JUPITER, Fla. — The eagerness on the other end of the phone call was that of a hitter digging in, chin out and bat wagging, primed by preparation for the fastball he knew was coming.
The blunt numbers are readily available that capture the lethargic lineup the Cardinals lugged all summer and into fall. The biggest drag on the past two seasons is the biggest doubt entering 2021, so hitting coach Jeff Albert came to the telephone expecting a critical question: What is the source of optimism the Cardinals insist they see in the cage and in the data that will finally electrify on the scoreboard?