Updates from this week and today's game so far

Two more days to the Civil Rights Game.  I'll be bringing you coverage right here on the blog after I get home and have time to write and upload pictures.  It'll be a great experience.

Wanted to update everyone on some things.  Matthew Leach said on www.stlcardinals.com that Juan Gonzalez is done for now, being placed on the temporarily inactive list this week.  He also said that reliever Kyle McClellan and outfielder Brian Barton are going to almost for sure make the roster.  (http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080326&content_id=2459106&vkey=spt2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl)

Another great article written by Leach details the battle between Anthony Reyes and Kelvin Jiminez for the final remaining bullpen spot (likely the role of long reliever).  Go here to read about it.  My personal opinion is that Jiminez should get the job and the Cardinals should trade Anthony Reyes for either starting pitching or infield help.  He's pitched well enough this Spring to have trade value again, so it would be a smart move for the Cardinals.  Of course, if he can be a dominant long reliever, I vote to keep him, but as inconsistent as he has been over his time with the Cardinals, I'm not sure about it.  Jiminez has earned my respect as a reliever, and I think he fits that role perfectly.  I just don't think Reyes will be what the Cards are looking for.

An update on today's game, Kyle Lohse is on the mound, and I have very high hopes for him.  He's pitching very well so far in Spring Training, and so far today he has allowed two hits and no runs in three innings to the Florida Marlins.  Skip Schumaker, Chris Duncan, and Cesar Izturis have the only hits for the Cardinals and Albert Pujols reached base his second time up via a walk.  Duncan had a two-out RBI single, bringing home Izturis to put St. Louis up by a score of 1-0.  A live box score can be found here.

Well everyone, as I sit here at 1:04 P.M. central standard time, it is 4 days, 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 40 seconds til opening day.  It's baseball time, and I'm pumped...let's get your season predictions in! Let me know what place you think the Cards will finish in and what their record will be.  I'll put the comments up as a post and average them out to find what the fans overall think what the Cards will be this year.

Go Cardinals!