St. Louis Cardinals closer Jason Motte has seen a lot of ups and downs in the early stages of his career, but he might now be set to have many more ups than downs in the foreseeable future.

The Cardinals agreed to a one-year, $1.95 million contract Wednesday with the man who closed out the franchise’s 11th World Series title.

Although the deal is only for one year, Motte looks like he could be the ninth-inning man for the Cardinals for many years.

Why? That might sound overly optimistic, but he could have long-term success because of his pitching style.

Understandably, many people guffawed at Motte’s pitching style when he first came to the big leagues after being switched from catcher to pitcher in the minor leagues. He throws hard, but he doesn’t have much of a secondary pitch. His slider is very much still a work in progress, and he doesn’t really have a change-up (the out-pitch for many elite closers).

However, all of those so-called deficiencies could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Motte, and in turn for the Cardinals.

When a pitcher such as Motte doesn’t have a reliable back-up pitch, he has to live and die by his fastball. Motte has a good fastball, but last year he learned how to locate that pitch. When everything else about a pitcher is stripped away, locating the fastball is what makes any pitcher successful.

Pitchers such as Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright can drop their massive curveballs on hitters all day, but they will still get hit around if they can’t locate their fastball.

That’s why Motte could have some staying power in the back of the Cardinals’ bullpen.

At the end of the game, many pitchers (Jason Isringhausen, for example) try to get fancy by throwing cutters and curveballs to fool hitters and rack up strikeouts. That often leads to trouble. Sure, a fastball down the gut has the potential to get smashed, but a hanging off-speed pitch in the ninth-inning means more often than not that one team will be celebrating at home plate while the other slowly walks off the field.

Motte understands that he is not going to fool anybody when he comes into a game. His job is to pump in fastballs and get outs, no matter how they come. Ryan Franklin had success as a closer for the same reason. He didn’t try to be fancy and fool hitters. Rather, he located his pitches and forced hitters to softly hit the ball into the ground.

But, Franklin’s luck eventually ran out, and he was terrible in 2011.

However, the difference between Franklin and Motte is that Motte has a swing-and-miss fastball. Motte can throw close to 10 mph faster than Franklin could. When a 97 mph pitch is thrown right where the catcher wants it, hitters will have a tough time making solid contact.

Unfortunately the hard fastball gets many relievers in trouble. Pitchers such as Kyle Farnsworth could throw the ball through a wall, but he could never locate the pitch.

If Motte continues to use his fastball and concentrates on pitch location, he could quickly become one of the better closers the Cardinals have had, and that is saying something.

The Cardinals have had some Hall of Fame closers, but none of them lasted very long. Motte doesn’t have to be Hall of Fame worthy to be successful for the Cardinals, but if he is reliable in the ninth maybe the Cardinals could spend a few years without having to worry about that position.

As far as his contract is concerned, even if Motte has a fantastic 2012 season and his price jumps, the Cardinals should still have the money to keep him, especially if catcher Yadier Molina follows Albert Pujols to Anaheim.

Maybe in future years Motte will have to yell “Come get some!” to a different catcher when he closes out a World Series, but if Motte gets that chance it means the Cardinals have continued their run of excellence.

In the end, that’s really what Cardinals fans want.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpen came a long way in 2011, beginning with Ryan Franklin’s blown save on Opening Day and ending with Jason Motte’s final pitch to win Game Seven of the World Series.

The squad battled through major ups and downs throughout the season, and the final roster hardly resembled the Opening Day roster. All of those changes turned out to be a blessing, however, as the team went on to win the World Series.

The Opening Day bullpen that included pitchers such as Miguel Batista, Brian Tallet and Bryan Augenstein eventually turned into a bullpen with Fernando Salas, Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel.

The latter group was instrumental in the Cardinals run to the world championship. Manager Tony La Russa used his bullpen more extensively in the playoffs than any manager in the history of the game, and the relievers came through nearly every time in the playoffs.

Veterans such as Dotel and Arthur Rhodes left during the offseason, but the Cardinals picked up left-handed specialist J.C. Romero Dec. 15 and still have a strong core of young arms that will be ready to defend the championship this year.

Plus, the experience those young pitchers got during the stretch run of the 2011 season is sure to help them in future seasons.

After watching Motte nervously bumble his way through relief appearances at times during the previous two seasons, few people could have imagined him all of a sudden shutting down the best teams in the game during the most important stretch of the season, much less coming through flawlessly in the World Series to beat the Texas Rangers.

Yet, there he was on the mound at Busch Stadium throwing some of the most important pitches of the season.
After years of turnover and uncertainty in the Cardinals bullpen, that group could be one of the best parts of the team in 2012.

The Cardinals lost a lot of firepower in the lineup when first baseman Albert Pujols left in December to sign with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and they only brought in players who were Pujols’ age or older. The chances of both shortstop Rafeal Furcal and outfielder Carlos Beltran staying healthy for the entire season are very low.

That means the Cardinals will have to rely heavily on their pitching staff. The good news is this year’s pitching staff could be the best the Cardinals have had since 2004 when four starters had 15 or more wins, and that team went to the World Series.

Adam Wainwright will return this season to join what should be a strong rotation that includes Chris Carpenter, Jamie Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook.

However, that rotation can only do so much. The bullpen is also going to have to shut down teams regularly late in games. With a strong rotation, the relievers will likely come into games with a lead, and a bad stretch of relief pitching could quickly demoralize the entire team.

Losing games is one thing, but losing because a reliever blew the game late adds an extra sting.

In any case, Cardinals fans should be as confident in this season’s bullpen as it has been in many years. This group is younger than most of the Cardinals’ bullpens during the La Russa era, and it now has experience that should keep them from getting rattled in tight situations.

After having a bullpen that appeared to be one of the worst in the league less than 12 months ago, the Cardinals could go into 2012 with one of the best bullpens in the game. That is quite a turnaround.

Today, we will take one last look back at 2011.

The season was full of ups and downs, ins and outs, and highs and lows for the St. Louis Cardinals. A season that took a turn for the worse before a single pitch was thrown ended up at the pinnacle of the sport. Over the course of the season, there were some major stories, moments, and thoughts that captured the audience.

Today, as part of the United Cardinal Bloggers December project, take a look back and what were the top five stories from the 2011 calendar year in St. Louis.

Number Five: The Return Of The Puma
or The Death of Fat Elvis
The signing of Lance Berkman happened in 2010, but the arrival of a slimmer, healthier and more determined Puma showed up at Spring Training. The “Fat Elvis” nickname no longer seemed to apply and Berkman quickly set forth into erasing any thought that he was a broken down player that could not produce.

Berkman quickly made a difference in the clubhouse and on the field, establishing strange rituals for the rookies while on the road and tearing up opposing pitching between the chalk lines. Berkman would find himself in the All Star Game and in the Most Valuable Player discussion to the tune of a seventh place finish in the voting. When it came to discussions of Come Back Player awards, he walked away with the award hands-down.

Number Four: Colby Rasmus Sent North
or How The Cardinals Built A Winner In One Deal
As the non-waiver trade deadline approached, the Cardinals felt they needed to make a few improvements to make a run at the division or playoffs. In the midst of shopping for a rotation upgrade, an additional arm or two for the bullpen and some bench help, the relationship between Colby Rasmus and Tony LaRussa flared up as a problem once again. This time, action was taken, and in one fell swoop, John Mozeliak answered the Cardinals issues.

Colby Rasmus was shipped to Toronto along with Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters in exchange for Octavio Dotel, Edwin Jackson, Corey Patterson and Marc Rzepczynski. Jackson would shore up the rotation, adding Kyle McClellan to the bullpen along with veteran Dotel and young Rzepczynski. Patterson would add some depth to the bench, though he would be overshadowed by youngsters already in the Cardinals system.

The trade gave the Cardinals the pieces they needed to make the run down the stretch and a brighter future. Though they gave up some pieces, Jackson and Dotel will yield them draft picks in the upcoming amateur draft and Rzepczynski projects to be a part of the Cardinals’ future for a considerable amount of time.

Number Three: Adam Wainwright Goes Down
or The Team Loses An Ace Before A Single Pitch Is Thrown
2011 looked promising for the Cardinals as Spring Training came closer and then Adam Wainwright left the practice field with some discomfort. Early news came from all involved stating a fear of the worst. The worst was confirmed and the Cardinals found themselves minus the best pitcher on the staff.

Adam took to the internet, writing blogs about his progress and his faith during one of the toughest times in his life or career. His faith was inspiring, his presence with the team as a supporter was surprising, and his smile never seemed to fade. The Cardinals proved that the sum is greater than value of the parts and Wainwright proved that life is bigger than baseball.

Number Two: Albert Pujols Breaks St. Louis Fans’ Hearts
or Further Proof That Six Is Greater Than Five
The subject of our number five story was quoted during his own contract negotiations as saying “It is always about the money”. No one wanted to believe that Albert Pujols would feel the same way. But, at the end of the day, whether it was a desire to earn more money or if it was the feeling that more money was what respect was all about, Albert Pujols left the Cardinals.

Albert had been quoted as saying that he wanted to stay with the Cardinals, claiming he wanted to “be like Stan The Man”. His departure based on money reminded the city just how special Stan Musial truly is and reminded mathematics everywhere that six is greater than five.

Number One: What A Team, What A Ride
or Wow, Did That Just Happen
A 2011 season that was surrounded by contract concerns and injuries ended in a fashion that no one could predict. The team was far to behind in the standings to make the playoffs. Then they were matched up against far too good of an opponent to make it past the Division Series. Then the Brewers were too strong at home to lose the League Championship Series. Down to their last strike in the World Series. Unlikely heroes, unlikely stories, and a historic run reached the pinnacle as the team put their eleventh championship banner in the rafters.

The subplot was the delivery from the booth of Joe Buck. The use of his father’s call as David Freese sent a ball out of the park in walk off fashion at the end of game six, a slow and perfectly delivered “We will see you…tomorrow night” followed by the now instant classic “What a team, what a ride” at the conclusion of game seven, Joe Buck captured an audience of fans and delivered.

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.

Another year is in the books for the Kansas City Royals.

They had ups and downs, highs and lows, and many, many growing pains.

2011 was judged a success from many within the organization, and more outside of the organization. Having a record of 71-91 isn’t normally looked at as a good thing. However, the progress made by the young players on this squad is more than anyone could have hoped for at the beginning of the year.

With that being said, it’s time to hand out some awards:

Best Player
The award for Best Player isn’t an easy one to give out for the 2011 Royals. Several players had stellar seasons, especially the top 5 hitters in the Royals lineup (Alex Gordon, Melky Cabrera, Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer, and Jeff Franceour). Each of those players had at least 18 Homeruns, 78 RBI’s, a .285 average, and a .799 On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS). With the exception of Hosmer, who was called up a month into the season, they all had at least 44 doubles.

At the end of the day, I have to give the award to Alex Gordon. He said he was going to “dominate” after the 2010 season, and he did not disappoint.

Gordon put up career highs in HR’s (23), Doubles (45), RBI’s (87), Runs Scored (101), and Batting Average (.303). He did all of this from the leadoff position for most of the year, which was a brand new spot for him in the batting order.

Not only did Gordon have a career year with his bat, he also got it done with his glove. This was the first full season of playing Left Field for Gordon in his career, but you would have never known with how smoothly he did it.

He recorded an MLB-best 20 outfield assists, which also set the Royals’ franchise record. He only committed 3 errors all season and his .991 fielding percentage was tops for American League Left Fielders.

Overall, Gordon’s numbers on both offense and defense were too much to ignore when selecting the Royals’ Best Player. He should also be considered for a Gold Glove this year and perhaps the A.L. Comeback Player of the year.

Honorable Mentions: 2)Hosmer 3)Butler 4)Cabrera 5)Francoeur

Best Pitcher
A lot of people will surely disagree with my choice for the Best Pitcher on the 2011 Royals: Luke Hochevar.

Of course, Bruce Chen was the fan favorite and had the Royals’ best win total (12) and ERA (3.77) among starting pitchers. He also battled injuries early in the season. Joakim Soria had a decent year notching 28 but he also had 7 blown saves. Aaron Crow was the Royals’ representative at the All-Star Game, but faded after the break. Greg Holland turned out to be the best bullpen arm and was the guy who the Royals used as their “fireman” throughout the season. However, I had to go with Hochevar for a couple different reasons.

Hochevar’s numbers weren’t anything special, but his Post-All Star Break numbers showed that he finally figured something out. He improved greatly throughout the season and gave Royals fans a look at a good Number 3 (maybe a Number 2) starter in the rotation.

Before the break, Hochevar went 5-8 with a 5.46 ERA. After the break, he was 6-3 with a 3.52 ERA. His numbers in all aspects were much better after the break and he rarely had the “big inning” that fans were accustomed to seeing at the beginning of the year. Also, he lasted 6 innings or more 11 times in his 12 starts post-break.

When Ned Yost gave Hochevar the ball for Opening Day, he showed a ton of confidence in the 27-(now 28)-year-old. He wanted Hoch to be the leader of the rotation and, in my mind, he was for the entire year. If you wanted somebody to give you the absolute best chance to win, with the best “stuff,” it had to be Hochevar.

Honorable Mentions: 2)Chen 3)Holland 4)Felipe Paulino 5)Soria

Rookie of the Year
I’m going to go ahead and rename this one as “Rookie of the Year-Not Named Eric Hosmer.” Obviously, Hosmer wins this award for the Royals. Hands-down. No vote needed. He is one of the top candidates to win A.L. Rookie of the year, and should in the minds of every Royals fan out there.

Hosmer’s final numbers look like this: 19 HR’s, 27 Doubles, 78 RBI’s, 66 Runs Scored, 11 Stolen Bases, .293 Batting Average, and .799 (OPS).

Stud. Absolute stud. Everybody knows about him and how good he his, so let’s get to the “Rookie of the Year-Not Named Eric Hosmer.”

For this award, I have to go with Greg Holland.

There were a lot of good choices for this award just like all the others. Mike Moustakas’ last couple months were what fans were ready to see when he was called up in early June. His power finally came around in the last month of the season, but it wasn’t quite enough to give him this award.

Aaron Crow’s ridiculous start to the season was overshadowed by his struggles after the All-Star break. Tim Collins and Louis Coleman were good, but inconsistent throughout the season. Johnny Giavotella and Salvador Perez made an instant impact when they were called up, but they didn’t play enough to solidify themselves as candidates for this award. (Although Perez’s offense and defense were much better than expected).

In the end, it had to be Greg Holland. If there was one pitcher you had to pick to get one out this year, it would have to be Holland. When any other young bullpen arm would come into the game, most fans had to be at least a little nervous that run might be given up. Not with Holland. I felt more comfortable every time he was on the mound than any other reliever.

He finished with a 1.80 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched. If he can keep this up next year, he could become an even more important of the pitching staff.

Honorable Mentions: 2)Moustakas 3)Crow 4)Perez 5)Giavotella

Play of the Year

Jeff Francoeur, Jeff Francoeur, Jeff Francoeur. Right?

When you think of the Royals’ top plays this year, you think of Francoeur. His cannon of an arm was second to none in the Majors this year.

However, with all of Frenchy’s awesome defensive plays, Alcides Escobar has been greatly overshadowed. Maybe it’s because we were spoiled all year by Escobar’s unreal defensive prowess. Maybe it’s because of Frenchy’s constant smile that makes him look like a 10-year-old playing in Little League.

Those two guys would be the main attraction in the Royals Top 10 plays of the year.

For the best of the best, I have to give this award to FrencHy Gunning down Jhonny Peralta of the Detroit Tigers at 3^rd base on August 7^th. On this play,l Francoeur had to run to his left, field a base hit, square up his body towards 3^rd and make the throw. He did all of those things and the throw was on a line right to Mike Moustakas’ glove. The Royals were up 4 to 3 and instead of having runners at 1^st and 3^rd with one out, the Tigers then had a runner at 1^st with two outs. Unreal.

Honorable Mentions:

2)Alcides Escobar’s diving stop and throw on former Royal Alberto Callaspo on June 1^st. Escobar robbed Callaspo with a dive deep in the hole between 3^rd and short. He got up, made the throw, and Hosmer made an incredible scoop on a double hop. The score was 0-0 in the top of the 8^th with 2 outs and the bases loaded.

3)Francoeur makes the rare 9-3 putout against the A’s on September 7^th.

4)Francoeur robs Dustin Ackley of a homerun on September 9^th. Frenchy climbed the wall, and made the catch with his back towards homeplate.

5)Giavotella to Escobar to Hosmer for the double play against the A’s on September 5^th. Gio dove to his left, caught the ball on one hop, threw it to Escobar who caught it bare handed, and made the throw to hosmer for the 4-6-3 double play.

Game of the Year
Again, there are a ton of choices for this award. At the beginning of the year, it seemed like the Royals’ first 20 wins came on walk-offs. During the middle of the year, the team was struggling but still fighting back to win games. At the end of the year, the Royals had their 2012 lineup in full effect and showed flashes of greatness.

My Game of the Year Award goes to Royals vs. Rays on July 23^rd 2011.

The Royals fought back from a 2-0 and 4-2 deficit to win the game 5-4 in 10 innings.

This game was Mike Moustakas’ breakout game as he went 2-3 with a double and 3 of the Royals’ 5 RBI’s.

Down 4-3 in the bottom of the 9^th, the Royals were facing Kyle Farnsworth. Farnsworth pitched for the Royals the previous two years and was not loved by fans, to say the least. Down to their last out, the Royals had Alex Gordon coming up to the plate with Alcides Escobar on 1^st. Gordon doubled to deep right center to score Escobar and hand Farnsworth his 4^th blown save. It was really nice for fans to watch Farnsworth melt down like he did so many times for the Royals.

Then came the top of the 10^th. Aaron Crow came in, walked two batters, and was pulled from the game. Soria came in and gave up a single to load the bases. With no outs, everyone in Kauffman Stadium was nervous about what would happen next.

Soria, who was shaky all season, got a comebacker and two strikeouts to get out of the jam. The score was still 4-4 going into the bottom of the 10^th.

With Mike Aviles on first base, Eric Hosmer smacked a double to deep left center. Aviles got on his horse and scored all the way from first.

This game was the game of the year because of:

A)Rallying back from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits

B)Alex Gordon with the game-tying double with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9^th against Kyle Farnsworth

C)Soria getting out of a no-out bases-loaded jam

D)Hosmer with the walk-off double in extras

Honorable Mentions:

2) Royals 2, Angels 0 June 1^st

Butler with a walk-off HR, Escobar saves the game with his glove in the 8^th

3) Royals 7, White Sox 6 September 16^th

Bullpen blows 3-run lead, Hosmer walk-off double

4) Royals 2, Twins 1 July 15^th

Hosmer game-winning 2-run HR in the top of the 9^th

5) Royals 3, Red Sox 1 (F/14) July 25^th

Great pitching all night from 6 Royals pitchers, Mike Aviles with the botched squeeze bunt over Adrian Gonzalez’s head to score Hosmer in the 14^th

That does it for this year’s awards. Each one of these was difficult to pick and an argument can be made for each pick.

The best thing about these awards is that there were so many great players, plays, and games this year. In past years, awards would be much easier to hand out because of the lack of talent and passion that has plagued the Royals before.

2011 was the start to a new era in Royals baseball. The entire organization has taken a step forward so look forward to next year’s awards being even tougher to pick.

Please share your thoughts and let us know who your awards would go to.

The Royals fell flat on their faces right before the All-Star break and continued the slide with an 8-4 loss against the Twins in the first game after the break. The trading deadline is just over two weeks away and this has been the time of year where the Royals’ organization decides to focus on their bottom line and trade as much high-salary earners off to playoff contenders.

The team clawed out a 2-1 one victory on Friday night with solid pitching and a two-run, ninth inning blast by Eric Hosmer with Melky Cabrera on second base. Compared to the last several years, this team has shown sparks of life against the Twins. After four games in Minnesota, the Royals will be home all next week to play host to the White Sox and the Devil Rays (both teams are close to or above .500).

Jeff Francoeur’s name has come up in trading block rumors but has made it clear to the Royals’ organization that he wants to stay in Kansas City and it is not hard to see why. He fits into the Royals’ commitment to develop younger talent (he is only 27). He plays well, has become a clubhouse leader and has become a fan favorite to watch.

Joakim Soria and Aaron Crow could also be mentioned in trade talks, as relief pitching for a deep playoff run is also essential. Soria may have had his ups and downs this year but is still one of the best closers in the American League the past few seasons. Aaron Crow has developed into a consistent setup man that can give a team more than one inning if required.

If recent years are any indication of how these quality players are going to be handled, then Francoeur might as well start packing his bags now. However, if the Royals are committed to setting the tone and contend in 2012 after taking their lumps as a bunch of rookies this year, then they need to keep him along with the rest of the team.

Right now, the Royals are one of the healthiest teams in baseball with only one current player on the DL, Jason Kendall. With no starters on the DL, the Royals should be able to get back on track and develop some momentum early in the second half. Injuries played a large role in their first half slide, with three starting pitchers coming down with injuries.

Part of any successful season in baseball is team chemistry. These young players have taken the first half of this season to get to know each other as well as themselves in terms of how they are supposed to play the game. They may not be a team that looks like they’re supposed to win a championship every year (like the Yankees or the Phillies) but after playing an entire season together, they will be well on their way to building a brighter future for Kansas City baseball.

Over the course of a 162-game season, there are all sorts of ups and downs. Winning streaks, losing streaks, close plays, blown calls…etc. Players go on, and come off the disabled list, attendance figures rise and fall–a lot of things fluctuate over such a long season. Ask every manager in baseball about blown calls by the umpires during a regular-season game, and you’ll probably get 30 very similar responses: some will go your way, and some will go against you, but, over 162 games, it all evens out. A wise man once said, “Two out of three ain’t bad”. Held to today’s Major League Baseball schedule, that equates to a team winning 108 games–”not bad” indeed–in fact, within striking distance of the all-time record.

Not the “wise man” referred to a moment ago, but nonetheless a man who said “Two out of three ain’t bad”.

Last week, part of what I wrote was about the schedules of the Cardinals, Brewers, and Reds, stating that the Cardinals were in a position to really put some distance between themselves and the rest of the National League Central division. To “win the series” is a good frame of reference for success, in my opinion. This isn’t the NFL, where you MUST play each and every down to win that game, because so few games are played. Baseball’s schedule has ten times more games than that of the NFL, so winning the series is a good goal for baseball teams to aim for. One that, as previously mentioned, would bring wild success if achieved each and every time.

I took at a look at the Cardinals season to this point, and scanned the schedule & corresponding results for a series won or lost. The Cards have played in 20 different series’ so far in the 2011 campaign, and have won at least two games in a robust 14 of those (roughly two out of three). They entered play on Wednesday with the best record in baseball at 37-25, and a 2 ½ game lead in the division. Truly, two out of three (or in a couple of cases two & four) hasn’t been bad at all for this Cardinals team–it’s been pretty good, in fact!

Despite some defensive deficiencies around the diamond, they’ve managed to quietly win night after night without much fanfare or spectacle. That’s not to say we’ve not seen our share of exciting games, we certainly have. It just seems to me that our redbirds have enjoyed a lot of this success without much media attention (I mean, you know, less than usual for teams not named Red Sox or Yankees).

I think if the Cards keep going about their business they way they have up to this point, they’ll be in good shape come late September. The team might not be 100% healthy right now; but injuries are a part of the game, and no team is immune from being bitten by the injury bug. The pitching rotation has been ok without Kyle McClellan’s arm, and while the defense in the field may suffer some, with the (at least temporary) loss of Allen Craig, it isn’t like we’ve lost a gold glove, irreplaceable type of defender in Craig. Offensively? Yes, Matt Holliday is currently missing from the triple-threat of Pujols-Holliday-Berkman…but don’t be sad, ‘cause two outta three ain’t bad!

There are two teams… the Royals and Cardinals.

Barely separated by a stretch of interstate 70.

Roughly two hundred and fifty miles apart, one team falls to the American League, the other to the National. Contrast is a better descriptor than comparison, but simply by relative location, a rivalry is created.

The Cardinals, or the Saint Louis Brown Stockings, were formed in 1882. One of America’s initial baseball franchises, history is the enamel of this ball club- a story to tell in every corner, every decade, and in every one of their ten championships. Despite the casual ups and downs, the organization through its lifetime, still remains above water (A total franchise record of 10130-9437).

The Royals, established in 1969, became a more modern version of Midwest baseball. The Athletics came beforehand, but the Royals created a name for themselves quickly. As time stumbles off the clock and season upon season concludes, the Royals, for the most part, have declined (A total franchise record (3230-3477).

Between the two teams it is the Cardinals who claim the series lead at 34 to 26. In respect to the Royals, this is a series they typically perform better in than others, which places more importance on the rivalry. We all remember 1985.

There are more appealing rivalries in sports, let alone baseball. This is just one that most baseball fans in the Midwest learn to appreciate. There has been animosity and a deep competitiveness that is bred into this match up. Although most of us would like to see more of it, the hard fact that it only comes once or twice a year raises the level of anticipation. For the Royals and Cardinals both, it is a series they mark on their calendars long before the start of each season. Historically, it is a revenue generating series for both teams. Any vacant seats can honestly be blamed on the lack of success in Kansas City.

If in some aspect, we found both of these teams leading their divisions by the point in time they face-off, it could easily garner national attention and spark further interest year by year. But there is always something that keeps the excitement close to home. For three to six games each season, the Cubs become a second hand rivalry to the Cardinals. The Royals become the enemy.

Even though the Royals are easy kids to pick on, they still grabbed the ring in 1985 from the Cardinals. If you are a Cardinal, you are informed about that series. Never to be forgotten, it was the day the Royals were Missouri (and the worlds) best team.

The Cardinals don’t take that matter lightly.

When Kansas City and Saint Louis extend the rivalry on Friday, much of the story will be the same. A steady, trust worthy veteran in Chris Carpenter will take the mound and he will face the former National League fill in, Jeff Francis.

It is more certain that Saint Louis has the advantage in this game. They have been playing better overall and they are bumping into the Royals at precisely the right time. Sure the crowds will be a little heavier than average games, but the Royals are currently lost in the cobwebs. Their identity has screeched off road into uncharted territory and they are looking to get back into the rhythm. Until then, I expect the Cardinals to go about business with the same game plan they have all season long. At the start of the season, Carpenter was the one pitcher you would undoubtedly put your money on. A proven track record of consistent success, he was the obvious substance of reliability. Shockingly enough, Carp has been overshadowed by all-star performances from other stems in the rotation courtesy of Garcia, Lohse, and McClellan. As a group, the 2011 Cardinals pitching staff is easily the best in baseball.

This is the last thing the Royals need, but are the Cardinals going to argue? NO.

The more the Royals decline, the staler this rivalry becomes. The Cardinals give their fair share of contribution to making this series exciting, but Kansas City needs to find anyway to win- anyway to get the stadium loud, on their feet, and passionate again. The past few years have seen a drop in attendance totals, especially on the west end at Kauffman. Hopefully with an influx of thrilling youth in KC and the combination of stable pitching and competitiveness in STL, we will soon see a rise in the series once more.

Although the Royals have found that usual losing trend, they still teeter on the pendulum of even baseball. If they can find a way to scrape off an I-70 series win, that could be all they need to jump start the season all over again. Ned Yost is familiar with a lot of players on the Cardinals roster due his time spent in Milwaukee. If he can somehow build a game plan around his past knowledge, and the offense can start scoring runs again, Kansas City can easily make this a weekend worthwhile.

The Cardinals have an ability to bounce back from tough loses a little better that the Royals so I have little concern if they happen to lose. The Royals need to win at least two of three. The Cardinals are trying to keep up with a Reds team that is clicking. There is plenty of reason why each team needs to perform. I think the Cardinals are the better squad this year, but in this series (as in any major rivalry), anything could happen.

Welcome to the start of Fantasy Baseball. Hopefully you enjoyed your opening weekend festivities and are ready for a title chase of your own. Here’s a look at the Royals this week:

The Royals got off to a nice start at home this weekend taking three of four from the Angels. They have Monday and Thursday off this week, so if you have daily line-ups be sure and have them set. They will face a White Sox squad for a two-game set drawing Gavin Floyd and Mark Buehrle. They will then head to Detroit who will counter with Scherzer, Coke and Porcello.

The Royals defeated the Angels on their final at-bat three days in a row. The big reason for this opportunity has come on the shoulders of a talented bullpen. Joakim Soria is one the elite closers in baseball. Now, with young arms like Aaron Crow, Tim Collins, and Jeremy Jeffries, the Royals bullpen may be the brightest spot of this young team. Nothing worth grabbing here just yet, but it will be interesting to watch these young arms mature. Be sure to scout these three and keep a pulse on the ever-changing (as with any team) dynamics of this pitching staff.

HOT:

Jeff Francis began his Royals career with a nice 7 IP, 4 K and 1 BB allowing only 5 hits against the Angels. He’s worth a look in AL only leagues.

Going 6-19, including a 4-6 outing Sunday, Alex Gordon has one of the hottest bats for KC out of the gates. His 0-5 performance on Thursday and 0-4 showing on Saturday defines some of what we can expect from him this year. He will have some ups and downs. However, he has a firm grip on the left field position and has batted third all season. He’s a must own in AL only leagues and is at the very least a 5^th outfielder in mixed leagues.

NOT:

Bruce Chen gave up three home runs Sunday as the ball was flying out of Kauffman. It remains an ugly rotation in Kansas City. Steer clear of this situation until some of the young talent arrives.

Many fantasy owners in drafts have coveted Alcides Escobar as a sleeper this season. After slugging 5 home runs in 60 spring at-bats while hitting .364, the hype got pretty high. While his average should rebound over last season, Escobar is still tough to count on in mixed leagues. He’s not a bad $1 sleeper or keeper, but don’t expect a huge breakout just yet.

A recent post on the Giants blog Bay City Ball featured a fantastic chart plotting every Giants season by team OPS+ and ERA+. It inspired a similar chart at The Hardball Times of World Series champions (which seems to prove the maxim that pitching and defense win championships). It also inspired me to make this chart of every Royals team by OPS+ and ERA+ for my blog (playoff teams in red):

Perhaps the most shocking revelation is that after 42 seasons, only six teams are above the AL average in both OPS and ERA, and those six teams all fell in a seven year stretch between 1975—81. The chart is good for identifying outliers, such as the anemic offense of the expansion team in ’69 and ’70, the all-around greatness of the ’77 club, the pitching staff in ’93 and ’94, and the misery of ’05—’06. But most seasons get lost in a muddle of too much information. So in an attempt to glean more info out of the chart, I’ve separated the seasons out by decade to take a closer look at the ups and downs in Royals offense and defense over the years:

1969—79

The first two seasons of Royals baseball had identical numbers (82 OPS+, 99 OPS+) and featured surprisingly strong pitching and defense, but the offense was non-existent. Lead by Paul Schaal, Amos Otis, Freddie Patek and Cookie Rojas, the ’71 offense took a leap toward respectability while the pitching staff soared and the third year expansion team had a winning record and a second place finish. The addition of John Mayberry for ’72 helped push the offense into a strength, but run prevention took a dive (93 ERA+). GM Cedric Tallis left the club in ’74, but he had built up a powerhouse that fired on all cylinders between ’75—’80, including four first place finishes and two second place finishes. As far as the regular season is concerned, these were the glory days.

1980—89

The offense of the mid-to-late ’70s started to dry up, but after a dip in ’83, the Royals pitching & defense remained a major strength between ’84—’89 thanks to guys like Bret Saberhagen, Charlie Leibrandt, and Mark Gubicza. When it comes to post-season success, run prevention is the name of the game, so it should not be surprising the team’s lone championship came in the season with the club’s best ever ERA+, a 119 in 1985.

1990—99

The ’90s carried on a similar theme from the ’80s with a collection of stellar pitching— think Appier, Cone, Montgomery, Gordon—between ’91—’96, but the offense was just too putrid for it to translate into any overall success. That ’94 staff was something special until the lockout came. By ’98, the pitching had dried up, the spiral into the black hole of the next decade had begun…

2000—10

Do not look at that graph for too long…like the sun, it might melt your eyeballs. The ineptitude is stunning. The only dot that peaks into positive territory is the 2007 ERA+ of 102, which the Royals rode all the way to a 69-93 record. Sadly, last year’s perfectly mediocre OPS+ of 100 was the team’s best since 1991…and they still lost 95. Here’s to the the next decade of Royals baseball moving towards the upper right quadrant…

As the winter meetings begin and the MLB offseason rages on, it appears as if an era of Cardinals baseball may be coming to an end. Brendan Ryan, one of the most loved players on the 2010 roster, may have played his final game as a Cardinal.

According to several sources, the Cardinals have started shopping Brendan Ryan and plan on non-tendering him. The newest St. Louis shortstop, Ryan Theriot, was in a very similar position in Los Angeles. The Giants acquired Juan Uribe to replace Theriot, who was also a non-tender candidate, and days later “The Riot” was traded to St. Louis. The same thing appears to be happening to Brendan as all signs point toward him being moved within the next month.

The Cardinals drafted Ryan in the seventh round of the 2003 draft and has moved his way up to starting shortstop since then. In four years with the big league team, Ryan has hit .259/.314/.344 in over 1200 at bats. His best year came in 2009 when he hit over .290 and scored 55 runs, but his production took a gigantic nose-dive this season. His numbers plummeted (slugging percentage dropped almost 200 points) and exposed a massive offensive problem in the middle infield for the Cards.

Fortunately, his glove is quite a bit better. Brendan was a brick wall in the field and was at the top of the leaderboards in several fielding statistics, including an MLB-best 11.5 UZR. He’s one of the best shortstops in the Majors, but it is the offense that needs to be replaced.

Defense is a key component in baseball, but the numbers will show you that you have to be able to hit. Good ole’ Bill James taught me that one. The ability to hit as a team is the most important part of the game, and the 2010 lineup definitely had it’s ups and downs when it came to that. Offensive production from the middle infield, especially at shortstop, was probably the biggest problem with the team. When every player goes to the plate at least four times every single game, one lousy-hitting SS can really make a difference. Remember when you were a kid and would yell at the opposing team, “easy out!” when they were hitting? Well, Brendan Ryan is an easy out.

John Mozeliak said earlier this week that Theriot would probably be Ryan’s replacement, but there are more and more rumors that the Cardinals are still looking for an upgrade at short. That would then move Theriot to second (where he is a much better player) and move Skip Schumaker back into a platoon role in right field (where he, as well, is a much better player). Jason Bartlett, Stephen Drew, Marco Scutaro, and J.J. Hardy are among the shortstops with the most attention as possible Cardinals. Then again, Theriot’s name never surfaced.

If the Cardinals plan on acquiring another shortstop or not, and I believe they do, it appears as if one of the “goofiest” players to ever put on a Cardinal jersey may be leaving. It could be time to say goodbye to another fan-favorite.