Sunday, March 19, 2006
Cardinals 11, Braves 2
Sidney Ponson took the mound and only allowed two runs, one unearned, and five hits as he tossed five solid innings to best the Atlanta Braves 11-2 this afternoon. He had one strikeout and allowed a pair of walks. Big Sid seems to have wrapped up the final rotation spot, an announcement at this point would be nothing more than a formality.
What does that signal for the young Anthony Reyes? It’s hard to tell at this point as manager Tony LaRussa has stated he is still leaning towards carrying 12 pitchers on the roster to open the season. There could be a bullpen vacancy for Reyes, though the relievers continued to pitch well again today. A little more seasoning at triple-A Memphis seems more likely at this point.
Josh Hancock, Ricardo Rincon, Jeff Nelson and Brad Thompson each threw a perfect inning in relief. They combined to retire twelve straight batters to end the game. Non-roster invitees Hancock and Nelson each had a pair of strikeouts.
The bullpen mix is hard to figure out at this time, even though we know that there most likely will be seven slots available. The superb play by non-roster invitees and contracted players alike has not made the decision any easier for LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.
Scott Rolen had an RBI groundout in the first and a two-run single in the third. ScoRo also received a free pass in a separate at-bat. He appears to be fully recovered from a pair of surgeries in the last year and primed to make a run at the National League comeback player of the year award.
Shortstop David Eckstein continued to set the table for his teammates as he reached base three times - with a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He scored a pair of runs.
Skip Schumaker went 2-for-4 with an RBI double, a single and a run scored. Chris Duncan again made good on the at-bats he has been given this spring as he drove in two runs with a double. Reserve outfielder/pinch-hitter John Gall hit a towering three-run homer to left field in the eighth.
Schumaker and Gall are still fighting for a reserve outfield role. C-Dunc is already assured of beginning the year at triple-A Memphis to get regular at-bats and some more work in the outfield.
The Cardinals will square off against the Braves again tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. CST at Roger Dean Stadium. Anthony Reyes will make his final case for a rotation job as he faces the old reliable John Smoltz of the Braves in what should be a dandy. The game will be covered by ESPN.
What does that signal for the young Anthony Reyes? It’s hard to tell at this point as manager Tony LaRussa has stated he is still leaning towards carrying 12 pitchers on the roster to open the season. There could be a bullpen vacancy for Reyes, though the relievers continued to pitch well again today. A little more seasoning at triple-A Memphis seems more likely at this point.
Josh Hancock, Ricardo Rincon, Jeff Nelson and Brad Thompson each threw a perfect inning in relief. They combined to retire twelve straight batters to end the game. Non-roster invitees Hancock and Nelson each had a pair of strikeouts.
The bullpen mix is hard to figure out at this time, even though we know that there most likely will be seven slots available. The superb play by non-roster invitees and contracted players alike has not made the decision any easier for LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.
Scott Rolen had an RBI groundout in the first and a two-run single in the third. ScoRo also received a free pass in a separate at-bat. He appears to be fully recovered from a pair of surgeries in the last year and primed to make a run at the National League comeback player of the year award.
Shortstop David Eckstein continued to set the table for his teammates as he reached base three times - with a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He scored a pair of runs.
Skip Schumaker went 2-for-4 with an RBI double, a single and a run scored. Chris Duncan again made good on the at-bats he has been given this spring as he drove in two runs with a double. Reserve outfielder/pinch-hitter John Gall hit a towering three-run homer to left field in the eighth.
Schumaker and Gall are still fighting for a reserve outfield role. C-Dunc is already assured of beginning the year at triple-A Memphis to get regular at-bats and some more work in the outfield.
The Cardinals will square off against the Braves again tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. CST at Roger Dean Stadium. Anthony Reyes will make his final case for a rotation job as he faces the old reliable John Smoltz of the Braves in what should be a dandy. The game will be covered by ESPN.
A Family Tradition
Even though Tony LaRussa has stated that Chris Duncan will begin the year at triple-A Memphis in order to learn the intricacies of playing the corner outfield positions there is no denying the impact he has had this spring for the St. Louis Cardinals.
So while he will not be amongst the 25 players dressed in Cardinal red for the opening of Busch III there is no doubt that he will soon be donning a St. Louis uniform, and that it should be for a long, long while.
C-Dunc was a supplemental first round selection in the 1999 draft (46th overall), at the time many baseball insiders thought that the pick had some nepotism involved. By many others it was considered a reach taking him so early. This may also be compounded by the fact that the Cardinals took reigning MVP Albert Pujols’s cousin Wilfrido Pujols in the sixth round, former Card Andy Van Slyke’s son A.J. Van Slyke in the 23rd round (710th overall) and Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst’s great nephew Jesse Schoendienst in the 40th round in last years draft.
Duncan has surprised many both inside and outside the organization with his play. He started as a first baseman in the Cardinals system but has agreed to learn to play the outfield corners so that he can find his way to St. Louis, first base is currently tied up by some guy named Albert Pujols.
Duncan hit .265/.358/.469/.827 with 21 home runs, 21 doubles and 73 RBI in 431 at-bats for triple-A Memphis in 2005. Over seven professional seasons he has hit .261/.339/.413/.752 with 86 home runs and 424 RBI in 2871 minor league at-bats. C-Dunc has hit .286 with four homers and four doubles in 49 at-bats over 15 games thus far this spring for the Redbirds.
Wilfrido Pujols failed to hit for much at the high school level and that carried over into 2005 with rookie level Johnson City as he hit .143/.194/.175/.369 in 63 at-bats. He is a player that the St. Louis organization felt they had to have, even if it meant reaching for him in the draft. GM Walt Jocketty even publicly acknowledged that he may have selected Wilfrido a round or two early but that the team liked his upside and that he fully expects a hefty return on the sixth round selection. If he turns out to be anything like his cousin Albert, himself a 13th round selection in 1999, then the Cardinals front office will be elated.
A.J. Van Slyke fared better than Wilfrido Pujols in his professional debut as he hit .365/.398/.612/1.010 with four home runs and 19 RBI in 85 at-bats between rookie level Johnson City (50 at-bats) and short-season New Jersey (35 at-bats). A.J. did have a banner season for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2005 as he hit .323/.404/.538/.942 with 12 homers, five swipes and 57 RBI in 223 at-bats.
Jesse Schoendienst failed to sign with the Cards after being drafted and opted to remain at Old Dominion University. He did hit .276 with a pair of home runs, five stolen bases and 18 RBI in 152 at-bats as Old Dominion’s shortstop in 2005. The St. Louis front office advised him to return for his senior season to get a little stronger and work on his hitting. They have plans to sign him as a draft-and-follow player before he is eligible to reenter the 2006 draft pool. The Cards like his quick hands and defense but have a few concerns with the maturity of his bat at this point. Through 18 games this season Jesse is hitting .389/.439/.593/1.032 with one homer and nine RBI.
This after selecting Duncan, the son of big league pitching coach Dave Duncan, previously along with first-base coach Dave McKay’s son Cody McKay in the fifth round (127th overall) in the 1995 draft (though he did not sign). Cody did hit .278/.323/.444/.767 in 2004 and .213/.362/.319/.681 in 2005, both for triple-A Memphis after being signed as a free agent on Novemeber 5, 2003 from the Oakland Athletics whom acquired him in the ninth round (255th overall) in the 1996 draft. McKay suffered a fractured bone in his left arm and was released from the organization on July 16, 2005.
The Redbirds also had Aaron Herr playing double-A ball for them last year in Springfield. He is the son of Tom Herr who was the second baseman on the 1982 World Championship team. To be fair Aaron was a first round selection in 2000 (40th overall) by the Atlanta Braves and played quite well as he hit .298/.336/.498/.834 with 21 homers and 81 RBI. He is now in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
As you can see the Cardinals have had some hits and some misses when it comes to drafting or acquiring legacies. Has there been some degree of nepotism involved here? Only the front office truly knows, though it is quite obvious that there is a family aura taking place in and around the St. Louis organization. Once a part of the Cardinals family, always a part of the Cardinals family.
So while he will not be amongst the 25 players dressed in Cardinal red for the opening of Busch III there is no doubt that he will soon be donning a St. Louis uniform, and that it should be for a long, long while.
C-Dunc was a supplemental first round selection in the 1999 draft (46th overall), at the time many baseball insiders thought that the pick had some nepotism involved. By many others it was considered a reach taking him so early. This may also be compounded by the fact that the Cardinals took reigning MVP Albert Pujols’s cousin Wilfrido Pujols in the sixth round, former Card Andy Van Slyke’s son A.J. Van Slyke in the 23rd round (710th overall) and Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst’s great nephew Jesse Schoendienst in the 40th round in last years draft.
Duncan has surprised many both inside and outside the organization with his play. He started as a first baseman in the Cardinals system but has agreed to learn to play the outfield corners so that he can find his way to St. Louis, first base is currently tied up by some guy named Albert Pujols.
Duncan hit .265/.358/.469/.827 with 21 home runs, 21 doubles and 73 RBI in 431 at-bats for triple-A Memphis in 2005. Over seven professional seasons he has hit .261/.339/.413/.752 with 86 home runs and 424 RBI in 2871 minor league at-bats. C-Dunc has hit .286 with four homers and four doubles in 49 at-bats over 15 games thus far this spring for the Redbirds.
Wilfrido Pujols failed to hit for much at the high school level and that carried over into 2005 with rookie level Johnson City as he hit .143/.194/.175/.369 in 63 at-bats. He is a player that the St. Louis organization felt they had to have, even if it meant reaching for him in the draft. GM Walt Jocketty even publicly acknowledged that he may have selected Wilfrido a round or two early but that the team liked his upside and that he fully expects a hefty return on the sixth round selection. If he turns out to be anything like his cousin Albert, himself a 13th round selection in 1999, then the Cardinals front office will be elated.
A.J. Van Slyke fared better than Wilfrido Pujols in his professional debut as he hit .365/.398/.612/1.010 with four home runs and 19 RBI in 85 at-bats between rookie level Johnson City (50 at-bats) and short-season New Jersey (35 at-bats). A.J. did have a banner season for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2005 as he hit .323/.404/.538/.942 with 12 homers, five swipes and 57 RBI in 223 at-bats.
Jesse Schoendienst failed to sign with the Cards after being drafted and opted to remain at Old Dominion University. He did hit .276 with a pair of home runs, five stolen bases and 18 RBI in 152 at-bats as Old Dominion’s shortstop in 2005. The St. Louis front office advised him to return for his senior season to get a little stronger and work on his hitting. They have plans to sign him as a draft-and-follow player before he is eligible to reenter the 2006 draft pool. The Cards like his quick hands and defense but have a few concerns with the maturity of his bat at this point. Through 18 games this season Jesse is hitting .389/.439/.593/1.032 with one homer and nine RBI.
This after selecting Duncan, the son of big league pitching coach Dave Duncan, previously along with first-base coach Dave McKay’s son Cody McKay in the fifth round (127th overall) in the 1995 draft (though he did not sign). Cody did hit .278/.323/.444/.767 in 2004 and .213/.362/.319/.681 in 2005, both for triple-A Memphis after being signed as a free agent on Novemeber 5, 2003 from the Oakland Athletics whom acquired him in the ninth round (255th overall) in the 1996 draft. McKay suffered a fractured bone in his left arm and was released from the organization on July 16, 2005.
The Redbirds also had Aaron Herr playing double-A ball for them last year in Springfield. He is the son of Tom Herr who was the second baseman on the 1982 World Championship team. To be fair Aaron was a first round selection in 2000 (40th overall) by the Atlanta Braves and played quite well as he hit .298/.336/.498/.834 with 21 homers and 81 RBI. He is now in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
As you can see the Cardinals have had some hits and some misses when it comes to drafting or acquiring legacies. Has there been some degree of nepotism involved here? Only the front office truly knows, though it is quite obvious that there is a family aura taking place in and around the St. Louis organization. Once a part of the Cardinals family, always a part of the Cardinals family.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Saturday’s Birdfeed: 03.18.2006
Chris Carpenter has been abut near perfect as you could possibly imagine this spring. Yes his record is 2-0 in Grapefruit League play, but that doesn’t compare to the fact that he has yet to surrender a single run (earned or unearned) in 16 innings of work thus far. That streak has now spanned four starts and counting.
Brian Falkenborg, a non-roster invitee fighting to make the ballclub, also has yet to be charged with a run this spring.
LOOGY Ricardo Rincon has joined the team since Mexico was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic. He helped the Mexicans eliminate the favored U.S. squad from the WBC. Rincon was happy to get the opportunity to represent his country but is now focused on gearing up for the regular season and helping the Cardinals return to the World Series after a one-year hiatus.
Adam Wainwright was impressive Friday versus the Yankees but still figures to open the year with triple-A Memphis. Though he could be the first pitcher recalled to St. Louis if there is an injury to the rotation or Sidney Ponson and/or Anthony Reyes fail to perform to expectations. Wainy has worked himself out of jams this spring and has shown supreme confidence on the mound, something he lacked when he first came over in the J.D. Drew deal with Atlanta.
David Eckstein returned to the lineup Saturday versus Baltimore. He had been out two days with the stomach flu. Eck collected a pair of hits and stole a base against the O’s.
Larry Bigbie’s sore left achilles’ tendon is progressing nicely. He was diagnosed with tendinitis and hopes to be back on the field this week. There is a chance he could play tomorrow versus the Braves.
Scott Rolen made consecutive starts for the first time this spring on Thursday and Friday. He has been superb both in the field and at the plate thus far. He seems fully recovered from a pair of surgeries in 2005 and should be ready to log his full load this season.
Non-roster invitee Brian Daubach continues to be impressive in his bid to make the team. He now has driven in nine runs in 24 at-bats. Dauber is definitely taking advantage of Albert Pujols’s absence as he plays in the WBC.
Tony LaRussa has once again stated that he is leaning toward carrying 12 pitchers on the Opening Day roster.
Brian Falkenborg, a non-roster invitee fighting to make the ballclub, also has yet to be charged with a run this spring.
LOOGY Ricardo Rincon has joined the team since Mexico was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic. He helped the Mexicans eliminate the favored U.S. squad from the WBC. Rincon was happy to get the opportunity to represent his country but is now focused on gearing up for the regular season and helping the Cardinals return to the World Series after a one-year hiatus.
Adam Wainwright was impressive Friday versus the Yankees but still figures to open the year with triple-A Memphis. Though he could be the first pitcher recalled to St. Louis if there is an injury to the rotation or Sidney Ponson and/or Anthony Reyes fail to perform to expectations. Wainy has worked himself out of jams this spring and has shown supreme confidence on the mound, something he lacked when he first came over in the J.D. Drew deal with Atlanta.
David Eckstein returned to the lineup Saturday versus Baltimore. He had been out two days with the stomach flu. Eck collected a pair of hits and stole a base against the O’s.
Larry Bigbie’s sore left achilles’ tendon is progressing nicely. He was diagnosed with tendinitis and hopes to be back on the field this week. There is a chance he could play tomorrow versus the Braves.
Scott Rolen made consecutive starts for the first time this spring on Thursday and Friday. He has been superb both in the field and at the plate thus far. He seems fully recovered from a pair of surgeries in 2005 and should be ready to log his full load this season.
Non-roster invitee Brian Daubach continues to be impressive in his bid to make the team. He now has driven in nine runs in 24 at-bats. Dauber is definitely taking advantage of Albert Pujols’s absence as he plays in the WBC.
Tony LaRussa has once again stated that he is leaning toward carrying 12 pitchers on the Opening Day roster.
Cardinals 7, Orioles 0
The St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Baltimore Orioles 7-0 in front of 6,482 onlookers at Fort Lauderdale Stadium this afternoon.
The St. Louis pitchers combined for a four hit shutout. Chris Carpenter pitched five two-hit innings, striking out three. He has continued his remarkable run this spring as he has yet to surrender a single run in 16 innings of work. He is now a perfecto 2-0 in Grapefruit League play.
Juan Mateo pitched a perfect sixth inning. Alan Benes came aboard to pitch a one-hit seventh. Randy Flores pitched a one-hit eighth, recording a strikeout. Brian Falkenborg rode a perfect ninth inning to close out the game. Falkenborg, a non-roster invitee, has yet to be charged with a run.
John Rodriguez took a free pass in the second inning and scored on Yadier Molina’s double to the left-center gap. The Cards sent eight batters to the box in the inning.
Chris Duncan and John Gall drove in two runs apiece, as the Redbirds used a four-run third to pace a 5-0 lead on Bruce Chen. Brian Daubach hit a sacrifice fly (Dauber now has nine RBI in 24 spring at-bats), Gall blooped a two-run double off of the left-centerfield wall and John Rodriguez singled to bring Gall across the plate.
Tony LaRussa also seemed to take a page from Whitey Herzog this afternoon as David Eckstein, So Taguchi and Junior Spivey all swiped bags versus the Orioles. Other Redbirds credited with base knocks were David Eckstein, who was 2-for-4, and Junior Spivey. Eck returned to the lineup after missing two days with the stomach flu.
St. Louis now heads back to Jupiter to face the Atlanta Braves tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. CST. Sidney Ponson will take the ball to begin the game as he aims to win the last spot in the Redbird rotation. Tim Hudson will take the mound for the Braves. The game will be covered by FOX Sports Net Midwest.
The St. Louis pitchers combined for a four hit shutout. Chris Carpenter pitched five two-hit innings, striking out three. He has continued his remarkable run this spring as he has yet to surrender a single run in 16 innings of work. He is now a perfecto 2-0 in Grapefruit League play.
Juan Mateo pitched a perfect sixth inning. Alan Benes came aboard to pitch a one-hit seventh. Randy Flores pitched a one-hit eighth, recording a strikeout. Brian Falkenborg rode a perfect ninth inning to close out the game. Falkenborg, a non-roster invitee, has yet to be charged with a run.
John Rodriguez took a free pass in the second inning and scored on Yadier Molina’s double to the left-center gap. The Cards sent eight batters to the box in the inning.
Chris Duncan and John Gall drove in two runs apiece, as the Redbirds used a four-run third to pace a 5-0 lead on Bruce Chen. Brian Daubach hit a sacrifice fly (Dauber now has nine RBI in 24 spring at-bats), Gall blooped a two-run double off of the left-centerfield wall and John Rodriguez singled to bring Gall across the plate.
Tony LaRussa also seemed to take a page from Whitey Herzog this afternoon as David Eckstein, So Taguchi and Junior Spivey all swiped bags versus the Orioles. Other Redbirds credited with base knocks were David Eckstein, who was 2-for-4, and Junior Spivey. Eck returned to the lineup after missing two days with the stomach flu.
St. Louis now heads back to Jupiter to face the Atlanta Braves tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. CST. Sidney Ponson will take the ball to begin the game as he aims to win the last spot in the Redbird rotation. Tim Hudson will take the mound for the Braves. The game will be covered by FOX Sports Net Midwest.
