By Jake McCormick
It’s the All-Star Break and the St. Louis Cardinals are partying like it’s 1985. Literally. Instead of sporting retro powder blue jerseys, Cardinal starters and some position players are growing moustaches in true Tom Lawless and Todd Worrell fashion.
I guess when you’re exceeding preseason expectations and holding first place in a competitive division, even porn star attributes are acceptable. The Cardinals are positioned to hold steady in the NL Central race heading into the season’s second half, but it’s time to look at some of the reasons they are defying the “experts” who had already bet on the Cubs turning in a dominating regular season and subsequent World Series appearance.
First half MVP: Albert Pujols (.337 BA, .461 OBP, 32 HR, 87 RBI, 10 SB 71 walks, 35 strikeouts)
Is there even an argument to be made against Pujols as the baseball MVP of the Planet Earth? Pujols has a legitimate shot at the Triple Crown and is on pace to become the first player to post 60 home runs under the new MLB performance-enhancement drug testing policies. Most players and fans would be content with any player posting those numbers by the end of the year, and Pujols has been a model of consistency and leadership even without Miller Lite sponsored protection to lock in his carbonated swing for maximum power. As Pujols goes so do the Cardinals, regardless of who bats behind or in front of him.
Most Improved Player: Ryan Franklin (0.79 ERA, 21 out of 22 SV, 27 K, 0.79 WHIP)
Franklin has stabilized a bullpen that spent most of the 2008 season throwing batting practice and notched an impressive 31 blown saves on the year. If the bullpen had only took 19 craps, the Cardinals would’ve won the NL Central and easily ran away with the Wild Card. The numbers this year are much more promising. The St. Louis bullpen has recorded six “here we go again” groans and only one by Franklin, and is ranked fourth in the National League with a 3.64 ERA. The Cardinals finished last year 25th in save percentage, but are ranked third at this point in 2009. Franklin will undoubtedly falter a few more times in the second half, but he’s been a force so far and has St. Louis all but forgetting Jason Isringhausen’s sad tumble from stardom to obscurity.
Biggest strength: The pitching ‘stache’
Carpenter! Wainwright! Piniero! Lohse! Wellemeyer! By their moustaches combined, they are the Cardinals pitching staff!
With an offense that has struggled to find consistency behind Pujols, St. Louis pitchers have registered a combined 3.76 ERA, good for third in the National League. The Duncan/La Russa philosophy teaches development of consistent control, inducing ground balls, and trusting the defense to make plays. With the exception of historically bad Todd Wellemeyer, the Cardinal pitchers have excelled in these categories.
St. Louis’ groundball-to-fly ball ratio is .97, whereas the league average is a much lower .80, and they lead the league in total defensive chances and assists. They are tied for the league lead in shutouts (three), tied for third in home runs allowed (47), and are second in walks with 161. Wainwright and Piniero average 6.8 innings per start, with Carpenter slightly below that at 6.4 innings. If all three pitchers keep competing for the role of staff ace, the Cardinals will undoubtedly be talking playoffs come September.
Biggest weakness: Outfield production and Pujols protection
The production from the two, four, and five spots in the order looks significantly different compared to last year. Here are the 2008 midseason numbers for Rick Ankiel, Ryan Ludwick, Troy Glaus, and Albert Pujols:
Ankiel – 20 HR, 50 RBI, .270 BA/.343 OBP
Ludwick – 21 HR, 65 RBI, .289 BA/.365 OBP
Glaus – 15 HR, 59 RBI, .276 BA/.377 OBP
Pujols – 18 HR, 50 RBI, .350 BA/.466 OBP
Now look at their 2009 numbers:
Ankiel – 5 HR, 22 RBI, .215 BA/.278 OBP
Ludwick – 15 HR, 54 RBI, .264 BA/.333 OBP
Glaus – incapacitated, although he has taken a rehab assignment in class A Palm Beach
Pujols – 32 HR, 87 RBI, .332 BA/.456 OBP, 10 team-leading SB
What we have here is a failure to produce. Ankiel has as many home runs as Khalil Greene, and the third base combination of Joe Thurston, Greene, and Brian Barden have barely reached a quarter of Glaus’ 2008 midseason totals. Despite the influx of Yugos parked next to the Porsche in the Cardinals lineup, there have been encouraging signs of life lately. Center fielder Colby Rasmus is setting himself up for Rookie of the Year honors, and is getting dangerously comfortable batting in front of Pujols. Ludwick has returned to form and tallied a .305 batting average, 6 home runs, and 25 RBIs over the past month. Add in a healthy Mark DeRosa at third base, and St. Louis starts to look like the most complete team in the NL Central.
Second half expectations
With the All-Star Game in the rearview mirror, the Cardinals’ are the healthiest and most complete team in their division. But there are still questions surrounding consistent play from every part of the lineup except the three hole, and it remains to be seen if the pitching staff can continue to perform on all fronts. The moustache revolution has boosted St. Louis morale in hopes of continuing its first half success, but it remains to be seen if the comparisons to the 1985 Cardinals extend beyond fashion statements.