When you heard about the season-ending injury to St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, you probably immediately wrote off the Cardinals as a World Series contender this year.
You wouldn’t be alone, as many people, including oddsmakers, have pretty much discounted the chances for St. Louis this season without their top pitcher.
That might be a mistake.
Whether you like Tony La Russa as a manager or think he is overrated, there is no denying that La Russa can motivate a team. There is really nothing that La Russa likes more than a challenge and he may turn this season into a crusade for winning without Wainwright.
Do you remember what happened in 2002 with the Cardinals? They won the National League Central even though they had to use 14 starting pitchers that season because of injuries and the death of Darryl Kile.
La Russa motivated his team to win for Kile and the Cardinals surprised everyone. It could happen again in 2011.
Wainwright’s Numbers
There is no question that Adam Wainwright is a great pitcher. He won 20 games for the Cardinals last season and had an ERA of 2.42. There is no replacing Wainwright, but even a great pitcher is worth only about an extra six wins per season over an average pitcher. Six wins is a lot, though, and the Cardinals will need to find an above average replacement.
The Division
There is one thing that could help the Cardinals chances this season and that is their division.
The National League Central is a good division, but it is not great. The Cincinnati Reds won it last year, but they are no powerhouse. Everyone loves the Milwaukee Brewers and the changes they made, but the Brewers were not even a .500 team last season. The Cubs always get attention, but when have the Cubs ever won anything?
And don’t forget that the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates are in this division, and they are both terrible.
Talented Roster
The Cardinals still have a lot of talent, led by the best player in the game today, first baseman Albert Pujols. They have a solid starting lineup led by Pujols and Matt Holliday and their pitching is still good.
They also have four good starters in Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse. If Kyle McClellan takes over as the fifth starter and pitches as well as he did out of the bullpen, then the Cardinals will be just fine.
You may not want to write off the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011 just yet.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com