 Cards back in the raceI can't believe it even as I
type these words. Maybe the Cardinals read the LDN... but, probably
not. If they did, maybe they took my recent grading scale and made
them fighting words. Perhaps it may just be the fact that they are
positioned in the NL Comedy Central, where if a team finishes the
season above .500 they are likely to win the crown. But would
that be so bad? I seem to recall a team from the Comedy division
winning the world championship last season, don't you? And if said
team can repeat the feat this year without a sparkling divisional
record, will there be lots of complaints? Didn't think so.
Somehow, some way the world champion St. Louis Cardinals are back
in the race even though one fan thinks the division should be
renamed -- the No Team Left Behind division! But, how have the
Redbirds done it? Would you believe smoke and mirrors? Well, not
really. According to the stats, the Cards have just strung together
some good baseball. They have won six of their last eight, 10 of
their last 14 and 14 of their last 20. St. Louis has reached the
.500 mark at 64-64 for the first time since early April.
Over this same span the Chicago Cubs have gone 11-14 (in August)
while the Brewers have struggled at 9-22 over their last 31
ballgames. Speaking divisionally, you need to notice that the
Cincinnati Reds have climbed back into this mess as well, going 15-6
recently, and are now 29-19 since Pete Mackanin took over as their
skipper.
Sidebar: With the 7-0 victory over the Houston Astros on
Tuesday, St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa caught legendary Cardinal
skipper Red Schoendienst as the all-time leader in wins with 1,041.
In typical humble fashion, LaRussa said, "Red deserves to be first!"
Unofficially, this is what I have concerning records of three
prominent St. Louis managers:
|
Manager |
Wins |
Losses |
Pct. |
|
Red
Schoendienst |
1,041 |
955 |
.522 |
|
Whitey
Herzog |
822 |
728 |
.530 |
|
Tony
LaRussa |
1,041 |
867 |
.546 |
But I digress... I was supposed to try to explain how St. Louis
did what I said several weeks ago that they could not. Obviously, I
don't know. As with most things in life, I haven't got a clue!
I guess if you want me to throw darts, I would point to the
starting rotation. Going into Tuesday's night's contest, in the
previous 22 games Cardinal starters had fashioned a stingy 3.31 ERA.
Quality starts from virtually everyone, including a resurgence of
Braden Looper. However, the guy who really stands out is the player
I implored you to watch, Adam Wainwright. He has emerged as the ace
of the staff, going 5-2 with a nifty 2.51 ERA since the All-Star
break. In fact, in his last 14 starts Wainwright has gone 8-4 with a
2.87 ERA and has given up only four home runs in 94 innings. The
Birds will need that kind of performance the rest of the way if they
hope to return to the playoffs. To understand just how good
Wainwright has been, only San Diego's Jake Peavy at 2.47 and
Arizona's Brandon Webb at 2.04 (that went up after Tuesday's loss)
had better stats than Adam!
I guess I would also point to the Cardinals' everyday lineup as a
factor in their upswing as well. Why do I say that? Well, how 'bout
this: Six regulars are batting .300 or better since the break.
That'll win you a few games. Not very many pundits saw Brendan Ryan
doing so well. Center fielder Jim Edmonds is slowly coming back into
his own, hitting a robust .377 over a 19-game span. Catcher Yadier
Molina went .367 over 25 games, and over the last 30 third baseman
Scott Rolen smacked 18 extra-base hits.
With all that being said, if you only had one game ball to
present, it would probably have to go to the bullpen (which I lauded
in my midseason report). They have simply kept the sinking ship from
going belly-up. Ryan Franklin, Russ Springer and the ageless wonder,
Troy Percival, have been outstanding (although I should just name
the whole crew because everyone has seemingly contributed something
to the party). As a matter of fact, in the 12 wins prior to Tuesday
night, the pen was sporting a 1.82 ERA with three wins, five saves
and only eight walks to go with 26 strikeouts. That's lights out!
Oh, and Cardinal closer Jason Isringhausen hasn't been too bad
either. He recently picked up his 200th save and seems to be as
healthy as he has been in a few years. IF he can continue shutting
down the opposition, maybe there's still a chance that the Cards can
get into a position to defend their title.
I don't like their chances, but I was the one who said they
wouldn't and couldn't get back in the race. I'd love to be wrong
again in October!
It's time for Illini football...
...and I'm doing everything in my power to not get caught up in
the hype that Illinois will be an improved football squad this
season. Better players are supposed to equate to better records. I
guess we'll just see about that.
I have mentioned on several occasions that I sure don't like the
way they have fashioned their schedules. I think it is imperative to
build a season slowly. If USC, Florida, LSU and the Packers do it
that way, how much more important is it for the Illini to do it? No
response is needed.
By the same token, playing a quality team like the Missouri
Tigers (who many are penciling in to win the Big 12 North Division)
should give a decent barometer as to where the Illini are and maybe
where they're headed. If I remember the previous games in the ED,
the Illini got off to poor starts, made lots of mistakes and just
kinda self-destructed.
I think that if they can turn just those areas around, they will
give themselves a great chance to be competitive. I have not
attended one practice nor had a chance to talk to any of the
coaches, so many of you may know much more about the Illini than I
do at this point.
What I really want to see is improvement. I want to see some
smash-mouth football that lets everyone on the field know, and
everyone on our schedule know, that when you play us, it's going to
be a very long day. I'll bring more of a report when and if I get to
see the product.
Weighing in...
It's always dangerous to do this, as I've never felt that being a
judge is what we're supposed to be about. But two recent events have
me somewhat troubled.
The first was the Michael Vick incident. I am a dog lover and so
I know that things he did were wrong. He made some big mistakes.
But, in case my wife has never told you, I've made some mistakes in
my life too. I hope I never have to go to prison for the ones I've
made, but I was always taught that all of us have broken the law and
that as a lawbreaker there is little to no difference as to the
severity of the infraction(s). I also know that that can be debated
until the cows come home.
At this point the man has pleaded and has made a first public
apology. Some will call that spin or posturing. I really don't know
everything he did and what the penalties are for any crimes that can
be corroborated. I also don't know if he will get the same kind of
punishment that an average citizen would get. I think his might be
harsher or more severe because he is in the public eye so much.
Since I don't know much about any of these things, I wouldn't want
to debate this issue with someone knowledgeable about it all,
because it would be no contest.
[to top of second column]
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 However, though the charges were appalling, that's not what has
me the most troubled. What troubles me is what I might call the
"piling on" that I see in our society the last few years. Every time
there is an incident, it seems like people can't wait to take a
swipe or bash someone -- kicking someone while they are down. I'm
not saying they should go free or have reduced sentences. All I'm
asking is: Where has the mercy and grace gone? Once someone stands
up to their charges and pays their debt to society, do they still
need to be kicked to the curb? I don't know, I'm just asking. It
seems like sometimes we've become a harsh people.
Another recent incident involves an athlete a little closer to
home: Jamar Smith of the Illinois men's basketball team. You may
recall an incident last winter. On a snowy night after some
partying, he drove apparently under the influence, hit a tree and
fled, leaving an injured teammate in his car. He took a plea deal
after he sat out the final eight games of last season.
Many decisions were made regarding his case by many groups,
including but not limited to whether he would be allowed to stay in
school and whether he would ever be allowed to play basketball for
the Illini again. To make a long story longer, most of those
decisions have been reached, including a decision that has him
redshirting for the upcoming season (for those not familiar with
that term, it means that he can practice with the team, but not
appear in any games this upcoming season. He will then be
re-evaluated at the end of the year to see if he has made
significant progress in several areas to see what his status might
be at a future date).
The whole incident has been a nightmare. So many parts of the
incident are troubling that it would take volumes to discuss each
point. But that's not what troubles me the most. Once again, what is
scary to me is the way people jumped on this kid and wanted his
head. It seems like maybe some people forgot or didn't understand
everything that happened to this young student. And yes, he brought
it on himself. No one is defending his actions or the lack thereof.
There are certain penalties that must be invoked.
One of my best friends has been a lawyer and currently is a
judge, so I am blessed to have someone who is very patient explain
to me what all the legalese means. I know that there are lots of
ramifications for a person guilty of these kinds of crimes. But my
question is this: How much punishment is enough? Haven't we been
taught that punishment ought to fit the crime? And if you're among
those who think that a season-long redshirt is a fair sentence, then
God bless you (some wanted him kicked off the team and kicked out of
school). Just don't count me in that group.
It seems like the punishment being handed out is continuous, as
if the crime is still going on. Jamar has already been embarrassed
and humiliated. He has to live with everything he's brought on
himself, his family, his teammates and his coaches, his friends, and
the university. He can't work extra hours to get his car fixed
because of the way the system is set up. He will have to do lots of
hours of community service (which in the long run is probably a good
thing), but those hours still have to be accounted for. And this all
in addition to the punishment for his crime(s).
Amazingly, this isn't enough for a lot of people. Many people on
message boards, chat groups, etc. want more. One guy (I think
facetiously) suggested that Smith be caned. He may be onto
something. Why not a public flogging? Why not tar and feathering him
-- that would show him?! Why not send him to guillotine -- he'll
never commit that crime again! People smell blood and they just keep
coming after the kid.
Wow! Is it really that difficult to remember what it was like to
be 19 years old? Yes, we want to teach kids responsibility. Yes,
those who are in the public eye, like those on sports scholarships,
should probably be held to higher commitment level than perhaps
others. But once again, is there possibly any room for grace and
mercy?
I don't know how you are when you make a mistake, but mine haunt
me. I'm not myself for weeks or months after them. I try to take my
punishment like a man, but my own internal punishment usually
outweighs anything I get from anyone else. I think that is where
Jamar Smith is right now. To his credit, he has taken all of this
like a man. I think he learned a very hard lesson, and thank God no
one got injured or killed on that winter's night. But, I voted for
reinstatement (and yes, I know that my vote was not considered). And
yes, I could've lived with a suspension this season of a few more
games, although that wouldn't have appeased the sharks that have
been circling Smith for some months now.
I guess I'm just one who sees a sports team like a family. And
believe you me, just like our families at home, a sports family runs
a lot smoother when everyone is getting along and following the
rules. However, we don't throw out the baby with the bath water. In
other words, we don't punish a family member and then say, by
the way, you won't be a full, participating member of our family for
the next year. We'll re-evaluate your status at the end of the year
and see if you're worthy to return at that time. Most of the
families I have been a part of operated with unconditional love as
its guide. And yes, there was a lot of tough love handed out in
those families.
Once again, I'm for tough love being shown to Smith. I think it
has been in many ways already. All I am saying is that I think
keeping him in his Illini family would've been an even better
situation than the one they have decided for him. I had a feeling
that his coaches and teammates were going to keep him in check this
season. He was going to have to face the naysayers on campus and at
games anyway. And yes, I understand how this additional punishment
gives him a year away from basketball to get the most important
aspects of his life back into order. But what makes you so sure he
wasn't already doing that?
His coach, Bruce Weber, and the entire Illini Athletic Department
have come under fire over this case and a few other ones over the
last few years. It seems that many people forget that these players
are kids, they are students, and many living away from home for the
first time in their lives. They make mistakes. And many people want
to pounce on them like vultures. Sometimes I think we forget that
our culture and our society breed some of the very problems that we
disdain. I guess I just wonder if we'd be that harsh if Jamar Smith
were our son or our friend's kid?
I have watched Bruce Weber with his own kids and family, and they
seem like they adore him. They seem to exude a positive energy where
I'll bet if their kids mess up they feel the freedom to go to their
parents, 'fess up and face the music. I'll bet they also know that
if they do the time, they'll be totally reinstated. And I'll
bet they know that the punishment will not supersede the infraction.
In Jamar's case, I think the punishment far exceeds the crimes. I
just hope that none of the people who wanted harsh punishment for
Smith are ever sitting in a jury box if I'm ever on trial. I'd
rather take my chances with Commissioner Goddell.
Well, that's it for me, kids. Sure do miss you guys. Keeping our
fingers crossed for the Railers and for the Illini. Have a great
Labor Day and a great month, everybody!
[Jeff Mayfield]
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