Minor League Newscenter
February 7, 2005
Springfield Cardinals Launch New Website
By John Brayfield
The Springfield Cardinals new website at www.springfield cardinals.com, is now up and running and will offer fans the opportunity to become registered Springfield Cardinal fans and sign up for an official newsletter.
The site, launched early this week, includes news updates, ticket information, a full-color schedule and stadium seating chart, team roster, a virtual tour of Hammons Field, a souvenir shop, a kids corner, staff profiles and contact information, live radio coverage of Springfield Cardinals and St. Louis Cardinals, a photo gallery, and community and
partner links. The site is also available in Spanish.
The website will contain stats and standings updates and an on-line poll for fans as well as links to the St Louis Cardinal website and other minor league teams.
Team information will include a roster, player stats and current transactions. The Hammons field information will include a seating chart, directions to the ballpark and pictures.
A live broadcast of the games with Mike Lindskog and Rob Evans, broadcast on JOCK 97.8 FM, will be available on the website.
Fans can also view their seat location with an online seating chart.
January 27, 2005
2004 Tennessee Smokie (AA) Season Highlights
By Ray Mileur
The Tennessee Smokies were Southern League Co-Champions in 2004. The Smokies won the East Division Championship for the season's 1st half with a 39-31 record, and then defeated 2nd half winner Chattanooga 3 games to 1 in the Southern League semifinals. The Southern League Championship series against Mobile was cancelled due to the threat posed by Hurrican Ivan, resulting in Tennessee and Mobile sharing the Southern League championship. Full Story
January 26, 2005
2004 Memphis Redbirds (AAA) Season Highlights
By Ray Mileur
First in a series of 2004 Season Highlights reports on the St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Teams.
The Memphis Redbirds finished in 2nd place in the Pacific Coast League's East Division with a record of 73-71. The Redbirds played their best baseball in the final six weeks of the season, posting a 33-23 record (.589) after July 10.
Kevin Witt, who we thought might make the major league roster last season out of spring training, led the PCL with 36 HRs and finished 3rd with 107 RBI. His 36 HRs tied for 10th in Cardinals' minor league history and tied for the 3rd most HRs hit by a Cardinals' minor leaguer since 1960. Full Story
January 25, 2005
Springfield Cardinals
Reported by John Brayfield
HELP WANTED
The Cardinals newest Double A minor leauge team, the Springfield, (MO) Cardinals will begin taking applications for part-time, seasonal employment with the baseball club on Friday, January 28 from noon until 7 p.m. and again on Saturday, January 29, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Applications will also be taken for positions with Sportservice.
Springfield Cardinal applications will be taken for the positions of Game Operations, Ushers, Ticket Takers, Stairwell Attendants, Elevator Operators, Security and Parking Attendants.
Sportservice applications will be taken for Concession Attendants, Vendors, Warehouse Porters, Suite Servers, Team Store Clerks, Supervisors and Kitchen Staff.
Applications will be taken at the University Plaza Hotel, on St. Louis Avenue, Springfield, Missouri, in the Oklahoma Room. Those interested must apply in person. Drug screening may be required for some positions.
The Springfield Cardinals is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
January 18, 2005
Springfield Cardinals Report
By John Brayfield
St. Louis Cardinal fans in Springfield, Missouri were treated to double portions of baseball heroes, stories and pep talks Monday night when the Cardinal's Caravan made a stop at Springfield's Expo Center.
Though the crowd of more than 500 fans were there to see the big league players that included utility player John Mabry and pitcher Ray King, they were just as delighted to be introduced to two of the players of the new Springfield Cardinals Double A minor league team. And Justin Garza and Buddy Blair, two young pitchers from Oklahoma, were equally thrilled to
meet the fans.
Twenty-two-year-old Garza, from Frederick, Oklahoma, told the jubilant crowd that he was right where he wanted to be.
"It is truly amazing that this new franchise has sold nearly 5,000 season ticket seats," Garza said, To me, that shows that this town is really ready to support a team,"
Garza, with a record of 6-1 and a 2.53 earned run average and 10 saves, spent most of last season playing Class A baseball with the Palm Beach Cardinals in Florida.
Buddy Blair, who also pitched at Palm Beach, says that playing for a team in the St. Louis Cardinal system is the place to be right now. "It's easy to see myself playing here," Blair said. "This is a great atmosphere in this town and from what we have heard there are a lot of rabid Cardinal fans here."
Blair, 22, who calls Tulsa home, has a secondary reason for being thrilled about playing in Springfleld. "My wife and I have just had a new baby and the idea of playing this close to home makes her, and me, very happy, " Blair said. "Tulsa is home to the Drillers, a Colorado Rockies affiliate in the Texas League, and that will offer my wife the option of getting to see me play there as well as in a park only a couple of hours away. That is great for us."
Blair went 11-10 in 2005, with 26 starts and a 4.40 ERA.
In addition to Mabry and King, St. Louis Cardinal personnel joining Garza and Blair on the Caravan were former Cardinal player Ken Reitz, and announcers Al Hrabosky, Bob Carpenter and Ricky Horton.
King welcomed the fans in Springfield to join him for the next season, especially in October for the four game sweep of the Boston Red Socks in the 2005 World Series.
Al Hrabosky also amused the crowd by explaining how the four straight losses to the Red Socks happened in 2004.
"The Cardinals are not to blame for these losses," Hrabosky assured the fans. "They were actually kidnapped and replaced by Chicago Cubs players and it was the Cubs who lost the games."
The Springfield Cardinal organization also announced game times for the two up-coming exhibition games with the St. Louis Cardinals and for opening day. The first of the two exhibition games will be played on Saturday, April 2, at 3:10 p.m. Game time for the second game will be 1:10 p.m. on Sunday, April 3. Opening day at Hammons Field will be April 12, against the Tulsa Drillers, with a game time of 7:10 p.m. Tickets for these, and other games, go on sale Feb. 26 at the Hammons Field
Ticket office.
For more information about the Springfield Cardinals, call (417) 863-2143. A complete 2005 season schedule is now available on the Springfield Cardinal website at www.springfieldcardinals.com
January 14, 2004
2004 St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Organization Recap
Swing of Quad Cities - Staff
General Manager: Walt Jocketty
Assistant General Manager / Director of Scouting Operations: John Mozeliak
Director of Player Development: Bruce Manno
Minor league affiliates:
AAA – Memphis Redbirds (Pacific Coast League)
2004 record: 73-71
2004 Playoffs: None
2004 Postseason All-Stars: Relief Pitcher Al Reyes (2-2, 2.95, 23 saves)
2004 League Leaders: Kevin Witt, Home Runs (36); Danny Haren, Strikeouts (150); Al Reyes, Saves (23)
AA – Springfield Cardinals (Texas League)
(Springfield will join the Texas League in 2005. The Cardinals’ 2004 affiliate was the Tennessee Smokies. Results below are for the Smokies, who competed in the Southern League.)
2004 Record: 69-71 (won first half with 39-31 record)
2004 Playoffs: Finals were cancelled due to Hurricane Ivan. Tennessee was declared league co-champions.
2004 Postseason All-Stars: Outfielder Skip Schumaker (.316-4-43; 19 stolen bases; .389 OBP)
2004 League Leaders: None
A-Advanced – Palm Beach Cardinals (Florida State League)
2004 Record: 73-61
2004 Playoffs: None
2004 Postseason All-Stars: None
2004 League Leaders: None
2004 Team Hitting Leaders: Batting Average: Andy Schutzenhofer (.292); Home Runs: Reid Gorecki (8); Stolen Bases: Rayner Laya (41)
2004 Team Pitching Leaders: Wins: Buddy Blair (11); ERA: Jordan Pals (2.69); Strikeouts: Buddy Blair (101); Saves: Wilson Ciprian (11)
A – Swing of the Quad Cities
(Peoria Chiefs stats reprinted below. The Chiefs had been affiliated with the Cardinals since 1995.)
2004 Record:
2004 Playoffs: Lost in semifinals, 2-1, to Kane County
2004 League Leaders: None
2004 Postseason All-Stars: Catcher Daric Barton (.313-13-78; .444 on-base percentage)
2004 League Leaders: Brendan Ryan, Batting Average (.322); Daric Barton, On-Base Percentage (.444); Anthony Monegan, Runs (95)
2004 Team Hitting Leagers: Batting Average: Brendan Ryan (.322); Home Runs: Daric Barton, Terry Evans, John Santor (13); Stolen Bases: Brendan Ryan (30)
2004 Team Pitching Leaders: Wins: Stuart Pomeranz (12); ERA: Jordan Pals (2.84); Strikeouts Brandon DeJaynes (106); Saves: Jason Burch (21)
Short-Season A – New Jersey Cardinals (New York-Penn League)
2004 Record: 41-34
2004 Playoffs: None
2004 Postseason All-Stars: Team not named
2004 League Leaders: None
2004 Team Hitting Leaders: Batting Average: Christopher Patrick (.325); Home Runs: Levi Webber (6); Stolen Bases: Matt Shepherd (17)
2004 Team Pitching Leaders: Wins: Derek Roper (6); ERA: Michael Doyne (2.33); Strikeouts: Miguel Aguero (82); Saves: Michael Doyne (12)
Rookie-Advanced – Johnson City Cardinals (Appalachian League)
2004 Record: 33-35
2004 Playoffs: None
2004 Postseason All-Stars: Third baseman Tony Granadillo (.315-10-30); Shortstop Juan Lucena (.332-4-30; 7 SBs)
2004 League Leaders: Juan Lucena, Batting Average (.332); Jose Delgado, On-Base Percentage (.431)
2004 Team Hitting Leaders: Batting Average: Juan Lucena (.332); Home Runs: Billy Becher (11); Stolen Bases: Jose Delgado (17)
2004 Team Pitching Leaders: Wins: Phillip Anderson (5); ERA: Chris Noonan (3.72); Strikeouts: Phillip Anderson (52); Saves: Mark Worrell (7)
2004 St. Louis Cardinals Draft Selections: First 15 Rounds
1 – Chris Lambert, RHP (Boston College)
2 – Mike Ferris, 1B (Miami (OH) University)
3 – Eric Haberer, LHP (Souther Illinois)
4 – Donnie Smith, RHP (Old Dominion)
5 – Wes Swackhamer, OF (Tulane)
6 – Jarrett Hoffpauir, 2B (University of Southern Mississippi)
7 – Buck Cody, LHP (University of Texas)
8 – Matt Shepherd, SS (University of Southern Mississippi)
9 – Mike Parisi, RHP (Manhattan College)
10 – Brady Toops, C (University of Arkansas)
11 – Simon Williams, OF (University of Maine)
12 – Mark Worrell, RHP (Florida International University)
13 – Daniel Nelson, SS (Los Angeles Pierce J.C.)
14 – Jake Mullinax, 2B (University of Nebraska)
15 – Jeremy Zick, RHP (University of Mississippi)
The Cardinals selected 40 college players, four high school players, and three junior college players.
January 14, 2004
Springfield announces game times
Reported by Ray Mileur
The Double-A Springfield Cardinals announced on Friday the game times for their inaugural season.
Weeknight games at Hammons Field generally will start at 7:10, Saturday contests at 6:10 p.m. and Sunday games at 1:10 p.m.
Springfield will be host to the St. Louis Cardinals, its parent club, in exhibition games at 3:10 p.m. April 2 and 1:10 April 3. Springfield opens the regular season April 7 at Arkansas and plays its first home game at 7:10 p.m. April 12 against Tulsa.
Also, Springfield pitchers Buddy Blair and Justin Garza will appear with the Cardinal Caravan at 7 p.m. Monday at the Springfield Exposition Center.
January 14, 2005
Redbirds Continue Season of Giving
Pacific Coast League (PCL) Memphis Redbirds
Memphis, TN - The holidays may be over, but the season of giving has just started with the Memphis Redbirds. The Redbirds will be going throughout the community giving away many of the new FM100 FanPlans. This plan includes 10 of the most popular Redbirds games this season. In addition to Opening Day, fans will also get a ticket to join in the fun of many exciting promotions including post-game fireworks shows on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
You can find a sign-up table at this weekend’s Home and Design Expo at the Agri-Center, the Cardinals Caravan on Saturday from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at AutoZone Park, and upcoming University of Memphis Men’s Basketball games. The Redbirds will be present at the following Tigers games: Thursday January 27, Wednesday February 2, Saturday February 12, Saturday February 26, and Saturday March 5.
Our first FM100 FanPlan winner is Parker Dinwiddie from Bartlett, TN. Parker signed up at Thursday night's University of Memphis Men’s Basketball game and now has two 10-game passes to downtown Memphis’ greatest entertainment venue - AutoZone Park.
Full, 20- and 30-game season tickets are available for the Redbirds 2005 season, which kicks off April 7 vs. Oklahoma, and can be purchased by phone at 721-6000, in person at the box office at the corner of Third and Union, or online at http://www.memphisredbirds.com.
January 14, 2005
Redbirds Announce 2005 Coaching Staff
Press Release
Memphis, Tenn. – Memphis manager Danny Sheaffer and his coaching staff will return to the Redbirds in 2005, and the team has added trainer Chris Conroy, who had been with the Tennessee Smokies. Pitching coach Dyar Miller, the longest-tenured member of the staff, returns for his fifth season, while hitting coach Tommy Gregg will be back for a fourth season.
Sheaffer, 43, will start his second full season at the Redbirds helm. He guided the team to a 73-71 record in 2004, good for second place in the PCL’s Eastern Division. Sheaffer’s overall record in Memphis stands at 115-108 since taking over for Tom Spencer on June 10, 2003. He has been a manager in the Cardinals organization since 2001, and he won the 2002 Midwest League Championship with the Peoria Chiefs. A resident of Mt. Airy, N.C., Sheaffer’s career managerial record is 316-339 in six seasons.
Miller dealt with a young pitching staff and a rash of injuries in 2004, but his hurlers still notched more than 1000 strikeouts for the first time since the 1998 inaugural season. Gregg’s hitters connected at a .279 clip last season, the second-highest batting average in Redbirds history, and the highest in his three years with the team. The team also blasted a club-record 174 homers in 2004.
Conroy has been with the Cardinals organization for five seasons. He graduated from the College of Charleston with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1998 and became the trainer at Rookie League Johnson City in 2000. He followed that with two years as the trainer at Class A Potomac and spent the last two years with Tennessee. Conroy has also worked for the NBA’s New York Knicks and resides in Raleigh, N.C.
The Redbirds kick off the 2005 season April 7 against Oklahoma at AutoZone Park. Full, 20- and 30-game season tickets are available by calling 901.721.6000, in person at the box office at the corner of Third and Union, or online at http://www.memphisredbirds.com.
January 14, 2005
SWING ANNOUNCE COACHING STAFF
Press Release
Recent Peoria manager Cunningham will guide Swing; Former big leaguers Eversgerd, May to lead pitchers, hitters
The Swing of the Quad Cities’ first season as an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals will have a distinct major league feel to it. On Thursday, the Cardinals announced that recent Peoria Chiefs manager Joe Cunningham will guide the Swing in 2005, while former major leaguers Bryan Eversgerd and Derrick May will round out the coaching staff. Brian Puchalski will serve as the Swing’s trainer in 2005.
Cunningham will be spending his 16th season as an instructor in the Cardinals organization, and his 11th as a manager. He joins the Swing of the Quad Cities after spending the previous two seasons as manager of the Peoria Chiefs, the former Cardinals affiliate. Cunningham also guided the Peoria club in 1997, before spending five straight years managing the Class A-Advanced Potomac Cannons of the Carolina League. In three seasons as Peoria’s manager, Cunningham posted a 210-206 record. He guided Peoria to a playoff berth in 2004, when they held off a charge from the Swing to earn a playoff berth. He is the winningest manager in Peoria MWL history.
“Joe is a guy who has managed in the system for years,” Cardinals Director of Player Development Bruce Manno said. “Continuity is a good thing in an organization, and anytime you can have stability it’s much easier for our young players to adjust.”
The 41-year-old Cunningham is the son of former Cardinals first baseman and longtime front office employee Joe Cunningham, Jr., who suited up for the Redbirds from 1954 through 1961. The younger Cunningham played in the Cardinals organization from 1984-1988, and began his coaching career in the St. Louis system in 1989. He earned Appalachian League Manager of the Year honors in 1993, when he guided Johnson City to a 37-31 mark.
Eversgerd is returning to the Cardinals Midwest League affiliate for the second straight season, after guiding the Peoria Chiefs to a 4.06 ERA, ninth-best in the league, in 2004. The 2005 season will be Eversgerd’s third as a coach in the St. Louis system. He was a pitching coach with Cunningham for Class A-Advanced Potomac in 2001, before leaving baseball for the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
“I was disappointed when we lost Bryan after the 2001 season, and we were excited at the chance to have him back last year,” Manno said.
A former amateur free agent signing of the Cardinals, the 35-year-old Eversgerd spent parts of four seasons as a lefthanded reliever in the big leagues. He compiled a 2-5 record in 76 career appearances, posting a 5.16 ERA. Eversgerd’s best season was his rookie campaign with St. Louis in 1994, when he went 2-3 with a 4.52 ERA in a career-high 40 games. He also saw time with Montreal and Texas before finishing his big league career with eight appearances for St. Louis in 1998.
The 2005 season will be the first as a coach for May, who recently retired after 18 years as a professional player. May batted .271 with 52 home runs and 310 RBI during a 797-game major league career that stretched from 1990 through 1999. For the last three seasons, May has played professionally in Japan. The 35-year-old May’s best big league season came in 1993, when he set career highs with a .295 batting average, 10 home runs and 77 RBI while as the Chicago Cubs’ primary leftfielder.
“Derrick has a tremendous presence about him,” Manno said. “He’ll bring a lot to the table for us and for our young players.”
The Swing will celebrate their first major event as a Cardinals affiliate on Thursday, January 13, when the 2005 Budweiser Cardinals Caravan will visit John O’Donnell Stadium from noon until 2:00 p.m. The ten-dollar admission fee includes a question and answer session with players, a hot dog and soft drink, and the opportunity to win great Swing and Cardinals prizes. Cardinals broadcaster Wayne Hagen will serve as the event’s emcee, while pitching legend Al “The Mad Hungarian” Hrabosky and prized prospect Adam Wainwright will also be in attendance. Several other former and current Cardinals are also expected to attend. Tickets are available by calling the Swing at (563) 328-2000, by stopping by the Swing’s offices at John O’Donnell Stadium, or by visiting www.swingbaseball.com.
ABOUT THE SWING: The Swing of the Quad will begin their first season as an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals on April 7, 2005. Season ticket packages and mini plans are currently available by calling the Swing at (563) 328-2000. The 2005 home opener is scheduled for Friday, April 15, against the Clinton LumberKings. For the latest information on the Swing of the Quad Cities, head to their website, www.swingbaseball.com.
January 14, 2005
2005 Spring Training Schedule Released
Press Release
JUPITER, FL - Roger Dean Stadium today announced the 2005 Spring Training schedule for the Florida Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals. Each team will have sixteen home games (one college and fifteen regular). Featured at RDS this Spring will be games against the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
Season tickets are currently on sale for both clubs at the Stadium Office. The 5+ and 3-game mini plans are also now available. For more information regarding the 5+ and 3-game mini plans, log on to our website at www.rogerdeanstadium.com/tickets/5plan. Individual tickets will go on sale at the Stadium Ticket Office as well as local Ticket Master outlets, Ticket Master phone centers and the internet (www.ticketmaster.com) on Saturday, January 22nd at 9:00 A.M.
Ticket prices for Individual tickets are $21 for Field Box during the week ($22 for premium games), $19 for Loge Box ($20 for premium games) and $7 for Bleachers every day. Tickets are discounted $2 each for Season Tickets during the week and $3 during the premium games (Premium games are March 9th and the evening games on the 23rd and 25th as well as all Saturday and Sunday games).
October 21, 2004
It's Official - The Springfield Cardinals
by John Brayfield, Birdhouse Minor League Reporter
The Springfield Cardinals became an official entity at noon today (Oct. 21, 2004). The president of the Texas Baseball League and the president of the St. Louis Cardinals were in Springfield today to hold a news conference to announce the unanimous decision by the Texas League to welcome the Springfield Cardinals as the newest AA minor league team in the league.
The Springfield Cardinals will play their opening game in Hammond's Field on Tuesday, April 12, 2005, against the Tulsa Drillers. Other teams in the Texas League include Little Rock and Wichita. Their team logo, to be worn on player shirts, will be the familiar birds-on-the-bat with the name "Springfield" below.
Editor's note: We are pleased to welcome reporter John Brayfield to our team. He will be providing coverage of the Springfield Cardinals for us next season.
Minor League Baseball Sets All-Time Attendance Record
ST. PETERSBURG, FL–Minor League Baseball set an all-time attendance record this season with a total of 39,887,755 fans going through the turnstiles at the 178 teams in the 15 affiliated leagues. That was an increase of 105,038 over the old mark that was set more than a half-century ago and an increase of 818,048 over the 2003 season.
The former record was set in 1949 during the boom years following World War II when nearly every city and large town in the United States had its own Minor League team. 448 teams in 59 leagues attained that total of 39,782,717.
"Congratulations to our clubs, leagues and, of course, the fans who have made this possible," said Mike Moore, President of Minor League Baseball. "Many thought this record would never be broken because of the much larger number of teams that existed when it was established, but the hard work and dedication of our operators and cities have enabled us to overcome that difference. Minor League Baseball continues to grow and prove itself as part of the fabric of our communities. This is a proud accomplishment for our industry."
This year’s total marked a continuation of the impressive strides that Minor League Baseball has made in recent seasons. Four of the five highest attendance totals in the 103-year history of the industry have been achieved in the last four seasons.
Nine of the 15 leagues registered increases over the 2003 season and two leagues–the Double-A Eastern and the Class A South Atlantic--set all-time records of their own. The Eastern League drew 3,914,027, breaking its record of 3,868,732, set in 1999. The South Atlantic attracted 3,285,949, eclipsing the mark of 3,129,323 established a year ago.
Attendance by leagues:
International 6,462,882
Pacific Coast 6,803,068
Mexican 3,222,592
Eastern 3,914,027
Southern 2,445,989
Texas 2,667,129
California 1,506,928
Carolina 1,576,635
Florida State 963,038
Midwest 3,505,556
South Atlantic 3,285,949
New York-Penn 1,777,309
Northwest 863,165
Appalachian 292,381
Pioneer 601,107
