Lance Berkman

Five Great Walkup Songs That Baseball Needs Now

Do you know why Lance Berkman was, empirically speaking, the single most badass Cardinal of the past decade? (Yes, empirically. It's been scientifically proven.) No, it wasn't the awesome soundbites he routinely handed out, or the wicked sense of humor. On-field exploits? Ha! Don't make me laugh. ... More >>

The Cardinals' Offensively Awesome Offense

So the Cardinals actually managed to finish off the sweep of the Houston Astros yesterday. I have to admit, I'm a little surprised they pulled it off. Not because the Astros are a particularly tough test; they are far and away the worst team in baseball, and the fact Jeff Luhnow has decided to ... More >>

The Allen Craig Show: It's Better than the Albert Pujols Hour of Power

Allen Craig is good at the baseball. We already knew that, of course; he's hitting home runs at a pace of roughly one every 13.5 plate appearances and owns an OPS of 1.046. For his career, that home run pace is one every 18.5 PAs; his wOBA last season was .399, and this year it's .431. Allen Cr ... More >>

Tyler Greene Get the Cards Off the Schneid

The Cardinals were very, very close to losing a fifth consecutive game last night. It would have been their longest losing streak of the season, and continued a rather brutal May that has seen the Cards undo a fair amount of the good work they did in April. On the first day of May, the Cardinal ... More >>

Should We Be Worried About Cardinals' 0-4 Slump?

The Cardinals are mired in their first real slump of the season. That's not to say the Cards haven't faced any adversity before now, of course; there have been a couple of really tough losses already in 2012, and they have seemed to come in bunches, little clusters of misery amidst what has bee ... More >>

Beltran Goes All Berkman; Cards Win in the Desert

Ladies and gentlemen, I have discovered the secret to the Cardinals' success. Actually, I shouldn't say success in general. Rather, I have discovered the secret to the St. Louis Cardinals beating the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road in Arizona. In order to win in Chase Field, the secret for the ... More >>

Allen Craig to Return Tonight

The Cardinals have been one of the best offensive teams in all of baseball so far this season, ranking behind only three American League teams (who obviously have the benefit of the designated hitter), as far as OPS. In runs scored, the Atlanta Braves currently have an edge on the Cards for the top ... More >>

Roy Oswalt: The Dream That Just Won't Die

​​Oswalt wearing the uniform of his last team, the Phillies. I always thought those two were just a terrible fit for each other. ​I've been very skeptical of the Cardinals and Roy Oswalt as a match for quite some time now. It's not that I don't think Oswalt would be a really nice add for the R ... More >>

Cards Win Beltran Sweepstakes

It's like Ed McMahon dropped by Busch Stadium yesterday, with a big check that read 4.0 WAR in the dollar amount box. ​Christmas came a little early for Cardinal fans this year. For the Cardinal offense, too. The Cards agreed to terms with Carlos Beltran yesterday on a two-year deal for appro ... More >>

Miracle Weekend for Missouri Sports: Is God to Thank?

The gift of life and the gift of winning.​October 28-30, 2011, may just go down as the greatest weekend for Missouri sports ever. On Friday the Cardinals won their 11th World Series title in one of the greatest come-from-behind stories ever in sports. On Saturday the struggling Missouri Tigers tra ... More >>

Chris Carpenter: The REAL World Series MVP

In Carp we trust.​You know what's really a dick move? Just a couple days after a thrilling, beautiful victory in the World Series, and just one day after a parade that brought together thousands of strangers in the streets to celebrate a shared joy, taking to task the guy who won the Most Valuable ... More >>

A Brief History of the Game Six Miracle

Edmonds, the man who brought us a miracle in 2004, then gave us David Freese on his way out the door. ​On the 20th of October, 2004, Jim Edmonds hit a walkoff home run in game six of the National League Championship Series against the Houston Astros. Bottom of the twelfth, Albert Pujols stand ... More >>

An Apology to Jaime Garcia, And Then a Bunch of Criticism

I'm sorry, Jaime. Really. Truly.​Dear Jaime, I am very, very sorry for ever doubting you. I'm sorry for thinking you a head case, for calling you a blow-up waiting to happen. I'm sorry I thought you were probably worn down after throwing close to 50 more innings this season than you ever had ... 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 >>

How Not to Take a Good At-Bat (Cardinals' Examples A, B, C)

commons.wikimedia.orgJon Jay wins our Worst Plate Appearance of the Night award. ​The Cardinals won last night, taking a two games to one lead over the Brewers and keeping alive their chances to clinch at World Series berth at home. The bullpen was the real hero, along with an early offensive outb ... More >>

Cardinals Pull Even with Brewers In a Blowout

Statue of Lance Lynn currently being proposed for addition to the collection outside Busch Stadium. ​It's probably going to be overlooked, considering the final score of the game last night, but I think Lance Lynn may very well have saved the Cards' collective bacon. He entered the game with the s ... More >>

David Freese's Coming Out Party

Ha! I'll bet you were expecting me to go with the Schwarzenneger version of Mr. Freeze, but instead I threw you a curve and went old school! That's why I'M a very important internet columnist and you're, well, probably doing something better with your time. Sigh.​I wrote earlier today about the pe ... More >>

Tonight: The Cardinals' Last Stand

General George Custer, moments before telling one of his men, a Lieutenant Patterson, he had, "Complete faith you can lead us to victory over these Algonquin sunsabitches."​Things have not been going all that well for the Cardinals lately. What's that, you say? You expected an expletive-laced ... More >>

The Final Tally on Albert's Absence

Sorry, but there's no way I'm ever going to acknowledge Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Just not happening. ​With Albert Pujols officially coming off the disabled list on Tuesday, so far ahead of schedule we should probably all be looking for claws coming out of his hands (It's a Wolverine joke, folks. ... More >>

No Pujols? No Problem.

​So I'm sure everyone's heard by now that Albert Pujols, formerly unstoppable baseball machine, will miss somewhere between four and six weeks with a fractured wrist/forearm/whatever other random bone you like. There are plenty of questions and concerns in the wake of Albert's injury, not least of ... More >>

Cards Are Swept Out of First Place by The Brewers -- So What Now?

The Cards ran into one of these over the weekend. There were no survivors. ​It was, to put it lightly, a bad weekend to be a Cardinals fan. The Redbirds headed into Milwaukee up 2.5 games in the divisional race after taking 2 of 3 from the Astros. Three days later, the Cards limped out of Miller P ... More >>

More Bullpen Hijinks in Houston

​You know, it's beginning to feel like pretty much an everyday occurrence, writing something about the current state of the Cardinals' bullpen. I suppose it's understandable, though; the relief situation for the Cards this year is rapidly becoming the single biggest defining characteristic of this ... More >>

Game Notes: Cardinals 8, Diamondbacks 2

Oh, sure. I could have found a picture of an actual puma, but tell me those aren't awesome. ​Title of the novel based on tonight's game: The Puma's Roar. Well that certainly was exhilarating. The second time the Cards have scored more than six runs this season, and the second in a row, i ... More >>

Music to Swing To: An at-bat tune can tell you a lot about a player

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em: Think of the 2011 Redbirds as your emphysemic, three-pack-a-day uncle

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 >>

Reminder: First Cardinals' Broadcast of Spring Training Today at Noon

Mike Shannon: "Heh, heh. Wow. Get up, baby!"​Yesterday was the start of the Grapefruit League season for the Cardinals. The club lost 6-3 to the Florida Marlins. The good news: Redbird newcomer Lance Berkman looked strong, going  2 for 2 with a home run. Pitcher Raul Valdes, starting for Adam ... More >>

Reason to Rejoice: Cardinals' Pre-Season Begins Today

Crocus Cardinals = Spring around the corner.​With temperatures plunging back into the 30s today we here at Daily RFT were desperate for some kind of sign that this miserable winter will one day end. We think we've found it. Just as the first crocus blooms suggest the thawing of the spring, so too ... More >>

Gerald Laird? Really? Cardinals Make Another Less-Than-Impressive Off-Season Move

Goodbye, Brendan Ryan. Hello, Gerald Laird. commons.wikimedia.orgGoodbye, high socks, goodbye, fun. ​So this is what building a winner looks like? This is what a championship-caliber team feels like? Interesting. I always thought winning would feel good. I always kind of pictured the fee ... More >>

What the Hell are the Astros Thinking?

I really, really don't get it. The Houston Astros just keep making these bizarre decisions, and I've finally given up trying to figure it all out. The Lance Berkman Fan Club isn't happy about this post, but they feel it needs to be said. ​The most recent onslaught of craziness came just last ... More >>

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 >>

RFT readers love Laurell K. Hamilton's vampire stories, Albert Pujols, and foodie trivia

It Hurts to Say It: The Case for Lance Berkman for MVP

Sports Blog: 2008 Major League Baseball Draft Picks

Sports Blog: 2008 Major League Baseball Draft Picks

Cards Blog: Reversing the Curse (Hopefully)

Cards Blog: Reversing the Curse (Hopefully)

Lance Berkman Is Fat Elvis: A Houston Astros Primer

Lance Berkman Is Fat Elvis: A Houston Astros Primer