Things To Come?

Today in the PD:

For Team Taguchi, Ankiel was the offense.

The lefthanded-hitting left fielder smoked a home run off Martinez to the opposite field, clearing the left field fence for a two-out, solo shot in the second inning. He followed with a deep fly ball that was misplayed into a double. Chris Duncan, starting for Team Spiezio in left, circled and spun and backpedaled his way toward the ball, but a swirling wind kept him from catching it at the wall.

Ugh.....

I'd throw Duncan a bone if I thought there was the slighest chance he would catch it.

Nice to see Ankiel getting some good swings.

Odds/Ends

Rumor has it D Dennis Wideman goes to Boston for RW/C Brad Boyes. I like Wideman a lot, but this deal is awesome for the Blues. Last year Boyes netted 26 goals and had 69 points, and this year although his production is down (13g 21a) it is still more than acceptable. Boyes has been hot of late, scoring 4 goals in his last three games.

The PD reports a lot:

Petr Cajanek cleared waivers, and McKee is expected back for the game tonight. The Blues also finalized a deal with Jamal Mayers. No word about Dvorak.

An Everyday Heart Attack

I'm sorry, but everytime I hear the conjuntion of the St. Louis Blues with the New Jersey Devils I expect to hear the Blues will have to send every draft pick for the next 30 years to Jersey.

So, Guerin to the Sharks in a 3-way deal. Not too sure for what yet. Gotta look around.

UPDATE: 12:21PM

No details yet.....hmm....

UPDATE: 12:25PM

Details courtesy of The Hockey News:

The San Jose Sharks acquired right winger Bill Guerin from the St. Louis Blues for forward Ville Nieminen, forward Jay Barriball and first-round draft pick in 2007.

What does it give the San Jose Sharks?
Guerin is a proven sniper with a history of playing well with No. 1 center Joe Thornton. This move gives the Sharks enough ammunition to compete with the Ducks, Predators and Red Wings in the Western Conference. An unrestricted free agent this summer, Guerin will probably leave in the off-season. If he stays, the future considerations may become a very good player.

What does it give the St. Louis Blues?
The Blues tried to re-sign Guerin, but wound up with another first-round pick when they couldnÙt come to terms with him. He could choose to come back to St. Louis in the off-season, which would make this trade look even better for the Blues. If he doesn't come back, the team still has a solid right-wing brigade with the likes of Lee Stempniak and David Backes, so this move makes a lot of sense from a St. Louis standpoint.

Short Term Analysis
Obviously, the Sharks are big winners in this deal. Guerin will provide a lot of leadership and scoring.

Long Term Analysis
The Blues are huge winners in the future here. Guerin may eventually wind up back in St. Louis, and they wound up with a first rounder either way.

This looks like a straight up swap....not sure how New Jersey was supposed to be involved.

UPDATE: 12:31PM

Stats on Nieminen:

Selected by Colorado Avalanche round 3 #78 overall 1997 NHL Entry Draft

--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1994-95 Tappara Tampere FNL 16 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1995-96 Tappara Tampere FNL 4 0 1 1 8 -- -- -- -- --
1996-97 Tappara Tampere FNL 49 10 13 23 120 3 1 0 1 8
1997-98 Hershey Bears AHL 74 14 22 36 85 -- -- -- -- --
1998-99 Hershey Bears AHL 67 24 19 43 127 3 0 1 1 0
1999-00 Hershey Bears AHL 74 21 30 51 54 9 2 4 6 6
1999-00 Colorado Avalanche NHL 1 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Hershey Bears AHL 28 10 11 21 48 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Colorado Avalanche NHL 50 14 8 22 38 23 4 6 10 20
2001-02 Colorado Avalanche NHL 53 10 14 24 30 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 13 1 2 3 8 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 75 9 12 21 93 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 60 2 11 13 40 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Calgary Flames NHL 19 3 5 8 18 24 4 4 8 55
2004-05 Tappara Tampere FNL 26 14 13 27 32 8 2 4 6 12
2005-06 New York Rangers NHL 48 5 12 17 53 -- -- -- -- --
2005-06 San Jose Sharks NHL 22 3 4 7 10 11 0 2 2 24
2006-07 San Jose Sharks NHL 30 1 1 2 14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Totals 371 48 69 117 304 58 8 12 20 99

UPDATE: 12:38PM

A thought on Jay Barriball. I've seen the Golden Gophers a few times this season and Barriball is a very active little player. (He's 5 foot 9.) After 35 games he has 16 goals and 20 assists, for a team leading 36 points. He's 19 years old (turns 20 in May), so he still has a lot of time to develop. He could be exactly the type of player that could excel in the "new" NHL.

I like the pick up.

Completing Regime Change?

From Bernie Miklasz at the PD: In rebuilding Blues, there's one guy they can't afford to lose

In the context of the new regime's build-a-Blue workshop philosophy and obvious swap-meet strategy of rounding up draft picks, Jarmo Kekalainen is emerging as the organization's most important person. Kekalainen is the assistant GM and director of scouting, and more than anyone else at Scottrade Center, he'll determine the success of JD's draft-pick pooling.

Not only must Kekalainen and his scouts be able to identify young talent across the globe, but he must help plot a shrewd draft-day strategy to maximize their selections.

And in the Blues' situation, that includes the possibility of bundling picks to move up in the draft to pluck the right player at the right moment. The Blues used this approach to maneuver their way to the 25th spot in the first round of the 2006 draft, and made a move for coveted Swedish center Patrik Berglund.

The good news is, Kekalainen is a highly regarded talent evaluator who can organize and supervise a scouting staff.

The Blues were delighted when six of their players from Kekalainen's 2006 draft class participated in the recent World Junior Championships. Previous Jarmo draft picks in St. Louis (including David Backes and Lee Stempniak) are showing promise at the NHL level. There's nothing dramatic so far; it can take several years to get prospects ready for the NHL. But under Kekalainen's watch, the Blues are restocking their base of young talent.

And as the chief scout in Ottawa, Kekalainen ran the drafts that brought in future stars Ray Emery, Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat and Jason Spezza. That's just a partial listing; Kekalainen's picks are all over the NHL. And while with Ottawa, Kekalainen simultaneously served as IFK Helsinki's general manager in the Finnish Elite League and won the league championship in 1998. By all indications, this is a brilliant young hockey executive.

Now, for the bad news: Kekalainen's St. Louis contract expires in June. He has a strong desire to become the first European to run an NHL franchise from the GM's seat, and looms as an attractive candidate for teams seeking a fresh approach with an emphasis on player development.

Losing Kekalainen would be a serious blow for the Blues, especially considering that they're gathering draft picks and placing the future in his hands.

The Blues' No. 1 free-agent priority?

Re-sign Jarmo.

Bernie is right. Larry Pleau has been a good soldier, but it seems obvious that his has been a caretaker role this year. John Davidson has been calling the shots for all intents and purposes, and Pleau has been handling the detail work. But if jarmo wants to step up into a more central GM role the Blues should be the team to accommodate him. A Davidson/Kekalainen brain trust would be perfect for the long haul.

Lets hope they get it done.

Sad News

Former Mizzou Tiger and current Denver Broncos player Damien Nash has died at the age of 24 in St. Louis.

Damien Nash had just come home from a charity basketball game he'd organized in his brother's honor when he collapsed in front of his wife and 7-month-old girl.

The Denver Broncos running back died Saturday and the cause remained unclear Sunday, but his grieving mother knows what she must do.

After one son's death and a heart ailment that caused another son to require a transplant last year, Kim Nash is taking her daughter to a cardiologist next week.

"My son," she told The Associated Press amid sobs, "is giving me the strength right now to talk."

Damien Nash collapsed in his suburban St. Louis home after returning by limousine with his wife, Judy Nash, and their daughter from a game at his high school to benefit The Darris Nash Find a Heart Foundation. The organization raises money for heart transplant research.

The 24-year-old player was taken by ambulance to Christian Hospital Northeast, where he was pronounced dead. The hospital's nursing supervisor, Maria St. George, told the AP the hospital dispatched an ambulance as soon as it received the call.

Nash played an important role at Mizzou as they got themselves established under Head Coach Gary Pinkel.

R.I.P.

Good, Good and Good

Since I last discussed the Blues they have been busy, signing Eric Brewer to a four year deal and Manny Legace for a two year deal, and trading Keith Tkachuk to the Atlanta Thrashers for center Glen Metropolit, 1st and 3rd round selections in the 2007 draft and a 2nd round pick in the 2008.

Eric Brewer: The Blues enticed him with a four year deal worth a reported $17 million dollar. This is perfect. Averaging a little over $4 million a yer for a player of Brewer's quality is not paying too much. The length of the contract is actually better for the Blues than I was expecting. I thought a three year deal was more likely, but maybe they were able to swap adding "no-trade" language in the contract for a fourth year. The end result is the same: The Blues are going to be strong on the blue line for years to come.

Manny Legace: Manny gets a two year deal worth $4.3 million. once again, this is perfect. The Blues are stocked (overstocked?) with goal-tending prospects and, who knows, maybe one of those will rise to the top in the future. But, right now, the Blues needed stability in goal and Legace has brought that this year.

Keith Tkachuk : It was bandied about that the Blues were holding out for a 1st round pick and a prospect in the Tkachuk/Guerin sweepstakes. Obviously, they didn't get a prospect in the deal with Atlanta, but I'd have to say the deal is a rousing success. You get three draft picks, plus, if Tkachuck resigns with Atlanta during the off-season the Blues would get another 1st rounder in 2008. In Glen Metropolit you get a useful player. He is 32 years old, so he is in no way a prospect, but the Blues are a little thin at Center these days so he will help in the short run.

I actually used to see Metropolit play a lot when I lived in Washington DC. The Capitals had him bouncing up and down from the minors like a super-ball, but I always thought he played a pretty nice offensive game. He is more of a playmaker than a goal scorer (unfortunately), but you should be able to slot him into the lineup for the rest of the season.

This leaves Guerin on the sell block at the moment. The Tkachuk deal has done nothing to soften the market, so the Blues are still sittin' pretty.

For a change!

Notts County 2-2 MK Dons

I suppose the good news is Notts came back down 2 goals to salvage a point against a side sitting fifth in the table.

The bad news is more points thrown away at home.

Notts now sitting in tenth.

From the BBC:

Stephen Hunt's injury-time diving header capped a battling comeback as Notts County drew with MK Dons.

Izale McLeod and squared the ball for Lloyd Dyer to finish in fine style as the visitors went ahead on 26 minutes.

Shortly afterwards, Dean Lewington curled in a free-kick with the help of a deflection to extend MK Dons' lead.

But Jay Smith's penalty five minutes brevived County and after Junior Mendes and Ian Ross had hit the woodwork, Hunt headed in that superb equaliser.

CD Olimpia 1 - 4 DC United

I wasn't expecting this. Victory for D.C. in Champions' Cup debut

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- D.C. United all but assured passage to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup on Wednesday evening thanks to a comprehensive and thorough 4-1 victory against a CD Olimpia team that was mostly unknown to its home fans.

Two goals from Christian Gomez, one from Facundo Erpen and one from Luciano Emilio - making his return to the club where he was a star - finished off Olimpia.

A strong performance in all departments allowed United to come away with a lethal, clear and very consistent result. And it started from early in the contest, as the MLS side showed nothing like a team that has recently started its preseason training, against an insipid Olimpia team, unrecognizable in its home stadium in the Honduras capital.

United has had trouble getting results in Central America, so I was really hoping to scrape by with a draw. After all DC isn't in the middle of their season as Olimpia is. But it sounds like United played a flawless road game.

Man, I wished I had seen this game. I don't get FSC. Damn. I can't wait until international club competitions are actually seen as important games in this country. (For US clubs I mean. Obviously someone thinks it is important to show Chelsea v Porto on ESPN. Where's that famous American jingoism when we need it?)

Nice to see Emilio score right off the bat. You always worry about new signings getting off to slow starts, especially when they are being brought in to score goals. Hopefully, he can keep rolling.

And Gomez...what can you say?? He's awesome.

Is Tequila EVER a Good Idea?

(Southlandish sent the following before he headed off to the Alps.)

From the PD:

The University of Illinois Police Department investigated the incident and found that Smith and Carlwell had been drinking beer and tequila at the College Fields Apartments before leaving in Smith's 1996 Lexus shortly after 11 p.m. A snowstorm had left roads in poor condition.

The car crossed the center line on South First Street in Champaign and struck a tree. After the accident, Smith drove the damaged car back to his apartment complex, about 1? miles away. Two witnesses saw a "tall man" enter an apartment, return with another man and then return to the building.

The report said the witnesses saw Carlwell unconscious in the passenger's seat and called 911. No other 911 calls were made.

Smith, the report said, went to his apartment.

Sadly, even this failed to crack the short list of poor decisions made by the Illini guards this season....

Waiting

Nice win for the Blues last night. Coming back in the third period after giving up a tough late goal in the second, simply is something the Blues wouldn't have done last year. It's another sign of progress. As is being .500 this late in the season.

But, right now it is more important what happens in the boardroom. I keep expecting to see the ESPN ticker telling me that at least Guerin has been traded. Nothing yet. I kind of hope they just let Guerin and Tkachuk go. I'm afraid that if Brewer is shipped out we will never see him again in a Blues uniform.

I'm terrible at waiting.

This sucks.

Doing Things The Right Way

It is a very strange experience for a Blues fan to see the organization really get its act together. Checketts, Davidson and Co. seem to have a good idea of what they want to do to get the Blues back in the playoffs. It also doesn't hurt my estimation of them if they do things I counsel. From todays PD:

While Eric Brewer, Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin are garnering much of the trade deadline speculation, the Blues are working behind the scenes to secure other important players on the roster.

The club has made at least one offer to goaltender Manny Legace and has had preliminary contract discussions with forwards Jamal Mayers and Radek Dvorak.

It's believed that even if the Blues don't work out a contract with Legace before the Feb. 27 trading deadline, the sides are close enough on a deal for the club to hang on to him and finalize an extension soon after. He will be an unrestricted free agent July 1.

"I think we're pretty close," Legace said Monday. "It's just about getting the right number. I'm not asking for the world, and they're not trying to low-ball me."

Good. The Blues have already lifted themselves from the worst team in the league to a .500 hockey team this year. There is no reason why that progress shouldn't continue next year, but you need settled goaltending and Legace has been great.

The Blues also want to keep Mayers and Dvorak, who are unrestricted free agents July 1 and are drawing interest elsewhere.

Well, this looks like the Blues wanting to make sure they have depth on the roster.

I hadn't thought of that.

Hmm...good idea.

Blues 5 Wild 3

It is a classic case of too little, too late. NOW the Blues decide to beat the Wild. I have to say that the Blues played pretty well last night, but that wasn't the deciding factor in the game. The Wild were truly dreadful. By all rights the game should have been 6 or 7 nothing. The Wild were able to score some freakishly weird goals. (Banking the puck in from behind the net by hitting the goalie's ear hole? Demitra is good, but he is not THAT good.)

I liked the way the kids and the role players performed for the Blues last night. Backes banged in another 2 goals, Stempniak was active and helped generate offense, and Johnson skated his ass off...throw in some good hard work from Mayers and McClement and you have a big night when folks like Guerin and Weight don't contribute.

If the season only started in December this would be a playoff team. Here is hoping that the Blues,

A) Get some useful players in the upcoming sell-off, and

B) That they are able to re-assemble this team in the off season, minus a player or three I'm sure.

C) Bite the bullet and try to sign Legace to a three year deal now. The questions are answered. It turns out he wasn't just being bailed out by a stellar Detroit defense. He can play, and at the highest levels.

Notts County 1 - 2 Rochdale

Horror loss for Notts County at Meadow Lane. You get a lead and then give up 2 in the last ten minutes.

Not good enough, especially against a side in the lower reaches of the table.

Still in 8th, but tied in points with Darlington.

I feel things slipping away from the Magpies this season.

Zizou

Steve Goff has the following thoughts on the possibility of Zinedine Zidane coming to MLS:

*Why would Zidane want to play in MLS?

It's a fresh start. America is far from Europe. Anschutz has a lot of money. Materazzi does not play for Columbus.

*Why would MLS want Zidane?

He would be the best player in the league. Period. You can certainly make the argument that Zidane is one of the 10 best players in the history of the sport. He's not as popular as Beckham, but he's better. Beckham brings mostly style, Zidane brings mostly substance.

*Can MLS/AEG afford him?

Yes, of course, but do they think it's worth the investment? He clearly does not attract the same mainstream marketing potential as Beckham. He would come to play football. That's it. Would that be enough to satisfy MLS?

*Okay, is this REALLY going to happen?

Ah, the big question. Like with all potential high-profile moves, there are a lot of hurdles to clear. It's a longshot -- repeat, LONGSHOT -- but there are people who believe they can facilitate a deal. The channels of communication appear to be reopening, which is a good sign. Whether it all comes together remains to be seen. We should know more sometime next week.

It would certainly be interesting to have Zidane in the league. There is no doubt he would have a major on field impact, and I actually have a higher estimation for his potential off the field import than Goff. It would certainly raise the profile of the league internationally. (Speaking of that, how unhappy do you think all the Beckham haters in the UK are after seeing David pull off a hero show in Spain? Hell, today he gets applauded off the field by the home fans after getting a straight red card. Ten years from now folks in England are gonna look back and wonder why they didn't appreciate the lad more.)

I guess I'd have to say I'd like to see it happen. If he does decide to join MLS I hope Zizou can deal with the fact that he is going to start out being known as "head butt" guy. Every writer and TV reporters is going to remind folks that they might remember ZZ for his World Cup escapades, and most folks here won't know him for anything else. Can a former World Footballer of the Year handle that?

It's the Bishop!

There is a nice article today in the PD about Blues draft pick and St. Louis area native Ben Bishop:

Before coming to Maine, Bishop was mostly a self-taught goalie. He

had never played for a team with a goalie coach. In Maine, he got one of the best, Grant Standbrook. One of Bishop's main attributes has always been his size — "You don't coach 6-7," Standbrook said — but Standbrook and Whitehead saw more than a big guy who could stand in front of the net.

"I think it would be fair to say he was raw," Whitehead said. "The most intriguing thing was his athleticism. He has the ability to move despite his height. The second was his competitiveness. We thought this could be a great guy to work with."

Bishop has been an eager student.

"I called my dad the first week," Bishop said, "and told him there were so many little things I was learning, on wraparounds, or when a guy cuts across the net. You say, 'Oh yeah, that makes sense,' like putting stick on stick on a guy coming across the net. I'm trying to be a sponge and learn as much as I can from Grant. When you have a goalie coach and you do something wrong, there's someone to tell you what you're doing wrong rather than going two months doing it and realizing it isn't the right thing to do."

Now, Standbrook is working on Bishop's skating and agility. In one drill, Standbrook has Bishop face one way in the crease while stopping shots from the other side. The drill forces Bishop to spin around, he says, like "a ballerina."

"When you get to be 6-7 in the sport of hockey,'' Whitehead said, "it's typically a disadvantage. In hockey, you want to have a lower center of gravity. He's turned what's potentially a disadvantage into an advantage. His ability to move in the net is exceptional. That's the challenge for a tall guy on skates. ... In the end, if the guy's just big, he's not going to be that successful."

Bishop was successful last season when he was thrown into the first game after the team's No. 1 goalie, Jimmy Howard, signed a pro contract. Even though he was a 19-year-old freshman, Bishop embraced the chance. By February, he had won the starting job.

It is hard not to root for the area kid to make it to the Blues one day and become a star. That would be great, but the odds are long. Actually, I'm not real sold on the value of all the depth the organization has in goaltenders right now. Goalie prospects have a have of becoming "former" prospects really quickly. Choosing which one of the kids (if any) will be able to establish themselves as an NHL starter is tricky at best. My fear is we will make a hasty evaluation on one of them, trade them for a spare part or two, and look on in horror as that goalie becomes the one to excel in the NHL for the next decade plus.

But maybe that is just the natural "optimism" that comes from being a Blues fan.

I Have Nothing More To Say...

...than pitchers and catchers report today.

The Rotation: An Onageristic Estimate

The PD has this run down on the potential starters going into Spring Training. He is my best guess as to what will happen:

Anthony Reyes

PD's take: The Cardinals insist nothing is guaranteed for 25-year-old, but he'll really have to pitch his way out of a spot in rotation.

GASL's take: Number 3 starter. Makes 23-27 starts, maybe loses a couple starts as wear and tear builds later in the season. ERA in the 4.10-4.40 range.

Adam Wainright

PD's take: Only Jason Isringhausen's health will keep Wainwright out of the starting rotation; if Izzy's ready to close, Wainwright is ready to start.

GASL's take: Number 2 starter. Makes 30+ starts. ERA 3.80-4.10 range.

Braden Looper

PD's take: Duncan believes the 32-year-old will use more of his pitches more effectively as a starter. Looper needs games to show if he can thrive with a radical career change.

GASL's take: Won't happen. If Izzy isn't ready to go at the season start there is a small chance the Looper show will get a chance to go primetime. My prediction is 1 start +/- 1.

Ryan Franklin

PD's take: His background probably makes him the quiet favorite for the No. 5 spot, though Cardinals like his resiliency, versatility.

GASL's take: Will be the number 5 to start the season. Will get injured. I'm guessing 12-15 starts. ERA 4.75-5.05

Brad Thompson

PD's take: Of the group, the 25-year-old may be best suited for the bullpen. A strong March could make him the place-holder for Mark Mulder.

GASL's take: Bullpen. No starts barring major injuries.

Troy Cate

PD's take: Poised to be a spring surprise, the 26-year-old lefty had a 1.30 ERA for Mazatlan. But he has to wow 'em to even crack crowded bullpen.

GASL's take: Good for the kid to earn this sort of mention in the press. Not gonna happen this year. No starts. AAA will need him.

Chris Narveson

PD's take: Out of options, Narveson could shove his way into majors (ala Wainwright), but his spring is about exposure and future considerations.

GASL's take: Chris will get his chance one way or another this year. If you think Cate is going to stay in AAA, Narveson is the best (only?) option for a left handed starter. He will get anywhere from 12-20 starts. ERA is anybody's guess. If you FORCE me to pick I'd say 5.00-5.30. The walk will kill him at this level. (Imagine a less exasperating Marquis. Narveson may be able to grow into a solid big league pitcher...who will do what he needs to to win games.)

Oh, in case you were wondering, an "onager" is a wild ass found in central asia. So an Onageristic Estimate is a "wild ass guess." It is humor from my father's grad school days in the 1960's. It lives on!

15 Yards For Un-Sportsman-like Conduct

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

On the Feb. 5 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, according to MediaMatters.org, Rush Limbaugh commented on the media coverage of Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman by saying, "They're dumping on this guy, Rex Grossman, for one reason, folks, and that's because he is a white quarterback."

The Bears lost to the Indianapolis Colts 29-17 in the Super Bowl on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Colts' Peyton Manning said winning the Super Bowl as a black quarterback was an unexpected bonus.

OK...show of hands. How many of you think Limbaugh should never open his mouth about sports again?

OK...show of hands. How many of you think Limbaugh should never open his mouth about any subject?

Me too.

cross-posted at The Iconic Midwest

Arm Twisting MLS Style

Well it looks like Checketts will get what he wants from the taxpayers of Utah, thanks to the intervention of the Governor. The only real question is if Checketts still wants to own the team. He was evidenly in St. Louis yesterday meeting with Jeff Cooper's group, who placed a formal bid for RSL with a Friday deadline. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch seems to think Checketts will be satisfied with the package the state legislature has cobbled together in Utah. The proposal does indeed seem to be close to the terms of the original deal nixed by SLC mayor Peter Corroon.

It effect it looks like Utah blinked and Checketts won.

Although, the real winners will be the RSL fans. (Who never seem to be quoted in Salt Lake Trib stories, although they are very active in the comment section here.)

A Wing and A Prayer

Actually, it is more like a Leg and A Prayer: Izzy throws from mound, reports no discomfort

Cardinals pitchers and catchers aren’t due to report for another week, but the first significant pitch of spring may have been thrown Tuesday behind Roger Dean Stadium.

Climbing a mound for the first time since undergoing Sept. 21 hip surgery, closer Jason Isringhausen threw 20 pitches without discomfort before laying out a schedule that would have him ready for the defending world champions’ April 1 season opener.

Isringhausen threw easily. More important, the club’s all-time saves leader reported no problems landing on his left leg, a move that left him in agony for much of last season.

Isringhausen last appeared in a game Sept. 6, when he dropped a save against the Washington Nationals. The blown save was Isringhausen’s 10th of the season and occurred as he pitched for a third consecutive day. He approached team trainers afterward, admitted that his condition was deteriorating and was disabled the next day.

The September surgery was the second performed on Isringhausen’s arthritic left hip since after the 2004 season.

"The doctor said this could give me another four years," Isringhausen said late Tuesday morning. "That’s good to know, because I’m a free agent after this one."

As our entire rotation is basically depending on Izzy's ability to re-assume the closers role...and soon...this is at least encouraging news.

The question becomes, what does this team do if someone blows a gasket and is gone for the year? I already get the feeling that Narveson will get 20+ starts this year, so what could possibly be plan C, D or E?

Football Notes

If you can tear yourself away from Super Bowl hype (anybody else expecting a yawner?), there is a nice stary in the PD about Roger Wehrli, and some encouraging words about the Mizzou Tigers recruiting class for next year.

From the story on Wehrli:

Wehrli was considered flawless in his technique. He never wasted steps or motion, and could read a receiver's routes with uncanny prescience. Some of the top quarterbacks of the era — including Hall of Famers Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton and Sonny Jurgensen — have said they avoided throwing to Wehrli's side. He was too smart to be fooled, too swift to be outrun.

"After a while," Staubach said, "you just stopped challenging him. There was no point to it. He was the best cornerback I played against. The term 'Shutdown Corner' originated with Roger Wehrli."

I have to say, I grew up hating Roger Staubach (he ripped my young heart out too many Sundays for me to like the man), but he has shown nothing but class since his playing days ended.

I am also extremely happy that Wehrli got in on the regular ballot and not via the old-timers committee.

Blues 2 Stars 0

Nice to see another shut out from Legace, but I wish the boys could score a little more. We really didn't seem to have many good scoring chances, so I should probably be happy they were able to cash in twice.

Murray seems to be having fun putting the kids together, so we had a forward line of Stempniak, McClement and Backes (who played pretty well), and a defensive pairing of Wideman and Woywitka (who also played alright...nobody scored at least.)

Dan O'Neil had a great line in his PD story on the game:

Peter Sejna, who has been back and forth between Peoria and St. Louis more often than a Caterpillar salesman

Notts County 3-1 Lincoln

An absolutely awesome win for the Magpies today over visiting Lincoln. From the BBC:

Lincoln's hopes of taking anything from their trip to Notts County went up in smoke with Jamie Forrester's red card.

City's Forrester was adjudged to have taken an off-the-ball kick at defender Austin McCann with the visitors already a goal down after Jay Smith's opener.

Within five minutes Jason Lee doubled County's lead on the half-time whistle when heading home Gary Silk's cross.

Lawrie Dudfield made it three before City's Spencer Weir-Daley slotted late and Scott Kerr had a penalty saved.

The win leaves Notts all alone in 8th, 2 points clear of Bristol Rovers and 5 behind Wycombe.

( Notts Lincoln)

Smith 2
Lee 45
Dudfield 61
Weir-Daley 89

St. Louis 63 George Washington 53

Alright. This is much more like it. A nice home win after a nice road win. GW is also a Top 70 RPI team. But, I will not let myself get excited. There is too much work to be done for the Billikens to begin to think about the NCAA.

It was nice to see that Lisch was able to play after hurting his hand the other day. Lisch is one tough kid.

I also noticed that Jeff Gordon had some love for Husak yesterday:

We must say that back-up center Bryce Husak’s outburst in Philly was encouraging. He hadn’t scored a point in 2007, but he logged 20 minutes, scored six points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked a shot. Now THIS was depth. He stepped up when Ian Vouyoukas got in foul trouble. The Billikens don’t earn this road breakthrough without Husak.

Hear, hear.

A Red Letter Day...Gridbird Red

My childhood attachment to the football St. Louis Cardinals is quickly drawing to a close. Ironically, it will be ending in triumph..of a sort:

Roger Wehrli, a five-time All-Pro cornerback who played 14 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame today.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin also was elected despite a troubled past, though voters denied entry to retired NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

Also voted in were running back Thurman Thomas, offensive lineman Bruce Matthews and two nominees of the veterans' committee -- tight end Charlie Sanders and guard Gene Hickerson.

Wehrli was drafted by the Cardinals out of the University of Missouri in 1969. He once intercepted three passes by Roger Staubach in a win over Dallas and made the league's 1970s all-decade squad.

"Something like this puts a cap on it. It's a dream come true," Wehrli said, speaking by phone from St. Louis.

Wehrli was my favorite Cardinal of all time. (Sorry Pat Tilley.) I cannot think of a childhood joy as perfect as Wehrli picking off a Roger Staubach pass. Sure, Christmas was fantastic....but none of my presents ever helped beat the Dallas Cowboys.

In many ways the induction ceremony will mark the existential end of the football Cards. There will be no other St. Louis Cardinals HOF'ers. There is nothing else for us old Gridbird fans to look forward to in the future. So, damn it all, I'm gonna make the most of this. A buddy and I are all set to make the trip to Canton this summer. I hope other lost Cards fans will make the trip. Actually, I hope every lost football soul makes the trip.

Salt Lake Follies

More on the saga of Real Salt Lake:

On the third day, it was risen.

A bill emerged Thursday on Utah's Capitol Hill that could bring a Real Salt Lake stadium to Sandy and salvage Utah's two-year-old soccer franchise, which is being aggressively courted by investors in St. Louis.

If the measure passes - it was crafted behind closed doors this week with the blessing of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and legislative leadership - it would snatch at least $20 million for the project out of Salt Lake County coffers, which critics allege could result in a countywide property-tax hike.

The move to revive a stadium in Sandy spells the end of talk to relocate RSL to the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City or the former Geneva Steel site in central Utah County.

Late Thursday, RSL released a statement saying the Geneva location, owned by Anderson Development, is "not a viable option for our team or the stadium project."
"We are no longer entertaining this offer," the team said. "Our discussions are now concluded."

So the latest stadium score card: Sandy or St. Louis. And RSL is mum on which spot it prefers.

Jeff Cooper, the St. Louis-based attorney negotiating with RSL to buy the team, is convinced a move to the Midwest is likely.

"I'm very excited for the folks in St. Louis because I do think it's
going to happen," he said. "I am very sorry for the fans in Salt Lake City. We went through the same thing in football with the Cardinals, when they went to Arizona, and it's just a horrible thing."

This article is full of peaks and valleys for any Real fans reading it. "Hey the stadium in Sandy might be back! Hooray! They might still pack up and go to St. Louis. Boo!"

As usual there are plenty of folks ticked off about the shuffling around of tax money, and I wonder if Checketts will agree that the proposal in the state house is a good deal.

Under this plan - just like the former one - the capital would get $7.5 million for youth fields along with an elite soccer academy in northwest Salt Lake City.

OK, so it is $20 million, and it begins this year instead of 2011. But, of the 20 million, $7.5 of it is going for an academy and youth soccer fields. Obviously it is quite a bit less than what had been proposed before. And now, like it or not, you are in a bidding war.

The consensus seems to be we will know by the middle of next week.

Some United Thoughts

I was pleased to see the team reaquire Dyachenko from Toronto. Rod's got a lot of upside, so the deal was easily worth the first round pick.

Then there was this from Steve Goff's blog:

Rookie forward Guy-Roland Kpene, from Dowling College, told me that he has signed a developmental contract with MLS. The team won't formally announce it until his paperwork is complete. Safe to say, he is virtually certain to make the final roster. Kpene has a fascinating background, which I will write about in the coming weeks.

Should be interesting reading. You can find some real high praise of Kpene floating around the net from those who saw him in college. NCAA Div II to MLS is a huge jump, so here is wishing him luck.

And, yes, here is wishing luck to Ricky Schramm. On draft day I wrote that I doubted he would make the team. This prompted a response from someone from Georgetown (was that you Ricky?), taking me to task. (All I seem to do is piss my readers off.) Well, I've been following this team from day one and I've seen lots of draft picks come and go with barely a ripple, but I'll take being wrong about this one in a heart beat. But hey, Schramm had to work his butt off to go from non-invitee to the MLS combine to getting drafted with the #37 selection. I'm sure my doubting him is the least of his worries.

Ticking Off My Friend From Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake seems to be holding on by the skin of it's teeth. Now you've got prominent folks out in Salt Lake bitch slapping Checketts in the press. I'm sure that is a BIG help.

Then when you read things like the following:

"I expect it to come together quickly or not at all," Valentine said, suggesting a deal could come within a week.

All or nothing??? In a week? Sounds ominous.

Or,

Meanwhile, MLS sources say Checketts has received clearance from the league to explore relocating his two-year-old franchise and possibly selling it to "serious" investors in St. Louis.

Salt Lake City's mayor referred to such a possible sale as reason to cancel Wednesday's council meeting. "Mr. Checketts may have sold the team by this afternoon," Anderson said. The mayor also didn't want to discuss soccer in public, saying the news media could "screw things up for us."

That's right. It would be the media's fault.

So Real was almost gone yesterday.

Sounds ominous.

Then you read this about the "glimmers of hope,"

Another Salt Lake City option once floated would put the stadium downtown north of The Gateway on property owned by Gastronomy.

Company owner Tom Guinney said Wednesday that he has not spoken with the team about the land. "We do have a great location for soccer in Salt Lake City downtown. We tried to put this together about six months ago, but it didn't fly."

When asked if he had any hope of his property being a possibility, he said: "I'm not qualified to have an opinion on that."

So, the team is within hours, maybe, of being sold, and folks are trying to revive long dead plans of which they have no idea of the viability. Yikes.

Sounds ominous.

St. Josephs 62 St. Louis 73

A nice win on the road for the Bills (and I could watch it on ESPN2 for a change.) I never thought I'd write this, but Husak was the biggest reason they won the game tonight. I.V. seemingly picked up 2 fouls while suiting up, and Husak was forced to play a lot of minutes. He did well. He certainly played with more agression than he usually plays with, which is good, particularly as he was under control. He might have tried to help out too often, allowing for a couple weak side layups, but I'll take it if that is what comes of his being more assertive out there.

On a sour note, Lisch looks like he hurt his hand again in the last few seconds. Maybe Soderberg shouldn't have had him out there?

More St. Louis Soccer

This time from the PD: Failed deal in Salt Lake may bring a team here

St. Louis has moved back into the picture for getting a Major League Soccer franchise after a change of heart by the county government in Salt Lake City.

Dave Checketts, who owns the Blues, is considering selling his MLS team, Real Salt Lake, after a decision by the Salt Lake County Council not to provide $30 million in hotel tax money to help finance the team's $110 million stadium project.

Jeff Cooper, the Alton lawyer who is spearheading the group trying to bring an MLS team here, said he has had significant discussions with Checketts about purchasing the team.

"I think there is a possibility,'' Cooper said Wednesday. "We are closer than we've ever been to getting a stadium deal done and close enough that I feel very comfortable having extensive conversations with Real Salt Lake and the league about bringing a team here sooner rather than later."

Cooper was in China when Real Salt Lake's stadium deal fell through and he returned home to begin discussions.

"This is certainly the best opportunity so far,'' he said. "We've had really good discussions with Dave Checketts. Salt Lake City is his hometown, and this is certainly a tough thing for him to do. But he's run into so many walls in Salt Lake City they've almost forced him to sell the team. At this point, I don't think he wants to move out of Salt Lake City, but he and I have had good discussions that are ongoing.

"We've made significant progress. We're getting closer and closer with each day that passes."

If it does happen, it could be soon. Cooper said that having a deal done in the next couple of weeks was "certainly conceivable."

The fact that Cooper cut short his trip to China to jump in on this has to be a bad sign for Salt Lake. If bringing the team to St. Louis were really a distant longshot he would have probably stuck to his itinerary.

It is interesting to see how quickly St. Louis has gone form barely getting mentions as a possible expansion site to being a front runner.

Who else would like to see Brian McBride plying his trade for a St. Louis MLS side? It is getting to be about that time in his career to think about coming back stateside.

It's a thought.