A Playoff Appearance Is In the Cards

With nine victories in their last ten games, including a five-game sweep of the hapless Mets, the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals appear destined -- for the second consecutive year -- to compile the best mark in the National League East. Without last season's strike-induced machinations to deny them their deserved post-season invitation, the Cardinals are primed to battle in the National League Championship Playoffs for the first time ever.

Not since 1968 -- the year both leagues split into two divisions -- have the Cards been in the World Series. And not since that club, led by MVP winner Bob Gibson, have they put together such a talented team.

Skeptics

Yet, at the beginning of the season, the Redbirds weren't expected to do so well. Most experts picked them second, behind either Montreal or Philadelphia; some even pegged the Cards third. No pitching was the word, and no power to boot.

The latter has proven correct. George Hendrick leads the team with a mere 18 home runs; the team as a whole has clubbed only 59, fewest in either league.

But in spacious Busch Memorial Stadium, power is hardly necessary, or so Manager Whitey Herzog has demonstrated. Herzog has the team playing his special brand of running, hustling baseball -- "Whiteyball," as the locals call it.

Whiteyball means leading the majors, with the exception of the Rickey Henderson A's, in stolen bases, successfully employing the squeeze play almost two dozen times, and always sending the man home from third it also means third string catcher Glenn Brummer stealing home with two outs in the bottom of the twelfth and speedy Tommy Herr scoring from second on an infield out.

Qualifications

Though the team's batting average is second in the league, the Redbirds have hit neither consistently, nor, more importantly, in the clutch. Admittedly, there have been some pleasant surprises: rookie phenom Willie McGee hitting .302; Lonnie Smith, an MYP possibility, excelling all around (.314, 119 runs scored, 65 stolen bases): and a defensive wizard, shortstop Ozzie Smith, hitting 25 points better than his career his career average at 253.

But, as a whole, the team has not hit well. Starters Herr (.258), Hendrick (.278), Darrell Porter (.228), and Ken Oberkfell (.271) have all had disappointing seasons at the plate. First basemen Keith Hemandez was also mired in mediocrity most of the year, but has finally pulled his act together, raising his average thirty points in the last month, to .301.

Surprise!

To everyone's amazement, it is pitching which has carried St. Louis. With no offensive support to speak of, the pitching staff supported the Cards for a two-month spell this summer, allowing them to stay in first while the team collectively struggled at-bat.

Pacing the team have been veterans Joaquin Andujar (14-10, 2.53 ERA) and Bob Forsch (15-9, 3.55). Andujar has shown the most consistency over the year, but has had incredibly bad luck; with a smattering of help from his mates he could easily have won 20 by now. Rookies John Stuper (8-6, 3.33) and Dave LaPoint (8-3, 3.63) have also pitched well, as has, on occasion. Steve Mura (12-10, 4.04), who won six in a row at the beginning of the summer.

Supporting the front line is arguably the best bullpen in the business, led by the team's bulwark. Bruce Sutter (9-8, 35 saves, 3 04). Sutter had an abysmal month-long drought in which he was awful, with an ERA over seven Since then, just the sight of him warming up has been enough toquell nascent rallies and give opposing managers nightmares. With a week and a half remaining, Sutter has an outside shot at surpassing John Hiller's mark of 38 saves in 1973.

Rounding out the bullpen is an interesting trio: Cincinnati reject Doug Bair (5-3, 8 saves, 2.62), rookie Jeff Lahti (5-3, 3.86), and the aged veteran, the old slowballer himself, 43-year-old Jim Kaat (5-2, 2 saves, 3.75).

The staff overall has been solid, if not spectacular. The youngsters as well as the veterans are holding up well down the pennant stretch, showing no signs of faltering. In little more than a week, for example, they shutout Expos tour times.

What it all adds up to is a no-name, or at least few-name, squad playing solid, exciting baseball. In the final analysis, it is Herzing who deserves much of the credit for building a strong team, nurturing talent and getting the most out of each of his players, a feat which might earn the Redbirds their first post-season appearance in 14 years.