BASEBALL NOTES
House of Cards collapsing
Steadier arms would help restore balance
If you were to pen the story of the 2007 St. Louis Cardinals, you would find elements of Murphy's Law, the Peter Principle, and Greek tragedy.
To review:
Underlying it all is the perception of a power struggle between veteran general manager Walt Jocketty and vice president/amateur scouting Jeff Luhnow, who seems to have the ear of owner Bill DeWitt and appears to be on a path to take control of the baseball operations after Jocketty's tenure ends.
One National League GM told me last week, "They've been through everything they could possibly go through and they're not out of it. Are they capable of getting back into it? I'm not sure any of us can answer that. Not saying they're going to turn into the team that won the World Series, but would anything surprise you?
"Milwaukee should hold on, Chicago could put together a run, Pittsburgh keeps sneaking up, Houston has been awful but has the talent, but the Cardinals have been there. They've done it, they have guys who, if they get hot, could carry them. Losing Carpenter is huge, but they could make a deal for a starter."
It's going to come down to pitching.
Brad Thompson is 3-1 since taking over for Carpenter in the rotation in May. On Thursday, he became the first Cardinals starter this season to record an out in the eighth inning. La Russa is putting a lot of faith in Todd Wellemeyer, who will get a second start since coming out of the bullpen.
The Cardinals need Adam Wainwright, their World Series closer, to show he can be a consistent starter. Of his 11 starts, six have been quality starts, but he's also had outings in which he allowed six, seven, and eight runs. Free agent Kip Wells has been a disaster with a 2- 10 record and an ERA of 6.40 after yesterday's 8-3 loss to Houston. Braden Looper has also been inconsistent.
What if Mulder comes back and adds consistency to the rotation? What if Carpenter can come back by August? What if Wainwright finds himself and Wells suddenly has an injection of Dave Duncan's magic?
According to his agent, Gregg Clifton, Mulder has thrown from 230 feet and will get back on a mound next week in St. Louis. From there he will slowly work his way back, likely making a few rehab starts in June. The Cardinals have been extra cautious with Mulder, but his presence is needed to boost a staff on which four of the five starters were in the bullpen a year ago. Not a recipe for success.
There have been signs that the Cardinals' anemic offense is turning.
Pujols was hitting .239 May 14 but was up to . .289 with 9 homers and 28 RBIs. Rolen had raised his average from .208 May 19 to .258 but had to leave Friday's game with a leg injury. Edmonds has gone from .202 on May 11 to .240. Even World Series MVP Eckstein was hitting a miserable .207 May 12 and is up to .280, though he's been nursing a sore back and was hit on the elbow by a pitch Friday.
Neither La Russa nor Jocketty is conceding the National League Central, but the young Brewers are primed to win the division. On May 11, they were 24-10 and had a 6 1/2-game lead; they proceeded to go 7-14 in their next 21 games -- and still had a 6 1/2-game lead.
The Astros had lost 10 straight before beating Cincinnati Thursday night. The Cubs, who have lost 10 of 12, have been disappointing, and already we're seeing meltdowns by manager Lou Piniella and the dreaded players-only meetings. Not to mention the Carlos Zambrano-Michael Barrett dugout fight Friday.
They're also only 8 games out.
The moral of the story: In the NL Central, you always have a chance.
Backfire in the Bronx
While they put some effort into controlling where Gary Sheffield went (in other words, keep him away from Boston), the Yankees might have hurt themselves more by allowing him to go to the Tigers.
We all know it's not just about winning the division; it's about making the playoffs. Wild-card teams have gone far in recent years -- some, such as the Red Sox, have won the World Series. If the Yankees can pull themselves up by the bootstraps, they might wind up competing with Detroit for the wild card, assuming Cleveland wins the AL Central.
If Detroit wins the division and Cleveland fades enough that the Yankees can win the wild card, New York may have to face the Tigers -- and Sheffield -- in the playoffs. Certainly we understand why the Yankees wouldn't want Sheffield to go to Boston -- and maybe this is the ultimate Monday morning quarterbacking -- but sending him to Detroit, a team they might have to face in October, may not have been wise, either.
In Sheffield, the Yankees lost a power bat in the middle of the order. Again, it was understandable at the time of the trade because Bobby Abreu had hit .330 with 7 homers, 42 RBIs, and a .419 on-base percentage after being acquired by the Yankees at the trading deadline. But the Abreu of 2007 hasn't been the Abreu of 2006, while Sheffield is Sheffield again -- a powerful hitter who creates an attitude in a lineup.
When asked which team had helped itself the most in the offseason, Red Sox manager Terry Francona didn't flinch when saying Detroit because of Sheffield. You know Sheffield would relish the opportunity to do something dramatic against his old team.
And with everything swirling around the Yankees, you tend to forget that Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera are in the final years of their contracts, and Alex Rodriguez can opt out. (Abreu's deal also is up.) While it's tough to give a 35-year-old catcher a huge deal, Posada has improved offensively and defensively as he's gotten older.
On the threshold of the 600 club, Sosa is having a blast again
A few questions for Rangers slugger Sammy Sosa, who has 598 career homers.
You're close to home run No. 600. What does that mean to you?
SS: "It means a lot to me and my family. I have my family, my mother, and everyone around me now. It's more for them than it is for me. It's the middle of the season and it's not something I want to get too caught up in right now. Maybe at the end of the year, after it's all done, I'll be able to enjoy it and celebrate, but right now, I'm just hoping to help our team get turned around. I know it's there and that I will do it. It's a big number, I understand, but I've had a lot of big numbers in my career."
Have you surprised yourself at how well you've hit after taking a year off?
SS: "Not really. I needed the year. I really did. I needed to get my head straight and step back from the game a little and it was the best thing I could have done. The year away really showed me how much I missed baseball and how much I love the game. Being away from it for a year brought that back to me."
You didn't have much success with the Orioles. Is the American League that much tougher than the National League?
SS: "It's different. I can't tell you specifically what's different, but I know people say baseball is baseball, and that's true. But it's tougher for a hitter in this league. It's a lot of different things. You have better lineups, so you don't always get great pitches to hit. You don't always get as many fastballs. If you've spent a lot of time in the National League, you're definitely used to the pitching over there. I think guys who have come over here know what I'm saying."
There's been some talk about the possibility you could get traded to a contending team by the trading deadline if things don't turn around in Texas. How would you feel about that? SS: "Oh, I haven't heard that. I haven't seen that anywhere. I don't even know how to answer that. I want to play baseball and I like playing here for this team. I feel I have something to offer. I feel good physically."
Given the way you feel, the fact you've proven yourself again, have you looked ahead to see whether you'd like to keep playing beyond this year? SS: "I'm trying to take it a year at a time now. I feel great. I'm seeing the ball and my hitting is there again. I still think I can play in the field and run the bases."
Note: Sosa would not answer any questions pertaining to steroids or Jason Giambi's recent meeting with Major League Baseball officials concerning that subject.
Etc.
Touching the bases
Apropos of nothing: 1. According to Major League Baseball, managers can wear pullovers during games if they're licensed apparel. But I applaud Mets manager Willie Randolph, who dresses in full uniform out of respect for the game; 2. Anthony Reyes has lost 10 straight decisions over the last two seasons; the last Cardinal to do that was Dennis Eckersley in 1996-97; 3. Roger Clemens is considering his own blog; 4. I don't buy the Wade Boggs comparisons regarding Kevin Youkilis; more of a cross between Kevin Seitzer and Carney Lansford; 5. The Red Sox looked into Troy Percival, who is hoping for a comeback, but decided against him; 6. (bonus) After listening to Worcester Telegram scribe Bill Ballou play me the fight song of the Baltimore Clippers (AHL) I agree, it's time for a Red Sox version.
Military salute
Sometimes in the chaos of daily baseball coverage, you forget to mention things that are much more important and go unappreciated. One such moment occurred on Memorial Day at Fenway Park, when Jeremy Kapstein, the former Padres CEO and four-year Navy veteran who now serves as a special adviser for the Sox, hosted three Iraqi war veterans and one about to be deployed, with tickets donated by Giant Glass founder Dennis Drinkwater. Army Captain Charles Mulcahy, First Sergeant Kenneth Cabral, Specialist Dmitri Berman, and Sergeant Shanna Villanueva were his guests. Kapstein certainly has a way with people. Asked about Kapstein's tenure with the Padres, Jack McKeon said, "It was one of the best times in my major league career. He was a man with great business sense, people sense, who knows baseball about as much as anyone I've ever been around."
Answer to Angels' prayers
Don't know if the Rangers would trade him within the division, but the team that could benefit most from having first baseman Mark Teixeira is the Angels. They have very good pitching but need some protection in the lineup for Vladimir Guerrero, who has been intentionally walked 14 times this season. With the Rangers going nowhere, Teixeira could be major trade bait, with the money saved by Texas to be devoted to pitching. If it were the offseason, the Red Sox might get involved; they could move Youkilis to third. Of course, Teixeira and the Sox have a nasty history. Drafted by Boston in the ninth round in 1998, Teixeira didn't sign when negotiations between then-scouting director Wayne Britton and Teixeira's parents didn't go well.
It'll take a lot to land this Marlin
Dontrelle Willis is going to be the most sought-after pitcher at the trade deadline, and while it's no guarantee the Marlins will move him, they're going to receive some drop-dead offers. "They'll get what they ask for," said one AL general manager. "They'll get three prospects, or maybe two top prospects and a major league player. A lefthander, who's won 20 and the Cy Young with that type of presence and energy? Are you kidding me?" Others to watch for include Mark Buehrle of the sinking White Sox, who can be a free agent (remember, the Red Sox pursued him last season), and Oakland's Rich Harden, though he had a setback recently with his shoulder impingement and will have to prove he is healthy and can pitch regularly.A boatload of skippers
There is no dearth of ex-managers waiting for a call if Phil Garner (Houston), Joe Torre (Yankees), Ozzie Guillen (White Sox), Jerry Narron (Reds), or Sam Perlozzo (Orioles) gets the heave-ho before the end of the season. Don Baylor, Dusty Baker, Ken Macha, Buck Showalter, and Joe Girardi are waiting for a call. Tony Pena, Larry Bowa, Jimy Williams, Bucky Dent, and Joey Cora are current coaches waiting for a chance. Two Sox coaches are getting noticed more: bench coach Brad Mills and John Farrell, who some believe could take the Bud Black path from pitching coach to manager very soon.Talking the talk
A few things scouts, GMs, and other baseball officials have said to me this past week: The Mariners might be for sale, with Pat Gillick's name being mentioned as the possible head of a group . . . The Cubs would deal outfielder and ex-Sox property Matt Murton for pitching . . . The Tigers would love to pull the trigger on a lefty reliever and might even consider J.C. Romero or Javier Lopez . . . The Dodgers want a power-hitting third baseman but might settle for a hitter of any kind if the versatile Nomar Garciaparra moves to third . . . "I love Carlos Gomez," repeats a National League scout about the young Mets outfielder.Nick Cafardo's e-mail address is cafardo@globe.com 
© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.
