In life, in many situations its often 1 of 2 options… TIE THE KNOT (agree for long term commitment) OR CUT THE ROPE(quit, leave, stop, etc)… We’re all faced with these either/or decisions constantly.
…in the NHL playoffs TIE THE KNOT for the current fast paced, offensive oriented style of NHL hockey. It’s really exciting and our Blues are “right now” with this trend. With the trio of drafted players: Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Ivan Barbashev continue to grow, the Blues seem to be close to the top. Watching the Avs just 1 win away from the Cup while the Blues gave them their toughest battle is encouraging. I believed Marco Scandella will have a “CUT THE ROPE” moment this summer. The Blues will have to create space & move his $3.275 contract to help create salary space.
…I know that Adam Wainwright (a personal favorite) has indicated that he isn’t sure about 2023. I’m hoping that he CUTS THE ROPE after 2022. Wainwright appears to be “losing” some movement on his pitches, velocity, & control. In May he was 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA. Here in June, he’s 0-1 with a 4.68 ERA. It appears that his arm just doesn’t have it. He’s a brilliant hurler, a supreme competitor, a A+ human being but he’s 40 years old in a “young mans” game. It seems to me that he could be used once every 7-10 days or so to give his arm the extra rest it now requires. If that happens, I’m relatively certain that Waino would step aside after 2022.
…MLB needs to CUT THE ROPE with its current team salary regulations. Teams paying over certain levels pay a luxury tax. It’s been a failure to “even out” the spending. To no one’s surprise the team leader is the New York Yankees. Their 26 man payroll is $207m. The next closest team in their division is Toronto @$139m. With that huge, huge gap between salaries (paying the supreme players), the NYY have compiled a 52-19 record (almost 75% wins). To give you an idea, the Cards are 40-33. If they were in the AL East, they’d be about 13 games out of 1st place. Would the Cards attendance still be booming? Interest high? Judging from the reactions by other cities….not likely. If the MLB REALLY wants something close to parity, the spending regulations must be modified. 1st-establish an upper tier, no tax..a tight limit. 2nd- establish a minimum salary tier that ALL teams must reach. Each team should have a chance to qualify for the playoffs with good decisions by management, avoid injuries and their players performing well. That’s certainly NOT the case right now.
…after the KNOT WAS TIED between St Louis & NASL…excitement was bubbling up all over the Lou. When the starting date for the team competition on the field was pushed back from ’22 to ’23, there was some disappointment. However, StL City officials are grateful for the extra “prep” time. Now, they’ll have the opportunity to play their very 1st game EVER in their own stadium! Not many new teams can make that claim. They’ve developed their developmental program with City2 team competing in the MLS Next PRO league (a version of MLB’s minor leagues). StLCity also has developed the U16, &17 teams as part of their development program. From all reports, these teams are led by hand-picked coaches by the StL City team. All the teams will be in communication about team development, player progression, roster formation, etc. These U16,U17 teams aren’t just St Louis kids, they are being brought in from all over the USA & Europe. It all sounds exciting.
…btw….since “pitch.com” the communication device is already used by several Cardinal players to send the signals to the mound from the catcher. TIE THE KNOT AND and let Yadi call the pitches for the dugout using pitch.com?(if & when he returns) That way, you could use his expertise in pitch-calling from the dugout?
… Juan Yepez…where does his bat fit into the lineup? He’s a 1b (slim chance there with Goldy), a rt side DH batter (not this year with Albert on his Farwell Tour), LF (doesn’t have the arm for CF or RF) and his short term play in LF has been scary. He’s been turned around more often than being on a merry-go-round. He’s not a fast runner. Knowing these shortcomings, the Cardinals STILL promoted him anyway. The Birds brass knew that he could HIT and hit in a big way. In this era of anemic offenses, an ol’ fashioned batter who can’t do much else but hit is appreciated….and in a big way! Next year, he’ll be the Rt side DH for the Cards. My choice to ‘TIE THE KNOT” with Yepez.
…Last year the Cards initiated a new approach for their pitching staff. They traveled down the “economy aisle” for veteran starters who were experienced & relatively inexpensive. JA Happ, Jon Lester, Wade LeBlanc fit that description. It actually worked well. These guys were used in all types of situations—middle innings, mop-up, short relief, whatever. Despite their success the Cards released all of them at the end of the season. This year the same approach was used in the bullpen. Drew Verhagan, Nick Wittgren, Aaron Brooks, TJ McFarland fit that bill in 2022. They’ll all be used & then “Kleenexed”(use ‘em, throw ‘em away) at the end of the year. Helsley appears to be the closer. I’d TIE THE KNOT with him and then make a trade to find a way to get to him into the 9th. It seems to me that a trade to bring in a successful veteran or 2 with MLB experience to be the set up men in the bullpen could go a long way towards wrapping up a few more wins.
…I keep getting the feeling Mizzou is turning the corner with their recruiting which should lead to towards more wins. The Tigers are coming off a 6-7 season after losing to Army in the final seconds in the Armed Forces Bowl. We’ve heard about lots of changes…certainly the defense required changes. Last year, MU gave up 6.7 yds/play and 36 ppg (in SEC play). According to DraftKings, the Tigers win total is set at 5.5 for 2022. Making matters worse, the 247Sports recommends that you take the “under”…ouch! Considering that the Tigers play 4 non-SEC games (they should win them all), that means that the Bookies think Mizzou won’t win 2 SEC games. I’d TIE THE KNOT and go with Mizzou. I’m not a betting man but I think Mizzou will win 6 games this year(maybe not many more), what about you?
….Well, it’s time to CUT THE ROPE for this blog😊 Thanks for your time & read…and pass the word. Please respond with positive/negative views on my Facebook page (Bob Ryan). If you’d like to “catch up” or review past blogs from the last 7 years, check our http://www.bobryansportsblog.com