Can I Get Swiss on That?...You Only Have Colby?

The title should have been "Can Colby Cut the Cheese?"...but i was off my game. Sorry. Won't happen again.

Slow news day today...but we'll make due with what we've got.

What would you say if I told you we may finally see Colby Rasmus this season in a Cardinal uniform? You probably would call me a liar.

I've actually argued with myself a few times on whether he was an actual person or just some fictitious character created by the front office to make Cardinal fans feel reassured that we have depth in the farm system. I can see it now:

J-MO: Bill, they're all out there getting mad at me, we need to trade for somebody. Maybe we could even sign a free agent.

DEWITT: Shut up John. (Slap) Snap out of it. You're talking nonsense. Just make up somebody and hype him up to the media. Some amazing outfielder in the minors and he's on the brink of cracking the majors. They will never know anything and it will get them off our backs for a few years. Now all we need is a name...

As the two sat in Bill's office thinking, eating their Subway sandwiches with Colby and listened to 90's Finnish rock band Rasmus, the Cardinals' future all-star was created.

If that's the case, I would have rather they made up some 120+ MPH fire-baller that closes.

Joke time over now, La Russa mentioned to the press last week that he was considering using Rasmus in his trademark pre-leadoff, or nine hole, however you look at it. "If he's in the starting lineup," La Russa said, "he might hit ninth." It would be the perfect medium to break Rasmus into the big leagues. He would be batting ninth, so he wouldn't have the pressure of batting in the high profile spots like leadoff on clean up. But, the ninth position on a La Russa is as good as a leadoff hitter. So the team can see how he reacts to leading off without having to have him bat first. Sounds like a plan to me.

This scenario does rely on one factor that is yet to be determined. The whole thing rides on Schumaker earning the starting job at second. If the second base starting position were to go to Brendan Ryan, then Skip would move back to the outfield, where we would not hava a place for Colby. Brendan Ryan would then bat ninth. However, if Skipper does start at second, that not only leaves a spot in the outfield available, but also knocks Ryan out of the lineup leaving the nine spot empty.

I am personally tired of hearing so much hype about Colby and am ready to see what the kid can do in the big leagues. Give him a chance Tony so we know finally if he is as good as all the reports say.

Even Pujols has gotten in on the hype effort: "I like the kid... he's a real good kid. There's not much you can teach the kid but when he gets more of an idea about hitting, I think he's going to be a really dangerous hitter because he's got all the tools. He can run, he can throw, he can field, he has some power and he can hit. Players like that don't come in the same package."

I pray he shows us all why he has so much hype this year. Colby for 2009 R.O.Y.


***I need your input CardsCovers. I wanted to do some kind of series of writings. I was toying with the idea of doing an "All-Cardinals-Decade Team." Each post would choose the best Cardinal line-up for a decade, beginning with 1900-09 and finishing with 2000-09. Tell me what you think. If you have any tweaks I could make to this idea or any better suggestions, let me know.

With that, I go to rest on the lazy Sunday.