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If you’re a Cardinals fan who followed them from opening day this year through the second game of the World Series, you know about the bouncing ball that has been the bullpen. Well, the woes reared their ugly heads Thursday night in St. Louis.

Speaking of ugly heads, what’s the deal with the hole in Ron Washington’s Afro? The brother looks like Bozo the baseball manager clown, but his haters have to back off clowning him.

The media and some fans were all over his decision-making in the first game. Among several moves that some displeased people voiced, they criticized his move to keep Josh Hamilton in the third spot.

If Hambone had been moved down in the lineup then maybe the Rangers lose the game. He ended up being in the perfect spot to drive a huge run in the top of the ninth inning.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, need to lift their heads in order go get him and the other Rangers hitters out tonight in Arlington, Texas. Washington’s team will be at home and ready to feast on home-cooked meals in the form of Cardinals pitching.

The Cardinals are still cooking and aren’t out of it. They have been outstanding on the road this postseason against both Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Here are five ways the Redbirds can bounce back and reclaim their own advantage.

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Have the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers managers Tony La Russa and Ron Roenicke traded places in the NL Central’s hierarchy? Is there a new NL Central sheriff in town?  

Roenicke appears to be gaining respect in MLB circles, while La Russa seems to be losing it—even among his hometown fans. How quickly roles reverse.

Trading Places was a cult classic starring comedian Eddie Murphy of Beverly Hills Cop and Saturday Night Live fame. In the movie, Murphy portrays a street bum who gets turned into a multimillionaire by two experimenting billionaire brothers. Tell me about opposite styles.

In real life, brother La Russa was busy experimenting with his iron-fisted arguing almost every call and complaining about almost everything technique, it seems, while Roenicke was allowing his players to have fun—witness Nyjer Morgan—as long as they are producing.

Did someone say producing? The Brewers last night completed a runaway victory over their NL Central foes in this year’s division race. They had a 10.5 game lead with about 20 games left in the season.

The seasoned Redbirds’ psyche took a hit after losing two best-of-threes to Milwaukee in the first two weeks of August. Then the rest of the NL poured cooking oil on the Birds.

But, the Cardinals bounced back to pull within six games of the Brewers and about two of the Braves with about one week left in the season. The Cardinals started to look much different from the team they were four weeks ago.

At that time on the banks of three different rivers, lefty Garrett Jones’ extra-inning, walk-off home run at PNC Park on Aug. 16 all but put the Redbirds’ fire out. The Cardinals were already playing uninspired baseball, but Jones’ blast dropped them to a low psyche.

It came off the newly acquired left-hander Arthur Rhodes who has been a good pitcher in this league. It was another blown opportunity, however, by the bullpen and pointed some of the blame and most of the focus on John Mozeliak and Tony La Russa.

Their hastily revamped Cardinals fell to seven games behind Milwaukee after the Redbirds’ further fire-sapping extra-inning loss in Pittsburgh. The team’s mental focus hadn’t been the same until 9/11 weekend, when the Cardinals swept the Braves.

The Cards had won the Brewers series that week, but still couldn’t dent the standings.

Roenicke’s Brewers were in the throes of winning 21 of 25 games during their decisive run that basically clinched and dented the division around the second week in August. The Brew Crew could sip their own Kool-Aid. Only the Philadelphia Phillies had a larger division lead.

The division lead would soon balloon to double digits for Milwaukee. St. Louis was on the cusp of experiencing more major problems. After losing the must-have series with the Pirates, the Redbirds lost a best-of-three series to the lowly Cubs and got swept in three by the last-place Dodgers in St. Louis.

The boo birds started to chirp over La Russa’s head while he was in the dugout and especially when he stepped foot on the field. His alleged trying to get into the Brewers’ heads idea failed.

In a Monday night broadcast from Pittsburgh during the Jones home run series, the local announcers first claimed La Russa was complaining about the lighted ribbon around Miller Park in Milwaukee. TLR did, in fact, make the headlines for claiming the lights were brighter when the Cardinals batted. 

The broadcasters went on to say La Russa usually has evidence to back up his claims. Well, Tony, show me. I’m from Missouri, and I’ll wait.

I understand managing and waiting on 25 players is not an easy task. La Russa sees his team on a daily basis during the season. He knows what the media, fans and opponents don’t know. But, Tony Sigmund Freud La Russa should have stuck to baseball and left pop psychiatry and psychology out of the situation.

The scenario got stickier after September rolled around sooner than wanted and the Redbirds weren’t rolling hard enough. They tried to flap their wings, but they were stuck in what appeared to be bullpen mud and crud from the Gulf oil spill.

The unnatural disaster hurt Busch Stadium’s environment—empty seats and tepid turnstiles became very noticeable. The Cards drew three million fans again this year, but the local media began to question whether or not LaRussa should return in 2012.

Ron Roenicke the rookie manager could run for mayor of Milwaukee and win. Despite having more pennant-chasing and playoff experience than his Brewers, LaRussa’s Redbirds got rolled.

It was Milwaukee playing like the grizzled NL veterans while the Cardinals flailed. 

St. Louis played like they felt the pressure after Mozeliak and TLR traded Colby Rasmus—the young, left-handed, fleet-footed, smooth-swinging and power-hitting center fielder. The center of Cardinal Nation started to collapse not long after that late-July trade.

Roenicke unleashed his team’s best baseball soon after. Even after Rickie Weeks was injured, the manager’s decision to move Corey Hart to the leadoff spot kick-started their right fielder, who then began to lay down the offensive law.

Yes, there is a new NL sheriff; Roenicke and La Russa have traded places.

Contact Lake Cruise: lakecruise@att.net.

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You may have heard the Milwaukee Brewers won their first division championship since 1982 when they were the Brew Crew—29 years ago—but have you heard the Cardinals are still alive for a postseason entry?

If you haven’t, then you’d better ask someone.

The Cardinals lost to the Cubs on Friday night and handed the Milwaukee Brewers a gift-wrapped NL Central title, but St. Louis can still get it popping in the playoffs and shock their NL Central rivals.

Join me on this brief-but-entertaining ride of reasoning, on the banks of the Mississippi River, thinking about how the Cards can pull off the impossible and win the NL Wild Card.

Just don’t put the Redbirds on the grill or choke on your popcorn just yet.

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Did the St. Louis Cardinals make a mistake by extending Lance Berkman’s contract? The slugger re-upped for a reported $12 million in 2012—a $4 million raise from 2011.

The Redbirds need a closer, a second baseman and another top of the line starting pitcher if they want to win it all. So, was paying Berkman, 35, almost half of Matt Holliday’s salary their best move?

Lance will be moving to the 36-year-old age range on February 10. Maybe he’ll exchange Valentine’s Day gifts with the fans and maybe not. But, it’s been a heartwarming relationship between Berkman and Cardinal Nation.

Join me for my heartfelt analysis of the reasons why this was the right move and the best move in lieu of the spending Cardinals’ next move.

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Did ESPN analyst and Stamford, Conn. current Director of Public Safety and Public Health, Bobby Valentine, leave a piece of his heart in impressive old St. Louis? 

Known for cow towing at Mike Shannon’s with the likes of controversial umpire “Country” Joe West and praising the wonderful fans of St. Louis via KMOX, it appears he wants in and is smart enough to know how to discreetly go about it.

Since 2009, he’s reportedly been either a quiet candidate or interviewed for the Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays managerial positions.

Sounding like general manager John Mozeliak’s and Jon Jay’s biggest fan, Valentine’s praise of the 2011 trade deadline moves by the Cardinals was unwavering.  Bobby and Peter Gammons were the most ardent supporters of the trade.

Well, since then, the Redbirds have fallen seven games out of first place—shades of last year after the Ryan Ludwick deal.

In fact, as Bernie Miklasz pointed out in a St. Louis Post Dispatch column last Sunday, the Cardinals have been collapsing late in the season almost every years since they won World Series championship No. 10 (2006).

As an analyst, Valentine, 61, obviously realizes this.  He’s LaRussa’s contemporary and has managed against him in the Majors.

Valentine’s Mets bloodied LaRussa and the Cardinals, 4-1, in the 2001 NLCS on the way to the Subway Series against the Yankees.  Like a shark, he could be smelling blood rolling along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River near Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. 

Even if the bloodied but unbowed Tony LaRussa is still the skipper in 2012, he can’t manage forever.  TLR will have to depart someday hopefully very soon in the eyes of a lot of fans.

I personally can’t see third base coach Jose “The Secret Weapon” Oquendo getting a fair shake for consideration as manager of the Redbirds after LaRussa leaves.  I’d love to see Jose’s former superior on the depth chart—the great Ozzie Smith—as the manager next season. 

This probably won’t be the case.  If LaRussa gets wind of Ozzie being considered, then TLR will want to stay for as long as possible.  There haven’t been any heartfelt feelings between Tony and Ozzie for the last 15-16 years and counting.

“Count” Valentine came into the Majors as a utility player with the L.A. Dodgers in 1969.  He still reveres Tommy LaSorda and evidently Groucho Marx. 

Valentine is the manager remembered for donning a fake mustache and coming back into the dugout to oversee his team after being ejected while with the Mets in 1999.  MLB summarily fined him $5,000 and suspended him for three games. 

Here’s a summary of his managerial record in the Majors:

Starting in 1985 with the Texas Rangers, he’s managed 2,169 games in 15 seasons.  LaRussa had about 2,680 wins at the time of this writing in some 30 years a manager in the Majors. 

With a .510 winning percentage (1,117-1,072) in MLB, Valentine also trails LaRussa in this category (.535).  Valentine’s winning percentage was .534 with the Mets from 1996-2002—his last stint in the Majors.

He played during the good old baseball days of outfield chain link fences.  Valentine probably wishes those days never were; he suffered a horrible leg injury after his spikes got stuck while chasing a fly ball in Anaheim.  Largely due to the fence accident, Bobby V. retired as a player at 29 years old.

An interesting tidbit is Valentine’s relationship with former Mets general manager turned ESPN analyst, Steve Phillips.  The latter fired Bobby in 2002, but in 2009 Valentine was hired after Phillips was terminated in a scandal involving a female employee at the cable giant.

Valentine is somewhat revered as a giant in Japanese baseball lore.  He managed the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League to the Japanese Series championship in 2005.  Later that year, he led the Marines to the championship over Korea in the first Asia Series.

He was reportedly fired after conflicts with the general manager of Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League.  Conflicts of interest aside, I believe Valentine would love to manage the Cardinals if LaRussa doesn’t return in 2012.

Do you, my beloved readers, believe he’d do a good job?

Comment or contact Lake Cruise at rjspann@swbell.net.

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Where does Albert Pujols rank on the all-time Cardinals list of best players in franchise history?  Keep reading, and I’ll tell you what I think. You tell me how you took it.

Pujols took another leap forward for man and womankind, St. Louis Cardinals fans. In the new Busch Stadium, he came, saw and conquered another milestone last Friday night before the disgruntled faces of beleaguered Chicago Cubs and their faithful.

By a 9-2 score, the long-suffering lovable losers from the North Side of “The Chi (shy)” took it on the chin again, courtesy of the popping bats of Pujols and the Redbirds. The crushing victory was the icing on the cake for the current baseball king of the city.

According to the Redbirds’ broadcasters, Pujols became the latest Saint Louis Cardinal to reach 2,000 hits—while wearing the historically significant St. Louis Cardinals uniform. Only certain individuals get to wear the birds on the bat, and Pujols knows it.

Hall of Fame ballers Rogers Hornsby, Stan “The Man” Musial, Rogers Hornsby and Lou Brock all wore it for most—if not all—of their MLB careers. They have their own statuettes outside of the new stadium, and Pujols knows it.

He sports the classic uniform—one of the most recognizable in all of the world’s sports—with the pride and class it deserves, and once again proved to be a much better hitter than his current batting coach.

Ouch. 

Pujols could someday be—without question—the best St. Louis Cardinals player ever.  If he isn’t already, that is. He’s not done, yet, though, most folks in the STL hope. There could be another World Series, or hopefully more, under his helmet.

It seems to me like Albert just added about as much pressure as can be to the Cardinals’ front office to keep him. They almost have to re-sign him now, right?  We’ll see. Judging by moves in the last two years, there is no telling what the brass is planning to pull off.

Stay tuned to the Laker, and I’ll let you all know, my beloved readers, what’s really going on after the season in terms of Pujols—the former baseball prince of the city. He’s quickly becoming one of the eight wonders of MLB history.

For his 2,000th career smash off against pitching in the Majors, on Friday night of the eighth inning with two outs, Albert smashed a peppery steak (RBI) double down the third base line—making the scoreboard bling for the Redbirds against the lowly Cubs. 

What was most impressive was the way Pujols sped around the bases as if it was the bottom of the ninth inning in the seventh game of the World Series—like he was carrying the championship-winning run. It’s called hustling in the Gashouse Gang tradition.

You Cubs fans wouldn’t know anything about that, I don’t imagine. Imagine this, though, as much as the Redbirds and Cardinals face one another, Pujols could end up getting his hit No. 3,000 against Chicago…this season…double ouch.

After No 2,000, I felt like the Cardinals had the painful for the traveling pack of fanatics from Illinois game in hand, and Pujols could’ve been taken out of the game. While the fans showered him with blessings, he looked like he wanted to shed tears of thanksgiving. Take him out for a pinch-runner, why didn’t the manager? 

Who knows?

The classy Cardinal he is, Pujols twice tipped his helmet, while standing at second base. It looked like LaRussa pulled a classy move, though, and ordered the next batter to step out of the batter’s box, so the fans could salute Albert even more.

How do you like it in Saint Louis? You all love it. We (MLB fans) love it. Pujols the great Redbird grinder did it with his left wrist in what looks like a cast. Ouch.

The leading man in this cast of Redbirds characters, he’s starring in an almost Hollywood career full of flavor. Lights, cameras and action to the tune of 3,000 hits could be the next feature film Pujols produces in a Cardinals uniform. 

What a shame it would be if this doesn’t happen. First Ryan Ludwick gets traded and the team’s title hopes head south for the winter 2010. Then Colby Rasmus gets run in 2011 and the Redbirds immediately loose two demoralizing games at home to lowly Houston. 

Albert’s milestone could be the spark the Redbirds need to get them going. Then Albert is allowed to walk after the season? No way, right? You tell me, I’m not a participating party.

I’m telling the world that it’s probably a party in Saint Louis for right now. I have a feeling Albert’s teammates know this could very well be his last go around in the circle of St. Louis as a Redbird. 

What a crying Cardinal shame it would truly be.

Enjoy the ride, though, with about two full months left in the season, Albert could have close to 100 more hits left in him in 2011. If that happens, then it could mean a deep playoff run for the Redbirds. Lou Brock and the rest of the living Cardinals greats will be watching.

This has been the almost great Lake Cruise reporting live from the banks of the Mississippi River close to Pierre Laclede’s Landing. Right now, as I write, Pujols is landing at about A-1 on the list of all-time best Cardinals. But that’s just me. 

 What do you think, my beloved? Meanwhile, catch me next time on the latest edition of Lake’s Pujols Papers. I’m out.

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Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Robinoson Can and Alex Rodriguez could some day be able to say they played on an all Hall of Fame infield.

They’ve all won Gold Gloves and have been known to play pretty good defense as a team over the years.  Committing a bunch of errors, they’ve recently been janky—unstrustworthy. 

But where do the Jankees—I mean Yankees—rank on my list?  Inquiring minds want to start the show.  Let’s go…roll graphics…

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The Major League Baseball season has produced some very exciting finishes so far, as walk-off home runs, come-from-behind ninth-inning wins and extra-inning clutchness have happened with extraordinary frequency.

Some of the action is due to inept bullpens—Mariano Rivera frequently excluded. Stay tuned into my frequency though, and join me now for a look at the top-10 culprits.

Steal the show…I mean, start it…

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Baseball’s 2010 American League MVP Josh Hamilton was injured the first week of the season. 

Joey Votto, who won the 2010 National League MVP, is still doing his thing.

There are other players in both leagues who are off to fast starts and pushing for 2011’s top spot. The MVP tracking system will keep you entertained all season long.

Join me for this edition of the MVP Whisperer… 

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Is the thrill of the Majors already gone for the Cincinnati Reds’ young phenomenon Mike Leake?  Coming up, I’ll discuss this question and the ramifications for the Reds rotation.

He’s unrelated to Kelly Leak of The Bad News Bears fame, but he’s gaining the same bad boy image Leak had in the film.  Coach Morris Buttermaker (Walter Mathau) got Leak to join the Bears from off the streets.

As the best baseball player in the area, Leak was a chain-smoking, motorcycle boy who was also a loan shark.  I’m not sure how he was young enough to play on the team, but it’s Hollywood.

Mike Leake, 23, is living in the real world, and he’s probably the best baseball player ever from his hometown of Fallbrook, California.  The comparisons to Kelly Leak should stop there.  That’s unless we find out more information on Leake than the Reds want known.

They drafted him eighth overall in 2009 out of Arizona State.  ASU’s mascot is a Sun Devil.  I’m wondering what in the devil got into Leake over the weekend.

Once they found out who he was, Macy’s employees and security personnel themselves had to be wondering what the devil the wonder kid was on.  Whether or not he was on drugs, he’s brought Lindsay Lohan-type unwanted attention to the Majors.

If Leake has a drug or alcohol problem, then that’s major—all bets are off.  Knowing their future ace is fading in real life, not just baseball, the Reds starters could likely be thrown off.

Dusty Baker is one of the best managers in the game, but his pitching staff was suspect to begin with.  Now this.  He’s got the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals hitting better than they have in years—and now this.

Just what Baker needs.  Poor Dusty.  I just hope he didn’t swallow his toothpick when he heard the news.  Can you imagine him being on the field watching his pitchers throw and wondering where Leake was?  I can.

“Where’s Leake?” Dusty could have asked.  “Oh, Mike?” the bullpen coach might have replied.  “He’s downtown getting booked for theft.”  Gulp.  There goes the toothpick. 

Baker and general manager Walt Jocketty thought Leake was mature for his age.  He sure fooled them.  That’s why they brought him up to the Majors straight from college.  That and because he’s a pretty good pitcher, and they needed all the help they could get.

Being the first player to skip the minors for the Reds since 1957, Leake was obviously pegged for super duper stardom.  His star has fallen, though.  It’s gone careening through the sky and came crashing down to earth.

Once a big league player—or anyone—has a reputation like that, then it’s very, very hard to get rid of.  Counseling and the local community service tour—even jail—could be in his future, but what he’ll also need is a public relations genius.

Tiger Woods may have committed indiscretions, but he’s done nothing illegal that’s been reported.  Bet on this:

Like Woods, Leake will get an image guru in order to get his star back on stat tracker.  The voyage of the space ship Enterprise was nothing compared to what Leake’s ride back up the public image charts will be like.

Mark my word, we’ll see him giving the customary public service announcement and the pictures of him visiting kids either in the hospital or in a poverty stricken environment—or both.

We’ll hear how he’s performed community service and had a checkup from the neck up.  All this won’t mean a thing, though, if he doesn’t perform on the field.

And I don’t mean doing wheelies in the outfield on his bike while smoking a cigarette.  He’s got to be lights out—or at least lights dimmed—in his next few starts.

If not, then he could be heading to a place he skipped—the minors.  I bet he’s dreading that.  Like Jimmy King of the Fab Five Michigan Wolverines said in their ESPN documentary: “When you mess up, you can pay for it by being erased.”

What comes around usually goes around and humanity eventually gets in where we fit in.  Leake’s fitting in by thrilling fans on the mound for much of his upstart career.  Who knows what made him steal six shirts off the rack. 

He signed for over $2 million in bonus money and is making over $400,000 in cheese—enough to probably be part owner of a Macy’s store.  We’ll all be left wondering what he was thinking.

Maybe it was the thrill of being rebellious or the rush of seeing if he’d get caught.  It could’ve been a dare from someone he knew.  If so, someone needs to be out of his circle until further notice.

Maybe the power of being a major league starting pitcher was too much for him to contain, and this is what happens to an ego gone wild.  If this is the case, then more dangerous and questionable behavior has probably already taken place.

The bigger question for the organization—whether they say it or not—is how this will affect the Reds starting rotation going forward.  But that’s nibbles and bits compared to the real problem.

It sounds like the thrill is gone for Leake, like he’s so good he’s bored.

Whatever his problem is, though, if it’s bigger than what they’re saying, then the Reds had better nip it in the bud.  Never mind their rotation, this is a young man exhibiting signs of dangerous behavior and heading him off is the thing to do.

Athletes are supposed to teach life lessons.  Leake should take advantage of his opportunity to learn before he ends up another outcast in the Majors.

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