Gateway to Baseball Heaven: A St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

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!

GTBH 7/19/17: What Is This Team?

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  Tara (@tarawellman, Bird Seeds) was on vacation this past weekend, but instead of skipping an entire week she and Daniel (@C70, C70 At The Bat) decided to get together mid-week and hash out a few things.  They talk about the trading deadline and whether the Cardinals will or even should bring in reinforcements, they discuss the minor league depth and what it really should be used for, and they look at the division and ahead to a weekend series with the Cubs.

Oh, and they also talk about Matt Carpenter.  Cardinals Twitter might want to skip that part.

GTBH 7/9/17: Good Time For a Break

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 Redbirds weren't quite able to reach .500 before the Midsummer Classic, but they did wind up tying the Cubs for second place (and didn't allow 10 runs in the first or have a position player pitch this week, just saying).  Can we be sure Milwaukee isn't for real?  Is it troubling that this recent charge is being led by folks that aren't exactly pillars of this club?  How do the successes of Paul DeJong and Luke Voit, for instance, impact how you do the rest of the roster, especially when Kolten Wong returns on Friday?  Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) tackle all that and more!

GTBH 7/2/17: Getting Emotional

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 been an eventful week under the Arch (and some of it out in the desert) but before all that Tara Wellman (@tarawellman, Bird Seeds) and Daniel Shoptaw (@C70, C70 At The Bat) get into this idea that Carlos Martinez is too emotional to be an ace.  (Fair warning: this is about 10 minutes of the show, so if it gets long for you, feel free to skip ahead.)  After that they talk about the changes in the Cardinal organization, with John Mozeliak and Michael Girsch both getting a bump up, and what taking two series against playoff teams means for the future of this club.

GTBH 6/18/17: They Used To Be Good, But Now They're Not

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  10 days ago, John Mozeliak shook things up by rotating coaches and releasing Jhonny Peralta.  The Cardinals were 4.5 out on that day....and are 5.5 out now.  What's gone wrong?  How much can the increased offense be traced to new assistant hitting coach Mark Budaska?  How can you replace 4/5ths of your rotation during the season?  When do you raise up the white flag and start looking to 2018?  Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) tackle all those questions and more in this week's Gateway!

GTBH 6/4/17: The Definition of Insanity

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 (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) tried to get a show in during the time the Cards had a lead on the Cubs Sunday night, but couldn't even get it started before it vanished.  It was a telling moment, one that reflected the struggles this team has had for a while with putting runs on the board and Ws in the column.  Even with the departure of Jonathan Broxton, this team needs something.  Do you make the big move or figure this isn't the year, even in a weak division?  Is there any way for these guys to catch fire?  Can the lineup seem a little more reasonable?  Or are we doomed to keep doing the same things over and over, expecting different results?  There's not a lot of answers in this one, but a lot of discussion so come give it a listen!

GTBH 5/28/17: One Outta Three Ain't Good

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  This week, Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) have another rough week for the Redbirds to discuss after series losses to the Dodgers and Rockies.  They discuss the problems at the top of the lineup and what (if anything) can be done, the troubles in the bullpen and the beginnings of the roster churn there, as well as apologizing to Adam Wainwright for ever thinking he was washed up.  Come for the clouds, stay for the silver linings!

GTBH 5/21/17: A Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  This week, Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) are left reeling by losses on and off the diamond.  Even with fabulous starting pitching, the Cardinals only managed to go 1-4 against the Red Sox and Giants, with the most egregious loss coming at the legs of Matt Carpenter.  Matt Adams was dealt to Atlanta, and while the two are sad to see him go, it did seem inevitable and they wish him the best in Atlanta.  The Cardinals also came up short in adding the talented Luis Robert to their minor league system.  Is there a fundamental flaw in the front office's approach to these situations?  All that and discussing the mystery that is the roster construction, so sit back and enjoy!

GTBH 5/14/17: Not Getting Sick of the Winning

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 was another winning week for the Redbirds and Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) were glad to have more wins to discuss.  While the record may not really reflect it, the Cardinals stepped up in competition this weekend against the defending World Champs and acquitted themselves nicely.  Does that mean that this really is a good team and not just a team taking it out on soft competition?  How important are Tommy Pham and Magneuris Sierra to the recent resurgence?  More importantly, how long are they going to be with the team?  We saw a great start from Adam Wainwright on Sunday--turning the corner or a blip in a bad pattern?  All this and much, much more!

Note: We so, SO wanted to title this episode #ThatsCub but we couldn't quite bring ourselves to do it.

GTBH 5/7/17: No Podcasters Were Injured During The Making of This Show

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  This was a painful week for the Cardinals, less because of the results (4-2) than the outfielders that dropped like flies.  While that did let us get a look at Tommy Pham and Mags Sierra, how severe are these injuries?  Will Dexter Fowler return quickly or be the next to the DL?  And if so, who is left to come to St. Louis?

Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds, @tarawellman) tackle that and other things about this week, such as the growth of both Kolten Wong and, surprisingly, Mike Matheny.  Is Wong finally developing into the every day second baseman?  Has Mike taken the next step in his managerial evolution?  Listen and find out!