The Cardinal Nation blog

An update on television and radio-related St. Louis Cardinals news for spring training and the regular season.

Continuing a semi-regular series of quick hits on and links to recent St. Louis Cardinals baseball news on the ‘net.

In the second of two-part look at St. Louis Cardinals non-roster invitees, we look at past players that made the major league club out of spring training and some others that fell short.

The St. Louis Cardinals appear to have revised their player payroll budget down for 2009. Is it justified? How can we know?

If the St. Louis Cardinals end up in an arbitration hearing with Scott Boras, representing Rick Ankiel, is the deck already stacked against them?

Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte turned down a deal earlier in the off-season and had to settle for potentially less later on. Cardinals hurler Kyle Lohse may have done precisely the opposite.

Recent actions by the St. Louis Cardinals front office are causing already-wary fans to wonder what is going on.

The quantity and makeup of the St. Louis Cardinals non-roster invitee list is evolving, giving prospects like Colby Rasmus, Brett Wallace and David Freese a better chance to make the major league club out of spring training.

Comparing the inexperience level of Ryan Franklin and the rest of the projected 2009 St. Louis Cardinals bullpen to peer groups from recent seasons.

Could St. Louis Cardinals 3B Troy Glaus miss two months of the 2009 regular season? That is exactly what injury expert Rick Wilton of baseball-injury-report.com suggests.

56 players that were once St. Louis Cardinals property played elsewhere in the majors last season, to be joined by 15 more next year. How many of them were really a loss to the organization?

Continuing a semi-regular series of quick hits on and links to recent St. Louis Cardinals baseball news on the ‘net.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus has a unique record in Venezuelan baseball, a place of growing importance to the organization today.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielders Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick head one step closer to arbitration to set their respective 2009 salaries.

Tony La Russa suggested Mark McGwire come to spring training – and answer questions from the media. Big Mac passed on both.

An update on television-related St. Louis Cardinals news for spring training and the regular season.

Does having a Rookie of the Year translate to more fans in the stands? Would the St. Louis Cardinals consider trying it with top prospect Colby Rasmus?

An initial report from Colombia, referenced from the Dominican, includes Albert Pujols among six players that may be out of the World Baseball Classic. The player later confirmed the report, citing insurance liability issues.

Looking back at some of the wise player departures from the St. Louis Cardinals this decade.

An innovative program to provide better support for minor league prospects enters its third season in 2009.

Lee Enterprises announced their sale of 2.7% of the St. Louis Cardinals to the team’s majority ownership group. It is not enough to solve their deep financial problems.

Big strikeout games from St. Louis Cardinals pitchers have become a very rare occurrence, but it wasn’t always that way.

The extent of Joe Mather’s versatility might help determine the timing of Colby Rasmus’ MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals.

A series of quick hits on and links to recent St. Louis Cardinals baseball news.

In just nine games against the Philadelphia Phillies last season, four St. Louis Cardinals milestones occurred, from the positive to the negative to the weird.

Considering alternate methods to gauge the comparative effectiveness of the St. Louis Cardinals’ new left-handed relievers for 2009.

Former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire, tainted by steroids suspicion, loses ground in the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame voting.

A complete listing of all 306 players currently known to be under contract in the St. Louis Cardinals organization from top to bottom by level assigned and primary position.

The St. Louis Cardinals have pruned 12 minor league players, including three from the US and nine from their overseas academies.

Autograph prices at the St. Louis Cardinals fan event, Winter Warm-Up, offer one view of fan valuation of current players.

Believe it or not, there is a Top 100 Most Influential Canadians in Baseball list and three with St. Louis ties, Larry Walker, Dave McKay and Stubby Clapp, made the cut.

A reader asks a question to settle a brotherly bet that takes us back to 1986 and Ozzie Smith’s greatest-ever defensive play.

When will the St. Louis Cardinals major and minor leaguers report to camp and how does the World Baseball Classic affect spring training?

Taking a look at television-related St. Louis Cardinals news

The St. Louis Cardinals have missed out on another free agent. This time it is versatile infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston, Jr.

Former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder John Rodriguez returns to his original organization while Chris Duncan’s brother takes a career hit.

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced the schedule for the team’s 2009 Cardinals Caravan, making stops in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Tennessee this month.

The St. Louis Cardinals will soon need to offer 2009 contract amounts to five players from just under three up through six years of experience and the five have to counter with their view of their value. If the two cannot agree, arbitration to set the player’s 2009 salary will follow in February.

The St. Louis Cardinals are adding another castoff to their growing mix in a questionable attempt to fix their left-handed relief need.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle McClellan would like to return to starting in 2009, but the decision is not in his own hands.

In the race to sign Japanese free agent pitcher Kenshin Kawakami, the St. Louis Cardinals are competing with the Orioles and Twins, according to a Sunday report from Japan.

The final article in Brian Walton’s series looking back at the biggest stories across the St. Louis Cardinal Nation during 2008 and now, looking ahead to 2009.

Brian Walton’s look back at the biggest stories across the St. Louis Cardinal Nation during 2008 continues with the top five.