Knoedler signing invokes memories of Dizzy Dean

In what was a minor signing by any stretch of the imagination, on Tuesday, MLB.com and various mainstream media sources reported the St. Louis Cardinals signed catcher Justin Knoedler to a minor league contract for 2009 and included an invitation to Major League spring training camp.

This morning, I received several notes informing me of the announcement, wondering why I had missed it, wanting to know more about the new Cardinal, etc…

The fact is that I thought I didn’t need to re-announce it, as I had already reported the Knoedler signing three-and-a half weeks ago, way back on November 21! (Click on the highlighted link to read the free article along with a photo gallery.)

The 28-year-old was signed, sealed and delivered before the protected lists for the Rule 5 Draft were due on November 20th. Knoedler was eligible to be selected in the draft, but not surprisingly, he was passed over.

– Did any other Cardinals news source report his signing last month? Nope.

– Did they report anything about the Rule 5 Reserve Lists and their ramifications? I did. (Link to subscriber-only article on Scout.)

Nothing against those hard-working writers from the deep-pocketed organizations that cover the Cardinals regularly. Many of them I consider friends. And I don’t expect to scoop the big boys on most all major news items affecting the major league club.

On the other hand, I hope you can recognize Knoedler as an example to appreciate the unparalleled depth of coverage you get here and on Scout.com about the Cardinals minor league system. I’ll gladly stack our hustle and coverage on the minors up against any of them.

If that interests you, remember to check here at The Cardinal Nation as well as at The Birdhouse daily!

In the immortal words of the great Dizzy Dean, “It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it!”