Saturday will mark the midway point of the season. Regardless of the result, it would be hard to find a Birds fan that is disappointed with the play of the 2008 Cardinals thus far. GM John Mozeliak has done an excellent job of turning over an aging roster and infusing it with youth, energy, and desire to win. Manager Tony LaRussa has proven that he can manage a young team without a surplus of veteran superstars. Since we have reached the middle of the semester, it is time to hand out some mid-term grades. These grades are based on performance, expectations, and how I was feelin’ at the time.

Catcher:

Yadier Molina: A
In addition to being the team’s eye candy, Yadi is the heart and soul of the Birds. I still don’t know how he held on to that ball after being crushed by Philly’s Eric Bruntlett. He has continued to play excellent defense while enjoying his best offensive season to date.

First Base:

Albert Pujols: A-
Albert got a nice little warm-up Thursday for his KC homecoming Friday (4 hits). I would imagine he’ll be smashing baseballs all over Kauffman Stadium this weekend. With a season average above .350, the only thing keeping him from an “A” is the fact that he left us for 15 days. Welcome back El Hombre.

Second Base:

Adam Kennedy: C
Kennedy got off to a nice start before fading and then finding his stroke again recently. It would be difficult not to improve on last year’s horrific season, but his complaints in the Post-Dispatch about playing time turned off a lot of Cardinals fans.

Aaron Miles: B+
All Miles does is hit. One of the most underappreciated Cardinals, Miles strokes balls all over the yard regardless of whether he’s starting or hitting in a pinch. His average has hovered above the .300 mark all season and he has committed just one error.

Shortstop:

Cesar Izturis: C+
He’s not going to light the world on fire with his bat, but you can’t argue with his D. His most important role on the team may be as “Friend of Albert.” It’s an important job to keep Albert happy.

Brendan Ryan: B+
He likes to wear pink, go to the mall, and by all accounts is a little off. I don’t care. He is exciting to watch and goes all out on every play. According to a recent sabermetrics table posted on Yahoo!, he has one the highest line-drive per at-bat ratios in baseball. I’m enjoying getting to watch him play more while Izturis is out.

Third Base:

Troy Glaus: B
It’s nice having a third baseman that is happy to be here. It’s even nicer that he has 47 RBI, is on pace for 100, and has a near perfect fielding percentage. I was surprised by his excellent defense and lack of power early. He has heated up with the temperature and now has 10 homers.

Outfield:

Ryan Ludwick: A
It would be pretty hard to have expected much more from Luddy this season. He’s ninth in the league with 56 RBI and ranks fifth with a .596 slugging percentage. Mix that with his 16 homeruns and .290 average and you have an All-Star caliber outfielder you didn’t expect to have.

Rick Ankiel: B-
Rick’s defense has been better than his hitting. Ank has saved several runs with his glove and rocket-laser arm. He is such a streaky hitter that it can be really frustrating at times. Then he’ll go on a tear and you’re glad he’s in there. This is his first full season so hopefully the consistency will improve with time.

Skip Shumaker: A
Skip’s a stud. He has been a solid anchor at the top of the lineup all year. He has a huge walk-off homerun against the hated Cubbies and has shown some pop lately. He’s second on the team in hits (behind Albert), has struck out only 32 times, and has hit around .300. He has become a very valuable member of the team.

Chris Duncan: F
Charles Barkley would say: “Dunc is terrrrible.” I know he works hard, but the numbers don’t lie. Since his recall from Memphis, Dunc is hitting .159 with 0 HR and 1 RBI. Speaks for itself.

Brian Barton: B
The resident rocket scientist has been solid all year. With the emergence of Skip and Luddy, he has found his groove as a super-sub. I get excited to see his flowing locks after his helmet inevitably falls off while he’s burning the base paths.

Starting Pitching: B+

Wellemeyer, Wainwright, Looper, and Lohse are a combined 31-12. That’s really good. Pineiro has been solid too. The return of Wainwright and continued success from this unit will be imperative in the second half.

Bullpen: C

Izzy had his troubles and now the lefties are struggling mightily. Springer, McClellan, and Franklin have been reliable for the most part. Half good, half bad equals a “C.”

The grades may seem a little high, but they usually are on a winning baseball team. We’ll check back at the end of the season and see where these guys finish up. If anybody is unhappy with their grade, there is still half of a semester to bring it up.

Slippery11pete@yahoo.com