American League (MLB)

Screwball Economics: As another season begins, MLB faces an unsustainable future, and you're picking up the tab

Very NSFW: Is This the Official KC Royals Mascot Getting a Lap Dance?

The guys over at Deadspin unearthed a little Twitter mystery over the weekend. A tipster tagged them on a photo that appears to show Sluggerrr -- the beloved mascot of the Kansas City Royals -- taking in the sights and sounds of a very adult house party. "Royals 2013 slogan: 'come to play,'" wrote ... More >>

St. Louis Rules, Kansas City Drools: Top Reader Responses to Our Kansas City Star Rebuttal

We've gotten a lot of response over the last week to our "St. Louis Rules, Kansas City Drools" post -- RFT's rebuttal to a Kansas City Star column arguing that Kansas City is superior to St. Louis and that our city is declining while their city is rising. In case you missed it, check out our respo ... More >>

St. Louis Rules, Kansas City Drools: A Response to the Kansas City Star

Here at RFT, we did a double take when we stumbled on a Kansas City Star headline this week that read, "KC is rising while St. Louis keeps falling." Then we actually read the column by Yael T. Abouhalkah, who argues that "Kansas City is superior to St. Louis." Really? We can't let this one go. I ... More >>

[VIDEO] Flying Saucer Opening Marred by Evil Royals Fan Plot; Kicks Off Most Important Drinking Contest of All Time

Gut Check has uncovered a dastardly scheme to ruin the new Flying Saucer Draught Emporium (900 Spruce Street, St. Louis; 314-932-1456) downtown and spit in the face of every Cardinals fan in town. Confronted with the results of our investigation, we asked the man at the center of this travesty -- o ... More >>

St. Louis Native, Hall of Fame Baseball Manager Earl Weaver Dead at 82

Earl Weaver, a St. Louis native and Beaumont High School graduate who went on to become a Hall of Fame manager for the Baltimore Orioles, passed away Friday while on a cruise. He was 82. Though drafted by his hometown Cardinals, he never played in the majors for them or any other team. During his f ... More >>

"Hotdog Launch" Lawsuit Against Kansas City Royals Mascot Sluggerrr May Proceed

Good people of St. Louis, Daily RFT would like to submit for your pleasure the single greatest legal opinion ever written, in the case of John Coomer v. Kansas City Royals Baseball Corporation. While the case does involve a very serious injury to poor Mr. Coomer, the rest of the details are a screa ... More >>

Metal Costume Tips and Cubs Trash Talk from the Dropkick Murphys' Matt Kelly

After sixteen years of growl, music lovers can't help but think of Dropkick Murphys when someone mentions Boston. The band with equal parts swagger and bagpipes is as much a part of the fabric of Beantown as the brownstones that dominate the city. Despite the Murphys' undying love for the Red Sox, S ... More >>

10 Ways to Console Yourself Now That The Cardinals Have Choked

So the Cards choked. It happens -- not to the Cards, of course, not usually. But life goes on. The World Series starts tonight, and the rest of the world has already forgotten about us. 1. Gather at Busch Stadium. Bring candles. Sob, "It shoulda been us!" Experience catharsis with your fellow membe ... More >>

Ask a Mexican: Why do gabachos complain so damn much?

Market Moves and What They Mean For the Cardinals

The trade deadline is just a few days off now, and the Cardinals are in a dogfight for the NL Central. Whether or not that ultimately translates into actual movement for the Cards on the trade market remains to be seen, but the conditions are certainly right. It's been a fairly robust trade mar ... More >>

Midseason Reviews for Preseason MLB Team Predictions, In Which I Eat Lots of Crow

Hey, you guys remember way back when, before the season really got going, and I made a whole bunch of predictions? Sure you do. I predicted MVP winners and Cy Young winners and a bunch of other stuff like that. I predicted stuff for teams, too; stuff like division standings and won/loss records. It ... More >>

Midseason Reviews for Preseason Predictions -- Individual Awards Edition

You know, the All-Star break has come and gone. The second half (I should really put that in quotation marks, but screw it), of the baseball season is well and truly underway. I had a dozen different things I was planning on writing while the break was going on, all kinds of progress reports an ... More >>

The Dream is Over: Roy Oswalt Signs With the Rangers

So much for the early-season cavalry, folks. On the same day which would later see Jake Westbrook take the mound and get clubbed for five runs, the Texas Rangers signed Cardinals' fans' (and, ahem, certain sports columnists'), favorite target for signing speculation, inking Roy Oswalt to a one ... More >>

Chris Perez Tells Off Cleveland -- Twice

You might remember Chris Perez from his time here in St. Louis as a young fireballing reliever with shaky-at-best control. Or, you might remember him as the guy who was traded away for Mark DeRosa. (An ill-fated deal if ever there has been one; DeRosa got hurt and contributed virtually nothing for t ... More >>

Team-by-Team Preseason Predictions: The Cardinals Are Good, But Not Good Enough

Yesterday I gave my predictions for individual award in the upcoming season. Today we turn our attention to larger matters. Team matters. This season actually promises an entirely new level of intrigue, due to the presence of an extra wild card team from each league. Whether you like the new de ... More >>

Cy Young, MVP Predictions for 2012 MLB

You know, as a semi-professional sportswriter there are a few things toward which I am genetically predisposed. (Why semi-professional? Because I do get paid, but my talent and behavior are both, well, somewhat short of what is usually termed professionalism.) I love to hear myself talk, for one thi ... More >>

Texas Rangers Introduce Alternate Universe "Champion" Hot Dog

You might remember what happened last October: The St. Louis Cardinals, down to their last strike, staged an improbable comeback to win game six of the World Series. The next night, they won game seven and their eleventh championship. So it was with equal parts confusion and bemusement that Gut Che ... More >>

Spring Training Brings Out the Amateur Photographer in Baseball's Beat Writers

Tampa Bay Rays beatwriter Marc Topkin took this beauty.​[UPDATED: See following page]The combination of Twitter and cell phone photography meets its zenith -- and nadir -- in the work of America's baseball beat writers. These reporters have been set free from offices after their long winter naps, ... More >>

Four Cardinals Starters Batting Sub-200 Through Series

If this image looks like it came from an E-D website, there's good reason for that.​First of all, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, yesterday was not the colossal St. Louis sports failure that you made it out to be during last night's World Series broadcast. No one in their right mind here in St. Louis t ... More >>

Three Things to Be Happy About From Game One (Well, Besides Winning)

What? No, I haven't seen this movie. But, you know, it's called Happiness. I'm sure it's an uplifting, inspirational kind of story. Why are you looking at me like that? ​​Good time to be a Cardinal fan, right? I mean, the Redbirds just took care of business last night in game one of the World Se ... More >>

The Single Biggest Key to the Cardinals Defeating the Rangers

Now that's a really big key. ​World Series starts tonight, kids. Exciting stuff, any time you can watch your team playing for the title. Plenty of ink has been spilled analyzing the two sides nearly to death, and plenty more will be spilled between now and the day the series ends. Let me boil ... More >>

Moneyball and an All-American Snack Banquet

Walking into Moneyball, it's hard not to anticipate the stereotypical baseball movie: chewing tobacco, player enlightenment, inspirational pep talks from the coach before the big game, maybe even some angels in the outfield. But above all, you expect a show, a tense series of games that eventually r ... More >>

The formulas work in Moneyball

Win Tickets For Cardinals vs. KC Saturday!

UPDATED WITH WINNER AT 4 p.m.​Dying to watch the Cardinals take on their cross-state rivals, the Kansas City Royals, at Busch Stadium Saturday? We've got two field boxes -- total value: $160 -- for the 6:15 p.m. game.But we'll admit it: We're still smarting after a certain daily paper in Kansas Ci ... More >>

Jorge Posada, Albert Pujols and The Weight of Past Glory

commons.wikimedia.orgPosada in 2007.​If you're even a casual sports fan and aren't living under a very large rock, you may have heard there was some hullabaloo over the weekend involving the New York Yankees' veteran catcher, Jorge Posada. It seems that, after seeing his name penciled in the ... More >>

The Opening Day Crystal Ball: 2011 MLB Predictions

I actually dressed up like this to write this post. I predict the itching of this beard will soon drive me to madness. ​Just a bare handful of hours, now, until the Cardinals' 2011 season gets underway. Plenty of ink and bytes have been spilled talking about what the season may bring, lots of it r ... More >>

Because There's No News to Report in Kansas City, Royals Blogger Makes Some Up

image viaYou can't tell, but there's a passage from Of Plymouth Plantation under the brim of Crawford's cap.​This is, to put it kindly, not an especially exciting time of year to be a journalist. Especially if you cover baseball. So naturally, it's the perfect time for Kansas City Royals blogg ... More >>

Cardinal Trade Targets From the Department of Dumb Ideas

A bad idea, but way more fun than these others. ​Okay, so I know things aren't great around here in Cardinal country just right now. The team is scuffling, the injuries are piling up, and we're all still a little peeved over Ryan Ludwick being traded. And I also know, given the time of year, that ... More >>

Cards Fans Rank as Nation's Tenth Best? WTF?

image viaThis kind of devotion is only worth a number 10 ranking?​It had to happen. They've already ranked everything else (and by "they" we mean The Media), so why not sports fans? Is it really possible to give an objective rating to a city's sports fans? Can you say that the citizens of one ... More >>

Cardinals Trade Ryan Ludwick in Three-Team Deal

commons.wikimedia.org​According to various and sundry sources, the Cardinals have completed a three-team deal with the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians that will send Ryan Ludwick to the Padres and bring Jake Westbrook to the Cards. At first blush, I really liked this deal, thought it w ... More >>

Some Jeff Suppan-Induced Thoughts on Trading for Cliff Lee

commons.wikimedia.org​So I'm watching the Cardinals play, suffering through watching Jeff Suppan pitch, and it got me thinking about who the Cards might be able to get to replace him. Now, it's not that Suppan has actually been all that bad since returning to us; he's certainly been better th ... More >>

The Cardinals Weekend Review: A Royal Letdown

This Royal did NOT start against the Cardinals over the weekend; however, I'm convinced he could have thrown six shutout without much of a problem. ​So the 2010 edition of the I-70 series went about as poorly as one could possibly imagine. The Cardinals managed to lose two of three, Aaron Miles pl ... More >>

Five Reasons The Cardinals Should Trade for Cliff Lee*

Image sourceWouldn't Cliff Lee look nice in Cardinal red?​In case you haven't been paying attention these past three games, the Mariners stink.It's a special kind of stink too. They run into outs on the bases, commit costly errors, blow saves and generally suck at hitting. Just think of an ugly wa ... More >>

2010 MLB Draft: A Mock Draft You Can Set Your Watch To

It's Christmas in June! ​Finally, Draft Day is here, and I'm as giddy as a small child the day before Christmas, shaking all the packages and trying to figure out what might be in that really big one with my name on it. Unfortunately, no amount of shaking or clever examination of the boxes is goin ... More >>

Armando Gallarago's Perfecto That Wasn't, and Why the 'Human Element' is Total B.S.

Clearly, things like this are just part of the fun. ​So by now we've all seen the video, and heard the comments from all parties involved. We've heard from Jim Joyce, and Tigers' manager Jim Leyland, and Armando Gallaraga himself, the man who was robbed of the perfect game himself. We've even ... More >>

St. Louis Cardinals Twitter Accounts You Should Follow

​Keep up on the latest 140-character bursts of news, humor and statistics related to the St. Louis Cardinals on Twitter with this list of accounts you should follow, curated by the RFT staff. The tweeters below are all real people with opinions and we've excluded those Twitter accounts that simply ... More >>

Illinois Lawmakers Take A Siesta to Condemn Arizona's Immigration Law

Image sourceThe Illinois House of Representatives asks, "¿Como se dice 'snooze' en español?"​On the eve of their summer recess, the Illinois House of Representatives boldly passed a resolution that officially condemns Arizona's harsh new immigration law. Trouble was, they ended up taking the leg ... More >>

RIP Ernie Harwell, 1918-2010

Image sourceHarwell (left) and Paul Carey call a Tigers game.​A moment of silence, please, for Ernie Harwell, the longtime Detroit Tigers announcer and one of the greatest ever to call the game, who died last night from cancer. He was 92. He was with the Tigers for 42 seasons, most of them on ... More >>

Mayor Slay Defends Stripper Mobile; Vehicle Turns Heads in St. Louis, Baltimore

Behold: A "Stripper Mobile"​Man, am I kicking myself right now. Late last Friday I got an invite to tool around downtown in the St. Louis Hustler Club's "Stripper Mobile" -- a converted U-Haul truck outfitted with plexiglass walls and (you guessed it!) strippers.Sadly, though, I had to pass on the ... More >>

Pining For Pineiro: Ex-Cardinal Off to a Brilliant Start This Season

commons.wikimedia.orgPlease come back to us, Jo-El! ​I don't know if anyone else has been following the performance of one Joel "El Pinata" Pineiro since he left the Cardinals this past offseason, but I have. Not out of some sort of masochistic impulse to see the Cards' moves turn out badly and se ... More >>

Video: Death Cab for Cutie Rings in the Seattle Mariners' Season By Playing the Greatest Baseball Song Ever

This one's for Keegan: Courtesy of 5 Score Pachyderm, here's footage of Death Cab for Cutie at the Seattle Mariners' home opener playing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and -- awesomely -- John Fogerty's "Centerfield." (Except when the guitar goes off track. Oops.) Love the customized jerseys!

MP3: Gotta Be Karim (Still) Rocks a Cardinals Hat on New Tune "Hello St. Louis"

Gotta Be Karim in a controversial fitted cap.​The Mariners are my team. I grew up watching Ken Griffey Jr crash into walls at the Kingdome, I imitate Ichiro's batting stance at Tower Tee and, as much as it pains me to say it during the Cardinals' opening homestand, Seattle's Safeco Field is far an ... More >>

Julio Lugo Traded

​Farewell to the glare. We hardly knew ye or your crazy eyes. The Cardinals have agreed to deal utility infielder Julio Lugo to the Baltimore Orioles for either a player to be named later or cash considerations. The deal is still awaiting final approval from the commissioner's office, indicat ... More >>

Good Game: The Post Sports Bar in Maplewood is a winner

Twin Tennis Terrors

The Bryan brothers take the court

Seems Like Old Times

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Schlafly Brewery and Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street, 314-241-2337.

Let's Watch 'Em Play Two