Jose Oquendo may miss the entire 2016 season - A Hunt and Peck

Since 2000, there has been one constant presence over at third base for the St. Louis Cardinals. Players have come and gone, managers retired, general managers let go, and through it all, Jose Oquendo has remained. His aggressive style of coaching players around the bases has drawn the ire of some fans and probably poor Allen Craig, but after sixteen years, it becomes almost endearing. He plays the odds: when he wins, we think little of it and when he loses we think he is insane. It is a more complicated job that it appears and it is not for the faint of heart. This and his noted expertise at coaching players around the infield that has ensured the legend that anyone can play second base will live on through folk lore and fanfiction has made him one of the faces of the organization.

And so it is a big, fat bummer that, with Oquendo undergoing knee surgery, that we may not see him and his dramatic arm wave sending a doomed runner home this season. Per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch:

A day after third-base coach Jose Oquendo, recovering from a second knee operation, had been optimistic that he could get back on the lines soon, the club announced that he would be taking a medical leave of absence.

Manager Mike Matheny said after the Cardinals' 4-2 exhibition loss to Miami on Sunday that he feared Oquendo would be out for the whole season. General manager John Mozeliak said he didn't really know how long it would be, but it certainly was long enough that the team had to make some coaching changes.

With Oquendo recovering, first base coach Chris Maloney will move to third while assistant hitting coach Bill Mueller will coach first base.

Oquendo could miss entire season, recovering from knee surgery | Derrick Goold: Bird Land | stltoday.com

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