You hate to hear the things that Ottavino is saying:
“My confidence is flying out the window,” Ottavino said. “I’ve got to figure it out one way or another. I don’t know what else to do but keep working.”
And yet that’s not what worries me the most. Kary Booher slips this line in the middle of the article:
But the more worrisome part of Friday was Ottavino. His release point was never consistent. He allowed seven runs, all earned, on seven hits, and issued three walks.
His release point was never consistent. I don’t know any inside information but based on that line, and Ottavino’s continuing struggles, I’m going to guess he’s either still hurt or his mechanics are out of whack from when he was hurt. I’d guess the former but it’s hard to say. Either way, I feel for the guy.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal catches up with Nick Stavinoha. Stavinoha has been passed by Mather at this point but it’s nice to see him have some success. Also in that article, word that Mark Mulder will be starting for Memphis on Tuesday for the first start of his second rehab assignment. He’ll have 30 days of rehab time eligible before the Cardinals will have to make a decision again. I’m not optimistic.
Not a good day for the system as they go 1-for-4. The Springfield slide continues and something may be up with their newest starter.
Memphis 3, Oklahoma 4 (10 innings)
- D’Angelo Jimenez went 2-for-5.
- Nick Stavinoha went 2-for-5 with a HR.
- Mark Johnson went yard for his first HR of the season.
- Blake Hawksworth had a good outing. He lasted 6 innings allowing 4 hits, 3 walks and striking out 6 for 2 earned runs.
- John Wasdin gave up the lead in the 8th and Kelvin Jimenez took the loss in the 10th.
- Mark McCormick threw 2 scoreless innings and then didn’t come back out for the 3rd. He allowed 2 hits, walked 2 and struck out 3.
- Adam Daniels followed up with 4.1 innings allowing 5 runs on 11 hits. Bob Zimmerman one upped him allowing 6 runs in just an inning of work. Zach Zuercher allowed a solo HR so that he would feel like part of the team.
- Tyler Greene, taking over the leadoff position for the injured Shane Robinson, went 2-for-5 with a HR.
- Jon Jay was 2-for-5 with a double.
- Allen Craig was 2-for-4 with a HR. That’s three consecutive games he’s hit a ball over the fences.
- Mark Hamilton is another Cardinal prospect that’s struggling a great deal this season and we haven’t talked much about it. He went 0-for-4 and is hitting .238/.338/.357 on the year. That’s a sub-.700 OPS for a first baseman.
- Jose Martinez was 3-for-4 with a double.
- James Rapoport went 2-for-5.
- Donovan Solano was 3-for-4.
- Brian Cartie was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.
- Errors on Andrew Brown, Oliver Marmol (his 9th) and Eddie Degerman, recently from extended spring training, helped do in the Cardinals.
- David Kopp started the night and didn’t fare well. He went 2.2 innings allowing 8 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), 3 walks and 3 strikeouts.
- Eddie Degerman is always going to have control issues — they’re simply inherent to his delivery. He had 3 wild pitches tonight but fared well over 4.1 innings. He allowed 5 hits, 2 runs and just 1 walk while striking out 7.
- Jon Mikrut struck out 2 in a scoreless inning lowering his ERA to 0.61.
- Tommy Pham was 1-for-4 with a longball.
- Paul Vasquez and Domnit Bolivar both went 2-for-4 with a double.
- D’Marcus Ingram was 2-for-3 with a walk.
- Osvaldo Morales gets the golden sombrero.
- Blake King, as wild as ever, allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits, 1 K and 3 walks in 2 innings.
- Chuckie Fick allowed just 4 hits across 5 scoreless innings to finish out the game.
VSL Cardinals 5, VSL Pirates 4
- Cristofher Dumont hit a grand slam in the 6th when the Cardinals scored all of their runs.
- Javier Avendano gets the nod on the pitching end for wrapping up the save allowing just 1 hit.
Filed under: Daily Farm Reports
erik
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fewgoodcards
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theredbaaron
Mccormick was on a pitch count. He threw nearly fifty pitches in the first two innings.
My Mulder prediction: he does just enough to talk LaDuncan into giving him a shot, and he gets shelled for a couple of games for the big club before they realize that he’s done.
Rasmus 0-4 2 K’s, whatever his father keeps telling him it’s wrong. There’s a reason why his father sucked in the majors, it’s because he couldn’t hit. If he tells Colby how to hit, Rasmus won’t make the majors other than a 5th outfielder.
Jim Rapoport also had 2 OF assists.
what, no stolen bases for Rapoport?
with mccormick, i think it’s just a matter of stretching him out over time. he is just coming off the piggyback system and it took him nearly 60 pitches to get as far as he did.
THIS IS A GREAT SITE!
Just wanted to add that it looks like Joe Mather is on his way STL…Rick Ankiel to go on DL….per STL POST DISPATCH.
luv your site, check it every nite!!
I have seen 15-20 springfield games since last year and I have never seen anything in hamilton, the only balls I have ever seen him hit hard are to the opposite field and those are rare, I am not a believer at all and wish the cardinals would put Hill at first, who I have seen twice and he can really rake and hits the ball out in front almost every time withauthority.I also luv what I have seen this year from martinez at second, I dont see much in greene yet this year,but martinez’s body is more suited to second and he has got a quick strong arm at turning the double play and I really see a future for him there if he hits.keep up the great work
1 MILLION is coming up quick.
just saw that Ankiel may go on the DL because he injured his shoulder swinging the bat the other night. If he does i hope its mather that comes up.
Mike — Colby’s father has worked with him his entire life. Colby has an immense amount of natural talent but there’s something to be said for good coaching through formative years.
The other thing is that Colby’s father’s advice isn’t as bad as some knee-jerk reactions make it out to be. My understand of what he’s saying is that it’s more about Colby identifying hittable pitches and defending the strike zone than it is just hitting anything that gets thrown to him. I doubt he’s suggesting to swing at everything but simply to swing at more pitches. There could be some truth to that, I don’t know; I’d have to watch 20+ Rasmus ABs to find out.
OK, now the STL PD says they’re holding off on the DL for Ankiel.
They had Mather held out of the game last night and told him he might be headed for STL. This is the second time lately they’ve told a prospect they might be headed for the show only to change their minds within a few hours. Seems a little cruel, but maybe the fact that Perez really DID get the call up a couple days later helps, but it seems like they could wait until they’re sure before getting someone all worked up.
You’ve gotta think the Cards find a way to get Mather on the roster regardless of the situation with Ankiel. I’m disappointed for Joe.
Well, Schumaker is hitting with a robust .735 OPS, so maybe they can ship him out.
Read this new entry from Rasmus dad
mwbravesfanuc wrote: I really don’t know what has happend to Rasmus this year. Maybe he’s the Alex Gordon of AAA or something because Rasmus is hitting like Gordon did in the majors last year. I have a feeling Colby will turn it around. Hey if the Cards do trade him they better be ready to trade Pujols in 2 years because the Cards future is looking bleak with old guys and are similar to the Mets, but don’t have the ace the Mets have. I’d love to have Colby on the Braves, trade Colby and Garcia for Smoltz and that’s a great deal since I don’t think Jordan Schafer has much of a future with the Braves and Gorkys Hernandez is more of a left fielder (poor arm) than a centerfielder.
I watched Jordan last week in Orlando as their extended guys played the Astros and he absolutely mashed the ball. He wasn’t quite as bulked up as I’ve seen him before but he was stroking the white pill quite well.
As April began I kinda wished that Colby was with the Braves as well, then he would have been in the big leagues and wouldn’t be where he is at right now (trying to regain his stroke).
I hope Colby does not end up like Reyes in that Duncan wanted to turn Anthony into something he wasn’t(a sinkerball pitcher) and has damn near ruined him, now the advice of working on slapping the ball the other way from and unnamed person on the staff has Colby looking like he doesn’t have a clue. It is like another players parent and I discussed at Memphis two nights ago, TLR is a hall of fame manager, an innovator, but when the game is over he feels like he had an impact on the outcome of the game, puts his fingerprints on each victory, the lefty righty matchups, the pitcher hitting eighth, just his philosophy on the game is so unique. It seems to me he tries to recreate the wheel when the current wheel runs quite well. Now I believe Tony is a brilliant baseball guy, and I don’t consider myself to be one. This is just my view and it is just that , my view, nothing else.
I’ve got no say in it thats for sure(but this is my last day on here and I told you I was going out with both barrels blazing) but I don’t want Colby to come up and just play against right handers and be labeled a platoon guy against right handers like Duncan is. I feel like Colby will be that if he plays under TLR(just my opinion and nothing else) and I’m not sure Colby trusts the guy after this fiasco, heck, I don’t.
It’s almost like hey, lets try to put our stamp on this young guy, we’ve got time, we don’t need him right away cause we have Rick and Skip who can play center and you know it won’t hurt him to get 450 to 500 at bats in AAA. You know Dave, if he goes down there and hits really well we are going to be in a dilemma. I know, lets have him work on being a slap hitter, that will solve our problem cause that will most certainly mess him up so I won’t have to deal with him hitting good down at AAA and people continually asking when we are gonna bring him up. Now I don’t think this happened but I know somebody who does.
It is why I stated earlier that Colby would struggle this entire year. You don’t try to change somebody right at the beginning of the season, it makes no sense, but it happened. This should have been done in the fall if it was what was wanted. I tried to put a good spin on it as I didn’t agree. Maybe Colby didn’t understand what was expected of him. Maybe he was supposed to work slapping the ball the other way after he got 2 strikes I don’t know but I stated he would hit somewhere between .200 and .220. He will finish up around those numbers and it sucks that it has happened. We worked all weekend on trying to fix him as he don’t know whether he’s going or coming. I do expect him to start improving in the coming weeks as he has completely trashed that ridiculous BS and has decided, thankfully to return to what had gotten him to this point.
I think the Cards would be fools to trade Jaime because he is gonna be a good pitcher for them for years to come but I stand behind the fact Colby won’t be with the Cards, even though Beau thinks otherwise. IF you feel that the people who run the show are against you and not for you it is hard to have a lot of trust in those people.
http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=321#s=321&f=2089&t=2475692&p=8
wow, that’s definitely not good when your top prospects dad says he doesn’t think his son will ever be a good player with your team. i sure hope colby doesn’t feel that way. i understand being frustrated over not making the team, but at some point you have to get over it and start playing.
I agree FGC. It seems to me that he is grasping at straws to make excuses for Colby’s slump. People slump, it happens. And his whole conspiracy theory about the organization wanting to see Colby fail seems a little far fetched. I think he is digging Colby a really deep grave with these types of comments.
Coming from someone who is related to a player that is in a really bad rut, sometimes you just need to accept that slumps happen. It would be really easy to sit here and make a ton of excuses, but that doesn’t do any good for anyone. You just need to figure out how to get out of the slump, and realize that one season, or part of a season doesn’t make or break you.
seems a little paranoid to me, but if what he says about changing the approach at the start of a season is true, then someone is being collossally stupid.
I happen to know Colby real well and he was told some things by some people on the Cardinals staff that were just plain untruths in spring training and then told to try to change his swing from what it is to something it is not. What you see now is someone who has lost touch with what he used to be and believe me it is not T Rasmus that did it. But if Colby is ever to get it back it will take T Rasmus for that to happen. I read these blogs from time to time and it amazes me the sheer insanity that is posted. Some of you people would be real important if you knew half as much as you think you know.
I would really, really really like for people to quit throwing blame at Colby’s dad and such. You don’t know who is reading and frankly I’m sick of hearing it. I’m worried about Colby as a player, he seems like by all accounts a great kid and a great talent. If someone in the organization is screwing with him and telling him to change his approach I would have think they should be shown the door. If something isn’t broke, then don’t fix it.
I admit I’ve overreacted to his whole slump. I just hope he goes back to what he knows. I have a bad feeling this has Hal McRae written all over it, who seems to have a propensity to turn sluggers into slappers.
Now Cory, I’m not sure if you’re referring to the site’s writers or just the commenters but I’m certainly not claiming to be an expert. If what you’re saying is true and i think it is, then I admit I was wrong. But the none of the writers here is trying to have an inflated idea of our importance. All we really can do is speculate unless someone tells us different, and never have we said what we say is gospel unless we have something to back it up.
No eric I’m referring to Mike and cardsfan1. Being a real close relative of Colby Rasmus myself and knowing what Colby has been told kinda makes me want to meet those two in person. And knowing how much TR has put into his kids in order for them to be successful makes it hard when people who don’t know what they are talking about bash that person.
I personally think everyone should just relax. Colby ain’t the first 21 year old to struggle at AAA. It’s probably the first time the kid has struggled at ANYTHING in his entire life. It’s good for him.
Blaming Colby’s dad is bad…blaming Hal McRae is equally as bad. Why does their have to be blame? Colby stinks right now. Bottom line.
All that said–if Colby is a legit major league player he will become a legit major league player. I think people look WAY too much into things like changing approach, etc. In the end, talent wins out. If he has it, he will make it. If he doesn’t, he won’t. That’s how it works in sports.
For anyone to suggest that the Cards want Rasmus to fail is crazy. They brought the kid in for all the preseason events. They played him in many ST games even after he was officially sent to Memphis. I suspect he may have been led to believe he would make the team out of ST. But a lot of things happened that forced him to come back to AAA. The competition in the OF drove everyone to compete at a high level and many players produced. No trade was made to clear rooom for him either. I still say when he turns it around he has a chance for a September call up and if certain things occur he could be an everyday guy next year.
Cory–I take it you are none other than his brother. Thanks for stopping by. I understand your frustration, but I don’t know if anyone meant any offence. And I’m not sure what cardsfan said, but I don’t think you’d do much to that person if you saw them. I’m pretty sure he’s a she! And she is pretty connected with someone in the organization herself, from what little I know
Not sure what I said to offend you but maybe you need to relax a little bit. I didn’t say anything negative about your brother. I said slumps happen and its not going to make or break a player, I guess some how you perceived that to be negative.
I know how the cardinals organization works, and I also believe that they do more harm than good when they try and change a player during the season. As your father pointed out that is something that needs to be done in the offseason.
And resorting to idle threats over a fan message board (”makes me want to meet these two in person”) does not say very much about you as a person.
^^There was not supposed to be a smiley face there.
There you go again. I didn’t make an idle threat. I simply wrote that I would like to meet both of them in person. This way I would know who was doing the posting. It is much easier to write negative comments if nobody knows who you are. Its always circle the wagons for you cardinal fans and what did you think, I wanted to fight someone. Please, thats not my style. I’m a talkier, not a fighter
Likewise, I think your comments
“I agree FGC. It seems to me that he is grasping at straws to make excuses for Colby’s slump. People slump, it happens. And his whole conspiracy theory about the organization wanting to see Colby fail seems a little far fetched. I think he is digging Colby a really deep grave with these types of comments.”
were way off base. Nobody said anything about a conspiracy theory, but the fact remains, Colby was told he needed to change how he hit. That is a fact miss connected to someone in the organization. I told him, dad told, everyone told him not to do it but he did and now look what he’s got, a mess. We are all mad that he changed what has been successful for him. Think what you like but it wasn’t his idea to turn a sweet left handed swing into the crap he has going on now. I hope he has dug a grave in that organization. Heck, they can can him tomorrow for all I care. He will be the better for it. But for people who just read message boards for a living to make comments like the one above about a situation they know nothing about is pretty sad.
Cory–Is he going to go back to his old swing or is he just going to try and ride this out. I wish sometimes they would send him back to AA, not because I want to see him demoted but because Derrick May never tries to change anyone’s swing as long as it’s working for them.
Cory/Cardsfan1–I’d ask you two to keep it civil. I think both of you could be misunderstanding the other person perhaps. Debate all you want but please keep it nice.
Cory,
Organizations make mistakes. I imagine even the Braves make mistakes. Granted they are a much better organization from a development standpoint. But again…I am sure they have made mistakes…while probably less or less significant.
It sounds as if the Cardinals have angered the Rasmus family. My hope is that the damage is not irreparable. I trully believe, aside from the issues with TLR’s approach, that the Cardinals are good organization. I also think Colby WILL outlast TLR in this org. I think Mozeliak is smart and knows that better days will come for Colby.
Maybe I have false hope…but I think many of the posters on here would agree…we need that hope. Colby represents to most of us the hope that the system is on the upswing.
Also…if you are Colby’s brother Cory (and I am assuming you are his brother…based on your response and the fact that you reference “Dad” in your last post)….well if so…Thanks! It is refereshing to have the family of a prospect so interactive with our discussions. I include your father in that appreciation. Having a close look into the life and politics of a prospect can be a great thing…unfortunately it can also be a sobering thing. I think that raw info obviously has caused some drama on this board. I just hope you understand how much we appreciate your brother for what he is and what we all believe he will be.
Eric,
I will not post again as my dad has already shot me a text and told me to not post again but I was civil with cardsfan1. My dad spent all weekend working with Colby feels like he will start to turn it around. Sorry for the few posts but it does anger me when people put information out there that is not accurate and then call certain people liars because an organization would never do such a thing. Ha
Just one thing to note….Colby is as beloved as a guy can be who has never stepped foot on the field at Busch.
Lets keep it that way, express the anger towards the people who you feel its warranted.
But lets not burn any bridges for a player who we all are rooting for.
Things happen…lets not make it worse then it already is.
If someone in the organization has tried altering his swing you cannot blame him for listening to his coaches, no matter how wrong he thinks it is and his family thinks it is. However these changes have obviously been detrimental. I really hope the press (Bernie, DG, Keith Law, etc) get wind of this and make a big deal about it. Hopefully that will weed out whoever has been telling him to do these things.
i have to agree with pickle. colby is everything we could want any player drafted by the cardinals to become both as a player and as a person. let’s just hope he starts playing like we know he can and everybody can forget about this.
Cory, if you read my last comment I said that I knew how the cardinals system works and how they try to change players during the season, which does more harm than good. I never called anyone a liar, maybe you should reread.
I’m not trying to defend the cardinals because I have personally seen the harm they can do to a player (Anthony Reyes, among others), but to me, the cards saying lets invest a million dollars in this kid and then make him suck, doesn’t seem like a very logical conversation they would have had.
But it is a possibility. I never stated anything I said as fact, it was an opinion, and thats what these message boards are for.
I think we are just misunderstanding eachother.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that I appreciate you posting here, and I’m sure others do as well. Atleast now there is a known reason for Colby’s struggles.
It is also hard for a player to just “ignore” what their coaches say, even if they know it is not good advice. These are guys (coaches) that they want to impress because they hold the fate of the player.
Well, I wish you would keep coming around Cory. Do what you feel is best. I wouldn’t say you were being uncivil, I just didn’t want things to get anymore heated then they already were. Best of luck to both of you guys, I hope to see you two facing each other in Busch one day!!
I’m going to go ahead and man up and take the blame for all this. I made Colby the wallpaper on my computer and I knew better, I’m a freaking jinx. Anyway, Cory, if you’re still reading, tell Colby I took it down so he can feel free to go about being the stud he was before I screwed him up. Again, I apologize.
Nope lassie, my younger brother posting under my dads screen name while he was out of town this weekend is what started this firestorm. Needless to say he is in a world of hurt at the moment. everything will be okay with Colby, after a few days of R & R he will get back in the saddle and should get going.
Colby doesn’t know how lucky he is by not playing under Tony. Tony has a terrible record when it comes to dealing with lefthanded hitters. In all the time Tony has managed, Baines was the only lefthanded hitter to come up under Tony and be at least an average MLB hitter.
I know it’s disappointing to have a good spring and then get sent back down but look at the outfield mess Tony has going on in St. Louis. The team needs somebody to protect Albert and the only one able so far ,is being platooned. Ludwick would be right up among the N.L. leaders and be established as legit protection for Albert, but no, Tony has to manage. Tony has to cr3eate a need for himself.
I wish Colby the very best and that would be not coming up while Tony is still manager.