Re: ***2012 MLB Season Thread***
It's going to be such an interesting year for the Cardinals. I literally have no idea what to expect. La Russa, Duncan, and Pujols have all been a critical part of the team ever since I became a hardcore fan. Just going to be weird to see all 3 of them gone.
My optimistic side says if Wainwright comes back strong and Carp continues to be Carp, and Garcia continues to develop, we will be in good shape. Losing Pujols hurts, but he really had a sub-par year last year, and Freese and Craig have both been great young bats for us. If Berkman keeps it up, Holiday starts to really earn his contract, and Beltran comes in strong, our hitting should be in good shape.
My pessimistic side worries about Berkman keeping it up. And although Pujols had a sub-par year overall, he was lighting it up during the 2nd half of the season when the Cardinals made their push. He batted .355 in September when we really made our playoff push. Also, just knowing Dave Duncan's reputation as a pitching coach has me really nervous for his departure. He's always gotten the most out of his rotation, getting decent starts from his 4th and 5th guys, and I'm worried about Garcia's continued development, as well as how Waino comes back from surgery, and Carp's age.
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