By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 11/02/2011

By Mark Ashby Vaughan Is Albert Pujols about to become Major League Baseball’s answer to the NBA’s LeBron James? Winning the 2011 World Series may actually be Albert Pujols’ worst nightmare. Participating on a World Series winner has...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 10/19/2010

By Mark Ashby Vaughan Let me see if I have this right – five of seven everyday players batted lower than their career averages while the bullpen has a 3.35 ERA and the bullpen coach gets fired?  That’s right, five regulars struggled ...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 10/10/2010

By Mark Ashby Vaughan The season is over and preparations for a new year are beginning.  Let’s take a position-by-position look at the 2010 Cardinals and see where they can stand pat and where they need to improve.  1st Base:  A-...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 09/29/2010

By Mark Ashby Vaughan You have to admit that the Reds know how to win a championship title in style.  Jay Bruce connects for a game-winning, title-clinching homer on the first pitch served to him leading off the bottom of the ninth inning in a 2-2...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 09/25/2010

By Mark Ashby Vaughan At the risk of revealing just how close I am to the age of the dinosaurs, I will make the comment that newspapers used to employ people called ‘fact checkers’ who surveyed the paper for mistakes and errors of one kind...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 09/16/2010

By Mark Ashby Vaughan    5.  Does anyone else get the feeling that the team is just mailing it in? 4.  Do Tony’s “match ups” really make any difference at this point? 3.  All things being equal, shouldn’t...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 09/02/2010

By Mark Ashby Vaughan Any flickering hope that the Cardinals would pull themselves together and right the ship is all but officially extinguished.  If the Reds play sub-.500 ball the rest of the way at 14-15 over their remaining 29 games they will...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 08/25/2010

By Mark Ashby Vaughan Last night’s game is a microcosm of the entire season for the Cardinals.  They had just won four games in a row and had their ace Adam Wainwright on the mound and an early two run lead due to a Matt Holliday homer in ...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 08/20/2010

By Mark Ashby Vaughan Since thumping the Reds in Cincinnati for a 3-game sweep a week ago, the Cardinals have gone 1-4 against the Cubs and Brewers who have a combined winning percentage of .428.  As I have said all season long, this is a team in...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 08/12/2010

By Mark Ashby Vaughan Brandon Phillips, 2nd baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, has accomplished what Tony LaRussa, John Mozeliak and the so-called team leaders of the team had been unable to do all year – awaken the sleep-walking giant called the...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 08/07/2010

Alex “A-Rod” Rodriquez finally hit his 600th career home run the other day, going 9 for 46 after dinger number 599. A-Rod now joins Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Willie Mays (660), Ken Griffey (630) and Sammy Sosa ...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 07/28/2010

We’ve bolted past the midway point of the season.  We saw a brief flash of brilliance. And now the dog days of summer are upon us. Reflecting upon the 2010 season thus far, I have come to recognize a few things to be thankful for as this season’s...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 07/25/2010

Winning eight games in a row was nice.  But let’s not get carried away from reality.  Thank goodness the mighty Cubs were there to prevent us from escaping the truth about this Cardinals team – that they just aren’t hungry...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 07/15/2010

The Cardinals are about to embark on the second half of the 2010 campaign in eighth place relative to all of the other NL teams.  Seven other teams have a higher win percentage than the Cards (.534) and another (San Francisco) is tied with them....
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 07/10/2010

The Cards are in desperate need of another bat.  And I am not talking about another pop-gun middle infielder type.  I am talking about acquiring the current Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla. The trade deadline of July 31st is fast approaching...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 07/07/2010

You can pin the Tuesday night debacle squarely on the shoulders of the delicate genius Tony LaRussa. Just how many hits, walks or wild pitches does it take to realize that a reliever just doesn’t have it on any given night? With a 9-3 lead going...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 07/02/2010

For those of you who voted for the National and American League All-Stars this year, congratulations for using a privilege not always offered to the fans.  For those of you who voted for your local favorites without consideration to more deserving...
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By MarkAshbyVaughan @ Redbird Universe 06/29/2010

What do yesteryear Cardinals Jim Bottomley, Frankie Frisch and Joe Medwick have in common?  Before I answer that question, let me give you some interesting facts regarding the three players.Jim Bottomley could knock in runs while hitting for a high...
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