Though there are no documented reports of the 42nd President of the United States attending a Cardinals contest while in office from 1993-2001, he listened to the St. Louis Cardinals on the radio while growing up in Arkansas and has remained a strong supporter of the national pastime.

As documented in the attached photo, Clinton attended a Cardinals-New York Mets game at Shea Stadium on August 22, 2006, visiting the St. Louis clubhouse. “I’m so old, I remember Harry Caray calling the Cardinal games,” Clinton cracked. Earlier, in February 1993, the President was presented with a Cardinals jacket during an appearance at St. Louis’ Union Station.

His wife Hillary grew up as a Chicago Cubs fan. An Illinois native, Ms. Clinton is the current Secretary of State. She added American League allegiance to the Yankees in 1999 when preparing for her successful run for one of the New York seats in the US Senate.

Opened in 2004, the Clinton Library and Museum is located in Little Rock, Arkansas within the Clinton Presidential Center and Park, along with the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and the Little Rock offices of the Clinton Foundation.

In addition to Clinton’s archival collection and research facilities, the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum features exhibits, special events and educational programs. The museum includes replicas of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room.

A Cardinals Exhibit Season Pass is now available for purchase from the museum’s online store. Its $10 price includes admission to the museum and the Cardinals exhibit for the entire time it will be on display.

More information will be provided on the Cardinals-themed exhibit when it is announced.

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

Johnson City town officials continue to struggle with what to do about the growing list of repair items to the home of the Cardinals, Howard Johnson Field. The five-acre sports area, called Cardinal Park, is primarily used by the Appalachian League farm team, as well as for Eastern Tennessee State University (ETSU) and local high school baseball games.

The existing problems at Cardinal Park are considerable. A survey forwarded to Major League Baseball officials last summer indicated the facility is not in compliance with a number of Professional Baseball Agreement standards. Items flagged include inadequate seating capacity, lighting, playing surface quality, security, toilets, concessions and bullpen and dugout amenities.

Nearly $1 million of repairs are on the most immediate requirements list, which include a new playing surface, left field wall as well as lighting and electrical improvements. With little funds, City Manager Pete Peterson dismissed the study results as a “wish list.”

Rather than repair the facility, built in 1950 and the continuous home of the Cardinals since 1975, some officials suggested the Cardinals move their home to ETSU’s new stadium. Others note the new ballpark, already under construction, is not a solution as it does not meet minor league facility standards, either. Upgrade costs involved for additional locker rooms, bathrooms and seating may be significant and the source of those funds has not been identified.

In the meantime, the situation at Cardinal Park remains a challenge for local officials. The city is looking for an increase in user fees from the Johnson City Sports Foundation, which operates the team for the parent St. Louis Cardinals. The contention is the current fees do not even cover maintenance expenses.

More facility band aids will be applied in the interim. A $163,000 bid to remove and replace the left-field fence only was deemed too high but a $96,000 offer was accepted on Thursday. The city also has proceeded with a $17,000 contract to re-grade the uneven infield and replace its sod.

Even that work was not approved until the Cardinals “made a verbal commitment” to remain in Johnson City. Local officials apparently wanted that assurance before spending any money on even the most-pressing items on the long list of problems identified in the survey.

One positive change was made to Cardinal Park last off-season. The 15-foot-high berm in right field that ascended at an angle of 55 to 60 degrees was removed. Once the adjoining football field was razed, the berm could be taken out. Also gone is the injury-protection rule implemented by the Cardinals that the right fielder could not take more than two steps up the berm.

Still, no long-term solution appears in sight for the facility situation overall, about which one city official likened this past fall to “trying to hug Jello.”

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

St. Louis Cardinals pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Jupiter, Fla. on February 18 and conduct their first workout on February 19. The remainder of the players are expected to report by February 23 with their first workout on February 24.

In the meantime, I thought I would post a short survey to gauge your opinion on which recent St. Louis Cardinals-related topic has been beaten most to death in recent months, not just here, but by the media and fans in general.

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

If you are new to the blog and not familiar with the Cardinals organization roster matrix, here is quick summary:

At the time of this posting, the St. Louis Cardinals had 266 players under contract from top to bottom, including 39 players on the 40-man roster. The matrix places each one at his assigned level in the system at the conclusion of 2011 and by position. Spring training camp invitees are shown separately. This matrix is updated daily or whenever transactions occur.

Nowhere else will you find this current and comprehensive single-page view of the entire Cardinals organization.

Don’t be concerned about the order of the players’ names within a team. It doesn’t signify anything.

The players on the 40-man roster are called out in bold.

The short-season pitchers are broken out into returnees and summer 2011 signees.

Full team rosters and player profiles at The Cardinal Nation

Remember that to get detailed profile information on every single one of these 266 Cardinals players, simply check out their free player profiles updated at The Cardinal Nation.com / Scout.com. You can see bios, photos, videos, articles, news items, links to current season and career stats and much more – everything you need to know about a player in one place.

Click on the following links to be taken to one of the nine team pages at The Cardinal Nation. You can also see rosters and player profiles back to 2004:

Full-season clubs
St. Louis Cardinals
Memphis Redbirds
Springfield Cardinals
Palm Beach Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits

Short-season clubs
Batavia Muckdogs
Johnson City Cardinals
Gulf Coast League Cardinals
Dominican Summer League Cardinals

Once on a team page, just click on a player’s name to be taken to his individual profile page for that year. For example, here is Shelby Miller’s 2012 profile.

Looking ahead and back

Now that you’ve found this page once, remember one of three ways to get back here. Bookmark the page, type “Roster Matrix” in the dark blue search box at the upper right or use the dropdown menu at the top of the page: “Players/Staff” > “Depth Charts/Roster Matrix”.

For details behind past rosters and transactions, check out the earlier versions of the Cardinals organization roster matrix as follows.

Link to previous matrices: Jan–March 2009, April 2009, May 2009, June 2009, July 2009-February 2010, Spring camp 2010, Opening season 2010, First half 2010, Short-season 2010, 2010-11 Off-season, 2011 spring training, 2011 regular season, 2011 short-season, 2011-2012 off-season

Related resources

St. Louis Cardinals 2012 major league spring training schedule
St. Louis Cardinals 2012 minor league spring training schedule (subscriber article)

Transactions

01/24: New matrix. Organization total: 266 players.

02/06: SS Alex Cora signed to a minors deal with MLB spring camp invite. New total: 267 players.

02/08: Dominican RHP Andres Serrano signed (in October). New total: 268 players.

02/10: RHR Scott Linebrink signed to a minors deal with MLB spring camp invite. New total: 269 players.

The St. Louis Cardinals Organization Roster Matrix (effective 02/10/12)

Codes
(I): injured
(TI): temporary inactive list
(SL): suspended list
(RL): restricted list
(MIL): military list
(TO): tryout player not under contract
(L) left-handed pitcher
bold: on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster
(#+#) number of active players on the roster plus number of inactive/not under contract (DL+TI+SL+RL+MIL+TO) players

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

(In one artificial measure, Pujols is the only person to appear on the cover of  the Cardinals Media Guide in each of the last three years. Stan Musial was also pictured twice.)

I want to be clear that I have never heard anyone even remotely connected to the team mention the phrase “face of the franchise,” even in jest. Yet some writers obviously came in with this idea firmly planted in their heads and sure enough, they followed through.

Do a Google search on the term and you will find half a dozen articles from the last few days about this very subject. I am not listing them here, as I don’t want to single one out. They are all pretty much the same other than drawing different conclusions as to the eventual winner, perhaps.

It does provide a safe vehicle to create a laundry list of “candidates” and string some quotes together during a very dry period for real news, but that is about it. No, here is how I really feel. I thought the concept was stupid then and actually felt a bit uncomfortable for the players when the questions were being asked. After reading a few of the articles, I feel even more strongly now.

If there is such a thing as a face of any franchise, it has to be earned on the field, and hopefully off as well. Leadership isn’t something that is proclaimed by a teammate or worse, a writer.

After all, this isn’t the Pittsburgh Pirates we are talking about here, a team that hasn’t had a winning record in 19 years. This is a proven, consistent winner. If you want a face, how about using the 2011 World Championship trophy?

If a true leader of the St. Louis Cardinals emerges down the road, it happens. If it doesn’t, as long as the team continues to win, who really cares?

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

Included in row order below are Matt Adams, Brandon Dickson, Daniel Descalso, J.C. Romero, Shelby Miller, Jon Jay,  Jason Motte and Shane Robinson, with more to come throughout the day.

The Cardinal Nation subscribers should check out on the main site where I loaded the comments from each of the above Sunday speakers. I did the same Saturday and expect do so for Monday as well.

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

Pitchers (10): Shelby Miller, John Gast, Joe Kelly, Jordan Swagerty, Trevor Rosenthal, Victor Marte, R.J. Swindle, Kevin Siegrist, Nick Greenwood, Tyrell Jenkins

Catchers: (5): Steven Hill, Koyie Hill, Robert Stock, Cody Stanley, Luis De La Cruz

Infielders (4): Matt Adams, Kolten Wong, Ryan Jackson, Eugenio Velez

Cardinals Major League pitchers and catchers report to Jupiter, Fla. on February 18 with their first workout set for February 19.  The Cardinals full squad reports on February 23 and begins workouts on February 24.

You can view the entire 2012 Cardinals spring training schedule here.

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

The first show will include interviews with players, a look at the Warm-Up and video from the Cardinals Caravan, held this weekend. Episode two is expected to include player interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from the St. Louis Cardinals visit to the White House on Tuesday, January 17.

Cardinals Winter Warm-Up specials on FOX Sports Midwest (times Central)

Monday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. (episode 1)
Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. (episode 1)
Sunday, Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. (episode 1)
Monday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. (episode 2)
Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 9:30 p.m. (episode 2)
Friday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. (episode 2)
Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7 and 7:30 p.m. (episode 1 and 2)
Friday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. (episode 2)

I will be at the event this weekend as well, and will be posting content primarily on the main site, TheCardinalNation.com.

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

As you might imagine, the list has grown substantially, to the point it currently numbers 55 players. At least these are the ones of which I am aware. (Feel free to check back, as I am sure to be reminded of several that I inadvertently forgot and informed of others.)

A number of the players are anxious to gain more followers, so if you are interested, their names and ids follow. Several others are just the opposite, protecting their tweets, so don’t be offended if they don’t respond to your follow request. Some are far less active tweeting than others, so you’ll have to decide what is best for you.

I can’t guarantee your baseball IQ will increase substantially as a result, as this group is like any other cross section of individuals on Twitter. Some content is interesting, some is typical banter between friends and certain tweets are frankly a bit off the wall.

Yet, within the last two days, the excitement of players such as Tyrell Jenkins, Joe Kelly and Nick Greenwood radiated through their tweets as they announced receiving invitations to major league spring training camp and accepted congratulations from others.

The players are organized below by the level at which they ended the 2011 regular season. The active links for many of the names will take you to their stats pages at Baseball-Reference.com.

Remember the roster matrix: Exclusively here at The Cardinal Nation Blog, you can view every player in the entire Cardinals system by level and position, kept current all year long. Click here or you can always access current as well as past matrices from the “Players/Staff” > “Depth Charts/Roster Matrix” dropdown on the menu bar at the top of this page.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One factor has been the inability to show a profit in running the Muckdogs. Since assuming control of the Batavia franchise in 2008, RCB has lost around $600,000 in total on the Muckdogs, according to an article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

Though not rendered explicit in the article, based on past disclosures, this would signal the Muckdogs lost in the area of $110,000 in 2011, up from their $92,000 deficit logged in 2010. That would represent the majority of the Rochester loss in 2011.

Comments from RCB officials no longer hold out hope for a turnaround in Batavia, but instead reflect a realization that sale of the team is inevitable.

“We plan to continue operating the Batavia franchise until it is sold,” RCB President/CEO/COO Naomi Silver told the paper. “Making money any season in Batavia is a tall order. We know that now. Batavia has an extremely loyal fan base but it isn’t large enough. But when the team is sold, we expect to make a considerable profit.”

Despite fielding competitive baseball teams, the Muckdogs have consistently remained among the bottom-dwellers of the New York-Penn League in attendance, drawing on average around 1,000 per game.

RCB’s operating agreement with the Batavia ownership includes five percent take of the eventual sale price of the team. This will be the fifth year of the arrangement, so RCB would receive 25 percent of the sale proceeds from the Muckdogs franchise. That should be over a million dollars and could be as much as $1.5 million.

“The going price for a team in the NY-P League is $5 to $6 million,” Silver said. “I believe it is inevitable that the Muckdogs will be sold. I get a call or two a week from potential buyers.”

The team has been on the market since at least the third quarter of 2010, but no timetable for a sale has been disclosed. The St. Louis Cardinals Player Development Contract with the Muckdogs runs through the 2012 season and at this point, it seems the team will play at least one more year in Batavia.

What happens after that is entirely up in the air.

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

In my annual just-for-fun endeavor, I look at rising and falling autograph prices from year to year. These are set by someone within the Cardinals hierarchy, and offer at least some estimation of the expected supply and demand for the autographs.

In addition, the list of those signing for free includes over 40 names of former, current and aspiring Cardinals. Also included for the second consecutive year are a trio of former Negro Leagues players, DeMorris Smith, Jesse Rogers and Sam Taylor.

As always, the proceeds go to charity, Cardinals Care, so the needy are the true winners. Autograph tickets will go on sale online at cardinals.com at 9 A.M. on Wednesday, December 21. There is a limit of three tickets per player except for Lance Berkman and David Freese at one each.

Those two vaulted up to the top prices, replacing Albert Pujols. Also at the top of the pecking order are Matt Holliday at $75, down from last year and Yadier Molina, returned to his $75 from two years ago.

The signatures of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright are considered equals as Tony La Russa’s price is up following his retirement. His replacement, Mike Matheny, sees an expected increase, but still seems a good bargain. Allen Craig and Jason Motte move right on up.

Shelby Miller and Matt Adams make their first for-fee appearances, with the prospects being shown as much love as several long-time starting pitchers.

The ranks of the Cardinals Hall of Famers are halved, down two this year, with  Bruce Sutter and Lou Brock apparently not signing. Bob Gibson is again staying away and those hoping for an Ozzie Smith return look to be disappointed.

The roster of past Cardinals heroes signing for a small fee is down quite a bit, though Mike Shannon is a nice addition.

The article would not be complete without noting those former Cardinals who signed in past years, but are not a part of the 2012 event – for a couple of different reasons, no doubt.

Finally, here are those who will be signing for free. There are some nice names, so don’t think you have to drop big money to snare good autographs. For example, signatures of past stars like John Tudor, the Benes brothers and Wally Moon plus future Cardinals like Zack Cox can be had at no charge.

The 16th Annual Winter Warm-Up, a three-day event, will take place on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend; Saturday, Sunday and Monday, January 14-16, 2012. Three-day event passes are $40 for adults and $10 for children 5-15 years of age, same prices as last year.

For full WWU information, including signing schedules and ticket ordering, follow this link.

January 5 update: Three late additions have been made to the autograph group – Lou Brock and Carlos Beltran at $75 each and Brian Jordan at $5.

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

I was sent the following job description from MLB.com via SABR and am posting it here to share with you as well.

MLB.com, the Official Site of Major League Baseball, is seeking stats stringers in Miami, Pittsburgh, Houston, St. Louis and Atlanta for the 2012 season:

Stats stringers are responsible for digitally scoring games from one of the 30 MLB ballparks, which provides the data used in the live content applications on MLB.com, including Gameday and MLB.TV, real-time highlights and text alerts, and by our business partners. This is a perfect part-time job for a diligent, responsible employee who happens to be a big baseball fan.

Responsibilities include:

• Arrive at the ballpark no later than one hour prior to the scheduled start time;
• Double-check and verify all pre-game information: rosters, umpires, weather conditions, etc.;
• During the game, enter the results of every pitch and game event (plays, substitutions, etc.) using our proprietary software and coding language;
• Work closely with our game-night support staff (via AOL Instant Messenger) to ensure proper scoring of all game events and accuracy of data;
• After the game, enter all post-game information: winning and losing pitcher, saves, holds, time and attendance
• Validate all stats in software box score against the official box score provided by the Official Scorer, and print out a final box score and game text for the club PR staff

Qualifications include:

• Previous experience (including pressbox exposure) with a professional or college sports team, preferably baseball;
• Exceptional (and demonstrable) knowledge of baseball and how to score a baseball game;
• Strong computer proficiency (Windows OS and Windows-based software) and the ability to quickly learn and operate new software;
• Regular availability to attend games in-person as required by the schedule: weekdays, nights and weekends;
• A “team player” with a great attitude, including but not limited to a willingness to make and learn from mistakes and the ability to work closely and cooperatively (and take direction from) our game-night staff;
• Professionalism. It’s a fun job and we pay people to watch baseball, but it’s also an important job and we want people who will take the responsibility seriously.

(New stringers undergo an 8-10 week correspondence training program, and co-score several practice games in the ballpark with a returning stringer, before scoring any games solo in the ballpark.)

Those interested in applying should send a resume and cover later, addressing the above-listed qualifications, to stats@website.mlb.com

ONLY those who reply to this e-mail address will be considered, and due to volume, we may be unable to respond to all applicants.

The external owners of two of the three others are or will soon be actively shopping their clubs. The highest level team, the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, is being prepared for sale. The short-season Class-A Batavia Muckdogs club has been on the market for about 18 months. The third externally-owned affiliate is the Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits.

The not-for-profit Memphis Redbirds Baseball Foundation is preparing a plan to place the team and its home, AutoZone Park, on the market, reports the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The Redbirds have been mired in a complex financial mess for several years that made it almost impossible to sell the team.

Considered one of, if not the best facility in minor league baseball, AutoZone opened in 2000. It came with a resulting heavy load, as its $80.5 million cost set a new record high for a minor league stadium. The combination of the high stadium debt, back tax liabilities and operating expenses out of line with declining revenues led to the deteriorating financial situation.

Fundamental Advisors LP, a private-equity firm, is owned more than $50 million in bond payments by the Foundation. The firm had purchased $25 million of tax-exempt bonds used to finance the ballpark after they went into default. The bonds are backed by the franchise and the stadium.

The current focus of the Foundation appears to be establishing sale parameters that would be acceptable to Fundamental Advisors, since the latter essentially has control of the team and stadium. This would provide a yardstick against which to measure prospective bids.

From the external view at least, the situation in Memphis appears to be improving somewhat. The club’s increase in attendance in 2011 of 31,000 was its first after nine straight years of decline. The business side of the team and the park have been facility-managed since 2009 by Global Spectrum, a unit of media giant Comcast.

When the Redbirds formally reach the market, it is not known if the St. Louis Cardinals will again show interest in acquiring the club. Back in September 2008, the Cardinals signed a letter of intent to purchase the team and rent AutoZone Park, but withdrew four months later due to the muddled finances.

Regarding the on-field product, the Cardinals’ current Player Development Contract with the Redbirds expires at the end of the 2012 season. The two began their relationship in the Pacific Coast League team’s first year, 1998. Agreements are typically executed in two- or four-year increments.

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

Several dominoes would need to fall for the St. Louis Cardinals’ New York-Penn League affiliate to end up in Binghamton, NY in 2013, but it could happen.

The story begins with a group in Ottawa, Canada having received encouragement to pursue membership in the Double-A Eastern League.

“All signs indicate Ottawa would become the new home of the Eastern League franchise currently in Binghamton, New York,” the Ottawa Citizen reported recently.

Ballpark Digest noted the same, stating the Ottawa group had been in serious negotiations to buy the Binghamton club and move it north. The club would become the Toronto Blue Jays’ Double-A affiliate.

It gets even more interesting from there.

Based on conversations with “several MiLB team owners and brokers with knowledge of sales discussions,” Ballpark Digest suggests a second move could then be in the offing.

The scenario is that the Binghamton group, currently affiliated with the New York Mets, would remain in organized baseball and honor their stadium lease commitment currently running through 2016. The vehicle would be to drop down from Double-A to the short-season Class-A NYPL by purchasing the for-sale Batavia Muckdogs.

Batavia is heading into its sixth season affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. The club is always among the bottom dwellers of the NYPL in attendance, the physical facilities are less than state of the art and the franchise has perennially lost money.

Placed on the market by its local ownership well over a year ago, the Muckdogs are estimated by Ballpark Digest to be worth $5 million, about $7 million less than selling the Eastern League franchise might net. The Muckdogs would then be moved to Binghamton starting in 2013 with the new owners making a tidy profit from the sequence of moves, goes the storyline.

Not surprisingly, B-Mets ownership denies the rumors. After all, they must remain focused on their knitting – selling tickets to the 2012 EL season – at least publicly. Even if the moving plans are true, announcing a lame duck summer would hardly accomplish anything positive for fan interest.

The Cardinals player development contract with the Muckdogs franchise runs through the 2012 season, same as the Mets’ agreement with Binghamton. While the Cardinals’ NYPL affiliation has shifted homes twice since 2005, from New Jersey to State College to Batavia, the organization previously expressed a desire to remain in the NYPL over the long haul.

The open question seems to be their 2013 location. Stay tuned to see if this story develops further over the upcoming months.

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

What better way to remember the most surprising of seasons than by its images? The cover photo shows Jason Motte’s exhilaration after securing the final out with the final one a unique shot from above of the pileup near the mound as the Cardinals defeated the Brewers in the NLCS. The rear cover image captures the jubilation of the entire squad as the World Championship was secured.

To be fair, Wild Cards is much more than a photo piece. Veteran author and sportswriter Rob Rains tells the story of the Cardinals amazing 2011 season in four most-logical chapters – the Regular Season, NLDS, NLCS and World Series. As one would expect, the articles are expertly written and enhanced by generous inclusion of quotes from the news-makers themselves.

One doesn’t have to wait until the final chapter to re-live the ending. In a bit of a surprise, the World Series chapter is presented first. Like the other post-season sections, each contest is covered individually, along with stories on key events such as Albert Pujols’ three-home run game as well as features on Motte and World Series MVP David Freese.

The Regular Season section begins with the Adam Wainwright surgery, captures the excitement of Opening Day, notes the physical problems of Tony La Russa, Pujols and Matt Holliday, the bullpen struggles, Lance Berkman’s re-emergence, the July trades, and of course, the home stretch, during which the Cardinals came back from a huge deficit, coining the term “Happy Flights” along the way.

Already in its second printing, Wild Cards should make a perfect holiday gift for any Cardinals fan on your list. But, consider this advice. Make sure you also grab a keepsake copy for yourself.

As The Cardinal Nation Blog reader “friendmouse” posted here recently, “…I ordered and just received today, Rob Rains’ book Wild Cards, and it is EXCELLENT! It’s well worth the money.”

Wild Cards: The St. Louis Cardinals Stunning 2011 Championship Season, is available through the Triumph Books website and www.ipgbook.com, digitally on the iBookstore, the Kindle Store and BN.com, and in bookstores for just $14.95.

Note: While you are here at The Cardinal Nation Blog, make sure you register for our free, World Series Highlights DVD sets giveaway.

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

With the 2011-2012 free agent period underway, it is time for another refresh of the St. Louis Cardinals system roster matrix. This version will reflect the changes made from the conclusion of the World Series until 2012 spring training. The previous matrix reflects the rosters as they evolved from the start of short-season ball through the end of 2011 play.

If you are new to the blog and not familiar with the Cardinals organization roster matrix, here is quick summary:

After eight major league and seven minor leaguers declared free agency following the season, the St. Louis Cardinals had 278 players under contract from top to bottom, including 33 players on the 40-man roster. The matrix places each one at his current assigned level in the system based on his placement at the end of the season as well as by position. It is kept updated daily or as transactions occur.

Nowhere else will you find this current and comprehensive single-page view of the entire Cardinals organization.

Don’t be concerned about the order of the players’ names within a team. It doesn’t signify anything.

The players on the 40-man roster are called out in bold.

The short-season pitchers are broken out into returnees and summer 2011 signees.

At the end is a group of currently inactive and unassigned players.

Free agents are listed, but are not included in the system-wide totals. As they sign, their organization will be noted.

Full team rosters and player profiles at The Cardinal Nation

Remember that to get detailed profile information on every single one of these 278 Cardinals players, simply check out their free player profiles updated at The Cardinal Nation.com / Scout.com. You can see bios, photos, videos, articles, news items, links to 2011 season and career stats and much more – everything you need to know about a player in one place.

Click on the following links to be taken to one of the nine team pages at The Cardinal Nation:

Full-season clubs
St. Louis Cardinals
Memphis Redbirds
Springfield Cardinals
Palm Beach Cardinals
Quad Cities River Bandits

Short-season clubs
Batavia Muckdogs
Johnson City Cardinals
Gulf Coast League Cardinals
Dominican Summer League Cardinals

Once there, just click on a player’s name to be taken to his individual profile page. For example, here is Shelby Miller’s profile.

Looking ahead and back

Now that you’ve found this page once, remember one of three ways to get back here. Bookmark the page, type “Roster Matrix” in the dark blue search box at the upper right or use the dropdown menu at the top of the page: “Players/Staff” > “Depth Charts/Roster Matrix”.

For details behind past rosters and transactions, check out the earlier versions of the Cardinals organization roster matrix as follows.

Link to previous matrices: Jan–March 2009, April 2009, May 2009, June 2009, July 2009-February 2010, Spring camp 2010, Opening season 2010, First half 2010, Short-season 2010, 2010-11 Off-season, 2011 spring training, 2011 regular season, 2011 short-season

Transactions

11/9: New matrix. Organization total: 278 players. GCL RHR Richard Mendoza released. New total: 277 players.

11/11: Seven released: Mem RHP Bryan Augenstein, Spr OFs Jim Rapoport, D’Marcus Ingram, PB OF Edgar Lara, QC P Cale Johnson, Bat P Manuel De La Cruz, C Kevin Moscatel. New total: 270 players.

11/17: PB RHS Arquimedes Nieto released. New total: 269 players.

11/18: Three added to 40-man roster: RHS Adam Ottavino, RHR Chuckie Fick, LHR Sam Freeman.

11/27: JC 3B Hector Garcia released. New total: 268 players.

12/8: Rule 5 draft: OF Erik Komatsu (Was) onto 40-man. LHR Barret Browning (LAA), RHS Shooter Hunt (Min) to Mem. Taken were Spr C Charlie Cutler (Pit), PB SS Domnit Bolivar (Mil), Bat RHS Javier Avendano (Tor).

12/10: Free agent SS Rafael Furcal re-signs with StL. New total: 269 players.

12/12: IF Ryan Theriot non-tendered, becomes free agent. New total: 268 players.

12/15: LHR J.C. Romero signed to StL. New total: 269 players.

12/18: RHR Hector Corpas released. New total: 268 players.

12/21: LHR R.J. Swindle and 2B/OF Eugenio Velez signed to minor league deals. New total: 270 players.

12/22: Free agent OF Carlos Beltran came to terms on a two-year contract. New total: 271 players.

01/12: C Koyie Hill signed to minor league deal. New total: 272 players.

01/15: QC IF Jason Stidham retired. New total: 271 players.

01/23: PB P Justin Smith retired. Bat OF Victor Encarnacion released. RHP Cole Springer signed. C Adam Lewis invited to minors camp as a tryout player. Both assigned to Batavia on matrix.

The St. Louis Cardinals Organization Roster Matrix (effective 01/23/12)

Codes
(I): injured
(TI): temporary inactive list
(SL): suspended list
(RL): restricted list
(MIL): military list
(TO): tryout player not under contract
(L) left-handed pitcher
bold: on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster
(#+#) number of active players on the roster plus number of inactive/not under contract (DL+TI+SL+RL+MIL+TO) players

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

Link to Cardinals-related auction items

One of the items currently for sale and ending this coming week through a company called Heritage Auctions is a 2004 Cardinals NL championship ring. Its original owner was identified on the ring as “Walsh”. Though not confirmed, my guess is Cardinals Director, Security and Special Services Joe Walsh.

Other Cardinals-related items include a most unique watch, game worn uniform items and a signed baseball from the 1960’s along with several autographed baseballs from the 1930’s. I extracted a part of each item’s description from the auction website.

Note: I have no interest in or connection with Heritage Auctions. This is presented for information purposes only.

2004 St. Louis Cardinals National League Championship Ring. A ruby logo bird is offset by a sea of real diamonds on the face, ringed by the words “National League Champions Cardinals.” Recipient’s surname “Walsh” appears on left shank above another team logo, while right shank announces “2004, 16th World Series, 105-57.” Interior band is stamped “Intergold 10K” and measures to a size ten. Original wood and glass display box is included. NRMT-MT. Guide Value or Estimate: $10,000 – $15,000.

1926 Bob O’Farrell St. Louis Cardinals Presentational Pocket Watch. Gorgeous fourteen-karat white gold “Illinois” open face pocket watch served as a symbol of gratitude to starting catcher Robert (Bob) Farrell for his service in the successful capture of the National League flag. The elegant engraved inscription on verso reads “Presented to R.A. O’Farrell of the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Club, National League Champions by St. Louis Fans, October 7, 1926.” Check your baseball calendar and you’ll find that this corresponds with Game Five of the Fall Classic, an extra innings three to two victory for Babe Ruth and the visiting Yanks. Watch measures 1.75″ in diameter. Guide Value or Estimate: $3,000 – $5,000.

1961 Stan Musial Game Worn St. Louis Cardinals Pants. Consigned by the family of the minor leaguer who received the Curt Flood jersey presented within this auction, these Stan Musial pants were likewise issued for secondary farm club use after the 1961 season. The home white flannel garment exhibits very solid wear, with embroidered swatch at interior rear waistband reading “Musial 36 25 ins 61.” Front interior waistband is tagged “Rawlings [size] 36,” with “Set 1 1961″ flap tag affixed. Washing instructions label is immediately adjacent. A great opportunity to own genuine Hall of Fame flannel at a price well below what a jersey would command. The striped stirrups do not appear to be Major League issue but are included as likely farm club models. LOA from Heritage Auctions. Guide Value or Estimate: $1,200 – $1,500.

1961 Curt Flood Game Worn St. Louis Cardinals Jersey. Here we present a rare and enormously desirable home white flannel jersey dating to Flood’s fourth full season in the Majors, and his first truly great one. In every regard, the jersey was found to be 100% original and authentic, exhibiting a full season’s wear from Flood, and then secondary action in the minors where the classic birds and bat chenille logo on the chest and the red and navy felt number “21″ on verso were left untouched. Proper “Rawlings [size] 40″ label appears at lower left front tail, above a red “Flood 61″ embroidered directly into the jersey body. At interior tail we find a washing instructions label sprouting a “Set 1 1961″ flap. A magnificent gamer sourced directly from the family of the minor leaguer who inherited it. LOA from MEARS, A9. LOA from Heritage Auctions. Guide Value or Estimate: $10,000 – $15,000.

1968 Steve Carlton Game Worn St. Louis Cardinals Jersey. First and foremost, it must be stressed that the jersey remains in 100% complete and original condition, spared the post-Majors farm club relegation which claimed countless flannels of the day. The classic chenille bat and birds logo is still perfect on the chest, as is the two-tone felt number “32″ just below the heart. The verso likewise presents in its original state, with “Carlton” gently arching over a larger number “32″ below. Proper “Rawlings [size] 42″ label appears at lower left front tail, balanced by a washing instructions tag and “Set 1 1968″ flap just above the hem. Sandwiched in between is a red chainstitched “Carlton 68,” properly embroidered directly into the jersey body. MEARS characterizes the jersey’s wear as “light to moderate,” and a bold black sharpie signature from Carlton, notated “HOF 94″ appears on chest. LOA from MEARS, A10. LOA from Heritage Auctions. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA (autograph). Auction LOA from James Spence Authentication (autograph). Guide Value or Estimate: $40,000 – up.

1967 St. Louis Cardinals Game Worn Jersey with Pants, Cap. Home white flannel uniform from the Championship season keeps its original ownership a mystery, as the number “14″ is a team-instituted change (faint outline of earlier number below) and nobody wore “14″ for the birds that year. Matching pants have “Sievers” in marker inside, as the uniform was a farm club hand-me-down to Roy’s son. Cap is here as well. LOA from Heritage Auctions. Guide Value or Estimate: $600 – $800.

Circa 1935 Babe Ruth & Lou Gehrig Signed Baseball with St. Louis Cardinals. We’ve done our best to sort out the birthdate of this unusual sphere, and our suspicion is that it was signed at some point just before Ruth’s February 26, 1935 release from the Yankees, just prior to the start of spring training in Florida. Lou and the Babe’s joint appearance assures that this predates Ruth’s departure from the club he defined, and the roster of Gashouse Gangsters which joins them includes 1935 rookie Bill McGee. Regardless of precise vintage, the cast of characters presented is beyond impressive: Ruth (5/10), Gehrig (3/10), Dizzy Dean (twice: 7/10 and 4/10), Frisch (7/10), Durocher (2/10), Medwick (3/10), Paul Dean (6/10). Nineteen signatures are here in total, averaging 4/10 due to surface wear. “New York Club” brand baseball. Full LOA From PSA/DNA. Auction LOA from James Spence Authentication. Guide Value or Estimate: $3,000 – $5,000.

1934 St. Louis Cardinals Signed Autograph Collection. Eighteen cut signatures from the Gashouse Gang average 8/10. Includes Dean, Vance, Frisch, Medwick, Haines. Mixture of pen and pencil. Also here are modern 8×10″ photos of each signer for display purposes. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA. Auction LOA from James Spence Authentication. Guide Value or Estimate: $600 – $800.

1938 St. Louis Cardinals Team Signed Baseball. No shortage of Cooperstown residents on this ONL (Frick) sphere, beginning with the most celebrated Depression-era hurler of them all, the great Dizzy Dean. Bringing the Hall of Fame count to an even half dozen are Medwick, Frisch, Durocher, Haines and Mize. Other notables: Pepper Martin, Warneke, Gonzalez, Owen and Si Johnson. Signature quality ranges from 4/10 to 8/10 with most at the upper half of that scale. Light surface wear causes little concern. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA. Auction LOA from James Spence Authentication. Guide Value or Estimate: $800 – $1,200.

Circa 1950 Brooklyn Dodgers & St. Louis Cardinals Signed Baseball with Robinson, Campanella. St. Louis was always the toughest road trip for Robinson due to the heated racism encountered there, but he showed his endless grace and class in signing this ONL (Giles) ball along with an assortment of birds and Bums. Other notables include Campanella, Musial, Schoendienst (5/10), Slaughter, Hodges, Erskine and more. Sixteen signatures are here in total, with all listed 7/10 or better unless otherwise noted. A light coating of shellac is owed some thanks for the strong condition. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA. Auction LOA from James Spence Authentication. Guide Value or Estimate: $1,200 – $1,500.

1968 St. Louis Cardinals Team Signed Baseball with Maris. A pop fly to short in Game Seven of the 1968 would prove to be the last at-bat for the great Roger Maris, who would see his dream of one last World Championship slip away in the four to one loss to the Detroit Tigers. This sphere will help remember him always, as he appears with twenty-four fellow members of the 1968 National League Champs. Other notables include Schoendienst, Carlton, Cepeda, Flood, McCarver and more. Brock, Gibson, Edwards and Jaster appear in secretarial format. Signatures average 9/10 on this “Official Pro League” orb. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA. Auction LOA from James Spence Authentication. Guide Value or Estimate: $800 – $1,200.

Post auction update: I thought it would be interesting to look after the fact at what prices these items sold. They are listed in same order as above.

2004 ring: $5078.75
O’Farrell watch: $2868
1961 Musial pants: $2509.50
1961 Flood jersey: $10755.
1968 Carlton jersey: $23900
1967 jersey: $537.75
1935 ball: did not sell
1934 autographs: $1195.
1938 ball: $717.
1950 ball: $896.25
1968 ball: $597.50

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

The Hall annually assigns an employee the duty of collecting World Series memorabilia and bringing it back to Cooperstown. Such was the case in 2011 as well. After being accessioned into the permanent collection, the following items will go on public display.

On November 19, the Hall of Fame opens its Autumn Glory exhibit celebrating the 2011 postseason. It will be up for one year, until there is a new World Champion.

Items donated by the Cardinals include:

• David Freese’s jersey “shredded” by his teammates along with the bat with which the Series MVP hit his game-winning home run in Game 6.
• Albert Pujols‘ spikes from Game 3 when the Cardinals’ slugger tied a record with three home runs and set a record with 14 total bases.
• Chris Carpenter‘s World Series Game 7 game-worn home jersey.
• The bat used by Allen Craig to hit his Game 7 home run. The score, which broke a 2-2 tie, turned out to be the game-winner.
• The bat used by Lance Berkman throughout the World Series. He batted .423 and scored a team-high nine times.
• Caps worn by retiring manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.
• Road cap worn by Carpenter after his 1-0 shutout over the Phillies in Game 5 of the NLDS and in away games throughout the post-season

The Hall has posted the following video which highlights these artifacts and several others donated by the American League Champion Texas Rangers.

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

This new print book and instant eBook, Wild Cards: The St. Louis Cardinals Stunning 2011 Championship Season, is now available through the Triumph Books website and www.ipgbook.com, digitally on the iBookstore, the Kindle Store and BN.com, and in bookstores for $14.95.

With full-color action photos, detailed accounts of every Cardinals postseason game, and profiles of Albert Pujols, David Freese, and other stars, this commemorative keepsake is ideal for any Cardinals fan, whether for yourself or as a gift.

For those not familiar with Rains’ work, he is the author or coauthor of 30 books. They include biographies of Albert Pujols, Tony La Russa, Mark McGwire, Ozzie Smith and Jack Buck. His McGwire bio was a New York Times bestseller.

In full disclosure, Rob is also a friend of mine, but that is coincidental. His stellar reputation established from years of solid reporting and top-notch writing stands on its own.

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

The Cardinals’ top farm club, the Memphis Redbirds, takes on the Rangers’ Triple-A club over a dozen times each season in Pacific Coast League action.

In 2011, Round Rock, located near Austin, carried the Rangers flag after what amounted to an affiliate swap with the Houston Astros and the Oklahoma City PCL club. The Rangers had been in Oklahoma City from 1983-2010.

Though the major league Rangers reached the 2010 World Series while the Cardinals missed the playoffs, the Cards were superior at the Triple-A level. Memphis posted a stellar 12-7 regular-season record against Oklahoma City in 2010 and even more importantly, swept them out of the playoffs in three straight. The Redbirds enjoyed the regular-season edge at home (7-3) and on the road (5-4).

This season, however, Memphis lost five of eight to Round Rock both at AutoZone Park and away for an overall 6-10 record against Texas’ PCL club. Plenty of other teams struggled against the Express as well as Round Rock won 87 games, taking their division by 17. Memphis came in second, winners of 77 contests, with their division champion, Omaha, ousting Round Rock in the playoffs.

The Redbirds logged two of their biggest innings of the year against Round Rock, plating seven in the seventh inning on April 30 en route to a 10-7 win and five runs in the fourth inning on July 26 in what would be a 10-4 victory. To be fair, the Express also had two five-run innings against Memphis’ PCL ERA champion pitching staff.

In terms of individual accomplishments, Tony Cruz was an Express killer. On April 28, the catcher had a walkoff RBI single in the 10^th inning of a 6-5 Memphis win. Just two days later, Cruz victimized Round Rock pitcher Zach Phillips for a grand slam, one of six grand slams by a Redbird in 2011. Even better, the next batter up, Aaron Luna, also went deep off Phillips, making it the first of three back-to-back homer attacks for Memphis this past season. On July 26 at Round Rock, Nick Stavinoha drove in six runs, tying for the biggest RBI day by a Memphis hitter in 2011.

In 2010, the Redbirds logged four walkoff victories against Oklahoma City, including in three consecutive games in late July. The successful batters were Daniel Descalso, Mark Hamilton (twice) and Bryan Anderson. Last September 8, Joe Mather launched two home runs in Game 1 of the PCL playoffs versus the RedHawks. Two days later, Lance Lynn (see photo) spun his most masterful performance as a professional, setting the Memphis team record by striking out 16 Oklahoma City batters in the first-round playoff-clinching contest.

On a lifetime regular season basis, Memphis is 108-119 against the Rangers’ Triple-A clubs – Round Rock in 2011 (6-10) and Oklahoma City prior (102-109).

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

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced their NLDS roster, consisting of 11 pitchers and 14 position players.

Pitchers: Chris Carpenter, Kyle Lohse, Jake Westbrook, Edwin Jackson, Jaime Garcia, Arthur Rhodes, Marc Rzepczynski, Jason Motte, Mitchell Boggs, Octavio Dotel and Fernando Salas.

Position players: Yadier Molina, Gerald Laird, Albert Pujols, Skip Schumaker, Ryan Theriot, Rafael Furcal, Daniel Descalso, Nick Punto, David Freese, Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman, Jon Jay, Allen Craig and Adron Chambers.

Among those left off are pitchers Kyle McClellan and Eduardo Sanchez and outfielder Corey Patterson.

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

A stance taken by some is that given the Cardinals are the highest-scoring offense in the league, it only stands to reason that they would also hit into the most double plays. That might seem reasonable until better understanding the historic rate of twin killings that occurred in 2011. I started by looking at the double plays hit into by the National League leaders in runs scored for the last five years.

Only once in the four years prior to 2011 did the NL run scoring leader also rank in the top half of the league in double plays. None of the clubs were in the top third – until the Cardinals this year. The 2009 Phillies had the perfect combination – the most runs scored coupled with the fewest (16^th-most) double plays.

On Sunday, the Cardinals’ double play total this season tied the NL all-time record of 166. I wanted to see how that stacks up over time in a run-scoring context. To that end, I calculated the ratio of baserunners lost via double plays to the number of runs scored by the annual league leader, going all the way back to 1996, the start of the La Russa era in St. Louis.

As the table shows, the combination of an increased quantity of double plays along with lower run scoring is a double whammy that puts the negative impact to the 2011 Cardinals at the very top of the list. In fact, the 2011 Cardinals ratio of double plays to runs scored is over twice that of several recent NL annual run-scoring leaders.

Along with the look back at the past, I pulled the comparable numbers across the NL for 2011. They follow.

Most of the teams in the top half of the league in Runners Lost/Runs Scored ratio are losing clubs. One notable exception is San Francisco, a team with the league’s lowest-scoring offense, but its second-best pitching. (Of course, the latter category is not reflected here.)

As noted at the bottom of the prior table, the 2011 NL team average in double plays is 109. The average is 106 when St. Louis is excluded. What if the Cardinals had just been “NL average” this season?

In the above table, I created a hypothetical but conservative, “improved” view of what the 2011 Cardinals might have been. I took the difference of 59 additional runners between the Cards’ real double play total of 165 and the NL average of 106 and spread them proportionally according to the team’s actual percentage of runs scored (40.1%) and runners stranded (59.9%).

That equates to 24 more Cardinals baserunners that may have crossed home plate this season – had there simply been an average number of twin killings instead of a record total.

How many innings that might have extended and perhaps had a domino effect on other scores is impossible to guess. Same with the number of wins 24 more tallies would have enabled. One thing we can say with certainty is this – the Cardinals needed just two more victories to be the hunted rather than the hunter as the final series of the season unfolds.

What if?

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

In terms of the bottom line, wins and losses, what happened seems pretty clear. The gaudy home record of the likely National League Central champ Milwaukee Brewers has been well documented – with its fairness even questioned by some.

There is more to it than that, however. The Brew Crew has also taken care of business against both their weaker sisters in the NLC and against losing clubs across MLB overall. Needless to say, St. Louis has not performed at the same level. This seems to mirror the Cardinals’ overall 2011 performance of having been good, but not great.

With only 5 ½ games separating the two clubs in the standings, it is easy to see how better performance by the Cardinals in any of these areas could have been a difference-maker in the race against the Brewers.

(Numbers through September 15.)

Further, as we look at the remaining schedule, the Brewers’ final four series are all against teams out of the hunt – Cincinnati and Chicago on the road, followed by Florida and Pittsburgh at home.

Following their current series against the best team in baseball, Philadelphia, the Cardinals also have three losing clubs on their slate – the Mets and Cubs at home and Houston on the road.

St. Louis’ results to date this season in those situations have not been particularly good, lending little comfort to those still holding onto post-season hopes.

In the short term, however, the Cardinals almost have a positive record against winning teams at 24-25, while the Brew Crew is just 23-32. That provides come consolation for the “just win today” crowd.

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

There was one important caveat, however. Silver’s pledge would only be binding if the St. Louis Cardinals’ New York-Penn League affiliate is not sold in the interim. While the money-losing Muckdogs have been on the market for over a year, it does not appear a sale is imminent.

The story is a bit different than it was back in January. At that time, RCB chairman Gary Larder told uneasy shareholders at the organization’s annual meeting that he expected 2011 to be their last season operating the Muckdogs. His view was that the team would change hands this year. Obviously, that has not happened.

Through 2008-10, their first three years operating the Muckdogs, RCB, owners of the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, lost just under a half-million dollars in total. They have cut the deficit each successive season, and expect to have done so again this year. 2011 financial results have not yet been disclosed.

While the Muckdogs’ expenses may be under control, their revenues most likely aren’t growing substantially, if at all. Batavia held onto its unenviable position as the poorest-attended club in the 14-team league in 2011. Average attendance per game did increase very marginally this year, from 1,016 in 2010 to 1,057.

On the other side of the ledger, RCB’s nest egg continues to grow as the Muckdogs’ owners, the Genesee County Baseball Club, cedes equity each year to delay the inevitable loss of their team. RCB has gained five percent ownership of the Batavia franchise each season. Based on an estimated $6 million value of the Muckdogs, RCB’s potential return will grow to $1.5 million by the completion of the 2012 season.

The Cardinals’ Player Development Contract with Batavia is in place through next season as well, so barring a late sale to a buyer with a ready and waiting facility, it appears the Muckdogs may have dodged the executioner for one more year.

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

All seem to agree that an earlier (or later) starting time than the 3:15 P.M. CDT first pitch on Monday would provide safer conditions for the players. While some mid-afternoon games are dictated by MLB’s national contract with the FOX Network, the Labor Day game did not fit under that umbrella. In other words, the start time was apparently a local decision.

My concern is not with the issue itself, as the players seem to make a legitimate point, but with the manner in which it was handled. Instead of being quietly addressed in-house, by the players going to the media, the situation went national.

The Cardinals are taking additional heat in some quarters for voicing these concerns. The team is already not on level ground in the court of public perception due to previous complaints about the environment in other parks in matters such as lighting, inequitable strike zones, rubbing up of baseballs and the like.

The Cardinals players could have instead handled this in a discreet manner, bringing the concerns to their management directly, or alternatively, using their agents or even the Players’ Association. Only if they received no satisfaction through regular channels should it have been necessary to speak out in the press.

Rightly or wrongly, by doing what they did in the way they did, especially after another game lost in a season during which they have consistently underachieved, they come across to some as excuse-makers. This only furthers a growing negative external perception of the organization in its entirety.

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

Emergency first responders may go to cardinals.com/911 to obtain four tickets to the game with the print-at-home option. The offer extends to any individual who works directly as a first responder (police, firefighter or emergency service personnel), any individual who works for an emergency first responder agency or any individual who has an immediate family member who serves as an emergency first responder.

“We want to recognize the selfless service of all of our police, fire and emergency response workers” said Bill DeWitt III, the President of the St. Louis Cardinals. “Every day these men and women put their lives on the line to protect our community. We want to thank them for their service, as well as the sacrifice each of their families make on our behalf.”

Major League Baseball and all thirty teams will join in observing September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. The Cardinals will pay tribute to all first responders in a special pre-game ceremony before the game on September 11th. First responders and their family members can obtain their tickets by going to cardinals.com/911.

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

The auctions are scheduled to run until Friday morning, August 26 with the proceeds going to the National Foundation for Transplants. Click on the links below to be taken to the various auction pages.

ebay auctions:

Adam Ottavino signed #32 jersey

#3, #21 and #46 jerseys

Other related posts:

Link to photos of jerseys being worn in game action

Link to article with background on the promotion

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

Meanwhile, Milwaukee has opened up a seven-game lead on St. Louis. A contributor was the Brewers winning head-to-head series over the Cardinals both home and away but Milwaukee has been playing very well against all competition. In the Wild Card race, the Cards are third, one game behind San Francisco and six games back of Atlanta.

With 38 games remaining in the 2011 regular season, the sizes of the deficits have caused many to begin figuring. Numbers are being thrown around to indicate how poorly the front-runners must play the rest of the way and how well St. Louis needs to perform to reach the lead in either race.

The targets are not unattainable, yet the size of the mountain seemingly grows each day. The recent play of all involved does not signal a change in the current trends – which are negative from the Cardinals’ perspective.

I had originally included the following poll in yesterday’s post about lack of support for Chris Carpenter, but decided to pull it out and give it its own day in the sun.

What do you consider to have been the biggest single factor that has kept the 2011 Cardinals from winning more games?

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

Your event ticket includes:

- Lower Left Field Box seat
- $5 in Cards Cash (loaded directly onto your ticket)
- Access to a pre-game program featuring current Cardinals Players
- Giveaways & Prizes

The pre-game program will kick off at 6:00 P.M. in the Budweiser Bowtie Bar located in left field on level 2 of Busch Stadium and will feature a visit by current Cardinals players.

Subscribers to The Cardinal Nation who enter via a special thread on the Insiders message board will have a chance to win a drawing for one of two free pairs of tickets to this event.

If you are not a subscriber to The Cardinal Nation, a seven-day free trial is available. There is no better time to sample the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals system anywhere.

Anyone may also purchase tickets to Social Media Night for $20 at www.cardinals.com/bowtie.

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