st. louis cardinals | This One's For Nick

March 12, 2012

Spring Training Notes: March 12, 2012

Pointed Magazine

I’ve been enjoying my week off by watching unhealthy amounts of Spring Training baseball. Along with MLB Network, I purchased MLB 12: The Show. I created a “Road to the Show” character, but gave up into my third season. A .216 batting average wasn’t worthy of a promotion, I guess. So I started playing online today. I won my first game 6-1 in 13 innings. The Detroit Tigers were my team of choice. My opponent: the Miami Marlins. The graphics in the game are crazy, but everything else is pretty hard. I did, however, have 20 K’s with Justin Verlander.

– Staying with the Tigers, left-handed pitcher Andy Oliver continues to impress. Pitching in extended relief, Oliver tossed 4 scoreless innings against the New York Mets today, striking out 2, while only surrendering 1 hit. He’s pitched 7 innings total this Spring Training and deserves, in my opinion, a long look at the 5th starting job in the Tigers rotation. He’s proven he can pitch in the minors, however, he needs a chance to stick in the majors, rather than being used as a spot starter for Detroit. He’s an interesting piece for fantasy as well because he racks up K’s and can eat innings.

– Colorado Rockies catching prospect Wilin Rosario had a huge day at the plate today. The Rockies defeated the San Diego Padres, 11-2. Rosario went 2-4 with a homerun and 4 RBI. I’ve been a fan of Rosario for a while now. He’s currently battling for the backup job behind Ramon Hernandez, but he can easily steal the role from Hernandez due to Ramon’s health concerns. I have Rosario on my fantasy keeper league and he’s staying put for the time being. He can potentially become a fantasy monster at the catcher position.

– Finally, the Washington Nationals squared off against the St. Louis Cardinals today. Washington won 8-4. There’s a few things that should be noticed. With Albert Pujols leaving St. Louis, manager Mike Matheny is looking for someone to replace both Pujols fielding, and his bat. One option is Matt Adams. the 23-year-old slugged 32 homeruns in Double-A Springfield, while driving in 101 runs. His bat makes him valuable and looks to certainly fill the void left by Pujols. He’s been having a nice spring, but depending on what the Cardinals decide to do with Lance Berkman, he may not start out in the majors.

One of my favorite utility men is Matt Carpenter. He’s got a great story too, if you ever want to look into it. Carpenter went 3-4 today and is now batting over .300 in ST. He deserves a spot on the roster, mainly because he can play everywhere. Who knows, maybe he can become the next David Freese.

Moving to the ‘Nats, TCU alum Matt Purke picked up the win in relief. The 2011 draft pick is considered one of the Nationals top prospects, pending if he can prove he’s healthy. He was once drafted in the first round by the Texas Rangers, but did not sign. After batting injuries in his junior campaign at TCU, Purke’s stock crashed faster than Enron. He’s 1-0 this spring with a 2.70 ERA. I expect him to start at High-A, but he will be closely monitored.

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March 7, 2012

Spring Training Notes: March 7, 2012

USA Today

It’s the best time of the year. Prospects are all over the place. So far, I’ve watched the first two New York Mets broadcasts. Here are some notes on the prospects and players that caught my eye.

– Bryce Harper, OF WAS : Everyone knows him. You may hate him, you may love him. Either way, get used to seeing him because he’ll be here for a long time. Harper debuted in right field against the Mets on Monday night. I’ve never been a huge fan in his swing. It’s not as smooth as I envisioned it however, it is effective. He has trouble with the off speed pitches usually, but if you’re going to challenge him, make sure you beat him. Every ball he hit was hit with aggression and bounced off the bat with fiery. He had a matchup against Mets right-handed prospect Matt Harvey. It wasn’t much of an at-bat. Harvey walked Harper, which was pretty disappointing.

Getting back to Harper, he may be ready now to hit in the big leagues but, he still needs some seasoning in the minors. Triple-A should suit him until an injury at the parent club allows him to break into the majors.

– Matt Harvey, he was erratic. 3 walks, a hit batter, and 0 strikeouts. He touched 94 mph at one point. That’s about it. Call it nerves, but he wasn’t what I expected. Players say he’s ready however, but he’s going to need more time. I wrote a piece on Mets Today, talking about Harvey’s transition to Double-A. Anytime you jump up a level, you’re going to face difficulties. However, the Nationals line up on Monday was a Triple-A lineup, something that Harvey will be facing this season. Call it nerves, but he was being pretty conservative and wasn’t attacking hitters. His fastball didn’t have the life it usually has but this is because it’s the start of the season. I would not get so scared about this but it’s a good growing experience for Harvey, who is in the plans for the Mets future.

– Johan Santana pitched Tuesday. With every pitch, I was holding my breath. Its scary watching Santana pitch, not because of how good he is, but because you don’t know what he’s going to be like after the injury. He pitched conservatively today, but it was a huge step forward. He didn’t have much life on the fastball. I believe he hit 90 mph once, while he sat around 87-88 the same time. If this is going to be he new velocity, he’ll need to have more deception on the change up to be successful. The first four batters he versed all hit hard balls, including a bomb Matt Holliday hit. But as the Spring rolls on, I’ll continue to monitor him.

The best part about the whole Johan Santana start was the intensity. For the mere 20 minutes he pitched, a Mets fan could escape everything that this team has been through. The Wilpons financial troubles were not in my head. Neither was the loss of Jose Reyes. Santana pitching reminded me of the old days. Days Mets fans have not seen. While the team gets made a mockery of, I had my moment this spring.

There’s really nothing like Spring Training.

November 10, 2010

St. Louis Cardinals: Top Ten Prospects of 2011

The St. Louis Cardinals had somewhat of a disappointing season in 2010. I mean, you could not predict the rise of the Cincinnati Reds and the downfall of the Cardinals. The pitching was there. Pujols was there. The controversy involving Colby Rasmus was there too. Two former prospects made their debuts in 2010 (Jon Jay and Allen Craig). With Tony LaRussa signing an extension, we might be seeing some of these prospects very soon.

I do not have any other words as I really hate the Cardinals as a whole. But they do have an interesting farm system. Here is the Top Ten Prospects of 2011…

1. Shelby Miller, RHP – Probably my favorite pitcher in the minor leagues. Shelby Miller is going to be the next ace/superstar for the St. Louis Cardinals. Personally, I find him better than Jacob Turner of the Detroit Tigers and most will agree. As one of the younger players in A Ball, Miller did not disappoint. His 12.1 SO/9 is a very sexy number. He did not walk that many batters. He was on innings watch but is defiantly an untouchable prospect in my opinion. If the Cardinals want to gamble, we could see him in Double-A in 2011.

2. Zach Cox, 3B – First Round selection out of the University of Arkansas, he did not see much playing time due to the late signing. However, he’s currently playing in the Arizona Fall League and will likely start the season in High-A or Double-A. We know he can hit. It’s just a matter of a transition from metal to wood at this point.

3. Seth Blair, RHP – Sandwich pick in the 2010 draft, he’s another one of those Arizona St. arms. He doesn’t need much refinement as he proved that in his college years. Is he the second coming of Mike Leake? Need pro data to prove it.

4. Matt Carpenter, 3B – Absolutely raked in Double-A this year. However, he’s 24 turning on 25. Still an interesting story.

5. Jordan Swagerty, RHP – One of the cooler last names in baseball. Another draft pick from 2010. It seems as if the Cardinals might have rebuilt their farm system if this draft pans out. He could potentially become a closer. Defiantly a solid bullpen arm for the future. Another pitcher out of Arizona St.

6. Adron Chambers, OF – Will start in Triple-A.

7. Tyrell Jenkins, RHP – First round pick out of high school, he’s a very interesting prospect. Was committed to play football at Baylor but could not turn down the money from the Cardinals. Athletic, tall…seems like a future Cardinal.

8. Daniel Bibona, LHP – He’s undersized but he’s crafty. Said he models his game after Tom Glavine. He did great in his debut this season in A Ball. Will likely start in High-A. Might have to become a reliever due to size.

9. Daryl Jones, OF – Disappointing 2010 campaign. Hit .244 in Double-A. Likely will start either there of Triple-A depending on how well his spring training goes. Could potentially be a call up later in the 2011 season.

10. Pete Kozma, SS – Showed power. Average is still a killer. I’m losing hope on this guy.

*Keep an eye out for 12th round pick Austin Wilson.

August 30, 2010

Player Interview: Daniel Bibona

Welcome to our first player interview of the blog. I would like to thank Tommy Thrall, who is the Director of Media Relations for the Quad Cities River Bandits. If you aren’t familiar with the River Bandits, they are the Class A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are currently in first place with a record of 77 wins and 53 losses.

Our first interview is with left handed pitcher, Daniel Bibona. Bibona was recently received the Lowe’s Senior Class Award while he was pitching for UC-Irvine. At Irvine, Bibona posted a 9-2 record, accompanied by a 2.48 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. He was drafted in the 8th round of the 2010 draft by St. Louis.

So far in his short pro career, Daniel Bibona is 3-0, with a 2.10 ERA. He was first used out of the pen, but he is now starting. In the future, I can see Bibona as maybe a 4th or 5th starter. Or maybe even a left-handed specialist because he has kept left-handed hitters below the Mendoza line this season. Plus, he isn’t all that big; standing at 5’11″ 160 pounds. Either way, the Cardinals got a steal and it’s going to be interesting to watch Bibona matures and make his way through the system.

If you could, can you please explain the process of the days leading to the draft. Such as, what was going through your mind and having to deal with all the attention.

Bibona: The days leading to the draft were exciting. I actually had a final the day of the draft so I had to focus on that. I couldn’t stop thinking if I got drafted and where I got drafted the whole time I was taking the test.

When you found out you had been picked, what was the feeling was like?

Bibona: It was a relief knowing that it was finally over and all the time I spent talking to different scouts finally paid off.

Could you talk a bit about the different pitches you throw and how you use them?

Bibona: When things are going well I can throw 4 different pitches for
strikes at any time. They are a fastball, two and 4, slider, cutter and
change up. I’ll use them depending on the weaknesses of the hitter.

What kind of music do you find yourself listening to as you approach your next start?

Bibona: I try not to be superstitious so I just listen to all different types
of music.

If you could pick a pitcher, either past or present, that you look up to or try to mold yourself after, who would it be and why?

Bibona: A pitcher that I have been compared to is Tom Glavine. I used to watch
the way he would attack hitters and try to emulate him.

Where would you like to see yourself within the next three years?

Bibona: The ultimate goal is to get to the big leagues as fast as possible.

I would like to thank Daniel Bibona and Tommy Thrall for setting up the interview. Make sure you keep an eye on Daniel Bibona!

This One's For Nick

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