All posts by Brian Walton

Brian Walton runs The Cardinal Nation, covering the St. Louis Cardinals and minor league system.

Cards minors spring game reports – March 30


Monday’s opponents: Five games against the Marlins on the home side of the complex.

Tuesday’s opponents: Camp day with Memphis-Springfield and Palm Beach vs. Quad Cities.

Here are the current won-loss records of the clubs this spring. The group in total remains at .500 and will do so another day as well.

Memphis: 5-6-0

Springfield: 4-6-1

Palm Beach: 6-4-1

Quad Cities #1: 3-6-2

Quad Cities #2: 5-1-1

Total: 23-23-5


The following game summaries are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch.


Memphis lost to New Orleans, 8-3

Memphis pitching

Mitchell Boggs, 3.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 1 K

Matt Scherer, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K

Pete Parise one inning with a K

Tyler Norrick, 2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K’s

Sam Freeman 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R

Memphis hitting

Nick Stavinoha, 2-for-4 with a run scored

Bryan Anderson 2-for-3 with a HR

Jarrett Hoffpauir singled and had two RBIs


Springfield defeated Jacksonville, 8-6

Springfield pitching

Adam Ottavino 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 runs, five of which were unearned, 2 BB, 4 K’s

Kyle Mura 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB

Ken Maiques 1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K

Francisco Samuel, 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Springfield hitting

Daryl Jones (pictured) 3-for-3, triple, homer, walk, 2 runs and 2 RBIs

Daniel Descalso 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs

Tyler Henley 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored

Andrew Brown and Brett Wallace doubled

Mike Folli singled and walked

Antonio DeJesus singled and had two RBIs


Palm Beach lost to Jupiter, 6-1

Palm Beach pitching

David Kopp, 3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Lance Lynn, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K

Casey Mulligan 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB

Palm Beach hitting

Shane Peterson 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored

Tommy Pham and Oliver Marmol doubled

Charlie Kingrey had the lone RBI

Adron Chambers, Jon Edwards and Pete Kozma singled


Quad Cities#1 defeated Greensboro, 2-1

QC #1 pitching

Adam Veres 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Miguel Tapia 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Arquimedes Nieto, 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Ramon Delgado 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K’s

QC #1 hitting

Marcus Ingram singled, walked and scored a run

Domnit Bolivar singled and scored a run

Niko Vasquez singled and had an RBI

Edwin Gomez doubled

Paul Cruz singled


Quad Cites #2 tied with Marlins’ 5th club, 2-2

QC #2 pitching

Kevin Siegrist 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Mike Blazek 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB

Josh Hester, 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Jose Rada 1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 K

Jason Buursma 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

QC #2 hitting

Yunior Castillo 2-for-3 with a run scored

Beau Riportella doubled

Travis Mitchell RBI single

Brian Buck had an RBI

Cardinals in NL Tout Wars fantasy drafts


Though I have been competing for several years in one of the most nationally-known fantasy leagues, Tout Wars, I rarely if ever talk about it here, because after all, this site is about the Cardinals.

Yet at least once per year, it makes sense to delve into it a bit when the two worlds meet. The National League Tout Wars draft was Sunday morning in New York and I again participated – facing off against 12 of the top writers in the fantasy world.

I will look at where the Cardinals players went in the draft and a bit of my thinking about them. There was also a 17-team mixed draft on Saturday afternoon/evening. I will include those prices without commentary, as that format is likely less-transferable to your local league. In addition, I was only watching that draft, not bidding!

Full AL, NL and mixed rosters are available at ToutWars.com.

A bit of background. Most of the participants know one another pretty well, including draft tendencies and favorite clubs. My Cardinals background is more team-focused than most, which leads newer league members to assume I will try to assemble a St. Louis-oriented roster.

That is not the case. With a 23-player draft plus four reserve picks from a 16-team NL pool, odds are that any given owner will have one or two players from a given club on his roster.

So it was for me and the Cards in recent seasons. In 2007, my second catcher was a $4 Yadier Molina and I wasted $13 on a then-still hopeful return to St. Louis for Adam Kennedy.

Starting last season, which became a disaster for me, I also had two Cardinals. This time, they were expected to be a more integral part of my team at $16 each. Rick Ankiel was fine prior to his injury and Jason Isringhausen, well, let’s just say that they weren’t the only two disappointments…

It was yet another reminder to not pay for last year’s stats.

That was certainly a lesson I took into 2009. I was searching for players with solid skills but would be undervalued because they have yet to break out or due to concerns over past injuries.

In a league like this where all the competition is knowledgeable, there aren’t going to be sleepers. Everyone pretty much knows the players well. So looking for this upside is where I decided to take my chances on draft day.

I also wanted to build a solid team from top to bottom, avoiding having to fight for the inevitable late-draft scraps with people having too much to spend on too few decent players. With the four reserve rounds, we are talking about 13 teams times 27 players per team, or 351 NL players taken.

With that long introduction out of the way, following are the prices of the Cardinals players drafted in 2009 Tout Wars. You’ll see three values. The first is the player’s price in NL Tout. Second is his value as calculated through our draft kit, free at creativesports.com, where I also write during the season. On the right is the winning bid from the Tout Wars 17-team mixed draft auction.

NL bid Value Mixed
Catcher Molina 9 7 8
First Pujols 38 33 48
Second* Schumaker 8 9 1
Ryan 1 3 U
Short Greene 16 11 5
Barden R R U
Third Glaus 7 11 2
Freese 1 R 1
Outfield Ankiel 14 18 10
Ludwick 23 22 18
Duncan 7 7 1
Rasmus 8 10 3
Mather 2 7 U
Starters Wainwright 16 12 11
Carpenter 10 11 12
Lohse 7 3 R
Wellemeyer 4 R 1
Pineiro 3 R U
Relievers Motte 11 9 12
Perez 4 4 3
Franklin 3 4 2
Kinney 2 R U
* coming
R=reserve
U=undrafted

Now, let’s discuss the Cardinals players.

Catcher: I like Yadier Molina, but knew he would go for more than what I had allocated as his batting average improvement last season caught peoples’ attention. I was right.

First base: Albert Pujols was actually a bargain by most valuation systems, though not mine. It was very early in the draft, but having it to do over, it might have been tempting to say “$39”. At that point, I was still saving my corner money, hoping to get Ryan Zimmerman of the Nats, but I got out of the bidding for him at $23.

Second base: Though only initially qualifying as an outfielder, Skip Schumaker will become second-base eligible after only five games, making an $8 bid more reasonable. I chose not to go there, however.

Shortstop: Readers of this blog know how excited I became after looking at Khalil Greene’s springs compared to regular seasons. I ended up in a bidding war with Phil Hertz of BaseballHQ, paying more for Greene than I planned. But after a one-year absence from my Tout roster, Greene is back!

Third base: Hertz took a late $1 flyer on David Freese. Darn. I had hoped Freese would slip into the reserve round, but obviously he did not. I selected Houston’s new third baseman Chris Johnson instead. Troy Glaus’ value was approximately cut in half ($7) for good reason. I had no interest in going that route amid concerns about a lag in his power returning.

Outfield: I honestly did not have room for Colby Rasmus, as outfield is where I loaded up on talent. I had both Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel targeted, but secured neither. I bid Ludwick up to $22, at my top value, and let Lenny Melnick/Paul Greco take him for $23. They also added a $7 Chris Duncan, which could be especially nice if he is traded and receives more playing time. I may have gotten out too quickly on Ankiel as he sold for $14.

Starting pitching: I wanted the dual aces of Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. I paid for the first, but bailed out on the latter when the amounts reached double-digits. My biggest regret from the draft is not staying in on Carp longer, but I was worried about money after going over budget on Greene and several non-Cardinals.

While not Carp’s replacement, a $3 Joel Pineiro could be an asset if he can keep throwing an effective sinker. I was fine taking that small chance. Todd Wellemeyer and Kyle Lohse also received credible bids, $4 and $7 respectively, but I didn’t want to go in that direction.

Relief pitching: There apparently was an undercurrent of interest in the room and on the live draft blog over what I would do with regard to the Cardinals’ closer situation. I would have loved Jason Motte, but it would have taken at least $12 to get him and probably more. I viewed that as fairly high risk. Instead, I grabbed Chris Perez for just $4. Over the course of the season, I believe I will get more value per dollar in return for him.

Ryan Franklin and Josh Kinney also received bids from others, just to make sure the waterfront is adequately covered!

If you’re keeping score, I actually doubled my level of past Cardinals participation by taking four in this draft – the ones bolded in the table above. Greene, Wainwright, Perez and Pineiro cost a total of $39 of my $260. Yet the year-over-year increment is only seven dollars – the amount gambled on the latter two pitchers. As noted, I also would have liked to acquire three or four other Cards, though.

When analyzing why, I think I do harbor more optimistic feelings about several of these St. Louis players than do many other pundits. I don’t know that it makes them “homer” picks, however. I prefer to think I just have a deeper knowledge about them.

After all, I also ended up with four members of the Washington Nationals and I can assure you that I certainly have no affinity to that team. The reality is that they had more of what I wanted – emerging and comeback candidates at decent prices.

For those playing fantasy, good luck in your drafts and may you have a successful 2009 season!

Cards minors spring game reports – March 29


Sunday’s opponents: New York Mets (Memphis and Springfield at Port St. Lucie with Palm Beach and Quad Cities at Jupiter).

Monday’s opponents: Five games against the Marlins on the home side of the complex.

I’ve added a new feature today – the aggregate won-loss record of the clubs this spring. Now that ten games have been played, it is enough to at least consider.

Memphis: 5-5-0

Springfield: 3-6-1

Palm Beach: 6-3-1

Quad Cities #1: 2-6-2

Quad Cities #2: 5-1

Total: 21-21-4

Sunday marks the first day since the third day of games that the overall system record inched up to .500. There has yet to be a time when all four (or five) clubs have won on the same day.

In all fairness, I should note that four of the ten days have been camp days. In those instances where the Cardinals play each other, their records then will be .500 by definition.


The following game summaries are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch.


Memphis defeated New Orleans, 5-3

Memphis pitching

P.J. Walters, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K’s

Katsuhiko Maekawa, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K’s

Marco Gonzalez, 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Memphis hitting

Nick Stavinoha, 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI

Casey Rowlett 3-for-4 with a SB

Jon Jay 2-for-4 with a 2-run HR

Tyler Greene and Brian Barton both 1-for-3 with a walk

Mark Shorey, Bryan Anderson and Brandon Yarbrough all added singles


Springfield lost to Binghamton, 5-4

Springfield pitching

Justin Fiske, 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K’s

Elvis Hernandez 1.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Kristhiam Linares 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K’s

Springfield hitting

Brandon Buckman 2-for-4 with a double

Donovan Solano had a 3-run HR – also made a nice pick and tag on a steal attempt

Daryl Jones doubled

Jim Rapoport and Mike Folli singled and scored a run


Palm Beach defeated St. Lucie, 5-3

Palm Beach pitching

Mark Diapoules 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K’s

Richard Castillo, 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Blake King, 1 IP, 1 K

Adam Reifer, 0.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Eduardo Sanchez, 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s

Palm Beach hitting

Paul Vasquez 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI

Pete Kozma and Tommy Pham both tripled and scored a run

Charlie Kingrey doubled

Jon Edwards was 1-for-2

Jermaine Curtis, Shane Peterson, Francisco Rivera all singled


Quad Cities tied with Savannah, 1-1

Quad Cities pitching

Brett Zawacki (pictured), 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K’s

Gary Daley, 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Eric Fornataro, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1K

Dylan Gonzalez, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

David Carpenter threw one perfect inning

Quad Cities hitting

Beau Riportella, 2-for-4

Paul Cruz, 1-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk

Brian Buck singled and scored a run

Brett Lilley, Ryde Rodriguez and Michael Swinson singled

Cards minors spring game reports – March 28


Saturday’s opponents: Five games on the Marlins’ side of the complex.

Sunday’s opponents: New York Mets (Memphis and Springfield at Port St. Lucie with Palm Beach and Quad Cities at Jupiter).


Memphis lost to New Orleans, 5-2

Memphis pitching

Clayton Mortensen 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Ian Ostlund, 2 IP,1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Charlie Manning, 1.2 IP, 1H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K’s

Royce Ring, 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Memphis hitting

Jarrett Hoffpauir 3-for-4 with a double and RBI

Tyler Greene 3-for-4 with a run scored and SB

Nick Stavinoha, 2-for-4 with a walk


Springfield lost to Jacksonville, 13-10

Springfield pitching

Brandon Dickson, 3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Eddie Degerman, 1 IP, 1H, 4 ER, 3 BB,  3 K’s

Trey Hearne, 2 IP, 1 BB, 3 K’s

Ken Maiques, 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Francisco Samuel one scoreless inning

Springfield hitting

Brett Wallace, 4-for-5 with 3 HR’s, 5 RBIs

Daniel Descalso 2-for-3 with a double, run scored and RBI

Tony Cruz 2-for-3 with a double, HR and 3 RBIs

Antonio DeJesus, Daryl Jones, Andrew Brown and Brandon Buckman all singled


Palm Beach defeated Jupiter, 13-5

Palm Beach pitching

Nick Additon 2.2 IP , 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K’s

Ryan Kulik, 3 IP, 1 BB, 3 K’s

Thomas Eager, 1 IP, 2 H, 1 K

Davis Bilardello, 1 IP, 1 H

Casey Mulligan 1 IP, 1H

Palm Beach hitting

Adron Chambers, 3-for-5 with a double and 3 runs scored

Curt Smith, 3-for-4 with a run and RBI

Tommy Pham tripled twice and had 3 RBIs

Jermaine Curtis, 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBIs

Francisco Rivera double

Oliver Marmol singled and walked in his two plate appearances


Greensboro defeated Quad Cities #1, 6-2

QC #1 pitching

George Brown 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s

Hector Cardenas, 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1K

Chuckie Fick, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 K’s

Matt Frevert, 1 IP, 1 K

Jorge Rondon, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

QC#1 hitting

Chris Swauger 2-for-3

Osvaldo Morales, 2-for-4 with two doubles

Xavier Scruggs, 2-for-4 with a double

Edwin Gomez and Ryde Rodriguez had RBI singles

Paul Cruz and Alex Castellanos also singled


Quad Cities #2 defeated Marlins 5th club, 7-2

QC #2 pitching

Kevin Thomas (pictured) 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Anthony Ferrara, 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K’s

Jason Buursma, 1.1 IP, 1 K

Daniel Richardson, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB

Santo Maertz, 0.2 IP

QC #2 hitting

Brett Lilley doubled twice and walked twice

Brian Buck 3-for-4 with a double, triple, two runs scored and two RBIs

Beau Riportella hit a two-run HR

Travis Mitchell singled twice

Roberto De La Cruz hit a long solo HR to LF through the wind

Jarred Bogany, Jairo Martinez, Michael Swinson and Ivan Castro all singled


These game accounts as above are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch.

Cards minors spring game reports – March 27


Friday’s opponents: Another camp day with Memphis facing Springfield and Palm Beach taking on Quad Cities. As I noted yesterday, the major leaguers remaining behind from the first part of the Ft. Myers trip joined the Memphis squad for the day.

Saturday’s opponents: Five games scheduled on the Marlins’ side of the complex.


Springfield defeated Memphis, 5-3

Memphis pitching

Shaun Garceau, 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB

Ryan Bird 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB

Kristhiam Linares, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K

Eduardo Sanchez, 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB

Memphis hitting

Brian Barton 3-for-3 with a double, triple, walk and two RBIs

Joe Mather 1-for-3 with an RBI

Jason LaRue 1-for-2 with a double

Mark Shorey 1-for-3 with a run scored

Springfield pitching

Blake Hawksworth, 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K’s

Matt Scherer 2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Sam Freeman, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Springfield hitting

Tyler Greene 3-for-4 with three doubles and four RBIs

Antonio DeJesus tripled, and made a tough catch at the fence in foul territory

Tony Cruz doubled, walked and had an RBI

Brett Wallace 1-for-3


Palm Beach defeated Quad Cities, 4-2

Palm Beach pitching

Scott McGregor 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB

LaCurtis Mayes two perfect innings with five K’s

Andres Rosales, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 K

Palm Beach hitting

Pete Kozma doubled and had a sac fly

Paul Vasquez doubled and walked in his only two plate appearances

Curt Smith 1-for-3 with a run scored

Tommy Pham 1-for-2 with a walk, run scored and had the GWRBI

Adron Chambers walked and beat out a bunt single

Francisco Rivera executed a squeeze bunt for an RBI

Shane Peterson singled and walked twice

Quad Cities pitching

Reynier Gonzalez (pictured) four shutout innings, allowing three hits

Joel Pichardo, 2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K

Senger Peralta 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB

Quad Cities hitting

Niko Vasquez, 2-for-2 with a walk

Osvaldo Morales had a two-run double for the only QC runs

Jose Garcia’s double was the only other QC hit


These game accounts as above are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch.

Cardinals minors working rosters – March 27


With the release of nine players on Thursday, the current count of minor leaguers in St. Louis Cardinals in camp sits at 151.

A sure sign the regular season is approaching is the change from listing the minor leaguers as part of four more loosely-defined “groups” to now being ordered with the attached label of the four full-season minor league clubs.

There is one addition, the second Quad Cities team, which might instead be considered those players most likely to not make a full-season club. Rather than heading north with the others, the players on that roster as it looks next week will remain behind in extended spring training.

Again, there is still plenty of time for movement, which there will surely be. There will also be another round of cuts, so don’t assume these will be the final rosters.

Once the regular season begins, I will publish a refresh of the entire organizational roster matrix. The current version is accurate in terms of player names in and out, but the individual teams are still organized in the manner the players reported to camp.

Remember you can always find the current version from the “Players/Staff” tab on the top of the page. Look for “Depth Charts/Roster Matrix”. I prefer not to call them depth charts as I am not tracking playing time, but I use the label since I can see that many are searching for the information in that way.

Cards minors spring game reports – March 26


Thursday’s opponents: New York Mets (Memphis and Springfield at Jupiter with Palm Beach and Quad Cities at Port St. Lucie) plus Quad Cities 2 entertained Gildea’s Rangers, a traveling squad.

Friday’s opponents: Another camp day with Memphis facing Springfield and Palm Beach taking on Quad Cities. There is a twist however. The MLB players not taking the Ft. Myers trip are joining the Memphis squad for an 11 a.m. game against Springfield. The other game should be at the regular 1 p.m. time.


Memphis defeated New Orleans, 3-2

Memphis pitching

Brad Thompson, 2 IP 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Ryan Franklin, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Jess Todd, 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K’s

Katsuhiko Maekawa, 1 IP, 2 K’s

Fernando Salas, 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

Memphis hitting

Justin Knoedler, 3-for-4 including, 9th inning 2-out, 2-strike, 2-run game-winning double down the LF line – made good throw to nail basestealer

Amaury Cazana, 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI

Shane Robinson doubled

Bryan Anderson and Nick Stavinoha singled and walked

Casey Rowlett added a singled and SB.


Springfield lost to Binghamton, 9-5

Springfield pitching

Brad Furnish 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 K’s

Tyler Herron, 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R

Elvis Hernandez 1 IP, 2 H, 2 unearned runs, 2 K’s

Francisco Samuel 1.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 K’s

Springfield hitting

Brett Wallace, 2-for-4, doubled and had an RBI

Tyler Henley and Brandon Buckman 2-for-4

James Rapoport and Daniel Descalso both singled and walked


Palm Beach tied with St. Lucie, 4-4

Palm Beach pitching

Brian Broderick 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K’s

J.D. Stambaugh, 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Blake King, 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Pete Parise, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R

Adam Reifer 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB

Palm Beach hitting

Paul Vasquez 2-for-2 with 2 RBIs

Tommy Pham 2-for-4 with two triples

Curt Smith 2-for-4 with a double

Shane Peterson tripled

Colt Sedbrook singled and walked

Charlie Kingrey and Francisco Rivera singled


Quad Cities #1 lost to Savannah, 5-4

QC#1 pitching

Deryk Hooker, 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K’s

Ramon Delgado 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1K

Dylan Gonzalez 2 IP, 2 H

David Carpenter, 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 K

Jorge Rondon 1 IP, 2 H, 1 K

QC #1 hitting

Niko Vasquez 2-for-2 with a walk

Jose Garcia doubled

John Cawley had a two-run single

Paul Cruz and Ryde Rodriguez singled for the only other hits


Quad Cities #2 defeated Gildea’s Raiders, 13-5

QC #2 pitching

Josh Hester, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 unearned run, 1 K

Jose Rada, 2 IP, 0 H, 1 unearned run, 2 BB, 4 K’s

Santo Maertz 1 IP, 1 K

Daniel Richardson 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB

Jason Buursma, 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 K’s

QC #2 hitting

Travis Mitchell, 4-for-4 with a walk, run scored and two RBIs

Oliver Marmol 2-for-4, with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs

Roberto De La Cruz 2-for-5 with an RBI

Ivan Castro RBI double in his only AB

Brian Buck doubled

Michael Swinson singled, and walked twice

Edgar Lara and Beau Riportella each had RBI singles

These reports as above are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch.


As I reported earlier, the Cardinals released nine minor leaguers on Thursday. They are Hyang-Nam Choi, Russ Haltiwanger, Brian Cartie, Zach Pitts, Matt Spade, Wayne Daman, Jose Mateo, Jon Mikrut and Jameson Maj.


Memphis notes

Brad and Brad starting. Major leaguer Brad Thompson pitched two innings starting for Memphis. Springfield’s starter was another Brad, Brad Furnish. As expected, the Mets’ Triple-A club didn’t get a ball out of the infield until the second, when Thompson gave up an RBI double deep to left center.

Catchers were everywhere as Nick Stavinoha moved behind the plate, Justin Knoedler started at first and Bryan Anderson was the designated hitter.

Fellow MLBer Ryan Franklin also came over and pitched a quick third inning. Teammate Kyle McClellan along with bullpen coach Marty Mason and bullpen catcher Jeff Murphy were among us looking on.

The original starter, Jess Todd, looked simply dominating. I don’t get those who are whispering he will have to convert to relief.

Bryan Anderson led off one inning with a single, but Shane Robinson, Brian Barton and Tyler Greene whiffed in succession. The Mets’ pitcher was Eddie Kunz.

Third baseman Allen Craig was hit on the elbow earlier in the week and is being kept out as a precaution. It is not baseball news, but Barton has a new shorter hairdo, pulled back in sort of a short ponytail.


Springfield notes

Furnish gave up a bases loaded single up the middle, but averted further damage when Jim Rapoport nailed a Mets runner at the plate.

After stroking an RBI double early, third baseman Brett Wallace was handcuffed on a hard-hit ball right at him. Later with the bases loaded, Pete Kozma drew a walk and Wallace should have had a sac fly to medium center, but Antone DeJesus was nailed at the plate by another great throw.

I saw Tyler Henley foul off pitch after pitch, seeing at least nine in one at-bat before striking a single between first and second.

Tyler Herron was the second pitcher and yielded a triple on his first pitch. Though he allowed several more runners, I only saw the one cross the plate. (clarification: It was an inherited runner from Furnish. In an unusual move for a spring minors game, Pop Warner made a mid-inning pitching change.) When I shot a photo of Herron dragging a weighted sled the other day, he was rehabbing a tight hamstring.

Second baseman Jose Martinez has been excused from camp to attend to a serious family matter that may keep him away for awhile.


Palm Beach notes

Catcher Blake Murphy is out of action due to some minor elbow soreness.


Quad Cities notes

I saw what is likely my first-ever 2-4-6 play as catcher Kevin Moscatel ran out to catch a runner napping off first. He ran the runner toward second, but waited too long to throw the ball. It plunked off the second baseman and dropped into the covering shortstop’s glove.

GM John Mozeliak and VP Jeff Luhnow were among those taking in the game.

Lineup Memphis Springfield Quad Cities 2
1 Robinson cf Rapoport cf Mateo cf
2 Barton rf Kozma ss Marmol 2b
3 Greene ss Wallace 3b Mitchell rf
4 Stavinoha c Hill c Lara dh
5 Cazana lf Descalso 2b De La Cruz 3b
6 Hoffpauir 2b Brown lf Riportella lf
7 Shorey dh Henley dh Martinez 1b
8 Knoedler 1b Buckman 1b Swinson dh
9 Rowlett 3b De Jesus rf Castillo ss
10 Anderson dh Moscatel c
Pitchers Thompson Furnish Hester
Franklin Herron Rodriguez
Todd Freeman Rada
Maekawa Samuel Maertz
Ostlund Richardson
Salas Buursma

The photo depicts the pair of former first-round draft picks playing on the left side of the Springfield defense, third baseman Brett Wallace and shortstop Pete Kozma.

Cardinals cut nine minor leaguers


The nine players released by the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday are Hyang-Nam Choi, Russ Haltiwanger, Jon Mikrut, Brian Cartie, Zach Pitts, Matt Spade, Wayne Daman, Jose Mateo and Jameson Maj.

Two are newcomers to the organization, four are former free agent signings, two are from the 2007 Draft (rounds 20 and 45) and one was taken in last June’s Draft (round 24). Seven of the nine are right-handed relievers, one is a left and the only position player in the group is a third baseman.

The Korean right-hander Choi had previous minor league experience in the Cleveland system in 2007. The Cardinals organization had signed the 37-year-old at the end of February.

Haltiwanger, 24, was selected by the Cardinals from the Kansas City Royals in the minor league phase of last December’s Rule 5 Draft and as such, should be offered back to them. The right-hander was originally taken by the Reds in the 29th round of the 2005 Draft.

Mikrut (pictured), 26, was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2005. The right-hander started out strongly with Palm Beach last season, earning a promotion to Double-A Springfield. There, he posted a 4.25 ERA in 65 2/3 innings over 44 games. He fanned 46 and walked 20.

The 23-year-old third baseman Cartie spent the entire 2008 season with the A-Advanced Palm Beach Cardinals where he batted .264 with three home runs and 35 RBIs in 77 games. He became a Cardinal via the 20th round of the 2007 Draft.

Pitts, 23, was taken in the 24th round of the 2008 Draft from Louisville. The right-handed pitcher went 0-4 for Batavia of the New York-Penn League with a 2.70 ERA and an opposing batting average .207 compiled while starting and relieving.

After signing with the Cards in June 2007 as a non-drafted free agent, left-handed reliever Matt Spade pitched in the Gulf Coast League, for Johnson City and Quad Cites, where he ended 2007 and pitched for all of 2008. The 21-year-old had a 3.61 ERA in 47 games last season. He struck out 48 and walked 24 in 52 1/3 innings.

Daman, 24, a right-handed reliever, also signed as a free agent in June 2007. Between Palm Beach and Quad Cities, he pitched in 40 games last season, posting a 3.29 ERA while fanning 57 and walking 24 in 68 1/3 innings.

Right-hander Jose Mateo, 22, was signed back in 2005 as a non-drafted free agent from the Dominican Republic. He spent all of the 2008 season with Johnson City except for a end-of-season start with Palm Beach. With JC, he had a 3-1 record with a 3.63 ERA and two saves. He walked seven batters in 34 2/3 innings pitched, and struck out 29 batters.

Maj was taken in the 45th round of the 2007 Draft out of Abilene Christian. The 23-year-old right-handed reliever reached Quad Cities last season after starting the season with Batavia. Across the two stops, he walked just eight batters while striking out 54 in 60 innings last season. His combined ERA was 4.20.

Cards minors spring game reports – March 25


Wednesday’s opponents: Florida Marlins on the Cardinals side of the complex.

Thursday’s opponents: New York Mets (Memphis and Springfield at Jupiter with Palm Beach and Quad Cities at Port St. Lucie) plus Quad Cities 2 entertains Gildea’s Rangers, a traveling squad.


Memphis lost to New Orleans, 7-5

Memphis faced ML pitcher Andrew Miller for the first four innings and led 3-1 when he left the game

Memphis pitching

Adam Ottavino 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s

Charlie Manning, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Matt Scherer, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Tyler Norrick, 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

Marco Gonzalez, 1IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1K

Memphis hitting

Shane Peterson 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI

Nick Stavinoha 2-for-4 with a run and RBI

Mark Shorey 2-for-4 with an RBI and a diving catch in RF

Casey Rowlett had an RBI double in his only AB

Justin Knoedler tripled and scored a run

Tyler Greene was 1-for-3 with a walk, SB and run scored.  Made a tremendous play deep in the hole with strong throw to retire the runner by plenty.


Springfield defeated Jacksonville, 3-0

Springfield pitching

Justin Fiske 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K’s

Kyle Mura two perfect innings with a K

Elvis Hernandez 1 IP, 1 H

Jon Mikrut 1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB

Ken Maiques 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Springfield hitting

Brett Wallace 2-for-4

Tony Cruz 2-for-3 with a run scored

Daniel Descalso hit a solo HR

Pete Kozma had a 2-run single in the 8th to snap a scoreless tie

Antonio DeJesus singled, walked and made a nice running catch in RF

Donovan Solano was 1-for-2


Palm Beach lost to Jupiter, 9-5

Led 5-1 after four innings

Palm Beach pitching

Lance Lynn, 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K’s

David Kopp, 2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER ,1 K

Davis Bilardello, 1 IP, 1 BB

Casey Mulligan, 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K

Matt Spade, 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Eduardo Sanchez 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Palm Beach hitting

Jermaine Curtis 2-for-4 with a walk and run scored

Curt Smith 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs

Oliver Marmol and Jon Edwards both 2-for-4

Charlie Kingrey 2-for-5

Tommy Pham had a two-run single and scored in his only AB

Aaron Luna and Francisco Rivera both singled


Quad Cities #1 defeated Greensboro, 6-5

Quad Cities pitching

Arquimedes Nieto 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K’s

Gary Daley, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K’s

Adam Veres 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s

Zach Pitts 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Matt Frevert 1 IP with two K’s

Quad Cities hitting

Osvaldo Morales 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs

Domnit Bolivar 2-for-4 with an RBI

Xavier Scruggs 2-for-3 with a double and run scored

Alex Castellanos had a two-run single and scored a run

Chris Swauger doubled


Quad Cities #2 defeated Marlins 5th team, 4-3

Quad Cities pitching

Miguel Tapia two perfect innings with four K’s

Michael Blazek and Kevin Siegrist had identical lines 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Randy Santos 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Jose Mateo 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER

Quad Cities hitting

Beau Riportella 2-for-4

Yunior Castillo 2-for-4 with a big league play in the hole

Ivan Castro 1-for-3 with an RBI and gunned down a basestealer

Brett Lilley doubled

Travis Mitchell singled, walked and made a nice play on a sinking liner to avert a potential rally.in 7th

Edgar Lara doubled and had two RBIs

These reports as above are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch.

I want to acknowledge right up front that the pitchers don’t get their fair due in my reports. Flitting around from field to field means more of the highlights seen are by batters. Sorry about that, but the Vuch Report above fills in the blanks nicely.


Traveling men

Scout.com subscribers may have read my article this morning about the unique travel squad the Cardinals are using this weekend for Friday and Sunday games in Ft. Myers. The first wave includes Friday’s nine major league starters and eight minor leaguers to be used as reserves.

The six that have been named are Justin Knoedler, Daniel Descalso, Donovan Solano, Casey Rowlett, Shane Robinson and Daryl Jones. The final two will likely be pitchers.


Memphis notes

Adam Ottavino opposed Florida’s Andrew Miller, picked up from Detroit a year ago, but still struggling to achieve his potential. There had to be a half-dozen golf carts filled with Marlins’ bigwigs watching him pitch.

One of the Cards pitching coaches attributes Ottavino’s improvement from “doing his work in front of the rubber” instead of leaning back with unpredictable results.

Lefty Charlie Manning allowed a run, but an alert throw into second base caught the runner to end an inning.


Springfield notes

Though he had been penciled in Tuesday’s lineup, third baseman Brett Wallace was sidelined after taking a ball off his shin. He was back in the lineup and in the game on Wednesday. In his first at-bat, Wallace shot a single deep into the right field corner. Steven Hill followed with what would have been a home run had it not been for the strong wind blowing in from left.

Another well-known Marlins prospect, Taylor Tankersley, fanned Jim Rapoport and Brandon Buckman in the same inning.

Antone DeJesus legged out an infield single to deep short. He then stole second but was called back due to catcher’s interference on Buckman. DeJesus was nailed in his second attempt to swipe the base as Pete Kozma fanned in the process.

Later after Buckman fanned again, Kozma picked the club up with a two-run single.


Palm Beach notes

I was really looking forward to seeing Lance Lynn, the second rounder from 2008 who had to be shut down early last season due to heavy use at Ole Miss. Lynn was greeted rudely by one of the Fishes’ top prospects as Michael Stanton took him deep.

In his first at-bat, Tommy Pham shot an RBI single up the middle and alertly moved up on the throw home. Charlie Kingrey plated Pham and a second runner with a single, but was subsequently cut down trying to steal second.

David Kopp had a rough outing as the Marlins plated five against him while I was watching. Only one ball, an RBI triple to deep center, was really hard-hit. Several others were seeing-eye grounders. Stanton brought home the final two runs.


Quad Cities notes

Arquimedes Nieto started for QC #1 and was a bit rough in the early going. Florida’s Isaac Galloway took him deep, but the wind blew it foul. A couple of pitches later, Galloway went all the way the second time.

One of the internal surprises of camp is Gary Daley, Jr. In his first two outings, he has been sharp, drawing raves from coaches and peers alike. The latter say he was hitting 94-95 mph, while the coaches were more conservative at 93-94. Even more importantly, the location was there, which was his biggest problem in 2008. Outing #3 was on Wednesday. More on that later.

Chris Swauger fanned with the bases jammed, but second baseman and cleanup hitter (doesn’t that sound nice?) Alex Castellanos brought two home with a sharp single to right center.

Sorry, but QC #2 was played elsewhere and I didn’t get over there to see them, but I should catch them Thursday.

Lineup Memphis Springfield Palm Beach Quad Cities 1 QC2
1 Robinson cf Jones lf Curtis dh Gomez dh Mitchell cf
2 Barton lf Solano ss Sedbrook ss Buck rf Lilley 2b
3 Stavinoha ib Wallace 3b Luna 2b Swauger lf Riportella lf
4 Cazana dh Hill c Peterson rf Castellanos 2b Lara rf
5 Greene ss Descalso 2b Rivera 1b Morales 1b De La Cruz 3b
6 Folli 2b T Cruz dh Pham cf Bolivar 3b Martinez 1b
7 Shorey rf Rapoport cf Kingrey lf N Vasquez ss Swinson dh
8 Knoedler c Brown 1b Edwards dh Parejo cf Castro c
9 Rowlett 3b De Jesus rf Cartie 3b Espinosa c Castillo ss
10 Shorey dh Cutler c Scruggs dh Polanco dh
Pitchers Ottavino Fiske Lynn Nieto Tapia
Manning Mura Kopp Daley Blazek
Scherer Hernandez Bilardello Veres Siegrist
Norrick Mikrut Mulligan Pitts Santos
Gonzalez Maiques Spade Frevert Mateo
Samuel Sanchez


The lighter side of the news

I thought I would share a view of the fantastic sunrise from this morning.

Cards minors spring game reports – March 24


Tuesday’s opponents: Camp day as the MLB team was off, too. Games began early, about 10:15 a.m.

Wednesday’s opponents: Florida Marlins on the Cardinals side of the complex.


Memphis defeated Springfield, 6-0

Memphis pitching

Clayton Mortensen, 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Richard Castillo, 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K’s

Ryan Kulik, 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K’s

Hector Cardenas, 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Memphis hitting

Tyler Greene 2-for-4 with a run scored

Brandon Yarbrough had an RBI triple and scored two runs

Brian Barton singled, stole second and scored a run

Jarrett Hoffpauir singled, walked twice, scored a run and had a sac fly

Casey Rowlett doubled, scored a run and had an RBI

Mark Shorey had a single and RBI

Springfield pitching

Mitchell Boggs, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Trey Hearne 1.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB

Chuckie Fick, 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

George Brown two perfect innings, 1 K

Sam Freeman, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Mark McCormick threw a perfect inning with a K

Springfield hitting

Steve Hill 2-for-2

Daryl Jones, Andrew Brown and Donovan Solano all singled and walked

Brandon Buckman doubled


Quad Cities defeated Palm Beach, 4-3

Palm Beach pitching

Nick Additon, 2 IP, 2 H, 3 unearned runs, 1 BB, 3 K’s

Mark Diapoules, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K’s

Kevin Thomas, 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K’s

Andres Rosales 1 IP, 1 BB

Kristhiam Linares, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 unearned run, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Palm Beach hitting

Tommy Pham 2-for-4 with an RBI

Curt Smith RBI double and two walks

Jermaine Curtis doubled

Colt Sedbrook and Jon Edwards singled

Quad Cities pitching

Eric Fornataro, 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB

Brett Zawacki, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Anthony Ferrara two perfect innings with a K

Daniel Richardson one perfect inning with a K

Jorge Rondon struck out two in a perfect inning

Senger Peralta, 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB

Quad Cities hitting

Edwin Gomez 2-for-3 with a run scored

Ryde Rodriguez, 3-for-4 with two runs scored

Xavier Scruggs and Jose Garcia doubled

These above reports are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch.


“FOM” = Friends of the Minors

The term “FOT” has become familiar to fans as the Post-Dispatch writers coined the term to offer comment on the numerous dignitaries that flow in and out of camp, invitees of Tony La Russa.

With Tuesday bringing the day off for the major leaguers and a shorter day than usual for the minor leaguers, one would think the St. Louis Cardinals camp would have been quiet. Surely the major league clubhouse was closed and neither Tony nor Bill Parcells or his kind were anywhere in sight.

That didn’t stop a number of Cardinals luminaries from making game-long appearances on the back fields on Tuesday.

Friends of the Minors, aka the minor league “A” list included GM John Mozeliak, Assistant GM John Abbamondi, Director of Minor League Ops John Vuch, plus the analytics gurus Mike Giersch and Sig Mejdal. Even Head Trainer Barry Weinberg plopped down on the Palm Beach bench.

Memphis President of Baseball Operations Dave Chase was also in the house, undoubtedly sizing up his prospective 2009 club. The Post’s always hard-working Derrick Goold and I, representing the media constituency, had ample opportunity to talk baseball with the bigwigs.

In the photo, Mozeliak grabbed a stool and camped out past the Memphis dugout. As is standard GM attire, he is clothed with cell phone!

As I noted yesterday, Tuesday is a camp day due to the fact the only organizations within reasonable driving distance are the New York Mets (Port St. Lucie) and the Florida Marlins (right next door in Jupiter). As such, about every third day, the Memphis and Springfield teams square off against each other as do the Palm Beach and Quad Cities clubs.

On the other fields, pitching drills went on business as usual, under the watchful eyes of a cadre of Cardinals coaches. All the events are expertly orchestrated daily by second-year camp coordinator Mike Shildt.

On a personal note, I left Derrick and Joe Strauss behind in the Cardinals media room so I could work on this article in a more comfortable environment. Just as it has all week, the wind is blowing in from the east at a clip that I would estimate in the 15-20 mph range. The flags at the beach (giving away my secret location) are red and purple – high wind plus dangerous marine life in the area. I think I will stay clear of deep water!

Mortensen vs. Boggs!

For the Memphis-Springfield contest, the Double-A club was given a ringer to start the game, Mitchell Boggs. With Memphis pitching Clayton Mortensen, we were rewarded with two Cardinals top 15 prospects facing off. Neither yielded a run.


Memphis notes

It seems that each day, there are surprises in the Triple-A lineup. On the day that Tyler Greene returned to man his familiar shortstop position, Casey Rowlett stayed at second. The mystery third baseman was Jarrett Hoffpauir. Apparently, the coaches want to broaden him defensively as they have done with Greene over the last year.

Another interesting play was Nick Stavinoha at first base. Perhaps Allen Craig has a chance to remain at his natural third base position after all. Andrew Brown gets another start in right field.

With Trey Hearne on the mound throwing to Steven Hill, Brian Barton swiped second base – on a pitchout!

Brandon Yarbrough came in after starting catcher Bryan Anderson and shot an RBI triple into the right field corner. Who says backstops can’t run?

As was already noted elsewhere, former Cuban outfielder Amaury Cazana Marti is now going by Amaury Cazana. “Cazana” is what he wears on his uniform.

Released on Tuesday, veteran left-hander Joe Rogers already has a job lined up to pitch in Mexico where he resides, if he can’t catch on with an affiliated organization.


Springfield notes

Though he was listed on the Memphis squad, oft-injured Mark McCormick made his first appearance of the spring as the final pitcher of the day for Springfield. He made quick work of his three hitters, including a final pitch strikeout of Stavinoha swinging. If McCormick can just stay healthy, he has the stuff to become a very interesting closer.


Palm Beach notes

Back from the Netherlands WBC squad, Curt Smith continues to hit the ball well. I saw him shoot a double into right field. Jack Cawley really got a hold of one, but it was to left field directly into the teeth of the wind. Any other time, it would have been out.

Paul Cruz and Jermaine Curtis each joined the doubles brigade with RBI two-base hits of their own.


Quad Cities notes

Several posters have wondered whether there was something more behind the scenes in the release of Miguel Flores, the 16th round pick in 2008. I was assured that was not the case. The player was not projected to be competitive to make a full-season club.

Further I was told to expect more such moves in the future as the organization is not going to keep players around based on draft position if they don’t produce up to expectations. As I mentioned yesterday, cuts may occur later this week and again early-midweek next.

Adron Chambers stole at least two bases and I saw D’Marcus Ingram swipe one, too.

I had to get to the bottom of this, so I walked up to the player formerly known as Angel Tapia and asked him if he is going by Angel or Miguel. He replied “Miguel”. That is actually a good thing, as there is another Angel Tapia lower in the system. On the other hand, there are databases to be changed.

Trivia question: Who is the only player to have begun, ended and spent the entire time in between as a member of the 2008 Quad Cities River Bandits? (answer below)

Lineup Memphis Springfield Palm Beach Quad Cities
1 Robinson cf Folli 2b Kozma ss Garcia 2b
2 Barton lf Jones lf Sedbrook dh N Vasquez ss
3 Jay rf Wallace 3b Smith 1b Castellanos 2b
4 Stavinoha ib Hill c Pham cf Morales 1b
5 Greene ss Henley dh Luna 2b P Cruz dh
6 Hoffpauir 3b Solano ss Curtis 3b Gmoez lf
7 Anderson c Buckman 1b Cartie dh Rodriguez rf
8 Rowlett 2b Brown rf Kingrey lf Cawley c
9 Knoedler dh De Jesus cf Edwards rf Ingram cf
10 Shorey dh P Vasquez c Scruggs dh
Pitchers Mortensen Boggs Additon Fornataro
Castillo Hearne Diapoules Zawacki
Kulik Fick Thomas Ferrera
Cardenas Brown Rosales Richardson
McCormick Freeman Linares Rondon
Peralta


The lighter side of the news

An inquisitive reader wanted to see what Arquimedes Nieto looks like. He didn’t pitch on Tuesday, but I caught him filming the proceedings.

What had to be one of the weirdest sights I have seen, Tyler Herron walked through the middle of the complex pulling a weighted sled pulled from a shoulder harness. In the following photo, Herron is being kept company by Kenny Maiques.

Herron made one pass through the area and ten minutes later, reappeared heading in the other direction. While there were plenty of stares from fans, players and coaches alike, I didn’t hear any comments directed his way.

That doesn’t mean there wasn’t puzzlement. In an aside, one veteran Cardinals coach said to me, “I have never seen anything like that!” I agreed whole-heartedly.

It is a good thing the grounds crew member at the right decided to give way to the even slower-moving vehicle!

Trivia answer: Adron Chambers

Cards minors spring game reports – March 23


Monday’s opponents: Florida Marlins on the other side of the Jupiter complex. Five games with Quad Cities 1 and 2 both in action.

Tuesday’s opponents: Camp day as the MLB team is off, too. Games will be in the morning, at 10:15 a.m. plus or minus 15 minutes – or plus more if there is rain. Guess I will find out for sure then…


Memphis lost to New Orleans, 9-4

Memphis pitching

Brandon Dickson, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K’s

Hyang-Nam Choi was the losing pitcher – 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Katsuiko Maekawa – 1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 unearned runs, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Ian Ostlund – 2.1 perfect innings with a K

Memphis hitting

Mark Shorey – 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI

Jarrett Hoffpauir, 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI

Mike Folli doubled and walked

Bryan Anderson and Casey Rowlett singled


Springfield lost to Jacksonville, 7-2

Springfield pitching

Shaun Garceau started and took the loss – 3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB

Tyler Herron threw two perfect innings with 3 K’s

Russ Haltiwanger allowed three runs on two hits and two walks in his inning of work

Pete Parise and Francisco Samuel each pitched a perfect inning

Springfield hitting

Donovan Solano was 2-for-3 with an RBI with the only multi-hit game for Springfield

Jim Rapoport and Tyler Henley doubled

Brett Wallace, Tony Cruz, Andrew Brown, and Brandon Buckman all singled


Palm Beach lost to Jupiter, 15-12

Palm Beach pitching

Ryan Bird allowed two earned runs on two hits in his two innings

Jared Bradford – 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K’s

Thomas Eager – 2 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K

Wayne Damon – 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Adam Reifer allowed one run on back-to-back opposite field doubles that both kicked up chalk, fanned two hitters in one IP.

Palm Beach hitting

Curt Smith 2-for-3 with a walk, double, homer and 3 RBIs

Colt Sedbrook 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored, a walk,  SB and HR

Adron Chambers was 2-for-3 with a triple, a SB and 5 RBIs

Oliver Marmol wsa 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI

Tommy Pham and Jon Edwards each doubled

Bryan Cartie singled and had two walks


Quad Cities #1 lost to Greensboro, 9-6

QC #1 pitching

Scott McGregor 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Jameson Maj, 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Dylan Gonzalez, 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s

Jose Mateo, 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

David Carpenter, one shutout inning, 1 H, 1 K

QC#1 hitting

Rickey Noland 3-for-3

Chris Swauger had an RBI triple and two walks

Brian Buck walked twice, had a single and scored three runs

Brett Lilley, Domnit Bolivar and Beau Riportella all singled and walked.  Bolivar also had a backhand diving play at 3rd

Jose Garcia tripled and scored a run


Quad Cities #2 defeated Marlins 5th team, 5-3

QC #2 pitching

Josh Hester two shutout innings, 2 hits, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Santo Maertz 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s

LaCurtis Mayes 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K’s

Joel Pichardo 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K’s and was the winner

Jose Rada earned the save with a scoreless 9th with two K’s

QC #2 hitting

Paul Cruz 3-for-3 with two doubles and a walk

Roberto De La Cruz homered and had two RBIs

Edwin Gomez and Luis Polanco doubled

Michael Swinson singled and had three walks

Yunior Castillo, Edgar Lara and Jairo Martinez all singled

These reports are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch. My observations follow.

As mentioned earlier, five minor league players were released this morning. They include second baseman Isa Garcia, left-handed pitcher Joe Rogers, right-handed pitcher Miguel Flores, catcher Christian Rosa and third baseman Nick Vera.

It is just coincidental yet interesting in a symmetric sort of way that the minor league camp picked up five players the same day they jettisoned five others. That all changed after the game, as noted in the Memphis section below. The re-assigned players are typically given a day off when that occurs. Expect a couple more sets of cuts before camp breaks.

Following are the lineups and scheduled pitchers from the five games on the day. Memphis played on a single field with the other four clubs playing in a quad that made viewing those multiple games a bit easier.

Lineup Memphis Springfield Palm Beach Quad Cities 1 QC 2
1 Barton cf Rapoport cf Pham Lilley 2b Castellanos 2b
2 Hoffpauir 2b Solano ss Sedbrook Buck cf Cruz dh
3 Stavinoha lf Wallace 3b Smith 1b Swauger lf Lara rf
4 Craig 3b Cruz dh Peterson Scruggs 1b Martinez 1b
5 Hamilton 1b Jones lf Luna 2b Bolivar 3b De La Cruz 3b
6 Shorey rf Hill c Edwards Parejo rf Gomez lf
7 Anderson c Descalso 2b Curtis 3b Rodriguez dh Swinson cf
8 Rowlett ss Brown rf Cartie Noland c Polanco c
9 Knoedler dh Buckman 1b Derba c Garcia ss Castillo ss
10 Yarbrough dhh Marmol Riportella dh Moscatel dh
11 Chambers
Pitchers Dickson Garceau Bird McGregor Hester
Choi Herron Bradford Maj Maertz
Maekawa Haltiwanger Eager Gonzalez Mayes
Ostlund Parise King Mateo Pichardo
Salas Samuel Daman Carpenter Rada
Reifer

Since I spent Sunday with Memphis and Springfield, I watched more of Palm Beach here on Monday than I might normally do.


Memphis notes

Jarrett Hoffpauir moved over to his normal second base post, swapping back with Casey Rowlett to shortstop. I imagine Tyler Greene will be in the latter position tomorrow.

P.J. Walters was sent down from the major league camp following his three shutout inning performance on Monday. By Tuesday morning, Scout.com subscribers should look for an interview I did with him today.

Earlier in the day, it was announced that right-handed reliever Luke Gregerson was the second player, the player to be named later, in the Khalil Greene trade with San Diego.


Springfield notes

Note Andrew Brown in right field for Springfield. That might help to suggest how the Cardinals will deal with the Brown-Brandon Buckman-Mark Hamilton logjam at first base.


Palm Beach notes

I realize there are 11 players listed for Palm Beach and I cannot explain why, short of three designated hitters. The line-ups also did not list positions, so I labeled the infielders, the only ones I am sure of.

Even before his big day offensively on Monday, Adron Chambers is a player mentioned to me as a potential surprise of the spring. During the part of the game that I saw, he plated five runs on a bases-loaded triple and later added a two-run single. It will be interesting to see if he can break out this season.

Speaking of triples, Chris Swauger added a two-run three-bagger of his own.

As noted above, Ryan Bird was the starter. He yielded a two-run home run early, but the wind was blowing out to right.

Aaron Luna was at second base and the most current working roster has him there instead of in the outfield. Probably because I was watching, he made a fielding error. Another potential member of the 2009 Palm Beach infield is third baseman Jermaine Curtis, who is not being tried at second.

Colt Sedbrook and Curt Smith (see photos) went back-to-back, both to left field. Sedbrook’s home run was up in the breeze, while Smith’s was more of a line drive.

Injury updates

There were questions about some of the players listed in the “rehab” category yesterday in the Minors spring training groups post. The good news is there are no surgeries involved and all players are working their way back.

Jon Bravo suffered a bit of shoulder soreness earlier, but is just behind in his preparation. Nothing serious.

Josh Dew had some elbow soreness. He is playing catch, but has not progressed to the mound. As a result, he may not be ready for the start of the season.

Matt Arburr suffered an ACL injury (knee ligament) in the off-season and is just doing light activities so far. He is not hitting yet, so will not be ready for the start of the season.

Mark McCormick is progressing to the point he will be able to pitch live batting practice. Obviously, he is not yet game ready.


The lighter side of the news


If you’ve read this far, you probably are still wondering what the lead photo is about. Around 5:30 p.m., Brendan Ryan and Joe Mather passed the media room at Roger Dean by on a pair of loaned bicycles on their way to a local sandwich shop. The fun-loving guys posed for this very intense photo. (That’s a toothbrush behind Ryan’s ear.)

The roommates don’t have specific plans for the day off Tuesday. Here’s hoping they stay off the streets of Jupiter!

Cards minors spring game reports – March 22


Sunday’s opponents: New York Mets (Memphis and Springfield at Jupiter with Palm Beach and Quad Cities #1 at Port St. Lucie), Quad Cities #2 vs. WFAST at Jupiter.

Monday’s opponents: Florida Marlins on the other side of the Jupiter complex.


Memphis defeated Buffalo, 11-3

Memphis pitchers

Jess Todd started and was the winner, 3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, gave up three in the first, then settled down

The remaining pitchers combined to shut out the Mets the rest of the way

Charlie Manning, 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K

Matt Scherer, 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s

Tyler Norrick, 2 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s

Marco Gonzalez, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB

Memphis hitters

Allen Craig, 3-for-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBIs

Justin Knoedler, 2-for-4 with 2-run HR

Brian Barton, 2-for-3 with a HR and two walks, and made nice sliding catch in CF

Amaury Marti, 2-for-4 with a double, 2 RBIs

Casey Rowlett two hits and a walk

Shane Robinson, 1-for-4 with a run scored (before heading over to ML game)

Nick Stavinoha and Mark Hamilton singled and walked


Springfield defeated Binghamton, 9-5

Springfield pitchers

Brad Furnish was winning pitcher, 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K’s

Kyle Mura two perfect innings

Ken Maiques allowed three runs in his inning of work

Elvis Hernandez allowed two runs and three hits in 1/3 of an inning

Jon Mikrut and Sam Freeman both allowed a hit and struck out a batter in an inning of work

Springfield hitters

Brett Wallace was 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBIs

Daryl Jones, 2-for-5 with a double three runs scored and three RBIs

Jim Rapoport tripled

Mike Folli was 3-for-4 with a double

Paul Vasquez had an RBI double


Palm Beach defeated St. Lucie, 6-0

Palm Beach pitchers

David Kopp pitched two hitless innings, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Brian Broderick, 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K’s

J.D. Stambaugh pitched two perfect innings and was the winner

Davis Bilardello 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB

Matt Spade, 1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB

Eduardo Sanchez, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K

Palm Beach hitters

Curt Smith, 2-for-3, double, 2 runs scored and an RBI

Aaron Luna, 2-for-3 with an RBI

Jon Edwards, Tommy Pham and Charlie Cutler all singled


Quad Cities #1 tied with Savannah, 5-5

QC #1 pitchers

Took 5-0 lead into bottom of 8th

Deryk Hooker two perfect innings, 2 K’s

Ramon Delgado, 2 IP, 4 H, 0 runs

Zach Pitts, 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB

Gary Daley, 1 IP, 1 H in a scoreless inning

Miguel Tapia allowed two earned runs in his inning on two hits and a walk

Matt Frevert worked 0.2 IP, giving up three earned runs on two hits a walk

QC #1 hitters

Beau Riportella hit a solo HR and drew a walk

Alex Castellanos, Domnit Bolivar and Ryde Rodriguez all had two hits

D’Marcus Ingram and Travis Mitchell both singled


Quad Cities #2 lost to WFAST, 11-3

QC #2 pitchers

Randy Santos took the loss, 1.1 IP, 1 hit, 4 walks and 4 ER

Kevin Siegrist 1.2 IP, 2 H, one unearned run, two K’s

Miguel Flores allowed three hits and a walk while allowing a run in one inning

Reynier Gonzalez 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R,1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K’s

Daniel Richardson allowed three unearned runs in one inning

Jason Buursma, 1 IP,  1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K’s

QC #2 hitters

Paul Cruz 2-for-4

Edgar Lara long HR to CF

Jairo Martinez and Kevin Moscatel had the only other hits for QC#2


These reports are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch. Following the regular report above, I offer my first-hand observations as well.

Following are the lineups from the three games at Jupiter. If you notice double designated hitters and ten batters in two of the games, your eyes are not deceiving you. This practice is being followed in many of the contests this spring.

Order Memphis Springfield QC #2
1 Robinson cf Rapoport lf Garcia 2b
2 Barton rf Jones cf Cruz dh
3 Stavinoha dh Wallace 3b Lara rf
4 Craig 3b Hill cf Martinez 1b
5 Hamilton 1b Descalso 2b De La Cruz 3b
6 Cazana lf Brown 1b Gomez lf
7 Hoffpauir ss Shorey rf Swinson cf
8 Yarbrough cf Buckman dh Castro c
9 Rowlett 2b Folli ss Vera dh
10 Knoedler dh Castillo ss

Memphis notes:

The wind was blowing out for Memphis and from left to right for Springfield. The Mets touched Jess Todd for a two-run homer in the first, but Allen Craig (playing third base), got a ball up into the jet stream for a three-run jack to right in the home part of the frame (see photo). Later, Justin Knoedler went deep on a line drive to left-center.

Another interesting item is Jarrett Hoffpauir seeing time at shortstop. I asked him when he was assigned to play there. His answer: “Just since I got down here.” I assume he meant minor league camp. I didn’t get the feeling it is permanent, but perhaps more of a versatility move. Hoffpauir told me he had played the position in high school and college so it is not foreign to him. I suspect any questions might be about his arm, but if David Eckstein can do it…

Memphis/St. Louis notes:

The Memphis club was tapped for spare outfielders during the game on Sunday. Starter Shane Robinson was first sent over to Roger Dean. As I was heading back there myself, camp coordinator Mike Shildt was ferrying Nick Stavinoha over there in a golf cart, too.

I saw Colby Rasmus pinch hit in the home seventh with the tying run on base. He took strike three looking, something I’ve seen him do more than expected.

Robinson contributed big time as he reached base on an infield single in the bottom of the ninth of the tie game. He stole second on a very close play and scored the winning run for the Cardinals on Jon Jay’s single down the left field line.

For those who missed it, the Cardinals cut five after Sunday’s game. Pitcher Blake Hawksworth and infielder Tyler Greene were optioned out. Three non-roster invitees were also reassigned to minor league camp. They are pitcher Fernando Salas, catcher Bryan Anderson and outfielder Jon Jay.

Interestingly, the Cardinals’ 40-man roster sits at only 35. Even if Luis Perdomo is returned from San Francisco and if all three of the most seriously-challenging NRIs, Colby Rasmus, Joe Thurston and David Freese make the team, the total would be just 39. Then there is the question of Royce Ring‘s spot, which could knock the total down by another. Until/unless the 40-man is full, Jaime Garcia can’t be placed on the 60-day disabled list once the season begins.

The other NRIs still in camp are pitcher P.J. Walters and catcher Matt Pagnozzi. Both have shown well, though Pagnozzi is known for his glove, not his bat. Either would seem to require an injury to another to make the team.

Springfield notes:

One long-time baseball insider in the house made what I thought was a very interesting comparison between Brett Wallace and Jim Thome. The thought was defensively-driven, but anyone would be delighted if his hitting would grow to be in that class. Another comment was offered that the sturdily-legged Wallace actually “has more bounce in his step” than David Freese.

While Wallace just missed a tough stop to his left defensively, he continues to hit. With Daryl Jones on third, Wallace worked the count to 3-2 until slamming an RBI double over the first baseman and into the right field corner (see photo).

One way for Springfield’s three first basemen to all get into the game is for one (Mark Hamilton) to start for Memphis while Andrew Brown and Brandon Buckman (DH) played for Springfield.

Quad Cities #2 notes:

QC #2 played a club representing a local area free agent camp called WFAST, a traveling team they face each spring. I didn’t see too much of the game, but the second pitcher, Kevin Siegrist, made a nice play. With runners on the corners, he picked off the runner on first. During the rundown, the baserunner on third came home but just slid under the tag.

The photo is of bonus baby third baseman Roberto De La Cruz. A larger batch of photos will be posted later for Scout.com subscribers, too.

General note:

Cardinals Vice President of Scouting and Player Development Jeff Luhnow introduced me to coach Andy Katzman and his John Burroughs School team from St. Louis as they were touring the minor league fields.

I took this shot of the group outside the batting cages as we were all returning to the major league game.

John Burroughs School - Jeff Luhnow (second from left), coach Andy Katzman (far right)
John Burroughs School - Jeff Luhnow (second from left), coach Andy Katzman (far right)

Cardinals minors spring training groups


As the St. Louis Cardinals minor league camp opened earlier in the month, the population of 152 initial players invited was split into four Groups. While it would be tempting and natural to conclude the four groups correspond to each of the organization’s full-season teams – Memphis, Springfield, Palm Beach and Quad Cities – that is not necessarily the case.

I am quite sure that since this list was prepared, there have already been players moved around, both because of performance as well as the net count of nine additional players reassigned from the major league club.

Still, this offers an interesting view of positional assignments and which pitchers are being prepared as starters (s) and which as relievers (r). The other classifications are first base (1b), infield (if) and outfield (of). The numeric prefix denotes the Group, one through four. Six players are out of action while rehabbing injuries.

For the full system listing, check out my Cardinals Roster Matrix. It is up-to-date in terms of a complete accounting of all players in the system, including the short-season clubs. I will next update the levels once the regular season rosters for the full-season clubs are set. That will be in about two weeks.

Pitchers Catchers First base Infield Outfield total
Group 1 21 4 3 8 6 42
Group 2 21 2 2 4 7 36
Group 3 18 4 2 4 6 34
Group 4 18 4 0 5 7 34
Rehab 5 0 1 0 0 6
total 83 14 8 21 26 152

Pitchers Pos/initial group Position players Pos/initial group
Additon, Nick s2 Arburr, Matt 1b rehab
Bilardello, Davis r2 Bogany, Jarred of4
Bird, Ryan s1 Bolivar, Domnit if3
Blazek, Mike s4 Brown, Andrew 1b1
Bradford, Jared s2 Buck, Brian of4
Bravo, Jon s rehab Buckman, Brandon 1b1
Broderick, Brian r2 Cartie, Bryan if2
Brown, George s3 Castellanos, Alex if4
Buursma, Jason r4 Castillo, Yunior if4
Cardenas, Hector s3 Castro, Ivan c4
Carpenter, David r3 Cawley, Jack c3
Castillo, Richard s2 Chambers, Adron of2
Choi, Hyang-Nam r1 Cruz, Paul of4
Daley, Gary r3 Cruz, Tony c1
Daman, Wayne r2 Curtis, Jermaine if3
Degerman, Eddie r2 Cutler, Charles c3
Delgado, Ramon r3 DeJesus, Antone of2
Dew, Josh r rehab DeLaCruz, Roberto if4
Diapoules, Mark s2 Derba, Nick c2
Dickson, Brandon s1 Descalso, Daniel if1
Eager, Thomas s2 Edwards, Jon of2
Ferrera, Anthony s4 Espinoza, Roberto c3
Fick, Chuckie r2 Folli, Mike if1
Fiske, Justin s1 Freese, David if1
Flores, Miguel s4 Garcia, Isa if1
Fornataro, Eric s3 Garcia, Jose if3
Freeman, Samuel r2 Gomez, Edwin of4
Frevert, Matt r4 Hamilton, Mark 1b1
Furnish, Brad r1 Henley, Tyler of1
Garceau, Shaun s1 Hill, Steven c1
Gonzalez, Dylan r3 Ingram, D’Marcus of3
Gonzalez, Marco r1 Jones, Daryl of1
Gonzalez, Reynier s4 Kingrey, Charlie of2
Gorgen, Scott s rehab Knoedler, Justin c1
Gregerson, Luke r1 Kozma, Pete if2
Haltiwanger, Russ r1 Lara, Edgar of4
Hearne, Trey r1 Lilley, Brett if4
Hernandez, Elvis r1 Luna, Aaron of2
Herron, Tyler s1 Marmol, Oliver if2
Hester, Josh s4 Marti, Amaury of1
Hooker, Deryk s4 Martinez, Jairo of4
King, Blake r2 Martinez, Jose if1
Kopp, David s2 Mitchell, Travis of3
Kulik, Ryan s2 Morales, Osvaldo 1b3
Leach, Tyler r4 Moscatel, Kevin c4
Linares, Kristhiam r1 Murphy, Blake c3
Lugo, Rigoberto r4 Noland, Rickey c4
Lynn, Lance s1 Parejo, Frederick of3
Maekawa, Katsuhiko r1 Peterson, Shane of2
Maertz, Santo r4 Pham, Tommy of2
Maiques, Kenny r2 Rapoport, Jim of1
Maj, Jameson s3 Riportella, Beau of3
Mateo, Jose r2 Rivera, Francisco 1b2
Mayes, La Curtis r4 Robinson, Shane of1
McCormick, Mark r rehab Rodriguez, Ryde of3
McGregor, Scott s3 Rosa, Christian c4
Mikrut, Jon r1 Rowlett, Casey if1
Mulligan, Casey r2 Scruggs, Xavier 1b3
Mura, Kyle s1 Sedbrook, Colt if2
Nieto, Arquimedes s3 Shorey, Mark of1
Norrick, Tyler r1 Smith, Curt 1b2
Ostlund, Ian r1 Solano, Donovan if1
Parise, Pete r2 Swauger, Chris of3
Parisi, Mike s rehab Swinson, Michael of4
Peralta, Senger r3 Vasquez, Niko if3
Pichardo, Joel r4 Vasquez, Paul c2
Pitts, Zachary r3 Vera, Nick if4
Rada, Jose s4 Wallace, Brett if1
Reifer, Adam r2 Yarbrough, Brandon c1
Richardson, Dan r4
Rogers, Joe s1
Rondon, Jorge r3
Rosales, Andres r3
Samuel, Francisco r1
Sanchez, Eduardo r2
Santos, Randy s4
Siegrist, Kevin s4
Spade, Matt r2
Stambaugh, J.D. r3
Tapia, Angel r3
Thomas, Kevin s4
Veres, Adam s3
Zawacki, Brett s3

Cardinals pitcher hitting ninth – a good thing?


Earlier in the week, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa stopped using the designated hitter in National League spring parks to enable the pitchers to get ready for the regular season as batters.

Now, La Russa has returned to batting his pitchers ninth – in certain situations – i.e. when there is no obvious “second leadoff hitter”.

This use of the number nine hitter to help set the table for “second clean up hitter” Albert Pujols was one of two key reasons La Russa cited when making the initial switch in August, 2007.

The other reason was to shake up a slumping offense. That should not be a problem currently, as even before they plated 12 runs on Friday, the Cardinals were leading the Grapefruit League in spring run scoring. Granted, it was with liberal use of the DH, but runs are runs.

La Russa said the following to MLB.com, attributing the change to the personnel, not the soundness of his theory.

“My official answer is that I believe that the pitcher hitting eighth, for all the reasons that we’ve talked about at length, is a better lineup, because it brings that second leadoff man, which gets Albert [Pujols] in the cleanup spot. But you’ve got to have somebody who fits there.”

On days like Friday, with Colby Rasmus batting second after Skip Schumaker and six other hard-hitting position players, La Russa has no number nine hitter.

“You can’t put Ankiel, Ludwick or Duncan in the nine spot,” La Russa said. “You can’t put Glaus there. Hopefully, you shouldn’t put Khalil [Greene] there. You won’t put [Skip] Schumaker there. You won’t put Albert there. And you aren’t going to put Yadier [Molina] there. So if that’s the case, then I probably will hit the pitcher ninth.”

La Russa did leave the door open to return to the pitcher hitting eighth, though it seems that will be the exception, rather than the norm.

“But some days, if there’s a true second leadoff playing, or if you’re not scoring any runs with the pitcher ninth, then I’ll say one of you guys will hit ninth,” La Russa explained.

What do you think? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

In other words, does the lineup potentially need more run scorers to be in balance or will all the mashers make the point moot?

What would be your preferred batting order? How would it change with a left-hander pitching for the opponent?

Cardinals minor league franchise census since 1974


This is a relatively short post – in terms of words, anyway. Here I am offering a visual representation of the Cardinals minor league affiliates over the last 35 years. On the left is the number of clubs in the playoffs (or finishing in first place in non-playoff leagues) as well as number of championships (or first-place regular season finishes in non-playoff leagues).


Championship teams names are in bold while playoff teams are in italics. I’ve tried to distinguish when league changes were made as well as which Springfield (IL or MO) was involved. For additional details, check out the detailed articles on each level, linked-to below.

Year # tms P’offs Chps Triple-A Double-A A-Advanced A (Midwest) A (WCL/Sally) Short-Season A Rookie Complex
2009 7 Memphis Springfield (MO) Palm Beach Quad Cities Batavia Johnson City Gulf Coast
2008 7 2 1 Memphis Springfield (MO) Palm Beach Quad Cities Batavia Johnson City Gulf Coast
2007 7 2 0 Memphis Springfield (MO) Palm Beach Quad Cities Batavia Johnson City Gulf Coast
2006 6 2 0 Memphis Springfield (MO) Palm Beach Quad Cities State College Johnson City
2005 6 2 1 Memphis Springfield (MO) Palm Beach Quad Cities New Jersey Johnson City
2004 6 2 1 Memphis Tennessee (Sou) Palm Beach Peoria New Jersey Johnson City
2003 6 1 0 Memphis Tennessee (Sou) Palm Beach Peoria New Jersey Johnson City
2002 6 2 1 Memphis New Haven (East) Potomac (Car Lge) Peoria New Jersey Johnson City
2001 6 0 0 Memphis New Haven (East) Potomac (Car Lge) Peoria New Jersey Johnson City
2000 6 1 1 Memphis Arkansas Potomac (Car Lge) Peoria New Jersey Johnson City
1999 6 0 0 Memphis Arkansas Potomac (Car Lge) Peoria New Jersey Johnson City
1998 6 1 0 Memphis Arkansas Prince William (Car) Peoria New Jersey Johnson City
1997 6 0 0 Louisville Arkansas Prince William (Car) Peoria New Jersey Johnson City
1996 6 1 0 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Peoria New Jersey Johnson City
1995 7 1 1 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Peoria Savannah New Jersey Johnson City
1994 8 5 3 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Madison Savannah New Jersey Johnson City Arizona
1993 8 2 1 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Glens Falls Johnson City Arizona
1992 8 1 0 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Hamilton Johnson City Arizona
1991 8 0 0 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Hamilton Johnson City Arizona
1990 8 1 0 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Hamilton Johnson City Arizona
1989 8 3 1 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Hamilton Johnson City Arizona
1988 8 1 0 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Hamilton Johnson City
1987 7 4 0 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Erie Johnson City
1986 7 3 1 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Erie Johnson City
1985 7 3 1 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Erie Johnson City
1984 7 3 1 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Savannah Erie Johnson City
1983 7 3 0 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Macon Erie Johnson City
1982 7 2 1 Louisville Arkansas St. Petersburg Springfield (IL) Gastonia Erie Johnson City
1981 6 1 0 Springfield (IL) Arkansas St. Petersburg Gastonia Erie Johnson City
1980 5 2 2 Springfield (IL) Arkansas St. Petersburg Gastonia Johnson City
1979 5 1 1 Springfield (IL) Arkansas St. Petersburg Gastonia Johnson City
1978 6 2 0 Springfield (IL) Arkansas St. Petersburg Gastonia Johnson City Calgary (Pioneer)
1977 6 3 2 New Orleans Arkansas St. Petersburg Gastonia Johnson City Calgary (Pioneer)
1976 5 2 1 Tulsa Arkansas St. Petersburg Johnson City Gulf Coast
1975 5 2 2 Tulsa Arkansas St. Petersburg Johnson City Gulf Coast
1974 5 1 1 Tulsa Arkansas St. Petersburg Modesto (Cal) Gulf Coast

My final group of posts in this series will look at minor league managerial records across the system over the years.

Related articles:

“Cardinals in the Gulf Coast, Arizona and Pioneer Rookie Leagues”

“Cardinals in Triple-A – 1977 to present”

“Cardinals in Double-A – 1966 to present”

“Cardinals in the Florida State League – 1966 to present”

“Quad Cities: Cardinals top minor league club has a long history”

“Cardinals in the Appalachian League – 1975 to present”

“Cardinals in the New York-Penn League – 1981 to present”

“A quarter century of Cardinals minor league results”

Cards minors spring game reports – March 20


Friday’s opponents: New York Mets (Memphis and Springfield at Port St. Lucie with Palm Beach and Quad Cities at home)

Saturday’s opponents: Camp day, so they’ll have to take it out on each other!


Memphis defeated Buffalo, 2-1

Memphis pitching

Mitchell Boggs, 3 IP, 3 hits, two K’s

Katsuhiko Maekawa, 2 IP, 3 hits, 1 K

Brandon Dickson earned the win, 2 IP, 3 H,1 unearned run, 0 BB, 1 K

Ian Ostlund one scoreless IP with a K

Francisco Samuel one scoreless IP, with 2 K’s for the save

Memphis hitting

Shane Robinson’s two-run HR provided both Memphis runs; also walked and stole a base

Brandon Yarbrough, 2-for-4

Casey Rowlett (run scored) and Brian Barton both 1-for-4

David Freese played 3rd base, 0-for-2 with a walk

Jarrett Hoffpauir walked twice


Springfield tied with Binghamton, 7-7

Springfield pitchers

Adam Ottavino 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s

Trey Hearne, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R

Jared Bradford, 1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K’s

Russ Haltiwanger, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Springfield hitters

Daniel Descalso 3-for-4, with a HR, 2 RBIs and a walk

James Rapaport, 2-for-3 with two walks

Tyler Henley 2-for-5 with two RBIs

Donovan Solano 2-for-5, 2 runs scored

Brett Wallace hit a two-run double


Palm Beach defeated St. Lucie, 11-3

Palm Beach pitchers

Thomas Eager was the winner, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 runs

Blake King, 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K’s

David Carpenter, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Jose Mateo, 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Adam Reifer struck out the side in his inning of work

Palm Beach hitters

Shane Peterson, 3-for-4, 3 runs, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs and a walk

Colt Sedbrook, 3-for-4, 2 runs, 2B, 2 RBIs and a walk

Oliver Marmol doubled and tripled

Curt Smith two hits, including a double

Jon Edwards two hits and a walk

Paul Vasquez hit a three run HR to start the scoring

Brian Cartie and Aaron Luna both doubled


Quad Cities lost to Savannah, 3-1

Quad Cities pitchers

Arquimedes Nieto and Scott McGregor had identical lines, 2 IP,1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Dylan Gonzalez, 2 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K’s

LaCurtis Mayes, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1K

Santo Maertz and Joel Pichardo each threw a scoreless inning

Quad Cities hitters

Brett Lilley, 2-for-4 and a diving play up the middle

Domnit Bolivar, 1-for-4, made a great play on grounder to his backhand at third base with strong throw from foul territory to save run in 2nd inning

Frederick Parejo and Beau Riportella were 1-for-3

Ryde Rodriguez was 1-for-3 and threw runner out at the plate

Chris Swauger doubled and D’Marcus Ingram was 1-for-4


These reports are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch.

Cards minors spring game reports – March 19


Thursday’s opponents: Florida Marlins

Friday’s opponents: New York Mets (Memphis and Springfield at Port St. Lucie with Palm Beach and Quad Cities at home)


Memphis lost to New Orleans, 10-4

Memphis pitchers

Justin Fiske 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER

Hyang-Nam Choi   2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER

Shaun Garceau took the loss, 1.2 IP 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Matt Scherer 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 K’s

Charlie Manning 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER

Marco Gonzalez 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER

Memphis hitters

Mark Hamilton, 2-for-4 with two doubles

Brandon Yarbrough, 2-for-3 with double and run scored

Jarrett Hoffpauir 2-run double

Nick Stavinoha was 1-for-4, and was the catcher today.


Springfield lost to Jacksonville, 7-1

Springfield pitchers

Ryan Bird started and took the loss, 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Ryan Kulik, 2 IP, 2 H, 0 runs, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Elvis Hernandez, 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K’s

Davis Bilardello 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER

Ken Maiques, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER

Sam Freeman threw one perfect inning with two K’s

Springfield hitters

Steve Hill, 2-for-3 with a HR

Andrew Brown, 1-for-4 with a double

Tyler Henley and Donovan Solano each had a base hit


Palm Beach defeated Jupiter, 3-2

Palm Beach pitchers

Brian Broderick, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s

J.D. Stambaugh, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Pete Parise, two perfect innings with one K

Wayne Daman threw a scoreless inning, allowing one hit

Matt Spade was the winner, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 runs

Casey Mulligan with the save, one perfect inning, one K

Palm Beach hitters

Francisco Rivera, 2-for-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI

Jon Edwards, 2-for-4, run scored, RBI

Blake Murphy RBI double in his only AB

Adron Chambers, Brian Cartie, Jermaine Curtis were all 1-for-3

Aaron Luna, 1-for-2

Oliver Marmol, Curt Smith, Charlie Kingrey were 1-for-4


Quad Cities 1 lost to Greensboro, 10-1

QC1 pitchers

Deryk Hooker was the loser, 1+ IP, 3 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB

Jameson Maj, 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER

Zach Pitts 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Gary Daley, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Jason Buursma, 2 IP, 2 H, 3 unearned runs

Jose Rada struck out the side in his only inning of work

QC1 hitters

Domnit Bolivar 2-for-3 with an RBI

Osvaldo Morales, Frederick Parejo and Chris Swauger had the only other hits with a single apiece


Quad Cities 2 defeated Marlins 5th team, 9-6

QC2 pitchers

Brett Zawacki, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Mike Blazek, 2 IP, 3 H, 1 unearned run

Reynier Gonzalez, 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER

Josh Hester, two perfect innings, two K’s

QC2 hitters

Roberto De La Cruz, 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk

Jairo Martinez, 2-for-4 with a HR

Michael Swinson, 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs

Edwin Gomez, 2-for-4

Yunior Castillo, 1-for-2, with a run scored

Nick Vera, singled and had two walks in his three PA’s


These reports are provided through the courtesy of the St. Louis Cardinals by Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch.

Cardinals in the Gulf Coast, Arizona and Pioneer Rookie Leagues


Starting this series was an offshoot of a single event, the Batavia Muckdogs’ 2008 New York-Penn League championship season. That led to a look at system-wide records over time, which opened up the opportunity to look at each level of play across the Cardinals system.

In doing so, the top six minor league levels seemed right, as they are the consistent measures over time. Yet this work also enabled me to fully appreciate the handful of managers that have revolved among the Cardinals affiliates over the years.

In order to have a complete view of the minor league managers, I realized I needed to have a snapshot of the complex short-season rookie leagues as well. Hence the creation of this previously-unexpected report.

Florida-based rookie leagues – 1964 through 1976

In 1964, the Cardinals placed a team in what was called the Sarasota Rookie League. All four league clubs played their games in Sarasota. The next season, the league evolved to six teams, renamed the Florida Rookie League, with games in Bradenton as well as Sarasota. George Kissell’s club finished fifth.

A third name change in three seasons occurred in 1966 as the Gulf Coast League came into existence. Down to five clubs and a 48-game schedule, Kissell’s team finished in fifth. Cardinal Wayne Dees led the league in hits with 48.

In the five years from 1967 through 1971, the Cardinals finished last every other year with only one first-division finish (second in 1968). 1972 and 1973 brought an unusual situation as the Cardinals had two clubs in the same league! Perhaps it watered down the talent too much as neither the Cardinals nor the Red Birds were in contention either season. Hector Eduardo of Ken Boyer’s Cardinals hit six home runs in 1973 to pace the GCL.

Cardinals in Calgary – 1977 and 1978

After another last-place finish in 1975 and a fourth-place return the next season, the Cardinals left the Gulf Coast League. For 1977 and 1978, the Cardinals moved far north and west to the Pioneer League. In their first season, the Calgary Cardinals were led by league leaders Jim Reeves with a .376 batting average and future major leaguer Ty Waller with 96 hits and 77 runs scored.

During the next ten seasons, from 1979 through 1988, the Cardinals’ lowest classification team was Johnson City of the rookie-level Appalachian League.

Six years in Arizona – 1989 through 1994

In 1988, the Arizona League began play, modeled after the Gulf Coast League, still operating without the Cardinals. While the GCL was up to 12 teams, the Arizona League began with just four. The Cards joined the Arizona League in season two, 1989, as it expanded to six teams.

In 1990, Cardinal Jonas Hamlin led the Arizona League in hits (76), home runs (8) and runs scored (45). The next season, Steve Cerio topped the league in hits (80), home runs (9) and RBIs (47). In 1992, there were more Cardinals offensive leaders. Not-yet Super Joe McEwing paced the league with 55 runs while teammate Brian Rupp batted .386, had 80 hits and drove in 40, all Arizona League bests.

While there was plenty of hitting, there wasn’t consistent winning. Since its inception, the Arizona League Cardinals hovered around .500 until 1993. That year, Roy Silver’s Cardinals finished in second, just three games out.

The Cards saved their best for last as 1994 signaled both the end of the Cardinals’ involvement in the Arizona League as well as their only season atop the standings, achieved in their sixth year.

Once again, offense led the way for Scott Melvin’s club. Darren Tawwater hit five home runs, Nate Dishington had 36 RBIs and Jose Lugo’s 70 hits all led the Arizona League in 1994.

Back to the GCL again – 2007 to present

This time, the Cardinals stayed away from the complex rookie leagues for a dozen years until their return to the Gulf Coast League in 2007. Those first two teams struggled badly in the won-loss column (.376), though Cuban émigré and outfielder Ryde Rodriguez was named a 2008 GCL All-Star.

The Cardinals plan to continue to use the GCL in place of Johnson City as the first stopping point for Dominican and Venezuelan graduates as well as many June high school draftees.

Veteran scout Steve Turco is returning to managing after a ten-year absence from the bench to lead the 2009 Gulf Coast League Cardinals.

Only during their brief two-year stay in the Pioneer League did the Cardinals participate in a league with a playoff format. In terms of the regular season, the Cardinals have one first-place finish from 25 clubs over 23 seasons since 1964.

Their cumulative won-loss record is 668-737 (.475), with their best run during the Arizona League years. From 1989 through 1994, those Cardinals won at a .526 clip (172-155).

Cardinals Complex Year Pct W L Division Playoffs Manager
Record all clubs 64-78, 89-94, 07-08 0.475 668 737 1 0
25 year all clubs 89-94, 07-08 0.489 213 223 1 0
10 year all clubs 07-08 0.376 41 68 0 na
GCL/FRL/SRL record 64-76, 07-08 0.453 425 514 0 na
Arizona League record 89-94 0.526 172 155 1 na
Pioneer League record 77-78 0.511 71 68 0 0
Gulf Coast 2008 0.309 17 38 5 na Enrique Brito
Gulf Coast 2007 0.444 24 30 4 na Enrique Brito
Arizona 1994 0.607 34 22 1 na Scott Melvin
Arizona 1993 0.585 31 22 2 na Roy Silver
Arizona 1992 0.519 28 26 6 na Joe Cunningham
Arizona 1991 0.492 29 30 5 na Keith Champion
Arizona 1990 0.538 28 24 3 na Larry Milbourne
Arizona 1989 0.415 22 31 5 na Luis Melendez
Calgary (Pioneer) 1978 0.536 37 32 3 Johnny Lewis
Calgary (Pioneer) 1977 0.486 34 36 4 Johnny Lewis
Gulf Coast 1976 0.529 27 24 4 na Dave Ricketts
Gulf Coast 1975 0.327 17 35 7 na Fred Koenig
Gulf Coast 1974 0.563 27 21 5 na Tom Burgess
Bobby Dews
Gulf Coast Cardinals 1973 0.455 25 30 7 na Ken Boyer
Gulf Coast Red Birds 1973 0.518 29 27 4 na Le Roy Thomas
Gulf Coast Cardinals 1972 0.458 27 32 5 na Bobby Dews
Gulf Caost Red Birds 1972 0.397 23 35 6 na Julio Gotay
Gulf Coast 1971 0.377 20 33 7 na Tom Burgess
Gulf Coast 1970 0.533 32 28 5 na Tom Burgess
Gulf Coast 1969 0.389 21 33 7 na Tom Burgess
Gulf Coast 1968 0.557 34 27 2 na George Kissell
Ray Hathaway
Gulf Coast 1967 0.439 25 32 6 na George Kissell
Gulf Coast 1966 0.417 20 28 4 na George Kissell
Florida Rookie 1965 0.466 27 31 5 na George Kissell
Sarasota Rookie 1964 0.500 30 30 2 na Fred Koenig

Related articles:

“Cardinals in Triple-A – 1977 to present”

“Cardinals in Double-A – 1966 to present”

“Cardinals in the Florida State League – 1966 to present”

“Quad Cities: Cardinals top minor league club has a long history”

“Cardinals in the Appalachian League – 1975 to present”

“Cardinals in the New York-Penn League – 1981 to present”

“A quarter century of Cardinals minor league results”

Cardinals minor matters – March 19


With little unreported news of note on current St. Louis Cardinals, it seems a good time to sweep up some miscellaneous items from the last few days about ex-Cards still active across the game.


Worrell wounded

San Diego reliever Mark Worrell, unhappy with the Cardinals over a lack of opportunity, received his with the Padres this spring. The sidearmer had pitched well enough that he was expected to make the team.

That was before elbow soreness hit. Now he is shut down with this ominous comment from manager Bud Black, after talking with team doctors.

Black said, “It doesn’t look great.”

No news yet on the second player to head to the Padres in the Khalil Greene trade, but whoever it is, I still like the Cardinals side of the deal.


Perdomo still fighting among Giants

Taken in the December Rule 5 Draft, Luis Perdomo is one of nine relievers vying for two spots in the San Francisco Giants bullpen. It he doesn’t make the team, he will passed through waivers and if unclaimed, will return to the Cardinals minor leagues.


Izzy’s first outing with Rays

Nobody is getting too excited in Tampa Bay yet, but Jason Isringhausen made his first spring appearance the other day. Not dominating, nor should it have been expected with Izzy coming off elbow surgery.

Still, there is hope that Izzy can be part of the pen mix and given closer Troy Percival’s age and health risk, this could be a good place for the exiled Cards all-time saves leader to get his career back on track.


Julian brutally honest

After turning down an earlier offer from Washington, former Cardinals reliever Julian Tavarez accepted this time – a non-guaranteed minor league deal with a spring camp invite.

Since leaving the Cardinals after the 2005 season, the 34-year-old right-hander has pitched (and departed from) Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta. If he makes the cut, Washington will become his 11th MLB club.

Never known for taking things very seriously, here is what Tavarez said about joining the Nationals:

“Why did I sign with the Nationals?” Tavarez told a group of reporters. “When you go to a club at [4 a.m.], and you’re just waiting, waiting, a 600-pounder looks like J. Lo. And to me this is Jennifer Lopez right here. It’s [4 a.m.]. Too much to drink. So, Nationals: Jennifer Lopez to me.”


“I would like to be a starter, but it’s like my father said: ‘You want Jennifer Lopez, but does she want you? No.’ You just take whatever she is giving to you. So I just take whatever they give to me … They give to me as a long man, I take it as a long man. Set up man, I take it. Starter, I take it. I can do whatever.”


The Kipper is back!

I had recently been dogging the Toronto Blue Jays as the destination for old Cardinals to die. Perhaps that is now the Washington Nationals. Ray “Burger” King passed through there on his way out of the game and Ronnie Belliard and now Tavarez are there today.

There is another recent addition – former Cardinals starter Kip Wells. The Nats’ brass are tantalized by his 90-93 mph fastball and movement on his slider. Right.

Since leaving St. Louis, where he was an awful 7-17 in 2007, Wells couldn’t stick with Colorado or Kansas City, either. He hasn’t had a winning season since 2003. Wells can earn $500,000 if he makes the team.

Good luck with that.


Maroth to minors, Clement doing ok

Speaking of Toronto, left-handed pitcher Mike Maroth was sent down to the minors by the Jays. No surprise there. He surrendered five runs, four earned, and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings in his first start on Saturday.

One of the players that beat him out was another former Cardinal, Matt Clement. He’s still in camp, having allowed three runs in six innings. For the Jays, that is good, I guess.


Haerther hits the field as Rolen sidelined

In his first action of the spring, outfielder Cody Haerther went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs for the Jays on Wednesday. If the former Cardinal minor leaguer can ever put the injuries behind, he has a chance to eventually make it as a reserve outfielder.

In response to a reader question, though he was taken in the Rule 5 Draft last December, Haerther does not have to be returned to the Cardinals when he is sent down. That is because he was on the Springfield roster and was taken in the minor league phase of Rule 5.

Former Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen has been eased into spring action with just 13 at-bats so far. He had to leave Wednesday’s game due to a sore back that is not supposed to be serious.

There were rumors that the Jays were hoping for a hot spring from Rolen to attract trade interest. With him being owed $22 million for this season and next, there aren’t going to be any takers.


Sir Sid’s groundhog day

The Kansas City Royals signed pitcher Sidney Ponson to a minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training.

They want to see if he “has anything left in the tank”. If that means ample food and drink, the answer is “yes”. If they mean the ability to pitch consistently well, the answer is “no way”.

Though I didn’t peg the team, the first part of my earlier prediction has come true. I figured Sir Sidney would pitch well enough in the World Baseball Classic for the Netherlands (Dutch Aruba, remember?) that he would be signed somewhere.

Step two will be to pitch well in a game or two. Step three is to revert to being himself. Step four is to be waived. Step five is to be re-signed by the Yankees, before a repeat of steps two through four.

By the way, Ponson finally settled with the Orioles on his grievance based on being released in 2005 with a $10 million deal for 2006 in place. There were those alcohol-related problems…


Rico to China

Last year’s Joe Thurston-come-from-nowhere to make the team feel-good story was career minor leaguer Rico Washington. He made the 2008 opening day roster due to Brendan Ryan starting on the disabled list and lasted less than a month in the bigs, but he did make it after a dozen years of trying.

Rico is on a different career trajectory now, having signed with defending champion Uni-President Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League for 2009.


Pomeranz back on the mound

The White Sox signed former Cardinals right-hander pitcher Stuart Pomeranz. It was a minor league deal, of course.

The 24-year-old was the Cards’ second-round pick in 2003 and at one point, was a top-ten prospect in the organization. He never made Triple-A, though he did pitch in the Arizona Fall League in 2006.

Pomeranz’ shoulder was injured for most of 2007 and after being released last spring, he didn’t play the rest of the season as far as I can tell. I assumed he had retired.


Spivey-man sighting

Now, here is one that floored me. The Mets signed second baseman Junior Spivey to a minor league contract.

I don’t know what was more surprising – that Spivey is still playing or the fact that he was given a professional contract. After spending 2005 with the Nationals, he came to Cardinals camp in 2006 hoping to win the second base job, but spent the entire season in Memphis. That is a good thing. After all, I don't think I could have survived a whole season of Mike Shannon calling him "Spivey-man".

Junior played in indy ball in 2007 and also had a short Triple-A look-see with the Red Sox that season. Where he was last year, I have no idea. Maybe hanging out with the "Simo-man".


Preston is limping back

Speaking of indy ball and retired guys I thought I would never see again, Preston Wilson signed with Newark Bears in the Atlantic League. (What the heck? They also signed Pete Rose Jr. and have Carl Everett on the team, too.)

Wilson’s chronic knee problems must have improved enough to hobble out there. He last played in 2007 and managed just 64 at-bats for the Cardinals.


(A tip of the cap to Cardinals Best News Links for the Rico and Wilson news.)

Cards minors spring game reports – March 18


Like other sites, I receive daily reports on the Cardinals minor league spring training games, courtesy of Director of Minor League Operations John Vuch. It is easy to post them here, but I am curious if you find them of value.

As I attend games starting on Sunday, I will post eye-witness commentary and photos at Scout.com and here at TCN, but are these summary reports worth seeing here, too? Of course, these will always be focused on positive outings, which is understandable considering their source.

Your comments appreciated.

First games against real opponents are today, Thursday, 3/19. Prepare for lots of Marlins, Mets and more scrimmages like these this spring.

Memphis/Springfield – 4  Palm Beach – 3

Mem/Spr pitchers

Blake Hawksworth 4 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Royce Ring one perfect inning, 1 K

Brad Furnish 2 hitless innings, one walk, one K

Ian Ostlund 2 scoreless innings, 1 hit, one K

Russ Haltiwanger one perfect inning

Chuckie Fick 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 2 BB

Mem/Spr hitters

Jarrett Hoffpauir 2-for-2, 2 RBIs

Antonio DeJesus 2-for-5 with a triple

Brett Wallace 2-for-5 with an RBI

Brandon Buckman doubled

Amaury Cazana was 1-for-3 with an RBI

Tyler Henley, Bryan Anderson, Casey Rowlett, Mike Folli and David Freese also had hits

Palm Beach pitchers

PJ Walters 4 IP, 4 hits, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K’s

Luke Gregerson 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 R

Lance Lynn 2 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 K

Nick Additon 2 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 K

Mark Diapoules 2 IP, 2 hits, 1 run 1 BB

Palm Beach hitters

Curt Smith hit a two-run HR

Oliver Marmol and Charlie Kingrey doubled

Pete Kozma singled in his only AB

Jonathan Edwards was 1-for-3

Quad Cities #1 – 10, Quad Cities #2 – 0

QC #1 combined for a 2-hit shutout.  Hector Cardenas, George Brown and Ramon Delgado each threw two hitless innings, while Adam Veres allowed two hits in his two scoreless innings.

QC #1 hitters

Alex Castellanos was 3-for-5 with two doubles a run scored and an RBI

Niko Vasquez was 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI

Ryde Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and two RBIs

Beau Riportella and Osvaldo Morales each doubled

QC #2 pitchers

Eric Fornataro 2 IP, 2 ER

Anthony Ferrara 2 IP, 2 ER, with 4 K’s

Kevin Thomas 1.2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER

Dan Richardson, one scoreless IP

Jorge Rondon 1 IP, 2 R, 1 ER

QC #2 hitters

Brett Lilley  1-for-3 with a walk

Yunior Castillo 1-for-2 with a walk

Cardinals’ financial onion peeled back


In a Wednesday article, creatively entitled “Cards payroll is going down”, the Post-Dispatch’s Joe Strauss describes a discussion with St. Louis Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and provides additional supporting detail on the status of the team’s finances apparently not directly sourced from DeWitt himself.

This is an area of increasing interest to fans, especially given an off-season of reduced spending on players.

As if they were DeWitt’s talking points, I have extracted the key bullets from the article without editorial comment in the areas of 2008 and 2009 payroll, roster implications, expense/revenue last year with this year’s forecast along with ticket sales information.

2008 payroll

  • The 2008 season-opening player payroll total was $101.8 million, but included $26 million paid to players that didn’t contribute materially last season.
  • (As another reference point, USA Today ranked the Cardinals at number 11 in MLB at the start of 2008 with an opening player budget of $99.6 million.)
  • The club reasserts all 2008 in-season trades considered were not made were due to prospects demanded, not because of money limitations.
  • The 2008 end-of-season payroll was over $110 million.

2009 payroll

  • The team has committed an estimated $93.2 million to the 2009 opening-day roster. (link to P-D‘s player-by-player figures behind the total)
  • Ownership forecasts the Cardinals will rank among the top 10 or 11 payrolls in MLB.
  • DeWitt reiterated his commitment “to have a payroll commensurate with revenue”.

2009 roster

  • The two-year/$18 million offer spurned by closer Brian Fuentes was heavily backloaded. The expense assumed would probably have driven a salary dump trade of either Ryan Ludwick or Rick Ankiel.
  • Despite the uncertainty at second base, after eating the $4 million contract of Adam Kennedy, the club could not pursue free agent Orlando Hudson for financial reasons.
  • Yet the recent signing of reliever Dennys Reyes is cited as an example of the club’s financial flexibility.

2008 expense/revenue

  • Overall revenue in 2008 exceeded $200 million.
  • Expenses exceeded $150 million.
  • Operating profit was $23 to $25 million prior to servicing $17 million of stadium debt.
  • DeWitt states that any “excess” money the past few years has been re-invested in the operation.

2009 expense/revenue

  • The club is not assured of a 2009 operating profit beyond its ongoing debt service on the stadium.
  • The Cardinals are “very sensitive” to attendance due to broadcast contracts that are much smaller than large-market clubs.

Ticket sales

  • 2.7 million tickets have already been sold for the 2009 season.
  • The club will not sell 3 million tickets prior to opening day for the first time in the four years since moving into the new ballpark.
  • The worst-case scenario in which attendance only reaches 2.8 million in 2009 will be exceeded.
  • Sales are down for all-inclusive and premium-seating areas typically bought by corporations and community groups.
  • The club is projecting 3 million in attendance (which would be down 14% from the 3.43 million achieved in 2008).

All-Star Game impact

  • The Cardinals will receive no direct revenue from the All-Star week activities.
  • The 90 percent renewal rate among season-ticket holders to date is expected to grow to 92-93% based on fan interest in All-Star Game tickets.

OK, folks. There you have it. The Cliff’s Notes version of the Post-Dispatch article.

I am going to withhold my comments as I am interested in what you think. Does it make sense? Does the story hold together or is it just a shell game?

Does it matter what the team makes or spends as long as they are competitive? Should the owners have to disclose their finances in an attempt to maintain/restore the confidence of their fan base? How much profit is fair?

What do you think?

Ballpark Village site to get softball field


Cardinals press release

ST. LOUIS, March 18, 2009 – The St. Louis Cardinals today announced that groundbreaking will begin soon on a softball field and expansion of a paved parking lot on the future site of Ballpark Village in advance of this summer’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Busch Stadium in July.

The softball field and parking lot are temporary but fan-friendly enhancements to the property as the process for approval and financing for construction of Phase 1 of Ballpark Village continues.  Both the softball field and parking lot will be available during at least the first half of the regular 2009 season, and through the All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 14.  Once the bonds for the larger Ballpark Village project are sold, the softball field and parking lot will be taken over by the construction of the larger project.

“The softball field and parking lot are temporary but welcomed improvements designed to provide additional amenities to our fans as we wait for final approvals on the larger Ballpark Village plan,” said Bill DeWitt, president of the St. Louis Cardinals.  “The softball field will be a great draw for groups and charities and the new paved area will accommodate the All-Star Gala tent and Sponsorship Village during All-Star week.

“A food and beverage area designed by SportService will also serve the entire area with a ‘taste of the ballpark.’  These amenities will showcase downtown St. Louis in the best possible light and create anticipation for the exciting future plans for Ballpark Village.”

The regulation-size softball field will be on the west side of the site – on roughly the same location as the old Busch Stadium playing field.  It will be available for groups to rent for special events on both game-days and non-game days.  Completion of the softball field and parking lot expansion is expected by Opening Day or shortly thereafter.

For information on how to rent the field, please call the Cardinals Special Events department at 314-345-9357.

Franklin’s blown saves – joke or no joke?


In a Monday article acknowledging Jason Isringhausen’s first outing with his new Tampa Bay club, the AP added some sour grapes commentary from Izzy’s former bullpen mate Ryan Franklin.

The gripes weren’t about Isringhausen – they were about how Franklin’s 2008 stint as the St. Louis Cardinals closer has been remembered. Despite having lost the closer’s job for the same reason Izzy did, ineffectiveness, Franklin has his own unique perspective on what exactly happened.

Said the AP:

Franklin is a bit defensive about his statistics last year, noting at least a couple of his blown saves came in games where he had virtually no shot. He entered one with the bases loaded and gave up a tying sacrifice fly. Another occurred in the sixth inning.

“There were some joke blown saves,” Franklin said. “You kidding me?”

Who is kidding who?

Having a different recollection than Franklin, I decided to get to the bottom of this by a simple view of his 2008 performance as seen through the game logs from his blown save contests.

First of all, the cold, hard facts say that Franklin made good on just 17 of his 25 save opportunities for a conversion rate of 68%. In other words, he basically blew one of every three chances presented him.

As such, I can see why Franklin might be sensitive. After all, his record was simply not very good. Yet as bad as Isringhausen’s 2008 season was, his save mark was very close at 63%.

Now I will look at each of Franklin’s eight blown saves and call them as I see them – either “joke”, meaning the blown save was not justified, or “no joke”, meaning Franklin got what he deserved.

We’ll tabulate the score at the end.

April 1: Franklin took over to start the eighth inning on opening day, protecting a 1-0 lead. He coughed up a single and a ground rule double. A no-out error allowed the first run in. Franklin was pulled after giving up a walk to the next batter, still with no outs.

After collecting two strikeouts, Randy Flores walked in the winning run. Two unearned runs were charged to Franklin as he took the blown save and loss. Because Franklin created the mess, I have to call this no joke, despite what he may think.

April 21: Franklin came in to open the eighth in a one-run game. He allowed a run on two hits and a one-out error then gave up another hit before getting out of the inning. He took the blown save, but the Cardinals came back in the ninth to grab the win. No joke.

June 5: The Cardinals had fought back to take a 9-8 lead in the top of the tenth inning. Franklin opened the bottom of the frame by yielding a single and a walk off two-run home run to end the game. No joke.

June 26: Protecting a one-run lead, Franklin opened the ninth inning. A one-out solo home run tied the game, which Mike Parisi lost in the tenth. No joke.

July 24: Franklin took over with two out in the eighth and the bases empty. He collected the third out and remained in for the ninth to protect the Cards’ one-run lead. After a single, a two-run home run turned the tables. Franklin took the blown save and the loss, his second in a row. The previous evening’s defeat was not in a save situation. No joke.

July 26: The Cardinals turned the ball over to Franklin to open the ninth with an 8-7 lead. The first batter hit a home run. Franklin took the blown save in a game that the Cardinals eventually won in 14 innings. No joke.

August 5: Franklin took over for Isringhausen with one out in the ninth. The bases were loaded and three runs were already in to turn a 4-0 lead into a 4-3 nail-biter. Franklin yielded a sacrifice fly to tie the game and as such was charged with the blown save. The Cards eventually won in the 11th. Finally, a legitimate joke.

September 26: Franklin was given the ball with one out in the ninth to protect a two-run lead. A single, a stolen base and a two-run home run erased St. Louis’ margin. Franklin picked up a vulture win when the Cardinals broke the tie in the bottom on the ninth. No joke.

Many closers say they put the previous game out of their mind, whether good or bad. I can understand that line of thinking, but I don’t really believe it. Perhaps in this case however, Franklin has in fact selectively forgotten all the bad.

By my count, seven of Franklin’s eight blown saves in 2008 were not a joke, despite what his revisionist version of history might say.

The AP apparently bought into the excuse. As noted above, they mentioned both the bases-loaded “joke” game as well as a mystery contest in which Franklin supposedly took a blown save in the sixth inning. I could find no such game.

By throwing the single legitimate “joke” game away, Franklin’s 2008 save percentage would have rocketed all the way from 68% up to 71%. In a point of comparison, through all the times of good and bad, Izzy’s Cardinals career save mark was 85%.

Data point number two. Last season, Franklin’s overall ERA was 3.55. In his 49 lower-pressure appearances, his ERA was a nifty 2.94. In the 25 crunch time, save-situation games in 2008, it was 4.72, almost two runs worse.

Who is kidding who?

Ludwick backs off 50-homer talk and other Cardinals strugglers


Of the many stories that came out of the St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-Up fan festival just two months ago, one focused on two Cardinals outfielders who hit the weight room over the winter and appeared noticeably bulked up.

One was top prospect Colby Rasmus. In an AP article in January, this was said about Colby:

“The 22-year-old Rasmus has been doing eight bench-press repetitions at 275 pounds all winter while working out at home with his brother and dad. He’s also done a lot of sprint work and said his speed has not been compromised by the injury.”

The outfielder has been given plenty of opportunities to impress this spring, but so far, has fallen short of the lofty expectations placed upon him. Rasmus’ current line is .244/.326/.366. His 13 strikeouts in 41 at-bats lead the team.

The other prominent lifter is fellow outfielder Ryan Ludwick. The same January 22 AP article mentioned this:

“His bench press routine of eight repetitions at 285 pounds, a 30-pound improvement over last season, helps him set the bar for 50 homers in 2009 with a straight face.”

At the time, Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch also commented. He seemed unsure if the comments were made in jest.

“Ludwick ought to get stronger and was able to increase, for example, his bench-press reps by 30 pounds. He then semi-joked that he’d ‘like to hit 50’ home runs.”

Manager Tony La Russa was not amused at the time. “That’s a dumb thing for Lud to say,” he was quoted as saying to the Belleville News-Democrat. The manager wisely wanted the outfielder to let the power come to him.

Struggling so far this spring with a .147/.275/.206 line after 12 games and 34 at-bats, Ludwick is now waving off the 50 home run talk.

From a Sunday AP article, “Ludwick emphasizes that he never predicted 50 homers.”


“I said ‘I dreamed about playing in the big leagues so why can’t you dream about hitting 50 home runs in the big leagues?”‘ Ludwick said. “Do I think I’m going to hit 50 home runs? No. I’m just trying to play to my capabilities.”

With that, I have decided to offer my mid-spring view of how the remaining players in big league camp have performed to date. All players are placed into one of three groups – rising, flat or falling.

These are my personal views and several weeks remain for these to change. Here’s hoping all the fallers rise during the second half of camp.

Pitchers Mitchell Boggs Late start, but four shutout innings.
Rising Chris Carpenter So far, so good.
Ryan Franklin Save the bullets for the season!
Blake Hawksworth A 4.22 ERA is an improvement.
Josh Kinney 4 walks in 5 scoreless IP only minor blemish.
Charlie Manning Too many walks, but hasn’t been bad (1.69 ERA).
Jason Motte Hasn’t walked anyone in 5 IP.
Joel Pineiro No ER in 10 IP!
Adam Wainwright Not yet at an ace level, but improving each time.
P.J. Walters Quietly entering sixth starter race.
Pitchers Kyle Lohse Sorry, but 3.60 ERA is expected for $41 M.
Flat Trever Miller No surprises is a good thing for veteran.
Adam Ottavino WBC game was nice, but Cards results less so.
Fernando Salas 3 ER and 3 BB in 5 IP. Expectations low in 1st camp.
Matt Scherer Slowed by injury, but 1st IP good. Could rise.
Jess Todd 3 BB, 3 ER in 6 1/3 IP. He’ll be back, though!
Dennys Reyes Yet to appear, but not dominating in WBC.
Pitchers Kyle McClellan 7.56 ERA concerning, but should end up in pen.
Falling Chris Perez How bad is the heel bothering him?
Royce Ring 2 HR in 5 1/3 IP.
Brad Thompson 5.19 ERA not impressive for veteran swingman.
Todd Wellemeyer Only 7 IP, so time to improve on 5.14 ERA.
Catchers Jason LaRue Seeing a lot of time, but only batting .208
Flat Yadier Molina Away at WBC. He will be fine.
Matt Pagnozzi Hitting .200, but stayed longer than expected.
Catchers Bryan Anderson Not hitting (.154) and runners are stealing on him.
Falling
Infielders Brian Barden Hitting a quiet .350.
Rising Allen Craig Batting .476! Should be slugging 1B at Memphis.
Khalil Greene May be dark horse surprise of 2009 team.
Joe Mather Leads in RBI, but average remains a concern.
Joe Thurston Versatile and contributing.
Infielders Albert Pujols .333/.489/.455 line is expected.
Flat Skip Schumaker Bat is just fine. Position change still open issue.
Infielders Troy Glaus When will he really be back at 100%?
Falling Tyler Greene Glove good, but 8 Ks in 35 ABs and .229 average.
Brendan Ryan Needs to get healthy and hot. 3-for-10 not enough.
Outfielders Rick Ankiel Batting .333, drawing BBs, but Ks still a bit high.
Rising Chris Duncan Power seems back.
Jon Jay One of camp surprises. Can he hit enough for COF?
Outfielders Brian Barton .192 with 9 Ks in 26 ABs.
Falling Ryan Ludwick Still has plenty of time to get ready for season.
Colby Rasmus Uneven play to date isn’t forcing his way onto team.

P.S. A Sunday MLB.com article stated that Brendan Ryan is out of options. That is incorrect.

Cardinals in Triple-A – 1977 to present


The last quarter century of results posted by the St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A franchise, currently the Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League, offer an interesting contrast.

On one hand, the highs were the highest, as none of the other Cardinals franchises have won as many league championships as the Triple-A club, yet none of the clubs at the top six levels have delivered a poorer cumulative won-loss record, either.

Cardinals system records – New Orleans/Springfield (IL)/Louisville/Memphis

Last ten years (1999-2008) Level Mark Record Year Club
Most league championships club one 5-way tie: Mem/TN/PB/QC/Batavia
Last 25 years (1984-2008) Level Mark Record Year Club
Worst cumulative record club 0.481 1722-1860 1984-2008 Memphis/Louisville (Triple-A)
Most league championships club four 84,85,95,00 Memphis/Louisville (Triple-A)

Though the recent years in Memphis have been lean in terms of victories, results have actually been very consistent over time. It is interesting to note that the team’s .481 winning percentage is identical whether you review the last ten years or the most recent 25 years.

Following are the year-by-year details of the Cardinals Triple-A teams since 1977, with 25-year and 10-year subsets as well as by-league totals for the Pacific Coast League and American Association.

Cards Triple-A Year Pct W L Division Playoffs Manager
Record all clubs 77-08 0.489 2214 2318 9
25 year all clubs 84-08 0.481 1722 1860 6
10 year all clubs 99-08 0.481 687 740 1
PCL record 98-08 0.484 761 810
AA record (partial) 77-97 0.491 1453 1508
Memphis 2008 0.528 75 67 2 Chris Maloney
Memphis 2007 0.389 56 88 4 Chris Maloney
Memphis 2006 0.403 58 86 3 Danny Sheaffer
Memphis 2005 0.497 71 72 3 Danny Sheaffer
Memphis 2004 0.507 73 71 2 Danny Sheaffer
Memphis 2003 0.448 64 79 4 Tom Spencer
Danny Sheaffer
Memphis 2002 0.500 71 71 4 Gaylen Pitts
Memphis 2001 0.434 62 81 4 Gaylen Pitts
Memphis 2000 0.576 83 61 1 WCL Gaylen Pitts
Memphis 1999 0.536 74 64 3 Gaylen Pitts
Memphis 1998 0.514 74 70 2 Gaylen Pitts
Louisville 1997 0.406 58 85 4 Gaylen Pitts
Louisville 1996 0.417 60 84 4 Joe Pettini
Louisville 1995 0.514 74 70 4 WC Joe Pettini
Louisville 1994 0.521 74 68 4 L1 Joe Pettini
Louisville 1993 0.472 68 76 3 Jack Krol
Louisville 1992 0.510 73 70 3 Jack Krol
Louisville 1991 0.357 51 92 4 Mark DeJohn
Louisville 1990 0.507 74 72 3 Gaylen Pitts
Louisville 1989 0.490 71 74 4 Mike Jorgensen
Louisville 1988 0.444 63 79 4 Mike Jorgensen
Louisville 1987 0.557 78 62 2 L1 Mike Jorgensen
Louisville 1986 0.464 64 74 4 Jim Fregosi
Dave Bialas
Louisville 1985 0.521 74 68 1 WC Jim Fregosi
Louisville 1984 0.510 79 76 T4 WC Jim Fregosi
Louisville 1983 0.578 78 57 1 LC Jim Fregosi
Louisville 1982 0.541 73 62 T2 Joe Frazier
Springfield (IL) 1981 0.485 66 70 2 L1 Tommy Thompson
Springfield (IL) 1980 0.551 75 61 1 WC Hal Lanier
Springfield (IL) 1979 0.537 73 63 2 Hal Lanier
Springfield (IL) 1978 0.515 70 66 3 Jimy Williams
New Orleans 1977 0.419 57 79 4 Lance Nichols

WC = won championship

WCL = won league title, but lost in Triple-A World Series to International League champion

LC = lost in the finals

L1 = lost in first playoff round

As long-time owner A. Ray Smith ended his club’s and the Cardinals’ long-standing relationship with Tulsa, leaving the city and the Oilers behind for the 1977 season, the report begins.

That season, the short-lived New Orleans Pelicans entered the American Association, playing in the cavernous 62,000 seat Superdome. One of their infielders was a minor league veteran in his final season as a player and first as a coach. Tony La Russa batted .188 in 50 games.

Dane Iorg found the club’s new home in Springfield, Illinois to his liking in 1978 as the future major leaguer lead the AA with a .371 batting average. Hal Lanier’s 1980 club, led by Alan Olmstead’s 2.77 ERA, took the league championship.

Smith was sued by Springfield officials when he reneged on a deal to remain there after the locals had invested in stadium renovations.

Loved in Louisville (1982-1997)

The Redbirds arrived in Louisville, Kentucky in 1982. Packing fans into 33,000 seat Cardinal Stadium regularly, the club broke a 36-year-old minor league record by 200,000 in drawing a total of 868,418 fans.

The next season, Louisville became the first minor club ever to draw over 1,000,000 fans, outdrawing three MLB teams in the process. Jim Fregosi’s squad had the best record in the league but lost in the first round of the playoffs.

In the 1984 regular season, the Redbirds tied for fourth, but won a tie breaker game and eight more to capture Louisville’s first Cardinals-affiliated crown. Speedster Vince Coleman led the American Association with 97 runs scored. MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn canceled the Triple-A World Series due to concerns over its planned locale – Las Vegas.

1985 brought another first-place finish and a second consecutive championship for Louisville. Todd Worrell paced the league with 128 strikeouts. Smith sold the team to a local group after the 1986 season following 26 years of ownership.

The current bench coach for the big league Cardinals, Joe Pettini, presided over a short burst of playoff baseball after a seven-year absence. Though the 1994 Redbirds lost in the first round, next season’s club took the American Association flag. Both clubs finished the regular season in fourth place, but came on when it counted most.

In 1994, 22-year-old Alan Benes won 17 games while 1995 AA saves leader Cory Bailey logged 25.

1997 became the final season of the American Association and the end of the Cardinals’ run in Louisville as well. Gaylen Pitts, who had previously managed the club in 1990, was back in 1997 and remained through 2002. His six-year consecutive run is tied for the longest in the system at any level since at least 1981 with Steve Turco of Johnson City (1994-1999).

Walking in Memphis (1998-present)

The new Memphis club, owned by a not-for-profit foundation, aligned with the Cardinals for their dual debuts in the Pacific Coast League in 1998. In the third of three consecutive winning seasons in their new city, the Redbirds took their only PCL championship to date, but fell in the Triple-A World Series.

Those 2000 champs celebrated in their new $80 million, AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, considered then and now to be one of the finest minor league facilities. That season, Bud Smith took the PCL ERA title at 2.17 with teammate Britt Reames (2.28) placing third.

In the eight seasons since, the Redbirds have posted just two winning campaigns, but things are looking up. 2008’s 75-67 (.528) set the high water mark during that period.

Even with spotty team records, Memphis continued to feature strong individual performances by future major leaguers. In 2004, Dan Haren was tops in the PCL with 150 strikeouts and Adam Wainwright led the league in innings pitched (182) the following season.

The Memphis franchise was recently ranked by Forbes as the second most valuable in all of the minor leagues at $26.1 million, yet the club is carrying a heavy debt due to the construction costs of AutoZone Park.

Last fall, the Cardinals and Redbirds announced a letter of intent for the big league club to purchase the Memphis team. Ultimately, the organization called the deal off due to the complexity of the transaction and the weakened economy though the team remains for sale.

Related articles:

“Cardinals in Double-A – 1966 to present”

“Cardinals in the Florida State League – 1966 to present”

“Quad Cities: Cardinals top minor league club has a long history”

“Cardinals in the Appalachian League – 1975 to present”

“Cardinals in the New York-Penn League – 1981 to present”

“A quarter century of Cardinals minor league results”

Khalil Greene’s springs point to regular season success


Until he blasted his first home run of the 2009 spring in Friday afternoon’s split squad game, new St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Khalil Greene had been quietly flying under the radar.

With more controversial stories all over camp, from Joel Pineiro to Chris Carpenter to Skip Schumaker and Colby Rasmus, there just wasn’t much to say about the stoic new guy. Steady, doing his job.

On Friday, Greene’s mammoth two-run shot that reportedly landed on a field beyond the left field fence helped power the Cardinals to a 6-5 victory over the home Baltimore Orioles, their ninth win of the spring in 14 games. The 29-year-old added a single in three at-bats to raise his Florida average to .367.

Even prior to Friday’s outburst, I had been looking at Greene’s spring training results going back to his first camp with San Diego in 2003. I was wondering if his springs might say anything about his regular seasons to follow.

After all, considering Greene’s terrible 2008 regular season with the Padres (.213/.260/.339), I was hoping to see a positive trend of some kind. While I did, the spring extremes I found were surprising.

In seven major league springs, including 2009, Greene has been either boom or bust, with absolutely nothing in between.

He has yet to post a March average anywhere in the range between .224 and .339, with four springs below. Three are above, including so far here in 2009.

The right-handed hitter has not registered a March OPS between .733 and .956, a huge gulf if there ever was one. If you throw out his five at-bat introduction in 2003, Greene’s spring OPS canyon expands from .678 to .956.

I find that amazing.

Spring TM BA OBP SLG OPS G AB R H TB 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS E
2009* StL 0.367 0.406 0.567 0.973 11 30 3 11 17 3 0 1 9 2 1 1 0 1
2008 SD 0.191 0.231 0.447 0.678 19 47 6 9 21 6 0 2 5 3 18 1 0 3
2007 SD 0.424 0.424 0.763 1.187 20 59 10 25 45 5 0 5 17 0 12 1 0 2
2006 SD 0.224 0.239 0.433 0.672 23 67 11 15 29 8 0 2 7 2 15 0 0 4
2005 SD 0.188 0.278 0.292 0.570 18 48 4 9 14 2 0 1 5 4 14 1 1 0
2004 SD 0.339 0.408 0.548 0.956 22 62 10 21 34 3 2 2 16 7 15 0 0 0
2003 SD 0.200 0.333 0.400 0.733 5 5 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1

*through 3/13 Game 1

As the highlighted data above indicates, Greene’s big springs prior to this one were in 2004 and 2007.

How did he do from April until October those years? The answer is “pretty darned well”.

During his 2004 introductory season, his first as a full-timer in San Diego, Greene finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. He posted what are still his regular-season career bests in three important offensive categories – batting average (.273), on-base percentage (.349) and OPS (.795).

The 2007 campaign is the one that probably generated the most attention for Greene, however. That year, he slammed his career best of 27 home runs and drove in 97 runs, also his high water mark. His 2007 slugging percentage of .468 is his highest to date.

While there remains plenty of time during spring training 2009 for Greene’s trajectory to change, based on his past results, one might draw the conclusion that he seems on the way to an offensive turnaround during the 2009 regular season.

Duncan a student of swing doctor McGwire


The New York Times was able to secure the unthinkable – an interview with exiled slugger Mark McGwire, something the Californian had declined previously. Of course the ground rules were that there was to be no discussion about the past.

The focus was the former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman’s new life as a hitting instructor, a doctor of swings. One of his prize students, Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan, is enjoying an especially strong spring to date.

The article, which I encourage you to read, offered several interesting tidbits.

  • McGwire agreed to assist the Cardinals as a spring training instructor in 2008, but had to back out at the last moment due to a family matter.

  • Big Mac left the door open to it in the future if it didn’t interfere with his family life, but as previously reported, did not accept Tony La Russa’s offer this spring.

  • McGwire shrugged off the steroids controversy surrounding him by saying, “I’m such an easygoing guy. I don’t need to sweep away any bitterness.”

  • His four students this winter were Matt Holliday and Bobby Crosby of the Oakland Athletics, along with Duncan and Skip Schumaker of the Cardinals.

It was known that Holliday moved to Southern California to work out with McGwire at the University of California at Irvine and Schumaker is from the area. A June, 2008 USA Today article also notes McGwire often appears at Total Baseball in Huntington Beach, California.

Though they’re from Arizona, Chris Duncan’s brother Shelly of the New York Yankees also spent a week getting pointers from McGwire in October, 2006.

The weighting of the various possible causes for Chris Duncan’s encouraging rebirth this spring cannot be simply determined, but the results speak for themselves. Through 12 games and 30 at-bats, just three off the team lead, the 27-year-old is smacking the ball all over Florida parks.

His line is a most impressive and mathematically pure .333/.400/.600, for an OPS of 1.000. That includes three extra base hits, a triple and two home runs. Duncan’s RBI total of ten only trails Joe Mather’s 13 among Cardinals.

In addition to the offensive results, Duncan’s defense at his natural position, first base, was praised by Cardinals radio broadcasters John Rooney and Mike Shannon on Thursday. Duncan was given a start there in place of resting Albert Pujols.

Following the removal of a herniated cervical disc in his neck with a titanium replacement inserted last August, Duncan is apparently healthy for the first time since 2007. The first-ever type surgery for a professional athlete seems to have been entirely successful.

As such, an already crowded St. Louis outfield derby is getting even tighter.

Duncan could be another Cardinals player hoping that Schumaker will succeed in his difficult attempt to convert to a second baseman. Though different kinds of players, both are left-handed hitting outfielders capable of starting in the one remaining outfield position up for grabs on the 2009 Cardinals.

Along with Schumaker at the top of the lineup, La Russa has often discussed his desire for “danger” in the number two spot in his batting order in front of Pujols. Duncan has been tried in that spot before and could be placed there again once the season begins.

If Chris Duncan is truly back, he certainly would have reason to thank his doctors – Dr. Daniel Riew, the surgeon who repaired his neck, along with his swing doctor, Mark McGwire.