Most fantasy league GMs probably can ID Ryan Ludwick. But most MLB fans probably have had only a league-leaders introduction to his breakout year within the borders of STL Sports Nation.

Maybe after today’s New York Times article by reporter Ben Shpigel, he won’t be so overlooked as the Cards’ power bat not named Albert Pujols. Hopefully it won’t take an against-the-odds invite to the 2008 All-Star game in the Bronx for more fans to get to know him. A thank-you to Post-Dispatch copy editor Alan Fredman for leading us to the story.

“Ludwick, a righthanded hitter, has already established career highs in home runs (16) and runs batted in (56), and despite a 5-for-37 slide, he remains among the league’s more productive hitters,” Shpigel writes.

FARMHAND TUESDAYS

“Parisi makes pitch to go back to St. Louis” by Brian Brasher of the Memphis Commercial Appeal on commercialappeal.com.

“Slugger’s bat returns to life” on Springfield Cardinals’ third baseman Allen Craig by Kary Booher of the Springfield News-Leader on the Cardinals Corner blog  at news-leader.com.

“Cardinals farm director likes system’s progress” by Steve Batterson of the Quad-City Times at qctimes.com.