Chris Carpenter

ST. LOUIS: When St. Louis Cardinals' manager Tony La Russa walked into the room for his postgame press conference Monday night, he had a look of frustration, exhaustion, and disgust.

After a poor homestand against the Cincinnati Reds, in which the Cardinals split the four-game set, they have started off a four-game series with the Colorado Rockies by getting blasted 11-4 and 10-1, respectively.

It's easy for us to forget just how good Chris Carpenter is.

Nobody went without noticing him in 2005, when he lit the league up with a 2.83 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 213 K, 21 win, and a four shutout season. He also had a shiny Cy Young trophy to top that off.

He didn't forget how good he was the following year, when he had just as dominant of a season, capped with a league-best WHIP of 1.06 and three shutouts.

If you're a Cardinals fan, then April was awesome.

And if you're a Cardinals fan and thought April was awesome, then May is the exact opposite of April.

The phrase "Cardinals Fever...Catch It" should be something closer to "Cardinals Fever...Penicillin's Your Best Bet."

The NL Central was supposed to belong to the Chicago Cubs. They were the ones with the loaded lineup and enough pitching to carry them to another division crown.

A month into the season, there is a team with a loaded lineup and pitching to back it up, but instead of Cubbie Blue, this team wears Cardinal Red.

Currently at 17-8, the Cardinals have ridden the torrid start of reigning MVP Albert Pujols. With nine home runs, many believe Pujols is more focused than ever before.

It wasn't anything we didn't know already. Albert Pujols is one of the best hitters in the majors.

I may go out on a "limb" and say he's the best hitter.

Prove me wrong.

El Hombre's quest for another ring led the Cardinals past the Mets in a 12-8 slugfest on Thursday afternoon. The victory completed the sweep of New York as the big bats once again refused to be silenced.

We’re starting to get spoiled as sports fans. Sports fans with jobs, that is. The emergence of rich, online media from mainstream sports entities have made the enjoyment of athletics away from the television a real treat which of course, means more time wasted on the company’s dime.

When it is all said and done, and his career is over, Albert Pujols will be the best hitter to ever play the game of baseball. He is 29 years old, had 2 MVP awards, and World Series ring, two National League pennants, and a 7-time all star. Here are some of his career statistics-

• Batting Average- .344
• Hits- 1,531
• Doubles- 342
• Home Runs- 318
• RBI's- 977
• Slugging Percentage- .624