Buffa's Buffet: 5 things on my mind.
Waino is back, but the entire coaching staff will not be for St. Louis.
The discussion over mental health can go in many directions, especially this week after a horrible tragedy. Instead of loading a school shooting into their plan of action, politicians will use it for campaign firepower. News anchors and podcast mouthpieces will use it for their conversational gain. Using and abusing without physical oppression in this world is common practice, so I will go in the opposite direction and tell you about my mental health.
Working out. Fitness. Getting it in. If I don't work out, my entire mindset is thrown off and I am playing from behind early in the game. Nothing throws a workout schedule off more than a boring, annoying day job. Since the afternoon is out, I am going in the early morning. The gym isn't empty at 630am, but it's not stuffed and allows a guy to get in and out within 35 minutes.
Also, if you're working out for more than 45 minutes, you're ripping your muscles up too much and most likely doing too much. Unless you're doing cardio and weights, starting and finishing a workout inside an hour shouldn't be a problem. How many chest exercises can you do? Flies, press, bench, incline, decline, and more presses? Pick 3-4 things, do four sets, and get out of there. Why? You're coming back, aren't you?
Without coffee, I am troubled. Without cannabis, I am more prone to sadness. Without fitness, I'm unhinged. That's it. As the latest episode of the Cam and Strick Podcast continues in my ears with former NHL head coach, Barry Trotz, I will get into a few things on my mind.
Chief among them, Adam Wainwright. In very predictable fashion, the St. Louis Cardinals righthander will be returning for the 2023 season. Via a source, reported by Derrick Goold, the Georgia native can chase down 200 wins and possibly a chance to collect his third World Series ring. You never know in this league. Just ask the
Philadelphia Phillies right now. Wainwright, according to the Post Dispatch, has “unfinished business” in 2023
It'll be his first season with the Cards that doesn't include his battery mate and best friend, Yadier Molina, on the roster. Wainwright will be the oldest guy on the roster, as he turns 42 next September. The age on his birth certificate doesn't really matter though, as he has proven the past three seasons. The injury from a comebacker that extended his stride and derailed his 2022 season is taken care of. At the very least, St. Louis has a dependable third starter.
Next up: Shortstop, outfield, or catcher. It wasn't a pitching problem in the playoffs these past four seasons: it was the offense that ran out of gas.
A few words about former St. Louis Blues forward, Klim Kostin, as the Blues prepare to face the Edmonton Oilers. The former first round pick who came to the Blues in a trade involving Ryan Reaves, Kostin was put on waivers earlier this month. At only 23 years old, it was an odd release. Throughout his limited time here, Kostin rarely played over 10-12 minutes per game. Head coach Craig Berube did mention he wasn't making enough strides when on the ice, but can you really get better on a conference-contending team if you aren't seeing more minutes?
I was a fan of Kostin, especially his energy and aggressive style of play. He could shoot the puck and live around the edges of the net, and he wasn't afraid to hit the corners. There's a lot of factors in the release of a player, but seeing a still-very-young winger get sent out can leave a sour feeling. Prospects don't always work out immediately, but they can flourish eventually. I'm keeping an eye on Kostin in Edmonton.
St. Louis SC, the new MLS soccer team in town, lost their stadium name this week. It was Centene Stadium before, and then the company started realigning their assets and company finances. It's now City Park, which I think is a fun name that can grow around the city. But it could become a Riverport/Kiel Center situation where every year or so it has a new name. With that being said, here are a few name ideas:
*ROY FUCKING KENT stadium.
*Which High School stadium.
*Bread-sliced Bagel stadium.
*Wrexham Midwest stadium.
*Crime Capital Center.
Life's all about fun: finding it, nurturing it, and holding onto it.
What else? The Cardinals currently have zero members on their coaching staff, outside of manager Oliver Marmol. This afternoon’s news from Katie Woo of The Athletic that hitting coach Jeff Albert decided not to come back to his role, even after a new contract was presented, is bizarre. According to Ben Frederickson of the Post Dispatch, Albert’s reasoning was the constant opposition and blame from the fans. I’m not lying. Read it for yourself.
So, hitting coaches are humans too. They are mostly useless, feel the brunt of blame, and make rash decisions based on that. Calling him soft is easy. I call him liberated, but I’ll never forget this instance where a coach decided that the vitriol of social media was too much for him. The stink was enough to have him turn down a contract from a team that handed him the entire offensive strategy. It had to be bad, right?
Maddux stepping away doesn’t surprise me. He’s been in the game forever, and a pitching coach takes nearly as much blame as a hitting coach at times. That, or he finally got tired of 24/7/365 job status. He’s 62 in August, and could be a bit fried. Or, he doesn’t want to come back only to see the team make the playoffs and get booted. At a certain point, you’re just tired.
All of this happens as Nolan Arenado discusses his opt-out clause with John Mozeliak. Picture it. Down the hall, Arenado is talking to Mo and somewhere in the President of Baseball Operations’ head is an alarm going off that his entire coaching staff, outside of manager Oli Marmol, is gone. That must be a rush.
Honestly, if there was a time to clear the coaching roster, now isn’t a terrible time. Veterans have departed, but there are still stars on the team. Young players are playing a bigger part, but there are still holes to fill on the roster. You have an impasse that is lowering soon, and building a new coaching staff as you decide on the next big piece of your future isn’t bad timing. It’s not exactly ideal either, but the Cardinals are in it now.
Along with the coaching changes, Mozeliak did say the payroll was going up. Following the Pujols 700 club joining and the farewell tour ticket sales, a shortstop or outfielder shouldn’t be too hard to come by.
That’s all I got. Be good and safe.