Birds on the Bat

I haven't blogged a lot lately. Work, and other things getting in the way...and I will admit laziness. However, I am now taking the time to blog about one of my favorite things: Baseball! The Boys of Summer are back!! After months of waiting baseball season is finally in full swing!! Horray!!
Spring Training started off great, Wainwright and Carpenter looked solid. And then Wainwright hurt his elbow and had season-ending Tommy John Surgery (I wish him a speedy recovery). Carpenter is doing really well, he just needs support from the bullpen. His record is 0-2 but there should be at least one win, the bullpen cost him that one. Jamie Garcia has really stepped up (3-0 record) and has been a reliable starter. Kyle Loshe is also showing more promise than he did last season- he seems to have more control of the ball and his mechanics seem improved. He also currently has the lowest ERA of the starting pitchers at 2.01 and a record of 3-1. Kyle McClellan is also doing extremly well, he also has a record of 3-0 with an ERA of 2.16.
After getting off to a slow start, the Birds on the Bat are starting to heat up! As of right now, the Cardinals are in first place in the NL Central with a 12-11 record and a .522 record. Critics have said the Cards will finish in 4th place this season. My vote: its too early to tell so the verdict is still out. Ask me again in August. We have some new Birds on the Bat (as always) this year.
First up is former Astro Lance "Puma" Berkman. Berkman was one of the Astros "Killer B's". Whenever he came up to bat, they would play that awful buzzing sounds. Berkman played firstbase while in Houston. He has transitioned to the outfield specifically right field- as we have Pujuls at first base- and seems to be doing really well. He has been hitting really good and has made some good defensive moves. All in all, he is a great addition to the team.
Ryan Theriot- a former Chicago Cub, don't hold it against him- he was one Cubbie I didn't like coming up to the plate- I knew he could hit. Theriot seems to be heating up and fitting in well with the club. The FSN announcers have compared his hiting style to that of former Cardinal David Eckstien- not a big power hitter like Pujols, but capable of producing timely hits.
There are some other new additions, but honestly these are the two I have heard the most about.
Even though we lost ace Wainwright, the rest of the starting pitchers have stepped up and are producing. It is our bullpen that needs the most work. I know, easy for me to say. Unfortunately a lot of the game is mental. I admire the players and the way they can play. I really admire the way the can stand up to all of the pressures and critisms of the game. Its only April and (thankfully) we still have a lot of baseball left! I get to go to my first game of the year on May 3rd with my baseball buddy JR and then again on May 7th (again w/ JR).
As always, all of my facts (numbers/ERA's) can be checked on the Cardinals website. My opinions are just that. At the moment, I will respectfully decline on opinions of manager Tony LaRussa.
Por Siempre: Let's Go Cardinals!!