Ryan Jackson dazzled at 2B in the afternoon game:

Adron Chambers is so darn friendly… and he made the highlights today too:

Brock Peterson homered in the 2nd inning & played 1B:

Chad Huffman (DH) went 2 for 4 with a double, a walk and a strike out.

Eric Fornataro came in to pitch the 8th, hit the first batter, struck out the 2nd and got a double play to end the inning.

… and just a few more shots from the wonderful day at the park:

….So that’s it for me during this Memphis/OKC series.  Tomorrow I’ll be watching my all-time favorite ballplayer on a little league field while Memphis (fingers crossed!) completes the sweep!

Go Baby Birds!!

… and we soon return you to posts about the big boys in St. Louis  ;)

If you recognize any of those names, you might be a Memphis Redbirds fan.

Memphis is in town this weekend for the OKC Redhawks Home Opener, and our boys are spoiling all the fun for the Redhawks.  Two games down and Memphis has whupped up on OKC  10-6 on Friday night and 8-7 Saturday night.  Here are some photos from our seats in the stands for those of you who couldn’t make it to Oklahoma to cheer on the baby birds personally.

First up:  Saturday’s starting pitcher, Michael Wacha. (5 IP, 3H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 3SO, 1 HR, 4.0 ERA)

Next: hot prospect OF Oscar Taveras

And here’s a few of another highly anticipated name:  Kolten Wong, IF

Manager Pop Warner at the pregame meeting at the plate:

pitcher Barret Browning pitched the 8th on Friday, gave up a HR, walked 1 & struck out 1

Seth Maness, starting pitcher on Friday, pitched a solid 6 innings, allowing only 1 run, striking out 6 with 2 walks.

Sam Freeman, LH pitcher who saw some time in St. Louis last season, pitched the 6th & part of the 7th on Saturday with 3H, 1 run, no walks, and 1 SO.

and then there was Adron Chambers, who although struggling at the plate, is always smiling.

Today’s game time: 2:05 at the Bricktown Ballpark. Then Monday night the Redbirds finish up the series (and hopefully a sweep??) first pitch at 7:05pm.

Come help us cheer on the Baby Birds!  ;)

You do still love him but in your heart you know he’s not “the one.”  You’ve given him your best offer, but you both knew you were holding back. He needed more than you could give.  You had a good run together, but you part ways amicably, telling yourself you can still be friends…

That type of breakup is tough.

Some baseball breakups are no different.

Tonight Kyle Lohse will take the mound at Busch Stadium for the first time as a Milwaukee Brewer, and for the first time in 5 years, I will be rooting against him.

My memories of Lohse are good ones:  autographed baseballs and a signed cap, photos, a fun chat after a Spring Training morning practice at Roger Dean Stadium… not to mention the years spent hanging on his every pitch, cheering his comeback from a totally weird surgery and celebrating his success.  In fact, it was three years ago that I hesitantly started blogging about baseball with my first post dedicated to defending (the then struggling) Mr. Lohse.

Watching his return to pitch at Busch today will be bittersweet.

Seeing him in that uniform will be atrocious.

Thanks for the memories, Kyle.

Here’s to the type of closure that the end of every good relationship needs:  beating your ex at a friendly game of baseball. 

Go Cards!

• Rafael Furcal’s injury looks pretty serious.
• The signing of Ronny Cedeno  (oldish guy, mediocre bandaid) isn’t the sure cure fans were hoping for.
• Brendan Ryan is still a Mariner.
• And apparently it is uncool to admit you actually have some faith in Pete Kozma.

I am beginning to feel as though I might need a support group.

“Hello, my name is Erika, and I have faith in Pete Kozma.”

* crickets?… *

Okay guys, it’s just Spring Training and most normal non-baseball- addict-type folk aren’t even really paying attention to baseball yet.  Sure, some anxious fans are already gearing up for the season, practicing their panic over pitching performances and their elation as otherwise mild-mannered position players are knocking the ball out of the park with the help of some hitter-friendly Florida wind gusts, not to mention the help of experimental opposing pitching; but let’s just sit back and enjoy the moment, shall we?

1)  The long winter drought is allllmost over… finally some real baseball is being played.

2)  Pitchers are just gearing up and are likely trying out new and unusual stuff they dreamed up in the offseason.  So, spring training stats are about as useful as painting your fingernails with your feet (unless you’re really good at that.)

3) Pete Kozma may not be as horrible as his critics would like us to believe.

It’s definitely not time to panic.  Heck, according to the calendar it’s not even officially spring yet!  So, can we please give this Kozma kid a shot? Remember those flashes of brilliance Pete surprised us with in the post season?  And just think about all those David Freese critics just a short time back who have now moved on to newer, younger, untested targets.  Past stats are not sure predictors.  Afterall, I’m certain we could find some stats somewhere that can prove that not all breakout players had the stats to predict their first truly successful season, right?

So while the boys are warming up down in Florida, I’d prefer to warm up for the season with a little less worry and a little more faith in Mozeliak and Matheny and our shortstop-by-default.  ~Enjoying instead the pleasant mental exercise of considering the potential baseball magic ahead for our Cardinals in 2013. I’ll even predict here and now that we will be looking back on this Spring Training shortstop “crisis” in a few months thinking we should have had a little more confidence in Kozma.  It’s a lot less stressful that way. 

“Hello, my name is Erika, and I have faith in Pete Kozma.”

Baseball fever is making a comeback now that the boys are kicking it in Florida for Spring Training, and this week my dear friend (and Cardinals fan), Lindsey, asked (again) when Diamond Diaries would be back in action.  Without much arm-twisting at all, she agreed to write a guest post for us as sort of our own 2013 season kick-off.  And as you will soon see, smart,sassy and lovable Lindsey, an early victim of baseball fever this year, is ready to chat it up, Cardinals style.  P.S. If you aren’t already, you can follow Lindsey on twitter: @LoveAlwaysGives

 So, Welcome Back!!  And welcome, Lindsey!  =)    ~Erika

We’ve started out another Spring Training with the stomach-knotting stressor named, The Unsigned Contract Extension. This time, for Adam Wainwright. Waino is one of those players I could never lose faith in. I’ll admit that I was a bit nervous for the guy when we all found out about his Tommy John surgery. I still remember that moment when my heart fell into my stomach wondering, Could this be it for Waino? But then I snapped back to reality and realized who I was talking about. Waino is bueno, after all. I can see where the problem lies, he’s a pitcher just coming off of elbow surgery with a year left in his contract. Could that be more nerve wracking? He needs to be set to impress. Although a contract has yet to be signed, I’m ready to see some Wainwright action out on the mound this year. Let’s not forget, Mo…It’s ain’t right til it’s Wainwright!

photo from robrains.com

And hey, has anyone seen Lance Lynn around h—OH MY! Talk about a transformation! Catching my first full spring training game yesterday, I momentarily thought Garcia was pitching until I saw those four red letters: L-Y-N-N. My jaw immediately dropped. I think we all knew of the 40 pound weight loss Lance underwent throughout his offseason dieting and work out program when an interview came out stating his rather, uhm, confident outlook on where he stood in being a part of the starting rotation for the 2013 season. Reading and hearing about that type of weight loss is a lot different than seeing it out on the mound. Although he’s lacking the backside of Jaime Garcia, I do believe I’ll be seeing more Lance Lynn related #chickcomments popping up on my twitter feed this year. Here’s to hoping this season can start just as strongly as the last. Put those new muscles to work, Lynn!

Oh hey, David! I see you’ve been taking advantage of that Florida sunshine…and that strong man workout paid off for ya…

Ahem. Getting back to what I was saying…

photo from stltoday.com

I can’t even imagine the conversation between Yadier and Bengie Molina when they found out the good news that Bengie would be appointed Assistant Hitting Coach for the Cardinals this year. No, really, I can’t. I don’t speak Spanish. Nevertheless, I know I was pretty excited to hear we would have the Molina Brothers team effort this year, even if only one of them will make it onto the field. We don’t need no stinking Mark McGwire! Mabry and Molina have got it covered. As long as Bengie isn’t a running coach, I’ve got the faith! In all seriousness, I think all of Cardinal Nation knows the bond between the Molina family is something incredible and with the addition of his brother, I have no doubt that Yadi will be in even more high spirits to go out on the field every day and make his familia proud.

Speaking of families, it’s been quite the offseason for our hairiest member, Mr. Jason Motte. Unlike his teammates, this doesn’t have to do with his physique, work out regimen or contract status. Jason became a father. That’s right, our heat-throwing, ungroomed bear of a closer now changes diapers in his off time. And he couldn’t be happier about it! I predict little Miss Margret Morgan Motte (say that three times fast) is going to be a daddy’s girl in years to come, because he just can’t seem to get enough of his little girl.

Photo by Michael Donahue

Not only is fatherhood the only step forward in Jason’s life, but his charity work is in full swing as well. Throughout last season Jason and his wife, Caitlin, began collecting sports memorabilia to hold an auction called Strike Out Cancer, benefitting the Wings Cancer Foundation. The $37,000 they raised at their first benefit will go to expanding the organization into lower income communities. That is quite a big impact to make with their first endeavor, and there is surely more to come from these two.

Now, in true Erika fashion, it would be wrong not to mention that former Cardinal shortstop, Brendan Ryan knocked one out of the park in his first at-bat for the Seattle Mariners this spring training. You’ve still got it, Boog! Keep ‘em comin!

There is just something remarkable about seeing baseball on my tv again. Although there is still snow in my back yard, and the sunshine has yet to be found, I just can’t help but have something to look forward to on every game day. And it’s baseball. I can only believe that the transformations the guys have gone through this offseason will show onto the field in the 2013 season. We’ve got new birds and new bats, so we are set to make this one a season to remember!

1. Bob Gibson was first in my mind. I read the book From Ghetto to Glory for a book report in junior high, and I was hooked on this almost mythological man that pitched on a broken leg and struck out 18 in a World Series game and would knock his grandmother on her ear if she dug in too much on him in the batter’s box. I asked my dad about watching Gibby pitch and if he really was that mean and if he had ever seen a more awesome pitcher.
2. Ozzie Smith was second. I really started focusing in on players and teams around the time Ozzie retired. I saw a few of his last games on TV, and I know I was at the stadium a handful of times when he was still diving across the turf and back-flipping on to the field, but I don’t remember it. I don’t remember him. Considering the shortstops the Cardinals have gone through in the last few years, even though there have been a few dazzling plays, I know it doesn’t compare.
3. I never saw Stan Musial. Like most of America, it took me awhile to really see how great “the Man” was during his career. I feel like I really didn’t figure it out until I was in college. I had heard of Stan, but I didn’t understand why he was so great.

A perfect knight. The words make you think regal and showy and other such adjectives. Stan was none of those things. He was humble, happy, loyal, a gentleman to the core, and the nicest man you ever got to meet.

I never got to see Stan. He retired long before my parents even met. I never lived in St. Louis to just see him out and about. I never went to his restaurant and had a chance siting of him wandering around glad-handing the customers. I never got to see him drive around the warning track in a golf cart. I didn’t get to be at the stadium to Stand for Stan. I never went to Opening Day and saw him shake Tony’s hand. I never heard him play his harmonica. I wasn’t at the All-Star game in St. Louis when he got his triumphal entry that FOX didn’t even feel the need to really show on live television, and I wanted to throw things at the TV because of it.

I guess I thought I would someday. I live just 3 hours from the stadium now. I’m making plans to go to Opening Day.

I guess I thought there was still time.

I found out about Stan’s passing when I was on vacation this past weekend. In the midst of our relaxing weekend away, my husband and I sat in silence for a little while when we heard the news. I texted my parents, who hadn’t heard the news. We didn’t really have the words to describe what we were thinking. We debated on detouring through St. Louis on our way home from our trip, but it didn’t happen. We both felt drawn to the stadium, like it was calling us to come pay our respects.

I never got to see Stan, but I will never forget him.

Everyone’s a little on edge.  Professional athletes (even the seasoned ones) get jitters. Fans are barely holding onto their sanity.  Winners, losers, adrenaline, infield fly primers….  all part of the drama.  And from what I can tell, there are two ways to dwell in this unique era (not “error”, mind you… that’s something entirely different despite what the TBS broadcast sounds like during a Cards/Nats game.)

This 2012 Cardinals Postseason Era rallies Cardinal Nation under a set of unique circumstances that, while touched on here, run far deeper if you bleed Cardinal red:

#1 The Cardinals are the reigning 2011 World Series Champions (hard-fought, comeback Cardinals defying all odds – remember??  Of course you do.)

#2 The Cardinals are the first postseason team in history to have won entry as a 2^nd wildcard team.  (Of course they did.)

#3 The first-ever Wildcard playoff game was a doozy, temporarily played under a big ol’ P (for protest) and the Cardinals won (of course they did.)

And lest we forget some of the other less-than-lovely 2012 defining sidenotes:  Tony La Russa and Albert La Pujols have left the building.  You may have heard it mentioned that new manager Mike Matheny has zero previous managerial experience.  Lance Berkman, the 2011 National League Comeback Player of the Year, spent much of 2012 injured and most likely has already taken his last career at bat, with rumors of retirement sounding increasingly likely.  Defensively, at shortstop we’ve lost Rafael Furcal (strained elbow ligament) in exchange for Pete Kozma.  (love him or hate him, he’s made it interesting already.)  The Cards squeaked into the postseason with only 88 regular season wins, again rallying juusssst enough to beat the clock as the door slammed shut on the 2012 regular season.

So, with a lead-in like this, why would anyone expect the Cardinals to win in the postseason?  I would.  And let me tell you why.

#1 These are the St. Louis Cardinals.

 Enough said. 

Okay then, back to the reason that got me writing this morning-

From the sounds and smells of the internets yesterday, there are two predominant camps in Cardinal Nation and things started to get ugly (a few notches below bottle-throwing, temper tantrum, Atlanta Wildcard crowd-type ugly, but still…) when their rights to free speech bumped up against the others’ rights to look on the Brightside.

(Quick note for those of you under the rocks:  Despite an other-worldly performance by Adam Wainwright in which he struck out TEN batters in under 6 innings, the Cardinals lost Game 1 of the NLDS to the Nationals even though their rockstar pitcher, Gio Gonzalez, walked – or hit – so many redbirds that we could potentially have won the game by a landslide while Gio still had a no-hitter.  Plus there were pesky SHADOWS on the field, and our boys couldn’t get a hit to save Torty.  In all truthfulness, Allen Craig summed it up best saying “We just didn’t get it done.”)

The flood of postgame accusations and criticisms of Matheny’s 8^th inning pitching choices spread like wildfire.  Yes, Cardinal Nation was bitterly disappointed in the loss, but why the landslide of gloom and doom and the crazy amount of time spent  slinging blame at all the easy targets?  Why would you want to spend your postseason angry?  This is October baseball and it is a-maaaaaaazing.  The fact that a game can turn on the smallest nuance (Kozma, for instance) means that even those pesky Cardinals have a shot.

Some of us (guilty as charged) are choosing to look at this postseason as a gift.  Yes, our Cardinals snuck in the backdoor (again).  Yes, we started out by losing game 1 of the NLDS (again).  Yes, our offense is schizophrenic (again).  But my postseason glass will be half full until we’re down to the last strike (….again).  Because these are our comeback Cardinals and we’ve felt the magic before.

Sure, on the flipside, even the grumpiest, angriest and down right hostile-est (grammar be darned, it sounds better that way) of baseball fans have a right to their opinions and comments.  And after a tough loss it can even be highly therapeutic (and informative) to read/hear impassioned pleas for why certain armchair management decisions would have saved the planet (hindsight and all.) Truth be told, I follow a whole slew of intelligent, but grumpy Cardinal fans on twitter because most of them throw out some valid points and after unwrapping their anger, I can, at times, discover an interesting nugget and learn a thing or two… and sometimes not, but still… 

So, if I had one postseason wish, it would be for our Cardinals to repeat. (Of course it would!)  Okay, but if I had TWO postseason wishes, I might consider spending the other wish that the glass-half-empty-ers would be more tolerant of us glass-half-full-ers because IMHO the postseason is a heckuva lot more fun when you think  when you KNOW there’s a chance.

Go Cards!!

So, this blogging thing is like riding a bike… right??

This season has been a crazy, hot MESS (and I’m not even talking about the baseball stuff yet.)  Angela had a wedding to plan.  I had a family to pack up and move to a new town.  Needless to say, we’ve both been spread thinner than the bullpen back in April and May.

And last night the Cardinals got pummeled in true Cubs-like fashion, FIFTEEN to zip by Buster Posey and Co.

Now’s a good time to fire up the laptop?
Yes, I must be crazy.

Beyond the highs and lows of a half-spent season, this year has afforded me yet another baseball experience.  Over the past half-decade, I’ve been tagged as the “new fan”, the “learning fan”, the “addict” who HAD to see every single moment of every game (including pre- and post-game broadcasts) and even became the anything-baseball Go-To Girl among family and friends.  I was lucky enough to experience one of those bucket list moments, being at a Game 7 when my team won the World Series.  It has been a crazy awesome baseball fan timeline.
And then 2012 happened.

The season started with a bang.  Winter Warm-Up led to Opening Day and the Cardinals weren’t just the Cardinals.  They were the WORLD SERIES CHAMPION St. Louis Cardinals.  New manager…  Albert who? … Cardinal Nation was abuzz and our boys were poised to continue the fairytale.

Then the injury bug bit the Cards (as it sometimes does) and some not-so-champion-like performances were stacking up (like they sometimes do.)

On my side of the diamond, I was being forced to experience baseball in a manner I’d only heard of:  casually.  Aside from the time-sucking saga of relocating, a couple of injuries of my own put my camera wielding abilities on the extended DL, forcing also my AAA photo safari adventures on indefinite hiatus.

I was beginning to understand “those” fans: the ones who follow it but aren’t experiencing it.  They aren’t living and breathing it, aren’t hanging on every pitch and celebrating (or mourning) what each new game dealt.  Apparently true fans can fall under this category, and I (sigh) have become one.  I’d often wondered what it would feel like to not immediately know who was tonight’s starting pitcher or why and when one of our boys was put on the DL.  How can anyone who considers themself a fan survive (and admit) that this is their story?  This year is teaching me just that.

“It’s okay to be a casual fan.”

I am still struggling to embrace this idea.  Isn’t part of being a good fan the knowing??  Knowing the team, knowing the situation, knowing the stuff that fills in all the behind-the-scenes blanks.  The rumors, the injuries, the hype and the personalities – these make the grand story of a baseball season into an epic adventure.

So what’s a recovering baseball junkie to do when she just can’t do it all?

 
12 things I know as a casual fan in 2012:

1) The team will play whether I am watching or not.

2) The team’s chances of winning will not be lessened if I do not watch the entire game.  AND it is NOT my fault if they lose.  (rinse and repeat, as necessary)

3) During reports of a slump it is much easier on your mental health to be a casual fan.

4) Other bloggers will hold down the fort and comment, complain, bemoan, celebrate and analyze all details; and I WILL NOT feel smarter than a 5^th grader reading things I know nothing about.  (This is okay.  Rinse and repeat.)

5) I still absolutely do NOT like the Reds while I simultaneously DO like many of the Reds players.  (and for this, I still have no logical explanation.)

6) I have always liked Tyler Greene, and apparently this is best maintained by not watching him play. (**and as I wrote this, Tyler Greene was apparently traded to Houston?  wow!)

7) Carlos Beltran is good.  Carlos Beltran is “2011 Lance Berkman” good.

8) 2012 Lance Berkman is not like 2011 Lance Berkman – except he remains most definitely one of the best, kindest and most positive baseball personalities ever.

9) Daniel Descalso is fabulous.  He will snag uncatchable baseballs while defying gravity and will inevitably be on any highlight reels I happen to watch.

10) Adam Wainwright is a goofball. (see video proof posted on Twitter)

11) Yadi is a base-stealing ninja.  *things I never thought I’d say

12)… and yes, Matt Holliday still heats up as the weather heats up.

It takes 162, so Play Ball!!
… and I’ll try and keep up. 

Nothing is better than Opening Day at Busch Stadium. I’ve never been, and I know this. It’s actually hard saying what I would give to be able to go to an Opening Day… but since you’re reading this a mere hour or two before first pitch, I’m obviously not there yet! Maybe next year.

Your goal today is simple:

1. Watch the Cardinals beat down the Cubs.
2. Enjoy every glimpse of every red-coated Hall of Famer you can see.
3. Tweet us (@DiamondDiaries) or post in the comments and tell us what your favorite part of Opening Day is. Why? Because we’ve got some freebees to give away! The kind people at A+E Home Entertainment/MLB Productions have provided us with Blu-Ray/DVD copies of last year’s game 6 magic to give away to all of you!

It’s that simple. Deadline for our little contest is Sunday afternoon, 1:15 PM CST, otherwise known as first pitch of the final game of this Cards/Cubs series. We will announce the winners on Monday morning.

Excited to see all of your responses. Enjoy the game!

What they didn’t bring? Fun!

It sounds stupid, but the more you think about it, the more you realize that this clubhouse was not one that seemed like a barrel full of laughs. Older teams like the 2006 World Series winners brought winning, although there wasn’t much in the way of personality there. Outside of the Jim Edmonds nightly game ball and Scott Rolen’s drama with manager Tony LaRussa, I can’t say I recall much else that involved the players in the clubhouse.

Over the last couple of years, the combination of Yadier Molina and Pujols created a bromance that Matt Sebek of Joe Sports Fan captured with this:

However, having these two being so close hasn’t translated to a whole clubhouse. Stories surfaced about how Albert’s entourage would do things like go to NBA games and barely notice the peons of the team that also went to the game and wanted to meet Kobe (oh crap, I’m talking about Brendan Ryan again… did you hear he’s engaged?). It wasn’t team things – it was entourage things. Maybe there was something to the whole Colby Rasmus thinking the team was rough on him thing. If it was a fractured clubhouse……..

Wait, was I about to stick up for Colby’s whining? Moving on…

Now that Albert has split for the sunny beaches of California, a new bromance has emerged.

You know who I’m talking about: Matt Holliday and David Freese. They’re everywhere, from a Skype interview on Intentional Talk to their latest endeavor with the Cardinals as the ambassadors for the new “Homers for Health” initiative where fans are encouraged to donate money in quarter increments to help out a local children’s hospital in St. Louis. Their work together has shown up on Twitter, although not in the way you would think…

Offseason squash workouts became Twitter fodder for most of us bored-tired-of-football-when-does-spring-training-start-again?! baseball fans, seeing pictures like this and watching all of the interaction between the Cardinal players on Twitter has brought about a new feel with this team.

They laugh. They joke. They include more than Freese – it’s Lance Berkman’s candid interviews and Jon Jay’s Nike collection and Jason Motte’s beard eating small children.

Wait, that’s wrong too.

What I’m saying is that this is a new era for the Cardinals. One that we can definitely get behind.

Is it Opening Day yet?