Covering MLB with a focus on the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals
While much of the success that a team has comes from its own preparation, what goes on around them also plays a huge factor. The Cardinals have been among the most successful clubs at concisely addressing their needs this winter, but how has the rest of the National League Central done?
The St. Louis Cardinals have one of the most balanced attacks in all of Major League Baseball. Their pitching staff leads in earned-run average, the defense has the fewest errors in baseball and the lineup is ranked fourth of the 30 teams, but every power-producing engine needs a spark plug.
The emergence of Matt Carpenter was thought to have created only one dilemma for the upcoming year: Yet just barely two months into the season, he is now working on changing the much bigger picture of the organization going forward.
The 2012 Cardinals fought through much of May and June without the likes of Jon Jay, Skip Schumaker, Lance Berkman and Matt Carpenter.
The St. Louis Cardinals knew they had an old team heading into the 2012 season, and injuries or players wearing down in the course of the regular season were the team’s most likely downfall.
The six-hour, 19-inning marathon that took place on Sunday was just another kink in the chain that is the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals’ season.
With Albert Pujols in California with the Angels and Lance Berkman on the disabled list with more knee problems, the St. Louis Cardinals have to get consistent production from Allen Craig during the final six weeks of the season if they want a shot at a postseason berth.
This week, the St. Louis Cardinals began to show what they are capable of again, at least from a pitching standpoint. But they are still a long way from right.
Coming into May the Cardinals had a three-game lead in the NL Central at the end of April. At the end of their May grind they’re 27-24, in second place, chasing the Reds, and trying to fend off third-place Pittsburgh.
What if this team under new leadership, starts another great era of Cardinal baseball without a reloading period following the key off-season losses?
