JUPITER, Fla. — Apparently, Russ Springer wasn’t the only one who wanted to have the same conversation with spunky shortstop Brendan Ryan in the wake of Scott Spiezio’s release from the team earlier this spring.

Manager Tony La Russa also pulled the infielder aside.

“Just don’t take for granted because Scott’s not here that you’re automatically on the team,” La Russa recalled telling Ryan earlier. “That’s not the way it works.” 

In fact, few players in camp have as many possible destinations for the end of March as Ryan. He could start the season as the everyday shortstop in Triple-A Memphis. He could be the Cardinals utility player, sharing time in the middle infield with Aaron Miles. He could play his way into a platoon at second base. Or, and the chance is slim but La Russa did leave an opening there, he could elbow others aside and be the starter at either middle infield positions.

From Everyday to Triple-A. His chances run the gamut.

In the third inning of today’s game, Ryan sparked the Cardinals’ five-run inning with a leadoff single from the nine spot. He entered the game with a .227 average. Hardly eye-catching, but it ranked up there with the meager peformances from the other candidates for the middle-infield jobs, including the two penciled-in starters (stats are BA/OBP, because that’s the role):

• Brendan Ryan, 3B/SS/2B … .227 (plus the single)/.320 (plus a HBP — and then promptly doubled off first.)

• D’Angelo Jimenez, 3B/SS/2B … .091/.231

• Aaron Miles, 3B/SS/2B … .217/.321

• Cesar Izturis, SS … .115/.179

• Adam Kennedy, 2B … .296/.321

Ryan and Miles both started in the middle infield spots today — and in the ”double leadoff” lineup employed by the Cardinals – and Izturis and Kennedy have also been linked in many of their starts. The latter duo is the one the Cardinals want to start, a point general manager John Mozeliak underscored in his chat on StlToday.com this afternoon. Though, neither really has job security.

Ryan could just as easily play himself into ample at-bats at either position as he could play his way into the starting job at Memphis.

Thing is, the Cardinals middle infield looks rather meek without a return-to-form from Kennedy, a retro Izturis or some shuffling of the positions. Last year, the Cardinals middle infielder who had the most “Win Shares“, a measure devised by Bill James and tweaked by others to reveal a player’s contribution to the team. It’s a quick, if superficial, way to illustrate the Cardinals’ middle infield muddle.

Of the middle infielders returning to the team, Miles topped the team with nine WS, and Ryan had five. Combined their 14 trounces the five contributed by Kennedy (one)and Izturis (four with Chicago and Pittsburgh) last year. Kennedy’s career high was 17, and Izturis, back in 2004, had 25 WS.

Look around the National League, the land where a few shortstops on their own could have more WS than the tandem the Cardinals could start in the middle. Starting with today’s opponent:

• FLA: SS Hanley Ramirez (29) … 2B Dan Uggla (17)

• PHI: SS Jimmy Rollins (28) … 2B Chase Utley (28)

• COL: SS Troy Tulowitzki (25) … 2B Kaz Matsui (14)

• NYM: SS Jose Reyes (24) … 2B Luis Castillo (6, after arrival)

• MIL: SS J.J. Hardy (19) … 2B Rickie Weeks (16)

• PITT: SS Jack Wilson (19) … 2B Freddy Sanchez (21)

• SD: SS Khalil Greene (19) … 2B Marcus Giles (11)

• LAD: SS Rafael Furcal (15) … 2B Jeff Kent (18)

• CUBS: SS Ryan Theriot (11) …  2B Mark DeRosa (17)

At first look, it may not be apparent, but the team with the third-most combined WS from the middle infield might surprise: Pittsburgh, with 40. Sure it’s a cliche, but baseball teams still strive to be “strong up the middle.” If the idea is to build a team up the middle with quality defense, daily reliable pitching and offensive-role contributors, and then outfit that foundation with power from the corners, then Cardinals so far this spring have the power at the corners.

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Troy Glaus, batting cozily in the No. 5 spot, ripped his first home run of spring on a 2-2 pitch that he deposited deep over the left-field wall.

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Anthony Reyes started  good, got clobbered late. In four innings, he allowed six hits and struck out six. The more telling portion of his line: He threw 58 pitches, 42 of which were strikes.

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OK, so the “Crazy 8″ lineup wins today. Ryan led off the third inning because he was batting ninth. He singled, Miles bunted him over to second and with two outs and a 2-2 count Albert Pujols mashed a homer to put the Cardinals up 3-0. An error extended the inning and Ryan Ludwick exploited it with a three-run shot.

Thank the pitcher batting eighth. Just like it was planned.

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Nearly a year out from his surgery, Josh Kinney continued his laborious rehab from Tommy John surgery Wednesday. The righthander threw 50 pitches off the mound, and he continues to upgrade the speed and intensity with which he throws his breaking balls. “I didn’t really cut one loose,” Kinney said. “But I’m testing them a little bit.”

Kinney is considered a few weeks behind lefty Mark Mulder in the “Recovering Nicely” crew. The righthanded reliever will continue to throw off the mound and perhaps get in a simulated game before the Cardinals leave camp. His schedule has him possibly ready for game competition in April, and that could mean a rehab assignment or even an assignment to Class AAA.

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An option that was not officially announced but happened a few days ago: Cody Haerther was moved to the minor-league camp. Tough spot for an outfielder just a couple years removed from being considered one of the rising lefthanded hitters in the organization. As if the past year has been wacky enough for him. He’s left unprotected by the Cardinals and picked up by Toronto. The Blue Jays make a move that forces them to DFA Haerther and the Cardinals get back because they now have room for him. Then he arrives in spring training to find a logjam of lefthanded hitting outfielders, and La Russa tells him that, hey, playing time is going to be sparse here because Haerther isn’t righthanded like, say, Joe Mather. Look what Mather has done with his time. Look where Haerther is. It’s downright Gallesque.

Haerther’s option means there are 18 position players in camp.

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After venturing out to the backlots, where minor-league games started today, Matthew Leach reports that RHP Fernando Salas clocked 96 mph on the gun.

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That hooded figure, eyeing the Cardinals this morning as they did a run through of their bunt defense was … yes … Bill Belichick.

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The reason Troy Glaus was mentioned in the Mitchell Report surfaces again, this time more onimously as The New York Times reports an investigation into a California doctor who allegedly wrote illegal prescriptions could lead to a new torrent of names leaking out. 

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The Marlins may have hit on a way to stimulate the local fan base: Rely on local talent. The Cardinals face two South Florida natives in today’s game, starter Gaby Hernandez (a late add), who was a 10-year-0ld watching the expansion Marlins play outside his native Miami, and Chris Volstad, who was Florida’s first round pick in 2005, fresh from nearby Palm Beach Gardens High. 

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Kurt Hunzeker, artist and Mizzou grad, saw the comments, heard Bernie Miklasz stoke the masses (OK, handful) and delivered this logo for the blog. Gotta love the use of gonfalons. And, yes, he has a t-shirt design, too.

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