photo: Michael Baird (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals were highly-recognized across minor league baseball with four top players named in their respective leagues for the week of July 23-29.
- Pacific Coast League (Triple-A) Player of the Week – Adolis Garcia
- Texas League (Double-A) Player of the Week – Andy Young
- Midwest League (Class-A) Player of the Week – Yariel Gonzalez
- New York-Penn League (short season Class-A) Pitcher of the Week – Michael Baird
In fact, in all the years I have been doing this, I do not recall four Cardinals ever being recognized for the same period of high performance. Also note that three are hitters.
I was fortunate to be in attendance for Baird’s five inning no-hitter last Wednesday and interviewed him afterward (see link below). I also was present for two of Gonzalez’ standout games, as the super utilityman made appearances at second base and right field. And my next stops are Springfield and Memphis, where I hope to get reactions from Young and Garcia.
I might consider Young’s feat the most impressive as it was his first full week at Double-A. What a debut!
Let’s get into the detail.
Memphis Redbirds press release
Memphis Redbirds outfielder Adolis Garcia has been named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for the period of July 23-29, the league office announced Monday.
Garcia is the first Redbird batter to win PCL Player of the Week this season, but his honor marks the fourth time a Memphis player has won a weekly league award this year (Austin Gomber, April 23-29 and May 21-27; Daniel Poncedeleon, July 9-15).
For the week, Garcia hit .414 (12-29) in six games, and he bombed six home runs and drove in 14 runs. He also added four doubles and a triple, and he scored nine runs. He slugged a whopping 1.241 for the week.
On Thursday at Salt Lake, Garcia turned in one of the finest individual games in Redbirds history. He tied franchise records with three home runs and eight RBI, helping the club to a 12-3 win over the Bees. It was the seventh three-homer game in Redbirds history and second of the week, after Tyler O’Neill launched three long balls last Sunday.
He is just the second Redbird to drive in eight runs in a game, after Tagg Bozied did so on Aug. 1, 2007.
On the season, Garcia is hitting .267 in 92 games with Memphis and has hit 19 home runs and driven in 60 runs. Both totals are second on the team. In 24 games in July, Garcia is hitting .363 with 10 homers and 24 RBI, and he has a 1.174 OPS in the month.
Springfield Cardinals media notes
INF Andy Young was named on Monday the Texas League Player of the Week for July 23 – 29, hitting .423 (11×26) with five home runs, 12 RBIs and eight runs in seven games to help the Cardinals go 5-2.
Young twice put together four-hit, two-homer games, including one with a career-high-matching six RBIs on 7/24 in Tulsa. The very next night on 7/25 in Tulsa, he provided the go-ahead two-run single in the 10th inning, helping lead the Cardinals to the sweep of the Drillers. Young then capped the week with another four-hit, two-home run game last Saturday at Hammons Field, including a game-tying home run in the 8th inning as part of the Cards comeback win against NW Arkansas.
Brian Walton’s notes on Gonzalez
Gonzalez, 24, had hits in all five games started, going 10-for-20, including a double and three home runs.
Starting at four different positions during the week alone – second, third, left and right field – the switch-hitter also drew two walks while driving in eight and scoring six times. Gonzalez did not strike out once in 22 plate appearances.
Peoria’s cleanup hitter finished the week with a bang by slugging a two-run home run on Saturday and topped that with a three-run shot on Sunday.
Brian Walton’s notes on Baird
As I noted above, I was working this game, a five-inning no-hitter during at the Connecticut Tigers on Wednesday, during which Baird faced the minimum 15 batters. The right-hander walked a batter before picking him off first base. He fanned six in his gem.
St. Louis’ 23rd round draft pick from Southern Illinois Carbondale was making just his second professional start after five relief appearances.
Members of The Cardinal Nation can listed to Baird’s excitement as he recounts his feat just after the game ended.
Bonus – Monday minor league transaction
With the Springfield Cardinals down a middle infielder due to the release of Luke Dykstra, the organization promoted Peoria’s Jose Martinez to backfill, likely in a reserve role.
In his third season at Class-A, the 21-year old native of Venezuela slashed .241/.333/.319/.653 in 166 at-bats over 54 Midwest League games for the Chiefs. He plated 13 and scored 18.
Martinez also appeared in 69 games at high-A Palm Beach from 2016-2018, but went back down a level each time. This will be his Double-A debut. (On our site, he is listed as Jose Alexander Martinez as opposed to St. Louis 1B/OF Jose Alberto Martinez.)
Peoria, already down one player, did not receive an immediate replacement. The Springfield roster is at 24 players.
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