THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Cards went 5-2 against the Dodgers in two series played back in July and August. That was then. This is now. How do you think the Cardinals match up with the Dodgers?

DERRICK GOOLD
St. Louis’ regular-season success masks the fact that the Cardinals didn’t really hit well against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In seven games this past season, the Cardinals, as a lineup, hit .218 with a .306 on-base percentage and a .343 slugging percentage. The Dodgers were able to contain the middle of the Cardinals’ order, pitching around Pujols (who hit .222 vs. LA, but had a .400 on-base percentage) and handcuffing Ryan Ludwick (.192/.276/.192). Matt Holliday offers somewhat of a deterrent there for the Dodgers, but he too had his troubles with LA pitching (4-for-22 at Dodger Stadium). All of that reveals how the Cardinals went 5-2 against the Dodgers this season: pitching. And that hasn’t changed from the regular season to October. Of all of the numbers that can be tossed out there to illustrate the Division Series ahead, it’s really two names that define the Cardinals’ edge in this series: Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.

RICK HUMMEL
The edge the Cardinals have over the Dodgers is that they have two premier, top-of-the-line starters in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright and the Dodgers have only one — and Clayton Kershaw still is in training. But Kershaw could be deadly pitching in Thursday afternoon’s twilight. The 5-2 mark is very misleading because many of the games were very close but in a five-game series, the team having two outstanding starting pitchers who potentially could make four starts is the better team.

JEFF GORDON
Randy Wolf will be a major pain for the Cardinals, given his ability to exploit their various offensive weaknesses. And LA has hammers at the back of its bullpen. But the Cards have a huge advantage with top-end pitching and with the Pujols/Holliday combo. The Dodgers are still sorting through their pitchers. The Cards seem set up to prevail in a short series. Neither team played great down the stretch and both teams have playoff-tested Hall of Fame-caliber managers, so this will be fun.

GERRY FRALEY
This is, by far, the better matchup for the Cardinals. The Dodgers lack a dominating starter. Their opening-game starter, lefthander Randy Wolf, is the bad-karma pitcher of the season. The Dodgers have nine blown saves behind Wolf, who has trouble getting beyond the sixth inning. Lefthander Clayton Kershaw allowed 4.79 walks per nine innings and also usually departs in the middle innings. The bullpen is fried after working 553 innings, the third-highest total in the majors. (The Cardinals’ bullpen had the fewest innings in the majors at 437.) The Cardinals were also among the first team to discover that Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers’ No. 3 hitter, can no longer handle hard stuff inside. Ramirez went 4-for-28 with no homers, one RBI and only two extra-base hits during the season series with the Cardinals.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Assuming the St. Louis Cardinals do acquire a couple more players via free agency or trade sometime before the season starts, are there any players you’d specifically like to see the team pursue?

JOE STRAUSS
Randy Wolf, Jon Garland and Braden Looper are names I’d key on at the first suggestion of a continued problem with Chris Carpenter (or any other member of the rotation). Let’s be blunt. Since acquiring Carpenter, the Cardinals have reached the postseason every year in which he’s delivered 28 or more starts (’04, ’05, ’06). They’ve tanked every year in which he has failed to do so (’03, ’07, ’08). There remains an alarming lack of depth within the rotation. I have a feeling one of the previously mentioned three would be willing to accept a one-year deal plus an option with the opportunity to re-file for free agency in a better economic climate. I frankly believe the Cardinals have a better chance of surviving the season with Jason Motte and Chris Perez closing than with their rotation exposed without Carpenter (or Wain’o). If Carpenter reaches spring training ready to go, great. But listing Kyle McClellan, Mitchell Boggs, Brad Thompson, Jesse Todd, etc. as a “No. 6 starter” suggests more crunch time for the bullpen.

RICK HUMMEL
I’m a big fan of lefthanded starting pitching. I’d like to see the Cardinals get either Randy Wolf or Oliver Perez. I would even take a chance on oft-injured righthander Ben Sheets.

DERRICK GOOLD
The more I look at what the Cardinals have done to improve the left side of the bullpen, the less convinced I am that they can 100-percent bank on actually being improved. Trever Miller is a clear upgrade, but the Cardinals themselves questioned his health. The other candidates are intriguing, but there’s isn’t a guarantee. So much hinges on the integrity of Miller’s labrum. To assure that the left side of the bullpen is better in 2009 than it was in 2008, bring on Will Ohman. Believed to be one of the first lefties who was going to sign this winter— with Atlanta, no less — Ohman is still out there. They wanted him in July, they can still get him in January. Beyond Ohman, for me the most fascinating free agent is — cue Joe Strauss’ signature derisive chuckle — Smoke Laval’s former ace, Ben Sheets. Sure his health is a concern, but he’s made at least 20 starts in all but one season and did pitch 198 innings in 2008. Roll the die on Cy: Get either Sheets or Chris Carpenter healthy and pitching to form and the Cardinals are in position to contend. Get both … and they are a favorite.

JEFF GORDON
This team needs a capable left-handed starter. In this favorable marketplace, it appears Oliver Perez could slip through the cracks IF the Mets sign Derek Lowe. Perez is a guy with huge potential. Maybe Dave Duncan could make him into something on a two-year basis. Failing that, Randy Wolf would be a good fit if the Dodgers don’t go overboard to bring him back to the West Coast. He’s been hurt a lot, but he knows how to pitch. This team also needs a stronger left-handed relief option. It would be a shame if the Cards struggled there this season after taking a pass on more credible lefties in the market. John Mozeliak has every opportunity to upgrade the left side of his pitching staff. Do it!

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

RICKEY MIGHTY HAPPY FOR RICKEY: Rickey Henderson, baseball’s all-time stolen bases and runs scored leader, and power-hitting outfielder Jim Rice were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Henderson got in on the first ballot, while Rice made it in on the last time he would be eligible. The pair will be inducted into the Hall July 26. Players must be named on 75 percent of the ballot for induction. Mark McGwire received just 21.9 percent of the vote.

Speaking of McGwire, I’m beginning to wonder if his omission from Hall of Fame voting has less to do with his suspected used of performance enhancers and more to do with how poor his Hall of Fame induction speech might be when he got to the podium and simply said, “I’m not here to talk about the past.”

SO LONG, TONY: 53-year-old Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy is expected to announce his retirement at a press conference this afternoon. Dungy’s success as head coach is undeniable … after 13 seasons (six with Tampa Bay and seven with the Colts), he ranks 19th in all-time victories in the NFL, leading his teams to 148 career wins including the playoffs, and he led the Colts to the 2006 Super Bowl championship. Dungy also ranks 3rd all-time in winning percentage for a coach who has coached at least 50 games with one team, going .759 with the Colts.

The NFL has lost a truly great coach, and perhaps even more importantly, an inspirational leader and a true gentleman of the game. We wish him the best in future endeavors.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

LIFE OF REILLY: I’ve read a lot of articles and columns belittling the BCS bowl process and the fact that an undefeated Utah team got completely snubbed in the process. But of all I read, perhaps no one said it better than Rick Reilly. If you’re not tired of the subject, check out what he had to say.

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STAT OF THE DAY

1 — Number of black head coaches to win a Super Bowl. That would be Tony Dungy.