“What do the Cardinals have to trade?”

Allow me to set up some ground rules before I offer up my thoughts on potential trade chips.

1) The Cardinals don’t want to touch the core of the Major League squad right now

2) Listing a player as a potential trade asset does not mean I want the team to trade that player, it just means that they may have value to other teams and the Cardinals won’t have an immediate need for that player.

3) Part-time players and struggling prospects generally do not bring a great return in a trade

I really love guys like Skip Schumaker, Daniel Descalso and Matt Carpenter and they are essential parts of a contending team but they’re not likely trade pieces in the eyes of other teams. Those teams want future everyday players that have significant upside. Other teams want future guys for the rotation, late inning relievers and everyday player and quantity never equals quality.

If a player doesn’t project to be any of those things with the Cardinals someday it’s unlikely another team will value them enough to offer up the kind of impact help the Cardinals would be seeking. That’s not a knock on anyone, just a statement about how other teams will be looking at this.

I don’t see the Cardinals trading Oscar Taveras, Kolten Wong, Carlos Martinez or Tyrell Jenkins at this time. That’s not based on conversations I’ve had with anyone, it’s simply based on what I’ve seen from those players and how much they seem to fit into the team’s future plans.

To me, the Cardinals have two significant trade pieces to shop around this summer – Shelby Miller and Matt Adams. Believe me when I say that I’m not suggesting the team needs to move those guys. What I am saying is that they fit the profile of what other teams will be looking for in a trade:

* Top of the rotation/middle of the order talent

* Team controlled for years to come

* Close to helping out in the big leagues

Most of the teams looking to trade off assets this summer will not be on a 3-4-5 year plan. They’ll want talent that is close to being Major League ready and that description certainly fits both Miller and Adams.

The reason I think the Cardinals would be safe moving either one of them has nothing to do with any perceived weaknesses on the part of Miller or Adams but rather on the Cardinals specific areas of strength moving forward.

With Allen Craig, already proven as a legitimate Major League bat, in-line as a possible long-term answer at first base you would think Adams could be dealt. Adams can hit and hit for power but at any point in the next 2-3 years will he be a better hitter than Craig? I don’t think so and Craig’s presence as a controllable asset for the next several years gives the team a chance to develop another first base prospect for the long-term. Remember, Adams turns 24 in August. You can just sit on a prospect until he’s 26-27 years-old if you hope to maximize that player’s value. If he’s mostly injury insurance for Craig moving forward, that’s not a reason to have him languish at Triple-A. With Matt Holliday, Jon Jay and Carlos Beltran already in the outfield (and Taveras soon) there isn’t a spot out there for Craig.

When it comes to Miller, the Cardinals have young guys like Lance Lynn, Joe Kelly and Trevor Rosenthal, on top of having Martinez and Jenkins, for the long-term. The development of those guys, more than a few weeks of scuffling at Triple-A by Miller, makes it easier for the Cardinals to consider the possibility of dealing their #1 pitching prospect.

I’m a Shelby Miller honk. I believe he’s going to be a really good starting pitcher for a really long time. He’s not the first young pitcher to struggle upon reaching Triple-A but he’ll figure it out (5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 8 K last night) and he’ll eventually be 1-2-3 type Major League starter. Heck, worst case he’s a #4. That’s really good but with all the other high-end young starters around the Cardinals are in the fortunate position to move aggressively to try to win now if it means including Shelby in a deal.

Again, I don’t want the team to trade Miller or Adams. But if you’re realistic about things and you want some kind of impact starter and/or reliever for the stretch run you have to understand that you will pay a price. Teams don’t want your role players or your fringe prospects, they want potential impact guys if they’re going to give up starting pitchers or proven late-inning relievers.

If John Mozeliak can pull off something of significance without touching any of the guys I’ve mentioned, that would be a hell of a coup. But I operate under the “you have to give something to get something” mantra and if you want impact help you have to expect to give up guys that could be impact players down the road.

This week, St. Louis his hosting the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposia at America’s Center beginning on June 26. To discuss the event plus the importance of athletic trainers, Ron spoke with Jim Thornton, who is becoming the new NATA President.
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From the Cardinals’ dugout at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, GM John Mozeliak joined Ron Jacober for their weekly chat.
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A week after the U.S. Open, a lot of professional golfers take a week off. That does not mean there’s nothing to discuss as KMOX Golf Editor Dan Reardon joined the show.
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With another tight leaderboard, the 2012 U.S. Open Championship will be up for grabs on Father’s Day 2012. KMOX Golf Editor Dan Reardon checked in from San Francisco, California hours before the final round of the national championship.
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The Rams concluded a solid minicamp session this past week. Now, the veterans and coaches get some time off before revving it up in about six weeks. To discuss what’s been seen on the practice field along with the franchise going to arbitration with the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, Ron talked with Executive Vice President of Football Operations & Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff.
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While injuries may have setback the Cardinals over the past month, GM John Mozeliak told Ron in their weekly visit that the ball club will be getting some key contributors back on the active roster after wrapping up the current home stand against the rival Kansas City Royals.
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As done every year for Father’s Day on ‘America’s Sports Voice’, Ron Jacober replays the recording of Jack Buck reading A Father and His Child, a poem written by former account executive Bob Gainey. Happy Father’s Day!
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1. Review of the Week…
2. Massive Motte Misuse…
3. Opportunistic Offense (as in, pitchers love the opportunity to pitch against our offense…?)…
4. Yo, Joe!
5. Carpenter to throw off mound by end of the week…
6. Motivated Mo…
7. Wrap-Up!

GO CARDS!!!

Nancy Fahey, the award-winning coach of the Washington University women’s basketball team is now a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Ron Jacober had the opportunity to speak with her on the broadcast as Coach Fahey was inducted into the in Knoxville, Tennessee over the weekend.
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Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk hosted the Lumiere Place Golf Classic over the weekend. Taking place at the Stonewolf Golf Club through Monday, the tournament benefits the Marshall Faulk Foundation, an organization that has been dedicated to building brighter futures for today’s underprivileged youth since 1994. KMOX Sports Director Tom Ackerman talked with the 2000 NFL MVP.
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How much was taken away from the Belmont Stakes since Triple Crown hopeful I’ll Have Another was scratched a day before the race? Ron Jacober caught up with old college classmate Bill Christine, a long-time horse racing insider based in California.
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Joe Kelly makes his Major League debut for the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Indians in a rubber match game. GM John Mozeliak joined Ron Jacober to talk about Kelly, the overly-used disabled list, Shelby Miller’s season and more in their weekly chat.
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Fans will certainly be excited about the 2012-13 Saint Louis University Billikens after coming off a 27-win season. KMOX Sports Director Tom Ackerman spoke with head coach Rick Majerus about SLU’s upcoming promotions and new-look schedule.
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Can “I’ll Have Another” pull off the first Triple Crown in 34 years next weekend at the Belmont Stakes? That was certainly one topic discussed when Fairmount Park Director of Racing, Bobby Pace, joined the broadcast.
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A guest on his own show for the first time in 25 years, Ron Jacober joined Tom from the Ozark region of Missouri as he represented KMOX for the Missouri Broadcasters Association awards. Ron also represented Jack Buck as the legendary broadcaster was inducted into the MBA Hall of Fame.
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While some golf fans are excited that Tiger Woods may be playing well heading into the U.S. Open, others are wondering about the mysterious exit of Phil Mickelson after the first round of the Memorial. KMOX Sports golf editor Dan Reardon checked in with Tom.
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The Cardinals look to avoid a sweep in Flushing, NY on Sunday night and to break another 4-game skid. They head to Houston before returning home next weekend to begin interleague play. To discuss the ball club and the MLB Amateur Draft, which starts on Monday, June 4, hear from GM John Mozeliak.
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The one-stop-shop for all your St. Louis sports information goes through Frank Viverito, President of the St. Louis Sports Commission. From the Visa Championships happening at Chaifetz Arena this week to potential future SEC Championships, Frank and Tom attempt to cover as much as possible.
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Given Yadi’s recent extension and recent proclivity for being like the best hitter ever, the catcher position seems pretty locked-in for the next few years. That’s a good thing, because the farm system doesn’t exactly have a sure thing prospect waiting in the wings. Bryan Anderson, now 25, was forever tagged as the next Cardinal catcher (at least in a backup capacity), but he never has hit as he was projected to, and his glove has never been his calling card. The fact that Anderson, who currently holds a sub-.600 OPS while repeating at Memphis, is still the best catcher in the system is telling. Thankfully Molina’s presence means this is one position where an utter lack of any prospects isn’t damning in the least.

You can’t go Wong with Kolten Wong! Credit goes to MLB.com/AP for this photo.

Until recently, the Cardinals have had an embarrassing glut of talent at first base. The reason the system seems barren in that department now is an acceptable one, as all of the best options have found their way to the big league club. While Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter are currently stuck on the disabled list, the oversized Matt Adams has been busy filling in for Lance Berkman with the kind of results we were hoping desperately for. It’s obviously early, but Adams has a much more compact swing than you would expect given the hugeness, and he’s been hitting the ball with authority the same way he has in the minors for the past couple of years. Much as with the catcher position, and really more so because of having multiple options, the Cardinals are set at first base despite the minors now appearing devoid of reasonable options. Guys like Aaron Bates, Xavier Scruggs, and Jonathan Rodriguez are nothing more than filling the requirement that someone, anyone, stand at first base so their respective minor league squads can field a legal lineup. None of them can hit, and all of them are too old for their levels.

Kolten Wong is one of the best prospects in the St. Louis system, and one of the best in baseball according to many a publication. It’s a good thing, too, because the team has no concrete second baseman in the present or the future, and Wong has all the tools to be just that. Wong can hit for average, draw a walk, become a plus defender, and throw in some extra-base hits here and there. He’s progressed very well, hitting zero road blocks along the way. As of this post, he’s the owner of an .847 OPS at double-A Springfield and his plate discipline bodes well for what he might become. The Cardinals have to be hoping he becomes the first definitive second baseman they’ve had in forever. It’s actually kind of shocking that organization has yet to churn out a winner at the keystone given their successes at other positions (Molina at catcher, Pujols at first, Jaime Garcia and Dan Haren in the rotation). Former first-rounder and bastard of the system Pete Kozma has been shifted over to second base for Memphis, but he’s a worse option than any of the flawed choices the team currently has. Other minor league options include Eugenio Velez, who is older than me and not as good a hitter, and Starlin Rodriguez. Rodriguez is 22 and playing at high-A Palm Beach, and despite not being drafted, he’s shown some on-base ability. He’ll never be a starter, but perhaps he has some sort of future.

Third base is a tricky position for the Cardinals as well. David Freese has a firm grip on the job should he stay healthy for the next couple of seasons, and his talent level appears to truly be above-average. If Freese should injure yet another part of himself, or if his ankles should turn to dust and leave the medical staff no choice but to replace them with pegs, guys like Matt Carpenter and maybe even Allen Craig could be options at the hot corner. Zack Cox was a consensus top-10-in-the-system coming into 2012 thanks in large part to his line drive hitting reputation. Cox’s first triple-A showing has been a dismal one, and his power has never really developed into anything to speak of. While Cox could still mature into the sort of player who hits for average and a little gap power, it’s hard to imagine him truly being the best option for St. Louis at third base. It’s too early to tell, but he looks like the sort of low-ceiling, high-floor draft pick that goes ahead and embraces the floor part of the equation. Jermaine Curtis has started to hit the past two seasons, but the former fifth-rounder will be 25 this summer and had not established that he even understood what a baseball bat was until age 23. Alan Ahmady and Jeremy Patton aren’t worth talking about, but I guess it’s cool for them that their names are gracing the figurative pages of the greatest blog in history.

We’ve mentioned it plenty of times before, but shortstop (much like second base) has been something of a black hole for the Cardinals, or at least the non-Renteria Cardinals. Rafael Furcal is a fine stopgap solution, but sooner or later the team needs to produce a man of their own to guard the space between Healthy David Freese and Future Kolten Wong. Ryan Jackson, now at triple-A, has the best shot of anyone currently in the system. Jackson is known for his steady work with the glove, but he’s flashed a bit of offensive prowess through the first two months of 2012. Jackson’s first 204 PA have featured a respectable .348 OBP and .400 SLG, numbers that would be drool-inducing at the highest level given what he can do on defense. Even if his recent progress isn’t real/doesn’t translate, perhaps he could serve the team in the same ways that Brendan Ryan once did. We can only hope his upper lip is as prone to awkward hair growth as the current Mariner shortstop’s was and is. While Jackson is certainly interesting, he’s easily the only somewhat legitimate shortstop prospect in the system. The rest of the players starting at the position (Jose Garcia, Patrick Elkins, Matt Williams but not THE Matt Williams) have all of Jackson’s downside (batlessness) without any of the upside.

Get your asses back here to read Spencer’s take on the system’s current outfield depth! (Hint: Oscar Taveras! Double Hint: We love Oscar Taveras).

What’s going on with professional golf? While the appeal of big names, including 2012 Masters winner Bubba Watson, is not jumping out at fans right now, things will hopefully pick up soon as the other majors approach. KMOX Golf Editor Dan Reardon joined Ron also telling him that local courses are looking the best in years.
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Things sure are different at the Rams training facility in what one former head coach would consistently call ‘beautiful Earth City’. Now under the Jeff Fisher regime, the rookies and veterans are learning to play with the each other. Our Rams insider Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has been out there for all of it and let’s Ron know what he’s seen.
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Cardinals’ GM John Mozeliak has been busy shuffling players from AAA to the MLB as the defending World Series champions have quickly been bit hard by the ‘injury bug’. Along with an update on Lance Berkman and others, Mo’ also talks with Ron about the struggling big league club that looks to salvage what’s been a 1-3 road trip on the Pacific Coast.
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Greg Marecek joined the broadcast with Ron to promote a couple of events coming up involving the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame. Find out how the public can participate.
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The work never slows down for the St. Louis Rams and COO Kevin Demoff. Preparing to sign rookies as the team beings OTA’s this week, Kevin is also knee-deep in the ongoing negotiations between the Rams and the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission. He joined Ron to discuss all those topics.
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Since Lance Berkman returns to the lineup, the Cardinals and GM John Mozeliak had to make the tough decision of sending someone down to Memphis AAA. Ron talks with Mo’ about the 20-13 ball club looking to avoid the a sweep from the Atlanta Braves.
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But never fear, for that wily and wise Bill DeWitt, Jr. rallied the club behind John Mozeliak, first time GM in a city well-known for its love affair with Major League Baseball…and without really knowing it, Redbird fans were witness to the birth of a new era in Cardinals baseball.

Of course, Mozeliak’s claim to fame is the wacky 2011 Championship with those Comeback Cardinals…but it would be 2012 that would offer him the opportunity to remake this team in his image. With the retirement of Tony La Russa, the departure of Albert Pujols, and the unexpected absence of Pitching Coach Dave Duncan, Mo had his work cut out for him…but he also had the closest thing to a blank canvass this town has known since Whitey-ball.

And so with that, we give you “Mo’s Minions”…four players making an impact for the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals that, in one way or another, have John Mozeliak to thank for their success in St. Louis.

1. David Freese. When Jim Edmonds’ time as the everyday center fielder for the Cardinals was nearing the end, Mozeliak pulled off a somewhat disappointing trade with the San Diego Padres. The Padres got Jimmy Baseball, and the Cardinals got an unknown local kid by the name of David Freese. Reports suggest Mo actually paid an extra $1 million of Edmonds’ salary in order to get Freese instead of the other prospect offered by the San Diego club. John was clearly impressed by the young’ish third sacker. Cardinals fans said…”Who?” Years later, Freese’s fame in St. Louis is reaching legendary status. His historic performance in the 2011 postseason – specifically Game 6 of the World Series – has made him a mythic figure in the Gateway City. And it looks like he’s not slowing down in 2012. With a .312 average (as of May 9th’s game), 7 home runs, and 26 RBIs, he’s been one of the most consistent and productive hitters in the Redbirds’ lineup…and he’s playin’ a mean third base, too.

2. Rafael Furcal. Rafi’s injury history made him somewhat of a gamble last season, but with the inconsistent play – alright, downright horrible – of Ryan Theriot, the Cardinals were left with no choice but to seek an upgrade. Mo pulled off a mid-season trade for the veteran shortstop…and before you know it, Happy Flight was off and running for St. Louis. Not only did Furcal provide everyday stability at a middle infield position, but he also fortified the lead off position in the order. His speed and switch-hitting ability made for a nice fire-starter for an already potent offense. And the rest, as they say, is history. The trade Mozeliak made would prove to be a key piece in the Cardinals’ bid for an 11th championship…but he wanted more out of the gimpy infielder. With concern swirling around Furcal’s health and remaining ability, Mo swiftly (after Pujols bolted for the Angels) signed Rafi to a 2-year deal. Ridiculed by many at the time, that deal is lookin’ pretty sweet so far. Furcal’s eye-popping .361 average with 2 homers, 15 RBIs, and 13 walks is easily setting the pace for this NL-leading offense.

3. Carlos Beltran. This one is kind of a no-brainer, considering Beltran’s reported preference for St. Louis, but Mo still had to pull the trigger. Perhaps the most impressive piece of this deal is the terms. Yes, Mo gave Carlos more than $20 million over two years, but the outstanding detail in that sentence is the phrase “2 years.” Sporting an improved farm system and a bevy of young outfielders, the Cardinals knew a 2 year agreement with a premiere player was the perfect bridge to names like Allen Craig and Matt Adams. Their time in St. Louis as everyday players may be close – and in Craig’s case, possibly now – but Mo was not about to sit on his hands and watch the Redbirds wallow in mediocrity. In St. Louis, the term “rebuilding” refers to the construction that takes place in Busch Stadium to make room for yet another championship banner. In a way, Beltran is living proof of Mo’s promise of continued contention in the National League. And with a .284 average, an OBP around .400, 10 homers, 27 RBIs, and 17 walks…Carlos is makin’ Mo look good.

4. Jon Jay. Okay, okay…so Mo isn’t COMPLETELY responsible for Jon Jay. But one could say he’s 95% responsible for Jay as the Cardinals’ stellar, starting center fielder. With the great Rasmus patrolling center in Busch, fans were left cringing each time a swiftly dropping liner was driven over second base. Would he catch it? Would he even stop it? Or would it go bouncing to the wall as Colby went floundering past it? In a word, his defense was “erratic”…at best. But it wasn’t just his inconsistent play in the outfield that got him in trouble. His bat wasn’t so hot either. Flashing signs of brilliance and overflowing talent, the enigmatic “Raz’” could never quite get things going with the Birds on the Bat. And then came Mo’. With a fan base and a gaggle of national media types ready to rip his proverbial throat out, Mo’ stepped up and swung for the fences. He traded Colby Rasmus. And as a result, he made Jon Jay the starting center fielder…of the World Champions. Since then, Jay has only improved. His outstanding play in center field has not only been impressive…it’s been inspiring. And he’s not too shabby at the plate, either. His team-leading .379 average complements a .432 on-base percentage and proves him worthy of a top of the order spot in the everyday lineup.

Wrap-Up!

So there you have it…Mo’s Minions. Sure, there are many unmentioned players and coaches out there that owe their time in St. Louis to the Great and Powerful Mo – Matt Holliday, “Scrabble,” and even the Cardinals’ new manager, Mike Matheny – but these four stand head and shoulders above the rest in 2012.

GO CARDS!!!

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Kevin Demoff, St Louis Rams Executive VP of Football Operations & Chief Operating Officer chats with Ron about the NFL draft, including: the first round choice, the release of Josh Brown, undrafted free agents, and update on the CVC offer.

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John Mozeliak, General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals talks to Ron about the current home stand against the Brewers, as well as the performance of Victor Marte, an injury update, and a look down in the Minor League system.

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So what of Mo’s free agent signings? We know this area has never proven especially lucrative for the Cardinals historically. After all, is anyone happy about the past decisions to sign (or in some cases re-sign, although I’m only counting cases where the players were officially on the market before returning to the Cardinals) Mark Mulder (2 years, $13 million), Adam Kennedy (3 years, $10 million), or even Jim Edmonds to his final Cardinal contract right before his decline (2 years, $19 million)? I’ll save you the trouble and tell you none of those deals panned out for the team, and those were all made by Mo’s predecessor, Walt Jocketty. The Cardinals have never been an organization to go after big name free agents, so their history is relatively thin in this area, but the success stories are even smaller. Let’s take a look at some of the more notable free agent signings Mozeliak has made in his time as general manager. Or at least I will; you can do whatever you want.

November 30, 2007 – Cesar Izturis (1 year/$2.85 million) | Verdict: 3/5

This was Mozeliak’s first free agent signing, so I thought it was an appropriate start considering the nature of this post. Izturis, long considered an all-field, no-hit shortstop, lived up to his reputation perfectly in a brief one-year stint in St. Louis. In fact, it’s hard to remember Izturis even playing for the Cardinals at all, but history says it happened, and recently. During the 2008 season, Izturis hit .263/.319/.309 with all of 1 home run, which my dad assures me was crushed; sadly, I was not fortunate enough to witness it. Bonus StanGraphs points (which can be cashed in for a chance to enter into our yearly drawing, in which we give away Rick Sutcliffe’s most recently used toothbrush) for anyone who finds a clip of the homer and posts a URL for it in the comments section. Depending on whom you ask, FanGraphs or Baseball Reference, Izturis was worth anywhere from 1.2 to 1.5 WAR for the Cardinals that year, which makes him something of a bargain I suppose. Seeing as he posted a .292 wOBA for the year, you don’t need me to tell you that his value was completely tied up in defense. It’s not like I can praise this signing, but it was fine as the stopgap solution it was meant to be. Some day the Cardinals may even find a non-stopgap solution for the position.

March 13 2008 – Kyle Lohse (1 year/$4.25 million) | Verdict: 4/5

Hurting for starting pitching depth, Mozeliak inked Lohse to a one-year deal well after spring training began for the year. At the time, Lohse had a career WHIP of 1.43 and an ERA near 5.00, but he showed good control and a steadily improving ability to keep the ball in the park. For whatever reason, whether it involved the pitcher friendly Busch, the tutelage of legendary (semi-tongue-in-cheek) Dave Duncan, or simply that he was finally reaching peak form, Lohse excelled in his first season with the Birds. Throwing an even 200 innings, he remained hittable but limited the walks (2.2 BB/9) and kept his FIP under 4.00, easily the lowest mark of his career to that point. Altogether, Lohse gave the Cardinals 3.1 WAR according to FanGraphs in 2008, making him quite a solid investment. The resulting extension that followed after the season is a whole other discussion, but since it was not a free agency signing, it doesn’t make this list. Uh oh, sounds like the makings of another post there…

December 9, 2009 – Brad Penny (1 year, $7.5 million) | Verdict: 3/5

Most pundits felt that the Cardinals overpaid for the services of Brad Penny, who was coming off a 2009 season in which he was rocked as a member of Red Sox rotation. While he did rebound down the stretch for the Giants, his peripherals suggested that was more luck than skill. Through nine starts in a Cardinal uniform in 2010, Penny seemed to be on pace to more or less earn his contract, thanks in large part to a 1.5 BB/9 rate. In fact, he was worth 0.7 WAR in those 9 stars according to Baseball Reference, so had he pitched a full season, he might well have been worth the gamble and then some. A decline was probable, however, so let’s not get too carried away about this signing. It was an okay move, but nothing more. I just don’t think it’s fair to blame Mozeliak for not having the hindsight to see that Penny would injure himself clobbering a home run and not return at any point in the season. The 2010 season sure was painful.

January 7, 2010 – Matt Holliday (7 years, $120 million) | Verdict: 5/5

Obviously, you can make the case that rating this signing is unfair since so much of the contract remains unfulfilled. Nonetheless, I’m going to already call it a big win for the Cardinals, and only a career-changing injury a la Scott Rolen and Hee-Seop Choi colliding or a completely unprecedented early decline can possibly change that. Although it seemed like big money at the time, that was more from the fact that it didn’t look like Holliday had many suitors to choose from. In the subsequent off-seasons that have resulted in clearly inferior players cashing in with comparable contracts, this deal looks better and better every day. Already, Big Daddy has rewarded Mo for signing him to this franchise record deal, hitting .309/.388/.534 in his time with the Cardinals and contributing nearly 12 WAR going into the 2012 season. Looking back on the trade a few days ago, I found that I loved it, and I feel the same way when it comes to analyzing the contract tendered to him when he hit the open market. He’s well worth the investment. The same could not have been said had the Cardinals given Albert his desired 18-year, $853 million contract.

November 16, 2010 – Jake Westbrook (2 years, $16.5 million) | Verdict: 2/5

The round-faced Westbrook was surprising in his first 12 starts with the team during the 2010 season, posting a ridiculous (for him) K/9 rate of 6.6 and a solid 1.25 WHIP. Both marks easily bested his career averages, and for a second it was possible to think that this signing wouldn’t be too horrible. He didn’t pick up 2011 where he left off, however, and although I’m probably being a little too hard on him, I just don’t see how a pitcher with his abilities is worth $8 million a year. He certainly provides good depth at the back of a rotation, but again, it shouldn’t cost that much for a pitcher to fill that role on a team. In short, I didn’t like it when the Cardinals traded for him, and I didn’t like it when they brought him back off the free agent market. The team does hold a mutual option for Westbrook valued at $8.5 million for the 2013 season, but I’m betting they take the $1 million buyout instead. All in all, it’s not like this was a risky signing; it’s just not that great of one.

December 4, 2010 – Lance Berkman (1 year, $8 million) | Verdict: 5/5

The Big Puma was on fire all year in 2011, though hardly any of the experts had much praise for this deal at the time, particularly when they learned of the Cards’ plans to put him in right field. Obviously, 5.2 WAR later, it’s clear the experiment failed miserably. Berkman flashed his legendary batting eye all season long and took extra pains to maul his former team when they met up with his new and better one. The end result was a superb .301/.412/.547 triple slash line for the season and a contract extension of one more year at a 50 percent increase in pay. Already on the DL this year, Berkman will find it immensely difficult to match last season’s numbers, but he’s still a very tough out for opposing pitchers and someone I love coming up in important situations. This contract was a critical one for the 2011 team, and I haven’t heard Mozeliak get nearly enough credit for it. We here at StanGraphs are going to put a stop to that. Well done, Mo. Well done!

As I mentioned at the beginning, this is hardly a franchise given to spending big money in the free agent market, so most of the deals in Motown’s tenure have been low-risk ones that are pretty hard to rate poorly. That said, I can’t say I disagree with the way he’s gone about the process. Historically, massive long-term contracts don’t end well, and more attention is being paid to the drawbacks of signing a big free agent than ever before. It’s true that the Cardinals have never made that big off-season free agent acquisition that other clubs seem to announced routinely, but I’m actually quite thankful for that. Building from within is what matters, and trying to take advantage of the free market only hinders that process. Yes, that’s the “John Mozeliak is an underrated if somewhat ordinary general manager” drum you hear me banging these past few posts. I think he has a good vision for the franchise, as was evidenced in how he handled the very difficult Albert Pujols situation, and I think I’ve mostly agreed with his thought process on every major transaction made. He’s by no means at the top of the class, but anyone who tries to claim Mozeliak sucks at his job isn’t paying enough attention.

Thursday night this week is the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Most assume QB’s Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III will be the first two selections. The Rams have the No. 6 pick and will certainly have their choices. For the best local insight, Ron turns to Rams/NFL insider Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and KMOX Sports.
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/4-22-jt.mp3" name="Sports on a Sunday Morning" artist="Ron Jacober"]

The topic came up last night as I discussed how well a few ex Cardinals were faring with their new teams (not well, for the most part) with everyone’s favorite StanGraphs editor. It got  me thinking about the deals Mozeliak has pulled the trigger on since taking the general manager position on October 30, 2007. One thing I will say for certain going into this review process: the post ’07 Cardinal teams have all been much more reliant on staying within the organization to fill depth holes, whereas Walt Jocketty always preferred to patch up any and all openings with the latest 38-year-old (usually with ties to the Oakland Athletics) looking to find a job. Not that Jocketty didn’t do a fine job putting together the nucleus of several very talented Cardinal teams, but the 2007 Cardinals were perhaps the worst team I’ve had the misfortune of rooting for in my entire life, and by that point in his tenure, that seemed to be the only kind of roster he was capable of assembling. Mo deserves a lot of credit for pushing the build-from-within mantra (often unsuccessfully) on Tony La Russa and company, even if that strategy didn’t mesh well with the former regime. Whatever negative comments I may make from here, I am certainly happy to compliment that aspect of Mozeliak’s respectable run as the GM. I’m also going to focus on trades only at this time, as that fits in better with the “checking in on ex-Cardinals” topic. Perhaps we will discuss some free agency hits and misses in a future post.

December 14, 2007 – Jim Edmonds for David Freese (Verdict: 4/5)

This was Mozeliak’s first trade as the team’s general manager, and it certainly has worked out nicely. Coming off a season that saw a huge decline in offensive production, the Cardinals shipped then 37-year-old Edmonds to the Padres for Freese, then a 24-year-old coming off a strong season at High-A Lake Elsinore. Since he was old for his level, the Cardinals decided to test Freese by having him skip over Double-A entirely, and he responded well, hitting .306/.361/.550 with 26 homers and 91 RBI in 2008. He was also good in 2009 and made a cameo appearance for the big league club, although he began to be plagued by a series of injuries and drunk-driving arrests around that time period. As everyone knows, Freese etched his name forever into Cardinal baseball history in epic fashion last October by hitting 37 home runs in the post-season, and based on his hot start so far in 2012, he could have a handful of very solid big league seasons in his future. To date, Baseball Reference has his major league career being worth 3.6 WAR so far, and with the Cardinals having no other obvious candidate to play third without his emergence, this is a very fortunate development. For Edmonds’s part, he was woeful in San Diego, as most hitters tend to be, but then had a resurgence with the Cubs in the latter part of 2008 and carried that success over for one more season in 2010 after taking a year off. He was all set to make a comeback with the Cardinals and end his career in St. Louis when a spring training injury derailed his plans and forced him into retirement. Although Edmonds is a St. Louis icon and a borderline Hall of Fame talent, he was worth only 2.2 WAR after being traded by the Cardinals.

January 14, 2008 – Scott Rolen for Troy Glaus (Verdict: 4/5)

Essentially, Rolen has never been the same since running into Hee-Seop Choi in ’05 despite solid seasons in 2006 with St. Louis and 2010 with Cincinnati. To date, Rolen has hit just .275/.345/.448 since the collision with the Korean ox, although that line includes all of 2005, not just the post-injury portion. Through 2004, he was a .286/.378/.520 hitter, so draw your own conclusions there; I’m sure the decline isn’t solely related to the shoulder, especially now that he’s well past his prime, but it looks like to me like a Hall of Fame level career was destroyed by Korea; I smell international sabotage. At any rate, Rolen had developed an intense hatred for Tony La Russa (somewhat understandable, although the problem was on both sides in this case) and needed to be dealt badly by the time this trade happened. The fact that Mozeliak was able to get the massive Troy Glaus in return is impressive, particularly when considering that Glaus was worth nearly 4 WAR in 2008 for the Cardinals. Sure, forcing him to exercise his 2009 option year for the trade to vest turned out poorly when he forgot to come back from a seemingly minor injury, but that shouldn’t count against the original swap. Baseball Reference claims Rolen was worth over 7 WAR in that same two-year period for Toronto, but his glove was responsible for about a third of that production. Given the fact that Rolen had to go and that it isn’t Mozeliak’s fault Glaus became Glass in 2009, this was still a pretty good trade overall.

June 27, 2009 – Chris Perez and Jess Todd for Mark DeRosa (Verdict: 3/5)

Perhaps unfairly, I was not a fan of this trade despite the fact that it sent two relief pitchers in order to obtain one very solid position player. That’s typically a pretty good sign for a trade, especially considering neither reliever was exactly proven. At the time, Chris Perez was an up-and-coming closer of the future, a bit on the wild side, but obviously very nasty. And Jess Todd wasn’t far behind, although he hadn’t made the big league team just yet. With Todd never having panned out despite some very good minor league numbers at the time of the trade, and Chris Perez’s random decline, this deal ended up being sort of a wash. I’m forced to admit now, in hindsight, that had the trade worked out as expected in a perfect world, it was actually a better move than I thought at the time. A fluke wrist injury almost immediately upon getting traded to the Cardinals essentially destroyed DeRosa’s career, but up until that point he had turned into a very good every day player capable of handling numerous positions in the field. Even in the event that Perez and Todd had reached the limit of their projections, that’s an okay sacrifice to land a quality hitter. It didn’t work out well for either team, and I still think it was a bit of a panic move to inject some life in a struggling offense, but the principle behind the trade was sound enough.

July 24, 2009 – Brett Wallace, Clayton Mortenson, and Shane Peterson for Matt Holliday (Verdict: 5/5)

I absolutely hated this trade on the day it happened. Hated it. I was convinced Wallace was going to become a great big league hitter and that Matt Holliday was not much of an offensive force outside Coors Field. In my defense, Holliday had a career .808 road OPS at the time of the trade, so it’s not like I didn’t have statistics to support my bias against him. Time has shown that Holliday is one of the best hitters in baseball, and so far both the trade and subsequent franchise record-setting contract to keep him in town have proven to be bargains. Meanwhile, Brett Wallace has changed teams twice since that trade and failed miserably at hitting major league pitching so far in his young career, Shane Peterson has yet to crack a big league roster and is not exactly a top prospect, and Clayton Mortenson is just another replaceable ground ball inducing pitcher with no stuff. Currently he’s languishing at Triple-A Pawtucket in the Red Sox organization. Holliday, meanwhile, hit .353/.419/.604 down the stretch with the Cards in 2009, helping them finish strong and make the playoffs, even if he did drop that ball in Game 2 of the NLDS. We can forgive him for that pretty easily, as he’s posted WAR totals of 5.2 and 4.1 over the next two respective seasons. He’s good.

June 27, 2010 – Ryan Ludwick to the Padres for Jake Westbrook from the Indians and Nicholas Greenwood from the Padres (Verdict: 2/5)

This three-team deal saw the Cardinals send out a very useful corner outfielder for yet another ground ball specialist; not a good idea in theory. The fact that Ludwick has actually been below replacement level since that trade doesn’t change anything in my mind, as the move was not made because of some overly astute, early recognition that he was declining as a hitter. At the time of the trade, in fact, Ludwick boasted a respectable .827 OPS, while Westbrook sported a pedestrian 1.39 WHIP and a 1.7 K/BB ratio in Cleveland. In this case, Mozeliak felt his starting rotation needed a lift, but you shouldn’t sacrifice a quality corner outfield bat for a middle-of-the-rotation starter. The thought process behind the trade was lacking, so even though it’s turned out fine, it could have burned the Cards badly. Granted, Ludwick was about to get a little more expensive in the very near future, but it’s not like the Cardinals are the Rays. They can afford a guy that was (at the time) only two seasons removed from a 37 homer effort. Plus, I hate Jake Westbrook for unfair personal reasons, and I don’t like that he’s still on the team. That’s really mean of me. Jake, if you ever read this, I’m sure you’re a very nice guy and your sad, round face makes me want to hug you, but I really can’t stand watching you pitch.

July 27, 2011 – Colby Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters to the Blue Jays for Edwin Jackson from the White Sox and Marc Rzepcynski, Octavio Dotel, Corey Patterson and 3 PTBNL from the Blue Jays (Verdict: 1/5)

Terrible trade. The theme here is that when a third team gets involved in the trading process, Mozeliak really loses his head. Granted, this one was not completely Mo’s fault; his hand was forced, as La Russa had seen it fit to completely erase any value previously held by the once promising Colby Rasmus. One year removed from an .859 OPS season, Rasmus had struggled just enough to 2011 (109 OPS+) to land himself back on TLR’s hit list. I’d call it his doghouse, but considering Tony’s love for pooches, being in his doghouse would probably result in royal treatment. At any rate, Tony hated Colby from the beginning and pretty much ran him out of town himself, no matter what he or anyone else says. He’s right when he says that no organization should ever side with a manager over a player, but in this case, it had to. Mozeliak got as much as he could from Rasmus, whose stock was at an all-time low, and the Blue Jays licked their greasy Canadian lips and eagerly snatched him up. The result from trading a young, cost-controlled center fielder still oozing with talent? A middle-of-the-rotation starter in his walk season that everyone knew would be paid more than he was worth in 2012 (a rental, essentially), a couple of relief pitchers, and Corey Patterson, who defies all classification as a baseball player. Yes, the Cardinals also purged the vile remnants of their awful veteran bullpen in the process, but this return was simply unacceptable, even with the resulting draft picks that eventually came from Jackson and Dotel signing elsewhere. I don’t care how useful Jackson and the two relievers proved to be down the stretch, and how unlikely it was the Cardinals could have won the World Series without making the trade. I don’t care that Colby hasn’t hit at all since being traded. It’s sheer luck that this trade hasn’t already haunted the organization, and no matter how perfectly it worked out in 2011, that doesn’t change the fact that Rasmus has several upcoming prime seasons with which to make the deal hurt.

So there you have it. A handful of the more important trades Mozeliak has made since taking over the position in 2007. By and large, he’s actually done a pretty good job the way I see it. In a way, the real test for him comes now, with La Russa’s shadow finally departing from the organization. Now he’s free to be an actual GM and run the franchise the way he wants to instead of catering to a dugout legend. To disregard all of TLR’s preferences and build a team his way the past several seasons would have been foolish. In fact, it makes perfect sense to give your personnel the best possible chance to succeed, so saddling Tony with a bunch of rookies would have been a terrible choice. Just as the field manager is responsible for putting his players into in-game situations they are most likely to succeed in, it’s also the GM’s job to obtain the right mix of players for his manager to work with. In no season did Mozeliak appear to understand that better than 2011, and that indicates to me that, despite the Rasmus deal, he’s actually progressing nicely as a GM. We’ll be sure to analyze all his future trades to death as they happen, naturally. To this point, though, I have to say that my opinion of John Mozeliak is actually pretty high.

Beginning with their first pick at No. 19 from the Los Angeles Angels for Albert Pujols, the Cardinals will then have another first-round selection at No. 23. Their third overall pick, plus first of three in the supplemental first-round, is at No. 36 as another compensation from the Angels for Pujols.

Trade deadline deals that made Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak MLB Executive of the Year in 2011 continue to pay dividends for the franchise. The last two supplemental first-round selections are at No. 52 and No. 59 because of relief pitcher Octavio Dotel going to the Detroit Tigers and starting pitcher Edwin Jackson joining with the Washington Nationals.

Following those five picks, which ties with the Toronto Blue Jays as the most in the first 60 overall, the Cardinals do not have a pick in the second-round until No. 86 and No. 117 in the third-round.

MLB.com provides the entire order of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

Copyright KMOX Radio

All kidding aside, I feel fairly comfortable facing this team for the first eight innings. It’s the ninth that concerns me. For whatever reason, the Reds have been snatching wins from teams at the last-minute – and it makes me nervous. Hal McCoy – the long-time, Hall of Fame writer for the Dayton Daily News – would have us believe it all goes back to a pre-workout conversation Dusty Baker had with the team early this year. It seems Baker challenged his offense to surpass the gaudy number of last-at-bat wins put up by Arizona in 2011 (I think it was something nuts like 47 or something). So far, they seem to be taking him seriously.

But I have to wonder…how sustainable is something like that? And is it a compliment or an insult to your ball club if a good portion of your wins come in the final inning? Does it say something that you couldn’t get it done in the previous eight innings? It sure didn’t seem to for Arizona – unless you count their early exit from the playoffs…which I don’t.

And speaking of the Reds’ offense, Cards fans should remember that Brandon Phillips is back in their lineup after missing a few days with a leg injury…and he thrives on boos in Busch Stadium. With him back at the top of their order, and Cueto starting the series off against Lohse in St. Louis, this could be an interesting early series for both teams. Of course…I think it would be REALLY interesting if the PA announcer added the General Manager’s names to the lineups during pre-game. Could be fun to see how Cards fans react to 2011 World Series winner John Mozeliak compared to 2006 World Series winner Walt Jocketty.

Especially after the likely “mystery team” attempting to lure Albert Pujols away from St. Louis seems to have been Walt Jocketty and the Reds. Maybe the announcer can remind fans of that before calling out Jocko’s name.

Okay, okay…let’s move on from there and get into the rest of the post…

Is Tyler Greene ever really going to put it together? I don’t know if it’s a focus issue or if it’s just a talent gap, but Tyler Greene still doesn’t look quite right – and frankly, I’m not comfortable with him in the field. In two straight games against the Cubs, I’ve watched Greene just flat-out boot the ball twice (once in each game). In the first game, a relatively soft line drive was hit directly at him with a bit of a slice on the ball. A man was on first with less than two outs. Appearing to get over-excited about a potential double play, Tyler simply took his eye off the ball and attempted to make the exchange too quickly – and the baseball caromed off the end of his glove and into right field. Because the baserunner at first – and everyone else in the park – expected Tyler to catch it, the runner was diving back into first base to avoid getting doubled up. His belly flop in the dirt gave Greene the time to retrieve the ball and throw to second for the force out…and avoid being charged with an error. Okay, fine…everyone gets an occasional goof, right? Next day…grounder hit right at him. Booted it. No excuse, no explainable reason. Just booted it. This time, he did get charged with the error. At what point do the Cardinals give up and start to believe the player they’ve seen in Tyler Greene is simply the player he is? I’m not saying they should…but answer me this, in all honesty – with the season on the line, in Game 7 of the World Series…do you feel comfortable with the uber talented and exceptionally athletic Tyler Greene at second base for the Redbirds? If the answer is yes…pass me some of whatever you’re drinkin’. If the answer is no…doesn’t that say something about his future in St. Louis?

For that matter, isn’t Rafael Furcal supposed to be good at shortstop? When he came over to the club last year and made a few errors – and we’re not using errors as an evaluative statistic, only as a way to refer to plays he obviously should have made in a general sense – I think we all kind of chalked it up to his abbreviated season, trying to get comfortable playing again, and getting used to a new team. But the same thing is happening again this year. Sure, he makes the occasional stellar stop…and his arm makes up for a lot of less-than-perfect efforts in the field…but again, at what point is Furcal simply missing plays he should make? Now, I think Rafi is going to be fine…but the early “yips” have me a bit concerned.

Furcal’s bat is cooling off as well. After a hot start to the season, Rafi is now 2 for his last 22 with only 1 walk. That’s just not going to be good enough. The season is still too early by far to know which Rafi is the real Rafi, but the Cardinals better hope it’s the hot-hitting one. If Furcal falters in the leadoff spot, I’m not convinced we have a viable alternative. Descalso can play, yes…and get on base…but after a stellar Spring camp, his offensive numbers are normalizing. Can he walk? Yes. Can he scrap out a rally? Sure. But can he hit enough at the top of the order to get on base at a regular clip every day? Doubt it. Greene may be a decent option given his speed and on-base ability from Spring Training, but he swings and misses a bunch, and he’s not exactly hitting – and it means we have to start him at second base nearly every day (see above). Likely the answer would be Jon Jay…but I dislike this answer strongly. I really like seeing Jay hit lower in the order…or maybe even in the two hole. He’s kind of like Molina, to me…plug him in where he’s comfortable and leave him alone. He’ll contribute from his sniper position. (Plus, his slumps have, historically, been maddening to watch.) Perhaps the answer would be two-fold. With Berkman’s unusually high OBP, perhaps it would be best to switch Beltran and Berkman – hitting Berkman in the two hole and Beltran in the clean-up spot – to maximize OBP potential with a less-than desirable leadoff man. Hmmm…

Does Carlos Beltran look…awkward to you? I know he’s getting older, and his knees aren’t exactly fresh…but he looks a bit…I don’t know…slow at times in right field. Not to mention awkward. After an ill-advised dive on a ball in the outfield – and an inability to track down a couple of balls in his expected area – I have to wonder if he is quite as comfortable seeing the ball off the bat in RF as he suggests. He doesn’t look like an All-Star center fielder playing a corner outfield position. He looks like a bat we’re trying to hide in the outfield. Now, that’s not to say he always looks like that…but he has had a few cringe-worthy misplays thus far. Given what we know about Beltran, he just looks like he isn’t seeing the ball off the bat as well as I would expect. He just looks a bit…awkward.

Can Matheny prevent Matt Carpenter from getting exposed? One of the little-noticed aspects of Tony La Russa’s tenure as manager was his ability to protect young players and bench/role type guys from getting exposed at the plate. He seemed able to play guys just enough to keep them fresh and contributing, but keep them out of the lineup just enough to prevent pitchers from exposing them at the plate. We’ll see if Matheny can do the same with Matt Carpenter. The kid’s got a bat and he’s a gamer…but Major League pitching is…well…it’s Major League pitching. And it has a tendency to expose rookies when expectations and injuries force them into too much playing time too early. Carpenter is hitting a lot of balls hard – especially this weekend – but I’ll be surprised if he gets the opportunity to square up on many of them going forward after his 4 for 4 day in St. Louis. That said…how much fun was that?!

* After watching him struggle the last few games, it’s gonna’ be fun to watch Matt Holliday break out this week against the Reds in big spots.

* Jon Jay might just be one of the best center fielders - when it comes to tracking down balls – in the National League. I would love to see someone reading this post – *ahem* – send me a statistical analysis of his defensive performance thus far…and how it measures up to others in the game.

* Let’s hope Yadier Molina continues to stay focused at the plate and resists the urge to swing for the fences after his suddenly impressive power display to start the season.

* David Freese is flashing some leather at the hot corner. After not being quite right the last few years, he’s finally healthy enough to show off all aspects of his game – power, RBI ability, and defense.

* With Chris Carpenter out even longer, is it time to sign Roy Oswalt before another team snatches him up? Remember what happened when Kyle McClellan was a member of the rotation into June of 2011…should we be concerned about the same from Lynn?

Wrap-Up!

That’ll do it for today. Get yourself geared up and ready to go for the Reds/Cardinals game tonight. It’s quick-kickin’ Johnny Cueto in Busch Stadium…and Lord knows what that means!

GO CARDS!!!

P.S. Earlier in the season I briefly compared the Brewers’ NL Central Championship banner to the Cardinals 2011 World Series Championship banner by saying, “Our banner’s bigger!” Matt Holliday later said, “Our banner’s cooler.” While researching for today’s post, I visited the Reds’ site and noticed a large web banner at the top of the page that says, “This is Reds Country!” I like the Cardinals’ web banner better. It says, “2011 World Series Champions!” We are Cardinal Nation.

LIVE from KMOX’s Kegs ‘n Eggs event, across from Busch Stadium, Charlie talks with Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak.
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Dan Martin, St. Louis Post-Dispatch cartoonist, joins Charlie at KMOX’s Kegs ‘n Eggs event and talks about his baseball exhibit at Ober-Anderson Art Gallery, 14th N. Meramec, in Clayton. The show is open to the public through April 30. For more information, log on to http://www.oberanderson.com
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Have you had the Cardinals BBQ Bacon Dog? Charlie welcomes Jeremy Mitchell, the inventor of one of the most popular concessions in all of baseball, to the broadcast to discuss what fans will be able to enjoy throughout the season as the Redbirds go for 12 in ’12.
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One of the most celebrated heroes from 2012, who did not depart from the Cardinals, is General Manager John Mozeliak as he continues to build for the future. Charlie asks the 2011 MLB Executive of the Year the tough questions about a chaotic off-season while getting updates on some players that are already battling injuries.
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How has Busch Stadium become more ‘green’ this season? Though they had one less month to prepare for Opening Day 2012, Vice President of Stadium Operations Joe Abernathy assures Charlie the stadium is better looking plus even more beneficial to our environment.
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The musical entertainment you hear from the organ every home game are the musical talents of Dwayne Hilton, who is also with Lacefield Music. Entering his fifth season with the Cardinals, he talks with Charlie about some of his styles plus joins in to have some fun with the fans attending Kegs n’ Eggs.
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Another person that had a tumultuous off-season was Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III. Like John Mozeliak, the work continues in constantly improving the Redbirds organization. He joins Charlie to discuss a range of topics from the 2011 World Series championship ring to the phrase ‘Happy Flight’.
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Vicki Bryant Vice President of Event Services & Merchandising will be celebrating her 32nd Cardinals Opening Day. In charge of just about any merchandise sold at Busch Stadium, Vicki talks about the new items including the special gold-lettered jerseys that the players will wear against the Chicago Cubs.
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Though it may be the smallest track in NASCAR, there will be no shortage of speed at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. KMOX Auto Show host Greg Damon checks in with Ron for his weekly report.
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The Cardinals will play their final game at Jupiter this day. GM John Mozeliak is excited like everyone to finally get the season going this Wednesday. Before the Cardinals go to Miami, they go to Springfield for a game with the Double-A club. What does the GM think of the 2012 Cardinals at this point? Ron Jacober talks about that and more.
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If you are looking for an excuse to get out of work on Tuesday, play ‘hookie’ and head to Collinsville where the horses will be racing at Fairmount Park. President/GM Brian Zander joins Ron to discuss what should be a beautiful season since Spring has already begun to turn to Summer.
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/4-1-zander.mp3" name="Sports on a Sunday Morning" artist="Ron Jacober"]

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/seg11.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

In depth Blues talk including goaltenders, coaching, and strengths of the the lineup.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/seg21.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

Tom Penders, a former NCAA coach, joins the show to talk about college hoops.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/seg31.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

Chris Carpenter talks with Mike Claiborne.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/carp.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Mike Claiborne"]

In tonight’s edition of the Sports Hub Power Rankings, Scott and Mo discuss the hockey playoffs and talk about which matchups might be best.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/power.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

Darren Pang of Fox Sports Midwest joins the show to talk about the Blues. He comments on the impressive play from the goaltenders and compares the team to other playoff bound clubs.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/pang.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

The gentlemen talk about the players the Rams picked up and the positions the Rams still need to fill. They also talk about Goodell’s comments in the bounty system.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/rams3.mp3"The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

Scott and Mo talk with Mike Claiborne, live from Spring Training in Florida.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/claibs.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

After a quick roundup of the St. Louis sports world including the Blues and Rams, Scott and Mo go to the 5 in 5, where they cover national headlines.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/5in5.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

Dan Reardon joins the show to talk about the upcoming Masters and whether or not Tiger is really back after winning this weekend.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/dan.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

John Mozeliak sits down with Mike Claiborne.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/moze1.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Mike Claiborne"]

Howl at the moon, courtesy of The Sports Hub.

[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/howl.mp3" name="The Sports Hub" artist="Scott Warmann"]

The weather has been no so nice, so get out to the links! You may see KMOX Golf Editor Dan Reardon out there, but not in a few weeks when he goes to Augusta, Georgia for the 2012 Masters. Currently, Tiger Woods is back on top of the leaderboard at Bay Hill. Will he win today setting up more excitement for the most famous major tournament?
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/3-25-dan-reardon.mp3" name="Sports on a Sunday Morning" artist="Ron Jacober"]

Today is Danica Patrick’s birthday. Will KMOX Auto Show host Greg Damon wish her well? Do not count on it when he talks with Ron Jacober for his weekly NASCAR report.
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/3-25-greg-damon.mp3" name="Sports on a Sunday Morning" artist="Ron Jacober"]

The Cardinals will have to begin trimming that spring training roster soon, plus make some decisions at certain positions such as catcher. GM John Mozeliak joins Ron to talk about that, plus other things including Tyler Greene looking better at the plate.
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/3-25-mozeliak.mp3" name="Sports on a Sunday Morning" artist="Ron Jacober"]

Another week of headlines from the Rams. Though coming off a tough 2-14 season, the off-season for the Rams has been more active than anyone could anticipate. Rams VP of Operations/COO Kevin Demoff joins the show.
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/3-25-demoff.mp3" name="Sports on a Sunday Morning" artist="Ron Jacober"]

In Kevin’s 3 strikes tonight he talked about Carpenter’s injury, Wainwright’s 5 scoreless innings, and the Blues loss in Los Angeles.
Three Strikes
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/3-strikes.mp3" name="Sports Open Line" artist="Wheeler"]

KMOX Sports Director Tom Ackerman chats with Kevin from down in Jupiter, among topics was of course the Chris Carpenter injury and Adam Wainwright.
Same Ole’ Wainwright, Carp Out Indefinitely
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/tom-ackerman-3-23.mp3" name="Sports Open Line" artist="Wheeler"]

Kevin Wheeler talks about the Blues performance last night, including Jamie Langenbrunner’s and Ken Hitchcock’s comments.
Blues Falter, But It’s Not All Bad
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/blues-talk.mp3" name="Sports Open Line" artist="Wheeler"]

Writer for Baseball Prospectus and Founder of FutilityInfielder.com Jay Jaffe joins Kevin to talk about the Cardinals as well as how wide open the National League is this season.
Jay Jaffe
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/jay-jaffe.mp3" name="Sports Open Line" artist="Wheeler"]

NBA champion and former Detroit Piston’s first round pick John Salley talks with Kevin Wheeler about his website primesport.com, talk some college basketball, and a little blast from the past to his years with the Detroit Pistons.
John Salley
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/john-salley.mp3" name="Sports Open Line" artist="Wheeler"]

Mike Matheny answers questions about Chris Carpenter and the latest on his shoulder injury.
Mike Matheny
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/matheny.mp3" name="Sports Open Line" artist="Wheeler"]

John Mozeliak talks with reporters about the Chris Carpenter, and how it affects the team.
John Mozeliak
[audio_link url="http://cbsstlouis.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/mo-on-carp-3-23.mp3" name="Sports Open Line" artist="Wheeler"]

Carpenter’s first ailment two weeks prior, a cervical disc injury, prevented him from making his first spring training start.  That issue is not considered to be connected with the nerve irritation.

The 36-year-old pitcher reportedly began feeling discomfort and weakness in the right shoulder on Monday after throwing live batting practice Sunday.

A season before Carpenter won the 2005 NL Cy Young Award, he was benched in September 2004 for a similar injury in his right arm keeping him out of the Cardinals’ run to the World Series.

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak spoke with reporters on Carpenter’s results and the club’s plan.

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