Still Just Spring Training

At least there was a reason.

Brad Penny was one of the most intriguing names brought into St. Louis during the offseason.  A lot of us were interested to see what this guy, who had been a very successful pitcher in the past, could do with Dave Duncan's tutelage.  So seeing the results yesterday would be a little worriesome, if there wasn't a reason.

It's hard to remember sometimes that spring training is just that, training.  In the regular season, you don't go into a game saying, "Let's see, my sinker needs work, I'm going to keep throwing that no matter what happens."  Pitchers play with pitches, trying to see what they need to do to get them sharp and ready.

So, as much as I'd like to, I've got to resist drawing any conclusions out of yesterday's results.  As I say that, though, I'll take that back.  There is one conclusion I think you can make: Lance Lynn wants to make a run at this roster.

Lynn threw three perfect innings and so far has been the best pitcher of the spring.  (Sure, it's only been two games, but have you seen those two games?)  I still expect he'll wind up in Springfield or Memphis, but we thought that about Kyle McClellan a few years back as well.  The Cardinals are looking for a long relief guy, especially if McClellan makes the rotation, so Lynn is making sure his name is on that list.

Cards take on the Marlins today (something we say often during spring training) and the lineup is out there.  Felipe Lopez makes his debut, Albert Pujols plays in his second straight game, and Colby Rasmus bats cleanup.  The game is on KTRS today, so tune in and get your first taste of John Rooney and Mike Shannon.

Speaking of our announcers, if you look on the right side of this blog (a little ways down the page), you'll see last year's Cardinal Approval Ratings.  Last year, I picked a person a day and everyone posted their rating here, on CardsClubhouse, or at Viva El Birdos.  This year, I'm doing it a little differently.  You can find a form with everyone right over here.  Fill it out and I'll announce the results on a daily basis after the voting closes on March 12.  Have fun!


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