Over the weekend, the Cardinals realized they had a problem with the back end of their bullpen. The closer role needed a change and after four of five blown saves, that change is happening. In the midst of it all and lost in the shuffle, however, was the ailments haunting Skip Schumaker and Allen Craig.

Today, the Cardinals made the moves that no one was talking about Sunday. Outfielder-turned-second-baseman Skip Schumaker and outfielder Allen Craig will find their way to the disabled list and the roster spots will be filled by Mark Hamilton and Nick Punto.

Punto was a offseason acquisition to offset the loss of guys like Aaron Miles and Felipe Lopez. A utility infielder that plays three of the four infield spots, he is a defensive gem and an offensive liability. That being said, he is patient at the plate and sports a career on base percentage that is 74 points higher than his career batting average (.321/.247). Make no mistake, Punto is not here for his offensive production. Expect to see Punto late in games at short or second base, giving an added boost to the infield.

The surprising thing is that Punto is recovered and ready to be in St. Louis. Punto suffered a tear in his abdominal wall that required surgery that took place near the middle of spring training. He was expected to miss the entire month of April and at least part of May while on a rehab assignment to get back up to speed. With the current injuries, it seems the Cardinals feel the need to push forward a bit and activate the utility man a little early, giving St. Louis fans their first glimpse of him on this homestand.

Mark Hamilton is another story entirely though possibly equally surprising. Schumaker being supplemented by Punto makes some sense, Hamilton taking Craig’s spot does not. The twenty-six year old Hamilton has spent very little time in the outfield in his career and is a first baseman by trade. What he does replace very well, however, is Allen Craig’s bat. If there is one thing Hamilton has done well in the minors, it has been hit. A career .276 hitter over the course of six minor league seasons spent at all levels, he has hit 73 home runs and amassed 281 runs batted in. He produced a line of .298/20/62 over the course of 2010, including a short rehab assignment in Rookie Ball. Hamilton has shown a focus on patience so far this season with twelve walks to only seven strikeouts over thirty seven at bats. The left hander projects to primarily provide a bat off the bench for the Cardinals over the next few weeks.

Daniel Descalso projects to receive the bulk of the playing time in Schumaker’s absence. While he made his first major league start at second base this past weekend, it is in fact his natural position and it may be the opportunity for him to show the organization that he can perform at this level at that position. The common thought would be that Punto would pick up time at third when David Freese needed spelled and Descalso would be allowed to focus on second base until Schumaker is ready to return.

Many fans wondered why Adron Chambers and Nick Stavinoha were not called up ahead of Mark Hamilton. In my opinion (be it right or wrong), with the injuries sustained at Memphis over the weekend, outfield depth is a problem in the organization. Chambers is in fact on the forty man roster, but would benefit from consistent time at Memphis over spot starts in St. Louis. In addition, Jon Jay will continue to see playing time that he seems to be proving he deserves at this point. Satvinoha is a subject that is complex and challenging for the organization. He is not on the forty man roster, meaning that he would need to be added while another player would need to be exposed to waivers. While that challenge would be something the team could explore, when the time came for Schumaker or Craig to come off the disabled list, Stavinoha would have to be sent back down. Sending him down would not just require him to clear waivers, it would grant him free agency if he so desired. That may not be something the Cardinals are willing to risk with a player that has been working out at the catcher position this season and may be working towards becoming a reasonably priced back up to Yadier Molina in the near future.

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.

The Cardinals added a couple veteran arms Friday to begin addressing an area that crippled the 2010 squad: depth.

The Cards signed Miguel Batista and Ian Snell to minor league deals and invited them to Spring Training. Batista, 39, and Snell, 29, figure to compete for the “sixth starter” role, which means they will be asked to pitch long relief and make a spot start in the event one of the rotation mainstays need a break. Snell also may put some pressure on Kyle Lohse in competing for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Hopefully the team is not done adding pieces like this. A good number of quality free agents remain on the market, and as Spring Training approaches their asking prices will only go down.

The biggest area of concern continues to be third base. I don’t think anyone wants to give up on David Freese, but he is returning from ankle surgery and has yet to prove he can stay on the field for an entire season. I don’t even have a problem with Freese being anointed the starter before he takes the field; what I do take issue with is the Cards going into the season without a true third baseman as his backup. The Joe Thurston/Felipe Lopez/Pedro Feliz stuff isn’t going to fly anymore. But I also understand the Cards don’t have millions to throw around until they know the outcome of the Albert Pujols contract situation. So the signing will need to be of the low-risk, high-reward variety. Perhaps a bounce-back candidate like Joe Crede would be a good move.

Another bench move should be to get a “damage” bat; a known presence that gives other teams pause. I like the idea of Dan Descalso, Jon Jay, and Allen Craig getting a chance but no one will consider them to be guys that are lurking as a pinch hitter in the late innings. Jermaine Dye and Jorge Cantu are a couple of players who could re-gain their power strokes if given a shot.

I know these are not guys who are going to win MVP awards anytime soon. But the Cardinals already have a full starting roster for 2011; they need pieces and role players. Friday’s signings are a first step in what appears to be the right direction. But thinking they are done would be a mistake.

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.

Happy New Year! It is time to flip the calendar once again. The St. Louis Cardinals would probably prefer to forget most of 2010. Bright spots like Jaime Garcia’s breakout rookie campaign, the continued ascendance of Adam Wainwright, and solid offense from the middle of the order were overshadowed by devastating injuries, down production from the top and bottom of the lineup, and focus/attitude issues that led to the early ouster of Felipe Lopez and eventual trade of Brendan Ryan.

But New Year’s Day provides an opportunity for rebirth. Bad habits are identified and eradicated; fresh outlooks and routines are established. And then by Mardi Gras we’re all smoking, drinking, and overeating again. Such is life. The Cardinals also need to examine their collective reflection in the figurative mirror and find things to work on. Some are big and some are small. But all are important to the type of team that they will field in 2011. In fact, their success or failure this year pretty much depends on them.

Sign Albert Pujols – Yeah, yeah yeah…let’s bring out the dead horse for another beating. But is there really anything more important for the Cardinals to do over the next month or so? I mean, the entire future (and a good chunk of the legacy) of the franchise hangs in the balance here. Do they make Pujols the richest player in baseball? Does he walk if they don’t? Can the team compete with that salary on the books? Will they trade him? It really is unbelievable how big this decision is—probably bigger than acquiring Lou Brock or deciding to dump Steve Carlton—and it will be made within the next few weeks.

Address organizational depth issues – Part of the reason the 2010 team fell short is the injuries sustained during the season. The pieces used to compensate for those losses were woefully inadequate. Aging veterans are fine as role players and late-inning replacements, but when they’re asked to start for weeks or months in a row it leads to trouble. Obviously it may not be feasible to stock the bench with top-notch talent, but the Cards have to find a middle ground. The players in the Cards’ farm system have to step up when called upon, and the front office needs to be a little more selective regarding the veterans they bring in.

Stay healthy – This may seem like another obvious one, but that does not make it less important. Kyle Lohse, David Freese, and Lance Berkman will all be expected to make major contributions to the 2011 Cardinals after recent injury issues. And their importance pales in comparison to what it would mean to the Cards to lose Pujols, Holliday, Wainwright, or Yadier Molina for an extended period of time. Yes, a little luck is involved here. But keeping this team together and humming for the majority of the year will go a long way toward establishing them as a contender in the NL Central.

Beat the teams they’re supposed to beat – How many times did we see the 2010 Cardinals beat the crap out of the Phillies or the Dodgers only to turn around and lose two of three to the Pirates and Nationals? And the only NL Central team they were able to beat handily last season was the division-winning Reds. That must change in 2011. All the Cardinals needed was one more win per month to take the NL Central in 2010. Kind of puts a 5-10 record against the Houston Astros in perspective, doesn’t it?

Play a Hard Nine – Tony LaRussa’s philosophy seemed to be lost on the 2010 Cardinals, especially when playing sub-.500 teams. The moves made by the team are clearly meant to upgrade attitude and focus rather than overall talent. The 2011 Cardinals are going to have to bear down for what could prove to be a grinding season. They must learn to play more effective small ball. They have to take extra bases and play smart, effective defense. They have to play like underdogs, because that is exactly what they will be in 2011. The Cards can no longer win on reputation alone.

So here’s to hoping the Cardinals do better than most of us with their New Year’s Resolutions. If they want to win a more competitive NL Central in 2011, they really have no choice.

Chris Reed is a freelance writer from Belleville, IL who also writes about the Cardinals for InsideSTL on Mondays and Bird Brained whenever he wants. Follow him on Twitter @birdbrained.

Shortstop has been one of the most talked-about positions all year, during the season and off-season. Only three players spent time at shortstop in 2010, but Brendan Ryan was the obvious starter at short for the majority of the summer.

Felipe Lopez and Tyler Greene also contributed throughout the season, but both played less than 25 games at shortstop compared to Ryan’s 139. One thing they call had in common though was a poor season at the plate. All three batted lower than .231 and put together the worst offensive SS group of any team in the National League.

(Combined stats of the three players and NL ranks)

Those numbers above may very well be why John Mozeliak and the rest of the Front Office crew is looking for middle infield help this winter. Stephen Drew, Miguel Cabrera, Juan Uribe, Edgar Renteria, and Orlando Cabrera are among shortstops drawing interest from the Cardinals, and all three have had great success at the plate throughout their careers. Drew has averaged 70 RBI per season in five years, Tejada is an 8-time MVP candidate, Uribe was ranked second in the MLB with 24 home runs in ’10, Renteria hit .290 as a Cardinal, and Cabrera hit .288 from 2007-2009 and has averaged 18 stolen bases per year in his career.

Although all of those options would provide very needed help on the offensive side, none can account for Brendan Ryan’s glove. Ryan has proved to be one of the best defensive shortstops in the Majors. In the 2010 season, he ranked fifth in the MLB in defensive WAR, first in assists, fifth in putouts, first in total zone runs, and second in range factor. There were some who thought Brendan Ryan should have won a Gold Glove, something which none of the five mentioned above can say.

Ryan has vowed to make strides at the plate, and if he does, he could very well become one of the best shortstops in the National League. Which is why he will likely be the starter in 2011. He’s proved that he can hit in the big leagues. If you combine his 2007 and 2009 numbers, he hit .291 with a .345 OBP in 570 AB.

Even if his struggles with the bat continue, his glove is too good to part ways with. Management’s best bet is to improve the offense at second base, maybe third base, and stick with Ryan at SS. If his bat doesn’t come around, his defense will still be there, and he will always be a very cheap asset to the St. Louis Cardinals. Now, and in the future.

There was hope the unsettled third base situation, a situation that hurt St Louis on both sides of the ball in 2009, would resolve itself in the person of David Freese. Sadly things didn’t quite work out that way.

In 2009 the Cardinals entered spring training with Troy Glaus as their third baseman. He played exactly 14 games. David Freese came up to man the position after Glaus went down with a shoulder injury, and tore up his ankle. He played 17 games. Queue the revolving door: with Brian Barden, Mark DeRosa, Joe Thurston, and Khalil Greene all taking a turn at the hot corner. Cardinal third baseman put up the worst offensive numbers of their position players (.229/.292/.369); even the pinch hitters had a better line (.221/.306/.385). Had to get better in 2010, right?

Not so much. Cardinal third sackers weren’t the weakest offensive link in 2010 – that distinction went to the shortstops. And they did out-perform the pinch-hitters (.260/.317/.338 to .229/.307./.316). But as a group they still did not bring much offense to the table, and certainly did not bring the power numbers expected from the position.

As in 2009, a number of men manned the position in 2010.

David Freese returned after his 2009 ankle injury healed, and started 66 games at third for the Cardinals. He hit the best of the third baseman, posting a .298/.362/.409 line, but was a little below average (-4 runs saved on the Dewan scale) defensively. Freese suffered a bone bruise to his right ankle in a 5 June home game against the Brewers, and it hobbled him to the point where he had to go on the DL. Then he fractured his left big toe while on the DL, and sustained a lower right leg injury during his rehab assignment. On August 3 he learned he actually had a torn tendon in the ankle and would need surgery to fix it, ending his 2010 season.

Felipe Lopez was signed to be a super utilityman but ended up starting 51 games at third. Defensively he graded out slightly better than Freese (-2 runs saved on the Dewan scale). Offensively he started off very well, posting OPS+ of 111 and 133 the first two months of the season. When pressed into service as the everyday third baseman, however, his production suffered. Lopez’s last two OPS+ numbers were under 50.

In his defense, Felipe aggravated a chronic elbow injury pitching one inning during St Louis’ 20 inning loss to the Mets. He spent some time on the DL as a result, and although he returned to full duty the elbow continued to bedevil him throughout the rest of the season. Eventually some clubhouse discord surfaced involving Lopez, and he was sent home with 2 weeks left.

The Cardinals acquired Pedro Feliz August 19 for minor leaguer David Carpenter, two weeks after Freese’s season-ending surgery was announced. It was telling the Cardinals felt they had upgraded at third by adding Feliz, who had been wholly unremarkable offensively with the Astros (.221/.243/.311 in 97 games). Feliz played some reasonable defense but continued to be a liability at the plate, posting a .208/.232/.250 line in 125 PA with the Cardinals. He started 30 games at third.

These three men accounted for 91% of the Cardinal starts at third. Tony LaRussa started 4 other players there: Daniel Descalso (9 starts), Tyler Greene (5), Aaron Miles (twice), and Allen Craig (once). Miles’ two starts were behind Adam Wainwright and Jamie Garcia; the Cardinals lost both games. One can only surmise LaRussa pulled part of his lineup out of a hat those two days, because Miles has played 24 games at third in a career spanning almost 800 games. Craig’s one start was 15 August behind Kyle Lohse, and the Cardinals lost that day too. Freese was lost for the season, Lopez in a huge funk, and the game was 4 days before Feliz was acquired; perhaps LaRussa figured what the heck. Greene started 7 games in 2009 at third, but is primarily a shortstop, and didn’t get much action at third this past season until September.

Descalso began his minor league career at third, but has mostly played second base and short during his ascent through the Cardinal system. Called up in September, he got a couple of week look in the lineup, which included those 9 starts at third. Of all the players who manned the position after Freese went down he’s the most intriguing, since he is only 24 and probably blocked at his primary positions by Brendan Ryan and Skip Schumaker (although the Cardinals might find a new player at second this off-season). It’s hard to evaluate his hitting over 37 PA. He had one 4-hit game against Pittsburgh, then endured a 2 for 21 funk before closing the season with 3 hits in his last 7 at bats.

Looking ahead to 2011, Lopez is gone, Feliz is a free agent, and Freese should be fully recovered. Descalso could be an option at third, but most likely will be a bench player if he makes the team. The Cardinals either have to hope Freese can stay healthy for a whole season or look to upgrade the position either through trade or free agent signing.

Let me make one thing clear before you read the rest of this article:

Before this season, I have always liked Tony La Russa as a manager. There have always been people that would criticize his every move, but I would always stand up for the guy. I was a TLR supporter, and then 2010 happened.

After what I have seen this season, Tony must go.

Not only is he stubborn to the core, sometimes I actually think he does things just to stir the pot. I’m not a conspiracy theorist of any kind, but some of La Russa’s moves have been questionable at best. Time after time I find myself deep in thought trying to understand his methods, but I simply cannot.

Last week, Allen Craig was the lead-off hitter. May I ask why? Craig is batting .188 in 89 plate appearances. Need I go further?

Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t the prototypical lead-off hitter a high on-base percentage player who has speed to burn on the bases when the two, three, and four hitters drive him in? Craig’s OBP is .258. That is good for thirteenth on the team. Jeff Suppan has a better OBP than Allen Craig. Even in Craig’s best years in the minors when he was hitting .320, his OBP never cracked .390.

As for speed? Craig has stolen six bases in his professional career, and that includes 499 games in the Minors. MLB players don’t get a whole lot slower than Allen Craig. I would rather see Skip Schumaker, Jon Jay, Colby Rasmus (I know he was injured, but still), Felipe Lopez, Brendan Ryan, Aaron Miles, even Randy Winn bat leadoff over Craig. Nevertheless, he was batting leadoff on Friday night. I need an explanation as to why. If you have one, comment below or email me, because I must know.

I told a friend before the game, “if Craig does not get on base at least twice tonight, I’m going to lose it.” He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

The second of three situations that have occurred in the past week happened in the most frustrating game of the season, the 11-10 loss on Thursday night. I don’t even want to talk about the actual game, because it was awful. I want to know why Kyle Lohse was batting in the 11^th inning, with a runner on base, in a 10-10 game when Bryan Anderson was on the bench.

There were two reasons La Russa gave as to why he did not pinch hit Bryan Anderson. The first was that Anderson was our only catcher left on the bench. That is true, but don’t you play to win? Yadier Molina has caught exactly 90% of the games this season. Even if the game does go a few more innings, I would hope Yadi could handle that. And if, by some incredibly slim chance, Molina did get injured, then TLR can cross the bridge when he comes to it. How many times have the Cardinals thrown up a hail mary when we run out of pitchers? I understand that comparison is apples and oranges, but I’m sure La Russa (who over-thinks everything) would be able to figure something out if Molina happened to get hurt.

The second reason he had for not pinch-hitting Anderson was that (according to La Russa) the Nationals pitcher, Miguel Batista, is good against left-handed batters this season. That makes no sense to me at all. Sure, left-handers are hitting only .258 against Batista, but that is still a hit every four at bats. Looking at a much larger sample size, left-handers are hitting .289 against Miguel in 544 games. Not to mention, Anderson hit .294 in 218 at bats against right-handed pitchers this season down in Memphis.

Did La Russa check to see how Lohse fares at the plate? I’ll give him a hand. Lohse has hit .167 (36-for-216) in his career.

Was Tony just giving what he thought sounded like a good excuse? Because it is not valid by any measure. How can he possibly justify that move?

The third incident over the past week or so is just now really surfacing, but it all started when Colby Rasmus was benched 20 minutes prior to a game he was supposed to start on Sunday.

After the game, La Russa said, “He’s had all the work. He’s never backed off the work, taking batting practice. I think it all has to do with what his concentration is, and what his focus is. I do believe that, you just watch his swings in batting practice and in the game, I think he is convinced that he helps us more if he just yanks the ball out of the park. That normally is not the case, because you’re limiting yourself to a side of the park and you’re vulnerable to too many pitches. We really push, ‘Just play the game.’ That’s what Jon [Jay] does. He plays the game. Take a single, take a walk, let the home runs come.”

Now, let it be known that I do not know what is going on behind closed doors. I do not know what TLR’s beef is with Rasmus, or if he truly has one at all. All I do know is that some very educated baseball minds have said that one of two things will happen before the 2011 season. Tony La Russa will retire, or Colby Rasmus will be traded. I have been told there is no way that they can coexist, and I hope ownership thinks long and hard about who is more valuable to the future success of this franchise.

This is definitely not the first La Russa-player feud we have come across, but it needs to be the last. Benching Colby Rasmus hurts the team’s chances to win and it makes the St. Louis Cardinals worse. Jon Jay is not a better player than Rasmus. Jay has been great since being called up, but he has also been extremely lucky. I hate to break it to you, Tony, but Jon Jay is not a .360 hitter.

Plus, why is Colby being benched for Skip Schumaker and Aaron Miles? Seriously? We’re benching a .853 OPS hitter that has 25-30 HR potential for them two? La Russa is comparing Rasmus to Jay, but why can’t they both play? What is wrong with Holliday in left, Rasmus in center, and Jay in right? Isn’t that the idea behind the Ryan Ludwick trade? Again, correct me if I’m wrong.

Oh, and if the Front Office does decide to trade Rasmus, I hope they know that they’re getting rid of a 5.3 WAR 23-year-old center fielder with all kinds of upside. We have paid him $813,000 over the past two years. Good luck trying to find that kind of production for that kind of money.

Again, I have always been a La Russa supporter, but the decisions he has made are beyond bizarre. I’m starting to think he’s lost interest in baseball all together. After 30+ years in the league, maybe he’s just done with it. You can argue that if you’d like, but his managerial mindset this season is flawed to say the least.

Justin Hulsey covers the Cardinals for i70baseball and his blogs, Cardinals Front Office and Rising Redbirds, that are also dedicated to Cardinals baseball and their minor league system.You may follow him on Twitter @JayHulsey by clicking here

After the All Star Break, the Cardinals offense went on a tear, grabbing an eight-game winning streak, a feat the Cardinals had not accomplished since 2004, in the process. The club then followed up that party by being shut out in consecutive games for the first time since 1995.

THE SERIOUS QUESTION:

With all these ups and downs, slumps and streaks, just which Cardinal batters are consistently doing their part and pulling their weight?

TO MAKE IT MORE FUN:

Does size really matter?

This season was promoted to be a slugfest with Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday hitting back-to-back in the lineup. Both Pujols and Holliday are the stereotypical heavy hitter – big guys with massive arms (and big paychecks to boot.)

Then there are the not-so-much-power-hitter type batters. Aaron Miles is small, but has compiled an unexpectedly high batting average since joining the Cardinals two months ago. Brendan Ryan, the Cardinals shortstop who batted .292 last year, has been plagued by unforeseen slumps during the first half of the 2010 season. Brendan has seen his batting average plummet below the Mendoza line (.200) this season, and he was briefly batting below his weight (195 lbs) until Sunday’s game.

Batting your weight is a crucial minimum. Hitting below the Mendoza line is a hazard zone, labeling a player’s offensive production plain awful in Major League standards.

By figuring each player’s batting average based on their bodyweight, we get a look at “Points Per Pound”, or P3. The formula is simple: batting average (without the decimal) divided by weight in pounds.

So which Cardinals give the biggest bang for the hunk?

SETTING THE BAR:

Starting with the golden boys: Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols are surprisingly both hitting at exactly the same P3: 1.30. So the team comparisons began with that number.

Right from the start I was amazed to see a trend develop in this silly numerical adventure. Seven Cardinals batters are all hitting close to Holliday and Pujol’s P3 number of 1.30.

Ryan Ludwick at 1.25

Felipe Lopez gets a 1.31.

Colby Rasmus up a bit at 1.33.

Skip Schumaker hitting at 1.34.

David Freese (before being injured back in June) hit 1.35 P3.

NOT PULLING THEIR WEIGHT:

From there, the numbers began to creep a bit. Yadier Molina, carrying a little more body weight and not hitting quite so well lately, had a P3 number of 1.03 which is very close to lighter weight and Mendoza-flirt Brendan Ryan’s 1.01 P3 number. Nick Stavinoha, currently working his way back on a rehab stint in Memphis, was hitting a 1.06 before his injury. Poor Nick was doomed in this mathematical endeavor by being the heaviest Cardinal on the team. And Jason LaRue was our bottom dweller at 0.94 P3 number because, honestly, he is just not hitting – plus he outweighs Brendan by a dime.

THE OVERACHIEVERS:

Barely beating the P3 gold standard were skinny boys Randy Winn and Tyler Greene at 1.41 and 1.44 respectively. Aaron Miles at 5’8” got a mathematical boost from his smaller build, but his current .321 batting average also upped his overall 1.78 P3 number. However Jon Jay is the shining star, by a landslide. Jay’s P3 number is 1.94, a 50% improvement over Holliday and Pujols’ gold standard.

For those of you who, like me, love to see the big picture:

Of course, the players’ weights listed on the team website may not be as current as the batting averages from July 26th on BaseballReference.com, but I doubt the scientific validity of my “Bang per Hunk” theory will ever be considered legitimate. Nevertheless, in a sport such as baseball that gives us statistics for just about every concept imaginable, sometimes the numbers are just fun to explore.

Could a player such as Albert Pujols with a steady career batting average increase it further by packing on the pounds? I guess the steroid era may have already proven that theory. But it does makes me wonder: Perhaps Brendan Ryan should eat more ice cream in his struggle to break past that pesky Mendoza line?

One more startling revelation: I would only have to bat .150 to get the same P3 number as Holliday and Pujols. Maybe I need an agent? Someone call Scott Boras- I will be working on my swing!

Erika Lynn writes about the Cardinals for i70baseball.com, BaseballDigest.com and at the Cardinal Diamond Diaries blog. You may follow her on Twitter at username @Erika4stlcards or follow Cardinal Diamond Diaries on Twitter here.

This was one Felipe Lopez home run away from being a very different looking column. Four days after an eight game winning streak came to an end, the Cardinals seemed poised to let the Cubs sweep a three-game set at Wrigley Field in front of a boisterous ESPN Sunday Night Baseball crowd, which would have extended their run of losses to four.

The first game, a 5-0 loss that Albert Pujols admitted was a “flat” performance by the team, marked the ninth shutout of the year, just one fewer than occurred over the entire 2009 campaign. It was also the first time in Tony La Russa’s tenure as manager in Saint Louis that his team had been shutout in consecutive days. The day before the offense had been stifled by lefty Cole Hamels of the Phillies, wasting a quality start by Adam Wainwright.

The adjective used by TLR to describe Game 2 was “frustrating”. The offense was awakened by the brisk, Friendly Confines’ winds, but missed out on several key opportunities to pile on runs. They lost the contest 6-5.

On Sunday, the energy on Chicago’s north side more closely resembled that of baseball in October than it did a game in the middle of July. A noisy contingent of fans clad in red battled the Cubbie faithful for dominion of every chant. In a year thus far constructed largely of disappointments, and on the day Cub’s great Andre Dawson would be entered into the Hall of Fame, you can bet that the entire Cubs organization wanted this win.

The Cardinals would survive a number of gaffes to earn the win in extra innings, but more than the surrendering of bragging rights, the final game of this series held, in my opinion, far more serious ramifications had they lost.

Allow me to shed the façade of alpha-male sports columnist momentarily in order to offer a relevant philosophical point. In sports and in life there are only two underlying motivations…fear and love. Think about that for a moment. At times it may be a blend of both, but at the very root of every single act there are only these two motivating forces. There are no others.

For much of the first half of the season, the Cardinals have looked like a team operating from a position of trepidation and self-doubt. The seed of lofty expectations that was planted in early spring was at first bearing fruit, blossoming into an April record of 15 and 8. However, shortly after, another driving force began to grow in its place. Untimely strikeouts and an inability to plate runners in scoring position, especially in clutch scenarios, seemed to be eroding a foundation that had not yet rooted itself deeply enough for the 162-game grind. A team that initiated the 2010 season enthusiastically and with fervor suddenly appeared tentative and afraid of failure. If at any point you have competed seriously for sport, or played a musical instrument, you have known this phenomenon and the unsavory results it will normally produce. It is because of this that the “underdog” often has upper hand…i.e. the Cincinnati Reds.

Not only would a sweep at the hands of lowly Cubs have erased the intangible gains of winning eight in row, but it would have put in jeopardy the new swagger that the home team had exhibited since its return from the All-Star break. The Cardinals, for the first time in months, looked like a team playing from the same place that it began the year.

Indeed, had the Cardinals been swept in such demoralizing fashion and by such an unworthy opponent, whatever precious confidence had been achieved would have taken a damaging blow. On a team with such temperamental psyches as players such as Brendan Ryan, Colby Rasmus, and Skip “Nobody Feels Worse” Schumaker, a legitimate concern would have to be that correcting the confidence level of the ball club a second time could prove too difficult, if possible at all.

And if you think Walt Jocketty’s legion of spurned formal Cardinals isn’t playing with a purpose that transcends the fear of falling short, you are fooling yourself.

Justin Adams is a freelance writer and staff writer for i70baseball, as well as Cardinals columnist every Thursday for InsideSTL.com. Follow him on Twitter @Intangiball

To say the first 88 games did not play out as the St Louis Cardinals (or their fans) expected would be a gross understatement. When the club started out 18-9 and quickly built a five game lead in the division, most expected they would run away with it. Alas, it was not to be. After struggling through the rest of the first-half at 29-32, they find themselves one game back of Cincinnati.

Frankly, given what happened between May 4 and today they are lucky to be that close to the lead.

What Went Right:

• Albert Pujols. He sits second in the league in OPS+ (behind Joey Votto), fifth in WAR, and started the All-Star Game.
• Matt Holliday. He’s come on to post a .902 OPS up to the All-Star Game (ASG), and despite his propensity to lose fly balls in the SoCal smog, he’s played as we expected he would.
• Adam Wainwright. Tim McCarver said it during the ASG broadcast – he’s been the best pitcher in the NL over the past two seasons. Wainwright is undefeated at home and ranks third in the league in ERA+.
• Jaime Garcia. The rookie has been as good as advertised, winning the #3 spot in the rotation. His 187 ERA+ is fifth in the league, and the men ahead of him all made the ASG. His contribution has been essential, as we will see in a moment.
• Colby Rasmus. So much for the sophomore jinx. Rasmus ranks ninth in the league in OPS+ and has played a stellar CF. The power outage Cardinal outfielders experienced in 2009 has been fixed thanks to Holliday and Rasmus.

What Went Wrong:

• Injuries. Rather than list them out individually, the long list of guys who have missed significant time reads like a who’s who list. David Freese. Ryan Ludwick. Felipe Lopez. Adam Ottavino. Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny. Lohse and Penny’s loss have been especially damaging, forcing pitchers who were not quite ready (Blake Hawksworth, PJ Walters, and Ottavino) or who’s skills have atrophied (Jeff Suppan) to throw significant innings this season, with predictable results (3-7 in 15 starts).
• Offensive Up the Middle. Brendan Ryan has a 48 OPS+,and Skip Schumaker hasn’t been much better (74). The Cardinals need better from their middle infielders. This team’s offense has sputtered, relying heavily on Pujols, Rasmus, Holliday, and Ludwick.
• Cincinnati. I mention the Reds out of respect. They have played better than anticipated and will be in the race for the balance of the 2010 season. Although I could include the rest of the NL Central in the ‘What Went Right’ section, since everyone else is at least 9 games under .500.

So What Should We Expect in August/September?

1. Another Starting Pitcher. Penny is shut down with recurring pain in his throwing shoulder, and Lohse is on the 60-day DL. The team might be able to struggle through and claim a playoff berth with either Suppan or one of the rookies holding down the #5 spot in the rotation, but not Suppan AND one of the rookies pitching out of the #4 and #5 slots. Cardinal GM John Mozeliak will need another starter.
2. Offensive Improvement. Freese went on the DL 29 June and should be back by August. That will help (Freese’s OPS+: 106). Tyler Greene (112) is making a real case for lots of playing time, starting 8 of the last 9 Cardinal games at one position or the other. Look for him to get consistent playing time moving forward. Ludwick might be back during the Dodger series, although John Jay has been a revelation in his absence. Ludwick has been a consistently good hitter with runners in scoring position over the past two years.

This team still has the talent to win the division. With Carpenter, Wainwright, and Garcia anchoring the rotation they could go deep into the post-season if they get there. The Cardinals don’t need a major overhaul, and with a minor tune-up there should be October baseball in St Louis for the fifth time in 7 years.

All statistics derived from Baseball Reference.