Today's game (Looper)

[StL Dan]

Ankiel goes yard on the first pitch. 1-0 Cards. First HR at home for the Cards this Spring.

It seems to me that Ankiel has struggled at the plate thus far. Anyone have his ST numbers to date?

[mcgee51taguchi99]

Ankiel goes yard on the first pitch. 1-0 Cards. First HR at home for the Cards this Spring.

It seems to me that Ankiel has struggled at the plate thus far. Anyone have his ST numbers to date?

Here's a link to ST stats for Cards players:

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stats/ ... ByStat=AVG

I'm not smart enough to post just his stats and they be legible.
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[skmsw]

I think this entire experience will be a positive thing for Looper. He needed a revised approach to continue to be successful even in a bullpen role.

And even THAT much is depending, as you rightly note, on whether 10 spring training innings even reflect a revised approach.

[skmsw]

Ankiel goes yard on the first pitch. 1-0 Cards. First HR at home for the Cards this Spring.

It seems to me that Ankiel has struggled at the plate thus far. Anyone have his ST numbers to date?

Ankiel was 4 for 18 with no extra base hits.

[Popeye_Card]

Ankiel goes yard on the first pitch. 1-0 Cards. First HR at home for the Cards this Spring.

It seems to me that Ankiel has struggled at the plate thus far. Anyone have his ST numbers to date?

Ankiel was 4 for 18 with no extra base hits.

Only 3 K's though. That's encouraging (since that's the biggest knock on him as a hitter). But it's only a small set of AB's, and it's only ST.

--P--

[mikechamp]

Does anyone have the Gameday link?

[Popeye_Card]

I think this entire experience will be a positive thing for Looper. He needed a revised approach to continue to be successful even in a bullpen role.

And even THAT much is depending, as you rightly note, on whether 10 spring training innings even reflect a revised approach.

True.

I'm assuming that a revised approach was part of this whole thing. Even if it was only to pitch more balls down in the zone, throw more sinkers, etc. Whether he can do that and be effective is another question. Duncan apparently thinks he can. What isn't known is if Duncan's insitence on Looper starting is really just a clever ruse to wake him up and realize he needs to change his approach.

--P--

[jagtrader]

Granted, he still hasn't gone 5 or 6 innings, but is anybody starting to buy into this whole Looper idea yet?

I'm buying into the fact that Looper can be as good as Marquis was during his three-year Cardinals career.

[Popeye_Card]

Granted, he still hasn't gone 5 or 6 innings, but is anybody starting to buy into this whole Looper idea yet?

I'm buying into the fact that Looper can be as good as Marquis was during his three-year Cardinals career.

I will be very happy if he can give us 200 IP with an ERA right around 4 like Marquis' first two years.

Overall, Marquis had a 4.60 ERA as a Cardinal. I'd even take that from Looper right now if he's the 5th starter.

--P--

[skmsw]

Granted, he still hasn't gone 5 or 6 innings, but is anybody starting to buy into this whole Looper idea yet?

I'm buying into the fact that Looper can be as good as Marquis was during his three-year Cardinals career.

As bad as Marquis was for a big hunk of 2006, he had a very good year in 2004, and a pretty good year in 2005 -- ERAs better than league average both years, more than 200 IP both years, fewer than 30 homers both years. Do you suspect that Looper has two years like that in him before the bottom falls out?