You know the United Cardinal Bloggers for their fine writing and their passion for the Cardinals. Now they want to inform you even more. Beginning with the July 23rd series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the UCB will be providing a series preview email entitled “The Bird’s Eye View.” This preview, written each series by a different blogger, will get you up to speed on the next few games. Each preview will have its own style and voice, but will always bring you great information and links that you need to be ready for the upcoming series.

So, if you want to get this exciting collaboration mailed straight to your inbox, please fill out the form below and make sure utdcardbloggers@gmail.com is on your approved senders list. Then sit back and enjoy!

You can also access the sign up sheet by clicking here.

In case you want to know, participating bloggers as of this moment:

Christine Coleman, Aaron Miles’ Fastball
Bill Ivie, I70 Baseball
Randy and Ryan Knuppel, Saint Louis Sports
Tom Knuppel, CardinalsGM
Chris Mallonee, Birds On The Bat 82
Bob Netherton, On The Outside Corner
J.D. Norton, Bleed Cardinal Red With Me
Daniel Shoptaw, C70 At The Bat
Tara Wellman, Aaron Miles’ Fastball

The news is still very young at this point, but Cardinal great Bob Forsch has apparently died of a heart attack at the age of 61.

You can read the official press release from the club, by clicking here to read a PDF file.

Forsch is best remember in St. Louis for his place in the pitching rotation through the successful “Whiteyball” years. A Cardinal from 1974 until an August trade in 1988 sent him to the Houston Astros for Denny Walling, Forsch was a staple in the starting rotation.

I-70′s resident historical writer, Bob Netherton, had some thoughts on Forsch:

I was saddened to hear the news of Bob Forsch’s passing. He was always a fan favorite, and for good reason. We know all about the two no-hitters, but the fact that he was the only player that Herzog kept from the 70s team to last through all three NL Pennants says far more about him as a player and person than those two magnificent games. Forsch was a mirror of the team he played for, never seeking the spotlight, probably wasn’t the best at his position, but he gave it everything he had each time he was called on. From the rotation, to the bullpen, back to the rotation – whatever the team needed, Forsch was there.

Forsch was a stingy pitcher who walked few but also did not strike out many. A pitch to contact hurler in a spacious Busch Stadium, Forsch was also a work horse that threw over 200 innings seven times in his 16 year career. He would also post double digit wins in all but five of his seasons on the mound, winning 20 games for the one and only time in 1977.

A steady pitcher that anchored many rotations, Forsch was never regarded as the ace of the staff. In fact, he led the league in one category one time in his career with a 1.4 walks per nine innings in 1980. He was also regarded as a very good hitter and would retain two Silver Slugger awards, 1980 and 1987, for his commitment at the plate.

More from Netherton:

My favorite Forsch moment came in Game Three of the 1987 National League Championship Series. The Cardinals were being bullied around by Will Clark and Jeffrey Leonard. Forsch came into the game and immediately took control but hitting Leonard with a pitch. It put a runner in scoring position, but Forsch never let that runner cross the plate. It started one of the greatest comebacks in Cardinals postseason history. What a competitor.

Forsch would throw two no hitters in his time with the Cardinals. His first would come on April 16, 1978 against the Philadelphia Phillies, the second on September 26, 1983 against the Montreal Expos. As impressive as it was for Forsch to throw two no hitters in his career, it was a game that he did not pitch that would etch his name into Major League Baseball’s record books. Almost one year to the day after Bob threw his first no hitter, his brother Ken would throw a no hitter for the Houston Astros on April 7, 1979 against the Atlanta Braves. They are the only brothers to every throw no hitters in Major League Baseball history.

Most recently, Forsch has been serving as the pitching coach for the Rookie League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, the Billings Mustangs.

Netherton’s final thought: Bob Forsch was one of my favorite players, and he will be missed.

Bob Forsch’s career statistics:

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Editor’s Note: I feel compelled to include a few Tweets from around Cardinal Nation this morning:

I've always heard stories about Bob Forsch from his playing days. R.I.P. Sad news. #stlcards

November 4, 2011 9:20 am via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@FishSTL

Michael Fisher

Bob Forsch was who I imagined myself to be playing ball in the street as a boy, hitting grand slams & pitching no-hitters for the #stlcards.

November 4, 2011 9:19 am via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@bamatthews

Ben Matthews

Oh man...Bob Forsch. Rest in peace, brother. #stlcards

November 4, 2011 9:18 am via Twitter for AndroidReplyRetweetFavorite

@deckacards

Kevin Reynolds

Thinking of Bob Forsch's family today. Rest in peace, Bob. #stlcards

November 4, 2011 9:18 am via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@singmichele

Michele

Stunned, saddened to hear the news that Bob Forsch has passed away. We talked last week, before Game 7. I am praying for his family. So sad.

November 4, 2011 9:16 am via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite

@Ackerman1120

Tom Ackerman

Bob Forsch pitched two no-hitters for #stlcards. I was there to see his first in 1978. Groundball under Reitz glove at 3B ruled an error

November 4, 2011 9:13 am via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@Jeffsteig

Jeff Lloyd

Every year, the group known as the Baseball Bloggers Alliance places their ballots for various awards to be announced at the end of the season. This year, Bob Netherton and I will be placing the votes for the St. Louis Chapter of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance in the category of Manager Of The Year. The award is officially titled The Connie Mack Award, so named because of the winningest manager in baseball history.

For me, this year’s group of skippers came down to a few criteria. Who did more with less? Who found ways to win games that were not meant to be won? It was not about taking a team that was supposed to win and winning (Sorry Charlie Manuel). It was about taking a team that had been written off (even on a game-to-game basis – everyone should be beating the Astros right now) and doing something unexpected. So without further ado, here are my top three choices for the Manager of the Year.

3. Tony LaRussa (St. Louis Cardinals) – Believe it or not, this is not a hometown pick. I am not a LaRussa fan, and I make no qualms about saying so. The man overmanages at times, yet finds ways to win. He is the third most winningest manager of all time, and will probably pass up John McGraw in the next season, should he return. But this award is not about longevity. It is about this year.

LaRussa’s Cardinals did more than anyone would have predicted they could this year. Their march to the postseason really did not begin in earnest until September, as they found themselves 10.5 games out of the race (wild card and divisional) during the week of August 24. They lost an ace in Adam Wainwright before the season began. Superstars Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday both suffered injuries that landed them on the shelf throughout the season. Guys that few out of the Midwest had heard of named Jon Jay and Daniel Descalso led the team in games played. Yet this team prevailed, made a historic comeback, and found their way into the playoffs. Tony might make me nuts, but he must be doing something right.

2. Clint Hurdle (Pittsburgh Pirates) – The Pirates had been complacent in the cellar of the National League for 18 years entering the 2011 campaign. Most people probably could not name 3 players off of the Pirate’s roster. The definition of a young team – Hurdle had only two players on his roster over the age of 30 this year. Yes, you read that correctly. Thirty. This team was doomed from the start.

Then something remarkable happened. Hurdle’s club put together a 47-43 first half. On July 19, game number 95 on the season, the Pirates were up a half game on the Milwaukee Brewers, a season high seven games over .500, and shocking the baseball scene. It was not going to last, according to pretty much everyone, but the Pirates held out longer than anyone thought they would. Hurdle had a young team, but he brought out the best in them, and if the team can stick together for a few years instead of trading them away for aging veterans, they could surprise again next year.

1. Kirk Gibson (Arizona Diamondbacks) – Last year, the Diamondbacks lost 97 games, finishing 27 games back of the eventual World Champion San Francisco Giants. Gibson, that of postseason fame himself, took over the reins of the team at roughly the halfway mark of that largely forgettable season. This season, Gibson brought in the A-Team for his coaching staff. Don Baylor, Alan Trammell, Matt Williams and Charles Nagy, among others, are all roaming the halls and dugout steps of Chase Field. Former coaches and managers in their own right, All-Stars whose playing days are not all that distant, now all together in one dugout. Every time you looked into that dugout, you wondered how Gibson got all those guys in one place.

This year, on the backs of a strong pitching staff led by starter Ian Kennedy and reliever J.J. Putz, the Diamondbacks shocked the National League West, running away from the division and finishing 8 games ahead of the Giants and the rest of the pack. Gibson made moves that other coaches would not make, used a regular lineup of players aged 23-30, and earned the respect of the rest of the National League in the process. Gibson might just be starting out his managerial career, but he is off to a good start.

Angela Weinhold covers the Cardinals as well as edits for i70baseball.com and writes at Cardinal Diamond Diaries. You may follow her on Twitter here or follow Cardinal Diamond Diaries here.

The Cardinals and Brewers have been locked in a fight for first place. Two teams squared off in a sometimes heated, highly competitive series that came to a close on Wednesday night. In this series, Casey McGehee would show up to play.

McGehee, who has struggled to regain his team leading RBI stroke from 2010 this season, seems to be finding his stroke as this season goes on. In the three game series with the Cardinals, he would go 7-for-14 hitting three home runs, compiling 16 total bases and five runs batted in. That is an impressive series but more impressive was his game on Wednesday night.

McGehee would get all of his home runs and runs batted in for the series in the final game. A three home run, five run batted in game seems to have the Brewers third baseman all over the television and rightly so. As I did the research for the article about this rare feat what I found was it was not all that rare. Impressive? You betcha. Fairly common? That’s right. In fact, it has been done nearly 500 times by almost 400 different players. What I uncovered was something not so common. So, in tribute to our own Bob Netherton, here is a look at a game from the past inspired by the game of today.

May 13, 1942 – Boston

In an early season game, the Boston Braves would square off with the Chicago Cubs at Braves Field in front of a crowd of 3,443.

The Cubbies would jump out to an early 2-0 lead over the Casey Stengel led Braves just to watch Boston chip away and tie the game up in the bottom of the fifth when Jim Tobin would hit a solo shot off of Cubs hurler Jake Mooty. Cubs right fielder Bill Nicholson would drive a two-run shot out of the park in the top of the sixth, putting his team back ahead 4-2, though only momentarily.

The bottom of the seventh would bring a pair of solo home runs for the Braves, one from shortstop Eddie Miller and Tobin’s second of the day, to tie the game back up at four. The historic moment would come in the bottom of the eighth as the Cubs would turn to their bullpen and Hi Bithorn would surrender Tobin’s third home run of the game, this one a two run shot, to put the Braves ahead 6-4.

The Cubs would get a run of their own in the ninth, but fall short from a comeback and lose the game 6-5. Jim Tobin would end the day going three-for-four with three home runs and four runs batted in.

While the Brewers third baseman hitting three home runs and driving in five is not newsworthy, this game from almost seventy years ago is worth mentioning as a record setting game. It was not the first game in which a player would hit three home runs, this game was unique for a completely different reason.

Jim Tobin was the starting pitcher for the Boston Braves that day. He would pitch nine innings, surrender five runs (three earned) off of five hits and three walks while striking out no Cubs.

Tobin would enjoy a nine year career from 1937-1945, ending his career as a Detroit Tiger. He would compile a record of 105-112 and post a career earned run average of 3.44. He would also hit 15 home runs and 97 runs batted in over the course of his career. In 1944, after mastering the knuckle ball, he would throw two no-hitters, one of which was a five inning game.

On this day in 1942, he would become the first pitcher to hit three home runs in one game in the modern era, a record that still stands today.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

After this three game series in Chicago, the Cardinals will travel to Cincinnati for a weekend set against the Reds. Now that Johnny Cueto has been activated from the disabled list, it will also be the first time the Cardinals will face him since the benches clearing skirmish that ended Jason La Rue’s career.

The Commissioners’ Office referenced the Roseboro incident as a guideline for determining punishment for the players and coaches involved in that unfortunate situation, and we have looked at that in a previous I-70 Baseball article. Now it is time to turn our attention to the Cueto incident, and see how the Commisioner did in this case.

August 9, 2010

The Cardinals and Reds had been battling for the lead in the National League Central since mid-May, with neither team being able to make much progress on the other. At the start of this game, the Cardinals trailed the Reds by two games.

There was controversy from the very beginning of the game, but not the type you would have thought. It was between two players from the Cardinals. A promising rally against a struggling Mike Leake had the makings of a huge first inning. As a result, Brendan Ryan ran down to the batting cages to get ready for his at-bat. A double play ended the rally unceremoniously, and Ryan had to hustle to get on the field in time to start the home half of the first. On the way, he couldn’t find his glove and chose to run out with one borrowed from a teammate. Just before Chris Carpenter was about to make his first pitch, somebody in the Cardinal’s dugout found Ryan’s glove and time was called. The volatile Cardinals hurler gave Ryan a glaring look as he switched out his equipment.

Between innings, Carpenter gave an earful to Brendan Ryan. Unfortunately for the two players, the exchange was captured on camera and replayed over and over.

The game was rather uneventful, and over before the last pitch in the fourth inning was thrown. Both pitchers were able to get through their first three innings without much difficulty. The fourth would be a different story as the Cardinals sent 12 men to the plate. When the final out was recorded, they had a commanding 7-0 lead.

Carpenter and two relievers would combine for the win, giving the Reds three runs in the late innings.

What the Cardinals did not know at the time were some inflammatory comments made by Brandon Phillips. He was speaking to a sports writer from Dayton, and took the opportunity to rip on the Cardinals.

I’d play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals.
All they do is b***h and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little b****es, all of ‘em.
I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs.

Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals.

– Brandon Phillips, August 9, 2010

Oh, the Cardinals would learn of Phillips’ comments before the start of the next game.

August 10, 2010

Johnny Cueto would get the start for the Reds in the second game of the series. His opponent from St. Louis is the rookie left-hander, Jaime Garcia. Garcia being a rookie may have a significant impact on what was about to happen.

The Cardinals would manufacture a run in the first inning, thanks to a lead-off double by Felipe Lopez.

Things would turn nasty when the Reds came up to bat for the first time.

Brandon Phillips tapped Yadier Molina’s shin guards, as he usually does in his first plate appearance. Instead of choosing a more old-school approach of having his pitcher throw at Phillips, Molina decides to take matters into his own hands. He stands up and starts barking with Phillips. As the two exchange pleasantries, both benches clear and a mob begins to form around home plate.

Yadier Molina, Mark Wegner and Brandon Phillips

What happens next is captured in detail in the MLB Video Archives. You can see both the Fox Sports Ohio and Fox Sports Midwest broadcast of the event. In addition to the MLB video, our friends at Viva el Birdos have broken the event down into who did what to whom, albeit with the bias of a Cardinal Fan’s point of view.

It doesn’t matter if you are a Cardinals fan or a Reds fan, this conflict turned ugly. At the back of it all was Reds starting pitcher, Johnny Cueto. He was kicking Cardinals players repeatedly – and while still wearing his spikes. A very dangerous situation, indeed. The concussion that Jason La Rue sustained in the brawl would ultimately cost him the remainder of his baseball career.

What happens next angers Cardinals fans to this very day. Johnny Cueto was allowed to stay in the game.

Perhaps there is something to the notion of karma. Cueto would end up taking the loss, and the Cardinals would pull even with the Reds after this emotional victory. An dominating afternoon win by Adam Wainwright on the following day would give the Cardinals a sweep of the series, and a one game lead in the division. Sadly, it would be their last one as a disappointing homestand followed by a brutal road trip through Washington, Houston and Pittsburgh ended all playoff hopes for the 2010 season.

But that’s not the real end to this story.

A Slap on the Wrist

Major League Baseball was about to take punitive action against several Cardinals and Reds players and their managers.

The first failure of Major League Baseball happened immediately following the brawl. In the Roseboro incident, Shag Crawford wasted little time ejecting Juan Marichal. We will never know if he would have done the same to Roseboro because the Dodgers catcher had to leave the game due to injuries sustained in the attack.

Neither home plate umpire, Mark Wegner, nor crew chief Jeff Kellogg took any action towards Johnny Cueto. He was allowed to stay in the game, which in retrospect might have been a good thing for the Cardinals. He was clearly rattled and the Redbirds hitters were able to take advantage of that. Mark Wegner did eject both managers: Tony La Russa (St. Louis) and Dusty Baker (Cincinnati).

Next came the suspensions. Both managers were suspended for two games. It was the suspension for Cueto that raised eyebrows in Cardinals Nation. The big right-hander was given a seven game suspension for his “violent and aggressive actions.” All three were fined an undisclosed amount, as were Brandon Phillips, Yadier Molina, Russ Springer and Chris Carpenter. In case you are wondering about Springer’s fine, it was because he was still on the disabled list, and was not eligible to be on the field when the brawl took place.

Any way you look at this, Johnny Cueto got off with just a slap on the wrist. A seven game suspension meant that he would only miss one start. While the League Office did not know that Jason La Rue’s concussion was career ending, they did know that he had been placed on the disabled list immediately after the game. If the Commissioner were trying to apply the Roseboro Incident here, he really missed the mark. Juan Marichal was suspended for nine games when he took a baseball bat to the helmeted head of John Roseboro. He was also prohibited from making the final road trip to Los Angeles, which forced the Giants to rearrange their rotation to accommodate the ruling. In addition, Roseboro only missed a few games and never went on the disabled list. Even more infuriating was the part that Roseboro played in instigating the confrontation in 1965, which would have been taken into consideration in Marichal’s punishment. The only thing La Rue did was try to get between Cueto and his teammate, Chris Carpenter.

On the subject of fines, even though the one to Cueto was not disclosed, we can make some guesses relative to the one handed out to Marichal. The Giants hurler was fined $1,750, which was approximately 3% of his salary for the 1965 season. Marichal was an established star at the time and was earning the pay you would expect from a top player of his era. In 2010, Cueto was earning a league minimum of $445,000. 3% of that would be $13,300, and that is probably close to what he was actually fined. That amount would be consistent with other players whose fines were made public.

But let’s look at this another way. Cueto just signed a five year deal to avoid his arbitration years. That deal is paying him $3.4M for 2011. 3% of that would be a whopping $102,000. When was the last time you heard a player being fined anywhere near this amount ?

While there were some similarities between the Roseboro and Cueto incident (pennant race, a player using their equipment to injure another), there were some striking differences. Johnny Cueto was not provoked like Juan Marichal. Marichal also stopped hitting Roseboro when he saw that he was bleeding from under his batting helmet. Cueto kept on kicking until the scrum of players broke up.

The biggest difference between these two events is the power that the MLB Player’s Union carries. In 1965, the union was weak, relative to the team owners. As a result, baseball decisions coming out of the League Office tended to favor the position of the owners, not the players. Things were changing quickly, the union was not in the power chair quite yet. A ripple effect of this is that umpires were not shy in taking control of situations on the baseball field.

In 2010, the players union carries much more clout. The implication is that the League Office will not do anything to upset them, and put a future collective bargaining agreement in jeopardy. Umpires, except perhaps Bob Davidson, are less likely to take control of events in a baseball game, relying instead on filing a detailed report and letting somebody else make the decision about what to do, and whom to fine.

Tough Guys, Big Hearts

There must be something truly special about catchers. John Roseboro originally sued Juan Marichal, but later settled for a much reduced amount without going to court. That was later put behind the two men as Roseboro acknowledged his part in the event and subsequently forgave Marichal for his actions. They two became friends, and their story ends with Marichal delivering the eulogy at Roseboro’s funeral.

The last we heard from Jason La Rue was that the effects from the concussion were still persistent and making his daily life difficult. He also indicated that he has no plans on seeking any civil litigation as a result of Cueto’s attack, preferring to put the matter behind him. That’s already several steps down the path that Marichal and Roseboro took. Mr. Cueto, the ball is now in your court.

Bob Netherton covers Cardinals history for i70baseball.com and writes at On the Outside Corner. You may follow Bob on Twitter here or on Facebook here.

First and foremost, the following article contains a video and description of a violent collision between two Memphis Redbird players. Discretion is advised.

On April 16, 2011, the Memphis Redbirds were set to square off with the Iowa Cubs. An uneventful top of the first gave way to the Redbirds taking the field. On the third pitch of the game there came a delay. There was no rain or weather related issues. The crowd and the rest of the fans watching the game were reminded that baseball is, in fact, a dangerous game.

The video below shows a Texas League blooper to shallow left center field. Both outfielders were giving chase and, while running at full speed, collided:

You can view the raw, fan shot video by clicking here.

The game was delayed for a total of thirteen minutes as trainers and staff attended to both players. Both players would get to their feet and leave on separate carts as friend and I-70 contributor Bob Netherton recounted here.

Today, via Twitter, the Memphis Redbirds updated everyone on the status of the two outfielders (click the link for the full update).

After Saturday night's outfield collision, Andrew Brown returned to the team hotel after being diagnosed wit… (cont) http://deck.ly/~JL6Lu

April 18, 2011 9:34 am via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@memphisredbirds

Memphis Redbirds

According to that information, it appears that Andrew Brown may recover soon and will most likely battle with concussion symptoms. Shane Robinson will have a much longer road to recovery as his injuries and subsequent surgery would suggest that there is much more concern about the person and his livelihood than the player and his career. The injury to the orbital bone is similar, though not being projected as being as severe, to the injury that ended Juan Encarnacion’s career (read more about that incident here).

The staff here at I-70 sends thoughts and prayers to the players and their families and we all hope for a complete and speedy recovery.

Baseball is a fundamental sport. For those of you with children and those that are interested in the game, take note of a few fundamental things that should be happening.

The play happens fast and it is quite possible that neither player “called” for the ball as they were both not completely sure they would be able to make the catch. That being said, the distance the center fielder had to run should have led him to believe that he would take a less direct route and circle around behind the left fielder in order to “back him up”. In addition, it is common practice, especially during games with sunlight interference, that infielders would point to the ball in the air and assist with communication. The shortstop does not drift far enough out to be heard clearly, does not point at the ball, and should be calling “left” or “center” to help identify to the outfield who has a better line on the ball.

Communication and fundamentals, while taken for granted, are essential parts of the game. By no means am I blaming the various players involved for the injuries that occurred. I am simply using this play as an example to show our young players what can happen when the fundamentals are not followed.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

I can always tell that Spring Training is near. It is easy for someone like me. A few things start to happen:

1. I cannot get my mind off of baseball. (I watched Major League: Back To The Minors today, do not judge me)
2. I start reading anything and everything I can find that is talking about the game.
3. I struggle to find anything to write about

So here I sit friends, with nothing to write about. I dug around but all the great ideas were taken.

I could compile all the days posts about the Albert Pujols situation, but our good friends over at PH8 are already doing that, and I steal enough ideas from them.

I could always rip into the local media about the trash they tend to write or their negative attitudes. Then again, I like the fact that not everyone has a cheery outlook on everything and the new kid on the block has already gone there this week.

The Cardinals went out and signed one of my favorite outfielders of all time yesterday. A ton of sites had insight on this one, including our own Chris Reed yesterday (in case you missed it).

The Cardinals and Pujols situation have led me to wonder about the history of players to man the position and wear the Birds-On-The-Bat. Our own Bob Netherton thought this one through on his own blog as well.

Maybe we should incorporate a countdown to the self imposed deadline on this deal right here on I-70 Baseball. Joe Sports Fan and Matt Sebek, you win again.

Finally, after reading some fantasy baseball advice from a good friend, I wondered if I should take a chance on David Freese and what the chances are that he may develop into something fulfilling this year. Guess our pals over at RetroSimba beat me to that one, too.

Where does that leave us then, fair readers?

Let us go back to the first two thoughts and combine them, shall we?

There must me nothing in the world more irritating to a national sports writer who specializes in getting insider information than a negotiation going on between a team and its star player being kept completely private.

I have complained on the air about it the last few weeks but it just seems to be getting worse and further and further out of hand. Some of the top, and most respected, writers from around the nation are grasping at straws when it comes to the Pujols contract situation.

They have taken to talking to other teams in the league to see what their take on the situation might be. They claim “sources” but provide little to no new information. They report on what teammates think of the situation and the articles unveil “teammates” being one player and a newly signed free agent who has never shared a dugout with the man.

I know the internet and the advances of social networking and new media have made a major impact on the game of sports reporting. I know that there is a race amongst everyone involved to be the first one to report a story. I know that a story of this magnitude demands some level of attention.

That being said, has the internet and new media changed the game so much that we as writers no longer have to wait for concrete evidence or facts in order to report information? Has it “grown” to the point that we should report hearsay or discussions? Does that make the roundtable discussion that happens on United Cardinal Blogger Radio Hour every week (Wednesday nights, 930pm CST) suddenly national news?

It is all speculation and suspicion at best. A star player and the club he currently plays baseball for have both agreed not to take the negotiations public. For the most part, those two sides have kept to that agreement.

I am not naive enough to think that these drawn out negotiations with no news is a positive thought for the fans of this team. The longer the negotiations go on without an announcement, the more nervous everyone really should be.

I can promise you this, I-70 Baseball will be proud to bring you news of the contract, whether signed or not, when confirmed news that has not previously been reported is available. Until then, we will talk about the ups and downs and ins and outs on the radio shows and keep an informed eye on the situation, but we will not tease you with “news” that is nothing more than rehashed, second hand information.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Every month, the United Cardinal Bloggers (UCB) band together for a mutual project that allows the sites to find a central theme, if for only one day. Kicking off 2011, they have asked that we predict the top five headlines we expect to see in 2011. Some writers are having fun with this one. Some are playing it serious. Some are mixing it up.

You can find the master list of all the posts by clicking here.

So what are my predictions? I’m glad you asked:

The Chicago Cubs Are Officially Eliminated From The Playoffs
The first prediction is taking the easy way out. Predict something that happens every year, right? The Cubbies don’t play in October and go back into hibernation. Why is this prediction so special? Because this headline will run on April 1, 2011.

The Pirates Trade Their Entire Roster For Prince Fielder
The Brewers, knowing their superstar first baseman will not return, trade him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for their entire major league roster. The Pirates immediately call up half of their farm system and go on a winning streak that leads manager Clint Hurdle’s bunch to their first season record over .500 in years.

I-70 World Series Redux
In the shocker of the MLB Season, the Kansas City Royals win the AL Central and then upset the Yankees in the ALCS to move on to meet the Cardinals in the World Series. The teams battle to a game 7 that is decided by a horrible call by Jim Joyce at first base, proving that Bob Netherton is right and history does, in fact, repeat itself.

Suppan Outduels Lohse
In the surprise game of the year, Jeff Suppan no hits the Redbirds and Kyle Lohse, who throws a one hitter of his own. The one hit Lohse surrenders is a grand slam after walking the bases loaded, however, and the Cardinals lose 4-0.

Bill Ivie Does An Entire Radio Show Without One Self Promoting Comment
Ah, who am I kidding? THAT would never happen.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

It has been a quiet week on the Cardinals front, but not so much for the division. The Brewers got better by working with the other I-70 team, but you will find the rundown of all of that on the Royals links today.

A few of the Cardinal sites out there paused for a few minutes to pay tribute to Bob Feller. You can read Retrosimba’s look at a young Rapid Robert by clicking here and I-70′s own Michael Metzger paying tribute to a fellow serviceman on his site, Stan Musial’s Stance, by clicking here.

Another alumni of the site, Bob Netherton, runs his own site that takes frequent walks down memory lane. This week, Bob takes a stance on the player (or the type of player) the Cardinals really need. Read up on Vince Coleman and what he did for the Cards by clicking here.

Our good friends over at CardsGM take a look at the Cardinals, with a Black Eyed Peas twist. You can give it a read by clicking here.

JD over at Bleed Cardinal Red With Me takes a look at John Sickel’s top 20 list of Cardinal Prospects for the upcoming season. Give it a read by clicking here.

If all else fails and you are feeling brave, drop by our friends at Cards Diaspora and check out the 12 Days of Cardinals Crapmas. Be careful though, they are not the most family friendly site.

It’s a slow time of year for Cardinal news, but the sites above do a good job of giving some quality content during the cold months.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Thanksgiving week is upon us. A time for families. A time for feasts. A time for being thankful. This year, I-70 Baseball will utilize the week of Thanksgiving to pay tribute to some very special legends. Today, it is my pleasure to announce to you, our loyal readers, the series of articles that our talented staff have put together.

Photo By Erika Lynn

You can start today with Aaron Stilley’s conversation with the daughter of the legendary Royals manager Dick Howser, Jana Howser. A very candid interview that Ms. Howser was gracious enough to give us after reading Aaron’s profile of her father earlier this year. As Executive Editor of this site, my heartfelt thanks to Ms. Howser for a grand interview.

On Monday, a series of articles will be revealed during the week as we announce the inductees into the I-70 Baseball Hall Of Legends. The website will induct five former players and managers that spent time wearing the uniforms of both our flagship teams, the Royals and the Cardinals.

We asked some of our top writers to share their opinions on five personalities over the years. In addition, Content Editor Matt Kelsey and myself will team up for an article on Saturday “retiring” one number here on the site in honor of two individuals with very unique careers that shared a jersey number. A number that became historic for both franchises.

Look for articles honoring our choices for our Hall Of Legends from Todd Fertig, Aaron Stilley, Adam Shupe, Michael Metzger and Bob Netherton. In addition to these great profiles of legendary players, look for Bob Netherton and Aaron Stilley to treat all of you to a very special look at the things to be thankful for in each organization on Thanksgiving Day.

On behalf of all of the staff, writers, editors and photographers here at I-70 Baseball, we would like to extend a warm and peaceful Thanksgiving from our families to yours.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.