On Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals had yet another camp day in which their top two and lower two rosters opposed each other while the Marlins and Mets faced off elsewhere. In addition, in large part due to Wednesday’s cancellations due to wet grounds, three was even more action than usual. A third game plus a simulated game on the fourth diamond of the quad were added. There, pitchers threw to batters in the cage but no fielding or baserunning occurred.
Memphis and two of the three Quad Cities teams went home winners on the day. I was at the games and posted more information and thoughts on the main site for subscribers.
Thursday’s Player of the Day: Centerfielder Tommy Pham had a great day with the bat, with a single, double and home run, but the excitement was tempered somewhat when he was shaken up making a catch in the field in the final inning.
Thursday’s Pitcher of the Day: Memphis’ Scott Gorgen, coming off 2011 Tommy John surgery, was dominant over his three shutout innings. Once a staple in our top prospect list, Gorgen looked sharp in what I think is his second official spring outing.
St. Louis outfielder Allen Craig receives an honorable mention. The rehabber hit a home run, singled and walked twice in five at-bats for Memphis. He did not fare nearly as well with Springfield, however. For them, he fanned three times as he led off in the home and away parts of the first five frames. Gorgen retired him three times. (I posted a photo of Craig’s home run swing on TheCardinalNation.com that all can see.)
As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game stats with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw numbers are his, but the comments mine.
Don’t read too much into which rosters on which players are appearing as early spring assignments are especially fluid.
On Friday, the Cardinals’ five clubs, including both Quad Cities teams, will walk over to the Marlins’ side of Roger Dean Stadium complex for 1:00 P.M. games.
The Cardinals spring record against external minor league competition remains knotted at 6-6-2.
The Cardinal Nation subscribers can check out the full minor league schedule and spring training working rosters. The entire system view by level and position is available via the Roster Matrix, right here at The Cardinal Nation Blog.
Memphis 8, Springfield 5
| Memphis pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Scott Gorgen | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | Hit 93 on the gun and looked very good |
| Barrett Browning | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Rule 5 addition looks to be a nice pen lefty |
| Cory Rauschenberger | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Jesse Simpson | 1.2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1.54 ERA with PB, but 5.56 with Springfield in 11 |
| Dean Kiekhefer | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Great 2H11 for QC including four saves in playoffs |
| Memphis hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Tommy Pham | 3 | 1 | 1 | Triple short of the cycle | |||||
| Xavier Scruggs | 2 | 1 | 21 HRs was 4th in the FSL in 2011 | ||||||
| Steven Hill | 1 | Veteran C will be RBI man for Memphis | |||||||
| Zack Cox | 1 | 1 | Could benefit from M Carpenter’s big camp | ||||||
| Ryan Jackson | 1 | 1 | Should be Redbirds everyday SS | ||||||
| Chris Swauger | 1 | 1 | Unheralded outfielder could surprise | ||||||
| Amaury Cazana | 1 | ||||||||
| Jermaine Curtis | 1 | 1 | 2Bman can also play some outfield |
| Springfield pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Richard Castillo | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| Shooter Hunt | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Didn’t see the big velo numbers expected from him |
| Chris Corrigan | 1.1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| Keith Butler | 1.2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2nd in Cards system with 17 saves in 2011 |
| Yunier Castillo | 1.2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | When will I stop calling him a converted SS? |
| Springfield hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Greg Garcia | 1 | 1 | 1 | Sixth in OBP in entire system last year | |||||
| Adam Melker | 3 | 1 | 1 | A name that has been here a lot this spring | |||||
| Travis Tartamella | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Nick Longmire | 1 | 1 | 1 | Looking to accellerate after so-so 2011 |
Quad Cities (Red) 4, Palm Beach 3
| Palm Beach pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Pat Daugherty | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Jonathan Cornelius | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Also yielded an unearned run |
| Jose Pasen | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4th-fewest baserunners/9 IP in 2011 Appy League | |
| Robert Stock | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Better results pitching from full windup |
| Palm Beach hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Cesar Valera | 4 | 2 | 1 | Slick fielder batted just .213 in NYPL in 11 | |||||
| Juan Castillo | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Starlin Rodriguez | 4 | 1 | Will likely play where Wong isn’t | ||||||
| Geoff Klein | 2 | 1 | Big C has also played some 1B |
| Quad Cities Red pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Boone Whiting | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | Few bats on the ball |
| Dail Villanueva | 3.2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Listed at 6-2, 170, but looked bigger than that |
| Tyler Melling | 1.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| Stalyn Lopez | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Impressive outing – watch this right-hander |
| Quad Cities Red hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Nick Martini | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7th-rdr batted disappointing .167 for Batavia | |||
| Gerwuins Velazco | 4 | 1 | 1 | Intriguing candidate for catching innings | |||||
| Tyler Rahmatulla | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27 doubles in 11 set Appy League record | |||||
| Colin Walsh | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| Vance Albitz | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Steven Ramos | 1 | 2 |
Quad Cities (White – split squad) 8, Quad Cities (White – split squad) 7
| Quad Cities winners pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Brandon Dickson | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | Pitcher with MLB experience should dominate |
| Maikel Cleto | 0.2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | So should he, but he didn’t |
| Drew Benes | 1.2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Good bloodlines |
| Adam Bileckyj | 1.2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | Former free agent signee |
| Quad Cities winners hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Romulo Ruiz | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Was on base three times | ||||
| Breyvic Valera | 1 | .311 BA in 2011 was 5th-best in system | |||||||
| Kleininger Teran | 1 | ||||||||
| Roberto Reyes | 1 | 22 y/o batted .237 for Batavia last year |
| Quad Cities losers pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| John Gast | 4.1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | Lefty good, but not dominating like last spring |
| Ramon Ulacio | 1.1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2.93 ERA ranked in 2011 GCL top 10 | |
| Cody Springer | 1.1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | Recent free agent signee |
| Quad Cities losers hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Charlie Tilson | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Playing like the top draft pick he is | ||||
| Sam Tuivailala | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| Luis Perez | 3 | 2 | 2 | Standout catcher in 2011 GCL | |||||
| Kenny Peoples-Walls | 2 | 1 | 1 | MLB Urban Youth Academy grad | |||||
| David Bergin | 1 | 1 | Hit .284 for JC in 2011 | ||||||
| Neal Pritchard | 1 | 2 | Free agent signee in 2011 |
I’ve been busy logging interviews and taking dozens of player photos in Florida. I will be rolling them out for subscribers to the main site, TheCardinalNation.com, over the upcoming days.
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Haven’t seen Luna’s name once in these reports – is he healthy?
He’s not on the rehab lists. I wish I had noticed before as I stood right next to him yesterday. He was suited up with Memphis, but did not start. I didn’t see if he pinch hit.
With Pham banged up a bit, perhaps today is the day.
The Cards system seems very well stoked. It would be interesting to try to construct two competitive 25 man rosters.
Carp out indefinitely with nerve irritation.
The kneejerk reaction to go out and sign Oswalt is irritating my last nerve.
Agreed. I’m of mind to let Lynn take the reigns, he’s much cheaper, too. Much, much cheaper, probably will last longer.
I hate taking him out of the BP, though. Darn, that makes our BP a bit weaker. If Sanchez could reign in the control, I think we’ll be okay. I’m still not confident in Boggs. I see Linebrink making the team now. Boggs or Sanchez goes to Memphis.
Scrabble, Romero, Motte, Salas, Boggs, Linebrink, KMac unless he’s traded and if traded, Sanchez.
Who cares if Sanchez regains his control if he strikes out as many as he has been and doesn’t give up hits? His WHIP is 1.12 and not a single base runner has any more than a single or a walk. He has also K’d 14 in 8 innings.
Sanchez is forcing the Cards to add him to the pen, with dominating performance.
I also see Carp out longer than 2 months. I’m leaning towards the season, TBH.
I think the entire season is way too pessimistic. I say he’s back by the All Star Break.
I said leaning…..the wind could always blow me back the other way
I’m just going off his history.
I’m a little annoyed at the lack of any significant conversations on this blog anymore. You all need to stop having lives and become addicted to the internet like me.
Some blogs people frequent for cameraderie. This site may attract more individualists.
Also winning last year assuages a lot of anger among the fan base. The base may be feeling peaceful.
Once the season gets underway and problems emerge, the chatter and venting should increase.
Maybe out team is too likeable. Mo is likeable. Matheny too, he’s devout and a hard worker; he is not an easy target for angry fans. DeWitt spent his brains out on free agents, so hes hard to dislike. Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee, Mabry, and others are back in the fold. TLR was tough and demanding, not everyone’s cup of tea; whiners cant sob about Tony too much anymore. Gussie Busch is gone, so dopey trades are fewer. Keith Hernandez is not around snorting goodness knows what. No Dizzy and Daffy Deans. The Cards are like a church picnic.
Mo and Matheny are making everything so constructive and wholesome, what is there to get mad about?
McGwire is still around. But Mark is a hero to many, like Jumbo.
Its frustrating Carpenter is hurting. But everyone knows Chris gave his all during 2011 and this is why. So we can’t get mad at Chris, the ultimate pro.
Some were whiny about Yadier falling in love with Arte, but then Yadier and Mo outfoxed the crybabies and extended Molina. Mo is stamping out problems.
There are too many exotic things happening CRD…………………… you have to enter the “legal” time continuum ……….. for instance ………….. Shelby gets a public pants kicking……..removing him contention/consideration for a role………….. well after the diagnosis on CC was is front office hands……………… lots of ways to look at this …………. they are preparing a position …….. deciding what it is can become “complicated”……………….. another…………. Roy O. wants to pitch in St. Louis ……… he could just go public and say what his needs are…………… but he doesn’t/won’t ……………. its not about money ………….. he just wants some love…….. and respect …………. he knows to pressure BD/Mo is a losing proposition ……………… he’s forced to just wait and see…………..
Oswalt is only about money. Everything else his agent may say is just happy talk.
It looks like the reigning Executive of the Year has cooked up another powerhouse team. After dropping the first couple of exhibition games, the Cards are making mincemeat of the Grapefruit League.
Wow!
Doug Melvin has called me personally, asking that you please stop disrespecting him, Jumbo!
http://stlcardinals.scout.com/2/1139569.html
Melvin should thank his lucky stars he was able to get Braun so pumped up with PEDs that the Brewers won the division, before they folded for the Birds. Without Fielder, good bye Brew crew!
The Cards have more stolen bases than home runs so far. If ST ends up that way it will be a reversal from the previous few years that I checked. That is the case even though only Komatsu and Greene have more than two attempts.
The rate of taking walks is way up. A couple more and we will equal last year’s total for the whole spring.