Baseball Prospectus 1996
Recent acquisitions have been disastrous. They paid Danny Jackson for a season like 1994, even though that's his only really good year since 1988. Scott Cooper, who has never hit very well away from Fenway Park, continued to not do so. But the Unholy Ghost in the Cardinals' trinity of transaction fiascoes was Ken Hill. Here was an organizational jewel who'd been traded away three years before, right as his career was starting to blossom, for one year of Andres Galarraga's chopped pre-Colorado liver. His highest ERA in four years had been 3.57, he had seemingly doubled his value the moment he left St. Louis, and , on his happy return to this proud baseball town, he collapsed. With his ERA at 5.06, and averaging something like 16 runners per nine innings, they shipped him off unceremoniously midway through the season (albeit for a fine young player we'll talk about in a bit), and soon returned to his past form.
They tried to make big changes this off-season. The Anheuser-Busch conglomerate sold the team, and spent big money to prove that they are serious about fielding a winner. They have brought in Tony LaRussa and his sidekick, Dave Duncan, from Oakland because they "know how to win." Unfortunately, it looks like the same old story. Their major free agent acquisitions, Ron Gant and Gary Gaetti, are unlikely to repeat their 1995 seasons. Royce Clayton hasn't been a particularly good SS; likewise for Todd Stottlemyre, who along with Mike Gallego was brought in because of his past relationship to LaRussa. Andy Benes had his worst season ever, which makes him a better pick-up than someone who just had a great season out of the blue, since his price his down and chance of returning to form pretty good, barring serious injury. LaRussa and Duncan have sustained a reputation for working well with pitchers, built largely on the successes of Dave Stewart and Dennis Eckersley, but haven't been able to duplicate that recently. The Cardinals stable of young arms will give them an oppurtunity to show they know what they are doing.
CHARLIE ANDERSON 1970 3B/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 SAV 148 31 4 1 2 6 2 1 .209 .240 .291 .181 27 8 1994 MAD 443 101 13 3 7 21 6 4 .228 .263 .318 .202 90 32 1995 ARK 235 56 10 1 3 17 1 1 .238 .290 .328 .217 51 20 1996 PRJ 375 90 18 4 6 29 5 3 .240 .295 .357 .230 86 3625 in AA? No prospect.
JOE AVERSA 1968 SS/2B/3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SPR 191 34 2 0 1 30 2 3 .178 .290 .204 .164 31 9 1992 STP 46 6 1 0 0 7 0 0 .130 .245 .152 .091 4 0 1992 ARK 108 22 3 1 0 19 2 1 .204 .323 .250 .206 22 8 1993 ARK 201 31 3 1 0 15 2 1 .154 .213 .179 .089 18 2 1994 STP 32 5 1 0 0 7 0 0 .156 .308 .188 .168 5 2 1994 ARK 100 18 5 1 0 5 0 0 .180 .219 .250 .146 15 3 1995 LOU 141 26 4 0 0 24 8 3 .184 .303 .213 .190 27 9Late-inning defensive replacement who doesn't hit a lick.
DAVID BELL 1973 3B/2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CGA 500 88 8 1 4 19 1 1 .176 .206 .220 .117 59 10 1992 KIN 478 103 9 1 4 41 2 2 .215 .277 .264 .186 89 28 1993 CAN 487 130 15 1 7 34 2 2 .267 .315 .345 .234 114 48 1994 CHR 480 132 12 2 13 34 2 4 .275 .323 .390 .250 120 55 1995 BUF 256 69 9 1 6 21 1 3 .270 .325 .383 .247 63 29 1995 LOU 75 19 0 1 1 2 5 0 .253 .273 .320 .226 17 7 1995 STL 144 37 7 2 1 4 1 2 .257 .277 .354 .219 32 12 1996 PRJ 411 123 17 1 9 27 3 2 .299 .342 .411 .267 110 53Acquired from the Indians for Hill, and famous for being a third-generation major leaguer. Until this year, he had been progressing at an above-average rate for a hitter, projecting to something like a .290 EQA at age 27. His poor performance in 1995 pulls that down some, but a lot of it could be related to playing for four teams and learning a new position, second base, at the major league level. Should be a quality performer at either position, with all-star potential at second should he master the fielding there.
JEFF BERBLINGER 1971 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1993 GLF 140 32 4 0 1 7 4 2 .229 .265 .279 .192 27 9 1993 STP 71 12 1 0 0 3 2 1 .169 .203 .183 .096 7 1 1994 SAV 493 129 15 3 6 39 13 3 .262 .316 .341 .238 117 50 1995 ARK 324 85 9 2 4 38 15 9 .262 .340 .340 .244 79 37He's made progress, but he's a little old for his recent levels. Might crack a team as a utility infielder.
TERRY BRADSHAW 1969 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SAV 467 95 8 1 5 68 27 9 .203 .305 .257 .208 97 37 1993 STP 470 123 16 3 7 65 27 10 .262 .351 .353 .257 121 60 1994 ARK 428 110 15 4 9 41 11 6 .257 .322 .374 .247 106 49 1994 LOU 79 19 2 0 3 5 5 1 .241 .286 .380 .242 19 9 1995 LOU 386 100 15 5 7 49 23 7 .259 .343 .378 .261 101 51 1995 STL 44 10 1 1 0 2 1 2 .227 .261 .295 .185 8 3Cute name. Got a late start in the pros, which was compounded by a torn ACL that cost him the 1992 season. He's come back from that, and received raves for his combination of power, speed and defense. Unfortunately, compiling his record against younger players counts against him. He's got the talent to play in the majors, but wouldn't be a leading player.
DAN CHOLOWSKY 1971 OF/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 HAM 71 12 2 1 0 5 2 1 .169 .224 .225 .143 10 2 1992 SAV 244 69 3 2 6 38 17 8 .283 .379 .385 .276 67 36 1992 STP 211 52 5 0 2 28 9 5 .246 .335 .299 .230 49 21 1993 STP 210 52 4 0 4 15 5 4 .248 .298 .324 .220 46 18 1993 ARK 217 43 7 1 2 32 7 1 .198 .301 .267 .207 45 17 1994 ARK 459 94 11 1 12 54 15 6 .205 .288 .312 .214 98 39 1995 ARK 186 49 7 0 5 19 7 4 .263 .332 .382 .253 47 23 1995 LOU 237 47 5 1 5 34 12 4 .198 .299 .291 .215 51 21A flash in 1992 that has never been repeated. Not a prospect anymore.
ROYCE CLAYTON 1970 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SHV 484 119 15 4 5 43 23 7 .246 .307 .324 .231 112 48 1992 PHX 191 42 3 1 4 13 12 4 .220 .270 .309 .211 40 16 1992 SFG 326 81 9 4 5 28 8 4 .248 .308 .347 .233 76 33 1993 SFG 554 162 18 4 6 40 13 10 .292 .340 .372 .253 140 65 1994 SFG 384 92 12 4 3 30 26 3 .240 .295 .315 .229 88 37 1995 SFG 512 132 26 3 4 38 26 10 .258 .309 .344 .237 121 53 1996 PRJ 582 159 38 6 7 56 32 13 .273 .337 .395 .263 153 77A poor hitter even by shortstop standards, Royce has been anointed to take over the position long held by Ozzie Smith is St. Louis. His defense is well-regarded, but hardly overwhelming. Of course, he does meet the Cardinal credo of speed.
DARNELL COLES 1962 YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 NAS 81 24 3 0 5 7 1 0 .296 .352 .519 .299 24 14 1992 CIN 143 48 11 2 4 4 1 0 .336 .354 .524 .303 43 24 1993 TOR 193 50 8 1 4 14 1 1 .259 .309 .373 .240 46 20 1994 TOR 143 31 6 1 3 8 0 0 .217 .258 .336 .205 29 11 1995 STL 138 32 5 0 3 15 0 0 .232 .307 .333 .226 31 13Aging hitter who has probably outlived his usefulness.
SCOTT COOPER 1968 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PAW 478 122 13 1 13 36 3 0 .255 .307 .368 .239 114 50 1991 BOS 35 16 4 2 0 2 0 0 .457 .486 .686 .395 14 9 1992 BOS 337 96 15 1 7 35 1 1 .285 .352 .398 .265 89 44 1993 BOS 517 144 24 3 8 54 6 2 .279 .347 .383 .260 135 65 1994 BOS 363 101 12 4 10 26 0 3 .278 .326 .416 .258 94 45 1995 STL 373 87 16 2 2 49 0 3 .233 .322 .303 .220 82 33 1996 PRJ 390 111 17 3 9 45 0 3 .285 .359 .413 .270 105 54Vladimir's out to lunch with this one. A year ago I commented that, if you looked only at his road statistics, his DT-EqA for the Boston years would be about 20 points lower. The 1995 line wouldn't be regarded as such a disaster if the last four years had been recognized as .245/.340/.338/.220. He's never been a good hitter, and his defense was overrated as a result of Boston's soft, slow infield. The Cardinal executive who whined in 1995 that "they didn't how weak he was when they got him" simply hadn't done his homework. Off to Japan in 1996.
TRIPP CROMER 1968 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STP 141 27 3 1 0 6 0 0 .191 .224 .227 .136 19 4 1991 ARK 227 44 7 1 1 8 0 1 .194 .221 .247 .145 33 7 1992 ARK 340 73 11 2 7 20 4 4 .215 .258 .321 .199 68 24 1993 LOU 308 83 6 3 8 14 2 3 .269 .301 .386 .240 74 32 1994 LOU 413 106 15 5 8 30 5 5 .257 .307 .375 .239 99 43 1995 STL 344 79 12 1 5 14 0 0 .230 .260 .314 .198 68 23 1996 PRJ 298 73 9 2 6 14 2 3 .245 .279 .349 .219 65 26Had apparently made himself a decent-hitting shortstop at Louisville, but that disappeared in St. Louis. The reason they got Royce Clayton.
BRIAN DEAK 1968 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 GRN 212 42 4 0 9 44 0 1 .198 .336 .344 .238 51 24 1992 RIC 243 62 8 0 8 51 0 1 .255 .384 .387 .273 66 36 1993 CLG 228 46 4 0 8 33 4 1 .202 .303 .325 .223 51 21 1994 LVG 283 67 9 1 8 48 1 1 .237 .347 .360 .251 71 34 1995 LOU 161 34 2 0 5 24 2 0 .211 .314 .317 .225 36 15Bouncing around in AAA as a half-time catcher he's shown reasonable power and excellent patience, but his strikeouts turn off the scouts.
DARREL DEAK 1970 1B/2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 SPR 440 108 11 2 12 44 6 2 .245 .314 .361 .240 105 47 1993 ARK 421 93 9 1 14 50 4 4 .221 .304 .347 .227 96 41 1994 LOU 479 122 16 1 14 45 1 2 .255 .319 .380 .245 117 53 1995 LOU 334 74 14 2 5 50 3 2 .222 .323 .320 .228 76 33His range is insufficient for a second baseman, and his bat insufficient for first.
MIKE DIFELICE 1969 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 HAM 160 25 3 0 2 3 1 2 .156 .172 .213 .071 11 1 1992 HAM 60 17 2 0 1 2 1 0 .283 .306 .367 .243 15 6 1992 STP 54 11 2 0 0 3 0 0 .204 .246 .241 .158 9 2 1993 STP 98 19 2 0 0 9 1 0 .194 .262 .214 .157 15 4 1994 ARK 201 46 7 1 2 9 0 1 .229 .262 .303 .194 39 13 1995 ARK 173 38 6 1 1 19 0 1 .220 .297 .283 .202 35 12 1995 LOU 62 15 3 0 0 5 1 0 .242 .299 .290 .212 13 526 and finally made it to AAA; never had 200 PA before 1994. No prospect.
TONY DIGGS 1967 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 BLT 457 98 7 4 3 42 24 11 .214 .281 .267 .198 90 32 1992 ELP 282 53 5 2 0 26 21 5 .188 .256 .220 .176 50 15 1993 STP 290 76 10 2 2 34 19 6 .262 .340 .331 .248 72 34 1993 ELP 62 7 2 0 0 2 2 0 .113 .141 .145 **** -7 -1 1993 NWO 27 7 2 0 0 3 5 2 .259 .333 .333 .253 7 4 1994 ARK 290 56 7 2 1 15 6 3 .193 .233 .241 .156 45 11 1995 ARK 231 51 6 4 2 28 6 3 .221 .305 .307 .218 50 20 1995 LOU 36 8 3 0 0 3 2 1 .222 .282 .306 .211 8 3A formerly speedy outfielder, now used as filler for the organization.
PAUL ELLIS 1969 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STP 418 81 4 0 8 40 0 0 .194 .264 .261 .177 74 22 1992 STP 316 61 9 0 3 22 0 0 .193 .246 .250 .162 51 13 1992 ARK 80 16 0 0 2 12 0 1 .200 .304 .275 .199 16 6 1993 ARK 80 23 1 0 1 14 0 1 .287 .394 .338 .263 21 10 1993 LOU 125 24 4 0 0 12 0 0 .192 .263 .224 .159 20 5 1994 ARK 284 60 4 0 5 29 0 0 .211 .284 .278 .195 55 19 1995 ARK 227 42 3 0 2 40 0 1 .185 .307 .225 .183 42 13A left-hand hitting catcher, enjoying his fourth season in Little Rock.
GARY GAETTI 1959 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 CAL 593 160 20 1 20 32 7 6 .270 .307 .408 .250 148 68 1992 CAL 457 108 14 2 12 19 3 1 .236 .267 .354 .217 99 39 1993 CAL 50 10 1 0 0 4 1 0 .200 .259 .220 .163 8 2 1993 KCR 279 72 15 1 14 14 1 3 .258 .294 .470 .259 72 36 1994 KCR 321 90 11 3 9 14 0 2 .280 .310 .417 .253 81 37 1995 KCR 512 139 24 2 32 41 4 4 .271 .325 .514 .283 145 80 1996 PRJ 512 127 21 1 23 20 5 4 .248 .276 .428 .244 125 57Leading candidate for FA Bust of '96. He was marking time as a below-average hitter for the last four years before his a last hurrah as a hitter in '95. Actually, his improvement came entirely from one split: when he got ahead in the count, he crushed opposing pitchers at a .410/.496/.880 clip. His performance in other breakdowns was unchanged compared to the last four years.
RON GANT 1965 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 ATL 563 144 33 2 32 70 31 12 .256 .338 .492 .284 160 93 1992 ATL 552 156 21 5 22 49 34 9 .283 .341 .458 .282 156 86 1993 ATL 607 169 25 3 33 68 28 9 .278 .351 .493 .291 177 102 1995 CIN 411 117 18 4 27 73 24 8 .285 .393 .545 .317 130 86 1996 PRJ 578 158 28 4 29 80 32 9 .273 .362 .486 .295 171 102Another candidate for the Bust award, he returned from a broken leg with a chip on his shoulder and things to prove. He had the best year of his career, because he proved more willing to take a walk than he had before. On the back side of thirty, with a new contract, and having shown up everybody who wrote him off as finished last spring, one could question his motivation for this season. On the other hand, the Cards don't have anybody in their minor league system remotely as good as Gant, even if he falls back to 1991-93 perfromance levels.
RAY GIANNELLI 1966 OF/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 KNX 373 96 9 1 8 51 6 3 .257 .347 .351 .250 93 44 1992 SYR 254 57 6 1 5 43 2 2 .224 .337 .315 .232 59 26 1993 SYR 413 99 11 2 9 35 2 4 .240 .299 .341 .223 92 38 1994 SYR 327 88 12 1 7 41 0 1 .269 .351 .376 .257 84 40 1995 LOU 386 106 12 1 12 41 5 7 .275 .344 .404 .260 100 50Paid his dues in the Blue Jay organization without getting a chance, and will likely close out his career without one. Probably as good as Mabry, but more likely to decline than improve.
BERNARD GILKEY 1967 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 LOU 42 6 2 0 0 5 1 2 .143 .234 .190 .113 5 1 1991 STL 275 67 7 2 6 39 14 7 .244 .338 .349 .247 68 33 1992 STL 392 128 21 4 9 42 19 11 .327 .392 .469 .299 117 67 1993 STL 563 178 35 4 16 57 17 10 .316 .379 .478 .297 167 95 1994 STL 378 96 18 1 5 39 17 8 .254 .324 .347 .241 91 42 1995 STL 479 145 29 4 15 41 13 6 .303 .358 .474 .289 138 76 1996 PRJ 519 160 30 4 17 63 18 8 .308 .383 .480 .301 156 91Gilkey is an example of a balanced player; he's got a little power, a little speed, a little D, an OK arm, a pretty good BA. In '94 he slipped across the board, as the Cardinals continued a tradition of having one outfielder a year utterly collapse at the plate, but brought it back up this year. While a .290 EQA is valuable, it isn't going to be nearly as good as the best LF in the league; when the possessor is 29, and average defensively, you don't make long-range plans around them.
TY GRIFFIN 1968 2B/3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 WNS 322 66 13 1 3 53 13 3 .205 .317 .280 .219 71 29 1991 CHR 121 18 4 0 0 22 3 2 .149 .280 .182 .152 18 5 1992 CHT 355 78 13 2 4 59 7 5 .220 .331 .301 .226 80 34 1995 ARK 259 62 7 1 7 28 14 2 .239 .314 .355 .245 64 30Spent the last two years in the Northern League, where he posted numbers almost exactly like he did in 1995. One of the best arguments in favor of those who contend that that league is of AA quality at least.
MIKE GULAN 1971 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 HAM 251 56 2 1 5 15 5 2 .223 .267 .299 .199 50 17 1993 SPR 459 104 12 1 15 21 5 2 .227 .260 .355 .215 99 38 1994 STP 470 105 18 1 9 20 3 5 .223 .255 .323 .198 93 32 1995 ARK 236 65 9 1 9 8 4 1 .275 .299 .436 .258 61 29 1995 LOU 193 42 8 2 4 10 3 2 .218 .256 .342 .207 40 15Not thought of as a prospect before he started hot in Arkansas this year. Odds are it was just a hot couple of months, since any new-found hitting ability evaporated at AAA. A good fielder with legitimate power; however, he has terrible strike zone judgement. Even at Arkansas he struck out nearly five times for every walk.
SCOTT HEMOND 1966 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TAC 323 77 12 2 4 30 9 6 .238 .303 .325 .223 72 30 1992 HUN 28 9 0 0 0 3 1 0 .321 .387 .321 .269 8 4 1992 TAC 33 8 2 0 0 4 1 0 .242 .324 .303 .232 8 3 1992 OAK 27 6 2 0 0 3 1 0 .222 .300 .296 .220 6 2 1993 OAK 216 59 14 1 6 30 17 5 .273 .362 .431 .283 61 35 1994 OAK 198 46 7 0 3 14 9 7 .232 .283 .313 .210 42 16 1995 STL 118 17 0 0 3 12 0 0 .144 .223 .220 .128 15 3A favorite of LaRussa's, who probably remembers the good-fluke 1993 more than he'll notice the bad-fluke 1995.
AARON HOLBERT 1973 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SPR 219 38 2 1 1 7 3 4 .174 .199 .205 .101 22 3 1992 SAV 451 103 10 2 2 26 29 12 .228 .270 .273 .199 90 32 1993 STP 460 106 15 2 3 20 27 11 .230 .262 .291 .201 93 33 1994 ARK 233 62 8 3 2 11 7 4 .266 .299 .352 .232 54 23 1995 LOU 397 93 11 2 7 19 16 6 .234 .269 .325 .213 85 33 1996 PRJ 374 96 12 4 4 21 22 8 .257 .296 .342 .233 87 38Had been considered the favorite, over Cromer, to win the SS job this year. When he failed to improve as a hitter the club decided to get someone from outside. Excellent defense, which should eventually get him to the majors.
KEITH JOHNS 1972 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 HAM 285 61 7 1 0 18 6 4 .214 .261 .246 .173 49 14 1993 SPR 476 99 12 1 2 49 19 10 .208 .282 .250 .189 90 30 1994 STP 470 98 9 1 5 29 13 6 .209 .255 .264 .180 85 26 1995 ARK 389 90 8 1 2 44 11 4 .231 .309 .272 .211 82 31Down to fourth on the team's depth chart.
BRIAN JORDAN 1967 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 LOU 214 55 9 2 4 12 10 3 .257 .296 .374 .242 52 23 1992 LOU 155 44 2 1 3 6 12 2 .284 .311 .368 .253 39 18 1992 STL 195 44 10 4 6 11 7 2 .226 .267 .410 .238 46 21 1993 LOU 143 52 8 2 4 15 11 4 .364 .424 .531 .331 47 30 1993 STL 225 72 9 5 10 12 7 6 .320 .354 .538 .299 67 39 1994 STL 177 46 8 2 4 16 5 3 .260 .321 .395 .252 45 21 1995 STL 489 148 18 4 19 21 25 10 .303 .331 .472 .281 137 73 1996 PRJ 467 134 17 3 24 28 22 7 .287 .327 .490 .284 133 73Hyped for his athleticism; as has been true of the other football players, it is overblown. The lack of baseball skills, especially the horrible strike zone judgement, means he'll have to have spectacular numbers to be merely good. That is not to say he is a bad player, however; he hits and fields well enough to be a legitimate major league starter. He'll just never be as good a hitter as his batting average will make people believe he is.
RAY LANKFORD 1967 CF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STL 579 161 25 14 11 41 44 18 .278 .326 .427 .267 155 80 1992 STL 610 193 40 5 26 77 44 22 .316 .393 .526 .312 190 119 1993 STL 413 103 15 3 7 80 15 14 .249 .371 .351 .256 106 54 1994 STL 413 112 23 4 17 58 13 11 .271 .361 .470 .283 117 66 1995 STL 482 137 30 2 23 62 25 9 .284 .366 .498 .298 143 85 1996 PRJ 601 174 26 3 30 82 36 22 .290 .375 .493 .296 178 107Made major improvement against lefthanders, who had killed him in the past; one could argue that the only difference between 1995 and the two prior seasons was his performance against lefties. He also improved his running game greatly, having been a terrible basestealer despite his speed for the prior two years. It may be that his injuries from 1993 took until this year to heal.
MANNY LEE 1965 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TOR 444 106 13 3 1 22 9 2 .239 .275 .288 .201 89 31 1992 TOR 399 112 11 1 3 49 7 2 .281 .359 .336 .253 101 47 1993 TEX 205 48 1 1 1 21 3 4 .234 .305 .263 .199 41 14 1994 TEX 334 96 11 1 2 17 4 1 .287 .322 .344 .240 80 34Part of the shortstop problem last year, Lee was supposed to fill in for Ozzie if Smith got hurt, but wound up getting hurt himself and only getting one AB (a single) in 1995. His future is in doubt.
ANTHONY LEWIS 1971 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STP 452 100 11 3 9 38 3 3 .221 .282 .319 .209 94 35 1992 STP 468 96 9 1 13 39 2 2 .205 .266 .312 .199 93 33 1993 ARK 329 81 14 1 10 21 3 2 .246 .291 .386 .237 78 34 1994 ARK 337 81 10 1 13 21 2 1 .240 .285 .392 .236 79 35 1994 LOU 74 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 .108 .108 .135 **** -11 -3 1995 ARK 401 89 12 1 17 35 1 1 .222 .284 .384 .231 93 40Seems to have reached his level of ability in Little Rock.
JOHN MABRY 1971 1B/OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 HAM 190 45 3 0 2 8 4 2 .237 .268 .284 .194 37 12 1991 SAV 88 17 2 1 0 4 0 0 .193 .228 .239 .146 13 3 1992 SPR 443 94 5 2 8 13 1 4 .212 .235 .287 .172 76 22 1993 ARK 530 137 16 1 12 24 8 8 .258 .291 .360 .228 121 50 1994 LOU 471 116 15 1 13 28 3 5 .246 .289 .365 .227 107 44 1995 STL 387 121 17 1 4 23 0 3 .313 .351 .393 .263 102 48 1996 PRJ 506 131 20 3 15 34 1 3 .259 .306 .399 .246 124 57Mabry wound up as the Cardinal first baseman after they had rejected other candidates. An outfielder in the minors, he handled his new position pretty well. The big surprise, though, was his hitting, which turned out far better than his career would have suggested. Even then he was barely above league average, which means he was a terrible hitter for a first baseman: notice the 40-point gap between his BA and EqA.
DOMINGO MARTINEZ 1968 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SYR 464 137 10 1 15 29 6 3 .295 .337 .418 .266 124 60 1992 SYR 443 120 14 1 18 28 6 0 .271 .314 .429 .262 116 57 1993 SYR 466 123 16 1 18 28 5 4 .264 .306 .418 .252 117 55 1994 NAS 465 119 13 1 18 35 2 1 .256 .308 .404 .249 116 54 1995 LOU 220 54 7 0 8 14 0 0 .245 .291 .386 .236 52 23Turning into a travelling AAA hitter. I can easily see him hanging on for several more years, playing more and more DH, and never getting a shot at the bigs.
WILLIE MCGEE 1959 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SFG 514 178 34 3 4 34 17 8 .346 .387 .447 .296 152 82 1992 SFG 484 158 22 2 2 32 14 4 .326 .368 .393 .276 134 66 1993 SFG 480 149 24 1 4 40 11 9 .310 .363 .390 .268 128 63 1994 SFG 156 45 4 0 4 15 3 0 .288 .351 .391 .268 42 21 1995 BOS 199 58 10 3 1 6 6 2 .291 .312 .387 .251 50 23 1996 PRJ 229 71 6 1 1 14 13 4 .310 .350 .358 .262 60 28Trying to go home again, before his decline becomes total.
JEFF MCNEELY 1970 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 LYN 390 105 11 3 3 52 21 12 .269 .355 .336 .251 98 47 1992 NBR 267 56 8 3 2 22 8 3 .210 .270 .285 .196 52 18 1993 PAW 494 113 7 1 2 38 33 6 .229 .284 .259 .205 101 37 1993 BOS 36 10 1 1 0 7 6 0 .278 .395 .361 .303 11 7 1994 PAW 456 92 7 3 3 42 12 12 .202 .269 .250 .176 80 25 1995 LOU 269 56 2 1 0 22 7 7 .208 .268 .223 .164 44 12Touted as can't miss after the 1991 season in Lynchburg, he did. It's time to give up on him.
JOSE OLIVA 1971 3B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PCH 401 96 8 1 16 34 6 5 .239 .299 .384 .238 95 43 1992 TUL 451 116 19 2 15 36 2 0 .257 .312 .408 .252 114 54 1993 RIC 414 95 16 3 16 31 2 4 .229 .283 .399 .234 97 43 1994 RIC 372 92 12 1 17 21 2 2 .247 .288 .422 .245 91 42 1994 ATL 59 18 3 0 6 7 0 1 .305 .379 .661 .330 19 13 1995 ATL 109 17 3 0 5 7 0 0 .156 .207 .321 .172 19 6 1995 STL 74 9 1 0 2 5 0 0 .122 .177 .216 .079 6 1 1996 PRJ 287 71 13 1 14 25 0 0 .247 .308 .446 .260 75 37In a year, he's gone from great power prospect to head case. Good defensive third baseman with outstanding power, his problem is making contact, striking out once every four at-bats just like he did in the minors. I think it's too soon to close the book on him completely, but the time is running out.
JOSE OQUENDO 1964 2B/SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STL 377 101 14 4 1 68 1 2 .268 .380 .334 .258 97 47 1992 LOU 64 16 1 0 0 10 0 1 .250 .351 .266 .220 14 6 1992 STL 36 10 4 1 0 5 0 0 .278 .366 .444 .283 10 6 1993 STL 74 16 0 0 0 12 0 0 .216 .326 .216 .192 14 5 1994 STL 128 34 2 1 0 21 1 1 .266 .369 .297 .243 31 14 1995 STL 220 47 8 3 1 34 1 1 .214 .319 .291 .216 48 19 1996 PRJ 203 52 6 2 0 33 0 0 .256 .360 .305 .242 49 22Interestingly, he was effective during the time he was batting second (.265/.351/.361) and extremely ineffective while batting eighth (.157/.285/.226), a situation that fairly cries out that he needs protection.
TOM PAGNOZZI 1963 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STL 470 135 27 5 2 37 10 11 .287 .339 .379 .252 119 55 1992 STL 491 133 28 3 9 31 2 5 .271 .314 .395 .247 121 55 1993 LOU 43 12 1 0 1 2 0 0 .279 .311 .372 .242 10 4 1993 STL 332 89 11 1 7 20 1 0 .268 .310 .370 .241 80 35 1994 LOU 25 6 2 0 0 5 0 0 .240 .367 .320 .248 6 3 1994 STL 241 66 10 1 6 22 0 0 .274 .335 .398 .258 62 30 1995 STL 219 48 12 1 2 10 0 1 .219 .253 .311 .192 42 14 1996 PRJ 360 93 14 2 8 26 0 0 .258 .308 .375 .241 87 38Beset by injuries last year, he couldn't keep up with the steady, albeit unimpressive, offensive production he previously displayed. There's no help on the farm if he can't recover.
GERONIMO PENA 1967 2B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STL 189 51 7 3 6 19 15 5 .270 .337 .434 .275 52 28 1992 LOU 101 25 8 3 2 13 4 2 .248 .333 .446 .269 27 15 1992 STL 207 69 11 1 9 26 14 8 .333 .408 .527 .318 66 41 1993 STL 256 68 17 2 5 25 14 5 .266 .331 .406 .263 67 34 1994 STL 212 54 11 1 10 24 10 1 .255 .331 .458 .278 59 32 1995 STL 101 28 4 1 1 15 3 2 .277 .371 .366 .264 27 13 1996 PRJ 399 114 19 3 17 54 4 2 .286 .371 .476 .293 117 67The anti-Ripken, Pena may have the worst injury record of any player currently in the major leagues. He still produces on those rare occasions when he's in the lineup, but the Cardinals are now hoping that David Bell will be a more reliable holder of the job.
GERALD PERRY 1961 1B/PH YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STL 248 66 8 4 7 22 15 7 .266 .326 .415 .262 65 33 1992 STL 145 38 6 0 2 16 4 6 .262 .335 .345 .236 34 15 1993 STL 100 35 4 0 4 18 1 1 .350 .449 .510 .333 33 21 1994 STL 76 25 5 0 3 15 1 1 .329 .440 .513 .328 25 16 1995 STL 79 13 4 0 0 6 0 0 .165 .224 .215 .126 10 2The closest thing to a DH the NL had, serving almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter. After a terrible season at age 34, its unclear whether he'll get another chance. Released by the Yankees in spring training.
HOWARD PRAGER 1967 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 OSC 46 13 2 2 0 8 1 0 .283 .389 .413 .288 13 7 1991 JAC 355 96 14 1 9 37 6 4 .270 .339 .392 .258 92 44 1992 JAC 336 82 6 0 6 40 1 2 .244 .324 .315 .227 76 31 1993 ARK 162 47 4 1 5 23 3 1 .290 .378 .420 .284 46 25 1993 LOU 209 54 10 1 3 22 0 0 .258 .329 .359 .244 51 23 1994 LOU 174 39 3 0 6 29 3 1 .224 .335 .345 .243 42 20 1995 LOU 101 25 5 0 4 17 1 1 .248 .356 .416 .269 27 14Has looked great once or twice ('91 A-ball, '93 AA) but has always been old, old, old.
DANNY SHEAFFER 1962 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 POR 324 86 11 1 1 19 2 1 .265 .306 .315 .222 72 28 1992 POR 439 113 18 2 6 13 3 3 .257 .279 .349 .220 97 37 1993 COL 211 54 6 1 3 8 2 3 .256 .283 .336 .216 46 17 1994 COL 108 22 2 0 1 10 0 2 .204 .271 .250 .170 18 5 1995 STL 208 49 10 1 4 22 0 0 .236 .309 .351 .232 48 21Doesn't bring much to the plate, although he did outhit Pagnozzi last year. It's a good thing he's a backup catcher, because that's all he's suited to be.
OZZIE SMITH 1955 SS YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STL 568 180 34 3 3 85 34 8 .317 .406 .403 .296 168 95 1992 STL 529 170 18 3 2 63 44 8 .321 .394 .378 .289 153 83 1993 STL 549 163 16 5 2 45 23 8 .297 .350 .355 .258 142 66 1994 STL 379 101 13 2 3 38 7 3 .266 .333 .335 .241 91 40 1995 STL 156 31 4 1 0 17 4 3 .199 .277 .237 .177 28 8The end is drawing pretty near for Smith, though he seems determined not to retire on such a sour note as 1995. His place in the Hall of Fame is assured, as far as I'm concerned: a pretty good hitting shortstop for a number of years, and the best defender since the game was invented.
MARK SWEENEY 1970 OF/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 BOI 239 48 5 1 2 29 3 2 .201 .287 .255 .188 45 15 1992 QUD 434 98 8 2 10 30 8 6 .226 .276 .323 .209 91 34 1993 PSP 243 74 12 1 2 27 5 3 .305 .374 .387 .273 66 33 1993 MID 183 55 6 1 6 23 1 1 .301 .379 .443 .288 53 29 1994 MID 50 13 2 0 2 8 1 1 .260 .362 .420 .271 14 7 1994 VAN 334 82 7 2 5 50 3 2 .246 .344 .323 .239 80 36 1995 VAN 229 80 11 1 7 39 3 1 .349 .444 .498 .331 76 47 1995 LOU 75 26 4 0 2 13 2 0 .347 .443 .480 .330 25 15 1995 STL 77 21 1 0 2 10 1 1 .273 .356 .364 .256 20 9Since 1993, his line shows a .281 EQA on .295/.352/.405 hitting. Had always played outfield in the Angel system, but was converted to first base after joining the Cardinals. Should be in competition with Mabry for the first base job.
JOHN THOMAS 1969 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 STP 445 125 11 6 6 25 5 4 .281 .319 .373 .245 109 48 1992 ARK 408 100 11 2 9 20 3 4 .245 .280 .348 .219 89 35 1993 LOU 375 101 8 1 7 14 1 0 .269 .296 .352 .230 86 35 1994 LOU 317 72 11 1 14 21 3 3 .227 .275 .401 .233 74 32 1995 LOU 270 62 10 1 7 18 0 0 .230 .278 .352 .219 59 23
PAUL TORRES 1971 1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 PEO 362 67 11 1 9 31 3 1 .185 .249 .296 .186 67 22 1991 WNS 89 9 1 0 1 8 2 0 .101 .175 .146 **** -8 -1 1992 WNS 468 94 9 3 8 45 3 2 .201 .271 .284 .191 89 30 1993 DAY 352 83 9 1 12 40 3 2 .236 .314 .369 .240 84 38 1993 ORL 56 14 3 0 2 5 2 0 .250 .311 .411 .259 14 7 1994 DAY 92 28 5 1 4 9 3 1 .304 .366 .511 .302 28 16 1994 ORL 163 35 3 1 6 27 2 3 .215 .326 .356 .237 39 18 1995 ORL 230 65 7 1 8 25 0 2 .283 .353 .426 .270 62 32 1995 ARK 228 44 4 0 8 17 2 1 .193 .249 .316 .193 44 15Occasional flashes of brilliance at the plate, but never in the field. No threat to Mabry/Sweeney.
JOSE VELEZ 1973 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 SPR 415 78 7 2 1 4 4 2 .188 .196 .222 .115 48 8 1992 SAV 323 73 8 1 0 10 4 2 .226 .249 .257 .172 55 15 1993 STP 179 36 2 1 1 4 0 0 .201 .219 .240 .141 25 5 1994 STP 281 66 5 0 3 12 4 2 .235 .266 .285 .192 54 18 1995 ARK 281 71 7 1 5 9 5 2 .253 .276 .338 .218 61 23Light-hitting outfielder, slow. Even though he's been in the organization since he was 17, he's not a prospect.
TRACY WOODSON 1963 3B/1B YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 RIC 440 114 16 2 5 18 2 3 .259 .288 .339 .220 97 37 1992 LOU 411 118 15 1 11 21 4 2 .287 .322 .409 .258 106 50 1992 STL 116 39 6 0 2 3 0 0 .336 .353 .440 .280 33 16 1993 STL 77 17 1 0 0 1 0 0 .221 .231 .234 .146 11 2 1994 LOU 155 52 9 1 6 9 0 1 .335 .372 .523 .305 47 27 1994 ROC 278 61 10 1 3 13 2 0 .219 .254 .295 .190 53 17 1995 LOU 427 104 22 1 14 26 15 4 .244 .287 .398 .243 104 48This is what happens to .311-hitting Pacific Coast Leaguers.
RICK WRONA 1964 C YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1991 TUL 82 11 0 1 2 3 0 1 .134 .165 .232 .078 6 1 1992 NAS 118 28 7 2 1 4 1 1 .237 .262 .356 .215 25 10 1993 NAS 183 37 7 0 3 10 0 1 .202 .244 .290 .178 33 10 1994 NWO 158 39 5 2 1 6 2 1 .247 .274 .323 .211 33 12 1995 BUF 93 21 4 0 0 3 0 1 .226 .250 .269 .171 16 4 1995 LOU 31 7 2 1 0 2 0 0 .226 .273 .355 .218 7 3Yet another non-hitting catcher for the Card system.
DMITRI YOUNG 1974 OF YEAR TEAM AB H DB TP HR BB SB CS BA OBA SA EQA EQH EQR 1992 SPR 502 129 17 2 10 32 8 7 .257 .301 .359 .232 116 49 1993 STP 272 76 9 1 6 18 2 2 .279 .324 .386 .250 68 31 1993 ARK 167 37 7 1 2 8 4 2 .222 .257 .311 .199 33 12 1994 ARK 455 113 18 1 8 28 1 2 .248 .292 .345 .223 102 40 1995 ARK 359 89 10 3 8 24 2 2 .248 .295 .359 .229 82 34Tried in the outfield this year, after previous stints at third and first. Young is still, well, young, and the Cardinals hope that his hitting will improve enough to justify his selection as a #4 overall pick. Until he hit Arkansas, that looked likely. But shoulder surgery ended his 1993 season, and he hasn't moved farther since.
Organizational Pitching Report
OPR Points: 38 Rank in MLB: 2nd (T) Rank in NL Central: 1st (T)
Name Lvl Age IP Work H/G K/BB K/G ERA Adj Ttl Grade Benes, Alan 8 3 1 0 8 8 7 5 0 40 A+ Pontes, Dan 0 -2 2 0 8 10 11 6 0 35 A- Busby, Mike 7 3 9 0 4 5 2 4 0 34 B+ Detmers, Kris 3 3 7 0 4 5 8 3 -2 31 B- Barber, Brian 8 5 4 0 2 5 5 0 0 29 C Mathews, T.J. 8 0 2 0 4 4 3 5 0 28 C Corrigan, Cory 0 -1 5 0 6 8 3 5 0 26 D+ Raggio, Brady 1 1 4 0 4 10 2 4 -1 25 D Carpenter, Bri 4 0 5 0 4 5 3 3 -1 23 D- Stein, Blake 0 1 6 0 4 4 6 2 0 23 D- Best Prospect in 1994: Alan Benes (A+) Best Rookie Starter in 1995: Mark Petkovsek (NR) or Barber & Frascatore
RENE AROCHA 1966 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 LOU 158.3 155 58 9 68 130 3.30 11 7 8.81 3.87 7.39 1993 STL 185.7 197 79 23 36 101 3.83 11 10 9.55 1.75 4.90 1994 STL 82.7 88 33 9 22 63 3.59 5 4 9.58 2.40 6.86 1995 STL 49.0 56 22 5 18 25 4.04 2 3 10.29 3.31 4.59Has been tried as a starter, set-up man, and in middle relief; he hasn't exactly failed anywhere, but the expectations for the first of the "new Cubans" have been very high. Underwent elbow surgery, which will hopefully allow him to regain his strikeouts.
MIKE BADOREK 1969 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 HAM 55.7 70 41 7 33 29 6.63 2 4 11.32 5.34 4.69 1992 SPR 166.7 239 107 19 37 75 5.78 6 13 12.91 2.00 4.05 1993 STP 152.7 213 105 19 62 53 6.19 5 12 12.56 3.66 3.12 1994 ARK 114.7 138 69 15 39 76 5.42 5 8 10.83 3.06 5.97 1995 ARK 93.3 126 62 7 32 47 5.98 3 7 12.15 3.09 4.53Hasn't developed, and he's awfully old for AA.
CORY BAILEY 1971 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ELM 37.3 26 17 8 12 34 4.10 2 2 6.27 2.89 8.20 1992 LYN 61.0 56 29 6 37 64 4.28 3 4 8.26 5.46 9.44 1993 PAW 62.3 53 22 2 34 52 3.18 4 3 7.65 4.91 7.51 1993 BOS 15.7 13 6 0 11 13 3.45 1 1 7.47 6.32 7.47 1994 PAW 58.0 52 28 5 42 49 4.34 3 3 8.07 6.52 7.60 1995 LOU 57.3 57 32 7 34 48 5.02 2 4 8.95 5.34 7.53A minor league closer, he looks like the classic fast-and-wild type of pitcher, but doesn't actually have a great fastball. Could be a useful man in the pen, but won't be a major league closer.
BRIAN BARBER 1973 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 SPR 45.3 51 31 13 29 36 6.15 1 4 10.12 5.76 7.15 1992 STP 102.3 122 71 20 61 80 6.24 3 8 10.73 5.36 7.04 1993 ARK 129.3 187 92 23 71 101 6.40 4 10 13.01 4.94 7.03 1994 ARK 33.7 36 17 6 18 43 4.54 2 2 9.62 4.81 11.50 1994 LOU 81.7 81 51 11 48 93 5.62 3 6 8.93 5.29 10.25 1995 LOU 102.7 117 71 18 46 93 6.22 3 8 10.26 4.03 8.15 1995 STL 29.0 31 15 4 17 27 4.66 1 2 9.62 5.28 8.38A first-round pick out of high school, Barber's been trying to learn how to keep his great stuff a) in the strike zone and b) in the ballpark. His main pitch is a hard sinking fastball, and the organization is very high on him.
RICHARD BATCHELOR 1967 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 FTL 56.7 74 42 5 24 46 6.67 2 4 11.75 3.81 7.31 1992 ABY 64.3 96 48 10 39 39 6.72 2 5 13.43 5.46 5.46 1993 ABY 38.3 31 11 3 13 33 2.58 3 1 7.28 3.05 7.75 1993 COH 15.0 16 5 0 9 15 3.00 1 1 9.60 5.40 9.00 1993 STL 9.7 14 10 2 4 4 9.31 0 1 13.03 3.72 3.72 1994 LOU 77.3 89 36 7 33 49 4.19 4 5 10.36 3.84 5.70 1995 LOU 81.3 96 42 6 19 60 4.65 4 5 10.62 2.10 6.64Should be settling in for a career in AAA.
RIGO BELTRAN 1970 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 HAM 42.7 53 26 9 20 42 5.48 2 3 11.18 4.22 8.86 1992 SAV 77.3 46 32 12 49 70 3.72 5 4 5.35 5.70 8.15 1993 ARK 81.3 89 50 13 48 66 5.53 3 6 9.85 5.31 7.30 1994 ARK 27.0 14 5 4 3 17 1.67 3 0 4.67 1.00 5.67 1994 LOU 131.7 152 72 16 70 85 4.92 6 9 10.39 4.78 5.81 1995 LOU 123.3 175 85 14 40 90 6.20 4 10 12.77 2.92 6.57Lefty screwballer, frequently injured. 1995 was the first time he showed signs of trouble in the conventional numbers. Objectively, he's done as well as organizational favorites like Barber.
ALAN BENES 1972 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 GLF 31.3 48 24 6 18 16 6.89 1 2 13.79 5.17 4.60 1994 SAV 21.3 32 13 1 9 16 5.48 1 1 13.50 3.80 6.75 1994 STP 74.0 65 24 2 16 58 2.92 5 3 7.91 1.95 7.05 1994 ARK 83.7 65 44 17 29 60 4.73 4 5 6.99 3.12 6.45 1994 LOU 15.0 10 5 2 4 16 3.00 1 1 6.00 2.40 9.60 1995 LOU 54.3 41 18 6 17 53 2.98 4 2 6.79 2.82 8.78 1995 STL 15.7 25 13 2 4 20 7.47 0 2 14.36 2.30 11.49The crown jewel of the organization. He's big, strong, throws four pitches well and has the competitive attitude every coach loves. He was sidelined early in 1995 with forearm stiffness, possibly related to the 206 innings he threw in 1994. He came back from that to dominate at Louisville down the stretch, and continued to dominate in the Arizona Fall League, setting a record of 62 strikeouts in 55 innings, along with a 7-1 record and 1.78 ERA.
ANDY BENES 1968 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SDP 221.3 212 77 25 63 181 3.13 16 9 8.62 2.56 7.36 1992 SDP 231.0 231 82 20 66 187 3.19 16 10 9.00 2.57 7.29 1993 SDP 227.7 198 98 26 92 189 3.87 13 12 7.83 3.64 7.47 1994 SDP 171.3 152 69 20 52 193 3.62 10 9 7.98 2.73 10.14 1995 SDP 117.3 123 56 10 46 124 4.30 6 7 9.43 3.53 9.51 1995 SEA 62.0 67 29 6 29 48 4.21 3 4 9.73 4.21 6.97His star has been declining while his brother's has been on the rise. His problem have stemmed from high pitches, either called as balls or drilled out of the park. If the umpires actually call the high strike as they've been instructed, he could make a big jump forward.
MIKE BUSBY 1973 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 SAV 134.3 172 121 29 78 55 8.11 3 12 11.52 5.23 3.68 1993 SAV 130.3 162 77 22 31 82 5.32 5 9 11.19 2.14 5.66 1994 STP 139.3 191 91 23 54 75 5.88 5 10 12.34 3.49 4.84 1995 ARK 125.3 133 66 14 37 90 4.74 6 8 9.55 2.66 6.46 1995 LOU 37.0 31 18 4 13 25 4.38 2 2 7.54 3.16 6.08Had some minor arm troubles in '94 that set him back, but came on strong this year. Throws a sinking fastball and slider; has fared better, statistically, than any organization pitcher other than Benes.
CRIS CARPENTER 1965 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 STL 65.7 59 32 9 21 51 4.39 3 4 8.09 2.88 6.99 1992 STL 87.7 77 32 13 30 52 3.29 6 4 7.90 3.08 5.34 1993 FLA 37.0 30 14 2 14 28 3.41 2 2 7.30 3.41 6.81 1993 TEX 31.3 35 13 3 11 30 3.73 2 1 10.05 3.16 8.62 1994 TEX 58.3 64 24 6 16 41 3.70 3 3 9.87 2.47 6.33 1995 LOU 63.7 66 24 5 23 40 3.39 4 3 9.33 3.25 5.65After consistently good performances in the majors, he got stuck in Louisville when the Cards could have used another pitcher. Strange.
RAY DAVIS 1973 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1993 SAV 113.3 191 101 25 62 79 8.02 3 10 15.17 4.92 6.27 1994 MAD 151.0 178 79 18 66 87 4.71 7 10 10.61 3.93 5.19 1995 ARK 103.0 118 69 22 31 66 6.03 3 8 10.31 2.71 5.77Drafted out of high school in 1991, he's making progress but still has a long ways to go.
FRANCISCO DE LA ROSA 1966 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ROC 79.7 73 26 7 30 58 2.94 6 3 8.25 3.39 6.55 1992 COH 53.3 59 34 8 21 41 5.74 2 4 9.96 3.54 6.92 1993 COH 42.3 48 33 6 34 28 7.02 1 4 10.20 7.23 5.95 1995 LOU 110.7 117 60 18 44 65 4.88 5 7 9.52 3.58 5.29Switch-hits. 5th year in AAA. Formerly a hot Oriole prospect, he never quite made it.
TONY FOSSAS 1958 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 BOS 56.3 52 24 3 27 33 3.83 3 3 8.31 4.31 5.27 1992 BOS 29.0 32 11 1 14 23 3.41 2 1 9.93 4.34 7.14 1993 BOS 39.3 41 25 5 14 45 5.72 1 3 9.38 3.20 10.30 1994 BOS 33.3 33 13 3 14 33 3.51 2 2 8.91 3.78 8.91 1995 STL 36.3 28 6 1 10 39 1.49 4 0 6.94 2.48 9.66Nothing against Fossas personally, but he's a major part of one of the things I think is wrong with baseball today. Fossas is one of the most extreme specialists around: a lefty killer. He faced just 2.5 batters per game last year. That means he was involved in a LOT of mid-inning pitching changes, and very often more than one in the same inning. At a time when baseball is concerned about the increasing length of games, it surprises me that they have suggested nothing about limiting the number of mid-inning pitching changes in some shape or fashion. My own favorite is to require pitchers to face three batters in an inning before they can be replaced, instead of the current one. Rapid changes to get the maximum advantage in every plate appearance is simply not part of the historical record, and I personally feel, every time I'm bored by another trip to the mound, that they should be removed from the current record.
JOHN FRASCATORE 1970 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 HAM 25.3 48 40 8 26 11 14.21 0 3 17.05 9.24 3.91 1992 SAV 53.3 58 42 11 34 37 7.09 1 5 9.79 5.74 6.24 1993 SPR 143.7 196 105 14 31 82 6.58 4 12 12.28 1.94 5.14 1994 ARK 73.3 88 42 6 16 51 5.15 3 5 10.80 1.96 6.26 1994 LOU 81.0 86 31 3 34 57 3.44 5 4 9.56 3.78 6.33 1995 LOU 78.3 99 57 7 39 54 6.55 2 7 11.37 4.48 6.20 1995 STL 32.0 40 16 3 16 21 4.50 2 2 11.25 4.50 5.91He began his minor league career as a reliever, was converted to a starter, and now is being put back in relief. Throws hard, but misses a lot. Did extremely well in the AFL, and might make a bid for Henke's closer role.
TOM HENKE 1958 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 TOR 49.3 39 14 4 11 62 2.55 4 1 7.11 2.01 11.31 1992 TOR 54.7 46 20 6 22 56 3.29 4 2 7.57 3.62 9.22 1993 TEX 73.0 56 20 7 25 90 2.47 6 2 6.90 3.08 11.10 1994 TEX 37.7 31 11 5 10 41 2.63 3 1 7.41 2.39 9.80 1995 STL 53.7 43 10 1 18 47 1.68 5 1 7.21 3.02 7.88Nice way to go out; he's announced his retirement.
RICK HONEYCUTT 1954 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 OAK 37.0 41 16 2 20 30 3.89 2 2 9.97 4.86 7.30 1992 OAK 38.0 45 19 2 10 39 4.50 2 2 10.66 2.37 9.24 1993 OAK 41.0 31 15 2 19 24 3.29 3 2 6.80 4.17 5.27 1994 TEX 24.3 34 14 3 8 19 5.18 1 2 12.58 2.96 7.03 1995 OAK 44.0 38 10 4 6 23 2.05 4 1 7.77 1.23 4.70Travelling to St. Loo to join the Tony and Dave show. If any manager would keep two spot lefties like Honeycutt and Fossas around, it's LaRussa.
DANNY JACKSON 1962 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 CHC 70.0 95 56 10 50 34 7.20 2 6 12.21 6.43 4.37 1992 CHC 113.3 133 66 8 53 59 5.24 5 8 10.56 4.21 4.69 1992 PIT 88.0 104 43 3 32 52 4.40 5 5 10.64 3.27 5.32 1993 PHI 207.3 215 94 14 87 127 4.08 11 12 9.33 3.78 5.51 1994 PHI 178.0 185 63 13 48 133 3.19 12 8 9.35 2.43 6.72 1995 STL 99.7 122 71 11 48 51 6.41 3 8 11.02 4.33 4.611994 was his only good year since 1988, but he does have an extra excuse for his terrible '95 season: heavy medication, related to the removal of a cancerous thyroid in the off-season. He eventually had the medication adjusted, and improved in the second half, but he was still a lot less than the Cards wanted.
SEAN LOWE 1971 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 HAM 25.0 22 16 2 19 13 5.76 1 2 7.92 6.84 4.68 1993 STP 117.7 187 106 17 73 77 8.11 3 10 14.30 5.58 5.89 1994 STP 104.3 139 58 12 41 77 5.00 5 7 11.99 3.54 6.64 1994 ARK 18.0 16 4 0 9 9 2.00 2 0 8.00 4.50 4.50 1995 ARK 118.0 150 84 6 69 72 6.41 4 9 11.44 5.26 5.49
FRANCISCO MARTINEZ 1968 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 SPR 28.3 35 25 2 14 14 7.94 1 2 11.12 4.45 4.45 1993 SAV 86.7 98 46 11 25 52 4.78 4 6 10.18 2.60 5.40 1993 STP 59.0 72 28 5 25 33 4.27 3 4 10.98 3.81 5.03 1994 ARK 53.7 56 29 8 28 27 4.86 2 4 9.39 4.70 4.53 1995 ARK 20.0 11 4 0 7 12 1.80 2 0 4.95 3.15 5.40 1995 LOU 49.3 68 27 3 24 23 4.93 2 3 12.41 4.38 4.20
T.J. MATHEWS 1970 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 HAM 74.0 112 52 10 41 52 6.32 2 6 13.62 4.99 6.32 1993 SPR 149.7 152 81 18 26 94 4.87 7 10 9.14 1.56 5.65 1994 STP 62.0 60 26 4 26 52 3.77 4 3 8.71 3.77 7.55 1994 ARK 90.7 97 43 13 27 75 4.27 5 5 9.63 2.68 7.44 1995 LOU 64.3 67 37 3 30 49 5.18 3 4 9.37 4.20 6.85 1995 STL 29.3 21 6 1 11 28 1.84 2 1 6.44 3.38 8.59Great job as a setup man last year. Relied on a sinker/slider combination, delivered with a deceptive motion that fooled people. Unusual motions tend to not be so effective the second year in a league. He won't throw a sub-2 ERA this year, but shouldn't embarrass anybody, either.
MIKE MORGAN 1960 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 LAD 235.0 213 84 16 64 152 3.22 16 10 8.16 2.45 5.82 1992 CHC 239.7 230 89 21 87 140 3.34 16 11 8.64 3.27 5.26 1993 CHC 204.7 207 89 18 80 117 3.91 12 11 9.10 3.52 5.14 1994 CHC 80.3 111 56 12 36 58 6.27 3 6 12.44 4.03 6.50 1995 ORL 9.7 16 11 2 9 4 10.24 0 1 14.90 8.38 3.72 1995 CHC 24.0 20 7 2 10 15 2.62 2 1 7.50 3.75 5.62 1995 STL 105.7 116 42 10 25 45 3.58 7 5 9.88 2.13 3.83Fully recovered from his injury-plagued 1994, he quietly put together a fine season. Should be one of the club's leaders this year.
DAVE OEHRLEIN 1970 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 HAM 68.7 72 46 20 39 58 6.03 2 6 9.44 5.11 7.60 1993 SPR 53.3 87 45 12 22 34 7.59 1 5 14.68 3.71 5.74 1994 SAV 70.0 76 39 5 28 42 5.01 3 5 9.77 3.60 5.40 1994 STP 70.3 79 32 9 25 54 4.09 4 4 10.11 3.20 6.91 1995 ARK 72.3 84 49 10 30 49 6.10 2 6 10.45 3.73 6.10Oehr the age lein for a AA reliever.
DONOVAN OSBORNE 1969 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 ARK 154.3 193 79 11 35 107 4.61 7 10 11.25 2.04 6.24 1992 STL 178.7 215 100 21 43 119 5.04 8 12 10.83 2.17 5.99 1993 STL 153.7 152 65 21 52 88 3.81 9 8 8.90 3.05 5.15 1995 ARK 10.0 14 4 0 2 6 3.60 1 0 12.60 1.80 5.40 1995 STL 112.7 114 51 18 34 81 4.07 6 7 9.11 2.72 6.47Shoulder surgery wiped out all of '94 and half of '95, but he came back as good as ever. He needs more rest than an average pitcher, but should be a solid member of the rotation.
VINCENTE PALACIOS 1964 RBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 PIT 81.0 74 33 13 39 69 3.67 5 4 8.22 4.33 7.67 1992 PIT 53.3 62 26 2 29 38 4.39 3 3 10.46 4.89 6.41 1994 STL 117.3 97 47 16 44 96 3.61 7 6 7.44 3.38 7.36 1995 STL 40.0 48 25 7 20 34 5.62 1 3 10.80 4.50 7.65Arm injuries ruined his '95 season, after a triumphant return from Mexico in 1994.
JEFF PARRETT 1962 RRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 RIC 74.7 76 43 5 44 84 5.18 3 5 9.16 5.30 10.12 1991 ATL 21.3 35 18 3 13 16 7.59 0 2 14.77 5.48 6.75 1992 OAK 96.3 90 34 8 41 94 3.18 7 4 8.41 3.83 8.78 1993 COL 72.3 67 33 6 46 67 4.11 4 4 8.34 5.72 8.34 1994 OMA 37.3 35 19 3 14 34 4.58 2 2 8.44 3.38 8.20 1995 STL 75.7 73 29 8 28 70 3.45 5 3 8.68 3.33 8.33Looking forward to being reunited with LaRussa.
MARK PETKOVSEK 1966 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 OKL 143.7 155 71 15 32 61 4.45 7 9 9.71 2.00 3.82 1992 BUF 142.3 176 86 12 47 51 5.44 6 10 11.13 2.97 3.22 1993 BUF 67.7 77 34 9 17 27 4.52 4 4 10.24 2.26 3.59 1993 PIT 32.0 43 22 8 10 15 6.19 1 3 12.09 2.81 4.22 1994 TUC 130.0 163 67 11 41 64 4.64 6 8 11.28 2.84 4.43 1995 LOU 52.7 42 18 4 10 29 3.08 4 2 7.18 1.71 4.96 1995 STL 136.3 138 62 11 36 70 4.09 7 8 9.11 2.38 4.62A sinkerballer, he got his chance last year when the Cardinal rotation fell apart. He responded with his best season. His stuff doesn't impress anyone, but he was an adequate, if short-term, solution to the team's woes.
MIKE RACZKA 1963 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1992 TAC 46.0 41 23 6 23 26 4.50 2 3 8.02 4.50 5.09 1993 TAC 55.7 65 36 8 32 35 5.82 2 4 10.51 5.17 5.66 1994 NBR 39.3 34 19 4 18 20 4.35 2 2 7.78 4.12 4.58 1994 PAW 25.3 23 8 1 15 13 2.84 2 1 8.17 5.33 4.62 1995 LOU 46.7 55 25 6 23 42 4.82 2 3 10.61 4.44 8.10
RICH RODRIGUEZ 1963 LRP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SDP 79.7 73 32 9 46 44 3.62 5 4 8.25 5.20 4.97 1992 SDP 90.7 78 26 6 30 71 2.58 7 3 7.74 2.98 7.05 1993 SDP 29.3 34 13 3 10 23 3.99 2 1 10.43 3.07 7.06 1993 FLA 45.3 40 21 9 26 22 4.17 2 3 7.94 5.16 4.37 1994 STL 60.0 58 23 6 26 43 3.45 4 3 8.70 3.90 6.45A bargain pickup in '94, his shoulder went bust in '95 and he only worked one inning. Another lefty option for LaRussa.
SCOTT SIMMONS 1970 LSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 HAM 79.7 110 46 12 22 48 5.20 3 6 12.43 2.49 5.42 1992 SPR 149.7 222 93 21 39 74 5.59 6 11 13.35 2.35 4.45 1993 STP 72.0 85 53 5 37 48 6.62 2 6 10.62 4.62 6.00 1993 ARK 70.0 85 35 2 23 28 4.50 4 4 10.93 2.96 3.60 1994 ARK 150.3 175 73 8 42 92 4.37 8 9 10.48 2.51 5.51 1995 ARK 129.0 157 69 14 28 69 4.81 6 8 10.95 1.95 4.81No longer regarded as a prospect, he's been paradoxically effective since coming to Little Rock, considering his hit and home run rates. The "crafty lefty" of the system.
TODD STOTTLEMYRE 1965 RSP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 TOR 215.7 228 103 23 75 137 4.30 11 13 9.51 3.13 5.72 1992 TOR 170.7 198 101 22 62 119 5.33 7 12 10.44 3.27 6.28 1993 TOR 173.7 206 88 10 64 111 4.56 8 11 10.68 3.32 5.75 1994 TOR 138.7 145 50 11 42 112 3.25 9 6 9.41 2.73 7.27 1995 OAK 206.7 227 89 20 68 224 3.88 12 11 9.89 2.96 9.75Don't be fooled; his "breakthrough" in 1995 wasn't. The talk of the breakthrough comes from his 14-7 record, which was the result of the 6.5 runs of support per game, seventh-best in the AL. And his ERA gain had to do with Oakland Coliseum, which he used to better effect than most:
ERA H/9 HR/9 BB/9 K/9 Home 3.89 9.23 0.99 3.28 9.46 Away 5.40 10.51 1.28 3.63 7.95The road performance would be a good match for his earlier career.
TOM URBANI 1968 LBP YEAR TEAM IP H ER HR BB SO ERA W L H/9 BB/9 K/9 1991 SPR 44.3 57 26 7 2 27 5.28 2 3 11.57 .41 5.48 1991 STP 107.7 139 53 11 25 50 4.43 5 7 11.62 2.09 4.18 1992 ARK 61.3 63 35 7 19 33 5.14 3 4 9.24 2.79 4.84 1992 LOU 84.0 96 48 11 39 47 5.14 3 6 10.29 4.18 5.04 1993 LOU 90.7 92 28 4 25 66 2.78 7 3 9.13 2.48 6.55 1993 STL 61.0 73 39 4 28 35 5.75 2 5 10.77 4.13 5.16 1994 LOU 42.0 52 27 7 12 41 5.79 2 3 11.14 2.57 8.79 1994 STL 80.0 92 37 11 21 43 4.16 4 5 10.35 2.36 4.84 1995 LOU 14.7 18 7 0 6 11 4.30 1 1 11.05 3.68 6.75 1995 STL 81.7 101 39 9 22 51 4.30 4 5 11.13 2.42 5.62Urbani has been a consistently mediocre pitcher throughout his career, with long balls and lack of endurance his biggest problems. Is being converted to relief, even though he hasn't been notably more effective against left-handed hitters.