St. Louis Sports Online #63 (3.27.96)

St. Louis Sports Online is an online sports weekly that aims to provide St. Louisans (and transplanted St. Louisans) with an additional source of news, information, and humor about St. Louis-area sports events and St. Louis-area sports teams. ISSUE #63 contains several articles pertaining to the Cardinals and the Blues, features on the Blues, and an editorial about the SLU Bills men's basketball program. Contributors to #63 include KMOX radio's Randy Karraker, StLSO senior writer Jim Hunstein, Riverfront Times hockey columnist Randy Hu, Nancy Buchanan, and Mike Rainey. St. Louis Sports Online can be reached at StLSports@aol.com and via FAX (618-457-5691). Subscriptions to StLSO are free, and can be obtained by sending a polite request to StLSports@aol.com. St. Louis Sports Online is also available on the World Wide Web at http://itdcomm.com/stlsol/St. Louis Sports Online MARCH.96.4 CONTENTS 1.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER 2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts 2.1 Cardinals News 2.2 Blues Banter 2.3 Rams News 3.0 StLSO Features 3.1 The Blues Corner 3.1.1 Defensive-Minded Blues Tie Detroit by NANCY BUCHANAN 3.1.2 Empty Netter by RANDY HU 3.1.3 Youth Just A Dream On This Team by MIKE RAINEY 3.2 Cardinals Preview 3.2.1 A Few Words With David Bell 3.2.2 St. Pete Days 3.2.3 St. Pete Quotes 3.2.4 The Trials and Tribulations of a $4 Million Pitcher 3.2.5 The Opening-Day Roster 3.2.6 What's In The Cards For 1996? by JIM HUNSTEIN 3.3 Farr Signed; Cunningham Scoped by JIM HUNSTEIN 4.0 StLSO Interactivity 5.0 StLSO Editorial: SLU At The Crossroad St. Louis Sports Online MARCH.96.41.0 StLSO News and Notes by RANDY KARRAKER Randall Cunningham said all the right things to the St. Louis media during his visit to the Rams' camp on Friday. Cunningham said his problems in Philadelphia were the result of too much pressure, miscommunication, and circumstances beyond his control. He practiced in great fashion, making all the throws and showing the athletic ability that made him a two time MVP earlier in his career. Interestingly, Coach Rich Brooks noted that he wants to know how a player will interact with his teammates and coaches, he doesn't want, of all things, a communication breakdown to be a reason for a failure on the part of the team...especially a breakdown at the quarterback position. The impression I got was that Cunningham better have had some pretty good answers for what happened last year in Philly during his interview with Brooks. The Rams won't find a better guy (a better quarterback, yes...a better guy, no) than Steve Beuerlein to bring in. He's the All-American boy, he has class, personality, and some ability. Steve Walsh is a winner who doesn't have a great arm, and wouldn't seem to be a good fit for a team trying to get the ball deep to Isaac Bruce and Alexander Wright. I say flip a coin between Cunningham and Beuerlein, with the latter getting the slight edge because of his spotless image. Blues players that were with the Rangers in 1994 (and there are a lot of them) say it'll take 'til about playoff time before the club meshes. Craig MacTavish, Brian Noonan, Stephane Matteau and Jay Wells all played for Mike Keenan that year...when Keenan turned over half the team that had the best record in the league. One thing Keenan has going for him is that these players have bought into his system...most of them have played for him before...and they truly believe that they can be winners in the playoffs. Lots of people talk about teams more talented than the Blues...how they'll be better off in the playoffs. But let's not forget that the Pittsburgh Penguins have been the most talented team in the league for five years now, and they only have two Stanley Cups to show for it...both under great coaches. Its a strange thing in hockey...but coaching and systems win more often than great players do. You could look it up. The Cardinals were heartened by the dominant performances of Donovan Osborne, Todd Stottlemyre and Alan Benes Sunday and Monday. Osborne is expected to start in mid-April...with Andy Benes, Alan Benes, Stottlemyre and Osborne the big four. Mike Morgan returns May 1, and Danny Jackson after the All-Star break. We also hear that Pat Borders has stolen the starting catching job from Tom Pagnozzi, and that Royce Clayton will indeed be the opening day starter at shortstop. We could get an early indication of how this team will fare when they visit Atlanta in the first week of the season. This Cardinal outfit shouldn't be intimidated like recent editions have been. The Cards still have several thousand tickets available for opening day. The number to call is (314) 421-3060. EDITOR'S NOTE: Randy Karraker is KMOX radio's sports reporter. His reports can be heard throughout the day on KMOX. In addition, Karraker occasionally hosts Sports Open Line. 2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts2.1 Cardinals News *The Cardinals starting pitchers, for the early part of April, are expected to include Andy Benes, Todd Stottlemyre, Alan Benes, Tom Urbani, and Mike Busby. *The new ownership group has officially taken over from A-B. There is an air of anticipation around the ballclub. No one really knows for sure what additional changes are in order as the new group assumes a more hands-on approach to their acquisition. *The A-B Eagle at Busch Stadium is history. Apparently, the brewery will use parts from it to aid in the maintenance of the Highway 40 Eagle. The StLSO staff will miss the flying bird. No word yet on what will replace him (her?). *The changes at Busch Stadium are underway, and Cards VP Marty Hendin says that everything will be finished on time. The grass field is installed...and looks BEAUTIFUL. The left-field picnic area is still under construction; it looks like a winner, too. The Cards bullpen will be situated in front of the picnic area, elevated for better viewing from within the ballpark. The visitors bullpen will be less visible; apparently tucked behind the left-field wall. Box seats in the corners are being re-oriented so that fans will be facing the infield, rather than the center fielder. Finally, the "Club Seat" concept has also arrived at Busch. A small number of dugout-level club seats have been installed in front of the existing box seats. Fans purchasing club seats will have access to a restricted-access restaurant/bar/lounge that is located underneath the stands (and not far from the visitors' clubhouse). As of late March, the lounge was not yet completed. 2.2 Blues Banter *Shayne Corson suffered a broken jaw in the Blues 8-4 loss to Pittsburgh. It is expected that he will be out for the rest of the season, although at press time the complete extent of his injury was unclear. Corson suffered the injury as a result of a heavy (but legal) open-ice check by former Blue J.J. Daigneault. *During the Pittsburgh game, Mike Keenan separated Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky on even-strength situations. Just two weeks ago, Keenan said he had no plans to separate those two players. It seems a bit obvious that Hull has yet to completely adjust to Gretzky's style of play. It is easy to envision the Golden Brett lecturing himself: "Don't think so much. Just go out and do it." *Grant Fuhr continues to start in goal for the Blues, although Mike Keenan doesn't hesitate to insert Jon Casey for Fuhr. The Blues record in games in which Fuhr has been replaced? 1-15. 2.3 Rams News *The latest QB to visit the Rams' offices at Matthews-Dickey? Steve Walsh. The Rams are the only NFL with an unsettled quarterbacking situation. The talk now is that the Rams may renew their efforts to acquire a QB via the trade route. In particular, the Colts Craig Erickson may be available, depending on the resolution of Jim Harbaugh's contract. 3.0 StLSO Features 3.1 The Blues Corner3.1.1 Defensive-Minded Blues Tie Detroit by NANCY BUCHANAN How did the Blues tie the best team in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings, on Sunday March 24? Excellent goal tending by Grant Fuhr (he stopped 40 of 42 shots) was a big part of the story. Offensively, the story was a goal by Wayne Gretzky (unassisted in the first period) and another by the "muck, grind and score a clutch goal now and then" line of Creighton/Noonan/Matteau. Adam Creighton's goal at 12:57 of the 3rd period, assisted by Brian Noonan and Jay Wells, came just 1:59 after Detroit had taken a 2-1 lead. But the bigger story was how the Blues as a team played disciplined defense to hold the Red Wings to only two goals. Just two days earlier on March 22 the Red Wings blanked the second best team in the Western conference, the Colorado Avalanche, 7-0 by scoring three power play goals and three short-handed goals. Clearly Colorado did not play good defense against Detroit. The Blues were reminded midway through the first period against Detroit that they cannot stop concentrating on defense nor stop checking for even a moment against the Red Wings. As the two teams passed the puck back and forth in the Blues' defensive zone, eventually the Red Wings gained control but were forced back over the blue line into the neutral zone. Instead of dumping the puck back in, Detroit's Russian contingent skated backwards into their defensive zone rapidly passing the puck to one another, waiting for an opportunity. The Blues were not quick enough to make any body checks or intercept any passes. Suddenly Detroit's fancy passing carried back into the neutral zone whereupon Kozlov swiftly passed the puck past Pronger and Khmylev (yes, the Blues have a couple Russian players, too) right onto the stick of Federov who by then had a break-away and scored on Fuhr. Twice during the game the Blues faced tough four-on-four situations against the Red Wings. In the first period, the Blues answered the challenge and did not allow the open-ice-loving Wings to score; however, in the third period on a four-on-four, Gretzky/Hull/MacInnis/Baron ran out of gas after one minute and two seconds when Larionov scored for Detroit. The Blues were tired at the end of a long shift and had been unable to clear the puck out of their defensive zone when they needed to make a line change. Other than these defensive mistakes which allowed Detroit to score, the Blues played good team defense and/or relied on Fuhr to stop shots that snuck through. Veteran Charlie Huddy (acquired near the trading deadline from the Buffalo Sabres) performed well on defense stepping into Igor Kravchuk's position alongside Chris Pronger. (Kravchuk was flying home to Moscow because his father had just died.) Pronger, to his credit, seemed to adjust easily to his new defense partner. Both Huddy and Pronger played a confident, physical game--checking Red Wing players without hesitation. Another key to the Blues' defense was not taking too many senseless penalties and playing well when short-handed. Christer Olsson,unfortunately, took two unnecessary minors in the second period--high-sticking at 8:02 and cross-checking at 15:24. The Blues killed off the first penalty, but during Olsson's second penalty, Murray Baron was called for high-sticking on a somewhat questionable call by the referee who up until then had not called borderline infractions. Undaunted, the Blues rose to the occasion, proving their mettle by killing off Detroit's 5-on-3 power play. Keenan used threesomes of Gretzky/Corson/MacInnis, Corson/Pronger/MacInnis and Hull/Huddy/Wells to successfully keep Detroit off the scoreboard during their one minute, thirty-three second two-man advantage. After denying the Red Wings for the last 27 seconds of Baron's penalty, the score remained 1-1, the fans cheered loud and long in appreciation and the Blues' confidence soared. In the final minute of the third period and during overtime when the score was tied 2-2, Keenan kept the defensive momentum alive by using Shayne Corson on key face-offs deep in the Blues' defensive zone. Keenan substituted Corson for Courtnall on the Gretzky/Hull line. Twice during key defensive zone face-offs, Keenan pointed and hollered specific instructions to Huddy and other players so they would line up in exactly the right position for the face-off. Keenan was not going to let his team make mental mistakes as the final minutes ticked away. Midway through the five minute overtime, Keenan implored his players on the ice to "Help him!" when Olsson was in the corner battling for the puck against two Red Wing players deep in the Blues' defensive zone. MacTavish came to Olsson's rescue and the tie was preserved. Now that the trading deadline has passed, the Blues' players can finally quit worrying about being traded, newcomers MacTavish, Huddy and Khmylev can learn Keenan's defensive system and the team can begin to prepare mentally for the playoffs. Oh yeah...maybe they can work on that power play a little, too! Meanwhile, the Blues can prepare to face Detroit again on March 31 to prove their 2-2 tie and 4-3 victory (Feb. 16) over the Red Wings were not flukes.3.1.2 Empty Netter by RANDY HU The National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs are just a slapshot away and the Blues are pacing themselves to another .500 regular season finish. Coach/GM Mike Keenan has assembled his platoon of aging, battle-tested veterans for game No. 83 that could either surprise everyone or more likely, exit early. The Blues' playoff performance has been dreadful over the years, with fourteen first-round exits in 25 playoff appearances, including five of the last seven. It's been a long drought since the Monday Night Miracle of '86, the last time they advanced past the second round of the playoffs. The Blues are slow and consequently not a good forechecking team, but this is the time of the year when Keenan's teams are most dangerous. However, if Brian Burke, the NHL's infraction sheriff, instructs his referees to call obstruction fouls in the playoffs, the Blues could be in trouble. The undisciplined penalties are still piling up, taking away quality time from Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull. Even the team's backbone all year, goalie Grant Fuhr, has proved vulnerable behind a defense searching for an identity. To win in the playoffs, the formula is simple. The Blues defensemen will have to toughen up and the interchangeable muckers and grinders at forward, will have to tie up opponents long enough to give Gretzky and Hull a breather. If they matchup against Calgary in the first round, the Flames top line of speedy Theo Fleury, German Titov, and Gary Roberts will give the Blues fits. Playoff hockey requires a peak level of intensity and commitment. The Blues have been inconsistent in that department all year. They seem to turn it on and off like a light switch, teasing us with emotional wins against Detroit and Chicago, but floundering against teams like Ottawa, Anaheim, and Calgary. Even with Gretzky, Blues fans booed lustily in the blowout loss to the Mighty Ducks last Friday, proving that no matter who you have on the ice, it all boils down to wins and losses, especially in the playoffs. "To succeed in the playoffs, it takes every player playing the best game he can possibly play," said Keenan. "We need continuity to build in our game, contributions in different situations such as faceoff assignments, consistency by our offense, and more physical play by our defensemen. We need to play to a higher degree in terms of confidence and build on that in terms of intensity." Keenan is a self-admitted risk taker who has finally stretched his neck far enough to reach the chopping block. I give Iron Mike credit for trying to make a Cup run now, but this time, he has bought enough rope to hang himself from the Arch. If the Blues are ousted prematurely again, Keenan should relinquish his general manager duties. He has compiled an outstanding coaching resume, but the time demands of two jobs are intense. M.L. Carr of the Boston Celtics is only other person in the NHL, MLB, NFL, or NBA with the dual roles and not coincidentally, the Celts have struggled all year. In today's big dollar sports environment, it's become increasingly difficult to negotiate contracts and coach the same players you're dealing with. The financial ramifications of the Craig Janney, Brendan Shanahan, and Dale Hawerchuk contracts are insane. In separate trades, Keenan agreed to pay a combined $2.4 million of their salaries to dump them to teams around North America. When Hawerchuk was signed as a free agent, Keenan gushed about his hall-of-fame credentials. Seventy games into the season, Keenan reduced him to a disgruntled, demoralized role player who has since flourished in Philadelphia. Keenan is ultimately responsible for the future of the franchise and has gutted the team since his arrival, making almost 40 deals in less than two years. It's hard to maintain any sense of team chemistry when the roster is in constant upheaval. He has traded away much of the youth of the organization, knowing that the long term effects of the transactions can't be judged during his tenure. Sources close to the team say that former GM Ron Caron was furious over the trades of some prospects that he and chief scout Ted Hampson spent a lot of time evaluating. March madness, Keenan style.3.1.3 Youth Just A Dream On This Team by MIKE RAINEY There is no question that Blues C&GM Mike Keenan is designing the Blues to win a cup within 1-3 years. There is also no question that he hasn't been patient enough with the young players he has give up, and with those who are still around. Don't get me wrong...I was all for the Wayne Gretzky trade. But it's the lack of opportunity Keenan gives the youngsters that is hard to understand. In his brief career as a Blue, Dave Roberts went from being a projected #1 center to sitting in the press box. Earlier this season before a game in Toronto, Keenan said he would give Roberts a chance to center Brett Hull. When game time rolled around Roberts could be seen on the fourth line, playing with Hull only on the power play. This one incident could sum up Roberts' tenure in St. Louis. On the rare times he was given a chance to show what he could do, he had to be perfect. If he made a mistake, he wouldn't be seen the rest of the night. Because of this, Roberts could hardly contain himself after he was finally traded to Edmonton in the deal that allowed Oilers GM Glen Sather to put Glenn Anderson on waivers for the Blues to claim. "Maybe now I will get more than two or three shifts pa game," Roberts said. Roberts responded with a three point effort in his first game with the Oilers, and had five points after three games. Anderson will be lucky to get five points the rest of the season. Roberts' speed and fresh legs could have been useful in the playoffs on this slow and aging team. This is not only the case with Roberts, but with other youngsters as well. Gifted defenseman Christer Olsson turned the puck over in a recent game against Calgary. The turnover led to a Flames goal. Surely it wasn't a coincidence that Olsson, who has ben a pleasant surprise this season, was scratched the next two games in favor of Ken Sutton. Keenan also hasn't given Olsson a chance to show what he can do at even strength on a consistent basis, using him mostly as a power play specialist. Despite the recent moves, the cupboard is not totally bare. Ron Caron said in a recent radio interview that Stephane Roy, a third round selection in the 1994 draft, is the Blues best prospect. Young wingers Bob Lachance (Boston U.) and Alexander Vasilevski have promise, as well. Jamie Rivers, a first team AHL All-Star, is considered one of the best defensive prospects in hockey. How or if Keenan handles these, and other young players, will have a great impact on the future of the Blues franchise. With or without Mike Keenan. 3.2 Cardinals Preview3.2.1 A Few Words With David Bell After a mid-March exhibition game in which David Bell hit the ball hard in three different at-bats, the young infielder was asked about his performance in the Cards 1996 spring camp. "I feel good," Bell Said. "My timing feels good." Bell, who appears to have a rather understated demeanor in the clubhouse, then cracked a bit of a smile. "[My timing] has to be here now. I don't have time to get ready...and I feel lucky to have the at-bats." The implication his words was clear. As a young player without a proven major league track record, David Bell knows that a sub-par spring performance may doom his chance to crack Tony La Russa's Opening Night Cardinal regular season roster. A reporter then informed Bell of Peter Gammons' predictions regarding the Cardinals infield. On ESPN, Gammons said that the Cardinals infield of the future will consist of John Mabry at first, Bell at second, Royce Clayton at shortstop, and Mike Gulan at third base. Bell's response was marvelous. "Did he say that? I wasn't aware of that." Then, after considering Gammons' remarks for a moment, Bell looked his questioner straight in the eye. "I guess [his comments are] good, if he meant this year." David Bell is clearly a young man in a hurry. But when asked where he would be come mid-April, Bell said that he didn't know. In other words, his 1996 future as a professional baseball player is up in the air. "I am happy with the way things are going," he continued. And when asked whether he could hit 15 HRs a year in the big leagues, he waited a moment before answering. "Yeah, I think so. Yes, I think I can. My record says that I can."3.2.2 St. Pete Days Al Lang Stadium, in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the spring training home for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Redbirds have now left St. Petersburg, and are scheduled to play four exhibition games in the state of Tennessee. The long-promised spring training report is due...and several StLSO readers have informed us that they're ready for increased baseball coverage in their favorite on-line sports source. Meaningful spring training impressions are darned hard to come by, at least for this observer. Yes, the club works on fundamentals. But there's an air of playfulness during most of those drills. And yes, there are a few jobs on the line in spring training. But with long-term contracts in place for most of the regulars, at most a half-dozen or so roster slots are really up for grabs. So while the non-roster players and other reserves nervously do their best to impress Tony La Russa and his staff of coaches, the vast majority of those in camp know that they'll be on the 25 man roster come Opening Night in Shea. This leads to a kind of relaxed air around the clubhouse. It's a nice thing to see. And it's easy to see why the air is full of cheer at Al Lang. The ballpark is in the middle of downtown St. Petersburg...and fans in attendance have a nice view of a small portion of Tampa Bay, as well as small aircraft taking off at a nearby airport. The entire scene can't be beat, as far as viewing baseball is concerned. Perhaps the wisest commentary about the whole spring training experience came from Jim Toomey, longtime Cardinals public relations director. "Spring training is just to get the pitchers ready. That's all," Toomey said. With that in mind, here are a few observations of the Cardinals, St. Petersburg-style. *Ron Gant is one well-built human being...the bat-speed that he and Brian Jordan generate is no accident. An injury-free season for the Cards three starting outfielders is no doubt at the top of Tony La Russa's wish list for the upcoming season... *Miguel Mejia? The word wiry comes to mind. La Russa really seems to like Mejia, and envisions using him as a pinch-runner in the upcoming season. A Rule V draftee, Mejia must spend the entire season with the Cardinals or be subjected to waiver recall. *Danny Jackson, who isn't expected to return to the Cardinals until after the All-Star game, is one frustrated baseball player. On the day he arrived in St. Pete, he was still wearing a cast on his injured ankle. When asked by several reporters about his condition as well as when he will return, the guy could barely conceal his contempt for his bad luck: "That the team's doing well (EDITOR'S NOTE: at the time of his comments, the Cards were 10-4 in spring games). It makes it harder. That they're 10-4 doesn't help out. I don't get to be a part of it." *Todd Stottlemyre looks as though he's ready to come into his own...ditto for Andy Benes, who may benefit from Dave Duncan's expertise more than anyone on the staff. Watching these two pitchers perform in Redbird uniforms should be one of the highlights of the upcoming season: both are strikeout pitchers, and Stottlemyre, in particular, is a bulldog on the mound who has been known to pull a Hrabosky and talk to himself behind the pitching mound. *Alan Benes, who suffered from a forearm injury last season, rebounded from a stiff neck in mid-March and had two strong outings. The organization's hopes for the middle Benes brother (younger brother Adam is likely to see A-ball action this summer) couldn't be any higher than they already are. *Tony La Russa is extremely high on 1995 first-round draft choice Matt Morris, believing that he has the ability to be a 20 game winner. *Ozzie Smith's play at shortstop seemed strong--much stronger than his 1995 play. In the spring games viewed by this observer, his arm strength seemed sufficient. An overlooked part of Smith's playing on Busch Stadium's new grass surface is that he won't have to play as deep, since batted balls will not get to the fielders as quickly as they did on artificial turf. Of course, the one-hop throws to first are probably out of the question on the natural grass. Smith's hitting seemed a bit out of sync, especially from the right side. As of mid-March, the righthanded-batting Smith was trying to pull everything...with less than fabulous results. Batting lefthanded, Ozzie seemed more comfortable...laying the bat on the ball and directing pitches into left-center field. *Ozzie's presence on the play of Royce Clayton is hard to evaluate. The StLSO staff plans to sit back and watch what happens. Clayton appears to be a younger player still feeling his way around the team.3.2.3 St. Pete Quotes *Tony La Russa, when asked who was the best manager in baseball: "Jim Leyland and I both agree. It's that man in Atlanta. We used to talk about it all the time. Bobby Cox is the best manager in baseball. He's outstanding." *La Russa: "Miguel Mejia is on the list of guys who can make our club. He's a skilled, multi-talented young outfielder, and he's not as good this year as he can be two years from now." *La Russa on the Ozzie Smith-Royce Clayton situation at shortstop: "There's a way for it to work for the two shortstops that are here to contribute...they're both going to play. I have a plan." *La Russa on his former club, the Oakland A's: "I'm pulling hard for that club. They're my favorite club in the American League." *La Russa on the outfield play of Lankford and Jordan: "They're fun to watch out there." *La Russa, in mid-March, on the possibility that Jordan might assume the lead-off position in the batting order: "Who knows. It depends on who is available. It's still early. I don't have to decide where he hits [in the order]. Hey. We've got a lot of strength in the middle of the lineup. Maybe I'll ask Gant to lead-off!" *La Russa, after Jordan beat out a bunt down the third base line: "If he adds a bunt to his arsenal, there's going to be some third basemen in the league who are going to have to watch out. " *La Russa, on Gary Gaetti's strong spring training performance: "He's been a run producer and he brings a lot of experience to this team. He's been driving in runs for a long long time." *La Russa, on Mark Sweeney after Sweeney started a game-winning rally with a ninth-inning pinch single: "He's trying to make this club as a part-time player. That's what he's got to do if he wants to make the team." *John Mabry: "Well, yes, most of my time this spring has been at first [base]. On this team, with this outfield, that's my best chance to play." *Mabry: "It may have looked like I began turning on the ball in the last part [of the 1995 season]. But that's not really what happened. What happened was that pitchers began figuring out that I could go the other way, so they began pitching me inside." *Mabry on Cardinals new hitting coach George Hendrick: "He's the greatest. When I was in the minor leagues, George taught me every thing I know...hitting to the middle of the field...alley to alley...using the big part of the field" *Non-roster invitee Rod Correia, when informed that his mid-March hitting exploits were causing observers to take note of his presence on the field: "I'm not here to hide under a rock. The man with number ten on his back makes the decisions. I want to make it hard for him. I've sat the bench a little bit. I'm a good role player....I'm not going to say that I need to play every day." EDITOR'S NOTE: Correia was reassigned to the Cards minor-league complex later in the month. *Mark Petkovsek, after undergoing an MRI in mid-March to determine the exact nature of the pain in his throwing shoulder: "Everything was hurting [that day]. After ten or twelve minutes throwing on the side, [my shoulder] wouldn't loosen up. That's what I told Dave Duncan." *Petkovsek, a man looking to improve upon his surprise performance in St. Louis last year, was shut down due to what the MRI indicated was not a torn rotator cuff, but simply a shoulder irritation. About the injury: "I'm not dejected...[long pause]. Disappointed is a good word. Going into the year, I was feeling...mentally baseball-thinking-wise," his voice trailed off. *Petkovsek, on Dave Duncan: "He saw tapes of me pitching. Early on, he let me show show him what I have. He's not added anything. I like that." *Dennis Eckersley, on yet another spring training: "I'm glad we had more time this year. I need more time to get ready." *Eckersley, on spring training with the Cardinals: "I haven't been in Florida [for spring training] in a while. The newness is exciting...it's easy to get started." *Ozzie Smith, on the possibility that he would retire in mid-season: "No. This year is it for me, but that won't happen. I wouldn't start this thing if I couldn't finish it. With the injury and everything, I don't look at last year. I haven't played a lot of baseball in the last two years. In 1994, I was starting to get into a groove when the strike hit. I had a 9-game hitting streak. I'm looking for great things for myself. Sometimes, you're only as good as the people around you...[your teammates] abilities run off on everyone. There's a bunch of good players here this spring...a total overhaul of the roster." *Jose Oquendo: "Counting my time with the Mets, this is my 18th spring training here in St. Petersburg." Smiling, Oquendo continued--"Let's see. That's half my life." *Walt Jocketty, on the Cardinals outfield:"I think you'll see, now that [Lankford and Jordan] are signed [to long-term deals], that they'll stop worrying about numbers and they'll play a little more relaxed. I'm looking forward to [watching them]." *Alan Benes, when asked where he would be in mid-April: "Wherever the Cardinals will be at that time." *Benes, on pitching coach Dave Duncan: "He's a great guy to be around. He's good at working with you...he communicates well and he understands the art of pitching. I've had a great time and enjoyed the opportunity to learn. He understands that ever guy's different. He spent the first two or three weeks just watching. He didn't say much. Then, after he gets a feel, he starts helping out." *Benes, on his rocky first two starts late last season: "I've heard...that it's better to go up and have some tough times early rather than [experience] a lot of success right away. Those two arts will help me..." *Brian Jordan, former Pro Bowl safety with the Atlanta Falcons and current Cards starting rightfielder: "Basketball is my game...my true love. I played [basketball] in high school." A grin then grew across his face: "If only I was a little taller." 3.2.4 The Trials and Tribulations of a $4 Million Pitcher After a less-than-stellar early March spring pitching performance by Todd Stottlemyre, Tony La Russa felt obliged to say a few words about his 30 year old righthander. "He's just trying too hard," said La Russa. "But that's one reason I like him. He's got Carney Lansford syndrome," he said, thus comparing Stottlemyre to Lansford to one of the most hard-nosed (and competitive) players in recent memory. The implication seemed clear. Stottlemyre was the kind of player that La Russa believed he could help with a bit of advice. "I'm going to have to talk with him about it." Sure enough, a couple of days after La Russa's comments, a reporter observed Stottlemyre making his way toward La Russa's office, presumably for the chat with the manager. What a difference a few days made. In his next start, Stottlemyre allowed only three hits (and no runs) in five innings of work. After the effort, Stottlemyre seemed relieved. "I threw some good change-ups. I was able to change speeds. My confidence is growing. I have a good feel for this time of spring...I threw quality innings and quality pitches." "I'm looking for that good feel," he continued. "Last time I was forcing it. The Cardinals have made a commitment to me. It's important to me...to prove to my teammates...you know, on a new club you want to impress your teammates." "Last year was my only year in Oakland. My first starts there I was over-trying. I want to take all of the outside stuff and get rid of it." La Russa has penciled in Stottlemyre's name as the starting pitcher for the Cards second game of the season (vs. the Mets). His turn in the rotation thus makes him the Busch Stadium Opening Night starter vs. the Expos.3.2.5 The Opening-Day Roster Cards manager Tony La Russa continues to talk about a roster that includes eleven pitchers and three catchers. Presumably, he intends to keep five outfielders (Ron Gant, Ray Lankford, and Brian Jordan, plus Willie McGee and Sam Mejia in back-up roles). That leaves only six spots for infielders. But let's go back to the pitching staff. With Danny Jackson (ankle surgery), Donovan Osborne (broken rib), Mike Morgan (off-season arthroscopic shoulder surgery), and Mark Petkovsek (shoulder irritation) in various stages of recovery, the early-April five-man starting staff will most likely include Opening Day starter Andy Benes, Todd Stottlemyre, Alan Benes, Tom Urbani (who is also recovering from off-season shoulder surgery), and rookie righthander Mike Busby. Early spring phenom Matt Morris will most likely start the season in the minors, perhaps at Louisville. Osborne, Petkovsek, and Morgan are much closer to returning than Jackson, who isn't expected back until after the All-Star break. The bullpen stacks up as follows. Dennis Eckersley is the closer, with the righthanded bridge and set-up roles to be divvied among Cory Bailey, T.J. Mathews, and Jeff Parrett. Bailey has looked particularly impressive in his spring training work. Veterans Tony Fossas and Rick Honeycutt will be the team's lefthanded specialists. And when the injured hurlers return? La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan are no doubt salivating at the prospect of letting 15 quality arms compete for roster slots and starting rotation positions. Non-roster invitee Pat Borders, who was signed to a minor-league contract in January of this year, has had a strong spring and has sewn up a spot on the 25-man roster. It seems clear that the Cardinals braintrust is looking for a great deal of improvement from the catching position in 1996...it also appears that Tom Pagnozzi, who continues to be hampered by injuries (most recently, a troublesome wrist), may not be viewed as the solution to the catching problem. Expect Borders to play a lot, particularly early in the season. As this is written, Pagnozzi's situation is up in the air. It wouldn't surprise many observers if Pagnozzi opened up the season on the disabled list. Such a move would enable the Cards to open the season with seven infielders, since a combination of Danny Sheaffer's strong spring effort, combined with his versatility (he can play third base as well as first base) makes it a virtual certainty that he will be a part of the team. The Cards starting infield will consist of four of the following five players: Gary Gaetti, Ozzie Smith/Royce Clayton, Luis Alicea, and John Mabry. Mike Gallego re-injured his hamstring, and will not go north with the team. Gallego's injury opens the door for David Bell as the team's sixth infielder. Which leaves no room on a 25-man roster for lefthanded reserve first basemen-outfielder Mark Sweeney. Look for Sweeney to be sent down to Louisville, unless Pagnozzi is assigned to the DL. Reserve corner man Jose Oliva also seems destined for Louisville.3.2.6 What's In The Cards For 1996? by JIM HUNSTEIN It's been a long time since Cardinal fans have had any right to be this excited about Opening Day, a High Holy Day for any true baseball fan. After all the moves made at 250 Stadium Plaza from the top down, this is the first time since the glory years of the 1980s that the Redbird faithful have had this kind of cause for hope. First the Cards sign Tony La Russa as their new manager. La Russa is arguably one of the best managers in all of baseball. Having put the team in good and new hands, Anheuser-Busch then put the whole organization in good and new hands as well, selling it to a group of local investors. More importantly, the new group is one comprised of baseball fans who remember and appreciate the championship teams of the 60s and 80s. They said they want to get the team back to that level once again. And after several key free agent signings and trades, it looks like they are men of their words. They have brought in several high-impact players, any one of which would give a glimmer of hope to most teams. Ron Gant, Gary Gaetti, Andy Benes, Todd Stottlemyre, Dennis Eckersley, Royce Clayton. Evidently the new owners like to shop at the Sams Club of baseball because they bought in bulk quantity. The outfield could easily be the best in baseball. With Gant in left, Ray Lankford in center, and Brian Jordan in right, the Cardinals have the first (?) 100/100 outfield ever. That's 100 homers and 100 steals. In a strike-shortened 1995 with only 144 games, Gant had 29/23, Lankford had 25/ 24, and Jordan had 22/24 for a combined 76/71. Extrapolating this for a full 162 games gives the trio a mark of 85/80. Five more dingers and seven more swipes per man and they make history. It should be noted that we don't actually know if there has ever been a 100/100 outfield in history. But we do know that this is as close as the Cardinals have ever come. By the way, they also drove in a total of 251 runs. The Redbirds brought in an old fan favorite from the aforementioned glorious 80s team, Willie McGee as the fourth outfielder. He's rattled some timber and torn up the basepaths in his time. It will be nice to see him back in the Birds on the Bats and playing in Busch. The infield won't be as explosive as the outfield, but they could light it up, too. 3B Gaetti had a monster year in KC last season belting 35 homers and driving in 95 runs in a park with the size and climate of Busch. And 1B John Mabry has limited power but hit .307 last year. With all the power in the outfield and the security of a starting job, he can concentrate on hitting for average. He'll be feeling some pressure having essentially taken Bernard Gilkey's spot in the everyday line-up. Comparisons are inevitable (even though this is the first mention of it) to when the Cards gave up Andy Van Slyke because Jim Lindeman was the next coming of Stan Musial. Oops. The middle of the infield is embroiled in turmoil and La Russa caught a break of sorts by injuries. Clayton was acquired to be the shortstop of the future. But Ozzie Smith took Dylan Thomas to heart and refused to go gentle into that good night; he raged, raged against the dying of the light and probably retained his starter's role. Of course, Clayton got hurt late in spring training which "helped" Smith. At least for a while. Most critical to Cards fans is that he will be the starter and designated gymnast on April 8 for the home opener. But Clayton, with his 24 steals and 58 RBI last year, is too good a shortstop to sit for too long. Second base is settled, but again due mostly to injuries. Geronimo Pena once again got hurt and Mike Gallego is also dinged up. So the Redbirds brought Luis Alicea back from Boston, where he hit .270 and had 13 steals and showed some great range. David Bell gives La Russa a spare. As for catching, the job goes by default to Tom Pagnozzi but he needs to stay healthy. Last year was his third in a row with a knee injury. But he is one of the best throwers in the game. When healthy. As a back-up, the Cards have Pat Borders whose average and overall production have been in a steady decline. There's also Danny Sheaffer, who can play catcher, infield, or outfield. If he can pitch in a wipe-out, he may take the title of Secret Weapon now that Jose Oquendo has retired. (He didn't hook on with the Phillies.) This Cardinal team could invite comparisons to one noted team of the past; the 1934 Gashouse Gang. That one featured a pair of brothers who won 49 games between them; Dizzy Dean had 30 (the last National Leaguer to do so) and Paul Dean won 19. That might be a bit much to expect from the righthanders Andy and Alan Benes, but a man's got to have goals. Andy B's average has been disturbingly consistent over the past few years; it keeps going up. He was 11-9, 4.70 last year in San Diego and Seattle for their pennant run, but he's only 28, the age at which pitchers start to come into their own. Little bro Alan, on the other hand, is one of the most highly touted rookies in the game: in fact the highest, according to Baseball America. The club's number two starter is RH Todd Stottlemeyer, who was LaRussa's top winner last year in Oakland at 14-7. He was also third in the majors with a career-high 205 strikeouts. LH Donovan Osborne is poised for a big year now that he's healthy again after missing all of 1994. Parts of the starting rotation are once again under a doctors care. It always seems as if the Redbird hurlers are hampered by injuries. RH Mike Morgan and LH Danny Jackson are already on the DL until May and July, respectively. The Cardinal bullpen was one of the few highlights of last year. It boasted the lowest ERA at 2.71 and opponents average at .225 in the NL. They lost Tom Henke to retirement but brought in Eckersley, who saved 29 last year but blew nine, which led to an unsettling 4.83 ERA. Lefties ate his lunch to the tune of .347, but not many hitters in the NL have seen him. Closers changing leagues typically have good first years, so Eck should be pretty close to a sure thing. Also in the bullpen are closers-in-training T.J. Mathews and Cory Bailey. You can bet they'll be hanging with the Eck to learn all they can. Tony Fossas is a great situational pitcher for those special times; some guys named Justice, McGriff, and Klesko were a combined 3 for 20 against him. If not the best team in nearly a decade, this will certainly be the most fun to watch. How can you not like a game full of homers and steals? Injuries should be lessened this year with the new grass at Busch. Our burly outfielders can go all out for balls without worrying about landing on barely padded concrete and rug-burning their elbows off. One key to the team's success will be the age factor. Ozzie, Eck, and Gaetti are getting up there in years. But Alan Benes, Clayton, and Mabry are under 25 and Jordan is all but a pup in baseball years. They'll form the nucleus of the future Cards teams and they'll benefit greatly from the experience of their elders. Key omen: In the last game in Florida before heading north, the Cards were locked in a duel with the Pirates. Eckersley blew a save opportunity by giving up a game-tying homer in the ninth. But in the tenth, Gant and Jordan each homered to win it. If the pitching staff knows that they can get away with the occasional gopher ball because the hitters will get the runs back, they'll have more confidence and will be that much less likely to get into trouble. It's been a long time since St. Louis has had a team with several sluggers in the line-up. And that's something to get excited about.3.3 Farr Signed; Cunningham Scoped by JIM HUNSTEIN The Rams tied up one of the last remaining loose ends on the defense by signing DT D'Marco Farr to a seven-year, $10.2 millions contract with a signing bonus of about $2.5 million. That works out to $1.1 million a year, which is not a bad raise from his 1995 salary of $160,000. But then, undrafted second year players don't typically command top dollars. But Farr played far better. He finished eighth in the NFL in quarterback sacks and led the Rams in quarterback pressures with 21 and forced fumbles with four. In 1994, he was the only free agent rookie to make the opening day roster. Farr's only limitation is his height (or lack thereof): he's "only" 6-1 but fit into the Rams' "Jet" defense. He makes up for size with determination and speed. And he's been spending this offseason working on his balance with a boxing and kickboxing training in Santa Monica, Cal. "It was for hand speed - to move your hands faster - and for balance and leg strength," he said. "We watched the tapes from all 20 games, even preseason, and noticed sometimes where I got off-balance. I could have made more plays if I'd gotten on balance." Farr has been training in Southern California and went to Washington in the Pacific Northwest. But he has recently purchased a home in the Central West End. "I wanted to be in a place where I could retire, grow old, grow a beard." he said. "It's going to take me about seven years to get up in the Arch anyway. I'm scared of heights." Meanwhile, the Bighorns continue to search for answers on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Toward that end, they've called in a parade of passers to replace the concussed-out Chris Miller. Whoever said advertising doesn't work is not employed in the Rams' front office. The first arm-for-hire to visit Matthews- Dickey facility was none other than billboard poster boy Randall Cunningham, late of the Eagles. His billboard, sponsored by a still-anonymous source, was on I-70 near the McKinley Bridge exit downtown. (The sign said "Need A Quarterback? Call 1-800-000-0012. CUnningham. 12. He's Available.") He was available largely because he was replaced in Philly after four starts by Rodney Peete. That was his 11th year as a pro. He fell out of favor with the Eagles during the end of the 1994 season when, after being benched in favor of Bubby Brister, he cleaned out his locker as if to say he wasn't coming back. But he did. He further alienated the Eagles during the 1995 playoffs. He left the team the week of their NFC semifinal game against the Cowboys to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. But he didn't take the playbook with him, (even though any first-time father would kill to have a playbook on childbirth). Well, in the game, Peete suffered a concussion on the last play of the first quarter. Cunningham struggled through the game with a an 11-for-26 performance with one interception and four sacks in the 30-11 defeat. But he performed better for the Rams in his 20-minute workout. "He was accurate," said an impressed coach Rich Brooks. "He's obviously still got the arm strength and the mobility. His feet are great. Physically he still has the skills to play in this league." Cunningham was equally impressed with Brooks after their post-workout meeting. "He's a head coach that sits you in his office and asks those tough questions," he said. "That's motivating. Because he cares. He wouldn't ask those questions unless he cared. It was a very tight discussion. I respect that." Neither Brooks nor Cunningham would discuss what was discussed. But both are pretty sure this is likely Cunningham's last shot at a starting position. But the Rams are not going to make any decisions right away. Free agents Steve Walsh and Steve Beuerlein are scheduled to visit St. Louis this week. Brooks hopes to have the quarterback situation settled by the time the NFL draft rolls around on April 20. 4.0 StLSO Interactivity *Screenname ANDYATRDLS writes-- Didn't you all say this issue would be chock full of spring training baseball news? NEXT issue, maybe? *Screenname WILLIAMC3 writes-- StLSO did not arrive last week as promised. The baseball content in what did arrive (11 lines) was underwhelming, to say the least. I have come to expect a lot more from your excellent publication. Lately its content and timeliness seem to be slipping. EDITOR'S NOTE: We should be back on track now. Thanks for the comments.5.0 StLSO Editorial: SLU At The CrossroadConsider the following facts about the St. Louis University men's basketball team-- *In their 16 home games, Charlie Spoonhour's Billikens attracted 283,429 fans to Kiel Center, an average of 16,986 per game *St. Louis was seventh in the nation in average home attendance. SLU's average trailed only Syracuse, Kentucky, North Carolina, Arkansas, Louisville, and Brigham Young *SLU, along with Duke, Indiana, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall, Tulsa, UCLA, Evansville, and eight other teams, will be competing in this fall's pre-season NIT *SLU's Virgel Cobbin and Jamall Walker were named to the C-USA's all-freshmen team *SLU junior Jeff Harris, the team's leading scorer and rebounder in the just concluded season, returns next year *SLU loses only two seniors from this year's 16-14 squad: Carlos McCauley and Jamal Johnson *In the 3.11.96 RPI report, C-USA was rated as the nation's fifth toughest conference *Four C-USA teams qualified for the NCAA tournament: Cincinnati, Memphis, Louisville, and Marquette Each and every one of these facts reflects positively on the future of men's basketball at St. Louis University. Despite that positivity, though, the Bills are at a crossroads. Will they progress and become a perennial NCAA qualifier (and continue to fill the Kiel Center), or will they play the kind of basketball that only occasionally will get them to the Big Dance? Consider the three other teams in C-USA's Blue Division. Cincinnati is a good basketball team...and they are getting better. Marquette is good...and has a basketball history that SLU would do well to emulate. DePaul is down now...but if Joey Meyer can get prized prospect Ronnie Fields to sign on the dotted line, the Blue Demons will improve in a hurry. SLU plays Cincinnati, Marquette, and DePaul twice next season. And the other C-USA squads are no picnic, either. Memphis and Louisville, to name two, are teams that re-load each and every year. If the Bills are to get better, Charlie Spoonhour must recruit young men with athletic skills sufficient to compete with the other upper-echelon C-USA teams. Unfortunately, there were no blockbuster early Bills signings this year. Early reports indicate that Spoon and his assistants are now on the road looking for quality players at the center, small forward, and point guard positions. Results in the 1996-97 season will go a long way toward answering the following question--are the Bills ready and willing to compete, over the long haul, in C-USA?