But, I have been behind the wheel of a car while an anxious Cardinals fan grits her teeth in the backseat en route to the nearest television to watch the clinching game of a World Series. On a chilly October night in 2006, I broke a few dozen traffic laws racing through the hills of Maryland to get my friend Jenny to a TV so that she could witness, through the miracle of broadcast media, her team's triumph over the Detroit Tigers.
Her thoughts on the 2010 Cardinals follow. Enjoy!
--TQ
2009 Review
The Cardinals put up another solid effort in the 2009 season. The acquisition of Matt Holliday was a real turnaround for this ball club. After gaining Holliday in the second part of the 2009 season, everything started going right for the Redbirds. Carpenter returned to full form and landed himself a spot on the Cy Young ballot with co-pitcher, Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals hitting continued to be strong throughout 2009. Despite a tough loss in the NLDS to the Dodgers, the Cardinals displayed their usual competitive edge throughout the season. The offseason signing of Matt Holliday will continue to give the Cards a great offensive boost. There were little other offseason movements (with the exception of resigning Pujols, much to the delight of every citizen of St. Louis), but the Cardinals will continue to build on what they have and once again prove to be one of the best NL teams in 2010.
PITCHING
The Carpenter/Wainwright combination, with their 2.24 and 2.63 ERA’s respectively, is arguably the best 1-2 combination in the major leagues right now. Carpenter will continue to be a team ace. Wainwright, if he’s anything like what he’s been in the last three years, will keep improving and prove himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball right now. Any one of these guys is a likely candidate for the Cy Young award. Of course, all of St. Louis is on their knees praying that Carpenter doesn’t get injured again. If they both stay healthy, expect record breaking seasons from both of them. Losing Joel Piniero and his 3.49 ERA will definitely put some pressure on the Cardinal prospective 3-4-5 spots. Kyle Lohse will fill in behind Wainwright. His unpredictability will make it difficult to know how he will perform this season. There is hope in St. Louis that Brad Penny will recover and add great depth to the Cardinal’s starting rotation. Imagining a 2007 form Brad Penny added to the Carpenter/Wainwright combination should blow anybody’s mind. Assuming the more likely scenario that he will recover average ability, he’ll fill the number four spot in the rotation. Possible prospects for the number 5 spot include Kyle McClellan and a young prospect Jamie Garcia. McClellan, an unpopular reliever in St. Louis, is not the favored pick because of his very untimely pitching messups. If Jamie Garcia can work up a little endurance during this Spring Training season, he could prove a solid rookie for the 2010 season.
This fan’s picks for 2010 starting pitching rotation:
Chris Carpenter
Adam Wainwright
Kyle Lohse
Brad Penny
Jamie Garcia
BULLPEN
The bullpen was by far the weakest link in the 2009 Cards season. Due to the management’s lack of movement in this area during the offseason, it is likely to prove, once again, a sore spot in the Cardinal’s 2010 season. Ryan Franklin, in 2009, certainly lived up to the reputation that players like Isringhausen and Wainwright had left him as a solid closer for this ballclub. Other bullpen notables are:
Trever Miller—Franklin aside, the Redbirds best bullpen pitcher. He goes up great against left-handed batters (a winning point for Tony LaRussa). If he works up the ability to pitch the same way to righties, he’ll be a major asset in 2010.
Kyle McClellan—LaRussa’s favorite. Assuming Garcia takes the spot in the starting rotation, he’s likely to see the most playing time in the bullpen.
Mitchell Boggs, Blake Hawksworth, Jason Motte and Dennys Reyes comprise the rest of the Cards very weak and inexperienced (Reyes aside) bullpen for 2010.
INFIELD
The Cards infield is looking very promising for the upcoming season. Pujols, Molina and Ryan have all proven themselves as greats in their positions. With Schumaker still adjusting at second base, and David Freese getting another chance at the majors, the infield’s greatest challenge in 2010 is learning to play well together. Here’s a glance at the players individually:
1st base: Albert Pujols— While better known for his hitting ability, Pujols has certainly proven himself as a great defensive first baseman. He pushes himself and tries hard to make every play. His relentless effort in defense shows just what type of player he is. A valuable leader in the Cardinals young infield.
2nd base: Skip Schumaker—Last season he made the difficult adjustment from center field to second base. He proved unexpectedly well at his new position, though definitely shows room for improvement. His teammates commend his eager to learn attitude, which will help him master his new position.
Shortstop: Brendan Ryan—He really picked it up at the end of last season, making some spectacular defensive plays. He managed to gain some national fame at the close of the season as a great, young shortstop. If he keeps playing like he did in the second half of 2009, he’s likely to draw in that same sort of attention and earn some fame to his name.
3rd base: David Freese—Straight from the Cardinals minor leagues. He made a number appearances in the big leagues last year before the Cardinals acquired Mark DeRosa and also for covering DeRosa a number of times throughout the season. He’s had a great spring training and is anticipated to be the starting 3rd baseman by many in the Cards club. It’s tough to tell how he’ll play out as the kid now has a history of having good spring trainings and rough season starters.
Catcher: Yadier Molina— This guy is the best in the game at his position. Consecutive two time gold glove award winner. Enough said.
OUTFIELD
The following three players committed a combined total of three errors in the 2009 season. They complement each other spectacularly and are one of the greatest strengths to the 2010 Cardinals team.
Left field: Matt Holliday—Now famous in St. Louis for his missed catch in game 3 of the playoffs last year, which many argue cost them the series against the Dodgers. A decent outfielder, but will definitely need to re-prove himself in 2010 to many doubtful fans in St. Louis.
Center field: Colby Rasmus—The golden star in the Cardinals outfield. As a rookie last year, he followed well in the footsteps of Jim Edmonds and Rick Ankiel making fantastic acrobatic plays. If his rookie season in 2009 was anything of a preview, it will be exciting to see what Rasmus has in store for this upcoming season and the rest of his career.
Right field: Ryan Ludwick—Definitely more famous for his offensive greatness. However, Ludwick has proven to be extremely valuable in the Cards outfield, committing only one error in the 2009 season. He has proven himself as threatening defensively as he is offensively.
THE 2010 LINEUP
1-2B: Skip Shumaker- Solid .300 hitter for the past two years. Hits a good number of doubles.
2-CF: Colby Rasmus- .251 BA, expected to improve as he gains experience.
3-1B: Albert Pujols- 3 time MVP. Enough said.
4-LF: Matt Holliday- Had a .353 with the Redbirds last year and will likely claim the cleanup spot again this season.
5-RF: Ryan Ludwick- A great homerun hitter. Hit 97 RBIs last year.
6-C: Yadier Molina- He’s picked up offensively in the past few years and in 2009 gained a reputation for stealing last year with a 75 SB%. The fans go crazy for this guy.
7-3B: David Freese- He had a .323 BA with only 31 AB. He’s had a good spring training so far this year.
8-SS: Brendan Ryan- .340 OBP. A decently clutch hitter.
2010 SUMMARY
The 2010 Cardinals are the best in the NL Central. Their offense is unbelievable on paper, and I see no reason why they won’t perform as everyone in St. Louis is anticipating them too. The pitching staff definitely has some holes in it. Many things will have to go right for the pitching to hold it together for the Cards in 2010. Wainwright and Carpenter will need to match their impeccable 2009 records. Brad Penny needs a decent recovery and Dave Duncan needs to find a solid player to fill the number five spot in the rotation. Oh, and the bullpen can’t blow every single save that comes their way. That being said, the Cardinals hitting and fielding will compensate for any pitching weaknesses and they will be the most competitive team in the NL Central.
MY HOPEFUL 2010 PREDICTION
95-67 and take the NL Central at least five games ahead of the Cubs.
A too close to call NLCS against the Phillies.
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