THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Closer Ryan Franklin has blown his last two save chances and hs ERA is climbing in recent weeks. How concerned do you think the Cardinals should be about their 36-year-old closer and what would a possible backup plan look like if Franklin continues to struggle?

JOE STRAUSS
Franklin has been fatigued by his first full season as closer, perhaps moreso mentally than physically. Recent results show erosion of command and diminishing late movement. I expect to see less of Franklin in the last two weeks though he has a chance to become the first Redbirds reliever since Tom Henke to win the Rolaids relief award. Kyle McClellan and Jason Motte appear the most logical RH options to work the ninth inning should something happen to Franklin. More and more, John Smoltz looms as a postseason starter. All that said, it is difficult to imagine a scenario short of injury in which TLR comes off Franklin as closer.

DERRICK GOOLD
Blown saves are bound to happen. Ryan Franklin has four this season, and even Mariano Rivera, the standard, has averaged nearly four a season over the past eight seasons. These blown saves are magnified because they’ve led to losses and they’ve happened in succession, in September. No, the bigger concern here is something beneath — or perhaps behind — the blown saves. In his previous eight appearances, Franklin has six saves, but he’s also allowed 11 hits and nine walks. That’s 20 baserunners against seven strikeouts in his past 7 1/3 innings. Franklin is a location pitcher, and before Saturday he had fewer strikeouts (36) than saves (37). His approach puts a premium on command because there are going to be balls in play, and that works best with a lack of runners gaining free passage to first. If Franklin’s feel for his control is off, his performance is off. It’s too early to discuss backup plans. That’s partially because Franklin has had five months of ninth-inning cred built up, and because there is no caveat-free backup.

JEFF GORDON
At this point, the only back-up plan at the closer’s role would be Kyle McClellan — and he hasn’t been consistent enough to merit the promotion. John Smoltz might eventually help the bullpen, but we have seen what his physical limitations are. So the Cardinals need to nurse Franklin along and help him regain his sharpness. There is no other option.

GERRY FRALEY
Franklin’s slump was inevitable. He does not have closer’s stuff. Opponents put the ball in play against Franklin, and that can cause late-inning problems. That said, the Cardinals have no choice but to stay with Franklin. He may not have the stuff of a traditional closer, but he does have the makeup.

In addition, the Cardinals have no clear-cut option. When Colorado pulled Brian Fuentes from the role during its run to the World Series in 2007, the Rockies had a closer-in-waiting in Manny Corpas. The Cardinals’ best in-house option is John Smoltz, who had 144 saves with Atlanta from 2002-04. Smoltz’ current bout of tendinitis reminds the club that he must be handled with care and may not be able to handle the workload of a closer.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Assuming the Cardinals make it to the postseason, which National League team do you feel offers the greatest matchup problems for the Redbirds?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
The Phillies. They lead the league in runs, homers and slugging. They’re the best slugging team in the NL against righthanded pitchers, and the Cardinals have a RH rotation. The Phillies’ rotation was upgraded substantially with the addition of Cliff Lee and this is the one playoff-bound NL team that can match up reasonably well with rhe Cardinals’ big three of Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Joel Pineiro. For some reason, Carpenter hasn’t pitched well in Philly; he has a 6.75 ERA in three career starts at Citizens Bank Park. That said, Wainwright was magnificent there in his only start, and Pineiro hasn’t allowed a run there in two starts. The Phillies rake well at Busch Stadium; Ryan Howard and their big hitters like the place. In 17 games in STL the Phillies have averaged 6.9 runs since Busch opened in 2006. The X factor would be Brad Lidge. The Phillies closer is having a horrible season, and if that continues, the Phillies are vulnerable late.

DERRICK GOOLD
The Phillies. The Cardinals may be 10-2 against lefthanded starters since Matt Holliday arrived, but the Phillies still have lefties like Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Jamie Moyer who can tie the Cardinals in knots. Joe Blanton is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA against the Cardinals this season and they have yet to figure him out. He’s 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 21 innings against the Cardinals in his career. Ryan Madson, a late-inning reliever, may be the only Albert Pujols specialist in the game. The Cardinals first baseman is 0-for-10 in his career against Madson. He doesn’t strike out against the righthander, but he doesn’t hit him well either. And that’s all without mentioning what may be the most difficult lineup in the National League to contain. The variety of hitters the Phillies throw at opponents — speed in Victorino, balance in Utley, thunder from Howard and power throughout — makes a lineup with few, if any, cracks. Forget how Howard hits like Roy Hobbs in St. Louis, whether he’s taking aim at a Red Lobster in Ballwin or crushing shots at Busch Stadium. Sure Colorado is playing as well as anyone. Yes, the LA Dodgers have Manny and pitching. Fine, the Giants have a fearsome tandem atop their pitching staff. But the defending champs have more. And Brad Lidge.

RICK HUMMEL
The world champion Phillies. They have the lefthanded-hitting firepower to contend with the Cardinals’ all-righthanded rotation. In five games, four of them wins by the Phillies, Philadelphia has outscored the Cardinals, 40-24.

JEFF GORDON
The Phillies come at you with lefthanded power and switch-hitters. They put up some football scores on the Cards earlier this season, although much of that damage came against guys like Todd Wellemeyer, Josh Kinney and Jason Motte. The addition of Cliff Lee gives them a 1-2 punch to match Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. The only soft spot on that team is Albert’s buddy Brad Lidge. A Phillies-Cards battle in the NLCS would be quite a battle.

GERRY FRALEY
As Ric Flair often said, “to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.’’ Philadelphia, defending World Series champion, would present the biggest problems for the Cardinals in a post-season series.

LHP Cliff Lee changes the face of what was a mediocre rotation. Since being obtained from Cleveland, Lee is 5-0 with a 0.67 ERA and has allowed more than one run only once.

The Cardinals’ all-RHPs rotation will bring out the best in Phillies 1B Ryan Howard. Howard struggles against lefthanders, but goes into tonight’s play batting .312 with a .692 slugging percentage and 30 homers in 295 at-bats against righthanders.

Of course, this all changes if a Cardinals-Phillies series comes down to Albert Pujols against Philadelphia closer Brad Lidge. A year, with Lidge on top of his game, the Phillies were 79-0 when leading after eight innings. With Lidge having problems stemming from a bum knee, the Phillies are 58-7 when leading after eight innings this season.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Now that the Cardinals have signed John Smoltz, what are your expectations for the rest of this season for the 8-time All Star and former Cy Young winner?

JOE STRAUSS
I believe what the Cardinals project will indeed play out: Smoltz will make 2-3 starts, at least, before migrating to the bullpen in a set-up role for Ryan Franklin. How he handles lefthanded hitters as a starter will likely dictate how much he is trusted against them in relief. By September, the Cardinals plan to add a third LH to the bullpen. If Smoltz is vulnerable to lefts, he and Trever Miller could form a formidable match-up tandem. It would be unwise to expect too much from Sunday’s start given that Smoltz has not appeared since Aug. 6. This is a low-risk/potentially high-reward move. Whatever Smoltz gives them should be considered a bonus. It is illustrative that GM John Mozeliak says the club has ended its search for additional bullpen help. If Smoltz becomes a serviceable six-inning starter, it is more than the Cardinals have received from the No. 5 slot all season.

RICK HUMMEL
Expectations should be modest, inasmuch as Smoltz didn’t help Boston much and if the Red Sox thought Smoltz had something significant left, they would have kept him. The Red Sox got him to pitch in postseason play, where he is 15-4. That being said, Smoltz may be more comfortable in the National League and might be able to give the Cardinals something of a Jeff Weaver-like transfusion. He ultimately will wind up in the bullpen for October play.

DERRICK GOOLD
It’s hard to reconcile Smoltz’s recent performance with the righthander we thought we knew. He struggled with Boston and in his last start he did not pitch well enough to be a starter with most major-league teams, let alone contending major-league teams. That said, Smoltz is a world-class competitor — and his internal drive is contagious. He’ll merge easily into the vibrant culture of the Cardinals’ clubhouse. Less clear is how his role will develop on the field. Lost in the big ERA and struggles he had as a starter was how effective his slider remained against righthanded hitters. At the least, he’ll be an asset out of the bullpen against righthanded hitters, and that’s truly what the Cardinals need. Any innings he gives them as a starter beyond his two-start tryout in the role is a bonus. He’ll be a presence, to be sure. It remains to be seen if he’ll be a factor.

GERRY FRALEY
The Cardinals are fooling themselves if they expect to get even a minor contribution from Smoltz. He has been dumped this season by two teams that know pitching: Atlanta and Boston. It’s hard to believe either club would have given up on Smoltz had he shown even a glimmer of possibilities.

Smoltz no longer has the arm strength to throw an effective split-finger fastball, which he needs to neutralize left-handed hitters. In Smoltz’s brief time with Boston this season, left-handed hitters batted .440 with a .788 slugging percentage against him.

Smoltz has had a superb career, is the epitome of professionalism and is a certain Hall of Famer. Right now, he looks like another Hall of Famer who did not know when it was over. Steve Carlton pitched ineffectively with five teams in his last three seasons before stopping.

JEFF GORDON
Well, he will help. He will work to become a Pedro Martinez-like starter for this team, working into the fifth or sixth inning. That’ll be a stretch, but it will be more fun watching him try than watching Mitchell Boggs walk hitters and Todd Wellemeyer allow homers. His better role would be the eighth inning, where he could set up Ryan Franklin, move Kyle McClellan toward middle relief and keep Jason Motte out of harm’s way. If Smoltz struggles for a few weeks and Jaime Garcia continues his comeback course at Memphis, maybe the Cards could go that direction. But giving him a chance to start and prove skeptics wrong makes much sense.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I expect Smoltz to struggle a bit in his initial workings as a starter, assuming that’s how it all goes, but to settle into a setup role as the playoffs get closer. Even if Smoltz wants to be a starter, a mistake in my opinion, the team certainly recognizes how unlikely it is that he would crack the postseason rotation. Give him a few starts to get some work in and see what happens while preparing for what makes the most sense, Smoltz working in the 7th and 8th innings primarily facing righthanded hitters. He could be devastating in that role.

THE WATERCOOLER:
The Cardinals are making inquiries on pitcher John Smoltz (according to Joe Strauss in his chat today). Do you expect the Cardinals to make another move, and how valuable can an August addition be?

RICK HUMMEL:
The Cardinals almost surely will acquire a veteran right-handed relief pitcher to handle seventh- or eighth-inning situations. That person certainly would be on a post-season roster, too, because anybody on the roster by Sept. 1 is eligible. Among recent August acquisitions by the Cardinals are veteran righthander Woody Williams (2001) and veteran outfielder Larry Walker (2004).

BERNIE MIKLASZ:
Sorry for stating the obvious, but there’s a glaring need for a RH reliever. Jason Motte will have a good big-league career, but he’s regressed to the point where it seems strange to have him up here. With a 9.50 ERA and 39 baserunners allowed in his last 18 IP, Motte clearly could use a trip to Memphis to refine his pitching. John Mozeliak’s work isn’t finished. The Cardinals GM is under the gun to patch the bullpen. Is Justin Speier worth a look? It’s being reported that the Cardinals have inrerest in John Smoltz. Does he have anything left? Can he get you a couple of late-inning outs? It’s tough out there. How difficult is it to acquire a RH reliever? The Florida Marlins — a contending team — were so desperate they signed RH reliever Esteban Yan, who hasn’t pitched in the bigs since 2006. And for those who say you can’t summon Eduardo Sanchez from Class AA Springfield, I present two words: Bobby Jenks. He made the leap from AA to the Chicago White Sox late in 2005 and became the closer during a postseason run climaxed by a World Series Championship.

GERRY FRALEY:
Philadelphia believes an August addition enabled it to win the World Series last season. The Phillies picked up veteran left-handed hitter Matt Stairs for the bench on Aug. 30, and he had a key two-run homer against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. Unlike the blockbusters of July, August deals usually are made to add a needed final piece. The Cardinals could use a few of those pieces: a right-handed reliever, a speed player to be used as a pinch-runner, a veteran pinch-hitter like Stairs. After making the big deals of July, there is no reason for general manager John Mozeliak to stop now.

DERRICK GOOLD:
The Cardinals pursuit of a right-handed reliever has been blocked by … well, every other team’s hunt for a right-handed reliever. The eighth-inning rock they need will be tricky to get. The players are pulled back off waivers or their claims are trumped, which was the case with Russ Springer when Tampa Bay put in a claim and, by rule, had first chance at him before the righty dropped to the Cardinals. August additions can be quite valuable (see: Larry Walker), but the roles the Cardinals would be looking to fill this August are more fine-tuning than roster-changing. Their best bet, if they absolutely have to add a pitcher, is to acquire what John Mozeliak has, in the past, called “a lottery ticket” — that player who has struggled or has been injured and maybe, just maybe, hopefully could capture lightning down the stretch run.

JEFF GORDON:
This team needs another righ-thanded reliever. Jason Motte may put it all together some day, but he is hurting the team now. And for all the good work Blake Hawksworth has done, he remains unproven. So this IS an issue. I see John Mozeliak adding a veteran reliever to mollify Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan, but I would be shocked if he could make a quality addition. Too many teams are looking for help and the pile has been picked off.

* * *

Here’s what Strauss said about Smoltz in his live chat this afternoon:

“The Cardinals are fervently seeking a RH reliever and apparently are indeed interested in Boston Red Sox exiled starter and future Hall of Famer John Smoltz. The organization denied interest “at this time” yesterday but have put in calls regarding Smoltzie. They may be using the same playbook as exercised on Julio Lugo, deny publicly but pursue privately.

“Regardless, Smoltz would certainly add experience and postseason credibility, just not sure how much the future Champions Tour golfer has left in the tank. Stay tuned.”

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: Now that Chris Perez has been optioned back to Memphis, how much of the closer load do you expect Jason Motte to shoulder? Do you expect it to be a 50/50 timeshare with Ryan Franklin to start the season, or will Motte see a greater load from the very beginning?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Give Jason Motte the ball and the chance as the full-time closer. He has a blazing fastball and is a rare talent, with potential for greatness. Will Tony La Russa install Motte and stick with him? Some blown saves are inevitable and the best closers are allowed to work through slumps. Motte should be given the same consideration but La Russa probably won’t be as patient with a rookie. Ryan Franklin is an excellent setup man but he isn’t a closer. If Motte struggles La Russa will likely turn to Franklin, anyway.

JOE STRAUSS
Motte will shoulder as much as his performance allows. It’s that simple.

RICK HUMMEL
I think Motte will get the first shot at it, although Franklin will get his chance early on, too. If Motte is successful, he should get the majority of, but not all, the opportunities.

GERRY FRALEY
The nature of the job will lead to Motte getting more save chances than Franklin. A top closer must get strikeouts either with pure power or a trick pitch. Of the 15 National League relievers who averaged 10-plus strikeouts per nine innings last season, six were closers. Brad Lidge, Philadelphia’s perfect closer, was second overall among relievers with 11.94 strikeouts per innings.

Motte is a pure power pitcher. In his brief major-league trial last season, Motte had a Lidge-like 16 strikeouts in 11 innings. Motte is a one-pitch (fastball) pitcher at this stage of his career, but that can work for the short term. The Chicago White Sox did all right with a similar guy in 2005: Bobby Jenks.

Franklin is a capable reliever, but he is also a ground-ball pitcher with limited strikeout capability. He averaged 5.83 strikeouts per nine innings last season. The more often the ball is put in play in the late innings, the greater the chance of something bad happening to the team that leads.

JEFF GORDON
Motte is the best candidate for the job, but, understandably, Tony La Russa doesn’t want to blow him up early on. TLR could test him in the “Marmol Role” a few times while seeing if Ryan Franklin is more prepared this season to close. If Franklin gets it done, the veteran could stay there for a stretch. If he repeats last year’s struggles — and if Motte settles in — then TLR can make the switch. La Russa could also use Josh Kinney or Dennys Reyes at the end of a game, depending on the matchup. In time, the manager will want to define everybody’s role. But allowing Motte to ease into the role does make some sense.

TOM ACKERMAN (Sport anchor of “Total Information A.M.” on KMOX)
I would hope that Motte sees the bulk of the work, and I anticipate that he will be the closer most of the time. We’ve seen Franklin in the ninth already; he’s better suited as a set-up man. Motte has shown overpowering stuff in spring training. He possesses a closer’s mentality. If the Cardinals are serious about developing players, then why not Motte?

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: Now that St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo has his coaching staff in place, looking over all the hires what kind of personality do you expect the Rams to have in coming years?

JIM THOMAS
There’s no doubt that teams reflect the personality of their head coach. In Steve Spagnuolo, the Rams have an intense, high-energy, driven personality. As for the rest of the staff, it’s way too early to tell. As is the case with a bunch of new players, when you have 20 new coaches assembled together for the first time, it takes a while to jell.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
In some respects, the assistants are irrelevant. Don’t get me wrong; they can have a lot of impact. Just look at what offensive coordinator Mike Martz did for the 1999 Rams, and what defensive coordinator Lovie Smith did for the 2001 Rams. But if the head coach is a dud, or overwhelmed, he can have the greatest assistants in the NFL and it won’t matter much. Not only do head coaches lead players, but they lead the other coaches, too. They set the example, the tone, the direction. They put a philosophy in place and the assistants coach accordingly. On the surface it appears that Spagnuolo has done a fine job in assembling his first staff; in particular I hear wonderful things about offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. And that’s important, because I fully expect Spagnuolo to have a major hand in running his own defense. But the best thing Spagnuolo can do is emerge as a strong leader who gives this team — and his coaches — a winning personality.

BRYAN BURWELL
While offensively Spags says he won’t put labels on it, Marc Bulger tells me it clearly is the West Coast offense. It’s the same offense he ran during the 2007 pro bowl working with Pat Shurmur and the Eagles staff. Defensively, it will be an aggressive defense with bigger players and, ultimately, it will be a pressure-the-quarterback reliant attack that Spags made so successful in New York.

JEFF GORDON
The head coach is all business, so long-suffering Rams fans can only hope the team — and the whole organization — takes the same persona. Spagnuolo is not theatrical, like a Jon Gruden. He is not a lump, either, like Scott Linehan. Spagnuolo looks like he will keep things simple and work very hard. As this point, with the Rams going back to square one, that is the approach everybody at Rams Park should take.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Given the Rams’ stated chain of command, the team personality will reflect the personality of Spagnuolo and Billy Devaney more than the assistants. Those two have been front and center and will stay that way. The personalities of assistants tend to mesh, not clash, with the head coach. Which just reinforces that the team is a reflection of Devaney and Spagnuolo, as opposed to assistant coaches.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I expect a more authoritative style of leadership from Spagnuolo. Not authoritarian, but authoritative. Scott Linehan was plenty smart but he didn’t “command the room” with regard to his players and fellow coaches. Spagnoulo will.

Spags knows he’s good at what he does and you could see his personality come through with the way the Giants played defense. The Rams will react the same way. They may not win right away - heck they may not win at all under Spagnuolo, you just never know - but fans can expect a noticeable change beginning with Game 1 of the preseason.

A team that spent the last few years doubting itself will ultimately tranform itself into an assertive team brimming with confidence. Whether wins come along with that remains to be seen.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

FAVRE RETIRES … AGAIN: Brett Favre has told the New York Jets he plans to retire. No word yet on when we’ll get the teary press conference, when ESPN will start giving us reports on Brett maybe wanting to play again, or what team’s training camp he’ll turn into a circus this summer when he says he’s got one more year left in him.

What I do know is that Favre would have gotten a much better sendoff had he ended it in Green Bay. New York, not so much. Today’s Daily News headline says it all about how many New Yorkers feel: Favre goes from savior to failure in his one season as ‘Broadway Brett.’

Ouch. In talking about Favre’s coming-out-of-retirement season with the Jets, Gary Myers of the Daily News writes, “The whole thing turned into an embarrassing failure when Favre completely ran out of gas down the stretch and cost the Jets the playoffs and cost Eric Mangini his job.”

Seriously, try to stick to the Wrangler commercials now, Brett. Fight that voice inside your head. Walk away from that bright light.

EMPTY FEELINGS, EMPTY SEATS: As stated in this space yesterday, last night’s Blues game against the Vancouver Canucks was just the start of an incredibly important 10-game stretch through February. Game 1 … zero points. Not a good start.

A 2-0 lead at the first intermission gave me a pep in my step as I headed out to my friendly Bud vendor. The 3-2 lead at the second intermission was promising … but there were all these nagging memories in my head of this team losing so many games in the third period this season. After the Canucks four-goal barrage (one an empty-netter) in the third period, it was just an empty feeling. A great opportunity blown. This Blues team just cannot afford to give up two, 2-goal leads, and the boys apparently need to be downing energy drinks at the second intermission of games. As has been pointed out a lot this season, one can’t fault the team’s effort. But man-oh-man, you’ve got to put games like that away.

Aside from the defeat, the other surprising/disappointing thing about last night’s game was the attendance at the Scotty. Seeing as how this team was on a 6-3-1 run coming into the game and they were battling a Vancouver team that was sitting in the 8th and final playoff spot, I expected a pretty full house. While the announced attendance was a little over 16,000, I can guarantee you there were not that many folks there. Patches of empty seats all over the building … from the lower bowl to the nosebleeds.

I’m not one to judge how anyone else spends their money, especially when we’re all going through these tough economic times, but it really was a bit of a head-scratcher to me. Just as a guy going to the game, it was a letdown for the place not to be rocking on a such a big night. Perhaps if the Boys in Blue can put away a few more of those games in the third period that will change.

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THINGS TO PONDER

SO YOU NEED A CLOSER: After missing out on free-agent closer Brian Fuentes, the Cardinals are saying they are not yet ready to hand over closing duties full-time to either Chris Perez or Jason Motte. Looks like they’ll head into the season with a committee in the ninth inning. The two-time defending NL Central Chicago Cubs, on the other hand, have no such problem. They’ve got two very capable arms vying for the spot. Not only is closer-in-waiting Carlos Marmol ready to assume the position, but the team also signed former Florida closer Kevin Gregg, setting up a spring training competition. Looking at it objectively from all angles — from the starting rotations to the bullpens to the lineups — do you think the Cardinals are really equipped to contend with the Cubs this year?

RAZING ARIZONA: The following headline in The Onion caught my attention today. It’s breaking “news” concerning Arizona’s Super Bowl loss. The headline reads: “Ken Whisenhunt: ‘A Lot Of People Said We Couldn’t Come In Here And Win, And They Were Correct”

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STAT OF THE DAY

8 — That’s the most seasons any player in the NFL has led the league in rushing. The winner? Jim Brown. He did it for Cleveland from 1957-61 and 1963-65. That’s twice as many seasons leading the league as any other RB all-time. The runners-up, all with four seasons leading the league:

Steve Van Buren, Philadelphia, 1945, 1947-49
O.J. Simpson, Buffalo, 1972-73, 1975-76
Eric Dickerson, L.A. Rams, 1983-84, 1986; Indianapolis, 1988
Emmitt Smith, Dallas, 1991-93, 1995
Barry Sanders, Detroit, 1990, 1994, 1996-97

SOURCE: NFL Record and Fact Book

THE WATERCOOLER

Question: The Cardinals have offered closer Brian Fuentes a two-year deal believed worth $16-$18 million. Is it fiscally responsible for the Cards to give Fuentes the three-year, $30 million-plus deal he’s seeking, or are there other options the team should be exploring right now, perhaps even handing over closer duties to Chris Perez or Jason Motte to pursue starting pitching?

JOE STRAUSS
Money and term are secondary as long as the Cardinals don’t include no-trade language in any deal. The Cardinals likely will have to reach a $10 million annual average value if another team such as the Los Angeles Angels becomes involved. Kerry Wood’s 2-year, $21 million deal with the Cleveland Indians raised the floor for Fuentes, but the Cardinals are ill-advised to raise their offer before another team enters the fray. Shorter term, less costly solutions are still available (Takashi Saito, Izzy), but there is a strong preference for Fuentes among several corners of the organization. Pace for a deal will accellerate once Mark Teixeira signs somewhere. I frankly don’t think dollars are the most significant element of a deal.

JEFF GORDON
The Cardinals should buck up and pay $33 million over three years, if necessary, to fill their most glaring need. That is not an enormous jump over the per-year dollars paid to Jason Isringhausen in his twilight years as the closer. Fuentes might be no more than an above-average closer, but strong left-handed relievers are scarce. The Cards farm system has no such commodity on the horizon. If Tony La Russa had Fuentes to mix in with Perez, Franklin, Kinney and Motte at the end of games, he could move Kyle McClellan to the rotation and lessen the need to sign another expensive starting pitcher. There is your win-win scenario.

RICK HUMMEL
I don’t think it’s fiscally prudent for the Cardinals to go to $30 million for three years for Fuentes as their closer. I don’t want to push Perez/Motte back that many years. But is either ready to assume that role now? Probably not.

DERRICK GOOLD
For several years, the Cardinals have held a hardline stance that they dictate the market for the players they sign. Once the bidding for a player sweeps him out of their preferred price range (i.e., A.J. Burnett, Alfonso Soriano), the Cardinals then take the following stance: We tried. We gave them our best offer. Other teams put a higher value on the player. … That’s swell, and they have hit more than they’ve missed (see: Kyle Lohse, Mark Grudzielanek, David Eckstein). But when it comes to a luxury item — like a lockdown closer — the Cardinals cannot afford to be handcuffed by their refusal to play the market. It’s arrogant to believe that the price the club attaches to a player is the price the club should pay. Sorry, this isn’t Priceline. This is eBay. Demand dictates. There is ample evidence that the Cardinals could have been a legit contender with a lockdown closer last season. Tony La Russa called Fuentes and the ninth inning a “No. 1 priority.” If they believe the Kid Closers aren’t ready, then they should be prepared to pay for the best (and healthiest!) option available. Three years, $30 million? If closer is the priority, that may be the pricetag of contending.

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

SO YOU THINK IT’S BAD NOW: Decimated by injuries, the Blues have lost four in a row and fallen into the cellar in the Western Conference with a 12-15-3 record. I hate to say it, but it can — and likely will — get worse. In fact, with the Blues’ remaining December schedule this team could be looking toward next season as soon as Jan. 1. Take a look at what’s coming and tell me you don’t see a Blue Christmas:

Dec. 18 @ Washington: The Capitals are 19-10-3, good enough for third place in the East.

Dec. 20 vs. Minnesota: At 15-13-1, the Wild is the only remaining December opponent that would not make the playoffs today. They are one point out of 8th place in the West.

Dec. 21 vs. Boston: The Bruins are steamrolling teams. They are 21-5-4 and in first place in the East.

Dec. 23 @ Detroit: Hey, it’s the Wings. 20-6-4 puts them in second place in the West.

Dec. 27 vs. San Jose: The best record in hockey at 25-3-2 is good enough for best in the West.

Dec. 28 vs. Anaheim: Cheese and quackers, the playoff contenders keep coming. The Ducks are in sixth place in the West at 17-12-3.

Dec. 30 vs. New Jersey: The Blues close out 2008 against the 16-9-3 Devils, who hold the seventh spot in the East.

That, my friends, is a tough row to hoe. You could bring back Paul Kariya, Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie AND Erik Johnson and be lucky to get more than a handful of points in a stretch like that. Here’s hoping the team can get healthy soon and stay competitive enough that we’re not discussing the 2009 draft by New Year’s day.

PATERNO NOT DONE YET: 81-year-old Penn State coach Joe Paterno (he turns 82 Sunday) received a contract extension this week that runs through 2011. That means the Rams can scratch JoePa off their list of potential head coaching candidates as he’ll still be stalking the sidelines (or be seated comfortably in the coach’s booth) in Happy Valley until he’s 84 or 85 years old. Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer had a funny take on Paterno’s extension, saying, “Sometime in 2019, the holographic Inquirer that beams directly onto the tabletop in your breakfast nook will feature a story about Joe Paterno’s frozen head coaching Penn State football from a cryogenics lab in Phoenix. … Joe Paterno is going to coach Penn State football for as long as he lives, if not longer.”

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THINGS TO PONDER

DON’T BELIEVE IT, GIBBY: A bit of satire from the folks at eTrueSports.com, where they say that The Detroit Tigers have signed Iraqi right-handed pitcher Muntader al-Zaidi, 29, to a minor league contract. Zaidi, is the Baghdad television reporter who recently threw his shoes at President Bush. The Web site sources a scout who compares al-Zaidi to former Cardinal Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson, saying, “He throws angry. There won’t be any comfortable at-bats against him, I guarantee that.”

RIGHT FROM THE HORSES’ MOUTHS: According to the Associated Press, a commission has begun work to review drug controls in equestrian in response to six horses testing positive at the Beijing Olympic Games.

The riders couldn’t explain the positive tests for their mounts, but a few of the horses spoke out, with comments ranging from “I’m not here to talk about the past” to “The ‘roids weren’t for me, they were for my wife” to one horse who brazenly waved a hoof at the press while shouting, “I have never used steroids, period.” Reportedly another of the horses simply said, “No habla” and dismissed questions on the grounds they were not in his native tongue … which is “horse,” of course.

No word yet on whether or not the U.S. Senate will get involved.

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STATS OF THE DAY

44-61-21 — That’s the punting average (44 yards), longest punt (61 yards) and punts inside the 20-yard-line (21) for Giants punter Jeff Feagles, who was named to the NFC Pro Bowl team yesterday.

50.2-68-18 — That’s the punting average, longest punt and punts inside the 20 for Rams punter Donnie Jones.

Other than landing three less punts inside the 20, Donnie Jones was clearly the better punter this year. And even that stat seems easily explained, as one would assume much better field position for the Giants this year over the Rams. Jones got the shaft.