UPDATE: Tony La Russa is unanimously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, as are Joe Torre and Bobby Cox. More from Derrick Goold and Rick Hummel is here.

It’s Monday morning, it’s cold and snowy throughout much of the country (which was pretty obvious if you watched any NFL games yesterday) but there’s plenty of baseball talk going on — so it can’t be all bad.

Maybe you saw the article on Friday in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hinting at Tim McCarver joining the Cardinals broadcast team. Now Jenifer Langosch has more at the Cardinals site: indeed Fox Sports Midwest is nearing a deal that would add McCarver to the television team in a limited role.

Hmmm. Having never been quiet about my feelings for the Fox Midwest announcers (and rewatching some games lately from this season just makes my feelings all the more clear), I can’t say this would make things any worse than they have been. Who knows — maybe Joe Buck could even come back and do a couple of games with McCarver. Didn’t everyone besides Cards fans think they were always rooting for the team during national broadcasts anyway? But Dan McLaughlin and Tim McCarver together … yikes.

In happier thoughts, there likely isn’t a Cardinals fan out there who doesn’t appreciate what John Mozeliak continually does for the team. (Well, okay, there probably is at least one …) But if you don’t appreciate how he’s built the roster that’s appeared in two of the last three World Series and even retooled the roster for 2014 without giving up any of the Cardinals prospects plus received a compensatory draft pick now that Carlos Beltran has signed with the Yankees, read this about the Seattle Mariners and their general manager Jack Zduriencik. You will appreciate Mo — and be really glad you’re a Cardinals fan.

Today is the first day of MLB’s Winter Meetings in Orlando. On the agenda for this morning is the announcement of the results from the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Expansion Era veterans’ ballot that included Tony La Russa, Joe Torre and Bobby Cox — all of whom are expected to be inducted. Rick Hummel has an interesting interview with Cardinals Hall of Famer and former manager Whitey Herzog today that’s definitely worth reading. Herzog is one of the 16-member panel who voted on this ballot yesterday. Just in case you don’t make it all the way to the end of the article, here’s the interesting conclusion:

This will be the year of the manager. And, said Herzog, by digression, so could next year be for the current Cardinals manager.

“When people ask me if I could have one wish,” said Herzog, “I say I wish I could be 60 years old (he is 82) and my name is Mike Matheny. Not just that he’s more handsome than me. But he’s got five closers and eight starting pitchers.”

As for any Cardinals activity in Orlando, about the only need still remaining for the team is bench help. Here’s a closer look at that from David Wilhelm of the Belleville News-Democrat.

Finally, the Peoria Chiefs online auction for Central Illinois tornado relief is still ongoing. Check out some of the current items up for bid — baseballs signed by Cards Hall of Famers Bruce Sutter, Ozzie Smith, Whitey Herzog and Lou Brock plus Jim Edmonds; an autographed 8 by 10 photo of Red Schoendienst; some cool signed artwork of Scott Rolen, Mike Matheny and Matt Morris; and more.


Christine Coleman is the lead writer for Aaron Miles’ Fastball. Follow her on Twitter, @CColeman802, or email aaronmilesfastball@gmail.com. Also follow @AMilesFastball for the latest updates and like us on Facebook if you don’t already.