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Using The "E" Word

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From the PD: Sorry, wrong number: zero again
They have discussed the merits of aggression and the need for patience.

They have talked about squeezing every at-bat like it was more precious than a paycheck.

Sunday afternoon, after watching another 2 hours, 28 minutes of offensive futility, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa suggested his team try yet another approach.

Apologize.

Two days after San Diego Padres ace, power arm and budding Cy Young Award candidate Jake Peavy throttled the Cardinals with 10 strikeouts, recent waiver claim Justin Germano used a softer approach to suppress the defending World Series champions for seven innings of a 3-0 Cardinals loss.

Out of fresh theories and increasingly running out of patience, La Russa sided with exasperation in dealing with a familiar line of questioning. Noting starting pitcher Anthony Reyes' five serviceable innings that left him 0-6 in seven starts, La Russa directed reporters to his players for answers.

"Ask the hitters," La Russa said. "Was their approach different? Everything I would ask, I would ask them. They're the guys with the bat. It would be interesting. I haven't had a chance to ask them."

As for what should be said to Reyes?

"Apologize to him. The team hasn't been taking care of him very well," La Russa said. "Apologize. 'Sorry, man, you deserve better.'"

Added La Russa: "I'm just disappointed we didn't do more to win the game and for Anthony. It's embarrassing."

He's right about one thing: It is embarrassing.

Has anyone else noticed that the Cardinals are in a perpetual state of being banged up? Rolen, Edmonds, Pujols, Eckstein, and Encarnacion are more or less always fighting some sort of injury. I know it is a long season and playing with nagging issues is part of the game, but doesn't that presuppose there's at least a little time when players were completely healthy, for at least part of the season? Why were we banged up in the first week of May like it was the first week of September? The result is we are enfeebled. So the fans are left with the walking wounded out there, doing their little zombie shuffle from the dugout to the plate and back to the dugout again.

What makes it all more of a shame is that the pitching has held up surprisingly well, given Carpenter's injury and Wells' general sucking.
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