it's pitching tuesday (sort of)

It's been awfully quiet around Cardinal Nation lately.

I keep trying to remember my weekly focus on pitching, but inevitably forget and let several weeks go by between installments. (I'll bet you didn't even know I had a weekly segment, did you? Ha ha!)

Let's start around the league (since that's where all the interesting news is). Derek Lowe got 4 years/$60 million from the Braves. Thanks to Mets Grrl for providing a link to an article pointing out some of the racially insensitive baggage he'll be checking on his flight to Atlanta. Kenshin Kawakami also signed with ATL. I'm guessing the two won't be having lunch together in the near future.

These two signings may have been an attempt by the Braves' organization to offset (and possibly divert attention away from) the loss of Atlanta pitching icon John Smoltz.

Elsewhere, the Brewers picked up Trevor Hoffman, and the Dodgers signed Guillermo Mota to a one-year blah. The 'Stros re-blah blah-blah Blah. Blah blah, blah blah-blah-blah. Blah.

That's right. Moving on....

In local news, Chris Carpenter recently told reporters that he's begun tossing the ball in preparation for Spring Training and strengthening. He indicated a willingness to do whatever his manager and pitching coach ask of him.

I'll say now what I said then, and that is I'll do anything they ask me to do. When I came back last year I was in the bullpen, so if that's where the team feels they need me, I'll do it. I just want to pitch again.

I suppose that's encouraging, at least. If there's one pitcher out there that I would say could tough it out and come back, it's Carp (and since we're counting on him, I guess that's a good thing). Keeping my fingers crossed, as always.