Posts by whiteyball:
- First and foremost, you must be available to pick up your tickets IN PERSON at a special location near Americas Center in St. Louis on Saturday, July 11 between Noon and 3 p.m. CST. NO EXCEPTIONS. While the tickets are good anytime during the FanFest hours on Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Tuesday, they MUST be picked up on Saturday during the allotted time. If you cannot meet this requirement, do not enter the contest and spoil it for others – PLEASE!
- The staff of whiteyball will decide the winners. So, be creative and original. Tell us why you need to go! Only one winning post per reader will be accepted.
- Post your answer on the thread following the question to qualify. Emails will not be accepted. Partial answers will not be accepted.
- Winners will be notified via email so be sure to leave your address with your comment.
- Contest ends tonight at 11 PM EST. Sorry for short notice, but that is the way it goes.
- On Saturday, July 11, from Noon to 3pm CST, we will have a Wilson Greeter distributing tickets to winners. Our Wilson Greeter will be stationed at 7th and Washington in from of US Bank Plaza and will be wearing a Wilson T-shirt and Hat.
Whiteyball Into the Hall of Fame
December 7th, 2009From Stltoday per Rick Hummel:
“Dorrel Norman Elvert “Whitey” Herzog, the favorite son of New Athens, Ill., and perhaps the most popular manager in Cardinals’ history, was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame this morning in voting conducted by a special Veterans Committee which met on Sunday here.
The 78-old-year Herzog, the 10th person to manage the Cardinals to be so honored, will be inducted into the Hall next July 25 in Cooperstown, N.Y.”
Congratulations to Mr. Herzog, one of the reasons I love this game so much.
Cardinals Get Holliday
July 24th, 2009The Cardinals get Matt Holliday. Here is my story on Scout.com.
Wanna Go To Fan Fest?
July 9th, 2009The good people at Wilson Sporting Goods have given me access to some tickets for the upcoming All-Star Fan Fest in St. Louis. So, if you are interested in going, tell us why we should pick you in the comments section below.
The Rules:
Here is what you need to do to win a pair of MLB All-Star FanFest tickets, a $60 value:
Ticket pickup is as follows:
Dustin
Wanna Go To the World Series?
June 22nd, 2009Wanna go to the World Series? Well the makers of Krylon is giving away an opportunity to see this year’s October classic as well as other great prizes.
Just follow this link and sign up today.
Contact me at Dustin@whiteyball.com
Follow me on twitter.
Draft Day 1
June 10th, 2009
Cardinals first round pick Shelby Miller
I really, really like what the Cardinals did on Day 1 of the draft.As milb.com’s Lisa Winston put it, “You must be doing cartwheels!” Honestly, that is how I felt.
Here is my rundown over at Scout.com. Here is the MLB.com video of Miller.
The Cardinals’ second pick, Robert Stock.
And video of third round pick Joe Kelly.
I will be blogging/chatting most of the day on the Birdhouse Draft thread and over at Future Redbirds. Come join in the fun.
Plus, follow me on twitter.
Email me at dustin@whiteyball.com.
Dustin Mattison
Draft Talk
May 28th, 2009
Chad James
My posts have been sporadic to say the least but the blog has certainly been in great hands. I have been doing quite a bit of research concerning the draft.
Chad James is the name I keep hearing with the St. Louis Cardinals at number 19. When watching his video on MLB, it is obvious there is a lot to like. Projectable lefties that throw in the mid-nineties are a valuable commodity. I found this interview with the southpaw done this past March.
The Cardinals got to see him up close and personal this past October during the Wood Bat Tournament. The star-studded affair took place at Roger Dean Stadium and James pitched in a rotation with projected first rounders Tyler Matzek and Shelby Miller.
Remember, the Cardinals have strong ties in James’ native Oklahoma so don’t be surprised if the team pops another Okie prep like it did in 2007. Another video of James can be found here. And here.
Jonathan Mayo posted his mock draft earlier today. He has Grant Green falling to the Cardinals. Considered a top five pick coming into the season, Green, who has suffered with a bout of “draftitis” along with being a Boras client, has seen his stock fall. Even though he struggled, he finished the season with a line of .374/.435/.569. Baseball America rated him as the number 1 prospect in last summer’s Cape Cod League and we all know the Cardinals place in high regard players that have played on the Cape. Depending on his asking price, I think I could get really excited about Green being the choice. A potential left side of the infield of Green and Brett Wallace is something all Cardinal fans can get excited about.
Video of Grant Green
Another name to be familiar with is Chad Jenkins. A right-hander out of Kenesaw State, he seems to fit the mold the Cardinals look for. A big body pitcher with a heavy sinker. Think Lance Lynn.
Video of Kenesaw State’s Chad Jenkins (Double Click to see full-size)
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Flurry of Minor League Moves
May 15th, 2009
Kenny Maiques (Photo by Dustin Mattison)
There was a flurry of minor league moves on this Friday but first a dissappointing story.
Relief pitcher Kenny Maiques has been suspended fifty games for testing positive for a drug of abuse. Maiques back in extended spring training after starting the year at Double-A Springfield. The 23-year-old struggled with his command with 13 walks in only 3.2 innings. He finished his stint with a 14.73 ERA in his five appearances.
Maiques struggled through 2008 after a fantastic professional debut in 2007. He finished with 31 saves and 57 strikeouts in 53 innings. His 31 saves is the Quad Cities single season record. After the record-breaking performance, the Birdhouse named Maiques the 15th ranked prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals’ farm system.
The Cardinals drafted Maiques in 2005 after the right-hander had undergone Tommy John Surgery.
Maiques is the second high profile minor league pitcher in the St. Louis organization to be suspended for a positive drug test. The Quad Cities’ Deryk Hooker was suspended for 50 games in April.
Brown To the DL; Smith promoted
First Baseman Andrew Brown has been placed on the Springfield disabled list with a left-hand injury. After a slow start, Brown had been on fire of late. In 76 at bats, the Nebraska product had posted a line of .329/.366/.447. His batting average would have put him in the top ten among Texas League leaders if he had enough at bats to qualify.
Curt Smith has been promoted to Double-A Springfield after his hot start at Palm Beach. The 2008 Appalachian Player of the Year was hitting .344/.365/.492 with five home runs and 22 RBIs during Florida State League play. That batting average was tops on the circuit while his home runs and slugging percentage ranked in the top 10.
Not chosen until the 39th round of the 2008 MLB First Year Player Draft, Smith burst on the scene by hitting .378/.418/.585 with eight home runs and 49 RBIs to garner Player of the Year honors in his professional debut.
Swauger Up; Mitchell Makes Full Season Debut
Quad Cities’ outfielder Chris Swauger has been promoted to Palm Beach of the Florida State League. The 26th round choice in last June’s draft was hitting .296/.357/.522 with four home runs and 22 RBIs in 115 at bats. The Citadel product is hitting .325 in his last 10 games including three home runs in his last seven
Travis Mitchell has been promoted to the Quad Cities. The St. Louis native was drafted by his hometown team in the 13th round of the 2006 MLB First Year Player Draft.
In three professional seasons, he has a career line of .232/.278/.310 in 568 career at bats.
Dustin Mattison
Feel free to contact me at dustin@whiteyball.com.
Follow me on Twitter.
Baseball Honeymoon
May 2nd, 2009I would like to thank Lisa Winston for the plug on Baseball Honeymoon. If you are visiting after listening to the podcast, welcome. You can also see my work at Scout.com’s the Birdhouse. Plus, I do an occasional column at Future Redbirds and I am going to start contributing at Seamheads.com.
If you don’t download the Baseball Honeymoon podcast, you are really missing out. It is a really great listen.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Followme on Twitter
Slow
April 29th, 2009Yes, I have been slow to write lately. Anna is playing All-Star soccer and is also playing softball. Zac is playing T-ball and had his first game this past Saturday. Plus, I am training for a marathon in September (see in St. Charles) and running as many 5 Ks as I can. So sorry I’ve been slow but sometimes life gets in the way.
I love that the Cardinals have gotten off to a fast start. I am not so happy with the way they’ve done it. This team needs to catch the ball. You know as well as I do that if a team can catch it, it can’t win consistently.
The more I study the prospects in this year’s draft, the more unsure I am of how things will play out. I do believe at 19 there will be a power arm to be selected. I was sure that Mike Leake of Arizona State would be the man. I now don’t believe he will be on the board when the Cardinals pick. He might not be a power arm but remember the name Mike Minor.
One of my preseason faves, D.J. Lemahieu could be sliding down draft boards after being moved to second base. The LSU Tiger loses a lot of value if he is not able to handle shortstop.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Follow me on Twitter.
Cardinals Acquire Blaine Boyer
April 20th, 2009
Blaine Boyer
Brian Barton
Here is the official press release:
ST. LOUIS, MO., April 20, 2009 – The St. Louis Cardinals made a move today to fortify their bullpen depth by acquiring right-handed reliever Blaine Boyer from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Memphis (AAA) outfielder Brian Barton.
Boyer, 27, appeared in a career-high 76 games for the Braves in 2008, ranking 9th among National League pitchers. He also set career highs for innings pitched (72.0) and strikeouts (67) and was among Braves’ leaders in Holds with 14.
The 6-3, 215-pound Boyer appeared in three games (1.1 IP) with the Braves this season, losing his lone decision on April 8 at Philadelphia .
Boyer, a native of Atlanta , Ga. , was drafted by the Braves in the 3rd round of the 2000 free-agent draft. His career totals in two-plus seasons with the Braves include a 6-9 won-loss mark with one save.
Boyer is scheduled to join the Cardinals for their series opener with the New York Mets on Tuesday, April 21.
Barton, 26, was selected by the Cardinals in the Rule 5 Draft in December of 2007 and batted .268 with 2 home runs and 13 RBIs during his rookie season in 2008.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Pujols Leads All-Star Summer
April 16th, 2009From A Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2009
ALBERT PUJOLS LEADS ST. LOUIS INTO MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR SUMMER
Ring To Be Activated
April 16th, 2009LHP Ring to fill Memphis Roster Spot
LHP Royce Ring will be activated to fill the Memphis Redbirds’ roster spots vacated by the recent promotions of pitchers Chris Perez and Mitchell Boggs. Brad Thompson was demoted to fill the other slot.
Ring was signed as a free agent this past winter and really struggled during spring training. He allowed seven earned runs in just 5.2 innings (11.12 ERA) before being reassigned to minor league camp.
With the activation of Ring, the Redbirds now have four left-handed pitchers on their active roster.
When P.J. Walters is activated on Friday, the player that is involved in the corresponding move will fill his vacated spot.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Looking Ahead At The Draft 04/16
April 16th, 2009During our weekly look at the 2009 MLB Draft, we have looked at Kendal Volz each week. A right-hander from Baylor, Volz seems to be slipping down draft boards as his ERA and walk rate rise.
One of his teammates, Shawn Tolleson (video above) could be a very interesting pick. A once heralded prep whose college career was delayed due to Tommy John surgery, like Volz he has struggled with command so far this season. During his junior season, Tolleson hurled two complete game shutouts and entered this season as the number 23 college prospect according to Baseball America.
This past summer he was rated as the number 15 prospect in the Cape Cod League according to the publication. While on the island, he posted a 3.41 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 37 innings. Remember, the Cardinals really like players that have played on the Cape.
Tolleson will probably still be around in the second or third rounds due to his struggles and if the Cards want to pay up, he would be an interesting choice.
My odds on favorite to be the Cardinals pick at number 19, Mike Leake, is looking like he won’t be on the board when the pick rolls around. He now has a 1.53 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 64.2 innings.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Cardinals Shuffle Pitching Staff
April 15th, 2009
P.J. Walters (Photo by Dustin Mattison)
With the injury to Chris Carpenter which subsequently landed him on the disabled list, Mitchell Boggs and Chris Perez have been called up while the Cardinals optioned Brad Thompson to Triple-A Memphis.
Plus, P.J. Walters will make his debut on Friday as the starting pitcher at Wrigley Field. Walters was the Cardinals 2007 Minor League Pitcher of the Year after starting the season at Class-A Quad Cities and finishing the season at Double-A Springfield.
Walters does not possess a power arm but he is a pitcher to the truest sense of the word. He has an above average change up that he uses as a true out pitch.
The Springfield News-Leader’s Matt Baker speculates on the corresponding moves in his blog.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Deryk Hooker Suspended
April 9th, 2009St. Louis Cardinals Minor League pitcher Deryk Hooker was suspended for 50 games for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The 19-year-old was scheduled to start the season at Class-A Quad Cities where he would have pitched in the team’s second game.
A seventh round pick in the 2007 MLB First Year Player Draft, the Cardinals reportedly gave Hooker an above slot bonus of $100,000. During 2008, he reached the full season Midwest League after dominating at Rookie level Johnson City. Between the two stops, Hooker posted an ERA of 2.77 with 73 strikeouts in 65 innings.
Hooker was rated as the number 27 prospect in the Cardinal organization by the Birdhouse.
Looking Ahead At the Draft 04/11
April 9th, 2009In the third episode of our weekly look ahead at the 2009 MLB First Year Player Draft, we find that Arizona State’s Mike Leake continues to dominate the competition. With each passing week, he is the guy I believe the St. Louis Cardinals take if he is still left on the board at number 19.
The Missouri Tigers Kyle Gibson (why do I always want to call him Josh?) was the tough luck loser against Oklahoma this past weekend. He struck out 15 while walking only one but the Sooners were able to get two runs off of the junior right-hander.
Jacksonville State’s Ben Tootle was rated as one of the top college arms in the nation coming to 2009 season. The Southeast Redhawks must have not believed the hype because they put a hurting on the pitcher. The Redhawks plated seven runs chasing Tootle after only four innings.
At Safeco Field in Seattle, ASU’s Mike Leake continued his dominance, this time over Washington. Leake struck out 10 while allowing only one earned in 7.1 innings. He is now 7-1 with a 1.29 ERA in 55.2 innings to go along with his 62 strikeouts.
USC’s Brad Boxberger gave up four runs on five hits in seven innings of work against Pac-10 rival Arizona.
Baylor’s Kendal Volz got knocked around by a surprising Kansas team. The Jayhawks roughed him up for six runs in 4.2 innings. Volz didn’t help himself any with seven free passes.
Vanderbilt’s Mike Minor is losing some his luster according to Baseball America. That would be fine with me if he did and fell to the Cardinals. He beat the Cubans twice last summer and he would immediately give the team a left-handed difference maker on the hill. As pointed out in the BA piece, he is on his fourth catcher of the spring and you can’t tell me that doesn’t have an affect. I believe in Minor’s stuff and would be thrilled if he fell to St. Louis.
The University of Kentucky’s James Paxton is making scouts take notice. A southpaw that can touch 97 is hard to ignore. He has an ERA over six but has racked up 55 strikeouts compared to only eight walks in 37 innings.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Follow on Twitter.
Mather Out
April 2nd, 2009The St. Louis Cardinals have optioned Joe Mather to Triple-A Memphis. This means that David Freese will be the team’s starting third baseman. Also, it means that players on the bubble, Brendan Ryan, Joe Thurston, Brian Barden, and Colby Rasmus have made the opening day roster.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Looking Ahead At the Draft 04/02
April 2nd, 2009Sorry for the late post but I had to get the yard mowed before the rain arrived. Plus, I did my longest run of my life yesterday, 8 miles, and today I can barely move. By the way, this past weekend I ran my second 5K and placed third in my age division shaving three minutes off my previous time.
On to the baseball with a quick look at some of the guys I believe the Cardinals might be eyeing.
Vanderbilt’s Mike Minor has not been overpowering this season but he has sure been efficient. He has only 34 strikeouts in 38.2 innings but he has allowed only five extra basehits during that time.
Mike Leake is really heating up for the Arizona State Sun Devils. This past weekend he went out and spun eight innings of one run ball while allowing only four hits.
Leake’s teammate, Josh Spence, is having a great year in his own right. Spence was fantastic against USC with 10 strikeouts while allowing only one run in a complete game victory. On the season, Spence has posted a 1.37 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 46 innings.
In the complete game victory, the southpaw outdueled the Trojans’ Brad Boxberger who struck out eight in an eight-inning loss. Boxberger allowed only two runs on three hits and now stands at 2-3 with a 2.23 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 40 innings.
The most highly touted pitcher in the OVC, Ben Tootle, will be in Cape on Saturday, unfortunately, I will not be able to make it out to see him in person. After a slow start,Tootle picked up the league’s Player of the Week award for the fifth time in his career. He struck out 10 while allowing only four hits in the seven-inning game.
LSU shortstop D.J. LeMahieu continues to pound the ball with a line of .355/.470/.538 with 17 strikeouts and 17 walks.
Baylor’s Kendal Volz got off to a hot start but, like Gibson, got knocked around this past weekend. Volz was charged with five runs in seven innings of work. He now has an ERA of 3.00 with a very mediocre 32-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Looking Ahead at the Draft 03/26/09
March 25th, 2009
Here is our continuing look at local college baseball and players that the St. Louis Cardinals will have an eye on in June’s MLB First Year Player Draft.
The Missouri Tigers look like they are beginning to right their ship after struggling out of the gate. The Tigers did not play the gracious hosts taking two of three from highly ranked Texas A&M. Kyle Gibson was his usual stellar self, striking out 16 in a complete game win over the Aggies on Friday night. The junior right-hander is now 4-1 with a 1.15 ERA along with 54-to-9 strikeout to walk ratio. For his efforts, Gibson was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week for the second consecutive week.
The Southeast Redhawks will be hosting UT-Martin this weekend after sweeping Tennessee Tech in its last OVC series. Catcher Jim Klocke is slugging .608 and has made only one error behind the plate. Plus, he has a team high five saves.
Arizona State’s Mike Leake had the game of his career against rival Arizona over the weekend. Leake struck out 15 Wildcats in gaining a complete game victory while giving up only five hits on the night.
Ryan Berry did earn his fourth win of the season but he wasn’t nearly as sharp as he had been previously. In Rice’s victory over Southern Miss, the right-hander allowed three runs in five innings. For the season, Berry is 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA. (See video of Berry above)
A new player I add to the board this week is Kentucky’s James Paxton. When he was signed as a high school senior, the southpaw stood 6′1 but now possesses a 6′4 frame. The native Canadian is racking up the strikeouts with 47 in 30 innings so far in 2009. He is a perfect 4-0 and is holding the opposition to a .231 average.
Though he struggled over the weekend, D.J. LeMahieu is still hitting .368/.479/.553 for the LSU Tigers. I don’t know if he will still be available at 13 but he is becoming one of my faves.
Miami’s Ryan Jackson seems to be falling down draft boards with his struggles at the plate. The slick fielding shortstop is hitting .277/.354/.400 on the season. Though scouts question his bat none question his ability to stay at short.
Baylor’s Kendal Volz continues to struggle with his command with a 28-to-15 strikeout to walk ratio. Volz has a big arm and superb mound presence but the control issues are what are hampering at this time. Reminds me a lot of what was being said about Shooter Hunt this time last year.
Two Texas A&M pitchers are causing headaches for the Big 12. Right-hander Alex Wilson has 49 strikeouts compared to only eight walks in 31.2 innings. Left-hander Brooks Raley has racked up 34 Ks in 33 innings of work. Plus, Raley is leading the Aggies in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, TB, extra base hits, and steals.
Things have started slowly for Mike Minor but he still has himself positioned as a first round pick. The lefty has posted a solid 3.41 ERA while allowing only five extra base hits in 31.2 innings.
Two outstanding high school lefties are featured at MLB.com this week. Matthew Purke and Tyler Matzek both should hear their names early in the 2009 draft. Purke, a Texan, can dial his fastball up to 95 while the Californian, Matzek, can touch 94. Zach Wheeler is one of the top prep right-handers has a projectable frame with the ability to run his fastball to the plate at 95.
Dustin Mattison
dustin@whiteyball.com
Follow on Twitter.
Gregerson PTBNL
March 23rd, 2009According to media outlets, Luke Gregerson has been acquired by San Diego as the player to be named later to complete the December 4 deal that brought Khalil Greene to the St. Louis Cardinals. Reliever Mark Worrell was the original player to be traded a day after he let his feelings be known to me during this interview. Since that time, it has been learned that Worrell will require Tommy John Surgery and miss the entire 2009 season.
Gregerson was ranked as the number 37 prospect in the Cardinals’ system after striking out 78 in 75 innings to go along with 10 saves at Double-A Springfield. The 24-year-old was named the Venezuelan Winter League’s Setup Man of the Year after allowing only a 0.82 ERA in 22 innings.
The Cardinals originally drafted Gregerson in the 28th round of the 2006 MLB First Year Player Draft.
