This blog is about one thing: It is about a ball. A ball that is covered in cowhide and stitched together with exactly 216 seams. A ball that is only 9 inches in circumference and weighs only 5 ounces. And yet, It is our pastime, passion, and pride. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:37:00 -0600 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:37:00 -0600 When Anthony Reyes took the mound to start the game for the Cardinals yesteraday, he knew he was out there to prove himself worthy of a rotation spot. But he was going up against one of the fiercest lineups in all of baseball, the Mets, who have the likes of Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and Moises Alou in their lineup. But nevertheless, he proved himself quite well, as he pitched the starting 3 inning of the game scoreless, helping the Cardinals win over the mets 7-0. And while he was on the mound, the Cardinals, who were playing their first real spring training game, were doing fine at the plate, as they scored 3 runs in the bottom of the second to take a good early lead. Heading into the 4th, the Cardinals replaced Anthony Reyes on the mound with non-roster invitee, Hugo Castellanos. Hugo, originally from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, pitched just as good as Reyes, if not better, through three innings, keeping the Mets scoreless. So while things were looking good on the mound, things were also looking good at the dish. The Cardinals scored 2 runs in the 5th and 2 runs in the 6th, taking a 7 run lead over the still scoreless Mets. And with three innings left in the game, Cardinals minor league pitchers Kelvin Jimenez, Mark Worrell and Jason Motte each pitched a hitless inning, keeping the score at 7-0 to keep the Cards on top through all 9 innings. Anthony Reyes picks up the win, while he and Hugo Castellanos did just the same, pitching 3 innings of baseball on 2 hits. The Cardinals were quite solid at the plate yesterday, earning 11 hits on their 7 runs. The biggest damage came from both from Skip Schumaker and the veteran, Juan Gonzalez. Skip went 3 for 4 with an RBI, while Juan had 2 hits in 3 at-bats with a run scored and a RBI. 21 year-old Colby Rasmus, who pinched ran for Albert Pujols in the 5th and was later placed in the outfield, had a double in his only at-bat of the game along with a walk. Brian Barden, who replaced Troy Glaus at third late in the game, went 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs. Coming up today, the Cardinals play the Mets again, giving the Mets a chance for revenge. The Cardinals will have a tough one as they go up against the new Met, Johan Santana, who will be making will first non-official start as a Met. Going up against him will be the Cardinals “ace” Adam Wainwright. The game is scheduled to start at 12:05 CT. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/490349/ Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:37:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/490349/ When the St. Louis Cardinals took the field yesterday in their exhibition game against the St. Louis University Billikens, they were wearing red caps with a large ‘K’ on them, in honor of those who were shot at the Kirkwood high school shooting on February second. Those hats might have brought luck to the Cardinals. Or maybe it was just the fact that they were playing a collage team, but either way, the Cardinals took advantage of the Billikens inexperience, winning 15-2 in 7 innings. The game was the Cardinals first organized game since September. The Cardinals had minor league pitcher Mitchell Boggs start against the Billikens pitcher, Chris Merrik. Boggs had some trouble right off the bat as he let up a run in the first inning. But the Cardinals came right back as DH Brian Barton got a hold of one and drove the ball over the right field fence with Colby Rasmus on first, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. But it didn’t last long, as the Billikens came right back with a run in the top of the second, tying the game up. George Hebert took over the pitching duties for the Billikens in the bottom of the second and pitched a scoreless inning. But from there, it was all Cardinals. P.J. Walters came in to pitch for the Cardinals, and did likewise to Hebert. In the bottom of the third, the Cardinals broke the tie with 3 quick runs. And after Walters pitch another inning without the Billikens scoring, the Cardinals came out in a hurry in the bottom of the 4th, scoring 10 runs after an Amuary Marti pinch-hit Grand Slam. Clayton Mortenson came in to pitch for the Cardinals next for 2 innings, pitching perfect without a hit. The Cardinals were able to pick up another run in the bottom of the 5th. Heading into the top of the 7th, with Cardinals up 15-2, Chris Perez pitched a scoreless inning. And after that, the game was called by mutual consent. Pitching for the Cardinals was very solid throughout most of the game. Mitchell Boggs, who started the game, had the roughest outing, allowing 2 runs through 2 innings. Both P.J. Walter and Clayton Mortenson pitched 2 perfect innings. Chris Perez, who closed the game, pitched an inning of baseball with one hit. Walters earned the win. Colby Rasmus went 2 for 2 with 2 walks, 4 runs scored and an RBI. Brian Barton, who was reportedly injured and was a questionable start, went 2 for 2 also, scoring 3 runs with 2 RBIs and a walk. Amuary Marti, in his two at bats, went 2 for 2 with a grand slam and 4 RBIs. David Freese, who was recently traded to the Cardinals, went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored an RBI and a walk. Today, the Cardinals will be taking on their first major league team, as they play the Mets. The Cardinals will go up against John Maine and pitching against him will be the Cardinals “ace” Adam Wainwright. The game is scheduled to start at 12:05 CT. All the hats that were worn by the players will be signed and auctioned off later on MLB.com. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/489687/ Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:25:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/489687/ Let the games begin. Three spring training games, all exhibition games, were held yesterday, starting off the 2008 baseball season. Each of those three games had a major league team playing against a collage team. The New York Mets, who some say have the best team in all of baseball, played university of Michigan at Port St. Lucie, Florida and surprisingly just tied them 4-4. UM was actually ahead of the mets going into the bottom of the nine with a scored of 4-2, but the Mets were able to get a couple points ion the bottom of the nine to tie the game up. But over in Lakeland Florida, the Detroit Tigers where whooping up on the Florida Southern Collage. After the nine inning of slaughter, Detroit came out with a 17-4 win after hitting 5 homeruns. And at the Florida Marlins camp in Jupiter Florida, the Marlins took a 7-2 win over the university of Miami, even though UM out hit Florida 10-8. Marlin’s minor league player Lee Mitchell hit a pinch-hit homerun in the 6th. So with those games in the books, its time to let the real spring training game begin. The first non-exhibition games will start at 11:05 CT when the Mets play the Tigers and the Phillies take on the Reds. Also, the White Sox will play the National League champion Rockies, and the Royal will play the Rangers, both game starting at 2:05 CT. And at 6:05 CT, the Nationals will take on the Marlins. And along with all those game, the Pirates, Cardinals and Braves will each play their first exhibition games. The Cardinals will be play the St. Louis University Billikens and will have minor league pitcher Mitchell Boggs sent to the hill to start the game for them. Several other minor league pitchers are scheduled to pitch in the game and lefty Chris Perez is scheduled to close out the game in the 9th. And looking ahead to tomorrow, when almost ever major league team will play a spring training game, the Cardinals will be taking on their first major league team, as they play the Mets. The Cardinals will have a tough one as they go up against the veteran John Maine. Going up against him will be the Cardinals “ace” Adam Wainwright. The game is scheduled to start at 12:05 CT. So with it all starting all over again, its time for a whole new ballgame. Here’s to a great 2008 season. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/488953/ Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:49:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/488953/ All throughout baseball this week, pitchers, catchers and even some early arrivals of position players have reported to there spring training camps. 12 of MLB’s teams set off for Arizona, where the Cactus league will soon begin for spring training. The other 18 teams set off for Florida, where the Grapefruit league is held. The St. Louis Cardinals, who are among those in the Grapefruit league, reported to their camp in Jupiter Florida on last Thursday. Almost all of the 66 players who were invited to spring training have shown up for early workouts before the first Spring Training game, about 10 days away. The main activities that players will preform at their camps consist of simple exercises, like running and weight lifting. But before that, all players must complete a physical. Among those who were invited to the Cardinals Spring Training camp include all the main roster players, many prospects, like Colby Rasmus, Bryan Anderson, Chris Perez, Adam Ottavino, and some other minor league player and non-roster invitees, like D’Angelo Jimenez, Josh Phelps, Mark Johnson, and even 38-year old Juan Gonzualez, who will try to prove the Cardinals over for one last season in the bigs league. Gonzalez, who has only 1 at-bat in the Major league since 2004, and hasn’t played pro baseball since 2005. With currently seven outfielders, Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan, Ryan Ludwick, Skip Shumaker, Brian Barton, Colby Rasmus, and Gonzalez all competing for 3 outfield jobs, Gonzalez will have to earn his spot on the team. The oldest of the 6 outfielders, not including Gonzalez, is Ryan Ludwick, who is 29 –9 years younger than Gonzaluz. But with the outfield for ‘08 looking very young, a veteran like Gonzual might be just what the Cardinals need. Some other news coming out of Spring Training this week includes the fact that pitcher Matt Clement will not be available for the opening week of baseball in April. He is estimated to be ready to pitch in mid-march. Until then, his vacancy in the rotation means that probably either Brad Thompson, Todd Wellemeyer or Anthony Reyes will be battling to get 2 of the 3 spots in the starting rotation. Also, the Cardinals have signed left-handed relief pitcher Ron Villone to a minor league deal. Villone, 38, has played 13 major league seasons with 11 different team. He spent 2007 with the New York Yankees, collecting a  0-0 record with a 4.25 ERA in 37 games in relief. In his career, played mostly as a starter, he has a 55-57 record with a 4.76 career ERA. It is possible he might get a job in the Cardinals bullpen, due to a lack of left handed pitchers. He will be battling another lefty, Ron Flores, for a possible spot. So with the Cardinals gearing up for ‘08, nothing is final, as the battles for the starting jobs begin. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/484035/ Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:02:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/484035/ Minor league baseball teams go by the nicknames the “farm teams” because of a joke from the 1930s when St. Louis Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey formalized the minor league system, and teams in small towns were “growing players down on the farm like corn.” 70 years later, the Cardinals now have 6 affiliates, the Memphis Redbirds (AAA), the Springfield Cardinals (AA), the Palm Beach County Cardinals (A), the Quad Cities River Bandits (A), the Batavia Muckdogs (A), and the Johnson City Cardinals (R), and over 250 minor league players. In the past season, all the of the Cardinals minor league teams combined for a 337-364 record, a .480 winning percentage, which doesn’t sound promising, although 2 of the teams did make the playoffs. The Quad City River Bandits were among the four teams competing in the Midwest league playoffs, but were defeated in the first round. The Springfield Cardinals made in all the way through the Texas league to the championship series, but lost to San Antonio to take second place. So the Cardinals minor league teams are struggling, but many players are still thriving in the minors. There are a number of intriguing prospects, as follows: Colby Rasmus, OF. At 21, Colby completed his third professional baseball season in 2007. He was raised in a baseball family with his father, Tony Rasmus, being a former professional player himself, and his brother, Cory, being a #1 draft pick by Atlanta in 2006. He had a .275 batting average in 128 games with Springfield in 2007, along with a league high of 29 homeruns. In addition to his power, he has a good mix of speed, stealing 18 bases. He is considered the Cardinals #1 prospect, and was ranked by MILB.com as the 7th best overall prospect in 2007. With the trade of former Cardinal center fielder Jim Edmonds, could have a successful long-term tenure with the Cardinals at center field. Chris Perez, P. The big 6′4″, 225 pound relief pitcher is one of the most powerful pitcher in all of the minors. Chris, who is 22, struck out 77 players in 56.2 innings in 54 games split between AAA and AA. He had a 2-1 record with a 2.88 ERA and 36 saves. He was originally drafted in the first round of the 2006 player draft. As the Cardinals current closer, Jason Isringhausen, get older, Chris could find himself as the Cardinals every day closer in a few years. Jaime Garcia, P. Jamie, 21 and originally from Mexico, suffered a let down season in 2007, after he went 5-9 with a 3.75 ERA. Although he was drafted in the 22nd round in 2005, he immediately impressed in his first pro season, 2006, by going 9-7 with a 3.54 ERA. Although his stats aren’t incredible, he still has the stuff to be a great big league pitcher. Jarrett Hoffpauir, IF. This versatile infielder can play secondbase, shortstop and his primary position, thirdbase. At age 24, Jarrett completed his fourth professional season in 2007, split between AAA and AA. After coming out of the gate with a .345 batting average while in AA, he was promoted to AAA where he hit an eve .300, to have a total 2007 batting average of .323 with 11 homeruns and 57 RBIs. He is currently on the Cardinals 40-man roster. Mike Parisi, P. Originally a 9th rounder out of the 2004 draft, Mike, 24, has now played 4 seasons of minor league ball with 6 teams. He had a rather tough year in 2007, going 8-13 with a 4.91 ERA in 28 starts for Memphis. In his career, he has a 32-35 with a 4.33 ERA. Even though some of the stats aren’t pleasant to look at, he still has proven his self to be a possible 200 inning major league pitcher. Bryan Anderson, C. Considered by some to be the #1 catching prospect in baseball, Bryan, barely 21, has already played 3 professional catching seasons. He spent 2007 with Springfield, compiling a .298 batting average with 6 homeruns. He is a very good defensive catcher. But with Yadier Molina as the Cardinals catcher until 2012, Anderson’s future with the Cardinals is uncertain. Kyle McClellan, P. At 23, Kyle is a long time Cardinal Minor leaguer, playing with them since he was 18, in 2002. 2007 has definitely a turn around season for him. Before 2007, he had a career ERA of 4.31, but in 2007, he came back with a 1.82 in 40 games of relief pitching between A and AA. If he can keep it up, he has a good future in the Cardinals bullpen. Peter Kozma, SS. After being drafted directly out of high school as the number overall draft pick by St. Luis in 2007, he went straight into professional baseball business, at only 19. But in 2007, his first year, he put together only a .233 batting average with 2 homeruns and 4 stolen bases in 42 minor league games. But with no future shortstop on the Cardinals team, he could have a job with them up the middle in a few years. Adam Ottavino, P. The number one draft pick by the Cardinals in 2006, Adam, 22, completed his second pro season in 2007, going a respectable 12-8 with a 3.08 ERA in 28 starts in A. In his first pro season, 2006, he went 4-5 with a 3.32 ERA. In his three seasons collage seasons, he put together a total record of 13-13 with a 3.09 ERA with 290 total strikeout in 253.1 innings. With a little work, he could be a successful future starter Joe Mather, 1B-OF. After 7 seasons of minor league ball since he was drafted in the third round of the 2001 draft, Joe, 25, has finally started to make a name for himself. After hitting 16 homeruns in 2006, he came out of nowhere in April 2007, hitting 10 homeruns in the first month. At the end of the year, he had a total 31 homeruns, after being promoted to AAA. With Albert Pujols not going anywhere at first base, Joe’s best shot at making the Cardinals roster is through the outfield. Jason Motte, P. Three years after signing with the Cardinals in 2003, Jason, 25, join the Cardinals in 2006 for his first professional season. He had a 3.69 ERA in 2006 with a 2-3 record. He did much better in 2007, 4-3 record and a 1.98 ERA in 9 games in A, and 45 in AA. He also struck out 69 player in 59 innings. As the Cardinals minor league and major league players report to spring training this month, each will being try to prove himself worthy of the big leagues. Out of all those prospects, Hoffpauir has the best overall shot at making the team, but Rasmus and Mather are both competing for outfield spot as well. Catcher Bryan Anderson and pitchers Jaime Garcia and Chris Perez have also been invited to spring training. So with the Cardinals preparing for another season in the big leagues, they are also preparing to “grow” some more player in the minor leagues. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/481730/ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:51:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/481730/ In Cardinal country, the pitching staff does things slightly different. When looking to the Cardinals ‘07 pitching staff, you be confused, considering that 12 total pitcher started a game and out of those 12, 8 of those players had also been a reliever in the recent years. The ace, Chris Carpenter, only started one game. The pitcher who started the most games, Kip Wells with 34, had a 7-17 record with a 5.70 ERA. And the pitcher who was in his first full season of pitching, Adam Wainwright, ended up winning 14 games and was the only pitcher on the team to have at least 200 inning. So after a season of uncertainty in the rotation, the Cardinals had plenty of work to do in the offseason. One big question about the ‘08 rotation is “who will be in it?”. So I’ll take my shot and answering that. Out of the starters from ‘07, Adam Wainwright, Braden Looper, and Anthony Reyes will all be back for ‘08. Joel Pineiro will also be back after he resigned for two-years worth $13 million total dollars. Also, pitchers Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder will be back sometime in mid-season, after they recover from their injuries. You can add Matt Clement to that list as well, after he signed a one-year deal last month. So even with all those names in the mix, some other pitchers should not be forgotten. Brad Thompson, Todd Wellemeyer each have a chance, for they did some starting in ‘07, and also Ryan Franklin, who has had plenty of starting experience in the past. So, when you add all those players up, there’s a total of 10 pitchers competing for 5 jobs in the rotation. This is how I see it, even though the rotation will be greatly effected by their spring training performance, the opening day rotation is predicted to look like this: #1 starter, Adam Wainwright #2 starter, Braden Looper, #3 starter, Joel Pineiro #4 starter, Matt Clement #5 starter, Anthony Reyes Now, those first 4 spots are probably right, but that #5 slot is is still up for grabs, so don’t be surprised if one of the other pitchers is in there. By mid season, assuming no pitchers have been injured, the rotation could look like this: #1 starter, Adam Wainwright #2 starter, Braden Looper, #3 starter, Joel Pineiro #4 starter, Matt Clement #5 starter, Chris Carpenter/Mark Mulder Since to date when Carpenter and Mulder will be fully recovered from their injuries is unknown, this rotation is not certain. So, obviously there are still many questions that can rightfully be asked about the ‘08 Cardinals, so pull up a seat, there’s a little over 50 days until opening day. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/473103/ Sat, 2 Feb 2008 11:15:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/473103/ For months now, rumors have been spread around baseball about the trade for Johan Santana. It had become obvious the the Minnesota Twins were ready to trade off their ace pitcher very early on in the off season. And yesterday, it was all completed, and Johan was sent to another city in a trade. Despite rumors, he was not sent to the Boston Redsox or to the New York Yankees, but rather to a different New York team, the Mets. Yes, the Mets. Not exactly the first choice of where he would presumably go, but nevertheless, the Twins sent him there for a quartet of prospects. Pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, Deolis Guerra and outfielder Carlos Gomez. Santana, 28 and will be 29 when the season starts, is originally an undrafted free agent from Tovar,Venezuela. For the last 4 years, he has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball while winning 2 Cy Young awards. He has played 8 major league seasons, all with the Twins, and has accumulated a 93-44 record with a 3.22. In his first full season, 2003, he had a 12-3 record with a 3.07 ERA. In 2004, which is probably his best overall season, he won the Cy Young award with a 20-6 2.61 ERA. 2006 was not a good year for pitchers all around, but Johan posted a 19-6 record with a 2.77 ERA, winning the Pitcher's Triple Crown and the Cy young award. In 2007, he didn't do quite as good as his previous years, but still put up a respectable 15-13 record with a 3.33 ERA. If there was one pitcher in all of baseball I would want, it would probably be Santana. Carlos Gomez, only 23, was signed by the Mets in 2002 as a non-drafted free agent. He spent 4 different seasons in the minors with the Mets before being called up to the big leagues in 2007 in which he hit .232 with 2 homeruns. He has a minor league total batting average of .278 and 18 homeruns. After two minor league seasons Deolis Guerra, at only age 18, has a 9-14 minor league record with a 3.28 ERA. Kevin Mulvey, a second rounder from the 2006 draft, has a 12-11 minor league record with a 3.02 ERA at age 22. Philip Humber, 26, is a former first round draftee by the Mets from 2004 draft. After three seasons in the minor and two brief major league stints, he has collected a minor league record of 18-19 and an ERA of 4.11. And along with the deal, the Mets have signed Santana to a contract extension through 2014 worth $137million-$139 million. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/472841/ Fri, 1 Feb 2008 20:41:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/472841/ With 21 days until pitches and catchers report to spring training, the ‘08 St. Cardinals lineup will be a drastic change compared to past years. The only guarantee is that #5, Albert Pujols, will be on the first base corner -if he’s healthy. It would be safe to also assume that Yadier Molina will be the starting catcher throughout the season, considering that the Cardinals signed him to a 4-year deal this week. Yes, little Yadi, the youngest of the three catching Molina bros, will be with the Cardinals until 2011. It was announced last monday that he signed, avoiding arbitration. He will earn a total of $15.5 million, an average of $3.87 million a year. For Molina, that seems like a lot to spend on him, but do note that he is arguably the best defensive catcher in the game and his offense just keeps getting better as hos career goes on. At 25, Yadier played 111 games in 2007, in which he hit 6 homeruns and had a .275batting average, a rise of .059, compared to his .216 batting average in 2006. He started his career in 2004 when the Cardinals current catcher at the time, Mike Matheny, was injured and Yadier got his chance at the bigs. He immediately impressed coaches with his mature defense. He had and .993 fielding percentage in 54 games that year. In all 4 seasons with the Cardinals, he has a career batting average of .248 and 22 homeruns, with his 8 in 2005 being his career high. So with Yadier behind the plate, and Albert over on the first base side, the rest of the ‘08 lineup is still anybodies’ guess. Perhaps the most uncertain part of the lineup is the outfield. But one is certain, the ‘08 lineup will not be what Cardinal fans used to. For the past 8 seasons, center field has been Jim Edmonds territory. But with him being traded to San Diego for David Freese, and So Taguchi being released, the outfield will be much younger in the upcoming season than past seasons. The 2005 outfield was Jim Edmonds , Larry Walker and Reggie Sanders, with the average age being 36. In 2006, with Edmonds still roaming center, and Jaun Encarnacion and So Taguchi in the corners outfield spots, the average age was 34, so the team was getting younger. In 2007, Jim Edmonds was back for a final year and Chris Duncan and Juan Encarnacion was helping him in the corner outfield, and the average age was 31, a much younger outfield. But in the upcoming ‘08 season, the outfield could see an even younger trio. With Juan Encarnacion not being available to start on opening day due to an eye injury, that leaves a group of 5 players, Chris Duncan, Skip Schumaker, Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and Brian Barton, all fighting for jobs. Ludwick is only 29, and yet is the oldest player in the outfield and has the most expierence, being an outfielder all the way back to his first pro season in 1999. Ankiel is a year younger at 28, but unlike Ludwick, he has only been an outfielder since 2005, when he gave up on pitchng and changed positions. Schumaker, like Ankiel, will be 28 in the upcoming week, and like Ludwick, has been a minor league outfielder for a good amount of time. Duncan, 26, has more major league experience in the outfield then them all with 226 games, beating out Ludwick by two games. And the youngest, Brian Barton, will be 26 in April. When adding those ages together, the average age comes out to only 27, which is much younger than than outfield from 2005. Looking at the stats, the obvious choice would seem to be to play Ludwick, Ankiel and Duncan in the outfield, but either Barton or Shumaker would be needed to be in the lineup, for the sole reason that they have speed and could lead off of the top of the lineup, but, second baseman Aaron Miles or Ceasar Izturis could have that spot as well. If Duncan, Ankiel and Ludwick were to start regularly, the outfield would have some serious power. In 2007, Duncan hit 20 homeruns, Ankiel hit 11 major leauge homeruns + 32 minor league homeruns and Ludwick hit 14 homeruns. So if they played every day, Duncan and Ludwick could give you a solid 25 homerun season, and Ankiel…well, only time will tell. And thats not even counting the power of Albert Pujols at first base and Troy Glaus third. Glaus can get you 30 homeruns, and Pujols can get 40+ in a healthy season. So imagine this lineup: Aaron Miles, 2B Rick Ankiel, OF Albert Pujols, 1B Troy Glaus, 3B Chris Duncan, OF Ryan Ludwick, OF Yadier Molina, C Pitcher’s spot. Ceasar Izturis, SS The reason I put that “or” in there was because the batting order for Ludwick and Duncan would be greatly effected by whether the pitcher is a righty or a lefty, seeing that Ludwick bats right handed and Duncan bats left. But like any Cardinals season with manager Tony Larussa, spring training will ultimately decide who plays and where. This story and other can be read at baseballyakker.com http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/468332/ Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:03:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/468332/ Throughout baseball in the past 2 days, one word has flooded the headlines: Arbitration. 110 total players filed for arbitration, and 56% of those players have resigned with their teams, which is 62 of them, but 48 have yet to resign with their teams. Many players signed 1-year deal yesterday, avoiding arbitration. Among those players, the likes of Miguel Cabrera ($11.3 million total), Scott Kazmir ($3.785 million), Casey Kotchman ($1.45 million plus $50k performance bonus), Brad Hennessey ($1.6 million), Joe Blanton ($3.7 million), and Justin Morneau ($7.4 million). Also signing a deal, Matt Holliday, who signed a 2-year deal with the Colorado Rockies worth $23 million over 2 years. The only Cardinal to avoid arbitration by signing a deal was Rick Ankiel, who signed a 1-year pack worth $900,000. Ankiel, 28, the former-pitcher gone outfielder, came back to the Major Leagues with the Cardinals in 2007 after he had a powerful season with AAA Memphis in which he hit 32 homeruns. But two Cardinals still haven’t been resigned after they filed for arbitration. Both Yadier Molina, who filed for $2.75 million, and Todd Wellemeyer, who filed for $1.85 million. The Cardinals offered about half as much back to both players. Wellemeyer. The #1 priority with Molina is to sign him back, although a deal for several years is in consideration. Other players who have yet to sign back include Ryan Howard, Francisco Rodriguez, Erik Bedard, Alexis Rios, and Chien-Ming Wang. For a complete of players who haven’t signed back, click HERE. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/464451/ Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:16:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/464451/ Three days after it was announced that the Cardinals and Blue Jays were seriously talking about trading third basemen, the deal was done. After both players, Scott Rolen and Troy Glaus, did not use their no-trade waivers and were cleared after having a physical, Rolen was heading to Toronto to become a Blue Jay and Glaus was heading to St. Louis for his new team, the Cardinals. The deal was nice and clean, a third basemen for a third basemen. Although, along with the trade, it is reported that Glaus has or will use his 2009 player option, worth $11.25 million dollars. In 2008, he will earn $12.75 million. Rolen has three years on his contract left, through 2010, and will get paid $12 million each year. With Rolen, the Blue Jays now have 2 Cardinals from the 2007 team, along with Cardinal’s former shortstop, David Eckstien. To make things even more interesting, the Cardinals signed last week first basemen Josh Phelps, who spent the first 5 years of his career between 2000-2004 before being traded off to Cleveland. Not counting Glaus, only one other Cardinal has ever been in a Blue Jays uniform, the Cardinals ace, Chris Carpenter. Rolen, 33, who apparently wanted to get out of St. Louis after feuding with Cardinals manager Tony La Russa for some time, has had his offensive numbers go way down since he hurt his shoulders after having a collision with Heep Seop Choi in 2005. He is considered by some to be the best third basemen in the major and the best since either Brooks Robinson or Mike Schmidt. He was drafted in the second round of the 1993 draft, and was the 1996 rookie of the year with the Phillies. He spent his first 7 years with Philadelphia before being traded to the Cardinals in 2002 for Placido Polanco. His best year was in 2004 when he had a .314 batting average with a career high 34 homeruns and 124 RBIs. But of course, after is injured 2005 season in which he played only 54 games, he has yet to regain his prior numbers. Glaus, 31, will add some pop in the clean up whole behind Albert Pujols. But he will, with no doubt, have the type of defense that Rolen brought the St. Louis. He was a Blue Jay for 2 years, ’06 and ’07, before he spent the first 7 years of his career with the Anahiem Angels. In those years, he was the 2002 World Series MVP. In 2000, he hit a career high of 47 homeruns and a .284 batting average along with 102 RBIs. In the next season, he hit 41 homeruns with a career high of 108 RBIs. He has a .254 career average and 277 homeruns. In 2007, he hit 20 homeruns and.262 batting average. With the addition of Glaus, the Cardinals now have 5 new players on the 40-man roster, Matt Clement, Jason Larue, Brian Barton, and Ceasat Izturis. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/462021/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:10:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/462021/ It’s time for another edition of the St. Louis Cardinal’s report. Within the past month, the Cardinals have made several more additions to the team by signing several more players. The most recent signing was Thursday when the Cardinals signed first basemen/catcher Josh Phelps to a 1-year minor league deal. Whether he will play with the Cardinals off the bench or in the minors is uncertain, and will largely depend on how he does in spring training. He would most likely be only used at catcher in an “emergency”. Phelps, 29, is known for his power off the bench. He hit a career high of 20 homeruns in 2003 in 112 games, but since 2005, he has yet to hit more than 7 homeruns in a season, which he hit in 2007. He played his first 3 full seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, in which he hit 42 homeruns. Back in December, the Cardinals non-tendered second baseman Aaron Miles, but last week, he was re-signed by the Cardinals to a 1-year $1.4 million dollar deal. By re-adding him back onto the roster, the Cardinals have a much more solid lineup in the infield. Miles, 31, has spent the last 2 years in St. Louis after being traded for Ray King in the 2005 offseason. He split 2007 at second base, shortstop and pitcher (85 at second, 40 at shortstop and 2 games at pitcher). He did very well in 2007, with a .290 batting average. At the moment, the Cardinals have Caesar Izturis, Brendan Ryan, Adam Kennedy and possibly minor leaguer Jarrett Hoffpauir in the infield for 2008. Speaking of the field for 2008, this is how it is projected to be: Against right-handers: 1. Skip Schumaker, RF; 2. Rick Ankiel, CF; 3. Albert Pujols, 1B; 4. ?, 3B; 5. Chris Duncan, LF; 6. Yadier Molina, C; 7. Adam Kennedy, 2B; 8. Pitcher; 9. Ceasar Izturis, SS. Against left-handers: 1. Brian Barton, CF; 2. Rick Ankiel or Ryan Ludwick, RF; 3. Albert Pujols, 1B; 4. ?, 3B; 5. Chris Duncan or Ryan Ludwick, LF; 6. Yadier Molina, C; 7. Adam Kennedy, 2B; 8. Pitcher; 9. Brendan Ryan, SS. If you were paying attention to that lineup, you should have noticed two strange things. The first thing is that the pitcher’s slot is in the 8th whole in the lineup. Yep, the 8th. As one of the Cardinals described it “It’s just how we do it here in Redbird land”. If this seems familiar, you are right. The Cardinals batted the pitcher in the 8th slot throughout most of the second half of the 2007 season. Also, back in 1998, the Cardinal’s lineup was done the same way.  The logic behind that is that with the pitcher batting there, the lineup will get back to the top faster, there for getting Albert Pujols back to the plate faster, or in the case of the 1998 Cards, Mark McGwire. Whether this logic works or not is anybody’s guess. The second thing you should have noticed is that I simply put a question mark at the 4th spot, the Clean up role, because the third baseman for the ‘08 Cardinals is unclear. There is no doubt that the Cardinals third baseman for the past few years, Scott Rolen, wants to get out of St. Louis and has been feuding with Cardinals manager Tony La Russa for some time. His offensive numbers have gone way down since he hurt his shoulders by having a collision with Heep Seop Choi in 2005. So the obvious answer to that is to trade him, and, as it appears, the Cardinals will be trading him, though where to and for whom is unclear also. But one thing is fact, the Cardinals and Blue Jays are seriously talking about a Rolen for Troy Glaus deal. The deal is rumored to be completed in the very near future, but as Card’s General Manager John Mozeliak says it “I’m working on a number of things”. Glaus, 31, would add some pop in the clean up whole behind Albert Pujols, but he would with no doubt have the type of defense that Rolen brought the St. Louis. I will get back to this later, when the facts begin to clear up. Now that we’ve discussed the lineup, let’s talk about pitching. Heading into the offseason, pitching was defiantly the Cardinal’s #1 priority. With the ace, Chris Carpenter, not being fully healthy until after the All-star break and Mark Mulder possibly not ever fully recovering from his shoulder problems, the staff needed some help. It got that help this month when the Cards signed pitcher Matt Clement to a one-year $1.5 million dollar deal. The addition to him will boost the starting rotation to at least 4 full time starters, and one slot to be fought for in spring training. Clement, 33, missed all of 2007 after having shoulder surgery. In his most recent full year of playing, 2005 with the Redsox, he posted a respectable 13-6 record with a 4.57 ERA. He has a career record of 87-86 in 9 major league seasons. His lowest ERA was in 2002 with the Cubs in which he had a 3.60 ERA with a 12-11 record. In a full season, he can be a solid 200 innings pitcher. So along with him in the pitching staff, that give the Cardinals a rotation of Adam Wainwright, Braden Looper, Joel Pineiro, and Clement. The 5th spot is really a toss up. If he comes back healthy, Mark Mulder could be a possible candidate. Another is Anthony Reyes, but his Spring Training performance will highly effluence his future on the pitching staff. So the pitcure of the ’08 Cards is starting to become clearer, but it is still incomplete, for sure. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/461243/ Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:46:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/461243/ After nine years of being on the ballot, the Hall Of Fame finally called on one of the greatest relievers of all baseball history. Rich “Goose” Gossage received 466 total votes by the Baseball Association of America (BBWAA) who voted him in on last Tuesday. He needed 75 % to get in the HOF and received 85.8%.  He became the third closer to get into the HOF, following Dennis Eckersley and Bruce Sutter, the 2006 inductee. At age 56, Gossage still sports his trademark mustache. He started his career at age 20 with the Chicago White Sox in 1972. He had a 1.84 ERA with them in 1975. His first 5 years were spent with them before being shipped off to Pittsburgh in a trade. In that one and only year with the Pirates, he had a 1.62 ERA with a 11-9 record.  He signed off with them and onto the New York Yankees in 1978, starting a 6 year stint with them that staged his Hall of Fame career. He posted a 2.01 ERA in his first year with them and a 0.77 ERA in 32 games in 1981. 1983 was his last year in that stint with the Yankees, and in that year, he had a 13-5 record with a 2.27 ERA. From there, he moved around a lot as he spent 4 years with the Padres, a year with the Cubs, a season split with the Giants and a brief time back with the Yankees, another year with a different team in 1991 with the Rangers, 2 years with the Athletics, and his final year in 1994 with the Seattle Mariners.  He had 11 total seasons with an ERA under 3.00 and 4 seasons under 2.00 in his 22 total seasons. Coming in second place, Jim Rice, who was 16 votes shy of  75% with 72.2%. He received 392 total votes in his 14th year on the ballot. Next year will be his last shot at getting in by the BBWAA before being moved over to the veterans committee.     Rice, who is actually 2 years younger than Gossage at age 54, spent 16 solid seasons in the majors, all with the Boston Redsox. In those seasons, he collected 382 and a .298 batting average. 1978 was his best year, in which he hit 46 homeruns and held a .315 batting average. A year later, he had  .325 batting average. He also had a total of 2,452 hits. In third, Andre Dawson, who got 65.9% with his 358 total votes. After him, Bert Blyleven had 61.9% with 336 votes. Beyond him, nobody received more than 250 votes. The only first timer on the ballot to receive more than 100 votes was Tim Raines, who collected 24.3%. On the bottom of the list Brady Anderson and Jose Rijo were last, receiving no votes. Rod Beck, who was eligible for the HOF because he passed away back early in 2007, received 2 total votes.   Dave Concepcion, who was on the ballot for his 15th and last time time before moving to the veteran’s committee, came in 11th place with 16.2%. And of course, the Big Mac himself, Mark McGwire, received another disappointing vote percentage of 23.6%.  He was on the ballot for the second time. Because of the uncertainty of him using performance enhancing drugs, it is uncertain if he will ever be recognized by the HOF for his incredible 583 homeruns which ranks eighth on the all-time homerun list and his 70 homerun season in 1998. The induction of Gossage into the Hall Of Fame will take place in July. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/459774/ Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:19:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/459774/ Yesterday’s Trivia answer:  In 1992, Mickey Morandini became the only second baseman to turn an unassisted triple play. (Answer: C) Today's Trivia: Although Jackie Robinson was the first African-American player to play in the modern era of the major leagues, who was the first in the NL? A: Willy Mays B: Larry Doby C: Frank Robinson D: Don Bankhead ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yesterday, the Houston Astros took a chance as they signed reliever Oscar Villarreal to a 2-year, $2.85 million dollar total contract.  Villarreal, 26, has played 5 big league seasons, and his rookie year being the best of those seasons. His rookie season was in 2003 with the Diamondbacks in which he went 10-7 with a 2.57 ERA. After two seasons of not-complete major league ball, in 2006, he posted a 9-1 record with a 3.31 ERA. But he had a rough time in 2007 with the Atlanta Braves, going 2-2 with a 4.24 ERA. In 2006. He has proven himself to be able to be a good big league reliever, but only time will tell. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/451943/ Sat, 29 Dec 2007 09:53:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/451943/ Yesterday’s Trivia answer:  In 1996, Brady Anderson came out of nowhere and hit 50 homeruns. (Answer: D) Today's Trivia: In the National League, only one second baseman has turn an unassisted triple play. Who was he? A: Rafael Furcal B: Jeff Kent C: Mickey Morandini D: Randy Velarde ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay, so let me go ahead and say that I am currently working on a new home for this blog at my new website (baseballyakker.com), so the writing on this blog might be a bit slow until all is set up there. Sorry for the inconvenience. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/451425/ Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:30:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/451425/ Yesterday’s Trivia answer:  Ted Williams holds the career record for on base percentage with  a .482 OBP. Today's Trivia: : In 1996 Brady Anderson, after 9 major league season and only hitting a career high of 21 homeruns in a single season, broke out of nowhere and hit an un-normal amount of homeruns. How many homeruns did he hit? A: 54 B: 44 C: 37 D: 50 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/450892/ Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:43:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/450892/ Yesterday’s Trivia answer:  Jamie Shields is the first cousin of Phillie's outfielder Aaron Rowand (Answer: B) Today's Trivia: Who holds the career record for getting on base the highest percentage of times (on base percentage)? A: Ted Williams B: Barry Bonds C: Babe Ruth D: Roger Hornsby First off, Blessed Christmas! Well, I'd like to think I'm the only baseball writer in the nation writing about baseball today with it being Christmas, although thats most assuredly not true. Even though last night was Christmas Eve, one signing was completed. Jose Castillo, a middle infielder, was signed by the Florida Marlins. No money and year stats are available at the moment. Castillo, 31 and originally from Las Mercedes, Venezuela, has played 4 seasons in the majors, all with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and has accumulated a .256 batting averaged with 33 homeruns (8.25 a year for your info). In 2007, he hit no homeruns, but in 2006, he hit 14. In 87 games in 2007, he played a total of 4 different positions, 3rd base (34 games), 2nd base (20),  shortstop  (8), and outfield (1). http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/450261/ Tue, 25 Dec 2007 16:31:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/450261/ Yesterday’s Trivia answer: Chuck Fraser holds the record for most hit batters as a pitcher (Answer: C) Today's Trivia: Tampa Bay Devil Ray's pitcher Jamie Shields is the first cousin of which current MLB player? A: Grady Sizemore B: Aaron Rowand C: Chris Duffy D: Pat Burrell ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, even a multi-billion dollar sport like baseball does indeed take a Christmas break, but one notable trade has occurred. The Cincinnati Reds have dealt their star outfielder, Josh Hamilton, to the Texas Ranger for pitchers Danny Herrera and Edinson Volquez. Hamilton, 26, was the #1 pick in the 1999 draft by the Tampa Bay  Devil Ray's. Between 2003-2005, he was on the MLB restricted list for using performance enhancing drugs, but came back in 2006 with the Devil Rays in the Minors. In the 2007 off season, the Cincinnati Reds signed him and right away he started showing that pre-performance enhancing drugs talent again. In 2007, he had a .292 batting average with 19 homeruns in 90 games. Danny Herrera, despite being drafted in the 45th round of the 2006 draft by the Rangers, has compiled a 11-5 record with a 2.65 ERA, mostly in relief. Edinson Volquez, only 24, has played professional baseball since he was 19. He has a 36-27 record with a 3.72 ERA in 5 minor league seasons with 6 teams. He has played in 3 Major League seasons (2005, 2006 and 2007) and has a 3-11 record with a 7.20 ERA. So with that said, there's not a lot else to say except, I hope that you have a blessed Christmas! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/449029/ Sat, 22 Dec 2007 11:09:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/449029/ Yesterday’s Trivia answer: Ken Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa, Greg Vaughn all hit more than 50 homeruns in 1998 Today's Trivia: Pitcher Chuck Fraser holds a very distinctive  record in baseball. What is it? A: Most Runs Allowed B: Most Base on Balls C: Most Balks D: Most Hit Batters http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/448752/ Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:28:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/448752/ Yesterday’s Trivia answer: Lou Gehrig hit 23 career grand slams in his career, taking the tittle for most in that category, but Manny Ramirez is creeping up on that record. He currently has 20. Today's Trivia: When we think of homeruns in 1998, we think of Mark McGwire amazing 70 homeruns, but, there were actually 3 other players who hit more that 50 homeruns. Who were those players? A: Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. B: Alex Rodriguez, Jeff Bagwell, Sammy Sosa C: Ken Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa, Greg Vaughn D: Barry Bonds, Jeff Bagwell, Greg Vaughn ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- With the 2008 opening day only 100 days away, team's preparation for the next season hasn't stopped. Even though many and most of the big name players (Alex Rodriguex, Torii Hunter, Curt Schilling, David Eckstein ECT.) have already being signed, many deals are still occurring around baseball. One of the top pitching free agents, Carlos Silva, apparently is no longer a free agent. According to reports, he signed a 4-year, $44 million dollar total, $11 million a year, deal with the Seattle Mariners. He had been talking with many teams, but Seattle seems to have come out on top. Silva, 28, has spent the last 4 seasons as a starting pitcher with the Minnesota Twins. Before that, he spent to relief seasons with the Philadelphia Philles. All total, he has a 55-46 record with a 4.31 ERA. In the 2007 season, he went 13-14 with a 4.19 ERA. Again, according to reports, pitcher Dontrell Willis has signed an extension to his contract with the Detroit Tigers without ever even pitching a game for the Tigers. The extension will keep him in Detroit until 2010. The three year extension is worth $29 million total, or $9.6 million a year. Willis, 25, was traded along with Miguel Cabrera for prospect Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller.  Willis has played 5 seasons in the Majors, all full season with the Florida Marlins, and has a 68-54 career record with a 3.78 ERA. 2007 was undoubtedly his worst season going 10-15 5.17 ERA. He posted a 22-10 record with a 2.63 ERA in 2005. Today, Michael Barrett signed a 1-year, $3.5 million dollar deal with the San Diego Padres. Barrett, a veteran catcher, played 44 games with the Padres in 2007 after being traded there from the Chicago Cubs. At age 31, he has played 7 full seasons in his 10-year career with a .266 career batting average. Also, Geoff Jenkins has signed a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies to fill their void in the outfield, but later today, the official deal will be made, so I’ll report back on this later. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/448186/ Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:14:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/448186/ First off, let me say that once a wise girl told me that my trivia should include multiple choice questions, so that’s what I'll do from now on. Yesterday’s Trivia answer: Ruben Gotay (1982), Willy Taveras (1981), and Hideki Okajima (1975) were all born on Christmas day. Today's Trivia: Who holds the all-time career Grand slams mark? A: Manny Ramirez B: Lou Gehrig C: Babe Ruth D: Eddie Murry All right, so its time for another addition of the St. Louis Cardinals Report. When we last left off, the Cardinals were struggling with three problems: Not enough starting pitching, the Scott Rolen dispute and to many ourfielders. One of those problems was solved. The problem that was solved was the outfielding problem. A couple weeks ago, the Cardinals cleared up the outfield by letting So Taguchi go, but that still left the Cardinals with 6 potential opening day starting outfielders (Chris Duncan, Skip Shumaker, Jim Edmonds, Rick Ankiel, Ryan Ludwick and Brian Barton). But that problem was helped out a little bit on Saturday when they traded veteran outfielder Jim Edmonds for minor league infielder David Freese. Jimmy Edmonds, 37, had 2 years left on his contract with the Cardinals, but made indications that 2008 would likely be his last year in the bigs. So with that in mind, Edmonds agreed to the trade so that he could move back to his former and current home of California. He 8 total seasons with the Cardinals after being traded from Anaheim in a deal that sent Adam Kennedy to Anaheim. In 2007, his stats declined greatly as he finished with a .252 batting average and onlny 12 homeruns in 117 games. Freese, 24 and from Corpus Cristi Texas, spent 128 games this year with the Lake Elsinore Storm at third base. He hit 17 homeruns with a .302 average. He was drafted in the 9th round (273rd overall) of the 2006 amateur draft. That leaves 5 Starting outfielders left. I’m for Chris Duncan in right, Ryan Ludwick in left and Rick Ankiel in center, although Brian Barton and Skip Shumaker are for sure in the race for the outfield spots. Another player left the Cardinals club last week to. They non-tendered second baseman Aaron Miles. He spent the last 2 years in St. Louis after being traded for Ray King. The switch hitter turned 31 on Saturday. He split 2007 at second base, shortstop and pitcher (85 at second, 40 at shortstop and 2 games at pitcher). He did very well in 2007 with a .290 batting average. At the moment, the Cardinals have Caesar Izturis, Brendan Ryan, Adam Kennedy and possibly minor leaguer Jarrett Hoffpauir in the infield for 2008. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/446943/ Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:43:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kbsbaseballblog/446943/