Posts tagged St Louis Cardinals
Cardinals pick up option on Albert Pujols
Oct 7th
The St Louis Cardinals have decided to exercise their 2011 club option on Albert Pujols. http://blogs.bettor.com/Cardinals-pick-up-option-on-Albert-Pujols-a32454
Albert Pujols becomes third youngest to reach 400 home runs
Aug 27th
Albert Pujols became the third-youngest player in MLB history yesterday to hit 400 career home runs as his St Louis Cardinals lost in extra-innings to the Washington Nationals yesterday.
Holliday to stop taking ‘risks’
Jan 19th
As we all know, a steroid scandal has worked its way through baseball like a hurricane runs through a small village, unstoppable and with untold damage.
Former St Louis Cardinals slugger and now hitting coach Mark McGwire came out the other week and admitted he used steroids on-and-off for 10 years, a move that wasn’t exactly regarded as shocking – though his continued denial that steroids didn’t help him are laughable.
Cardinals left-fielder Matt Holiday, who signed a seven-year $120million contract, has denied ever using any performance enhancing drugs and has said he will stop taking any type of supplements to prevent any type of risk taking.
“I’ve obviously never taken part in any of that stuff, I don’t know if it helps, if it doesn’t,” Holliday said.
“I think it’s my responsibility as an athlete to know what I’m putting in it. I’m not willing to take risks if I don’t know if it’s been approved by the players association. I quit taking supplements all together. I’ll stick to a protein shake and that’s about it. I don’t think that’s an area that I would ever take a chance not knowing.”
Last year Philadelphia Phillies pitcher JC Romero was suspended for 50 games after testing positive for androstenedione, a substance banned by MLB. Following an arbitration hearing it was declared that Romero tested positive after taking an over-the-counter supplement which he bought from a pharmacist himself. Romero was also cleared by two nutritionists to take the supplement, but did not check whether the supplement was on MLB’s banned list.
Holliday’s move to stop taking supplements shows just how fragile and unclear MLB’s testing policy is, and if players are scared one must wonder how far behind baseball is compared to sports like soccer and tennis, with regards to drug testing.
Buy or Sell?
Jan 12th
McGwire’s admission of using PEDs for health issues
Performance enhancing drugs are called that because it’s what they do, they enhance and increase performance and McGwire has convinced himself that he took them to stay healthy. But using a substance to stay healthy and play longer increases performance. By his own admission,
“It was going to help me heal faster, make my body feel back to normal.”
So then how is that not enhancing performance? Babe Ruth, Willy Mays and Hank Aaron didn’t have these substances at their disposal and they still managed to put up legendary numbers and performances.
“There’s not a pill or an injection that’s going to give me, going to give any player the hand-eye coordination to hit a baseball.”
Whilst true it still has an effect. Even a small increase in seeing the ball better, swinging the bat faster and recovering from injury faster will result in an increase in performance. That could be 10-15 home runs more, just enough to break the all-time home run record. Don’t forget that steroids increase power, in turn helping to hit the ball further.
The former Cardinals slugger has truly convinced himself that he took steroids for health issues and judging by his interview on the MLB Network he might even still believe he is the greatest home run hitter of all time.
He took a huge step in admitting publically his use of PEDs but now the last step for McGwire is admit to himself the real reasons why he took the illegal substances.
Verdict – Sell
Atlanta Hawks ready to challenge the big three in the east?
For the third time this season the Atlanta Hawks beat the Boston Celtics signalling their intentions of being a serious play-off contender come the end of the year, but are they ready?
Yes they beat the Celtics three times already but they have lost twice to both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic. At 24-13 they are just a game back from the Magic and have a similar record to the Phoenix Suns, but you would say the Hawks have a stronger team.
A starting five of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams definitely is strong and with Smith now taking high percentage shots as opposed to earlier in his career when he would shoot .250 from 3-point range.
Last year the Hawks lost to the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals but this year they are more equipped to for strong play-off push. With Jamal Crawford coming off the bench and lighting up the league the Hawks have six big weapons at their disposal.
Add that to the team chemistry the Hawks currently have and it’s apparent that they have become an elite team in the east, and if they can get home court advantage, come April no-one will want to face them.
Verdict – Buy
San Diego Chargers for Super Bowl?
The Chargers started the season as many people’s favourite to claim the Super Bowl, including mine, but after starting the season 2-3 that prediction seemed to be way-off the mark.
That is until they won their next 11 games and coasted into the play-offs and look like the team to beat in the AFC.
Quarterback Philip Rivers has been outstanding, even gathering some MVP votes. His 4254 passing yards was good for eighth in the league and his 28 touchdowns was good for joint sixth, but his 8.75 yards per attempt lead the league.
Combine Vincent Jackson with Rivers, who averaged 17.2 yards per reception, you have a formidable partnership that any team will struggle to contain.
LaDainian Tomlinson isn’t the superstar he used to be, nor is he as effective but from short yardage the ball is still going to be given to him to run it home. He lead the Chargers with 730 yards rushing and brought home 12 touchdowns. Even though he fell 400 yards short of last year’s total LT did start to figure it out towards the end of the season and scored nine TDs in the last 10 games.
Can the Chargers make it 11 games in-a-row ? They should be able to it looks like they are definitely the team to beat in the AFC.
Verdict – Buy
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