As those brave (and now tired) St. Louis Cardinals fans saw first-hand Wednesday night, 22-year-old reliever Eduardo Sanchez made his major league debut for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Just called up from Triple-A Memphis earlier in the day, the hard-throwing native of Venezuela arrived with a flourish, collecting five strikeouts over the final two innings of the Cardinals’ 15-5 victory.
Sanchez is the fourth-ranked prospect in The Cardinal Nation’s consolidated top 40 prospect list. Over his six minor league seasons, he has struck out 9.9 batters per nine innings pitched.
I asked researcher Tom Orf to comb the history logs to determine how many Cardinals relievers announced their arrival in the majors with five or more strikeouts in their first game.
Sanchez is the eighth reliever since 1920 and the first in the last 13 years. He is the sixth to do so while not allowing any runs and the first ever to fan at least five in less than three innings. Mort Cooper punched out five in his three-inning 1938 introduction, the previous shortest 5+ strikeout relief debut.
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitchers with 5+ strikeouts in MLB debut (1920-current)
| Pitcher | Date | W | L | GF | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | HBP | WP | BK |
| Eduardo Sanchez | 4/13/2011 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Manny Aybar | 5/31/1998 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Martin | 8/27/1980 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1.29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshall Bridges | 6/17/1959 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1.69 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tom Cheney | 4/21/1957 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnny Beazley | 4/14/1942 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ernie White | 5/9/1940 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7.1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mort Cooper | 10/2/1938 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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Sanchez was impressive. New blood in the bullpen is good.
I am going to a Royals game on Sunday with a friend. I haven’t been to Kauffman Stadium in over twenty years. The Royals are playing the Mariners so I will get to watch Brendan play if he starts that day.
Many of the folks in my office and thier families go to KC for games (it’s only two hours to the north). Apparently, the Royals have really put a lot into the “game day” atmosphere, there are lots for kiddos to do and they try to make players accessible to the fans.
Sanchez could hardly have done better, even though the hapless Diamondbacks may have by that time been thinking about their social activities after the game to celebrate the departure of Lance Berkman, who showed them little mercy.
The positive is the Cards have done something they seldom have done in the past, which is sign a young amateur player in Latin American and successfully cultivate him to the majors. Sanchez may be their first amateur signee from Venezuela, though I am not sure about this.
Manny Aybar did not become an impact pitcher, but IIRC was a swingman. Aybar was a slender pitcher, like Sanchez. Sanchez may do better than Aybar, if he remains focused as a reliever, with limited innings. Sanchez is not a big guy, who can eat a lot of innings. But for one or two, he can punch out Diamondbacks.
The arrival of Sanchez is a significant milestone, worthy of mention.
He was likely a low cost bonus signing. Just one skinny young kid among so many others.
Consider in 2005, the Birds signed SS Solano out of Colombia. Solano is not a tool box, but has risen to AAA. Sanchez would be another non-bonus-baby, but has emerged as a talented reliever.
So the Cards can now be said to have established pipelines from Latin America to the majors. This is what DeWitt wanted.
Plenty more players are lower in the pipeline and can follow during the years ahead.
SS Ryan Theriot
CF Colby Rasmus
1B Albert Pujols
LF Matt Holliday
RF Lance Berkman
2B Skip Schumaker
C Yadier Molina
3B Daniel Descalso
P Jaime Garcia
Colby is hard to figure. Looked strong in the field last night, now, he charges strong comes up throwing, and makes a throw a guy with a couple broken fingers would be embarrased about.
ha ha. worm burner. his throwing is an enigma.
There is no joy in his ball flight RC……………….. he avoids the large muscle groups in the back……….
his desire to make a play always creates release problems……too much wrist……… they will make him play up close until he deals with it………….. it is such an easy fix………there must be mitigating circumstances…………..
Garcia was just plain lucky tonight……..he’s caught in between some mechanical corrections. No control. Today was a gift………. that could still be a problem. Franklin was Franklin….. It would be better for him to be pitching in a setup role 4 or 5 times a week……… he will choke if given a chance.
He is racked with self doubt…………
The Dodgers were terrible…….lets hope it lasts for 3 more days……….. Pujols is in deep doo doo. He is struggling mightily……….. He caught a very ill advised pitch from Koroda…….who sucked quite frankly….Yadi is in Alberts wake……sulking and empathizing with AP…he is the true indicator of Albert’s state of mind…………………… If Holiday, Berkman and Colby keep feeding///////AP may never come out of this………. his is another easy fix…… ..see a pitch/hit a G– Da– a pitch.
The Cards have plenty of joy. The joyless crew are here at the Cardinal Nation blog where there are folks who like to suck on lemons and think joyless thoughts.
Not Jaime’s best stuff, but a win nonetheless. Cards bats are hot, I hope they stay that way.
Berkman continues to roll. Theriot’s on base percentage approaches .400. Pujols and Molina are perking up. The offense is in good shape.
Franklin surrendered a homer. In due course, the Birds may need to transition towards a different closer, to strengthen this year’s squad.
Berkman leads the team in HR, RBI and Runs. Colby leads the team in batt avg. at .377. If the other guys start firing on all cylinders we might have something here.
http://www.csnne.com/04/15/11/Breaking-news-Red-Sox-Gonzalez-agree-to-/landing_redsox.html?blockID=504506&feedID=3352
Interesting overview. This fixes the market……….and….. he is fully trade-able…………those are huge precedents in the larger picture which will effect AP one way or another. The “no flipping to the Yanks” is very provocative…………….would they really worry about that? No way………that is just market politics, suggesting “fluidity” and “an equal footing” for all teams……..preposterous……. that clause alone suggests they are defending against losing control of a “something”……………
A seven year deal for a 28 year old is a reasonable proposition is it not? In keeping with todays reality, having learned from the error of loading up payroll bucks on the downslope.
The Bosox will pay big bucks through the age 35 season is the message. I wouldn’t be surprised to see other teams fall into line on that.
The message could also be that happiness with a lot of money is a better than unhappiness but getting every last penny and feeding your (and your agent’s ego).
I didn’t realize Boston was Gonzo’s dream job. I’d have stayed in SD for less money if I was in it for happiness. My guess is it was all he was going to get anywhere.
“those are huge precedents in the larger picture which will effect AP one way or another.”
Don’t forget to protect the jewels while you straddle.
I forgot you were even here Brazilian………….. Why don’t you explain to everyone the nature of of the
2 teams “specific” no trade………..and why a the “no flip” is intended to keep a “third party” from violating that agreement……………… sounds like they have something in mind……. is AG just trying to prevent a “possible scenario”………….that he sees and does not like….teams he really hates..that would pay him 22 million a year?…..or is it Boston that whats to be sure that agreements that are already in place………can’t be disturbed? Write something on it……….. the popping off, as to suggest that you represent some mysterious intellectual forum here is tiring for me. Lets get this out in the open.
And since you quote me here…………go ahead and explain “how” this could possibly have no effect on AP’s free agency……………. I’m curious. Do you have more than one liners?
And as to your suggestive comment……………….. no I would not be interested in straddling you……but I must admit…..it has crossed my mind.
“And since you quote me here…………go ahead and explain “how” this could possibly have no effect on AP’s free agency……………. ”
Of course it does – one way or the other. That’s why simply stating it with nothing further is simply an exercise in trying to emphasize your own importance.
As for the rest, I guess I could make a bunch of vague, useless statements or just ask a bunch of silly, unanswerable questions if it would make you feel at home.
The straddling comment I’ll refrain from commenting on out of respect for the other poster here (unless of course someone elevates (or should I say lowers) the discourse even further.
Unanswerable to you Brazilian. And that is the point here. I could bury you here is a moments time. But that defines where “here” is. We have many readers here with knowledge and memory, of our MLB conversations……………. you are like some pornographic troll, ejaculating your “show me” nonsense………. you are trying to win some esteem for yourself by holding yourself in a dialog that you really have no business in. I have beaten you down. I have embarrassed you…….. you name it. You have a personal problem………I can’t help you with it………… if you what…….we can play wild west together……… Brian, a assumed that you had dealt with this issue……….. “my own importance” man…talk about Freudian slips………….. Where is “here” Brian? You know what my aspirations are here…..and I will remind you of there success at this point………..whats it going to be?
Yes, I am so embarrassed kkkkk Maybe I should get mad and threaten to start my own site….or get all huffy and disappear for a few weeks….or tell the site administrator how important I am to the site’s success and how he should run it…. Oops that would make me someone else wouldn’t it
CC- you nailed right it right on.Perfect description of the Western windbag.
WC, maybe ignoring those who get off on baiting you would be a wise move. I find if you don’t respond, they give up because they don’t no longer receive the thrill of getting a rise out of you.
Just a suggestion.
You call it baiting. I call it clarifying for those who aren’t necessarily wise yet to Westie’s rhetoric.
Westie can have opinions that are, to me, odd. Sometimes they are offensive and unacceptable as when he once seemed to call Pujols a cancer.
However, I also generally do not even try to read his words. Who would want to?
So I have a live and let live tolerant feeling about the Westcoaster.
Also I appreciate his enlightened outlook about the mindless jihad against players using muscle helpers.
Picking on or baiting our Westie the music man is not a noble sport.
I see, so you are more discerning than the rest of us. I guess humility is not one of your character traits.
Thanks for er…”clarifying” …..things for me CC.
Hmmm….. who said I was talking about you? Guilty conscious? (Westie would call it projecting)
And stop baiting me!
Wuh? :0
Should have had a smiley face above.
Best play of the night was AP moving Colby over by grounding out to the right side in his last at bat.
2nd best play was watching Colby adjust his swing plane by sliding his hands pre-swing…….look at what happens.
3rd was Tony/Dave hopping on Lohse’s behind when he started to puss out after the 5th…..having him bat in the eighth was bold. He responded. Stopped bailing on the change up and the slider after 6th.
Dodgers were sucking……….. they will be hard on KMac………hope we can cushion him……..can’t be overly aggressive with Kershaw………he’s a little wild and crazy……….I’m not looking for skip at 2nd. Tony has to see if he has a RH bat against Kershaw…………….