As of early this afternoon, Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog is offically a member of the Hall of Fame.

St. Louis is a baseball town, without a doubt. When it comes to levels of fanaticism for sports teams, the Cardinals reach is longer, deeper and wider than any other organization or college. It's a borderline religion for many, and for those indoctrinated in the 1980's- Whitey Herzog was and will always be the high priest.

Generationally, my dad and I were pretty lucky. He grew up on the Cardinals of the 1960's. I on the 1980's- two of the most successful decades in the history of the franchise. (Conversely, I wonder if 70's and 90's kids and parents are just a little less enthusiastic about the Cardinals? Two fairly brutal decades...) Just like you'll never convince my dad that trading Steve Carlton was ever a good idea or that Ubaldo Jimenez could wash Bob Gibson's jock, you're not going to tell me that their was a more important figure for Cardinals baseball than Mr. Herzog.

You may be wrong, you may be right- but I'm just not listening.

Again, I fully admit that I'm tainted by the fact that when I first even realized what baseball was, he was the manager. And when I first played little league ball and dreamed about becoming a Cardinal, he was still the manager. Tony LaRussa is perhaps the greatest leader of the Cardinals franchise we've ever witnessed and I defend him oft on this site, but he can win 10 more World Series and I don't think he'll have the same emotional impact for me as the White Rat... It's pure luck that he was at the top of his game when I had 24 hours a day to concentrate on everything that had to do with the Cardinals.

It also helped, I suppose, that Whitey had the same haircut as my grandpa. White hair, spiked crew cut; cool as hell.

Congratulations to Mr. Herzog and his induction today.

Some reading and links on this, induction day for Whitey Herzog to the BWAA Hall of Fame:

• Tim Kurkjian of ESPN on how Whitey changed the game: LINK HERE
• Rick Hummel of STLToday on ex-players feelings: LINK HERE
• Bernie Miklasz of STLToday on the the case for Whitey's induction: LINK HERE
• The Cardinals will retire #24 on July 31st this year: LINK HERE
• Whitey credits the NY Times with getting him his first managerial job: LINK HERE
• Full coverage from MLB.com- including streaming/video of the ceremony: LINK HERE
• Randy Kovitz of the KC Star on Whitey's legacy with the Royals: LINK HERE
• The Sporting News interviewed Vince Coleman on Herzog: LINK HERE
• The Star-Telegram on Whitey's time with the Texas Rangers: LINK HERE
• David Wilhelm of the BND on Whitey's speech preparation: LINK HERE
• The Suburban Journal recounts Herzog's youth in New Athens IL: LINK HERE
• R.B. Fallstrom of the AP on following Herzog: LINK HERE
• A random photo gallery on the set of KTVI: LINK HERE
• Herzog believes the instant replay has a place in MLB: LINK HERE
• Perhaps the best commercial ever? Featuring Jack & Whitey: LINK HERE
• Whitey talks to the NY Daily News about his early days with the Mets: LINK HERE
• Richard Sandomir of the NY Times with the paper's offical Whitey piece: LINK HERE
• Bill Ivie from I-70 Basball checks in with thoughts on Whitey: LINK HERE
• A cool photo gallery of Herzog with Cedeno, Lasorda, Gussie, Templeton, etc: LINK HERE
• Inside Sports on the 1980 Brewers/Cards trade (w/pic of Whitey playing poker): LINK HERE
  

We'll add to this list as we come across more articles and video from today. Please feel free to add any we missed in the comments section so everyone can share and read/watch/listen...

We’ve got a shit ton to get to today, so let’s burn right through it…

ROY OSWALT: Roy Oswalt? Yes please. I’ll have some of that. Starting two days ago, I was getting e-mails from all over the place wondering about the chances of this actually happening. I told pretty much everyone the same thing- it ain’t happening.

Now, 48 hours later, Jayson Stark is on ESPN telling us that Roy wants to come to the Cardinals, that he’s willing not to demand that the Cardinals guarantee his 2012 option and that this deal is heating up quickly.

Ho-ly shit.

Wainwright, Carpenter, Oswalt in a 5 game Divisional series? Jamie Garcia as a fourth option? 20 million dollars worth of starting arms being squeezed out of playoff action? I mean the Cardinals aren’t fucking around anymore. We’re the NEW YANKEE’S! DeWitt as the new Steinbrenner?

Read my open letter to John Mozeliak on InsideSTL.com LINK HERE

CUBS/SEAT GEEK: Now the Cardinals move to Chicago for a weekend series against the Cubs. You know that the Cubs still haven’t been to Busch Stadium and won’t be for another 3 weeks. I know we thought this was ridiculous when the schedule came out back this winter. But now you see how far mid-August actually is into a baseball season.

Hell- Sweet Lou has already retired!

Our friends over at Seat Geek have worked up some graphs on ticket prices on the secondary market for the Cubs and Cardinals and it’s worth the read. Do those guys a favor and read it … LINK HERE

SB NATION: SB Nation in St. Louis is growing. Yes, this is a shameless plug for the site. But the NFL season is coming sooner than you think and I need to get all of you conditioned to go over to that site and read about how horrendous the Rams are.

Read my SB Nation piece on the 6 horrible things that could happen to the Rams this season LINK HERE

VENUING: Got an interesting e-mail from an app developer that have created something called Venuing. What the hell is Venuing? Good question. I’ll let them tell you:

“It is designed to connect fans attending live events to one another through a chat feature that emanates over a series of 3D views and seating maps that recreate the physical atmosphere of the stadium. The guys over at i70baseball have come along and will help monitor games by administering the ticker that feeds information to those using the app and helps to facilitate the conversation going on throughout the stadium. In the future we will "geo-fence" Busch Stadium, meaning only those inside of it will be able to use it, but for now we are allowing all to "virtually attend" games and chat along.”

I CC’d the CD team on this one and the office consensus was that this was a pretty freaking ambitious application. If they can get people on board with it and make it simple enough for everyone to understand, then it might be a hit. If they don’t, it could be a spectacular flop.

But since we like guys and girls that flop the proverbial nutsack out, here’s some links to try the thing out. May be ideal to try during today’s afternoon game against the Cubs? LINK HERE

Now, The Friday Links…

• Ever wonder how those voice over people live day to day? LINK HERE (HT: JRH)
• Guy offended that ex-wife didn't pay more to get him killed. LINK HERE (HT: JRH)
• Cool fire animation. This must have taken forever. LINK HERE (HT: JRH)
• Craigslist is a never ending source for crazy. I love it. LINK HERE
• Best idea of the day? Best idea of the day. LINK HERE
• So you think it's a girl and then... it's not. LINK HERE
• I have no idea what the point of this mash-up is, but it's awesome. LINK HERE (HT: JRH)

That's it for this long-ass post. You've got tons to read and click on today, so don't act like you're too good to not investigate each one. Oh, and if the boys from Venuing want to explain further their app, do so in the comments.

It's late July, and the home dates on the Cardinals' calendar is dwindling. It's good because we get a little closer to (possibly) seeing playoff baseball in our little town. But bad because no one wants to see the baseball season end, even if it is about 430 days long.

And you might be thinking about how fast this summer has gone by. You might want one or two last bits of excitement before the Rams come in and ruin your fall. This list below gives you some top-notch options of where to go and when. They are all weekends, since I know you are vital to your company and can't be away from the office for more than a day or so.

And if you're like me - not vital at all, but can't be out for more than a half day without all hell breaking loose.

So in order from now until the end of the season, here are five baseball road-trips you can still make this summer:

Where: Springfield, MO
When: Fri July 30 - Sun August 1
Who: Springfield Cardinals vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals

I was at a couple games in Springfield during the summer of 2008. One of the in-game promotions was that if a Cardinal hit a home run that inning, everyone in the park would get a free sundae at one of the local ice cream places. Since that day, I've always had a special place in my heart for Tyler Greene, who sent us home a little happier. As for the weekend suggested above, Saturday the 31st is I-70 throwback night, in which the Cardinals will wear powder blue unis, and Naturals (Royals affiliate) will wear 1985 throwbacks. The Naturals have a few good prospects, including Eric Hosmer (#3 pick in '08), and former Mizzou SP Aaron Crow. Plus, they've got one of the best names in minor league baseball - Rowdy Hardy. Yes, that's his name and it's fucking outstanding. If all of that doesn't make you want to clear your weekend, I can't help you. You are a communist. Also, be sure to say 'hi' to Sign Guy for us. He owes Hooks a bunch of Domino's pizza coupons.

Where: Kansas City, MO
When: Fri August 13 - Sun August 15
Who: Royals vs. Yankees

Alright, I'm refraining from any "go and visit your little brothers" jokes here. It's tough, so I'll talk fast and get it over with. There is a lot of appeal to head west for this series: A) The Yankees are a really good ballclub with a lot of talent that you don't get to see in person every year. Actually, the Yanks have visited Busch only once since interleague play started in '97. Makes lots of sense. B) You might dislike and/or laugh at the Royals and their fans, but you hate the Yankees, so go join in the fun. If you're gonna act like an ass, go do it 250 miles or so across the state. C) It'll actually be a big, raucous crowd at Kauffman, which was renovated (completed last year) and looks a lot nicer. How many more chances will you get to yell "Jeter's a Homo!" I rest my case.

Where: Memphis, TN
When: Fri August 27 - Sun August 29
Who: Memphis Redbirds vs. Round Rock Express

I finally made my first trip to Memphis about a year ago, and it left me wondering why the hell that took so long. The Redbirds have a pretty nice park, which I've noticed is common among a few of the Cardinals' minor league stadiums. I'm not sure if that's just a coincidence, or if it's a reflection on ownership. Either way, I applaud the effort. Okay, enough boring shit - Memphis is awesome. BBQ, beer, and baseball: what else could you really ask for? And Beale St. was pretty cool. I wasn't sure what to expect, but spending a few days there last year, I highly recommend going. Plus, the beauty of minor league parks is that you'll always have a good, cheap seat. Oh, and Brad Thompson pitches for Round Rock. THE Brad Thompson. Go.

Where: Chicago, IL
When: Fri September 24 - Sun September 26
Who: Cubs vs. Cardinals

Do I have to explain anything to you on this one? It's always good to clinch the division at home, but if there's an almost-as-good place to do it, Wrigley's the spot.

Where: St. Louis, MO
When: Sat October 2 - Sun October 3
Who: Cardinals vs Rockies

The last Cardinal game of the season is always fun. Sure, it can be bittersweet if the boys aren't making the playoffs, but after this winning streak, the outlook is a lot better than it was just a couple weeks ago when the Cards and Rockies last met. The reason I'm including Busch is that with a 1:05 Saturday day game, you and some friends could get a hotel room Saturday night and get absolutely hammered downtown. I'm sure the mayor's office will provide a scorecard of who still has their liquor license by then (/rimshot). Then on Sunday, stumble over to the stadium to see the ultra LaRussa wet dream - playing 36 guys in one game. It's always a four hour game with the double-switches, pinch runners, curtain calls, etc. which means getting even more obliterated. I'm chalk full of great ideas today.

 Honorable Mentions:
-Gateway Grizzlies in Sauget, IL (You know you want a donutburger. And strippers.)
-Omaha Royals (Royals AAA affiliate) in Omaha, NE (Last year at historic Rosenblatt Stadium)
-Peoria Chiefs (Cubs Low-A) in Peoria, IL
-Quad Cities River Bandits (Cards Low-A) in Davenport, IA (If Shelby Miller's pitching, that's a huge bonus)
-Louisville Bats (Reds AAA) in Louisville, KY

If you have absolutly nothing better to do right now, I'd reccomend you listen to your favorite asshat talk some baseball with Kevin Orris of Baseball Insiders on the radio from earlier today.

LINK HERE

For whatever reason, I sound semi-drunk.

I probably was.

CHICAGO- Over the past several weeks, longtime Cubs organist Gary Pressy has gradually stopped playing the light ballpark organ riffs that typically fill Wrigley Field’s stands in favor of more brooding, chilling songs.

“I have to say that lately the sounds coming out of that organ have made me anxious and sad and in no mood to clap along,” said season ticket holder Mike Preston, adding that instead of playing “Hava Nagila” or using his organ to start a “Let’s Go Cubs” chant, Pressy will strike an oppressive minor chord and sustain the unsettling tone for up to an entire minute.

“Yesterday he played a really slow fugue on ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ in this dark, funeral key. It was haunting.”

When asked for comment, Pressy drove reporters away by playing a demented arrangement of “Happy Birthday” on his newly installed 20,000-pipe, seven-story-tall organ.

- Courtesy of the best website ever: The Onion

Brilliant win for the Cardinals Sunday afternoon. Brilliant series for the Cardinals all weekend long. The Phillies are coming to STL on the ropes after getting worked by the Scrubs. Roy Halladay got lit up on Sunday Night Baseball. The vultures are circling in PA. If the birds can take 6 of 7 against 2 teams that are at least competing for a division title in 2010, then that’s the type of week that can create physical and mental separation between themselves and the Reds…

The Mel Gibson tapes were made for satellite radio and Howard Stern. You may be one of the cheapasses that wonders why some of us pay for radio. Mel Gibson is the answer.  At least twice last week I was crying laughing. Possibly some of the funniest radio of all time…

In the annals of Cardinal baseball history, Dave Ducan’s epitaph won’t mention his ressureaction of Jeff Suppan’s rotting corpse in 2010 as a seminal achievement in his career. Perhaps is should. Sup was an absolute train wreck in Milwalkee and getting mop-up duty out of their bullpen. Now a month after coming back to the Cardinals, he’s able to give 6 innings of 1 run ball? This is borderline miracle-ish…

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide commercials don’t lie. That’s the Ferrari of disposable razors. For the first time since puberty, shaving was actually mildly fun. The damn thing zips around on your face with no tug, no pull and takes about a quarter inch of your skin off as a bonus. It’s the most expensive razor on the market as well. If and when they start writing loans for these, I’d consider one at the right interest rate…

Easy Allen Craig. We’ve already got people wanting to trade Ludwick to get Jon Jay some playing time. We don’t have room for another guy that everyone will want in the OF everyday…

Lady Gaga is without a doubt, the most influential performer in the United States today. St. Louis is about as progressive as your grandmother’s wardrobe. On Saturday night 100’s of people all over downtown were dressed in ridiculous outfits, not giving a shit, having the time of their lives after Gaga played the Kiel Center. Don’t think any other show could have come to this town and had the same effect. Good for her…

Why would you rest Albert Pujols on a Sunday when people are in from out of town to see the Cardinals, you ask? TV. That’s why. Can’t rest him tonight or Sunday because ESPN is televising those games….

This is the new paradigm of entertainment. 1) Somebody finds old outtakes from an angry Winnebego dealer. 2) Those clips get placed on YouTube and become viral, racking up millions of hits. 3) Filmmaker gets curious and decides to find this guy. 4) Winnebego guy has a much more interesting back story than anticipated and the filmmaker makes a movie. 5) Movie becomes critical darling, racking up awards all over the world at film festivals. 6) St. Louis, the non-progressive city mentioned above, doesn’t have a theater that will show it. 7) We settle for watching the trailer again. LINK HERE

Matt Holliday, earning…

Just an FYI for anything wierd you're seeing or not seeing on The CD today- we're changing name servers and sometimes posts, comments and other can be lost in the switch (for instance a whole post with The Friday Links).

We'll be back to normal by Monday.

Also, I saw a guy wearing a Larry Bigbe jersey tee last night at a bar. I couldn't tell if it was A) the most ironic fan ever B) a terrorist or C) Larry Bigbe himself.

Caesar wrote that all of the Cardinals 2011 games will appear on Fox Midwest, with the exception of about 9 on "free TV" for FOX's Game of the Week.

My initial reaction was to not care - as long as every game is on TV, I'm good.

But then I realized this means the end of the run for Newschannelfive, and how horrible life will be without all those catchy intro songs, Rene Knott, Katie Felts, Frank Cusumano or Deanne Lane interfering with the broadcasts. Drat. (I suppose kudos should go out to the 2FOX for not having Tim Ezell do some wacky segment for their pre/post-game coverage, but it's kind of a no-brainer to leave him at home, so no kudos for them.)

I've never been a fan of Randolph and Horton on the call, but I love when Mike Shannon steps in for a few innings with Jennings. Without a doubt, this has been the only good thing KSDK has brought to the table (no credit for HD broadcasts, sorry). I'm not a big fan of Randolph Sr, but listening to Shannon bullshit with someone he's known for a long time is great TV. Heh heh heh.

So instead of writing the long-overdue eulogy for Channel 5's second tenure of broadcasting Cardinal baseball, let's focus on what FSM needs to do to improve their game coverage:

1) Break up Dan and Al.

It almost sounds like a great two-month reality show that Hooks would crave, but not. They've gone from Dan kissing Al's ass all the time for about five years, to Dan fighting back a little, to boyfriend/girlfriend bickering, and now to a little of everything. Theoretically, TV announcers shouldn't matter too much, because the consumer can see what's going on, and not have to have it described like the radio. Danny Mac isn't great, nor terrible by any means. If he stays, I'd be fine with that. But it's time to cut your losses on the 300 year contract that Hrabosky signed. The least FSM could do is put in a new pair of announcers once or twice a week.

2) Include Mike Shannon on play-by-play.

I believe KSDK puts him in for three innings or so every Sunday. This is good. Do this. A lot.

3) Continue the long pre-game/post-game shows.

Both shows are decently informative, and as I'm sure you know, the post-game LaRussa interviews are a thing of beauty. My only beef is that if the Cardinals lose big, be honest with us: they sucked. Or if they give up nine runs in the 9th, don't pretend like it's just another loss. You're going to talk about how wonderful they are after a win, I get that. But there's nothing wrong with being critical.

The shows are probably a pain in the ass to put together night after night, but it is a good background show for my prime internet time. Plus once in a while they do something completely asinine, and I love it. Well, "it's good for the internet" might be a better assessment.

4) Posting Clips Online.

5) Change the set for Jack Clark.

The guy's face blends in with the rest of the studio. Something's gotta give.

6) Start the slow death of old-timer stats.

It all begins with weening Al Hrabosky off of using pitcher Wins as an important stat (or you could just quit letting him in the broadcast booth, whichever). Why haven't any of the stat-bloggers created some kind of fake nicotine patch to get people off of using pitching Wins and RBIs as 100% rock-solid stats? Seems like a project that would distract us from our day jobs even more for a day or two.

I'm not saying to put up VORP and WARP on the screen when Albert comes to bat in 2011, but a slow evolution of making us smarter won't be a bad thing. Walk rate? Line drive rate?

Maybe "they" don't want us knowing how bad Aaron Miles and Randy Winn really are(!). FSM does show things like OPS once in a while, just to tease me.

This could include tons of things. Give established Cardinal bloggers a two minute segment every week? Twitter/Facebook in-game giveaways? More graphics? Minor league highlights? Jimmy the Cat Hayes pulling pranks on fans? Have an ex-player teach viewers how to steal signs? Hell, I don't know. I'm sure they could come up with something better in an hour-long meeting, but the broadcast seems kind of bland. It doesn't have to be "!FuNtiMe KrazY HoUr!" every night, just a little more than Dan and Al having another lover's spat.

Hooks sent me this link to SeatGeek yesterday, which is a nifty little site that breaks down average ticket prices to sporting events and concerts on the secondary market. The piece he sent me is another illustration of the ass backwards retardery of the National League Central.

Despite the Cubs dwelling approximately 47 games back in the standings, average ticket prices at Chicago’s Largest Beer Garden more than double those at Great American, Miller or PNC. Although I realize that Wrigley Field is a historical landmark that attracts even the most casual of fans, this just seems weird to me. Somehow this baseball stadium has become one of those places people feel compelled to see in person, much like the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore or the Harry Potter attractions at Universal Studios.

However, the sheer stupidity behind this is impossible to ignore. Does anyone realize that most of these other parks are actually much nicer? Am I the only one who has noticed this? They have unobstructed views! Seats that sometimes have cushions! REAL TOILETS! Even at my most impartial, I can’t ignore the fact that this stadium is a nearly 100 year old concrete relic that has at one point rained rocks on its guests.

ROCKS!

Yet people are willing to spend a small fortune to see a game within its walls. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? Although, I guess, good job Chicago Cubs? Despite being an abysmal pock on baseball’s history, they somehow manage to at least lead the division in SOMETHING.

Anyway, it’s been my own personal policy to not ever actually pay for tickets to Cubs games and it’s one I’ve executed quite flawlessly over my nearly six year tenure in Chicago. Less one Cardinals game in 2005, (for which I paid $20 for a standing room only ticket,) I’ve really only been to games that have been on someone else’s corporate dime.

I HAVE PRINCIPLES, DAMMIT!

I mean, if I’m going to be subjected to “Go, Cubs, Go” and Ronnie Woo Woo, the only money I’m willing to spend on it is that which will lull me into the level of intoxication necessary to prevent me from stabbing fellow patrons with a fork. Now, I’ve admittedly not been to Great American, Minute Maid or PNC, but I’ve had the pleasure of seeing games at both Miller Park and at least 13 Busch Stadiums. (There have been 13, right? I’ve started to lose track.) These have all been enjoyable experiences enhanced by the arena in which I watched them. I felt downright classy at times!

Contrarily, I always feel like I should take a shower after I leave a game at Wrigley Field. I just can’t understand why more people don’t feel this way.

The other startling, albeit less surprising statistic, is one that points out that of the 10 most expensive games played in the NL Central this year, 8 are between the Cubs and Cardinals with the other two played between the Cubs and White Sox. No offense to the other four teams in the division, but YIKES! That just seems kind of embarrassing.

Again, it isn’t really a huge shocker, as these are both noted rivalries involving large markets and rabid fan bases, all of whom have experienced some degree of success over the past five years. Plus, the alternatives are games involving the Reds, Brewers, Pirates and Astros and really, who cares? But I still find it kind of sad that a competitive, division leading team STILL cannot scalp their seats for a premium. If the true measure of achievement is how firmly a team can wallet rape their fans, then the Reds are a total failure no matter what the standings might otherwise suggest. Their rape is simply not forcible enough! On the other hand, Cardinals fans practically have to sell a kidney on the black market to see the Redbirds take on the Cubbies at Busch this August. I’ve seen a handful of Cards/Cubs games at Wrigley, but have never made it to one in St. Louis before.

And unless my career in magic REALLY takes off, that’s not likely going to change anytime soon. Call me, Cris Angel!

This is traditionally the one day of the sporting year that nothing happens.

No baseball, football, basketball or hockey. Not a single NASCAR race; nary a championship in a minor athletic competition. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

We watched the All-Star Game last night and for the first time in 14 years, the NL won. Meaning that if the St. Louis Cardinals were to take the World Series to 7 games, that game would be played in Busch Stadium. Of course, the chances of this actually taking place are slim.

So I’d say that there is a .1% chance that last night’s 3-run double by Atlanta Cather Brian McCann or the on-the-toes outfield play of Chicago Cub Marlon Byrd could be the most important play in the Cardinals season.

If that.

I won’t lie. The All-Star Game is very boring to me. As are most exhibition competitions. We all know that these guys have just gotten huge (sometimes up to 6 figures) to go to a city for a couple days and party. The game is incidental to them… the poo-nanny and parties are the biggest draw. But unlike every other sport, this game does have impact on games that really do count- deciding home field advantage for the World Series.

Now, simplistically using the Cardinals as an example, I mentioned that a game 7 would be played in an NL ballpark. But more importantly, the NL will start off the World Series at home. There is no way to verify this claim, but baseball, I do believe, is a sport where familiarity produces increased production. So it’s to the home field team in the World Series advantage to get those first 2 games under their belt at home. You know the park and it’s quirks. You’re comfortable. Generally, the other league’s opponent is not.

In 2004, I believe the Cardinals could have beaten the Boston Red Sox. But they had to go on the road to Fenway for games 1 & 2. The Red Sox dealt them a huge body blow before they could get back to St. Louis. By then, it was too late. Boston was comfortable. The Cardinals were not. And that was determined though the All-Star Game that season.

MLB’s mid-summer classic is mired in a tough spot. It wants to be fun for the guys that, probably, deserve to have fun at it. But it also does have an impact on 2 teams come late October. So which way does a skip play it?

I guess the way they did last night. Try to win and keep some match-ups alive, but still get everyone in there. It’s fence riding, yes. But I don’t know in today’s media culture if a manager has the stones to do something like pitch David Price 7 innings. Or keep Albert Pujols in the whole game. Personally? I’d love to see a real game with real implications attached.

Or maybe just go back to the old way and make it a farce and have John Kruk bat lefty against Randy Johnson losing control of his fastball.

But enough with the middle road. Pick a side. Make it something. And then we can decide if we want to watch.