Project: Reclamation
Three hurlers who made it back from the brink

(Note: Article originally appeared in the May 17, 2002 edition (issue VII) of NationalPastimes.net)

This season has special stories like any other.

First, the National League East appears to be more of a dog fight than anyone imagined: the Florida Marlins and Montreal Expos are at or slightly above .500, with the Philadelphia Phillies are scuffling along in last.

Secondly, the Cincinnati Reds are leading the NL Central after a month and a half with a make-shift pitching staff led by Jimmy Haynes, who leads the starters with four wins.� But you need to look further down that list of pitchers to see someone tied for that team’s lead in wins.

When you see the name, you gasp.

Then you double take.

That can’t be the same guy, can it?

It sure is.� The name is Jose Rijo, and don’t you forget it.

He’s the same guy who won the 1990 World Series MVP for the Reds.

He’s the same guy who went 92-57 from 1989 to 1995 and was among the best starters in the game.

He’s the same guy who became the first player since Minnie Minoso to return to the majors after receiving a Hall of Fame vote.

Rijo, Derek Lowe of the Boston Red Sox, and Jason Simontacchi of the St. Louis Cardinals are three compelling stories that have evolved early in the 2002 campaign.

Rijo’s return is from injury.� He blew his arm out in 1995 in a game against San Diego and had reconstructive surgery.� In fact, he had four reconstructive surgeries because he came back too soon.

He never gave up hope of returning to the majors, despite not throwing for two years.

“I never thought it would take this long,” Rijo, 36, told ESPN.com.� “Nobody knows how long it took me to be here today.”

Rijo returned to the Reds last season after making a phone call to general manager Jim Bowden early 2001.� After some time at Triple-A Louisville, he got the call in August 2001.

“I cannot describe with words how I feel right now.� It’s beyond anything in my life that I ever accomplished,” an emotional Rijo commented to ESPN.com.� “No moment could beat this moment today, until I die and go to heaven and meet Jesus.� This feeling is that close.”

He spent the rest of the season in the bullpen.

This season, Rijo started out in the bullpen, putting in duty as a long reliever.� Recently, he has been put into the rotation, compiling a 4-2 record and a 4.40 ERA.� Not too bad for a guy who underwent five elbow surgeries and was thought to be retired.

The long road back for Rijo has a strange match to one Jason Simontacchi, 28, of St. Louis.

Simontacchi (pronounced Sigh-min-TATCH-eee) took the long road as well.

His journey reads like Gulliver’s Travels: released by the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates, then to the Italian League, and the 2000 Australian Olympics, to Memphis and now St. Louis.

The journey to St. Louis began with a phone call from an unlikely source: the manager from a team in the Italian League begged him to throw for his team.� Remini, where Simontacchi became a fixture for the weekend-based league, would be his home that season.� While there, he worked on change-up that helped him compile 12-1 record and a sub-two ERA (1.71)

It led to unlikely honor.

He made the Italian Olympic team for the 2000 Games in Sydney (his grandparents are Italian �migr�s), going 1-1 with a 1.17 ERA.� He defeated South Africa and tossed against the United States.� His crucial two-base error cost the Italians an upset over the U.S., but the memory was nice.

“I’ve never dreamt of being in the Olympics,” Simontacchi told the St Louis Post-Dispatch.� “Obviously, every young kid dreams of being in the big leagues.”

His dream would come true May 4th against the Atlanta Braves in an emergency start for the Cardinals.

With his parents in the stands, Simontacchi hurled a gem.� He went seven strong innings, walking just one and allowing the Braves only four hits.� He retired the first 10 Atlanta hitters in order before Marcus Giles homered in the fourth.

He would end up with the victory.

“My mom is going to bawl her eyes out,” he said to the Post-Dispatch.� “They got in late last night.� I told them I didn’t want to talk to them (until after the game) I had enough nerves already.”

And to think the Cardinals almost missed out on Simontacchi.

Thanks to former Cardinal Dave La Point, who was a pitching coach of his in the Venezuelan Winter League, Simontacchi signed with St. Louis.

“Sometimes,” noted Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty, “you can get lucky when you’ve got good scouts, like we do.� Sometimes you come up with pearls like this.”

Since his first start against the Braves, Simontacchi has gone 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA.� In his most recent start, against the organization that gave up on him (Pittsburgh), he pitched 7 1/3 and scattered eight hits in the winning effort.

Derek Lowe didn’t have that hard of a road back, but in the minds of some Bostonians last season, the Red Sox should’ve dumped his lifeless arm and body somewhere near the �Big Dig’.

Last year was no peach for Dearborn, Michigan native.

He began last season as the Sox closer after a pretty successful 1999 campaign filling in for Tom Gordon and then carrying over that success to 2000, compiling 42 saves and a 2.54 ERA.

In 2001, it wasn’t so pleasant.� In his first eleven appearances, he took the loss in five of them.� It got so bad that he was sent to middle relief by the month of May.� He would regain the job, only to be set back again, this time, the club dealt for Ugueth Urbina from the Montreal Expos to fill his old slot.

By the end of the season, he showed glimpses of promise as a starter, the role he had at the start of his career.� His three starts led the groundwork for him being named a starter this season.

The AL Pitcher of the Month for April, Lowe showed Bostonians that a glimmer of life might still exist in that right arm of his.� He started out the 2002 campaign strongly, going 3-1 with solid outings against the Baltimore Orioles and the hated-rival New York Yankees.� In fact, he nearly threw a no-hitter in the team’s second start of the season, only allowing one hit in seven innings pitched.

What stands out, though, is the gem of a game he pitched on April 27th.

On that cool, 56-degree day at Fenway, he accomplished a task that not even Pedro Martinez has: he hurled a no-hitter against the hapless Tampa Bay Devil Rays, winning 10-0.� It was the first no-hitter at Fenway since 1965.

What made it even more mind racking for Lowe was the fact he had to sit in the dugout in the bottom of the eighth while the Red Sox sent eight men to the plate.

“It was hard,” Lowe told The Sporting News.� “Obviously, in a perfect world, you go 1-2-3 and run back out there.� But the hitters don’t care what’s going on.� They want to go out there and get RBIs, get hits.”

Lowe looked back on last season and said, “It gives you a feeling you don’t want to have again .� .� .� I’ve had drastic years, from 2000 to 2001.� You don’t want that feeling where you get in a game and people are saying, �Oh no, not this guy.’ Especially in this town.”

Since the no-hitter, Lowe has gone 3-1 and has lived up to the bill of being a solid number two starter.� At his current pace, (7-2, 2.12 ERA) he is aiming for a 24-7 record and a 2.12 ERA.

Who knows?

As Martinez told writers after the no-hitter, “I think he’s got a chance to throw many more.� He’s that kind of a pitcher.� You haven’t seen anything yet.”

He could just be the surprise All-Star Game starter in Milwaukee.

State funding for stadium in St. Louis is dead
Legislature elects to pass on bill

(Author’s note: This article originally appeared in the May 18, 2002 edition of NationalPastimes.net’s The Daily)

It didn’t come as a surprise that State Bill 1279 wasn’t passed by the Missouri House.

But it did come as a surprise in the manner that it happened.

For the better part of the last year, State Bill 1279, better known in St. Louis as the “stadium bill”, sought state money to help build a new stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals.� The stadium was to be built just south of their current facility, August A. Busch, Jr. Memorial Stadium, aka Busch Stadium II.

The bill was part of a $644 million package that included:

� $7 million a year for a new Cardinals ballpark

� $3 million a year for the maintenance of Savvis Center, home of the St. Louis Blues

� $9.8 million annually for 30 years for football and baseball stadiums in Kansas City

� $32 million spread out over a 23-year time span for a convention center and arena in Branson

� $18 million distributed over 23 years for an exposition center in Springfield.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals ownership group, the bill died before it even got to a vote.

In what was the last day for the Missouri Legislature for summer vacation (vacation? you hafta be kidding me. . .), they debated many issues in order to avoid having to remotely discuss the issue in an open forum.� Some issues that did manage to be debated: special license plates for Missouri drivers, whether or not the meat from McDonald’s should be from in-state farms rather than from Argentina and sound abatements.

Cowards.

This has been a hotly contested matter in a state that, for the most part, was considered bankrupt two weeks ago.� Many state representatives and senators hemmed and hawed on the issue of stadium funding for that very reason: that the state couldn’t afford the funding based on the economic climate of the time.

(Warning: Writer’s Rant follows…purely opinion)

With that, I don’t have a problem.� The economy is lousy right now.� The nation is struggling to get back on its feet after September 11 and is slowly starting to rebound.� The state of Missouri is so bad right now that they had recently stopped payment on residents’ tax refund checks due to $167 million shortfall in the state budget.

Somehow, Missouri’s lawmakers managed to balance the budget over the next year, but failed to even debate the bill.

There lies my gripe.

As a citizen of any state, we elect officials to debate laws based upon on our voting them into office.� We do this so we can have a voice heard in the lawmaking process.� Unfortunately, the legislature failed the citizens of Missouri by not at least debating the issue.� I, for one, don’t care one way or the other if it wasn’t passed or not, but to just take the easy way out and do nothing about it by debating on what kind of meats McDonald’s uses is pure folly.� This is not to mention the 12% ticket tax sports teams pay inside the city limits of St. Louis on each ticket sold, of which, in this writer’s opine, is a HUGE sticking point for the team to even consider staying inside the city.� That’s why the Blues wanted money for maintenance for Savvis: they lose a boatload of cash in ticket tax, which is among the largest in pro sports.

(Rant over . . . feel a bit better)

So where do the Cardinals go from here?

Well, that’s the $644 million question.� (That number is derived from the combined cost of the stadium and the pipe dream known as Ball Park Village, an idea floated by the Cardinals to help “stimulate” business downtown that would have been located directly behind the left-field portion of the park, consisting of shops, housing, and museum.)

Mark Lamping, Cardinals team president, spoke to reporters in an early evening press conference following the state legislatures neglect to discuss the bill.� In a prepared statement, Lamping seemed slightly perturbed at this notion while announcing plans to open up the bidding to all suitors in the St. Louis metro area, consisting of nine surrounding counties, of which include St. Louis City and County and counties across the river in Illinois.

“The Cardinal organization has no choice but to begin exploring alternative locations in the St. Louis area to build a new ballpark,” Lamping told the media gathering at the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame, which is located across the street from Busch Stadium.� He further added that it’s clear that “the state is not interested in helping the Cardinals in downtown St. Louis.”

Also, Lamping told the throng that the Cardinals have ordered HOK Sport, the Kansas city-based architectural and design firm working on the project to suspend all operation on this current stadium plan and to open up a request for proposals from interested suitors from the bi-state region.

He also stated that the Cardinals have notified Major League Baseball (MLB) of their decision of withdrawing their names for consideration for the 2006 All-Star Game at the new digs.� He then qualified that statement by saying that Cardinals still intended to host the game, but in a “new ballpark open somewhere” in 2006.� In other words, he asked MLB to hold firm with the notion of having the game in St. Louis, but it will not be in Busch Stadium.

Well then, what are the Cardinals alternatives?

The organization has met with officials from East St. Louis, Ill., a small city across the river from downtown St. Louis and St. Peters, Mo., a community some 25 miles west of the city.� Both cities will more than likely offer sweet heart deals that will offer something that I mentioned before: a break from the 12% ticket tax the team currently operates under.

Other cities and municipalities are sure to make a pitch for the ball club, but one thing people need to keep in mind: the city of St. Louis is NOT out of the running, the bidding is just now open to others and they will not receive any money from the state should they stay in the city, as in the State Bill 1279 offered.

No matter - the Cardinals are steel in their resolve about this issue.� They want a new facility built and completed by 2006.� Cardinals’ co-owner and Chairman Fred Hanser reiterated the same point to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “We are resolute about our goals and we will achieve them,” he noted.

(Writer’s Rant II…again, purely opinion; read at your own risk!!)

This whole thing really bothers me.� Would I have liked the bill to be passed? Sure, it would’ve been nice to have a new park in time for 2006, with or without Bud Selig’s “award” for getting the facility done on time (You know I’d have to mention Bud somewhere, right?).� I didn’t like its location, because frankly, it stunk to high heaven.� It would’ve abutted a major interstate for crying out loud and would’ve been a logistical nightmare to relocate an entrance ramp (Missouri is also suffering from highway funding problems, too).� And, to be honest, the whole Village idea didn’t make sense.

The other thing that eats at my craw is the state and the city are screwing the Cardinals.� The state offered that sweetheart deal to the then-Los Angeles Rams to come here and ignored a franchise that has been firmly implanted in the community for a now 110 years.� That whole issue casts a dark cloud over this bill and unfairly influenced the legislatures mind in providing any sort of funding at all.� Keep in mind, I believe that the Cardinals should foot the vast majority of the bill, but a small cash infusion from the state wouldn’t have hurt.� It certainly didn’t hurt the folks in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, which somehow commandeered money for TWO facilities, never mind one.

As for the city, get rid of that ridiculous 12% tax on tickets.� Not only do the Cardinals get screwed on the whole law, but the Blues and ANY concert or event that takes place within city limits does, too.� How is a team or club supposed to operate on a level playing field with this tax implemented? It’s like giving them money and then saying, �Well, we hope you enjoyed your phantom income . . . we want it back now!’ Give me a break.

(Rant over)

And with that, let the bidding begin!

Small markets making big noise
Bud Selig�s worst nightmare comes true in Montreal, Minnesota, among other cities

(Author’s note: This article originally appeared in the May 1, 2002 edition of NationalPastimes.net’s The Daily)

Last winter, Commissioner Bud Selig of Major League Baseball proposed a bold initiative: the contraction of two franchises from baseball’s landscape.� At the time, both teams weren’t revealed to the general public.� It was widely expected among the media that the two teams being contracted were to be the National League’s Montreal Expos and the American League’s Minnesota Twins.

Sure enough, come late January - early February, the announcement was made.� MLB announced that both teams were considered for contraction and it would take place as soon as possible.� Unfortunately for Selig, the decision came too late for it to take affect for the 2002 season.

During this time, an ownership change took place in Montreal.� Jeffery Loria, a New York businessman, decided he wanted out of Montreal and purchased the Florida Marlins, who were then owned by John Henry (he later turned around and acquired the Boston Red Sox with a consortium of businessmen).� During this quagmire, MLB stepped in and procured the Expos from Loria and would run the team for a year.� They named Mets assistant general manager Omar Minaya club general manager and Frank Robinson field manager.� Robinson had been MLB’s vice-president of baseball operations.

Fast-forward to early May 2002.

Along with fellow small market teams Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Oakland, the Expos and Twins are among baseball’s best in the young season’s first month.� Entering Wednesday’s play, the Expos were tied for the lead in the National League’s Eastern division (16-10) and the Twins were in an early dogfight for first in the American League Central (16-11, second).

One team (Montreal) is in lame-duck status and is tied in a division that has two teams whose payrolls are more than doubling their own (New York and Atlanta); another squad leads a division in which a team has won the division title for the last ten seasons (Cleveland).� And that is not including Cincinnati (15-9, first) and Pittsburgh (14-10, second), who are the top two teams in the National League Central, ahead of pre-season faves St. Louis and Houston, 12-14 and 11-14, respectively.

In Minnesota, where there are as many lakes as there are Marlins fans attending games, own the second largest increase in overall attendance with an uptick of 50,007 fans.� MLB still hasn’t considered whether or not to allow Donald Watkins, a businessman from Alabama, even permission to purchase the Twins from Carl Pohlad.� He has owned the franchise since the early 1980s after he purchased it from Clark Griffiths, who moved the Twins from Washington, D.C. in the 1960s.� Watkins has already committed to the people of Minnesota that he would pay for a new ballpark out of his own pocket should the franchise be his.� He has also applied to MLB to purchase the Anaheim Angels.

Pittsburgh and Cincinnati stand at opposite ends of the spectrum.� These two organizations have an improved record, but have lost fans at the gate.� Pittsburgh stands in second in the NL Central and has played good baseball in the first month of the season.� Unfortunately, the Pirates are performing miserably at the gate.� Through the first month of home games, they have seen a 133,185 downturn from the same point last season.� Positively, though, the television ratings in Steeltown are up, signaling fan interest but showing they are not willing to attend ballgames.

The Reds haven’t reaped the benefits of success, either.� Overall attendance for Cincinnati has fallen 62,247, even though the Reds have overachieved to first place in the NL Central.� Next season, the Reds should see an increase in attendance with a move across the street to Great American Ballpark, the latest sports edifice to be built in the Queen City of Cincinnati.

So what is a sports commissioner to do?

Here’s an idea: look in your own backyard.

That’s right, Larry.

The Milwaukee Brewers seem to be ripe for contraction.� They have a dismal record (8-18, last); have sagging attendance (it has dropped 82,535 through the same amount of dates as last year) and a new ballpark bringing in very little revenue.� Of course, Selig would never consider eliminating his �own’ franchise (his daughter, Wendy Selig-Prieb, runs the franchise through a trust).

Or, he could look to south Florida, where the amount of people in Pro Player Stadium are roughly equal to the amount of people staying in a hotel room in south Florida during spring break.� They have drawn 70,882 less than last season.� And the Fish are at least playing .500 (13-13) ball, but you have to wonder why Jeffrey Loria jumped so quickly to buy the Marlins.� Perhaps it was a favor to his friend Bud for buying him out as an Expos owner?

Another place to consider is yet another small-market franchise.

Kansas City.

The Royals have played dismal baseball since 1995, going 490-622 (.440) and drawing dismal numbers at the gate, placing no higher than tenth in the fourteen team American League in attendance.� After getting off to a poor start this season, going 8-16 and placing second to last, they showed Tony Muser the door.� The franchise has been largely rudderless since the death of owner Ewing Kaufmann in the mid-1990s and it isn’t getting any better.� Current owner David Glass has not made a firm commitment to the people of Kansas City that he will put a winning product on the field.

But Kansas Citians should take note: David Glass is very close friends with the commish.� If Glass wants out, look for two things to happen: MLB bails Glass out with another hefty loan or Glass gets a sweetheart deal and we see another lame-duck franchise next season.

Well, Mr. Selig, what’s the next move? It seems the owners need to take a long hard look in their collective mirrors and come up with solutions to the problem.

It looks like they keep coming up with more questions than answers . . .

Great Expectations
Teams stumble out of the blocks

(Note: Article originally appeared in the May 17, 2002 edition (issue VII) of NationalPastimes.net)

Whodathunkit?

With the Major League Baseball season a little over a month old that - the Oakland Athletics would be in last place in the American League West; the Atlanta Braves be scuffling along near the basement of the National League East; and the NL’s Central Division would look like someone pulled the standings out of a ten-gallon hat.

The A’s have been the biggest disappointment so far (18-20).� With a rotation filled with names like Hudson, Mulder, and Zito, they would have to be fighting for early season supremacy in the West, eh?

How wrong you would be.

Instead, they are sitting eight games back of the Seattle Mariners and languishing in last place behind the Texas Rangers.

The A’s went into a tailspin the last ten games, going 2-8 in that stretch, due in large part to a rotation that has been lit up and a closer (Billy Koch) who has trouble pinning saves when given the opportunity to do so (two blown saves to date).

Not helping matters is a troublesome forearm to number three starter Mark Mulder, who spent time in late April on the disabled list with the ailment.� He took it on the chin in his most recent start against Toronto (May 10), only going 4 1/3 innings and giving up six runs in that effort.� Mulder is due to throw off the mound this week to check the status of his arm.

For the A’s to bounce back, the five-man rotation (the aforementioned trio plus Cory Lidle and Eric Hiljus) need to bring down the team’s 4.74 ERA to respectability and Billy Koch needs to be in games with the lead, i.e. the starters are doing their jobs.

In Atlanta, the Braves are mired in second-to-last place (19-21), just ahead of the surging Philadelphia Phillies, who are 7-3 in their last ten games.� In that same time span, the hapless Braves (when was the last time you read those two words together in the same sentence to describe the Braves?) are a plodding 4-6.� They currently reside 3 1?2 games behind the Florida Marlins.

The pitching staff has been about average for Braves standards, compiling a team ERA of 3.28, but the offense has been bleak to say the least.� The Braves only have two players hitting over .300 (utility man Mark DeRosa and OF Chipper Jones) and Gary Sheffield has been a virtual no-show, hitting .238 and has a sore wrist.� But Jones has done his part in carrying the load (22 RBIs) while adjusting to learn a new position (left field).

Another cog in the offense, centerfielder Andruw Jones, is doing his part to make some noise, knocking in 26 RBIs.� Joining in on the offensive side is third sacker Vinny Castilla, with 22 RBIs.� The rest of the team’s offense has been lackluster, only driving in 146 runs.� Unfortunately, that matches the runs they’ve given up and reflects their near .500 record.

The National League Central reads of a who’s-who of underachieving ball clubs: the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Little Bears from the Windy Place up North, also known as the Cubs, have seemingly hit early rock bottom.� In fact, according to published reports, pitcher Kerry Wood has had enough.

“I’m getting real [expletive] tired of hearing the same [expletive] when the game is over: �Keep your head up and we’ll get �em tomorrow,”� Wood told the Chicago Sun-Times after Monday’s 3-0 loss, a contest in which the Cubs outhit the Cardinals 4-2.� “That [expletive] ain’t working.� It’s frustrating.”

Need I go any further? Sure I do!

The Cubs (13-24) are sitting in fifth place of the six-team division, only two games ahead of Wendy Selig-Prieb’s Brewers.� The Cubs spent some major dollars on OF Moises Alou and have largely received nothing from him.

Well, close to nothing.

Alou is hitting a measly .164 with 2 HRs and 8 RBIs.� He is projected to play in only 90 games, hitting 9 HRs and driving in 36 runs.� (He’ll play more, right?) That’s not to mention a lengthy stay on the disabled list (big surprise, eh?), playing in only 20 of the club’s 36 games.

As usual, a guy named Sosa is carrying the team.� The one man wrecking crew that is Sammy is hitting .344, knocking in 24 runs and belting (Chip Caray, anyone?) 15 home runs.� That’s not including the 30 walks he’s received, some of which have translated into the 33 runs he’s scored.

Helping Sosa with the offensive load is phenom-turned everyday centerfielder Corey Patterson, who finally appears to have come into his own.� Patterson is hitting a solid .312 and is getting on base enough (.364 on base percentage) to help the anemic Cubs offense.� The Cubs offense is averaging 3.7 runs per game, down from 4.6 of last year’s club.

The pitching staff, led by the aforementioned [expletive] Wood, has been relatively abysmal.� The starting four (Wood, Jon Lieber, Matt Clement, Juan Cruz) have combined for eight wins.

Here’s an interesting fact: Juan Cruz has none of those.� He’s an unlucky 0-7.

Speaking of unlucky, the Houston Astros are the second team in the NL Central triumvirate that has lacked any luster in the season’s first month.� The Astros sit comfortably in fourth place (17-21) and rest 6 games back of division leader Cincinnati.

The Not-So-Killer Bees of 2002 haven’t packed enough punch as fans are accustomed to seeing.� First baseman Jeff Bagwell has been producing at an above average rate (.277, 8HRs, 21 RBIs), but not the monster numbers he’s capable of producing.

On the other hand, second baseman Craig Biggio has had a horrendous start by his standards.� As of Tuesday’s games (May 14), Biggio is hitting a paltry .215 and has driven in only 13 runs.� Could the hard-nosed play of Biggio’s past have come to haunt him? It’s too early to tell, but early indications seem to be leaning that way.

The offense is being led by second year outfielder Lance Berkman, who is putting up respectable numbers and proving to people that there is a ton of potential left untapped.� Berkman’s 14 HRs and 39 RBIs has helped paced the offense that has been lacking from Biggio.� Also in that mix is right-fielder Richard Hidalgo, a .267 hitter that has contributed 23 runs to help fill the void.� If all four of these guys start hitting at the same time, this team will be a force that many expect come mid-July.

The Astros hurlers have been led by staff ace Roy Oswalt, who has notched four wins (4-2) with a 2.50 ERA.� If not for the mediocre offense, Oswalt could easily be undefeated.� The rest of the rotation (Carlos Hernandez, Shane Reynolds, and Dave Mlicki) has contributed three wins apiece with Reynolds the only hurler having an ERA above four (4.14).� Some help could be on the way with the possible return of Wade Miller, who is due back in the near future.

A team that wishes they had a rotation of any sort is the St. Louis Cardinals.

You pick a starting pitcher on their spring training roster, with the exception of Matt Morris, you’ll find one who has been hurt.� Once considered to arguably have the deepest rotation in baseball, they’ve been struggling to keep their heads afloat due to all the injuries.� The Cardinals are somehow in third place, posting a 19-20 record, in the NL Central.

The Birds rotation has seen eleven starters this season.

Eleven.

In order from most to least: Morris, Darryl Kile, Travis Smith, Bud Smith, Andy Benes, Garret Stephenson, Josh Pierce, Jason Simontacchi, Mike Timlin (yeah, that Mike Timlin), Woody Williams and Mike Crudale.

Are you tired yet?

The staff has been decimated by injuries, those of which are starting to bounce back.� Stephenson pitched a pain-free four innings against the Cubs on May 14 and Williams is expected to start against the Cubs on May 15.� Rick Ankiel, largely uncounted on by a number of scribes and fans, pitched a pain-free throwing session earlier in the week and may be sent to extended spring in Florida. . . but don’t hold your breath folks - it could be awhile.� Reliever Steve Kline, the key situational lefty in the bullpen, is expected to be out till at least late May with a triceps strain.� He, too, has begun light throwing.

The Redbirds offense has had its ups-and-downs, but still leads the NL in average (.264).� Leading the charge has been Jim Edmonds, hitting .342 and driving in 27 runs, and Albert Pujols, hitting .288 and knocking in 22 runs.� Table-setter Fernando Vina has been on a tear lately and needs to continue to hit well for the Cards to challenge for the division.

The biggest disappointment has been free-agent acquisition Tino Martinez.� Signed for his leadership and his ability to drive in runs, Martinez has hit a substandard .200, but has still somehow managed 18 RBIs.� His bat-speed has been noticeably slower this first month, but has shown peeks here-and-there of possibly breaking out of it.� His inconsistency, along with J.D. Drew’s, has caused the offense to suffer at times.� For the team to win, they need more from Tino.

The season is still young for the A’s, Braves, Cubs, Astros and Cardinals, but things need to change for them to stick around come the dog days of summer, 2002.� These teams are still around because the teams leading the division, with the exception of possibly Seattle in the AL West, have not pulled away from the pack.

Hey, the Florida Marlins are in first place and the Montreal Expos are nipping at their heels on May 15.

Whodathunkthat?