Rating the Cardinal Rivalries
Are you sick of the Cardinals-Reds Rivalry already? Is it the epic Cubs-Cardinals history that makes a true Rivalry? Do the Reds deserve the title just because they happen to have the hot button hotheads right now? What do you think? Which team is the Cardinals’ biggest nemesis? Cast your vote in the poll below and/or in the comments section if you have more to say.
Earlier this month, my cousin in Wisconsin asked me which team we Cardinals fans considered to be the Cards’ biggest rivalry. My immediate response was “The Cubs” but then I considered the recent scubbub with the Reds. The Brewers didn’t make my list, but my meager 5-6 years of baseball background might disqualify my opinion in such matters. So, I threw it out to my Cardinal Twitter tweeps and some Facebook pals as well.
A sampling of responses:
and
Last night during the game, the same question popped up on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight Sunday Night Baseball Chat. So, I thought the question might deserve another audience.
So many valid points. Yet many different opinions. One thing’s for certain, the Brewers aren’t even on the rivalry radar among Cardinal Nation. (Sorry, cuz!) ;)
Oh, and speaking of the Reds…. What a weekend! Our Cardinals took 2 of 3 games as Yadier Molina ushered the Reds out of town with a game-winning 3-run homerun in yesterday’s rainy finale. Westbrook pitched a solid outing (*whew*) while Fernando Salas, Eduardo Sanchez and Mitchell Boggs all had the right stuff as well. The make-up of the Cardinal bullpen has changed considerably in just the first few weeks of the season, but it is a breath of fresh air to see the new crew picking up the slack and getting the job done right. The pace is picking up after an unbelievably slow, injury-plagued start to the season. In fact, the Cards have worked their way up into 1st place in the NL Central today, sitting only 0.5 games ahead of ….. the Brewers?!?
Are you sitting down for this??…. Yesterday, Ryan Franklin the deposed closer showed up without his trademark beard/goat/chinpuff/chinzilla yesterday. The now clean-shaven Franklin may be able to hide in plain sight, almost unrecognizable. Franklin without his facial hair??? If it weren’t so sad, I’d be talking about how much better he looks, but now just doesn’t seem like the time for that. (Screen capture from the televised game last night. )
Also, Albert Pujols was removed from the game last night with reported tightness in his hamstring. That should be enough to keep us worrying on a day without Cardinals baseball!
Have a great 1st-place kind of Monday, Cardinal Nation!
Tomorrow the Redbirds take on the Astros in Houston.
Go Cards!! =)