JUPITER, Fla. — When working my way through the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse with The P-DQ this spring training, many of his teammates have suggested that, “Oh, you’ve got to try this Todd.” Todd being the clubhouse Colonel, the bluegrass conservative and starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer.

On Wednesday morning, I pulled up a stool — Josh Kinney’s stool, to be precise — next to Wellemeyer’s locker and asked him the handful of questions that make up…

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — During his daily morning briefing with the media today, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon said he was reading a copy of Branch Rickey’s book last year and realized that before Rickey, Rogers Hornsby and Sam Breadon came along the Cardinals weren’t much. And, yet, Maddon went on to say the Cardinals now standout as one of the most successful franchises of the past century.

“It’s very complimentary” that people now talk…

TAMPA, Fla. — After slicing eight more names from his spring-training roster, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said a scheduled meeting with him, his coaches and the front office “probably wasn’t still necessary” for Tuesday’s off day.

“This took care of it,” he said. “We have a good idea.”

The most notably cut Monday was outfielder Brian Barton. The former Rule 5 pick had struggled recently — 1-for-16 — and the Cardinals decision to option…