As the chapter closed on a remarkable August that saw the St. Louis Cardinals go 20-6 and open a 10.5-game division lead, our thoughts now turn to September. In honor of the ninth month of the calendar, here are nine burning questions as the Cardinals wrap up the regular season and prepare for the postseason.
1) What will be Smoltzie’s role? He’s been better than I expected as a starter. Granted, the Padres and Nationals are terrible teams, but it’s evident that John Smoltz still has the stuff to pitch in the big leagues. With injuries to Kyle Lohse and Todd Wellemeyer, Smoltz will stay in the rotation for the next couple weeks. In a perfect world, Lohse returns to the rotation and gets 2 to 3 starts under his belt, thus allowing Smoltz to shift to the bullpen. But what if Lohse and Wellemeyer can’t get back into form? Does Smoltz stay in the rotation? You wouldn’t likely need him as a starter in the division series, but you could see him making a start or two in the league championship series and the World Series.
2) Can I get some (right-handed) relief? If there’s one dent in the armor, it’s right-handed relief. As stated previously, hopefully Lohse returns to form and Smoltz makes a smooth transition to set-up man. Otherwise, who steps up from the right side to bridge the gap to Ryan Franklin? Blake Hawksworth has been good overall, but he has allowed 3 runs in his past 5 outings going into Tuesday night. Kyle McClellan is a solid reliever, but right-handed batsmen hit about 90 points higher (.265) against him as opposed to left-handed sluggers (.176). Jason Motte clearly isn’t an option. Cross your fingers that Smoltz emerges as the man.
3) What can we expect from Troy Glaus? I love to think he would be a valuable weapon off the bench. However, Glaus batted just .216 at Memphis with 17 strikeouts in 51 at-bats. He did smack 3 homers, but his overall numbers are pretty weak. Can Tony La Russa afford to put Glaus on the postseason roster with his suspect right shoulder? It doesn’t seem fair to expect much from a guy who has missed most of the season. If Glaus finds his stroke, he could be quite the weapon as a late-inning pinch hitter or as the DH in the World Series (like Jim Thome could be for the Dodgers). Another thought: Glaus could play some 1B in the final days of the regular season to offer Pujols some rest.
4) What about the hunt for home field advantage? Questions abound about the Cardinals keeping their edge with a 10.5-game lead. Yet the Cards, Phillies and Dodgers are locked in a tight battle for home-field advantage in the National League playoffs. While the extra home game would be ideal, La Russa has to think about keeping his players fresh entering what will hopefully be a long October run. How will La Russa juggle the rotation with 5 off days? Can he work in time off for Pujols, Holliday and other regulars without losing their grooves at the plate? Knowing our skipper, he’ll keep the pedal to the medal in an attempt to have home-field advantage.
5) Where is the offense? It’s time for the lineup to pick it up. For all the good feelings in Cardinal Nation, the lineup has been pedestrian in recent weeks. In August, the Redbirds were 13th in runs (4.5 runs per game), 13th in homers, 10th in average, and 14th in extra-base hits in the National League. A sign of a great team is one that is balanced. Although the offense has put up run-of-the-mill statistics, it has delivered timely hits and given the starting staff enough of a cushion. Still, you like to see a little more from this lineup.
6) What about personal milestones? Can Skip Schumaker finish with a second straight .300 season (.295 at the moment)? Can Brendan Ryan keep his name in the Gold Glove discussion? Can Joel Pineiro match or exceed his career high in wins (16 in Seattle in 2003)? Will Ryan Franklin reach 40 saves and lead the N.L. or MLB in saves? Can Adam Wainwright win 20 games for the first time? Will Albert Pujols win his first HR title (41 entering Tuesday)? Will Chris Carpenter win his first ERA title (2.20 entering this week)?
7) Can we clear mantle space? Every start by Carpenter and Wainwright will be closely scrutinized in what should be a close Cy Young Award race with Dan Haren and Tim Lincecum. In the MVP race, Pujols faces competition from Ryan Howard (37 HR, 111 RBI) and Prince Fielder (36 HR, 119 RBI). Pujols has had a so-so 2nd half (by his standards), but a big September would solidify his case for a second straight MVP award.
8) How about some love for Dave Duncan? We learned more details behind Duncan’s unhappiness with the organization, the media and the fan base in Sunday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch. You can question his timing, but I say Cardinal Nation needs to show Duncan how much we appreciate his work here and hope his 14th season in St. Louis won’t be his last. Would you want him to land in Chicago or Houston or Cincinnati in 2010?
9) How about a standing ovation for the fans? We saw four curtain calls for players during Friday’s game against Washington, but the fans deserve one from ownership and the front office for their continued support. The Cards are expected to draw 3.3 million fans, which would be the sixth consecutive season -- and 10th in the past 11th -- of 3 million-plus fans through the Busch Stadium turnstiles. The terrific support -- about 500,000 more than anticipated -- allowed ownership to give GM John Mozeliak the wherewithal to acquire DeRosa, Holliday and Co. Kudos to the fans and the front office for stepping up.
What are your thoughts as the regular season winds down and the postseason heats up? I love to hear from you.
Thanks for reading.
Gabriel Kiley is a freelance sports writer based in St. Louis. Feel free to post your comments below or on my Twitter page.