This weekend marks the last weekend for seven more months that we won’t have at least some Major League Baseball to enjoy.  Of course, the season has already started, but MLB is balancing on the fence between “we’re excited to play games in Japan, and give those fans something to enjoy” and “we still want to make Opening night between the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins a huge event”.  Another spring full of meaningless games has almost come to an official close, and the next chapter will begin in a matter of days.

The same is true for our beloved St. Louis Cardinals.  Well chronicled are the events of this past offseason, and departures for various reasons: retirement, free agency, re-prioritizing things in life, as well as moving on to other organizations (in the National League Central…for now) to name the most commonly recognized ones.  Since the Cardinals won their 11th World Championship five months ago, no fewer than three Hall of Fame-caliber people have left the organization, you could easily argue a higher number.  That doesn’t even count losing Dave McKay, Jeff Luhnow, and Barry Weinberg, among others.

Let’s see: Back, Gone, Gone, Back but still injured from this night, Gone, Back, Gone

New roles have been filled by new faces–some faces are new to the major-league level, and some are new to a non-player role, but few (if any) are new to the Cardinals organization. So, as the redbirds head into the 2012 season to defend their World Championship title, they’ll be doing so with a very different look of leadership in that dugout, that bullpen, and even on the field. But that is not news to you or I, or at least, it shouldn’t be.

It’s time, as we go into this final weekend without meaningful baseball games, and reflect on the Cardinals’ recent past, be thankful for what we, as fans, were able to enjoy.

And then, friends, it is time to move the hell on.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m likely to mention Tony LaRussa and/or Dave Duncan in future articles and conversation here & there, but it’s time for all of us to get past what has been, and get excited about what’s about to be!

Albert Pujols?  He’s gone, ok?  But I’ve said before that, just like basketball or golf, baseball is not a game where one player can dramatically impact the outcome as much as in some other sports.  He was one man, he’s gone, and the Cardinals are still a very, very strong team if you’d not noticed.  Whether you wish him the best, wish him the worst, or something other than either of those, you’ll have to do so from halfway across the country, starting most nights at 9:10pm Central Daylight Time.  He’s not a Cardinal anymore–let’s respect what he accomplished while wearing the birds on the bat, and move on.  Berkman’s solid, Craig is more than adequate, and Adams looks very very promising.  There’s no “hole” at first base for this team.

LaRussa’s gone too, and sure, a large portion of the fanbase is still hungover from the huge party they threw when he announced his retirement.  But, love him or hate him, he won baseball games, and there are two more World Championship flags that fly over Busch today than were here when he arrived.  He revolutionized the way bullpens are used in the game today, and I suspect there’s no shortage of relief pitchers (and agents of these relief pitchers) who are grateful for the changes he brought to the game.  There will be things about his management style that will be missed, just as there are things that won’t.  But, he’s gone.  Mike Matheny is the new skipper, and he’s the one Cardinal nation needs to get behind and support–not blindly defend his every decision, but support him in his role as the leader of this ballclub.

Duncan may very well be the first pitching coach elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  Plenty of others have said that, including some of the national media folks, so it isn’t just me drinking the Kool-Aid.  This man is a once-in-a-generation type, and will sorely be missed.  Lilliquist is more than capable, and you know what?  He’s going to have to be, because the Deacon is no longer around.  His priceless expertise, the books upon books upon books he’s known for keeping, the calming spirit he brought, and the magic he bestowed on the Woody Williamsessesess’ of the league are great memories of the past, but will not be a part of the future.

Many thought Walt Jocketty could do no wrong during his tenure at the helm as General Manager in St. Louis.  He moved on, and things worked out just fine.  St. Louis is a city (and a fan base) that loathes change of any kind–it makes the entire area very, very nervous.  The guys over at Joe Sports Fan have countless examples of fans who are walking around “the 314” TODAY wondering why Bo Hart & Stubby Clapp aren’t on the 40-man roster.

“Bring back ________” is a common mantra, because there’s such a strong aversion to letting go of the past.  I CLEARLY recall the day the old arena near highway 40 (I live here, I don’t have to call it “Interstate 64”:) and Hampton.  Traffic stopped on 40 when they were getting ready to bring “the old barn” down.  Protests were held.  Tears were shed.  Listen, I’m not saying it didn’t hurt a little bit inside when that last section of Busch II fell to the ground, but you can’t keep up and stay competitive in this business if you don’t grow…and growth, without change, is impossible.

So, peace out, Albert, Tony, Dave and others.  Thanks for what you gave to this city, the Cardinals franchise, and the memories we have because of the things you did.  Thank you for the best years of your lives, and for living lives that allow us to pass stories and lessons on to our children–the next generation of Cardinals fans.  We might not exchange Christmas cards, but hit us up on Facebook, and we’ll probably like a photo or a comment here & there to stay in touch.  But, since I root for the name on the front of the jersey before rooting for the name on the back, I’ve gotta let you go.

The Royals’ separation from Frank White feels all too much like a divorce, and we fans are the children, helplessly caught in the middle. There are always two sides to every story. We’ve heard only a little of what certainly must be a bigger, uglier situation. White was too negative. The Royals wanted to get rid of him for a long time. Come on. That’s it?

At the moment, it’s very tempting to want to side with White. Looking back at the way he’s been treated by the franchise over the years, it’s hard not to think that he was used, abused, unappreciated and passed over time and again by the Royals, until finally they decided they had no more need for him.

He was unceremoniously released at the end of his career, allowed to slip away to coach in Boston, passed over for managerial positions at least twice, and forced into retirement from the front office when it conflicted with his broadcast duties.

White has meant so much to KC over these many years, it’s unfathomable that they would just divorce him. He’s among the greatest players in team history, and easily the second most important face of the franchise. Only George Brett means more to KC, and he isn’t nearly as willing to get out and shill for the company as White was.

I’ve interacted a couple of times with Frank White at Royals’ fan events. And while most of the current players are cold, stand-offish and colorless, White embraced every fan with a smile, handshake and kind conversation. His warmth and down-to-earth friendliness will be missed. His lifelong connection with the city is something that will probably never be duplicated.

The Royals may have felt they had acquired some new measure of goodwill from the 2011 infusion of talent and decided to strike while the iron was hot. Like a marriage, they decided to get out while the getting was good.

But while it looks so easy to side with White, who knows what else was going on Nearly every divorce involves two parties with at least some degree of guilt. White’s supposed on-air “negativity” was the sole reason given for his firing. Could it be there was some kind of insubordination or disruption the Royals decide to no longer tolerate?

We’ll probably never know the whole truth. But like the children watching the parents they love divorce, the fans are forced to mourn and wonder why it had to happen.

One of the last links to the great Royals teams of the past is now an “ex.” His name will come up from time to time, but his role in our lives will forever be changed. And like children in a divorce, we’re helpless to do anything about it.

The United Cardinal Bloggers come together a few times a year for a great project known as “The UCB Roundtables”. The fall edition starts today, and it starts right here on i70baseball.

I asked UCB Founder and the man we call The Godfather, Daniel Shoptaw, for a few words about the project. Here is your history lesson for the day:

Back in the spring of 2008, I was invited to do a roundtable with another Cardinal blogger on a general baseball site. While I don’t believe it was exactly how we see the roundtables today (hey, I found an archived link!), I enjoyed it enough that I thought I could adapt it to the nascent UCB. We took our first crack at it in June of 2008 and it’s been a regular part of the UCB rotation ever since. Now we do one before the season starts as our February project and one after the season ends as an October project. This year we have roughly 30 bloggers scheduled to participate.

So, I get to throw out the first pitch. I figured, honestly, that we would not be able to avoid talking about Albert Pujols for long, so I jumped in head first with the question on everyone’s mind, prior to Tony LaRussa announcing his retirement and making my question obsolete prior to publishing. I asked the UCB the following:

Albert Pujols is no longer a Cardinal and has moved on to greener (see what I did there?) pastures. Put your General Manager hat on for me and tell me what moves you feel need to be made if the team desires to be competitive in 2012. Is there a key free agent or specific position that Mo should attempt to upgrade? Should he stand pat? Anything other than reacquiring Pujols is on the table.

The answers, which have been edited a bit, both for space and to keep them on point, are as follows:

Aaron Hooks, Cards Diaspora
Sign Edwin Jackson.

I know, not nearly as sexy as signing Prince Fielder, but having a quality 4th starter to go with Wainwright, Carpenter and Garcia…
then Jake Westbrook as the Cardinals 5 is a very, very sturdy rotation in 2011.

The Cardinals will have to get increased production on a more regular basis from Allen Craig and Jon Jay and something from SS. But they can win, albeit, not as spectacularly as with #5, but they can win.

Also, I’ll never mention Prince Fielder and ‘sexy’ in the same answer ever again. Promise.

Ray DeRousse, STL Cardinals Baseball
Personally, I’m all for not re-signing Pujols. While he has a competitive attitude, I think he is too self-absorbed, arrogant, and fragile to have that kind of money or that many years.

I’d love to install Allen Craig at first base. He would give you 25-30 home runs and somewhere around a .300 average. Many have suggested Berkman at first and Craig in RF, but Berkman seems adamant on remaining the outfield (and we want him as happy as possible).

I would NOT re-sign Furcal, Theriot, Rhodes, or Patterson. I’d install Tyler Greene at short, or bring up Ryan Jackson (though he’s probably still a year away). I’d hang on to Punto if he’s around a million. I’d possibly keep Laird, although my inclination is to give Tony Cruz a shot.

What I really want is a true leadoff hitter on this team. How about we trade Matt Holliday and get a young lefthanded reliever and a stud second baseman (or shortstop) who can lead off? I was salivating over the idea of having an Ian Kinsler on our team, or nabbing someone like Jose Reyes. This lineup needs more oomph from the top.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t change much. The starters are set (unfortunately, and there’s nothing that can be done about it) and most of the bullpen is set. It’s time to transition into the youth movement we know is coming in 2013/2014, and this would be a way to
start.

Kevin Reynolds, Cards N Stuff
One thing 2011 taught us is that SS is not an “offense first/routine play” position. On UCB day at Busch, I asked Mozeliak about our depth at SS in the system if Theriot doesn’t work out. That remains my concern. This team now has offense. It has chemistry. What it needs is a SS with solid defensive ability and good plate discipline.

Perhaps the most intriguing question beyond that – assuming no trade/signing is made to upgrade the rotation (heard the Roy Oswalt rumor) – revolves around Skip Schumaker. Jon Jay is a decent CFer…but he’s shown himself vulnerable to prolonged droughts. The team needs to carry at least one other option at CF. Skip Schumaker could be that option…but he’s also left-handed. Perhaps the best way to shake Jay out of slumps is to platoon him in LH/RH matchups until his bat adjusts again. That is much more difficult to do with two LH CFers. It would be nice to have a RH option.

Of course, the second base question looms large for Schu as well. As it stands, this team has 3 regular options at 2B – Theriot, Punto, and Schumaker. That’s 1 too many. Again, Tony likes the RH/LH options. Punto has proven valuable at multiple positions…and he’s a switch-hitter, satisfying Tony’s “flexibility” pre-requisite. Schumaker is a valuable super-utility man…able to play all three outfield spots, 2B against RH pitchers, hit leadoff on occasion, and even pitch in a pinch ;). As much as I hate to say it, Theriot is the odd man out here. He performed well offensively in an everyday role early in the season, but his defensive issues – which are not related to playing SS – limit his availability in 2012. How much does that degrade his offensive contributions?

I think the team needs to focus on signing a SS first…defensive stability and plate discipline…and then attempt to sign a bench, RH option in CF…and that may mean dealing Theriot somehow. Oh…and FYI…Allen Craig in CF scares the bejeezus outta me! So let’s not entertain thoughts of him as a CFer. Plus, Craig is a stud…so far…let’s not put him in the “replace Albert with 25 – 30 HRs” category until he logs a few everyday at-bats. He killed in several at-bats in the postseason…he’s looked entirely vulnerable in many other at-bats – and I say this having watched Craig play in Springfield quite a bit.

Aaron, El Maquino
Use the cash you’re not paying Pujols and get a free agent rightfielder (DeJesus, Ludwick, Nady) and closer (Bell, Rodriguez, Soriano).

Daniel Shoptaw, Cardinal 70
I’m thinking along the same lines as many others here. I’d probably use the payroll surplus, such as it is, to absorb Jake Westbrook’s contract (though I wouldn’t argue with Kyle Lohse, I think Westbrook’s contract was even more ill-advised) and see if I couldn’t get Roy Oswalt to come play for the team he’s always wanted to join at a price that worked for both of us. Use Tyler Greene at short, either Berkman or Craig at first, find someone to play second, and I think this team contends yet again.

Miranda Remaklus, Aaron Miles Fastball
First off, with Albert gone, you’ll need an all-star bat to take the pressure off Holliday and the young guys. I don’t think you can depend on Matt Holliday to handle being “THE” star. He did well behind Albert and ahead or behind Berkman. I don’t think he can be the one. And this will be David Freese’s third season. He’s not ready to be shoved into that role, even though he made a GREAT case for himself this post season. And Allen Craig is kind of a younger Skip Schumaker. He’ll always have place in the lineup. I don’t think he likes having a set spot. He seems to thrive being where he is needed.

You don’t sign Prince Fielder though. I initially didn’t believe he would mesh with Tony, but now I’ll just say, he doesn’t mesh with the fan base!

Sign EJax or another quality 4th starter. Keep Jake. I just like him. Gutsy and classy during the playoffs. Move Lohse to the pen for longish relief or try to trade him. Zepper can work on becoming a long reliever or another rotation arm if needed. My baby bird farm favorite John Gast might even make an appearance this season!

Sign Rafael Furcal. He was such an upgrade at SS. I don’t know if you’ll find a better player and teammate for the cost. Tyler Greene is not our SS next season. He’s super inconsistent. I saw him play at Memphis this summer, where he was supposed to be getting consistent playing time. He wasn’t consistent even then. I’d really like for him to succeed in St. Louis. I loved that he was the one that got the steal that started the rally comeback against the Cubs at the end of the season. It was beautiful. Although, with Tony gone THIS might change now.
Tara Wellman, Aaron Miles Fastball
Like Miranda, I like Rafael Furcal. I like his energy, his intensity (though it hurts him at the plate sometimes) and his qualities as a teammate. The intangibles make him more than his .195 batting average. That said, character alone doesn’t win championships. There’s always the Daniel Descalso option, though not as popular with some. If he gets the work at SS, I’m one of those who believe he could do it … and do it well.

A post-Albert team will likely have to rely on strong pitching if the offensive gap can not be filled (and who, exactly, could fill number five’s shoes?). I like the prospect of a Wainwright, Carpenter, Garcia, Jackson starting four, so I resign Edwin. Westbrook is another one of those guys that may not always have the goods, but he has the heart. I can see him doing just what he did in the World Series — coming in to relief situations that may be longer, but more concentrated than a full start. Lohse has the stuff to be a good 5th man, but I’m not opposed to seeing what we could get for him.

I’m one of those who likes the idea of Berkman at 1st base with Allen Craig — or even Craig/Schumaker — in right field. Lance held his own out there, but I’d rather have his experience at 1st, at least for now. As others have said, Matt Adams might make good progress over the off season, and that presents a more … “youthful” option for the future.

Speaking of Skippy, I want him on this ball club. Not only can he go in at several positions, but he’s a competitor and will do whatever is needed to help the team win. Yes, if you want him in center field, it doesn’t align with the RH/LH matchups. But without Tony, that may not be as necessary as before. I know somebody is going to have to walk, but if I’m setting up a winning team, I don’t want it to be him.

Oh, and above all, I echo those who have said it — don’t sign Prince Fielder! Yes, he might be good. But he’s not a Cardinal.
Erika Lynn, Diamond Diaries
Should Albert leave, I like what we already have and see no reason to run to the market. The Cardinal talent is deep – it just won us a CHAMPIONSHIP after all.

However, in that scenario, I would predict Berkman moves to 1st and Allen Craig gets his deserving place as a regular in the lineup, playing right field.

I love these guys. I love this team. With Adam Wainwright in 2012, the sky’s the limit (again). In my perfect world, we keep everyone…. even the turtles and squirrels. ;)

Dustin McClure, Welcome To Baseball Heaven

Rob Darnell, Rob Says Really

As I was sitting here, working away today, all of a sudden the Royals wire got very hot. Mike Sweeney was going to make an announcement with the Royals. Quickly the word came that Sweeney was going to retire from baseball and he wanted to do it as a Royal. This not so secret announcement became official about 4pm when Around the Horn KC made the announcement:

The #Royals have signed Mike Sweeney to a one-day contract. Sweeney has announced his retirement from baseball.

March 25, 2011 3:02 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@aroundthehornkc

Official Royals Blog

This hits home for many Kansas City Royals fans. Sweeney has had a mixed reaction in Kansas City when he appeared on the Royals Hall of Fame Ballot this year. I would be surprised if him and Appier are not voted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame this year but many people remember him negatively and don’t think anyone other than Appier should get in on the ballot. I tend to always see the positive in the Royals so I asked some of my twitter and facebook followers to describe what Mike Sweeney meant to them.

Some remember Sweeney in a positive fashion. Andrew Johnson lamented he was the most personable Royal when he was a kid. Lana Royer remembered him as beloved, never lazy and someone the fans miss. One of my twitter followers spoke common words among many fans; “Good guy, good player, hated by most royals fans cause he got a (large) contract, got hurt…”. Shizzyrocks on twitter said, “He has always been wrongfully hated.” Many people echoed the part about being unfairly hated because he earned a huge contract for being the “best player on a terrible team,” as griney55 on twitter said.

It is easy for me to say how great the Royals legends are but I think it’s important to really realize how great of an all around human being Sweeny was on top of being a great player. Start with how great of a player he was. Sweeney played 12 years in Kansas City. He was an All-Star 5 of those years (2000-2003, 2005) and received MVP votes 3 of those seasons, never finishing above 11th (2002) in the voting. 2002 was his best season where he hit .340. This is the 2nd highest batting average in Royals history behind George Brett’s near .400 season. Had it not been for a 2-16 final four games, Sweeney would have won the AL batting crown.

Sweeney made no more than 265,000 his first 5 years before getting a bump to $2.25 Million his first MVP caliber season. His contract rose over the next couple years before getting a $55 Million contract. (On a side note what is it with $55 million contracts and the Royals but I digress.) This contract garnered much anger from the public. It could easily be argued he had earned it after having 3 MVP-like seasons and he would have probably still been loved but the later years of the contract were absolutely injury ridden. In fact when I asked how some remembered him at least 20-30% of the responses included injured or injury prone.

Sweeney was sent to the disabled list with nerve irritation in 2003 an injury that would create multiple stints between 2003 and 2006. In 2006 he played only 60 games while making $11 million. This started to turn the home town fans against him. He actually did have good offense during his late years in KC but was restricted to the DH and limited on at bats due to the injuries.

Sweeney was not resigned by Kansas City in 2008 and he signed a minor league deal with the Oakland Athletics. After a strong spring, Oakland did purchase Sweeney’s contract but the injury bug would strike again and Sweeney was laid up with arthroscopic surgery for four weeks on June 11th. He returned but was cut September 9th. 2009 saw Sweeney get a Spring invite to the Mariners and he would make the Opening Day Roster. He was removed from the game due to back spasms in his very first at bat. His first home run as a Mariner was the 200th of his career and ironically came against former club, The Oakland Athletics. Sweeney would return to the K and hit his 100th home run in that venue, this one coming as a member of the visiting team.

Sweeney received another minor league deal with the Mariners and actually beat out Ryan Garko for the starting 1b job. The Mariners sent him to the Phillies for cash later that season. He would make his one and only playoff appearance going 1-1 in the NLDS.

Sweeney signed a 1 day contract March 25, 2011 and retired a Kansas City Royal.

While Sweeney had a decent career, he should also be applauded for what he was as a person. Sweeney was beloved by many from all around the country. When I asked on twitter for people to give what they thought of Sweeney, I had many local responses, some I mentioned above but I also received from Sarah in Texas (@luckiexstar), “pretty much nicest guy ever :)” and from Sam Endicott (@cottman3) “And that when I worked for the SF Giants Spring Training he shook my hand and smiled when I gave him directions to the clubhouse.” These people are not in the Royal Blue Sea every day and they echoed many of the local thoughts of the man. Other local thoughts included Clinton Corley (@clintoninc) “class act player who played the game the right way. Great w/ fans and with players around the league”. And Clinton DeMontel (@Clintonde) “Mike Sweeney is the best man in professional sports. Hard work, dedication, a rich, rightful life. All of these come to mind”. These 2 summed up how many in KC felt. I personally remember the 2010 Royals Fan Fest where he came as a fan and signed autographs as people asked until he got swarmed and his little boy got scared by the mass of people. He then had security around him mostly to protect his child and allow him to enjoy his time. He didn’t have to come to fan fest but he wanted to be around a team he loved. A couple weeks later he was signed by the Mariners, but that day I felt he was a Kansas City Royal again.

Sweeney has several awards for Community Involvement. Some of these awards include (but not limited to) The Royals Mr. Baseball award which is the top honor at the Royals award dinner and is named after Ewing Kauffman. The Royals present an award bearing Sweeney’s name annually to the player in the organization who has been the best representative on and off the field. He was also a nominee for the Roberto Clemente award and is still involved in Kansas City’s Mercy Children’s hospital and Boys and Girls Clubs.
Most will remember him as a positive man who loved the city and the city loved back. Some remember him as a zealot while others remember him standing for something he believed in. While many Kansas City fans may have once remembered him as an over paid player, injury prone player , most will remember him as a class act who played the game right. So few players play the game the way he did. Injuries or not, Mike Sweeney was a great player and this is one fan who is happy to know that Mike Sweeney is now and forever a Kansas City Royal.

In closing Sam Endicott asked me: “Do you think the #Royals retire Sweeney’s number??” Sam, I don’t know. I seriously doubt it because when you think about the three retired, they are the best of the best. Let’s see if Sweeney gets into the Royals Hall Of Fame and go from there. If they don’t I will not be surprised but if they do I would be all for it.

Thank you Mike Sweeney for being a great player on some truly awful teams. I hope you call Kansas City your post baseball home because the city would be proud to have you as part of this organization for many years to come.

Troy “KCRoyalman” Olsen can be found on twitter (@kcroyalman) and here on I-70 Baseball every Monday with Bill Ivie at 10pm central time.

Photo courtesy of Minda Haas

Jeff Montgomery held his tongue long enough. For 10 years he quietly watched as the Royals lost nearly 1000 games. He was gone, but not forgotten. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2003. But he contented himself with raising four children and observing his former team’s losing ways from afar.

During the post-Jeff Montgomery decade of 2000 to 2009, the Royals won 672 games, lost 948, had one winning season, and posted a “winning” percentage of .414.

In 2010, however, the former relief pitcher decided it was time to start talking again. He began providing pre and post-game commentary for the Royals’ TV broadcasts, first on a trial basis, and now full-time going into 2011.

Montgomery played 12 seasons with KC, notching 304 saves and playing in three All-Star games. He spoke about his playing career and his new broadcasting venture in a previous article on I-70baseball.com.

Like the average Royals’ fan, Montgomery suffered through the promises of “rebuilding” and “youth movements” with very little to show when it was all over. But as he moves into a new phase of his career, he believes the Royals are moving into a new phase of their history as well, one in which things are finally being done the right way.

“It’s been a very frustrating period,” Montgomery said recently. “I think the most difficult part is that there have been on-again, off-again movements toward rebuilding the organization. The Royals fans have been given promises that we’re going to go young and we’re going to build. The problem with that is that it’s a very time consuming process.”

Montgomery will be watching first-hand as the Royals attempt to transition the top-rated farm system in baseball into a competitive major league team. Under the direction of Dayton Moore, the team is working to develop a home-grown cast that can matriculate together to the big leagues.

At the time of Montgomery’s retirement in 1999, the Royals were launching a youth-movement that appeared headed for success. In 2000 the lineup consisted of Mike Sweeney (26 years old), Carlos Febles (24), Mark Quinn (26) Carlos Beltran (23), Jermaine Dye (26) and Johnny Damon (26). Salary demands forced the Royals to part with a few of those key pieces, but yet the team amazingly succeeded in 2003 to post 83 wins, narrowly missing the playoffs. That success proved to be fool’s gold, Montgomery said, causing the team to lose sight of its long-range plan.

“You know, in 2003, the Royals had a winning record – the only time in about 16 or 17 seasons that that’s happened. But after that, going into the 2004 season, they kind of got off track. They brought in Juan Gonzalez and traded for Benito Santiago, and tried to win again. And everybody expected that, and it was a huge disappointment. And as a result of that, it kind of threw that plan off track again.”

Montgomery believes that Moore’s approach – to stockpile quality pitchers in the minor leagues and to eschew quick free-agent fixes – will be successful.

“In 2006, when Dayton Moore came in, he was essentially given the time and the flexibility to start from scratch, focusing primarily on pitching,” said Montgomery. “As Dayton put it, pitching is the currency of baseball. We’re going to add arms to the organization at the minor league level, at the major league level. We’re going to build around pitching, just like when he was involved in the rebirth of the Atlanta Braves going back a couple of decades ago.”

When Moore signed on with the Braves in 1994 as a scout, the team was enjoying the fruits of the labor of developing Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Steve Avery. The current Royals boast a handful of talented pitchers in the minor leagues that Montgomery envisions developing into quality major leaguers.

As many of the Royals’ prize prospects have climbed to the Double A and Triple A levels of the system, Montgomery believes fans won’t have to wait much longer.

“I think right now the organization is about 80 to 85% through that process, but they are not going to defer, and try to bring in guys that are going to get them off that track,” he said. “They are so close. I’ve compared it to running a marathon. They are about 25 miles into their marathon race and they’ve just got a little bit to go. There’s no guarantee they’re going to finish this race, but they’re getting close. And there’s no reason to get off course now.”

Montgomery knows this is same song, umpteenth verse to long-suffering KC fans. But he believes this time it’s different.

“The difference I think now is that there is not just one or two guys in the minor leagues that everyone is banking on. If you go back over the years, there was Zack Greinke who everyone said was going to be a standout pitcher, which he turned out to be. There was Alex Gordon, the college player of the year, who everyone expected to become the next George Brett. So far that has not occurred.
But the difference again now is that there are literally dozens of players. The organization is very rich in young talent both from a pitching standpoint and from an offensive standpoint. There are going to be some busts along the way. Some of those guys are not going to work out. They’re going to become injured or they’re not going to play to the level everyone expects them to.

“But if you’ve got such a large amount of players who have all got such a high level of expectations, some percentage is going to hit, and you don’t have to have all of them. You’ve got a deep enough system now, that even if only a fraction of them hit, you’re going to be ok.”

Just as Frank White is cutting his official ties to the Royals franchise, another member of the team’s hall of fame is becoming more visible in his respective role.

Jeff Montgomery, reliever on the Royals’ squads of 1988 to 1999, is back with the team after keeping a low profile for a decade. Montgomery has lived in Kansas City since his retirement, raising four children and suffering silently from a distance as the team collapsed.

Montgomery’s relationship with the Royals was rekindled last season when announcer Jamie Quirk traded his microphone for a Houston Astros uniform after the 2009 season.

“I was approached by a Royals official to see if I’d like to have my name thrown into the hat (to replace Quirk),” Montgomery said. “They had an opening, and they asked and I said I’d like to give it a shot – it really kind of presented itself to me.”

While Montgomery’s experience in front of the camera was limited to his work on the mound, he took to broadcasting. After pouring his energy into being a full-time father, he says he is ready for the new challenge of pre and post game commentator.

“It’s given me a chance to become officially reconnected with the ball club so I enjoy that,” Montgomery said. “I want to work hard to get better. If I’m going to do it, I’d like to turn it into a sort of ‘semi-second career.’”

Montgomery returned mid-season in 2010 to the field where he saved 304 games, and was three times named an All-Star. Though his teams never qualified for the playoffs, he played in an era when the Royals were an exciting, competitive team. He hopes the same qualities that made him successful as a player will help him succeed as a commentator. Looking back to his playing days, Montgomery describes himself as patient, consistent, hard working and faithful to the team concept.

“Everyone who’s given the opportunity to play on the professional level has some ability,” Montgomery said. “I think (my success came from) the ability to identify my strengths and work off of my strengths or my assets, as opposed to trying to be a cookie-cutter type guy and do what everyone else did. I just focused on doing what I did best.”
The native of Wellston, OH was drafted by Cincinnati in the 9^th round of the 1983 draft after starring at Marshall University. He worked his way up through the minors before reaching the big leagues in 1987 at age 25.

“What got me there was patience, and a willingness to get better at every level,” Montgomery said. “I just focused on going from being a good A ball player to being a good Double A ball player, and so on and so forth. It was just a matter of moving up the system, and eventually being given the opportunity to play at the major league level, and establish myself as a consistent, contributing major league pitcher and becoming a consistent player year in and year out.

“Like a lot of guys, my first day in the big leagues was a special thing. I grew up in Ohio and was originally drafted by the Reds. And I made my debut as a Cincinnati Red. Playing for Pete Rose was a big milestone for me.”

Montgomery didn’t set any worlds on fire in his first season – pitching mainly in relief and running up a 6.52 ERA. In February of 1988, the Reds decided to deal him to KC for outfielder Van Snider. The change of scenery was just what he needed.

Just three seasons removed from a world’s championship, the Royals were trying to hold together their nucleus of George White, Frank White and Willie Wilson while adding talented youngsters like Bo Jackson, Danny Tartabull, Kurt Stillwell and Kevin Seitzer. The team finished above .500 in five of Montgomery’s first seven seasons in KC.

“I have great memories from playing in those days when baseball in Kansas City was on a high note,” the right-handed reliever said. “We were packing the stadium and having a lot of fun. It was (a highlight) having a chance to play with some phenomenal players in the Royal Blue. George Brett obviously number one, but also the Willie Wilsons and the Frank Whites, and the Bret Saberhagens.”

Montgomery was no slouch in his own right. He proved himself in 1989, notching 18 saves with a phenomenal 1.37 ERA. His save totals increased each year until 1993, when his 45 saves and 2.27 ERA earned him his second straight All-Star spot and some MVP support.

Montgomery’s 304 saves rank 19^th on the all-time list: they were all recorded during his 12 seasons in a KC uniform, placing him first on the team’s list. He names his 300^th save and being inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2003 as his greatest personal achievements.

Montgomery doesn’t, however, consider his career extraordinary or his abilities overwhelming.

“I was not a real standout guy, but just a more consistent, reliable guy,” Montgomery said. “Every year I went to spring training, I wanted my manager to know that he could count on me for 162 games, to be there day in and day out for my team.

“I think I was able to be a consistent, reliable closer and play at a high level for a period of time of about seven or eight years and put up some nice numbers but never had one season where I was more dominant that the others.”

Montgomery regrets that he never was able to bring playoff baseball back to Kansas City. He hopes as an announcer he’ll be describing playoff games soon and he is excited to see the direction the team is moving.

A second article will contain Montgomery’s perceptions of the Royals’ rebuilding efforts.

“It’s been a very frustrating period,” he acknowledged. “They are so close. I’ve compared it to running a marathon. They are about 25 miles into their marathon race and they’ve just got a little bit to go. There’s no guarantee they’re going to finish this race, but they’re getting close. And there’s no reason to get off course now.”

On Tuesday, long time close Trevor Hoffman announced his retirement. Despite the fact “Hells Bells” collected his 600th save this year, it was probably one year too late.

Don’t get me wrong. As a Cardinal fan, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Trevor serve up meatball after meatball in 2010. For instance, I was at the April 11th game in Milwaukee when he gave up back to back homers to Pujols and Holliday allowing the Cardinals to come from behind and tie it up in ninth. It was a terrific turn of events. That is until the bottom of that frame when McClellan gave up a homer to end the game.

My favorite Hoffman/Cardinals memory was from August 2009 when he blew a save against Holliday. The game seemed all but over until Pujols was walked and Holliday followed up with a go ahead two run homer. It was fun and thrilling, for Cardinals fans that is.

But more often than not, Hoffman did his job. He was a precise pitcher and a fierce competitor. He’ll always be associated with greatness and should arguably be a HOF inductee one day. I wish him well on his retirement from Major League Baseball.

With a shut down closer like Hoffman, a team can more often than not shorten the length of a game. Meaning; all you have to do is get to the ninth inning with a lead. At that point you can count on your closer to shut down the game. This, in essence, only gives the opposition 8 innings of scoring opportunities. You don’t have to be a baseball expert to know what kind of an advantage that is.

Trevor Hoffman’s retirement leads me to ponder state of the closer position on the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s been a hot topic over the last few seasons. Ever since “Izzy” broke down in 2008, the position has been in question.

Sure, Ryan Franklin has taken a strong hold of the reins. But there are many, myself included, who do not feel comfortable with Franklin. There is always that sense that he is one game away from an epic meltdown that could spiral into season long meltdown. He’s never had a dominating fastball. He pitches to contact. That can be good if you are only giving up ground balls. But if you start elevating your pitches, disaster awaits.

His performance in 2009 was stellar. That year, Franklin had an ERA of 1.92 as batters hit a paltry .220 against him. He collected 38 saves that year. His first half was so dominant he was voted onto the NL All-Star roster.

Most of his earned runs were earned in the second half of the season. But that’s been the problem with Franklin, hasn’t it? He starts out the season strong but clearly gets winded by the end of the year. It’s concerning because heading into the playoffs your best from your closer.

In 2010, Franklin’s numbers went up. He posted a 3.46 ERA as batters hit .230 against him. He saves dropped from 38 to 27. He had some epic blow ups, too. Coors field comes to my mind but I won’t go there.

So going forward, who will be the closer of the Cardinals if Franklin can no longer get the job done? Traditional thinking says it should be Jason Motte. He certainly has the fastball for it. Jason can reach the upper nineties on a good night. And he has the “moxie” to be a closer. He yells, he shouts, he tries to intimidate. The issue with Motte has been control and a second pitch to compliment his fastball. His numbers definitely improved last year. He dropped his ERA from 4.76 in 2009 to 2.24 in 2010. If he can continue to develop a second pitch and get his control mastered, he could become a dominant closer.

There has been some discussion about Kyle McClellan becoming a closer. He did collect two saves last year. And, he has shown some brilliance coming out of the bullpen with a 2.27 ERA. But I tend to see him as a potential starter or a long reliever. I think using him for three outs at the end of the game would be wasting his talent.

Toward the end of the 2010 season there were a lot of people clamoring on internet message boards and chat rooms for Fernando Salas to take the closer role. He definitely had a promising rookie season. The righty pitched in 27 games with a 3.52 ERA. With more experience he could work his way up to the role of closer if Motte can not take a strong hold of the position.

Finding an heir to Franklin will have to take place soon. I am inclined to think one of the names mentioned above will be taking over before the Cardinals look outside of the organization. Money is tight and the talent is in St. Louis already.

Welcome back, everybody. After a week and a half of pausing our normal coverage to bring you a special series on the 25th Anniversary of the I-70 World Series, we return to “business as usual” here at the site. Low and behold, while we put everything on hold to bring you some great coverage on the 1985 World Series that gave this very website its name, the Cardinals went and started down the checklist of things that they needed to accomplish prior to Spring Training 2011.

While there will be player personnel changes that will be addressed, trades that are becoming the source of most rumors, and prospects that will realize that they have a legitimate chance to crack the roster, the most important decision that had to be handled first was the decision of who would lead this team. The coaching staff of the Cardinals was addressed over this last week and, in case you missed it, here is the basic rundown of the changes:

Tony LaRussa will return as manager.
The single most debated move of the off-season took place before fans even knew who the participants would be in this year’s World Series. Many fans and experts alike predicted the end of LaRussa’s tenure as manager for the club after the conclusion of his 15th year at the helm. A manager who no doubt is putting together a Hall Of Fame career, many people questioned his effectiveness and the staleness of his message in 2010. Amidst many discussions of who the next manager would be, LaRussa signed a one year deal with a mutual option to return to the franchise.

Dave Duncan is the highest paid Pitching Coach in the game.
On the heels of LaRussa’s decision to return, Dave Duncan signed a deal of his own, signing a two year deal worth $750,000 per year with an option for a third year. It has been rumored that the Cardinals pitching coach wanted to coach for three more years before considering retirement and the current contract will attempt to ensure that he will end his legendary career wearing the uniform of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Marty Mason was relieved of his duties as bullpen coach.
Mason was known as one of the most reliable and intelligent bullpen coaches in the game, even being rumored to be considered for future pitching coach positions around the league. However, Mason was also one of the most vocal employees of the organization that disagreed with upper management’s plans for the franchise. He openly shared his opinion on player development and the different coaching mentalities at the various levels of the organization. Ultimately, the franchise showed their level of dedication to the structure of the organization and have promised to replace Mason with someone from within the organization currently.

Mark McGwire, Dave McKay, and Jose Oquendo will all return
The only true question in this trio was Mark McGwire, who had expressed an interest in staying home to help his wife with their newborn triplets. In the long run, it has come out that McGwire simply was not interested in deciding his future without knowing who he would be working for. Shortly after the announcement that LaRussa would continue to lead the club, McGwire agreed to return. Jose Oquendo has been rumored in the past to be considered for management positions around the league, though his name has not surfaced in many of the vacancies this season. Dave McKay was probably the most silent of the entire coaching staff, agreeing to return as the first base coach under Tony LaRussa once again.

The coaching staff is now in place and the Cardinals know who will lead the team into the 2011 season. Now, the true work begins as they attempt to determine who will be on the field and how much it will take to retain the greatest player in the game for the remainder of his career.

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.

In the midst of their hottest streak this season, St Louis charges into Chicago to battle the Cubs.

Current Snapshot:

St Louis: 54-42, First Place NL Central, 1.5 games ahead of Cincinnati. The Cardinals had their season best 8-game winning streak snapped in extra innings on Thursday by Philadelphia. St Louis took 2 of 3 from the Cubs in Chicago back in May.

Chicago: 43-53, Third place NL Central, 11 games back. They have split their last 10 games (5-5). Since last meeting the Cardinals, Aramis Ramirez found his stroke, Carlos Zambrano melted down (again) and was held accountable for once, and Lou Piniella announced his retirement at the end of the season.

Pitching Matchups:

23 July: Jeff Suppan (0-3, 5.45 xFIP) vs Randy Wells (4-7, 3.72 xFIP). These two have never faced each other. Suppan pitched very well in his last outing against Los Angeles and threw six full innings for the first time this season. He’s already pitched at Wrigley this season, a game Milwaukee eventually won. Suppan is 4-4 career in Chicago, with his last win coming in 2008. Jeff has a lot of history against the guys in Chicago’s line-up; of the players who have faced Suppan 20 or more times (Marlon Byrd, Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Theriot, Alfonso Soriano, Ramirez, Derrek Lee), only Theriot hasn’t homered, and only Soriano and Ramirez are hitting under .300. If the wind is blowing out, look out. Lee has absolutely killed Suppan in his career (6 HR; .429/.529/.875 in 68 plate appearances).

Wells has only faced the Cardinals three times, all at Wrigley, and his last start is one he likely wants to forget. Wells features a fastball about half the time, and mixes a slider or changeup in the other half. His slider is his best pitch, and one of the better sliders in the league. Given the three appearances, Cardinal hitting statistics against him are the epitome of small sample size; no one has more than seven plate appearances. They do lead to some interesting data, though – Wells has never retired Matt Holliday (1 for 1) or Colby Rasmus (2 for 2 with 2 walks). Only Yadier Molina has an extra base hit off him, and Randy Winn has never reached base (0 for 3).

24 July: Blake Hawksworth (4-5, 4.49 xFIP) vs Tom Gorzelanny (5-5, 4.03 xFIP). No one foresaw this as a mid-July matchup back in April, but here we are. Hawksworth will make his seventh career start and none of the previous six were against Chicago. He’s thrown 3 2/3 innings total against the Small Bears in his career, most recently on 29 May in Adam Ottavino’s first career start. Blake throws his fastball about 60% off the time, mixing in a changeup, curveball, and cutter for the rest. According to Fangraphs his cutter is his best pitch, but he only throws it 5% of the time. One wonders if some cutters were mis-identified as fastballs by Pitch f/x. No Cub has faced him more than twice. Hawksworth benefited from St Louis’ power surge on Monday night as he didn’t pitch well but came away with the win. That said, he has pitched better his last four games (ERA under 4.00), but his BABIP has been high (.333), so perhaps he is pitching even better than that.

Gorzelanny will make his first career start as a Cub against the Cardinals. He did make six starts opposing the St Louis Nine while a Pirate, the last time in June 2008, which also was the last time he pitched to the Redbirds. Pittsburgh was 2-4 in those six games (Gorzelanny went 1-3). He has pitched pretty well in those appearances; 16 ER in 37 2/3 innings (3.82 ERA). Fastball-slider-changeup are his weapons of choice, with the fastball and changeup being his best pitches.

Only Aaron Miles and Albert Pujols have more than 15 plate appearances against Gorzelanny. Miles is slashing a robust .467/.529/.533, so expect to see him in the lineup on Saturday. AP has a .979 career OPS against Gorzelanny.

25 July: Chris Carpenter (11-3, 3.73 xFIP) vs Ryan Dempster (8-7, xFIP 3.86). ESPN’s Sunday Night game promises to be a good one. Dempster has pitched better this season than his record indicates, and Carpenter has been lights out (16 IP, 10 K, 1.13 ERA, 2-0) in both starts since the All-Star break. Carpenter has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since 2004, and his record in Chicago is no exception (7-2, 3.66 ERA career). Chris has already beaten the Cubs at Wrigley this season. Oddly only a trio of current Cubs has more than 20 plate appearances against him (Lee, Ramirez, and Soriano). Soriano leads the way (.333/.351/.528) with 2 HR. Lee and Ramirez have also homered off him in their careers.

Dempster faced the Cardinals on 30 May and got smacked around, surrendering 6 in 6 2/3 innings pitched of a game the Cubs eventually lost 9-1. He’s made three other starts versus St Louis at Wrigley and had not lost before this year. Dempster throws a fastball and slider, with the occasional split finger as well for flavor. His slider is also excellent, though it is not quite as good as Wells.

Expect AP to chomp at the bit for this game to start. Pujols has tortured Dempster during his career (4 HR; .310/.412/.643). Expect Randy Winn to have something else to do while Ryan’s on the mound (2-22, 3 walks career). Skip Schumaker (.400 average) and Holliday (1.000 OPS) have enjoyed success as well.

Prognosis. No matter where these teams sit in the standings, this series is taut and well played. The Cardinals are hot; the Cubs are not, but it will not matter come first pitch Friday. Based on the matchups, I would expect Chicago to win Friday, St Louis Sunday, and Saturday’s game to be a toss-up.