OK, just so this post is not a complete stat dump, I'll start with this:

If you don't want read much in the way of stats, then turn away.

Chris Carpenter was pulled after 4 innings and 4 runs. It wasn't a terrible outing, as part of the problem was Carpenter didn't scatter the hits like he normally has this season. But I'm probably not the only one who's a little uneasy with Carpenter's handling at the end of the year, after the 120-pitch outing for his 20th W and the Cardinals' announcement that they don't plan on giving Carpenter extra rest this month, even with the two off-days this week.

The brass has earned the benefit of the doubt however. Specifically in 2004, the Cardinals enjoyed 154 starts from their top five starters. With only 11 games left, five pitchers have accounted for all but two starts this season. So I got to wondering how often do teams get all but, say, 10 of their starts from five pitchers in consecutive seasons (different five in different seasons is OK)? The Lahman Database has these answers. Actually it has too many answers, as my first query dug up some odd stuff. Anyway, here's the list since World War II, with games started by the non-top five.:

 	Year	Team	GS
1	1993	ATL	 6
2	1994	ATL	 2
	1995	ATL	 3
3	2002	ATL	 6
	2003	ATL	 3
4	1969	BAL	 7
5	1970	BAL	 3
6	1971	BAL	 7
7	1972	BAL	 2
8	1973	BAL	 8
9	1974	BAL	10
	1975	BAL	 6
10	1977	BAL	 5
11	1978	BAL	 5
12	1979	BAL	 5
13	1980	BAL	 7
14	1981	BAL	 5
	1982	BAL	 8
15	1970	CHN	10
	1971	CHN	10
16	1950	CIN	10
	1951	CIN	 7
17	1968	HOU	10
	1969	HOU	10
18	1971	LAN	 8
19	1972	LAN	 5
20	1973	LAN	 4
21	1974	LAN	10
22	1975	LAN	 8
23	1976	LAN	 6
	1977	LAN	 4
24	1993	LAN	 2
	1994	LAN	 1
25	1971	NYA	 4
	1972	NYA	10
26	1980	OAK	 3
	1981	OAK	 6
27	1989	OAK	 7
	1990	OAK	 3

The list is dominated by the Earl Weaver Orioles (so that's why they always talk about his method of breaking-in pitchers) and the 70's Dodgers. The last time the Cardinals had back-to-back seasons accomplishing this feat, they were known as the Browns. In fact 1985 and 2000 are the only other seasons in the last hundred years where the Cardinals got fewer than ten starts from their contingency plans. Dave Duncan, who by the way caught for those Orioles for a couple of years, has earned some leeway here. Of course, the worst season was 1998, when the Cardinals had 63 games from their non-top five.