I put a lot of thought into those selections and take them very seriously. As a result, they end up being solid choices, but conservative in nature, by definition hardly bold. In conjunction, I have been encouraged to take another run at the subject – from a much different perspective.

I would not call the following “predictions” as much as I might label them longer-shot, lower-importance (non-top five), but still interesting potential stories of 2012. I have no idea if none or all seven of the ideas detailed below will actually come to pass, but they each represent ideas that have been bouncing around my head.

Cox passes Adams

Coming off his superb 2011, during which he was named Texas League Player of the Year, Matt Adams is being viewed by some as the heir apparent to Lance Berkman at first base for 2013. While that may happen, I have an alternative thought.

What if Cox continues to hit in Triple-A and Adams slows down? David Freese seems locked at third for St. Louis and Daniel Descalso can cover as a reserve. Matt Carpenter may be a secondary competitor for a bench spot down the line as a third baseman or maybe even a corner outfielder.

So, where would Cox fit in St. Louis? How about a move to first base, where he, not Adams, could become the starter in 2013? An alternate scenario would be for Freese to take his questionable ankles over to first, but I remain skeptical that Cox’ defense at third will be satisfactory at the major league level.

The possibility also exists for either Cox or Adams to be traded, but if the race is close, Cox has a major league contract and a spot already on the 40-man roster. For that reason, under the right conditions, I could see him making his MLB debut ahead of the more-heralded Adams.

Miller forces his way into the bigs in 2012

Many observers see top prospect Shelby Miller’s name penciled into the Cardinals 2013 rotation as a replacement for either Kyle Lohse or Jake Westbrook. Here is how it might happen even sooner.

The identity of the team’s current unofficial sixth starter is unclear. Lance Lynn would perhaps be the most likely candidate, but it appears that he will go to camp with a good shot at holding down a relief spot in St. Louis.

My current projected Memphis rotation is uninspiring – Brandon Dickson, Nick Additon, Brian Broderick, Michael Blazek and Maikel Cleto. Then, there is Miller.

I can envision a scenario in which Miller pitches well in the first half for Memphis and if/when a second-half opening appears in St. Louis’ rotation, the 22-year-old receives the call. Would it be aggressive? Yes. Would I recommend it? Maybe not, but I could see it happening.

In recent years, the Cardinals have typically let young starters acclimate to the majors in a relief role before subjecting them to the pressures of starting. Then again, Miller isn’t a typical pitcher.

Motte becomes team’s oldest reliever

That title seemed more eye-catching and exciting than the original title, “Romero sleeps with the fishes.” The Cardinals’ second bullpen left-hander was with four organizations last summer and couldn’t make the major league roster of two of them.

I don’t have to go too far out on a limb to suggest a Brian Tallet-like year is ahead for the 35-year-old, one in which he is gone no later than mid-season. It could be sooner.

Where I might be reaching a bit more is to suggest the Cards may go with an in-house right-hander to replace Romero. This would depend on a bit of a rebound from Kyle McClellan, especially recovering his past ability to retire left-handed hitters.

As the opening day roster currently looks, there is not enough room for all the experienced relievers. One pitcher from the group of Eduardo Sanchez, Lance Lynn and Mitchell Boggs may have to go back down to Memphis – at least until there is an opening.

None of the non-Romero relievers on the roster have yet reached 30 years of age, but Motte is closest. A Romero departure would make Motte the grand old man of the pen – not counting 65-year-old bullpen coach Dyar Miller, that is.

Speaking of Motte…

Sanchez becomes closer

Anyone who has read my minor league writings over the past few years knows that I have been a big backer of Venezuelan right-hander Eduardo Sanchez. Unlike almost every other reliever who has come up in recent years, the 22-year-old was not shuttled back and forth between St. Louis and Memphis in 2011. When he arrived, he was ready.

Only a shoulder injury kept Sanchez out of the second-half relief picture. He came back to pitch briefly at the end of the season and also threw a few innings in winter ball to ensure he is sound.

Jason Motte did a spectacular job in a set up role last summer before taking over the ninth inning role for the final month of the season and the playoffs. He comes into 2012 camp as the incumbent closer and should leave Florida with the job.

I just have the funny feeling that when Motte’s inevitable bump in the road is encountered, Sanchez will be ready, and this time, won’t relinquish the job.

Komatsu lasts longer than expected

As of right now, the Cardinals bench is sorely lacking in veteran presence. With Allen Craig slated to start the season on the disabled list, the five position player reserves will look something like this:

C Tony Cruz or Bryan Anderson
MIF Tyler Greene
IF/OF Skip Schumaker
1B/OF Mark Hamilton
OF Erik Komatsu

The only other player close would seem to be outfielder Adron Chambers. When the Cards selected Komatsu in the Rule 5 Draft, they said they would prefer to keep Chambers in Memphis playing every day.

I do think the Cardinals will end up inviting a few on-the-way-down major leaguers to camp on minor league contracts to compete for bench jobs, but I have no idea who they might be. So here, I am going with the guys we know.

In this scenario, Komatsu would get to hang around at least until Craig comes off the disabled list. He might even last longer if he hits and Hamilton doesn’t. An injury or two to others would improve his chances even more. Hamilton has the advantage of long-ball potential, though that was strangely missing in 2011. (A variation on the theme would have Matt Carpenter making the team instead of Hamilton, but it wouldn’t change Komatsu’s standing.)

Komatsu has no career at-bats above Double-A, so is hardly a lock for anything. Yet, if he plays well enough, he may log more major league service time than anyone might expect. Remember Brian Barton?

Dry powder used on second base

As folks know, the 2011 mid-season adjustment approach taken was to sacrifice offense (Colby Rasmus) to strengthen both the rotation (Edwin Jackson) and bullpen (Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski). While that remains a possible scenario in 2012 as well, my gut tells me there will be a higher priority elsewhere.

I suspect that second base will become the Cardinals 2012 trade deadline target for improvement. While I recognize Daniel Descalso’s 2011 contributions, especially in filling the David Freese injury gap at third base, I am less convinced the steady but unspectacular Descalso will hit enough to be an above-average MLB second baseman.

The other in-house options are not necessarily better. Schumaker has given the job his all, but would be better deployed as a reserve outfielder and utilityman than a starting second baseman. Greene has the potential, but we’ve been saying that ever since he was drafted number 30 overall in 2005, just two picks after Rasmus.

Kolten Wong is the best second baseman in the system. Since the 2011 first-rounder is still a few years away, following the Rafael Furcal model again would not be out of the question. In other words, take a chance on a veteran, perhaps in the final months of his current contract, and if he works out, try to convince him to hang around for a year or two more.

Skip logs most starts in center

How this one might come to pass is actually pretty easy to envision. Carlos Beltran’s body, specifically his aged knees, overrules his head. As a result, the hopes of him playing centerfield on a semi-regular basis, at least against left-handed pitching, are scuttled.

While some will call for Allen Craig to play there, think about how Chris Carpenter and the other pitchers would feel about an outfield behind them that consists from left to right of Matt Holliday, Craig and a hobbled Beltran? Trying the Musial statue out there might be comparable.

The centerfield incumbent, Jon Jay, has shown the ability to handle the position defensively, but goes through long stretches where his offense is sub-par.

My thought is that when all is said and done, given the current roster, Schumaker ends up making the most starts of any Cardinal in center in 2012. We don’t yet know the managerial tendencies of Mike Matheny, so I readily admit that I would feel more strongly about this idea had Tony La Russa remained at the helm.

It would take much of the second half for this to play out, and require the club to remain in playoff contention to unfold. (Otherwise, we might see Adron Chambers receive more time.)

OK, so there they are. Seven ideas of potential 2012 stories that should generate some discussion, if nothing else. Vote for your most likely and least likely from this list and comment below.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of 2011 countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

We will start with the same top 10 stories that I used in my countdown. From them, you can set your own priority for stories 1 through 5 via a series of individual votes below.

Here are the 10 candidates in full form. Their labels will be shortened as bolded in the actual voting, in which you will be given the same 10 choices for each question. (Obviously, please vote for different answers to each question.) The title links are hot, in case you want to go back and read my articles as a refresher.

10. Freese’s fantastic finish
9. Berkman’s rebirth
8. The Rasmus trade or the title trade?
7. Mo’s man Matheny
6. NLCS win over Brewers
5. NLDS win over Phillies
4. Historic regular season comeback
3. La Russa retires
2. Pujols leaves
1. 11th World Championship

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of 2011 countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

Note to readers: I wrote this post prior to year-end, obviously long before Thursday evening’s news that Dave Duncan is taking an indefinite leave of absence as Cardinals pitching coach. Rather than update this article, I decided to leave it in its original form. After all, the Duncan news is clearly a 2012 story.

This announcement has the potential of impacting several top stories beyond just number five. Depending on how and in what manner the team decides to replace Duncan, a Derek Lilliquist move would affect the bullpen, story number four, and potentially Mike Matheny’s first year as well (honorable mention).

First, we looked at the top 20 stories affecting the St. Louis Cardinals this past year. Not surprisingly, the list was dominated by the late- and post-season success of the club, along with the departures of the team’s manager and best player. Quite a lot to consume!

Now it is time for me to make my annual predictions for the top story lines of this New Year, as well.

Right up front, I will set aside the easiest and most logical entry – the results of the 2012 team on the field. The nature of that story has yet to be determined, shaped by the items discussed here and many more plot lines not yet developed.

As I compiled my list and rankings, I considered the staying power of the story, how long it might remain in the headlines as well as its potential short- and long-term impact – on the 2012 Cardinals and the organization’s future.

Without further ado, here are my projected top five St. Louis Cardinals stories of 2012. As always, your comments are welcome below.

1. Wainwright’s comeback

As most everyone knows, last spring, the Cardinals’ co-ace required season-ending Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. Adam Wainwright is now working his way back and is said to be ahead of schedule – assumed by many to be poised to pick up right where he left off in 2010.

The bar is high as his most recent season included a career-best 20 wins and a second-place showing in the National League Cy Young Award voting. It remains to be seen how quickly the 30-year-old can live up to those lofty expectations, but it could be a major swing point for the 2012 Cardinals season.

The Cardinals have an interesting challenge with Wainwright’s contract situation. While his 2012 and 2013 options have been picked up, the time may be right to try to secure a new long-term deal – from a buy-low perspective. The price should only go up once Wainwright returns to his past dominance. Yet that is the very reason I question why the pitcher would consider negotiating a new contract now. He should be in the absolute prime of his career and can likely only expect more money later on.

2. Molina’s contract

Just as his friend and former teammate Albert Pujols held all the contract cards in his negotiations with the Cardinals, so does catcher Yadier Molina. The 29-year-old is entering the final year of his contract signed prior to the 2008 season and could decide to test free agency for the first time. As such, his situation is more pressing than Wainwright’s.

Coming off his best season offensively in 2011 and already considered the top defensive catcher in the game, Molina is positioned perfectly to score a big payday – if that is what the elite backstop desires.

Watching to see how closely Molina’s situation parallels Pujols’ and of course, what the end result will be, should be one of the most-talked about storylines of 2012.

3. Killer B’s reunion (sort of)

Put aside the fact that Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell are long gone from the game. The Cardinals have re-assembled the two remaining active members of the Houston Astros’ ‘Killer B’s’ from last decade.

Both Carlos Beltran, signed by the Cardinals to a two-year deal as a free agent in December, and Lance Berkman, back for a second year with St. Louis in 2012, are mid-30’s players with checkered health histories.

Likely to bat second and third in Mike Matheny’s lineup, the late-career productivity of the two should be a prime determiner of how far this season’s Cardinals will go.

Looking ahead 12 months, the player most affected by the second year of Beltran’s contract may be his old-new teammate Berkman. If Allen Craig continues to improve, Berkman may find himself pushed out of a job in 2013, as Matt Holliday carries a long-term contract. But, first things first.

4. Young bullpen

Even if veteran left-hander J.C. Romero makes the 2012 Cardinals’ opening day bullpen, the relief corps will be among the youngest, if not the youngest, in MLB. Barring any signings or trades between now and then, the other six members will all be under 30 years old. The pen should consist of some combination of Eduardo Sanchez (22), Lance Lynn (24), Marc Rzepczynski (25), Fernando Salas (26), Mitchell Boggs (27), Kyle McClellan (27) and Jason Motte (29).

Motte seems to have a hold on the closer’s job, but four of the others also picked up saves last season. The ability of this very young (and low-cost) bullpen to deliver consistent results may be a big story in this upcoming season.

5. Duncan’s future

Speaking of ensuring those relatively inexperienced pitchers contribute at the level expected, the man most responsible from a guidance perspective is the subject of my next top story prediction.

In my opinion, the key transitional figure between the La Russa and Matheny coaching administrations isn’t Jose Oquendo or Mark McGwire. It has to be pitching coach Dave Duncan. While the 66-year-old is under contract for 2012 and has a 2013 option, some combination of his wife’s poor health and the considerable changes occurring around him on the job could create unstable conditions regarding his future outlook.

Honorable mention: Matheny’s maiden voyage

In reality, the fortune of the new manager will most likely be intertwined with the on-field results of his club, a topic assumed to be among the top stories of the year by default.

Still, there is potential for newsworthiness in how Matheny personally deals with the inevitable ups and downs during his first year in a most pressure-filled job. Replacing a future Hall-of-Famer and leading the defending champion without baseball’s best player present formidable challenges to the new skipper.

Hopefully, his team will be the story, not him.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of 2011 countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

The original top five projections follow, along with where the stories actually ended up, including links to the before and after articles. I won’t be repeating my 2011 summaries here, so click on the links if you’d like to read those detailed stories.

My predictive powers were only so-so. While all five of my guesses from one year ago made the top 20, I sidestepped the possibility of Tony La Russa retiring, the eventual number three story.

As always, I also did not predict how the season would end up, which turned out to provide the subjects of four more of the eventual top six stores (along with La Russa’s departure). Albert Pujols’ contract situation was a no-brainer, then and now.

My original top five predictions:

1. Pujols’ pending payday

All it took was a World Championship to knock this story out of the final number one position. While this subject has been talked to death already, I thought it was at least somewhat interesting to note that this was my number one story prediction in each of the last two years. One thing is clear – a three-peat is definitely out.

2. Berkman’s stand

One year ago, I said we would either look back at the signing of Lance Berkman as “a bold move or a bad risk.” Clearly, I feared the latter, while it was the former that came to pass. Berkman was a leader both on and off the field in 2011. Perhaps his story ranking ninth is taking him for granted a bit.

One must hope the Cardinals have not pushed their luck by showing faith (via a one-year, $12 million contract) that their (and Berkman’s) good fortune will continue in 2012.

3. Third and last time for third base?

2011 was David Freese’s third shot at holding down the third base position. 12 months ago, it was his chronic ankle problems that were causing the greatest concern. It turned out that Freese once again did serve major disabled list time last season, though it was primarily due to a fluke hit-by-pitch broken hand.

All that was forgotten by the post-season, a time in which Freese put on a historic performance. It was legendary, not just in comparison to past Cardinals stars, but in the history of Major League Baseball. That is what caused Freese to make the top story list – not his injuries.

Needless to say, Freese has solidified his job and seems aligned to bat just behind Matt Holliday and Berkman in 2012.

4. Keeping Carpenter

Last year at this time, I expressed concern that Chris Carpenter’s career may be nearing its end. With the added pressure of losing his co-ace, Adam Wainwright, for the entire year, all he did was lead the league in innings pitched and win some of the biggest games of the regular- and post-season.

In between, there were rumors of an in-season trade that intensified as the Cardinals seemed to slip out of playoff contention. Those whispers never became anything more.

Before last season, I also worried that the Cardinals would not pick up Carpenter’s pricey option for 2012, but noted the two sides could agree to a lower-cost extension. I did get that part right.

In hindsight, I may have done Carpenter an injustice by placing his 2011 down at story number 19. He should never be taken for granted.

5. Who follows Franklin?

The former closer was heading into the final year of his contract and hinting about retirement afterward, so a change was clearly in the air. Of course, none of us expected Ryan Franklin’s demise would begin on opening day and be completely over less than 90 days later.

Four different relievers followed as closer, with Jason Motte, the most likely choice coming in, seizing the job over the final month of the regular season and through the playoffs.

Next up: In my final article of this series, I will outline my predictions for the top five Cardinals stories of 2012.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

The actual margin of difference between the two clubs proved to be razor-thin. When all seven games had been played, it was the Cardinals who finished on top, winning their 11^th World Championship in team history and their second in six years.

There were many heroes.

In the sixth inning of Game 1, pinch-hitter Allen Craig broke a 2-2 tie with a two-out, run-scoring single that made Chris Carpenter a winner. Carp allowed two runs over six innings and Jason Motte picked up the save.

St. Louis yielded the home field advantage upon losing Game 2 when the Rangers scored two in the ninth to erase a 1-0 Cardinals lead. The runs were charged against Motte with the key play an Ian Kinsler stolen base. Jaime Garcia threw seven shutout innings in what became a no-decision.

Moving to Texas for Game 3, Kyle Lohse was pulled after three-plus innings, but Albert Pujols had a game for the ages in the 16-7 St. Louis win. The first baseman had five hits, including three home runs, hits in four consecutive innings, 14 total bases and six RBI, all of which set or tied World Series records.

Though he walked seven, starter Edwin Jackson held on for 6 1/3 innings in Game 4, allowing just one run. However, he departed with two on base. Both scored as Mike Napoli launched Mitchell Boggs’ first pitch deep into left field for a 4-0 lead that the Rangers held.

In the pivotal Game 5, the Cardinals stranded baserunner after baserunner, 12 in total, and ultimately fell by a 4-2 score when Marc Rzepczynski allowed a two-run double by Napoli in the eighth inning. Several key mix-ups on Craig-Pujols hit and runs and wrong pitchers warming up due to bizarre phone miscommunications between La Russa and the bullpen contributed to the painful and strange defeat.

It seemed the Series was on the verge of being lost and set up to be the subject of second-guessing forever, but once again, the 2011 Cardinals were not done.

Returning home for the must-win Game 6, the Cardinals showed amazing resiliency despite uneven play. The defense committed three early errors with the result being two unearned runs for Texas. Still, despite having just three hits through seven innings, the Cardinals had pulled even three times before giving up the lead run in the top of the next inning each time. Back-to-back home runs off Lance Lynn in the seventh moved Texas ahead once again.

With the Cards down to their final strike in the ninth, David Freese’s two-run triple sent the game into extra innings. The elation did not last long as Josh Hamilton’s two-run home run off Motte in the 10th powered the Rangers to a 9-7 lead.

When things looked bleakest, the Cards found a way once again, however. RBI from Ryan Theriot and Lance Berkman knotted the score, moving the game into the 11th. Berkman’s hit again occurred with two strikes and two out. It was the first time in World Series history that a team came back twice from a two-or-more run deficit in the ninth inning and later.

Freese’s home run to dead center in the bottom of the 11th ended one of the most exciting World Series games ever. The final score was 10-9.

One of the most pivotal aspects of the 2011 World Series did not occur on the field. A one-day rain delay prior to Game 6 proved a crucial break for the Cardinals as it enabled them to bring Carpenter back for Game 7 on three days rest.

The ace allowed two first-inning runs before tossing five scoreless frames. Freese tied the game in the bottom of the first before Craig’s third-inning solo home run gave the Cards the lead to stay. St. Louis won the World Series title by taking Game 7 by a 6-2 score.

Freese was named Series Most Valuable Player after batting .348 (8-for-23) with three doubles, a triple, home run, seven RBI and four runs scored. Yadier Molina set a Cardinals World Series record with nine RBI. Though he had only one hit outside of Game 3 and batted .240 in the Series, Pujols had six RBI and joined Craig with three home runs. Berkman batted .423 in the Series, drove in five and scored a team-high nine times.

Carpenter made three World Series starts, pitching 19 innings. He won two games, including Game 7, and logged a 2.84 ERA. Garcia did not pick up a win, but allowed just two runs in 10 innings for a 1.80 ERA. The Cardinals pitchers held the Rangers to a collective .243 batting average.

Taking everything into account, including the team being 10 ½ games out in late August, then marching through all three rounds of the playoffs, this most unexpected championship is the top Cardinals story of 2011, hands down.

Link to World Series boxscores

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

Yet in terms of long-term ramifications to both the player and his former club, the 31-year-old’s decision to sign a 20-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will be felt long after the 2011 Cardinals become ex-champions.

Announced on December 8, the new deal is for the next 10 years followed by a personal services contract for the next decade and could yield the first baseman $260 million. This fall, Pujols had become a free agent for the first time after 11 record-breaking years with the Cardinals.

Up until almost the end, many baseball observers and therefore, many fans, felt that Pujols and the Cardinals would eventually come to a satisfactory agreement.

In the spring, Pujols had reportedly turned down an offer from St. Louis that was worth $198 million over nine years, instead preferring to test the open market. The club later also made a $26 million per year offer over five years that apparently insulted the native of the Dominican Republic, despite its annual amount being second-highest in baseball history. The club also extended its nine-year offer to a tenth year. That $210 million proposal reportedly included $30 million deferred without interest, however, falling far short of the Anaheim offer in cash.

While shocked the day finally come, many Cardinals observers were still prepared for the reality that St. Louis was not willing to top all offers. A majority of fans may have accepted both sides’ positions had Pujols and his wife not damaged their credibility by asserting their decision was not about the money. 82 percent of fans voting at this site attributed Pujols to be the primary reason for the split.

As compensation for the loss of Pujols, the Cardinals will receive a draft pick from the Angels, their frst-rounder, 19th overall, as well as a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. Of course, that is small consolation for losing arguably the best player in the game.

On the other side of the coin, had Pujols remained, there were worries that without a significant payroll increase over time, the Cardinals may have had trouble fielding a competitive team. Near-term concerns include re-signing Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright.

Rather than try to summarize Pujols’ many contributions here, I will simply assert that Pujols’ first ten years as a major leaguer may be the most dominant single decade registered by any player in the history of Major League Baseball. Sadly, Pujols will not be around to challenge Stan Musial as the greatest Cardinals player ever.

Where the next ten years will lead Pujols and the Cardinals remain to be seen, but one thing is clear. Their respective futures are no longer linked.

Footnote: Because I had finalized this top 20 before the signing of Carlos Beltran, that story is not included in the countdown. Since the move was in direct response to Pujols’ departure, it seems appropriate to acknowledge it here.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

In a press conference at Busch Stadium the morning after the World Series victory parade, the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals publicly announced his decision to retire after 16 years leading the club from its dugout.

The 67-year-old disclosed that he first told ownership and senior management that he was considering retirement in late August. La Russa had a difficult season physically, leaving the team for a period in May as he dealt with a painful outbreak of shingles.

La Russa executed one of his finest managerial performances in 2011, guiding the Redbirds from 10 ½ games back in the Wild Card race in late August. He dealt with a long series of player injuries and had to mix in a variety of new personnel during the season. The Cards reached the postseason for the ninth time during his tenure with the team and the second time in the past five seasons since the 2006 World Championship.

Overall, La Russa managed St. Louis to a franchise record 1,408 wins. He led the Cardinals to eight division titles (1996, 2000-02, 2004-06 and 2009), three National League pennants (2004, 2006 and 2011) and two World Championships (2006 and 2011).

To say La Russa was a fixture across the professional sports scene is an understatement. His 16 years of continuous service was tops among active managers/head coaches in the four major professional sports leagues. He seems a shoo-in for election to Baseball’s Hall of Fame when eligible in five years.

Under La Russa, the Cardinals finished above .500 in 13 of his 16 seasons. They recorded 105 wins in 2004 and 100 wins in 2005, making him just the second Cardinals manager to oversee two 100-win seasons. This year, La Russa became only the second manager to win two World Championships with the team, joining Billy Southworth (1942 and 1944).

In total, La Russa managed at the major league level for 33 years. He started with the Chicago White Sox in 1979, then moved to the Oakland A’s in 1986, with whom he won his first world title before joining St. Louis prior to the 1996 season. La Russa and Sparky Anderson are the only managers in history to have led both National and American League teams to World Series titles.

When La Russa retired, he ranked third on the MLB all-time games-managed list with 2,728. Many thought he would remain one more season to pass John McGraw, in second-place at 2,763, but that was not to be.

Going forward, La Russa has stated his intention to take a baseball-related job, but not managing. That way, he can remain in the game in which he has participated for the last half-century.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

There seemed plenty of reasons to feel that way. The club had lost both road and home series to the surging Milwaukee Brewers and dropped consecutive series to three clubs with losing records at the time, Pittsburgh, the Cubs and the Dodgers. It got so bad that Skip Schumaker made his professional pitching debut during one blowout loss to Los Angeles.

As the month neared its end, Milwaukee pulled ahead into a commanding lead of 10.5 games in the National League Central Division. That same week, the Cardinals were third in the wild card race behind Atlanta and San Francisco, 10.5 games behind the Braves. According to coolstandings.com, the Cardinals’ odds of making the post-season either way had dropped to a low of 1.1 percent.

Addressing a group of 200 boosters in St. Louis, general manager John Mozeliak offered what appeared to be a concession speech.

“As a whole, we were about as down as you could be,” Mozeliak recalled to the Washington Post. “I get up to speak, and it was sort of like a conciliatory speech: ‘Sorry, guys, about the season.’ It was like apologetic. It was more like, ‘A lot of things that we tried to plan for didn’t go right.’… I [was] trying to have that hint of optimism, but I was thinking about 2012.”

Mozeliak complimented the Brewers while acknowledging the problems were in his own backyard: “I compliment them and what they’ve done, but the reality is that we just didn’t play good baseball here,” he said.

The players weren’t there yet. At the same event, the Knights of the Cauliflower Ear dinner, Adam Wainwright told the audience, “We’re still in this.” It turned out he was right.

Characterizing the tenor of a team meeting held before their next game, Chris Carpenter seemed somewhere in between. “It was about playing hard and playing like we are capable of, not embarrassing ourselves, and also not giving up.”

When things looked bleakest, the Cardinals played their very best baseball of 2011. The club went 18-8 to close out the regular season, including wins in their final seven series.

Though Milwaukee’s division lead was never in serious jeopardy, Atlanta dropped 20 of their last 30 games, opening up the Wild Card as a legitimate opportunity. The last of those Braves defeats came on the final day of the regular season. Carpenter two-hit the Astros as the Cardinals won game 162. That meant the Cardinals took the fourth and last NL playoff berth by one game.

The Cardinals completed their regular season with a 90-72 mark, finishing second in the NL Central, six games behind Milwaukee. Their comeback was consistent but without a long winning streak. In fact, the team’s longest winning stretch all season long was just five games, logged from September 6-11.

The lineup’s big bats helped power the surge. Lance Berkman ranked fourth in the NL in batting during the month (.374), while Albert Pujols was ninth (.355). Pujols tied for fourth with 20 RBI and he and Allen Craig tied for fifth in the league with five September home runs each.

St. Louis’ comeback was truly historic. In just three prior times in history did a team overcome a Wild Card deficit of ten or more games to reach the post-season as did this club. The others were the 2003 Marlins and 2005 Astros (11.5 games each) and the 2001 A’s (10 games).

The 2011 Cardinals stand alone as the only one of those Wild Card comeback clubs to go on to win the World Series.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

The series offered plenty of intrigue and concern for the Cardinals as their opponent had several advantages – on paper at least. The two clubs split their regular-season series at nine wins each, with both clubs holding a slight 5-4 edge at home. Milwaukee held the home field advantage. It seemed a major benefit as the Brewers had gone 57-24 (.704) at Miller Park during the regular season, the best home record in the Major Leagues in 2011.

Milwaukee was a perfect 15-0 in Game 1 and 5 pitcher Zack Greinke’s home starts. Their powerful lineup featured the man who would be named the league’s Most Valuable Player in Ryan Braun. Further, the Brewers would not see Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter until NLCS Game 3 because of his NL Division Series Game 5 start.

As it turned out, the Brewers did not leverage their home field advantage. They fell in six games, including losing two of three in Milwaukee, despite having to face Carpenter just once.

Games 1 and 2 were held at Miller Park. Jamie Garcia allowed five runs in the fifth which became too much to overcome as the Brewers won the opener, 9-6. Albert Pujols took over in Game 2 with three doubles, a home run and five RBI as St. Louis seized a decisive 12-3 victory. It was one of Pujols’ two signature games in the post-season. The five doubles are second-most in team post-season history and LCS history as were his three runs scored.

Returning home to St. Louis, the Cardinals’ bullpen was the star in Game 3, as Fernando Salas, Lance Lynn, Marc Rzepczynski and Jason Motte handled the final 12 outs flawlessly in a 4-3 Cardinals win. Veteran lefty Randy Wolf won Game 4 for Milwaukee as he worked seven innings, allowing only solo home runs to Matt Holliday and Allen Craig. St. Louis took pivotal Game 5 by a 7-1 score as the Brewers’ defense committed four of their 10 CS errors. Holliday and Yadier Molina had three hits each.

What became the final contest, Game 6, was held back in Milwaukee. David Freese launched a three-run home run in the first and the bullpen allowed just two runs over the final seven innings as the Cardinals breezed to the 12-6 clincher. It was the organization’s 18th NL pennant in team history.

The Cardinals scored first in each of the six games. Series Most Valuable Player Freese hit safely in all six games, batting .545, including three doubles, three home runs, nine RBI and six runs scored. Holliday hit .435 (10-for-23) with two doubles, one home run, five RBI and six runs scored.

With the team’s longest starting appearance just five innings in duration, the Cardinals bullpen carried a heavy load. They responded superbly, with a 1.88 ERA (six runs in 28 1/3 innings) while holding Brewers hitters to a collective .155 batting average.

In fact, the Cardinals set a new NLCS record with 28 pitching changes in the series. Not surprisingly, the Cardinals also held the old record of 26 in 1996 (a seven-game series versus Atlanta).

The Brewers may have played their last game with their star first baseman Prince Fielder, as on the Cardinals’ side, it turned out that Pujols had just seven games remaining in his St. Louis career. They turned out to be most important.

Link to NLCS boxscores

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

That officially changed on October 31, following the club’s World Series celebration parade. Tony La Russa, the 16-year skipper of the Cardinals, stunned supporters of the team and the baseball world as a whole when he announced his retirement.

Mozeliak was not afforded a moment’s rest to smell the roses. Once the news was released externally, the decision, known by club executives since August, led to a two-week public search for the right man to try to fill La Russa’s shoes.

Many were likely considered for the managerial opening, though only six apparently received formal interviews. They were eventual winner Mike Matheny, third base coach Jose Oquendo, Triple-A Memphis manager Chris Maloney, Phillies Triple-A manager Ryne Sandberg, White Sox third base coach Joe McEwing and former Boston and Philadelphia manager Terry Francona. Of the six, only Francona had managed in the majors previously.

Matheny, 41, was a surprising choice to many. He had been a special assistant to  Mozeliak and an organizational catching instructor, but had no prior professional managerial experience.

Then again, was it really that surprising? After years of dealing with the strong-willed La Russa, who could cause headaches at times with his fiery demeanor, perhaps the Cardinals were looking for a different kind of personality.

Matheny had seemed like a longshot from a personal perspective as well as from the lack of experience angle. He previously expressed disinterest in taking a traditional coaching assignment that would keep him away from home and family. However, with his oldest children approaching college and perhaps with some personal financial setbacks contributing to his decision-making process, Matheny agreed to take the on-field reins of the Cardinals.

A 13-year major league veteran and four-time Gold Glove Award winner, Matheny was a strong leader and a very popular player with St. Louis from 2000-04. With Yadier Molina then ready to take over behind the plate, Matheny moved to San Francisco as a free agent. He was forced into early retirement in 2006 due to the effects of post-concussion syndrome.

To manage the Cardinals, Matheny received a two-year contract with a club option for 2014. A number of familiar faces will be among his coaches. Incumbent pitching guru Dave Duncan will remain for the final year of his own two-year contract.

Two of the men that competed against Matheny for the top job were announced as members of his staff. Oquendo will stay as third base coach while Maloney is the new first base coach. The latter replaces long-time La Russa staffer Dave McKay, since named to the same job for the Chicago Cubs.

Hitting coach Mark McGwire remains in his same role in 2012. Assistant hitting coach Mike Aldrete was promoted to bench coach, Joe Pettini’s former assignment. Former Cardinals first baseman John Mabry takes Aldrete’s old job.

Bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist returns for his second season in the role. He will be joined by a new bullpen catcher in Jamie Pogue. Previous bullpen catcher Jeff Murphy was not retained.

For so many reasons, the choice of Matheny and his staff has signaled the beginning of a new era in Cardinals baseball. Where it will lead remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure. The epicenter of organizational power has shifted from La Russa to Mozeliak, the man who engineered these changes. As such, Matheny’s job performance may become a major element of his boss’ career legacy as well.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

As 2011 unfolded, Rasmus’ highs seemed higher but his lows also appeared to be lower and more prolonged. For example, in the early going, the then-24-year-old endured a 116 at-bat streak without a long ball. The left-handed hitter batted .253 in May, fell to .213 in June and was .147 (5-for-34) in July when La Russa unloaded on the 10th.

The frustrated manager made it clear in an interview on KMOX Radio that his hitting coaches should not be held responsible for Rasmus’ troubles at the plate, suggesting the player’s outside assistance should be accountable. One of the final shots had been fired in a stormy relationship that began with Rasmus being taken 28^th overall in the 2005 draft.

Rasmus’ inconsistency also led to highs. He often flashed evidence of his talent, almost up until the end of his time with St. Louis. For example, Rasmus drove in six runs with a grand slam and a triple against the Giants on July 2. It tied for the third-best RBI game in the entire National League in 2011.

Over the previous three weeks, the centerfielder had a five-walk contest and another outing in which he had four hits, including a pair of triples. Yet in a perfect illustration of the overall slide, during the same time, Rasmus went hitless in 12 of 16 games as his batting average dropped more than 30 points.

He also seemed to have problems defensively, appearing tentative when running down or judging balls that were near the wall. His throwing was inconsistent at best, leading to calls from some for more playing time for Jon Jay.

On July 27, the Cardinals made a bold move, sending Rasmus to Toronto in an eight-player trade in which St. Louis was widely criticized by baseball observers. Many felt the Blue Jays scored a major coup, landing a blue-chip talent for spare parts.

The deal brought the Cardinals three pitchers, starter Edwin Jackson and relievers Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski, plus outfielder Corey Patterson along with cash. Along with Rasmus, relievers Brian Tallet and Trever Miller plus pitcher P.J. Walters headed north.

Most of those ‘parts’ seemed to be just what the Cardinals engine needed. The move helped shore up the Cardinals’ rotation and bullpen with the additional benefit of moving out a player who could apparently not coexist with La Russa. Some might argue as to which were the primary and secondary motivations of the trade.

The deal certainly proved to be a good move for St. Louis in the short term, as all three acquired pitchers contributed to St. Louis’ final-month playoff push and eventual World Championship.

Jackson moved into the rotation and pitched well in place of struggling Kyle McClellan, who had gone winless for more than two months. Rzepczynski took over as the primary bullpen lefty, a role he is expected to reprise in 2012. Dotel became a valuable set up man. Though Patterson was a bust, rookie Adron Chambers proved ready to step into the void.

Rasmus did not immediately improve his hitting after the trade. None of the three pitchers received by the Jays were still employed by their new organization by the end of the year, leaving the outfielder as Toronto’s remaining take from the deal.

On the other side, of the four then-new Cardinals, only Rzepczynski is still with St. Louis, the others becoming free agents. La Russa retired after the World Series. There are future considerations from the trade, as well. The Cards will receive a compensatory draft pick once Jackson signs elsewhere for 2012. They also picked up a draft choice for the loss of Dotel, who will pitch for Detroit next season.

Most importantly, flags fly forever. Many believe this trade was a key turning point in the eventual World Champions’ march to the top.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

Never considered svelte, the added pounds in recent years and his droopy-eyed look led some to tag him with the moniker, “Fat Elvis.” Berkman attempted to head that off by christening himself “Big Puma.” I find it a little sad when anyone has to coin their own nickname, but so it was in Houston.

Slowed by injury and heading toward free agency, Berkman was dealt to the New York Yankees at the July 2010 guideline. The five-time National League All-Star departed Texas after 12 ½ years as an Astro. The move to the American League did not revitalize Berkman, and he was not asked back to New York. Further, the Houston native almost begged his hometown team to re-sign him for 2011 and was turned down.

The St. Louis Cardinals, in need of a right fielder, made a surprise signing of Berkman to a one-year contract for $8 million last December. It seemed a big risk. In addition to his recent struggles, he was a 34-year-old with a history of knee injuries that kept him away from regular outfield duty since 2004.

Seeing Berkman up close and in person for the first time at Winter Warm-Up last January, I was very impressed with him in several dimensions. First, he had lost considerable weight and looked to be in very good shape. Second, he had an air about him that I had not seen since the days of Larry Walker – a veteran familiar with success elsewhere who is comfortable both with himself and the media.

In the midst of a rare sub-.500 spring by the Cardinals at 14-16, Berkman batted just .182 and drove in only three runs. The switch-hitter’s bat looked slow and I was among those questioning the wisdom of the signing. It was yet another reminder to neither get too high nor too low over spring training results.

When the bell rang for the regular season, Berkman was ready. In fact, he got out of the gate so quickly that he earned the NL Player of the Week award twice in the season’s first four weeks. Berkman maintained that momentum through the first half, being voted into the All-Star Game as a starting outfielder. It was his sixth All-Star Game and third start.

In August, as the Cardinals apparently slid out of contention, the club considered trading Berkman away, just as the Astros had done the year before. A waiver deal to the Texas Rangers was rumored, but the right-fielder made it clear he would not consider returning to St. Louis in 2012 as a free agent if that occurred.

Berkman not only stayed, he excelled. During the team’s final-month comeback, he ranked fourth in the NL in batting (.374). On September 22, the club re-signed him for the 2012 season at $12 million. It seemed a wise move at the time and assumed an even greater importance when Albert Pujols departed as a free agent. Berkman is poised to take over Pujols’ old post at first base in 2012, increasing his likelihood of remaining healthier than if he had to play another season in right field.

In 2011, Berkman enjoyed his first 30-home run campaign since 2007 after hitting just 14 long balls in 2010. 145 games played was his highest total since 2008. Berkman ranked among National League leaders in home runs (31, tied for ninth), RBI (94, tied for 11th), walks (92, fourth), slugging (.547, fifth) and on-base percentage (.412, third). His 4.2 WAR was just 0.2 behind team leader Pujols.

In the post-season, Berkman had one of the biggest hits of all. Down to his and his team’s final strike of the World Series in the 10^th inning of Game 6, his single to centerfield scoring Jon Jay set the stage for David Freese’s walkoff home run an inning later. Overall, Berkman batted .423 in the Series, drove in five and scored a team-high nine times as he finally earned his first championship ring.

Berkman was named both the 2011 National League Comeback Player of the Year as well as the winner of the Darryl Kile Award. The latter was voted upon by his teammates for being “a good teammate, a great friend, a fine father and a humble man,” speaking volumes about the broad contribution of the first-year Cardinal to a most special season.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

Ankle problems that were feared to be chronic shorted Freese’s 2009 and ruined his 2010 campaign. His primary injury this past season was a May 1 hit-by-pitch broken hand that could have happened to anyone. Still, despite the reason, Freese played in barely half his team’s games over the last two seasons – just 97 regular-season games this season after 70 the year before.

As the 2011 Cardinals unexpectedly entered the playoffs, Freese became a big contributor, arguably their very biggest.

The best-of-five National League Division Series began with the Cardinals down one game to two to the team with the best regular-season record in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies. St. Louis held off elimination in Game 4 as Freese plated four in St. Louis’ 5-3 victory. The Cards then won Game 5 to advance.

Moving into the League Championship Series against the NL Central champion Brewers, Freese heated up against his familiar opponent. Freese hit safely in all six CS games, batting .545, including three doubles, three home runs, nine RBI and six runs scored.

In what became the final CS contest, Game 6, held in Milwaukee, Freese set the pace. He launched a three-run home run in the first inning and the Cardinals breezed to the 12-6 clincher. After the game, Freese was named LCS Most Valuable Player.

Game 6 was once again Freese’s pivotal contest, this time in the World Series. With the Cards down to their final strike in the ninth against Texas, Freese’s two-run triple sent the game into extra innings. After a pair of lead changes, he came through again. In the bottom of the 11^th, Freese’s home run to dead center ended one of the most exciting World Series games ever by a 10-9 score.

Following the Cardinals’ Game 7 victory over the Rangers, Freese was voted MVP for the second consecutive series. It was certainly justified as he batted .348 (8-for-23) with three doubles, a triple, home run, seven RBI and four runs scored.

Putting it all together, over the entire post-season, Freese was 9-for-19 (.474) with runners in scoring position, including seven extra-base hits. He set all-time MLB post-season marks in RBI with 21, extra-base hits with 14 and total bases with 50 and tied for the most post-season doubles ever with eight and hits with 25.

It was clearly a post-season to remember for the St. Louis native. He was then given the rock star treatment, making television appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Country Music Association Awards, a spot on a network sitcom and more.

Now that Freese’s relatively lower profile has been shattered, the pressure will be on for him to deliver more of the same kind of results in 2012. A regular turn in the fifth spot of new manager Mike Matheny’s lineup would mean an expectation of regular run production from the 2011 playoff hero.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

Outfielder Allen Craig and infielder Daniel Descalso had made their major league debuts with the 2010 Cardinals, though neither had enough at-bats or time in the bigs to exhaust their rookie designation. On the other hand, outfielder Jon Jay had appeared in 105 games the season prior, but seemed destined to join Craig in a reserve role for the 2011 club. Descalso was projected by some to be ticketed for a return to Memphis.

As fate would have it, all three not only remained on the major league roster the entire 2011 season, they cemented their futures as big leaguers in the process and earned championship rings.

Craig, 27, had been up and down several times in 2010 after making the opening day roster. In spring training 2011, he batted .359 with 11 RBI and a share of the team lead with three home runs, making his St. Louis return an easy decision.

As Matt Holliday dealt with a series of minor maladies during the season, Craig received time in the outfield. He appeared in a couple of games at both infield corner spots and even was given an intriguing eight-game trial at second base.

His good fortune came to an end when he suffered a fractured right kneecap upon making a sliding catch in foul territory in Houston in early June. Craig missed over two months until his August 10 return to action.

When available to play, Craig offered a tantalizing power bat that could also hit for average. He knocked in 40 runs and homered 11 times in just 219 plate appearances. His slash line was .315/.362/.555. Projecting that return over a full season would cause excitement in anyone.

In the post-season, the right-handed batter launched four more home runs, including three in the World Series, and plated eight. Craig’s playoff OPS was a robust 1.013.

The knee problem from June lingered, however, and Craig needed a procedure to put stabilizing screws in his right kneecap shortly before Thanksgiving. He may miss as much of the first month of the 2012 season as a result of the recovery process.

The 2012 Cardinals had already needed additional outfield depth with the move of Lance Berkman to first base to replace Albert Pujols, but the uncertainty of Craig’s situation may have increased their urgency. Depending on the health of others on any given day during the coming season, Craig may start or be a super sub.

Descalso also performed well in spring training, batting .308. The 24-year-old had made his MLB debut the previous September. Descalso made a credible showing, which was a bit surprising since he was thrown in at third base, a position for which the natural second baseman had not been prepared.

Due to injuries to David Freese and projected top infield substitute Nick Punto, Descalso was pressed into semi-regular duty this season. The left-handed hitter ended up making 81 starts across third base (61), shortstop (11) and second base (nine) and appearing in 148 games in total.

His infield defense was considered steady and his bat was perhaps better than expected. Descalso’s line was .264/.334/.353 in 375 plate appearances. In the post-season, he was ready when called upon, going 3-for-9 (.333) and crossing home plate all three times.

Descalso is expected to report to 2012 camp with a chance to earn the starting second base job. He could be a platoon starter there or serve as the club’s top infield reserve, the role for which Punto was intended last year.

If I had asked who played in the most regular-season contests for the 2011 Cardinals, how many of you would have guessed Jay, at 159 of the 162 possible games?

Despite hitting just .221 in Florida, Jay tied Pujols for the club’s spring lead with 14 RBI and also made his first opening day roster in 2011. As the ups – and especially downs – of Colby Rasmus’ play became more extreme, Jay began to see more and more time.

On the day Rasmus was dealt to Toronto, July 27, Jay was batting .311 with an OPS of .801. His defense in center was steady, easing some of the concern of trading Rasmus. Yet Jay’s offense dipped over the final two months. From July 28 through the end of the season, his line was .277/.320/.403/.724.

In the post-season, Jay struggled mightily. Over 63 plate appearances, his line was .182/.262/.218/.480. With typically better numbers against right-handed batters, Jay is a potential platoon candidate going forward but if so, he would be on the busy side of the platoon.

As noted in the previous countdown article on young relievers, these then-unproven position players were key contributors to the Cardinals’ special 2011 season and should be around a long time into the future as well.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

It isn’t as if they hadn’t pitched well in spring training, because they did. Augenstein had an ERA of 0.77 while Batista was at 1.59. It is just that we have seen many times before when a period of short-lived success passes and what remains is not nearly as interesting. Not surprisingly, such was the case for these two.

Augenstein was injured in mid-April and after a long rehab, remained in Memphis for the rest of the 2011 season. He was removed from the 40-man roster in July and released in November.

Batista lasted longer, but was given his release on June 23. He then signed with the Mets and pitched in both the majors and minors over the remainder of the summer.

At least three inexperienced pitchers (in MLB terms) took advantage of the opportunities given them, contributing to the Cardinals’ recovery that culminated in a playoff berth and two cases, the World Championship as well.

They were each ranked among our top 14 Cardinals prospects one year ago, so their emergence should not be considered a surprise. They are Lance Lynn (number three prospect), Eduardo Sanchez (number four) and Fernando Salas (number 14). Each should be in the middle of the mix for a pen spot in 2012.

The pitcher taking Batista’s spot on the Cardinals’ 25-man roster in June was Lynn. The 24-year-old right-hander, a successful starter in the minors, quickly established himself as a reliable reliever before suffering a left oblique injury on August 10.

That injury kept him out until his surprise return in the NLCS. Lynn pitched in five games in both the CS and World Series, tying him for the team lead. He yielded four earned runs in 11 innings for a 3.27 ERA.

When Augenstein went down, Salas received another chance with St. Louis. After having been sent down six times in 2010, this time he stuck. The right-hander from Mexico spent several months as the closer, logging 24 saves in 30 opportunities. Appearing in 68 games overall, he fanned one batter per inning (75 in 75) and walked just 21. His ERA was 2.28.

In the post-season, Salas was called upon a total of 11 times. He gave up five earned runs in 13 1/3 innings for a 3.38 ERA. Salas fanned 12 and walked four.

Sanchez, a 22-year-old Venezuelan, made his MLB debut in April, after coming up from Memphis at the same time as Salas. Like Lynn, the hard-thrower seemed ready, but needed the opportunity to show his stuff in the majors.

Sanchez threw 30 innings over 26 games for St. Louis. He struck out 35 and walked 16. The right-hander won three games, lost one, and was 5-for-7 in save opportunities. His ERA was 1.80.

Unfortunately, Sanchez’ season was scuttled when he was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 13 with what was called at the time a “mild right shoulder strain.” His original late July estimated return ended up extending well into September. Sanchez made just one token late-September appearance. The injury likely cost him a shot at post-season action.

The emergence of these 2011 rookies will help the Cardinals go younger and cheaper in their bullpen going ahead. That frees up salary to potentially strengthen other positions as necessary. With other notables on the horizon such as Adam Reifer, Maikel Cleto, Brandon Dickson, Chuckie Fick and Adam Ottavino, some of the team’s right-handed relief surplus could also be used as trade chips.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

The right-hander finished second in the National League in wins (20), ERA (2.42) and complete games (five) that summer. He tied for second in shutouts, was third in innings pitched and fourth in strikeouts, while allowing the third-fewest walks per nine innings in the NL.

After Wainwright came close in 2009 with 19 victories, it became his first 20-win season. He was named a National League All-Star and improved from his 2009 third-place showing in the NL Cy Young Award voting to finish second.

Wainwright seemed to run out of gas late in the season, however. In six starts between August 18 and September 14, he went 1-5 with a 4.73 ERA, a stretch that may have cost him the Cy Young.

On September 27, it was disclosed that Wainwright had been dealing with right elbow stiffness in his prior two starts. Could it have been even longer? The next day, the problem was labeled as not being serious, and was attributed to Wainwright simply having slept awkwardly on his arm.

It did not end there, however. After an MRI and examination by team physician Dr. George Paletta, it was decided that Wainwright would skip his final start of the 2010 season due to what was then called a right forearm muscle strain. A slight tear remaining in the elbow ligament was also noted, a problem first identified in 2004. A rehab route was initially recommended and taken.

Though five months of off-season calendar time then elapsed, it was the briefest time possible on a baseball field. Not long after reporting to spring training camp, on February 21, Wainwright experienced elbow discomfort. One week later, he underwent season-ending Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery, formally known as ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction.

In hindsight, having the procedure late in 2010 would have been the ideal route. However, at least the surgery was required early the following spring. That allowed the club – and Kyle McClellan specifically – to prepare for the season knowing Wainwright was out. In July, Edwin Jackson was acquired and essentially filled Wainwright’s rotation spot the rest of the season.

Though surely numerically fitting, the fact this story could rank only number 13 is a tribute to the resiliency demonstrated by the other players on the Cardinals 2011 roster. After all, they went ahead and achieved the ultimate, a World Championship, anyway. (Wainwright still had his place in the victory parade, as the above photo documents.)

The time that passes until Wainwright returns to peak efficiency could be one of the most important Cardinals questions of 2012.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

For 2009-10, the Cardinals had that in shortstop Brendan Ryan, one of the game’s very best defenders. Yet the organization could not deal with Ryan’s personality and sent him packing last winter.

Shortstop Ryan Theriot had bounced from the Chicago Cubs to the Dodgers in 2010 and didn’t perform particularly well at either stop. Arbitration-eligible, he seemed destined to be non-tendered last fall. Instead, the Cardinals acquired him for reliever Blake Hawksworth and named Theriot their 2011 starting shortstop.

Theriot contributed some key hits for the Cardinals, but his defensive shortcomings became painfully obvious. Manager Tony La Russa initially refused to move Theriot to second base, perhaps because he felt he had no better options at short.

Solid-fielding veteran Nick Punto had been signed prior to last season and could have been a credible alternative to Theriot. The problem was that the former Minnesota Twin could not stay healthy, missing big chunks of the season during three disabled list stints.

On July 31, GM John Mozeliak made another deal with the Dodgers, this time shooting much higher in acquiring veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal.

The 34-year-old solidified the middle infield and served as the Cardinals’ new leadoff hitter. Furcal began slowly with the bat, with a .667 OPS in August before posting a strong .819 OPS in the final month of the season. He struggled in the post-season, with a paltry .569 OPS, but overall was considered a key ingredient in the World Series push.

An energetic performer and enthusiastic teammate, Furcal was re-signed by St. Louis for $14 million for the next two years in a deal announced ten days ago. With few obvious alternatives on the market, the Cardinals are considered by some to have overpaid.

Dogged by injuries in recent seasons, Furcal is no longer an offensive force. Once having stolen 46 bases in a season, his total dropped to nine in 2011. The switch-hitter’s on-base percentage of .316 as a Cardinal was 50 points lower than his .366 mark in Los Angeles the season prior. His career OBP is .348, with the overall annual trend downward.

The club’s main alternative at short is 28-year-old Tyler Greene, a strong performer in Triple-A. After three years of trials with the Cardinals, however, he has yet to prove he should remain in the bigs, let alone be given a starting job. Greene is out of option years, so would either need to stick in 2012 or his time in the organization may be over.

The two veteran middle infield reserves departed following the season. Theriot, again eligible for arbitration, was cut loose by the Cardinals earlier this month. Punto signed with Boston for 2012, doubling his Cardinals salary in the process. Essentially, their role on the team will be assumed by some combination of Furcal, Greene and Daniel Descalso.

For the five years following the Fernando Vina era, which ran from 2000-03, the Cardinals’ second base position was a revolving door of players on low-cost, short-term deals. Tony Womack, Mark Grudzelanek and Adam Kennedy each had their days, augmented by journeymen like Scott Spiezio and Aaron Miles to help hold down the fort.

That changed prior to the 2009 season when La Russa announced Skip Schumaker would become his team’s starting second baseman despite the outfielder’s lack of infield experience. After three years of maximum effort but below-average results defensively, the club seems ready to take another direction in 2012.

Descalso, a 25-year-old rookie in 2011, proved himself as a solid reserve at third base and second last season. If the left-handed hitter proves worthy in spring camp, he seems positioned to take over for Schumaker at second, his primary position as a minor leaguer.

In that scenario, Schumaker, also a left-handed batter, would probably spend more time as an outfield reserve. His roster spot was assured when the Cardinals rewarded him with a new, two-year contract announced earlier this month.

Though Allen Craig also saw action at second base in eight games last season, he would seemingly be considered more of an emergency option than a primary solution there.

Time still remains in the off-season for the Cardinals to acquire another second baseman either as a free agent or via trade, propelling Descalso into a utility infield role along with Greene. Still, given the club’s recent history of low-budget choices at second base, they may just as well decide to ride with what they have up the middle.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

The group of now-ex-Cardinals in the opening day bullpen included Ryan Franklin and Trever Miller, both 38, and Miguel Batista, 40, and Brian Tallet, 33.

As the incumbent closer, Franklin had the furthest to fall. He flamed out quickly, losing the ninth-inning job in April. By the end of June, he was released with an 8.46 ERA. Franklin did not re-sign elsewhere and announced his retirement after the season.

Batista often seemed to be playing with fire as he walked 19 in 29 1/3 innings before his release on June 22. He then signed on with the Mets and pitched for them both in the minors and majors before again becoming a free agent after the season.

Tallet was injured in mid-April and upon his return was undependable. He logged an 8.31 ERA in 18 games. Miller lost his ability to execute his primary assignment, consistently retiring first batters, as evidenced by 10 walks in 15 2/3 innings. Both lefties were sent to Toronto in trade in late July. Not surprisingly, each continued to struggle, and were quickly released by the Jays. Miller signed with Boston, but is now a free agent.

Among the in-season additions to the pen were four much younger pitchers who became solid contributors down the stretch for St. Louis: Eduardo Sanchez, 22, Lance Lynn, 24, Marc Rzepczynski, 25 and Fernando Salas, 26. Other than “Scrabble,” they all came up through the Cardinals farm system.

The smooth transition from ineffective veterans to young guns, occurring during a push toward the post-season, was a factor in the team’s ability to go on to take the World Championship.

In all fairness, the new formula was not all youth driven, as Octavio Dotel, 37, was a big addition for the second half. Dotel and Rzepczynski arrived in the same trade as Miller and Tallet departed. 41-year-old Arthur Rhodes signed on starting in August, but was less productive. Neither Dotel nor Rhodes will be back for 2012.

Looking ahead to next season, seven of the Cardinals relievers will be under the age of 30. The four younger men noted above will be joined in the competition by Kyle McClellan and Mitchell Boggs, both 27, and closer Jason Motte, 29. In pitching age, the former catcher Motte is the least experienced of the lot. All three are also homegrown Cardinals.

The club did make one move to add veteran presence to the pen when they signed left-hander J.C. Romero last week. The 35-year-old may be kept busy sharing his experiences with his new seven under-30 pen-mates.

Note: To view detailed stats of all the Cardinals’ 2011 relievers, click here to be taken to the article, “St. Louis Cardinals 2011 Reliever of the Year” at TheCardinalNation.com.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

Every time the team seemed to struggle behind one pitcher throwing regularly in the ninth inning, a new hurler stepped up to handle the job.

Of their 90 wins, the 2011 Cardinals accumulated a save in 47 of them, fifth-most in the National League. The history books will forever indicate that eight different hurlers recorded at least one save. Five of the relievers unofficially held the job at one point over the six-plus months.

In terms of raw numbers, Fernando Salas led the way with 24 saves, followed by Jason Motte with nine, Eduardo Sanchez with five and Mitchell Boggs with four. The other stray saves were picked up by non-closers Octavio Dotel (two), Trever Miller and Lance Lynn (one each).

Then there was Ryan Franklin, also with one save. I would hazard a guess that coming into the season, no one would have forecast the incumbent closer if healthy would end up with just a single save. Yet, that is precisely what happened.

The 38-year-old had entered 2011 with 82 saves accumulated over the previous three seasons and a firm hold on the closer’s spot. Before June was out, Franklin not only had lost the ninth-inning job, he was unemployed, his playing career over.

Franklin’s bookend in the role was Motte. After an impressive run of 29 consecutive outings without having allowed an earned run, Motte picked up his very first save of the season on August 29th. He held the role during the final month and through the post-season despite never having been named the closer by manager Tony La Russa.

In a clear departure from La Russa’s coyness, new skipper Mike Matheny stated the obvious when he recently identified Motte as the incumbent closer heading into 2012 camp.

In between, here is how a most eventful 2011 unfolded for the Cardinals’ ninth-inning corps.

The Cardinals stumbled on opening day in 11 innings versus San Diego as Franklin blew the save. He absorbed two defeats and blew three more saves through game 16 as the Cards lost their first three series. At that point, Franklin was removed as closer. His appearances dramatically dwindled over time until his June 29 release.

Boggs’ reign as closer passed in the blink of an eye. The right-hander logged three saves at home in late April but lost the job after a meltdown in Houston on April 26. In an odd move, Boggs was optioned to Memphis on May 23 to become a starter and work on his secondary pitches. After three weeks in exile, he returned to St. Louis’ bullpen, but never had another shot at closing, or starting, for that matter.

Sanchez, the youngest of the group at 22 years of age, next held the job briefly. His first save was on April 27, the very next night after Boggs’ Waterloo. Sanchez added four more saves over the next four weeks, but also took a loss and two blown saves.

Sanchez was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to June 13 with what was called at the time a “mild right shoulder strain.” His original late July estimated return ended up extending well into September. It cost him another shot at the closers job and kept him off the post-season roster.

Salas, St. Louis’ version of Rodney Dangerfield, was next in the barrel. After being sent down to Triple-A Memphis six times in 2010, Salas did not make the Cardinals out of spring training in 2011, either. He did all he could as his ERA in Florida spring games was 0.73.

After being recalled in mid-April, Salas saved his first game of the season on April 28. It also happened to be the third game of that fateful Houston series. Over the last 12 games of May, Salas was a perfect 6-for-6 and had a total of 10 saves heading into June.

By August 11, the native of Mexico had converted 22 of 25 save opportunities (88 percent) and had a record of 5-4. Then came two blown saves in his next two outings. Though he allowed just one run in each game, Salas was out. He was given just three more opportunities the rest of the season as Motte took control.

Despite Motte ending the year as the club’s closer after that very strong stretch as set-up man, Salas actually logged a higher save percentage (80%) than Motte (69.2%) over the course of the regular season.

Still, Motte was a big part of the Cardinals September resurgence as he saved nine of ten opportunities and added two holds, two wins and three no-decisions in his final 17 regular season appearances after taking over.

Overall, the pen had evolved to the point it was a strength in the post-season. Motte appeared 12 times. He went 5-for-5 in save opportunities, though he took one loss, in Game 2 of the World Series. His post-season ERA was 2.19.

Heading into 2012, it is clear the job that no one could seem to hold is now Motte’s to either solidify or lose.

Note: To view detailed stats of all the Cardinals’ 2011 relievers, click here to be taken to the article “St. Louis Cardinals 2011 Reliever of the Year” at TheCardinalNation.com.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

With the departure of Albert Pujols, catcher Yadier Molina has become the longest-tenured position player on the St. Louis Cardinals roster. Having joined the team in June 2004, he is second only to his battery-mate Chris Carpenter among all Cardinals. Ironically, after a half-season as an apprentice, Molina replaced his new manager, Mike Matheny, as St. Louis’ starting catcher to start the 2005 season.

Seven years later, Molina is widely recognized as the game’s top defensive catcher. However, he actually had a better 2011 with the bat.

The 29-year-old native of Puerto Rico posted a line of .305/.349/.465/.814, all career bests. He registered career-highs of 32 doubles, 14 home runs and 65 RBI during the regular season for the World Champions.

Molina was a key post-season contributor, as well. He set a new record for a Cardinals catcher with nine RBI in the World Series, including bases-loaded walks in consecutive games. It tied him with Gary Carter (1986) for the most RBI all-time by a National League player at his position in a single World Series.

The catcher continued to be recognized by those in and out of uniform. He was selected via the players vote to the All-Star Game as a reserve, his third-straight All-Star appearance. Following the season, he picked up his fourth consecutive NL Gold Glove Award. In 2011, Molina threw out just 25% of opposing base runners (15 of 60), though he picked off two more. His fielding percentage was .995 (five errors in 927 chances).

Molina remains extremely durable, appearing in 139 games last season, just one game off his career high. It might have been even higher had Molina not experienced an uncharacteristic lapse in sportsmanship in August. He missed five games due to suspension after inadvertently spitting on umpire Rob Drake during a heated argument over balls and strikes.

As was long expected, the Cardinals are exercising their $7 million option to retain Molina’s services for 2012. It is the final year of a deal signed before the 2008 season. At that time, the Cardinals and Molina avoided arbitration when they agreed to a four-year, $15.5 million contract plus the additional option year now being exercised. That covered his three arbitration-eligible years plus two potential free agent seasons.

What is coming next? Especially after the Pujols melodrama of 2011, Molina’s future with St. Louis will be one of the top discussion topics of the upcoming year. How far will the Cardinals stretch to keep one of their most popular players, a catcher moving into his 30’s? What is Molina’s mindset and how will that guide him? Stay tuned…

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

For much of the summer, corners of the baseball world were abuzz about the prospect of St. Louis Cardinals long-time rotation anchor Chris Carpenter being traded to a contender. The New York Yankees were one of the clubs most often mentioned as a possible destination.

Carpenter, 36, was in the final months of a contract signed prior to the 2007 season. He was already afforded full no-trade protection as a ten-and-five man, but that didn’t seem to matter. The Cardinals did not make public comments suggesting in any way that Carpenter was available, but the speculation continued.

The trade deadlines passed and Carpenter remained a Cardinal. Further, on September 12, in the midst of St. Louis’ dramatic comeback in the standings, he and the Cardinals announced a two-year extension for a total of $21 million. To read more about his background, what I said at the time and view the results of a reader poll on the deal, click here.

Of course, Carpenter’s season and that of his teammates culminated a month later with the World Championship. The Yankees lost in the first round, with pitching depth a primary culprit.

Though he struggled for wins in the first half, Carpenter heated up when the trade rumors were hottest and more importantly, when the Cardinals needed him the most. From June 23 until the conclusion of the regular season, he went 10-2 with a 2.73 ERA in 19 starts. The 10 wins were tied for fourth-most in the majors during that span and the 2.73 ERA was eighth-lowest in the National League.

Carpenter and the Cardinals came into the final day of the season with a chance to win the NL Wild Card. Setting a tone for the post-season ahead, that is what they did as Carp struck out a season-high 11 batters at Houston. His two-hit complete game shutout was his 10th as a Cardinal.

A player whose durability has been a career-long question, Carpenter was a rock in 2011. In fact, he made 34 or more starts for the second consecutive year, marking the first time in his 14-year career he has accomplished the feat. 30 of his 34 starts in 2011 were at least six innings in duration, including 21 of seven innings or longer.

Carpenter logged a team-best 21 quality starts while receiving the lowest run support among Cardinals starters – just 4.0 runs per nine innings (team average was 4.7). That and shaky relief were factors in his 11-9 record and the club’s 16-18 record in his starts.

For the first time in his career, Carp led the National League in innings pitched at 237 1/3 and he also tied for tops in the league with his 34 games started. Among National League pitchers, he finished tied for 11th in strikeouts (191), 17th in ERA (3.45), fourth in complete games (4), tied for second in shutouts, sixth in stolen base percentage (45.5%), 13th with 2.09 walks per nine innings pitched, 10th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.47) and tied for 10th in double plays induced (20).

Carpenter’s NLDS Game 5 performance should never be forgotten. He was given just one run of support so went out and tossed a three-hit complete game shutout – on the road against the regular season MLB wins leader, Philadelphia, and their ace Roy Halladay. The win powered the underdog Cardinals into the NLCS.

To finish off his fine season, Carpenter made three World Series starts, pitching 19 innings. He won two contests, including Game 7, and logged a 2.84 ERA.

With co-ace Adam Wainwright out all year, Carpenter “extended” himself more than expected with superb results, both for him personally and for his team. He is now assured of being back for at least two more chances to again finish on top.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

The Cardinals and left-handed pitcher Jaime Garcia came to terms on a four-year contract with two club options for 2016 and 2017. The deal is worth $27 million over its first four years and could grow to $49.5 million over six.

This deal follows a formula the club used earlier with Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina. Garcia’s salary is now set for his three arbitration eligible years and he remains under team control for as many as three of his potential free agent seasons as well. In return, the player receives earlier financial security.

Garcia, 25, had established considerable momentum coming into the negotiations. He was 9-3 with a 3.23 ERA during the first half of the season. That came on the heels of one of the best rookie campaigns in 2010 where he was 13–8 with a 2.70 ERA (fourth in the National League), ranking not only among top rookie pitchers, but also the top Major League pitchers in several categories.

Garcia’s career mark is 27–16, with a 3.27 ERA and 296 strikeouts in 374 innings. In 2010, his 2.70 ERA was the lowest by a Cardinals’ left-handed starter since John Tudor recorded a 2.40 ERA in 22 starts (25 games) during 1990.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

I will then wrap up the series with my prediction for the top five Cardinals stories of 2012 and audit how well I did in attempting to predict 2011’s biggest news items one year ago.

This placeholder post will carry the links to all 20 stories. A link to it as well as the top stories of 2008, 2009, 2010 and my start-of-year predictions for 2011 can be found via the Lists > Top Stories of the Year dropdown, located on the red bar near the top center of the page.

The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of 2011

20. Jaime Garcia’s contract extension
19. Chris Carpenter’s extension
18. Yadier Molina’s best season?
17. Closer changes
16. Out went the old in the pen
15. Changes up the middle
14. Luhnow hired by Houston
13. Wainwright’s lost season
12. Young relievers emerge
11. Young position players emerge
10. Freese’s fantastic finish
9. Berkman’s rebirth
8. The Rasmus trade or the title trade?
7. Mo’s man Matheny
6. NLCS win over Brewers
5. NLDS win over Phillies
4. Historic regular season comeback
3. La Russa retires
2. Pujols leaves
1. 11th World Championship

Other related articles:

Reviewing the predictions: TCN Blog’s top five Cardinals stories of 2011
Reader-voted top Cardinals stories of 2011
Projected top five St. Louis Cardinals stories of 2012
Off-the-wall Cardinals story ideas for 2012

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Follow TCN on Google+.

TheCardinalNation.com’s message board community has begun its free, sixth-annual selection process of the top prospects in the Cardinals minor league system as decided by you, the fans.

The process is easy and anyone can participate. Follow the discussion on a special thread on the message board. It began with a community vote starting with prospect number one. Simply make a post specifying your choice. After several days of voting, the player with the simple majority of votes cast will be proclaimed the winner. Voting for prospect number two followed immediately will continue through 50.

In addition to having been the first Cardinals prospect list of its kind, the community voting will again be included in the blended tabulation of the official The Cardinal Nation Top 40 Prospect List for 2012. Its annual rollout will begin shortly after Thanksgiving. The past six years’ lists can be viewed via links located in the special area at the lower left of The Cardinal Nation’s home page.

The Cardinal Nation Top 40 will not only be featured on the website, but it will also appear in the 2012 FOX Sports Fantasy / Scout.com Prospects Guide. This annual magazine will arrive on newsstands across the country next spring and is provided free to annual subscribers to The Cardinal Nation.

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.

First, we reviewed at the top 20 stories affecting the St. Louis Cardinals this past year.

Now it is time for my annual predictions for the top story lines of the coming year as well.

Right up front, I will set aside the easiest and most logical entry – the results of the 2011 team on the field. The nature of that story has yet to be determined, shaped by the items discussed here and many more plotlines not yet developed.

Another top story I will not be including is the (potential) return of Tony La Russa for 2012. While this is not done, I suspect the story will only rank in the top five if the manager decides NOT to come back for at least one more season. I think that chance is small.

As I developed my list and rankings, I considered the staying power of the story, how long it might remain in the headlines as well as its potential impact on the 2011 Cardinals and the organization’s future. In reality, number one dwarfs the other four in importance this year.

Without further ado, here are my projected top five St. Louis Cardinals stories of 2011. As always, your comments are welcome below.

1. Pujols’ pending payday

I suppose it would be considered a major cop-out to make this my top stories one through five, but especially if Albert Pujols reaches free agency, it will almost certainly be on top. While I felt the same thing a year ago, this story should run out of shelf life before December 31.

If one wants to think positive and believe Pujols will remain a Cardinal, the next set of questions to consume is for how long and how much? Will it cover the remainder of Pujols’ career? Will there be significant deferred money? Will it be front- or back-end loaded?

Whatever is decided will be a major part of the franchise for years to come. While it may or may not become the biggest contract ever, I bet it will be the biggest percentage of a team’s payroll ever taken up by one player. Think about that.

2. Berkman’s stand

With the benefit of hindsight, the signing of veteran first baseman Lance Berkman to play right field for the 2011 Cardinals may prove to be either have been a bold move or a bad risk. The club has had decent success in taking on end-of-career hitters previously successful elsewhere, stars such as Will Clark and Larry Walker.

At least in the latter case, however, the collective wear and tear on the player led to him being unable to play a full state of games and eventually a date with retirement earlier than expected.

Will Berkman, previously of bulky build and with balky knees, be able to endure the rigors of daily play in the outfield? At 35 years of age, can the switch-hitter find magic in a once-powerful bat that has been in decline?

If Berkman can’t at least replace the offense of the traded Ryan Ludwick, where will that leave the 2011 Cardinals offense? And even if Berkman delivers, how could they afford or replace his production in 2012?

3. Third and last time for third base?

After two years of failed gambles on David Freese at third base and no viable back up plan, at least currently, the Cardinals seem ready to give it a third try. If Freese’s fragile ankles fail him again this coming season, it could very easily mean major problems for the 2011 club. It could also signal the end of the Freese experiment.

Looking at this from the positive side, even if Freese has a relatively injury-free 2011, would one good year erase all the memories of two bad ones? It may take more than one season for him to fully shed the injury-prone tag.

At least the organization may have a couple of 2012 options coming up through the ranks in Matt Carpenter and Zack Cox. I expect they will be the starters at Triple-A and Double-A, respectively and should be two of the most closely watched prospects in the system in 2011.

4. Keeping Carp

Speaking of Carpenters, will Matt and Chris Carpenter ever become teammates? Chris is a cornerstone of the St. Louis Cardinals, a former Cy Young Award winner and ace of the staff. Yet by April 2012, Carp will be 37 years old. He has yet to string together three consecutive healthy seasons in his career, though 2011 could finally be it.

More importantly, will the Cardinals have the money and interest in picking up their 2012 option on Chris? The club option is for $15 million of which $2 million is deferred, identical to 2011. Instead, the Cardinals could buy out the option for $1 million.

If the organization feels they have the cash after signing Pujols, they could approach Carpenter about a more-team friendly extension to cover his later years, perhaps superseding the 2012 option year.

A third Carpenter in the system, reliever David Carpenter, was dealt to Houston in the Pedro Feliz trade last August. A Chris Carpenter trade would seem doubly unlikely since he has spent ten years in the majors, the last five with the Cardinals. That means he could not be moved without his consent.

Letting him walk seems unthinkable, yet it must be at least considered in the financial context of the post-Pujols contract Cardinals.

5. Who follows Franklin?

With the core of the Cardinals either under contract or option for 2012, one position that may turn over is the closer’s job, held by Ryan Franklin since 2008. While Franklin says he may return in 2012, his hold on the ninth inning may slip if his performance declines.

The player groomed for the position, Chris Perez, is now closing for Cleveland, but the Cardinals do not lack candidates. Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte have major league seasoning while youngsters Eduardo Sanchez and Adam Reifer have a year to look for an opening to burst onto the scene.

Who can forget that the Cardinals chased former Rockies closer Brian Fuentes and thought they had him prior to the 2009 season? They avoided dropping at least $15 million in the process and hopefully, will not again look in the free agent direction for ninth inning help any time soon.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.

New winners:

10. The fight in Cincinnati
9. Stan Musial’s Medal of Freedom, turning 90 years of age
8. Tony La Russa returns for 2011, Dave Duncan for two or three more years
7. Adam Wainwright becomes the ace
6. Jaime Garcia’s rookie emergence

Previously chosen stories:

5. Colby Rasmus not traded
4. The Brad Penny / Kyle Lohse injuries
3. The Ryan Ludwick–Jake Westbrook trade – Jon Jay emergence, Westbrook re-signing
2.  Matt Holliday signing – seven or eight years
1.  The collapse – favored defending champs miss playoffs

For more detailed background on any of the stories, click on this link to the blog’s top 20 countdown.

Thanks to everyone for your votes and comments.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.

Just under a year ago, last January 31, I published my predictions of what I thought would evolve into the top five stories across the Cardinal Nation in 2010. With the benefit of full hindsight, including the top 20 stories of 2010 countdown now in the books, this is a look back at my initial forecast.

The original top five projections follow, along with where the stories actually ended up, including links to the before and after articles. I won’t be repeating my 2010 summaries here, so click on the links if you’d like to read the detailed stories.

I didn’t do all that well with my predictive powers, with one story that ended up missed the top 20 completely, another that fizzled out and yet another that remains huge, but unfinished.

I should receive a little bit of slack, though, for having passed on two gimmes – the conclusion of the 2010 season and the Matt Holliday signing. The latter was already known when I made my predictions and the former is going to be a top story just about any year.

1. Pujols’ pending payday

Ok, I will fall on my sword right off the bat. While an Albert Pujols-related story did end up making my 2010 top 4, it wasn’t about money. Instead, it was oriented toward his accomplishments on the field as his first decade as a major leaguer came to a close.

The big story regarding the franchise first baseman, his next contract, still remains open. That has to be considered not a great sign overall, since most would agree that having gotten the deal done in 2010 would have been better than in 2011 (or not at all).

In fact, this could very easily remain my top projected story for 2011. This time, I think it will come through, one way or another. It almost has to.

2. The McGwire reaction

I was wrong about this one, too. The return of the former steroid-using slugger was big news 12 months ago. Once Big Mac said what he said and again decided to say no more about the past, the novelty quickly wore off, however.

A bigger question this year may be in whether or not McGwire’s Cardinals hitters will collectively improve in terms of their results on the field.

The next story below would seem to suggest that McGwire could be expected back for a third season in 2012.

3. La Russa’s future plans

Good news and bad. The good news is that I pegged this story as a top-five item and it came through. Further, it is also great that Dave Duncan will be back to lead the pitchers for at least two more years and perhaps three.

The bad news is that Tony La Russa appears primed to once again subject us to annual fall guessing games about his plans for the next year before deciding to return. Coming to a big screen near you this coming October!

In reality, something very bad would have to happen before La Russa would walk away before securing those 126 managerial wins needed to take second place on the all-time list. We all know it, so why didn’t he just sign a two-year deal?

4. Will Freese ice down third base?

In addition to being benched for the deployment of a bad pun above, I will make matters worse by observing that David Freese spent far more time in 2010 icing down his ankles than icing down his job playing third base.

With still no proven backup plans behind Freese, the holder of two more ankle surgeries in the last year, the Cardinals appear to going all-in on Freese once again.

Paging Mr. Cox, Zack Cox…. You have a call on line one…

In hindsight, making this story only number 14 in the 2010 year end countdown probably underestimated its impact.

5. Continued closer concern

I whiffed on this one, or should I say, I was probably a year too early. As folks may recall, one year ago, Ryan Franklin was on shaky ground with many fans after he put the cherry on top of Holliday’s error with a ninth inning meltdown in game two of the 2009 LDS.

The closer didn’t seem to let it bother him in 2010. It wasn’t Franklin’s fault that he was presented with so few save opportunities, but he almost always delivered when given the chance. His conversion rate of 93.1 percent (27 of 29) was second in the National League, trailing only San Diego’s Heath Bell (94%).

Not considered a strikeout pitcher by any stretch, Franklin still fanned over four batters for every free pass issued. That mark stands head and shoulders above the other Cardinals relievers. As such, Franklin also had the lowest WHIP, walks and hits per innings pitched, on the staff.

With Franklin heading into the final year of his current contract and hinting about retirement afterward, it is important to note that understudies Jason Motte and Mitchell Boggs each gained a valuable year of experience setting up Franklin. The identity of the 2012 closer is a good candidate for the coming year’s top story list.

Speaking of which…

Next up: In my final article of this series, I will outline my predictions for the top five Cardinals stories of 2011.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.

Your final five stories, numbers six through ten, can each be selected below. Note they are five individual votes.

For more background on any of the stories, click on the link to the blog’s top 20 countdown.

Here are your top five selected to date.

Your #1 story of 2010: The collapse – favored defending champs miss playoffs
#2: The Holliday signing – seven or eight years
#3: The Ludwick–Westbrook trade –Jay emergence, Westbrook re-signing
#4: The Penny / Lohse injuries
#5: Colby Rasmus not traded

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.

We are using the same list of stories that I used in my countdown, but you will set your own priority via a daily vote here. We will go as deep into the list as you would like. For example, we can stop the voting at your top five or ten based on your interest level.

Your #1 story: The collapse – favored defending champs miss playoffs
#2: The Holliday signing – seven or eight years
#3: The Ludwick–Westbrook trade –Jay emergence, Westbrook re-signing
#4: The Brad Penny / Kyle Lohse injuries

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.

We are using the same list of stories that I used in my countdown, but you will set your own priority via a daily vote here. We will go as deep into the list as you would like. For example, we can stop the voting at your top five or ten based on your interest level.

Your #1 story: The collapse – favored defending champs miss playoffs
#2: Matt Holliday signing – seven or eight years

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.