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Cards' Catalyst Vina Set For Softball
By Leighton Ginn The Desert Sun
January 4th, 2001
St. Louis Cardinals' second baseman Fernando Vina has a positive outlook for the 2001 season, not just for what they accomplished last season, but also for what could have been.
Vina will be one of the many Major League Baseball stars who will compete in Sunday's Pepsi All-Star Softball Game at Cathedral City's Big League Dreams Sports Park.
With Vina, the Cardinals went on to win the NL Central Division by 10 games and beat the Atlanta Braves in the playoffs to reach the NL Championship Series. St. Louis fell to the New York Mets 4-1.
Vina was one of the catalysts for the Cardinals, batting leadoff. He hit .300 and scored 81 runs.
It was Vina's first year with the Cardinals after spending five years in Milwaukee.
"I was really happy with it -- we had a good nucleus and we were able to do good things," Vina said. "It was special. It's a real no-nonsense team and they do the right things. There's a lot of good players, and with all that, we have a guy like Tony La Russa as our manager."
As good as the Cardinals were, Vina said he can't escape the thoughts of what might have been.
One of the Cardinals leading power hitters, Ray Lankford had one of his worst seasons, batting .253 with 148 strikeouts. But the real blow was the loss of superstar Mark McGwire, who spent two months on the disabled list with a knee problem. When he returned to the team for the playoff run, he was used in a limited role.
"If you look at it that way, if we had a healthy McGwire, it would have helped immense," Vina said. "With a fresh and healthy McGwire, we hope we can keep it going."
The NL Central should be tougher next year, with Cincinnati and Griffey and Houston with Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. But Vina feels good about what the Cardinals have, with their stable of power hitters, and solid pitching staff.
"With the nucleus and the team we have we can compete," Vina said. "At the end, hopefully it will be in our favor."
Before coming to the Cardinals, Vina had spent five years with the Milwaukee Brewers. He had his best season in 1998, when he batted .311 and scored 101 runs.
"It was a great place, and I have a lot of great memories," Vina said.
This will be Vina's first appearance in the softball game and he said he's not sure what to expect.
"I just know it's for a real good cause and the players have a good time," Vina said. "It will be a little different from the speed we're use to. We're there to raise money for a good cause."
The Desert Sun
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