The St. Louis Cardinals knew rookie right-handed starting pitcher Shelby Miller had talent since they drafted him No. 19 overall in the 2009 draft, but others in baseball questioned if the Houston-native’s maturity level would allow him to succeed at the sport’s highest level.

Miller projected he would be the in big leagues within two years of being drafted. Well, it took an extra year, but Miller has made the most of his first opportunity with the Cardinals and has set a pace that could earn him the highest honor a rookie can receive.

Miller gave up just one hit and struck out 13 Colorado Rockies in a complete game Friday to move his record to 5-2 and drop his earned-run average to a rotation-best 1.58.

His five wins are tied for second-most among Major League Baseball pitchers, and his ERA is four among all starters who have pitched more than two games so far in 2013.

Those are the sort of numbers that made the Cardinals draft Miller so high and made fans yearn for the team to call him up nearly anytime another starting pitcher had a couple of bad games. However, Miller didn’t look much like a Rookie of the Year-caliber pitcher when the Cardinals had holes to fill in their starting rotation at this point last season.

Projected starters Chris Carpenter and Kyle McClellan suffered long-term injuries in spring training last year. That left a potential spot for Miller to make good on his two-years-to-the-show claim, but Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly filled those positions instead.

Meanwhile, Miller was in the midst of a season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds that produced an 11-10 record with a 4.74 ERA, not nearly numbers that would inspire a call-up to the major leagues.

However, Miller won six of his seven final starts in 2012 with the Redbirds and pitched six games in relief with a 1.32 ERA as the Cardinals made their late-season run toward the playoffs.

He’s been even better in 2013 as part of starting rotation that has had one of the best starts to a season in franchise history, posting a 2.15 ERA in April. In fact, the entire Cardinals starting rotation would likely receive an invite to the All-Star Game if it was played in May instead of July.

Granted, the season is still young, and Miller will eventually have to face teams for a second time as the season progresses, but he has set a foundation for what could be one of the best rookie seasons for a Cardinals starting pitcher in more than a decade.

Remember, Adam Wainwright pitched too many games as a reliever in 2006 to be considered a rookie although he went 14-12 with a 3.70 ERA in 2007 as a full-time starter.

Before Wainwright, the Cardinals hadn’t had a dominant rookie pitcher since Rick Ankiel burst into the big leagues to be Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2000 with 194 strikeouts and a 3.50 ERA in 30 starts. Unfortunately, his dominance didn’t last very long as he lost control of his pitches with five wild pitches in a playoff game against the Atlanta Braves later that season and eventually switched positions to become an outfielder.

Matt Morris finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1997, going 12-9 with a 3.19 ERA in 33 starts, but he suffered a major elbow injury midway through the next season and didn’t make a full return to the starting rotation until 2001.

Miller probably won’t maintain his sub-2.00 ERA throughout the season, but his first seven starts have set him up for a chance to go down as one of the best rookie pitchers in the history of the St. Louis Cardinals.

That could also be the first trophy on what could be a very full mantel by the end of his career.

If that’s the case, the Cardinals could be in the beginning stages of another decade full of good pitching, and that usually means many seasons with winning records.

Through the first three weeks of the 2013 Major League Baseball season, the St. Louis Cardinals have discovered some young talent in their pitching rotation. Shelby Miller, who had to fight his way into the rotation during spring training, has looked borderline dominant in his first four starts. The rookie hurler might be establishing an early case for the Rookie Of The Year Award.

The National League has a few rookies putting up notable numbers but few have shown the clear-cut edge of Miller. The right-hander has compiled an impressive 26 strikeouts, walked only seven batters, surrendered just one home run and six earned runs, over 25 innings pitched while winning three of his first four starts. His wins, earned run average, runs allowed, and home runs allowed rank first among all rookie starting pitchers.

His competition from rookie-level pitchers in the National League is sparse, but there are a few challengers that are not exactly falling flat to start the season.

To read about the competition for Rookie Of The Year in the National League, follow this link to the Yahoo Article.

It gets lost in the shuffle sometimes just how important of a Cardinal Scott Rolen was. And with his career perhaps coming to a close this week, it’s a ripe time to take a look at why. Perhaps it’s because it ended on such a dismissive note that what he represented in St. Louis at such a high point in the franchise’s history.

How will he be remembered? Overall, he’ll stand up tall with the people that watch his era. Not to the statuesque level of Chipper Jones, but really, there’s not many, if any, that played the hot corner in the last 15 years that were any better than him. A seven-time All-Star, 1997 Rookie of the Year and owner of eight Gold Gloves. But it’s the glove that truly stands out, because with the exception of Brooks Robinson’s escapades on the hot corner, nobody has ever done it better. There are some that would say he ever surpassed Hoover in the glove game, a claim that could amount to blasphemy by some, but has some credence with many. But the ground that Rolen could cover while standing at 6’4″, and combined with one of the best infield arms ever, makes it valid.

But what is it about Rolen that makes him not be more revered as a Cardinal? Was it the silent, perhaps even standoffish way he went about his business? Dig a little deeper, because he has some legit claim to be in the discussion for greatest Cardinal third baseman ever. That’s a not too shabby group that includes Ken Boyer, Mike Shannon and Whitey Kurowski. After being acquired as at the trade deadline in 2002, he embarked on a remarkable six year run with the club. Among all third baseman in franchise history, he is second in second in home runs (111) and doubles (173) and fourth in RBI with 453 despite hitting behind Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds the majority of his time with the club and missing much of the 2005 season.

He returned in time to help the club rebound from that disappointing 2005 season. He played huge, and slightly forgotten, role in taking the club to its second World Series in 2006; one where he built up eight hits in 19 at-bats, including a home run and three triples. This was his crowning moment as a Cardinal, but soon shoulder injuries would keep him off the field for much of the rest of his time with the club. While he has gone on to have strong campaigns with the Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds, his career truly peaked as a Cardinal, and reached a point where he showcased just how great he truly could be.

So what is it that keeps Rolen from being a more embraced member of the franchise’s history? He doesn’t really get an exceptional reception from fans when he returns, especially considering what he contributed to a very recent era. Perhaps it’s the way he faded away at the end, or that there was nothing of great lasting return received for him. Maybe it’s the feud with Tony LaRussa that kept him from relishing many returns with the club. Perhaps it’s his affiliation with the club’s fiercest rival the last few seasons in Cincinnati, that hasn’t allowed for many moments of reflection.

Whatever it may be, if his decision to decline coming to Spring Training with the Reds, a team he recently said is the only one he’d consider returning to this year, it’s time to embrace the man more in St. Louis. He’s a virtual baseball nomad by a career sense; he could never go back to Philadelphia to a warm reception, and he spent the shortest tenures of his career in Toronto and Cincinnati. St. Louis is where he deserves to come back to eventually, for the recognition an outstanding player of his level deserves. Maybe, with some time and reflection, both sides will learn how to properly place each other.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Aaron Sele

Why He Should Get In
Sele appeared to have a bright future ahead of him when he burst onto the scene, and for a stretch of about five years, it looked like he would develop into a top of the rotation starter.

Why He Should Not Get In
Five years does not make a career and leaves Sele well short of any of the Hall Of Fame numbers he would need.  He never quite realized his potential and that will keep him from the halls of Cooperstown.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Kenny Lofton

Why He Should Get In
Lofton is one of the great basestealers in recent memory.  With over 600 stolen bases, it places him in elite company.  Add to that a career batting average of .299, a career on base percentage of .372, 2,428 hits, and 383 doubles in addition to the above mentioned hardware and Lofton has a serious case for enshrinement.

Why He Should Not Get In
The numbers are impressive, but they do fall just a bit short.  He has 2,428 hits, not 2,500.  He has 383 doubles, not 400.  He falls just short in multiple categories.  Ultimately, it probably won’t keep him out of the Hall permanently, just for the next few years.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Julio Franco

Why He Should Get In
Franco might get consideration simply on the length of his career.  That being said, it is really the sole remarkable number that jumps out about him.

Why He Should Not Get In
His long career boasted very little to brag about, save one batting title in 1991.  His career numbers will not lead him into Cooperstown.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Ryan Klesko

Why He Should Get In
Klesko enjoyed a fairly solid run of performance for a few years, but simply could not hold on to it long enough to bolster his career numbers.

Why He Should Not Get In
His career numbers fall remarkably short of typical Cooperstown standards.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Jeff Conine

Jeff Conine
Conine played for 17 years in the major leagues, joining the rosters of six different teams.  Conine’s most notable years were as a member of the expansion Florida Marlins, where he finished third in the 1993 Rookie Of The Year voting and was selected to two All Star rosters.

Why He Should Get In
Conine was “Mr. Marlin” when he arrived on the scene, giving the team a legitimate star in it’s early years.

Why He Should Not Get In
Being the best player on a bad team can take it’s toll.  Conine found himself as an average player on below average teams for a good portion of his career, leading to a memorable name attached to lackluster career numbers.  While a generation can tell you who Jeff Conine is, his production will not find him in the Hall Of Fame.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

Twice a year the group known as the United Cardinal Bloggers gather virtually to discuss the topics that are on everyone’s minds.

The torch gets passed daily to the next person to ask a question while the group of bloggers all sound off with their opinions   The November roundtables have come around and I-70′s turn has come to pass.  This year, we wanted to play to the optimists, the pessimists and the realists of the group with a predictive question towards 2013.

The email that was sent to the group read:

My question for you is two-fold and equally pessimistic and optimistic (with a dash of realistic, for Daniel’s sake)…

- What player will take a substantial injury, shelving him for the majority of the 2013 season?

- What player will gain the opportunity, and seize it, to become a cornerstone of the team next year?

The answers were varied at times and very agreeable at others.  Here’s a look at what the UCB thinks…

Dennis Lawson – PitchersHitEighth
It’s hard not to be pessimistic about injury considerations.  I’m going to try and be positive and say that the substantial injury has already happened, and it’s Jaime Garcia.  Lance Lynn could be the guy who seizes the opportunity to be a consistent guy.  Knowing what lies ahead makes it easier for Lynn to really train for 200 innings, and he can do so without looking over his shoulder.  This gives him an opportunity to look past the bullpen “demotion” and move ahead with his focus on being the kind of rock the team needs him to be.

Daniel Shoptaw - Cardinal70
I agree with Dennis that Garcia’s the injury, but I’ll say Shelby Miller takes that opportunity and puts together a season that at least puts him into consideration for Rookie of the Year.

Daniel Solzman – RedbirdRants
I have to go with Garcia on the injury.

Nick – PitchersHitEighth
Matt Holliday’s back makes me nervous, and since we’re just playing around here (please don’t ACTUALLY miss any time, Matt) I’ll say he gets shelved for some extended period of time and Oscar Taveras goes bonkers with the available at-bats.

Wes Keene – KeeneOnMLB
In the spirit of making things interesting, I’ll go a different route. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Beltran experiencing some significant downtime. The alternate lineup will look very similar to what we got in the NLCS with Craig in right and Matt Carpenter at 1st. In this scenario, I think Carp does what he does and shines. Beltran being out, while unfortunate, is one of the missing pieces the Cards are relatively well equipped to cover, provided they don’t have other significant injuries happening concurrently.

Mary Clausen – MLBVoice.com
Part 1: Jaime Garcia.  He seems to be on the DL more than is isn’t as of late.  Part 2: Shelby Miller.  I’m excited to watch this young pitcher mature onto a spot in the Cardinal rotation. Hopefully they will take him slow. We don’t want another Rick Ankiel. It’s funny (not ha ha ) that rumors say that Ankiel might pitch again. What timing? It will be Fun! to follow Rick. He’s a very gifted athlete.

Editor’s Note: The rumor about Ankiel returning to the mound has been denied by Ankiel and his agency

Tom Knuppel – CardinalsGM
I have already stated I don’t trust the health of Chris Carpenter so he is the most likely for me to choose. I don’t see him going past 10 starts and I hope that I am wrong about this.

Dathan Brooks – CardsTiedForFirst
Injuries are so tough to try and predict, and the 2nd part of the question is almost fully reliant on the 1st.  I suppose age/track record are some indicators.  Garcia, Furcal, & Beltran are all good candidates I suppose, given what we know & have seen at this point.  ’course, never count Freese out when we’re talking about health concerns, and Jon Jay could easily take a foul ball off the foot or Yadi be HBP on the hand….ya just never know.

Brian Vaughan – StanGraphs
Realistically, I already feel like Jaime Garcia is all but tied to the disabled list. The whole “not having surgery” thing seldom seems to pay long-term dividends for a player and usually only delays the inevitable. I’m going to assume he winds up watching most of the season rather than participating, and if he does, I think it’s entirely possible we see multiple starters solidify themselves.

Spencer Hendricks – StanGraphs
To be honest, none of the Cardinals are especially durable, neither the veterans (Beltran, Furcal) nor the younger guys (Freese, Craig, even Jay missed ample time this season) for that matter. There are plenty of obvious picks to make in regards to who might spend a large chunk of the season on the DL, but I’m going to make a wild, random guess just for entertainment and hope very fervently that my words don’t become prophetic. I’ll say that Molina will get off to another great start in April and then find himself tragically struck by a serious injury, missing the rest of the season. Maybe he’ll have to endure another nasty home plate collision, maybe he’ll run into Hee Seop Choi on the way to first base, who knows? All I’m saying is Molina’s going to have a 1.200 OPS in April and then be lost for the season shortly thereafter.

Mark Tomasiks – RetroSimba
Carlos Beltran likely will follow Lance Berkman in having an injury-plagued second season with the Cardinals.

Not to worry, though, because Oscar Taveras will replace him and do well.

DJ McClure - WelcomeToBaseballHeaven
The Cardinals rolled the dice with Lance Berkman in 2011 and hit the jackpot. Rolled it again with him in 2012 and busted. Hopeful we won’t see a similar story with year two of Carlos Beltran after a very good first season with the Cardinals but it’s tough to stay ahead of Father Time when injuries have already been in the equation. Carlos avoided extended time on the DL this season but did have a number of nagging injuries. If that’s the case next season compensating for those could lead to more serious problems. Of course hopefully not.

As for who would pick up the slack? Yep,  Mr. Oscar Taveras (AKA Minor League Guy). He’s definitely not a secret in STL and hasn’t seen a pitch in AAA yet, but I think they’d give him a legitimate shot if needed as long as he was progressing in Memphis. He’s only a year younger than Mike Trout who was in a similar spot as Oscar last year and look how that turned out.

Christine Coleman – AaronMilesFastball
As many have already said, I think the substantial injury waiting to happen is Jaime Garcia and his shoulder. I was already a little nervous reading a week or so ago when John Mozeliak said they are holding their breath a bit regarding Garcia not having surgery now, so that just seems like a serious problem waiting to happen.

Chris Reed - BirdBrained
It’s hard to believe, but the most durable guys on this team seem to be Yadier Molina and Jason Motte. Jaime Garcia, Rafael Furcal, and Chris Carpenter seem to be the most obvious choices for the long-term DL since they’re practically there already, with Carlos Beltran also a solid choice. And don’t forget the ever-present questions surrounding the young careers of David Freese and Allen Craig. Ugh. It makes ME hurt just thinking about it.

I honestly don’t think we’re going to see a lot–if any at all–of Garcia next year. A shoulder injury is just about the worst thing that can happen to a pitcher. He may be able to pitch through it for a while, but surgery or no this will catch up to him in a hurry. I’m guessing Garcia takes the ball less than six times in 2013. And, consequently, it becomes Miller Time in St. Louis. Shelby Miller will step into the role and have a very nice rookie season–perhaps even make some noise in the Rookie of the Year voting. But you said “cornerstone,” and I have trouble attaching that label to most rookies. What will really propel the 2013 rotation to greatness will be the return to Ace form of Adam Wainwright. His leadership on and off the field will be what holds the starting five together in the absence of Garcia (and Carp, if necessary).

David Freese has a lot going for him in his short career.

He’s already an NLCS- and World Series-MVP.

He’s the hometown boy who saved St. Louis’ favorite sports team from elimination, that was only one strike away, and led the team to its eleventh World Series.

And that was all accomplished without even playing a full MLB season yet.

Now Freese might face his most difficult test ever; replacing Albert Pujols.  Freese, who had nine hits all spring in 48 at-bats, has 10 in half as many at-bats (24) in five games. He has hit safely in every game and has four multi-hit games

After St. Louis’ favorite son left this past offseason, there was a void of sorts left in the hearts of every Cardinals fan. Pujols was a larger-than-life character that had close ties to the community and was all around a generally good guy. And that was just off the field.

On the field, Pujols won the Rookie of the Year award, and took the Cardinals to three World Series in a period of eight years, winning two of them.

With the big slugger gone, people in St. Louis are looking through the jersey racks trying to find that one name that resonates the most with them. Fan favorites Yadier Molina and Chris Carpenter have contributed so much to the Redbirds in their respective careers, but your old-time fans—as well as your younger ones—are going to be polarized towards David Freese.

Although it might be too early in the season to call it, after a few short games, Freese has shown no World Series hangover. Baseball has been nothing but business for the soon-to-be 29-year-old. With an average over .400, Freese looks like he’s playing at a level that could easily have him averaging over .300 by season’s end.

Having to pick up the slack for Pujols’ exit, Freese has answered the call and has been an RBI machine with increased power. If there’s one way to win over young fans and baseball purists alike, it’s to produce.

As he was in last year’s postseason that led to a World Series, Freese has been a huge part of the Cardinals’ early domination of the MLB.