St. Louis Cardinals: Spring Training Recap Day One

St. Louis Cardinals’ fans, today was a great first day of Spring Training. We got to see (virtually) players in uniform for the first time since October, and got some good news on our favorite players.

As I sit here anxiously awaiting Opening Day or at least the first Spring Training games to be played, I thought it would be neat to take a look around the various stories that were buzzing around camp today. I also thought this would be a great thing to do throughout Spring Training. So, after today you can expect a daily recap of the news and happenings at the Cardinals’ camp.

So, how did today go?

Carlos is good to go and his innings will be limited

The first story that broke this morning was that Carlos Martinez was throwing with no discomfort and off of a mound. This is great news, as another great season from “Tsunamy” is very important to the St. Louis Cardinals’ success.

Derrick Goold mentioned late last night that the Cardinals have a plan in place to limit Martinez’ innings in Spring Training. Not only that, but Goold mentions that the team has more pitchers in camp than normal at 33, so that the team is not having guys like Martinez and Wacha unable to perform down the stretch.

Goold quoted John Mozeliak as saying this about it, ““How we look at Wacha and Carlos, especially, is we may not necessarily have them be ready for the first game of spring training in hopes that they can be ready for the long haul, the way we try to think about spring training — and that’s why we have a larger camp this year…” I am not sure what has taken them so long to come to this idea, but I am glad they did.

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Walden ready to go, says shoulder is not a problem

The always wonderful Jenifer Langosch spoke with Jordan Walden, who says that he feels as if his shoulder is completely healthy. The right-handed reliever was candid in his comments to the Cardinals’ beat reporter for MLB.com saying that he wished he would have taken his time in rehabbing the shoulder last year.

He told Langosch, “My shoulder is way stronger than it was last year. Now we just have to see if it will hold up all year and the rest of my career. I feel good, and the ball is coming out good. I just have to stay on it and keep it where it’s at.” Walden is going to be a big time key for the Cardinals in building their own super bullpen.

However, Mark Saxon recorded maybe the greatest quote from Walden, as he said “I wish I would have seen another doctor right away”. Saxon went on to say this about Walden’s comments, “Walden feels Cardinals physicians missed the root cause of the soreness under his right arm — a weakened rotator cuff — and thus didn’t prescribe the right path to full recovery.”

Another Cardinals’ player questioning the medical staff of the team is not good. When will this end? It’s time the team really examines their medical staff and considers a refresh, as this seems to be happening far too often.

Newcomers providing spirit and wheels

One of the best stories this offseason has been the acquisition of backup catcher, Brayan Pena. No, it’s not that Pena is this great catcher who is going to reinvigorate the offense, it is that Pena is bringing some heart and soul to the team and maybe even a little more looseness to the at times button up environment of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Benjamin Hochman a newcomer himself talked about Pena saying, “Pena represents much heading into this anticipated camp. There’s his respect for the way the game is played, and those who have come before him in red, thus the most Cardinal thing ever. And there’s the enthusiasm that manager Mike Matheny wants to add to the clubhouse, especially during the dog day doldrums.”

He then quotes Matheny as saying, “You can tell that he loves the game, you can tell that he’s the kind of guy who’s going to be infectious. And we want that.” It’s additions like Pena that can really rally a clubhouse and the Cards already have a tight-knit group. In the interviews I have heard, Pena has that infectious personality that Matheny mentions.

The most interesting news of the day was surrounding the arrival of the Cardinals’ newest reliever in Seung-hwan Oh, the reliever that the Cardinals signed out of Korea. However, it’s his speed that has everyone surprised. Goold last week dropped the hint that Oh was one of the swiftest pitchers on the team and then today added that Oh was probably second to Tommy Pham in the speed rankings for the Cardinals. 

Red is back again

Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst, who just turned 93 years old two and a half weeks ago is attending his 71st Spring Training. This is by far the best story of the day. A man who means so much to this organization is back doing what he loves yet again, and his old age isn’t stopping him.

Next: Spring Training is Here!

This is going to be a fun season Cardinals’ fans. I am ready for things to start up for real, as I have definitely caught baseball fever. It is the greatest time of the year, baseball is back!