Charlie-In-The-Box: I am the official sentry of the Isle of Misfit toys.
Hermey: A jack-in-the-box for a sentry?
Charlie-In-The-Box: Yes. My name is...
Rudolph: Don't tell me: Jack.
Charlie-In-The-Box: No, Charlie. That's why I'm a misfit toy. My name is all wrong. No child wants to play with a Charlie-In-The-Box so I had to come here.



It's the middle of May and they are the first place St Louis Cardinals....put the Cardinals on an island, and they would be the Island of Misfit Boys. You know... the players that no one else seemed to want. Yet, the Cardinals and Tony LaRussa have done wonders, not only to field a competitive team with their misfits, but to produce a first place team. This is a team of misfits and reclamation projects that are mowing down the competition. They were predicted to finish 4th or 5th. As of now, they lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over the high-powered Cubs.

The Cardinals roster is full of players who were on the brink of being out of the game, and/or players who were never supposed to be effective major leaguers again. Some of the story lines of certain players are pretty remarkable. Lets' take a look at some of the Misfit Boys:

* Rick Ankiel: We are all aware of the struggles of Ankiel and his incredible journey back to the major leagues. He is now a big-time major league hitter who hits for power and has slowly, but steadily improved in centerfield. He is on pace to hit 27 HR and drive in 90 runs.
* Chris Duncan: He was always a marginal prospect, but the speculation was that he was brought up in the Fall of 2005 out of respect for his father, Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan. He's responded with back-to-back 20 HR seasons, and is in line to do the same in 2008.
* Braden Looper: Like many before him, Looper was hurt by being ineffective in New York. After no one wanted him as their closer (following a poor season with the Mets), the Cardinals signed Looper to be a set up man. He asked to be converted to a starter, and he responded by going 12-12 last season, and is currently 5-1 this season...and pitching very well.
* Kyle Lohse: Few teams expressed an interest in Lohse this winter...or Spring, but St Louis was the only team to actually offer Lohse a contract. He has looked quite good, and the feeling is that he will thrive under Dave Duncan's guidance. He is currently 3-1.
* Joel Pineiro: The Boston Red Sox didn't like him as a starter, so they tried him in middle relief. They didn't like him there either, so they released him. The Cardinals picked him up and he was one of their best pitchers down the stretch last season. This year, he has looked good in most starts, and is expected to remain in the Cardinals rotation.
* Ron Villone: The Yankees didn't want him, and neither did the other eleven teams he has pitched for in his career. The Cardinals felt he would be a nice addition to the bullpen, and he's responded so far with a 0.63 ERA.
* Brian Barton: He didn't get drafted out of the University of Miami after a productive college career because teams were worried that he was going to finish his degree in aerospace engineering. He later signed with the Cleveland Indians for $100,000, put up impressive numbers at every level and still couldn't crack the 40-man roster because they worried about knee surgery he had last fall. Left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, the Cardinals grabbed him. He's currently hitting .317.
* Ryan Ludwick: In five seasons with Texas and Cleveland, his best season was 2003 when he hit 7 HR. Neither the Rangers or Indians wanted to give him playing time. The Cardinals picked him up last season, and he responded with 14 HR and clutch hits. This season, he's hitting .314 with 4 HR.
* Chris Carpenter: He hasn't pitched since 2006, but the Cardinals are sticking with him and hoping he can contribute down the stretch.
* Matt Clement: Like Carpenter, he hasn't pitched since 2006. Boston signed him, lost patience and let him walk. The Cardinals are hoping he fits in with the other cast of misfits.

Every team has its share of misfits, but the Cardinals seemed to have more than most teams. However, this cast of misfits is leading the NL Central, and are looking every bit like a contender.

Eventually, Santa picked up the misfit toys from the Island of Misfit Toys (with help from Rudolph), and delivered them to the good boys and girls. What is relatively unknown, is that he then went to the Island of Misfit Boys, and dropped them off under Tony LaRussa's Christmas tree. And so far, LaRussa couldn't be happier.


Court Adjourned!