...a pitcher coming off surgery and a bad season says he could be ready by April, well ahead of schedule. In this case it's Matt Morris, although Mike Lincoln is making similar noises. I'm skeptical. Players must walk a fine line between possibly malingering and hurting the team through injury-induced ineffectiveness. The past two seasons suggest that Morris has trouble dealing with the second type of risk, which means the Cardinals coaching staff needs to pick up the slack. Can LaRussa and Duncan say "No" to their one-time ace?

I'd also like to see what Rick Ankiel can do as a starter. Turning Ankiel into a LOOGY is like asking Ann-Margret to cook.