Scoops Sports Network

A lot of lefties to watch in today's game against the Minnesota Twins. Kim, Cecil, Brebbia and more will take the mound. We talk about them  here with Derrick Goold of stltoday.com. We also talk about Paul Dejong's huge weekend. Does Dylan Carlson actually have a chance to make the team? A real chance? Austin Gomber had a huge outing on Sunday. Is he part of the rotation? Who is? Listen here:

Derrick caught up with Marcell Ozuna before the game yesterday against the Braves. Ozuna talked about the absence of attention from the Cardinals which left him no choice but to sign elsewhere. His time with the Cardinals seemed mired with inattention from the club. Derrick says Ozuna is happy where he is though because of the offensive dynamic of the Braves. He’ll have a lot of opportunity to bat with players on base already.

Dylan Carlson, potential replacement for Ozuna, has been red hot and make a statement in the game yesterday. He hasn’t gotten out since Tuesday and has been hitting off known tough pitchers. Kodi Whitley and other young guys showing well too.

No worries seemingly for Goldschmidts elbow as he’s already back and playing fine. We’ll see if the same goes for Carps back. 

We talk about the new ballpark for the Braves camp- Cool Today Park and how the upcoming improvements to Roger Dean will compare. Listen here:

We talk about the undeniable start to spring for Dylan Carlson. Does he tie the Cardinals hands? Also, will we revisit the Ozuna loss if they don’t bring Carlson north. Lineup construction is a toss up at this stage. Wong at lead off in Ben Fred’s mind but who is number two? Also, how do you protect Paul Goldschmidt?

The Astros are getting pegged with pitches and it’s not getting better any time soon. Is there anything Manfred can or will do to prevent this all season?

Ben treats us to a few intriguing stories he plans to cover this spring. Is Matt Carpenter's swing any better and what is with the back tightness? Also, in regards to outfield competition- is it only left or how much of center and right are up for grabs? Lastly, how and where do you play Tommy Edman?

We saw a sobering press conference from St. Louis Blues, Jay Bouwmeester this week. Ben felt “aww and relief” from the conference because it happened in a place where staff and care were available immediately. In the off season, he may not have been so lucky.

This time, it seems that fans of one St. Louis team are ok with them staying put at the trade deadline. Sanford has emerged and the speed of Kyrou is fun to watch. The pre-deadline pick up of Scandella was the right fit and none of the Blues competition made big moves either.

SLU, despite a season without a lot of fanfare, is still a good team. Technically, this has been a successful year and next year should only get better. It looks fairly certain that Ford will be the coach going forward unless he’s poached. Dayton will be tough to beat in the A10, but stranger things have happened. Are they close to being in the at-large discussion?

The XFL and Battlehawks have made a huge splash in the city. The league probably wishes every city was like St. Louis but one city is not enough for the entire league to survive. The Battlehawks have done an awesome job building relations in the community. Ben fills us in on the experience at the home opener last Sunday. We also talk about the things that the NFL can take away from the success of the Battlehawks.

Finally, MLS fans can expect a name, jersey, colors etc. sometime in early April. Ben tells us the names it won’t be, although he doesn’t know any for sure. Listen here:

A Cardinal for eight and a half years but a fan for much longer. Keith Hernandez is on the Cardinals Hall of Fame ballot once again this year. Will he get in? We get Keith Hernandez’s thoughts on the Astros scandal. He says that instant replay in baseball maybe made way for it to happen. Also, what would the Cardinals HoF mean to him? What are his best memories as a Cardinal? His take on Ted Simmons getting to Cooperstown and more here:

Genesis Cabrera made an impressive start against the Astros and, as Derrick put it, he owned them. How was Cabrera different than last year? Are we seeing any clarity in the outfield decision? Justin Williams has been good at the plate but hasn’t thrown much from the outfield so is his heath in question? Lane Thomas is “just shy” of having elite defense so his name is definitely in the mix. We haven’t seen much of O’Neill yet though. Goold says Carlson is, in his opinion, the most polished player he’s seen for his age. He’s never over matched in any situation. Is he like a Juan Soto? Listen here:

We get Derrick Goolds thoughts oon Gomber- He says his pitches had good action, good movement and good cut. A few issues with command, but Goold likes the way Gomber pitches. He’s never surrenders to an inning. All in all, a good outing on Tuesday. Not easy to say that about Reyes, though. He was rusty and Derrick wonders if he’ll ever be able to control the electric stuff in his arsenal. He flashes such brilliance; it’s riveting and keeps people combing back but it’s no use without command. Shildt didn’t hide it and said Reyes’ rhythm was off. Cecil wasn’t so good either and has just as much to prove as Reyes. Goold sees Cecil starting the year in Memphis but may make his way to the major bullpen. Munoz looked good and seemingly fits the opening day roster. We also talk Carlson vs. Bader in centerfield and more here:

Many of the players in the first 4 games of Cardinals spring training are featured in this year’s prospect book by Brian Walton of thecardinalnation.com. He has followed these guys for a long time and thinks some are a better fit than others for the 2020 roster. We get his thoughts on the impressive Kodi Whitley and Dylan Carlson. Also, he talks about the battle for the spot as 26th man. Will it be Sosa? Munoz? Ravelo? Or a sleeper pick? All that and more great insight into the Cardinals up-and-comers here:

In this week’s “Pucks with Bernie and Panger”, Blues Hall of Famer Bernie Federko talks about rowdy nights at the old Arena when the Blues played the Blackhawks. Also, the pending return of Vladimir Tarasenko, and Pietrangelo’s future with the Blues.

Looking forward to the pitching in today’s game against the WS champion Nationals. Austin Gomber gets the start. He missed most last year with an elusive injury. Derrick says, this year, Gomber has much better defense around him so that could be a boon. Knizner said Gomber’s new cutter could be a real difference maker.

It will be great to see Alex Reyes today too. He looks slimmer, more athletic. Brett Cecil is on the list as well. He will pitch a lot this spring to figure out what the club has in him. Sosa continues to be a guy to watch. Derrick Goold says it’s likely he makes it on the opening day roster. Derrick also says Brad Miller is a left handed Jedd Gyorko with pop. Listen here:

Derrick Goold covered the spring training opener of the Astros against the Nationals. He tells us about how interesting that was today. No "regulars" in the line-up for the Astros and that's against the rules. Dusty Baker was asked about it and answered with a "young guys" angle. What was the atmosphere like? How were the Astros fans in attendance?

For the Cardinals, Derrick was impressed with Sosa all around. On offense and defense, he looked very reliable. Defensively, he's on the short-list as one of the best in camp. Pitching-wise, Cabrera looked strong. Poncedeleon was competitive too. Matt Carpenter took the ball to left-field twice and maybe that's a glimmer of hope for his offense to make a comeback. More details here: