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Trying something new, A video blog post!

Tell me what ya think.

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The Cardinals enter Friday's game against the Cubs. 6 1/2 back of the Brewers and 6 1/2 back of the Wild Card. The Cards have been solid latley the problem is the Brewers have been perfect. The Brewers have lost only 3 games in August, (2 of them to the Cardinals). It seems every time the Cards win, the Brewers win, and every time we lose the Brewers win. It seems as if there's almost no way to gain ground on them. The Cards have faltred in a few ways in the past few weeks. The starting pitching the last few weeks has been far from great. Carpenter has been good, Loshe, Garcia and Jackson have been okay, and Jake Westbrook has been flat out awful. The Cards NEED to get their starting pitching back on track if we want any chance of catching up to the Brewers. The Cardinals are  definatly in a win now mode, with Albert being a free agent come the offseason. But it's starting to look like the Cards are once again faltering in August. 

The Good news is that the Cardinals have a fairly easy schedule most of the way, we have left this year

3 against the Cubs at Wrigley

3 against the Dodgers at home

4 against the Pirates at home

3 against the Brewers at Miller Park

3 against the Reds at Busch

3 against the Brewers at Busch

3 against the Braves at Busch

3 against the Pirates in Pittsburgh

4 against the Phillies in Philly

3 against the Mets at Busch

3 against the Cubs at Busch 

3 against the Astros in Houston

That's a  fairly easy schedule. The only good teams we really play are the Brewers, Braves, and Phillies. Everyone else we play is under .500. We have a good chance at getting back into the division race. Now it's up to the Cardinals to step up and get back in it. 

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Cardinals fans wake up Wednsday morning, 4 games out of first place. The Cards are now 3-7 against the Brewers in 2011, and the Cards fell again last night losing to the Brew Crew in extra's 5-3 in 10 innings. To make things worse the Cardinals lost one of their best bullpen pitchers last night as Lance Lynn went down with what is being called as a strained oblique muscle. The bullpen has actually been pretty good this last few weeks, and a lot of that is due to Lance Lynn going to the bullpen and doing really good. Since going to the pen, Lance in 16 games, has a 2.20 ERA with opposing batters hiting just .176 aginst him.  Losing him is a pretty big blow. The Cards are now 4 games out and in my opinion, tonight and tomorrow are MUST WIN games if we want to stay alive in the central. 

that's all for now. 

-Matt

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I’ve said before that I thought trading Colby Rasmus would be a bad move for the Cardinals. Colby is a guy that if he can get hot at the plate, he’s an all-start hitter and a all-star fielder. But obviously the relationship between Rasmus and Tony LaRussa was not that great. So maybe this is best for both parties.  I for the most part enjoyed Colby’s time in St.Louis and I wish him the best of luck in Toronto.

Meanwhile I welcome Edwin Jackson to St.Louis, I haven’t really watched him this year seeing as I don’t really follow the White Sox, but from what I hear, he’s an innings eater, with a low home run rate. He’s an upgrade from McClellan who now goes back to the bullpen to help there. The only thing I’m worried about with Jackson is the fact that’s he’s a free agent come Winter. Will we be able to re-sign both him and Albert?? Hopefully Jackson will help us alot and can give us a really good chance at winning every 5 days.

Welcome to St.Louis Edwin!!!

-Matt

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Yesterday was a rough day for me, I had my wisdom teeth out yesterday morning, spent pretty much the rest  of the day in bed sleeping. Then finally got up and saw the Cardinals lose a heartbreaker. The game started off all Reds. Chris Hesiey robbed Albert of a solo homer in the first, then led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer of his own. Johnny Cueto was good for the most part, but so was Jake Westbrook who except for 2 solo homers by Hesiey had done a solid job keeping the Reds off the board. The last 3 innings were crazy. The Cards took the lead in the top of the 7th, only to have the bullpen give it away in the bottom of the 7th. Then in the top of the 8th, the best part of the night, Albert crushed a 2 run homer to left to put the Cards up 5-4. It seemed as if the Cards were finally going to do something they had not done since last August, win at Great American Ballpark, then with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, Brandon Phillips crushed us. He hit a game winning 2 run homer to left field to win it for the Reds. Now most regular season losses are not bad, you say “oh well we’ll get them tomorrow.” But last night is one of those losses that just leaves a really bitter taste in your mouth, not only did we lose to the Reds on a walk-off but the walk-off was hit by Brandon Phillips (who for those of you who may not know, is public enemy #1 in Cardinals Nation.) To make things worse it looked as if Brandon was taunting the Cardinals players on his way to homeplate saying what I’m sure were not so friendly words. But for those of you who don’t know, now you know. Brandon Phillips is an overrated jerk who thinks he’s all that. If he said what I think he said at the Cards dugout last night, that only confirms it.

As always feel free to comment or email me your comment. loukid93@hotmail.com

-Matt

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The first half of the season has come to a close. Man has it been a rollercoaster ride for Cardinals Nation. We’ve had a lot of ups and we’ve had a lot of downs. Here are some of the major stories from the first half.

1. The resurgence of Lance Berkman- A lot of people thought at the end of last year Lance Berkman was finished. He had a horrible year last year in Houston and New York and most people thought he should just retire. Instead he signed a 1 year deal with the Redbirds. I remember telling my Dad the day he signed (my Dad though it meant nothing) “If Lance can get his swing back, we’ll look back on this a year later as one of the biggest moves of the offseason. I ended up being correct. Lance did indeed find his swing and it has helped the Cardinals a lot this year. He got a starting spot in the all-star game for it as well. Congrads Lance!

2. Pitching-The starting pitching this year has been for the most part solid. Carpenter got off to a really rough start, but in his last few starts he seems like he has finally gotten on track. Jaime Garcia has been excellent this year and is very worthy of that new extension he just signed. Jake Westbrook has been eh ok. Kyle McCellan has been kind of the opposite of Carpenter, Kyle got off to a good start but has been struggling as of late. Hopefully he can get back on track quickly. Kyle Loshe has impressed me the most this year out of any of our starting pitchers. He has finally recovered from those injuries he’s had the past few years. He has been great this year and hopefully will continue to be great the rest of the year.

1. Bullpen- I’ll be the first to admit, our bullpen SUCKS, it has all year and unless we do something about it, it’s probably going to stay that way. All of our relievers have gone through at least 1 bad streak. More times than I can count this year, we’ve had a lead late and our bullpen has gone on to blow the game. The 2 games that come to mind the most are the Cards-Giants game back in April where Franklin blew a 1 run lead in the 9th and lost on a walk-off double (although that was also Colby Rasmus’ fault for dropping the ball, Colby is a guy I would not mind seeing us trade at the deadline.) Another game that comes to mind is the game against the Nationals where we blew that HUGE lead after a great outing by Jaime and lost. Anyways, our bullpen needs improvement. My suggestion? Find a way to get Heath Bell.

The National League Central has been wild so far this year. The Brewers after starting off horrible have gotten hot and are tied with us for first. The Reds started off great, but ever since they swept us back in May, they have gone completely downhill even though they still are just 4 games out. The Pittsburgh Pirates have caught everyone off guard. My prediction now is that the N.L. Central won’t be decided until the final weekend, maybe even the final game, and either the Brewers or the Cardinals will win the Central (hopefully the Cardinals J

-Matt

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Wow that’s all I can say about last night’s Cardinals Reds game. It went from being horrible, to hopeful, to exciting, to disappointing.  But I will say that last night’s game as chaotic as it was, was so much fun to watch. Jake Westbrook was horrible out of the gate, probably the worst start to a game that I have ever seen. It took Jake just 12 pitches to give the Reds a 5-0 first inning lead. Things were looking pretty down for the Cards, we were down 8-0 to a team we hate. Watching their fans on Twitter celebrating and saying they were “loving every minute” and that “the Cards are getting destroyed, a dream come true for Reds fans”. I’ll admit, after the 5th inning, I turned it off for a while, watched MLB Tonight for a while, took a shower, and completly forgot about the game, then my phone beeped, new text alert from ESPN, it was now 8-1, “Well at least we won’t get shutout” was my thought, then it beeped again, 8-2, 8-3, 8-6, 8-7, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, as soon as it got to 8-6 I turned the game back on, and from that point I did not move, I watched the rest of the game. At one point my brother walked in and asked if the comeback was complete yet, about 10 seconds after he said that, Jon Jay homered to tie the game!

It was amazing to see the Cardinals fight back like that, and not only that, but doing it against the Reds?? That just made it even sweeter. Although yes, we did go on to lose the game, in a weird way, it didn’t feel like a loss. Reds fan  @kelimepie said on Twitter “Reds don’t deserve today’s game.” After the game I was disappointed, due to the fact that we did make that amazing comeback and yet we still did not win.

Moving on to  the rest of the series. The Cards and Reds put on a great series for us this past week. All 3 games were exciting and thrilling (at least for Cardinals fans, Reds fans, not so sure.) We had monday’s game that saw a great pitcher’s duel. Carpneter was great once again, and Mark Hamilton got the game winning single on a great play in the 8th (great play by Hamilton and Rolen)

Then on Tuesday we had the ROUT! First there was the amazing news that Albert was coming off the DL like a month early. Then we saw the Cards go out there and destroy the Reds from start to finish! Matt Holliday showing why he was picked for the home run derby, Lance Berkman hitting the longest home run in the history of the new Busch Stadium. This was a great series for the Cardinals, now we face the D-Backs, who helped us earlier this week by taking 2 of 3 from the Brewers. We got a 1 game lead in the division, a 2 or 3 game lead going into next week’s all-star break would be really nice.

-Matt

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I’ve always heard from other baseball fans that Camden Yards is a place all baseball fans should go at least once. As my Dad said “It’s the place that started the revolution of sorts that we’ve seen go on for the past 2 decades.” Seeing stadium get smaller and bulit with the outfield open so you can see the city skyline in the background, kinda like Busch Stadium for instance. Anyways last September when they released the schedule for the 2011 season and me and my Dad saw the Cardinals would be visiting Baltimore, We both knew right away that was a game we were not going to miss, as soon as the O’s started selling single game tickets, me and my Dad bought our tickets for Tuesday Night.

The only bad thing  I have to say about the city of Baltimore is that their parking garages are not laid  out very well, once me and my Dad finally got into Baltimore it tooks about 30 minutes just to find a place to park, and not only that but the place we parked was about a mile and a half away from Camden Yards so we did a whole bunch of walking. Because of these two things, we got into the Stadium about 20 minutes before gametime, so I missed Batting Practice unfortunetly.

Camden Yards is a beautiful stadium, It’s planted right in the middle of downtown Baltimore, and it’s got some great views of the surronding area. The Orioles fans were also very nice and more than once I found myself talking baseball with Orioles fans as I walked around the stadium during the game. I decided to do something different in this game since there were not a whole  lot of people at this praticular game, I decided that after starting the game sitting in my original seat (upper deck in left field) I was going to walk around the stadium and find empty seats and watch the game from different parts of the stadium. I sat in about 6 different seats throughout the game, my favorite though was the upper deck behind homeplate. Not only was there a great view of the game, but there was an amazing view of downtown Baltimore.

Okay so the game itself was awesome, Kyle Loshe was great, and I got to see our offense really heat up, There must be something about Camden Yards that made our bats get super hot, I got to see David Freese and Nick Punto return to the lineup which was great, And they both went 2-4 and each got an RBI. Kyle Loshe countied with the comeback year he was having and it was great seeing him pitch so well. To make things even better after the rain delay in the 6th inning, the lower lever really emptied out, so I snuck down there and got some new seats right behind third base. I ended up leaving after the Cardinals 8th inning (due only to the fact that my Dad was driving straight home after the game and we had a 3 1/2 hour drive ahead of us). But  it was great seeing Camden Yards and It’s a great place to see a ball game.

The Cardinals as you obviously know went on to sweep the Orioles, and tonight got their 4th straight win after beating the Rays. First there was Carpenter’s complete game on Wednesday night. He seems like he may finally be coming out of that funk he’s been in most of the year. The only thing that worries me is the fact that his pitch count has been way too high his last few starts (Wednesday he set a personal record for most pitches in a game).  Knowing that Carp has had trouble with arm injuries before I’d be careful and make sure he doesn’t wear his arm out. On Thursday we completed the sweep with a decent outing from Jaime and a 2 homer night by the Puma Lance Berkman. Then tonight we took out the Rays 5-3 in a wild game that during the 8th inning saw 4 ejections. Apparently the Rays pitcher Howell thought that the Umpire was being  unfair to him, he responded by acting like a little baby throwing a tantrum.

Cards are back in first place with this 4 game winning streak we’re on, Hopefully we can keep it up!

Thanks for Reading and God Bless

I leave you with some of the many picture from Tuesday Night (sorry the Quality is not perfect, they were taking on my phone’s camera.)

The View from my original seats 

Another view from my original seats

The BEAUIFUL View from the upper deck behind home plate

me sneaking down to the lower level during the 4th inning

Here comes the Rain!

My upgraded seats from after the Rain Delay 

And I leave you with an image of the Ravens Stadium, I had never really seen an NFL Stadium up close before, so I decided to take a picture of it.

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Albert Pujols, he’s the best player in baseball, he has been for some time now. He’s also the best first basemen in baseball, and to Cardinal Nation and the city of St.Louis, he’s like Superman. But Now, Superman is out for at least 4-6 weeks with what the doctors say is a non-displaced fracture of his left forearm. Even though Albert has not been getting the same numbers he usually does this year, this still hurts bad.  Anytime your team loses your best player it’s gonna hurt you in some way. For the Cardinals it’s going to hurt us a lot offensively, losing Albert is gonna leave a huge hole in our lineup. The good news however is we still have a duo that has been hitting great so far this season. That duo of course is Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman. Those 2 guys are the main reason I believe that losing Albert will not hurt us standings wise, our pitching while it’s been far from perfect has not been horrible either, and we’ve other guys who can also come up big offensively, guys like Colby Rasmus, Jon Jay, Ryan Theriot has been getting on base a lot, even Skip Shumaker like he showed the world yesterday can come up big. So yes, losing Albert will hurt us, but I still think we should be taken seriously in the NL Central, and once Albert does come back and he’s fully healthy again, Watch out Baseball.

That’s all for now, I’ll be going to the Cardinals-Orioles game on June 28th and I cannot wait to see the Cards in person again!!! I’ll be sure to blog about it sometime next week, until then feel free to comment and thank you so much for reading

God Bless!!!

-Matt

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Ok folks, sorry it has been a while since I have last written. School has kept me very busy and I have not had a lot of time to sit down and write. So let’s sit down and look back at the Cardinals season so far shall we?

It has been a rollercoaster year so far for the Cardinals. Thing have been a little crazy and wacky in St.Louis so far this season, but it looks like it’s going to be an interesting year for the Cards.  At the start of the year our offense could do nothing basically, we were getting the pitching we needed to win games, but our offense was in a slump, but once we got Matt Holliday back in the lineup, things offensively started to get really good. The Cards went on a streak where they won every series they played in from April 11th up until this past weekend.  Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman have the two best batting averages in the National League right now, Lance Berkman has had a great start to the year and as I thought when we got him back in December, he has proved to be a major force in the Cards lineup so far this year, hopefully he will be able to do that continually for the Cards as the season rolls on. 

Another nice surprise is how well Kyle Loshe and Jaime Garcia have been to start the year, Kyle Loshe looks like he may have finally regained the form he had in 2008 when he won a career high 15 games. He’s 4-2 so far this year and seems to finally have overcome his arm troubles. Jaime Garcia has been flat-out brilliant, he’s unbeaten so far this year and in the first 6 weeks of the season, already has 2 shutouts, one of them being a perfect game all the way until the 8th inning! Jaime showed last year that he is one of the best up and coming pitchers in the game today, and so far in 2011 he is all but solidifying that fact.  Chris Carpenter on the other hand is off to a very tough start, he’s only won 1 game this year and has struggled heavily, walking a lot of batters and not going far in games, I’m not worried yet, but I think Carpenter is going to need a lot of offensive help when he’s pitching because Carp is probably going to give up some runs of his own. (Little known fact, last time Carpenter struggled this bad to start a year was 2004, what happened that year? Cards went on to win the N.L. Pennant).

The Cards have also had some injury problems so far this year. Skip Schumaker has missed some time due to injury although he looks like he will be back fairly soon. You have to feel for David Freese, who has once again been hit by the injury bug. He has a broken hand and will probably miss around 6-8 weeks. Hopefully that will be it and Freese will be back on the Diamond later this year. A nice thing about this though is it has really given Daniel Descalso a chance to play almost every day in the majors, Daniel was the last guy to make the 25 man roster at the end of Spring Training and some people said that the sport should have gone to Matt Carpenter (who by the way is currently batting .300 in Triple A Memphis.) but Daniel has not disappointed so far. He’s been solid at 3B and has even been a clutch hitter at times, getting a lot of 2 out RBI’s for the Cards. Tony LaRussa has also been injured somewhat as he has  been fighting Shingles for about a month now, he’s been away from the team for about a week now getting treatment and it’s still uncertain when he’ll return to the team, hopefully Tony will get well soon and he’ll get back to managing.

The Cardinal bullpen has had some serious problems so far, Ryan Franklin cannot save a game to save his life right now, The Closers spot is currently anyone’s to take but each guy has had his struggles, at first it looked like Mitchell Boggs was going to be the new closer, but then he went out and blew a 9th inning lead against Houston. Then it looked like it might rookie Eduardo Sanchez, but he has struggled late in games and blew a 9th inning lead against the Reds this past Friday night, Trever Miller our lefty specialist has also struggled has most of the time so far this year he has not been able to get the lefties out.  As of right now the most solid guy in our bullpen is Fernando Salas and it looks like he’s going to be the next guy to get a shot at the closing role.

Lastly I’ll talk a little about the Cards-Reds series that just ended. As most of you know the Reds swept the Cards this past weekend in Cincinnati and are now 1 ½ ahead of the Cards for first in the N.L. Central, although it was disappointing to see the Cards lose like this, I don’t think it’s the end of the world for Cardinal fans.  It’s only May, there’s a lot of season to go, and we’ll see the Reds a few more times before the season is over, and while I’m here may I just say that for the most part, I don’t hate the Reds like some Cards fans do, I respect them. Joey Votto is one of the best players in the game, whether we like it or not, he deserved the MVP last year whether we like it or not. Plus there are guys on the Reds that used to be Cards themselves, like former GM Walt Jocketty, and one of my all-time favorite Cardinals Scott Rolen. The only Red that I don’t care for is Brandon Phillips, I did not like what he had to say about the Cardinals last year, and I still think Yadi was justified in getting in Phillip’s face last year when the brawl started. But besides Phillips I respect the Reds and I wish them  and their fans the best of luck the rest of the year (such as long as they don’t do better than the Cardinals ;)

That’s it for now, feel free to comment or send me an email (loukid93@hotmail.com) and follow me on Twitter!! (twitter.com/matt_hamilton93)

Thank you so much for reading and God bless!!

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Luck. That is the official explanation from the Cardinals' manager, pitching coach, and relief pitcher as it pertains to the struggles of Ryan Franklin.  More specifically, they are citing "bad luck".

Now, I remember playing some video games as a kid that would have a statistical category for luck, but I do not recall being able to find this on the back of a baseball card, on baseball-reference, or through any number of Sabermetric type research sites.  I find myself confused as to why three professional baseball men, one who is highly regarded for his work with pitchers, cannot pinpoint anything other than luck when it comes to the struggles of a pitcher that is attempting to close down games and provide the team with some reassurance late in the game.

Perhaps, just maybe, the problem is not luck.  Those who follow my many exploits on the web, writing or making radio appearances, know that I am far from impressed with Ryan Franklin as a whole.  I have always struggled with the concept of a closer being a pitcher that is not dominant, pitches to contact, and is not a ground ball pitcher.  It seems to me, on a basic level, that this combination threatens the ability to close ball games.

All of that aside, there is a lot of posturing going on today in defense of the closer.  Some discussions about the lack of defense behind the pitcher having a major impact on his ability to close games.  

First of all, some perspective here.  One less blown save and an earned run average just above seven would not have me screaming support for a pitcher.  In addition, before we hang our center fielder out to dry, keep in mind this was far from a routine play.  The ball was hit some 370 feet to the warning track in left-center field.  This is not to say that the ball was not catchable, but to make it sound like Colby Rasmus dropped a routine fly ball and the reliever should be excused for that is a bit extreme.

In addition, it would be nice to see the Cardinals employ a closer that would see balls hit that distance in a less than routine fashion.  A closer that is relying on defense, a commodity the Cardinals felt was expendable during the off-season, is a recipe for disaster.  A closer that relies on pitching to contact that results in a more fly balls than ground balls is asking to surrender home runs.

Franklin said after surrendering the walk off home run to Matt Kemp on Sunday that the pitch was exactly where he wanted it and it was not a mistake.  The closing pitcher for the team just admitted that he threw the best pitch he had and it was hit over 400 feet.  That is not bad luck, that is out played, out performed, and dominated. John Mozeliak was quoted as saying "Right now we need to do whatever gives us the best chance to win."  It is a shame that it took the recent results for the team to realize that a change at the back end of the bullpen needed fixed.  It is equally shameful to hear an executive say now is the time to worry about a win.  Should that not be the the team's objective constantly, not just right now?

Ryan Franklin is a solid person, a great teammate, and well respected as a player in St. Louis.  I do not intend to take away from that.  However, in the interest of winning, this team needs to make a change.  Not a temporary one.

All due respect to Dave Duncan, Tony LaRussa, and Ryan Franklin, this is not "luck".  It is ability.  Sadly, Ryan Franklin is lacking in that category.

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The Cardinals started the year 3-6 and we're not getting any production offfensivley. The Cards pitching was off to a pretty decent start, but the Cards just could not get the runs to support that pitching staff and that I think was the main reason for the 3-6 start. Albert Pujols was in a slump, Matt Holliday had to miss some time, the entire team was going through one big slump.

Then, The Cards went to Aiziona, and the Bats finally woke up. The Cards got thier first series win of the year as they beat the D-Backs 2 out of 3, The Cards in that 3 game series scored a total 31 runs!!!! Lance Berkman's bat got super hot especially as he tore up the D-Backs pitching. The Cards got a good start out of Kyle McCellan, Jake Westbrook also had a fairly decent outing. Kyle Loshe has impressed me a lot so far, it looks like he may finally be back to his 2008 form. He's gotten some very good starts in so far this year, now we'll see if he can keep that up for an entire season.

The Cards hot bats countinued when they got to LA, so far in this series against the Dodgers, the Cards have scored a combined 29 runs!!! Albert has had a 2 homer game in this series and so has Lance Berkman. Allen Craig had a big night last night as he hit a 3 run homer in the 5th that gave the Cards a 5-1 lead. The Cards will go for a series sweep today against the Dodgers. Chris Carpenter has been a little rocky to start the year, but I'm not too worried about him yet.

Lastly, I wanted to share a little bit with you guys about my job. This past week I started my new job as bat boy for the Richmond Flying Squirrels. I did this for a couple games at the end of the season last year, but this year I'm excited that I get to work a full season with the team. The game I worked Monday night pitted the Squirrels against the Bowie Bay Sox. I was working in the Bowie dugout the entire game, the thing I think I love most about this job is that I really get to see what it's like in the dugout during the game, when guys get back to the dugout after an at-bat they're always telling the other guys what pitches to watch for and where is the right place to hit them. When a new pitcher comes into the game, the first thing the batters do is go up to one of the coaches who will tell them what the guy throws and how fast he throws it. I love the job and I'm looking forward to doing it more this season.

That's it for now, feel free to comment or email me (loukid93@hotmail.com) and follow me on Twitter!!

Thanks so much for Reading and God Bless!!

-Matt

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Throughout the first 8 games of the 2011 season, the bats of the St.Louis Cardinals had been suprisngly silent. In those first 8 games the Cards only scored 4 runs in a game once, and the bats were becoming way too silent. The effects of the cold start showed as the Redbirds got off to a miserable start, losing games that they really should have won. Games where they had the pitching to win, but just could not come up with the offense to support it.

On Sunday afternoon, the Cards finally got that offense. The Cards scored a season high 6 runs on Sunday as the Cards were able to salvage a game in their 3 game set with the defending world champs and avoid a sweep at AT&T Park. David Freese who had been one of many Cardinal hitters to start the year cold from the plate, had a 3 RBI game Sunday, 1 of those 3 RBI's was Freese's first home run of 2011. A shot off Guillermo Mota in the top of the 8th inning. Skip Schumaker picked up his first RBI of the year as well with a double in the top of the 6th that made the score 4-1. Allen Craig was solid today at the plate as well picking up his first extra base hit of the season. One of the big stories of todays game was the return of Matt Holliday to the Cardinals lineup. In his retun Holliday walked twice and overall went 1-3 on the day.

Another big story today was the performance of Kyle Loshe on the mound. after giving up the Giants only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning, Loshe settled into a really good groove. After Pablo Sandoval's RBI Base hit in the bottom of the first, Loshe went on to retire 20 of the next 21 batters that he would face including at one point retiring 14 in a row. One of the Cardinals big questions going into 2011 was how well would Kyle Loshe be able to perform? Well so far he's done a pretty decent job, giving up only 3 runs combined in his first 2 starts and going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Now granted it's only 2 starts, but if this is how Loshe is going to be pitching all year, then he's going to be a very solid guy for the Cardinals in 2011.

The Cardinals will now countinue their west coast road trip by heading to the desert for a 3 game series with the Airizona Diamondbacks.

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Tonight was a night where the St.Louis Cardinals should be celebrating a victory, the Cards got a great performance tonight from Jaime Garcia (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB and 9 K's) Miguel Bautista came in and threw 2 solid innings for shutout baseball. But tonight Colby Rasmus gave, and then he took away. In the top of the 7th inning in a tie game, Colby hammred a solo homer to right center off Giants starter Matt Cain. The home run gave the Cards a 2-1 lead late, and the Cards seemed to be headed for a victory.

Ryan Franklin came into pitch the 9th, with 2 outs, Franklin had runners on first and second with Miguel Tejada at the plate. Franklin and Tejada dueled in what turned out to be a pretty long at bat. Then with a 3-2 count, Tejada hit a fly ball to deep left-center field. Colby Rasmus got under the ball, ready to make the final out to end the game and give the Cards thier 3rd win of the year, as the ball game to him Rasmus got under and caught the ball........only to have it bounce right back out of his glove, out of his hands and into the outfield grass in front of him. The Giants scored the 2 runs they needed easily, stealing a W from the Cardinals. Colby Rasmus went from being the player of the game, to being the reason the Cardinals lost. it was a game the Cardinals really should have won, instead the Cardinals now find themselves 2-6, and will need a win tomorrow to avoid being swept by the defending World Champs.

The Cardinals pitching this year is actually off to a pretty good start. Chris Carpenter has been solid in his first 2 starts, as well as Kyle Loshe, Kyle McClellan in his first start out of the bullpen was pretty decent and even picked up a win in that first start. Jaime Garcia who by the way had a horrible spring training, has given up just 1 run in his first 2 starts and has had great control so far. The reason the Cards keep losing though, is thier inability to score runs. The offense so far this year has flat-out stunk. The Cards are seemingly grounding into Double Plays every time they get a man on. Albert is off to a horrible start, although may I just say I don't think it's because he's distracted by his contract. Albert's had slumps and bad months before and he always rebounds just fine. The rest of the offense however needs to start getting it together and quick. Matt Holliday is expected to come back tomorow and that should help re-energize the offense at least a little. but if the Cards want to contend this year, they are going to have to start scoring some runs for that pitching staff.

As always feel free to comment or email me loukid93@hotmail.com and follow me on twitter!! twitter.com/matt_hamilton93

Thanks for reading and God Bless!!

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The St. Louis Cardinals enter the 2011 season with a lot of uncertainty. They have lost one of their aces to injury, and the best player on the team is in a contract year. Here are some of the main questions facing the Cardinals as they begin their 2011 campaign.

Will Albert re-sign? Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball today and he is a guy that has become such a huge part of the St. Louis community. Now Albert’s future in St. Louis is cloudy, Albert and the team were not able to negotiate an extension before the start of Spring Training Albert has already said that he will not negotiate during the year because he does not want any distractions. Which means Albert will be a free agent come November.  Let me just say while I'm on the subject that I believe no matter what happens , I do not think Albert would leave St. Louis. Matter of fact if he did leave St. Louis it would stun me completely. Albert Pujols is the most popular person in St. Louis he could run for mayor and he would probably win because the city loves him so much. He means too much to the city and too much to Cardinals Nation as a whole to leave St. Louis. I think the Cardinals will re-sign Albert Eventually and he will spend his entire Career in a Cardinals Jersey. 

Can the Cards survive without Adam Wainwright? Losing Adam Wainwright was a huge blow to the Cardinals and it seriously hurt their chances at making the playoffs in 2011. The Cards have had to re-align their rotation because of this, putting a lot more pressure on people like Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia to succeed. Kyle Loshe also has a bit more pressure on him coming off an injury plagued 2010, and the big question out of all this is how well Kyle McClellan will be in making the switch from being a reliever to starting every 5 days.  

How well will Lance Berkman perform in the outfield? The cardinals made a big move this year by signing Lance Berkman. If Lance can stay healthy and he can once again adjust to playing regularly in the outfield, He can be a huge force for the Cardinals both offensively and defensively.  Also, if Berkman gets hurt and has to Miss Major Time whom will the Redbirds call on to take over that RF spot. Both Allen Craig and Jon Jay did fairly well in RF last year, and both are on the opening day roster, ready to be used if called upon.

How well will Kyle Loshe perform this year?  In 2008, Kyle Loshe had the best season of his career in 33 starts that year he went 15-6 with 3.78 ERA. In 09 and 10, however Loshe has struggled heavily and has been injury plagued - only starting 18 games in 2010 due to an arm injury. In those 18 starts, he went 4-8 with a 6.55 ERA. Loshe reported to Spring Training early and said that his arm feels good and that he is ready to get back to work and prove that he can get back to being the type of pitcher he was in 2008. He had a very decent spring, but Time will tell if he can get back to being the pitcher, he was back in 2008.

Will Jaime Garcia suffer the dreaded sophomore slump? Last year Jaime Garcia went into Spring Training, as a person no one thought would compete for a starting job. He ended up getting the fifth spot in the Cards rotation in 2010 and did not disappoint. He went on to have a breakout season in which he was the best rookie starting pitcher in all of baseball (in my opinion at least) As he goes into his 2nd season, Garcia find himself near the top of the rotation due to Adam Wainright’s injury. Will he suffer that sophomore slump? I think he will actually get better, but time will tell.

Can the Cardinals stay healthy this year? Last year the Cardinals struggled heavily with injuries, Kyle Loshe missed 3/4 of the season, Colby Rasmus, Brad Penny, Felipe Lopez, Jason LaRue, David Freese all missed significant time due to injuries, The question is will the Cards stay healthy in 2011 and will David Freese and Kyle Loshe specifically come back strong after their injuries. 

Will the Cardinals return to the top of the NL Central in 2011? The Cardinals failed to make the playoffs for the third time in 4 years in 2010 losing the division title to the upstart Reds. in 2011 Expect the NL Central to be a wild race between 3 teams (possibly 4 if the Cubs get hot). The Cardinals, Red, and Brewers are all primed to make a run at the division title in 2011 and it will be a 3 way race between those teams. The Cards are the veterans who have mostly dominated the Central over the past decade, the Reds who are young, talented, and ready to defend their division crown. And then there are the Brewers who have made huge upgrades this year, specifically with their pitching staff. Without their ace, the Cardinals are defiantly the underdogs in the Central. But what people forget is that even without Adam Wainwright, this is a good team. This club can put up some big offensive numbers while still having a solid pitching rotation. The Cards might not win the Central in 2011, but do not be surprised if they finish second or third and are in contention come September.

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After this offseason in which the Cardinals traded defensive stalwart Brendan Ryan and inserted acquisitions Ryan Theriot and an aging Lance Berkman at shortstop and right field, respectively, Manager Tony La Russa said he was willing to sacrifice defense for offense.

Seven games into the season, he's sacrificing defense--without an offense.

The Cardinals are just 2-5 after dropping their second extra innings affair of the 2011 campaign, losing 5-4 in 12 innings at San Francisco to begin their 10-game West Coast road trip. While the Cardinals have been an average defensive team so far, they have lost both their extra inning games due to errors.

On opening day, they lost in 11 innings after Jon Jay's throw from right field seemed to nonchalantly wander into the infield as Chase Headley never stopped running and scored from first after a relatively harmless single by Cameron Maybin.

While there was more optimism in the 12-inning loss to the Giants including a ninth inning comeback, the Cardinals again lossed on an errant catch at first base by Gold Glover Albert Pujols.

Entering the ninth inning and down 3-2 with two outs against closer Brian Wilson, the Cardinals rallied to load the bases and take a 4-3 lead with Ryan Theriot's seeing-eye single on the twelfth pitch of his at bat. After a Colby Rasmus walk, Pujols came up to try and add to the lead, but the Cardinals didn't capitalize.

The Cardinals' 5-4 loss marked the first time the Cardinals scored more than 3 runs in a game. They are currently last in the NL in runs scored (19), doubles (6), home runs (2), RBIs (18) and slugging percentage (.282). They are next to last in total bases (67), and third to last in average (.223) and on base percentage (.301). 

The lone Cardinals offensive threat to this point? Colby Rasmus. Rasmus leads the team in hits, triples, total bases, walks, on base percentage, slugging percentage and average. Yet he has no RBIs because there has been no one on base for his plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Albert Pujols has struggled to a .179 average and only five hits in seven games. He has also grounded into five of the Cardinals' league-leading eleven double plays.

The Cardinals will hopefully get Matt Holliday back this weekend after his emergency appendectomy surgery as his three hits on opening day including a home run has been one of the lone Cardinals offensive highlights so far this season.

The Cardinals are certainly sacrificing defense for offense but without an offense that is able to score runs or put men on base, it could be a long season for the Redbirds.

The Cardinals will continue thier road trip with 2 more games in San Francisco before heading to Arizona for three games and ending in Los Angeles with a 4-game series.

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The time is now for Kyle Lohse to once more prove he's worthy of the 4-year, $40 million contract the Cardinals signed him to in 2007.

After a 15-win season with a sub 4.00 ERA in his first year with the Cardinals, Lohse has been plagued by injuries in his last two years, struggling to a combined 10-18 record.

While, the Cardinals remain slightly skeptical as to which Lohse will perform, there is a lot of reason for optimism. Despite a disappointing final spring appearance, Lohse was one of the Cardinals best pitchers during spring training.

In five starts through March 25, Lohse went 2-0 in 24 innings and a 1.88 ERA. He tallied 15 strikeouts with zero walks. Now, Cardinals faithful have already realized that spring training can hardly be a completely accurate indicator as how a pitcher will pitch during the regular season.

For example, the Cardinals worst starting pitcher during the spring, Jaime Garcia, turned in a masterful complete game 4-hit shutout against the Padres yesterday afternoon to get the Cardinals in the win column.

While the Cardinals offense struggled to score runs in the opening series against the Padres, their season's success lies within the success of the starting pitching, especially with the absence of Adam Wainwright.

Carpenter and Garcia both pitched well enough to win, while Westbrook struggled. Lohse may be the X-factor in the rotation as he has shown glimpses of success, while struggling when injured or not fully healthy.

The Cardinals look to rebound from their opening series loss against NL Central foe Pittsburgh and will send Lohse, Kyle McClellan and Chris Carpenter to the mound in the three game series at Busch Stadium.

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Final Jeopardy:

Where have I been? 

What is: my blogging hiatus coincides with the Cardinals struggles over the past couple weeks, and dropping farther and farther back in the playoff race, despite having a MVP candidate, a Cy Young candidate, and a Rookie of the Year candidate.

Well, Alex Trebek would just have to say that’s the correct answer and find out how much you wagered.

This Labor Day weekend is the beginning of the end for the Cardinals.

They have 3 games against the division-leading Reds and sit 8 games out of first, and 5.5 games out in the Wild Card.

It is September 3, and if someone asked me if they could come back to make the playoffs, my heart would say yes and my head would logically disagree.

The offense can’t score, the pitching is trying to keep the Cardinals in game, but a team can’t win without scoring.

Paging Colby Rasmus, Matt Holliday, Jon Jay, and every other Cardinals starter: please pick up Albert Pujols aka the Cardinals offense.

The Cardinals struggles speak for themselves and I could ramble about their despicable 2-8 road trip against the Pirates, Nationals, and Astros.

But, today none of that could matter if the Cardinals can figure out how to turn it around against one of the teams they have had success against this year. (10-5 against the Reds)

With the NL Central basically out of reach even with a sweep of the Reds this weekend, there are only two words that can characterize the rest of the 2010 MLB season for St. Louis: Wild Cards?

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Chris Carpenter was just what the doctor ordered.

A season-long 5-game losing streak starting with Carpenter on the mound, ended with him as well as he tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball.

Carpenter outdueled two-time reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. The Cardinals knocked out Lincecum in the sixth inning.

With Cincinnati's loss to the Dodgers, the Cardinals only trail the Reds by 3 1/2 games in the NL Central. This win was crucial for the Cardinals with their losing streak coinciding with the Reds 7-game win streak. 

Luckily for the Cardinals, Lincecum hardly looked like a Cy Young winner last only 5 1/3 inning, giving up four runs, six hits, two walks, and only four strike outs.

Randy Winn got the Cardinals on the board in the fourth with a leadoff homer to give the Cardinals their first lead in the last 47 innings. 

Newly acquired Pedro Feliz recorded his second consecutive multihit game since coming to the Redbirds with a RBI triple to score Yadier Molina in the fifth and an RBI single in the 8th. 

After Feliz's RBI triple in the fifth, Brendan Ryan followed with a double to drive in Feliz. 

Jon Jay drove in Albert Pujols one inning later, and Molina finally knocked out Lincecum with another single. 

The Cardinals put three runs on the board for the first time in three games, and the Cardinals had lost the last three games despite their starters only giving up three runs in each game. 

The Cardinals averaged a meager 3.2 runs per game during the streak. They struggled to get any runners home on Friday night, going 2-9 with runners in scoring position, while stranding 10 baserunners.

The Cardinals will look to close up the homestand with a victory, sending Jaime Garcia to the mound against fellow southpaw Barry Zito. 

With a victory, the Cardinals would finish just 3-5 on their current homestand.

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The St. Louis Cardinals were able to come to agreements with 4 of their top 5 draft picks from the 2010 draft including top pick Zack Cox, pitcher Jordan Swagerty, pitcher Seth Blair, and prep righty Tyrell Jenkins.

Although the Cardinals missed out on signing 12th-rounder Austin Wilson, who was considered a first-round talent, the Cardinals have to be very pleased with their draft. Overall they signed every player they drafted in the first 11 rounds, bolstering a weak farm system. 

Cox and Swagerty were both Draft-eligible sophomores and both of their deals were finished just before the 11 p.m. CDT signing deadline on Monday night. 

Cox signed a Major League contract, and as a result, the Cardinals will add him to the 40-man roster. 

The Cardinals missed out on Wilson largely in part to his baseball scholarship waiting for him at Stanford. He visited the stadium shortly after the draft with his mother, but GM John Mozeliak said that talks never progressed very far with Wilson. 

The Cardinals signed Cox for somewhere around $3 million although the exact number isn't known. Cox was considered by some to be a tough sign, so the Cardinals have to happy about signing him, even without signing Wilson.

Cox was considered one of the most polished hitters in the draft and batted .429 for Arkansas in 2010 with 9 homers, 48 RBIs, and 67 runs scored. He also stole 11 bases. 

Along with Cox, supplemental first-rounders Seth Blair and Tyrell Jenkins were all considered great talents with plenty of potential. Blair signed for around $750K, while Jenkins signed for $1.3 million.

Jordan Swagerty, teammate of Blair on the Arizona State Sun Devils, was the closer for their College World Series squad. 

As for Jenkins, he was drafted 50th overall as a compensation pick for losing Joel Piñiero in free agency. He reports to rookie-level Johnson City.

Jenkins turned 18 last month and committed to play quarterback at Baylor University. He attended high school in Henderson, texas and lettered in baseball, basketball, football, and track. He was considered Baylor's top recruit at quarterback, but ultimately chose to sign with St. Louis.

Jenkins led Henderson High to a second consecutive District 14 4A Championship, compiling a 24-7 record. He went 8-2 with a 2.33 ERA during the year with 96 strikeouts.

The Cardinals were extremely lucky to land Jenkins as late as they did as he was considered a top talent by many major league clubs. Scouts lauded his live arm with a fluid delivery and lots of potential. 

His fastball is listed in the 91-93 range, topping out around 95, but there is a definite possibility to add velocity by filling out his 6-foot-4, 180 lb. frame. 

The Cardinals are very excited about Jenkins' potential, and he's immediately one of the top arms in the Cardinals farm system behind Shelby Miller, among others. 

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It was tabbed as the biggest series of the season for either team. 

It's ending with a new division leader, a ripe new rivalry, and a few punishments soon to be handed down by the MLB.

The Cardinals came into Cincinnati two games behind the division-leader Reds, a struggling road team, but optimism abound with their three top starters taking the mound against the Reds. 

The Reds were one of baseball's hottest teams fresh off a 3-game sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley. Then, All Star second baseman Brandon Phillips decided to screw it up for the Reds.

Phillips issued these comments just before the series with the Cardinals:

"I'd play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is b****h and moan about everything, all of them, they're little b*****s, 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."

Let me just take a moment to offer my sincere gratitude to Brandon Phillips. 

As I said, the Cardinals were two games behind Cincy, but are now division leaders after a convincing 3-game sweep in Cincinnati, outscoring the Reds 21-8 in three games. 

Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and Adam Wainwright all picked up a win for the Cardinals as they won 7-3, 8-4, and 6-1 today, despite being one of the worst road teams among playoff contenders. 

Thank you Brandon Phillips. 

After Phillips' comments, Carpenter pitched a gem on Monday night. The Cardinals scored 7 runs in the top of the fourth on 6 straight hits and a Skip Schumaker grand slam off of rookie Mike Leake to easily take the first game.

Then, the drama started. Phillips came to bat in the bottom of the 1st inning in the second game and tapped Molina's shin guards as is his routine when he comes to the plate. Molina kicked his bat away and when he tried to do it again, the benches cleared.

There are multiple connections between the two clubs which makes the brawl all the more interesting. Reds third baseman Scott Rolen played for the Cardinals for many years and originally tried to play peacemaker until he and Chris Carpenter got into it. Reds GM Walt Jocketty also used to be with the Cardinals before moving to Cincinnati as was Miguel Cairo and Russ Springer. 

Major League Baseball will assuredly review the videos to see what kind of suspensions need to be handed down. I could see Phillips, Yadier Molina, and Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto all get suspensions. 

Cueto may receive the biggest suspension as he was pinned up against the netting behind home plate and started kicking. He appeared to connect a couple times with Carpenter and also with backup catcher Jason LaRue, who sustained a concussion as well as body lacerations from Cueto's cleats. 

The umpires only ejected managers Tony La Russa and Dusty Baker, who also appeared to have harsh words for each other, but there will certainly be punishments handed down by MLB for the brief altercation.

Luckily, the injuries weren't too severe, but the Cardinals did have to call up a backup catcher from Double AA, Steven Hill, while LaRue tries to recover.

When all was said and done, the Cardinals again got the best of the Reds behind 5 1/3 strong innings from rookie Jaime Garcia and a 4-5 night with 3 RBIs from Matt Holliday. 

Molina may have enjoyed the best laugh, hitting a solo shot in his first at bat off Cueto, even mimicking Phillips' home run trot as he rounded second base right in front of Phillips. I guess I can't blame Molina for letting his play do the talking. 

You should do the same Brandon.

Phillips had 2 singles in the series and only hit 3 balls out of the infield. I bet you wish you had those comments back, huh Brandon?

The series finale was set for an early afternoon game, with the Cardinals sending their ace to the mound to face the Reds unsung hero of the staff. Fortunately for the Redbirds, Wainwright outdueled Bronson Arroyo to continue his bid for a Cy Young. 

Wainwright tied Ubaldo Jimenez for the MLB-leading 17th win, while lowering his ERA to 1.99. He tossed 7 innings, allowing no runs and 2 hits, while striking out four. 

Thankfully, he got all the offense he needed with one swing of the bat. 

Colby Rasmus hit his 19th homer and first career grand slam on his 24th birthday to put the Redbirds ahead for good in the 5th inning. The Cardinals added two more runs in the 7th on RBI singles, but Wainwright would cruise through his outing and turn it over to the bullpen.

Wainwright did not allow a run for his second straight start, which is even more remarkable because his last two starts have come away from Busch, where he has somewhat struggled this year. Great American Ballpark and the Reds potent lineup couldn't phase Wainwright. 

The Cardinals are now a season high 15 games above .500 and ran their record to 10-5 against the Reds this season, including 6-3 at Great American Ballpark. The two rivals only have one remaining series over Labor Day weekend at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals are now 17-8 since the All Star break. 

Come October, this could be the defining moment of the season in which Cincinnati lost all its momentum and were swept at home by the Cardinals.

Thank you Brandon Phillips.

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The Cardinals are in Cincinnati to face the division-leading Reds in what has turned into the biggest season series for the Redbirds so far.

The Redbirds will face the Reds in a 3-game series, with each club sending 3 of its top hurlers to the mound. The Cardinals are coming off a short 2-game split with the Marlins in Florida after the Sunday rubber match was rained out. The Reds come in as one of the hottest teams in baseball, fresh off a series sweep over the Cubbies in Chicago.

The Cardinals will send Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, and Adam Wainwright to the mound, who are unarguably the Cardinals top starters this season with a combined record of 37-14. 

The Reds send Mike Leake, Jonny Cueto, and Bronson Arroyo to the mound with a combined record of 30-11.

The Cardinals need to win at least 2 games in the series to remain a game behind in the Central and could even move into first place with a sweep. However, the Reds are playing great baseball and it should make for a great series between the NL Central leaders.

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The Cardinals finally have some relief in the starting rotation but at a steep price. I wrote about a week ago about the crowded outfield with the emergence of Jon Jay and Ludwick coming off the DL.  It appears the Cardinals were also aware of the crowded outfield and decided to part with a fan-favorite and popular clubhouse guy in Ludwick.

This is saddening for many Cardinal fans because Ludwick revived his career in St. Louis, including a 2008 All-Star season where he hit 38 homers. 

The Redbirds swung a three-team deal with the Indians and Padres, receiving Jake Westbrook from the Indians and prospect Nick Greenwood from the Friars. The Redbirds sent Ludwick west to San Diego, and Cleveland received prospects from the Padres.

The Cardinals have had to piece together a rotation with the absence of Brad Penny since May 22 and Kyle Lohse since June 5. Westbrook will no become a solid fourth starter behind the big three: Wainwright, Carpenter, and standout rookie Jaime Garcia. Once Lohse returns, he will likely take Suppan's fifth starter spot as Hawksworth will move back to the bullpen.

Despite Westbrook's mediocre stats (6-7, 4.65 ERA), there is plenty of promise for Westbrook moving forward. Westbrook is a traditional sinker ball pitcher, which is one of the specialties of pitching coach Dave Duncan. (Think Joel Piñiero) Westbrook relies on his command and induces a very high rate of ground balls. 

This isn't to say Westbrook will immediately become a Cy Young pitcher by any means, but he certainly has room for improvement and the right tutelage to move in improving his stats and having a better second half with the Redbirds. 

Ludwick's offense has been down this year but that is partly due to the fact that he had an extended stay on the disabled list. Nevertheless, his bat will certainly be missed in the Cardinals lineup. Nothing against Jon Jay, but Ludwick has been with the Cardinals organization longer and was a well-respected player and teammate. Ludwick will also be missed in St. Louis by the fans.

Only time will tell if General Manager John Mozeliak made the right move here. My gut instinct is that Ludwick's bat will be missed and as hot as Jay has been, he's got to come back down to Earth sometime. Hopefully Westbrook becomes another great success story in the career of Dave Duncan. .

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“You can’t always get what you want. You can’t always get what you want. You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes you might find, you get what you need.”

This popular Rolling Stones song may just sum up the Cardinals activity at the trading deadline.

Just a few days ago, the Cardinals were listed as heavy contenders for Roy Oswalt and in a matter of days jumped to the top of the list as a possible landing spot for the young right hander.

Oswalt said just a day after that he would love a trade to the Cardinals as it would be closer to his Mississippi home, and he would even be willing to rework his $16 million option for next year in order to stay with the club.

It seemed that the Cardinals were seemingly inches away from acquiring another ace to bolster an already stellar rotation that has struggled a little bit on the back end with starters Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny out since May.

However, today the Cardinals are reportedly bowing out of the Roy Oswalt sweepstakes. The Cardinals, along with the Dodgers and Phillies, had been on the phones extensively with the Astros front office trying to match prospect names.

Yet there are still numerous complications in sending Oswalt to St. Louis:

1) Astros would be unlikely to trade ace of their staff within the division2) Despite Oswalt’s big contract, Astros are asking a lot in return3) The Cardinals farm system is pretty thin, and they don’t want to part with top prospect Shelby Miller or breakout rookie Jon Jay.

The Astros are asking for a major-league ready bat along with multiple top prospects, which is an asking price that is most likely too steep for the Redbirds.

Yet, if the Cardinals try, they may get what they need: health.

The Cards certainly have the talent to win the NL Central, but the question remains as to how far they can go in the playoffs. With a healthy return of Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse, they may indeed not get what they want in Oswalt, but instead get better with the return of two starting pitchers.

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Ryan Ludwick returned to the Redbirds on Saturday, and as a result, Tony La Russa will have a little more trouble filling out his lineup card.

With the exception of Colby Rasmus, all the Cardinals outfielders are hitting the ball well, including Ludwick after his short rehab stint. Jon Jay has been performing admirably day in and day out. Jay is hitting .386 in his two stints with the Cardinals and has 11 doubles in only 88 at bats so far this season.

The Cardinals will certainly keep Jay around, with Holliday, Rasmus, and Ludwick normally playing in the outfield. Jay has been one of the Cardinals best pinch hitters in his brief time with the club. Jay is hitting .411 in pinch hit opportunities and draws on his experience as a typical lead off hitter.

Rasmus has certainly been struggling recently, only hitting .237 since the absence of Ludwick, so that may give Jay an extended look in centerfield besides his pinch hitting opportunities.

Jay is hitting .463 since his second call-up on July 3 and has certainly earned more playing time. La Russa will definitely view the crowded outfield as a positive note, and the Cardinals will benefit from some extra depth in August and September.

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I am imploring you to start Colby Rasmus against left-handed pitching.

The Cardinals center fielder of the future once again was not in the starting lineup against a left-handed starting pitcher. This time, it was the mediocre, 47 year-old, Jamie Moyer with a 9-9 record.

Since the beginning of the season (not including last night), Rasmus has not started in 13 games against left-handed starters. His first non-start against a lefty was against Randy Wolf of the Brewers in April. However, he has been in the starting lineup in the two other games Wolf has pitched against the Redbirds this year and hit one of his 3 homers off lefties against Wolf. 

Rasmus has sat the bench in two games against Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez, who is an abysmal 6-11 this season. 

His most recent start against a left-handed pitcher was last Thursday against Clayton Kershaw. Rasmus doubled and walked off Kershaw, but Rasmus was not in the starting lineup for Kershaw's other start against the Cardinals in June. 

In the 13 games Rasmus has not started against lefties, the Cardinals are a mere 7-6. Only three of those pitchers have winning records: the aforementioned Kershaw, Barry Zito, and Brett Cecil.

The other pitchers Rasmus has not faced because he has not been in the starting lineup: Oliver Perez, Cole Hamels, Paul Maholm, Nate Roberson, Wade LeBlanc, Dontrelle Willis, and Manny Parra. 

The combined record of the 12 pitchers (because he sat against Wandy Rodriguez twice) in the 13 games is a sub-.500 65-75. 

I cannot believe time and time again that Tony continues to sit Colby Rasmus against left-handers. The Cardinals are already short on big bats in the lineup with both Ryan Ludwick and David Freese on the DL.

Rasmus is third on the team in home runs with 16, which already tied his amount from last year.

Against righties: .283/.371/.548 with 13 homers, 62 hits, 34 RBI in 219 at-bats.

Against lefties: .258/.333/.453 with 3 homers, 8 RBI, 16 hits, in only 62 at-bats.

The numbers aren’t remarkably different. The slugging numbers are quite different but how do you expect Rasmus to raise the numbers when you continually sit him against left-handers that are clearly below average pitchers.

Rasmus is definitely our center fielder of the future and hopefully will be with the Redbirds for a long time. However, he is not going to learn to hit lefties from the bench.

Let me throw some numbers out there for another prominent left-handed bat.

Against righties: .322/.383/.569 with 13 homers, 50 RBI, 77 hits in 239 at-bats. 

Against lefties: .256/.305/.481 with 8 homers, 24 RBI, 33 hits in 129 at-bats. 

I would argue that these splits are much worse than Rasmus', but the biggest discrepancy between the two players' splits is in the number of at-bats. These are the splits for Phillies slugger Ryan Howard so far this year. The Phillies simply don't sit their All-Star 1st baseman against lefties.

Yes, Rasmus is not close to the player that Howard is, but I don't understand the philosophy of sitting a future star against lefties, when he will be the center fielder of the future as well as an All-Star in the near future. At some point, he will need to get at-bats against lefties in order to improve. How can he improve if he doesn't get a chance to hit?

Please Tony. Start Colby Rasmus against left-handed pitching.

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The Cardinals are finally back in familiar territroy: first place.

The Cardinals were 18-9 out of the gates and seemed to have everything going right in April and early May. Then Brad Penny got hurt, Kyle Lohse got hurt, and the Cardinals were a mediocre, below average 27-31 in the next 58 games.

After a tough sweep at the hands of the Rockies, the Redbirds took two of three from the 'Stros and proceeded to sweep the Dodgers right out of Los Angeles in four games after the All-Star Break.

With the Reds 1-0 loss to the Rockies, the Cardinals claimed first place by a half game entering another 4-game set against the scuffling Phillies.

The Phillies are coming into St. Louis after getting dismantled by the Cubs. Phillies ace Roy Halladay was roughed up at Wrigley and the Cubs continued to pour it on against the Phil's bullpen.

The Cardinals would love to continue their streak against the fightin' Phillies.

Jeff Suppan kept the streak alive with his best start on the Cardinals going 6 innings and only allowing one run.

The Cardinals played comeback kids against the Dodgers entering the bottom of the eighth down 4-0 but scoring 3 runs in the eighth and 2 more in the ninth off All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton to win.

The unlikely hero? Allen Craig. Craig was playing 1st base while La Russa gave Pujols a day off. La Russa also sat Molina and Rasmus. Molina came up with the single in the 9th inning to start the rally. Craig drove in the tying run in the 9th along with the Cards first two runs in the 8th. Holliday drove in the winning run with a deep single over Andre Ethier's head in right field.

Blake Hawksworth will look to keep it going from the mound. Hawksworth's last four starts have been fairly solid for a back of the rotation starter. He has gone at least 5 innings in his last four starts, giving up no more than three earned runs in any of those starts.

The Phillies will send Kyle Kendrick to the mound, who has been outstanding against the Cardinals in his career: 4-0, 1.67 ERA against the Cardinals.

Cardinals will look to move their winning streak to 6 games, which would be their longest of the season so far.

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The Cardinals entered the All-Star break with a much needed victory. Now they will try to start the second half of the season with four more.

The Cardinals aim to sweep the Dodgers at Busch Stadium today after great pitching performances by Chris Carpenter on Thursday and Adam Wainwright last night. They have outscored the Dodgers 17-5 in the three games so far, as Jeff Suppan aims for his first win of the season to close out the four-game sweep.

The Cardinals only other series with the Dodgers this year ended in a sweep for Los Angeles at Chavez Ravine in early June.

The Cardinals won't have an easy task facing Vicente Padilla. Padilla is 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA since coming off the disabled list and had his best pitching performance in his last start before the All-Star break tossing eight shutout innings of 2-hit ball against the Cubs.

The Cardinals hope they can continue clutch at bats with runners in scoring position as Skip Schumaker came through yesterday with a double down the first base line to drive in the game's first run, and the only run the Cardinals would need to beat the Dodgers.

It won't get any easier after this series as the Cardinals play host to another playoff contender as the Phillies come to town. 

The Redbirds are hoping a win is in the cards to get their second half started with four consecutive victories and a 5-game winning streak, which would equal their longest streak of the season. 

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With the Cardinals one game out of first place, the Cardinals would seem to be probable buyers before the July 31st MLB trade deadline.

With the return of Matt Holliday this season, the Cardinals were widely picked as favorites in the NL Central and even as NL Champions. However, the Reds have used a core of young players and a pitching staff performing above expectations to be in first place at the All-Star Break and given the Cardinals some competition in the Central.

Nevertheless, anything less than a playoff berth or even winning the NL Central would be considered a disappointment for Redbird Nation.

Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak will assuredly be active at the trade deadline as he was last year in acquiring Matt Holliday. The Cardinals will more than likely not be adding a high profile player such as Holliday but look for help in a couple areas: starting pitching and middle infield.

Outisde of Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, and Jaime Garcia, the Cardinals starting pitching has been far below average without Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse. Penny appears to be on track to return sometime later in the season, but Lohse's return this season is still in doubt.

The Cardinals picked up 2008 NLCS MVP Jeff Suppan, but Suppan has not come close to pitching up to speed to where he was 2 years ago. Suppan is 0-5 with an ERA over 6.5 and has yet to pitch 6 full innings.

Hawksworth has performed surprisingly well after struggling mightily in May from the bullpen. Hawksworth is 2-1 in his last four starts and hasn't given up more than three earned runs. However, he also hasn't thrown more than 6 innings going 5 innings twice, 5 1/3 once, and 6 innings once. For the Cardinals to compete in the Central with the high scoring Reds offense, the Cardinals will need a reliable 4th and 5th starter and may need to bring someone in from outside the organization.

The middle infield for the Cardinals might be one of the biggest disappointments at the halfway point of the 2010 season. Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan both had breakout seasons from the plate in 2009 and Skip seemed to adapt well to playing second base rather than the outfield.

The Cardinals brought in Felipe Lopez as a free agent to provide some depth, and I'm sure the Cardinals couldn't be happier about that decision at this point in the season.

The Cardinals middle infielders of Felipe Lopez (who has gotten the most time at 3rd after David Freese went to the DL), Tyler Greene (called up from AAA), Schumaker, and Brendan Ryan have combined to go .242 with only 64 RBIs in 759 at bats. Brendan Ryan has been horrendous at the plate this year, hitting only .194.

Schumaker had a very tough couple months but seems to be swinging the bat a little better as of late, but the Cardinals even brought in washed-up Aaron Miles to get some at-bats with the middle infielders struggling.

The Cardinals will certainly try to add possibly another starting pitcher or a middle infielder before the trade deadline to give their roster an extra boost heading into October to hopefully wrap up a playoff spot or win the NL Central.

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The Cardinals were scuffling. Thanks to the Astros, they are hopefully right back on track.

They were swept in Colorado after a 9-run 9th inning in the first game to lose 12-9, as well as giving up 4 runs on 2 homers in the 8th and 9th innings to lose the second game 8-7 after leading 7-4.

What they needed was a series with the 5th place 'Stros.

The Cardinals rode a dominating performance by Adam Wainwright in the first game, and big offensive series' from Jon Jay, Albert Pujols, and Matt Holliday to take 2 of 3 games and close the Central gap to only one game after the Reds were swept by the Phillies.

Blake Hawksworth gave up 2 first-inning runs and threw almost 40 pitches in what appeared to be another long day for the Cardinals bullpen. However, Hawksworth settled down, and didn't allow any runs after the first.

Astros knuckleballer Wandy Rodriguez appeared virtually unhittable in the first three innings. Then Jon Jay laid down a bunt and beat out the throw for a single to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, tied for longest on the team this season.

Albert Pujols quickly followed with a single, and Matt Holliday clobbered a 3-run homer to left. That would prove to be all the insurance the Cardinals would need.

McClellan, Motte, and Ryan Franklin rebounded after terrible performances in Colorado shut down the Astros and preserve the victory.

Holliday has finally found his offensive groove heading into the All-Star break. The All-Star outfielder has 5 homers in his last 6 games and had 7 RBIs in the series with Houston. He tied a career high with 4 hits and 2 homers in a game against Colorado and is now second on the team in RBIs (51) and tied for second in homers (16).

Colby Rasmus, who sat the last two games with a sore hamstring, pinch hit in the 8th inning and rapped an RBI single to give the Cardinals insurance run.

Pujols also appears to be finding a consistent offensive groove along with Holliday. Pujols went 5-10 with his 21st homer, his first triple, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs in the Astros series.

The Cardinals will look to keep things going after the All-Star break as they host the Dodgers and the Phillies for an 8-game homestand.

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Just a year removed from the All-Star Game in their home ballpark, 5 Cardinals will bring their act west to Los Angeles for the 81st All-Star Game.

It appears the Cardinals may have a couple of mainstays for at least a couple years in the NL infield in perennial All-Star Albert Pujols and catcher Yadier Molina. 

Pujols was the leading vote getter in the NL with about 4.4 million votes, despite leading possibly one of the best positions in either league with sluggers Ryan Howard, Adrian Gonzalez, and Prince Fielder along with breakout star Joey Votto contending for a spot. Pujols finished with more than 2 1/2 times as many votes as second place Ryan Howard.

Molina is certainly having a down offensive year and striking out much more than he usually does. However, he has solidified himself as one of the best defensive catchers in the whole league and fans are noticing by sending him to his second consecutive start in the All-Star Game.

The other three Cardinals traveling west: Matt Holliday, Chris Carpenter, and Adam Wainwright. 

For Holliday, it's his fourth All-Star game but first as a Cardinal. Despite not getting a starting nod from fans via the voting process, Holliday could still be in the starting lineup either as a replacement for the soon-to-be healthy Jason Heyward or as the designated hitter. Holliday was having somewhat of a down year until his offensive outburst a couple weeks ago, as well as in the latest series against the Rockies. He now leads the team in average and has hit 14 homers, 3 in the last 3 games. 

Chris Carpenter gets his first All-Star nod since 2006, when he was at the All-Star game but didn't throw a pitch. Carpenter started in 2005 and has enjoyed a fairly decent season minus his last couple starts. Carpenter was roughed up in Milwaukee and was the hard luck loser today against the Rockies. He has given up double the amount of homers this year than he did all of last year (14 to 7) but his numbers are still solid: 9-3, 3.29 ERA, 108 Ks.

Wainwright is finally get recognition. After a phenomenal season last year in which Wainwright garnered the most 1st place votes for the Cy Young Award but didn't win, he is having another remarkable year and is another contender for the Cy Young were it not for some guy named Jimenez. Wainwright is making his 1st All-Star appearance, which is hard to believe since he is practically considered the staff ace. Wainwright ranks 2nd in the NL in wins and strikeouts, and 4th in ERA. 

Despite the 5 Cardinals headed to the ASG, a couple Cardinals may be feeling slighted, though not nearly as much as Joey Votto. 

Colby Rasmus is having a breakout season for the Redbirds and has already equaled his total home runs from last season with 16. He is hitting for decent average, as well as increased his on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Jaime Garcia is most certainly a top contender for rookie of the year. He is 8-4 and has the second best ERA in the majors. 

Nevertheless, the Cardinals will be well represented for the 81st All-Star Game. Bring one home for the NL.

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Chicago Cubs righthander Carlos Zambrano is currently a bad contract, emotionally unstable, and a mediocre pitcher. He is currently on the restricted list with no timetable for a return after his tirade in the dugout last week. He’s a wreck, emotionally and on the mound. But a change in scenery could improve his mood and his performance. Seemingly, the Cubs would have a difficult time finding a suitor who would take the remaining four years and over $60 million left on his deal, but if there is a pitching coach that could work wonders and rejuvenate the former ace, it is the St. Louis Cardinals Dave Duncan.

Duncan has been by manager Tony La Russa’s side since 1983. He’s gained a tremendous reputation over the years as a person who has the ability to take on presumed hopeless cases and push them in the right direction. He has had a knack for noticing flaws. Arm angles may be too low or high, pitches may be tipped, and mentalities may be shaken. Duncan has possessed the ability to fix all of that.

As The New York Times’ David Waldstein wrote, “He has worked his craft with every kind of pitcher to come through St. Louis, whether young or old, left-hander or right-hander, wild or controlled, loud or quiet, crafty or crude.”

Zambrano would definitely be his most serious and complicated case, but after what he did with the likes of the late Darryl Kile, Chris Carpenter, Kyle Lohse, as well as many others, there is reason to believe magic could be worked again.

Kile died on June 24th, 2002 of a heart attack at the young age of 33. Before his tragic end, he was Duncan’s most noteworthy and eye-opening reclamation project. The righthander was 21-30 with a 5.84 ERA in two seasons with the Colorado Rockies after a stellar stay with the Houston Astros in the late 1990’s. In 2000, his first year in St. Louis, Duncan’s tutelage and his newfound confidence translated to a 20-9 record with a 3.91 ERA and five complete games. In 1999 with the Rockies he allowed a league-leading 140 runs in 190 innings. In 2000, he relinquished 39 fewer earned runs in 42 2/3 more innings.

The next season, his win total decreased to 16 wins, but his ERA dropped to 3.09, as he allowed just 78 earned runs while throwing just five less innings.

The three-time All-Start who finished fifth in the Cy Young voting twice in a career that was far too short did his best work in the heart of the steroid era. And Duncan was a big reason for that. Kile finished 41-24 with an ERA more than two points lower than he had in Colorado.

Carpenter was also performing very poorly before signing on with the Cardinals. He was a game below .500 at 49-50 with a 4.91 in six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays. Then, everything changed. His ERA that was 5.28 in his last season with Toronto dropped to 3.46 with St. Louis. He also went 15-5, winning three more games than his previous career-high. His 2005 campaign was even better, as he finished 21-5 with a 2.83 ERA, tossing seven complete games and four shutouts.

His 2007 and 2008 seasons were shortened due to injury, but, having gone 51-18 in his first three seasons under Duncan, the pitching coach quickly helped him regain his form after an assortment of arm troubles. It was believed that Carpenter couldn’t return to the Cy-Young winning form of 2005, but he did, finishing second in the award’s race by going 17-4 with a league-leading 2.24 ERA. This season has been more of the same, as he carries a 9-1 record with a 2.70 ERA.

Lohse went from a perennial 10-13 game loser to a 15-game winner in 2008, his first season with the Cardinals. He said of Duncan in Waldstein’s article: “Before I got here, I heard he’s the best in the business and can get the most out of anybody. Having seen it up close now, I’d agree.”

Duncan has made the most out of anybody, that’s for certain. Braden Looper, who had predominately been a close with the New York Mets and Florida Marlins, was turned into a starter in 2008 in his second season with the Cardinals and won 12 games. He lost the same amount and carried a 4.94 ERA, but he was serviceable and his transition was deemed a success. The following season, he won 12 more games and saw his ERA drop 78 points.

Todd Wellemeyer’s story was similar. He struggled for the first seven years of his career then wins 13 games in 2008, his first full season with the Cardinals. His previous high had been three wins, and that was also done with St. Louis upon coming over midseason of 2007.

Joel Pineiro was mediocre in Seattle, losing 11, 11, 11, and 13 games in successive seasons during the beginning of the decade, then joins the Cardinals and wins 15 games in his second season, which helped him sign a lucrative deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this past offseason.

Jeff Suppan compiles 16 wins in his first two seasons with the Cardinals, 2005 and 2006 after putting up below average numbers with Boston, Kansas City, Arizona, and Pittsburgh. He then falls off the map upon leaving St. Louis for Milwaukee. He was designated for assignment earlier this season after allowed 29 runs in 31 innings and is picked up by the Cardinals for a second go-around. What does he do? He has allowed six runs in three starts and has a 3.95 ERA, nearly four points better than he had in 15 2010 appearances with the Brewers.

Duncan even toyed with John Smoltz’s mechanics, informing a future Hall of Famer he was tipping his pitches during his very unsuccessful stint with the Red Sox. He joined the Cardinals halfway through the 2009 season. During his half with Boston, he allowed 59 hits, 37 runs, and eight homers in 40 innings. Once with St. Louis, he allows 23 less hits, 19 less runs, and five less homers in just two less innings.

Pitchers can turn themselves around, but too many have done so in St. Louis over the years for Duncan to not take most of the credit. He’s been a miracle worker. Turning around Zambrano would indeed take a miracle, but with Duncan and the incentive of playing for the Cubs rival, the 29-year old could resurrect his career as so many of Duncan’s projects have. 

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