For Immediate Release:
PUJOLS TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AT WINTER WARM-UP
Team improves process for fans to obtain autograph tickets
ST. LOUIS, November 18, 2009 – Cardinals Care, the charitable foundation of the St. Louis Cardinals, today announced the online process for fans to register for the chance to purchase autograph tickets for Albert Pujols at the Winter Warm-Up.
Starting at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, November 27th, fans can register for the opportunity to purchase an autograph ticket for Pujols at the team’s website (stlcardinals.com/winterwarmup). Fans may also purchase Warm-Up passes at the team’s website beginning on Friday, November 27th.
Player autograph sessions are one of the most popular attractions of the Warm-Up. While some players’ autographs are free with the admission pass, others require an autograph ticket available through a specific additional donation. Every dollar donated for autograph tickets and all proceeds from the Winter Warm-Up benefit Cardinals Care, the team’s community foundation that cares for kids.
Fans will have until January 3rd to register for a chance to purchase an autograph ticket for Pujols. The Pujols online-only sale will be held January 8th. All other autograph tickets will be sold online beginning Saturday, January 9th through Wednesday, January 13th.
The online registration process is one of several improvements that Cardinals Care has made to streamline the process for obtaining autograph tickets, as well as to enhance the overall fan experience at the Warm-Up. “Albert is obviously a fan favorite and we are excited that he is returning for the 2010 Winter Warm-Up,” said Michael Hall, St. Louis Cardinals Vice President of Cardinals Care and Community Relations. “We feel this autograph ticket process accommodates all fans, both local and outer-market,” said Hall.
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“Fans will no longer need to camp out simply for the chance to purchase an autograph ticket for any of our popular players,” Hall said. Hall urges fans to check the Cardinals website (stlcardinals.com/winterwarmup) frequently for details, including player autograph dates, times, and, if required, additional donation amounts.
One of the most popular fan events in baseball, the three-day event will take place Saturday, January 16th through Monday, January 18th (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day) at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. Times are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday.
Thanks in large part to fan and sponsor support of the Winter Warm-Up, Cardinals Care has distributed more than $14 million to area children’s organizations since its inception in 1997. More detailed information about the Winter Warm-Up is available at stlcardinals.com/winterwarmup.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Steve Spagnuolo's Monday News Conference
Here's the transcibed version of Steve Spagnuolo's news conference from Monday, September 14. I thought about writing an entry, but I figured you guys would rather read the coaches words after Sunday's disaster. Post your comments, and I'll play along.
(Opening Remarks)
“Okay, like always, I’ll just give you the injuries. Really, the only one to report is (LB) James Laurinaitis, but they are calling it a bursa sac. He seems to be fine. He did do his workout this morning – he ran and lifted so he is okay. Other than that we came out okay. (DE) Leonard Little did have an IV – that is why you saw him leave for a little bit and (DE) James Hall had the same thing. But other than that, we got out somewhat okay.”
“I told the team this morning that we all should be upset that we lost because we are not going to accept losing. But we don’t get frustrated, we don’t get down, we just get the mistakes corrected that led to the losing and then we move on to Washington . Today, it’s focus on the football and get the things corrected that we made mistakes on and once today is over, the whole focus will go on Washington and we’ll move onto Game 2. I told the guys this morning also that we are only concerned with the 2009 Rams. The 2009 Rams stand on their own. It has nothing to do with teams coming forward or any teams going backward. It is all just about the 2009 Rams and we lost a football game. We lost one football game. We figure out ways and why it happened and we move on to the next team. So with that, I will open it up for questions.”
(On if he is concerned with the personal fouls on G Richie Incognito)
“I know Richie Incognito is a 2009 Rams right offensive guard. Yesterday he had some penalties. Richie and I talked about it. I trust Richie – I like his passion. When the passion leads to penalties that is not a good thing, but I said this yesterday that I would rather have that problem than trying to motivate the guys to love the game of football and the way they play. Yesterday is over and we’ll move onto the next game.”
(On if Incognito’s passion helps the team)
“I think so.”
(On if he would like to have Incognito both passionate and in control of his emotions)
“Sure you would. Yeah, sure you would and that is what you work on.”
(On if he thought Incognito was in control coming out of training camp)
“I thought he had done a great job, yeah.”
(On how much patience he has dealing with personal fouls)
“I don’t know. We will deal with it as we go. Sometimes I can be real patient and sometimes I can be real impatient.”
(On some of the penalty calls made by the officials)
“I am not going to pass judgment on the officiating. We wish they hadn’t happened. Hopefully going forward we won’t have those again.”
(On RB Steven Jackson’s personal foul)
“I really didn’t (see it). It is not on film so I really can’t assess that one or pass judgment on that one. The officials officiate – they thought Steven did something wrong so they called the penalty and we talked about it. I talked with Steven at halftime.”
(On if he thinks other teams go after emotional players hoping for a reaction)
“Yeah, maybe. No question about that. You’d have to ask the other teams whether they do that or not, but that’s all part of it. It is all part of the learning process. Like I said, it is one game.”
(On how frustrating the overall penalties were)
“Yeah, very frustrating because I thought, especially offensively, we did some real good things. I thought some things were going real positive and real well for us early and we kind of got set back there by the penalties. Overcoming penalties in this league is hard – tough, tough, tough to have an offensive drive and points when there is a penalty involved. It has been proven – it is statistically proven.”
(On if he takes anything from his first game as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants when he had 45 points scored against him and won the Super Bowl the same year)
“Yeah, again, I am not going there. I guess you use all your experiences, good, bad, and indifferent and if we can pull something from that I will. Again, I think the teams all stand separately on their own, but I’ll go back to the notes and see if we can pull something out.”
(On if he had notes from that)
“I probably do. Yeah, I probably do.”
(On who was the twelfth man on the field when the penalty was called)
“I’m not going to go there. There’s 12 guys on there that’s the head coach’s job to make sure that gets done. That’s my fault bottom line. You probably don’t block the kick if you don’t have twelve guys. Let’s keep that in mind. It wasn’t like that was the cause of it. But that’s inexcusable. It shouldn’t have happened.”
(On if it is someone on the sidelines responsibility to count players on the field)
“Yeah, it was a miscount. There was an error all the way across the board. There will be a lot of people who will take responsibility on that one.”
(On how he thinks LB James Laurinaitis and T Jason Smith played)
“Pretty solid. Jason had the one struggle on the one sack that was visible. He had a couple other mental errors. I did think he did some good things. I thought he played pretty physical. Somewhat confident for a rookie in his first game. And James Laurinaitis, it’s not easy to go in there and basically be the quarterback of the defense as a rookie in your first NFL game. He made some mistakes he would be the first one to tell you. I think there things that are easily corrected.”
(On if LB James Laurinaitis tackles were where he wanted them to be)
“Well, if they were at the line of scrimmage yeah. Overall he played a real productive game. That’s what he is. He’s a productive guy. If he continues to have that production, it’s going to help the defense.”
(On his overall thoughts of QB Marc Bulger)
“I thought Marc played gutsy I really did. He got rid of the ball when he was in trouble. I thought he was smart. He scrambled a little bit. I probably would have liked him to take a slide on that one play. He showed some toughness. I thought he gutted it out. He’d probably tell you he wanted a couple of plays back like everybody would but overall, pretty solid. Everybody gets wrapped up in statistics and they do quarterback ratings. If he hits the touchdown at the end of the game, his ratings probably…I don’t know how to figure that out but it goes up pretty high you know one throw.”
(On if he would have liked to establish more of the run against Seattle )
“Well the game might have dictated that a little bit. Would liked to have established that. I think every team, every offense, would like to establish it. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can’t. and you have to go elsewhere. But it still comes back to trying to be balanced. When you get in a 28-0 ballgame, sometimes the numbers at the end look a little bit different.”
(On being plus two in turnovers but not winning the game)
“That’s probably a telling statistic. Yeah that’s tough to overcome. Of course one statistic doesn’t tell everything. Really what hurt us was the penalties that put us behind the eight ball. But I tell you what, the defense went out in the first four series I think it was interception, punt, fumble, interception that was an impressive stat to a game. We just have to do that for four quarters.”
(On how he thought RB Steven Jackson played)
“I thought he played strong. He always does. He always plays strong and hard. I’m sure he would have liked a couple more cuts, a couple more reads differently. I thought he played pretty solid.”
(On the decision to have DE Victor Adeyanju inactive)
“When we did all the numbers, you can’t have everybody out there. Decided to go with four ends, four tackles, and six linebackers is really what it came down to. Maybe we’ll be different next week.”
(On if he is trying to cut down the predictions of the 2008 Rams)
I’m just worried about the 2009 Rams. No thought process there. That’s the only way I know how to do it. It’s what I’ve been from. It’s what I believe you have to do. You put things behind you and you move on. You can’t do it any other way.”
(Opening Remarks)
“Okay, like always, I’ll just give you the injuries. Really, the only one to report is (LB) James Laurinaitis, but they are calling it a bursa sac. He seems to be fine. He did do his workout this morning – he ran and lifted so he is okay. Other than that we came out okay. (DE) Leonard Little did have an IV – that is why you saw him leave for a little bit and (DE) James Hall had the same thing. But other than that, we got out somewhat okay.”
“I told the team this morning that we all should be upset that we lost because we are not going to accept losing. But we don’t get frustrated, we don’t get down, we just get the mistakes corrected that led to the losing and then we move on to Washington . Today, it’s focus on the football and get the things corrected that we made mistakes on and once today is over, the whole focus will go on Washington and we’ll move onto Game 2. I told the guys this morning also that we are only concerned with the 2009 Rams. The 2009 Rams stand on their own. It has nothing to do with teams coming forward or any teams going backward. It is all just about the 2009 Rams and we lost a football game. We lost one football game. We figure out ways and why it happened and we move on to the next team. So with that, I will open it up for questions.”
(On if he is concerned with the personal fouls on G Richie Incognito)
“I know Richie Incognito is a 2009 Rams right offensive guard. Yesterday he had some penalties. Richie and I talked about it. I trust Richie – I like his passion. When the passion leads to penalties that is not a good thing, but I said this yesterday that I would rather have that problem than trying to motivate the guys to love the game of football and the way they play. Yesterday is over and we’ll move onto the next game.”
(On if Incognito’s passion helps the team)
“I think so.”
(On if he would like to have Incognito both passionate and in control of his emotions)
“Sure you would. Yeah, sure you would and that is what you work on.”
(On if he thought Incognito was in control coming out of training camp)
“I thought he had done a great job, yeah.”
(On how much patience he has dealing with personal fouls)
“I don’t know. We will deal with it as we go. Sometimes I can be real patient and sometimes I can be real impatient.”
(On some of the penalty calls made by the officials)
“I am not going to pass judgment on the officiating. We wish they hadn’t happened. Hopefully going forward we won’t have those again.”
(On RB Steven Jackson’s personal foul)
“I really didn’t (see it). It is not on film so I really can’t assess that one or pass judgment on that one. The officials officiate – they thought Steven did something wrong so they called the penalty and we talked about it. I talked with Steven at halftime.”
(On if he thinks other teams go after emotional players hoping for a reaction)
“Yeah, maybe. No question about that. You’d have to ask the other teams whether they do that or not, but that’s all part of it. It is all part of the learning process. Like I said, it is one game.”
(On how frustrating the overall penalties were)
“Yeah, very frustrating because I thought, especially offensively, we did some real good things. I thought some things were going real positive and real well for us early and we kind of got set back there by the penalties. Overcoming penalties in this league is hard – tough, tough, tough to have an offensive drive and points when there is a penalty involved. It has been proven – it is statistically proven.”
(On if he takes anything from his first game as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants when he had 45 points scored against him and won the Super Bowl the same year)
“Yeah, again, I am not going there. I guess you use all your experiences, good, bad, and indifferent and if we can pull something from that I will. Again, I think the teams all stand separately on their own, but I’ll go back to the notes and see if we can pull something out.”
(On if he had notes from that)
“I probably do. Yeah, I probably do.”
(On who was the twelfth man on the field when the penalty was called)
“I’m not going to go there. There’s 12 guys on there that’s the head coach’s job to make sure that gets done. That’s my fault bottom line. You probably don’t block the kick if you don’t have twelve guys. Let’s keep that in mind. It wasn’t like that was the cause of it. But that’s inexcusable. It shouldn’t have happened.”
(On if it is someone on the sidelines responsibility to count players on the field)
“Yeah, it was a miscount. There was an error all the way across the board. There will be a lot of people who will take responsibility on that one.”
(On how he thinks LB James Laurinaitis and T Jason Smith played)
“Pretty solid. Jason had the one struggle on the one sack that was visible. He had a couple other mental errors. I did think he did some good things. I thought he played pretty physical. Somewhat confident for a rookie in his first game. And James Laurinaitis, it’s not easy to go in there and basically be the quarterback of the defense as a rookie in your first NFL game. He made some mistakes he would be the first one to tell you. I think there things that are easily corrected.”
(On if LB James Laurinaitis tackles were where he wanted them to be)
“Well, if they were at the line of scrimmage yeah. Overall he played a real productive game. That’s what he is. He’s a productive guy. If he continues to have that production, it’s going to help the defense.”
(On his overall thoughts of QB Marc Bulger)
“I thought Marc played gutsy I really did. He got rid of the ball when he was in trouble. I thought he was smart. He scrambled a little bit. I probably would have liked him to take a slide on that one play. He showed some toughness. I thought he gutted it out. He’d probably tell you he wanted a couple of plays back like everybody would but overall, pretty solid. Everybody gets wrapped up in statistics and they do quarterback ratings. If he hits the touchdown at the end of the game, his ratings probably…I don’t know how to figure that out but it goes up pretty high you know one throw.”
(On if he would have liked to establish more of the run against Seattle )
“Well the game might have dictated that a little bit. Would liked to have established that. I think every team, every offense, would like to establish it. Sometimes you can, sometimes you can’t. and you have to go elsewhere. But it still comes back to trying to be balanced. When you get in a 28-0 ballgame, sometimes the numbers at the end look a little bit different.”
(On being plus two in turnovers but not winning the game)
“That’s probably a telling statistic. Yeah that’s tough to overcome. Of course one statistic doesn’t tell everything. Really what hurt us was the penalties that put us behind the eight ball. But I tell you what, the defense went out in the first four series I think it was interception, punt, fumble, interception that was an impressive stat to a game. We just have to do that for four quarters.”
(On how he thought RB Steven Jackson played)
“I thought he played strong. He always does. He always plays strong and hard. I’m sure he would have liked a couple more cuts, a couple more reads differently. I thought he played pretty solid.”
(On the decision to have DE Victor Adeyanju inactive)
“When we did all the numbers, you can’t have everybody out there. Decided to go with four ends, four tackles, and six linebackers is really what it came down to. Maybe we’ll be different next week.”
(On if he is trying to cut down the predictions of the 2008 Rams)
I’m just worried about the 2009 Rams. No thought process there. That’s the only way I know how to do it. It’s what I’ve been from. It’s what I believe you have to do. You put things behind you and you move on. You can’t do it any other way.”
Thursday, July 23, 2009
La Russa and Duncan, Knock it Off
I haven't written anything in a bit, but today, I'm annoyed. I don't understand what is going on with the manager and the pitching coach. I have a hell of a lot of respect for both Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan, but their comments after the trade of Chris Duncan are borderline delusional, and extremely unfair. Is it the fan's and media's fault that Chris is 1 for his last 31? Is it the fan's and media's fault that Chris played through injury and posted terrible numbers for the majority of the past 2 seasons? Is it the fan's and media's fault that every ball hit to LF was an adventure?
I'm not trying to beat up Chris, only making the point that for the most part, the critiques were valid (kind of reads like I threw Chris under the bus to stand up for fans and media). When Duncan was healthy, and hitting for power, little was made about his defensive issues. It was an after thought as long as he was producing at the plate. But when a defensive liability can't hit, he's useless, which is where we are today.
As for the sour reactions from the manager and pitching coach yesterday, it's time to grow up, and move on. Look, I don't expect either of them to be thrilled with the move. I wouldn't want my son traded, and La Russa's known him his whole life. I get it, it stinks, but you can't let that cloud your path to the finish line. A division championship is more important that griping about a .227 hitter in a 1 for 31 slump with no power being traded.
Duncan's shot at the Cardnals farm system was unnecessary, and came across as a bitter shot at Jeff Luhnow and his staff. Also, he was technically wrong. Chris was optioned before the trade was finalized, so they did trade a minor league player (Now I sound bitter). As for the manager taking another jab at the memory of the fans, 2006 was 3 years ago. I don't remember nice things like that being said when Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds were traded. They were bigger parts of the 2006 World Series championship, and more accomplished players overall, and experienced a similar decline in ability. Fans have good memories, and couldn't understand why La Russa was taking on Edmonds when he came through last season instead of celebrating him.
If you want to have a successful team, you have to keep personal away from the ballpark. Baseball is about winning games. If you are no good, then you get replaced. That's what happened Wednesday. Chris Duncan wasn't traded to tick off the manager and the pitching coach, he was traded because he wasn't performing, and it was time for he and the organization to move on.
I'm sure we'll talk more about this tonight after the Cards and Nats on KTRS and KTRS.com. I'm hosting tonight, so tune in.
I'm not trying to beat up Chris, only making the point that for the most part, the critiques were valid (kind of reads like I threw Chris under the bus to stand up for fans and media). When Duncan was healthy, and hitting for power, little was made about his defensive issues. It was an after thought as long as he was producing at the plate. But when a defensive liability can't hit, he's useless, which is where we are today.
As for the sour reactions from the manager and pitching coach yesterday, it's time to grow up, and move on. Look, I don't expect either of them to be thrilled with the move. I wouldn't want my son traded, and La Russa's known him his whole life. I get it, it stinks, but you can't let that cloud your path to the finish line. A division championship is more important that griping about a .227 hitter in a 1 for 31 slump with no power being traded.
Duncan's shot at the Cardnals farm system was unnecessary, and came across as a bitter shot at Jeff Luhnow and his staff. Also, he was technically wrong. Chris was optioned before the trade was finalized, so they did trade a minor league player (Now I sound bitter). As for the manager taking another jab at the memory of the fans, 2006 was 3 years ago. I don't remember nice things like that being said when Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds were traded. They were bigger parts of the 2006 World Series championship, and more accomplished players overall, and experienced a similar decline in ability. Fans have good memories, and couldn't understand why La Russa was taking on Edmonds when he came through last season instead of celebrating him.
If you want to have a successful team, you have to keep personal away from the ballpark. Baseball is about winning games. If you are no good, then you get replaced. That's what happened Wednesday. Chris Duncan wasn't traded to tick off the manager and the pitching coach, he was traded because he wasn't performing, and it was time for he and the organization to move on.
I'm sure we'll talk more about this tonight after the Cards and Nats on KTRS and KTRS.com. I'm hosting tonight, so tune in.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Fans Need to Arrive Early for ASG
This release is for fans who will be attending Tuesdays All Star Game in St. Louis.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ENCOURAGES FANS TOARRIVE EARLY FOR ALL-STAR GAME
With President Barack Obama attending the 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, security will be increased significantly. All fans will be required to pass through magnetometers which will cause delays when entering Busch Stadium.
Due to the ramped up security and heavy foot traffic around the ballpark, MLB is offering the following tips to fans attending the game:
-Arrive early to allow for enough time to enter the park as you should expect long lines.
-The gates open at 3:15 p.m. Centralw Historic pre-game ceremony begins at 7:00 p.m. Centralw Do not bring bottles or coolers of any kind into the ballpark. They will not be permitted.
-Do not bring anything that you would not be allowed to bring on a plane. The rules for what items you can bring into the stadium will be the same as TSA restrictions, which you can find at www.tsa.gov. Any items surrendered at the gates will not be returned.
-If you are bringing a bag, it must meet Major League Baseball's standard size restriction (16"x16"x8") and will be inspected.
Please minimize items you bring into the stadium to speed up the inspection process.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Day 2 of FanFest
I'm doing this on my phone so I'm not sure how this will look once posted. Her's the release for today's activities. I'll be at the KTRS booth from 9-1 PM today signing people up for some prizes and on air opportunities. Stop by and say hi if you are down there.
SECOND DAY OF MLB ALL-STAR FANFEST HIGHLIGHTED BY WILL CLARK SPECIAL SKILLS CLINIC, AUTOGRAPHS FROM ROLLIE FINGERS AND GAYLORD PERRY
Following are the events and attractions taking place on the Aquafina Diamond on Saturday, July 11th at the Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest at America's Center:
♦ Aquafina Pitch Hit and Run Clinic (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.): Open baseball clinic. Young fans are invited to brush up on the baseball basics.
♦ Special Event: Q & A with special guest Earl Weaver (10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
♦ "The Art of Playing Catch" (10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.): A special catching clinic for kids and their parents.
♦ Special Event: State Farm Mascot Home Run Derby (11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.): The second of four exciting competitions between Major League Mascots – Junction Jack (Houston Astros), Southpaw (Chicago White Sox), Bernie Brewer (Milwaukee Brewers), and Homer (Atlanta Braves)
♦ RBI Clinic Presented by KPMG (11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.):A baseball skills clinic focused on the fundamentals.
♦ Gatorade Clinic (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.): A baseball skills clinic.
♦ Special Event: Scoring the Game presented by the Baseball Tomorrow Fund (1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.)
♦ Special Event: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" Singing Contest (1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.): 10 young fans compete to win special prizes.
♦ "Rules of the Game": The Art of Umpiring (2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.): Take the field for a special clinic with Rich Reiker and Cris Jones from MLBUC.
♦ Aquafina Pitch Hit and Run Clinic (2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.): Open baseball clinic. Young fans are invited to brush up on the baseball basics with special guest Will Clark.
♦ Cal Ripken, Jr. and Bill Ripken Baseball Clinic (3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)
♦ Special Appearance: All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) (3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.): Meet with the women who were the inspiration for the movie "A League of their Own." Young fans are invited to participate.
♦ Beepball Exhibition (4:00 – 4:30 p.m.): Watch an exhibition of baseball played by the visually impaired. Young fans are invited to participate.
♦ National Pro Fastpitch Exhibition (4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Watch current members of the National Pro Fastpitch lead some young fans through baseball drills.
♦ Aquafina Pitch Hit and Run Clinic (6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.): Open baseball clinic. Young fans are invited to brush up on the baseball basics.
♦ "The Art of Playing Catch" (6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.): A special catching clinic for kids and their parents.
♦ "Run the Bases" (7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): Aquafina Diamond opens up for kids of all ages to run the bases. Parents are invited to the field to watch and take pictures.
♦ Major League Baseball Video Showcase (7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Autograph opportunities include:
♦ MLB Legends (subject to change)∙ Will Clark (9 – 11 a.m.) ∙ Jack Clark (2 – 4 p.m.) ∙ Fred Lynn (10 – 12 p.m.)∙ Earl Weaver (10 – 12 p.m.)∙ Andy Benes (12 – 2 p.m.) ∙ Robin Roberts (2 – 4 p.m.)∙ Ferguson Jenkins (4 – 6 p.m.)∙ Juan Marichal (4 – 6 p.m.) ∙ Rollie Fingers (12 – 2 p.m.)∙ Lee Smith (2 – 3 p.m.) ∙ Gaylord Perry (5 – 6 p.m.)∙ John Tudor (6 – 8 p.m.)
♦ National Pro Fastpitch players (all 10 – 1 p.m.)∙ Lisa Iancin ∙ Ashley Smith ∙ Kia Fennell ∙ Breanne Javier
♦ National Pro Fastpitch players (all 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.)∙ Lisa Iancin ∙ Ashley Smith ∙ Sam Bannister ∙ Breanne Javier ∙ Kia Fennell The doors to
Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11th. Tickets for Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest are available online at www.allstargame.com, by phone at 1-888-FANFEST (326-3378) and at the Busch Stadium Ticket Office. Ticket prices are $30 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under (children two and under are admitted free), senior citizens and military personnel. Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest Family Packs are also available. All attractions are free with price of admission.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Why Are Snub's the Story?
Last night, I was watching the Rangers and Rays on ESPN, and one of those SportsCenter teases popped up promoting the show. It went something like this.
All Star rosters were announced today. Who got snubbed?
What?
It made me wonder what has happened to all of us when it comes to how we look at sports. On a day when we should be celebrating the 66 All Stars, 23 of which are appearing for the first time, it's seems we can't wait to find the guys who got screwed, or where did the fans and players and managers miss the boat.
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From where I sit, nobody was snubbed. There are deserving players who were left out, and there always will be, but that doesn't mean they were snubbed. Maybe it's the word snubbed I have an issue with. It carries a negative tone. It suggests a player was intentionally left off or forgotten by those who choose. Maybe the theme should be changed from snubbed to these are the guys who are having nice years that just couldn't fit on the rosters. It's a good thing for the game there more good players than spots in the All Star Game, not a bad thing.
Instead of worrying about the players who may not participate in baseball's mid-summer classic in St. Louis, we should celebrate those who will be here for All Star week. Here are a few good ones:
-A pair of St. Louis born players, Mark Buehrle and Ryan Howard, will have the rare opportunity to participate in a hometown All Star Game.
-At age 42, Tim Wakefield was selected for the first time in his career.
-Once a back of the rotation pitcher, and then a setup man, 36-year old Ryan Franklin was selected for the first time, as a closer.
-The story of Zach Grienke has been well chronicled through the first half of the season, but still remains an amazing story.
-Validation for Edwin Jackson, once considered among the top prospects in the Dodgers organization, then considered a guy with promise that will never be fulfilled, now an All Star with his third team.
-Orlando Hudson, avoided by almost everyone as a free agent due to a wrist injury, showing all teams that needed a second baseman they shouldn't have.
Those are just a few of the great stories that deserve the spotlight this week. Every player coming to St. Louis has a story worth honoring, and I hope that's where the focus turns. This is a time to honor the 66 that already have their invitation for the 2009 All Star Game, not talk up the credentials of those who were not on the list.
All Star rosters were announced today. Who got snubbed?
What?
It made me wonder what has happened to all of us when it comes to how we look at sports. On a day when we should be celebrating the 66 All Stars, 23 of which are appearing for the first time, it's seems we can't wait to find the guys who got screwed, or where did the fans and players and managers miss the boat.
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From where I sit, nobody was snubbed. There are deserving players who were left out, and there always will be, but that doesn't mean they were snubbed. Maybe it's the word snubbed I have an issue with. It carries a negative tone. It suggests a player was intentionally left off or forgotten by those who choose. Maybe the theme should be changed from snubbed to these are the guys who are having nice years that just couldn't fit on the rosters. It's a good thing for the game there more good players than spots in the All Star Game, not a bad thing.
Instead of worrying about the players who may not participate in baseball's mid-summer classic in St. Louis, we should celebrate those who will be here for All Star week. Here are a few good ones:
-A pair of St. Louis born players, Mark Buehrle and Ryan Howard, will have the rare opportunity to participate in a hometown All Star Game.
-At age 42, Tim Wakefield was selected for the first time in his career.
-Once a back of the rotation pitcher, and then a setup man, 36-year old Ryan Franklin was selected for the first time, as a closer.
-The story of Zach Grienke has been well chronicled through the first half of the season, but still remains an amazing story.
-Validation for Edwin Jackson, once considered among the top prospects in the Dodgers organization, then considered a guy with promise that will never be fulfilled, now an All Star with his third team.
-Orlando Hudson, avoided by almost everyone as a free agent due to a wrist injury, showing all teams that needed a second baseman they shouldn't have.
Those are just a few of the great stories that deserve the spotlight this week. Every player coming to St. Louis has a story worth honoring, and I hope that's where the focus turns. This is a time to honor the 66 that already have their invitation for the 2009 All Star Game, not talk up the credentials of those who were not on the list.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Cards Sign Mateo
Here's the release
CARDINALS AGREE TO TERMS WITH WAGNER MATEO;
TOP LATIN FREE-AGENT SET TO JOIN ORGANIZATION
ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 2, 2009 - The St. Louis Cardinals announced at a press conference this morning in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic that they have agreed to terms with free agent outfielder Wagner Mateo. Mateo, 16, who is from Santo Domingo, is considered by many to be the top amateur free agent on the market from Latin America this year. The signing is conditional on a physical which will be conducted by Cardinal team doctors in St Louis later this summer.
"This agreement is a significant step for the organization in Latin America and reflects our desire to scout and develop the best talent across the globe," said Cardinals' Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak.
The 6-2, 190 pound Mateo bats and throws left handed and was born on March 30, 1993. He participated in Major League Baseball's RBI World Series in both 2007 and 2008 representing the Dominican Republic. The tournament was held at MLB's Urban Youth Academy in Compton, CA.
"We have come a long way since re-establishing our presence in the Dominican Republic in 2004," said Jeff Luhnow, Cardinals' Vice President of Scouting and Player Development. "I want to thank everyone involved and especially ownership for providing the resources for us to compete for the top international talent."
"Wagner is the top player available in Latin America this year and we have scouted him heavily over the past two years," stated Cardinals' Director of International Operations Moises Rodriguez. "His bat is special and we look forward to his continued development as a professional."
Jeff Luhnow and Moises Rodriguez were on hand for a ceremony this morning at the Hilton Hotel in Santo Domingo where Mateo was introduced and presented with a Cardinals jersey. Also on hand were Mateo's parents, younger brother, Cardinals scouts including Latin American Scouting Supervisor Juan Mercado.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Cards Get DeRosa
Here's the Cards release:
CARDINALS ACQUIRE MARK DeROSA FROM INDIANS;
REDBIRDS SEND CHRIS PEREZ & PLAYER-TO-BE-NAMED TO TRIBE
ST. LOUIS, Mo., June 27, 2009 - The St. Louis Cardinals announced this evening that they have acquired infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for right-handed reliever Chris Perez and a player-to-be-named-later.
DeRosa, 34, was batting .270 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI this season, ranking 2nd on the Indians in both homers and RBI. His 50 RBI ranked T10th in the American League at the start of play today. DeRosa's .339 batting mark against left-handed pitchers ranks 17th in the A.L. and his .661 slugging pct. against port-siders is the 8th best total in the Junior Circuit.
"We felt that this deal provided us with an excellent opportunity to improve our team, especially from an offensive standpoint," said Cardinals' Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak. "We feel our team has the pitching to contend, and if we can get the offense to produce at a more consistent level, then our overall performance should benefit."
The right-handed hitting DeRosa owns a career batting mark of .278 with 82 home runs and 402 RBI in 964 games with Atlanta (1998-04), Texas (2005-06), Chicago Cubs (2007-08) and Cleveland (2009). His .305 career batting average vs. lefthanders is 22nd best among active players (min. 750 PA) since 1998.
DeRosa has shown versatility in the field throughout his career, playing over 100 career games at third base, shortstop, second base and the outfield. He has appeared in 42 games this season at third, 16 in left field, 9 in right and 7 at first base.
DeRosa enjoyed career highs in both home runs (21) and RBI (87) last season while batting .285 for the Chicago Cubs. He hit a torrid .378 last August with 7 home runs. DeRosa was traded to the Indians on New Year's Eve in exchange for three minor league pitchers.
The 6-1, 205-pound native of Oradell, NJ attended the University of Pennsylvania where he was the Quakers starting quarterback from 1993-95. He was drafted in the 7th round by the Atlanta Braves in 1996.
Perez, who turns 24 on July 1, was the Cardinals supplemental first round draft selection in 2006. He is 1-1 with a 4.37 ERA and one save this season.
DeRosa is expected to the join the Cardinals for their game tomorrow afternoon (1:15 p.m. CDT) against the Minnesota Twins. He will wear uniform #7.
Friday, June 19, 2009
What if Baseball was Played by Tony's Rules?
As the Cardinals and Tigers began their series finale at Busch Stadium last night, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch made a simple suggestion on Twitter for interleague play. He said the AL teams should use the DH and the NL should have the pitcher hit during the interleague games to spice things up. I cracked back that the the teams should be forced to bat the pitcher 8th during these games. then DG corrected me, saying he was looking for ways to spice up the games, no Tony-up the games. From there a game was born. What would the rules be if the game of baseball were to be Tony-upped? We did our best throughout the night to create some bylaws, but I'm sure we missed some. Add your suggestions below, and check out last nights dialoge by searching the hashtag #tonyup on twitter. Feel free to add your suggestions via Tweet as well, and add the hashtag at the end of your post. Below are some of my suggestions.
Tony-upped Baseball:
-After the 6th inning, 2 pitcher minimum per inning unless you are leading in the 9th. #tonyup
-Unlimited number of coaches allowed in uniform and in the dugout. This includes honorary coaches, and FOM's (Friends of Manager) #tonyup
-No more 40 man rosters, everyone is eligible for call ups. #tonyup
-Minimum 6 years of minor league ball before you can make your MLB debut #tonyup
-All OF fences removed in an effort to discourage players from trying to hit HR's #tonyup
-No intentional walks. No warnings for throwing at guys, or, I mean accidentally losing control and hitting a player. #tonyup
-HR derby replaced by line drive derby #tonyup
Tony-upped Baseball:
-After the 6th inning, 2 pitcher minimum per inning unless you are leading in the 9th. #tonyup
-Unlimited number of coaches allowed in uniform and in the dugout. This includes honorary coaches, and FOM's (Friends of Manager) #tonyup
-No more 40 man rosters, everyone is eligible for call ups. #tonyup
-Minimum 6 years of minor league ball before you can make your MLB debut #tonyup
-All OF fences removed in an effort to discourage players from trying to hit HR's #tonyup
-No intentional walks. No warnings for throwing at guys, or, I mean accidentally losing control and hitting a player. #tonyup
-HR derby replaced by line drive derby #tonyup
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Rick Porcello Come's to Busch Stadium
For most, the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft comes and goes, with little fanfare, and little debate. There's discussion the day of, and the day after, and then the events are forgotten, at least for a while. Few fans have any idea what other teams did with their selections, and some couldn't tell you what the Cardinals did with their own first round selection. But there is one exception, and it's not for a good reason.
If I asked you who the #1 pick of the 2007 draft was, could you name him? If I asked you who the Detroit Tigers selected, I'm sure you could, with an angered look on your face. With the 27th selection that year, the Tigers took what many considered one of the best high school starting pitchers in years, Rick Porcello, who will make his Busch Stadium debut tonight against the Cardinals.
For those who don't recall the events of that afternoon in 2007, let me take you back. The Cardinals had the 18th selection, and there was talk that Porcello could drop hard because of his contract demands, and agent Scott Boras. As the draft began to unfold, for the first time on television, players were coming off the board, and the best RH high school pitcher was still there. The couple of us media types who were at Busch Stadium for the selection that afternoon began to wonder, what if Porcello is there? They have to take him. It was a perfect storm for an organization that had stressed a commitment to drafting and developing players the entire off season. This was their chance to make their statement to a fan base that had begun to lose some faith.
As we sat in a conference room, the Cardinals were to go on the clock, and Porcello was still there. You couldn't have asked for a better scenario. Think about it. When you see you have the 18th pick, the last thing you expect is to have a shot at adding a player with considered by many to be one of the 5 best players available. It's even more rare when that player is a pitcher. Then Bud Selig came to the podium and announced the Cardinals had selected high school shortstop Pete Kozma. I can't type the first thing I said after the selection was made. We all looked at each other knowing what was to come. The fan base was going to attack, and with good reason.
The Cardinals weren't the only ones to pass on Porcello. After David Price was selected #1 overall, 21 other organizations passed on the prep pitcher, and the Rangers, Jays and Giants did so twice, so it isn't as if the Cardinals were the only team scared off by his high demands, and the high washout rate of high school pitchers. But the Cardinals put themselves in this position. When your pick comes up, you can't pass on the top player on your board after stressing the draft and develop philosophy. Jeff Luhnow could select 50 all stars in the next 10 years, and will never be forgiven for not taking the shot in 2007.
So here we are today. Porcello is the most notable draftee not selected by the Cardinals. A mere mention of his name causes frustrated rants by voice or keyboard. He's a leading contender for the AL Rookie of the Year with a 7-4 record, and a 3.71 ERA. He's allowed 2 runs or less in 7 of his 12 starts this year.
And then there's Kozma, who will unfairly always be compared to Porcello. He's in Springfield. This week he was selected to participate in the Texas League All Star Game. For the season, he's batting .238/.302/.344. If he ever does make it to St. Louis, he'd have to be one of the best players in the game for Cardinals fans to forget, and I still don't think that would be enough.
For more, check my entry from spring training. Porcello threw against the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium, a game I attended along with numerous members of the Cardinals organization and St. Louis media.
Also see Derrick Goold's story in the Post-Dispatch this morning.
Also check out Matt Baker's story in the Springfield News-Leader when recently spoke to Kozama about his connection to Porcello.
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