A new line has also been established. Because of Yasiel Puig-mania, the oddsmakers at Bovada.lv set lines on the National League Rookie of the Year race. A familiar man, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller leads the way. Apparently the American League race lacks such compelling participants.

Other individual lines follow. Notice the very favorable odds on Yadier Molina’s NL MVP candidacy. The Cardinals have three of the top six favorites for the Cy Young Award.

Key player awards

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It is Tuesday night and first-round phenom Michael Wacha faces what is likely a pivotal moment in his fledgling career.  Having breezed through his debut allowing one run and two hits over seven innings, he lasted only 4 2/3 giving up 10 hits and 6 runs in his second start.  Velocity and control had gone south.

Earlier in the season – when the Cards were making roster moves due to injuries and ineffectiveness among the pitching staff – Wacha’s name had always come up.  The prevailing opinion was that when he came up it would not be as a temporary fill in; he would be here to stay.  They weren’t saying otherwise now, not yet.   Few were second guessing the decisions that put him here in Citi Field facing the Mets, barely a year removed from facing the Dayton Flyers at Blue Belle Field in College Station, Texas.  But that could all change in the next 30 seconds.

It started off with a line drive, thankfully within reach of second baseman Matt Carpenter.  Then a home run, and not a cheap one.  Then a walk followed by a single, another walk, a sacrifice fly making it 2-0, then another walk to the light-hitting Buck.  Wacha was getting lit up, not so much by the Mets really, he was spontaneously combusting.

Catcher Yadier Molina had been calling for fastballs mostly, trying to give the kid a chance to get it dialed in, so far without success.  They were sailing high.  They were going wide.  A couple curve balls went high.  The announcer said he didn’t get on top of it.  A couple changeups went low, as they are supposed to, but with the fastball not working, the batters just let them go by for balls.  Pitching coach Derek Lilliquist had paid a visit.  The Post-Dispatch reports that Wainwright and others scurried into the clubhouse to pour over tape, trying to figure out what Wacha was doing wrong.  Maybe they would figure it out, but not in the next 30 seconds, and the kid needed something now.

Down 2-0 with the sacks jammed and two outs, his fastball not under command, his curve not working and his change up ineffective,  Wacha now faced Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who hit it back up the middle, looking like a single to center that would make it 4-0.  But wait.

Almost exactly six years before, the Cards passed on Rick Porcello to take a high school shortstop from someplace in Oklahoma as the 18^th overall pick in the 2007 draft.    According to former Cards pitcher Mark Mulder a few years later:

“I remember that pick. How is that working out? I remember coaches laughing about that I think.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/legend-pete-kozma-211300194.html

But now, with the fate of 2012’s 1^st round phenom hanging in the balance, 2007’s 1^st round bust is ranging to his left, closing in on that grounder up the middle and no one is laughing.  If he can’t get there, or doesn’t make the play, it will be 4-0 in the first, with two on and two out, the pitcher coming up and the phenom standing there with a pitch count of 37.  Then, if the Mets pitcher can work a walk, not all that unlikely given the circumstances, or somehow get on, Mets leadoff hitter Jordany Valdespin would come up looking to hit his second line drive of the inning, this time not at Matt Carpenter.

If the grounder goes through, will Wacha live on or will Mike Matheny come out with the hook?  Will the manager hope Wacha can get the pitcher out and not walk his fourth batter of the inning to load them up for the top of the order?  Mike had learned something about the downside of pitching moves when he sent in Mitchell Boggs in a crucial situation upon his return from Memphis.  Boggs got crushed and sent back to Memphis with his tail between his legs.  GM John Mozeliak commented on the potential downside to that move, and I doubt very much that Matheny missed it.

So would Mike leave Wacha in, possibly to be crushed, and knocked out for the second time?  Would he get Wacha out of there or would he leave him in to sink or swim?  Would the phenom retreat to Triple-A battered and bruised?  Would he recover from the debacle quickly?  Slowly?  Not at all?  Would the Cardinals organization re-think the strategy of pushing guys up quickly?  Who would be blamed for failing to contain the hype?  Would there be a virtual firestorm from fans and media?  And what about the implications for the rotation?  Would we need to re-visit the possibility of looking outside of the system?  Would prospects need to be traded to give Wacha and others more time?

Pete is not the rangiest shortstop but he had positioned himself well, moves to his left gloves it and throws to first to retire the side.  Wacha would live to see the second inning.  He would come out looking better and go on to log a quality start and his first big league win.  He has since returned to Memphis for more polish, but it is not as a failure, having been misjudged and mishandled by the organization.  None of that bad stuff is going to happen.

Yogi Berra might say something like ‘we don’t know what happened because it didn’t’.  But the implications, had that grounder gone through, might have been both profoundly negative and far reaching.  (I wonder if Mike Matheny or John Mozeliak would have rather had Troy Tulowitzki at short right then?)

The play of the decade?  Well, maybe not quite.  We would only know for sure years from now if it had not been made.  But it was made, the Cards won, and Michael Wacha sure owes Pete Kozma a steak dinner.

Late Friday afternoon, I joined Ken Miller and Jim Brinson on KXnO FOX Sports Radio 1460 in Des Moines in our regular series to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals, “Cardinal Talk.” This time, we discussed the recent Cincinnati and New York series and what might be ahead in Miami.

Cardinals followers in central Iowa can again catch St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcasts on KXnO as well as my regular segment each week throughout the season, either over the air or via streaming. Or, if you miss it live, you can always catch the replay right here at The Cardinal Nation blog.

Click here for audio: Brian Walton with Ken Miller and Jim Brinson (11:59)

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As the following audio will clarify, Matheny’s biggest concern is targeting batters’ heads. Specifically he feels that when the catcher sets up for an up-and-in delivery, it indicates intent rather than an accident. He calls out one club the Cardinals play regularly as a particular offender.

One reason I posted this was a comment on another thread expressing concern about other teams targeting Cardinals hitters because of Matheny’s stance. I didn’t get that but others may. Listen and offer your thoughts below.

Link to audio: Mike Matheny speaks (2:58)

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That was the subject of my discussion with Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com and RobRains.com. In our 10-minute chat, we touched on a number of the most promising players in the Cardinals draft as well as potential elements of the organization’s drafting and signing strategies.

Link to audio: Rob Rains and Brian Walton break down the Cardinals 2013 Draft (10:34)

Also, make sure you check out Rob’s new book, “Intentional Walk: An Inside Look at the Faith that Drives the St. Louis Cardinals,” now available.

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Here is how it came about.

The 25-year-old started for the Double-A Springfield Cardinals on Monday afternoon at Tulsa. Greenwood went five innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits and two walks. Down 3-2 when he departed, the Texas League Cards went on to lose by a 5-3 score (link to box score). Greenwood fell to 1-4, 4.94 with Springfield.

Formerly a reliever and spot starter with Triple-A Memphis, Greenwood had been sent down to Double-A on May 4 and was moved into the rotation shortly afterward.

Almost all of the actual damage in Greenwood’s second Monday defeat technically occurred exactly two months ago, back on April 10. Pitching in relief for Memphis that night versus New Orleans, Greenwood took the AutoZone Park mound in the top of the 12^th inning. The game was tied at two all.

After just one out was recorded but with four Zephyrs runs already in, the game had to be suspended in mid at-bat due to rain. With the score 6-2, a runner was on third base and the batter had a 3-2 count – both Greenwood’s responsibility.

This Monday night, the final five outs of the April 10 suspended game were completed before the two clubs played their regularly-scheduled game at AutoZone Park.

Just off the disabled list, Eric Fornataro took over after the two-month delay. A sacrifice fly brought home the fifth New Orleans run of the inning.  In the bottom of the frame, Memphis was retired in order to conclude the 7-2 defeat.

As the game officially went on the books, Greenwood was saddled with the defeat, his second of the “day”.

In some interesting side tidbits, John Gast started the April 10 game and went six shutout innings, The lefty is currently on St. Louis’ disabled list. Right-handed reliever Eduardo Sanchez, now with the Chicago Cubs’ Iowa Triple-A affiliate, recorded zeroes in the 10^th and 11^th innings for the Redbirds.

They all threw to catcher J.R. Towles, who was behind the plate for the first 11 1/3 innings. Since released and now with Albuquerque, Towles hit the first of his five Redbirds home runs that night.

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The team will wearing Stan Musial Tribute Jerseys on Sunday, June 16 for their evening home game against the Tulsa Drillers at Hammons Field.

The cream-colored jerseys are represented as exact replicas of St. Louis Cardinals uniforms from 1941. That summer, “The Man” played in Springfield before making his St. Louis debut in September.

On June 16, every Springfield Cardinal will not only don the tribute jerseys, but the entire team will also wear #6. As such, it will be the first time in 50 years that any Cardinal other than Musial himself has worn the retired number.

The tribute jerseys will also feature the Musial #6 patch that all Cardinals major and minor league players have been wearing on their left sleeves all season. The Springfield jerseys will also carry a Musial tribute jersey patch on the bottom right.

Best of all, fans will receive a chance to take one home, as the game-worn jerseys will be auctioned off throughout the June 16 game (and delivered afterward). Proceeds will go to the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri.

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Late Friday afternoon, I joined Ken Miller on KXnO FOX Sports Radio 1460 in Des Moines in our regular series to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals, “Cardinal Talk.” This time, we discussed upcoming Cincinnati and New York series and some of the areas of potential need for the Cardinals.

Cardinals followers in central Iowa can again catch St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcasts on KXnO as well as my regular segment each week throughout the season, either over the air or via streaming. Or, if you miss it live, you can always catch the replay right here at The Cardinal Nation blog.

Click here for audio: Brian Walton with Ken Miller (8:42)

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I thought it would be a good time to check on them again, along with the first manager to be fired odds. The information is courtesy of Bovada.

The tables below are ordered by the current odds (at the right), with the same teams’ earlier odds located in the center columns.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ chances – in the views of the bettors – have improved markedly in the last six or seven weeks. The Cards and Atlanta Braves are currently National League co-favorites, with the Detroit Tigers remaining on top overall.

While the Cincinnati Reds are behind the Cards in the NL and World Series odds, they are even with St. Louis in the NL Central.

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While a leadoff man’s job is to get on base, Carpenter surely did not envision how it would come about Tuesday. In seven plate appearances, the left-handed batter had two hits, including a leadoff triple. He was retired two other times, but in between, three different Diamondbacks’ pitchers hit Carpenter with pitches.

In the process, Carpenter set the Cardinals team record and tied the Major League record for most times hit by a pitch in one game.

The prior Cardinals record of two occurred 52 times since 1918, most recently against Jon Jay by the Brewers on May 5. Other current Cards to have been plunked twice in one contest are Matt Holliday (last season), David Freese (two different games in 2012) and Yadier Molina (in 2006).

Of the 52 earlier occurrences of multi-hit-by-pitch Cardinals in a game, the prior career “leaders” with four such outings each were Curt Flood (two games each in 1962 and 1965) and Solly Hemus (all four during the 1952 season).

Back to the here and now, prior to Tuesday, Carpenter had only been hit by pitches four times in his less-than-two-year career and the new leadoff man had been plunked only once this season. In other words, he would have a long and painful road ahead to join team leaders in the category.

With the always-able assistance of researcher Tom Orf, we provide the Cardinals single-season and career hit-by-pitch leaders.

For one season, the Cards record of 31 HBP was set way back in 1910 by a long-forgotten outfielder named Steve Evans. Second baseman Fernando Vina is next with 28 in 2000.

St. Louis Cardinals, hit by pitch, single-season leaders

Though Evans only played for the Cardinals for five seasons, from 1909 through 1913, he set the team record for HBP with 87. Vina was right behind with 79, and in a bit of a surprise perhaps, Albert Pujols is in third with 77.

With 34, Molina leads currently-active Cardinals. Holliday (32) and Jay (30) also rank among the team’s all-time top 30 HBP batters.

St. Louis Cardinals, hit by pitch, career leaders

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Here are some of the recent and upcoming changes in the Cardinals schedule for the month of June. I am going to go backward for a few since they offer insight to what may happen ahead as well.

Get out your markers and update your current schedule or print off a new one from the Cardinals official website. (However, be advised that at the time I published this, the one-page PDF file is messed up, with many of the starting hours of the games not visible. The by-game listings on the site are almost always current.)

Saturday, June 1: The Giants at Cardinals game was one of five regional telecasts on the FOX Network this past Saturday night. If you live out of the Cardinals primary broadcast area, you may have been forced to watch the Yankees-Red Sox or another game due to the mandatory blackouts.

With more FOX games coming (see below), remember the website the506.com. It posts the US coverage map for the weekly games.

Sunday, June 2: The Giants at Cardinals Sunday afternoon series finale was picked up by TBS and broadcast nationally outside the Cardinals coverage area. Former MLB pitchers Ron Darling and John Smoltz were the analysts. FOX Sports Midwest continued with its normal production. The good thing about the TBS games is that they conflict with no one – no blackouts.

Looking ahead, TBS has selected its June 9, 16 and 23 games, which do not include the Cardinals. Their Sunday, June 30 game is still TBD. (The Cardinals play in Oakland that afternoon.)

Friday, June 7: The Cards at Reds series opener Friday night has been picked up by MLB Network for an in-house production. There will be no impact to those watching FOX Sports Midwest, but national audiences will be given another option to see the game. Matt Vasgersian and Tom Verducci will provide the MLB Network play-by-play and color, respectively.

Saturday, June 8: Game two of the Reds series on Saturday evening will be on Big FOX again. This is not a change, but a potential blackout reminder for out-of-market viewers.

Sunday, June 9: I guess this series in Cincinnati is a big deal. ESPN picked up the Sunday game and moved it from the afternoon to evening prime time. FOX Sports Midwest will no longer have this telecast.

Friday, June 21: Lance Berkman and his Texas Rangers come to Busch, with MLB Network joining FOX Sports Midwest in coverage, but taking it national. Chances are that MLB Network will use the home feed, but that is not disclosed ahead of time to the best of my knowledge.

Saturday, June 22: Game two of the Rangers series on Saturday evening will be on Big FOX. This is not a change, but a potential blackout reminder for out-of-market viewers.

Saturday, June 23: ESPN again took an afternoon game away from FOX Sports Midwest to make it their national Sunday night telecast. This will be the finale of the 2011 World Series rematch series with the Rangers.

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Many believe the young arbiter was completely in the wrong, displaying an incredibly short fuse by almost immediately ejecting the backstop for throwing his helmet after being correctly called out at first base.

Matheny did what he had to do in defending his catcher. Not doing that would risk damaging the support of his players, especially arguably his most valuable one.

Speaking of most valuable, Molina is rightfully being represented as a legitimate National League Most Valuable Player candidate for 2013. His leadership behind the plate with an unexpectedly young staff, his managing the running game and consistent offense all provide strong support for his case.

On Sunday, Molina did not carry himself like an MVP, in my opinion. The 30-year-old explained he was upset at himself for grounding out and ending a two-on, two-out threat with his team down by two runs at the time. Yet, the act of throwing his helmet was more Little League than Major League.

It is not the first time Molina has gotten into hot water with umpires. Molina missed five games due to suspension after inadvertently spitting on umpire Rob Drake during a heated August 2011 argument over balls and strikes.

It surprises me that especially given the importance of the catcher-umpire relationship, that Molina can lose his composure so completely at times with arbiters, even when the umps appear to be wrong.

The Cardinals cannot control the umpires, but they need to be able to control themselves. That is doubly the case for their team leader. Molina needs to learn to step back and let others less important to the outcome of the game argue his points.

It would be impossible to know if this latest incident will cost Molina any MVP votes down the road, but even more importantly, will this cost him any future games due to suspension?

First and foremost, Molina should remember his importance to the Cardinals by doing what it takes to remain on the field. Managing his temper no matter the situation has to become a part of that.

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Friday night’s rainout at Busch Stadium versus San Francisco created a new situation for Matheny, as he will be managing in his first double-header on Saturday. The current uncertainly swirling around the bullpen and its usage makes Matheny-watching on Saturday potentially even more interesting than usual.

With the able assistance of researcher Tom Orf, we have the results of Cardinals double-headers during the La Russa years of 1996-2011. Since their last twin-bill loss at Cincinnati in 1996, during La Russa’s first St. Louis season, the Cardinals won five double-headers and split the other 17.

Details follow with most recent double-headers first.

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Late Friday afternoon, I joined Ken Miller and Jim Brinson on KXnO FOX Sports Radio 1460 in Des Moines in our regular series to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals, “Cardinal Talk.” This time, we discussed the eventful final contest of the Cardinals-Royals series including the Mitchell Boggs misfortune and the umpires’ decision to extend the game by five hours. We then looked ahead to the Giants and Diamondbacks sets.

Cardinals followers in central Iowa can again catch St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcasts on KXnO as well as my regular segment each week throughout the season, either over the air or via streaming. Or, if you miss it live, you can always catch the replay right here at The Cardinal Nation blog.

Click here for audio: Brian Walton with Ken Miller and Jim Brinson (8:52)

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Since his return from Triple-A, the 29-year-old Boggs has allowed three earned runs, including two long balls in four innings pitched. The right-hander also issued three walks against just one strikeout.

Clearly, Boggs is still not right. The open question is what the Cardinals should do about it. At one end of the spectrum, his market value is at its lowest point and Boggs could come back to haunt St. Louis. On the other hand, can the contending Cardinals afford to do nothing?

Express your opinion below.

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In my opinion, even more important than how fast the players got there is what they eventually accomplished as big leaguers. As a measure covering both hitters and pitchers, I selected career WAR, wins over replacement.

In the table below, the less-than-three-years-between-draft-and-MLB-debut Cardinals are ranked in career WAR order.

Not surprisingly, Albert Pujols is on top. Only eight of the 37 players reaching the majors quickly finished with a negative career WAR.

Closest to the average of 12.6 career WAR is current MLB Network analyst Joe Magrane at 12.2. The left-handed pitcher ascended to St. Louis at one year and 10 months after having been drafted in June 1987. Following an NCAA career at the University of Arizona, Magrane was taken 18^th overall (Wacha was 19^th overall in 2012; both are listed at 6-feet-6). Magrane went on to pitch in the majors for eight seasons for the Cardinals, Angels and White Sox.

Magrane forged a career 57-67 record with a 3.81 ERA in 190 games, including 166 starts. The Des Moines native came in third in the 1987 National League Rookie of the Year vote and fourth in the 1989 NL Cy Young Award balloting, but Magrane’s main claim to fame may be the NL ERA title in 1988, when he logged a spectacular 2.18. Despite that stellar mark over 24 starts, the anemic offense gave him just five wins that season.

I don’t remember the level of expectations when Magrane made his Cardinals debut on April 25, 1987, but with him being a top prospect, they were probably pretty high. In his first outing, at age 22, Magrane delivered. He went six innings and beat the Mets at Shea Stadium by a 3-2 score. Current FOX Sports Midwest broadcaster Ricky Horton pitched the final two innings for the save.

In his rookie season, Magrane went on to make 27 appearances, including 26 starts. His record was 9-7 with a 3.54 ERA as he threw 170 1/3 innings. His WAR was 1.2. In what would be his only career post-season action, Magrane struggled in the 1987 playoffs, logging an 8.74 ERA in three starts. He took the loss in Game one of the World Series against the Twins and a no decision in the deciding Game seven. (I attended both contests, held at the noisy Metrodome in Minneapolis, from which my ears are still ringing today.)

Would you be satisfied with Magrane-type of production from Wacha? Or do you expect Wacha to become an above-average player compared to the other fast-rising Cardinals? Vote in the polls below.

(Continued thanks to researcher Tom Orf, who pulled the base data shown above.)

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Since then, only two St. Louis Cardinals players have reached the major league club within one year of being drafted. On Thursday, May 30, pitcher Michael Wacha is scheduled to become the third, joining J.D. Drew and Cris Carpenter.

Drew’s fast-but-slow situation was unique. Though the ex-Florida State star was in the majors just three months after being drafted by the Cardinals in 1998, the outfielder suited up in independent ball in both 1997 and early 1998. That was the result of a contract standoff with the Phillies, who had selected him second overall in June 1997. Drew played 45 games for the Cardinals at Double-A and Triple-A before getting the call in September 1998.

Carpenter, now often thought of as “the other Chris Carpenter,” was a baseball-football star from the University of Georgia drafted in 1987. Like the other two fastest-risers, he was a first-rounder. Carpenter initially made eight starts in 1988 but was shifted to the bullpen during the following season. After parts of five summers with St. Louis, the right-hander moved to the Marlins, Rangers and Brewers to close out his eight-year MLB career.

14 other Cardinals reached St. Louis within two years of their draft day. This group includes significant future contributors such as Ted Simmons, Albert Pujols and Matt Morris. They were joined earlier this month by pitcher Seth Maness, taken in the 11^th round in 2011. The right-hander beat first-rounder Kolten Wong and the rest of that draft class to St. Louis.

The two-to-three years list is below. Among the many dignitaries are Terry Pendleton, Rick Ankiel and Garry Templeton. The most recent to join this group is another Carpenter, current Cardinal Matt Carpenter. The infielder made his St. Louis debut almost exactly two years after he was selected in the 13^th round in 2009.

This post was made possible by researcher Tom Orf, who pulled the base data shown above.

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Late Tuesday afternoon, I joined Ken Miller and Jim Brinson on KXnO FOX Sports Radio 1460 in Des Moines in our regular series to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals, “Cardinal Talk.” This time, we discussed the Cardinals pitching situation with injuries and the planned promotion of Michael Wacha along with the additional importance of Yadier Molina behind the plate with so many young arms.

Cardinals followers in central Iowa can again catch St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcasts on KXnO as well as my regular segment each week throughout the season, either over the air or via streaming. Or, if you miss it live, you can always catch the replay right here at The Cardinal Nation blog.

Click here for audio: Brian Walton with Ken Miller and Jim Brinson (7:45)

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Though many of us will be able to enjoy watching a number of games today while celebrating a day off with family and friends and without normal work schedules, let us not forget the meaning of Memorial Day.

It is a time to remember and thank those who have served and are serving and particularly for those who have fallen or had their ability to live a normal life altered while protecting our country and right to remain free.

The above photo is of members of the Vietnam Veterans of America with pitcher Trevor Rosenthal at Davenport’s Modern Woodmen Park in 2011 and taken by Names Around Town Photography.

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From the viewer’s perspective, the rules are confusing and frustrating. At its essence, the national situation is this. During the times when games are covered by FOX Network on Saturday and ESPN on Sunday nights, viewers are prohibited from seeing other out-of-market contests – even if one is paying for MLB’s premium packages such as MLB.TV or MLB Extra Innings.

Perhaps more so than any other team, the “nation” part of the Cardinal Nation feels the impact. From the days when the Cards were the only team west of the Mississippi and MLB had not yet entered the South, Cardinals fandom became most widespread.

As such, one could argue that support of the Cardinals is even deeper-rooted than MLB’s blackout policy. Yet on days like this, fandom has to take a back seat to these consumer-unfriendly rules.

Specifically, on this Saturday, May 25, much of the country will be stuck viewing one of four other contests such as Marlins-White Sox and A’s-Astros, rather than being given a choice to see the Cardinals-Dodgers instead. (Link to Saturday’s FOX MLB coverage map.) The only live alternative is to turn back the clock and listen to radio broadcasts.

This exclusivity window is baked into the national television contracts, which run through 2021. Even worse news for the future is that starting in 2014, FOX’s regular-season game rights will double – from 26 to 52. In other words, the conflicts will only increase over the next eight years. (See important update in comments section below.)

The money involved in these broadcast rights is huge, with FOX to pay MLB an estimated half-billion per year and ESPN even higher at $700 million annually (which include post-season coverage). For that reason, relief from the national weekend television blackouts is seemingly not on the horizon.

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In his first Major League game, the 24-year-old left-hander limited the San Diego Padres to one run and four hits over seven innings. Lyons also contributed a single in the top of the sixth inning as part of St. Louis’ 14-hit attack.

With the able assistance of researcher Tom Orf, we bring you the list of eight, now nine, Cardinals pitchers who in their MLB debut:

• Started and went at least seven innings
• Allowed one or no runs
• Picked up the win
• Got a hit

The last time this combination occurred was in the MLB premiere of Andy Rincon back in September 1980. It was the first of Rincon’s eight career wins as a major leaguer (in 20 appearances over parts of three seasons).

There was a very interesting oddity in the debut of Eric Rasmussen (“Don’t call me Harry”) on July 21, 1975. That game was played under protest by the Cardinals when Ted Simmons’ fourth-inning home run was taken off the books. San Diego manager John McNamara pointed out to the umpires that the fat part of Simmons’ bat was grooved.

Since the Cards went on to win, 4-0, the protest was moot. The victim of the home run that wasn’t and losing Padres pitcher that day was none other than current Cardinals minor league pitching coordinator Brent Strom. (Coincidentally, I interviewed Strom just last week which you can check out over at the main site – if you subscribe.)

Oh yeah, amid all that, Rasmussen spun a shutout.

Like a number of these outings, Jackie Collum‘s 1951 debut occurred as the season was in its final days. The left-hander not only had the best of these pitching performances as measured by an 81 Game Score, but he also was the only of these first-game hurlers to collect multiple hits, two singles, and crossed home twice.

Then there was the first-ever Cardinal to complete this combination. You have heard of him. Having already clinched the pennant, the Cardinals called upon a 20-year-old named Dizzy Dean to make his MLB debut on the final day of the 1930 regular season.

Dean threw a complete-game three-hitter, allowing the Pittsburgh Pirates just one run. Dean also singled and scored a run in St. Louis’ 3-1 win. Despite that, the Cardinals did not think the brash Dean was ready for the bigs and he did not return until 1932. But that is a story for another day.

I doubt anyone would expect a Dean-like Hall of Fame career from Lyons, but the Cardinals getting more than they received from Rincon is not too much for them to hope, is it?

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Last month, Caterpillar acquired naming rights for Chiefs Stadium for $2 million over 10 years as part of a much broader set of Chiefs refinancing actions. Details can be found here.

Logoed signs will be installed at the downtown stadium in the coming weeks with a grand re-opening event expected this summer.

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A trade to Cleveland took Chris Perez out of the Birds on the Bat and into an Indians uniform, but I continue to keep an eye on the right-hander. Outspoken and honest, the former University of Miami hurler often shared his song of the day and other thoughts via social media. Last year, he also raised the ire of some fans by wondering out loud why the Indians were not receiving more fan support.

Recently, despite the first-place Tribe winning 18 of 22 games, Perez has come under increasing criticism on Twitter. As with any closer, there have been a few bumps in the road, but overall, the two-time all-star is having another fine season.

Yet, personal attacks from some of the most aggressive Indians fans have driven Perez to delete his Twitter account, according to FOX Sports Ohio. Sadly, they probably do not understand it is their loss.

When Jason Motte first took to Twitter, I had a conversation with a Cardinals official about the inherent risks of a player at such a prominent position interacting so directly with fans. I envisioned a Perez-like situation occurring in St. Louis when the inevitable blown saves occur and the mob mentality takes over.

The official told me, “There is nothing to worry about. Jason can handle it.”

Maybe he can and maybe he cannot, but the point is, why should he have to?

In all fairness, Motte’s 2012 performance generally kept the waters calm. With the closer out for the remainder of this season, we should not expect any turbulence regarding him until at least 2014.

It is a shame we might anticipate it at all.

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The purpose of this poll is to allow you to speculate as to who will be moved off the active roster. It seems almost a certainty that it will be a member of the current bullpen. I am leaving off Edward Mujica and Randy Choate, but listing the other six relievers.

It could be a bullpen-to-bullpen move or it could be a pitcher who had been a starter before advancing to the majors returning to that role. The intent could be to get him tuned up for a potential return to St. Louis when another rotation opening presents itself.

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With its top-ranked farm system strongest in pitching in and close to the majors, the problem is located in the organization’s most optimal area to try to address. While there are various options potentially available to the Cardinals, none is completely obvious.

Let’s consider them.

Jake Westbrook. The veteran right-hander is on the disabled list with right elbow problems that have required two injections to try to calm down. Even if his mandatory 15 days on the DL had passed by Wednesday, which they will not, Westbrook has not begun to throw again, so would not be ready.

The bigger question with Westbrook is how long he will remain out – and therefore how long John Gast would be needed to replace him instead of potentially covering for Garcia in the rotation.

Chris Carpenter. When the starting five seemed in such good shape just a few days ago, there seemed no place for the warrior to fit. Still, Carpenter has been preparing for his return as a starter. In bullpens, his pitch counts have been as high as 70, but his next checkpoint is not until the Cardinals return to St. Louis on May 28.

On the 60-day disabled list since March 22, my calculations have Carp becoming eligible for activation on May 22. Hmmm. Still, without any rehab action, an accelerated move with the 38-year-old would seem to be high risk. No one has even suggested this, to my knowledge. Yet because it does not seem impossible and it is Carpenter we are talking about, I will include it among the options.

Michael Wacha. Putting aside Carpenter, the talk of major league spring training camp is perhaps the sentimental favorite to step in for Garcia. The tall right-hander has strong basic numbers with a 4-0 record and a 1.89 ERA in his first eight Triple-A starts. The 21-year-old has improved after yielding four of his 10 earned runs in his first two outings, including two of five home runs.

Digging a bit deeper, though, provides potential clues to why Carlos Martinez, Seth Maness and Gast were selected to be elevated to the majors ahead of him. There are those five long balls and a so-so 32:14 strikeout to walk ratio in 47 2/3 innings. His FIP of 4.10 and unsustainably low .181 BABIP summarize a view that the basic nums are not fully indicative and that more seasoning was required.

In addition, Wacha is not yet on the 40-man roster. It may be too early to move Garcia to the 60-day DL to create an opening. This could be addressed by removal of another, but it would seem to me that the Cardinals would prefer to make the Wacha moves if a longer-term starting need is presented (see Westbrook uncertainty above).

Seth Maness. The good-luck charm as a reliever has logged all three St. Louis bullpen wins this season. Having carried a full starter’s workload until recently, including four Triple-A starts, Maness would seem to be the most likely interim rotation replacement, in my opinion. The right-hander most recently tossed 1 2/3 frames of scoreless ball on Friday night, getting a hold against the Brewers.

The return of reliever Mitchell Boggs from Memphis in the corresponding roster move with Garcia’s placement on the DL is a potential indicator that Wednesday’s starter might come from the current St. Louis pen. Even if not, it at least gives the club another relief arm during the impending three games.

Carlos Martinez. Speaking of starters currently among the relievers, we have hard-throwing Carlos Martinez. While holding his own in the majors, Martinez had a late start this season due to a visa problem. His workload with St. Louis has been relatively sparse and he pitched in relief Saturday night. Martinez could be a factor, but there seems risk in starting the 21-year-old in the majors now.

Trevor Rosenthal. After some bumpy outings early on, Rosenthal has been the most reliable set-up man on the team. Forget his career ceiling. Forget that he isn’t stretched out to start. I just don’t see the Cardinals risking messing up their pen by moving Rosenthal into the rotation now. He may deserve it, but baseball isn’t always fair.

Joe Kelly. Just a few weeks ago, some were clamoring for the right-hander to be given a shot at closing. After Kelly’s Saturday night’s loss to Milwaukee, some of those on the fringe are now calling for Kelly to be demoted to the Triple-A rotation. Still, the 25-year-old started 16 games for St. Louis last season filling in for Garcia and did a credible job.

Maikel Cleto. The hard thrower has not progressed in the Memphis bullpen so was moved into the rotation when Maness departed. In three starts, Cleto has a 2.77 ERA, but he hasn’t yet gotten his walks under control. His strikeout to walk ratio is 14:14 in 13 rotation innings. Cleto does have the benefit of already being on the 40-man.

Tyler Lyons. Though a long shot in my opinion, the left-hander had quietly improved in 2012 as he moved up to Triple-A. This season, Lyons has not been as strong. He has a 4.47 ERA in eight Pacific Coast League starts, where opponents are batting .306 against him. Lyons’ FIP is much better at 3.31 and BABIP against him has been an unlucky .366. Our 35^th-ranked Cardinals prospect is not yet on the 40-man roster, another inhibitor. On the other hand, it may make sense to enter another left-hander into the potential bullpen mix later on, joining Marc Rzepczynski, Sam Freeman and Gast.

OK, enough about the candidates. Based on everything we know – and a lot we do not – who would you have the Cardinals hand the ball to on Wednesday night in San Diego? Vote and explain below.

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Late Friday afternoon, I joined Ken Miller on KXnO FOX Sports Radio 1460 in Des Moines in our regular series to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals, “Cardinal Talk.” This time, we discussed the Cardinals winning ways in a historical context, previewed the Milwaukee series and the upcoming West Coast roadtrip.

Cardinals followers in central Iowa can again catch St. Louis Cardinals radio broadcasts on KXnO as well as my regular segment each week throughout the season, either over the air or via streaming. Or, if you miss it live, you can always catch the replay right here at The Cardinal Nation blog.

Click here for audio: Brian Walton with Ken Miller (7:10)

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Manager Mike Matheny’s second club has won exactly two-thirds of its games, with 26 victories in 39 contests. The team has the exact same .667 winning percentage at home (12-6) and on the road (14-7). The Cards have won 12 of their last 14 and hold a 2 ½ game edge over the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Central Division.

With the invaluable assistance of researcher Tom Orf, here are the Cardinals records through May 15 since the start of the La Russa era in 1996. They are listed starting with the most recent.

The 2013 team is the eighth of 18 to at least hold a share of first place through 39 games and is tied with last season’s club with the second-largest division lead. The 2013 squad has the most wins, is tied for the fewest losses and of course, holds the best winning percentage. The positive run differential of 53 is behind only 2012.

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Over a combined 18 innings representing two complete games against the Colorado Rockies last week, they yielded a total of three hits and one walk, striking out 20 and allowing no earned runs.

To measure back-to-back complete-game pitching dominance, researcher Tom Orf suggested Bill James’ win shares. Here is a link for those who want to fully understand the formula. The maximum possible Game Score is 114, which would be a perfect game with all 27 outs via the strikeout.

The highest game score for a nine-inning game in baseball history was Kerry Wood‘s one-hit, no walk, 20-strikeout shutout performance for the Chicago Cubs against the Houston Astros on May 6, 1998. His game score was 105.

With Miller logging a 98 game score on May 10 and Wainwright hitting 89 the next day, the total of 187 is the most dominant two-complete game stretch by Cardinals since at least 1960.

Here are the top 20 pairs since 1960, all with total Game Scores of more than 160. The next closest to the current duo was not that close at 178, by Bob Gibson and Ray Washburn in 1967. Notice that there has been no others since 1981.

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First up was the most experienced of the three. Allen Craig of the St. Louis Cardinals has roughly one more year of Major League service time than the others. During spring training, the 28-year-old agreed to a five-year, $31 million deal that covers 2013-2017. There is also a club option for 2018.

Next was Arizona’s Paul Goldschmidt. The five-year contract for the 25-year-old is for $32 million. Though it covers 2014-2018 in calendar years, in terms of service time, they are the same five career years as Craig – first year prior to arbitration, three arb years and the first free agent-eligible season. There is also a comparable option for a sixth year. Goldschmidt played most of 2012 in the majors, posting an .850 OPS, 20 home runs and 82 RBI in 145 games.

On Sunday, it was disclosed that Cubs first sacker Anthony Rizzo agreed to terms on a seven-year, $71 million contract. It has an additional year at each end in that his 2013 salary was increased and his second year of free agency was bought out, 2019. Further, he was projected to have a fourth arbitration year due to Super Two status. At the end of his deal, Rizzo has two additional option years that could extend the contract to nine years plus incentives that could increase his salary in out years (full contract details here).

Rizzo, 23, received the longest and largest commitment. He is youngest and the least established of the three, but also most highly-touted. In 87 games last year, he logged a good-but-not-great .805 OPS and 15 homers. Rizzo started slowly in 2013. He was batting just .173 on April 26 but that night hit his seventh and eighth home runs of the season and has since raised his average to .280.

Here are their current career MLB stat lines.

I compare their contracts in the following table. At the left are the minimums and maximums in years and dollars. Next are the yearly salaries. They are aligned in columns by experience year, not calendar year. That way, we can more easily compare.

While the Cardinals will pay the least for Craig, he is the oldest of the three. In terms of service time coverage, Goldschmidt’s deal is very similar to his. Rizzo gets more in the early years, but his salary flattens out in the middle seasons such that he will receive less than the others in his final two arb years and first free agent-eligible year. By the seventh year, he catches up to the others.

One might argue the Cardinals helped set the market with Craig, but it appears his deal is in line with Goldschmidt’s and carries considerably less risk than Rizzo’s. Rizzo offers the longest opportunity for his club to benefit – if the player achieves and maintains true star status.

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I asked researcher Tom Orf to help put this almost-perfect game into perspective.

St. Louis Cardinals, 0 walks, 13+ strikeouts

In Cardinals team history, there were also three occurrences of no walks and 12 strikeouts, 11 with no walks and 11 K’s and 19 with 10.

Complete game, 1 or 0 hitter, 0 walks, 13+ strikeouts, MLB history

As noted above, Miller is second youngest to Kerry Wood.

Gave up a hit to 1st batter then retired the rest in a complete nine-inning game with no walks or hit by pitch, MLB

(Miller would also now be on this list.)

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