http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land Derrick Goold\'s riffs on St. Louis Cardinals news, notes and anecdotes, from first pitch to hot stove. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:38:50 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en DOWNTOWN -- Calling it one of the surest signs of their now-established footing in Latin America, the Cardinals will announce three signings Friday that surpass any of the previous bonuses given to international players. On Wednesday, baseball's lesser-covered free agent market opened and teams could begin signing Latin American players who ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/07/cards-boost-bonuses-in-latin-america/ TOWER GROVE -- The timing might have been as awkward as the inquiry, but Aaron Miles was game after last night's loss to consider a question about the Cardinals recently called-out offense: Would it surprise him that they topped the league in scoring during June? "Really?" Miles said. "I don't know. ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/07/the-june-boon-a-lineups-look/ DOWNTOWN -- Brett Wallace, the Cardinals first pick in the recent draft, is expected to visit Busch Stadium today, meet with team doctors and possibly finalize a deal that will put him in uniform and playing pro within a week (as the story broke here, and the reporting continued with ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/07/first-pick-coming-other-picks-already-going/ TOWER GROVE -- Wrote recently about how Mark Mulder settled on his lower arm slot after first joking about slinging the ball from the sidearm and remaking himself as a wily lefty specialist coming out of the bullpen. As he thought more about it, the idea to drop his arm began to take root ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/06/could-mulder-spell-relief-for-cards/ TOWER GROVE -- Naturally, Albert Pujols comes off the disabled list this afternoon to have (ho hum) another four-hit (yawn) day and (no big whoop) drive in the go-ahead run seconds ago here in the ninth inning. So if you had Pujols in the pool about which would return first -- the ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/postcards/2008/06/postcards-long-term-lifetime-contracts/ TOWER GROVE -- At one point this season, manager Tony La Russa approached Brendan Ryan to assure the young, live-wire infielder that some people just had it wrong. No matter what he heard or read or inferred from any comments, La Russa told Ryan he really, really did like him, 3-0 ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/06/short-story-time-to-unleash-the-boog/ TOWER GROVE -- Cardinals forever rehabbing lefty Mark Mulder was supposed to take the mound for Triple-A Memphis tonight in what could have been his final minor-league start before returning the major leagues. And, in a coincidence only a sportswriter could love, a certain righthander, Danny Haren, was starting tonight in ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/06/tale-of-the-take-the-mulder-swap/ TOWER GROVE -- Long before Kevin Youkilis settled into the box and started the waggle of his hips and wiggle of his bat that would end it in the 13th inning, Sunday's game at Fenway Park was a classic. Not many games have as much packed into them as Sunday's Cardinals' ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/06/that-was-the-greatest-game-since/ DOWNTOWN -- Told he didn't have the frame to play in the majors, didn't have the pop to climb through the minors, Shane Robinson raised his hands and changed his swing to give him the best chance possible to conjure the power he needed. Then the Cardinals told him there was ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/06/minor-keys-dispatches-from-springfield/ Back from a quick trip to Alabama to learn his rehab can continue on a scaled-back schedule but continue nonetheless, Chris Carpenter said he plans to throw a side session at Busch Stadium and get back to Florida shortly so he can face hitters. The Cardinals ace, recovering from Tommy John ... http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2008/06/carp-cleared-molina-returns-wellemeyer-skipped-reyes-to-start/