Many people were under the impression that losing Mr. Albert Pujols was going to put this team into a sleep hold that would knock them out completely--but in all reality--the organization, the team, the players, the city, and the fans are all making it the exact opposite--they are going for greatness.
In an off-season that sent away a player that has imprinted his name all over the Cardinals' record and history books, as well as a manager that did the same, that era came to an abrubt end. While it left many of us heart broken and saddened, it also gave a reality dose to all of us fans and people assosicated with the sport of baseball, that it is indeed nothing more than a business.
With that said, 'Cardinal Nation' is a family. Sure, it's also a business at the same time, but when you are a Cardinal--fan, player, worker, employee, or anybody that is associated with the organization--you're apart of a sacred family that has made Busch Stadium earn the infamous name of "Baseball Heaven".
This season, the story is being wrote, except right now is just the beginning. One era ended, but another one has started. The eleven time world champion Cardinals' don't rebuild, we are currently showing the baseball world that we most certainly do reload.
Through thirty games in the new season, the team is 19-11, which is currently atop the standings in both the NL Central division, and the entire National League.
Injuries have occured a lot more often than we all would like, but it hasn't seemed to slow this team down at all--not even one bit. Nevermind the fact that the team hasn't even seen a single pitch from a yearly Cy-Young candiate in Chris Carpenter, or that Adam Wainwright was out for a couple of weeks still fully recovering from elbow surgery, or the fact that the offense had been without Allen Craig, Lance Berkman, Skip Schumaker, and Jon Jay all for an extended period of time--forget it all, because it's only going to get better from here on out.
Matheny is building a great atomsphere here in "Baseball Heaven". Sure, it is certainly different from the hard-nosed baseball that La Russa (one of the greatest managers of all-time) had the team playing, but all-in-all, it is entertaining--and it's getting the job done as well.
The Cardinals' offense is ranked number two in all of the Major Leagues in categories all across the board. The team has scored 167 runs, which at the moment, only ranks behind the Texas Rangers' 170 runs. Also, the team has totaled up 487 total bases thus far, which is second in the ML as well. They have tallied 297 total hits on the season, and lead the majors with an impressive total of eleven triples.
Carlos Beltran has turned out to be an amazing pickup thus far, which has been a big reason why the team has been this good. Along with stellar defense that he has displayed, he has hit a team-leading ten home-runs and twenty-seven RBIs.
Beltran was indeed a great pickup. He compliments the legend that was born last October, David Freese, to a T. Freese has continued his story with an electric start to the 2012 season as he is batting .295 with seven home-runs and twenty-six RBIs (which both rank second on the ball club).
Leadoff man Rafael Furcal has made a huge impact as he has 44 hits so far. He also has drove in fifteen runs, and hit two home-runs--which isn't bad at all coming from the leadoff spot in the lineup.
Although Berkman has missed some time due to injury (and is scheduled to be back on Friday against Atlanta), Allen Craig has come back from off-season surgery and hasn't been bad filling in at his future spot at first-base. Getting Craig's bat will add a lot of much-needed power, which will only be a bonus. So far, in just seven games, Craig has hit three home runs and driven in eleven runs. He is once again looking like he could be a 30 home run, 100 RBI man very soon in the near future.
As for the pitching staff, they have been very impressive as well. In fact, they have been soley a huge reason for this current 19-11 start. Considering they haven't gotten a single start from Carpenter yet--and Wainwright just now starting to look like he's gained his old form again--this staff of guys has been lights out.
Through thirty games so far, the team has tallied the second-best earned-run average as it is down to an overall of 3.11. The only staff that has been better in the Majors this season has been Washington, who's being led by the young sensation of Stephen Strausburg and who's ERA is a very impressive 2.64. The Cardinals are tied for eighth in the league with twenty quality starts, and have an impressive opponents batting average of the MLB's sixth best overall, at .234.
Cardinals pitching staff on the season through 30 games played. The team has allowed an MLB best just ninety-two runs as well.
Lance Lynn has been the big story of the entire team so far. In six starts total, Lynn is 6-0 with an ERA of 1.40. He has pitched thirty-eight and two-third innings (which is second most on the team) and has given up just six earned runs and three homers on a team-low from starting pitchers, twenty-two hits.
Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook have also brought it to start the young season as they have combined for nine wins in thirteen starts. Adam Wainwright, who has made six starts since returning from a year-long layoff, is finally starting to regain his old form. After starting sluggish, he has won two straight games. In thirty-three and two-thirds innings, Waino has allowed twenty-one runs on thirty-six hits.
The team still has some money to spend, and with the club finally starting to get healthy, there is a lot to look forward too. Rumors are still spreading that free-agent starting pitcher Roy Oswalt could still be a possibility--and it could become a big time addition with Carpenter expected to come back eventually.
No matter how good of an individual that you are, or have been for that matter, you will never be as big as the logo that is reprensented on the front of the jersey in Saint Louis--and the boys of summer in "Baseball Heaven" are showing just that.
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