Will the St. Louis Cardinals go all the way and win the World Series? Or will they get stopped along the way by the Washington Nationals? Here are a few reasons to believe that the redbirds will make it to the top, and win:
Follow paulmbanksNaked Streaker at St. Louis Cardinals game (photos)
May 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I’ve been told that streaking was considered trendy and popular for awhile in the 1970s. Sounds disgusting and crazy; and not haha crazy like Will Ferrell in “Old School.” There was a crazy streaker at Busch Stadium tonight for the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies game. And word is he really took a beating from the cops when they finally nabbed him.
And if you’re wondering, yes that is the words “Hakuna Matata” tattoed on the side of his torso.
Follow paulmbanks2012 MLB season predictions: division winners
April 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The NBA season is wearing down, March Madness is almost over, and the NFL is far, far away. That means it is time for baseball season! After an eventful winter where two of baseball’s best hitters, Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, changed uniforms, it is time to look at the upcoming season and make some predictions!
First, the division winners:
Follow paulmbanksSt. Louis Cardinals postseason inspiration for Illini NCAA Tournament hopes
March 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The St. Louis Cardinals are huge in Champaign-Urbana. They compete with primarily the Chicago Cubs, but also the White Sox to be the favorite MLB team in the community dominated by the University of Illinois campus. The Cards do come first though, and perhaps Illini coach Bruce Weber knew that when he made his appeal to Illini Nation that his team’s post-season chances aren’t dead.
“How many times in that last week did you not think the Cardinals weren’t going to make the playoffs?” Weber asked the media following his team’s home loss to the #13 Michigan Wolverines.
“And yet they got in and didn’t even have to play the extra game, and they ended up winning the thing. A lot of things can happen but you have to go earn it,” he continued.
Follow paulmbanksChicago Cubs Have a Couple Top Prospects in Arizona Fall League
November 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Here’s a listing and synopsis of some of the top prospects in the Arizona Fall League. Many reside in the AL Central and NL Central divisions. The Chicago Cubs have two.
Follow paulmbanksWhat Mike Matheny Brings to St. Louis Cardinals’ Table
November 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Mike Matheny took over the reigns of the St. Louis Cardinals from Hall of Fame to be manager Tony LaRussa. This is the first time since the 1995 season that the Cardinals will have a new manager. LaRussa took over from Mike Jorgensen who took over the Cardinals in 1995 after future Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre was let go.
(editor’s note: this is a guest post from baseball author David Malamut)
Follow paulmbanksSt. Louis Cardinals Claim 2011 World Series Title
October 29, 2011 By 3 Comments
Only one team, the New York Yankees, has more World Series titles than the St. Louis Cardinals. And the Cards did it again tonight, bringing themselves one step closer to the Yanks’ record. It was certainly unexpected.
I have two Cardinals fan friends- one got so angry during spring training that he checked out in August. He didn’t even follow the pennant race. The other got so sick of Tony LaRussa that he hates the team with a passion. Not only did he leave the Cards fanbase, he didn’t even tweet tonight as they won game seven.
And he’s a very active Twitterer (not a word yes I know).
I bring this up because they’re indicative of the larger problem with the Cardinals, the World Series and MLB.
Follow paulmbanksNational Apathy for 2011 World Series? New Poll Confirms It
October 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
If you’ve said “DON’T CARE!” in reference to the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals, you’re far from alone.
Poll Position (it’s a survey company, not anything affiliated with strippers) conducted a national scientific telephone survey of 1,110 registered voters.
They simply asked the respondents are you interested in the 2011 World Series?
Of those polled, 55% said no, 36% said yes with 10% not having an opinion (which is another way of saying no). So I think we can drop that whole “national past time” nonsense; if only slightly more than a third of our nation actually cares.
Follow paulmbanks2011 World Series Cardinals vs. Rangers Preview: Taiwan Animation Edition
October 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The St. Louis Cardinals had a rough time in the 2011 regular season. Kind of like the 20o4 World Series championship team that went just 83-79 in the regular season. But with a remarkable run of good luck, they back-doored into the playoffs at the last second, when the Atlanta Braves chokes.
And no one was expecting they would take the National League crown, especially the highly favored Philadelphia Phillies.
Then, the Cards downed the NL Central division champs, the Milwaukee Brewers.
Follow paulmbanksDo the St Louis Cardinals have the Best Outfield in MLB?
June 6, 2011 By 1 Comment
Expensive acquisition Matt Holliday might currently be on the Disabled List, but that doesn’t prevent the St. Louis Cardinals from continuing to have the highest producing outfield in all of MLB. Very few expected the aging, but now slimmer downed Lance Berkman to be a seriously game-changing addition, but his numbers (including a 1000+ OPS) tell the story- he’s one of the best pick-ups of the off season.
And it seems like Berkman’s hitting has spread throughout the entire unit. Four of the five outfielders are hitting above .320; the depth in the Busch Stadium outfield has indeed been something to write home about. Holliday has been extremely solid when healthy, Colby Rasmus has been the team’s top run producer, and John Jay (not to be confused with one of the three authors of “The Federalist Papers” has added offensive depth off the bench, much like Allen Craig.
Follow paulmbanksBlueprint for winning the MLB MVP Award
May 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Let’s look at has been consistent in the MVP winners of the past. It seems like voters emphasize batting average over defensive position, or OBP. My preconception is that more MVP winners come from East coast teams and are generally first basemen, or second basemen. Also, I think voters emphasize a teams’ overall record in their voting. Am I right in feeling this way? Well, let’s see….
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2011 Baseball Season has been Bizarro World So Far
April 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Fans of all sports typically love to see David slay Goliath. They usually root against the haves and in favor of the have-nots. They must really enjoy attending MLB games so far, because unpredictability has been the norm in April. Albert Pujols, Justin Morneau, and the Boston Red Sox are all prime examples of conventional wisdom being useless thus far when analyzing the early portion of the season.
While the regular season is only about ten percent complete, the relevance of the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians is refreshing to observers all over baseball because it shows the league is not in danger of turning into the NBA.
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