Panic Attack

I can't speak for how other baseball teams work, because I have only been a part of one fanbase in my life. But when it comes to real Cubs fans, there are two distinct types: the ones who believe 'This is our year' and the ones who ask 'When is my next nervous breakdown gonna happen?' (Of course there are [read more...]

The Beginning of the End

Two days ago the Wizard could barely hide his excitement. Things were going so well in Oz, the Cards had won five straight and were set to prove their legitimacy against the most aggressive team in this season's trade market, the Milwaukee Brewers. You know what's happened the past two days, so I won't bother to recap. I also won't come [read more...]

LOOGY’s Are Getting Me Excited

As I touched on yesterday, the Cardinals are all over the rumor mill - especially when it comes to left-handed relievers. That's no surprise, considering Ron Villone (1-2, 4.75 ERA) and Randy Flores (1-0, 4.95 ERA) have been less than impressive. My favorite site for the next week and a half, MLB Trade Rumors, put together a list of the LOOGY [read more...]

Looking Forward

The deliciously 10-games-over-.500 Redbirds continue to surprise - just ask anyone in the media. I'm beginning to believe that literally no one expected this, at least no one that has come forward yet. Even the hometown media is befuddled by St. Louis' 53-43 first half. As Bernie points out, even after the team has completed its successful first half, no one [read more...]

Let’s Make a Deal

Come on Cards. TLR asked for help three days ago, and no trade yet??!? It appears the Cardinals will make some kind of move before the MLB's trade deadline, as oddly enough after LaRussa went public with his thoughts on what the team should do in the wake of the CC Sabathia and Rich Harden trades, St. Louis has been popping [read more...]

Rough Week

It's been a rough week for the Wizard. Sleep has been difficult, with all the nightmares of a Brewers v Cubs NLCS (or, worse yet, a Cubs v Red Sox World Series). But no worries, because there is a ray of hope. Wait, what's that, no ray of hope? Ohhhh, well at least there are links. I hate to link to [read more...]

The Brain Leak

The Brain Leak (Week of 6/30/08 - 7/6/08) As displays of symbolic patriotism mark the skies and BBQ grills stoke the flames of tradition across the country during the venerable holiday weekend, the Leak firmly adheres to its original commitment of never taking a day off. In such spirit, it is with no regrets that I forgo the three-day weekend to [read more...]

The Brain Leak

(Week of 6/23/08 - 6/29/08) An abbreviated version of The Leak hits the deck this week. But fear not, begrudgingly loyal readers (who are yet to leave a comment), a stripped-down edition can still achieve the same psychoanalytic results as those garnered by the lengthy, self-indulging diatribes I am used to posting. Just think of it as the senseless yet oddly [read more...]

I never thought I’d say this, but…

Kyle Lohse is incredible. I was so wrong about Lohse that I’ve decided to devote an entire entry to it. Somewhat in my defense, when St. Louis signed Lohse to a one-year, $4.25 million deal in March I - along with just about everyone else - thought it was a good deal. But who could have expected this? Lohse is tied with [read more...]

Identity Crisis

We're dangerously close to the mind way point of the Major League Baseball season, and one troubling thought keeps popping up. Who are the Cardinals? The Fighting Walrus would undoubtedly say, "I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together", but I'm pretty sure you have to be on something to decipher that. So seriously, [read more...]

Pujols To Join The X-Men

The Wizard had a lot of excuses prepared for today's post. After all, the Cardinals have somehow managed to lose two in a row to the suddenly hot Kansas City Royals, so many excuses would be needed. There are the injuries, the fact that both games were one-run loses, flooding, etc., etc. It really comes down to the St. Louis offense not [read more...]

Infield of Woe

A loss yesterday to the Reds dropped the Cards to 1-1 since the Pujols injury - and 3-1 since Wainwright was placed on the DL. It's only two games, but a couple of things are obvious already. Chris Duncan isn't going to work out as the everyday first baseman. He might not even be a platoon option right now. He's 1-8 [read more...]

The Fighting Walrus

I'm not going to start off with the obvious news. Instead, let's talk college baseball. Turns out the fight that our #1 draft pick Brett Wallace got into before Arizona State's game against Fresno State was staged. Good news, I guess. But as Cardinals fans we can't waste this opportunity. Wallace is now and will always be known as the Fighting Walrus [read more...]

I’ve got your injuries right here

It's becoming apparent that injuries could be the downfall of this year's Cardinals squad. I know that's a really negative way to start this party, but we're getting a little nervous here in Oz. The good news is Pujols (strained calf) seems to be okay, at least judging by what he's telling the Post-Dispatch: "I feel better. But I also understand," Pujols [read more...]

Cardinals Draft Wallace

Boy do the Cardinals love drafting college players. Most everyone had the Cardinals taking a college pitcher, but instead they went with Arizona State third baseman Brett Wallace: He is the sixth position player taken in the first round by the Cardinals since 2003. Here is Baseball America’s scouting report on Wallace: Four of the top hitters in the college draft class-Wallace, Stanford’s [read more...]

They tried to make me go to rehab

Looks like Ryan Franklin's got a little bit of Izzy in him, judging from his last two games. Though I've been open about my excitement for the Chris Perez era to begin, I still like Franklin closing despite Perez being damn near unhittable so far (3 base runners allowed in 6.1 innings). But saves are overrated, so why not leave [read more...]

Duncan sent to AAA

Hot off the presses, Chris Duncan has been sent to AAA-Memphis. Prospect Joe Mather will take his place on the major league roster. Duncan has been pretty bad for a while now. As Bernie Miklasz pointed out yesterday, since July 29 of last season, Duncan is hitting .219/.322./.324. He's still only 27 years old, and I'm pretty sure everyone other than [read more...]

Well-balanced Cardinals thoughts

My Wii Fit has been telling me I'm unbalanced. At first I was angry, but then I thought it might have a point. So, in the interest of being more balanced, here's some random - and hopefully well-balanced - thoughts: Colby Rasmus is really struggling.  In fairness to the 21-year-old center fielder, he has struggled at each new minor league level, [read more...]

Why Chicks Should Be Banned From All-Star Voting

Perhaps I've been drinking too much of the Colin Cowherd Kool-aid, but I've realized female sports fans are messing with the natural order of things -- and that is turning me into a chauvinistic, repressive fool. As I recall, Colin has spoken about the upsides -- a requirement even -- of having a relationship with a girl who doesn't love sports. [read more...]

Boo Edmonds

I can only imagine what Cubs' fans must be thinking. After years of being flipped off and tortured, centerfielder Jim Edmonds is now a member of the Chicago Cubs where he will likely platoon in centerfield with Reed Johnson. While it would be easy to simply cheer for the man wearing the uniform of your favorite team. When the Chicago White [read more...]

Obituaries: Jason Isringhausen’s career

St. Louis - Jason Isringhausen's career as a Cardinal passed away today at the age of 6 after the once-dominate reliever dragged a gas can to the pitcher's mound, lit a match and blew up. Isringhausen, affectionately known to Cardinal's fans as 'Izzy', is the Cards all-time saves leader. Though his career as a Cardinal had gone through some rough patches [read more...]

Say Yes to Edmonds

I admit I have developed a respectful disdain for Jim Edmonds over the years. He was everything the Cubs always needed but never had - a left-handed, power hitting centerfielder who catches everything in the outfield, and, oh by the way, hits for average too. Over the years, while we've been subjected to the likes of Brant Brown, Jacque Jones [read more...]

Well That Was Painful

For a road trip that started off so promising - wins in the first two games as well as a lead in the eighth inning of the third - it really couldn't have gone worse for the Cards. While the evil team from the North Side of Chicago flexed their muscle and exacted a little revenge against Arizona, our beloved Redbirds [read more...]

Estrogen alert

First, I would like to thank everyone that read my first blog (all 20 of you, wow). I would also like to that the only person that left a comment, thanks Dad. Unfortunately, he was wrong about the Blue Jays being good, but he did get me on watching NASCAR - though only the highlights. Who can pass [read more...]

Mental Break

As you may have heard by now, Jason Isringhausen is no longer the Cards closer. No surprise after his "I'm pitching like a second-grader," blast. This is also a pretty good time to point out I called this on Thursday. Izzy and Tony LaRussa want everyone to know that this is a mental break: "We're going to try to give him [read more...]

Edmonds Released

Former Cardinal center fielder Jim Edmonds was released by the San Diego Padres today, according to USA Today. He was only hitting .178 with 1 HR and 6 RBIs. The soon-to-be 38-year-old has struggled with a right calf injury this season and his fielding has suffered as well as his hitting. Edmonds' agent said he hopes to catch on with [read more...]

The Rise of Ryan

In two games, two Cardinal pitchers have managed to bring about the question of just how good this staff is. First there was Izzy, who I already wrote about. Then, there was the Kyle Lohse debacle yesterday. The Cards number two starter allowed 7 runs and 8 hits in 4 innings, and in his last four starts his ERA has jumped [read more...]

The End of Izzy

There's a lot to like about Jason Isringhausen. He's the Cardinals all-time saves leader (216) and he's got a fantastic nickname - Izzy. But after blowing his fourth save of the season this year - and his second this month - it certainly appears his days as the Cardinals closer are numbered. After pitching as well as he ever has for [read more...]

IMHO: I’m a cranky, old bastard

First of all, let me start by saying that I am not LMAO right now. In fact, I want to kick you in your chuckling ass every time I get a reply via e-mail with Internet slang, jargon, shorthand, Tech-talk, Netspeak, Nu English, computer language or any other cutesy phrase that has been promulgated to describe this form of [read more...]

Mulder Suffers Another Setback

This will be the last time I mention Mark Mulder for 7 to 10 days. After all, there's no point in focusing on the negative when the Cardinals are 22-12 and in first place. But we now know Mulder will not be joining the major league team on May 14, when he's eligible to return. This morning he was diagnosed with [read more...]

I Heart Pujols

Yesterday I said the Cardinals are winning with smoke and mirrors. Last night Joel Pinero led the team in RBIs and Albert Pujols scored from second base on a ground out. I'm just saying. -I love Pujols. I almost made a comment about his base running gaffe against the Cubs on a botched hit and run. This just goes to show [read more...]

Smoke and Mirrors

The Cardinals are eerily good so far this season. This past weekend they somehow managed to turn 8 extra-base hits, a few singles and a bunch of walks into two wins over the second-place Cubs, who they now lead by 1 1/2 games in the NL Central. I expected a Kyle Lohse breakdown, so that was no surprise. But both Adam [read more...]

Cubs Come to Town

I'm not saying I'm not excited about an 18-11 April. But I am cautiously excited (and that's a hard thing to be). A couple of things jump out from out this past month. The Cardinals were 10-6 against division opponents and 3-2 against the Brewers. And the Cards haven't played the Cubs yet. Beating up on the bottom feeders of the NL [read more...]

Welcome

Welcome to the Wizard of Oz. I love Dorthy. I love Todo. But the blog is actually named for the most beloved shortstop in all of Cardinals Nation: Ceasar Izturis! Or maybe Ozzie Smith. With that, here's some links and thoughts: -Good news, Cardinals are in first place. Possibly better news, the Cubs have now lost five of seven and Kerry Wood [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Three Things That Made Me Mad About The World Series

Congratulations to the Red Sox. They beat the Cardinals fair and square, and pretty much manhandled them in every facet of the game during the World Series. As a Cardinals fan, I know I should be gracious in defeat. But really, where is the fun in that? So this week I bring you… Three Things That Made Me Mad About…The World Series 1. The base [read more...]

Boston Nears Sweep With Memories Fresh

In Monty Python's Holy Grail, one memorable scene unfolds as a man drags a cart down the street, as it overflows with those dead from the plague. He cries out, "Bring out your dead," as he drags on. At this point, one seemingly dead old man is placed on the cart, only to lament quietly, "But I'm not dead yet..." "Well, [read more...]

Baseball Still Has Paper Potency

Leave it to baseball to pummel unpredictability. After the dispassionate Boston Red Sox dropped a 3-1 yawner to the business as usual New York Yankees Wednesday night, we sighed. When the St. Louis Cardinals bats had finished plastering the Backe-end of the Houston Astros rotation to take a 1-0 series lead, we basked in the potency of our predictions. Predictability in [read more...]

Hart Surgery: A September to Remember

Baseball is a long season. At times, it is hard to get excited for any of the 162 games on the schedule. But as September dawns, the excitement of the approaching postseason begins to build as teams bear down for that final push towards the playoffs. There are many intriguing storylines to follow over the last month of this season, [read more...]

Hart Surgery: The Name Game

Albert Pujols needs a nickname. Badly. Every great hitter in the history of baseball has had one - from the Sultan of Swat to the Splendid Splinter, from the Georgia Peach to Charlie Hustle. Nearly four years into his professional career, it is hard to put into words what Pujols, the slugging first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, has accomplished thus far. Baseball has [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Playoff Time

Three things that make me mad about the baseball playoffs… 1. Adventures in mediocrity The recently completed baseball season has been lauded for providing incredible excitement in September, what with so many teams challenging for a playoff berth. Pardon me if my yawning gets too loud. What exactly is so exciting about a bunch of barely .500 teams duking it out [read more...]

Hart Surgery: Back to the Pastime

It is mid-June, and somehow I have neglected to write anything about the baseball season. I'd like to rectify that right now, with a new feature on Hart Surgery. I like to call it: 3 Things That Piss Me Off About Baseball… 1. LaRussa is LaWorst. Oh, I could go on forever about this one. The Cards have, [read more...]