Eager Shelby Miller says “Cardinals have a lot to offer”
DOWNTOWN — Embracing his lineage as another strong-armed Texas power pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals first-round pick Shelby Miller described himself as not only ready to try his fastball in professional baseball but also ready to sign.
“My career, my future ahead of me is professional baseball,” Miller said in a conference call with reporters tonight at Busch Stadium. “College is not my future right now. The Cardinals have a lot to offer.”
The Cardinals selected Miller with the 19th overall pick in tonight’s draft.
The Cardinals are aware that what they have to offer could take some negotiating with the righthander from Brownwood, Texas. VP/farm director Jeff Luhnow told us earlier this evening that Miller would not be a “slam dunk” signing. The righthander has committed to Texas A&M. He would be eligible again for the 2011 draft. He’s been a lifelong Texas Longhorns fan, but but felt that Texas A&M was a better fit for him to play college ball and now — nothing against the coaches in College Station, he said — pro baseball beckons.
“College can come later,” he said.
Miller also talked about how he has idolized the other Texas fastballers to come before him, like Nolan Ryan, Kerry Wood and Josh Beckett. He’s been compared to the latter often during the draft daze leading up to tonight’s first round. He said he was told that he could anywhere from No. 2 to No. 21 overall in the draft. He said that his weakness is inconsistent mechanics and that he’s working on developing that changeup as an out-pitch.
He added: “My arm slot is perfect for a ridiculously good changeup.”
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
Wow, this kid clearly has some guts to say those things, or he’s clearly that good. So he has a fastball, and a “ridiculously” good change up. I’m rooting for the guy because right now we need solid pitching and maybe he can bring some relief. I wonder if he thinks he can start in the Majors or minor league. I like the firery attitude that he brings with him. I just hope he can back it up. Good luck out there and remember don’t give up when things don’t go your way.
he said he has the arm slot for a ridiculously good change up. meaning he’s confident in his ability to develop his changeup.
and it doesn’t matter if he thinks he’s ready for the majors. i would be shocked to see him in a cardinal uniform before september 2011
Start in the majors? Shelby Miller just finished his senior year in high school, Andy. He won’t be pitching for the big league Cardinals for a while. You’re going to have to wait a few years (hopefully) to see him in pitching in St. Louis.
The signing is not a slam dunk? Why draft him if you are not going to sign him? If you are going to build from within, you have to draft good players and sign them. Thank goodness these double-talking people aren’t working for the Blues.
I wouldn’t exactly call it guts. More like most kids comming out of High School these day… They already think they know it all. If you’r already cock about striking out High School kids. Get ready for a quick let down when and if he signs. He’ll find out that everybody was good in High School that he will be playing against.
Yeah I knew that, but just having that attitude says a lot. What I would love to see is kids get a chance to play for a college team. They could develop more mechanics and become less of a risk factor. Also, they can get used to coaches who have attitudes and say what they want to say without being under subjection to high school rules.
Tuba,
I’m so glad to see you say that; the fear that we wouldn’t be able to sign him is exactly the reason why we (and 17 other teams) didn’t draft Porcello. Yet the Cards keep getting grief for not taking him anyway, knowing full well they’d have trouble signing him.
you guys are some negative nancies aren’t you? the “not a slam dunk” comment came before miller was essentially jumping out of his shoes to sign with the cards. and if he doesn’t sign? so what. we get to pick 19th next year. this guy was touted by most as top-10 and some as top-5 in the draft. i think it’s an excellent pick
and yeah, grumble grumble, get off my lawn, high school kid is confident, blah blah. why so bitter?
Hopefully, the kid turns into a workhorse. If he idolizes Nolan Ryan, that’s a good thing. Wouldn’t it be amazing if it turned out he had Ryan’s work ethic too?
Man, there is a lot of hippocracy in Cardinals nation. Everyone complains when a high risk move isn’t made to improve the team, then when a high risk move is made, you complain that it was high risk. I am stoked about Miller as a pickup, the potential is outstanding and actually applaud the selection. Now if only we can get some help NOW, I would be content!