THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Brett Hull will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame next week. There are a lot of great names and great players in the long history of the St. Louis Blues. If you had to pick one person historically as the face of the franchise, would that person be Brett Hull?

JEFF GORDON
Brett Hull made the Blues a mainstream attraction during his days here. Scottrade is the House that Brett built. But I would consider Bernie Federko the face of the franchise. His brilliant play kept this franchise going forward through really dark times. Save for a cameo with the Red Wings, he spent his career with the Blues. He has remained heavily involved with the franchise in his retirement. He has old-school ties to the Plagers.

DERRICK GOOLD
I would like to say Al MacInnis, the gentleman from Port Hood with his exceptional play and understated presence, but the face of the Blues was, is and probably always should be Brett Hull. Grinning, of course. Not only is Hull the most charismatic player ever to where the Note, he changed what hockey means to St. Louis. I wish I could remember the exact number: Before Hull arrived there were less than five rinks in the greater St. Louis area. His goal-scoring binges and his panache inspired an exponential proliferation of rinks. Hockey was in because Hull was here. All around the area, you can still find rinks that Hull built. What that meant was hockey took hold in the area as more than just a spectator sport. Couple the increase in rinks with the Blues alumni who became coaches and managers of hockey teams, and suddenly St. Louis was on the map as a source for hockey talent. Starting a few years ago, St. Louis natives started going in the NHL draft. Blues’ Cam Janssen and Ben Bishop are both part products of the rink rage, and they are from an era of young St. Louis-native players that can be considered the Hull Generation. Heck, even Mr. Hockey Andy Strickland, I bet, is a chronic puckhead with an incurable case of mullet envy because of Hull. The Golden Brett didn’t just make watching the game popular with his flamboyant scoring. He made playing the game popular, and for that he’s the face of hockey in St. Louis, Blues and otherwise.

DAN O’NEILL
“Face of the Franchise” is a term that is a little hard to get your arms around. Certainly, there has been no one more dynamic or important to the franchise than Hull. He is the leading goal scorer (527) in Blues history, he is the most colorful/controversial player in Blues history and he is the person most responsible for the team building the Kiel Center (now Scotttrade). Two years before Hull came to the Blues, they were drawing 13,000-14,000. By the time he left, they were drawing 19,000. I have my personal favorites — Red Berenson, Brian Sutter, Mike Liut, Barclay Plager … but there is no question Brett Hull has been the most influential player in the team’s history.

DAVE LUECKING
It’s a tough call because the team has had some great players over the years — guys like Bernie Federko, Brian Sutter, the Plagers and Al MacInnis — but I’d go with Hull. He brought pizzazz to the franchise, creating a buzz in town only a few years after the team almost left for Saskatoon. His charisma on and off the ice put butts in the seats, at home and on the road.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
In a way this is a trick question. Is Brett Hull the greatest player to ever play for the Blues? In my opinion yes, but that doesn’t automatically make him the face of the organization. This organization has a lot of faces for me. No one is more recognizable than Bob Plager. Hall of Famer Bernie Federko played all but one of his prolific years here. Then you have guys like Kelly Chase, Brian Sutter, and Al MacInnis. John Davidson is certainly the current face but he’s closer to being the all-time face of the New York Rangers than he would as a Blue.

But what separates Hull from the rest is the impact he made on the sport of hockey in St. Louis. To this day no one has ever had the star power Brett created. He took over the city when he played here and made several of his teammates household names in the city. He was a one-man show unlike any player that’s ever skated for the Blues and made going to games an event. Just like no Cardinal will ever be bigger than Stan the Man, no Blues player can steal the spotlight from the Golden Brett.

Except maybe T.J. Oshie … he’s got a ways to go still.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Tough question but I’d have to say no, Hull is not the “historical” face of the franchise. He is certainly the most dynamic scorer and dominating presence the franchise has ever had, but to me the “face” of a franchise has to be more than a guy who lit the lamp a lot while wearing the Blue Note. Hull spent 10-plus seasons here — the best of his career no doubt — but he was also a big part of Stanley Cup winners in Dallas and Detroit, making his legacy a little tougher to read.

The real historical face of the St. Louis Blues franchise is Bernie Federko. He is a homegrown Hall of Famer, he spent 13 of 14 NHL seasons wearing the Blue Note before being traded for Adam Oates and he’s been an integral part of the franchise in the nearly 20 years he’s been retired. He was a great player and has become an ambassador for the team in his retirement. Hull was simply a great player.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Do you think the money the Yankees spend on payroll in any way diminishes their World Series championship? It seems many fans cry “foul” about the Yankees payroll. But don’t most fans want their favorite teams’ owners to spend as much as possible to field a winner?

JEFF GORDON
The high payroll absolutely diminishes the title. A team that outspends rivals by such an enormous margin should play in every World Series. Period. The Yankees can buy elite talent AND replace ineffective players on the fly AND buy quality replacements for injured guys. They can outspend their front-office mistakes and outspend any injury misfortune. They can keep spending all the way to the end of the season. The variables most franchises wrestle with from year to year don’t apply to the Yankees. The players still have to play, of course, but the Yankees should enter every postseason with the best team.

DERRICK GOOLD
Absolutely not. The money the Yankees threw at their lineup in no way diminishes their World Series title. It only gave them better access to October to win their 27th World Series. The notion that a championship can be bought in baseball is cliché and fiction. Big-budget payrolls only help a team like the Yankees avoid the cycle of competion we’ve seen from Florida, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, et al. The Yankees, Red Sox and, in some ways, the Cardinals defy the law of averages by spending enough to assure a place in the postseason. What they do when they get there has everything to do with how they spent their money, not how much they spent. All fans should want their teams to spend more, sure, but it’s much better to spend it more wisely.

RICK HUMMEL
Baseball had its best television ratings in years. People want to watch the Yankees — many to see them lose — but they are the best entertainment in the sport. The Yankees’ payroll was about the same as it was the previous season — of course, it was over $200 million.

DAN O’NEILL
I don’t think the Yankees’ payroll necessarily diminishes the World Series win. The Yankees have been baseball’s biggest spenders for many years, yet this is their first World Series win since 2000.

I think the picture is bigger. I think a lot of people feel anything the Yankees do is diminished because of their payroll budget. It certainly helps them be in position to contend on a regular basis. But if anything, in the big picture, the Yankees are living proof you cannot just go out and buy a championship. There’s more to it than that.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
It doesn’t diminish what the Yankees players have done but it certainly illustrates how much easier it is for Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenners than it is for just about everyone else. They were unhappy with their team so they sign spent $340 million on Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia in their effort to win another championship. Must be nice.

Interestingly enough, the Yankees payroll was actually down $8 million compared to 2008. Also, under the luxury tax system in MLB, the more you spend the more you wind up handing off to other teams. The Yankees are going to pay $27 million in luxury tax for 2009 on top of their $201,449,189 payroll and by the time that check clears they will have paid $175 million in luxury taxes over the last 7 years.

What’s ironic to me is that so many Americans cry foul about “sharing the wealth” when those words are uttered within the political spectrum, yet that’s exactly the kind of system they want for their sports leagues. Interesting dichotomy, no? I like the “free market with limits” rules that Major League Baseball has compared to the strict spread-the-wealth-evenly systems in the NBA, NHL and NFL, but fans seem to gravitate toward those systems. I like the idea that owners in baseball can do whatever they want — as long as they’re willing to pay the price of doing business like the Yankees do.

THE WATERCOOLER:
Through eight weeks of the season, the NFL has one winless team (Tampa Bay) and five with just one win (St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City, Tennessee and Cleveland). Plus a couple of hard-to-watch two-win teams (Washington and Oakland). In that context, do the Rams have a better future than some of these teams?

JIM THOMAS:
In terms of Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Detroit, the Rams are on a similar track, with rookie first-year head coaches and rebuilding teams that have purposely gotten younger. The Lions, however, already have their quarterback of the future in Matthew Stafford getting on-the-job training. That may be the Rams’ fate next season. Is Tennessee in for a coaching change? And Cleveland, well, they’re just Cleveland. The second version of Paul Brown’s team just can’t seem to get it going An added element of uncertainty for St. Louis — an ownership change looming on the horizon that could change a lot of things.

BERNIE MIKLASZ:
The Rams are for sale, which is an issue, but for now it hasn’t impacted the operation. They have good harmony and stability in the front office. GM Billy Devaney and head coach Steve Spagnuolo are working well together. The personnel department, the scouts, are being treated as an important part of the operation. You just don’t see the glaring dysfunction that greatly damaged the Rams during the latter years of the previous regime. And in this context the Rams are in better shape than many of the other woeful NFL losers these days.

BILL COATS:
I like the Rams’ future, because I think they’re going about things the right way. That is, they’re not pulling off desperate moves now to try to win a relatively meaningless game or two but hamstringing themselves down the road. They’re being patient and prudent, and I believe that approach will pay off in the long run.

JEFF GORDON:
It’s too soon to say that the Devaney/Spagnuolo combo will get it done in St. Louis. The next Rams owner will get to make that call. But at least the Rams aren’t a dysfunctional mess like the Browns, Raiders and Redskins. In all three of those cases,you wonder if the ownership will get a handle. In Cleveland, Randy Lerner needs to find a strong footman he trusts to show him the way. In Washington, Daniel Snyder to hire a stronger football man and stay out of his way. And in Oakland, Al Davis needs to sell. There is no hope for a turnaround otherwise.

QUESTION: Despite another rough outing Sunday, obviously the coaches still believe QB Marc Bulger gives the team its best chance to win or he wouldn’t be playing. Do you agree with that assessment or do you think it’s time to give Kyle Boller - or even Keith Null - a chance to run the offense?

JIM THOMAS

Even with the patchwork receiver corps, the results against Detroit - one of the worst pass defenses in the league - were underwhelming. But the problem with Boller is that he seems to be more mistake prone than Bulger, which leads to more turnovers. Null simply isn’t ready to start in the NFL, although it wouldn’t hurt to see him in mop-up situations.

BERNIE MIKLASZ

It’s time to get ready to draft a quarterback.

Unless the people running the Rams have lost their minds, Bulger’s time here is winding down. Boller is Boller: a more mobile Bulger, but not an accurate passer and prone to silly mistakes. I don’t understand the people who want to throw Null to the wolf pack and see the kid fail. Null came to the NFL from a small-college program that ran a spread offense, and he has received virtually no reps in practice. At this stage of his career, starting Null in a regular-season NFL game is crazily irresponsible. I wouldn’t mind it if the Rams worked Null into a fourth-quarter series here in there to get him acclimated, but nothing more than that.

As I wrote in today’s column, unless the Rams want to get RB Steven Jackson killed, they’d better get serious about drafting and developing a quarterback.

JEFF GORDON

Since the Rams just won a game, there is no reason to change quarterbacks. Had Bulger’s targeted receivers caught more of those balls within reach - like the would-be TD pass to Randy McMichael - his numbers would have looked better. The Rams need to throw more of those passes down the field. This is a check-down scheme, as it stands today, and Bulger is OK doing that. But how many more games can this team win checking down? When Bulger gets hurt again, Boller will get another chance. His mobility is a huge plus, but inaccuracy is a huge problem. As for Null, I would use him at the end of blowout losses to give him a taste of it.

BILL COATS

Boller isn’t a good fit for the offense, and Null simply isn’t ready to start - although I’d like to see him get some action in mop-up time. It’s become obvious that Bulger isn’t capable of reprising the kind of play he showed during his Pro Bowl seasons. Still, he’s the best option the Rams have right now.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)

It really doesn’t matter who takes snaps from center right now. Bulger isn’t getting it done, nothing in Boller’s track record suggests he would get it done and Null is too big a project to throw into the fire at this point. Boller would simply be a slightly different version of Bulger, a veteran whose future lies as a backup in the NFL. Null can’t possibly be ready for the NFL considering how little work he gets. Let’s also remember it took a while for him to win the 3rd QB job from Brock Berlin. That’s not exactly the sign of a player ready to jump into the fray. The entire 2009 Rams season is about one word - patience. Some things just aren’t going to get fixed this season and the QB position is one of them.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Assuming the Cardinals cannot get Matt Holliday re-signed and that Jason Bay stays with Boston, who are some other options out there that you think the Cardinals should pursue to man left field?

JOE STRAUSS
First, it is premature to assume either premise. Holliday’s market may not be as firm as some insist, especially if Bay returns to Boston and the New York Yankees remain on the periphery. But playing along, the leading free agent outfielders remain Bobby Abreu, a Type A who can steal bases but is also a very limited defender who has suffered a significant ebb in power. The Cardinals literally return to where they started if Holliday leaves, becoming a Pujols-centric attack almost forced to put Ryan Ludwick into the cleanup role.

If the club is serious about giving David Freese a chance to win the third base job, its best options become a trade for an outfielder. John Mozeliak acquired Troy Glaus under duress before the ’08 season. It is feasible that the Washington Nationals make Adam Dunn available this winter before he enters the walk year of his deal. Dunn is owed $10 million next season, a relative bargain in comparison to a 6-8 year deal for Holliday or a 4-year splurge on Bay. Bay, however, represents an extremely good fit in St. Louis should talks with the Red Sox stall.

DERRICK GOOLD
One of the reasons the Cardinals’ push for Matt Holliday is so pivotal to their 2010 roster is there is a steep plummet from the class of Holliday and Jason Bay to the other free agents out there this winter. Not one of them is an obvious candidate to hit cleanup behind Albert Pujols like either of those top-shelf left fielders would be. Bobby Abreu or Vlad Guerrero may have the name recognition to do so, but they don’t have that everyday, NL look at this point in their careers.

A name in that second or third tier of free agents that intrigues is Xavier Nady, one year removed from a 97-RBI turn with Pittsburgh and the New York Yankees. He lost 2009 to injury, but had back-to-back 20-homer seasons before that. Nady would be an interesting instant-scratch ticket. Some low-risk options could be found in the secondary market — the players non-tendered by teams. According to reports, the Florida Marlins are likely to non-tender Jeremy Hermida, a lapsed top prospect, and former Brave outfielder Jeff Francoeur could be set free by the New York Mets. Not the big-splash, big bat the Cardinals crave for the middle of the lineup. But if they whiff on Holliday it may be where the Cardinals have to go to supplement the in-house candidates and hope lightning strikes left field.

RICK HUMMEL
Give Allen Craig, one of the top power hitters in Class AAA at Memphis, a glove and work him out in left field all spring. His bat may be good enough but possibly not his defense. Otherwise, sign DeRosa, if his wrist is deemed all right, and make him more or less a full-time outfielder.

JEFF GORDON
I would keep Mark DeRosa and play him in the outfield, if it is determined Skip Schumaker is the long-haul solution at 2B. I’m not sure you can find somebody else with solid 20-homer, 80-RBI potential in free agency. This could also open the door for somebody like Allen Craig to get some OF at bats when De Rosa takes some starts at 3B to spell Freese or 2B when Skip gets a break against lefties.

There isn’t much to deal for, say, a Josh Willingham-type. A guy like Xavier Nady could be interesting to rehab.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: David Perron was seemingly all over the ice Wednesday night, from battling in the corners to popping the puck in the net. Long term, what kind of player do you see Perron becoming? Does he have the potential to be elite, will he simply be a nice, complimentary player or will his inconsistency ultimately lead to him being labeled an underachiever?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
I don’t know if Perron will be an elite scorer in the NHL, but in my view, he will be a very productive offensive player before it’s all said and done. Outside of Andy McDonald, Perron may be the Blues’ most skilled forward. The one thing McDonald has on him is experience.

Because he’s not established, Perron has played at times this season like he doesn’t want to make a mistake. Lately, playing on the defensive stopper line, he has looked much better, probably because he’s playing looser.

In the long run, Perron will be a top-six forward who will be equally gifted at scoring and passing. But he needs to use his teammates more and not be afraid to make a mistake.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I don’t think Perron is going to be an elite player. The “elite” tag is for guys like Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Zetterberg and others like that. Perron is not going to be that kind of player. That said, I think he can be a 30+ goal scorer someday and eventually reach the 70-80 point total. I wouldn’t be shocked, given his skill level and the fact that he’s still just 21, if he had a 40-goal season or two and a few All-Star appearances before it’s all said and done. He’ll be a Top 6 forward, a power play guy and he’ll provide plenty of highlight reel material because of his creativity. I just can’t go as far as to say he’ll be an elite player.

ROGER HENSLEY
I think Perron is insanely talented and has the highest upside of any player on this Blues squad. I also think Perron has been maddeningly inconsistent at times, which makes it difficult for me to figure out what kind of player he’ll actually end up becoming. Given, he’s only 21, so some inconsistency should be expected.

All that said, I think that Perron has the potential to ultimately be a 35- or 40-goal scorer perenially when he reaches his prime years … and given his professional start at an early age, that should come sooner rather than later and perhaps expand a few years longer than some. But the key word there is still “potential.”

This season I see Perron starting to do more things than he has in the past. I see the willingness to get his hands dirty in the corners. I see him (now that he put on almost 20 pounds in the offseason) looking for folks to hit on the ice. And I see a guy who seems to keep his head up more, which puts him more in the flow of the game with the rest of his teammates — which in turn opens up passing, both sending and receiving the puck.

But what ultimately makes Perron special are the things he can do when he has that puck on his stick. Full speed, body moving one direction while his stick and puck move the other … it’s a sight to behold when he’s on top of his game. For him to become that 35- to 40-goal scorer, Blues fans will need to see THAT David Perron more consistently on a nightly basis.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Given the success of rookie Colby Rasmus, it seems increasingly unlikely that the Cardinals will bring back free agent centerfielder Rick Ankiel. What do you think Ankiel’s legacy will be in St. Louis … the wunderkind pitcher who lost it? The feel-good story of coming back with a bang in his first big-league season as an outfielder? The player who struggled to find much consistency at the plate this past year? Or are these things oversimplifications of how Cardinal fans will remember Ankiel?

JOE STRAUSS
I don’t think any of those should be discounted. For much of his career Ankiel was a curiosity, a marvelous talent wrapped within a swirl of suspicion, potential and paranoia. There was also the revelation about his HGH use that MLB and the Cardinals couldn’t wait to explain away. Though regarded as a good teammate, Ankiel never overcame resentment of media that reported on what millions witnessed in the 2000 postseason and beyond. To pass judgment in such a short forum minimizes a talent who endured more than some entire clubhouses have experienced personally and professionally. Ankiel ultimately let his departure from the Cardinals clubhouse speak for him — out the back door without a word.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Easily one of the most overhyped Cardinals in franchise history. Just think of all of the money, time and patience invested in a guy who pitched 242 innings and had 1,044 at-bats at the big-league level since joining the Cardinals in 1999.

DERRICK GOOLD
Simply and dramatically put, Ankiel is the Cardinals’ Hamlet. He was a tortured soul capable of sheer brilliance. A compelling and riveting story that didn’t end well. And, ultimately, a personality most will wish they could have known — or rather, understood — better. Ankiel’s career as a Cardinal is one of the most remarkable reinventions in baseball, but it is also a story of talent unrealized. That is his legacy. Not just the roman-candle pitching talent who burned bright before burning out. Not just the outfielder. Not just the HGH admission, or the playoff wild pitches or even the seven-RBI magic on Sept. 6, 2007. How he’ll be remembered as a Cardinal is all of that, all that he was, but also all he didn’t become.

RICK HUMMEL
You’d like to think that more fans would remember Ankiel’s stunning comeback to the majors as an outfielder or even his impressive rookie season of 2000 before his pitching meltdown. But probably more will remember what happened lately — meaning last season, when Ankiel,was never quite the same after running into the center-field wall, and had a highly mediocre offensive season.

JEFF GORDON
Above all else, fans would remember Rick Ankiel as one of the best athletes they’ve ever seen — and one of the more disappointing performers of all time. He looked like one of the best young lefties of his generation, then he broke down on the mound. His switch to the outfield was somewhat inspirational, but then he never matured as a hitter. If 2009 was his final season in St. Louis, it will be remembered with great exasperation.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
To me Ankiel will always be “The Enigma.” He’s a guy that has more raw, physical talent than almost any player in the game but what goes on between the ears disrupts what the rest of his body can accomplish on the field. That’s true of his first career as a pitcher and of his current career as an outfielder. Ankiel had an elite fastball, a knee-buckling breaking ball and a fluid, easy motion on the hill. As a position player he has very good speed, amazing arm strength and a powerful swing capable of generating 30-35 home runs per year.

In both cases, however, what goes on in his mind has interrupted his performance on the field. It’s no coincidence that he started off well in both “careers” and then tailed off viciously after experiencing some form of failure or hardship. From the time he was called up in 2007 until the All-Star break of 2008, Ankiel hit .276 with 31 HR and 89 RBI in just 479 ABs. Since the ’08 All-Star break he’s hit just .234 with 16 HR and 59 RBI in 478 AB. Prior to the 2000 playoffs Ankiel was 11-8 with a 3.46 ERA and 233 strikeouts in 208 IP. He appeared in only 11 Major League games as a pitcher following the 2000 playoffs, allowing 9 HRs in 35 IP and posting a 6.62 ERA.

I don’t mean any of that as a shot at Ankiel — I don’t think he can control whatever it is that holds him back — but it’s quite obvious that he’s capable of a lot more than he has accomplished. This is not a simple issue as it almost certainly relates in some way to off-the-field issues (his father’s legal problems for example) but there is clearly something that keeps Ankiel from being as great as he is physically capable of being. I know he’s had injuries, but they don’t seem to adequately explain the dramatic declines he experienced in both of his careers.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Many feel this Sunday’s game vs. Detroit is the Rams best chance of a victory this season. That said, if the Rams are to win, what are the keys to victory Sunday?

JIM THOMAS
The Lions have one of the worst pass defenses known to man. Some way, some how, the Rams’ receiver corps — yes, the Rams’ receiver corps — must exploit this weakness. Mr. Avery, here’s your chance for a breakout Sunday.

BILL COATS
If Calvin Johnson is in the lineup, the Lions are dangerous in the passing game. So, it’s essential that the Rams find a way to get some pressure on the quarterback. Offensively, the Rams should be able to move the ball against a medicore defense. They need to finish drives in the end zone instead of settling for field goals or, even worse, committing critical turnovers.

JEFF GORDON
Even with the loss of cornerback Bradley Fletcher, the Rams have enough defense to win this game. But . . . the Rams absolutely, positively have to ATTACK THE LIONS DOWN THE FIELD. If they come out firing and keep firing, they can create room for Steven Jackson. And they will actually score touchdowns! Of course, Marc Bulger can’t throw pick sixes while attacking the Lions. That would not be good.

KATHLEEN NELSON
The passing game needs to get going. Donnie Avery needs to shake off his injury assortment and catch a couple passes. Marc Bulger needs to regain his accuracy. A better passing game should open up the running game for Steven Jackson. On defense, someone needs a game-changing takeaway. The defense needs to muster more effective pressure on the QB. Chris Long would quiet his critics by doing the big, visible, obvious things in a big, visible, obvious way. Maybe a sack or two.

QUESTION: What kind of credentials do most hitting coaches bring to the job at the major league level? And does Mark McGwire and his .263 lifetime average seem to measure up for such a position?

JOE STRAUSS

The Chicago Cubs just made Rudy Jaramillo the game’s highest-paid hitting coach and its second highest-paid coach of any description. Jaramillo never played above Double-A but is now the longest-tenured hitting coach in the major leagues. His defection from the Texas Rangers was the equivalent to Dave Duncan leaving the Cardinals as pitching coach. There is only a loose connection between major-league success and effectiveness as a hitting coach. Charlie Lau, whose philosophies revolutionized the craft, was a career .255 hitter with 16 home runs in fewer than 1,200 major-league at-bats. Don Mattingly, a borderline Hall of Famer, is recognized for doing strong work with the Los Angeles Dodgers after serving in the same capacity for the New York Yankees. Like McGwire, Mattingly served no apprenticeship in the minor leagues. Greatness as a player does not automatically translate into the ability to recognize flaws and to communicate fixes. The greatest hitter ever, Ted Williams, quickly became frustrated trying to help those less gifted than he. Tony La Russa on Monday described the job as more art than science. The inability to predict makes the Cardinals’ selection of McGwire all the more intriguing.

BERNIE MIKLASZ

What McGwire did as a hitter in the majors is largely irrelevant, especially his batting average. But to gauge McGwire’s intelligence as a hitter, take a look at his on-base percentage and the average number of pitches he took per at-bat. Charlie Lau was considered one of the best hitting coaches in MLB history and as a player he batted .255 in the bigs, with a mediocre .318 OBP and .365 slugging percentage. Another revered hitting coach was Walt Hriniak, who batted .253 in only 111 plate appearances. One of the current hitting coaches who garners rave reviews is Rudy Jaramillo, who was just signed to a $2 million deal by the Cubs. He never played in the majors and hit .258 in the minors. Terry Pendleton and Don Mattingly are among the former players who became MLB batting coaches with no coaching time in the minors.

McGwire was a smart hitter in the second half of his career; his cerebral approach was an important part of his success. And his work ethic and dedication as a hitter was underrated. But what is his hitting philosophy? Does it fit all hitters, from the power guys to the singles hitters? Can he communicate the philosophy in a simple way? Can he repair a hitter’s mechanical flaws? Can he connect in a way that will reach and lift a struggling hitter’s confidence? McGwire has been praised for his 1-on-1 work with hitters but how will he deal with a roster of position players — 14 or 15 hitters — at the same time? These are all legit questions, and obviously manager Tony La Russa believes that McGwire has the right combination of hitting intellect and people skills. We’ll see.

JEFF GORDON

Intuitively, you would expect a hitter who used all the fields (like Hal McRae) would offer more than a dead pull hitter (like Mark McGwire). But Big Mac is something of a freak when it comes to mental preparation, concentration at the plate and mastery of the strike zone. With an OPS exceeding 1.000 during his Cards heyday, McGwire became one of the toughest outs in baseball. Even without his intentional walks, his latter-day OPS was very good in St. Louis. If some of this can rub off on guys like Ryan Ludwick, great.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)

There is no such thing as a “set of credentials” that a hitting coach can bring to the table. Their backgrounds are varied and there is no “path” to becoming a successful hitting instructor, no prerequisites that prove whether or not an individual will be good at the job. Some of the best hitting instructors of all time were mediocre hitters during their playing days, some of the worst had what would seem to be perfect pedigrees.

I believe McGwire will be a good hitting instructor for two reasons: because hitting is his passion in life and because he values preparation, much like Dave Duncan does when it comes to pitching.

What McGwire was really good at as a hitter was working counts in his favor so he could do what he did best…hit the ball over the fence. His career average may have been low but his on-base percentage was .394 and he hit a home run every 10.6 at-bats. In other words, he knew how to play to his own strength. That’s what he’ll be asked to do for the Cardinals hitters: refine their approaches and identify the occasional glitch so they, too, can emphasize their strengths at the plate. Plus, he’ll know when to leave well enough (read: Albert Pujols) alone.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Do you believe the Rams’ troubles are due simply to a talent deficiency, or would you have expected more progress from this group as they near the halfway point of coach Steve Spagnuolo’s first season?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Both. This is the worst roster in the NFL. But even where there is talent, the Rams don’t utilize it properly. One example: giving Steven Jackson only five touches in the second half of the Jacksonville game. (And ignoring Jackson at times in other games.) Another example: not playing No. 2 overall draft pick Jason Smith at left offensive tackle, where he belongs, from the time he checked into camp. And what’s up with this three-man rotation at OT? A third example: as a rookie DE, Chris Long was better in the pass rush than he’s been in this, his second season. Why has he regressed? Isn’t the pass rush supposed to be a Spagnuolo specialty?

JEFF GORDON
The Rams ARE horrible, make no mistake about it. But there are a lot of bad teams in the NFL this season and the others have found a way to win a game. If these coaches can’t find a way to win a game here or there while rebuilding, why would the next owner want any part of them? Everybody working at Rams Park today must realize that would-be owners are paying attention.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Few problems in life have simple solutions. The Rams’ talent at wide receiver has been depleted and not replenished over the last three years. Marc Bulger has yet to achieve the level of proficiency that led to two Pro Bowl appearances. Injuries also have set back the team’s progress. The players are learning a new system, and the coaching staff has endured growing pains. Five lopsided losses must be discouraging to fans, though.

BILL COATS
Obviously, the Rams’ talent pool is very shallow. Still, I did think that by this point, they’d have a couple of wins. I actually thought 7-9 was possible before the season began. That’s probably not going to happen.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Count me in the group that believes that it’s as simple as not having enough good players. The things Spags is trying to implement have worked extremely well in Philadelphia and New York so there’s no reason they wouldn’t work here if they can get the right players. 99 percent of the time it’s talent that wins in pro sports. Bill Belichick was known as “Beli-choke” when he was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and he got run out of town. Since he took over in New England and had a team with some talent he’s now an NFL “genius” with his own family of coaching assistants who are now running their own teams at the college and pro level. I don’t know if Steve Spagnuolo will be a difference maker as head coach or not, but that’s because there’s no way to determine that until the talent on the squad is upgraded significantly.