The Cards announced they have signed Jeff Suppan to a pro-rated MLB minimum salary.

My take: couldn't hurt to see if Dunc can find any gas still in the tank. I have to agree that Walters, Hawksworth, and Ottavino have potential but not now. Jeff is a good end of the rotation guy who was signed to higher expectations than he could deliver. Put back in a comfortable situation with Dunc to find the flaws and he might again become a good end of rotation guy. Damn sure can't be any worse than what was in the 5 hole already, counting Lohse. And when Lohse comes off the DL, he will have to rehab, so we are in reality, to me, looking for someone to carry the load until September 1. He might as well try. If he can't do it, then release him too. We lose nothing but a couple of games....and maybe he gives us a chance.

I've been down on Albert lately....I forget he's human and his numbers are up with the league leaders. But he's doing crap he don't do....striking out a lot, popping up a lot, and swinging at crap I've never seen him swing at before. Holliday.....I'm waiting impatiently for him to start hitting.....it's hot as blue blazes down here in the bootheel and probably just as bad for Carter in Memphis. It is time to see what they paid for. Luddy is hot right now.

I think we saw in the last 3 games how much Rasmus and Freeze mean to that lineup. Never thought I'd say that. Bernie also pointed out that Schu had improved his defense but is still a minus defender and not hitting puts him in jeopardy. Lopez might take over the job full time....or short....or maybe Greene who is tearing the ball up in AAA. Something has to give.

Molina hit that ground rule double that should have scored Albert except for that idiot fan who reached over and touched it....so maybe his slump is ending.....Let's hope. I have been overly negative and I don't like it. I will try to change and be more positive and realistic......Till they lose another 3 in a row looking like the rookie league club could beat them....

ADDENDUM TO FIRST PART: FROM BERNIE BYTES:

* I just had St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak on my 101 ESPN radio show, and it sure sounds like the Cardinals are interested — very much so — in signing free-agent pitcher Jeff Suppan, who was released by Milwaukee earlier this week. The GM said the Cardinals are in search of starting pitching and that he’s made calls to other teams to determine what is available. But Mozeliak isn’t encouraged by what he’s hearing from other teams, so the Cardinals apparently are resetting their approach to examine veteran pitchers who are available now. Mozeliak said it is important for a guy to be ready to pitch ASAP which gives Suppan an advantage over out-of-work pitchers (Braden Looper, Pedro Martinez) who haven’t pitched at all this season. Suppan doesn’t have to get his arm in condition. He also has a history with PC Dave Duncan, so in theory he could assimilate quickly.

Here is what Mozeliak had to say about Suppan. I asked: are you interested in Suppan?

“We are. I mean we have to look at it because we know that he can be ready to pitch quickly and so that’s something that we can’t ignore. But now what I really want to do is, I think the real test is, do we think he can be effective. And so we’re going to look at a lot of video here, and I assure you that we’ve already done a lot of that already, and then we’ll make our decision here in the next day or two.”

Question: Why has Suppan fallen off course? It’s not as if he’s lost much if any velocity.

Mozeliak: “You know, that’s a great question and one I think it’s really about how you approach hitters. Becasue as you said his stuff appears to be the same but his results aren’t and that usually fits pretty good for the Cardinals. In other words, if its not about reinventing the pitcher in terms of velocity, secondary pitches, we’re usually OK because then it becomes a strategic situation and Duncan is probably the best at that. That’s why we have to give that real consideration. I’m sure in Jeff’s case he’s going to weigh all his opportunities but hopefully he also remembers his success here. So we have a couple little things to work through, but that’s how I read it right now.”

Speaks very highly of Jeff Luhnow.

I guess this good since we got him on the cheap. I do wonder on the other hand if they even kicked the Chisox tires about Buerhle. According to ESPN he's a 10/5 guy as of early next month. I don't know, I wonder what they'll get for him. If he does and it was (financially or player/s in exchange) feasible for us. I might get a tad pissed off about it.

not thrilled about bringing suppan back. His bad years with the brewers and he is getting older. But Duncan would rather deal with that than the younger pitchers.
Mo is nothing but a tony's boy, b y his recent moves.

For less the $300,000 I don't see a downside to Soup. Even if he fails that amount of money won't prevent them from making another move.

luckycards08 wrote:not thrilled about bringing suppan back. His bad years with the brewers and he is getting older. But Duncan would rather deal with that than the younger pitchers.
Mo is nothing but a tony's boy, b y his recent moves.

Yeah, it'd be a really good idea to hire a manager and go against what kind of players he wants. The younger pitchers are garbage, and Soup has some history of success here.

People get awfully worked up about how the organization is run judging by picking up a decent veteran for the league minimum.

Demon wrote:I guess this good since we got him on the cheap. I do wonder on the other hand if they even kicked the Chisox tires about Buerhle. According to ESPN he's a 10/5 guy as of early next month. I don't know, I wonder what they'll get for him. If he does and it was (financially or player/s in exchange) feasible for us. I might get a tad pissed off about it.

The thing about Buerhle is he isn't available till next
season, whilst Sup can don a uni and start against
the A's the weekend already.
edit: my bad, the A's are next week---

I guess my wish was granted like you said Sig, and
dam, they were talking with him.

Gantster, I'm with ya, on the VET for league minimum.

I can't see it going wrong, hell, he's not injured, he's
either out of gas or off his stuff.

Dunc can handle the latter.

Age is age, not much will help that.

I think we all knew that like Miles, Tony would want Soup. I don't give a shit who Tony sends down or signs. Nothing I can do about it. I'm getting a hard skin. Tony haters need that.

Gantz57 wrote:

luckycards08 wrote:not thrilled about bringing suppan back. His bad years with the brewers and he is getting older. But Duncan would rather deal with that than the younger pitchers.
Mo is nothing but a tony's boy, b y his recent moves.

Yeah, it'd be a really good idea to hire a manager and go against what kind of players he wants. The younger pitchers are garbage, and Soup has some history of success here.

People get awfully worked up about how the organization is run judging by picking up a decent veteran for the league minimum.

Geeze....

Lets see... Old Vet Vs Young Pup.

Both the Vet and the Kids are garbage right now but the kids are under control and can be valulable down the road. To sit ther and say that Soup is not garbage right now is a real stretch and borderline lie. I know I know you didn't say, but you didn't say otherwise either. You just said the kids are garbage.

They need to learn and take their lumps.

With the Vets they just take the lumps (and so do the fans)

The vet takes away the experience of the show from the Kids.

Sure Soup has had some success but can he pick himself up is the better question to ask.

I don't have a problem with the minimum, but at the cost of the kids?

That I don't know.

We'll see

Bernie had some interesting comments....basically Sup's velocity is basically the same. He can't pitch inside anymore...they are tearing him up and anything he leaves over the middle is being pounded. but any pitcher who leaves it out over the plate usually gets pounded. He doesn't get as many ground balls as he used to.

If the pitch speed is the same, to Bernie it boils down to location, location, location. If Sup can hit his spots with Yadi, and Dunc can find a flaw of some kind (his forte), then Sup is a good gamble and make a good end of rotation pitcher. If he doesn't hack it in 3 or 4 starts....we've paid the minimum and have really lost nothing, while the other guys pitch in AAA and get some confidence back and more experience. I think any manager, not just TLR, would want a veteran with a track record rather than an unproven rookie unless he is highly touted like Strasburg......

This will be interesting to watch. I'm not sure our first acquisition of Suppan would be considered a "reclamation project." He was very good in the 1st half the prior year...he just struggled after being traded to Boston. But this would be considered a reclamation project. He's a lot older now, and hitters are eating him alive. We'll see. At least he's cheap. And we do need some help at the back end of the rotation.

Curveball76 wrote:

Gantz57 wrote:

luckycards08 wrote:not thrilled about bringing suppan back. His bad years with the brewers and he is getting older. But Duncan would rather deal with that than the younger pitchers.
Mo is nothing but a tony's boy, b y his recent moves.

Yeah, it'd be a really good idea to hire a manager and go against what kind of players he wants. The younger pitchers are garbage, and Soup has some history of success here.

People get awfully worked up about how the organization is run judging by picking up a decent veteran for the league minimum.

Geeze....

Lets see... Old Vet Vs Young Pup.

Both the Vet and the Kids are garbage right now but the kids are under control and can be valulable down the road. To sit ther and say that Soup is not garbage right now is a real stretch and borderline lie. I know I know you didn't say, but you didn't say otherwise either. You just said the kids are garbage.

They need to learn and take their lumps.

With the Vets they just take the lumps (and so do the fans)

The vet takes away the experience of the show from the Kids.

Sure Soup has had some success but can he pick himself up is the better question to ask.

I don't have a problem with the minimum, but at the cost of the kids?

That I don't know.

We'll see

I'm with you here to a point.

Supp could very well help those kids too, and we've
thought that about other pitchers before, right?

Is the Otter still on the big club?

hicard wrote:

Curveball76 wrote:

Gantz57 wrote:

luckycards08 wrote:not thrilled about bringing suppan back. His bad years with the brewers and he is getting older. But Duncan would rather deal with that than the younger pitchers.
Mo is nothing but a tony's boy, b y his recent moves.

Yeah, it'd be a really good idea to hire a manager and go against what kind of players he wants. The younger pitchers are garbage, and Soup has some history of success here.

People get awfully worked up about how the organization is run judging by picking up a decent veteran for the league minimum.

Geeze....

Lets see... Old Vet Vs Young Pup.

Both the Vet and the Kids are garbage right now but the kids are under control and can be valulable down the road. To sit ther and say that Soup is not garbage right now is a real stretch and borderline lie. I know I know you didn't say, but you didn't say otherwise either. You just said the kids are garbage.

They need to learn and take their lumps.

With the Vets they just take the lumps (and so do the fans)

The vet takes away the experience of the show from the Kids.

Sure Soup has had some success but can he pick himself up is the better question to ask.

I don't have a problem with the minimum, but at the cost of the kids?

That I don't know.

We'll see

I'm with you here to a point.

Supp could very well help those kids too, and we've
thought that about other pitchers before, right?

Is the Otter still on the big club?

You are gonna eat your words about the Otter before it's all over!...... The kid stays in the picture!

OK, that's good with me.

sumbitch best not be washin up on one of our beaches...............