By The Jersey Hitman
League 6
League 17
Something ‘screwie’ is going on in ‘St. Louie’: The Cardinals are winning! Who knew? How are they doing it? Can they keep it up? Are there any players on this team that can help my fantasy team? Hmmmm.
This situation is one I need to look into a little more deeply.
The Good: St.Louis Cardinals
Every day, I check the standings in my fantasy baseball leagues. Today, I did something a bit different: I opened a newspaper and took a look at the actual MLB standings, which I don’t find time to do very often. Wow! Did I find some surprises.
I really had no idea the Twins and Marlins were leading their divisions - who’da thunk it! But more shocking than that is the fact that the Cardinals are leading the NL Central. Weren’t they supposed to stink this year?
Not only do they lead their division, but they are running neck and neck with the Diamondbacks for best record in all of baseball. If they didn’t have a league-leading 8 blown saves, their record could easily be the best.
Of all the surprises on this team, the biggest has to be outfielder Ryan Ludwick. As I write this column, he is hitting .363 with 7 HRs, 21 RBI, and 20 runs scored, and making a real push for more playing time in the crowded Cardinals outfield.
Kyle Lohse has already come back down to earth after a surprisingly effective start to the season. But Chris Carpenter remains on schedule to return around the All-Star Break; he may be worth a pick up if he’s available in your league and you have the room to stash him in a DL spot.
The Bad: Passing on Albert Pujols
How many of us passed on ‘Phat’ Albert in our drafts this season? He had a bad elbow; he was on a bad team; he would go on the DL by July and have the elbow fixed for next season. After all, his team stunk and he wouldn’t help them compete this year.
I had the 12th pick in one draft this year and was very happy to see him taken with the 11th pick. If he had lasted to me, I still don’t know if I would have taken him at that time.
So far, I would have been wrong to pass on him, but I know I’m not the only one who would have done so, or did so. Sure, his elbow is hurting, but it has been hurting for years. He is hitting .341 with 6 HRs and looks awfully good. The Cardinals keep winning and Albert keeps hitting.
The DL in July? The only place Albert will be heading to in July is to Yankee Stadium for the All-Star Game.
The Ugly: Jason Isringhausen
The one thing that the Cardinals need to keep wining is for Izzy to get himself right. Sure, he has 11 saves but he also has 4 of the team’s 8 blown saves. He has 3 losses and a 6.60 ERA to go with them, too.
He looked like he may have been getting things straightened out earlier this week when he earned saves in back-to-back games, Sunday and Monday. He, then, blew another one on Wednesday.
The Cards cannot keep wasting strong performances from their starters and giving away games in the late innings. It wouldn’t shock me at all to see some of his save opportunities go elsewhere for a while in the near future. It might be a good time to pick up Ryan Franklin in your leagues … just in case Izzy’s struggles continue.
I don’t think the Cardinals can keep this up throughout the entire season. But what do I know? Until recently, I was sure they stunk.