this from ken rosenthal: "The Cardinals are more likely to pursue an upgrade in left field than at second base, but scouts following the team say both positions could be trouble spots." well, duh. i wrote a while back that junior spivey's low spring-training average is no big deal, but the high strikeout rate could spell trouble -- and it's getting worse. junior has whiffed in 7 of his last 12 at-bats and now has fanned in nearly 40 pct of his spring at-bats. he struck out far more often than usual last season, his weakest year; nothing he's shown so far provides encouragement that he's ready to bounce back.
yes, it's still only march, but not all march performances are meaningless. i don't like the look of this one.
joe strauss covers spivey's struggles in this morning's print edition of the post, while derrick goold considers the alternatives online at birdland. both reporters say the cardinals are not actively pursuing another second baseman, and maybe they don't have to; if spivey continues to scuffle into the regular season, i could live with luna and miles . . . . as long as they upgrade LF. no team can win with a three-man offense, even if pujols is one of the three.
as we fret about these threadbare positions, let's take a look at how some other transplanted 2bmen are faring this spring. luis castillo's hitting .381 for the twins; mark loretta's at .444 for the red sox. mark grudzielanek's hitting hitting .333 for the royals . . . .
but down in clearwater, abe nunez is batting just .234. ahhhh . . . that's better.
while we're checking in with cardinal alumni, here's a piece about matt morris's spring. he's feeling good, despite a 6.00 era in 15 innings. go get `em, matty.
ben kabak says unkind things about la russa and his role in the steroid era. the author has a valid point -- one that applies not only to tony but also to dozens of other high-profile people in front offices, broadcast booths, owners' boxes, and union positions. i recommend it, but it'll make some of ya mad.