Meet Me At Musial: A St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

The Cardinals are in first place.  The Cardinals are in first place.  Let's keep reminding ourselves of that as the trading deadline gets further and further behind us.  Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1) have cooled off some from Wednesday's frustration, but a lot of it still lingers.  Do the Cardinals overvalue Harrison Bader?  Are prospects in general placed too highly on a pedestal?

That's not all the guys talk about, though.  There is a first place team to discuss and beating the Cubs is always good.  Plus there are other issues, like the use of Yairo Munoz and Tommy Edman, and what happens when Matt Carpenter returns.  It's an early edition so kick back and enjoy!

A 7-1 roadtrip has the Cardinals, as of this recording, tied for first in the NL Central, two up on the Brewers who are in third, and tied for the first NL wild card spot.  Not a bad place to be in after what we've seen much of the year!  Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1) are joined by Josh Gilliam (Prospect Preacher, @aprfool79) to talk about all things Cardinals.  The guys touch on the offense and how it's been clicking this week.  What happens, though, when Matt Carpenter and Yadier Molina are ready to return?  The trading deadline is less than a week away.  Can the Cards legitimately not make a move?  If they do deal, what will they get back?  Plenty of fun conversation when the Redbirds are riding high!

Not between Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1), of course.  The two hosts of the show are still perfectly in sync, but it's the Cardinals that have shown the ability to take a licking and keep on ticking as of late.  Some significant rallies of late have the guys wondering if this team might be showing some life after all.  How much of it will stick and how much of it is from facing the two bottom teams in the division, crowded as it may be?  There's also talk of what may happen at the trade deadline and the disappointment with Paul Goldschmidt at the moment.  Plenty of things to discuss this week so come join us!

The annual Blogger Day event at the ballpark was this past Sunday and, for the second straight year, Tara Wellman (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) joins Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1) to break it all down.  It was a bit of a different experience this year but loads of fun nonetheless.  Why did Bill DeWitt III bring up possible rule changes?  What answers from John Mozeliak were surprising?  And just how much fun is it to hang out with a bunch of bloggers?  All of that and more in a special crossover episode!

The Cardinals had their long West Coast road trip for the year, stumbling in San Diego before righting the ship against the Mariners.  Before they take on the Giants to end their "first half" of the season, Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1) talk about the week that was.  Lots of discussion about the offense that might be coming around but still is very sluggish.  What exactly can the Cardinals do with the trade deadline looming?  Can they do anything?  Yadier Molina is sitting again--should he get a long rest to try to heal up?  When will Marcell Ozuna be back and should the Cards keep him around after this year?  That and plenty more!

More happened off the field than on it this week, what with two off days and two miserable games against the A's.  Jordan Hicks is done for this year and most, if not all, of next year.  Can he come back the same?  Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1) get into that issue as well as what troubles them about the current bullpen.  That also leads them to the comments made by Mike Shildt before Wednesday's game and the guys point out where they think he was right and where he might have been off the mark.  The early innings of the Cardinals/Padres game from Friday play out as these two wrestle about the state of the Cardinals.  Come join them!

Albert Pujols, back in Busch Stadium.  The return of The Machine has overshadowed a lot of what is going on with the Cardinals, but Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1) are fine with that.  The guys talk a bit about how good it has been to see Albert again, but quickly move on to the other issues and problems that this club has, even as they stand just a game out of first.  The offense continues to sputter, but it seems like the organization is more likely to get an arm than a bat and neither any time soon.  Can this team get out of their cautious rut?  Should they?  All that and more on this episode of MMM!

Four wins in five days (with a little help from whomever makes rain-related decisions in New York) has Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1) wondering if things might be on the upswing.  That said, there's still plenty of concerns, from the offense (that did look good late in New York) to the rotation.  The guys also take a bit of a side trail to talk about whether the relationship between the Cardinals and FOX Sports Midwest has gotten a little less-than-healthy for the fan that's watching.  The Cards are definitely better off than they were in May but it remains to be seen if they've gotten their feet under them.  We can only hope!

Things continue to be bleak for the Cardinals as they won just three games since Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1) got together.  There were some terrible losses in that span and turning points that didn't turn.  What's up with this team?  Where does the blame really lie?  The rotation?  The lineup?  The front office?  The guys dive into all of these points, talking about the batting order, the demotion of Michael Wacha, and how warm John Mozeliak's seat should be.  This has to last you for two weeks so we made it supersized!

The Cardinals won just one time between episodes, which didn't do wonders for the mood around these parts.  Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Allen (Red Dirt Redbird, @amedlock1) spend some time pondering just what is wrong with the club.  A lot of focus is spent on the starting rotation, which seems to be the weakest link at the moment.  Can the team continue to run Michael Wacha out there?  If not, how can they avoid it?  Is Alex Reyes the answer, does the club need to make a move soon outside the organization, or both?

The guys also talk about whether the club needs some sort of shakeup in their approach and valuation of players.  Are things getting stale around the club?  Does the front office need to revisit how they do things?

Plus there's some talk about the lineup and what might need to go along there.  A lot of questions, not a lot of answers, but we hope you'll stick around for the ride!