Scoops Sports Network

We’re at around the half-way point of spring training and we take the opportunity this off day to talk the “state of camp” with Derrick Goold. In his opinion, pitching has been remarkable and the offense has been, well... different. That’s a good thing, he says, as players are really taking new approaches to spraying the ball to all fields. Also, the younger players are vying for spots so they’re amped up on both offense and defense. The base running has been quite good too. A lot of baseball to play still this spring so time will tell if those who have started hot, can keep it up. Who are the three young, surprising pitchers that Derrick thinks will make it to the majors this year? Listen here:

Ben has finally made his way down to spring training and his initial impression is that the Cardinals have some very deep pitching potential. With Mikolas and Miller battling serious injuries, another team might say this is a bad start to the season but, with the amount of replacement opportunity, it’s hard to be too concerned. Reyes told Ben he thinks they could build two major league rotations and be very good with both.

As far as defense behind the pitchers, Ben brings up the point that the Cardinals have a lot of money invested in aging players. Can they effectively ride the age bubble without injury to players like Goldschmidt, Fowler and Carp?

Arch Madness college hoops tournament returns to St Louis this weekend and Ben is disappointed to miss it. He thinks Northern Iowa looks good but admits his high hopes of Missouri State were dashed. Also, can SLU run the A-10 tournament for a shot at the dance? It will take a win over Dayton but Ben says it’s possible.

The Battlehawks are still impressing the national football crowd and are optimistic about opening the upper bowl for the game vs. LA. Can they show off even more with a sellout? Ben credits much of the team’s community success to the hard work of president, Kurt Hunzeker.

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Split squad for the Cardinals today. The game yesterday was interesting in terms of the players being mic'd up. We talk a lot today about the players, coaches and umpires being broadcasts during the games. It could be good for some and bad for others. Derrick thinks its valuable because it brings fans into the game in a new way. It's almost like eavesdropping for fans. Will it be successful like the NFL?

What are Derrick's thoughts on Jack Flaherty's start yesterday? The beginning was shaky but he was able to right the ship in a way where it wasn't a cascade effect. That speaks to a pitcher who can go deep in a game. Listen here:

Impression of spring camp so far? Brian Walton says the pitching looks pretty good but offense is more "middle of the pack". Everyone is talking about Dylan Carlson but maybe overlooking Junior Fernandez. Walton tells us to keep an eye on him. Also, Reyes can't seem to find his stride so where does he starts the season? We talk about the national rankings that came out this week and more here:

Rick Ankiel visits with us here all about the 2020 season. He, and many others, have mentioned the extremely large group of young talent. He also talks about the most impressive things he's seen in the clubhouse behind the scenes. What players is he most impressed with on both the hitting and pitching side? How will he contribute to the club this season and going forward? Listen here:

Dakota Hudson had an excellent start against Houston on Tuesday. Derrick Goold says his approach was not only the right way to handle the Astros, but pitching in general too. We also talk this morning about the incredible double play by Kolten Wong and Paul Dejong. Goold has some insight on their telepathy. Will Dejong win a gold glove too? What is the latest on an extension for Molina? Listen here:

Two time WS champion and Cardinals Hall of Famer, Tim McCarver, joins me this morning. He’s here to talk about what being in the Hall of Fame means to him. He talks about his teammates back then; players like Lou Brock, Mike Shannon and more. He talks about Curt Flood's Hall of Fame nom. We hear his thoughts on Ted Simmons and Larry Walker's election too. We talk about the incredible player that Yadier Molina has turned into as well. What does Tim think the Cardinals need to do to repeat the success from 2019? One word: Bullpen. Listen here:

Derrick Goold give us injury updates and return timelines for Cabrera, Miller and Kim all whom were unexpectedly damaged on Monday. We also talk about Cecil’s better outing, the scouting report on Oviedo and Sosa plus Yadier Molina’s longevity. Listen here:

In this week’s “Pucks with Bernie and Panger”,  we catch Darren Pang hopping on Blues charter, talking shootout drama, Tarasenko impact, watching the standings.

John Mozeliak, Cardinals President of Baseball Ops, visits with us today about minimizing injuries and how close opening day already seems. We check on Munoz and Mikolas' timeline for return. Mo talks about Paul Dejong's adjustments too. What differences in his approach have they seen? Also, we get Mo's take on Dylan Carlson and the young outfielders making moves. Listen here: