THE WATERCOOLER:
For the season, Rick Ankiel’s batting numbers are worse than Chris Duncan’s so is Tony La Russa correct in saying Duncan has been treated unfairly by the fans?

RICK HUMMEL:
Duncan would have to hit .280 with 25 homers and 80 RBI and field 1,000 to win over the fan base here, some of which unfortunately think he is on the team because his father is the pitching coach. Ankiel almost always has been the feel-good story, where people seem to root for him. Duncan, for whatever reason, has folks rooting for him not to succeed. The skipper has some merit in his complaint although neither Duncan, nor Anklel, nor Rasmus for that matter, is not helping the club much now.

JEFF GORDON:
Yes, Chris Duncan has gotten a rougher ride from fans due to his family ties. It’s not easy playing for your father’s team. Expectations are higher. Fans won’t cut you slack as you play hurt and play out of position. But Chris had every chance to win over fans when Ankiel and Ludwick went down. He had every chance to reestablish himself as a good offensive player and he failed. Now he is REALLY struggling at the plate. That, combined with his painful defensive limitations, makes him an easy target. It’s not fair, but that is life in the big leagues.

JOE STRAUSS:
Tony’s right only if he means everyone should start criticizing Ankiel,too.

DERRICK GOOLD:
Rick Ankiel’s numbers are worse. Chris Duncan is hardly alone in his current struggles (i.e., Colby Rasmus is 4-for-37). Other’s defensive faux pas are easily forgiven. And few truly know — or take the time to care — the kind of pain Duncan was in and the radical surgery he required to sleep comfortably again, let alone play baseball. For some reason, Duncan is, as Tony La Russa put succinctly here yesterday, the “whipping boy.” Well, wait … we know the reason. He’s the pitching coach’s kid. Fans have the right to wail about Duncan’s amount of playing time and his lack of production, and there is plenty to be critical about. Start with the fact that Duncan’s most recent appearance was against Jose Valverde and he could start tonight against Roy Oswalt. Not exactly slump-busting assignments. But the solid, reasonable criticisms of Duncan cannot be heard above the loony din. The tone of some of the emails I receive are vicious, bordering on obsessive. It’s not healthy. One person with the team told me earlier this season that the best thing for Duncan would be to hit well, hit for power, and hit his way into a trade. I see what he means.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: It appears Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick is starting to come out of his slump. Are you seeing any differences in Ludwick’s approach at the plate or is he simply returning to form?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Ludwick is taking more pitches. He has drawn more walks. Clearly getting a better look at the ball and using the count in his favor. Even when he’s off on a pitch he’s fouling it off instead of swinging and missing. The timing is better. There is less air in his swing. And obviously his confidence must be growing. And as his 3-run homer off Todd Coffey showed, Ludwick is now able to handle fastballs from RH pitching again. That was a strength last season but for the first three months this season Ludwick was often overmatched against hard stuff from righthanders. But he’s doing damage again.

RICK HUMMEL
Ludwick appears to be swinging at fewer “pitchers’ pitches” and more of his own choosing by hitting ahead in the count. He still could finish with 25-plus homers and 90 RBI.

DERRICK GOOLD
Ludwick said a week ago that he felt he was getting closer because he was being more assertive with the one pitch he was getting to hammer. He may have fouled it off or lobbed it out to center — but he was recognizing it and wasn’t missing it. Now it looks like he’s driving it. He’s not quite returning to the form that carried him through 2008, but his swing is more productive and the power is starting to spike again. For the Cardinals, the best thing Ludwick can do is become more productive driving in runs and with runners on base because batting behind Albert Pujols there is often going to be at least one runner on base.

JEFF GORDON
He is fighting off more tough pitches than before. He is staying alive at the plate by fouling off pitches rather than whiffing at them. He is earning the opportunity to attack more mistake pitches. Little by little, he fought his away out of a pretty deep funk. If only Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan could do the same …

DAN O’NEILL
Ludwick appears to be seeing the ball a little better, seems to be laying off pitches he was offering at before. But I wouldn’t be too excited. He’s hardly tearing the cover off the ball. If he continues the revival in Chicago over the weekend, the All-Star break couldn’t come at a worse time.

GERRY FRALEY
The decision to have Ludwick skip a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment before being activated looks worse by the day. Had Ludwick faced minor-league pitching for a few days, he would have returned on an upswing. By not taking a rehab assignment, Ludwick tried a cold start against major-league pitching. That does not work. It has taken him this long to get everything right.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Some of Ludwick’s resurgence is simply the numbers finding sea level. While he may not be the hitter he was last season, he’s certainly better than his performance so far this season. Things were bound to level off. That said, Ludwick looks like he’s letting the ball get deeper in the hitting zone here in recent days and that’s keeping him from being fooled on pitches as much as he had been. The home run to right center the other day at Miller Park was a great sign and fastballs don’t seem to be giving him as much trouble either. I wouldn’t say he’s “back” to where he was last year but he is getting back to the point where he’s going to provide some support for Albert.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: With four home runs in his last seven games and his batting average up to .283, is it safe to assume that Colby Rasmus has now earned the job as the Cardinals’ EVERYDAY centerfielder?

DERRICK GOOLD
If he hasn’t already, it cannot be long before he does. At the least, Rasmus is an everyday outfielder and has been for some time. The rookie has thrived in the No. 2 spot, batting .292 there with a .506 slugging percentage. Seven of his 11 home runs have been hit from the spot ahead of Albert Pujols. And that’s where Tony La Russa has wanted him to excel. A few weeks ago, La Russa was in his office discussing his lineup and the notion of having Rasmus bat cleanup: “You know I like him a lot in the two spot.” The two-spot for the Cardinals just may be the best spot in baseball to hit. La Russa’s checklist to hit that spot includes a lot of the assets Rasmus has shown. Rasmus has the speed to score from first on a Pujols’ extra base hit and he has the strike-zone feel and aggressiveness to pounce on the strikes he’s going to see ahead of the MVP. That has been keenly obvious since his return from the hernia and as he’s surpassed 200 major-league at-bats. It seems obvious the best bat the Cardinals have for the best spot to bat in baseball is Rasmus. That makes him an everday player.

RICK HUMMEL
No question, although that doesn’t mean that manager La Russa won’t sit Rasmus against a particularly tough lefthander once in a while. But Rick Ankiel will be the regular left fielder or in a platoon in left.

JEFF GORDON
Absolutely. Rick Ankiel is lost at the plate. Ankiel showed some signs of life back in April, but his months-long funk is turning him into a pine-time player. Rasmus is a natural in center field. He isn’t as flashy as Ankiel, but he is more sound defensively. And right now he is the team’s second-best offensive player, behind only Albert. He will be in center field for a long, long time. What happens to Ankiel is anybody’s guess.

GERRY FRALEY
By easing Rasmus into the lineup, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa played it just right. That allowed Rasmus to find his footing in the majors without any added pressure. Rasmus is now free to take off, which appears to have been La Russa’s plan all along. Rasmus can hit less than .283 and still be the everyday center fielder because he is clearly the club’s best defensive player at the position.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Absolutely. In addition to being the hottest of the Cardinals four regular outfielders at the plate, Colby also happens to be the best defendsive center fielder on the team. That combination should be enough to get him “everyday” at-bats, regardless of whether the opposing starter is right- or left-handed. The key thing to remember is that Colby is also at the stage of his career where significant improvement can come simply from getting reps. The more he faces lefties, the better he’ll get at it. In contrast, guys like Ankiel and Duncan essentially “are what they are” at this stage of their careers. If they’re not hitting lefties yet, they probably aren’t going to. Rasmus has the ability to be an impact player now and in the future and impact players don’t sit because the other team’s starter throws with the wrong hand.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Cardinals made a long-awaited move this weekend in acquiring Mark DeRosa from the Cleveland Indians. With this team still hovering near the top of the NL Central and with a chance to win the division, do you think they are done dealing, or do you think there is still a chance they make a run at someone like Matt Holliday to fortify this lineup?

JOE STRAUSS
The Cardinals are not done exploring other deals but they may have bought some time. GM John Mozeliak said Sunday he will take the next couple weeks to assess DeRosa’s effect on the club and act accordingly. Five weeks remain until the trade deadline. The club may believe its greatest need is a pitcher. Should Troy Glaus go on a rehab within the next couple weeks, there will be additional willingness to wait. The benefit of acquiring DeRosa now is first his production, but also assessing where he fits best on the club. He appears slotted as the everyday third baseman with Khalil Greene returning to the DL. But should Glaus progress, DeRosa also becomes an OF option, freeing up chips to acquire a starter or set-up man. Holliday will apparently remain on the market for awhile given Oakland’s heavy asking price.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Another move is possible, but Matt Holliday is probably too big of a fish to reel in next month. I wouldn’t be surprised if they pursued a starting pitcher to fill Todd Wellemeyer’s spot in the rotation.

DERRICK GOOLD
Adding DeRosa is clearly the move the Cardinals had to make — and make as soon as possible — because it keeps them in contention. It isn’t, however, the only move needed to cinch their intent to contend for a title. What they have done by adding DeRosa is put themselves in position to make a deadline deal with an eye on being better in August, September and then, in a Larry Walker-esque way, October. That includes — but isn’t exclusive to — monitoring the market for Matt Hollliday and seeing if the cost of doing business with Billy Beane drops as the clock ticks toward August 1. Pitching should also be on their radar. DeRosa fills a need. Now the Cardinals can look to augment. The bottom line is the, well, bottom line. Swallowing the remainder of DeRosa’s $5.5 million contract is palatable enough for the Cardinals that they still maintain that “payroll flexibility” to offer any trade-deadline fruit that hangs low enough some dry powder to land in.

GERRY FRALEY
Mark DeRosa batted cleanup on Sunday in his debut with the Cardinals. If that does not say the lineup needs one more bat, nothing does. DeRosa is a solid hitter, but he does not belong in the cleanup spot. He is an ideal No. 6 hitter, maybe with some time in the fifth spot. Given righthander Todd Wellemeyer’s struggles, the Cardinals are going to be in the market for another starter soon, if not already. Wellemeyer is 3-5 with a 6.32 ERA in his last 10 starts and has drained the bullpen by going five innings or fewer in six of his 16 starts overall. That does not fit with a contender.

JEFF GORDON
This team still needs more. If Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan continue to struggle with run production, this team won’t have enough offense to make a serious playoff run. Perhaps DeRosa will take some heat off those guys and spur better production. We’re seeing a lot of poor at-bats in critical situations. It’s shocking, really, how badly some of these guys are hitting.

DAN O’NEILL
I would think the Cardinals are done dealing. The Matt Holliday trade never has made sense to me, especially if it includes Ryan Ludwick. Seems to me you’re trading very similar players, trading your only righthanded-hitting outfielder to get a righthanded-hitting outfielder. I think if the Cardinals get Lohse back, they are set with their club for a while, if not for the duration.

THE WATERCOOLER

SCENARIO: A major league club opens the season with a pared-down payroll following an offseason in search of “low-hanging fruit” for free agent help. The club’s 99-RBI third baseman from a year ago is still recovering from shoulder surgery. Its former Cy Young-winning pitcher, whom the club said was vital to the success of the rotation this year, is already on the DL again. The team’s defense has committed 19 errors through 20 games. And the club’s manager is shuffling his lineup more than a blackjack dealer to find the right matchups. Through all of this the club finds itself at 14-6 through 20 games and sitting atop the NL Central. That club is the 2009 Cardinals.

QUESTION: Given all these obstacles, and perhaps a few more not mentioned, what do you think is the key to success the Cardinals have had so far this year and is there reason to believe they can sustain a pace anywhere near this?

JOE STRAUSS
Without a doubt the longest question in the history of Round 2. That said, the key to date is the stability of the offensive core, the rotation’s early effectiveness and the bullpen’s solid performance when allowed to pitch in role. (We’ll give the defense a break today.) The take here remains much as it was entering the season: Minus Troy Glaus, the Cardinals will remain solid if their 20 best players remain available. The loss of Chris Carpenter is significant but won’t become magnified unless further attrition occurs. Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs are experiencing what the Cardinals cannot afford as Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee, Milton Bradley and Carlos Marmol are all compromised. So far, this season represents a (near) best-case scenario for the Redbirds.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
This will be my shortest answer ever: Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan. Period. Despite the insane, inexplicable hatred that a faction of bizarre, hopelessly bitter fans have for the manager and pitching coach. Can the Cardinals keep it up? Down to the wire, yes. They’ll be in the hunt in September. And that’s the goal.

DERRICK GOOLD
You mean besides the obvious two-word answer: Albert Pujols? The fuel for the Cardinals’ quick start is offense, offense, offense. Last year’s Cardinals led the league in batting average and were fourth in runs scored, yet this year’s lineup is deeper and has the chance to be better because the production won’t be isolated around the island of Pujols-Ludwick. The Cardinals’ hitting this April has papered-over serious concerns, like the innings the starters are leaving for the work-in-progress bullpen to swallow and the errors that force those same pitchers to pitch around. Even an offense powered by Pujols cannot keep up this current pace. Those flaws will come out.

So the starters have to go deeper into games if the Cardinals are going to remain atop the NL Central, and the defense cannot give away outs to make going deeper into games more difficult. The absence of Chris Carpenter is enough of a challenge for the rotation and bullpen to overcome.

Can the Cardinals keep up this winning percentage? No. Can they slow down and still win the NL Central? It’s bad form to back off preseason predictions (especially three weeks in), so I’ll stick with the answer I gave for the preview section. … Sure. Sure, they can.

RICK HUMMEL
The keys, in no particular order, have been the comeback of Joel Pineiro (4-0), who didn’t win his fourth game until August last year; the emergence of Ryan Franklin from a tangled bullpen as the closer; the insight and, even daring, of manager Tony La Russa to find the right daily combinations in the outfield and at third base; the ability of catcher Yadier Molina and the pitchers to absolutely nullify the opposition’s running game. . . and, of course, Albert Pujols. Nobody else has a player like that and anybody who does will always be a contender. Will the Cardinals play .700 ball? No. Could they win 90 or more games? Yes. Will they? I thought 90 before the season, so I’ll stay with that.

JEFF GORDON
There are three keys to the Cards success:

1) The much-maligned Cards managed investing in pitching, extending Kyle Lohse’s deal a year after doing the same for Joel Pineiro. These two are helping offset Carpenter’s injury. John Mozeliak responded to his bullpen deficiency by buying free agent Dennys Reyes during spring training.

2) The player development is paying off. Colby Rasmus, Brendan Ryan, Jason Motte, Chris Perez and Mitchell Boggs are helping the home-grown Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Rick Ankiel, Skip Schumaker, Kyle McClellan and Chris Duncan get the job done.

3) Once again, the team located scrappy, handy utility players in Brian Barden and Joe Thurston.

GERRY FRALEY (National baseball writer for FOXsports.com, Sportingnews.com and USAToday)
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa is blessed with two outstanding coaches in vital positions.

The good work of pitching coach Dave Duncan is well-chronicled. Duncan knows how to get through to distressed pitchers and make them embrace his pitch-to-contact philosophy. This staff will not light up the radar guns, but it will get ground-ball outs.

Batting coach Hal McRae is equally good in his field. He teaches his hitters to use the entire field rather than trying to pull every pitch. A National League scout at last weekend’s series against the Chicago Cubs said McRae’s hitters are unusual in that they can drive the ball to the opposite field. When most hitters use the opposite field, the scout said, they lob the ball for singles. The Cardinals get extra-base hits to the opposite field. They go into tonight’s game leading the National League in average at .296, slugging percentage at .476 and OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) at .854.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Cardinals are off to a 9-5 start. While the season is still very young, is there any individual’s play, good or bad, that has caught your attention thus far? And what do you expect from this player in coming months?

JOE STRAUSS
The third base platoon of Joe Thurston and Brian Barden has exceeded what even the most wildly optimistic fans and front office members could have envisioned. Their production likely will outstrip what Troy Glaus gave the team last April. The question is how much longer will manager Tony La Russa be able to find them favorable matchups and to what extent either player will be exposed by heavy playing time.

DERRICK GOOLD
We had a good idea going into spring training that Brian Barden was an above average glove with the ability to play three positions in the infield, and play them well. There just wasn’t any indication that was enough to even make the major-league bench. As Joe Mather, Joe Thurston and later David Freese got the playing time at third and Skip Schumaker monopolized second, Barden was in the background of both competitions. Was he around for depth? Or, did he have a shot? Halfway through March we were wondering if a player with so few at-bats had stuck around that long in major-league camp before.

But stuck around he did. Stuck around long enough to outlast others, win a utility job — and now is capitalizing on the opportunity to be a regular starter at third base. The reason: Well, opportunity, sure, but also health. Turns out Barden was really hampered by a groin injury the past couple seasons that diagnosed as something he should play through. He had it repaired this offseason and has his legs back. Plus, he feels he can turn on pitches better, with more whip and therefore more power. The glove plays. That much is certain and that is enough to keep him in the majors. In the month ahead, the bat will dictate how much he plays.

RICK HUMMEL
Chris Duncan probably has been the biggest surprise to most people although if they had had a chance to watch him in spring training, they would have seen that his swing was back after he was restricted by injuries the last two years. And he’s dropped only one fly ball.

Duncan should knock in 85 runs and hit .270 or above.

JEFF GORDON
The most interesting player is Joe Thurston. He is a middle infielder by trade, yet he is logging big time at third base. He gets burned from time to time on the hot corner, yet his defensive hustle aggression and hustle produce outs — as Carlos Beltran learned first hand. He adds speed when he gets on base. Given his minor league history, you would expect him to keep getting on base, too. He looks like a classic Tony La Russa guy. Hungry utility players can add a lot to the team chemistry, as we saw with Aaron Miles the last few seasons.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Good or bad, what St. Louis Cardinal player has surprised you the most so far this spring with his performance?

JOE STRAUSS
I think Ryan Ludwick’s early struggles have caught the attention of many, but Ludwick dealt with a similar slow start last March. My guess is he’ll loosen up by camp’s end and current concerns will prove a bit overblown.

My selection isn’t a flashy one: Allen Craig (24) doesn’t project for this organization because he doesn’t have a position other than first base. (Third base proved a poor fit the last couple seasons, though Craig led Texas League 3B in fielding pct. last season.) That said, Craig has a live RH bat. He hit 21 home runs in the Florida Coast League two years ago while amassing a .312 average. He smoked 22 HR at Springfield last season while hitting .304. He likely will be Memphis’ starting 1B this year. He was third in his league in HR in ’07 and fifth in ’08. Like many Cardinal farm hands, he projects as “a bat.” I wonder what he might do as somebody’s LF. This organization may not be his best fit but a strong year at Memphis may make him attractive to an AL club.

If you want hyperventilating, flowerly over-talk about what’s in the system, you can head down the cyber-block. But this guy intrigues me. Entering today’s Grapefruit League game vs. Boston, Craig is batting .500 with three long hits and 7 RBI. He doesn’t scare.

DERRICK GOOLD
Tyler Greene. Here was a first-round pick from 2005 who scuffled from the moment he got a million-dollar bonus all the way up the ladder of the minor-league system. He was raw. He was gangly. He was hampered by serious injury. And then things clicked in 2008. Greene became a more refined player in the field and showed vast improvement at the plate — even beyond his numbers. Last July, he could have been a prospect whose promise was flickering out. Today he’s playing well enough to vie for a major-league job.

RICK HUMMEL
Joe Mather has surprised me with his agility at third base. He looks more comfortable than I had thought he would.

JEFF GORDON
I would say Jason Motte. We all knew he could throw hard. But he looks polished this spring, working off-speed and breaking pitches into his repertoire. From what I saw in Jupiter, he looked capable of handling at least a chunk of the closing role. He seems to have the make-up for the job, too. He does not appear to be a fretful lad. He is just the opposite, actually.

TOM ACKERMAN (Sports anchor on “Total Information A.M.” on KMOX)
I’ll go with Chris Duncan. After recovering from major surgery, all he’s done in spring training is hit .370 with 2 HR and 10 RBI in 27 at-bats. The home run he hit on Tuesday against Detroit’s Zach Miner was a soaring blast over the right-center field wall, into the wind. So far, the swing is back — and a lot sooner than I expected.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
It was a tough call between Chris Duncan and Khalil Greene but I’ll go with Greene as the player who has surprised me the most. First of all, nobody is talking about him. That’s a very good thing. The only reason there would be something to talk about would be if he were struggling. With all the questions about second and third base this spring, it’s nice to see that Greene, at least for now, has been a stabilizing force.

Part of my “surprise” with Greene’s performance has to do with how he looked in the first week of full-squad workouts. His swing was a bit out of whack and he seemed to lack that trademark Cardinals intensity. Khalil just didn’t fit in at the time. Who knows, maybe that was just a natural phenomenon because it was the first time he’d switched teams as a pro.

Spring training numbers shouldn’t be counted for much, especially not for veterans, but Greene only whiffed once in his first 10 games down in Florida. For a guy who has problems with over-swinging and striking out that’s a good sign. Let’s hope the improved approach carries over into the regular season.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

THE WAY TO (BEAT) SAN JOSE: A huge game for the Note tonight against Western Conference beast San Jose. A loss tonight just two days before Detroit’s Red Army arrives could spell the end of playoff hopes by the weekend. A win tonight guarantees a split of the two games against the Conference’s top two teams, and perhaps even gives the Blues an emotional lift that carries over in the form of momentum Saturday night. Needless to say … a whole lot on the line.

Jeremy Rutherford tells me coach Andy Murray this morning highlighted three keys to victory tonight. They are:

1. Blues have a “big-body” game.
2. Good puck protection.
3. Keep the puck on the offensive end.

So, assuming all three of these things get accomplished and the Blues win the game, here’s who I’m picking as the top 3 stars based on the three keys above.

1. Big body game … David Backes muscles, hits and contributes a couple points.
2. Good puck protection … Carlo Colaiacovo provides it on both ends this evening.
3. Keep puck in offensive zone … Gotta go T.J. Oshie on this one. If anyone out there does “whatever it takes” to get that puck and keep it in the zone, I say it’s Oshie.

There you have it. If the Blues win, those are my three stars. Who would be yours, based on Murray’s keys to the game?

YOUNG, FIERY AND AS GOOD AS THEY GET: Young Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon has to be mentioned in the same breath as Mariano Rivera and Francisco Rodriguez as being among the game’s top firemen. Papelbon has done everything asked of him by the Red Sox and he’s already sewn up a World Series clinching 9th inning. But for the most part, Papelbon flies under the radar and you don’t hear much about him outside of Boston … until now, that is.

Papelbon recently opened up in an interview with Esquire magazine (many great details, like his dog chewing up a million-dollar baseball and Curt Schilling suggesting Papelbon is not the sharpest tool in the shed by saying Papelbon is “not exactly a charter member of Mensa”) and in that interview the thing that will garner all the headlines in Boston is that Papelbon just came out and said what many others have danced around for months: Papelbon says Manny Ramirez was a “cancer” on the Red Sox last year.

Here’s an excerpt from the Esquire article: “The beautiful thing about our team is, we don’t let anybody get above the team. (Manny) wasn’t on the same train as the rest of us.” And here Papelbon starts banging his kitchen table for emphasis, the punctuation marks in his sentences changing: “He was on a different train! And you saw what happened with that. We got rid of him, and we moved on without him. … You have somebody like him, you know at any point in the ball game, he can dictate the outcome of the game. And for him not to be on the same page as the rest of the team was a killer, man! It just takes one guy to bring an entire team down, and that’s exactly what was happening. Once we saw that, we weren’t afraid to get rid of him. It’s like cancer. That’s what he was. Cancer. He had to go. It sucked, but that was the only scenario that was going to work.”

Papelbon … firing strikes, like always. You can read the full article here.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

L.T.’s BACK AND TAKING AIM AT RECORD BOOKS: After a tumultuous offseason where Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson’s future with the club became uncertain, the player and team reached accord yesterday on a restructured deal that should keep LT in the powdered blue for at least a few more years. Those who read this space regularly know I felt it would have been a mistake had the Chargers let LT skip town. Now, with everyone in the family happy again, LT is setting his sights on loftier goals.

According to San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan, “After years of artful evasions and smooth sidesteps, the Chargers’ reunited-and-it-feels-so-good running back officially took aim at Emmitt Smith yesterday. LT declared his desire for the National Football League’s career records for rushing and rushing touchdowns, both presently in Smith’s possession, and says he is now prepared to pursue them longer than he had previously planned on playing.”

Tomlinson currently has 11,670 rushing yards, which leaves him 6,595 yards behind Smith’s 18,355. Smith leads Tomlinson 164-126 in rushing TDs.

I don’t know that a RB who turns 30 years old in June has enough in his legs to gain 6,595 or punch in another 38 TDs, but I’m happy to see he’ll be attempting it with the only NFL team he’s every played for.

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STAT OF THE DAY

9 — Most consecutive 50-goal seasons. The feat was accomplished by Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders from the 1977-78 season to 1985-86. Bossy tallied 53 goals in his rookie season, making him the first NHL rookie to hit the 50-goal mark. He then continued the streak for his first nine seasons in the league, including 50 goals in his first 50 games in 1980-81 to tie Maurice Richard’s 36-year-old record. Chronic back pain caused Bossy to miss 17 games the year his streak ended, and he ended up with 38 goals that season. The back ailment ultimately led to Bossy’s retirement at age 30. (Source: “Hockey’s Top 100: The Game’s Greatest Records”)

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Cardinals return three starting outfielders in All-Star Ryan Ludwick, .300-hitting leadoff batter Skip Schumaker and 20-homer center fielder Rick Ankiel. And that doesn’t even include super-prospect Colby Rasmus. But what about Chris Duncan, who — before injuries set in — hit .273 with 43 home runs and 113 RBIs in 655 at-bats in 2006-07? Appearing healthy again at spring training following two surgeries, manager Tony La Russa says Duncan holds an edge in the crowded outfield due to his big league production. Do you see Duncan as an everyday outfielder over the others, or do you think he’s better utilized as a situational hitter or, perhaps, someday as a DH?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
No manager is better at distributing at-bats than Tony La Russa. That said, he’ll have to play Chris Duncan based on Duncan’s viability. If Duncan returns to the power-hitting form he showed in 2006 and the first half of 2007, he can be a force as a frequent lineup presence against righthanded pithing. But if Duncan is struggling, La Russa will lose credibility by giving him at-bats that should go to others. In a perfect world Duncan would play enough to mash righthanded pitching, but if he’s back into the helpless mode, frankly he’s of little use to this team. It seems to me that La Russa’s biggest headache this season will be finding enough at-bats to justify keeping Colby Rasmus in the major leagues. That’s why I wouldn’t be shocked to see Rasmus start off the year at Triple A. This is a tricky political situation for La Russa because even if Duncan performs well a considerable percentage of the fan base will be crying nepotism and demanding that the lions’ share of the at-bats go to Ankiel, Schumaker and Rasmus — the other lefthanded hittings outfielders.

JOE STRAUSS
The question is almost rhetorical. Of course Little Dunc’ projects better as a DH and a guy who should be protected against lefthanded pitching. But that is not to detract from his short-term value to the Cardinals. He entered last season (we’ll consider ’08 a wash because of injuries) a career .287 hitter vs. RH pitching compared to .209 vs LHP. He averaged a HR every 13.5 at-bats vs RHP compared to one every 32 at-bats vs LHP. In 2007, 20 of his 21 HR came off RHP. He has so far proven a force off the bench with five HRs in his first 53 pinch at-bats. Duncan hit two grand slams in his first 21 career at-bats with the bases loaded. He also has improved against breaking stuff. As a fourth outfielder, Duncan is virtually certain to prove more valuable than when playing frequently with injuries as he has the last two years.

RICK HUMMEL
Ultimately, Duncan would be better as a designated hitter. But obviously he can’t do that in the National League. Remember, he was the best No. 2 hitter in front of Pujols that the Cardinals had. And he will take a walk. He hit almost 45 home runs over two years. If he’s healthy, Duncan belongs in the lineup.

BRYAN BURWELL
I think this is La Russa’s way of reminding the kid Rasmus that the starting CF job is not promised to him and that this is an open competition for all the OF jobs. I can see a healthy Duncan being a starter in LF and batting No. 2.

JEFF GORDON
Chris Duncan could have a breakout offensive season. When healthy, he can mash the ball. He has become a selective hitter. For that breakout to happen here, however, somebody else must get hurt or fail. When Colby Rasmus reaches the Cards outfield — and he will at some point this season — something will have to give. It just will. Ryan Ludwick must get 500 at bats as the team’s second best righthanded power source. Rick Ankiel has unlimited offensive potential and fabulous right-field defensive skills. So he must play, too. Even if Skip Schumaker moves to second base, there will be a surplus once the well-rounded Rasmus arrives to play center field for the next 10 years.

If everybody hits this spring and stays healthy, then John Mozeliak will have to deal either Duncan or Ankiel for other commodities. With Jon Jay, Brian Barton, Daryl Jones and others on the climb as well, a massive outfield logjam is forming.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

CROSS ROBERTS OFF LIST: For those Cardinal fans that have been opining for the team to make a run at Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts, it appears he’s off the market. Roberts confirmed to the Baltimore Sun this morning that he’s on the brink of signing a four-year, $40 million extension with the Orioles. Let’s be real here anyway … recent history has shown that the Cardinals would never commit that kind of jack to a second baseman. So what can Cards fans hope for with the team’s second base situation? They can hope Jose Oquendo coaches his tail off this spring and can have someone ready to man the middle infield by early April.

GRIFFEY GOES TO GREATS: Struggling to make a choice between playing for the Atlanta Braves or the Seattle Mariners this season, Ken Griffey Jr. picked up the phone and called Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Hank Aaron for advice, according to an ESPN.com report.

Griffey’s agent, Brian Goldberg, told ESPN that both players advised Griffey to consider his long-term legacy when making the decision. “Willie hit on it a little harder, but they both said, ‘You have to do what you want to do,’” Goldberg said. “They told him, ‘You might have to make some short-term sacrifices. But the bottom line is, Go by how you want to be remembered for the next 50 years after you’re done.’” Griffey ultimately chose the Mariners, heading back to the place where he began his career.

First, how cool would it be to call Willie Mays and Hank Aaron for life advice? Second, how refreshing is it that money didn’t seem to factor into the equation? Third, how nice is it to hear someone talking about a player’s legacy without using the word “steroids”?

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THINGS TO PONDER

JUST ONE MORE BOUNCE: The new, calmer, more Zen-like approach to observing the Blues paid off last night. Rather than flipping the game off in disgust when the Blues fell behind 4-1 in the second period, I stayed tuned through the intermission to see how they would respond in the third. I was rewarded by witnessing a team play with desperation — bringing a much stronger forecheck and funneling the puck to the net. In fact, the shorthanded goal by Alex Steen and the followup goal by T.J. Oshie with four minutes remaining actually had me thinking the Blues had a chance to garner a point. My mind was trying to tell me that after losing so many points in the closing minutes this year, perhaps this was the night to see it reversed. Alas, the Blues couldn’t get that one lucky bounce a team sometimes needs.

Coach Andy Murray was rightfully upset with how the Blues opened the game; particularly how the team reacted to the early penalty on Barret Jackman (which led to a PP goal) and Steve Wagner’s defensive gaffe (which led to another goal). Down 2-0 on the road in the first period just isn’t where you want to be.

I’m no Blues apologist, but like I said in this space last week, for the rest of this season I’m trying to look through the rose-colored glasses of the future. And what I saw in the third period was a team that didn’t give up, and for those fans that stayed tuned in, a little excitement before the final buzzer.

HOW TOUGH ARE HOCKEY PLAYERS? This tough. Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson had his jaw fractured when he was hit in the face by a puck Wednesday night during his team’s 3-2 overtime loss to Colorado. Alfreddson, who’s no youngster at age 36, left the game for X-rays but returned to finish the third period and overtime. Now that the Senators know his jaw is broken, how long will he be out? At least a week, according to the club. A week. I know that’s a minimum, but if I fractured my jaw I’d spend at least a week on the couch downing pain killers and watching Jerry Springer … much less thinking about getting back on the ice to get slammed around just seven days later. Can you imagine a pro baseball player coming back from a broken jaw in a week? No, me neither.

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NUMBER OF THE DAY

No. 2 — Who will the Rams take with No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft? Hard to say depending on the strategy of new GM Billy Devaney. Do you go with best player available, greatest need, skill position … so many different ways to look at it. But in honor of the NFL Combine kicking off today, I thought I’d update you on Scout.com’s 2009 draft rankings as of today. Check it out and see if it changes your opinion on who the Rams should take.

THE WATERCOOLER

FEARLESS FORECAST: It seems something unexpected happens personnel-wise almost every spring before the Cardinals break camp in Jupiter. If you were to make one prediction of something that may surprise fans by the time this year’s team heads north, what would it be?

RICK HUMMEL
Chris Duncan, healed from disk surgery in his neck, will be at least a platoon player in left field and will start against most righthanded pitching. Duncan is the club’s best No. 2 hitter ahead of Albert Pujols because he knows the strike zone better than Ankiel or Ludwick and will draw a walk, if necessary, to have a man on in front of Pujols. Duncan then would be replaced for defense in the late innings by Schumaker or whomever.

DERRICK GOOLD
The five starters the Cardinals take north to open the season will not be the five starters that they currently have penciled into the rotation. But Chris Carpenter WILL BE one of those five, healthy and ready.

JOE STRAUSS
A third candidate will emerge as closer and there will be a surprise importation of another lefthanded reliever.

JEFF GORDON
Here is something that would surprise fans: The Cardinals will make a significant addition before the team heads north. Fans seem to believe the roster is frozen. It is not. If a team need becomes glaring during camp — due to further injuries or the failures of young players — John Mozeliak will have options. Remember, Mo professed happiness with his pitching last spring right up to the point when he signed Kyle Lohse.

BRYAN BURWELL
The biggest surprise of spring training will be the re-emergence of Chris Duncan as a productive offensive weapon. he’s healthy again for the first time in two years.

TOM ACKERMAN (Manager of Sports Operations at KMOX)
Career minor leaguer Joe Thurston lands the starting assignment at second base on Opening Day. Sure, there are more familiar names in the second base competition: Brendan Ryan, Skip Schumaker, maybe even Joe Mather. But unlike Adam Kennedy, Ryan is a righthanded hitter. And Schumaker and Mather would have to make an extraordinary adjustment to switch from OF to 2B in the big leagues. There are a couple of reasons why the Cardinals acquired Thurston — he hits lefthanded and fields his position well. And his offensive numbers last season at Pawtucket (AAA) were more than adequate for 507 at-bats: .316, 11 HR, 64 RBI. He posted a .367 OBP, scored 83 runs and swiped 19 bases. Not bad. Thurston will turn 30 this season; he’s paid his dues. If he can turn a consistent double play with Khalil Greene and get on base this spring, he’ll get the nod.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO: I think folks were mostly fed up with Scott Rolen by the time he left town. I don’t see anyone shedding tears for unemployed Jason Isringhausen right now, even though he had a great run in St. Louis. Oh, and who can forget Tino Martinez? I’m sure there are many examples of former Cardinals who folks here were glad to see go. Tell us your Top 10.

I bring this up due to a great piece the Boston Globe has on its Web site. The headline reads, “Don’t go away mad, just go away: Worst Sox breakups.” It takes a look at the top relationships that ended badly between players, fans and the front office. Check it out.

WIE’S WACKY RIDE: Michelle Wie long-irked members of the LPGA as she took one sponsor’s exemption after another to try to compete against the men on the PGA Tour. The results were predictable. But Wie finally went to Q-school and got her LPGA tour card and on Thursday Wie made her debut as a full-time member of the LPGA. Now, perhaps, we can find out exactly how good the 19-year-old Wie can become. She started well, shooting a 6-under 66 Thursday that left her just one stroke off the lead.

Hmmm, it makes one wonder how many tournaments Wie possibly could have won already at such a young age if she had started in the more traditional manner. Still, she’s likely laughing all the way to the bank with all the money she’s gotten in endorsements due to the path she chose.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

JORDAN SET FOR HOF: The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will announce its 2009 election results in early April. Leading the 16 finalists for this year’s induction are Michael Jordan, John Stockton and David Robinson — all three presumably shoo-ins. But there is a sad note here … I can’t believe Jordan is already going into the Hall of Fame. Seems like just yesterday when I was watching him as rookie with the Bulls, back when he had a little hair, wore the short-shorts and actually wore a thick, gold chain around his neck.

I’m sure we all reach those moments in our life when a simple thing will pop up making you realize the years are passing all too quickly. What’s next, the beautiful Bionic Woman pimping geriatic prodcuts on TV commercials? Oh, wait …

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ON THIS DATE

FEB. 13, 1996 — The St. Louis Cardinals complete a long-rumored swap, acquiring closer Dennis Eckersley from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for minor league reliever Steve Montgomery. … The Cardinal also announce that they are laying nearly three acres of grass over the field at Busch Stadium, replacing the artificial turf that has been used for 26 years.
(SOURCE: Baseballreference.com)

THE WATERCOOLER
(Post-Dispatch columnists and beat writers share their thoughts on a question of the day.)

Question: With general manager Jim Hendry saying Monday that the Cubs will raise payroll again next season, what chances do the Cardinals have to stay competitive in the NL Central given their projected budget?

JOE STRAUSS
Acquiring a legitimate closer and depth for the rotation should give the Cardinals an expectation of 90 wins. That should compete next season within a division including a financially taxed Houston Astros, a Sheets-less and Sabathia-less Milwaukee Brewers and a still rebuilding Cincinnati Reds team. The Cardinals still appear dependent on the Cubs taking a step back. Budget is secondary to personnel decisions. Kyle Lohse last year proved a much better acquisition than, say, Carlos Silva.

RICK HUMMEL
The Cardinals still will be competitive — if they add starting pitching help themselves. Jake Peavy doesn’t help that Cubs’ offense any and, as you saw, any team with decent right-handed pitching (Los Angeles Dodgers, most recently) can carve up the Cubs’ right-handed hitters.

DERRICK GOOLD
The Cubs having a budget that could be $40 million more than the Cardinals gives them more ability to take risks and a larger margin of error, especially with their pitching. They can gamble on injury risks like Rich Harden and Jake Peavy at such high dollars because the gap in payroll gives them that option. The Cardinals don’t have that luxury and have to hinge their ability to contend on Chris Carpenter being healthy, filling in holes with cost-effective options (i.e., Trever Miller) and having more depth in place. The difference in payrolls comes down to this: Kosuke Fukudome. The Cubs have the ability to paper-over their big-money import’s poor performance with another big-money outfielder. The Cardinals have to get big bangs for their bucks to contend. The Cubs can have a few busts from their bucks and still win the division.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
The spending isn’t the only issue, but clearly the Cubs have a tactical advantage over the Cardinals because of their aggressive expansion of payroll. That said, money isn’t everything. The Cubs have wasted plenty of it by signing the likes of Kosuke Fukudome. But the Cubs have gained the upper hand in this rivalry by putting so much emphasis on starting pitching. The rotation carries the North Siders and the edge will be even more pronounced if Jake Peavy lands at Wrigley. The Cardinals haven’t kept up in the arms race.

JEFF GORDON
This is an interesting scenario. The Cubs will have new ownership soon. So the current regime wants to win in 2009. Why worry about the future? The next owner may want his own guys. The Cardinals are taking a longer view. Bill DeWitt is stressing player development and John Mozeliak is managing his assets for the long haul. These two aren’t going anywhere. But that doesn’t mean the Cards can’t compete in ’09. Thanks to the influx of Chris Perez, Kyle McClellan, Colby Rasmus, Jason Motte, etc, Mozeliak will be able to assemble a playoff contender for $100 million or less. And thanks to the wild-card rule, the Cards don’t have to fret the Cubs winning 110 games with the Best Team Money Can Buy.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

HAVE BATS, WILL TRADE: Joe Strauss reported in this morning’s paper that the Cardinals are poised to deal from a surplus of left-handed hitters created by Rick Ankiel, Skip Schumaker, Chris Duncan and top prospect Colby Rasmus. Is there any question which one of those guys Cardinal fans would most like to see go? But you have to know if all the fans see it, other teams see it, also. If John Mozeliak can pull off a trade involving a quality pitcher for Chris Duncan, I say the Cardinals just go ahead and make him GM for life. No, if the team deals, I think it has to involve one of the other outfielders if you want quality in return. More on this situation in our winter meetings blog.

CRY ME A RIVER: Former Cubbie Ron Santo, who was bypassed for election to the Hall of Fame yesterday, says the voting process needs to be changed. “It’s a travesty,” Santo told the Chicago Sun-Times. “When I saw nobody got in again, I go, ‘Whoa, this is wrong.’ They can’t keep going the way they’re going. They’ve got to put a [different] committee out there.”

That’s it, Mr. Santo. Let’s get a different committee. Obviously all 64 living members of the Hall of Fame who make up the Veterans Committee do not understand what it takes to make the Hall. Santo says he’s not just speaking up for himself but for other players also. However, one has to wonder if Santo would be saying anything at all if he were already in the exclusive club. Santo was a nine-time All-Star, won five Gold Gloves and finished his career with 342 home runs and a .277 lifetime batting average. Is that enough to get you in the Hall of Fame? The Veterans Committee says no. End of story.

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A FEW THINGS TO PONDER

IT’S ALL GOOD: Yesterday in this forum I lamented the fact that I wasn’t going to get to see T.J. Oshie play alongside the other Baby Blues at the Scotty last night. While I didn’t get to see Oshie, I did see history in the making. Three things you’ll never again see happen in the same night at a Blues game: 1) The Blues score 6 goals; 2) B.J. Crombeen corrals a hat trick; and, 3) Alex Steen is on the ice and actually does something (goal and assist.) I know, I know, why do I have to say something negative the day after the Blues finally climb above .500? Perhaps it’s because I expected Steen to have a Brad Boyes-like transformation once he arrived in St. Louis and, up until last night, he seemed to be a total non-factor since coming over in the Lee Stempniak trade. But let me put a positive spin on it and say: Here’s hoping last night was the beginning of a good run for Steen.

(By the way, Blues fans, Jeremy Rutherford is feeling a bit threatened by the deluge of traffic the new Round Two blog is getting. So in the holiday spirit, I implore you to visit his Morning Skate blog to get him more “hits” than Round Two.)

STICKING IT TO THE LITTLE GUY: The NFL announced today that it is cutting more than 10 percent of its headquarters staff in response to the downturn in the nation’s economy. That’s about 150 jobs lost. I’m thinking if you took the salaries of guys like Pacman Jones and Plaxico Burress and gave it to the league, not only could you save those 150 jobs, but you could probably go on a hiring binge. Perhaps I’m just edgy because of all the jobs being lost at A-B and around the country in general, but the huge salaries paid to some guys who don’t care about all of “us” who actually pay their salaries just peeves me. I thought you were supposed to become more conservative as you got older, and here I am talking like Karl Marx. But I’m just sayin’ …

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STAT OF THE DAY

3.18 – Assuming the Cubs land Jake Peavy, that would be the combined 2008 ERA of the team’s rotation. That’s a lower team ERA than any individual ERA on the Cardinals’ staff not named Carpenter … who threw only 15.1 innings last season. By pursuing Peavy, the Cubs are clearly climbing the ladder to the top of the tree, bypassing all the low-hanging fruit.