Locked On Cardinals - Daily Podcast On The St. Louis Cardinals - Which St. Louis Cardinals Players Could Be Headed To Atlanta For The MLB All Star Game?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Now that the St. Louis Cardinals are relevant again in the National League, who on this roster deserving of a spot on the All-Star team at this year's mid-season classic. You are Locked-on Cardinals, your daily St. Louis Cardinals podcast, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, there, Cardinals. I'm J.D. Hafford and I'm your host for Locked-on Cardinals, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network covering your team every day. You can follow me on X at JD Sports Radio in the podcast. on X and L0 underscore Cardinals.

Starting point is 00:00:37 We're on YouTube. Make sure you like, subscribe and common. Hit that notification button so you don't miss out on any of the episodes or the shorts that we have. Also available on TikTok and Instagram, but locked on Cardinals. This is a show serving Cardle Nation and giving the best fans in baseball, all of the info about the birds on the bat. So now that the Cardinals are winning, Thomas Govain is back. He's a fairweather fan.

Starting point is 00:00:57 I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Life gets in the way of a lot of things. But Thomas Govain from Redwooderrance.com is back with us here today. Thomas, Hope all is well with you, sir. Oh, yeah. It feels great to be back and talking some baseball again. You're in Kansas City, for those of you who are just joining the show or maybe haven't

Starting point is 00:01:15 seen an episode with you involved with it. So you're going to be out at least one of the games at Kauffman over this weekend, right? Yeah, I'll be there Sunday afternoon there for the day game with my family. So that'll be fun. So hopefully you bring some good vibes with you as the Cardinals and the Royals. It is rivalry weekend in Major League Baseball, 70 series is what this one is called because of, you know, the connection between the highways. And obviously it takes you back to 1985 when the Cardinals and the Royals played each other in the World Series, a World Series that Cardinal fans obviously still complain about to this day after the be blown call in first phase, which might have cost of the World Series.

Starting point is 00:01:55 People forget there was still another game that the Royals beat the snot out of the Cardinals in in that last game. So nobody talks about that on the St. Louis side. So we'll move on. Let's talk about the happy stuff that's going on with the Cardinals. Been one of the hottest teams in the league. Winners of nine of their last 10. They haven't lost a series going back to Atlanta. They lost two of three in Atlanta, April 21st through the 23rd.

Starting point is 00:02:19 If you remember, that first game, they could have won that series because that first game, they were winning, going into the eighth inning, and they ended up giving up five, one of the rare times that Phil Maeton had a bad night. And they ended up giving up five in the eighth inning to lose that first game. but it's been a hell of a ride, Thomas, recently, and they are now 24 and 20. They're one game back of the Cubs in the division. Things have been going well, and that means players have been playing well, right? So here's the question I have. Is any of this enough to earn any all-star game votes?

Starting point is 00:02:52 And that's what we're going to start with today. You know, each team gets a guy. You get a representative each year. So there will be at least one St. Louis Cardinal there, even if they lose every game the rest of the way. But who on this roster so far, starting right here? We're on May 16th getting ready to start the series of Kansas City. Who on the roster do you feel is all-star worthy, or at least on pace to be all-star-worthy to make an appearance at the game in Atlanta, in your opinion?

Starting point is 00:03:17 Pitchers are usually the most common player there. A lot of pitchers will sit out just to keep on a regular schedule, injuries, whatever, get some rest. So I went with Matthew Lipperger right off the bat. He is 16. Yeah, there you go. Libby. He's 16th of the national. League in ERA at 3.11, but he's fourth and F more, which is above Paul Skeens and a couple

Starting point is 00:03:37 other big name guys you think of first. He has the fewest walks among qualified National League starters. He has five quality starts. His strikeouts are in the top of the charts, but he's one start shy of everybody else. So he's really on a good track to get into some votes. It's kind of a popularity contest. His former top prospect status might help him boost that a little bit. He's starting to get a little bit more recognition nationally from the writers. So I think Libby would be an excellent representative for the Cardinals. Yeah, I don't argue with you there whatsoever. Everything you said, especially with, you know, how the, like you said, the pitching,

Starting point is 00:04:11 like a lot of guys, maybe it might not be their turn in the rotation and they got to stay on pace for whatever is going to happen right after the All-Star game. So people bow out. But yeah, Libby has been on a heater, bro. And, you know, we talked a lot about this offseason about whether or not moving him from the bullpen to the rotation was the smartest thing to do for him and the Cardinals. and they were right. I mean, let's just say it. They were right. Everybody else was wrong.

Starting point is 00:04:35 I was wrong because I was nervous about it. Let's just say it, man. They got it right. They did it right. They trusted them and what their thoughts are on Libby and what they wanted him to be. And it has worked out beautifully for them. So I would love to see Libby at the All-Star game.

Starting point is 00:04:51 And you can always tell, too, this is the nerd in me, the video game nerd in me. When they start popping out cards for you on MLB the show, and Livy got a nice one recently. So people are starting to take notice about this guy. All right, outside of the pitchers, who else you got on your list? I think you and I both have this guy. He's a pretty obvious choice.

Starting point is 00:05:11 It'd be Brendan Donovan. He's definitely been the team's most valuable player to start so far. He is first and F-war among second baseman. He's a legitimate MVP candidate, too, for the whole league. I don't think he's going to win it, but he'll get top 10 votes, I'm sure, too. His slash line is ridiculous. his defense is really good at second base two there's really no other second baseman in the national league that rivals him at least from a statistic standpoint once again there's the popularity thing you

Starting point is 00:05:38 have to include sure but i brenna dottivan should be the starting second baseman for the national league yeah uh at this point in the season hitting three 13 three home runs 20 rb i's and this is after he you know struggled a little bit i know he had three hits in his last game which uh you know kind of hopefully got it got him back in his group but uh you know he had slowed down quite a bit for most of the season, though. He was leading the National League in batting average. Not that far off, actually, anymore. Let's see, Freddie Freeman in first place.

Starting point is 00:06:08 He's at 370, but he's only got 119 a bat so far. But, you know, you got some big names up there, Machado. A lot of Dodgers here with Teoscar Hernandez. No, Dodgers? No. Yeah, Teasca Hernandez, Will Smith. But again, Hernandez has been hurt. He's been out.

Starting point is 00:06:26 Will Smith does a play every day. only 111 at bats where you got Donnie over here with 163 played appearances. C.J. Abrams has gotten, you know, hot recently, but Donnie's right there with these guys, you know, and I know nationally he probably doesn't get recognized for how good he's been, but you see it and how important he is. I mean, he's the number three hole hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals right now. So obviously he's a big piece of the puzzle for them. Wilson Contreras on your list here I'm seeing as well, Thomas.

Starting point is 00:06:56 What about what about Willie? he's got you excited. And it starts with his bat. He's got a 115 WRC plus, six on runs, 25 ribbies. But his defense is really what has surprised me the most this year at first base.

Starting point is 00:07:11 He's, regardless of the metric, as above average, defensive runs saved, he's plus in everything that you see. He's third and F4 among first baseman. The only problem is that the two people above him are ridiculously good

Starting point is 00:07:22 in Peter Alonzo and Freddie Freeman. And then you've also got Bryce Harper there. Philly always shows up for votes. Bryce Harper's going to get, he's a big name in the league. So I don't know if Contreras makes the cut, but he's been worthy as far as performance goes, of at least being recognized. The one thing I've seen about Contreras,

Starting point is 00:07:39 and I knew it was going to probably be a little bit difficult for him, is just throwing the ball from first base. Not like the toss to first to a pitcher to be, but it's that make him throw to second bay. He plunks that runner all the time. And I don't hate it. I would too. I know.

Starting point is 00:07:54 It's a tough throw. Like, where do you go? Like the guy's right there in the base. He's a lot of over him. Yeah, he's trying to hit the guy in the chest. He's covered second base. So what am I supposed to go with this thing? So I get the struggles there and totally understand that.

Starting point is 00:08:07 But yeah, he's been very impressive over there, not only defensively, but with the stretches that he's been making. Yeah. Vick's making over there, too. It's been quite impressive. Boba, Scott, this guy on our list. Victor Scott the second, surprising a lot of people how good he's been so far. But All-Star Worthy, what do you think?

Starting point is 00:08:26 Yeah, I'd say so. The center fielders in National League, he's fifth and F-war. He's a plus offensive hitter. His defense is second best in the National League behind Pete Crow Armstrong. Andy Paheys for the Dodgers will probably complicate some votes. Los Angeles is a massive city. Pahes is not known nationally, but Los Angeles is a big enough city by itself. It doesn't matter whether he's known.

Starting point is 00:08:49 But Scott has been an all-star worthy candidate as well. Whether he gets in or not, I can't quite be certain. He's definitely played up to that level. Yeah, the way that PCA is playing for the, for the Cubby so far, it's going to make it real tough for him. But maybe, maybe as somebody who comes on as a reserve, I mean, those 13 stolen bases are no joke. That's, what, fourth in all a baseball and stolen bases so far. And I feel like he hasn't even been running that much yet. So we'll see if he can really get things cooking.

Starting point is 00:09:18 I mean, obviously he gets on and you got nude up so you're, you know, not trying to hit into outs or anything. So I kind of get it. but at the same time, like, I would love to see him run just a little bit more. That would be great. Some other names on our list here. Yvonne Herrera is a guy, obviously he's been huge. He's been hurt, so, but those numbers, hard to argue with them. So if he keeps it up, it's going to be difficult not to talk about him.

Starting point is 00:09:41 Mason Wynn is another guy that I want to bring up real quick, just because since that horrible start to the season when he's over 20 and some fans wanted to send him back down, he's been hitting like 333, like he's been outstanding. obviously the defense has been there. You saw that last year, so that's a big deal. And then you mentioned pitchers as well. Kyle Leahy, like as somebody that the managers and coaches to bring on to the roster as a reliever, obviously, I mean, hard to argue with a 1.09 ERA so far this year.

Starting point is 00:10:14 He's been outstanding. He's not the flashy guy. So I don't know if, because he doesn't throw 107 if they'll even talk about him. But either way, a lot of guys were. of discussion going against them the size of the Cardinals market in St. Louis and just people not being into them so far this year. So but obviously they got to keep it up if they want to get to Atlanta this year. The team's been a whole lot of fun to watch though as a whole, which has been great. I think that's the most important thing is together. They've been

Starting point is 00:10:45 outstanding for a number of different reasons. We're going to run down some of our favorite things about this team coming up next on Locked on Cardinals. Get the supplies you need from the made for the skilled trades supply house whether you're in plumbing it's hvac or electrical work supply house is the reliable way to order products online they're easy to use websites packed with helpful resources and the latest product information to help you get the job done right plus with a complete inventory of over 200 000 parts from 400 plus top brands you're going to find exactly what you need it's going to get delivered to you fast coast to coast so it doesn't matter where you are in the u.s they'll get it to you need help with an order it does happen supply house offers you

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Starting point is 00:12:21 Anytime you want. Your feedback is always welcome and encourage. Thomas Covein from Redbirdrance.com joining us here today. All right. We've run through a number of different guys who are all-star worthy, at least in our eyes. It's going to be difficult. mention all of these big names and bigger cities and stuff. So let's not try to get our butts hurt if it's only one or two dudes get into the All-Star game,

Starting point is 00:12:43 despite the Cardinals possibly having one of the better records in the National League. Most important thing is winning. That's all we care about in St. Louis. Win, just keep doing it. And there's been a lot of different things about this team that have allowed them to become as good as they have been over this recent stretch. They played a lot better in the last few weeks. So I don't want to be totally just focused on what's happened in the last 10 games because we had a whole season before that where people were like,

Starting point is 00:13:12 Steve sucks. They're terrible at this. They were going crazy. But I feel like it's been an entertaining team since day one. I've enjoyed pretty much every game. Yeah, some of the losses were tough. But they're winning more games now than they are losing, which is huge. What about this team, Thomas, stands out to you that has helped to say,

Starting point is 00:13:31 facilitate this massive turnaround that we've seen over the last two weeks. For me, it's been the defense, just to run through a whole bunch of stats here, really quickly, sorry to bore some people. Their first and outs above average, their second place, Houston is in second place with 18, Cardinals have 24, so that's a huge gap. Their seventh and defensive run save, they're tied for first in fielding percentage. They have the most assists, the second fewest errors. Everywhere you look, the defense has been ridiculously solid. a little bit further for just the position, each player at each position. Only three players are negative at a position that they've played so far this year. Brendan Donovan is negative in

Starting point is 00:14:13 left field with 88. Innings played according to that's above average. Alec Berluson is negative in right field with only eight innings played and then Thomas A. J.C. is negative at second base with 35 innings. Not a lot of time logged there and they're only barely negative to defend. Every other position that any other player has played is either neutral or positive at defense. It starts with Mason Wynn, Nolan Arnado, and Victor Scott the second, and those three have been leading the charge. It's just spread to the other.

Starting point is 00:14:41 I mean, across the board, it's positive defenders in pretty much every spot of the lineup. Yeah, and I know people are going to climb all over on me for saying this, but let's give Jordan Walker credit. What he's doing in right field is a massive improvement over what we saw in his first two seasons trying to play the outfield. And I'm not talking about his hitting, okay? Don't start jumping on me because he's not doing all the things you want him to do offensively.

Starting point is 00:15:08 I know that. We know that. He knows that. That that's been a problem, okay? They're working on it, all right? But what he was brought in as a defensive replacement the other day for Burleson. Yeah, that's the date is like they don't have to take him out of the game anymore. So that was kind of when the Michael Ciani move was made and they put him back in a triple

Starting point is 00:15:29 because they didn't need them anymore. Like we don't need to sub out Jordan Walker anymore. We're comfortable with him in right field. And he's been part of this. Like he's played really, really good out there. And like you mentioned in the first segment with Wilson Contreras's defense, didn't really know how that was going to go. Was he going to be able to pull it off?

Starting point is 00:15:45 He's been outstanding over at first base. And then you got the stalwart that you mentioned with the Mason win. And now with Donovan being able to play more second base than left field, you're very strong up the middle with Victor and Mason. and with Victor and Centerfield and Donovan at second and then with Pahas behind the plate more times than not. And they'll always tell you, like fans of old teams of the Cardinals, why were they good?

Starting point is 00:16:11 And they're like they were very strong up the middle. And that's something that this team has right now. I want to throw this one at you. Pitching obviously has been a big deal. The starting pitching in particular has been really, really good. You know, Sunny Gray was terrible in Philly. We get that. But so far, so good.

Starting point is 00:16:28 good for more times than not, you know, everybody's going to have a blowup game from time to time. Our boy, Miles Michaelis, has turned things around tremendously since his big bad game in Boston. You know, I would assume that Sunny will bounce back from his bad game in Philly. Eric Feddy's had a couple of bad game, sure, but for the most part, he's been outstanding. He's got a scoreless streak right now that's been really, really good. So I've been very impressed with what the starting pitching's been able to do. Palante still kind of working through some things, but obviously Libertor, has been a monster since coming into the rotation as well.

Starting point is 00:17:01 So a lot of credit to those guys. What's another thing on your list that's helped this team turn things around that's impressed you this year? Just how pesky they are. The on-base percentage is one of the best in the league. They're seeing a whole bunch of pitches per plate appearance. They're putting pressure on the other team by just putting the ball in play. It's just probably a nuisance to opposing teams.

Starting point is 00:17:24 And that's not something we could have said in the past. I was talking about dad this morning as well. And they went down 5-1 against the Phillies and the second game of the doubleheader. 23 and 24 Cardinals, I would have just turned off the TV thrown in the towel. But like, yeah, but like this team, they fought back. They came at 14 to 7 victory after that. Like there's just something about them that feels a little bit different. I think it's the attitude that peskiness that they didn't quite have the last few years.

Starting point is 00:17:47 Yeah. And I brought this up in yesterday's episode, though, and it's so little. But when you're a baseball dork, it stands out to you because the, two appearances by Nolan Aronado hitting the ball the other way, ground balls to the right side of the infield to move runners over and move a guy. And that is so huge in those positions because over the years, we're used to seeing in those spots, and it's not just Aranato, but just cardinal hitters in general,

Starting point is 00:18:15 just trying to hit the hell out of the ball. Just swing away, just crush it, see what you can do, put one over the wall for us. And it would end up with a strikeout or he would pull the ball to the left side of the infield. And it doesn't get anything done, you know, and it was like, you know what, he's accepted it. And a lot of these guys have that there's a job to do when they come up to the plate.

Starting point is 00:18:34 It's not just try to hit the ball as hard as you can. Do something with the ball. Have a plan. And you can tell both at bat's not. I was like, I'm just going to try to get it over there. If I get something sweet, cool, I'll go for it. But I'm just going to try to do this. And he got the job done twice in the first couple of innings there.

Starting point is 00:18:51 And it helped turn that game around. And it's little stuff like that. Just putting the ball at play has been something that I've done. been impressed with, the strikeout percentage going down, down, down. And you're always going to see strikeouts. There's so many good pitchers in this league. And you're going to have frustrating at bats where guys strike out. You know, Wilson Contreras obviously had a lot of those early on in the season. But for the most part, you're seeing them put it in play and make the other team field it and make the plays to beat them instead of it just being like you're out. You're not going to, you know,

Starting point is 00:19:23 you got to put pressure. Like you mentioned, put pressure on the other team, put the ball in play. Another thing that stood out to me, what do you feel about the team energy that's going on with this team? Clearly winning helps like everybody's happier when they're winning. But at the same time, because of the youthfulness of this team, I feel like a lot of the energy, instead of trying to get it from veterans, it's coming from the younger guys.

Starting point is 00:19:47 And then, you know, it's going to Wilson and going to Nolan Aronado. And they just seem like they got a whole lot more life on the bench and in the games because of some of the younger. guys that are around them. What do you think about that? Yeah, I totally agree. Katie Lou had a quote from Nolan Arnado recently about how it's just more exciting and he comes to the stadium energized more now. I think that's been infectious. It starts with the young guys, like you said. You've got Mason Win, Victor Scott the second, even Jordan Walker, Lars Nupar, and then Pedro Pahas are just the goofballs on the team. It feels as though everything's a lot different in the clubhouse this year.

Starting point is 00:20:21 And it's infectious to everybody else too. Yeah. You know, when you play tight, it's like you're not playing a game anymore. It's just business, it's work, and it's not a fun way to go about things. And I've had that complaint about the Cardinals for a number of different years where I'm like, you guys need to relax a little bit. It looks like for a number of years, like Newport was the only person having fun. He was the only guy that was playing it like he was a kid still. Everybody else was everything was just so serious and tense. And I just, I never enjoyed that. I was like, we're such a boring team to watch this year. It is not boring at all. Like there's excitement, there's energy. They've got a they've got some cockiness. They got a little vibe to them. And I've

Starting point is 00:21:00 thoroughly enjoyed it. Yep. Yeah. All right, coming up, no team is perfect. All of these good things that we mentioned, not everybody's perfect. There's going to be warts on every team. So what are some things the Cardinals can improve on to keep things moving in the right direction? We'll talk about those things next on Locked on Cardinals. Thank you again for making Lockedong cartels. Your first listen today for your second listen. Check out the all new locktod. MLB game night every game, every night all season long, get local analysis on a national scale. You can find MLB game night on locked on MLB on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast. The great Thomas Govain from Redbird Grants.com joining us here today talking some Cardinals

Starting point is 00:21:47 baseball as they get ready to start a weekend series in Kansas City. They come off the big series win over the Philadelphia Phillies where they just annihilate Aranola and that Philly staff. I don't think Philly knew what hit them. Like they were just in shock watching the ball continue to fly around the yard. Coming into a series against Kansas City where, you know, Kansas City is playing very, very well. They've got some good things going, a great pitching staff. Obviously, Bobby Wood Jr. is a big deal there.

Starting point is 00:22:17 So the Cardinals still, they're not a perfect team by any means. No team is. But they've won a lot recently. But let's not forget about the journey it took to get to this point. There was a lot of things that they had to work through in that first month of the season. maintain what they've been doing, it won't be so easy. So where on this roster, Thomas, do you see a need for improvements, or at least what part of their game do you feel needs some work? Yeah, it's the second part of your question there for me. It leans into the energy around the

Starting point is 00:22:48 team. I think that they can improve their base running a little bit more. Their 20th in steals right now in the league. Their average team sprint speed is 28th in the league. Mind you, there's only 30 teams, and I'm pretty sure that they are at the same sprint speed as the last place team. So they're not the fastest. They're not using their speed too much. There are some other underlying metrics that point to them being speedier. I think you had I talked about the stat last year. There's something called bolts.

Starting point is 00:23:13 I don't even ask me what it means, but I know they're a-in-it, which feels good for some reason. Their 10th and base running runs, according to baseball savant. They've got five players who are all above average in sprint speed and their regulars. It's Scott Walker, Sejacy, who could be a regular if he comes back up. Mason win and then Newt bar are all above average runners. They're some of the best hitters on the team right now, too, so they're getting on base. I just feel like there could be more base running push, especially as they play some teams in some non-hitter-friendly parks like Kaufman, like Bush Stadium or their appellant, like get on base

Starting point is 00:23:45 and then use your speed and take advantage of the lack of power in these stadiums. Yeah, I mean, it's something that Major League Baseball wants them to do because that's why they made things a little bit easier for base runners to run. Like, where would they be on these lists without Victor Scott doing what he's doing? As I mentioned, I would love to see him run more. There are some of the bats where I'm just like, why has they taken off yet? Like, go. Just, just. I know. Mason went to, I really think they need to lean in. I don't know if his injuries there are holding them back or if there's a worry with his with his backside. But I feel like Wynn could be doing just a little, a couple more stolen bases, a little bit more challenging on the base paths. You know, I mean,

Starting point is 00:24:23 We saw Scott go first to home twice in the game. I don't think we've ever seen Mason Wynn go first to home since he's called up. I don't recall anything like that now. Yeah, I don't know. And Jordan Walker obviously could run more if he ever gets on baseball. That's his problem is like get him on first in the first place. But obviously he's very fast. He's a big man who's got a lot of speed.

Starting point is 00:24:47 You see him use it in the outfield all the time. So hopefully at some point things will start to work out for him, consistently at the plate that that way he he can maybe show that off. But yeah, I'm an agreeance with you completely. It's part of the game. It's one of the more entertaining parts of watching a major league baseball game, even teams that aren't that good. Like, you know, you saw the pirates early on when they were playing,

Starting point is 00:25:10 okay, they were doing a lot of running when they were on the base pass and it was helping them out. You know, it's being aggressive and making the other team make mistakes, trying to get you out, you know. And sure, there's going to be times where you get thrown out. And you're going to be like, oh, that sucks. But, you know, being that team that always has the threat of running is really what I want to say. You know, the threat of going and taking that extra base from, because it's a nuisance if you're a pitcher, a pitcher on the mound.

Starting point is 00:25:39 But if you're not worried about them going anywhere, it really kind of takes the pressure off you. You don't have to worry about that so much. You're not worried about pitch out. You're not worried about location, about not spiking the ball in the dirt. You know, there's so many things that go into it when you got somebody you can steal a base on on first or second. So yeah, certainly something that sure we should work on. I would say this about the base running, though, since that, you know, terrible out at home plate in that Pittsburgh series, I feel like as far as the aggressiveness on the base pass, you know, after a base hit and running,

Starting point is 00:26:09 I feel like they've been way better. Like, you know, taking those extra bases in that game against Philly to get that whole, you know, to get that, that rally going in that anywhere, where it was the base hit and Newton Mason took second and third on the base hit. You know, that was, that was huge, you know. And so I've seen a lot of improvements there and I want to see more of that. My one spot that I want to bring up and it's, I don't mean to make it personal. But Ryan Halsley, bro, can you please not give us all a heart attack every time you come in the game. Like, why does it feel like when he steps in that this is something's going to happen?

Starting point is 00:26:49 It's going to go sideways. almost every time he's in the game, walk or a base hit. Like, he's got to have somebody on base to get through it. Like, what is the deal, Thomas? I don't think he's had a clean inning, has he? No one on base? I know what's tough to do. His whip is 1.53, so clearly he's getting people on base, almost too per outing.

Starting point is 00:27:12 Yeah, I love a nice, easy, restful ninth inning every once in a while. Yeah. The other night, I think the game against the Phillies, that first win, he struck out the first two. And then, you know, the nice play by Walker running in was, you know, to catch the bloop by Trey Turner. I think that was a clean inning if memory. Yeah, okay. Yeah. But that's very rare.

Starting point is 00:27:34 And even then you were like, like, like it almost got away from him on that blue pit. So I don't know what it is. You know, I feel like sometimes he's not trusting his fastball. Like it feels like when he throws it a couple of times. And then if he doesn't have it, he just, it's all sliders after that. And so I just, sometimes I feel like that's a problem. I love when he pulls out a curveball. I don't know where his curveballs look nice.

Starting point is 00:27:59 And he only uses in a few, yeah. Yeah, yeah. His 12 to 6 is beautiful when he, when he's got it. And I don't know, that's the only thing I worry about it's, it's, it's, obviously I'm being, you know, very picky here. But it's just like, if I just want to be able to trust him, I just want to, I want to be able to come in and I know he's not going to save him all. I get it.

Starting point is 00:28:18 You know, even the best get hit, like Suarez for the Padres the other day. You know, all of a sudden he got wild and things happen. But like, I just want to trust him more. I just want to see him do it a little bit easier and take a little bit, make it a little more relaxing for everybody when we get to the night. Because everybody else leading up to nine, at least recently, has been incredible. It seems like Ali finally found that path to get to Helsley. And now we just need Helsley to be the guy that you saw more times than not last year.

Starting point is 00:28:44 So that's just me. But if you guys have any suggestions on things you want the car, to improve on. And just don't say Gorman Walker over and over. Like, we get it. They know that. You know, they're trying to get them turned around. They're working on it, all right?

Starting point is 00:28:59 But if there's something else other than them, too, that you want the team to improve upon, what are some of your favorite things about the Cardinals so far this season? And who do you think is All-Starworthy? Let us know in the comments section. Obviously, you can hit Thomas up on X. He's at Thomas Govain. And obviously, you can find me at Locked on Cardinals, L.O. underscore Cardinals and a JD Sports Radio.

Starting point is 00:29:20 We want to thank you guys for making Locktown Cardinals your first listen every day. Hit us up on TikTok, Instagram. You can find us on YouTube as well, like, subscribe and comment, and hit that notification button so you don't miss out on everything. You guys are the best fans in baseball for a reason. We will see you next time on Locked on Cardinals. Great to see you again, Thomas. Thanks for coming in, bud.

Starting point is 00:29:38 Oh, yeah, good to be back. Thank you, Judy.

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