The ugly unkempt mess beyond the Busch Stadium center-field fence was not unlike the St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation when the season began.
There was so much potential for growth, but few, if anyone, expected anything glorious to materialize. Well, the eyesore still exists outside the park — plans for a shopping village remain on hold — but inside something remarkable has happened.
The Cardinals have gone from last year’s dull ache to this season’s feel-good story because of their starting pitching. St. Louis entered the weekend with a 15-5 record and the game’s lowest ERA (3.30).
All this without Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder or Matt Clement.
This is a group — Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse, Braden Looper, Todd Welle- meyer and Joel Piñeiro — not with a chip on its shoulders, but a whole bag of Fritos.
“They feel they have something to prove and have approached each start like, ‘This won’t be my last and here’s why,’ ” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said.
Baseball executives who have followed the Cardinals closely don’t believe their starters can keep this up. Yet, if the Cardinals can stick around in the National League Central race, they should get Carpenter back at the all-star break.
This is the backdrop as St Louis arrives Monday in Denver for a four-game series. They were supposed to be so many blue dots for the Rockies to gobble up like purple Pac Men. Instead, Colorado is playing the role of St. Louis, circa 2007. Critical injuries, lacking performance, stifling expectations — sound familiar?
Most encouraging to the Cardinals’ fans is that this team has gone young. Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds and David Eckstein have exited. As promised by manager Tony La Russa, the fans would never be embarrassed by this club’s effort.
Skip Schumaker and Rick Ankiel have been catalysts in a lineup that is blending small ball with Moneyball — combining little things and a high on-base percentage.
“We are changing how we approach the game,” said Mozeliak, a University of Colorado graduate. “And Tony is doing an excellent job of adjusting and playing the matchups.”
Micah the Marvelous.
Arizona’s Micah Owings is becoming a mythical figure in the desert. Sure, he’s 4-1 as a pitcher, but his hitting is what’s inspiring wows. He entered the weekend with a career .354 average and five home runs in 79 at-bats. He helped win a game last week with a pinch-hit blast in the sixth inning. It prompts the question: Is it time to start platooning the athletic Owings in the outfield on the days he’s not pitching?
“We are all right-handed in the outfield, and we don’t want his hitting to detract from his pitching,” Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes said. “So he’ll be used creatively, but not irresponsibly.”
Up from the ashes.
April can be remarkably misleading, like a date in the wrong light or a tofu burger. Anyone remember first baseman Chris Shelton? Thought so. Nonetheless, there are a handful of players whose first month must be recognized.
The list starts with Indians pitcher Cliff Lee. He was signed to a long-term contract last winter then stunk, was shipped to Triple-A in part because of his stubbornness, as well as ineffectiveness. He reported to camp in great shape and went 5-0 with a 0.96 ERA in April.
And don’t forget Pittsburgh’s Nate McLouth. The outfielder has seven home runs, the same as Matt Holliday, Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe combined.
Footnotes.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said critics were probably eating their computer keys following San Francisco’s respectable start. The team’s advertising slogan is “All Out.” The joke was that it should be “All Outs” given the Giants’ lineup. But they have shown surprising athleticism — see Fred Lewis — setting a franchise record for stolen bases in April. This team might not approach .500, but it will be fun to watch, a nice change of pace following the final joyless seasons of Barry Bonds. . . . White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was seen talking to slumping Nick Swisher’s bats recently. “I was telling the bat that it was getting me fired.” . . . Travis Hafner’s loss of power is becoming a real concern in Cleveland. He has averaged just one home run every 25 at-bats since last May. He’s hitting seventh, for now. . . . The Rays’ bullpen is beyond their encouraging start. After the relievers posted a 6.16 ERA last season, they are under 3.00 this season. . . . Arizona right-hander Max Scherzer joined the Diamondbacks’ rotation less than two years after he was drafted in the first round. Scherzer brings 98-mph heat with a nasty slider and changeup. Some scouts have compared his stuff to that of a young Kerry Wood. Talked to a Rockies minor-leaguer who faced Scherzer in Triple-A last month and he labeled his stuff “filthy.”
Eye on
Kosuke Fukudome, OF, Chicago Cubs
Background: Fukudome wasn’t Hideki Matsui in Japan, a man known as “Godzilla.” He wasn’t Kazuo Matsui, whose fielding flair and tinted hair drew raves. And he certainly wasn’t Daisuke Matsuzaka, a national treasure whose every move makes news. Fukudome’s Chunichi Dragons won a league title last season, but he wasn’t a factor because of an injured elbow. The Cubs had been tracking him for a long time and landed the outfielder with a four-year, $48 million contract that includes eight first-class round-trip tickets to Japan, a personal masseuse and a car in spring training.
What’s up: Fukudome has become a cult hero at Wrigley Field, with “Fukudome is my Homie” the most popular shirts at the ballpark. He’s hitting .353 with a .455 on-base percentage in 27 games. He had fans at goodbye as they waved adios to a home run on opening day.
What’s next: Fukudome has a chance to become only the fourth Cubs rookie to make the all-star team, joining Don Johnson, Toby Atwell and Sam Jones.
Renck’s take: Pitchers who have faced him marvel at his patience, knowledge of his hot zone and his ability to fight off inside pitches. His swing looks vividly reminiscent of Kazuo Matsui from the left side. He keeps the barrel in the hitting zone forever and has surprising gap power. Perhaps most impressive is the idea that Fukudome might have been — like Ichiro Suzuki before him — sandbagging in spring training. Fukudome was terrible in Arizona, but he’s suddenly baseball’s next sensation, giving the Cubs one of the NL’s top offenses.
At issue
Rockies’ future with Atkins, Holliday and Stewart
What: The injury to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has caused fans to call for Garrett Atkins to move to second base with Ian Stewart manning third. It was assumed that either Atkins or Stewart would be traded this offseason, but it’s becoming clear that both are linked to Matt Holliday’s future contract talks as well. General manager Dan O’Dowd told me as much last week when I relayed fans’ concerns about the future of Atkins and Stewart.
When: Talks with Holliday either late this season or this offseason will be critical in shaping the Rockies’ plans. Colorado needs to get serious in its negotiations.
Background: The Rockies have Holliday signed through next year at $13.5 million, but that doesn’t guarantee that he will be back in 2009. He can become a free agent after the 2009 season. If Holliday and the team cannot bridge financial gaps and it becomes obvious they won’t, he could be a candidate to be traded. The mere idea is chilling given Holliday’s presence in the lineup and the community. If Holliday is traded, Stewart could be shifted to left field.
Renck’s take: Nearly everyone has conceded that the Rockies won’t pony up for Holliday — even O’Dowd acknowledged that $100 million is the jumping-off point. The terms of the contract could be the killer given ownership’s reluctance to commit more than five years to a 28-year-old player. To me, Holliday should be viewed as the exception given his remarkable physical condition. He said that he would be “disgusted with himself” if he wasn’t in great shape at age 35. I am not ready to say a long-term deal won’t happen for two reasons: both Holliday and O’Dowd’s creativity. Holliday has shown a willingness to work with the Rockies — he isn’t looking for top dollar and loves his teammates. If escape clauses can be written in to protect the player and team after five years, there’s more than a puncher’s chance he stays.
THREE UP
1. Diamondbacks:They have gone 17-5 against the NL West.2. Tigers:First sweep at Yankee Stadium since 1966.3. Rays:Posted first winning April in franchise history.THREE DOWN
1. Rockies:Tulo hurt, Morales demoted, Corpas slumping, what next?
2. Yankees:A-Rod, Posada and Hughes all land on the DL.
3. Blue Jays:Went 7-for-66 with RISP during forgettable road trip.
