NL Central

            The Cardinals were widely expected to win the National League Central last season. The acquisition of Matt Holliday was expected to provide some pop for the lineup and protect Pujols well - which he did. A fully recovered Chris Carpenter was predicted to be back to his old Cy Young form - which he was. There were many reasons why the Cardinals should have shown a better record in the standings, yet they weren't able to beat out the Reds for the division crown. 

While most of his friends call him Carl, perhaps a change back to Carlos (along with a change of scenery) will help him forget about his 2k10 campaign. 

Carl's season was a miserable one for him. He played through a heel injury without bemoaning his condition or making excuses for his .196 average. He was the leader of the Rays and a major clubhouse presence for the winningest team in the AL, but to say it was a down year is an understatement.

One of the more publicized offseason baseball stories of the year has been the ongoing negotiations (or lack thereof) between arguably the best player in baseball, Albert Pujols, and the St. Louis Cardinals.

With the Chicago Cubs just days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Mesa, Arizona, the dreadful realization of seeking a replacement for the legendary and passionate radio broadcaster Ron Santo begins to sink in.

Ron Santo tragically passed away on December 3, 2010 due to complications from bladder cancer and diabetes

After the Houston Astros traded Roy Oswalt last summer, there has been a glaring need for a true ace, someone who can anchor the top of the rotation and set an example for the rest of the pitchers. Brett Myers pitched well down the stretch for them last year but does not have the talent to be that true ace the Astros need.

I was not born in St. Louis, and I don't plan to live in the Gateway City past high school. But in the relatively short time that I have lived here, it has become clear that there is no city in the entire country that loves one athlete, make that one person, more than St. Louis' love affair with Albert Pujols.

Seeing someone wear an Albert Pujols shirt or jersey in St. Louis is as common as seeing Longhorn apparel in Austin or Patriots sweatshirts in Boston.

I Hate Mondays is columnist Dave Golokhov's pessimistic, sarcastic compiled thoughts on sports. For a more regular dose tag-in at Twitter with @davegolokhov

Valentine's Day is the universal day for showing some love. It's a record day for chocolate and flower traffic among couples, and it's probably a record day of traffic on PlentyOfFish and RedTube for those batting singles.

A day following the announcement of Chuck Tanner’s death, we have read what a wonderful man he was.

This praise is most deserved. He was always positive, always helpful. From nursing his wife back to health after a stroke to seemingly befriending everyone he met, Chuck Tanner was a truly wonderful person.

Let's be serious for just a little while.

Albert Pujols is (whether you believe it or not) the face of the Cardinals' respective franchise, and that's just how things are.  And if a new contract is not offered to St. Louis' sporting savior, Pujols will not be involved in contract negotiations through Spring Training, nor the regular season.

This is a problem.

As much as you'd love to disagree with the fact that Pujols is the most important asset the Cardinals currently attain, the fact of the matter is that it is true.

Carlos Lee’s days of 30+ home run seem like a distant memory.

In fact, his HR totals have been in the decline since 2006:

2006: 37
2007: 32
2008: 28
2009: 26
2010: 24

While two dozen home runs are nothing to sneeze at, they are not the mark of an elite power hitter anymore. Lee will turn 35 in June, so a return to 30 HR territory seems unlikely.

His power wasn’t the only thing to go in 2010 for Carlos Lee. His streak of four consecutive .300+ seasons came to a crashing end.