Rick Ankiel News

The offseason is officially under way. Seven members of the 2009 Cardinals filed for free agency on Thursday, the first day that potential free agents were able to file following the conclusion of the World Series.

The Cardinals would love to retain Matt Holliday's services. They liked him for a long time before they acquired him, and they gave up a lot to get him.

The baseball players that Scott Proctor has lined up for the third annual Celebrity Sporting Clays Shootout - which benefits M.E.'s Team - have a local flavor.

QUESTION: Given the success of rookie Colby Rasmus, it seems increasingly unlikely that the Cardinals will bring back free agent centerfielder Rick Ankiel.

"I can't push this enough," Mark McGwire said addressing his Cardinals' players.A "Steroids help you hit." McGwire, former Home Run King, will return to the St.

The American Mustache Institute, in its own words From a recent letter to Ruby Tuesday, a restaurant chain - "We were recently contacted by several employees informing us that your struggling chain of roadside eateries has implemented a policy enforcing a clean shaven mandate on the men and women of Ruby Tuesday.

Dodgers decided to put the weight of their fate in Clayton Kershaw, and got a rather typical performance from the 21-year old wonderkind.A A Nearly un-hitable brilliance the first four innings, couldn't find the plate in the 5th.A For a guy whose September included running into a wall, which took him out of the rotation and into spot relief, it ...

The Nationals made some moves in their front office on Thursday and named Roy Clark vice president of player personnel, Johnny DiPuglia director of Latin American operations and Doug Harris director of player development.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel slipped out the back door of Busch Stadium late Sunday morning, perhaps for the final time.

John Smoltz expressed a strong interest in returning to the Cardinals for 2010, but many of his free-agent-to-be teammates were less sure about what the future may hold for them.

Most of the Cardinals emptied their Busch Stadium lockers Sunday before returning to their winter homes.

La Russa goes with two lefties Cardinals notebook Lugo sits out as Rasmus and Schumaker are La Russa's picks.

Every year, whetherA a teamA won 90-plus games, like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, or a teama TMs season ended in April, like the Washington Nationals, every team faces major offseason decisions.

Good things come in threes for Redbirds Scouting the Cardinals Trio of top starting pitchers and a 3-4-5 punch of Pujols, Holliday and Ludwick are their biggest assets.

Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said Monday he considers the team's season a success despite its abrupt dismissal from the National League Division Series following high-profile summer trades that cost the organization five players for outfielder Matt Holliday and third baseman Mark DeRosa.

Reporting from St. Louis - His name doesn't have the resonance of Orel Hershiser or Fernando Valenzuela among Dodgers fans, but Vicente Padilla could have a certain ring to it following the command playoff performance he delivered tonight.

Unemployed in August, Vicente Padilla kept the Los Angeles Dodgers going in October.

Billy Witz provided updates from Los Angeles during Game 1 of the division series between the Cardinals and the Dodgers.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, right, celebrates after St. Louis Cardinals' Rick Ankiel, left, struck out to end Game 1 of the National League division baseball series, Wednesday, Oct.

Matt Holliday flies out to the infield. Single by Ryan Ludwick. Yadier Molina strikes out.