Rachel Crader is the editor of semoball.com. She graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in May of 2009 before spending the summer covering the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Highlights from Rachel's days in college include having a class down the hall from Chase Daniel and having NCAA wrestling champion Ben Askren hold the door open for her at Brady Commons, Mizzou's student center. She spent time covering Mizzou basketball, softball and baseball while working for the Columbia Missourian and is excited to return home to Southeast Missouri to cover local sports for semoball.com.

Rachel has covered three Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournaments for the Southeast Missourian and semoball.com, and she'll see you courtside again this year.

Dear Mo, can the Cardinals have a starting pitcher, too?

Posted Tuesday, July 28, 2009, at 1:40 PM

I don't want to seem ungrateful for all that he's done, but if Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak can somehow fill the Titanic-sized hole in the St. Louis rotation I would be, well, happier than I already am.

(Although I guess you needn't really thank someone for doing their job well, particularly when they are paid truck loads of money to do it. Then again, if the world's most expensive doctor saves your life...hmm...)

Mozeliak has said that is little chance that another trade will be made for a pitcher (though he did say that the team would like to move Troy Glaus) and that the problem will probably have to be fixed internally. A long last, it seems that process is underway.

Joe Strauss at the St. Louis Post Dispatch (and others for that matter) is reporting that much-maligned fifth-starter Todd Wellemeyer seems to be heading to the bullpen.

There has been plenty of talk about how the Cards will not need a fifth starter all that often during the latter part of the season, but they will need one on Friday night against Houston. Brad Thompson, Blake Hawksworth and Mitchell Boggs are the most popular candidates. Strauss suggested that Boggs is the most likely person to get the start because he was scratched from his start tonight in Memphis. Hawksworth was also scratched from his last minor-league start after giving up just one hit in seven innings in his previous outing. He was recalled on Sunday and pitched two innings against the Phillies in relief, giving up two runs.

I won't pretend to have the answer or even a good idea, but I am happy that Mozeliak, manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan seem ready to try to fix the problem one way or another. I'm not sure how much longer Cardinal fans could handle being told that Wellemeyer and his 5.79 ERA were the best option.

Anybody else happy? At least a little bit happier than the last time you watched Todd Wellemeyer pitch? I mean...

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I am happy for now. We shouldn't really need a 5th starter too much because of the days off and I feel comfortable w/ giving the spot start to just about anybody other than Todd.

-- Posted by richiro33 on Tue, Jul 28, 2009, at 3:52 PM
Anybody but Wellemeyer AND Thompson. With Todd's success, I know why the Cards kept him around. But I cannot understand why they keep Thompson for year after year. He constantly floats in between the majors and the minors every year. He has a hard time getting past the fifth inning. He is terribly inconsistent and is easy for hitters to figure out.

I am glad they are going to move Todd to the bullpen. I think he is more likely to find success there. Now if we can get Boggs and Hawksworth to be even somewhat successful, I think the Cards will be set.

But another starter would be great. I doubt any teams will take Glaus with his recurring back spasms.

-- Posted by gehagge on Wed, Jul 29, 2009, at 6:58 AM
Please see my original comment on the HOliday blog bout pitching.

-- Posted by Mosely on Wed, Jul 29, 2009, at 12:07 PM
I hope the next time Wellemeyer pitches in St. Louis it's for someone else other than the Cardinals.

He is no reliever, remember when he was brought in 2 weeks ago in Chicago trailing 3-2 in the 5th or 6th inning?

Brad Thompson was great pitching in long relief, it's not this fault he was moved to the rotation.

Remember Carpenter and Lohse were missing for long periods of time.

-- Posted by Ron Cook on Wed, Jul 29, 2009, at 3:23 PM
Cards definately do not need a starting pitcher. I'd be happy with another decent bat or middle reliever.

They have 4 ace worthy pitchers as it is, 5 is over kill.

I haven't really dug around, but I'd like to see what Duncan or LaRussa have to say about Todd Wellemeyer's pitching. His last 2 seasons were good, so it would be intersting to see if they think it is just a loooong bad funk, or if they aren't counting on him anymore either.

-- Posted by futile_rant on Thu, Jul 30, 2009, at 2:13 AM
How about Hawkesworth?

-- Posted by Legend on Thu, Jul 30, 2009, at 12:43 PM

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