Think Positive

Because the Cardinals are not at their finest point of the season, dropping back to back series’ to the Reds and Mets, I thought it might be uplifting to view the positives the Cards have put forth in the first half (and the beginning of the second half)of the season.

At the start of the season, Cards fans knew we would be short-handed. The news of Adam Wainwright’s injury keeping him out of the 2011 season left a less than elated look on my face, as I’m sure it did most Cards fans. However, in my opinion, the pitching for the Cardinals (excluding the ‘pen) has been fairly stellar this season, especially since Carp has picked up his game. Lohse and McClellan each had unexpectedly positive starts to the season, Garcia has been great at home, and Westbrook, while somewhat inconsistent, has had brief spurts of brilliance. The pitching staff has been what the team needed them to be without Wainwright: keep the Cards in the game, look to limit damage done. And while admittedly this doesn’t always happen, the Cards pitchers I think can hold their heads high halfway through the season.

Moving away from pitching, with all the injuries that have plagued the Cardinals throughout this season, the only way for the Cardinals to be where they are right now, is if the bench players stepped up. And boy have they! I’m speaking of Descalso, Jay, Cruz and more. Remember all those 2-out RBI’s for Descalso? All those game-winning hits? Me too. And I’m sure the club does as well. Next, Jay has fit into the puzzle-outfield so well this season. With Rasmus being very streaky, Jay makes such a great replacement if La Russa wants a more consistent hitter. Also, let’s remember, Berkman is getting up there in age; I’m sure it feels great to have such confidence in Jay as a replacement for him, if La Russa wants to move Big Puma to first or give him a day off . These young guys have really stepped up in the stead of those injured, and have each earned their right to be in the line-up, and I’m sure La Russa of all managers will utilize their skills as much as possible.

It’s been said to death, so I’ll be quick on the issue of the Cardinals closer. Fernando Salas came, as if from nowhere, and got things done. There’s no better way to say it. In a season that did not shine too well on the bullpen, he was brought onto the team in a time where they needed someone desperately to fill the closer role, and he took it no problem. What a guy.

Finally, I’ll address perhaps the greatest positive in the Cardinals season so far. The results of Lance Berkman. To be honest, when I heard the Cardinals signed Berkman, I was somewhat excited. But mostly, I thought to myself, “Does he really have much left in him?” After seeing him in the 2010 season, I thought no. But fortunately for all of us (except perhaps of the rest of the NL Central), I was wrong. Berkman proved myself and the rest of his doubters wrong by posting 26 HR’s pretty much at the half way point. That leads the NL! Not bad for someone who was considered to be done his career.

I can only hope that by the end of the season, there will be more positives to speak of, like maybe a playoff birth (fingers crossed).