11 in ’11. But can the St. Louis Cardinals make it 12 in  ’12? Defending the World Series title happens more commonly than one might think, but repeats almost always happen with the same manager. So, here are five keys to success for the Cardinals to make it 12 in  ’12:

In Matheny We Trust

For many Cards fans in my generation, Tony LaRussa is a celebrity. He has managed the Birds on the Bat since we first became cognizant of America’s pastime. But now that Skip has retired, the Cards will play their first season in 16 years with a new manager. After names like Terry Francona, Mike Scioscia and even Jose Oquendo made their rounds on the rumor mill, management named former catcher Mike Matheny as the new manager. Matheny has been a part of player development in the Cards’ front office for several years, working very closely with John Mozeliak (the smartest man on the planet). Yet, Matheny has more Gold Gloves than he has games managed. The players were reportedly very happy with the hire, and everyone seems to be on the same wavelength in Jupiter, Fla. But, when the dog days of summer roll around and St. Louis is in the hunt for a red October, will Matheny’s inexperience do him in?

The Back of the Rotation

Everyone and their grandmother expect the front of the rotation to be strong. Many would put Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia up against any top three in all of baseball. But Carp will start the season on the DL indefinitely, and time will tell how bad the disk is bulging in the back of his neck. Garcia has been masterful in the first half of both of his major league seasons, but he has considerably weaker numbers after the All-Star Break. While I fully expect him to get better with age and experience, it is the No. 4 and No. 5 guys that will make all the difference, should Garcia stumble or Carp miss too much time. Jake Westbrook (winner of the famous Game 6) has dropped 20 pounds and is tossing up blank frames in spring training. Kyle Lohse, remains underrated by Cardinal Nation. Last year, the right-hander led the starting staff in wins (14), ERA (3.39), WHIP (1.17) and BAA (.249). Overpaid, maybe, but Lohse makes an enviable No. 4.

No, Really, Who’s on Second?

Let’s face it. The Cardinals have not had a second basemen since the days of Fernando Viña. They have shuffled many worthy candidates through, like Tony Womack, Ronnie Belliard and Mark Grudzielanek, but no one has stuck for very long. This year, second is a question mark again.

With Daniel Descalso, Skip Schumacher and Tyler Greene vying for the role, we will likely see a platoon-combination of the three of them throughout the season. It’s unlikely that Descalso and Greene can play an entire season, and Skip’s services might be needed in the outfield. Mozeliak insists Greene is the man for the job, but he seems like a Brendan Ryan case to me. But, hey, I didn’t win the World Series.

M-V-Freese

With Pujols gone, the middle of the line looks like a hurricane: lots of power all around it but without a stable center. While I project Matt Holliday bats third and Berkman fourth, Freese could see some key at-bats in the 4-hole against lefties.

But, the 28-year-old has never played a full season; he has only played 184 games in his entire career. With the clutch hitting, opposite-field power and leadership poise he displayed last October, a healthy Freese remains the most important key to the hunt for a red October.

My prediction: 96-66, good for first place in the NL Central.