Future Redbirds

As a Cardinals fan, I can’t imagine a quieter day at the ballpark than yesterday. With the death of one of our own, the somber mood that hangs over the entire Cardinal family colored Springfield’s Sunday game against the Drillers as you might expect.

The games here are different than a lot of minor league games I’ve ever been to because Springfield sits smack dab in the middle of the Cardinals’ sphere of influence. Everybody’s a fan. The past and the present shape the future, and the future of Cardinals baseball was focused exclusively on the present yesterday. Wrestling with a reaction to the tragedy with the paradoxical distance and devotion of a fan set the tone for the day; whether the several thousand extended family members I watched the game with knew it or not, we all wondered how exactly to watch a baseball game and cheer for our players.

When Kile died in 2002, one of the most impressive things Tony La Russa’s ever done as a manager (really, more impressive than winning the World Series) was remind everyone, fans and players alike, of our duty to the departed and ourselves to go on, remembering those we’ve lost, but ultimately to persevere.

That’s exactly what Springfield’s Cardinals did, remembering and honoring the fallen yet acknowledging that surrendering ourselves to sorrow and mourning is a disservice to ourselves and those we’ve lost.

There was a focus among the players yesterday that I’ve yet to see this season. Lambert shook off his last two less than impressive starts to pitch a fine four innings, striking out six and walking two. He’s seemingly cut down on his walks this season, but still gave up a long ball, an area that continues to trouble the 24-year-old righty. He lost his focus in the start of the fifth inning, when he allowed a home run and immediately followed that up with a hit batsmen, a move that also got him tossed. From where I was sitting, it sure didn’t look like he meant to do that. It just looked like an immature pitcher who let a mental lapse ruin an otherwise fine outing. My impression of Lambert, for what it’s worth after having seen him pitch twice now, is that he may lack the EQ and the resiliency to be an effective starter at the big league level. But sometimes maturity can do wonders for that, and sometimes you wind up as just another Jason Marquis.

Before I go further, let me say one thing that’s been on my mind since I started going to my first Springfield Cardinals games this season: judging prospects is a tough business. As a Cardinal blogger, I felt like I knew all of the guys on this team, loaded with the best and brightest, after poring incessantly over their stats and the box scores. Wrong. When you actually watch them at the plate or make a pitch or field a ball you come away with a completely different perspective on the players, not to mention a tremendous amount of respect for the people that actually do this for living. I don’t see the need for a debate as to which is better, the statistical analysis or the good old chain smoking stained polo and Dockers clad scout; both perspectives are indispensable, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

At the plate, you could see, in the eyes of each player, a special intensity and focus, the king that if it were available everyday, each one could be a major league player of the highest caliber. Only one batter, outside of the pitcher, failed to see the ball well and get on base with a hit or a walk, and that was first baseman Michael Ferris, who’s probably more of a place holder in this organization anyhow. Rasmus is looking much better as the season has gone on, and after seeing his double against Wichita on Wednesday (when I was supposed to be painting our house), I wasn’t at all surprised to see him hit his first round tripper in 10 days. He’s definitely coming around despite a still ugly hitting line of .219/.296/.425. He’s yet to attempt a steal this season, which makes me wonder if the organization is removing that as a potential distraction for a struggling hitter or if the opportunities and need just hasn’t been there. Still, 10 of his 16 hits have gone for extra bases, so I think he’ll come around and be ready for that steamin’ cup o’ joe come September.

For making the jump from Quad Cities to Springfield, Jon Jay impresses the out of this amateur observer.  He was striking out an awful lot to start the season, and his seven strike outs in three games (from April 17-20) were a little worrisome. In the seven games since then, he’s K’d just 3 times and must be seeing the ball much better after an initial adjustment to AA pitching as his BB rate is starting to look more like what we saw last season. Given the big club’s current inadequacies at the leadoff spot (face it, Eck’s just a contact hitter who looks like a legit #1 with Pujols hitting third), I’ve been hanging on every pitch Jay sees with far more hope than a fan should tie up in a single spot in the lineup.

It’s Brian Anderson, however, who might really be the one to keep an eye on. Just 21 years old and jumping to SGF from the Quad, he’s already tearing the snot out of AA pitching to the tune of .353/.411/.627. He may not be the best hitter on the team, but he sure looks like it right now. Honestly, it’s a real disappointment when you go to a Springfield game and he’s not in the lineup.

Baseball, like everything else in life goes on in spite of tragedies on whatever scale, and seeing the Springfield game yesterday offered a special reminder of that simple fact. I can’t imagine having spent the day doing anything besides watching Cardinal baseball.