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Four cool comments from Lars Nootbaar at Cardinals Winter Warm-Up

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ST. LOUIS – In just a matter of a few seasons, Lars Nootbaar has grown from a St. Louis Cardinals fan-favorite on name recognition to a legitimate option as an everyday outfielder.

Nootbaar led all full-time Cardinals outfielders with a 2.2 WAR last season, bouncing back from a slow start with 10 home runs, 26 RBI and a .846 OPS in the season’s second half. The 25-year-old became a catalyst late last year in the leadoff spot and has proven capable defensively at all three outfield positions.

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There’s a lot to unpack with Lars Nootbaar, but he provided some interesting insight on his offseason and future Sunday during his Cardinals Winter Warm-Up media session. He did it while also wearing a “314” hat in celebration of the St. Louis region.

1. Busy offseason

Nootbaar has taken reps for hitting, fielding and running at two special spots in California. He has some connections at UCLA that have given him access to a field and batting cage early in the mornings. He’s also made the trip to Nolan Arenado’s baseball warehouse in Orange County, picking up on some guidance from the perennial Silver Slugger.

“I went down there earlier in the offseason and didn’t look very good, quite honestly,” said Nootbaar. “Anything was going to look better than what I did early in the offseason. … What’s great about baseball is that you have that offseason to tweak stuff and work on it and when you find something you like, you can build on that for a while.”

2. World Baseball Classic preps

Nootbaar will make history during the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He will be the first non-native to represent Team Japan, though eligibility rules allow him to play because his mother is of Japanese descent. Nootbaar is learning more about the Japanese language and traditions, and there’s a lot of spotlight overseas on him and his mother. Adding to the excitment, Tokyo will also be one of the international competition’s four host sites.

“It’s a huge honor, and that’s an understatement,” said Nootbaar. “We’ve been reached out to by players that we’ve hosted in the past and Japanese teams, their national high school team. My mom’s kind of doing her own media tour, and I think she’s relishing the moment … I’m happy I get to do some special for my mom. Anytime I can kind of put a smile on her face, and do that for her, that’s pretty cool. … My mom’s singing the Japanese national anthem in the house, and I’m repeating it. We’re doing little stuff like that.”

On a squad filled with starpower and headlined by pitcher-hitter phenom Shohei Ohtani, Nootbaar hopes to play a large role in the tournament.

“I’ve seen videos [of the Tokyo Dome], and my mom went to some games there. … They have like the whole cheering section, and Japan loves baseball. So the fact that it’s Team Japan versus whoever we would play, it’s gonna be pretty wild. … I’m going to try to play really good defense because a lot of effort that just goes into defense. I’m going to try to have competitive at-bats. … I just want to go out there and play really hard and give my whole effort. The chips are going to fall where they may, but I’m gonna go out there and play really hard.”

3. The next level

Momentum is certainly high for Nootbaar in terms of fan support and recent results. He stays off Twitter to avoid distractions that may come with growing expectations, though shows confidence in his room for improvement.

“I still have to go out there and perform. The bar is set a little bit higher publicly. But for myself, I want to be a really good baseball player. Being able to help out Nolan or Goldy in the lineup, I want to contribute, help those guys and alleviate some of the pressure off them. Publicly, the expectations might be a little higher, but I promise they aren’t higher than the ones I have for myself.”

“I really appreciate the fans, but I’m just going to go out and bust my butt and play hard this year, help the guys, and keep the clubhouse loose. Do what I did last year, but obviously at a much better level,” Nootbaar adds.

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4. Special autographs

Remember when “grinding the pepper” became a trendy Cardinals celebration last year? Clearly, it’s still a hit for fans. Nootbaar was asked to sign several pepper shakers Sunday. The Cardinals credit him for starting the celebration, as grinding pepper is symbolic of the way he wants to grind out tough at-bats.

“I’ve signed quite a few the past couple of days,” said Nootbaar. “It’s a little difficult, but it’s similar. I’ve learned to go lateral, longways, before it curves. Practice makes perfect. I’m not there yet, but I want to get there one day!”

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Man attacks Jeff Co. deputy with screwdriver during attempted arrest

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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Two people are behind bars after a man reportedly attacked a Jefferson County deputy with a screwdriver during an attempted arrest over the weekend.

Prosecutors have charged Nicholas Davis, 47, and Amanda Davis, 45, of Dittmer, Missouri, with felonies in the investigation.

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The alleged attack followed a traffic stop of a driver in the 9500 block of Jones Creek Road on July 7, though the driver was not Nicholas or Amanda.

According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Nicholas reportedly came out of his nearby home, yelled at a deputy and started approaching him while holding a screwdriver. The deputy initially ordered Nicholas to back away, then used pepper spray.

Per court documents, the deputy attempted to arrest Nicholas, who then struck him in the chest with the screwdriver. Amanda reportedly approached the deputy and pulled him away from Nicholas before both ran inside their home.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says the situation prompted an hours-long standoff involving negotiators, a SWAT team and a K-9 deputy. The situation led to Nicholas refusing warnings and being bitten by a K-9.

Nicholas and Amanda are both jailed in the Jefferson County Jail without bond. Nicholas is charged with first-degree assault on a special victim and armed criminal action. Amanda is charged with resisting/interfering with arrest.

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St. Louis Public Schools superintendent to be sworn in

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ST. LOUIS — The new St. Louis schools superintendent will be officially sworn into office today. Dr. Keisha Scarlett took over the job in July after the retirement of Dr. Kelvin Adams. She was assistant superintendent in the Seattle Public School District. The installation ceremony is at 6:15 p.m. before the regular school board meeting.

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Gas tanker crashes into St. Louis Metro transit center

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ST. LOUIS — A gasoline tanker truck crashed into a Metro transit center near Riverview and Hall Streets early Tuesday morning and knocked over a power pole. The pole is leaning on other power lines. Police have the area blocked off here because there is a downed power line. Ameren and Metro crews are also on the scene.

The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. It’s still unclear exactly what caused the crash, but we do that there was a second vehicle somehow involved. The airbags on that second vehicle did deploy.

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Police at the scene have not been able to give us a lot of details. Metro officials tell FOX 2 that the transit center here is operating this morning for passengers and buses. Access to certain areas will be limited here as clean up unfolds.

A Metro spokesperson says half of the station isn’t being used right now because of safety issues. It isn’t impacting overall bus operations, everything is just happening on the other side of transit center.

The extent of the damage to the actual transit center is still unclear, but I’m told it does not appear to be extreme. A Metro spokesperson tells me there were no injuries to any metro workers or passengers. The tanker driver also was not injured.

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