St.louis

How do we begin to covet? Make an effort to answer, now. Do we seek out things to covet? No, of course not. We begin by coveting that which we see every day. Well, today I want you to seek out something to covet. Today I want you to cast your mind about, through the ranks of major league baseball, and find the one thing you can covet for our happy little Cardinal family here. By which I mean, of course, I want to know, if you could fire up the magic machine and add one player to the Redbirds right this second, who would it be? Mike Trout is the easy answer, of course; so easy, in fact, I would imagine we could very nearly build an actual, near-universal consensus on him as the most correct of all possible answers. And, hey, if that's the guy you want, then by all means, make that your choice. For me, while he's the logical choice, I actually always kind of shy away from that line of thinking, primarily because, as silly as it might sound (we are, after all, talking about a magic situation), imagining Mike Trout on the Cardinals forces me to assume Shelby Miller is not a Cardinal. As in, the only way I ever think of acquiring Trout is for the Redbirds to have drafted him in 2009 instead of Shelby. And, while I would go back in time and make that happen, make Trout the draft pick instead of Miller in a heartbeat, the time machine game creates just enough cognitive static that I can't play the magic player theft game with Mike Trout. You have to take the player's salary with the player; magic does not erase contractual obligations. You do not, however, have to give anything up for the player. This is not trading for one player; this is simply poof-ing a player onto the squad. Tulowitzki seems to me to be an excellent target for this magic trick; after all, if you're not giving anything up for him, the contract isn't nearly the same kind of killer it is otherwise. Remember that time back in spring training, when all the rumours were flying around that the Cards might be honestly interested in bringing Tulowitzki to St. Louis? The objections there were virtually never about the contract itself, but rather the haul of talent you would be expected to put out for a player whose contractual situation -- not to mention the situation in which the team finds itself -- essentially made his trade value very nearly zero, despite the obvious value of the player himself. He's currently having an MVP type season, and while you would certainly expect his numbers to regress outside of Colorado, he's still absolutely crushing it this season. There's also, you know, the whole Pete Kozma thing. There are plenty of pitchers to covet, as well; who doesn't think it would be awesome to have Matt Harvey or Rick Porcello (both of whom the Cards passed on drafting back in 2007, I might add), sitting there in the Redbird rotation right now? Nobody doesn't think it would be awesome, that's who. Or how about Clayton Kershaw? Yeah, that would be pretty sweet. For me, though, if you offered me one player I could add, I think I would be forced to choose the guy the Cards just saw, and got roughed up by, last week: Giancarlo Stanton. Maybe it's just the fact I fully expect Stanton to actually be moved in the next two years or so that makes me think of him (sort of reality bleeding into the magic game kind of thing), but if I could add any one player to this Cardinal team right now, I think that would probably be my choice. So who's your guy? And, just as importantly, why?

When you think of the St. Louis Rams what comes to mind? Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Greatest Show on Turf ... yep, all that stuff is there. But for folks on the outside, or long-time fans, there's plenty of not-so-fond memories as well. Tony Banks, Lawrence Phillips, one- and two-win seasons ... over at Kissing Suzy Kolber, PFT Commenter commemorated those things with the team's Mt. Flushmore. Let me stop you right there. PFT Commenter is parody, and a damn good one at that. So before you get too up in arms, please remember that. Anywho ... the four names on the Rams' list are pretty amusing, all part of the strong takes we've come to expect from the voice of Pro Football Talk's comment section. But there's one name that will really make your day. Tony Softli- Tony was the Rams VP of player personell for the Rams for 4 years+ I swear to God this is his own bio, these words are him bragging by listing the best players he stockpiled from 2006-2010: "Adam Carriker, Chris Long, Cliff Ryan, Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Chris Chamberlain and David Vobora." Hey PFTCommenter? Yes. How many of those gems are on the Rams now? I dont know because I dont waste my time learning facts about Tony Softli. Oh well I know the answer. Well how many is it? The answer= 1. Whats amazing is that Softli Cerrato and Millen were all personell execs at the same time and you know Tampa hotels were a mess during winter meetings with these three stooges staying on the same floor using there own undershirts to wipe there butts and stuff. One complaint, he forgot to add Tye Hill and Brian Leonard to the list of personnel, er, "personell" from that era. Jeff Fisher, Tavon Austin and Phillips (of course) also make the list. Like I said, it's parody, so go and enjoy a few belly laughs. And be sure to follow @PFTCommenter for lots more strong takes.

I like First Take, although I believe it's a bit staged no and then to play to some key words that each person likes to say like "So Disrespectful". Skip Bayless grinds my gears more times than not, but all in all, I believe it is an entertaining show. First Take, like every other sports related outlet, are major Michael Jordan fans and they love the man to death. Every chance they get, they try to compare Lebron James to him or they tout his abilities on the court when he was still playing the game. Personally, this is where I draw conflict with not only First Take, but every other sports channel outlet that chooses to tout Michael Jordan as the best Basketball player to ever play the game without there being so much of a mention of some of the other players who have ever played the game of basketball. I, like everyone else, think that Jordan is one of the best basketball players ever, but I feel that Michael Jordan is hands down one of the most overrated basketball players to ever play the game. Earlier I mentioned first take and this is why: First Take - Michael Jordan calls out Lebron James (via mrtamnus too) In this video, they talk about the possibility of Michael Jordan coming back at the age of 50. Skip Bayless, being the biggest Michael Jordan fan to ever lives actually says that a 50 year old Jordan could give Lebron James a run for his money. I know I shouldn't take it to heart, but this is the type of crap that drives me insane about the conversation about Jordan. It's like we are not allowed to say that he had/has flaws and he's the second coming. Now, before you crucify me for mentioning overrated in the same sentence as Jordan. Below, I will tell you explain to you why Jordan is not only overrated, but one of the most overrated players to ever play. The first reason why I believe Jordan is overrated is because of Rings. Whenever you ask someone why Jordan is better than Kobe or Lebron, they will 9 times out of 10 tell you being Jordan has 6 rings and that is more rings than both Lebron and Kobe. Let me make this clear from the jump, Championship Rings are not an individual player's accomplishment and nor would it ever be, but lets entertain the conversation. Right now, including Jordan, there are 13 players that have 6 or more Champion Rings in NBA history. Out of the 13 players that have 6 or more championships, there are 9 players that have more rings than Jordan, so does that mean that Jordan is the 10th best player of all time? Here are all 13 of them players (Source is from Wikipedia) 1 Bill Russell* C 13 11 Boston Celtics (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963,1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969) [26] 2 Sam Jones* G/F 12 10 Boston Celtics (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964,1965, 1966, 1968, 1969) [9] 3 Tom Heinsohn* F/C 9 8 Boston Celtics (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963,1964, 1965) [10] 3 K. C. Jones* G 9 8 Boston Celtics (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964,1965, 1966) [11] 3 Tom "Satch" Sanders*[a] F 13 8 Boston Celtics (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966,1968, 1969) [12] 3 John Havlicek* F/G 16 8 Boston Celtics (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969,1974, 1976) [13] 7 Jim Loscutoff F 9 7 Boston Celtics (1957, 1959, 1960[b], 1961, 1962, 1963,1964) [14] 7 Frank Ramsey* F/G 9 7 Boston Celtics (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963,1964) [15] 7 Robert Horry F 16 7 Houston Rockets (1994, 1995)Los Angeles Lakers (2000, 2001, 2002)San Antonio Spurs (2005, 2007) [16] 10 Bob Cousy* G 14 6 Boston Celtics (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963) [17] 10 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* (formerly Lew Alcindor)[c] C 20 6 Milwaukee Bucks (1971)Los Angeles Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) [18] 10 Michael Jordan* G/F 15 6 Chicago Bulls (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) [19] 10 Scottie Pippen* F/G 17 6 Chicago Bulls (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) [20] So, let me further sink

April 20, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; Philadelphia Flyers center Danny Briere (48) takes a shot against the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC center. The Flyers defeated the Hurricanes 5-3. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports Last night, what was already suspected around the league became official when Pierre LeBrun reported on ESPN.com that Danny Briere’s contract would be bought out by the Philadelphia Flyers. A source told ESPN.com that Briere and Paul Holmgren met last week, at which time the Flyers’ GM informed the veteran center of the team’s decision. No bitter feelings, though, as I’m told Briere feels Holmgren handled it with class. Briere, 35, spent the past six seasons with the Flyers after signing an eight-year deal with the orange and black in the summer of 2007. With the Flyers up against the salary cap limit of $64.3 million next season, it was a relatively easy decision to use one of their two amnesty buyouts on Briere, whose cap hit was $6.5 million over the next two years. Now that Briere is an unrestricted free agent going into the upcoming offseason, two questions must be asked around the league: How many teams are going to be interested in Briere? How much money are teams going to be willing to give to a player in the twilight of his career? In only 34 games this past season, Briere put up only 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists). In addition, Briere has been injury prone throughout his career, only playing a full 82-game season once in his career (2003-2004 in Buffalo). Given this, many teams around the league may be skeptical of giving a hefty contract to what they perceive to be an injury-prone player in decline. While free agency is always unpredictable, one would have to think that Briere will have to settle for a short-term deal (1-2 years) with a significant pay-cut. This is where the St. Louis Blues may enter the picture. As many fans know, the Blues have a desperate need for a top-line center. However,  as many fans also know, first-line centers do not grow on trees. While Briere is not necessarily a top-line center by NHL standards anymore at this point in his career, he would instantly become the Blues most offensively talented center. Captain David Backes is a superb two-way centerman and Patrik Berglund has a deadly shot, but neither can hold a candle to Briere’s offensive talent. Therefore, a case can be made that, at the right term and price, the Blues may very well be in the market for Briere once free-agency starts. If the Blues are interested in Briere, there are a lot of risks that must be taken into consideration. Players in the twilight of their career are always a risk, especially when they have a history of injuries like Briere does. Blues fans are quick to point out Paul Kariya as an example of why you shouldn’t sign a player on the down-slide of their career. However, many forget that Kariya had a positive impact during his first season (2007-2008) with the Blues, when he tied Brad Boyes for the team lead with 65 points (16 goals, 49 assists). If Briere can stay healthy, he is more than capable of posting 60-70 points, which is something the Blues would be more than interested in at the right price. Last season, only one player, Chris Stewart, was on pace to eclipse the 60-point mark (61.5 points). While the risk would definitely be high, the reward could be even higher, especially come playoff time. Briere is one of the most dominant playoff performers in NHL history. He ranks 67th on the all-time playoff scoring list with 109 points (50 goals 59 assists) in 108 games. That is exactly the type of production the Blues missed in the playoffs this past season. While some Blues fans point to Brian Elliott as the reason the Blues lost to the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, the fact remains that the Blues forwards dropped the ball, missing numerous open nets and botching glorious scoring opportunities. Briere is the type of player

Vincent Lecavalier's agent Kent Hughes has said that he , and his client , will not be surprised if Lecavalier's contract gets bought out. If this does happen, do the Blues go after him in free agency? It is believed that the Blues will go after a center in free agency now that Jori Lehtera has chosen the KHL over the NHL. That was a big let down for the organization and their fans, as many of us were hopeful he would come over and be an impact player the way he was in the KHL. So with the new buyout rule, this could aid the Blues as they are shopping for a center. If Lecavalier is bought out, I personally think he is a good option for the Blues. He is a big play-making center who still shows scoring flashes. I am not saying it will or won't happen, it is just a little thought if nothing else. Vincent Lecavalier's agent Kent Hughes has said that he , and his client , will not be surprised if Lecavalier's contract gets bought out. If this does happen, do the Blues go after him in free agency? It is believed that the Blues will go after a center in free agency now that Jori Lehtera has chosen the KHL over the NHL. That was a big let down for the organization and their fans, as many of us were hopeful he would come over and be an impact player the way he was in the KHL. So with the new buyout rule, this could aid the Blues as they are shopping for a center. If Lecavalier is bought out, I personally think he is a good option for the Blues. He is a big play-making center who still shows scoring flashes. I am not saying it will or won't happen, it is just a little thought if nothing else. Poll Would you like to see Lecavalier in a Blue note next year? Yes. No. 1 votes | Results

All across the Rams defense, at nearly every position, you can find a strong mix of veterans and youngsters, players in their prime and those headed in that direction. Every position, that is, exc...

I am not a scout and try to not pretend to be one. It was a great opportunity to see how all these prospects play another time and while at that take notes on the game. I should note that NWA gun was so inconsistent with how many misreads they got I didn't keep track of a lot of the readings. Mike O'Neill OF- In his first at bat he showed his excellent eye by drawing a 5-pitch walk. In another one of his at bat's he smacked a soft line drive off the bat out to left field the defender booted it and got away from him for a double for O'Neill. Was really impressed by how he placed that line drive in the outfield finding that hole this kid has great bat control. He even tries to make things happen with pitches out of the zone trying to slap them the other way but most go foul got excellent plate coverage as well. It's fun watching this kid play he's a feisty lead-off hitter. Plays with such joy on the field almost like he's a Dominican.James Ramsey OF- Ramsey has a very smooth swing from the left side. He smoked a 2-1 pitch to deep left field in his first at bat that cleared the wall by a fair distance. Faced one of the Royals top left handed pitching prospects in Noel Arguellas twice and held in tough in one of the at bats ripping a single past the first baseman he's got a quick bat. Also studied how he was built for mintue. Came up with a well compact build frame with a mature muscle mass for his age. He just looks like a baseball player if you watch him. Bad thing about having his body type is he looks completely maxed out. Like to see him more and plan on it.Xavier Scruggs 1B- Scruggs in the 6th of the first game launched a 2-run homer to the opposite field. Was a shot cleared the bullpen. Scruggs worked a lot this off-season on using the entire field instead of being a dead-pull hitter and it's pay big dividends with how hard he hit that ball and far it traveled off the bat.Jake Lemmerman SS- Didn't see much of him from the offensive side but defensively he looked steady and surehanded made all the routine plays with accurate throws to first. Vance Albitz 2B- When I first saw him run out of the Springfield dugout I had no idea who he was until his first at bat didn't realize he was as short as Jose Altuve and he was built like him too. In the first game he made terrific play ranging to his right up the middle snagging a sharply grounder on one knee than making a strong throw to Scruggs at first. Albitz has fit the description of organizational guy very well and wherever managers play him he can supply great a glove. Very versatile MIF.Seth Greenwood LHSP- My impression of him hasn't changed after two straight starts seeing him. Got decent stuff an upper 80s fastball with a curve that he uses to throw hitters off. Only knock on Greenwood is that he left a few pitches up and got away with a lot of them. For him to be successful he has to keep the ball down because he doesn't have overpowering stuff. Most importantly though he pitched a complete game in only 7 innings but they were big and helped save a taxed Springfield bullpen for game two.(Game two only two innings saw)The orginial starter for game two was Richard Castillo but Corey Baker made the start instead fresh from Palm Beach. Saw only inning pitched from him. Has some nice mechanics he wasn't throwing overly particularly hard but looked to be a guy who mixes pitches.Starlin Rodriguez 2B- Rodriguez showed off his athletism making an off balance throw on a turn to make double to first. Also on a routine grounder he fielded it cleanly and released it quickly to first. His throwing mechanics are unorthdox but he makes for up it with a quick release. In the only at bat I saw him in he smoked a single to left field right out of the reach of the third baseman for a single. He flied down the first base line and rounded the first bag in a blink of an eye. He can really fly. If only he could just improve his approach at the plate he would easily be a top ten prospect in the or

The Rams' most reliable player - over the past eight years - will no longer be lining up in the team's backfield. Steven Jackson will carry the load for the Falcons, and the Rams now look to a trio of young running backs to move the team downfield. Jackson had rushed for 1,000+ yards for eight consecutive years; something only five other rushers [Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Thurman Thomas, Curtis Martin, and LaDainian Tomlinson] have ever done. It appears that streak - at least as it pertains to the Rams - will come to an end. Jackson wasn’t the only rusher in the NFC West to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark last year. Both Marshawn Lynch [1,590 yards] and Frank Gore [1,214] easily surpassed the milestone, and have done so for two consecutive seasons. Contrarily, the Cardinals - who battled injury at the position - were lead by LaRod Stephens-Howling; who amassed 356 yards in 2012. Consider their inability to run the ball addressed. One of the Cardinals’ less talked about [more so underrated] 2013 offseason acquisitions was grabbing free agent RB Rashard Mendenhall. New head coach Bruce Arians was on NFL Network’s "NFL AM" on Wednesday morning, and spoke very highly of a now healthy Mendenhall… He took me personally to a Super Bowl, and I know what he can bring to the table as a runner and a pass protector and also a receiver. He's an every-down player. And I think he's looking forward to having an outstanding season. It’s clear that Arians’ familiarity with Mendenhall - dating back to being his offensive coordinator in the Steelers 2009 Super Bowl run - has set him apart from Ryan Williams. Williams was drafted 38th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, and has only played in 5 games since. Mendenhall is looking to bounce back from an achilles tendon injury which kept him sidelined for the majority of the 2012 season. Prior to that, the Cardinals’ newest rusher was putting together consecutive 1,000+ yard campaigns of his own in Pittsburgh. From 2009-2011 [despite missing one game], Mendenhall rushed for 3,309 yards [1,103 yds per] and 29 TD’s. Whether or not Mendenhall is able to get back to the caliber of play he was in Pittsburgh remains to be seen. If he’s able to stay healthy, he could join Lynch and Gore in the 1,000+ yard club in the NFC West. The Rams - barring a breakout season by one of their youngsters - will look to spread the ball between Isaiah Pead, Daryl Richardson, and Zac Stacy; making it unlikely the team will have a 1,000+ yard runner for a 9th consecutive year. (I won't mention the fact none of the Rams' current running backs have a single NFL touchdown between them...) Does it really matter [to the Rams] whether or not Mendenhall is able to rush for 1,000 yards? In the grand scheme, no. Having a running back that can eclipse the 1,000 yard mark isn’t a prerequisite for a postseason run, though it can’t hurt your chances. What it does mean though, is the Cardinals have seriously bolstered their run game heading into the upcoming season, and are primed for a 2013 campaign that matches the impressiveness of their off season. Having added a pair of guards [Jonathan Cooper and Earl Watford] in April’s draft, the Cardinals solidified their offensive front, and set the stage for Mendenhall to return to being one of the more productive rushers in the league. And though offensive cohesion won’t occur instantly, given a multitude of personnel changes, Mendenhall is one of the new offensive weapons that could make the Cardinals a dangerous team in 2013. Assuming the Rams are going to easily sweep the season series with the Cardinals would be a mistake. The NFC West is a tough division.

You know what's hard? Being the second overall pick in the NFL Draft. The expectations. The pressure. The fact that the team that drafted you is kind of counting on you to do your job. For former St. Louis Rams tackle Jason Smith, it was just too much to ask. It caused a lot of suffering. Kind of like Jesus ... except replace that whole vow of poverty thing with $33 million in guaranteed money. Smith explained to the New Orleans Times-Picayune: "Upon the moment I received salvation, I understood that my calling is now to suffer, just like Christ did. That's who I am." Smith was continually crucified by opposing pass rushers, which allowed him to share that suffering with the Rams quarterbacks. All part of the plan. There's more of a parallel here than you think. Roughly 2013 years ago, a scattered branch of Judaism selected a kid out of Nazareth with the second overall pick. Roman repression had them on the ropes. On the fringes of the empire, Zoroaster was THE GUY, the only legit competition to the Emperor.

Memphis 2, Round Rock 9 Ryan Jackson was 1-for-3 with a walk. Kolten Wong was 2-for-4. Oscar Taveras was 0-for-4 and has seen his average drop below .300 for the season. Michael Wacha only lasted 5 innings during his start after surrendering 3 runs on 8 hits. He struck out 6 and walked 0. Eric Fornataro took a beating allowing 5 runs while recording just 1 out. He allowed 3 hits and walked 2. Victor Marte relieved him and allowed both inherited runners to score because Victor Marte is a terrible pitcher. Springfield 3, Tulsa 0 Chris Swauger was 2-for-4. Xavier Scruggs was 1-for-3 with his 18th home run of the year. Scruggs picked up all of the Cardinals RBIs with that home run. Richard Castillo scattered 3 walks and 3 hits across 6.2 innings. He struck out 4. Kevin Thomas and Deryk Hooker both pitched a scoreless frame allowing 1 hit. Palm Beach 6, Fort Myers 15 Stephen Piscotty went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two home runs. Piscotty continues to hit just well enough not to catch eyes (.822 OPS) but it's worth noting that this is in the Florida State League, a noted pitcher's league. While that OPS may not seem great, it's a top 20 OPS in the league. His wRC+ is a top 40 in all of A+ baseball. Piscotty is having a deceptively good season. Jonathan Rodriguez was 1-for-5 with his 5th home run of the season. Rodriguez is actually having a better year than Piscotty mainly due to his higher walk rate. Nick Longmire and Juan Castillo both went 3-for-4. Longmire doubled. Kyle Hald struggled mightly through 4 innings. Normally featuring excellent control, Hald couldn't find the strikezone walking 5 and allowing 6 hits. Overall he allowed 9 runs (8 earned). The relievers that followed, Travis Miller and Iden Nazario, didn't fare much better allowing 4 runs (2 earned) and 2 runs respectively. State College 7, Williamsport 3 (11 innings) Cesar Valera, SS, was 4-for-6 with a pair of doubles. David Washington,1B, was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a walk. Carson Kelly, 3B, was 1-for-5 with a double and a walk. State College was tied after the 8th but put a 4 spot on Williamsport in the 11th. Chris Perry allowed 2 runs (1 earned) over 4 innings. He was tagged for 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Brady Adamek allowed 1 hit and struck out 2 in 2 innings of relief. Jeffery Ruah walked 1 and struck out 3 during the final 2 innings of the game.