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Change defines spring for World Series winners

Sports

February 18th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — So long, Albert Pujols. Happy trails, Tony La Russa. Timeout, Dave Duncan. The World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals have had plenty of upheaval. Now they enter spring training looking for a new No. 3 hitter and breaking in a rookie manager and pitching coach. Time for the newcomers to step forward. With pitchers and catchers reporting Saturday at Roger Dean Stadium, Mike Matheny checked that this was where La Russa usually held court for 16 springs. Derek Lilliquist plans on sticking with Duncan’s tried and true methods in his first year as pitching coach. Lilliquist was acting pitching coach late last season while Duncan took a leave following his wife’s surgery to remove a brain tumor. How will the Cardinals ill fill the third spot in the batting order now that Pujols is with the Angels? Matheny says there’s plenty of time to figure that out.