The Cardinal Nation blog

Looking at the top winning pitchers in recent seasons to evaluate one aspect of Kyle Lohse’s 2012 Cy Young Award candidacy.

Looking at several records set by Hall of Famer Stan Musial being approached by today’s MLB stars.

This date in 1924 was arguably the biggest day in Hall of Famer Jim Bottomley’s career.

The St. Louis Cardinals have three hitters with 20 or more home runs and two more with 19. We look at how that distribution stacks up in team history.

Looking at runs scored against the St. Louis Cardinals by the catcher then behind the plate.

Looking into St. Louis Cardinal Jason Motte’s numbers compared to other MLB closers.

Why couldn’t the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals re-use a lineup trick first deployed by Tony La Russa in September 2000?

The identity of the tallest men to ever play second base for the St. Louis Cardinals may be very surprising. We’ve seen three this season alone.

Will Chris Carpenter return to starting in September for the St. Louis Cardinals? Who might his pitching partner be?

Reversing field, the St. Louis Cardinals reportedly plan to have Shelby Miller make his major league debut in September.

Wondering why the St. Louis Cardinals elected to promote shortstop Pete Kozma over Ryan Jackson on Friday.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ two best pitchers this season are heading for free agency this fall and next. Should the team try to lock up the second before losing the first?

St. Louis Cardinal Kyle Lohse has quietly put together one of the best seasons among National League pitchers.

Two of the St. Louis Cardinals biggest RBI men padded their totals on Sunday.

How does Carlos Martinez’ Double-A results stack up against more highly-touted prospects Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal?

On Sunday, Jaime Garcia became the sixth left-hander in St. Louis Cardinals history to strike out at least 10 and walk no one in a game.

The St. Louis Cardinals lost Friday night for only the 18th time in team history when their opponent did not have a run batted in.

The St. Louis Cardinals will need to make a change to their rotation when Jaime Garcia returns on Sunday. Vote on your preference.

Whether it was a delayed benefit from a no-shake rule or seeing others pass him, St. Louis Cardinals top prospect Shelby Miller has experienced a turnaround recently.

A look at some estimates at the costs involved in the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals keeping or not keeping reliever Octavio Dotel.

Wondering how much difference one short-duration member of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals would have made to the 2012 club.

St. Louis Cardinals rookie Matt Carpenter is delivering like a veteran pinch-hitter off an inexperienced bench.

A couple of other comparative contact cases to consider in the context of Adam Wainwright.

Considering various timing and action alternatives by the St. Louis Cardinals regarding Adam Wainwright’s contract.

Looking at Adam Wainwright’s contract situation in comparison to other big deals across MLB.

Wondering out loud if the St. Louis Cardinals would consider a trade of their centerfielder for pitching for the second consecutive season.

Hall of Famers Red Schoendienst and Whitey Herzog plus Tony La Russa to appear at Saturday Hall of Fame Awards Presentation.

Looking at pace to the majors in innings-pitched, rather than calendar time.

Looking at the St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect’s surprising jump from Double-A to the majors from multiple angles.

The late St. Louis Cardinals pitcher is being remembered a decade after his passing in a Thursday night television special.

To begin his MLB career, the St. Louis Cardinals reliever has gone four games of 4 1/3 innings without allowing a single baserunner, tying a record.

The St. Louis Cardinals top position player prospect, outfielder Oscar Taveras, carries a Canadian passport.

The lengths to which Major League Baseball is going to generate interest in the All-Star Game have crossed the line, in my opinion.

Wednesday night marked the 17th time since 2000 that two different St. Louis Cardinals pitchers allowed home runs in the same inning.

Through 75 games, only one catcher in St. Louis Cardinals history had more home runs than does Yadier Molina this season.

Will right-handed pitcher Shelby Miller join former top organizational prospect Colby Rasmus as trade bait for the St. Louis Cardinals?

The St. Louis Cardinals full system view reflects rosters for the 2012 regular season and short-season clubs.

OK, it was just one stat over two starts, but St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn logged two rare high-strikeout games.

The film adaptation of the best-seller “Three Nights in August” is slated to have Billy Bob Thornton playing Tony La Russa’s long-time confidante and pitching coach Dave Duncan.

Jaime Garcia’s health remains a concern for the St. Louis Cardinals. Vote on how to replace him if needed.

The former St. Louis Cardinals manager is seemingly everywhere – including North Dakota oil fields.

An ineffective Fernando Salas has been sent down to Triple-A Memphis. Was his increased workload in 2011 a factor?

Carlos Beltran is approaching one of the 10 most productive Mays in recent St. Louis Cardinals history.

A specific epidemic of bad behavior toward umpires has hit baseball this week.

The St. Louis Cardinals have retired Tony La Russa’s number 10. Should Albert Pujols be similarly honored in the not-too-distant future?

St. Louis Cardinals star Stan Musial collected his 3,000th hit 54 years ago today, on May 13, 1958, at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

Exclusive interview with the Hall of Fame shortstop in which we discuss St. Louis Cardinals past and present.

Jake Westbrook did something Thursday that has occurred only 64 times prior – a St. Louis Cardinals pitcher stealing a base.

Can professional athletes and fans get too close to one another for their own good?

Two starters some fans wanted the St. Louis Cardinals to get rid of are leading the staff in the early going in 2012.

Philip “Perfect Game” Humber entered baseball’s history books on Saturday. Like Adam Wainwright, he is a Tommy John survivor, but one who took a long route to success.

Despite the current injury situation of the St. Louis Cardinals, their top first base prospect remains at Triple-A. I believe that is the right way to go – at least for now.

The top Scrabble-scoring names by decade in St. Louis Cardinals team history.

No first-time player in St. Louis Cardinals major league camp this spring was talked about more than right-handed pitcher Trevor Rosenthal.

The St. Louis Cardinals system view reflects rosters for 2012 full-season play with all organization players listed by level and position.

Cody Stanley is the 24th name on the St. Louis Cardinals minor league drug suspension list since 2005.

Reports have Tony La Russa becoming an executive with the Los Angeles Dodgers if Steve Cohen is the winning bidder.

Excitement about St. Louis Cardinals prospect Matt Adams sent me back to the records to compare his Arizona Fall League results with Albert Pujols’ 11 years earlier.

On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals moved Lance Lynn from relieving to starting. Why did they wait for an injury to another?

A top player agent and a World Series-winning manager will appear on a Sunday evening television program

For the second consecutive spring, the St. Louis Cardinals top minor league hitter is standing out in major league camp. Let’s not get carried away, though.

Title-winning St. Louis Cardinals managers Red Schoendienst, Whitey Herzog and Tony La Russa will be honored together at the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 21.

A recommendation to read a summary of an important event covering off-field aspects of sports, especially baseball.

Lou Brock to join yet another Hall of Fame, this one for the collegiate game.

The new exhibit of St. Louis Cardinals memorabilia at the Clinton Library in Little Rock has opened.

A scan of national and local sportswriters’ opinions on the Yadier Molina contract and its potential impact on other impending free agent catchers.

If you were running the St. Louis Cardinals, would you have given catcher Yadier Molina a five-year, $75 million contract extension?

Why not let Yadier Molina and the St. Louis Cardinals work on a new deal without such a high level of sensitivity?

Long-time St. Louis Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo explains why be once asked out as the club’s bench coach.

The many questions about recovering from significant off-season losses seem to be strengthening the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals’ resolve.

Vote on when you think the St. Louis Cardinals’ top prospect will make his major league debut.

Former St. Louis Cardinals greats Stan Musial and Albert Pujols had some off-field financial similarities in their contracts.

A new Albert Pujols-related tempest has ensued over billboards in California.

The wife of the president of the St. Louis Cardinals runs an urban music label.

Followers of the St. Louis Cardinals had differing views of catcher Yadier Molina’s update on his contract situation upon his reporting to spring training.

The paths of a St. Louis Cardinals pitching star from the 1980s and a failed big-bonus outfield signing from 2007 have come together in Rockland County, New York.

Which Canadian-born player contributed the most to the St. Louis Cardinals?

Former St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitcher Rheal Cormier is a new Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer.

First-year St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny will be dealing with the media in a more intense manner than ever before. How will both sides react?

St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst is still in uniform after 70 seasons in professional baseball.

Despite reports to the contrary, the Topps Rally Squirrel baseball card does not replace Skip Schumaker’s regular 2012 card.

In an attempt to revitalize his pitching career, a former top draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals is undergoing a procedure illegal in the US.

If pitcher Roy Oswalt signs with the St. Louis Cardinals, will his familiar number 44 be available?

Readers can vote for salary and number of years making up their best contract offer to St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

Now we can learn the inside story of Albert Pujols’ signing from the perspective of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Should Albert Pujols be kept out of the Hall of Fame if he was found to have lied about his age and identity?

The St. Louis Cardinals full system view reflects rosters for 2012 spring training with all organization players listed by level and position.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese was recognized again for his 2011 post-season, this time by the New York chapter of the BBWAA.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and shortstop Rafael Furcal are with their ex-teammate Albert Pujols in the Dominican Republic.

Readers can vote for their salary and number of years limits in their hypothetical offers for St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

What might we learn from a time in history when the St. Louis Cardinals got rid of the best catcher in the National League instead of paying him what he deserved?

Some final thoughts from this past weekend’s annual St. Louis Cardinals fan festival.

St. Louis Cardinals photos from Monday’s third and final session of the 2012 Winter Warm-Up at St. Louis’ Hyatt Regency at the Arch.

Selected St. Louis Cardinals player photos from Saturday’s first day of the 2011 Winter Warm-Up at St. Louis’ Hyatt Regency at the Arch. Two executives are also included.

Left-handed pitcher J.C. Romero believes justice has been served by his lawsuit against several drug companies being settled out of court.

Seven lower-odds storylines possibly ahead for the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals. Or not.

The World Champion St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly making plans to visit the White House on January 17.

Of the seven members of the St. Louis Cardinals pictured at the 2007 All-Star Game, not a one remains in his job today. A potential partial reunion in 2012 could be odd, to say the least.

A look ahead to the top projected stories across the Cardinal Nation in 2012.

A look back at the top projected stories across the Cardinal Nation in 2011 from one year ago.