Let the games begin!

The first game of spring training for the St. Louis Cardinals is today at noon Central Time, meaning we’re one step closer to Opening Day 2013. Today’s starting lineup is here, courtesy of Jenifer Langosch, and features Daniel Descalso at second base and batting second and Pete Kozma playing shortstop and batting ninth.

Trevor Rosenthal is the starting pitcher and slated for two innings, followed by last year’s top draft pick Michael Wacha for two innings and Marc Rzepczynski, Randy Choate, Eduardo Sanchez and our old pal Barret Browning.

The Cardinals are taking on the Marlins and you can listen on KMOX Radio or online via Gameday Audio.

Two more episodes of Top 100 Players Right Now were on MLB Network last night, revealing players No. 80 through 41. Making the list for the Cardinals: Jason Motte at No. 76, David Freese at No. 67 and Matt Holliday at No. 41. The top 40 will be revealed on Tuesday, Feb. 26, on MLB Network starting at 8 p.m. Central, and six of the seven Cardinals on the list have been revealed (as we wrote about Adam Wainwright, Allen Craig and Carlos Beltran last week). Where will Yadi rank?

Shelby Miller’s sore shoulder is, thankfully, feeling better now and he threw a 25-pitch bullpen session yesterday that went “seamlessly.”

Former Cardinals closer and all-time team saves leader Jason Isringhausen pitched last year for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and is still looking for a team to pitch for this season. In the meantime, however, Izzy is serving as pitching coach for the Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville baseball team. He lives in the Edwardsville area.

In case you missed it in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch yesterday, Joe Buck might do a few Cardinals games on Fox Sports Midwest this season. That’s the good news (to me, anyway — I loved when Joe was on Fox Midwest). The bad news is that his participation seems like it was just be part of adding even more needless distractions to the game:

Nothing has been cemented, but possibilities include chatting with players while the game is in progress — perhaps someone on the bench or in the on-deck circle — talking to a relief pitcher who wouldn’t play until later in the game, having a microphone on a fielder or other such innovations beyond even what might take place for an All-Star Game.

Well, it would be less chatter we’d have to hear from Dan, Ricky and Al — all of whom will be back for 2013 — so I suppose we should be thankful for small favors, no matter the form.