Reality Test:

Only three of the 18 outs in Anthoney Reyes’ six innings yesterday were fly outs to right field. The official box score notes that the wind was coming in from right field at 12 mph.

Did any of the three fly outs to right field go all the way to the warning track? Or is this just Dave Duncan’s way of arguing against keeping Reyes on the team?

What does Reyes have to do? He has 11 straight scoreless innings in “the games that count” (late in spring training), according to LaRussa. His outing yesterday was the longest for any pitcher on the Cardinal roster this spring. His ERA is low. He is second on the team in strikeouts and has only walked three. (Wellemeyer has walked more than he has struck out - 11 to 10). Reyes came into camp in great shape.

What exactly in the name of Dizzy Dean does Duncan want out of this guy?

DG,

Duncan has always talked about how Reyes takes too long to warm up to be a reliever. In many of his starts last year, the 1st inning was his bane. Are the Cards starting to recognize that the long warm-up time could be related to his starting troubles, and do they think that pitching him out of the bullpen might help both issues?

Thanks in advance.

if reyes can learn a reliever’s warm up routine, he could do well in the pen as a long innings guy. the trouble he has as a starter is that in the first four innings, he almost always has three good ones and one really bad one. duncan says it’s because he has no put away pitch and if you watched as many of his starts as i did, you have to agree. he always gets ahead in the count, then the batter fouls off several and usually walks or gets good wood on the ball. if he had a put away pitch, he could be a legitimate number three or better. until he develops one, he would be better off in the pen.

Reyes had a great spring last year too. Then had a 6.05 ERA and was throwing 30 pitches in the first inning almost every start.

Don’t let spring stats fool you. Heck, Kip Wells had an ERA of 1.06 last spring!

DG, it was reported by Kary Booher in the news-leader today that Jaime Garcia has been told he didn’t make the memphis roster and will be heading to springfield, but that is probably assuming that Anthony Reyes was going to be in memphis to start the season. if Reyes makes the team would that open a spot for Garcia in memphis or would they just move some scrub like John Wasdin out of the bullpen?

In the game today, Barton took a pitch to the face. Looked to be the nose. They had to help him off the field and went directly to the clubhouse. DL?

So already we have an injury that could affect the roster for the start of the season. Barton to the DL? Mather back in the mix in St Louis? Haerther from Springfield to Memphis to take Mather’s spot if he gets the call?

it didn’t look that serious. franceour looked like he got jacked a lot worse in that game earlier this spring and he was back in a couple of days.

– On Reyes’ routine. Yes, that is a concern expressed by the pitching coach. Reyes does have an elaborate routine that he uses to get ready to pitch. The pitching coach and others are not certain how that will translate into a relief role. Reyes did try to change the timing of his routine because of his first-inning success. I seem to recall he once pitched a sim first inning in the bullpen as part of his warmup.

– A Barton update is in the blog one door down. Freshly posted.

– Jaime Garcia was inked into the rotation there in Double-A, as Kary and others have reported before. Garcia did not get a chance to finish a full season in the Texas League and that is a good spot for him to continue his development. There’s also a lot to having a rotation of Adam Ottavino, Clayton Mortensen and Garcia in Springfield pushing each other.

(Quick tease: There’s also a reason why Ottavino is one of several Cardinals on the cover of our MLB/Cardinals Preview Section that will be in Sunday’s paper. Put aside some quarters now.)

dg
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DG,

I live in a suburb outside of memphis. Will that preview issue beavailable online as well? Or am I just out of luck?

Thanks

DG,
I am perplexed by some of the coaches comments after Reyes pitched yesterday. Since they were mentioned above I will not rehash them, but what was the point? Such comments clearly will not build Reyes confidence, and with upwards of 10 scouts looking at Reyes why discount his start by seemingly only emphasizing the negatives. Obviously the scouts will make their own opinions, but isn’t this a situation where saying nothing may have been better. It has been well publicized that Duncan and Reyes butt heads on occasion, but I cannot see how these comments will benefit anyone (Reyes or the team).