Blog Archives
2 And A Hook Podcast Ep #5: What about WAR? + The Good, The Bad + Downright Underachieving Teams in 2013
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MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast.
People in this Podcast:
Chuck Booth – (`15 Minutes In – 15 Minute Segment) Guest (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran) Follow @yankeeman1973
’2 And A Hook’ is an expression from Baseball: ‘Throw the guy 2 Fast balls and then a Hook’ (AKA Curve Ball, Wiggly one, Chair etc..)
On today’s show, brought to you by MLB Reports (www.mlbreports.com) & yours truly ‘The Bench Warmers Show’, Chuck Booth Follow @chuckbooth3024 does his regular segment this time about what’s been going on the MLB Reports website & talking about what to do with the DH position with Adam Dunn, Steve Pearce & Nolan Reimold In the AL.
Plus the Baltimore franchise signing and pitching Freddy Garcia & why the Orioles should have added veteran pitching depth before the season started
Why Raul Ibanez being an underrated player & the horrible starts of their seasons by David Price & Rickie Weeks!
Also I talk to Diamondbacks correspondent for MLB Reports & for Rant Sports (www.rantsports.com) Chris Lacey 45 Minutes In (10 Minute Segment) Follow @aecanada12 - as we talk about whats going on with the team.
We also see the return of Yankees correspondent & trade correspondent for MLB Reports Nicholas Rossoletti (1 Hour In – 45 minute Segment) Follow @nross56 as we talk about the importance of the WAR stat, sabermetrics, lack of trading & why buying free agents isn’t working for the Angels, Dodgers & Blue Jays!
I also do my stats & notes segment as usual for you baseball nuts out there so go check out the show & SPREAD THE WORD!!! Thanks for all of your continuous support!!!
CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON or scroll down to listen to the episode Read the rest of this entry
Milwaukee Brewers Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Fwd – Org Rosters + Depth Charts – (MLB + MiLB)
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday, May 9th, 2013
Miller Park is a place that promotes tailgating before the game – and even offers incentive for it. This place routinely draws over 3 Million Fans – and is one of the most profitable clubs. In recent years, the management has taken runs at CC Sabathia,, Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum. The franchise has given a lot of prospects back in these trades. Is there anything left in cupboard – yep!
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
Jeff is going to provide the documents in form of spreadsheets and I am going to accompany the posts with deep analysis of what the numbers tell us from my perspective. If you can’t wait for all of my assessments for each club, go and visit Jeff’s website over at http://www.prosportsrosters.com.
In Speaking with Jeff, he is one of the more passionate fans I have come across towards the game of baseball. He spends enough time in updating his MLB Facts for it to be a Full-Time Job. So after the usual Video Clip and READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY button, you will find some serious &*!@?!#!
Jeff updates this page below on a daily basis. After you click on it….Bookmark it. There is a 3 year salary forecast and stats not listed here on this page. Jeff updates these pages daily and these changes include any Roster moves!
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Brewers Organization click here
Ryan Braun Highlights – Viewer discretion is advised:
MLB Monthly Power Rankings May 2013 (Podcast Version)
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The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour.
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
One month down in the MLB season and that means it’s time for some Power Rankings! Chuck Booth the czar of MLBreports.com joins us in studio to rank every team from worst to first. Where does your team rank? Read the rest of this entry
2 And A Hook Podcast Episode #4: The Blue Jays Are Finished in 2013 + The Angels Are Close
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MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast.
People in this Podcast:
Chuck Booth – Guest (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran) Follow @yankeeman1973
’2 And A Hook’ is an expression from Baseball: ‘Throw the guy 2 Fast balls and then a Hook’ (AKA Curve Ball, Wiggly one, Chair etc..)
On today’s show, brought to you by MLB Reports (www.mlbreports.com ) & yours truly (The Bench Warmers Show), I had Chuck Booth talk for over an hour about a bunch of topics.
We started off with the horrible season the Toronto Blue Jays have had thus far. We also talked about the Angels, what Robin Ventura is thinking – hitting Adam Dunn #4 still and how the Braves must regret paying B.J. Upton $15 MIL a year – while they are ecstatic about paying Justin Upton only about half of that. Read the rest of this entry
No Kyle Lohse In St. Louis – No Problem: Young Pitchers Are Thriving For The Cardinals
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The Cardinals entered Spring Training in 2013 with an open spot for their fifth starter. Shelby Miller took full advantage of the opportunity, posting a record of 2-0 and an ERA of 3.94 in 16.0 IP. The Cardinals are definitely looking toward the future with Miller. At just 22 years of age, he is currently their fifth starter, but has the potential to become the ace of the staff in the matter of a couple of years.
By Landen Crouch (Cardinals Correspondent) Follow @LandenCrouch
If you are interested to know why the Cardinals would be so quick to let their best starter from 2012, Kyle Lohse just walk away to a division rival, you might be interested in this article.
The Cardinals made it very clear when the 2012 season ended that it was unlikely that Kyle Lohse would return to a Cardinal uniform in 2013.
In a year that had Chris Carpenter sitting for an injury and Adam Wainwright in his first year back from Tommy John Surgery, Kyle Lohse emerged in 2012 as the ace of the Cardinals pitching staff. He led the team with a (16-3) record and a 2.86 ERA.
But in the offseason, Lohse hit the Free Agent market asking for a hefty amount of cash. The Cardinals simply were not willing to pay that price. Why, you ask? Because the Cardinals ownership have restructured their Minor League affiliates over the years and are loaded with pitching prospects.
Shelby Miller’s dominant outing against Kyle Lohse and the Brewers:
Carl Crawford Is Off To A Surprisingly Hot Start As The Dodgers Leadoff Guy
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Outfielder Carl Crawford has been red hot offensively hitting .307 with team leading 4 HRs and 6 RBI. He has been a huge surprise in his comeback season. The former Rays and Red Sox player is hitting far above his Career 3 Slash Line of .293/.333/.706 – by posting a line of .308/.388/906 to date. More importantly than any other statistic – Crawford has crossed home plate 20 times in 25 Games Played in 2013. This would put him on pace for about 130 Runs this campaign. This is lieu of Matt Kemp’s slow start and Hanley Ramirez not being in the lineup at all.
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent) Follow @eriqwiththeq
When the Dodgers acquired Outfielder Carl Crawford last year, they definitely didn’t know what they were getting, it was a pretty much a gamble they were able to afford. With the Dodgers’ new ownership willing to spend the big bucks on big players, this trade seemed like the ideal move to do for General Manager Ned Colleti.
Crawford wasn’t able to perform at all right away after he got traded to the Dodgers as he was rehabbing from his Tommy John Surgery but he was able to get healthy just in time for Opening Day. He has been healthy ever since.
Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly right away decided to make Crawford the leadoff hitter since Opening Day and has not disappointed. Through April 29th, 2013, Crawford is hitting .307 with OBP. of .390 (obviously doing his job as Leadoff hitter) with 4 SB and has been caught twice. He has also walked nine times but perhaps the most impressive stat is his team leading 4 HRs.
Slow motion video of Carl Crawford’s Home Run swing
Mid – Week MLB Reports Around The Horn Rant – April.25th/2013
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Adam Dunn has hit 40+ HRs 6 times in his career and 38+ HRs in 8 of the last 9 years. He is the Classic ’3TO’ AKA 3 True Outs: HR/BB or SO. At The MLB Reports, we call it a ‘Dunn Trick’ when he does all 3 in a game. But this year he is hitting a meager .100 – with only 3 HRs. His time may be up.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Welcome to the 1st installment of the Mid – Week Around the Horn blog. This weekly piece will feature random thoughts from the MLB – that I just cant go on without saying something.
Notes:
Will somebody please (for the love of god) remove Adam Dunn from the #4 slot. I think he would be best hitting 9th – even 2nd (if he continues to walk). Hitting a .100 as the cleanup hitter has to have cost the club some games.
Shin-Soo Choo is off to a hot start and we are having an awareness week for him at the MLB Reports. He has a Career 3 Slash Line of .282/.386/.856 and had 20+ Stolen Bases in 3 out of the last 4 years. The one year he didn’t achieve 20, he swiped 15 Bags in 85 Games.
Shin-Soo Choo trains with the Reds
San Diego Padres 2013 Rotation: What To Make Of It?
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Wednesday April 24th, 2013
Volquez is coming off an up-and-down year with the Padres. He went .500 with an 11-11 record and had an average ERA at 4.14. He should be prepared for the 2013 season as he threw against real competition in the 2013 WBC so he’ll already have all of his stuff developed for the duration of 2013.
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
The San Diego Padres currently have one of the most boring Starting Rotations in all of baseball. I cannot think of a rotation with more average pitchers than the one the San Diego organization has.
If someone presented me with the statistics of each pitcher in the Padres rotation, I probably would not be able to discern between the number one and five starters. The ace of the Padres — if we can call him that — is Jason Marquis. So far this season in four games, he has a 4.63 ERA to go with a 1-2 record.
Now some pitchers do get off to rough starts, so we cannot judge him based on his ERA and record. But, after looking further into Marquis, I found that his career ERA is 4.60. Is this really the career ERA a team would want for their “ace”?
Tyson Ross, whom the Padres acquired from the A’s was penciled in and made three starts in the five-slot in the rotation. Ross recently went on the 15-day DL with a left shoulder subluxation.
This year, Ross made three starts, none of them more than 5.1 Innings. Although Ross has a solid 3.86 ERA through those starts, it is unlikely that he will keep this up.
Edinson Volquez at the 2013 WBC:
Rickie Weeks’ Impact On The 2013 Milwaukee Brewers
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Sunday April 14, 2013
Rickie Weeks had a rough 2012 campaign, only hitting .230. He still managed, though, to slug 21 HR and knock in 63 runs.
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
2012 was a long year for Rickie Weeks and the Milwaukee Brewers. Even after Prince Fielder left to sign with the Detroit Tigers, fans had high hopes for the 2012 season. Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, and upcoming First Baseman Mat Gamel were all set to bring the Brewers back to the playoffs.
Unfortunately Gamel started the season and suffered a torn ACL, which caused him to miss the rest. Braun was caught up in a steroid scandal that threatened to suspend him but never did. Luckily Braun was not suspended and had a very good season.
Weeks, on the other hand, had a horrific first half of the year. The Brewers wound up just four games over .500 at 83-79 and finished third in the NL Central. Brewers’ fans hope that 2013 will be different.
Rickie Weeks 2012 Highlights – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:
St. Louis Cardinals – Week 1 Review
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2012 was a season that ended with disappointment which ultimately distracted us from recognizing what a successful year it really was. 2012 highlighted a lot of the greatness that is to come for this great franchise. The Cardinals are greatly positioned for the next 5 years with the influx of 6 top 100 MLB Prospects at League Entry Level Contracts. Having said this, the club started out the year dropping 2 out of 3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, before pulverizing the defending World Series Champions over the weekend – taking the series 2 – 1 and outscoring the Giants 20 – 7, while obliterating Matt Cain’s ERA for some time. by hanging 9 Earned Runs on him in just 3.2 IP.
By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent) Follow @LandenCrouch
Week in Review:
The opening week of the 2013 season for the St. Louis Cardinals can now be considered successful after a 14-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals finished their opening week six-game West Coast road trip with a .500-record of (3-3).
This is definitely a huge success for the Cardinals to come back to St. Louis with at least a .500 record. Of course, they wanted to win the 16-inning marathon against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night (and early into Thursday morning), and the 1-0 pitchers-dual game against Barry Zito on Friday.
Those were two tough losses. Overall, though, this week was positive for the Cardinals and should give them some momentum coming into their home opening series against the Cincinnati Reds.
2013 St. Louis Cardinals Preview by MLB Network:
All-Star Studded Injury Report + Chipper Jones Retirement Effect On The Braves
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Chipper had a lifetime slash line of .303/.401/.529 with 2726 Hits and 468 HRs. He played the game the way it was supposed to be played, with class and all out effort.
By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @ryandana1
The start of the 2013 Major League Baseball season is upon us. While that is beyond awesome, unfortunately there is a list of really good players who will likely not start the season playing for a Major League team. Most of these players are out due to injury, but there are also a few others I would like to mention that are out due to retirement, suspension, or the fact that they have still yet to sign with a team.
It will be a bittersweet Opening Day for the Atlanta Braves who will be without Chipper Jones this season. He spent his entire 19 years of Major League service time with the Braves, and after an MVP season in 1999, a 1995 World Series Championship, and 8 All-Star appearances, Chipper has decided to call it a career. Jones was one of, if not the best, switch hitter of all time.
Chipper Jones Highlights
Can The Cardinals Still Compete With Another Winter Of Losses For A 2nd Year?
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday March.29/2013
The Cardinals have been the most consistent Franchise in the National League, having appeared in 8 of the last 12 NLCS since 2000 (3-5). They have also won 2 World Series in that time (2006 and 2011.) They held a 3-1 NLCS lead over the San Francisco Giants before losing to the eventual 2012 World Champions. If there was an Atomic Bomb, I am sure that Cockroaches, Silly Puddy and the Cardinals would survive it because they just keep coming like Zombie’s. Will 2013 be any different for the team without being able for all of the NL Teams to fatten up on the Astros?
Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24
The St.Louis Cardinals didn’t do much adding this offseason. Sometimes this isn’t such a bad thing, as constant tinkering to a roster isn’t always needed. But if anything, the Cardinals have become a weaker team since losing to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.
Perhaps the most concerning flaw to their roster revolves around the pitching staff.
Kyle Lohse just signed a deal with inner-division rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers. Lohse posted a 2.86 ERA in 2012, and finished seventh in Cy Young voting. Among other things, he also pitched a career-high 211 Innings, compiled a career-high 134 ERA+ and barely walked 1.5 batters per 9 IP. Read the rest of this entry
St. Louis Cardinals 2013 Payroll and Contracts Going Forward
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2012 was a season that ended with disappointment which ultimately distracted us from recognizing what a successful year it really was. 2012 highlighted a lot of the greatness that is to come for this great franchise. The Cardinals are greatly positioned for the next 5 years with the influx of 6 top 100 MLB Prospects at League Entry Level Contracts. The Cards were 1 one away from the World Series in 2012 before the Giants won 3 elimination games. Can the franchise withstand the losses of Lohse, Carpenter, Furcal and even Hitting Coach Mgwire
By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent) Follow @LandenCrouch
I believe we can expect more of the same from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. This is a franchise that has proven they can be competitive on a consistent basis, even doing so last year without Albert Pujols. The Cardinals enter 2013 following consecutive runs to the National League Championship Series (won World Series in 2011).
On the heels of a very quiet offseason, the Cardinals seem to be entering the 2013 season with a very clear plan: get younger while simultaneously maintaining a high level of success on the field. The franchise has clearly begun this transition already with the departure of a few key players in the last several years – Kyle Lohse being the latest.
In the money department, the Cardinals have never been afraid to spend money to help the ballclub; however, they have always done so wisely. They are not among the teams that seemingly are just trying to buy championships. They have always been a team that uses a healthy balance of money and a solid farm system for success.
In 2013, the Cardinals will rank 10th in all of Major League Baseball in overall payroll – in the upper tier, for sure, but not overspending by any means – and their farm system is ranked 1st overall in baseball. The Cardinals have the money and the players it takes to continue being competitive for a long time to come.
2011 Cardinals World Series:
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – February 28, 2013
Kyle Lohse went 16-3 for the 2012 Cardinals. He’s out of work.
On today’s Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, Sully talks about Kyle Lohse’s unemployment and suggests that the Seattle Mariners should give him a short term offer.
There is some method to that madness.
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Why The Orioles And Lohse Make Sense
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Lohse has had an up-and-down career since making his debut in 2001. He has bounced around cities and has experienced some good seasons, also with some less than impressive seasons. He was a big part in the middle of the Cardinals rotation during their 2011 World Series run – finishing 14-8 while posting a 3.39 ERA.
By Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @TheKHolland13
2012 was a career year for the Cardinals’ RHP Kyle Lohse. At Age 34, Lohse has become one of the most inconsistent pitchers in the game of baseball. Since making his debut in 2001 at 21 years old with the Minnesota Twins, Lohse has had some stellar years, and some not-so-great years. This includes a 2008 season – where he went 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA. He followed that great season with ugly 2009 finishing 6-10 while posting a 4.74 ERA.
In 2012, Lohse turned back to his ace pitching ways. Coming off a solid 2011 season – with a 14-8 record, it didn’t look like Lohse could improve too much. He proved everyone wrong and pitched his way to a 16-3 record. His .842 W-L% lead the National League – while his 2.86 ERA wound up eighth in all of the Majors.
Why the Cardinals will not sign Kyle Lohse:
Three Potential Bargains In MLB Free Agency: Lohse, K-Rod And Thome/Hafner Tandem
Sunday, January 27th, 2013
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Kyle Lohse was 16-3 with an NL Best .842 Win PCTG in 2012 – with a Career best 2.86 ERA,
Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Travis Hafner, Francisco Rodriguez, and Kyle Lohse have all shown that they can be above-average Major League players. However, with all three above the age of 30, teams are nervous to sign any of them to the multi-year contracts they want. Hafner has dealt with knee and back injuries over the past two seasons, but he still can bring power to an American League team in need of a DH. Francisco Rodriguez has always dealt with off the field issues, but he was very effective as Milwaukee’s set-up man in 2012. Kyle Lohse, who is coming off a season in which he posted a 3.51 FIP in 211, is the top free agent pitcher on the market right now but his age and inconsistency scares away possible suitors. Despite their age, inconsistency, and injuries, all three of these players could play a large role on MLB teams in 2013.
Travis Hafner Highlights – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:
Top MLB Free Agents Still Available:
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Micheal Bourn is seeking a contract worth 15 Million Dollars plus per year. Since 2008, he has averaged 50 SB a year. He has steadily improved his offensive game. He is a guy who would help most ball clubs as a Lead Off hitter.
By Jordan Gluck (Prospects/Baseball Operations Correspondent) Follow @JGluck777
The offseason is winding down right with the availability of Free Agents and the budgets of many MLB teams. The talent on the open market is not what it was a few months ago but there is still some risk/reward players in the pool along with Bourn, Lohse, and Marcum. There are certain clubs with some dollars to spend but most are to their cap or don’t see the value. Here I present to you my top 10 Free Agents who can help propel a team to more wins or be used by subpar clubs as viable trade chips as Trade Deadline Deals.
1. Michael Bourn (30) (Braves) – the clear-cut best player left on the market but with budgets near filled up it will be interesting to see how Scott Boras works his magic. There is no doubt the tender is hurting him as it hurt Soriano and Laroche. He can play CF and has blazing speed. (Texas)
Michael Bourn Highlight Reel in 2012 – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised
The 2013 Texas Rangers Roster: State of The Union
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The Rangers had back to back World Series Appearances in 2010 and 2011 – does this club have another run in them without Josh Hamilton and Michael Young? They regressed in the 2012 Season – losing a 13 Game Division Lead in the AL West before barely capturing a Wild Card Spot. They eventually lost the Play In Wild Card-Game to the Baltimore Orioles.
By Brooke Robinson (Rangers Correspondent): Follow @bka_9
Looking back on the end of the 2012 season, and how the AL West lead was given up in a matter of days to Oakland, it’s clear the Texas front office wanted change in the clubhouse for 2013. It seems as though GM Jon Daniels’ motto for the offseason is “out with the old, in with the new….er”. Daniels is eager to bring a World Series victory to Arlington and has pieced together a team of new players with old postseason successes. There is also a chance that the Rangers will also bring up some of their promising prospects that they protected throughout the offseason trade frenzy. This makes for some very interesting lineup possibilities for the upcoming season, especially with the major roles needing to be filled by former Ranger departures such as 1B/C Mike Napoli, U Michael Young, OF Josh Hamilton, and P Ryan Dempster.
Ian Kinsler Highlights for 2012:
San Diego Padres Roster In 2013: State Of The Union
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Thursday January 10, 2013
Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24
The San Diego Padres haven’t made a move that will conceivably make them contenders in a competitive National League West division. San Diego went 76-86 in 2012, which was good enough for fourth place in the NL West.
A move could still be made, and Padres’ pundits have went as far to suggest some type of signing and/or trade before Spring Training. Still, their aren’t a ton of options that would fit into their constrained payroll, especially after they signed Carlos Quentin and Huston Street to extensions. They still have a decent bullpen anchored by Street and set-up man Luke Gregerson.
Pending a significant addition, San Diego should be a bit better in the win department. Some of their key starting pitchers will be returning from injuries, and a couple of top prospects could take the fast track to the Major Leagues and make an impact by season’s end. Most notably, they will need Clayton Richard to improve to the next level, having won 14 games in 2 of the last 3 years – while holding an ERA under 4.00. Eric Stults was the surprise of the Starting Rotation of last season – posting a 8-3 Record, with a 2.92 ERA in 14 Games Started.
More importantly, they went on a nice streak in the final few weeks in 2012. Perhaps this could fuel a hot start in 2013.
Let’s preview this young team.
Chase Headley – 2012 Highlights for the NL RBI Champion
St. Louis Cardinals Roster For 2013: State Of The Union
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Wednesday, January.09/2013
The Cardinals have been the most consistent Franchise in the National League, having appeared in 7 of the last 11 NLCS since 2000 (3-4). They have also won 2 World Series in that time (2006 and 2011.) They held a 3-1 NLCS lead over the San Francisco Giants before losing to the 2012 World Champions. They are ready for another great 2013 campaign. The NL Central goes from 6 teams to 5 – with the departed Houston Astros.
By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent) Follow @LandenCrouch
The current St. Louis Cardinals roster, set to take them into the 2013 season, has seen little changes from what was a very successful 2012 season. This really is not much of a surprise, though, as the front office has told fans they were not planning to change too much this offseason. After a gut-wrenching offseason a year ago, in which Albert Pujols headed west to the Angels, a quiet offseason really does not seem like such an awful thing. In the upcoming season, the St. Louis Cardinals will be hoping for more of the same from a team that was one win away from a second straight World Series Berth. The Cardinals will look to continue recent success, while filtering in some young prospects in the process.
Game #5 of the NLDS (Comeback win versus the Washington Nationals)
