Page Not Found
include() [<a href='function.include'>function.include</a>]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration
 
|
Sponsor
Baseball Schedule is your best source for the latest St Louis Cardinals Schedule information as well as keeping up with division rivals including Cubs Schedule, Reds Schedule, Brewers Schedule and Astros Schedule. Bet on the Cardinals with Sports Interaction's MLB betting lines Slots Galore Casino Tournaments Get your tickets from Bubba! Cheap St. Louis Cardinals Tickets and more, including tickets for the next MLB All-Star Game. Bubba's got Boston Red Sox Tickets and New York Yankees Tickets Authentic, large selection of Cardinals memorabilia, guaranteed and certified. Subscribe RSS Feed
Archives
Players
Categories
Alliance tickets has an extensive inventory of St. Louis Cardinals Tickets , Colorado Rockies Tickets, San Francisco Giants Tickets and Seattle MarinersTickets. With all of the St Louis tickets out there, Cardinals tickets and Rams tickets make for great presents. GoTickets.com can fill all of your sports tickets needs, just check out our testimonials! |
St. Louis Cardinals: February 2012Keeping You Informed: Spring Training RadioPosted on February 29, 2012 at 11:48 AM
If you've not seen it, you'll find today's regular post and the daily Playing Pepper (featuring the Cleveland Indians) below this post. However, when they start telling you when you can hear St. Louis Cardinal baseball, well, you don't hesitate to get that out there.CARDINALS SPRING TRAINING RADIO SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED Mike Shannon and John Rooney Will Cover All the Warm Weather Action The first of sixteen broadcasts will begin next Monday, March 5, as the Cardinals face the Miami Marlins. Beginning Saturday, March 10th, every Saturday and Sunday broadcast will feature the Cardinals Pre-Game Show. The show will air 20 minutes prior to first pitch and feature Mike Shannon or John Rooney interviewing Cardinals players, coaches and other baseball personalities. The 118 Cardinals Radio Network affiliates will broadcast most Saturday and Sunday games, as well as select weekday games. Fans are encouraged to check their local listings for details. A complete radio broadcast schedule can be found below.
 Filed Under: St. Louis Cardinals
Leave a Comment
One Day Closer To Baseball GamesPosted on February 29, 2012 at 7:15 AM
Happy Leap Day to you all! The calendar teases us by adding this one day before March, of all months. Couldn't they add it to April or May when there's already baseball going on? Instead, it taunts us. "Oh, you'd like to see March because that means baseball? Well....wait a bit longer!"That, of course, doesn't mean that there's nothing coming out of camp, just that the news is starting to slow some. Yadier Molina's contract still isn't finalized, but it's close enough that there's not much else to say there until it's done. All the players are starting to get into a routine of morning practices, afternoon golf. It's just a relaxed time in baseball. There are a few feature stories, of course, and the most surprising one may be of Chris Carpenter in today's Post-Dispatch. After all he's done in his career and how good he's been the last couple of years, you'd expect him to just keep doing what he's doing. Instead, apparently he's been displeased with his mechanics since his surgery--in 2007--and is going to work on them in the spring. Which gives you the standard two possibilities. Either he's going to tinker with things and lose what makes him Chris Carpenter or he's going to tinker and become even better than we've seen. Knowing Carp, I'd bet on the latter. It would seem to be a good hedge against him getting older and losing his effectiveness as well. He seemed happy with his results yesterday, so we'll see if he's able to unlearn what he has learned and put these new mechanics into practice this season. There was talk earlier in the spring about Jake Westbrook and his significant weight loss. It looks like it is starting to pay off. If he is able to translate that change in his body into better performance on the mound, the rotation gets that much stronger. A good Westbrook as your number five starter means, if Kyle Lohse can pitch like he did last year, every time out you'll feel like there's a strong chance to win. Which is a good feeling if you are a Cardinals fan. On the field, yesterday both Carp and Adam Wainwright threw live BP. We got a rematch of '06 when Carlos Beltran stepped in against Waino (no reports on how he did) and Molina went yard against the recovering right-hander, on the only curveball Wainwright threw. Lance Berkman tried to take out Carp with a shot up the middle. BP means nothing, of course, but it's good to talk about it anyway. David Freese has been working so hard at camp (partly because there's no obvious person behind him) that the club is starting to ease off. Matt Carpenter got into those drills yesterday to give Freese a bit of a breather. It's telling that the club doesn't necessarily consider him an injury risk anymore. Of course, we'll have to wait and see if that holds up through the whole season. On to today's Approval Ratings. Actually, by coincidence Chris Carpenter is our player. Carp's always been a guy that's done pretty well on this measurement, though not necessarily as high as you might expect. How about this year? Well, his low was 75 and he got about 6 100s, so his score wound up to be 90.1%, just into the upper tier. That's an improvement over last year (86.9%) but off his high from 2010 (93.6%). Our media member of the day is Jim Hayes. I know that some people aren't fond of the Cat, but I've always found him fairly entertaining and I think he does a good job over at Fox Sports Midwest. Hayes's low was 25 with a couple of perfect scores, which worked out to a 71.9% mark. That's down about five points from last year, but as with all of these ratings, it's a fairly small sample size, made smaller when a number of people didn't register an opinion. Our final rating for February is the new manager. It was tough to give Mike Matheny a grade as he comes in as such an unknown, but I was hoping people would factor in what they knew about him as a person and as a player. While a number of people didn't vote, as it were, a lot of respondents did. Matheny got a couple of 100s and marked a low score of 50, making his average 81.1%. That should give us a good baseline for whatever he gets next year. We'll talk Cleveland Indians later today in Playing Pepper, so come back and check that out! Mo Money For Yadi Mo?Posted on February 28, 2012 at 9:03 AM
After much of the fan base had started to write off the possibility that Yadier Molina was going to spend more than one more season wearing the birds on the bat, talks between him and the club have progressed so far as to be labeled "close to agreement" and "all but finalized". While nothing counts until the names are on the paper, it sounds like Molina is going to be a pillar of the Cardinal teams going forward.A very expensive pillar. While Joe Strauss is talking about $60 million or more for likely five years, Ken Rosenthal is hearing that it's between $70-$75 million for the length of the deal. When you break out the calculators, that's $14 or $15 million per year. When Yadi said it was about the money, looks like he meant it! If this is true--and, to be fair, we have no idea if Rosenthal's source is accurate--that would make Molina the second-highest paid player on the current roster, bumping aside Carlos Beltran and Kyle Lohse to trail only Matt Holliday. That's heady stuff for a guy that, even up until last year, was considered a defense-first catcher. This doesn't sound like the rational and analytical John Mozeliak that we've come to know. The guy that did the analysis, figured the cost of Albert Pujols, then let him walk. The guy that made a calculated move to ship out a talented and cheap player to buffer up the current squad. This sounds like Mozeliak has found a local establishment and has been hanging out there after practices every day in Florida. Whatever he's drinking, it's good stuff. For a team that reportedly had to move Kyle McClellan and his $2.5 million to have a chance to sign Roy Oswalt, this seems a curious move. Now, I'm guessing a five year deal means that it would replace Molina's current 2012 year that was worth $7 million and that it'll be a backloaded contract, meaning that they'd probably get Molina still at around the $7-8 million range but then, after some of the bigger contracts roll off, he's move up to more like $16-17 million by the end of it. So perhaps there are ways to make the payroll portion of this work. But should they? One of the only ways that St. Louis can stay competitive, besides continuing to develop their farm system, is not making a mistake on large contracts. They gave Holliday his big deal but early returns are showing he's earning it. It's not a surprise, either, since power hitting outfielders are the ones that usually get this kind of cash. A catcher, though? At one time I believe I read that the Cardinals were doing some internal work on injuries, trying to analyze them and see who was susceptible, who was not. If that's the case, I'm guessing there are reasons that they expect Molina won't wear down over the course of this deal and can be productive both offensively and defensively, but that seems like a large gamble to take. What happens if Molina's legs are shot in 2015 and you've got to pay him $16 million or so for that season and the season beyond? Seems like it has a strong possibility of putting the Cardinals in a payroll bind very quickly. If the contract is actually closer to $10-12 million a year, that's still fairly pricey but a little more manageable. There's definitely an argument for making sure Molina gets paid. He's a homegrown guy, he may have a significant impact on the pitching staff, and he does have a fairly good bat for a catcher. I'm not saying I wouldn't want Molina on the team--far from it. I just think back to all the arguments people made about not giving Pujols a record-setting contract because it could easily cripple the franchise. This one might be for millions less, but it still has that possibility. A few other notes from around the camp. Lohse will be starting the spring opener on Monday. I don't think that has any import except they've worked the rotation forward to Opening Day and this is the way it needs to shake out to make sure Chris Carpenter can go that night in Miami. Allen Craig got to get on the field yesterday, but he's still extremely limited in what the club will let him do. Opening Day really seems out of the question, but if he gets back on the field in April, that's a big step ahead of where I thought he'd be. I wasn't thinking he'd be back until mid-May, so getting back a month before that can only help the team. Marc Rzepczynski is coming into this season with a lot of confidence. Then again, getting key outs in the World Series will do that to a person. How Mike Matheny uses Scrabble may be one of the most interesting things to watch in the first few weeks. Tony La Russa would have likely used him as a LOOGY (at least until he trusted J.C. Romero) but I've got a feeling Matheny is going to let Rzepczynski see a number of right-handed batters as well. Don't figure we'll know a lot from the spring training usage, but should have a pretty good feel by May. I meant to talk about this yesterday, but time got away from me. I don't expect to focus much time on the Cardinals that are no longer here, unless they say or do something that relates to their time wearing the red. That was the case with Colby Rasmus late last week, who really tore into his time in St. Louis. Now, I'm not going to argue that perhaps Tony La Russa should have managed him better. That seems to be the common idea around the internet and there is a lot to that. TLR's one-size-fits-all type of managing, where he tried to motivate players with "tough love," as it were, probably doesn't work for everyone. Even without La Russa in the clubhouse this year, odds are Rasmus just wouldn't have reached whatever potential he might have here. That said, let's not put all the blame on TLR. Some of Rasmus's quotes seem to show a lack of awareness of what was going on in St. Louis. First off, to say "the fans were upset with me" is possibly true, but it is misleading. Were people disappointed that he was hitting .246/.332/.420 at the time of the trade? Surely. They knew he could do more than that and had seen him do more than that in the past. But look at the reaction to the trade from fans on the internet. At the time, it was probably at least 70-30 against the deal because the fans didn't want to give up a talent like Rasmus. I'm guilty of it as well and I'm glad the deal brought a World Series to St. Louis, because otherwise the feellings toward Mozeliak right now might be a little different. Secondly, ripping the St. Louis media as tough might be the first time anyone's ever done that. We've got great media people in St. Louis. Derrick Goold, Bernie Miklasz, Matthew Leach was here then, all of those guys are quality reporters. This isn't New York or Boston or Philadelphia, where some papers seem to take an inordinate joy in tearing players down or berating them or exploiting whatever weakness they have. If he thought St. Louis media was tough, how in the world did he even survive road trips to New York? His "young little puppy" remarks also could come across (depending on the perspective you bring to the discussion) as clueless as well. Rasmus's contention is that he had too many people telling him what to do and how to do it. The flip side of that could be that getting advice from players and coaches is kinda part of the gig. It depends on how it was given, of course. Rasmus may have thought he was being browbeaten while other players were just trying to get him to unlock his talents. Finally, I took a bit of offense to the question about him getting a ring. "I'll believe it when I see it." The organization has said you are getting a ring, Colby. You even admit that in the preceding sentence. If you are trying to imply that this organization is classless enough not to give you a ring when 1) you earned it (at least by manner of being on the squad last year) and 2) they have already confirmed it, that's pretty weak. What you do with the ring is your own business (wouldn't be surprised to see that on the market at some time or another) but you'll have one. I forgot to start this yesterday, but it's time to being revealing how Cardinal Nation feels about the players, the media, and other assorted people related to the Redbirds. We'll do one in each category a day and hopefully mix in some thoughts left on the form earlier in the month. Today's player is Lance Berkman. This is the first time Berkman's been on the form, as there wasn't really any point in asking about him before he'd played a game in Cardinal red. So, would the #LBFanClub come out in force? For a guy that was Comeback Player of the Year, has a remarkably personable public persona and kept the Cardinals from elimination in Game 6, I kinda thought the results would be higher. Still, an 88.6% mark isn't anything to sneeze at. One commentor stated that "Lance deserves every mark of positive kudos" and another said, simply, "Puma can flat out rake." Berkman notched five 100s and his low was a solitary 50 (about 20 points lower than his next-lowest). On the media side, we look at our friend Derrick Goold from the Post-Dispatch. Derrick brought home a 87.8% mark last year and is generally well-regarded, which is why I was surprised when this year's had dipped to 82.8%. There was even one ranking of 0, which really surprised me. I'm not sure if they were registering no opinion or if Mr. Goold had really twerked them off somehow, but I had to count it. Derrick did garner two perfect scores, however. Finally, in the assorted category, we look at club owner Bill DeWitt. DeWitt's numbers have bounced around from a high of 83 before the '10 season to a low of 71 before last season. How would the numbers look this year? Would people blame him for a certain icon walking or applaud him for holding a stern line? Would he get credit for bringing in a top bat off the free agent market? Well, while he doesn't hit his past highs, Mr. DeWitt does move up to 79.8% this year, a large jump from his last mark. One person commented that DeWitt and Mozeliak are "keeping a viable team, despite the economy and personnel challenges" and another says they are "making some great moves." DeWitt received two 100s and one 30 for his low mark. Tomorrow we'll do another set of three and see how they turn out!  Keeping You Informed: Play Ball! The St. Louis CardinalsPosted on February 27, 2012 at 3:57 PM
I mentioned in a post earlier in the month that the Cardinals were putting some of their Hall of Fame exhibits on the road, and the first stop was the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. As it happens, LR is just an hour's drive from here, so I'm hoping to go in a couple of weekends to check out the memorabilia and the displays. Should be an incredible thing! Looks like the opening will be very special as well..... William J. Clinton Presidential Center's Newest Exhibit, "Play Ball! The St. Louis Cardinals,"
Opens Saturday, March 3 Special Grand Opening Reception to Feature Hall of Famer Lou Brock LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Feb. 27, 2012) -- The William J. Clinton Presidential Center opens its newest
temporary exhibit, "Play Ball! The St. Louis Cardinals," a celebration of America's pastime, on Saturday,
March 3, 2012. This one-of-a-kind exhibit will include decades of memorabilia from one of the country's
most beloved sports franchises, the St. Louis Cardinals. Featuring more than 100 historic artifacts about
the Cardinals, the exhibit will also include the actual World Series trophies from 2006 and 2011, World
Series rings, and Stan Musials' newly-conserved uniform. On Friday, March 2, the Clinton Center welcomes Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Cardinals
legend, and Arkansas native Lou Brock as the exhibit grand opening featured speaker. "I'm proud to welcome my friend Lou Brock back to Arkansas, and I'm honored that he is opening the
latest exhibit at the Clinton Presidential Center," said President Bill Clinton. "His accomplishments on the
field are both historic and legendary and are surpassed only by his ongoing efforts as one of baseball's
greatest ambassadors." Lou Brock is the National League's all-time leader with 938 stolen bases, including a National League
record 118 thefts in 1974. In 1978, the National League announced that its annual stolen base leader
would receive the Lou Brock Award, making Brock the first active player to have an award named after
him. He established an MLB record with 12 seasons of 50 or more steals, led the league in steals eight
times and was the first player to steal at least 50 bases and hit 20 homers in a season. His 3,023 career
hits rank 23rd on the all-time list. Lou also holds the World Series highest batting average record at .391
in 21 or more World Series games, and is currently a spring training instructor for the 2012 Cardinals. He
batted .375 in six All-Star Games, and he batted more than .300 seven times throughout his career.
Brock's Major League Baseball career spanned nearly 20 years, the first three years with the Chicago
Cubs and the last 17 years with the St. Louis Cardinals. "We are honored to be part of this wonderful exhibit that celebrates both the storied history of the
Cardinals and our great American pastime," said William DeWitt III, President of the Cardinals. "Arkansas
has always been an important part of Cardinals Nation, so this is nice opportunity to give back to a
community that has given us so much." "Play Ball" features items on loan from the St. Louis Hall of Fame Museum and runs through September
16, 2012. "On the heels of a World Series victory, 'Play Ball' is a great opportunity to celebrate past victories as well
as look forward to the future," said Stephanie S. Streett, executive director of the William J. Clinton
Foundation. "Each year, we strive to bring a blockbuster exhibit to the Center that will appeal to everyone
in the family. Baseball has that universal appeal, and we are thrilled to bring both the exhibit and all
its exciting programming to our visitors." The grand opening program and reception are FREE; however, reservations are required. RSVP to 501-
748-0425 or by emailing operationslr@clintonfoundation.org. About the William J. Clinton Presidential Center The William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park, located on the banks of the Arkansas River in Little
Rock, Arkansas, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world to its grounds each
year.
Opened in 2004, the Center is home to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, the
University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and the Little Rock offices of the Clinton
Foundation.
For more information, visit www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org About the Clinton Foundation Building on a lifetime of public service, President Bill Clinton established the William J. Clinton Foundation
with the mission to improve global health, strengthen economies, promote healthier childhoods, and
protect the environment by fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs), and private citizens to turn good intentions into measurable results. Since 2001,
President Clinton's vision and leadership have resulted in more than 4 million people benefiting from
lifesaving HIV/AIDS treatment; more than 14,000 U.S. schools building healthier learning environments;
more than 26,000 micro-entrepreneurs, small business owners, and smallholder farmers improving their
livelihoods and communities; and more than 2 million tons of greenhouse gases cut or abated in some of
the world's largest cities. And President Clinton has redefined the way we think about giving and
philanthropy through his Clinton Global Initiative, whose members have made more than 2,100
commitments that are improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum The Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum (www.cardinals.com/museum) collection is the largest team-held
collection in Major League Baseball and is second only to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in terms of
size with over 16,000 memorabilia items and over 80,000 archival photographs. The St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals (www.cardinals.com) are one of the most storied franchises in all of baseball.
Since they joined the National League in 1892, the Cardinals have won over 9,300 games, 11 World
Series Championships and 18 N.L. Pennants, 3 N.L. Eastern Division Titles and 8 N.L. Central Division
Titles. Over 40 former Cardinals players and managers are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of
Fame.
Filed Under: St. Louis Cardinals
Leave a Comment
Keeping You Informed: Cardinal Single Game TicketsPosted on February 27, 2012 at 11:02 AM
As time continues to draw closer and closer to the baseball season, odds are you are going to want to get out to the ballpark. However, maybe you can't swing a full season ticket pack or maybe you are not a St. Louis area resident and can only make it to a couple of games. Well, it's time for you to look into getting those tickets! 2012 SINGLE-GAME TICKETS GO ON SALE THIS WEEK Prices for 30% of games start at just $5 ST. LOUIS, February 27, 2012 - The Cardinals announced today that individual tickets for the 2012 season will go on sale this Friday, March 2nd beginning at 10:00 A.M. Fans who wish to purchase tickets to three (3) or more games can take part in a special online-only "multi-game" on-sale beginning Wednesday, February 29th at 12-Noon. While ticket demand is expected to be high coming off the team's 11th World Championship, the Cardinals' approach to tickets is to continue to offer great values to fans in 2012. Throughout the season, the team will continue to offer "Dynamic Deals of the Week" highlighting outstanding ticket savings for fans, as well as a host of other fan-friendly values (www.cardinals.com/fanvalues ). "Our successful move to the new ticket system last season enabled us much more flexibility to provide better deals on a daily basis for our value-oriented fans," said Bill DeWitt III, President of the Cardinals. The Cardinals dynamic pricing system allows the team to more accurately price tickets for individual games to provide fans more pricing options. Over 80% of last year's games featured tickets priced lower than in 2010, with two-thirds of the games having tickets available for $10 or less. The multi-game presale and Friday on-sale are both available online at cardinals.com. In addition, tickets will be available for Friday's on-sale via phone at 314-345-9000 or in person at all Cardinals Clubhouse Stores and at the Busch Stadium Ticket Windows. Fan-Friendly Values 2012 Dynamic Pricing: Ticket prices fluctuate based on market value, meaning many games feature tickets as low as $5.
Great Promotional Giveaways: Premium items such as a Replica World Series Trophy, David Freese Bobblehead and Replica World Series Ring highlight a season of over 30 stadium giveaways and special promotions. Hunter Family Sundays: On most Sundays, fans who purchase RF/LF Pavilion and RF Terrace tickets will receive a free Hunter hot dog and Coca-Cola.
North Star Ice Cream Sundays: Two hours prior to each Sunday game, enjoy games, prizes and FREE frozen treats in the Ford Plaza.
Six Flags Double Play Combo: Get a Cardinals game ticket and a Six Flags ticket for only $55.
AAA Member Discounts: AAA members receive a $10 discount off select Monday-Thursday home game tickets. Fill Up at Phillips 66: Fill up with 10 gallons or more at a participating Phillips 66 to receive a special discount ticket offer for 2012 games.
KMOX 1120 First Pitch Tickets: At 9:00 a.m. on the day of each home game, fans may purchase a voucher good for two tickets for just $5.60 per ticket. Fans redeem their vouchers for actual tickets 15 minutes prior to game time. Tickets may be anywhere in the Stadium from Infield Field Box to Standing Room Only. Outside Food & Drinks at All Games: Fans may bring their own food and drinks into Busch Stadium for all 81 home games (some size and content restrictions apply). Promo Packs: Two different 5-game ticket packs, which feature discounted tickets to 2012's best promotional giveaway games. Group Value Nights: select games throughout the season where groups of 25 or more receive 50% off regular ticket prices. Cards Cash: Stored money built into the barcode of your ticket, good for use at any Busch Stadium concession stand, kiosk or Team Store. Fans can add $12 Cards Cash to a ticket for just $10. For more details, visit www.cardinals.com/fanvalues
Filed Under: St. Louis Cardinals
Leave a Comment
One More WeekPosted on February 27, 2012 at 7:00 AM
This is the final week without baseball games until late October. The season is really upon us, assuming we can wait out another seven days before some actual contests! Until we start seeing some results and have a better idea how to judge things, we are left with the profiles and other stories being brought to us by the talented cadre of writers covering the squad in Jupiter. For one, the fact that Tyler Greene is the preferred candidate at second base. I don't know that this is news, per se, as it's been pretty much accepted after some comments made by John Mozeliak in the offseason. However, it is interesting to see that so publicly proclaimed, something that I don't think would have been done under the former managerial administration. Tony La Russa was big in using competition as a driving force for players to be getting better. He didn't want to see anyone resting on their laurels, as indicated by the fact that he never named Jason Motte the starter. Mike Matheny is going a different route and time will tell if it's as productive as TLR's. I think in this case, having Greene fairly relaxed and less stressed out about winning and keeping playing time will only help him. It's also probably good for Greene to go into camp completely focused on second base instead of having to think about shortstop or the outfield. That singular focus should be beneficial as Greene tries to parlay his talent into results at the big league level. Which, like Bill and I talked about on last night's Gateway To Baseball Heaven, really makes Skip Schumaker an expensive luxury item. He's not going to get much time at second, as you'd think Daniel Descalso is above him on the depth chart there. He's not going to get a lot of time out in the outfield with the three main starters and then Allen Craig coming back sometime soon (more on that shortly). Where, exactly, is Schumaker going to play? He could be a pretty tolerable bat off the bench when all you need is a single, but is that worth a two-year, $3 million deal? I can understand rewarding him for his organizational loyalty, but that seemed a year too much even when it was done and it looks like even more so now that he's a man without a position. Speaking of Craig, he got onto the field for some workouts for the first time since his offseason knee surgery. Mozeliak and Matheny both are planning for Craig not to be ready on Opening Day, but it sounds like that is at least in the realm of possibility. Originally, it seemed like Craig might be out until May or later, but now it's possible he'll just miss a week or two, which means the new manager gets to start juggling four quality outfielders and a solid first baseman a little sooner than expected. How Matheny uses these guys and how often we see Craig on the field, especially getting into June and farther on, is one of those threads that we'll be keeping an eye on as the season progresses. Lots of other roster possibilities listed in that article as well. The suggestion is that with Greene at second, Alex Cora could make the squad to back up Rafael Furcal. While I guess that's possible, seems to be that Descalso played there well enough last year to handle short-term duties and you don't want Cora out there for anything but short-term duties. We'll have to wait and see, but I would think it would take a very strong spring for Cora to make this club. Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright will both throw live batting practice tomorrow, marking Carpenter's first time against hitters this spring. This is part of the scheduling that will keep Carpenter off the mound a little bit this spring, helping him rest up (as it were) from a big workload last year. There are only so many bullets in the tank and he used a lot of them in October, so it doesn't hurt to have him miss a start in spring training. Wainwright is ahead of schedule, partly because he got to work earlier this offseason than normal due to the injury. Wainwright sounds like he's feeling 100% and it's going to be difficult for the organization to throttle him, I think, unless he starts feeling some soreness or discomfort. If he's feeling like the 2009-2010 Wainwright, he's going to want to take the ball every time and go 7-8 innings. If he's not showing any ill effects, I'm not sure the club shouldn't let him. I'm not saying let him have 130 pitch outings, but I think you can start treating him less like he's coming off of injury and more like he's the staff ace. Of course, even though Wainwright is doing well, nobody is surprised at all that Carpenter will be the likely Opening Day starter. The opening start is as much about an honor as it is about who the best pitcher is, and there's no doubt Carp earned that honor with his postseason heroics (as well as his total work last year, of course). Carpenter better enjoy it, though, because it might be the last one he has now that Wainwright is healthy. Looking at the schedule, assuming it's not juggled because of off days and assuming Carp-Waino go one-two, that leaves Jaime Garcia for the home opener against the Cubs. Jordan Swagerty still has some elbow soreness. I don't know about you, but anytime you start hearing elbow problems in conjunction with a prospect, it gets me nervous. It's nice to know an MRI didn't show any problems, but it's still not a great thing to hear. Hopefully the inflammation will lessen soon and Swagerty can get back to the mound. Probably the most exciting news for the fan base isn't coming from between the white lines but from the people standing outside of them. This year's class of instructors has had a hometown flavor as a lot of former Cardinals are flocking to Jupiter. Of course, the biggest one of them all is the Gold Glover himself, Ozzie Smith. Ozzie's feud with Tony La Russa was legendary (and, to be honest, something that didn't cover my childhood hero with much glory) so it's not surprising that as soon as TLR skips town, Ozzie's back in uniform. No matter what the situation, it's a lot of fun to see Ozzie back in the red and I know the players are going to enjoy having him being an instructor as well. Between Ozzie, Willie McGee, and the expected visit by Whitey Herzog, it's almost like a 1980s flashback. No wonder Matheny is planning on running more! (Being that TLR is supposed to visit camp as well, I'd guess that Ozzie will either be gone by then or take a couple of days off while TLR is in town. It's a sad situation, but not one that looks to improve.) Last spring, we were all abuzz with Matt Carpenter and pushing for him to make the major league roster. This spring will likely be different after Carpenter got just a cup of coffee at the bigs and there's that other guy playing third base that had a passable October. Still, Carpenter is coming to camp to show off his new-found versatility in hopes of winning a bench slot. Something to watch this spring is how he's able to play at these new positions. If he can be a solid utility knife type of player, it could be good enough for him to win a seat on the bench in the bigs. All the positions he plays are full, but having someone that you can swap in during games can be a very nice option to have for the new manager. We've seen talk about Mitchell Boggs this spring adding his changeup, but it's interesting to note that he and Derek Lilliquist are doing some tinkering with his slider as well. Boggs would seem to have some motivation going into camp, as someone with options is likely going to start the year in Memphis, a qualification that he possesses. To start the year in St. Louis, he's going to need to have a good spring. I don't think it has to be great or dominating, but he can't afford too many hiccups if Eduardo Sanchez and Lance Lynn are rolling along. Playing Pepper is back for Week 2 today as we focus on the Chicago White Sox. Come back and check it out!
Filed Under: St. Louis Cardinals
Leave a Comment
Cardinals At Full StrengthPosted on February 24, 2012 at 7:02 AM
Today is the official reporting day for everyone that's not a pitcher or a catcher. Not that it's much of a big deal, since most everyone has already been in camp. Lance Berkman arrived yesterday afternoon, finishing out the complement.Well, OK, Eugenio Velez was also a guy that didn't show early and I assume he'll be there today. You have to wonder about a guy like that. I know he's not likely to make the squad at all, but you'd think that someone that went 0 for 37 in the bigs last year with a different organization would do his darndest to be early to camp to work on things and set positive thoughts in his manager's mind. While you can't fault a player for coming in on time, you can't give him credit for it either. Velez will need all the credits he can get to have a chance to be a factor in this team's plans, even at the minor league level. Berkman arrived in camp on the same day that Roy Oswalt announced that, while he's ready to go whenever someone needs him (and will meet his demands), he wasn't signing anywhere just yet. Berkman, of course, is a good friend of Oswalt's from their many days in the Houston organization and keeps in touch with his pal. Berkman said that the offer that the Cards had to him "wasn't enough to lure him out of Mississippi", which was not unexpected given the team had no pressing need for him. As you know, I've been a proponent of getting Oswalt in here for a long time, but no one can deny that this team has a solid rotation in place and the money and personnel costs to getting him in here would be daunting if they weren't at bargain-basement prices. Now, again, if someone gets hurt, then the Cards should be on his front door within the first hour. Right now, though, there's just no way to get him onto this team. As noted yesterday, Carlos Beltran has made it to camp and yesterday participated in his first Cardinal workout. As Jenifer Langosch notes, Beltran isn't coming in to be "the guy" on the team, which is so different than his time with the Mets. The biggest thing is that, right now, Beltran is healthy and feeling good. He proved last year that his bat is fine when he is, so that's something I'm really looking forward to seeing as games get underway. Today's Post-Dispatch profile is on Jaime Garcia, who is going to be under some scrutiny this year. Like the article says, he can be dominant or he can go off the rails and you never know when the latter is coming. I think it's telling that some members of the rotation, such as Adam Wainwright, are saying the same thing. Garcia recognizes it as well, knowing that he has to be more than a six-inning (or less) pitcher on a regular basis, being able to consistently get people out with his strong stuff. "I've got to know my strengths and stick to them," he says. Which makes you wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, a change in pitching coaches might spark something with Garcia. Obviously Dave Duncan was a master and I have no doubt that he's helped Garcia along the way as well. Even if Derek Lilliquist tells him the same things that Duncan did, though, perhaps coming from a different voice and in a different way will stick with Garcia. We saw so often what Garcia could do when he's "on". If he can be "on" a majority of this season, coupled with a healthy and effective Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, this team is going to be awfully, awfully tough. Yesterday also marked another twist in the roller-coaster that is the Yadier Molina negotiations. Molina's team and the Cardinals, who had broken off talks before, got back together yesterday. According to Derrick Goold, the recent discussions have gotten some momentum going for a deal. It could be as simple as John Mozeliak saying, "Oh, I thought we had some more time. You want to shut talks down after spring training? Guess I don't have as much time as I thought." It is one of the few pieces of positive Molina news that has come out lately. We'll have to wait and see whether this coaster takes another turn or we're finally in the home stretch and Molina reups with the club. I forgot to add in the Mike Matheny Quote of the Day yesterday, which apparently was a really missed opportunity now that Matheny isn't going to make them public anymore. You can't argue with his reasoning, saying that he wanted it to be more personal for the players and he wasn't doing it for the media attention. Still, I was enjoying reading the quotes and seeing what was important for the skipper to use to inspire his club. I'm sure a more creative blog than mine would come up with a fake MMQOTD every day during the season, but that's more than I can handle, I think. Over at Future Redbirds, I'd seen someone ask if the Fox Sports Midwest-UVerse dispute had been settled for this year. I reached out to my FSM contact and thought I was going to have some news for you, but of course Dan Caesar went and rained on my parade. Short version is, no, they haven't come to an agreement and the same 20-game blackout problem that was around last year is still in place. You can read my initial post on the matter here. I'll see if I can get the list of games that will be missed, but most likely you'll see it on a major media outlet before I have it! Last day for the Cardinal Approval Ratings, so if you've not done it yet, please click the link and take a couple of minutes to fill it out. I wish we had a bigger pool of participants, but unless there is a surge today, we'll be a smaller group than last year. Still, I look forward to bringing you some of the thoughts of Cardinal Nation starting next week! Also, check out this book, written by a Cardinal fan in Connecticut about what goes on when you go to a ballgame. You can see most of it for free there, but it's also available at Amazon as well. It's a great little story to read to your little ones as well as let them know what goes on at the ballpark, which can be a great tool if you aren't someone that lives in St. Louis and goes to games regularly. We end the week of Playing Pepper with those hated Cubs later today, so be sure to check that out!  Filed Under: St. Louis Cardinals
Leave a Comment
New Bird In CampPosted on February 23, 2012 at 7:01 AM
While he didn't make it to the actual workout yesterday, Carlos Beltran is now in Cardinals camp. I'm not sure we ever thought we'd say those words! It's like inviting the fox to hang out in the henhouse. The Cardinal killer has now flipped sides and hopefully he can do damage against everyone else. Hey, maybe he knows the secret to Bud Norris as well!As far as I can tell, the only prominent name not in camp yet is Lance Berkman. (I've not heard much about Daniel Descalso, but I couldn't swear he wasn't there.) You have to figure at Berkman's (baseball) age, he knows that he'll need that energy later on, that he doesn't want to burn himself out in spring training. I also say baseball age because, inconceivably, Berkman is six months younger than I am. I will now go and meditate on exactly when I got so old. There's been a lot of discussion this offseason and this spring about Tyler Greene. He's not quite a polarizing figure, but you can definitely find those that don't think he'll amount to anything and those that want to give him a chance to find out. If Jenifer Langosch's story is any indication, Greene may have finally had things click for him. The biggest knock on Greene from the fan base has been that he needs to relax, that he apparently gets too worked up on the big stage. Greene acknowledged that has been a problem in the past, but he says after his last minor league stint, he was able to figure that out. He also said that Tony La Russa's style of riding the hot hand created some pressure as well, pressure that won't be there this year. I've stated often that, if pressure was the biggest problem for Greene, he's in line to have a pretty good year this year. La Russa's gone, and no matter your opinions of him, it's not disputed that he was intense. We've seen that personality clash in more explosive ways in the past few years, particularly with J.D. Drew and Colby Rasmus, so I can imagine that would weigh on an inexperienced player. Mike Matheny by himself would probably ease the tension for Greene, but factor in that his Memphis manager, Chris Maloney, is now on staff as well, and you have to figure the situation is as good as it gets for Greene. Of course, that also means that Greene is out of excuses. If he gets playing time and he doesn't contribute, we'll know that perhaps the clubhouse was a bit exaggerated in why he wasn't producing on the major league level. Jon Doble has pointed out that Greene really didn't start hitting in the minors until the last couple of years, when he was old for AAA. That's definitely something to keep in mind. Greene could be important because Matheny is going to emphasize the running game more this season. That starts in spring training, with special instructors Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee. Those guys knew a little about swiping a bag. I don't think we'll see a return to the Running Redbirds, but at least with more movement on the basepaths, the Cards aren't likely to break their record for double plays. Now, whether they'll be more productive as an offense, time will tell. Mitchell Boggs is bringing back the changeup. The bullpen is pretty full and Boggs is one of those that could be returning to Memphis to start the season, but adding another weapon to his arsenal gives him a better-than-fighting chance to stay in St. Louis. He's not been using it since he moved to the 'pen and he's been pretty effective, so having this at his disposal should make a strong bulllpen even stronger. The Cardinals could really shorten some games this year if all the relievers pitch like we think they will. Looks like former Cardinal shortstop Edgar Renteria is likely to retire. I remember Renteria's time with the Cardinals fondly and kept an eye on him as he bounced around the league. Pretty solid career, winning World Series MVP twice and playing in three of them. It'll be interesting to see what, if any, team he associates with in his retirement. His six years in St. Louis was the longest he stayed in any one place, doubling Florida (his second-longest). Finally, I don't expect to talk about Albert Pujols much in this space anymore, but being that the latest flap has something to do with St. Louis, I thought a brief comment was in order. I'm glad that Pujols is staying consistent with his "Don't Call Me El Hombre" stance that he had while here, intending to honor Stan Musial. I admit, originally I had a similar idea to this, thinking it was a nice riff off "The Man", but I appreciate where Pujols is coming from. However, I just wanted to point out something. The Angels apparently didn't know about this (which, really? A quick Google search would have likely brought up when that was a topic surrounding him) and, more to the point, don't care. The club is saying that it's not a major portion of their advertising campaign, but they aren't showing any indication of taking down the billboards. Which, why should they? Albert's locked into 20 years out there. What's he going to do about it? In St. Louis, all he'd had to do was offhandedly mention something and it'd been taken care of, either by the team or the fan base. The difference between being an icon and a hired gun, I guess. Maybe in a few years it'll be different, but right now, he's just another player to them. Boston Red Sox are the Playing Pepper team today, so come back and check that out later this morning! EDIT: Forgot to drop the link for the approval ratings again. I'm hoping to start publishing them next week, so if you haven't voted, please do so! A little over 40 have so far--we had 65 last year. The more, the better!  Filed Under: St. Louis Cardinals
Leave a Comment
Reversal About FortunePosted on February 22, 2012 at 7:11 AM
The World Series MVP walked into camp yesterday. But that wasn't the top story.The new third-place hitter walked into camp yesterday. But that wasn't the top story. No, yet again the Yadier Molina contract saga took the top slot. After saying that he was willing to negotiate throughout the season, giving the blogging class something to discuss for a few days vis-a-vis the Albert Pujols situation of last year, Yadi know has decided, "You know what? Maybe that isn't the best of ideas." So again, we have a looming deadline over a player that hasn't played anywhere else. Molina's at least leaving the window open until the first game, unlike his predecessor, but with talks stalled and nothing imminent, it looks exceedingly likely that Molina will hit the free agent market. Yesterday's roundtable hasn't yet been posted (you are reading the roundtables, right?) but it dealt with what was in the system should the Cardinals need to replace Molina. That question brings a little more urgency with this most recent news and the most monitored situation in the minors this coming year might not be Shelby Miller but rather what the backups in the system are producing. As mentioned above, David Freese and Matt Holliday did make it into camp. (No word if they got a squash game going after workouts.) Freese says he's ready to go, but it's got to be an extra challenge this year. After spending a whirlwind few months as the new hot celebrity, as it were, Freese has to get back to focusing on the game. I'm not saying that's he is going to be Rick Vaughn in Major League II or anything, just that he may have a bit more trouble getting his focus on the field. Most likely, though, once he gets into his baseball routine, he'll be fine. Though expect him to continue to remind his teammates he hung out with Erin Andrews this offseason. The first minor injuries of camp have occurred as Lance Lynn and Jordan Swagerty are day to day. Lynn really doesn't sound like it's a big deal at all and he should be back out there in a day or so. Swagerty's is his elbow, and while the club just thinks it's some inflammation, those kind of injuries raise a bit more of a caution flag. Hopefully it is nothing too severe as well. Adam Wainwright threw again and this time, teammates gathered to watch. You have to know that the position players that hadn't seen him go yet were anxious to see what kind of stuff he has returning from surgery. Skip Schumaker and Holliday even stood in against him, which hopefully made them appreciate more the fact that they don't have to do it regularly! Willie McGee is heading down to Florida as well, though as an instructor, not trying to beat Schumaker out of his roster slot. (You know you were thinking it too.) The article doesn't say if that's been a regular occurrence for him or if this is another indication of how things have changed with the new guy at the top. I know Willie and Ozzie Smith are good friends and we all know what Ozzie's position has been, so I was curious. If anyone knows, please feel free to leave it in the comments. This time of year is a great time for people to put out prospect lists. Our friends at Future Redbirds have a link to Baseball America's list, which has six future Cardinals in their top 100. When you'd figure an average club would have about 3, that's not bad at all. It's nice to see some recognition for the farm system after years of it being ranked near the bottom. If you'd like a more team-specific ones, the good people over at Seedlings To Stars have their look at the Cardinal system up. They don't rank the club quite as high as others that I've heard, but they still recognize that it's a strong system. Head over there and revel in all of these names that could have an impact on the Cards in the next few years. Finally, Derrick Goold is keeping up with the Mike Matheny quotes. Yesterday's went back a bit....to ancient Greece. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.--Aristotle That applies to everything, of course, not just baseball. As Lent begins today with Ash Wednesday, it can be taken to heart in how you live your personal life as well. Plus, apparently, I need to blog more often so I can have some excellence in this spot without resorting to a guest blogger that makes me look bad! Today's Playing Pepper will focus on the Baltimore Orioles, those long-distance cousins of the Cardinals. Come back later and check it out!  Filed Under: St. Louis Cardinals
Leave a Comment
Pujols and TLR Gone, but Winter Warm-Up Core Remains...Posted on February 21, 2012 at 2:03 PM
By Kevin Reynolds As I entered the Hyatt, all-together too early but much too excited to stay away any longer, the first signs of Winter Warm-Up were immediately apparent. Cardinal fans stood in the lobby at least an hour before the first scheduled signing of the day. A multitude of placards and posters directed traffic through the plush maze of the hotel's imposing structure. And a small army of white-shirted volunteers manned booths, worked desks, managed autograph lines...and even spared a moment to talk with those of us with a bit of time to kill. The Winter Warm-Up is many things to many people. Fans see it as a chance to finally score that hard-to-get autograph. Collectors think of it as a unique opportunity to take advantage of deeply-discounted memorabilia. And the media views it as an offseason harvest of player access and team news - grueling but fruitful. But at its core, the event is an extravagant fundraiser for the Cardinals' community foundation known as Cardinals Care. "Our mission is caring for kids," said Executive Director of Cardinals Care and Vice President of Community Relations, Michael Hall. "We support our youth baseball development program called Redbird Rookies, and we give cash grants to other non-profit organizations that support kids within the metropolitan area." According to Hall, Cardinals Care awards nearly 300 grants per year, most between $1,000 and $3,000 each. Recipients routinely include national organizations like the March of Dimes or Autism Speaks, but the foundation also benefits a number of schools in the area as well. "A lot of schools need smart boards," said Hall, "or maybe some equipment in the computer lab. A lot of elementary schools will update some of their playground equipment, equipment for their gym, or things of that nature." For Hall, watching Cardinals Care invest in the local community and directly affect people in need is "very rewarding." He has the air of a man who believes in his work and the integrity of his employer. He speaks easily and openly about the mission of Cardinals Care and its efforts to improve the community around it. But while his role in the organization clearly excites him, it's another subject that finally broke the cool countenance of the charity's head man. "My volunteers are what help us grow," he said with a toothy grin, "and help us do what we do. They're part of Cardinal Nation. They're Cardinal fans and their hearts are in the right place. They want to do good."
* * * * *
Peggy Phillips sits comfortably in a couch outside the three media rooms positioned side-by-side - one labeled "Print Media," one labeled "Overflow Media," and a third designated as the interview room.
"At least this year they have couches!" she said with a grin. "Last year, these weren't here." Peggy's assigned area is separated from the constant flow of fans and autograph hounds by a simple, carefully positioned curtain. Attendees pouring out of the fourth floor elevators - their arms loaded with bats, balls, and all sorts of baseball memorabilia - are anxiously unaware that just a few feet away, the very players they've paid hundreds of dollars to meet are comfortably chatting, one-by-one, with journalists, TV personalities, and other media types. Occasionally, one of these fans inadvertently wanders through the curtain, a bewildered look on his face, lost and disoriented. He is quickly met by Peggy. "Can I help you," she politely asks, planting her diminutive frame squarely between the large man in a Cardinals jersey, his head and shoulders easily towering above her. "I'm just looking for the Clubhouse presentations," he says. He shifts his feet to his left, attempting to subtly side-step the volunteer obstacle in front of him. Peggy casually matches his step, refusing to give an inch. "That's back through the curtain and down the hall," she says, pointing behind the man. "Oh," he says. He side-steps to his right. "I thought it was back here." Peggy cuts him off. No ground lost. "No, I'm sorry," she says, pointing again, "It's back through the curtain. I'm sure one of the volunteers outside can help you." The man looks down, perhaps finally noticing the presence of the insistent woman blocking his path. He thinks silently for a moment before finally turning and walking back through the thin veil. Peggy returns to her couch and smiles. Her pride in what takes place here is evident. This is a labor of love, this dedicated weekend of service for children who might benefit from the funds generated from ticket sales, autographs, and much more. "I believe in the cause," she said, "They build fields in places where kids don't know what it's like to have a really cool ball field. I went to Yadi's new field last year...it was awesome!" The field Peggy mentioned is Yadier Molina Field, a six figure, state-of-the-art investment that includes a solar powered scoreboard. It was built through the Redbird Rookies program of Cardinals Care and sits on the site of a former parking lot in Wellston, MO. According to Wikipedia, "Wellston is one of the 10 poorest cities in Missouri" with 59.2% of families and 68.1% of the population below the poverty line. "To see the neighborhood where this ball field was built," said Phillips, "And to see the people that were there and to see the money that was put into this...it's heart-warming." It's opportunities like that - getting the chance to see Cardinals Care in action - that really hooks volunteers like Peggy for good. "It's not like somebody's benefitting from this," she said, referring to fundraisers like the Winter Warm-Up. "Watching the money go back [into the community], it's all a humanitarian kind of thing, and that excites me." Of course, that's not all that excites her. As Hall pointed out, Peggy is not only a volunteer for a charity fundraiser - she's also a Cardinal fan. "You know, a couple of years ago, Yadi came and gave me a hug while I was standing here," she said, winking at me with an impish grin. "That's definitely a perk." Because of her longevity, Peggy also enjoys a few additional perks that go above and beyond the occasional player encounter. "Because I've been here all this time," she explained, "I'm considered a Team Captain. The Team Captains get to choose a player...who I want to sit with and which hour." Most players are scheduled to sign for approximately two hours, although many go beyond the allotted time to make sure every fan gets an autograph. This year, Peggy chose the first hour of new Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny's session. "I sat with him in 2001, when he was a player," she said. "He's really cool. He's just a gentleman - very personable - and the fans love him. You like to sit with that kind of player because of the reaction, the energy, the interaction..." She paused again, sliding up to stand beside me with a mischievous look on her face. "And, you know...rubbing elbows with them." Across the expanse of the event's main floor, Patty Wood echoed that sentiment. "This is something we can do to be part of that," said Wood. "To be part of Cardinal Nation." For volunteers like herself, the Winter Warm-Up provides an opportunity for members of Cardinal Nation to come together, to get to know each other, and perhaps the chance to meet a player or two. "We all have that common bond that we're huge Cardinal fans," Patty said. "[It is] kind of a sense of family - extended family, not 'exchange Christmas cards' family - but you do run into people at the ball park and say, 'Hey! We worked together at Winter Warm-Up.' You may not remember their name, but you remember you stood next to them for three days." Like Peggy, Patty also sees multiple side benefits to volunteering at the event. One of them seems to be an informal education from what some may call the must-see Cardinals Symposium of the year. "Cardinal fans are very knowledgeable," Wood said, "and when you're here, you learn the ins and outs. If you're standing in that ballroom next to that stage, you're going to learn what Mozeliak's talking about, what Matheny's talking about...you're going to learn a lot of that stuff. "It's kind of a hobby for us." That 'hobby' has, in part, led scores of Winter Warm-Up volunteers to return year after year to work the annual event. Each season, fans come and go, players depart for bigger contracts and fun in the sun, and Hall of Fame managers ride off into the sunset with a World Series trophy nestled comfortably in each saddle bag - but the Winter Warm-Up volunteers remain. They work the lines, man the desks, and oil the works of a three-day fan-focused extravaganza. Their love, their loyalty - and, yes, their hearts of gold - form the core of Winter's most treasured Cardinals event. Much can be said about the valued volunteers of Cardinals Care, but perhaps Michael Hall's simple statement said it best. "Our volunteers are so special," he said, smiling from ear to ear, "and we're very fortunate to have them."
(Posted by a Guest Writer)
|
  Search
This blog was featured in the Best Sports Blogs of 2010 Book! • Pick up the limited print edition • Free Best Sports Blogs ebook United Cardinal Bloggers
FRIENDS OF THE UCB Download the iPhone or Android UCB app by clicking on the nice orange picture.
 And check out the UCB Network over at LockerDome!  Other Cardinal Blogs
Recommended Cardinal ForumOther Cardinal Sites
General Baseball Blogs/Sites
Find more sold out tickets
 HeroesMatt Holliday (5) Matt Carpenter (4) Rafael Furcal (4) Carlos Beltran (3) Jon Jay (3) Kyle Lohse (3) Lance Lynn (3) Yadier Molina (3) David Freese (2) Jaime Garcia (2) Adam Wainwright (2) Lance Berkman (1) Allen Craig (1) Shane Robinson (1) Fernando Salas (1) Jake Westbrook (1) 2011 Top Hero: Lance Berkman (24) 2010 Top Heroes: Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols (24) 2009 Top Hero: Albert Pujols (28) 2008 Top Hero: Albert Pujols (25) GoatsMatt Holliday (4) Carlos Beltran (3) David Freese (3) Jaime Garcia (3) Marc Rzepczynski (3) Adam Wainwright (3) Rafael Furcal (2) Tyler Greene (2) Jason Motte (2) J.C. Romero (2) Fernando Salas (2) Mitchell Boggs (1) Matt Carpenter (1) Tony Cruz (1) Daniel Descalso (1) Jon Jay (1) Erik Komatsu (1) Kyle Lohse (1) Victor Marte (1) Eduardo Sanchez (1) Jake Westbrook (1) 2011 Top Goat: Ryan Theriot (12) 2010 Top Goat: Brendan Ryan (14) 2009 Top Goats: Rick Ankiel and Todd Wellemeyer (13) 2008 Top Goat: Troy Glaus (13) 2012 Happy FlightsHappy Flights: 7 Happy Flight Opportunities: 12 Happy Flight %: 58% Through 5/20 Cardinal Nation Approval Ratings (March 2012)Adam Wainwright 91.9% (down 2.8%) Chris Carpenter 90.1% (up 3.2%) Lance Berkman 88.6% Tony La Russa 88.2% (up 17.4%) Yadier Molina 87.4% (up 3.7%) Matt Holliday 87.3% (down 3.8%) David Freese 85.5% John Mozeliak 85.4% (up 13.3%) Mike Shannon 85.3% (up 0.4%) Jose Oquendo 84.7% Derrick Goold 82.8% (down 5.0%) Mark McGwire 82.6% (up 20.1%) John Rooney 81.5% (down 2.8%) Mike Matheny 81.1% Bill DeWitt 79.8% (up 8.8%) United Cardinal Bloggers 78.9% Skip Schumaker 73.3% (up 9.2%) Jim Hayes 71.9% (down 4.2%) Jon Jay 71.1% B.J. Rains 69.5% (down 0.9%) Kyle Lohse 68.9% (up 13.8%) Dan McLaughlin 68.0% Joe Strauss 67.7% (up 10.2%) Ricky Horton 67.5% (down 1.6%) Al Hrabosky 66.4% (up 3.2%) Albert Pujols 54.9% (down 45.5%) Colby Rasmus 46.5% (down 35.3%) 2011 Dave Duncan 87.9% (up 0.9%) Matthew Leach 85.5% Pop Warner 76.7% Ryan Franklin 72.8% (up 3.1%) John Vuch 68.9% Jeff Luhnow 66.4% Dan Lozano 58.7% 2009 Rick Ankiel 83.9% Chris Duncan 69.1% Looking for St. Louis Cardinals Tickets? TicketCity is your source for New York Yankees Tickets and World Series Tickets. Looking for Cardinals tickets? Stop by OnlineSeats. We’ve got Blues seats and even Rams games. Go to the coasts as well and catch a Celtics game or get Dodgers tickets. Referrals |
