This Cool, Red-Hot Cardinals-Reds Rivalry

It's only April, and we are barely 10 percent of the way through the St. Louis Cardinals summertime sojourn, but the season seems ripe for a big series.  Behold, it is upon us as the defending NL Central champion Cincinnati Reds cross the Rubicon Mississippi, and invade the battlefield of Busch Stadium tonight to begin a three game tussle.

It's a long awaited confrontation heightened by the hijinks of last August.  This nascent but vibrant rivalry has been brewing since the 1800's, began budding when former Cardinal GM Walt Jocketty was hired by Cincinnati for the same position, and bloomed with The Brawl last season(video).  Add a jigger of the intensive on-field antagonism of managers Tony LaRussa and Dusty Baker, fill to the top with a healthy dose of Scott Rolen, and stir with the inflammatory controversy of Brandon Phillips' comments:

"I'd play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is [bleep] and moan about everything, all of them, they're little [same bleep, plural], all of 'em. I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals."

What you have brewing is an intoxicating cocktail that is served best flaming hot, and is to savored.  Yes, I find this flowering rivalry quite cool.

What wasn't cool was the kicking of frustrated futbol-star Johnny Cueto ripping up Chris Carpenter with his spikes, and the career-ending concussion to Jason LaRue.  Sissy-kicking gets you kicked out of the club, Mr. Cueto.  It's a bigger offense to my sensibilities than shoplifting t-shirts.

This entire brouhaha really was ordered by the big mouth of Reds All-Star second baseman Phillips.  Before what appeared to be a crucial series last August, Phillips made statements about how the St. Louis team were a bunch of whiners, and how he hates the Cardinals.  While whine is not a part of this recipe, the hates the Cardinals thing makes a wonderful garnish.  His comments were met with an icy reception across Cardinal Nation, however this observer thought that his shot across the bow was quite cool.

I mean, what is he supposed to say?  The usual, boring platitudes that most professional spout out these days?  Humbug on that.  The Reds team liked their make-up last year, and were ready to take down the Yankees of the division.  He put his confidence on the bulletin-board for all to read and fit his mates for battle.  Phillips and his mates lost that battle, but won the war - and proved their mettle.

Now the teams meet again, tied for the division lead and looked to be running side-by-side all season.  Without Phillips fanning the flames of rivalry, this would just be another early season intra-divisional series.  Now we've got fun, folks.  Good ol' get-in-your-face, spit-on-your-shoes fun.  

Spring flowers in a long-awaited showdown before Memorial Day.  Such things are rare in baseball.  And myself, I will drink in every drop of this new Cardinal-Reds Rivalry cocktail because victory will smell so sweet.  

Let us all wish that Mother Nature doesn't crash our party, leaving us with naught but karaoke this weekend.  Singing the blues about how our awaited refreshment was spilt.

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 To Make First Start for Hometown Team

Kyle McClellan grew up in Florissant, Missouri as a fan of the Cardinals.  Tonight in St. Louis, a dream will come true for the Redbirds righthander as he will make his first big league start against the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The Hazelwood West High grad has been a fixture in the Cardinals bullpen since 2008.

Pitching coach Dave Duncan has been high on McClellan's potential as a starting pitcher for some time now, noting his command of a variety of pitches that are effective against batters on both sides of the plate.  That versatility has served the Cardinals well out of the bullpen, but hasn't stopped the ball club from grooming McClellan as a starter the past three springs in Jupiter. In 2009, he was insurance in case Chris Carpenter was unable to answer the bell after Tommy john surgery.  Last spring, McClellan was very impressive in the battle to claim the fifth starter role, but lost out to Jaime Garcia, who was simply even more impressive. Coming into this season, the Cardinals clearly had McClellan pencilled into the role, but made him earn it.  And earn it he did by getting batters to beat the ball into the ground, showing necessary stamina, and posting a minuscule 0.78 ERA.

McClellan was St. Louis' best performing starter in Florida.  But that was spring training.  Tonight, the game is for real.  The true test for the hometown boy to make his dreams come true.  I am bullish on McClellan's capabilities as a starting pitcher in the big leagues.  He has passed muster in his previous trials and has earned the right to take the ball in the first inning under the lamps of Busch III.   I - and all of Cardinal Nation - will be rooting shamelessly for him to succeed in what is truly his home ballpark.

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!

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.

Still Questions About Carpenter's Health

After St. Louis Cardinal starter Chris Carpenter took a Kelly Johnson line-drive off his right (read: pitching) forearm in the first inning June 28, questions remain about the lingering effects.   Carpenter remained in that game against the Arizona Diamondbacks and seemed to be okay as he went 7 innings giving up 3 earned runs in a no decision.  But many observers noticed the lack of sharpness on his curve.  Carpenter followed that up with his worst non-injury shortened start as a Cardinal on July 3 against the Brewers.  It's then that questions about Carpenter's health began to surface.   Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa and Carpenter insisted that his health was fine, with the Redbirds starter explaining, "I wouldn't go out there if I had an opportunity to hurt myself.  My arm is fine."  This lead me to question the veracity of injury disclosures by the club.

     Now Roger Hensley of STLtoday.com raises the same questions.  Since Carpenter first made his appearance on the field wearing the Birds on the Bat, the Cardinals have never made the playoffs without him in the rotation deep into the season.  With the thought of what a forearm injury did to Kyle Lohse's season - and the debacle of the recent series in Colorado - the sleep of Cardinals Nation is suddenly troubled by nightmares of a dream season slipping away.

     As I drain my Budweiser to drown such thoughts, this Redbird fan prays such pessimism is unfounded.  Maybe Carp is just having a down year.  Adam Wainwright's growth into a true ace of the staff means the Cardinals still have as formidable 1-2 punch in the rotation as anyone in the National League.

Oh No! LaRussa Says Carp Is OK

[This post first published 05 July 2010 on Insensitized] 


Joe Strauss has reported on STLtoday.com that Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa "voiced confidence in Chris Carpenter's fitness a day after the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner endured a three-inning outing, one of his three shortest starts as a Cardinal."  Hmmm, how do I take this.

It doesn't take much to remember the last time we heard an injury to a vital Cardinal starter was no big deal.  Ludwick's calf is not even history yet.  Neither is Brad Penny's shoulder.  They're both on the DL currently (and we're praying that they come back healthy).  Troy Glaus' shoulder should heal up fine by May 2009 - right?  Kyle Lohse's forearm was completely healed after the past off-season.  And back on April 10, 2007, an ESPN article had this wonderful piece of prophesy:

According to a statement issued by the team, there was no evidence of an acute ligament injury -- a problem that would have required surgery and likely would have finished Carpenter's season.

It was "an acute ligament injury" and it did finish him for basically 2 seasons.  I could research more of these injury misinformational official statements, but why waste time when even the most casual Redbird fan is already saying, "Scott Rolen's shoulder" or "Mark Mulder's arm-slot".  There is a pattern here.

What raises my antennae about Carpenter is his poor showing in the first start after taking a line drive off his pitching forearm.  Last year, Kyle Lohse's problems first surfaced after being hit by a pitch on his right forearm on May 23rd.  Lohse had 2 DL stints last year, and never regained the stuff he had in the first two months last year.  This year, he complained to Derrick Goold that "I don’t feel like anything is wrong, it’s just I keep missing up in the zone. I keep looking for something mechanically."  Sound like TLR on Carp yesterday?  Uh huh.  Yep.

I care not to panic, but I cannot disregard what is a clear trend over the past few years.  All these might just be cases of LaRussa's optimism and romanticism of the toughness of baseball players.  Or this trend could simply be repeated misdiagnosis by Head Team Physician Dr George Paletta and Head Trainer Barry Weinberg.  But they all have come under the ownership of Bill DeWitt - either with Walt Jocketty or John Mozeliak as GM .  Perhaps he learned a thing or two about diverting away from the truth from his good friend George W. Bush.  Getting to the heart of the matter with Cardinal injuries has become as tiring as getting hard facts from the lesser Bush's administration during the build up to the Iraqi War.

Whether through ineptitude or truthiness, I will have to take these pronouncements from the club with a sizeable grain of salt (as big as Fredbird).  But all will be fine if Mr. Carpenter's next start is as sharp as Waino's was.

Share your horror stories about Cardinal injuries in recent memory by leaving a comment.  Or tell me how off-base I am.  But please Stand for Stan.