Seriously, how are the Cards this good? The Cubs had a 9 game win streak and the Cards were still right behind them. Let's take a look at their roster.
The pitching staff is one motley crew. Ron Villone and Russ Springer are two journeymen. Ryan Franklin is a former top prospect for the M's who never reached his potential. Todd Wellemeyer was a middling reliever for the Cubs and is now the staff ace. Huh? Kyle Lohse just plain sucks. Everyone else is a minor leaguer or some kind of prospect. Can that group really keep up the pace? A team ERA of 3.90 all season?
Two of the worst hitting catchers in baseball are the Cards' backstops: Yadier Molina and Jason "I got traded for $1" LaRue.
Everyone's least favorite SS, Cesar Isturis, bats behind the pitcher for God sakes. At second base they have three of the GRITtiest players in baseball, Aaron Miles, Adam Kennedy, Brendan Ryan. (For those that don't know, GRIT means a a small white player who is not a good athlete and has limited range in the field and no power but puts the ball in play and steals bases and is played up as being better than he is because he "tries". Perfect example is former Cardinal David Eckstein).
The outfield is more former prospects who are now playing like they should have, like Ludwick and to some extent Ankiel. However, those two are possibly two of the worst fielding outfielders in baseball. Who thought Ryan Ludwick would hit .318? Silence, just as I thought.
Looking at this group, can we really expect them to stay this hot? I don't and most experts don't either. With Pujols now hurt, it's only a matter of time before we see the real St. Louis Cardinals.
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