Another day, another award for Yadier Molina. (Not that this is getting old at all.) Yesterday Yadi received the National League Platinum Glove Award, his second and only the second ever awarded. Those eligible for the Platinum Glove are this year’s other Gold Glove recipients, with the winner determined by fan voting — which to me does not make it “arguably the most prestigious defensive award yet” as Jenifer Langosch calls it.

Really? If there were enterprising (and bored) Pirates fans out there, they could have voted over and over and over again for Andrew McCutchen to win. And how prestigious would the award have been then? (You might know that I adore Andrew McCutchen. But he’s not a Gold Glove-worthy center fielder — so certainly not Platinum Glove-worthy. Silver Slugger center fielder? Yes, he rightfully earned that. He’s a great hitter, not a great fielder.)

Anyway, Yadi of course deserves every accolade possible for his defense — congratulations on the Platinum Glove! And Thursday we’ll no doubt find out that both Yadi and Cutch finished behind Buster Posey in the NL MVP race.


Speaking of BAMF’s like Yadi, this story is from earlier in the week but Chris Carpenter is keeping busy already this off-season — by skating with some of the Blues. Andrew Astleford of Fox Sports Midwest has the details (but we really do need video!) CC was an all-state hockey player in high school.


Here’s a nice piece on Trevor Rosenthal and his year from the Columbus Telegram in Columbus, Neb. — where Trevor’s grandparents live.


On Thursday night, Mike Matheny was in Springfield, Ill., at an event. Here’s what the State Journal-Register had to say about it, and I heard glowing reports on Matheny from my uncle and his brother-in-law who attended. (The caption of the photo said Matheny made a joke to the Cub fans. He asked those in the audience to raise their hands, and there were a few, then said he would talk slow and asked them to raise their hands again if he needed to use smaller words.)

Tony La Russa also spoke on Thursday night, at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, to more glowing reports from my pal Linda who was there. The Southeast Missourian had this report — and Linda also had told me about this:

“What you saw in 2011 was a team,” La Russa added. “We tried to establish a family feeling on that squad based on three principles: trust, respect and character.”

La Russa said standing by those principles sometimes created tension on the team, mentioning a game in which he had to relieve starting pitcher Chris Carpenter.

“I went out to the mound to relieve Chris,” La Russa explained. “He wasn’t happy with seeing me coming out, and he told me that he wasn’t tired. I said, ‘I know, Chris, but our outfielders are.’ I was able to say that to Carpenter because he knew I trusted him enough to tell him the truth.”

Finally, if you’re in the Memphis area, this event coming up next Saturday sounds terrific. Jason Motte will headline a “Strike Out Cancer” fundraiser at Opera Memphis to benefit the Wings Cancer Foundation. Read more about the items available through the live auction here (I would like the 1946 autographed Stan Musial jersey, please) and purchase event tickets here.



Christine Coleman is the senior St. Louis Cardinals reporter for Aaron Miles’ Fastball. Follow her on Twitter, @CColeman802, or email aaronmilesfastball@gmail.com. Also follow @AMilesFastball for the latest updates.