Meh.

Not feeling up to the usual lighthearted bloggery today, intertubes. I had kind of a rough week here and am just trying to keep it on cruise control as much as possible. I won't bore you with the laundry list (::whinewhinewhine::), but I will ask you to keep my Grandmother Rhoads in your thoughts. She is having some health troubles, so any positive vibes are definitely appreciated.

What else. I had planned on talking about Dr. Who, but I think I will hold off on that till next week. I want to get a good little review together and am just not feeling it today. Be prepared though. The awesomeness that it will contain may be debilitating.

Baseball officially starts today. I could not be more excited. My St. Louis Cardinals have an awful lot of work to do this Spring, and it should be a great time watching these guys competing for a spot on the team. Major points of contention for the team:

1. Second Base - The Cards just gave Adam Kennedy an unconditional release, obligating themselves pay the remainder of his $4 mil. salary. My understanding is that they tried to hold onto him as long as possible trying to work a trade, but no one was biting. It is a risky move, seeing that we didn't re-sign Felix Lopez or Aaron Miles. Those were both tough calls, especially regarding fan favorite Miles. "Stump" had a career year in '08, batting .317 with a .335 OBP and 31 RBIs. The problem with Miles is that he is shaky as an everyday 2B, and although he is great to have in the clubhouse, the Cards really need a solid option at the Keystone Corner. I don't know. I wouldn't have minded seeing him on the team this year, but done is done. So, what are we left with? Brian Barden has played a little bit of 2B, and is reaching a pretty critical year career-wise. He had some success with the 2008 Olympic team last year, but the 28 year-old infielder has never had a stellar big league showing. It is make or break time for him, and I personally think that if he can show a little improvement in batting, he makes the team as a bench/utility guy. Jared Hoffpauir will compete, but he is uninspiring, with marginal speed, power, and range. Tyler Greene has a chance, but his record at any level above AA ball is pretty weak. Brendan Ryan is an exciting prospect, but he butts heads with LaRussa a bit. It could be argued that he was given his shot last year and came up short (.244 BA, .307 OBP), but he is a scrappy, rangy player, and he may fare better as a 2B than a SS. The most interesting prospect here is CF Skip Schumaker. Skippy played IF in college ball and has been quoted as saying, "There is a reason I moved to the OF," but if he can re-grasp the skill set, he is by far the best option for the Redbirds. Schu is a legitimate lead off hitter, batting .302 last year with a .359 OBP. Not a lot of pop (8 HR), but he hit 22 doubles and stole 8 bases. He is a little weak vs. lefties, but I think if he can get his defense up to Adequate, he is the go to guy here.



2. Starting Pitching - The major story here is the return of 2005 Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter. A lot has been said about this, so I will boil it down to the essentials. Carp rushed back from TJ surgery in 2008 and was hit with a fairly common post-surgery nerve flare up. He looked great out of the pen until the nerve flare up, and he underwent routine ulnar nerve relocation surgery this offseason. Bottom line: a healthy Chris Carpenter = a dangerous Cardinals team. Without him, they will have to get creative. Waino is a lock, as are darkhorses Kyle Lohse and Todd Wellemeyer. Joel Piniero has the 5 spot currently, but rookie Kyle McClellan is hot on his heels. Piniero failed to show up for the first day of conditioning in Jupiter today, opting instead to pitch in the World Baseball Classic. Not the best move when you are trying to tenuously hold onto a #5 spot after a sub-par year.
   



3. Third Base - Third base was a lock up until about two weeks ago. Troy Glaus was coming of a great 2008 into a pre-free agency year, and I was expecting big things from him. The bad news is he will be out at least a month of the regular season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The good news is that the Redbirds are stacked at 3B. First round draft pick Brett Wallace has been tearing his way through minor league pitchers and the only question mark is if his defence is up to major league snuff. If he shows any progress at all, expect to see him in Busch III this year. Brian Barden (see above) is another prospect at the Hot Corner, albeit more of a long shot. David Freese was apparently a salary dump in the move that took Jim Edmonds to the Padres, but last year in 131 AAA ABs, he hit .306 with 29 HRs and a .550 SLG. I cannot wait to see Wallace and him slug it out for a shot at the Big Show.



4. Closer - This is probably the biggest question mark on the team right now. Izzy is gone (one could argue he has been gone since 2005). The Cards failed to sign a closer from free agency, much to the chagrin of the Cardinal Nation. So, We are left with in-house youngsters vying for the coveted ninth inning spot. Widely heralded as the closer of the future, 2006 first rounder Chris Perez is a likely favorite moving into Spring Training. He had marginal success in the position last season. Perez has cut some weight in the off season and seems very focused on winning the job. His stuff is filthy, with a hard-breaking slider and a fastball that tops out around 95 mph consistently. Chris also closed in college and is utterly unafraid to go after hitters. His only weakness, and it is a big one, is his control. He walks way too many batters for a major league closer. If he can calm it down and really lock into the strike zone, Perez will be a major asset to the club. His main competition is rookie Jason Motte, a converted catcher who has been lighting up minor league batters. He posted a 2.90 era last year with an even more impressive 1.27 WHIP. He is awfully green, but if he is even close to those numbers this Spring, he will give Perez a run for his money. Last but not least is veteran Ryan Franklin. Franklin had the second largest number of saves last year, and is generally well liked in the system. However, his ERA as a closer is a unacceptable (4.15 and 6.49 in June and July), and the Front Office seems to think he is better suited for a set-up role in the eighth. Regardless of how much he dislikes the idea, it looks like LaRussa is handcuffed to letting the youngsters take over the final inning. Let's hope they are ready.



5. Outfield - What a great problem to have. There is a serious logjam in the OF, with a couple of great bats and a couple of really exciting youngsters. Colby Rasmus has spent the last couple years as the "Future of the Franchise". He is a 22 year old 5 tool player that was top of his 2005 Draft class. He has been eagerly anticipated by the Cardinal faithful, and barring any major setback will be the starting CF for the '09 Birds. This will move Ricky Ankiel into RF. Ankiel is one of the most dangerous OFs in the league, not because of his fielding ability, but rather his cannon of an arm. I still watch this clip on days when I need a quick pick me up. He had some health troubles last year, and he strikes out a lot, but for a converted pitcher, he is one hell of an OF. Ricky only looks to improve as his career goes on, and he is a much more natural fit to RF. Ryan Ludwick rounds out the likely starters in LF. Ludstick had a career year providing legitimate protection for Albert Pujols last year and took a trip to the All-Star Game for his efforts. Maybe he repeats, maybe he doesn't. Either way, the four spot in the lineup undoubtedly belongs to this journeyman OF. The rest of the field vying for a starting role includes a rehabbed Chris Duncan (major slugging potential, but a liability both health-wise and in the field), Skip Schumaker (hopefully our everyday 2B), and sophomore Joe Mather (.261, 8 HRs, and 18 RBI in 133 ABs in 2008).

So, it is a great time to be a fan of the Birds on the Bat. Sure, there is potential for everything to come crashing down. The prospect of moving into the regular season without a solid closer or a 2B is terrifying. However, this is what baseball is all about. One guy, trying to push his individual ability to the limit to better his team. The competition is fierce. The fans are restless. There is that feeling in your gut, as stats and likelihoods fly through your head, that regardless of what the numbers say, anything can happen. Welcome back baseball. You have been missed.

P.S. I promised Blogger only material this week, but I think it will have to wait til next week. I am having trouble with my Adobe right now and con't convert the .doc files I want into .pdfs. So, Monday prepare for some good stuff!