* Some good news came down this morning, as all 17 unsigned players agreed to contracts with the Cardinals on Saturday. The club did not renew any of the 17, instead reaching agreements. The names: Mitchell Boggs, Jaime Garcia, Blake Hawksworth, Josh Kinney, Charlie Manning, Kyle McClellan, Jason Motte, Chris Perez, Matt Scherer, Brian Barden, Tyler Greene, Jarrett Hoffpauir, Brendan Ryan, Brian Barton, Joe Mather, Skip Schumaker and Nick Stavinoha.
* The Cardinals also got good news on Clayton Mortensen this morning.
According to GM John Mozeliak, the MRI exam on Mortensen's elbow came
back negative, a development which Mozeliak called "very encouraging
news." Mortensen is out with elbow tendinitis.
* Albert Pujols is not expected to play in Thursday's game against the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic team. TLR's official explanation was that Pujols will benefit from having consecutive days off (since Wednesday is an off day for the whole team), but also there's definitely some concern that Pujols might get a bit too "amped up" for that game when perhaps his preparation isn't far enough advanced to justify that.
* Gen. Hal Moore, the man at the heart of the story in the movie "We Were Soldiers" (and the book "We Were Soldiers Once... And Young") will likely visit camp on Monday. TLR left flyers on every player's stool this morning to ensure they all know who he is. Moore is just about an annual visitor to camp.
* TLR on Molina hitting second: "There was a hole there, the way the lineup was shaking out. He's also a .300 hitter. And he stole a base yesterday -- our most recent stolen base." Obviously the last part was said tongue-in-cheek.
* Brendan Ryan said this morning that he has not had a shot in his wrist, but that he has progressed to the next-most-intensive degree of anti-inflammatory medicine. It's a six-day cycle and he's on day three.
* Hyang-Nam Choi is listed as an available pitcher on the list today, and is on the roster as an NRI. He is wearing No. 93. Recent additions Mark McCormick (94) and Trey Hearne (95) are also available.
* Adam Wainwright is expecting to participate in the pro-am for next week's Honda Classic, participating in a group that includes Kenny G, Joe Theisman and a pro golfer. Chris Carpenter may serve as Wainwright's caddy.
This is one of my favorite traditions here at OYNAG, and it's a little more difficult and interesting this year with all of the variables. So let's get to it, and please feel free to contribute. The traffic has been unbelievable, but the comments have been sparse -- y'all are always invited to participate, as long as you're civil and respectful.
Starting pitchers (5) Adam Wainwright Chris Carpenter Kyle Lohse Todd Wellemeyer Joel Pineiro
Relief pitchers (7) Ryan Franklin Trever Miller Kyle McClellan Chris Perez Josh Kinney Royce Ring Brad Thompson
Catchers (2) Yadier Molina Jason LaRue
Infielders (6) Albert Pujols Skip Schumaker Khalil Greene Joe Mather Brendan Ryan Tyler Greene
Outfielders (5) Rick Ankiel Ryan Ludwick Chris Duncan Colby Rasmus Brian Barton
Notes: * Two days ago I told 101ESPN's Brian Feldman, when he brought up the possibility of Barton making the team, that I just couldn't see it. Now I've put it all together, and it looks much likelier than when I said that. BUT...
* One possible alternative is to replace Barton with another infielder. Essentially take 4 outfielders, 6 infielders and Mather who kind of counts as both. I can definitely see that.
* By far the hardest call at this point is the last bullpen spot. I just am guessing right now that if they have that many one-inning guys, they will take a long man in Thompson. But obviously Motte threw really well today, and he could be the Opening Day closer just as easily as he could be in Memphis.
* Next hardest is the last two infield spots. Ryan's health will obviously be a huge factor here. If he's out for a long time, it drastically cuts his chances of opening the season in StL. I think Mather will open the season as the 3B, and if Freese isn't starting, I can't really envision him on the roster. I just have a hunch about Greene, who right now is one of the early camp darlings, but I definitely would not rule out Barden. Thurston right now appears to be fourth in that race.
* I would not rule out the possibility of a LHRP signing before camp is out.
Now playing on the iPod: the wonderful "49 songs for 49 days" playlist that Mrs. Dude made for me before I left. "Without a Trace" by Soul Asylum is a really, really great song.
It was far from a pretty game here at Tradition Field, but the visitors picked up a win. Rick Ankiel's diving catch in center was pretty sensational.
* David Freese and Brendan Ryan are both "improving slightly," according to TLR, but out for at least another several days. The mgr does not expect either infielder to play until after the off day on Wednesday.
* Todd Wellemeyer departed before we got a chance to talk to him, so I'm unable to bring you his take on his performance today. To my eye, it looked sort of meh. LOT of pitches for two innings, but it is February after all.
* Jason Motte and PJ Walters both pitched quite well, with Motte particularly impressive to my eye. Rough one for Adam Ottavino.
* Tomorrow is a pretty big day, with Chris Carpenter taking the mound against the Nationals. If nothing else, it's nice to go to the park knowing what you're going to write.
Today's playlist: Electronic: "Getting Away With It" U2: "All Because Of You" Bruce Springsteen: "Working On a Dream" Spoon: "The Underdog" Elvis Costello: "This Year's Girl"
We're under way at FtL Stadium, and Joe Mather just made the best play I've seen this spring -- diving to his right to corral a hard shot from Nick Markakis, he throws from his knees and gets Markakis. Very impressive.
* Per John Mozeliak, Mortensen has tendinitis in his right elbow and will be re-evaluated tomorrow.
* TLR floated the idea of the Orioles loaning a pitcher or two to St. Louis, to benefit both teams. The O's have 37 pitchers in camp, while the Cards are concerned about finding enough pitchers to cover all the innings. However, the idea has been nixed by the Cards before it was ever taken to MLB offices.
* Instead, the Cardinals are bringing two more pitchers into camp: Mark McCormick and Trey Hearne. Each has been facing hitters and should be able to slide right into game action when needed.
* TLR said that Clayton Mortensen is dealing with a sore elbow and "is being shut down for at least one turn." I'm following up to see what else I can find.
* Mitchell Boggs has advanced to throwing live batting practice, but probably is at least a week away from being able to pitch in games.
* Those two, plus the Matt Scherer injury, add up to a shortage of available pitching for the Cardinals. They are concerned and looking into alternatives, but it's not entirely clear what the alternatives are at this point. I'll have more on this topic later today.
* Tyler Greene's start is the first earned start of the spring, i.e. the first time a player's good game earned him playing time the next day. Greene is one of the early-early eye-openers of this camp.
Today's playlist: Black Crowes, "Twice As Hard" The Four Horsemen: "Tired Wings" Guns N' Roses: "14 Years" Metallica: "Sad But True" Temple of the Dog: "Say Hello 2 Heaven"
Pleased to report that in 98 minutes, they'll be playing ball. Here are the tidbits from this morning...
* Yadier Molina isn't playing today because he'll play the next three games. The Cardinals want to maximize the time he works with the scheduled starting rotation before he leaves to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Thus, today, with Blake Hawksworth and a bunch of kids pitching, LaRue gets the call, and the next three days with Lohse, Wellemeyer and Carpenter, it'll be Molina.
* TLR acknowledged that Mather's status with the club is reflected in his new Major League number. He didn't promise Mather a spot, but made it clear that "Joey Bombs" is in good shape. Key quote: "I think whether it's third base or someplace [else], I think Joe's got a chance to make our club." It may sound wishy-washy, but it's an endorsement.
* We talked a good bit in the morning session about the cleanup spot, and what TLR wants from there. It's Ankiel today, and ideally he prefers to have a lefty there because in general he likes going L-R-L-R as much as possible. He didn't rule out Ludwick or Duncan there, but also emphasized his long-held belief that he doesn't want guys TRYING to hit for power. Money quote: "I project the cleanup hitter as a productive hitter that can get a clutch base hit. Power is something that, if you've got it, you've got it. If you hit 25 home runs and you hit .220, you can't hit fourth. You can hit 35 home runs and hit .220 -- that's only 35 hits."
Today's themed playlist: Pearl Jam, "Go" Rolling Stones, "Start Me Up" Handsome Boy Modeling School: "First... And Then" R.E.M.: "Begin the Begin" Drive-By Truckers: "Opening Act"
* Joe Mather has been issued No. 7, a significant improvement from the 62 he had been wearing. As always, nothing in Cardinals camp is accidental, and it's hard to imagine them giving Mather a number like that if they didn't expect him to wear it while riding around Busch Stadium in the back of a Ford.
* Brian Barden had the play of the scrimmage this afternoon, ranging deep into the hole at shortstop to backhand a ball and throw out Justin Knoedler. OK, it's a catcher he threw out, but it was a very nice play. In his one tough chance, Skip Schumaker handled a ball nicely on a diving stop to his right LEFT (sorry, ack!), but made a somewhat errant throw (a tough throw, likely would have been scored a hit) on a ball hit by Joe Thurston.
* Didn't see a lot of live BP (because there wasn't much), but Chris Carpenter's session looked a lot like his previous one. His command was a bit iffy, but his stuff was good -- and the command got better as he went on.
Busy day here in camp. The clubhouse was closed to media from 8:30 am because of the annual Players' Association meeting.
* Donald Fehr addressed media after he met with the players, and we'll have a story up on the site about what he had to say to us.
* Left-hander Justin Fiske is in camp and throwing live BP today. He'll provide some extra depth, as the field staff is a bit concerned about having enough pitchers to cover all the innings early in camp. Fiske went 4-0 with a 3.26 ERA, 96 Ks and 35 BB in 85 2/3 innings across three levels last year. He made 40 appearances, 10 starts.
* Tomorrow's starting lineup, not in order obviously: LaRue C, Pujols 1B, Schumaker 2B, Mather 3B, K.Greene SS, Rasmus LF, Ankiel CF, Ludwick RF, Duncan DH, Hawksworth P.
* The Cardinals will hold a "coaches' game" later this afternoon, with two 13-man teams (eight players in the field and 5 DHs on each side). Coaches pitch BP in these games, rather than pitchers. The losing side provides "beverage service" for the winners. In the past, the stakes were higher -- winning team got to skip an unpleasant road trip -- but this year it's something smaller.
* Chris Carpenter throws live BP today, then a bullpen on Thursday before pitching in Saturday's game. Also live today: Tyler Herron, Ryan Franklin and Clayton Mortensen.
Today's playlist: Rolling Stones, "Factory Girl" Clash, "Safe European Home" Material Issue, "Very First Lie" Jack Johnson, "Mudfootball" Pearl Jam, "Daughter"
Games are getting closer and closer, and that's good news. At some point all of us are ready for that changeover, as opposed to workouts every day. Here are today's tidbits:
* Brendan Ryan has a sore right wrist, which he's been told is tendinitis. He expects to miss a few days, and said he probably won't play in a game until at least Friday. It's not a recurrence of the wrist injury which sidelined him for so much of 2006, but Ryan nonetheless said, "I just have bad wrists, I guess."
* Ryan participated in drills, however. He's just prevented from hitting. Khalil Greene is dealing with a little bit of shoulder soreness, which he and the club insist is really no problem at all, and Greene participated fully today. David Freese has some discomfort in the area of his Achilles' tendon, but like Greene is doing just about everything.
* Today's entry in the nothing-in-Cardinals-camp-is-accidental file... Two infield groups worked out today. In one, Joe Mather, Freese, Brian Barden, K.Greene, Skip Schumaker, Ryan, Albert Pujols and Chris Duncan. In the other, Brett Wallace, Tyler Greene, Joe Thurston, Jarrett Hoffpauir and Allen Craig. Thinking you can draw your own conclusions there.
* Josh Kinney was not sharp today, but neither he nor Dave Duncan expressed much concern. Kinney had trouble getting his timing down.
* Adam Wainwright on the other hand was outstanding in his live BP session, against Pujols and Duncan.
* TLR said it is not a slam dunk that Colby Rasmus would always be the CF if he and Rick Ankiel are in the same OF.
* Clayton Mortensen took a shot off his right hip during batting practice (not live) today, hit by Rasmus.
Today's playlist: Junior Boys, "In the Morning" Camouflage, "Motif Sky" Postal Service, "Nothing Better" Blaqk Audio, "Bitter for Sweet" Cold War Kids, "Against Privacy"
* Kyle Lohse threw live BP today and looked much better than in his previous session. Lohse concentrated simply on throwing strikes his last time out; this time he said it was more game-oriented. And it showed. He didn't give up much hard contact and had a nice session. He'll throw a bullpen on Tuesday then start Thursday against the Orioles in Fort Lauderdale.
* Blake Hawksworth starts Wednesday's Grapefruit League opener against Florida, followed by Lohse, Todd Wellemeyer on Friday at the Mets, Chris Carpenter on Saturday at home against Washington, Joel Pineiro on Sunday 3/1 "at" Florida, and Adam Wainwright on Monday, 3/2 against the Rays.
* Brett Wallace took a pitch in the back from Katsuhiko Maekawa this afternoon, but appeared to suffer no real ill effects.
* On Monday and perhaps Tuesday, the Cardinals will play "coaches games," another term for intrasquad competition. Coaches throw BP when the Cards do scrimmages, rather than having pitchers pitch. Monday's will take place within the stadium.
* Bill Parcells joined Ron Wolf and Bruce Hornsby among those who have dropped by camp to visit TLR.
* Talked with Brian Barton at some length today about his situation, which will lead to a feature later on this afternoon. Clearly his position is quite a bit different than it was a year ago, for a lot of reasons.
* Chris Perez's live BP session started pretty shaky again, but as it went on he seemed to find his groove more.
Today's playlist: Flight of the Conchords: "Robots" Chromeo: "Needy Girl" Beck: "Gamma Ray" Mike Doughty: "I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress" Drive-By Truckers: "Home Field Advantage"
Here's another round of photos. A lot of them are from Carpenter's live batting practice session today. The fellow in the t-shirt in the photo with TLR is Bruce Hornsby. Besides Carpenter, the other pitcher photos are one of Blake Hawksworth and then two of Clayton Mortensen. And, yes, that's Dave Duncan standing in the batters box while a pitcher works on pitchouts.
It's another very nice day down here. Evidently it's much more pleasant on Florida's east coast than over on the west side of the state. So, you know, that's excellent.
* Chris Carpenter faced a group of hitters that included Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and Colby Rasmus. His stuff was very, very good -- plenty of movement, and the hitters were shaking their heads more than once. His location was not as good, though certainly not awful, and it got better as he went along.
* Ryan Ludwick still does not expect to participate in the World Baseball Classic, since it's still his understanding that he would not be a starter for Team USA. Ludwick feels that if he wouldn't be getting regular at-bats, he needs to be in Cardinals camp. It's the same thing he said last month, but with some recent defections, it was worth asking whether anything had changed. It has not.
* Mitchell Boggs threw a bullpen session today and reported he felt fine. Matt Scherer is throwing long toss and hopes to be on a mound on Wednesday.
* For those who were wondering, I was told today that the Cardinals were never seriously in the hunt for Orlando Hudson, who signed with the Dodgers.
* Other impressions from live BP today: Blake Hawksworth had another very impressive session, Clayton Mortensen was very solid and Fernando Salas was a bit iffy to my eyes.
* One other note: I'll have another photo gallery coming this afternoon.
Today's playlist: Duran Duran: "New Religion" Happy Mondays: "Step On" The The: "Uncertain Smile" Cure: "Cut Here" Shiny Toy Guns: "Le Disko"
* TLR was asked about the possibility of Colby Rasmus being the No. 9 hitter, and he was open to it. If Schumaker is on the roster as the 2B man, then there's not really an obvious No. 9 hitter -- unless somebody like Brendan Ryan or Joe Thurston wins the 3B job.
* Adam Wainwright threw live BP to a group that included Albert Pujols, Skip Schumaker, Yadier Molina, Khalil Greene and Joe Mather. And he looked very good to my eye. Fastball down to both sides of the plate, good breaking ball, and very little hard contact.
* Also throwing live today: Wellemeyer, Trever Miller, Motte, Kinney, among others.
* Chris Carpenter is scheduled to face hitters for the first time tomorrow, so obviously that'll be a little bit of a frenzy. I'm looking forward to seeing it; I've liked what I've seen from him so far.
* Reggie Smith, the last Cardinal to hit a HR in an All-Star Game (1974), dropped by camp as a representative of a bat company today.
Today's playlist: Radiohead: "Paranoid Android" Living Colour, "This is the Life" Soundgarden: "Slaves and Bulldozers" Smashing Pumpkins: "Starla" Jeff Buckley: "Eternal Life"
So... this is a little bit of flying blind, because I haven't used this interface before. But here's an attempt to show you some photos I took today on the Roger Dean Stadium back fields. Click on the thumbnail to get a larger version.
Another gorgeous day down here. We've been very, very fortunate with the weather thus far. Today also brought the most compelling on-field action to date, as several projected members of the Major League pitching staff threw live batting practice to Cardinals hitters.
On to the tidbits...
* TLR said that Joel Pineiro is one of the five starting pitchers. Not necessarily earth-shattering news, but for those who thought it might be more of an open competition, it doesn't sound like that will be the case. Pineiro would have to falter significantly, and somebody else really thrive, for the starting five to change.
* Skip Schumaker was hit in the stomach by a chopper off the bat of Joe Mather during live BP. He was OK, but it was scary for a moment -- and no doubt painful for Schumaker.
* Mitchell Boggs did NOT throw today, as many of us expected. We've been told maybe tomorrow, and as of this moment I don't know whether it was setback or miscommunication. Will follow up on that. UPDATE: I talked to Boggs a few minutes ago, and he said he's coming along just fine. He's long-tossing and hopes to get on a mound tomorrow or Saturday. There has not been a setback.
* TLR said that Dave Duncan had some very complimentary things to say about Blake Hawksworth's throw yesterday. And to my eye, Hawksworth looked very good in that live BP session. As one front office member noted, "the clock is ticking" on Hawksworth, once considered one of the best prospects in the organization.
* Among those who threw live BP today: Joel Pineiro (looked pretty good), Kyle Lohse (gave up a good bit of hard contact), Chris Perez (looked erratic), Kyle McClellan (pretty sharp), and Jess Todd (looked quite good). From the "nothing-in-Cardinals-camp-is-an-accident" file: Albert Pujols was one of the hitters in the group that faced Pineiro.
* They filmed the new round of "Play Like a Cardinal" TV spots today. Not sure who all was involved or what all of the spots will be like, but one involved several of the outfielders, including Ryan Ludwick. They were being filmed inside the stadium this morning and afternoon. Additionally, tomorrow is photo day.
* Come back this afternoon for a photo gallery. I took a ton of pictures today, I'd guess 40 or so, and I'll be posting them later today.
Today's playlist: Radiohead: "Just" Garbage: "When I Grow Up" The Ting Tings: "Shut Up and Let Me Go" Nine Inch Nails: "Discipline" U2: "Get On Your Boots"
OK, this is a little more like it, schedule-wise and in terms of connectivity. Starting to get into the routine.
* As already reported here, Joel Pineiro was extremely displeased at Jose Oquendo's decision not to include him in Team Puerto Rico's three-man rotation for the World Baseball Classic. Pineiro emphasized that he had no beef with the pitchers selected in his place, Jonathan Sanchez and Ian Snell, but Oquendo is clearly not his favorite person right now. Oquendo and TLR both downplayed it, and said they're confident that as the spring and season move on, there won't be a problem.
* Live batting practice starts today, and one of the more intriguing sessions will be that of youngster Francisco Samuel. He'll face Brian Barden, Tyler Greene, Brendan Ryan and Joe Thurston. Samuel has a smooth, easy velocity, but some command issues.
* Some of the big league starters begin throwing live BP tomorrow.
* Not a lot else to report at this moment, but we'll see how the day progresses.
A clearly distressed Joel Pineiro announced on Wednesday
morning that he will not participate in the World Baseball Classic in 2009.
Jose Oquendo, the manager of the Puerto Rican team as well
as the Cardinals' third-base coach, informed Pineiro that the right-hander
would not be part of his three-man starting rotation in the upcoming event. As
a result, Pineiro chose not to play, staying back with the Cardinals to build
up as a starter rather than pitching out of the bullpen for his homeland.
"Everybody knows that's not my role," Pineiro
said. "I'm very disappointed, very heartbroken. I felt disrespected.
Everybody knows it's only been two pitchers in Puerto Rico the past 8-10 years,
consistent starters, which is Javier Vazquez and myself. To hear that from him,
it was such a setback and I'm very disappointed."
Pineiro referred to his 2006 experience in the Classic as
one of the best of his career and said he had been extremely excited to pitch
again in 2009 -- going so far as to have purchased tickets for his family.
However, he was passed over in favor of Vazquez, Ian Snell and Jonathan
Sanchez.
Greetings from Jupiter, where life got a lot better today for two major reasons. Arti Gras is officially over and we can get to and from the park MUCH more easily. And my aircard is working, so I can file even when the Wifi at RDS goes down (which is, um, a bit too often).
Which, BTW, explains why today's tidbits are so long overdue. Couldn't get online to put this up. I'm now coming to you from the couch in our condo, with some laundry in the dryer and a Family Guy repeat on TV. Living the dream, baby. Living the dream.
* Troy Glaus reported today and shed a little light on the sequence of events that led up to his shoulder surgery. He said the rehab has come well so far, though obviously there's a long way to go. The story can be found here.
* Didn't talk too long to Ryan Ludwick about his contract, but he was definitely pleased to have it done and relieved not to go to a hearing. It's definitely interesting that Ludwick got a good bit more than the midpoint between the two figures. That's unusual. Typically when it happens, it's an indication that the club doesn't feel its chances of winning a hearing are very good.
* We all got to watch a good bit of batting practice today, and it was nice to see something other than bullpen sessions going on out on the back fields. It should pick up even more soon.
* We had lengthy conversations with TLR about both the Skip Schumaker/2B thing and the bullpen. I don't want to give too much away about either one because they'll feature in big stories on the site for tomorrow morning (bullpen) and Thursday morning (Skip/2B). But a couple of nuggets... TLR and Dave Duncan both said they'd PREFER to have someone emerge as the 9th-inning guy, but they're open to a mix-and-match scenario. And TLR is very serious about Schumaker at 2B. He said that even if they still had Kennedy, he'd want Schumaker competing for the 2B job this year. It may not work out, but it's very, very real.
Today's playlist consists of highlights from a very nice jog out on the exercise track behind the condos...
Shamen: "Move Any Mountain" New Order: "Regret (New Order Mix)" Soul Coughing: "Super Bon Bon" Soundgarden: "Let Me Drown" Pearl Jam: "Rearviewmirror"
The traffic on the blog has been really incredible since Spring Training started, so a big thanks to everybody for dropping by. HOPEFULLY, starting tomorrow I'll get back to the midday updates that I prefer to have during the spring.
Hello from sunny, breezy, slightly cooler Jupiter. Very nice day, and best of all, Arti Gras ends today -- so soon we'll be able to get to the park much easier.
Today's news:
* Ryan Ludwick and the Cardinals front office skipped their flights to Phoenix, and a contract agreement is imminent. Could be this afternoon or tonight, could be tomorrow morning. But it's going to get done.
* Albert Pujols told me this afternoon that he's not playing in the World Baseball Classic. That was all but a done deal. Now it's a done deal.
* Larry Walker has arrived to fill his usual duty as a part-time instructor helping out the outfielders.
* Khalil Greene, Jon Jay and Brian Barton reported today, leaving Troy Glaus as the only player who did not report early.
* TLR told us today, in not a big surprise but still a bit of news, that Skip Schumaker and Joe Mather will work as infielders during the workouts between now and when games begin. As the club goes through various drills, Schumaker will work at second base and Mather at third, rather than either one with the outfielders.
* TLR and Mozeliak both answered questions about the possibility of a Jason Isringhausen reunion. Long story short: not a great deal of enthusiasm on the club's side.
* Not news, but just to let you know: I'll have a big Chris Carpenter story going up in the morning, on StLCardinals.com as well as hopefully on MLB.com.
Today's playlist is all R.E.M., culled from the late 90s: "Lotus" "The Great Beyond" "So Fast, So Numb" "Low Desert" "Hope"
Sorry for another late blog entry, still getting my timing down and getting back in the routine. Also, a relatively light day turned into a very busy one when Albert Pujols arrived and held court with us scribes.
* Pujols held a wide-ranging chat with reporters, lasting nearly half an hour. He touched on the World Baseball Classic, his contract, the direction of the organization, his elbow, steroids and plenty more. I'll have two different stories on it going up on the site tonight.
* Mike Matheny stepped behind the plate to catch prospect Tyler Herron for Herron's bullpen. Matheny was adamant that we not make too much of it -- he has no desire to come back as a player, or even to begin coaching yet. But it was fun to see, and he enjoyed it. Matheny's reveling in being a full-time dad and is very unlikely to get back in the game on a full-season basis until his kids are all out of the house.
* Ryan Ludwick arrived late yesterday afternoon and worked out today. He's still hoping to avoid an arbitration hearing. If a deal isn't resolved by tomorrow afternoon, though, he'll begin the same dance that Rick Ankiel did -- flying out to Phoenix for a hearing that may or may not happen. Part of Ludwick's decision to come to camp right away was that Ankiel avoided a hearing, giving him some hope that he can too.
* I saw Chris Carpenter throw for the first time this spring today and he looked, well, he looked like a pitcher in mid-February. He threw fastballs and breaking balls, and the curve looked like it's very early in Spring Training. But the throw was uneventful, and that's all that anybody is looking for right now. Talking to people who have seen him throw already this spring, it sounds like he had a little more pop on his fastball than in his previous bullpens. Which is to be expected.
* Attendance (by players, that is) is excellent. Brett Wallace, Brian Barden and of course Pujols all reported today, meaning that only four players have not shown: Khalil Greene, Troy Glaus, Brian Barton and Jon Jay. With two days before report date, that's a really good ratio.
* TLR acknowledged that the off days in the schedule could force some creativity. He said that as of now, all of the off days will remain actual days off for the players, but left it open to other options. Those days definitely have the potential to wreak havoc with pitching rotations and getting guys their innings.
Today's Playlist: New Order: "Crystal" Elvis Costello: "Brilliant Mistake" Martin Gore: "Compulsion" Cars: "My Best Friend's Girl" REM: "Can't Get There From Here"
Well, first, it's Valentine's Day, so above all else, a Happy V-Day to my beloved Mrs. Dude, who I wish could be down here in Florida with me. They couldn't start Spring Training on the 16th?
Anyway, on to the tidbits. Plenty to report today.
* All pitchers and catchers were present and accounted for.
* Mitchell Boggs got some good news about his tight right shoulder. The tentative plan is to rest him for a few days, let the anti-inflammatory medication take effect and re-evaluate him early next week, but we were told that the concern level is lower than it was yesterday.
* Matt Scherer has some forearm tightness; unclear at this point how severe the issue is.
* Nick Stavinoha is in fact working out at catcher, but it's not a position change in any kind of long run. He's just helping out at a time when the team needs as many catchers as possible.
* Francisco Samuel caught a lot of people's eyes with his bullpen session today. It was well known that Samuel throws hard, but what I and some of my colleagues noticed was the ease with which he brings that heat.
* Two members of the band Disturbed dropped by camp today. And no, sorry Mrs. Dude, I did not procure any photos/autographs/etc. They didn't really mingle with us scribes.
* Funny moment of the day: Rick Ankiel was talking up Skip Schumaker, and noted that if he (Ankiel) is in the outfield and Schumaker is at 2nd base, "If you guys can show me a better relay combo, I want to see
it." To which Chris Duncan promptly piped in, "Me and Eckstein!"
Welcome to Spring Training. -M.
Today's playlist: Maps, "So Low, So High" Kanye West, "Love Lockdown" Kasabian, "Club Foot" Gran Ronde, "Wisdom" Doves, "There Goes the Fear"
The Cardinals avoided what would have been their first arbitration
hearing since 1999 when they reached a last-minute settlement on a
one-year contract with outfielder Rick Ankiel on Thursday. Cardinals
assistant general manager John Abbamondi confirmed that an agreement
had been reached.
The deal is worth a reported $2.825 million, which is the exact
midpoint of the figures submitted by Ankiel and the club last month.
Ankiel requested $3.3 million in the last season before he is eligible
for free agency, while the club countered with an offer of $2.35
million.
Ankiel and the Cardinals were literally down to a couple of hours to
get a contract done. Their hearing was scheduled for 3 p.m. CT, and the
involved parties had all made their way to Arizona to take part.
St. Louis still has one remaining arbitration-eligible player who has
not signed. Ryan Ludwick would have a hearing on Tuesday if no deal can
be reached before that time. Ludwick has asked for $4.25 million, while
the club has offered $2.8 million.
