St Louis Cardinals

If the St. Louis Cardinals win their 11th World Series championship, it will be predicated upon the return to health and effectiveness of key members of the roster.

In my final look at predictions for the Cardinals' roster in the second half, we focus on those that missed valuable portions of the first half of the season.

At least one of these players must make a successful return if it is to be a Redbird October.

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What if we were picking up the pieces like after Game 6 of the 2005 NLCS? Would Cardinal Nation be happy?

No!

Therefore to follow up the Good News predictions for the first half, here is my disappointments for the second half.

It's a brutal assessment, but a World Series title is the only option. LOOGY's and PH's are exempt.

Remember, a good first-half doesn't mean a good finish. And a good finish to the regular season doesn't insure a ticket to the promised land.

As the St. Louis Cardinals begin the second half of the season, we have prognostications for all three categories of the roster : the good, the bad, and the injured. First we'll look at the ten players to count on in the stretch run to the playoffs.
From boosting their flaccid offense to maintaining solid pitching, the Redbirds have the talent and ability to make the playoffs.

Albert Pujols' 2011 free agency is quietly tunneling its way into the subconscious of every person in St. Louis, creating an anxiety for Cardinal fans that comes with the idea of losing their most coveted player. 

To many St. Louisans, the term "Albert Pujols trade" would sound like nothing more than a stupid joke or poorly executed April Fools prank. 

But to the Cardinals faithful , trading the nine-time All-Star seems logical.  

With the possible addition of Cliff Lee, baseball's top southpaw, the Yankees would have formed the most formidable rotation in baseball, and perhaps one of the best ever.

Sabathia. Lee. Pettitte. Hughes. Burnett.

Four of their five starting pitchers would be headed to Anaheim for this year's All-Star Game.

But what about the sixth man?

With the addition of Lee to the front of their rotation, someone would have to be moved out. That man is Javier Vazquez.

As I sit here waiting for my boring accounting professor to get done talking with some 60-year-old woman, it occurs to me that I haven't written anything in two months. Call it annoyance with the fact that no one reads my articles.

Read this article!

Anyway, you've probably heard that the St. Louis Cardinals need another starting pitcher.

The Cardinals and Reds are neck and neck in the NL Central standings with no dark horse in sight. They will stay that way unless a key player gets injured or one of these two teams make a move before the July 31 trade deadline.

St. Louis has been home to many of MLB's greatest players, including Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Ozzie Smith. 

But no player is more revered in St. Louis history than "Stan-the-Man" Musial. 

Stan-the-Man finished his career with a .331 batting average, 475 home runs, 1951 RBIs and 3630 hits.  He went to 24 All-Star games, won three World Series, and earned the NL MVP three times. 

The time has come for the National League Central Division to hit the panic button. Matt Holliday is on fire, and there is no sign of the fire marshal. 

After signing the biggest contract in St. Louis Cardinals history, Matt Holliday got off to a slow and inconsistent start in 2010. 

On June 18, Holliday discovered his long-lost swing that had provided enough consistency and power to land him a $120 million contract. 

In his last four games, Holliday is 11-for-17 (.647 avg) with five home runs and 10 RBI. 

After yet another near-sweep of a relatively weak team, the Seattle Mariners this time, the St. Louis Cardinals continue their quest for dominance in interleague play. 

St. Louis looks to recapture first place in the NL Central this weekend against the Oakland Athletics. 

The Cardinals haven't enjoyed much success on their California trips this year. They went 1-2 against the San Francisco Giants, 1-2 against the San Diego Padres, and 0-4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.