From Beyond the Diamond

I'm slightly embarrassed to enter this post alongside so much great commentary offered by Rob and MO Boiler and salvo, but Cardinal Nation is more than just what happens to the guys in uniform and the astute observations of slightly obsessive fans.

Here is a great video of a Card fan showing two Cubbie chicks how to dance in a new stadium. I guess the view of the Arch plus a few $9 beers was overwhelming.

And here is a picture of the recent Immigrant Protest. Have we stopped to think what would happen to baseball in all this debate? Cardinal fans are everywhere...

The House that Albert Built

For those of us who can't make it down to the new stadium whenever we want, here's a glimpse of the progress as of the New Year. (Thanks to D-Mac for the pics.)

Building Chemistry

It's OK, they gave each other rings. Nothing builds chemistry more than winning a World Championship. Just look how close the White Sox have become over the course of the playoffs. So what do the Cardinals need to do to build up this chemistry through wins in 2006? Rumor has it, we're pushing hard for Brian Giles. That makes me want to start handing out breath mints.

So what do you think of the following lineup next year?

Eckstein, SS
Edmonds, CF
Pujols, 1B
Rolen, 3B
Giles, RF
Grudz, 2B
SoRod, LF
Yadi, C
Marquis, P

That looks really good to me.

Drumroll, Please

Well, for what it's worth, the Internet Baseball Awards for 2005 are out.

Congrats, Albert.

Fall Fever

I don't have cable. Not having cable TV in October has sent me on a path of self-destruction worse than Courtney Love on a weeklong furlough in Ensenada. I am keeping a handle on my responsibilities. I still went to a meeting last Thursday during the game. I was lucky to have my brother, who lives in Seattle, and a buddy who attended the game shoot text messages at me the entire time. I don't remember what happened during the meeting. I remember the game via ticker tape. I remember Pujols taking a bases loaded walk. That dude is cool.

Nothing is more exciting than playoff baseball. Here's why. Baseball in the playoffs, more than any other team sport, is about showdowns and defining moments. And you just don't know when they'll happen, so you need to watch every single minute of the game. And even though I make my living by working with stastical data, I admit, in the playoffs, most of that goes out the window. The sample size is too small, the dimensionality is too large. We are just left with man vs. man. Optimal decision theory be damned. At some point in some game, the pitcher is thinking, "I need to bring the heat." The batter is thinking, "He's gonna throw me the heat." The catcher knows it. The ump knows it. The players' wives know it. Even Tim McCarver knows it. So it comes down to the performance of the moment.

The series against San Diego didn't have so many moments, we dominated them from start to finish. But that should change. Houston is a much more formidable opponent. In the Yankees/Angels series, I dare say defense made the difference. And where ARod swung and grounded into a double play, Pujols stands large and delivers again and again and again. Is there anyone in the world you'd rather have in your batter's box than Albert Pujols these days? Absolutely not. Look for him to deliver consistent moments throughout this series. Even when Pujols is wrong, he's right.

From here in, I don't second guess the management. I don't criticize the slippery moves of LaRussa. I instantly forgive Izzy upon the 27th out, because the odds blow out the window with the hot dog wrappers and the foul balls. From here on in, it's all about the moment. When it happens to us, we will call it magic. And although we expect King Albert to deliver such moments, we just never know who the next Cardinal hero will be.

Go Cards.

Spring Training Pics

A recent glimpse of Cardinal history and Cardinal history-in-the-making. I wonder if they trade tips? Those stances look pretty similar...

(Much thanks to Matt Rollo and Gene LaBarge for finding time and a digitial camera to get to some spring training games and email me some sweet pics.)

I get first pick...

Seriously, if we were playing a pickup game right now, and you got first pick, wouldn't you pick Pujols? I don't care about salary, fantasy baseball, MVP, world series titles, or clear creams. I'd pick Albert Pujols first and fast. [If they do remake the classic "The Warriors", AP would be the scariest dude in the Baseball Furies, by a lot.]

Another Introduction

Hello Bird Watchers. I'm Ryan McCabe, a grad student in Minneapolis, a big fan of baseball and a lunatic for the St. Louis Cardinals. I'm proud to be with this group making up The Bird Watch. Stay tuned daily and amaze your friends with the knowledge and insight we try to offer.

I enjoy crunching through the stats as much as the other authors on this page (and may not be as good at it as they are), but I also like to reinforce the more qualitative aspects of the game that seem to have taken a backseat through this Saber-revolution. Some of my favorite plays in baseball are not the highly valued, single-action HR or BB but rather scoring a runner from 1st on the hit-and-run, watching the defense, the wild running, the throw, the play at the plate; I tend to pump my fist in the air when our 8 hitter grounds out to 3rd after a 13-pitch battle in the 4th inning; I think all managers should get thrown out of a game for arguing balls and strikes at least once every season, even calm nerds like TLR; And the double steal always seems to be the cruelest stunt to pull on another team.

I've been a lifelong Cards fan by birth. For this reason, I'm very glad that I wasn't born in Chicago, the psychological result of being baptised into Cub Nation could have been debilitating. That being said and already commonly known, I am thankful that the Cubs do exist and am looking forward to another season reinforcing our intense rivalry. No team is more fun to beat than the Chicago Cubs. Finally, they have enough talent to make it somewhat difficult for us. In fact, the whole NL Central is a division of wicked-good baseball, perhaps the toughest in all of baseball last year, and possibly again this year (in spite of the decline of the Astros). Should make for some great games, some unforgettable moments and, hopefully, another playoff spot for our Birds.

Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month. I can already hear the gloves popping.

Welcome to the Birdwatch

birdwatch (v) - To watch and study birds in their natural habitat

By birds, we mean redbirds, or Cardinals, and of course by natural habitat, we mean a baseball diamond. More specifically, we are a group of Cardinal fans who love to watch the games, analyze the moves and the stats, and just plain love the game. We've all been faithful readers of other Cardinals blogs, and some of us have even written for them, but now we're combining our efforts to maximize the value for you, the reader. So welcome fellow birdwatchers. We hope to be your guides through the ups and downs of the baseball season (and off-season). Enjoy the ride.