The vibe going around the clubhouse instead Busch Stadium and with the Saint Louis Cardinals following the news that he will miss at least six to eight weeks is that the team needs to continue to stay positive. First place is currently still ours, and it's something that no matter tha current injuries the team has, every player in uniform should have that in mind.
This team, which is now only just a half game ahead of the Dusty Baker-led Reds of Cincinnati for first-place, has been plagued with injuries all season and honestly, it hasn't seemed to phase them one bit yet--as they are 22-19 on the season.
The offense has been without the likes of Lance Berkman, Jon Jay, and Allen Craig--all of which have missed time all together at once--as well as still not having a single pitch thrown from CY Young canidate Chris Carpenter, Kyle Clellan, and a few others.
If there is one thing that is for sure, it's that this team has been injury-bug bitten big time.
Although there really is never any bright sides of injuries such as the one that Berkman has, but it certainly makes it a special thing to have the sort of depth that Cards' GM John Mozaliek and his front office have in certain needs of time like the exact one going on.
The front office did a great job following the departure of long-time future first-ballot hall-of-famer Albert Pujols', and secretly just now being known, planned ahead for it. As well as the offense has done--and many people I have been around talking baseball with say it's just early-season and won't continue, I whole heartedly disagree.
It's something that I have put a lot of thought into about losing players such as an Albert, or a superstar that has normally been the guy holding the team together--and this one got me to thinking.
Craig just returning from surgery may be the best thing to happen to this team. Now with his reappearance, Berkman will be getting replaced by the likes of Craig, who not to forget, hit three home runs in his first World Series appearance last season during the magical title run.
Carlos Beltran, who has always been a majorly-annoying but amazing Cardinal-killer, was a huge acquisition to the ball club, and has been nothing short of amazing for the team this season.In forty-one games so far, has accounted for thirty-nine hits and a team-lead thirteen home runs--as well as scoring twenty-eight runs scored driving in thirty-three RBIs.
The definite goal for the success of this team's season hinges a lot on the health of a few key players--as well as sticking to the motto that Tony La Russa always had the Cardinals playing--"Always play a hard nine.".
The team has a lot of veterans, as well as rookies and project players that have an awful lot of potential to do damage all season long--even through injuries.
The pitching staff has been quitely improving as well. Coming from a staff that was filled with a lot of question marks entering this season, including having two ace's that started injured, and a few hole's in the bullpen, they sure have come a long way.
Lance Lynn has been the main ingredient in the equation, as in seven starts so far, he has posted an overall record of 6-1 with an earned-run average of 2.31.
Lohse, Westbrook, Gacia and Wainwright all have combined for a total of fourteen wins, and have helped a Cardinals pitching staff that has the majors' fifteenth best earned-run average of 3.65 in a total of 365 innings-pitched. The pitching staff has given up 148 earned-runs and has struck out 297 batters while walking just one-hundred eleven walks--with 23 quality starts.
Despite all of the injuries that have been going on with this team, the Cardinals are definently only going to get better. Injuries haven't slowed this team down early-on, and although as it has been said it really is early on, the depth on this team should and will get stronger and better as the chemistry and health continues to improve.
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