Locked On Cardinals - Daily Podcast On The St. Louis Cardinals - Jordan Walker Injury Update

Episode Date: March 5, 2025

- Jordan Walker Injury Update - Jeff Carr's Thoughts On The Cardinals Off Season - Weakest Part Of The Cardinals Team In 2025 - Why Does Pecota have the Reds picked to finish last? - Managerial Changes - Former Cardinals/Reds players Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOSTLCardinals?sid=YouTube Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnMLB Follow on Twitter/X: @JDSPORTSRADIO Follow the show on Twitter/X: @LO_Cardinals Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Wonderful Pistachios Looking for a snack that’s both delicious and nutritious? Get snackin’ and get crackin’ with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more. FanDuel Right now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #ForTheLou #stlcards #mlb #lockedoncardinals Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It is get to know your enemy day with Lockdown Reds host, Jeff Carrar, who will be joining us to give us his thoughts on the Cardinals this year. Also, his Cincinnati Reds and their chances in the division, plus just the NL Central in a whole. This is Locked on Cardinals. You are Locked on Cardinals, your daily St. Louis Cardinals podcast, part of the Lockedon Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey there, Cardinals. I'm J.D. Haffern and I'm your host for Lockdown Cardinals, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network covering your team every day. You can follow me on X at JD Sports Radio. You can follow the podcast at L0 underscore Cardinals. We're on YouTube. Make sure you click that like button. Don't forget to subscribe and comment. Also hit the notification button. That way you don't miss that on any episodes or any shorts that we

drop also available on TikTok and Instagram at Lockdown Cardinals. This is a show serving Cardinal Nation and giving the best fans in baseball all of the info about the birds on the bat. The Cardinals faced the Astros on Wednesday. Sunny Great making his first appearance of the spring. But the big news on Wednesday at Cardinals camp is the injury to Jordan Walker, stepped on a sprinkler head. I know, I know, ridiculous, right? Sprinkler head. Same way that Mickey Mantle got hurt back in the day, but did that in his game against the nationals on. On Tuesday, initial diagnosis they had was, you know, he had some left knee pain. So we're all like holding our breath all day.

And then we get word that the MRI came back clean, which is good news. They're going to shut them down for about a week. And then they're going to ramp them back up. But it's not something that they think is going to cost him a whole lot of time. So good news. Avoided something serious there. In yesterday's episode, I did discuss the ramifications of Walker missing anytime whatsoever. Who could benefit from that?

So please check out that episode. if you haven't already. Now, the NL Central is not even close to the levels of talent that we're going to see in the NL East and the NL West, at least on paper. Those divisions feature some powerhouse teams with the payrolls to match it. In the East, you got the Phillies and the Mets and the Braves, out west, the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks, the Padres. That's not to say there isn't talent in the NL Central, but as a whole, those divisions,

obviously, are going to be a step ahead of them. Last year, the Brewers eventually ran away with things, finishing 10 games above the Cardinals and the Cubs, who tied for second place at 83 and 79. Then you had the Reds, who were 77 and 85, and then your pirates at 76 and 86. So what we want to do today is welcome in, Locked on Reds host, Jeff Carr to talk a little ball, talk about his Reds, our Cardinals, and the NL Central altogether. Jeff, how are you, my friend? This is the flu episode for you, is you've been dealing with some illness. this. So this is your, your flu game. Yeah, fighting through it for anybody that's unfamiliar with my voice. This ain't it. So sorry. He's a little, he's a little raspy, but we all know in the Midwest, it changes all the time. Weather's different all the time. It's 70 degrees and then it's

rainy and 30 the next day. So getting sick is what we do in the Midwest. Before we get to things that's going on in Reds camp, which we want to get your insight on things that as Cardinal fans, we want to prepare for as we get closer to the season. I first want to get your thoughts, Jeff, as an outsider, as a competitor against the Cardinal, someone who doesn't see things through the Cardinals Rosie Cardinal red glasses like I do, somebody who can be completely honest with themselves. What did you make of what the Cardinals did or didn't do this off season in regards to letting a guy like Paul Goldschmidt walk and sign with the Yankees and trying to trade Nolan Aranato

and then having it not happen and just the overall direction of the team from your point of view. What have you seen? What have you noticed? They're rebuilding, right? Like, no, I'm just kidding. I don't know. Like, based on what I've seen, like, I feel like all they did was take a step back. And now there might be some young guys that really step up. But I just didn't see what I thought I was going to see from Jordan Walker last year. and there really wasn't that big breakout for Liberator, and I know that he pitched out of the bullpen a lot and things like that, too,

that I was worried about a couple of years ago, things like that just did not pan out the way I thought they would. I mean, as much as I dislike the Cardinals, I respect the heck out of how they run their organization. And for years and years and years, it was, all right, this guy's leaving, but we got another guy to back them up. I don't see that right now with what the roster has. And I know there's going to be some folks that are just like, oh, man, the hater rate is strong with this guy.

But I think they finished last in 2025, unless like a lot of lightning gets caught in the bottle that we're just not seeing it right now. Yeah, I mean, that's a, and honestly, they're not going to call you haters. The Cardinal fans, they're, there is upset about things as anybody, you know, they're the ones that are like, you know, what is this? Like, what are we, what are we trying to do? And when I when you mentioned something about, you know, rebuilding the word that our president of baseball operations, Jamo Zalak, who used at the beginning of the year, or at least in the off season was reset. It didn't really pan out the way they wanted it to because the idea, at least in our eyes, was that they were going to move on from veterans with bigger contracts. So Nolan Arnato made a lot of sense, trading him, trading Wilson Contreras, trading Sunny Gray, trading Ryan Helsley, who we thought would have some trade value. coming off as the NL closer of the year,

and he's set to become a free agent at the end of this year. And none of that happened. Nobody got traded. They basically just let people who were making a decent chunk of change that were going to be free agent, just let them walk. So guys like Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Paul Goldschmidt, obviously the headliner there, Andrew Kittridge, guys who, you know, were a big part of the 83 win team last year.

They just chose not to resign them. instead of resigning people are just kind of promoting from within is really. So what you're, you know, the reason why you're like, yeah, I don't really see how you filled any of these holes is because most people aren't familiar with these guys. Unless you're like a diehard Cardinals fans, you wouldn't know guys like Michael McGreevy or Andre Palante or any of these names, which is why I can see the outlook being as negative as it is from anybody who's not in St. Louis. But trust me, when I tell you, there's negativity in St. Louis right now. People are upset that, you know, this franchise, which makes a decent chunk of change, usually until last year sells three million tickets, isn't going for it and not going all in. So it's a tough pill to swallow for these guys. Something similar for you guys where it seems like for a few years in a row, it's kind of like we think we're there and then we're not there. And you guys have been kind of in this reset, rebuild kind of cycle for a couple of years now.

right and especially hiring a new manager you would tend to believe that okay the clock is just now beginning and maybe like in a year or two they're going to be back there but i think that we all believe that with the talent that terry francona has to work with they should be able to compete for the playoffs this year and a lot of that's yeah yeah yeah and we'll and we'll get into that but i kind of wanted to circle back i mean you mentioned polante he's like a four-letter word in my household whenever he pitches i don't get it the reds can't hit him whatever he does, there's some sort of magic that he puts on the ball and they just hit ground balls a hundred million times every time he's on the mound. And I think that's probably where I am still a little bit reticent to completely back my feeling that they're not going to be a contender in the division is just because, you know, is a guy like Tink Hens going to be up and is he going to go crazy? You know, what are those young pitchers that they're really looking for? Because I know that the Cardinals farm system is very similar to the Reds and that the top half of their farm system is pitching, pitching, pitching. And we all know that if you can pitch, you can beat most teams.

I don't care if you're the Dodgers, the Mets, or whoever. Like, if you are able to limit the other lineup, then you can get some wins. So what are those young pitchers going to be for that? That's kind of how I look at the Cardinals from the outside looking in. Like, I feel like there's blood in the water a little bit as a Reds fan, but there's still always that feel. that there's somebody going to show up out of AAA Memphis, is it? Yeah, look at you. It's going to improve. Hey, man, when you hate the Cardinals as much as I hate the Cardinals,

you tend to learn a little bit of information. It's similar words that we heard from Chuck Friedan over at Lockdown Brewers, where he's like, yeah, you guys don't appear like you're going to be good, but you guys are the stupid Cardinals and you guys always figure something out and some random dude shows up and does good and makes you feel better and you guys are better than you should be. And, you know, it's been that way for a while. And, you know, the well has dried up a little bit, which is why you haven't seen the Cardinals take those next steps, which is something that they have worked on significantly this offseason and something they're hoping to do with Heinblum coming in and taking over next year is to really work on player development.

So they don't get into this rut again where they're overpaying for veterans to fill holes. and they don't really make all that much of a difference. They're just costing a lot more money. Instead, you want to be able to bring guys up, you know, like the Reds have been able to, where you've seen a lot of success from the younger guys, specifically not last year, but the previous year, when you saw Ellie and Matt McLean and these guys come up

and do really, really good and do these great things for them and, you know, give them a lot of hope. Last year was tough because of the injuries. But in your opinion, real quick, before we move on to the Reds, what's the weakest link for the Cardinals on this? roster. Do you think it's rotation or is it, you know, everyday players, you see holes in their like lineup one through nine because offense was a big problem last year, but they, they've had a little turnover in the starting rotation as well. What do you think is their biggest

problem right now? Yeah, I think my point of view, I think scoring runs is going to be their biggest issue. And I mean, they've got Helsley on the back end. So the bullpen's not ever going to be that big of a problem. Like outside of Helsley, I'm not sure who's still. sticking out to me. But yeah, the lineup for me, like Wilson Contreras is kind of it. And other than that, I don't see a guy like no one Aronado every so often is going to get you, but he has gotten to the point in his career where Joey Votto was, where it's like, it's going to be a little bit fewer and far between the consistency is just not quite there anymore. So I think that scoring runs is going to be their biggest issue this season. All right. Well, the breads, okay, the breads got.

arguably the most talented guy in baseball on their roster this year. We're going to talk about why a team that has this guy, Ellie de la Cruz, their roster and won 77 games last year, is projected by Pocoda to win less than that. This year, we're going to get Jeff's thoughts on that coming up next on lockdown cardinals. Looking for a snack that's both delicious and nutritious, crack into a good source of protein with wonderful pistachios. Wonderful pistachios, one of the highest protein nuts, each one ounce serving as six grams of protein, giving you 10% of your daily value, plus they're packed with fiber, better for you, unsaturated fats. It's going to help you feel fuller, longer, which when you're

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essential amino acids. Get snacking and get cracking with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit wonderful pistachios.com to learn more. Thank you again for making Locked on Cardinals your first list. Every day, you can leave your comments on YouTube as well as on X. Anytime you want that feedback is always welcome and encourage. We got locked on Reds co-hosts Jeff Carr with us today. We're getting closer to opening day. You know, we're only 20 some odd days away from things beginning,

which in St. Louis is very much a holiday around the city. I'm familiar that it is also the same way for Reds opening day. How excited is the city? for what's about to take place. Who do you guys open up with this year? Are you guys, do you guys get somebody actually in the national league? Because we get the twins. Yeah, we got, we got the giants coming in.

So not a divisional opener. It feels like we've opened with the pirates for like every opening day for like the last six years. But yeah, I got the giants coming into town. Everybody's stoked. I mean, watching the way that spring training has started off for a lot of these guys for Ellie, for McLean, for CES. Like everything is just popping right now. and hopefully that continues, and hopefully we continue to get positive health updates on everyone.

And currently right now, Spencer Steer is really the only guy we're worried about. And hopefully that continues. Pocoda projections, which we always say is not to be all end all, but it's something that people like to, you know, talk about before the actual regular season begins. They've got the Reds projected at 73.9 wins and finishing in last place in this division. Now, if you go around MLB circles and you listen to people talking about, I don't know anybody else who's picking the Reds to finish last. I don't hear that very often. I find it strange that Bacota's got it that way. Why would this, why would they do that? Like, why do you think that they would have the Reds at such a low wind total? And why is this absurd in the eyes of almost everybody else around the league? I think the hardest part about the Reds is that they are very difficult to project. because of their young roster. There's not a lot in the back of the baseball card way.

I mean, L.A. Dela Cruz last year was almost, was a six-war guy according to fan graphs. He was just below six-war, according to baseball reference. And there's still a lot about his game that could improve, right? I mean, he had, he led the league in caught stealing, he led the league in errors, and he led the league in strikeouts. And so there's a lot about his game that could still get better. And there's a lot of folks that wonder whether or not that's going to happen. Matt McLean didn't play at all last year. What are we going to see?

Are we going to see the guy that was showing up in 2023, albeit not in a full season and really impressing with what he did? Or are injuries going to keep him off the field? Same for T.J. Friedel, for CES. There's a lot of guys that the Reds are leaning on just don't have a resume. So projection systems are going to be hard pressed to just say that this team is going to be better. Now, here's the thing. All those guys are healthy. and with them being healthy, the roster is better than where they were last year. And the pitching staff has gotten better.

The starting pitching staff especially has gotten more deep, I think. And then the bullpen itself has also gotten deeper. So I tend to believe that where they were last year, and then you add in the fact, because I haven't even mentioned his name yet when it comes to why the Reds are better, Terry Francona, who's going to at least add five wins in my opinion, and this team's already gotten better than where they were last year. And so how does everything else play out?

You do need a lot of bouncebacks and you do need a lot of breakouts. But I tend to believe that more of those are going to happen than not. You mentioned Terry Francona, Tito, as he's well known around the league, steps in after taking a year off. Obviously, you're familiar with him in Ohio because of his time with Cleveland. What is it about Tito that's got the fans buzzing? Obviously, he's a very good manager. almost every year he comes away with a winning record, which obviously is a positive.

But the difference between him and your former manager, David Bell, how has that changed things in your clubhouse? It just seems like Tito gets it, right? Like, I think there's this unspoken understanding of the game and how to get the best out of his players that we just never felt from David Bell. Like, I think a lot of the answers that David Bell would give to questions where, yeah, we're going to go out there compete we're going to go out there and give row we're going to go out there and play the best baseball we can do and from day one they asked terry francona what's the goal he's like we're going to go out there and we're

going to beat somebody's ass and i was like let's go like that's the best way to introduce yourself and obviously he's got the resume of guys like hosea ramirez and dustin pejoria and manny ramirez and all the different players that he has managed and kind of taken from one level to the next level he's going to do that with the talent that he has in Cincinnati. And I feel like he understands exactly how to find that, that, that key area that he needs to put the pressure on, that he needs to take the pressure off, that he needs to communicate more with.

And while there's a lot of Reds fans in Reds country that almost expect him to be at the top step whenever somebody gets picked off from just being standing there and just like, you know, tapping his foot looking like he's going to get on somebody, that's not going to be how this goes, but there's going to be an understanding in the back of their mind. I don't know why I just tapped the back of my head when I said that, but

there's going to be an understanding. Are you challenging? Are you challenging the challenge the pitch there? There's going to be an understanding, an unspoken understanding that these players have of what they are supposed to do out on the field that I don't think David Bell had for them over the last five years.

Yeah, that's the thing is they hung on to Bell for quite some time, and they kept, you know, kind of repeating that he wasn't the problem. It's just, you know, getting people healthy, you know, the same stuff that you normally hear from any team that it struggles. In a similar case, you know, Ali Marmal comes in and, you know, he wins in that first year when he's got, you know, the big three still on the squad when it's Wayno and it's Molina and Pujols comes back and goes crazy in the second half. And then everything comes crashing down in that second year. And then last year was better. And this year, it seems like we're getting a little bit more of a personality out of, Ali, which I think has been refreshing. Ricardo's fans are kind of like, oh, my God. So he actually is a good guy because it seemed like he was very like, well, this is business and we're working. And we're trying to do this very kind of like what you're saying about David Bell, where Terry is a little more, Tito is a little more open and is a little more, you know, personality wise.

He shows it more. Instead of hiding it in the clubhouse for his players, he's doing it wherever, you know, he's the same guy that you see on camera as he is in the clubhouse, which can make a world of difference. because when your clubhouse is tight and it's stale and nobody's having fun, there's not a lot of winning going on normally in those situations. What are some of the biggest positives that you've seen so far this spring from your Reds? Just looking stat-wise, obviously Ellie is having a monster beginning to spring training. Who else has been standing out for you guys so far with Cincinnati? Poor Jeff. He's trying, guys. He's trying not to choke on camera so bad.

I know. He's working on. It was hanging on, man. I was hanging on. No, definitely, Ellie, I mean, he's hitting over 500. Not to the point that I'm thinking, like, yeah, that's what he's going to be in the regular season. But mechanically, he looks really, really good. He's changed his swing just a little bit, slide step instead of a big step forward every time he goes to swing. And I think that there's a lot about his game that's going to translate to the regular season.

And he's looking more patient at the plate. And I think that that is the key. Like there was an at bat, and I talked about this on my show today, but there was an bat against the Cubs the other day where he took five straight pitches and got a walk. And I don't know that he did that at all last year. Like I cannot recall a situation where he took five pitches, never swung at one. But then outside of him, like Matt McLean looks healthy. And that's really all I needed from him. But he's also played pretty well, too.

He's hitting the extra base hits, taking the extra bases, playing well in the field. that middle infield combo is just going to be so good for the Reds. And that's the reason why I'm so bullish and albeit, I'll admit it, a little homerish when it comes to the Pocoda projections and saying that they're going to be so wrong. But having him back, I mean, people forget, 2023, there were most, and I made this case too, most people thought Matt McLean had the better year than L.A. de la Cruz did in 2023 and then not having him at all last year was such a huge blow to this roster that I think we're going to see just how good this team can be now that he is back. And outside of him, the other guy that I'm at least raising my eyebrow, but not a guy that I think is going to make the opening day roster,

but a guy that is starting to prove that I think he can fix his game is Will Benson. He was awful last year. There's no way about it. I mean, no two ways about it. He had a negative 1.8 war. He was detrimental when he was on the field. And now he has fixed his swing a little bit more compact, quicker to the ball, which was his biggest area of concern, is that not that he swung at bad pitches,

he was good at laying off of pitches outside the zone, but pitches that he swung at inside the zone, his contact rate was much lower than league average. So he definitely had to fix that part of his game. I think he's taken the right step there. He's going to start the year in AAA, but he could be back. up by summertime and hopefully we'll see him mashing right-handed pitchers here pretty soon. Yeah, it's something that both teams kind of have a similar thing going on where there's

kind of an abundance of solid left-handed hitting outfielders for you guys and the Cardinals. And then there's a shortage of right-handed guys where the Cardinals got Jordan Walker and I don't, nobody. That's it. That's all they got is a right-handed hitter for the outfield this year. You guys were able to bring in a guy by Austin Hayes, he was a guy that, you know, Cardo fans kind of were like, well, he'd be an interesting. interesting guy. So he might see some steady time for you guys, maybe in left field or something,

but your outfield is something that, you know, you guys, it's going to be a work in progress, but you got a guy by the name of Tito, who's pretty good at doing that stuff. So what is your biggest concern for the team real quick? I think right now it's it's because we've still seen, and it's still spring training, so they're probably working it out, but we've still seen the base running blunders that really ailed them last year, a lot of pickoffs. and things like that. There were some cases where you're like, was that a balk, was it not a balk,

but still seeing some base running blunders for the Reds here in spring training. I'm not super concerned about it. I've seen a lot of fans that are just like, oh my gosh, same old team. They're going to be just as bad as they were last year on the bases. I'm like, hold on now, man. They're just getting their legs underneath of them here in spring training.

But it's definitely something that I want to see disappear here pretty soon because, I mean, all throughout the year last year, there was a play in the first. final game of the season where Noelvi-Marté got picked off trying to steal second and he tried to try him the pitch and he couldn't time it right and gets picked off. And I'm like, that happened in game one and it happened in game 162. Can't happen this year. I think we'll see it early on, but they'll get rid of it pretty soon with Tito, man in the ship. So the Reds and Cardinals have shared a lot of players over the years and we're going to bring up some of

our favorite. You guys won't believe some of the people that have been on both sides of Some caught me off guard. I was like, that dude played for the Reds. We're going to talk about those coming up next. See if you can name more than we can. That's next on Lockdown Cardinals. Thank you again for making Lockedon Cardinals. Your first listen today for your second list and find Locked on MLB Baseball.

Gourouro Sully bringing you a daily blend of humor of baseball. He's got you updated on all the teams throughout the league during spring training. You can find Locked on MLB on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast. Jeff Carr, host of Locked on Reds joining us here today. A lot of history between. our two franchises and a lot of guys who have played on both sides of this rivalry. So we want to go through some of the names that have dawned both of these jerseys. There's been a lot of them recently that stand out to me.

But there's some other older names that we're going to bring up that you might remember. Now, who off top of your head, Jeff, who is the first one that came to mind when you think somebody who played for both teams? It's so random. But the first guy that always comes to mind when I think Cardinal and Red is Skip Schumacher. And it was the guy that I thought was going to be the Reds manager. because whenever the Marlins let him go, I thought the Reds were going to hire him.

I was surprised when they got Terry Francona to be. He was like on my radar, but it was like, no way the Reds aren't going to get him. But I thought Skip was going to be the next skip for the Reds. And that's one of the first guys that always comes to Monk. Yeah, he's a good one. I'm going to throw this one at you because most people forget that he played for the Cardinals because the main part of his career that was really good was with Cincinnati.

Eric Davis is a guy that did Bowman. Both went to the Dodgers and obviously with the Orioles at one point as well, tigers. But Eric Davis played a couple of seasons with the Cardinals. And that was a guy that if he had ever gotten to stay healthy. We just don't know how good that guy could have been. But you saw for a few years there, like he was an absolute beast for the Cincinnati Reds, one of the leaders of that 1990 World Series team. How about this one?

Let's stick with it because a lot of these guys are good outfielders. Jimmy Edmonds, Jimmy Edmonds was a sense. played, I think, except for the pirates, he played for every team in the NL Central. I think every Reds fan would like to forget his 10 years. So you're telling me he didn't have a great Reds career, although he actually ended his career with you guys home run in his last at bat, hits a home run. And for those who aren't familiar, actually got injured coming around the bases. And so that was the end of his career. He hurt his Achilles. And that put an end to his career. He will not be in the

booth this year for the Cardinals, Jeff. He's, actually, they did not ask him back. So that was some drama for Cardinals fans. A couple of other center fielder, Harrison Bader, was with you guys for a cup of coffee. Michael Ciani, who played himself into a starting role last year to do injuries. Former Reds prospect came over to the Cardinals. When I say Jason LaRue, what do you think of, Jeff? It's funny because I always liked them as a Reds catcher, but it's because of that fight in 2010. And like that's what I think about. Yes, his career getting ended due to a concussion during that massive brawl that was started. I'll say to this day.

Who do you blame in that one? Do you blame Brandon Phillips more than Yati or is it the other way around? Brandon Phillips loved to stir the pot when he was a player. And he knew like his comments because he made comment. I forget exactly what he said, but he made some comments. He called us the B word, Jeff. If that's why if you, if you don't remember, I don't know if I can say it on this show, but I won't, but he called us female dogs.

Of course, Yaddy's going to take, he's going to take exception with that. And look, I don't have the highest opinion of Yaddy, and I know I'm not in good company to make that sort of a statement. But I also believe that Brandon Phillips started that fight. It's one of those guys on both sides where if Brandon Phillips was on my team, I would have loved him. But because he was on the opposition, you hated his guts. And same way for everybody when it comes to Molina. If he's on you, he's wearing your uniform, you're a big fan. How about some other old school ones?

I got a Ron Gantt for you. I got a Reggie Sanders for you. Ryan Ludwig, who actually was pretty good with the Reds after he left the Cardinals. Here's a big one for you. Hall of Famer just recently went. Scott Rowland, who was also a part of that brawl that we're talking about. But gosh, he was, I hated seeing him leave St. Louis. And, you know, he just didn't get along with Larusa.

And so they ship him to Toronto. And he ends up in Cincinnati. and you guys loved having him as a member of the Reds for a couple years. I forgot exactly what the reasoning was, but I remember when the Cardinals sent him to Toronto, there were reports that the Reds were looking into getting him. I think that they just couldn't come to terms and they didn't want to make an indivision trade. But like, I think Roland wanted to come to Cincinnati then and they just couldn't get the deal done. But yeah, I mean, he was kind of the signal that the Reds were ready to compete again back in 2010.

So that was kind of like the moment where it was like, all right, we're back, baby. Let's go. So there's a lot of fond memories of Scott Rowland. Not his best years of his career were spent in Cincinnati by any stretch. But it was a lot of the off the baseball card stuff that he did that a lot of people loved. Yeah, that shoulder injury really zapped the power that you saw from Roland. But you knew he was a gamer and you knew he was money down there at the hot corner. So, yeah, he was a solid ball player for both sides.

We'll throw a couple of other ones at you. Eitri Young started with the Cardinals before making his name with the Reds. Mike Leek has shared both of our uniforms. Edgar Rinteria is one that most people will forget that actually was a red for a heartbeat, made his name with the Cardinals and the Marlins for the big parts of his career. Actually up for you get into the Cardinals Hall of Fame this year, he's the guy I'm voting for. People will forget that Lee Smith was a Cincinnati red. I had no idea until I saw his name on the list.

Do you remember the Lee Smith era of Cincinnati Reds baseball? Not quite. But I will surprise you with one, not a Lee Smith type. And I go back because I love to go back in Reds history. And this guy was part of one of my favorite teams to read about and go back. I mean, obviously, I'm not alone enough to remember this, but a member of the 1940 World Series Reds and a guy that finished third that year, sorry, fourth that year in MVP voting.

Paul Derringer, amazing pitcher. He was a guy that like, all right, so just for example, the year that the Reds won the World Series, he made 37 starts, 26 of those starts were complete games. That's just, he had a rubber on. That's not bad. He debuted as a St. Louis Cardinal. 1931, the World Series team for the Cardinals in 1931, he was one of the best players on that team. He was a 3.6 war guy that year.

His very first year ever in Major League Baseball, and the Cardinals handed him the ball for 23 starts in 35 games total. Yeah, you don't see that kind of production anymore in this game of baseball, Jeff. No, it's, it's funny to like look back at old pitching stats, like starting pitchers back then. Because like, I mean, you and I were talking about this before we hit record. Like that year, he had 35. games pitch, 23 starts the 1931 season for the Cardinals, 23 games start, 10 games, so he came in as a relief pitcher and finished 10 games, and he had 15 complete games. We're talking about a dude that like pitch nine innings one day, then a couple of days later,

oh, we need you in the seventh, come on in. And yeah, he pitched relief too, like just a different game back. Yeah, ballpins did not exist, really. There was like eight or nine dudes that could actually throw strikes. and those were the dudes who came in from wherever they were playing in the field. We're also coming in in those games. How about this name for you? I got one for you up that nobody is going to remember because this,

it just was a cool name. Played with the Reds. This is in the late 1800s. You ready for this one? Icebox Chamberlain. Let's go. Let's go icebox. The names were so epic back then.

They need to be more fun like this again. But Icebox Chamberlain just just dominating back in the day. 25 wins in 1888. How about that? 32 wins for the Cardinals in 1889. And that was when they pitched like every other day. Like they would, I remember like a story of Noodles Han, one of like the all-time race reds from like back in the early 1900s.

like stories of him he would come to the ballpark and he would begin like tossing from like me to you and then all of a sudden by the time everybody was there everybody showed up to the ballpark he was like throwing it in from center field just getting his arm loose ready to go like he was just he was called noodles for a reason. All right quickly some other names Jonathan Brockston Jeff Brantley the cowboy, Royce Coleman. Vince Coleman. Most people won't remember that he was a red. Juan incarnacion, who got his eye socket shattered as a Cardinal, and it his career. Lefty Danny Jackson, Kyle Loche, Tommy Fam, who has been on our teams recently. Terry Pendleton, most people will not remember he was a red to finish his career. Chris Sabo, most people won't remember he was a Cardinal in his career. I actually got to handle his baseball bet. I was in the clubhouse after a game, the one year that he actually played for the Cardinals.

I got lucky enough to get invited back there. And I was like, look at this. I got a Cressibo back. Only thought of him as a Cincinnati Red and that wonderful year for you guys in 1990. Arthur Rhodes played for both of us, the lefty. I've actually been smacked on the butt by Arthur Rhodes once at a bar. That's a true story. And then who can forget Ted Power, who's just got one of the great names in all of

baseball history was also a member of the Reds and Cardinals. If there's anybody we forgot, let us know in the comments section down below. But a lot of great history between our two teams. It's going to be a fun year, Jeff. I know you're excited about the Reds. The Cardinals fans are a little like, I don't know if we're going to be any good or not. I give them reason to be optimistic.

If there is one guy on the Cardinals roster, active roster, you can't take a prospect, who's somebody you would take to make my Cardinal fans feel good about themselves and be like, that guy would be really good on our team. I really want, because I remember we talked about this last year, and I really wanted to answer somebody different, but it's got to be Ryan Ellsley. Like he would, he would make the Reds bullpen ridiculous.

You could have a back end of Helzley, Diaz, and Rogers. And I'm just, yeah, he would be the guy. You bring him in, he'd get 30, maybe even 40 saves. Yeah, I think he's him. We're hoping that if things do go sideways for the Cardinals this year, there will be many teams like the Reds who will be after one Ryan Helsley, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. and hey, trade bait, trade bait.

Who wants some? Let's talk. Trade deadline real far away, though. So we'll get to that later on in a few months. All right. Thank you guys for making Locktown Cardinals. First listen every day if you haven't already. Give us a follow on X at L.O. underscored Cardinals and a JD Sports Radio, TikTok, and Instagram

at Lockdown Cardinals. We're also on YouTube. Make sure you like, subscribe to our channel and help our love for the Cardinals grow. And don't forget, follow Jeff and the Lockdown Reds podcast. They're all in the same spots that you find Locked on Cardinals. So Jeff will obviously be tweeting and xing or whatever you guys call it these days. He'll be doing that a lot this year. Keep your eye on the enemy.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That's the phrase. So Jeff, appreciate you doing this today, buddy. Yeah, man. Thanks for having me, Jaddy. All right. You guys are the best fans in baseball for a reason. We'll see you next time on Lockdown Carlos.