McBrayer-Baseball

Berkman Injured and Out

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:26:00 +0000

I had finally learned today that Lance Berkman will be out for six to eight weeks due to a severely torn meniscus and torn cartilage in his right knee. It is expected that Lance will have surgery soon. At least we do know that it is not a season ending injury. Monday's examination found damaged cartilage as well as meniscus shredded on both the inside and outside of Berkman's knee. Berkman has already underwent an ACL repair on the knee in 2006 and was aware of a sliding sensation within the joint well before it gave out during Saturday's second inning. He also acknowledged discovery of torn meniscus during a February team physical. Currently if there is any procedure involving the ACL will mean his loss for the rest of the season, in which Lance wants to avoid. I wish the best for Lance and I hope for a fast recovery.

source Joe Strauss

The "Big Man" Finally Arrives!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Sun, 20 May 2012 20:50:00 +0000

After coming off the disable list Lance Berkman finds himself back on it once again. Last night during the game against the Dodgers, Lance stretched out to catch the ball from Furcal and hurt his right knee. The team then jumped into action and purchased the contract of Matt Adams from their Memphis team. Adams has been hitting .340 with 9 HRs and 27 RBIs. John Mozeliak the General Manager of the Cardinals had mentioned before that Matt Adams has been ready to come up for a while now. So if Matt is brought up now he will be expected to play all the time, no sitting for him.

Here is a little information on Matt Adams. Matt was drafted by the Cardinals in the 23rd round in 2009. He hails out of Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania. Matt is a left handed hitter. he also weighs in at 230 and stands in at 6'3. He also attended Slippery Rock University. He set the school record for doubles (24) in his freshman season...was named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West's Rookie of the Year in 2007. He currently resides in his hometown of Phillipsburg. With much speculation of getting to wear #5 the team assigned him # 53. I am really looking forward to seeing him with the Cardinals this year. Matt is fun to watch due to his pure power. I speculate once Adams settles as our everyday first baseman, Pujols will be a ghost of the past.

Source: Bernie Miklasz and MLB

Angels Fire Mickey Hatcher!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:08:00 +0000

It was just announced that Angels Manager Jerry Dipoto addressed the media that the clubs batting coach Mickey Hatcher has been fired. Dipoto also added that it was time for a new blood since the team is struggling offensively. Hatcher will be replaced by Jim Eppely the triple A hitting coach. Word has it that Mike Sciocia was not present during Dipoto's announcement. Hatcher and Sciocia has been life long friends. I imagine that this must be hard for Mike to accept. Mickey has been the Angel's batting coach for 13 years. I wonder if this is also connected to the problems Hatcher has been having personal problems with the struggling Albert Pujols. I have a hard time believing that Hatcher has something to do with Pujol's .197 batting average. Albert only has 1 HR and 12 RBI's. On the other hand the Angels other first baseman Mark Trumbo has 6 HRs 16 RBIs with a .330 batting average. Something smells fishy to me. I hate to see Hatcher go.

Cardinal News and Tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:05:00 +0000

Just learned that Carlos Beltran was named NL league player of the week. He had such a hot streak of hitting. For the last week he had hit 6 home runs, 13 rbi's and a slugging percentage of 1.200. Congrats to Carlos! The Cards are giving him a night off tonight with Allen Craig playing right field.

Today the Cardinals had brought up Eduardo Sanchez from their AAA team Memphis to try and improve their bullpen. To make room the Cardinals released J C Romero. J C has been struggling a lot in the past week.

Lil Musial Passes Away

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:13:00 +0000

I am sad to report that Stan Musial's wife Lil had passed away tonight at the age of 91. Lillian "Lil" Musial was very active in the community. From her selfless work in organizing the Cardinals Pinch Hitters group to her more recent efforts to help homeless, runaway girls with the Covenant House, Lil was always helping others. Lil first met Stan after her father took her to see the Donora Zincs play in 1934. The 15-year old Musial was pitching for the semi-pro baseball team at the time. Stan and Lil became high school sweethearts. They married in May of 1940. Lil leaves behind her children Richard, Gerry, Janet and Jean, and their eleven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. She was such a huge part of Stan's life as supportive wife and a big part of the Cardinal Family. God Bless the Musial Family, she will surely be missed.

Cardinals To Retire LaRussa's #10

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:38:00 +0000

Just when we may never see much of Tony LaRussa again, he pops up again. Recently Tony has been seen hunting down ex-Cardinal players from the 2011 World Series Champion Team to hand them their World Series ring. Today it has been announced that the St.Louis Cardinals will retire his jersey number , #10. Tony will definitely be voted in the Hall of Fame when he is eligible. During his sixteen year career with the St.Louis Cardinals he has amass 1408 wins and 1182 losses. He has three pennants and two world series with the Cardinals. These are definitely good numbers for a Hall of Famer.

I am happy for Tony but I keep thinking about Willie McGee.What about Willie's number 51? Willie has spent about 13 years with the Cardinals. Willie has earned four appearances in All-Star Games and achieved a vote as an MVP in 1985. He also received three gold gloves in 1983-1985 and 1986. McGee also got the Silver Slugger Award in 1985. Willie McGee was a huge fan favorite despite his unorthodox swing. It wasn't until 1990 that Cardinal Nation got hit by a huge surprise, "Willie McGee traded to the Oakland A's for Daryl Green, Felix Jose and Stan Royer!" I was shocked by this trade, why would the GM trade such a popular Cardinal player? Willie defined how a Cardinal should play. He sacrificed himself to win a game. He was the heart beat of this team. Then in 1996 Walt Jocketty signed him as a free agent and he was finally back home. So if LaRussa's number 10 will be retired then it is time for 51 to be placed right by Ozzie Smith's # 1, it is the right thing to do.

Allen Craig May Come off the DL

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Tue, 01 May 2012 04:27:00 +0000

The Cardinals might be taking Allen Craig off the disable list on Tuesday May 1. I am excited about having him back. The Cardinals are currently 14-8 and in first place. With having Craig back, we will have that right handed bat off the bench. Craig would fill in at first base right away.

Others on the disable list includes Scott Linebrink, Chris Carpenter, and Lance Berkman. All three players are on the fifteen day disable list.

I wonder who the Cardinals will send down when Craig is added, Matt Carpenter?

Its Quiz Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:22:00 +0000

Name that Cardinal Player

Name the player that spent six years with the team in the early 90's and then traded to the Cubs during his seventh year. He also hit a home run in his final at bat against the Montreal Expos. Currently you can see him on t.v or the big screen. He recently appeared in the movie Zoo Keeper.

The first to respond will win A&E Home Video St.Louis Cardinals World Series Champions 2011 on DVD.

Berkman Goes on the Disable List

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:31:00 +0000

It is now official Lance Berkman is now on the 15 day disable list due to a calf injury he aggravated chasing a popup. With Berkman going on the DL the Cardinals went ahead and activated Skip Schumaker. So what will they do about who will be filling in for Berkman. I would love to see the team bring up prospect Matt Adams from Memphis. Adams is currently hitting a .389 avg with 54 at bats. So far he has hit three home runs and eight rbi's. The big man also has one stolen base. If the team brings him up his MLB service will start, which also means he will be arbitration eligible sooner than later. I do have a feeling we will see Adams in 2013 or 2014. So at this time the Cardinals will go with Matt Carpenter being their first baseman till Berkman comes back. At this time Matt is riding on a wave of success with his hitting. With one home run, eleven rbi's and a .379 batting avg. he has become a huge fan favorite among Cardinal Nation. I imagine he will be our first baseman till Berkman comes back.

This just in....... Looks like Jon Jay will also go on the disable list due to a sprained shoulder. Schumaker will fill in for Jay at center field. With a 9-4 record at this point I hope the team doesn't fall apart due to injuries.

Season 2 of The Franchise: Miami Marlins

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:19:00 +0000

I was really hoping for the St.Louis Cardinals to be covered in season 2 since they did win the World Series. Watching Ozzie Guillen and Carlos Zambrano is better than watching a train wreck.

Cardinals Pick Up Mitch Canham......more giveaways for Cardinals Trivia!!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:23:00 +0000

Today the Cardinals picked up Mitch Canham. I guess your wondering..who is Mitch Canham? Well he was originally drafted by the Cardinals backn 2006. He wasn't signed so in 2007 the Padres drafted hin. Mitch was manly picked up for help for one of the Cardinals minor league teams.

Here is your question: This Cardinal Fan favorite was trade to the Mets in 2000 for reliever Jesse Orosco, who was this player?

This time around the winner will receive A&E 2011 St.Louis Cardinals World Series DVD Collectors Edition

Opening Day

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 04:46:00 +0000

Today I spent my afternoon trying to stay warm and keep dry while tail gating. The food was good but the Home Opener loss was bad. I loved the opening with all the introductions and pageantry. The handshake between David Freese and Stan Musial was poetic. It was as if Stan was passing down the torch to Freese. It was fun taking in the sights and sounds of the game while getting wet. The smell of hotdogs and the cheers from the crowd was worth being at the game today. With Wainwright being off it was disappointing to watch the pounding the Cubs did to Wainwright. Rookie Bryan LaHair hit his first grand slam off of Wainwright. The final score was 9-5 Cubs. Hopefully tomorrow the Cards will bring us a win.

For those of you that follow my blog this is your chance to win A&E Home Video St.Louis Cardinals Greatest Games: 2011 World Series, Game 6 (DVD/Bluray combo)

The question is Which player appeared in their 100th game as a Cardinal in the last regular season game of 2005 at Busch Stadium? The first to answer the question in the comments section of this post will be the winner. Please leave information in order to contact the winner. Thanks

Berkman Misses out on Home Opener

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:58:00 +0000

With the home opener around the corner Lance Berkman is diagnosed with a grade 1 calf sprain. It happened Wednesday against the Reds when he as running out a triple. As of right now Berkman is day to day. He is not on the Disable List at this time. Lance will more than likely miss out the next three games against the Cubs. Mike Matheny plans on using Matt Carpenter at first base and Daniel Descalso too. I am sure Berkman will have a fast healing,

Cardinals Trade for Cedric Hunter

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 04:09:00 +0000

Earlier this afternoon the Cardinals made a trade for Cedric Hunter of the Oakland A's. The Cardinals needed an outfielder since two of their Memphis players are on the big team i.e Matt Carpenter and Shane Robinson. In return the A's will receive a future player. Hunter a 3rd round draft pick for the Padres back in 2006 played a few games for the Padres in 2011. He was later put on waivers and picked up by the A's. Cedric is more apt at playing centerfield. In 2009 he was considered the Padres top prospect. He also earned several awards while in the minors. Hunter a left handed hitter could make the Memphis Redbirds a better team while Carpenter and Robinson is out for a while.

2008 Baseball America High Class A All-Star
2008 California League Post-Season All-Star
2008 California League Mid-Season All-Star
2006 Baseball America Rookie All-Star
2006 Arizona League Post-Season All-Star

Source: MLB

25 Man Roster Set

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:15:00 +0000

Just got the news that Mike Matheny has already set his roster for the season. I had thought it would be adjusted on Sunday, I guess not. There are no surprises:

Pitchers:

Kyle Lohse
Jaime Garcia
Adam Wainwright
Lance Lynn
Jake Westbrook
Jason Motte
Fernando Salas
Marc Rzepczynski
J.C. Romero
Mitchell Boggs
Scott Linebrink
Kyle McClellan

Catchers:

Yadier Molina
Tony Cruz

Infielders:

Lance Berkman
Tyler Greene
Daniel Descalso
Rafael Furcal
David Freese
Matt Carpenter

Outfielders:

Carlos Beltran
Matt Holliday
Jon Jay
Erik Komatsu
Shane Robinson

I guess with Allen Craig and Skip Schumaker out we will get to see more of Matt Carpenter and Shane Robinson. Nice move on the part of our new Manager. Keep your eye on Erik Komatsu. This kid will be fun to watch.

MLB

NL West Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:26:00 +0000

NL West Predictions
1. Arizona Diamondbacks
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Colorado Rockies
5. San Diego Padres

I think there will be a battle for first place between the Diamondbacks and the Giants. I am giving the Diamondbacks an edge. With hitters like Overbay, Upton, and Kubel they should edge the Giants. Kirk Gibson is the main motivator for this club. I also believe that the Dodgers will have a better season now that it is now under new management. With pitchers like Kershaw, Lilly and Billingsley they will show good movement in their division. The main three Kemp, Either and Loney gives the team a strong foundation. The Dodgers will be fun to watch. With Dee Gordon in the line up we should see some speed in the line up. The Rockies will be mediocre and the poor Padres will stay under achievers.

Players to watch...
Dee Gordon....LA
A J Ellis.....LA
Angel Pagan...SF

NL Central Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:23:00 +0000

NL Central
1. St.Louis Cardinals
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4.Pittsburgh Pirates
5. Chicago Cubs
6. Houston Astros

I believe that the Central will have a fun battle between the Cardinals, Reds and Brewers. I give the Cardinals a slight edge due to their starting pitchers and their bullpen. I know that Carpenter will be out for a couple months but this Redbird team will have a strong pitching squad in 2012. The Astros will be this years Cubs while the Pirates will become a much stronger team.

Players to watch for......

Andrew McCutchen...Pitt
Drew Stubbs..Reds
Erik Komatsu....Stl

Dodgers Sold!

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:05:00 +0000

It has been three years of angst and frustration with the McCourts and Major League Baseball. With the bankruptcy and McCourts issues the team has finally been sold. I am glad to report that it was not sold to the St.Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke or Mark Cuban. It was.........Magic Johnson!? Yep Magic and a group of others including Stan Kasten and the Guggenheim Partners. The Dodgers was bought for $2 Billion. Stan Kastan will run the team. It is also reported that McCourt and certain people involved with the purchasers would acquire the land around the stadium for $150 million. Sale still needs to be approved by bankruptcy court.

NL East Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:28:00 +0000

NL East
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Miami Marlins
4. Washington Nationals
5. New York Mets

I am going out on a limb to put the Braves on top of the NL East. I am basing it on the teams strong foundation with their strong pitching which includes Tim Hudson, Tommy Hansen, Jair Jurgens and Mike Minor. The hitting will also be strong with Freeman, Heyward, Uggla, McCann and lets not forget Chipper Jones. With Chipper retiring after 2012, I am sure he will go out with a bang. The Phillies will hang tough but they will be plagued with injuries this year. The Marlins will try to mesh together but will have a hard time with Zambrano and Buehrle trying to adapt to a new baseball stadium. This team will have flair with hitters like Morrison, Rameriz and Stanton. The Nationals will be a tad better than the Mets.

Players to Watch

Stephen Strasburg....Nats
Ryan Zimmerman...Nats
Freddie Freeman...Atl

2012 American League Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:19:00 +0000

AL West
1. Texas Rangers
2. California Angels
3. Oakland A's
4. Seattle Mariners

Once again I a picking the Rangers to finish first. With most of last years team back in action plus Yu Darvish and Joe Nathan as new acquisitions, they will have the edge. Not even Pujol's presence with the Angels won't knock out the Ranger's success in 2012. The A's appear to be using the moneyball approach with Bartolo Colon, Smith and Crisp. If Cespedes makes the team I predict they could actually distance themselves away from the Seattle Bottom Dwellers. In order for the Mariners to be successful they need a big bat. The last time the Mariners where in the playoffs was back in 2001. They also had four players that hit over 20 home runs that season, Bret Boone (37), John Olerud (21), Mike Cameron (25), and Edgar Martinez (23). I wonder if this will happen again?

AL Central
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Kansas City Royals
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Chicago Whitesox

I believe this is Jim Leylands year. The top five starting pitchers will be their strengths. The big boppers Fielder and Cabrera will keep this team alive and fun to watch. I also predict a tight race between the Royals and the Indians. Both team has young players with high potential. I really don't see the Twins or Whitesox doing much.

AL East
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. New York Yankees
3. Boston Redsox
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Toronto Blue Jays

I see a three way log jam at top with the Rays-Yanks-Redsox fighting it out for tops of their division. I always hate to see the Orioles being buried towards the bottom. I think the Orioles have some fight in them, I think they will pull away from the bottom this year. Bluejays need a face lift to get themselves going again.

Top Five Players to keep your eyes on

Eric Hosmer...KC
Ricky Romero...Tor
Jeremy Hellickson...Tampa
Francisco Cervelli....Yanks
Yoenis Cespedes

Carpenter Out

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:18:00 +0000

Just when I thought things where looking up for Carpenter, I just get word that he is experiencing discomfort with his arm, shoulder and neck on Monday. The weakness he feels follows the batting practice he threw on Sunday. This doesn't look good. I was hoping to see him as our Opening Day Pitcher April.4. Carpenter is now back in St.Louis to see a nerve specialist for more tests. As of now Kyle Lohse will be the Opening Day Pitcher. So who will replace our Cy Young winning pitcher. Well Lance Lynn has been covering Carp's spot in the rotation during spring training but who will be the set up man for closer Jason Motte. I imagine the Cardinals are now scrambling to figure out this dilemma. Management will not push for Carpenters return anytime soon. I think it is time for the Cardinals to give Roy Oswalt a call, that way Lance Lynn can go back to the bullpen. I know Oswalt has been wanting to pitch for the Cardinals since going to the Phillies in 2010. Well we have two more weeks before the start of a new Cardinal Season. Hopefully we will see a strong rotation minus our work horse Chris Carpenter.

Spring Training Report From the Cactus League

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:49:00 +0000

Let me introduce my friend William Johnson. A Freelance writer by trade and a baseball fan for life. William has covered MLB and NBA for the Bleacher Report and put together a book called Medusa and Other Short Stories. This book includes four short stories that will scare the living daylights out of you. William a native of Tampa, Florida now resides in Phoenix, Arizona. William has graciously offer a spring training report from Surprise, Arizona where the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals hold their Spring Training. Thanks again Will and we hope to hear from you again!

Rangers vs. Royals 3/4/2012 (Surprise Stadium)

If you ever have the ability to watch spring training baseball on a regular basis and even get paid for it, then count yourself lucky. I, for a short period, became one of these lucky folks. For one entire week, the insurance company I work for paid me to watch baseball. They didn’t know it really, since it was vacation time and all, but watching the greatest sport known to man in beautiful weather while collecting a full day’s paycheck without seeing a computer just makes it all the sweeter.

My big vacation week began fittingly enough on a Sunday, the day of rest. I travelled far and wide because, as a 12 year resident of Phoenix, Arizona, the Valley of the Sun is forever growing connected.

Previously separated by miles of farmland and desert, the majority of the Valley (a term used to describe all the towns within the greater Phoenix area) is becoming one cohesive unit. The problem? It takes about 45 minutes to an hour, without traffic, to get from one end to the other; north and south, east and west.

Surprise Stadium is in the city of, you guessed it, Surprise which is in the west valley. Portions of Surprise are occupied by very old people, refugees, if you will, of Sun City, the ‘official’ town of old people that is directly to the east of Surprise. Surprise Stadium, a beautiful facility celebrating it’s first decade of existence, houses the two time defending AL Champion Texas Rangers and the upstart, generally awful Kansas City Royals.

In any other year, the drastic difference between the two ‘home’ teams would be laughable. You could imagine the pathetic, feeble Royals players staring across the field at the giants of success that is the Rangers, glaring in envy. But this isn’t such a year. The Kansas City team is something to behold: a team full of youth and expectation.

Will they be able to compete with the Rangers anytime soon? Probably not. The Rangers are one pitcher away from being World Series Champions and, when looking at their All-Star line-up (and the no-slouches bench players), it is shocking they haven’t won one already.

No, these Royals are not ready for the Rangers yet but they are setting themselves up to be. It is a truth universally acknowledged that Kansas City is the king of all farm systems. Farm systems don’t win you trophies at the major league level until they integrate themselves into the elites, but they do serve as a beacon of hope.

The Royals won’t stare at the Rangers as a source of dismay this spring training, wishing they could be even a fraction as good. No, the Royals can look over across the field and see themselves becoming the Rangers. It might not pan out, but it seems like there is at least a chance this time around. And that’s better then nothing.

***

And the one thing better then spring training baseball is spring training baseball on Opening Day. It’s Sunday and it’s sunny and the stadium is packed. And, to make things exciting, it is packed with actual Rangers and/or Royals fans. Going to see a bunch of prospects in a split squad game in the middle of March is one thing. But seeing the big guns bust out the bats on a sunny afternoon is something to take a vacation for. I did it this year and loads of folks from Texas did it too. In fact, the amount of Texas fans is a bit numbing since my hometown Tampa Bay Rays have fell at the hands of the former jokes of the AL West two years in a row in the playoffs by a score of six games to three (and 0-5 at home).

But the Rangers are hard to hate. They are led by media darling Ron Washington who despite documented evidence of being a foul mouth drug addict, is beloved by seemingly all. And he has taken Texas from being one of only three teams to never win a pennant to a back to back League champion. And while the Rangers bizarrely disappeared in 2010 when they lost in five games to the Giants, they can only blame a seemingly sent-from-heaven-and-it-is-our-fate Cardinals team for getting hot at the right time in 2011.

Royals fans are hard to find but I chalk that up to distance and interest. The Rangers fans range from the ‘I’m here to see Josh Hamilton’ to the ‘I’m wearing my Nolan Ryan jersey and contesting every throw ball’ variety. The Royals fans in attendance are ALL hard core so, despite being out attended three to one, their presence is felt.

***

The other presence that is felt is the Japanese media. Yu Darvish, the Iranian/Japanese pitcher who cost the gross domestic product of a Micronesian collective to negotiate with and sign, is not schedule to pitch on this beautiful day nor for the next few days. But this doesn’t stop the young men and women with their notebooks and massive cameras from recording any move Darvish or his teammates make.

As I take my seats in Section 102, Row 1 (right behind home plate), I hear a rumor that Darvish may be around. Before I know it, seventeen members of the Japanese press are running back and forth screaming at each other and taking snapshots of seemingly nothing. It’s truly madness. . .but it adds to the energy of the loaded ballpark and the stars, both young and old, who are about to make their appearance.

Once again, the Rangers are a ridiculously stacked line up and, for some reason, the depth chart is a bit bare when it comes to many of the positions. All-Star stalwarts like Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, and Michael Young will likely be playing every game this spring. As my friend Tony says, ‘they’ve got to get into game shape’, but an extra month of baseball, for a team who already is accustomed to extra baseball at the end of the year, worries me a bit. . .well, if I were a Texas fan.

The Rangers are such an interesting animal. Having never won a post season series in their history when 2010 rolled around, they beat the best team in baseball, record wise, my Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in a series in which the home team lost every game. Then they knocked out the defending champion Yankees.

The ‘barely-made-it’ Giants, with their slim hitting, looked like easy pickings for the Texas bombers yet, somehow, they lost in five games. The Rangers barely made it a series. I chalked that up to experience. But 2011 was virtually the same. They beat the upstart, 90+ win Rays again, this time without trouble, and knocked out Cy Young/MVP led Detroit thanks to perseverance and, maybe, some help from the weather gods. Yet it was the ‘barely-made-it’ Cardinals who, while not exactly sweeping Texas out of the park, decided to make history, three times perhaps, on their way to the big trophy.

What does 2012 hold? Another face off with the Rays? Another, third straight AL Pennant? And will an opponent become beatable for them in the throes of October? We shall see. . .but looking at the lineup today, on Opening Day of Spring, I can’t help but think, “why aren’t there two World Champion banners hanging up in Arlington right now?”

***

The other good thing about Opening Day is that you WILL see the big stars (mostly in cases not involving the Rangers who have stars playing every day.). The Rangers will be starting their ace, Colby Lewis. I mean, the ace they have anyway. Darvish may become the ace but Lewis is probably the best option they have now that CJ Wilson went to Los Angeles/Anaheim/California.

The Rangers come out as expected: Kinsler, Andrus, Hamilton, Beltre, Young, Cruz, Napoli, Moreland, Gentry. Ridiculous line up. And as excited as that is to see, the Royals bring out their ‘brat pack’, including Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler, and Alcides Escobar.

The Royals are a team that has to test their youth with a trial by fire. Loaded with almost no veterans, the Royals were simply the youngest team last year and, with a starting line up on Spring Opening Day (a day usually reserved for the established vets or for-sure rookies) consisting of five of 2011 Baseball America’s top 15 prospects, not to mention the non-prospect minor league grinders, like Johnny Giavotella and Vin Mazzaro, the Royals were sending out, what seemed like, a minor league team in itself.

But the previous prospects who are now considered ‘old hands’ are no joke. Alex Gordon, in his first full year last year, hit .303 with 23 homers and 87 RBI. Eric Hosmer, in his first major league year ever (after progressing from low A to AAA in only two years), hit .293 with 19 homers and 78 RBI. Salvador Perez, the catcher of the future in Kansas City, made his first call up last year and, in 158 plate appearances, hit .331 and slugged at a .473 clip. And, of course, there is BIlly Butler, a grizzled veteran by Kansas City standards, who approached 100 RBI last year and had an isolated power rating of .170 (the 19 homers and 44 doubles helping).

In other words, they aren’t lacking in star power. It’s just no one knows they’re stars yet. But the Royals decide to make an impression right away. Butler, a very corn-fed country boy who looks like he should be in the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, approaches the plate in his first at-bat and blasts one out of the park on only his second swing of the entire season. Hello spring!

The guy that impressed me the most on the Royals though was Giavotella. Worth exactly 0.0 wins last year (according to Baseball Prospectus’ WARP stat), Giavotella came out on this Opening Day and looked as if he was playing Game 7 of the World Series. In his first at bat he drew a walk, stole a base a bit later, and scored on the Butler homer. He also got a hit his next time up and scored a run later because of his base running during that inning. In two at bats, the young second basemen, who committed no errors, really made an impression. That’s the glory of spring though. Before Opening Day, and had not one iota of thought about Giavotella. Now he is someone I will watch out for all year and, perhaps, in the future.

On the Rangers side, there seemed to be a little malaise. Ian Kinsler committed two errors and the Rangers outfield looked confused on a shallow blooper to center field, letting it drop between the three players (two outfielders, shortstop). The exchange of ‘what just happened’ was fairly comical.

But this is just rust. To read into any of this would be foolhardy. Though the dumb snow-bird Rangers couple behind me, after watching Kinsler commit two horrendous errors, ripped the Royals for a dropped ball off a sharp liner to third (which was still made for an out) with the comment, “so the Royals have offense but no defense”, their arrogance is deserved. These are the defending AL Champs (two time defending for that matter) with a stacked line-up. The Royals, on this day, just wanted it more.

The Rangers, who had a large number of spring invitees without contracts, showcased a surprising amount of them late into the game. The first surprise was Conor Jackson. Jackson, a former Diamondbacks player with potential, succumbed to Valley Fever awhile back, got traded to the Athletics and then the Red Sox in the same year before going unclaimed. Now he has a shot again to do something. Of all the prospects and career minor leaguers that surrounded him in the later innings, Jackson looks good. He cracks a liner for an eventual out but the sound he makes when he connects is a pro-sound. Maybe someday he’ll bounce back.

The Rangers also stock Beltres in storage I guess. The ‘other’ Beltre, Engle Beltre, a former revered prospect by Baseball America who has dropped out as of the 2012 BA Prospect handbook, looks decent in the field but goes 0-1 on the day. Julio Borbon, formerly a starter years back, also goes 0-1 for but shows the Rangers depth.

The most apparent prospect was Mike Olt, a 6’ 2” third baseman who is ranked #3 on Baseball America’s prospect list. The former UConn grad was playing first, which makes me think either Mitch Moreland is going to be used as trade bait since he has been ‘disappointing’ to many (he helped score the Rangers only run in the game with a massive homer) or Olt is being prepped for a trade himself. Third base is pretty well stocked as it is with Beltre and mega-prospect Jurickson Profar (not on the 40-man) eligible for third if needed in the future since he is currently positioned as a SS.

Olt is bigger then his height on paper suggests and he has a good arm. He only gets one at bat and strikes out pretty quickly, if memory serves. Overall, I only saw four of the Rangers major prospects. The other is Robbie Ross, a left handed pitcher ranked #14 in Baseball America’s Top 30. I give his performance a B+ as he strikes out two but allows two hits that get him in trouble. However, a 0.00 ERA is always a good way to start.

Towards the lower end of Baseball America’s prospect rankings are left handed pitchers Michael Kirkman (#28) and Miguel De Los Santos (#29). Kirkman was previously ranked #6 by Baseball America in 2011 but has dropped immensely in prestige despite some major league showings. He has the worst day of anyone, allowing five hits, four runs (three earned) with only one K in two innings of work. De Los Santos left me no impression thought he did get a K.

On the Royals side of things, I see even less prospects, both surprising and unsurprising considering the Royals are teeming with youth and the prospects are mostly even younger! I do get to see the upside though. First off was OF Wil Myers who played DH for the game. Ranked #3 in Baseball America’s Top 30, I can see why he slotted in at the DH spot. . .power. Everything about his swing and connection screams power to me despite the fact that in his 1 for 1 appearance, he hit a single. Like many of the young studs on KC, Myers looks ready to bat with the big boys. This is, of course, an Opening Day impression. He could go 1-93 for the rest of his life.

I see #7 Prospect Kelvin Herrera at the end of the game in a non-save situation. He pitches lights out, striking out two and allowing absolutely nothing in one solid inning. It’s early but there was a confidence there that impressed me and has impressed scouts for some time. Lastly, I saw BA’s #30 prospect David Lough play right field. Like Myers, Lough does what he can in limited time, going 1 for 1 with a single. Both hitting prospect go a combined 1.000 while the pitcher throws a perfect inning? Sounds all perfect to me. No matter what happens for the rest of their careers, these kids have today to remember.

***

Overall, this beautiful barely-70 degree day was well worth it. I saw stars, I saw non-stars, homers, singles, base on balls, and plenty of Ks and, to add humor to the day, I heard of a bee attack at another spring training game far away. No one died so it still is pretty funny. And even if it isn’t, it was at least fun. And this was just Sunday. . .I had a week more of games to go!

William Johnson

My Interview with Todd Thomas.

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:02:00 +0000

When we attend Cardinal Baseball games at Busch Stadium there are a few things that stand out in each home game. It is either a home run, a triple play, a perfect game or the antics of the Cardinals Emcee Todd Thomas. I was able to chat with Todd Thomas recently about his time with the Cardinals and his thoughts about the Cardinals 2012 season.

A few things I did not know about Todd was that he has been working as an Emcee for the Cardinals for sixteen years. Todd grew up in a small Illinois town of Bement, according to Todd the population of Bement is now 1600. Todd’s graduating High School included only thirty two students. Another unknown fact is that Todd is also a business owner. He is the guy behind Porta Party DJ’s. Some of his clients include Monsanto, Enterprise and Anheuser-Busch Inc.

First of all, thank you for taking some time out for this interview.

How in the world did you get a job as an emcee with the Cardinals, and how does one become an emcee?

Todd Thomas: Long answer: Back when the Rams first moved here from LA, a friend of mine was asked to play the music during their home games. He couldn't because of contract issues with the radio station he worked for, so he suggested me. The Rams ended up bringing a guy from LA to do that job the 1st year. After the season was over, I called my initial contact to find out what their plans were for the following year. Much to my excitement, they were glad I called and told me they were hiring someone local that week and were considering me. Because I had no idea what that job would entail, I called the Blues and Cardinals to find out. My conversation with the Cardinals went quite well. The person I talked to was interested in me and all I did, and said he wanted to meet me. That was a Monday. He interviewed me on Wednesday. Hired me on Friday. And Opening Day was the following Monday. I never did get a job with Rams, but I did get hired by the Blues as their in-game emcee after my 1st season with the Cardinals. I did both for 8 years and quit after the hockey strike. This will be my 16th season with the Cardinals, and I am so, so very excited that I'm getting a World Series ring this year.

Short answer: I called them and they offered me a job.

I've always had a talent with the mic. I started out majoring in Radio-TV in college, but I late switched to Communications. I'm not quite sure how one becomes an emcee, but I can say that being witty, funny, professional, and timely are some key traits. I've seriously given thought to starting an "Emcee School" to teach people the "dos" and "don'ts" of the business. We shall see what happens with that.

I know you are a busy guy up in stands and all around Busch Stadium but do you get the chance to mingle with the ball players and if so who do you talk with most often?

Todd Thomas: Things have changed over the years. Back in the day, at the old Busch Stadium, things were a lot different. I had numerous encounters with players and remember Jim Edmonds trying to get me to tell him what door had the best prize behind it for one of our in-game promotions we'd do. I think he was trying to get "insider information" and make a wager or two with some of the other players. One of my favorite players was Mike Matheny, so I'm really glad he's back with the team as the manager. There doesn't exist a nicer man in the world.

Please tell us, what was one of your most embarrassing moments as an emcee?

Todd Thomas: One of craziest things that ever happened was back in 2004 in the post-season. I was DJing/Emceeing at Paddy O's after a game and a "little person" who demanded I called him "THE MIDGET" asked me to auction him off. I did. He brought $128 to a bachelor party that took him out with them for the night and into the wee hours of the morning. The next day, two guys from the bachelor party came up to me and said they had one of the best times ever with the guy. Later that day, "THE MIDGET" showed up and confirmed he had a wonderful time as well. Who knew such things happen in real life?

Did I read this right that you are also an actor? Please tell us what we have might see you in.

Todd Thomas: You haven't seen me in much. Most of what I've done has been more industrial work, but I recently was in a commercial for a bank that aired locally.

I would love to hear what your insights on the Cardinals upcoming season. With the addition of a new manager Mike Matheny and Carlos Beltran. How will the Cardinals fair this year?

Todd Thomas: I really like this team for 2012. I'm no genius by saying this, but if we can stay healthy, I think we'll blow through the NL Central (which isn't really saying much). The National League is lacking this year, while I think there are several American League teams that look incredible. But, I clearly remember last year in August when there seemed to be 8,000 fans at a home game at Busch and most people thought we were done. You never know!!

Well, thanks again Todd Thomas for your time. I will be looking forward to your antics once again down at Busch Stadium this year.

Possible Rotation for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:41:00 +0000

Here is what I think will be our rotation for 2012. Our starting rotation will be in this order:

Chris Carpenter
Adam Wainwright
Jaime Garcia
Kyle Lohse
Jake Westbrook

This year I see Westbrook having a much better season than last year. He is much slimmer and his velocity seems to be much stronger. Looks like Chris Carpenter is back on track. Since finding out that he has a bulging disk in his neck Carp took a throwing session yesterday with catcher Steven Hill. The session only included throwing 30 fastballs off the mound. He is cleared to pitch again

Carpenter's Neck

noreply@blogger.com (Joe McBrayer) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 22:49:00 +0000

This is what I hate to see. Carp is being checked for nerve related injury in his neck. Hope all is well, here is the rest of the story:

Carpenter’s scheduled opening-day start could go to co-ace Adam Wainwright, who tossed two hitless innings Friday in his first start since Tommy John surgery last spring.
Carpenter, whose throwing session Friday was canceled, left the team’s camp Friday morning to get a second opinion, according to the newspaper. He returned a few hours later but did no throwing.
Prior to camp, there was some concern about how Carpenter’s workload in 2011 might affect him this season. Including the postseason, Carpenter, 36, threw 273 innings in 2011.
In 34 regular seasons starts last season, Carpenter was 11-9 with a 3.45 ERA. He started six times in the postseason, including twice on short rest and three times in the World Series.

Source: The Sporting News