Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Feb 7, 2012, 5:52 pm
Just about everyone in Cardinal Nation has had plenty of time to become acquainted with the latest flapdoodle involving Skip Schumaker’s latest baseball card from Topps.  It features the now famous Busch Squirrel (aka Rally Squirrel), and it really is an actual card with Skip’s name on it. ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Feb 3, 2012, 4:11 pm
Last week I asked the question, “If the Cardinals could add anyone, whom should they add?”  I was curious to see which active player — with accompanying contract — Cards fans desire the most. Big thanks to all of you who participated in the poll. We got more than 150 votes, and they were q...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Feb 3, 2012, 1:11 pm
Pitching wins championships.  Defense wins championships.  The best defense is a good offense.  A watched pot never boils. These cliches make some sense, but there is no absolute truth to be found among them.  The Cardinals won the 2011 World Series with something short of a stellar defense, bu...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Feb 1, 2012, 2:59 pm
  There is no questioning the results thus far.  Cardinals’ GM John Mozeliak has built a good track record during his time with the team.  Is there a method to his madness?  Maybe.  He may not have a printed set of blueprints for building a team, but he certainly seems to have an idea of how...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Jan 28, 2012, 6:19 pm
Image via Wikipedia If longtime Cardinals nemesis Roy Oswalt is in fact headed to St. Louis on a modest one-year deal, it not only gives the Cards three of the best players from the 2004 Astros team it beat in the NLCS, but also provides the team with a low-risk, high-reward bet. If Oswalt gets hur...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Jan 27, 2012, 6:52 pm
Having read some of the other great lists posted at the other United Cardinal Blogger sites today, it’s both clear to me and worries me a bit that I’ve interpreted the assignment differently. Not convinced that’s a good or a bad thing, I’ve decided to press forward with my own interpretatio...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Jan 27, 2012, 8:14 am
Here at PH8, we pride ourselves on bringing you the latest and greatest news about baseball (even if it is fake news).  The latest tidbit floating around the interwebz is an image of the Topps baseball card for one Albert Pujols.  Now, some people are already claiming that this is a fake, but I ha...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Jan 25, 2012, 6:50 pm
Image via Wikipedia “Hate” is an extreme or intense dislike for something or someone.  I find it difficult to imagine that a rational person can truly feel hate or hatred for someone they do not personally know who hasn’t directly or indirectly wronged them in such a way as to cause loss of ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Jan 24, 2012, 9:16 am
It’s true. Jaime Garcia will be feted, along with Jorge Posada, this Saturday evening in Laredo, TX. From KGNS 8 in Laredo: To be fair, Garcia’s inclusion is likely helped along by having played his high school baseball at Sharyland about 140 miles away from Laredo. Jaime is in good company w...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Jan 20, 2012, 5:01 pm
Image by Jared Kelly via Flickr The question has been asked since the day he was hired. “What kind of manager is Mike Matheny going to be?” It was asked of the players, the existing coaching staff, and it was asked of Matheny himself. The players seem genuinely excited about playing for Mathe...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Jan 20, 2012, 12:16 pm
Image by brianandjaclyn via Flickr Yeah, I’m a little behind on this one – so what, wanna fight about it? 5. Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay go fishing I’ve been told, over and over and over and over again, that this was a thing. And then Doc saved someone from a snake and Carp busted up h...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Nov 2, 2011, 12:00 am
Image via Wikipedia On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with minimal effort – that discuss the Albert Pujols contract discussions. Why? Who knows, yet here they are. Oh, and to serve you all, our three loyal readers! The Daily Pujols certainly wo...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Nov 1, 2011, 2:30 pm
I’m guessing that most of you saw Tony La Russa on The Late Show with David Letterman and David Freese on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night when they aired, but for those looking for a one-stop shop to view both, here you go. Tony and Dave (CBS edited their video, this isn’t the entire ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Nov 1, 2011, 9:38 am
If you love baseball’s “silly season” during which baseball players routinely have the opportunity to injure themselves patting themselves and each other on the back, then the inaugural “Rawlings Gold Glove Awards Show” is just the thing for you.  That’s right.  ESPN has set aside a wh...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Nov 1, 2011, 1:13 am
Image by BaseballBacks via Flickr WE’RE BACK At the request of Albert Pujols, The Daily Pujols was suspended during the season – no contract talks. But now we’re back with a vengeance. Not familiar? On the morning of January 19th, I started collecting links – as many as I can find with mi...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 31, 2011, 11:54 am
After 16 years, 1408 regular season victories, and 2 World Series titles with the Cardinals, Tony LaRussa has decided to take his talents to somewhere other than the St. Louis dugout.  Talk about going out in style, too.  The Cardinals rallied from 10 1/2 games back in late August to get into the ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 29, 2011, 11:28 am
World Series Game Seven’s are best watched from the edge of a seat. Image by Getty Images via @daylife I learned that last night as the Cardinals slowly, systematically – thankfully – secured their eleventh World Championship in franchise history. What a game. What a series. What a seaso...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 28, 2011, 7:07 pm
“What are you doing here?” Tony La Russa to Lance Lynn, Game 5 It’s been a punch line since Monday night, but viewed in a different light, that line – that question – is really a microcosm of how the Cardinals’ 2011 season has turned out, no? They weren’t supposed to be here. Ten-...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 28, 2011, 4:22 pm
Image by madmolecule via Flickr If you put 3000 volts into a carousel, all the ponies combined wouldn’t go up and down as many times as my emotions did last night. I’m still not quite sure what I witnessed. All I know is that there were a lot of stages to it, so I’m trying to break it down as...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 28, 2011, 10:25 am
Too many things are still floating through my head after last night’s magic and thankfully, I have that little distraction called work to get me right up to Game 7. No matter how many times this story started writing itself during the back and forth of possibly the greatest World Series finish, a...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 27, 2011, 1:08 pm
Do you see what I did there?  Thought so.  Not only was the weather in St. Louis a bit nasty for a while yesterday, but it also may have given the Cardinals a bit of an assist (or two).  The degree to which the Cardinals can take advantage of that fortuitous splash of rain will likely be determin...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 24, 2011, 8:29 am
Courtesy of BrooksBaseball.net   It seems like a good bit of Cardinal Nation (myself included) took issue with Ron Kulpa’s strike zone in World Series game 4.  In order to try and remove SOME bias from my opinion based on a SLIGHTLY biased perception, I thought it was a good time to head over ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 23, 2011, 4:24 pm
This is most definitely not 1985, and Ron “Mea” Kulpa is not Don Denkinger.  Don Denkinger was not solely responsible for the Cardinals losing game game 6 of the 1985 World Series, and Ron Kulpa was not solely responsible for the Rangers losing game 3 of the 2011 World Series.  Cardinal fans w...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 22, 2011, 7:45 pm
There is nothing quite like a close World Series game….followed by one complaint after another.  In no particular order, I’ve heard or read variations of the following: Jon Jay couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with a baseball from 20 feet away. Albert Pujols should have avoided making ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 22, 2011, 5:41 pm
Yeah, I know, should’ve posted this earlier than now – but if you follow @PitchersHit8th on Twitter, you already know we’re gonna be at Sedgwick’s Bar tonight to watch the Cardinals take a 2-1 World Series lead! Join us – along with what sounds like a fairly large group of Cards fans, inc...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 22, 2011, 12:59 am
Two main points caught my attention right after Game 2 while the ending took more time to evaluate. The 2011 World Series is far from over, thanks in part to the huge play of Jaime Garcia and Allen Craig. Both of the young Cardinals introduced themselves to the rest of baseball on the largest stage ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 20, 2011, 12:33 pm
  World Series Swag Bob Gibson, Bruce Sutter, and Adam Wainwright have always commanded attention while on the pitcher’s mound.  When they all took the mound together for ceremonial pitches, it was like watching different 3 points in space-time meeting for just a moment.  Geeky?  Yes.  Awes...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 19, 2011, 5:31 pm
Come join us during Game One to chat about the game and share your thoughts as the game progresses… World Series Game One – Rangers vs Cardinals (10.19.11)
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 19, 2011, 8:30 am
Call it Puma Power if you like or maybe a Berkman Bomb is your preference. Either way the NL Comeback Player of the Year has made it all the way to the top again, this time ready to bring a title home to St. Louis. Home is fitting since the former Houston star and native Texan has to go through the...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 18, 2011, 5:57 pm
Image by WebbShots via Flickr How fitting that in the “Year of the Pitcher” we would be tasked with casting a ballot for the Baseball Bloggers Alliance’s Walter Johnson Award, choosing the top pitcher of the season for the National League. Thankfully, this award is also based upon the regula...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 17, 2011, 10:53 pm
Image via Wikipedia Been collecting links (and a few other goodies) all day in the interest of sharing with you loyal three readers… Patrick Rishe writes at Forbes.com that he believes the Cards’ deep run into the playoffs and World Series appearance further cements the chances that Albert Puj...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 17, 2011, 12:38 pm
I’ll admit that my interest in the Rangers this year was primarily due to the fact that I had CJ Wilson, Matt Harrison, Colby Lewis, Alexi Ogando, David Murphy, and Mitch Moreland each on a fantasy baseball team at one time or another.  Following them more closely than ever, I could help but have...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 15, 2011, 4:07 pm
  The Rally Squirrel does not approve of the wave. Jaime Garcia held the Brewers to just 1 run in 4 2/3 innings last night, and the bullpen finished off the rest of game to put the Cardinals just 1 win away from the World Series.  Unfortunately, Garcia’s performance did little to silence ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 14, 2011, 7:45 am
Evidently being the favorite just doesn’t suit the 2011 edition, so it is back to square one as far as these Cardinals are concerned. And as much as it pains me to write this, I wouldn’t want it any other way. St. Louis gets to go out with a bang, fitting since the opposite can be said for most...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 12, 2011, 7:10 pm
Image via Wikipedia Late last night/early this morning, we posted our 1982/2011 Cards and Brewers roster mash-ups. The idea behind this undertaking is to find the best players, hitters, and pitchers from the 1982 and 2011 Milwaukee Brewers teams and make a roster with them – same for the 1982 an...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 12, 2011, 1:21 am
Image via Wikipedia Back in January of last year, we made a “mashup” of the Cardinal teams of 2000 and 2010 – choosing the best player seasons of each year and combining them to form one lineup/roster. In anticipation of NLCS Game Three, here is a similar exercise for the 1982 World Series a...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 10, 2011, 5:04 pm
In an effort to keep things positive, to look forward to games still winnable, and – well – to ultimately put the bad taste of last night’s NLCS Game One loss out of our collective mouths, let’s look at some things we can reasonably expect to see tonight and beyond: Tony La Russa will not ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 9, 2011, 1:11 pm
So the Cardinals have made it to the National League Championship Series, beginning today in Milwaukee. Are you interested in going to any of the games?  Should’ve snapped up those tickets Friday night after the Redbirds won, or even yesterday morning… Our ticket partner TiqIQ, is tracking th...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 7, 2011, 6:34 pm
What you see happening this week all over Cards’ sites brings back a lot of memories. The high hopes brought by St. Louis in 2009 left many feeling unfinished business after getting swept at this stage. All that makes this improbable run even more amazing to witness. For the crew here at PH8, we ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 6, 2011, 8:42 am
It’s been said more than once, by more than one person, Cardinals fan or not: The Colby Rasmus trade was an all-in move for the 2011 Cards. All of sports has adopted the strategic poker move as a euphemism for taking extreme measures or doing everything in one’s power to accomplish a goal. Af...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 5, 2011, 12:33 pm
Red October  In my most recent post, I spoke out about the need for a Cardinal Nation Penalty Box for those “fans” who simply insist on giving up on the Cardinals before the very end.  I’m here to tell you right now that the penalty box is full, and you folks know who you are.  I saw at le...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 4, 2011, 5:45 pm
Eric Seidman from the Phillies blog Brotherly Glove joins us to discuss the already completed games, and those yet to come, in the National League Division Series with the Phils. Our chat with Eric included many topics about both the Phillies and the Cardinals, including a review of games one and ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 3, 2011, 11:49 pm
I’m way behind in linking to the various podcasts and shows that have so graciously had me on to discuss Cardinals baseball (was that a humblebrag?), so I thought I’d provide you with a rare audio insight into the mindset of one Cardinal blogger over the course of three weeks: September 15 I d...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Oct 3, 2011, 2:15 pm
Yes, there needs to be one.  No, it’s not just for people who commit egregious party fouls (double dipping).  It’s also for any of the “Best Fans in Baseball” who gave up on the Cardinals way back in August….or July….or anytime at all this season.  It’s also good for any Cardinal fa...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Sep 30, 2011, 7:45 pm
Image by Getty Images via @daylife Didn’t see that finish coming either, huh? And after this summer, any further need to gamble, skydive, or even ride coasters is forever muted. The Cardinals are winners in my book no matter what happens in October, but a couple of playoff gems by Chris Carpenter...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Sep 30, 2011, 10:57 am
Each and every single one of us has done at least 1 thing in our lives that we’ve almost immediately regretted doing, and we’ve been mildly embarrassed at a minimum or brutally ashamed and guilt-ridden at a maximum.  Maybe we’ve offended someone by speaking too loudly at a dinner party about ...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Sep 29, 2011, 5:44 pm
Not not those talking heads.  These Talking Heads. “You may ask yourself, ‘Well, how did I get here?’” -David Byrne How DID we get here?  If someone had gone into hibernation at the end of April and woke up in early September, without the convenience of having a standings sheet in front...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Sep 29, 2011, 1:10 am
If you are just waking up on Thursday morning and this is the place you come first for your Cardinals news, first, I’m sorry.  Second, THE CARDINALS WON!  Third, SO DID THE PHILLIES! Yes, our beloved Redbirds are on to the 2011 tournament, and without having to play that pesky 163rd game, even!...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Sep 28, 2011, 8:11 am
As we all prepare for tonight’s Cards versus Astros and Phillies versus Braves games that may determine the final playoff spot in the National League, I thought it appropriate to bring a little levity to a high-leverage situation. It just so happens that Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has some man...
Comment - Like

Nick W. posted an article on Pitchers Hit Eighth - Sep 27, 2011, 10:21 am
Reporter: ”Coach, what do you think about your team’s execution?” Coach John McKay:  “I’m all for it.” The Cardinals should definitely be looking ahead, but there are several valuable lessons worth taking away from last night.  They are much the same lessons that have been giving ...
Comment - Like