Thursday, July 9, 2009

Mustaches for fun

Cardinals starters grow mustaches for fun, luck

MILWAUKEE — In a show of unity, the Cardinals' starting rotation is brandishing mustaches. Except for some domestic objections, the idea is playing well.

Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse, Joel Piñeiro and Todd Wellemeyer embraced the new look as a way to change the team's ebbing fortunes last week. Entering Wednesday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the new look had translated to five wins in six games and a two-game lead in the NL Central.

"We were sitting around thinking of something to do and one of the other guys said we should mix it up. We wondered how we could do it and ended up cutting mustaches that night. We won the next day," recalled Wainwright.

The decision was made June 30, the day Chris Carpenter absorbed his roughest beating of the season in a 6-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants. That day, third baseman Mark DeRosa left the game with a torn tendon sheath near his left wrist.

"It's just something to do, to make guys laugh and have some fun," said Piñeiro, the first to emerge with the new look. "It's something where you can make fun of each other."

Since Carpenter signed on the following day, the rotation carried a 2.06 ERA (10 ER, 43 2/3 innings) into Wednesday's game.

Wainwright surrendered one run in nine innings in a no-decision July 1. Wellemeyer followed with his best start of the season. Carpenter bounced back with a dominant performance in Sunday's 10-1 win in Cincinnati. Wainwright then came within two outs of his first career shutout Tuesday.

Reliever Josh Kinney returned from Memphis with a fully developed mustache to go with a beard. Outfielders Chris Duncan, Colby Rasmus and Ryan Ludwick are getting there.

Brad Thompson suffered the only hiccup during the run, allowing four earned runs in five innings Saturday. Thompson is also the only starter without facial hair.

"Look at me. Two swipes of the razor and I'm done shaving," pleaded the boyish, follicularly challenged Thompson.

The idea is even growing on manager Tony La Russa.

"The better they pitch, the better it looks," La Russa said. "I thought (Tuesday) night Wainwright looked gorgeous."

Wainwright has had to convert his wife Jenny to the idea, even escaping an ambush.

"I woke up one morning and was walking downstairs and she came flying out of nowhere with one of those nose and ear trimmer things and tried to clip it," Wainwright said.

For now, the hair stays.

"I will grow a mustache bigger than Wyatt Earp's if we keep winning," insisted Wainwright.


- This is from St. Louis Today

I know this is Red Sox Nation and all but Mustaches top that shit hands down. The Cardinals whole starting rotation is growing mustaches and Adam Wainwright wants to grow one bigger than Wyatt Earp's... that is the best thing I have heard today!! The Cardinals are my new 2nd favorite team over the Houston Astros.

No comments: