"Three days' reflection didn't alter Tony La Russa's perspective. The Cardinals manager returned to town Wednesday morning with the same message he has brought back from the West Coast most every July since 1996. "You play the first half to put yourself in contention. Now you get to find out if you're good enough," the manager reminded following an afternoon optional workout at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals resume their season tonight one game off the Cincinnati Reds' division lead awaiting several prominent pieces returning to health. Barring a trade, La Russa will have to work the next several weeks without starting pitchers Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse. Lohse is scheduled to throw off a mound Saturday for the first time in nearly two months. Penny's return from a setback in his rehab from a back strain is vague. Third baseman David Freese has yet to run on a bruised right ankle since going on the disabled list but took an aggressive round of batting practice Wednesday. Freese likely returns after right fielder Ryan Ludwick, whose strained right calf has improved enough for the club to consider activating him during this eight-game home stand. La Russa sensed in spring training that this season would not be an easy trek for a gifted but relatively thin team. The Cardinals are 47-41 compared to last year when they exited the All-Star break 49-42. They have five All-Stars, a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year (Jaime Garcia) and lots of offensive "dry powder" at their disposal. The next 16 days may offer more insight than any other period this season. Who heals? Who deals? Whose performance seeks its historic norms? Who, as the manager would say, is good enough? Expectation vs. reality There were big expectations for the Cardinals in the National League Central coming into the season, but perceptions have changed since they hit the All-Star break trailing the Cincinnati Reds by a game. A then and now look: Road Warriors THEN By the time the 2009 Cardinals reached the break they had run up three five-game win streaks and were a very respectable 23-21 on the road. They concluded the first half with a grinding 6-4 road swing through Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Chicago that included a Sunday night game on the eve of All-Star Game festivities at Busch Stadium." http://www.stltoday.com/sports/base...cle_fdcf1710-7969-5fa9-bb72-7754777ee9b2.html
