Cards vs. Phillies

Welcome to the Matt Holliday is a Cardinal era! Albert finally has a bat to protect him other than Ryan Ludwick!

July 24, 2009
St. Louis 8, Philadelphia 1
Winning pitcher - Joel Pineiro (9-9)
HR: Julio Lugo (2)

Matt Holliday had a fantastic debut with the Cardinals, going 4-5 with a run and RBI.

July 25, 2009
St. Louis 6, Philadelphia 14
Losing pitcher - Jason Motte (3-4)
HR: Ryan Ludwick (17), Rick Ankiel (7)

July 26, 2009
St. Louis 2, Philadelphia 9
Losing pitcher - Todd Wellemeyer (7-9)
HR: Mark DeRosa (17)

The Cards finish the series with a 53-48 record.

Cards trade for Matt Holliday

Making another trade, the Cardinals traded three minor leagues for 2007 NL Batting Champion and three-time All Star Matt Holliday.

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have acquired three-time All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday and cash considerations from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor leaguers Brett Wallace, Shane Peterson and Clayton Mortensen.

"We are extremely excited to have acquired Matt Holliday," said Cardinals' Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak. "Matt is an impact player who gives us an instant added threat in the middle of our lineup. These types of opportunities are rare. The price to complete this deal was steep, but our organization feels that it should greatly improve our chances to compete for a postseason berth. I want to thank both ownership and our scouting and player development staffs for enabling us to be in position to bring a player with the credentials of Matt Holliday to the St. Louis Cardinals."

Holliday, 29, owns a career .315 batting average with 139 home runs and 537 RBI in five-plus seasons with the Colorado Rockies (2004-08) and Oakland Athletics (2009). He was batting .286 with 11 homers and 54 RBI for the A's this season and was 16-for-41 (.390) with six doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored in his last 10 games. He is batting .337 (29-86) over his last 22 games.

The Stillwater, Okla. native batted .300 or better in four of his first five seasons, with the lone exception being his rookie season of 2004 when he batted .290. A three-time (2006-08) N.L. All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner, Holliday enjoyed an MVP-caliber season in 2007 while helping the Rockies to their first-ever World Series appearance.

The right-handed hitting Holliday enjoyed career bests in batting (.340), hits (216), doubles (50), RBI (137) and extra-base hits (92) in 2007, leading the N.L. in each category. He finished a close runner-up to the Phillies' Jimmy Rollins for league MVP honors that year and was named the MVP of the N.L. Championship Series after the Rockies got by Arizona.

Entering 2009, Holliday had hit .300 or better and finished among the top seven in batting in the N.L. in each of his last four seasons, joining Albert Pujols as the only players who can make that claim. His .315 batting average since 2004 ranks 6th-best among active players in all of baseball (Suzuki - .335, Pujols - .334, Mauer - .322, V. Guerrero - .321, Helton - .316). Holliday is one of seven players since 2005 with at least 100 home runs and 50 stolen bases (Sizemore-CLE, Soriano-CHI, Wright-NY, Beltran-NY, Hunter-LAA and A. Rodriguez-NYY).

Holliday is wearing #15, which is considered blasphemy despite Jim Edmonds playing for the Cubs during the 2008 season.

The Cardinals also made some other roster moves.

They traded Chris Duncan and a player to be named later to the Boston Red Sox for Julio Lugo.

The St. Louis Cardinals announced this afternoon that they have acquired infielder Julio Lugo and cash considerations from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Chris Duncan and a player-to-be-named-later or cash considerations.

"We felt that Julio could help our club by improving our middle infield depth," said Cardinals' Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak. "He gives us another right-handed bat and provides Tony with additional flexibility. We're optimistic that he will respond positively to a fresh start here in St. Louis."

Lugo, 33, was batting .284 with a homer and 8 RBI in 37 games for the Red Sox this season, including a .333 average against left-handed pitching. Lugo made his last appearance on July 6 before being designated for assignment by the Red Sox last week.[...]

Duncan, 28, was optioned to Memphis (AAA) after last night's game. He was batting .227 with 5 home runs and 32 RBI for the Cardinals this season.

"Chris Duncan was drafted and developed by this organization, and in addition to being a talented player we all recognize him as a high-quality individual," said Mozeliak. "He was an important part of our World Championship club in 2006. I know I speak for our entire organization when I say that we are grateful to Chris for what he has given to the Cardinals and our fans."

I feel for Chris Duncan but he's been struggling this season.

Perhaps the saddest piece of transactional moves is this. Jess Todd was sent to Cleveland to complete the DeRosa deal.

Todd was 4-2 with 24 saves and a 2.20 ERA (49.0 IP / 12 ER) for Memphis. A 2nd-round selection (82nd overall) of the Cardinals in the 2007 draft, Todd appeared in one game for St. Louis this season. The 5'11", 210-pound right-hander out of the University of Arkansas allowed two runs on three hits while walking two and fanning two in 1.2 innings in his Major League debut on June 5 vs. Colorado. Todd was the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2008.

The trade deadline is Friday afternoon so we shall see what else happens this week.

Cards vs. Nationals

Making up the rain delay

July 23, 2009
St. Louis 4, Washington 1
Winning pitcher - Adam Wainwright (11-6)
HR: Rick Ankiel (6)

The Cards finish the makeup with a 52-46 record.

Cards vs. Astros

Back to the Juice Box...

July 20, 2009
St. Louis 2, Houston 3
Losing pitcher - Kyle Lohse (4-6)

July 21, 2009
St. Louis 6, Houston 11
Losing pitcher - Todd Wellemeyer (7-8)
HR: Mark DeRosa 2 (14, 15), Ryan Ludwick (16)

July 22, 2009
St. Louis 3, Houston 4
Losing pitcher - Ryan Franklin (2-1)
HR: Mark DeRosa (16)

The Cards finish the series with a 51-46 record.

Cards vs. D-Backs

July 17, 2009
Arizona 1, St. Louis 6
Winning pitcher - Chris Carpenter (8-3)
HR: Albert Pujols 2 (33, 34), Nick Stavinoha (2)

July 18, 2009
Arizona 4, St. Louis 2
Losing pitcher - Adam Wainwright (10-6)

July 19, 2009
Arizona 1, St. Louis 2
Winning pitcher - Joel Pineiro (8-9)
SV - Ryan Franklin (22)

The Cards finish the series with a 51-43 record on the season.

Cards vs. Cubs

The final series going into the All-Star Break.

July 10, 2009
St. Louis 8, Chi. Cubs 3
Winning pitcher - Chris Carpenter (7-3)
HR: Albert Pujols (32)

July 11, 2009
St. Louis 2, Chi. Cubs 5
Losing pitcher - Brad Thompson (2-6)

July 12, 2009
St. Louis 3, Chi. Cubs 7
Losing pitcher - Kyle Lohse (4-5)

July 12, 2009
St. Louis 4, Chi. Cubs 2
Winning pitcher - Adam Wainwright (10-5)
SV - Ryan Franklin (21)
HR: Ryan Ludwick 2 (14, 15)

The Cards went into the break with a 49-42 record.

Cards vs. Brewers

I know, I'm a bit backed up on this.

July 7, 2009
St. Louis 5, Milwaukee 0
Winning pitcher - Adam Wainwright (9-5)
HR: Colby Rasmus (11), Ryan Ludwick (12)

July 8, 2009
St. Louis 4, Milwaukee 5
Losing pitcher - Jason Motte (3-3)

July 9, 2009
St. Louis 5, Milwaukee 1
Winning pitcher - Joel Pineiro (7-9)
HR: Ryan Ludwick (13)

The Cards move on to 47-40 on the season.

Cards aiming for Roy Halladay

Who would not want a rotation with Chris Carpenter, Roy Halladay, Adam Wainwright, and Kyle Lohse?!?

MLB Trade Rumors:

The Cardinals are prepared to offer talent for Roy Halladay, but they're not going to disassemble their entire system to acquire the Jays ace, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Excerpts from Joe's article on Halladay:

Halladay, who enjoys full no-trade protection, has made clear to Blue Jays general manager J.P Ricciardi that he would accept a trade only to a contender. He also enjoys a strong friendship with Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, his Blue Jays teammate before Carpenter signed here in December 2002.

Halladay stopped short of specifically commenting on the Cardinals as his next potential destination, but acknowledged knowing Carpenter's thoughts.

"Everybody raves about it here," Halladay said about four hours before Tuesday night's start. "I know how he feels and how much he loves it. That's from conversations we've had in the past. We haven't really discussed it recently."

Carpenter has publicly lobbied for the Cardinals to pursue the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner. Cards general manager John Mozeliak acknowledged last week his intention to approach Ricciardi with the organization's interest. As one Cardinals source suggested this week, "We may be able to give up an arm or a leg. But we're not going to sacrifice the whole body" in a trade.

Pressed on St. Louis as a potential destination, Halladay said, "I just hate to say. I really do. It's not because I don't want to go to a certain place. Out of respect to Toronto, I'd just as soon not put the cart before the horse. It's just kind of a tough situation."

The Blue Jays coveted infielder Brett Wallace before the Cardinals took him in the first round of the 2007 amateur draft. Wallace currently is the Cardinals' top prospect. The Jays apparently expect major league-ready pitching in any package for Halladay, which poses a serious challenge to the Cardinals.

I blame Walt if this doesn't happen.

This is not a spam blog

Why was this Cardinals blog marked as a spam blog. Someone, please explain.

Cards vs. Reds

July 3, 2009
St. Louis 7, Cincinnati 4
Winning pitcher - Jason Motte (3-2)
SV - Ryan Franklin (20)
HR: Albert Pujols (31)

Yep, it's very clear. Albert Pujols is a beast.

July 4, 2009
St. Louis 2, Cincinnati 5
Losing pitcher - Brad Thompson (2-5)
HR: Colby Rasmus (9)

July 5, 2009
St. Louis 10, Cincinnati 1
Winning pitcher - Chris Carpenter (6-3)
HR: Colby Rasmus (10)

The Cards leave Cincy with a 45-39 record.

Cards vs. Giants

June 29, 2009

San Francisco 10, St. Louis 0
Losing pitcher - Brad Thompson (2-4)

June 30, 2009
San Francisco 6, St. Louis 3
Losing pitcher - Chris Carpenter (5-3)
HR: Albert Pujols (29, 30)

July 1, 2009
San Francisco 1, St. Louis 2
Winning pitcher - Ryan Franklin (2-0)
HR: Colby Rasmus (8)

July 2, 2009
San Francisco 2, St. Louis 5
Winning pitcher - Todd Wellemeyer (7-7)
SV - Ryan Franklin (19)

The Cards move on to 43-28.

Cards vs. Twins

June 26, 2009
Minnesota 3, St. Louis 1
Losing pitcher - Adam Wainwright (8-5)

June 27, 2009
Minnesota 3, St. Louis 5
Winning pitcher - Josh Kinney (1-0)
SV - Ryan Franklin (18)
HR: Albert Pujols (27, 28)

June 28, 2009
Minnesota 6, St. Louis 2
Losing pitcher - Joel Pineiro (6-9)

The Cards move on to 41-36 on the season.

Cards vs. Mets

June 22, 2009
St. Louis 4, N.Y. Mets 6
Losing pitcher - Todd Wellemeyer (6-7)
HR: Ryan Ludwick (11), Brendan Ryan (1)

June 23, 2009
St. Louis 3, N.Y. Mets 0
Winning pitcher - Joel Pineiro (6-8)

June 24, 2009
St. Louis 0, N.Y. Mets 11
Losing pitcher - Brad Thompson (2-3)

June 25, 2009
St. Louis 2, N.Y. Mets 3
Losing pitcher - Chris Carpenter (5-2)

The Cards move on to 40-34 on the season after the 4 game series.

Cards vs. Royals

June 19, 2009
St. Louis 10, Kansas City 5
Winning pitcher - Brad Thompson (2-2)
HR: Ryan Ludwick (10), Rick Ankiel (5), Khalil Greene (3)

June 20, 2009
St. Louis 7, Kansas City 1
Winning pitcher - Chris Carpenter (5-1)
SV - Ryan Franklin (17)
HR: Albert Pujols (24), Khalil Greene (4)

June 21, 2009
St. Louis 12, Kansas City 5
Winning pitcher - Adam Wainwright (8-4)
Albert Pujols (25, 26), Khalil Greene (5)

The Cards sweep the Royals and move on to 39-31 on the season.

All-Star happenings...

I know, I know. I've been busy. I'm slacking off. So sue me.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STARS AND ST. LOUIS CARDINALS HALL OF FAMERS SHOWCASED IN MLB ALL-STAR RED CARPET SHOW PRESENTED BY CHEVY
WHAT:
All 2009 Major League Baseball All-Stars as well as Legends from the Cardinals will make their way in Chevy Flex-Fuel vehicles through the streets of St. Louis on a red carpet made from 100 percent recycled fiber and produced using electricity produced by 100 percent renewable wind and solar energy.

During this event, which is free to the public, fans and spectators will have a unique opportunity to see their favorite MLB All-Stars up close as they make their way to the 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game via a celebration along the streets leading to Busch Stadium.

WHO:
Scheduled to appear:
*All members of the 2009 American and National League All-Star Teams
*AL All-Star Team Manager Joe Maddon and NL All-Star Team Manager Charlie Manuel
*Cardinals Hall of Famers including: Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, Ozzie Smith and Bruce Sutter
*30 MLB and PEOPLE Magazine “All-Stars Among Us” winners

WHEN/WHERE:
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. CT

The parade will begin at Market and 4th Streets and continue down Market to 8th Street to Stan Musial Drive and Gate 3 of Busch Stadium.

MLB Network will telecast the All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Chevy nationally at 3:00 pm CT.

Here's another one relating to the FanFest:

Cardinals Memorabilia, World Series Trophies and Historical Information on Display at Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest
The history and traditions of baseball will be on display for fans at Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest, July 10 – July 14 at America’s Center in downtown St. Louis. Fans can learn about the rich past of baseball in St. Louis as well as look forward to the future with present-day St. Louis baseball stars at exhibits including Hometown Heroes, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the Negro Leagues.

The Hometown Heroes exhibit takes a comprehensive look at the history of baseball in St. Louis. The display will feature scale models of Sportsman’s Park, Busch Stadium (1966-2005) and the current Busch Stadium along with actual stadium seats from each ballpark. The Cardinals’ last three World Series trophies will be on display as well as memorabilia from former Cardinals All-Stars. The exhibit is centered around walls reflecting on the Club’s roots in the community and its promise for the future:

Timeline Wall – The winning tradition of the Cardinals in St. Louis, going all the way back to 1892 is covered in the extensive text and pictures that highlights the great history of baseball in the city, including the American League St. Louis Browns (1902-1953) and the Negro National League St. Louis Stars (1920-1940).

Champions Wall – Fans will be able to relive each of the ten World Series Championship titles won by the Cardinals.

Hall of Fame Wall – St. Louis Cardinals players who have achieved Hall of Fame status through their accomplishments with the team are featured here, as well as the many players who earned that status even though their time with the Cardinals was brief.

Hometown Heroes Wall – An outstanding ambassador for the city and the Cardinals both on and off the field, Stan Musial was voted as St. Louis’ Hometown Hero by fans.

Artist’s Wall – Missouri native and sculptor Harry Weber was selected to create a bronze maquette of Stan Musial. Fans have the chance to see the process of sculpting and learn more about the casting process by visiting this artist as he works on this project.