2. Albert Pujols should have been the 2006 National League Most Valuable Player. He's starting to be treated a lot like Michael Jordan in his day, and I don't like it. Karl Malone, please meet your baseball equal for this season...Ryan Howard! It's alright though, because just like the MJ vs. Malone debate, at the end of the day there is not a lot of disagreement from intelligent sources about who is the better player. (Yes, thank you, I do feel better now that I've got that out of my system. I suppose here is where I should make the obligatory, "But hey, Ryan Howard seems to be a great person and he sure enough proved he could hit for a lot of power this season. He's a country strong St. Louisian, that boy, and a hard worker to boot. Woo-ee." There. I said it. Happy?)

Second, I owe a belated thanks to the surprising number of people who emailed and/or posted messages during Yadi's amazing playoff performances. Apparently there was a lot of googling "Yadier Molina aka super hot, super great baseball player" going on and several people found my blog that otherwise would not have. The title of this post probably already delivered the answer to by far the most commonly asked (especially emailed) question...I was finally able to confirm that Mr. Molina, despite his youth and diverse gifts, already has a Mrs. (Breathe ladies, if I can get over this you can too!)

I even managed to find a picture of couple at long last that can be found below. It is from the opening of Albert Pujols' restaurant. From left to right the picture includes: the real Mrs. Molina, Gladys, the original Benjamin Molina, Yadi and Wanda. Now, if you're thinking what I was thinking the first time I read that you are currently thinking, "He's married to a woman named WANDA?!?!?! He could be married to a (insert your name here) for goodness sake!" Trust me. I know how you feel. I will say that she looks perfectly friendly in the photo while Yadi looks perfectly creepy for some reason. Yet, incredibly, I still like him a considerable amount more than her. And, no, I'm not willing to reconsider that position and be civil and nice and all that stuff. Maybe someday, but not today...or tomorrow....or the day after that in all likelihood.

I know this isn't the ending most were looking for, but I hope that it provides people with some closure. (Grin.) I'm going to cross the proverbial line and just get downright gossipy here, so I'll apologize ahead of time. Sorry! I've looked every place I can think of for pictures of Wanda with Yadi at the Championship Parade and never saw her anywhere, and I scoured the net for months for a picture of her before the restaurant opening shot popped up. I originally presumed that meant she preferred to stay in Puerto Rico or something, but the above picture shows she's in St. Louis at least part of the season. Plus, you would think Yadi playing the World Series would bring her stateside and thus make her available for the parade. I think can see the picture I'm trying to paint...

I promise I'm not a mean person.

As always, I wish I had more time to post here. I'm hoping the holidays will bring some extra free time. Until then, may the Cubs and Astros knock off their spending and the Cardinals increase theirs!

7:11--First pitch a ball from Jeff Suppan, the Cards clear number two starter right now. I was surprised to learn the other day that he is one the winningest pitchers in the entire NL over the last three seasons.

7:12--Not the start I was looking for. Jose Vizcaino, filling in at shortstop for the again injured David Eckstein, committed an error on the definition of an easy ground ball. My spirits will no be broken this soon! No way!

7:14--Double play. See, no worries.

7:15--I always hate to see Todd Walker at the plate against the Cards...at least he's not wearing an Cubs uniform. 6-3 without a hitch this time. Let's get some runs!

7:18--Bottom of the first with Preston Wilson leading off. If you would've read me that sentence at the beginning of the season, I'd have called you crazy. Wilson grounded out to short. Now for the thunder...

7:19--I swear to you I typed "NOW FOR THE THUNDER" before Chris Duncan smashed a ball over the centerfield wall! Back to back anyone? By the way, I would like everyone to dig into my archives and find my posts live from Spring Training where I raved and raved about Duncan and said I thought he could contribute to this team this season. (Patting myself on the back...)

7:21--Albert just hit the, um, **** out of a ball to right, but it was caught, and Rolen finished off the inning with an out. Is anyone else thrilled that the bullpen door is still firmly latched?

7:25--Vizcaino is steady again throwing out Mike Piazza. (I really hope I'm spelling his name right. I'll check.)

7:26--Double for someone...I was trying to check my spelling. Mike Cameron is up. Remember when he was great for those great Mariners teams. It seems like that was decades ago. Ugh...I'm old. He just got a base hit. First and third, one out.

7:28--Just for the record...I have a good "lucky charm" track record with the club this year. I'm 5-0 in games watched in person including 2 complete games by Carpenter.

7:29--Really. I should learn to keep my mouth shut. We're tied at one. Suppan doesn't look bad, and I guess I can't expect him to be perfect.

7:31--2-1 Padres. Four hits in a row. Is now the time to begin praying?

7:32--Yadi, in all his gold glove deserving glory, just took a bunt from the pitcher and turned it into an out at second. First and third. Two outs. Let's get out of this.

7:33--Good. Grief. I may have to abort this mission. A catcher's interference, of all things, just loaded the bases.

7:34--Bases clearing double by Brian Giles. Super. 5-1 Padres. Adding insult to injury...the Astros are up 1-0 on the seemingly unbeatable Phillies.

7:37--Walk to Walker. This is the inning that never ends. It is eerily silent in the stadium by the way. There is absolutely no background noise (alright...we all know that's an exaggeration, but I digress). THE INNING JUST ENDED!!! Woo hoo!

7:40--My fingers don't get a commercial break. Phillies 2, Astros 1.

7:41--Juan Encarnacion, with a swing only his mom could love, just went in the hole 0-2. The good news is this pitcher shouldn't be able to pitch a complete game shutout. David Wells, the schedules started is out with some kind of infliction a can't remember the name of and don't have time to look up. We're facing Thompson. Yes, that's right. Thompson.

7:44--Well in the time it took me to type that last entry, the Cards got two outs and a base hit. YADI WITH THE INFIELD HIT! Stop the presses!

7:45--Two on, two out...and Jeff Suppan up...here we come!

7:46--By the way, Jim Edmonds may or may not be available tonight. In other words, nothing has changed. Yikes, I would say Suppan "struck" out but really it was more of a wave. We pay him to pitch though, right?

7:53--Wow Scott Rolen has an arm! (Obvious statement of the day award winner!!!) He doubled a runner off first after catching a screaming line drive. Who cares if the replays says the guy was safe? I know I don't care. Not in the least...I'll take every unfair advantage we can get and then some.

7:55--We're heading to the bottom of the third with the top of the order due up. I say commence the comeback.

7:58--Base hit. Duncan's up. I'm typing way to much, just for the record. I'm going to try to scale it back a bit, so this thing isn't eight feet long! Base hit Duncan, by the by. El hombre at the plate. He's the reigning MVP in case you've forgotten, and he deserves retain that title next year. Couldn't help myself...maybe I'll write the reasons why sometime. Then again, maybe my teaches will cancel my two tests this week or a pig will wave on the way past my third floor window... (Albert got a hit 5-2 Fathers)

8:03--Rolen giveth and Rolen taketh away. He hit into a double play of his own and Encarnacion ended the inning. The commencing of the comeback will commence in the next half inning. Read it again...it makes sense...

8:07--Al Hraboski just said we shouldn't be concerned. Well, that means it's official...IT IS TIME TO GET CONCERNED.

8:09--Padres' pitcher, Mike Thompson is out. Two down in the inning. Suppan is settling in. (Crossing fingers)

8:15--Phillies 4, Astros 2 just for the record. The crossing of my fingers seems a bad idea. Suppan is finished after giving up a hit to Dave Roberts and walking Giles. Yes, I have duct-taped my mouth so as to not say ridiculous things like "Suppan is settling in" again. Ever. Tyler Johnson in the game. (Crossing all of my fingers and most of my toes...)

8:20--Double steal. I dare them to try it again. I dare them...

8:21--Strikeout, inning over...commence the comeback. (No, I'm not going to let that die until we actually do come back!)

8:25--Belliard reaches on an error by the third baseman, Manny Alexander. Where did Todd Walker go? Wherever he went...that's exactly where I want him to stay.

8:27--Base hit Vizcaino. 5-3! EDMONDS IS UP. I REPEAT...EDMONDS IS UP!

8:30--EDMONDS IS OUT! I REPEAT...EDMONDS IS OUT! HOME RUN! Tied at 5-5...I'm short of breath!

8:34--Pitching change. Two outs now. 4-4 Phils-Astros. Inning over. Comeback complete...we'll worry about the take over later.

8:39--Josh Kinney and his quirky motion are in the game. I would say I have a lot of confidence in him for whatever reason, but then he'd probably give up a eight-run homer. So, for now I'm just saying he's in the game.

8:44--Inning over. 3-4-5 due up. Operation "take over" begins... (I'm all about relentless optimism.)

8:47--Astros 5, Phillies 4...going to the bottom of the seventh. For the second time tonight Albert hits a base hit that wasn't a base hit but was instead caught by a fielder. Ugh.

8:51--Admittedly, this inning didn't go as planned. Three up. Three down.

8:53--I was on the phone with my mom (who is also watching the game) when Edmonds hit his homer, and I just read what I typed again and now realize it could have sounded like he made an out or collapsed in a heap on the field. Oh well...I got there eventually. Kinney is back for the 6th.

8:57--A very long at-bat was just ended on a ground ball to shortstop. One out. Off subject...they just showed Jim Edmonds lounging in the dugout his jersey already replaced by a batting practice jersey/jacket...like nothing happened. You're going to have to trust me when I say this was pretty great to see.

9:01--Onto the bottom of the inning unharmed. Houston's still up by a run after seven innings. I really want them to lose, but then again, I really don't want the Phillies to win. I don't want to see Philadelphia or their first basemen make the playoffs. It's not that I'm scared of him or them. I just prefer the Cards' first basemen to have all the spotlight of the postseason. And, yes, I feel this way regardless of how nice that guy is...or where he grew up...

9:05--I feel a Yadier Molina hit coming. I'm never wrong when it comes to feelings about Yadi...

9:09--Just waiting for that hit...

9:10--I guess I'll keep waiting. Two outs, runner on first, and a pinch-hitting Aaron Miles up to bat. I need a nap...just saying...

9:12--Can we discuss for a moment what color exactly the Padres' pants are? Are they supposed to match their gold lettering without actually being gold? Off-yellow-ish is the best I can do for them right now. Off-yellow-ish, for the record, is not a flattering color.

9:14--Base hit for Miles. First and third with our man Preston Wilson stepping to the dish. A strike out?!?!? Wilson never strikes out! (Sorry, that was uncalled for.)

9:19--Brad Thompson into the game for the Cardinals and promptly gives up a double to Brian Giles who is proving to be a real pain in St. Louis's side tonight. Bunt moves him to third. A strike out would be superb.

9:21--6-5 Padres on a chopper over the pulled in shortstop Miles. Unlucky. Did you feel that? I was momentum switching over to the visiting dugout. NOT SO FAST. Double play ends the inning.

9:26--Here comes the thunder! (It's worth a shot...)

9:27--Lefty Embree strikes out lefty Duncan (kudos to LaRussa on giving him a shot against the lefty though regardless of the outcome). Pitching change for Pujols. Is it wrong that I expect him to do something amazing?

9:32--I really do expect too much of the guy. Really. He, um, struck out. Rolen is out of well. We have two more innings though! Six more outs to use up!

9:35--Thompson back out for the eighth. I would say I'm happy that he seems to have essentially gotten back on track with his career, but then he'd probably give up an eight-run homer...

9:38--Time for the bottom of the eighth with San Diego still leading 6-5. The bottom of the eighth inning is also known as the bottom of the last inning without Trevor Hoffman. Just something to think about or avoid thinking about.

9:41--Houston wins. I'm beginning to feel uneasy. Very uneasy.

9:44--Two out base hit for John Rodriguez. Skip's up. He was a hero for Team USA just a few weeks ago...why not be a hero for the St. Louis Cardinals? New pitcher...

9:48--No hero tonight. Grounder to short. Inning over.

9:51--Braden Looper in the hold the lead at one run but gives up a single to lead off the inning. Here we go...with a double play?!?!?!

9:54--Force at second. Giles is up again. Lovely.

10:00--If Looper worked any slower...something bad would happen...

10:01--Two on, two out...

10:01--Padres' pitcher Scott Linebrink hits for himself as Trevor Hoffman is apparently unavailable. He got a hit to left but Chris Duncan threw out a runner at the plate. Again, I refer you to my Spring Training posts...

10:03--How about a ninth inning comeback for us for once?

10:04--Miles to get us started...

10:05--Base hit into center. Wilson to get a hit next...

10:07--Strike out, one out. Duncan is up...coming off his assist to end the last half inning. (I'm playoff game-nervous by the way.)

10:09--Dan McLaughlin just said, "It's up to Pujols." Yes, yes it is. (Duncan struck out as well.)

10:11--Four pitch walk to Pujols. Alright, then, Scott Rolen.

10:13--"Base hit, home run, I don't care either one."

10:14--What I didn't want was a strike out. But, alas, it is what I got nonetheless.

10:15--Everybody stand back...I'm hitting the panic button.

I'm too depressed for anything else. Maybe more later. Maybe tomorrow.

Tonight Chris Carpenter (6-3, 2.46) will take on Justin Verlander (8-4, 3.21) in Detroit.  I know close to nothing about Verlander, which is to say I just checked out his stats and bio on MLB.com.  I know one thing that makes me smile, however.  Albert Pujols will be in the lineup and playing first base.  See, it makes you smile.

Perhaps the most interesting match-up of the series will take place on the benches rather than the field with Tony LaRussa going against longtime friend (and former Cardinal employee) Jim Leyland.  Both are undisputedly talented managers, and I'll be paying close attention to their moves and counter-moves.

A sweep (alright...or even two wins) of the Tigers sure would make this road trip feel and look a lot better.

First and foremost the Albert Pujols returned to the lineup tonight after missing just 15 games. A chunk of games, to be sure, but every Cardinal fan realizes it could have been much worse. He didn't get a hit tonight, but he also didn't look terrible at the plate. Somebody is going to pay very soon...he has some ground to catch up. The remarkable thing (if Albert Pujols is still capable of being remarkable) is that he is still tied for the National League lead in home runs and is just one RBI behind league leader Ryan Howard. Unbelievable!

Of course the story of the night was Anthony Reyes' performance. Just for the record, if he hadn't been called up to make the start as Tony LaRussa hinted, I think I would have slipped into a deep clinical depression. Tonight, although he lost a heartbreaker, he stepped up in a big pressure situation and performed better than well. Most of the time when a major league pitcher gives up one run over the course of a complete game they win...not that that obvious statement is capable of making Reyes feel any better tonight. They showed a shot of him walking through the dugout right after the game ended. Barry Weinberg gave him a pat on the back of the head and fellow starter Jeff Suppan reached out and slapped his shoulder. I'm not sure if Reyes looked extremely angry or extremely sad, but either way my mom and I both released a big, "AAHHHHH" for him. I don't know a thing about his personality and I assume this loss isn't going to stick with him in any negative way, but the disappointed/disgusted/disturbed look on his face after the game is going to stick with me for a while. He deserved to be smiling, and he and the rest of the world knows it. (Insert obligatory kudos for Freddie Garcia here.)

Still, Reyes was impressive yet again as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. If he ever again finds himself a Memphis Redbird I'll be as shocked as I was watching Jim Thome's homer land in the stands tonight. He's here to stay not because the Cards desperately need quality starting pitching (they do) or because he's a top prospect (he is) but because he has earned it with repeated superior performances that I don't think even Tony LaRussa can in any way discount.

While I won't go so far as to say that I am outraged by this mystery and secrecy, I have two MAJOR problems with this picture.

My first problem is LaRussa acting as if he doesn't know what is going to happen or who is going to start. This is the guy who I read sat down right after the All-Star Game last year and planned the rotation for the rest of the season. This is a guy renowned for his planning and preparing and plotting. He may play the game one day at a time, but he certainly doesn't plan it that way.

I understand that even the best plans and preparations must sometimes be altered or changed altogether, but if he expects me to believe he doesn't know, right now, who is starting on Thursday then he isn't half as smart as I give him credit for being. Whatever the reason he decided to shake up the starting rotation, I approve of his decision. Maybe he's only hoping to strike a little fear in the guys who have been struggling (seems to be working so far), maybe he has actually decided Reyes deserves a shot (he does), or maybe he for real believes skipping Ponson for a start and letting him help out the bullpen during interleague play will correct his issues (I find this one hard to believe, but I give it proper attention nonetheless).

However, his continued vagueness and indecision regarding the situation is an insult to my baseball intelligence that I'm not will to take without a swing. He knows what's going on. I think I know what's going on. At the very least, if he refuses to resolve the latter, he should admit the former.

My second problem, lucky for you dear reader, is shorter. LaRussa, a guy I promise I like almost all of the time, said of Reyes "Evidently, he's not ready" for the big leagues because he allowed four runs in six innings while striking out three and walking none. Are you kidding me? From that line, which is below average sure but far from horrible, LaRussa made that statement. I'm not sure the world has ever seen a greater overstatement especially considering that the start was close to if not the worst start of his season at Memphis or St. Louis. How happy would Mark Mulder be to get one of Reyes' bad starts right now?

I think I've made my point, but I could go on and on. The ridiculousness and coldness (for lack of a better term) of the statement really bothers me. Bet you could've figured that out on your own but oh well. My only hope is that had I been in the interview room, heard his tone of voice, and heard the question asked I would feel differently about the comment. My benefit of the doubt margin in this case, however, is very small.

There has been no official news from the Cardinals as to whether or not Jim Edmonds will be placed on the disabled list. However, from what I can gather it still appears he will go on the list. I have given up saying anything with confidence on this topic, though, after all the confusion. We'll know for sure soon enough I suppose.

I really hope he loses but...

The pitching match-up for the first of three games between the Cardinals and Cubs is exciting on two levels. On one level Cards' pitcher Sidney Ponson (4-0) will be trying to maintain his perfect record and perhaps even lower is 2.92 ERA. On a whole other level the UBER good looking Sean Marshall (3-3) will be on the bump for the Cubbies. I genuinely hope his record is below .500 after tomorrow game, but I wouldn't mind seeing him last until the late innings. Does anyone know if the Chicago bullpen needs rest? (Wink. Fun fact...Marshall has a twin brother who is also a baseball player. One more thing...if you are evaluating his, um, assets for the first time do not trust his head shot on MLB.com. It really isn't flattering.)

I have probably just destroyed any shred of credibility I had as a knowledgeable baseball person. I think it's worth it though. People everywhere need and deserve to know about this guy AND his brother.

Juan Encarnacion--From Normal to Decent and Back

After his recent "hot" streak that was actually more like a "decent right fielder" streak, Juan Encarnacion seems to be returning to normal. After his batting average reached a season high .250 on May 27th he has it back down to a reasonable .242. (His May batting average of .260 was actually much better than his .222 April total.) I'm being a little harsh for reasons that really have little to do with him. I am really growing frustrated with people who say, "Don't worry...by the end of the year he'll be right where he usually is at the end of a season. He's been very consistent throughout this career." (Obviously not a direct quote from anyone, but Tony LaRussa I'm looking at you for now.)

Where he usually is at the end of the season is sitting with a .266 batting average and an on-base percentage of .314. (Those numbers are actually is career averages.) An expected RBI number for him is really quite hard to pin down. Often I hear 75-80 RBI can be expected, but he really hasn't consistently reached that level. I'll go ahead and give him the benefit of the doubt, however, and say most expected him to end the season at .275 (AVG) and .325 (OBP) with 75 RBI. Is this really a good season for a guy getting to bat in the St. Louis Cardinal lineup behind (or in front of) the likes of Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen. I do not think so, but apparently I'm outnumbered.

I feel better with that out of my system.

Promises, Promises

I promised "First Raes" every single morning, and so far I have delivered. That being said, a feature/in-depth/not "First Raes" post is coming soon. I'm working on it...I promise!

Link of the Day! Albert's opening a restaurant...and all of the profit is going to the Pujols Family Foundation. Once again proving that not just baseball and the Cardinals but literally the world is lucky to have him. (Dramatic sentence of the day award winner right there.)

(2) Speaking of injuries, when David Eckstein was hit on the hand by a Mike Gallo pitch in the bottom of the eleventh inning a horrific image flashed through my mind. It was the image of him somehow landing on the DL. Just think about the way the lineup and the infield would look without Eckstein. Scary. With his two hits today he is now hitting .330 for the season which is a significant 45 points above his career average. More importantly for the leadoff man, his on-base percentage is currently .402 also well above his career average of .354. (X-rays taken after the game confirmed he suffered no broken bones.)

(3) With Thursday's extra innings 4-3 win over the Astros, the Redbirds avoided losing their first series in the New Busch Stadium. Considering June has begun, that is a significant statistic. I would also like to point out that the eleventh inning rally was started by a one out Yadier Molina double. Just saying.

Since we just completed a series against Houston and since everyone else is talking about it, I'll say that Roger Clemens return to the Astros is fine by me. I have honestly believed since the start of the season this would be the eventual outcome. Of course I don't look forward to facing him, but I will take any team's best shot. (Easy for me to say...I don't have to step into the batter's box against him.) The most surprising thing about the whole process was how joylessly Clemens seemed to go through the motions at today's press extravaganza. Regarding his return to baseball he said, "I don't need to or want to, but I'm committed." Ok, then...I guess that's all he needs.

(4) Jeff Suppan provided another quality start today--pitching six innings while allowing three runs. The bullpen then took over and returned to form by pitching five scoreless innings. Adam Wainwright and Jason Isringhausen threw two innings a piece while Braden Looper backed up yesterday's impressive performance by pitching a perfect eleventh. He also picked up the win.

(5) Because nothing is better than premature baseball banter...

It is hard to imagine the rest of Adam Wainwright's career going as smoothly as the first two months, but his success has got me thinking out of the box nonetheless. Wainwright's minor league numbers exclusively as a starter, while promising, were not exactly the numbers of a prolific prospect. Still, his early season success and his 2.03 and shrinking ERA have many people penciling into next year's starting rotation. I'm am certainly not against that line of thought, but I think there is another option to consider.

Apparently his pitches have been of a higher quality during the short outings he enjoys as a reliever, and if the pressure is getting to him he has yet to show it. (However, it should be pointed out that each of his outings, according the Cards' broadcasters, have begun along with an inning. He has yet to enter a game mid-inning, therefore he hasn't inherited any runners or outs for that matter.) Still, if the Cards are able to retain or obtain five quality starters over the winter I wouldn't have a problem with him remaining a weapon in the late innings. I am in absolutely no hurry to replace Jason Isringhausen despite his ability to regularly cause my blood pressure to rise, but right now it's not hard to envision Wainwright as a power closer down the road. Or maybe I'm crazy. Time will tell.

Link of the Day! A column discussing how Houston signing Clemens could and should affect St. Louis management.

(2) Scott Rolen is finding his power stroke. His second home run in three games on Tuesday sailed out of the park after a smooth, easy swing by Rolen. He went 3 for 4 in the game with a RBI and two runs scored. He is now hitting an impressive .327 on the season. Considering his off season shoulder surgery and his lengthy bout with super-bronchitis, Rolen's success this season is amazing and is taken for granted by way too many people...including myself.

(3) It's not hard to find the silver lining of the Cards 6-3 loss to the Astros. (Not that said silver lining actually makes me feel better, but it is there nonetheless.) Before and after pitcher Josh Hancock's seventh inning meltdown, Anthony Reyes and Braden Looper were impressive.

Reyes can't really be this good all the time can he? Although he didn't pick up his third win in three career starts he easily could have, pitching 6.1 innings while only allowing five hits. He struck out seven and walked just one. His strike out to walk ratio has been fantastic this season in his minor league starts, but it is a whole other level of impressive for him maintain his control in his first ever start in front of the St. Louis home crowd. In the end, he was charged with 3 earned runs although two crossed the plate after he was removed from the game.

Looper, meanwhile, pitched a scoreless and perfect eighth and ninth. It wasn't exactly a pressure packed situation, but it's good to see him be successful. Plus, it was important for him to keep the lead at three runs to preserve the possibility of a comeback.

(4) Today, in a noon-ish start, Jeff Suppan will face one of the Astros rookie starters, Taylor Buchholz. I wish I had some insight to share about Buchholz, but I simply do not. I will say that I hope Suppan has his bad outing out of his system for a while after his last start.

Link of the Day!--Alright, I'm confused this story posted just after Tuesday turned to Wednesday suggests Edmonds could indeed have a sports hernia after all. Here is a link to one of the stories that said in part, "Edmonds underwent an MRI earlier Tuesday and was awaiting results, but believed doctors had ruled out a sports hernia." Apparently that position changed a few hours later. The only thing that seems certain here is that absolutely no one, including Edmonds, knows what ailment is affecting his abdomen.

Last season he went 6.1 innings and allowed just two runs during an August 9th start against the Brewers. Only a few weeks ago he pitched 5.2 without giving up a run against the Kansas City Royals. He looked like he could have gone much deeper in the game, but manager Tony LaRussa (probably wisely) pulled him a little early. In his one minor league start since going 2-0 for his career he pitched eight shutout innings. (His strikeout to walk ratio has been ridiculously good.)

Tonight, however, will be his first start in St. Louis. I'm excited to see how he will respond in front of the home crowd. My only regret is that Chris Carpenter had to go on the DL to set up the start. He will apparently only miss tonight start, though, so I'm shamelessly looking forward to seeing Reyes. I'm crossing my fingers that I don't regret that last sentence.

7:11--First pitch! Willy Tavares leads off and plays center for the Astros, as expected. A lead-off double, however, was not expected.

7:14--Good grief! Another Cardinal has the flu. This time it is Scott Spiezio, who has been sent home from the ballpark. According to the Cards' broadcaster he is the 14th Redbird to be stricken with the illness. Larry Bigbie blamed the outbreak on the San Francisco Giant's postgame spread last week. The Cardinals had an off day between a series with the Giants and Padres when a large portion of the team got sick. It was said the Cards would have had trouble putting a team on the field should a game have been scheduled that day. If Spiezio is just now getting sick, though, it really puts a hole in the poisoned postgame spread theory.

7:21--Well we're through the first inning. Reyes gave up a run with the RBI going to Lance Berkman. Not a bad start though--Tavares' double came on a tough pitch and Berkman is, umm, good.

7:24--Andy Pettitte has been having some problems, but I expect him to pitch well tonight. He was struggling the last time he took the mound against the Cards and ended up pitching pretty well. I refuse to think we'll hit him.

7:26--Albert Pujols walks to the plate with no one on base. Pitch 1: Foul. Pitch 2: Ball. Pitch 3: Foul again. Pitch 4: Ball. Pitch 5: Fly out to deep center. This round to Pettitte.

Any comments/thoughts on the game are welcome! I would love to hear what others have to say about the game. If I don't mention something that deserved to be mentioned let me know, or if you have something else to say altogether.

7:32--A 1-2-3 second for Reyes! His wardrobe is the topic of much discussion. I know he has to wear the high, red and white striped socks when he pitching in the minors, so my guess is he just really doesn't like to change things up too much. There might be more to it than that, but I have never heard anything about it. As for his ultra, straight billed hat...It stems back to his days at USC. He actually irons it to make it look that straight.

7:36--Lead-off double for Scott Rolen, your NL leader in third base All-Star voting. His power might not be back from his shoulder problems, but he is on pace for only his second (full) season with a .300+ average.

7:40--An otherwise good at-bat by So Taguchi ended badly...a long battle ended with him striking out with a runner on third and one out. Ouch.

7:42--Al Hraboski (sorry if I misspelled the name) has just mentioned for the 1000th time that Braden Looper felt so good in Spring Training since he was finally healthy that he couldn't concentrate on pitching well. I didn't buy it the other 999 time, and I don't buy it now.

YADIER MOLINA comes through with a two out double to tie the game at one run a piece.

7:47--Andy Pettite at the plate. I read he was genuinely upset earlier this year when Phil Garner chose another pitcher for an emergency pitch hit appearance which I found odd. He popped out this time.

7:51--Craig Biggio didn't like the called third strike on him that ended the third. He had a few words for the umpire, but we move to the bottom of the inning nonetheless.

7:53--Lead-off hit for Reyes...impressive. Top of the order now with Eckstein, who is leading the All-Star voting at shortstop and deservedly so...even though he just bounced into a double play. Former Card Edgar Renteria is having a good year in Atlanta as well. Look for a post on that soon.

Pujols at the dish after a bunt hit by Luna. Pitch 1: Ball. Pitch 2: Swinging strike. Pitch 3:Ball outside. LET'S GO ALBERT! Pitch 4: Hard shot to third to end the innings. Round two to Pettitte as well.

8:00--Reyes gets Berkman this time around with help from a great play from Albert Pujols at first. I don't see every first baseman play defense in the NL, but if Albert is awarded his first Gold Glove he'll deserve it. Seriously deserve it.

8:05--Through the visitor half of the fourth, and Reyes looks as impressive as ever. This guy is going to make Walt Jocketty's life a lot easier in the off season when he is trying to sign his four free agent starters. Chris Carpenter is the only starter with a contract for next year, and he is grossly underpaid. Many have said that situation is as important as any to resolve, but neither Jocketty nor Carpenter seems particularly worried about it. I'm just hoping Mark Mulder is willing to take a few million less to stay in St. Louis. Please, Mark. Please.

8:09--So much for his power being dimmed. Scott Rolen homers to left. BACK-TO-BACK!! Juan Encarnacion immediately follows Rolen's homer with one of his own to left. He crushed it. 3-1 Cards lead before an out is recorded!

8:13--Aaron Miles just struck out for the second time, this time to end the fourth. No more damage was done to Pettitte this inning. While were here though...Miles has been very good so far this season. It has been written about at length but the trade that sent J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero has benefitted the Cardinals GREATLY. In the end we got Adam Wainwright, Jason Marquis, Aaron Miles, and Larry Bigbie for our current roster.

8:20--Reyes leading off again. He wouldn't get another hit would he? Nope. He would not.

8:23--Good to see the New Busch Stadium full again. All the seats are officially open for just the second game. Still, every game has been a sell out so far this season and every game is expected to be.

Albert's is up again...this time with a runner on first. Hopefully he'll break out of his struggles (2 for 15) against Andy Pettitte. An intentional walk to bring up Scott Rolen who is 2 for 2 on the night. Alright, fine by me. Rolen gets Pujols treatment from me...Pitch 1: Strike. Pitch 2: Weak fly out to right field. Not so fine, but I'll take Rolen any day.

8:30--Reyes is pitching awesome, but he just gave up a significant double to Craig Biggio who has tied Hank Aaron for 9th (624) on the all time list and has passed Brooks Robinson on the all-time hits list.

8:37--Reyes just whiffed Morgan Ensberg to end the sixth and strand Biggio on second. Even though he has given up a run, this just might turn out to be his best big league start to date which is impressive (see top of post).

8:40--Encarnacion just lined out to center, but I want to talk about him. He really has been better lately, but I'm still waiting for my main question to be answered. At his very best, how good can he be? And just how good is that honestly? I'm not of the school of thought that his career average numbers are going to be good enough. I want more. I'm a greedy and spoiled but nice and supportive Cardinal fan!

8:45--With a strike out of Preston Wilson (his seventh on the night) to start the top of the seventh, Anthony Reyes has now pitched deeper into this game his other big league starts. His pitch count is nearing 100 so my guess is that this is his last inning no matter what.

8:51--Well officially I'm both a jinx and a liar. Reyes just gave up back to back hits and was taken out by LaRussa. So his official line will say he pitch 6.1 innings, the same as last year against the Brew Crew. Hopefully Josh Hancock can strand his runners, but even if he fails to do so it was an absolutely outstanding showing by Anthony Reyes. I'm glad he's going to be on our side for years to come.

8:55--3-2 home team after a Jason Lane pinch-hit RBI single. Now it's Orlando Palmairo (spell?) pinch-hitting for Andy Pettitte whose night will end with 6 IP and 3 ER.

8:58--Did that really just happen? It's 4-3 Houston after a hit and an inexplicable misplay by Golden-Gloved Scott Rolen. It's damage control now for Hancock. Final line for Reyes: 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts, and no chance for a win. He deserved better, but there are bigger things to worry about...like the Redbirds getting the win.

9:01--I think we would've been better off with Reyes. Craig Biggio just put the Astros up 6-3 with a two run home run off Hancock. Apparently he can't pitch bad enough to get taken out of the game as no one is even warming up. The Cards have statistically the best bullpen in the league, but tonight is just not Josh Hancock's night.

9:06--Rally Time!!!

9:09--Apparently Hancock did pitch bad enough to be taken out of the game. John Rodriguez pinch hits with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Johnny Rocket, as I guess he is being called these days, is off to a terrific start this season. He didn't like the call but he stuck out for the out number two.

Russ Springer, he of the Bond beanball (bean ball?), is doing the pitching. I didn't feel too sorry for Barry when he got plunked, but I didn't cheer either. It was just a weird situation.

9:13--Nice running catch by Willy Tavares to end the inning. It wasn't exactly highlight reel material but someone with less speed would have had trouble catching up to it.

9:15--Random between innings thought...Jim Edmonds had the scan I mentioned in my "First Raes" but the results are not yet known to us. It is believed he has a sports hernia, a condition I read almost always requires surgery. However, even if he has the condition Edmonds seems to think he'll be able to play soon. We'll see.

9:18--Mention number 1,001 of Braden Looper being too healthy to pitch well early in season just took place (see 7:42). It's so predictable when he comes in a game on Fox Sports Net I could cry.

9:22--Rally Time!!!???

9:24--Pujols to the plate with no one on and one out and three runs down. Pitch 1: Ball. Pitch 2: Strike. Pitch 3: Base hit between the shortstop and third basemen. A perfect example of how Pujols hits to win the game...a home run would have been nice, but base runners are what we need. LaRussa has repeatedly said he hits as the situation requires. Just another reason to love El Hombre. Bring him around for another run scored, Scott!

9:27--Double for Rolen...maybe the comments will pick back up now that the Cards have something going. Make me a believer Juan!!!

9:29--Albert's out at the plate after Encarnacion grounds to third. The inning isn't over yet, however.

9:32--It is now...still 6-3 heading into the ninth. We'll have our 7-8-9 hitter in the bottom of the inning and a short bench to work with. Jim Edmonds might be available, but Scott Spiezio is not (see 7:14). It's not over until the 27th out is recorded, though, as Albert would say.

9:35--It's back to the mound for Braden Looper after a quick and easy eighth. He wears Yadi's old number which gives him automatic cool points. I have a shirt with Molina and 41 on the back so when he's in the game I can represent both ends of the battery. I know, I know...jealousy is only normal. (Sorry--I'm an idiot.)

9:40--To the bottom of the ninth! Bring on Brad Lidge...

9:44--One pitch, one out...Yadi out after smoking a ball to third.

9:46--Well that was an anti-climatic ending to a very busy and exciting night for me. Thanks to Erik and Kevin for the comments and to Lisa for being my liveblogging partner. The Cards went quietly in the ninth, but they'll be back on the field at noon tomorrow going for yet another series win. They have yet to lose a series at home. I will not be help responsible if that happens for the first time tomorrow becuase that was merely an observation.

Reyes has nothing to show for his great night, and Josh Hancock takes a well deserved loss. He'll get them next time though. No love lost here overall. Please keep commenting on the thoughts I shared throughout the game and stop back tomorrow morning for my First Raes. (I giggle at the name, and I'm the one who came up with it.)

[Sorry for the endless errors I'm sure I made while frantically typing throughout the game. My fingers are cramping!]

(2) Albert Pujols hit the (eventual) game-winning home run late in the game. Yawn.

(3) Jim Edmonds missed another start on Tuesday. He will apparently undergo a scan of some sort (this according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch) to see if he has a sports hernia. I don't see this situation going in a positive direction. I hope my future forecasting capabilities prove to be worthless.

(4) Don't look now, fans of any other National League Central teams, but the Cardinals have a five game lead in the division. I guess the fact that they have the lead before the arrival of June can be taken two ways. Either the Cards are so good they have big lead early they won't relinquish or they are simply off to a good start but everyone has time to catch up. (For any fellow VH1 watchers...read the first sentence again, but this time use the voice of The Best Week Even announcer. Just seems perfect to me.)

(5) It was nice to see all of the seats in Busch III filled for the fist time as a result of the final section of seating being completed (ahead of schedule no less!). I can't wait to get back to the ballpark.

Link of the Day!

Despite all intelligent inclinations, I still believe whole-heartedly that he can hit. If you read the articles, it's clear he has some mental issues at the dish. I promise if he can ever figure those out he will be an above average hitter. I've seen him swing the bat well. Just, um, not anytime near the beginning of a regular season.

I mentioned in the original Yadi Not Too Hottie post that... "It feels like he would get a hit every time if he could come up in the eighth inning with two runners on and the Cards down by a run. This is not a good thing. But is it a bad thing?" Unfortunately the RBI opportunities he was getting early in the year haven't materialized as of late so even that statement is now shaky. Although he did get a hit with RISP on Monday...down by more than a hand full of runs in the ninth but still.

Anyway, I'm waiting on him to get hot any day now. And by any day I mean today.

[Check out the post below as well and let me know what you think if you're so inclined!]

Now, Albert Pujols can do and say whatever he wants. I'm not one to tell people what they should say or how they should say say it. However, just talking about Bonds and steroids has caused a wave of speculation about Pujols. Last week the New York Times was saying the best thing about him was the fact that he didn't cheat and columnists around the country couldn't talk enough about he was exactly the type of player we needed to take us away from the "steroids era." (Whatever that is.) Column after column, story after story, writers couldn't explain how great he is as a person and a player in enough lavish details to possibly do him justice...according to them.

This week (especially the last two days), I'm reading nothing but "Albert is great and there is no evidence at all that he has ever done anything at all wrong and he is probably clean but there is no way we can ever really know and I'm sorry but that's just the world we live in today and nothing can change that and human growth hormone is only detected by a blood test and MLB doesn't do those so yeah he could be getting outside help but he is still great probably the best in the game today and it's a shame Barry Bonds and others have tainted his accomplishments." (Deep breath.)

I find it hard to explain my problem with all of this without getting on the topic of steroids in general, something I have no real desire to do. Yet, I proceed talking mostly in general not specifically about Pujols unless noted.

First, to those people who are concerned about Human Growth Hormone (or whatever) still being used by baseball players, I have two requests. One, acknowledge and accept that NO other major sports league has a HGH test either and yet people are able to talk about a muscular NFLer without having to launch into a boring, useless discussion on how he got the muscles. The fact is that MLB has the most strict drug test policy that can be found in professional sports today. Two, armed with your new knowledge take your conspiracy theories elsewhere. Baseball is the game I love and I will forever remain loyal to so you'll have to excuse my bias, but unless you want to discuss how your favorite running back managed to recover so quickly from that knee injury or how Ben Wallace got to be so incredibly ripped save it, just save it. I don't want to hear it.

No I'm not a crazy, and no I do not believe that either your favorite running back or Ben Wallace are on steroids. But my suggesting that is as careless as a person suggesting any current major leaguer is on drugs. (And no I can't be sure you that and no one else can be either. But I choose the much more likely and more mundane belief that these are men who happen to be extremely talented and happen to work extremely hard in order to be the players they are. My sensationalizing and speculation skills, I admit, are not up to par with most of the sports world.)

Second, I love how Albert Pujols merely talking about the subject caused more rumors to swirl around him at once than the rest of his career combined. Pujols has been much more open with "the media" and he appears to be paying the price. This is not a complaint so much as an observation. No one of any importance has actually said (to my knowledge) that they believe the Cards' first baseman is on steroids just that people always suspect home run hitter like himself these days. It's funny that most articles I've read say something to the affect of "Albert has put up great numbers his whole career, but there are rumblings/rumors/whispers now about potential steroid use" but no one has actually identified any person doing the rumblings/rumors/whispers.

In other words, Albert isn't a victim here. He isn't be accused by anyone. He has just managed to start a string of debates about steroids all over again (if we ever got away from them) by freely discussing the subject when asked about it.

Third, I really don't like the (sorry for the cliche) guilty until proven innocent approach people seem to be subscribing to these days. It disrupts my optimism and causes angry posts on my blog.

All of that being said, Albert said one thing I have been screaming at the TV and preaching to whoever was willing to listen for years (Geez...it really has been years...I feel old.) now. Regardless of how many steroids Bonds took/injected/smeared on, he still had to see the ball and hit it, as Albert put it. I could bulk up on steroids for the next five years, and I'm confident that I would still not be able to hit a major league home run. Furthermore, I'm confident that the same is true of millions of healthy young men who've ever dreamed of playing in MLB.

Here is where my internal conflict really begins. I don't like Barry Bonds. I haven't liked him since I knew enough about baseball to know him. I don't like him as a human being or as a baseball player. Normally, I would shy away from typing that sentence because I've never met the guy and I simply don't know him and probably never will. But for Bonds I'm willing to make an exception. His theatrics and selfishness are more than I can handle.

In addition to my already not liking him, he was one of many major league baseball players to take steroids in order to "enhance" their performance. If anyone (including Albert Pujols whom I love...seriously...LOVE) still wants to argue about whether or not Bonds is "guilty" I'm inclined to call the person crazy. He admitted to a grand jury that he took steroids unknowingly, Greg Anderson was practically chained to him, and there is a ridiculous amount of other evidence. (I'm working on reading it all and being more informed.) Nope, he has never failed a drug test, and he doesn't need to. Jose Conseco and Ken Caminiti and Mark McGwire (I didn't want to go there, but I did because I had to...I feel bad now.) and Sammy Sosa and Jason Giambi (who has also admitted to using steroids) never tested positive either.

A positive test isn't needed...there is plenty of still plenty of proof. Saying that a player has to test positive in order to prove he has taken steroids is like saying no one can be convicted of a crime EVER unless they are on tape committing the crime. (Because you can't test positive for murdering.)

SOME form of proof is still needed, however, to engage in the is-he-or-isn't-he-on-steriods debate. With Albert Pujols there is no proof or even relevant suggestion, testable or otherwise, that he has ever been anywhere near a syringe.

I could go on, but I digress to the larger issue. Pujols says Barry probably made some mistakes, but he still had to hit the ball over the fence. Fine, ok, true, accepted.

My conclusion...as far as steroids are concerned and to this ridiculously long post which may or may not make sense to anyone because, to be honest, I've yet to make sense of it all myself. Some things, though, I am sure of...

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Taking steroids, while morally wrong and dreadfully stupid, was not against the rules when it was prevalent in clubhouses.

Taking steroids (like using a corked bat for example) does not allow a person to hit home runs, but it does help a capable person hit more by way of giving them that extra bit of strength or allowing them to recover quickly from an injury that would otherwise hamper their performance. However, no one, not even the brainiest of scientists, can say how many additional dingers a drugged-up player is able to hit.

Many professional players benefited from taking performance enhancing drugs, and record were broken and re-broken by people more than probably taking substances now banned by MLB. (McGwire's "Andro", for example, is now banned but wasn't in 1998.)

Players, not just including but in many cases especially those who have admitted to taking or been associated with steroids, today work extremely hard to be as good as they are. Bonds is said to have spent as many as eight hours a day working out during the off seasons he was admittedly, if unknowingly, rubbing "the clear" on his legs. (I think it is "rubbed" on. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.) Retired greats, including Hank Aaron, have regularly said that if you wanted to find them during their playing days a weight room was NOT the place to look. Lifting weights and intense conditioning period was just not a part of the game before this generation of players.

How much of Bonds, and others, success then can be attributed to pure, hard work others before them were not willing to put in? Most players today, particularly the good ones, tend to lift weights after games and do not spend the winter just staring out the window waiting for camp to convene. Bonds workouts may not have been possible for his aging body without a little help but the fact remains that he was there everyday...lifting, working, and preparing. Something has to be said for that, in my opinion, and rarely is.

Stepping into the batter's box for a major league team is hard enough, making contact with the ball is harder, and hitting said ball over the fence is harder yet. (Especially if the pitchers you're facing are "juiced up" as well. Just saying...that is also regularly left out of the conversation.) In the end a person still has to see the ball and hit the ball.

Now we've managed to make our way back to Albert Pujols and his eternal wisdom. He didn't provide any solution to the steroids saga because there isn't one and nothing is ever going to provide one that satisfies one and all. But at some point we are all going to have to let it go, beginning with baseball writers across America. I'm not saying we should pretend it never happened. I'm saying everyone should agree to admit it happened and now it won't happen again and move on. Get creative. Write about the Detroit Tigers or the Chicago White Sox or write about Albert Pujols the way you were a week ago.

(Anyone else find it ironic that I'm complaining about people writing about steroids while writing about steroids myself? Thought so.)

In truth, I have fought writing this before, but always didn't because I loathe the subject. I have spent the last two days writing this now, though, because Albert and the Cardinals have been around Barry and the Giants and now everyone, including Albert and myself, is somehow forced to talk about steroids.

I, unlike most however, choose to talk about it all in the past...where it belongs because that is the only place it can rightfully be discussed and debated until we all decide that the game of baseball has endured far worse (Players being paid to lose as compared to "cheating" to win for instance.) and yet is as popular today as it has ever been.