 17, 2011 at 10:00 AM
Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it's time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

San Francisco Giants (92-70, 2 GA and first in the NL West; won World Series)

You've heard it said that pitching and defense wins championships.  San Francisco is sure glad that it does.  

With an offense that wasn't anyone idea of a powerhouse but with a rotation that defined the term, the Giants won their first World Series since they moved out to San Francisco.  That rotation stayed intact, which means that a repeat is always a possibility.  

Interestingly, San Fran was one of the least represented BBA chapters until about the middle of last year, when one joined and then a flood followed.  Which means I've got a load of great Giants writers for this version of Playing Pepper.

Dave writes the blog Ranting On, which you'd think would be a more common blog name.  No Twitter or Facebook, so to see what Dave is ranting on, you've got to hit the blog.

M.C. O'Connor has a blog called Raising Matt Cain, one that he has been keeping up since 2007.  He's seen his pitcher grow up into a full fledged ace, which has to bring a tear to the eye. You can find him on Facebook as well as on Twitter.  

Rory Paap not only has Paapfly.com, where he's been since 2009, but also has recently started writing at The Hardball Times.  He has the Twitter and the Facebook accounts you have come to expect.

The Crazy Crabbers was the blog that started the influx of Giant blogs into the BBA.  Scott Willis writes over there, keeping track of all that happens in Giants Nation.  You can, of course, find him on Twitter and on Facebook.

Troy is the San Francisco Chapter's president and puts his thoughts down at 22gigantes.  Twitter, Facebook.

Richard Dyer is found over at The Giants Cove, opining on the G-Men.  Gotta go over there to find him, though.

Connor has got to be one of the youngest members of the BBA, writing The Giants Report in between doing his high school homework.  That doesn't keep him from writing or Tweeting good stuff, though!

Last but not least, you know that neat little BBA app that you might have on your iPhone or Droid?  Yeah, Julian was in charge of getting that done.  He also writes over at Splashing Pumpkins and can be found Tweeting and Facebooking.

This group tackles the by-now-familiar questions after the jump!
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Playing Pepper 2011: Texas Rangers

Posted on March 16, 2011 at 7:31 PM
Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it's time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

Texas Rangers (90-72, 9 GA and first in the AL West; lost in the World Series)

It had to be an amazing ride for Rangers fans, didn't it?  A team that had never won a playoff series, much less been the last AL team standing.  A team that dealt with bankruptcy all year, yet still added the premier trading chip on the market.  A team that started the year with Ron Washington in danger of losing his job and ending the year with Ron Washington Manager of the Year runner up.

What does the team do for an encore, though?  Cliff Lee spurned a good bit of Texas cash to head back to Philadelphia.  Is that enough to knock the Rangers off their perch?

To find out, I talked with a couple of Texas bloggers.  Jamey Newberg has the very popular Rangers blog The Newberg Report.  Not just content with blogging, Jamey has published works on his site for purchase as well, including a preview of this coming season.  To go along with that, you can also find him on Twitter.

Steve picked a great year to start blogging, selecting last year to document the ups and downs of a Rangers fan in his blog, now titled World Series 41, Rangers Fan 1.  I'm sure it'll be a different experience for him blogging as the hunted rather than the hunter.

Let's talk about repeating after the jump.

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Playing Pepper 2011: San Diego Padres

Posted on March 16, 2011 at 10:00 AM
Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it's time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

San Diego (90-72, 2 GB and second in the NL West)

As I said in relation to Seattle, it wasn't supposed to be this way.  Thankfully for San Diego fans, that is a positive statement.

In a year where the Pads were supposed to bring up the rear in the NL West and trade star Adrian Gonzalez before the All-Star Break, San Diego instead led the division most of the season, falling just short during the stretch drive.  Optimism and excitement abound, right?

Not so fast.  Even the great season couldn't keep Gonzalez in San Diego, as he was shipped to Boston during the winter.  Now San Diego has to compete without their biggest bat in a division with the World Champs in it.  How are they going to manage?

The blog Avenging Jack Murphy covers the Padres and is written by a man known only as Avenger In Chief.  Thankfully, I was not required to put up a signal in the sky or meet him after dark in an abandoned warehouse, instead using e-mail to find out exactly what was coming up for 2011.  You can follow him on Twitter if you like, to see where he might be lurking, or on Facebook as well.
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Playing Pepper 2011: Tampa Bay Rays

Posted on March 15, 2011 at 10:41 PM
Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it's time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

Tampa Bay (96-66, 1 GA and first in the AL East; lost in ALDS)

The turnaround from outhouse to penthouse continued last season for the Rays, proving that '09 wasn't a fluke.  They were able to take the AL East title from the Yanks on the last day, capping off a great season.  Cliff Lee proved to be too much for them in the short opening series, but still there was little shame in their 2010 outing.

Can it continue, though?  In the offseason they started shedding pieces of that team that had been so successful and there's not a lot of room for missteps in the AL East.  To that end, I talked with Ben Ice of Rays Colored Glasses about what to expect out of these Rays.  You can follow Ben on Twitter to keep up with what is coming out of Tampa during the regular season.

Ben has been writing about sports since 2003 and is a four time finalist in the Fantasy Sports Writer Association awards.  He is the founder and former Managing Partner of RotoExperts, one of the fastest growing fantasy sports sites in the industry, and has recently joined the FanSided team to blog about his favorite baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays.

Stick around as we talk a little about replacing a Rays legend.
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Playing Pepper 2011: Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on March 15, 2011 at 11:03 AM
Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it's time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

Pittsburgh Pirates (57-105, 34 GB and sixth in the NL Central)

The streak continued last year, as the curse of Francisco Cabrera ran into its 18th season.  Ever since that pinch hit single won Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS, Pittsburgh has not finished over .500. Going into last season, there was some hope that the streak would end, but that was quickly and effectively dashed.

What about this year?  Do the Pirates end the year facing the possibility of two decades of losing?  A couple of Pittsburgh bloggers take their turn in the tank to answer those questions.

Brian writes for Raise The Jolly Roger, a saying that Pirates fans always hope they'll be hearing more of since it signals a Pittsburgh victory.  You can follow his blog on Facebook as well as catch him on Twitter.

Pat has the blog Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke?  The title invokes a painful trade for the Cardinals as well as looking back to a better time in Pittsburgh history.  Pat's the BBA's Pittsburgh Chapter president as well as being involved with a number of projects with this blog.  You can find him on Twitter and Facebook as well.

After the jump, signs of optimism where three rivers collide.
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Playing Pepper 2011: Seattle Mariners

Posted on March 14, 2011 at 4:15 PM
Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it's time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

Seattle Mariners (61-101, 29 GB and fourth in the AL West)

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

After being lauded for their offseason moves, Seattle was expected to contend for a divisional title.  Instead, the bottom fell out and even Felix Hernandez's Cy Young season and a partial year of Cliff Lee couldn't stop the slide.

Expectations are different for 2011.  There are no postseason plans being bandied about for the coming season.  To take a look at what's to come, two Seattle bloggers weigh in.

Jeff Engles writes for Jeff's Mariners Fan Blog, so it's pretty obvious what you'll find there.  You can find out more about the Mariners by following him on Twitter or on Facebook.

SoDo Mojo is the Mariners' entry into the FanSided blog network.  Griffin Cooper is the lead writer over there and you can find him Tweeting and Facebooking.

Keep reading to find out more about Eric Bedard, who might just be the Mariners' answer to Mark Mulder.

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Playing Pepper 2011: Philadelphia Phillies

Posted on March 14, 2011 at 12:33 PM
Two years ago, I started a series I called Playing Pepper, where I asked questions of bloggers of each major league team about the season to come.  Not only was that informative and entertaining, it led to the spawning of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.  With spring training coming up, it's time to get back into shape by again playing a little pepper.

Philadelphia Phillies (97-65, 6 GA and first in the NL East; lost in the NLCS)

Remember when the Phillies were one of those semi-hapless franchises?  Never to the level of the Royals or the Cubs, but still a franchise that you never took completely seriously, even if they occasionally made a run.

Safe to say those days are over.  With a World Series title, a runner-up and another NLCS appearance, the Phillies are one of, if not the most successful franchises in baseball.  So much so that they responded to a playoff loss by bringing in Cliff Lee to enhance an already stellar rotation.

Can the Phillies be beat this year with their four aces?  I talked a few Phillies bloggers about the season coming up.

Justin Klugh is the lead writer for the blog That Balls Outta Here, an appropriate title given the confines of Citizens Bank Park.  Catch him on Twitter for more Philly musings.

Mike maintains Phighting On, keeping his readers up to date with what is going on with the team.  Mike's also got the Twitter and the Facebook going on.

Dugger writes at the eponymous Dugger's Corner, an MLBlog.  No Facebook for him, though he is on Twitter at @DuggerSports.

Lastly, we have Max from the re-formed (but likely not reformed) Fire Eric Bruntlett.  Bruntlett may be gone, but Max and his cowriters continue to keep writing about the Phils.  The gang is also available on Twitter and on Facebook.

Get the lowdown on perhaps the top NL team after the jump.

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Heroes
Matt Holliday (5)
Matt Carpenter (4)
Rafael Furcal (4)
Carlos Beltran (3)
Jon Jay (3)
Kyle Lohse (3)
Lance Lynn (3)
Yadier Molina (3)
David Freese (2)
Jaime Garcia (2)
Adam Wainwright (2)
Lance Berkman (1)
Allen Craig (1)
Shane Robinson (1)
Fernando Salas (1)
Jake Westbrook (1)

2011 Top Hero: Lance Berkman (24)
2010 Top Heroes: Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols (24)
2009 Top Hero: Albert Pujols (28)
2008 Top Hero: Albert Pujols (25)

Goats
Matt Holliday (4)
Carlos Beltran (3)
David Freese (3)
Jaime Garcia (3)
Marc Rzepczynski (3)
Adam Wainwright (3)
Rafael Furcal (2)
Tyler Greene (2)
Jason Motte (2)
J.C. Romero (2)
Fernando Salas (2)
Mitchell Boggs (1)
Matt Carpenter (1)
Tony Cruz (1)
Daniel Descalso (1)
Jon Jay (1)
Erik Komatsu (1)
Kyle Lohse (1)
Victor Marte (1)
Eduardo Sanchez (1)
Jake Westbrook (1)

2011 Top Goat: Ryan Theriot (12)
2010 Top Goat: Brendan Ryan (14)
2009 Top Goats: Rick Ankiel and Todd Wellemeyer (13)
2008 Top Goat: Troy Glaus (13)

2012 Happy Flights
Happy Flights: 7
Happy Flight Opportunities: 12
Happy Flight %: 58%

Through 5/20

    Cardinal Nation Approval Ratings (March 2012)
    Adam Wainwright 91.9% (down 2.8%)
    Chris Carpenter 90.1% (up 3.2%)
    Lance Berkman 88.6%
    Tony La Russa 88.2% (up 17.4%)
    Yadier Molina 87.4% (up 3.7%)
    Matt Holliday 87.3% (down 3.8%)
    David Freese 85.5%
    John Mozeliak 85.4% (up 13.3%)
    Mike Shannon 85.3% (up 0.4%)
    Jose Oquendo 84.7%
    Derrick Goold 82.8% (down 5.0%)
    Mark McGwire 82.6% (up 20.1%)
    John Rooney 81.5% (down 2.8%)
    Mike Matheny 81.1%
    Bill DeWitt 79.8% (up 8.8%)
    United Cardinal Bloggers 78.9%
    Skip Schumaker 73.3% (up 9.2%)
    Jim Hayes 71.9% (down 4.2%)
    Jon Jay 71.1%
    B.J. Rains 69.5% (down 0.9%)
    Kyle Lohse 68.9% (up 13.8%)
    Dan McLaughlin 68.0%
    Joe Strauss 67.7% (up 10.2%)
    Ricky Horton 67.5% (down 1.6%)
    Al Hrabosky 66.4% (up 3.2%)
    Albert Pujols 54.9% (down 45.5%)
    Colby Rasmus 46.5% (down 35.3%)

    2011
    Dave Duncan 87.9% (up 0.9%)
    Matthew Leach 85.5%
    Pop Warner 76.7%
    Ryan Franklin 72.8% (up 3.1%)
    John Vuch 68.9%
    Jeff Luhnow 66.4%
    Dan Lozano 58.7%

    2009
    Rick Ankiel 83.9%
    Chris Duncan 69.1%


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