Hochman: Mike Mayers? Yup, that ex-Cardinals pitcher took perfect game to eighth vs. St. Louis
“I wasn’t a great big leaguer here,” said Mayers, who allowed nine runs in 1 1/3 innings of his major league debut, a 2016 start against the Dodgers on national TV.
May 22, 2023
Hochman: St. Louis is a baseball town. Rick Hummel was its great chronicler.
In St. Louis, baseball is a community. And Rick Hummel, the legendary Post-Dispatch scribe who passed away at 77, was a mainstay, a major player.
Hochman: Cardinals' remarkable turnaround fueled by trust, confidence and crooked numbers
St. Louis has won four consecutive series — and its next four series are against three teams under .500 and one right around it.
May 20, 2023
Hochman: Nolan Arenado's best friend from childhood to now? He plays for the Dodgers.
“He's been like a brother,” said Arenado, who is 32 and was born 32 days after Trayce Thompson. “And I love his family. His mom’s like a second mom to me.”
Hochman: The art of ‘not hitting.’ Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar walks better than most in baseball
Lars Nootbaar entered Wednesday with a 19.4% walk rate, second in the entire National League to just Juan Soto.
May 16, 2023
Hochman: ‘It’s mind-boggling.’ Jayson Tatum and Matthew Tkachuk were classmates at Chaminade
“I mean, it's crazy, obviously,” said Chantal Tkachuk, Matthew’s mother, of the classmates becoming stars in the NBA and NHL. “And just, I think, really cool for St. Louis.”
Hochman: All eyes on the Cardinals’ frustrating Jack Flaherty in crucial start vs. Brewers
I’ve never been more frustrated with Jack Flaherty — both how he’s pitching and how he handled himself after the last start.
Hochman: ‘I'm trying to fix it.’ An honest Nolan Arenado is mired in mediocrity.
For how much Nolan Arenado's excellence was part of the Cardinals winning last year, that’s how much his dormant start has been part of losing this season.
Hochman: The Cardinals stink. So I watched a youth baseball game instead.
The Cardinals are 10-24. So I spent the day in Edwardsville, where I watched some youth games to recharge my spirits, replenish my soul and reassure myself that there is, indeed, joy in baseball.
Hochman: How bad is it for the Cardinals? A comeback could ‘get a Disney movie’
The 2023 Cards are 10-21.That’s on pace for 52-110.No, the Cardinals won’t be that bad.But at this point, it’s really hard to believe they’ll be good enough to play in October.
Hochman: St. Louis Cardinals fans experience Shohei Ohtani, a unicorn in a uniform
“We're talking about a superstar on both sides of it,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “To do what he does on both sides of the baseball, it's an understatement to say that it's extremely impressive.”
Hochman: Dissecting the confidence of the Cardinals, last place in the NL Central
The Cardinals stink. They’re 10-19, they entered Monday 10 games out of first place and their longest winning streak is two games.