Author Archive

Last week I talked about a few picks that fit the Cardinals’ drafting style with the logic that past success will lead to repetition despite the personnel changes that have occurred throughout the organization. This week (and perhaps also in the coming weeks), I take the opposite hypothesis, foreseeing a change in philosophy due not only to the aforementioned personnel differences but also to the surplus that such a consistent style has created.

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For all the turnover we saw in the organization this year, it’s hard to envision too many changes in their philosophy. Last year’s wall-to-wall success probably means we’ll see a smooth continuation of what has worked in the past. We’ve already seen it: success with Dominican prospects like Oscar Taveras and Carlos Martinez has led the Cardinals back to the well with another major signing in 17 year old pitcher Andres Serrano (as a note of warning, Andres Serrano is also the name of a famed corpse photographer. Google Image search at your own risk).

Of course, with so many picks, we should expect some variety at the top of the draft (maybe even a left handed pit–no, it’s too far-fetched to hope for) but predicting the draft is a crapshoot anyway and past tendencies are often the best predictors we have. More likely than not, this will mean more collegiate pure hitters, more groundballers and more raw, possibly multi-sport athletes from the draft this year.

With that in mind, here are a few guys who fit into the Cardinals mould.
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Palm Beach had the only win of the day, although they did it without their ringer, Allen Craig. He sat out for the second day in a row, having played only one game in his rehab assignment. The team’s recent attempts to bring back injured players have been messy, hopefully this is them being careful with an increasingly critical asset. Quad Cities lost their game in the ninth but remain the only Cardinals minor league affiliate above .500. As long as the big club is winning…

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No top prospects started today as the system goes 2-2. Memphis pulls out a win after a long drought and Quad Cities handily destroys Cedar Rapids. Springfield and Palm Beach… well… Memphis finally won a game, huh? And Eduardo Sanchez pitched without his arm falling off!

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[azru: In past year's when I've asked for feedback on the site, one of the things that came up was more pre-draft coverage. So this year, I found someone to provide some fodder for our draft discussions. Leading up to the draft, purple_haze will introduce you to players that you should know to be prepped for the draft. When the draft is here, Future Redbirds will, as we have for the last several years, track each draft pick through the first 10 rounds and then group posts for each 10 rounds after that.  The difference will be that this year, you may already know some of the names we draft thanks to purple_haze. Make sure and check in each Tuesday for draft coverage. Enjoy!]

Just as I was beginning to feel as if 2011 was a fairy tale so distant that it could not possibly be true, baseball returned and brought me sharply back into the present. And even though the dramatic finish of that season seemed to be the conclusion of an era of Cardinals history, they did not simply dissolve the franchise right then and there. Yep, it seems they’re doing it all over again this year and I couldn’t be happier. Everything is renewed this spring, with a new CBA, new management and a new farm director to determine the influx of new ballplayers from what should be a fruitful draft.

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Shelby Miller ALERT!

Past future redbird Lance Lynn mowed down the Brewers in his first start for 2012 putting up 8 Ks with no walks and only a pair of hits. The next prospect in line for a rotation slot, Shelby Miller, struggled somewhat in his AAA debut. Just two games in the Cards system today but still plenty of top prospecty goodness. Oh, and I’m Juan Iglesias AKA purple_haze, from that other Cardinals blog with the weird Spanish name. It’s good to see you all in church this evening.

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