As we all prepare for tonight’s Cards versus Astros and Phillies versus Braves games that may determine the final playoff spot in the National League, I thought it appropriate to bring a little levity to a high-leverage situation.

It just so happens that Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has some managerial tendencies that tweak that teams fans similarly to the relationship between us Cards fans and our own lovable scamp, Tony La Russa.

So what if the shoes were on the other feet? What if Fredi were managing the Cards and Tony the Braves? I could envision these scenarios:

Fredi’s Cards

• Albert Pujols would inexplicably hit sixth or seventh in the lineup. A lot.
• Jason Motte would pitch every ninth inning, regardless of game situation.
• Jake Westbrook would have six or eight more starts.
• More injuries. Not serious ones, mind you, just the type that will give you a day off here and there because the manager won’t.
• BFF’s with Ryan Theriot. After all, it is what it is.

Tony’s Braves

• Tommy Hanson would’ve come up in the bullpen. Then moved to the rotation. Then back to the ‘pen. Then rotation. Then bullpen. Repeat four times.
• Julio Lugo would pinch hit in every game. In the sixth inning. Then stay in as a defensive replacement for Chipper Jones.
• Craig Kimbrel would have sixty-two saves. But he wouldn’t be the closer.
• Jason Heyward would be traded. The return would include Aaron Miles and Randy Winn.
• George Sherrill would be brought in to walk at least one left-handed hitter per game.
• Eric Hinske at second base, anyone?
• There would be no fewer than four complaints about “that distracting apple” at Citi Field and the brightness of the liberty bell sign at Citizens Bank Park.

And bunts. Good gracious would there be bunts. Lots of bunts.

Got anything to add to these lists? Leave ‘em in the comments below!

Enjoy the games tonight, Cards and Braves fans. This time it counts!

Let’s just dispense with the pleasantries and list them all here, shall we?

This way, Cards fans have a repository to come back to game after game, without having to continue to come up with new reasons for a lost season.

In no particular order:

1. Moths
2. Ryan Franklin
3. Takashi Saito
4. Rob Drake
5. Tony Rasmus
6. Dan Lozano
7. Corey Patterson
8. Shelby Miller’s Fists of Fury
9. The frog in Al Hrabosky’s throat
10. Matt Holliday’s (former) appendix
11. Albert Pujols
12. Colby Rasmus
13. Alex Anthopoulos’ dreamy bedroom eyes
14. Miguel Batista
15. Mitchell Boggs
16. Fernando Salas
17. Corey Patterson
18. The offense
19. The bullpen
20. The starting rotation
21. Defense
22. The roster
23. John Mozeliak
24. Adam Wainwright’s (former) elbow ligament
25. Miller Park
26. Corey Patterson
27. Milo Hamilton
28. Arthur Rhodes
29. Brandon Phillips
30. Bloggers
31. Ryan Theriot
32. Tyler Greene
33. Tony La Russa
34. Brendan Ryan
35. Jake Westbrook
36. Corey Patterson
37. Jaime Garcia (but only on the road)
38. The fact that Pete Kozma was on a big league roster
39. Lighted ribbon boards
40. Marty Brennaman
41. Keith Law
42. Bill DeWitt
43. Ballpark Village
44. Rafael Furcal
45. Shingles
46. Corey Patterson
47. Mark McGwire
48. Brian Tallet’s facial hair
49. Sock/stirrup/long pants inconsistency
50. That gosh-danged Aaron Miles
51. Rust at Busch Stadium (on the building and the field)
52. Bud Selig
53. Payroll
54. Heath Bell
55. Jon Jay, full-time starting outfielder
56. Day games after night games
57. Sabermetrics
58. Pitches up and in
59. Corey Patterson

Whew! I think I’ve covered most of them.

Anything missing? Post ‘em in the comments below or find me on Twitter @PitchersHit8th.

Image via Wikipedia

I’ve got an ever-growing number of items floating around the ole desk here that I need to get resolved, so as such, here’s one big catch-all post to take care of them…

Trade Deadline

1. Not ecstatic to see Colby Rasmus leave, but I think it was another situation where the relationship (however you want to interpret the usage of that word) had deteriorated beyond repair.  Someone had to go, and one wasn’t a likely candidate to be shipped out.
2. I do think the 2011 Cardinals improved themselves with their deadline activity.
3. Love the Rafael Furcal deal as a low risk, high potential reward swap.  There wasn’t much available on the market, but it’s certainly reasonable to believe Furcal will be an upgrade for the Cards’ middle infield.
4. Glad Heath Bell didn’t come to St. Louis.  Too expensive, don’t need him.

All-Star Giveaway Winners

You may remember we had a contest of sorts around the All-Star Game (hey, I said this stuff has been on my desk too long) asking folks to tell us their favorite Cardinal All-Star moments.  Without further ado, the winners:

GRAND PRIZE (MLB.com gift card): Jason – “Mine would have to be the 2002 All Star game. It was a few weeks after Darryl Kile passed away. Matt Morris was the only Cardinals representative that year, but he didn’t play. During the player introductions Matt flashed the camera his palms which read “DK 57″ in honor of his fallen friend and teammate. I was still having trouble dealing with DK’s death at the time and it made me feel a little better to see Morris remember his buddy on a stage that is usually reserved for individual accomplishments. It is unfortunate that to most people the 2002 game is known more for the infamous All Star game that ended in a tie. The reason I love this moment is because it isn’t about an amazing catch or no-doubt home run. It was one friend honoring the memory of another and something anyone could relate to, baseball fan or not.”

RUNNER UP (Assorted All-Star Game swag): Alan - “I would say my favorite Cardinal All-star moment would have to be when Mark McGwire absolutely went off in the 1999 Home Run Derby. Seeing him launch ball after ball over the Monster and hearing Chris Berman rattle off every Boston suburb as each homer landed was one of the most awesome feelings I have ever gotten to experience in my life.”

I will be contacting the two winners to get them their prizes.  Congrats guys and thanks again to Holiday Inn for providing the prizes.

Want to know what watching a Batavia Muckdogs game is like?

The folks over at Stadium Journey recently visited Dwyer Stadium to take in a Muckdogs game – check out their review here.

Scott Engel talks to Cardinal players

Over at thexlog.com Scott Engel had a chance to speak with some of the Cardinals players and coaches while they were recently in New York.  Some of the responses and comments were entertaining…

My favorites?

Albert Pujols constantly referring to the media somewhat dismissively as “you guys”, Mark McGwire says “Freese has ice in his veins” (oh hilarious, Mark) and refers to Jon Jay as a “role player” when discussing his “low maintenance swing” (in other words, Big Mac doesn’t want anything to do with that hitch).  And does David Freese sound like Spicoli to anyone else?

The Lost WARGraphs

So before Colby Rasmus was traded last Wednesday, I was all fired up about making a WARGraphs Wednesday post comparing Rasmus and Andy Van Slyke – he of the B.O.B. Syndrome (Bitter Old Ballplayer).  Van Slyke was continuing to run his mouth about Rasmus, and the graphs show it might just be jealousy.

Then Colby was traded, so I quick and switched gears toward a Rasmus versus Corey Patterson post, since some folks were deluding themselves into believing Patterson was a lynch pin in the deal (to be clear, he’s not).

Anyway, I figure by now it would just seem like sour grapes to post either of them as their own full-fledged WARGraphs Wednesday post, but I wanted to share the links.  So there.

Shameless Self-Promotion

Finally, I was a guest on The Pulse Network’s Sports Buzz show a couple weeks ago talking about the Cardinals and the trade deadline.  I probably sound foolish in hindsight, knowing what the team actually DID do at the deadline, but nonetheless, if you can still stand the sound of my voice after listening to Podcast Ep. 6.0, you can go watch the clip from Sports Buzz.

As always, thanks for reading, listening and watching.  Now I can clear off my desk.

As the Reds prepare to host the Cardinals this weekend, I thought it might be necessary to help the host team out with a few friendly suggestions about how to stay hospitable and maintain the highest level of decorum they can muster.

1. Don’t do “The Wave”.  It’s pathetic in any stadium, and it just looks really bad when you can’t figure out which direction it should go.  If you are going to do it, at least try to go horizontally this time.
2. Don’t tap Yadi’s shinguards, chest protector, or even a bobblehead of Yadi.  “Angry Yadi” is a far better hitter than just regular Yadi, and regular Yadi is currently hitting .294.  Yadier Molina is a bad, bad man.
3. Keep Johnny Cueto on a short leash.  No, I mean on a real leash.  He’s about as useful as an escalator with no power (think stairs with teeth). 
4. If you happen to see a “monster blast” home run, keep in mind that your team plays at the Great American Ball Park and NASA Launch Pad Test Facility.  It’s like junior high softball field dimensions with the wrong numbers painted on the outfield wall.  It’s kinda of like taking a 3-wood to a par 3 course or playing Wii baseball.  Of course it’s a joke. 
5. When you announce that awesome paid attendance for each game in the series, remember to give thanks to the Cardinals fans who travel to your town.  They probably comprise about 1/3 of the people who paid to be there.  Actually, they are the ones who paid for the good seats.  I’m watching.  I know you drew 11,821 against Houston at home, and I’m not the least bit impressed.  Step up your game.  You played in front of an average paid attendance of over 40k in Stl.  Step it up, Redlings.
6. You might as well give away some tickets.  I see that on StubHub tickets for one of the games against the Pirates go for as low as $1.  Why bother?  Just give them away and fill the seats.  StubHub charges more in fees than you do for a lot of your tickets.  Heck, it costs a fair amount just to print out a ticket at home.  Oh, the pain!
7. I heard about that incredibly clever menu item you created.  “Smoked Cardinal” is pure genius, if by “genius” you really mean”classless”.  Were you aware that St. Louis already had something named in honor of the Cincinnati Reds?  Yes, they are called “urinal cakes”, and they can be found in restrooms located all around the stadium.  They’ve been around for many, many years.  Prior to that incarnation, the Cardinals honored the Reds with what we call “toilet paper”.  It’s that stuff that Cardinals fans usually pack along with them to the GABP.
8. You are perfectly welcome to keep Ryan Theriot for a few days after the weekend is over.  Nobody in St. Louis really needs fashion tips from someone with a pathetically weak soul patch, anyway. 
9. I’m tired of hearing about Aroldis Chapman and his 106 mph fastball.  I’ve seen him throw a couple times this season, and I’ve only seen him reach 98-99 a few times.  Bring the real goods, or stop yapping about it. 
10. Your whole organization owes Jason LaRue a huge apology, a mansion, a yacht, a car, and maybe a nice dinner.  You should probably invite him to throw out a ceremonial first pitch and cheer him like crazy, but that’s probably too much to ask.  Seriously, you might want to try to make amends, since one of your punk players ended his career by being a little fathead.  Never mind.  LaRue has more class in his catching gear than you do on your whole team, but that’s mostly because you have Phillips and Cueto.
11. Try to temper your enthusiasm about Adam Wainwright being injured.  Less singing and dancing, and more humility.  Cardinals players and fans don’t celebrate that mental issue that Phillips has, so why kick Adam when he’s down?  He’ll be back at some point, and he’ll be fine.  Phillips will always be the southern end of a northbound mule.
12. By the way, keep clinging to that “2010 NL Central Division Championship” broom or whatever it is you have hanging up at GABP.  Lot of good it did you.  Way to represent.  The NL Central could have sent the Astros and had the same results.  Thanks for nothing.  Don’t remind anybody of what you did last year.  Nobody is really all that impressed.  Whoops.  I’m probably wrong.  The approximately 14,000 Reds fans who regularly pay to attend your games are probably somewhat impressed, if they aren’t completely disinterested by the 4th inning.  Remember, these are the same people who are fascinated by service staff in restaurants who can write their names upside-down on paper table covers using crayons.
13. Save yourselves the trouble of the Joey Votto versus Albert Pujols comparisons as well.  In his ages 23-26 seasons, Votto compiled a total WAR of 13.8.  In Albert’s ages comparable seasons, he compiled a total WAR of 36.8.  Votto has been getting it done since 2009, but Albert’s been the mang since 2001.  Case closed.
14. Recognize that you are playing near your talent max, and you are still a game behind a team that has already lost its ace pitcher for the season, has its superstar player off to a slow start, and is penciling in 3/4 of an infield consisting of “irregulars”. 
15. Just remember that if there is another division realignment in baseball, you probably belong in a division with Memphis.  Memphis would need a slightly higher payroll, but the guys there deserve it.  Don’t worry, though.  You would have company there, because the Nationals should go along with you.

TIDBIT:  Don’t think I didn’t notice that a Placido Polanco bobblehead doll would simply be a scaled down version of the real Placido Polanco.  (No exaggeration required.)

Like it?  Wonder why Votto was drafted in 2002 but didn’t make his MLB debut until 2007?  Follow gr33nazn on Twitter, and we’ll discuss this important question along with Polanco’s giant noggin!

After the news broke that the Padres and Red Sox had worked out a trade involving Adrian Gonzalez, I could’ve sworn I heard a collective sigh from Cardinal Nation.  The commonly held belief is that since the Red Sox now have a stud first baseman, they will no longer be interested in Pujols when he becomes a free agent after the 2011 season.  That removes one possible suitor from the short list of potential free agent destinations.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not breathing any easier as a result of this move.  I just never saw the Red Sox as a likely fit, even though they obviously have the deep pockets necessary to sign Pujols to a megadeal.  It’s just that they have one thing that doesn’t really seem to work in their favor.  Hint:  It’s larger than a loaf of bread, and it’s green.  That’s right.  It’s the “Green Monster”.  It’s a huge wall that comprises left field.  AP is a line drive hitter who happens to hit home runs.  He doesn’t hit home runs like Adam Dunn, so the typical home run arc from a Pujols shot isn’t anything like a pitching wedge.  It’s more like a scalded 2-iron.  In Fenway, a typical Pujols home run could easily become a double, and some of his doubles could become really hard hit singles.  Could he make an adjustment and hit the ball to right more?  Sure.  Of course, he wouldn’t have nearly the same impact, and pitchers would simply bust him inside constantly.  Since AL pitchers tend to do that quite well, I see this whole wall thing as a non-starter.

As long as I’m on the subject of possible landing spots, it’s worth taking a look at the rest.  These evaluations are not based on any assumptions about Albert’s desire to play for any other team, any other team’s desire to obtain AP, or any intangible conditions such as “fit”.  I’m simply considering a few elements of the business equation.  To make it interesting, I’ll start with all the teams that project payrolls at approximately $100M for 2011 & 2012, because I don’t see a team with a $80M payroll spending over 1/3 of it on a 1B.  Maybe that means I’m starting with faulty logic, but I don’t see a whole lot of precedence for that, either.  That means starting with the Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, White Sox, Angels, Mariners, Phillies, Braves, Mets, Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, Rockies, and Dodgers.  I’m going to rate each of these teams on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most likely and 1 being a likelihood equivalent to the Pirates.

• Yankees – With a $200M+ payroll and Mark Teixeira signed through 2016, the Yankees don’t seem like a likely landing spot.  Their roster is aging, so guys like A-Rod will be needing increasingly more at-bats at DH, and it would be a stretch to add Pujols to the mix.  2/10
• Red Sox – I’ve already discussed the big wall thing, and the A-Gon signing shuts the door on this one completely.  1/10
• Twins – 4-time AS and 1-time MVP Justin Morneau is 29 and signed through 2013 at $14M/yr.  1/10
• White Sox – If the Sox don’t re-sign Konerko ($12M in 2010) this offseason, then they’ve got Adam Dunn at 1B in 2011.  Making at run at Pujols would make a lot of sense to pair with Dunn for a serious righty/lefty combo, especially since they could spell each other at 1B.  7/10
• Angels – The triumvirate of Morales/Quinlan/Trumbo isn’t exactly going to keep pitchers up at night, but it isn’t going to break the bank, either.  The Angels are headed for $125M+ for 2011, but $10.9M of that is for the Gary Matthews deal.  Kazmir has a $13.5M team option for 2012, so the Angels could easily clear room for AP without significantly changing the roster.  8/10
• Mariners – This team has several first basemen who really can’t hit at all.  For a team that ranked 30th in just about everything (30th in obp, runs, batting average, and slugging %), AP would help, but he certainly wouldn’t be enough.  2/10
• Phillies – They already have Ryan Howard, and they have him locked up for the next 6 seasons with a team option for a 7th.  For the record, the next 6 seasons cost them $20M, $20M, $20M, $25M, $25M, and $25M.  The 7th season is a $23M team option with a $10M buyout.  When someone refers to wanting a “Ryan Howard-type contract”, now you know what it means (if you didn’t know already).  1/10
• Braves – Chipper Jones and his $13M per year could be the key variable here.  If the Braves can clear enough payroll, it’s still hard to imagine them spending all their money on 1 player, but stranger things have happened.  3/10
• Mets – Ike Davis costs just above the bare minimum, and he’s got incredible range at 1B.  If he gives them 20 hr and 75-80 rbi a year along with really good defense, then it’s hard to top that bargain.  For a team with several needs to address, 1B just doesn’t seem like the best place to start, even if bringing in AP would be the kind of big name signing that would wow the fans.  5/10
• Cubs – Would anything ramp up the rivalry as much as the Cubbies signing AP?  Probably not.  As I mentioned during my NL Central Fall Preview series here, the Cubs have as little as $44.5M committed to the 2012 payroll right now, so they could afford the contract.  I look for them to fill the void long before that point, and a Prince Fielder / Wrigley Field pairing seems like a perfect match to me.  3/10
• Giants – Aubrey Huff just inked a 2 yr / $20M deal with them with a team option for a 3rd year a $10M with a $2M buyout.  It would seemingly be tough to move Huff at $10M for 2012 to make room for AP and still have the money to sign AP as well.  2/10
• Rockies – Todd Helton plays 1B there, and he’s signed through 2013 as part of a 3 yr / $33.6M deal.  Even though his 2012 and 2013 numbers are $4.9M and $5M respectively, the Tulowitzki deal really accelerates starting in 2013.  3/10
• Dodgers – This is one team that is hitting a really bad phase in the life cycle of a baseball team.  It’s the phase in which a lot of players reach either free agency or arbitration at the same time.  That means that they have to spend a lot to retain or obtain talent, and the 3 yr / $21M deal for Juan Uribe is just one example.  For a team that appears to be cutting payroll, it doesn’t appear like they are doing so to make a big splash anytime soon, and they appear satisfied with James Loney for now, anyway.  2/10

I’ve saved the Cardinals for last.  They’ve had an exclusive negotiating window for quite a while now, and no extension is in place yet.  I’m probably in the small minority on this one, but I’m ready for some negotiating to take place.  Way back in October, I wrote “The 800 lb Gorilla in the Middle of Busch” in which I outlined what I consider to be a reasonable deal for 8 yrs / $205M.  That’s just slightly above the average annual value of Ryan Howard‘s contract, and it’s only exceeded by Alex Rodriguez‘s deal.  I’m not suggesting a “take it or leave it approach”, but a “this is ALL we can afford AND remain competitive” attitude wouldn’t be bad at all.  Do it now.  Don’t wait until spring.  Don’t wait until November of 2011.  Do it tomorrow, and I’ll rate the team’s chances at 9/10.  Get the deal done, and that small collective sigh will probably become a giant one.  By waiting this long, it’s quite possible that the team has already allowed the price to rise, because A-Gon is nearly off the market.  At this rate, it’s beginning to look like a long, cold winter, and the hot stove is cooling quickly in St. Louis.

Among the many topics being discussed today in the aftermath of last night’s loss to the Pirates is whether or not Randy Winn had a legitimate shot at scoring from second base on Albert Pujols‘ single in the top of the ninth inning.  Jose Oquendo thought not, and held him up, but was it the right call?

Using highly unscientific methods to try and put a quantifiable spin on this quandary, I used a screencap, PNC Park diagram, Adobe Illustrator, and some fuzzy math to come up with the answer.

I had to make some assumptions.  First, I assume that Randy Winn could make the trot from third base to home in 3.75 seconds at full speed (which he would’ve been, rounding third base with no stop sign).  Winn made it from his lead-off spot away from second base to third in about 3 seconds, so I am fairly comfortable with this assumption.  Second, I also assume that Ronny Cedeno is running at the same speed to go retrieve the ball.  That means they’re going approximately 24 feet per second.

Using the video of the play, I estimate that Cedeno is about 15 feet or so from the ball:

That means Cedeno will get to the ball in a little over six-tenths of  a second, approximately 0.625 seconds. (Unfortunately, this video doesn’t actually show him picking up the ball in a manner that can be timed.)  So by the time Cedeno picks up the ball, Winn still has 3.125 seconds to beat a throw home.

Continuing my wild methods and assumptions, I create the following diagram, showing the approximate location of Cedeno and ball when he retrieves it, with dimensions based upon scale from the outfield wall (and some rough guidelines for where the grass line lies on a MLB field):

So Cedeno is 166 feet from home plate with the ball, and Winn is 85 feet from the plate at full speed.  A couple of cursory Google searches tell me that a pro shortstop should be able to throw about 85 mph from his position to first base (hey, I told you this was going to be unscientific).  Assuming the ball to slow down a bit by the time it reaches home plate from his current location in short left field, say 80 mph, means that Cedeno can get the ball to the plate in about 1.4 seconds – IF you assume that he’s planting and making a strong throw.

That leaves Winn still 1.725 seconds from the plate – a little over 41 feet, in our scheme.  Seems like a bunch of real estate to make up, doesn’t it?

The critical time is in Cedeno retrieving the ball and how much strength he can get behind his throw.  Obviously this is a huge hole in this entire project, but you’re at least left with the one remaining variable – can Cedeno pick up the ball and set in 1.725 seconds?  Just as importantly, could he have gotten enough behind the throw to make the above assumptions correct?  And finally, could he have put it right on the plate and remove another variable – the catcher’s tag?

Ok, so maybe I haven’t really proven anything (not that I set out to, given the methods) – but it certainly seems more plausible than I thought that Cedeno could’ve gunned Winn down at home.

I’m not prepared to declare this myth busted – hard to say for certain if he’s safe or out – but my instinct still says you send him.

What do you think?  Safe or out?  Did Oquendo make the right call to stop Winn?

(Please keep the comments about my math and procedures to a low snark, k?)

[Ed. note - Once again we are taking part in a United Cardinal Bloggers project.  This month is the ever popular pre-season Roundtable discussions.  You can find the full schedule of roundtable questions and posts at the UCB website.

I wrote and sent out this question one week ago, the night before Baby PH8 was due to arrive.  As such, this question had a bit of a direct personal influence...]

Nick: What is your first memory as a Cardinal fan? It could be attending your first game, or the first time you watched a really important game with your family, or perhaps the first Cardinal cap you received as a gift, or listening to Jack Buck on KMOX. For many folks there is a certain historical and/or family aspect that goes along with being a Cardinal fan, and I’m anxious to hear yours. For those who were “transplanted” into Cardinal Nation, I’m just as curious to hear how you wound up with the Redbirds.

The responses were wonderful:

Daniel, C70 at the Bat: My first memory of the Cardinals is actually my father listening to the radio during the 1985 World Series. We had just moved into a new house, one that my parents had built, and the cable had not been installed yet. So I remember him standing next to the counter listening to the radio broadcast of one of the games, I’m not sure which one.

My second memory is having oatmeal a couple mornings later and being sad when the radio guy said they “were playing this one for Whitey Herzog” and turned on “Kansas City” by Wilbert Harrison.

Joseph, The McBrayer-Baseball Blog: I have so many different defining moments, its hard just to choose just one. All I have ever known since birth was the St.Louis Cardinals will always be a part of our family. I am cousins with Charlie James a Cardinal player that was a part of the 1964 World Series Champions. Cardinal Baseball is in our blood. I always remember going to the games with my dad during the 70′s. He would buy the hard shell peanuts and he would buy me a box of Cracker Jacks. I recall pulling a mini-baseball card of Nolan Ryan, I still have it. The ritual still continues with my 5 year old son Gabe. He loves the Cracker Jack but there is no longer the tiny baseball cards. Gabe is now a hard-core Cardinal Fan.

Kathy, Redbird Chatter: My earliest baseball memory is spending summer evenings at my grandparents house. My grandpa would have one game on the TV and another on the radio. I never knew him to love a particular team. He just loved the game. My mom can remember as a girl, the family radio was in the kitchen. My grandpa would come in from a long day in the fields and sit on a hard kitchen chair to listen to the game. Any game.

I always liked baseball, but did not have a team. I felt an obligation to the Royals, having spent part of my life living in Kansas. It was more duty, than passion. In October of 2006, (yes, that 2006), I happened to be in St. Louis for during the NLCS. I was sitting in a room full of Cardinals fans, when hope seemed slim and Yadier Molina came to the plate. When Molina deposited that ball over the fence, the room exploded. And, I fell in love with Cardinals for the first time and baseball all over again.

We went out after the game. Downtown St. Louis crackled and sparked with a highly contagious excitement. I was introduced to Baseball City, USA. I knew I was home.

Jeff, 5ive O’Clock Blogger: My earliest Cardinals memories are spotty at best (the result of a misspent youth, I guess). My dad, of course, is responsible for my baseball fandom. I was born and raised in central Illinois, which is a Mason-Dixon line of sorts for rooting interests. My dad was a native Californian, but that state didn’t get baseball until after he left for the Marines, so he could have gone either way by the time he settled in Springfield. I’m forever thankful he chose the Cardinals.

The first specific player I remember rooting for was Garry Templeton, and I’m sure that it wasn’t long after that I learned the meaning of “obscene gesture.” But once Ozzie Smith came to St. Louis, I formed an all-encompassing obsession with the Wizard. And I remember watching the 1982 World Series on TV as a second-grader.

My earliest memory of being at Busch Stadium is hazy as well. I believe it was 1983, and I’m pretty sure it was against the Expos, possibly this game. The only specific memory I have from the game is the loudmouthed little kid sitting behind us who was heckling Dane Iorg the entire time because Iorg got the start at 1B instead of George Hendrick.

Michael, Whiteyball: My first Cardinals memory is Vince Coleman standing on first base with everyone in the stadium anticipating the excitement of a stolen base (probably 1985 or 1986). I’m not sure why this moment sticks out as my first memory, but it was important to my becoming a fan. Right after my Dad told me to watch, he did steal the base and the crowd went crazy. The scoreboard screamed “IN-VINCE-ABLE” with glorious mid 80’s technology and Ernie Hayes on the organ. A run hadn’t even scored, but it was one of the things that led me to fall in love with the game.

Ryan, Cardinals GM: My first Cardinal memory occured right outside the old Busch Stadium sometime in the early to mid 1990′s when I was probably around 5-6 years old. I remember my dad telling me to go up and shake Jack Buck’s hand, as he was outside the stadium before the game. I thought it was so cool to see the guy in person that my dad always listened to on the radio back home. I remember Jack being very friendly to me (as he was with everyone). I consider myself to be very fortunate that I was able to hear Jack on the radio towards the end of his amazing run of broadcasting Cardinal baseball, and I’ll never forget the day when I got to shake hands with a legend.

Sarah, la Beisbolista: I don’t have one specific memory, but my earliest Cardinals memories are of my family and I going to Busch II and sitting in the bleachers (usually once a season). My dad always had his walkman (because “a Cardinals game isn’t a Cardinals game without Jack Buck”), binoculars (because you couldn’t see a lot from the bleachers), and glove (and we did bring home a ball or two). As we watched, he would (not always patiently) explain the fundamentals of the game to me and tell me when to cheer.

More recent fond memories are of my son (at about age 5, the year Big Mac broke the HR record) playing baseball in the backyard and pretending to be Mark McGwire as he hit home run after home run (even though less than half of them actually left the yard). “Say ‘Home Run’, Mom!” he would instruct me every time he made contact. Then he would run in a big circle through the grass (with his head down and no showboating, thank you very much).

Mike, Stan Musial’s Stance: My first Cardinal memory was going to a game with my Dad in August 1977 at Dodger Stadium. I still have the tickets,  and remember the Dodgers crushed St Louis 11-0. I’ve written about that separately on my blog.

My Cardinal fan-ness, though, didn’t really start until that fall when my Grandma sent a birthday present:  a Cardinal cap and batting helmet.  I wore that hat until it was completely frayed and didn’t fit anymore. Living in LA rooting for the Cardinals – especially when the Dodgers were good and the Cardinals weren’t – was a little tough, but since following the Cardinals connected me to my extended family 1500 miles away, I supported the team rather tenaciously.

Still have the hat. And the helmet.

Pip, Fungoes: Being from southern Illinois, my mom grew up admiring Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst, whom she’d met as a girl, and with my dad’s Chicago ties, I assume they must have settled early on that, wanting the best for their kids, they’d raise us as Cardinal fans. My earliest — or at least strongest — memories are from the 1982 championship season. Of the handful of games that my family would attend each year, I would get to buy a souvenir once a season (at one of the booths outside the stadium). My first real souvenir — as in something that had the staying power of a Star Wars figure — was a plastic bat bank (see photo at http://www.fungoes.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/2010-bat-bank.jpg). The little white bats had the logos of 10 of the National League’s 12 teams (for some reason, the Pirates and Padres weren’t represented) and clipped into the red bank, encircling it like the World Series trophy that the Cardinals would win that October. In that series, I remember feeling the vindication when Keith Hernandez, my favorite player, broke out of his slump in Game 6, and, after the Game 7 win, listening and dancing with my little brother to Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” on our record player.

Chris, Bird-Brained: My first Cardinal memory actually isn’t of a game or meeting a player or seeing a special moment on TV. It’s of a couple of records. Back before DVDs of the entire series or VHS cassettes showing video highlights, teams would put together radio highlights of a championship year on an LP. At least, I’m assuming all teams did that. I know the Cardinals did, because my dad has one from 1967 and one from 1982. I was enamored with music before I was enamored with baseball, but I listened to these two albums as well. The ’82 record is one of my favorites of all time (which is saying something, since my own record collection is nearly 600 strong). It was narrated by Jack Buck, of course, and I practically have most of his narration–as well as the radio calls by him and Mike Shannon–memorized. So even though I was barely 5 years old when the Cards won in ’82, I know the radio broadcasts from that season like the back of my hand. From Shannon’s “Brummer’s Stealing Home!” to Buck’s “A-di-os!” those highlights are my earliest Cardinal memory…and, perhaps uniquely, ones that I can re-live over and over again.

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My own earliest and fondest memories of being a Cardinal fan revolve mostly around being indoctrinated into the game and Cardinal Nation by my father.  I’ve written about the game of baseball in St. Louis being passed down within families before, and will expand a bit on that here.

When I was just a young dude, around the 1982 World Series, I didn’t get to go to games, but my dad did – often with the neighbor who had season tickets.  Without fail, my father would bring me something from the game – a hat, a mini-helmet, a baseball card, a half-filled scorecard from that night’s game – that became my new favorite trinket for weeks.  A few years after the ’82 Series was over, and I was a bit older (enough to know not to tear it up), my father willed to me his copy of the ’82 World Series program.  Tiny photos of each player from each team – Joe Torre with the Atlanta Braves, Robin Yount with the Milwaukee Brewers – and most importantly, all of the photos and information about the Cardinals I could handle.

Soon we were going to games as a family – dad, mom, sister, and me – at Busch II about once a season, thanks in part to Mom’s new job that allowed her to choose a game or two per season to attend on the company’s season tickets.  Our yearly pilgrimage to my new baseball mecca was truly an event looked forward to.

As the years have gone by, and I’ve been able to attend numerous additional games – including some special ones near and dear to my heart (Mark McGwire’s 500 and 501 HR game, the 2004 Series with my father, 2006 Opening Day at Busch III, taking my wife to her first game in St. Louis, etc.) – and I still get a little emotional and pride-filled when the National Anthem begins.

Now that Baby PH8 has arrived, I can’t wait to make our annual pilgrimages to Busch III with him in tow.  He’s already got his first red shirt with Birds on the Bat…

Entertain this post in the hypothetical, if you will. Its July 12th, 2010, the All-Star Break, and all is terribly wrong in the world of Cardinal Nation. Forget the relatively frigid weather of the winter and indulge yourself in a warm summer day. Don’t get too comfortable though. After all, it’s not the Winter-Warmup that has just passed, but instead an intense series in Houston, where an inferior Astros team gave the Cardinals all they could handle, taking 2 of 3 from a meandering St. Louis club. Define meandering you ask? Let’s say they’re still in first place due to their superior front face talent but they are holding a slim 1.0 game lead above the Chicago Cubs (gasp).

Why is this happening?

Well, Jaime Garcia just blew out his elbow, David Freese had another… incident and is currently providing nothing more than replacement level value. Oh and Ryan Franklin is already having trouble, being a closer who can’t miss bats.

Uh oh.

Ok. Take a deep breath. Even if all these hypotheticals actually happened, St. Louis has a strong enough core to be a a playoff team, but when has being just a playoff team good enough for Cardinals fans? The 2009 Cardinals were a playoff team, quenching the thirst of a two-year playoff drought, but a three-game sweep at the hands of Los Angeles Dodgers left fans, and the team, hungry for more. In order to make a playoff run deep into October, it is necessary that St. Louis get regular level production from third base and the fifth starter position, the two roster spots that are considered the most glaring of holes for the 2010 team. Let’s take a look at a few of what I think are best options at the two most pertinent positions of need:

Starting Pitching

Ben Sheets (31, Free Agent RHP): In a high risk, high reward roll of the dice, Sheets has the highest upside of the remaining free agent arms left on the market. Sheets has always showed resilience after injury, coming back mid-season multiple times and pitching with success. After a full year off, I expect Sheets to thrive. Sheets has been a No. 2 starter in the past, and he still has it in him to produce that type of value again if healthy.

Jon Garland (30, Free Agent RHP): Garland is a Dave Duncan pitcher if there ever was one. He lives for low contact, resulting in a solid career GB% of 45%, and a GB/FB ratio of 1.29. He’s not going to blow anyone away. At this point in his career his fastball is topping out around 90 mph, resulting in a low K/9 of 4.72, but he uses his fastball more as a contact bait for ground balls because of its late cut movement. If nothing else, Garland can eat some bulk innings, he’s been right around 200 innings every year since 2002. Couple the innings with coaching from Duncan, and we may be looking at a season similar to Joel Pineiro’s career year of 2009.

John Smoltz (42, Free Agent RHP): At 42, he’s a little old. Ok — he’s really old  – but bear with me. Smoltz’s value rests in what I see as versatility. He still has the ability to strike batters out — he had a 9.47 K/9 rate in his stint with St. Louis in 2009. Where he did struggle was eating innings, something that is certainly understandable for a pitcher of Smoltz’s age. Smoltz’s ability to miss bats gives the Cardinals an alternative as a closer that I think they will eventually need, should Franklin have his traditional second half slump. Say Franklin’s struggles come in late July, given that Garcia doesn’t have injury problems because he didn’t have to pitch more innings than he is probably capable of over the course of an entire season in the big leagues, he can take over the fifth starter role for the remainder of the season. There are also other in house options that can cover if Garcia isn’t ready to take on the starts, such as Kyle McClellan or Blake Hawksworth.

Third Base

Joe Crede (31, Free Agent): After a tough span of three seasons at the plate, Crede is available on the cheap, and could be a steal for someone like the Cardinals, a team that needs nothing more than regular value at third base because of his excellent fielding. Crede was exceptional at third in 2009 for Minnesota, 12.5 fielding runs above average good. Maybe moving to the inferior National League will help him at the plate.

Kevin Kouzmanoff (28, OAK): On Friday, Kouzmanoff was traded to the Oakland Athletics, but don’t put it past Oakland GM Billy Beane to move Kouzmanoff at the July trade deadline for more prospects. Kouzmanoff has struggled at the plate recently, gradually declining in OPS over the past three seasons, but that is in large part to playing at the pitcher friendly PETCO Park. If the Cardinals are having trouble getting production from Freese, an affordable option like Kouzmanoff who is an above average fielder with good power would be a good fit for St. Louis. If they can acquire him in a trade without giving up top level prospects, I’d go for it.

Felipe Lopez (29, Free Agent): Lopez had a career year in 2009. He started the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he posted a .364 on-base-percentage, but then he exploded after a mid-season trade to the Milwaukee Brewers, putting up .407 OBP and .448 SLG. Lopez isn’t the .855 OPS player he was in Milwaukee, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a good player who fits the Cardinals needs. His versatility is a big plus, having spent time in the field at second, short, third and left field. Lopez is also a switch hitter, something that could be intriguing to St. Louis given their right handed heavy lineup.

Who were those masked men last night?

What got into the Cardinal bats?

More importantly, will Tony actually stick with the lineup for a second day to try and keep the spark going?  [Ed. note - A: No.  Rasmus will sit today versus a left-handed starter, Andrew Miller.  Lots of right-handed hitters in there today.]

The Cards put up lucky number 13 against the Florida Marlins last night at Land Shark Stadium, winning the game 13-4.  Their exceptional record continues when scoring 5 or more and holding the opposition to 4 or less.

Star of the Game would have to be Rick Ankiel (I know right, I can’t believe it either!).  Ank was three-for-five with a double, triple, and home run.  Hopefully this can help break him out of his funk along with the rest of the offense.

Ankiel was closely followed by Brendan Ryan, who was four-for-five, and Colby Rasmus, who continued his hot hitting in June with a three-for-five effort including a three-run home run in the first inning to get the Cards off on the right foot.

Lost in the offensive outburst was another workman-like outing from Adam Wainwright.  Waino struggled a bit allowing eleven hits and three walks for four runs worth across seven innings, but he also displayed the “bulldog”-like effort getting out of jams that he also showed early in the season when he was struggling with his arm slot.  Striking out Hanley Ramirez with the bases loaded for the third out in the bottom of the sixth inning seemed like a big door slammed shut on the Marlins, as they never threatened again.

Today is the rubber-match of the series, morning baseball for those of us in the Midwest!

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Today is also the conclusion of the MLB Draft, rounds 31-50 are completed today.

To get your draft fix, I highly recommend going over to Future Redbirds.  Erik has been live-blogging and posting away over there as the draft progresses, dropping all the knowledge about the youngsters.

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Speaking of Erik and the MLB Draft, if you didn’t listen to UCB Radio Hour (and a Half!) last night, you missed out on some great chatter about the Cards’ draft class through yesterday and specifically about first-round selection Shelby Miller.

Between the draft and last night’s offensive explosion, we ran over our typical allotted time and used up every bit of 90 minutes.  About an hour on the draft and the last half-hour for the big league discussions.

Listen via the Blog Talk Radio player at the link above or by clicking on the huge United Cardinal Bloggers logo above right in the sidebar to listen and subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.

Be sure to tune in at 1:30pm on Sundays for the weekend show hosted by Josh from Redbirds Row.

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Albert Pujols broke his 0-for-16 slump last night with a single, then proceeded to make outs in the remainder of his at-bats.  He’s 1-19 during this downswing.

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Khalil Greene is 4-8 in a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.  He’s also committed two errors.  Where does Khalil fit into the big league club when/if he returns, based upon the emergence of Brendan Ryan’s bat lately?

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Buried in an “Et Cetera” blurb at the bottom of an article from Joe Strauss at STLToday.com, Strauss indicates that the Cards’ search for a trade partner to improve the offense has expanded to include the Astros’ Miguel Tejada.  Tejada would represent a significant upgrade in the Cardinal lineup and perhaps improve the defense as well.  He plays multiple positions adequately, something that Tony LaRussa would no doubt appreciate.

Is it possible for the ‘Stros and Cards to overcome in-division trading “embargoes” and make something happen?

Nice of the Cardinals to decide to take a game from Pittsburgh while they were in town.  I was beginning to think that the Pirates would wind up in first place in the division by the time the Cards escaped…

Mitchell Boggs did “just well enough” in his short outing again to put the Cardinals in a position to win.  Boggs’ starts mostly haven’t been pretty, but he’s been strangely effective, despite a BABIP even worse than poor Todd Wellemeyer.

How ’bout that bullpen?  More on that later…

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Colby Rasmus hit a massive two-run home run into the Allegheny River last night, hopefully indicative of things to come.  The book on Rasmus indicates that power is there, it may just take some time to come around at the big league level.  Rasmus is a historically slow starter, so perhaps by the end of May Colby could be cruising toward some Rookie of the Year votes?  He’ll certainly have his opportunity with the injuries to Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick.

Only 18 players have hit balls into the river during a regular season game, a total of 25 balls finding the water.  All but one have bounced in.  Daryle Ward is the only player to have accomplished splash-down on the fly.

According to Hit Tracker, a cool site I happened upon looking for info about balls hit into the Allegheny River at PNC Park, here is the tracked flight of Rasmus’ bomb:

Now, the question is, what to call such a shot by the rookie?  Last night, “Colby Jack” was suggested somewhere on Twitter.  I think “Razzle Bomb” also has a ring to it.  What’s your flavor?

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Baseball-Reference.com‘s Stat of the Day blog takes a look at Albert Pujols’ struggles lately, specifically addressing streaks of games in which Pujols has failed to reach base at all.  (Spoiler: It could be a lot, LOT worse.)

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ShysterBall provided a fascinating link to the illusion of a batter watching a curveball approach.  It’s really a pretty amazing thing to watch, and then imagine something like that approaching you at about 80 miles per hour.  No wonder I was out of baseball by high school.

Hat tip to @ktooke for the heads up on the link.

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Horrifying article in Sports Illustrated about supplements and the business, and how that stuff isn’t much better than just going straight for the illegal drugs.

Methinks this hits home to more than just professional athletes.

Another cap tip to @injuryexpert and @JohnMarecek for the link on that one.

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We hosted another edition of UCB Radio Hour on Wednesday night.  If you haven’t caught it already, check us out on iTunes via the link above right, or you can use the player at United Cardinal Bloggers homepage.

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Finally, we were tapped in for another installment at Fantasy Baseball Hot Stove, on topics ranging from the bullpen (shocking!) to Pujols (he’s still hitting .320 fer chris’sakes, don’t drop him!) to Ankiel (no, he’s not dead).

Check it out when you have a moment.

[Ed. note - While the usual suspect around here is on vacation, we've drummed up some great guest posters to take the reins and keep our loyal readers (all three of you) entertained.  Today's guest post is from Sherwood Farnham.  If you're not already following Sherwood on Twitter @Mstrdstr12, you should be.  Thanks Sherwood!]

I think it’s fair to say that the Redbirds had a successful April (except for another Carp injury of course) but as April comes to a close, it’s time to look ahead to May. The Cards may schedule actually looks quite favorable, the team gets 3 days off and there is a fairly even split with 13 games at home and 15 on the road. The Cards will also avoid many of the stronger teams in the league, and play a lot of teams they should beat.

• 4/30-5/3: The Cardinals open the Month on the road with 4 games against the Nationals, the worst team in baseball; this should be a sweep if the Cards keep the errors to a minimum.

• 5/4-5/7: Next the cards are at home for 2 against the Phillies followed by 2 against the Pirates. The Phillies are the champs and they can light up the scoreboard quickly. Waino vs. Hamels in game one should be good, Boggs spot in the rotation is due for game two…The Pirates are improved from past years and gave the Cards a bit of trouble earlier in the season, but the Cards are the better and it’s at Busch.

• 5/8-5/14: The Cards hit the road again for 3 against the Reds and 3 against the Pirates. The Reds have also improved from past years by improving their rotation, but their young starters need to be more consistent. The Cards have an intimidating lineup and just may light up The Great American Smallpark…The Pirates play much better at home than they do on the road.

• 5/15-5/24: The Cards come back home for 3 game series’ against the Brewers, Cubs, and Royals. This home stand won’t be easy but is should produce some great games. The Brewers don’t have Sheets or Sabbathia anymore, but they do have Gallardo and he is a stud. If the Cards can avoid Gallardo and go against Suppan and Looper this series will be a lot easier. The Brewers also have a lineup built around Braun and Fielder that can put up some runs…The Cubs come to town next and will likely be healthier than they were in April, this should be a tough but great series…The Royals come to Busch next to renew the I-70 series, and these are not the Royals many of us are used to. They have good pitching with Greinke and Meche in the rotation, and Cruz and Soria at the end of games, but the lineup isn’t very imposing. The Royals could surprise the Cards with all of the hype of the Cubs series before.

• 5/25-5/31: The Cards hit the road again for 3 against the Brewers and 3 against the Giants. The Brewers will be tougher in their own building, If either team is throwing the back end of their rotation that team could be in trouble…the Giants rotation is very good and AT&T ballpark is a pitchers park so runs may be tough to come by; the Giants lineup is pretty weak compared to the Cardinals though.

May Predictions:

Cards take advantage of a friendly schedule and go 18-10 in May…Carpenter “progressing nicely” hasn’t started rehab assignment yet…Boggs holds on to 5th rotation spot…Motte makes a case to take over as closer.

Sherwood Farnham can be found on Twitter @Mstrdstr12.

[Ed. note - While the usual suspect around here is on vacation, we've drummed up some great guest posters to take the reins and keep our loyal readers (all three of you) entertained.  Today's guest post is from Sherwood Farnham.  If you're not already following Sherwood on Twitter @Mstrdstr12, you should be.  It should be noted that this was sent in to us on April 28th, so as Sherwood mentions below, his impressions are through April 27.  Thanks Sherwood!]

Some thoughts about what we have seen from the Cardinals so far, all stats are through April 27th.  Let’s leadoff with the leadoff man.

1. Skip Schumaker: Only one error in his transition to 2B, and he has ranged into the outfield to grab some shallow fly balls that most 2B would not get to. He has a .371 OBP in the leadoff spot so he is getting on base in front of a potent lineup. It’s early to call but this experiment is definitely a success so far.

2. Pujols’ Pace: 162 Runs, 194 Hits, 57 HR, 204 RBI, 130 BB, 24 Steals, .333 AVG, .457 OBP, .681 SLG. WOW! I sometimes forget just how good he is because I get to watch him every day. I don’t expect El Hombre to keep doing quite this well, but it shows just how well he has started the season and why he is the best player in baseball.

3. Khalil Greene: I think it would be fair to say he has been a disappointment thus far, but there is still hope. He has five errors in 18 games played, but a couple of balls that went under his glove, and a throw that Albert didn’t stretch too far for. He has good range and has been a decent defender in the past, so the errors should slow down. What he will do at the plate the rest of the year… who knows? My guess is 15-20HR now that he is out of Petco Park but I am still worried about the batting average. Will TLR keep him as the everyday SS if his AVG. stays this low?

4. Adam Wainwright: He has turned into a legitimate staff ace. His control was off for the first few starts, but he got out of the jams, and that is what aces do. He looked much better in his 4/24 start against the Cubs with seven strong innings. I expect starts like that the rest of the year.

5. Todd Wellemeyer: Well his start in Arizona was good, but that is about it. He has given up 37 hits and earned 13K’s in 22IP. He needs to get that “bowling ball” sinker scouts talk about working or it could be a long year for him. The next few starts should give us more insight into whether he has really hit the wall converting from reliever to starter.

6. 3rd Base: Thurston and Barden have done an amazing job so far, even if they do slow down Mather and Freese are still legit options. Will Glaus just be handed the job back if someone else is still performing? Probably, but I don’t know if I agree with it.

7. Chris Carpenter: Well we are all disappointed with the most recent injury, especially with how dominant he was in his first start. With that said, I think it was unrealistic to expect a full season out of him, he hasn’t really pitched in two years. At this point I am hoping for 75-100 innings. When he comes back he should get extra rest when possible. Let’s just make sure he is healthy and not gassed for the stretch run and the playoffs.

8. Kyle Lohse: Has looked awesome so far, but is he this good (2.42 ERA, 0.96 WHIP)? Probably not quite, but he should still be very good. He had a 3.78 ERA last year; I would expect a slight improvement this year. 3.50 ERA? The longer Carp is out, the more we will need from Lohse.

9. 5th Starter: Boggs looked really good against the Cubs, and his breaking ball has been sharp so far. He doesn’t need to me great, just needs to keep the Cards in games. As long as he can do that he should keep getting starts.

10. Defense: Not impressive to this point but this team is much better defensively than they have shown so far. Duncan and Skip and possibly Greene are the only players who concern me at all on defense.

11. Barton for Boyer Trade: I know it’s early to judge, but I didn’t like it when it happened and I don’t like it any better now. The team thought Barton had enough potential to keep him on the team all of last year and then he was traded for a reliever with a career 5.54 ERA. Can’t believe we don’t have a reliever in triple-A who is better.

12. Colby Rasmus: The kid looks good, he has 8 walks and 10 K’s; pretty good for a rookie. He also may be our best defender in the outfield. It’s still very early but if he keeps getting on base at a decent clip he will stay in the bigs. I’m we will all be watching to see if he can make the necessary adjustments.

13. The Lineup: This team can hit. They lead the league in a lot of offensive categories and that should continue throughout the season. The only real weakness in the lineup so far has been Greene, but having one weak spot in the lineup is pretty good.

14. The Closer: Franklin has looked great since he took over, he hasn’t allowed a run yet, and he has a 0.63 WHIP. He even has got the closer look now with his man-beard. The job should be his until he blows a few saves. If he can keep being reliable this team will be greatly improved from last year, it would also allow Perez and Motte to develop and get big league experience. Let’s hope he keeps it up.

15. Jason Motte: Well his fist outing was awful, let’s get that out of the way. Since then he has pitched 6.1 innings and only given up 1 run. This guy just needs to keep getting innings and keep developing his slider. I’m confident that if he has to step in to the closer role later this year he will be able to do it. Probably just wasn’t ready for the pressure right off the bat.

16. Yadier Molina: This guy just gets better at the plate every year. I can’t say enough about his defense either. He even has a triple already; maybe he’s getting faster (wink wink).

17. Chris Duncan: We all know he’s not a good defender. OK, he’s a pretty bad defender. With that said, the dude can hit. I expected more power and a lower average, but again it is very early. If Duncan can stay healthy and continue hitting this lineup will still be a nightmare to pitch to.

18. Ryan Ludwick: This guy can hit too. He is off to a great start proving his doubters wrong. Ludwick is probably the 2nd most important part of the Cards offense, Pujols obviously being the first. If Ludwick is performing in the cleanup spot, pitchers will be forced to give Pujols more to hit. We all know what happens when teams have to pitch to Pujols.

19. Future Trade? The Cards wisely did not spend big in the offseason, and it has put them in a position to address whatever needs, most likely pitching, may arise. The most likely needs are a closer or a starter. So who will be traded away? My guess is Ludwick. The Cards are deep in the outfield and Ludwick won’t be arbitration eligible till after next year.

20. Prediction: With the Cards amazing start its hard not to think what they will do for the whole year. It may just be a guess, but I’ll give it a shot: 97-65 1st in the central, and another MVP for Albert while I’m at it.

Sherwood Farnham can be found on Twitter @Mstrdstr12.

The Cardinals begin another homestand tonight, starting with a three-game set versus the New York Mets.  We exchanged quick Q&A with Mike Nichols over at MetsBlog.com.  Mike had some interesting questions for me that you can read here, and below are his responses to mine:

PH8: The struggles of the Cardinals and Mets bullpens, respectively, have been well-documented.  The Mets went out and spent big on the late innings during the past off-season, acquiring JJ Putz and Francisco Rodriguez.  Are these two players enough to get the Mets beyond the barrier they’ve hit in missing the playoffs the prior two seasons?

Mike Nichols, MetsBlog.com: No doubt the bullpen has been a major factor in the Mets failures to make the last couple postseasons and while I do believe the presence of Putz and Rodriguez will help the Mets get to October this season, the team’s inability to hit in the clutch has been the their silent killer since Game Seven of the 2006 NLCS.

PH8: The Mets’ new ballyard, Citi Field, has hosted a couple of home series now.  What can fans expect to be the major differences between how Shea played versus Citi?

Mike Nichols, MetsBlog.com: Citi Field and Shea Stadium are incomparable. Shea was a 70′s style multi-use facility with a very traditional symmetrical outfield, while Citi Field has various angles and wall heights throughout, especially in right field.

There are also huge, Coors Field-like gaps at Citi that have already caused a few fielding gaffes. Mets manager Jerry Manuel believes it will take the team at least half the season before they will be able to position and play the outfield correctly, which would allow them to have a home field advantage in the field.

Although the outfield is expansive and may not yield as many homeruns as Shea, the limited foul territory down the lines will be to the hitters advantage, as it will extend at-bats – something John Maine cannot be happy about.

PH8: Which player will win an award this year, and why?  Jose Reyes and David Wright for MVP, Johan Santana for Cy Young, or Daniel Murphy for Rookie of the Year?

Mike Nichols, MetsBlog.com: Seeing one of the homegrown Mets (Wright & Reyes) win a MVP would be great, but I rather see Carlos Beltran win one before either of them. For some reason Beltran still does not get the credit he deserves from Mets fans, who don’t realize how good he really is.

However, Johan Santana looks primed to win his third Cy Young Award this season. He is currently pitching to a 0.47 ERA and leading the league in strikeouts. After an early season adjustment period to pressure of playing in New York last season, Santana has been phenomenal. No offense to Tim Linceum and Brandon Webb, but Santana was the best pitcher in the National League last season and if it wasn’t for the inept aforementioned bullpen, he would have easily won 20+ games. This season, Santana has also become the de-facto leader in the Mets clubhouse, which is odd, since typically everyday position players are the leaders on teams.

PH8: Thanks Mike for your time and insight, enjoyed this!

So I’ve been banging these ideas, ‘theories’ if you will, around in my head since the Khalil Greene trade was announced late last week.  I decided that some of them were just too ingenious to keep to myself.

Everyone knows and acknowledges that one of the Cardinals’ priorities heading into this season was finding middle infield help.  Among adding bullpen help and bolstering the starting rotation, middle infield was among the top priorities for General Manager John Mozeliak as he headed into the off-season and, more recently, the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas.

Obviously, one piece of the puzzle has been completed by bringing Greene on-board.  I think this was a more shrewd move than Mozeliak is getting credit for.  My thoughts specifically on the trade:

1. His 2008 struggles aside, Greene is a low-risk, high-reward type of acquisition.  He is not a budget-buster at $6.5m for 2009.  Edgar Renteria, another rumored Cardinal target went off the board for two years, $19 million.  Greene is not going to represent a $3 million downgrade from Renteria at that position.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least for Greene’s value in 2009 to exceed that of former Cardinal Renteria.  So by my book the Cardinals are saving money at shortstop.
2. Greene played in Petco Park for 81 games per season, obviously deflating his statistics.  His road performances were markedly better than when hitting in San Diego.  Many statisticians (read: folks smarter than I) are projecting that Greene will fare much better outside of Petco.  I know I know, he can’t do much worse.  At any rate, Mozeliak presumably found a bargain in Greene, even by the admission of San Diego GM Kevin Towers, who told Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune, “I probably sold low on Khalil.”
3. The trade capital sent to San Diego was low.  Obviously making the assumption that the player to be named later is not a significant part of the Cards’ future (and rumors abound that the Cards could get cash back in the deal, depending on the PTBNL), sending Mark Worrell in the trade was dealing from an organizational strength at right-handed reliever, not to mention unloading a player apparently unhappy with the organization.  (Shameless plug:  Tune in to UCB Radio tonight, when the author of the Worrell interview is on with us!)
   

So Mozeliak was able to get a player to fill the shortstop position that in theory saved money in their off-season budget, Greene is thought by many to have a bounce-back year while being a relative bargain compared to other shortstops, and the Cardinals were able to obtain him by trading from a strength without including their top trade chips.

How does this affect the Cardinals off-season and increase their opportunities going forward?

1. The initial rumors about filling middle infield slots revolved around a Ryan Ludwick for Yunel Escobar or Kelly Johnson deal with the Atlanta Braves.  By getting hold of Greene and holding onto Ludwick, the Cardinals now still have Ludwick in play for a starting pitcher.  Or perhaps still for Johnson to fill the hole at second base (that I’m still not convinced the Cardinals are willing to hand to Adam Kennedy).  Any way you look at it, Ludwick, Rick Ankiel, and Skip Schumaker, are the three most likely trade commodities the Cardinals can use to upgrade or fill other positions, and Greene was an upgrade at shortstop that didn’t cost any of the most valuable trade chips.
2. By spending $6.5 million on a shortstop for 2009, instead of $9.5 million or in the neighborhood of $11 million (the area where Rafael Furcal is liable to wind up), the Cardinals are saving themselves precious payroll space beneath their reported $100-$110 million dollar range.  Now that the closer market has been set by Francisco Rodriguez’ new contract with the New York Mets (and I still can’t believe the Cards were in on him, but it further illustrates my point) – Brian Fuentes has come back into play.  The Cardinals were able to capitalize on obtaining Greene and now stand as stronger competitors in the free agent market.
3. Contradictory to my first point, the Cardinals now also have the ability to hang onto Ludwick as their protection for Albert Pujols.  Many still aren’t sold on Ludwick’s ability to repeat 2008, but we also have no proof that he can’t.  So they couldn’t land Matt Holliday or another “impact bat,” but they still have Ludwick.  I could think of worse players to put hope in.  Meanwhile, the interest in Ankiel and Schumaker continues to increase, with names like Ian Kennedy, Andy Sonnanstine, and Edwin Jackson being bandied about.  By dealing a lesser entity for Greene, the Cardinals have retained maximum trade flexibility.
4. I would be foolish to discount the eventual possibility of a Cubs-Padres trade that would land Jake Peavy on the north side of Chicago, but at the very least I can offer this.  When asked in the comments section on his blog whether the Greene deal offered the Padres more flexibility in keeping Peavy, Padres Executive VP Paul DePodesta said this:  “William, Very simply, yes.  We never wanted to be in a position to HAVE to move Jake Peavy, and now we’re not. We will still continue to explore opportunities, as we always do. Our hope is that any other deals we make this winter are pure baseball deals.”  As mentioned, I’d be foolish to say that it will never happen, but at the least the move the Cards made to relieve the Padres of Greene’s salary has likely upped the trade price of Peavy, since the Padres do not have to be as anxious to move him.
5. The entire market (at least until today’s big free agent deal) has slowed, almost to a stop.  Mozeliak, in this scribe’s humble opinion, has seemingly played the market perfectly, similar to last year’s late signing of Kyle Lohse.  Free agent asking prices are flucuating wildly by the day, but the fact that the Cardinals hopped into the KRod fracas indicates that the market is coming back to teams that have been patient under the intent of spending wisely and dealing prudently.  The Cardinals have gone from being an outsider on a lot of big names to right back in the chase.

Please understand that I could be completely wrong in my assessments here, but I think the trade for Greene has positioned the Cardinals such that they can pretty much dictate certain things in this market.  Obviously money makes the world go around in the free agent market – but free agents are seemingly not going to get nearly what they would’ve expected back in September.  The Cardinals hold some outfielders that are very coveted in the trade market, giving them a strong bargaining position amongst several interested teams.

Ludwick and Schu and Ankiel and whomever else may be on other teams’ minds could wind up all staying with the Cards this off-season.  But they surely will be discussed, and if the time is right, I’m confident Mozeliak will make the right move.  It’s a great time to be a Cardinal (and baseball!) fan.

First, thanks as always to Daniel over at C70 for setting this up, be sure to check in with his Awards post for links to the other tallies.

Without further ado, my ballot for this year’s Cardinals Blogger Awards:

1) Player of the Year
Ryan Ludwick
Yadier Molina
Albert Pujols

Sure, I could make arguments for Ryan Ludwick’s breakout season being far more valuable to the Cardinals in terms of needing that hitter behind Pujols to make the lineup go.  I could make an argument that the Cards will get a *massive* return on their investment long-term in Yadier Molina if he can put together a 2007 defensive season with his outstanding offensive 2008.  But that wouldn’t most directly answer the question.  The answer is Albert Pujols.  How could a guy win so many NL PoY contests, including MVP, and not be the PoY on his own team?

2) Pitcher of the Year
Kyle Lohse
Braden Looper
Adam Wainwright

This is one of those questions that depends on how you evaluate unequal bodies of work.  Adam Wainwright certainly had the edge in terms of what he was able to accomplish over 20 starts, but Kyle Lohse was there for the long-haul.  33 starts for Lohse, at a performance level he’d not proven capable of before.  Here’s hoping that he can carry some of that newfound brilliance into 2009.

3) Game of the Year
July 5 vs. Chicago
August 22 vs. Atlanta
August 27 vs. Milwaukee
September 9 vs. Chicago

Since we weren’t given parameters that said ‘no write-ins,’ I’m going to take liberty on this one.  I’m going with August 9 vs. Chicago.  Why you ask?  At a time when the Cardinals were only six games back of the Cubs in the division, and one game back of the Brewers for the NL Wild Card, the Cards traveled into Wrigley Field on a Game of the Week stage on a Saturday afternoon.  Carlos Zambrano was on the mound for the Cubs, presenting another challenge for the Redbirds.  That in itself would generally be enough to provide a good stage.  I also happened to be with about four or five of my ‘Chicago buddies’ (read: Cubs fans) at the Cubby Bear across the street from Wrigley.  Walking in, I was surprised how much red was being worn in the place (likely Cards fans that had traveled north and were unable to get a ticket).  Unbeknownst to me, this was to be a different sort of day in Cub-ville.  Skip Schumaker led off the game with a double, but that certainly wouldn’t have been my guess as I was fumbling for cash at the bar and not paying attention to the game.  I heard a huge roar go up within the bar, and looked up expecting to see the Cubs already on top by a couple runs.  Au contraire.  The roar was for Schumaker’s double.  The rest of the game would go the same way, lots of cheering and bluster from Cardinal fans right across the street from the shrine of the enemy.  Loved it.

4) Surprise Player of the Year
Kyle Lohse
Ryan Ludwick
Skip Schumaker

Let’s get the two I didn’t choose out of the way first.  Skip Schumaker had a great season, but there were those who thought he had that ability all along, just needed a full season of at-bats.  Schumaker will never win an MVP, he may never be an All-Star.  But he’s bound to continue to be a solid player.  Kyle Lohse had not put up such a successful season prior to 2008, but there are those who have always said he had ‘the stuff’ to do it.  He’s had a solid arm, and has been able to stay healthy, etc.  But I’m choosing Ryan Ludwick almost solely on one reason.  For the first month and a half of 2008, this is a guy who was still losing at-bats to Chris Duncan!  In the shape that Dunc was in, and the struggles he had at the plate, I think it was pretty clear no one expected Luddy to break out in such fashion.  In fact, take away a sub-par June, and Ryan Howard may have been your NL MVP after all, because Ludwick would’ve been sure to steal votes from El Hombre.

5) Disappointing Player of the Year
Chris Duncan
Ryan Franklin
Jason Isringhausen

Don’t feel right at all pinning this one on Chris Duncan.  I think it was pretty clear to most from the beginning of the season that he just wasn’t right, between trying to come back from the hernia surgery and then the neck thing compounding on top of that.  Instead, I’ll put this on the two guys at the back of the bullpen that brought down the 2008 Cardinals.  Enough said, unless you want to throw Tony LaRussa under the bus too for continuing to trot these two out in the ninth inning with a one-run lead for what seemed like an eternity too long.

6) Cardinal Rookie of the Year
Joe Mather
Kyle McClellan
Chris Perez

Making the assumption that Chris Perez may still be available for this award next season, and again taking into consideration a ‘full’ body of work – I can’t choose anyone but Kyle McClellan here.  McClellan was *the* stabilizing figure in the Cardinal bullpen while those around him faltered on a regular basis.  He wore down over the course of the season, presumably from overwork, but still managed to hang up some nice numbers for a guy who had not been expected to make the team.  Joe Mather’s day may yet come, but it wasn’t this season, as he bounced back and forth between the big club and Memphis, and ultimately had his season cut short by injury.

7) New Cardinal of the Year
Troy Glaus
Cesar Izturis
Kyle Lohse

Easy choice.  John Mozeliak trades a guy who has basically given up on his manager, is sulking around the clubhouse, and as we would find out later, logged another injury-riddled season in 2009 – for Troy Glaus.  What’s the downside here?  All Glaus did was provide Gold Glove-caliber defense at the hot corner (how much would you bet Glaus will never sign with a turf-based team again?), and .270/27/99?  Kyle Lohse had a great season, as did Cesar Izturis in his own right (defense and at least career average offense).  But the addition of Glaus coupled with the subtraction it allowed by trading Scott Rolen for him straight up?  Priceless.

Most Anticipated Cardinal
Bryan Anderson
Colby Rasmus
Jess Todd

I’m going to take a different tack here than most.  Sure, I’m just as anxious as the next guy to see Rasmus suit up for the big club, but Todd really intrigues me.  He has just blown through the minor league levels he’s been at to date with alarming success.  He shows very few signs of fatigue and/or injury risk so far.  Some of you will know that I’m a big proponent of the Cardinals using a team-building approach of developing young, cheap pitching talent from within – spending the big free agency dollars, when necessary, on position players, where there is less risk of complete breakdown (read: Mark Mulder).  Todd represents what could be the first real ‘ace’ to be home-grown by the Cards since who, Matt Morris?  (I’m not counting Wainwright (acquired in trade) or Haren (shipped out in a trade).)

9) Best Individual Blog

I’ve gotta go with Fungoes here.  Pip routinely has all of the numbers and in-depth analysis that I sometimes wish I could do.  I often find myself watching games, thinking “from what I’ve seen, I bet so-and-so is really having struggles with 0-2 counts when facing a left-handed hitter,” only to find that Pip had written about just such a player and his struggles the night before (only my example is poor, his analysis is far beyond what I can usually dream up).

10) Best Team Blog

Real toss-up here between Viva El Birdos and Future Redbirds.  Luckily for me, they cover somewhat different topics, so I’ll give it to them both!  VEB consistently has the excellent game posts (with colorful commenters in there to boot!), the analysis, the predictive posts, going out on a limb to see what might be around the corner for the Cardinals’ big club.  FR shows us what is around the corner at the minor league levels, and the guys we can expect to see (hopefully anyway) in the coming seasons.  Kudos to both sites on a job well done.

11) Best Professional Blog
Bernie’s Extra Points
Bird Land
Obviously, You’re Not a Golfer

This is (generally speaking, the blog thing is a different color I reckon) what these guys do for a living, so asking to choose the ‘best’ of the three is like choosing which child to give up.  Difficult.  I’ll give Derrick Goold the nod for his ‘insider’ posts, taking his readers into Spring Training as if we were there, going the extra step to dive into the minor leagues, etc.  All three of these are really excellent supplemental reads to the primary work of their authors.

12) Best UCB Project
Progressive Game Blog
Roundtables (Example: October’s)
Top 7 Prospects

I wasn’t a part of the Progressive Game Blog, unfortunately – but did take part in the other two choices.  The Roundtables, for me, just brought out such a wide array of knowledge from this great group we have not only in the questions asked, but some of the responses.  The Roundtables are a very interesting format, allowing everyone to chime in their two cents in a short quip, rather than a full blog post.  I think it’d be neat to try and take on a project like this where one question was open to the floor for a week or so, taking on a life of its own in that week, and see what the results would be (hint hint, Daniel).

13) Most Optimistic Blog

I’m going to give you the cop-out answer, and say that we are all Most Optimistic.  Every day I read posts that surely started out something along the lines of “I give up, these guys suck, I’m not watching anymore” and almost always wind up “They’re really frustrating me right now, but if x, y, and z can all happen – we still got a shot!”  C’mon, admit it – we all want to look on the bright side until the Cards are mathematically eliminated.

14) Funniest Blog

While I’m pretty sure they get some overlap, I’m going to go with Cardinals Diaspora and The Rundown.  Both offer ‘the other side’ of the Cardinals, among other colorful viewpoints.

15) Best Blog Post/Series of the Year
Beer Vendor (Warm and Cold)
Biggest Plays of 2008 (Sample: Part 4)
Reading the T-Shirts
Scott Rolen vs. Eddie Vedder

My entry here was pretty lame, but I got a chuckle out of it, so I don’t care what you think!  That said, I’m voting for Pip’s WPA analyses and play tracking posts.  See above for the reasons why I think Fungoes is the bees knees right now.

16) Rookie Blog of the Year
4thebirds
Busch Birds
Pitchers Hit Eighth

Chet over at 4thebirds is a relentless writer and researcher.  The guy puts up more posts, on more topics during a day than I have time to keep up with.  Today for instance, has information on a catcher signed by the Springfield Cardinals that I defy you to tell me you knew the guy’s name.  Chet clearly takes his Cardinal baseball seriously and forces everyone else to do the same by providing us with his writing.  I’ve only recently been made aware of Busch Birds but I definitely like what I see from Brett.  Catchy site design, better writing.  I’d be remiss if I didn’t make a shout-out to one of my favorite readers here, Sarah over at la Beisbolista.  I caught onto Sarah’s blog after she appeared here one day in the comments section and I have to say I was blown away by her approach to the Cards and excellent writing style.  And if she hasn’t told you before, she’s a girl!  A girl that knows and loves baseball!  What’s not to like about that? 

As always, I have had a wonderful time taking part in this UCB project – I hope you take the time to read my long-winded jabbering here, and then pop over to the other sites to see what they’re saying as well.

Cheers!