DOWNTOWN — The promotion of Cardinals righthander Mike Parisi to the major leagues inspires a buzz of palace intrigue — Is Anthony Reyes on his way out of the organization by way of Triple-A? Will Joel Pineiro’s back spasms allow him to make his start as scheduled Monday in Colorado? But Parisi’s imminent debut with the Cardinals has a historic ring all its own.

The 2004 Draft Class, finally, has arrived.

The Cardinals much-maligned College Draft — or in some corners, “The Lost Draft” — will produce its first big league inning or plate appearance when Parisi takes the mound as early as Monday, in place of Pineiro. That Parisi remains in the organization gives him a headstart on so many of the other players taken in the 2004 draft. Most are out of the organization, including the top five picks, and some are out of baseball.

Consider (numbers are the round pick):

1. Chris Lambert, RHP (19th overall) … Traded as PTBNL to Detroit.
2. Mike Ferris, 1B (60th overall) … Released this spring.
3. Eric Haberer, LHP (90th overall) … Released this spring.
4. Donnie Smith, RHP (120th overall) … Released this spring.
5. Wes Swackhamer, OF (130th overall) … Released last season.
6. Jarrett Hoffpauir, 2B (180th overall) … Still climbing, Triple-A.
7. Buck Cody, LHP (210th overall) … Did not sign.
8. Matt Shepherd, SS (240th overall) … Voluntarily retired before 2007.
9. Mike Parisi, RHP (270th overall) … Promoted Sunday.
10. Brady Toops, C (300th overall) … Retired to pursue singing career.

Starting with Lambert’s $1.525 million signing bonus, the Cardinals poured $3.22 million into bonuses for those top 10 picks, and they got a return on the guy they signed to a $60,000 bonus.

The handcuffs on the Cardinals during the 2004 draft have been well-covered, including a blog entry about the Yankee pitchers who coulda been Cardinals. The Cardinals operated that draft without the use of cross-checkers, had a skeleton crew of scouts and were guided, ever so quietly, but a number-crunching philosophy. The Cardinals, for example, did not have the manpower to see a closer like Huston Street as many times as they could now. They had to make the most of their scouting trips. And, then there’s previously covered anecdote of what happened in the first round.

The Cardinals had three pitchers ranked for that spot. Some officials in the room like Philip Hughes, others were sold on Chris Lambert – though not just Chris Lambert the individual, Chris Lambert the idea. Lambert was a college pitcher. Hughes was coming out of high school. ‘Nuff said. Before the pick, a member of the Cardinals’ front office called Hughes and, according to sources, even had a deal worked out with the righthanded pitcher.

That was nixed. Lambert was the pick.

The Cardinals made 47 picks in that draft. Forty were college players, three were from junior colleges. Of the four high schoolers taken, the first cam in the 27th round and three of them did not sign.

The Cardinals are hardly alone in their 2004 woes. (Read: San Diego and first pick Matt Bush, a failed shortstop now doing the reverse Ankiel.) But a quick scan of the draft picks around the Cardinals show a distinct difference between their division rivals that got something out of that draft and others whose picks around the Cardinals also panned out.

In the first and second rounds, after Lambert …

23rd. Philip Hughes, NYY … High schooler.

28th. Blake DeWitt, LAD … High schooler (Sikeston, Mo.)

46th. Yovani Gallardo, MIL … High schooler (Trimble Tech)

Deeper into the draft, right around the Ferris pick, the college trend …

60th. Ferris

64th. Hunter Pence, OF … Texas-Arlington

65th. Dustin Pedroia, 2B … Arizona State (the guy who essentially sent Ian Kinsler to Mizzou, by the way)

67th. Kurt Suzuki, C … Cal-State Fullerton

68th. Jason Vargas, LHP … Long Beach State

And around the Central, there are a few contributors already around from the 2004 draft, or soon to be around:

• Cubs, 12th round, RHP Sean Gallagher … reliever called up Saturday. He was a high schooler, take 366th overall.
• Reds, 1st round (7th overall), RHP Homer Bailey. … Considered one of best prospects in their organization for several years now.
• Astros, 2nd round, OF Pence. … 20th round, C J.R. Towles.

You can play the Draft Hindsight Game (Home Edition) with any team and almost any draft, but the 2004 draft for the Cardinals gets specific bruising because of the context of the picks. Reduced staff. College oriented. Absurdly conservative. And a missed year, one the Cardinals are now paying for. 

(Check out Joe Strauss’ season preview for additional dissection of the 2004 draft.) 

All that, and Parisi isn’t likely to be the only contributor from the 2004 draft class for the Cadinals. Hoffpauir is a legit prospect at second base — a bat who will have to expand his versatility in the field to really pin down a big-league role. Relief pitcher Mark Worrell (12th round) led the Florida State League and Texas League in saves in consecutive seasons, and by several internal metrics he was the team’s most successful righthanded pitcher last season. Worrell has the quirky delivery, but could be a righty specialist when he gets his big-league break. Righthanded pitcher Matt Scherer (16th round) has had a steady and effective climb through the ranks, and is now a reliever for Memphis, where he’s thrown four scoreless innings in two appearances.

And Mike Sillman (21st round) was one of the chain of closers populating the Cardinals’ minor-league affiliates a few years ago, at one point leading the Florida State League in saves. He’s in Florida now, going through the lengthy rehab from Tommy John surgery. (Kyle McClellan calls, empathetically, every week to check in on Sillman’s progress.)

Parisi is the first, but not the first of many.

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