TDA Bullpen - Our Writers' Blog

Sunday, May 29, 2005

So, How 'Bout Those Cards?

There have been a number of great story lines so far this season. The Orioles have thrown the AL East into some turmoil, and strong starts by the White Sox and Twins in the AL Central and LA/Anaheim and Texas have even called into question whether the AL Wild Card will come from the East this season. The NL East has looked as competitive as it's been in years, and the issue of a certain left fielder's knee looms large in the NL West, sharing center stage with the strong play of San Diego and Arizona. And through it all the Cardinals have quietly put together a 32-17 record heading into Memorial Day, a pace that would result in a duplication of last year's 105-57 record were they to maintain it for the whole season.

Why haven't we (or at least I) heard all that much about St. Louis this season? Part of it is probably attributable to the fact that they're the only team above .500 in the NL Central, and thus involved in the least interesting divisional race. All other divisions have at least two solid teams. The Cubs have been getting a lot of press with injuries, while St. Louis's semi-injured stars (Scott Rolen and Larry Walker) have played enough not to be missed, but have been somewhat below standards because they're dinged up, particularly Rolen.

The other part is that while they've been effective as a whole, no one has really stood out individually. Albert Pujols is performing perhaps a notch below his usual standard, and has been overshadowed by Derrek Lee's blazing start. Jim Edmonds has had a recent power surge to get him more or less to the level we expect him at, which also means he's been a little quiet for him until recently. Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder have been effective, but not quite as dominant as Dontrelle, Pedro, or The Rocket. Matt Morris is 5-0 in 8 starts, but didn't make his first start until April 19th, so he might be a bit under the radar even now. The pen has been solid, but not spectacular. David Eckstein and Mark Grudzielanek have both chipped in with .370 or so OBP's so far, which is very good, but they just aren't as high-profile as the players they replaced.

In spite of all this, it's hard to muster too much sympathy for St. Louis. With Morris seemingly back to full health, the top three of the Cards' rotation are a match for anyone in the league. They have a lineup full of guys who have proven in the past that they can put up gaudy numbers, and the fact that none have really done so and yet St. Louis is still playing .650 ball can only be good news. I'm sure that a runaway division crown that allows them to focus on likely playoff opponents during the season would suit the Cardinals just fine for 2005.

posted by Tom Renbarger 11:01 PM