For several years now the Royals have had one of the better farm systems in Major League Baseball.  Most teams should be so lucky.  The Royals however haven’t been able to translate this advantage into success on the field and there would seem to be one very good reason for this.

You can’t win the World Series with the AAA Storm Chasers.  It takes time to scout and develop major league talent.  While developing young talent can be exciting, it usually comes with long periods of growing pains while the fans wait for the team to assemble all of the necessary pieces to win consistently.  And if you’re a mid-market team like the Royals then you hope that you have enough players developed each year to keep costs down.

In a weak division, the offensive core might be enough to keep the Royals out of the basement for the foreseeable future but to be yearly contenders they are still missing something.  Pitching, pitching and maybe a little pitching.  This is where general manager Dayton Moore earned his paycheck this offseason.

Moore started his offseason by acquiring Ervin Santana (and cash) from the Angles in exchange for LHP Brandon Sisk.  The Angles are of course currently attempting to outspend every other team in baseball and thought they could do better than Santana.  Forced to exercise his buyout option, the move seems more about dumping Santana to try and buy up more expensive pitching arms than it was about picking up prospects.  Santana isn’t exactly anyone’s idea of a team ace but he can definitely eat up innings and has the potential to strike out a ton of guys.  Unfortunately he also has the potential to give up a lot of runs.

Santana is coming off of a pretty bad year where he gave up a league leading 39 of said home runs as well as one of the more undesirable ERAs (5.16).  The Royals are hoping that the Santana they get is the Santana that can strike out 200 plus batters while posting a 3.49 ERA like he did in 2008 and so far so good.  In 7 starts, Santana has a 2.79 ERA.  What probably scares the Royals is that fact that almost half of his earned runs have come off of the long ball.  Still, it seems like a smart move, especially since Sisk, the minor league pitcher they gave up to acquire Santana, now needs Tommy John surgery.

Sisk, who has been a career minor league pitcher, seemed ready to come up and take on a bullpen position.  He posted a 2.54 ERA at the AAA level in 2012 but elbow surgery puts his future into question.  The Angles did place Sisk on their 40 man roster which means they still see potential, but for now the Royals seem to have come out on top of this trade.

But by far the biggest move for the Royals this offseason was the 6 man trade with Tampa Bay.  The trade sent starting pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis to Kansas City in exchange for minor leaguers Patrick Leonard, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and Wil Myers.

Wade Davis probably isn’t going to win over the hearts and minds of the ever patient Royals fans.  Just another arm for an under achieving starting rotation.  James Shields is another matter as he’s the closest thing to an ace the Royals have had since the departure of Zack Greinke.  He’s had a strikeouts per 9 innings rate of over 8 since 2010 and pitches deep into games.  But even if he’s everything the Royals hope he will be, he is only signed through this year with a $12 million dollar option for 2014.

The Royals gave up the 2012 minor league player of the year for what seems to be a 2 year shot at winning a weak division.  The Rays, who can’t draw a crowd and can’t ever hope to spend the kind of money that other teams in their division do have to rely on smart moves in order to compete and this is one of them.  The Royals have an incredibly deep farm system but giving up what some people consider to be baseball’s best prospect for an outside chance at a championship is risky but it does send a message.  The Royals want to win and they want to win now.  They haven’t been to the post season since they won the World Series in 1985 and they want that to change.

Early in the season they hold a winning record but their hopes of making the playoffs are probably tied to beating the Tigers.  Their offensive core will remain in Kansas City for the time being but the pitching that they have literally bet the farm for will not.  The silver lining here is that the Royals fans finally have something to be excited about, that is unless Wil Myers turns out to be an annual MVP candidate.  If that turns out to be the case, nothing short of a World Series will be worth the cost.

The biggest move of the winter took center stage on Opening Day for the Kansas City Royals.  No longer a team that is rebuilding, David Glass and company took steps this off-season to become contenders.

The top prospect in the organization was packaged away in order to get the one thing the Royals felt they needed more than anything else: a pitcher that could truly be an ace.  In addition, they got a pitcher who possesses the nickname to define his role with the club.  Welcome to 2013 Royals baseball, let us introduce “Big Game” James Shields.

Opening Day showed the fans exactly what they wanted to see.  Shields took the mound and pitched like the ace that he is.  He got in small bits of trouble, refused to be shook up about it, and fought out of the jams.  He struck out six batters without issuing a single free pass.  He battled, giving up eight hits and still managed to pitch six innings.  He showed Royals fans that he was exactly as advertised.

Aaron Crow and Kelvin Herrera furthered what fans already knew.  The rebuilt rotation would be supported by the strength of the team the last few years: the bullpen.  They were not perfect, but the were close enough.  Three strikeouts, one walk, and two innings later, the Royals pitching staff had put the team in a great position to win a baseball game.  With the exception of one poor pitch from their starter, the Royals were great.  All they needed was two runs to win the game.

That, on the other hand, proved to be difficult.  White Sox starter Chris Sale was Shields-like in his own right.  He scattered hits, kept guys off the bases, and stayed out of trouble.  He went deep into the game and then allowed his bullpen to close the door.  The Royals had their chances, but simply could not deliver.  Ultimately, it came down to the top of the ninth inning with the potential game-tying run sitting in scoring position at second base.  Eric Hosmer had drawn a walk and stole second, trying to ignite something to happen.

Jeff Francoeur grounded out weakly to the shortstop, unable to beat out a possible infield single and drawing the curtain on the first game of the season.

Do not fret, Royals fans, this offense will not sputter like this frequently.  If Shields continues to give up one run per outing, he will find himself winning a lot of games in Royals blue.

But for one day, at the beginning of the 2013 campaign, it sure felt a lot like deja vu.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at i70baseball.
You can follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

No aspect of the 2012 Cardinals comes with more questions than the middle infield, where one position has no clear starter and one has a veteran with something to prove. Rafael Furcal returns on a two-year contract with the Redbirds, hoping to show he can still play at the high level he displayed as recently as 2009, while the team goes into Spring Training with an open competition for the starting second-base job.

If Furcal’s performance is an unknown, at least his role is not. On the other side of the keystone, there’s a different kind of uncertainty. Three players go into camp with a shot at winning time at second base: Tyler Greene, Daniel Descalso and Skip Schumaker. Any of the three could win the lion’s share of the job, or manager Mike Matheny could fashion a job-sharing arrangement among two or three of the contenders.

This is one spot where the Cardinals find themselves far from the top of the division, both offensively and defensively as it stands today.

Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney hit .276 in 2011, with a pair of homers, nine steals, 43 RBIs and 66 runs scored.  Barney secured the starting second base job in Spring Training and never looked back. A .238 batting average in the second half dampens any enthusiasm for this youngster, who hasn’t shown much power or speed.

The Reds exercised Phillips’ $12 million option on Oct. 31, but the three-time National League Gold Glove winner has long trumpeted his desire to re-sign with Cincinnati for many years.  Phillips, 30, has also been firm about his lack of willingness to accept a hometown discount to remain with the Reds.  Phillips recorded his first .300 season but the numbers weren’t all as rosy. His home run total was the lowest since 2006 and his 14 steals were the lowest since 2005. Phillips remains a quality second baseman but at age 30, it remains to be seen if he can climb back to the 20-20 level.

Astros rookie second baseman Jose Altuve hit .276 with a pair of homers, seven steals, 12 RBIs and 26 runs scored in 221 at-bats during his inaugural season.  Altuve was hitting .389 in the Minors when the Astros gave him the call to the show. The 21-year-old showed some speed and the ability to collect hits against Major League pitchers but his lack of power and elite speed will limit Altuve’s potential in the short term.

Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks finished up an injury-plagued 2011 season with 20 homers, nine steals, 49 RBIs, 77 runs scored and a .269 batting average in 453 at-bats.  Weeks launched 17 homers in the first half of the season but suffered a serious ankle injury near the end of July and registered only 83 at-bats in the second half. The 29-year-old is an attractive asset heading into 2012 because of his ability to hit for power as a second baseman.

Without a lot of fanfare, this second-year player  produced a solid 2011 with .273 with 12 homers, nine steals, 83 RBIs and 76 runs scored.  Walker has settled in as a solid, but not spectacular second base option. Don’t look for major improvements in 2012 but at age 26 he could still make small gains. A  reasonable expectation for him and a solid season cound make him one of the few second baseman to collect 90 RBIs.

Schumaker, 31, hit .283 in 117 games last season, including a .299 mark after the All-Star break. He batted .381 in the playoffs and had the game-winning RBI in the decisive fifth game of the National League Division Series against the Phillies.

By the time 2012 is said and done here is how I see things shaking out amongst the NL Central second basemen

1. Brandon Phillips
2. Rickie Weeks
3. Neil Walker
4. Darwin Barney
5. Skip Schumaker
6. Jose Altuve

Looking ahead:

Descalso and Greene are likely slicker fielders, but Schumaker has established himself as a solid hitter for a middle infielder. Whereas at the start of the winter it sounded as though he was being removed from the second-base picture, later indications have made it clear that Schumaker can compete for the job.

Greene and Descalso both come from other positions. Descalso has played plenty of second, but in the Major Leagues, he’s spent more time at third. Offensively, he’s a bit similar to Schumaker, a line-drive hitter with some on-base ability but not much power. Defensively, he is probably a superior second baseman. But his versatility is also an asset that Matheny may covet.

Then there’s Greene, who sometimes sounds like the favorite coming into the spring. A former first-round Draft pick and a shortstop by trade, he has tremendous tools but has yet to turn them into dependable production at the big league level. Greene’s upside is the highest of the contenders, but of the three, he has proved the least in the Majors.

One advantage for Greene is that he is a shortstop, and there’s no clear backup to Furcal. If Greene doesn’t win the starting job, he could well stick as a utility player. Descalso is also almost certain to be on the roster for his positional flexibility, defense and pinch-hitting savvy, while Schumaker will be on as a utility man if not the starter.

What makes up a winner? Talent? Sure. Good team chemistry? Maybe. A great Manager? Overrated. No, it all comes down to the intangibles that “it” factor. You know turtles, squirrels and what not.

Okay, well maybe not entirely. The players do their part and the rest just seems to sort itself out. But if you look at the post season success of some recent World Series teams they all have one thing in common. They all seem to have a certain flair or element to them that adds to the story and sets them apart from the other contenders.

The 2002 Angels had the Rally Monkey, the 2004 Red Sox were a bunch of drunken idiots (their words not mine…okay I may have added the drunken part) and the Giants, last year’s champs, had Brian Wilson’s beard and whatever is living in there. These teams didn’t just win, they were and are remembered. Quick, without looking it up, who won the 1973 World Series?

My point exactly. I am not saying that what the 1973 Athletics accomplished was not impressive, just that it’s not the kind of story you remember and tell over and over again. Hell, even the 2006 Cardinals team is still talked about. Granted it is usually in conversation as the worst team to ever win a World Series, but they are still talked about. Take that ’73 A’s.

Let’s take a look at this year’s run by the Cardinals. Impressive, yes. But after their September comeback for the ages culminated in Houston whose name was being shouted throughout the clubhouse amidst all the champagne…you guessed it. Torty Craig. For those out of the loop, Torty is Allen Craig’s pet turtle.

Next up, and not to be out done was the Busch Squirrel. Out doing his wild kingdom counterpart by actually making multiple on-field appearances in the NLDS. To follow was twitter accounts for both, credits and mentions on SportsCenter and even a press conference. Not convinced of the impact and relevancy of @tortycraig and @buschsquirrel? Look no further than Philly for game five of the NLDS to see fans hanging fake squirrels from nooses in the stands or the nearly 40,000 followers between the both of them on Twitter.

Long known for the serious approach TLR’s teams take and the perception they don’t have a lighter side or any fun on the field this is a welcome addition. Whether or not it has anything to do with the team the players seem to have embraced it and as evidenced by their chants of “torty” upon clinching the Wild Card even seem to be enjoying the irreverence.

A manager wants and needs his players to be loose and relaxed during the playoff run. The 162 grind of the regular season takes its toll and teams that hold on too tight often seem to fall short. See this year’s Phillies and Yankees.

So here’s to you Cardinals, enjoy the ride, have some fun, go ahead and win the World Series. You’ve already started writing the story so why not finish it. Leave it up to me to explain to my daughter in 15 years my strange affection for a squirrel named Busch and a turtle named Torty much the same way my dad explained to me the importance of “The Heat is On.”

As always these are just my thoughts…keep on reading and you’ll get up to speed.

Derek is on Twitter @SportsbyWeeze and also writes for the Rams at RamsHerd.com

Also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SportsByWeeze

The NL Central has seen its share of weirdness throughout most of the 2011 season. The division leader has been a revolving door that the Cardinals, Reds, Brewers, and even the Pirates enjoyed a few turns through. But as the All Star Break shrinks in the rear view mirror, so does the number of contenders for what will likely be the only playoff spot to come out of this division.

The Brewers currently occupy first place, and the Cardinals are not far behind them. These two teams play each other nine more times this year; fortunately for the Cards, six of those meetings are in St. Louis. Playing in Milwaukee this season has roughly resembled walking into a minefield, which means the Cardinals must make the most of the Brewers’ visits to Busch Stadium. Those two series will be about as “must-win” as any regular season set.

And the two teams have remarkably similar schedules the rest of the way. They actually play all the same teams in the same number of series except for one; the Cards still have to play the Atlanta Braves, and the Brewers have one more series against the Astros than the Cards do.

The similarities don’t stop there, either. The Cardinals and Brewers are pretty even in most team stats. The Cardinals have the edge in a lot of offensive categories; the Brewers have a little better pitching overall. It probably comes as no surprise that the Cardinals have ground into way more double plays than the Brewers, but the fact that the Cards only have one more blown save is a little surprising. And the two teams have committed about the same number of errors, too.

If the teams are so even, then why is Milwaukee in front now? For starters, the Brewers are hot right now and the Cardinals are playing good—but not great—baseball. In the first half of the year, the opposite was true—and the standings were flip-flopped. But with less than a third of the season left, that seems like eons ago. Now every win is important and every loss has the potential to be disastrous. Falling five or six games out of first place at this point in the year could be the death knell, even for the Cardinals and that dynamite lineup.

For the Cardinals to keep pace and make a move to overtake the Brewers in the standings, they have to do the following:

1. Get the maximum out of the rotation. This does not mean every starter has to throw eight innings or 120 pitches every night. But these four and five inning outings have to disappear. The Cards have a stronger bullpen than before the trade deadline, but they will come apart quickly if overexposed. The five starters have to pitch efficiently, something that may be a little easier with Rafael Furcal manning shortstop.
2. Finish games. It hasn’t been pretty every time out, but the bullpen has certainly been better than it was in the first half of the season. That must continue. If the Cardinals win the division, it will be in spite of the numerous blown saves and ineffectiveness of pitchers who were so bad they were dumped by the team. If they lose the division, those shortcomings will catch a lot of the initial blame.
3. Beat the Brewers at Busch. It sounds oversimplified, but considering how good the Brewers are at home the Cardinals cannot afford to lose either of the remaining series against Milwaukee in St. Louis. Those are easily the six most important games of the stretch run in 2011.
4. Dominate the three weeks around Labor Day. Pirates, Brewers, Reds, Brewers, Braves, Pirates. Those are the Cardinals’ opponents August 25-September 14. Emotions will be high and position in the standings will be on the line every night. Winning most of those games would make a huge statement. So would losing most of them.
5. End on a high note. The Cardinals’ final three series of the regular season are against the Mets, Cubs, and Astros. All three teams could be showcasing a lot of youngsters to see what they have for next year. The Cards need to take it to them, especially with the Brewers finishing with six home games.

The Cardinals will have every opportunity to win the NL Central title this year. But the Brewers show no signs of folding, and the Reds or even the Pirates could nudge their way back into relevance. Even the Cubs are riding a six game winning streak. The Cards would do well to put together something similar. In fact, this would be a good time for a couple winning streaks like that. Stranger things have happened, and 2011 has already been strange enough.

I heard an interesting and quite likely theory today: the 2011 Kansas City Royals could have a completely different starting rotation at the end of the season than they did at the beginning of the year.

For that matter, the Royals could also have a different infield, outfield and bullpen.

It all depends on where the Royals sit in the standings come the few weeks before the trade deadline: if they are out of the race, the Royals will likely be sellers. If they are in the hunt, they’ll probably be looking to bring players in.

Let’s take a look at the players the Royals could be shipping out if they’re sellers, and the players they could bring in if they’re buyers:

SELL: Melky Cabrera

The player: Melky has played extremely well this year, and the Royals could (and should) capitalize on that if they’re out of the race by July.

The return: How about a right-handed pitching prospect to complement the lefties in the farm system?

BUY: Chone Figgins

The player: Seattle’s Figgins could make a good fit at second base and batting if a contending Royals team doesn’t have faith in Chris Getz.

The return: Salary relief for the Mariners and/or a bullpen arm.

SELL: Robinson Tejeda or Kanekoa Texeira

The players: Speaking of bullpen arms. The trade deadline is a great time to flip relievers to contenders. Tejeda would have to get healthy and prove he can bounce back to 2010 form to be tradable.

The return: Not much. A B-level prospect or two.

BUY: Mike Pelfrey, Chris Young or Aaron Harang

The players: Pelfrey and Young of the Mets and Harang of the Padres are stable veterans who could boost the Royals’ rotation if they’re in the race. These are not front-of-the-rotation guys, but they’re definitely an improvement over Kyle Davies.

The return: Again, salary relief, or…

SELL: Mike Aviles or Wilson Betemit

The players: Even if the Royals are in contention, it’s likely at least one of these guys will be on the trading block. The hot corner belongs to Mike Moustakas come June.

The return: A major league starter or an outfield prospect.

BUY: A front-line starter, such as Felix Hernandez

The player: A Cy Young winner, Felix may or not be on the block come the trade deadline. But if he is, a team like the Royals could pry him loose with their salary flexibility. But it would take a lot.

The return: Like I said, a lot. Kansas City would have to give up one of their top-line prospects, a major league-ready starter (like Jeff Francis) and a couple B-level prospects. This would only be a worthwhile venture if the Royals are truly in the race.

SELL: Billy Butler

The player: Butler has been the anchor of this team’s lineup for a few years. But with the emergence of Eric Hosmer, the presence of Clint Robinson at AAA, and Kila Ka’aihue hanging around as a stopgap, Butler could become expendable. He also has a team-friendly contract, which is attractive to opposing teams.

The return: It would have to be overwhelming. How about top-rated catcher prospect, a right-handed starter and a young first baseman to replace Butler in the system?

BUY: Albert Pujols

The player: Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?

The return: The farm. As in, the entire farm system.

Matt Kelsey is a Royals writer and associate editor for I-70 Baseball. He can be reached at mattkelsey14@yahoo.com.

August heats up for the Cardinals and everyone currently predicts they will still be in the hunt of things when it does.

If in fact the Cardinals do find themselves deep in the division competition, one of the predicted top of the division foes will be the Milwaukee Brewers. The two teams will surely find some separation this month as they face of eight times in the Midwest heat.

The Cardinals will also find themselves on the road for most of August and facing other division foes like the Cubs and Pirates who, despite their records, seem to do a good job of playing spoiler.

August Breakdown:

Total Games: 28

Home: 13

Road: 15

Vs teams with winning records in 2010: 10

Vs teams with losing records in 2010: 18

Vs teams in the NL Central: 18

Key Series:

August 1-3 at Milwaukee, 9-11 vs Milwaukee, 30-31 at Milwaukee – the Brewers will look to untuck the Cardinals playoff hopes before September arrives while the boys in red will attempt to prove that all the pitching help Milwaukee employed during the off-season will not help them win a pennant.

While the Brewers were the most improved team in the NL Central this off-season, many pundits question whether they did enough. Over the course of these three series in August, we should find out just what the team is made of.

August 22-24 vs Los Angeles – The boys of Dodger Blue come calling near the end of the month and may have a chip on their shoulder to prove as well. A team stuck in the middle of a youth movement and a contender, the Dodgers may or may not find themselves in the thick of things by late summer depending on who you ask. Either way, these two storied franchises will challenge the thermometer to keep up with the play on the field as they light it up for a Summer classic in St. Louis.

Key To a Hot August:

The August schedule is an interesting one. There are teams the Cardinals should, and honestly have to, beat as well as contenders and division foes. It will be a challenge for the Cardinals as the season really heats up. This is the month that lineups and rotations have to prove they are healthy and can compete as their bodies are giving out.

At the end of August:

If the Cardinals have 14+ wins… they are not playing well enough to win this division. With 18 games against teams within the division, the Cardinals have to over-achieve a bit in August.

If the Cardinals are above .500… they have a start towards a playoff run. Honestly, this team does not need to finish above .500 in August, it needs to finish well above .500 in August. Anything less than 18 wins and September will be real interesting.

If the Cardinals are below .500… the season is looking down a barrel of the nastiest kind. If this team is under-achieving to this level and expects the Pujols contract not to be a distraction, everyone is fooled. If the Cardinals want to keep Pujols on the back burner and the season in focus, they cannot lose the month of August.

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.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Two months into the season, the team should have established what they will be in 2011. Judging where that may or may not be is a bit premature currently but breaking down what they will face in June is worth analyzing.

An interesting month where the Cardinals will not play a single Monday game and find themselves with very few games against division foes, June will not be a month that makes or breaks this season. At the same time, games against teams that the Cardinals need to show superiority over will take place and the team will look to kill the curse of last year where they found themselves playing poorly against teams with losing records.

June Breakdown:

Total Games: 26

Home: 14

Road: 12

Vs teams with winning records in 2010: 8

Vs teams with losing records in 2010: 18

Vs teams in the NL Central: 9

Key Series:

June 3-5 vs Chicago – the loveable losers of the Chicago Northside will visit the not so friendly confines of Busch Stadium for the first time in 2011. The Cubs may not be competitors by the time they arrive in St. Louis, but that has never stopped this series from being interesting before. These two teams seem to put up classic battles on the field and in the stands every season, despite either team’s current performance. Cubs fans will surely invade Busch Stadium and Cardinal fans will surely attempt to protect their turf.

June 24-26 vs Toronto – The Blue Jays will come to town at the end of the month and be on a mission to prove that they improved enough to be contenders in 2011. The birds from North of the border will be in full swing to push forward into a hopeful playoff run and many experts think they will hang around in the American League East well into September. The Cardinals could find one of their biggest challenges of the month in this interleague matchup.

Key To a Hot June:

The Cardinals will need to improve their ability to beat the teams they should beat if they are going to be contenders this season. The month of June may be one of their biggest tests despite looking like one of their easiest months. The middle of the season can find players “going through the motions” and they will need to push through their competitive streaks to come out of the month as the front runners of the National League Central.

At the end of June:

If the Cardinals have 14+ wins… they have tread water well enough to continue to be considered a winning ball club. Most of the series this month should be a two-out-of-three win segment for the team.

If the Cardinals are .500… then they are failing to put away the teams that they simply have to beat. This team cannot be playing .500 baseball in the month of June.

If the Cardinals are below .500… then trade rumors and season ending discussions will run rampant. The team has to win in months where the schedule are laid out like it is in June. If they are not winning, there is a greater possibility of injuries or other factors off the field at play. This team is far too good to lose the month of June.

May will test the Cardinals in more than one way. The long, grueling month will only feature two off days for the club, challenging the pitching staff early on to keep things under control both in the bullpen and starting rotation. They will face off against some division foes as well as some highly favored teams from the West Coast. The team will also find themselves on the road more than they are home for the second straight month. Some key games will come in May and the Cardinals will find themselves challenged early this season.

May Breakdown:

Total Games: 29

Home: 13

Road: 16

Vs teams with winning records in 2010: 14

Vs teams with losing records in 2010: 15

Vs teams in the NL Central: 11

Key Series:

May 6-8 vs Milwaukee – The team in the Central division that everyone is talking about comes to town the first weekend in May and will pose a threat to the Cardinals. An improved rotation that should be healthy by the time this series happens will challenge the offense of the Cardinals and their ability to perform. The Brewers have drawn attention as potential contenders for 2011 and the Cardinals will get first hand knowledge as to why in this critical series for the team.

May 20-22 @ Kansas City – Of course this series is important, it is this site’s namesake. The I-70 series will be revisited as the Cardinals travel across the state to take on the Royals. Last season, the Cardinals struggled against teams with poor records and the Royals were no stranger to taking advantage of that. The “boys in blue” always give the Cardinals some headaches and the interstate rivalry promises to be heating up over the next few years as the Royals become contenders again. The Cardinals need to win games like these if they are to be competitive in 2011.

Key To a Hot Month:

The Cardinals need to stay the course through the month of May. Games against the Rockies and World Champion Giants will challenge them. Games against the Cubs, Astros and Royals have to become wins for this team to succeed. A two game set in the middle of the month against the Phillies and their monstrous pitching staff will have people saying “playoff preview” if the Cardinals are playing good baseball.

At the end of May:

If the Cardinals have 17+ wins… then they, in all honesty, have not performed as well as they need to. Seventeen wins would suggest series wins over the Marlins, Cubs, Astros, and Royals and a win in each series against the Brewers, Reds, Phillies, Padres, Rockies and Giants. The Cardinals simply must win the aforementioned series and take at least three of the later series. Anything less and everyone will simply state that the Cardinals cannot play against the other contenders of the league.

If the Cardinals are .500… fans will begin to worry. There are enough games in this month against bad ball clubs that this team simply has to post a winning record.

If the Cardinals are below .500… fans may revolt in droves and being to demand the trade of Albert Pujols. This team is built to win and in a month where they will play against teams that are expected to contend but not win and teams that are not expected to do either, they have to be able to walk away with their heads held high and in a winning situation.

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.
Follow him on Twitter here.