[Brian34Cook]

02/26/2008 7:31 PM ET
Minor League Report: Mitchell Boggs
Youngster makes debut in first Cards Spring Training match
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com

Mitchell Boggs won 11 games and posted a 3.84 ERA for Double-A Springfield in 2007. (Springfield Cardinals)

JUPITER, Fla. -- Right-hander Mitchell Boggs knows his opponents from St. Louis University will give him everything they've got on Wednesday. He's seen it from the other side.

Boggs, a product of the University of Georgia, was a member of the 2004 'Dawgs team that faced the Atlanta Braves in Spring Training in Orlando. On Wednesday, he'll start for the Cards against SLU.

"You can say it's against a college team, but I was in college at one point," Boggs said. "I know that for those guys, it's going to be a huge deal for them. And it's going to be a huge deal for me. I'm going out and I'm pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals."

Boggs isn't the top-rated Cards starting prospect, but he may currently stand at the top of the depth chart among 'Baby Birds' starters. It's no coincidence that he's starting the SLU game. He'll be followed by P.J. Walters, Clayton Mortensen, Jaime Garcia and Chris Perez.

The Official Site of The St. Louis Cardinals: News: Minor League Report: Mitchell Boggs

[Brian34Cook]

Cards minor leaguer jailed on felony battery charge
By Derrick Goold
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
02/28/2008

JUPITER, Fla. -– Cardinals minor-league pitcher Donnie Smith is in a Palm Beach County jail after being arrested Wednesday night on a felony charge of aggravated battery, police said Thursday.

Smith, 25, allegedly punched a man in the nose at a restaurant near the Cardinals’ minor-league and spring training complex in Jupiter’s Abacoa community. The incident happened Sept. 20, 2007, according to the police report, and a Jupiter Police Department spokesman said the investigation filled the time between complaint and arrest.

The Cardinals did not have an immediate statement regarding the arrest, news of which comes a day after the team released major-leaguer Scott Spiezio in response to six misdemeanor charges filed against him in California.

[Link]

[Brian34Cook]

02/29/2008 10:00 AM ET
Cardinals' farm system cause for excitement
Perennial playoff contender is reloading with homegrown prospects
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com


A first-round pick in last June's Draft, Clayton Mortensen is one of a slew of flame-throwing pitchers quickly climbing the Cards' ladder. (Paul Gierhart/MLB.com)

There's a certain buzz around the Cardinals these days and for the first time in a long time, it's generating from down on the farm.

In years past, Cardinals fans had a team prepped for a postseason run. The big-league scene might not be quite that hopeful (though in the NL Central, you never know), but the good news is there's plenty of young help starting to arrive in St. Louis.

That help begins, of course, with Colby Rasmus, one of the top prospects in baseball. The Cardinals haven't had reason to be this excited about a hitting prospect since Albert Pujols came to town. Even if the organization decides Rasmus needs a little fine-tuning in the Minors, he's going to make a huge impact -- and soon.

[Link]
ON THE VERGE
Here are a few players on the brink of breaking into the Major Leagues:
• Brian Barton, OF -- If this Rule 5 pick can show his knee is fully healed, he has a chance to secure an outfield spot.
• Colby Rasmus, OF -- It's a question of when, not if, this uber prospect (MiLB.com ranks him seventh among all Minor Leaguers) takes over in center field. Even if he's not the Opening Day starter, it won't be long.
• Chris Perez, RHP -- A year of apprenticeship with Jason Isringhausen should serve him well -- the closing job should be his in 2009.

10 Prospects to Watch in 2008:
C Bryan Anderson

Though his defensive skills have emerged more slowly, Anderson has made considerable strides and the Cardinals are convinced he'll be a long-term catcher. He's worked with Mike Matheny in camp this spring, and while he has an unconventional arm angle, he gets the ball to second base in plenty of time. At this point, he really just needs more experience behind the plate to be ready to catch a big-league staff. There's a good chance that Mark Johnson will be the No. 1 catcher in Memphis, meaning Anderson would remain at Double-A Springfield so he can play every day.

RHP Mitch Boggs

The one thing Boggs truly needs to succeed at the higher levels as a starter is an off-speed pitch. He began working on it in the Arizona Fall League this past autumn, but in the heat of the competition, he didn't throw it enough to progress much. He's been throwing it more this spring and will continue to master it, most likely as a member of the Triple-A Memphis rotation.

3B Allen Craig

A shortstop in college, Craig has made the transition to third base as a pro and has improved there considerably in the last year. If necessary, he might be able to play second or even the outfield, but the Cards would love to leave a bat like that at third. They've got a similar player in David Freese, acquired from San Diego in the Jim Edmonds trade, but it's hoped that Freese will be able to make the leap to Triple-A and Craig will be part of a very good infield in Springfield.

LHP Jaime Garcia

When he's 100 percent, Garcia has a number of pitches to choose from -- a four-seam rising fastball that can reach 94 mph, a two-seamer with sink that he throws in the 88-90 range, an outstanding curve he can throw for strikes and a changeup. The goal is to keep him healthy all year and let him rack up innings. He'll get to do that, most likely as a starter, in either Springfield or Memphis, depending on where the many young arms in the system land.

1B Mark Hamilton

He still has plenty of playing to do, of course. Hamilton watched teammate Allen Craig take off in Palm Beach early last year and it lit a fire under him. The first baseman hit .306 in May and then slugged eight homers in 52 at-bats in June before being promoted to Springfield. He finished the year with 19 homers and 90 RBIs. He's improved defensively to the point where he should be average at the position. He'll be a part of the Springfield infield again in 2008 and the Cards are excited at the prospect of him becoming one of the first non-six-year free agents to play at Triple-A Memphis.

RHP Tyler Herron

In high school, Herron's fastball reached the low and occasionally even the mid-90s. As is often the case with prepsters, his velocity dropped with the adjustment to pro ball. He's now back up to touching 94 mph with his heater to complement a good changeup and decent breaking ball. He'll most likely start the year in Palm Beach, but there's a chance he could sneak up to Springfield with a big spring.

SS Pete Kozma

Offensively, he swings the bat well, though he didn't get to show much in a very brief pro debut in 2007, picking up just 146 at-bats. He has the potential to do everything well -- hitting for average and stealing some bases -- though he may never be a huge power guy. Many outside observers will consider it a botched pick if Kozma doesn't start the year in Quad Cities, and he'll be given every opportunity to win a job there. The Cardinals, however, see nothing wrong with him remaining in extended Spring Training to get more reps and then being assigned later in the year.

OF Joe Mather

Then it happened, a little bit in 2006 and then fully in 2007. Last year, Mather hit 31 homers and slugged .522 at Double- and Triple-A. The performance finally earned him a spot on the 40-man roster and a trip to big-league camp. He's got big-time power and can handle right field capably with a good arm. He can even run. In short, he's the complete package as an outfielder -- it just took a while to be delivered. He'll likely be a part of the Memphis outfield in 2008 while waiting for his first call to the bigs.

RHP Clayton Mortensen

The Cardinals don't often invite a draftee from the previous June to big-league camp, but Mortensen has earned it. The senior signee out of Gonzaga made it to full-season ball in his debut last summer. He's tall, lanky and extremely flexible and delivers at an angle that should be difficult for right-handed hitters to pick up.

Mortensen has a fastball, curve and changeup, and can throw all for strikes with movement. He's a major ground-ball producer, as evidenced by his 3.31 GO/AO ratio in his pro debut. The right-hander will probably start in Palm Beach, but don't be shocked to see him in Springfield.

RHP Adam Ottavino

Ottavino has a pair of fastballs ranging from the low- to the mid-90s. He also has a slider and curve, though the latter still needs work. He'll get the chance to iron out the kinks as part of the rotation in Springfield.

Under the Radar:

LHP Nick Addition

The last of a dying breed -- a draft-and-follow -- the Cardinals took the southpaw in the 47th round of the 2006 draft and watched his progress at Indian River Community College. When they realized his improvement might price him out of their range, they worked hard to sign him. He pitched 58 innings last summer, mostly at Johnson City, striking out 66 and walking just 12. He's got a plus curve and has shown increased velocity with the fastball. He was throwing 83-85 mph in high school; now he's up to 87-88 mph. Now 20 years old, the southpaw will most likely start 2008 in Quad Cities.

SS Tyler Greene

It's hard to call a former first-round pick "under the radar," but Greene's struggles and injuries have dropped him off most screens. He missed all of the second half of last year with a knee injury. The Cardinals think there's still something there. He was starting to figure things out in second half of 2006 (.927 OPS in 57 games with Quad Cities), but didn't really get the chance to build off it in 2007. If he can cut down his strikeout rate and get his batting average up to the .270-ish range, the organization still believes he can become a shortstop with power at the next level.

2B Jarrett Hoffpauir

At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Hoffpauir is used to people telling him he won't achieve much in the game. A sixth-round pick in 2004, he really took off in 2007 when he hit a combined .323 at Springfield and Memphis. With 55 walks and just 39 strikeouts, he finished with a nifty .407 OBP and his .473 slugging percentage from a second baseman isn't something to sneeze at. He's a gritty player who'll do anything to help his team win. He's now just an injury away from St. Louis being that team.

RHP Jason Motte

Two years ago, Motte was a strong-armed catcher who really couldn't hit as a pro. The Cardinals converted him to a pitcher and he showed some life with his fastball, throwing it 88-90 mph. Now he's cranking it up as high as 99 mph, has earned a spot on the 40-man roster and is opening eyes in big-league camp. He's got a good slider to go with the heater and the right mentality to handle a short relief role. He could land a spot in Triple-A Memphis, just a phone call away from helping out the big club.

Predictions:
Player of Year: Allen Craig

He's a little under the radar, but something tells me Craig is poised for another big season. His first full one was big enough, with a .311 average and .908 OPS. He'll start the year in the Texas League -- look for more power and a higher average from the Cardinals' future third baseman.

Pitcher of Year: Clayton Mortensen

So many young arms, only one to choose. Let's go with the gangly one from Gonzaga. Mortensen will begin what should be a quick climb up the ladder in 2008, jumping a level or two along the way. Don't be shocked if he's ready for St. Louis in September.

Team to Watch: Springfield Cardinals

With Mark Hamilton at first, Jose Martinez at second, Tyler Greene at short, Allen Craig at third and Bryan Anderson behind the plate, there's no deeper infield in the Minor Leagues.

Comeback Player of Year: Tyler Greene

Maybe this is just a ploy to help an Under the Radar pick do well, but Greene has always had plenty of natural talent. Now injury-free, he'll be able to put those tools to good use. It's time for this shortstop to perform at a higher level.

Minor League Baseball: News: Article

[Brian34Cook]

02/29/2008 10:00 AM ET
Cards camp an equal opportunity area
Making cuts at the end of Spring Training could be tough this year
By Jonathan Mayo /MLB.com



Is Colby Rasmus ready to man center field in the big leagues on Opening Day?

The super-prospect, No. 7 overall on our Top 50 list, certainly has the physical skills necessary to play at the highest level.

"From a tools perspective, he's ready," said Jeff Luhnow, the Cardinals vice president of amateur scouting and player procurement. "From an experience standpoint, maybe he's not ready."

"There are quite a few people here who want him to get to the big leagues when he's going to have an impact," Luhnow said. "We don't want him to be developing in the Majors. He's mentally ready for the challenge. I think he's really ready for any challenge in life. He's pretty darn close."

[Link]

Talks about the Major League and AAA outfield battles. Theres a short 5 question interview with Chris Perez and also a little bit about under the radar pitcher Kyle McClellan who is impressing.

[Brian34Cook]

03/02/2008 8:10 PM ET
McClellan opens eyes in spring debut
Cards, scouts, fans alike marvel at Missouri native's progress
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com


Kyle McClellan split time last year at Class A Palm Beach and Double-A Springfield. (Jerry Hale/MiLB.com)

JUPITER, Fla. -- First, Kyle McClellan caught the eyes of the prospect hounds with a big year in relief in 2007. Then McClellan drew the notice of Cardinals coaches, as he threw strike after strike at four different speeds during the early weeks of camp. Now, even scouts are taking notice of the right-hander.

Late in Sunday afternoon's Cardinals-Marlins Grapefruit League game, a scout trekked up to the press box of Roger Dean Stadium with one purpose -- to find out just who the heck this kid was. Why did he only pitch 59 2/3 innings last year? What was the injury that sidelined him? Told that the Cardinals like the kid a lot, the scout didn't hesitate. "I can see why," the scout said. "I like him too."

So that makes it pretty much unanimous: coaches, scouts, even the hometown fans -- because McClellan is a local boy trying to make good. He hails from Florissant, Mo., just north of St. Louis, and attended Hazelwood West High School. For the spring, he's a teammate of Chris Carpenter, Albert Pujols, Jason Isringhausen and Yadier Molina. The rest of the year, he's also a fan of the St. Louis stars.

"I've been a huge Cardinals fan ever since I was a little kid," McClellan said after throwing three shutout innings in his Grapefruit League debut. But I think the professional side of it takes over. It's still the game I've been playing since I was 3. The names on the back are just that; they're names. It's the same game. I have to make the same pitches. I sat in the locker room today, and I just looked at the names -- Pujols, Molina -- and I wasn't overwhelmed by it. And I'm glad about that."

The Official Site of The St. Louis Cardinals: News: McClellan opens eyes in spring debut

[Brian34Cook]

Minor league rosters revealed
By Derrick Goold
03/12/2008 10:58 am

JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals’ minor-league camp begin games today, facing the Florida affiliates from across campus. And that means the first good look for us of first-round pick Peter Kozma and a peek at the layout of the organization’s minor-league rosters.

Cardinals official John Vuch said a goal this spring was to assign players to the team they probably will open with. That doesn’t necessarily mean the starting lineups for today’s games are representative, but the overall rosters do offer an idea of the plans for certain prospects (i.e., Bryan Anderson headed to Double-A Springfield.)

The lineups just passed out here to the media (all pitchers are not listed, just the ones scheduled to go today):

MEMPHIS (AAA)

1. Reid Gorecki, CF
2. Jose Martinez, SS
3. David Freese, 3B
4. Josh Phelps, 1B
5. Brian Barden, DH
6. Cody Haerther, RF
7. Amaury Marti, LF
8. Gabe Johnson, C
9. Mike McCoy, 2B

Bench: Rico Washington, Matt Pagnozzi, Nick Stavinoha. Pitchers: Mitchell Boggs, Joe Rogers, Casey Rauschenberger, Dennis Dove, Ron Flores.
SPRINGFIELD (AA)

1. Jon Jay, LF
2. Dan Nelson, 2B
3. A. J. Van Slyke, 1B
4. Chris Grossman, C
5. Mark Shorey, DH
6. Luke Gorsett, RF
7. Casey Rowlett, 3B
8. Juan Lucena, SS
9. Shane Robinson, CF

Bench: Allen Craig, Mark Hamilton, Bryan Anderson, Brandon Yarbrough, Tyler Greene, Ian Church. Pitchers: Adam Daniels, Nick Webber, Mark Worrell, Kris Honel, and Missouri State alum Bob Zimmermann.
PALM BEACH (HIGH-A)

1. Tyler Henley, CF
2. Brandon Johnson, 2B
3. Isa Garcia, 3B
4. Christian Reyes, 1B
5. Scott Thomas, C
6. Jose Ramirez, LF
7. Steven Hill, DH
8. Oliver Marmol, SS
9. Tommy Pham, RF

Bench: James Rapoport, Daryl Jones, Daniel Descalso, Brandon Buckman, Arnoldi Cruz, Donovan Solano, Nathan Southard, Jose Salazar, Nick Derba, Jared Schweitzer, Jon Edwards. Pitchers: Fernando Salas, Brian Broderick, Jason Cairns, Marco Gonzalez, Armando Carrasco.
QUAD CITIES 1 (LOW-A)

1. D’Marcus Ingram, CF
2. Pete Kozma, SS
3. Roberto Marquez, LF
4. Carlos Pupo, 1B
5. Ryde Rodriguez, DH
6. Osvaldo Morales, 3B
7. Brian Cartie, DH
8. Justin Roberson, RF
9. Casey Mulligan, C
10. Mike Folli, 2B

Bench: Andrew Brown, Adron Chambers, Beau Riportella, Ivan Castro, Dave Carpenter, Luis de la Cruz, Paul Vazquez, Jose Garcia, Travis Mitchell. Pitchers: Wayne Daman, Julio Sanchez, Logan Collier, David Bilardello, Marcus Markray.
QUAD CITIES 2 (LOW-A)

1. Collin Fanning, CF
2. Ivan Bellazetin, 2B
3. Domnit Bolivar, SS
4. Nicholas Vera, 3B
5. Charles Pelt, 1B
6. Matthew Arburr, DH
7. Charlie Kingrey, OF
8. Joey Hage, RF
9. Roberto Espinoza, C
10. Gerard Haran, DH

Bench: Ross Oeder, Robert Sanzillo, and the Hungarian catcher De’nes Simonyi. Pitchers: Dylan Gonzalez, Jose Mateo, Ray Silva, David Riddle.

***

STLtoday.com - Bird Land - Blog Archive - Minor league rosters revealed

Sleepy,
These are not “opening day” lineups in any sense. It’s standard for players who are fighting for jobs to get lots of early playing time to sort themselves out and then the players earmarked for the teams slide in to get ready for the season. It does however show how the Freese/Craig third base question will break … but we already had a feel for that with the NRIs.
Comment by Derrick Goold -- March 12th, 2008 at 11:56 am

[Brian34Cook]

The mysterious Mr. McCormick
By Derrick Goold
03/13/2008 11:39 pm

JUPITER, Fla. — On the backfields of the Florida Marlins side of Roger Dean Stadium, there was sighting of an elusive and once feared lost Redbird on Thursday. He came sporting heat.

Mark McCormick, the fireballing prospect who was as much a riddle as a talent, made his first game start of spring training, throwing for Double-A Springfield against the Marlins’ affiliate. Less than a couple years ago, McCormick was considered the organization’s top pitching prospect within in the organization. He came to club as the 43rd overall pick in the 2005 draft, riding a fastball he could chuck in the high 90s, even if he didn’t always know where it was going.

McCormick worked 2 2/3 innings in his start, and he consistently threw 93 mph and 94 mph. He touched 96 mph, and he featured a sharp surve and baffled a hitter with a 85-mph changeup to whiff the final batter of the third inning. McCormick’s consistency tends to vary inning to inning. His walk totals can ebb just as his strikeouts flow, and vice versa.

** THE VUCH REPORT **

** Albuquerque 4, Memphis 3 **

– P.J. Walters, the Cardinals pitcher of the year in the minors, went 3 2/3 innings without allowing a run or a hit in his first start of the minor-league spring.

– Following Walters, a couple other of the Cardinals’ minor-league starters came in. Brad Furnish took the loss, allowing five hits and four runs in his two innings. And, Trey Hearne allowed one hit and no runs in his two innings.

– Reid Gorecki had two hits, including an RBI double.

** Carolina 5, Springfield 3 **

– There was McCormick, and: Gary Daley Jr. went 2 1/3 innings, allowing three hits, two runs, two walks and one strike. He took the loss. Though Eddie Degerman, the Rice alum with the extreme over-the-top, biceps-to-ear delivery, was the pitcher who struggled. He walked five and allowed two runs in his inning.

– Chuckie Fick and Zach Zuercher each worked a scoreless inning.

– Shortstop Tyler Greene, who is in a similar situation as McCormick, went 2-for-4 with a run scored. A. J. Van Slyke went 2-for-3 with a walk and a couple RBIs, and Luke Gorsett was 2-for-4 with a double.

** Palm Beach 6, Jupiter 4 **

– Cruz (catcher) and Tommy Pham (outfielder) each homered.

– Daryl Jones, that raw athlete who has idled a bit in Low-A the past couple seasons, went 2-for-2, with a double, and stole a base. This past winter, the Cardinals discussed starting Jones in High-A Palm Beach, to challenge him but also to see if he could get some momentum going in spring and stay put and ride it for a bit. They’d also like to see what he does when he gets to start and stay in warm weather.

– Kopp pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk, striking out and that one emphatic first pump. … JD Stambaugh got the victory for his two innings of work, during which he allowed one hit and one run (unearned) while striking out two. … Cordoza Tucker picked up the save with a scoreless ninth that included two strikeouts.

** Greensboro 3, Quad Cities #1 2 **

– Justin Roberson cracked a leadoff home run as I was walking back the field McCormick was on. Roberson went 2-for-2 with two walks and two hit by pitches. He reached base six times, his other hit was a triple … and yet he only scored one run.

– Josh Dew pitched the ninth, striking out one in a scoreless frame. … Jess Todd, threw two innings and allowed three hits and a run. … Jai Chul Chung pitched two innings, gave up two hits, walked one, but also didn’t allow a run and struck out three.

– Jose Garcia was 3-for-4 with a double … Catcher Luis De La Cruz, considered one of the finest prospects in the GCL last year, hit a solo homer.

** Quad Cities #2 5, Marlins 5th 2**

– Quad Cities bolted to a quick 3-0 lead and held on. Charlie Pelt paced the offense with three hits in four at-bats and three RBIs. Ross Oeder scored twice, and Will Groff doubled, walked and scored a run.

– Josh Wilson worked three scoreless innings, allowing two hits without a walk and with a strikeout. … Mark Diapoules also pitched three scoreless, striking out five. … Francisco Samuel got the save with a scoreless ninth and he struck out two of the three batters that he faced.

***

A quick correction on a note from a recent day. Fernando Salas did not throw 96 mph as previously reported. Salas, according to official charts kept by the Cardinals during the game, threw consistently in the high-80s, from 88 and 89 mph. The 96-mph was the radar reading the ball off the bat — the escape velocity, not the pitch velocity.

***

John Vuch, the Cardinals minor league coordinator who compiles and supplies the information for the Vuch Report each day, also points out the following quirk of minor-league spring training: Not all games are the, ahem, traditional nine innings. Pitch counts are a priority, too, so some innings will just end when a pitcher gets to his limit. No reliever is brought in. And rallies end. This happened twice Thursday in the Memphis game, as the Marlins just halted the inning without bringing in a reliever.

-30-

STLtoday.com - Bird Land - Blog Archive - The mysterious Mr. McCormick

The Vuch Report is kinda cool! I didnt post this first one though..

[Brian34Cook]

Friday’s Vuch Report is belated — my fault, completely — but here it is:

** Memphis 7, Las Vegas 2 **

– Pride of LSU Nick Stavinoha went 3-for-5 with a home run to pace an offense aided by Reid Gorecki and Cody Haerther. Both of the latter outfielders had two hits, a double apiece and combined for four RBIs.

– Righthander and first-round pick Adam Ottavino, whose stock has risen (if it could) this spring, pitched three innings and allowed one run on one hit without a walk and struck out two.

– Jonathan Mikrut earned the win, working two innings and not allowing a baserunner while striking out one. … Luke Gregerson, the former outfielder, pitched two innings and struck out three. … Mark Worrell, who had a rough outing for Double-A the other day when he was just looking to get an inning in anywhere, struck out the side.

– On Thursday, Rico Washington had a key play at third base and scored the winning run for the major-league team against the New York Mets. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday’s minor-league.