Sidney Ponson: 1 year deal. Huh?

[cardinalfaninNY]

What gives with this? This is a VERY risky move. The guy definitely has talent, but his reliance on ETOH negates any upside he brings to the pitching staff. Maybe the positive clubhouse will help. I just hope there are a lot of AA meetings within walking distance of Busch Stadium and the other ballparks (that's assuming Ponson wants to become sober).

[nybeantowner]

Hey, you didnt just lose Johnny Damon. Now theres a reason to drink.

[wogdoggy]

lol... ...too funny

[Solair Wright]

Well, we didn't need Johnny Damon, but we need to storm up a trade. Hey, we could give you Red Sox Pujols and Carpenter for Manny, but that's silly. How about Juan Mateo (draft pick), Travis Hanson, and Brendan Ryan (from AA) for a veteran left fielder (not named M-Ram)?

Back to topic: I am speechless on this signing. What's next? We sign A-Rod out of nowhere? IF he can pull a season like 2003 and he listens carefully to Dave Duncan, we should be in business.

[moebarguy]

Is Anthony Reyes not ready?

[cardinalfaninNY]

Here's a hunch. I think the Cardinals, in an attempt to get a good quality outfielder, may be willing to trade Marquis. I would not be surprised to see Marquis go to the Reds for Juan Encarnacion. If that happens the rotation could look like this:

Carpenter
Mulder
Suppan
Ponson
Anthony Reyes

and Wainwright in the wings.:gt

[moebarguy]

The Reds don't have Juan Encarnacion -- they have Edwin, the big 3B prospect. But I do agree that they'll probably end up trading Marquis.

[LouGehrig]

You guys are in a LOT of trouble. The only team that is capable of beating the Mets is the Cubs, and they must stay healthy.

I am NOT anti-Cardinal. I am realistic. Your pitching staff is composed of GOOD pitchers. They have not and will not do what is necessary to become World Champions.

If Wood and Prior remain healthy, which is unlikely, the Cubs are the toughest team to beat in a short series. If Wood and Prior do not remain healthy, you will probably lose to the Mets in the playoffs because their pitching is good enough to allow their superior offense to beat you.

I hope it does NOT happen, but try to be objective.

[cardinalfaninNY]

Lou,

What in the world does your post have to with the topic at hand? We're discussing the merits of the Ponson signing. Since you brought it up, your assessment of Cardinal pitching made no mention of...the fact that THE CARDINALS HAVE MR. CY YOUNG, which neither the Mets nor the Cubs can boast. Pedro's good, but he is no longer great.

[StanTheMan]

[QUOTE=LouGehrig]

I am NOT anti-Cardinal. I am realistic. Your pitching staff is composed of GOOD pitchers. They have not and will not do what is necessary to become World Champions.

QUOTE]

Our pitchers MUST do what the White Sox staff did last year, apparently...... I sure hope that Carpenter can sing bad 80's Journey tunes like the Sox can. Maybe Ponson can belt out a wicked "Wheel in the Sky keeps on Turnin'!!!!" That apparently is the only thing the Sox did differently than everyone else? Did the Sox eat something special... visit special "friends" while on the road more often? less often? Put their right shoe on first? maybe the left?

Please tell us what in the world it is that the Cards pitchers cannot "do" that necessitates a World Series Championship!!!! Pitch better? It was the offense that drove me nuts in the playoffs last year and in the WS the year before... I don't think pitching is the problem, Lou.

I'n not Anti-Lou, just realistic.

[StanTheMan]

Oops.... in my previous rant I forgot to say that I like the Ponson move, considering what our other options were at the time. If he wins 10-12 games, he may be the best #5 starter in baseball.

Duncan has a history of helping pitchers achieve, even for just a one or two year spurt. Woody Williams, Tomko, heck, even Ankiel won 12 games once. Was he around when Tewksbury had his good years. There is a guy who achieved a high level, without all the talent in the world.

[Edgartohof]

the best #5 starter in baseball.

I can see that thread being started. Would that make him a decent #4 guy then?

I don't think there is much risk here, you know what you are getting with him, and it ain't real good. What do you think his ERA will look like? Is he going to throw down a 3.5? You'd be lucky if he can do much better than last years 6.21. The way I see it, at best you're getting a 5.50 era end of the order starter, and that is in no way the best #5 guy out there.

[StanTheMan]

Surely any team in baseball, at any level, would absolutely LOVE to have 12-15 wins from the projected #5 starter?

How many #5's win that many? I can't be bothered to look it up now, but I'll bet that it does not happen too often, making a 15 game winner the best #5 in baseball.

If you could offer those numbers to any team in baseball TODAY.... 12-15 wins with an ERA of, 4.00, even 4.5, they would take it in a heartbeat. Bottom line is if Ponson can do that, I have enough confidence in a healthy Carpenter's 18-25 wins, Mulder with perhaps 16-19, Marquis with 15 or so, and Suppan with 12-16, well, the Cardinals would win the division with that kind of Starting Pitching.

With Ponson, the Cards have a former 20 game winner in their number 5 spot.... sounds good to me, and despite Sidney's recent off the field troubles, the St. Louis Clubhouse has a tendency to settle players down a bit.

Has anyone heard of Edmonds not being a good teammate lately? That was the story often written in Anaheim, but not in St. Louis. This club is a very professional bunch, and if Ponson is going to return to even half of his former self, perhaps the new Busch Stadium is one of the places he can do it.

There is no magic to being a top #5 guy.... just win more than everybody else's #5.

[moebarguy]

Ponson is a terrible pitcher, he will not win 12-15 games.

[StanTheMan]

You may be right......

But then again, last season (a dreadful one, even Ponson would agree) he had a stretch of 12 starts in which he gave up the following earned run totals.....

4, 1, 4, 1, 2, 6, 4, 4, 0, 2. This covered April, May and parts of June. People forget how the Orioles basically imploded last season, especially in the middle and late parts of the season. In that division, most teams would!!!!

The Cards offense, when clicking, could possibly win ALL those games, or at least a high percentage of them.

A one year deal for this guy is not necessarily one to raise an eyebrow over, and may turn out to be a good move. If not, and the guy goes on bender after bender, throwing batting practice fastballs game after game, the Cards release him and his one year deal. Reyes or Wainright moves into the #5 spot, and we win the division anyway.

IF Ponson does even halfway decent, it was solid move by a solid GM.