Recently, I posted a series of photos and a recap of the St. Louis Cardinals Legends Camp, held in Jupiter, Fla. two weeks ago. One of the 21 former Cardinals who came back together for fun with each other and with the fans who paid for the opportunity to take the field with them was LaPoint.

The now-52-year-old pitched for the Cards from 1981-1984 and again for a half-season in 1987. LaPoint first arrived from Milwaukee in the Ted Simmons deal and departed for San Francisco as part of the cost of acquiring Jack Clark, both mega-trades engineered by Whitey Herzog.

In between, at the age of 22, the left-hander threw 8 1/3 innings in the 1982 World Series, allowing just three runs. Overall, LaPoint went 35-23 with a 3.90 ERA in his five years with St. Louis and pitched a dozen seasons in the majors with nine different clubs.

Back in 2006-2007, Rodriguez, a mysterious Cuban, passed through Argentina, Nicaragua and then the Dominican Republic before signing with the Cardinals. His bonus of $460,000 was the highest paid by the organization for an international signing to that date and is still the fifth-largest in team history (link to subscriber-only article with details).

At 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, the outfielder has the chiseled look of an athlete, but could not put it together on the diamond. Rodriguez advanced only as far as A-Advanced Palm Beach before his release last May. He played in 259 games over four seasons as a Cardinal with a line of .276/.317/.374/.691. His long awaited power never developed.

Last July, Rodriguez signed a contract and joined LaPoint, manager of the Rockland (County NY) Boulders of the independent CanAm League. The right-handed hitter, now 24 years of age, batted .267 in 56 games and slugged .393. Rodriguez is on the club’s 2012 roster as well.

LaPoint, a native of Glens Falls, NY, is entering his 11^th season coaching or managing in independent ball. From 2002-2005, he served the pitching coach for the Long Island Ducks, and then went on to manage the Bridgeport Bluefish, both in the Atlantic League. LaPoint returned to Long Island in 2007 as manager and also served in that role in 2009-2010. In between, he was the club’s pitching coach in 2008.

Last season, LaPoint became the Boulders’ first manager, leading them to a 40-52 seventh-place finish in their inaugural campaign. The club recently announced he is coming back for 2012.

Here is hoping both LaPoint and Rodriguez find what they are looking for while in a place far from St. Louis and Cuba.

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That led to a discussion among some of the readers here as to the best Cardinal ever born in the land up North. Though the players competed in many different eras and of course played different positions, the Wins Above Replacement (WAR) stat gives us a comparison point to identify the best Canadian Cardinal of all time.

While many past and present members of the Cardinals system have played (and coached) in Canada – the Cardinals once had a minor league team in Hamilton, Ontario in fact – they will not be included here since they were not born in Canada. That group includes such luminaries as Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan (teammates with the Triple-A Vancouver Mounties in the Oakland system in 1968) , Chris Carpenter and Kyle Lohse.

New Cardinals bullpen catcher Jamie Pogue is a Canadian by birth (Guelph, Ontario), but not having reached the majors, he and his peers are also eliminated from consideration. (Interestingly, no Canadian has been a full-time manager in the majors since George Gibson of the 1934 Pittsburgh Pirates. Pogue has something to shoot for.)

In the table below, I listed all the native-born Canadian Hall of Famers that played for the Cardinals as well as all other Canadians to appear in the majors for the organization since 1925. The tables are sorted by the highest single-season WAR as a Cardinal.

As the data indicates, an old-time player, outfielder Tip O’Neill, had both the best single-season and total stint with St. Louis of any of the Canadians. With the Browns of the American Association in 1884-1889 and again in 1891, the Ontario native amassed 28.9 WAR, including 8.1 in 1887. However, since the Cardinals sadly disavow records set prior to the National League years beginning in 1892, we will place an asterisk next to O’Neill’s name and move down the list.

Pitcher Reggie Cleveland is hereby proclaimed the Cardinals MVCP, or Most Valuable Canadian Player of the modern era, though his total was just 4.7 WAR over five seasons with St. Louis. The right-hander’s best season was a 3.6 WAR 1973, his last with the club, also the best single year by a Canadian Cardinal in the modern era. (As a point of comparison, non-Canadian Carpenter’s best individual season was 5.9 WAR in 2009.)

As Cleveland’s excellent and in-depth SABR biography relates, Cardinals manager Red Schoendienst was unhappy to see the pitcher go. Red said the following when Cleveland was dealt to the Red Sox following the 1973 season, “He’s the best I have.”

Of course, Larry Walker was the finest player of this group, hands down, but was slowed by chronic injuries by the time he joined St. Louis at the end of a fine career. Walker’s best year with St. Louis was his only full season with the club and his last as a player, as he produced 2.9 WAR in 2005.

Alas, Cormier’s best St. Louis season is only fifth on the list, fourth among modern players, behind O’Neill, Cleveland, Walker and Ron Taylor.

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Other members of the Class of 2012 are former Montreal Expos star Rusty Staub, known as “Le Grande Orange” due to his red (orange) hair, former MLB pitcher and current Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin, and the entire 2011 Canadian National Team, which won the nation’s first gold medal in international competition at the Pan-American Games.

Cormier, known as “Frenchy,” is a native of Moncton, New Brunswick. He was drafted in the sixth round in 1988 by the Cardinals and made his MLB debut in August 1991. He pitched for St. Louis through 1994 and was traded to Boston for the 1995 season. With the Cardinals, Cormier had primarily been a starter, logging a 24-23 record with a 4.12 ERA in 85 games, including 68 starts.

He went on to pitch 16 years and 683 games in the major leagues for St. Louis, Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia and Cincinnati. Cormier finished in 2007 with a career 71-64 record and 4.03 ERA. He also pitched for Team Canada on numerous occasions, including the 2006 World Baseball Classic as well as in the Olympics in 1988 and in 2008. In the latter case, Cormier came back from retirement to participate.

Other individuals with Cardinals ties already in the Canadian Baseball Hall include Larry Walker, Dave McKay, Tom Henke and Reggie Cleveland as well as earlier players Tip O’Neill, Larry McLean, Rocky Nelson, Tom Burgess, Oscar Judd, Ron Taylor and Ron Piche.

The 2012 inductees will be honored on June 23 during ceremonies at the Hall, which is located in St. Marys, Ontario.

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You can read the details, but suffice it to say that Quade, basically a one-year-and-out skipper, is painted as the anti-Robin Ventura and Mike Matheny. The new on-field leaders of the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively, have yet to manage a game at any level professionally. Though both are former long-time Major League players, their media engagement level will now increase exponentially.

I have to wonder how Matheny will evolve in this area. By all indications, including my first up-close opportunity with him in his new role during the recent Winter Warm-Up, the former catcher is open and at-ease with the scribes. A man of faith, Matheny appears balanced with his priorities seemingly where they should be.

On the other hand, no games have yet been played. No losing streaks have been encountered. As has already been well documented, the Cardinals no longer employ the man generally considered the best player in baseball as well as perhaps the top pitching coach of all time. Coming off a World Series victory with a stacked roster, there seemingly could be no more pressure than already exists on the rookie manager to keep his club on the winning path.

When times were tough, Matheny’s predecessor Tony La Russa could be notoriously prickly with the media. This became evident to any and all observers via the manager’s required televised post-game interviews. At Busch Stadium, they are held in a spacious media room in which cameras are pre-set. On the road, the print and broadcast media cram into the visiting manager’s office.

Often, La Russa was either just heading into or coming out of the shower with almost no time to decompress. Having to answer some uncomfortable or perhaps ridiculous questions even a first time, let alone hearing them re-asked in a slightly re-worded manner over and over, led to frustrations boiling over on occasion.

The difference with La Russa is that long ago, his future Hall of Fame portfolio of accomplishments had been cemented. He had established such a solid track record of results that his rough edges were accepted almost without question. After all, what choice was there?

Though St. Louis is hardly a tough media town, Matheny’s reservoir of good will is nowhere near the level of his predecessor’s. When the chips are down – and at some point they surely will be – it will be interesting to see how both sides react.

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If rumors that the 36-year-old is on the verge of signing with the St. Louis Cardinals for 2012 come to reality, the question will arise as to whether his favored uniform jersey number is available.

Fortunately, the answer appears to be “yes.”

New Cardinals and former Oswalt teammates Carlos Beltran (#3) and J.C. Romero (#16) have settled on different digits. And frankly, having Oswalt, a three-time All-Star and winner of 159 career games sporting those number 44 threads would represent a considerable upgrade from its deployment in recent years.

Last season, the Cardinals broke spring camp with non-roster invitee Miguel Batista donning the number 44. After the 40-year-old pitched himself off the team, the uni was passed on to another high-mileage veteran, outfielder Corey Patterson, one of the throw-ins in the Colby Rasmus deal. Patterson was so unimpressive that he was left off the post-season roster and is unsigned for 2012.

The year before, another outfielder in the twilight days of his playing career, Randy Winn, was assigned 44.

The most famous Cardinal to wear number 44 in recent years is also looking for a place to play in 2012. Of course, that is former closer Jason Isringhausen. The 39-year-old returned to MLB last season with the New York Mets after a year away but is again a free agent. Izzy pitched for St. Louis from 2002-2008 and is the club’s all-time leader in saves with 217.

When I think of number 44, however, my mind goes to “The Zamboni Machine,” Ken Reitz. The defensive specialist manned third base for the Cards while wearing the digits for two stints totaling eight years from 1972 through 1980.

For nine years during the 1960’s, pitcher Ray Washburn, winner of 68 games with St. Louis, donned number 44. Even current manager Mike Matheny wore 44 for a brief time in 2000 (see photo) before returning to his familiar 22.

Of course, until Oswalt’s deal is done, it isn’t, but it appears one minor potential problem will not occur.

Then, there is that issue of six starters for five jobs. That may become a job for number 22 to sort out in Jupiter, Fla. starting in just three weeks…

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Articles are popping up, in which the merits of trading away the catcher before he “does a Pujols” to the Gateway City are being weighed. Speculation about what was behind his decision to skip the Cardinals Winter Warm-Up for the second consecutive year continues.

In terms of value, Molina seems to be a player at the peak of his game. He is coming off his best offensive year in addition to already being the game’s best defensive backstop. As he moves into his age 29-30 season, the time to act would seem to be now. But, what should the act be?

Re-signing Molina would please many, but is that likely? Is it the best business decision for the franchise? Is a trade any more feasible? Would any other club be willing to acquire the four-time Gold Glover without first securing a commitment to an extension?

Waiting until mid-season to trade Molina no longer seems an attractive option. The new collective bargaining agreement specifies that a club acquiring an impending free agent during his final season will not receive draft pick compensation if the player signs elsewhere.

More importantly, knowing what he could potentially make in the open market next fall, at this time why would Molina commit long-term to a new team, let alone the Cardinals?

Just like Pujols and Matt Holliday before him, Molina has earned the right to gauge his worth across the game. He gave the Cardinals two of his potential free agent years when signing his last contract, but no longer has that motivation. With financial security and being at his optimal age, this is his time.

I would not fault Molina one bit for taking that path. Free agency is the model defined by the game.

Still, just as in the case of Pujols, I suspect the Cardinals will not trade Molina in the interim. He is a very popular player and a crucial one, called “our captain on the field” by Skip Schumaker this past weekend. Via trade, Molina would not fetch a replacement of the same level of skill. There would be quantity and potential quality, but likely no single player currently as good as him.

Nor is there an heir apparent in the minor league system ready to step in. I think the Cardinals will be focused on keeping the best possible team together in hopes of a repeat title in 2012. That would seem to include Molina wearing the Birds on the Bat.

Though I did not deeply consider the Pujols situation in this context earlier on, I do now. With the benefit of hindsight, winning the 2011 World Championship made the gamble of keeping Pujols until the end pay off, in my opinion.

That was a very long opening for the real motivation I had for writing this post.

This winter, I have been reading/re-reading various Stan Musial-related books, having started with the recent George Vescey-authored, “Stan Musial: An American Life.”

Next up will be The Man’s own biography, written with/by legendary sportswriter Bob Broeg back in 1964, “Stan Musial: The Man’s Own Story.”

In between is my current subject, James Giglio’s 2001 book, “Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man.”

In the latter, just last night, I read a passage that, while from another era, reminded me of what the loss of a true game-changing catcher could mean to the franchise.

On page 124, as he discussed the post-World War II make up of the Cardinals, Giglio wrote this.

“The greatest Cardinal loss remained Walker Cooper, however, who went to the New York Giants in January 1946 for $175,000. The right-handed Cooper, the best catcher in the National League, had excellent seasons with the Giants and the Cincinnati Reds in the late 1940’s. Both Musial and (Enos) Slaughter contended than the loss of Cooper cost the Redbirds several pennants, for neither (Joe) Garagiola, Ken O’Dea or Del Rice came close to equaling Cooper’s offensive production or matching his leadership on the field. Cooper’s departure cost the Cardinals not only a long-ball threat but also balance at the plate, enabling opponents to challenge Musial’s and Slaughter’s left-handed power with southpaw pitching.

“(Owner Sam) Breadon used Cooper’s dislike of (new manager Eddie) Dyer, who managed him in the minors, as a pretext for selling him despite Dyer’s plea that he would work things out. Money remained the main motive; Breadon, tired of Cooper’s constant haggling over salary, also wanted to ensure that he came out financially ahead in 1946 in the face of higher salaries.”

The Cardinals did win the Series in 1946, but clearly hurt themselves in the long haul by disposing of Cooper. Though there were certainly other contributing factors, it would be the club’s last pennant for 18 long years, including Musial’s final 17 seasons.

Cooper was sent away three days before his 30^th birthday, the same age as Molina will be this coming winter. Just like Molina, he played in three World Series with St. Louis, with his club winning twice. At the time, Cooper was a three-time NL All-Star, same as Molina today. After leaving St. Louis, Cooper went on to play another dozen years, including his final two back with the Cardinals as a reserve in 1956 and 1957. He added five more All-Star selections for a career total of eight.

Yes, this is a different time; yet the issue, then and now, is money. There is no way of knowing if the Cardinals will offer enough of it to Molina to satisfy him. Without Pujols, they may have the budget, but do they want to pay? If not, Molina will leave, perhaps of his own volition. All things considered, is trying for another title in 2012 better than the alternative?

At this point, I can only wonder how the books of the future will treat this time in Cardinals history and in Yadier Molina’s career.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Much has been said about Matheny’s lack of coaching and managing experience, but he ran games from behind the plate for 13 Major League seasons, during which he earned four Gold Glove Awards. He is the tenth active manager across MLB to have been a catcher during his playing days.

Matheny’s selection is unusual for a franchise that has long employed experienced MLB managers. Excluding interim skipper Mike Jorgensen (1995), Matheny will be the Cardinals’ first first-time MLB manager since Ken Boyer was hired in 1978 and if he can win a title, he will be the first first-time manager to accomplish that with the club since Red Schoendienst.

Though 41 is the youngest across MLB today, it isn’t all that youthful compared to many of Matheny’s predecessors in the job. He will become the 29^th manager of the Cardinals over the last century, but only the 13^th youngest – near the middle of that population.

However, that is more about the past than recent times. Matheny will be the youngest Cards skipper since 35-year-old Solly Hemus took over in 1959. Hemus’ entire MLB managerial career ran two-plus years, during the first of which he was player/manager. (Matheny also has a two-year deal with a third-year team option.)

Hemus’ relative youth was the rule rather than the exception in the 1950’s. Starting with Marty Marion’s hiring in 1951, five of the next six Cardinals managers (including Hemus) were in their 30’s on April 1 of their first season in the job*. The only exception that decade was interim manager Stan Hack in 1958.

Perhaps it is just circumstantial that none of the five 30-somethings during the 1950’s won a pennant. Despite the presence of future Hall-of-Famer Stan Musial throughout, managers Marion, Eddie Stanky, Harry Walker, Fred Hutchinson and Hemus generally were given less-competitive clubs.

The youngest Cardinals managers in the last century were player-managers. Catcher Roger Bresnahan was 29 years of age when he took over in 1909, two months younger than another future Hall-of-Famer, second baseman Rogers Hornsby, who assumed the managerial job in 1925. At 30, “Rajah” led his 1926 club to the first of 11 Cardinals World Championships.

During the 1933 season, another future Hall resident, Frankie Frisch, took over as player-manager. He was 34. Frisch’s 1934 club brought home the team’s third World Series title.

Other Cardinals managers younger than Matheny when taking over include three more Hall of Famers, Miller Huggins (aged 35 in 1913), Branch Rickey (37 in 1919) and Billy Southworth (36 in his first shot in 1929) along with Bob O’Farrell (32 in 1927) . All except Rickey were active players along with being manager. None of them won the National League pennant (though an older and wiser Southworth later had great success in the 1940′s).

In total, 10 of 12 Cardinals managers whose stints began when they were younger than Matheny did not make the post-season. Hornsby and Frisch were the exceptions. Of course, the 12 managed during a time when the league had eight teams and no wild cards.

As a player, Matheny reached the playoffs three times, all with St. Louis, in 2001, 2002 and 2004. The latter club was swept by the Red Sox in the World Series.

Hornsby and Frisch reached the summit in their first full seasons as manager, but one might argue Matheny’s order is even taller. He is not only being given the challenge to win his first title, but to do it with a defending World Champion.

Courtesy of researcher Tom Orf, here is the full list of Matheny’s 28 managerial predecessors over the last century, presented from most recent to earliest.

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Researcher Tom Orf pulled several of Forsch’s career highlights.

First is the top post-season pitching performances in team history, as determined by Game Score. This metric was created by sabermetric pioneer Bill James to measure the strength of the pitcher’s result in a given outing.

On October 7, 1982, in Game 1 of the NLCS, Forsch tossed a three-hit shutout at the Atlanta Braves. His Game Score of 87 tied the great Bob Gibson for the second-highest in the long post-season history of the Cardinals franchise. It is just ahead of Chris Carpenter’s Game 5 NLDS gem over Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies last month. Forsch and the 1982 Cardinals went on to win the World Championship.

Here are the top ten pitching outings in Cardinals post-season history.

Forsch is one of only 28 pitchers in Major League Baseball history to throw multiple no-hitters. His first was on April 16, 1978 versus the Philadelphia Phillies with his second occurring on September 26, 1983 against the Montreal Expos. Those no-hitters were the only two ever thrown at Busch Stadium II, where Forsch won more games and pitched more innings than any other pitcher.

(The above links will take you to the boxscores for each of the no-hitters.)

In addition, here is Mike Shannon’s call of the final out of Forsch’s second no-hitter, courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals: link to audio.

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The NLCS Game 3 victory was Carpenter’s seventh career post-season win, tying him with Hall of Famer Bob Gibson for first place on the Cardinals’ all-time list. Coincidentally, Gibson was among the Busch Stadium attendees Wednesday, along with fellow Cardinals Hall of Famers Lou Brock, Red Schoendienst and Stan Musial.

With his fifth-ever home win in the playoffs, Carpenter broke a tie with John Tudor and is now alone atop that subset with the most home post-season wins in franchise history.

While Carpenter has enjoyed the advantage of expanded playoffs that did not exist in Gibson’s days, his accomplishments are certainly worth acknowledging here.

Overall in his post-season career, Carpenter is 7-2 with a 2.99 ERA (26 ER/75.1 IP), a .248 (68-for-274) opponents batting average and 46 strikeouts against 25 walks. Most importantly, the Cardinals have won 10 and lost just two of his post-season starts.

In Cardinals playoff history, Carpenter passed Matt Morris (11 starts, 73.1 IP, 44 SO) Wednesday night in starts, innings pitched and strikeouts. He now ranks second in the latter two categories for St. Louis, trailing only Gibson (81.0 IP, 92 SO).

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf, here is the full list of Cardinals post-season winners, including home-road splits. 56 different pitchers have won 103 playoff games, led by Carpenter and Gibson.

Of course, the Cardinals hope to see six more wins added to this total before they pack up their gear for a final time in 2011.

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The benefit to the team was clear as the four runs were crucial for the Cardinals to avoid elimination and force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Philly on Friday night.

Individually, it was a memorable night for Freese, as well. He logged one of the top 11 post-season performances in team history as measured in single-game RBI. All alone at number one is Reggie Sanders, who drove in six on October 4, 2005. The others in the top ten were all four-RBI games, now tied by Freese. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Cardinals won all 11 of those playoff games.

Freese might have been able to catch or even pass Sanders on Wednesday, but he left the contest via a double-switch in the top of the seventh inning. As it turned out, the order did not reach his number seven spot again in the game. Even so, Freese is the first player in team post-season history to drive in at least four in just three plate appearances.

Interestingly, Freese’s performance is the fourth of the top 11 from a third-baseman, most by players at any position. He joins Gary Gaetti (1996), Ken Boyer (1964) and the first four-RBI post-season game by a third baseman, Les Bell in Game 6 of the 1926 World Series.

Overall, this list includes the names of some of the most memorable post-season heroes in Cardinals history. Now, Freese will forever be among them.

Top single-game RBI performances, post-season, St. Louis Cardinals team history

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for the above table.

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Is it the perennial winner Albert Pujols, who has come on strongly late in the season? Could it be the cleanup hitter Matt Holliday, about whom manager Tony La Russa told me Monday, “This club is built around Matt”? Then there is surprising Lance Berkman, who may receive a majority of votes for the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award.

One who gets little notice other than for his defense, as recognized by Gold Glove Awards and All-Star Game selections, is catcher Yadier Molina. In 2011, people should celebrate his offensive contributions as well.

The 29-year-old had never hit double-digits in home runs before smacking 13 this season and needs just one more RBI to match his career-best of 62 set last year. His .298 batting average and 133 hits are highest among National League catchers.

Molina’s Tuesday night double was his 30th of the season. He is the first Cardinals catcher to collect 30 or more doubles since Ted Simmons in 1980 and is only the fourth to ever accomplish the feat. As such, it is not surprising that Molina’s current OPS of .792 is not only a career best, it is almost 100 points above his eight-season average.

Simmons remains the Cardinals catching gold standard, with six of the team’s nine seasons of 30 doubles by a catcher. (He had two other seasons of over 30 doubles, as well, but fewer than 30 were while he was stationed behind the plate.) The other 30 doubles-hitting catchers are Bob O’Farrell in 1926 and Walker Cooper in 1943.

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for the above data.

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Some things have changed since the last time we’ve reviewed the situation. The man hug that reverberated around the baseball world earlier this season between free agent-to-be Albert Pujols and then-Cubs general manager Jim Hendry (see linked article below) lost its sizzle when the amazingly-resilient GM was finally sacked last month after nine high-spending but uneven years in the chair.

While it remains to be seen, some believe the Cubs’ new owners, the deep-pocketed Ricketts family of Ameritrade fame, will try to make a splash this winter.

One theory, presented by the Chicago Sun-Times and based on comments from a major league source, says the Cubs are considering the idea of getting the key members of the early-2000’s Cardinals band back together.

Specifically, the dominoes might fall in this order. First, Walt Jocketty is lured from Cincinnati to the North Side to replace Hendry. Then, Tony La Russa is hired to manage the lovable losers. The trifecta would be complete with the signing of Pujols to man first base for many years into the future.

Though the above scenario might have seemed ridiculous even a few months ago, it feels far less crazy today. All three gentlemen will be free agents after the season and each may have good reason to look elsewhere.

Further, the usually-guarded Jocketty made a series of very positive remarks to the Sun-Times about the Cubs as an organization, the resources available (traditionally, a division-leading payroll poorly spent) and the strength of the farm system. Perhaps it was in how the remarks were presented, but it appeared to go beyond the brief, polite but non-committal comments he might normally be expected to offer.

Couple that with the uncertainty of the Pujols contract situation and a perfect storm could develop this fall and winter. Of course, it would have to be considered low odds, but think of it this way. It probably is no less likely occurring than the 4.5 percent chance the current Cardinals have of reaching the playoffs, a hope to which many are valiantly clinging. The prospect of landing this triumvirate, however unlikely, could fuel renewed hope for Cubs fans, too.

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A former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher says the Pujols contract situation and lack of vocal leadership has affected the current team’s results.

In a speaking engagement with the Evansville (Ind.) Downtown Quarterback Club on Monday, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andy Benes offered his perspective on the 2011 team, currently holding onto slim hopes of reaching the playoffs.

As reported by the Evansville Courier and Press, Benes has an interesting perspective about the current Cardinals and why they have underachieved. He feels the Albert Pujols contract uncertainty is the elephant in the room, or in this case, the ballpark.

“From the beginning of the year you could see that something was missing,” said Benes. “The Pujols deal was hanging over everybody’s heads, which nobody will talk about.”

Benes believes the suspended contract discussions cast a shadow over the ballclub that has not lifted. His assessment is that the 2011 team has been doing just enough to win recent games and remain in the playoff hunt.

Further, Benes perceives the need for a vocal leader on the team, in the mold of retired Jim Edmonds. He believes it is not in the nature of the players who most logically would take that role, specifically mentioning Pujols, Yadier Molina and Matt Holliday. He also rules out hurlers such as Chris Carpenter or Adam Wainwright.

“It can’t be a starting pitcher,” Benes said. “It has to be somebody who plays every day.”

Still, when all is said and done, Benes is among those who believe Pujols will remain with St. Louis.

Benes, who won 155 games in his 14-year MLB career, pitched for the Cardinals from 1996-97 and again in 2000-02, all under manager Tony La Russa. The native of Evansville now lives in the St. Louis area.

One of his sons, Drew, was the Cardinals’ 35^th-round draft pick in 2010 and is currently in the minor league system as a member of the Class A Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen. His brother Alan, also a former major league hurler, works in Cardinals baseball operations in the professional scouting department.

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To see how Rzepczynski would stand the test of time, I took on a much greater task – reviewing every player in the history of the major league Cardinals, back to the late 1800s.

I did not expect to find a worthy challenger to the current Cardinals’ “Scrabble,” but it turned out there was one. It wasn’t who I suspected. My favorite coming in, 2005 second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, fell short. He was previously second.

With 30 points, the leader before Rzepczynski since 1950 and now tied with him is Ed Mierkowicz. Never heard of him? Neither had I.

Still alive today at 87 years of age, the outfielder began his career with Detroit in 1945. There, despite appearing in just 10 games at the age of 21, Mierkowicz received a World Series ring. He played in 24 more major league games with the Tigers during the 1947-48 seasons.

Mierkowicz came to the Cardinals system in 1949 and toiled in the system through 1953. His major league stint with St. Louis was amazingly short, however. On April 19, 1950, he made his one and only appearance in a Cardinals uniform. The pinch-hitter struck out. It was also his final moment as a major leaguer. Mierkowicz bounced around the minor leagues before finishing his career in Mexico in 1957.

Following are the 60 ex-Cardinals whose last names score at least 20 Scrabble points. They would be joined by four current Cardinals: Rzepczynski, Eduardo Sanchez (21 points) plus Adam Wainwright and Skip Schumaker (20 points each).

Top Scrabble points, ex-St. Louis Cardinals, team history

Current Cardinals television broadcaster Al Hrabosky is among those who squeaked in at 20 points. Among the surprising misses are Red Schoendienst, Jason Simontacchi and Jason Isringhausen. The lesson to be learned is that letter quantity does not mean Scrabble scoring quality.

The discovery of Mierkowicz provided a reminder that helped me quickly determine that Rzepcyznski is not the career Major League Scrabble points leader. For example, former Twins (and other clubs) first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, once known as “Eye Chart,” comes in at 32 points. There are likely others.

Coming up next will be the All-Time Cardinals Scrabble Team.

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More than 2.5 million votes were cast from baseball enthusiasts across the country to determine the 11-man dream team, which includes some of the biggest names in baseball: Cal Ripken Jr., Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, Reggie Jackson along with ex-Cardinals closer Dennis Eckersley, my interview subject back on July 13.

The team was selected from 30 player nominees who represent more than 20 Hall of Famers, 325 All-Star Game Selections, 32 World Series Championships, 20 League MVPs, 15 Cy Young Awards, and 119 Gold Gloves.

The Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams Team roster:

• Starting Pitcher – Randy Johnson
• Catcher – Johnny Bench
• First Baseman – Frank Thomas
• Second Baseman – Rod Carew
• Third Baseman – Mike Schmidt
• Shortstop – Cal Ripken, Jr.
• Outfielders – Ken Griffey, Jr., Tony Gwynn and Reggie Jackson
• Relief Pitcher – Dennis Eckersley
• Designated Hitter – Edgar Martinez

“It was an honor to be part of the Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams ballot,” said Tony Gwynn, baseball Hall of Famer and Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams Team outfielder. “These guys are some of the greatest baseball players of all time, and it’s truly humbling to be chosen by the fans for their Field of Dreams Team.”

Similar to how the 11-man roster was chosen, from September 14 through October 5, fans will have the chance to vote for which of the four finalists will host the Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams Team, in their local community surrounded by family, friends and baseball fans.

Additionally, ESPN will air a one-hour special chronicling the Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams program, the fan-voted 11-man team and four consumer finalists on September 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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“Players have really gone over the line a lot in their behavior,” Torre said in a telephone interview. “The relationship is obviously not going to get better unless players understand that with the privilege of playing the game, there’s a certain amount of respect you have to play with.”

Among a group of examples cited, the former manager of the Cardinals, Braves, Mets, Yankees and Dodgers called out St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina. Torre suspended the Cardinal backstop for five games for bumping and spitting on umpire Rob Drake last weekend. Molina served his second game out on Saturday night and will be eligible to return next Wednesday.

“What happened the other day is certainly unacceptable, with Yadier Molina,” Torre said. “To me, that’s a sign of disrespect. And I recognize the passion in the game. But you have to understand we’re all part of this thing, and we just can’t have that take place.”

In his short time as head of all of MLB’s on-field affairs, Torre has increased his knowledge of and appreciation for the job umpires do in trying to keep peace.

“A lot of it is common sense, and a feel for how the game is going,” Torre said. “They’ve done a much better job keeping players in the game and warning people at the right time. I’m sure a big part of that is they’re letting the game play out a little bit better.”

Recognizing that fines and suspensions aren’t the answer, Torre wants to bring the two groups together to try to solve the problem.

“We certainly have to find a way to make the relationship better, and you can’t legislate that,” Torre said. “You have to find a way to gather these people and have a meaningful understanding, and the only way to do that is to be able to talk about it. I’m hoping to put something in motion, and we’re getting closer to it.”

In the Times article, no mention was made of any concern over showboating umpires or ones that have demonstrated a high level of inconsistency.

In the first inning of Saturday night’s game, the Cardinals were the beneficiary of a blown call that enabled them to score what would become their only and winning runs. A catch by Florida right fielder Mike Stanton of a sinking liner off the bat of Rafael Furcal was ruled a trap – even after all four umpires conferred. Albert Pujols soon followed with a two-run home run in what would be a 2-1 St. Louis victory.

Marlins manager Jack McKeon, understandably upset over what became a game-changing mistake, spoke out about what he perceives to be a double standard regarding umpiring:

“We get kicked out of the game,” McKeon told the Palm Beach Post. “The players perform poorly they’re sent out. But there are no consequences if they continue to make bad calls.”

Footnote: Drake tossed Alex Gordon and manager Ned Yost of Kansas City on Sunday. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports felt the ejections were unnecessary.

Earlier article: “Ejections rise with temperatures“.

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Rogers wonders why the Chicago White Sox felt the need to flip Jackson to the Toronto Blue Jays first rather than take Rasmus themselves. He explains why he saw the two clubs’ needs having matched up well.

One possible conclusion Rogers backs is that the deal was made with 2012 in mind – specifically to ensure that Rasmus would be nowhere to be found when Tony La Russa returns to the South Side to manage the Sox next season.

La Russa began his major league managerial career with the 1979 White Sox at the age of 34. Pitching coach Dave Duncan joined La Russa there in 1983.

The manager’s long-standing friendship with Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has been well documented. On one hand, it seems a stretch that current general manager Kenny Williams would have been instructed from upstairs to avoid acquiring Rasmus.

On the other, La Russa has spoken fondly in recent years about working for an owner like Reinsdorf. From a February 2010 interview with Comcast SportsNet Chicago:

“If I ever left the field and went upstairs, which I hope to do some time maybe soon, I’d like to work for an owner that I like and that I respect as much as I do Jerry, because I want to be motivated to make him happy,” La Russa said.

Reinsdorf, a lawyer like La Russa, is a Chicago fixture, having run both the White Sox and Bulls for multiple decades. He presided over controversial decisions such as letting NBA champions Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan leave Chicago. Yet, Reinsdorf regrets most the 1986 dismissal of La Russa by his club, as quoted in the book “Tony La Russa: Man on a Mission” by Rob Rains.

“I never should have allowed Tony to be fired. I’ve often said that was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. I knew it was wrong. I knew it was a mistake. And I let it happen anyway,” Reinsdorf said.

Whether or not La Russa is in the Sox’ future, 2011 may be combustible Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen’s final season with the team. It remains another leap to assume La Russa would be his successor, though it is an interesting thought for TLR to become second on baseball’s all-time managerial list and conclude his celebrated on-field career where it began.

For his part, though La Russa is not under contract for 2012, he has said previously that he does not plan to take another field job before moving into an undefined future role in the game. Would the Sox and Reinsdorf be enough for him to change his mind, managing perhaps interim to taking a front office spot? Rogers thinks so.

The Chicago writer also brings into his story “Super Joe” McEwing. The former Cardinals fan favorite is now the White Sox Triple-A manager, as was La Russa over three decades ago. Rogers names McEwing as “most likely” La Russa’s 2012 White Sox bench coach and heir-apparent manager.

Rogers did not identify any sources to support his theory.

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1)     His role as the team’s power threat during years of a different kind of play by the Cards. He was a part of the club from 1978-1984, covering the first half of the Whiteyball era.

2)     His long uniform pants covering his stirrup socks. Hendrick was the first Cardinal to do this, something that is the norm today.

3)     His unwillingness to speak with the press, which led to him being nicknamed “Silent George.”

Now in the generally-anonymous role of first base and outfield coach for the Tampa Bay Rays, Hendrick rarely makes the papers these days. Many players have since followed his trend-setting ways.

There may be a new silent outfielder in St. Louis as  Colby Rasmus, coming off his second consecutive start and solid performance on Monday night, turned down repeated requests from the press for remarks following the game.

In recent weeks, Rasmus has been a focal point for media as well as fan criticism as his slump in the field and at the plate had reached almost three months in duration. The centerfielder was ceding playing time to fellow left-handed hitter Jon Jay and comments and actions by manager Tony La Russa led to some drawing the conclusion that Rasmus had lost his starting role.

Earlier, remarks made by La Russa just prior to the all-star break regarding Colby’s use of external hitting instruction touched off a firestorm of backlash about the player himself as well as his long-time coach and father, Tony.

Trade rumors, whether founded or not, raced across the sports pages and internet. This remains a hot topic two weeks later.

Against this backdrop, the soft-spoken Rasmus has decided not to talk, apparently to let his play on the field speak for him instead.

On Monday night, several press members, on deadline, expressed immediate concern via Twitter over Rasmus’ new stance. At least one media personality, Brian Stull of 101 ESPN Radio in St. Louis, said he understood Rasmus’ position, drawing disagreement from multiple peers.

Rasmus is in a tough place as everything he says is not only amplified, but also distorted by a subset whose minds have already been made up about him as a player and a person.

Yet if he does not speak, he may take further risk as some will try to view and interpret his actions through their own lenses and may or may not be accurate in their reading of the situation.

Some believe that Rasmus should try to be more open with fans directly, as he was when he granted an extensive television interview with FOX Sports Midwest’s Pat Parris in New York last week.

We have no way of knowing if the 24-year-old’s new stance of silence will change tomorrow or after Sunday’s non-waiver trade deadline has passed, but his father thinks it is a permanent decision.

“I’m betting the house they never get another comment out of him…..ever,” wrote Tony Rasmus, aka RCWarrior, on The Cardinal Nation message board after Monday’s game.

The main question remaining is how long “ever” includes Colby being a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

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I had the opportunity to speak with Eckersley on Tuesday as he was working at the 2011 MLB All-Star Game in Phoenix. In the following interview, we discuss the changing role of the closer, the various characteristics that make a successful ninth-inning man and wrap up with his view of the pitching needs in St. Louis and how long he thinks La Russa will continue to manage.

Listen to audio: Dennis Eckersley interview (10:27)

The former hurler has been seen regularly on television in recent months as one of the stars of the Pepsi Max “Clubhouse in the Corn” commercial along with other Hall of Famers and current MLB stars. Eckersley has also been busy raising awareness about a new promotion, Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams.

You can create an All-Star roster of your own with a salute to the living legends of the game. Now through August 31, at MLB.com/PepsiMAX, you can vote for your favorite players at each of the nine positions.  For each ballot cast, you will be entered to win the chance to take on the winning Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams Team on your home turf next spring. Eckersley and Ozzie Smith are among the 30 retired MLB greats on the ballot.

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This doesn’t mean that I am taking sides in the current flap over Rasmus’ slump and the widely-reported deployment of his father as his batting mentor over his hitting coaches with the Cardinals. All I am saying is that the situation is not nearly as unusual as some might lead you to believe.

There wasn’t an internet in the 1970′s and 1980’s, but if there had been, I bet we would all know the name of John Hernandez, father of former Cardinals, Mets and Indians first baseman Keith Hernandez.

“John was a demanding father who immersed himself in the athletic lives of his sons, requiring them to take written tests on baseball strategy and analyzing film of their little league games to improve their swings,” wrote Ian C. Friedman in his book, “Latino Athletes.”

In a 1994 New York Magazine article entitled “The After Life,” Chris Smith said this.

“Hernandez loved the game, but one reason he played it with such fury was that his father never stopped hounding him. Beginning when Keith was 6, John Hernandez – a former minor-leaguer whose promising career ended when he was hit in the head by a pitch – tutored, drilled and badgered his son into greatness. Even after Keith became a pro, John Hernandez was monitoring every swing via a satellite dish in the backyard of the suburban San Francisco home where Keith had grown up.”

If there is one background article from this post that you select to read, it definitely should be an October 1986 article from Sports Illustrated’s William Nack, entitled “He’s Still Not Home Free.”

Nack cited the following example of a clash over hitting instruction early in Hernandez’ career with the Cardinals. Keith debuted with St. Louis in 1974 at the age of 20, but struggled the next season.

“Hernandez was hitting .250 for the Cards when they sent him back to Tulsa in June 1975. The St. Louis batting instructor, Harry (the Hat) Walker, had been asking him to hit every pitch to the opposite field, no matter where it was in the strike zone. John Hernandez had taught him to go with the pitch, to all fields, and now Keith could no longer pull the ball. Slumping, he was benched and finally sent back to Tulsa. There, manager Ken Boyer tried to help him regain his old stroke. He ended up hitting .330 in Tulsa, and that was it for minor league ball.”

In 1979, Hernandez became co-Most Valuable Player of the National League, batting a career-best .344. The next three years were much harder for the first baseman, however.

In “Cardinals Encyclopedia,” Mike Eisenbath summarized some of Hernandez’ later troubles in St. Louis.

“…He dealt with problems in his marriage and heard persistent trade rumors. The barrage of criticism was occasionally heavy concerning a perceived lack of hustle and selfishness on his part…”

Whitey Herzog dealt Hernandez to the New York Mets on June 15, 1983, for starting pitcher Neil Allen and reliever Rick Ownbey. Though rumors were swirling around Hernandez, only later did his cocaine use at the time become common knowledge as he was called to testify about it in a 1985 grand jury trial. He later said he cleaned up on his own prior to the 1983 season, but it was apparently too late for Herzog.

Despite the reasons behind the trade, it became one of the worst in Cardinals history and a spark for a then-last place Mets team. Hernandez went on to serve as a leader for the young World Champion 1986 New York club.

In the above-referenced SI article published during Hernandez’ Mets heyday, Nack wrote about John Hernandez, then 63 years of age and still a major part of his 33-year-old son’s professional preparation – like it or not.

“…John Hernandez, Juan to his son, is an obsessive and overbearing man who taught Keith how to hit and field, and the simple truth is that no one, no manager or batting instructor, knows the nuances of his swing half as well as his father does…

“For years, John’s understanding of Keith’s stroke has been the tether that has kept these two men together. Keith knows that no one can help him out of a slump as quickly as his father can, and so, throughout his career, he has often turned to his father for help. At the same time, he has felt the compelling need to break away from his father and make it on his own, to be his own man…

“…Hernandez’s friends well know the conflict. (Mets teammate Ed) Lynch says he once heard Keith say, ‘God, why doesn’t he leave me alone?’ – then a half hour later he heard Keith on the phone asking his dad for help with his stroke.”

After retiring in 1991, Hernandez stayed away from the game for a number of years. New York Magazine’s Smith explained in 1994 that the relationship between player and father/coach did not end well.

“It wasn’t physical pain though that drove him into a self-imposed exile from baseball. He shut off his mind from the game to try to erase the emotional hurt that he associated with baseball, which was tangled up with the anger at his father.

“For four years, Hernandez has talked weekly with a psychiatrist. But before father and son could go to the movies without arguing over how Keith should handle the split-fingered fastball, John Hernandez died of cancer.”

John Hernandez passed away as players reported to spring camp in March 1992, the start of Keith’s second year out of baseball since 1959. Now 57 years of age, Keith Hernandez is back in the game as an analyst for New York Mets telecasts.

Who knows if this short look back into history has any relationship to Colby Rasmus’ situation, past, present or future, other than to remind us that a close and complex relationship between a major league player and his father/coach is not unique, even for the St. Louis Cardinals.

If Rasmus is dealt away for a starter and reliever, Cardinals fans should hope their names won’t be remembered almost 30 years later for the wrong reason as are Allen and Ownbey today.

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Chass’ latest target is none other than a fellow Cooperstown inductee, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson.

Following a sparse, two-paragraph review of the upcoming HBO special about the late Curt Flood and his fight against MLB’s reserve clause which bound a player to a team, Chass quickly turned to his specialty, attacking others.

Chass labels the former Cardinals hurler a “tin man,” in other words, heartless, because Gibson did not come out publicly in support of his teammate Flood’s legal challenge against baseball’s owners in 1970.

Even as he completed his skewering of Gibson, Chass undercut his own position by admitting that Gibson was far from alone. In fact, the writer acknowledges that not one major league player came to Flood’s defense at the time.

In other words, Gibson was simply one of 599 other major leaguers in 1970 that did not step out of line to risk the ramifications of crossing the then-all-powerful owners.

Though other contemporaries of Flood such as Joe Torre and Tim McCarver are quoted in the article about their own indifference to the Flood situation, they were spared Chass’ slander.

Apparently one reason Gibson was singled out was because the candid former pitcher was willing to discuss the situation in depth with the HBO filmmakers, providing Chass quotes to dissect.

Another reason appears to be that Gibson’s long-tenured dislike of the press remains stuck in Chass’ craw.

“As a player, Gibson intimidated opposing batters with his blazing fastball and reporters with his menacing stare and gruff responses to questions,” Chass wrote. “In retirement he has not mellowed. He neither takes phone calls from reporters nor returns them.”

Did Chass single out Gibson because he spoke with HBO and not him?

One final question.

In his 1970 writings, did Chass spring to Flood’s defense, joining the lonely fight against baseball’s barons? Or instead, did he “wimp out,” just as his headline over 40 years after the fact accuses Gibson of doing?

One thing we have learned from the steroids era is that silence was wide-spread at the time. Moralizing after the fact about what should have been done simply creates the impression of hypocrisy by the accuser.

More than likely, the pot is calling the kettle black here and it is not becoming.

Update:  A reader provided this link from the NYT, noting that in 1971, the very brave and visionary Chass wondered if players who demand change have mental issues.

Notes: “The Curious Case of Curt Flood” is a 90-minute documentary that premieres on HBO at 9 P.M. EDT on July 13. I also highly recommend reading “A Well-Paid Slave,” a Flood biography written by Brad Snyder.

The above photo is from the aftermath of game seven of the 1964 World Series. On the far left, an exhausted Gibson is helped off the field by catcher McCarver, while Flood, number 21, is in the far right of the shot.

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On the National League side, many know Pete Rose holds a share of the longest at 44 games, set in 1978, tying Willie Keeler’s 1897 best. If you are like me, however, you didn’t know who holds the St. Louis Cardinals record.

The correct answer is not shortstop Ryan Theriot, whose 20-game streak ended at the hands of Houston’s Cardinal killer Bud Norris and reliever Mark Melancon on Wednesday night in Houston.

Theriot’s feat was non-trivial, however, and reached more than halfway to the team record. It is tied for 32^nd-longest in team history and is the best streak by a Cardinal since Ryan Ludwick went 21 games two seasons ago.

I did find it interesting that Theriot’s .759 OPS during his streak was the lowest of any of the 42 streaks on the top list and his .326 batting average was third-worst.

Albert Pujols strung together 30 consecutive games with a hit back in his third season of 2003, the best performance by a Cardinal in the last decade. In the process, Pujols tied Stan Musial, whose 30 games in 1950 is the longest streak ever by a Cardinals left-handed hitter.

The overall team leader?

That would be Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby. “Rajah” hit safely in 33 consecutive games almost 89 years ago, in August and September 1922.

St. Louis Cardinals longest hitting streaks, consecutive games

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for pulling the above table.

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One of those questionable plays in the field during the Cardinals’ 12-7 loss involved outfielder Colby Rasmus as he seemed to pull back on a ball in the left-center gap in the top of the sixth. The door opened for the Giants to take the lead.

On the other hand, Rasmus had a night to remember with the bat as he hit his second career grand slam and tripled, driving in six runs.

On the visitors’ side, veteran Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff more than matched Rasmus as he collected four hits, including three home runs, and also plated six.

I asked researcher Tom Orf how often this feat of a six-RBI player on each club had occurred previously in Cardinals history. Back to at least 1920, the answer is just twice. Including Thursday, the Cardinals lost all three games.

On September 15, 1922, Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby drove in six runs and was matched by six RBI from Philadelphia’s Butch Henline. The final score was 10-9, Phillies. It was the only other dual six-RBI game played in a regulation nine innings.

The other such contest is a most famous one. Commonly known as “The Sandberg Game,” the Cardinals faced the Cubs in Chicago on national television on June 23, 1984.

With the Cubs down 9-8 in the ninth inning, Chicago second baseman Ryne Sandberg hit a dramatic home run against another future Hall of Famer and former Cub, Bruce Sutter.

As the game went into extras, the Cards scored two in the top of the tenth. Once again, Sutter and Sandberg did battle in the bottom of the tenth, this time with a runner on base. Sandberg launched another home run to again tie the game. The Cubs won the battle in the 11th by the score of 12-11.

As you might expect, Sandberg made our six-RBI minimum. In fact, he plated seven that day. Almost lost in the Cubs’ heroics was Cardinals outfielder Willie McGee’s six RBI earlier that same afternoon.

Thursday night’s loss was tough, but it will quickly be forgotten, unlike “The Sandberg Game,” which is likely to live on forever.

Who knows? With the Cubs heading into Busch Stadium this coming weekend, maybe another such memorable skirmish is in the offing.

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After Descalso’s Tuesday hit, catcher Gerald Laird was shown in the dugout rubbing the fingers on his non-broken hand together in the universal symbol for money.

“We call him D-Money,” manager Tony La Russa said about Descalso after Tuesday’s win.

This season, Descalso has now driven in nine runs from the seventh inning on with the game tied or the Cardinals down a run. This is generically called a “late and close” situation.

I asked researcher Tom Orf to put Descalso’s early-season, late-game feats into some historical perspective.

In the last 60 years, only ten Cardinals had collected at least seven late and close RBI through the end of May. Descalso makes the 11^th player to do so.

With six games to go in the month, Descalso needs just two more late and close RBI to pass his teammate Albert Pujols and join his hitting coach Mark McGwire at the top of the list as the most productive early-season, late-game Cardinal since at least 1950.

Big Mac collected 11 RBI to kick off his record-breaking 70-home run season of 1998. Pujols had ten early-late RBI in what went on to become the Cardinals World Championship season of 2006.

Descalso may not reach those kinds of heights this season, but his success in crucial situations still deserves notice.

St. Louis Cardinals, late and close RBI, through end of May, 1950-present

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After MLB took the game over, it moved to Cincinnati in 2009 and 2010 and now to Atlanta for this year and next. The Philadelphia Phillies will face the Atlanta Braves in the nationally-televised broadcast on TBS Sunday, May 15 at 1:30 P.M.

Former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman, ex-National League president and long-time broadcaster Bill White wrote an article for CNN for the occasion. It reminds us that while Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier in 1947 was crucial, it was just the first step in a long battle that went on for over two decades.

While the game on the field was integrated, off the field, segregation was not only common, it remained acceptable to many. White and many others began to speak out despite the personal and professional risks involved.

What followed not only drove positive changes in the Cardinals practices during spring training, but more importantly, helped open the door for a much broader impact across all walks of life in America.

That is the message to be remembered today.

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The three saves, collected against Washington in last Wednesday’s game two and versus Cincinnati on Friday and Sunday, were the first three opportunities of Boggs’ major league career, which spans back to June 2008 and 91 previous appearances.

To help us determine how notable Boggs’ introduction to closing has been, researcher Tom Orf pulled the list of Cardinals relievers who converted their first three save chances since 1950.

Boggs became number 46 on the list but the first since Al Reyes six years ago. He has logged the ninth 3-for-3 introduction to the job over Tony La Russa’s 16 years managing the club.

Notable in their absences are Franklin and Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley. Eck blew two of his first four chances for La Russa in 1996. Franklin’s 2007 start with St. Louis was far rockier. He blew his first three save opportunities and five of six in his first season with the club.

St. Louis Cardinals with saves in all of first three-plus opportunities, 1950-present

It will take some months of flawless pitching before Boggs can threaten the best start for a new Cardinals closer in recent years. In 1995, the season prior to La Russa’s arrival, veteran Tom Henke converted his first 22 save opportunities.

Henke was in a much difference career place than Boggs, having already logged 275 saves with Texas and Toronto. It would become the final season of Henke’s 14 years in the major leagues. At age 37, he went out on top, with his 1.83 ERA the lowest of his career and his 36 saves in 38 opportunities representing his second-best season.

At this point, Boggs can only dream of such success. His initial test drive will continue on rougher roads in Houston and Atlanta this week.

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