The lineup looks pretty close. I would definitely prefer to have Ryan in at SS. Wouldn’t you think that Schumaker should be in CF and Ankiel in RF?

Thanks.

Does this mean than Juan Gone starts the season in AAA? Could he be swapped to an AL team for, say, a pitcher?

I’m also among those rooting for Boog Ryan… if for no other reason than he shows the Cards’ socks!

Do you think Barton will make the team to platoon with Schumaker and bat leadoff?

Do you think the Cardinals would be foolish enough to let go of Barton and give his potential five years of low-cost high-quality performance back to Cleveland, when other players (Gonzalez, Ludwick, Mather) could be sent to AAA, without losing a player, to serve as backups when the big league players have the inevitable injuries?

I like yesterday’s lineup better. Yesterday with no Izturis or Kennedy they scored 6. Addition by subtraction.

Anyone else surprised that Juan hasn’t played more this spring?

Gonzalez isn’t going to make the team.

Give Barton an infielder’s glove and see if he can play 2B.

Does Tony think that anyone - Cards’ fan, baseball fan, random senior citizen on the street - will buy the sell he’s trying to make for Izturis and Kennedy?

Read this latest ridiculous quote on Izturis:
“You just watch, he’s a real good looking fielder,” La Russa said. “He has great, quiet hands. He has an accurate arm. He’s very quick. Picks a ball up like it’s nothing. Very impressive.

“I liked him from the first time I saw him with the Dodgers. He is really fun to watch catch the ball.

“Offensively, he hasn’t had a big hitting spurt or anything like that, but he’s putting the ball in play. He’s working. He’s also shown, by the way, good legs. That’s an important part of the game.

“He’s a very useful offensive player. He can do anything. He can put the ball in play, bunt.”

He’s impressive allright. The impression I get is the guy can’t play baseball at the AA level, let alone MLB. Looks like Tony switched from the red wine this spring to the peyote.

I pencil Juan “GONE”– it was a good story– but given his limited availability I just don’t see him being one of the 25: Bullpen(7)+Starters(5)+Catchers(2)+Infield(6)+Outfield(5). We know the catchers, my infield includes Izturis, Kennedy, Miles, Glaus, Pujols, & Mather. That leaves an outfield of Ankiel, Duncan, Schumacher, Ludwick, & Barton. Mather is a power option that Ryan is not and Mather provides a corner infield/outfield option. I believe Schu is out of options and Barton is a Rule Five. The pitching is just a mess.

After Glaus hits, you can go get your beer and hotdogs. As long as you return before Skip bats again, you won’t miss anything.

Seriously, I don’t think Tony plays Kennedy against Francis — not with all the other lefties in this lineup.

As just added to the blog, Gonzalez’s absence from the lineup — and from the bench — was the subject of this morning’s Cardinals Newsletter. You can find it linked above or here:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/11CD0574C555B1048625740B004C9372?OpenDocument

dg

DG:

Has TLR said how many relievers he’s going to carry in the early part of the season? I’m just thinking about who he’s going to go with. We know that, most likely, he’ll take:

Izzy
Franklin
Springer
Villone
Flores

But who do you see in addition to that?