Off Day Miscellany

The Cards have another day off next Tuesday and have the Sunday before the season free as well.  Otherwise, it's all baseball all the time until the beginning of the season.

The day off meant things were pretty quiet in Cardinal camp.  Allen Craig has been a popular focus this off-season, with a story earlier this week by Matthew Leach and now a feature by Derrick Goold.  I don't think there's much doubt now that Craig makes this team as a backup, though I guess a slump here at the end of the spring could see him back in Memphis.  I just hope that he'll be able to keep hitting even with only semi-regular work, pinch-hitting and the like.  If he needs to be in there every day to keep his swing working, that's going to be a problem.

Not much time and not much to talk about today, so let's get to the Cardinal Approval Ratings.  Today, we look at the skipper and the number three starter.

Tony La Russa has always been a polarizing figure in St. Louis and there's no doubt people will register opinions on him.  Last year, he checked in with a 79.1% rating.  Then he led the Cardinals to another divisional title.  Would that be reflected in this year's mark?

Perhaps it was, as TLR moved up to an 80.6% level this year.  Interestingly, there were two of the 67 voters that didn't give him a rating, something that surprised me.  Two 100s and a 38 made up the range of the votes.

Kyle Lohse was just under TLR last year, with a 77.3% mark.  That was after a successful 2008, even.  So with an injury plagued and ineffective 2009 now in the books, where will Lohse stand?

Lohse tumbled almost 11 points to a 66.8% rating this year.  Three people didn't vote, his high-water mark was 85, and there was at least one zero in the mix.

Cards take on the Braves today with Rich Hill making another important start in his bid for the fifth starter slot.  Should be a fun game to listen to, if you can!