'Vic' speed getting national attention

[scoutyjones2]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

[rockondlouie]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

[bccardsfan]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

I'm not sure about the 30 dinger level either. We'll have a lot better idea later this evening

[rockondlouie]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

I'm not sure about the 30 dinger level either. We'll have a lot better idea later this evening

Has the look of a really outstanding hitter w/enough pop to reach the 20+ range, but 30 HR's could be a tough hill for him to climb.

Maybe in a career year?

Or maybe his power really develops and he does hit 30 a year for the next five years?

Let's hope so, either way we've got a really good hitter!

[bccardsfan]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

I'm not sure about the 30 dinger level either. We'll have a lot better idea later this evening

Has the look of a really outstanding hitter w/enough pop to reach the 20+ range, but 30 HR's could be a tough hill for him to climb.

Maybe in a career year?

Or maybe his power really develops and he does hit 30 a year for the next five years?

Let's hope so, either way we've got a really good hitter!

Stupid phone. I said later this season, not later this evening! Yes, 30 dingers is a stretch, but we'll see

[scoutyjones2]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

4 HRs in 21 ABs

[renostl]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

I'm not sure about the 30 dinger level either. We'll have a lot better idea later this evening

Ball jumps off his bat. I'm splitting hairs here but feel 25+ HR .500 SLG power is in his easy to reach profile.

[DwaininAztec]

He's a better fielder than Brock.

Wasn’t Brock not a good fielder to begin with.

I can share 'early eyeball ' evaluations of Brock's fielding. When Cards acquired him in 1964 (mid season from Cubs ) , I was in HS .. 16 a sophomore .
Remember him playing LF and boy was it an adventure out there. (Think of Walker last year ) .
Brock was quite poor in judging balls hit to him. On line drives he would take a false step in, stop and retreat with some balls going over his head. Fans would shake their head for it wasn't pretty to watch. When he arrived from Cubs , he was hitting .251 had stolen 10 bases and thrown out 3 times
Then with Cardinals 2nd half of year he batted .348 stole 33 more bags -thrown out 15 times So for the season , he stole 43 bases .. and caught stealing 18 times.
For his 19 yr. career , Brock stole 938 bases and was caught stealng 307 times So for 162 game avg. He swiped 58 per year and was caught stealing 19 times per year.

Your description of Brock's fielding is right on. Brock had an iron mitt. Used his speed to make up for late starts and bad routes. He did make one great catch in the '64 WS.

As for speed, I remember in '64 when he got caught taking an early break, he simply outran the throw to 2B. Everyone was shocked, nobody was doing that but Maury Wills.

[renostl]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

Yep, I was looking at it last night and this team has like 4 guys that should be #1/2 hitters in the lineup. One of them is hitting 3rd on this team.

I like either Scott or Nootbaar leading off. Scott getting his OBP up to .359 this year makes him really interesting for that spot.

I don’t mind Winn hitting 2nd at all, he reminds me offensively of Renteria, maybe even with a bit more power than Edgar had. And this year, Winn’s OBP is .343. He’s got an OPS over 1.000 in the 2nd spot this year.

With Herrera back, I would go

1. Noot
2. Winn
3. Donovan
4. Contreras
5. Herrera
6. Arenado
7. Walker/Burleson/Gorman
8. Pages/Pozo
9. Scott

But what if you moved Scott into the leadoff spot?
1. Scott
2. Winn
3. Donovan
4. Contreras
5. Herrera
6. Arenado
7. Nootbaar
8. Pages/Pozo
9. Walker/Burleson/Gorman

I think at this point I would not rock the boat too much with Scott/Nootbaar leading off. But it sure makes it interesting in the future. Man, if we could get just one true middle of the order hitter, probably a corner outfielder, this lineup becomes complete.

Interesting.
Do you think the Cardinals would drop NA to 6?

For that reason only, and agreeing that Herrera should be in the top 5, I think Herrera gets one of
BD's or Winns spots. Allows the current #4 and #5 dynamic, or gets slotted at #6 to keep peace.

[Futuregm2]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

Yep, I was looking at it last night and this team has like 4 guys that should be #1/2 hitters in the lineup. One of them is hitting 3rd on this team.

I like either Scott or Nootbaar leading off. Scott getting his OBP up to .359 this year makes him really interesting for that spot.

I don’t mind Winn hitting 2nd at all, he reminds me offensively of Renteria, maybe even with a bit more power than Edgar had. And this year, Winn’s OBP is .343. He’s got an OPS over 1.000 in the 2nd spot this year.

With Herrera back, I would go

1. Noot
2. Winn
3. Donovan
4. Contreras
5. Herrera
6. Arenado
7. Walker/Burleson/Gorman
8. Pages/Pozo
9. Scott

But what if you moved Scott into the leadoff spot?
1. Scott
2. Winn
3. Donovan
4. Contreras
5. Herrera
6. Arenado
7. Nootbaar
8. Pages/Pozo
9. Walker/Burleson/Gorman

I think at this point I would not rock the boat too much with Scott/Nootbaar leading off. But it sure makes it interesting in the future. Man, if we could get just one true middle of the order hitter, probably a corner outfielder, this lineup becomes complete.

Interesting.
Do you think the Cardinals would drop NA to 6?

For that reason only, and agreeing that Herrera should be in the top 5, I think Herrera gets one of
BD's or Winns spots. Allows the current #4 and #5 dynamic, or gets slotted at #6 to keep peace.

Knowing them, probably not. But they should. His SLG% is down to .395, which is in line with last year’s .394. And it’s probably going to finish below that IMO. He’s on decline and shouldn’t be a #4 or 5 hitter. Honestly he shouldn’t be the 6th hitter either, I’d put him 7th in our ideal lineup. Over his last 113 PAs, Nado has a .301 OBP and .337 SLG% (.638 OPS) with 2 HR and 8 RBI. Those are Burleson like numbers. He brings value with his glove, but his offense is getting close to bench worthy if not already there.

[scoutyjones2]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

I'm not sure about the 30 dinger level either. We'll have a lot better idea later this evening

What happens this evening?

[bccardsfan]

I was just talking into the phone to post and it changed later this season to later this evening, and I didn't notice until I had posted it

[renostl]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

Yep, I was looking at it last night and this team has like 4 guys that should be #1/2 hitters in the lineup. One of them is hitting 3rd on this team.

I like either Scott or Nootbaar leading off. Scott getting his OBP up to .359 this year makes him really interesting for that spot.

I don’t mind Winn hitting 2nd at all, he reminds me offensively of Renteria, maybe even with a bit more power than Edgar had. And this year, Winn’s OBP is .343. He’s got an OPS over 1.000 in the 2nd spot this year.

With Herrera back, I would go

1. Noot
2. Winn
3. Donovan
4. Contreras
5. Herrera
6. Arenado
7. Walker/Burleson/Gorman
8. Pages/Pozo
9. Scott

But what if you moved Scott into the leadoff spot?
1. Scott
2. Winn
3. Donovan
4. Contreras
5. Herrera
6. Arenado
7. Nootbaar
8. Pages/Pozo
9. Walker/Burleson/Gorman

I think at this point I would not rock the boat too much with Scott/Nootbaar leading off. But it sure makes it interesting in the future. Man, if we could get just one true middle of the order hitter, probably a corner outfielder, this lineup becomes complete.

Interesting.
Do you think the Cardinals would drop NA to 6?

For that reason only, and agreeing that Herrera should be in the top 5, I think Herrera gets one of
BD's or Winns spots. Allows the current #4 and #5 dynamic, or gets slotted at #6 to keep peace.

Knowing them, probably not. But they should. His SLG% is down to .395, which is in line with last year’s .394. And it’s probably going to finish below that IMO. He’s on decline and shouldn’t be a #4 or 5 hitter. Honestly he shouldn’t be the 6th hitter either, I’d put him 7th in our ideal lineup. Over his last 113 PAs, Nado has a .301 OBP and .337 SLG% (.638 OPS) with 2 HR and 8 RBI. Those are Burleson like numbers. He brings value with his glove, but his offense is getting close to bench worthy if not already there.

Which is where any team trading for him would place him. NA just might be in the best place for him now.

In St Louis in 2025, the lowest I see him is the #5 spot. If at 5, The easiest choice is to put Herrera behind him.
Not sure that would be the best choice.

[rockondlouie]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

4 HRs in 21 ABs

I hope you're right!

BUT

T. Edman
8 HR in 111 AB's

He's not hitting 30 HR's either

[rockondlouie]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

I'm not sure about the 30 dinger level either. We'll have a lot better idea later this evening

Has the look of a really outstanding hitter w/enough pop to reach the 20+ range, but 30 HR's could be a tough hill for him to climb.

Maybe in a career year?

Or maybe his power really develops and he does hit 30 a year for the next five years?

Let's hope so, either way we've got a really good hitter!

Stupid phone. I said later this season, not later this evening! Yes, 30 dingers is a stretch, but we'll see

[JDW]

Great to see another Cardinals player w/speed who causes havoc on the basepaths in the spirit of L. Brock and V. Coleman!

He looks to have better hitting skills than Coleman, and not going to be Lou at the plate. We shall see. But 8 of 9 or 9 of 10 or whatever it is in the SB category, and scoring from first twice yesterday... and running down balls in the gap, and the leaping home run robbing catch.... fun to watch. I am enjoying the team because I love watching some kids develop and I don't expect them to do anything in the post season. MO will be gone too and then Bloom gets to build the team he wants. There are some good pieces here to build around.

Agreed bcc better than Coleman, not Brock level.

Having VSII along w/M. Winn it looks like C. Bloom has two "up the middle" pieces in place to build around w/J.J. coming soon to man 2B!

If only I. Hererra was a stud behind the plate, then we'd have one helluva up the middle for the next 10 years!

Yeah Rock, I am with you on all. IH can pick up a 1B mitt.... or DH and be the emergency catcher. He has a poor arm, so people are going to run on him no matter where he plays. 1B would be OK I guess. They need to find one more SP, a couple of BP pieces, and hope the JJ can really hit in the bigs and play 3B. Saggese can hit, but his arm is not really suited for the left side, so he looks like a second baseman from my small sample size view. My preference is for a lineup of guys like Donnie, who put the ball in play. One or two boppers is all you need. Jack Clark and the seven dwarves as it were (I guess 8 with the stupid DH rule). Not sure who the young bopper will be yet. Unfortunately not looking like Gorman or Walker right now, but they have time. Not sure IH is a real power hitter. We will know by the end of the season. He has shown the flashes. They are going to need one more everyday player who hits for power to go with the guys like Donovan, Winn, VSII and maybe Saggese and who ever else. WC will not be here that much longer. JJ is the wild card. He could blossom or he could turn into Gorman or Walker. But there are pieces here to build a pretty good and fairly young team around.

Herrera is a perfect DH candidate, could even learn 1B or the OF.

What is really missing is that MOTO thunder, a big bat that can hit 30+ HR's and drive in 100 runs.

That hitter isn't on the current team or in our system, he'll have to come via trade or FA.

My hope is J.J., the first #1 to be fully developed under the C. Bloom player development system, won't fall to the wayside like so many have under Mo's leadership.

Once S. Gray's deal is off the books ($35M in 2026), Bloom should have the dry powder to ink a true FOTR starter to go w/Libby giving the Cardinals a solid 1-2 punch. McGreevy, Mathews, ect....hurlers can then fill out the rotation.

The future looks solid to me, but ONLY if BDWJr commits the payroll ($175+M) Bloom will need to build a contender.

If Bill goes cheap, then lean times will be here to stay.

You don't think Ivan the terrible can hit 30 bombs?

I don't.

I remember some on here practically guaranteeing us that the UniKKKorn was going to hit 40 HR's and J. Walker would hit 30.

I see Ivan being a .300 hitter w/a .800-.850 OPS and somewhere in the low 20's HR area.

Maybe in a career year he tops 30?

I'm not sure about the 30 dinger level either. We'll have a lot better idea later this evening

Has the look of a really outstanding hitter w/enough pop to reach the 20+ range, but 30 HR's could be a tough hill for him to climb.

Maybe in a career year?

Or maybe his power really develops and he does hit 30 a year for the next five years?

Let's hope so, either way we've got a really good hitter!

Stupid phone. I said later this season, not later this evening! Yes, 30 dingers is a stretch, but we'll see

Nope, too late to blame it on the phone, we're all watching tonight to see if Ivan hits 3. That could be the sign.
Just razzing you, ignore me is always a good option, lol.