The Numbers
	2002 record: 97-65, .599 (6th overall) Runs scored: 787, 2nd in NL Runs allowed: 648, 4th in NL Run differential: +139 (8th overall) Starters' ERA: 4.04, tied for 6th in NL Bullpen ERA: 3.11, 3rd in NL Payroll (Opening Day): $74.1 million (13th overall) Attendance: 3.01 million (6th overall) 3-year record: 285-201, .586 (5th overall)

2002 in review
What went right?
The Cardinals finished the regular season with a 97-65 record to run away with the NL Central crown. St. Louis ended the season with a 37-13 run in the final 50 games and won its first-round NLDS series against the defending champion Diamondbacks. Albert Pujols (.314, 34 home runs and 127 RBI) enjoyed a stellar sophomore season and proved his rookie year was no fluke. Matt Morris (17-9, 3.42 ERA) confirmed his status as one of the best pitchers in the National League. Jason Simontacchi, a relative unknown, stepped in nicely in his rookie season (11-5, 4.02). Edgar Renteria (.305, 11 HR, 83 RBI, 77 runs scored, 22 stolen bases, 36 doubles) had a breakout season at the plate and provided solid defense up the middle again, claiming the 2002 NL Gold Glove at shortstop.

What went wrong?
During an unimaginable week in June, the Cardinals lost two members of their family. First, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck passed away following a lengthy illness. A few days later, one of the team's unquestioned leaders, pitcher Darryl Kile, died shockingly at the age of 33.

Paling in comparison to the deaths of Buck and Kile, the Cardinals also had to deal with a number of injuries throughout the season. J.D. Drew (.252, 18 HR, 56 RBI) suffered through knee tendinitis and never really got into a groove. Pitcher Woody Williams (9-4, 2.53) had an excellent season, but was limited to only 17 starts and 103.1 innings because of back spasms and a left oblique strain. Garrett Stephenson also joined Williams on the disabled list, further hurting St. Louis' depth on the mound. In his first season as a Redbird, Tino Martinez (.262, 21 HR, 75 RBI) didn't fullfill expectations at the plate.

Leadoff hitter Fernando Vina's numbers dropped across the board (.270, one HR, 168 hits, 75 runs scored) from the previous year (.303, nine HR, 191 hits, 95 runs scored). A season that began with so much promise, ended abruptly after a loss to the Giants in the NLCS in five games.

In retrospect, the critical decisions were:
1. 1. Trading Bud Smith, Placido Polanco and Mike Timlin to the Phillies on July 29 for Scott Rolen. More importantly, the Cards ended any rumor that this was a rent-a-player deal when they signed Rolen to an eight-year, $90 million contract. The third baseman hit .266 with 31 home runs and 110 RBI for the season, including .278 with 14 HR and 44 RBI in just 55 games for St. Louis. He batted .317 with runners in scoring position and half of his 44 RBI with the Cardinals came with two outs.

2. Trading for veteran workhorse Chuck Finley. The lefty provided some stability to a depleted rotation by starting 14 games and finishing with a 7-4 record and respectable 3.80 ERA for the Cardinals. St. Louis, however, was not able to keep Finley beyond half a season, a non-signing that leaves plenty of question marks to the rotation.

	Tino Martinez First baseman St. Louis Cardinals Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM AB R HR RBI AVG 150 511 63 21 75 .262

3. Signing Martinez. The Cardinals didn't expect Tino to be Mark McGwire, but they were hoping for more offense than they received from the 36-year-old first baseman. Particularly disappointing was his lack of success as a run producer given the propensity of the guys in front of him to get on base. Martinez's 75 RBI represented the first time since 1994 he failed to drive in at least 90 runs.

Looking ahead to 2003
Three key questions
1. Pitching -- or lack thereof -- could prevent the Cardinals from repeating as division champions. With Finley gone, Morris is the only starter who can be seen as a sure thing heading into the season. At 36, Williams has proven to be injury-prone in a St. Louis uniform and the offseason acquisition of Chris Carpenter and Dustin Hermanson doesn't exactly ease the questions St. Louis fans have regarding the starting rotation. Hermanson pitched just 22 innings for the Red Sox last season due to a groin injury, while Carpenter is recovering from shoulder surgery. The team hopes he will be available in July, but even that is not a certainty.

Brett Tomko (10-10, 4.49) is penciled in as the No. 3 starter and that's where the question marks continue. Simontacchi shouldn't be expected to duplicate his success of last season. Stephenson is another unknown because of his history with injuries. Another guy to keep an eye on is closer Jason Isringhausen, who had his shoulder repaired in late October. Isringhausen says he's ahead of schedule, but until he performs on the mound, the Cards won't know for sure.

2. Drew's health. He's not expected to be back as a full-time performer until June -- at the earliest -- after having knee surgery during the offseason. Eli Marrero (.262, 18 home runs and 66 RBI) will fill in at right field while Drew is out. The Cardinals' lineup is stacked and they could probably survive not having Drew during the first part of the season. However, Drew can file for free agency in 2004, and frankly, the organization needs to decide if he's worth the millions he's going to be asking for in the open market.

3. What's the future of Rick Ankiel? The Cards plan on bringing Ankiel out of the bullpen, which is a smart move that should take some pressure off the kid. But don't be surprised if he opens the season in the minors and then gets called up during the season. Ankiel is only 23-years-old and bringing him along slowly is the best option for the organization and the lefty.

Can expect to play better
Rolen has new life in St. Louis. He turns 28 in April, and should be entering the best years of his career. The former NL Rookie of the Year and four-time Gold Glove winner hasn't quite reached his potential at the plate, but with contract distractions and turmoil a thing of the past, Rolen is poised to enjoy a breakout season with the Cardinals, who arguably have the best lineup in the National League. His left shoulder, which kept him out for most of the postseason, has gotten better with offseason rest and he says he's 100 percent healthy heading into spring training. Good news for the Cards, bad news for the rest of the NL.

Stats Corner
Matt Morris (above) topped the Cards with 17 wins in 2002. He's won a total of 39 games over the past two seasons. Albert Pujols had 40 doubles, the second straight year he's had 40 or more. Rookie Jason Simontacchi was 7-1 with a 2.77 ERA in 10 starts in the first half. Tino Martinez had 75 RBI, his lowest season-ending total since the 1994 strike-shortened season.

Can expect to play worse
Simontacchi deserves a lot of credit for winning 11 games in 2002. That said, Simontacchi will be fighting to keep his spot in the rotation during the spring. He struggled in the second half (4-4 with a 4.96 ERA and 1.40 WHIP after the All-Star break) last year. He's not blessed with a big-league fastball, which forces him to mix his pitches and have good control to survive. Can he do that again in 2003? If the second half of last season is an indication of the future, the answer is no.

Projected lineup
2B Fernando Vina
RF Eli Marrero/J.D. Drew
CF Jim Edmonds
LF Albert Pujols
3B Scott Rolen
1B Tino Martinez
SS Edgar Renteria
C Mike Matheny

Rotation
Matt Morris
Woody Williams
Brett Tomko
Jason Simontacchi
Garrett Stephenson/Jim Journell/
Dustin Hermanson/Chris Carpenter (expected to return in July)

Closer
Jason Isringhausen

A closer look
The Cardinals' top pitching prospect, Jim Journell, will likely start the season at Triple-A Memphis.

At least that's what GM Walt Jocketty hopes is the case.

But with plenty of question marks in the big-league rotation, Journell will probably find himself in a major-league uniform at some point. The hardthrowing righty, however, needs to prove he's healthy. He had some shoulder and elbow troubles last season, which is the reason he made only 17 starts in the minors.

In seven starts at Triple-A Memphis, he pitched 36.2 innings and had a 2-4 record with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. He had even better success at Double-A New Haven, where he was 3-3 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in 10 starts.

At the age of 25, Journell is not a kid. Other organizations have not hesitated with throwing their top pitching prospects into the big-league mix. Granted, he doesn't have major-league experience, but how long can St. Louis wait?

Jocketty would rather go with veterans such as Brett Tomko, Garrett Stephenson, Dustin Hermanson and Chris Carpenter rather than the rookie if he had a choice. Of course, the Cards might not have that choice based on the history of their experienced starters.

Anna Sivadasan is an editor for ESPN.com.