St. Louis Cardinals spring

It’s a new era for last year’s World Series champions in St. Louis. The Cardinals have a new manager, as future Hall of Famer Tony LaRussa has retired, and their signature player, Albert Pujols left town for the Los Angeles Angels in free agency. But if there’s one thing this organization has its pride and tradition—over the last 12 seasons, they’ve been on the right side of .500 11 times, won three National League pennants and two World Series titles. In the bigger picture, they’ve won more World Series crowns than anyone outside the Bronx. So how does the 2012 talent match up with the pride and tradition? TheSportsNotebook dives into the Cardinals lineup, with our usual four measuring sticks of the ability to get on base, hit for power, starting pitching and relief pitching.