Subject: Dave Duncan

• The Cardinals: Where Do They Go From Here?

  May 27, 2008

• Pitcher Matt Clement Making a Comeback

  June 4, 2008

• Minor Leagues: Cardinals Youngsters Show Promise

  June 16, 2008

• Baseball Card of the Week: '78 Dennis Eckersley

  July 25, 2008

• Requiem For a Prospect: Anthony Reyes, Now Traded to Cleveland, Used to be the Next Big Thing

  July 28, 2008

• Pineiro Will Likely Move Over for Returning Wainwright

  August 7, 2008

• Anthony Reyes Update

  August 14, 2008

• Kevin Slaten's Head Is About to Explode: The Saga Continues

  August 28, 2008

• Kevin Slaten's Return: The Blowhard's Back!

  October 3, 2008

• Anthony Reyes: Relieved to be Out of St. Louis

  October 23, 2008

• Dear Cardinals GM: Don't Waste Money on Brian Fuentes

  Okay. I've screamed. I've begged. I've pleaded. Nothing seems to work. No matter how much I rail against the idea, the Cardinals and their general manager, Mr. John Mozeliak, seem hell-bent on signing Brian Fuentes. I just don't know what else to do. But you know what? I love the Cardinals too damn much to just give up. So I'll make one last effort to talk Mo and the team out of this course they seem so set on.

  December 11, 2008

• Red-Light Cameras, Cocaine Addiction and Public Radio: 2008's 10 Most-Read Stories

  (The eyes have it! Here are the Top 10 most-read stories online, which were published in 2008 by the RFT. After the jump, we also included a few stories that came back from the dead in '08 because of timely news -- earthquakes and college basketball among them. Below, RFT Editor Tom Finkel runs down the Top 10.  - Nick Lucchesi, Web Editor) 1. Radio Active: What has Patty Wente done to create such a meltdown at KWMU?You say public radio's dull? Not when your general manager is kno

  December 28, 2008

• We've Been Booked

  maplestreetpress.comThis RFT's own Aaron Schafer is a contributing writer in this year's Maple Street Press Cardinals Annual 2009, the pre-season guide to this year's St. Louis Cardinals.Schafer, who also writes for Viva El Birdos, joins VEB founder Larry Borowski, and Deadpsin founder and Cardinal fan Will Leitch in the book. All three write on the Cardinals' outlook this year. From the publisher's description: Will Leitch on the Cardinals transition from Whiteyball to Moneyball and why all Car

  February 13, 2009

• Mark Worrell: A Legend in His Own Mind

  Mark Worrell just can't seem to shut the hell up. Seems to have an awfully high opinion of himself, too. First, it was Dustin Mattison over at the Cardinals' site on the Scout network that he was complaining to; he was traded shortly afterward. Problem solved, right? He was upset that he didn't get much of a shot here, that the Cardinals didn't like him, that he wasn't respected, that he was handled badly. So he was headed off to San Diego, part of the still-to-be-completed package for Khal

  February 16, 2009

• Kevin Slaten: A Nasty Man

  A transcript of Slaten and Cards pitching coach Dave Duncan

  August 27, 2008

• Kevin Slaten's Head Is About to Explode: The exiled sports-talk radio ranter needs to get some things off his chest

  August 27, 2008

• Hits Galore

  July 25, 2007

• The Littlest 'Birds

  March 28, 2007

• Best Pro Coach

  Tony La Russa

  September 25, 2002

• Maybe Duncan's Just Too Busy?

  Adam Wainwright has discovered a flaw in his delivery, and will shortly be back to perennial Cy Young contender form. He and Chris Carpenter, papier mache ace extraordinaire, were looking at some video yesterday, and, wonder of wonders, they found out what was wrong with Adam's mechanics! I'm a little curious, though: where was Dave Duncan in all of this? 

  May 11, 2009

• Nothing Shall Come From Something, Trade Again!

  And so, just like that, the Blaine Boyer Experiment comes to an end here in St. Louis. Farewell, Monorail Man, we hardly knew ye. (And barely cared.) Somehow, it just isn't as cool as Rocket Man, is it? 

  June 9, 2009

• Postgame Thoughts, 18th June: Double You. Tee. Eff.

  -Okay, so Jo-El Pineiro crapped the bed quite mightily in the first inning, but he certainly had some help from the defense. Just an ugly inning all around, the sort that we really haven't seen too many of from the Cards lately. Typing that, I find myself a bit surprised, to be quite honest. It hadn't even really occurred to me until just now that the Cardinal defense has improved markedly from where it was earlier this season. I still think Skippy Schumaker is hurting the team at second ba

  June 19, 2009

• Game Notes 22nd June- Mets 6, Cards 4: Colonel Pumpkin, I Presume?

  -This stuff of pinch-hitting for Colby Rasmus late in the game really needs to stop. Not because he's the Cardinals' best outfielder, or even because he needs to see left-handed pitching in order to learn how to hit it. No, it needs to stop because if Colby gets pinch-hit for, it means that we have to see Swingin' Dick Ankiel hit in the late innings, and that's a losing proposition no matter how you look at it. 

  June 22, 2009

• Mark DeRosa Joins the Cardinals

  When I heard last night that the Cardinals had acquired Mark DeRosa for Chris Perez and a player to be named later, I went through what I like to call a three part response. Part one: "Hey, we got DeRosa! Sweet! Good job getting a deal done, Mo. Glad to see them upgrade the team." Part two: "Chris Perez? Man, that sucks. Damn. I really like Perez. Seems like an awful lot to give up for a three month rental of Mark DeRosa. Well, still cool they got him, but I hate losing Perez." Pa

  June 28, 2009

• The Marquis Attraction

  I wonder what sort of greeting Jason Marquis is going to get from the Busch Stadium crowd? I assume it will be positive, in keeping with the spirit of the All-Star Game and all, but I have to admit, if Marquis does in fact get into the game, I'll be sitting there in the press box, secretly hoping for one of those Whitey-Ford-killed-by-a-hail-of-pretzels-moments. Not because I dislike Jason Marquis all that much - though I do admit he used to make me want to rip my own eyes out of my head to avoi

  July 7, 2009

• Circling the Drain

  Does anybody want to tell me when this whole thing just went to hell? Remember when the Cardinals were a first-class organization, one that made smart moves, fielded competitive teams, and had everyone pulling in the same direction? Well, guess what, folks, the party, as they say, is over. Last one out turn out the lights. 

  July 23, 2009

• Game Notes: Cardinals 12, Metropolitans 7 04/08/2009 - The Return of the King

  -- Albert Pujols is back, and the Mang is pissed. Oh yes, we all doubted, we all feared, we all wondered what was wrong. We found ourselves, in our darkest moments, questioning whether or not Albert was still the player we all thought he was. We looked to a new idol, to a man named Holliday, and we have angered the Mang. There will be no mercy. This gathering was broken up shortly after the photo was taken by an Albert Pujols home run. ​

  August 5, 2009

• The Robert 'Kip' Wells Appreciation Thread

  I would like to tell you all a story. It isn't a great story; hell, it's barely worth telling at all, but this here is my blog, and so I'ma gonna tell it. One of the many benefits of being a professional blogger (along with the lack of sunlight from hiding in the basement all day), is the exaggerated sense of self-importance that allows one to convince oneself everybody cares about what you have to say. You should try it some time; really adds a certain something to everyday life. So anyhow

  August 11, 2009

• Is John Smoltz the Answer?

  Short answer: yes with a but. Long answer: no with a yes. I know everybody is all excited about the prospect of the Cardinals adding John Smoltz - wait, let me fix that - Future Hall of Famer John Smoltz, for the stretch run, but I'm not so sure it's as much of a slam dunk as so many others seem to believe. So here's the deal: Smoltz was given his walking papers by the Red Sox, meaning he would be, essentially, free. Yes, he would technically still cost the pro-rated league minimum sal

  August 18, 2009

• Chris Duncan Still Being Conspired Against

  Sadly, it looks as if Boston - or, more accurately, Pawtucket - just wasn't far enough for Chris Duncan to escape the shadowy conspiracy against him. Keep on humping, Chris, and keep reaching for that rainbow. ​Duncan has been released by the Boston Red Sox, less than a month after he was acquired in exchange for Julio Lugo. In 85 at-bats for Boston's Triple A affiliate Pawtucket, Duncan hit .188/.255/.294, good for an OPS of .549. I feel bad for Chris. I really do. He was always bas

  August 21, 2009

• Why No-Trade Clauses are a Bad Idea: Billy Wagner

  fortsanders.netBad Idea. ​I know I've mentioned before - numerous times, most likely - how much I hate no-trade clauses in baseball contracts. In particular, the no-trade clause in Kyle Lohse's contract has proven to be a source of major irritation to me, not because I don't think Lohse is a useful pitcher, but because I largely expect Lohse to be a fairly useful pitcher with a bad contract that would be hard to move in any circumstances, and damned near impossible when the player has the opti

  August 25, 2009

• Game Notes: Astros 4, Cardinals 3 08/27/09 -- An Ugly Loss

  failblog.org​-- I hate Brian Moehler. A lot. It never fails to irritate me when the Cardinals get shut down by some journeyman pitcher, and it happens every single time they see Moehler. Somehow, he has still never lost to the Birds, despite being an incredibly mediocre pitcher overall. Hell, take out his numbers against the Cards, and I could almost see him being a below-average pitcher. It's maddening. Memo to any team who thinks they might see the Cardinals in the playoffs: pick up Brian Mo

  August 27, 2009

• By All That is Holy, Todd Wellemeyer Must Be Stopped

  At this point, I honestly don't know who to beg, plead with, or pray to who might have some legitimate chance of ridding us of the curse of Todd Wellemeyer. I tried praying to God after Welley's start in Pittsburgh on the 12th of May, when he gave up seven runs in 4.1, but God seemed uninterested in my baseball team, thus ensuring my lifelong atheism. God, who kept telling me he had more important things to worry about. Bah. Like what? ​Jesus was no better, kept telling me he helps those

  September 15, 2009

• NLDS Game One Recap: Dodgers 5, Cardinals 3

  Okay, so it wasn't quite the start the Cardinals were hoping for. Okay, so maybe that isn't quite strong enough. ​Going into last night's game, the Cardinals should have been confident. Hell, even I was confident, and I am never, ever, ever confident when it comes to October baseball. The 'Birds were facing a team they had beaten like a rented drum all season long, with their ace on the mound squaring off against a very nice, but also very beatable journeyman hurler in Randy Wolf.&nb

  October 8, 2009

• Ryan Franklin vs. Matt Holliday: Playing the Blame Game

  ​So the question must eventually be asked, you know. I don't want to have to ask it, and I'm sure you probably don't want to have to try and answer, but the question will not just go away. So here goes. Who was really at fault for the Cardinals ninth-inning, two-out implosion Thursday night? Was it Matt Holliday, the man who shall now be known forevermore as Ol' Three Ball Holly, or Ryan Franklin, the Cardinals' budget-conscious, Dave Duncan reclamation project version of Brad Lidge? 

  October 10, 2009

• Tony La Russa Back for Another Go 'Round

  Well, it looks as if Tony La Russa will be returning to manage the St. Louis Cardinals once again in 2010. He hasn't made any sort of official announcement as of yet, but all signs point to La Russa coming back for his 15th season wearing the Birds on the Bat. How do I feel about TLR being back at the helm in 2010? Well, I'm glad you asked. It would have been much more awkward if you hadn't. La Russa, seen here coming ashore on the Mississippi, is set to return to manage the Cardinals

  October 25, 2009

• Mac is Back! La Russa to Install Mark McGwire as Cardinals Hitting Coach

  I thought I was still slumbering this morning when I opened up the paper to read that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is expected to sign a new two-year deal with the club on the condition that the Redbirds also sign tainted slugger Mark McGwire as hitting coach. A triumphant return for Mr. McGwire?​According to the Post-Dispatch, La Russa will sign a two-year, $8.5-million extension today with the Cardinals and lay out his plans for replacing hitting coach Hal McRae with McGwire. La Russa and

  October 26, 2009