Chris Russell posted on June 13, 2012 04:25
The shocking regression and midseason meltdown of the St. Louis Cardinals has allowed fans to watch two polar opposite versions of a baseball team. Injuries and some bad luck have certainly played their parts in the troubling transformation, but the starting pitching has collapsed in on itself, and the bullpen – once considered the strength of the ballclub – has been insufferably ineffective. The offense still ranks near or at the top in virtually every NL category, but the timely hitting that boosted the Cards in the first six weeks of the season now eludes them. In games where the pitching holds up their end of the bargain, the offense falters. And when the big bats show up, the arms can’t seem to keep crooked numbers off the board. It’s Murphy’s Law at this point and things need to be rectified. Holes must be patched. Ships must be righted. Third place behind the Reds and the Pirates is no place for the NL’s most decorated team to be sitting in mid-June.
That being said, there is still time and the team certainly has its bright spots. In fact, the Cards should have three locks for Tony LaRussa’s squad at this year’s Midsummer Classic in Kansas City, and another player or two on the bubble. To keep the positive vibe going, here’s a look at who will likely be headed to the All Star game, and why.
Rafael Furcal, SS
The former Rookie of the Year has regained his old form and appears to have stumbled onto the Fountain of Youth. Typically known as an oft-injured player and frequent resident of the disabled list, Furcal has managed to play in 59 of the Cardinals 61 games this season and leads the club with his 240 at-bats. But it’s what he’s done in those ABs that warrant his inclusion for this year’s All Star roster. Prior to Tuesday’s game he is hitting .304, getting on base at a .358 clip and owns a .779 OPS. He leads the team with 41 runs scored, has 17 extra-base hits (five of them homers), swiped nine bases and has driven in 29 runs, which is tops among NL leadoff men. Here’s how he stacks up against his National League counterparts:
R = 41 (1st)
H = 73 (2nd)
2B = 11 (6th)
HR = 5 (5th)
RBI = 29 (3rd)
SB = 9 (5th)
BB = 21 (3rd)
AVG = .304 (2nd)
OBP = .358 (3rd)
SLG = .421 (6th)
OPS = .779 (3rd)
Those numbers coupled with his Gold Glove caliber defense make Furcal’s selection as a 2012 All Star a no-brainer. Hopefully voting fans around the country feel the same way.
Yadier Molina, C
There is no Earthly reason for me to pay deference to Yadi’s defensive merits, as the universe is quite in tune with what he has already accomplished and what he’s capable of. The fact that Molina has become a perennial All Star in spite of his offense is impressive enough, but he “hit” last year and earned his place in the Midsummer Classic in every facet of the game. This season he’s breaking new ground. Prior to Tuesday’s contest he stood at .330/8/32 with a cool .900 OPS and is standing tall offensively against most players in the National League, let alone backstops. You could make a legitimate argument that he is one of the top five most indispensable players in the game. Cardinal fans know that overall he is hands-down the best catcher in the game, but here are his positional rankings against his fellow NL opponents anyway:
R = 28 (1st)
H = 67 (1st)
2B = 14 (1st)
HR = 8 (2nd)
RBI = 32 (3rd)
SB = 5 (1st)
BB = 16 (7th)
AVG = .330 (2nd)
OBP = .383 (3rd)
SLG = .517 (2nd)
OPS = .900 (3rd)
Carlos Beltran, OF
This year’s version of Lance Berkman is certainly enjoying his new digs in St. Louis. The former Cardinal killer currently leads the league in homers with 18, is 3rd in RBI with 46 and is 3rd in OPS with a .972 mark. He’s also 2nd in SLG (.594) and 2nd in BB (28) in his debut season with his former rival club. The six steals, 207 at-bats and 37 runs scored tell fans that his notoriously troublesome knees are holding up just fine, and his overall numbers make it too hard for fans across the country not to vote him into the starting lineup in KC. Beltran must be drinking the same magic elixir that Furcal stumbled onto because he seems reborn, and Cardinal Nation couldn’t be happier about it.
So there are your “locks” for the 2012 All Star Game from St. Louis, but there are a couple honorable mentions. See below:
Lance Lynn, SP
The former reliever has filled in well beyond expectations in Chris Carpenter’s absence and currently holds a very impressive 2.66 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 74 strikeouts in 74.1 IP. He also shares the league lead in wins with nine and has only been credited with two losses in 12 starts this season. Clearly he’s given the Cardinals more than they could possibly ask of him through this point in the season… but his numbers have trailed off since his first six starts and there is a very good chance he will continue to decline as his arm takes on more and more of a workload that he’s not accustomed to. We’re also talking about All Star inclusion here, so we have to look at his competition, and the NL squad can only bring on a finite number of starting pitchers. That being said, Lynn is not in the top ten in any major pitching category in the National League (including IP, ERA, WHIP, K, BB, opponents BA) besides wins. He may get the nod because TLR is the final decision maker, but there are better starting pitchers to choose from.
Allen Craig, 1B/OF
Through Tuesday Craig owns an other-worldly stat line of .352/.408/.659/1.067 with 7 homers, 27 RBI and 14 runs scored in just 23 games (91 at-bats). He’s off the charts good when healthy, but the sample size is unfortunately just too small for him to warrant any consideration for a trip to the All Star Game. There is certainly one in his future if he can stay off the DL, but this season is not in the cards.
Here’s hoping the Redbirds turn their season around, and that the big-voting cities in the realm of Major League Baseball don’t rule the roost and force undeserving players into the All Star Game just because they can.