MILWAUKEE - JUNE 11: Jim Edmonds #15 of the St. Louis Cardinals starts to run to first base during the game against...

An all-decade, all-value lineup card

Erik Manning of FanGraphs pored over every performance from an MLB player between 2000 and 2009 and created the best possible 1-9 lineup of players from that period. Odd: Carlos Delgado (2000) leads off. Cool: This team would average nine runs a game.

Story | Conversation | December 18, 2009

Cardinals' Freese faces DWI charge

Cardinals third baseman David Freese has been arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, the fourth time in less than three years that a member of the team has faced drunken-driving allegations.

Top 100 players of the decade

Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez were the clear-cut first two choices for the top 100 players of the decade; after that, the list got a little more difficult.

Should Edgar be Hall's first DH?

...Fame (Carlton Fisk, Duke Snider, Eddie Murray) and players who aren't (Bobby Grich, Alan Trammell, Jim Edmonds). But the players who are in the Hall probably should be, and the players who aren...

Perusing the free-agent bargain bin

Bobby Abreu proved last year that there are bargains to be had on the free-agent market. Starting 9 takes a look at the best deals on the offseason discount rack.

Instant replay must be expanded … immediately

There were mistakes made by professionals this week. The gritty Ryan Raburn played a pop-fly single into a triple in the Metrodome. Chris Carpenter le...

Blog Entry | Conversation | October 10, 2009

Three Strikes: Sunday insanity edition

STRIKE ONE -- TRIFECTA DEPT. So much bizarre stuff happened in Sunday's New York Mets-Philadelphia Phillies game at Citi Field, cyberspace barely has...

Blog Entry | Conversation | August 24, 2009

Giving Helton his due

...Barry Bonds LF .291/.431/.633 65/48 Mike Piazza C .377/.459/.701 49/60 Jim Edmonds CF .295/.400/.556 66/51 Todd Helton 1B .353/.441/.633 46/59 Edmonds just...

Our (preliminary) All-Decade Team

...games (so far) this season. Maybe the most interesting argument (yet) comes in center field, where Jim Edmonds and his 140 OPS+ (but only 4,757 plate appearances) face off against Carlos Beltran'...

Cubs return to scene of the 'cho-llapse'

How do you make a sequel to a horror movie? As the Cubs enter their 2009 home opener, they vow to both remember and forget their horrific fall.

National League keys

...have to admit it took some guts for the Cubs to trade Felix Pie and spurn Jim Edmonds, with only Fukudome left as a viable candidate for center field. The Cubs are probably the...

They're called 'prospects' for a reason

While the Blue Jays and Phillies continue to haggle over prospects, Starting 9 revisits some trades involving highly touted minor leaguers who became major league busts.

Cards GM expects to talk with Boras

Matt Holliday is in no hurry to talk about the future. Neither are the Cardinals, who want to sign him to a long-term contract.

Cubs' offense often inept in many ways

The Cubs are muddling along in that middle ground between waiting to erupt and going nowhere fast.