Let's Talk Nice About the Hitting Coach

There are many thankless jobs in professional baseball.  Every decision of a manager is easily scrutinized and criticized if things don't go as hoped.   A general manager who is praised when he signs a player the fan base is clamoring for can be lambasted by the same fan base when that player gets hurt or doesn't perform up to expectations.   But the singular most thankless job in baseball is that of hitting coach.

Often, the hitting coach is unknown by a majority of fans.  Most people outside of the clubhouse don't have any idea exactly what the hitting coach does, or has any idea of how much impact he has on the performance of the team.

Yes, being a hitting coach is truly a thankless job.  Normally, the hitting coach is invisible until a team-wide slump strikes his team.  Outsiders cannot judge him any other way.  And the truth is, is he really going to change the swing and approach of great hitters like Albert Pujols, Holliday, and Berkman?  No.

Mark McGwire

The St. Louis Cardinals have a high profile hitting coach in Mark McGwire.   And perhaps it is time to note that by all appearances, he is doing a fine job.

After a horrible first week of the season, the Cardinal batters have been the class of the NL Central division.  In fact, the Redbirds lead the Major Leagues with a 286 batting average - 15 points better than second place Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Their prowess with two outs and runners in scoring position has been exceptional so far. 

Matt Holliday has been training with McGwire for years, and is off to an unbelievably hot start to 2011. Holliday is still hitting nearly . 400 - his .393 average leads all MLB players.  Lance Berkman has been the steal of the off-season free agent pool with 10 HR's and leading MLB in RBI's after showing fading skills the last couple of seasons.  And of late, Daniel Descalso has proved to be clutch in late game high-leverage situations.

Hitting a baseball is a tricky thing.  If you've played any ball at any level, you know that thinking about what you're doing courts disaster.  If you're confident, you see-ball, hit-ball.  If you're not confident you miss the meat and swing at cheese.

From all I've read, McGwire's approach has been to look for a pitch the batter can handle, and put a good, solid swing on it.  Drive the ball.  In the long haul of the baseball season, that is the essence of the equation.  The recipe for success.

Another big mark in McGwire's favor is the lessening of reliance of video scouting of pitchers.  It may be the main culprit for the disturbing trend in recent years of the Cardinals turning rookie starters into Bob Gibson.  If you rely on video to prep for a pitcher, how do you prep for someone with no video?  You don't.  You need to go out and see-ball, hit-ball.

The sample size is small, and he can't swing the bat for his charges.  But what I've seen thus far, Mark McGwire is a success as hitting coach.

Cardinals Descalso First HR Means Victory

source:Wikipedia

St. Louis Cardinals utility infielder Daniel Descalso had never hit a Major League home run coming into Tuesday nights game against the Florida Marlins.  Granted he had only 90 at bats on the grand stage.  But in 1,808 minor league at bats, Descalso totaled 27 dingers and a slugging percentage of .406.

What all those stats sum up is that we should have seen it coming.

Seen what coming, you ask?  Let's set the situation.  The Redbirds are trailing the Marlins 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning.  The Cardinals had squandered multiple opportunities with the bases loaded and less than two-outs, only tallying one run from such riches.  Now they have two on and two outs.  Lance Berkman has just been thrown out at the plate running on contact on Yadier Molina's ground ball back to the pitcher.

Perhaps the Marlins felt a shift in the wind, as they changed pitchers so that right-handed reliever Clay Hensley can face the left-handed hitting Descalso (don't ask me why, I just report the facts).

Hensley offers Descalso an 84-mph sinker, which is fouled off.  I'm not sure why it's classified as a sinker, but any 84-mph pitch from a major league hurler would appear to those watching as having a "sinking action". 

Let us examine this more closely.  Descalso has some pop in his bat, totaling 5 doubles and a triple this season amongst his 12 hits.  But he's batting .214 with a .333 slugging percentage for the season entering the game.  Hensley replaced Ryan Webb, who served up 95-mph heat to Yadi in the previous at bat.  Not sure why Florida manager Edwin Rodriguez decided that Hensley's stuff was a better match against Descalso than Webb's.  Sometimes the thought of facing Cards manager Tony La Russa makes lesser men out-smart themselves.

Back to the action.  On his second pitch, Hensley balloons an 80-mph off-speed delivery that Descalso deposits with dispatch into the right-field seats for a three-run homer.  Shades of Tom Lawless.  Go crazy, folks.  Go crazy.

Matt Holliday hit a home run in the first inning to spot starting pitcher Kyle McClellan a two-run lead.  But McClellan wasn't sharp.  And neither was the St. Louis defense.

The top of the third was a carnival, as the Marlins plated two runs without the benefit of a hit, an error, nor a ball hit to the outfield.  How does such a thing occur?  Horrific official scorekeeping, two walks, a passed ball, and the random, odd occurrences that make baseball so special.

La Russa added to the circus atmosphere by crazily inserting reserve infielder Tyler Greene as a defensive replacement in LF for veteran former (and current) outfielder Lance Berkman!?!?!  In the top of the sixth, TLR replaced power bat Allen Craig at third base for better defense with light hitting Nick Punto.  Craig was due up second in the bottom half of the frame.

Craig got the start at third, contributing a run scored, a double on a hustle play, two walks, and an RBI when he was walked with the bases loaded in the second inning.  Craig did air-mail a throw to first base that allowed Gaby Sanchez  to reach base leading off the fourth inning - an inning that the Marlins scored twice.
He did nothing to lose the third base job in the absence of David Freese, nor did he stake any claim to the job.

Eduardo (don't call him "Dirty") Sanchez got the save, following two innings of relief from Eduardo Sanchez and one perfect eighth inning from Jason Motte.

It was an ugly, eventful, long, but fun game Tuesday.  Wednesday night Chris Carpenter will have the ball for the NL Central Division leading St. Louis Cardinals.

The Lance Berkman Factor

Lance Berkman celebrates a home run (Getty/Bob Levey

I remember when I heard the news that one of my most favorite players was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.  I was bartending at the time, and as I came into work my customers broke the news to me.  I was delighted.  I knew this player was solidly in the autumn of his career - a career that seemed to be snowballing to the end because of injuries.  But I did not care.  I cherished the idea that his ability to take over any given game with his bat was only matched by a tremendous amount of baseball savvy.  I believe I did in fact dance a little jig once I determined they weren't pulling my chain.

The year: 2004.  The player: Larry Walker.

Now it is deja vu all over again.  In the past off-season I was thrilled in a like manner with the news that Cardinals GM John Mozeliak had fought off the efforts of his Chicago Cubs counterpart and secured Lance Berkman for a year.  I did not dance a jig this time, but I was pleased.

I knew of Berkman's knee injury.  I knew that he had in his past played a passable if ugly outfield, but had been relegated for years to first base.  I had concerns, but the pluses of having this guy with the Birds on the Bat far outweighed the negatives - despite the overwhelming response of an underwhelmed media.  I did not hesitate to claim a charter membership in the Lance Berkman Fan Club  amongst the Cardinal fans on twitter.

But I never thought Berkman would be this good.  Apparently, the Houston Astros never thought he'd be this again, either.

Berkman returned to his old stomping grounds this week and destroyed Houston in Minute Maid Park.  He laced 8 hits in 14 at bats during the series, including 2 home runs, two doubles, and drove in eight runs.  That gives a slashline of .571/.571/1.143 and and an incredible OPS of 1.714.  On Thursday, Berkman raked in a 4-5 night, 2 homers, a double and 11 total bases.  He had a home run, a single, and 4 RBI in the Cardinals 9-run sixth inning alone.  His 3-run blast that inning was from his weaker right side giving St. Louis a lead it wouldn't relinquish and made a winner of starting pitcher Kyle McClellan.  He also added a solo shot in the ninth.

And he wasn't simply a weapon with the bat, he showed some glove with at least two eye-popping catches in right field.  His wonderful running catch deep in the right field corner on Wednesday was a big factor in St Louis holding off the Astros late inning rally.

Berkman is now batting .410 on the season, which is second in the Major Leagues behind teammate Matt Holliday's .432 mark.  Berkman's 8 HR is second in MLB and he ranks 3rd in RBI with 22.  He is also riding a streak of seven straight games with multiple hits.  Additionally, he ranks first in the majors with 66 total bases, first in slugging at .795, second with an OPS of 1.263, and fourth in on-base percentage with .467.

It's a helluva start for a player deemed to be over the hill.  But his knees have been given a chance to heal and provide a solid base from which he can hit the ball with authority.  And he has.

It is only April, and the baseball season is a long one.  It is not out of line to remain concerned if Berkman's health will hold up enough to maintain his regained power.  But unlike Walker, Berkman does not suffer from a degenerative condition that leaves his short-term future cloudy.

If he stays healthy, Berkman could leave Mozeliak open for questioning his judgement in signing the Big Puma.  No longer wondering why the GM went out on a limb to sign Berkman, but rather "why for only one year?"

Theriot Big Piece of Cards Offensive Revival

Lost in the recent explosion of offense from the St. Louis Cardinals is the role shortstop Ryan Theriot has played.  Since taking a day off on April 9, Theriot has been on a tear going 10-24 in the last 5 games of the road trip - a .417 clip.  It is no coincidence that those five games correspond to the 5 straight games the Redbirds have scored at least six runs.

During the off-season, the Cardinals added Theriot to the roster and shipped fan favorite Brendan Ryan to the Seattle Mariners.  Many fans in Cardinal Nation were unhappy with the switch sensing that Theriot would be a major defensive downgrade from Ryan, not to menition his taint as a former Chicago Cub.  Then on opening day, Theriot mishandled the exchange off a poor throw from the outfield and the San Diego Padres scored the go-ahead run in the 11th inning.

Plugged in as leadoff man in the Cardinal lineup, Theriot was caught up in the offensive malaise that gripped the Redbird bats during the season opening homestand, hitting just .182 through the first six games.  In fact the last home tilt on April 6 is the only game of the young season that Theriot went hitless.  But since the plane left Lambert International for the west coast, the veteran shortstop's bat has heated up with 12 hits in the six games he has played.

Despite the small sample size, The Riot appears to be the upgrade in the lineup that GM John Mozeliak was shooting for.  Theriot's average is .314, with an on-base percentage of .386 and a slugging percentage of .353 for the season.  He has also been clutch, getting seven hits in 12 chances with two outs and more importantly is batting .500 with runners in scoring position.  Add in a surprising five RBI from the leadoff man, and Theriot has put up numbers vastly superior to the black hole in the lineup the shortstop position was last season.

The questions about defense may be valid as Theriot has already committed four errors this year, though he had two after the first two games.  But the middle infield has not been a wasteland of leather as the most pessimistic of Cardinal fans feared entering the season.  Skip Schumaker looks far more comfortable at second base thus far, and the Theriot/Schumaker double-play combo has jelled early on.

Matt Holliday's return to the lineup, Albert Pujols return to a level of normalcy, and Colby Rasmus' consistent hitting has been key to the resurgence of scoring.  But Theriot has also been a vital part of the offense as well.  Former Cub or not, his performance early in the season deserves some love from the Cardinal faithful.

Holliday's Return Should Help Cardinals Offense

The St. Louis Cardinals hope to get a big lift today as slugger Matt Holliday returns to the line-up.  Out since the second day of the season due to surgery to remove his appendix, the Redbird outfielder has successfully paid off the team's gamble to not put him on the 15-day DL.

Holliday has been sorely missed in a line-up that has found runs extremely hard to come by.  The Cardinals offense has been consistent in 2011 - consistently ineffectual both in the number of hits and for power.  Despite playing only one game out of St. Louis' eight thus far, Holliday accounts for a full 33% of the Cardinals home runs.

Protection for Pujols
Brought to the ballclub to provide protection for Albert Pujols, his absence has been glaring.  Pujols is hitting a meager .167 and worse, he is only slugging at a .267 rate. Cardinal Nation is hoping that Holliday's return boosts Pujols to his usual outrageous production.

But Holliday offers more than that.  His presence changes the whole dynamic of the line-up.  With Holliday back, the heart of St. Louis' order is much more frightening to an opposing pitcher.  It is what manager Tony La Russa imagined coming into the season - numbers 2-5 would be Colby Rasmus, Pujols, Holliday, and Lance Berkman.  Rasmus is one of the few Cardinals hitting well, and adds danger to the two-hole.  Berkman has been hitting the ball hard, but not getting much luck.  And it's simply a matter of time before Pujols' bat heats up to normal.

Cards Need To Improve Run Support
The Cardinals starting pitching has been fantastic so far this season, but has little to show for their superlative effort.  Getting only 2,6 runs/game in support, the pressure on the staff is suffocating.  Add in the alarming number of mental mistakes the position players are making and one gets the feeling that a Cardinal starter could lose a game while pitching a no-hitter.

Perhaps adding Holliday is the tonic for the belly-aches all Cardinal fans are suffering.

Cardinal Nation Needs to Remember April 2010

It's been that kind of start for Tony LaRussa's Cardinals
Source: AP

Cardinal Nation got a breather yesterday from it's collective meltdown about the team's ineffectual offense. St. Louis manager also got a breather from questions about the ballclub's ineffectual offense. And now that we've caught our breath, maybe it's a good time to gain perspective by revisiting our mindset last April.

April 2010 was heady times indeed. Can you remember what it was like? Albert Pujols was raking. Adam Wainwright was dealing.

Remember when Brad Penny was pitching better than he ever had. Jaime Garcia was a godsend as a rookie. The rest of the NL Central was toast.

I remember last April. I was telling my fantasy football league that I was going to quit as commissioner because I was going to be too busy rooting my Redbirds on to the World Series.  The Cardinals were winning. We were a little concerned because Chris Carpenter wasn't sharp, but he had time to round into shape. Fans had time to boo newly signed slugger Matt Holliday because he wasn't clutch in run scoring opportunities. Skip Schumaker was the main buzzkill - both with the bat and the glove.

Do you remember?

Now Skip is about the only Cardinal with a hot bat (and looks improved in the field). Matt Holliday's appendicitis has proven how valuable he really is in the heart of the order. It's baseball, things change. Things flip around in a hurry.

April 2010 turned out not to be a harbinger of the entire season for the Cardinals. In fact, do you remember that the San Francisco Giants grounded into ten double plays in their first four games in April 2010? A bad April didn't doom them.

Remember.

Holliday's Injury Not As Injurious to Cardinals As It Could Be

The emergency surgery to remove Matt Holliday's appendix certainly harms the heart of the St. Louis Cardinals lineup. But with the advent of laparoscopic procedures, the Cardinals have yet to put the All-Star slugger on the DL. His absence, and the early season struggles of Albert Pujols, have left St. Louis hurting for runs early this season. But it could be worse.

Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria was placed on the 15 day DL with an oblique strain on Sunday, and manager Joe Madden expects Longoria to miss up to three weeks with the injury. The Rays are off to an 0-3 start in the stout AL East thanks in part to a weak offense. Former Cardinal Felipe Lopez has been tabbed to replace Longoria in the lineup.

St. Louis fans can only pity the plight the Rays are in given their knowledge of Lopez' capabilities at the hot corner. After a positive stint with the Redbirds for 43 games late in the 2008 season, Lopez was a tremendous disappointment in 2010 with St. Louis, He batted .231 with a paltry OPS of .651 as the fill-in for the injured David Freese, eventually being cut in September due to repeated tardiness and ineffectual play.

Holliday is optimistic he will return to the lineup soon. "I told them I would like to not go on the DL" he stated in his first public comments since the surgery. Jon Jay and Allen Craig will hold down the fort in LF for the Cardinals. Jay's emergence last season allowed St. Louis to trade Ryan Ludwick to pick up right-handed starter Jake Westbrook at the trade deadline last season, and Craig has been a very successful hitter in Triple-A Memphis the past few years.

Losing Holliday is a cause of concern for Cardinals fans, but given what they know about who the Rays have to replace Longoria it doesn't seem so bad.

This story originally posted on Bleacher Report

Matt Holliday and His Appendix Go On Holiday

Nice Dinger, Mr Holliday

Opening Day for the St. Louis Cardinals was a sloppy, frustrating affair.  Albert Pujols was great at being a rally-killer - grounding into 3 double-plays.  Ryan Theriot gained much hate from Cardinal twitter Nation for mishandling an absolutely horrendous throw from Jon Jay during the 11th inning disaster (why the hate on Theriot and not Jay confounds me.  Oh yeah, former Cub).  Skip Schumaker continues to show that the key to him continuing to be a second baseman will be his bat, not his glove.  And, of course, Ryan Franklin making a rather large mistake to Cameron Maybin with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Despite all the gaffs, there was some brights spots.  Lance Berkman was his usual, charming self as he introduced himself to Redbird fans, flying around the basepaths to score while sporting his new Birds on the Bat duds. Chris Carpenter was, well, Chris Carpenter.  Trevor Miller getting out of a tough eighth-inning jam by being a veteran LOOGY.  And David Freese showed us why the stories about his "old man" ankles should not have dominated spring training reports over his clutch batting.

But to this observer, the biggest bright spot was Matt Holliday.  Season after season, Holliday has been one of MLB biggest slow-starters, making his career by being an absolute rake once the weather heats up.  It is the slow starts that have kept him from ever being an MVP.  Holliday shouldered the load for the Colorado Rockies during their incredible 2007 September/October run to the World Series.  Holliday finished 2nd to Jimmy Rollins in the voting that year.  I've always thought that if the big, bald batsman would jump out of the gates and grab some early headlines, he would be NL MVP.  

Spring Training 2011 gave me great hopes that this could be the year.  Holliday was slugging well in Jupiter - a notorious wind-tunnel that keeps batters humble.  It appeared coming into Opening Day, Holliday was primed to make this his best season and win the MVP award missing from his substantial MLB career.  And Game #1 showed as much.  He went 3-4, including a dramatic HR in the 8th that looked at the time like a clutch game-winner. 

But Holliday felt discomfort in his abdomen Thursday evening and went to the hospital.  Sure enough, it was appendicitis, and surgery was performed.  Luckily it was caught early, and only required laproscopic surgery to remove the offending vestigial organ.  But the most optimistic timetable for a return would be 10 days, with 2-3 weeks recovery time a more normal expectation.

So much for his fast start. 

All this leads to another odd question - which player kicked a baby at Roger Dean Stadium as spring training began.  Pujols' contract, Wainwright's Tommy John surgery, Nick Punto's hernia, Carpenter's hammy, Boggs' back.  Misfortune has been the theme for 2011 so far.  The good Lord is not shining his graces on Cardinal Nation this spring.

Opening Day 2011

It is upon us.  The first step in a grand journey to the land of October.  Hope is the very essence of the season.  Can't you smell it in the brisk spring air?  Can't you see it in the bright sunshine?  Major League Baseball's glorious opening day is here, and I'm a happy, happy fan.

Dreaming is the goal on this day.  Dreaming of Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday combining for 4 tape-measure HR's.  Dreaming of Lance Berkman greeting the faithful at Busch III with a 5-5 day.  Dreaming of Colby Rasmus doing the usual at the plate, while positioning himself appropriately in center field.

Fearless leader Chris Carpenter will take the ball today.  The nightmare of Opening Day 2007 with him walking off the mound with a right arm about to fall off is a distant memory.  Dreaming today of the long awaited no-hitter for our bulldog - the last remaining hole in his Redbird resume.

This fanatical, occasional blogger will man the twitter along with 100+ friends.  You can find my list of BIG St. Louis Cardinal fans @stimpy66/stl-cardinals.  Join us, and share the emotional roller-coaster that will be today.

The wonder of America's "Beautiful Game" is that we have no idea what will happen on any given day, nor do we know how we will feel at the end of the day.  Euphoria may be quashed tomorrow.  Likewise, despair will be banished soon (sorry, Cub fans, you are the exception that proves my rule).  That is the unique condition thrust upon those of us that live and breath a sport that is dominated by failure.  A hall of fame hitter fails nearly 70% of the time at the plate.  A superior team disappoints 60 times a summer.  Ain't it great!

This desert rat has the great fortune to be in the heart of Cardinal country.  Alas, I will not be in the STL today for the festivities, but in a smoky sports bar in Herrin, IL, sharing the joy of the day with fine folks dressed in similar red apparel, leaving my poor mother alone for 3 hours in the afternoon.  Sometimes, blood is not thicker than fandom.

When a Season Flashes Before Your Eyes

I was innocently listening to the St Louis Cardinals game on the MLB 11 app on my iPhone, listening to Mike Shannon comment about how Chris Carpenter must have an early tee time today.  He was working so fast that he was making 2 pitches before the came back from commercial break.  And he was mowing down Marlins, and seemed to be focused on the curveball.  And it was working.

After all the early drama of camp, this was a wonderful tonic for a angst-ridden Redbirds fan.  Suddenly, Carpenter pulls up, comes out, and my breath got short.  My phone exploded with texts as I passed along the breaking news. 

Alas!  We all moaned and whined about how the season is broken before it starts.  How if it would be possible to overcome losing Wainwright?  No way we could overcome losing 2 aces.

It Got Worse

While we all were still wringing our hands over Carpenter, Mitchell Boggs had to leave the game with an injury.  Suddenly McClellan would be necessary in the bullpen.  We would have to waste precious payroll on a scrub like Kevin Millwood.  The proper plan of progression the organization has for Shelby Miller would be shelved.  Lance Lynn would be pushed up too soon.  Miguel Batista is now an important signing. The season - and the future - was blown up in 15 minutes time.  Oi vay!

Whew!

Eventually, word came out that Carpenter has a strained hamstring, and Boggs has a back strain.  Whew!  Not a mention of the dreaded words "elbow" or "shoulder".  But these are not injuries to gloss over.  Both will require plenty of rest to heal properly and not linger throughout the season.  Pitching through such injuries could force either pitcher to change their deliveries to compensate for the pain and later in the season provide us with such unwanted terms as "elbow", "shoulder", "evaluation", "Paletta", and worse of all, "Dr. James Andrews".

Of course, true St. Louis Cardinals fans know better than listen too closely to optimistic medical prognosis from the front office (see: Carpenter, Chris; Lohse, Kyle; Penny, Brad; et al).  Bill Belachik is a friend of TLR, and La Russa seems to have picked up his bud's crazy NFL injury reports (the first time Tom Brady was not listed as "probable" was the game he had the knee injury and was lost for the season).


Too Much Excitement

I am excited about every baseball season - no matter the realistic hope I have for my Cardinals.  But so far this spring training has been FAR too exciting.  I have much trepidation about Lance Berkman's elbow.  If he can't play the outfield regularly, it is a huge blow to the lineup.  Jon Jay is exciting, Lance Berkman is an all-time special hitter.  Berkman will be on the "Pujols" plan that was implemented when Albert's elbow blew up while he was still an outfielder - hit the cut-off man who is standing 40 feet into the outfield.  It's not optimal, but the Red Sox won a World Series with a CF who's uninjured arm was so bad his LF felt compelled to cut off his throws. (a tip of the cap to Manny for the single funniest thing I've ever seen in baseball).  But it doesn't stretch the imagination one lick to see that elbow affecting Berkman at the bat, and that isn't much fun to think about.

Excitement The Right Way

The Cardinals exploited the wind for 4 HR's today.  The Marlin's didn't.  That means the St. Louis pitchers were all down in the zone.  That's a great thing.  The routine plays on defense were made, and Jon Jay made an outstanding play in LF today.  Thats great news.  Matt Holliday hit a HR.  An average season from Holliday is a great thing.  Losing Wainwright is a massive blow to hopes, but there is still outstanding talent on this team.  There is players like David Freese, Allan Craig, and Tyler Greene who are ready to show talent on the big league level.  And Albert is still on the roster.  This season should be fun and the team competitive.  But no more drama, please!

Cards Wainwright, Holliday Play Key Roles In NL Victory

For the first time in 14 years, the National League has won Major League Baseball's All-Star Game 3-1, and the home-field advantage in the 2010 World Series that comes with it.  Now all the St. Louis Cardinals need to do is get there.  St. Louis entered the break only 1 game behind Cincinnati in the NL Central Division, and with 5 players making the trip to Anaheim, California for the Mid-Summer Classic they certainly have a shot of taking advantage of the preferable post-season schedule.  If so, they can thank Adam Wainwright and Matt Holliday for the roles they played in last nights game.

With the NL trailing 1-0 in the top of the 7th inning, Holliday followed former Cardinal Scott Rolen's 1-out single with a single of his own to kick start a rally.  A foul-out and walk loaded the bases for Brian McCann's game-breaking two-out double that cleared the bases, with Holliday scoring what proved to be the deciding run.  The clutch hit by McCann earned the Atlanta Braves catcher MVP of the game.

Now leading 3-1, NL Manager Charlie Manuel handed the ball to Wainwright.  Put in a jam with 1-out when his teammate Holliday misplayed a fly-ball off the bat of John Buck for a double (it hit right in his glove, how's that not an error).  But after walking Ian Kinsler, Wainwright coaxed Vernon Wells into a ground-ball force-out.  Wainwright then dismantled the Angel's Torii Hunter, getting him to flail aimlessly at breaking ball to escape the inning and preserve the lead.  San Francisco's Brian Wilson pitched a perfect 8th, and LA Dodgers closer gave up a lead-off single, but then closed out the game for the boys from the Senior Circuit.

As for the other Cardinals present, Yadier Molina started and played 4 innings celebrating his birthday with a single in his only at bat.  Albert Pujols went 0-2 with a strike out, getting robbed by Ichiro Suzuki on a line-drive to right-center as the Mariners RF made a tough running catch while looking into the setting sun.  Chris Carpenter did not make an appearance in this years game.

With no Major League games or activities scheduled Wednesday, it is tradition for baseball fans to look forward to what the second half of the season will bring.  Or they may fret.  The fact that Carpenter did not play raises more questions about his health after being struck on his right forearm by a line drive on June 28th.  The former Cy Young winner has struggled since, especially with his usually sharp curve ball.  Carpenter has lacked bite and command on the pitch.  The Cardinals must have Carpenter healthy if they expect to enjoy the fruits of Tuesday's NL win.

Health is a concern also for 3B David Freese (bone bruise) and Ryan Ludwick(calf) who are expected to come off the DL soon.  The timetable is less certain for SP Brad Penny and the discomfort he's been experiencing in his back and shoulder since going on the DL May 22.  And there are expectations that SP Kyle Lohse can return by late August from surgery to repair the sheath covering the muscles of his pitching forearm.  But that is a rare surgery for a pitcher, and I'm not counting on him to be back and effective this season.

The Cardinal offense has been sickly for most of the first half.  The Redbirds have not taking advantage of opportunities, either through poor at bats with runners in scoring position or by getting thrown out on the basepaths.  Holliday's bat has always been better in the second half, and Pujols - though not sporting the stats of his MVP seasons - is always a force.  Colby Rasmus and Ryan Ludwick have been solid as well.  But it's the middle of the infield, and catcher that have created holes in the line-up.  SS Brendan Ryan has suffered through a disaster campaign, and lost his job to Tyler Greene.  Skip Schumaker at 2B is raising his average, but at .255 for averageand just on-base at a .318 clip, he's been disappointing.  And despite being chosen to start in Tuesday's All-Star game, Molina is only hitting .233.  Molina and Schumaker have hit in the bigs, and expecting them to improve through the rest of the summer is not out of line.

If Penny can return soon and be as effective as he was before he got hurt, if Jaime Garcia has the stamina to continue his special rookie season, and if the Cardinal offense can string a few hits together this team has Wainwright pitching like a Cy Young winner and a bullpen that can close down the end of a game.  With fingers crossed regarding Carpenter, I am optimistic this Cardinal team can take advantage of that extra home game in the Fall Classic and hoist an eleventh Championship Banner on opening day 2012.

Jay Provides Spark, But Where Will He Play?

St. Louis Cardinal outfielder Jon Jay has been asked only to fill-in during his rookie year, but he's doing his best to break into one of the best outfields in the National League.  Called up from Triple-A Memphis on July 3rd to replace the DL-bound Ryan Ludwick, Jay has been a revelation.  Since then his exciting play has been a much needed catalyst for the club's disappointing offense.
 
     The 25 year old product of the University of Miami made his first big league appearance earlier this season, and performed well both as a starter and as a pinch-hitter.  He is currently amidst a NL-best 11-game hit streak and is batting .377 for the season in 34 games.  But in this latest 8 games stretch with St. Louis, Jay has really turned it on - hitting at an even .500 clip with 2 HR, 9 RBI and has scored 12 times for a slugging percentage of .594.  Unbelievably, he has either scored or drove in a run in 10 of the 24 innings the Cardinals have scored since he joined the big league club.  That's a direct effect in 41.7% of all Cardinal rallies.

     Timely hitting is one thing, but Jay has also shown a high-level of baseball smarts.  The best example is the third inning of Sunday's Cardinals game against Houston.  Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez cruised through the St. Louis line-up, retiring the first 10 batters and looking quite relaxed pitching from his wind-up.  With St. Louis down 2-0 and needing to shake things up, Jay noticed the Houston infielders playing back and laid down a bunt for a hit (the first such hit of season for the team).  Rodriguez now had to pitch from the stretch, and St. Louis pounced.  An Albert Pujols single and a Matt Holiday 3-run homer gave the Cardinals all they would need to go into the All-Star break on a needed high note.

       Jay's awareness of the situation and ability to make things happen did not get by St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa.  As reported by Joe Strauss in Monday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, LaRussa remarked about Jay, "He does what the situation demands. He's aggressive and he's intelligent. That's a good combination for any player. He's been very impressive."  Ironically, those comments may spell the end of reserve OF Randy Winn with the Redbirds.  The Cardinals picked up Winn following his release by the Yankees, and Jay - performing quite well in his initial stint in the majors - was sent down to make room.  LaRussa explained that first demotion as an opportunity for Jay to continue to play every day.  But he and the organization did admit that Jay had "impressed".  While providing a jump to the ball-club initially, Winn is now suffering through a 2-27 slump.  There is now little justification for the Cardinals in keeping him over the impressive Jay.

     This is a wonderful story, but let's not forget our hero only has 34 big league games under his belt.  While it's clear Jay has brought electricity to an unexpectedly staid line-up, his brief time with St. Louis has protected him from the attention of opposing scouts and coaches.  Word has certainly gotten out, and adjustments will be made in the approach to Jay.  The key is his adjustments to those changes.  Other Cardinal rookie outfielders have hit The Show with a splash.  But will Jay sustain the the glory like former MVP and two-time batting champ Willie McGee, or will the holes in his swing be exploited like Rick Ankiel's. 
  
     Questions like those have Jay's future MLB career in a tremendously wonderful state of flux.  He has enjoyed regular playing time due to starting RF Ryan Ludwick being on the DL with a calf injury.  Ludwick is expected to return soon, and he is a proven player of impact - both with the bat and the glove.  Starting the last two games for hobbled CF Colby Rasmus (mild hamsting strain), Jay showed enough aplomb with the glove to be the back-up In center the team has been looking for since spring training.  But Rasmus is a budding superstar with all the talents  of Jay  - and more.  Matt Holliday in left field already is a superstar, and recently signed the largest contract in franchise history, and he is earning it.  So despite all that Jay brings to the line-up, there is no room left at the inn.
  
     But bright signs are in his future.  His production as a left-handed hitting outfielder on the bench fills a desire the club has had since spring training, plus LaRussa is renown for giving plenty of playing time to his reserves (often to the chagrin of Redbird fans).   Jay has a real possibility of playing a valuable role on a World Series team.  Or there is the opportunities of the upcoming trade deadline.  Injuries to starting pitchers Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse make the Cardinals buyers, and Jay's solid play - and rookie contract - make him a valuable pawn in the upcoming chess game.  He just might find himself a starting outfielder on some lesser big league team by August 1st.

     That's not something Cardinal Nation wants nor wishes to hear.  But no matter what happens, Jay is taking the right approach.  He told the Post-Dispatch, "I know it's a game. I've got to have fun, fun with a reason.   I'm more of a happy-go-lucky guy. I'm not going to let things bother me. I'm not going to get too high and not going to get too low. I'm just playing the game."

     So far in 2010, Jon Jay is just playing the game the right way, the Cardinal way.  And he's not the only one having fun. Watching him, Cardinal Nation is having a blast.

Cardinals Cure Norris' Voodoo, Exorcise Demons In 8-0 Win Over Astros

The St. Louis Cardinals finally found the cure for the strange voodoo Houston Astros starter Bud Norris has had over them in his short career. Entering Friday nights game, the second year right-hander had earned 4 of his 8 career victories against the Cardinals. But a run-scoring double by Albert Pujols in the first inning broke the spell, Adam Wainwright's magical pitching supplied the potion, and Matt Holliday's 8th inning home run delivered the cure as Norris and the Astros succumbed 8-0.

Norris is best described as a serviceable starter for the Astros, coming into Fridays game with a career record of 8-9 with a 5.29 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 22 starts. Against the Cardinals, however, he became Walter Johnson reincarnated - 4 wins in 4 starts giving up only 1 earned run and striking out 25 in 26 innings and giving up no home runs. That's a 0.38 ERA folks. Bob Gibson is jealous. But the Cardinals cast off his curse, and just when they had to.

For the first time this season, Holliday homered after Pujols was intentionally walked. It came in the 8th inning, and was the the coup de grace that chased Norris and his voodoo from the game - and Cardinals fan's nightmares - a rocket shot off the back wall of Minute-Maid Stadium. And when Pujols homered deep to right field in the ninth inning it was another rarity in this season of disappointment for the St. Louis offense, marking only the second time this season Holliday and Pujols had connected in the same game. That's the recipe the team envisioned when it signed Holliday to the largest free agent contract of the off-season. Walk Pujols and Holliday will hurt you, don't walk Pujols and he will kill you.

Other themes of optimism emerged for St. Louis. Rookie OF John Jay was 2-4 and has now hit in 8 straight games dating back to May 30. He now has 8 hits in 14 AB with 2 HR since being recalled on July 3. Infielder Tyler Greene went 1-3 and since his call-up on July 2 is 5-17 with 3 extra-base hits, and seems to be taking over for Brendan Ryan at SS - plugging a gaping hole in the line-up.

But the wizardry was all Wainwright's. The lanky right-hander tossed 8 shutout innings, giving up only 6 hits, lowering his ERA to 2.11 and giving him 13 wins on the season - 2nd in both categories in the NL. And he blessedly took pressure off the beleaguered bullpen.

The voodoo curse of Bud Norris has been lifted. But not necessarily broken. After the Cardinals scored their second run in the 2nd inning, Norris retired 13 in a row. He still has a 1.81 ERA against St. Louis in his 5 starts. And, perhaps, spun a little more voodoo devilry as CF Colby Rasmus had to leave the game with a hamstring injury. No word yet on the severity. If Norris is to blame for that, he would indeed be a Santerian priest.


This post originally posted on Bleacher-Report

How Frustrating Have Things Been?

A frustrating season leads to abuse of Licensed Apparel

This season of Cardinals baseball has cost me fingernails, hairline, and lots of beer-money. But most of the burden has been borne by my cap.

• Every time Brendan Ryan has air-mailed a "Dan Quisenberry"  to 1st, I've thrown the hat
• Every time Colby Rasmus has loafed, I've tossed it to the floor.
• Every time Matt Holiday or Albert Pujols has popped up or weakly grounded out with RISP, I've bit the bill.
• And every time Tony LaRussa has yanked a starter who's in command but in a jam to bring in "I eat at" Dennys Reyes, I've sweated through it. This later situation usually leads to violent stomping on my cap.

Needless to say, my trusty cap is looking more towards the All-Star break than I am looking forward to my next Budweiser. But there is hope for my much-abused companion.  Tyler Greene has his shot to eliminate the tossing.  Colby will continue to mature and keep my hat on my head.  Timely hitting will become a second half hallmark of the Redbirds, and my teeth will only be used on Toasted Ravioli.  Alas, there is no hope for the sweating & stomping, as TLR will continue to "eat at Dennys".

I have made a solemn promise to my chummy chapeau, though.  When the Cards finally leave the Reds and the rest of the NL Central full of despair for the playoffs, I will buy one of these snazzy numbers to abuse:

I implore the team - from Skip Schumaker down to Nick Stavinoha - to do the right thing.  Win one for the hat!