Wainwright Strong in Win

The Cardinals won their fourth straight game today, riding another hardy performance from one of their starters.  This time, it was Adam Wainwright’s turn.  His first appearance was washed out by the rain on Opening Day.  Today Adam pitched a solid eight innings against the Nationals, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits, while striking out 4.  He also chimed in on offense, with an RBI single in the second.  5-4 was the final.  Here’s the complete box score.

The play of the day, without a doubt, goes to Adam Kennedy.  The Cardinals’ second baseman dove for a ball up the middle on the third base side of second.  Just to get to the ball was amazing, but the seated throw to second for the out really topped it off.  Web Gem for sure.

The Post Dispatch has more on today’s game here.  Tomorrow it’s Kyle Lohse on the hill, hoping to complete the sweep of the Washington Nationals.  I’m almost going to feel bad for the starting pitcher that finally takes a loss.  Don’t look now, but the Cardinals haven’t started a season off 4-1 since 2000, when they began the year 7-1.  The current .800 winning percentage is tied with Milwaukee for the best in baseball.  These Birds are taking off!

Cardinals Win First Series

The Redbirds ended the first series of the new season today with a win against the defending National League Champion Colorado Rockies.  Not counting the rain out on Monday, St. Louis outscored Colorado 12-5 in the series.  The win gives the Cards a 2-1 record heading into the second series, a three game set at home against Washington.

So the bleak outlook from a canceled opener, followed by a loss, is starting to creep to the back of the minds of Cards fans.  More good things have happened to the club than bad here in the early goings.  Let’s review:

• Rick Ankiel and Albert Pujols continue their hot hitting.
• Adam Kennedy keeps improving.
• All three rookies have made positive contributions.
• The Kyle Lohse signing still looks good.
• The Wellemeyer-Thompson-Reyes decision looks better.
• There have been a few web gems.
• The Cardinals are tied for first place in the division.

I know they’ve only played three games (plus three innings), but I still say this team could surprise some people.  Many “experts” picked the Cardinals to be near the bottom of the league.  We’ll see.

I’ve got a couple of notes from my trip to St. Louis over the weekend.  I’ll try to get some pictures up within a day or two.  Also, I went on the Busch Stadium tour for the first time, and loved it.  I highly recommend it to any baseball fan, and it’s only ten bucks.

Finally, a few links for you.  After seeing Pujols lose a home run to the rain, an old story about a similar incident returns to the forefront.  Derrick Goold has the story about Stan Musial over at Bird Land.  The Cardinals released their Minor League rosters today.  Matthew Leach has that full story.

I’ll be back to the old routine from here, starting with a preview of tomorrow’s game as soon as the line-ups are available.  Then I’ll continue to cap the games, and add my two cents, of course.  I’ve got a couple of other stories in the works too, so check back often.  It sure is nice to have meaningful baseball back.  One series down, fifty-one to go.

UCB Roundtable Discussion

The United Cardinal Bloggers Group is winding down the roundtable discussions, with one more debate to be posted on Monday.  Yesterday I posted three questions to the group for open discussion.  In addition to me, we had four other Cardinal bloggers participate:

• Daniel from C70 at the Bat
• Haedar from Redbird Ramblings
• Bryan from Rockin’ the Red
• Michael from Stan Musial’s Stance

Here are the questions, and everyone’s thoughts:

1.)  Yesterday, there was some talk about who you’ve been impressed with up to this point in Spring Training.  What about the opposite?  Which players are you surprised to see having a disappointing spring? Do you think they’ll turn it around?

Daniel:  There haven’t been a lot of disappointments.  There’s disappointment in the same old same old with injuries, as noted with Tyler Johnson still not throwing.  Izturis, to me, has been the biggest on-field disappointment, though.  I know he’s not much of a hitter, so the average wasn’t that disappointing, but the fielding?  He’s making an error a game, it seems like, and I know TLR is big on him, but right now, it’s not looking so good.

Haedar:  Gotta agree with Daniel and say Izturis.  He was never known for his offense, but he is supposed to be a high caliber defensive player and at least put up an average of .250, but he’s made tons of errors this spring and is hitting around .150.  Tony is being stubborn and  stating that he is the starting shortstop to avoid the “Spivey 2008″ tag.  If Cesar keeps this up, he will be relegated to the bench in no time.

Bryan:  Cesar Izturis has definitely been the most disappointing player this spring.  And to add to it, Tony La Russa has been equally as disappointing with his rigid position that Izturis is still doing well defensively and should still start.  I’m not sure Cesar has anything left in the tank anymore.  Molina’s slow start is disconcerting, but I think he’ll turn it around at some point.  Blake Hawksworth really disappointed me this spring, as this was a chance to make a good impression on the big league club.  I’m not too optimistic about him.

Michael:  Duncan’s horrible spring at the plate was a surprise to me.  Also to see Molina regress at the plate, after the progress he showed during last season, has been disappointing.  The other disappointment was Clement’s physical readiness not being what we expected/hoped it would be at the start of spring training. I hadn’t been aware of Izturis’ struggles with the glove until I saw your guys’ comments.

Daniel:  I’d like to see Molina hit better in the spring, but I wouldn’t say I was worried enough to call it a disappointment.  If it continues well into April, then that might be a different story.

Me:  Of course Izturis is the big one.  I was okay with the signing when it happened, and was willing to watch a sacrifice in offense for a defensive upgrade at short.  Turns out Izturis sucks with the glove too.  Tyler Johnson disappoints me too.  Last year, despite changing his jersey number and his hairstyle, he still got knocked around a bit.  I read that he had a baby, and was maturing quickly.  To hear that a little more work in the off season might have prevented his injury was very disappointing.

Daniel:  The only thing I’ll add is that I’m not sure that more work would have prevented his injury.  It might have helped, but this seriously sounds like a surgery thing coming pretty soon, in which case more work might have blown it out earlier or at best delayed the problem.

2.)  Opening Day is just ten days away.  There are a lot of new faces on this year’s team.  How would you grade John Mozeliak in his first off season as GM?  What were his best and worst moves?

Daniel:  Still a little hard to judge Mozeliak since a few moves were made while he was interim GM and some still haven’t really panned out.  All in all, though, I think he’s doing a pretty good job.  If he’s one of the reasons so many young guys are still in camp or got long looks this spring, he jumps up another notch.  His next big test will be the amateur draft.  If they can get a quality draft in, he’ll move even farther up.

Haedar:  Can’t really grade him accurately at this point but he’s made some good and some bad moves.  The two worst moves of the offseason were signing both Izturis and Miles to guaranteed deals instead of minor league deals with invitations to spring training.  The best move came a day or so ago locking up Wainwright long term.

Bryan:  I would give Mozeliak a B so far.  It was probably a B- before the Lohse signing, but the signing was such a good deal that he has to get a B.  On the other hand, the Miles re-signing was a very questionable move (and still is, considering Miles’ terrible spring so far).  Trading Rolen was good for the team, trading Edmonds was neutral (although it opened up a position in our already crowded outfield), and the Izturis signing was just plain bad.  Overall, however, I’m very satisfied with the direction this team is going.

Michael:  Mozeliak:  average or slightly better than average so far, but it’s still too early to tell.  I’m not a big fan of Lohse after watching him get torched in Cincinnati for the past few years, but with our starters in disarray again Mozeliak didn’t have much choice but to sign another pitcher.  He at least got Lohse on the relative cheap.  Hell, he can’t be any worse than Kip Wells, right?  Managing to move Rolen for more than a used glove and a bucket of baseballs was a victory.  The Miles signing, I agree with all, is a head scratcher unless viewed through the “Tony wanted him” prism.  Signing Wainwright yesterday was a great move.

Daniel:  The middle infield situation definitely is Mozeliak’s biggest drawback.  Especially when he himself admits he’d have signed Adam Everett if he had thought he’d been nontendered.  (Though that wouldn’t have helped with the offense, it’d done wonders defensively.)  Adding Miles to the mix was really unnecessary save to appease La Russa, I’d guess.

Me:  Overall:  B+.  With the exception of Miles and Gonzalez, I think the Cards made all the right moves. The Molina and Wainwright deals are by far the best.  Payroll flexibility is much better than it has been in recent years.  We’ll see what they do come draft time.

3.)  How much better (or worse depending on your answer to question 2) is this team compared to last year’s squad?  How many wins will the Cards have at the end of the season, and where do they finish?

Daniel:  I think this squad might be a little better than last year.  I think the pitching will be better, at least on the whole.  The offense is pretty intriguing.  If Kennedy hits like he has this spring and Molina hits like he did last year, there’s only Izturis as a “OK, nothing is happening here” spot in the lineup.  I’m still holding out hope for a .500 season.

Haedar:  I think the starters are a little better, the offense is better, or at least has more potential to put up better power numbers, but the bullpen will not be as good because people will be moving in and out and therefore some integral parts will not know their main role.  I think most bullpens can be decent as long as the guys in it know what their main role is and in what situation they are called upon to pitch.  With a lot of injured players coming back from the DL, there is going to be a lot of shifting around and some pitchers will not get comfortable in their temporary role.

Bryan:  I think the team is better than last year, but a few injuries could really turn this season into a disaster.  I think 80-85 wins is a very optimistic prediction, but I’ll go ahead and make it.  I’m confident in our outfield and returning pitchers.  Still don’t think that’ll be good enough for anything but third.

Michael:  Even with all the moves the team has tread water overall since last season ended.  The bullpen is still a plus but didn’t improve; the starters overall are still a minus and didn’t improve; the lineup is a wash; the bench is slightly better.  It seems all our eggs for a good team are in the respective rehab baskets of Carpenter, Mulder, and Clement.  I expect they’ll finish within +0, -10 games of .500 with the team they have now.

Haedar:  I think the Cardinals’ record will get worse before it gets better.  That’s to the tune of 75 wins this season.

Me:  I think it depends on how you look at it.  Before Opening Day ‘07, the Cards looked good.  The pitchers all had good springs (even Wells), and no one thought they’d finish under .500.  A ton of injuries changed the outlook dramatically.  I’m optimistic about the offense.  I think the potential to score a lot more runs is there.  The starting pitching may be a wash, and I agree that the bullpen could be worse this year.  I’m also wondering if the clubhouse will miss Edmonds, Rolen, and Eck.

That’s it.  Lots of good points from everyone, and I’m sure they’ll be a lot more in the next installment.  I love talking baseball!

My Visit to Cardinal Camp

I spent some time at Cardinals camp yesterday, and as promised, I’ll use this post to share my experience.

There was more traffic than I anticipated, so I didn’t arrive at camp until 9:45.  Although it was raining when I left my place, the weather was great in Jupiter (Today I can really feel the sunburn).  I easily found a parking place in front of Roger Dean Stadium and made the short walk around to the back fields.  If you’ve never been to the complex, it’s a beautiful place to see.  Behind the stadium, there are twelve full-size ball fields, and a couple of small ones, all shared by the Cardinals and Marlins.  When I arrived, the team was just finishing their stretching and throwing.

I quickly found the workout schedule, made by Tony La Russa, posted  on one of the backstops.  Upon first glance, I thought I’d need Tony’s secret decoder ring to decipher the mess on the page, but after a little studying, I figured it out (at least in part).  The schedule is complex and precise.  Every player and coach is put into a group.  The groups rotate between fields and stations at certain times.  Everyone has a place to be, and everyone really hustles from field to field.  It’s fun to watch.

I started by watching some fielding practice.  All of the catchers, and Mike Matheny of course, gathered in the small field between fields 1 and 6.  The catchers took turns blocking balls in the dirt fed from a pitching machine.  Matheny painted a half-circle in the dirt, and the idea was to keep the ball within the arc.  The machine was putting some serious spin on the balls, and bouncing them several feet in front of the catchers.  It was funny to see the guys block the ball and then dive after the ricochet.  Molina even threw his mask at a ball.

During this same time, the pitchers were also doing fielding drills.  Most of the big leaguers were on field 1, while the younger guys were on 6.  Both groups were fielding ground balls after a simulated delivery, and throwing them to either first or second.  Then there were rounds of grounders to Pujols, with the pitchers covering first.

On the far fields, the outfielders and infielders were also doing drills, but I didn’t make my way over there. Since the interior paths are blocked off for the players to use, the only way to get to the far fields is to walk around the outfield fences, or take a trolley, which has a few stops along the way.

After a short meeting with La Russa on the small field, the pitchers broke off into more groups, and a catcher or two headed to each station.  Some pitchers were throwing bullpen sessions, some were doing more fielding, this time in front of a big wall, and others were practicing bunting.  They had to lay several bunts down each line, then had to show bunt and swing away.  There was a lot of smack-talking between the pitchers during the swinging away part.

Next, I watched a little situational infielding practice with the “B” squad.  Included in the group was Brian Barden, Rico Washington, David Freese, and surprisingly, Brendan Ryan.  The drills were about reading the batter for bunt coverage with runners on.  If you’re wondering, Jarrett Hoffpauir was in the group with Cesar Izturis, Adam Kennedy, and Aaron Miles.

I spent most of the rest of my time watching live batting practice.  I watched four groups.  The pitchers were Adam Ottavino, Chris Perez, Tyler Herron, and Todd Wellemeyer.  I know that early on in camp the pitchers have the advantage, and that was certainly the case with Ottavino.  He pitched to a group of Colby Rasmus, Brian Barton, Josh Phelps, Cody Hearther, and Jason LaRue.  I think I only saw one ball get hit fair, and it was a soft liner to short.  The first time through there were several swing and misses.

There wasn’t a lot of excitement from the “power” group, which included Albert Pujols, Troy Glaus, Juan Gonzalez, and Scott Spiezio.  Pujols smashed one back up the middle off of Wellemeyer, but it was pretty quiet otherwise.

By far, the most impressive hitting group was the outfielders Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan, Ryan Ludwick, and Skip Schumaker.  Maybe they’re ahead of the rest because they were in camp early.  All hit the ball hard, and all over the field.  Edit (02/23):  I thought the pitcher during this group was Herron, but I guess I was mistaken.

I noticed a lot of other interesting things yesterday too.  Here are some:

• Chris Perez throws hard.
• Brian Barton is very athletic, but doesn’t look it.
• Troy Glaus is a much bigger guy than I thought he was.
• Ryan Franklin needs a haircut.
• They sell beer and hotdogs.  Big plus in my book!
• “Professional” autograph hounds piss me off.  Let the kids get a ball signed.
• Mickey the munchkin from The Wizard of Oz was there signing autographs.
• Red was cruising around in his golf cart.
• Chris Carpenter was jogging the neighborhood and nearly ran me over as I was leaving.
• The team store was open and I wanted one of everything.

Overall, it was a great day.  I think it’s neat to see major league ballplayers doing the same kind of drills that you do in high school and Legion ball.  Although nothing profound, take a look at the some of my pictures.  I had a lot of fun, and would recommend it to any baseball fan.  If you haven’t been to camp, go.  It’s free. Six more days until the first Spring Training game.

2008 Team Projection

As we all know, the Cardinals finished under .500 in 2007, with a record of 78-84.  It was the team’s first losing season since 1999, when they went 75-86.  Most Cardinal fans aren’t expecting a World Championship in ‘08, and many aren’t holding out for a division title either.  I’d guess most of us would be happy to be in the hunt come September, and finish with at least 81 wins to avoid back-to-back losing seasons.

Springtime always brings new optimism and a clean slate.  Every team is even.  Every team is a legitimate contender.  Then Baseball Prospectus releases their team projections, based on PECOTA, a sabermetric system for predicting player performance.  The system is rather accurate each year, and picked the Cards to finish third behind Chicago and Milwaukee last season.  They’ve done it again.  This time, they predict a 72-90 record for this year’s Birds, finishing only ahead of Pittsburgh in the division.  For some, the optimism dwindles.  Not for me.

Sure there’s a lot of question marks penciled throughout the Cardinals’ roster.  We don’t know what to expect from guys like Clement, Mulder, Reyes, Izturis, Kennedy, and maybe some others.  What if Albert needs surgery and is shut down for the year?  What if Looper or Pineiro can’t continue to improve as major assets in the rotation?  What if Ankiel and Duncan can’t better their plate discipline?  The questions could go on.  They way I see it, however, is that if a few things can go right this season, the 2008 Cardinals will be a better team than the one that lost 86 games last year.  Don’t count this club out before the games are played.  Look for a few surprise performances from some unexpected contributors.  No team in the Central is going to run away with the division.  I’m still optimistic.  The Cardinals will contend.

Check out the full projected standings from Baseball Prospectus here, and view each of the Cardinal players projections here.

More Notes and Links

First, I should point out that yesterday was also the birthday of Cardinal Hall of Famer, Dizzy Dean.  I thought about working it into yesterday’s post, but didn’t want to cloud the message I was trying to convey about Albert Pujols.  Check out Dean’s Cooperstown credentials here.

Speaking of Pujols (again), the folks at Cardinals Diaspora pointed out a Tigers blog that gave a nice defensive analysis of all first basemen, and I wanted to pass it along.  Of course Albert ranks at the top.  The entry, by Lee Panas, can be found here.  Thanks CD.

Mathew Leach’s weekly segment, “Around the Horn” is back again.  This time, he looks at the middle infielders.  Check it out here.

The middle infield was also the subject of a question I posted to Jeff Gordon in his Monday chat session over at the Post Dispatch.  Here’s the transcript:

Mike: Greetings Gordo - I’d like to know your thoughts on the middle infield situation. Now that Aaron Miles is back, does this mean that Brendan Ryan starts the year in Memphis? I see only three spots available with Izturis, Kennedy, Miles, Ryan, and Jimenz competing. Is it possible that Izturis pulls a Spivey, and doesn’t make the club? Thanks! Mike from Miami, FL

Jeff Gordon: Anything is possible. Izturis has a solid defensive reputation, so I believe he stays. Jiminez is the longshot. Miles offers Kennedy insurance; he could play a lot if Kennedy is really finished. Ryan’s versatility will make him a strong candidate — but if both Izturis and Kennedy hit well enough to start, he could go back to Memphis as the full-time shortstop. Mozeliak, appropriately, created lots of competition here.

Link.

Finally, Commissioner Bud Selig received a contract extension today.  He’ll be in office through at least 2012.  ESPN has the full story.  I’m not sure of my feelings on this yet, but feel free to leave your own comments.  

2008 Team Outlook – Part 2

As the offseason trudges on, and the speculation on the Cardinals’ roster continues, we extend our discussion of the team’s needs and luxuries. This week I’ll take a look at the infield. If you missed the evaluation of the bullpen, check it out here.

Barring any trades, most of the infield from last season remains intact. The look of the everyday players, however, might not resemble the ‘07 squad much. The Cardinals suffered through a ton of injuries last year, and had only one player on the entire roster that appeared in more than 120 games.

That player was Albert Pujols. It was no surprise that Albert led the team last season in nearly every offensive category, as well as played a gold-glove caliber defense at first base. His first seven seasons in the league can only be compared to the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. Pujols played through a lot of pain late last year, and still put up amazing numbers. I expect much of the same consistency in ‘08, but wouldn’t be surprised if he had another MVP type season. As one of the best players in the game, he still makes a somewhat reasonable $16 million next year.

The everyday catcher will once again be Yadier Molina. Molina has quickly become one of the best defensive catchers in the game, and completely shuts down the opposition’s running game. Although any offense that he generates would be considered a bonus, Molina vastly improved last season, finishing with a .275 average, and 6 homers. More than likely, he’ll hit in the seven hole. I’d like to see him locked up long term, as he’s arbitration eligible, and still just 25 years old.

Second base, will be Adam Kennedy’s to lose. He had the worst season of his career in ‘07, hitting .219 in 279 at-bats. He was signed to a three year deal last offseason, and is still owed another $7.5 million, plus bonuses over the next two years. Kennedy should have every chance to regain his past form. He’s also the only left-handed hitting infielder. I imagine the Cardinals will have a back up plan in place come Spring Training, but I doubt Adam will be as bad in ‘08 as he was last season.

Seven time Gold Glove winner, Scott Rolen, will be back at third base, despite the issues that he and Tony La Russa have had. Derrick Goold, from the St. Louis Post Dispatch, has more insight on that situation here. Rolen has had some lingering shoulder injuries for the past few seasons, and had another clean-up surgery recently, in hopes to be ready again in the spring. I hope he can return to his previous form, and overcome the diminished power caused by the sore shoulder. Still, a less than 100% Scott Rolen is better than many third basemen out there. He needs to play up to his $12 million salary.

That leaves the shortstop position. David Eckstein is a free-agent, and the Cardinals don’t have a lot in-house to replace him. Aaron Miles and Brendan Ryan split most of the playing time at short during Eckstein’s time on the DL, but neither are considered everyday players. There has been some talk of re-signing David, as well as some chatter about going after former Redbird, Edgar Renteria. Without Eckstein, the Cards are also without a lead-off hitter, so the situation is further complicated. The guys at Viva El Birdos have done an excellent job at evaluating the pros and cons of an Eckstein return. Check it out here. Aside from starting pitching, I think SS is the most pressing need for the Cardinals this offseason.

Overall, I expect the team to have a good infield. Errors were a problem last season, on a normally strong defensive ball club. I imagine that will be addressed thoroughly in Spring Training, and we’ll see more of the slick fielding Cardinal infield that we’re used to. I’m also very intrigued about the opening at short, and can’t wait to hear the solution.