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St. Louis Cardinals
Opening Day -- well, Opening Night, really, and we technically already had one of those in Japan, but who's counting? -- is finally here, as the Cardinals will take on the Marlins tonight in the first stateside regular-season MLB game. It's bound to be an exciting season with so many players having changed teams, but has the power structure been altered significantly?
Vote: Pick each division and pennant, and the winner of the World Series
Rank: Baseball's best teams? | Top players in the game?
World Series repeat?
The Cardinals prevailed over the Rangers in the 2011 World Series, but St. Louis lost its biggest gun this past offseason ...
Best player?
... which is a pretty big loss, considering he might be one of the best players of all time.
Odd one out?
The Red Sox missed the playoffs last season after an epic September collapse. Will they be on the outside looking in once again?
AL's best?
Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols were probably the two biggest additions to teams in the American League, meaning the balance of power could shift.
NL's best?
Likewise, the addition of Jose Reyes to the Marlins could give the team a huge upgrade -- offensively with new third baseman Hanley Ramirez, and defensively at shortstop.
On the off chance that Albert Pujols does end up leaving St. Louis, Cardinals fans can take solace in the fact that they got one more World Series out of the guy before his untimely exit. That would be cold comfort to a team that would be losing one of the game's greatest players, but hey, it's something. The Cardinals seem to be making a pretty big push for Pujols, although he recently met with the Marlins to talk contract details. Any deal that would realistically get Pujols to sign on the dotted line would have to be a) long and b) expensive, so whichever franchise wins the Pujols sweepstakes will be on the hook if he experiences a drastic decline.
More: Is Pujols the best first baseman on the market, or would Prince Fielder suffice?
Long-term deals?
Any realistic contract for Albert Pujols will likely take him into his forties. If anyone can still be a productive player close to retirement, it's Pujols, but it's always a risk to rely on older players.
The Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers and Red Sox own 26 World Series titles between them, and as fans in the Windy City will attest, their team hasn't added a lot to that haul in a few years. So with the Dodgers on the market and managerial vacancies for the Cardinals, Cubs and Red Sox, baseball has some rather high-profile job openings. We know Ryne Sandberg won't manage the Cubs, and Mark Cuban won't buy the Dodgers unless the price comes down, but which vacancy will provide the most hot-stove entertainment?
- "Once again, the Cubs have a chance to do the good/right thing and they go the other way. Sandberg should have been in a Cubs uniform coaching. And this is coming from a Sox fan. It will come back to hurt them imo." -- SN commenter bigdolla300
- "If Garvey and Hershiser's group is deemed satisfactory in buying the Dodgers, then I'm all for it. If it's Cuban, then great. I don't know how Dodgers fans can all of a sudden resort to griping about any group's interest in the team after all the hullaballoo this past summer about McCourt and his constant court-related antics." -- SN commenter JohnR1959
Most interesting vacancy sign?
Only one of these openings requires a deposit up front, and a potentially hefty one at that, but is a transfer of power in Los Angeles the best hot-stove story?
Who inherits the most history?
The Red Sox began play in 1901, and they're the newbies here. The Cardinals have the titles, the Cubs have charm, the Red Sox have the Nation and the Dodgers opened California.
Who should be careful what they ask for?
It's safe to say each of the managerial openings comes with some strings attached. Would replacing Tony La Russa, potentially without Albert Pujols, be the most daunting?
So who should defend the title?
Theo Epstein told Ryne Sandberg, now the manager in Triple-A for the Phillies, he's not in the running in Chicago, but the Cardinals may be interested.
Go West, rich man?
Cuban said the Dodgers aren't worth a billion, but is he a better prospective owner than a Steve Garvey/Orel Hershiser combo or the return of the O'Malley family?
Talk about going out on top. Tony La Russa has announced his retirement mere days after winning his third World Series. La Russa's legacy is that of a taciturn tactical genius, a behind-the-scenes field general whose moves could be as maddening as they were inspired. It's difficult to argue with his results -- a .536 winning percentage over 33 years, three World Series titles and plenty of pennants. His retirement will leave several other managers jockeying for the position of best active skipper. That being said, is he the greatest ever?
Rank: Place Tony La Russa among the greatest baseball managers of all time
- "As a Cubs fan I was no fan of La Russa and called him Tony Doubleday because he was at times full of himself. That being said I will miss seeing him in the corner of the St. Louis dugout. Next stop will be the HOF. " -- SN commenter Tom 7838
- "I have watched La Russa take Cardinals team after Cardinals team and make them better then they were believed to be. He is a great manager and really knows how to get the best out of his players. I think he will be greatly missed in St. Louis and no I don't think the Cardinals will fall apart just because he is leaving. " -- SN commenter GameWardens
Can the Cardinals win without La Russa?
All of this depends on Albert Pujols returning next year, but the Cardinals could have a tough road to the World Series in 2012. They just barely made the playoffs this season and were the recipients of some timely hitting during the World Series.
Greatest Cardinal ever?
La Russa's legacy with the Cardinals is clear: two World Series titles and a pretty high winning percentage in the regular season.
Pujols' future?
Pujols is a free agent this offseason, and it's tough to think of a player who could command more money on the open market. La Russa's retirement could mean something for Pujols' chances of returning, but it's not clear what that would be yet.
Will he stay retired?
La Russa wouldn't be the first manager to come back from retirement. Conventional wisdom says he'll take a non-managing job in baseball.
From the ridiculous (bullpen phones) to the sublime (a pair of last-strike rallies followed by a game-winning home run in Game 6), this World Series has all the ingredients for greatness. We'll let the Rangers and Cardinals play out the final act before we pass final judgment, but what kind of history are they competing against?
- "I'm a St. Louis resident and I can tell you people were screaming in the streets out here! (I woke my wife up out of her sleep with my obscenity-laced cheering from the living room also!) Epic game and looking forward to Game 7 tonight!" -- SN commenter WBunch1996
- "Forget the errors. Forget the base running. Forget the everything except for the fact that two teams did everything they could to win a single baseball game. ... A great game doesn't always have to be the "best played" game." -- SN commenter lilJknows
Best Game 6 in a World Series?
We can already include the current Fall Classic in this discussion, but does it compare with Carlton Fisk's body language in 1975?
Best World Series to go the distance?
There are plenty of other options for the list, but it's tough to argue classics like the 1955 World Series, complete with Jackie Robinson stealing home, don't belong.
Best final act in a Fall Classic?
Not every Game 7 is a classic, but sometimes they live up to the billing. Does anything top Luis Gonzalez getting to Mariano Rivera?
How do you define a great game?
What makes a World Series game great? Game 6 between the Cardinals and Rangers featured five errors and so-so pitching, but does that matter?
David Freese or Kirby Puckett?
"We will see you tomorrow night." So said Joe Buck as David Freese's home run cleared the fence, reminding everyone of a certain call by his dad on Kirby Puckett's 1991 winner.
Was that even Freese's best?
Had Freese failed in the 11th, the game would have continued. Not so for his two-run triple that tied the game two innings earlier.
Was Game 6 won or lost?
The Rangers were a strike away from a championship on two occasions. Did they give it away, or did the Cardinals take it?
Anyone for best of nine?
Game 6 was a pretty good World Series all by itself, but as we head to Game 7 for the first time since 2002, are we in the midst of an all-time Fall Classic?
Who is left for Friday night?
We'll be talking about Game 6 for a long time, but there is Game 7. Ron Washington said he's starting Matt Harrison. Tony La Russa didn't say, but most assume it will be Chris Carpenter.
Did you hear the one about Tony La Russa showing up at Busch Stadium yesterday with a snow shovel? Apparently he misheard when someone called to tell him about the rainout. Yes, this is what you have to put up with when we don't have actual baseball to talk about. But lame jokes aside, does an extra day of rest give La Russa and Ron Washington new pitching options?
- "I agree with Wash when it comes to starting Matt Harrison [in Game 7]. For those of you that know nothing about Derek Holland before the World Series, you need to understand that Game 4 was his best game ... ever! So that is not likely to be repeated." -- SN commenter degarcia2
- "You know, if they would remove that stupid All-Star Game decision, we would have had a Game [last night] in Texas at 70 something degrees." -- SN commenter drcoolhand
Should Chris Carpenter start Game 7?
First, the Cardinals need to get to Friday. But if they do, should La Russa care that Carpenter's only prior start on short rest was a mediocre effort this postseason?
Matt Harrison or Derek Holland?
Rangers manager Ron Washington said Derek Holland wouldn't skip Matt Harrison to start Game 7 on full rest, even after Holland's gem in Game 4. Is that wise?
Does the rain favor either team?
Both teams could probably use some rest after playing nearly 180 games since Opening Day, but did this unscheduled break help one more than the other?
Better snowbirds than Redbirds?
Even without rain, tonight's forecast is for temperatures below 50 degrees. Between cold and wet, is it time to move baseball's biggest event to a neutral site?
Not to brag, but we've been on the Mike Napoli bandwagon for some time now. The man has done nothing but mash for most of his career, yet it's as if all of baseball has only recently figured this out. Napoli has done a whole lot to make himself known during this World Series -- after Monday night's clutch double, he has nine total runs batted in so far, while the rest of the Rangers combined have 10. He's even been playing some sterling defense behind the plate. This was a guy who was traded twice in the offseason, once for what's left of Vernon Wells and another time for a reliever. We'll call that a steal for Texas.
- "One more like that and we'll also be calling him MVP. Great story. The guy has been lights out and probably the biggest reason the Rangers haven't lost back to back games since late August." -- SN commenter RandallC45
- "Napoli has carried the rangers in the WS where cruz, hamilton, young, kinsler and co. have looked rather pedestrian. " -- SN commenter sungus77
Are you surprised?
It's tough to stand out among the murderer's row that is the Rangers' lineup, but Napoli had the highest OPS on the team by far -- his 1.046 OPS this season dwarfed Adrian Beltre's second-place finish at .892.
Worse trade?
Meanwhile, Vernon Wells put up a sub-.700 OPS in Los Angeles, while Frank Francisco had 17 saves in Toronto. Neither the Angels nor the Blue Jays made the playoffs, as you might have noticed.
Do you buy La Russa's excuse?
Napoli mashes against lefties -- his career OPS is almost 100 points higher when the pitcher is a southpaw. Tony La Russa said that crowd noise led to a bullpen mixup, which resulted in lefty Marc Rzepczynski's being left in to face Napoli. It did not go well for the Cardinals.
So, that Albert Pujols. He's pretty good, right? Hits home runs, walks a lot, even runs the bases really well. We knew all these things before, but after he hit three home runs in Game 3 of the World Series, it put his greatness into sharp relief. When you get yourself on a list populated by exactly two people, and one of them is Babe Ruth, well, mere words don't really seem to be satisfactory. You would almost be forgiven for ignoring the fact that Pujols went 0-4 in Game 4. Funny game, isn't it?
- "They called his first home run at 429 feet. But that was where it was stopped by an abutment. Otherwise, that ball ends up about 525 feet away for sure. Barry Bonds juiced could turn on a high fastball like that. I once saw Ted Williams turn on an Allie Reynolds fastball just like that (3rd Deck, Yankee Stadium). But it doesn't happen often." -- SN commenter JimInNashville
- "What I saw Albert do in game 3 was jaw dropping! Has to be one of the greatest single athletic performances ever-regardless of what the sport is! " -- SN commenter Steve610686
Where does Pujols rank?
Reggie Jackson, Babe Ruth and Albert Pujols are the only men to have hit three home runs in one game in a World Series. That's a pretty amazing individual accomplishment, but Pujols isn't a one-hit wonder in the postseason.
Clutch or business as usual?
Pujols' regular-season OPS is 1.037. His postseason OPS in 71 games is 1.058. That's not a significant difference, but is it enough for you to anoint Pujols a clutch god?
Game 5 winner?
Derek Holland shut down the Cardinals in Game 4, tying the series at two games apiece. Chris Carpenter takes on C.J. Wilson in Game 5.
Oh, how a narrative can change in just one day. Yesterday, Tony La Russa was the belle of the ball, a canny tactician whose timely moves were solely responsible for the Cardinals' win in Game 1. Now? He's a bum! La Russa's myriad pitching changes in the Rangers' 2-1 win over the Cardinals are coming under fire, as he replaced strikeout artist Jason Motte with Arthur Rhodes up one run with no one out and men on second and third in the ninth. The move backfired, as Rhodes gave up a sacrifice fly that tied the game. Did we all give La Russa too much credit?
- "I would have hooked Motte, too. He was down two to three mph on Thursday night and, more importantly, his fastball was up in the zone and lacked its usual movement. As a manager, you look for these things. Going to Rhodes was the right move at the time. " -- SN commenter siralamosa
- "LaRussa lost his closer's confidence by removing him....that's the biggest factor going forward. " -- SN commenter chris81760
Did Tony La Russa lose Game 2?
Jason Motte might have been the best option for the Cardinals, but Tony La Russa decided to put in the generally very effective Arthur Rhodes instead.
What's your managerial style?
La Russa used six total pitchers in Game 2, including three in the ninth inning alone.
Game 3 winner?
Matt Harrison takes on Kyle Lohse as the series goes to Texas. It's unlikely that either pitcher will throw a full nine-inning contest.
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