The St. Louis Cardinals trotted out a new uniform this week that they will wear on Saturday home games during the 2013 season. The new alternate jersey has a great retro look, but the franchise could’ve taken one more step to truly take the new look back in time.

The new jerseys will be an off-white color similar to the San Francisco Giants home uniforms, and “St. Louis” will grace the front of the jersey along with the traditional birds on the bat. It will also have red piping run down the middle, which hearkens back to Stan Musial‘s playing days.

All of that makes for a nice look, but the Cardinals also should’ve brought back the hats the team wore when Musial led the team through the 1940s and 1950s at Sportsman’s Park.

In those days, the Cardinals wore a hat that had a navy blue top with the red, interlocking “STL” logo and a red bill. The hat, combined with the uniform style, made for one of the best looks in the history of the franchise. If the Musial’s statue outside Busch Stadium was painted, it would depict him wearing that style hat.

Instead, the Cardinals will wear the common all-red hats with the new uniform. That is still a fine look, but the Cardinals missed an opportunity to go all the way and have a completely new, yet historical uniform.

Now, before we go on for too long about how great the new uniform is, the Cardinals are likely to receive a fair amount of backlash for messing with the team’s current home and away uniforms. They were one of four teams, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees, to have just two uniforms: white at home and gray on the road.

The lack of uniform choices is something only historical franchises do because newer teams had no traditions to step on when creating their looks, and others just want to have plenty of fashion choices in an age of extreme marketing and one when football teams hardly wear the same uniform twice in the same season.

People’s concerns about the Cardinals jumping in the pool of alternate jerseys aren’t crazy. The Cardinals are a franchise that has some of the best looking uniforms in the sport in part because they are clean and consistent. Fans know it’s game time when the Cardinals take the field in their home whites. Any colored jerseys are for batting practice and batting practice only. Sadly, that can’t be said for many teams these days.

But, the Cardinals did a good job with the new look. The franchise last wore “St. Louis” across the front of the jersey in 1932, and it was a good-looking uniform. Plus, this will only be a once per week deal, just as the hats with the bird logo are reserved for Sunday home games.

The Cardinals did make one other significant uniform change, however, The team will now wear the –all-red hats on the road as well as at home. The navy blue road hats the team has worn on the road since 1992 will apparently be rarely used, perhaps for special occasions. That is still something the organization is trying to decide.

That’s also not a horrible change. The Cardinals wore red hats on the road in the past, but the blue hats did make the team look good on the road for 20 years. That change is more of a fashion change than the new jersey. Many teams are getting away from the dark colors of the 1990s, and this will move the Cardinals in that direction.

So although the changes will give the Cardinals a good new look that doesn’t take away from their long-standing uniform traditions, the old-style blue hat with a red bill would have completed the ensemble.

The St. Louis Cardinals come into the 2012 offseason having won a World Series in 2011 and falling one game short of returning to the Fall Classic in 2012.  The team, for the most part, is set at almost every position.  They have publicly said they will be exploring the option of upgrading the middle infield, the only two spots on the team that anyone can easily look at and say “they could be better”.

But that bothers this writer.  I do not like a team that simply “stands pat”, no matter how successful they have been in the past.  This team can be better at a few spots on the field and with today’s notebook, I look to the top of the free agent class and ask the simple question: Why not look at Michael Bourn?

Now, hear me out before you jump on me for not being a Jon Jay supporter, for wanting to throw money around just for the sake of spending, or for blocking prospects as they progress through the Cardinals’ system.  I assure  you, there are good reasons to examine the possibility of one of the top outfielders available on the market wearing the Birds On The Bat.

Defense Is Key
Personally, when I look at the middle of the diamond (catcher, second base, shortstop, center field), I prefer to have guys that will solidify the defense.

Now, I’m not trying to say that Jon Jay is a bad defender.  Quite the opposite really.  That’s the point here, if I can look at a player and say that he is an upgrade in defense at a key position where I feel the team is already strong, that shows a lot of respect for the other player.  Michael Bourn is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner in center field and has the speed to help cover the gaps that are left by having power guys like Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran at the corners.

This Bench Needs Help
It was Chris Reed who mentioned in a recent discussion the lack of faith in the bench.  Adron Chambers and Shane Robinson are average players, but pinch hitting late in a game when the Cardinals need runners, they do not inspire a ton of confidence.

Jon Jay has proven in the past that he is more than capable of coming off the bench during a ball game and producing.  In addition, he has proven in the past that he can produce when not in the lineup consistently.  He is the type of player that can jump into the starting lineup at any point but can also be a weapon late in games.

It Is Not Financial Suicide
Looking at what the Cardinals have coming off the books for this season (Lance Berkman, Kyle Lohse), reinvesting that money in a player like Bourn is not the end of the world.

Many experts project Bourn to get a contract very similar to that of Torii Hunter when he signed his former deal with Anaheim.  That projects to a 5 year/$90 million contract or an average value of $18 million per year.  Puma’s 2012 contract was for $12 million while Lohse was earning just under $12 million himself.  Personally, I feel that Bourn will land closer to $15 million a season for around four years, though either number is within reason for the Cardinals.

The youth of this franchise offers some financial flexibility over the next few seasons.  With key positions being patrolled by home grown talent and other prospects being projected to take over other positions, the time for being able to take on a bit of salary is now.

It Doesn’t Block Prospects
The Cardinals key prospect in the outfield is Oscar Taveras, who has spent most of his minor league career patrolling center field.

That being said, Taveras has been projected by many to have a future at the corner outfield positions and the Cardinals, most likely, see him as the right fielder of the future after Beltran’s contract plays out.  The only person displaced by the addition of Bourn over the next four to five years is Jon Jay.

It Solves The Top Of The Lineup
It has been a long time since the Cardinals have had a player that can solidify the leadoff position the way Michael Bourn can.

Yes, he strikes out a lot.  I do not like that in the leadoff role any more than the next guy.  But he steals a lot of bases, walked a career high 70 times last season, was able to show occasional power with nine home runs, and is a commodity that the Cardinals have not had in a very long time.

Summary
Sometimes you have to be willing to upgrade even when you are satisfied with what you have.  The Cardinals have a chance to improve themselves defensively, on the bench, and at the top of the order in a big way by taking a look at Bourn as a key component of the future.

While I do not feel the Cardinals have to make a move like this to continue to be successful, it would be nice to see the team make a move like this in an effort to get better.  After all, it would be nice to win the division instead of fighting their way into the playoffs through the wild card.

Bill Ivie started i70baseball to write about his love for the game and the teams he enjoys watching most, the Cardinals and the Royals.

You know the United Cardinal Bloggers for their fine writing and their passion for the Cardinals. Now they want to inform you even more. Beginning with the July 23rd series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the UCB will be providing a series preview email entitled “The Bird’s Eye View.” This preview, written each series by a different blogger, will get you up to speed on the next few games. Each preview will have its own style and voice, but will always bring you great information and links that you need to be ready for the upcoming series.

So, if you want to get this exciting collaboration mailed straight to your inbox, please fill out the form below and make sure utdcardbloggers@gmail.com is on your approved senders list. Then sit back and enjoy!

You can also access the sign up sheet by clicking here.

In case you want to know, participating bloggers as of this moment:

Christine Coleman, Aaron Miles’ Fastball
Bill Ivie, I70 Baseball
Randy and Ryan Knuppel, Saint Louis Sports
Tom Knuppel, CardinalsGM
Chris Mallonee, Birds On The Bat 82
Bob Netherton, On The Outside Corner
J.D. Norton, Bleed Cardinal Red With Me
Daniel Shoptaw, C70 At The Bat
Tara Wellman, Aaron Miles’ Fastball

A lot of great stories have been written this week in remembrance of ten years since the passing of Jack Buck and Darryl Kile. Here is my attempt to pay them homage and honor these two great men, as well as the 2002 St. Louis Cardinals that fought on bravely the rest of that season.

I like routines.

Baseball makes great fans of those who like routines. There is a game nearly everyday, and there is a beautiful order to things. Games will always have at least 27 outs, the visitors bat first followed by the home team, each player wears the same number each game, pitchers start every fifth game, and so on. You never have to go to the ballpark wondering how many innings will be played or if the first and third base lines will be 90 feet and chalked. There is a comfort in that routine.

In June of 2002, I was weeks away from turning 20 years old. I had just finished my second year of college. I have rooted passionately for the Cardinals since I can remember being alive. My father cheers for them, his father cheered for them, and his father cheered for the Birds on the Bat. I am a proud fourth generation Cardinals fan. But in the summers between 2000 and 2002, my love for both the team and the game of baseball deepened.

You see, those three summers were the years after my high school graduation and first two years of college. As friends moved to different cities, more and more small town summer nights (Rogersville, MO) turned to watching Cardinals games and less doing other things. I mentioned I liked routines, and I had a pretty good one down.

I had a great summer job, working for a small accounting firm in town that was just minutes from my house. Each morning when I arrived to work, the first thing I would do is write the score from the Cardinals game the night before, any interesting stats, the Cardinals record; then turn the page to the next day. Then at 11:30 on the dot, I would drive home to have lunch with my mom. She is a very kind soul, who would always have a hot meal ready, with a glass of tea, and that day’s sports page.

Even though it was 2002, I still hadn’t changed to reading box scores online. I preferred to do it the “old-fashioned way”, and read the daily newspaper. It was then that I would see where the Cardinals were in the standings based on the previous night’s contests, and pore over the box scores from each game.

Then I would head back to the office, chat briefly with my co-workers Jeff and Rodney about what I had read in those box scores, and get back to work. At 5 o’clock on the dot I left work and made the 15-minute drive to the Springfield Family Y to work out, and listen to SportsCenter while on the treadmill to prep for the upcoming night’s game. After the workout was done, I showered, and drove home to have dinner eaten and be ready to watch the Cardinal game.

I had quite the routine down.

As I have reflected this week on the events of June 2002, it makes me miss those days of being a fan. Don’t get me wrong, twitter and the internet has been a great tool for being a fan. The 24/7 news cycle had made information so readily available, and I feel connected to fans all over the world each night I watch a ball game.

But there was something beautiful about sitting down and watching a whole game start to finish, without reading one tweet or checking other box scores, or interacting with another human being online. Each game was its own story. Each game was an escape of sorts. Most nights, I would not even listen to the television broadcast. I would listen to Mike Shannon and Jack Buck while watching the game on the television. Of course, Buck was not able to call the games during the 2002 season because of his battle with Parkinson’s disease, but I still had the radio on during the games.

Listening to Jack Buck was a whole other escape in and of itself. He was the soundtrack of my childhood. Buck was the background noise for family get-together’s out on the farm. He accompanied me on my walkman radio while I mowed the yard on Sunday afternoon’s. He was on the radio beside my bed during West Coast games as a kid. He was on my radio during those fall nights riding the pep bus to high school football games. He was on in the dugout during baseball practices. He was always with me during summer car rides.

He was a part of my daily routine.

That all changed June 19, 2002.

When I heard the news of Buck’s passing, it was a milestone of sorts in my life. A milestone accompanied with great initial sadness. In a sense, it was saying goodbye to the baseball I knew as a boy, to the game I now follow as a man. Something purer was lost. Buck left us during the summer baseball almost had another strike. Nothing felt right. A hero had fallen.

The routine of fandom I loved so much felt all out of whack.

Then tragedy struck again a mere four days later. Another hero had fallen. A much younger hero with so much life ahead of him.

Cardinal Nation was still grieving  deeply from the loss of Buck when news of Darryl Kile’s tragic death was reported. I remember sitting at my kitchen table in utter disbelief. Unable to move or absorb what had just happened.

And yet somehow, the 2002 Cardinals showed the same resilience our nation did in the wake of 9/11, by playing great baseball the rest of the season. 57 wins (Kile’s number) the rest of the way, to be exact. The players talked of how the daily grind, and motivation to win for Buck and Kile, kept them going through that extremely tough period. LaRussa said it was his most challenging season as a manger. They were playing with incredible heart and grit to go win a World Series for their fallen heroes.

Not every story has a Hollywood ending. After sweeping the defending World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS, the Cardinals lost in five games to the San Fransisco Giants. It seemed the series ended before it ever really got started. There was utter disbelief and disappointment amongst the players. It wasn’t supposed to end this way.

For me, I learned to adapt my routine as much I didn’t like life without Buck and Kile around. You have to change and adapt, and that’s not really the point of this story. The point of this story is how everything changed so quickly in just a week, but we have not quickly forgotten those men or that team.

Fox Sports Midwest had a video montage following the Game 5 loss to the Giants, to put a wrap on the 2002 season. It was a very fitting and touching tribute, that has stuck with me to this day. The video was filled with shots of Buck and Kile, and the heroic play of the Cardinals in the face of tragedy. The song chosen for the video was “Superman” by Five for Fighting.

To many, including myself, Superman was a pretty fitting term for Buck. And though he was only with the Cardinals a few short years, Kile was the man of steel the pitching staff relied upon to lead them.

It was a week that will not soon be forgotten. Two men that certainly never will be. And a team that battled bravely.

Nothing routine about any of that. Ten years later, we pause to remember just how deeply it touched us.

I had the opportunity to take in my first 2012 St. Louis Cardinal game at Busch Stadium this past Sunday, as they defeated the punch-less Cubs behind a very solid pitching performance from Jake Westbrook and tremendous days at the plate from Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter. That win pushed the Cardinals to 7-3 on the young season.

One of the worst mistakes any blogger/journalist can make is take a small sample size (like 10 games) and make a lot of assumptions or unreasonable projections, but soaking in the beautiful day at Busch Stadium during a blowout of the Cubbies….I just could not help myself.

I began to ask a lot of “what if” questions.

-What if this team under new leadership, starts another great era of Cardinal baseball without a reloading period following the key off-season losses?

Mike Matheny has been preaching respect. He has preached playing the Cardinal Way. He has reminded the team what it means to wear the Birds on the Bat. They are playing hard and playing with confidence. The Cardinals could not have asked for a better start to the season. If you had told me that the first two weeks would be played without Allen Craig, Skip Schumaker, and Chris Carpenter, see Lance Berkman, David Freese, Jon Jay, and Carlos Beltran miss time with aches and pains, AND yet to have the “real” Adam Wainwright make an appearance; I would have predicted 3-8 not 8-3. Many experts in the industry warned of a mediocre season for St. Louis following the loss of Pujols, Duncan, and LaRussa. There are 25 solid players in the clubhouse and a coaching staff that does not believe a “reload” is necessary. They play hard for each other and want to win now.

Could this mix of veterans and deep farm system usher in a new era of being perennial playoff contenders, just like 2000-06, when the Cardinals made the playoffs six out of seven consecutive seasons? What if…..

-What if Matheny does not listen to the doubters who say he can not manage a winning ballclub without any experience…and the team keeps on winning ?

-What if Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook continue pitching this well in their contract years?

-What if Pujols did not afford the other batters in the lineup as much protection as we thought he did? These guys can hit the baseball. It is a solid, deep, and balanced lineup.

-What if the bullpen is actually better this year than it was last year? Matheny lets relievers who are pitching well stay in the game, as opposed to playing the matchups constantly like LaRussa did. He looks more at the quality of the pitches that night, and less at the spreadsheet of past performance. This just might create an added level of confidence in the bullpen that the better they perform, the more they get to pitch.

-What if the team makes great selections with five of the first 59 draft picks?…and keeps stocking its deep farm system with future impact players. The model of surrounding four or five key veterans with young talent seems to be the Cardinals best chance for sustained excellence. They have a tremendous opportunity during this year’s draft to get a bunch of great young talent that they can keep for at least  six years at a very reasonable price.

-What if Carpenter returns to form by summer and Wainwright returns to his former dominant self? The rotation would be just plain scary.

-What if this team is tired of the talk they can’t repeat without Pujols and LaRussa? Touched on this one above, but this is a highly talented group of professionals with a very competitive edge. This was most evidence by several players showing up to camp after a short off-season in the best shape of their lives. They are motivated to win this year.

Look, I know everything seems like rainbows and lollipops after such a fast start. The trials will come. Matheny will cost them a game with a bad decision at some point. But as I sat in the bleachers Sunday afternoon, I had a realization of just how many things are going right in Cardinal Nation right now.

For years, the talk was how losing Pujols would derail the organization into mediocrity. I am simply proposing that may not be the case. In fact, this organization may be the brink of a new standard of sustained excellence. That is a very big leap to make after 11 games, I know. This could be the start of another spell of playoff runs like the team had at the start of the century.

With a solid rotation, deep lineup, a manager they love to play for, and motivation to silence the doubters, they have as good a chance as any to make quite a run for seasons to come.

Drop by our friends at Pitchers Hit Eighth, C70 At The Bat, and Aaron Miles’ Fastball to vote in the Musial, Smith, and Gibson Regions of the tournament.  The turn out to this point has been outstanding and we move forward today with the opening of the second round of the tournament.  I-70 is the home of the Buck Region, and the bracket now looks like this:

Which brings us to your participation.

Voting for this round closes Wednesday night at 8 p.m. Central Time.

It’s time to get the Buck Bracket down to four teams and we need your vote in the following four games:

The top seed in the bracket, the 1942 Cardinals, posted a shut-out in their opening match-up.  It is important to note that this is the most successful team in Cardinal history.  With 106 wins (most in franchise history) and a decisive 4 games to 1 victory over the mighty Yankees.  The 1942 team was the beginning of one of the few dynasties in Cardinals history, which would see the team play in four of five World Series and bring home three titles.  A young rookie named Stan Musial had joined the team and pitcher Mort Cooper would bring home a Most Valuable Player Award for his performance.

The 1957 Cardinals were the loan “upset” in our opening round in the Buck Region, knocking off the 1947 team placed just ahead of them in the seeding.  The team that year would finish in second place, watching the Milwaukee Braves represent the National League in the World Series.  A winning record of 87-67 would not be enough for an offensive heavy edition of the Birds-on-the-bat as Stan Musial would once again lead the team in production.

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The fifth seed in our bracket, the 2005 Cardinals, breezed into the next round, and rightfully so.  A great team at a low-seed, the 2005 edition produced 100 wins before losing in heart-breaking fashion to the Houston Astros in the National League Championship Series.  That series produced memorable moments for many Cardinal fans despite ending prior to reaching the pinnacle of the game.  The team was so dominant that they would bring home a Cy Young Award for Chris Carpenter and a Most Valuable Player Award for Albert Pujols.

Our number four seed, however, is part of the dynasty that we discussed with our number one seed in the tournament.  If the 1942 Cardinals started the dynasty, the 1943 Cardinals were the only stumbling block.  They won 105 games, second most in franchise history and Stan Musial would bring home the Most Valuable Player Award.  They were dominant from wire to wire, until they reached the World Series.  The only team in the 1940′s run to not win a World Series, the team was very successful otherwise.  The match-up of two great teams that couldn’t win the World Series promises to be one of the best in this bracket.

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The dynasty of the 1940′s continues with our fourth seed, the 1944 Cardinals.  Matching their previous year, the team would win 105 games and, this time, would not disappoint in the Fall Classic.  The second World Championship of the decade would find it’s way home to St. Louis as Stan Musial continued to become a household name.  The World Series would never leave St. Louis that year as the Cardinals would defeat the Browns four games to two.

The 2009 Cardinals were expected to be a force when they reached the playoffs after winning 91 games during the season.  Unfortunately, when they arrived at the National League Division Series, the team seemed over matched and out of place.  The Los Angeles Dodgers sent them home quickly and brought a disappointing end to another strong season under Tony LaRussa.

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Our final game pits our number seven seed, 1935, against the number two seed.  The 1935 group is yet another promising team that did not play in the World Series.  With 96 wins, the team fell four games back of the league winner that year, the hated Chicago Cubs.  This team would see Dizzy Dean finish second for the Most Valuable Player Award, three spots in front of teammate Joe Medwick.

Our namesake here at i70baseball, the 1985 Cardinals, may be the emotional pick and one of the best, non-championship teams in our bracket.  A team built on speed, defense, and fundamentals, the 85 crew was lead by Willie McGee and his .353 batting average and two hurlers that would finish in the top five of the Cy Young voting – Joaquin Andujar (4) and John Tudor (2).

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There you go, run and vote and share with all your friends.  Visit the other sties above to cast your votes in their brackets and help us decide who the greatest Cardinal team of all time is.

A bit of a teaser from Nick at Pitchers Hit Eighth today: Also, stay tuned to the United Cardinal Bloggers website later today for a fun contest you can participate in along with the Tourney!

The St. Louis Cardinals’ offseason continued its roller coaster ride this week after Thursday’s announcement that longtime pitching coach Dave Duncan was leaving the team indefinitely to focus on caring for his wife, who has been battling brain cancer. Obviously, personal lives and relationships always trump everything else, and Duncan’s priorities seem to be in order. But the pitching staff he leaves behind has to find a way to do its job without him, and a number of those hurlers have never had a different pitching coach at the Major League level.

It seems like these stories pop up every other day since the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series. First Tony La Russa retired, and then Albert Pujols bolted for greener pastures. Jeff Luhnow is gone. Dave McKay is gone. All these names Cardinals players and fans have seen as mainstays for so many years have disappeared from the register.

Duncan looked like one of only a few holdovers from the old regime. His contract covered him for the 2012 season, and he had an option for 2013. But he has more important things to attend to right now, and his time wearing the Birds on the Bat has come to an end as well. Now the longest-tenured coach on the Cards’ staff is Jose Oquendo. Number two is Mark McGwire.

Duncan’s importance to the Cards’ pitching staffs over the years is impossible to overstate. And many nails will be no doubt bitten down to the nub wondering if that magic he worked on so many Cardinal hurlers over the years is gone forever. But it may not be that way at all.

For the last 12 seasons, the Cardinals have listed exactly two starting catchers at the top of their depth chart: Mike Matheny and Yadier Molina. Now Matheny is the team skipper, and Molina is still behind the plate. Both are among the most highly regarded in their abilities to call a game and handle a pitching staff. Duncan is largely the reason. And when Papa Dunc had to leave the team near the end of August to be with his ailing wife, recently appointed Cards pitching coach Derek Lilliquist stepped in to take his place. All he did was preside over the staff while they were helping to orchestrate the greatest regular season comeback in baseball history. Even Chris Carpenter has stepped in for some coaching opportunities…remember when he found that flaw in Adam Wainwright’s delivery, just before Waino went on a tear to nearly win the Cy Young Award a couple years back? Certainly Carp didn’t wake up one day in tune to every other pitcher’s mechanics. That’s the hallmark of Dave Duncan, and he’s passed his wisdom on to a number of people in the Cards’ organization.

Perhaps we’ve seen the last of the days where a Kent Bottenfield or a Woody Williams find new life under Duncan’s direction. But maybe the Cardinals no longer need that “dumpster-dive” mentality. They have a full pitching staff now, and all those guys know how to get the job done. And the depth in the minor leagues certainly offers a lot of promise as some of the veteran free agents cycle out of town. Plus it’s impossible to know what the future holds. The Cards seem to have a pretty good grasp on player development these days. That makes it a lot easier to take surer bets rather than the projects Duncan specialized in.

It hurts to lose Duncan, and the reason why is even sadder. The Cardinals cannot possibly replace him; the guy should probably be the first coach to go into the Hall of Fame. But he has left this team in capable hands…hands into which he put the tools to succeed. And after all, the coach can only do so much. Execution still has to take place on the field, and that’s true no matter who sits in the dugout.

Chris Reed also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and Bird Brained whenever he feels like it. Follow him on Twitter at @birdbrained.

Saturday December 10, 2011 is an historic day. For on this day, at about 1:30 PM Central time, St. Louis Cardinals fans will be able to turn on their TVs or fire up their computers and get their first look at Albert Pujols wearing another teams’ uniform as the LA Angels hold a press conference to introduce their newly-signed slugger. For many who are loyal to the Birds on the Bat, this image will conjure emotions like anger, disappointment, sadness or maybe even physical illness. But let it also be that sweet relief we all need in a moment like this: closure.

Now it’s really real. Once that familiar figure appears in that unfamiliar jersey, your mind will finally grasp what has happened. Many of us have said we understand it, and some even claimed to be comfortable with it. But only after the face of Albert Pujols smiles above the word “ANGELS” plastered across his chest and that image is burned into all of our brains forever can the healing truly begin.

It is just like a break-up. Break-ups come in all shapes and sizes: divorce, job loss, moving across the country, a pet running away, etc. Anytime a comfortable mainstay in life departs, no matter how significant, it sucks in one way or another. But then one morning you get up and the sun is a little brighter, the coffee is a little richer, and the realization that “everything is going to be just fine” takes hold.

The Cardinals did a good thing by not turning right around and signing the first big name they could reel in after getting the news on Thursday. John Mozeliak said something in his press conference about avoiding a knee-jerk reaction to sign anyone just for the sake of signing someone. That is a great move. Sleep on it. Wait until the emotion settles a little. After all, the Cardinals are still a pretty stout team. Adam Wainwright comes back into a rotation that already features Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse, and Jake Westbrook. The young arms in the bullpen—Lance Lynn, Marc Rzepczynski, Fernando Salas, Eduardo Sanchez—they’re all back to support closer Jason Motte. Yadier Molina is still behind the plate. David Freese, Matt Holliday, Jon Jay, and Lance Berkman will be ready to go. And Allen Craig should be good as new by May after surgery on that banged-up knee. The middle infield is in a state of flux, but at this point can anyone question Mo’s ability to make the necessary moves to shore up that or any position?

The remainder of the Hot Stove season should be fairly exciting as a result. Maybe Rafael Furcal and Nick Punto come back to platoon with Tyler Greene and Skip Schumaker at shortstop and second; that sure seemed to work out OK in 2011. Another name being tossed around is Carlos Beltran. That’s right, Beltran. Cardinal Killer-turned-batter frozen by Wainwright as Molina jumped past him to celebrate the Cards’ win over the Mets in the 2006 NLCS. Can you imagine that guy wearing the Birds on the Bat, patrolling the outfield at Busch Stadium?

Also, as if anyone needed a reminder, the Cards have a new manager for the first time in 16 seasons. It is impossible to know what kind of job Mike Matheny will do in his first year as skipper. But it should be fun to watch regardless. Remember, this guy played for Tony La Russa for a number of years and had Dave Duncan at his side then, too. He is also the guy who taught Yadi everything he knows at the professional level. That is clout, my friends.

Did you forget about old what’s-his-name for a second there? Not too hard, is it…

Cardinal fans have plenty to be excited about for the rest of this offseason and in 2012. This weekend may suck, but the feeling is temporary. Remember the old saying “It’s always darkest just before the dawn.” Right now, Cards fans are in that dark period. The dawn is just around the corner. In fact, it seems to be getting a little light already. Is that coffee I smell?

Chris Reed is a freelance writer who also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and at Bird Brained whenever he feels like it. Follow him on Twitter @birdbrained.

What else is there to say? He’s gone. The drama, rumors, headaches and more are over. Albert Pujols is no longer a Cardinal.

I never thought I would type those words.

In the matter of less than two months I have seen my favorite team since I was a young man win the World Series, say goodbye to a manager that had been a part of the team for around half of my life, and lose the greatest player I have ever witnessed to free agency.

Albert Pujols is a player that defines an entire generation. He plays the game head and shoulders above anyone. His 2011 season was a season that most players would accept as a near career defining year and yet to Pujols, it was a “down” year for him. He capped that year off with the third highest contract in Major League history and a departure from the only team he has ever known.

The team that believed enough in him to draft him in the thirteenth round of the 1999 amateur draft, the team that gave him an opportunity in 2001 and the team that surrounded him with enough talent to play in three World Series and win two World Championship rings will take the field searching for the next face of the franchise.

Cardinals Chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt, Jr.

“We are disappointed that we were unable to reach an agreement to keep Albert Pujols in St. Louis. Albert is a great champion and we will always be thankful for his many achievements in a Cardinals uniform, as well as his contributions to the St. Louis community. I have the highest regard for Albert both personally and professionally, and appreciate his direct involvement in this process. I would like our fans to know that we tried our best to make Albert a lifetime Cardinal but unfortunately we were unable to make it happen.”

 

Parents will struggle to explain to little boys and girls that, when it comes to baseball, your favorite player and your favorite team do not always have to coincide. That it will be okay to cheer for a man in a different shade of red if they want to. That players come and go but the jersey stays the same. That love of this game can, and will, lead to heartbreak.

The Cardinals will be just fine. Some argue that they are still the favorites in their division and many speculate now where the Cardinals will begin shopping. The off season started with one goal, resign Albert Pujols. Now the focus shifts into acquiring a middle infielder or two and possibly an outfielder that can help provide some pop to a fairly potent lineup. The “Birds On The Bat” will prevail and the franchise will continue to be one of the premier franchises in Major League Baseball.

To that end, Albert Pujols will be just fine as well. He will continue to hit and has the added security of a designated hitter role later in his career. He will hit major milestones in the next few years and become a part of a franchise that will look to compete heavily in the near future. He will utilize the monetary gain to fund charitable foundations and continue to perform the work he feels God has called him to do.

Fans emotions will heal over time and kids will find a new favorite player. The Cardinals and Angels will play baseball at a highly competitive level and game will continue to be played the same way it has for well over a century. We will still hear The Star Spangled Banner before games, Take Me Out To The Ballgame during the seventh inning and God Bless America during some games. The 2011 Cardinals will still be defined by “What a team. What a ride.” I will still tell my children about “The time I saw Albert…” Most of us will continue to love the game and our team.

Cardinals Sr. Vice President & General Manager John Mozeliak

“Albert has been a special player in this organization since the moment he was drafted over 12 years ago. His accomplishments on and off the field have been spectacular. I wish him well in the next phase of his career.”

Today feels like a loss. It should feel that way. Many of us truly believed that Albert would spend his entire career in front of us in “our” stadium. We believed, deep down, that he would be our generation’s Stan The Man. We thought that we had discovered a truly great player that felt some level of loyalty to the franchise he matured with.

We were wrong.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
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Springfield, MO – With the recent announcement of Mike Matheny taking over as the head man in St. Louis and naming former Springfield manager Chris “Hammer” Maloney as the first basecoach, the Cardinals will now have three new managers at their top three levels within the organization.

Mike Shildt will take over the reins as Manager of the Springfield Cardinals. He is coming off of back-to-back Appalachian League (Short Season Rookie League) championships in 2010 and 2011 with the Johnson City Cardinals. In his three year stint as the skipper with the Cardinals, he amassed a .617 winning percentage going 124-77. Shildt has also been the minor league spring training coordinator since 2008.

The 43-year-old native of Matthews, North Carolina was a 1991 graduate of UNC-Asheville where he played baseball for three seasons and earned his degree in business.

Ron “Pop” Warner has been promoted to Triple-A Memphis as their new manager and holds the franchise lead in career victories with 358 during his five year tenure at the helm in Springfield.

“We are very excited to welcome Mike into the Springfield Family,” Vice President / General Manager Matt Gifford said. “The player development staff has said great things about our new manager, and we look forward to seeing him continue to guide the future of Cardinals baseball on their way to St. Louis. I would like to congratulate ‘Pop’ on his promotion to Triple-A and thank him for the last five season in Springfield. In addition, we wish ‘Hammer’ all the best in St. Louis as the Cardinals prepare to defend their 2011 World Series Championship.”

Fans will see familiar faces in the dugout as Bryan Eversgerd will return as the Springfield pitching coach, Phillip Wellman will continue to be the hitting coach and Jason Hall will again serve as the Athletic Trainer.

Bryan Eversgerd continues as the pitching coach in Springfield where his staff finished 6^th in the Texas League in strikeouts last season. A former major leaguer with the Cardinals, Rangers and Expos, Eversgerd won the only game he started in his career in 1994 against the Marlins. 2012 will be Eversgerd’s fourth in Springfield and 10^th overall in the Cardinals Organization.

Springfield will also welcome back hitting coach Phillip Wellman. The Cardinals offense ranked 1^st in the Texas league in team batting average (.278), homeruns (166), slugging percentage (.443) and finished second in runs scored. A former minor leaguer with the Braves, Twins and Pirates, Wellman has 24 years of coaching experience including 15 years a manager in the Reds and Braves organizations.

Rounding out the 2012 Field Staff will be Athletic Trainer, Jason Hall. Jason previously worked with the Chicago Cubs before joining the Springfield Cardinals in 2011. Hall was with the Cubs for two seasons and was also a strength and conditioning intern with the Florida Marlins.

The Springfield Cardinals will host the St. Louis Cardinals in an exhibition game April 2^nd at 6:08pm at Hammons Field before beginning the regular season on April 5^th at home. For information about the best ways to catch a game at Hammons Field, please call the Springfield Cardinals Front Office at (417) 863-0395 or visit www.springfieldcardinals.com.