MLB Baseball Betting - St Louis Cardinals

Manager: Tony La Russa (13th season).

2007: 78-84, third place, NL Central

Training: Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter, Fla.

Home Park: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri, Cap. 46,700, Grass, Opened, April 10, 2006.

World Series Titles: (10) 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006.

Acquisitions: OF Brian Barton, RHP Matt Clement, LHP Ron Flores, 3B David Freese, 3B Troy Glaus, OF Cody Haerther, INF Cesar Izturis, INF D'Angelo Jimenez, C Mark Johnson, C Jason LaRue, RHP Kyle Lohse, 1B Josh Phelps, LHP Ron Villone, RHP John Wasdin

Departures: C Gary Bennett, INF Russell Branyan, INF Miguel Cairo, SS David Eckstein, CF Jim Edmonds, LHP Randy Keisler, LHP Mike Maroth, RHP Troy Percival, 3B Scott Rolen, OF So Taguchi, RHP Kip Wells

Outlook: The St. Louis Cardinals have said all the right things about the team heading into the 2008 regular season, but the fact of the matter is that this team is bereft of proven big league talent, both, with it pitching staff and everyday lineup.

Staff ace Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder, Matt Clement and Joel Pineiro will all open on the season on the disabled list. Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper are solid starters, but the Cardinals will turn to mediocre starters Kyle Lohse, Todd Wellemeyer and Brad Thompson to join the aforementioned pair in the starting rotation.

While the Cardinals hope to get Mulder back by June, that won’t help the Cardinals field the ball any better. St. Louis finished next-to-last in fielding percentage last season and that was with Gold Glovers Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds on the club.

Troy Glaus and Rick Ankiel will replace Rolen and Edmonds respectively.

Cesar Izturis is replacing David Eckstein at shortstop, another fielding blow to the team and second baseman Adam Kennedy batted a pathetic .219 last season in 87 games though right fielder Skip Schumacher batted .333 in 88 games in 177 at-bats and looks like a star waiting to happen.

Not even perennial MVP candidate, first baseman Albert Pujols’ immense power may be strong enough to carry this team in 2008.

The Cardinals began the season listed at +5000 to win the 2008 World Series in the BetUS Sportsbook. Check out all of the latest MLB odds in the futures section of the BetUS Sportsbook.

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Official Website: www.stlouiscardinals.com