DG’s 10@10: Calling All Cardinals Questions
TOWER GROVE — In addition to working on the Community Prospect Poll Part 1 that will appear in a few minutes, I spent the morning visiting with an old friend: The Inbox at PostCards. Cleared out all of the digital sludge — from the letters that begin “Hello Dearest One”, to those written in Russian, a few offers to upgrade the web design of these here pages and even one invitation to participate in something called the “Barcelona Dance Award.”
Hey, if it includes a ticket to a match at Camp Nou … I’ll put my boogie shoes on.
The purpose of the fall cleaning was to see if there was room — and interest — in restarting the mailbag. As we try to find a place for the 10@10 in the offseason, it seems like one element of the blog should be a reboot of PostCards. Sure, it’s not as instant or snappy as a chat, but what it lacks in exclamation points it will make for up in a lack of self promotion. As always, the mailbag goes where the readers take it. Click here to send a question:
The inbox is empty. No more million-dollar offers that need my laundering. No more fishing attempts to get my social security number. And I even deleted handful of outdated questions about whether the St. Louis Cardinals will re-sign Mark Grudzielanek, if they’ll regret not drafting Rick Porcello, or, from late 2007, if they’ll finally move Skip Schumaker to second base.
Ask away.
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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. 
Yes, definitely, to restarting the Mailbag!
Assuming Holliday moves out of the budget for the Cards and also assuming that Tampa Bay assumes the team option on Carl Crawford, can you give us any insight on the FO’s opinion of Crawford and whether they’d have interest in trading for him? With the Rays trading Kazmir this season, Crawford finally seems to be a realistic target. I’d love to see him as our lead-off hitter!
And if the Rays can’t afford his option, Mo should be the first GM to place a call to him!
If Holliday does not re-sign and Glaus leaves via free agency, what do you think of re-signing DeRosa to play left field and giving David Freese a chance to play third base?
I will agree with the upgrade to the site. I love your work Derrick, it’s just too badd STLtoday has to be the worst designed site on the net (maybe not the worst, but among them).
Derrick,
Is the 2009 Cardinals offense a “playoff” caliber offense? In other words, does simply trying to re-sign Holliday and Derosa make the Cards good enough to compete for a WS or is a major overhaul needed where different options are explored for 2B, SS and 3B?
Why is it that the Cards see so helpless against left handed pitching? To me, it seems like a problem that has spanned multiple seasons and it’s pretty disconcerting. Also, what do you think might help get past this hangup?
Assuming Jaime Garcia, Lohse, Carp, & Waino are in the rotation, who fills the fifth spot?
Bullpen fixes: External? or Internal?
I sent this in as a postcard, but I’m not sure how that works, so I’ll ask here. Any thoughts on Jermaine Dye as a cheaper shorter term replacement in LF if we don’t sign Holliday. I would think he could be had for just a couple of years … holding down the fort until Daryl Jones arrives.
Also why do we not platoon Skip at 2nd base? His line against lefties .220/.278/.240/.518 Seriously a .240 slugging % and a .518 ops. DeRosa should platoon at 2nd and get 500 ab’s subbing in the OF and at 3b.
Thanks for the great season of 10@10’s. It’s been a good read and look forward to them in the future.
With that, whats your thoughts on the Cardinals attendance in 2010? Over or under 3.1 million? Will the Cardinals consistent attendance tied with the departures (probably Holliday + others) and decent farm system allow us to chase a couple middle priced free agents to help shore up the middle of the line up and bullpen?
According to SportingSunday, the lord has contacted albert and told him to retire from baseball and join the priesthood. Is that accurate?