Joe Ostermeier has covered the St. Louis Cardinals since 1985, including their three World Series visits since then, their seven trips to the playoffs from 1985-2005, and Mark McGwire's historic home run chase in 1998. He is a longstanding member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and a voter for the BBWAA's annual awards and the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Because of the large volume of e-mail, not every question can be answered.
Submitted by Cards Fan from Columbia, IL
Q: Why don't Cardinal fans join me in boycotting all team activities and purchases until they show they are serious about fielding a team that can compete? Izturis is the worst signing I can even imagine them doing and makes no sense at all.
Answered 12/05/07 14:42:45 by Joe Ostermeier
A: I've no doubt the Izturis signing has upset a lot of Cardinal fans who will miss David Eckstein next year. On top of the other moves this winter -- re-signing starter Joel Pineiro and adding backup catcher Jason LaRue -- the team obviously is searching for another starting pitcher. But Izturis' signing lets the Cards move on to that quest, rather than continue to pursue a return by Eckstein. "We're trying to put a competitive club out there," new Cards GM John Mozeliak said when the decision was announced last week, "and Izturis is a guy we've talked about for a lot of years." Izturis, a switch-hitter who was a Gold Glover in 2005 and an All-Star in 2005, hit .258 overall in 110 games last season with the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates. But he batted .276 with the Pirates after they acquired him from the Cubs in July. Still, the popular Eckstein -- a leader in the clubhouse and one of the smartest players on the team -- will be missed. He was a .300 hitter in his years with the club, but on the other hand he wasn't as strong defensively as the Cardinals would have liked. On top of that, the 32-year-old Eckstein -- he'll be 33 in January -- battled injuries the last couple years, and the Redbirds were trying to get younger at that position with the signing of the 27-year-old Izturis.Submitted by Anonymous from St Louis, MO
Q: The Cardinal's organization strikes me as a careful operation. TO that end, you would think they would have taken a disability policy on CHris Carpenter, and have an insurance company pick up his salary. If so, why aren't we talking about the cash the Cardinals saved from the insurance that could be used to acquire the starting pitcher they need next Spring?
Answered 11/27/07 14:54:28 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Generally, the Cardinals and other major-league clubs get insurance on their long-term contracts -- in this case, a five-year, $63.5 million deal, including a club option for 2012, that Carpenter signed last December. Any insurance benefit the Cardinals would have received on that deal -- given that Carpenter pitched only on Opening Day before the elbow injury ended his 2007 season and necessitated Tommy John surgery over the summer -- would go into the club coffers and be used for player payroll, other team expenses and so on. The Cardinals (and other clubs) generally don't make those decisions public, but they have said they will increase their 2008 payroll to about $110 million, up from about $100 million last year. Some of that will be absorbed by players due increases in 2008 -- Carpenter's salary was $8.5 million in 2007 but will be $10.5 million in 2008, for instance -- so there won't be much wriggle room for the team to add significantly to its player stock.Submitted by Symon Phoenix from ESTL, IL
Q: Looking at the list of available FA prospects, I see two names that jump out at me. Pedro Feliz and Kris Benson what are your thoughts on these two becoming Cardinals
Answered 11/27/07 14:44:58 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Of the two, Feliz is more intriguing to me. But him becoming a Cardinal would hinge almost completely on what happens (or doesn't happen) with Scott Rolen this winter. Feliz is primarily a third baseman -- he played 143 games at third for the Giants last year, hitting .253 with 20 homers and 72 RBIs -- but wouldn't have a spot in St. Louis unless Rolen was traded somewhere. As for Benson, I think the Cardinals have better options, both in the organization and on the free-agent and trade markets. Yes, he won 11 games for a not-very-good Orioles team in 2007, but his ERA was 4.82, he allowed 33 homers in 183 innings, and opponents hit .287 against him. For that kind of homer total, you'd expect Benson to be a power pitcher, but he struck out just 88 batters in those 183 innings, and walked 58. The old rule of thumb when you're looking at a pitcher: You'd ideally like to see twice as many strikeouts as walks, and you'd like to see the strikeouts and innings pitched match up better than Benson's numbers do. I'd say the Cardinals will be looking elsewhere.Submitted by Matt from Seattle, WA
Q: Do you think Scott Rolen will be moved this offseason?
Answered 11/08/07 20:31:04 by Joe Ostermeier
A: I think it will be difficult to trade Scott Rolen this winter, because of his shoulder injury, the surgery he needed to repair it, and the $36 million he is due the next three years in his contract. On top of that, he has a no-trade clause he'd have to agree to waive in order to be dealt. On the other hand, he and Tony La Russa have had an uneasy marriage the last two years, ever since Rolen got angry when La Russa sat him down in the World Series, and ever since La Russa thought Rolen wasn't being forthcoming about how much his shoulder was bothering him. That said, the two men can get along well enough for the club to have the services of a Gold Glove-winning, All-Star premiere third baseman -- as long as he is healthy. But trading Rolen now -- when he's missed a lot of time and seen a power dropoff because of the injury -- is akin to selling a stock when it is at its lowest value, instead of waiting for it to rebound. I don't think the Cardinals will move him unless they can get equal return, and it's hard to say what that amounts to when a player is coming off a couple years of shoulder problems -- and other medical questions before that period of time. The bottom line is this: Rolen is a premiere player, one of the best in the game when he's healthy, and shouldn't casually be dealt away because he and the manager aren't best buddies.Submitted by Alva Jones from Freeburg, IL
Q: With all the money the Cardinal Management has taken in and the way the sock it to the fans, is there a way to find out what their bottom line profit was for the last few years?
Answered 11/08/07 14:25:34 by Joe Ostermeier
A: The Cardinals' bottom line -- like that of any other major-league team -- is a closely guarded secret. They do not make public their financial situation, profits, losses, whatever. The Cardinals' constant sellouts of home games put them in better stead than many teams, of course, but on the other hand, their TV and radio contracts are less than other teams in larger markets. Back on the first hand, the Cardinals and the other major-league teams are profiting from great licensing deals and other national marketing plans that have brought unexpected monies to each club in the majors. On the other hand (there we go again), the Cardinals expect to have a team payroll of $110 million or so for next year -- a considerable chunk of change for those of us who remember when the brewery owned the team and had a payroll of $17 million or $18 million. But as some wag cracked wise at the ballpark last summer, I don't think they're serving peanut butter and jelly in the front office lunchroom just yet. And let's not forget the Cardinals are also having to pay down the debt of the new ballpark, which didn't come with as much public money and support as the owners thought. Anyway, the bottom line is the Cards' bottom line is a secret; since they're not a publicly held corporation, they have no requirement reporting their profits or loss each year. If fans don't like it, they can stay away -- but I imagine someone else will be happy to take their place.Submitted by A baseball fan from St. Louis, Mo.
Q: I saw where the Cubs declined to pick up the option on Steve Trachsel. Do you think the Cardinals will be interested in him and, if so, why?
Answered 11/05/07 11:55:44 by Joe Ostermeier
A: I think there are better free agent options out there, including Tom Glavine and a handful of other veteran pitchers who could eat up innings and be good leaders for the younger members of the Cardinals pitching staff. Glavine is especially intriguing; he's not the Cy Young winner of a few years ago, but he remains one of the smartest pitchers in the game. He'd be a reliable No. 3 starter behind Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper, and could teach a thing or two to youngsters like Joe Pineiro and the rest. I don't think the Cards would go beyond one year and an option for him, and who knows what will be available to players on the free agent market this winter? But Glavine is a better option that Trachsel, who doesn't seem to have that much left in the tank.Submitted by Anonymous from waterloo illinois
Q: what does the president of the cardinals actually do ??
Answered 11/02/07 21:31:26 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Great question, and more than you might imagine. Think of it this way: Mark Lamping is ultimately in charge of the fan experience at the ballpark, overseeing all aspects of the operations of the club that don't have to do with actual player development, acquisition and other on-the-field questions. He oversees the club employees that handle ticket sales, ballpark maintenance and improvements, and all the other things that go into what a fan experiences when he's at the ballpark -- the atmosphere, the music, the concessions, the ushers and other team employees staffing the ballpark. He also oversees business dealings for the team that involve advertisements at the ballpark, how the team markets itself in the community and with fans, radio and television deals, payroll and employee hiring, the afore-mentioned ticket sales and so on.Submitted by Symon Phoenix from ESTL, IL
Q: Is there any chance what so ever that the Cardinals will be major players for either A-Rod or Tori Hunter?
Answered 11/01/07 18:04:39 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Not likely, not in either case. The Cardinals simply don't have the budget to absorb an A-Rod contract. He's like to command a deal paying him $30 million a year, a figure that less than a handful of clubs can absorb -- Boston, Anaheim, and maybe the Chicago Cubs if they get their ownership questions settled. It's unreasonable for a mid-market team like the Cardinals, with a projected payroll for 2008 of $110 million, to pay one player a third of that total. Can you imagine how Albert Pujols, getting $14 million a year, would feel if A-Rod walked in the door making twice that next year? You'd also hamstring the club in attempts to build a team around a big-ticket player like A-Rod, which is why his market is extremely limited. Hunter isn't in that price category, but I think the Cardinals will concentrate on solving their rotation and shortstop questions before adding another outfielder. The Cards have some congestion in their outfield picture as it is, so I'm sure they will look at other parts of the club before that.Submitted by Anthony from Atlanta
Q: Hello If I may ask, How much do you think Rick ankiel will make next year? I just saw he qualifies for salary arbitration Since he has Mr. Bora as his agent, i imagine he may go high
Answered 10/16/07 00:55:27 by Joe Ostermeier
A: My guess is Ankiel will command something approaching $1 million for next year, the way salaries are continuing to escalate around the game. I'm sure the Cardinals will want to avoid going to the arbitration table with him -- a policy firmly in place throughout the Jocketty years in St. Louis -- because the club just doesn't like the whole process. Imagine that in your job -- the boss comes in and tells the arbitrator why you're not worth the kind of money you'd like to get paid, and you have to sit there and say why you're worth it. Then, no matter which way the arbitrator rules, you have to go out and play hard for the people who were just telling the arbitrator you shouldn't be paid what you think you're worth. Hard feelings all around, on that one -- which is why the Cardinals will try to sign Ankiel before they get close to arbitration. On the other hand, uncertainty in the front office could cause some delay in the entire process, which is why it would be good for Bill DeWitt to settle on a GM. Everything rolls downhill from that, including Tony La Russa's decision on whether to return and the resulting player moves that have to be made to get this team back in the playoff picture.Submitted by Symon Phoenix from ESTL, IL
Q: Do you think that the Cardinals would pursue either Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, or Andrew Jones or perhaps all three?
Answered 10/09/07 12:50:38 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Hard to say, given the uncertainty at the top of the front office and in the corner of the dugout. All three of those players have probably seen their best days pass them by -- Andruw Jones might regain the skills he's shown in recent years, but that's a big if -- and age is a factor in this. (Especially for a club that's already showing some age: Jim Edmonds will turn 38 next year, Jason Isringhausen will turn 35, and Scott Rolen will be 33, to name just a few.) You could argue the Cardinals should be trying to get younger, not older, and I wonder how much Maddux and Glavine (each 41 years old) can contribute at this point. Jones is another matter; at 30, he can command a big contract on the free-agent market, and I wonder where the Cardinals would play him if Edmonds (as he said at the end of the season) isn't interested in moving to right field. That said, who knows what decisions will come down once the front office makeup is finalized, or who the manager will be? I don't think you can rule anything out -- or anything in -- at this point.Submitted by KathyB from Terre Haute IN
Q: (You're probably stunned to get a question about something other than TLR, Jocketty, etc.) During the past season I was favorably impressed by Ryan Ludwick and am wondering what his future is with the Cardinals? I think I've read that he's out of options but I can't believe they wouldn't offer him a good deal to stay. It seems he was quietly successful while Ankiel got all the publicity. Your thoughts about Ludwick?
Answered 10/09/07 12:41:59 by Joe Ostermeier
A: I think Ludwick will come to spring training as a candidate for a corner oiutfield spot, especially if Juan Encarnacion hasn't recovered from his severe eye injury. Ludwick showed promise in his time with the Cardinals this year -- with more power than expected (14 homers, 52 RBIs, 22 doubles in 120 games), and more skill defensively than he was expected to provide. One concern: 72 strikeouts but only 26 walks in 303 at-bats, and the Cardinals can't have too many free swingers in the lineup at any one time. You have to include Rick Ankiel and Jim Edmonds in that category, so there's concern about having another strikeout-prone bat in the lineup every day. That said, I think Ludwick will be in the mix for one of the four outfield jobs come spring training, but will most likely come off the bench or share time with another "regular" in 2008.Submitted by Tim Mottola from Trenton, IL
Q: Do you think the cardinals will go after andrew jones from atlanta this off season since he was released. Or will they avoid this, stick with the aging Jim Edmonds, and go after pitchers that no one has ever heard of.
Answered 10/05/07 00:31:26 by Joe Ostermeier
A: I think the Cardinals' first priority this winter will be starting pitching, whether any of us have heard of them or not. Andruw Jones' falloff this year was troubling after several career years for the center fielder, who seemed to forsake batting average for attempts at continued power production. He's become undisciplined at the plate, and I'm not sure what kind of market he'll find for his services. That said, he's an accomplished center fielder with a chance to revive his career, and St. Louis could be a possibility -- depending on who is running the Cardinals when they begin pondering their player moves. Much will depend on who is the GM and manager when that time comes around; if a Terry Pendleton were to be the new skipper (we're getting ahead of ourselves here, considering Tony La Russa still has a decision to make), it's not inconceivable he'd want Jones as his center fielder. We'll know more, and be better able to make educated guesses about which direction the Cardinals will take, when their front office and managerial situation is settled.Submitted by Cards Fan from Columbia, IL
Q: Do you think the Cardinals would consider Whitey Herzog as GM? He did a great job with some big trades when he first took over the team in the 80's; and I would love to see him and Pendleton team up as GM and manager next year.
Answered 10/05/07 00:24:22 by Joe Ostermeier
A: I think anything is possible, but Whitey has been out of the game for years now. The trend in baseball is toward younger front office types, guys who are keyed in to the international game and player development not only in the U.S. and the Caribbean, but literally all over the world. Whitey's a great judge of baseball talent, of course, but he's been away for a long time. On top of that, when Whitey had twin roles as the GM and manager for the Cardinals in the 1980s, the front office was by far the very least favorite part of his job. He hated negotiating contracts, hated the drudgery of the every-day-go-to-the-office responsibility, and hated telling players why they shouldn't get paid as much as they wanted -- and then had to turn around and get them to play for him. As much as Cardinals fans would love to see Whitey back in the fold, I don't think it will be in the front office. But wouldn't it be interesting to see him serve as a bench coach for somebody, a Terry Pendleton, say, or Jose Oquendo? Then again, Whitey had the chance to do that for a couple teams in the 1990s, and turned it down -- worrying his star presence would overshadow whoever was the manager. On the other hand, wouldn't it be fun to watch?Submitted by Cards FAn from Columbia. Il
Q: Why is Tony continuing to play our MVP, Pujols when these are meaningless games and he is injured so bad he can't even run? I think Tony is the cause for many of these injuries that become more serious and could even threaten player's careers. Why did he catch Molina in both games of a doubleheader recently when we were already out of it?
Answered 09/25/07 21:21:12 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Albert was being used mostly in a pinch-hitting role while the team waited for his injured calf to heal, but he was in the starting lineup the last two days against Milwaukee because they're still in the playoff hunt. The Cardinals are trying to get him one more RBI so he can extend his record streak of hitting .300 with 30 homers and 100 RBIs to seven seasons at the start of his career -- something no other player has done in the history of the game. Albert begins play Wednesday with 99 RBIs, and needs one more in the last five games to get to 100. Molina played both those games in the doubleheader two weekends ago because the Cardinals were still trying to catch the Cubs at that point; the Cards lost three of four that weekend, effectively knocking them out of the race. Since the Cardinals were eliminated, Tony has been playing a lot of youngsters with the exception of the times the Redbirds have been playing a contending team -- in recent instances, Philadelphia and Milwaukee. He will play most of the regulars in those contests because of the integrity of the game; he owes it to the teams competing with those clubs for playoff spots.Submitted by Anthony from Atlanta
Q: Do you think Rick Ankiel will be in the strting line-up next year?
Answered 09/24/07 14:40:31 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Great question, Anthony. I think the Cardinals are going to give Rick every opportunity in spring training to gain that starting job, but much may depend between now and then on the brain trust in place and what happens with the other outfielders on the team between. There is much up in the air, including whether GM Walt Jocketty and manager Tony La Russa return, whether Juan Encarnacion is fully recovered from his eye injury, and whether Chris Duncan might be dealt somewhere in a package for a veteran starting pitcher. The biggest question centers on the future of Walt and Tony, but I think Rick has shown enough at the end of this season to be penciled in as one of the everyday outfield candidates in Jupiter, Fla. That said, a new GM and skipper will not have the allegiance to Ankiel that the current pair does, though that could change if doctors conclude Encarnacion can't make it back fully from the injury he suffered. That would affect both Ankiel and Duncan. I think the Cards have to be extremely cautious on the Encarnacion front, and I'm assuming we'll see a starting outfield next year of Duncan in left and Ankiel in right flanking Jim Edmonds in center.Submitted by Anonymous from Lebanon, IL
Q: Where is Tom Brunansky? My son thought he hung the moon years ago and I'd like to write to tell him what an impact he had on my son and the excitement he added to our family with his years here in St.Louis.
Answered 09/21/07 00:05:17 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Bruno remains a high school baseball coach in Poway, Calif. 13 years after ending a 15-year major league career with the Cardinals, California, Minnesota, Boston and Milwaukee. He played with St. Louis from 1988-90, arriving in a trade with Minnesota for Tommy Herr the season after the Cards and Twins met in the 1987 World Series. Brunansky left 57 games into the 1990 season, going to the Red Sox in a trade for Lee Smith. In between, he hit .238 with 43 homers and 166 RBIs for St. Louis, and during that span was one of the most popular players on the team, as judged by teammates and fans alike. (On a personal note, I've never forgotten the night the Cardinals announced the Herr-for-Brunansky trade after a ballgame, and the way Herr cried openly in the clubhouse as reporters streamed into the room to talk to him. But Bruno was well received by the Cardinals players when he arrived the next day, and was a big part of the Redbirds in Whitey Herzog's last years as manager.) If you can imagine this, now Bruno 47 years old, teaching kids to play the game not far from his hometown of Covina, Cal.Submitted by Charlie from Belleville
Q: What are the chances Tony La Russa will throw in the towel (of his own volition) after this season?
Answered 09/20/07 23:49:41 by Joe Ostermeier
A: I get asked this a lot, and I think he's going to stay put. Despite his detractors, Tony does have a sincere regard for the history of the game, and the Cardinals' place in that. I don't think he just walks away from his responsibilities to the club, even if the pressure to win doesn't seem to have lessened with the World Series triumph last year. Whatever his doubters may think, La Russa is on anybody's list of the most accomplished managers in baseball history, and I think he feels tremendous loyalty to the Cardinals' owners, the fans who support the team, and the players in the clubhouse. Does anyone think someone else would have done better this year with a club that lost all of its rotation from a year ago, including ace Chris Carpenter, and also had significant injuries to Scott Rolen, Yadier Molina, Juan Encarnacion, Jim Edmonds, and David Eckstein, to say nothing of the death of Josh Hancock? On top of that, you can count on one hand the number of Cardinals who have had a better season this year than last. I think Tony has earned a pass for 2007 (most importantly in his mind, not ours) so I think he'll be back next year. On top of that, there are only a couple managing jobs that will open this winter, and I don't see Tony seeing a better opportunity out there than this one. That said, I do think it's possible he'll re-up for a shorter period of time, maybe one year and a mutual option, so his choices aren't limited in years to come.Submitted by rich from O'fallon, il
Q: Joe: How would someone go about requesting the City of St. Louis change 2 of the street names around the new Busch to Jack Buck Way/Lane and Stan Musial Way/Lane?
Answered 09/10/07 21:52:11 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Rich: That's a decision that belongs with the St. Louis Board of Alderman, who would have to pass legislation calling for those street names to be changed. You'd have to bring the issue before the Board at one of its upcoming meetings, but first you'll likely have to learn more about the workings of city government. One good source would be a web site about the city and the people who run it, http://stlouis.missouri.org. As for the renaming the streets, I like the idea: I was just in Columbus, Ohio, visiting my daughter in grad school, and when we went by the Buckeyes' stadium we found ourselves driving on Woody Hayes Drive. Why couldn't Cardinal fans do the same thing with a road named for the team's greatest player (Stan the Man) and greatest announcer (Jack)? Good luck with your quest; let us know what comes of it.Submitted by Ed from New Athens,IL
Q: What do you think of Danny Cox coaching the New Athens High School baseball team?
Answered 09/01/07 00:05:43 by Joe Ostermeier
A: It's intriguing, considering Danny's years with the Grizzlies and his stature as one of the Cardinal pitching heroes from their great clubs in the 1980s. Danny proved himself to be a great competitor on those playoff teams, and provided the same kind of intensity to the Grizzlies when he was their manager from 2003 to 2006. It will be interesting to see how that translates to the kids in New Athens, and I know one thing -- there will be no shortage of interest in the program with Coxie running it there.Submitted by Rob from Sweet Home, OR
Q: Joe, Do you know if Aaron had a boy or a girl?
Answered 08/29/07 12:33:07 by Joe Ostermeier
A: Aaron Miles and his wife, Courtney, brought their son, Jackson Tyler, into the world on Aug. 22. The couple has a daughter, Nicole Dakota, who is 3. By my count, using the Cardinals' media guide as a reference, that brings to 23 the number of children for players on the Cards' active roster; Albert Pujols and Gary Bennett lead the way with three each.
