![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/b0/8b03ebba-400a-5259-a29f-68d8b1511435/64260c829c87b.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C756)
Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/f2/8f231876-3dc8-11ee-94f9-a3c6d6c307e5/64e176da3efe4.preview.jpg?crop=1730%2C908%2C7%2C37&resize=438%2C230&order=crop%2Cresize)
Back in the pits: Cardinals drop to 16 under .500 with lousy
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://mlblogswomenwholovecardinalsbaseball.files.wordpress.com/2021/09/2011-ws.jpg)
Chris Carpenter
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://h2j7w4j4.stackpathcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Busch-Stadium-2009-Kevin-Ward-Flickr.jpg)
St. Louis Cardinals team ownership history – Society for American
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/6c/e6cc47e0-db5b-5a6d-a098-a46841e9d9b0/642643a07febf.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C836)
Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/447/384/264e918c1a4db3bb7dad49a7b20e0438_crop_exact.jpg?w=2975&h=2048&q=85)
MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand Before 2021 Opening
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/d5AEhResb_s/maxresdefault.jpg)
The Cardinal Nation staff
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Ew6WPsZoch4/TQJWyzy3EOI/AAAAAAAAaOc/vZOyoda2VbQ/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/CA-1980+NLCS+81T.jpg)
Cardboard appreciation: 1981 Topps 1980 NL Championships
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/1d/f1dd8876-f78c-57a0-b347-fa3c1fd6d89f/642643a2e0e88.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C821)
Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://dbuff82.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/117575836.0.jpg?w=1024&h=666&crop=1)
July 2011 – Dose of Buffa
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://thewinningrun.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/cardinals.jpg?w=311)
Postseason The Winning Run
![Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott Rolen throws first pitch](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/78/9781905c-8aa1-5d8e-8a31-61201f2ed3ef/64261a1b17474.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C824)
Tony La Russa misses Cardinals opener for health reasons; Scott