TOWER GROVE — It started as a cumbersome, at-times chaotic, count-by-hand poll posted in the Cardinals’ message board here at StlToday.com. Through four years and four attempts to refine the process it has improved to an at-times cumbersome and slightly less chaotic poll based here at Bird Land.

But, hey, we no longer have to count it by hand. Viva technology.

With the St. Louis Cardinals’ season over with the sudden sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers,…

DOWNTOWN — For the second time in as many playoff games, St. Louis Cardinals prospect third baseman and St. Louis native David Freese homered to provide the only run Triple-A Memphis needed.

In the clincher of the Redbirds first-round playoff series against Albuquerque, Freese hit a opposite field home run that proved the difference in a 1-0 victory. Last night, in Memphis, Freese broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning of the Pacific Coast League championship…

TOWER GROVE — There are many examples of a player storming toward his leagues Most Valuable Player award with a strong September that, in most cases, elevates his team to a postseason berth.

See: Ryan Howard.

Enter Tim Lincecum.

The San Francisco Giants righthander Lincecum struck out 11 and muscled his team to a pivotal victory Monday night against the Wild Card-leading Colorado Rockies. Lincecum skipped his previous start because of back trouble and returned to throw the…

TOWER GROVE — The weekday 10@10 appear below in this spot, a tad late (for that I apologize), but together nonetheless. Scroll down for the daily list. A poll posted earlier as a place-holder continues.

Even though the St. Louis Cardinals were the only area team to score Sunday, a couple runs weren’t enough to soften the uncertainty that comes with a series sweep by Atlanta. The sweep was the first of the Cardinals since their…

TOWER GROVE — It was only last year, barely more than 13 months ago, that the St. Louis Cardinals were changing Mark Mulder’s arm slot and still waiting to see if Matt Clement could pitch his way to the majors. General manager John Mozeliak called Clement “a lottery ticket”, and really the description applied to Mulder as well.

The Cardinals banked plenty in 2008 on what the scratch of a coin revealed.

This year, as the Cardinals…

TOWER GROVE — The St. Louis Cardinals have trailed their opponent 49 times this season entering the ninth inning. And 46 times whoever the Cardinals are facing goes on to win the game. Earlier this season the conclusions were often as quick as they were inevitable.

Three times — three times in 49 — the Cardinals have rallied to win.

All three have been since Matt Holliday arrived.

The Cardinals concluded a lengthy and wet day at the…

TOWER GROVE — Today’s 10@10 begins with an anecdote, before diving into the Tool Chest: Every indication late Wednesday night was St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Mark DeRosa had no interest in leaving the ballpark until he had a swing that satisfied him. Late after the game, DeRosa was dressed to hit the cages and talking like a batter in need of some work.

Albert Pujols encouraged him to go home. Take a break. Get the swing…

SOUTH GRAND — There were few, if any, members of the St. Louis Cardinals’ traveling party thrilled to be at Shea Stadium for a one-day, barnstorming trip in the final week of a disappointing 2007. But, as one Cardinal said in the clubhouse after the win: At least it was a fruitful trip for a teammate.

Joel Pineiro cashed in on that visit.

The frustration the Cardinals had for their late-season, one-game stop at Shea went beyond…

TOWER GROVE — The player that inspired the St. Louis Cardinals’ biggest and costliest move yet into the international free-agent market came to Busch Stadium on Monday, taking a few souvenirs from the big leaguers and leaving an impression.

Outfielder Wagner Mateo, the Dominican Republic teen phenom that merited a record $3.1-million contract from the Cardinals, took batting practice at Busch and did hit a home run — an opposite field shot into the left-field bullpen….

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The transactions will show that the St. Louis Cardinals come home tonight with two new players, each acquired in the last week. But the stats show something different.

There is a third.

Center fielder Rick Ankiel, making the most of some extra playing time with Colby Rasmus slowed by a heel injury, has been reanimated on the road trip. He finished the seven-game jag with an extra base hit in each of the…

ST. LOUIS — Farm director and vice president/player procurement Jeff Luhnow was on hand to greet all three of the St. Louis Cardinals prospects competing in Sunday’s Futures Game and he told each the same thing: He’s happy to see them here, and he’s eager to them here again shortly.

Luhnow had two of his draft picks and one of his international signings featured in the annual showcase of the minor league’s top prospects. On the…

DOWNTOWN — St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith never imagined himself managing a game at Busch Stadium but couldn’t turn down the invitation to suit up for the first event of All-Star week here in what he called “Baseball Mecca.”

Smith skippered the U.S. team in the Futures Game on Sunday at Busch Stadium, and he played to the home crowd by starting top Cardinals prospect Brett Wallace at third base and batting him…

FROM THE FANFEST — Writing through the din of the FanFest here in downtown St. Louis, just a few feet away from former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andy Benes and his furiously signing right hand, today’s 10@10 will be done in live-blog fashion.

C’mon on by. Suggest a topic for any of the open numbers below.

In the spirit of the FanFest, this has been an interactive 10@10.

The Cardinals are playing the Cubs this afternoon in the…

MEMPHIS — This season, the Memphis Redbirds are offering a tour of their history measured in bobbleheads. On Tuesday night, with Round Rock in town, the Redbirds gave fans a John Gall bobbleheader. Early bobbleheads have included “Nostalgia Man”, the Memphis logo, and all-time Memphis star Stubby Clapp, whose No. 10 is retired in these parts.

Coming up on the calendar are bobbleheads for former Redbirds Adam Wainwright, Jason Motte, and for coach Dyar Miller, who…

MEMPHIS — St. Louis Cardinals first-round pick Brett Wallace, who about a year ago was just hanging up his aluminum bat for the last time, skipped two singles through the Round Rock infield last night to raise his average to .299. Not too far removed from a 15-game hitting streak that put him on the path back to being a .300 hitter, Wallace said yesterday afternoon that he didn’t see the streak as a surge…