S C O U T I N G   R E P O R T

St. Louis Cardinals
	Defensively, they're a very, very solid ballclub. They don't really have a power-type starting pitcher that can get a lot of strikeouts like a Ben Sheets, so they need to rely on pitchers putting the ball in play and fielders catching the ball -- which they do. Offensively, they're loaded from the top of the lineup to about seventh. Tony Womack sets the table. They've got a nice blend of speed and power and contact hitters. If it's Ray King and Steve Kline in the bullpen, that's two pretty good lefties to set up. Julian Tavarez has been doing an excellent job for them. Their bullpen roles are very well defined as far as when they're going to be using guys. One key will be the health of Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter and Steve Kline. Those are big pieces if they're missing."
Starting Lineup
Tony Womack, 2B
	"He's a slap-and-run-type contact hitter. Guys with above average fastballs can jam him. He's a pesky little out; he can put ball in play. If he gets on base, he can create a little havoc."
Larry Walker, RF
	"When he's healthy, he's one of the better players in the game. He's got power and he can hit for average, too. You can't stay in one area of the plate too long with good hitters, and Walker is a very good hitter."
Albert Pujols, 1B
	"He doesn't strike out and he's got power, obviously. I haven't figured out a way to pitch to him. You know what, when he gets hot, there's no way you can really approach him. If he's swinging the bat, he'll get himself out sometimes. He's an MVP type."
Scott Rolen, 3B
	"With Rolen, when he gets his arms extended, he can create a lot of havoc with the bat. Guys defensively have to make him aware of the inside pitch to take away some of that aggressiveness, and that's still no guarantee you're gonna get him out."
Jim Edmonds, CF
	"One of the premier defensive center fielders in the league. Sometimes he will chase pitches up and out of the zone and that creates some strikeouts for him. He struck out 130 times but he's hitting .300 with 42 home runs and 100 walks. He's the type of guy who will take a walk and strikes out, yet he still hits .300. How do you approach that? He's a little more vulnerable to the inside fastball, but he's quick enough to still get around on the middle-in pitch. You 'd better get it all way in there."
Edgar Renteria, SS
	"He's another type of guy who likes to get his arms extended. He can hit the ball good to right-center, he's got good power that way. You definitely have to pound him inside."
Reggie Sanders, RF
	"He's got some strikeouts, but he's also got some home runs. He's another guy who's a little vulnerable to fastballs inside and has been his whole career. He's a guy who, when you get ahead of him, you can expand the zone on him and get him to chase. He has struck out a bunch. Still runs a lot for a guy his age."
Mike Matheny, C
	"He's a solid defensive guy who works very well with the Cardinals' pitching staff. He's one of the keys. He's good at evaluating their starting pitchers, especially. He will change their approach sometimes from inning to inning, depending on what's working for him. He has the ability to realize what's working for a pitcher that inning -- not that game, but that inning. He's doing OK at the plate. He'll get his hits. He's by no means a complete out, but a lot of times after pitchers get through the middle of that order, they'll take sigh of relief and leave it in middle of plate -- and he'll hit it."
Pitching
Matt Morris, RHP
	"He's been a little bit of an enigma. Sometimes he's been very, very good and other times just so-so. He's still a big-game type of guy, I think, to where he will rise to the occasion. Lot of pitches in middle of plate, gets too much of the plate with fastball when he's off. He has just an average fastball, 89-91, average velocity."
Jeff Suppan, RHP
	"Suppan has flourished under (pitching coach) Dave Duncan. He was the type of guy who was a .500-type guy, an innings eater who would give you 200 innings, and now he's won 15 games for them. He'll give you innings, some of them will be kind of ragged because you grade his stuff out and he's an average-type guy. But you put him on a good defensive club and he becomes a much better pitcher. Not afraid to throw strikes."
Chris Carpenter, RHP
	"If he's fully recovered from his arm problem ... his velocity steadily climbed all year. Fastball is a touch above average -- as are his curve, slider and change. He's got four weapons to get you out. His slider is more of a cutter. He's been 89-95 on the gun."
Woody Williams, RHP
	"He's come back from his arm problems. His fastball is average, but he's a very good competitor. Curveball, cutter, change. Type of guy who has to rely on his defense a little bit, but he's also put up a bunch of strikeouts this year per innings pitched, so he's done a good job with that. His fastball is barely average. Good mix of pitches; doesn't show any patterns."
Jason Marquis, RHP
	"Solid arm. Another reclamation project of Dave Duncan's. A 14-15 game winner with St. Louis. He's got a solid, average fastball, 89-92, he'll stay in that range. Primarily a fastball-slider guy. He's another guy who is a very, very good hitter. Treat him as position player. Him and Woody Williams are very good hitters."
Jason Isringhausen, closer
	"Well above average fastball. Lots of four-seamers with some ride to them. Can pitch both up and down with the fastball, 94-97. Got an outstanding top-to-bottom curveball, a 12-6 rotation. Outstanding. For me, I just wish he would use it more. I think it's a devastating, Tom Gordon-type curve. He has a 90-91 cutter, and he can bury some left-handers inside, really saw 'em off."