La Russa: No Closer? No Problem!

(Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)

Apparently Tony La Russa is going to continue not only batting the pitcher eighth but not naming a closer. As St Louis Post Dispatch columnist Derrick Goold writes, though, not naming one doesn't mean the team doesn't have one.

I mean, you can tell Jason Motte "you can't put closer on your resume" but when he's coming into close games in the ninth and trying to end it, he's pretty much the closer.  I'm sure the rationale is that if Motte falters, they can give Ryan Franklin or someone else the job and it won't matter because Motte never lost a job he didn't technically have.

Of course, the only way that line of reasoning works is if you rotate through your closers on a fairly regular basis regardless of results. If Motte works only ninth innings until he starts blowing games and then Franklin gets into the mix, I think it's safe to say Motte will feel like he lost the job, no matter what the skipper says.

Still, the fact that La Russa is using Motte in that situation is a positive step. With his reputation (earned or not), you'd expect Franklin to start getting the saves until he couldn't anymore.

Yesterday was a day off, so there wasn't much news out of Cardinal camp.  It was more than a day off, really; players weren't even supposed to show up at the ballpark. It's the last day of vacation until the day before Opening Day, when the team will be back in St. Louis. We're in the home stretch now!

The minor leaguers did play some yesterday, though. Goold has the Vuch Report up as well as discussions about Mark McCormick moving into a reliever role.  If yesterday is any indication, sounds like he's taking to it.

The Cardinals take on the Astros today with Joel Pineiro on the mound. The way Houston's spring is going, I'm not sure a good outing by Pineiro means a lot while a bad outing is fairly indicting. It is spring, however, and you never know what the weather or other factors are going to do to the game.

Remember UCB Radio Hour with Derrick Goold tonight at 9:30!

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