Bleacher Report - Articles by Ben Weixlmann

St. Louis Cardinals Lose Again, Struggles Still Exist

Ben Weixlmann — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:31:29 -0400

ST. LOUIS—Struggles. That’s been the single word of choice from St. Louis Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa the past week or so. After a three-game slide to one of the worst teams in the National League, there isn’t much else you can say.

That doesn’t mean that there were some positives to come out of Sunday’s affair, albeit few and far between. Skip Schumaker and Colby Rasmus led the game off with back-to-back hits, and Albert Pujols drove them both in on a rare two-RBI sacrifice fly.

It was all downhill from there, though. Starter Joel Pineiro pitched what La Russa called, “OK. Capable of doing better”. He was tagged for three runs in five-plus innings, and the Cardinals’ offense could never muster up a comeback.

It would be one thing if it were just the hitting or the pitching that was having issues, because one could pick the other one up. It’s a whole different story when neither one can produce.

Pineiro, in my opinion, did enough for the Cardinals, but another bullpen debacle put a halt to any comeback talk.

There were some very straight-forward and purposeful questions asked by the scribes today in the postgame press conference, and I wasn’t all too encouraged by what I heard.

“The club you see is the club we’ll play” La Russa noted when asked whether any Triple-A Memphis players could help boost the current situation. “We’ll figure something out for tomorrow.”

They don’t have a lot of time, either. They’ve been outscored by the lowly Rockies 28-7 over the last three ballgames, and the front office doesn’t seem to have budged one bit as far as making a move.

“You either do or you don’t in this league,” La Russa said.

It’s quite certain that over the past two weeks, the Cardinals haven’t had much of anything.

The lone bright spot for the Cardinals’ lineup as of late has been the play of Colby Rasmus. He’s hitting the ball a lot better and looks much more confident up at the plate.

“He’s been swinging that way for a while now,” La Russa remarked, when questioned about Rasmus’ 2-3 afternoon. “He’s taking good at-bats.”

I’ve been teetering back-and-forth as to what I think could be the potential issue with these Cardinals. Some days it looks like the pitching, and others it looks like the hitting, but most days lately it’s been both.

I tend to blame the bats more though. Every time the Cardinals seem to be in good position, one of the supposed “big bats” comes up to the plate and doesn’t get the job done.

The speculation that a player like Mark DeRosa or Matt Holliday would become a member of the Cardinals continues to die more quickly by the day as far as I’m concerned.

The only positive that I can fathom from this awful rud is that the more the Cardinals lose, the faster ownership would be to make a move.

Fact of the matter is though, is that this team has been performing poorly for a while now. With the latest loss, the Local Nine are 2-5 in the month of June, and have scored five runs just once.

Pitchers can only do so much if the run support isn’t there. Although I understand that slumping happens, it should not, and is not acceptable in such long stretches like this.

It puts mounds of pressure on not only the starting pitchers but the bullpen to go out and put up zeroes, because they know that even the slimmest of mistakes could cost the team the game.

La Russa isn’t only visibly frustrated, his comments spoke volumes today.

“Score more runs, would be a step in the right direction,” La Russa said.

It really doesn’t get more rudimentary than that. That sounds more like a second-grade lesson explaining the difference of winning and losing.

If Triple-A Memphis isn’t where the Cardinals are going to get that extra bat to put them over the hump, then they need to look squarely at some of those prospects and package them together for a bonafide Major Leaguer who will get the job done.

“Guys are bothered, and they aren’t pleased,” La Russa commented.

There’s no reason to feel any other way if you are wearing the red-and-white right now. This team is in a lot of trouble.

“You got to keep breathing, keep working,” La Russa said.

Cardinals' Cold Bats, Terrible Pitching Continue to Frustrate

Ben Weixlmann — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 23:21:36 -0400

ST. LOUIS--When St. Louis Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa walked into the room for his postgame press conference Monday night, he had a look of frustration, exhaustion, and disgust.

After a poor homestand against the Cincinnati Reds, in which the Cardinals split the four-game set, they have started off a four-game series with the Colorado Rockies by getting blasted 11-4 and 10-1, respectively.

Cardinals starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer, who has been the weakest link in the rotation this season, looked dismal in his seven innings.

He threw 112 pitches, 71 for strikes, and gave up six runs. His biggest issue, though, was control. He allowed three walks, and all of them resulted in runs for the visiting Rockies.

“He did all right,” La Russa said after the game. “But it’s not good enough.”

There is one telling stat that shows that Wellemeyer is obviously not doing well enough. According to Matthew Leach, reporter at stlcardinals.com, Wellemeyer has allowed more runs in one inning than the Cardinals’ have scored in one game six out of the last 12 starts.

I don’t care how you shake it, that’s not going to get it done.

Neither pitching nor hitting has been very effective for the Cardinals lately. With two outs, Wellemeyer gave up a three-run blast to Ian Stewart, who finished the night with 5 RBIs, and the route was in session.

Rookie Blake Hawksworth made his Major League debut and pitched a scoreless frame before letting up a three-run home run to Todd Helton.

Pitching isn’t the only concern for the Cardinals, though.

Their lone run was scored on a Rick Ankiel home run, and furthermore, the Cardinals didn’t have a runner in scoring position all night.

Even more telling is the fact that the Cards are 6-for-46 with runners in scoring position on this homestand.

Something has to change. The Cardinals have tried calling up relievers to stop the bleeding, but for now those pitchers have been seeing the mop-up innings or as La Russa would refer to them, the “[insert expletive here] innings” due to blowouts.

After sitting around and waiting for the front office to make a move, I’m slowly but surely running out of time and patience.

La Russa vowed tonight that the Cardinals can “work on things and we can fix it”, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Not with this lineup. Not with the way this pitching staff is tossing the ball, save for Chris Carpenter.

As I look over my notes from the last couple of days at the ballpark, I’m seeing a lot of circles around plays on my scorecard on the Cardinals' side.

Those indicate outs, for those of you didn't follow. The Cardinals hit a mind-boggling 4-for-30 on the night. Any major league team would be lucky to lose by three runs given that offensive statline.

What started out as a joke around the press box, is rapidly becoming a reality: if the Cardinals’ pitching lets up four or more runs, the game is essentially over.

They have scored more than three runs only twice in their last nine contests, including a 3-1 victory on Thursday night against the Reds.

La Russa keeps lobbying for another bat, going so far as to say that the Oakland Athletics’ outfielder Matt Holliday is a “bat of interest”.

But for right now, it doesn’t seem as though general manager John Mozeliak feels comfortable pulling the trigger on a deal despite his aggressive public remarks.

From a GM who said earlier this week at the ballpark that the Cardinals were definitely weighing their options and taking offers seriously, there’s nothing to show for it.

In the meantime though, the fans are booing, the tension is growing, and most importantly, the Cardinals are losing.

Tyler Greene's Recall Should Benefit Cardinals

Ben Weixlmann — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:34:43 -0400

When the St. Louis Cardinals drafted Tyler Greene with the 30^th overall pick in the 2005 draft, they knew they were getting a polished player. After all, Greene was a top high-school prospect and was drafted in the second round in 2002 by the Atlanta Braves. Many scouts figured Greene would forgo college and take his skills to the professional ranks, but after deciding he could fine-tune his game at Georgia Tech, the pros simply had to wait a while.

Unfortunately for Greene, though, so too did the major leagues. He was called up by the Cardinals on April 30, 2009, at the age of 25. Looking back, perhaps Greene regrets his decision to say no to the pros, but then again, he’s still in the big leagues.

I got a chance to catch up with him today before the series’ opener against the Colorado Rockies. Greene was just recalled from Triple-A Memphis as the Cardinals put pitcher Kyle Lohse on the 15-day disabled list. Since his demotion, Greene was killing the ball in Memphis to the tune of a .378 batting average in 10 games with the minor-league affiliate.

“I was really starting to feel comfortable [up here],” Greene said. “It just feels nice to be back here to get a chance to show what I’m capable of.”

In his first at-bat, Greene singled and stole a base, getting off to a hot start. He didn’t cool down either, going 2-for-2 with two walks, reaching base in all four plate appearances.

The only problem was that the Cardinals bullpen had a debacle in the seventh inning, allowing nine runs to put the game out of reach. Manager Tony La Russa described the struggles as “very atypical, they’ve been good all year.”

For Greene, though, this had to be the kind of start he wanted.

“I learn a lot from Khalil, Ryno [Brendan Ryan], Skip [Schumaker]. All those guys really have helped me get to where I am right now.” Greene said.

Greene might have felt the pressure, but he sure didn’t act that way.

“Up here the game is quicker, the speed is faster. The pitchers have more movement,” Greene remarked when asked what the biggest difference was between the Major Leagues and Triple-A.

With some fine defensive plays and the only live bat not named Albert Pujols, Greene is well on his way to seeing his name in the starting lineup for several days, and perhaps weeks, to come.

Albert Pujols Defines History in St. Louis

Ben Weixlmann — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:57:16 -0400

ST. LOUIS—LeBron James might be “The King”, but in St. Louis, locals will tell you there’s a more important person in town, “El Hombre”. Albert Pujols has offered the sport of baseball one of its most amazing spectacles of talent ever.

I was watching the Giants vs. Nationals earlier today in the press box to see if Randy Johnson would complete a historic feat, 300 wins. The mammoth lefty did, indeed, do so by pitching six innings of unearned ball.

I don’t mean to diminish what Johnson did, because that feat may not happen again, ever. But after seeing Pujols go deep for his 17th home run of the season, a 431-foot shot in which centerfielder Chris Dickerson took about three steps and then conceded the longball, I can confidently say I am witnessing history as it is occurring.

I may not have been tuned in to see more than 20 of Johnson’s wins, but I watch the large majority of Cardinals games, and I have seen enough to feel comfortable saying that No. 5 is well on his way to becoming one of the best players to lace them up. If he were in a bigger market such as New York, fans all over the world would be going berserk for him.

It’s clear who the best player in baseball is. A couple years ago there was a heated debate between he and A-Rod, quite similar to Kobe vs. LeBron, but no longer. Pujols committed himself in the offseason and decided to put all discussion to rest.

There have been some absolute gems in Cardinals’ history, but in just his ninth season, Pujols has surpassed all but one of those, Stan “The Man” Musial. Of course, he must get through ten seasons and retire, but Pujols is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.

Although he ranks 17th in games played for the Cardinals, he is in the top 10 in seven different offensive categories, not to mention the fact that he is second to Musial in home runs.

What makes Albert so great? Ask Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa, and he could go for hours on end. He gets as giddy as a 10-year-old girl meeting the Jonas Brothers when he someone asks him to describe his MVP slugger.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, La Russa said, "His physical skills are exceptional. His technical skills are outstanding. He is as intelligent as you can be about eating, about working out, about understanding his swing. He remembers at-bats going back years. He has terrific courage at the plate, and this relentless desire to be part of a winning team."

The Albert Pujols lovefest didn’t stop there, though. Hitting coach Hal McRae wanted in on the act, too. "He's a greedy hitter. He wants to get all the hits, all the RBIs, all the important at-bats. He never gives in, never gives away an at-bat, never wants to leave a game.”

Earlier this season, La Russa went so far as to say that Pujols was “perfect”. I’m no rocket scientist, but I’m pretty sure you can’t get any better than that.

As I pen this article, Pujols is terrorizing starter Aaron Harang and the Reds. First the two-run shot, now an RBI double scorched off the left field wall.

In speaking with some of the finest St. Louis reporters in the press box who have the pleasure of watching Pujols on a daily basis, they all say the same thing, “I’ve never seen anything like [Pujols].”

After Pujols’ rope off the fence in the fifth inning, I turned to Matthew Leach, a reporter for stlcardinals.com, and said, “There’s not much you say besides, ‘He’s good’. You must have heard all of the comments before”. His response: “The challenge is stretching that into an 800-word game story 30 or 40 times a year.”

So I say to you sports fans, no matter who you support, if you get a chance to see Pujols play, you too will be able to watch history. After all, there’s a reason they call him “El Hombre”.

There's Something to be Said for Rehab Assignments

Ben Weixlmann — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:24:33 -0400

Although they are becoming less and less popular among Major League teams, rehabilitation assignments have shown capability to work. So why would teams rush players back? Probably because they want to test them out against top-flight competition, in the chance that they can come back and contribute immediately.

Like most things in life, though, risks have their unfortunate sides as well.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ management has been a front-row seat for two rehab-skips gone wrong. Outfielders Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel both came back up into the big leagues without going to the minors first, and the rust is more than evident.

Ankiel is a horrific 2-for-18 since his return from the DL, and Ludwick is statistically worse, at 1-for-15.

Maybe there’s something to be said about rehab assignments, after all. Perhaps it’s because of the abundance of rookies on the Cardinals roster. They’ve inserted 11 of them into the local nine, which tops the majors by a wide margin.

I’m pretty torn on this subject, though. I really think it was necessary to have Ludwick back in the lineup to give Albert Pujols protection.

With Nick Stavinoha, the only other Cardinals position player hitting well during Ludwick’s absence, the Cardinals averaged around three runs per game, but were saved by some of the best pitching in manager Tony La Russa’s tenure as the head man for the Redbirds.

Ankiel could have used a rehab stint, though. He got a double last night, but he still looks miffed at times at the plate, and has struck out eight times in six games since returning.

I really think he is a huge piece to the puzzle as far as contending for the NL Central crown is concerned. He might not provide as much offense as Ludwick, but having another bat that can do damage makes this lineup very scary.

Pujols is the equivalent of two All-Star caliber players when you look at his ability, and with Ludwick and Ankiel swinging the bat well, this lineup is downright dangerous.

Look no further than this season for some evidence that rehab stints, indeed, do work.

Shortstop Brendan Ryan made his way back down to Triple-A Memphis earlier this season after he went out with a hamstring injury. He didn’t get a hit in eight plate appearances in Memphis, but when he came back to St. Louis, he was ready to improve not only in the field, but at the dish, as well.

In fact, he is hitting .283 in his last 28 days which is up from his .250 average before the injury took place.

Even if the player doesn’t have a productive rehab stint, as evidenced with Ryan, chances are he will still be less rusty when he returns to the lineup up in the bigs.

I understand where La Russa and manager John Mozeliak were coming from when they made the decision to allow Ankiel to resume play. Just about any manager/general manager combination would be feeling the pressure to insert a big bat back into the lineup with the historic offensive struggles that the Cardinals witnessed in May.

Nonetheless, Memphis needs to be the route for these big-leaguers if they are to have a first few weeks of respectable baseball when it’s time to make a return trip to Busch Stadium.

Help Wanted: Third Baseman with a Heavy Bat

Ben Weixlmann — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:41:35 -0400

Joe Thurston.

Brian Barden.

Tyler Greene.

David Freese.

All have played third base, none have done well, and it’s as simple as that.

Thurston and Barden have got the bulk of playing time, and both have made some fine plays, but tonight was just another example of “Help Wanted: Third Baseman.”

Thurston committed a costly error in the fourth inning which allowed Cincinnati to take a 2-1 lead. It will probably be overlooked though, because Thurston had a decent night at the plate and the Cardinals rallied to win 5-2.

Forget about the defensive issues though, it’s really about the collective performance at the plate.

The four previously mentioned players have batting averages of .262, .239, .263, and .158 respectively.

That’s not going to get it done, and the organization definitely knows it.

General manager John Mozeliak came into the press box upstairs last night to give us writers a briefing on 2008 starter Troy Glaus. Glaus is making progress and is able to do “baseball activities,” but even “Mo” isn’t ready to say definitively whether or not Glaus will be back at all this year.

Thus, let the Major League-wide search for a third baseman begin.

I’m going to borrow a couple lines from Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch because, to be honest, I don’t think anyone could describe it better:

“HELP WANTED: BAT. Preferably righthanded, but not absolutely necessary. Should be able to play third base. Additional positions a plus. Benefits include batting near reigning National League MVP. Job requirements are RBI, power, presence, goosing a stumbling offense. Will consider offering pitching in exchange for ideal candidate. Salary flexible, according to ownership. Temps need not apply.”

That’s essentially exactly what the Cardinals need.

After a couple long months of waiting, they’re aggressively searching for a viable option, or at least that’s what they want us all to think. Some names were thrown around both tonight and last night amongst us scribes in the press box, but it’s possible that the list ranges even longer than our collective thoughts.

One encouraging sign for Cardinals fans is the fact that Mozeliak publicly said that there isn’t a salary issue. Along with cost-conscience owner Bill DeWitt, it seems as though the Cardinals are finally ready to take the wallet out of the pocket and pay what they need to get the best talent instead of penny-pinching.

So, who might the Cardinals pick up?

The Colorado Rockies fired their manager Clint Hurdle the other day and are reportedly shopping Garrett Atkins quite aggressively. He’s hitting just .196 and the Cardinals, without a doubt, need another bat in the lineup.

But take a look at his recent numbers, and you might think more highly of him.

Last year he hit .286, with 21 home runs and 99 RBI. That doesn’t even touch his career year of 2006 when he hit .329 with 29 home runs and 120 RBI. He’s only 29 and he can flat out hit the ball if he’s in the right environment to do so.

Granted, Coors Field—Atkins’ stomping grounds, are just about as quintessential a “hitter’s park” as you’ll find in the Majors right now. Playing for a team that is downright awful though makes it very difficult to come to the ballpark everyday and care about what you’re doing.

Maybe a change of scenery will help him out.

Another very possible option would be the Cleveland Indians’ Mark DeRosa.

The ex-Chicago Cub can really swing the wood not to mention his versatility in the field, being capable of playing four positions. I was getting more and more positive, thinking this would be the deal that would go down.

But, according to Mark Shapiro—the Indians’ GM—he still has faith that the Indians will come out of the cellar to contend this year and isn’t ready to shop all of his players quite yet.

Other sources have mentioned the Texas Rangers’ third baseman Hank Blalock.

He has been relegated to bench duties since Michael Young switched to play third base this season, but he still carries a very powerful bat and is more than serviceable on the defensive side of things. He’s hitting .258 with 12 home runs and 28 RBI—that’s one less RBI than Thurston, Barden, Greene, and Freese combined.

In my opinion, the best move would be to first take a serious look at DeRosa and then use Atkins as your second option. DeRosa is by far the best fielder of the bunch, and (with his versatility) he can certainly give some of the youngsters, such as Brendan Ryan or Skip Schumaker a day off.

Not to mention he could also help out in a veteran leadership role and improve other people’s defensive abilities.

Protection for Albert Pujols hasn’t been easy to come by for the Cardinals.

And, so far, Ryan Ludwick hasn’t been holding up his end of the bargain. He is 1-16 since returning from the DL on Friday in San Francisco, but it’s been somewhat apparent that his presence in the lineup has been helping Pujols nonetheless.

Pujols has been tearing the cover off the ball lately, raising his batting average from to .323 to .339 in the five games since Ludwick’s return.

I don’t necessarily have an answer to “who,” but it needs to be someone and “I don’t know” can’t be Mozeliak’s final answer.

The clock is ticking and Mozeliak’s about to use his last lifeline.

Cardinals Injuries Make Going Tough

Ben Weixlmann — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:40:22 -0400

It’s no secret that the St. Louis Cardinals’ bats have been ice-cold lately.

Stellar pitching has kept them on the heels of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central standings, but with recent injuries to both the pitching staff and lineup, they will most certainly need to find a more balanced attack to win on a consistent basis.

They may be getting the timing right, though, with an eight-game homestand starting tonight. 2008 All-Star outfielder Ryan Ludwick will be taking the night off after testing out his body in the San Francisco series.

I, for one, am not a proponent of continually putting struggling hitters before and after slugger Albert Pujols, but left-handed big bopper Chris Duncan will try his best to provide protection tonight while Ludwick watches on.

It certainly beats outfielder Rick Ankiel, who has had several abysmal plate appearances since coming off of the DL last week. The former pitcher is looking much more like a “one," rather than a “two through nine” at the plate if you’re catching my drift.

After turning scorching hot in the San Francisco series, Pujols has raised his batting average to .339, with no apparent signs of cooling down. It’ll be a test to see how he holds up without Ludwick as protection in the lineup tonight.

Here’s what I’m looking for right now though, not only out of this series, but for the foreseeable future: infielder Joe Thurston to see his playing time decreased, which quite frankly is for the good of the team. I think he’s a liability defensively. Sure, he’ll have his fair share of decent stops, but so does Brian Barden.

Furthermore, though, Thurston allows himself far too much leisure when throwing to Pujols on a groundout, and often puts Pujols in precarious situations. The rest of the infield defense seems to be shored up though.

People can rant all they want about Skip Schumaker at second base, but for his first year at the position, he’s more than serviceable and his bat is far too valuable to leave him out of the lineup, in my opinion.

Pujols may very well be the best defensive player on the infield, but Brendan Ryan is giving him a strong run for his money. His combination of athleticism, smarts, and speed allow him to make plays that Khalil Greene could have made…four years ago.

Mark my words. As of June 1, 2009, this team will be in contention for the NL Central crown in the last week of the season. Every team fights through tough times. The Chicago Cubs have made almost as many DL stints this year as JD Drew in his career; the Reds are suffering without phenom Joey Votto in the lineup, and the Cardinals have the aforementioned troubles with various injuries.

You might be reading this and thinking, “Wow! The Cardinals need a lot." While that may seem true, I must remind you that virtually this same exact ballclub got off to an incredible start in April behind strong bats and equally strong pitching.

If the Cardinals can revert back to their April days, I have the utmost confidence that they will win the division and contend for a World Series berth once October hits.

However, if the lineup stalls and the Cardinals’ hurlers decide to visit Phoenix sparking a drought, something not yet seen this year, the Cardinals will be fighting with the Cincinnati Reds for third place in the division, spending yet another playoff season on vacation.

Brendan Ryan and Nick Stavinoha Aiding St. Louis Cardinals' Success

Ben Weixlmann — Sun, 24 May 2009 15:34:48 -0400

ST LOUIS—It should come as no surprise that the St. Louis Cardinals are contending for first place in the NL Central; after all, they’ve been a powerhouse for years. What may surprise most, is that the Cardinals are winning ballgames with so many different lineup combinations.

Included in that, though, are a major-league high eleven rookies, five of who are making their major league debuts. I’ve been on-scene at Busch Stadium all weekend in an attempt to spotlight two of those young players, third-year infielder Brendan Ryan and rookie outfielder Nick Stavinoha.

At first glance, St. Louis Cardinals’ infielder Brendan Ryan isn’t any different than the majority of major league baseball players. He’s a 27-year-old fighting for time at shortstop, eager to see the field.

In Stavinoha’s case, he looks more like your prototypical NFL linebacker than your average rightfielder. Turns out, he played football at the University of Houston for a year before deciding that baseball was his calling.

When I spoke with Ryan prior to a series against the Diamondbacks late last season, he was very optimistic for this season, and for good reason. After a solid spring training, Ryan’s “audition” had turned into fruition, and he was on the big club.

Ryan produced several solid defensive plays in an early season series against the Atlanta Braves, and after the much-documented struggles of free-agent signing Khalil Greene, he has been thrust into the rotation on a more regular basis.

It’s just as difficult for teammates as it is for fans to see Greene struggle with anxiety issues, which seem to have been parlayed into hitting and fielding troubles, as well.

Whether Ryan will become Tony La Russa’s everyday choice at shortstop is uncertain, and he’s definitely not ready to make that premature assumption.

“It's always nice when you're a starter, but for right now, I am fine with my bench role,” Ryan said.

Hitting just .241 is no guaranteed ticket for everyday play, but La Russa has openly stated that Ryan is among the best defensive options the ballclub has to offer.

As a columnist here for BleacherReport.com, I think it’s reasonable to interject my own opinion regarding the topic. That being said, no offense to Khalil or Tyler Greene, but I really think this should be Ryan’s job.

La Russa told the Associated Press last week that Khalil Greene has been relegated to utility status until he can figure out his swing, troubled by his aforementioned anxiety issue.

Inevitably this means that Ryan will be getting a healthy handful of starts in the upcoming weeks. For example, in the first game of the Cardinals’ 2009 interleague debut series, Ryan was etched in to start at shortstop, hitting 9th in the batting order.

Perhaps another reason why Ryan is being received in such a positive light by management is his defensive production. His highlight reels aren’t the main body of his defensive prowess, though.

He’s turned five double plays in just eight games at shortstop, and has yet to commit an error.

Ryan seems to have received some extra security prior to Sunday’s series finale with the Cardinals optioning Tyler Greene to Triple-A Memphis at the news of Rick Ankiel’s activation.

This clearly means that La Russa feels as though Ryan can be a strong contributor to the team.

Stavinoha probably won’t be as fortunate, though. He is likely to be optioned upon the activation of 20008 All-Star outfielder Ryan Ludwick, which is expected to be sometime next week.

As cliché as it sounds; Stavinoha is honestly taking it “one day at a time”.

"I'm not going to sit here and think about what could happen or what might happen." Stavinoha said.

After starting seven straight games, Stavinoha was relegated to the bench for Sunday’s afternoon matinee in favor of Ankiel, Colby Rasmus, and Chris Duncan. In this series, though, he has been on a power binge, hitting two key RBI hits in the first inning to pace the Cardinals to victory.

His defensive abilities haven’t been challenged much yet in the bigs, but my estimation from seeing him play for the last week is that he has nice mobility with relatively good awareness. La Russa put it best, “He’s a smart guy”.

The recent success also must come as a relief to “Stavi”, who hit just .193 in brief stints with the Cardinals last year.

“I’m definitely more comfortable [this time around],” Stavinoha, talking about last season. “I was a little bit over-aggressive”.

My personal opinion is that it’s really too bad to see him go down, but it’s a must-happen. With Ankiel and Ludwick roaming the outfield grass, and Rasmus and Duncan swinging relatively decent bats, there just isn’t room for Stavi, except for a couple pinch-hitting opportunities.

They would be much better served carrying another pitcher and sending Stavi down to Memphis to fine-tune his game in the hopes that he can make an impact next season if Ankiel or Duncan gets moved in the offseason.

He knew what he came here for, part-time employment, he accepted the role, and got the job done to his best abilities. As a spectator, you’ve got to commend Stavi’s role recognition.

Both Ryan and Stavinoha have worked the way into the mind of La Russa, but there also comes a time when the regular players end up earning the position over the newcomers. Although it seems that unless your name is Albert Pujols or Yadier Molina, your lineup spot just isn’t all that secure right now, several other players seem to be seeing their name more often, forcing players such as Ryan and Stavi to bench duties.

It remains to be seen how both of this players can find a full-time spot in the Cardinals lineup, but what is certain is that will both continue to work their hardest to get the job done to find their way into La Russa’s lineup card on a daily basis.

Mather Cut, Cardinals' Roster Set

Ben Weixlmann — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:12:33 -0400

After it was widely assumed that the St. Louis Cardinals would head to Memphis carrying 26 players, the management decided to finalize the Opening Day roster by relegating Joe Mather to Triple-A Memphis. Mather, who had been relatively inconsistent with his swing through the Jupiter campaign, finished the Grapefruit League with a lowly .227 batting average.

With David Freese looking like the clear favorite to grab the third baseman job in the absence of stud Troy Glaus, Mather's swing issues hurt him down the stretch with regards to grabbing the final roster spot.

Although Thursday wasn't the best day in Mather's world, the Cardinals finished out the spring strong with a 6-3 come-from-behind victory over the co-host Florida Marlins to end their spring with a 17-14-1 record.

Mather, who could very well be brought up to join the Cardinals before the season is over, was also productive last season when called upon.

Manager Tony LaRussa and general manager John Mozeliak stressed the definite possibility of Mather joining the majors before season's end.

Albert Pujols Wants to Stay in St. Louis for Career

Ben Weixlmann — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:44:41 -0500

I know it's been a while but I'm back and ready to go, because although there's still snow on the ground some places in the United States, Jupiter, Florida certainly doesn't fit that description.

A huge story by Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was printed in yesterday's paper regarding the future of the St. Louis Cardinals' best player, Albert Pujols. Although he is arguably the best player in all of baseball, Pujols doesn't command the same type of money that an Alex Rodriguez or C.C. Sabathia do.

Rather, Pujols is content with allowing a traditionally fiscally conservative franchise to make their moves to get better talent around him, while he takes a semi-substantial "pay-cut". Granted, a seven-year, $100 million contract is no small pocket change, but that is exactly the reason why Pujols wants to stay. He feels blessed that money is not an issue at this point in time for his family, and he would rather have a winning ballclub than play for the gigantic bucks.

Here is a brief quote from Pujols taken from Strauss' front page centerpiece:

"I'm not going to lie to you: It's not about the money all the time," Pujols said after a brief round of hitting and a round of hugs with teammates. "It's about being in a place to win and being in a position to win. If the Cardinals are willing to do that and put a team together every year like they have, I'm going to try to work everything out to stay in this town."

Honestly, I'm not making any value judgements, but I'm willing to venture a guess that Rodriguez and Sabathia clearly don't share the same mindset. This makes Pujols a truly unique superstar.

If Pujols will stick it out throughout his career, the whole city of St. Louis will be eternally thankful.

Albert Pujols Tabbed As MLB Man of the Year

Ben Weixlmann — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:31:48 -0400

It's one thing to be remembered as a great player, but few athletes earn the label as a great person off the field, as well.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was given one of the most prestigious awards in all of Major League Baseball before Game Three of the World Series, the Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award.

The large majority of fans will remember Pujols' year as incredible, as he hit .357 with 37 home runs and 116 runs batted in. However, an overwhelming percentage within the baseball community will recognize Pujols' 2008 campaign as more than just on-field heroism, but also due to his efforts with the Pujols Family Foundation.

To read the rest of this article, go here.

San Antonio Spurs Frontcourt Preview

Ben Weixlmann — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:17:08 -0400

Over the past 11 seasons, when the words "San Antonio Spurs" were uttered, the most common word association that popped into our minds as NBA fans was "Tim Duncan."

Despite many experts wanting to believe that Duncan is no longer a factor for the Western Conference power, I'm here to tell you that Duncan should still be the first priority of any opposing team on the scouting report.

Sure, the NBA has been more "entertainment-based" over the last decade or so, and I am more than willing to admit that if you like entertainment, Duncan probably doesn’t top the list for people to go out and watch. However, if you like basketball played the right way, fork over some cash to see a game, and enjoy watching TD dominate.

After all, there’s a reason why he has averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds per contest throughout his illustrious career, and that’s because he never gives up on the court. He might argue with officials a little too much—but in the end, he allows his playing to do the talking.

Even though Duncan is the obvious focal point of the Spurs' frontcourt, he is certainly not the only player that can hurt opposing teams. That is mainly because small forward Bruce Bowen is technically a frontcourt player.

Bowen is arguably the most tenacious defender in the entire league, but he is underrated at the offensive end of the court as well. As far as strengths are concerned, Bowen's defense is the clear high point of his game, but over the past couple years he has developed one of the best wing three-point jumpers in the Western Conference.

The biggest weakness I see is that he lacks the size for a small forward in today's NBA game. In a day in age when LeBron James' ox-like stature handles the ball as though he were a point guard, the 6'7", 200-pound Bowen is far outmatched in strength at times, especially deep in the paint.

The last member of the starting frontcourt cast for the Spurs is Fabricio Oberto. The 6'11" Argentine has become a fan favorite in Texas for his hustle and grit on the court. He is not afraid to come in and provide solid, hard-nosed defense, as well as contributing with the occasional bucket offensively. He may have averaged under five points a game, but he grabbed 5.2 rebounds per contest in just 20 minutes of action per night. That's what I like to call efficient basketball.

The frontcourt success still hinges on Duncan's ability to put the ball in the basket, though. He still has the best post-up game in the NBA, and his patented 20-foot jumper off the glass makes any old-school basketball fan drool. Overall, this guy is certainly not washed up, and look for him to key another Spurs playoff run in 2009.

Why I Love College Basketball: No. 1—Stephen Curry

Ben Weixlmann — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:15:38 -0400

This is the first in a new series of articles that I am going to be doing throughout the college basketball season. The series is called, “Why I Love College Basketball.” Pretty simple, I know, but I’ll be writing every now and then about something that keeps me watching the best amateur sport on the planet.

Right now, though, Midnight Madness events at the most competitive universities are over, and here’s what I’m looking forward to: Davidson guard Stephen Curry. I'm not just excited to see him play, because everyone is after his miraculously dominant performance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, but I am excited to see him score at will.

In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Curry will drop at least 50 points in a game at least once this season. There, I said it. Fifty points.

Think about it for a second. He averaged over 30 points per game against some of the stiffest competition in the nation last year during March Madness, so what’s to think he can’t do it just once in an incredibly weak conference?

Davidson head coach Bob McKillop sure isn’t going to put the red light up for his frail sharpshooter. Curry had the green light to fire from anywhere on his half of the court in last year’s tournament without consequence, so who’s to say his shot selection should be controlled after that success? Not I.

College may have implemented a longer three-point line this year, but that won’t affect the way in which Curry plays the game. Hell, the majority of his three-point attempts are far more distant than the new line regardless, and he won’t hesitate to let them fly.

As a sophomore, he averaged nearly 26 points per game while shooting close to 16 times per game.

Here’s another reason why I think he will drop 50 on somebody: His quick release allows almost no one to guard him on the perimeter. When they overplay him, which is often the case, he simply takes one dribble and pops a quick shot that twinkles the twine.

If anyone thought last year was just a fluke, Curry is ready to show his naysayers that he can put up big numbers on anyone, especially those in the Southern Conference.

The real reason, though, is because he has other players on his team that opponents must be worried about. In the past, if you double or triple-teamed Curry, you were more or less shutting down the entire Wildcats’ offense, but no longer is that the case.

Andrew Lovedale, a 6’8” forward, was an integral part in the Wildcats’ win over Georgetown, and he should put up some rather large numbers this year when Curry is being chased around in a box-and-one defense.

Also expected to contribute is Bryant Barr. The outside gunner will own opposing defenses when he is wide open behind the three-point arc. Remember him in the NCAA Tournament? He drained threes by the gallon and helped this team to a near-win against eventual champion Kansas.

It will be very interesting to see, but I truly think it’s possible that Curry fills the buckets for 50 this upcoming season.

Rays-Red Sox: ALCS Game Three Fan Reaction and Game Four Preview

Ben Weixlmann — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:46:08 -0400

Who would have thought it could happen? Clearly not anyone in Boston, and most certainly only a select few from the Tampa Bay area.

Boston Red Sox starter Jon Lester was nearly untouchable in his previous 12 starts at Fenway Park before imploding in last night's game.

Honestly, even though I'm writing this as a Rays advocate, the home plate umpire had one of the most liberal strike zones I have seen in the playoffs, which invariably gave an edge to Rays upstart Matt Garza.

Garza did a good job of "painting the corners," albeit missing the black several times and still getting a strike three call. It wasn't just Garza or the home plate umpire's fault, though; the Rays' offense was dominant.

In the top half of the third inning, B.J. Upton sent a towering shot over the Green Monster to break the game wide open, and Longoria followed with a long ball of his own.

What do I take from this game? Here's a couple things:

1. The Red Sox Must Hope That Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield Has His Best Stuff Tonight

Against this lineup with Longoria and Upton, one missed pitch will likely end up in the seats, accompanied by a long string of boos.

2. The Rays Have to Realize That This Series Is Far from Over

If the Red Sox win Game Four tonight, the series is tied and up for grabs. Don't get me wrong, I think the Rays have the advantage now. But don't be surprised to see that window of opportunity get shut after tonight's ballgame.

3. The Rays Must Continue Their Aggressive Plate Behavior

It will put the Rays' hitters off-kilter for a couple of innings, but Wakefield's knuckler is accessible if the hitters wait out long enough. Patience is the key tonight!

Prediction: Red Sox 6, Rays 4

Rays-Red Sox: ALCS Game Three Fan Reaction

Ben Weixlmann — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:39:29 -0400

If Tampa Bay Rays fans thought that the ALCS might be lost, B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly gave them some new life.

That being said, the series now shifts to Boston for two games.

Here's what to look for:

1) Can Matt Garza finally step up in the playoffs?

Garza has gone winless in his last six starts, and his only playoff start, he got blown up against the Chicago White Sox. It will be very hard for Garza to toss his 96-mph heat past the patient and veteran hitters of the BoSox, but that's all remained to be seen in just over an hour.

2) Can John Lester keep up his magic?

This guy is absolutely unbelievable! It's a well-known story, but he has returned from cancer to be the BoSox' ace in these playoffs. He has pitched fourteen innings and allowed no earned runs in the playoffs thus far, and he has won eight of his last eleven starts. Not to mention, he is 11-1 at Fenway Park this year. On paper, this is a huge advantage for the Red Sox!

3) Which bullpen will hold the lead?

These two bullpens are two of the best in the bigs. The Rays have J.P. Howell, Grant Balfour, and even youngster David Price, while the Red Sox have Papelbon and Okajima. I love the matchups of starters, and the destroyer-esque lineups, but these bullpens will decide the next few games.

Rays-Red Sox: The 2008 ALCS Preview

Ben Weixlmann — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:21:29 -0400

The East division clearly showed that it was the cream of the crop this year in the American League. Now, though, the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox will square off to see who heads to the World Series to represent their league.

Here's a couple things to look for at least early on in this series.

1) Can B.J. Upton keep up his torrid streak?

In four games against the Chicago White Sox, Upton hit three long balls and went crazy over the final two games of the series, hitting a combined 4-for-9 with four RBI.

The real question is: Can he keep that up? To be honest, I really don't think so. Luckily for Upton, though, I think it is fair to expect young sensation Evan Longoria to find his groove after going hit less in his last eight at bats of the ALDS.

A hidden bandage to worrisome answer is Upton's ability to make plays in center field. He can cover as much ground as anyone out in the eight spot and showed, against the White Sox, that his athletic ability is unmatched.

Especially with some power hitters in the BoSox lineup, expect Upton to get his fair share of action in the field, as well as at the dish.

2) Can the Rays extinguish the Sox emotional high?

After going from an extreme low, losing in 12 innings to the Angels, to an extraordinary high, winning the ALDS in walk-off fashion, the Red Sox are on "Cloud Nine." It will be interesting to see if the Rays' bats and arms can subdue the adrenaline that is still pumping through the BoSox's veins after last night's thrilling victory.

With a starting group of Beckett, Matsuzaka, and Lester, the Rays will be tested in every game. Lo and behold, though, they counter with their own staff of arms. Scott Kazmir was lights out in his performance, and James Shields and Andy Sonnanstine didn't look too shabby either.

All in all though, it will be very difficult for the Rays to take these Red Sox players and fans off of their proverbial throne.

3) So who gets the edge?

Batting- There isn't anyone more locked in right now than Upton. That being said, I give the edge to the Red Sox, for their consistency up and down the lineup with Padroia, Bay, Ortiz, and Youkilis. Red Sox 1, Rays 0.

Fielding- I mentioned how explosive Upton was in the outfield; well, Longoria might be even better at third. I know Youkilis is arguably the best defensive player in the game, and Kotsay looked like gold at first. Don't forget the center field plays that Ellsbury makes, but this one goes to the Rays for one underrated defensive player: Akinori Iwamura. Red Sox 1, Rays 1.

Pitching- This is pretty simple: The rich always win the arms race, just look at history! Red Sox 2, Rays 1.

Manager- Terry "Tito" Francona was in this same situation last year, and Joe Maddon hasn't seen the playoffs for a while. Although he's more experienced overall, Tito wins this battle. Red Sox 3, Rays 1.

When it's all said and done, I think this will be a very intriguing series, but the Red Sox will come out on top in six games, 4-2.

Rays-White Sox: ALDS Game Three Reaction, Game Four Preview

Ben Weixlmann — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:03:46 -0400

Tampa Bay Rays' starting pitcher Matt Garza got touched up, but it was a flat out ugly game for the AL East Champions.

Chicago White Sox starter John Danks was downright filthy, despite giving up a two-run blast to centerfielder B.J. Upton that closed the gap to 5-3 in the seventh inning.

Overall though, I was really disappointed with the Rays' performance. It's not necessarily that I thought they would crush the White Sox on the road, but they couldn't get anything going on offensive. When they did, they stranded runners; nine of them to be exact.

Here's one enormous positive that I take away from this game, though. The Rays' bullpen was phenomenal once again! Bradford pitched two brilliant innings, putting up all zeros to keep his team close.

Thanks to Danks, however, the Rays didn't have many chances to score runs.

Let me express how impressed I was with this kid. He started out the game rocky, but what else can you expect from a young pitcher making his playoff debut? Otherwise, once he settled down, the strikeouts piled up.

The Rays had just four players with hits, all of whom found the field twice.

Lastly, I want to talk about the performance of White Sox closer Bobby Jenks. He is widely-known for his unbelievably overpowering fastball, but he dropped a 12-6 curveball to strike out Carlos Pena to end the game. He made things interesting by allowing Upton to reach with two outs, but quickly got ahead of Pena 0-2 and finished him off with the aforementioned golden pitch.

Looking Forward to Game Four (Keys for the Rays)

1) Don't get too anxious.

You lost a game, but you are still a game ahead in the series. It's an old cliche, but this isn't the end of the world. I saw a lot of heads drooping in the Rays' dugout after the game, but you have to realize that they still have the White Sox on the brink of elimination!

2) Andy Sonnanstine will come up big.

Okay, so maybe I'm a betting man. I'm not betting on this game, but I really think Sonnanstine will come out with the victory at The Cell. He faces Gavin Floyd, a talented rookie, but Sonnanstine throws off hitters with his unorthodox delivery. I see the Rays winning this one.

3) Finding clutch hits will be important.

Clearly, today wasn't a huge "clutch" day for the Rays. They were awful with RISP, and they will need to improve on that to win in Game Four. Look for the experience of Cliff Floyd to bleed through and spark this team with a late-inning double to drive the victory train.

Rays-White Sox: ALDS Game Two Fan Reaction/Game Three Preview

Ben Weixlmann — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:21:33 -0400

I said someone had to step up if the Tampa Bay Rays wanted to beat battle-tested lefty Mark Buehrle in Game Two.

That player for the Rays was second baseman Akinori Iwamura, hitting an opposite-field blast off Buerhle to take a one-run lead, which put the Rays ahead for good.

Honestly though? Iwamura hitting a home run under playoff pressure? Maybe this is a sign that things are going too well for the Rays, and that they are destined for greatness this season. This is a guy who slaps the ball comparable to Ichiro, and hit six home runs in 627 at-bats this season.

We all knew Rays' ace Scott Kazmir would be exceptional, and he certainly didn't disappoint.

Baseball nation needs to start getting to know the Rays' bullpen, though. They were absolutely outstanding once again in preserving the win for Kazmir in Game Two. J.P. Howell threw two innings of scoreless baseball and left me wondering, where the hell did he come from?

Howell went from 1-6 last season to 6-1 this year with a minuscule 2.22 ERA. It seems like everything has clicked under the Joe Maddon regime.

One of my best friends from college said before this season that it would be "the Rays' year." I'll happily admit that I thought he was utterly insane.

If you don't live in Florida, there's probably only a handful of you who thought the Rays could make such an unpredictable run.

Don't look now, but the Rays still need a win! Looking forward to Game Three:

1) Matt Garza goes for the Rays, John Danks for the White Sox at the Cell.

Both of these pitchers don't allow a whole lot of runs, but because they're back at home, the White Sox have the advantage.

2) Rays showing maturity.

As their leader Carl Crawford said in a postgame interview with MLB.com after the 6-2 Game Two win, "2-0 is definitely a good feeling, but there is no guarantee." This gives me a lot of hope for the Rays, because their vocal leader understands the real meaning of the playoffs.

3) The White Sox bats have to come to life.

Six runs over two games isn't going to cut it for the Southsiders. If Danks wants some security, the White Sox need to get after Garza early. Garza has given up 12 earned runs in the first inning this season in 30 total innings, so it will be very interesting to see if the big bats of Konerko, Dye, and Thome can get after him early and often.

Rays-White Sox: ALDS Game One Fan Reaction

Ben Weixlmann — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:39:03 -0400

Ok, so maybe I was wrong about the Tampa Bay Rays' inexperience.

Just look at the second and third innings for prime examples from one man—Evan Longoria. The rookie third baseman homered to left field in both innings.

I'm not going to lie; I thought the Rays would struggle early in this series, but that certainly wasn't the case. A couple things surprised me about this game, though.

Aside from the red-hot bats of the Rays, the pitching of James Shields was sensational, in my mind. As TBS' PitchTracker technology showed the location of his pitches, I found myself baffled. The White Sox hitters were not only swinging over the top of most pitches, but were also swung at a couple in the dirt.

Save for Shields' hanging breaking ball to Dewayne Wise that resulted in a three-run jack, he was a dominant pitcher.

The Rays got their first-ever playoff victory in style. Back to Longoria for a second, though. We knew how good he could be in the future, but this good this early? The kid is absolutely nuts.

I've never been a fan of what Javier Vasquez brings to the table, but did you see that second inning blast?! Hell, the Trop barely held it.

In the later innings, tempers flared, but I think that only fueled the Rays' bullpen fire. I'm not exactly sure what was going through the head of White Sox' shortstop Orlando Cabrera when he kicked chalk from the batter's box at Rays' reliever Grant Balfour. In any case, Balfour gassed Cabrera on two subsequent pitches to leave the bases loaded.

As good as the Rays played, there are some changes that need to be made. After all, this was a 6-4 victory, the Rays didn't win by the widest of margins.

1) Don't get complacent. If the Rays take this victory to mean too much, they will be in trouble. Great, you're ahead 1-0, but you must still win two games to take the series.

2) Your ace is on the hill for Game Two, get a win. Scott Kazmir, one of the finest young pitchers in the A.L. is on the hill for the Rays. Lo and behold, though, he is facing White Sox veteran Mark Buerhle.

Buerhle is extremely capable of pitching a quality start, but Kazmir has the talent to be lights out. It'll be awfully interesting to see how the offense reacts if Kazmir is wheelin' and dealin'.

3) Someone else has to step up. Honestly?! B.J. "The Future" Upton went 0-for-5 in his first playoff game. That's horrid, people. Longoria isn't going to keep hitting longballs at some astronomical rate, so the other big sticks need to step up.

There was just one combined hit between the trio of Upton, Carl Crawford, and Cliff Floyd. Something has got to change.

B/R MLB Playoff Contest Goes Live!

Ben Weixlmann — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:06:06 -0400

Bleacher Creatures-

I know this is short notice, but we are running an MLB Playoff Contest. All entries must be in before tomorrow's first pitch.

Please click here for more information.

I hope you all enjoy this playoff contest!

-Ben

Three Things Tampa Bay Rays Fans Should Be Watching for in the ALDS

Ben Weixlmann — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:41:12 -0400

As a Tampa Bay Rays fan, you probably want to keep your eyes on a few things as the ALDS gets under way Thursday at the Trop. No, I'm not referring to Paul Azinger throwing out the first pitch; I'm talking about the in-game issues the Rays will face.

First off, how will the playoff first-timer Rays manage all the pressure that is October? It's a pretty loaded question, and quite frankly, I'm worried that the Rays don't have all the answers. Here's a couple challenges with any October situation: youth, inexperience, lack of leadership.

Rays fans, you can check off on all three of those, especially the first two. Granted, in your situation, the youth has been great this year, I mean, look no further than third baseman Evan Longoria, who has all but locked up the A.L. Rookie of the Year award.

Inexperience is another big factor that the Rays must overcome. After all, this is the first-ever playoff appearance for the Floridians.

With regards to leadership, I truly believe that this team has just one leader, Carl Crawford. The problem is, though, that he hasn't played in almost two months. Not to mention, manager Joe Maddon isn't even sure if he will insert Crawford into the lineup as the everyday left fielder for the playoffs.

Second of all, can the Chicago White Sox be ready for the grueling playoffs after having exerted so much energy clinching the final A.L. playoff spot? That's obviously to be determined, but one thing is for sure: This squad needs to start swinging the bats. They can't simply rely on shutouts everyday, especially against the potent Rays offense.

Sure, throwing Danks, Buerhle, and Floyd is an almost guarantee for three quality starts, but the White Sox's offense has been utterly abysmal of late. Konerko, Dye, and Thome can provide the necessary pop, but they will need substantial contributions from the likes of Alexei Ramirez and A.J. Pierzynski if they plan on advancing anywhere in the playoffs.

Third, the Rays' fans should be excited by the factor of home-field advantage. After all, the Rays had the best home record in the majors this year at 57-24. Moreover, they are virtually unbeatable at the Trop when 30,000-plus make their way to the stadium. I think it's a pretty safe bet that the attendance figures will easily surpass that plateau.

What is going on in Tampa (or St. Petersburg, as it were) cannot be understated. This city, the fans, and the team are ready for a playoff series after nine years of MLB futility.

So who will come out on top? It's hard to make a prediction, but with the home-field advantage and obvious rest, it's awfully difficult to pick against the A.L. East champion Rays.

What I Learned from College Football in Week Six

Ben Weixlmann — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:42:02 -0400

As we all know, Week Five of the college football season was filled with upsets. I think there were a few things to be learned from this weekend, though.

USC is beatable.

I just had to throw that one out there first, because it is still hard for me to believe. I thought this team was a virtual lock for the BCS title game, but then again, they might not drop out of the Top Ten with the plethora of upsets elsewhere. I have never seen a Trojan team look that confused under Pete Carroll.

Alabama is for real.

If you weren't impressed with any of their victories to date, especially after Clemson's loss to Maryland, the Crimson Tide put on a show. The much-maligned John Parker Wilson was nearly perfect in the first half and looked pretty darn good in the latter frame as well.

This game was absolutely outstanding from an Alabama perspective: head coach Nick Saban couldn't have asked for more.

Don't give up on the 'Dawgs just yet.

I thought since the beginning of the season that UGA was overrated, but after watching their loss to 'Bama, I have actually gained respect for them. A.J. Green is an absolute beast, and Matthew Stafford can make just about any throw possible on a football field.

It was too bad that Knowshon Moreno got limited touches in the second half because the score was so out of hand at halftime.

Tim Tebow won't win the Heisman.

Sure, you can all tell me it's just Week Six, and I know there are a lot of games to play. That being said, he was arguably not in the Top Five before the weekend started, and after this weekend's performance, I just don't see him pulling an Archie Griffin.

Penn State is the most underrated team in the land.

Our B/R resident CFB expert Lisa Horne has been saying this for weeks, but I think the Nittany Lions have finally proven themselves. Not only did they beat an Oregon State team who just beat USC, but they looked impressive in a 38-24 win over Illinois.

Behind Derrick Williams and Darryl Clark, this team is a force to be reckoned with.

Northwestern is still undefeated.

I used to think there was a reason they started school so late: so the students wouldn't have to attend the misery that is Wildcat football. After a win against Iowa, though, Northwestern is 5-0 and have put themselves in a great position to make a bowl game.

They should have a chance to secure a couple victories against Indiana and Minnesota in the next couple of weeks.

Oklahoma played like a No. 1 team.

If you hadn't known TCU was ranked No. 24, the Oklahoma Sooners weren't making you think so. The Sam Bradford-led offense got up early against the Horned Frogs and looked dominant in the 35-10 win.

There's no question in my mind who is No. 1 with the Trojans' loss.

Javon Ringer is the new Heisman darkhorse.

He ate up 198 yards on 44 carries, coming just shy of his third consecutive 200-yard rushing effort. Head coach Mark Dantonio had the opportunity to let Ringer get the extra two yards with just under a minute to play, but kneeled the ball instead.

Ringer is a workhorse, though, as he is on pace to have the second-most carries of all-time in a single season (behind Kevin Smith's 450 of a year ago). Expect his name to keep filling up the stat sheets, because Ringer is an elusive and speedy back.

College Football Contest Brings Excitement And Success To B/R

Ben Weixlmann — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:06:00 -0400

It’s been four weeks since the college football season started, and the resident Bleacher Creatures are already fully enthralled in their work.

Trey Bradley, along with Zander Freund and Co. set up the most ambitious B/R contest to-date. Throughout the season, writers will get one point for each pick of the day vote they receive, and this contest as been hotly contested and it’s only a few weeks in!

B/R has gone all-out getting some fantastic prizes for the participating writers. For first place, the winner will receive a ticket to the BCS National Championship Game in Miami, Florida. Second and third place winners will pick up some apparel from their favorite CFB institution.

Writers such as Analyst Gray Ghost have burst onto the scene in a big way, showing not only his knowledge for college football, but his appreciation for sports in general. In fact, “GG” as he is known, has turned half of his total stories into pick of the days. That is an absolutely remarkable feat! Way to go, GG!

Although Gray Ghost is far ahead in the College Football Contest standings with 218 picks, some other highly-skilled writers are battling for the second and third spots. Right now, though, college football heavyweight Lisa Horne is in firm command of second place with 122 picks. Her CFB pieces are consistently amongst the best the website has to offer.

In the third slot, “Big Boy” Justin Goar is making some noise. He has overcome Hurricane Ike and is now attempting to sweep through the B/R contest. With an incredible week, Goar surpassed fellow LSU Tigers fanatic Brian Scott to position himself on the third award plateau. Goar’s weekly “Brain Seepage” article is of much interest to any football fan, especially those who have allegiances with the SEC.

If Scott returns to the B/R circuit with some quality writing, as is always the case, he will certainly be in the running for one of the marvelous prizes come the end of the season.

BabyTate, the wily veteran of the CFB bunch, stands in sixth place, but don’t expect him to trail for much longer. He and Horne are clearly the most experienced of the CFB bunch and will make some big noise throughout the season on B/R.

Congratulations to miamimitchdotcom who has made an 11-spot jump from last week to this week, moving up to No. 11 in the standings. Mitch always has some astute predictions and great insight into CFB games, especially point spreads!

One surprise on this list is Molly Gray. Known for her exceptional editorial skills, Gray has come out of that sector of B/R to show that she is equally as talented at writing. Her beloved Ohio State Buckeyes have been the basis for her coverage, but she can also span into other areas, as seen with her Power Rankings article.

These aforementioned writers have made this site a huge success during the course of the past month. Many new members have joined to not only vote, but be actively participating in the CFB challenge. Great job, guys and gals! Keep up the great writing.

MLB Power Rankings As of September 22

Ben Weixlmann — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:51:42 -0400

1) Cubs. Just because they locked up the NL Central doesn’t mean they’re stepping on the brakes. This team is dynamic both pitching and hitting.

2) Angels. Any team that locks up their respective division with a month left deserves some recognition. The Halos have an outside chance at 100 wins.

3) Rays. Congratulations to the team that has come out of nowhere. Now they just need some fans to show up for their playoff games.

4) Phillies. Ryan Howard and Co. are on an absolute tear. The Phils are going to take down the NL East going away.

5) Red Sox. Yet another playoff appearance for manager Terry Francona. Jason Bay made the loss of Manny Ramirez not hurt as bad. Well, kind of.

6) Yankees. They aren’t even making the playoffs, but boy, have they been dynamite as of late.

7) Blue Jays. The fourth-best team from the AL East makes its way into the Top Ten? Remember, the Blue Jays would be leading the NL West by two full games right now.

8) Mets. They have been up and down lately, and unfortunately for them, they’ve been down most recently. Four wins in their last ten isn’t helping their playoff cause.

9) Dodgers. Manny this, Manny that, but their pitching has kept them in sight for the playoffs.

10) White Sox. They are clinging to a tight lead in the AL Central, but I see them pulling it out in the end.

11) Marlins. This team is surging. Too bad it’s too late. The offensive numbers are gaudy, but the strikeout totals piled up just as high.

12) Twins. They’re good and all, but they have to get their bullpen figured out soon.

13) Indians. Where in the world have they come from!? Cliff Lee runs away with the Cy Young, too.

14) Brewers. They are in the middle of a free-fall. Making it worse is that CC probably won’t be back next year.

15) Astros. I really feel bad for these guys. Hurricane Ike came and went, and their game left with it.

16) Cardinals. Talk about freefall. The Cardinals need to start winning if they want to end the year over .500.

17) Diamondbacks. They’re coming back slowly but surely. It’ll be interesting to see if they can catch the Dodgers coming down the home stretch.

18) Rangers. This team has so much offense, and so little pitching.

19) Athletics. They could have used a couple more bats in the lineup this year.

20) Reds. Volquez for Cy Young, maybe? That’s their only hope for this dismal year.

21) Tigers. They have the sluggers, but could never put it all together on a consistent basis this year.

22) Braves. Their division supremacy seems like it was so long ago. Chipper Jones will win the batting title, though.

23) Royals. Joakim Soria is their only hope for the future. Man, he’s good!

24) Giants. Tim Lincecum will contend for the NL Cy Young, but his team was god-awful in 2008.

25) Rockies. At least Matt Holliday hit over .320 this year, right?

26) Pirates. It kind of hurts when you trade away two of your best players. This team wouldn’t have been that good anyways, though.

27) Orioles. Someone had to be the AL East punching bag.

28) Padres. They can’t win at home, they can’t win on the road. Enough said.

29) Mariners. They can hang their hat on the fact they have Ichiro. Otherwise, it was an ugly year in Seattle.

30) Nationals. This team might have 100 losses. That’s absolutely pitiful.

Cardinals-Diamondbacks: Live Blog from Busch Stadium

Ben Weixlmann — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:09:13 -0400

As if things didn’t look bleak enough in the last couple of weeks for the St. Louis Cardinals, they faced the likely pick for the NL Cy Young Award in Arizona Diamondbacks’ starter Brandon Webb tonight.

Webb, who boasted a 21-7 record and 3.26 ERA coming into tonight, had looked strong his last two starts, pitching a combined fifteen innings while giving up just two runs in two Diamondback wins.

Live Blog:

The Cardinals, who came into tonight’s game having won just two of their last ten games, tied the score up at one apiece in the first inning after Webb balked. Not much to report after quality pitching through three innings from both sides. Wellemeyer was shaky in the fourth giving up two hits and a walk that allowed the D’backs to grab a 2-1 lead. Webb has looked in control thus far for the most part, varying his curveball and fastball usage to retire Cardinal hitters.

Wellemeyer just threw a dynamite breaking pitch to get Chris Young flailing to lead off the fifth inning, too bad he let Conor Jackson on with a single to follow, and gives strikeout master Adam Dunn first base on a four-pitch walk. Wellemeyer pitch count: 84

Wow! Just when it looked like Welle would be knocked out of the game early, he strikes out Mark Reynolds and Chris Snyder swinging with the bases loaded to end the inning. It might have cost Wellemeyer precious extra pitches, but no runs came across.

Clearly Skip Schumaker needs to work on his bunting skills. After two failed attempts to move Cesar Izturis over to second base, Schumaker was forced to swing and grounded into a double play. On the first pitch of the next at-bat, Felipe Lopez rolled a Webb offering to Dunn to move play to the sixth inning.

After making short order of Eckstein and Webb, left-handed Stephen Drew went deep for his 20^th home run of the year. Manager Tony La Russa lets Wellemeyer record the final out, but the Cardinals now trail 3-1. Wellemeyer pitch count: 115

In a totally unrelated matter, Chicago Cubs’ pitcher Jason Marquis has five RBIs tonight. I mean, I knew he could swing the stick from his days with the Redbirds, but that’s insane. As a matter of fact, no pitcher has done that since 1972.

It appears that not even Webb wants to challenge Albert “El Hombre” Pujols. He just drew his second walk tonight. Man, Ludwick has looked terrible tonight. That’s three strikeouts, all while looking like a Single-A prospect. Aaron Miles goes down swinging to end the sixth. Webb pitch count: 98

Here comes the 29-year-old righty Josh Kinney to relieve Wellemeyer. After all, Todd tossed 117 pitches, striking out seven in the process. Kinney missed 300 games but has been called back up recently and has been effective out of the Cards’ pen.

Kinney’s curveball was explosive, which is why it was three-up, three-down for the Diamondbacks in the seventh in just fourteen pitches.

Can the Cards’ brew something up in the late innings? Pinch-hitter Adam Kennedy just singled to right field to make things interesting against the otherwise-dominant Webb.

Runners on the corners for Schumaker with one out. Schumaker’s groundball is gobbled up by Eckstein, but Kennedy scores from third to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Webb pitch count: 112

Third base coach Jose Oquendo holds up the fleet-footed Izturis on a single by Lopez. Not too sure about that one, even with Pujols stepping to the dish. It didn’t look like Young had much of a chance to gun down Cesar at home, plus Albert has been looking fooled at the plate as of late. Webb pitch count: 121

That’s a missed opportunity, Pujols was absolutely puzzled by that sick breaking ball by Webb. The score remains 3-2 and Russ Springer is in for Kinney.

What a play by Lopez! A hotshot from Eckstein is smothered and tossed to Pujols. Springer allows a double to pinch-hitter Chad Tracy and things aren’t looking good for the Redbirds, Reynolds scores to make it 4-2.

Lefty Ron Villone is jogging in to take the ball from TLR, the Cards need this out to have a chance to make up two runs in the last six outs.

Well a walk by Villone definitely isn’t going to do it. La Russa calls on Brad Thompson who gets Young to pop out.

Ludwick singles, Glaus doubles…Miles lines out into a double play! That is by far the most deflating play of the night.

It’s up to Chad Qualls to shut down the Cardinals in the ninth. Izturis singles and steals second, but it the chances are looking gloomy.

Qualls gets Lopez to ground out to end the game. Boy, if the hopes of all Cards’ fans weren’t already mostly dashed, they should be severed right now.

Overview:

For most of Cardinal Nation this game meant nothing. But to the ballclub, the story was simple: they had to win.

Even if they won out, they would still need to get a tremendous amount of help from other NL contenders.

With just seven games remaining, a four-game set against the Diamondbacks followed by a three-game weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Cardinals glimmer of hope to make the 2008 postseason was a mere dull beam of light.

One of the most compelling stories surrounding the game was how current Diamondbacks’ second baseman David Eckstein would be received back at Busch Stadium for the first time since being named World Series MVP in 2006.

Most columnists had projected that Eckstein would receive the same favorable ovation that fan favorite So Taguchi saw when he came back as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies last season. The local columnists were right on point, as fans in all three tiers of Busch Stadium stood to applaud the former Cardinals’ infielder, then saw Eckstein promptly walked on four pitches. Just goes to show you that the Cardinals truly have the best fans in baseball bar none.

Although it is highly unlikely that the Cardinals will be playing ball in October, there have still been a plethora of moments that can make the Redbirds proud of what has been accomplished this year. From being tabbed to finish second-to-last in the NL Central by most major sporting publications, to a rag-tag ballclub that hung on until the last couple of weeks, one could absolutely describe this team as “overachieving”.

Although the situation looks grim for the Redbirds, expect a young and upstart bunch to come in for the 2009 edition.

Sidenotes:

-First pitch 7:15 p.m.

- Centerfielder Skip Schumaker, who came in hitting .342 against RHP, good enough for first in the majors, went 1-5 with a run scored.

-Starter Todd Wellemeyer, had retired 37 of the last 40 left-handed hitters he has faced. So much for that stat, I guess, because Drew went 3-4 with a home run and RBI double.

-Albert Pujols is aiming to lead the team in batting for an eighth consecutive season. That’s something no other Cardinal has ever done (Musial and Hornsby had 7-year streaks).

-Last pitch 10:31 p.m.

Cardinals’ Milestones heading into Monday night’s game:

-Pujols has scored 94 runs, six more for 100 on the year. (0 scored tonight)

-Ludwick has 199 total bases on the year, one more for 200. (0 bases tonight)

-Glaus has 93 RBIs on the year, seven more for 100. (0 RBIs tonight)

-Izturis has 392 at-bats this season, eight more for 400. (4 ABs tonight)

Tonight’s starting Cardinals’ lineup:

Schumaker (CF): 1-5, R, GIDP

Lopez (2B): 3-5

Pujols (1B): 0-2, K, 2BB

Ludwick (RF): 1-4, 3K

Glaus (3B): 1-4

Miles (LF): 1-4, K, SB

Johnson (C): 0-4

Wellemeyer (P): 0-2, K

Izturis (SS): 3-4

Chase Daniel Dazzles Again as Missouri Tigers Win 42-21 over Buffalo

Ben Weixlmann — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:19:22 -0400

The No. 5 Missouri Tigers overcame a sluggish opening half to soundly defeat Turner Gill's tough Buffalo Bulls. Although Mizzou couldn't seem to find its rhythm in the first portion of the game, quarterback Chase Daniel was brilliant throughout.

The Heisman hopeful once again put on a show to boost his case for the most prestigious award in college football. If Daniel were to win the Heisman, it would be the first time a Tiger has captured the award in their lengthy history.

After finishing in fourth place just a year ago, Daniel has provided not only the statistics to put him at the head of this year's list, but also the leadership as a senior captain.

In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, veteran columnist Bryan Burwell said that in speaking with members of the Tigers' starting offensive unit, they believe it is truly possible to have a "perfect game." That would mean no incompletions, fumbles, field goals, or interceptions.

Daniel has certainly done his part, but against the Bulls, his teammates let him down in a few key places. Yes, Daniel did have some incompletions, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin fumbled the ball, Jeff Wolfert had to be called on to kick a field goal, but there weren't any interceptions thrown.

Apparently though, they've gotten awfully close. Tight end Chase Coffman said in an interview with the Post-Dispatch, "We've gotten close before in practice."

I think it's pretty amazing how the 5-foot-11 Daniel can deliver such accurate strikes against Big 12 defenses, which are generally considered some of the largest in the country.

Call the Mizzou games up to this point "cupcakes" all you want, but it's hard to believe that with Daniel at the helm of this offense, that the points will stop going up once the Tigers reach conference play.

With a stout running game spearheaded by Derrick Washington and Jimmy Jackson, that has amassed over 204 yards per game, it allows Daniel and Maclin to have comfort in the passing game.

A solid 35-for-44 performance allowed Daniel to toss for a season-high 431 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Next week, the Mizzou Tigers travel to tough Lincoln, Neb., to face the Cornhuskers in their first Big 12 contest of the year.

Top 15 Funniest Lou Holtz Quotes

Ben Weixlmann — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:35:31 -0400

You asked for it, you're getting it! The BleacherReport.com Lou Holtz quote extravaganza!

15) "I can't believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary."

So you don't believe in God, Lou?

14) "If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today."

Huuuuh? Lou, you confuse me.

13) "Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it."

Why not 95 percent response? Where did you get this data, Sweet Lou?

12) "No one has ever drowned in sweat."

Uh, thanks for the information, big fella.

11) "On this team, we're all united in a common goal: to keep my job."

Well isn't that something for motivation...

10) "When all is said and done, more is said than done."

That's because all you do is talk, Lou.

9) "Don't tell your problems to people: eighty percent don't care; and the other twenty percent are glad you have them."

Where did that get you when recruiting, Lou?

8) "It's not the load that breaks you down - its the way you carry it."

I'm kind of curious what he meant by this one. Does Lou need a diaper?

7) "You'll never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with him."

Good in principle, but I think it just sounds pretty idiotic before you think about the real meaning.

6) "The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."

I don't think I've ever heard a player complain about the way a ball bounced, but that's just me.

5) "Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated."

Lou is just so motivating!!!

4) "I bet you went on one date and wanted to get married."

What if Mark May wanted to get married, is that really so bad?

3) "I asked you to pack your headgear and shoulder pads, but more importantly your defense and your kicking game, because that's what wins game like this."

Wait, I thought having your headgear won games?

2) "He had shoulder surgery on his elbow."

Yes, he actually said this. Check it out!

1) "They say a tie is like kissing your sister. I guess that is better than kissing your brother."

How would you know, Lou? Have you tried doing it?

Where in the World Is...Jeff Smoker?

Ben Weixlmann — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:40:42 -0400

Remember the gunslinger back in the early 2000s for the Michigan State Spartans? If not, his name was Jeff Smoker, and if you follow Spartan football at all, you've heard the name for sure.

Smoker had one of the finest arms in college football back in the day, and Mel Kiper Jr. placed him in the Top 10 on his draft board for senior quarterbacks. Although Smoker came off the board in the sixth round of the 2004 draft, he still made the St. Louis Rams' squad.

After he made the team though, Harvard graduate Ryan Fitzpatrick displaced him as the third quarterback on the depth chart and tossed Smoker into the world of professional athlete oblivion.

I hadn't heard about the guy in quite some time, so I thought I would do some research to figure out what he's up to these days. Apparently, after working his way up to be the starting quarterback for the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League, Smoker has since moved on to play with the Arizona Rattlers.

Although the season has not started yet, Smoker is listed as the No. 1 QB on the Rattlers' depth chart after they moved Sherdrick Bonner, an AFL legend, to Chicago.

It wasn't all easy for Smoker at MSU, though, if you can recall. He was riddled with a substance abuse problem that got him suspended for five games during 2002, and SI even covered his difficult recovery later that year.

Sure, it would have been good to see the Spartan legend drop deep balls to talented wideouts in the NFL, but he has done a more important thing: He has resurrected his life.

While he holds virtually every passing record in Spartans' history, don't expect to see him on an NFL sideline anytime soon.

But at least he's in a place where he can remain away from his once-obsessive substance problems.

What's Got Me Ranting: College Football Thus Far in 2008

Ben Weixlmann — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 01:29:26 -0400

I want to start off saying that I think it's incredible how the time has been flying by this season in college football. We are already entering Week Four!

That being said, I'll give my two cents on a couple different topics and see where it takes me.

USC dominant once again

You just felt it coming, didn't you? Pete Carroll has made himself a legend as the owner of the best football factory in the nation. He just keeps churning out widgets until he is satisfied. The "Game of the Century" looked more like "The Game of USC Fury."

Honestly, I have absolutely no disdain for Carroll. In fact, I admire him greatly. I'm wondering, though, when some of these players are going to go elsewhere. I was also less than impressed with the NCAA's handling of Reggie Bush's situation, but that's yet another rant.

A couple other teams have stuck out in my mind, but the Trojans remain far ahead of the pack as far as I'm concerned.

West Virginia is taking the bumpy country road

They were indeed singing "Take Me Home, Country Road" after last night's loss. Veteran kicker Pat McAfee clangs one of the uprights in overtime and the Mountaineers lose to the Buffs. Bill Stewart has to start feeling some heat under his "tuchas."

You can't tell me that WVU thought East Carolina would be a close game heading into the season, let alone a Pirate drubbing of the Mountaineers. They are off to a 1-2 start and will most assuredly drop out of the Top 25 poll with yesterday's loss. Maybe Stewart wasn't the right guy for the job...?

It's time for people to unload the Tebow bandwagon

I just can't come to grips with the people who still think that Florida QB Tim Tebow is the front runner for the Heisman. I don't care what he did last year! The thing most people clearly don't understand is that this year isn't last year!

I know, he has a lot to prove in the next couple of weeks, and with a nice showing against the Volunteers, he could vault himself into the Top Five. Yeah, you read it right—Top Five. Not first.

If you remember back to when Matt Leinart won his Heisman Trophy, the next season he actually put up more impressive numbers and even then didn't win the award. Tebow is on pace to put up far less impressive numbers, and by any other quarterback's comparison, Tebow gets eaten up.

He has three touchdowns, all through the air. Last year his Heisman candidacy was based mainly on the fact that he had 20 passing and 20 rushing touchdowns in the same year. This year that just won't happen, Gator fans.

I wouldn't be surprised if Skip Holtz went elsewhere in '09

After having the dream season to-date, ECU coach Skip Holtz is primed to cash in. I think there is a relatively low chance of him returning to the Pirates' staff next season.

After almost being named the Cincy head coach in 2006, Holtz will surely find larger names this go-around. Don't be surprised to see this man atop every vacant coaching list in America come season's end.

A good Penn State team is flying under the radar

I'm really interested to see if this Nittany Lion squad can compete with Wisconsin and Ohio State for the Big Ten crown. I know they're only No. 16 in the nation right now, but they have been one of the top-scoring offenses in the first three weeks. I'm intrigued by multi-dimensional Daryll Clark, and we'll see where he takes them.

I feel as though this squad has a lot to prove after some early season success. I've seen some JoePa teams fall flat on their faces in this exact same position, but in two weeks Illinois comes to town, then PSU travels to Madison for a showdown with the Badgers.

This week is Temple, so it should give them a nice break before the difficult two-game stretch.

No Dorsey, no Flynn, no problem

After losing a plethora of talent from last year's national championship squad, the LSU Tigers have gone out and overperformed this year to the tune of a 2-0 record and No. 6 national ranking. The Tigers have dropped 41 points on both of their opponents, but this Saturday should be much different when they travel to face Auburn.

LSU has found refuge with running back Charles Scott. The kid can really tote the rock and will be a dark horse for the Heisman—err, until he faces that tough Auburn D.

I just think it has been pretty darn impressive not only how well Andrew Hatch has molded with his coaches, but his teammates now trust him as well. The former Harvard signal-caller is showing that he can have success on the biggest stage on college football, too: the SEC.

So that's this week's rant. Come back for a little more next week!

Week Four College Football Picks in One Sentence

Ben Weixlmann — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:56:27 -0400

Let's see how good I am picking games in Week Four. Granted, I'm not picking by the spread, but here we go! Winners in bold.

Friday

Baylor (2-1) at Connecticut (3-0), 8 p.m

I'm pretty big on Huskies' RB Donald Brown, and not so high on Baylor, as always. I have to go with UConn in this one.

Saturday

Mississippi State (1-2) at Georgia Tech (2-1), noon

The Bulldogs let up just 3 points last week, and Ga. Tech is in the ACC (Awful Coastal Conference). That being said, I'm going with the home Yellow Jackets.

East Carolina (3-0) at N.C. State (1-2), noon

It's been a while since the Pirates were favored in this matchup, and although I see it as a trap game for them, I think they beat the Wolfpack.

Florida Atlantic (1-2) at Minnesota (3-0), noon

Sure they are undefeated, but Minnesota sucks. And FAU only lost to Michigan State by 17. I think Minnesota would lose to the Spartans by at least 30.

Ohio U. (0-3) at Northwestern (3-0), noon

I thought the Bobcats would be alright this year after the OSU game, but the Wildcats will show their Big 10 chest and send the Bobcats to an 0-4 record.

Troy (2-0) at Ohio State (2-1), noon

Wells out, Pryor probably in: OSU rolls.

Temple (1-2) at Penn State (3-0), noon

This is simple: Penn State in a laugher.

Central Michigan (2-1) at Purdue (1-1), noon,

This will be closer than most people think, but Painter is better than LeFevour, Boilermakers win.

Iowa (3-0) at Pittsburgh (1-1), noon

St. Louisan Adrian Clayborn leads the Hawkeyes in tackles, but he won't get to McCoy too often. Wannstedt's Panthers take a close one.

Alabama (3-0) at Arkansas (2-0), 12:30 p.m.

Saban vs. Petrino. Roll Tide!

UCF (1-1) at Boston College (1-1), 1 p.m

Kevin Smith and Matt Ryan gone creates no hype. BC is at home though.

South Carolina State (2-1) at Clemson (2-1), 1 p.m.

This isn't even fair...Clemson all the way.

Eastern Michigan (1-2) at Maryland (2-1), 1 p.m.

Maryland is riding a nice wave after beating Cal.

Buffalo (2-1) at Missouri (3-0), 2 p.m.

Expect Mizzou to throw up another 50+.

Wyoming (2-1) at BYU (3-0), 3 p.m.

See last week's BYU result, if you don't have access: BYU in a blowout.

Arizona (2-1) at UCLA (1-1), 3 p.m.

UCLA got spanked, but comes back this week with some fire.

Florida (2-0) at Tennessee (1-1), 3:30 p.m

Tebow boosts his Heisman chances with a win over Fulmer's crew on the road.

Miami (1-1) at Texas A&M (1-1), 3:30 p.m

Randy Shannon's Hurricanes go into a tough environment and win.

Notre Dame (2-0) at Michigan State (2-1), 3:30 p.m

Javon Ringer and the Spartans dominate a quality Irish D.

Boise State (2-0) at Oregon (3-0), 3:30 p.m.

Jairus Byrd and Co. stop Ian Johnson, Ducks win at Autzen.

Wake Forest (3-0) at Florida State (2-0), 7 p.m.

Seminoles in a close one behind an improving offense.

Miami University (1-2) at Cincinnati (1-1), 7:30 p.m.

One of the oldest rivalries in football, but the Bearcats are too much this year.

LSU (2-0) at Auburn (3-0), 7:45 p.m., ESPN

In one of two headliners: Auburn wins in a classic SEC defensive battle.

Georgia (3-0) at Arizona State (2-1), 8 p.m., ABC

Arizona State loses last week, can they come back this week and beat the Bulldogs? Yes!