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I'm Bernie Miklasz. I've been writing and talking about St. Louis sports since 1985. I've won multiple national awards for writing and talk-show hosting. I was the lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from 1989 through 2015. I was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. I write tons of columns for the Scoops Network, and I'm a regular contributor at the legendary St. Louis radio station, KMOX. I believe in speaking my mind without filters and supporting my vie ...
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I'll answer the question: No, Cardinals fans are NOT spoiled. They have many reasons to be frustrated, angry, and demanding more from ownership and baseball management. That's why ESPN.com put Cardinals fans on The Top 10 list of the most aggrieved fan bases in the majors. But in this video, I wanted to make a few points: 1) The overwhelming percen…
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Since Jim Montgomery became Blues 14 games ago on Nov. 25, the team has evolved into a top-three NHL team in goal prevention. This is a huge change from the first 22 games, before the coaching change. Under Drew Bannister were one of the worst teams in the NHL at preventing goals, and that made it difficult to win on a consistent basis. The Blues s…
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In this video I address several connected topics: Paul Goldschmidt is a New York Yankee for 2025 after signing a one-year deal for $12.5 million. Can Goldy have a bounce-back season in The Bronx? With Goldschmidt at first base, do the Yankees pursue a trade for Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado and reunite Goldy and 'Nado in Gotham? Does the ac…
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In a story first reported by MLB.com on Wednesday afternoon, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado used his no-trade clause to block a potential trade with the Houston Astros. Arenado has every right to do so, and no one should hold that against him. Still, I wonder. What will make Arenado happy? What would motivate him to sign off and put down his…
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Over the past two seasons, the Cardinals were short on star power. And they were short of WAR power. That's a bad combination. The Cardinals lacked charisma, didn't provide much entertainment, and didn't generate enough Wins Above Replacement on an individual basis. In other words the Redbirds didn't have the necessary star-WAR power. I explain all…
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NL teams are spending more and more money. Eight of the top 10 largest contracts in the history of major-league baseball are held by players that currently work for National League teams. The top 10 team payroll list is loaded with National League teams, and stars continue to leave American League teams go head to the NL. Two recent examples (or ma…
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Over the weekend the Blues acquired left-shot defenseman Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks, and he was ready to go and in uniform for The Note's games against Dallas (Saturday) and the NY Rangers (Sunday) mostly teaming with defenseman Colton Parayko. In this video I explain why this was a smart and obvious move by Blues hockey commander Doug Armst…
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On Saturday, The Athletic reported the Houston Astros have emerged as a "serious suitor" in a trade for Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. The report also noted that no deal is imminent. But this could lead to a trade; as I type this we just don't know the answer. And depending on when you choose to watch this video, we may have gotten the answ…
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The Brewers made a big trade Friday, sending the deluxe closer Devin Williams to the Yankees for starting pitcher Nestor Cortes and $4.5 million in cash. The Brewers were concerned about the rotation, so they traded a short-term reliever for a short-term starter. I say that because Williams and Cortes likely will become free agents after the 2025 s…
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Cardinals icon Albert Pujols is taking a lot of criticism from fans of the Leones del Escogido team in the Dominican Republic Winter League. As I type this, Pujols' club has lost 15 of its last 21 games to fall to fourth place in the six-team league and veteran reporter/broadcaster Mike Rodriguez said the rookie manager is being "severely criticize…
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The St. Louis Blues have experienced a dramatic transformation since Jim Montgomery replaced Drew Bannister as coach late last month. In seven games under Monty the Blues are 5-1-1 for the NHL's fifth-best points percentage since Nov. 25. The Blues have significantly increased their scoring rate. They have significantly lowered their goals-against …
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The St. Louis Cardinals almost certainly will trade third baseman Nolan Arenado before the calendar flips to 2025; president of baseball operations John Mozeliak expressed confidence in a deal getting done. OK, Cardinals fans ... what is your opinion of Arenado's four seasons in St. Louis? And what is your opinion on the four seasons that Arenado a…
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Obviously the St. Louis Cardinals were never going to be a factor in the bid for free-agent right fielder Juan Soto, who on Sunday agreed to terms with the NY Mets on a massive 15-year, $765 million deal that set a MLB record for the largest contract that doesn't contain deferred payments. But how does the Soto signing -- and the free-agent spendin…
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In this video, I contrast the respective approaches taken by the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Blues and how each organization has handled a so-called retool, reset, or soft-rebuild situation. Blues GM Doug Armstrong didn't hesitate to offload pending free agents -- big-name players, popular players -- to enhance the Blues' future and short…
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Yadier Molina's brother, Bengie, stirred the pot Wednesday by answering questions from the gang who do the morning show on 101 ESPN. Bengie, who does an excellent job of promoting his little brother, was ready to deliver a message: 1) Yadier Molina wants to manage the Cardinals. 2) But if the Cardinals don't hire him Yadi has "offers" to manage oth…
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The Cardinals announced three more hires Wednesday, as Chaim Bloom and Rob Cerfolio to continue to make moves to bring in smart baseball minds that will take the organization's collective Baseball IQ to a much higher level. In this video, I tell you all about the three new hires, and everything you should know about them, and why they appear to be …
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When NHL general managers and owners fire their head coach -- which happens every 27 seconds, or so it seems -- there's usually a positive response from the players, who pretend to be motivated for a few weeks until reverting to who they really are. For reasons that I explain in this video, I believe the situation is different for the St. Louis Blu…
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The St. Louis Cardinals still have a chance, an excellent chance, to "win" the Tommy Edman trade. As you know, at the 2024 trade deadline, the Cardinals were part of a three-team trade with the Dodgers and White Sox. The only aspect of this that still matters is that utility dude Tommy Edman went from the Cardinals to the Dodgers, and the White Sox…
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St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado posted a collection of family-and-friend photos on his Instagram account over the weekend that gave us a loom at his offseason life in his hometown Los Angeles area. The photos were lovely and reflected the sentimental, warm feelings that are part of the holiday season. So what's up with this? Why am …
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The Missouri Tigers closed the regular season Saturday with a 28-21 win over Arkansas at Faurot Field. Let it snow! The victory gave the Tigers a 9-3 record overall, and 5-3 in SEC play. Over the last two seasons, Mizzou ranks among highly among power-conference teams with 20 wins overall. In addition, the Tigers' 11-5 in record in SEC conflicts ov…
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The St. Louis Cardinals plan to play the young dudes in 2025, giving them a much fuller opportunity instead of spending and wasting money on average-level free agents that won't elevate the quality of the team. After seeing the Cardinals going in the wrong direction with an outdated and ineffective model that has produced the worst two-season winni…
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We fans and media got into a full-blown tizzy when The Athletic reported on Nolan Arenado being willing to move to first base to fill a hole for a team that could have interest in him. This set off a maniacal reaction, with folks rushing to in to concoct fantasy trades and scenarios. It's all part of the fun of baseball's offseason ... I guess. But…
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The Cardinals are testing the trade market to gauge interest in third baseman Nolan Arenado. He'll be 34 in the spring, he's stuck in a glaring two-year decline phase, and he's owed $74 million in guaranteed salary over the next three seasons. Plus, Arenado has full no-trade protection and can veto any trade proposal. Given that combination of fact…
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In this video, I follow up on the St. Louis Blues' hiring of Jim Montgomery as their new head coach following the dismissal dismissal of Drew Bannister after only 22 games. I explain why I've come to believe that this Montgomery-Blues reunion was in the works all along -- and I offer reasons why. The strong alliance between GM Doug Armstrong and Mo…
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The St. Louis Blues made a predictable and inevitable move on Sunday, firing coach Drew Bannister and hiring Jim Montgomery. In this video, I praise GM Doug Armstrong for moving fast to make a deal with Montgomery, his No. 1 coaching choice since the end of last season. But Montgomery wasn't available last offseason because the Boston Bruins decide…
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St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol will enter the 2025 season in the first year of a two-year contract extension that expires after the 2026 campaign. But that doesn't mean Oli would make it to 2026. With Chaim Bloom taking over the baseball operations department after the '25 season, he'll be making the call on Marmol's future. In this video, …
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In 2023, Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman combined for a .256 average, .335 onbase percentage and .461 slugging percentage for a .796 OPS. They walloped a combined 43 homers and drove in 127 runs. This was a very good set of numbers for two hitters that were 21 (Walker) and 23 (Gorman) years old during the 2023 season. But in 2024, Gorman and Walker …
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Your St. Louis Blues are in a swoon, having gone 1-5-1 in the last seven games and straining to score enough goals to be competitive. This is part of a 3-8-1 stretch that has made the Blues the worst team in the NHL (.292 points percentage) since Oct. 26. As the Blues were playing against Minnesota at Enterprise Center Tuesday night, the news of a …
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The St. Louis Cardinals are using 2025 as a showcase for their younger, less experienced players. The "play the kids" mantra s somewhat misleading because some of the guys that are part of a so-called youth movement have actually been in the majors for two or three seasons. Moreover, if the Cardinals aren't committed to giving abundant playing-time…
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St. Louis Cardinals rookie shortstop did not receive a single vote -- nothing -- in the annual NL Rookie of the Year voting done by the Baseball Writers Association of America. I didn't think Winn had a chance to win the award; Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was an obvious choice, and Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill deserved to finish second. I …
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It makes a tremendous amount of sense for the St. Louis Cardinals to trade their elite closer, Ryan Helsley, this offseason. His value has never been higher than it is now. The Cardinals are highly unlikely to emerge as a legit contender for a 2025 postseason spot, and Helsley can walk as a free agent after the '25 season. This is the right time to…
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The Mizzou football coaches and players and backers expected big things from the Tigers in 2024. After last season's 11-2 emergence, Missouri entered this campaign with high hopes, enormous hype, raised expectations, higher standards and a relatively easy schedule. After losing at South Carolina 34-30, MU is 7-3 overall, 3-3 in the SEC, and 2-3 aga…
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The Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills renew their colorful and wonderfully entertaining rivalry on Sunday afternoon (3:25 pm STL time.) This is the best regular-season matchup -- so far -- on the 2024 NFL schedule. The Chiefs are only the fifth reigning Super Bowl champion to open the next season by winning the first nine games. If they can …
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The Cardinals are promoting the 2025 season as a "Let the kids play!" initiative as the baseball operation takes time to regroup, rebuild the terribly outdated player-development and minor-league infrastructure, and take a long look at the younger players/pitchers on the MLB roster who can be an important part of a changing nucleus going forward. O…
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This is a video about a horse named Noot. For the St. Louis Cardinals to improve offensively in a meaningful way in 2025, Lars Nootbaar will have to play enough to make a difference. Nootbaar draws a lot of walks, fuels the team's onbase percentage, and can hit for power. He can also play all three outfield positions. He isn't much of a base steale…
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For many years the St. Louis Cardinals would mystify front-office executives of other teams by consistently hitting the jackpot with later-round draft picks, low-key trades, and low-cost but high-value free agent signings. These successful sleight of hand moves frustrated opponents and confused media people. How do the Cardinals continue to do this…
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With Wilson Contreras staying, and with Sonny Gray highly likely to stay, the 2025 Cardinals might not be as bad as expected. I've been hearing that a lot from fans and my fellow media friends. And I think it's an interesting question that warrants a closer look. In this video I cite some of the reasons why the Cardinals could surprise us - within …
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On a wild Saturday night in CoMo, the Missouri Tigers overcame a dull start, a plodding offense and a halftime deficit during a crazy, cuckoo 2nd half to outlast visiting Oklahoma 30-23. The star of the show was Missouri backup quarterback Drew Pyne, who shook off an ineffective first half to repeatedly come through with big plays with the game on …
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It was a big week for the St. Louis Cardinals. On Tuesday, Missouri voters approved a ballot initiative that legalizes sportsbook wagering in Missouri. The Cardinals -- and their Ballpark Village -- will clearly benefit from that. On Thursday, the Cardinals announced the launching of a direct-to-consumer streaming package that will deliver the game…
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Here's an update on a recent video about Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, taking a look at the reasons why it makes sense for St. Louis to trade him this offseason. The answer, obviously, is yes. But the reasons are even stronger now. The nove must be made, if at all possible. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak offered t…
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Willson Contreras is on the move ... but he isn't really going anywhere. He's staying in St. Louis, staying with the Cardinals, but he'll head to first base to take over for the departing Paul Goldschmidt. So that's his move: from starting catcher, to starting first baseman. And he'll obviously log plenty of at-bats as a designated hitter ... which…
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Just 13 games into the new season, the St. Louis Blues have been walloped by adversity. There are the injuries to center Robert Thomas, their best player -- and defenseman Philip Broberg, their best newcomer. And in Tuesday's 3-2 win over visiting Tampa Bay, the Blues were shaken by an injury to young center Dylan Holloway, who had to be wheeled of…
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The St. Louis Cardinals acquired the acclaimed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from Arizona before the 2019 season. Goldschmidt is a free agent, and he'll undoubtedly play elsewhere in 2025. The Cardinals declined to make a qualifying offer to Goldschmidt, and that closes the book on his St. Louis career. No question, Goldy had a strong overall body…
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Oscar Tavares, a heralded and highly-touted prospect, made his MLB debut for the St. Louis Cardinals on May 31, 2014 at age 22. He played his final game for the Cardinals on Oct. 16, 2014 and died 10 days later, killing himself and his girlfriend in a horrific, single vehicle drunk-driving wreck in the Dominican Republic. Including the postseason, …
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The St. Louis Cardinals have been caught in a slow but unmistakable downturn since the start of the 2016, missing the playoffs five times in the last eight full seasons. The fan base is justifiably disillusioned, and some of the more irate fans have implored Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. to sell the team. I'm not telling anybody they're wrong …
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After hitting well as a rookie in 2023, Jordan Walker had a brutal 2024 season for the St. Louis Cardinals. He collapsed offensively and relapsed defensively in right field. The numbers were brutal. But he still has the physical ability and natural talent to get his career back on track offensively, and it can happen as soon as the 2025 season. The…
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As much as I love watching baseball, there's a tedium to it. I do not live in the past; I accept the sport for what it is now. Things constantly change. But in these modern times, so many games look the same. So many teams look the same. That can never be said of Whitey Herzog's St. Louis Cardinals teams during the 1980s. Months before I started my…
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St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado will turn 34 years old in April, and he's already two seasons into an age-related decline phase -- offensively and defensively. The aging curve brings down all athletes at some point, but that's happened sooner than expected with Arenado. It makes sense for the Cardinals to move him this offseason. He…
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Oli Marmol will manage the St. Louis Cardinals in 2025 and is under contract to do the same job in 2026. We can't predict the future and set expectations for Marmol's team in 2025. There will be payroll cuts, and some could be harsh. Nucleus players/pitchers are likely to be traded; the only question is, how many? It would be a very challenging yea…
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The highly anticipated 2024 Missouri football season is going down the tubes. Forget about the Tigers finding their way into the 12-team national playoff; this team can't even find its way into the end zone. In their last two losses, at Texas A&M and Alabama, MU was outscored by a combined 75-10. And the squad really hasn't played one great game so…
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