St. Louis writer compares Brewers to Ron Artest

[SeriesFinale]

Go get 'em, Tom!

[jhart05]

I believe Villy only started yelling, after Pujols opened his big mouth and threw F-bombs at him. I'm tired of this already.

 

 

As far as I'm concerned, the entire "Cardinal Nation" can kiss my behind. Now bring on the Pirates!!

[Brian the Automator]

Go get 'em, Tom!

I do a fair bit of TH-bashing, so it's only fair that I come out and say when Tom hits the nail on the head. I don't disagree with a single thing he says in that post.

[JoeHova]

It seems bizarre that even Villy's defenders are saying he's in the wrong. Not sure why you're not allowed to do a fist pump. Plenty of people are known for doing that: Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter, K-Rod, Rafael Nadal, heck, even the Obamas. I've never understood why people think it's so disrespectful in some contexts. And even if it is, so what? Get over it, you bunch of queens.

[TSack27]

If it's that, it was in reference to Ryan Howard winning the MVP a couple years ago.

 

"I see it this way: Someone who doesn't take his team to the playoffs doesn't deserve to win the MVP."

Sadly, I initially rooted for the younger-Pujols to get the MVP over the veteran-Bonds, but now he can't deal with it when the roles are reversed... he better get used to it, cuz once Braun gets his plate discipline under control, those trophies will be residing in Milwaukee.

 

But what first turned me off to Pujols was how he dumped on the scout that got him into baseball - http://sports.espn.go.com...potlight&lid=tab2pos1

[Brawndo the Thirst Mutilat]

Albert Pujols is a classless d-bag?

Buh-buh-buh-but he's too good a Christian to have used steroids. How can this be? Say it ain't so, Al...

[Tbadder]

Personally, I think the Cards are right, and it pains me to say it because anyone who knows me, knows I hate only two things in the world--Yankees and Cardinals. The Brewers aren't a very classy team. I think that the way Braun and Fielder admire their home runs is atrocious. I think the posing the Brewers do at times is child-like. However, the Cards, and Puljos in particular, got most of this wrong. Villy wasn't doing what he was alleged to do, and quite frankly Albert acted the complete knob. However Villy shouldn't have reacted to Albert, because, well, the guy's not worth the time and attention. So we pounded them 10-5 this year and they're not used to it--cry me a river. BUT...

 

Sports is any thing but fair, and baseball itself is insidious at best, and given that teams don't forget even after years sometime, be prepared for a butt whooping next year. The Cards should be significantly better than the Crew by then and they're going make us pay in blood and humiliation. LaRussa wouldn't have it any other way.

 

The other thing I'm just slightly afraid of, is that this turns out to be a catalyst for the Cards hanging in the Wild Card. Even though they were 90% in the wrong, that 10% could work against us . It's one of the true joys of ignorance.

[LetsGoBrewCrew]

For me, its one thing to watch a 2 run monster shot that brings your team to within 7 in a 10-3 game than to watch a shot that wins the game or puts your team up in the bt 8/ tp9. But to say we never do it is sooooo dumb. Pujols does it all the time. I was at a Stl Hou game while I was in StL last year in September and Ankiel hit a monster shot and the cards were up like 5 and he walked to first. Thats cool. But Billy Hall hits a bomb to complete a comeback in the top of the 9th with 2 outs and walks it out isn't cool. And no one would be talking about the Villa Pujols thing if the Brewers woulda won. So Villa gets excited, I would too. Thats a huuuuuge situation right there. He gets pumped doesn't do anything out of the ordinary and Pujols gets pissed. But when Prince K's to end the game with JJ on 2nd, Molina jumps so freakin high in the air like he won the World Series and thats totally cool. So LaRussa.... why don't we ban all celebrating and make people machines to please everyone. P.S..... I was NOT mad Molina did that, just pointed it out.

[FVBrewerFan]

Personally, I think the Cards are right, and it pains me to say it because anyone who knows me, knows I hate only two things in the world--Yankees and Cardinals. The Brewers aren't a very classy team. I think that the way Braun and Fielder admire their home runs is atrocious. I think the posing the Brewers do at times is child-like.

I'm old school when it comes to that too. But Braun and Fielder are no different than dozens of other players on just about every MLB team I can think of. So if they're no different, I don't think you can call them less classy than any other team. And again, I hate the HR posing by anyone and cringe myself when Braun or fielder does it. I just don't see the difference between Braun doing it or Pujols, Soriano, Howard, Vlad, etc.

[SeriesFinale]

Pretty funny:

 

From: SeriesFinale

Sent: Thu 8/28/2008 11:25 AM

To: Bernie Miklasz

Subject: Those grapes are awfully sour, eh?

You get paid to watch Pujols, who is the standard-bearer for admiring one's own home runs (but whose rice-paper skin gets dented whenever someone else shows some emotion and it becomes "disrespect") on a team of whiners (seriously, someone get Molina a bib) that gets in an off-the-charts number of beanball wars run by a guy who shouldn't be allowed behind a vehicle ever again (and can't seem to rope in his team's drunken issues, either), and yet the Brewers are the bad guys.

I understand. The Cards are entitled. Y'know, "best fans in baseball' and all. Right.

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Bernie Miklasz

Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 2:11 PM

To: SeriesFinale

Subject: RE: Those grapes are awfully sour, eh?

Congratulations on discovering that Milwaukee has a baseball team.

Good to see all the bandwagon Brewers fans remove their tongues from Brett Favre's backside.

Good luck!

B

 

-----Original Message-----

From: SeriesFinale

Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:06 PM

To: 'Bernie Miklasz'

Subject: RE: Those grapes are awfully sour, eh?

Actually, Bernie, I've been a Brewers fan long enough to remember watching Joaquin Andujar of those saintly St. Louis Cardinals acting like a first-rate showboating idiot in the '82 series (of course, I was a little too young to remember your buddy Hrabowsky get cheered on by St. Louis fans for acting like a buffoon).

I wonder if that's where Precious Albert learned his self-righteous hypocrisy from...is it where you learned yours?

 

So we know TH isn't the only homer beat writer to get testy!

[Postseason2006]

And those pointed out Poolhalls made the comments about the MVP and the playoffs. My biggest beef is the Brewers should've swept St Louis the last series if not for some train-wreck, horrific umpiring the botched a couple calls in those games.

[TSack27]

Heard something on the radio on the way home today from one of the local guys up here that thought was a good comment to pass along, apologies if it is not an original thought, but it went something like this - "So, Cardinals, getting swept 4-0 at home last time and getting a 12-0 beating the night before wasn't enough to wake you up, but an exuberant relief pitcher did the trick? Good thing he ws followed by some BP guys throwing BP pitches, or you would have seen those untucked shirts completing another sweep in your home ballpark."

[iluvlamp]

Awesome Series! I think Bernie is tremendous writer and have always found him funny. Too bad for him he picked the wrong guy to call a newbie. LOL!

[Postseason2006]

As I stated in another thread, did the sports writer decide to mention about TLR's excuse to pull out the crap he did to kenny Rodgers in 2006?

[sargennm]

As I stated in another thread, did the sports writer decide to mention about TLR's excuse to pull out the crap he did to kenny Rodgers in 2006?

There's people down here who think La Russa didn't do enough!

[dlk9s]

I think that the way Braun and Fielder admire their home runs is atrocious.

I still want someone to show me how Braun is a showboat. He had the infamous strut against Houston (which seemed to be directed towards a teammate) and he admired his go-ahead shot against St. Louis. Other than those two, he's seemed fine to me. Everybody, aside from the Punch-and-Judy hitters who are never sure if the ball is going out, watches a homer for at least a second. Yeah, Fielder does tend to watch his, but I can't think of a single monstrous power hitter like him who doesn't admire his 450-footers. Bonds, Dunn, Griffey, Howard, Pujols, Man-Ram...the guys who hit no-doubters on a regular basis almost always pose a little. In my opinion, that's part of the entertainment of sports.

 

But Braun, I just don't see it, aside from those couple instances.

 

As for our team not being "classy," let's see...Hardy, Hart, Cameron, Braun, Counsell, Sheets, Suppan, and Hall are all really nice guys, as far as I've heard. I don't know much about Kendall, but he seems to be kind of quiet and very well respected. Don't know much about Weeks, but he seems well liked. We all know Fielder doesn't talk all that much to the media, but I've heard he's a generally friendly guy (except when he almost caves a teammate's face in). And we all know CC is a model citizen.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

SeriesFinale and TH...you guys are my absolute heroes...you both nailed it...10.0s.

 

Where do I start. Pujols, great player, but the guy wrote the book on admiring his homers. Hardly one to call out the Brewers. Him yelling at Villy was like a manager arguing with the ump for no reason to get thrown out and fire up his team. Maybe it worked, but if Riske wasn't throwing belt high meatballs to the heart of their order, it would have been a sidenote.

 

The Cards - After watching the Cards throw helmets, play like they didn't care for 16 innings and whine like little babies...Villy somehow woke up this "Sleeping Giant". Please, you flatter yourself. You can sleep all you want in about a month.

 

Cards fans. I've said it before...they may cheer, be somewhat knowledgable and support their team...but they are arrogant, have a sense of entitlement and think they are some kind of baseball royalty. I find it annoying. They've had plenty of showboats and roid freaks over the years that they all went ga ga over so gimme a break.

 

Lastly...Tony...what more do you need to know than his best buddy is Bob Knight. Some may love the general and his buddy, but with the wins, the fans tend to overlook the baggage. TLR sticks up for his drunks and has started more beanball wars than anyone...including plunking our star right in the obliques last night. Despite nailing him right where he's been injured, Braun put his head down and sprinted to first...showing more class than I've ever seen out of that team.

 

No one is saying the Brewers, Ned or the fans are perfect, but unlike the Cards...no one ever claimed to be.

[hammytime]

After reading all these posts, I don't remember if someone else already said this, but I'd be worried if Villanueva didn't show emotion after escaping a bases-loaded jam. I'd be worried if the team didn't show their emotions--the shirt thing, the fist pumps, whatever. I have a problem with extreme showboating--does even a power heater need to walk to first, then run the rest of the way? But a little admiration for your own ability is/should be an acceptable part of the game. As for Braun, I've seen him admire a couple of shots this year, but I remember him doing it a lot more last year. This year he seems to have matured a little and not admire his power for too long before running (however long too long might be).

[logan82]

The Cards - After watching the Cards throw helmets, play like they didn't care for 16 innings and whine like little babies...Villy somehow woke up this "Sleeping Giant".

Yeah that's been bothering me also. Did they just not care if they won earlier in the game? If that's the case LaRussa should be fired for not motivating his players.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

The Fact of the Matter is you have to be a Giant first to be a "Sleeping Giant". The Cards have the talent level of a last place team, but happen to be overachieving this season. Seth Everett from MLB.com had them at last place in his preseason predictions and those are usually based on talent. We didn't wake anything up. This was just bad pitching by Riske to good hitters in Pujols, Ludwick, and Lip Glaus. Pujols can say whatever he wants, but Adam Dunn will be mashing this team in September and the Cards remaining tough schedule will catch up to them. Time to focus on taking care of the NL East after the Pirates series. Pujols and the Cardinals are bigger hypocrites than politicians. Heck, maybe they are politicians.

[BrewCrewForever]

SeriesFinale those emails were fantastic. When I first read the article after checking the Brewers JS Blog this AM I was searching for Bernie's email address and couldn't find it so I could rip into him as well. Where did you find it?

 

Also TH hit the nail on the head, I know I'm one of the few who enjoys Tom's work but I'm glad we can all agree his blog post on this subject was great.

 

I never thought I could actually hate the Cardinals as much as the Cubs. But I do now.

[TooLiveBrew]

"This is really a close, hard-playing, fun-loving bunch and it is more a bit of camaraderie than anything. God forbid big leaguers be allowed to have any fun.

 

Here's what the Cards really hate about the Brewers: The fact that the Brewers now beat them more often than not. St. Louis was accustomed to having its way with Milwaukee over the years but the Brewers went 10-5 this year against the Cards and they didn't like that much. They liked the Brewers a lot more when they kicked their butts."

 

That's from TH's blog entry. That pretty much sums it up. Hyper-competitive people don't react rationally to things -- see: Clemens + Piazza bat shard.

[AJAY]

It always seems like whenever there is a beanball war or some kind of stupid controversy, it always involves a team managed by Tony LaRussa. It's no wonder the guy is hated so much around the league. Other managers around the league don't seem to have issues the way LaRussa and his players do.

 

It's getting old.

[bullox]

I was searching for Bernie's email address and couldn't find it so I could rip into him as well. Where did you find it?

On the page with the article, right below the title of the article is the writer's name. Click it.

 

Better yet, don't. I think this guy probably already got inundated with emails about this article. The points illustrated by SeriesFinale and TH were right on the button. No need to pile on.

 

Sometimes writers write articles like this to get attention. If that is the case here, it is working.

[BrewCrewForever]

Good point bullox. I probably won't send anything now. But man when I first read that this morning I was fuming. Wanted to give him a piece of my mind. Calling Villanueva a "journeyman" shows how little Bernie knows about the game.