TOWER GROVE — The Cardinals jet off on their first road trip of the season having let so few of their opposing hitters take flight at all this season. Much has been made of the Cardinals rotation’s sub-1.00 ERA through six games and the staff as a whole has an ERA of 1.83, better than every team in baseball save the LA Dodgers and their 1.70.

That’s the macro picture. The micro is even more…

FORT MYERS, Fla. — After Brad Thompson has had a particularly difficult inning or just returned from a disastrous at-bat, Aaron Miles will eye the righthander from down the bench. Thompson knows he’s watching, waiting … for the fume.

It just hasn’t been there this spring.

“OK, I like it,” Miles tells him. “I like it.”

Thompson admits he’s been known to be a bit hotheaded on the mound or in the dugout. His body…

JUPITER, Fla. — As if John Vuch didn’t have enough to do these days.

In the wake of the Cardinals’ changes to the on-field hierachy in their minor-league system, Vuch (which is both a nickname and a last name ’round the ballpark) upgraded his title and expanded his responsibilities. Vuch, who began his career with the Cardinals as a runner, shuttling information from the press box to the clubhouse, is now the Director of Minor League Operations. He’ll help new…

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Word of how Jason Isringhausen endangered the bats of his fellow teammates with his cut fastball Friday even reached the Cardinals’ clubhouse, not that veteran Russ Springer hadn’t already noticed.

“All I know is Izzy must have been dealing,” the righthander said, “because I looked out there and there was a blimp overhead.”

The blimp was hovering for the Honda Classic. The busted bats were all Izzy’s.

The Cardinals’ closer made his first appearance against…

JUPITER, Fla. — When Colby Rasmus dug in against the crafty veteran in Tuesday’s game, the Cardinals’ could-be rookie outfielder had a simple plan.

“Just trying to work the count,” he said, grinning. “Get a good pitch to hit.”

Of course, the purpose of the coach-pitch game is to have plenty of pitches to hit and plenty of action for the defense. Many of the Cardinals’ younger players and non-roster invitees squared off in the…

JUPITER, Fla. — Say this about pitcher Anthony Reyes’ first time throwing to hitters this spring: He was able to put the ball over the plate.

“I felt pretty good,” he said. “I had some command I’m not really used to having.”

Reyes, who is trying to stick as a starter this season, threw 40 pitches Thursday, starting the next-to-last wave of starters throwing to batters. The righthander, just a few years removed from being the buzz of spring training, has…

JUPITER, Fla. — On the second pitch of Todd Wellemeyer’s first throw to hitters this spring, Albert Pujols reminded him of the simple joy of a L-screen.

Pujols ripped a fastball right back at Wellemeyer, nearly singeing the righthander’s hair as it rocketed by his face. Wellemeyer got a glove up, but Pujols’ liner had already passed over second base on its way to the outfield.

“Moved me from bullpen mode to game mode, real…

JUPITER, Fla. — The most watched joint in Jupiter took the field with the Cardinals on Saturday and its owner, Albert Pujols (who is slightly more famous than his elbow), said everything feels fine now, so why fret.

“Knock on wood,” he joked.

Pujols arrived in Florida on Friday, returned to the Cardinals’ facility for a little work in the batting cages that night and joined to the team for the unofficial hitter workouts Saturday…

DOWNTOWN — Thanks to the writers’ strike, the best ongoing drama we’ve had this winter is “Courting Johan”, a reality TV series featuring heavy favorites and what is likely to be a surprise ending with a blockbuster payout.

There even was a cameo appearance by the local club.

You might have missed it.

It was early on, perhaps even in the pilot episode, when the Cardinals called the Minnesota Twins to ask if there was…

TOWER GROVE — Returned home after a delayed, fogged, re-routed and serpentine trek back from Prague to be greeted by a true sign of spring: Lindy’s Fantasy Baseball was on the airport’s magazine racks.

Ah, preview mags. 

Flipped through Lindy’s on the last leg of the flight home and loved scanning the mock draft and the predicted statistics. One of the first places I turned was to the list of ”Hot Properties”, or 40 fantasy rookies to…