Cards Fans - A Special Breed Photo by Jimmy Russotto	Ricky Nolasco - fireballer  Photo by Jimmy Russotto

Although there were plenty of Musial fans in the house last night in the Cards spring home, there certainly were no Musials on the field.  After two straight days of watching the Marlins though, I think they're starting to grow on me.  The Marlins exude youth and enthusiasm, and compared to the Cards, they're absolutely dynamic!

The lineup starts with Hanley Ramirez, Alfredo Amezaga, Mike Jacobs and Josh Willingham.  Jorge Cantu, a favorite of mine from a couple of years ago, bats sixth.  He only knocked in about 97 runs in 2006.  The Cards one through four last night was Skip Schumacher, Adam Kennedy, Rick Ankiel and the mighty Amaury Marti.  No, really!  This is on the web!  How could it not be true?

<>The best thing about the Cards is their colorful fan base.   Included above is a picture of one senior fan in his  Musial jersey.  But, really, I talked with several of them and they all think the Cards are great, they don't think Tony LaRussa should crawl under a rock, and they don't seem to mind that Rick Ankiel is batting third.  They're truly a "glass half full" bunch.

The Marlins, if they can get some pitching, could be dangerous.  Hanley Ramirez has already proven to be one of the best, if not THE best, shortstop in the National League.  Alfredo Amezaga makes contact, is faster than a speeding bullet, and has that Jose Reyes-type of charisma about him.  Mike Jacobs and Josh Willingham can both hit for power and should only get better this year.

Last night's starting pitcher, Ricky Nolasco, is shown above on the right.  He can throw hard and seems to have a nice curve and slider.  Their other starters, Scott Olsen, Sergio Mitre, Andrew Miller and Mark Hendrickson are all young but with a year or two of experience in the Major Leagues.  Two other youngsters are injured right now, Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez, but they might be the best of the bunch.  <>Their closer is creditable, saving 32 games last year, and struck out 87 in 84 innings.

  Not too shabby.  It will be the middle-relief that makes or breaks the Marlins this year, and if a couple of those young starters can be converted, the sky’s the limit for the boys in teal.  (Really, their colors have nothing).

While the Cards may finish with a better record, they certainly won’t be more exciting.  Albert Pujols will still be great, that is, if LaRussa plays him.  (I’ll never get over the 2007 All-Star game when the temperamental genius left his best player on the bench at the game’s critical juncture).  LaRussa also scared off Scott Rolen and got Troy Glaus in return, and the Blue Jays couldn’t be happier.   <>

And, although I was never a Jim Edmonds fan, his departure, along with the loss of David Eckstein, certainly leaves the Cards with less team chemistry (unless you count Glaus’s inclusion in the Mitchell report).  <>That I was at this game at all is a tribute to my own sloth.  Having watched the Dodgers-Red Sox earlier in the day on ESPN, I thought I could take one night of the Cards.  I was wrong.  

Decisions, decisions…One of the very best morning activities while down here in the Sunshine State is deciding which game to attend while having breakfast at the nearby Cracker Barrel.  Heavy rains and some truly scary winds (a tornado may have touched down at the Stuart Airport) made all my scheming moot today, however. 

<>The Marlins take on the improving Washington Nationals in Jupiter later today while an 80-mile drive up to Vero Beach will get me the Dodgers game.  But guess who they’re playing?  You got it, the Cards.  I don’t think I could take that again.  After all, I just saw Joe Torre on ESPN !  (Would Elaine Bennis have put an exclamation point there)?  <>

My Mets take on the Indians, which is really the premiere game today, but as it’s in Winter Haven, a  2-hour drive up there takes a lot of luster off that particular gem. A quick look at the Nats prospects for the year makes it evident that Jupiter will once again be THE place to be.  Or have I become a Marlins fan?

The Nats have an interesting mix and could improve considerably over last year.  Lastings Milledge will add some speed and power to a lineup that already includes Austin Kearns, Dmitri Young and Nick Johnson back from his injury.  The Nats lineup also boasts Ryan Zimmerman and Wily Mo Pena, while landing Johnny Estrada to catch for them after the injury to LoDuca was an absolute coup.

 <>The Washingtonians also have an interesting pitching staff, one that has some talent but more bad luck in 2007.  John Patterson had a great year in 2005 before his injuries. Jason Bergmann has shown promise and the rest of their starters bear a strong resemblance to that Marlins staff, young and feisty.  Jon Rauch and Chad Cordero give them at least the nucleus of a relief corps and, all things considered, I believe they’ll be much improved in 2008.

Ah well, one more day of spring baseball and it will be back on the Amtrak to face another month of winter.  Of course, there will be breakfast in the dining car, and sneaking out for a smoke in places like Richmond and Jacksonville.  The train-ride is almost an entire vacation by itself.   <>

After having spent about 500 miles conversation with a marine archeologist (yes, we did discuss George Costanza’s role as marine biologist but I’m not sure he appreciated it), and having become one woman’s savior by simply returning her wallet she had left in the bathroom, I can truly say I’m ready for the ride home. 

I mean…there are a lot worse things I could be doing, like, well, having my fingernails pulled out, or listening to the sound of weirdly-angled chalk on a blackboard, or …taking in a Cardinals game.

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