Written by Mike on June 9, 2008 – 8:42 pm -
The Cardinals made it official today. After meeting with team doctors to diagnose the finger injury that took him out the game in his last start, Adam Wainwright is added to the long list of disabled Cardinal pitchers.
Although fellow starter Joel Pineiro will be reactivated, Wainwright joins pitchers Chris Carpenter, Mark Mulder, Matt Clement, Jason Isringhausen, Brad Thompson, Tyler Johnson, Josh Kinney, and Kelvin Jimenez on the shelf. Todd Wellemeyer will miss his next scheduled start, but won’t need extended time off.
Luckily, the Cardinals have so many arms in which to try to fill the rotation. The scheduled starter for tomorrow’s series opener in Cincinnati is Mitchell Boggs. So far, there’s no word on who will pitch in Wainwright’s spot on Thursday. Mike Parisi made two starts and several appearances in relief before being sent back down to Memphis. Of course Anthony Reyes is an option, as well as Cardinal reliever Kyle McClellan, and farmhands Jaime Garcia and Jess Todd.
Derrick Goold has more on Wainwright, and be sure to check out Bernie Miklasz’ take on the situation.
Posted in Boggs, Carpenter, Clement, Garcia, Isringhausen, Jimenez, Johnson, Kinney, McClellan, Mulder, Parisi, Pineiro, Reyes, Thompson, Wainwright, Wellemeyer | 2 Comments »
Written by Mike on May 14, 2008 – 7:43 am -
And it continues. After last night’s loss to Pittsburgh, the Cardinals are now 22-18, and have won only one game in their last seven. Chicago and Houston both lost last night too, so no ground was given up in the standings.
Remember during much of the first month, the Cardinals were playing tough, young, and with something to prove. During this losing stretch, I don’t see any sign of that earlier club. I thought the Tony La Russa ejection the other night was just what this club needed to get their intensity back. I thought the Pirates were the perfect team to whip up on, and the Cards could remember how much fun it is to win.
Because of rain, this one started late, and in extra innings, ended late because of a rough showing from Cardinal lefty Ron Villone. With the game tied at four in the tenth, Villone gave up 4 runs on 4 hits and a pair of walks.
On the positive side, starter Kyle Lohse pitched much better than he had in his previous two outings. He was excellent through six, but faltered in the seventh, finishing with 4 runs allowed on 5 hits, while striking out 4. Russ Springer and Ryan Franklin each pitched a scoreless frame, although Franklin’s ninth was quite eventful.
Troy Glaus hit his second home run, a three run shot in the sixth. Albert Pujols tied the game with a bomb in the eighth. And shortstop Cesar Izturis made another outstanding play on defense. Here’s the full box score.
Now, for some links. It looks like Tyler Johnson will finally succumb to shoulder surgery. He’ll likely miss the rest of the season. Matthew Leach has the full story.
Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of Stan Musial’s 3000th hit. He apparently would have liked to do it front of the home fans, but came in as a pinch hitter in a close game in Chicago, and doubled in a run. Robert Falkoff has more.
Check out the latest from Derrick Goold. He crunches the numbers on Cardinal base running over at Bird Land.
We all have come to expect great stuff from VEB, and Larry’s post on Monday was no exception.
Tonight’s game features Todd Wellemeyer and Paul Maholm. The Cardinals need to get back to their winning ways. The schedule doesn’t get any easier from here.
Posted in Franklin, Glaus, Izturis, Johnson, La Russa, Musial, Pujols, Springer, Villone, Wellemeyer | No Comments »
Written by Mike on March 22, 2008 – 11:21 pm -
The United Cardinal Bloggers Group is winding down the roundtable discussions, with one more debate to be posted on Monday. Yesterday I posted three questions to the group for open discussion. In addition to me, we had four other Cardinal bloggers participate:
Here are the questions, and everyone’s thoughts:
1.) Yesterday, there was some talk about who you’ve been impressed with up to this point in Spring Training. What about the opposite? Which players are you surprised to see having a disappointing spring? Do you think they’ll turn it around?
Daniel: There haven’t been a lot of disappointments. There’s disappointment in the same old same old with injuries, as noted with Tyler Johnson still not throwing. Izturis, to me, has been the biggest on-field disappointment, though. I know he’s not much of a hitter, so the average wasn’t that disappointing, but the fielding? He’s making an error a game, it seems like, and I know TLR is big on him, but right now, it’s not looking so good.
Haedar: Gotta agree with Daniel and say Izturis. He was never known for his offense, but he is supposed to be a high caliber defensive player and at least put up an average of .250, but he’s made tons of errors this spring and is hitting around .150. Tony is being stubborn and stating that he is the starting shortstop to avoid the “Spivey 2008″ tag. If Cesar keeps this up, he will be relegated to the bench in no time.
Bryan: Cesar Izturis has definitely been the most disappointing player this spring. And to add to it, Tony La Russa has been equally as disappointing with his rigid position that Izturis is still doing well defensively and should still start. I’m not sure Cesar has anything left in the tank anymore. Molina’s slow start is disconcerting, but I think he’ll turn it around at some point. Blake Hawksworth really disappointed me this spring, as this was a chance to make a good impression on the big league club. I’m not too optimistic about him.
Michael: Duncan’s horrible spring at the plate was a surprise to me. Also to see Molina regress at the plate, after the progress he showed during last season, has been disappointing. The other disappointment was Clement’s physical readiness not being what we expected/hoped it would be at the start of spring training. I hadn’t been aware of Izturis’ struggles with the glove until I saw your guys’ comments.
Daniel: I’d like to see Molina hit better in the spring, but I wouldn’t say I was worried enough to call it a disappointment. If it continues well into April, then that might be a different story.
Me: Of course Izturis is the big one. I was okay with the signing when it happened, and was willing to watch a sacrifice in offense for a defensive upgrade at short. Turns out Izturis sucks with the glove too. Tyler Johnson disappoints me too. Last year, despite changing his jersey number and his hairstyle, he still got knocked around a bit. I read that he had a baby, and was maturing quickly. To hear that a little more work in the off season might have prevented his injury was very disappointing.
Daniel: The only thing I’ll add is that I’m not sure that more work would have prevented his injury. It might have helped, but this seriously sounds like a surgery thing coming pretty soon, in which case more work might have blown it out earlier or at best delayed the problem.
2.) Opening Day is just ten days away. There are a lot of new faces on this year’s team. How would you grade John Mozeliak in his first off season as GM? What were his best and worst moves?
Daniel: Still a little hard to judge Mozeliak since a few moves were made while he was interim GM and some still haven’t really panned out. All in all, though, I think he’s doing a pretty good job. If he’s one of the reasons so many young guys are still in camp or got long looks this spring, he jumps up another notch. His next big test will be the amateur draft. If they can get a quality draft in, he’ll move even farther up.
Haedar: Can’t really grade him accurately at this point but he’s made some good and some bad moves. The two worst moves of the offseason were signing both Izturis and Miles to guaranteed deals instead of minor league deals with invitations to spring training. The best move came a day or so ago locking up Wainwright long term.
Bryan: I would give Mozeliak a B so far. It was probably a B- before the Lohse signing, but the signing was such a good deal that he has to get a B. On the other hand, the Miles re-signing was a very questionable move (and still is, considering Miles’ terrible spring so far). Trading Rolen was good for the team, trading Edmonds was neutral (although it opened up a position in our already crowded outfield), and the Izturis signing was just plain bad. Overall, however, I’m very satisfied with the direction this team is going.
Michael: Mozeliak: average or slightly better than average so far, but it’s still too early to tell. I’m not a big fan of Lohse after watching him get torched in Cincinnati for the past few years, but with our starters in disarray again Mozeliak didn’t have much choice but to sign another pitcher. He at least got Lohse on the relative cheap. Hell, he can’t be any worse than Kip Wells, right? Managing to move Rolen for more than a used glove and a bucket of baseballs was a victory. The Miles signing, I agree with all, is a head scratcher unless viewed through the “Tony wanted him” prism. Signing Wainwright yesterday was a great move.
Daniel: The middle infield situation definitely is Mozeliak’s biggest drawback. Especially when he himself admits he’d have signed Adam Everett if he had thought he’d been nontendered. (Though that wouldn’t have helped with the offense, it’d done wonders defensively.) Adding Miles to the mix was really unnecessary save to appease La Russa, I’d guess.
Me: Overall: B+. With the exception of Miles and Gonzalez, I think the Cards made all the right moves. The Molina and Wainwright deals are by far the best. Payroll flexibility is much better than it has been in recent years. We’ll see what they do come draft time.
3.) How much better (or worse depending on your answer to question 2) is this team compared to last year’s squad? How many wins will the Cards have at the end of the season, and where do they finish?
Daniel: I think this squad might be a little better than last year. I think the pitching will be better, at least on the whole. The offense is pretty intriguing. If Kennedy hits like he has this spring and Molina hits like he did last year, there’s only Izturis as a “OK, nothing is happening here” spot in the lineup. I’m still holding out hope for a .500 season.
Haedar: I think the starters are a little better, the offense is better, or at least has more potential to put up better power numbers, but the bullpen will not be as good because people will be moving in and out and therefore some integral parts will not know their main role. I think most bullpens can be decent as long as the guys in it know what their main role is and in what situation they are called upon to pitch. With a lot of injured players coming back from the DL, there is going to be a lot of shifting around and some pitchers will not get comfortable in their temporary role.
Bryan: I think the team is better than last year, but a few injuries could really turn this season into a disaster. I think 80-85 wins is a very optimistic prediction, but I’ll go ahead and make it. I’m confident in our outfield and returning pitchers. Still don’t think that’ll be good enough for anything but third.
Michael: Even with all the moves the team has tread water overall since last season ended. The bullpen is still a plus but didn’t improve; the starters overall are still a minus and didn’t improve; the lineup is a wash; the bench is slightly better. It seems all our eggs for a good team are in the respective rehab baskets of Carpenter, Mulder, and Clement. I expect they’ll finish within +0, -10 games of .500 with the team they have now.
Haedar: I think the Cardinals’ record will get worse before it gets better. That’s to the tune of 75 wins this season.
Me: I think it depends on how you look at it. Before Opening Day ‘07, the Cards looked good. The pitchers all had good springs (even Wells), and no one thought they’d finish under .500. A ton of injuries changed the outlook dramatically. I’m optimistic about the offense. I think the potential to score a lot more runs is there. The starting pitching may be a wash, and I agree that the bullpen could be worse this year. I’m also wondering if the clubhouse will miss Edmonds, Rolen, and Eck.
That’s it. Lots of good points from everyone, and I’m sure they’ll be a lot more in the next installment. I love talking baseball!
Posted in Carpenter, Clement, Duncan, Eckstein, Edmonds, Gonzalez, Hawksworth, Izturis, Johnson, Kennedy, La Russa, Lohse, Miles, Molina, Mozeliak, Mulder, Rolen, UCB | 3 Comments »
Written by Mike on March 4, 2008 – 1:33 am -
The Cards were on the road today, playing the Nationals at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida. Braden Looper pitched well in his first start of the spring, but the Redbirds lost 3-2. Check out the box score from today’s game here.
Many players stayed back in Jupiter today, and as usual, Derrick Goold has all the info, along with some amusing anecdotes, including a few Cardinals shooting a series of commercials for the team’s new slogan: Play Like A Cardinal. Read all about it over at
Bird Land.
According to beat writer
Matthew Leach, the Cards are still waiting for Tyler Johnson’s MRI results. Tony La Russa acknowledges the importance of a healthy Johnson (Tyler).
“We’re not real deep there,” La Russa said of left-handed relievers, ”so what Tyler does is important, and if we don’t have him, it’s a setback.”
The Cardinals have another road game tomorrow. They’ll head to Ft. Lauderdale to face the Baltimore Orioles. Anthony Reyes will get the start. He pitched well last Thursday, throwing three scoreless innings against the Mets. Now that the Cards have lost three in a row, I’d say they’re due for a win tomorrow.
Finally, the long anticipated release of MLB 08 The Show, for PS3, is this week. I liked last year’s game a lot, and will probably end up getting this one too. Check out one of the trailers for the game
here, and some gameplay with the Cardinals and Cubs,
here. Some of the Cardinal players and coaches recently had their heads digitally mapped for the new games. Check out the
video.
Posted in Johnson, La Russa, Looper, Reyes | No Comments »
Written by Mike on March 2, 2008 – 12:12 am -
The Cardinals hoped to extend their winning streak today in a game against the Florida Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. Although the pitching was good, the Redbirds lost 3-2. I was at work all day, and didn’t get to see or hear the game, but I did follow along with the box score.
Todd Wellemeyer started the game, and was followed by Brad Thompson, Adam Ottavino, and Tyler Herron. The Marlins only picked up three hits. All three runs were unearned as Cesar Izturis and David Freese combined for three errors. Rick Ankiel and Brendan Ryan each had a pair of hits, while leadoff hitter Colby Rasmus went 0 for 3 with a walk.
The biggest news of the day came from the bullpen, when lefty Tyler Johnson was shut down after feeling tightness in his shoulder while warming up. He was evaluated by the team’s medical staff, and never entered the game. Johnson is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday.
“Any time you stop a guy from throwing, it’s a concern,” said head trainer Barry Weinberg. ”Now we just want to make sure that there’s no significant issue.”
Matthew Leach has more on the
story.
If Johnson has to miss considerable time, it would seem to open the door for one of the other left-handed relievers in camp, possible Randy’s brother Ron Flores or new Cardinal Ron Villone.
Tomorrow is the second “Fins and Feathers” game of the spring. This time the Cardinals will be the home team. Youngster Kyle McClellan will get the start in place of Joel Pineiro.
Posted in Ankiel, Flores, Freese, Herron, Izturis, Johnson, McClellan, Ottavino, Pineiro, Ryan, Thompson, Villone, Wellemeyer | No Comments »
Written by Mike on February 20, 2008 – 4:14 am -
The Cardinals signed veteran left-hander Ron Villone to a minor league contract today. Villone, 38, is a journeyman reliever coming off a two-year stint with the New York Yankees. St. Louis will be his 11th team since first making it to the big leagues in 1995. For his career, Villone is 55-57, with a 4.76 Earned Run Average. Used mostly as a reliever, he’s appeared in 580 games, with 93 starts. He pitched 42 innings in ‘07, compiling an ERA of 4.25. View all of his stats here.
Of course the minor league deal includes an invite to Spring Training, where he could challenge Randy Flores and Tyler Johnson for a spot in the bullpen. Earlier this offseason, the Cards brought in Randy’s brother Ron Flores, also a lefty reliever. If nothing else, he and Villone add depth from the left side. For more on the story, check out the Matthew Leach
article.
There’s not much to say about this signing. It isn’t much to get excited about, but it never hurts to add depth and create more competition. Also, if the Cardinals are trying to sign everyone listed in the Mitchell Report, they’re off to a good start.
Tomorrow is an exciting day for me. I’m going to make the short drive up to Jupiter to watch some of the club’s workouts. I’m most eager to see the new guys, especially the youngsters. I’ll be sure to take plenty of pictures, and I’ll report anything interesting, so be sure to check back.
Posted in Flores, Johnson, Villone | No Comments »
Written by Mike on February 16, 2008 – 3:27 am -
It was just as beautiful a day today in South Florida as it was yesterday. Day two of Spring Training went as expected. It was the first full scheduled workout for pitchers and catchers. As I’ve said before, there are a lot of new faces this spring, many of whom are getting their first taste of a big league camp. Tony La Russa took note of the many young players.
“Shouldn’t be any sleepy spring training games,” he said. ”Guys will be out there playing for their major-league lives.”
I know how much Tony prefers the veteran guys, and emphasizes the value of situational and pressure filled experience, but it would be nice to see a rookie or two break camp with the Cardinals this March. I think the younger guys, especially the ones playing for the league minimum, can really bring some much needed energy to a stagnant ball club. It was great during the stretch run of the ‘06 World Championship season to see some of the unseasoned guys step into big roles. Guys like Adam Wainwright, Anthony Reyes, Tyler Johnson, and Josh Kinney stepped up when the team needed them to, and the Cardinals wouldn’t have brought home the trophy without them.
Speaking of Kinney, today was his third time throwing off a mound this spring. Although his rehab is going well, it looks as though he might not see any game action for a while longer. Matthew Leach has
more.
Cardinals’ hitting coach Hal McRae was involved in drills with some of the hitters today decked out in his new #15 jersey.
Remember my thoughts on that?According to Derrick Goold, Colby Rasmus arrived to camp today. ”The Chosen One” has an outside shot of making the club, but more than likely he’ll start the year in Memphis. Don’t forget to check out Goold’s Bird Land, for all the inside happenings down (up for me) in Jupiter. Today he discusses a possible Mark McGwire appearance, as well as the “save the bullets” rule. Find it all
here.
And Chris Lee has more eye-popping photographs to share, this time of Mike Matheny instructing the catchers. Find them
here. It’s great to see Mike with the Birds on the Bat.
Posted in Johnson, Kinney, La Russa, Matheny, McGwire, Rasmus, Reyes, Spring Training, Wainwright | No Comments »
Written by Mike on October 16, 2007 – 8:30 pm -
What do you do this time of year, when your favorite team isn’t in the playoffs? We Cardinal fans haven’t had this problem very often during the Tony La Russa era. When Colorado finished their sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks last night, and we all had to relinquish the title of National League Champions, the time to really start thinking about next season’s roster began. For me, it probably began before the ‘07 season even started. I’ll start taking a detailed look at the Cards’ roster, examine who is under the team’s control, and speculate possible options to fill the empty slots. I figure to keep this post from being too long, I’ll break it down into parts, examining only one component of the club at a time. Because of the two recent signings, let’s start with the bullpen.
In 2007, the Cardinals used a total of 25 pitchers, and only 4 of those were never used in relief. That stat really tells how terrible the starting staff was. At times the bullpen seemed to be the only bright spot on the team. Later, in the second half, the pen had a few troubles, due to being overworked, and fell back down to earth. They finished 30-12, with a 4.07 ERA, good enough for 17th in the majors.
The Cardinals generally prefer to carry 12 pitchers, which means 7 relievers. We know that closer Jason Isringhausen is returning. He had a stellar year, converting 32 of his 34 saves, while compiling a 2.48 ERA. Although he had limited save opportunities, he did appear in 63 games, and struck out 54 batters in 65 1/3 innings, while only walking 28. These numbers were far better than his pre-surgery ones of ‘06. Having Isringhausen back for next season was a no brainer, and he should continue to experience similar success.
Back in July, the Cardinals signed right-handed setup man, Ryan Franklin , to an extension. He too had a great 2007 season, pitching in 69 games, and finishing with a 3.04 earned run average. Although he was a former starter with Seattle, he hasn’t started a game since 2005. His career ERA is 4.25, much higher than last season’s performance. I’d have to think that’s closer to what we’ll see in ‘08.
Russ Springer, also a right-hander, will be back next season as well. The team just gave him a new, one-year deal worth $3.5 million to be a middle reliever. He and Franklin should bridge the gap to Isringhausen quite nicely. I’ve already discussed Springer further here.
The Cardinals already control two lefties. Randy Flores, threw 55 innings, and had an ERA of 4.25 last season, while Tyler Johnson threw only 38, due to some time spent on the disabled list. His ERA was 4.03. Barring a trade, I expect both will be in the pen again next season. The club doesn’t have any major league ready left-handers in the system. Both Troy Cate, and Randy Keisler pitched in limited action in ‘07, and have since been designated for assignment.
Here’s how it looks thus far:
1. Isringhausen R
2. Franklin R
3. Springer R
4. Flores L
5. Johnson L
6. ?
7. ?
That leaves several to compete for the final two spots. Under team control, Brad Thompson, Todd Wellemeyer, Kelvin Jimenez, Brian Falkenborg, Andy Cavazos, and Dennis Dove, all spent time in last year’s pen. Josh Kinney, didn’t pitch in ‘07 due to injury, but will be given every opportunity to earn a spot if healthy. He played an important role during the championship run last October. Mitchell Boggs, who is currently pitching in the Arizona Fall League, and Christopher Perez, the 22 year old closer out of the University of Miami, could also be considered, although neither is on the 40-man roster as of yet. Troy Percival is likely headed elsewhere to to be a closer, and I’d rather not see any more of Scott Spiezio or Aaron Miles on the mound next year.
I’d say at least one of the spots should be for a long-relief guy. One that could be used as an occasional spot starter if neccessary. That could be Thompson or Wellemeyer, or both.
If no relievers outside the organization are brought in, I’d assume the combined salaries of the seven to be somewhere around $16 million.
Overall, I expect the bullpen to be a strength again in ‘08. If the Cardinals can solve their rotation troubles, the pen will be less fatigued, and should be better than the group from ‘07.
Posted in 08 outlook, Flores, Franklin, Isringhausen, Johnson, Springer | 2 Comments »
The Cardinals hoped to extend their winning streak today in a game against the Florida Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. Although the pitching was good, the Redbirds lost 3-2. I was at work all day, and didn’t get to see or hear the game, but I did follow along with the box score.
The Cardinals signed veteran left-hander Ron Villone to a minor league contract today. Villone, 38, is a journeyman reliever coming off a two-year stint with the New York Yankees. St. Louis will be his 11th team since first making it to the big leagues in 1995. For his career, Villone is 55-57, with a 4.76 Earned Run Average. Used mostly as a reliever, he’s appeared in 580 games, with 93 starts. He pitched 42 innings in ‘07, compiling an ERA of 4.25. View all of his stats here.
What do you do this time of year, when your favorite team isn’t in the playoffs? We Cardinal fans haven’t had this problem very often during the Tony La Russa era. When Colorado finished their sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks last night, and we all had to relinquish the title of National League Champions, the time to really start thinking about next season’s roster began. For me, it probably began before the ‘07 season even started. I’ll start taking a detailed look at the Cards’ roster, examine who is under the team’s control, and speculate possible options to fill the empty slots. I figure to keep this post from being too long, I’ll break it down into parts, examining only one component of the club at a time. Because of the two recent signings, let’s start with the bullpen.
