The Kid Factor
by Michael Riehn
Whiteyball Staff
T.J. Oshie
What a fantastic day for Missouri sports yesterday! I attended the St. Louis Blues hockey game last night versus Vancouver and was struck by how much energy and passion this young team had. A sellout crowd gave the building a playoff atmosphere with constant cheering and chanting. Cries of “We Want Playoffs” and “Ohhhh Sheee” permeated through the building, enticing me to take part in the electric atmosphere.
To be honest, I had written off hockey the last few years. I still follow the team through the Post Dispatch, but I had not been to a game all season. Hanging out at the game with a good friend, slapping five after a goal, and cheering every dramatic play, reminded me of how great sports can be.
The Blues will be an exciting team to watch in years to come with their “kid line”. Peron and Berglund have a chance to be all-stars, and Oshie could be transcendent. He was the best player on the ice last night, and his combination of skill, energy, moves, speed and hitting is going to be special to watch. What a talent! The Backes shorthanded goal was beautiful, but Oshie’s dekes and creativity to score the Blue’s first score might have been the best goal I have ever seen live. It was that good.
After the game, I was able to catch most of the second half of the Mizzou game. These kids have come a long way from the dark days of the program just 3 short years ago. What Mike Anderson has done is phenomenal and deserving of coach of the year honors. He outcoached the more experienced Calipari from Memphis and designed a game plan that showed why this team deserves their lofty plaudits. The Tigers basketball team plays an exciting brand of basketball and it will be interesting to see how far they go in the NCAA tournament.
As an aside, when was the last time Missouri Football and Basketball have ended the season in the top 25? It is a great time to be a Mizzou fan.
What do these teams have in common with the Cardinals? Both of them rely heavily on kids and the Cardinals will be no different this year. These young players will provide an energy and spirit that will further endear us to our team. I believe a player that comes up through our system makes us more invested in how they do. We have a plethora of homegrown starters already with us. Just look at all the players, brought up from our minor leagues, who will be starting for the Cardinals: Chris Duncan, Rick Ankiel, Albert Pujols, Skip Schumaker, David Freese/Joe Mather, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright.
Others playing significant roles include: Jason Motte, Josh Kinney, Chris Perez, Colby Rasmus, Kyle McClellen and Brendan Ryan. We have exciting prospects on the horizon that could see big league time this year, consisting of Brett Wallace, Darrell Jones, Jon Jay, Jess Todd, Brian Anderson, Tyler Greene, Brian Barden, Brian Barton, Blake Hawksworth and Mitchell Boggs.
These kids will pave the way for the Cardinals to be competitive for years to come and I’m looking forward to seeing their growth and accomplishments. I hope they will find similar success to the young players on the Blues and Mizzou teams. We are in for an exciting year if they do.
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Photo courtesy of the AP
Filed Under: Baseball • Cardinal Prospects • Prospects • Sports • Uncategorized
About the Author: I am a Cardinal fan, from a small town in Missouri and grew up listening to the Whiteyball teams of the 1980s (but still love the Tony LaRussa version). Currently living outside of St. Louis, I am a partial season ticket holder with a great group of friends.
I hold the position of Director of Sales and Marketing for a hydraulic press manufacturer and serve on a local youth baseball board of directors. Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/mriehn
