“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.

The Rules:

Here is what you need to do to win a pair of MLB All-Star FanFest tickets, a $60 value:

1. 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!
2. 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.
3. Post your answer on the thread following the question to qualify. Emails will not be accepted. Partial answers will not be accepted.
4. Winners will be notified via email so be sure to leave your address with your comment.
5. Contest ends tonight at 11 PM EST.  Sorry for short notice, but that is the way it goes.

Ticket pickup is as follows:

• 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.

Dustin

Just follow this link and sign up today.

Contact me at Dustin@whiteyball.com

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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

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

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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.

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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

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

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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