Hunt and Peck: Sad Yadier Molina Thumb Injury Edition

Now our hero is hurt for the stretch run.

PROLOGUE:

He slid to third, he had made it in time.
There was reason not to fret o'er Yadi.
But continue, he did not. And now there
is news of a grave, discouraging fate.

SCENE II. ST. LOUIS. A PRESS CONFERENCE

Enter MOLINA, MATHENY, ST. LOUIS MEDIA, PAGE, and MO

MOLINA

With thumb sprain, I hath nothing!

ST. LOUIS MEDIA

What, are thou

hurt?

MOLINA

Ay, Ay, a scratch; marry 'tis enough.

Where is my page? Go, Cruz, fetch a surgeon!

[Exit CRUZ]

ST. LOUIS MEDIA

But how, man? The hurt cannot be much.

MOLINA

No,

'tis not so deep as center, nor so wide
as a stadium, but it is enough,
it will serve. Ask for me tomorrow and
you shall find me on the disabled list.
I am hurt. I am out for two months hence.
No All Star Game. No Cardinal battery!
Gone! All gone! Everything that I love gone!
Tore away like unfit mother from babe!
All in one small, insignificant play!
Allen, why must you hit ground balls so much?
Ay, it matters not anymore. 'Tis over.
The team - it must continue without me.
'But how will they win without you, Yadi?'
You are thinking, I know, but you must see
We will be successful, it's what we do.
More options, be damned. We shall just come through.
No complaint shall there be o'er loss of me.
Help me into the clubhouse, Matheny.
I shall faint. A plague o' both your houses!

ST. LOUIS MEDIA

Wait... Whose houses are you talking about?

MOLINA

They have made worms' meat of me-

ST. LOUIS MEDIA

Who is "they"?

MOLINA

I have it, and soundly, too. Your houses!

[Exits MOLINA]

Molina will be out 8-12 weeks. - Viva el Birdos

Other Molina News...

• Why this isn't the end of the world. - Cards Conclave
• Here is a hodge podge of articles:
  MLB
  ESPN
  USA Today
  SBNation
  STLToday
  Cards Conclave
  101.1 ESPN
• And what the Cardinals could do:
  STL Today
  Viva el Birdos
• Annnndddd... what the Cardinals have done:
  MLB Trade Rumors
• And tweets:
  

  The @Cardinals place C Yadier Molina on 15-day DL with torn ligament in right thumb; recall catcher Audry Perez from Triple-A Memphis.

  — MLBRosterMoves (@MLBRosterMoves) July 10, 2014

  
  

  Maybe the Cardinals can replace Yadier Molina with the exact opposite player--AJ Pierzynski.

  — High Heat Stats MLB (@HighHeatStats) July 10, 2014

  
  

  Yadier Molina this morning when he was told the news: "I almost cried."

  — KMOXSports (@KMOXSports) July 10, 2014

  
  

  With the Yadier Molina injury, @JLucroy20 is now an All-Star starter for the National League due to winning the player vote. #Brewers

  — Mike Vassallo (@MikeVassallo13) July 10, 2014

  Yadier Molina missing two-plus months would be bad for the Cardinals, but also just bad for baseball, period.

  — keithlaw (@keithlaw) July 10, 2014

  
  

  Yadier Molina to miss 8-12 weeks for thumb surgery. Molina has been one of the most productive catchers since 2011. pic.twitter.com/ooBhRrwUNK

  — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 10, 2014

  
  

  There are a lot of indispensable players in baseball. Yadier Molina may be at the top of that list. Out 2-3 months with torn thumb ligament.

  — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 10, 2014

  
  

  8-12 weeks seems like a long time to be without Molina, but compared to the vast expanse of human existence-oh god I need to stop thinking.

  — Craig Edwards (@craigjedwards) July 10, 2014

  
  

  That feeling of yadilessness. :( #yadilessness

  — Aaron Finkel (@Aaron_Finkel) July 10, 2014

  
  

  "Please, sir, if any of my ligaments or tendons will help, I'll gladly donate them."

  — Tom_sveb (@Tom_sveb) July 10, 2014

Other Things Going on in Baseball...

Who cares?
Okay, here is a few:

• These pitchers are the most indispensable for each's respective teams. - Sports Illustrated
• Prince Fielder is in this years ESPN Body Issue, and I say "Way to go!" - SBNation; ESPN
• Here are where the final votes are coming from. - MLB
  And Chris Sale and Anthony Rizzo are the final members of the All Star Team (Yadi's replacement hasn't been chosen yet.) - Yahoo
• Masahiro Tanaka has a partially torn UCL. - SBNation
• The Cardinals have made it pretty clear they are not interested in A.J. Pierzynski and this is probably why. - SBNation

What the Cardinals Are Up To, Besides Missing Yadi...

• Allen Craig cannot pull a ball to left field and it is getting really depressing. - Fangraphs
• Adam Wainwright is a treasure. GET THAT MAN A CY YOUNG. - Grantland

KNOW THINE ENEMY...

The NL Central

• Anthony Rizzo was very upset, but you don't want to dismiss Alfredo Simon and the Simon temper, guys. - SBNation
• John Baker was really stoked about this walk against Aroldis Chapman. - Cut4
• Standings:
  

  Milwaukee Brewers	52	41	.559
  St. Louis Cardinals	50	43	.538
  Cincinnati Reds	49	43	.533
  Pittsburgh Pirates	48	44	.522
  Chicago Cubs	39	52	.429

The Milwaukee Brewers

• Matt Garza was pitching a no hitter. It was almost ruined, but then it wasn't. He made this face. - SBNation
• Bob Ueker this weekend, guys! - Cut4
• fink previews the upcoming series. - Viva el Birdos
• BCB does a preview as well. - Brew Crew Ball
• They also did a Q&A with our very own Aaron Finkel. - Brew Crew Ball
• For all things Brewers, check out Brew Crew Ball. - Brew Crew Ball

Viva El Stuff...

• There are some very interesting fanposts this week. 
  Ben Cerutti (the VEBer formerly known as stlfan) writes about scouting through statistics and the Cardinals batted ball locations. - Viva el Birdos; Viva el Birdos
  johnjf125 discusses why he thinks the Cardinals shouldn't trade for David Price and ponders if we every really cared about Allen Craig the person. (I do :( ) - Viva el Birdos; Viva el Birdos
  Drew Kelso asks who you would go all in for. - Viva el Birdos
  fortuitously looks at a way to distribute outfield playing time. - Viva el Birdos
  TonyHansel looks at some trade options. - Viva el Birdos
• I wrote this Rain Delay Theater featuring a Yadier Molina monologue in iambic pentameter. - Viva el Birdos

Other Things...

• The Blues lose Vladimir Sobotka to the KHL. I... really just am not emotionally ready for all this. - St. Louis Game Time
• Lebron James has made his decision. Holy. Moly. - SBNation

Weekly Scoreboard:

Tonight is the first game of the big three game series against the NL Central leading Brewers. The Cardinals could end the series at best, in first place, at worst possibly fourth. This is the last series before the All Star Break. Joe Kelly takes the mound for the Birdos in his first start since going on the DL with a hamstring whatever that was he suffered back on April 16. Opposing him will be Yovani Gallardo. Look for Mike Shannon to mispronounce his name on KMOX 1120, or listen to the Brewers radio broadcast on WTMJ 620, Brewers Radio Network. The televesion broadcast will be on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Wisconsin, and MLB Network. Gametime is 7:10pm CST.