Welcome To The Union

Welcome to my blog.

Jeff Vernetti, whom most of you know as the host of The Saturday Sports Edge on 1380 ESPN radio in St. Louis, suggested I start a blog. I occasionally co-host with Jeff on his show, and I thought it might be fun to blog.

I love to write about Cardinal baseball and other St. Louis sports issues. I’d love to create a place for some in-depth discussion/analysis of the Birds by the fans. I’d love for Cardinal Nation to have some venue to discuss issues important to baseball.

Still, I was uncertain as to whether I should do this. It takes a fair amount of time to do this right. It also takes a rather large ego to think that others might want to read what you have to say.

I can make the time; sleep is, as I’ve learned, overrated.

I also have the ego. I just don’t like to use it intentionally. Something happened today to convince me to press on. What was it?

Bud Selig went to work, and raised the roof, literally.

It’s not that I think Bud was wrong to force Houston to open their roof for Game 3 of the Series. There are rules governing what you can do to your stadium during the post-season. I mean, if the Cardinals wanted to install a hill in-play near the centerfield wall and plop a flagpole onto it, that would certainly be frowned upon.

But if closing the roof is wrong now, why wasn’t it wrong during the first two series, or, for that matter, during the stretch run in September? Did Bud just realize the National League exists?

The Commissioner’s office was certainly aware that the Astros were closing their roof earlier in the playoffs. The issue was out there. They failed to see the issue until the World Series. Then the issue had to be dealt with… at the last possible moment.

Bud, once again, has put himself in a position where he has to be wrong---either last week or this week.

I can’t stand Commissioner Bud. For over a decade Bud has ruled baseball. For over a decade baseball has been blindsided time and again by damaging issues. Steroids, the strike, tied All-Star games, Expansion/threatened contraction, the complete failure to market any team outside New York or Boston.

It’s not so much that these issues arise; all professional sports have their problems. It’s just that Bud never seems to see these issues coming. Ever.

The roof is only the latest issue Bud failed to see coming. I’m sick of it.

I’m sick of Bud coming to St. Louis during the Sand Diego series and saying the noon/3 pm start times were not acceptable. Those times were decided upon months ago.

I’m sick of Bud completely failing to market any player outside of New York or Boston. There is a reason these World Series Games have the second lowest ratings in history. No one outside of Chicago or Houston has ever heard of any of these players.

When these issues arise, it seems that no one speaks for the fans. Well, me and my sleepless ego will speak. At first, I’ll probably just speak for my mom. We’ll see where it leads.