Ventura is a punk. And you are correct, if my kids acted like that they would get an azz whoopin from me.

I didn't think I would say this but the team....especially the pitching staff.....is missing Shields, whether they know it or not. I don't think filling his rotation spot was an issue but, apparently, his leadership role is being missed.

You can call it Bush league....you can call them punks...they can be called a number of things - this is my take -

They are like the clumsy young kid with the zits who got picked on up through junior high school and had no self esteem. Then they hit puberty and turned into something different and people thought they could still treat them the same way....but the clumsy zit kid was turning into studdly duddly and pushed back and had self esteem.

With the addition of Rios, Volquez, Orlando and Moralez this team has much more talent than last year.

They will take their lumps along the way....but every team now will be out to push their buttons and once they figure out how to channel the energy in the right direction it will only make them stronger. Hell...even though it is early...they are leading the division with one of the best records in ALL of baseball....picking up right where they left off.

Listen to what Ozzie had to say about all of this. Surely one of the best to ever play in St. Louis has a respected opinion?