The Hard Nine

In this episode we discuss the unique skill sets Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman bring to 2B and to the Cards. What should we expect? Are their ceilings unprecedented at the position? How will Oli handle getting the most from these two youngsters? Plus, the Hard Nine Bag returns. Tell a Friend.

He’s not your MVP. He’s not my MVP. He’s our MVP. What can we expect from the future hall of famer in 2023. Mr. Consistency looks to go B2B in the National League.

In this episode we celebrate Scott Rolens career as he is finally elected to MLB Hall of Fame. We also discuss the voting process and focus on other players yet to be elected, who make us scratch our heads. Welcome to St. Louis Chip Carey.

Get to know the newest Cardinal, Willson Contreras. We dig into WC’s career and give a breakdown of what we believe Cards fans can expect from #40; on and off the field. Fans should be super pumped to have him as part of Cardinals Nation.

We discuss the Trevor Bauer to STL rumors. Bill DeWitt and Mo have lots to say at Winter Warmup. Cards up payroll for upcoming season; reach agreements with 6 players, as well as are active in international market. How should we view the roster as it stands now? Carlos Correa finds a familiar home.

In this episode we discuss MLB Pre-Season Rankings and if we believe the Cardinals are being viewed too high or too low? What are expectations for the current roster? What question marks become huge positives? Who are the 2 keys to becoming an elite team?

In our final episode of 2022, we discuss the red hot MLB Free Agent Market coming closer to an end, and address the idea that the Cards should be more active in it. We take a look at the transactions from the last week. Do the Cards have the best IF in baseball? What does Ivan Herrera’s future with the club look like? With the depth of this organization, why are fans freaking out over not signing...

Should the Cardinals dip their toes into the Free Agent SP market; trade market; or is rotation good enough? What do they die with extra money from Contreras deal? Is it essential to have pocket aces come playoff team. MLB Free Agent spending setting records. Does spending more money = better chances to win? St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves,...

We discuss the newest Cardinal and how that not only impacts the lineup and rotation, but what does it mean for more moves by Mo and company in 23? With all the pieces still in tact, is an unexpected trade in the cards?

We dig into what we see the Cardinals doing with their surplus of OF’s. Could we see a bounce back from Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson? What’s Noot’s ceiling; do we have any idea? Could we see Gorman in OF? What does all this mean for Alec Burleson, and Moises Gomez? How long can you keep Jordan Walker out of the lineup? We also revisit the catcher market as the MLB Winter Meetings heat up.

We take a look at all the St Louis Cardinals options at catcher for next year and moving forward. Is it best to make a trade, or simply sign one of the free agent options. We also debut two new Hard Nine Pod Segments. Willson Contreras, Yadier Molina. Ivan Herrera, Andrew Knizner, Tucker Barnhart, Christian Vazquez, Sean Murphy, Alejandro Kirk, Danny Jansen, Nolan Gorman.

We take a way too early look at a potential St. Louis Cardinals lineup, and their OF options a plenty. Caleb and Mike also go around MLB Top 15 Free Agents and predict where they believe they land, and how those signings could affect the rest of the league, including the St. Louis Cardinals. Hot Stove, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency, Aaron Judge, Jacob deGrom, Carlos Rodon, Brandon Nimmo, Wilson C...

In this episode, we unveil our new pod name, as well as our new socials for Caleb and Mike. We also dig into the news that Waino’s and Nado’s contracts will count towards the 2023 Salary, and how that affects the team moving forward. What moves realistically make sense? Possible Free Agents. Possible Trade Targets. What should the priorities be? New coaches arrive and bring new philosophies with t...

Nolan Arenado gives the St. Louis Cardinals fans an early holiday gift by opting in, which will keep him in The Lou at least the next 5 MLB seasons. What promises did Mo make to him when he flew to Cali? What new faces could we see next year playing at Busch Stadium? We prioritize the needs, and go through a nice list of possible candidates to wear the birds on the bat in 23.

In this episode, we discuss the first moves by Mo and Co. after the end of the 2022 MLB Season. Adam Wainwright, Oli Marmol, Jeff Albert, Skip Schumacher, Mike Maddux, Pop Warner, Stubby Clapp, Wilson Contreras, St. Louis Cardinals, Hot Stove, MLB.

We breakdown the 2022 Fall Classic between the Astros and Phillies. We also dive into the ALCS and NLCS, and hand out our MLB Awards. Bryce Harper has become what everybody hoped he could. Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Jose Urquidy, Brayan Peña, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Peña, Martin Maldonado, Yuri Gurriel, Rhys Hoskins, Zach Wheeler, Aaro...

We dive in to what went wrong in the very short St. Louis Cardinals Postseason run. Was the Farewell Tour a distraction, and are we headed for another one in 2023? We also break down the importance of the upcoming off-season, and look into potential moves this team needs to make to upgrade and complete with the big boys of the National League. St. Louis Cardinals, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt,...

Friend of the show, Dee Pagel joins us to dive into MLB Wild Card Weekend Matchups. We also make our predictions for all the series winners. Cleveland Guardians, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers.

In this episode we dig into what the Cards need to do to take down the Phillies in a 3-game series at Busch.

We celebrate the Cardinals winning the National League Central in Milwaukee, as well as Albert Pujols checking off another HOF milestone, with #700. What will the postseason offensive roster look like; who are your three starters in the first round; what we believe the lineup should look like. Aaron Judge ties. Roger Maris, but who is the real Home Run Single Season King? Can we give the Cleveland...

Friend of the show, Mike Godar joins us to discuss al things Cardinals; 4-3 week not as bad as it looks; potential position players for postseason roster; who is the X Factor for playoffs; time for Dylan Carlson to step up and pay everyday?; Where is Nolan Gorman; huge week as we face playoff teams; pitching staff looking better; are we concerned about the offense; will 325/700 ever happen again?;...

We wrap up the week that was in St. Louis Cardinals Baseball; 4-3 on the week, should we feel worse about it; We spotlight the week of Albert Pujols, as well as the incredible season he has put together, and why we, and most likely everybody else, were wrong; Tommy’s gotten red hot again; are the bats cold, or are we not really looking at the big picture: concern over Miles and Waino?; We jinxed N...

We review the Labor Day Weekend sweep of the Cubs: Monty’s dominance; Albert’s Magical Moment; Miles being Miles; bullpen continues to shine; Tommy’s hot streak. September Baseball is here. Nolan POTM for 2nd time in 2022. Can Cards catch the Mets for 2nd overall seed in National League? Our first Twitter Giveaway. MLB Notes and Updated Power Rankings. Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington...

We discuss and wrap up the. 3 game series win vs. Cincinnati; Miles with a hiccup but offense picks him up; top of order continues to produce; Tylers tanks; bullpen shaping up; Pallante’s importance to this team. Caleb takes a deep dive into Lars and his sustained success. Preview of the Cubs Labor Day series at Busch. We also take a look around the rest of the league as we celebrate entering Sept...

We recap the 3-game series win vs. Atlanta. Despite facing top pitching Cards OPS’ are soaring. Should we be concerned about DC and Gorman; Tyler is back; what does the next month look like for Juan Yepez; Noot and Donnie continue to set the table for Goldy, Nolan and the rest; Yadi’s offense a concern; Oli’s late inning moves were correct, despite the results; and TMYNSP St. Louis Cardinals Playe...