***I hope Skip Schumaker gets 400 at bats this summer. I'm intrigued by what he can bring to the team on a daily basis. He hit .333 with the big club last season and is well over .300 in Florida. He can run, play defense, and potentially solve the Cards' lead off problem.

***I'm terribly amused by the whining from Barry Bonds and his agent about Bonds not getting signed. Do the words "federal indictment" mean anything to them? How about "steroids scandal?"

***Rams Offensive Coordinator Al Saunders is a BIG Steven Jackson fan. He can't wait to unleash him on the NFC West. Preist Holmes and Larry Johnson both blossomed while playing for Saunders in K.C. Saunders thinks Jackson is more talented than either Holmes or Johnson. He cites his ability to run away from defenders in addition to his power as the difference.

***I almost fell down and kissed Saunders' feet when he told me the Rams would use the screen pass on a regular basis next season. Last year, the Rams had to be the WORST screen team in the NFL. And that's a shame given Jackson's ability to catch and run in the open field. Holmes racked up big yards in K.C. on screen plays.

***The Blues second-half slide is unfortunate but their off season priority should be the same as it was last summer----adding offense. Having said that, they are headed in the right direction. We tend to lose sight of that when they win only one game on a nine game road trip. But we can't forget how bad this team was when Andy Murray took over 15 months ago. I'm encouraged that John Davidson is in charge.

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