Clement in pursuit of old form
By Derrick Goold
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/18/2008
JUPITER, Fla. — When the doctor began to explain how the wreckage in Matt Clement's right shoulder resembled the frayed and floppy remnants of a blown tire, the patient told him to stop.
It was ugly. Got it.
Cut to the part where it's better, already.
"After I knew it was as bad as it was, I didn't care to know," said Clement, the Cardinals' new righthanded starter. "I didn't want to know the specifics, because I didn't want to sit here and dwell on it during my rehab. I just wanted to concentrate on what I could do."
Twenty months after he last appeared in a major-league game, Clement and his surgically rebuilt shoulder remain a work in progress. The Cardinals signed him to a potentially lucrative contract with the expectation that he will regain not only his health but his All-Star form. The club wants him to begin the season in the starting rotation even as it stresses, in the words of general manager John Mozeliak, "patience."
Sunday offered a reminder.
Clement threw a standard bullpen session, and afterward pitching coach Dave Duncan and team trainers decided to alter Clement's schedule to increase his arm strength. Duncan doubts Clement will be ready when the regular season starts, as hoped.
"In all honesty, I will be surprised if he's ready for opening day," Duncan said. "And I'm not too sure even if he is ready, we wouldn't likely have him compete somewhere else just to get him in the swing of things. … He's behind. How far? Don't know yet."
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Cardinals are easing Perez into the picture
By Derrick Goold
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/18/2008
JUPITER, FLA. — Chris Perez, who is being cultivated as the Cardinals' closer of the future, has the big arm and biting breaking ball that could wedge him into conversations about the present.
The righthander with the 98 mph fastball was one of the first pitchers to throw to hitters this spring training, as he and three other prospects did Sunday. Manager Tony La Russa said Perez has caught his attention and agreed that the pitcher will get a chance to make the big-league roster, akin to top outfield prospect Colby Rasmus.
"He's getting enough attention to where at some point he should pitch in the big leagues, a bit like Colby," La Russa said. "That may take him awhile for the command and all that stuff to come around. If it comes around quickly, he certainly has the physical ability. So we're just going to watch him."
Perez, 22, throws a fastball that routinely zips in the high 90s. Though he showed good command of a curveball Sunday, his better-looking breaking ball is a hard slider that he throws in the high 80s.
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Kennedy on a mission to prove last season was a fluke
By Derrick Goold
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/18/2008
JUPITER, Fla. -- Adam Kennedy has heard everything manager Tony La Russa has said about the slim margin for error the second baseman has this spring, but he didn't need the manager to remind him.
The distaste for his disastrous 2007 still lingers.
"Trust me, you don't forget," Kennedy said after participating in his first workout of spring training Sunday. "I tried to fix what I thought was wrong, or just do things differently (this offseason). It's a time where something needs to change, and I did. We'll see whether it translates to some success."
Kennedy is coming off knee surgery and a season that soured quickly. He hit .219, was erratic in the field and lost his starting job. Cleared for full activity in October after his season-ending surgery, Kennedy changed his fitness program and rebuilt his swing, he said.
He comes into camp as the starter -- with no slack.
"I would characterize that there's an expectation that he's going to be the solid winning player that he's been his whole career, and that last year was a hiccup," La Russa said. "He goes in with an edge to be the dominant guy at second base."
At Kennedy's heels are Aaron Miles and Brendan Ryan, both of whom could take the job if Kennedy falters. La Russa said Kennedy's first and "hopefully only" misstep was skipping the Winter Warm-up. Kennedy called La Russa after that comment to explain a scheduling conflict but not to argue the point.
Kennedy shares La Russa's disappointment in his play.
Last season was "a real aberration, a one-time deal," Kennedy said. "Pretty much you look at it as this is a big step this spring to get back on my feet."
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Pujols is feeling fine
By Derrick Goold
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/17/2008
JUPITER, FLA. — Albert Pujols' problematic right elbow feels fine now, and the Cardinals' irreplaceable slugger believes he can curb any soreness in his injured limb this spring, this season — and beyond.
Ligament willing, of course.
"I'm not going to be concerned about it until it does bother me," Pujols said Saturday, his first day of joining in team workouts at spring training. "I'm going to do what I have to do to get ready. If it does get to a point where I (need) treatment, I'll do treatment. Do I need to be concerned? No.
"If it blows out, it's going to blow out," he added. "You can't control that."
But the Cardinals and Pujols will try.
Last fall, the team and Pujols considered surgery to repair the sprained ligament that the first baseman has played with since 2003. But Pujols, in consultation with team doctors, decided to try a nonsurgical approach. Rest was prescribed, as was a plan to keep from unnecessarily straining the elbow.
