Tag: St Louis

4 Things the Cardinals Still Need to Do Before the Start of Spring Training

The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot to look forward to in 2014.

The arrival of Oscar Taveras, a full season from Kolten Wong and a possible rotation slot for Carlos Martinez are all highly anticipated highlights of the season to come.

That’s enough to justify getting anyone excited, but before things begin to get under way, there are decisions that have to be made by Mike Matheny and the front office.

The decisions can be very simple, such as player adjustments and work schedules, or something as difficult as determining a player’s role on the team altogether.

The following list is five things the Cardinals will need to take care of before they head down to Jupiter, Fla. for the start of spring training.

Begin Slideshow


The Top 5 St. Louis Cardinals Stories from 2013

The St. Louis Cardinals represented the National League in the World Series in 2013. They put together the best regular season record in the National League to get there. Since the close of the season, they have improved their roster by making moves by both trade and in free agency.

Along the way, there have been some headlines worth noting. Combined, they form a subscript of the calendar year and help to define the current state of the franchise.  

What follows is the top five stories from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013.

 

Statistics in the following article are sourced from Baseball-Reference.com.

Transaction information can be found on the Cardinals’ official transaction page.

Begin Slideshow


5 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects Set to Break out in 2014

With the end of a year comes the final chapter of the season that nearly was. For the second year in a row, the St. Louis Cardinals were inches away from their 12th world championship.

The arrival of 2014 means it is time to put the season fully in the past and move forward to the future of the organization.

The 2013 season brought to the forefront many new faces within the organization that made an impact on 2013 and will in all likelihood continue to do so next season.

Another exciting note that comes with a new season are the new faces and players who will become major parts of the team in 2014.

As always there is no guarantee with prospects. Some of them are typically lost due to injury, while many never become the player they have been hyped to be.

With that said, some players become more than was ever anticipated. Few predicted the rapid rise of Michael Wacha or Matt Carpenter to become the player he has developed into—even though in retrospect we likely should have expected such performance.

Following are five prospects I believe are set to break out in 2014 and make a name for themselves.

Begin Slideshow


Furcal Could Be the Cardinals’ Answer at Shortstop

While nothing has been said about Rafael Furcal returning to the St. Louis Cardinals, if the right deal doesn’t come along, it could be the smartest option.

The free agent market for this year is extremely slim—and there’s little doubt GM John Mozeliak would rather spend dollars (which they have) than prospects (which they cherish).

Scott Boras, the agent of Boston Red Sox shortstop Stephen Drew, hinted to Derrick Goold of STLToday.com that his client is interested in the Cardinals. However, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Red Sox will make a qualifying offer to Drew.

Even if Drew doesn’t accept the offer, he may still go for a price and number of years beyond a range the Cardinals would view as reasonable.

With his injury history, three years would be a stretch to give to Drew.

Among the other free agents available are Jhonny Peralta and Brendan Ryan.

Peralta’s 2013 numbers would make him a solid fit, but there’s still a chance the Detroit Tigers could hang on to him as an outfielder, with Peralta telling John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press he’d like to stay with the organization. With that said, such a fit with the Tigers seems unlikely, having traded for Jose Iglesias.

Most likely, he will be looking for a multi-year deal upwards of $6 million. That doesn’t put him out of reach for the Cardinals, but they would likely be reluctant to pick up a player fresh off of a PED suspension.

Brendan Ryan is also available, but they already tried that. Great glove, no bat. In fact, Ryan batted 20 points lower than Pete Kozma.

In the end, the answer could come with a year (or half year) from Furcal. Here are a few thoughts on the subject.

Begin Slideshow


St. Louis Cardinals Preparing Allen Craig for World Series Start at First Base?

Allen Craig was one of the most prolific hitters for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013.  His production at the plate, specifically with runners in scoring position, was a key component in the successful season for the team.  An injury in early September sidelined the first baseman, forcing the Cardinals to rely on young power hitter Matt Adams.

Adams has proven he can handle himself quite well at the plate and defensively at first base.  His production during the last month of the season softened the blow of Craig’s injury.  Even without Craig, the Cardinals kept winning and found themselves headed to the postseason with the National League’s best record.

The postseason brought a slightly different story for Matt Adams.

Through the second game of the World Series, Adams was struggling to produce, with only three extra-base hits in 49 at-bats and a paltry .245 batting average.  His four runs batted in have left the Cardinals hoping for Craig’s return before the 2013 season would come to a close.

The Cardinals’ arrival to the World Series brought some hope regarding Craig.  The series would begin in Boston and allow the team to utilize the designated hitter.

After multiple workouts after the close of the National League Championship Series, the Cardinals announced that Craig would be healthy enough to help the club in the World Series.  He would serve as the team’s designated hitter in Boston and be a competent bat from the bench when the games shifted to St. Louis.

The Cardinals escaped Boston with a split of the first two games.  Multiple sources, including MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch, noted that Allen Craig was taking ground balls at first base during workouts when the team arrived back in St. Louis.  

Does taking ground balls during workouts suggest that Craig is going to return to the lineup over Matt Adams?  Langosch seems to think that we will know very soon:

But the Cardinals continue to work Craig in the field with their eyes set on Game 5, when Boston will next send a lefty to the mound. It would be an ideal time to plug Craig back into the starting lineup.

The Cardinals are anxious to have Craig’s production back in the lineup but continue to progress slowly with the injury.  They do not want to push Craig too quickly, but they do want to maximize their potential for a World Championship this season.  

Craig has hit left-handed pitching better than Adams in 2013.  Adams has posted a .231 batting average while not drawing a single walk against lefties this season.  Craig, on the other hand, has produced a .779 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) and a .278 batting average against lefties.  

While MLB.com does not currently list an announced starter for Boston in Game 5, logic would suggest that Jon Lester would take the mound for the Red Sox.  Lester kept the Cardinals off-balance in Game 1 of the World Series, including Adams and Craig.  The duo combined for one hit and two strikeouts in eight at-bats against Lester in that game.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has said, according to the same Langosch article above, that Craig will be available both off the bench and as a defensive replacement in games due to the progress he has shown.  Craig provides the team a new dimension of production from the bench and another weapon against left-handed pitching going forward.

At the very least, Craig offers a more intimidating pinch-hitting option than Shane Robinson late in the game.  

A healthy Allen Craig could make all the difference for the St. Louis Cardinals.

All statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

Follow me on Twitter to discuss all things baseball throughout the postseason.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


World Series: Cardinals Will Face a Familiar Foe—whether It’s Boston or Detroit

A series defined by great pitching met up Friday night in St. Louis for yet another duel—only half of the duel never showed.

The St. Louis Cardinals continued their ownership of one of the game’s greatest left-handed pitchers, Clayton Kershaw.

The Los Angeles Dodgers sent the right man to the mound—Hanley Ramirez fought through an extremely painful injury—but in the end this series belonged to the Cardinals.

Michael Wacha, NLCS MVP, threw seven stellar innings of two-hit shutout baseball—an overall microcosm of the series to date.

Friday’s win does assure that the Cardinals will face one of two very familiar fall classic opponents—the Boston Red Sox or Detroit Tigers.

While most fans remember the two series in 2004 and 2006, many don’t realize the Cardinals have faced each team in a World Series three times.

In 1934, the Cardinals’ Gashouse Gang defeated the Tigers in seven games. During that series, all four wins came behind the two Dean brothers—Dizzy and Daffy—who combined for 28 strikeouts and a 1.43 ERA.

In 1968, the Cardinals met the Tigers in the World Series again, but a win wasn’t in their future.

On the cusp of Bob Gibson’s 1.12 ERA season—a record that won’t easily be broken—the Tigers took down the Cardinals over seven games.

In 2006, the Cardinals returned the favor when they fully dominated the Tigers over five games for a swift 4-1 championship win.

The Cardinals’ history with the Red Sox is very similar. Once again, it is painted with some of the fondest moments in team history along with some of painful defeat.

In 1946, the two teams met in the World Series for the first time. The Cardinals won the series in seven games, but not before Enos Slaughter made his famous “Mad Dash” to score from first base.

Ted Williams wasn’t at his best that year due to injury, but in typical Williams fashion, he wasn’t making any excuses.

In 1967, the Cardinals and Red Sox met once again in the World Series. Bob Gibson did almost everything. He was responsible for three wins and even one home run.

Again the Cardinals won in seven games.

When they met for the most recent time in 2004, it was the Red Sox’s turn to make history. The Sox dominated the Cardinals in a four-game sweep and finally reversed the “Curse of the Bambino” by winning their first World Series since 1918.

So what does 2013 have in store? Is it the year of the rookie pitcher? Is it the year of the beard? Will Justin Verlander finally work his regular season magic in October?

HFour of the Cardinals’ 11 World Championships have come at the expense of these two teams.

While there’s no way to know what to expect, when these teams meet in October history tends to be made. Don’t look for this World Series to be any different.

All statistics courtesy Baseball Reference are current through Oct. 18, 2013.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Adam Wainwright Hopes to Lead St. Louis Cardinals Down Different Game 5 Path

The St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in Game 5 of the National League Division Series yet again this year.

Just like 2012, they will turn to Adam Wainwright to lead them to victory and on to the National League Championship Series.  Wainwright hopes to put the team in a position to win instead of the team overcoming a poor start like what occurred last year.

The Cardinals are no stranger to elimination games.  They are even more familiar with playing the fifth game of a NLDS.  Over the past two seasons, the Cardinals have produced a dominant pitching performance and a come-from-behind victory in Game 5.  

The dominant pitching performance belonged to Chris Carpenter, the former ace of the Cardinals who now finds himself a spectator and cheerleader from the dugout.  His 2011 performance against Roy Halladay, the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies and Carpenter’s good friend, was an instant classic.  

Wainwright was unable to follow in his mentor’s footsteps the following season, however.  Wainwright took the mound against the Washington Nationals in 2012 and would exit the game in the third inning.  Three home runs, six runs, and seven hits would chase the ace to the dugout to watch the remainder of the game. The rest of the team refused to give up and the Cardinals fought their way back to take the game and move on to the NLCS.

Derrick Goold of StlToday.com checked in with Adam Wainwright during a Tuesday afternoon optional workout at Busch Stadium.  Wainwright made it clear that he was feeling relaxed when he took the opportunity to joke about last year’s disastrous outing:

“I’m a motivator, so I knew that day that I was going to need to go out and pitch bad for our team to really get some mojo flowing,” Wainwright said, grinning.

Adam Wainwright was recovering from Tommy John surgery and finding his way in 2012.  At times, his season would show the flare of the ace pitcher the Cardinals hoped would return.  At others, he reminded the team and the fans that he was still finding his groove.  He shared some thoughts on that with Goold as well:

This year is completely different than last year. I learned some valuable lessons last year. I persevered through some hard times. The fact of the matter is last year I pitched a good Game 1, a terrible Game 5, and a good Game 4 of the NLCS. There is no guarantee my stuff would have returned in the World Series had we even got there. That’s just the truth of the matter. My stuff was hit or miss all year long.

Wainwright seems to have found that groove in 2013, posting a Cy Young-worthy season and being the leader the young pitching staff desperately needed throughout the season.  

He now finds himself poised to lead this team one step further, into the next round of the playoffs and possibly beyond.  He finds himself in position to exorcise the Game 5 demons from last season.  He finds himself in the position to put the exclamation point on the statement that Michael Wacha made in Game 4.

The Cardinals and Wainwright wouldn’t have it any other way.

Statistics in this article are sourced from Baseball-Reference.

Follow me on Twitter to discuss all things baseball throughout the postseason.

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


NLDS 2013: St. Louis Cardinals Have to Forget Friday and History with Liriano

If St. Louis Cardinals fans partied it up on Thursday night in celebration, it’s likely that on Friday night they’re hitting the bottle.

What happened at Busch Stadium Friday afternoon was the polar opposite of Game 1 of the National League Division Series between the Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

On Thursday, the Cardinals hit well, pitched well and fielded well while the Pirates did absolutely nothing. On Friday, the Pirates hit well, pitched well and fielded well while the Cardinals did absolutely nothing.

Just like with a win, it’s important to keep things in perspective. What happened Friday was just one game. The same was said about Thursday.

Obviously a split isn’t the ideal situation, but this team has been good at putting a bad day behind them. Manager Mike Matheny said he doesn’t see this as different from any other loss.

While he can’t control their approach, he is confident that they have the mental tools to do what needs to be done to keep the season going.

“They’re going to do what they want to do and think how they want to think, but it would surprise me if they’re doing anything different than just getting ready to go out and put their best effort forward,” Matheny said.

With that said, the Sunday game likely won’t be an easy one. They’ll have to contend with a crowd that is beyond energetic and Francisco Liriano, who has owned the Cardinals in 2013.

During the regular season, Liriano was 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA against the Cardinals. He’s surrendered only 10 hits and two runs over a span of 24 innings pitched.

There are two ways to look at this for the Cardinals. The pessimist would likely say the Cardinals are doomed to go down 2-0 in the series. The optimist, on the other hand, would say that Liriano is due for a bad start against the Cardinals.

A look at his success against other teams shows that Liriano—despite his current appearance—is not Cy Young. He has been shelled by the Milwaukee Brewers (5.52, 14 IP, 9 ER in three starts), the Colorado Rockies (9.64, 10 ER in two starts), the San Francisco Giants (7.20, 8 ER in two starts) and the Cincinnati Reds (0-3, 3.70, 10 ER in 24.1 IP over four starts.)

Each of those teams’ batting averages against Liriano is double (the Giants are triple) what the Cardinals have done when they faced him.

While the Cardinals have struggled badly against left-handed batters, Liriano is beatable. Matheny continues to remind them of that.

“Hope the mindset is they can’t wait to get back out there and compete regardless of who they throw out there against us,” Matheny said. “We’ve had some matchups with some guys that have had success against us in the past, and they’re able to get past what the projections are and just play the game.”

“So, that’s what I’ll be encouraging.” 

The reality of the situation is that because they are tied, what the Cardinals face now is basically a three-game series where they don’t have home-field advantage. However, the first pitcher they will face is more mediocre than his numbers against the Cardinals indicate.

If the Cardinals can keep their heads on straight, focus on what they can change and ignore their history with Liriano, they could turn this series around in a hurry on Sunday.

Hang in there, Cardinals fans.

Stats are from Baseball Reference and are current through Oct. 4, 2013.

All quotes obtained firsthand by the author.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


St. Louis Cardinals/Pittsburgh Pirates Numbers Tell an Interesting Story

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates seem like they have been within a game of each other all season.

There’s a reason for that—they almost have been.

The idea that neither team can gain any ground is more than a feeling (Boston pun intended).

Thanks to a savvy reader, a very interesting correlation was pointed out Tuesday morning. They obviously share the same overall record and winning percentage or there would be no tie, but the numbers tell a more interesting story.

The Cardinals and Pirates have identical home and road splits.

As of Tuesday, Sept. 17, each team is 48-27 at home and 39-36 on the road. Like I said, that feeling that every time the Cardinals win so do the Pirates isn’t a feeling, it’s fact.

But the similarities don’t start there. Following are a number of interesting stories within the numbers.

• Each team’s biggest lead in the division has been by only four games. For the Cardinals, that happened on Sunday, June 9. For the Pirates, it was on Saturday, Aug. 10.

• Each team’s biggest deficit under first place is also only four games. For the Cardinals, that was on Aug. 10, the same day the Pirates had their widest margin. For the Pirates, that day was on Sunday, June 20.

• Both the Cardinals and the Pirates longest game this season was 16 innings. For the Cardinals, it’s happened twice—once on April 3 and once on Sept. 4. The Pirates 16-inning game was on Sunday, Aug. 18.

• Each team has been shutout by opponents 11 times this season.

• The Cardinals first half record was one game better than the Pittsburgh Pirates. To date, the Pirates second half record is one game better than the Cardinals.

• The teams have identical records against four teams: the Atlanta Braves (3-4), Miami Marlins (4-2), New York Mets (5-2) and the Oakland Athletics (1-2.)

• The Pirates own the season series against the Cardinals by only one game (10-9.)

While there are a lot of similarities, there are also many differences. Just for fun, here are a few of those.

• The Cardinals are considerably better in—and have been involved in more—blowout games. The Cardinals are 32-17 in games decided by more than five runs. The Pirates are 17-14.

• Despite their close records, the Cardinals have scored far more runs. In 149 games, the Cardinals have scored 715 runs, while allowing 556. The Pirates have scored 580 runs and allowed 534.

• In extra innings, the Cardinals are 5-5 with a .500 winning percentage. The Pirates are 9-8 with a .529 winning percentage.

• The Pirates have a slight edge in one-run games (28-21) over the Cardinals (17-15.)

As the season winds down, each team is well aware that everything is on the line. Each win, run and even pitch could be the difference in a division championship and Wild Card play-in game.

As tight as it has been so far, don’t be shocked if this race comes down to the last night.

Stats current as of Sept. 17, 2013, via http://baseball-reference.com/

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Wong, Taveras and Adams Through the Eyes of Memphis Redbirds Manager Pop Warner

MEMPHIS, Tenn.—It’s not always easy to manage a team where every time a player gets hot, he gets shipped off.

Pop Warner, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A affiliate Memphis Redbirds, says it’s just part of the job.

“When the Cardinals come calling, it’s our job to have someone ready to go,” Warner said during a recent interview in his office in the clubhouse below AutoZone Park.

In his 13 years of coaching, he’s seen some good players come and go through the various levels of the organization. Right now, he says, there is a lot for Cardinals fans to be excited about.

Warner took some time to give his take on several of the farm system’s (and MLB’s) most prominent up and comers.

On Kolten Wong

He’s the real deal. Those were the first words out of Warner’s mouth when asked about the 22-year-old second base prospect.

“He’s got a lot of range,” he said. “He comes in on the ball really well. He goes to his right, goes to his left well. He’s a quick infielder.”

What Warner sees in Wong is exactly what he should be.

“That’s what you look for in a middle-infielder—quick feet, rangy guys with good hands,” he said. “He fits the mold.

Wong is known for his speed and his ability to always get a good jump on the ball. His defensive ability is well above average.

The night of the interview with Warner, Wong made a play from second base on a short hop that went to the left of the pitching mound and made the turn in time to get the first out of the game.

It’s not a play just anybody would make.

“He jumps on the ball really well,” Warner said. “With his foot speed and quickness, the result is a guy with good range.”

With Matt Carpenter filling the gap at second base, Wong has been able to stay in Memphis honing his skills this season. That extra time to develop, Warner says, has been good for the Hawaii native.

While his day will come soon, Warner teaches his players to always keep their focus on today.

“Basically, all these guys want to be in the big leagues–obviously,” he said. “But the one thing we relate to them is that you cannot control that stuff. You go out there, do your job and when your time comes you’ll get the call—be ready.

“If you start worrying about that kind of stuff, stuff that’s out of your control, it starts weighing in on your brain and then it starts affecting your play. I’ve seen it happen to a lot of guys.”

With Wong, Warner doesn’t see that as a cause for concern and referred to his as “quite mature for his age.”

“He’s strong enough to know that he has a good future and that if he just keeps going straight forward he’ll get his time,” he said. “[Wong is] a pretty even-keeled guy. He has a good mentality and that’s what you need in this game.”

Wong is batting .300/.360/.461 in Memphis with seven home runs, 31 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 19 doubles and eight triples.

On Oscar Taveras

Oscar Taveras, the 21-year-old outfield prospect from the Dominican Republic, is arguably the most exciting prospect the Cardinals organization has seen since Albert Pujols.

That excitement comes with good reason. Taveras is yet to play at a level of the minor leagues and not win the championship.

Warner said when Taveras steps to the plate, his competitive nature really shines through.

“He gives you really good, competitive at bats,” he said. “He just gets in there and battles you.”

Warner said left-handers have been a struggle for him, but he feels it’s to be expected at that level.

“They’ve got guys that come in and specialize in getting left-handers out,” Warner said. “It’s been a good learning experience for him. I just wish he would have stayed healthy. Hopefully he can get healthy and get back to where he needs to be.”

Right now health is the key for Taveras.

He has spent the majority of 2013 battling an injury that has been classified as an ankle sprain. The injury has sidelined him three times—most recently during his rehabilitation assignment with the Cardinals rookie ball affiliate Gulf Coast Cardinals.

Prior to the injury, Taveras was off to a good start at Memphis batting .306/.341/.462 with five home runs and 32 RBI. It’s not quite on pace with his 2012 numbers from the Double-A Springfield Cardinals, but a slight drop early on is normal when making the jump between leagues.

Regardless, Warner said Taveras still needs a bit of polish on some aspects of the game.

“He’s obviously young and needs to work on the nuances of the game—the overall game like defensive stuff, base running,” he said. “Basically, he needs to work on the stuff that only experience can give you like throwing to the right bases, knowing when to take an extra base, and knowing when to stay put.”

In Dec. 2012, I suggested that Taveras could stand to benefit from spending time with Carlos Beltran—whom he will in all likelihood replace at some point in the future. I still believe that’s the right move.

To work on the areas Warner feels could stand for improvement, Taveras needs to be healthy. The preseason predictions of an All-Star break arrival in St. Louis missed the mark by a bit, but injuries can’t be predicted.

At this point, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Taveras not finish the season in Memphis. In fact, it might benefit him to simply be shut down for a longer period to have time to heal.

With that said, ankle issues can be tricky for players and until it improves, he needs to be resting. There’s no reason to rush him.

On Matt Adams

When the subject of Matt Adams came up, Warner had plenty to say.

He sees Adams as an impact player at the big leagues with a big future ahead of him—much more than just a backup first baseman.

“He’s pretty nimble for a big guy,” Warner said. “That’s one thing that really stuck out about him to me.”

When Adams first arrived in Double-A, Warner thought they were getting a guy who was going to really have to work hard to get him to be a playable big league defender.

“In reality, he’s a pretty polished defender,” Warner said, noting his initial surprise. “Obviously he still had some work to do, but he’s come a long way.”

That defense has carried over to the big leagues in 2013. While many—myself included—expected defense to be his weakness, he’s shows this year that he’s actually quite talented with a glove.

Adams’ swing, however, is what was most exciting to Warner.

“His swing—he’s so short to the ball,” he said. “We try to teach guys to go from A-to-B to the ball with no wasted movement in between. He had that. It’s very compact.”

A lack of wasted movement within his swing has a lot to do with why he’s seen early success at the big league level. When teams are scouting players, they look for problems with the swing. Can he hit a curve? Does he struggle inside? Where does he like the ball?

“You’re not going to have a lot of holes or ways to pitch him,” Warner said. “If a batter has a little loop or a little length in their swing they can get to them. Adams is just direct with a really compact swing—with power.”

Those characteristics don’t usually go together.

“A lot of guys who have that short, compact swing are just line drive guys, but he’s got power,” he said. “He has strong forearms and strong hands. He knows how to use them.”

Strike zone discipline was Adams’ biggest issue in Memphis, and while he has struggled with it to an extent in St. Louis, he’s shown signs of improvement.

His strikeout percentage has dropped from 26.4 percent down to 21.1 percent. At the same time, his walk percentage has increased from 5.5 percent in 2012 to 8.2 percent in 2013.

His SO/BB rate has also fallen by nearly half from 4.80 in 2012, to 2.57 in 2013. He’s improving across the board.

“If he ever got to where he can just make them get him out in the strike zone, he’s going to be dangerous,” Warner said. “Up there he’s doing it right now. For him to go up there, be a bench guy and still produce shows a lot about the kid.

“It just goes to show you what kind of aptitude the guy has for the game.”

Since he began playing every day over the last month, he’s been a bit exposed, but that’s just part of the adjustment to being a major league hitter.

Warner is confident he will only continue to grow. That’s largely due to the fact that he feels Adams is extremely coachable.

“He understands that what we tell him and what the St. Louis coaches tell him means something,” Warner said. “A lot of guys, you say stuff trying to teach them and it goes in one ear and out the other. He takes that and soaks it in.”

He said lots of players come along who think they know everything and don’t need to listen. Their young ego can be their own worst enemy on the trek to playing in the major leagues.

“If you get good at what people are telling you, it will make you a better player,” Warner said. “That is how Matt Adams approaches the game.”

All quotes obtained firsthand by the author.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Copyright © 1996-2010 Kuzul. All rights reserved.
iDream theme by Templates Next | Powered by WordPress