Take 5: Why the Cards may not be as bad as feared
03/21/2008
The overview on this baseball season hasn’t changed much in recent days. The Brewers remain the team to beat in the National League Central, with the sage Ted Simmons on their bench to settle things down.
The Cubs will make a big run at the playoffs, assuming that Lou Piniella locates a closer. (Kerry Wood could be the guy . . . or the brittle Wood could end up in a body cast after suffering multiple and simultaneous injuries.)
But the Cardinals keep generating hints that they might not be nearly as bad as the general public fears. Here are Five Positive Signs from the last several days:
1. Against all odds, the temporary rotation is shaping up.
Adam Wainwright appears prepared for the lead role leaving Jupiter. Free agent pick-up Kyle Lohse showed up ready to pitch, which was a pleasant surprise. Most mid-camp additions would need a couple of extra weeks to get ready. Lohse already has impressed his new team.
Brad Thompson just threw well enough in tough conditions to provide insurance if Todd Wellemeyer or Anthony Reyes struggle. Odds are, one or both of those guys WILL struggle.
These six guys must hold the fort while Joel Pineiro, Matt Clement, Mark Mulder and Chris Carpenter work back into pitching shape. Dave Duncan already is setting up his pitching rotation for the start of the season and the group looks more competent by the day.
2. Adam Kennedy can hit!
He was a black hole in the lineup last season, batting .219. He came to camp on a short leash, since the club re-signed reliable Aaron Miles and had slick-hitting Jarret Hoffpauir in the wings.
But Kennedy seems to have relocated the stroke he had throughout his time with the Angels. After a slow start this spring, he pushed his batting average up to .349.
3. Rick Ankiel is going crazy.
Ankiel’s spring training performance (.397, three homers, nine RBIs) has raised expectations. Could he fill the clean-up role against righthanded pitching, allowing newcomer Troy Glaus to hit in the more comfortable No. 5 slot?
4. Ron Villone is viable.
In past springs, the Cards have seen an assortment of veteran lefties fail to impress Duncan. But Villone has posted a 1.17 ERA in six appearances, generating hope he could become a key bullpen component.
5. The organization finally has depth.
But this year the Cards will have plenty of help just a phone call away. Skip Schumaker earned the leadoff assignment with a brilliant spring, but Colby Rasmus will be the outfielder-in-waiting at Memphis.
Ludwick has done enough to keep his platoon outfielder role. Brian Barton used his speed to gain the inside track on the spare outfielder role. But if Joe Mather continues to trend upward at the Class AAA level, he, too, will press for a spot on the Cards roster.
If Brendan Ryan gets healthy, he will push Izturis -– whether Tony La Russa is excited by that prospect or not. Hoffpauir is stuck behind Kennedy, Miles and Ryan at second base, but he offers more depth than, say, Junior Spivey did a few years back.
And we can’t remember the last time the Cards had multiple pitching prospects on the cusp at one time:
Kyle McClellan, Chris Perez, Mike Parisi, Jason Motte, Mitchell Boggs, Clayton Mortensen, Jaime Garcia, Adam Ottavino . . . the list extends down to Class AA Springfield and includes pitchers of every description.
Veteran depth guys like Hugh Castellanos, Dewon Brazelton, Ron Flores and John Wasdin won’t get as much attention because the franchise has so many legitimate prospects. In fact, the club may have to let some usable veterans go just to keep all the kids busy.
Will the Cards contend this season? Probably not.
Will the Cards grow this season and become more solid as the year progresses? Probably so.
This may not be one of the most exciting Cards teams ever, but it could become one of the more interesting.
STLtoday - Take 5: Why the Cards may not be as bad as feared
Call me crazy but I think it's gonna be a long and interesting year.. the optimism in me wants to think if they play the way they are capable of, they may surprise.. anything can happen in baseball.. I do like this current team better than last years.. then again I didnt think last year would be that bad.. lots of things happened but theres some signs for the future with this team and in the minors..
Take 5: Why the Cards may not be as bad as feared
Take 5: Why the Cards may not be as bad as feared
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