Cardinals News

McGwire's mum return
Comment
November 7
Washington Times
 columnist Dick Heller
"The sadly misguided St. Louis Cardinals have hired Mark McGwire as a hitting coach for 2010. The question is, why in the name of Stan the Man do they want him? No matter how good he might be in the role - and I suspect not very - let's call it a Cardinal sin. Look at the record, as political challengers like to say. For 16 seasons in the bigs, Big Mac batted a very ordinary .263. This included such stellar averages as .231, .235 and .201 for the Oakland Athletics from 1989 to 1991 and .187 in 2001, his last season with the Cardinals. But what about those 70 home runs in 1998 and 583 lifetime? Ay, there's the rub, as Willie Shakespeare (or his designated ghost) might say. We don't know for ..."
Eight teams that will go Holliday shopping
Comment
November 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"One of the biggest names available in baseball's free-agent market this winter is Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday, who is expected to apply for free agency within the next week. The All-Star and former batting champ is certain to draw suitors from both leagues and both coasts. But bargain hunters and penny-pinchers need not try. He's available to the discerning (read: well-financed) consumer only. Some franchises that have the need and the financial wherewithal to do some Holliday shopping: Cardinals • The local club paid a healthy price in prospects to land Holliday, thinking his bat would get them to the playoffs (check) and their culture would win him over long-term (TBD). They ..."
Matt Holliday a prize as MLB free agency begins
Comment
November 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals have 15 days all to themselves to woo Matt Holliday, the free-agent outfielder the club publicly has called a "high priority" to re-sign. But the Cardinals are pragmatic about the real value of an eleventh-hour sales pitch before Holliday and the other free agents hit the open market in two weeks. That's what the previous three months were for. "We need to spend some time with Matt and his agent and share what our vision is, what we have to offer, and at some point I'm sure we will," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. "But at the same time, that's part of why we traded for him, to get him here, and at some point you'd think he has a pretty good idea of what we have ..."
Tony La Russa not surprised at Joe Girardi's success
Comment
November 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals manager Tony La Russa laughed Thursday when he was told that Joe Girardi, manager of the New York Yankees, had said he chose to wear No. 27 because he wanted the Yankees to win a 27th World Series title, just as La Russa had chosen 10 in St. Louis. In 2006, some 10 years after La Russa had taken charge, the Cardinals indeed finally did win a 10th title. La Russa recalled Girardi as a backup catcher for his 2003 team and said, "He really could have managed then. "He had a really good career as a catcher. He had played for Joe (Torre). I was really impressed with him for the year he was with us. He was as advertised." La Russa said Girardi, who won the World Series in his second ..."
St. Louis Cardinals part ways with Brad Thompson
Comment
November 5
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals began a day of fall housekeeping Wednesday with a scrubdown of their 40-man roster that included the release of middle reliever Brad Thompson. In order to create more space on the roster, the Cardinals moved infielder Joe Thurston and reliever Matt Scherer to the Class AAA Memphis roster, and they lost infielder Jarrett Hoffpauir to Toronto via waivers. Thompson, 27, would have had his second crack at arbitration this winter, and the Cardinals opted to set him loose as a free agent now rather than wait for the deadline to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players. The moves give the Cardinals 36 players on their 40-man roster, including players like Matt Holliday, John ..."
Cardinals release Brad Thompson, make roster trims
Comment
November 4
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"In an attempt to cleanup their 40-man roster for the offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals made a series of moves this morning that included releasing reliever Brad Thompson. The roster moves started last night with Jarrett Hoffpauir being picked up off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Cardinals also moved infielder Joe Thurston and reliever Matt Scherer to the Triple-A Memphis roster. The official name of the transaction is called "outrighting" the two players to the Class AAA affiliate. All four moves have been done to make room on the 40-man roster."
Aaron shows he's fan of Pujols
Comment
November 2
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"If the Cardinals' season had progressed to the point that many had thought, first baseman Albert Pujols would have been on hand before Game 4 of the World Series in St. Louis to personally accept the Hank Aaron award for offensive excellence in the National League. But the Cardinals didn't win any playoff games, Pujols had another elbow operation recently and, with that reason being cited by Major League Baseball, Pujols was not on hand Sunday night to receive his second Aaron award. New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who has some unfinished business in Philadelphia, was on hand to accept the American League award. The award winners are derived from online fan balloting. Pujols had ..."
For Mark McGwire and baseball's other steroid cheats the truth would be a hit
Comment
November 1
New York Daily News
 columnist Mike Lupica
"If Alex Rodriguez is on his way to getting the key to the city because of the way he hits this October, then Tony La Russa can bring Mark McGwire back as a coach in St. Louis. McGwire can teach the Cardinals about hitting the way he said he was going to teach kids about the evils of performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez admitted to steroid use last spring, finally held a press conference at Legends Field, Tampa, with his teammates looking on. Andy Pettitte gave the same kind of press conference one spring training before that, talking about what he said were just a couple of uses of human growth hormone. Were these full confessions? They weren't. They never are. Do you really believe that ..."
Pujols wants to stay in STL
Comment
October 30
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Bryan Burwell
"The last time we saw him, Albert Pujols didn't say a word. It was nearly three weeks ago, a little more than an hour after his season had come to an abrupt halt when the Cardinals were swept unceremoniously out of the postseason. All around the Cardinals clubhouse, players milled about expressing the awkward regret that always comes when a great season ends far too soon. But we never got to hear what was on Pujols' mind because he slipped almost unnoticed out the clubhouse door, down the back hallway and out of Busch Stadium with an orange and green bag draped over his shoulder before a TV minicam or digital recorder could get close. Finally, on Thursday morning — 19 days after his season ..."
MLB commissioner Selig backs McGwire's return to game
Comment
October 30
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Usually, Bud Selig dances around issues. He offers polite responses to the issues concerning his commissionership, though they are not always clear, and they often are rambling.Will there be more replay? No . . . probably.Will the postseason ever end earlier? No . . . probably.How does he feel about the return to baseball of Mark McGwire?Strongly, for a change.Selig offered a fiery endorsement of McGwire's return next season as the hitting coach for Tony La Russa and the Cardinals.Always a favorite of Selig's, Big Mac was baseball's gigantic messiah in the poststrike years in the 1990s, then became its shrunken pariah after he was linked to use of substances that were not even banned when ..."
Pujols Clears Up Contract Speculation, Praises McGwire
Comment
October 29
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Appearing on St. Louis sports station WXOS 101.1 FM on Thursday morning, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols was asked to explain comments made during an interview in the Dominican Republic. In the interview, Pujols suggested he was in no hurry to sign a contract extension with the Cardinals. "I'm not desperate to sign a contract extension. I still have one year remaining in my contract for 2010 and a club option for 2011. I leave the rest in God's hands," Pujols told Dominican radio station CDN 92.5 FM. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said he was "surprised" by Pujols' stance, given that the Cardinals had repeatedly expressed an interest in opening negotiations with Pujols this winter. ..."
St. Louis Cardinals face questions about back of 2010 rotation
Comment
October 29
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan has arrived at an answer for the most immediate question confronting his starting rotation this offseason. He knows what would be the most-fitting result for the National League Cy Young Award. He wants a tie. "It's almost impossible to choose between Adam (Wainwright) and Chris (Carpenter)," Duncan said this week from his offseason home. "I'm hoping, even though I know it's unlikely, that when the votes are counted they both get the same amount.""
Fired St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach McRae is ready to move on
Comment
October 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Describing himself as "not a rehash guy," Hal McRae on Tuesday admitted disappointment but offered no regrets over his firing as Cardinals hitting coach, a move largely inspired by the hiring of Mark McGwire to the post. "The way I look at it is, it was a good five years. It was a good place to work for five years," McRae said from his home in Bradenton, Fla.. "The city is great. The organization is one of the best. I don't have any regrets other than us not finishing well. It was a good year. It just ended badly." Manager Tony La Russa told McRae last Friday that his contract would not be renewed for a sixth season with the organization. A short time before, McGwire had accepted La ..."
McGwire must learn a new game in order to regain his standing with public
Comment
October 28
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Gary Peterson
"to partake of the buzz he helped create. If someone could have found a way to play baseball in a bell jar, you sense he would've loved that - just him and the game, with no buildup or after-party. But it wasn't that way, and isn't today. Thus, he returns to a game and fans curious to hear what he's got to say for himself. Because the last time they saw him, at the height of the steroids witch hunt, he was melting down before a congressional panel. Look, there's no getting around it. It is widely presumed McGwire used performance-enhancing drugs during his career. We know he used andro in 1998 - a banned substance now, but not then - on his way to breaking Roger Maris' single-season home ..."
Return to baseball is good for Big Mac
Comment
October 27
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Full disclosure - What type? How much? When? - might be too much to ask, but it's amazing what a partial admission gets you. It got Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi and some Mitchell Report names breathing room even though none publicly came clean before he was outed. In contrast, those who resisted dug themselves deeper holes: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro and McGwire's old pal, Sammy Sosa. A 583-homer career normally prompts an automatic Hall of Fame induction, but McGwire has received less than 25 percent of the votes (75 percent is needed) three straight years largely because of the widespread belief he cheated, like many others in his era, and refused to ..."
Reaction from Bud Selig, MLB commissioner
Comment
October 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, a fan of Mark McGwire's when the latter broke the major-league home run record and thereafter, too, said Monday he "was delighted that Mark's coming back to the game," as the Cardinals' new hitting coach. Speaking by telephone from his office in Milwaukee, Selig said, "I give (manager) Tony La Russa a lot of credit and (chairman) Bill DeWitt a lot of credit for making this happen. I was — and am — very supportive of their decision. I wish everybody well. "When Mark was there, I had a lot of affection and admiration for him." Selig said that DeWitt and the Cardinals had called him recently about a potential McGwire announcement — and about the retention for ..."
Schumaker heavily endorses McGwire
Comment
October 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"At the urging of manager Tony La Russa, Cardinals leadoff hitter Skip Schumaker accepted an invitation several years ago for a private workout with Mark McGwire. As Schumaker drove toward the first lesson, he was nervous. McGwire was his hero, his favorite ballplayer growing up. He collected McGwire baseball cards, for goodness sake. But McGwire also was ... a slugger. "I didn't know how this was going to work. He's a 6-foot-5, 220-something-pound man, and I'm just a little leadoff hitter," Schumaker recalled Monday. "But hitting is hitting. There's a good hitting position for everyone. That was one of the things he stressed. I didn't know what to expect, and here it has turned into this ..."
It's good to have Big Mac back
Comment
October 27
Houston Chronicle
 columnist Richard Justice
"Mark McGwire and I were standing in a hallway outside the visitors' clubhouse at Minute Maid Park late in the 2001 season. Our conversation rings in my ears eight years later. We talked mostly about the Sept. 11 attacks, about how he'd been addicted to the coverage and haunted by the horrific nature of the event, how he was trying to figure out a way to help. McGwire's eyes welled as he spoke of the children who lost parents, the men and women who lost spouses. He knew our nation had been changed forever. "I don't think I understand it yet," he said. This was the Mark McGwire I'd come to know during my time covering major league baseball. He was emotional and passionate, caring and ..."
Fed who led steroid probe questions Mark McGwire's return to St. Louis Cardinals as hitting coach
Comment
October 27
New York Daily News
 
"The FBI agent who led a landmark steroid investigation said investigators obtained information that former home run king Mark McGwire - who is ending a self-imposed exile to return to the St. Louis Cardinals as the team's hitting coach - had used performance-enhancing drugs in the early 1990s. "We had information, after Operation Equine had finished, that we believed to be credible info that McGwire did in fact use steroids," now-retired FBI agent Greg Stejskal told the Daily News Monday. "And then you look at the physical changes. Based on a certain amount of expertise, his physical development would indicate steroid use." At a news conference on Monday in St. Louis to announce that Tony ..."
Will Mac truly step up to plate?
Comment
October 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Tony La Russa had chronically hedged for the previous week regarding his intention to return for a 15th season as Cardinals manager. It wasn't until the club announced his return Monday to a one-year deal worth about $4.5 million plus incentives that he spilled the truth. Hastily constructing a mental timeline during a Busch Stadium press conference, La Russa acknowledged approaching former Redbirds first baseman Mark McGwire on Oct. 19 about replacing Hal McRae as the team's hitting coach. The invitation signaled an end to La Russa's wrangling over whether to return; it also set in motion events that led to Big Mac's return to uniform eight years after he abruptly faxed word of his ..."
Mets not interested in Lackey or Bradley; Holliday tops their list
Comment
October 26
SI.com
 (scroll down)
"The Mets don't seem inclined to pursue top free-agent pitcher John Lackey, who will surely shoot for a $100 million-plus contract in light of A.J. Burnett's $82.5 million deal. They do want to add a solid starting pitcher (they may try a do-over on Randy Wolf), but their big-ticket target is most likely going to be a left fielder. Matt Holliday is believed to top their list, though Jason Bay will certainly suffice. Bobby Abreu is another top free-agent outfielder, while Carl Crawford could be available in trade. The Mets have no interest in taking on Milton Bradley's problems."
La Russa: "This is the time for Mark to join our club"
Comment
October 26
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Saying that he doesn't know how many more years he has left before he steps out of the dugout and away from managing in the major leagues, Tony La Russa said he wanted to spend at least one year of his career with a favorite player as one of his coaches. "Mark McGwire is going to be our hitting coach," La Russa said this morning in a press conference at Busch Stadium. "He's a very special talent." The St. Louis Cardinals scheduled the press conference to announce that La Russa will be returning to the club for a 15th season. GM John Mozeliak said La Russa agreed to a one-year contract, and he and La Russa announced that the coaching staff will return, with one exception. Hitting coach Hal ..."
La Russa returning; McGwire joining him
Comment
October 26
MLB.com
 
"Continuing a winning formula, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa will return for a 15th season at the helm of the reigning National League Central champions. La Russa was reintroduced at a news conference at Busch Stadium on Monday, where it was announced that he has agreed to a one-year contract with an option for 2011. However, La Russa may not have been the biggest story at his own news conference. As the the manager spoke about his decision, he confirmed that Mark McGwire will replace Hal McRae as Cardinals hitting coach. That will be the only change to La Russa's staff, as all of the other coaches -- including pitching coach Dave Duncan -- will return. "I don't know how many years I have ..."
McGwire back in baseball?
Comment
October 26
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Yes, "report," from the German for "Believe nothing until further notice," but with Tony La Russa close to re-upping in St. Louis to manage the Cardinals for his 32nd year as a major-league skipper (meaning he has done so for nearly half his life) comes a rumor that McGwire will replace Hal McRae as hitting coach. This is fascinating news, as it essentially means that McGwire has decided to end his self-exile from public life, go through the period of self-flagellation demanded by the nation and its high-minded representatives, and then return to the game he once loved and perhaps loves again. It is good news too, that is, if the report is true and not one of those Favre-ian false starts ..."
La Russa stays put; McGwire to join his staff
Comment
October 26
Contra Costa Times
 
"Tony La Russa will announce today his return as St. Louis Cardinals manager along with the surprise addition of Mark McGwire, the former home run king, who will end an eight-year, self-imposed exile from the game to become the team's hitting coach. La Russa, 65, has agreed to come back for at least a 15th season as the team's skipper after taking two weeks to weigh the factors that contributed to the Cardinals' abrupt, offensively challenged exit from the postseason in a three-game division series sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of those factors apparently led to Friday's move to sever ties with hitting coach Hal McRae and to install McGwire, who played under La Russa with the A's ..."
McGwire's return to Cardinals as hitting coach makes sense
Comment
October 26
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Mark McGwire was without a hitting-coach portfolio as yet when he offered his first professional assessment in the spring of 2001, McGwire's last year with the Cardinals as a player. Approaching manager Tony La Russa, who appears finally to have worn down McGwire to return to the game, this time as the Cardinals' hitting coach, McGwire all but demanded that La Russa keep a swarthy, 21-year-old Dominican Republic native on his roster for that season. Even though Albert Pujols had played just one season in professional baseball, including only 14 regular-season at-bats in Class AAA."
La Russa will return to Cardinals in '10, McGwire to join?
Comment
October 25
ESPN.com
 
"Tony La Russa is returning to the St. Louis Cardinals as manager on a multiyear contract, sources told ESPN's Buster Olney, but there will be at least one change to his coaching staff. Sources said Hal McRae, the team's hitting coach, has been fired -- and the leading candidate to replace him is Mark McGwire, the former Cardinals slugger. The 65-year-old La Russa has been mulling his future since the NL Central champion Cardinals were swept in the division series by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 10. His two-year, $8.5 million contract expires at the end of the month."
St. Louis Cardinals buoyed by Albert Pujols surgery
Comment
October 25
Chicago Tribune
 
"The Cardinals were hugely relieved when Albert Pujols (above) needed surgery only to remove bone chips and debris from his right elbow, not Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament. They believe his elbow was a big factor in his going 89 at-bats without a home run to end the season, even though Pujols wouldn't use it as an excuse. The Cardinals may not have as tumultuous of an offseason as it appeared they might, as free-agent manager Tony La Russa is leaning toward returning for his 15th season. The decision could be announced before the World Series."
La Russa says he's close to decision on whether to return as St. Louis Cardinals manager
Comment
October 25
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Technically still in limbo, Tony La Russa on Saturday said he is "speeding to a conclusion" regarding a decision whether to return for a 15th year as Cardinals manager. La Russa insisted he has not yet discussed a contract with team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.; however, sources familiar with the situation believe a formal announcement is likely early this week confirming La Russa's return. Said La Russa, scheduled to arrive in St. Louis in time to attend tonight's Bruce Springsteen concert: "I'm coming to an understanding of what I'm doing and intend to get it settled one way or the other shortly." La Russa, whose current two-year deal expires Oct. 31, said he has stayed in almost daily ..."
Cardinals stand pat with their bullpen
Comment
October 23
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals' uncommon decision to bring back almost all of the bullpen next season for a return engagement starts at the end. For them closer is not a question this winter. "I think Ryan Franklin is a quality closer," manager Tony La Russa said the day after the Cardinals' elimination from the playoffs. "I think he'll work hard all winter and come in and be ready to put (together) another season like he had." General manager John Mozeliak echoed his manager, saying the veteran Franklin, a rookie closer in 2009, is their ninth-inning answer for 2010. No doubt. Franklin is the anchor of a relief corps that, by design, will see little turnover from this season to next. Franklin and lefty ..."
Cards need a 'yes' from La Russa
Comment
October 23
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Bryan Burwell
"In so many towns across the Major League Baseball landscape, the idea of the annual postseason ritual of fretting over the local manager's immediate future is standard autumn dreaming. Or better yet, an all-too-common nightmare. Most of the time, any agonizing has to do with management deciding whether to give the guy a gentle nudge out the door or a full-scale kick to the curb. In this silly season, general managers and owners spend exhausting hours trying to foresee the future or evaluate the not-so-distant past: Is this the guy who can turn things around or is this the guy who's already proved he's in way over his head? Is this the manager we really want in charge of our future, or is ..."
Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa nears decision
Comment
October 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Tony La Russa has been home a week now, leaving behind a cleaned-out office while taking along the bitter aftertaste of a hasty, forced postseason exit. It's been 11 days since the Los Angeles Dodgers sent the Cardinals manager into self-examination of what's important, what's old and what might lay ahead. With less than two weeks remaining on the two-year deal he accepted shortly before Halloween 2007, La Russa explained Wednesday he is not finished with his introspection about whether he will return as manager next season but that he has reached its final chapters. "It won't be long," La Russa offered during a break from a planning session at his Animal Rescue Foundation in Danville, ..."
Cardinals are upbeat about Albert Pujols' surgery
Comment
October 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Once inside Albert Pujols' right elbow, doctors decided not to reconstruct the MVP's torn ligament, choosing instead a procedure the club hopes will end the annual suspense about the valuable elbow's health. Pujols had several bone spurs and loose bone chips removed from his elbow Wednesday morning by Dr. James Andrews at his office in Birmingham, Ala. Pujols is expected to begin his rehab next week in St. Louis. The Cardinals described the arthroscopic surgery as a "success," but are going to wait to monitor their first baseman's immediate progress before mapping his return. "The outlook is very positive," general manager John Mozeliak said. "He should be able to resume baseball ..."
Pujols' elbow surgery a 'success'
Comment
October 21
MLB.com
 
"The Cardinals announced that Albert Pujols underwent arthroscopic surgery on his problematic right elbow on Wednesday. In a statement, the club referred to the procedure as "a success." Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery in Birmingham, Ala., with Cardinals head team physician Dr. George Paletta present. According to the statement, Pujols underwent both debridment -- or cleanup -- of bone spurs on his elbow and removal of bone chips from the joint. It was determined during the operation that Pujols does not currently require "Tommy John" reconstructive surgery in his elbow. He has a significant injury to the ulnar collateral ligament in the joint, but has dealt with it since 2003 ..."
St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols set on surgery for elbow
Comment
October 21
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Apparently, it was the elbow after all. After denying for weeks that his fragile right elbow contributed to a career-long late-season power fade, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery today in Birmingham, Ala., to remove bone chips from the area. The finding was made Tuesday following Pujols' visit to noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews and, according to club officials, called for the removal of no fewer than five chips. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak called today's "a small procedure" that should not jeopardize Pujols' availability next spring training. "We're very relieved it wasn't major surgery," Mozeliak said, referring to ligament ..."
St. Louis Cardinals ponder how Molina can catch more breaks
Comment
October 21
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"It took a brutally accurate foul ball to knock catcher Yadier Molina out of the game the night the Cardinals clinched, but his rare absence turned into rarefied moment for his backup, Jason LaRue. LaRue hit the pivotal home run against Colorado that snapped a tie and clinched the Cardinals' playoff berth, a first for him. Celebration ensued. Asked that Sept. 26 night about the severity of Molina's bruised kneecap, manager Tony La Russa nodded toward the champagne-soaked clubhouse. "I saw him bouncing around in there," La Russa said. It would be five days before Molina started a game, and he wouldn't finish a start until the playoffs. The deep bruise on his left knee was only the most ..."
Pujols set on surgery for elbow
Comment
October 21
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Apparently, it was the elbow after all. After denying for weeks that his fragile right elbow contributed to a career-long late-season power fade, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols is scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery today in Birmingham, Ala., to remove bone chips from the area. The finding was made Tuesday following Pujols' visit to noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews and, according to club officials, called for the removal of no fewer than five chips. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak called today's "a small procedure" that should not jeopardize Pujols' availability next spring training. "We're very relieved it wasn't major surgery," Mozeliak said, referring to ligament ..."
Cards' options at third will start with Freese
Comment
October 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Last season third base represented the Cardinals' greatest offensive frustration. Next season the position provides a most obvious choice between pricey experience and more economic potential. Only a week has passed since team Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., general manager John Mozeliak, manager Tony La Russa and La Russa's coaching staff shared space for a two-hour organization meeting. Little was set in stone during the session but initial indications suggest the club will provide rookie David Freese the opportunity that circumstance denied him last winter. "We have to look at the make-up of our club and how everything comes together between now and next spring.. But given the second half ..."
No deal! Pujols, Jackson have to stay
Comment
October 20
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Jeff Gordon
"Slugger Albert Pujols essentially has two years left on his current Cardinals deal, a final contract year plus a team option year the franchise would exercise. Running back Steven Jackson is in the second year of a six-year, $44 million contract with the Rams. Some Cards fans believe their club should deal Pujols this winter, while his trade value is at its peak. Some Rams fans believe their club should move Jackson, if not by Tuesday's trade deadline -- a tricky proposition, due to salary cap rules -- then after the season. Both proposals come up often on my live chats at STLtoday.com. Sports fans love to propose blockbuster trades, even if the deals could prove ruinous to their teams. ..."
Thirty-fifth anniversary of Tommy John surgery
Comment
October 19
Kansas City Star
 
"This spring, there were a lot of questions surrounded Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter. Carpenter, the 2005 Cy Young Award winner, had helped the Cardinals win the 2006 World Series. But he made just four starts in 2007 and '08 combined. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2007, he missed most of 2008 before returning to the mound. But that comeback was cut short by a nerve problem in the back of his right shoulder. "I'm confident in the way that I feel," Carpenter told reporters in March. "I'm confident that I'm going to be fine and I'm going to go out and pitch and be successful just like I always have. But after so many ups and downs in the last two years, there's at times ..."
St. Louis Cardinals in bad spot with Albert Pujols
Comment
October 18
Baltimore Sun
 
"When Albert Pujols went a career-worst 89 at-bats without a home run to end an MVP performance in 2009, it was shocking. But it also may have been more. It may have been the beginning of the end for him in St. Louis. The time may be coming, faster than Cardinals fans could dream, when general manager John Mozeliak may have to do the unthinkable - solicit trade offers, most likely from the Red Sox, Yankees or Mets. Pujols, baseball's best player in the last decade, left Busch Stadium without talking to reporters last weekend. But in the little bit of communication he has had since then, he has raised doubts about his desire to spend his career with the Cardinals. In an interview with a ..."
La Russa in no rush to commit to managing in '10
Comment
October 18
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist John Shea
"Albert Pujols, the league's best hitter, is returning. So are Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, two of the league's top three starting pitchers. Dave Duncan, pitching coach/faithful lieutenant whose issues with the front office apparently were ironed out, would be back on board. Tony La Russa has a nice gig awaiting him in St. Louis - if he decides to manage again. Third all-time in wins behind Connie Mack and John McGraw, La Russa doesn't have a contract for 2010. He said he'll take time before deciding whether to accept a standing offer to manage a 15th season with the Cardinals. It's widely assumed in St. Louis he'll sign one more multiyear deal, but La Russa tends not to jump into a ..."
Schumaker settled in at second
Comment
October 18
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"After years of habitually rotating middle infielders, the Cardinals have called off the carousel and settled on a second baseman. All it took was an outfielder. This week, Skip Schumaker, the Cardinals' transplanted second baseman, will report for duty at his usual winter workouts. But he's asked his trainer/taskmaster, LA County SWAT member Jim Moss, to shift the emphasis of his grueling drills. Schumaker is no longer thinking only like an outfielder - which is to say, thinking mostly like a hitter - and wants to prepare his body better for a season spent lunging for grounders and hurdling baserunners. "I have to do more infield-specific stuff," Schumaker said from his offseason home in ..."
Tony La Russa can bide his time waiting for next managing gig
Comment
October 18
Chicago Tribune
 
"With Joe Torre, Bobby Cox and Lou Piniella saying they don't plan to manage after their contracts end in 2010, it makes sense for Tony La Russa (right) to return to the Cardinals with a one-year contract or even sit out a season. In addition to the Dodgers, Braves and Cubs, the Mets job also could open within the next year. ... The sell-off of talent after John Moores' divorce forced him to sell the Padres is taking the buzz off these playoffs for fans of the Dodgers, a franchise being referred to as "community property" by attorney Dennis Wasser, who represents Jamie McCourt in a potential divorce from Frank McCourt. ... The White Sox should consider finding work for respected infield ..."
Albert Pujols' comments surprise St. Louis Cardinals
Comment
October 16
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Albert Pujols finished the 2009 season in much the same way as his previous eight seasons: as the major leagues' most productive, most consistent player. The Cardinals first baseman ended up with 47 home runs, 135 RBIs and a .327 average, extending the conversation regarding a possible Triple Crown run into September. Pujols won the home run title, remarkably only the second time in his career that he has led the National League in a Triple Crown category. Continuing a sense of sameness, Pujols is expected to earn a second consecutive and third overall Most Valuable Player award when results of balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America are announced next month. However, ..."
Cardinals' MVP Pujols "not desperate" for extension
Comment
October 15
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The St. Louis Cardinals, spearheaded by chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., have stated that a chief goal of this offsesaon is to address the contract of MVP and team icon Albert Pujols. General manager John Mozeliak recently said discussing an extension with Pujols, whose contract expires after a team option for 2011, is "viewed as a priority." Pujols, in an interview with a Dominican Republic radio station, implied it isn't a front-burner topic for him. The Cardinals first baseman said he is "not desperate" to negotiate with the Cardinals, and that he would "leave it in God's hands." This has been taken in some reports as a rejection of the Cardinals' plan, but that appears to be a reach when ..."
St. Louis Cardinals' Dave Duncan says he'll return if Tony La Russa does
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October 14
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Confident that organizational lines of communication will improve, Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan said Tuesday he is prepared to return to the club for a 15th season should Tony La Russa do the same as manager. Duncan, who returned to his southwest Missouri home Monday, told the Post-Dispatch that concerns leading him to publicly speculate in August about his future with the organization have eased, partly due to recent reassurances offered by general manager John Mozeliak. "My inclination is not to go somewhere else," Duncan said. "Any issues I have I feel like can be addressed by talking with 'Mo.'" Duncan was bruised by the July 22 trade that sent his outfielder son Chris to the ..."
DeWitt views '09 as winner
Comment
October 13
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said Monday he considers the team's season a success despite its abrupt dismissal from the National League Division Series following high-profile summer trades that cost the organization five players for outfielder Matt Holliday and third baseman Mark DeRosa. "Anytime you win your division, I believe it's to be considered a tremendous accomplishment," DeWitt said regarding a 91-71 season in which the Cardinals broke the Chicago Cubs' two-year hold on the division crown. "I'm fairly certain that most analysts didn't see us winning it at the start of the season. But we did. It's something I believe everyone connected to the team should be proud of." DeWitt ..."
Season was disappointing but satisfying for Ludwick
Comment
October 13
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Even though the team's stay in his first postseason was shorter than expected, Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick sat with his wife late Saturday night and talked about how far they've come. It was four years ago that Ludwick and his wife, Joanie, were about to sell their home, downsize their mortgage and, possibly, sign up with an Asian team for the larger salary. As the Cardinals packed their lockers Sunday, Ludwick said that back then he and his wife were talking about the end of his major-league pursuit and "wondering the what-if after baseball." On Saturday, in the wake of the Cardinals' first-round ouster from the Division Series, they were struck by the comfort that comes with ..."
Dodgers were able to regain momentum before playoffs started
Comment
October 12
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Division champions all, the Los Angeles Dodgers, not to mention the Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies, staggered to the finish line in baseball's regular season. But while the Phillies and Colorado Rockies still are contesting their division series, the Dodgers are back in California celebrating a shockingly expeditious 3-0 sweep over the Cardinals in the other National League Division Series. So how did the Dodgers overcome their late-season malaise when the Cardinals couldn't? For one thing, the Dodgers, by inserting themselves back into contention with hard-charging Colorado for the NL West title, actually had to play some meaningful games in the last week of the season. After ..."