A goodly number of Cardinals fans gnashed their teeth when the Cardinals lost .368-hitting (for 38 at-bats) catcher Eric Fryer on a waiver claim by the Pittsburgh Pirates in late June. There was more angst when Fryer knocked in three runs for the Pirates in his first game back in Busch Stadium on July 5.
The nightmare is over. Fryer, 31, has returned to the Cardinals, who signed him to a minor-league contract along with two others who will be invited to spring training, including Logan Schafer, a 30-year-outfielder who was converted into a lefthanded relief pitcher last season by the Los Angeles Dodgers.