Thanksgiving, Cardinal Style

(First off, I want to acknowledge that Mike on the Cards got their CBA ballot up.  While it didn't change many things, it did break the Best Individual Blog tie in Fungoes favor.  I don't plan to edit the post save to change the chart because that one was starting to get wonky, but I wanted it noted for the record.)

Last year, I outlined what Cardinal fans should be thankful for as well as what some of those inside the game were appreciative of at this time of year.  Let's combine those two things this year.

A number of those topics from the first post of last year are gone this year.  Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen and Walt Jocketty are all in different organizations.  It'd be pushing it quite a bit (especially after his resounding win as Disappointing Player of the Year in the Cardinal Blogger Awards) to put Jason Isringhausen on the list this year.  I still believe that ownership, Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright, John Mozeliak and the internet still stay on the thankful list.  But what can we add this year?

Kyle Lohse: I was one of those that really wasn't excited about the Lohse signing.  It became necessary as pitchers dropped in spring training, but I figured he'd be servicable at best.  Instead, he helped carry this team into contention.  Without Lohse, there's a good chance the Cards are battling the Pirates most of the year instead of working their way to the top of the division.  Whether he'll be good enough going forward to earn his contract is debatable, but from a fan point of view, it's nice to see a guy come in cheap, do well, and then stick around instead of going out for the highest bidder.

Troy Glaus: This time last year, Glaus was a guy that wanted out of Toronto.  This year, he's one of the heroes of St. Louis.  Amazing what some natural grass can do, huh?  I really hated the fact that Scott Rolen was shipped out and to some degree I still do.  But Glaus eased that pain quite a bit this year, even turning in a defensive year that Rolen could be proud of.  I'm still always going to be a Rolen fan, but I'm thankful that Mozeliak was able to get such a return for him.

The rookie relief corps: How much fun was it to watch guys like Kyle McClellan, Chris Perez and Jason Motte this past season?  Anytime young, fresh faces come into a team and contribute right away, it gives the fans a lot of joy.  McClellan started out from the get-go, getting out of a tough situation in his first outing.  I still have that image of Molina waiting for him to give him a hug after that initial appearance.  Then later in the year we got to see the flamethrowers Perez and Motte make their impact.  They all had their struggles, sure, but that's part of watching baseball, seeing when these guys improve and become key parts of the team.

The blogosphere: You can easily say I'm biased, since I'm part of it, but I think Redbird fans should be grateful for the increase in Cardinal blogs floating around the internet now.  You can get so many different views, different ideas, different stories now, plus it gives you plenty of Cardinal and baseball fodder for reading, especially during the winter when there's less and less baseball to be found.  I hope that the ranks continue to swell in the coming years!

Now, what are other people thankful for?

Troy Glaus: That St. Louis doesn't have artificial turf.

Kyle Lohse: That the deal with the Mets fell through.

Albert Pujols: That enough voters ignored his 2006 comments.

Yadier Molina: That Gold Glove voters believe in make-up awards.

Adam Wainwright: That the finger is better and hopefully he's gotten his weird injury quota for his career filled.

Kyle McClellan: That the season is over so he can rest his arm!

John Mozeliak: That the agents appear to be returning his calls this year.  Even if it takes forever to get a deal done.

Aaron Miles: That LaRussa is still in St. Louis, so he can keep his job.

Anthony Reyes: That LaRussa is still in St. Louis and he's not.

Cesar Izturis: That Baltimore still is a little iffy in the management department.

I know that, again this year, I'm thankful for the readers of this blog and those Cardinal bloggers who have worked with me on UCB projects this year.  It gets boring talking to yourself, so it's nice to know people are listening.  Have a great Thanksgiving and I'll return Monday!


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