An ugly lead

[Guest Edgy DC]

This ugly lead is courtesy of Derrick Goold of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH:

The Cardinals stumbled to the end of their most wretched road trip in 35 years and returned home an unraveling club in search of the pulse they apparently forgot to pack.

The article also included this ugly quote from David Eckstein:

"We are in a ... well, it's hard to say we're in a must-win situation because we've been in a must-win situation this whole trip and didn't do anything."

Want more? Well, there's always Tony LaRussa to add perspective.

"The truth is we lost seven games. Isn't that a large enough truth? What more do you need? We started off plus 1 (above .500) and came back minus 6. That's as big as it gets. I don't know what more you need to make than that."

Finally, there's Jim Edmonds:

"We're losing because we're not scoring runs and we're not stopping them from scoring runs."

You don't want to make too much of the backslide of the defending champions, because, but for the grace of God, we're living in 2003 again, but it's damn worth noting.

In my circle there runs a cute young woman --- who is actually a subtly nasty person who gets away with it because she's cute and young. She told me back in spring training that she was a Card fan and the Mets were "pond scum." I said, you know, I realize about rivalries and all, but you're allowed to be a bit more generous when your team is the defending champ.

So I don't want to be too much of a dick when I see her this weekend, but "Go, Pond Scum!"

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

The ironoic thing is that people from St. Louis think they're great fans only because a New Yorker (Bob Costas) tells them so and spreads the rumor.

The worst NYers ever say about St.L is that its flyover country. Which it is!

I don't get the whole pond scum thing. I know it dates back to the 80s and them being poor winners.

[bmfc1]

Costas is a native St. Louis'er (ite?). I've never forgiven the St. Louis fans for their treatment of Keith Hernandez after he returned as a Met. I guess these genius fans forgot how he helped their team win the Series.

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Costas is native a Lawn Guylander and a MFY fan. Commack South HS. My old roomie who was a limo driver said he was an awful tipper.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He's a native New Yorker who's been living in St. Louis for many years.

I think he lived in Commack. I know his mother did, anyway.

[Frayed Knot]

"Costas is a native St. Louis'er (ite?)."

Costas grew up a Mickey Mantle fan in Commack, Long Island.
I believe he first went to St Louis for a job as an announcer for the ABA St Louis Spirit and has lived there since.

IOW; resident, not native.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Wow, it took three people to jump on that comment!

[Guest Edgy DC]

Let 10:32-10:34 on September 14, 2007 henceforth be known as the Era of Costas Nativity Clarity.

[Frayed Knot]

The north shore mafia jumped all over that one.
GWreck kept us from perfect attendance.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I was half expecting a Scarlet Knight comeback.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Having gone to college in Missouri for three years I can tell you that by and lagre, St. Louis is a great baseball town.

The football team was pretty much an afterthought, which is why it fled.

[DocTee]

St Louis has a football team, and they won a Super Bowl to boot

[metirish]

Costas is a midget or so says B Bonds...for a while back there people were pushing his name for Baseball commissioner,don't hear that talk anymore though.

[bmfc1]

Yikes! Mea culpa!

[DocTee]

Mario Cuomo should be commissioner. He was a minior league outfielder, and has lots of legislative experience

[Benjamin Grimm]

They should've made George W. Bush commissioner. Maybe it would have kept him from running for the White House.

[Willets Point]

Yancy Street Gang wrote: They should've made George W. Bush commissioner. Maybe it would have kept him from running for the White House.

Why do you hate freedom and love terror?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Because I'm an East Coast secular elitist.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

DocTee wrote: St Louis has a football team, and they won a Super Bowl to boot

Well, I was referring to the first football team they had there, whch departed to Arizona.

The Rams run a distant second to the Cardinals in that city.

[Frayed Knot]

"The football team was pretty much an afterthought, which is why it fled"

Football definitely plays 2nd banana to baseball in St Louis (it was also a real good hockey town for a time) but lack of fan support/interest is rarely a reason why NFL teams move. Mostly it's the owner leveraging a better stadium/land/amenities deal (for himself) while the league stands by and feigns helplessness.