SB Nation - Blake Hawksworth

St. Louis Cardinals Top 20 Prospects for 2010

John Sickels — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:15:49 -0000

Blake Hawksworth, official winner of the 2009 Coolest Name In Major League Baseball Contest (AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

St. Louis Cardinals Top 20 Prospects for 2010.

All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get beyond the Top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you want to emphasize. Complete reports on these and over 1,000 other players will be in the 2010 Baseball Prospect Book, now available for pre-order, shipping on February 2^nd!

1) Shelby Miller, RHP, Grade B: I love the ceiling, but we need to see how he adapts to pro ball, if he can stay healthy, etc. etc.

2) Jaime Garcia, LHP, Grade B-; I like him and the Tommy John recovery looks like it went well, but I hope they let him build up his stamina rather than pushing him too quickly.

3) Lance Lynn, RHP, Grade B-: Projects as an inning-eater number three starter type. K/BB in the Texas League wasn't great, could use some Triple-A time.

4) Robert Stock, C, Grade B-: I preferred him as a pitcher in college, but letting him hit makes sense: if he makes it, you have a power-hitting catcher with good defense. If he doesn't hit, you just move him back to the mound. Could be one of the best catching prospects in the game by July.

5) Daryl Jones, OF, Grade B-: I keep expecting power to develop but there's no sign of it. Cutting him some slack on '09 numbers due to injuries.

6) Eduardo Sanchez, RHP, Grade B-: Underrated power arm needs more attention, could be a major league closer if command sharpens a bit more.

7) Allen Craig, OF, Grade B-: I really like the bat, just needs to play.

8) David Freese, 3B, Grade C+: Almost a B-, injury was badly timed, turns 27 in April, looks like a .270 hitter with 20 homer power, solid glove.

9) Jon Jay, OF, Grade C+: I just like the guy. Always seems to rip the ball when I see him. I'd love to have him as a fourth outfielder.

10) Joe Kelly, RHP, Grade C+: Nasty power sinking stuff, college results didn't match arm, this could/should change in pro ball but he was erratic in the NY-P, too, so maybe it won't.

11) Dan Descalso, 2B, Grade C+: He was great in the Texas League but went back to being mediocre after promotion.

12) Tyler Henley, OF, Grade C+. Similar to Jay....perhaps a bit more pop but a bit less speed, another guy who could be very good as a fourth outfielder.

13) Blake Hawksworth, RHP, Grade C: Deserves credit fighting back from injury. Can be a nice middle reliever.

14) Tyler Greene, SS, Grade C: Lots of speed, some power, good tools, still held back by spotty plate discipline. Could hit .280 with 20 homers some year, then .180 the next year.

15) Steven Hill, C-1B, Grade C: Remember Todd Greene? The short guy with tons of power who could play outfield, first base, catch a bit, but who couldn't draw walks? This is his clone.

16) Pete Kozma, SS, Grade C: If he'd gone to Wichita State, this would be his junior season. Too young to write off just yet.

17) Francisco Samuel, RHP, Grade C: Blistering stuff, with no idea where it's going.

18) Scott Bittle, RHP, Grade C: He could move through the system very quickly, if his arm doesn't disintegrate like the crew of the USS Exeter after being exposed to the Omega IV biological weapon virus.

19) Mark Hamilton, 1B, Grade C: Remember him? Looked like an injury-plagued bust but rebounded this year, got a place on the 40-man. Don't see how he fits in the lineup other than as trade bait.

20) Tyler Norrick, LHP, Grade C: Another 40-man roster addition, power lefty arm with a high strikeout rate.

OTHERS (All Grade C): Matt Adams, 1B; Nick Additon, LHP; Bryan Anderson, C; Adron Chambers, OF; Kyle Conley, OF; Roberto De La Cruz, 3B; Scott Gorgen, RHP; Trey Hearne, RHP; Virgil Hill, OF; Ben Jukich, LHP; Blake King, RHP; David Kopp, RHP; Casey Mulligan, RHP; Adam Ottavino, RHP; Tommy Pham, OF; Adam Reifer, RHP; Shane Robinson, OF; Fernando Salas, RHP; Scott Schneider, RHP; Niko Vasquez, INF; P.J. Walters, RHP.

Trades and graduations thinned this system out fast compared to last year, however, I actually like it better than these grades imply.

Shelby Miller and Robert Stock could both be B+ or A- prospects a year from now, once we get a full season of data to look at. Garcia and Lynn could both be in the starting rotation in 2011 and both have a reasonable chance to be very good pitchers. Sanchez has closer potential. Jones, Craig, and Freese could all develop into regular players under the right circumstances and at worst could be good role players, while Jay, Descalso, Henley, Greene, and Hill could all be useful if deployed properly. Jon Jay remains a personal favorite for reasons that I find hard to quantify.

There is a large batch of arms who could be very good relievers if they throw strikes (Kelly, Samuel, Norrick, King, Reifer) as well as an assortment of pitchability types.

The system needs more impact talent, but Miller and Stock should help provide that, and there's a huge batch of Grade C depth. There were about 10 other guys I could easily have written up as Grade C prospects with potential.

Baseball America's Top 10 Prospect Lists for 2010

raygu — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:00:18 -0000

We continue the Baseball America Top 10 Prospect lists for 2010 with the NL Central:

Cubs

1.	Starlin Castro, ss
2.	Brett Jackson, of
3.	Josh Vitters, 3b
4.	Andrew Cashner, rhp
5.	Jay Jackson, rhp
6.	Hak-Ju Lee, ss
7.	Logan Watkins, 2b
8.	Chris Carpenter, rhp
9.	Ryan Flaherty, ss/2b/3b
10.	D.J. LeMahieu, ss/2b

More after the jump:

Reds

1.	Todd Frazier, of/2b/3b
2.	Yonder Alonso, 1b
3.	Mike Leake, rhp
4.	Chris Heisey, of
5.	Juan Francisco, 3b
6.	Yorman Rodriguez, of
7.	Travis Wood, lhp
8.	Matt Maloney, lhp
9.	Brad Boxberger, rhp
10.	Zack Cozart, ss

Brewers

1. Alcides Escobar, ss

2. Brett Lawrie, 2b

3. Mat Gamel, 3b

4. Eric Arnett, rhp

5. Jonathan Lucroy, c

6. Kentrail Davis, of

7. Zach Braddock, lhp

8. Lorenzo Cain, of

9. Jake Odorizzi, rhp

10. Kyle Heckathorn, rhp

Astros

1. Jason Castro, c

2. Jiovanni Mier, ss

3. Jordan Lyles, rhp

4. Sammy Gervacio, rhp

5. Chia-Jen Lo, rhp

6. Ross Seaton, rhp

7. Tanner Bushue, rhp

8. Jay Austin, of

9. Jon Gaston, of

10. T.J. Steele, of

Pirates

1. Pedro Alvarez, 3b

2. Jose Tabata, of

3. Tony Sanchez, c

4. Brad Lincoln, rhp

5. Chase D'Arnaud, ss/2b

6. Starling Marte, of

7. Tim Alderson, rhp

8. Zack Von Rosenberg, rhp

9. Rudy Owens, lhp

10. Gorkys Hernandez, of

Cardinals

1. Shelby Miller	rhp
2. Jaime Garcia	lhp
3. Lance Lynn	rhp
4. Daryl Jones	of
5. David Freese	3b/1b
6. Eduardo Sanchez	rhp
7. Allen Craig	of/1b/3b
8. Blake Hawksworth	rhp
9. Daniel Descalso	2b
10. Robert Stock	c

Dodgers, Cardinals Set Rosters for NLDS

Eric Stephen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:31:23 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

Emperor Palpatine takes questions before tonight's game

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NLDS: Cardinals vs. Dodgers
Game 1	Tonight	Dodger Stadium	6:37pm
Game 2	Thu	Dodger Stadium	3:07pm
Game 3	Sat	Busch Stadium	3:07pm
Game 4*	Sun	Busch Stadium	TBD
Game 5*	Oct 13	Dodger Stadium	TBD
*if necessary		All times Pacific
All games televised on TBS

The Dodgers and Cardinals have announced their roster for the division series.

Dodgers

Catchers (2): Russell Martin, Brad Ausmus

Infielders (7): James Loney, Ronnie Belliard, Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Orlando Hudson, Juan Castro, Mark Loretta

Outfielders (4): Manny Ramirez, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Juan Pierre

Pinch Hitters (1): Jim Thome

Starting Pitchers (4): Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla, Chad Billingsley

Relievers (7): Jonathan Broxton, George Sherrill, Hong-Chih Kuo, Ronald Belisario, Ramon Troncoso, Jon Garland, Jeff Weaver

Cardinals

Catchers (2): Yadier Molina, Jason LaRue

Infielders (7): Albert Pujols, Skip Schumaker, Julio Lugo, Brendan Ryan, Mark DeRosa, Troy Glaus, Old Friend Joe Thurston

Outfielders (4): Matt Holliday, Colby Rasmus, Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel

Starting Pitchers (4): Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Joel Pineiro, one of John Smoltz or Kyle Lohse

Relievers (8): Ryan Franklin, Kyle McClellan, Jason Motte, Trever Miller, Dennys Reyes, Blake Hawksworth, Mitchell Boggs, one of Smoltz or Lohse

The Dodgers starting rotation will be Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Vicente Padilla, and Chad Billingsley, in that order.

The Cardinals will counter with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and Joel Pineiro for the first three games. Either John Smoltz or Kyle Lohse, who will both be available in the bullpen tonight, will start game four on Sunday.

Playing Hardball With Dodgers / Cardinals

Eric Stephen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:57:00 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

The fun starts tonight at Dodger Stadium

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I wrote a NLDS series preview for The Hardball Times, which can be found here. I picked the Dodgers to win in four games, for these reasons:

The Dodgers do have a lot of things in their favor, however.

The best record in the National League, at 95-67

The best run-differential in baseball, at +169 runs

The best ERA in baseball, at 3.41

The best bullpen ERA in baseball, at 3.14

The best OBP in the National League, at .346

Scored 50 more runs than the Cardinals

Allowed 29 fewer runs than the Cardinals

12 walk-off wins on the season, second only to the Yankees

Home field advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs

The Cardinals have the worst OPS in baseball against left-handed pitching, hitting .233/.312/.362 against southpaws this season. I expect Wolf, Kershaw, Kuo, and Sherrill to pitch about half the innings this series, shutting down the Redbird offense and keeping the Dodgers in the game.

SB Nation has also teamed up with USA Today for the playoffs. Each series has it's own blog with posts from each team's blogger from SB Nation. The Dodgers/Cardinals NLDS blog can be found here. In addition, if you happen to see a USA Today Sports Weekly in newsstands this week, be sure to flip to the Dodgers/Cardinals series section and read my reasons for why the Dodgers will and won't win.

**********

Tony LaRussa hasn't yet announced his lineup or roster for the NLDS, but it appears rookie pitchers Blake Hawksworth and Mitchell Boggs will be two of 12 pitchers on the squad. The Dodgers battered Boggs in August, scoring five runs off 12 baserunners in four innings. Haksworth pitched three scoreless innings of relief against the Dodgers in July in St. Louis for his first major league win.

Rosters are due at 10am this morning.

Baseball Reference Game One Preview

Playoff Worrying In Particular

DanUpBaby — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:30:19 -0000

by Jeff Curry - AP

2 months ago: St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Troy Glaus (8) leaps over Milwaukee Brewers' Alcides Escobar, as Escobar steals third during the 10th inning of a baseball game Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in St. Louis. The Brewers won 9-7 in 10 innings. (AP Photo/Jeff Curry)

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Anybody can, and does, worry about the playoffs in general. But worrying about particular parts of the playoffs, especially tangentially relevant ones? That's the blogger's job.

No playoff roster surprises yet—Khalil Greene in his second comeback was rendered basically irrelevant by Julio Lugo's arrival and Tony La Russa's reluctance to move past the put-him-in-good-situations point on the comeback trail. From the first of August to the end of the season he'd played fewer than forty innings in the field, which is fewer than Troy Glaus played as a September call-up. The current arrangement leaves the Cardinals without a real backup shortstop, but Greene probably wouldn't have helped matters there, either; his play-by-play numbers, as one would expect of a guy dealing with serious emotional problems, moving on and off the DL, playing sparingly, were... almost as bad as Julio Lugo's.

What it does do is leave the Cardinals—Cardinals fans, really, since there seems to be no real internal debate about it—with an odd positional controversy. How healthy is Troy Glaus?

I don't know if I had any logical reason to be as surprised as I have been, but Glaus's brief comeback has been as spotty as I expected but in a totally different way than I'd anticipated. Some combination of his long, unexpected layoff, his size and shape, and the shoulder problems that were apparently keeping him from throwing three months ago had me expecting a loping slugger, our homegrown version of the PH-only Jim Thome the Dodgers acquired from the White Sox. While his usage did sometimes shake out that way, the results—as with Thome, but not Jason Giambi—were not there.

But his defense, when he was made to play defense, was a revelation. I didn't realize it until Glaus got back—middle infielders have been at the hot corner all year—but when Mark DeRosa plays third base, he looks like a second baseman. He's nimble out there, but his reflexes, his first move in either direction, just aren't natural. Sometimes he just doesn't make them. Glaus is a big, slow, heavy guy, but he moves immediately and aggressively toward balls; that almost-play on a barehander Sunday was something I wouldn't expect DeRosa to make—but it was also, before I saw him play, something I didn't expect New, Sedentary Glaus to make.

Unfortunately, if we're extrapolating from subjective observation and small samples (his UZR/150 is 125.3!) there's also the matter of his slow bat and his 130 professional at-bats in 2009. During his long rehab Glaus struggled at three different levels, peaking in an encouraging-but-not-very .216/.369/.392 at AAA. In the bigs he didn't have much room to work through a slump, if it's a slump, but he certainly hasn't looked as capable offensively as he does defensively. (Not that Glaus has ever looked like a worldbeater.)

So now the Cardinals are in an awkward position, at least if they want to press the issue: Play Glaus for his defense, even though he might not be able to hit? I can't say I ever expected to say something like that.

II.

While we're on the topic—I don't expect this to prove either really important or, in the end, determined in such a way that antagonizes the Viva El Birdos contingent. But B.J. Rains of the mothership knows how to make us worry: suggest that Brad Thompson and Todd Wellemeyer are both candidates for the playoff pen:

The decision to go with 12 pitchers means that two of the four among Blake Hawksworth, Mitchell Boggs, Todd Wellemeyer and Brad Thompson will be on the playoff roster. Hawksworth and Boggs, both rookies, are the likely choices to make the cut based on their performances and the number of their appearances down the stretch in relation to Wellemeyer and Thompson.

He's right: Brad Thompson hasn't appeared in a leveraged decision since the end of July, and Wellemeyer—well, no. Not Wellemeyer. Hawksworth has shown up twice as often as either of them in the second half of the season, and Boggs's startling bullpen fastball—I haven't seen a bullpen transformation as complete and abrupt as his in some time, no matter where he ends up permanently—is certainly a higher upside play than WonderBrad.

But mentioning it at all, even as a theoretical possibility... it gives me the shakes.

III.

I've saved the most worrisome for last; so finally we've gotten to Joel Pineiro's tentative transformation back into Joel Pineiro. The strikeouts are fine; they're up, actually. The home run rate had to come up eventually, though I didn't expect him to give up 46% of his seasonal home run total in the last month of the year. But his command, the supernatural aversion to walks that characterized the first five months of the Joel Pineiro Comeback Spectacular—gone. Four strikeouts and less than one walk per nine is Christy Mathewson; Four and a half strikeouts and two walks is last season's version of Braden Looper.

That guy is a useful pitcher, even in the playoffs, but for now that's what I'll be expecting, so that when Joel Pineiro turns in a shutout and the Cardinals advance to the NLCS I will be pleasantly surprised.

Hot Corner Futures

the red baron — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:56:33 -0000

by Morry Gash - AP

They call him Lego. And he will destroy all you hold dear. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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So apparently this Matt Holliday guy is pretty decent at playing the baseball, huh?

On the list of least expected wins of this year, I would have to put that one right up near the top. For eight full innings, it felt like the Cards were just going to let the game slip away from them, victims again of poor at-bats and bases left full of runners. Oh well, the collective mind of Cardinal fandom said to itself, you can't win them all, I suppose. Hell, the Cubs haven't actually gained a full game on the Cards since late July; that's a pretty good run. Just one of those days when the team didn't quite get it done.

But Matt Holliday was having none of it. Hey there, collective consciousness, he said, that's loser talk! Why, I'm going to hit this Hall of Fame changeup over that center field wall just to prove to you how wrong you are!

And so he did. And there was much rejoicing.

Oh, and I would like to send my thanks to Tony La Russa for sticking to what I like to call the Grand United David Weathers Theory of Baseball. On second thought, I need a better name for it than that. GUDWTB just doesn't really stick in your mind, does it? Someone help me out with a better name.

I'll be honest with you; there really isn't a whole lot else I can say about last night's game. Smoltz looked very, very shaky in the early going but then seemed to get himself back on track; with his ability to get the strikeout, I think he's going to be a very, very useful weapon for the Cards come playoff time, most likely late in the game. I do think we need to change Blake Hawksworth's nickname to the Lucky Charm. Just saying.

Given the fact today's contest is a day game, I'm going to be brief this morning. Or at least try.

The longer the season goes on, the more convinced I become the Cardinals are probably going to resign Matt Holliday. He's been so good, and such an ideal fit, I just can't see the Cards letting him walk. Never mind the PR disaster; the fans will follow as long as the team wins. But more importantly, I think the organisation is still committed to keeping Tony La Russa on board as the manager, and having Holliday in a Redbird uniform for the near future could go a long way toward helping make Tony's decision whether or not to return in 2010 and beyond much easier. Plus, Scott Boras or no, Holliday seems to be honestly enjoying his time here in St. Louis, enough I think he'll accept a fair deal with relatively little fuss. He isn't going to be giving the Cards a discount, by any means, but I also don't think he's going to hold out and try to get Mark Texeira money. (I was getting ready to make a comment about how good our pie is here in flyover country, but then played it back in my head and decided that maybe wasn't the exact best phrasing I could come up with.)

No, to me, the more interesting free agent situation of the offseason for the Cardinals is going to be that of their current third baseman, Mark DeRosa. DeRosa is in a rather unusual position going into the offseason, and it will be very interesting indeed to see if he'll get anything approaching the sort of contract most of us assumed he would be due.

The problem, of course, is DeRosa has problems. Specifically, he has a wrist problem and a status problem. The wrist problem revolves around a tendon sheath and will require surgery in the offseason to repair it. The status problem revolves around the letter A.

As a likely Type A free agent this year, DeRosa will cost any team interested in signing him either their first or second-round draft pick in the 2010 draft. In the past, a player with numbers good enough to qualify as a Type A would generally be the sort of player a team would be perfectly willing to part with a draft pick for, but the math of baseball has changed. Teams are valuing their draft picks much, much more highly than in the past, as we saw this past winter. Players like Juan Cruz and Orlando Hudson found themselves on the market much, much later than anticipated, largely due to the Type A status and accompanying draft cost they were carrying around with them. Of course, Dayton Moore then proved not all teams have quite made it on the bandwagon yet; personally, I'm kind of hoping Moore continues making ~~stupid~~ brilliant moves like that and decided to stick it to his team's cross-state rival by trading them Alex Gordon for a bucket of KFC.

If the only issue for DeRosa were his arbitration status, he would likely be just fine. There would be at least one team out there willing to give up an early draft pick for the offensive upgrade he would immediately give them. Unfortunately for Monsieur du fait de Monter, his wrist issues and rather advanced age make him a bit of a risky bet anyway; add in the loss of a valuable draft pick, and I don't think too very many teams are going to be beating down his door, contract in hand.

Keeping all that in mind, I thought I might look at a few of the more likely candidates to fill the Cardinals' impending opening at the hot corner; give us all a bit better idea of just what's out there.

Mark DeRosa

Pros: Power bat, solid on-base skills. (though those have suffered since coming to St. Louis. Consternant!) Is, by all accounts, a good clubhouse guy. (Valuations may vary.) Gives outstanding interviews. Quite handsome. (Seriously, we've all seen his wife -- and no, I'm not posting pictures -- and I have to say, he might be the good-looking one in that marriage. Just saying.) Cool name. Will likely come on a short-term contract, due to factors outlined above.

Cons: See above. (Wrist, age, etc.)

Troy Glaus

Pros: Has hit for power in the past, decent on-base skills. Solid defender. A source of significant entertainment even when striking out. Scratch that, especially when striking out. Will likely come on a short-term deal, probably one-year.

Cons: Has missed almost the entire season after having left shoulder surgery, so health is a serious concern going forward. (And let's face it, we've seen what happens to St. Louis third basemen after they have shoulder surgery.) Well on the wrong side of 30, so decline is a concern.

David Freese

Pros: Very good glove. Young. Has a great story as a native St. Louisan. (Again, valuation may vary.) Has shown good power at the minor league level. Walk rates consistently near 10% at most levels. Making league minimum.

Cons: Unproven. May have lingering concerns about health after having ankle surgery. Was less than forthcoming about the injury with the organisation early on. Has few weaknesses as a player, but also has no real outstanding tools.

Brett Wallace

Pros: Remarkable plate discipline, plus power to all fields. Should hit early and often. Has good hands. Will be very inexpensive, making league minimum as a rookie. Great nickname already, though he apparently doesn't really like being called the Walrus.

Cons: Not actually an option. (Sniff)

Allen Craig

Pros: Hits and hits and hits and hits. Has never posted an OPS below .868 at any full-season minor league stop. Hits for both average and power, with a .921 OPS this year in Memphis. Will make league minimum.

Cons: Struggles in the field, often attempting to catch the ball with an oven mitt. Occasionally tries to get traded in mid-inning to avoid playing defense. Once invited Tony La Russa to a party at Michael Vick's house. Wants to pee in your pool. (Note: none of this is true, but I can't think of any other reasons why Craig is so universally ignored in the organisation.)

Joe Mather

Pros: Best nickname ever. Tremendous power, plus athleticism. Versatile; can play third, first, and any outfield position. Inexpensive, making league minimum.

Cons: Is a below-average defender at third. Missed almost all season with wrist issues; it will remain a concern until he proves it is not. Probably going to steal your girlfriend. Better fit in the outfield or as a supersub than an everyday third baseman. (Then again, so is DeRosa, so...)

Adrian Beltre

Pros: Best defensive third baseman on the market; barely a step down from Scott Rolen or Ryan Zimmermann. Younger than you think. Numbers have been depressed in Seattle; may be undervalued. Could come on short-term deal to try and reestablish himself. Enjoys free balling. Possibly a good bet to capture a bit of contract-year lightning in a bottle.

Cons: Health is a concern, as Beltre had season-ending shoulder surgery in July. Doesn't really like the walks so much (career .325 OBP). Scott Boras client. Competitiveness has been questioned at times. May have left his free balling days behind.

Chone Figgins

Pros: Fun to watch. Seriously. Hits for high average and has become a very good on-base player. Versatile, though truly awful in the outfield. Solid-average defender at third, maybe a little better than that. Walk rates have increased steadily.

Cons: Has little (read: no) power. Aging curve is not kind to speed players over 30. Will likely require long-term contract, and at high dollars. Is a fan favorite in Anaheim (as well as a manager favorite), and seems a fair bet to resign with the Angels. Violates rules of scrappiness by being black.

Joe Crede

Pros: Very good defender. Local product (Jeff City), nice story. Strong arm, good hands, plus range.

Cons: Has never been much of a hitter, and is in further decline. Chronic back problems have necessitated multiple surgeries. No longer has much power, and has never had much in the way of plate discipline. Over 30 with serious physical issues.

Melvin Mora

Pros: Would come cheaply on a short-term deal.

Cons: Is fairly awful. And old. And kind of a jackass. And awful.

And that, folks, is just about it. Technically, there are a few others, guys like Craig Counsell and Rich Aurilia and Nomaaaaaahhhhh, but I just can't really see the Cardinals looking at any of those guys too seriously. I suppose Pedro Feliz might be an option, but I'm not feeling it.

So given the options, what would be your choice? Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing Beltre if he came on a one-year deal, and I like Chone Figgins a lot. As far as Figgins goes, though, with the Cards needing to find budget space for Hurricane Holliday as well as the impending Albert mega deal, I doubt he's much of an option. Also, as I said above, I just get the feeling he stays in Anaheim. A guy I would very much be interested in is the player Figgins is blocking, Brandon Wood. Wood has destroyed the minors for several years now, but has struggled to make the transition to the big leagues. I think the Angels' handling of Wood has had a hand in his struggles, as he's never been given much of a chance to prove himself, instead filling in at short or third here and there with inconsistent playing time. He may be a bust, but I think it would certainly be worth finding out.

As for the in-house options, I know there is some sentiment to bring back Glaus, but I would vote no. Maybe if DeRosa does in fact go elsewhere Glaus would be worth it on a one-year low guaranteed deal, but shoulders just scare me. I think DeRosa is a better bet to be productive coming off his postseason surgery than Glaus coming off his long year of rehab. Just my opinion, though.

In the end, DeRosa probably represents the best option, especially if offered arbitration and signed for only a single year. Otherwise, I'm comfortable letting David Freese have first crack at the position in spring training, then look for possible solutions as the season goes on if he struggles. Well, technically, I would probably give Allen Craig first crack at it, but that apparently isn't in the organisation's plans. It is kind of nice to see the Cards giving Craig the chance to break Crash Davis' minor league home run record, though; that's the sort of thing we'll all remember forever. What? What the hell is fiction?

Above all, though, please god no more Joe Thurston. This is one case where I absolutely don't care what the numbers say. I can't take another season of watching him play third base for this team.

What say you, mob? (I would say angry mob, but who can be angry after watching the Douche Crew crash and burn?)

The Baron's Playlist for the 9th of September, 2009

"Poke" - Frightened Rabbit

"Holes" - Mercury Rev

"Blake's View" - M. Ward

"Robot Ponies" - Laura Barrett

"He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot" - Grandaddy

Albert Pujols Hits A Walk-Off Winner, St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 Over Washington Nationals.

Ed Chigliak — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:00:09 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

3 months ago: St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols, top, tosses his bat as fans cheer after hitting a walkoff home run to defeat the Washington Nationals 3-2 in a baseball game Friday, Aug. 28, 2009, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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It wasn't the same John Smoltz on the mound tonight in St. Louis that Washington fans saw in Nationals Park with the Red Sox a few weeks back. It was more like the Smoltz of old, albeit with significantly less zip on his heater, but the new St. Louis' starter threw 93 pitches over 6.0 innings against the visiting team from the nation's capital, striking out 6 and allowing just 1 walk and 1 ER, on a sac fly by Pete Orr that scored Alberto Gonzalez after "The General" had singled and taken third on Cristian Guzman's one-out hit in the third...John Lannan matched Smoltz frame for frame, (Hmmm, has that happened before?), and then threw two more than the Cards' veteran, pitching his way out a bases-loaded jam in the second with only one crossing and inducing 17 groundouts from the 27 batters he faced, giving up just 4 hits and 2 ER in 8.0 IP over which he threw 91 pitches, 62 for strikes.

The second run Lannan allows comes an inning after Elijah Dukes and Josh Bard had hit back to back doubles to off right-handed reliever Blake Hawksworth to break a 1-1 tie in the seventh. Lannan gets a groundout to first from Cardinals' center fielder Colby Rasmus for the first out of the eighth, but then throws a 3-1 fastball to pinch hitter Khalil Greene that ends up in the left field stands. 2-2 ballgame when DC reliever Jason Bergmann takes over on the mound in the bottom of the ninth against Alberto Pujols. After a high 94 mph fastball that Pujols fouled off, the future Hall of Famer got a fastball up and in, again at 94, that had the nicest fans in baseball expressing displeasure, but a moment later it was ecstacy as the Cards' 6'3'', 230 lb slugger connected on his 41st HR of 2009, a walk-off HR that sends them home happy. Cardinals win, 3-2 final.

BACKPAGE:

• Nationals' Game MVP: Tied?

Cardinals win, 3-2 final.

Miss The Game? The DC Faithful Were Watching.

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Nationals now 46-83.

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• Nationals' Game MVP: Tied?

It would be easy to give DC lefty John Lannan the MVP of the game for the Nationals, after all, he did hold a powerful Cardinals' lineup to just 4 hits and 2 ER in 8.0 innings, but that would overlook the effort that Elijah Dukes made in the outfield and at the plate this evening. The Nationals' right fielder finished the game 3 for 4 with a run scored and two doubles, but it was his range in the outfield and the fearlessness he showed running into the wall to make an impressive catch in the bottom of the eighth to rob Julio Lugo that stood out. Dukes gets my MVP vote. Now just keep it going every night...

GAME REPORT:

Washington Nationals At St. Louis Cardinals. Game 129 Of 162.

John Smoltz gets a groundout to second from Cristian Guzman to start the Friday night game between the Cardinals and Nationals. "Pinch Hittin’" Pete Orr rips a single through second for the first hit of the game. With Ryan Zimmerman up, Pete Orr steals second and takes third when Yadier Molina’s throw sails into center. Zimmerman K’s chasing a fastball off the plate. Adam Dunn hits a sharp grounder into the shift but can’t beat Julio Lugo’s throw to first...Julio Lugo grounds back to the mound, John Lannan makes the play and the throw for the first out. Ryan Zimmerman gets to a grounder in the hole from Brendan Ryan and throws him out at first.

Josh Willingham takes a 2-1 pitch to short right for the first out of the second. Elijah Dukes grounds back up the middle, but Julio Lugo’s waiting for it. Josh Bard goes down swinging to end a quick frame for Smoltz...Matt Holliday takes an 0-1 pitch to the left field corner for a leadoff double. Ryan Ludwick walks to put two on for Mark DeRosa, who singles through short to load the bases. Yadier Molina grounds into the DP, but a run scores to make it 1-0 Cards. Colby Rasmus grounds back to the mound to end the second.

Alberto Gonzalez finds a hole near second and sneaks a single through. John Lannan’s trying to bunt, but he gets fooled by a bender outside that’s called strike three. Willie Harris rips a single through second, Alberto Gonzalez takes third. Pete Orr battles Smoltz and ends up lining out to right for a sac fly RBI. 1-1. Ryan Zimmerman up, and Willie Harris gets nailed trying for second...John Lannan strikes out Smoltz to start the Cards’ third. Lannan throws a fastball outside by Julio Lugo. Pete Orr throws out Brendan Ryan to end a quick third.

Ryan Zimmerman takes a fastball outside for ball four. Adam Dunn takes a full-count slider outside for a called strike three. Josh Willingham flies out to left. Elijah Dukes reaches safely on a hard hit grounder to short. Josh Bard grounds out to second to end the Nationals’ fourth...Albert Pujols grounds back to the mound again. Matt Holliday grounds to first, and Adam Dunn gets down to pick it. Lannan issues a two-out walk to Ryan Ludwick. Mark DeRosa flies to right, Dukes catches it coming in.

Alberto Gonzalez grounds right back to Smoltz. John Lannan swings weakly at a cruel off-speed pitch. Willie Harris gets jammed and flies out to right...Yadier Molina reaches for a fastball outside that get grounded weakly to second. Colby Rasmus rolls the second out to first. John Smoltz flies out to center to end the fifth...Pete Orr leads off the sixth with a groundout to short. Ryan Zimmerman grounds out to short. Adam Dunn can’t lay off or connect with Smoltz’s two-strike bender...Cardinals’ sixth, Julio Lugo hits a line drive single to the right-center gap to start the frame. Brendan Ryan grounds to third, Ryan Zimmerman gets it, but throws away the DP attempt at second. Elijah Dukes sprints to the right field line to catch a pop fly from Pujols. Matt Holliday grounds to third, Zimmerman steps on the bag and throws to first to end the sixth.

Blake Hawksworth takes over on the mound for Smoltz. Josh Willingham pops out to second to start the seventh. Elijah Dukes explodes on a change and doubles to the left field corner with one down. Josh Bard pulls a fastball to right and it drops in for the second-straight double to score Dukes and make it 2-1 DC. Alberto Gonzalez grounds to first, John Lannan to second and it’s 2-1 DC in the seventh...Ryan Ludwick grounds out to Ryan Zimmerman. Elijah Dukes goes back to the track to catch the second out off Mark DeRosa's bat. Ryan Zimmerman picks a weak grounder from Yadier Molina and throws to first to end the seventh.

Dennys Reyes vs Willie Harris in the eighth. Harris flies out to short center. Pete Orr grounds out to Lugo at second. Ryan Zimmerman takes a two-out walk. Adam Dunn grounds into the shift, and it’s 2-1 in the middle of the eighth...Colby Rasmus grounds out to Ronnie Belliard at first. Khalil Greene gets a 3-1 fastball out over the plate and he sends it out over the left field wall to tie it at 2-2. Elijah Dukes runs into the wall while making a catch on a fly ball to the right field corner by Julio Lugo. Brendan Ryan grounds to short, and Alberto Gonzalez makes the play.

Josh Willingham grounds out to short to start the ninth. Cards’ right-hander Jason Motte gets Josh Bard to fly out weakly to right. Alberto Gonzalez does the same...Albert Pujols vs Jason Bergmann. Bergmann hangs a 1-1 slider and it’s over. Walk-off HR.

Nationals now 46-83.

Dodgers Drop A Heartbreaker To Cards

Eric Stephen — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:00:53 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Manny Ramirez gets tagged out at home plate to end the 12th inning.

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The Dodgers finally scored first against the Cardinals, but unfortunately for them St. Louis scored last. In between was nearly five hours of a wonderful baseball game, packed with just about every emotion possible. The Cardinals won, yet again, 3-2 in 15 innings, on a rocket single to center by the great Albert Pujols, but there was plenty to take away from this game from a Dodger standpoint.

Clayton Kershaw was amazing tonight, throwing a career-high eight scoreless frames, the first time he has ever recorded an out past the seventh inning in his short yet blossoming career. He threw 112 pitches, 73 for strikes, and allowed only four hits and two walks, while striking out seven.

Part of the reason the Cardinals didn't score was thanks to an amazing catch by Manny Ramirez to end the seventh inning. With runners on first and second, human vacuum Brendan Ryan put a charge into a Kershaw slider and nearly hit it over the left field wall. However, Manny jumped -- a bit early, by the way -- and caught it at the wall, robbing the Cardinals of two runs.

Kershaw left with a 1-0 win, and Jonathan Broxton got the first two batters out in the ninth inning, but Ryan Ludwick singled, then advanced to second base on a wild pitch, and scored on a broken-bat single by Colby Rasmus to tie the game. That means Kershaw's two best games this year have resulted in 15 scoreless innings and 20 strikeouts, and zero wins.

The Dodgers scored another run in the 11th, when a Matt Kemp sacrifice fly scored Casey Blake thanks to a throw up the line by Ryan Ludwick. However, with James Loney on second and two outs, Joe Torre chose to bat Ramon Troncoso, who struck out, rather than pinch-hit for him to try to score another insurance run. Troncoso, and not Guillermo Mota, started the 11th and ended up giving up the tying run on a Ludwick RBI single. The decision by Torre was defensible -- after all, Troncoso has been very good all year -- but the Dodgers ended up getting the worst of both worlds in this decision.

Hong-Chih Kuo came in to get the final two outs of the 11th, another positive sign of his comeback from injury.

The Cardinals appeared to have a golden scoring opportunity in the 12th inning, when Old Friend Joe Thurston doubled with one out. However, the Dodgers appealed to first base, thanks to an attentive James Loney, and Thurston was called out for missing the bag. No double for him, and eventually technically another 1-2-3 inning for Mota. This was at least the third game I can remember that the Dodgers greatly benefited from an appeal play.

Jeff Weaver entered the game in the 13th, and retired the first six batters he saw, including back-to-back strikeouts of Pujols and Matt Holliday in the 13th. After allowing a leadoff triple in the 15th inning, Weaver almost got out of it, getting two outs before giving up the game-winning single to Pujols. The Cardinals won the game because their best player was allowed to bat, unlike the Dodgers' threat one inning earlier.

In the 14th inning, Rafael Furcal singled to leadoff the inning, bringing up Orlando Hudson with Ramirez on deck. Hudson laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Furcal to second base, but more importantly leaving first base open, a spot quickly filled when Manny was intentionally walked. I don't want to jump on Torre for this, because Hudson has bunted on his own at times this year, but this was just a bad play. You have to give Manny the chance to hit in that spot. Andre Ethier is a good hitter, but he's not Manny Ramirez.

This game was too good and far too enjoyable, even in losing, to worry about such decisions. Tonight was a great and wonderful baseball game, but the Dodgers just didn't happen to come out on top.

In other news, Scott Elbert was scratched from his start in Albuquerque tonight, but not because of a pending trade, reports Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times. Speculation is that Elbert might be recalled to replace the struggling Brent Leach in the bullpen, or perhaps as an alternative to start Friday in case Jason Schmidt can't make his scheduled start.

Cardinals' starting pitchers have given up two runs in 23 innings this series. Hiroki Kuroda will face Kyle Lohse trying to avoid a sweep tomorrow night.

WP - Blake Hawksworth (1-0): 3 IP, 2 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts (first MLB win)

LP - Jeff Weaver (5-4): 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Box Score

We had an amazing 1,862 comments during tonight's game. Thanks for stopping by, everybody! Here's a roll call of the contributors:

Name	# of Posts
Eric Stephen	302
shaqfor3	191
Tripon	171
mwhite06	150
Bluetrek	118
cmramirez	117
krispykleen	79
matthewmafa	70
Phil Gurnee	69
bucknellbruin	69
shoothoop	58
kensai	45
oshea2002	45
BoulderDodger	39
Xeifrank	38
Ollie	33
prosellis	32
MammothDodger	23
soccerman8	20
sparksjessed	20
gxl	19
Nofatmike	19
Dr. Geek	19
SeanMillerSavior	18
silverwidow	12
StolenMonkey86	11
Regulan	11
pdotmac1	10
meercatjohn	10
seesdifferent	9
Yodasbrthr	7
Alex L	7
stillnotah8er	5
Rolex l	4
jaffa	4
Seanny Rotten	2
goodlucksaturday	2
XchalupaX	1
bigdodger	1
rdf8585	1
wongy	1

The Deadline Approacheth

chuckb — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:23:24 -0000

More photos » by Tom Mihalek - AP

The Cards won't be the only NL Central team adding players as the deadline approaches. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

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The trade deadline, at least the pre-waiver trade deadline, is upon us this Friday and I thought that today was a good day to look at our competition’s needs as Friday approaches.

Cards – division leader – I still believe the Cards could use 1 more starting pitcher but doubt that anything will happen along those lines between now and Friday. I expect we’ll see what Holliday’s addition does to the lineup and give Wellemeyer another couple of weeks to sort himself out. If those things don’t work, we can always look through the waiver wire to see who slips through. One thing I know is that Tony will not allow 20% of the remainder of our starts to be turned over to Mitch Boggs or Blake Hawksworth, no matter how well they’re pitching at Memphis. It’ll be Wellemeyer or some other vet. To this point, Wellemeyer has been basically a replacement level pitcher so it’s likely that any starter we could trade for would be worth no more than 1 win. Still, Holliday’s trade proves that we’re all-in and that win could ultimately be the difference.

Cubs – 0.5 GB – It scares the hell out of me that the Cubs, who’ve been savaged by injuries this season, are just half a game back. Yes, I realize that Dempster and Lilly have recently gone on the DL and we just added Holliday but the Cubs were the odds-on favorite to win the division before the season started and are an extremely talented, if aging quickly, team. I can’t imagine the Cubs NOT making a trade for a starter prior to Friday’s deadline. Additionally, it appears as though Dempster’s ready to return from the DL, as he’s set to make Tuesday’s start against the Astros.

The Cubs have struggled somewhat at the plate this season but that’s at least partly attributable to injuries to Ramirez, Lee, Bradley, Soto and Soriano. This team is, by far, the Cards’ scariest competitor. They’ve got to stay close, get everyone healthy, and make a September run.

Astros – 1.5 GB – That the Astros are just a game and a half out of first tells us that the NL Central isn’t exactly the best division in baseball. Matthew Carruth over at fangraphs recently explained how the Astros were the luckiest team in baseball to this point. Unfortunately for them, that good fortune seems to have hit a snag as Fat Elvis recently went on the DL when he injured his calf when he heard that Carlos Lee got an extra package of Twinkies from the team’s vending machine. The problem is that the Astros had little depth to begin with and their offense isn’t exactly the best in the NL anyway.

Somewhat surprisingly, their pitching has been respectable as it’s built around 2 solid starters and some vets in their mid-50s. This team has had trouble at 2B, 3B, and C all season and Michael Bourn has played over his head to this point. They’re going to need a hitter – probably someone who can play 1B now and 3B (if possible) when Berkman returns from the D.L. If they wait 2 weeks w/o making a move, they could be 4-5 games out and in 4th place rather easily and then it’s probably game over for them. I’d suggest someone like Chad Tracy from the D-backs or Scott Rolen. They could then have Geoff Blum play 1st for the next couple of weeks. They’re not trading for Rolen, however, unless the Jays agree to eat a lot of next year’s salary. Kevin Kouzmanoff’s another option and they could try and bring back either Aubrey Huff or Ty Wigginton from the Orioles.

Brewers – 2.5 games back – How is this team still alive? Their pitching has been the worst in the NL so far this season. There has been some talk of them being in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes but I don’t see that they have the horses to compete w/ the Phils, Angels, or Red Sox. Still, if they’re going to stay in it they’re going to have to have some pitching. Their bullpen’s been great but, outside of Yovani Gallardo, their starters have been atrocious. I could see them making a run at Cliff Lee but I think it’s more likely they acquire someone like Jarrod Washburn or, if he’s healthy, Erik Bedard. If I were them, I’d try and acquire a back end guy like Doug Davis or Washburn and see if they can hang in there long enough to add another starter, if necessary, next month. They’ve already added Felipe Lopez to help them out at 2B but they’re not going anywhere w/o at least 1 more starter.

It’s interesting that Justin Inaz has the Brewers as the division’s top team in his most recent power ratings, albeit by just one one-thousandth of a point over the Cards. Of course, this happened before the Holliday trade but I’d take our starters over theirs any day of the week. The Cubs aren’t far behind.

Our own vivaelpujols recently posted his Playoff Odds over at BtB and he has the Cards as having a 56% chance of making the playoffs. The Cubs sit at 40% and the Brewers are at 14%. That sounds about right to me, though my hunch would have the Cubs and Cards a little closer together. Interestingly, BP also has the Cards as having a 56% chance of making the playoffs though they have the Cubs at just 30%.

It’s not quite a 2 team race, but in my mind, the Brewers and Astros have the biggest ground to make up if they’re going to stay alive. One has to like the Brewers’ offense but they’re not going anywhere w/o some pretty substantial improvement in their starting pitching. Likewise, the Astros need a pretty big change to stay alive. The Cubs, on the other hand, need to stay afloat and get healthy. I think they could use a starter to help them do just that but this is a team that is very dangerous. They’ve been supreme underachievers to this point and could gain that half game fairly easily.

First Half Relievers

chuckb — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:00:11 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Kyle McClellan celebrates the fact that he hasn't been been worked as a pack mule the way he was during last season's first half. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Yesterday we discussed the virtues of the Cards’ starting rotation for the first half of the season so I thought it fitting to talk today about the pen. Unfortunately, the pen in the first half of the season hasn’t been quite as good as the rotation. For example, the Cards’ pen has only been worth 1.6 runs above replacement – TOTAL – for the entire first half. That’s 25th in the majors. Despite the pen’s 3.76 ERA, their FIP is 4.39, tied for 20th in the majors. And all this takes into consideration the fact that Ryan Franklin has pitched far beyond expectations during the first half and should regress during the 2nd half.

The best relievers on the team over the first half have been Franklin (5.3 RAR) and the 2 lefties – Trever Miller (2.1 RAR) and Dennys Reyes (1.1 RAR). Aside from those 3, the Cards’ pen has been rather pedestrian w/ only Kyle McClellan getting meaningful innings out of the pen and pitching above replacement level.

In comparing the division’s bullpens I wanted to look at the top 4 relievers (by RAR, provided they have a meaningful number of innings pitched) since those are the ones most likely to get meaningful innings during the second half of the season. This means examining each team’s closer, set up man, and a couple of specialists. After all, it doesn’t really matter how well Blake Hawksworth pitched yesterday afternoon since the team had very little chance to win the game when he entered anyway. It does, however, matter how well Franklin, Motte, McClellan, and the 2 lefties pitch in the 2nd half.

Cards	RAR	Brewers	RAR	Cubs	RAR	Reds	RAR	Astros	RAR	Pirates	RAR
Franklin	5.3	Hoffman	8.5	Guzman	4.3	Cordero	7.8	Sampson	8.9	Grabow	0.8
Miller	2.1	Coffey	8.1	Heilman	1.0	Masset	7.5	Fulchino	3.2	Chavez	0.1
Reyes	1.1	Stetter	5.8	Gregg	0.6	Rhodes	3.5	Hawkins	2.4	Meek	-0.6
McClellan	0.4	DiFelice	4.6	Marmol	-0.2	Herrera	3.3	Valverde	0.9	Capps	-2.0

So the picture for the bullpen isn’t quite so rosy as that for the rotation. As with yesterday, these numbers can’t be seen as being predictive of what might happen in the second half. They’re simply a reporting of what happened during the first half. I’d expect, for example, for Jose Valverde’s numbers to rise since he was hurt for about 6 weeks during the first half. The team totals for their respective pens are as follows:

Brewers – 27.0 RAR
Reds – 22.1 RAR
Astros – 15.4 RAR
Cards – 8.9 RAR
Cubs – 5.7 RAR
Pirates – minus 1.7 RAR

So just as the Cards’ hopes seem to ride on the backs of their starters, the Brewers’ seem to ride on the backs of their pen, which has been fantastic during the first half. The same appears to be true for the Reds, though w/ their young pitching, they’re awfully scary. I’d also expect the Cubs’ Carlos Marmol to pitch better during the 2nd half, though he put a scare into the hearts of Cubbie fans worldwide w/ his 9th inning hijinx yesterday. Adding in the totals of the starters, this brings each team’s rotation’s numbers to:

Cards – 87.1 RAR
Cubs – 72.9 RAR
Astros – 66.8 RAR
Reds – 50.4 RAR
Pirates – 49.5 RAR
Brewers – 42.7 RAR

The big lead our starters had over the Brewers and Reds and, to a lesser degree, the Astros, shrunk quite a bit b/c of the performance of the pens. Needless to say, we’re going to need McClellan and Motte to pitch better over the 2nd half of the season than they did in the first half. Overall, I think Motte’s done pretty well except for 3 blow-ups and should improve, provided he doesn’t wear down as McClellan did last year. We’re going to depend on McClellan to NOT wear down, despite the fact that he leads the team’s relievers in IP w/ 41. For what it’s worth, at the All-Star break last year McClellan had thrown 52 innings so I’m glad to see that he’s thrown about 20% fewer so far this season. If our starters can continue to pitch well, the team will demand less from our pen and that should help ease Motte’s workload as well. Still, I wouldn’t expect the pen to be the team’s strength over the 2nd half of the season.

Double header today. First game at noon and then the nightcap at 7. There will be separate game threads for each. Join us and let’s get to the All-Star break w/ a split and I’ll be happy.