World Series champion Cardinals visit central Illinois - Peoria Journal Star

Apparently life after Albert Pujols hasn’t quite set in yet for the Cardinal Nation of central Illinois.

More than 500 St. Louis Cardinals partisans filled the space set aside at the Embassy Suites Riverfront Convention Center for a night of celebration with the 2012 Cardinals Caravan.

“This is about a World Series title, not Albert Pujols,” said 31-year-old Peorian Matt Miller, who, along with his two sons, joined the crowd in watching video highlights of the Cardinals improbable WS run prior to the start of the Caravan program.

The Cardinals were all but written out of the National League Central Division race on Sept. 1. Milwaukee was going to win the division and with 30 days left in the season, St. Louis was nearly 10 games behind Atlanta in the wild-card race.

But on the final day of the season, tied with the Braves for the wild-card berth, the Cardinals easily handled the Astros while Atlanta lost a ninth-inning lead to Philadelphia and then lost the game in 13 innings to give the St. Louis a postseason berth.

“It was unreal experience,” said Tony Cruz, a catcher in the Cardinals organization who was recalled from Memphis to the parent club for the September run. “Everyone was pulling for each other.

“The club house was great. Veterans with rookies, rookies learning from the veterans. All doing some scoreboard watching together.”

Cruz hits .238 with six RBIs in 38 games for St. Louis in 2011.  He was one of four organizational players on the Caravan. Joining Cruz were Matt Carpenter, Zack Cox and Jordan Swagerty.

Carpenter was the Cardinals’ 2010 Minor League Player of the Year. He played in seven big league games in 2011. Cox is a promising infielder who hit .335 in 42 games for Palm Beach of the Florida State League and .293 in 93 games Double-A Springfield, Mo. He is rated the fourth-best prospect in the Cardinals organization by Baseball America. And Swagerty is a pitching prospect who started the 2011 season at Class A Quad Cities and ended at AA Springfield. Baseball America’s “Best Tools” survey rated his slider the best in the Cardinal organization.

Also on the road with the ’Birds were alumni Rex Hudler and Andy Benes.

It was Benes, a former pitcher for the Cardinals, who took the forefront in speaking to the departure of Pujols, Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.

Benes summed up new Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, a former teammate, this way: “Mike is a really neat guy with great leadership skills.”

As for Duncan, who is on an indefinite leave of absence from the Cardinals to help his wife in her battle with cancer,“Dave prepared you mentally,” Benes said. “As a major league pitcher you know what you’re doing when you toe the rubber on the mound.

“Dave helped you with your preparation in how to get batters out, so all you have to do is concern yourself with execution of pitches.”

And regarding Pujols, the player ESPN.com called the greatest player of the decade (2000-2009).

“(The Cardinals) are losing the best player in the history of the game over an 11-year period,” Benes said of Pujols’ decision to take his talents to the Angels. “Albert will be missed, and you don’t replace a player like Albert. As a former teammate and a Cardinal fan, I’m disappointed, but I hope he does great in Anaheim.

“Still, the Cardinals have a very good team. They get a starting pitcher back (Adam Wainwright) and have a great bullpen. They’re World Series champions and have a great chance at another phenomenal year.”

Bo Ryan can be reachedat 686-3214 or rryan@pjstar.com.