Bleacher Report - Articles by Mike West

Cardinals-Marlins: St. Louis Uses Bats in Florida

Mike West — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:59:14 -0400

Coming off one of the worst stretches of Cardinal baseball I’ve ever witnessed, the Redbirds came to my town in hopes of getting back on track against the Marlins. I was in attendance for all three games of the series.

Game one was a nail biter that ended badly, with a walk-off homer from Jeremy Hermida off of Jason Motte in the ninth. The Fish won 4-3. The loss was the fifth-straight for St. Louis. When would it end?

One of the first things I noticed in game two was a kid in a Marlins jersey a few rows in front of me with a sign that read, “Rockies swept the Cardinals. We Cantu.” It was obviously a play on Florida infielder Jorge Cantu’s name, but I couldn’t help but think getting swept again could quite possibly be in the Cards.

Thirteen Cardinal runs later, and my worries were over. A three-run blast from rookie Colby Rasmus in the first got the scoring started. The visiting team scored in six different innings, putting up “crooked numbers” in three frames.

I don’t know if fish have asses, but 13-4, come on. Florida got theirs beat. Here’s the box score.

Game three was a day game, and anybody who knows me knows there’s nothing I enjoy more than daytime drinking, especially when there’s a ball game to watch. Believe me, I had my fill. I needed it to cope with lame atmosphere that is Landshark Stadium. Seriously, I’ve seen more people at an American Legion game.

Todd Wellemeyer was on the hill for the Cards. He didn’t have his best stuff, but he managed to get through six innings, allowing five runs, including yielding a pair of homers to Ross Gload.

Albert Pujols hit his 19th home run in the sixth, but a three-run eighth inning put the Cardinals back on top, 6-5, and closer Ryan Franklin, and all of his chin hair, sealed the victory and the series for the good guys. Here are the numbers.

That’s two games in a row now that the Cards have scored six runs or more. You know what that means!

Seeing the offense come alive in this series was great. Rick Ankiel alone went 8-for-13. It would be nice if the team could start firing on all cylinders. It seems like no one really wants to take the lead in the NL Central. Surprisingly, the Cards are just a half game behind the division leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Next up, the Redbirds have an interleague series against the Indians in Cleveland. Joel Pineiro will start game one of the three-game set on Friday. Predictions? I say the Cards take two of three.

Fins and Feathers

Mike West — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:59:02 -0400

Each year, I look forward to a few dates on the baseball schedule. Topping everyone’s list is Opening Day, of course. Most fans would say Cubs and Cards at Busch ranks right up there too. Then, the other important dates vary from fan to fan.

Since moving to South Florida back in February of 2006, the circled dates on my calender include Valentine’s Day (the day pitchers and catchers report to Jupiter for spring training), and the lone Cardinal visit to Dolphins Landshark Stadium for a series against the Marlins.

Well guess what today is!? The Fish host the Redbirds in the first of three tonight. And to make it even more exciting, it looks like we could see a pitchers duel, with Chris Carpenter facing Josh Johnson.

Of course, I’ll be at all three games. There should be quite a few Cardinal fans in the stands. The seventeen people not wearing red will be Marlins fans. They might be tough to spot at first, but you’ll be able to pick them out at the start of the fifth inning, when they all get up and leave.

Check back tomorrow for a recap of tonight’s game, along with some of my drunken pictures. Go Cards!

Cards Sweep Cubs

Mike West — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:45:52 -0400

We’re going to need more brooms.

First, the Brewers swept the Cardinals in a three game series with their win on Sunday in St. Louis. Then the Cards did some sweeping of their own, taking all three games from the visiting Chicago Cubs.

And now, there’s a pile of broken glass somewhere under Big Mac Land at Busch, thanks to a first inning blast off the bat of Albert Pujols. Somebody’s got to clean that up.

Pujols’ home run was measured at 418 feet, and shattered the “I” in the illuminated Big Mac Land sign on the upper deck in left field.

Pujols knows there’s no “I” in team, and at least for now, there isn’t one in Big Mac Land, but there are three in starting pitching. Joel Pineiro, Chris Carpenter, and Adam Wainwright. Okay, that’s dumb.

But seriously, it’s been the starters who’ve gotten the Redbirds back on track. After Pineiro’s complete game shutout on Tuesday, Carpenter threw five scoreless innings in his first game off the disabled list to earn a win last night. Tonight, it was Wainright’s turn to keep the streak going.

Waino pitched brilliantly. He gave up just one run on five hits in eight-and-two-thirds innings, while striking out seven, against only one walk. Ryan Franklin picked up the one out save, his 11th of the season.

Colby Rasmus had a two out RBI in the third, and Brian Barden added a solo homer in the fourth. The final was 3-1. Here’s the complete box score.

The Cards improved to 24-17 overall, and 15-8 at home. Keep your brooms out. The Royals are coming to town.

Pineiro Is Masterful Against Cubs

Mike West — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:07:28 -0400

Cardinal starter Joel Pineiro isn’t the first guy that comes to mind when you think about a “stopper,” a guy that can pitch his team to a victory to end a losing streak. But, deep in the midst of their May skid and coming off a winless series against Milwaukee, the Cardinals handed the ball to Pineiro in hopes of putting an end to their losing ways.

Pineiro lost his last two starts, allowing a combined nine earned runs in 12 innings to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. So it’s understandable to not have much confidence in his ability to keep the Cubs from scoring, especially when you look at his career numbers against the them.

Although the Cardinals’ philosophy has always been pitch to contact, perhaps it’s being drilled into their pitchers’ heads more now after all the free passes they gave up in the Milwaukee series.

Pineiro executed the game plan perfectly by pitching efficiently, while using the defense behind him and letting the Chicago batters get themselves out.

After allowing a lead-off single to Alfonso Soriano to start the game, Pineiro scattered only two more hits on his way to a complete game shutout. He struck out five, including the final two batters, and walked none. After a double from Mike Fontenot in the fifth, Pineiro retired the next 13 in a row to close it out. The complete game took only 92 pitches and was over in a mere 125 minutes. Here’s the complete box score.

The win puts the Cardinals at 22-17, three games behind the red hot Brewers. Another Cubs loss in this series ensures they leave town behind the Redbirds in the standings.

Game two will highlight the return of Chris Carpenter, who has been on the DL and hasn’t pitched since April 14th. Interestingly, the Cardinals chose not to send him out on a rehab assignment. B.J. Rains has more on Carpenter.

Cards, Reds, and Skyline Chili

Mike West — Sun, 10 May 2009 19:08:19 -0400

Sure it’s the Cincinnati Reds, but the Cardinals couldn’t have drawn a tougher assignment. In a three game series, they had to face three of the better starting pitchers in the National League in Johnny Cueto, Aaron Harang, and Edinson Volquez. Not an easy task for any team, but the Redbirds gave it a shot, already missing their slugging third baseman Troy Glaus, and now short a power hitting outfielder in Rick Ankiel.

Coming into this series, St. Louis hoped to widen their lead over the rest of the NL Central. Instead, they leave Cincinnati with a record of 20-12, and a slim two-game lead over second place Milwaukee.

The Cards lost the first two games of the series, much in part to the lackluster performances from their starters, Joel Pineiro and Kyle Lohse. Although they escaped with an extra innings win today, the performance from their starter was far from impressive.

Adam Wainwright entered the game still trying to find his form from a year ago. He struggled through six innings this afternoon, allowing four runs on seven hits, two of which were home runs. Now with seven starts under his belt in ‘09, Wainwright has only collected two “quality starts”.

It took eight different pitchers, but the Cards edged the Reds in extra innings 8-7. Here’s the full recap and complete box score.

So far this season, the Cardinals have lucked out, not having to face many of the opposition’s best pitchers. I thought the Cincinnati series would be a good test for the club to finally see an ace (or three) to get a better understanding of how good the offense really is. Red’s pitchers owned the Cardinal hitters in the first two games, so maybe the jury is still out.

One thing is for sure, I still hate Cincinnati. Even though this weekend of bad baseball may have added to it, I already had some pretty good reasons.

For one, Dusty Baker. How can you not hate that guy? From the time his kid was running amok in San Francisco, to his time with the Cubs, Baker has done nothing but infuriate me.

What about Adam Dunn? He hasn’t been with the Reds in over a year, but in my mind his all or nothing approach at the plate, combined with his complete inability to play defense will always be associated with Cincinnati, adding to my hatred of that city.

And most recently, my own personal experience, from all the way down here in South Florida, put me over the top. It may not be directly related to baseball, but it fits in this case. Let me give you the prelude:

Last month, on my way home from a crazy night of St. Patrick’s Day partying, I stopped to get a bite to eat at Skyline Chili. I’ve never tried it, but have seen the commercials every time the Cards play the Reds, and have heard countless Cincinnati fans rave about the place. It’s even called the official chili of the Cincinnati Reds. Anyway, I got some crap to go, went home and ate, and thought it was one of the worst meals I’d ever eaten.

Then today, during the game, I see the stupid commercial again. I start to think that maybe my recollection of Skyline Chili was inaccurate. After all, the first time I was drunk out of my mind. Combine that with the fact that Skyline is only about 50 yards from my front door, and I’m convinced to give it another try. I hustled back with a pair of chili dogs, hoping I didn’t miss the entire inning. My god was that stuff terrible. Without hesitation I can say that the two worst meals I have ever eaten were provided by Skyline Chili.

Does that have anything to do with baseball? No. But damn Cincinnati, not only for beating the Cardinals two out of three games, but also for charging me money for a stomach ache. They’re still in business, so I guess people eat there, but I have no idea why. I promise you if anyone comes up to me and says they enjoy that place, I’m going to punch them in the face.

Anyway, back to baseball. The Cardinals enjoy a much needed day off tomorrow before heading to Pittsburgh for a three game series. The key for the Birds will be starting pitching. They’ll need a much better showing than they had this weekend if they want to stay atop the division.

Cards Win Series, Lose Shortstops

Mike West — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:37:12 -0400

The Cardinals traveled to Atlanta this week after winning five of their last six, hoping to stay atop the National League standings. Heading in, the club was 13-6, and led the league in several pitching and offensive categories.

Although the Cardinals defense has been suspect, leading the NL with 21 errors on the young season, one player enjoyed a highlight reel series.

Utility infielder Brendan Ryan spent his time in Atlanta making some of the season’s best defensive plays. He’s done it at both second base and shortstop.

The Cardinals’ starting shortstop, Khalil Greene, was scratched tonight’s lineup after experiencing some tightness in his throwing arm near the end of the game yesterday. While Ryan took his place in the lineup today, he was removed in the fifth inning with a hamstring injury. Matthew Leach has more on the story.

Taking two of three from the Braves leaves the Cards with the League’s best record at 15-7, and 3.5 games up on the competition.

Next, the Birds travel to Washington for a three game series against the 5-15 Nationals. Mitchell Boggs will get the start on the mound for the Cards. The question is, who will start at shortstop?

Ho Hum, Ho Hum….Cardinals Workmanlike in Win over Cubbies

Mike West — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 11:38:57 -0400

What started out as a well pitched and well played game, got a little sloppy towards the end of the game.

Adam Wainwright pitched 7 solid innings striking out 7 and giving up 3 runs, 2 were unearned. Ryan Dempster was able to baffle the Cardinals until the fifth inning when Joe Thurston doubled home Yadier Molina and Khalil Greene.

After advancing to third base on the throw home to get Greene, he was knocked in by a Skip Schumaker line drive to the outfield.

Wainwright kept the baby bears in check until the seventh. His defense behind him didn’t do him any favors, however. Skip Schumaker moved from second base to left field to take over the defensive liability known as Chris Duncan, and promptly dropped a shallow fly ball that my Steve Bartman could have caught (I bet the Cub fans, love that reference).

The mishap lead to the Cubs putting up three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. Classic Cards-Cubs baseball! Prince Albert singled in the eighth, and for the third night in a row, stole second base.

Putting “El Machine” in scoring position. Ryan Ludwick then singled up the middle scoring the reigning MVP, putting the Cardinals up 4-3.

That type of run manufacturing out of the middle of the lineup is what has gotten the Redbirds off to a white-hot 12-5 start. Kyle McClellan did his job in the eighth, and Ryan Franklin closed the door for his fifth consecutive save.

The Cubs and Cards go at it again today this afternoon at 3 o’clock at Busch Stadium. Mitchell Boggs faces off against Marshall.

And for all of you who care about the Rams…remember today is draft day and the blue and gold, under new coach Steve Spagnuolo and GM Billy Devaney look to start a new era in St. Louis.

Redbird fans, wish the Rams luck on draft day! After the past decade or so of drafts, lord knows they will need it! If you want check out my draft preview for the Rams.

http://nflmocks.com/2009/04/25/2009-nfl-draft-team-needs-st-louis-rams/

. Good luck and Go Cards!

Barton Traded to Atlanta

Mike West — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:14:09 -0400

Here’s a real tongue twister:

Brian Barton to Braves for Blaine Boyer to bolster bullpen.

That’s right. In somewhat of a surprise move today, the Cardinals traded outfielder Brian Barton to Atlanta for right-handed reliever Blaine Boyer.

During their most recent road trip, the Cards found themselves long on innings, but short on arms. The club shuffled pitchers on and off the 25 man roster to help eat some of those innings in games where the starters didn’t throw their share. The final game of the Chicago series was the perfect time for a rain out, and thanks to today’s off day, the overworked bullpen gets a much needed two day break.

The Cards’ latest addition will be activated and ready to pitch in the series opener against the Mets at Busch tomorrow. So who is this Boyer fellow?

A quick look at his stats doesn’t really get me excited to see him pitch. Before being designated for assignment by the Braves, he appeared in three games, pitching 1.1 innings, and allowing six runs on three hits. That’s good enough for a 40.50 ERA.

Well maybe he was good last season? No. Not really. Although he did have 76 appearances, he allowed more hits than innings pitched, converted just one of five save opportunities, and finished the year with an earned run average close to six.

A closer look reveals that Boyer hasn’t allowed fewer hits than innings pitched since High-A ball in 2004. Sounds bad.

On the other hand, however, Boyer’s Major League career WHIP of 1.44 is the same as Todd Wellemeyer’s, and isn’t much higher than that of Kyle Lohse (1.41). What about in comparison to other relievers? Well, he allows more baserunners than a Ryan Franklin, but strikes hitters out at a Russ Springer clip.

To get the 27-year-old righty, the Cards gave up a fan favorite in Barton. After being selected in the Rule 5 draft last year, Barton stuck with the big club all season, but failed to make the roster this time around.

Even though Barton is an intriguing player with a lot of potential, the Cardinals have a logjam of outfielders high in the system, and even more on the rise. I wouldn’t have minded seeing Brian back with the Birds in the future, but I’m glad he’s getting an opportunity with another club. What’s your take?

For more on the trade, check out the latest from Matthew Leach.

So, the Cards are back in St. Louis after going 3-3 on their two-city road trip. The three game series with New York starts with Wellemeyer facing Oliver Perez tomorrow night. Let’s hope for a strong debut for Boyer, but more importantly, a Cardinal win.

Carpenter Headed to DL

Mike West — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:32:26 -0400

The Cardinals former ace and 2005 Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter enjoyed an offseason that could almost be called “normal”. Cardinal fans were hoping for a strong return from the pitcher this year, but most were playing the safe bet that his health would keep him from taking the ball every fifth day.

After a very solid month of Grapefruit League play, Carpenter started to sway our opinions. What if he could continue his spring pace in the regular season? How good would the Cardinal rotation be?

On April 9, against Pittsburgh, Carp threw a one-hit gem through seven innings, striking out seven Pirates along the way. It took just one outing to forget about all the injuries and rehab of the last two seasons. Everyone was back on the Chris Carpenter bandwagon, hoping to ride it all the way to the playoffs.

Then in the middle of last night’s game, the damn wagon caught fire, the wheels fell off, and the road to October baseball shut down for construction. They’re saying a few weeks, but we know how accurate those timetables are.

Okay. Maybe it’s not that bad. Really, it could be a lot worse.

After getting through the first three innings unscathed on less than stellar stuff, Carpenter was pulled from the game with a strained left ribcage before throwing a pitch in the fourth. As he walked off the mound, you could feel the sinking hearts of Cardinal fans everywhere. No matter the outcome of the game, the Redbirds lost.

Although there hasn’t yet been an official announcement, it looks like Carpenter will head to the disabled list, Brad Thompson will be optioned to Triple-A Memphis, and Chris Perez and Mitchell Boggs will be promoted. Joe Strauss has more.

Jesse Sanchez has a full recap of last night’s game. One of the biggest head scratchers was Tony La Russa’s choice to pinch hit with Brendan Ryan over Ryan Ludwick with the bases loaded and the game on the line. Derrick Goold has his take over at Bird Land.

Joel Pineiro will be on the mound for the Cards this afternoon as they try to win their first series season. Jon Garland will pitch for the Diamondbacks.

Pujols Being Pujols

Mike West — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 11:56:07 -0400

It was just another day at the office for the best hitter in baseball, but for the fans in St. Louis, seeing Albert Pujols doing yard work and single handedly dismantling Roy Oswalt and the Astros was a real treat.

With a grand slam off Oswalt in the fifth, and another three-run shot off Wesley Wright in the seventh, Pujols collected 7 RBI on the way to an 11-2 Cardinal victory.

Albert didn’t particularly have a great spring, but he definitely has come out of the gate swinging to start the regular season. In 21 at-bats, he’s collected nine hits, including three home runs and a double. He’s scored six runs and driven in nine, walked five times against only one strikeout, and is slugging .905.

Pujols leads the team in hits, walks, total bases, runs, RBI, home runs, slugging percentage, and awesomeness.

It’s hard to describe just how incredible Albert is, and how fortunate we are to get to see him play everyday. Players like Pujols don’t come around very often, but yet we’ve grown accustom to his greatness, hold him to ridiculously high standards, and are no longer surprised by the things he does on the field.

Astros first baseman Lance Berkman isn’t surprised either.

“He’s the best hitter in the game, and he continues to do things like that that are amazing,” Berkman said. ”It really doesn’t surprise me. I don’t think anything he did would surprise me. If he homered in 10 straight at-bats, it wouldn’t surprise me. He’s that good.”

Joe Strauss has more on Albert’s game. And be sure to check out the latest from Bernie Miklasz. It’s a must read.

Pujols wasn’t the only player in yesterday’s contest. See what the rest of the team did in the complete box score.

Today, The Mang and the Cards go for the sweep. Kyle Lohse gets the start for the Redbirds, while lefty Wandy Rodriguez takes the ball for Houston. Wear your Sunday cap and get your brooms ready!

St. Lousi Cardinals: Welcome Back, Carp!

Mike West — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:02:35 -0400

Cardinal fans everywhere rejoice! A healthy Chris Carpenter took the mound for St. Louis in today’s series finale against Pittsburgh and looked a lot like the Cy Young Award-winning version we saw back in ‘05.

Before today, the last time Carpenter received a win was in Game Three of the 2006 World Series against Detroit. It’s been a long road back for the pitcher, and at least for today, we can all breath a sigh of relief.

If Carp can stay healthy the entire year, the season outlook is a lot brighter. He’s capable of pitching deep into games, giving the bullpen a rest, as well as stopping a losing skid.

As the leader of the staff, I think he also makes the rest of the rotation stronger. Keep your fingers crossed!

So, a little thing called “work” got in the way of me seeing today’s ball game, so I’ll point you elsewhere for a recap. But look at this line from our starter:

7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Nice!

Check out Matthew Leach’s latest for the full recap and some great quotes from the post-game. Also, Bryan Burwell’s article is a good read.

What’s next for the Birds? They’ll open up a three game series against Houston tomorrow night at Busch, with Joel Pineiro facing Mike Hampton.

Yes Mike Hampton.

And we thought Carpenter was injury prone. Hopefully Pineiro can continue to build on his strong spring and the Cards above .500 for the first time in ‘09.

Cardinals-Pirates: Todd Wellemeyer Struggles in Loss

Mike West — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:18:06 -0400

After my trip to St. Louis for another exciting (but disappointing) Opening Day, and being on an airplane during last night’s game, I was pretty excited to watch my first Cardinal telecast tonight. More on my trip in a minute.

The Cards were hoping to get a solid performance from tonight’s starter Todd Wellemeyer en route to a win over Pittsburgh, and at least, an opening series tie.

Instead, the Colonel was roughed up for five runs on 12 hits. He also walked a pair, and needed 93 pitches to get through five innings.

Even though he didn’t particularly have a good spring, I’m not yet concerned about Wellemeyer. After all, his 9.00 ERA is the same as National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.

Unfortunately for Cards fans, Brad Thompson’s relief appearance wasn’t a whole lot better. He served up a two-run homer to Nate McLouth in the sixth. As Dan and Al noted during the broadcast, Thompson seems to be giving up a lot more fly balls lately, which is pretty alarming for a sinkerballer.

At least Trever Miller and Ryan Franklin were able to keep the final two frames scoreless.

Not much can be said for the St. Louis offense either. They scattered seven hits in the contest, but also left seven men on base. 7-4 was the final score. Here’s the complete box score.

Something I did find interesting was Tony La Russa’s lineup, which had it’s third different third baseman in as many games. Tonight’s starter, hometown rookie David Freese picked up a pair of hits, including a double of the right field wall.

I look for him to get more starts than the other two (or three) candidates. Colby Rasmus got the start in left field and was in the leadoff spot.

Although he didn’t get a hit, it was nice to see him draw a couple of walks and give a few Matt Capps’ fastballs a ride. Chris Duncan was the outfielder on the pine, leaving Rick Ankiel as the only outfielder to start each game.

The series finale is tomorrow afternoon. Chris Carpenter gets the start for the Redbirds after skipping his previous turn in the rotation. The Pirates will counter with Ross Ohlendorf. Hopefully Carp can restore some sanity in Cardinal Nation with a win.

Finally, for those interested, my annual trip to the Lou for season opener was a blast. I did all the usual things: Drinks with friends at Fast Eddie’s on Sunday. Downtown outside of Al Hrabosky’s at 8:30 Monday morning for tailgating.

Skipped over to Paddy O’s for more beers a couple of hours before the game. Watched the caravan of Clydesdales and Fords from left field. And of course, saw a hell of a baseball game.

Afterwards is a bit fuzzy, but I know it included a lot more beers back at the bars. I’ll get a link to the pictures up as soon as I finish uploading them.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Final Cut

Mike West — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:38:41 -0400

After the Cardinals beat the Marlins 6-3 today in their final Grapefruit League game of the spring, the club optioned outfielder Joe Mather to Triple-A Memphis.

The remaining twenty-five players will be your 2009 Cardinals on Opening Day.

Surviving the cut and making the big league roster are top prospect Colby Rasmus, third base stand-in David Freese, and utility infielders Brendan Ryan, Joe Thurston, and Brian Barden.

I can’t remember a Cardinal team filled with so many versatile players.

Of the five outfielders (counting Skip Schumaker), four are capable of playing all three outfield positions, and of course Skip is the starting second baseman.

The three utility infielders should see time all over the diamond, as well as a few innings in the outfield.

With the way Tony La Russa likes to shuffle players around on his way to breaking his own record for different lineups in a season, we’ll need some much bigger scorecards if we’re going to try to keep up. I think the only question remaining is which non-pitcher is going to see an inning or two on the mound this season.

Although I think it’s possible to have too many soft hitting middle infielders on a ball club, I can’t disagree with the Mather cut. He’s had a poor spring, and could use some more regular at-bats to get his swing right.

Just like the last previously cut Chris Perez, we’re sure to see this one in St. Louis fairly soon.

For more on the Mather story, check out the latest from Rick Hummel.

Up next for the Cards is a two-game exhibition stop in Memphis, followed by an off day before the games officially count.

Chris Perez Is Memphis Bound

Mike West — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:46:59 -0400

Ask and you shall receive. Just yesterday I was pondering who might take the final seat in the right-handed section of the Cardinal bullpen. Today, I get my answer.

Looking to go with someone capable of pitching multiple innings, the brain trust decided to take swingman Brad Thompson to St. Louis over the young Chris Perez, who was optioned to AAA Memphis today.

Perez didn’t have a bad spring, but the time he missed with shoulder discomfort didn’t help his case. He’ll be closing out games for the Redbirds for the time being, although I think we’ll see him in Cardinal uniform sooner than later. Derrick Goold has more on the story.

I can’t say I’m surprised by the move, but I definitely would have like to see it go the other way. I haven’t been impressed with Thompson since he first arrived on the scene. Over the past couple of seasons, versatility might have been his only positive attribute.

Perez, on the other hand, is a guy I can get excited about. He throws hard, isn’t afraid to go right after the hitter, and has been closing games his entire career. Hopefully he can work on his command, gain more professional experience, and be back up with the big club in no time.

Now that the bullpen is set, it looks like there’s only one more roster spot still up for grabs. Maybe we’ll find out who that goes to tomorrow.

The Roster

Mike West — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:23:17 -0400

First and foremost, welcome to the new site. And don’t worry about missing out on any of the over-opinionated content that you’re used to reading at Mike on the Cards. The aptly named Redbird Rants will give you all that and more. I’ve teamed up with another blogger, David Frissell, to help give more ranting and raving about the Cardinals than you can probably stand. We hope you enjoy the new digs, and visit and comment often.

Now on to baseball. With just one week of Spring Training remaining, the Cardinals still have several questions concerning the makeup of their 25-man roster. As David pointed out last week, the starting rotation is about the only area of the ball club that’s set in stone. Who else breaks camp with the big club?

Let’s start with the infield. Of course Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina are entrenched at first and catcher. Newcomer Khalil Greene is the starting shortstop. The Skip Schumaker experiment is no longer that. He will be, at least, the semi-regular second baseman...which brings us to third base. With Troy Glaus’ recent rehab setback, the Cardinals are still looking for his fill-in. From the looks of things right now, David Freese seems to have the upper hand at the open hot corner.

I’ve got to agree with giving the job to Freese, although I think Brian Barden has been pretty impressive in his limited time. Hopefully Glaus won’t miss too much time, and we can enjoy his good glove and streaky bat by May. Now that Skip is an infielder, the surplus of outfielders has been whittled down to five. Tony La Russa should have a ball mixing and matching Rick Ankiel, Ryan Ludwick, Chris Duncan, Colby Rasmus, and Joe Mather into the lineup.

I think the case for Rasmus making the club depends on what you think of Duncan. I can understand the idea that Colby needs to play everyday, and if that means in Memphis, then so be it. Personally, I hope the kid gets the glut of the playing time because we all know that Dunc’s a liability out there.

The competition for the remaining bullpen spots continues. Certainly making the cut are the new lefties, Trevor Miller and Dennys Reyes. Ryan Franklin is a lock. Flamethrower Jason Motte has been impressive, although the staff is naming him the closer I assume Kyle McClellan makes the team after his 2008 campaign. That leaves Josh Kinney, Brad Thompson, and Chris Perez fighting for two spots. Kinney has had a good spring, Thompson is valuable as a swing man, and Perez has a live arm, although he missed some time recently.

In Rick Hummel’s latest article, he mentions Perez as the possible odd man out. I’d rather do without Thompson, but I can understand the case against Perez. Even if he’s sent down, we’re sure to see him with the big club sometime soon.

Finally, who makes up the bench? Well, we know the backup catcher is Jason LaRue, and two of the five outfielders will at least start the game on the pine. The Cardinals need to carry two reserve infielders, with the possibilities including Brendan Ryan, Joe Thurston, and Brian Barden.

I see Ryan and Thurston making the team, simply because of Major League experience.

So what’s your roster prediction?

That’s it for now. Bear with us as we fine tune the new site, and remember, feedback is appreciated.

The Staff: St. Louis Cardinals Pitchers Ready for Great 2009

Mike West — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:32:57 -0400

Opening day is approaching, and with all the question marks in the Cards’ lineup, there is one thing that seems to be for certain. It’s the starting rotation. For the first time in a long while, the birds have their designated rotation intact, and healthy.

The results so far this spring have most of Cardinal Nation excited about the first pitch on Monday April 6.

Spear-headed by the efforts of staff ace Chris Carpenter, all five starters have had successful springs. Carp has been unhittable with 19 IP, and has yet to give up an earned run.

Adam Wainwright has had the shakiest spring by far, yet he still has a 3-1 strikeout to walk ratio. Kyle Lohse has been outstanding putting up 11 strikeouts, and giving up only two walks.

Joel Pineiro seems to have put aside his differences with Oquendo stemming from the World Baseball Classic, and has been phenomenal this spring. His microscopic ERA of 1.29 has surprised many.

Rounding out the rotation is the Todd Wellemeyer. Wellemeyer, cracked the Card’s rotation last year and ended up with nearly 200 IP and 13 wins as the bird’s fifth starter.

The real key here is Carpenter. If the 6′6″ former Cy Young Award Winner can return to form after coming off of multiple surgeries, the rotation could be one of the best in the National League. When healthy Carpenter and Wainwright are as good a 1-2 punch that there is.

This kind of consistency is what it is going to take for the Cardinal’s to hang with the likes of the Cubs and the other elite teams in the National League.

As there may be questions in the outfield, infield, and bullpen, the starting rotation is the glue that can hold this team together. With Pujols and crew ready to put up some runs, it seems evident that the starters will give the team an opportunity to be in every game.

Adam Kennedy Punishes Cards

Mike West — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:59:39 -0500

Sure the games don’t count, but it’s baseball, and when the Cardinals lose, it sucks. We sat around all winter watching lesser sports, pondering the Redbirds next offseason move. The front office didn’t really do anything exciting, until the day they told second baseman Adam Kennedy to hit the road.

Today, Kennedy and his new team, the American League Champion Tampa Bay Devil Rays, were in Jupiter to face the Cardinals in early Grapefruit League play. The Cardinals lost the game 8-5, but the real knife in the ass was that Kennedy helped beat his former team with two hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Here’s the complete box score.

Alden Gonzalez has more on Kennedy, and his attempt to make the Rays roster. The latest from Matthew Leach reveals more from about Kennedy’s release from the Cardinals.

With today’s loss, the Cards have a record of 3-2-1 so far this spring. Tomorrow they’ll be in Port St. Lucie to face the Mets.

St. Louis Cardinals' Spring Opener

Mike West — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:25:50 -0500

Yesterday was the first Grapefruit League game of the spring for the Cardinals. Like I promised, here’s a short account of my day in Jupiter, along with a few pictures.

Many of you already know, but for my new readers, I’ve been living in South Florida for three years now. I live just about an hour south of Roger Dean Stadium, and this year is my fourth consecutive spring watching the Cards get ready for the season.

I left my place just before nine, remembering that traffic on 95 through Boca can sometimes be unpleasant. It wasn’t bad, so I rolled into Abacoa at 10. My first stop, of course, was the ticket window.

My plan to buy standing room tickets for eight bucks was thwarted when the lady told me that there were plenty of seats still available. I paid $25 apiece for tickets in section 204, so my beer money was already cut short. Since beer is my second favorite thing in the world, I wasn’t too pleased.

After having a few Bud Lights in the parking lot, I walked over to my favorite drinking establishment in Jupiter, JJ Muggs. I figured with my latest budget mishap, it made sense to have a handful of four dollar drafts before heading into the stadium for seven dollar bottles (eight with tip).

It turned out to be a great idea for a couple of reasons. First, making friends with some of the regulars earned me two free rounds. And second, the new bartender Katie is very easy on the eyes.

I finally made my way back across the street at 12:30 or so. I checked the lineups, bought a hot dog and a beer, and made my way to the seats. The hot dog was bad, but I was hungry. Of course the beer was good.

By game time I was really excited. I couldn’t wait to see Skip playing second base, Colby in left, and Mather at third. Obviously, seeing Pujols, Ankiel, and Ludwick taking their swings was going to be fun, too.

Unfortunately, no ground balls were hit to Schumaker. Derrick Goold has a nice story about that. I’m rooting for 55, and hope his transition is successful. I think it clears the way for Rasmus to make the team while keeping our leadoff hitter on the field.

The Cards had 14 hits in the contest, including two each from Schumaker, Rasmus, and Ankiel. Brian Barton was the least impressive, striking out in both of his plate appearances.

On the pitching side, Blake Hawksworth looked good. He threw 2.2 scoreless innings to start the game and had a pair of strikeouts.

Other than the 5-5 final score, it was a great game. I don’t mind the tie though, so I hope Bud Selig wasn’t watching. The last thing we need is for exhibition games to “count” too. Here’s the box score.

Afterwards, it was back to Muggs for some post game beers and more baseball talk. I had an awesome time, and can’t wait to go back. Don’t forget to check out the pictures.

Camp Tidbits

Mike West — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:04:50 -0500

With just one more day ahead of the Cardinals playing themselves, the club is anxious to get Grapefruit League games started. On Wednesday, the first Fins and Feathers game of the year will be played at Roger Dean Stadium, with St. Louis acting as the home team. Until then, here are the latest “stories” from Jupiter.

First, an update on the banged up Birds. Add Brendan Ryan to the list. He’ll miss at least the first two games with a sore right wrist. According to Derrick Goold, the injury keeps Ryan from swinging a bat, but doesn’t keep him out of defensive drills. He also mentions a freak injury to Todd Wellemeyer, although it wasn’t serious enough to keep him from participating.

Other guys still on the mend include David Freese (sore Achilles), Khalil Greene (shoulder stiffness), Mitchell Boggs (sore shoulder), and Matt Scherer (sore elbow). So far, Troy Glaus remains the only player expected to miss significant time, as he recovers from off season shoulder surgery. He’s expected to miss most, if not all of the regular season’s first month.

Competition for Glaus’ fill-in was expected to be mostly between Freese, Ryan, and Brian Barden. But as Matthew Leach reports, Cardinal outfielder Joe Mather is turning some heads with his transition to the hot corner.

With two players moving to the infield, coach Jose Oquendo really has his work cut out for him. Unfortunately for the pair, and for the Cardinals, the Secret Weapon will soon have to leave camp to manage the Puerto Rican team in the World Baseball Classic.

Speaking of the WBC, Cardinal All-Star Ryan Ludwick will not participate. Catcher Yadier Molina, and minor league pitcher Adam Ottavino will be the only Cardinals in the mix. Joe Strauss has the full story.

That’s it for now. And the countdown continues!

St. Louis Cardinals: Back in the Saddle

Mike West — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:03:50 -0500

That’s right. After a very long and busy winter, Mike is back on the Cards. Miss me? Thought so. Well, there’s no sense in dragging it out. Let’s dive right in.

It’s late February, and that means Spring Training. It means warm weather. It means green grass. It means the smell of leather, the crack of the bat, and the pop of the mitt. It means red jerseys and caps.

It means Cardinals baseball.

I made my first trip of the year up to Jupiter last Wednesday to catch the workout and get my fix. Winter is a tough time to be a baseball fan, and seeing the Cards finish fourth in the division after hanging in the race all last season made me even more anxious for the clean slate of 2009.

I’m always reminded of one of my favorite quotes from the great Rogers Hornsby.

“People ask me what I do all winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”

Needless to say, it was fun. Seeing all of my heroes back on the diamond really put me at ease. For the entire day, all the stress of the daily grind was nowhere to be found. I was watching baseball. I don’t know if the team is going to be better or worse than it was last season, but I don’t care. Baseball is back.

I got to watch Mike Matheny and the catchers doing drills. I got to see Albert Pujols, and the sluggers take batting practice. I saw Tony La Russa hit to Skip Schumaker and the infielders, Red Scheindest cruise around in his golf cart, and Larry Walker throw BP. The veterans, the rookies, and the newcomers. I saw them all. And to top it off, I nearly got run over by Gold Glover, Yadier Molina. It was a great day.

Of course I took several pictures. Find them here, as well as a new permalink in the left-hand sidebar.

Grapefruit League play opens up this Wednesday, with the Cardinals hosting the Marlins, and of course, I’ll be in attendance. As I’ve done for the last couple of years, I urge everyone come down to Florida to catch a game. It’s a blast.

So, you know the routine. Check back often, as I’ll get a new post up daily. As always, comments and feedback are welcome. Got a question about the team? Ask. Want me take pictures or video of a certain player at an upcoming game? Ask. Want to tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about? Say so. Want to chat about how bad the Cubs suck?

Awesome.

Forty-three days until Opening Day!

St. Louis Cardinals Blogger Awards for 2008

Mike West — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:36:26 -0500

It’s time for some awards. Daniel over at C70 at the Bat again put out the ballot to the United Cardinal Bloggers group. The final tallies should be up on his site in a day or two. Here were my picks:

1. Player of the Year

Albert Pujols

This was an easy choice. Albert puts up gaudy numbers with more consistency than anyone in baseball. He took home a handful of awards this season, including his second MVP. Ryan Ludwick had a lot to do with the Cardinals hanging in the race, but without The Mang, Ludwick isn’t even an All-Star.

2. Pitcher of the Year

Kyle Lohse

Of the three, Lohse was far and away the most valuable to the ball club. He led the team in wins and innings pitched, and posted a respectable 3.78 ERA. You have to figure that the horrendous Cardinal bullpen cost him some wins, too. Lohse is no Wainwright, but he was healthy all year, and earned his new contract.

3. Game of the Year

July 5, vs. Chicago

Maybe not for the right reasons, but without question, I picked the game against the Cubs in July. For the past three seasons, I’ve been living in Miami, Florida, some 1,200 miles away from my team.

I still manage to get to back to St. Louis for a few series each year, and the 4th of July weekend against the Cubbies was one of them. My brother and I didn’t have the best seats that day, but we got to drink lots of frosty beverages and see a heck of a come-from-behind win by the Cards.

4. Surprise Player of the Year

Skip Schumaker

While Ludwick might be the sexy pick, I went with Schumaker because before the season, I had doubts that he could be a serviceable full-time player. I’ve always been a fan of his, but I thought he’d be limited to a smaller role.

Filling the leadoff spot for much of the season, Skip was able to hit .302 and play great defense anywhere in the outfield.

5. Disappointing Player of the Year

Ryan Franklin

This one’s simple. After a nice ‘07, I expected Franklin to be a solid setup guy again this year. Instead, he sucked. Then when he was thrust into the closer’s role, he sucked worse. I remember so many times, when the game was on the line, wishing for any pitcher other than Franklin to come in. Duncan and Izzy at least had an injury excuse.

6. Cardinal Rookie of the Year

Kyle McClellan

I have to go with McClellan here. He was with the team all year. He was electric during the first half, and really fun to watch. I think fatigue got to him in the end, but I’m optimistic for his 2009 campaign.

7. New Cardinal of the Year

Troy Glaus

Glaus was almost my pick for Surprise Player of the Year because he far exceeded my expectations. Filling Scott Rolen’s shoes is no easy task, and Glaus made it look easy.

He was a streaky hitter, but when he’s hot he can carry a team. I certainly didn’t expect him to be such a good defensive third baseman, either, but I’m glad he’ll be around next year.

8. Most Anticipated Cardinal

Colby Rasmus

Rasmus is my choice here, not just because of his skill set, but because of his proximity to the majors. I get much more excited about a player that can make a serious impact now than I do about one that is still a year or so off. I got to see Colby play a lot in Spring Training, and I can’t wait to see him in St. Louis.

9. Best Individual Blog

Fungoes

When it comes to crunching numbers, Pip is king. You can regularly get great content there that appeals to both the average and SABR fan. And it’s never numbers for no reason, like I see on some other, non-Cardinal sites.

All of the information is there with a purpose. Keep up the great work!

10. Best Team Blog

Viva El Birdos

VEB is the most popular Cardinal blog around, and has been forever. I’d be surprised if the voting in this category isn’t unanimous. Although I miss reading Larry’s regular stuff, Dan hasn’t missed a beat.

The VEB community continues to grow, and it’s nice to talk Cardinal baseball with so many die-hard fans, especially now that I’m so damn far away.

11. Best Professional Blog

Bird Land

Derrick gets my vote. The others are good, but Leach’s posts aren’t frequent enough. Bernie is great, but you’ll often get stuff other than baseball. At Bird Land, it’s always new and fresh, and most importantly, always St. Louis Cardinals.

12. Best UCB Project

Roundtables

I had the most fun with the roundtable discussions. I guess it goes back to my need to interact with serious Cardinal fans. Maybe next year the UCB radio will be a hit, and I’ll vote for that!

13. Most Optimistic Blog

Tie

This one’s too close to call. I couldn’t decide. I’ll split my vote between C70 and Cardinal Nation Globe. Both blogs rarely rip on the team or players, and stayed pretty positive all the way down to the day the Redbirds were eliminated.

14. Funniest Blog

Cardinals Diaspora

While it’s easy to get a chuckle from all the Cardinal sites around the blogosphere, Cardinals Diaspora, especially Aaron, can make me laugh out loud daily. Since he started writing for InsideSTL.com also, it’s now one of the first sites I check on Mondays.

15. Best Blog Post/Series of the Year

Beer Vendor

Anyone who knows me, even remotely, knows that beer and baseball are my two favorite things. So, if you put up a post that has both, you win!

16. Rookie Blog of the Year

Pitchers Hit Eighth

You can’t go wrong with any of these choices. Pitchers Hit Eighth has great content, a very nice layout, and a really clever name. It’s a must read.

That’s it. Be sure to check out all the UCB sites for their picks. C70 has the links.

Looking Over the Winter Timetable As Free Agency Begins

Mike West — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:37:02 -0500

Today was the first day of this offseason’s free agent period, when players and their agents can officially speak numbers to interested teams. With the huge crop of attractive free agents this winter, it should turn out to be a fairly lengthy process, with plenty of hot stove rumors.

Sometimes it can get confusing, but knowing the deadlines is a good start when sorting through the mess. Now that the first date has arrived, let’s take a look at the schedule to come.

Dec. 1: Deadline for clubs to offer salary arbitration to their ranked free agents, and still receive compensation.
Dec. 7: Deadline for free agents to accept arbitration offer.
Dec. 8-11: Winter Meetings
Dec. 11: Rule 5 Draft
Jan. 5-15: Salary arbitration filing period
Jan. 19: Arbitration figures are exchanged
Feb. 1-21: Arbitration hearings
Feb. 14: Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training

A complete list of MLB important dates can be found here.

So while we’re all anxious to see some blockbuster trades and big-name free agent signings, we’ll have to be patient. Rick Hummel has a nice preview of what’s to come.

Ninety-one. Is it too early to start counting down the days?

Silver Sluggers

Mike West — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 23:12:06 -0500

The National League Silver Sluggers were announced today, and it was no surprise that the two Cardinal All-Stars were selected. The award, which is voted on by the league’s coaches and managers, is given to the best offensive performers at each position.

Albert Pujols put up a line of .357/.462/.653 to win his fourth Silver Slugger, adding to his already crowded trophy case. He’s also the leading candidate for the NL MVP award.

Ryan Ludwick’s line of .299/.375/.591 was good enough to garner his first Silver Slugger, joining Matt Holliday and Ryan Braun as the three most potent outfield bats in the league.

The Cardinal duo combined to hit 74 home runs and drive in 229 runs in 2008. Yet many, including manager Tony La Russa, believe that an “impact bat” is still a pressing need for the ball club.

Check out Derrick Goold’s Bird Land for more on the story, along with the complete list of this year’s winners.

The Offseason—St. Louis Cardinals Style

Mike West — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:04:01 -0500

The Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series less than two weeks ago, and yet it seems like we haven’t watched baseball in months. This is the time of year I have to suffer through the other professional sports, getting by on college football, and counting the days until pitchers and catchers report. I share this sentiment:

“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” - Rogers Hornsby

If you’re anything like me, you spend a ton of time each winter day scouring the internet for the latest baseball news, hoping your team made a splash in the free agent market, or landed a coveted player in trade. You spend a lot of time contemplating who’ll be invited to Spring Training, how the injured players are recovering, and how the roster might shape up.

Well Cardinal fans, I’ll be on top of it all winter, and will do my best to pass on all the information to you. You can count on the whole United Cardinal Bloggers gang, too. We started this baseball-less time with the roundtable discussions, and there’s plenty more stuff to come, including the second installment of the Cardinal Blogger Awards, and we’re kicking off a Blog Talk Radio show later this week. It should be a lot of fun.

So what’s been going on with the team? You’ve heard the old news: Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter had surgery. Jason LaRue will be back. Mark Mulder will not. Yadier Molina finally won his first Gold Glove, while Pujols added plenty to his trophy case. And of course, the Cards aren’t getting Jake Peavy.

What’s new? Well for starters, the potential trade for Colorado Rockies' outfielder Matt Holliday was a bust. Joe Strauss, of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, broke the story early Monday morning. Today we learned the Oakland A’s are close to a deal for the slugger.

I’ve got to say, while I was definitely excited about Holliday wearing the Birds on the Bat, I’m glad that Mozeliak didn’t pull the trigger on this one, especially if the reports on the player package were accurate. Also, Holliday’s contract status would have thrown a wrench into the club’s flexibility plan, possibly leaving some of the other roster holes unfilled.

The final eligible Cardinal filed for free agency today. Juan Encarnacion was the last, but the filing was merely a formality, as his injury will prevent him from playing next year, and likely, ever again. Matthew Leach has more. Let’s wish Juan well.

Cardinals’ third base coach Jose Oquendo is in the news. He’ll be one of several candidates to interview for the available coaching jobs in Seattle. Chris Haft has the full story. I think Oquendo is due for a bigger gig, so if he wants it, I hope he gets the job. On the other hand, I can’t help but to think about what his absence would mean to the Cards. The Secret Weapon is a great third base coach, and an even better infield instructor. What’s your take?

That’s it for now, but check back tomorrow, when I’ll start analyzing some of the other rumored trade scenarios, as well as update you on the upcoming UCB events.