The big boys are coming to our house this year, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be allowed to play with them.

The Royals host the All Star Game this year, and it is a huge event for Kansas City. But the hopes of KC fans that their team would be well represented at home were disappointed.

Ever since the announcement was made that KC would be home to the 2012 All Star Game, the question has been would the Royals have more than one player named to the team?

But a 12-game losing streak, a sluggish start by a few young stars, and injuries conspired to limit the Royals to just one representative.

Billy Butler rightfully was named the Royals’ rep. And he’ll hobnob with baseball royalty at our very own Kauffman Stadium in what is a great exposure of Kansas City. It will be a great economic and cultural event for the city.

But it won’t do much for healing the wounds Royals have taken from the mid-summer classic over the past decade. Three letters describe the slight baseball has dealt the Royals: DNP.

Six of the last ten KC representatives in the midsummer classic never left the bench.

In case you were like most fans who paid almost no notice to whether Royals played or not over the past decade:

2011: Aaron Crow – DNP.
2010: Joakim Soria – DNP.
2007: Gil Meche – DNP.
2006: Mark Redman – DNP.
2003: Mike Sweeney and Mike MacDougal – DNP.

Having lacked a legitimate “star” for years, it’s been a long time since Royals fans had much reason to care about the All-Star Game. So all the DNPs seem to have gone by without much notice. Lesser players are often forced to wait until late in the games to pinch-hit, or are held out for extra innings. So most casual fans have gone to bed by the time the benches start clearing.

I made the case a year ago that this was no coincidence.

During a 13-year stretch – 1990 to 2002 – when the team was pretty bad, the Royals had just one DNP – Jeff Montgomery in 1996. So based on that fact, it would appear Royals representatives are not getting into the games as frequently as they once did.

And it wasn’t that all the Royals representatives during that period were legitimate stars (see Jose Rosado in 1997 and 1999 and Dean Palmer in 1998).

It all started with what looks like the biggest slap in the face back in 2003. In the one season when the Royals were actually good – leading the Central Division with a 51-41 mark – the Royals sent legit slugger Sweeney and lights-out closer (at the time) McDougal to the game.

And neither played.

Since then, the American League seems to be making no effort to get Royals into the game.

Butler will not record a DNP this year. Most of the DNPs have been logged by pitchers, which isn’t that uncommon. And being as the game is in KC, they will finally make it a priority to get the Royals’ rep in the game.

Butler will play, no doubt. Sadly it will probably be in a pinch-hitting role. He’ll come up for one short at bat, go to the bench, and the Royals’ presence will be barely noticed.

But strangely the slight doesn’t end there.

For once the Royals had a rep who could conceivably participate in the second-biggest event of the All Star Break, the Home Run Derby. The door was open for Butler, and Robinson Cano even said he would invite a Royal.

But this year the Royals will sadly record a different DNP – Did Not Participate in the derby.

Good luck in your All Star appearance, Billy. You deserve it. The Royals deserve it. The city deserves it.

I’m afraid next year we’ll go back to the usual DNP.

SPRINGDALE, AR – Jake Odorizzi set a new single-game franchise record punching out 11 batters as the Naturals snapped their four-game slide with a 5-0 win over the Springfield Cardinals Monday night in the opener of a four-game series at Arvest Ballpark.

Odorizzi (2-1), in by far his most dominating Double-A outing since his mid-summer promotion last season, fanned 11 in seven innings to set a new franchise record.  Four different Naturals’ hurlers – most recently left-hander Will Smith last August 30th – had fanned ten in an outing. The Royals’ top right-handed pitching prospect, Odorizzi scattered his 11 strikeouts over his seven frames – setting down at least one batter via the strikeout in each inning in a brisk game that ended in two hours and 19 minutes.

Northwest Arkansas (6-11) started the effort necessary to back Odorizzi with a pair of runs in the third. Johnny Whittleman’s two-run double in the bottom of the third scored Christian Colon and Wil Myers and put the Naturals up by a 2-0 margin.

They added three runs of insurance in the eighth. Sharlon Schoop, inserted in the eighth as a defensive replacement at first base, homered to left and then after back to back singles by Kurt Mertins and Paulo Orlando, who was also inserted for defensive purposes, Julio Rodriguez recorded the first two RBI’s of his Naturals’ career with a two-run double.

Patrick Keating, the Naturals’ franchise leader in saves, worked around an eighth inning walk to help Odorizzi and the Naturals complete the four-hitter.  For Keating, who had a rough outing in the road series opener Thursday at North Little Rock, it was his league-leading fourth save on the season.

Starter John Gast took the loss for Springfield (8-9).  Coming into the game with the league lead in wins, Gast (3-1) allowed a pair of runs and eight hits over six frames of work.

Christian Colon and Kurt Mertins had two hits each for the Naturals, who totaled 12 on the night.  Outfielder Lorenzo Cain, on a rehab assignment from the Kansas City Royals, served as the designated hitter and leadoff batter.  He hit the ball very hard, but ended the night 0-for-5 in the second game of his rehab.

Game two of the series with Springfield is Tuesday night. Left-hander Noel Arguelles (0-2, 6.08) will take the hill for Northwest Arkansas opposite right-hander Trevor Rosenthal (1-2, 4.30) for the Cardinals.  First pitch is 7:00 P.M. Listen live on News/Talk 1030 KFAY.  The game will also be available on Milb.TV (subscription required).

The St. Louis Cardinals received good…bad…news regarding the status of Chris Carpenter today. The staff ace is experiencing nerve irritation affecting his neck and throwing arm that has shut him down indefinitely, though as of now he will be treated with rest and strengthening exercises and surgery is not being discussed.

It could be worse. The worst-case scenario would be losing Carpenter for the entire season and having the continuance of his career be in jeopardy. That is not the case; however the Cards still have no timetable for his return and have to proceed as though they have no idea when he’s coming back.

While the situation is not ideal, it places the Cardinals in a familiar position: dealing with losing their best pitcher before the season even gets underway. In one sense, it is kind of amusingly ironic. In another, it toes the line of cruel and unusual punishment for the Cards and their fans. The team is the defending World Series champion, but could they possibly have a smooth start to that title defense? Of course not.

This has been coming for a while, and recently I lamented the possibility of the Cardinals going back to Kyle McClellan as an interim starter while Carpenter recovers. Thankfully, that option is off the table. Instead, Lance Lynn has been given the green light to assume the fifth spot in the rotation. I have mixed feelings about this move. On the one hand, Lynn only relieved for a short time in 2011 and has been a starter the rest of the time. “Converting back” to the starter mentality and routine should not be near as taxing on him as it was on McClellan through the first half of last year. Consequently, if Carpenter is able to come back sometime mid-summer, Lynn may be able to seamlessly transition back to the bullpen and not drastically surpass his recent innings totals. But for as well as Lynn looked as a reliever with the Cards in 2011, he had mixed results in his two starts at the major league level and was not able to complete six innings either outing. Yes, that is a really small sample size. But it just goes to show that Lynn is still an unproven rookie, and with that comes a whole new set of questions. What if he struggles initially, or even perpetually? What if Carpenter returns and Lynn can’t transition back to the bullpen effectively?

And what if the bullpen suffers without Lynn? Perhaps the Cards can get back the production from McClellan they got in 2010 when he was, by many measures, the best reliever on the team. That would certainly help. But the beginning of 2011 was a prime example of what can happen to a team when their bullpen falters, and the run at the end of the year began in large part because of dominant bullpen work from Lynn, Jason Motte, Fernando Salas, and the late additions of Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski. Dotel is gone, of course, so McClellan presumably replaces him. Who replaces Lynn?

Still, it is really hard to think the sky is falling today after we saw what happened last year in the absence of Adam Wainwright. It is relatively safe to assume that, no matter what, the Cardinals will make whatever moves are necessary to keep this team in contention for the entire season. It just would have been really sweet to see a healthy Wainwright and a healthy Carpenter at the top of the rotation for the entire season. And who knows; maybe Carpenter comes back at 100% in a few months and takes some of the heat off of Wainwright so he doesn’t get overexposed being just one year removed from Tommy John surgery.

But that is just wishful thinking. The reality is, the Cards are in a tough spot for the start of the 2012 season. Let’s hope this team is as good at battling adversity as the 2011 team was.

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

The late blooming free agent market is beginning to produce contracts, this time in the form of a one year deal between Edwin Jackson and the Washington Nationals.

Many fans will remember that Edwin Jackson joined the St. Louis Cardinals in a mid-summer trade that sent Colby Rasmus to the Toronto Blue Jays.  That trade, at the time, seemingly divided Cardinal Nation on the opinion of what the team was hoping to accomplish.

The critics of the trade felt the Cardinals were going all in for 2012 and paying too high of a price.  At the heart of the deal was Rasmus, considered by many to be a budding star who simply could not get along with manager Tony LaRussa.  Rasmus was part of the future in St. Louis as far as fans were concerned.  Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel, and Corey Patterson were rent-a-players that proved this franchise was only looking at the current season.  The evidence to support this argument is mounting as all three players have now moved on.

Cardinal Nation seems slow to accept the fact that General Manager John Mozeliak has instituted a new regime, and a new strategy, towards building this club.  The players that were returned for Rasmus, Trever Miller, P.J. Walters and Brian Tallet did exactly what they were designed to do: they helped win in 2012 and build for the future.  All thanks to the free agency system as we know it.

The key part to the trade from the Cardinals side was Marc Rzepczynski, a left handed relief pitcher that may well find his way into the rotation some day.  In addition, those pieces that helped win in 2012 became ranked free agents, delivering the Cardinals with supplemental draft picks in this year’s amateur draft in exchange for their services on other teams.

Jackson reached an agreement with the Nationals this afternoon on a one year contract that, at this time, has not had the financial terms disclosed.  Jackson will anchor a young, yet strong, starting rotation in Washington that also features a returning phenom in Steven Strasburg.

The Nationals take a very calculated gamble with Jackson.  Should he continue to produce the way he has in his career, he will benefit the team and quite likely become a ranked free agent next off season, landing them a draft pick as well.  Jackson, on the other hand, looks towards the winter of 2012 to provide him, hopefully, with a greater chance at a much larger contract.

The Cardinals took their gamble last July.  It might just pay off.

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.

Word came down this week that long-time St. Louis Cardinals manager, Tony LaRussa, had been asked by Commissioner Bud Selig to manage the National League All-Star team during the mid-summer classic. Major League Baseball’s 83rd All-Star game will be held on July 10, 2012 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City…which, if you’re somehow on this website, and didn’t know that, you should probably avoid sharp objects.

La Russa will be the second retired manager to manage in the All-Star Game, joining John McGraw, who managed the National League team in the first playing in 1933. Two other managers have worked the All-Star Game while no longer with the teams with which they won the pennant: Dusty Baker in 2003 and Dick Williams in 1974. Even still, the request by Selig didn’t come without some fans balking at the idea (Bob Davidson alert!). Just imagine it, Tony LaRussa being part of conversations where fans have a difference of opinion.

Don’t think of it as “good-bye”, guys. Think of it as, “so long for just awhile”.

I’ll say this: Anyone who thinks Tony LaRussa will manage this game with any less intensity or with a different style and approach than we’ve seen in the past simply isn’t paying attention. The guy’s developing an ulcer even as you read this, trying to decide how he’s going to handle the 6th. Not to say he won’t make a move that leaves the entire freaking world scratching their head wondering precisely WTF he was thinking, but you can bet your life’s savings he’ll have what he feels is a very good reason for making that move. Remember last time he managed an All-Star game on the 10th of July? Aaron friggin’ Rowand, are you kidding me?

I’ll say this about the All-Star game, though: If you’ve never been to one, go. Especially for you folks living in the Kansas City area, I can’t overstate it.

Go. To. This. Game.

Go to the fan fest, go to the futures game, the old-timers game, the home run derby, go see all of it, every last bit you possibly can. (If you absolutely must miss something, I’d suggest the celebrity softball game.) The All-Star game doesn’t come to town that often, and the next time it does, face it, you’ll be too old to go enjoy it. Sleep some other time. Refinance your house. Pimp your daughter. Whatever you have to do to take part in this experience, do it*.

I went to the 80th All-Star game when it came to St. Louis in 2009. During those few days, I slept only a little, and spent a whole lot. I’ve joked since then that I “…had planned on sending my daughter to college, but left field bleacher tickets to a Home Run derby & All-Star Game don’t come cheap!” But, getting to see those guys play? I mean, I checked off two lifetimes’ worth of “players I’d like to see play before I die” bucket list names that night. Oh, and being IN the highlight of the Carl Crawford catch? Priceless.

It’s pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’d encourage anyone & everyone to take advantage, and make it happen. If you’re a baseball fan, you will not regret getting to see these living legends play, live and in-person.

…As well as what’s likely to be Tony LaRussa’s last game managed.

Part of this article was taken from a piece written by Matthew Leach, who is waaay more talented than I. Hence the reason I used some of his work. (full article here).

*Don’t pimp your daughter.

The week of Thanksgiving brings a time for all of us to be thankful for family, friends, health, any a myriad of other things that each of us finds important. Here at I-70 Baseball, we take this time to show some thanks to some players that spent some time wearing both of the uniforms of our two teams, the Cardinals and Royals.

The requirements are that simple: the inducted player had to play for both the Cardinals and Royals in his career. From there, it is pure judgement of I-70 Baseball to say they deserve enshrinement in our “Hall Of Legends”. This year we induct five new legends to join the inaugural group of five from last season. The original five inductees were manager Whitey Herzog, pitchers Dan Quisenberry and Danny Jackson, outfielder Reggie Sanders, and catcher Darrell Porter.

The next inductee is second baseman Mark Grudzielanek.

Grudzielanek’s career began outside of the Missouri borders. In fact, to be more specific, his major league baseball career began outside of the borders of the United States with his 1995 debut for the Montreal Expos. A speedy second baseman with what could only be described as “gap power”, Grudzielanek would propel himself to his first All Star Game during just his second season in the league. That 1996 season would see him achieve over 200 hits for the one and only time in his career. It would also mark his only appearance in the mid summer classic.

After the first three and a half seasons of his career, Grudzielanek would be traded from Montreal out west to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles would be home for Grudzielanek until another trade prior to the 2003 season would land him in Chicago with the Cubs.

With 1456 career hits, Grudzielanek would sign a free agent contract to join the St. Louis Cardinals for the 2005 season. His only season in Cardinal red was productive and solid for a franchise that had a revolving door at the position throughout the first decade of the twenty first century. While he was anything but spectacular, he was solid and brought some semblance of normalcy to the position, playing in 137 games and driving in 59 runs over the course of the season. His RBI total that year would be the second highest of his career.

The Cardinals would fail to retain him after that season, however, and Grudzielanek would make the trip across interstate 70 to join the Kansas City Royals for the next three seasons. From 2006-2008, he would provide more of the same, solid play at second base that had defined his career. In 2007, he would be recognized for his defensive prowess with the Gold Glove Award at second base. He would keep his average near the .300 mark, his runs batted in near 50, and his strikeouts below 70 for the three season that he wore Royal Blue.

Grudzielanek would finish his 15 year career with 2040 hits, 391 doubles, 640 runs batted in, 946 runs scored, and a .289 career batting average.

For his consistent play, his Gold Glove defense, and because sometimes you need a player that is dependable over one that is flashy, I-70 Baseball places Mark Grudzielanek in the Hall Of Legends.

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.

Royals fans may not quite be giddy about their 71 wins, but they certainly are optimistic about the way their season ended, with their talented collection of youngsters rolling to 11 wins in their last 16 games.

And rightly they should be. They have had little to feel good about for years. And this young lineup certainly has potential.

But perspective is a funny thing.

You see, at the same time – August and September – that KC was celebrating the smallest of victories, St. Louis was muddling through what seemed like a disappointing season. Injuries and poor relief pitching had primarily undermined the perennial contenders, and at the end of August, the Cardinals trailed in both their division and in the Wild Card race by what seemed an insurmountable margin.

But miraculously, just when the season seemed lost, an Atlanta collapse suddenly became a possibility. Then it became a reality. And just like that, the Cardinals slipped into the playoffs, deservedly or not.

Now even though I lived in Missouri for years, surrounded by those annoying St. Louis fans, I never developed a full-blown case of Cardinal envy. In fact, I can honestly say I rarely paid enough attention to the National League even to develop a healthy appreciation for the Cardinals’ consistent success.

But this season provides a valuable lesson on the importance of perspective.

I hate to admit it, but this season proves more than just about any other that the Cardinals are where the Royals want to be.

Not because the Cardinals might win the World Series, even though they might.

No, the Cardinals are where the Royals want to be because even though they struggled and fumbled and limped their way through what was, for them, a sub-par season, they ended up in the playoffs anyway. The Royals meanwhile fielded an exciting collection of “prospects” (for the umpteenth time) and still ended up so far out of contention that we stopped paying attention to the standings mid-summer.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the difference. The Royals perennially field a few decent hitters, some horrible pitchers and some promising prospects. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have a few great hitters, and some excellent pitchers. Then they pull together a collection of solid role players that, in the hands of Hall-of-Fame caliber management, just win because that’s what you do when you are the St. Louis Cardinals.

It’s the getting there that seems to be the hard part.

Good luck in the playoffs, Redbirds. Win or lose, you are always winners. We in KC can only hope that someday we can have sub-par seasons like the one you’re having.

The second part of the I-70 Series for 2011 will take place in St. Louis this weekend. The story of two franchises that are both ultimately headed towards winning ways at the same time for the first time in years can be told in many different ways. Series breakdowns and predictions will be made. Here at I-70 Baseball, we plan to weigh the teams against each other in a whole new way.

Thirteen active players on each of the two rosters share a jersey number. As we take a look at the thirteen players for each team, we will decide which player holds an advantage over the other and ultimately come out with our prediction for the winning team based off this obviously scientific formula.

Alex Gordon, LF, KC Royals Gordon is the man set to dominate in 2011, by his own words. He has not exactly let the fans down at this point. A strong batting average, decent home run total, driving runs in at a career best pace and above average fielding have many Royals fans screaming for Gordon in the mid-summer classic.		Yadier Molina, C, St. Louis Cardinals Molina is one of the core members of this franchise. Known primarily for his gold glove caliber defense, Yadi has shown that he has an above .300 quality batting average and should be feared at the plate as well as behind it.
Decision This may be one of the hardest numbers to decide and the two teams have cornerstone players wearing the number 4. The idea here may be to go with the player with the best overall body of work and for that, Molina takes the number 4.
Mitch Maier, OF, KC Royals Maier is a backup outfielder that has seen very little playing time for the Kansas City Royals this season. A strong batting average based on a small sample size, Maier brings little to this argument.		Lance Berkman, OF, St. Louis Cardinals One of the most feared free agent signings in recent memory, Berkman has found a rebirth and youthfulness that many had written off for better times. Berkman has become a core part of the offense and continues to shine.
Decision No brainer on this one, a bench player up against a key component. Give number 12 to the Cardinals as well.
Matt Treanor, C, KC Royals Treanor was picked up late in the offseason to provide exactly what he has become – a defensive, veteran catcher who had a strong handle on the pitching staff. With a young staff, the Royals needed this type of guidance, and they received just that.		Jon Jay, OF, St. Louis Cardinals Jay was the reason the franchise felt Ryan Ludwick was expendable in 2010. By 2011, Jay was the reason the Cardinals signed Lance Berkman. A strong outfielder that plays well when not overexposed, Jon Jay is a key contributor when used properly.
Decision A battle between players that are not used everyday makes decisions hard. However, Jay has become a central part of both the Cardinals offense and defense. Number 15 is in the Cards.
Jeff Francis, SP, KC Royals Francis has many Royals fans wondering why he is in the rotation. He has surrendered a league worst 104 hits and boasts a 3-6 record.		Kyle Lohse, SP, St. Louis Cardinals For a team without its ace pitcher, Lohse has been one of the reasons the Cardinals find themselves still in contention on some level. A 7-3 record and a sub 3 earned run average will help any team.
Decision I was one of the biggest Lohse detractors the last few years but I will eat my crow, and award the Cardinals the number 26 in this contest.
Brayan Pena, C, KC Royals Pena has been, at times, a bright spot and, at others, a failure. All in all, he has handled the pitching staff well and posted a respectable offensive number for a catcher regarded for his defense.		Tyler Greene, IF, St. Louis Cardinals Greene has been one of those conundrums for the Cardinals. A player that has always performed will in the minors just can’t seem to get it together in the big leagues.
Decision The Royals get a runaway for the number 27. Greene shows no reason to be taking a roster spot as he is the same player as Ryan Theriot, without the bat.
Eric Hosmer, 1B, KC Royals Hosmer represents the future of the franchise for the Royals and has given fans and the team no reason to doubt the future isn’t bright. Hosmer has shown that he is level headed, strong willed, and shows flashes of excellence at the plate and in the field.		Jake Westbrook, SP, St. Louis Cardinals Westbrook was the center piece of the Ludwick deal last season and has had moments where he has proven why. Other times he has made fans wonder. Ups and downs abound despite the fact that he came to the team as a pitcher that was supposed to be consistent in his position.
Decision The Royals fans would kill me if I did not award number 35 to the Royals franchise. Hosmer has a bright future and Westbrook needs to perform at the level the Cardinals acquired him for.
Blake Wood, RP, KC Royals The middle relief pitcher has often been a bright spot for the Royals this season appearing in 23 games already this season. 24 strikeouts to 10 walks (1 intentional) has proven him a stingy pitcher with good stuff.		Mark Hamilton, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals Hamilton represents what the Cardinals minor league system is capable of. A player who is honestly “blocked” in the depth chart, he has serviced well as back up but found most of his time come in pinch hitting or work in lopsided games.
Decision The jury is still out on Hamilton who is not getting enough playing time to make an accurate decision on him. Wood, however is pitching well enough to bring the number 38 home to Kansas City.
Aaron Crow, RP, KC Royals Crow is yet another part of the youth movement of the Royals franchise. Much like Hosmer, Crow is proving why everyone is getting excited. The Royals are showing confidence in the young man and rightfully so, he will be closing games before long.		Trever Miller, RP, St. Louis Cardinals Miller has been another part of the conundrum for Cardinal fans. A pitcher that has dominated in the past suddenly cannot find his way in 2011. Miller is aging and it is starting to show.
Decision Another young arm brings home a number to the west side of the state as Aaron Crow takes the number 43 in our run down.
Luke Hochevar, SP, KC Royals Hochevar leads the Royals in starts and has not performed completely horribly in them, just mildly so. Still, he is eating innings and pitching well enough to keep the Royals happy with his performance, even if the fans are not.		Miguel Batista, RP, St. Louis Cardinals A Non-Roster Invitee, he has pitched horribly. He is known for poetry, fans pray for free agency.
Decision Did anyone think that Hochevar could win a comparison against another pitcher? Neither did I. Of course, calling Batista a pitcher at this point is a bit of a stretch. Number 44 goes to the Royals.
Louis Coleman, RP, KC Royals Another part of that strong middle relief corp for the Royals, Coleman has nailed down a few innings that he has been entrusted with, including the ninth inning a few times.		Kyle McClellan, SP, St. Louis Cardinals McClellan, much like Lohse, deserves a lot of the credit for what the pitching staff has done. Though he had a rough start coming off the disabled list, he has been more than adequate on the mound in his starts.
Decision Kyle McClellan has done nothing more than perform anywhere the team has asked him to, and done so at an above average level each time. Give the number 46 to the team under the arch.
Tim Collins, RP, KC Royals Collins, while not as great as Coleman or Crow, has shown that the youth movement in the bullpen is worth while. At time erratic, he has managed to stay on top of his game and help the team out of many jams.		Skip Schumaker, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals Skip has spent a good portion of the season on the disabled list. On top of which, it appears the franchise no longer looks at him as an every day option at second base. A solid teammate, he is playing out of his position and it has not gotten any better.
Decision Based largely on the inadequacies of Skip Schumaker, the number 55 is heading west to Kauffman Stadium with young Mr. Collins.
Greg Holland, RP, KC Royals The youth movement in the bullpen continues with Holland, who has seen limited time but has impressed with the time he has gotten.		Brian Tallet, RP, St. Louis Cardinals Another player that has seen limited time do to being injured, Tallet has done nothing to prove why he should be trusted in tight ball games.
Decision Two players with small sample sizes, but one has dominated in the short amount of time that he has had. Holland takes the number 56.
Felipe Paulino, SP, KC Royals Paulino has made appearances in four games so far this year, three of them starts, and has no record to show for any of it. He has pitched well and shown solid command, it will take time to determine what his future is in Kansas City.		Fernando Salas, RP, St. Louis Cardinals Salas has proven that the Cardinals have a youth movement of their own going on. The young man has inherited the closer role from Ryan Franklin and done so in stunning fashion.
Decision One of the brightest spots out of the Cardinals bullpen, Salas takes the number 59 back to the east side of the state.

Totaling up the numbers sees the Royals take home seven numbers and the Cardinals only taking home six. The numbers here show the Royals winning the series.

And numbers don’t lie.

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.