JUPITER, Fla. — Not since a throng of reporters and cameras lined up to watch Detroit Tiger pitchers take fielding practice a year ago had there been such an odd event for a mass of media to attend.
Yet, there we were, tape rolling, shutters clicking, pens scratching as Juan Gonzalez … bunted.
The humor wasn’t lost on manager Tony La Russa, who approached the media with the promise of a “neat note.”
“The first offensive act from a two-time MVP for the Cardinals will be laying down a sacrifice bunt,” La Russa said. “How about that?”
Gonzalez, previously believed to be retired, began his bid for a spot on the Cardinals’ roster with some soft-handed bunts down the first- and third-base lines. He also raked. Matched with Albert Pujols, Troy Glaus and Scott Spiezio in a hitting group, three of that foursome showed why they will never put those bunting drills to use. Consider the credentials (1,112 combined homers) that foursome brought into the cage against batting-practice pitcher Mike Matheny.
- Gonzalez … 434 HR
- Pujols … 282 HR
- Glaus … 277 HR (meaning two Cardinals are on the verge of 300 this season)
- Spiezio … 119 HR
Gonzalez took part in live batting practice, facing prospect Mike Parisi. Gonzalez did not swing, taking every pitch thrown to him. On the last pitch Parisi threw him, the righthander bent a curve that had the former MVP flinch.
“Everything is hard, but not impossible,” Gonzalez said of his attempt to make the team. “When you have experience like myself it’s hard, but the thing is to stay healthy.”
During batting practice, Glaus, Pujols and Gonzalez peppered left field and the field beyond left field. When the group finished, there were more than 15 balls on the far side of the fence and those did not include the hardest hit ball of the round — a bullet that Pujols drilled to the left-field wall that stuck briefly in the chainlink fence as if trying to blast through. Pujols and Glaus put the most over (and Spiezio was game to try to keep pace). Gonzalez struck liners all around the field and put several over the fence. He had the same, signature, swift swing, and one of his last swings brought a gasp from the assembled players.
It’s early and it’s BP — what he’s been doing for months — but the power is obvious.
Gonzalez said he felt like a rookie taking the field for the first official full-squad workout of spring. There was an air of expectancy around Gonzalez, who looked slimmer than when Major League Baseball last saw him and mobile in drills and in the field. La Russa said people whose opinions he trusts had spoke highly of Gonzalez, but there was still something about seeing him in person. General manager John Mozeliak said he was eager to “see him with my own eyes” after hearing about him for three months.
And that is why we gathered to watch three sluggers bunt.
“The reason we’re watching is because we may never see this again,” said 550 AM radio personality John Hadley. “We won’t ever see this in the next 162 games.”
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More on Gonzalez and his response to questions about performance-enhancing drugs (he said he was “clear” and never used them) in Wednesday’s Post-Dispatch.
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Ron Villone, the lefthanded reliever signed Tuesday, will wear No. 27.
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For the numerologists out there that means the jersey numbers of the departed trio have all been assigned to new Cardinals: 22 is Gonzalez, 27 is Villone and 15 is coach Hal McRae.
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Two pitchers who were scheduled to be part of the minor-league pitchers mini-camp have been upgraded to the major-league camp as of Tuesday. Righthanders Stuart Pomeranz and Tyler Herron both received invitations to major-league camp, and either could pitch his way into exhibition game innings.
Pomeranz, his progress slowed by injury, is looking to reclaim his spot among the team’s pitching prospects. Herron receives too little attention as a pitching prospect who has made a steady climb since being drafted out of high school.
La Russa said they added the two young pitchers to the camp because of the doubleheader on March 5 and the suddenly available innings with Matt Clement an unknown.
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And that brings us to yesterday’s homework assignment: Who was the last Cardinals pitcher to do what Clayton Mortensen is doing this year — going straight from the draft to an invitation to major-league spring training?
I have the answer, but here’s the deal: The crack research staff in the Cardinals’ front office was able to track down and confirm the answer. Jim Anderson, of the media relations staff, said he will send a Cardinals 2008 media guide to the first person who gives the correct answer. Write dgoold@post-dispatch.com with your guess and the first person to get it correct will get their address passed on.
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Baseball Prospectus minor-league guru Kevin Goldstein is out with his Top 11 Cardinals prospects. No surprise that Colby Rasmus tops the list as the Cardinals’ only five-star prospect, but the rest of the list has some interesting features (viva Jose Martinez), though if allowed to go solo on a list I’m still inclined to rank Clayton Mortensen ahead of Pete Kozma and find a spot for Kyle McClellen in the conversation. Goldstein’s group, with the star-rankings:
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Rasmus, OF *****
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Chris Perez, RHP ****
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Bryan Anderson, C ****
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Adam Ottavino, RHP ***
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Jaime Garcia, LHP ***
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Herron, RHP ***
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Martinez, SS/2B ***
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Kozma, SS ***
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Mortensen, RHP ***
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Joe Mather, OF/1B **
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Jarrett Hoffpauir, 2B **
St. Louisan David Freese is on the just-miss list. Check out the link for the entire article as it gives a good breakdown of the prospects pasts, presents and future. One thing to note is that Anderson is likely going to Double-A to start the year, and there’s the idea internally that Mortensen could make the Triple-A rotation at some point in the coming season.
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Outfielder Amaury Marti, a Cuban defector, was asked about the news out of his native land, that President Fidel Castro is stepping down. He declined to say anything. “I don’t live there,” he said. “I live here.” Marti defected from Cuba in 2005 and spends his winters in Nicaragua. He said his wife and two kids remain in Cuba. Marti is a non-roster invitee to this spring training. Though 32, Marti was just drafted in 2006. He spent last season in the Mexican League and Class AA, and he’s a career .300 hitter in the minors.
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Adam Wainwright made his first appearance against hitters Tuesday, the first of the surefire starters to reach that point in spring training. The club’s acting ace said he threw all of his pitches because he’s “a believer in bringing my pitches along at the same time, so that one is not further advanced than the others.”
Wainwright threw 40 pitches without a break and said afterward: “I hope I never have to do that in the regular season.”
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