TOWER GROVE — It would be tempting to begin any look at the St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpen and its search for additional power sources with the fact that the Cardinals relievers had the fewest strikeouts of any bullpen in the National League. Their 340 were the least in the majors by 21 behind Tampa Bay.
While that stat is telling, it’s not entirely revealing.
The Cardinals’ relievers also had to pitch the fewest innings of…
JUPITER, Fla. — What is true for major-league spring training is also true in minor-league spring training: The statistics are the ends, and often the means are more important.
Consider Adam Ottavino’s day.
The former first-round pick had a garish line from Monday’s game against Class AA Jacksonville. It read:
4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 runs, 2 BB, 4 Ks
But there is a story behind the numbers. Five of those six runs…
JUPITER, Fla. — On Sunday morning, starter Todd Wellemeyer revealed that he is no longer the only Kentucky Colonel patrolling the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse. The population of card-carrying colonels tripled this offseason as Wellemeyer recruited pitching coach Dave Duncan into the group and the Cardinals went out and signed another member, lefty Trever Miller.
That means the Cardinals will take three colonels north for the regular season.
If you’re keeping score, that could be…
JUPITER, Fla. — Back when Triple-A Memphis used to be a depot for depth and journeymen minor leaguers, the list of non-roster invitees read like a Who’s Who of Who Was Who. Previous NRIs* made good included Scott Spiezio, Bill Pulsipher, and, most recently, Ron Villone. And then there were the NRIs who didn’t have the staying power — Juan Gonzalez, Greg Vaughn, Quinton McCracken, Jeff Nelson, and so on.
Now that the Cardinals have…
DOWNTOWN — The big-ticket day of the 13th annual Winter Warm-up continues this afternoon with National League MVP Albert Pujols, who is on the stage right now signing, and a parade of other headline Cardinals, many of whom will be receiving an award at tonight’s Baseball Writers’ Dinner. The news was this morning’s signings of Todd Wellemeyer and Chris Duncan, but the comments from St. Louis Cardinals players today address a wider spectrum of topics….
DOWNTOWN — Brad Thompson said he was too nervous at his wedding to think twice about the unorthodox choice he and his wife-to-be had made when choosing someone to preside over their nuptuals. He had other things on his mind and no time for smirking as he stood there, beside his bride and exchanged vows under the guidance of the “reverend” Randy Flores.
He was however concerned about Jason Isringhausen.
“Izzy was the only one…
DOWNTOWN — Cardinals reliever Josh Kinney was thrilled to describe a winter that included his engagement to a gal from Springfield, Mo., and a successful bear hunt as “normal.”
“Been nice,” Kinney said at the Warm-up. “No rehab. That’s different.”
Kinney missed all of the 2007 season and most of the 2008 season after needing Tommy John surgery to repair the elbow that helped the Cardinals to their World Series win in 2006. He made…
DOWNTOWN — Back on Oct. 8, just a little bit after pitching coach Dave Duncan agreed to his new contract, a poll went up in this blog asking the simple question: Who closes? Some 1,300 readers voted and “anointed” Chris Perez the closer with 42 percent of the vote. (Brian Fuentes finished third, one spot behind where the Cardinals finished for his services.)
That poll, meant as a prelude to the St. Louis…
TOWER GROVE — Earlier this week, St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan did the radio rounds and spoke about the closer role, closer candidates, the rotation and how so much hinges on the shoulder of Chris Carpenter. He also had a telling comment about his retooled bullpen. Asked in an interview on 101 ESPN if he was confident with the new-look left side of his bullpen, Duncan answered plainly, realistically.
He said he does…
SOUTH GRAND — Already the closest vote in two years of doing the (Bird Land) Community Top 30, the poll for No. 21 produced something even more remarkable while, numbed by baseball’s sputtering hot stove, we caught up on Christmas shopping this weekend.
After more than 530 voters clicked in, No. 21 is a virtual tie.
Pitcher Fernando Salas and outfielder Shane Robinson each received 25 percent of the vote. At the time I checked…
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