Will there be an announcement of who is playing in the SLU game sometime today? I know it’s prospects-only, but is that all prospects or will players like Rasmus and Anderson be held out as well?

I know it’s early, but is there now a strong likelihood that Barton starts on the DL/rehab path, especially if someone like Gonzalez has a big spring?

Thanks for the great work. You are a lifesaver in these early days of ST!

Hey C70, I know this is what I have pitching wise from tomorrow off the Cards site..

Due to Pitch (STL): Mitchell Boggs (2 inn), Clayton Mortensen (2 inn), Jaime Garcia (2 inn), Chris Perez (1 inn)

Be nice to know what position players might be playing!

Hey, DG…can you confirm that McClellan’s throwing to LaRue means that Tony thinks LaRue will be seeing some of the young prospect on the mound and that’s why his “stock is rising”?

Is anyone else concerned about the “Crazy 8″ lineup? How long has baseball been around and how often has this idea been used? If it worked consistently wouldn’t it be a common practice by now?

I had high hopes for a fun summer. I didn’t expect much from the team, but I thought it would be fun to see so many new faces and young guys. Between Clement and now Barton I’m starting to sense storm clouds. The only real positive I’m getting so far is Anthony Reyes.

Again, this goes back to what seems to be the the philosophy of the Cardinals, draft and sign damaged goods and see if we can bargan our way into a star, or catch “Lightning in a Bottle”.

I’m dissapointed because Barton is a player that could suprise many I feel.

La Russa said he was tinkering around with a lineup for the SLU game. It will be what the manager has come to refer as “young” players. It will be similar to the players who played in the coach-pitch game Tuesday.

There was always that possibility Barton would start with a rehab assignment. That was talked about — and written about — after the pick.

Excellent question about the “Crazy 8″ lineup (kinda catchy): Could be tradition. Could be lineup theory, which holds that the 8th hitter will get this many more at-bats than the 9th hitter so why give a weaker hitter that many more at-bats. Could be that La Russa has hit on something by instinct — that he can get Pujols an at-bat in the first inning and them have him hit cleanup for the rest of the season.

Scoring runs, after all, is not about maximizing the number of times your 8th hitter bats, it’s about maximizing the number of times your best hitter bats with runners on base.

Just in the “early days”?

dg

I’d guess that a large part of the resistance to a change in the general construction of the lineup would be tradition. If you asked people in the 50s about saving a flame thrower for the last three outs, they’d have said, “Nobody does that. That’s stupid.” Now we do it all the time. Look at the use of sabermetrics. It took a long time for that to be as accepted as it is, and it’s still not as universally embraced as it could be.

So just because no one else is doing it doesn’t mean the change in the lineup isn’t a good thing.

Thanks for the info, CJE. Too bad there’s no televising/radio on the SLU game–that’d be a lot of fun for prospect watchers to see!

Odds are the starting pitcher that day is a better offensive threat then C.Izturis anyway…so hitting the pitching 8th is probably better for the offense anyway

I was really dead set against the “Crazy 8″ lineup before, BUT I have come to realize that TLR may be right. Granted the Nos. 8 spot will get about 20 more PA’s during the course of a 162 games. However, today’s Starting Pitchers don’t go the distance in a game like they used to and you end up with double switches and Pinch hitters getting the last PA or 2 of the Pitcher’s slot in the lineup.

So, while the 8 spot may get 20 more PA’s over the season, the Starting Pitchers are still going to have less PA’s than the Nos. 9 spot. Plus, when you figure that the Nos. 9 hitter is going to be either Kennedy or Izturiz, having a PH batting in front of them late in the game is a plus.

DG, if Barton has to spend a considerable amount of this season on the DL what is the Rule for the Rule V draft?

If he is on the DL all year this year, he has to be on the roster all of next year, or we will lose him. Someone else can explain this better than I can, I’m sure.

DG..Thanks for all the work. Is Josh Phelps getting any run in the OF in spring? You mentioned him as a “name” to look out for the other day and I like him. But unless he can play LF or RF without falling over then he can’t make the team right?

I look forward to these updates everyday.

My question concerns the 6 pitchers who went to Duncan’s pre-Spring training “academy”. I know Perez is doing well and everyone seems to be high on McClellan, but what’s up with the others.

DG

With Barton still having issues with his kneee, what are the chances that Cleveland does not take him back? Was this a consideration when we picked him?

If Ryan listens to that advice then he’s headed back to Memphis. His best chance to make this team is to convince management that he’s better than Izturis . . . which shouldn’t be all that hard for him to do.

Hi, Daddy! I can’t wait to come see you. Three more sleeptimes!

Why is Bryan Anderson listed at 1B on Team Walker? I thought his value was highest as a catcher, meaning a position change was out of the question.

Working my way backward, from 16 to 9.

– You will notice that each team had several catchers, including Gabe Johnson in right field. Catchers played first on both teams. Remember, there are a lot of catchers in major-league camp these days and they have to play somewhere. Don’t read anything more into Anderson playing first than you would David Carpenter playing left field. He had not done that since high school …

– Look forward to seeing you too, Little Man Ian. Thanks for the video. Banging away on your Pooh laptop this morning — it’s good to see you haven’t forgotten your father and, apparently, what he does for a living.

– Yes. That would be just awful for Brendan Ryan. Listening to his coaches. How foolish. No good can come of that for him.

– It’s not just Cleveland. If Cleveland doesn’t want him, then every other team in baseball gets a shot at adding him to the 25-man roster before the Cardinals can put him in the minors. The DL/rehab buys time, but doesn’t eliminate the Rule 5 triggers. Not even if he spends all season on the DL. Though, don’t go jumping off bridges. Tuesday’s checkup was not, as of right now, something that would lead to a lost season.

– Perez has pitched well. Mortensen has been the best of that group. All of the pitchers in the minicamp were ahead (as planned) when they hit major league camp, and most have pleased the coaches. The best, by most accounts, have been Mortensen and Ottavino.

– Phelps said he has been approached about taking some time in the outfield. He has done it before, though never in a game. He worked out in the outfield last season for Pittsburgh and also last spring for the Yankees. It’s not foreign land, he said.

dg
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do any of last year’s minor league pitchers have a realistic chance to stick. is there any trade talk at spg. trng?

also someone mentioned a baseball website by a guy from st. charles, or someone used to work in stl sports media. anyone remember the name of that website?

DG
Thanks for the info regarding rule 5. Had no idea every time got a crack before we could take him back. After his performance against SLU today, may have counted him out too soon.