Cards News and Notes

St. Louis fans everywhere anxiously await news on the Cardinals final additions to the 2010 roster and anxiously await Spring Training. Most baseball insiders believe Felipe Lopez will sport the Redbird logo in 2010. Other options to fill out the roster include John Smoltz, who remains on the Cards radar in some capacity. Perhaps the veteran would be best suited following Pedro’s “old goat” model from 2009: joining the club after the break for a stretch run. Until then, it is likely the Cards are happy with the lineup, rotation, and young options in the minors chomping at the bit to make an impact. Brad Penny, David Freese, and Big Mac’s hitting attack are also among burning topics heading into Spring Training.

More of these questions will be answered in Jupiter, Florida, the Cards Spring Training locale. We are now in February and you can smell the spring. It is just around the corner. On February 17, pitchers and catchers report, followed by position players on the 22nd. It is less than a month away, an exciting thought for Rebird Nation, as the Cards aspire to return to the World Series and build on their 2009 NL Central title.

Until then, all we can do is wait. Cardinals Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby may have said it best, “People ask me what I do in the winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”

The window reveals a bright future for the 2010 St. Louis club, making the waiting that much harder.

Other Thoughts:

-Check back tomorrow for my take on the Cardinals All-Decade Team as part of the United Cardinal Bloggers project.

–Brendan Ryan is working hard to become a special player and teammate, attending offseason workouts religiously.

–The Cardinals’ Academic Program (CAP) started in 2006 to promote academics in the community with field trips and lessons at Busch Stadium just reached the 20,000 student mark! Congratulations to the Cards on this milestone that goes beyond the game.