Rounding up Redbird notes from around the net.
Sig Mejdal did an interview over at The Birdhouse about the fan contest to draft a player.
A really interesting article by Jonathan Mayo of MiLB.com that covers a variety of topics. He’s got a section on Rasmus, McClellan and Perez. The important question in his Q&A with Perez:
MilB.com: Every closer seems to have a song that is played when they enter the game. What’s yours?
CP: It’s usually a song called “Firestarter” by The Prodigy. I had it in college and I had it last year. I figured “Hell’s Bells” was played out. It’s Trevor Hoffman’s song anyway; they should retire it. I tested “Firestarter” out and liked it. It gets me fired up.
I’m not entirely sure what to make of all the Kyle McClellan as starter talk but if he were to make the club out of camp (which suddenly seems like a real, if remote, possibility) then I think we can all say we underrated him on our prospect lists.
Speaking of prospect lists, I’ve got ours all up to date. It has all the prominent Cardinal lists and the full catalog of Baseball America, Kevin Goldstein and John Sickels for future reference.
Kary Booher has his usual interesting notes this Sunday. I can assure you I’ll be making every effort to get one of these. Booher also talks to Pop Warner about the new roster — with a teaser of a Monday roster projection — and some expectations.
Bryan Smith chatted earlier this week (and Kevin Goldstein will chat on Monday) and name dropped us:
Lincoln (Dallas): Haven’t checked the box scores yet, how did my man - and future Rangers first baseman - Yonder Alonso do in the opening seires for the Canes?
Bryan Smith: You know what I love, is that for the first time this year, we are seeing the blogosphere start to take ownership of draft prospects. I’ve seen it from the boys at Future Redbirds, and then this question … it’s just great. As far as Yonder goes, it wasn’t a good weekend against Cincinnati. He book-ended a two-hit Saturday with 0-fers on Friday and Sunday. No extra base hits to report. He’ll have better weekends. Key from that team was Ryan Jackson, the ‘Canes shortstop, who looks to be coming around a bit.
You may remember Alonso as one of the hitters FGC mentioned in his first draft preview. Then erik showed up:
Erik (Cedar Rapids, IA): Thanks for the FR mention. We’d like to claim Alonso as our own, assuming he can catch or even play LF. So back off Ranger fans! Seriously, though, Brett Wallace got off to a roaring start…is he playing 3B this year, and can he stick there? Because if so, Future Redbirds will be claiming him next.
Bryan Smith: Mr. Manning with an appearance. What’s funny is that our previous Alonso questioner sent me a comment back that maybe he’ll jump aboard the Brett Wallace train, too. Let’s not be too reactionary, people, Alonso is certainly still the better prospect. Wallace is an absolute butcher at third, but Pat Murphy has some depth issues. He won’t stick there, but he’s got one of the draft’s purest bats since Billy Butler, so there’s that.
Several other potential draftees were mentioned including pitcher Christian Friedrich and Tanner Scheppers.
I’m not sure if these were linked previously so I’m dropping them in here as a precaution. I’d hate to miss something and ruin our reputation here!!!!11!!!!!1! Both are in association with Baseball America’s Top 100 list. The first is some snippets about Chris Perez vs. Max Scherzer of the Diamondbacks. The second is a similar discussion about Bryan Anderson (at the bottom) although it’s not particularly positive.
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erik
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i think tanner scheppers is the guy we have claimed more than yonder alonso.
Sorry, but I have put all the power and backing of the Pickle behind Harold Martinez
i would love to get martinez also, but i just don’t think he is going to be there. when you hear things like A-rod and gold glove, that just doesn’t sound like someone that is going to be available at 13.
Good point, only way Martinez is available at #13 is if he falls due to signability concerns…if that is the case the fiscally responsible Cards wont touch him.
So its a lose/lose situation….I should know better.
Its going to be a 3 yr college RHP who throws in the low 90’s with good stuff but is still a bit raw.
How about Christian Friedrich? Can we put a claim on him? I know I’ve said he won’t be around at 13, but may be Houston or Oakland goes for Scheppers instead and whoever doesn’t get Scheppers goes for…uh…probably Friedrich. Never mind.
And Pickle, if the Cardinals get Scheppers, its going to be a 3 year college RHP who throws in the MID 90s with good stuff that could be a lot more polished than we might expect. Combining his last 4-6 starts from last year with his first two this year, he’s not walking many people and he’s getting a lot of Ks. He just might be turning into a pitcher.
I’d really like to get a middle of the order bat like Martinez, but I’ll gladly take a top of the rotation starter like Scheppers.
I still need to see Scheppers for my own eyes before I get on his bandwagon.
I do know I would have no prob getting on the Tim Murphy wagon after last nights outing.
Anytime you see an athletic LHP who sits 89 to 91 with a 65 grade curve with a decent change….you take notice.
But it was B-Cookman….so what can you really get out of that?
That is my #1 concern over Friedrich…I mean he might go all year and only face 1 or 2 guys who will ever reach AA
yeah, most people know i’m not a big fan of college pitchers, but i really like scheppers. i think he is the next matt garza, and everybody knows we could use some top of the rotation starters.
so far so good in the move to the rotation for kyle mcclellan. he went 3 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and 3 strikeouts today. very impressive. he’s another example of why it is great to take high school pitchers. it seems like he has been around forever, but he is still only 23 and is on the verge of pitching in the big leagues.
Man, I hope Martinez or Melville is still available at 13.
Nice to see some love for The Prodigy. I come from a small village a few miles outside their home town of Braintree, Essex in England.
What did you think of McClellan’s performance today? Aside from a couple of hard hit balls in the first, I thought he was great. Dave Duncan seems to really like the guy. I could see him getting the call if/when one of the pitchers has to miss a start or two this season.
Just wanted to note the date (3/3/08) when I started the St.Louis charter of the Gordon Beckham fan club.
I dont know if has the bat to play 3rd, or if he can stick at SS. Or if he is the best value at #13 in the draft.
But I do know he impressed the day lights out of me today, couple that with his Cape Cod performance and I have become a believer.
Would be nice to have Porcello or Josh Smoker and then taking a guy like Beckham at #13 would be easy.
Oh well….I am sure we/I will all fall in love with another prospect in a week or two.
I was at the game today, and McClellan looked pretty solid. He had really good control and was keeping hitters off-balance. Hawksworth looked… not so good. Was all over the place today, behind with most of the bitters he faced and when he was ahead, he had no real out pitch (but that isn’t exactly news to most).
did you get to see ottavino yesterday? if so, how did he look?
Richard-
What in the world happened to those guys? After Fat of the Land, I was fully expecting to see the great electronic revolution finally happen. Then, they disappear for seven and come back with an album that’s decent, yes, but not seven years good. Plus, it doesn’t even seem to have any vocals from Keith Flint on it! What’s the story?
I watched some of the clips from today’s game, and Kyle McClellan reminds me a little bit of Kyle Davies, the former Braves pitcher. Both have a wide and varied arsenal, without truly overpowering stuff, both use their comp pitches in a similar way, etc. So far, McClellan’s career arc actually looks a little like Davies’, also. Let’s hope our Kyle has better luck than the other one going forward.
One other thing on McClellan. I really, really hope he doesn’t go back to that ridiculous Tim Redding chin beard he was sporting last year. I hate those *#@!#* things. Men of the world, please stop growing those! You look terrible! And someone start telling pitchers that a goatee is not part of their uniform. For the love of god.