Posts Tagged “Prospect”

Way back in October, I interviewed Tyrell Jenkins and Doug White (Johnson City pitching coach) for an article in the upcoming VEB Annual ebook (formerly the Maple Street Press Annual). It’s different from anything I’ve written previously in that it takes the conversation I had with both Tyrell and Doug and weaves them into the larger narrative of Tyrell as a player. It reads more like a newspaper column than a Q&A.  I learned a lot writing it and it’s something that I may do in the future but it’s dramatically more time consuming than posting a straight Q&A. Nonetheless, I was excited to get to work with Larry Borowsky (lboros on VEB) on the project and I’m sure that the ebook will be excellent. When more details on it become available, I’ll pass them along.

Below the fold are the remains of my conversations that didn’t mesh into the story.  Before you make the jump though, I have to say how appreciative I am that both Doug and Tyrell took the time to talk with me. Tyrell was far more thoughtful in his answers than I expected of an 18 year old (he was certainly less flippant than I was at 18) and it was clear to me that he was very much taking to heart the coaching he had received in Johnson City. Doug was generous with his time and I left with the impression of someone who understand that his job is as much about guiding a young player through the baseball “process” as it is making sure he has the right grip on a changeup.

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Baseball America named him the best pitching prospect in the New York Penn League in 2008. It was hard not to notice Adam Reifer, the then 22-year old right handed relief pitcher, as he struck out over a batter an inning with a fastball that touched the high 90s.  In 2010, he was listed as the Cardinals 16th best prospect by Baseball America who noted his fastball velocity and “a slider that grades as a plus-plus pitch at times”.

The 2007 draftee was poised to have a big season in 2011 for the Memphis Redbirds. In competition for the closer’s role, Reifer would suffer a season ending injury on a cold April night against the Chicago Cubs AAA affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa.  Surgery would follow and the history books of baseball will note a season that totaled five appearances — the last of which was on April 17th, 2011.

A healthy Reifer, just arrived in Florida for Spring Training, took the time to talk with me last week. The weather is beautiful and Reifer is ready to fight for a job; to fight for what that unfortunate moment in 2011 delayed but, hopefully, didn’t take away from him.  He’s “100% go” and eager to be back in competition. Our conversation follows.

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Baseball America has the details. The Cardinals are dropping a nice chunk of change on Serrano ($750k) as the first major post-Luhnow acquisition.