Salutations. Workouts ended about an hour ago here at Roger Dean Stadium. Just had a chance to talk with Carlos Martinez about getting Thursday's start. He said he'll treat it like it's the last game of the World Series. Video of that will go up shortly here in the chat. Spent the morning gathering some video from around the workouts so that this chat can transport you to Florida. Be patient, please, as reporting for tomorrow's paper took me a bit longer than planned and I will have to load the videos and pictures as we go. You've got questions. I've got answers. Let's see if they line up today. Off we go.
It's safe just to call it the expected scenario, not best, not worst. It can't be best because he's still lagging behind the other starters -- and may yet be behind his own schedule for starting a game. It's not worst because he didn't require surgery and didn't have the sports hernia that was the fear.
He felt fine. He threw an extended bullpen. There wasn't any limitations on him. He has just been told not to run or take PFP or hit. He has no problems pitching. The trouble is in his abdomen, not his shoulder, and for him and the Cardinals that's the bigger deal. Now he won't be able to face hitters until he's able to field his position and there isn't concern that any flinch or rotation of this torso would be a setback.
One of them as a "G" evidently fashioned into the cage. Interesting look, but no not a fashion that will catch on.
By going to those two games, you're going to get a good look at the roster. The starters will appear in one of those games, and some of them could appear in both.
Bob Gibson. I could always tell my grandkids I got plunked by one of the best.
Descalso will be on the major-league roster. Colorado's major-league roster.
At least four. But the pitcher will count and Peter Bourjos and Mark Reynolds would, too.
Got to be honest here. I've dealt with oily individuals. I've covered oily individuals with their oily comments and their oily attitude. And Mozeliak is about as far from oily as they come. He's confident in his ability to do his job and he's fiercely protective of what he believes is important: That the Cardinals comment with one message and one voice. He has acknowledged mistakes. At the end of last season, he said the Masterson trade just flat didn't work. He has publicly regretted trading Luke Gregerson. He has talked about how last year at the trade deadline that could have been handled better with the clubhouse. Mozeliak, by most often being that voice for the Cardinals, is more candid than many in his position. He's the most candid official with the Cardinals. As far as the injury thing ... It's a good question, and I know it comes up a lot in these chats, and I do try to explain it. One thing to keep in mind is that there are federal laws in play that limit what the GM/employer can say about the player/employee regarding health. We run into this every so often where a player doesn't sign off on what can become a privacy issue and what the team is allowed to say publicly is limited. Baseball and the Cardinals have made such laws more influential in their announcements on injuries over the past decade.
They've got to get down with OBP. Once they do that as well or better than Carpenter does then the Cardinals would welcome the chance to move Carpenter to No. 2 or No. 3 in the lineup.
There are others around the organization who feel the same way, and Tony La Russa has been outspoken about his believe that Oquendo deserved that shot. Of course, when TLR had an opening with his new organization he went with another option. And that's the thing. Baseball can be -- heck, it is -- a trend game, and the trend now is Matheny, Ausmus, Mattingly, Williams, etc. That's the direction things have gone. There's going to have be a change in that trend for Oquendo to get another crack at it.
This looks like a 90 team.
I agree. It's better than its ever been even with a few down teams. Better Cubs make it a better division.
The corners elevate the Cardinals.
Prior. His prime was just so, so short.
