He is still a Cardinal…

            As the world already knows, Albert Pujols did not sign a contract extension with the St. Louis Cardinals by the deadline he and his agent imposed. Amazingly enough, the sun still rose this morning.

 

            Many in Cardinal Nation were taking sides long before yesterday; the passing of the deadline with no deal added fuel to that fire. Some are again calling ownership cheap while others seem to think Pujols is money-hungry. And as paranoid or untrue as those accusations may be, they aren’t going away for the majority anytime soon.

 

            I, however, am not worried…especially after Pujols’ arrival at Spring Training and media interview today.

 

            Last weekend I wrote about the media and the “work” they did leading up to Pujols’ deadline. I will admit I have no proof of anything…but when Pujols says they’re all “way off” when talking about the number of years and dollars being reported, I believe him. And not to pat myself on the back or anything, but I’m glad I was right. The so-called reporting over the last few weeks was nothing more than speculation, and the mini-hysteria it caused was unnecessary. While it’s true that Pujols didn’t sign, no one–and I mean NO ONE–outside of Albert, his agent Dan Lozano, and a very small handful of people in the Cards’ front office know for certain why. No one really knows how far apart the team and the player are.

 

Now I get that Pujols would not offer anything today we didn’t already know either. Sure he is trying to say all the right things, but what reason would he have to lie? If the offer was low-ball and Pujols felt insulted, I have a feeling he would just shut up about it. I don’t think he would be as happy and jovial today; he may not show anger outwardly but he’s no actor. He reiterated that he wants to be a Cardinal for life. He wants to win, and he wants to win here. He does not sound like he is hell-bent on leaving St. Louis for free agency.

 

            So the next question becomes: what will it take to sign Pujols to an extension, and when will it happen? Yesterday Bill Dewitt and John Mozeliak said they are always open for business if Pujols and his agent want to talk; Pujols and Lozano say they will not reopen talks until after the conclusion of the Cards’ 2011 season. This will be on the minds of Cardinals fans and the fans of teams perceived to have the resources to sign Pujols should he actually hit free agency. But that can’t start until five days after the end of the World Series. Even if the Cards and Pujols’ representation maintain radio silence until the season ends, they’ll have a lot of exclusive negotiation time. And no one has ever said that if Pujols does hit free agency he wouldn’t take any potential offers back to the Cards and say, “Can you match this?” Again, we just don’t know…and when you don’t know something, anything is possible.

 

            The drama is over for now. Pitchers and catchers have been working out for some time, and the mandatory reporting date for the rest of the team is Saturday. Most of the players are already in camp. So what Pujols isn’t signed for the next 8-10 years; he is still a Cardinal this year. It’s time to play ball. Nothing else matters.

Another stop on the journey to Opening Day

Last season was my first as a season ticket holder. We have a half season…40 games. On Opening Day 2008, my girlfriend and I sat in seats other than the seats we had for the rest of the season. At the time, we thought nothing of this; were were just happy to be there. But we quickly changed our assessment of the situation not too far into the season. Our seats are in the left field bleachers. What started out as an exciting season of ballgames quickly became nothing less than a summertime second family. We cheered together. We groaned together. We ate and drank together. We even tailgated before a few games together.

 

I’m not saying the only good time to be had at Busch Stadium is in the left field bleachers. But by the beginning of May, 2008, one month into our first season as ticket holders, we decided that we were not giving up our seats for anything. We were close to the field and had made great friends. We knew we had the best seats in the house.

Of course, the season ended in late September. So long, Left Field Bleacher Family. We’ll see you next April, right? Well, it didn’t take quite that long. We found out that, sometime around the start of Spring Training, we had a party to go to.   

Last weekend I attended my first Left Field Bleacher Party.

We watched Cardinals videos and cheered together. We ate and drank together. We talked about the last season and the prospects for 2009. We laughed at some of the crazier times. It was just like being at the game, only without the game. But it was more than that. Major League Baseball really is a year-round game. Almost immediately after the last play of the World Series, the Hot Stove League heats up. Free Agency starts, and the Winter Meetings provide plenty of drama. Then arbitration talks heat up and more deals are made. While all this administrative work takes place, various leagues in warmer climates allow players to stay sharp in the offseason.

Then, thankfully, the real benchmarks of the next season start to sneak up. Pitchers and catchers report. Position players report. Spring Training games start. It’s all very exciting. The countdown to opening day is upon us! Only one month to go!

And this party was another reminder: baseball is just around the corner. Real fans sit in the bleachers. Nachos. Bratwurst. Beer me! Batter up!

The Nooner #2: I turn my back for one second…

Man, did baseball pick the wrong week to be controversial! I go to Cancun for 5 days and all hell breaks loose. Anyway, it’s great to hear that Chris Carpenter is progressing and everyone came to Spring Training early, and it’s pretty sad to hear A-Rod’s name associated with steroids. But the release of Adam Kennedy blew me away. I’d like to think that someone in-house can emerge to take over 2B, but can the Cardinals really count on that? Wouldn’t it be better to have that true second baseman to solidify the middle infield when your coaches preach pitching to contact? I said it before in a different context, but now more than ever the Cards need to talk to the Orioles about Brian Roberts. This team has the ability (and, at this point, almost the need) to trade from its surplus of outfielders. Why not make the move this spring once everyone proves healthy? I mean, it could be argued that starting pitching is just as pressing a need, but the Cards have in-house options there. They really don’t have much depth in the middle infield.