Midwest League Memphis Redbirds (AAA)
Auto Zone Stadium
Auto Zone Park
200 Union Ave.
Memphis, TN, 38103
Phone: 901-721-6000
Fax: 901-721-6017 Roster | Stats | Schedule
Johnson City Cardinals (R)
Howard Johnson Field
401 Cranberry Street
Johnson City, TN, 37601
Mail: P.O. Box 179
Johnson City, TN, 37601
Phone: 423-461-4866
Fax: 423-461-4864
The Gulf Coast Cardinals are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Gulf Coast League. The Cardinals were originally a team from 1966-1976, but were reactivated in 2007. The Cardinals play their home games in Jupiter, Florida at Roger Dean Stadium, which is also the spring training home of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Florida Marlins.
03.18.2009 5:46 pm
Dispatches from the Backlots: Vuch Report Returns
By Derrick Goold
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Here is the first Vuch Report of spring with the details of these warmup games:
Memphis/Springfield 4, Palm Beach 3
– Blake Hawksworth pitched four innings, allowing three hits and two runs. He didn’t walk any and struck out two. It will be interesting to see if the goose he got from pitching well in the major-league camp translates to Yet. Another. Year. In. Memphis. … Royce Ring, back in the game because innings were scarce on the big stage, threw one perfect inning with a strike out. … Brad Furnish tossed two hitless innings with one walk, one K. … Lefty Ian Ostlund three two scoreless innings: 1 hit, one K. … Russ Haltiwanger, the club’s Triple-A Rule 5 pick, pitched a perfect inning. … Chuckie Fick 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 2 BB.
– As for the hitters, second baseman Jarrett Hoffpauir went 2-for-2 with 2 RBIs. … Antonio DeJesus was 2-for-5 with a triple. … First-round pick Brett Wallace, who apparently is earmarked to start in Double-A this season according to VP Jeff Luhnow, 2-for-5 with an RBI. … Brandon Buckman hit a double. … Amaury Cazana, who has dropped the Marti from his name for this season, was 1-for-3 with an RBI. … The other hits came from Tyler Henley, Bryan Anderson, Casey Rowlett, Mike Folli and David Freese.
– For Palm Beach, P.J. Walters, who is still in major-league camp but needing innings, threw four inings, allowed four hits and one run. He walked none and struck out three. He pitched for Palm Beach so that he was facing the hitters from the higher levels. … Reliever Luke Gregerson, an intriguing talent who could be ranked higher in some of the prospect rankings, pitched one inning and allowed two hits and one run. … A pick out of Ole Miss in last summer’s draft, Lance Lynn pitched two innings, allowed one hit and no runs. He K’d a batter. … Nick Additon, a lefty who got consideration for the organization’s pitcher of the year last summer, went 2 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 K. … Mark Diapoules threw 2 IP, 2 hits, 1 run 1 BB.
– Just back from his turn in the World Baseball Classic with Netherlands, Curt Smith hit the only home run of the day for the Baby ‘Birds. He drilled a two-run shot off Hawksworth for Palm Beach. … Oliver Marmol and Charlie Kingrey doubled. … First-round pick Pete Kozma singled in his only AB. … Strapping Jon Edwards was 1-for-3.
***
Quad Cities #1 10, Quad Cities #2 0
– QC#1 combined for a 2-hit shutout of their peers. Hector Cardenas, George Brown and Ramon Delgado each threw two hitless innings. Adam Veres allowed two hits in his two scoreless innings. Cardenas struck out two while Delgado fanned one.
–QC #1’s Alex Castellanos was 3-for-5 with two doubles a run scored and an RBI. … Niko Vasquez, the Nevada prep pick from last year’s draft who is getting some run as the club’s best hitting middle-infield prospect, was 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI. … Outfielder Ryde Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and two RBIs. … Beau Riportella and Osvaldo Morales each had a double.
– Eric Fornataro allowed two earned runs over his two innings for QC2. Anthony Ferrara tossed 2 IP, 2 ER, with 4 strikeouts. … Kevin Thomas allowed three runs (two earned) in 1 2/3 innings. … Dan Richardson pitched a scoreless inning. … Jorge Rondon had a line of 1 IP, 2 R, 1 ER.
– For the QC2 lineup, Brett Lilley was 1-for-3 with a walk. … Yunior Castillo, the shortstop who was pulled off an academy in Miami and has been lauded as the best pure athlete of the Cardinals lower minor-league levels, was 1-for-2 with a walk.
03.20.2009 10:18 am
Vuch Report: Let the games begin
By Derrick Goold
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Quote:
JUPITER, Fla. — Big-bonus import Roberto De La Cruz made his spring game debut Thursday with the St. Louis Cardinals Low-A affiliate, and he rapped a couple hits, including a double. Just because the Dominican Republic teen is with a full-season squad to open the spring, doesn’t mean he’ll be with one when the season starts. De La Cruz received a record bonus, the highest ever given by the Cardinals to an international free agent, and he’s come as advertised — big frame, solid swing … But he’s earmarked right now for a Johnson City assignment after more work here in extended spring.
***
New Orleans 10, Memphis 4
– Lefty Justin Fiske, a pickup from an independent league ala Josh Kinney, pitched two innings, allowed two hits, one earned run. … Korean pitcher Hyang-Nam Choi threw 2 IP and allowed three hitts and two runs. … Shaun Garceau took the loss after a line of 1.2 IP 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. … Late addition to the 40-man Matt Scherer, who coaches kids in St. Louis during the offseason, pitched an inning, allowed three hits and two runs with two strikeouts. … Lefty Charlie Manning went 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER and Marco Gonzalez had 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER.
– Pride of Tulane, the Audubon Park masher, Mark Hamilton, was 2-for-4 with two doubles. … Catcher Brandon Yarbrough, was 2-for-3 with double and run score Jarrett Hoffpauir 2-run double. … Former bayou bengal Nick Stavinoha played catcher in the game and went 1-for-4.
***
Jacksonville 7, Springfield 1
– Ryan Bird started and took the loss after throwing two inings and allowing three earned runs on three hits and one walk. … Ryan Kulik pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk against two strikeouts. … Elvis Hernandez had a line of 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 Ks. … Davis Bilardello 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER. … Closer-type reliever Ken Maiques, who needs a good year this year to regain his footing in the crowded righthanded side of the Cardinals’ relief prospect pool, pitched one inning and gave a hit and a run.
– So the Cardinals took this KU kid, and word around the club this winter was he may just be the best athlete in minor-league camp. He runs as fast or faster than many of the middle infielders. He’s got high scores in all the agility and athleticism tests that he had to do. But his most marketable asset is: he throws lefthanded. Sam Freeman, a recent draft pick, has been tabbed by some in the organization as a quick-mover, especially since he fits one of their Need Positions. Freeman threw one perfect inning with two Ks.
– Steve Hill went 2-for-3 with a home run. … Andrew Brown was 1-for-4 with a double. … Tyler Henley and Donovan Solano had a base hit each.
***
Palm Beach 3, Jupiter 2
– Brian Broderick put together a line of 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 Ks. … JD Stambaugh pitched two innings with two hits and one earned run. He walked one, struck out one. … Pete Parise tossed two perfect innings with a strikeouts. … Wayne Daman threw a scoreless inning, allowing one hit. … Matt Spade got the win after a line of 1 IP, 1 H, 0 runs. … Casey Mulligan finished the game for the save with a perfect inning, one K.
– Francisco Rivera was 2-for-4 with a couple runs and an RBI. … Jon Edwards was 2-for-4 with a run scored, RBI. … Blake Murphy knocked an RBI double in his only at-bat. … Adron Chambers, the former college football player who took the bus to a Cardinals’ tryout camp, Brian Cartie, 2008 draft pick Jermaine Curtis were all 1-for-3. … Aaron Luna was 1-for-2 while Oliver Marmol, Team Netherlands PH Curt Smith and Charlie Kingrey were 1-for-4.
***
Greensboro 10, Quad Cities No. 1 1
– Deryk Hooker was the loser with six runs (five earned) and three walks in 1+ innings pitched. … Jameson Maj had a line of 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER. … Zachary Pitts was 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 Ks. … Gary Daley, who came out of college a few years ago with some of the of the best stuff of his draft class, had a like of 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. … Jason Buursma all three runs (all unearned) in two innings. … Jose Rada struck out the side in his only inning of work
– Domnit Bolivar was 2-for-3 with an RBI. … Osvaldo Morales, Frederick Parejo – the teenager who hit the only home run of the NY-Penn League All-Star Game — and Chris Swauger had the only other hits. They both singled.
***
Quad Cities No. 2 9, Marlins 5th 6
– Prep pick Brett Zawacki had a line of 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 Ks. … Michael Blazek had a line of 2 IP, 3 H with one run (it was unearned). … Reynier Gonzalez 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 Ks. … Joshua Hester tossed two perfect innings with two strikeouts.
– And then there was Roberto De La Cruz’s debut. He went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk. … Jairo Martinez was 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 plate appearances.
03.20.2009 8:38 pm
Vuch Report: The Osmosis Effect
By Derrick Goold
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Quote:
JUPITER, Fla. — Each day the major-league club borrows a few minor leaguers to help fill out the bench. Tomorrow David Freese is going north with the team to Viera, Fla., and he could possibly start at third base. Today the club “borrowed” Daryl Jones and Amaury Cazana (nee Marti). Sometimes the minors get to see the field. Sometimes they just get to see the major leaguers take the field.
On Thursday, for the long bus ride to Port Charlotte, Fla., and the home of the Tampa Bay Rays the Cardinals took Shane Robinson and Daniel Descalso. With the way they played Friday …
***
Memphis 2, Buffalo 1
– Mitchell Boggs allowed three hits over his three innings. He also struck out two. … Lefty Katsuhiko Maekawa, had a line of 2 IP, 3 hits, 1 K. … Brandon Dickson got the win with two innings of work. He allowed three hits and one run (it was unearned). … Lefty Ian Ostlund pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout. It will be interesting to see how the Cardinals sort out the lefty situation in Class AAA, what with Charlie Manning and Royce Ring possibly headed there depending on waiver claims. … Power-armed Francisco Samuel tossed one scoreless inning, with 2 K’s for the save. For those keeping count at home — that’s one Triple-A save for Samuel this season. What’s the over/under on his regular-season total at the level?
– The aforementioned Shane Robinson hit a two-run home run that provided all of Memphis runs. He also walked and stole a base. … Brandon Yarbrough keeps hitting, 2-for-4. … Casey Rowlett scored a run and Rule-5er Brian Barton was 1-for-4. … As will be discussed in tomorrow’s paper — THE LAST SATURDAY PAPER IN A TAB FORMAT FOR THE P-D – David Freese played five innings at third base today and went 0-for-2 with a walk. He had a play to his left that he looked good pulling off. … Mr. Strike Zone, Jarrett Hoffpauir walked twice.
***
Springfield 7, Binghamton 7
– Adam Ottavino pitched four innings, allowed three hits and struck out four against one walk. The righthander, who is likely to start the season in the Class AA rotation, allowed one run. Count me in the camp that believes he’ll pull a Daryl Jones this year. … Righthander Trey Hearne, that sublime strike-thrower whose high school preached location, location, location, pitched two scoreless innings of on-hit ball. … Jared Bradford had a line of 1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 Ks. … Russ Haltiwanger followed with a line of 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
– The aforementioned infielder Daniel Descalso was 3-for-4, with a HR, two RBIs and a walk. … James Rapaport was 2-for-3 with two walks. … Tyler Henley went 2-for-5 with a couple RBIs. … Donovan Solano was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. … First-round pick Brett Wallace, settling in at Double-A, hit a two-run double.
***
Palm Beach 11, St. Lucie 3
–Thomas Eager got the win with two scoreless innings. He allowed on run. … Mickey Mantle’s kin Blake King had a King-like line of 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 Ks. Good Ks. Too many walks. The progress continues for one of the last draft-and-follows in baseball history. … David Carpenter’s line was 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. … Luis Mateo pitched two innings, allowed two hits, two earned runs and struck out one.
– Power-armed Adam Reifer, arguably the most intriguing sleeper prospect in the system this coming eyar, struck out the side in his inning of work. Reifer throws heat. He’s got the kind of arm that reeks of late-inning relief, and coudl be a power complement to the other two young guns the Cardinals have going into the majors this year. That is, if Reifer can a) stay healthy and b) continue improvement. Common caveats.
– Everybody hits for Palm Beach today. Paul Vasquez hit a three-run HR to start the scoring. … Recent draft pick Shane Peterson was 3-for-4 with 3 runs, a double, a homer, a couple RBIs and a walk. … Colt Sedbrook was 3-for-4 with 2 runs, 2B, 2 RBIs and a walk. … Oliver Marmol, a shortstop featured in the recent All-Prospect Lineup poll, doubled and tripled. … Reigning Appalachian League MVP Curt Smith had two hits, including a double. … Jon Edwards had a couple hits and a walk. … Wait there’s more. … Brian Cartie and Aaron Luna both doubled.
***
Savannah 3, Quad Cities 1
– Arquimedes Nieto, another of the Cardinals who participated in the World Baseball Classic (for Panama), and Scott McGregor had echoing lines of 2 IP,1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. … Dylan Gonzalez pitched two innings with a fine line of 2 hits, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K’s. … LaCurtis Mayes‘ line was 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1K. … And Santo Maertz and Joel Pichardo each threw a scoreless inning.
– Infielder Brett Lilley was 2-for-4 and a diving play up the middle. … Domnit Bolivar went 1-for-4. Bolivar made a great play on grounder to his backhand at third base. From foul territory, he made a strong throw to first to save a run in the second inning. … Frederick Parejo and Beau Riportella were 1-for-3. … Strapping outfielder Ryde Rodriguez, who was first known as the prospect who exchanged phone calls with Albert Pujols, was 1-for-3 and threw a runner out at the plate. … Chris Swauger doubled and that toolsy athlete D’Marcus Ingram was 1-for-4.
03.23.2009 8:39 am
Vuch Report: Allen Craig, Brian Barton power up
By Derrick Goold
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Quote:
Both Allen Craig and Brian Barton homered for the St. Louis Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in games Sunday. Craig is set to be the starting first baseman in Memphis, and Barton figures to be the Redbirds every day left fielder — or at least every day outfielder, depending on how the rest of the roster shapes up. Craig hit well in major-league camp and will get a few cameos down the stretch here. (There could even be a start lurking in the future.) Barton was optioned out of camp, so he cannot return to the big-league games, but he needed to show more in games to do so.
***
Memphis 11, Buffalo 3
– Jess Todd, who appears bound to start the season in the rotation for the Class AAA affiliate, started and was the winner, going three innings and allowing six hits, three runs (two earned). He walked one and struck out one. Three runs all came in his first inning. … The rest of the day’s pitchers combined to shut out the Mets’ affiliate the rest of the way: Charlie Manning went 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks; Matt Scherer, 1 IP, 1 H, 2 Ks; Tyler Norrick, 2 IP, 1 H, 2 Ks and Marco Gonzalez, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB
– First baseman Allen Craig continued his torrid spring training with a 3-for-5 day that included a double, a home run and four RBIs. … Catcher Justin Knoedler was 2-for-4 with two-run HR. … Brian Barton also homered in a 2-for-3 day that included two walks. He also made a good sliding catch while playing center field. … Amaury Cazana was 2-for-4 with a double, 2 RBIs. … Casey Rowlett had two hits and a walk. … Shane Robinson was 1-for-4 with a run scored before leaving for the major-league game and scoring the game-winning run there. … Outfielder Nick Stavinoha and Mark Hamilton singled and walked.
***
Springfield 9, Binghamton 5
– Brad Furnish got the win after pitching three innings with two hits, no runs allowed and three strikeouts. … Kyle Mura pitched two perfect innings. … Ken Maiques allowed three runs in his inning. … Elvis Hernandez allowed a couple runs and three hits in 1/3 of an inning. … Jon Mikrut and lefty reliever Sam Freeman both allowed a hit and struck out a batter in their individual innings.
– First-round pick and professional hitter Brett Wallace was 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBIs. … Reigning position player of the year Daryl Jones was 2-for-5 with a double three runs scored and three RBIs. Nice day. Cardinals certainly hope that his breakout last year is lasting, and that this is the kind of game that becomes habitual for the lefthanded-hitting outfielder. … Jim Rapoport tripled. … Infielder Mike Folli was 3-for-4 with a double. … Paul Vasquez had an RBI double.
***
Palm Beach 6, St. Lucie 0
– David Kopp, who is blogging about his experience at spring training, pitched two hitless innings, walked one and struck out two. … Brian Broderick had a line of 2 IP, 2 H, 2 Ks. … JD Stambaugh pitched two perfect innings and got the victory in relief. … Davis Bilardello 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, Matt Spade, 1 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, and Eduardo Sanchez, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K completed the shutout.
– Curt Smith continues hitting and could be an interesting placement for the Cardinals. He finished last year in Low-A Quad Cities after winning the Player of the Year Award at one of the short-season stops. A scan of the depth chart and there’s no reason why he cannot hit his way into High-A Palm Beach, though he appears most likely headed for Quad Cities. Fascinating story. Curacao native. Went to University of Maine. Discovered by the Cardinals’ numbers gurus and double-(cross)checked by the scouts. He went 2-for-3, double, 2 runs scored and an RBI. … Aaron Luna was 2-for-3 with an RBI. … Jon Edwards, Tommy Pham and Charlie Cutler all had base hits.
***
Quad Cities #1 5, Savannah, 5
– QC1 took a 5-0 lead into bottom of 8th, and then botched it. … Deryk Hooker threw two perfect innings with a couple strikeouts in the start. … Ramon Delgado followed with a line of 2 IP, 4 H, 0 runs. … Zach Pitts had a line of 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB. … Gary Daley toss a scoreless inning with one hit allowed. … Miguel Tapia allowed two earned runs in his inning on two hits and a walk. … Matt Frevery got worked over in 2/3 of an inning, allowing three earned runs of two hits and a walk.
– Beau Riportella ripped 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 had base hits. … Not sure how well they’ll play ball this spring, but having Ingram and Rodriguez on the same roster, in the same outfield, instantly makes that the most athletically looking outfield in camp.
***
WFAST 11. Quad Cities #2 3
– Randy Santos took the loss after pitching a line of 1.1 IP, 1 hit, 4 walks and 4 ER. … Kevin Siegrist pitched 1 2/3 innings with one run (it was unearned) and two strikeouts. … Miguel Flores allowed three hits and a walk, while also allowing a run in his inning. … Reynier Gonzalez had a line of 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 Ks.
– Paul Cruz went 2-for-4 and Edgar Lara had a long home run to center field. … Jairo Martinez and Kevin Moscatel had the only other hits for QC2.
03.23.2009 9:42 am
Cardinals release five minor-leaguers from camp
By Derrick Goold
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Quote:
JUPITER, Fla. — One-time minor-league batting champion Isa Garcia was among five players released this morning in the first wave of cuts from the St. Louis Cardinals minor-league camp.
Garcia, a second baseman, was a 34th-round selection in the 2006 draft. He was identified by his college numbers, which stood out when the Cardinals ran them through their metrics thats normalize college stats from different conferences, different quality of opponents and different ballparks. Immediately, he looked like a find. Garcia won the Appalachian League batting title in 2006 with a .339 average, and he posted the lowest-strikeout rate in the league. (His .510 slugging percentage ranked fourth.) Garcia had a .290/.339/.411 line in the minors, finishing last year with Class AA Springfield. He hit .284 there — the only level that he didn’t have a .300 average at when leaving.
The others released were knuckleballer Joe Rogers, catcher Christian Rosa, third baseman Nick Vera, and righthander pitcher Miguel Flores, a 16th-round selection in last summer’s draft. Flores was drafted out of a junior college in June, and he went 2-2, 2.66 last season in 44 innings. He topped out at short-season Johnson City.
03.23.2009 9:47 pm Vuch Report: Curt Smith, the Maine Attraction
By Derrick Goold
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Cardinals 1B minor-leaguer Curt Smith, who homered Monday. (Source: WBC.com)
JUPITER, Fla. — The plan was to play Curt Smith often, but not necessarily every day. Then Smith got in the lineup, his manager at Johnson City told me this past fall, and it was impossible to take him out. He just kept hitting. He hit his way from Johnson City all the way to the league’s Player of the Year award. He hit his way from that hardware all the way to Low-A Quad Cities, a full-season club.
He hit his way onto the roster for the Netherlands’ national team in the World Baseball Classic, and now he’s come out of the WBC … well, still hitting.
The Maine Attraction was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a homer and 3 RBIs in Palm Beach’s loss Monday in the affiliate games here at spring training. Heard the argument about the difficult time some major-league teams have had with the WBC and major leaguers getting injured or coming back overtaxed? Well, what about the minor leaguers? Adam Ottavino came back from pitching for Team Italia with a buoyed sense of confidence. Smith has come back from his turn on the bench with Team Netherlands, and he’s become a regular on the Vuch Report. He’s seemingly had two hits every day.
***
New Orleans 9, Memphis 4
– Brandon Dickson pitched three innings of scoreless, one-hit ball, with three strikeouts. … Hyang-Nam Choi was the losing pitcher after a line of 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 Ks. … Lefty Katsuiko Maekawa pitched 1 2/3 innings with five hits four unearned runs and two strikeouts against one walk. … Lefty Ian Ostlund pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings. He struck out one.
– Mark Shorey is an interesting player who has done well moving around in the system. He doesn’t get mentioned much as far as the logjam in the outfield, and yet he pops up every so often here, in the minor-league box scores and on the tips of scouts tongues. He went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. That about describes his game. … Mr. Strike Zone, Jarrett Hoffpauir, goes 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Manager Tony La Russa recently brought Hoffpauir up in the context that he sees him as the everyday player at second base for the Redbirds, just to get him that needed playing time. This came up in the context of Tyler Greene and whether or not La Russa wanted to see Greene play a utility role in Class AAA to prepare for his likely role in the majors. … Mike Folli doubled and walked. … Bryan Anderson and Casey Rowlett singled.
***
Jacksonville 7, Springfield 2
– Shaun Garceau started and got the loss after allowing four earned runs and six hits in three innings pitched. … Tyler Herron, who pitched in Class AA last season and needs to steady himself in a role there with the S-Cards, threw two perfect innings with 3 Ks. … Russ Haltiwanger, that Rule 5 pick, allowed three runs on two hits and two walks in his inning of work. … Pete Parise and Francisco Samuel each pitched a perfect inning. Samuel was throwing his hard cheese, as usual. He may not have made an impression in the major-league camp because he didn’t throw strikes like he needs to. But he throws hard. Real hard. And that, in recent years, has proven enough for a player to get at least to the doorstep of the majors.
– Donovan Solano was 2-for-3 with an RBI and had the only multi-hit game for Springfield. … James Rapoport and Tyler Henley doubled. … Brett Wallace, Tony Cruz, Andrew Brown, and Brandon Buckman all singled.
***
Jupiter 15, Palm Beach 12
– Ryan Bird had a deuces-wild day, allowing two earned runs on two hits in two innings. … Jared Bradford had a line of 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 Ks. … Thomas Eager pitched two innings for a complete line of 4 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K. … Wayne Damon pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run. He struck out two. … Adam Reifer, the power-armed reliever who is going to get a lot of run this season as a prospect on the rise, allowed one run on back-to-back opposite field doubles. Both doubles kicked up chalk along the line. Reifer also fanned two hitters in his inning. He throws hard, hard like Jason Motte hard. If he’s healthy, he’s a fireballer. But that “if” says it all. He has to stay healthy.
– Beyond Curt Smith’s big day (again), there was Colt Sedbrook, who went 2-for-3 with two 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, that highly (and unfairly) touted shortstop pick who is now playing outfield for the Cardinals’ affiliate, and strong-armed Jon Edwards each doubled. … Bryan Cartie singled and had two walks.
***
Greensboro 9, Quad Cities No. 1 6
– Scott McGregor pitched two innings with three hits allowed, two earned runs off three hits and no walks against two strikeouts. … Accomplished college closer Jameson Maj had a line of 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 Ks. … Dylan Gonzalez was: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks. … Jose Mateo had a line of 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K. … David Carpenter pitched a shutout inning, 1 H, 1 K.
– Rickey Noland went 3-for-3. … Chris Swauger had an RBI triple to go with two walks. … Brian Buck walked twice, had a single and scored three runs. … Brett Lilley, Domnit Bolivar and Beau Riportella all had at a single and a walk. Bolivar, playing third base, also had a backhand diving play. … Jose Garcia tripled and scored.
***
Quad Cities 2 5, Marlins 5th team 3
– Josh Hester tossed two shutout innings, 2 hits, 1 BB, 2 Ks. … Santo Maertz had a line of 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks. … LaCurtis Mayes went 1 2/3 innings with two hits, one earned runs, four walks and 2 strikeouts. … Joel Pichardo had a line of 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 Ks, and he got the win. … Jose Rada earned the save with a scoreless 9th with two Ks. … Paul Cruz went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a walk. … Big-bonus import Roberto De La Cruz hit his first home run as a Cardinal, and he had two RBIs. … Edwin Gomez and Luis Polanco doubled. … Michael Swinson walked three times and he had a single. … Yunior Castillo, Edgar Lara and Jairo Martinez all singled.
The question confronting the Cardinals isn’t who makes up the Triple-A staff, but who in the Triple-A staff is first up when/if there is a need for a starter. There does not appear to be a surefire, unanimous answer — or if there is, every answer comes with a caveat. The Cardinals like what Boggs, the closest to the majors on the depth chart, did last year in the big-league level and he also led the Pacific Coast League in ERA. But the righthander needs to have more command of his breaking ball to be able to make repeated and lengthy starts at the major-league level. Mortensen and Todd both have dynamic pitches, but there is a growing sense within the organization that they’ll first arrive in the majors as relievers.
Walters impressed during his spring turn with the major-league camp. He pitched three scoreless innings Monday before being reassigned to the minors. But it’s important always to know the difference between “impressed” and “is on the verge of the majors”. Don’t confuse the two. Walters drew compliments from the major-league staff for what he showed and how he can get people out. But they are projecting him, too. Does he have the ability to pitch in the majors with the stuff he has? Sure. For a few innings. Maybe for a few appearances. Is he ready to start in the majors? No. There’s more work to be done.
That’s the vibe from the major-league staff. A player can impress without being fit for a new address.
Similarly with Hawksworth, whose performance this spring was good enough to earn him a start and put him back on the depth chart for the major-league coaches. Pitching coach Dave Duncan said as much earlier this spring when he mentioned that last year he’d pass by any suggestions of Hawksworth. This year he’ll eye the performance of the righthander and how he does at the Triple-A level.
All that means is the Cardinals aren’t ready to designate today one of these five as their No. 6. They don’t have to.
03/24/09 2:47 PM ET Prospects impress on big league level Several players shined at Spring Training before heading back to Minors
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
JUPITER, Fla. -- The depth guys are gone. Nearly all of the kids have trudged down the hall to Minor League camp. The Cardinals have gotten down to the business of constructing a 25-man roster, and the time for young players to get exposure in Spring Training is just about gone.
With the cuts on Sunday of Bryan Anderson, Jon Jay, Blake Hawksworth, Tyler Greene and Fernando Salas, followed on Monday by P.J. Walters' reassignment, nearly everyone in Cardinals camp is competing for a roster spot. The only real exception is Matt Pagnozzi, who serves as catching depth for a team that has its two catchers set. With almost no exceptions, though, check-them-out time is over.
But while they were on the Major League side, several Cardinals prospects made an impression. Good thing, too, because they're the players who will be called upon if the Major League club needs help this year. St. Louis brought fewer Minor League veterans to Spring Training this year than in any year in recent memory, focusing instead on allowing youngsters to play. Where in the past there was Scott Seabol and Jon Nunnally, this time, the Cardinals will have homegrown players like Jay and Allen Craig at Triple-A Memphis.
So this was their time to shine, their time to show the big league staff what they have. And several of them did just that -- starting with Jay and Greene, who both showed impressive all-around games this spring. Greene even injected himself into the competition for a Major League job before the club decided it was best for all parties to send him back to the Minors.
"He needs to play," said manager Tony La Russa. "He's an everyday player. Taking part-time action with us, this guy's got plus-ability, and he needs to play every day. The sooner he can get down there and get in the lineup every day, it's better for him and better for us. I had a couple conversations with him and told him, he definitely has been impressive. He's just got to keep it going. He can't stop."
Greene came in with the pedigree as a former first-round Draft pick, and was fresh off of a breakout year that included a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. Jay faced much longer odds, trying to make an impression in an overloaded outfield competition -- yet he did just that by batting .359 and playing solid defense.
"I think he's another guy that needs to play," La Russa said. "I listen to the managers. They say he plays the outfield real well, tracks the ball well. That he's the same every day. And he's got a nice stroke. But he hasn't played at Triple-A. And we have outfield strength. I complimented him on staying this long."
2009 Minor League Discussion Thread
2009 Minor League Discussion Thread
2009 Minor League Discussion Thread
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