In a night where three of four games went into extra innings, the system only went 1-and-3. Bryan Anderson was the offensive star of the night and John Gast had another capable outing in triple-A. Details after the jump…
Memphis 7, Tucson 6 (11 innings)
- Mark Hamilton went 3-for-6 w/ a double… still below the Mendoza line.
- Bryan Anderson went 6-for-6 w/ two doubles… now above the Mendoza line.
- Pete Kozma went 2-for-4 w/ 2 HR (4th & 5th of season) & 1 BB.
- Ryan Jackson went 1-for-6 w/ a double.
- Zack Cox, batting leadoff (?), went 1-for-6. John Gast, Cedric Hunter, and Mitch Canham also added singles.
- John Gast allowed 3 R across 6 IP but only one of them was earned. Pretty solid outing overall though his K/BB ratio could’ve been better: 5 H, 2 BB, & 2 K.
- Barret Browning had 1 K and 1 BB in 1 IP.
- Jess Todd only recorded 1 out and gave up 3 R on 3 H and 1 BB.
- Sam Freeman allowed 1 H and 2 BB in 1.1 IP. He wasn’t charged with any runs but allowed 1 inherited runner to score.
- Chuckie Fick pitched 1.1 perfect innings and Adam Reifer saved the game with 1 BB and 1 K.
Springfield 2, San Antonio 3 (12 innings)
- Jermaine Curtis went 3-for-6 w/ a triple.
- Chris Swauger went 3-for-5 w/ a double and walk.
- Adam Melker went 2-for-5 w/ a double, walk, and stolen base (2nd of season).
- Oscar Taveras went 1-for-5 w/ a double and IBB.
- Jose Garcia also had a double.
- Kolten Wong had a single batting leadoff.
- Jake Shaffer and Greg Garcia had singles. Shaffer also walked and Garcia stole his 4th base of the season.
- Tyler Lyons couldn’t quite get through the sixth: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 1 BB, 2 R, & 5 K. He also had two singles.
- Deryk Hooker only allowed 1 H in 2.1 IP that included 5 K.
- Eric Fornataro contributed two perfect innings.
- Jesse Simpson got the loss for allowing 1 R on 1 H and 1 BB in 1.1 IP that included 2 K, but Justin Wright was the one who allowed an inherited runner to score in the 12th.
Palm Beach 2, Tampa 5 (10 innings)
- Michael Swinson batted at the top of the order and he had the only extra base hit, a triple.
- Jonathan Rodriguez was 1-for-2 w/ 3 BB.
- Starlin Rodriguez was 1-for-2 w/ 2 BB and 2 SB (4th and 5th on season).
- Ronny Gil had 1 H and 1 BB. He also committed his 15th error of the season and was caught stealing for the 3rd time.
- Mike O’Neill had a pinch-hit single.
- Geoffrey Klein and Luis De La Cruz each had 1 BB; Klein also stole a base (1st of season).
- Kevin Siegrist only allowed 1 H and 1 BB in 5 scoreless innings; he had 4 K.
- Aidan Lucas held Tampa scoreless for another 2.2 innings that included 1 H and 1 K.
- Dean Kiekhefer then allowed an unearned run to score in the 9th on his own fielding error.
- Zach Russell coughed up 4 R in the 10th inning on 3 H, 2 BB, and 1 K. Logan Billbrough was called upon to get the final out.
- Tyler Rahmatulla was 3-for-5 w/ a HR.
- David Medina was 1-for-3 w/ a triple and walk.
- Luis Mateo was 2-for-4 w/ 2 SB (11th and 12th on the season).
- Nick Martini and Matt Williams each added a single and walk.
- Juan Castillo was 1-for-5 w/ a double.
- Neal Pritchard added a single.
- Sam Gaviglio struggled through 4 IP: 8 H, 2 BB, 5 R (4 ER), & 4 K.
- Willy Paulino didn’t fare much better in 2 IP: 3 H, 4 R (3 ER), & 2 K.
- Bob Revesz put an end to the run scoring. He had 2 K and only allowed 1 H.
- Heath Wyatt then worked a perfect 9th by striking out the side.
Entries (RSS)
I’ve gotta think a Cleto for Salas swap is in the works; I would send Descalso down as well but there is really no one to take his place
Why send down Descalso? He’s got a .299 wOBA. That’s 19th out of 38 ML 2Bman with at least 70 PAs. So he’s exactly at the median of all ML 2Bman. That’s better than starters like Dustin Ackley, Howie Kendrick, Darwin Barney, Marco Scutaro, and a host of others. Should all those guys go to the minors?
Descalso is a utility guy. And compared to other utility guys across the majors, he’s a pretty good one. Not everyone needs to be a all-star to be a prodcutive player and not everyone on a team’s roster is going to be above the ML average for offense (indeed, about half of them won’t be).
Are any of those players on playoff bound teams? I see your point and admittedly I’m down on Descalso right now but his swing looks bad and has for awhile. I don’t expect all star production from him, I expect competitive at bats
Even if Descalso not hitting he is still a valuable part of the team due to his versatility and defense.
This is true (though I think his defense is overrated). But the bigger point is that he’s hitting just fine.
Not sure why it’s relevant that those starters are on playoff teams, especially when Descalso isn’t even a starter for the Cards. If you want starters for playoff teams that Descalso has been better than, you could look at Robert Andino of the O’s or Espinosa of the Nats.
Moreover, your personal opinion (or mine) of whether Descalso’s swing “looks bad” or whether he takes “competitive at-bats” (I don’t really even know what that means – that he fouls off a bunch of pitches?) isn’t more indicative of his offensive performance than his ACTUAL offensive performance. And by his actual offensive performance (not subjective views of what his swing looks like), he’s been a perfectly fine/average ML 2Bman.
I don’t think Descalso is getting enough at bats to feel comfortable at the plate. I’d send him down to get him in the game daily.
I don’t think they will send Descalso down until MCarp is ready to come back due to Descalso’s defensive ability. After MCarp is back you could swap Kozma for Descalso to allow DD to play 2B everyday in Memphis and get AB’s. Korzma is on the 40 man so there is no harm to having him sitting on the bench in STL while DD gets playing time.
Bryan Anderson seems pretty athletic. Can he learn another position. Given the fact that he can catch and bat lefthanded, makes decent contact, might give him an avenue as a utility guy.
Since Anderson can play catcher, and that’s the hardest defensive position, he’d only be lowering his value by moving to another position (even if he could play another one, besides the fact that we have other good utility options like Ryan Jackson, so it doesn’t help the Cards for him to move anyway).
Plus, he’s currently the No. 1 backup to Yadi/Cruz if either get hurt. His most important job, which does have value, is to be ready to play catcher for the Cards if either of those guys get hurt.
I am not saying move to a new position, but rather learn a new position. And it to his bag of tools.
He is not a major league quality catcher. He would not be lowering his value by learning another position.
Kind of like the versatility that Cruz offers now.
Cruz beat out Anderson due to his superior arm and quietness behind the plate. It had nothing to do with the ability to play 3B/1B IMHO. Agree with BC that Anderson only lowers his value by trying to convert to a super utility player this late in his career because he doesn’t hit for power. The Cardinals are anal about the defensive ability of their backup catcher. Not all teams are that way. I think another team would take a flier on a backup catcher who can hit for average. Catching is Bryan Anderson’s only path to the major leagues.
You are missing the point.
This is not about comparing Cruz to Anderson. This is about still trying to get value out of Anderson. Mark Sweeney made a career as a lefthanded pinch-hitting specialist with no power during the steroid era. There is still a need for LH pinch hitters.
Having a catcher that can play another position is not a necessity, but is a nice luxury to have.
And you just admitted that Anderson isn’t that great of a defensive catcher. And most teams prefer defense in their back up catcher. Its how Henry Blanco still has a job, and no teams are really interested in Anderson. If you are a catcher that can hit, you are either made a stater, or moved to a different position.
I would venture to say that more teams covet good lefthanded pinch hitters/utility players than offensive backup catchers.
But there might be a few that do prefer a decent hitting back up catcher…In that case, Anderson will have value as a pinch hitter as well. Anderson will also need to get at bats to remain a decent hitter. He also has the benefit the he hits lefthanded. You say that Anderson’s path is a good hitting back up catcher…wouldn’t a manger be tempted to use him in offensive situations? For instance, last night. Say Anderson is on the team instead of cruz. Would matheny have pinch hit him instead of descalso?
And Hhow can being able to play another position actually lower your value? Seriously, the ability of Cruz to play third base hurts his stock? The ability of Skip shumaker to play second hurts his stock? That makes absolutely no sense from a logical standpoint.
The book on Anderson’s defense is written. If he could learn another position, it only increases his value to this team and others.
I have thought much along the same lines as Zuke but for the additional reason that with most teams (including the Cards) carrying 12 pitchers, it leaves them with a 5 man bench and most teams (again, including the Cards) seeming to be unwilling to use their backup catcher in any game, unless they are absolutely required to do so in extra innings. Thus they are limited to basically 4 pinch hitting/running/double switches a game because the second catcher is “off limits”
My thought is that with second catchers who have versatility to play other positions (and including Molina’s ability to play 1b), it gives the manager the opportunity to use the second catcher as a pinch hitter and to then keep Molina and that pinch hitting second catcher both in the game in the event of injury. If guys like Cruz, Anderson and Hill can become versatile enough you could even keep two of them instead of either the second reserve OF or IF.
What’s the point though? Why would anyone want to use Cruz (for example) as a extra pinch hitter? He’s the worst hitter on the team. All you’re doing by keeping the extra catcher on the roster (who’s likely to be terrible at whatever other position he’s standing at), is kicking some better player off the roster.
Descalso AND Cruz are the two worst hitters on the team by far. Thing with Cruz is that you aren’t using him at a pinch hitter because he’s hte backup catcher. Have to ahve someone who can catch in case Molina gets hurt. That reason you can’t burn him as a pinch hitter.
Which is my point about versatile back up catchers. In a double switch pinch hitting situation, someone like Cruz could be used as a pinch hitter and then either Molina could be moved to 1b or Cruz could go to 3b, 2b or OF, depending upon the double switch, thus keeping two catchers in the game in the event of a subsequent injury later in the game.
Thus Anderson could help himself and the Cards if he could come up with some versatility.
Finally, if Hill can adequately catch his hitting is sufficient to make him valuable in the scenerio that I suggested.
I’m not saying that Anderson shouldn’t try to learn another postion. That was someone else. I think it’s smart for him to learn another postion. I was simply saying he now has 0 value as a Cardinal. It’s long past the expiration date for trading him and getting anything of value.
I did not mean to infer that you were saying that Anderson shouldn’t try to learn another position. I was laying out my response to your post that contained the comment that they “can’t burn him (Cruz/Anderson) as a pinch hitter….in case Molina gets hurt”.
And my point is that doesn’t matter at all because there’s no reason to ever use Cruz as a pinch hitter. So there is No Benefit to having “a versatile back up catchers.” The entire idea is a non-starter UNLESS your backup catcher is a much better hitter than the other bench players. Since that is Not the case for the Cardinals, the idea doesn’t make any sense.
Actually it does still matter, just at lot less. Because if Cruz starts the game, Molina could then pinch hit because you could still move cruz to third if need be.
Also, what about a scenario where a lefty is pinch hitting and all you have is left handed pinch hitters?
So yes, the idea makes sense. It’s just the practicality is very, very limited with Cruz.
BC, you are looking at it wrong. Because Cruz can play third, you can use Molina as a PH if Cruz started the game.
And what better player is Cruz kicking off the team? I am confused at that point.
not really. bryan anderson’s bat doesn’t play at any other position. yes, you could give him a second baseman’s glove and give him a skip schumaker crash course, but you’d still have a fourth-string second baseman.
at the outset of the season, he had a .295 wOBA projection. suffice to say that bryan anderson’s .265 wOBA campaign at memphis has not made anyone in the st. louis front office say, “let’s figure out how to get his bat in our lineup!”
Also, you say he is to old. Skip and Joe Torre were 29/30 when they learned new infield positions at the major league level.
I don’t think that 26 and in the minors is too old to learn a secondary position.
meant to say “If you say”
Anderson has 0 value. That should be clear by now. He hit over .400 in Spring Training and has a fresh start with Matheny being the manager and he still didn’t make the team. Over 1/4 through the minor league year he’s hitting under .200 still and started off the first month hitting .100. It should be pretty clear that when Carp went down Steven Hill got the call. And Hill hasn’t even been healthy all year. Anderson is one of the players just praying to be included in a trade so he can get a fresh start.
Hill got the call because he could play 1B and the corner outfield. I do not believe we will see him at catcher.
I wouldn’t really think that Hill coming up is a knock against Anderson. Hill isn’t here to catch and they don’t need another left handed bat.
Fornataro continuing to pitch well for Springfield. Seems to be harnessing the 8th inning role in Springfield. 26 IP 1.35 ERA 5.33 K/BB and a .218 BABIP pretty impressive. Anyone have a scouting report on his repertoire.
Article from the Springfield, Mo paper – http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120424/SPORTS/304240033/springfield-cardinals-fornataro-butler
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Does Anderson really even have that much hitting upside anymore? Throwing out this year, 270-280 at AAA without much power. He may be a descent contact hitter for a catcher but does his bat really play anywhere else?
At this point Anderson is only a AAA insurance policy for catcher.
Not really.
I brought it up more of a last ditch effort to increase his value rather than a true course of action.
contact hitting lefties do have roles as major league pinch hitters. Anderson is a contact hitting lefty.
Andreson has no value in STL. If he’s released and catches on elsewhere maybe. He’s not a good enough catcher defensively to be a backup. If he moves to 2nd he may hit enough to stay on a team. Teams that value offensive backup catchers may pick him up.
If Cruz or Yadi is injured Anderson will most likely come up. He may not fit into a lot of plans for the Cards future, but that’s fairly important for now.