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The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Journey Is the Destination There is a certain freedom that comes with having nothing to lose.After a period of transition, the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals enter the season with fewer expectations from the outside world than this franchise is accustomed to. For some organizations that would be a burden. For the Cardinals, it may become an opportunity.Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa often preached a simple philosophy inside the clubhouse:“Play the game right. If you play the game intelligently and execute the fundamentals, you can win.” ~ Tony La RussaFor decades, that mindset defined what became known throughout baseball as the Cardinal Way—a belief that disciplined baseball, attention to detail, and relentless execution could close the gap between talent and championships.That philosophy is quietly being restored.The road to the Cardinals’ next championship season did not begin under the bright lights of Busch Stadium. It began on the dusty back fields of the spring training complex in Jupiter, Florida, where the organization has been reshaping itself from the ground up.Under the leadership of Chaim Bloom, the Cardinals have assembled a massive 70-person player development staff—one of the largest structural overhauls the organization has undertaken in years. The mission is simple: return the focus to development, preparation, and fundamentals.In other words, get back to doing the little things right.Observers expecting a quick fix may miss the real story unfolding this spring. The Cardinals’ roster is young. The projections are mixed. There are questions about how quickly the next core of players will emerge.But championship organizations rarely begin with certainty.They begin with foundations.Across the back fields of Jupiter, coaches are drilling fundamentals. Young players are refining mechanics. Pitchers are learning sequencing and command. Infielders are working footwork around the bag. Outfielders are studying angles and reads.None of it is glamorous. None of it shows up on highlight reels.But this is how winning baseball is built.The Cardinals have always understood something many teams forget: championships are not constructed in October. They are constructed in March, April, and every quiet practice field in between.That is the real story of the 2026 Cardinals.We are not simply watching a team prepare for another season. We are watching the early stages of a cultural reset — a return to disciplined baseball and organizational clarity.The scoreboard may fluctuate in the months ahead. Young players will grow through both success and struggle.But if the Cardinals truly reclaim the principles that once defined them—intelligence, execution, and fundamentals—then something important is being built again in St. Louis.And that is why this season matters.Because in baseball, as in life, the destination rarely reveals itself at the beginning.It is the journey that creates the champion.&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

The Journey is the Destination

&nbsp; THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Monday Prospect Stock Market Report St. Louis Cardinals Minor League System March 9, 2026 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals’ player development pipeline remains one of the most closely watched systems in baseball. Each Monday, The Cardinal Chronicle takes a look at the movement within the organization — not as a week-to-week judgment of talent, but as a snapshot of performance, confidence, and trajectory.Think of it less like Wall Street and more like a scouting notebook. A player’s long-term value doesn’t truly rise or fall in a few days, but trends begin to emerge. Some prospects are gaining momentum. Others are simply holding steady while refining their craft.Here is where things stand this week.&nbsp; 📈 Stock Up: JJ Wetherholt (INF) The Movement: While the box score may show only modest early spring numbers, scouts are far more interested in Wetherholt’s approach at the plate. Through the first stretch of Grapefruit League action he has already drawn four walks and consistently refuses to chase outside the zone.His patience and strike-zone awareness have evaluators talking about him as a future fixture in the Cardinals’ infield.Old School Take: He’s not chasing early-spring statistics — he’s refining his process. Around camp, he’s already being mentioned as a potential National League Rookie of the Year candidate once his major league opportunity arrives.&nbsp; 📈 Stock Up: Joshua Baez (OF) The Movement: Baez has been the loudest buzz in Cardinals camp. After being protected from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, the 22-year-old has arrived in Jupiter looking like a different player.The moment everyone remembers came last week when he launched a 436-foot home run against the Orioles, a blast that confirmed what scouts have long believed — the raw power is very real.Old School Take: Baez is playing with the confidence of someone who now knows he belongs on a 40-man roster. The physical tools were never in question. Now the game is slowing down for him.&nbsp; ➖ Stock Holding: Quinn Mathews (LHP) The Movement: Mathews currently owns a 5.14 ERA through 7.0 innings this spring, though the strikeout ability remains obvious. He has already piled up 12 strikeouts, showing the swing-and-miss stuff that made him one of the system’s most intriguing arms.The challenge right now is command. Following a difficult 2025 season, he’s still working to tighten the edges of the strike zone.Old School Take: The stuff is there. He’s simply working through things. Mathews still profiles as a viable mid-rotation option later this season, but he isn’t forcing the front office’s hand just yet.&nbsp; 📉 Stock Down: Tink Hence (RHP) The Movement: It has been a rough opening to the spring for Hence, who currently sits with a 16.20 ERA across 1.2 innings. His outings have been brief and inefficient, with hitters making loud early contact.Old School Take: Spring numbers for pitchers can be misleading — many are experimenting with new grips or sequencing. But the lack of length in his outings is the concern. What he needs now is a good old-fashioned “dirty uniform” outing to get himself back into rhythm.&nbsp; ➖ Stock Holding: Thomas Saggese (INF/OF) The Movement: Saggese continues to show why the Cardinals value him so highly as a roster piece. With Lars Nootbaar sidelined, he has even received looks in the outfield while maintaining a .333 spring average.His versatility has made him one of the most dependable depth options in camp.Old School Take: Saggese embodies the Cardinal Way — flexible, reliable, and ready to play wherever the lineup card says.&nbsp; A Note on the Stock ReportThis report is meant for perspective, not panic.A prospect’s long-term value doesn’t truly rise or fall in a single week. What we’re tracking here are trends — confidence, adjustments, and momentum. Development is rarely linear, but over time it reveals who is moving forward, who is holding steady, and who still has work to do.And in a system built on patience and fundamentals, sometimes the quiet progress is the most meaningful of all.&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future

Market Report on Wetherholt, Baez, Mathews, Hince & Saggese

The Cardinal Chronicle Billy Southworth: The Birthday of a Legend and the Fight for His Legacy St. Louis, MO By the Cardinal Chronicle&nbsp;March 9 marks the 133rd birthday of Hall of Fame manager Billy Southworth, the quiet architect behind one of the greatest stretches of baseball dominance the St. Louis Cardinals have ever known.Southworth’s .642 winning percentage with the Cardinals remains the best in franchise history for any manager in the modern era. Yet for years, the man who guided St. Louis to two World Series championships and three straight 105-win seasons stood dangerously close to being forgotten by the very institution meant to preserve baseball’s history.The Architect of Cardinals Dominance When Southworth took over the Cardinals in 1940, the club was poised for greatness but needed steady leadership. What followed was one of the most remarkable managerial runs in baseball history.From 1942 through 1944, the Cardinals won 106, 105, and 105 games respectively—an extraordinary stretch that defined the golden age of “The Cardinal Way.” St. Louis captured the World Series in 1942 and again in 1944 while becoming the model franchise of the National League.Southworth’s teams were disciplined, fundamentally sound, and relentless in execution—principles that still echo throughout the organization today.Yet despite these accomplishments, his place in Cooperstown was anything but guaranteed.The Battle for Cooperstown When Southworth was left off the Hall of Fame’s managerial ballot in 2003, the omission sparked an unlikely campaign that began not in a newsroom or front office—but on the early internet.Determined that Southworth’s legacy would not be lost, Ray Mileur, the publisher of the Cardinal Chronicle, launched what has since been recognized as the first organized online campaign advocating for a Hall of Fame induction.Through years of research, writing, letter-writing campaigns, and mobilization through the Cardinals community on The Birdhouse, the effort steadily gained momentum. Historians, writers, and fans joined the cause, pressing the Veterans Committee to reconsider Southworth’s record.The work paid off.In 2008, the Veterans Committee elected Billy Southworth to the National Baseball Hall of Fame with 81 percent of the vote—finally recognizing one of the most accomplished managers the game has ever seen.Mileur had the honor of representing the Southworth family at the induction ceremony in Cooperstown, bringing the journey full circle. The story of that campaign and Southworth’s remarkable career is detailed in the final chapter of his official biography.The Gold Standard Billy Southworth’s tenure with the Cardinals from 1940 to 1945 remains the standard by which managerial excellence in St. Louis is measured.His teams combined discipline, player development, and fundamental baseball—an approach that became synonymous with the franchise’s identity for generations.Today, on what would have been his 133rd birthday, Cardinals fans remember not only the championships he delivered, but the legacy he left behind.A legacy that nearly slipped through the cracks of history.And one that, thanks to the efforts of those determined to preserve it, now stands permanently enshrined in Cooperstown.For more on Southworth’s life and career, visit: <a data-mce-href="http://www.billysouthworth.com" href="http://www.billysouthworth.com" title="The Official Website of Billy Southworth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.billysouthworth.com</a>&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future

Billy Southworth: The Birthday of a Legend and the Fight for His Legacy

The Cardinal Chronicle Transactions Notebook: Cardinals Begin Early Roster Sorting St. Louis, MO — By Ray MileurAs the calendar moves deeper into March, the St. Louis Cardinals have begun the early stages of shaping their organizational depth chart for the 2026 season. A series of roster moves announced Saturday reflects the normal rhythm of spring training as prospects are reassigned and players begin settling into their expected minor league levels.The most notable headline is the assignment of outfielder Luis Pino to the Cardinals organization. The center fielder adds another athletic option to the club’s developing outfield pipeline and will likely begin his season within the minor league system as the organization continues evaluating its depth.At the same time, several young players were optioned to Triple-A Memphis, a move that signals both opportunity and patience for a group of prospects still working toward major league readiness.Among those optioned was right-handed pitcher Tink Hence, one of the Cardinals’ most electric arms in the system. While Hence remains a highly regarded prospect, the assignment to Memphis allows the club to manage his workload and continue refining his development against advanced hitters.The Cardinals also optioned catchers Leonardo Bernal and Jimmy Crooks to Memphis. Both players remain important pieces of the organization’s long-term catching depth, but the moves suggest the major league staff will continue sorting through its options behind the plate during the remainder of camp.Infielder César Prieto and outfielder Bryan Torres were also optioned to the Redbirds. Prieto’s assignment provides Memphis with another polished bat capable of playing multiple infield positions, while Torres continues his steady climb through the system as a versatile outfield option.None of these moves should be viewed as setbacks. Early spring transactions are a routine part of roster management, allowing players to get consistent playing time while the major league club narrows its Opening Day roster.For Memphis, however, the moves could create one of the most intriguing rosters in the Pacific Coast League. With several high-profile prospects now in the mix, the Redbirds may become a central stage for the next wave of Cardinals talent pushing toward St. Louis later this season.For the Cardinals organization, the process is simple: development continues, depth builds, and the long road from Jupiter to Busch Stadium keeps moving forward.

Cardinals Begin Early Roster Sorting

The Cardinal Chronicle The Baez Breakthrough St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe early days of spring training often produce small storylines that quietly hint at larger developments down the road. For the St. Louis Cardinals, one of those storylines is unfolding in Jupiter, and it centers on a player whose potential has never been in doubt — only the consistency behind it.Joshua Baez may technically be a holdover from the previous development regime, but his recent progress is quickly becoming a showcase example of the Cardinals’ expanded 70-person player development staff. After several seasons in which high strikeout totals overshadowed his elite raw power, the 22-year-old outfielder is beginning to show signs that the adjustments are finally taking hold.The PowerBaez continued to turn heads this weekend, following up Friday’s towering 436-foot home run with another solo blast on Saturday against Mets ace Kodai Senga. The power has always been part of the package. When Baez connects, the ball travels with a different sound and a different trajectory than most hitters in the system.What’s changing now is how often he’s getting into those power swings.The AdjustmentScouts watching workouts and games in Jupiter are noting a visible change in Baez’s approach at the plate. His pre-swing load has quieted considerably, allowing him to get into the hitting zone sooner and with better balance.In the past, Baez often looked like he was trying to swing at the baseball. Now the swing looks smoother, more controlled — swinging through the ball instead of chasing it. The adjustment may appear subtle, but those small mechanical refinements can be the difference between raw power and productive power.The FutureFew prospects in the Cardinals’ system can match Baez’s physical tools. With exit velocities regularly pushing beyond 110 mph, the raw strength has never been the question. The challenge has always been harnessing it consistently.If the new approach holds when the minor league season begins — whether in Springfield or Memphis — Baez could quickly become one of the most intriguing power bats in the organization.And if that happens, the Cardinals’ long-term outlook may benefit from a breakthrough that has been years in the making.The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

The Baez Breakthrough

The Cardinal Chronicle This Date in Cardinals History — March 8 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurMarch has always been a month of preparation in Cardinals history. Long before Opening Day bunting is hung at Busch Stadium, the groundwork for future championships has often been laid on back fields, in quiet training camps, and through the vision of leaders who believed the small details mattered.Looking back at March 8, we find moments that connect the franchise’s storied past with the players and philosophies that still shape the Cardinals today.The Birthday of a Champion — Juan Encarnación (1976)Today marks the birthday of Juan Encarnación, born March 8, 1976, a key contributor to the Cardinals’ 2006 World Series championship club.Encarnación was the kind of player every winning team seems to have—a steady professional who quietly goes about his business. During the 2006 season, he provided important veteran stability in the Cardinals’ lineup, hitting .278 with 19 home runs and 79 RBIs while playing solid defense in the outfield.That championship season cemented his place in franchise history, but Encarnación’s career also carries a unique distinction. He is one of the rare players to win a World Series with two expansion-era underdogs, first with the 2003 Florida Marlins and again with the Cardinals three years later.For a club that often thrives when counted out, Encarnación’s career is a reminder that championship teams are rarely built on stars alone.Billy Southworth and the Discipline of Spring (1940s)In the early 1940s, March in Cardinals camp meant something very different than it does today.Manager Billy Southworth ran some of the most demanding spring camps baseball had ever seen, focusing relentlessly on fundamentals. Long before radar guns and Statcast data, Southworth emphasized what he called “the little things”—aggressive base running, precise cutoff plays, and disciplined execution.Those Florida camps became the proving ground for one of the greatest runs in franchise history.From 1942 through 1944, the Cardinals won three consecutive National League pennants and piled up 105 or more victories each season, establishing themselves as the dominant team of the era.Southworth’s methods were sometimes described as strict, but the results spoke for themselves. His approach produced a remarkable .642 winning percentage, one of the best managerial marks in baseball history.And it all began in the quiet routines of March.Branch Rickey and the Blueprint for the Future (1920s)Even earlier, during the 1920s, Cardinals executive Branch Rickey was using the early days of spring to reshape baseball itself.While most teams still relied on purchasing players from independent clubs, Rickey was scouting and developing talent through a revolutionary idea—the farm system.One of the earliest steps in that vision came when Rickey began evaluating talent tied to the Cardinals’ first affiliated club in Houston, Texas, laying the foundation for what would become the most influential player-development system in the sport.Rickey believed championships weren’t built overnight.They were grown.That philosophy—building infrastructure, developing talent, and thinking years ahead—remains one of the defining traits of the Cardinals organization even today.&nbsp; From Rickey’s farm system, to Southworth’s demanding spring camps, to players like Juan Encarnación delivering when it mattered most, March has always been a month when the Cardinals quietly prepare for what comes next.In St. Louis, history shows that championships are rarely accidents.More often than not, they begin in the details.

Billy Southworth, Branch Rickey and Juan Encarnacion

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle 

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle, Ray Mileur

The Cardinal Notebook

The Journey is the Destination

Market Report on Wetherholt, Baez, Mathews, Hince & Saggese

Billy Southworth: The Birthday of a Legend and the Fight ...

Cardinals Begin Early Roster Sorting

The Baez Breakthrough

Billy Southworth, Branch Rickey and Juan Encarnacion