Highlights from Wednesday’s St. Louis Cardinals minor league spring training games in Florida as Shelby Miller stars.
On Wednesday, the Cardinals had a camp day in Jupiter in which intersquad games were held. As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.
Team summary: As one would expect, the two higher-level clubs defeated their little brothers, though the Memphis-Springfield game was tight as the Redbirds barely picked up their third win of the spring. Palm Beach had their way with Quad Cities pitching.
Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were of course 2-2. Spring totals are now 20-31-8 overall and 13-24-4 versus external competition.
My Pitcher of the Day: Shelby Miller (pictured), pitching for Quad Cities, tossed three perfect innings at Palm Beach, fanning six.
My Hitter of the Day: Quad Cities’ Francisco Rivera collected a triple, home run, scored twice and added three RBI.
Thursday’s schedule: The Cardinals five squads will remain home as the Marlins walk across from their side of the complex.
Memphis (3-7-3) defeated Springfield (4-6-3), 4-3 (7 ½ innings)
Memphis Pitching
Brandon Dickson – 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s
Ryan Kulik – 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s
Memphis Hitting
Ruben Gotay – 3-run home run – Batted just .200 (4-for-20) in MLB camp but one of those hits was a home run, too. Has 12 MLB home runs in 811 career plate appearances. Also, he lost his #3 jersey to Felipe Lopez.
Daniel Descalso – RBI triple and a walk in his two plate appearances – Then went over the to MLB game where he was hit by a pitch and scored a run.
Mark Shorey – doubled
Tyler Henley – tripled and scored a run – Was a late-game substitution in the MLB game in centerfield but did not get an at-bat.
Kevin Howard – 1-for-2 with a walk and run scored – 28-year-old has a career .287/.354/.421 line in seven minor league seasons for CIN, NYY, LAD, PHI, SEA, TOR and SD. That would make StL his eighth organization.
Springfield Pitching
Scott Gorgen – 4 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K’s – His strikeout to walk ratio has eroded at each stop.
Chuckie Fick – 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K’s – On a non-Shelby day, this outing was good enough to be the Pitcher of the Day, so here’s an honorable mention for the son of Cardinals professional scout Chuck.
Matt Meyer – 1 IP, 1 H – Minor league Rule 5 signee from Cleveland serves as left-handed relief
Springfield Hitting
Jim Rapoport – 3-for-4 with a triple, stolen base and run scored – Has stolen 90 and caught 24 times in 398 career games. Lifetime batting average is just .245, but on-base mark is .322. Slugs less at .317. Surely knows what he needs to do.
Charles Cutler – 2-for-3 with a double and run scored – Catching opportunity upward right now. His combined .322 average last season between Palm Beach and Quad Cities was second highest in the Cardinals system and fifth highest among all minor league catchers.
Mike Folli – solo HR
Aaron Luna – doubled
Palm Beach (6-6-1) defeated Quad Cities 1 (5-8), 10-2
Palm Beach Pitching
Scott McGregor – 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s – In two seasons, the Cardinals’ 15th round pick in 2008 is 11-11, 4.55.
Jason Buursma – 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER
Casey Mulligan – 1 IP, 1 K – Not a closing situation, but didn’t let down. Good.
Palm Beach Hitting
Francisco Rivera – 2-for-3 with a triple, homer, two runs scored and 3 RBIs – The Hitter of the Day.
Tommy Pham – 2-for-2 with a double, walk, 3 runs scored and two RBIs – I guess I should create a Hitter of the Spring Award just for Pham. Amazing consistency.
Rich Racobaldo – 1-for-3 with a single, RBI and a run scored
Matt Carpenter – 1-for-4 with an RBI
Osvaldo Morales – singled, scored a run and had an RBI
Quad Cities 1 Pitching
Shelby Miller – three perfect innings with 6 K’s – He doesn’t want to pitch in the Quad Cities early spring cold and is making his case for a Palm Beach assignment on the mound. Impressive.
Chris Notti – 1.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – Ouch. Career 6-5, 3.50 ERA in two seasons.
Jose Rada – 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s
Chris Corrigan – 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER – Fanned 28 and walked 20 in 47 1/3 innings in his pro debut with Batavia last season.
Quad Cities 1 Hitting
Frederick Parejo – 1-for-2 with a triple, run scored and RBI – Was the starting centerfielder in the 2008 New York-Penn League All-Star Game, but had a quieter 2009 at Quad Cities. Still just 19 until July.
Niko Vasquez – doubled and scored a run – Third round selection in 2008 wants to put a rough 2009 behind him.
Travis Tartamella – singled in his only AB
Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Good to see Rivera devlop some power. .100 ISO SGL% wont cut it for a 1B.
Parejo is also showing iimproved power this Spring.
Didn’t know that fact about Cutler having the 5th best avg among catchers in the minors.
I see where Castillo is listed among the Palm Beach starters. I’m pretty sure Luhnow had indicated over the Winter he’d go to Springfield this year. I guess they hadn’t counted on the resurgence of Garceau and Daley.
If Pham starts at PB it would seem hard for the Cardinals to look their players in the eye and tell them that their Spring performance determines where they’ll start.
Kulik was the fastest riser among pitchers of his draft class yet he hasn’t really excelled anywhere. He’s a lefty that has no lefty split advantage. It will be interesting to see if he can do something to make himself stand out this year (if he makes it that long).
I think the Cards really like Foli but they are going to have trouble finding a space for him. Maybe he can stick in Springfield until Martinez comes back. By that time maybe they’ll give up on Gotay or Howard.
I wonder if Matt Adams is getting any playing time lately? Hard to believe his bat has been quiet.
I’d also noticed the absence of Adams in Brian’s reports. Maybe he’s dinged up. He needs exposure at his new position, unless that’s the problem.
The Cards moved Kulik up fast for the same reason as Fiske; there was a need for pitchers at AA, so these college seniors had to be promoted fast. If the Cards were now to have enough other starting pitchers for AA, they could try Kulik out in his optimal role. Kulik could be like Sam Freeman, a little LOOGY who can pump gas for a batter or inning.
The Cards have a logjam of OFs at AA. Pham can spend the first half at Palm Beach. Spring training stats should usually not play much part in minor league team assignments.
Jumbo, I usually get amusement out of how you look at situations, try to draw conclusion, and then present those conclusions as fact. But sometime you miss the mark so bad it is too funny
So they moved Kulik up to QC first among his class because they needed pitchers at AA?. They moved him (and Fiske) up because they thought they were ready. There were plenty of other candidates.
Why do you assume that Kulik’s optimal role is a LOOGY – because he’s LH? kkkk He has no discernible lefty/righty split for his career. Pump gas? that’s not his thing, His curveball is his best pitch.
Keep trying though, Like Westie, you are bound to be right occasionally.
And why didn’t you call Kulik “stubby” ? He’ the same height and weight as Cruz.
Carioca: Why do I think Kulik would be a LOOGY? Because as I said, he can pump gas for short stints.
Kulik went to Rowan (used to be called Glassboro State) in New Jersey. Its low level competition, far from Division 1 NCAA. He dominated at this low level of amateur competition. We drafted another kid out of Rowan back in 2005, but down in the 40s, because even though he had a great won lost record, he was a soft tosser. Kulik went much, much higher, up in about the 8th round, for the sensible reason of arm strength. BA wrote before the 2008 draft:
“Rowan lefty Ryan Kulik dominated Division III competition as a senior this spring, going 10-2, 1.72 with 144 strikeouts and 24 walks in 94 innings. Kulik is undersized but strong at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds. He has an average 89-91 mph fastball that touches 93, and he maintains his velocity deep into outings. Some scouts believe he could throw 94-95 in short stints in the bullpen. His curveball and changeup are fringy, but he makes up for it with his competitiveness and ability to pound the zone. Kulik should be drafted between the seventh and 12th rounds.”
I do not much care Kulik has not had a lefty/right split in pro ball. Your data has been in the role of a starter. If Kulik throws harder for a batter or inning, a split could emerge. (OTOH southpaw reliever Ken Daley did not enjoy one, IIRC, during the 1980s, so this is not a sure thing.)
I think the Cards are giving Kulik work as a starter, to work on breaking pitches. But ultimately, his best pro value is as a reliever. The Cards did not draft Kulik as high as the 8th round because impressed with his stats at Rowan; he went that high because of the radar gun, which was good for a lefty.
Last season, Kulik IIRC had an ERA at Palm Beach above 5, when the Cards had need for a AA pitcher. Its hard to know how this qualifies Kulik as “ready” for AA. If there had not been a manpower shortage at AA, he might well have spent all of 2009 at Palm Beach. He was drafted in the 8th round in 2008. His first full season was 2009, he was a highish draft pick and a college senior, the Cards are going to normally want to assign such a guy to PB to begin the year. And this outcome is in fact what happenned. He was not very effective as a starting pitcher. What happenned? There was an opening at AA and there was no better alternative at the time, so up went Kulik. Given that he played at a low level of amateur competition, Rowan, he did better than I would have feared. He helped out the organization and ate some innings. The Cards should repay Kulik by letting him become a reliever, as Norrick has become. He might do well in that role. He’s fringy in a starting role.
Luhnow gives interviews all Winter where he says what level a minor leaguer will start at the next year depends on how he does in the Spring. I believe I remember one where he said that about Pham this past Winter. I may be experienced enough to realize he is just giving a politically correct answer to actually avoid the question but that doesn’t mean all out minor leaguers are so savvy. If he doesn’t mean it he shouldn’t say it.
Strauss apparently ventured onto the back fields today and picked up word that those internally who want Miller to start in Quad Cities have apparently won out over the Palm Beach faction. I am guessing it must have been Jumbo’s endorsement that swung the deal!
I think Jumbo has got it right, Kulick will go to AA as a reliever.
Even if Miller is a great talent, its still ok to take things one step at a time Baseball is a marathon more than a sprint. If the Cards are concerned about the cold of April, Miller can work out in Extended Spring Training for a few weeks and report to Quad Cities in May.
Herron was a bonus baby in 2005, yet he still needed two summers at Johnson City, before ready for the Midwest League. It can be a big adjustment, high school to low A. If Miller does well, as did Jaime Garcia, it will be extremely impressive, because this is not an easy jump.
I agree with JumboShrimp, take him slow since he is the next big thing! Never rush a top prospect of an organization especially a top draft pick!
Thank you, bisc917.
The last time we had a Texas fireballer, it was Mark McCormick, supplemental first rounder in 2005. Mark started three seasons at Baylor University. He made a couple of starts in the NYPa league in 05, then pitched at our Midwest league affiliate. The next spring, equivalent to Miller’s situation now, for some reason McCormick got sent back to Quad Cities, even though pitchers who did not start in college, Boggs and Webber, got starting berths at Palm Beach. Within a month or two, McCormick had a bum shoulder and his career was lost.
Its hard to know what to make of this history. One story would be the Midwest League is unhealthy for Texas fireballers, but I dont think that is the real lesson. The real lesson could be McCormick had a balky shoulder as a sophomore at Baylor in 2004; scouts were a little concerned, why he fell to the supplemental round in 2005; and the shoulder was balky again in 06 spring training, so the Cards tried to go easy on him by sending him back to the Midwest League, when you might have expected him to be fast tracked to Palm Beach.
Another 2005 bonus baby pitcher from Texas was Wilson, who also suffered a bad injury at QC in 2006. Another bonus baby collegiate pitcher from Texas was Furnish, also assigned to QC out of spring training in 2007. It would be unusual for a young man from high school to open in the Florida State League.
Rick Ankiel was an elite high school pitcher in the draft of 1997. During spring 1998, Ank made 7 starts for Peoria. He did well and got promoted to the FSL for the rest of the season. The Cards would be very elated if Miller could approach Ankiel’s great 1998 minor league season.
For more perspective on Ankiel’s first minor league season, he went 3-0 with a 2.06 era at Peoria, striking out 41 in 35 innings.
This got him a promotion to Prince William in the Carolina League, where he went 9-6 with 2.79 era and struk out 181 in 126 innings.
Overall, during his one season at the A level, Ankiel struck out 222 in 161 innings, age 19, from high school.
Though a phenom who then delivered a fantastic season, Ankiel still began the year in the Midwest League, as may Miller. Quad Cities is a reasonable place for Miller to begin, as well.
Jumbo confuses Brian’s reporting that Miller may start at PB as advocacy and tries to create an argument (but fails). When Brian doesn’t take the bait, Jumbo argues with himself. Classic!
Carioca, did Westie send you some good wacky tobaccy? I can often distinguish when Brian is an adocate; in this case, however, he seemed to be merely reporting enthusiastic rumors among Cards employees. Its spring time. They are entitled to feel hopeful, if they want.
You don’t know what you don’t know…
A universal truth……
I’ve lost track of the point of contention but would venture to ask why it would really matter very much if Miller started at QC or PB. He showed poise and maturity as well as skill. Could surely do fine either place, work on whatever he needs to work on. Hopefully, he won’t spend forever wearing out his arm in the minors anyway.