By
Erik Matuszewski
-

Mon Apr 16 12:51:29 GMT 2012

(Corrects Phillies win total in third paragraph.)

The St. Louis Cardinals have
immortalized the “Rally Squirrel” on their championship rings
for winning the World Series last season.

A squirrel ran onto the field at St. Louis’s Busch Stadium
twice during the Cardinals’ 2011 National League Division Series
against Philadelphia, including one incident in which it
streaked across home plate in Game 4 after a pitch was thrown.

The Cardinals won the final two games of the best-of-five
playoff series to eliminate the Phillies, who had a Major League
Baseball-best 102 wins during the regular season, and went on to
win their 11th World Series title.

The Cardinals included the runaway squirrel on one side of
their championship rings, with a representation of the rodent
appearing beneath the team logo and above two interlocking bats
featuring the player’s number.

The Cardinals received their World Series during a ceremony
before their April 14 game against the Chicago Cubs.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Erik Matuszewski in New York at
matuszewski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Michael Sillup at
msillup@bloomberg.net

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The Philadelphia Phillies were left haunted by the St. Louis Cardinals at the end of the 2011 season. Yet Phillies fans like myself took some sick pleasure in how the Cardinals lost Albert Pujols and Tony LaRussa afterwards. Unfortunately, the division rival Miami Marlins had a much better offseason, as they picked up Ozzie Guillen, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, a new stadium and much more.

As such, the Phillies will have an interest in seeing the first game of the baseball season on American soil. The Marlins debut their new home and new look lineup against none other than the world champion Cardinals on April 4, as they each take the field looking far different than they did six months ago.

It is more likely to be a good different for the Marlins than it is for the Cardinals, which would spell bad news for the Phillies. On the one hand, Philadelphia has to like the chance that St. Louis won’t be as tough an obstacle for the NL pennant. On the other, the Phillies still have to win the NL East again first, and the Marlins could make that very difficult.

Of course, since the Marlins are led by the volatile Guillen and took a big risk moving Hanley Ramirez to third for new shortstop Reyes, Miami could host the biggest soap opera of the season. But if everyone keeps their cool, the Marlins could be one of a few teams threatening to end the Phillies’ NL East reign.

The first clue as to how it might turn out comes in the season opener, where an established Marlin will make a big comeback. Miami actually hung around with Philadelphia for the first half of last year until ace Josh Johnson was sidelined for the season. Now that Johnson is fully healthy and has a lot more help on offense, he could carry the Marlins even more than Reyes and Ramirez if he pitches to Cy Young form.

As for the Cardinals, they are also missing the man that broke both Philadelphia and Texas’s hearts last October. Chris Carpenter eliminated the Phillies and Rangers at the end of the NLDS and World Series, yet the St. Louis ace is now sidelined with nerve irritation. Therefore, Kyle Lohse serves as the Opening Day ace, in another example of just how different this year’s Cardinals team has become.

While St. Louis and Miami look radically different now, the results could still be the same. For all we know, the Cardinals will be back on top in the NL Central five months from now, while the Marlins are out of contention again. The Phillies would prefer to have both of them out of contention, yet when it comes to these two teams, they haven’t been that lucky since October 2011.

Philadelphia could have a lot of trouble with Miami over the next several months – and the Marlins were already hard to deal with when they didn’t go on spending sprees. But maybe the Cardinals, of all teams, will start showing them and the rest of the NL East that the Marlins are only scary on paper. And if championships were decided on paper, the Phillies would have three or four of them by now.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Phillies since he was eight years old.

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Phillies injury bug even spreads to ex-Phillie Madson

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Nationals lock up Zimmerman before Phillies lock up Hamels

Baseball

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Carlos Beltran is more concerned with health than spring training stats.

Entering with a .190 average in eight exhibition games, Carlos Beltran hit his first home run for the St. Louis Cardinals, a leadoff drive off Julio Teheran in the sixth inning during Monday’s 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Beltran, who signed as a free agent after splitting last year between the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants, also had a single. His home run went deep over the right-field fence.

“I think that was a pretty good indication of his strength,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “He wristed that and it was a rocket. He’s getting close and that pretty good timing for us.”

St. Louis gave Beltran a $26 million, two-year contract following the departure of Albert Pujols. The Cardinals are confident the switch-hitter can provide run production if his troublesome knees don’t sidetrack him.

“I’m just happy that I feel good physically,” Beltran said. “I haven’t been concentrating on results. I knew that would come. My focus is on staying healthy. I’ve been working hard and my knee feels good.”

A bout with the flu and a sore shoulder did keep Beltran out of a few games, cutting the at-bats he needs to get his timing down.

“I don’t care who you are, you want to see hits as you get ready for the season,” Matheny said.

Cardinals starter Lance Lynn pitched four perfect innings, then allowed one run, two hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly in the fifth. He is being prepared to join the rotation if Chris Carpenter isn’t ready to start the season.

“I thought he did a great job,” Matheny said. “His pitch count was exactly where we wanted it and he’ll be stronger the next time out.”

Developments

Hong-Chih Kuo released by Mariners: Less than two years after making the N.L. All-Star team with the Dodgers, left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo has been released by the Seattle Mariners. Signed to a $500,000 contract last month, Kuo had a 17.55 ERA in six spring training appearances.

Game Highlights

In Clearwater, Fla., Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera left a 4-3 loss to Philadelphia with a bloody face after a hard grounder from Hunter Pence hit him near the right eye. Cabrera was taken to a hospital to receive stitches and get precautionary X-rays. Before the game, the Phillies announced that second baseman Chase Utley left camp to see a specialist for his injured knees and he’s likely to start the season on the disabled list. … In Jupiter, Fla., Miami’s Anibal Sanchez gave up six runs and seven hits in just 22/3 innings as the Marlins fell to the Astros, 7-4. … In Fort Myers, Fla., Felix Doubront’s bid for a spot in Boston’s starting rotation took a hit when he allowed eight hits in 42/3 innings. The left-hander gave up two runs, struck out three and walked one in an 8-4 loss to the Twins.

Pitching on his 24th birthday, N.L. Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw allowed one run — his first this spring — and three singles over 51/3 innings as the Dodgers beat the Indians 4-3 in Goodyear, Ariz. … Norichika Aoki had three hits, including a triple, and drove in three runs as the Brewers beat the Rangers, 5-3 in Surprise, Ariz. … In Phoenix, Manny Ramirez hit a home run off the center-field batter’s eye, about 430 feet away, and Josh Reddick and Brandon Allen also went deep as the Athletics beat the Diamondbacks 6-5.

Seattle starter Jason Vargas was pounded for seven runs and eight hits while getting just two outs in a 12-7 loss to the Cubs in Peoria, Ariz. … Chris Sale pitched two-hit ball over six innings and struck out six as the Reds beat the White Sox 1-0 in Glendale, Ariz.

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) Marlins newcomer Mark Buehrle was tagged for five runs in 2 1-3 innings and the St. Louis Cardinals defeated Miami 5-0 Friday.

Buehrle allowed six hits and walked two in his second spring training start. He threw 70 pitches against what could be the Cardinals‘ opening day lineup.

Matt Holliday hit his first home run of the spring and is batting .500 in exhibition play.

Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook tossed four shutout innings, allowing two hits.

St. Louis first baseman Lance Berkman returned to action for the first time since Sunday and doubled. He’d been out with a sore left knee.

TIGERS 9, METS 0

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) – New York Mets ace Johan Santana struggled for the first time this spring and was pulled in the third inningof a loss to Detroit.

Out of the majors last year while recovering from shoulder surgery, Santana had not allowed a run in his first two exhibition starts. But the two-time Cy Young gave up five runs – four earned – on four hits and two walks in 2 2-3 innings. He didn’t have any strikeouts.

Santana retired his first four batters, but seven of the next 10 hitters reached base against the left-hander.

Detroit starter Rick Porcello threw four scoreless innings, giving up four hits and striking out three.

ORIOLES 3, TWINS 1

FORT MYERS (AP) – Nick Blackburn had another impressive start, striking out three and allowing just one hit in four scoreless innings for a Minnesota Twins split squad in a loss to Baltimore.

The right-hander, who is coming off an inconsistent, injury-slowed 7-10 season, has given up four hits and no runs through seven innings this spring.

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, who struggled late last year with a slight right labrum tear after coming over in a trade from the Rangers, went 2 for 4 with a double.

Baltimore’s Chris Tillman gave up four hits and a run in three innings.

PIRATES 3, PHILLIES 2

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – Cliff Lee allowed two home runs in 4 2-3 innings and was out pitched by Kevin Correia, who gave up one hit in four scoreless and led Pittsburgh to a win over Philadelphia.

Starling Marte took Lee deep in the first and later singled against the former Cy Young winner. Lee allowed three runs on five hits and a walk. He struck out five.

Correia, Pittsburgh’s opening-day starter last year, breezed through a Philadelphia lineup without most of its stars. Hunter Pence was one of only a few Phillies regulars in the lineup, and he struck out twice in three at-bats.

YANKEES 4, NATIONALS 3, 10 INNINGS

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Gio Gonzalez pitched into the fourth inning and allowed one run for Washington in a loss to the New York Yankees on Friday.

Gonzalez gave up two hits and three walk in 3 1-3 innings. He had six strikeouts. The Nationals’ new starter called the outing ”a good stepping stone.”

Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer for the Yankees. CC Sabathia was touched for three runs and six hits over three innings. Phil Hughes gave up three hits in four scoreless innings.

The Yankees announced Andy Pettitte has come out of retirement, signing a minor league contract with the team.

Washington manager Davey Johnson said right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who strained his left hamstring fielding a grounder Thursday, will be out a couple weeks.

BLUE JAYS 5, RAYS 0

DUNEDIN, FLA. (AP) – Ricky Romero pitched four hitless innings and Toronto beat Tampa Bay.

Jeff Niemann, in the three-way scramble for one of the last two spots in Tampa Bay’s rotation, gave up four runs in 3 1-3 innings. Niemann had allowed just two hits and no runs over five innings in two previous starts, but he gave up eight hits this time, including a pair of RBI singles to J.P. Arencibia.

Romero struck out four. Travis Snider hit his fourth spring home run, off Jhonny Nunez in the sixth inning.

Baseball

JUPITER, Fla. — Lance Lynn is the St. Louis Cardinals’ “Plan B” for dealing with the potential absence of former Cy Young award winner Chris Carpenter.

Expected to be a member of the bullpen at the start of camp, Lynn is a possible starter in case Carpenter is unable to recover from a bulging disc in his neck. The Cardinals are also considering rookie Shelby Miller, a former No. 1 pick.

A 24-year-old year old right-hander, Lynn will make his first start of the spring on Wednesday against Houston. Both of Lynn’s appearances so far this spring have been in relief. He allowed two runs — one earned — in two innings while striking out three in his spring debut against Washington. He also threw a scoreless inning on Saturday against Miami.

Lynn made his major league debut in 2011, going 1-1 in 18 appearances (two starts) with a 3.12 ERA. He also appeared in 10 postseason games, accumulating a 2-0 record.

Carpenter left Friday’s practice with a stiff neck. He was scheduled to pitch one of Monday’s split squad games, but the Cardinals decided to send Jaime Garcia to the mound against Atlanta and start Miller against Washington.

Garcia allowed one run, three hits and two walks in a 5-4 win over the Braves. Only 21 of his 40 pitches were strikes.

Miller gave up three runs and four hits in 21/3 innings in an 8-4 loss to the Nationals.

Carpenter, who turns 37 next month, has yet to pitch in a game this spring.

Last year, Carpenter posted an 11-9 regular season record before going 4-0 in the postseason for the World Series champs. He threw 237 innings in 2011, surpassing the 190-inning mark in each of the past three seasons.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Alfonso Soriano hit his fourth home run this spring and former Germantown High star Paul Maholm pitched two innings in his exhibition debut as the Cubs beat Cincinnati, 8-6 in Mesa, Ariz. Maholm missed a handful of days early in spring because of the flu. He allowed two hits, including a solo homer by the Reds’ Todd Frazier. … Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen was ejected for arguing a foul ball call and got a wave goodbye from Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine in Boston’s 5-3 win in 10 innings at Fort Myers, Fla. … Vance Worley struck out eight in four perfect innings, Hector Luna and Jimmy Rollins homered as Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh 4-1 in Bradenton, Fla. The Pirates didn’t hit a ball out of the infield against Worley.

Tampa Bay’s James Shields allowed three hits, walked two and struck out two in four scoreless innings in the Rays’ 2-1 10-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins in Port Charlotte, Fla. … Omar Vizquel, the 44-year-old infielder auditioning for a utility job with the Blue Jays, made a couple of sparkling defensive plays at third base and hit a two-run single in Toronto’s 4-1 win over Baltimore in Dunedin, Fla.

IN DEVELOPMENTS

Briefly: Dominican Republic prosecutors say Cleveland Indians pitcher Roberto Hernandez has agreed to a deal to have false identity charges against him dropped in return for completing a work program in his Caribbean homeland. Formerly known as Fausto Carmona, Hernandez was placed on baseball’s restricted list after he was arrested in the Dominican Republic last month. Authorities say he is 31, three years older than the pitcher claimed. … Authorities say New York Mets bullpen catcher Eric Langill has been charged in a drunken driving crash in central Florida. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office reports that the 32-year-old Langill was arrested Sunday night after losing control at a traffic circle, crashing into a concrete fountain and flipping his car. Langill was arrested and charged with DUI with property damage. … Oakland Athletics center fielder Jason Pridie has been suspended 50 games for a second violation of a drug of abuse under baseball’s minor league testing program.

Although still unable to project their co-ace’s return to the mound, the St. Louis Cardinals nonetheless drew a sigh of relief upon learning Saturday that Chris Carpenter is dealing with a bulging cervical disc rather than a recurrence of career-threatening nerve issues.

“When you’re thinking of what could have been some really bad (stuff), we can take care of this and move on,” Carpenter said.

Originally projected as the club’s opening-day starter, Carpenter has not thrown since experiencing escalating neck pain following a March 3 session against Cardinals hitters. He described the discomfort as “waves of weird pain I had never experienced before.”

Carpenter’s medical history had fed concerns about

a nerve-related disorder. A nerve issue ended Carpenter’s 2004 season before the Cardinals’ playoff run. After returning from an elbow-ligament transplant in July 2008, Carpenter was again shut down by a nerve condition that affected his right biceps. He decided against surgery because of its potential risks and returned to lead the National League in ERA in 2010.

Asked about his readiness for opening day, Carpenter insisted, “I’m not concerned about it.”

Pirates: Pitcher A.J. Burnett returned to spring training camp eight days after having surgery to repair a fractured orbital bone.

Burnett has been cleared to resume workouts. He rode an exercise bike and played catch for 50 throws

in the bullpen.

Burnett said the Pirates will take a conservative approach to his rehab. He is expected to miss two to three months.

“The first few (throws) were a little hairy, I’m not going to lie,” Burnett said. “But it went fine. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

Burnett was injured Feb. 29 when he fouled a ball off his right eye during a bunting drill.

Blue Jays: Jose Bautista hit his first two homers of spring training and Travis Snider

hit his third, leading Toronto to a 5-2 win over Houston in Dunedin, Fla.

Orioles: Brian Matusz pitched four sharp innings as Baltimore beat Philadelphia 1-0 in Clearwater, Fla. Matusz, who went 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA in 2011, had struggled in his first exhibition outing this year, giving up three runs and six hits in two innings to Pittsburgh. Joe Blanton pitched three scoreless innings for the Phillies.

Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman hit two doubles and drove in two runs as a Washington split squad beat R.A. Dickey and the New York Mets 8-2 in Viera, Fla. Dickey allowed five runs and eight hits in three innings.

Mets: Third baseman David Wright is expected to miss at least another week because of soreness in his left rib cage.

Wright has not played in a spring training game this year.

Padres: Dustin Moseley worked three scoreless innings and Will Venable had three hits to help San Diego beat Cleveland 5-2 in Goodyear, Ariz.

Mariners: Hisashi Iwakuma pitched four innings in his second spring start for Seattle, and the Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers tied 5-5 in a split-squad game stopped after the ninth inning in Peoria, Ariz.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read More: Jake Westbrook (P – STL), Roy Oswalt (P – PHI), Kyle Lohse (P – STL), Carlos Beltran (RF – STL), Rafael Furcal (SS – STL), Albert Pujols (1B – ANA), Adam Wainwright (P – STL), Jaime Garcia (P – STL), St. Louis Cardinals

Starting pitching hasn’t really been a major target for the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason, but Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is reporting that they’re showing interest in free agent Roy Oswalt. Oswalt is reportedly willing to accept a one-year contract, and teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have also shown interest.

Oswalt, 34, spent last season with the Philadelphia Phillies after being a career-long Houston Astro. He only made 23 starts as he battled back issues, but he was effective when he was able to get on the mound. In 139 innings, he posted a 3.69 ERA with solid peripheral statistics, so he can still be a high-quality option even if he’s no longer a top-of-the-rotation staple.

For the Cardinals, interest likely is based on their payroll flexibility. St. Louis has had an expectedly large amount of money to spend this offseason after Albert Pujols’ departure, and while they’ve spent some of it on the likes of Rafael Furcal and Carlos Beltran, there’s probably still a bit more to spend there. Their current rotation includes Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals, be sure to visit Viva El Birdos or drop by Baseball Nation for more news and notes from around the league. Keep abreast of all MLB transactions and rumors at MLB Daily Dish.

J.C. Romero. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)