Gateway to Baseball Heaven: A St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

GTBH 9/24/17: Danging Hope Before Tearing It Away

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  After a run through Cincinnati and a comeback win against the Pirates, the Cards looked on the brink of adding another chapter to their incredible history by surviving a sweep by the Cubs and still getting into October.  Two losses against Pittsburgh took care of much of that and while the thread is still there, there are strong odds no playoff baseball will be in the cards, pun intended.  Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) talk about the frustration that was this series, including Seung-hwan Oh coming into a crucial situation and the fact that John Gant was starting a game in a playoff race in the first place.

Beyond that, the two discuss the recent Q&A that team owner Bill DeWitt had with Derrick Goold and what to make of Adam Wainwright's outing against Pittsburgh.  What does that mean for the 2018 rotation?  All that and much, much more!

GTBH 9/17/17: Swept Out of Chicago

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  After some hopeful outings, Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) come crashing down to earth with the rest of the Redbirds after the Cubs won all three over the weekend, pushing the Cards to six games out of the division and 4.5 behind the wild card leading Rockies.  June Daniel and Tara would not be surprised that winter was coming so quickly, but hope had returned with some recent good play.  Now the questioning and second-guessing really kick in.  Where would they be if they played the Cubs better?  Does this recent surge save Mike Matheny's job or does this weekend jeopardize it?  What is there really to look forward to over the next couple of weeks?  Your intrepid (not to be confused with The Intrepid STL, which has its own podcasts) bloggers are here to commiserate, if not solve the problems!

GTBH 9/10/17: How Does This Happen?

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and information you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  Even though they talk about them every week, that doesn't mean that Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) have all or any of the actual answers.  There's no way they can explain how this team is now two games out of the division lead and three games out of the last wild card.  There's no real explanation for how well the club has been playing.  There's no way to put into words why we are just now finding out about Matt Carpenter's shoulder.  Haven't got a clue about what the return of Adam Wainwright, if it comes, would mean or how it should be arranged.  We're just enjoying the ride and hoping that you are as well!

GTBH 9/3/17: Fruits of Front Office Labor

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  The front office was very busy this week, giving Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) plenty to discuss.  Nobody thought it was possible, but Mozeliak and Girsch moved Mike Leake to Seattle.  Did Leake ever fit in to the Cardinal culture or was he more than ready to head out the door?  What message did that send to the players?  Lance Lynn's future seemed to be impacted initially, but nothing seems to be going on there.  Is communication an issue?  Kevin Siegrist is gone as well and new players have been promoted.  Plus, after all this, the Cardinals are still in the wild card chase.  What is up with this season?

GTBH 8/27/17: That Was Unfortunate But Not Unexpected

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Cardinals had one job, which was to win at least a majority of the games they played against the Padres and Rays this week.  Instead, they lost four of six and that leaves Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) scratching their heads.  Or it would if this wasn't so drearingly predictable.  Can a .500 team really be involved in a pennant race?  Will the front office do anything to show a little urgency this season?  Or is there a way we can get to the "playing out the string" portion a little quicker?  All that and a look at the Cardinals HOF inductees!

GTBH 8/20/17: That De-Escalated Quickly

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  As arms are collapsing left and right--mainly right, given all the lefties still active in the pen--Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) wonder just what to make of this team.  Were they really that team that won eight straight?  Are they back to their malaise that they had most of the season?  Can this newfound togetherness last through the storms of three inning starts and bullpen meltdowns?  And just what can the front office do to fix these pitching problems--if anything?  There aren't a whole lot of answers here, we warn you, but we'll give plenty of air to the problems!

GTBH 8/13/17: That Escalated Quickly

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  Daniel and Tara, fresh off a trip to St. Louis (and a live version of this show that you can find on Tara's Twitter feed--@tarawellman, if you aren't following her), talk about the amazing run that the Cardinals went on, winning eight in a row and briefly ascending to first place before slipping on Sunday.  How much did this team dinner in Cincinnati lead to this success?  Does it say anything that the players took the initiative?  How much credit do we give the cat?

The bigger question is, of course, is this sustainable?  The club has looked more energetic, more focused, more like a team over the coming days.  Will that withstand a tough upcoming week against Boston and Pittsburgh?  Also, can Tara ever get her a #RallyCat shirt?  All that and much more!

GTBH 8/6/17: We Don't Know

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  Well, almost every week.  Because if there's one thing Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) do know, it's that they know nothing about this team.  A sub-.500 team sitting 3.5 games back in the division?  A offensively challenged squad putting up 13 runs?  What do you do with a team like this?  Do you give up, do you go all-in, or do you somehow temper your expectations while still hoping for that miracle?  When you figure it out, let us know!

GTBH 7/30/17: Anyone Awake Around Here?

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  We've got some new school problems and some old tired issues to deal with, so Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) go overtime on this one.  Yadier Molina calls out his manager on Instagram, and that seems to be the LEAST of the problems.  Where's the respect?  What does the rest of the clubhouse think?  Are we going to go through this every time Yadi sits?  So many issues to unpack.

And then there is the trading deadline, which more and more looks like an anticlimatic beat in a disappointing season.  As Tara says, "Pick a direction!"  The Cubs are clicking and adding and have now a 4.5 game lead.  Is it reasonable to think this team could chase them down, even with reinforcements?  If not, why did Lance Lynn make his start today?  Can this front office break out of their traditional "minor leaguer for a middle reliever" trade pattern and do something that will actually make an impact?

It's a frustrating time to be a Cardinal fan--and perhaps to be a Cardinal player!

GTBH 7/23/17: Not Good Enough, Not Bad Enough

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  It's another ESPN Sunday Night game, but Daniel (@C70, C70 At The Bat) and Tara (@tarawellman, Bird Seeds) don't let that stop them as they talk about all sorts of frustrations and aggravations relating to this team.  It was another tough weekend in Chicago, but the Cardinals looked like they could basically hold their own against a Cubs team that is now tied for first.  Yet they still sit under .500, so what do you do with the trade deadline looming?  Is there anything John Mozeliak and Michael Girsch can do or are they basically forced to make wholesale changes in the offseason, an offseason that is simultaneously coming up too fast and not fast enough for this squad?  And what does it say about those changes, especially when it comes to the guy in charge of the club, when Mozeliak makes pointed comments about the culture and attitudes in the dugout?  All of this and more in this week's Gateway!