MIAMI — Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter will return to St. Louis on Tuesday morning to meet with team doctors about the pain in his right arm that forced him out of Sunday night’s game after 66 pitches, a team official confirmed Monday.

Carpenter came to Dolphin Stadium this afternoon, met with the team’s trainers and had a closed-door meeting with manager Tony La Russa. Afterward, Carpenter said the right arm — specifically in the triceps area — was…

TOWER GROVE — Later this afternoon a Cubs booster club, the Westside Rooters, will gather for a parade to Wrigley Field and today’s game against the Cardinals — just as the same social club did 100 years ago, on the same date, 08-08-08.

It’s a number, rather a series of numbers, that has gained some significance for the North Siders and their rooters on all sides.

Hall of Famer Ernie Banks will be a part of…

TOWER GROVE — Sure Jim Edmonds was taken aback by Tony La Russa’s refusal to acknowledge his presence — or some sort of gamesmanship like that — this past week, but the former Cardinal quickly came up with a favorite response for fans.

During the Cubs’ batting practice on Saturday, a fan called out to Edmonds: “You used to be my favorite Cardinal.” Edmonds turned and said something to like he still could be, that…

DOWNTOWN — The arrival of signature Cardinal and St. Louis restaurateur Jim Edmonds at Wrigley Field as the new Cub has overheated many a message board and blog. The standards in Chicagoland have all weighed in:

• Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan recalls a memorable trip around the bases with Edmonds.
• Chris De Luca calls it “a no-brainer” in the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Mizzou man Sullivan, again, with how Edmonds isn’t the only Cardinals import coming to Chicago — he’s…

GRAND CENTER — Both Chicago papers are reporting that Jim Edmonds could be a Cub shortly after he flies off waivers this week, having been released over the weekend by San Diego. A signature Cardinal — one of several members of the 2004 pennant-winning team to have a tough weekend (Julian Tavarez, for example) — is said to be attractive to the Cubs as an option other than youngster Felix Pie in Wrigley Field’s center…

TOWER GROVE — Manager Tony La Russa did not bemoan his team’s lost five runs or even the possibility that rain washed away a potential victory for the Cardinals on Monday night. Nor did Albert Pujols seem particularly miffed that weather stole a solo home run from him. It happens, both said. Rules of the game, they said.

Mother Nature is an unforgiving official scorer.

Ask The Man.

In 1948, Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial…

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…

TOWER GROVE — So before baseball gets knee-deep in performance-enhancing slop tomorrow — check out the late night Associated Press report; the P-D story with a local bent is up now — it’s time do a little trolling through the non-tender reports.

The deadline is tonight for teams to tender contracts for the 2008 season to arbitration-eligible players and others with renewable contracts. The process usually spits out a gem or two, including a certain…

DOWNTOWN — The beer vendors at Wrigley Field, everybody’s favorite denizens of the friendly confines,  have their own Web site with their own baseball cards  and, with the Cardinals in town over the weekend, one of them had his own special call for hawking his beverage. Patrolling the seats behind the Cardinals’ dugout — lobbing distance from a bunker of Busch loyalists and armed only with Old Style and a can-opener — the vendor started…