Very good pitching is stil the way to go

[NYCardsFan]

Liberatore
McGreevy
Doyle
Mathews
Mautz

Nice rotation.

No stud Ace. Several threes. Not good enough.

Never assume anything. Look at Alcantara and Gallen at the same stage. Both Doyle and Mathews could be TOR.
So could Roby.

Seems like you are the one doing a lot of “assuming”: you’re prematurely declaring that a “nice rotation” when most of them haven’t done anything yet.

Par for the course: hope for best-case scenarios across the board (with no margin for error/downside), then claim it was a “perfect storm” when inevitably they don’t all materialize.

[AtillaTheBlue1]

[quoteNever assume anything. Look at Alcantara and Gallen at the same stage. Both Doyle and Mathews could be TOR.
So could Roby. ][/quote]

[WLTFE]

[quoteNever assume anything. Look at Alcantara and Gallen at the same stage. Both Doyle and Mathews could be TOR.
So could Roby. ]

[/quote]
+1...hopefully, Bloom doesn't live in the same fantasy bubble that some on here do...

[Cranny]

Liberatore
McGreevy
Doyle
Mathews
Mautz

Nice rotation.

No stud Ace. Several threes. Not good enough.

Never assume anything. Look at Alcantara and Gallen at the same stage. Both Doyle and Mathews could be TOR.
So could Roby.

Seems like you are the one doing a lot of “assuming”: you’re prematurely declaring that a “nice rotation” when most of them haven’t done anything yet.

Par for the course: hope for best-case scenarios across the board (with no margin for error/downside), then claim it was a “perfect storm” when inevitably they don’t all materialize.

Okay, NY. How about “potential” nice rotation - if everything works out well. Is that better for you?

[Quincy Varnish]

Having at least 2 very good starters and decent 3 and 4 starters (which they already have) along with a good setup guy and closer is the quickest way to be a real contender.
I don't see DeWitt spending for a couple upper tier starters but a team like the cardinals could be transformed quickly into a honest contender with them.

How’s it working for the Pirates? A top 10 offense is also needed. Specifically Slug. Cardinals were last in MLB

Brewers aren't even in the top 10 in slug. You have to have that pitching and then hopefully get a few guys that can score or drive in runs. I don't think the Cards run near enough. Also, they should use the hit and run and make contact more. Too many strikeouts. That said, they absolutely must get better pitching wise or it won't matter.

The Brewers were behind only the Dodgers and Yankees in runs per game, and only a hair below league average in slugging. They should probably be considered an anomaly. You can’t model a team after the Brewers by simply running more, or employing the hit & run more often - you need the right pieces, and the Cardinals don’t have them. Also, the Cardinals were well below the league average in strikeouts, and had less than 9 of this year’s 12 playoff teams.

[CCard]

Having at least 2 very good starters and decent 3 and 4 starters (which they already have) along with a good setup guy and closer is the quickest way to be a real contender.
I don't see DeWitt spending for a couple upper tier starters but a team like the cardinals could be transformed quickly into a honest contender with them.

How’s it working for the Pirates? A top 10 offense is also needed. Specifically Slug. Cardinals were last in MLB

Brewers aren't even in the top 10 in slug. You have to have that pitching and then hopefully get a few guys that can score or drive in runs. I don't think the Cards run near enough. Also, they should use the hit and run and make contact more. Too many strikeouts. That said, they absolutely must get better pitching wise or it won't matter.

The Brewers were behind only the Dodgers and Yankees in runs per game, and only a hair below league average in slugging. They should probably be considered an anomaly. You can’t model a team after the Brewers by simply running more, or employing the hit & run more often - you need the right pieces, and the Cardinals don’t have them. Also, the Cardinals were well below the league average in strikeouts, and had less than 9 of this year’s 12 playoff teams.

Yes, but they were 12th in slug. 12th. They hit, they run, they hit and run. The Cards very seldom do any of that. Scott should be an asset in that regard if he stops trying to be a slugger. You need the personnel true enough but with slug also comes strikeouts. When you can't hit for power then you go for OBP which I would argue is even more important. They really need a new approach to hitting. Go to the opposite field more often. When you get a runner on, if he can't or won't steal then force him to and do a hit and run. Regardless, they have enough pieces to be a legitimate threat, they just need to change their approach. How many more hits could they have if they just made contact instead of trying to hit a homerun with two strikes? Molina excelled at that. Until two strikes he was a homerun hitter, but at two strikes he'd shorten up and punch the ball the other way. Very smart player. Too bad the Cards don't have more smart players like him.

[jcgmoi]

The Brewers were 12th in SLG because they hit a lot of singles. Look at ISO instead--SLG minus BA--and you'll find them 25th. They hit plenty of doubles but they were 22nd in HRs. They scored so many runs because in addition to the singles they walked a lot, stole bases often and successfully, and were aggressive in trying for extra bases.

[Quincy Varnish]

Having at least 2 very good starters and decent 3 and 4 starters (which they already have) along with a good setup guy and closer is the quickest way to be a real contender.
I don't see DeWitt spending for a couple upper tier starters but a team like the cardinals could be transformed quickly into a honest contender with them.

How’s it working for the Pirates? A top 10 offense is also needed. Specifically Slug. Cardinals were last in MLB

Brewers aren't even in the top 10 in slug. You have to have that pitching and then hopefully get a few guys that can score or drive in runs. I don't think the Cards run near enough. Also, they should use the hit and run and make contact more. Too many strikeouts. That said, they absolutely must get better pitching wise or it won't matter.

The Brewers were behind only the Dodgers and Yankees in runs per game, and only a hair below league average in slugging. They should probably be considered an anomaly. You can’t model a team after the Brewers by simply running more, or employing the hit & run more often - you need the right pieces, and the Cardinals don’t have them. Also, the Cardinals were well below the league average in strikeouts, and had less than 9 of this year’s 12 playoff teams.

Yes, but they were 12th in slug. 12th. They hit, they run, they hit and run. The Cards very seldom do any of that. Scott should be an asset in that regard if he stops trying to be a slugger. You need the personnel true enough but with slug also comes strikeouts. When you can't hit for power then you go for OBP which I would argue is even more important. They really need a new approach to hitting. Go to the opposite field more often. When you get a runner on, if he can't or won't steal then force him to and do a hit and run. Regardless, they have enough pieces to be a legitimate threat, they just need to change their approach. How many more hits could they have if they just made contact instead of trying to hit a homerun with two strikes? Molina excelled at that. Until two strikes he was a homerun hitter, but at two strikes he'd shorten up and punch the ball the other way. Very smart player. Too bad the Cards don't have more smart players like him.

They seriously don’t have the pieces.

[okcardfan]

Having at least 2 very good starters and decent 3 and 4 starters (which they already have) along with a good setup guy and closer is the quickest way to be a real contender.
I don't see DeWitt spending for a couple upper tier starters but a team like the cardinals could be transformed quickly into a honest contender with them.

You were and are so correct, sir.
Well done.
Dodgers are proving your point.
Vindicated.

[JuanAgosto]

As pointed out, Milwaukee didn't slug well. They did hit well. And they got on base. And they ran. They played out school NL baseball.

The Cardinals on the other hand did none of the above. They struggled to get on base. They were pathetic at slugging. And they didn't run enough. They played Oli Ball. This strategy is boring and lame. Probably why the team is 22 games under .500 the last 3 seasons.

[Poojols]

Nah. Horribly imbalanced MLB rules and endless supply of money is the way to go.