The Cards' season is dead, and I don't feel so good myself

[mizzoupacers]

Let's just pretend the '09 playoffs never happened. . .

At least we've still won a postseason game more recently than the Cubs have.

Things to do before next Spring:

*Sign Holliday. I know, he just sucked when we needed him most, but it happens. Baseball is a tough game. We need him hitting behind Pujols.

*Don't get fooled by Franklin or Pineiro. They just aren't that good. Both of them played over their heads most of the season, which is to their credit. But don't count on Franklin to be our closer next year, and let some other team be the one to pay Pineiro stupid money.

*Much as I hate to say it, it's time to let Ankiel find out what he'd look like in some other team's uniform. He still has the incredible natural talent, but it looks if-ier all the time that he'll ever turn it into performance. We've got an outfield of Holliday-Rasmus-Ludwick (I hope)...if Ank wants to re-sign for bench outfielder money, fine with me, because I have a sentimental attachment to his career. But don't overpay for him.

*If DeRosa signs at a bargain, for fairly short-term, then yeah, OK. Otherwise, it's time to see if Freese or Craig or someone else in the system can play third base every day.

*We need a free-agent starting pitcher other than Pineiro...Smoltz might be fine if he signs for one year. He looks like he's got another year left in him. And Jaime Garcia as the fifth starter. That gives us Waino-Carp-Lohse-Smoltz-Garcia as next year's rotation--could be better, but could be pretty decent if Carpenter holds up for another year and Lohse splits the difference between this year and last.

That's all I got. The Cardinals made it a lot farther this year than I would have guessed back in March.

I've probably watched my last baseball game until next Spring. Congrats to the Dodgers, and good luck to them the rest of the way.