Cards Win As Reds, Phillips Blow Into Town

A foul wind blew into St. Louis Friday afternoon.  And no, it was not the big mouth of Cincinnati Reds 2B Brandon Phillips.  Mother Nature unleashed her fury with devastating tornadoes that damaged Lambert International Airport, and delayed the highly anticipated start of the Cardinals-Reds series.  The game was played amongst the debris.  And now the NL Central is part of the debris as the Redbirds roost alone atop the division - 1/2 game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Forgive me if I sound flippant about the storm sitting cozily in warm weather in Tucson.  My son lives in Ellisville with his mother.  I have friends and family in Maryland Heights, Overland, Florissant, and Hazelwood.  Additionally, my mother still lives in southern Illinois which has not been spared by the recent weather.  I am very concerned about the news.  My prayers go out to the entire area.

Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa showed a heapin' helpin' of Hall of Fame cool for playing chicken with the weather.  LaRussa made a last minute decision to start Miguel Batista against the Reds, knowing full well what the forecast portended.  And he was vindicated when the game was delayed six pitches in.  Reds manager stuck with scheduled starter Edinson Volquez, and he was done without throwing a single pitch in the game.   Perhaps Baker knew what he was doing with Volquez, who's given up 6 HR's, 20 hits, and 17 runs in 22.2 innings thus far this season.

When the storm abated and the game resumed, Kyle McClellan also resumed his anticipated start (technically in relief).  With no outs and a runner on second, McClellan escaped the first without damage.  And he continued to perform as he has all year - 6 innings pitched, 2 ER, 7 hits, 3 BB, and 2 K's on 93 pitches.  Actually, it may have been his worst start of the season - if it was indeed a start.

Ryan Theriot is proving himself to be quite the brown-noser, proving Cardinals GM John Mozeliak correct for bringing the former Cub aboard.  Theriot went 3-4 with a double, and scored 2 runs to get the home team to an early lead they never relinquished.  Theriot is now batting .321 as the replacement for light-hitting Brendan Ryan.  Albert Pujols managed 2 RBI's, and the Lance Berkman Fan Club was thrilled as the Big Puma keeps impressing, matching Theriot's line exactly.  Yadier Molina again had one big hit, a two-out RBI single in the fifth that gave the bullpen the space needed to lock down the victory.

Is it fair to lump the job former reliever McClellan did into the body of work the bullpen did tonight?  I don't think so.  Their performance stands alone.  Eduardo Sanchez was called upon in the sixth inning to save K-Mac in a two-on no-out situation.  The rookie showed jitters, throwing two wild pitches that lead to one Red run, but limited the damage and escaped the jam.  Jason Motte worked himself into a jam, giving up two singles in 2/3 of an inning.  He gave way to Mitchell Boggs who went old-school, pitching over an inning to earn his second straight save.

Let us not forget about the man who created the hype of this series and the burgeoning rivalry between the clubs - Brandon Phillips.  He was the one Red to get good wood on a McClellan offering, depositing his second home run of the season into the left-centerfield bleachers in the fifth.  Phillips showed some class by not grandstanding the performance - he hustled his way home on what had to be a satisfying home run trot.  Cardinal Nation hates him, but his antics upped the hype, and has the final two games of the series on national TV - Saturday afternoon on FOX, and the Sunday night game on ESPN. Here's what the Reds All-Star second baseman has to say after tonight's show:

  You can follow him on twitter @DatDudeBP.  Honestly, he's one of the best MLB players to follow. 

We have national TV, national media, controversy, adversarial competitors, and two good divisional teams facing off in late April.  This rivalry is everything the Cards-Cubs should be, it's Yankees-Red Sox for the rest of the nation.  It was an exciting win for the Redbirds tonight.  I can't wait for tomorrow.  I can't wait to see how this drama plays out through the summer.

Cardinals Showcase Mark Hamilton

Mark Hamilton

With the poorly timed Designated Listings of valuable contributors Skip Schumaker and Allen Craig, the St. Louis Cardinals made a surprising call-up from Triple-A Memphis, first baseman Mark Hamilton.  Additionally, the forgotten Nick Punto was actived from the DL.

Hamilton's recall was surprising.  He is a power bat who plays a position that he will not be filling - first base.  He is most likely to be used as a pinch hitter and a couple of on-the-job training starts in the outfield.

We expected Adron Chambers to get his cup of coffee for the next fortnight, but the organization is suddenly short on available outfielders after a frightful collision that robs us of reading Shane Robinson's last name arching over his smallish shoulders.  It's also in the best interest of team and player for the still developing Chambers to get regular playing time in the minors than rot away on big league pine.  Hamilton, on the other hand, really doesn't have much left to prove in the minors.

What Mark Hamilton needs to prove is value to another team as a Major League player.  It is unlikely that if Albert Pujols finds a different franchise to pony up the paychecks for his demands in free agency, a career minor league player will replace the future Hall of Famer on a perennial contender.  Hamilton's true worth to the Cardinals organization is as a trade chip.  Without playing time with the parent club, he isn't much of one.

This is what I believe the reasoning was behind his being the butt in the seat on the plane to St. Louis.  Hamilton needs to show that his long, looping swing can fulfill his minor league home run totals against top calibre pitching.  A couple of dingers in a couple of weeks would make a non-contending team take some notice of him - especially in the DH League.  It's a little something something St. Louis GM John Mozeliak could find handy to have in his back pocket around the end of July.

All Aboard the Berkman Bandwagon

Lance Berkman, Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The train left the station on the afternoon of March 31, 2011 as Lance Berkman was introduced as a St. Louis Cardinal on opening day.  A longtime rival as a member of the Houston Astros, Berkman epitomizes a professional ballplayer - killing your team while never doing a thing to tick you off.  He always seems affable while crushing baseballs all over the field - or over the fence.

But even this avowed Berkman fan has watched in awe as the outfielder-cum-first baseman-cum-outfielder has put on an exhibition this week of what is a true professional hitter.  His two solo home runs last night in Los Angeles against the Dodgers give him 6 HRs in his last five games.  After a disappointing 2010 season that saw his power sapped by a knee injury in spring training, Berkman is obviously feeling more comfortable and confident at the plate. 

He started slow at the plate, but swings kept getting better and balls were struck hard, but his best efforts kept finding gloves.  One way to break out of that cycle is to miss gloves, and Berkman has by transporting pitches to the bleachers.  If a home run finds a glove out there, statisticians don't care.

Of course, this pace cannot be sustained (if it is, this charter member of the #LBFanClub would be calling for PED testing right away).  But there may be a lasting legacy of Berkman's barrage this week.  Pitching coaches and staffs must now respect the return of his power.  With the emergence of a very dangerous Rasmus forming bookends around the very formidable force of the Pujols-Holliday coupling, St. Louis now has a heart of the order as intimidating to pitchers as the MV3 force from last decade.  Intimidation means a higher possiblity of mistakes, and these hitters have a history of punishing mistakes.

I knew I couldn't be the only member of Cardinal Nation who longed to see the Big Puma in a Cardinal uniform.  And I found out that I wasn't.  As I detailed here , Cardinal twitter Nation debated Berkman's approval early on in the season.  In fact, Christine Coleman of Aaron Miles' Fastball blog  declared herself the President of the #LBFanClub - and I have proof:

Christine also gave some some love to the concept (and this humble scribe) in a recent post .

Berkman's easy going manner in the clubhouse and in the papers is refreshing.  His production is invigorating.  And now to one of MLB's largest fanbases, Lance Berkman is finally lovable.

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.

Albert Pujols a Special, Big Man

Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was on CBS' 60 Minutes last night.  Ordinarily such an honor is bestowed on someone who has exhibited a particular brand of dishonor.  But last nights episode was not one of those times.

Most of Cardinal Nation is well aware of the big man's humanitarian deeds, but he has kept a low-profile about his charitable work and much of the nation is not as familiar with it.  His St. Louis-base Pujols Family Foundation is involved with children suffering with Down's Syndrome, and with assisting impoverished children in his native Dominican Republic.

After Sunday night's 60 Minutes piece, now the nation knows.

What No One Knew
There was one jaw-dropping piece of information about the giving nature of Pujols.  It took place late last season as the Cardinals were at the end of the road-trip that decimated their playoff hopes.  In Houston, after another demoralizing loss, Pujols quietly left Minute Maid park and headed to Texas Childrens Hospital to meet a patient he had heard about - 13-year old Brandon Johnson.  Brandon is suffering from a malignant brain tumor.

Pujols showed up to give Brandon the bat he had used to hit his 400th career home run - personally autographed - and visited with the boy and his family for an hour. There was no video just still photographs. In a follow-up segment on the 60 Minutes Overtime website, segment producer producer Draggan Mihailovich explains that Pujols never mentioned this act, that he heard about it from a third party, and Johnson's grandmother supplied the photographs used in the televised piece (Brandon's story starts at the 10:45 mark).  Mihailovich also states that Pujols' agent was not aware of the story.

On the 60 Minutes Overtime web page, is this comment by nanjimenez:

Thank you 60 Minutes for sharing this story about Albert Pujols! This is the kind of sports player I want to see and hear about! The story was great, I love it. But I love even more that a young man, Brandon got to meet and spend a lot of personal time talking to Albert. What a grest unselfish person to give that much time to Brandon, a kid with brain cancer from So. Texas. And not to mention the bat! I know how much this meant to Brandon and his Mom and to me, his Grandma. He talked about Albert's visit for months and when 60 Minutes called asking for an interview, well, let's just say he's been on cloud 9 ever since! Brandon is an Astros fan but he will never ever forget Albert!

 We have seen such acts of kindness from athletes in the movies.  Perhaps we have seen video of such things as a photo opportunity.  But for Pujols to do this with that bat - for an Astros fan, no less - displays a special kind of character.

A special act of kindness from a special, big man.

You can purchase this Albert Pujols baseball on the Pujols Family Foundation website (100% of the proceeds go to the charity.  There you can find out more information, make a donation, or volunteer your time to the cause.  www.pujolsfamilyfoundation.org

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.

Cardinals McClellan Does Good, Pujols Clutch in Win

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle McClellan took the ball at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night.  This night was a little different for the career reliever - this time the his name was called with no outs in the first inning.  The hometown boy from suburban Florissant MO made his first big league start after spending three years as a bullpen stalwart.

Perhaps showing a bit of understandable excitement and nervousness, McClellan gave up a lead off double to Jose Tabata, but recovered to strike out the next two Bucs batters before making his one singular bad pitch of the game to Lyle Overbay - a 421-foot home run to stake the Pirates to a 2-0 lead.  McClellan shrugged that shot off to strike out Pedro Alvarez to end the inning.

McClellan Settled In
After that, McClellan was sharp.  He kept the Pirate batters off balance with his variety of pitches, changing speed, and location that lead to 7 strikeouts in his 6 innings.  McClellan avoided trouble until the sixth inning when Andrew McCutcheon and Lyle Overbay stroked back to back one-out singles.  Facing what would ultimately be his last batter, McClellan induced Pedro Alvarez to ground into the double play.

McClellan's work was over after that, leaving with the score tied 2-2.  He scattered six hits while issuing only one walk and striking out seven.  Perhaps the strikeouts took a toll on his efficiency as he needed 95 pitches to complete his six innings of work.  But clearly McClellan showed what pitching coach Dave Duncan has said for a while - McClellan will be a solid starting pitcher.

Bats Don't Help McClellan
Meanwhile, McClellan needed to be sharp as the Cardinals batsman failed to do enough to get him the 'W' he deserved.  In the bottom of the first, Colby Rasmus and Albert Pujols drew one-out walks but the rally fizzled as Lance Berkman was called out on strikes and Allen Craig flied out.  In Berkman's defense, he had an extended at bat, peppering the red-clad crowd at Busch Stadium with well struck foul balls.  But he never got a chance to straighten one out as he was rung up by umpire Kerwin Danley on a call that had Berkman visible upset.

Berkman got his revenge on Pirates starter James McDonald in the fourth, leading off with a double.  Allen Craig followed that with a single to score Berkman.  David Freese then walked to extend the rally, but the bugaboo of the Cardinals so far in 2011 - the double play - raised its ugly head again.  Skip Schumaker was the offender this time.  Gerald Laird couldn't get the clutch two-out hit, striking out to end the inning.

Setting the Table
A theme of the game for the St. Louis offense was the table-setting at the top of the order.  The fifth inning is a prime example.  Ryan Theriot stroked a one-out single and moved to third on Rasmus' single. Cardinal Nation held it's breath as Albert Pujols came to the plate, hoping that he wouldn't ground into another rally-killing double play.  Though he didn't drive the ball as we've been accustomed to (spoiled by) in the past, he did get the ball in the air and his sacrifice fly scored Theriot.  A Berkman pop fly to shortstop ended the inning with the score 2-2.

Theriot showed some leadoff man moxie in this game, getting on base three times with a single and two walks.  Rasmus also set the table with two singles and his fifth walk of the young season.  Rasmus' OBP is now .550, good for fifth in the NL.   These two Redbirds were also instrumental in the winning run for the home team.

In the seventh, Theriot walked and Rasmus singled in front of Albert Pujols.  Pujols stroked a ground ball single to score Theriot from second and give the Cardinals the 3-2 lead.

Miguel Batista pitched 1.2 scoreless innings of effective, but sleep inducing, relief.  Honestly, can't he pick up the pace a bit?  If St. Louis' defense is suspect, slowing the game down to drowsy isn't going to improve their alertness.  Trevor Miller allowed a walk in the eighth to put two runners on, but struck out Pedro Alverez to end the threat.  Closer Ryan Franklin did allow a two-out single in the ninth, but did get the save without overdone dramatics.

Cardinal Nation Relaxes
McClellan was the story in this one.  His won-loss record is still stuck on 0-0, but to say he didn't factor in the decision is a misnomer.  His six innings were key, and in his first career start mimicked Jaime Garcia last season in effectiveness - showing how close the battle in 2010 spring training for the fifth starter spot actually was.  And the table setting of Theriot and Rasmus relaxed the vexation of Cardinal Nation, if only for one night.

Now if the team can string two games of stringing together baserunners, we will feel much better before the upcoming west coast road trip.

United Cardinal Bloggers Weekend Dinner at Pujols 5

I was unable to attend the main festivities Sunday at Busch III, and that's a real shame since that was THE game of the weekend to be at (Redbirds won due to blogger power?!).  But I was able to attend the United Cardinal Bloggers network meet & greet event at Pujols 5 in Westport on Saturday Night.

It was a great turn out.  So great in fact, that we were shoehorned into a much smaller room than local fire codes probably dictate.  

While the quarters were cramped, the company was first rate.  And the general consensus around my table was that the food was delectable.

I shared a table for dinner with twitter friend @kismatt, and the conversation was as good as the food.  Also at the table was my poor mother who I dragged along to be my designated driver.  She assured me she enjoyed herself - belying the stereotype that bloggers are over-opinionated, self-serving jerks (I, of course, being the exception that proves the rule). 

So many of us at the UCB dinner rued the fact when did not get the opportunity to chat with our fellow UCB members and twitter friends.  But we all agreed that the opportunity to match a face to the author, and simply shake a fellow writers hand was a treat.

Here's a couple of photos of the crowd.  Please excuse the quality - I'm just not a big enough jerk to push fine folks out of the way to snap a shot with my iPhone.  If you are curious who each person in the photos are, check out their work.  The link to the websites of the attendees are listed in the blogroll in the sidebar on the right.  Good people, great bloggers, and the best St. Louis Cardinals fans.

Cardinals 2010 Nightmares Still Haunt 2011 Dreams

Jaime Garcia was a dream last year.  A revelation as a rookie starter for the St. Louis Cardinals, winning 13 games with a sparkling 2.82 ERA.  But more importantly, the young man is a left-handed starter, a rare commodity for the Redbirds short on development and long on humbling disappointments (Rick Ankiel, Mark Mulder).


And Garcia was a dream today, tossing a complete game shutout of the San Diego Padres while striking out a career high nine batsmen.  He managed to get out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth inning without allowing the situation spiral out of control - something he was prone to due during a rough spring training.  Garcia's masterful outing will ease the sleep of Cardinal Nation after the team started the season with two nightmarish games, both losses.

Tonight, this Redbird fantatic will be tossing and turning.  The monsters of St. Louis' disappointing 2010 campaign seemingly have not been eradicated by a busy off-season.  The scariest monsters being sloppiness of play, and untimely hitting.

Situational Hitting

The antennae go up every time a weak grounder is hit to a middle infielder with RISP and less than 2 outs.  Just like last year, I see too many batters not taking good at bats in that situation.  I love aggressive hitters that see the pitch they want and attack it no matter the count, but the key is to attack your pitch.  Swinging at the first pitch and grounding weakly to SS is not the mark of a formidable offense.

Luckily, the sample size is small, and the biggest offender so far has been Pujols - so there is a real hope for better results in scoring opportunities than we have seen thus far.  But Cardinal Nation on twitter has already expressed distain for all the St. Louis batters taking swings at the first pitch.  Often those pitches aren't choice ones.  I will grant you that the Padres have a roster full of pitchers capable of making a team look lost at the plate in a three game series.  Too often against the Cardinals, they did.


A good sign Sunday was the clutch piece of situational hitting new SS Ryan Theriot did to drive-in an insurance run in the ninth inning.  With Theriot not performing well with the glove in his first couple of appearances in Busch Stadium after replacing the popular Brendan Ryan, his clutch at bat is the other side of that coin.  Colby Rasmus also had a productive out in the fifth inning, moving Lance Berkman to third base and allowing Yadier Molina to stroke an RBI single through the drawn-in infield for the Redbirds first run.


A Not-So-Hard Nine

2010 showed us something I'm not sure we've ever seen - a Tony LaRussa managed club that seemed lax in the fundamentals.  If anything has been the main engine powering TLR's teams, it's that they play harder and with fewer mistakes than the other team.  Other than that scintillating but ultimately meaningless series in August against Cincinnati, 2010 was marked by the Cardinals sloppiness of play in key situations - especially against lesser teams.  This series was much of the same.

One very key point of Thursday's opening day game was the play that allowed the Padres to take the lead in the 11th inning.  Ryan Theriot took the error, but it all began to unravel with Jon Jay's three-hop dribbler of a throw to Theriot who was the cut-off man.  Theriot then clearly rushed the play, mishandling the throw and compounding it all with a poor relay throw to the plate.  Theriot did not handle that well, but it may have been a completely different situation if Jay simply makes a solid throw to the cut-off man.  That's little league basics.

Add in more nightmares from that game.  Matt Holliday getting picked off second to squash a rally, Skip Schumaker missing Yadier Molina's attempt to catch Ryan Ludwick stealing, and Pujols' team-record tying 3 GIDP's.  Mix in the innumerable walks the Cardinal staff gave up in Saturdays rout, and concerns about the teams readiness to play become valid questions.

With all these thoughts in my head, it will not be a sound sleep tonight.  But sleep I will because Jaime Garcia was a dream today. 

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.

We're Back

The Redbirds Report has been so quiet for so long that some thought we were deceased.  But - alas to some - this is not the case.  In fact, the cause of our disappearance has been due to us beginning a new business.  That fledgling enterprise has reached the level of non-lucrative (but somewhat profitable) hobby, we feel comfortable devoting some time to our first love - thinking, eating, and drinking the milkshake that is Cardinal baseball.  And what better time to get back into the swing of things than spring training.

Since we have taken to task the idea that we can provide website design and internet services, letting a first love of this nature rot for a few months was a mistake in strategy.  A man must know his limitations, but must not let his limitations limit him.  With that crazy bit of personal philosophy, look for some changes to the site as we go forward.  Most of all, look for us to expand upon our core product - analysis and opinion not based solely upon statistical evaluation, not based on knee-jerk emotion, and not based upon immediate situations.  A stout fan of 40 years does not base everything upon today, but bases everything winning this season and many seasons in the future.

Every successful sports franchise bases it's success on two fundamentals:

1. Win right now
2. Don't win right now if it means not winning for YEARS down the road

So the fantastic journey that is a new season dawns on us at this moment.  Spring is the time of year that dreams are made, and the individual moments that make or break a season are impossible to predict.  Let us begin the glorious journey that is a baseball season wide-eyed and optimistic, and not bog the idealistic dreams of a nation in focusing too much in the moment - there is a full season's worth of journalistic bombast to come in which to do so.

With that, we channel Bilbo Baggins - The road runs right past our door, once you step upon that road, you never know where it will lead.

Keeping Pujols and Wainwright Will Earn Cardinals GM Mozeliak A Big Contract

On Thursday the St. Louis Cardinals announced they were extending the contract of GM John Mozeliak by three years.  Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr described it as a "well deserved extension" and it is indicative if Mozeliak's ability to balance payroll while continually keeping St. Louis competitive in the National League.

Mozeliak's biggest splash came this past offseason with the signing of free agent Matt Holiday to largest contract in club history.  The 7-year $120 million deal came on the heals of a mid-season trade with the Oakland Athletics for the slugging outfielder that catapulted the Cardinals to the NL Central division crown.

Mozeliak was very active last season in tweaking the roster to provide manager Tony LaRussa with the pieces needed to turn a good team into a favorite for the National League pennant.  Those dreams died when St. Louis was surprisingly swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the GM had played his part well.

He dealt a package of prospects to the Cleveland Indians for veteran utility player Mark DeRosa and then landed the big fish in Holliday.  Though DeRosa injured his wrist shortly after the trade and didn't perform as hoped, the trades seemed to invigorate the clubhouse as the team went 20-6 in August and cruised into October.  Perhaps more importantly, the moves erased growing frustration amongst an aggitated fan-base.


Mozeliak Provides Harmony in the Front Office


Before he was hired as GM after the 2007 season, Mozeliak served as assistant Walt Jocketty (now the current Cincinnati Reds GM Walt Jocketty), Mozeliak is credited with encouraging the club to sign oft-injured OF Ryan Ludwick and current closer Ryan Franklin.  Though neither were well known at the time they blossomed in St. Louis with both appearing in the All-Star game during their Cardinal careers.
And in a fractious front office split in a power struggle between Jocketty and VP of Amateur Scouting and Player development, Mozeliak was often in the unenviable of position of go-between.

While Jockett chafed at the power the sabermetric-minded Luhnow had been given by DeWitt, Mozeliak has imbraced the new style of scouting.  He has provided harmony by balancing sabermetric analysis with old fashioned first hand reports from scouts.

Despite initial fears that Mozeliak would be overpowered by the strong will of LaRussa, the two appear to have a good working relationship and mutual respect.  Mozeliak has provided the veteran role players the Redbird skipper prefers (Randy Winn, Aaron Miles) and LaRussa has worked well with young talent from the Cardinal farm system (Jaime Garcia, David Freese).

Last season's trades for Holliday and DeRosa depleted prospects from the top levels of the farm system, but most of the young talent involved had low-ceilings (Jess Todd, Shane Peterson) or simply duplicated players already ensconced on the big league roster (Brett Wallace, Chris Perez).  Despite being depleted at Triple-A Memphis, the farm system is accumulating high-end talent in the low minors exemplifying a more cohesive approach to the draft than the Cardinals experienced under Jocketty.


The Khalil Greene Trade


Like any general manager that actively works to improve the roster, mistakes can be made.  Injuries and other unforeseen circumstances can unravel even the most sound decisions.  Mozeliak did a masterful job of adding Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny to the pitching staff, but now both are on the DL and their chances of making contributions this year seem to fade daily.

But there is one transaction that Mozeliak would love to take back.  In the winter of 2009 he traded minor league reliever Mark Worrell and a player to be named later to San Diego for shortstop Khalil Greene.  Greene was coming off a disappointing 2008 season, but had enjoyed a superb 2007 campaign.

There were some grumblings at the time of the trade because of his struggles in 2008 capped by having to go on the DL after breaking his hand punching a clubhouse storage chest out of frustration. But Greene was a proven impact bat at SS, and it seemed the Cardinals got him for very little in return.

Greene was a flop with St. Louis.  His struggles with social anxiety disorder are well documented and his career is now in shambles.  If that wasn't bad enough for the Cardinals and Mozeliak, the PTBNL in that traded ended up being Luke Gregerson.  Gregerson has since developed into a superior middle-reliever with the Padres.

Mozeliak placed the blame for the failed trade on the Padres.  Telling the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that "the team had no inkling of Greene's issues before they traded for him" he inferred that San Diego GM Kevin Towers was not forthright about Greene's anxiety issues.  Maybe Towers pulled a fast one on the Cardinals GM, but it is also clear that Mozeliak did not do enough research on Greene before pulling the trigger on the trade.

But Mozeliak has earned the benefit of the doubt regardless of that one mistake.  He has shown a gift for finding valuable players for very little investment.  Last season he picked up Boston Red Sox cast offs Julio Lugo and John Smolz who proved to be valuable pieces in the teams second half surge to the playoffs.  In spring training this year he signed Felipe Lopez for a mere $1 million, and Lopez has filled in at many positions vacated by either injuries or poor performance.

For a franchise with big dreams in a small market, such bargains are crucial to the team's continued success on the field.


Now the Hard Work Begins


The contract extension shows ownership's belief that Mozeliak is a fully capable Major League general manager.  Such confidence is necessary because in the next three years he faces more pressure than perhaps any other GM in Major League Baseball.

Priority number one is re-signing Albert Pujols before his contract expires at the end of next season.  Pujols is best player in the game and the face of the franchise and Major League Baseball as a whole.  Negotiating a contract that pays Pujols his worth while fitting it into a budget that allows the team to remain competitive will be tricky.  He will need to get this accomplished before being faced with the excruciating decision to either trade the Cardinals best player in generations for a stockpile of talent or risk losing Pujols to free agency with only compensatory draft picks in return.

There is also the issue of retaining dominant starters Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.

2012 is the final year of Carpenter's current contract the club is expected to exercise its option to retain him.  He is 10-3 this season, finished a close third in Cy Young award balloting last year, and provides valuable veteran presence for the pitching staff while being a huge crowd favorite.  But Carpenter will turn 38 years old just after the beginning of the 2013 season and Mozeliak must decide how much to invest in an injury-prone, aging righthanded starter.

One of Mozeliak's wisest moves was one of his first.  In March 2008 he signed Adam Wainwright to a $15 Million contract good through 2013 including team options.  Now the 28 year old righthander is one of the top starting pitchers in the Majors with a 13-5 record and a 2.11 ERA.  He finished second to Tim Lincecum for last year's Cy Young award that many baseball insiders thought Wainwright should have won.  He signed his current deal choosing security over money, but barring something unexpected he would be at the top of the 2014 free agent class and ready to cash-in a huge contract.  The pressure starts now on Mozeliak to keep room in the payroll to retain this superstar.

If Mozeliak is able to keep these core players and keep St. Louis competing for the NL pennant year after year he will not only have repaid the club's faith in spades but also emerge from the long shadow of his former boss Walt Jocketty.

The Second Half Begins In Positive Way for Cardinals, Carpenter

As Chris Carpenter breezed through the Los Angeles Dodgers line-up on Thursday night, all of Cardinal Nation gave a deep sigh of relief as well as celebrating the 7-1 victory.

The St. Louis right-hander had not been sharp since getting hit on his pitching arm by a line-drive in late June, but the veteran was efficient and in command for eight innings, only surrendering four hits and an Andre Ethier solo home run.  Carpenter struck out six, and has apparently corrected the mechanical flaws that had plagued his starts earlier in July as he did not walk a Dodger.

Carpenter was able to locate his curve, something that he has been unable to do his last two starts.  He had allowed 11 earned runs and 18 hits with 4 walks in only 9 innings during the July funk leading to fears among Cardinal fans that the former Cy Young winner was injured.  But the team insisted he was fine, and pitching coach Dave Duncan said just before the All-Star break that Carpenter's issues were in his delivery, specifically the way he was landing on his left leg.

So one great fear of the second half is eliminated right away.  Carpenter was masterful - crisp and efficient, getting out of innings with very few pitches.  And that was important on a typical St. Louis July night rampant with heat and humidity.  Carpenter only threw 101 pitches in his eight innings, but wasn't asked to do more in the muggy conditions, giving way to Mitchell Boggs who finished the game with no drama.

Another positive development was the Cardinal offense.  Dodger lefty Clayton Kershaw has bedeviled the Redbirds in the past, but he wasn't sharp tonight and St. Louis took advantage.  Albert Pujols had three hits, Yadier Molina and Aaron Miles added two each to the team total of 12.  The offense was able to string hits together and put runs on the scoreboard in four different innings.

The Cardinals recalled Allen Craig from Memphis to replace OF Nick Stavinoha, who went on the DL with a shoulder sprain.  Craig had 2 RBI and hit the ball hard, but did not record a hit.  Craig has only one hit hit in his 21 Major League career at-bats.  He was replaced in the sixth inning by another rookie, Jon Jay, who extended his 12-game hit streak with a RBI double in the seventh.  Jay continues to be a spark to the line-up, and he is now hitting .386 on the season.

With Cincinnati having the day off, St. Louis is only one-half game out of first.  With Carpenter back to being himself and the offense looking like it should, Cardinal fans are feeling a bit better about the team and the second half of the season.


Photo by Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images Sport

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.

St. Louis Cardinals Mid-Season Awards

As a frustrating first half of the 2010 season winds down, it's time to evaluate the winners and losers on the St. Louis Cardinals talented roster. The MLB All-Star Game is traditionally viewed as the midpoint of the season as most players get a three day break to rest, heal, and reset. It also is the perfect time to evaluate what we've seen so far. Here's this humble scribe's breakdown of the Redbirds first half award winners.

MVP
CANDIDATES

• Albert Pujols:     All discussion of Most Valuable Player (either for the Cardinals, or for the NL) begins with the All-Star first baseman.  While Pujols hasn't always been as clutch in 2010 as fans are accustomed, the slugger hasn't slacked off the pace of his First-Ballot Hall of Fame career.  He is batting .307 with 21 HR, 61 RBI, and 54 Runs scored.  His .412 OBP .577 SLG & .989 OPS slash line is below career norms, but all rank in the top 3 in the NL.  Always finding a way to win, whether through his aggressive but intelligent base-running or his Gold Glove caliber defense (.997 fielding percentage with 3 errors), Albert is the engine that drives the team.
• Adam Wainwright:    Last season was Wainwright's breakout season, winning 19 games and garnering the most first-place votes for the Cy Young award.  He didn't win that award though, finishing 3rd in the balloting.  That slight seems to have pushed the right-hander to an even higher strata.  He is second in the NL in Wins (13) ERA (2.11) and Complete Games (4).  Taking the torch as staff ace from Chris Carpenter, Wainwright's losses reflect his dominance as much as his wins.  He's suffered 2 losses in 1-0 games, and another loss came in a complete game which he allowed only 2 earned runs.

And the winner is...     PUJOLS. Exceptionally tough decision, based simply on Pujols being everyday player.

Cy Young
CANDIDATES

• Wainwright     13-5  2.11 ERA  19 starts 4 CG 1 SHO 136.1 innings 127 strike outs.  

 And the winner is...     WAINWRIGHT.  No one else in the conversation.



Rookie of the Year
CANDIDATES

• David Freese:     Freese was handed the job on Opening Day 2010 and is clearly the team's #1 at the position.  A shaky start to the season in the field belied his reputation with the glove, but he settled down and has been solid defensively with flashes of brilliance. At the bat is where Freese has shined, though. His .296 batting average ranks first amongst all NL rookies in batting, staying over .300 until an ankle sprain slowed him down. Currently on the DL, Freese's discipline at the plate and penchant for driving in runs has been sorely missed in the line-up.
• Jaime Garcia:     Coming into Spring Training after losing most of 2009 because of Tommy John surgery, the highly though of prospect was a long shot for the rotation. Garcia simply forced his way into the rotation with his outstanding performances in camp. The 24 year old Mexican-born left-hander promptly put up numbers not seen by by an NL rookie SP since Fernando Valenzuela. Garcia hits the break with an 8-4 record and his 2.17 ERA ranks just behind teammate Adam Wainright for third in the NL.  Garcia does walk too many batters and has been shaken by errors by his fielders, but these are correctable.  A fantastic curve, a major league fastball, and command of a variety pitches shows there is still room to improve upon his fantastic start.
  
• Jon Jay:     Recently called up from Triple A Memphisfor the second time this season, Jay is proving to be the catalyst the offense has been needing.  Since rejoining the Cardinals on July 2, Jay has been involved in half of all the innings the St. Louis offense has put runs on the scoreboard.  The 25 year old OF enters the break on an 11-game hitting streak and is batting .385 in his limited ABs and sporting a very impressive OPS of 1.018 which would be 3rd in MLB if he had enough plate appearances.  

And the winner is...     GARCIA.  As impressive as Freese has been, without Garcia the Cardinals would be challenging the Cubs for irrelevance in the NL Central.

Comeback Player of the Year

CANDIDATES

• David Freese:     Freese missed a good portion of the 2009 season due to ankle surgery precipitated by injuries sustained in an automobile accident the previous winter.  Though he made the Cardinals 2009 opening day roster, he didn't stick around long.  He was penciled in as the big league club's starting third baseman after a successful return to Triple A Memphis in August, but he put that opportunity in jeopardy with a DUI arrest this past off season.  He has put that problem behind him, and had been a vital part of the Redbird line-up until his current stint on the DL.
• Jaime Garcia:     Garcia first sported the Birds on the Bat late in the 2008 season going 1-1 while starting one game and appearing in nine others.  He was showing good promise, but suffered a ligament injury and had to undergo Tommy John surgery missing most of the 2009 season.  As 2010 Spring Training commenced, Garcia was ticketed for the minors to rebuild arm strength - at best a relief role in the majors.  But he impressed enough to travel north with the team, and Redbird fans cannot imagine where the Cardinals would be without him in the rotation.

And the winner is...     GARCIA. Both had tough roads back, but Garcia is more valuable.

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!