The Long National Nightmare Is Over

Nice to see a little Cardinal influence on the win.  Of course, former Redbird Scott Rolen going first to third was the big thing, but he was doing that on Matt Holliday's hit and Holliday wound up scoring the winning run.  Then Adam Wainwright worked around Holliday's miscue in the outfield (what it is about Holliday and fielding on a national stage) to keep the game at 3-1.

Loved the Quotemeister's comment after the game: "They've won every time I've come here."

What was disappointing, however, was the early removal of Yadier Molina and especially Albert Pujols.  I could understand Molina's, because it was a baseball decision--the NL had runners on and a chance to get on the scoreboard.  You hate to see Molina go out that early, but notwithstanding his hit earlier in the game, it's not been a great offensive year for him.

Pujols, though, was much less defensible.  When it's a game that "counts", the best player in baseball is done after the third inning?  Really?  While the days of the starters getting four at bats and pitchers throwing three or more innings seem to be dead, is that really the way things should be?

It all goes back to the argument that this is the fans' game, not the players or MLB's.  The fans voted in a starting lineup--that lineup should get the majority of the playing time.  If someone doesn't get into the game, that's tough.  They're getting paid millions and likely got some sort of bonus just for making the squad.  That'll have to do.

The whole reason we are in this "This Time It Counts" mess is because managers can't actually manage an All-Star Game.  When Mike Mussina didn't get into the 1993 game at Camden Yards, fan reaction was strong and set baseball on the path toward using all the players, which bit them in the 2002 Milwaukee tie.  I do believe the local representation needs to get into the game, but other than that, if players don't get in, they don't get in.  As Evan of Rhino Rant stated last night when we talked on BBA Baseball Talk, you wind up with Omar Infante instead of Albert Pujols facing Mariano Rivera, and that's not playing the game to win.

Tom Verducci makes a lot of the same comments that I was making last night during the game.  The way the game ended for the AL should be reason enough to get back into some sort of real baseball mindset for these games.

Get the game back to 25 players.  Let the starters get into the sixth and let some of them play the whole game.  You'll have a better baseball game and maybe one that lets the best team win.

The other news of yesterday was, of course, the passing of George Steinbrenner.  As a National League fan in the middle of the country, I only was aware of Steinbrenner from afar.  While it was sometimes frustrating to see the Yankees stockpile or snag a player that the Cards might have used, you had to at least respect that Steinbrenner was trying.  The charges sometimes leveled at St. Louis ownership by a section of the fanbase--that they are more about lining pockets than trophy cases--never was made in New York.

With the passing of long-time stadium announcer Bob Sheppard this week as well, it reminds me of that week in June 2002 when St. Louis lost Jack Buck, then Darryl Kile.  It's different, of course--neither NY death compares to the shock of losing Kile--but having two big losses right on top of each other is a difficult thing to deal with.

Another day off before the Cards get back to the grind, facing Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers.  At least Chris Carpenter's going, because that's a tough assignment to get a good second half started against!