.229/.292/.369/.661.

That was the aggregate batting line of the gaggle of individuals who attempted to play third base for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2009. Each (BA/OBP/SLG/OPS) was the lowest of any of the eight non-pitching positions on the team and the ugly numbers above weren’t close to the next-worst spot. It is clear to say that the 91-win club excelled in spite of third base, not because of it.

What a difference a year makes.

In 2008, veteran Troy Glaus was a rock on the left side of the Cardinals infield. The veteran third baseman played in 151 games and his 544 at-bats represented his personal highest single-season total since 2002. He contributed 27 home runs and drove in 99. His line was .270/.372/.483/.856.

Yet late in the season, a shoulder ailment was reported. Originally thought to be minor in nature, it wasn’t. Just a few days after stating he was fine at the team’s January 2009 Winter Warm-Up fan event, Glaus underwent surgery. Original estimates of an early season return were questioned from the start and later proven to be wildly optimistic.

From that point on, the third base job became as unstable in 2009 as it was steady the previous season. Following Glaus’ surgery, at least seven others either held the job or was considered the front-runner. The position had as much turnover as the drummer in Spinal Tap, though none of the players actually exploded on the field, at least not literally.

By February, another surprise in a long list of them ensued as rookie David Freese, the new leader coming into camp, reported soreness in his Achilles tendon that was later disclosed to have been related to a January auto accident in which his automobile was totalled. Freese would be among the first cuts of the spring as he was unable to play.

Joe Mather, primarily an outfielder as a professional, was instilled as the new spring training favorite to take the interim starting third base job. However, an illness coincided with a long hitting slump that soon relegated Mather to competing for a reserve outfield spot. He lost out and was optioned to Triple-A Memphis before ongoing wrist problems effectively scuttled his season.

In another unexpected and unusual move, Freese was recalled from minor league camp in late March and made the major league club to start the season. With Mather cut, a pair of long-time minor leaguers, journeyman Joe Thurston and Brian Barden, also both joined the 25-man roster out of spring training.

As the regular season got underway, time at third base was split between the left-handed hitting Thurston and the righty Barden as Freese was not right and was sent down by the third week of April. Barden, the opening day starter, went on to enjoy his 30 days of fame, actually earning the National League Rookie of the Month Award for April. After a .132 May, Barden was back in Memphis by early June. Thurston also began fairly well in April, posting his best period of the season. He quickly became exposed, with his OPS dropping each subsequent month.

In long-rumored move, but still a bold stroke, Mark DeRosa was acquired on June 27 from Cleveland for two relievers who had seen major league duty, Chris Perez and Jess Todd. The excitement was short-lived, however. By July 1, DeRosa was on the disabled list with a wrist problem, a torn tendon sheath that would require post-season surgery.

DeRosa returned in the later half of July, but despite having slammed eight home runs in his first 22 games with the club, DeRosa would bat a career-low .228 in his first and only partial season with St. Louis and add just two home runs the rest of the way.

During one of his numerous rehab outings, troubled shortstop Khalil Greene was converted to third base, but he was clearly not the answer, either. Rookie Tyler Greene had seven starts at the hot corner though Brendan Ryan did not appear there after having made 29 appearances at the position in 2007 and 2008.

The eight named third basemen did not even include the man some had expected to step in and take over by mid-season. Top prospect Brett Wallace had barely been given a look-see in spring camp and after a partial-season with Springfield and Memphis, was dealt to Oakland in late July as the centerpiece of the Matt Holliday trade.

Following a long minor league rehab and several setbacks, Glaus was finally reactivated on September 1, but was clearly not ready for starting duty. Freese returned to St. Louis once Memphis’ season was complete and hit well in limited action, but could not be added to the post-season roster since Glaus was deemed to be “healthy”. Despite Glaus missing more time with a September oblique injury, he made the NLDS roster as a reserve.

Amazingly, Thurston was the only one of the eight third basemen who spent the entire season active in the majors, including the post-season. After having posted a dismal .225/.316/.330/.646 line over an amazing 307 plate appearances, Thurston was removed from the 40-man roster following the season.

Ironically, both Thurston (minor league deal) and Glaus have signed with Atlanta for 2010. Barden inked a minor league contract with Florida. DeRosa is a new member of the San Francisco Giants. Khalil Greene is a free agent whose career seems in jeopardy.

Currently, it is as difficult to forecast how third base will evolve in 2010 as it was to predict at this time one year ago when Glaus’ surprise surgery set in motion a season of complete turmoil at the position.

Freese, Mather and Tyler Greene all remain on the 40-man roster and should return in 2010. Rookie Allen Craig is also expected to compete for a job, though among the four, only Freese is considered a full-time, major league-quality defensive third baseman. The latter’s reputation has been sullied by a December drunken driving incident, his third alcohol-related arrest.

It remains to be seen whether this band of survivors will be augmented by another veteran third baseman from outside the organization. My guess is yes.

Regular season starts, third base, 2009 St. Louis Cardinals

DeRosa 58, Thurston 55, Barden 20, K. Greene 13, T. Greene 7, Freese 5, Glaus 4, Mather 0.

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With the need to improve offensively at shortstop over the .628 OPS of Cesar Izturis in 2008, the St. Louis Cardinals decided to make a move prior to the 2009 season rather than rely on unproven in-house options Brendan Ryan and Tyler Greene.

On December 4, 2008, they acquired Khalil Greene from San Diego for what would become two relievers, Mark Worrell and Luke Gregerson. Both appeared in the majors for the Padres in 2009. The former was mostly injured and is now a free agent, while the latter excelled despite having made a direct jump from Double-A. In the trade, the Cardinals also assumed the $6.5 million commitment for the final year of Greene’s contract.

The ending to Khalil Greene’s 2008 had been well-reported, a self-inflicted hand injury due to a frustration-related punch, followed by his club’s refusal to pay him during his time out and the filing of a grievance against the Padres. There were related rumors of emotional issues, but those were long-forgotten by the time the right-handed hitter batted .408 and drove in 17 runs in 26 games during 2009 spring training.

In fact, Greene was awarded the cleanup spot in Tony La Russa’s opening day lineup. The bloom was off the rose quickly, however. By Memorial Day, Greene began his second stint on the disabled list. The first was reportedly due to a forearm injury.

The second time, the official term used was “social anxiety disorder”, though details of a more serious situation of long-term, self-inflicted physical abuse began to emerge. First, Greene had been removed from his starting role. After several pinch-hitting appearances and one return start, that approach was called off. In his first 123 at-bats over 38 games, Greene’s line was a paltry .200/.287/.295 and would not improve much the rest of the way.

Khalil began a minor league rehab assignment on June 8, returned to the majors ten days later only to suffer another relapse and landed back on the DL by the end of the month. This time, the 29-year-old was instructed to stay away from the team while receiving treatment.

After rehabbing in the minors again in the latter half of July, Greene was back with St. Louis on August 1. He was now a third baseman but saw just 13 ineffective starts at the position. His arrival coincided with an ankle injury sustained by Ryan, who admirably filled the gap all season long.

Ryan had actually appeared in 80 games during 2008, but his playing time diminished after the mid-season acquisition of Felipe Lopez. In 2009, while Khalil was in his early-season struggles, Ryan was on the DL due to a hamstring problem. Brendan returned in mid-May and quickly earned a starting role, as much due to his glove as his bat.

In addition to his ten games started at second base, Ryan would make a team-high 95 starts at shortstop, compared to just 26 for Khalil. The 27-year-old’s .984 fielding percentage ranked in the top five of all MLB shortstops with at least 75 starts and he led the majors in both total chances and assists per nine innings. This was a huge stabilizing factor for the Dave Duncan-led groundball-inducing pitching staff.

Ryan also stood out with the bat. His .301 average as a shortstop was third among National Leaguers appearing in at least 100 games at the position, behind only Hanley Ramirez and Miguel Tejada. He batted .292/.340/.400 overall, always somewhere in the bottom two and top two lineup positions. Ryan actually led the 2009 Cardinals in starts from both the number eight (29 games) and nine spots (32) and was written on La Russa’s lineup card second-most often leading off (22) and in the number two hole (21 starts).

Rookie Tyler Greene, taken just two picks after Colby Rasmus in the first round of the 2005 draft, was a star collegiate shortstop at Georgia Tech. In the intervening time, he always seemed fall short of putting it all together. A series of injuries limited Greene’s running game and an undisciplined eye at the plate hurt his results with the bat.

After a solid 2009 start with Memphis, Tyler had his big break on May 1, with Khalil and Ryan both sidelined. The 25-year-old made a positive impression in his initial 13 big-league games before heading back to Triple-A late in the month. Though he cooled off in later stints with St. Louis, including after Memphis’ playoff run ended, Greene finished strongly with the PCL champion Redbirds. He stole 31 bases and posted a .291/.369/.482 Triple-A line.

Tyler will surely come to camp in 2010 with an eye on a major league utility job after starting at four positions for La Russa in 2009 – second base (one), shortstop (20), third base (seven) and centerfield (one).

Ten-year MLB veteran Julio Lugo had the fourth-most starts at shortstop (18) for the Cardinals this past season after having joined the club from Boston on July 22. I will have more on his story in an upcoming installment of this top 20 countdown.

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Albert Pujols-2009-KCR-6

Mark McGwire-1999-CHW-6

Ryan Ludwick-2007-OAK-5

Albert Pujols-2007-LAA-5

John Mabry-2005-KCR-5

John Mabry-2004-TEX-5

Pujols extended his team lead in games with five RBI or more over the last 55 years to 13.

Cardinals five-RBI games (1954-2009):

13-Albert Pujols

8-Mark McGwire

7-Ken Boyer

7-Stan Musial

6-Ted Simmons

4-Scott Rolen

4-Edgar Renteria

4-George Hendrick

4-Jim Edmonds

Over his career, Pujols has 28 multi-home run games. 19 of them were on consecutive plate appearances and 22 were on consecutive at-bats.

Before Pujols’ feats this past weekend, the only other Cardinal with multiple RBI games in all three games of an interleague series was Edgar Renteria on June 3-5, 2003 against Toronto in St. Louis.

The only player other than Khalil Greene to hit a home run in all three games of an interleague series was Pujols on May 19-21, 2006, also in Kansas City.

Home runs by Cardinals designated hitters (single game):

Player	Date	Opp	**HR**
Albert Pujols	6/21/2009	@KCR	2
Larry Walker	6/14/2005	@TOR	2
Tino Martinez	6/14/2003	@NYY	2
Jim Edmonds	6/12/2003	@BOS	2-1 after moving to LF
Albert Pujols	6/29/2008	@KCR	1
Yadier Molina	6/20/2008	@BOS	1
Scott Spiezio	6/17/2007	@OAK	1
Chris Duncan	6/14/2007	@KCR	1
Chris Duncan	5/21/2006	@KCR	1
Larry Walker	5/21/2005	@KCR	1
Albert Pujols	6/10/2003	@BOS	1
Miguel Cairo	6/8/2002	@KCR	1
Fernando Tatis	7/17/2000	@MIN	1
Shawon Dunston	7/13/2000	@CHW	1
Thomas Howard	6/9/2000	@DET	1

Cardinals career DH home run totals:

4-Albert Pujols

3-Larry Walker

2-Tino Martinez

2-Chris Duncan

1-Jim Edmonds

1-Scott Spiezio

1-Yadier Molina

1-Miguel Cairo

1-Fernando Tatis

1-Shawon Dunston

1-Thomas Howard

Thanks to Tom Orf for gathering the above stats.

While it was the 28^th time this occurred for the club in the last 55 years, it is only the second time since the 2006 World Championship season and first time since July, 2007.

What may have been most encouraging was that Albert Pujols was not part of the trifecta. He had been involved in each of the last three three-home run innings collected by the Cardinals.

Ludwick’s Friday grand slam to lead off the run was the first as part of a single-inning three home run performance by the club since Mark McGwire in 1999.

Date	Opp	Inn		BI		BI		BI
6/19/2009	@KC	T3	Ludwick	4	Ankiel	1	K.Greene	1
7/15/2007	@PHI	T7	Pujols	1	Encarnacion	1	Kennedy	1
10/1/2006	MIL	B9	Duncan	1	Pujols	1	Spiezio	1
8/18/2006	@CHC	T7	Pujols	2	Rolen	1	Belliard	2
7/24/2005	CHC	B1	Nunez	1	Edmonds	1	Mabry	1
4/9/2004	@ARZ	T3	Lankford	1	Rolen	2	Sanders	1
7/3/2003	SFG	B2	Renteria	3	Pujols	3	Rolen	1
6/25/2003	CIN	B1	Hart	1	Edmonds	1	Rolen	1
9/20/2002	HOU	B6	Marrero	1	Edmonds	1	Rolen	1
9/19/2002	@COL	T8	Marrero	1	Edmonds	1	Pujols	1
7/2/2002	SDP	B2	Polanco	2	Edmonds	1	Pujols	1
4/13/2000	@COL	T1	Polanco	1	Tatis	1	Edmonds	1
4/6/2000	CHC	B3	Tatis	3	Drew	1	Matheny	1
9/20/1999	@CHC	T7	McGwire	1	Howard	2	Drew	1
9/17/1999	HOU	B4	McGwire	4	Howard	1	Tatis	1
4/23/1999	@LAD	T3	Tatis	4	Marrero	1	Tatis	4
6/3/1997	COL	B5	DeShields	1	Gant	3	Mabry	3
5/14/1997	@PHI	T9	Franklin	1	Gaetti	1	Clayton	2
7/12/1996	@CHC	T5	Lankford	1	Gant	1	Gaetti	2
10/1/1990	@MON	T3	Bry.Smith	2	Gilkey	1	Thompson	1
4/11/1986	MON	B3	McGee	2	Clark	1	Landrum	1
8/22/1980	@ATL	T4	Hernandez	2	Simmons	1	Reitz	3
7/6/1979	@ATL	T4	Reitz	1	Tyson	1	Templeton	1
7/21/1966	ATL	B5	C.Smith	1	Flood	3	Cepeda	1
7/18/1964	NYM	B8	Boyer	4	White	1	McCarver	1
6/27/1962	@CHC	T6	Sawataski	1	Javier	2	Flood	1
6/26/1959	@CIN	T8	Cunningham	1	Boyer	2	Musial	2
7/21/1956	BRO	B8	Sauer	1	H.Smith	1	Musial	2

As always, thanks to Tom Orf for the data pull.

The St. Louis Cardinals reinstated Khalil Greene (pictured) from a rehabilitation assignment and activated the infielder from the 15-day disabled list today.  In addition, the club has also recalled RHP Josh Kinney from Triple-A Memphis.  To make room on the roster the team optioned outfielder Nick Stavinoha and RHP P.J. Walters to Triple-A.

Greene has been on the disabled list since May 29 and has missed 19 games.  He played in four games at Memphis during his rehab and went 6-for-15 (.400) with two doubles.  Josh Kinney began the season with St. Louis and was optioned to Triple-A on April 17.  He has made 21 appearances for Memphis and was 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA in 26.0 IP, collecting 30 strikeouts.

I find myself wondering exactly who is viewed to be the one putting Mo on that hot seat. Is it the dugout, the press, the fans, himself?

Just a few months ago, the upper levels of the organization were awash with third base prospects, with no place to play Brett Wallace (pictured) at Memphis with David Freese and Allen Craig ahead of him.

Now, everything has changed. The rest of the world has finally figured out that Troy Glaus isn’t going to be much of any good this season and the April shine has worn off the rookie replacements, Joe Thurston and Brian Barden.

Freese required surgery this month, Craig isn’t viewed as a major league third baseman and Joe Mather, thought to be good enough to play at the hot corner at the major league level this spring, is out with a recurring wrist problem.

Wallace has just 11 games and 47 at-bats with Memphis to date. Mozeliak and manager Tony La Russa both agree that Wallace isn’t ready. To help put that into perspective, I ran major league equivalencies (MLEs) for Wallace’s limited Triple-A sample and compare them to the incumbents’ season results.

Wallace doesn’t stack up well here. One reason is that he has taken just one walk with Memphis after showing a good eye in the past.

Now, let’s compare Wallace at Memphis to Thurston and Barden this month only. The picture changes. Still, Wallace’s .626 MLE OPS is nothing to get excited over.

One challenge the Cardinals face is that it is early in the trade season. We are barely one quarter of the way into the regular season, a full two months ahead of the July 31 deadline, a date that many clubs still find too early. The advent of the wild card keeps more teams in the hunt longer.

Following are the year-to-date lines for the three names that have been mentioned as possibilities for the Cardinals in various reports. They are Garrett Atkins of Colorado, Mark DeRosa of Cleveland and Melvin Mora of Baltimore.

Clearly in the case of two of the three, Atkins and Mora, the reason they may be available now is that they are having subpar seasons. In acquiring them, one would have to believe a rapid rebound is likely.

Just for grins, I included the line from the Cardinals’ most recent reclamation project, Khalil Greene. Notice how closely his stats this season mirror Atkins’.

Keeping money aside, each has significant warts. Mora is 37 years old and Atkins’ career nums were impacted by the reality that he plays 81 games a year in Colorado. DeRosa is playing at an above-average level for him this season, but will he maintain that pace after another move? (DeRosa was traded from the Cubs to the Indians over the winter.)

So, are any of these three going to be better than what the Cardinals already have?

What are the possible reasons to not call up Wallace?

1) There’s a better option on the trade market.

2) Wallace is not ready offensively.

3) Wallace is not ready defensively.

4) He is out of shape – reportedly 23% body fat this spring.

5) The 40-man roster is going to be tight this winter and Wallace would not need to be added.

6) His arbitration and free agency clock will begin prematurely.

7) The major league coaching staff is against the idea.

We will take these one at a time.

1) A better option may exist on the market. Can’t argue with that if it means someone other than the three names already mentioned. How long will it take for such individuals to become available, however, and what would it take to get them?

2) Wallace isn’t ready with the bat. Can’t argue with that either. More time at the plate in Memphis would be ideal. But, isn’t Wallace probably better offensively than Barden and Thurston today?

On an aside, but parallel bent to Wallace, I just read that the first-place NL West Dodgers, dealing with outfield injuries and one very high profile suspension, just called up Jamie Hoffman. He was a Double-A All-Star last season, was raking back in Double-A this season (.952 OPS), but only has 35 Triple- A at-bats.

3) Wallace isn’t ready with the glove. If range is truly the issue and I am not doubting that, how much can it improve by more reps in the minors? Once he is positioned properly, his range is what it is, right? One argument is that his range will only erode as he ages, so…

4) Wallace is out of shape. Let’s face it; his body type is not that of a weight-lifter. Yet, there are others in the majors today who are much worse. Chances are that physically, Wallace is what he is. I suggest basing any decision on results, not physique.

5) 40-man roster issues. This is not an immediate problem, but will become one this winter as the Cardinals have to make decisions on a number of players or risk losing them in the Rule 5 Draft.

Having been drafted last June, Wallace would not need to be protected this winter unless he is called up during this season.

For me, the real question is whether or not it is believed that Wallace can contribute at the major league level in 2009. If so, then the future roster issue has to be secondary to improvement in St. Louis now.

6) Arbitration and free agent clocks would begin prematurely. Not a major issue. It is late enough into this season that the Cardinals would not be forced into early arbitration in just under three years. Same with free agency at six.

If he isn’t good enough to stick, he won’t accrue MLB service time back in Memphis. Even those most pessimistic about Wallace think he will make his major league debut in 2010, anyway.

7) Political issues. This is a very thorny one, as based on remarks by Post-Dispatch beat writer Joe Strauss, La Russa is very much against a Wallace promotion. Despite the glaring need at the position, Wallace barely received a sniff in major league camp before being cut.

While Mozeliak is in public agreement at least that Wallace isn’t ready, would his opinion change if the third baseman puts in a good month with Memphis and a fair trade cannot yet be found?

Is there any scenario under which La Russa embrace a Wallace promotion this season? The signals say “no”.

In summary

I am not sure why there is such a negative vibe about Wallace, but it seems other organizations are not reluctant to promote players who excelled at Double-A.

If nothing else is cooking, why not give Wallace a try soon? If he stumbles, it will be a lot closer to the trade deadline when more teams may be in the mood to deal.

Remember that other rumors have the Cardinals looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder, too. What are the odds Mozeliak could land both an impact outfielder and a third baseman and do it within the club’s current financial constraints? What is a higher priority for the club? What may be easier to find?

Considering all, it is more realistic to assume the Cardinals will move to bring in an Atkins-like player in hopes he can pick up the slack at third. If another Khalil Greene-like failure occurs, there could still be time for Wallace later this summer – if the Cardinals can remain in contention that long with their sputtering offense.

I spoke with P.J. Walters about his successful ninth-inning stint on Thursday. He and Ryan Franklin warmed up with Walters coming in since it is a non-save situation. P.J. says he can warm up quickly and can pitch on consecutive days as he did with State College back in 2006. Yet he is the only reliever shown as not available on Tony La Russa’s Friday lineup card.

Speaking of Franklin, La Russa finally broke down and admitted what we all could see. “At this point, he is the closer…. He was always the guy,” pronounced the skipper.

Spoke with Walters and Jason Motte about eyeglasses. Jason wears his trademark prescription specs on the mound and likes them because he can see all angles. P.J. had LASIK surgery two years ago and is very pleased with it, noting he experienced immediate improvement. Motte said he considered the procedure only for “a split second”. I may be a wimp, but I agree with him.

La Russa had penciled Jason LaRue into the lineup initially because catcher Yadier Molina “had a tough night, threw up” on Thursday. Yet when Yadi reported to the park, he told the skipper he was ok to go.

Thursday night’s home plate ump Jim Reynolds was not as fortunate. Beaned by a Blaine Boyer warmup pitch, he was unable to answer the bell on Friday. Substitute umpire Kevin Causey took over at third.

La Russa noted that his team’s fast start “has to do with what the players put in during spring training“ both in terms of drills and game experience.

TLR on Todd Wellemeyer (pre-game): Not as sharp as he can be. Will get better and better as he goes on.

TLR on Rick Ankiel: Once he is sharp, he is a potent bat. Started out ok but not surging as well as Ryan or Chris. He can be a number four hitter in MLB. Last three game key hits means he gets another start. Really been overtrying. When he relaxes more, he has better focus.

TLR on Khalil Greene: Emergency player in the field only for the remainder of this series. Injury to throwing arm, but no consideration of DL because he is pretty good pinch-hitter.

Khalil spoke about the role of being a pinch-hitter actually requires him to concentrate more over the details of the game from the bench than when he is actually playing. He watches the status of the pitchers on both sides so he is not surprised when he is given the heads-up to get ready. When he is in the game, he is less focused on the opposing pitcher, since he figures he will be hitting either way.

As a result, Tyler Greene is again getting the start in day two of his MLB career. Having been a little busy, he was unaware of the other shortstop moves in the system resulting from his promotion. Tyler concurred that the Double-A step Pete Kozma is making is the toughest due to better control and fewer mistakes by pitchers at that level.

K. Greene told me that in his first impression, he likes the new ballpark in DC. He was injured when the Padres traveled there last season and was not with the team. Khalil also liked the hitting background in the old RFK Stadium despite its large dimensions.

TLR on playing Joe Thurston vs. Brian Barden at third: Jokingly flipped an imaginary coin. Seriously, he mentioned he looks at how the opposing pitchers perform against right-handed batters (like Barden) and left-handed (Thurston). Both will continue to play a lot. Need extra pen man with 35 games in 36 days to start season.

TLR on his emergency catcher: “Probably one of the young, aggressive guys, maybe Thurston.” He said a definitive “no” when I jokingly suggested former catcher Motte.

Thursday’s winning pitcher Chris Perez says his heel still is giving him no problems at all, but expects his spring training shot will wear off soon. When he feels pain again, the plan is to do the injection on an off day.

On all the televisions in the clubhouse was the Marlins-Cubs game. I happened to catch Denise Richards do such a terrible rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” that it made Ozzy seem good.

A team official noted the club has sold about 29,000 full and partial season tickets, which was kept flat by the added attraction of the 2009 All-Star Game. As noted elsewhere, the higher revenue premium tickets and corporate spending are down.

Mitchell Boggs was not surprised by his nine strikeouts Friday as he noted the Nationals are an aggressive team. He was surprised when I told him that he took over the 2009 team single-game lead from Walters, who had seven against the Cubs. Mitchell noted that he expects Adam Wainwright to claim the lead sometime very soon.

Albert Pujols mentioned his wife Deidre is heading to the Dominican Republic later this month to deliver the rest of the 200 beds he is donating to needy families.

I mentioned to Ryan Ludwick Thursday evening that La Russa said he would be starting here on Friday. Ryan said he expected it, but admitted that in the two games in Atlanta, he did not feel good at all.

Forgot to mention that Chris Duncan almost choked on his chewing gum in the dugout before the game. I asked him how many months it has been since he used tobacco. He counted out to nine. Great for him! Duncan took a lot of heat in some quarters for his use, so he deserves kudos for quitting.

Wellemeyer credited Dave Duncan with a mechanical adjustment with his hips that he said helped with his better outing on Friday.