Lineup 3.16: Schu-Bart’s 1-2 punch
JUPITER, Fla. — Manager Tony La Russa is deflecting all questions about the makeup of his lineup and the construction of the club’s bullpen until after the off day. Two more games of information are essential, he said. And Tuesday offers a natural break in camp for such decisions to be made.
Doesn’t mean a few decisions haven’t already been revealed.
As detailed in the paper this morning — Brian Barton vs. Juan Gonzalez as symbol for the Cardinals’ spring – the Cardinals are about to make calls on the roster that hinge on experience vs. youth, track record vs. promise. Some couldn’t be more obvious. Look no further than how La Russa has structured his lineup for today’s game against Atlanta and lefty Tom Glavine:
- For the second consecutive day Skip Schumaker is hitting leadoff.
- For the second consecutive day Barton, starting in left field, is batting second because La Russa likes how he pounds the ball the other direction, likes how an extra-base hit from Albert Pujols means a run with Barton’s speed, like’s the kid’s on-base eye.
- Troy Glaus, is at cleanup … against a lefty.
- And, this may very well be the outfield that starts against Colorado’s Jeff Francis on March 31 at Busch Stadium.
The lineup:
THE CARDINALS
- Skip Schumaker, RF
- Brian Barton, LF
- Albert Pujols, 1B
- Troy Glaus, 3B
- Rick Ankiel, CF
- Yadier Molina, C
- Adam Kennedy, 2B
- Todd Wellemeyer, RHP
- Cesar Izturis, SS
Bench: C Mark Johnson, INF Aaron Miles, INF D’Angelo Jimenez, C Jason LaRue, OF Chris Duncan (who will spend his first hour searching for his swing on the at-bat rotiserrie back on the minor-league fields), OF Colby Rasmus, INF Brendan Ryan, OF Ryan Ludwick, OF Joe Mather.
Bullpen: RHP Mike Parisi, RHP Kelvin Jimenez, RHP Chris Perez, RHP Jason Motte, RHP Jason Isringhausen.
-30-
Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
DG, sounds like Izturis will have to pull a Kennedy (only with the glove instead of bat) to lose his starting spot say, a Brendan Ryan. Is that accurate?