St. Louis Cardinals

[Woy]

Allen Craig hit a homerun in his first at-bat at single-A Palm Beach.

 

[Woy]

So about that Lance Lynn guy...

 

[Woy]

 

[Woy]

Potent offense gives Matheny plenty of lineup options

They've completed almost 20 percent of their season and the Cardinals are hitting well enough to spot American League teams the designated hitter and still lead them in runs scored.

After outscoring opponents by 70 runs en route to 90 wins last season, this year's team enjoys a plus-75 run differential after just 31 games. No one else in the National League is better than plus-24. By comparison, the Cardinals won 105 games with a plus-196 differential in 2004 and 100 games with a plus-171 in 2005.

Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks brought an end to the visitors' remarkable run of 13 games in which they had scored prior to the fourth inning.

The Cardinals have out-hit their opponents in 23 games, winning 20 of them.

They have scored first 22 times and are 18-2 when scoring more than three runs.

Subtract pitchers from the equation and the roster is batting .296, or .013 higher than right fielder Carlos Beltran's career average.

Speaking of Beltran, he has run up six- and seven-RBI in games over the last two weeks. Those two games alone would have tied Beltran for 42nd place in the National League entering Thursday night. As is, Beltran's 27 RBIs rank second only to Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier. Beltran and Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp share the distinction of ranking among the league's top three in home runs, runs scored and RBIs.

Five Cardinals — Beltran, Rafael Furcal, Jon Jay, David Freese and Yadier Molina — rank among the league's top 20 in on-base-plus-slugging percentage. No other team places more than two players within that group.

Tonight against the Atlanta Braves, the Cardinals' offense becomes whole for the first time this season should first baseman Lance Berkman exit the disabled list as expected.

"We have good depth. That's really what it comes down to. You have players who can step in in case something does happen, and not just fillers, but legitimate guys," manager Mike Matheny said. "You look at first base. You look at the outfield. You're thankful to have those kinds of players on this team. It will be nice to have them all healthy."

When Berkman says he is prepared to accept less playing time if it enhances the team's offense there is no sarcasm in the statement.

"If I've got to be a bench player to help this team win, I will. I'm not kidding about that. It's whatever is best for the team to win long term," Berkman said.

The embarrassment of riches poses an interesting dilemma to Matheny. He must now decide how to work four incredibly productive players into three positions.

Berkman, who has accompanied the club on its last two road trips while recovering from a left calf strain, said: "It's been incredible to watch. It would be scary if I wasn't on this team."

Allen Craig is back after more than five months rehabilitating from knee surgery in November — he has contributed three home runs and 11 RBIs in 27 at-bats over seven games since his return — so Matheny must sit either a career .300 hitter or someone carrying an OPS higher than .900.

A lineup that drove Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson to distraction during this week's three-game sweep threatens to become deeper and longer. Whoever sits bolsters a bench that has also received significant contributions from rookie infielder Matt Carpenter, who has amassed 16 RBIs in 78 at-bats

"I look for a rotation like what they were talking about before the beginning of the year where Allen gets his at-bats," said Berkman, so far limited to seven games and 23 at-bats but carrying a .500 on-base percentage and six runs scored. "He's extremely talented. That's been proven on numerous occasions."

There are several permutations Matheny may employ. He could play Craig at first base against lefthanded pitching. He may also consider moving Beltran to center field and Craig to right against lefts while resting Jay, who has recently dealt with a mild shoulder separation and bruises from a number of acrobatic defensive plays. However, Jay has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 starts and is 18 for 44 (.409) since missing most of a week following a collision with the Busch Stadium wall on April 19. His defense has only enhanced his value.

Beltran has not played an inning in center field since 2010 with the New York Mets; however, he says it does not present a hardship on his surgically repaired right knee, which requires a brace.

"It's not like I haven't played there before. It's not a big deal," Beltran said.

Craig has yet to appear in the outfield, though both he and Matheny says there are no concerns about exposure to last season's primary position.

"I just play the game," he said. "I've played a lot of games in the outfield the last few years. It's not a big deal. I'm prepared for whatever I do that day. ... It's a really good team. However it shakes out, I don't think anybody's worried about it."

In another scenario, the club could include left fielder Matt Holliday in a modified rotation, though the team's No. 3 hitter played 158 games in 2010 and has not missed a start this season.

Pressed on his preference earlier this week, Matheny said, "It hasn't defined itself. It's a good problem to have."

"The only thing he hasn't done is play a full season. He's not going to have trouble with that. He's going to make that adjustment," Berkman said about Craig. "He's a middle-of-the-order hitter. We have the luxury of having about five middle-of-the-order hitters. That's why we're going to have a great team this year. We're deep."

Says Craig: "There are so many things that can happen over the course of a season. We have so many good players. That's the extent I think about it. Whenever I get the chance to play, I try to do the most with it."

La Russa has his big night

Tony La Russa Night didn't start out this way.

The original plan for the Cardinals manager who retired after last season was, should his club be eliminated from playoff contention, he would tell his players after the clinching game that he was quitting and then announce it to the fans here the next day. Except the Cardinals, on death's doorstep a half dozen times or so, never were eliminated.

La Russa announced his retirement at a Monday morning press conference three days after the Cardinals won the World Series. But he never got to salute the fans quite the way he wanted.

So Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., put into place a day early this season where the Cardinals would honor La Russa at Busch Stadium and he could say his good-byes. And, as La Russa joked Thursday, "The fans could either say good-bye or good riddance."

The farewell was set for tonight at Busch Stadium, with, ironically, the Cardinals' opponents to be the Atlanta Braves, who were passed at the wire by the Cardinals for the wild-card bid that was key to their rush to baseball's throne.

But a couple of weeks ago, DeWitt changed the rules. He told La Russa the club also planned to retire his number, which would put No. 10 both on the left-field wall, accompanying a picture of La Russa, and also high on the right-center-field wall, below the main scoreboard.

"I was surprised, to the point of shock," La Russa said. "I said, 'Are you sure about that? Why don't you wait?'

"Bill said, 'No, we're going to do it.'

"Since then," La Russa said, "it's become more and more exciting."

The highlight for La Russa, he said, would be the amalgam of La Russa's three major league employers as a manager: the Chicago White Sox, the Oakland Athletics and the Cardinals.

"With the array of people who have been important to my career in the 30 years traveling in here for this, it's going to be a neat night," La Russa said.

From the White Sox will come chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, former general manager Roland Hemond and Hall of Famer pitcher Tom Seaver, who achieved most of his greatness with the New York Mets but who won his 300th game for La Russa and the White Sox.

From Oakland will come former pitching greats Dave Stewart, Bob Welch and Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley. From the Cardinals will come former pitching star Matt Morris, both Andy and Alan Benes and outfielder Brian Jordan, now a broadcaster with Atlanta who La Russa said, "We don't win (the division and first playoff round) without in 1996."

Some of his favorites won't be able to be here, such as Harold Baines and Carney Lansford, who are employed elsewhere as coaches, and Carlton Fisk and Greg Luzinski from La Russa's first championship team, the White Sox, who won the American League West in 1983.

Former Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty, who worked with La Russa in Oakland and was his boss here for more than a decade, will leave his Cincinnati Reds team to join the salute.

La Russa refused to say that any particular name would highlight the list.

"There isn't anybody who will be here that's not high on that list," La Russa said. "Everybody here is special.

"I can't be more excited than I am."

The festivities will begin at about 7 p.m., with the start of the game to be postponed at least 10 minutes to 7:25.

 

[NAHSTE]

:frederickfreeman:

 

[Woy]

:motte:

 

[Woy]

JC Romero has been released and Eduardo Sanchez has been called up from AAA. :dance:

 

[strahanfan92]

Berkman torn ACL :cano:

Injuries injuries..

 

[Woy]

This team needs something positive to happen right now. We can't catch any sort of break. Pitching's been bad, offense leaves too many LOB, defense is horrendous...just straight ugly baseball.

We have a three-game set with the Padres starting today so that could help turn our fortunes around. I'll take these struggles at the end of May if it gives us a September run like last year.

 

[Woy]

Chuckie Fick has been called up from Memphis and Salas has been sent down. I'm good with Salas being sent down because he's been horrendous, but why are they still shafting Maikel Cleto? Dude's been absolutely filthy lately after a rough transition to the pen, hitting 100 on the radar gun and amassing a 93% strikeout rate. He had a rough go last season in St. Louis, but he was jumping from AA then and wasn't ready.

 

[Woy]

Garcia to miss his scheduled start because of elbow discomfort.

Jay won't come off the DL when eligible because of continued soreness.

Freese out of the line-up once again because of his hand.

Fuck these injuries. At least we're deep and Craig will come back as scheduled.

e: Schumaker left tonight with a hamstring injury. Of course.

 

[SHOGUN]

My god are the Cardinals are beat to shit. This is depressing.

 

[Woy]

We're the MLB version of Bad Luck Brian this season. Guess it has to even out after last year's run.

Matheny is really pissing me off with some of his managing tactics. I know it's still very early in his career, but with all the talent on this roster (even with the depth), performing like this is really starting to piss me off and make me wonder if he was the right hire.

One move I've been throwing out for shits and giggles is to reacquire Rick Ankiel and have him as our 4th outfielder and 2nd LOOGY. He wouldn't be any worse than the shitheads we're throwing out there now.

 

[Rudi]

:lol:

 

[Woy]

:lol:

:lol:

 

[Rudi]

:crying:

 

[Woy]

Jaime will be shut down for a month with a shoulder injury. :cano: Joe Kelly (3rd rounder in 2009, 2-5/2.86 ERA) takes his place in the rotation.

I'm starting to accept this team will end up like the 2003 squad. Incredible offense that loses too many games because of the awful pitching.

Look at how awful that staff was!

 

[Woy]

Friday the 22nd will mark the 10-year anniversary of Darryl Kile's death. I still remember bawling my little 11-year-old eyes out once the news came out and later changing my Little League number to #57 for the summer all-star tournaments. DK was always one of my favorites.

Joe Strauss - Kile's death still shakes those who were close to him

Bernie Miklasz - Out of tragedy, Cardinals found inspiration

:crying:

 

[ThomasTomasz]

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter is expected to be back for the 2013 season after surgery Thursday to repair a nerve injury in his right shoulder.

The neurogenic thoracic outlet surgery was performed by Dr. Greg Pearl in Dallas. The Cardinals say rehabilitation should take two to three months, and Carpenter should be able to have a normal offseason.

The 37-year-old right-hander hasn't pitched all season and hasn't been on the mound since winning Game 7 of the 2011 World Series against Texas. The injury occurred during spring training.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8...tcher-chris-carpenter-expected-back-13-season

 

[Woy]

2-3 months? That might bring him back in time for the post-season! /CardsfansonTwitter

He's been missed but not much as originally anticipated. The staff has been good this year - the struggles are because of some inept managing and that the team won't click at the same time. One week the pitching staff will be great, but the offense will struggle (see these last two series, we could have easily went 6-0). The next the offense will play up to its full potential and the bullpen will implode every night.

It's so frustrating to watch.