St. Louis Cardinals News

Cardinals reach two-year agreement with Skip Schumaker
Comment
February 9
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"The Cardinals Monday signed second baseman Skip Schumaker to a two-year contract, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing. The Associated Press reported the contract was worth a total of $4.7 million, with Schumaker set to earn $2 million this year and $2.7 million in 2011. Performance incentive bonuses tied to the contract could increase the value to $5 million over the two years, the AP said. Schumaker had asked for $2.75 million through arbitration while the Cardinals had offered $1.45 million, a raise of more than $1 million from his 2009 salary. The two sides had reported they were "close" to a contract agreement on Jan. 18 but there had been no word on the status of negotiations since ..."
Cardinals, Skip Schumaker reach 2-year, $4.7 million deal
Comment
February 9
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Second baseman Skip Schumaker and the Cardinals avoided a Feb. 19 showdown Monday when they agreed on a two-year, $4.7 million contract. Less than a year after beginning a highly scrutinized transformation from center fielder to middle infielder, Schumaker will receive more than four times his 2009 salary. The Cardinals achieve much-desired cost certainty while avoiding a potentially contentious arbitration hearing involving an important member of the clubhouse. "It's huge for me to go into spring training and have it done," Schumaker said after a team physical in St. Louis. "I didn't want it to be a case where I got there and everybody is talking about how I'm not signed, how nothing is ..."
Bob Tewksbury educating young players
Comment
February 7
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 columnist Rob Rains
"All of the instruction that young baseball players receive is not done on the playing field by coaches wearing a uniform Which is why, in the middle of winter, four Cardinals' prospects joined 100 other young players from every major league organization at a resort outside Washington, D.C. to spend a weekend learning about life in the major leagues. It's a program which has been in place for 10 years now, a joint venture of Major League Baseball and the Player's Association. Its purpose is to educate the players on the environment and the experiences they can expect when they make it to the major leagues. One of the former players serving as an instructor at the camp, as he has done for ..."
Kyle McClellan in the mix for a spot in rotation
Comment
February 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"When Kyle McClellan reached Cardinals camp last February, the righthanded reliever was advertised as a potential fifth starter. The advertisement, however, came with fine print - the kind that microscopically informs a borrower about the future balloon payment or that discloses only one car is offered at the ridiculously discounted price. McClellan would start only if Chris Carpenter could not. No one, McClellan especially, wanted that deal. "I didn't want to start last year," McClellan explained Friday following a morning workout at Roger Dean Stadium, where pitchers and catcher are due to report Feb. 17. "Well, I did and I didn't, because that would have meant something had happened. ..."
Cardinals Kyle Lohse ready for fresh start after fluky 2009
Comment
February 2
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Kyle Lohse was three outs away from his second shutout of the season on May 23 of last year when he was plunked in the arm by Royals reliever Ron Mahay while batting with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning. Two trips to the disabled list later, the rest of Lohse's season was basically a wash. He battled several nagging injuries, most notably the forearm, and made just a handful of starts – struggling to find any consistency. A year later, Lohse is fully recovered and looking for a fresh start as he enters year two of a four-year, $41 million contract. With what he experienced last year, it would be hard for things to be any worse. "It's like a normal this part of the year ..."
Criticism of McGwire irks Cardinals Hall of Famer Bob Gibson
Comment
February 1
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Former Cardinals slugger Jack Clark has called for a lifetime ban of another former Cardinals slugger, Mark McGwire, and other steroid users and abusers. Former Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog has said he can't figure out why fans at a Cardinals convention would give McGwire an ovation and yet boo Clark, a one-time hero in St. Louis, for his critical comments. Hall of Famers Carlton Fisk, Ferguson Jenkins, Goose Gossage and Reggie Jackson also have sounded off against McGwire and others in the "steroid area," while Hall of Famers Henry Aaron, Robin Yount and Jim Palmer have been more forgiving. Enough already, says the greatest Cardinals pitcher, Bob Gibson. "At this stage," said Gibson by ..."
Edmonds signs with another Cardinals' rival -- the Brewers
Comment
January 29
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Jim Edmonds doesn't really intentionally want to make Tony La Russa mad. It just seems to work out that way. When the former Cardinal was with the Cubs in 2008, he got into a very bitter public spat with the Cardinals' manager. The two had seemingly made their peace last September, and La Russa was interested when Edmonds said earlier this month that he wanted to come back and play again this season after sitting out 2009. But now, instead of returning to the Cardinals, Edmonds Thursday signed a minor-league contract with another of the Cardinals' NL Central division rivals -- the Milwaukee Brewers. "I'm sure he has lost a step or two, but I'm a big believer in personal pride and ..."
In tricky times, Holliday was fortunate to get what he got
Comment
January 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Jeff Gordon
"Gamesmanship between agents and general managers is at an all-time high in baseball's free-agent marketplace. In these tricky times, even the big-budget Yankees are willing to reject salary demands out of hand and send popular players packing. In this treacherous era, even super agent Scott Boras gets burned while overplaying his hand. The Johnny Damon saga offered a cautionary tale for everybody involved in the industry. It reminded us how easily the Matt Holliday negotiations could have blown up for the Cardinals."
Cardinals' prospect Jones wants to stay healthy, prove himself
Comment
January 28
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Cardinals outfield prospect Daryl Jones doesn't regret playing in the Futures Game last July in conjunction with the All-Star Game at Busch Stadium. The outfielder, who was recovering from a left quadriceps injury, deemed himself healthy enough to represent the Cardinals and play in front of the hometown fans in St. Louis. But Jones re-injured his leg in the exhibition game, forcing him to miss several weeks just as he was starting to click offensively for Double-A Springfield. Now 100 percent healthy, Jones is looking forward to a new season and a chance to show manager Tony La Russa and the Cardinal what he can do. "I can't control those things, it's not like I went in there thinking ..."
Birds need a bench press
Comment
January 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Bernie Miklasz
"The reporting date for Cardinals' pitchers and catchers is Feb. 17. Position players are scheduled to report on Feb. 22. Presumably, some late roster additions will materialize by April 5 to give the Cardinals a full complement of 25 big-league players for the season opener at Cincinnati. As we look at the Cardinals' roster today, this is what they have for a bench: infielder Julio Lugo and backup catcher Jason La Rue. That's it. Oh, there are a bunch of names to throw in as potential candidates for jobs. An incomplete listing would include outfielder-third baseman Joe Mather, left fielder Allen Craig, infielder Tyler Greene, infielder Ruben Gotay, outfielders Jon Jay, Shane Robinson and ..."
Rich Hill? Hey, it makes sense to the Cardinals
Comment
January 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Jeff Gordon
"Many Cardinals fans are scratching their heads right now. Rich Hill? That was the last piece of the puzzle? Really? Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak announced Hill's addition to the spring training list as a non-roster invitee. That list features a mix of prospects (like Lance Lynn, Fernando Salas, Tyler Henley, Daniel Descalso, Pete Kozma, Donovan Solano) and some journeymen (notably Ruben Gotay, Evan MacLane, Charles Zink). Of course, Hill is NOT the last piece of the puzzle. Mozeliak will keep shopping right up until the start of spring training . . . and right through spring training . . . and throughout the season as well, weighing the assets on hand against what upgrades are ..."
Cardinals sign Rich Hill, not pursuing any additional pitchers
Comment
January 27
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"The Cardinals' signing of lefthanded pitcher Rich Hill to a minor-league contract Tuesday apparently will be the team's last addition to the pitching staff before spring training begins in three weeks. "We are not pursuing any other pitchers at this time," said Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak. The Cardinals had been looking for another pitcher to create competition for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, which they believe Hill will provide, but also were said to be searching for a pitcher who could potentially either start or relieve. Mozeliak said Hill will come to camp as a starter. The pitcher who some observers thought would be the perfect fit to fill that role already ..."
Cardinals sign former Cub pitcher Rich Hill
Comment
January 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals may have made themselves a little bit deeper on Tuesday. Betting no more than $575,000, the Cardinals signed ex-Chicago Cubs lefthander Rich Hill to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to major-league camp. Hill will headline a group of 17 non-roster invitees that includes eight pitchers and four catchers due to report on Feb. 17. Hill, who turns 30 in March, will receive an opportunity to compete with reliever Kyle McClellan and rookie lefthander Jaime Garcia, among others, for the fifth starter role. The Cardinals insist Hill is healthy after requiring surgery in August to repair a tear in his shoulder cartilage. It is thought that Hill walks into camp with ..."
Edmonds talking with two teams, Cardinals appear out of running
Comment
January 27
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"All that hoopla created by Jim Edmonds coming out on stage at Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation charity benefit and saying he wanted to play for the Cardinals for free might turn out to have just been part of the show. Globe-Democrat.com learned Monday that the field of potential suitors for Edmonds has been narrowed to two and that the Cardinals are not one of those teams. The identity of the two teams was not immediately known, but they obviously are teams willing to pay Edmonds more than the minimum salary which the Cardinals likely would have offered. He also would likely have been invited to camp as a non-roster player for the Cardinals and would have had to make the club after ..."
Edmonds talking with two teams, Cardinals appear out of running
Comment
January 26
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"All that hoopla created by Jim Edmonds coming out on stage at Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation charity benefit and saying he wanted to play for the Cardinals for free might turn out to have just been part of the show. Globe-Democrat.com learned Monday that the field of potential suitors for Edmonds has been narrowed to two and that the Cardinals are not one of those teams. The identity of the two teams was not immediately known, but they obviously are teams willing to pay Edmonds more than the minimum salary which the Cardinals likely would have offered. He also would likely have been invited to camp as a non-roster player for the Cardinals and would have had to make the club after ..."
Allen Craig ready for second chance at making big league club
Comment
January 26
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Allen Craig hit .322 with 26 home runs and 83 RBIs for the Cardinals Triple-A Memphis affiliate a season ago and was named the organization's Player of the Year for 2009. But when the Redbirds season ended after winning the Pacific Coast League Championship, Craig wasn't among those called up to the big league club. The omission was nothing new for Craig, who also was abruptly moved by the organization from third base to left field before the beginning of last season just as he was starting to feel comfortable at third base. A year later, Craig doesn't think about the possible missed opportunities. He's instead looking forward to his second big league spring training where he hopes to make ..."
Former trainer tells ESPN he provided steroids to McGwire
Comment
January 23
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"During an interview on ESPN which will air on Sunday, a former trainer convicted of dealing steroids says Mark McGwire told him his goal in taking the steroids was to get "bigger, faster, stronger." Those comments are a direct contradiction to the reasons McGwire has said were behind his decision to use steroids. Curtis Wenzlaff told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" that he supplied McGwire with steroids in the late 1980s and that he has no doubt the steroids contributed to McGwire's home run success. McGwire has said repeatedly in the last two weeks that he took steroids only to help him recover from injuries and that he did not believe there was a connection between using the steroids and his ..."
Adolphus A. Busch IV lambasts Mark McGwire
Comment
January 23
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"A son of former Cardinals owner August Busch Jr. added Friday to the growing wave of criticism surrounding the club's hiring of ex-first baseman Mark McGwire as hitting coach, lambasting the former single-season home run champion's "highly orchestrated apology" regarding steroid use during the majority of his playing career. In an eight-paragraph rebuke of McGwire, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Adolphus A. Busch IV called into question McGwire's confession during Jan. 11 phone interviews withprint outlets, including the Post-Dispatch, and live on MLB Network with host Bob Costas. "But, has no one noticed? McGwire is not apologizing for his deceit, ..."
Outfielder heads to Kansas City
Comment
January 23
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"After 12 seasons, often tumultuous, the Rick Ankiel era has ended with the Cardinals. Seeing limited playing time available to him here in 2010, Ankiel, a free agent for the first time in his career, has elected to take his new outfielding career across the state, where he says he has been told he'll be the center fielder for the Kansas City Royals this season. Ankiel, signed as a pitcher in 1997, agreed to a contract that will pay him a guaranteed $3.25 million this year, with a $6 million mutual option for 2011, pending his passing a physical in Kansas City next week. Now 30 years old, Ankiel hit just .231 with 11 homers and 38 runs batted in last year, never really recovering from ..."
Dealer: McGwire wanted to be 'bigger'
Comment
January 22
ESPN.com
 
"A convicted drug dealer who says he used to supply steroids to former baseball slugger Mark McGwire told ESPN on Thursday that McGwire's goal was to get "bigger, faster, stronger" to improve his performance on the field, contradicting recent statements by McGwire, who said he used the drugs to maintain his health. Curtis Wenzlaff, speaking to ESPN's Outside the Lines, said he feels there is no doubt that the array of drugs he provided McGwire helped him become a more-accomplished home-run hitter. "Will it help you hit a baseball?" Wenzlaff said. "Let me put it to you this way. If Paris Hilton was to take that array, she could run over Dick Butkus." McGwire and the St. Louis Cardinals ..."
Whitey Herzog is latest to make critical remarks about McGwire
Comment
January 22
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Former Cardinals Manager Whitey Herzog criticized Mark McGwire during the 45th annual Red Smith Sports Award Banquet in Appleton, Wis., the Chicago Tribune reported friday. Herzog, who will be inducted into the Baseball hall of Fame in July, said McGwire and other steroid users are lying when they say they used the performance enhancing drugs to remain healthy or recover from injury. He said the drugs are primary reasons that they were often injured. He also was irritated by the fact that some fans at last week's Winter Warm-Up booed Jack Clark, who sharply criticized McGwire after his admission that he used steroids. "The people in St. Louis give Mark McGwire a standing ovation the other ..."
Guillen feels betrayed by McGwire
Comment
January 22
ESPN.com
 
"Ozzie Guillen said he feels betrayed by Mark McGwire's admission that he used performance-enhancing drugs, and the Chicago White Sox manager isn't buying the slugger's contention that they didn't help him hit home runs at a record pace. "That bothered me," Guillen told ESPNChicago.com columnist Melissa Isaacson on Thursday. "First of all, we competed against [McGwire's Oakland teams] in the '90s, and when I saw that, I was like, wow, I could have been in more playoffs, maybe I'd have had the chance to be in the World Series because we had a pretty good ballclub. "When people say, 'I don't know what happened,' we're lying to ourselves. I didn't see anyone doing it, but I know something ..."
Rick Ankiel signs one-year contract plus option with Royals
Comment
January 22
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"The Rick Ankiel era offically came to a close in St. Louis Thursday night when Ankiel agreed to a one-year contract with an option for a second year with the Kansas City Royals. Yahoo Sports reported the deal was worth $3.25 million for 2010 with the mutual option calling for a $6 million salary in 2011. Agent Scott Boras reportedly had been seeking a three-year contract for Ankiel with a guaranteed starting position, but ultimately settled for the smaller contract. Ankiel also has no guarantee of a starting spot in the Kansas City outfield, where the Royals already signed free agent Scott Podsednik this winter to go with incumbents David DeJesus and Jose Guillen. The Royals had been one ..."
Edmonds waits on Cardinals, will consider other team's offers
Comment
January 22
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"When Jim Edmonds told Tony La Russa he wanted to come back and play for the Cardinals this season, he thought he would get a simple yes or no answer. He's found out, however, that it might not be so cut and dried. While Edmonds said in a radio interview on 1380 AM in St. Louis Thursday that he wants to play for the Cardinals, he also revealed that within the first couple of days of the word getting out that he wanted to play in 2010, his agent had heard from three or four other clubs, including the New York Yankees. Now, Edmonds doesn't know what he's going to decide. He knows that the Cardinals have a set outfield and if he does play in St. Louis, he will be a part-time player and a ..."
Penny saved money for Cardinals
Comment
January 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Righthander Brad Penny recently signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals for guaranteed money of $7.5 million with a chance to ascend to $9 million if he pitches just more than 200 innings. On Wednesday, righthander Joel Piñeiro, a 15-game winner for the Cardinals in 2009, agreed to a two-year deal worth an average of $8 million a year with the Los Angeles Angels. On the surface, it seems that these may be similar deals, but the extra year Piñeiro got at roughly $8 million did not figure in the Cardinals' budget. General manager John Mozeliak declined comment Thursday specifically on the Piñeiro signing, but he made it clear that the Cardinals' budget, with three starting pitchers — ..."
Canseco's tattles about steroids were sleazy and self-serving -- and true
Comment
January 22
Chicago Sun-Times
 columnist Rick Morrissey
"It's hard giving credit to a whistleblower who likes to blow his own horn. It's even harder when the whistleblower is Jose Canseco, a man given to levels of self-promotion that would kill laboratory mice. But he was right. He was right about the entire steroids mess in baseball. And he deserves some love for it. This would be a lot easier if he hadn't been a juicer himself, if he weren't such a publicity hound and if he didn't appear to be as self-indulgent as a drum solo. But it really doesn't matter how the messenger is dressed. Canseco was right. There was something almost therapeutic in reading Carlton Fisk's, Jack Clark's and Fergie Jenkins' recent teardowns of Mark McGwire, who has ..."
Fergie Jenkins says McGwire owes apology to pitchers he homered against
Comment
January 22
Dallas Morning News
 
"Ferguson Jenkins says Mark McGwire owes an apology to all pitchers who gave up his home runs. The Hall of Fame ace sent an open letter to The Associated Press this week, telling the former home-run king: "You have not even begun to apologize to those you have harmed." "How many pitchers do you think he ended their careers by hitting numbers of home runs off them?" Jenkins said Wednesday. Jenkins, who pitched with the Rangers in 1974-75, also maintained he would have known how to handle McGwire, who hit a then-record 70 homers in 1998 and followed with 65 the next year. Thirty years ago, Jenkins became one of the first players caught up in baseball's struggles with drug discipline. ..."
Budweiser beer scion Adolphus Busch slams St. Louis Cardinals coach Mark McGwire over steroids
Comment
January 22
New York Daily News
 
"The Budweiser beer scion whose family name graces the stadium where the Cardinals play their home games blasted Mark McGwire as a steroid cheat Thursday, saying the team's new hitting coach "stole its most coveted records along the way." "The highly orchestrated apology by and on behalf of Mark McGwire has reached a point that tests one's tolerance," Adolphus A. Busch IV, the great-great-grandson of the founder of Anheuser-Busch, wrote in a statement. "I suspect I am not alone in my disappointment at McGwire's recent 'clarification' on his use of illegal steroids. "But has no one noticed? McGwire is not apologizing for his deceit, only for the embarrassment that came from his admission of ..."
Pineiro reaches agreement on two-year deal with Angels
Comment
January 21
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Several media outlets reported Wednesday night that free agent and former Cardinal pitcher Joel Pineiro has a new home, reaching agreement on a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The deal reportedly is worth about $8 million a season, or $16 million total, and will not officially be completed until Pineiro passes a physical exam, which could come as early as Thursday. The Angels, who lost ace John Lackey to the Boston Red Sox as a free agent earlier this winter, had not been linked to Pineiro until the last few days with most observers believing that he was headed to either the New York Mets or to Los Angeles' other team, the Dodgers. The 31-year-old Pineiro will ..."
McClellan ready to battle for fifth spot in Cardinals' rotation
Comment
January 21
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Cardinals pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Jupiter, Fla., on Feb 17 for the start of spring training. Kyle McClellan decided to arrive about a month early. McClellan and his wife Bridget left St. Louis Monday on the 1,100-plus mile drive to the Sunshine State and had it not been for the Cardinals Caravan and Winter Warm-Up, they likely would have been there even sooner. "I had to get out of the cold," McClellan said. "You can only play so much long toss at Rams Park." Embracing a challenge to compete for the open fifth starter's spot, McClellan has lost 15 pounds since the season ended while training in St. Louis. Now his training has continued in a new location, the ..."
Jim Edmonds mulling options
Comment
January 21
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Former Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds, a possible Hall of Fame candidate someday, has been working out diligently this offseason and has instructed his agent, Paul Cohen, to see if big-league teams are interested in his services for 2010. One of the teams, in theory, would be the Cardinals, for whom Edmonds starred for eight seasons from 2000-2007, playing on six playoff teams and in two World Series. But is there really a match? General manager John Mozeliak said Wednesday that he and manager Tony La Russa had had discussions just in the previous day or two about tweaking the roster concerning reserves and pitching help but had not drawn any conclusions. "And as we look toward our ..."
Edmonds' eyes not just on Cards
Comment
January 20
MLB.com
 
"Cardinals or not, Jim Edmonds wants to return to the Major Leagues -- period. That's what his longtime agent, Paul Cohen, expressed to FoxSports.com recently, when he told the Web site his 39-year-old client has formally asked him to speak on his behalf "with a series of particular teams about his comeback." "He feels great," Cohen was quoted as saying on Tuesday. "He would love to get back to the playoffs and reach 400 home runs. Those are the two goals he's talking about right now." Cohen told FoxSports.com that Edmonds -- an eight-time Gold Glove center fielder with 382 career home runs -- would consider playing any outfield position or first base. The agent said Edmonds "obviously has ..."
It's a great time to be 'Mo'
Comment
January 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Jeff Gordon
"John Mozeliak is a happy man these days. By getting Ryan Ludwick signed and zeroing in on Skip Schumaker's deal, he is free to spend his remaining budget dollars for this season. He can add the last few pieces the team will take into spring training. In this buyer's market for talent, he has plenty of options -- and all of them are good: * Sign Felipe Lopez. Tony La Russa is still campaigning for one more experienced hitter. Lopez was a terrific late-season addition in 2007, hitting .385 in 43 games. He split last season between Arizona and Milwaukee, hitting .320 and .301 for those teams. Why does this guy have to bounce around, looking for work? Why hasn't somebody offered him a ..."
Ryan Ludwick excited, relieved about new contract with Cardinals
Comment
January 20
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Outfielder Ryan Ludwick did more than just sign autographs at the Winter Warm-Up during his trip to St. Louis over the weekend. Ludwick and the Cardinals spent time finalizing a one-year contract worth $5.45 million for 2010. The deal, which avoids arbitration between the two sides, is a raise of $1.75 million from his $3.7 million salary a year ago. "I talked to them there at the Warm-Up and obviously my agent was in touch with them quite a bit," Ludwick told Globe-Democrat.com Tuesday night. "We just hammered it out and got it done. I'm excited. I'm glad that I am going to be in a Cardinal uniform next year. I am really excited about the opportunities that we have as a team." Ludwick, ..."
Cardinals will work to address problems at Winter Warm-Up
Comment
January 20
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Cardinals' President Bill DeWitt III opened a Monday morning Q&A session with fans at the Winter Warm-Up by asking for a show of hands from those who liked the change of venue from the Millennium Hotel to the Hyatt Regency St. Louis for this year's event. Of the approximately 100 people in the room, only a small handful raised their hands in approval of the Hyatt. DeWitt then asked who preferred previous years when the event was held at the Millennium, prompting a much larger group of hands to go into the air. After 13 years at the Millennium, the Cardinals moved the three-day charitable event to the Hyatt Regency this year. And the reaction hasn't been overwhelming. Fans were faced with ..."
La Russa's visit to Edmonds' restaurant ended year-long feud
Comment
January 20
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"If Jim Edmonds does return to the Cardinals, it might be because of a visit Manager Tony La Russa made to Edmonds' F15teen Steakhouse and Lounge last September. Edmonds and La Russa had not spoken for more than a year before La Russa learned that the former outfielder was hosting a party at the restaurant to celebrate its second anniversary. Many of Edmonds' former St. Louis teammates were invited, as were members of the Cubs, who were in town playing the Cardinals. La Russa had not been invited, but showed up anyway, bringing a bottle of wine as a congratulatory gift. Witnesses said Edmonds had his back turned when La Russa arrived, and his former manager walked up and tapped him on the ..."
Cardinals agree on contract with Ryan Ludwick
Comment
January 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals reached agreement Tuesday with right fielder Ryan Ludwick on a one-year, $5.45 million contract that will allow the parties to avoid a potential salary arbitration hearing next month. Resolving Ludwick's contract leaves second baseman Skip Schumaker as the only Cardinal to seek arbitration. The parties exchanged figures Tuesday, with the club offering $1.45 million and Schumaker seeking $2.75 million. Schumaker made $430,000 last year. "There are still some question marks" on how close a deal with Schumaker is, general manager John Mozeliak said. "It is nice to have Luddy done." Though the difference in the bids presented by the club and Schumaker appears daunting, both sides ..."
Cardinals' Albert Pujols is using his power
Comment
January 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Bryan Burwell
"When he was still a young man in the process of nurturing his burgeoning legend, we thought the entire source of Albert Pujols' power came off the meat of his bat. Yet now that the Cardinals slugger has become baseball's undisputed, preeminent star, we're just now discovering what Albert seems to already know all too well: There is swelling strength in his voice, too. The words Pujols has kept uttering over the past year or so concerning his undetermined financial future are starting to sound very much like he's a man with a rather intelligent plan. Call it the Pujols Insurance Policy. Is it possible that with his reluctance to put his name on any quickie contract extension, the three-time ..."
Ludwick, Cards agree to one-year contract
Comment
January 19
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"The Cardinals announced on Tuesday morning that they have come to terms with outfielder Ryan Ludwick on a one-year contract for 2010. The deal avoids arbitration between the two sides. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Ludwick, who hit .265 with 22 home runs and 97 RBIs last year, will earn more than $5 million in 2010 after making $3.7 million a season ago. "We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Ryan," Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak said in a statement. "Ryan has proven to be a steady run-producer for our ballclub for the past two-plus seasons and we look forward to another strong season from him in 2010." The deal leaves Skip Schumaker as the only ..."
La Russa defends legacy despite steroid stain
Comment
January 19
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa spent nearly 40 minutes talking to the media on Monday afternoon and almost all of it was about new hitting coach Mark McGwire. Talking for more than six times as long as McGwire did during a short and chaotic hallway interview with reporters on Sunday afternoon, La Russa defended his own legacy as a manager despite the admitted steroid use by two of his players – McGwire and Jose Canseco. "I think there are going to be a lot of people that may want to judge it," La Russa said of his legacy. "Whatever their opinions are, that's what it is. All I say is, my legacy is tied to teams. So I think much more about the players over those years that were ..."
Cardinals will discuss possibility of bringing back Jim Edmonds
Comment
January 19
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"What Manager Tony La Russa thought was intended to be a joke might turn out to be the answer to the Cardinals' quest for outfield depth and a lefthanded bat to come off the bench this season. La Russa said Monday he found out Sunday night that former Cardinal Jim Edmonds was serious in saying he wanted to play again this season, and do it with the Cardinals. Until that point, La Russa thought Edmonds had simply been teasing him as the two exchanged text messages over the past few days. Edmonds, however, came on stage at the end of La Russa's fundraising event for his Animal Rescue Foundation at Chaifetz Arena and said he would play for free, a statement he later amended to say he would ..."
Pujols ready to talk contract, hopes to finish career in St. Louis
Comment
January 19
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Albert Pujols said Monday that he is ready to talk with the St. Louis Cardinals about a contract extension, adding that he would give the club a hometown discount if it meant a chance to compete for a World Series title. Speaking at a news conference before he signed autographs at the Winter Warm-Up, Pujols reiterated his desire to sign an extension to stay in St. Louis – if the two sides can get a deal worked out in time. Pujols, who hit .327 with 47 home runs and 135 RBIs in 2009, said he won't negotiate an extension during the season. "Whenever they are ready to talk, me and my agent - we will be ready to talk," Pujols said. "But I don't want to bring that distraction into a season ..."
Awards, zingers are on the menu at annual Baseball Writers' dinner
Comment
January 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The annual Baseball Writers' dinner serves a two-fold purpose: to present awards to players for the previous season and to let everyone take shots at everybody else. "Welcome back to the Dean Martin roast," said broadcaster John Rooney, the event's master of ceremonies. So there was manager Tony La Russa and his players kidding the writers who cover the team — "I don't pay much attention to the writers," Skip Schumaker said while receiving the team's Darryl Kile Award — and the writers kidding, well, La Russa. (And one oblique reference to Matt Holliday and a certain fly ball.) The biggest award was given to Albert Pujols, who received his third National League Most Valuable Player Award. ..."
What a mess with McGwire
Comment
January 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Bryan Burwell
"We have seen this all before, but that doesn't make it any more palatable to digest. We saw it several years ago in San Francisco when the surly sycophants jeered anyone who had the audacity to say something bad about their beloved anti-hero Barry Bonds. We saw it again last summer in Southern California, when giddy and oblivious Dodgers fans treated Manny Ramirez like he was a funky rock star rather than the goofy drug cheat that he really was. We witnessed the Mannyworld Traveling Circus and Rehab Tour up close and personal, and it was both disturbing and wildly amusing; it was a crazy, mixed-up carnival of the most absurd baseball worshipers you ever did see, every last one of them ..."
La Russa on the Hall of Fame
Comment
January 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"During a news conference that became a defense of all that Mark McGwire has said publicly on his use of steroids, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa conceded that his legacy as a manager is intertwined with what he called a "confusing era" in baseball. The Cardinals manager said he didn't know what to do with the numbers from the so-called steroid era and the performances of admitted users such as McGwire and another former Oakland A's star, Jose Canseco. He also said he doubts the sluggers from that era will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. "It's really the great unknown about that whole era," La Russa said. "It is definitely a stain. It's proven that there were a lot of users whether they ..."
Edmonds makes clear he's eager to return
Comment
January 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"During intermission Sunday at Tony La Russa's benefit concert for his Animal Rescue Foundation, former Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds was backstage, greeting the musicians and chatting with Mark McGwire. Asked if he might visit spring training this year, Edmonds said, "I hear No. 15 is available." He wasn't joking. Edmonds went public with his wish to attempt a comeback with the Cardinals, jumping on stage with La Russa at the end of that night's concert to say he'd play for the minimum for a shot at a return. What had started with a few text messages that La Russa thought was a joke has blossomed into a conversation Cardinals management will have in the coming days: Is there room on ..."
Pujols is open to idea of entering free agency
Comment
January 19
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals are about to learn that Albert Pujols can be a very patient man. Mixing support for new hitting coach Mark McGwire with answers about his future, the three-time NL Most Valuable Player insists he remains in no hurry to discuss a long-term contract extension and is open to the possibility of pursuing free agency after the 2011 season. "My timetable is when I'm a free agent," Pujols said before sitting for a two-hour autograph session Monday at the Winter Warm-Up. "Right now, we've got a couple years. I don't need to worry about that right now. Right now, my job is to let my agent do the talking. We're open to talking about it. But I tell you: When the season starts, we're not ..."
Albert Pujols in No Rush for Extension
Comment
January 18
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals first baseman and three-time NL Most Valuable Player Albert Pujols told a media gathering this afternoon that he feels no urgency to negotiate a contract extension with the club, adding that he will not carry any pending talks into the season. "My timetable is when I'm a free agent," said Pujols, who is eligible for free agency after the 2011 season. "Right now we've got a couple years. I don't need to worry about that right now. Right now my job is to let my agent [Dan Lozano] do my talking…. We're open to talk about it. But I tell you: When the season starts we're not talking about it." Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and president Bill DeWitt III have listed making Pujols "a Cardinal ..."
La Russa excited for 15th year in St. Louis
Comment
January 18
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Cardinals manager Tony La Russa made his first appearance at the Winter Warm-Up on Sunday - albeit an hour later than originally scheduled – during a Q&A session in front of hundreds of fans on the main stage. La Russa touched on several items, including David Freese's chances of being the Opening Day starter at third base. "The best thing for David will be if we can create some competition at third base," La Russa said. "Colby (Rasmus) came to camp last year and was not guaranteed a spot on the team. He had to come out and work very hard. When he got the spot he knew he had earned it and his teammates knew he had earned it." The Cardinals' manager talked more about Rasmus, saying he hoped ..."
Freese shows remorse for DWI arrest, hopes to win starting spot
Comment
January 18
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"David Freese said all the right things on Sunday afternoon in showing remorse over a December arrest for driving while intoxicated. But actions speak louder than words and Freese knows he now has a lot to prove to teammates, coaches, management and even Cardinals fans. Speaking for the first time in St. Louis since being pulled over and arrested in the early hours of Dec 12 in Maryland Heights, Freese said he was taking the necessary steps to ensure that a similar event doesn't happen again. "It's an embarrassing and humiliating experience for me, my family, our organization," Freese said. "They have high demands for you as a person on and off the field and I have to learn from it, which I ..."