Blog number one! By way of introduction, let me just say that the majority of what I will be writing about will have to do with the St. Louis Cardinals games. Maybe "majority" isn't the write way to put it, but its highly likely I will have something to say about the game(s) each time I post. I have other interests, of course, but while things like faith and politics are interesting and important to me, they are not things I care to do a lot of arguing about. It's rare that anyone changes their opinions about politics or religion from reading a blog and I think those subjects are just too "heavy" for me to write about consistently. From time to time, maybe. But generally speaking, I want to keep it light.

So last night's game against the Marlins......

I just have to wonder, why pinch run with the fastest guy on your roster if you are not going to try to steal second base in the 9th down by 1 run? I understand Furcal tweaked something going down the line and was going to have to be replaced anyway. Greene was the logical choice since he could stay in and play shortstop had the score been tied and the game went into extra innings. But once he is in there, don't you have to try to get into scoring position? I understand the risk involved and it's all a numbers game. But if you don't believe your fastest player can take second base off of the combination of Heath Bell and John Buck then you have to take a different approach. With Greene on first base you need an extra-base hit to get him home. There really isn't any good options off the bench to pinch hit for Jon Jay. Of the bench players right now, Carpenter is by far the best option when you need an extra base hit and he had already grounded out. The options that were left were Shane Robinson and Brian Anderson. If the plan wasn't to have Greene try to steal second, use Robinson to pinch run for Furcal and Let Greene hit for Jay. Even Greene has twice the number of extra base hits on the season as Jay does.

I love Mike Matheny. Generally, I find very little to question him over. Not that he, or anyone else cares what I question. I just hoped we would see a little more aggression. Force the other team to make a play to stop you. I remember in past years when "'ol whats his name" who wore number 5 patrolled first base in St. Louis and all the tv broadcasters could think about was "when is Albert due up? That's the way Broadcaster Rick Horton was talking last night about Holliday. Yes he has been as hot as anyone in baseball the past few weeks but there are other guys in the line up too. Two years ago if the game was close going into the 9th they would talk about how "Pujols is due up 7th in this inning". If the somebody can get a hit and then maybe somebody can walk, and then someone else can get drilled in the middle of the back and then maybe another walk and a second hit batsmen, then we can sacrifice and bring Pujols up. Horton didn't want Greene trying to steal second last night because Holliday was due up after Jay. Well Holliday got hit on the elbow and didn't have a chance to swing the bat anyway.

If Greene steals second, the ball that Jay hit to Lee at first base could have possibly had a different result. If Geene is on second instead of first, Lee isn't holding a runner on at first and at the very least he has to make the flip to Bell covering first to retire Jay. He already had trouble with a flip to the pitcher covering on the ball Furcal hit even though it was ruled a hit. Even if he does make the play and Jay is out, Greene is now on third where a past ball, wild pitch, balk, error or even a swinging bunt could bring him home with the tying run. If that happens and the want to walk Holliday and pitch to the switch-hitting Beltran, go right ahead.

On a night where Pittsburgh lost, and Westbrook pitched well enough to win, three errors cost the Cardinals. But I say, in a one run game in the 9th, the best chance at winning was to send Greene and try to get him into scoring position with only one out. I guess thats why I do what I do and why Matheny does what he does.