GRAND CENTER — Settling in here at the FSN Midwest studios (read: Channel 9), and an early-game excerise, courtesy of producer Max Leinwand, is inspired by the 75th anniversary of prohibition’s repeal. What Major League Baseball rule, Leinwand wonders, should be repealed. Soberly, of course.

Some initial suggestions:

• The designated hitter.
• The All-Star Game determining home-field advantage in World Series.
• The Division Series being a best-of-five.

Any others? Tal’s Hill, maybe?

One that has been discussed on the blog and around the Cardinals’ clubhouse this past week is why statistics from a rainout don’t count. Manager Tony La Russa recommended this rule get a rewrite, and – like prohibition — it might take an Act of Congress to alter one engraved into history.

If rained-out stats counted, Albert Pujols’ homer would count. Adam Wainwright would have 11 innings pitched. Stan Musial might have that homer — an update coming on that tomorrow.

“It’s like saying, it didn’t count, when it did count,” La Russa said. “You played it like it counted. You played the games like it counted.”

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And so ends Pujols’ hitless streak against Wandy Rodriguez with a first-inning single to left field.

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