Reliever Eduardo Sanchez has captured the fancy of St. Louis Cardinals fans since his promotion from Triple-A Memphis last Wednesday. It is for good reason, as the Venezuelan native fanned eight of his first 11 batters faced over his first two outings as a major leaguer.
With the corresponding high-visibility failings of closer Ryan Franklin, the 22-year-old has the support of some to be given a shot at the ninth inning for St. Louis despite his inexperience. Sanchez is our fourth-ranked prospect in the Cardinals system.
In our poll here at The Cardinal Nation Blog, Sanchez has garnered 21% percent of the fan vote for closer, in third place after leader Mitchell Boggs (29%). The second highest number of votes have been cast for a committee approach (27%), of which Sanchez would presumably be a part.
Only 11 pitchers collected a save in any of their first three games pitching in relief for St. Louis since at least 1950. Sanchez still could join them and make it a round dozen, if given a chance on Tuesday night as the Cardinals entertain Washington.
Across MLB, the save-in-the-first-three-relief-games club is much larger, numbering 177 hurlers in the last 50 years alone.
No matter what happens going forward – even if Sanchez is given an opportunity for a save on Tuesday night and converts – he cannot match the start of John Urrea’s Cardinals career in 1977.
Since at least 1950, only one Cardinal earned a save in each of his first three relief appearances, none other than Californian John Goody Urrea.
Like Sanchez, Urrea was just 22 years of age at the time of his MLB debut. The organization’s first-round draft pick in 1974, 14th overall, leapt over Triple-A to join the 1977 Cardinals out of spring training. Though a starter in the minors, Urrea was called upon to break in by pitching out of the bullpen.
The right-hander collected saves in his first three games – on April 10, 14 and 17. Over the next three months, the rookie made 25 more appearances in relief, collecting another save and three wins, but also his first three blown saves and a trio of losses as well.
In late July, manager Vern Rapp moved Urrea into the rotation, where he made a dozen starts before another relief outing on the season’s final day. The Cardinals went 8-4 in his starts.
Urrea was one of seven Cardinals with saves in 1977. His four saves tied for third on the club with Al Hrabosky, the team leader with ten. It was The Mad Hungarian’s final season with St. Louis as the battle with management over his Fu Manchu reached the boiling point.
Over the 1978-80 seasons, Urrea split his time between being a starter in Triple-A and a swing man with St. Louis, moving more and more toward relief.
In the 1980-81 off-season, along with Terry Kennedy and others, Urrea was part of a ten-player trade with San Diego which netted the Cardinals Gene Tenace and future Hall of Fame reliever Rollie Fingers. The latter was quickly spun off to Milwaukee by the new sheriff in town, Whitey Herzog.
After spending 1981 in the Padres’ bullpen, Urrea was released at the end of 1982 spring training. That ended his time in organized ball as he finished with nine career saves, a record of 17-18 and an ERA of 3.74 in 139 games, 101 with St. Louis.
Researcher Tom Orf pulled for me the 11 Cardinals pitchers since 1950 to collect at least one save in their first three relief appearances. The most recent and the only Cardinal since Urrea to accomplish it was Brad Thompson in his 2005 debut. It was the only save of Thompson’s six-year major league career.
Ex-Reds star Wayne Granger, originally a Cardinals farmhand, would go on to collect the most lifetime saves of the group with 108. The other ten would total just 55 over their respective careers.
St. Louis Cardinals relievers, save in any of first three career games, 1950-current
| Gm | Date | Player | IP | Inning | Opponent | Career Saves |
| 1 | 5/8/2005 | Brad Thompson | 3 | 7-9,S | SD | 1 |
| 3 | 4/17/1977 | John Urrea | 2.2 | 7-9,S | Pit | 9 |
| 2 | 4/14/1977 | John Urrea | 2.1 | 7-9,S | NYM | |
| 1 | 4/10/1977 | John Urrea | 0.1 | 9-9,S | Pit | |
| 1 | 6/5/1968 | Wayne Granger | 1 | 9-9,S | Hou | 108 |
| 2 | 4/19/1968 | Hal Gilson | 3.1 | 6-9,S | ChC | 2 |
| 2 | 9/13/1966 | Dick Hughes | 1 | 9-9,S | Cin | 8 |
| 2 | 6/20/1965 | Don Dennis | 0.2 | 9-9,S | Mil | 8 |
| 3 | 4/20/1958 | Phil Clark | 3 | 7-9,S | ChC | 1 |
| 1 | 8/3/1957 | Billy Muffett | 4 | 6-9,S | Phi | 15 |
| 3 | 4/20/1955 | Herb Moford | 1.1 | 8-9,S | Cin | 3 |
| 1 | 8/3/1951 | Dick Bokelman | 1.2 | 8-9,S | NYG | 3 |
| 2 | 5/6/1951 | Joe Presko | 2 | 8-9,S | Bro | 5 |
We will see on Tuesday night if Sanchez joins this “elite” group, or over time can perhaps surpass them all, including John Urrea.
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There is more to the recent moves than meets the eye…………Punto says no need to rehab anyway …..They pull in a bench bat with an ego to maybe take an occasional day at 1st. No need to politic Punto in…….he has to get it on. I’m curious to see if Theriot ends up playing a little 2nd…………….. look for it.
There are 40-man roster problems. Punto has at least been playing in Extended Spring Training games. That obviously isn’t MLB, but it is something. Hamilton can pinch hit, but here is hoping he is not used in the outfield.
I don’t see Punto with an everyday spot in this lineup. That would really mess up the balance, IMO. Theriot stays at SS (yes, even with his 4 errors). Punto is used as a defensive replacement late in games, then and only then would Theriot make a move to 2B.
Tyler could see time in RF or Lance will start swinging from the other side of the plate. Losing Craig is a bigger issue. As Brian stated above, “There are 40-man roster problems”. We are THIN with RH hitters on the bench and 40man roster. In Nascar Racing, they say “cautions breed cautions”. Well, overusing Berkman, may breed more injuries
If Samuel is still on the DL and if Reifer’s injury will/has land(ed) on the DL, I think we are down to 33/34 active players on the 40 man?
We needed to avoid an injury bug. say what you want to about Skip and Craig, but they are vital to team, let’s hope they come back quick and healthy.
Bold predictions T8. I like your attitude………..lets watch. Punto decides his fate. If he hits and plays his roll…………….. he will change things. Skip was beginning to trend toward a “familiar” place for him.
Others were recognizing it. Theriot’s errors are mounting……..his conditional/situational hitting woes are manifesting. If Punto finds “doing the right thing” at plate popular…………so shall he become.
I could be way off on Reifer, though, I thought he was injured as well recently. Hmmph, oh well, still thin on the 40 man
Yes, Reifer suffered a knee injury on a bunt play on Sunday. No DL move yet. He would drop it down to 34 healthy on the 40-man. (Roster matrix here has not yet been updated until Skip/Craig moves are official.)
wouldn’t that make it 33 with Kopp on the DL?
With Cox and Cleto in PMB, they aren’t anywhere near St. Louis in their progression, so we are looking at a 31/32 active roster.
Correct.
Reifer out for the season. Will have knee surgery. Probably headed to the 60day DL to make room on the 40man roster.
Too bad Matt Carpenter is hitting .184 at Memphis.
Carpenter will bounce back, but it is yet another good reminder not to get too high or too low over spring performances. Just two years ago, Khalil Greene hit .408 with 17 RBI in Florida and was the opening day cleanup hitter.
Tough on a kid when he gets that close to making the Big League club only to be sent back to the minors. It may take him some time to pick his self back up.
Lineup: Theriot SS, Rasmus CF, Pujols 1B, Holliday LF, Berkman RF, Freese 3B, Molina C, Greene 2B, Westbrook P
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_9f18443e-6ad3-11e0-8a92-001a4bcf6878.html
This announcement is the precursor to a closer by committee concept that was forward by our group and the further amplified by BM in recent days……………… someone will arise……even Frankie may reestablish…….(unlikely)
I figure that Boggs will take and run with the job, but I guess we’ll have to see.
I’m perfectly okay with a Descalso/Greene platoon at 2B in place of Skip and with Punto as a defensive sub. I’m okay with Hamilton’s bat replacing Craig, though his defensive liabilities are obviously an issue. I’m sure that the team won’t suffer in the short run.
Hamilton won’t play the outfield Nut…………..Punto is being statistically prejudiced by most that don’t know him………Theriot has be very bold……because he knows somethings is coming…. Skip was given a break doing a 15day……because someone else wants to preserve the integrity (his self perceived value) during this process…………. if Punto jells……….the winning will decide.
Lananm is the finesse lefty the always gets to the team………. if he deals with Colby and then Albert……pitch around Holiday and takes on Berkman right handed………… that leaves Molina and Green with Theriot the unknown………. Westbrooke is going to give up 4 if he pitches well……… how we going to win?
“I think the thing to do is watch the game and see who comes out there,” La Russa said.”
I hope he’s talking about us, not him.
Interesting that its an “Associated Press” article. Nobody wanted it I guess.
Heh heh. You never know, bb. La Russa might keep himself guessing too.
Likely no one was given it BB………….
If Duncan is picking, I’m okay with that.
I’m not okay with Hamilton being the replacement. Don’t get me wrong, I like Hamilton, but we have no RH power bat at the moment off the bench. Ironically, we have no RH power bat to take Craig’s place, so, I’ll fade away……..
We don’t need power T8……..we need a singles hitter…….Tony has a surplus of what he needs. He wants an attitude……and Hamilton fits the bill…………. Don’t underestimate Tony’s intension here… Pujols is in trouble…….he may have to let the team breathe without insulting him………Hamilton works.
Intention.
Intension is analogous to the signified, extension to the referent. The intension thus links the signifier to the sign’s extension. Without intension of some sort, words can have no meaning.
In philosophical arguments about dualism versus monism, it is noted that thoughts have intensionality and physical objects do not (S.E. Palmer, 1999), but rather have extension in space.
Intension and intensionality (the state of having intension) should not be confused with intention and intentionality, which are pronounced the same and occasionally arise in the same philosophical context. Where this happens, the letter s or t is sometimes italicized to emphasize the distinction.
TLR only has intentions, not intensions. He told me so. I have to go with Tony on this one.
there wasn’t an intention, Hamilton was the only option, IMO.
unless you move someone off the 40man and call Stavinoha up. I shudder at the thought.
Kind of wish they would myself t8……….. we had Molina on second the other day in the 9th for the win. It screamed “pinch runner”. ……………if Tony had a better emergency catcher, he probably starts making moves there…………moves that would have been beneficial. Stava might do well in this “new chemistry”. He isn’t any worse outfielder than Lance……….. I like his bat control off the bench.
Also………they could designate Skip for assignment……..no one is going to touch that for 2 million +… he clears……then bring him back when he’s ready. hardball…………
Uncle Walt would jump at it Westy.
We could only be so lucky. Maybe no one would claim him at $2 million + but he’d be a FA and we’d have to pay him either way. Someone would take a flyer at the minimum and he’d go there rather than to a team that just cut him. Westie’s fantasies got a little ahead of reality there.
Weather delay. The woosification of baseball. Might as well be in a dome with the sissies.
Speaking of rookie closers, in 1985 after Jeff Lahti went down with a career ending shoulder problem, Herzog turned to Todd Worrell, as closer, a rookie up from AAA.
Like Urrea, Worrell was a first round pick, in his case in 1982. Unlike Urrea, Worrell enjoyed a long ML career. One of the better pitchers to come out of the baseball program at the Bible University of Los Angeles.
Brewers are taking down Haladay……….hate to see it.
Weather’s done, lets roll.
No game tonight. Two on Wednesday, 1:15 and 7:15.
I wonder which is the Stan bobblehead game. Thinking I’ll snag one and glue it to my dashboard.
Any ideas who takes Reifer’s spot when he goes on the 60 day?
The Stan bobblehead game is agaInst the Reds on Sunday. I will be at that game.
Beware the dynamic pricing
The tickets are already paid for.
Brian: Urrea was drafted in the first round of the January (secondary) draft in Jan 1974. Urrea was not the Cards top pick in the main (June) draft, that year being Garry Templeton.
1:15 lineup is same as last night except Laird instead of Molina.