We’ve been down this road before with Tony La Russa. The Cardinals manager, now in his 16^th season with the club, has made no secret during his tenure in St. Louis that he prefers veteran players.

To cite a couple of the more drastic examples, La Russa chose Bobby Bonilla in the twilight of his career over rookie phenom Albert Pujols to make the Cardinals’ 2001 opening day roster, and allowed an injury riddled and over-the-hill Jason Isringhausen close games in 2006 over a lights-out rookie reliever by the name of Adam Wainwright. I hate to be the guy to say “luckily” injuries occurred and forced La Russa to go with young talent over “his guy” because no one wants to see people get hurt, but there’s really no other way to say it.

The Cardinals would not have won the 2006 World Series with Isringhausen as the team’s closer. The team might have missed the playoffs altogether.

2006 Statistics:

Jason Isringhausen – 3.55 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 4-8 Record, 10 Blown Saves

Adam Wainwright – 3.12 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2-1 Record, 0 Blown Saves

Wainwright also had a better strikeout ratio and 16 fewer walks than Isringhausen despite tossing 17 more innings. The numbers weren’t even close. But La Russa just had to stay with his guy.

That brings us to the decision La Russa will be facing within the next 7-10 days. Two relievers he chose to have on his opening day roster in 2011 are set to come off the disabled list, Brian Tallet and Bryan Augenstein. Filling their roster spots over the past 10 days have been Eduardo Sanchez and Fernando Salas… and all those two have done, albeit a small sample size, is get people out, period.

Let’s start with Salas. The 25 year old actually got called up at the end of last year, pitched just over 30 innings for the Redbirds, and put together a respectable audition. He had a 3.52 ERA with a 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio, and his 1.40 WHIP was comparable to most of the other relievers on St. Louis’ 2010 pitching staff. Then he put together a ridiculous spring, allowing no runs on three hits for the entire month of February. Tony La Russa said it was tough to exclude him from the roster, but said he needed a pitcher that could give him more than 1 inning of relief. In 4 appearances since being called up, he’s allowed just 1 run, and put together an impressive 3 inning appearance (yes, 3 innings, Tony!) against the Nationals… allowing 0 runs on 1 hit while striking out three.

Eduardo Sanchez is just 22 years old… and has arguably been the Cardinals’ most impressive reliever early in the 2011 season. Five appearances, 7 innings, no runs, 3 total base runners. Enough said.

By Comparison, let’s put their numbers side-by-side with Tallet and Augenstein.

Spoiler Alert: Brian Tallet is going to get his roster spot back. It’s not as if he doesn’t deserve it; as you can see, he has put up respectable numbers in the early going this season. But two factors will get him his spot back without question: 1) he’s a 33 year old veteran, and 2) he’s a lefty.

Augenstein is more of a question mark. He’s only 24, and it wouldn’t hurt him to go back to AAA, build up confidence, and fine tune his game before returning to the big leagues. But there must have been a reason that La Russa placed this young pitcher on the roster coming out of spring, so you never know what the skipper will decide.

If La Russa has any guts at all, he’d bring back Brian Tallet, keep Salas and Sanchez, and Ryan Franklin would be optioned for assignment. There’s no reason to believe the 38 year old reliever is going to turn things around. His ERA nearly double from 2009 to 2010. His strikeout total went down… while his homerun total went up. And in the meantime, he’s continuing to cost the team game after game. He’s already blown 4 saves, all directly leading to Cardinal losses, and he failed to hold a 3-3 tie in Saturday’s game against the Reds, allowing the winning run to score. So in 8 appearances, he has been directly responsible for 5 losses while saving just 1 game against Pittsburgh, the perennial doormat of the division. His 7.88 ERA is atrocious, and he has as many wins as you and I do.

But Franklin does have one thing going for him: He’s one of “Tony’s guys.” Just like Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan, Jason Isringhausen, and a slew of others before him.

So the big question remains: “When the pitching staff gets back to full health, will Tony do the right thing?”

History would suggest the answer is no.

During the offseason we have been taking a look at the past, giving readers a timeline of St. Louis baseball throughout history. Last time we learned about Tony LaRussa’s arrival in St. Louis, the great home run chase of 1998, and brought the team back to the playoffs for the first time since the days of Whiteyball in St. Louis. A postseason collapse in 2000 left the team wondering what was coming next…

After rookie pitcher Rick Ankiel had a rather historic meltdown during the 2000 postseason run for the Cardinals, the organization had some rather large concerns about how their young phenom would recover for the 2001 season. Their cause for concern was legitimate – the 21 year old was not the same player, making only six starts on the year, going 1-2 and serving up a rather grotesque 7.13 ERA over 24 innings (that would be 4 innings a start, in case you had not thought about it).

By the end of the season, the Cardinals – not to mention all of baseball – were talking about a very different 21 year old. When Spring Training was about to break, manager Tony LaRussa had a choice to make about a young player. He had an impressive spring, but was it enough to make the team? Veteran first baseman Mark McGwire pleaded with the skipper to keep the kid around, watch him, believe in him. When veteran outfielder and free agent signee Bobby Bonilla went down with a hamstring injury right before the beginning of the season, the decision was made: Albert Pujols had made the team.

Albert Pujols

The young player did nothing but rake all season long, hitting .329/.403/.610 with 37 home runs and 130 runs batted in, all while playing first, third, left field and right field, even though his natural position was third base! He was the unanimous Rookie of the Year choice, and somehow was not the team leader in OPS with 1.013. That distinction went to the much maligned J.D. Drew, who seemed to be injured as much if not more than he was healthy.

But what about the team? The first half seemed to be rather frustrating, going 43-43 and not really making a push to take over in the NL Central. Passing off Ray Lankford to the Padres in return for Woody Williams on August 2 gave the starting rotation a jolt, and Williams himself went 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch. Matt Morris had a career year, going 22-9. They tied the Astros for the NL Central crown, but lost the season series with Houston and was awarded the Wild Card. Unfortunately, the team ran into the two headed Arizona monster of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling in the NLDS, and couldn’t battle through. It was a quick exit, but there were some strong pieces in place leading into the next year.

2002 seemed to be a year of tragedy for the team. April started the year off poorly (12-14), but a strong May (18-10) began to show a team that would not let up and played through it all. On the morning of June 18, the team was tied for first, but Darryl Kile pitched a tidy 7.2 innings of one run ball to push the team into first, while the team then learned of the passing of legendary broadcaster Jack Buck. Cardinal Nation mourned the loss of the longtime voice of the Cardinals, but the mourning was far from over.

Just four days later, the Cardinals were in Chicago, gearing up for a nationally broadcasted day game against the Chicago Cubs. When Darryl Kile did not arrive at the ballpark, teammates became concerned. Eventually it was discovered that the pitcher who had just so recently pitched them into first place had died suddenly with a coronary disease. The game was postponed, and the team was heartbroken, shocked and in disbelief at what had happened.

Spurred on by the memory of their fallen teammate, the club put together a blistering second half. July trades bringing in veteran starter Chuck Finley and slick fielding third baseman Scott Rolen helped the team march to the playoffs. There was whisper that this would be a team of destiny, battling through adversity and fighting their way to the top. Unfortunately, October is far from scripted. The resilient team was shut down by the Giants in the NLCS, but the 97-65 record was nothing to be ashamed of, and there was a rather fearsome lineup brewing…

So who was to blame for the 85-77, third place finish in the Central in 2003? Do not look at the lineup. They only finished in the top three in almost every offensive category. The blame seems to be on the rotation. The boys played roughly .500 ball every single month of the season, with June (16-11) being the only month in which they even looked like a strong team. The NL Central was almost split into two divisions, with the Cubs, Astros and Cardinals all playing just over 500, while the Pirates, Reds and Brewers playing 10-20 games under .500. Consider this the first season where the term ‘Comedy NL Central’ came from.

There were positives. A lineup with Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, and Scott Rolen hitting back-to-back-to-back was never something to frown about, and the three players put on a show. The trio combined for 110 home runs, 317 RBI, and combined for a 1.008 on base plus slugging percentage. On the pitching rubber, Woody Williams continued his career resurgence, going 18-9 with a 3.87 ERA over 220 innings pitched. Alas, there were not a lot of positives about the starting rotation, and considering there were 16 starts made by Jason Simontacchi (interesting mainly because of how Mike Shannon referred to him as “Simo-man”), and 6 starts each by Jeff Fassero and Sterling Hitchcock, it is obvious there was some squirrelly stuff going on. The pitchers combined to finish eleventh in team ERA, thirteenth in hits, fifteenth in home runs allowed, and twelfth in strikeouts recorded.

2004 was much different. This team was out for blood from day one, spending 102 games in first place and finishing an astounding 105-57, the best finish for the team since 1944, back when Stan Musial was roaming the grass of Sportsman’s Park. This was the year of the MV3, with Pujols, Edmonds, and Rolen all putting up big numbers and rolling into the playoffs with ease. A deceptive April (12-11) and May (15-12) didn’t make them favorites by any means. Many picked the Cubs to make the playoffs, but the Cardinals blew them out of the water. The only trade came after the trading deadline, picking up Larry Walker from the Rockies in return for Luis Martinez and Chris Narveson. The club was a juggernaut that went full throttle all the way to the World Series.

The Series looked to be evenly matched, and both teams had played a full seven game League Championship Series, so there was really no talk of one team being more ‘rested’ or relaxed than the others. The Series started in Boston, and the Cardinals quickly found themselves in a 2 games to none hole and St. Louis bound. The Cardinals had gone full steam all year long, but the Red Sox were playing the “team of destiny” card. They went back to St. Louis, broke the curse of the Bambino and danced on the grass of Busch Stadium after sweeping them right out of the Series. It was a crushing end to a brilliant season, and everyone knew the Cardinals would be the team to beat the next year as well.

The team to beat? More like unbeatable. The 2005 club pulled in to first place on April 16, and never found themselves looking up from second again the rest of the year. The only month they played that was under a .590 winning percentage was September, where they cooled to a mere 13-13 record for the month. The team spend an astounding 155 days in first place. They made no significant trades in season and were the favorites to march all the way to the World Series.

Ace of the staff Chris Carpenter had a Cy Young winning year, going 21-5 with a 2.83 ERA and 241.2 innings pitched, including seven complete games. He was not the only accolade winner that year, as Albert Pujols had his first career MVP win, hitting .330/.430/.609, hitting 41 home runs and driving in 117 runs, which was actually a career low for the slugging first baseman at that point in his career.

For the second year in a row the Houston Astros stood between them and the Series. The bitter rivals put on a show, with circus catches by Jim Edmonds, dominant pitching performances by Roy Oswalt and Chris Carpenter, and Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman launching home runs deep into the night. Eventually the Astros won out and advanced on, but the rivalry became one that fans would remember for the next few years.

Angela Weinhold covers the Cardinals for i70baseball.com and writes at Cardinal Diamond Diaries. You may follow her on Twitter here or follow Cardinal Diamond Diaries here.

After growing up in St. Louis, it’s been quite a unique experience living in Springfield, Missouri…home to the Cardinals’ Double-A affiliate. It’s like seeing the future unfold before my eyes. I saw Colby Rasmus hit a walk-off homerun in a playoff game in 2007. I saw Jaime Garcia mow down the St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup during a late spring exhibition game at Hammons Field. Both of those players clearly had a legitimate change at a future in the big leagues.

And then there’s Jon Jay.

Photo By Erika Lynn

Jay is hands down my favorite Springfield Cardinal of all time, and frankly it’s hard to put my finger on it as to why that is. He’s not flashy and doesn’t hit for power. He isn’t a speedster on the base paths, and he’s not an RBI machine. His average numbers in a full minor league season were a .300 avg., 8-10 homeruns, and about 45-50 RBIs.

He stands a shade less than six feet, and weighs in right at 200 pounds. Despite being a fan, I never envisioned that he’d one day make it to the big leagues, much less as a member of the Cardinals’ organization. When he was called up to Triple-A Memphis is 2008, my exact reaction was “I guess someone up there got hurt.”

But Jay has two wildly redeeming qualities that kept him in the big leagues for 105 games last year. First, the kid can hit. He started off hitting in the neighborhood of .400 in his first couple weeks in the bigs before eventually checking in at .300 for the year. He had nearly 300 at bats, so his average was legit. Secondly, the guy has “it.” I know, so cliché. But he does. How else can you explain his early success on a Tony LaRussa ball club? LaRussa, you might recall, pretty much despises young players, even ones with talent. About the only exceptions I can think of are Yadier Molina (a perennial Gold Glover) and Albert Pujols (who wouldn’t have even made Tony’s 2001 squad out of Spring Training had it not been for an injury to Bobby Bonilla.

That’s why I’m really anxious to see what’s in store for Jay. We know Matt Holliday is going to see 150+ games in left, but the other two outfield spots are, shall we say, flexible? Lance Berkman, even if his health holds up, is probably looking at 100 starts max in right field, and a looming role as pinch-hitter in the other games. Colby Rasmus still gets the kids gloves by Tony. He won’t see a start vs. a lefty, and will get benched in other curious scenarios, I’m sure.

In other words, Jon Jay will get every opportunity to see as much time, if not more, than he got last season. The question is: will he keep hitting? If he can avoid the sophomore slump, he could set himself up for a bright future in the big leagues. He’s got a ton of potential and is a fun player to watch. He’s a guy people like to root for…and I’ll be rooting right along with the rest of the Cardinals fan base as number 15 steps onto the diamond for year two.

In 2001 the St. Louis Cardinals, thanks to an injury to veteran outfielder Bobby Bonilla, made the roster move that would identify the franchise as it reestablished itself as the premier team in the National League. As the team broke from Florida and headed North to begin the season, Albert Pujols claimed the final spot on the roster.

It All Begins As opening day arrived, Pujols would find himself making his major league debut, going one for three with a single to left field in his third at bat of the game after flying to deep left field in his second at bat. It would be the third game of the season before Pujols would reach out and drive the first home run of his career. On Friday, April 6, 2001, as the Cardinals played the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pujols would hit fifth in the lineup and play right field. In the top of the fourth inning with Ray Lankford on first base, Diamondback hurler Armando Reynoso would work Pujols into a 1-2 count. After fouling off the fourth pitch of the at bat, Pujols would lift his first home run of his career. The home fun would tie the game at two runs a piece. Pujols would go on to drive in Ray Lankford with a double down the left field line later in the game as the Cardinals would go on to win 12 to 9.

Number 25 The number 25 was reserved by the big red headed man playing first base for the Cardinals when Pujols arrived on the scene. Pujols, who would find that position soon to be his regular home, was still being moved all over the field in 2001. On Saturday, July 28, 2001, the third place Cardinals would find themselves in Chicago playing the first place Chicago Cubs. The Cubs had a young player turning heads on the mound in Kerry Wood and in the fifth inning he would make a mistake on a 1-0 pitch to the Cardinals rookie. Pujols would hit the second pitch of the bat the opposite way for a solo home run, his 25th of the year (and his career, obviously). The Cardinals would win 7-4 to pull within 7 1/2 games of first place.

Rookie Of The Year When the curtains would close on 2001, the Cardinals would win the division and Albert Pujols would bring home the National League Rookie Of The Year Award. On Sunday, September 30, 2001, as the Cardinals played at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pujols would put the nail in the coffin of the competition for the award. In the bottom of the first inning, after Pittsburgh starter Tony McKnight walked J.D. Drew, Drew would still second base. With Drew on second and a 2-0 count, Pujols would launch a home run to left center field. The blast would be the final one of his rookie campaign, number 37 for his young career, and give him 128 runs batted in for the year. The Cardinals would win the ball game, their 90th win of the season and their 5th in a row, by a score of 7-3. Albert would finish the year hitting .329 with 37 home runs and 130 runs batted in. He would play five positions – first and third base, left and right field, and designated hitter – win a Silver Slugger as a third baseman, make his first All Star appearance and finish fourth in the Most Valuable Player award.

Going Home Jose Alberto Pujols would be the name you would find inscribed on a high school diploma from Fort Osage in Independence, Missouri, a stone’s throw from Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City. On Saturday, June 8, 2002, in Kansas City, Pujols would play left field and hit the 50th home run of his career in the fourth inning off of Royals reliever Mac Suzuki. The blast, hit on a 1-0 delivery, would bring home Fernando Vina and Eli Marrero and would be pulled to left field. The Cardinals would go on to win the game 11-3 behind staff ace Matt Morris.

I Love L.A. It was a trip to the left coast that would find our next monumental home run in the Pujols saga, home run number 100. On Sunday, July 20, 2003 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Pujols would drive his 100th home run of his career while still playing a familiar left field for the Cardinals. The hit came in the fourth inning off of Dodger starter Odalis Perez on a 2-2 pitch and Bo Hart on first base. The home run, hit to straight away center field, would put the Cardinals in the lead 8-5 on their way to a 10-7 lead. The Redbirds would remain in 2nd place, three games back of the Houston Astros. They would finish 2003 in third place in one of the closest divisional races in a long time.

Saying Goodbye To The Old Ballyard This walk down memory lane finds a fast forward to September 30, 2005 and one of the last games played at Busch Memorial Stadium and Pujols at his now familiar position of first base. Pujols’ 200th homer of his career would come in grand style in the seventh inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds. With Skip Schumaker, David Eckstein, and So Taguchi on base, Albert Pujols would step to the plate and take the first pitch he seen to left-center field for a grand slam, one of eleven in his career including milestone home run number 350. The Cardinals would go on to win 12-6 over the last place Reds as they looked to close Busch Memorial Stadium (Busch II) and set to open Busch Stadium (Busch III) the following season.

Providing The Fireworks It was Independence Day, Friday, July 4, 2008, when Albert would hit home run number 300 of his career. In a frustrating game that would see the Cardinals lose to the first place Chicago Cubs by a score of 2-1. The only fireworks from the Cardinal bats on this day would come in the bottom of the 8th inning when Pujols stepped to the plate to face Bob Howry. Pujols would work the count to 2-2 and foul away the fifth pitch of the at bat. On the sixth pitch, Pujols would launch the ball down the left field line to provide the only run for the Cardinals. The team would finish a disappointing 2008 season in fourth place despite Albert Pujols winning his second Most Valuable Player award.

The 47th Player To Hit 400 Home Runs On August 26, 2010, Albert Pujols would become the 47th player in Major League Baseball history to hit 400 home runs in his career. Leading off the top of the fourth inning, Pujols stepped to the plate and took a high curve ball for a strike from Washington Nationals’ right hander Jordan Zimmerman. The second pitch of the at bat was a high and outside fastball that Pujols drove to the opposite field for the 400th home run of his career.