Tim: Waht will the Cards do with their roster when the 3 remaining startrs are back? You figure when Mulders back Wellemeyer will be moved into the pen and then when Clement is Possbibly Looper but what about when Carpenter comes back then you got six starters for 5 spots and to make thing harder what if Wellemeyer and looper tear it up.

Jeff Gordon: At some point, the Cards will have to trade somebody -- especially since Reyes is taking to the relief role surprisingly well. Lohse would have considerable trade value if Mozeliak determines that he can't extend him. Same for Looper, who is in the last year of his deal. These are front-of-the-rotation guys, but they could be solid injury replacements.

All this presumes that Clement and Carpenter will make it back to their old form in a timely fashion. That is still a big if.

Bill: As a longtime Cardinal fan living now in Pennsylvania, I appreciate your expert and well-written articles and the chance to ask you a question.

Living out of state, I usually hear the broadcasts of Cardinal opponents' radio and TV. Several have commented, with mild negative surprise, on the propensity of Cardinal pitchers to make attempts at fielding balls that would otherwise go to the infielders, unintentionally deflecting balls and preventing quite a few outs and double plays.

I understand that pitchers can prevent hits up the middle, but is it wise to take a stab at balls hit far to the left or right? Are they coached to do this?

Jeff Gordon: Pineiro had particular trouble with this Sunday. It's a reflex play. Sometimes a pitcher can steal a hit up the middle and sometimes they deflect the ball away from a fielder. But you can't tell them to lay off balls hit up the middle, since their first instinct is to protect themselves and their second instinct is to play the game.

What you can do is work on pitcher fielding. Just ask Jim Leyland about that.

Ron Phillips: With Rick Ankiel having such a good start in 2008, would he be a possible Comeback Player of the Year if he continues to have a good 2008 season? Does the time he spent with the Cardinals at the end of 2007 rule him out?
Thanks

Jeff Gordon: He is an interesting case. Since he only played part of '07, he could be in line for that sort of honor. Certainly he is a rare case, a top young major league pitcher repackaged as an emerging outfielder. He looked like a star in one career, then changed up and looks just as promising in the other career. We haven't seen that in the contemporary game.

matt MVP stroehms: hey man,

jw, but where are the likes of these guys:

Jon Gall
Bud Smith
Hector Luna (cle?)
and even Rusty Greer?

thanks Gordo...

Jeff Gordon: Gall went to spring training with the Marlins as a non-roster guy. Luna finished last season with Toronto after getting claimed from Cleveland on waivers. He went to camp with the Jays as a non-roster guy and didn't make it. Smith tried to revive his career with an independent league team in Long Beach, but he couldn't make it back to the majors. Greer formally retired in 2005.

Bryan S: With everybody talking about Jake Long being the next great offensive tackle...didn't they said the same thing about Robert Gallery in Oakland?

Jeff Gordon: Yeah, but, again, great OTs are almost impossible to find. Long is a stellar workout guy and a young man of great character, but he still has to adapt to the pro game - which is a LOT different than playing Big Ten football. Long has the tools, but he is hardly the same sort of natural athlete that Pace was coming out of school. Pace was (and still is) and physical freak, a huge man who is very light on his feet.