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The St. Louis Cardinals braced to defend the title - MLB Feature

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The St. Louis Cardinals braced to defend the title - MLB Feature 

The St. Louis Cardinals will enter this season with the sole aim of defending the World Series title they so splendidly won in 2011. Being also the National League Champions, the Cardinals, however, will confront a multitude of challenges to bring to completion
the ambition they have.
But the team which has lost a manager like Tony La Russa has nevertheless, always had the forward-looking approach. With the arrival of Mike Matheny as the manager, the Cardinals have now moved to address other challenges.
There are some delicacies in order. The Redbirds are endowed with one of the finest offensive sides. The departure of Albert Pujols might have created a certain subtle kind of vacuum. But there are players who can move to be the best replacement available
to him.
There is no shortage of powerful hitters. From David Freese to Rafael Furcal, from Skip Schumaker to Lance Berkman and the arrival of Carlos Beltran, have simply led to emboldening of the Cardinals’ defence further.
Not to forget Matt Holliday who remained an important factor in bringing victories for the Cardinals the past year. The departure of Albert Pujols and La Russa might have been a shock for the team, but steps have been taken to keep the strength of the team
intact.
With the first homer that Carlos Beltran had on Monday, March 19, against the Atlanta Braves, the Cardinals have somehow evidenced that they have resiliently moved forward now, willing to make maximum gain by the experience and power of the hitters like
Beltran.
“I think that was a pretty good indication of his strength,” Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny said. “He wristed that and it was a rocket. He’s getting close and that pretty good timing for us.”
The combination of such hitters and their unique composition will lend extra advantage to the team. Their being the formative part of the team will enable being aggressive and dominate against the opponents in the league.
As to how do the Cardinals can attain the goals, in the team general manager’ John Mozeliak’s view, Mike Matheny has a relatively easy job execute considering the presence of experienced players in the club.
"A Matt Holliday and a Lance Berkman, they don't need to be over-managed, if you will," Mozeliak said. "So I think he's going to be able to put his energy into the players that most need it, and to the team itself. That was something we factored in."
With the kind of performance that the Cardinals have so far exhibited in the Grapefruit League, it can be said that they are prepared to take on the opponents with more confidence. There were few hiccups initially in the form of Chris Carpenter and Rafael
Furcal’s fitness problems.
However, the team seems to have sorted the problems out as the two are gradually making their comeback in Spring Training.
From how things seem, the Cardinals can effortlessly surmount the challenges coming their way. The last year’s majestic victory has imbued them with the confidence, and their outlook as the Champions has improved further with the Cactus League show.
It is to be seen how they succeed in achieving the goals they have set. All that they need, at the end, will be the fitness of the players and the teamwork to prevail.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.

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