Izzy has my care & concern.

If I saw him in the grocery store, I think I’d have to hug him (as opposed to say, kicking him in the shins). He sounds extremely desperate, unique to any other time I have ever heard him speak about his performance or condition. I’m glad that Paletta found enough evidence to disable him for a few days and get him off the roster.

Otherwise, the options as I see them are 1) continue as-is: bad idea for obvious reasons or 2) DFA: ill-advised, for I’m sure another team would claim him. Worse closers than Jason Isringhausen not only exist but are paid handsomely. As poorly as he has been pitching lately, I feel like you don’t just give up on a guy nor do you send a guy to the gallows on a regular basis when he has consistently put out everything he has to offer and resultingly is the franchise save leader (eight away from 300 saves).

If Izzy wasn’t able to obtain a disability diagnosis, I would have been loudly screaming for a psychologist visit. Of course, it probably would have been like screaming in an anechoic chamber [aside, I think Liam would be the only one who wouldn't need to google that term], but that’s never stopped any of us from complaining about medical practices. [See: Mark Mulder's shoulder, Carpenter's elbow.] Zach Greinke of the Royals was placed on the DL officially for “personal reasons” a couple spring trainings ago; later, it came out that he had left spring training because of an anxiety disorder (social, to be specific). I suspect Rick Ankiel would have had a legitimate claim for similar treatment post-2000 postseason. And that is all we will speak of that even though we no longer have to weep at his downfall, for he is reborn as a damn fine centerfielder [even if he regrettably no longer wears the high socks].

That said, there’s nothing in the world wrong with having a psychological disorder… as long as you get treatment. Psychological issues carry such a stigma in our culture thanks to crazy ladies who drown their kids, pathological men who kill for sport, and suicidal students who tote guns to campus. Unfortunately “Lady Keeps Shit Together, Thanks Pharmaceutical Industry” never makes the six o’ clock news. The worst is generally suspected in someone who has a psych disorder, but with therapy and possibly medication, the impact of psych disorders can be reduced to a very manageable, normal to near-normal level.

I won’t lie, I’ve had my own trouble with psychological issues as I’ve progressed through school. So has half my department, and I suspect the other half isn’t being honest with themselves about their issues. Some events just take a toll on you and life is hard to handle on your own. It’s ok, it happens, don’t feel ashamed, just get treatment posthaste. I did, because I believe in Maslow’s hierarchy - basic needs must be satisfied in order to satisfy higher-level needs and function at a higher level.

What this means in terms of Izzy, if indeed he has some psychological issues now, [I'll keep away from the term disorder because 1) I don't diagnose psych disorders, I only refer and 2) I definitely don't have complete enough information to diagnose even if I were licensed for it] which I would suspect, seriously how would you not after recent events?, gratuitous comma, is that he has more important personal things to attend to before he can think about pitching which are completely independent of physical (hip/hand) health.

I really don’t fucking care if the infected hand is merely the public reason for getting Izzy out & away from here, as long as he’s getting the treatment he needs to get better. Kind of like the same thing with Spiezio: the guy has bigger things to take care of than baseball even though what we see is the impact that the problem has upon baseball.

I only write about this because in Izzy’s words I sense desperation that I’ve never before detected and that is completely out of character for him. The guy was willing to be DFA’d and sent to the minors just to get out of the current situation. He asked out of the closer role. That’s simply not the competitive, driven Izzy we know and love (and some boo, boo on them). Something has changed in him, something is not the same.

Clearly, Izzy needs some time off. Who knows how long? I’ll not claim to know. But I have reason to believe that he will fight to return and thus I anticipate seeing him back on the mound.

Oh, Yadi. Nobody can blame you for wanting to make sure your pitcher is getting the same treatment on ball and strike calls, but where has your normally cool demeanor gone? Backe tosses one at your pretty face after picking a fight with your BFF Albert, ok, I’d probably get bent out of shape over that one too. But stripping in front of the home plate ump?? Don’t get me wrong, a good part of me wanted to scream “TAKE OFF YOUR TOP” and you had already been ejected (at that point, why not get your money’s worth?), but you were one pissed-off puertoricano last night.

In Yadi’s defense, the ump did get all in his business first. To me, it looks like our Holy Moli made a comment while in the crouch position (not uncommon for Yadi or any other catcher in the league) and it’s pretty obvious that whatever was said, Paul Schrieber took exception to. Blue abruptly turned and walked directly in front of Yadi, got in his space and began “discussing” an unknown topic (I’m going to theorize that it involved Momma Molina or Yadi’s catching abilities), but I’m sure it involved repetitious use of one of Yadi’s favorite phrases, “fooken booshee”. Not too long later, Yadi gets the heave-ho and continues to “discuss” with Schrieber.

Tony comes out and at this point, I’m just waiting for him to get ejected too. Ump has a short fuse tonight and it’s not taking too much to set him off; strike one was probably coming out of the dugout, strike two was probably arguing for a player just ejected. Watching Tony on replay, he wasn’t as animated and he seemed much more calm than, say, Lou Piniella arguing another call, but Tony also didn’t back down. While this is going on, Yadi meticulously removes each piece of his catcher’s gear, nonmaliciously tossing it at the feet of Blue. I say nonmaliciously because we’re all aware of the cannon that is Yadi’s right arm; if Yadi had meant to hurt the guy, he would have been knocked over long ago. Reportedly, “You catch” is lip-readable on Yadi. Eventually, Tony gets strike three and he’s out as well. Oquendo has to escort Yadi to the dugout and take over the bench for the remainder of the evening.

Conspicuously, I didn’t catch quotes form the players, so I’m not sure what the rest of the team thought, but Wainer appreciated the sentiment.

“That was awesome,” Wainwright said. “If you’re going to get tossed, you might as well make it a good one.”

Update: Duncan didn’t entirely mind it either.

“Well, I thought it was a pretty good show,” said pitching coach Dave Duncan, a former major-league catcher. “I think Yadi at that point was pretty frustrated. And probably felt there should have been communication, not ejection.”

Also, video from the Brewers is available on mlb.com Turns out I almost got my wish; Yadi almost took off his top while Oquendo was walking him to the dugout. /Update

Here’s to hoping the Cards fire it up against the Pirates for the next few days. If you’re going to the stadium, don’t forget to remind Adam LaRoche of his batting average. If you’re feeling particularly cruel (and you know Buzz Bissinger would like for us to be) you could offer him some Strattera so maybe he can pay attention in the batter’s box and raise said average.

Also, Jim Edmonds as a Cubbie? Ugh. I’m not sure what would disgust me more: seeing him in blue pinstripes or seeing the bleacher bums who have previously unmercifully heckled him turn and embrace him. It’s bad enough that he couldn’t finish his career with us, but to finish with the division rivals? Hell, why don’t we let Houston have him for a few games too? I was all prepared to show up at the stadium and participate in the biggest standing ovation ever during his first plate appearance, but I have seriously mixed emotions about doing that if he’s going to be a Cub. However, I guess he already has his ring so it’s not like he needs to end his career playing for a World Series contender or anything.

I don’t think Rick Ankiel can legally wear long-sleeved shirts in Missouri any longer except when carrying a concealed weapon permit.

Really? Are you sure you can’t pitch? Even when the bullpen needs a rest, just for kicks ‘n’ grins? What if we just pretend that home plate is third base and you’re just standing on that damn hill at Minute Maid Park? Seriously, throwing out the speediest guy in the majors as he tries to advance to third on a sac fly? And then, as if he was off having some cerveza while Willy Taveras was nailed, Omar Quintanilla thinks it would be a good idea to stretch a double into a triple. Wrong-O. I think those plays deserve a name; The Catch is already taken and the only word that comes to mind when I watch replays is “dumbasses”. Do with that what you will.

I think we can add “Run on Rick Ankiel, even if you hit it to the warning track” to the list of Things That Are Ill-Advised When Playing the St. Louis Cardinals, somewhere around “Run on Yadi, ever” and “Upset Albert prior to plate appearance”.

Let me preface this by saying I think the world of Izzy. If I ever have a girl, I want to name her Isabella so I can call her Izzy. I don’t think we would have won the World Series without him, even though I know good and well he cost us games that season and was DL’ed for the duration of the postseason. I have no doubts that by gutting it out for as long as he did he bought those kids in the bullpen enough time to grow into what we saw in the postseason. Nails, lights-out, shutdown, pick whatever descriptor you want. There wasn’t a challenge that those kids didn’t meet and succeed against.

He could have taken himself out of the season much earlier, but he put his longevity and career on the line for the team; my friends, that is no ordinary sacrifice [bunt]. If I knew what kind of cookie he liked (and that he accepted baked goods from complete strangers), I would gladly bake a batch and lower them into the bullpen on some fine evening.

But we can’t let this keep happening. It’s one month into the season and he’s got three blown saves. He’s got ERA on the wrong side of 7. The cutter isn’t working. He’s talking like he did during 2006. Worst of all, he’s pitching like he did in 2006, the year of the hip from hell and the surgery that had potential to end his career. I know he publicly expressed a desire to keep pitching for a couple years, but I don’t think his health is going to permit that. Nobody thought we had a chance to be competitive this season, but we are competitive. We may play in the NL Central, the redheaded stepchild of divisions, but we don’t have games to give away like free samples at Costco on government check weekend. If we give away one, people will find a way to get more.

I think it’s prudent to be looking at other options right now. The veteran-lovers might suggest Franklin or Springer, but I’m going to go with Dave Duncan here. That Kyle McClellan kid has been rather eye-catching. High pressure, low pressure, whatever the barometer, he’s been dependable. There for a while he had been striking out the first batter he faced. First pitch strikes are for sissies; first batter strikeouts are for badasses. He posts some sweet numbers: 1.69 ERA over 16 innings in 13 games, 1 HR allowed, 7:1 K/BB rate, but most importantly to me he gets the job done. It’s hard to remember, but not every club has the luxury of Mo Rivera or K-Rod, so sometimes the path of least damage is the best. Also, he reminds me of a young rook back in 2006 who was a starter until he just made the club out of spring training as a reliever…

I love Izzy. I wish he could have had his Bruce Sutter vs. Gorman Thomas moment, the one that I’m sure he grew up dreaming of from Brighton, IL. But I’m afraid his time may have passed and it could cost the team.

It’s time to pass the hat! And there’s nothing you can do about that…

Seriously folks, you better take up a collection to keep me away from the stadium if you want us to continue winning this season. I snuck off to the game today on a friend’s extra ticket (being a bum has its upsides!) and we wound up losing in ten, even with The Pitcher Formerly Known as Eric Gagne, AL Cy Young winner on the mound for the Brewers. I am now 0-2 on the season for field trips while the Cardinals are at 11-5 and on top of the NL Central. Sorry guys, but unless motivated otherwise (financially) I’ll keep going back like a bug to a light.

I didn’t get a shot of it (left the house in too much of a hurry to grab the camera), but I noticed the grounds crew had messed with the infield cutouts since the last time I was there. They are better now - less boxy and more curvy, but still a little wonky and unbalanced for my liking.

While enjoying the view (beautiful day for baseball, folks!) and not focusing on the class I had to attend later, I was chatting with my friend. She was talking about how she didn’t think this team was the same as last year. As in this club had less energy and wasn’t in it this year. Seeing as it was middle school day at the stadium, I held myself back from choice words and kept it to “I disagree.”

I think the outfield is a big piece of evidence in the argument that this team is different; sure, there are some of the same guys patrolling the grass, but in different capacities and frequencies. Ankiel was around for some of last year, but he was platooned in the corners for a good part of the time. Now he’s the leader in center. Ludwick gave days off and pinch hits and Skip was moving around in AAA. Duncan was more of an everyday player than he is presently; Barton was in the bus leagues for Cleveland. Although four of the same bodies are involved, it’s an entirely different dynamic that seems to be working. I have to say, I love having the kids around. Not only do I get less mad when a mistake is made because of inexperience instead of age, I get the feeling that the team will improve as everybody learns together. And that is my pep talk for the day.

Who would have thunk it? Certainly not ESPN, which was too busy having a Phillies-Mets love fest tonight. The team that was predicted to be well-under .500 is tied with Arizona for the best record in MLB. (That’s 7-2 for you folks keeping score at home.) As of right now, the Tigers — who were supposed to beat up on every other team this season — just got their first win of the year… on their eighth attempt.

I’m not predicting these guys to keep it up all year, but I think there is something to be said for the limits that a team places on themselves; in effect, the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Last year Jimmy Rollins said the Phillies were going to be the guys to beat in the NL East, and wouldn’t you know it, they were. This year the team seems to believe in themselves - at least after Kyle Lohse showed up - and they’re playing like it.

So far, they’re confident in their ability and I would contend their ability is improved because of that confidence. Sometimes we talk about the psychological advantage of a corked bat, PEDs, lucky socks, or a batting helmet covered in gunk as an amulet. So far, no solid evidence actually indicates that the objects/substances in and of themselves quantifiably improve performance, but since the person believes they are gaining an advantage, they are. Essentially, it’s a placebo effect. But as long as it works, who the hell cares?

In other news, the Mets got Rickrolled. It’s a damn shame this didn’t happen all year long. Take that! It’s payback for stuffing the All-Star ballot for the Mets! Love, the rest of America.

Nobody move. Nobody shave any body surfaces (unless you do so daily) or get a haircut or do anything else that might disturb the delicate balance of the world in which we live. You know, the one in which the Cardinals, who have a makeshift rotation and a load of inexperienced kids from the farm, are 5-1 on the year. If you have been wearing the same underwear all week, well then you’re just going to need to keep wearing it a while longer. For the team. Not for career or personal advancement, obviously.

Now I know full well that we didn’t just steamroll the Mets or the Mets or any other team predicted to be outstanding this season, but you don’t just get five free wins from major league squads. I’ve never predicted this season to be good!, but I have noted that last year the talking heads said the Nationals would be terrible. As in 100 loss potential terrible. Before that, it was the Marlins. And after that point my memory fails me, but not only did those teams fail to meet that expectation, they gave the playoffs a good, somewhat healthy run.

I’m posting this link right now and I’ll save a copy of it just in case I ever need to refer back to it, which I’m sure I will because I always love to look back and reread season predictions after all is done.

In any case, don’t forget to watch ESPN tonight and listen to Joe Morgan fumble around for a not-so-graceful way to change his outlook on our Birds.

Well, I’ll bedamned. At this rate, you all should be passing the hat so I’ll promise to stay away from the stadium. After five games, I have been present for the ONLY loss of the year.

Has anybody else noticed that the infield grass is different this year? It took me a little bit to put my finger on it, but so far I don’t like it. There could be a really great reason for it of which I am unaware, but I don’t like the boxy cutout on the grass at 1st and 3rd. I much preferred the previous pie cut that fit more with the curvy nature and feng shui of the field. I could care less if the original cutout wasn’t incredibly unique; it looked much more balanced and tied together. Go do something neat with the StL in the grass, but don’t mess with the infield cutout!

I’m not going to lie, folks. I thought I would have a lot more negative things to say by now. I figured by now we would have seen 4/5 of the rotation have some serious trouble and a few more errors by Izturis. Don’t get me wrong, we still have 158 games left and I’m sure I’ll come up with plenty of negative (and positive) things to say by the time all is said and done, but for now, how ’bout them Card’nuls?

I’m liking what I see from Kyle McClellan as of now. He kind of has a fairytale story going on right now (hometown kid successfully pitches for his favorite team) and I’m sure his stay with the team won’t be all daisies and roses, but I am interested to see 1) how long before he struggles, 2) under what conditions he struggles, and 3) how he changes a challenging situation. I’d say he handled the bases-loaded seventh inning situation pretty well tonight - allowed one inherited runner to score but got out of the inning without blowing the lead. Not bad for your third time in the game.

Since he’s new and learning, I think seeing these struggles would be a fantastic learning experience to help him improve even more. I know I learn a lot from my screwups. Not that I’m ready to see him start loading the bases only to get out with an inning-ending double play, but I promise not to scream “Woe is us” and faint with too much drama when he starts to have trouble. But real quick, wanna know someone else who had kind of a fairytale story going on? Adam Wainwright, minus the whole traded from your favorite team to St. Louis thing.

Here’s to hoping the 2008 Cards are not so similar to a hypothetical boy (or girl, or both if you go that way) who charms their way into your heart, only to tear it apart over the course of a couple months. Not like I’d know anything about that.

I just realized that the new page theme is the same one up at Stuff White People Like. I suppose you can only get so original when WordPress has a select number of themes from which to choose, but still. I guess it’s ok since so many of their pages describe me and/or some of my friends with freakish accuracy (see: Hating Corporations, Bottles of Water, Threatening to Move to Canada [although they don't mention David Eckstein's presence in Canada now, it still works for me], Standing Still at Concerts, Wrigley Field, and Organic Food).

Anyway, looks like this is the way we’re going to look for a while. I might change the header for good or periodically, but that is dependent on how much I can decrease my sucking ability at graphic production.

The plans are to be on to write much more often than you know, once every few months, and I think that’s doable now that I’m returning from a soul-sucking school assignment. Believe it or not with all the writing I still have to do for school I still enjoy writing about baseball and talking trash about the Cubs. Even though I should definitely be writing a ton of essays for my portfolio over the next three weeks, I’m sure I’ll get in the Cardblogging/procrastinating mood and I’ll see you again shortly.