On the last day of Black History Month, let’s take a look at some of the Cardinals over the years: Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock to go with the profiles I did on Tom Alston and Curt Flood. I also included Buck O’Neil and Jackie Robinson for their obvious contributions to baseball over the years.

Bob Gibson was one of the fiercest competitors in baseball history. He was so dominant that the MLB lowered the mound following his legendary 1968 season.

Ozzie Smith was perhaps the greatest defensive shortstop of all-time, winning 13 straight Gold Gloves. He captivated St. Louis and [...]

The deal that Cards fans have expected is official. Felipe Lopez has signed a one-year deal with St. Louis and was expected to join the team for workouts this morning. Lopez was dying to get back on the field and wanted to be a Cardinal all offseason.
Scott Boras seemed to get in the way of Lopez signing with a team for much of the offseason. Lopez fired him and a few weeks later, he is in Jupiter training with the Cardinals. The switch-hitting do-everything player spent part of 2008 with St. Louis. Now, he’ll get a full year in the nation’s best [...]

The Jay McGwire chapter of the Mark McGwire saga may be the saddest of all. It was disappointing, disgusting, and sickening to a baseball fan that McGwire cheated. It was embarrassing when he appeared on Capitol Hill refusing to talk about the past. It was cowardly when he disappeared from existence for the five years after that fateful day.
But today, is just sad. For all of his mistakes, he’s still human. He still has a family and friends that love him and that he loves just as much. We can all relate to that. So, the recent news that has [...]

It’s 1987. A young, skinny kid from California bursts onto the baseball scene for the Oakland Athletics. The kid is Mark McGwire. The ball explodes off his bat, leaving teammates, fans, and opponents in awe. He finishes the season with a rookie record 49 home runs to go with a .289 batting average and 118 RBIs. McGwire wins the Rookie of the Year Award and makes his first All-Star appearance. The kid is something special.
It’s 2001. The young, skinny kid is an old man now. He is bigger and stronger, but the years have taken a toll on him. The [...]

-Matt Holliday missed the first workouts today because he was feeling sick due to allergies or the flu. He will likely be back on the field for preseason workouts again soon. Holliday enters the first season of his seven-year deal worth $120 million. The organization and fans are excited to have him for entire year after sparking the team to an easy division title in 2009. He provided a new level of depth to the lineup and protection for Albert Pujols. The Cards thrived and so did Holliday, batting .353 and driving in 55 runs in 63 games. He is [...]

Darren Heitner was an underdog in the cutthroat world of sports agents and business. He always had a passion for law and negotiation and graduated with a degree in Political Science from the University of Florida. But politics wasn’t the path he wanted to take. Not yet. Heitner also loved sports. He said he has played baseball his entire life. Heitner thought a career as a sports agent would be a great fit.
“My interest in the law coupled with my knowledge of sports made this industry seem like a normal fit,” Heitner said.
Then, the uphill battle began. The sports industry [...]

Hank Aaron, the true home run king of baseball, thinks the Mark McGwire story will pass. He’s glad to see McGwire back in baseball and hopes more former players come out so baseball can move on. Aaron has to be the classiest person in baseball. He keeps his distance, says all the right things, and judges no one. When Barry Bonds broke his record, Aaron congratulated Bonds in a video presentation. Most thought he should do nothing or if anything call the slugger out. But Aaron smiled and let Barry have his night.
History will remember whose record it really is. Aaron [...]

Guns have become a hot topic in the world of sports recently. Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton have each been suspended for the rest of the NBA season for their gun-related incident in the locker room. Stories differ on what actually happened, but the fact is that they brought guns to the workplace. Not the brightest idea, right? What if an accountant brought a rifle to work? A doctor? Teacher? Fast food worker? They would all be fired on the spot. It’s not professional or necessary. Guns in the workplace don’t make sense, so athletes shouldn’t be offended or think they [...]

Ryan Franklin closes games for a living. His job is to finish strong for the team. Nail down the final outs of the game for another “W.” In 2009, few closers were better than Franklin. He made his first All-Star appearance, finished with 38 saves, and a 1.92 ERA. The Cards fireman was lights out much of the year. Despite all that success, Franklin wants to make big improvements in 2010. The closer failed to close out the season effectively. A weak finish for him and the team has been on his mind all winter.
In the final month of the season, Franklin blew three [...]

Kyle McClellan came into Spring Training in 2009 fighting for a spot. He didn’t know what his role would be; he just wanted to make the team. McClellan was viewed as a possible starter in case Chris Carpenter experienced a setback in his return from injury. But Carpenter was brilliant and McClellan’s role changed. He was headed for the bullpen. After a successful season in which he became a dependable setup man, McClellan is a candidate for the rotation again. This year, the race is wide open. He controls his own destiny.
McClellan spent the offseason making sure his destiny is [...]