Farm Clubs: The "Hoffpauir Is Batting .462" Thread

Post #1 » by **mizzoupacers** » Tue Apr 8, 2008 7:41 pm

For anyone who wants to talk about how the minor-leaguers are doing.

And for minor-league info, here's a link to futureredbirds.com, a great Web site that covers the Cardinals' farm system:

http://futureredbirds.com/

From their site, you can also follow the links to each minor league team's official Web site and a bunch of other pertinent links.

Maybe we should start a contest on who can come closest to guessing Colby Rasmus's call-up date.

bigboy1234 · Post #2 » by **bigboy1234** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 1:24 pm

I will say mid June he will be called up. Thats of course if everything goes right and he has at least a .850 OPS.

Post #3 » by **mizzoupacers** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 7:19 pm

I'll guess June 17 vs. Kansas City. I've got tickets to the game and I'm feelin' lucky.

BuckFan25226 · Post #4 » by **BuckFan25226** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:06 pm

I don't think there is any chance Rasmus gets brought up before July. I believe we get an extra year before arbitration if we keep him down in AAA until July.

bigboy1234 · Post #5 » by **bigboy1234** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:43 pm

BuckFan25226 wrote:I don't think there is any chance Rasmus gets brought up before July. I believe we get an extra year before arbitration if we keep him down in AAA until July.

I believe that starts in mid June.

bigboy1234 · Post #6 » by **bigboy1234** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:04 pm

So I believe Colby's dad has said that he expects Colby to spend the whole year in AAA, with a shot at getting called up in September.

Post #7 » by **mizzoupacers** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:01 pm

Right now the Cardinals are winning, all five outfielders are playing pretty well, and Colby is batting under .200 at Memphis. OK, we know the last of those three things won't continue, so it depends on how long the first two things do. But at present, there isn't much reason to call Rasmus up. Maybe we won't see him in St. Louis until September? And maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing.

Post #8 » by **mizzoupacers** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:36 pm

Sounds like Rico Washington's big-league career is about to be over, Brendan Ryan went 4-6 with a HR and two doubles last night in a rehab game with Springfield.

I wonder how long Izturis has to bat .200 with no power before La Russa lets Ryan start.

bigboy1234 · Post #9 » by **bigboy1234** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:23 pm

Pssh, Izturis has that .350 OBP. He's a stud. He usually doesn't walk this much, which is why his OBP is higher than usual, so we just have to keep hoping he leaves the bat on his shoulder and takes the walk, because he isn't going to be getting any hits with that bat.

BuckFan25226 · Post #10 » by **BuckFan25226** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:17 pm

From the start of the off season, I wanted Ryan starting at short. If he's healthy, and when he returns, my feelings haven't changed.

LF - Schumaker
CF - The Rick
1B - Pujols
3B - Glaus
RF - Duncan/Ludwick
C - Molina
SS - Ryan
P - Pitcher
2B - Kennedy.

Also, putting Ryan at the 9 spot wouldn't be bad either. That gives us really good speed at the 9, 1, 2 spots.

Post #11 » by **mizzoupacers** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 2:33 pm

Well BuckFan and I are getting our wish, just not the way I would have wanted it to happen.

link

Give Izturis credit for his good defense so far, but I'm hoping Ryan puts a little more zip into our offense.

And WonderBrad is on his way to Memphis, which probably makes sense.

BuckFan25226 · Post #12 » by **BuckFan25226** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:16 pm

Obviously you never want anyone to get hurt. But I'm definitely happy Ryan is getting the call. If he plays solid and continues to prove he can hit at the major league level, he should be our everyday starting SS with a platoon of Miles and Kennedy at 2nd.

But I have this sneaky suspicion that TLR will have Miles starting at SS tonight

Not only because Miles went 4 for 5 yesterday, but Ryan mashes left handed pitching, and we have Gorz tomorrow.

Post #13 » by **mizzoupacers** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:15 pm

You are probably right about Miles at shortstop, although Tony says he likes Brendan Ryan, he really does.

link

Rasmus has HRs each of the last two nights, maybe he is starting to get untracked.

Also, futureredbirds.com makes it sound like Jaime Garcia is off to a good start at Springfield. I wonder how long until he might possibly be ready for St. Louis.

bigboy1234 · Post #14 » by **bigboy1234** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:02 pm

I didn't even think Jaime needed to be back in AA, and he's proving me right. That being said I don't think we'll see Jaime with the Cardinals until next year. Theres just so many pitchers coming back and whatnot.

From the 2007 draft al of Kozma, Mortensen, Kopp, Todd, Henley, Hill, and Dew have gotten off to great starts.

Post #15 » by **mizzoupacers** » Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:58 pm

Two HRs for Colby last night...

And Pete Kozma, the first-round pick everyone hated last year, is hitting a ton at Quad Cities so far. No point in getting too excited about him unless he moves farther up the system and continues to play well. But a .900+ OPS is pretty good for a shortstop.

Post #16 » by **mizzoupacers** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:06 pm

Mulder got lit up today in his start for Memphis. I am thinking that the Cardinals are going to get zilcho out of him and Clement this year.

Oh well, clear them off the books this winter and then maybe the team can afford someone next year who can do something.

Post #17 » by **mizzoupacers** » Tue May 27, 2008 4:09 pm

My son played in a Memorial weekend soccer tournament in Memphis again this year, and this time the Redbirds were at home, so I got to see my first-ever AAA baseball game on Sunday night.

I recommend it to anyone. Memphis has a nice downtown ballpark, sort of a copycat version of the "retro" stadiums they are building now, with lots of red bricks and steel beams and the city skyline visible behind the outfield wall. Ticket prices are very reasonable--although the game drew a big crowd and a lot of the tickets were being scalped--but beer prices are big-league, unfortunately.

A familiar figure was on the mound--Anthony Reyes. He went six strong innings and even cracked a home run over the center-field wall...ah well, maybe there's still hope that he can be traded for something of value.

The standout player was Joe Mather, whose three hits included a home run and a double. I was sitting near the right-field foul pole and had a relatively close-up view of him in the field. The guy looks like a young Dale Murphy, tall and athletic. He moved much better in the field than I expected from what I've read about him. I'm genuinely excited about him as a Cardinals prospect.

Rasmus had a decent game, pulling a solid single to right and drawing a walk. He entered the game with a BA in the 180s, but I'm sure he'll start hitting again, it's only a matter of time.

No one else particularly stood out, at least to my fairly untrained eyes. Memphis blew through their relief corps and had to let a pitcher, John Wasdin, bat in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, because no one else was left in the bullpen. Of course Wasdin struck out. Then in the top of the twelfth he gave up a grand slam, and the Redbirds ended up losing 8-7. But, the St. Louis Cardinals ended the day tied for first, and the barbecue in downtown Memphis is very good, so all was well.