If it seems like the Cardinals win their division every year its probably because they have taken the NL Central crown in 6 out of the last 7 seasons.  Overall, Tony LaRussa has won the division in 7 of the 9 seasons he has been with the Cardinals.  Throughout his career, starting with the 1983 White Sox, through his Oakland years and now with the Cardinals, LaRussa and his pitching coach Dave Duncan, have had a knack for navigating a team through the regular season, filling in holes that develop and finding pieces that fit together to give the team the best chance to win. 

As the Cardinals get ready to defend their World Series title, fans and analysts are asking themselves if Jim Edmonds can stay healthy, if teams will pitch to Albert Pujols, if the starting pitching (other than Chris Carpenter) will come through, if the Cardinals can hold off the rest of the division, and why Tony wears sunglasses during night games?

Well we may never learn the answer to that last question, but the rest are definitely worth taking a look at.

The Cardinals preach up the middle defense as a key to their success.  Jim Edmonds has been a key component of that philosophy since he joined the team in 2000.  Still trying to get his sea legs back after foot surgery this past off-season, the 36-year-old, 8-time Gold Glove winner will still be counted on to anchor the outfield.  He may be a little older, a little slower, but Jim Edmonds at 36 is still a top defensive centerfielder.

Edmonds is also a key cog in the Cards offensive lineup: a left-handed bat with power.  Although his 40-homer days are likely behind him, a 20 to 30 homer season with 70 to 80 RBIs is definitely a possibility if he can play somewhere between 110 and 130 games.  Edmonds status for opening day has yet to be decided, but it’s a long season so expect him to work his way back at a reasonable pace.  The Cardinals need him in the fall more than the spring.

If Edmonds can’t go opening day, the venerable So Taguchi will likely start the season and then move back into his traditional pinch hitter/defensive replacement role.  Taguchi is a solid defensive outfielder and although he does not match up to Edmonds offensively, the Japanese League veteran is a career .280 hitter with a propensity for coming up with clutch hits.

The middle infield will suck up anything it can get to with the Hardest Working Man in Show Business in David Eckstein and his clone Adam Kennedy.  The two played together for four seasons in Anaheim and are very familiar with one another.  They recorded a total of 18 errors in a combined 262 games last season.  Given their chemistry and hard-nosed style of play, Cardinal fans can look forward to a lot of dirty uniforms and double plays this season.

Eckstein and Kennedy are also similar at the plate, with career averages around .280 and the potential for 40 to 50 RBIs and 10-15 steals each.  They are what my brother and I term ‘annoying hitters.’  They take and foul off pitch after pitch, will bunt, hit and run, take one for the team, and do whatever it takes to get on or get the runner over.  They are exactly the type of player that Tony LaRussa loves to have at his disposal.  Aaron Miles will back up both and can also play third, and is….guess what – a .280 hitter. 

Yadier Molina, the youngest of the ‘Catching Molina Brothers’ will handle the pitching staff and bat 8th.  Molina will improve on his .216 average of a year ago and has averaged 50 RBIs the last two seasons out of the eighth spot.  Most importantly, he is a superior defensive catcher that has the respect of the Cardinal coaching staff and pitchers.  The Cards hope for more of the Molina that tore up the postseason last October, and at only 24 years old, he should continue to improve with experience.

While the heart of the St. Louis defense is up the middle, the infield corners anchor the offense…. and oh, by the way, they both earned Gold Gloves last season.

It all starts with Albert Pujols.  The most important player in recent Cardinals history may be Bobby Bonilla who, via an injury in 2001 spring training, allowed Pujols to be recalled from the minors and inserted in the Opening Day lineup that year. 

Once considered somewhat of a defensive liability, Pujols has worked on his defense every year and picked up his first Gold Glove last season.  You probably didn’t know that because you were too busy admiring the .330 career batting average, 40+ homers and 120+ RBIs that he delivers every year.  The scariest part is he just turned 27, the age when most hitters are entering their prime and see a jump in production.  And for some unknown reason, teams continue to pitch to him.