TOWER GROVE — One thing about a player being on base all the time: he gets loads of practice running them and has plenty of opportunity to excel — and fail. Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols showed this past week that he can pound out the headlines with more than just his bat; carrying a big stick does not require always walking softly.

In the span of a few games, Pujols showed the plus and minus of…

DOWNTOWN – Not too often the Cardinals wake up on the last day of April with a chance to make a little franchise history. But that’s the case today.

The Cardinals won their 17th game of April last night against the Reds. It came in a 7-2 victory that saw manager Tony La Russa tinker just enough with his lineup to add depth of power and watch it work. That win tied a franchise record for…

TOWER GROVE — While we check around the house to see if anything has been shaken loose, shaken up or shaken down, here are some riffs from the ballpark:

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When David Eckstein became a Cardinal, the team discussed with him a way to increase his arm strength. The shortstop who had a “playable” arm — manager Tony La Russa’s word — and a max-effort motion improved his arm during his three seasons as a Cardinal by going…

(THE SAMPLER) JUPITER, Fla. — It’s an off day for the Cardinals here at Roger Dean Stadium, and that means no baseball is being played on this side of the campus. No major-league baseball that is. The minors are in full swing on the backlots. So, it is with that in mind that today’s snapshots from spring training begins with a minor-league story.

A quick note: There will be two posts here today, back to…

JUPITER, Fla. — How radically the RPMs of the Cardinals’ offense could increase with a couple new additions is indicated by an uncanny statistic noticed in the press box this afternoon.

With four more triples this spring the Cardinals will match their total of last season.

Cesar Izturis’ RBI triple against Atlanta on Sunday was his second of the spring and the Cardinals’ ninth as a team. As of this afternoon, that was the most in…

JUPITER, Fla. — Cardinals healing ace Chris Carpenter threw a light bullpen off the mound Monday, his first trip up the hill since his failed attempt to pitch through bone spurs last season.

Carpenter threw 20 pitches to a squatting catcher, and did so at slightly more than halfspeed. He joked this morning that he wasn’t lobbing the ball, but wasn’t really “firing it” either. Just as importantly, he came to the clubhouse Tuesday with no…

DISNEY WORLD — If only he had been as aggressive in the first inning Monday as he was in the four innings that followed and in the post-game with the media, Adam Wainwright might really have had himself a dandy start against Atlanta.

It was Dave Duncan that spurred him to perk up in the game.

It was a question about Duncan’s rotation that stirred him after the game.

One of the things manager Tony La Russa and Duncan have discussed…

(UPDATED) JUPITER, Fla. — It’s a small complex and with as much as these two teams play each other every spring, there aren’t too many secrets between the Florida Marlins and the Cardinals. Word gets around and stays around.

Take Skip Schumaker, for example.

The other day in the Florida Marlins’ clubhouse, I was talking with John Gall and he asked about Schumaker’s chances. Gall brings a been-there, missed-that familiarity to the question after twice being the club’s organization player…

JUPITER, Fla. — Renewal season is upon us, and with it comes the news today that the Cardinals have agreed to terms with 18 players and had to use their right of renewal for two players, pitchers Adam Wainwright and Anthony Reyes.

First, a little bit on how this works.

For players not yet arbitration eligible — the “zero to threes”, in baseball terms — the organization has the power to offer contracts, negotiate deals and, if…

JUPITER, Fla. — Forgive outfielder Skip Schumaker if he left today’s simulated game a little unnerved and confused.

When he was on the basepaths, the game was less baseball, more dodgeball.

As if near-miss scalded grounders by Albert Pujols and Juan Gonzalez didn’t almost clip him on hit-and-run plays, shortstop Brendan Ryan finished the attack by pegging Schumaker on the neck with a throw between second and third.

“Albert almost took my my ankle out,”…