#stl. slam

[womens-sports-today]

WFA Pro Teams

Division 2 teams - Division 3 teams

Cali War

D.C Divas

Dallas Elite Mustangs

Houston Energy

Mile High Blaze

Minnesota Vixen

Nebraska Pride

Nevada Storm

Philadelphia Phantomz

Pittsburgh Passion

St. Louis Slam

Tampa Bay Inferno

[lalaluna20]

Can you do fluff reader comforting Caitlin after the Fever sun game please?

comfort

caitlin clark x reader context: reader is sitting court side by the fever bench, first part is over the game, second part is comfort. tw: mention of the fever sun game, description of violence. word count: 1,265

it was going to be a rough game. you knew that from the start. from tip off you already saw the shoving between jacy and caitlin. this so call “rivalry” has been nothing more than hyper aggression, even during the iowa days. you’ve never liked it when caitlin and jacy had to guard each other, you already knew it would be aggressive. all you could do is hope nothing bad happens.

as the game progressed you can see multiple fouls not getting called. the first two quarters went smoothly, nothing big really happening besides a couple of fouls being called and a bunch being ignored. you continue to focus on the game, cheering on the fever and making sure to cheer extra loudly for caitlin. yet you had a gut feeling telling you something bad is going to happen.

that’s when it happens

3rd 4:49 game clock, shot clock 13

caitlin gets jabbed in the eye by sheldon, after displacement by sheldon.

3rd 4:48 game clock, shot clock 12

caitlin shoves sheldon back, and marina mabery runs up and slams caitlin to the ground.

your eyes widen, time slows down, the crowd break out into yells a mix of “ooo”, gasps, and quickly “boos”. you see indiana’s bench running to the seen, some staying back to hold players, one member on the bench, coming over to you, keeping you at your seat so you wouldn’t do anything rash.

you were frozen in place, shocked by what just happened, your stomach drops and tightening at the same time, trying to process what just happened.

as they review the plays, you look over at caitlin. you see her laugh and smile with her teammates. she looks over at you, giving you a quick reassuring smile before taking a sip of her gatorade.

when the calls came out, that's when indiana saw red, both fans and players.

you, like everyone else was upset by the calls, but you couldn't focus on that, you just had to focus on the game going on.

FEVER WIN

final: connecticut sun 71, indiana fever 88. player of the game: caitlin clark, pts: 20, reb: 1, ast: 6, stl: 2.

although you were proud of her, none of that matter to you. all that mattered was if she’s okay. you knew she was running off of adrenaline and stubbornness, but now the game was over, you were worried about her state.

you wait outside the locker room, waiting for her to get done with the press conference and take a quick shower. as you wait you run into her teammates walking out. they all give you a hug, as you congratulate them on their win. when aliyah comes out you run up to her, asking if caitlin is okay and if she needs anything. aliyah being the sweetheart she is, is quick to calm you down. she tells you caitlin is close to being done and that she’s doing okay. right as she finish speaking caitlin walks out.

she quietly walks up to the two of you, wrapping and arm around your shoulder. “hey baby” she says with a smile, pulling you closer to her. you quickly hug her back, as aliyah says her byes.

the car ride home was quiet at first. “you did good tonight” you say softly, holding her hand tightly. a small laugh escapes her lips, you can tell she’s tired. “thanks baby, i always do better when you’re there.” you look over at caitlin, her eyes locked on the road. a small sigh escapes your lips. “does it hurt?” you ask. “it stings, but my back hurts more than anything.” you nod, already planning on taking care of her when you go home.

at home

you guys eat some leftover pasta, not feeling like making or getting anything tonight. you finish before caitlin, getting up from the island seating in your kitchen. when you do, her hand rests on your waist. a silent ask on ‘where you going’. “i’m going to clean my plate and then get a bath ready for you.” you say, pressing a kiss on her head, her hand leaves your waist letting you leave.

once caitlin is done eating, she puts her plate in the sink and goes to find you. she stands in the doorway of the bathroom, she sees how you prepared her a bath, fresh towels ready for her, eye drops on the bathroom counter as well as some new clothes for her to change in. “you didn’t have to do all of this.” her voice soft, filled with love and admiration. you get up from the edge of the tub, quickly drying your hand and walk over to her. “i wanted to, you had a rough game and you deserve to relax and be taken care of.” she lets out a sigh, a smile on her face, she gives you a quick, soft kiss before mumbling a thank you.

around thirty minutes later caitlin leaves the bathroom, finding you in bed reading. she joins you in bed, letting out a long sigh. “you want to talk about it?” you ask. placing your book on your end table.

caitlin pulls you into her embrace, holding you close in a cuddle, still she makes sure you’re covered by your blanket. “the calls were shit” she states, trying to be nice about it. “the refs were shit, the whole officiating for the game was shit.” which draws a small laugh from caitlin. loving how blunt you were about it.

you take a deep breath, not wanting to make the night anymore negative than it has been. “does your eye still hurts?” you ask looking up at her. “no, but a kiss can help it feel even better.” she teases, and of course you give her a small kiss under the eye that got hit. you can see the red mark on her face, making your blood boil. “what about your back? does that still hurt?”

caitlin takes a deep breath. “it’s sore more than anything, and i can’t even rest up tomorrow since i have to fly out to the bay.” she says, pulling you closer, as if you weren’t already pressed up against her.

“do you want to sit out tomorrow?” you know she hates the thought of even sitting out, but you wonder if its for the best. “no, definitely not. i’m sore but i’m not hurt enough to sit out of a game. plus its the first game i get to play against kate in a season. i can’t miss that.”

makes sense, you know how much she misses kate, even though they’re far apart they’re still best friends. “make sure you tell kate i say hi.” causing you both to laugh, “i will don’t worry.”

“do you want a back massage?” you ask, still wanting to take care of her any way you can. “nah, i just want to cuddle with you. plus we have to get to bed soon, it’s already late.” you take a deep breath, somehow relaxing even further in her embrace. “i love you” caitlin says, her arms wrapped tightly around you, one hand playing with your hair. “i love you too cait” you mumble, head on. her shoulder, arms wrapped around her torso.

although that game had gotten to her, making her exhausted and sore. somehow you were always able to make her forget, not dwelling on everything that should’ve/could’ve happened during the game. you’re able to make her look past it, only have her thinking about you and how to move on.

taglist: @salemsuccss, @laurenmcucm, @ashortyluvsports, @fizzydionne, @belsouls, @caitlinclarksrotytrophy luna’s notes thank you for the request!! it was super fun to write!! anyone who loves me never let me watch that fever vs. sun game ever again!! thanks! but i purely believe the reason caitlin did so “poorly” at the gsv game was simply because she’s sore and exhausted. :( if anyone wants to send in their requests feel free to! i love writing them!

anyways!

i hope you enjoyed-love luna <3

[devilsupdates]

Jacob Markstrom starts tonight for the #njdevils  against Jordan Binnington and St. Louis.

#NJDevils  Starters:

Cotter - Hischier - Noesen

Siegenthaler - Kovacevic

Markstrom

Crowd was much louder than usual when they announced Nico Hischier in the starting lineup.

#NJDevils  and Blues underway at The Rock

Nico Hischier got tripped which led to a 2-on-1. It wasn't called and the Blues scored.

#NJDevils  trail 1-0.

#NJDevils  have given up the first goal in their last five games

Too many men for the #NJDevils 

NJDevils  to the PK.

Now Mercer got taken down while on the PK...no call again

Looked like Pesce got cross checked and again no call.

2-0 them.

Scorekeepers have taken the lone #NJDevils  shot away.

Shot count is 8-0 Blues (2-0 STL) at the 10:43 mark.

#NJDevils  first shot on goal comes 11:45 into period one

3-0 Blues

#NJDevils  just disconnected right now. Dawson Mercer bobbled a puck and got it taken away, then slammed his stick in frustration

#NJDevils  going to the PP.

End 1: #NJDevils  trail 3-0.

Shots: 10-5 #STLBlues 

[sir-toastington]

So, give Slam3dPrint on insta a follow because they make pretty cool-looking 3d printed minifigs (like Bee and Puppycat, Steven Universe, Over the Garden wall ect. I am in LOVE with their Lapis one, the wings are gorgeous!)

As for y'all Care Bear fans, they made super cute figures of Shreeky, Beastly, and Frostbite! I legit thought they were official lol, and looked for em on Ebay whoops.

Totes downloaded their No Heart Minifigure STL too, hehe

[stale-popsicle-queen]

~STL COPS CRASH INTO GAY BAR, ARREST ONE OF THE OWNERS~

- STL cops were apparently speeding and swerved into a gay bar (Bar:PM) at 12:30 am on Monday. Cops originally said they were trying to avoid a dog, but later footage showed no dog. Surprise, cops changed their story once that footage was out.

- 1 co-owner was upstairs (where he and his husband live), heard the cruiser smash into the building, and then went downstairs to investigate. Cops asked his ID and he refused (rightly so because wtf? Cops crashed into HIS building and they don't even ask if anyone is okay? They just immediately go to asking for ID??). He immediately got put in handcuffs for refusal to show ID. (He wasn't arrested).

- Other co-owner (married to the first co-owner) was recording and taking pics on his phone while yelling (because duh a car is inside his building/home??). Cops noticed and allegedly charged at him. Co-owner said he put his arm out in self-defense because someone who just crashed into his home is now charging at him. Cops said the co-owner struck a cop with an open hand. This co-owner is arrested, charged with a felony (assaulting an officer) and a misdemeanor, and held without bail.

- At some point, one of the co-owners said one of the cops used a homophobic slur.

What a fucking shit show. Should've had the cops tested for alcohol ASAP but of course that didn't happen. Hope the bar owners get lawyered up because this sounds like a slam dunk case against the cops. But it's STL so who knows what will happen?🫠

Here is a news story discussing how footage is apparently disproving a lot of the cops' claims.

UPDATE - Just now it seems the charges are being reduced to 2 misdemeanors instead of 1 misdemeanor and 1 felony and that the co-owner will be released. (Obviously that's still not ideal but better than what it was before.)

[stratverse]

4/7/13: Day Recap

I figured I'd go to a "day recap" instead of blurbing out each game - but then TV and work and books got in the way, and it took over a month to play the games of Sunday, April 7. So that was unexpected. We'll see, I may have to find something between the prior and this.

Game of the Day

KC: 002 000 000 // 2-4-1 (LoB: 6) PHI: 000 000 003 // 3-3-1 (LoB: 3) W - Horst (1-0); L - Holland (0-1) PotG - M. Young (PHI): 1-4, 1 HR (walk-off), 2 RBI

Royals' spot-starter Yordano Ventura loses no-hitter in 9th inning, and Michael Young blasts a walk-off 2-run home run off reliever Greg Holland to hand the Royals the loss

Around the League

BOS: 110 010 000 // 3-12-1 (LoB: 13) TOR: 201 010 20x // 6-11-2 (LoB: 9) W - Dickey (1-0); L - Lester (0-1); S - Janssen (2) PotG - Arencibia (TOR): 2-4, 3 RBI

NYY: 000 010 000 // 1-6-0 (LoB: 7) DET: 012 000 10x // 4-11-1 (LoB: 10) W - Verlander (1-0); L - Sabathia (0-2); S - Benoit (2) PotG - Cabrera (DET): 2-2, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 BB, 1 HBP

PIT: 010 000 010 // 2-12-0 (LoB: 11) LAD: 201 001 00x // 4-9-0 (LoB: 7) W - Capuano (1-0); L - Locke (0-1); S - League (1) PotG - Uribe (LAD): 2-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB // Ryu injured, out 10 games

ARI: 000 201 100 // 4-10-0 (LoB: 12) MIL: 010 110 000 // 3-12-0 (LoB: 11) W - Ziegler (1-0); L - Wooten (0-1); S - Bell (1) PotG - Hill (ARI): 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 2 BB

SEA: 200 000 111 // 5-8-0 (LoB: 7) CWS: 010 101 100 // 4-7-0 (LoB: 7) W - Luetge (1-0); L - Jones (0-1); S - Wilhelmsen (2) PotG - Dunn (CWS): 3-4, 3 HR, 3 RBI, 3 runs scored

MIA: 100 000 000 // 1-8-2 (LoB: 9) NYM: 200 000 20x // 4-6-0 (LoB: 9) W - McHugh (1-0); L - Fernández (0-1); S - Parnell (1) PotG - Davis (NYM): 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI // Wright injured, out 3 games

OAK: 020 202 300 // 9-10-0 (LoB: 6) HOU: 000 100 000 // 1-3-0 (LoB: 5) W - Chavez (1-0); L - Harrell (0-2) PotG - Chavez (OAK): 4.2 IP, 2 hits, 3 K, 1 ER // Anderson injured, out 15 games; Reddick injured, out 15 games

CHC: 100 000 000 // 1-5-0 (LoB: 5) ATL: 000 030 02x // 5-9-1 (LoB: 9) W - Hudson (2-0); L - Samardzija (0-2) PotG - Hudson (ATL): 9 IP, 5 hits, 4 K, 1 ER; 2-4, 1 double, 2 RBI

MIN: 120 040 001 // 8-12-1 (LoB: 7) BAL: 002 000 010 // 3-10-1 (LoB: 5) W - Hernández (1-0); L - Hammel (0-2); S - Pressly (1) PotG - Plouffe (MIN): 3-5, 1 HR (grand slam), 4 RBI

CLE: 200 000 000 // 2-6-0 (LoB: 5) TB: 100 100 02x // 4-8-0 (LoB: 9) W - Peralta (1-0); L - Allen (0-1); S - Rodney (3) PotG - Lobatón (TB): 2-4, 3 RBI, 1 triple

STL: 000 000 000 // 0-4-0 (LoB: 5) SF: 000 000 31x // 4-6-0 (LoB: 4) W - Cain (1-1); L - Wainwright (0-2) PotG - Cain (SF): 7 IP, 4 hits, 7 K, 0 ER

SD: 100 000 000 // 1-3-0 (LoB: 8) COL: 100 000 10x // 2-11-1 (LoB: 9) W - Chacin (1-0); L - Brach (0-1); S - Betancourt (2) PotG - Brignac (COL): 1-1, 1 HR (go-ahead, pinch-hit), 1 RBI

ANA: 201 000 001 // 4-8-0 (LoB: 7) TEX: 000 002 000 // 2-4-1 (LoB: 5) W - Weaver (1-0); L - Darvish (1-1); S - Frieri (2) PotG - Hamilton (ANA): 2-3, 1 HR, 1 double, 2 RBI

[futchgunk]

journaled my monochrome pokemon team and im putting it here

S/V Monochrome Black Team alcremie - hawlucha - espathra - haxorus - cetitan - camerupt ~~~~~~~~~~ Alcremie aka h.m.f.r. (Her Majesty Frosting Royale) Type: Fairy [Tera: Psy] Ability: Aroma Veil (Prot. Choice) (Loses to MoldBreaker) Item: Leftovers (+1/16% HP EOT) Role: Damage Enabler + 2nd Sweeper (Psy/Fairy) Ev: 250Hp 120Def 20SpA 120SpD

Moveset: -Decorate (A++,SpA++) -Draining Kiss (~)(Fairy)(+HP 50%) -Psyshock (-)*(Psy) (uses SpA@base) -Psych Up (copy stats) *(~) = special damage *(-) = physical damage Weak To: Poison/Steel

Poison Coverage: Espathra (psy) Weak To: Bug, Dark, Ghost

Steel Coverage: Hawlucha/Camerupt Weak To: Ice, Electric, Psy, Fair, Fly

Alcremie Notes: The most precious part. Alcremie unapposed means that the team should scale over most threats. Watch for the team unable to protect alcremie because of how the speed tiers

Espathra aka Type: Psychic [PSY] Ability: Speed Boost (Spe+ EoT (Max +6 (4x)) Role: Sweeper Special/Wall Break Item: Focus Sash (Live OHKO @ Item Use) Ev: 252 SpA 4Def 252 Spe

Moveset -Lumina Crash (~) (--Sp.D target ONHIT (true))(psy) -Energy Ball(~)(10% -Sp.D target ONHIT)(grass) -Roost (+50% HP) -Trick Room (Speed Tier Invert)

DARK IMMUNITY

Weak To: Dark/Bug/Ghost

Dark Coverage: Alcremie/Hawlucha Weak To: Poison/Steel//Ice, Electric, Psy, Fair, Fly Bug Coverage: Camerupt Weak To: Water (4x), Ground Ghost Coverage: --

Espathra Notes: Took out Calm Mind for Energy Ball (Camerupt Coverage)

Hawlucha aka junsie Type: Fighting/Flying [Flying] Ability: Unburden (Lose Item: Spe++) Item: Red Card (Live Hit: Use item -> Opp egress (true) EV: 252A 252Spe 4SpD Role: Disruption ++ Physical Sweeper (FLY)

Moveset: -Acrobatics(-)(2X DMG NO ITEM)(FLY) -Brick Break(-)(Breaks Screens)(Fighting) -Roost (+50% HP) -(Upper Hand)/(TailWind)

Weak To: Ice, Electric, Psy, Fair, Fly

Ice Coverage: Camerupt/Self Weak To: Ground, Fire Electric Coverage: Camerupt Weak To: Ground, Fire Psychic Coverage: -- Fairy Coverage: -- Flying Coverage: Cetitan Weak To: Fire, Rock, Fighting, Steel

Hawlucha Notes: +2A Unburden active acrobatics has mown through my rivals legendaries. Incredible wincon. Normally would have Swords Dance, but hopefully Alcremie can assist!!

Team struggles vs steel

Haxorus aka sw¡tchb!ade Type: Dragon [POISON*>DARK] Ability: MoldBreaker (Moves are unaffected by abilities) Item: Assault Vest (SpD+, unable to use status moves) EV: 252attack 80Def 80 SpD 80Spd 20hp Role: Revenge Kill/Offensive Coverage (DMG + SpD

Moveset -Breaking Swipe (-)(Both)(-A ONHIT (true)) (dragon) -Assurance (-)(2X DMG IF HIT)(Dark) -Poison Jab(-)(30% Poison)(Poison)* -Rock Slide(-) (Both) (30%flinch)(10% Miss)(Rock)

*Still Deciding on Poison vs Dark

Weak To: Dragon/Fairy/Ice

Dragon Coverage: Alcremie/Self Weak To: Steel, Poison Fairy Coverage: -- / Self Ice Coverage: Camerupt Weak To: Water, Ground

Haxorus Notes: Worried about the damage coverage allowing too many holes to come thru in favor of getting a revenge kill

Looking at a Dragon Cheer Set (night slash/shadow claw/bswipe)

Cetitan aka yacht killer Type: Ice [Water] Ability: Sheer Force* (Moves w 2nd effect: increase 30%, lose 2nd effect Item: Life Orb* (+30% DMG @ 10%HP Cost) *Moves that activate Sheer Force's Ignores Life Orb's Health Cost) EV: 180HP 180 Atk 80Def 80SpD Role: Tank + DMG Coverage

Moveset: -icicle crash(-)()(15% Miss)(Ice) -liquidation(-)()(Water)/play rough(-)(*)(fairy) -heavy slam(-)(Outweigh = DMG) (STL) -ice shard(-)(prio +1)(ICE)

Weak To: Fire, Fighting, Rock, Steel, Fire Coverage: Camerupt/ Weak To: Water (4x), Ground Fighting Coverage: Hawlucha/Espathra/Alcremie Weak To: Ice, Electric, Psy, Fly//Dark, Bug//Poison, Steel Rock Coverage: Hawlucha/Camerupt Weak To: "" // Water (4x), Ground Steel Coverage: Hawlucha/Camerupt Weak To: ""

Cetitan Notes: Trading a big HP For Big Damage

EV stats should reflect a damage mitigation threshold to damage outhold ceiling

Camerupt aka gunk sootie Type: Fire/Ground [Grass] Ability: Solid Rock (Super Effective hits taken mitigated 25%) Item: Weakness Policy EV: 252HP 252Def Role: Defensive Tank ++ Coverage ++ Disruption

Moveset: -Yawn (100% sleep IF no opp egress) -Trailblaze (-) (+Spe ONHIT)(grass) -Heat Wave(~)(both)(10% burn)(10% miss)(fire)// Temper Flare (-) (2X DMG if prev Move Failed)(Fire) -Earth Power(~)(10% -SpD target)(ground)//Stomping Tantrum (-)(2X DMG if prev Move Failed)(Ground)

Weak To: Water (x4), Ground Water Coverage: Self Ground Coverage: Self

Canerupt Notes:

strong defensive pokemon

[matthewliberatore]

august 19th stl cards vs ny mets

idk what to say besides we fucking suck.

arenado homer! edman rbi!

that's it. we lost 13-2 TO THE METS.

allowed a grand slam. and another alonso homer. and lindor rbi double. and-

anyways i hate the cardinals pitching staff

[blueskrugs]

Paul Goldschmidt my beloved

[timetofly4]

The Cards always do everything in the most dramatic way possible. First Goldy with a grand slam in the top of the 10th and filling the bases again but leaving every one on base. Then with a game tying play at the plate out, which the Buccs challenged but was still called out in the bottom of the 10th.

[archaicbro]

1.15.2022 TOR @ STL

I’d like to think Mitch’s vindictiveness over getting slammed into the board gave him the power to quarterback that #34 power play goal

[lost-in-yujikiri]

LN excerpt: Kirito’s rage towards Rath

I stared at the tab for a while. “Observers”—the ones who created, operated, and watched over this world. These people, the staffers at the tech start-up named Rath, had lied to me only once—but it was the biggest lie imaginable.

In June 2026 in the real world, which felt like an eternity ago, I’d participated in a long-term continuous test of their next-generation full-dive machine, The Soul Translator, or STL.

The test period was three days. Through the Fluctlight Acceleration (FLA) feature, the subjective time I spent in the VR world would be 3.3 times as long as real time, or ten days in total. At the end of the test, they had blocked my memories of the event to protect company secrets, or so they’d explained to me. But that was a lie. I hadn’t dived into a test environment; they had sent me into the same Underworld I was in now. And it wasn’t ten days I spent here. I estimated it was over three hundred times that amount…for a span of ten years. Yes, during that three-day test, I experienced an entire second childhood, from infancy to the age of eleven, in a tiny village at the northern end of the world. I spent every day playing in the mud with my best friends, the flaxen-haired boy and the golden-haired girl, and at the end of each day, we trudged home along the riverbanks to the village, side by side.

Two years ago, when I’d just woken up in this place, I saw a vision of that sunset at the bank of the river in the woods.

When fighting against Eugeo, I had a sensation of kids swordfighting.

And just now, at the moment of Eugeo’s death, I saw the scene about the platinum-oak sword.

These things weren’t illusions. They were fragments of the memories that had been deleted, things I had really experienced. I grew up with Eugeo and Alice in the village of Rulid, and I had forgotten all about it until today. Eugeo and Alice, too, couldn’t access their memories of living with me. They both got synthesized by the supreme ruler, but perhaps that memory issue was responsible for both of them recovering their own free will from the process, unlike the other Integrity Knights. It didn’t matter to me anymore why Rath would have inserted an outside element like me into their civilization simulation. But there was one thing I couldn’t forgive. I’d been there eight years ago.

I’d been there when Deusolbert had taken young Alice away.

Eugeo had blamed himself for that for years. He’d never stopped regretting that he couldn’t save her. And half of that regret should’ve been mine to shoulder.

But I’d forgotten the past…and I’d never understood the depth of Eugeo’s suffering until the moment he gave up his life…

“Nn…guh…khf…!” Bizarre sounds escaped from my throat. I clenched my jaw shut as hard as I could, my molars creaking and groaning with the pressure. My stiff left hand rose, the fingers trembling, and pressed the button to call an observer.

A dialogue box in Japanese appeared with a warning sound.

I hit the OKAY button without thinking twice.

The meter twitched, producing a rainbow-gradient bar. Then it shot upward, just as a rustling static noise reached my ears. This was sound from the real world, I sensed. The world on the “other side,” where things were no doubt peaceful and totally unconnected to the madness happening in the Underworld. The real world, where this blood and pain and even death were merely events of interest, at best. A great storm of numerous emotions that I’d been keeping under control came bursting up from inside me, rocking me where I stood. I leaned toward the monitor and, in as loud a voice as I could manage, called the man who had brought me to this place.

If my hand could reach Seijirou Kikuoka or any of the other managers right now, I might actually attempt to strangle them to death. Such was the helpless rage I felt as I slammed my left fist against the marble table and screamed:

LN source: Chapter 13 Part 7, Volume 14 Alicization Uniting

[stratverse]

4/1/13: Diamondbacks Slam Wainwright, Win Big

Monday, April 1, 2013 Chase Field

Final score: Diamondbacks 9, Cardinals 1 MVP: 1 Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks: 2-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI

How quickly the tide can turn. The Cardinals started their season off strong, with a 1-out solo home run in the top half of the first inning to immediately put pressure on the Diamondbacks. What they could not have predicted, though, was the complete breakdown on star Adam Wainwright on the mound. Wainwright not only immediately coughed up the lead, allowing a 3-run home run in the first, but he promptly allowed 4 more runs in the second - before the Cardinals knew what had hit the, they were down 7-1 and were unable to recover in the Diamondbacks easy 9-1 win.

STL 1/5/2 – LP: Adam Wainwright (0-1) ARI 9/12/0 – WP: Ian Kennedy (1-0)

STL 1st: Matt Carpenter takes a 1-1 offering from Ian Kennedy and shoots it into right field for a 1-out solo home run. 1-0 STL Ari 1st: Martín Prado laces a 1-out double to right; Aaron Hill walks; after another out, Paul Goldschmidt obliterates a 0-1 offering from Wainwright into left field for a 3-run home run. 3-1 ARI Ari 2nd: AJ Pollock singles to left; Chad Pennington singles to right; both runners are advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Ian Kennedy and the both runners score on a double by Gerardo Parra; Prado singles to left, driving home Parra, and then gets to 3rd on a single by Hill; Prado scores on a slow infield roller single by Goldschmidt. 7-1 ARI Ari 8th: Pennington draws a lead off walk; pinch hitter Eric Chavez follows and reaches on catcher interference; after a strike out, Prado singles to right, scoring Pennington; Hill grounds out to 1st, plating Chavez. 9-1 ARI

(Strat note: no changes to the starting line-ups. Playing this, with Wainwright getting blasted early, just felt off; but then you look at the real-life counterpart, and see that he gave up 4 runs and 11 hits in 6 innings - I mean, that's still better than this, but not stellar. Wainwright hit fatigue status after the 2nd inning, but made it through 4 as he doesn't have many of those "dot" results that would turn outs into singles in the setting of fatigue; even with that, I wasn't sure I wanted to force him to bat again so when his spot came up, I pulled him.)

Arizona 1-0; St. Louis 0-1 Next game in replay: PHI (Hamels, 0-0) @ ATL (Hudson, 0-0)

[stlouisshutdown]

Tony Saputo -  Beverage Director, Spruce Street ( Midwestern, Start Bar, Wheelhouse)

I asked them and a few others to tell me a little from their point of view on Covid19 and how they are dealing with things, this is what they had to say...

Did  Covid19 affect your career? “No” 

Is this Temporary?  “No”

Are you Looking for work or just riding this out? What are you doing in the downtime? “I've been using this time to complete projects I've been meaning to get to the last 6 months. Whether it's fixing something around the job, remodeling a venue, or knocking out house projects. The lady and I are also using this time for me to bond more closely with my son. We started having me putting him to bed alone, and take time having one on one experiences with him to help him become a more independent toddler. Also I have focused on diet and exercise to keep my motivations in line as well.”

Before all of this, What was your outlook, expectations, and feelings about the year at the beginning of 2020? “I had a really rough 2019. I opened Midwestern, and it took us a very long time to figure out what worked in that space. I was moved onto a more macro position and focused on Start Bar. The whole block started really growing at the end of 2019. We created this momentum and were crushing sales like crazy. I felt like I was riding in stride. I was focusing on becoming an even stronger force on the block. This was always meant to be a year of regrouping and growth for me.....”

When / where did you hear about the coronavirus AND were you worried? “I knew of it from just general putzing around on the internet. Before we knew we would shut down. I was having conversations with upper management at work. "If we stay open, know that this staff will become infected." I was down for the cause and happy to work. My wife and I agreed to me moving in with another bartender so I could keep working and not worry about affecting our family. Luckily we shut down early enough, and I didn't have to do that. I was overly confident at first and as I learned more it humbled me.” 

How did you feel about COVID-19 as it related to you and your wellbeing on March 1st? “I figured if any place in Saint Louis would be a source for it. It would easily be the bars I work at on Spruce Street. We're full of young, drunk, college kids slammed into a small space just trying to party and flex. I knew I would be sleeping in the lion's den if we stayed open. Until the end of March, I was comfortable with it."

How did you feel about COVID-19 as it related to you and your wellbeing when the city officially shut down? “By that time, I was anxious. Questions erupted in my mind, "Who's really being affected by this? What's happening to my salary? How do I make sure our staff is taken care of? Is this going to happen every year? IS this the reality my son has now? What's really happening?"

What are your Personal hopes/goals for when this is over? “Becoming the best version of myself I can be. I want to consistently utilize the changes I’ve developed in my routines. I also would like to remain in closer contact with my friends and take time to nurture those relationships. The ever-present goal of keeping my family safe and happy also runs in these trails.”

What do you think the new normal for you will be when this is all over? “I'm still going to work like crazy, but I'll be spending more waking hours at home as well."  

What do you think will be the new normal for STL after this is over? “Sadly I don't think there's going to be a bigger change. I think this summer will be heavily event-driven. I believe for a minute people may take this as a wake-up call to be better, but people, in general, will backslide into what makes them comfortable. Hopefully, people appreciate what this society is and realize how polished and privileged our culture has become. Hopefully, we become a little harder and more understanding. I won't be betting on it though.”

[art-for-the-people]

Resigning from the fine art world.

I've always had such conflicted feelings for the art world.  For a large part of my life it seemed like fine art was the career route I was going to take. I'm good at it. I have the technical skill to make incredible art, and sometimes I still do. 

Putting my art in galleries/shows however, never really felt fulfilling to me. My art doesn't do anything for anyone there. I could create museum worthy pieces that could realistically be worth thousands of dollars if I ever choose to apply myself, but then the art goes to the buyer, hangs on display on a collector's walls; its a favored way for the wealthy to obtain tax breaks and build status among each other. It doesn't help me, it doesn't help ordinary people. Fine Art doesn't do anything for my community besides charge tuition and a $5.00 entry fee.

Over the last year, I've channeled my creative focus on For The People STL. I've designed protest banners. logos, stencils, decals, shirts, protest art, and more. This is the kind of art that our organization benefits from; through things like obtaining social media exposure to raising money on our etsy. My art goes to the right people; not just the people who can afford it. Not just gallery owners, not just the preppy art student crowds, everyone. Period.

The disenfranchised masses I want to serve with my art don't go to gallery openings or buy 30,000 dollar invisible abstract paintings. They are in our cities, in our buses, prisons, high schools. The fine art world does nothing to address this; there's a culture of elitism that keeps the majority of them from ever setting foot in an art gallery. People don't feel welcome. They feel they'll be looked down upon for lacking a formal artistic background, and from what i experienced at my community college art program, this plays out frequently in real life.

I recall the blatant favoritism I experienced in college. I was a gifted child; I grew up with a family that supported my creativity, and in a school district that had a good K-12 art program. I showed up to class on day one with more skill than a lot of my classmates; and i realize now that wasn't a testament to my skill, but rather to my privilege. I got A's in every class, lots of personal attention/advice from my professors; all in all art school was a very positive experience for me. Not everybody can be so lucky.

While I had a lot of support in my artistic endeavors, there were many of my classmates who didn't have the same opportunities as me. Their school's art classes weren't funded by the white suburban boom in St. Charles County. They might not have had supportive families, or money for art supplies. I had many classmates in my drawing class that had never drawn with charcoal before, and that was the medium we used the whole semester. 

Naturally, this put some of them at a disadvantage. The professor that taught that class would frequently stand in front of us and tell us that he planned on only assisting students that "actually try". He actually told a friend of mine to quit pursuing art for lack of talent. At the time I thought it was a pretty horrific thing to say, but it didn't matter to me because I was passing with flying colors. 

This type of gate keeping (at a community college for chrissakes) in the art world infuriates me. The are the kind of people that think you aren't a real artist if you can't name 5 paintings on display at the SLAM, or think things like animation or Fantasy Illustration are beneath them. The Art-elitist discredits all art considered to be "craft", they mock Bob Ross and the people who learn from programs like his because its not "real art".

I used to believe it when the art world told me that "If your intention is to create art, then your creation is considered art." but this mindset seems to change whenever students want to make music videos, T-shirts,  manga comics, or crochet tapestries for class assignments, suddenly these things become "non art" and are unacceptable to turn in for a grade.

Video games have changed the world of art; the masses love them, The fine art world rejects them, even mocks the idea of video games being considered art. Rap music, one of the most popular music genres, isn't taken seriously because it lacks the "classical finesse" of musicians like Bach or Beethoven. Childish Gambino's music video for "This is America" is one of the most powerful and moving performances of our generation. Its worthy of the same admiration and respect that’s given to other revolutionary artists and writers of our time. But still, it would not be something allowed in a gallery. There are no show openings, no class discussions. These genres deserve our attention.

Of course there’s a very obvious pattern of discrimination; frequently its things mostly created by lower class women and minorities that are first to be dismissed as non art. Most big name art museums are excruciatingly white male dominant places. The male to female ratio put in those Gorilla Girls posters years ago actually haven't improved that much. Therefore, I see little point in creating art for a social class that doesn't hold me at the same respect as my white male colleagues. The system grows ever more rigged for POCs. There should be an environment of equality in fine art spaces;  yet as "liberal" as artists are stereotyped to be, "Fine Art" is still an industry that's owned by white male patriarchy.

It brings me more peace and satisfaction seeing my art enriching my community organization than any gallery opening my "fine" art has been featured in. I don't care if you think protest art is low class, or a step down from where I was before; i'm still gonna love seeing my comrades wearing the shirts i gave them to the next demonstration. This gives us a different presence in our community; we can outwardly show organization and self reliance.

This is where my artistic passion has been leading me my whole life, and I don't think I can go back to the fine art world anymore. It would make me feel like a class traitor.

Therefore, I refuse to participate in the mainstream fine art world. I won't make art for galleries or shows; i will go off and host my own shows, I will create my own spaces of creativity. 

If functioning outside the fine art line means I'm not a real artist, then I will embrace my lack of artistry by disrupting the status quo and inspiring change in the day to day lives of normal human beings. I will not make more art to be pondered upon by bougie classist drones; i make art for the people.

[matthewliberatore]

june 14 san fran giants vs stl cards

going thru it rn.

edman hit that grand slam for you guys AND U STILL LOSE

gallegos... eating ur eyeballs

the 2 run homer in the 9th shortened my life span by at least a decade

tbh i didn't see like any of the game i was at the library and i dont think they'd apprecate me yelling at the top of lungs so they'd hear me from stl

also montgomery... plz just stop