15) The Emergence of Kyle McClellan and Skip Schumaker
Kicking off part two of this series is a segment with a pair of positive stories about two unexpected top contributors to the 2008 Cardinals. Only one was a true rookie as the other claimed a starting role for the first time after bit parts in three previous seasons.
Kyle McClellan came into spring camp as seemingly the longest of long shots. He had been in the system since 2002, recovered from Tommy John surgery, been left exposed in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft and not taken and had accrued just 30 2/3 innings of pitching at the Double-A level and above coming into 2008.
Yet Pitching Coach Dave Duncan was intrigued by the right-hander’s four-pitch repertoire. During a solid spring, McClellan was moved from starting to relieving and was ultimately selected to come north with the big-league club.
The local St. Louis product would start strongly, being called upon in more and more important situations. As the season progressed, the 24-year-old’s results tailed off, however.
McClellan went on to make 68 appearances, second-most among National League rookies and third-most all-time among first-year Cardinals. He earned 32 holds, but was just 1-for-6 in save opportunities. McClellan earned the Cardinals Rookie of the Year Award, presented by the organization in September.
Moving forward, McClellan could be asked to return to the 2009 bullpen or be returned to starting.
Skip Schumaker has been in the Cardinals system a year longer than McClellan, since 2001. While the 28-year-old made his MLB debut in June, 2005, he rode the Memphis shuttle for the next three seasons.
The left-handed hitter came into 2008 in his best shape ever and with a chance to assume the old So Taguchi spot, that of pinch-hitter and late-game defensive replacement, able to play all three outfield positions.
With a superb spring, Schumaker held off top prospect Colby Rasmus. He not only made the big club for the second consecutive year, but surpassed his previous peak by becoming a starter and lead-off man.
Injuries, first to Chris Duncan and later to Rick Ankiel, along with an ability to get on base (.359 OBP) helped cement Schumaker’s starting role. As a result, he received 540 at-bats, becoming a key contributor to the 2008 Cardinals in the process. Schumaker’s primary Achilles heel is an inability to hit left-handed pitchers (.168/.238/.185 in 119 at-bats last season).
With at least six outfielders legitimately positioned to contend for at most five jobs in 2009, nothing is assured for Schumaker going forward. Because he has exhausted all his option years, he cannot be sent down to the minor leagues without first being exposed to waivers.
14) Colby Rasmus: Strong Spring, Lost Season
Who hasn’t heard of the Cardinals top prospect in each of the last two, going on three seasons now?
A little over one year ago, then-new general manager John Mozeliak wanted popular but fading centerfielder Jim Edmonds to be gone badly enough that he was willing to pay San Diego $2 million just to take him away.
Many anticipated part two of the move to be the ascension of Colby Rasmus to replace Edmonds in 2008, this despite the 21-year-old having never played above Double-A. To say Rasmus’ year didn’t evolve as anticipated would be a grand understatement.
The business reality of baseball reared its head when Rasmus did not come north with the Cardinals despite his solid showing during spring training. His primary competition from the left side, Skip Schumaker, had an equally impressive spring, earning the leadoff role on the 2008 Cardinals.
Rasmus, upset over not making the team, headed straight to Memphis and into a deep funk. He crawled into June with a 2008 regular-season OPS considerably under .700. Further complicating matters, his father received wide notoriety due to a series of critical comments posted on our Scout.com message board.
In June, Colby blistered the ball, with an OPS of .976. That same period, fellow Memphis outfielders Joe Mather and Nick Stavinoha each made their MLB debuts instead of the top prospect, earned though solid performances over a longer period this season.
On July 1, Rasmus was added to the Team USA Olympics squad, which by default would either keep him in the minors or he would have to give up his spot. Within ten days, a groin injury put the outfielder onto the disabled list, making it a moot point. Rasmus didn’t return until late August when he played in three games each in the Gulf Coast League and Florida State League.
It was too little, too late for the Alabama native in 2008.
Despite the Cardinals being short-handed in the outfield with Duncan, Ankiel and Mather out, Rasmus did not receive the call to make his MLB debut in September. In the estimation of manager Tony La Russa, Colby hadn’t played enough during the season to warrant the move.
Cardinals Vice President of Amateur Scouting and Player Development Jeff Luhnow spoke to MLB.com in September about Rasmus.
“I think he’s going to focus 100 percent on being ready for Spring Training and making this club,” Luhnow said. “That’s where his head needs to be. Forget who’s posted what online, or what people are saying about what he’s doing or not doing. He and I had a good long chat [Tuesday], and I believe he’s got the right attitude.
“When you talk to him directly, he has one goal and one goal only, and he’s pretty focused on it. I tried to communicate to him that I have that same goal. That we all do, really.”
2008 was basically a lost year for Rasmus, with nothing considerably different today versus 12 months ago other than the uneven Triple-A experience. As of yet, Colby is not required to be added to the 40-man roster and just as was the case last year, remains a long-shot to make the Cardinals out of 2009 spring training.
So far, Rasmus has been rumored to be virtually untouchable when other clubs make trade inquiries. Once upon a time, the subject of the next top story was in a similar place.
13) The End of the Anthony Reyes Era
Depending on how you look at it, the official date for this event might have been July 26 or perhaps December 11. Others argue the die had been cast several years earlier.
Prior to Rasmus, the Cardinals’ most celebrated prospect was a former right-handed pitcher from the University of Southern California, Anthony Reyes. Only because of injury concerns and signability questions was Reyes on the board when the Cards took him in the 15th round of the 2003 draft.
By 2005 and 2006 as he steadily moved up the line, Reyes was considered the top prospect in the Cardinals system. The possessor of a blistering fastball was called upon to replace the forgettable Sidney Ponson in May, 2006 and would go on to make 17 starts in the majors in his rookie season.
Reyes’ crowning moment as a Cardinal was in Game 1 of the 2006 World Series in Detroit. The Cards, major underdogs to the Tigers, took the opener behind eight-plus innings of two-run baseball by Reyes. He holds the record for fewest career wins (six) by any Game 1 Series starter in the history of the game.
His 2007 began with a solid 3-0, 2.70 ERA in spring training, and concluded in a historic manner, but not in a positive sense. Reyes took ten consecutive defeats to start the regular season, tying the club record set in 1898. In between more time in Memphis and ending the season in the bullpen, Reyes’ .125 winning percentage (2-14 record) tied the franchise’s single-season futility record, established in 1896.
Though he did not make the 2008 rotation, Reyes was placed on the club to start the season as a reliever. Whispers of a difference of opinion between the front office and the coaching staff ensued. Reyes was demoted to Memphis for the fifth time in the last two years on May 5, making room for Mike Parisi‘s MLB starting debut.
Reyes arrived back from Triple-A in mid-June but was scratched from his first start with right elbow inflammation. Once his rehab was complete, Reyes remained with Memphis until the July 26 trade to Cleveland.
All the Cardinals received in return was a 24-year-old reliever named Luis Perdomo, assigned to Double-A Springfield. The Cards thought so little of the Dominican Republic native that they left him exposed in December’s Rule 5 Draft, where he was taken by the San Francisco Giants for $50,000.
With that, the final tie to the Reyes era in St. Louis is officially gone. All that remains are some mixed memories, a feeling that things could and should have been different and the mere pittance of $50,000.
Not mentioned in the above was the ever-present 800-pound gorilla during Reyes’ entire stay in St. Louis. Of course, that is the widely-reported difference in opinion regarding the right-hander’s pitching style that placed La Russa and Duncan in one corner and Reyes in the other.
I was with the Cardinals at the time of the trade and recorded La Russa’s remarks from his office. Here is an excerpt, during which the pitcher and the media were assigned ample helpings of blame.
“I regret some of the nonsense that became a distraction about his style of pitching didn’t match. That didn’t work in his advantage. You just don’t need distractions when you are trying to be… I am talking about veterans; it doesn’t make any difference…
“I regret the fact that people brought up the fact that they didn’t think he was the right kind of pitcher. Dave Duncan gives every pitcher that comes here his absolute best shot, which has been proven over time to do as good of a job as anybody. It was a story line that kept getting pushed that he wasn’t Dave’s kind of pitcher. No.
“You can’t pitch there (gesturing high in the zone). You have to pitch here (middle) and there (low). Everything that Dave told him is what he tells all these guys. It can happen to anybody when you are younger. It can distract you,” said La Russa.
Now 27 years of age, Reyes is penciled into the Tribe’s 2009 rotation. His post-trade, six-start American League debut went fabulously, as he posted a 2-1 record with a 1.83 ERA upon a late-season recall from Triple-A.
12) The Rockies Deals that Weren’t: Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes
On numerous occasions, La Russa has asked for a power bat to hit behind Albert Pujols in the Cardinals batting order and recently, he has reinforced his desire for a proven closer.
This past summer, two members of the floundering, yet defending NL champion Colorado Rockies were linked to the Cardinals. Outfielder Matt Holliday was one year away from becoming a Scott Boras-led free agent while the contract of closer Brian Fuentes (pictured) would conclude at the end of 2008.
While neither became a Cardinal last summer, nor did any other significant player, unless you count the temporary addition of Washington castoff Felipe Lopez.
Before Holliday was dealt by the Rockies to a surprise suitor, the Oakland A’s, on November 12, the Cardinals reportedly offered three players for him. Outfielders Ryan Ludwick and Skip Schumaker and starting pitcher Mitchell Boggs were the players rumored to possibly be heading west.
Moving two outfielders for one would have relieved some of the outfield logjam. Yet after the emergence of Ludwick last season, there was considerable public debate over how much of an upgrade Holliday would offer offensively.
Another important factor was money. Holliday is set to be paid $13.5 million next season, while Ludwick can remain under club control for three more seasons and will likely make a third or less of Holliday’s 2009 take.
The Cardinals haven’t done any better trying to get Brian Fuentes, though it has been for different reasons.
A lack of confidence in emerging closer Chris Perez and 2009 rookie-to-be Jason Motte left La Russa to proclaim Fuentes as the Cardinals’ top priority during the early December Winter Meetings.
It is true that being left-handed and a closer would meet two of the Cards’ stated needs, yet drawing that high of a profile may or may not have been the manner in which Mozeliak would have preferred to play his hand. Still, the GM backed up the proclamation with a two-year offer reported to be in the $16-$18 million range.
Fuentes didn’t bite, stating he prefers to play in his home state of California with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Halos lost their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, to the Mets as a free agent. If they ante more money and/or the third year Fuentes desires, that deal should get done.
In the meantime, the second-fiddle Cardinals have grown tired of waiting and may have withdrawn their offer entirely.
Rarely, if ever, has so much ink been spilled in and around St. Louis over two players that actually never became Cardinals.
11) The Passing of George Kissell (link one) (link two)
George Kissell was undoubtedly the greatest Cardinal organization man of the latter half of the 1900′s, that despite few fans having ever heard of him.
The 88-year-old’s official title was senior field coordinator for player development, but he was more commonly known as the man who taught thousands of farmhands how to play the game the Cardinals way for over a half-century.
Before perishing in October due to injuries suffered in an automobile accident, Kissell served the organization for 69 years. Most recently, he assisted the Cardinals’ minor league affiliates and handled instructional duties for the minor leagues during spring training and extended spring training.
Kissell began by spending ten years in the minor leagues as an infielder and worked in many capacities since 1940. From 1946 to 1968, he was a manager, coach, scout and minor league instructor. Kissell was on the Major League coaching staff from 1969 to 1975 and was special field assistant to General Manager Bing Devine in 1976.
In 2005, the Cardinals unveiled a plaque outside the clubhouse at the Cardinals Complex in Jupiter to honor Kissell which reads, in part: “Every player in the Cardinals’ Organization since 1940 has had contact with George Kissell and they have all been better for it. … Well known for his emphasis on fundamentals, George taught several generations of Redbirds how to play baseball.”
Further, in a December memorial service in Kissell’s former home of St. Petersburg, Florida, Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt, Jr. proclaimed that the club’s four practice fields in Jupiter would be named in Kissell’s honor.
Already posted:
Top 20 Cardinals Stories of 2008: #16-20
Coming soon:
Top 20 Cardinals Stories of 2008: #6-10
Top 20 Cardinals Stories of 2008: #1-5
Projected Top St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2009
TLR is good at ushering young players into the majors and putting them in a position to advance their careers. TLR wants to let Chris Perez establish his performance level and pace, rather than expect him to be ready to close in the majors already and heap pressure on him to do so.
In September, TLR and DD showed their colors regarding Perez. With the season already lost, they reverted to the dead-end solution Franklin and stayed with him until the end instead of letting Perez gain more valuable experience closing. To me, that was a clear and obvious step backward.
Other than spring training perhaps, September games after elimination are about the best time to allow young players to gain valuable experience.
Listing deals that came no closer than the talking stage as best Cardinal moments of the year?
Maybe that says something about our year!
Maybe TLR and DD believe they are clever, at office politics. Maybe they want an established closer for 2009, in addition to Perez, two choices being better than one and providing the welcome security of more depth.
If they had tested Perez in Sept 08 and he had done well, then apparent success could undercut their case for a tested (expensive) closer. Games at the end of a long season can be misleading, since some teams are going through the motions, with nothing to play for.
In 2006, the Cards turned to Wainwright as closer. TLR went with him over Looper. This suggests TLR can choose a rook over a vet. But TLR would probably like to have depth. Let a rook step-up into the role when ready, as was Adam. TLR may not want the team to plan around giving the closer job in 2009 to rookies. Eckersley did not throw smoke and had a lot of success as a closer. Good breaking pitches, control, and calm aplomb may be key attributes.
TLR seems hierarchically oriented. Young players work their way up a ladder of responsibility, based on ML performance. This often seems to work out.
CC, sometimes big stories can be non-stories!
Jumbo, in 2006, they tried Looper at closer when Izzy went down and he tanked. They really had no other choice but to try Wainwright. It was not the plan.
In 06, the Cards had, by design, the depth of three guys: Izzy as the closer; Looper who had closed for the Marlins and Mets; and more depth in Wainwright. After Izzy was injured and after Looper did not impress, then the Cards could try Wainwright.
They would probably like the same sort of depth in 2009. The plan would be to construct a roster that includes an Izzy or Izzy-lite as first choice. Maybe Franklin becomes the Looper equivalent as the 2nd option in 09. Perez can be the 3rd option to close. In 06, Wainwright had never closed, but stepped up and succeeded. Perez is better prepared than Wainwright, having closed in college and the minors. Perez could perform well and step up to the closer’s job in 09. But the Cards are disinclined to hand Perez the job, to see how the experiment turns out.
This may be analagous to SS last winter, when many fans wanted the job handed to Brendan Ryan rather than spend $3million on Cesar Izturis. (Tim Dierkes at MLB Trade rumors recently calculated Izturis and Miles were among the top 10 financial bargains of 08.) Some fans can be hopeful about handing ML jobs to rookies, whereas the Cards like them to earn more playing time, on a play-as-you-go basis.
How rookies are integrated into the majors seems a recurrent topic among fans.
It also raises the question as to whether there should be one standard for all players, whether a 47th round pick with an undistinguished track record or a top prospect who has excelled at all levels in the minors. Breaking into the majors, I would want to ensure the latter gets every benefit of the doubt as quickly as is reasonable.
Perez was drafted in June 06 and reached the majors in 2 years. He got some valuable ML experience last summer. I do not see the Cards bringing Perez along slowly or “showing their colors” in terms “lacking confidence” in him.
In the 05 draft, the Braves popped NCState closer Joey Devine, allowing the Cards to nab Rasmus with the next pick. Devine did not experience much success in Atlanta and was traded to the As. Like Reyes, guys often warrant a fresh chance in another city. The Red Sox invested a number one pick on hard throwing college closer Hansen; he too has been trying to find his way, someday success may come or perhaps it will not. The lesson I draw from such anecodotes is some guys can step up and excel in a closer role at an early point, whereas some other guys have comparable arm strength, but it can take them a while. Huston Street made quick progress, but does not have a power arm; I think control and a slider are his strengths. Wainwright does not throw especially hard, and the keys to his success as a closer was his swing and miss curve and control. When Perez can obtain better control of his slider, he is going to have a lot going for him. Lidge does well enough with a plus fastball and a plus slider.
For where he is at right now, Perez seems on track and in an enviably good situation. He has control issues, but has been making progress. I see no reason to heap pressure on Perez to assume a closer role in 09, but let him assume the role after he demonstrates excellence in a set-up capacity. Its hard to imagine a guy can succeed as a closer, if he cannot excel in a setup role. It seems prudent personnel management to take things one step at a time. Guys like Devine and Hansen are cautionary examples of guys with strong arms (and drafted higher than Perez) not achieving early success in the majors.
Unasked, an idea for an under-discussed baseball story of 2008 and beyond.
As generally known, newspapers and magazines have been under economic pressure owing to loss of advertising revenues and readers. More citizens are turning to the Web for reading news and for advertisements as well. The Web, in turn, allows more subject niche differentiation (ie., whereas newspapers must aim to have broad appeal to serve a broad audience, a web site can focus on a narrow topic, such as the Cardinals, and then focus even more narrowly on the Cards from select viewpoints.) The Web also allows feedback from readers and their interaction with one another.
A result is formation of Web-based niche networks of people with some common interests or opinions. Like-minded groups can arise, groups that would otherwise find it hard to assemble or share views among members, on a routine basis, absent the miracle of communication via the Web.
In keeping, there have arisen sites which can attract persons who are unhappy about select aspects of their sports team. VEB, for instance, used to attract folks unhappy about, variously, Jocketty, TLR, Duncan, and/or Anthony Reyes. The existance of websites serving or stoking discontented fans would seem an integral part of the sports landscape henceforth, for all teams in all sports, as well as for other topics of public interest beyond sports. This is not to opine that this is either bad or good, rather that this phenomena has economic justifications and societal ramifications. While Websites can be open access, they are perhaps not a town-hall kind of meeting place where everyone joins in the dialogue, but websites tend to beget groups with narrow (albeit deeper) interests or limited perspectives.
Joey Devine didn’t have much opportunity in Atlanta as he was still advancing through their system. He was only given 20 innings over three years of September callups. In 2007, he gave up one run in 8.1 IP for the Braves after putting up a dominating performance in the minors. After being traded for Mark Kotsay, Devine held a 0.59 ERA at only 24 years of age in 2008. I read that it was the second lowest ERA in MLB history for a pitcher with at least 40 IP. Devine didn’t close, but he shined in a setup role and may be poised to take the closer role from Ziegler next season.
I don’t think that he’s the very best example of a reliever who needed to be brought along slowly.
… Ziegler of course managed a 1.06 ERA over 60 IP and tallied 11 saves in his first major league season.
Devine is a great example of how it can take time to work a guy into a useful ML role. The Braves rushed Devine into the majors in late 05, the summer he was drafted. He ended up giving up a homer to the Astros in extra innings, helping eliminate the Braves in the 05 playoffs.
The Braves have reduced their budget and could no longer afford to spend $10million a year on John Smoltz as a closer. The Braves have been hurting for an effective closer. The opportunity was wide open. But Devine had physical or other issues, such he was unable to fill this huge opportunity in 06 or 07. Finally, they gave up and felt he needed a fresh start elsewhere. Devine was an utter fiasco for his drafting team.
The Cards have followed a more careful approach in developing Perez. He spent two seasons in the minors, rather than dealing gopher balls in playoffs, which can mess up a kid’s mind. Perez was given ML responsibilities in 08. When he had control problems, he got sent back to Memphis to work on the issue, and improved. So Perez is in a solid situation for 09. He can compete to win a roster slot in spring training. He can earn innings as he shows he can handle them. Its up to him.
Interesting comments on the impact of the web. It is a much broader issue than this website or even the Cardinals…
There are tendencies toward fragmentation of opinion. And these in turn can beget social alienation. I wonder what it would be like to be a young person growing up today, hearing strident opinions via TV, radio, the Web. On TV and radio, the demands of the medium encourage entertainment and loudness and brevity, more than education or thoughtfulness or awareness of uncertainties.
I recently came across a brief essay by a guy who was a colleague of Obama’s at the Univ. of chicago law school. He is a valued advisor of Barack on such topics as Internet legal issues; and maybe terrorism and wiretapping. Cass Sunstein by name, lately moved to Harvard, where he is, impressively enough, Felix Frankfurter professor of Law.
The essay is “Why Groups Go to Extremes?” Apparently it is a well documented lesson from social psychology that groups tend to strengthen and reinforce the predisposition of members. Sunstein is publishing a longer book in Spring 09. As a constitutional scholar, it makes some sense for him to ponder such challenges. How is society as a whole best served to design governance institutions to incorporate the views of narrow minded groups, minimize alienation, yet also not adopt crackpot views? My guess is this kind of thinking may guide Obama to recruit Hillary as Sec. of State and to reach out to Republicans soon after the election. A rationale might be to be inclusive and try to help society selectively find good ideas where-ever their origin across the political spectrum.
IMO, Anthony Reyes had an average 89 mph fastball, not a blistering one, after 2004 and 2005. This may be normal, it may be that many lose some velocity as they age and rack up miles thrown.
In 2006, Reyes gave up many gopher balls. In 2007, he reduced homers, but gave up more runs.
During a handful of starts with the Indians, Reyes registered few strikeouts, indicating he no longer has the swing and miss success he had in the minors.
Reyes is a gutsy guy and we wish him all the best. Yet what could have happenned, indeed did happen. He had a rough time initially adjusting to ML hitters.
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