The other day, I looked at last year’s major league spring training transactions by the St. Louis Cardinals as a method of suggesting a rough time frame when similar moves might occur in 2011.
While there is less apparent action within minor league camp compared to the reassignment of players there from major league camp, there is plenty of churn still. Rosters are purposely written in pencil and players are shuttled between minor league games as needed. Some are even called back to help fill in during major league games.
Still, there are a couple of inflection points each spring when groups of minor league player releases occurred previously. With roughly half the camp games of the major leaguers, the minor league instructors and coaches have to make their decisions relatively quickly.
For example, in 2010, the Cardinals had 30 spring games, while the minor leaguers had 18 days of games in camp, including intrasquad contests every third day. This is due to the schedule imbalance created by the fact that only the Mets and Marlins are within a two hour drive of Cardinals camp in Jupiter, Fla.
Last spring, the Cardinals announced their big groups of player releases on March 23 and 26, at spring games seven and ten, respectively. A total of 17 players were given their release. After at least a week of games, the coaches can determine which players are not competitive enough to either make one of the four full-season rosters or remain behind for extended spring training camp.
In 2009, the organization also released two waves of players on the 23rd and 26th, but added a third group on March 31, as well. 21 players became ex-Cardinals through those moves.
These spring releases have been especially focused on clearing out the pitching ranks. 28 of these 38 releases during the last two camps were hurlers.
Even so, a large quantity of pitchers remain. In recent seasons, the Cardinals have begun the regular season at Palm Beach and Quad Cities using the tandem or piggy-back rotation. In that arrangement, instead of five starters, two pairs of four starting pitchers take turns starting and relieving every fourth day. That allows the use of eight starters rather than the traditional five. Often by Memorial Day, a combination of performance results and injuries thin the ranks and regular five-man rotations are implemented.
St. Louis Cardinals minor league spring training transactions – 2009-10
| Date | Game | Cardinals minor league camp transactions |
| 2010 | (of 18) | |
| 23-Mar | #7 | Seven released. Ps Justin Fiske, Andres Rosales, Jonathan Gonzalez, |
| Reynier Gonzalez, Marco Gonzalez, 1B Matt Arburr, C Blake Murphy. | ||
| 26-Mar | #10 | Ten released. Ps Brad Furnish, Tyler Lavigne, Randy Santos, Adam Veres, |
| Santo Maertz, Charlie Zink, Pedro Rodriguez, Yoffri Martinez, | ||
| OFs Travis Mitchell and Edwin Gomez. | ||
| Date | Game | Cardinals minor league camp transactions |
| 2009 | (of 17) | |
| 23-Mar | #6 | Five released . IFs Nick Vera, Isa Garcia, Ps Joe Rogers, Miguel Flores, |
| C Christian Rosa. | ||
| 26-Mar | #9 | Nine released. Ps Hyang-Nam Choi, Russ Haltiwanger, Zach Pitts, Matt Spade, |
| Wayne Damon, Jose Mateo, Jon Mikrut, Jameson Maj, 3B Brian Cartie. | ||
| 31-Mar | #14 | Seven released. Cs Justin Knoedler, Rickey Noland, Ps Ryan Bird, |
| J.D. Stambaugh, Davis Bilardello, Dylan Gonzalez, Josh Hester. |
Reminder: To track all the signings, releases and other major roster moves across the entire Cardinals system, check out the Roster Matrix right here at The Cardinal Nation Blog.
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It makes sense a majority of spring training minor league releases have been pitchers. Pitching is risky and injuries unpredictably occur. A team may want to go into spring training with excess pitchers, as insurance against injuries.
I agree with you Herko……….. but as to your recent comments about Freese and Berkman……..
In the end as you put it……… if it all works out………. from an organizational standpoint, isn’t that the game? the place to compete? Watching SF and Texas last night………. both teams have a completely different attitude…self image than St louis…………. Weren’t all of Berkman’s flaws foreseeable? Isn’t it true that Freese’s biggest challenge is dropping thing on his feet? Isn’t that foreseeable? And give this some thought………..isn’t this AP season…foreseeable? The kids want to run…. they want to hit……and hunt for ego trophies……. they are 10 running good teams on there home field…..but when AP is present….. they are just a bunch of frustrated children. A guy who had a serious dampening affect on the team last year, ( his superman return after the trade deadline and the subsequent slump of everyone else) is in 2011…..twice as likely, and even more dramatically, to have the same effect on his fellow players……………
Berkman is hurting…….he should just rest…….. but Tony knows the pressure is building on him, and that he could easily fall victim to self doubt and frustration………Tony still hasn’t got his chemistry…………….. the 1 and 2 run games will crush Carpenter. Westbrooke hasn’t arrived. Garcia is overthrowing for a reason…..all the signs of “Sophomore slump” are present…… in all fairness, nothing should be expected of Lohse……..but saying that, this is the environment that he is successful in………
I demote AP to 4th this very minute…….I force the chemistry. I put a big kryptonite chain around his neck and let everyone feed. If he is worth 30 million to anybody……… that ought to be the challenge. Let the kids feed and let the monster get hungry………
If not……..there is an 80% chance that this team repeats last years failures……. AP looking fine, and considered for MVP because he is so important to the organization……….
Hopefully we have enough for a full ‘pen. If mclellan moves to a starting spot we need a reliever who can chew up some innings bc TLR seems to like to switch em up for his matchups with hitters.
Enough pitching to survive the many changes per game
Speaking of the micromanaging. It’s pretty frustrating that TLR is already talking about ‘platooning’ centerfield with an infielder (nothing against Tyler Greene) just to match up right and left bats with pitching. I can understand getting guys playing time in ST but comments quoted and interpreted by Ray DeRousse (admittedly not a TLR fan) make it sound like he intends to have that game plan throughout the season.
Maybe I have a bias against overmanaging bc I am a baseball ‘spectator’ fan whereas I am a rugby ‘player’ fan and in rugby the coach runs practice and game strategy but once the match starts the players must rely on each other and develop attacks and defense on the spot, the coach can’t call plays. I haven’t played bb since junior high. In rugby you live by your mates or die by your mates, there must be cohesion and assurance that your teammate will be there the second he is needed. TLR doesn’t seem to foster cohesion. Like I said I prob can’t compare the two sports but that’s my two cents.
Bird buddy, I want to caution you against having the wrath of GOD brought down on you by HB if you continue with any of the anti TLR stuff. TLR and Albert have cohesion, and thats really the most important thing.
I guess I should know, but I don’t. Who is Ray DeRousse? Is he reporting from spring training?
I have not heard TLR talk about a platoon situation in centerfield. He has said ever since Winter Warm Up that he would try Greene out there during spring training as a potential option against tough LHP during the season. Jay can play there, but like Colby, he hits from the left side. Obviously, it is still too soon to draw any conclusions. From what I have gathered listening to the games, centerfield defense hasn’t been particularly strong early with either guy out there.
Is there new news that I missed?
This is probably what he is writing about Brian.
http://redbirdrants.com/author/sammyray/
Thanks for the link, RC. Unless I am missing something, there isn’t anything new there on any supposed platooning plans. The blogger seems proud of his anti-TLR bias and is living up to his site’s name by ranting, I guess. To each his own…
It is. Don’t think I’m unfaithfull Brian. Cardinal Nation will be first in my heart
No problem at all. Your initial post did spur on several dozen comments and some good discussion.
The different points of view (and the great articles) are why I enjoy devouring everything on this site. You all definitely have more baseball knowledge than me. I am just a Cards fan coming from a long line, but making it more of a passion now that I’m starting my own family, when you’re young sometimes you reject a little bit what your parents like. Still, im not a bb expert.
Also I am trying to read up and post between hearings on my phone which is a little challenging. That’s why I didn’t get a chance to clarify my original post before the discussion really took off.
I would remind all that Tony is stirring the pot at present. By talking about Greene as a center field back up……….he is trying to influence Mo/BD into giving him something, or not taking away something……… Jay will make the team……he can play center…….the match up designation is just politics at this point……… maybe working on young CR’s head space a bit…….least he suddenly become “power” Colby again………….. and not 325 Colby……….
at this point……anyone impressed by Theriot……… Looks like M Carpenter might have something to offer……….. At what point do you just hand the job to Theriot, just because you paid to make him important……………. Mo will hang Tony up on that……and Tony knows it……by making Greene a backup in center, maybe he is just trying to make room for someone else on the bubble………..
Yea WC, I don’t personally worry about that stuff. Tony is going to platoon most of his players and he’s also going to double switch players at least every other game so you have to have a bunch of guys who can play everywhere….just in case. Tyler Greene is a great athlete and could play CF is needed.
I’m wondering how long it will take before everyone starts screaming about Colby’s lack of HR’s.
After week one. Only 2 k’s……0 BB’s. If he can keep going in this direction he will have cut down on the K’s drastically……and the walks as well (remember those 2 are tied at the seams). He may not hit .325 but my guess is he’s trying to do just that. No real big swings just putting the hands on the ball it appears to me. Finally got a roller between short and third yesterday. 
Theriot seems to be pressing. Carpenter looked tall and skinny when I saw him in Jupiter. But seems to be a pretty good looking player. Theriot will have the job because thats the plan. Right now he is hitting way worse than was Brendan last year. I find that a little humerous.
And Brendan is hitting worse this Spring, than he did last year…..if you want to give the other side of the coin, right?
Yes he is by the way. And before you start pounding away at why the team is better without Brendan let me say I was calling for Brendan to be dealt away a year or so ago. My reasoning was that he would never fit into the TLR mentality that is the professional to the nth degree clubhouse. There would have just been a better player received in return if he had been traded a year ago imo. But maybe not.
It seems to me that you see the clashes between a player and TLR and when you see it that player should be dealt while he has value but the Cardinals seem to hold on too long many times losing all value that that player once had.
I believe Theriot is a TLR kind of player and I liked the acquisition from a TLR management standpoint. But if he doesn’t hit he will be considered a failure. He has pressure on him and it shows. He is pressing for sure.
No pounding, RCW, just wanted to plate the other side as well, let everyone draw conclusions with the whole story. I agree, the Cards tend to hold on, too long to players, but sometimes a .290 avg sweeps other issues under the rug, while a mendozaesque one highlights those said issues.
Wow, we seem to be making a lot of conclusions based on a handful of at-bats. Theriot has all of 16 plate appearances. I didn’t look up Ryan.
Let’s remember not to read too much into spring games, especially early on. Not very long ago, Khalil Greene hit over .400 in camp and was named the opening day cleanup hitter.
I remember that, and Ankiel was lights out that camp also. Flip side, Skip was terrible last year in camp. Though, you could attribute that to other things.
Tony is hitting Yadi in the 6th spot today…….against the high profile Red Sox…….. just throwing him a bone…….???? I hope so. I find it discouraging. If anyone needs to develop a hitting attitude, and a role to play…….its Molina……… watch them pitch around Berkman to get to the DP opo…………..
That would normally be Freese’s spot in the lineup, correct? He’s out today. But, yeah, I agree, 7th is where he should bat. If he were to bat 8th and get on 1st, then no pitcher could move him over with a Sac Bunt.
Point proven in the first……Yadi killed that one, 1 out DP to end the inning. 2-0 Cards
Gotta take exception to your use of one word, RC.
I do not agree. Will he sit guys at times? Yes. Does that mean most of the team will be in a platoon situation? No, it does not.
For all of the ranting about Rasmus (nice alliteration, eh?), Colby played in 144 games last season despite missing several weeks due to injury. He played in 147 as a rookie.
Bad choice of words. Some, not most. Better?
As long as it doesn’t include CF, yes…
Can anyone dispute that TLR loves to switch players in and out to facilitate his matchups? Seems more like meddling than coaching to me. Remember the mets game last year that went 20 innings and we ran out of pitchers?i know all games don’t go that long but imagine the psych impact of a coach saying you can only handle one player or do well in one specific situation.
Actually, will any position be a platoon other than 2B? I mean, RF should be, but it won’t if you believe TLR.
Options, Kansas, options. Wouldn’t you rather the Cardinals have options? If Tyler plays 2 games in CF this year, that doesn’t make it a platoon. Nor is Tyler getting a game there this Spring part of any conspiracy or “stirring the pot”, Westcoast. I call a spade a shovel, if needed, but I think we are stretching things here, based off our biases. We “want” or in some cases “need” to perceive things a certain way, to justify our biases. To each his own. I’ll support you, even if I don’t agree with you (I love Voltaire, though I butchered/paraphrased). We are all Cards fans, right?
Let’s hear it for the Youngsters hitting lights out this spring. Craig, Jay, Carpenter, Hamilton, Colby. Some will say we lack depth, but darn it, I see depth before my eyes. Call it “kool-aid whatever”, but I sure do enjoy watching/listening these kids play. Let’s talk about that instead of beating horses that passed away 6 or 7 years ago. The damn thing is STILL DEAD
Sorry, I haven’t posted here enough to have posted the above rant. I was going for more of a Rallying Call, instead of trying to insult. Though, rereading it, I can see how one could misinterpret
that.
Cheers to all !!!!
You kidding, have you read HBT? Read some of HB’s stuff and then you will consider what you wrote as fit for good old christian reading.
I didn’t get that insulting feeling.
For what its worth I feel that Tony has relaxed his hold on the players having fun this spring so what you see is the young kids playing a game that they love and having fun doing it. They seem to be having fun playing together. But it does seem to me that there are more kids playing this year than normal. But I could be wrong.
They will reel that stuff back in a bit once Albert starts playing more. They’ll start getting in the acting professional mood as the real games approach is my guess.
T8Ball: post them like you see them. There are enough pessimistic posters and they do not have veto rights over the thoughts of others.
on nearly every blog/sports site the TLR subject is as polarizing as the man himself. I really have no opinion of him one way or another. I just like baseball. I can talk forever about the game, even if my knowledge of it might be lacking at times, I’ll still jump in, give my two cents, and represent it as though it were the law
But if I can avoid a slam session, and instead have a good ole respectable blarb session with others, then I’ll take that 7 days a week and twice on Wednesdays.
TLR is just easy to take shots at. But his record stands as a testament to his adaptability and knowledge of the game imo.
I am of the opinion that TLR’s record is a testament to his longevity and the players on his teams and oh yeah having one of the best pitching coaches of all time at his side.
Believe TLR’s teams have in general underachieved in playoffs and World Series, but on the other hand I have great respect for John McGraw’s managing record and his team’s also had a tough time in the World Series.
I will agree with TLR that the best regular season record means a lot tho, particularly in this day and age of a month long post-season.
T8, you are most welcome here and I hope you find the kind of discussion you are seeking. Fresh perspectives are always encouraged.
I’m enjoying myself so far
I like the different perspectives, makes us normal
T8 — They don’t have veto rights… but think they do.
I took no offense mate. Btw, I am new to the site as far as posting. I’ve been following these folks for awhile and they really started to feel familiar, then I took the step to start posting which ive never done on the net before. Says a lot about this site.
Its reasonable of TLR to give Greene some play in CF. Does Colby want to bat against Chapman? Not if he is smart. Plus everybody can use some off-games.
Greene can be the new Hector Luna, only more athletic. He has a strong arm and is speedy. He can play SS, platoon at 2B with Skipper, or hold down right, as well as CF. If TLR plays him a few times in the spring, then Greene can play in the OF during the season. TLR seems more flexible if he sees the guy in an unfamiliar position during spring training, don’t ask me why.
Right. Someone has to be the third CF on the team. It sure isn’t going to be Berkman or Holliday, so it’s Allen Craig if not Greene. I feel better with the guy with more mobility.
Allen Craig does not have Greene’s arm or legs. Craig would be about as good in CF as would Yadier or Laird. Only Greene can serve as a right swinging relief for Rasmus, as TLR appreciates.
Our best defensive CF plays 2B, where his light bat is more suited.
Oh yeah, I actually forgot that Skip is an outfielder. How scary is that? Yeah, Skip could be the third CF, though he’s also a lefty.
Spring training should be for finding out what you have and like I said up above Tyler Greene is a stud athlete and could start in CF on an everyday basis if he needed to. Nothing wrong with Tyler playing out there.
I disagree again.
Greene hasn’t yet proven himself. I agree he is a good athlete, but the jury is out on whether or not he can handle being a reserve CF. He hasn’t even proven himself as a major league hitter.
Leaping to anointing him a starting-quality centerfielder on a contending team after having played there in one or two spring training games is a silly statement.
I like Tyler Greene….can you tell?
I was not saying that players should not be given experience st diff positions during ST,i didn’t communicate well in the first post but I’d hoped to get that caveat across. I was admittedly relying on a bloggers quote who def has an anti TLR slant, buy he interpreted the TLR quote to man that there was going to be a plain in CF. If that’s the case I would disagree with that strategy
but he interpreted a TLR quote to mean that he will platoon CF. Dang phone is hard to post from
They bond for three hits in a row………..and then Tony’s gesture bites him in the ass……it kills me.
I don’t think we’ll be seeing Yadi batting sixth much if at all during the season. At least we all hope not, except Yadi, maybe.
he does have some memorable clutch hits, but just not consistent enough. He’s like Albert with the DP’s, but not enough bat to make you forget about it. Leave him in the 7th spot.
Its not about Yadi Brian…….its about Tony………..he continues to “recognize” his players unreasonable needs, instead of asking them to play a role………..if he is coddling Molina at this point………will he ever ask him to get it done…..to run out his bad swings…to move AP in the order if necessary? I question that………..
agreed, posted it above, as well
Skip’s BA is up .200 pts vs. last spring. I’d say he’s healthier, by a mile and more accustomed to Mark’s changes.
Skip worked extensively with McGwire before Mac was even hired by the Cardinals. I hadn’t heard anyone attribute Skip’s problems last year to lack of familiarity with what the hitting coach wanted him to do. (Edit: After the fact, Brendan Ryan did talk about that in his case, though…)
That’s right, Skip and Matt employed Mark previous to him becoming the Cards hitting coach. I believe Matt was with him during 2 off seasons.
After an 0-for-3 today, Skip lost 72 of those 200 points of improvement. Way too soon for celebration or concern.
duly noted, lesson I learn repeatedly in Spring Training. lol
I’ve been busy with 6th graders all morning. I finally have a break.
It’s too early to make judgments about anyone but I like Matt Carpenter so far. He could be a better option at 3B than Punto. Which means TLR will play Punto.
you have to take into consideration that Punto offers defensive replacement at SS and 2B as well. Matt can’t do that, plus I would think the organization wants him to get consistent AB’s in Memphis, IMO.
Punto and Carpenter are very different players. Punto is a glove man who can play three positions and switch-hits, but doesn’t do much from either side of the plate. Carpenter is more one dimensional (LHH, 3B only) and frankly, probably shouldn’t make the team unless Freese is hurt. Carpenter is better starting in Memphis everyday than sitting on TLRs bench. Remember that he has yet to play one game at Triple-A.
In his favor is the assumption that Freese even if healthy can play only two of every three games. We aren’t seeing much of Craig at 3B this spring which means Vazquez or Descalso could hold down the reserve 3B fort until Punto is off the DL. Greene has also played a bit there previously, so TLR has options.
(As I was typing this, Carpenter had his 8th hit in 18 spring ABs.)
I seriously “doubt” that Craig has the confidence of Dave Duncan’s boys to be playing a 3rd Brian.
Tony and Dave must talk about that……….. M Carpenter just got another hit….kid wants to play.
and queue the ghost of Bobby Bonillia past. All kidding aside, I hope no one suffers an injury just get a spot for Carpenter, but that’s what it would take for him to make the team. But he’s earning more and more looks this spring with every hit and play at 3B.
The Cards have Carpenter, because he was 5th year college senior, with a year off owing to an injury. For some teams, he might have been too old. Not for the Birds!
Matt Carpenter is not a young guy like Shelby Miller. If Freese gets hurt again and Craig cannot field 3B, then say hello to Matt. While ideally, we wish he could get some experience at Memphis, if he is the best available, then he could bump up to ML starter.
Herk, not much I don’t agree with there, but Descalso and Greene offer more versatility. I’d bank on Matt starting in Memphis this April, unless Freese can’t go at all.
Carpenter is a pure 3Bman, has been playing there since high school.
Descalso played 3B in college, but the Cards have shifted him to 2B in terms of best position fit.
Carpenter has a shot to make the team over Descalso. Freese can play occasionally, so Tony can claim David is the starter. This lets Carpenter slip into a platoon role, good for a rookie.
The Cards already have a left swinger at 2B in Skip, so Descalso does not help at 2B. If Carpenter hits and fields better at 3B during spring training, he could move past Descalso.
Descalso and Carpenter seem in head to competition. There is no need for both to make the team. If Carpenter outhits and outfields Descalso at 3B, during spring training, the Cards should look hard at skipping Carpenter over AAA.
Just don’t forget the 40-man roster as the Cards are very tight. Especially in that environment, ties should go to the guys already on the roster. Another inhibitor for an NRI to overcome.
Augenstyn seems removable. Cleto maybe.
A year of AAA and being on the 40 man helps Descalso, in the event of a tie. Yet Carpenter could step up and just play better and then it would seem hard to send him down.
Matt Carpenter is a year older than Descalso. The kid should get another 3 months work under his belt at Memphis. Daddy Matt is ready now.
Herk, you need to learn to spell poor Augenstein’s name!
How many 40-man spots will be needed for NRI pitchers?
Why is Cleto on the 40 man? Is it because we got him in trade for BR? Does he have to stay there because the guy is an A ball pitcher taking up a roster spot.
Seattle had to protect Cleto so when the Cards acquired him, they either had to keep him on the roster or risk losing him via waivers. The same situation exists today. Baseball Prospectus ranks Cleto the #13 prospect in the Cardinals system, though we did not rank him in our top 40.
The problem with this train of thought…….is BD/Mo’s track record…….. they aren’t going to bury Punto’s 750.000$ by covering him with Matt Carpenter. It isn’t about baseball….. bringing MC up at an opportune time saves money…….. if Freese is healthy, they won’t keep MC up. If he is failing, the kid is there to cover against spending……….. If he is up, competing with Freese….they are losing value (appearance) with pure baseball at its heart……….not their style……
Punto’s salary at $750K is pretty trivial in the overall scheme of a $100M-plus payroll.
Last spring the team had a glaring need for a guy like Lopez. Mo waited and waited, and it seems if somebody had put up $1.5 we would have been scavaging deeper into the landfill. It was is if Mo was spending DeWit’s last dollar on the much needed depth guy.
We shouldnt look at it as a small part of the big payroll, but rather as a big part of what little is left after paying all the fat wallets. It could be even worse in the future.
Don’t get me wrong. I have said many times that the Cardinals needed a better Plan B for Freese than they had in either of the last two seasons.
The comment on the table was a supposed fear of replacing a $750K player with a $414.5K min salary player. That is the trivial difference I was commenting about.
Last time I added it up, using numbers at Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Cards payroll was just a hair under $107M. That assumed minimum ($400K) for a number of guys who are still under team control and a bonus for Laird. Since then, contracts have been signed for guys like Colby, Motte, etc… who got modest raises.
except when it was Tony that requested him……….. they will use that here.
I didn’t say it was about baseball….did I?
I said it was too early to make judgments. However, if Carpenter can play at the big league level, is there some rule that says he has to play at Memphis? What if Punto turns out to be a whole lot of old nothing, and Freese can’t play everyday? Seems to me if Carpenter can play better than Punto he should get the job. No one expected Jaime Garcia to be ready either.
Jaime was 1 of 3 people competing for an open position. Matt C’s situation is a little more complex. But, I agree, if he plays like this through out the rest of ST, they’ll have to give serious consideration to keeping him. But who do you demote? Descalso? He can play several positions. Unless, we go 11 pitchers deep, instead of 12, I can’t see him making the team. The only person slot he’d have a go at is David Freese.
Punto is out of the picture for a couple of months due to injury. If you believe Greene is one infield reserve, then Descalso, Vazquez and Carpenter are among the those competing for the other roster spot to open the season. Each has advantages and disadvantages, but Carpenter is going to need help.
(For the record, I was one of the few that DID expect Jaime to be ready last spring. In fact, last winter, I made him the system’s #1 prospect ahead of Shelby Miller! Of course, I also wanted them to send McClellan down to Memphis to start the season and be ready as the sixth starter. McClellan was a valuable reliever, but I can’t help but wonder how different 2010 might have been had Kyle been ready to step into the rotation when Lohse and Penny went down with would prove to be serious injuries on consecutive days in late May.)
Brian, I recall you reporting TLR and DD saying Garcia would begin the year at Memphis. This was before spring training began, and Jaime opened eyes. Since I take the pronouncements of the Cards with a grain of salt, I did not believe them and knew Garcia was a strong candidate.
(In fairness to you, you may personally have expected Garcia to be ready last spring; I do not know what you predicted, as opposed to what you reported from TLR.)
Herk, you are correct.
I do not know if you subscribe to The Cardinal Nation, but here is the link to our #1 Garcia ranking article from Jan. 15, 2010. Here is my final paragraph:
“Dave Duncan and Tony La Russa are cautious about throwing Garcia into the water too deeply as a starter coming off his late-season 2008 surgery. That is prudent, as the Cardinals will have a lot of options in camp. I am especially looking forward to seeing Garcia’s new cutter/slider in spring training. Given his talent, I expect him to rise to the top and make it impossible to keep him out of the rotation.”
Ok Brian you seem covered at TCN.
I recall you talking down Garcia here, which surprised me, until the source was TLR, who will publicly undersell any rookie, for the sensible reason of relieving them of expectations pressure.
P.S. For being new around these parts, you sure have a clear remembrance of the past. .;-)
One thing you both should be aware of………… What Tony and Dave say, is often at odds with there intentions. They are always trying to pressure BD/Mo into spending. Penny was signed, but he replaced only Joel. There were FAgents about……….. as it worked out, it would have helped to have that extra pitcher with Jamie coming up at injury time. Thats probably a winner if it had happened.
They should at least give Carpenter a better number, jeesh, 92 is a guy who shags batting practice balls.
I only got to listen to part of the bottom of the first. The meat did meaty things sandwiched between Colby’s K and Yadi’s GIDP. Colby has been trying to be a top of the order hitter like Tony wants, rather than the low pressure low visibility #7 guy that RC has always pushed for. Will be fun to see what happens.
If Greene quits making errors he might make the team. So it makes sence to expand his repertoire with some outfield work. Tony will want 12 pitchers and the ability to double switch at will.
Not only does Greene need to quit making errors, he needs to stop striking out all the time. I remember watching him last year, he looked terrible at the plate. I have never been high on Greene. The only thing I think he has going for him is his speed and that has never been one of TLR’s priorities.
I’m with you on this crdswmn… my nickname for Tyler Greene is ‘Hands of Stone.’ Not only is his defense sub-par, but he has a career MLB average of just .222… Not good for a guy who was picked in the first round in 2005, 2 or 3 slots behind Colby. This is his last year with options, so it’s make or break time for Tyler. Personally, I don’t think he’s going to make it, but hope that he proves me wrong.
You guys had better prepare for some fisticuffs with RC, who loves Greene so much he would have no problem with him as the regular starter in CF. Hmmm…. Maybe that “isn’t about baseball.”
Tyler needs a change of scenery. He will have trouble in St. Louis for the same reasons some other youngsters have a hard time. He’s probably a 6.4 sixty guy so he can run, has a 90 mph arm so he can throw, he can hit as well, but he has a hard time playing for Tony imo. And its not cause Tony is doing anything wrong. It just is what it is. Limitless potential that needs to be somewhere else to find that potential. Just my take, the same as with Brendan.
RC………..Colby takes a major hack at a strike 2 curve ball……with two outs……2 on………
and then looks at the curve for strike 3……………???? what is wrong with this picture? He is looking for “A” pitch……to drive?????????? Sox play to win……bring in a match up pitcher…and Colby doesn’t counter……with a realistic tactic/expectation … whats that about?
WC, Its hard to get the long ball out of your system. What can I tell you…….Best not to watch if it bothers you. Its spring training and my guess is he is trying a bunch of different stuff to find a place where he can be better at making contact than he was last year. But like I’ve stated many times, I don’t talk with him about baseball……..any. If and when he gets to a point where he is struggling so much he needs my help I will go help him……but until that point comes I steer clear of all cardinals baseball related talk or activities…….with him. He knows that we can work together and he will immediately hit but thats not the preferred means of hitting in St. Louis.
Matt C. up with the bases juiced
Virtue, patience, RBI Walk
Tony makes a statement I guess…….strand 6……..you don’t get a chance for redemption.. Yadi either………. but its just spring training…right? 8-0
I went for a hike……….came back to a little disappointment……….. Tony wanted to find out about one of his young pitchers it would appear.
I for one am enjoying our new posters…….Kansas and TBall………. I’m enjoying your straight forward styles…………. showing few “personal needs”………. please no gambling with the information presented here. It would be foolish to assume that I’m right 100% of the time….. I can assure its no more that 93.6%, so be cautious …………… nope, I was right about that….so its up to 93.7% as of right now ………… oops……93.8%………….
Here’s the video of the girl throwing batting practice. First time ever in the bigs. Not bad. Throws good too.
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/02/21/sports/baseball/100000000653809/siegal.html?ref=baseball
Neat, simple enough topic, very informative. Yet, it helped give birth to an array of quality discussions. 90+ replies, good stuff.