photo: Kevin McGovern (Steve Schuster/Winnipeg Goldeyes)
The acute pitching problems in the St. Louis Cardinals system are being addressed by acquisitions from independent ball. Following the May 29 purchase of the contract of left-handed pitcher Tyler Pike, the Cardinals have returned to the independent Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks with their Thursday, June 10 acquisition of the rights to left-handed starting pitcher Kevin McGovern. (Last month, the Cardinals also picked up catcher/outfielder Clint Coulter from Sioux Falls.)
The RedHawks’ Thursday announcement stated the 32-year-old McGovern will report to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals. (Across St. Louis, Triple-A Memphis and Springfield, 11 pitchers are currently on the injured list.)
This season, McGovern is 4-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched over his first four starts, including two complete games. In his most recent start, on June 5, McGovern broke the American Association career strikeout record of 701 strikeouts. The Philadelphia, Pa. native ranks third on the AA career wins list (52) and second in career innings pitched (794).
McGovern is in his 10th season of professional baseball but has never pitched in affiliated ball until now. He was in his second season with the RedHawks and previous pitched for parts of five seasons with the Winnipeg Goldeyes, for whom he holds the team’s all-time strikeout record. The 6-foot-2, 190 pounder was a 2017 American Association All-Star and was part of Winnipeg’s 2016 and 2017 league champions.
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