St. Louis Sports Online #78 (6.29.96)

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. Contributors to #77 include Fowl Ball's Jim Hunstein, V-100's Brian Stull, contributing writer Mike Rainey, StLSO Blues correspondent Nancy Buchanan, Randy Hu, StLSO Vipers correspondent Gary Griffaw, and Scott Simon. St. Louis Sports Online can be reached at StLSports@aol.com and via FAX (618-457-5691). Subscription information can be obtained 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/ The publisher of St. Louis Sports Online requests that no part of StLSO be reproduced or transmitted (electronically or otherwise) without e-mail permission, which can be gained by sending e-mail to StLSports@aol.comSt. Louis Sports Online JUNE.96.4 CONTENTS 1.0 StLSO News and Notes 2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts 2.1 Cardinals News by MIKE RAINEY 2.2 Blues News 2.3 Rams Report 2.4 StLSO Quote of the Week 2.5 StLSO Headline of the Week 3.0 StLSO Features 3.1 Marty Reasoner--First Round Draft Pick by the Blues by NANCY BUCHANAN 3.2 Cardinal Quotes 3.3 Ozzie I: The Story About the Ozzie Story by BRIAN STULL 3.4 Ozzie II: The Press Release and All Star Accolades 3.5 Draft Dodgers by RANDY HU 4.0 StLSO Recaps 4.1 Cardinals Series-by-Series Summaries by JIM HUNSTEIN 5.0 StLSO Numbers 5.1 Cardinals Statistics (through 78 games) 5.2 MLB Standings (as of 6.28.96) 5.3 St. Louis Vipers Line Scores contributed by GARY GRIFFAW 6.0 StLSO Media Views by SCOTT SIMON 7.0 StLSO Interactivity 8.0 StLSO Editorial: Also-Ran, Teaser, or Contender? St. Louis Sports Online JUNE.96.41.0 StLSO News and NotesTony La Russa's bullpen rotation seems to be clarifying itself. Mark Petkovsek is generally the first man up, and can for the present be considered to be the team's top middle man. Following Petkovsek, when necessary, is righthander Jeff Parrett. For the time being, lefty Rick Honeycutt has supplanted Tony Fossas as the go-to guy as far as lefthanded batters are concerned. Dennis Eckersley gets the ball in the save situations...with TJ Mathews often held in reserve in case the future Hall of Famer falters. A good indication of managerial greatness is his ability to adapt to the talent on hand. National League fans unfamiliar with La Russa no doubt expected the former A's and White Sox skipper to utilize his bullpen in the same fashion that they'd heard about over in the AL. There are at least three reasons that La Russa has disappointed those who expected an endless march in from Homer's Landing: (a) the lack of the DH in the National League; and (b) the lack of confidence that the Cardinals skipper has in his bullpeners; and (c) La Russa's realization that his team isn't going to win without superlative efforts from his starting pitchers, night in and night out. A combination of "B" and "C" sounds more reasonable to us. Hockey fans all over North America are abuzz over the breakdown in contract talks between Wayne Gretzky and the Blues. Suggested reasons for the Wayner's spurning of the Gateway City include (a) his dislike of Mike Keenan; (b) his dissatisfaction with the terms of the contract offered by the Blues; (c) his wife's love of the West Coast and the new home that she and Wayne share, along with their children. All three of those reasons make for good copy...but could it be that the simplest explanation is the most accurate explanation. Recall that Gretzky, upon his arrival in St. Louis, said that one of the reasons that he wanted to play with the Blues is because he felt that Mike Keenan's club had a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup. It seems likely that Gretzky now believes that several other clubs are, in reality a lot closer to Lord Stanley's Cup than the Blues...and that one of those clubs is the New York Rangers. Stay tuned. The Lawrence Phillips situation continues to simmer. Callers to sports talk radio stations, and indeed, the reactions of the local sports media, seem to be of two varieties: those who believe that Phillips should take responsibility for his actions, and those who believe that Phillips problems aren't of his own making. One thing seems certain. John Shaw, President of the Rams, seems to be lying in the weeds, just waiting to practice his own brand of "Tough Love" on young Mr. Phillips. If his public pronouncements are an accurate barometer of his true feelings, Shaw, and therefore the Rams, feel more than a little betrayed by Phillips. One thing seems certain: Phillips will not report to training camp on time. Early advantage: Touchdown Tim Biakabatuka. 2.0 StLSO Sports Shorts 2.1 Cardinals News by MIKE RAINEY *Gary Gaetti's home run against the Expos on Sunday was only his 8th this season, but the 300th of his career. *Dennis Eckersley is 0-5 this season, but he has converted 11 saves in 13 opportunities. *Tony La Russa hasn't repeated an eight-man batting order on consecutive game-days in 76 games. *Todd Stottlemyre has been lit up for 13 runs in 8 innings of work this season in two starts at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. *With their loss at Montreal on Sunday afternoon the Cardinals fell to 1-10 in afternoon road games. *Mike Morgan won for the first time in his career at Olympic Stadium on Saturday. Morgan has now won at least one game in every National League city during his career. *Brian Jordan had a career high 6 RBI's Monday at Atlanta as the Cards roughed up Braves ace John Smoltz en route to a 9-2 victory. *Ron Gant had a huge game Wednesday against his former team. Gant was 3-5 with a home run (his second of the series) and 4 RBI's as the Cards beat Steve Avery and the Braves 11-7. *The surprising Pittsburgh Pirates come to town this weekend for a 3-game series. The Pirates are hanging right in the Central Division race trailing the Cards by only 2 1/2 games. *The Cincinnati Reds come to town next week (July 1-3) for a three game series. Thankfully the Reds have released Vince Coleman so there will be no early 4th of July fireworks display downtown. 2.2 Blues News *In a three-quarter hour press conference on Friday, June 28, Blues President Jack Quinn and C&GM Mike Keenan, without coming out and saying it, sure made it seem like Wayne Gretzky's two month 31 game tenure as a Blue was over. The gist of the Quinn-Keenan message was that The Great One didn't want to play in St. Louis, that he rejected the Blues most recent offer. While Quinn-Keenan and Gretzky agent Mike Barnett differ in their opinions of the terms of what the Blues offered Gretzky, as well as when it was offered...one thing seems clear: if Gretzky really wanted to play in St. Louis, something could be worked out that would have satisfied all parties. 2.3 Rams Report *On the Lawrence Phillips front: --Phillips has hired Robert Shapiro (yes, that Robert Shapiro) to defend himself in the California drunk driving charges as well as in the Nebraska probation part of Phillips' "situation". Phillips' arraignment date is July 5, for two charges related to drunk driving. Unknown at this time is what the Nebraska authorities would do if Phillips is convicted of drunk driving, regarding Phillips' probation that resulted from a misdemeanor assault conviction. --Phillips has consented to an evaluation by a psychiatrist selected by the Rams --The Rams are considering a contract offer to Phillips that does NOT include any upfront signing bonus $$. The comments of Rams president John Shaw (as told the P-D's Lorraine Kee)? "Basically, it would be 'play for pay'", Shaw said. 2.4 StLSO Quotes of the Week *The date: 6.25.96. The venue: Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium. The play: On Fred McGriff's swinging bunt down the third base line, Cardinals pitcher Todd Stottlemyre threw late (and wildly) past John Mabry. The ball ended up near the right field corner, and McGriff ended up on third base. Joe Buck's comment on Stottlemyre's throw? "What in the world was that?" *Early on during the 6.26.96 Cards-Braves game, Mike Shannon was commenting on the Redbirds' resolve to pay back Atlanta for their whipping of the Cards the night before. Said Mike: "This team has their dandruff up." 2.5 StLSO Headlines of the Week *From the 6.29.96 Post-Dispatch: "Some No. 99 Keepsakes May Be Left On Shelves" 3.0 StLSO Features3.1 Marty Reasoner--First Round Draft Pick by the Blues by NANCY BUCHANAN Nineteen-year old Marty Reasoner, who just finished his freshman year as a communications major at Boston College, was drafted by the Blues in the first round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft held June 21 at Kiel Center. The 6'1", 196 lb. Center from Honeoye Falls, NY was the 14th player chosen overall in the draft. His comments, in response to questions by the hockey media during the hour following his selection, portray the hopes, dreams, excitement and uncertainty probably felt by all the young NHL prospects as they celebrated this momentous day in their young lives: On the possibility of playing on a team with Wayne Gretzky: "I just remember being eight, nine years old skating on the pond in my town and just always taking the face off and [pretending I was] playing on the line with Wayne Gretzky in the Stanley Cup finals and things like that. It's almost a dream come true. I grew up in the mid-eighties which was the Oilers' dynasty so he was the guy that everyone loved." Regarding how he was rated: "I think there's a lot of different scouting services that had me rated from all different areas. I tried not to focus too much on them and not worry about where people had me and just kind of concentrate on my game. I think I really improved in the second half of the season after the World Junior Tournament and [I] played well for my team." On his likeness to Craig Janney, former Center of the St. Louis Blues, now with Winnipeg/Phoenix: "Craig Janney's had a great career. I think the comparison kind of stops at Deerfield Academy and Boston College. We're two different players and we play differently." Describing his own style of play: "Very offensive; but, on the other hand, I think I can be able to play a defensive roll. I picked up a lot of points and I think I can create things for other players pretty well. .......I take the body when need be, but I'm not going to be the guy that's going to run around and run over people. I'm considered more of a finesse player..." Regarding his college major: "Right now I'm undecided. I'm not sure. I think the classes that I have taken in school this year have helped me deal with the media and interviews and things like that. That's probably the biggest reason for being a communications major." His reaction to having his name announced in the draft: "I had goose bumps. It was a thrill just to be able to be drafted in St. Louis. It was like a dream come true." Whether he was surprised to be selected by the Blues: "I don't know if it was a surprise. When I was sitting up there I was kind of sweating it out. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. You hear so many horror stories of guys that were rated pretty high and not going until the third or fourth round. So I was just happy that they called my name." On his recent international experience: "I played on the World Junior Team this past Christmas and I think that helped me a lot being able to compare myself with Europeans and Russians and all those guys--you know--those great players. I think it helped more than anything else, confidence-wise, because I knew that I could play with those guys." On whether he needs to make adjustments in his own game now: "I think the biggest thing all the way through since I was sixteen years old was I just wanted to improve every year and refine the skills that I've had for a long time. I think just keep improving every year and sustain confidence in myself and my abilities. One day I'm pretty confident that I will be a part of the St. Louis organization." Regarding how soon he can make the team: "I don't know. It's up to the Blues' organization. If they think I'm ready, I'd be willing to play at any time--just whenever they think my development has come along enough, I'd be happy to play." On being an American potentially playing for U.S. fans: "I don't know if they look at the Americans any different than the other guys out there. There's not too many of us in the first round [of the draft] or even in the National Hockey League. I think it's something that U.S. hockey needs to improve on because there's a lot of good players out there. They just haven't been exposed as well as they should." How Marty selected a college: "It came down to Boston College and [the University of] Michigan. When I was looking at schools I wanted a place where I was going to go in and play a lot as a freshman and I think Michigan had a lot of rules where their freshman don't always play as much as some of the older guys that have established themselves. I think at BC I got a chance to play and play a lot in key situations right away and I think that helped my development as a player." On whether he'll play another year of college hockey: "I don't know. It's kind of out of my hands right now. If St. Louis thinks that I'm ready to play this coming year then I'd be more than happy to." How Marty, as a college hockey player, can protect his amateur status and still handle negotiations with the Blues to see what they're offering: "I don't know the stipulations, but I don't think they can make an offer unless I come to them first--unless I tell them I want to.....I may [do that.] I haven't even thought about it yet." On whether he would like to turn pro: "I would in a second if everything was right--if I knew that I definitely had a chance to play in St. Louis. I couldn't pass that up." Regarding what number he would wear as a Blue: " I don't know. I wear 11 at BC....I guess I'd wear anything that's open. It doesn't matter. I wore 16 in high school. I wouldn't even want to wear that [number in St. Louis.]" Marty Reasoner is a poised, mature, articulate young man. It would be nice to see him in the Bluenote this coming season--but it may be better for him personally and professionally to spend another year at Boston College rather than spending a season shuttling between St. Louis and the Blues' professional minor league affiliate in Worcester, Massachusetts. Fans of former young Blues players Patrice Tardiff, David Roberts and Craig Johnson will remember how many frequent flier miles they earned between St. Louis and Worcester before finally being traded away--Dave Roberts to Edmonton and Tardif and Johnson to Los Angeles. And remember the then-nineteen-year-old center, Roman Vopat, who played (or at least dressed for) 25 games with the Blues last season before being sent to Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League to play professional "major junior" hockey in Canada with other, primarily, 16- to 19-year-olds? While Roman finished his season in Moose Jaw, his NHL rights were traded away to Los Angeles along with Tardif's and Johnson's for you know who. It will be interesting to watch Marty Reasoner and Mike Keenan this fall to see if Mike Keenan has the patience to give this nineteen year old a chance to mature and develop on NHL ice. 3.2 Cardinal Quotes *Ray Lankford, on batting second vs. the Pirates Friday night: "I showed up at the ballpark and found about it. It's the first time I've batted second. It seems like a good move to me. I like batting near the top of the lineup. I'd get more at-bats. My job is to play wherever the manager wants me to play. Who knows. Sunday I might be batting leadoff." *Tony La Russa, on Lankford's spot at second in the order, and on his future placement in the order: --"Why? You know, [Neagle] is a good lefthander...and we have lots of righties in our lineup." --"I don't know (smiling)...maybe he'll hit fourth tomorrow. Or maybe second." *La Russa, on David Bell's defensive play, and two hits, Friday night: "In the National League, the eighth spot in the order is so important...being in front of the pitcher. He had a solid game at second, too. It makes you think that we might have a chance to have a good club...you know, with a good player like Alicea on the bench [taking the night off]." 3.3 Ozzie I: The Story About the Ozzie Story by BRIAN STULL As the controversery over the playing time for Ozzie Smith continues, the talk has turned more and more against Ozzie. It's not that fans no longer feel that the Wizard deserves to be the starting shortstop. Rather, the national media seems to be portraying Ozzie as a whiner. This is unfortunate, because it is the media that have added fuel to this situation. Ozzie hasn't walked around spouting off his opinion of Tony La Russa, trade rumors, or any of the other topics of this season-- he's been asked, often repeatedly, by the press of his opinion. Sometimes, Smith has balked at speaking on issues, but for the most part he's replied with his usual honesty. Neither Ozzie nor the Cardinals are at fault here. The press is doing their job in relating the story to the public and Ozzie is sharing his feelings, just as LaRussa and the Cardinals organization have done. How will it all work out? Who knows? Ozzie's retirement announcement only added to the debate after LaRussa said he and the coaching staff decided, on the basis of spring training performances, that Royce Clayton would be the starter at shortstop. Smith challenged that statement. Perhaps, more closed door meetings between the skipper and the future hall-of-famer-to-be are needed.3.4 Ozzie II: The Press Release and All Star Accolades The headline over the 6.25.96 Cardinals press release was simple: "St. Louis Cardinals Announce Tickets for Ozzie Smith Day Are Sold Out." A quick check of the record books indicates that the most recent Busch Stadium non-Rams, non Opening Day sellout was July 31, 1994. In other words, Cardinal fans are making their feelings known--they very much Ozzie Smith and the way that he plays baseball. St. Louis Sports Online readers may recall that StLSO issue #55 contained a short piece about the Cardinals Caravan's January, 1996 visit to Evansville, Indiana. In large part due to Smith's presence, the attendance at the Jan '96 caravan (estimated to be ca. 1,500) was TEN TIMES the number that attended the previous January. So it seems that the ten-year personal services contract that Smith signed with the ballclub will be money well spent. And in the wake of the turmoil that has surrounded Smith and Tony La Russa, and the latter's decision to give Royce Clayton the majority of the playing time at shortstop, it was nice to see Smith smiling in the clubhouse following Friday night's victory over the Pirates. "It's a great feeling," said Ozzie about the fact that the September 29th game was a sellout. Continuing, the Wizard smiled in a way that this reporter hadn't seen in all of 1996. "It's the people's way of saying thank you." Smith also commented on Braves' manager Bobby Cox's assertion that it would be nice if Ozzie could be a part of this year's All Star game, perhaps in a non-playing ceremonial capacity. "I don't know what the situation is," Ozzie said in response to a suggestion that Cox was trying to make his All Star curtain call possible. "I have not spoken with [Cox] about it. It would be nice, though, and I would accept it graciously." 3.5 Draft Dodgers by RANDY HU The 1996 NHL entry draft hosted at the Kiel Center is now complete with 26 teams making dreams come true for some 241 youngsters from around the globe. St. Louis became only the seventh city to host a draft, an All-Star game (1988), and Stanley Cup championship (1968-1970). Ironic how the coolest game on earth was stuck in the middle of 95 degree, humid weather. For most native Canadians, a bit warm, eh? In reality, the draft should be held in Las Vegas, as most prospects (or shall we say suspects) are a roll of the dice. Similar to the Major League baseball draft, there are the first few breakthrough picks and everyone else--the sleepers and wannabes. Only the NFL and NBA drafts provide real anticipation and excitement. Blues GM/coach Mike Keenan opted to keep the team's first round pick this year to save face in front of the bloodthirsty home crowd. Instead he elected to trade his No. 1 pick in next year's deeper draft to the LA Kings in the ill-fated Wayne Gretzky acquisition. Subsequently, the Blues selected Boston College center Marty Reasoner with the 14th overall pick. As a freshman, he led his team in scoring with 16 goals and 29 helpers in 34 games and finished 14th overall in scoring in the 9-team Hockey East League. The 19-year old Reasoner stands 6'1" and weighs in at 196 pounds and growing. The Central Scouting Service ranked him 18th overall in North America and said he is an exceptional stickhandler, passes and shoots the puck with a high degree of confidence, has excellent scoring ability, and pursues the puck in all zones while using his body. According to The Hockey News, there is some reservations about his willingness to be a force in tough, physical games against top competition. Will he be the next Tony Hrkac or Joe Sakic? Ironically, Reasoner's favorite player growing up was soon-to-be former Blue Wayne Gretzky. (Note: Yesterday, Gretzky's agent Michael Barnett announced that the un-Great-ful One will not re-sign with the Blues and test his worth on the open market starting this Monday. As I said from the start, he wasn't worth the price of 3 players and 2 draft picks. The Blues will pay for this blunder for years to come). The rest of the Blues draft was filled with Igor Nospeakenglish's and Jean-Pierre Whatshisname's. Some may make it, some are a crapshoot, and the majority are Mission: Impossible. Historically, it takes the Blues a few rounds to warm up, but Reasoner seems like a reasonable choice, unless Keenan trades him tommorrow. 4.0 StLSO Game Recaps 4.1 Cardinals Series-by-Series Summaries by JIM HUNSTEIN 4.1.1 Cardinals vs. Mets (June 20 - 23) IN THE ARCHIVES: Not the kind of 4-game series a contending team wants to suffer. But Houston is no better at shooting ducks when they're flying, so the Cards still have a share of first place. ON THE SCOREBOARD: G1: 8-3 Montreal; G2: 4-3 Montreal; G3: 9-4 St. Louis; G4: 3-2 Montreal GOING IN: Cards were 35-34 in virtual tie for first in the NLC with the Astros (at 36-37), 3 games ahead of the Cubs and Pirates COMING OUT: Cards were 36-37, still in a tie for first with the Astros (38-39), 1 1/2 ahead of the Pirates. AT THE PLATE: Seems that many of the Cardinal bats were confiscated at customs on the way into Canada, eh. The big four of the Cards' line-up (Ron Gant, Ray Lankford, Brian Jordan, Gary Gaetti) mustered only nine hits in 50 at bats. Hard to find hitting heroes in a 1-for-4 series, but there were a couple. John Mabry is still among the league leaders in hitting as he went 4-for-12, including his fifth homer of the year in G3. Danny Sheaffer went deep for the first time all year in G1. Lankford also homered in G3, his team-leading 14th. And Gary Gaetti went deep in the 9th of G4 to bring the Cards to within one. That was his 8th of the year and 300th of his career. The hitters are getting more efficient in the clutch; only 18 runners were stranded and only four runners were left in scoring position with two outs. OFF THE BENCH: The pinch hitters were a combined 1-for-7, the only hit coming in G4 when Ozzie Smith singled in the 8th. ON THE BASEPATHS: These guys are starting to show some speed. They had at least one steal in every game but G4 including two from unlikely sources. Todd Stottlemyre sent a message to his teammates in G1 by swiping second; "either you run or I will." That prompted Tom Pagnozzi to swipe his second of the year in G2. (Don't expect too many more; he stole 9 in 1991 but never more than 2 in the majors and a big goose egg since 1993.) Jordan also stole on in G2, his third. And Smith, starting in G3 (he was 1-for-5), stole his second of the season. ON THE MOUND: It had all the earmarks of a typical early season series for the Cards, the kind where the starting pitching starts marginal and goes down from there. Not this time. While the bats were confiscated at the border, the arms got through just fine. Well, most of them. Not Todd Stottlemyre's. He got roughed up in G1 for 7 runs on 7 hits (including 3 homers) in 5 innings; he was touched for 4 runs in the first inning alone. His record falls to 6-5 and his ERA climbs to 4.16 joining the rest of the starters over the 4.00 mark. Alan Benes pitched well enough in G2 to get a win, giving up 1 run on 4 hits in 6 innings. But that was only half the ball game - literally - as the contest went 12 innings. Mike Morgan got the job done in G3 and improved to 2-1 with an outstanding outing. Of course, it helps when the offense rallies for 9 runs. He scattered 9 hits in 8-plus innings and gave up 4 runs; 3 coming in the 9th inning, including one homer. Donovan Osborne dropped his record to 6-4 dispite a good G4. He gave up only 2 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings. But the offense only gave him one run to work with. FROM THE BULLPEN: Still among the best. Infact, almost perfect except for one or two spots. (Their names are Mark Petkovsek and Dennis Eckersley.) The real test came in G2. Petkovsek got touched for a run in the 7th (a homer). Then the relief corps held until the bottom of the 12th when Eckersley got tagged for 2 hits and a run and the loss. He is now 0-5 with a 4.01 ERA. Petkovsek also gave up what became the winning run in G4. IN THE FIELD: As with the fielding, this category is coming together nicely. Only one error in the entire series, a muffed grounder by Mark Sweeney. On the plus side, Jordan showed off his arm a little when he nailed one of Montreal's better and faster runners, Mike Lansing, at third. Know what's weird? Only one double play all series, a 4-6-3 number. CATCH-ALL: Manager Tony La Russa continues to juggle the line-up; he still hasn't used the same batting order twice. Mathematically, he can keep this up all year, especially with September call-ups. Gant was used in lead-off in three of the games and was 2-for-10 with a walk. Sweeney tried his hand in G3 and was 1-for-4 with a walk. Maybe the starting pitchers ought to be used as pinch hitters. They were a combined 2-for-8 but Stottlemyre was 1-for-1 with a walk (and the steal) in G1 and AlBenes was 1-for-2 with 2 RBI on a two-out double in G2. IN THE HOUSE: G1:15,095; G2:16,136; G3: 16,895; G4: 22,168 ON THE CLOCK: G1: 2:17; G2: 4:04 (12 innings); G3: 2:22; G4:2:13 Didn't think they could beat that 2:17 time in G1, but they did it. Like Rene Richards, I stand corrected. It seems that Canadian hours are slightly longer than US hours. UP NEXT: 4-game set with the World Champ Braves in Atlanta 4.1.2 Cardinals vs. Braves (June 24 - 27) IN THE ARCHIVES: A 2-2 split with the Braves - not a bad series against the world champs and their much-vaunted pitching staff - leaves the Redbirds in second place. Brian Jordan absolutely sparkled in front of his home town crowd. ON THE SCOREBOARD: G1: 9-2 Cards; G2: 4-3 Braves; G3: 11-7 Cards; G4: 3-0 Braves (quick math: Cards outscored the Super Team 23-16) GOING IN: Duh, check the "going out" section above COMING OUT: Cards were 38-39. in second place, 1 game behind the Astros and 1 game ahead of the Cubs. AT THE PLATE: First of all, we'll ignore G4, a 3-hitter by Cy Maddux against the Cards. Let's see. Some guy named Jordan absolutely dominated the series, creating excitement wherever he went. Fortunately, it was the Cards' own Brian. All he did was bat .636 (7-for-11, holy crap!) in the first three games with two homer and a career-best 6 RBI in G1. Those were just 2 of the 5 homers by the Cards in the ol' Launching Pad. Ron Gant and Jordan each homered in both G1 and G3 while John Mabry was rockin' in the rockin' chair with his sixth in G2. There were 12 multi-hit performances over the series. Lankford was 3-for-5 with a pair of dubles in G1. Ron Gant was 3-for-5 in G3 and missed a cycle by a double. Royce Clayton was 3-for 6 (yes, 6) as lead-off in G3. ON THE BASEPATHS: Jordan was every bit as good with his feet as he was with his bat. He swiped four in the series (thus more than doubling his season total to date), including three in G2. He now has 7 and is third on the team. Leader Clayton stole one in G3 to increase his lead to 15. Willie McGee nabbed his third in G3 as well. OFF THE BENCH: Horrible pinch-hitting. A big ol' goose egg for 9 chances; 4 whiffs, 3 ground outs, and 2 pop outs. McGee failed 3 times, Mark Sweeney and Miguel Mejia (who still hasn't had a hit all year) twice each, and Ozzie Smith and Luis Alicea once apiece. ON THE MOUND: Another overall good series by the starters, who just needed a little luck and/or run support. The Benes brothers both got wins, which is what we've been wanting all year. Andy B (5-8) won G1 on 7 innings of 2-run ball scattering 9 hits. Alan B (7-4) took over the team lead in voctories with the win in G3 dispite giving up 5 earned runs in 6 innings. He helped his own cause by going 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. Todd Stottlemyre and Mike Morgan were not so lucky on the mound. Stottlemyre (6-6) pithced well enough to win in G2 (1 walk, 2 strikeouts, 3 earned runs, 4 runs, 5 hits, 6 innings - nice pregression!), but 3 runs in the 4th innings hurt. Morgan (2-2) pitched even better (3 runs in 7 innings) but was up against Maddux in star form. FROM THE BULLPEN: Except for 2 runs given up by TJ Mathews in G3 (when the Cards were already up 10-5), the relief corps did their job magnificently. They worked a total of 8 innings and gave up only the 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk. They only fanned two. IN THE FIELD: 4 errors in the series, but none were game-threatening. Still, this is kind of an ugly trend. A much better trend; they turned 5 double-plays, including a nifty unassisted number by Mabry in G1. He caught the hard grounder, tagged the runner, and stepped on first. CATCH-ALL: If Atlanta is the Launching Pad for hitters, it became the Lunching Pad for Maddux in G4, as he pretty much ate the Cards' bats in a 2-hour 3-hitter. That's only a hit every 40 minutes. Clayton worked very well in the lead-off slot in G3 going 3-for-6 with a steal and 2 runs scored. Overall, the position batted 7-for17 (.411) between Gant (G1,G2), Clayton (G3), and Smith (G4). Throw in 3 walks (along with 6 strike-outs) and it's lead-off by committee. OVERALL: It's been more than a month since a Cardinal started went less than 5 innings. No wonder the bullpen has been so sharp. The team as a whole batted .279 (41-for-147) in the entire series. The position players (i.e., not including the pitchers) hit .284 (39-for-137; the two pitchers' hits both came from AlBenes, who is making a bid for an emergency pinch-hitting role). To really pump the numbers, without G4, the team as a whole hit .325 (38-for-117) and without G4 and without the pitchers, the numbers soar to .336 (36-for-107). Put that between your lip and gum and chew it! IN THE HOUSE: G1: 31,971; G2: 30,942; G3: 33,186; G4: 32,243 (very impressive numbers especially with the Olympics coming up and competing for the sports entertainment dollar) ON THE CLOCK:G1: 2:39; G2: 2:48; G3: 2:48 (not a typo; same bat time, same bat channel); G4: 2:01 (that was Maddux's 3-hitter) UP NEXT: 6-game intra-division home stand; 3 with the Pirates, 3 with the Reds. Time to decide of the team is a contender or pretender with the lesser forces of the NLC coming to town. Time to make a move. 5.0 StLSO Numbers 5.1 Cardinals Statistics (through 78 GAMES) 5.1.1 Batting

                 AB  HIT  2B 3B  HR  SLG RUN RBI  BB   SO  OBP  SB  CS   E  AVG
Mabry,John      263   88  17  1   7 .487  36  35  18   43 .377   1   1   4 .335
Borders,Pat      69   22   3  0   0 .362   3   4   1   14 .329   0   1   3 .319
McGee,Willie    179   56  10  0   3 .419  33  26  11   33 .353   3   1   2 .313
Pagnozzi,Tom    164   49  12  0   4 .445  22  24   7   29 .327   2   1   3 .299
Jordan,Brian    232   65  13  0   7 .427  35  37  11   47 .313   8   3   2 .280
Sheaffer,Danny  112   31   6  1   1 .375   6  15   5   13 .308   2   3   2 .277
Clayton,Royce   252   69  12  3   3 .381  32  19  21   54 .330  16   8   9 .274
Sweeney,Mark    115   31   7  0   3 .409  21  15  23   21 .391   1   0   2 .270
Lankford,Ray    268   72  14  4  14 .507  46  47  38   64 .359  13   3   0 .269
Smith,Ozzie      83   21   2  1   0 .301  10   7   6    2 .303   2   2   2 .253
Gaetti,Gary     228   55   9  0   8 .386  30  28  14   38 .285   1   2   7 .241
Gant,Ron        146   35   6  2  10 .514  25  35  27   32 .358   4   2   3 .240
Alicea,Luis     242   56  15  0   4 .343  31  27  30   48 .316   5   2  16 .231
Bell,David      118   26   5  0   1 .288   8   6   9   16 .276   0   0   5 .220
Mejia,Miguel      9    0   0  0   0 .000   6   0   0    5 .000   3   2   1 .000

5.1.2 Pitching

                 W   L    IP   HIT RUN  ER  BB   SO  ERA  SA BS  HR   G  ST  C
Mathews,T J      1   2   40.0   26  16  12  19   35  2.70  3  3   4  30   0  0
Honeycutt,Rick   0   0   24.0   19   8   8   6   18  3.00  2  1   1  30   0  0
Fossas,Tony      0   4   24.0   24  12   9  10   15  3.37  1  2   5  33   0  0
Osborne,Donovan  7   4   94.2   91  43  36  18   56  3.42  0  0  11  14  14  1
Eckersley,D      0   5   26.2   29  14  11   3   24  3.71 11  1   2  25   0  0
Parrett,Jeff     2   2   35.0   31  15  15  18   36  3.86  0  2   2  26   0  0
Morgan,Mike      2   2   50.2   44  23  23  25   20  4.09  0  0   8   8   8  0
Stottlemyre,T    6   6  107.2   98  52  50  50   99  4.18  0  0  16  16  16  3
Petkovsek,Mark   5   0   39.1   42  20  19  15   14  4.35  0  2   7  15   4  0
Benes,Andy       5   8  105.1  104  57  52  29   76  4.44  1  0  14  17  16  2
Benes,Alan       7   4   96.0   95  63  52  38   69  4.88  0  0  13  16  16  2


5.2 MLB Standings (as of 6.28.96)

 American League                          National League
                              Eastern Divisions
     Team         Won  Lost   GB   PCT       Team          Won  Lost   GB   PCT
 New York          46   31     -  .597    Atlanta           49   29     -  .628
 Baltimore         41   35   4.5  .539    Montreal          45   33   4.0  .577
 Toronto           35   43  11.5  .449    Florida           38   40  11.0  .487
 Boston            32   45  14.0  .416    New York          37   41  12.0  .474
 Detroit           23   56  24.0  .291    Philadelphia      32   45  16.5  .416

                              Central Divisions
     Team         Won  Lost   GB   PCT       Team          Won  Lost   GB   PCT
 Cleveland         47   31     -  .603    Houston           40   40     -  .500
 Chicago           46   32   1.0  .590    St. Louis         39   39     -  .500
 Milwaukee         39   38   7.5  .506    Cincinnati        35   38   1.5  .479
 Minnesota         36   41  10.5  .468    Chicago           37   41   2.0  .474
 Kansascity        34   45  13.5  .430    Pittsburgh        36   42   3.0  .462

                              Western Divisions
     Team         Won  Lost   GB   PCT       Team          Won  Lost   GB   PCT
 Texas             47   31     -  .603    Los Angeles       41   39     -  .512
 Seattle           41   35   5.0  .539    San Diego         41   39     -  .512
 California        40   39   7.5  .506    Colorado          39   38   0.5  .506
 Oakland           37   42  10.5  .468    San Francisco     36   41   3.5  .468


5.2 St. Louis Vipers Line Scores contributed by GARY GRIFFAW

5.2.1 Vipers vs. Long Island Jawz (6.21.96)

St. Louis Vipers   2  2  0  1 -  5
Long Island Jawz   1  2  5  4 - 12

5.2.2 Vipers vs. Orlando Jackals (6.26.96)

St. Louis Vipers   1  2  2  2 -  7
Orlando Jackals    2  1  4  4 - 11

6.0 StLSO Media Views by SCOTT SIMON 6.1 WIBV Ratings News The Arbitrend for May in St. Louis was a good one for WIBV, which changed to a local heavy personality-talk format on April 15. It went from a 1.5 to a 2.5 share of the 12 year-of-age and older audience. Many of 'IBV's personalities came from KMOX (including Old Sport Kevin Horrigan, Jim Holder, John Cooper, and Dan McLaughlin). Market leader KMOX still remains number one and strong, though, despite dropping .5 in the same report. 7.0 StLSO Interactivity *Jim Wind writes from Wisconsin-- This is a super news letter and I would like a subscription, please. I was born and raised in Wisconsin, but have always been an AVID St. Louis sports fan. The newsletter I have dreamed about is now a reality.8.0 StLSO Editorial: Also-Ran, Teaser, or Contender?As this is written, the Cardinals are 38-39...a record good enough to hang with the leaders of the NL Central. But Cardinals fans...and Cardinals management...expected more. Much more from a team that seems to enjoy dancing around the .500 mark. It's almost like the Cardinals are teasing St. Louis... But the mere fact that the Cards are near .500 is a testament to the high quality of their recent play--on May 19 the Redbirds were 17-26 but have played greater than .600 baseball since then, winning 21 of their last 34. The season is now nearly half over. What's with the Cardinals? And what does the Redbirds' record say about what is important in MLB, '90s style? PITCHING: Perhaps the most encouraging sign of June's version of the 1996 Cardinals is the starting pitching. After a rocky first six weeks, the fivesome of Todd Stottlemyre, Alan and Andy Benes, Donovan Osborne, and Mike Morgan has put together a very solid month of pitching. No starter going less than five innings since May 26, when Osborne was removed after 4 innings vs. Florida. The ERAs for all five starters have been steadily decreasing--both Benes' ERA's are now below 5.00, while Osborne's 3.63 leads the starters. And a comparison of innings pitched vs. hits allowed, for the five starters, reveals that ALL FIVE have allowed less than one hit per inning. Indeed, middle relievers Mark Petkovsek and Jeff Parrett have seen scant action in the past five weeks. Petkovsek, though, has made the most of his chances, compiling a W-L mark of 5-0. After some rough outings, Parrett has rebounded with a couple of decent performances. Moving one step closer (that's closer with an "s") to the closer (with a "z"), TJ Mathews and Rick Honeycutt have also performed well...each compiling decent reliever stats as well as the team's two top ERAs (2.70 and 3.00, respectively). Mathews has excelled in his role, allowing only 26 hits in 40.1 IP. But left-handed specialist Tony Fossas and closer Dennis Eckersley have combined records of 0-9. While won-loss records for relievers can be deceiving, it is clear that the Cards two main short men have, to this point in the season, come up short. On the other hand, Eckersley has converted on 11 of 13 save opportunities, and appears to have recovered from elbow problems which forced him to spend a couple of weeks on the disabled list. La Russa seems inclined to stick with the Eck (what other choice does he have?). Assuming that the starters continue their recent stellar performances, it may very well be that the Cardinals post-season chances will ride on Eckersley's battle-tested right arm. HITTING: On the offensive side of things, three Cardinals have posted batting averages greater than .300. That John Mabry is above .300 is no large surprise...but .335? With 23 extra-base hits (including 6 HR)? Those who doubted that Mabry was anything more than a Punch-and-Judy hitter (this reporter included)...appear to have been dead wrong. What about Willie McGee, his .316 BA, and his recent successes as a pinch-hitter? And Tom Pagnozzi?! An All Star-caliber .310 BA...with 12 doubles and 4 homers in only 158 ABs? Mabry, McGee, and Pagnozzi have clearly been the most pleasant surprises of Tony La Russa's initial half-season with the Cardinals...along with backup 1B-OF Mark Sweeney, who has put together a decent numbers backing up Mabry and filling in for the injured Ron Gant. Ditto for backup catcher/corner man Danny Sheaffer, whose performance (.275 BA in about 100 ABs) mirrors that of Sweeney. Throw in SS Royce Clayton's .270 BA (with 18 extra-base hits among his 67 safeties) adds yet another weapon to La Russa's offense. And Ozzie Smith's average (.253) ain't chopped liver, either. So with inspired (and in some cases, unexpected) efforts from Mabry, McGee, Pagnozzi, Clayton & Smith, Sweeney, and Sheaffer, third-base coach Tommie Reynolds should be waving home five or six runners per game. Especially with a multimillion dollar outfield in place...all of whom are in the first year of long term contracts. Recall, though, that both Ron Gant (hamstring) and Brian Jordan (hand/wrist) spent time on the disabled list. Neither has rounded into shape, yet, although Jordan, in the recent series in his home town of Atlanta, showed signs of life. Only Ray Lankford has remained healthy...and his numbers (.268 BA, with team leading totals of 14 HRs and 45 RBIs) are about what should be expected from the speedy centerfielder. Overall, though, some combination of Lankford, Gant, and Jordan was expected to provide a majority of the team's punch from the heart of the batting order...and the injuries to Gant and Jordan (along with the team's problems at leadoff) have prevented that from taking place. 3B Gary Gaetti is another player hampered by injury. Gaetti's foot and toe woes have limited his effectiveness at the plate (and in the field), and prevented him from getting into any kind of groove. Nevertheless, he seems on his way to a 20 HR-70 RBI-type year...numbers in line with realistic expectations for a veteran 3B switching leagues for the first time. And 2B Luis Alicea, while hitting only .231, has poked 15 doubles and clubbed four homers. Projected over a full season, that's 40 extra-base hits. Not Carlos Baerga numbers, but pretty good production from a middle infielder. AND A CAVEAT: A combination of June's starting pitching, continued season-long production from all eight lineup positions and important back-up players, and dependable work from Eckersley would seem to suggest that the Cardinals are poised to look at the .500 mark in their rear-view mirror. How far above .500 the Cards travel may depend on a couple of hard-to-quantify categories: defense and base-running. Tony La Russa has stated that he is more than a bit concerned by the team's defensive woes. But the Cards skipper has also said that he doesn't know exactly what to do about his squad's defensive deficiencies, saying that he doesn't want his players to be paranoid about what would seem to be the simplest part of the game--throwing and catching the baseball. Only Houston and Colorado have committed more errors than the Cardinals, who, after 77 games, have committed 70 errors. Infielders Luis Alicea, Royce Clayton, and Gary Gaetti have committed 32 of those errors. Compare those numbers with those posted by the 1986 trio of 2B, SS, 3B trio of Tom Herr, Ozzie Smith, and Terry Pendleton. All first-rate defensively, that trio committed 44 errors during the entire '86 season. The Cardinals baserunning proficiency is another concern. Press box estimates suggest that, in the team's first 77 games, about two dozen runners waved home by third base coach Tommie Reynolds have been thrown out at the plate. Such a number is unacceptably high. Of equal concern are the team's stolen base numbers. Only the Astros (with 37 CS) have been caught stealing more times than the Cardinals (33 CS). But Houston leads the league with 95 successful steals, while the Cardinals are in the middle of the pack with 60 steals. The days of the running Redbirds are over, it seems. SUMMARY: The April-early May Cardinals were also-rans. Largely because of the starting pitchers, the late May-June Cardinals performed like contenders. Combined, the first-half 1996 Cardinals played like teasers. What will happen in the last three months of the season? Healthy Ron Gant, Brian Jordan, and Dennis Eckersley, combined with the team's stellar starting pitching and first-rate production from John Mabry and Tom Pagnozzi, means that the Cardinals are poised to separate themselves from the rest of the NL Central. You can write that down.

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