St Louis Cardinals

I am not going to even take credit for predicting this earlier in the week because the move was so blatantly obvious.

Jeff Suppan, who was recently released by the Milwaukee Brewers, signed with the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday.

With starters Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny on the disabled list and poor showings from rookies P.J. Walters and Blake Hawksworth, the St. Louis Cardinals may be close to bringing a familiar face back to Busch Stadium: Jeff Suppan.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that parameters of a deal were in place that could have the veteran right-hander, who was released by the Brewers on Monday, join the team this weekend in Arizona.

Jon Mozeliak, the Cardinals General Manager, warned that any deal was unofficial as of yet.

I think we can all agree when I say that adding depth to your lineup is a key factor to a winning team. Actually, several people overlook the fact that having a good bench is almost mandatory in a sports team where injuries frequently occur, and players go through slumps from time to time. Finally, a team that is in the National League, where pinch hitting is almost automatic and the double switch is seen a lot more often, needs to rely on someone with a good bat (and maybe some decent speed from time to time).

The St. Louis Cardinals are the most successful baseball franchise in National League history. Second only to the New York Yankees, the Cardinals have won 10 World Series titles.

The consistent presence of great athletes and coaches is hugely responsible for the club's success. Each great Red Birds team has seen one or more Hall of Fame caliber players.

Breaking down the greats and creating a top 10 was no easy feat. With so many great players, the list is open for debate.

Let's take a look at the 10 best players to ever wear a Cardinal uniform.

The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired some of baseball's best players over the years; not every star can come out of the 13th round in the MLB draft like Albert Pujols.

Here is a list of some of the smartest and luckiest Cardinal trades.

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It's no secret that Dontrelle Willis is struggling. That's why it came as no surprise when the Detroit Tigers decided that he wasn't worth what they were spending on him—they designated him for assignment on May 30th.

However, there may be a perfect situation for him in St. Louis.

The Cardinals, who through Sunday were 29-22, could be looking for some pitching help, with starters Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse on the disabled list.

The biggest reason the Cardinals and Dontrelle could have mutual interest is the Cardinals' famed pitching coach, Dave Duncan.

Due to lackadaisical hitting, the St. Louis Cardinals went down for a second straight night to the San Diego Padres in an extra inning, late night thriller.

The Red Birds lineup managed to get 16 men on base by way of 10 hits and six walks. With that amount of production, it is a wonder how the Cardinals only had one man swipe home plate. 

While getting 16 base runners, the struggling lineup also managed to strikeout 16 times, including four from David Freese. Jaime Garcia didn't strikeout once at the plate and posted a hit while pitching six scoreless from the mound.

When a Cy Young Award candidate hangs a curveball and a sixth position hitter is there to see it, does it make a run? 

Well, not usually. But at PETCO Park Tuesday night, the San Diego Padres nabbed a win from one of baseball's finest starters when Jerry Hairston Jr. turned a pitch by Adam Wainwright into a solo home run and a 1-0 win for the NL West Division leaders.

In Thursday's series finish against the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Brendan Ryan was left out of the starting lineup, for good reason. The 28-year old has been an utter failure as the Cardinals' starting shortstop.

His batting average is .173, which would be a little disappointing by anyone's standards.

Ryan was not expected to win any batting titles, but the Cardinals were willing to barter with his bat in exchange for his stellar glove.

I, as did some others, pegged Ryan as my preseason pick for a Gold Glove. How wrong I was.

Old illusions die hard.

Albert Pujols is a heart-warming inspiration. He’s also, potentially, a soul-crushing disappointment. After the traumas of the Steroid Era, many baseball fans have invested their remaining faith in the apparent integrity of the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman—which would be better news if St. Louis Cardinals first basemen weren’t an inherently untrustworthy species of idol.

Misery means longing for what you’ve lost.

Maturity, on the other hand, means living with what you’ve found.