Missouri's major-league teams open the sixth season of their interleague rivalry tonight at Kauffman Stadium.
This year, for the first time, the Cardinals and the Royals will meet in each city. The Royals will go to St. Louis next weekend.
They have a 9-6 record against the Cardinals since interleague play began in 1997. The Royals pulled off the only series sweep last year, winning by scores of 7-4, 4-1 and 3-2 (13 innings) in Kansas City.
First baseman Mike Sweeney has proved a real pain for the Cardinals, hitting .340 (17 for 50) against them with two homers, 12 RBIs.
Third baseman Joe Randa, including his one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has been even tougher on them -- .468 (29 for 62) with two homers, 18 RBIs.
And how about catcher Brent Mayne, another former National League player? He's at .405 (32 for 79) against St. Louis with one homer, 19 RBIs.
The Cardinals have won 11 of their last 16 games and trail the first-place Cincinnati Reds by two games in the NL Central. They lead the majors with 19 come-from-behind wins.
KC product Albert Pujols is hitting .282 for the Cardinals. He has 12 homers, 34 RBIs and leads the team with 46 runs. He's hit safely in 21 of his last 25 games (29 for 94, .309).
In last year's series, he went seven for 12 (.583) and homered against the Royals
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KC without key setup man Grimsley and Chuckie Knob is on the DL also.
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Six days after injuring his right wrist in a violent slide, center fielder Jim Edmonds is doubtful for this weekend's series in Kansas City and could still land on the disabled list retroactive to June 1.
Such a move would make him unavailable until the Cardinals' return match-up against the Royals next weekend at Busch Stadium.
Said La Russa, "I think it's less probable since we're going to an American League ballpark because I think you can get away with a four-man bench there."
La Russa will choose from Eli Marrero, Placido Polanco and Kerry Robinson as this weekend's designated hitter.
La Russa added, "Then again, we might (disable Edmonds) just to have that extra weapon."
Edmonds still doesn't have full flexibility of his right hand and has been asked by the team's training staff not to hit. Asked if Edmonds could become available in Seattle, La Russa said, "Based on what I've heard, I would say no. If you can't bend your hand and not have pain, I don't think you should start to swing."
Annual series with KC on deck
The Cardinals begin their annual interleague festival today in a three-game series against the "rival" Kansas City Royals.
After spending the past month performing a course correction against the National League Central, the Cardinals would like to alter their recent history vs. the American League. They enter a 12-game stretch vs. the junior circuit with a 34-39 interleague record, better than only the Colorado Rockies (25-39) and Arizona Diamondbacks (25-33).
The Cardinals' 4.71 ERA in five seasons of interleague play beats only the Rockies (6.02) against American League hitters. The Diamondbacks, who have played 15 fewer interleague games than the Cardinals because of the American League West's four-team configuration, are the only National League team to have scored fewer runs during the format.
The Cardinals have averaged 4.18 runs per game against American League teams, least among National League clubs.
The Cardinals were 8-7 against the American League but 1-5 on the road.
"I think it's a neat thing," said center fielder Jim Edmonds, who crossed over from the American League in 2000. "It's great that Anaheim gets to come to St. Louis (June 18-20) and see what a great baseball town it is. I've already been out there. That's no big deal."
Reliever Mike Timlin is among the unenthused.
"I think it takes away something from the World Series," says Timlin, responsible for securing the last out of the 1992 Fall Classic against the Atlanta Braves for the Toronto Blue Jays. "Everybody has scouting reports, so there is some familiarity anyway, but when you walk out there for the first time against a team, it's a different feeling. I think you miss something this way."
This year's interleague alignment dictates the Cardinals play a home-and-home series against the Royals, considered their natural "rival," instead of facing either the Oakland A's or Texas Rangers.
Although the NL Central is matched against the AL West this year, the Cardinals play only six games against that division, the same number as against the Royals. Cincinnati is as close to Cleveland as St. Louis is to Kansas City, yet the Reds don't play the Indians for the first time since the concept was introduced.
The Royals begged Major League Baseball to schedule a home-and-home with the Cardinals as an attendance boost. The Royals currently average 16,238, second-lowest in the American League. Last year, the Royals averaged more than 31,000 during their three-game sweep at Kauffman Stadium.
This year, for the first time, the Cardinals and the Royals will meet in each city. The Royals will go to St. Louis next weekend.
They have a 9-6 record against the Cardinals since interleague play began in 1997. The Royals pulled off the only series sweep last year, winning by scores of 7-4, 4-1 and 3-2 (13 innings) in Kansas City.
First baseman Mike Sweeney has proved a real pain for the Cardinals, hitting .340 (17 for 50) against them with two homers, 12 RBIs.
Third baseman Joe Randa, including his one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has been even tougher on them -- .468 (29 for 62) with two homers, 18 RBIs.
And how about catcher Brent Mayne, another former National League player? He's at .405 (32 for 79) against St. Louis with one homer, 19 RBIs.
The Cardinals have won 11 of their last 16 games and trail the first-place Cincinnati Reds by two games in the NL Central. They lead the majors with 19 come-from-behind wins.
KC product Albert Pujols is hitting .282 for the Cardinals. He has 12 homers, 34 RBIs and leads the team with 46 runs. He's hit safely in 21 of his last 25 games (29 for 94, .309).
In last year's series, he went seven for 12 (.583) and homered against the Royals
========
KC without key setup man Grimsley and Chuckie Knob is on the DL also.
========
Six days after injuring his right wrist in a violent slide, center fielder Jim Edmonds is doubtful for this weekend's series in Kansas City and could still land on the disabled list retroactive to June 1.
Such a move would make him unavailable until the Cardinals' return match-up against the Royals next weekend at Busch Stadium.
Said La Russa, "I think it's less probable since we're going to an American League ballpark because I think you can get away with a four-man bench there."
La Russa will choose from Eli Marrero, Placido Polanco and Kerry Robinson as this weekend's designated hitter.
La Russa added, "Then again, we might (disable Edmonds) just to have that extra weapon."
Edmonds still doesn't have full flexibility of his right hand and has been asked by the team's training staff not to hit. Asked if Edmonds could become available in Seattle, La Russa said, "Based on what I've heard, I would say no. If you can't bend your hand and not have pain, I don't think you should start to swing."
Annual series with KC on deck
The Cardinals begin their annual interleague festival today in a three-game series against the "rival" Kansas City Royals.
After spending the past month performing a course correction against the National League Central, the Cardinals would like to alter their recent history vs. the American League. They enter a 12-game stretch vs. the junior circuit with a 34-39 interleague record, better than only the Colorado Rockies (25-39) and Arizona Diamondbacks (25-33).
The Cardinals' 4.71 ERA in five seasons of interleague play beats only the Rockies (6.02) against American League hitters. The Diamondbacks, who have played 15 fewer interleague games than the Cardinals because of the American League West's four-team configuration, are the only National League team to have scored fewer runs during the format.
The Cardinals have averaged 4.18 runs per game against American League teams, least among National League clubs.
The Cardinals were 8-7 against the American League but 1-5 on the road.
"I think it's a neat thing," said center fielder Jim Edmonds, who crossed over from the American League in 2000. "It's great that Anaheim gets to come to St. Louis (June 18-20) and see what a great baseball town it is. I've already been out there. That's no big deal."
Reliever Mike Timlin is among the unenthused.
"I think it takes away something from the World Series," says Timlin, responsible for securing the last out of the 1992 Fall Classic against the Atlanta Braves for the Toronto Blue Jays. "Everybody has scouting reports, so there is some familiarity anyway, but when you walk out there for the first time against a team, it's a different feeling. I think you miss something this way."
This year's interleague alignment dictates the Cardinals play a home-and-home series against the Royals, considered their natural "rival," instead of facing either the Oakland A's or Texas Rangers.
Although the NL Central is matched against the AL West this year, the Cardinals play only six games against that division, the same number as against the Royals. Cincinnati is as close to Cleveland as St. Louis is to Kansas City, yet the Reds don't play the Indians for the first time since the concept was introduced.
The Royals begged Major League Baseball to schedule a home-and-home with the Cardinals as an attendance boost. The Royals currently average 16,238, second-lowest in the American League. Last year, the Royals averaged more than 31,000 during their three-game sweep at Kauffman Stadium.
