Barry Bonds

Mark McGwire Should Thank His Testicles For Giving Him the Balls to Admit to Steroids

Mark McGwire: Fortunately we won't be hearing courtroom testimony on what lies beneath this towel.​Have you been following Barry Bonds' perjury trial this week in San Francisco? It's been -- how can we put this? -- nuts. Seriously. On Monday prosecutors called Bonds ex-girlfriend, Kimberly Bell, t ... More >>

NYT: Pujols Asking for $80 Million Over Value

Can he pull a Ted Williams and stay dominant till he's 41?​Interesting analysis by The New York Times yesterday on the Pujols situation. The writer, Dan Rosenheck, trolls into the statistical annals of baseball history to compare No. 5 with other players of his caliber -- Musial, Aaron and Wil ... More >>

Will Albert "The Great" Follow "King" James' Footsteps?

He didn't even leave a note. ​So after witnessing quite possibly the worst idea I've seen in literally years, the ESPN/LeBron James joint project entitled "The Decision", the question, of course, will predictably be asked around these parts, "Could Albert Pujols be next for this sort of thing?"&nb ... More >>

Albert Pujols: The Weight of Being The Mang

Remember that pose?​Another series, another bad loss trying to go for a sweep. It would be funny if it weren't so frustrating. The deciding moment of the game yesterday was a telling one, a moment that for me summed up nearly everything that's been wrong with this season. It was the bottom of ... More >>

Ken Burns' New Documentary Takes a Nuanced Look at Baseball's Steroid Era

Ken Burns: Someday Barry Bonds will be in the Hall of Fame.​Ken Burns, the nation's most prolific documentarian, has chosen for his next opus baseball's steroid era as a postscript to his 1994 landmark Baseball series. Entitled The Tenth Inning, a two-part, four-hour documentary that will a ... More >>

In Which the Author is Forced to Defend Tony La Russa Against His Will

commons.wikimedia.org​Well, it was inevitable, I suppose. Finally, after years of little passive-aggressive asides and snarky jabs being tossed surreptitiously toward Tony La Russa, someone came out and said it straight up: La Russa doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. Thom Loverro, of ESPN 98 ... More >>

Big Mac Finally Comes Clean

Holy shit. I did not see that one coming. ​Mark McGwire finally admitted what we've all known for a very long time today, issuing a statement confirming his use of steroids at various times for the better part of a decade. It should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone, of course, bu ... More >>

Albert Pujols Wins MVP Award

commons.wikimedia.org​Bill James has called him the perfect player, and this year, the voters apparently agreed. Albert Pujols won his third MVP award today, second in a row, by a unanimous vote. In other news, the sun came up today in the East, much as had been expected. Pujols nearly d ... More >>

The Worst Thing Ever: Mark Whicker, Jaycee Dugard, and Why Rape Victims Aren't Funny

Hey, you know what I like? Jokes. How about you guys? You do? Well that's just great. Have I ever got a treat for you. ​Have you heard the one about the little girl who was kidnapped, tossed into some dude's yard, raped repeatedly, impregnated, forced to give birth in a shed, and kept im ... More >>

Welcome to St. Louis, Manny

Ramirez​I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the reception of one Manfred Ramirez. (I wish his name really were Manfred. That would be awesome.) Manny was, of course, quite roundly booed every time up in last night's game between the Cardinals and Dodgers, and really, I don't think anyon ... More >>

"The Most Perfect Player Who Ever Did Live"

Wikimedia CommonsIf you haven't already read Joe Posnaski and Bill James' Sports Illustrated cover story from last week on Albert Pujols, well, what else are you doing on a Monday morning. Working?In what was probably the best piece of writing/analysis to come out of All-Star week, James makes the c ... More >>

Ten Memorable Moments and Five to Forget at Busch Stadium II

Take Me Out to the Old (and Tarnished) Ball Game: For better or worse, baseball's midsummer classic is a symbol for the state of the game

Manny Being Manny, Being Suspended

The fallout from the suspension of Manny Ramirez is coming hard and fast now. 

Swingin' Dick Loses Mustache, Respectability

Before we begin, let's have a moment of silence, shall we? The Stache is gone, and I don't think it's coming back. 

The Houston Astros are Trying to Drive me Insane

Stupid goddamned Houston Astros. Wikipedia.orgBerkman before his "Fat Elvis" period, when he was known as "Pudgy Elvis."Normally, I have a pretty good relationship with the Houston Astros. I hate Astros players, I hate their crazy owner, and I hate that glorified amusement park they call a stad ... More >>

Hall of Shame: Big Mac's a Martyr for the Steroid Era

As you've likely heard by now, it's going to be another year for the Hall of Fame without Mark McGwire. In this year's HoF election, McGwire received only 21.9 percent of the vote, down from 23.6 percent a year ago. He received 23.5 percent the year before that. Not a big change year to year, I know ... More >>

Baseball Card of the Week: Howard, Pujols Battle for MVP

Ten of Baseball's Unforgettable Wild Card Teams

Baseball Card of the Week: John Tudor in 1987

Free Ride

Joe theorizes why the Cards have gotten so many "Get Out of Jail Free" cards.

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Geritol

Follow the Money

Readers call out Paul McKee and Prince Joe.

Strong Bonds

Joe to Hank Aaron: Don't sell out! Back Barry!

Why Joe would never shill for Viagra.

Week of February 1, 2007

God Only Knows

Todd Snider's restless soul belies a heart of gold.

Ballsy

A pair of local entrepreneurs has a Barry Bonds home run ball for sale, but so far they're going down swinging.

Oblique Strain

When a blogger fingered him in the Jason Grimsley scandal, strength coach Chris Mihlfeld found himself in a world of pain.

Is Prince Joe a bigot?

Week of June 8, 2006

Meat the Family

Rose explains her beef with Ruth's Chris

Ask a Negro Leaguer Column

Week of April 20, 2006

The Times, They Are A-Changin'

But St. Louis sportswriters unapologetically cast MVP ballots

Serengeti

Friday, September 23; the Hi-Pointe (1001 McCausland Avenue)

Ask a Negro Leaguer

Week of August 10, 2005

Ask a Negro Leaguer

Week of July 27, 2005

St. Louis International Film Festival

Week of November 10, 2004

Keep It Real

We pitch a hard-rockin' reality show, talk Jesus with an ex-Card and have a little tiff about Brian Wilson

Best Cardinals Player

Scott Rolen

Entertain Your Brain

This new docudrama is a real mind-bender

Shipping Blues

Fairmount Park's owner can't squander his prize filly's talent on home turf

The 2004 RFT Music Awards

Patty Dukes

Unreal steps into the Thickburger fray, gets good gossip at Pujols' fête and seeks dream interpretation -- and hey, keep your dirty pictures away from Ameren UE

What Is the Most Incredible Thing You Could Find Under Your Tree This Christmas?

Week of December 24, 2003

Best Cardinals Player

Albert Pujols

Safe at Home?

At the end of a star-crossed season, Cardinal Nation still doesn't know where the Redbirds will roost after they leave Busch

Redbird's Burden

La Russa endures a hell of a season, escaping the purgatory of tradition

E.T. Trumps Andro

We don't need no stinking McGwire Highway!

We Deserve Better

Letters from the week of October 31, 2001

What Do You Think About the Dethronement of Mark McGwire as Home-Run King?

Week of October 17, 2001

Foul Ball

Whitey Herzog takes a vicious swing at money-driven modern baseball, where only the wealthy win -- and the fans always lose