drelboc: Hey Gordo:
I think the Cardinals are, "shall I say" "forced to have an outfield by committee" because of the Chris Duncan factor. I like Chris and pull for him, but unless he begins to pound the ball he could be a real liability in the scheme of helping the Cards win ball games. How can he get into a hitting groove if he does not play? Ludwick and the others seem to be able to play by committee and produce, while Chris "I think" needs to play regularly to find his groove. The problem is; how do you get him his at bats to get him going when we need run support and defense in the Left field position?
Do you agree with this assessment and if so, if anything can be done what would you say that is?

Jeff Gordon: This is quite a dilemma for La Russa. Duncan reminded us how valuable his bat is this weekend. He worked pitchers, got good swings, demonstrated his power and got on base again and again. Chris also reminded us of his defensive limitation, struggling to make even the basic outfield plays. Right now, Ludwick, Schumaker and Ankiel have to play. They just do. Ludwick is on fire and he is a strong defender. Schumaker fills the leadoff role and Ankiel is the team's second best position player, behind Pujols.

kdw005: Can you explain to me why we don't consider Ludwick a potential starter for this team. I understand he is older than most traditional prospects but we are also needing the extra pop in the lineup. Also, if I am not mistaken he was once a pretty good prospect before injuries. So why do I feel like he is only being viewed as a bench player?

Jeff Gordon: Ludwick did fine in a part-time role last season, but he didn't do enough to cement an everyday spot in the majors. He appears to be taking that step this year, sustaining his offensive surge. Ryan will strike out plenty of times, but he could become at least a Tom Brunansky-type outfielder.

Rick Ragsdale: He's been a great closer in the past but don't you feel Izzy needs to be replaced. The Cards are in a race here and the players need to know that they still have a chance to win the close ones.

Jeff Gordon: Isringhausen would agree, which is why he begged out of the closer's role. If he throws well in middle relief, look for TLR to ease him back into the closer's role for another crack at it this year. But, no, this team can't keep losing late leads.

Tackleberry: Gordo,

I wrote in a week or two ago citing a stamina issue, with regards to Izzy's failings. So I decided to actually provide evidence of my theory. In 2007 Izzy had a dramatically better season than he had in 2006. But if you remember, Izzy's opportunities to pitch were few and far between last year which afforded him and his hip a chance to rest. Izzy seems to struggle when he is called upon to pitch on consecutive nights. Through all of the 2007 season Izzy only had 12 back-to-back appearances in 162 games. Through Friday, he already had 5 back-to-back appearances in just 38 games. That puts him on pace for almost 22 back-to-back appearances in 2008. In 2007 Izzy averaged 2.5 days between outings, so far in 2008 he is only averaging 2.1 days between appearances (1.9 if you remove his recent 5 day absence after his blown save in Houston). Dating back to August of '06, 8 of Izzy's 10 blown saves have come on the road. It is also worth noting that in 2006, his worst season on record, he had eight blown saves, only 3 more than he has in 2008.

I'm not a huge Izzy fan, but I feel like a rested Izzy is still a very good option. That being said, the Cardinals need to come up with an alternative plan for his increased workload. Regardless of his salary or experience, LaRussa needs to put his best option out there every night, and right now that is not Izzy, at least not every night.

Jeff Gordon: Izzy was much better in '07 because his surgically repaired hip help up well. That bounceback was probably aided by more frequent rest, as you noted. He says his hip is OK this season, but all the early work had to be stressful.

Is rest alone the answer for Jason? Perhaps. A mental break, followed by more careful use, could be his ticket. The Cards have several closing candidates (Franklin, McClellan, Springer, Chris Perez down at Memphis), so it would be possibly to include Izzy in a committee approach.

Kevin: How much longer can the Cardinals stay with Izzy before they try someone else in the closer role?

Jeff Gordon: That switch has been made. Will TLR give Isringhausen another chance in a week or two? Probably. But if Franklin excels in this role, it will be easier to use a committee to close games this season.