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​The first month of the season has certainly been a productive one for the Cardinals, as they currently stand at 14-7 and have a four-game lead over the second-place Cincinnati Reds. All in all, not a bad April.  More >>

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"How much did you get? Wow, that's a lot of money, mang. So that means I should be worth like a billion dollars, right?"

​Ryan Howard, St. Louis native and current-hated first baseman for the always-hated Philadelphia Phillies, just signed himself a capital 'E' Enormous contract extension with said Phillies.

Howard's new deal (not to be confused with the New Deal, which was a works project during the Depression that cost slightly less than half what Howard will be making), is set to begin in 2012, the year after his current contract expires. He will make $20 million annually in both 2012 and '13, $25 million each season from 2014-2016, and $23 million in 2017, his age 37 season. There's a $10 million buyout for that final season. That's right, you heard me; the Phillies will have to pay Ryan Howard ten million dollars just to go away.  More >>

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A photo of Ryan Howard where he isn't playing baseball.

​Today, Philadelphia Phillies management cemented its commitment to first-baseman (and St. Louis area native) Ryan Howard with a $125 million, five-year contract, with a bonus structure that could result in the slugger earning $138 million over six years.

Just a little more than a month ago -- in those gossipy weeks before Opening Day --  a rumor published by ESPN floated this idea:

What would have been the trade of the decade is now just a footnote in the 2010 baseball year.

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The Cubs have decided to move former ace and known perpetrator of crimes against Gatorade machines Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen. Big Z has gotten off to a slow start this season, with a 7.45 ERA in four starts and 26 hits allowed in 19.1 innings, and the Cubs' bullpen has been less than inspiring, to say the least. Apparently the thought behind this move is to kill two birds with one stone; bolster the 'pen while giving Zambrano a chance to work through his issues at the same time.  More >>

​My father's father died in January this year. His name was Ernest Quentin Schafer, but everyone called him Gent. I don't know why, exactly; the nickname predates my arrival in the world by four decades or so. He was a lifelong Cardinal fan, and he loved Stan Musial.  More >>

Bill DeWitt Jr. as depicted in a 2001 RFT cover story.

​It's the Cardinals home opener this afternoon, and if the team's owner Bill DeWitt Jr. were to give a speech today, one suspects it would begin: "The state of Redbird Nation is strong." 

The Cardinals have won their first two series on the road and are predicted to once again win the the Central Division. Moreover, the team is on firm financial footing, according to the latest issue of Forbes.

The magazine ranks the Cardinals as the eighth most valuable baseball franchise among the 30 teams with an estimated worth of $488 million. That ranks just below the Los Angeles Dodgers and above the San Francisco Giants.

According to Forbes, the Cardinals took in $195 million in revenues last season and reported an operating income of more than $12 million.
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​Well, I think it's pretty clear by now the 2010 Cardinals aren't going to lose a game this year. I can honestly say, after viewing them for two entire games all the way through, this may be the single greatest athletic entity in the history of the world. Move over, '27 Yankees, the Cardinals are the train and you're on the tracks.  More >>

​The Daily RFT has compliled for you work-tethered fans some of the most classic quotes that describe the glory of our National Pastime.

The San Francisco Giants in the early 1970s had a scappy third baseman named Al Gallagher. He wasn't much of a ballplayer and only hung around for four years, but he sure had the right perspective about the game.

His immortal words: "God, my family, and basball. The only problem -- once baseball season begins, I change the order around a bit."

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'Tis the season.

​In case you've somehow missed it, the 2010 MLB season begins in earnest today.

The Cardinals are in Cincinnati and get underway at 12:10 this afternoon. Chris Carpenter 2.24 ERA (2009) faces Aaron Harang 4.21 ERA (2009).

From Cinncy the Cards travel to Milwaukee before landing in St. Louis next Monday for the team's home-opener versus the Astros.

The Cardinals have agreed to deal utility infielder Julio Lugo to the Baltimore Orioles for either a player to be named later or cash considerations. The deal is still awaiting final approval from the commissioner's office, indicating the amount of money changing hands is potentially more than $1 million, which is unsurprising considering the Red Sox are still paying all but the league minimum of Lugo's 2010 salary.  More >>