I would like to call attention to my weekly column at FOXSportsMidwest.com, called “Down on the Farm,” which appears each Thursday. The focus should be clear by the title in that I call attention to noteworthy news and performances across the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system.
This week’s main subject is Springfield outfielder Alex Castellanos (pictured), The Cardinal Nation Player of the Month for April. Also receiving ink are Castellanos’ teammate and the Cardinals organization’s monthly top player, shortstop Ryan Jackson as well as both groups’ selection as the April Pitcher of the Month, Quad Cities’ Jordan Swagerty.
Other players called out for being hot include Memphis pitcher Adam Ottavino, Springfield outfielder Tommy Pham, Palm Beach third baseman/outfielder Alan Ahmady and Quad Cities hurler Anthony Ferrara.
To access selected previous columns, click on “Writers” at the top right of the FOXSportsMidwest.com Cardinals page, and then my name on the drop down.
In case you missed our original articles on Castellanos and Swagerty from earlier this week, click on their highlighted names.
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Is everyone on the comments section of the prior story? Just got an update from game trax and Berkman hit a three shot homer. I hate to use the term “hero” when sports are involved (imo should be reserved for our armed forces and those doing selfless acts) but couldn’t help but think about WC pinning that term on big puma today
He beat the “flip move” by the Marlins today Kbm. Yesterday with Colby behind him, it was a good double edged strategy by them. Tony broke it up moving Colby back to the 2 spot………and he made Tony look better today for doing it.
Albert has made his second meaningful adjustment………. swinging his hand outward and developing the bat head a little earlier…….. he looked awkward……..but hey, he could reach a few balls………..the real positive was the response around him. They aren’t challenging Holiday…..he has to work for those hits………the guy could actually hit 400 the way he’s scrambling with the away stuff……. its very predictable……..and if he is willing to just play small ball, its likely to be that way all season long…..
Berkman is feeding in this environment………. I believe he is comfortable now with his situation……
he will likely be able to command 2/22 of 3/30 by September………. if he stays healthy……one more move in the AP cat and mouse game……….regardless of how AP is hitting at that time………… BD is lucky in these things.
Berkman gets more than that if he stays anywhere near where he is now (let´s say he finishes .320 30 HR 100 RBI)
Berkman has lots of money…………he might like St Louis………he already knows what the real world is like now………… he has received a gift here…….he likely knows it. He has played for this very situation. 1st base and getting a contract that will send AP down the road……smart guy. And of course this was talked about in Feb.
Interesting read about Berkman on ESPN, even if it doesn’t particularly cover new ground: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=6479800
Thanks Nut…………
Oil plunged nearly 9 percent to settle below $100 per barrel. Mounting concerns about the U.S. economy triggered the biggest one-day percentage decline in more than two years.
Thursday’s decline of $9.44 per barrel, or 8.6 percent, brings the week’s loss for oil to $14.13, or 12.4 percent.
This is misdirection……….. The Saud’s don’t like some of the wild card action from BO. All the players are standing down.
Reading this I realize some might not understand whats happening……………
If you had speculated in oil futures when WC said…….you good be writing in the afternoon like he is……
Saud’s………… the reason the Osama story is coming out in small pieces is simple, they are covering a number of US allies hind-ends…………………. Bin Laden was living without explosives….without muscle and fanatic bodyguards. He was just hanging out at home, a place he understood was safe………. a place he went to after the Tora Bora escape…………aided by you know who. Deal with it. It was a simple assassination…….. and rudely done.
You read about the semi-destroyed black chopper they left behind. Previously unknown to exist. Sounds like we laid some secret tech sh!t on his as$. The Paks didn’t get there in time to secure it, kids are running around with chunks of sci fi tech stuff.
Administering justice to Osama bin Laden was a welcome accomplishment, helping justify Mr. Obama’s Nobel laureate in Peace.
Albert is comng on. He now needs 146 hits in 464 ABs, a .317 clip. (The assumption is 587 ABs like last year).
For Lance to hit .300, assuming 404 ABs, like last year, he needs 82 more hits in 302 more ABs, a .271 clip. Of course, if he gets more ABs than last year, which seems likely so far, he would need to hit a bit better that .271 from here on to keep the season avg. at .300.
Matt is more complicated since he missed some time. Assume he gets another 464 ABs, same as Albert. That would give him 560 ABs for the season. To hit .300 he’d need 168 hits in 560 AB and he has 40 hits in 96, so he needs 128 hits in 464 AB, a .276 clip.
Berkman is a great story for the Cards. When was the last time we signed a free agent in the off season and felt like we got our money’s worth? That does not happen a lot, because free agent vets are expensive. Even though Berkman landed a lot of money, $8MM, he is turning out to be a bargain.
Berkman is exactly what the Cards needed. 9 of his dingers have been when swinging as a lefty. Berkman replaces Jim Edmonds by giving the Cards a powerful left swinger, to balance Pujols and Holliday from the right.
When we added Larry Walker in 2004 and 2005, Walker was older and had a bulging disk in his neck that required cortisone shots. He was hurting and should have retired. Berkman, however, has rehabbed his knee and has rebounded physically, after a couple of down seasons.
Because TLR appreciates great players, the Cards took a flyer on Berkman and Lance is enjoying a spectacular comeback.
Imagine how grim things would be this season without Berkman. Everyone would be fretting about Pujols’ slow start. Now Albert does not matter, given a fantastic start by Berkman.
Berkman also deserves some of the credit for Matt’s production. Matt can’t be pitched around with mighty and fit Lance on deck. Hope he holds up.
Correction: Berkman hit his 10th HR yesterday off a lefty. Since Lance has long been less effective swinging righty, its very encouraging he also clobbers some from the right side.
Regarding Alex Castellanos in the column above: he shows the Cards are open-minded to recruit players from anywhere. He played at a small religious college in North Carolina that had not had a player drafted in 40 years.
If Castellanos could have remained at 2B, he would be an interesting prospect. Shifted to a high slugging position like corner OF, he seems a bit undersized. Nonetheless its nice Castellanos has had a strong beginning at AA.
I’ve got money on Uncle Mo at 9-2 in tomorrow’s race.
Uncle Mo scratched. Hmmm . . . . . .
Back to the above question of re-signing Berkman. If it comes down to we re-sign Berkman if we can´t re-sign Albert, how long is Berkman going to wait. The Cards are either going to have to make a decision to sign people for next year regardless of what happens with Albert or they are most likely going to be at high risk to come up with an empty team for next year. The first option could get real expensive if they do sign Albert. The second option gives Albert too much leverage.
Other than Albert, Berkman and Carp, who else do they have to make decisions on? Big money I mean. Or are you talking about open market FAs?
Berkman has nothing to do with AP…………..they will sign Berkman before October………or not at all….
It is a simple play…………..but it won’t happen until then……. Berkman has to last…..he is feeding off a failing AP………if….Albert regains form…..and thats 2006 ….not 2010……. many thing may become apparent……….BD didn’t go this route without a “big picture” itinerary…….. Both Holiday and Berkman are ride the warm air currents coming of the AP funeral pyre………..
Nice imagery. Maybe Albert will rise from the ashes like the phoenix. Starting tonight.
I agree with the time line on Berkman.
I’ll confide in you BB………this is some hard talk coming up……..
The evolving AP has not proven that he can play with other people. He can/and does ” Big Man on campus”……..”solo super hero playing with mere mortals”……….king of the hill…..routine better than anyone….. it should be apparent to everyone reading here, that there is a relationship between him accessing his usual role, or whether someone else is joy riding in the Batmobile………….. the biggest impediment to him regaining form is quite frankly, Holiday/Berkman kicking ass and wearing tights.
This in not a fixed impediment……….those guys aren’t suckers…..they are yucking it up and slapping allot of backs……… Albert slapped a couple of lame singles yesterday……..he has a long way to go because every scout in baseball is on his case…….and its an easy case to be on………
Where does it end? Do you think any hitting coach around wants to deal with Albert’s issues? Many guys probably see solutions……. but I’m sure wince at the though of all the other issues that obviously keep him from making the simplest adjustments……..other teams are treating him like a pigeon……… and a stupid pigeon at that………… is it possible the MLB is colluding in a damage control mode?………. not about profit motives…….but just attempting to keep one of their major attractions from tanking…… look at what Tiger Woods cost the PGA……………
AP came into this year in top shape……he had been drilling like never before……… he was basing his whole worth on his unique and singular approach to playing……….. it doesn’t work…and thats the problem……… he has mixed the desire to succeed on a religious posture, Robin Hooding BD’s money to the poor at home, emissary of God to the Moral Game of baseball………..way to many complications for a boys game………….. he isn’t just going to get well……if he did, the tactics would just change, just as they did in the 3rd week of AUG last year. His only way out….is to give up. Its not going to be the way you want it to be. Play for your teammates…..play for the joy……everything else will work out. BD/Tony/Lozano are all just parasites…….slap them away. Talk to Berkman and Holiday……ask them how they think things might work better…….and just do it………..
The biggest single threat to BD’s plan has always been, a sincere, humble request……done publicly. The league isn’t dying to gamble in this……..period………and maybe thats the worst thing of all in someones eyes……….another fallen hero.
BB…….it looks like Dan borrowed your idea for his editorial in todays Viva el birdos blog. Nice angle.
With Albert off to such a bad start, obviously the more ABs he has from here on out the less above .300 he has to hit from here on out to bring the average up to .300 for the season.
Dan chooses to assume 623 ABs for the season, even though Albert has never had more than 592 in a season in his whole career.
It is possible Albert will end up with more ABs this year due to fewer IBBs, so I’m not saying 623 is out of the question, but I will stick with my assumption of 587.
They all read here BB…..looking for angles…..
As to the rest, I follow you, Westy. Am I right in assuming you think if Albert signs a respectable but not monsterous contract now, we win the division by 15 games.
I don’t know about that…………like Forrest Gump said when he found out he was filthy rich,,”its just one less thing to worry about”.
1. Theriot ss
2. Rasmus cf
3. Pujols 1b
4. Holliday lf
5. Craig rf
6. Molina c
7. Punto 3b
8. Greene 2b
9. Garcia p
Berkman / Descalso rest…………………….right……………..Wolf………………smart move, I hope.
I agree they have o sign Berkman in October or not at all. That was my point, they have to make an early decision. that it has nothing to do with AP I’m not buying. I’m sure Mo will also say that (which is another reason not to believe it
) It has tons to do with AP.
For anybody not watching, Albert got a wide one called a strike. didn’t react at the time. Then he half ass swung, off balance reaching for it, dribbled it up the middle for an easy DP. Thought I heard a boo or two. He goes into the dugout heads for the other end with the tunnel, shouts something at the home plate umpire and disappears down the tunnel, missing Matts RBI double. The umpire took a couple steps over, and the camera showed Tony shrugging his shoulders. Drama. Let’s see what happens.
This is a dangerous game…………Brewers are flat as Dog S…………. if we just skate, and they come back, just like last year………if you show them they’re good…..they play good.
Colby pressed back and dropped his hands……..look what happens……..
Colby hands him an rbi……and he almost can’t take it. Center fielder took 2 extra steps…..gave us the run.
Jamie is feeding…………….. these guys are in a funk………put it to them……..
They’re announcers are trying to drum up an audience for their home stand………they said….sure are allot of seats empty here in St. Louis……..
The FSM camera/truck guys do a good job not showing the empties.
Can you believe it….twice in a week the load the bases by pitching around Colby……
Albert knew it too………..stayed quite and took the single……that is rejoining the team………..
That was a good sequence………..just give up and play…………. I really believe its was the embarrassment element that was so influential. Their dugout lifting a leg on you………..
Canine urinating metaphors FTW