Good move for them, low risk and helps for the 5th starter or RH bullpen help. I don't really see this team folding down the stretch, but stranger things have happened.







http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090819&content_id=6502178&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Terry Boers would disagree with you on the move by the Cardinals.

I don't give a rat's ass what Boers thinks...

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

I wonder what "He Who Cannot Be Named" thinks about this.

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

Of course, Mr. Boers did not provide any reasoning for why teams should avoid Smolz other than saying "he's bad" and variations on that for about 45 seconds before giggling at something Dan said.

Of course it's a good move. I don't care how bad or how old John Smoltz is he will ALWAYS be a better option than Mitchell Boggs or Todd Wellemeyer.

This is a good move for the Cubs.

Smoltz is done.

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Smotlz + Duncan's Genius/Cheating + Not really needing him til Ocotober = Vintage Play-off Smoltz.

Hope not.

I don't know, the guy got shelled in 6 out of the 8 starts he made for Boston. I don't think this is a good move for the Cardinals. The Cubs probably won't catch them, but this move will definitely help any chances they have left.

I really don't understand why there was so much interest for a 42 year old washed up pitcher. I know he was once great, but those days are clearly behind him. The Cards could have just went out and grabbed someone like Sidney Ponson, and it would have been just as effective.

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I don't think this move impacts the Cubs at all, they can easily lose the division on their own.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

This is just overkill on the Cardinals part.

This to me shows that they aren't the least bit concerned about the Cubs but are looking at a deep run in the playoffs. If Smoltz can return to form, he provides them a live arm to take on the Dodgers Phillies and WC winner.

We are done.

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Does your cat make too much noise? Try KITTEN MITTENS!


Charlie: Oh shit. Look at that door dude. See that door right there? That door marked 'Pirate'? You think a pirate lives in there?
Dennis: I see a door marked 'Private.'

You make good points. But you may be underestimating Duncan. Lots of pitchers have been done when they got to STL only to inexplicably dominate in their time on the Cards.

Jeff Weaver
Chris Carpenter
Joel Piniero
Ryan Franklin
Ray Fucking King
Todd Wellemeyer
Dennis fucking Eckersly


Also Smoltz is one of the better playoff pitchers of recent memory.
Maybe he's done. But if there's anything left at all. Duncan will get it out of him.

But this really doesnt matter to the mediocre Cubs.


The Duncan effect

Five notable pitchers who struggled before finding success with pitching coach Dave Duncan:

Player Before Duncan With Duncan

Dave Stewart 30-35, 3.96 ERA from 1978-86 116-71, 3.58 ERA from 1986-92

Dennis Eckersley 151-128, 3 saves, 3.67 ERA from 1975-86 42-42, 386 saves, 2.87 ERA from 1987-97

Mike Moore 66-96, 4.38 ERA from 1982-88 66-46, 3.54 ERA from 1989-92

Kent Bottenfield 14-21, 4.20 ERA from 1992-97 22-13, 4.17 ERA from 1998-99

Chris Carpenter 49-50, 4.83 ERA from 1997-2002 52-20, 3.06 ERA since 2004

Source: USA TODAY research, Baseball-Reference.com

I can understand how someone might think this doesn't help the Cards...I don't agree, but I can understand how that argument can be made...

However, thinking this HURTS them? Really? Have you seen some of the crap we've trotted out there over the last decade? Fuck, we've had the likes of Jeff Fassero give us starts in playoff pushes before...there's no way Smoltz is even close to being that bad...

Smoltz got ripped in his short stint with Boston, but he also threw a ton of K's. I like his chances out of the bullpen.

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smoltz will contribute in the pen. I can't imagine why anyone would say he hurts the team. That's meatball talking.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Your Jeff Fassero reference was well played and an excellent point.

But I still think this is not a good signing. I don't think he has anything to bring to a team that pretty much has the division wrapped up. The coverage I saw yesterday was just overall very positive and I really disagreed with it. From what I saw on ESPN, you would've thought they just signed Roger Clemens circa 1986.

If Smoltz finishes with a record above .500 and an ERA under 5.00, I will extremely surprised.

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As mentioned, he doesn't have to do much to supplant the production of Mitchell Boggs and Todd Wellemeyer as the 5th starter.

Smoltz' numbers are very strange for the 8 games he pitched in for the Red Sox, he was still averaging 7.4 Ks and only 2BB per 9, despite his 8.32 ERA. Seems a lot of hits falling in for a guy of his stuff, however that will happen some times, and to take a chance that it was a fluke was too good for Mozeliak to pass on.

Boston has tons of pitching, too many guys in fact, and almost unlimeted resources so they jettisoned him. I remember the Cards getting a washed-up Will Clark a few years back and him being productive unexpectedly, Smoltz deserves a shot to show he's got anything left in the tank. At the worst, he's signed for the prorated minimum, so if he's done you launch him and move on.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Smoltz today...

5IP, 0ER, 9K, 0BB...

What a horrible move...

Yeah, I had a feeling this thread was going to be bumped.

He had a good outing yesterday, I can't deny that. I still don't think he will finish the season with a record above .500 and an ERA under 5.00. If proven wrong, you can bump the thread again.

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Oh, I'm bumping this fucker every time he leaves the game with a lead...

Well a nice start to his Cardinal career, wonder if he could be this year's Jeff Weaver.

Now let's see what he does outside of a pitcher's park and a lineup that isn't San Diego's..

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

I guess I'll do it if no one else will... (The wink face means that I'm just kidding)

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