Cardinals Easy to Hate

Is there any team easier to hate than the St. Louis Cardinals? I've written about their manager before, but on Tuesday night the team's catcher joined the dishonor roll.

The Cardinals seem to have a corner on arrogance and bad behavior. It starts at the top, of course, with Manager Tony La Russa. His constant whining and attempts at gamesmanship are tiresome. If there were a picture in the dictionary for "crank" it would be of him. 

He and his team seem to have a problem with every team in the league. A window into his true thoughts came after Tuesday night's game when he called the fans "idiots" before taking it back. I think we all know who the idiot is. And during the sereis he accused the Brewers of dimming the lights on an LCD board when the Cards came to bat. The umpires said they hadn't noticed anything.

If they are not throwing at hitters and then denying it (see Ryan Braun Tuesday night), the Card like to claim the other team cheats in some ways. But don't worry, the holier-than-thou Cardinals play strictly by the rules and it's just so unfair that no one else does.

La Russa's not the only offender. The newest member of the Evil Cardinals Club is Yadier Molina. His rage at the home plate umpire Tuesday night was inexcusable. His suggestion that the ump bumped him first is absurd. Hopefully, his outburst will cost him 10 games and put his team further behind the Crew. Good guys don't always finish last.

There is a positive side to all this of course. Nothing makes sports better than a winning team and a bitter rivalry. Was there anything better than the Packers beating the Bears in the NFC title game? La Russa's teams are always competitive and loathsome at the same time. Nothing will be better than beating them for the division. 

Can't Escape Prince Rumors

Rumors of Prince Fielder's next destination
 are hard to avoid.

The last month or so has been a great time be a fan of the Milwaukee Brewers. After a listless start, the Crew has gone 19-6, the best record in baseball since May 9. The off-season moves to shore up the pitching are paying dividends and the hitting stars Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are off to great starts.

But all is not tranquil. The rumors are already starting about where Fielder, a free agent after the season, will wind up in 2012. It's the archrival Chicago Cubs (that would be galling!) one day, the Baltimore Orioles the next. Or maybe the New York Mets. I hope somehow the big man remains a fixture at Miller Park, but it seems highly unlikely.

It's a sad fact of baseball that free agency often casts a shadow over a current season. The first time I remember it happening was during the 1991 World Series. Jack Morris pitched the Minnesota Twins to a World Series Victory. In the postgame show after Game 7, speculation was rampant about who Morris would sign with for 1992 (it was the Toronto Blue Jays.). So much for basking in a victory.

I'm not against free agency. Sure, it would be nice if team payrolls were more equal. But I doubt that will change. And even if Fielder leaves, the Brewers won't be an also-ran. They've done a good job locking up young players like Braun, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and Yovani Gallardo. Their starting rotation is locked up through at least next season.

So the future looks bright. But it sure would be nice to enjoy the present without having to consider the future without Prince.

Brewers Step Up to Keep Braun

It's an exciting day to be a Brewers fan. After a couple of high profile misses -- C.C. Sabathia and Prince Fielder -- they locked up Ryan Braun through 2020 with an option for 2021. In effect, Braun will be a Brewer for life. Hopefully, he will be this generation's Robin Yount.

That's a lot to ask, but Braun has been a star since he first hit the big club. During that time Prince Fielder has grabbed the headlines, but Braun has steadily banged out home runs and run the bases like a demon. It doesn't hurt that Fielder bats after him forcing pitchers to throw to Braun.

His home run production gets him mentioned in the same breath as sluggers like Kiner, Pujols and Mathews. He is fast on the bases and runs out every ground ball. The only knock on him is is his defense. At times he can make spectacular catches in left, while at other times he is reticent to come in on fly balls. His throwing can be erratic: He has a strong arm but he can make wild throws.

Must Batters Fiddle & Fidget?

I finally got around to watching Game 7 of the 1960 World Series (I kept seeing it on my DVR list and  passing it by). The game features Bill Mazeroski's stunning walk-off home run. A kinescope of the game was found in Bing Crosby's wine cellar and MLB Network built a three-hour special around the game.

Besides the obvious changes -- few on-screen graphics, no instant replay, a solo announcer among others -- one thing always stands out when I watch old games: batters rarely step out of the box between pitches. Sure a batter might be knocked down or have get out of the way of a pitch. In those cases he might step a few feet from the box.