They have won four division titles in eight years and have averaged 93 victories in the last four years. But the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in an unexpected position heading toward spring training.
Given Houston’s high-profile additions and the Cubs’ success last October, the Cardinals finally get a chance to be a pleasant surprise. Or will it really be a big surprise if the other teams are chasing them in September?
“I get a little irritated reading and hearing in the off-season about all the moves these other teams have made–the hoopla in Chicago and Houston,” St. Louis general manager Walt Jocketty said. “But . . . when you break down our club, we have five of the best players, not only in the National League but in all of baseball.”
Jocketty was referring to Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Edgar Renteria and Mike Matheny. For production, though, the Cardinals’ top five are Pujols, Edmonds, Rolen, Renteria and new right fielder Reggie Sanders.
This St. Louis fivesome combined to hit .310 with 154 homers and 504 RBIs last year. That’s a ton of production, but maybe not a ton more than the other top teams in the National League Central Division.
The five most productive Cubs (Sammy Sosa, Moises Alou, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Todd Walker) are coming off seasons in which they hit a combined .277 with 143 homers and 477 RBIs. The five most productive Astros (Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman, Jeff Kent, Richard Hidalgo and Craig Biggio) hit .286 with 129 homers and 436 RBIs last year.
Given the formidable starting rotations of the other two Central contenders, the Cardinals won’t be able to afford misfires from a lineup that also includes second-year second baseman Bo Hart and one of a number of candidates in left field–So Taguchi, Mark Quinn, Kerry Robinson, Ray Lankford and Emil Brown, among others. Matt Morris and Woody Williams are the givens in the St. Louis rotation. For manager Tony La Russa to re-establish himself in St. Louis, where he faces critics after not delivering a World Series appearance during his eight-season tenure, he’ll need good years from Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan and Chris Carpenter.
“I guarantee that when we get ready to play, people will be talking about us like they’re talking about the teams that made all those moves,” La Russa said last week. “I guarantee the 2004 Cardinals will uphold the Cardinal tradition.”
Winds of change: On the day his purchase of the Dodgers was approved, Boston developer Frank McCourt said his new team “lacks excitement” and promised that he would find a way to deliver a reliable run-producer before Opening Day. That does not to appear to bode well for GM Dan Evans, who has held tightly to coveted prospects like Edwin Jackson and Greg Miller because of his long-range vision.
According to sources, McCourt plans to make a serious run at hiring Pat Gillick, who has built winning operations in Toronto, Baltimore and Seattle. There also has been talk of Billy Beane, but Oakland owner Steve Schott told the San Francisco Chronicle he would not give the Dodgers permission to talk to the Athletics’ general manager.
For Los Angeles to get Magglio Ordonez, it would have to send the White Sox at least two veteran pitchers–Odalis Perez and Guillermo Mota are the ones most often mentioned–along with a package of elite prospects, including center fielder Franklin Gutierrez and either Jackson or Miller. According to Sox sources, the price has gone up since free agent Juan Gonzalez signed with Kansas City, taking away an option to replace Ordonez.
Evans wouldn’t pay a high price. But it is clear McCourt doesn’t have much patience.
Bad timing: The Mariners made a late attempt to get into the Ivan Rodriguez bidding but weren’t willing to blow away Detroit. They wish they had known earlier that closer Kaz Sasaki was going back to Japan, giving them an extra $9 million a year to throw around.
Maybe then they could have done more than add Rich Aurilia and Raul Ibanez.
“If we knew in October we had that much room on our payroll, we’d be a lot different team today,” a Seattle official said.
If the Mariners had known they weren’t going to have Sasaki, they probably would have been serious players for Vladimir Guerrero and Miguel Tejada. At this point, it’s unlikely they’ll do anything major, such as trying to pull off a trade for an elite hitter like Ordonez or Richard Hidalgo. But look for them to sign pitcher Ron Villone and maybe one of the other remaining free agents while squirreling away some of the Sasaki money for midseason additions.
A rose by another name: If events elsewhere are any indication, White Sox fans shouldn’t get too accustomed to calling their team’s stadium U.S. Cellular Field. Just ask fans in San Francisco, where 4-year-old Pac Bell Park has been changed to SBC Park after the Texas-based phone company bought Pacific Bell.
Even though Peter Magowan largely funded the stadium, the Giants are taking heat in San Francisco for selling naming rights. County Supervisor Chris Daly introduced a resolution asking the Giants to change the name officially to Mays Field at SBC Park.
“We don’t name anything for anybody anymore,” Daly said. “Everything is named for the highest bidder.”
There was little objection to the original name, partly because Pac Bell is an old-time San Francisco company and partly because it paid $53 million toward the $319 million cost of the park. SBC is not being looked on as kindly. These are the times we live in.
Last man standing: After trading Richie Sexson to Arizona, the Brewers are trying to get their other All-Star, Geoff Jenkins, signed long-term. He’s eligible for free agency after this season, which could cause him to be traded in midseason.
Milwaukee’s initial offer is believed to be $18 million over three years. That would be a pay cut for Jenkins, who is making $8.25 million after hitting 28 homers and driving in 95 runs last year.
“They’re not ridiculously low,” said Jenkins, who is believed to be seeking four years at about $30 million. “But you just understand that it’s a process. It takes time. . . . It wasn’t an insult, let’s put it that way.”
Jenkins has put the Brewers on the clock, saying he will end negotiations at the end of spring training.
“Any player would be lying if they said they weren’t excited about being a free agent and maybe getting a chance to explore other venues or whatever, but this is where I grew up,” he said.
Dubious tag: Trying to play nice, manager Buck Showalter has named unhappy shortstop Alex Rodriguez the Rangers’ captain. The last time Texas had an official team captain was 1984, when then-manager Doug Rader gave the tag to third baseman Buddy Bell, trying to ease tensions between the two. Bell was traded over the All-Star break in 1985.
Rodriguez calls the tag “almost equally important” as the MVP award he won in 2003. Who says this guy isn’t sincere?
Tricky situation: Hard to believe, but the Cleveland Indians actually called a news conference so a minor-league pitcher could discuss his role in a gay pornographic movie. They did that because they believe Kazuhito Tadano could develop into an impact player.
Indians general manager Mark Shapiro wanted Tadano to get questions about that episode behind him.
“I’d say sometime this season he will make his major-league debut for us,” Shapiro said.
Tadano, who made the video while in college, said he is not gay. He wound up with Cleveland after apparently being blackballed in Japan. He throws 93 to 94 m.p.h. with three secondary pitches that are effective, making him a prime candidate for a bullpen role. He had 116 strikeouts in 98 2/3 innings last year, working at three levels. He’ll be one of 13 non-roster pitchers invited to the Indians’ camp.
While Tadano had been considered a top prospect in Japan, he signed for only $67,500 after damaging his reputation with professional baseball.
“This was a business decision for us,” Shapiro said. “After doing extensive interviews with [Tadano], observing how he interacts with his teammates, his talent and his character as a person, we felt there was an upside here that was well worth the risk.”
Stat of the week: Ordonez, who decided to play a little winter ball, went 14-for-30 with seven doubles and four homers in nine playoff games for Oriente, which reached the finals in the Venezuelan League.
