Skip Schumaker’s New Career

Skip Schumaker was definitely a fan favorite here in St. Louis especially with the young fans. I am very happy to report that he had a landed a front office job with the San Diego Padres. He deserves it. Here is the article written by Dennis Lin of The San Diego Union Tribune….

Skip Schumaker spent less than a month in the Padres’ spring-training camp before he decided to retire from an 11-year playing career. Similarly, his time away from the organization did not last long.  The Padres on Wednesday announced the hiring of Schumaker as an assistant to baseball operations and player development. Manager Andy Green said Schumaker already had delved into his new role in the front office. “He’s a high-character, high-quality guy that’s already been out seeing our drafted guys, and he’s been out to Double-A,” Green said. “He’s making his rounds in the organization, trying to offer his insight to different levels. It’s a nice way to keep him involved in the game.”

A well-regarded veteran in the latter part of his career, Schumaker hit .278 over stints with the Cardinals, Dodgers and Reds.

 In February, the Southern California native signed a minor league deal with the Padres. In early March, he retired with little fanfare. Though a welcome clubhouse presence, he told Green he did not want to cost a more deserving player a job.

Schumaker’s re-entry into baseball will allow him to assist in other ways.

“I think everybody here has a profound respect for him,” Green said. “We’re excited to have him around.”

 

 

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Alex Reyes a possible Call Up

Today on MLB Network John Manuel reports that the Cardinals may bring up Alex Reyes in the second half of the season as a starter or a bullpen pitcher since the Cardinals do have some pitching questions. The Cardinals view him as an impact pitcher with a fastball in the upper 90s and a electric breaking ball with a swing and miss pitch. He is a must bring up prospect that could help the Cardinals going into the playoffs.

Some other good news for Alex Reyes was that he was selected to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, which will be played in San Diego during All-Star festivities.

He is a part of the World Team roster and will go up against the U.S. Team on Sunday, July 10 at 6 p.m. (CT) on MLB Network. Reyes is part of a World Team that includes players from 11 countries and territories outside the United States.

An undrafted free agent, Reyes is in his fourth season as part of the Cardinals organization and first at the Triple-A level. He was named the Cardinals Minor League Co-Pitcher of the Year in 2015 after striking out 151 in 101.1 innings between three levels and holding opponents to a .197 batting average.

With having sixty two professional starts, Reyes is 20-18 with a 3.27 ERA and has fanned 404 in 300 innings. With Memphis this season, Reyes has seven times and is 2-0 and holding the opposition to a .227 batting average.

Source: John Manuel/MLB

Brayan Pena Activated from the DL

Mar 31, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena (33) singles during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals announced prior to tonight’s game that they have activated switch-hitting catcher Brayan Pena (left knee surgery) from the 15-day disabled list and designated catcher Eric Fryer for assignment.

  Pena, 34, who underwent left knee surgery the first week in April, had missed the first 75 games of the 2016 season.   He batted a combined .192 (10-for-52) in 14 games between Memphis (5 games) and Springfield (9 games) during his injury rehabilitation assignment.   Pena made nine starts at catcher and two at first base during his rehab assignment.

A native of Havana, Cuba, Pena owns a career .260 batting mark with 23 home runs and 164 RBI in 629 games with Atlanta (2005-08), Kansas City (2009-12), Detroit (2013) and Cincinnati (2014-15).

Fryer, 30, appeared in 24 games with the Cardinals, batting .368 (14-for-38) with 5 RBI.

Pena, who wears no. 33, will be in uniform for tonight’s series finale at Kansas City.

 Source: St. Louis Cardinals

Should the Cardinals give to Closer roll to Oh

Well, it looks like the Cardinals have a problem with their closer Trevor Rosenthal. So far this season he has a 5.63 ERA and in 4 innings he’s walked 21 batters, all unintentionally, and opposing hitters have an OBP of .429. More to the point, he’s a closer who this season has on average allowed more than two base-runners per inning. So what is going on with Rosenthal? Well part of the problem is his lack of control, hitters are swinging at his fastball roughly 10 percent less often than they were in 2015. When they do swing, though, they’re doing damage: opposing hitters have an average of .338 and a slugging percentage of .471 against Rosenthal’s fastball, which is a pitch he’s going to almost 80 percent of the time this season. No longer in awe of his fastball, they’re not biting on his changeup (swing rate also down roughly 10 percent), and they’re swinging less on everything out of the zone, which are the pitches that often get whiffs or weak contact.

Today the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that Mike Matheny met with Rosenthal on Saturday to let him know that he will be taking a break from closer. It looks like that that Matheny will use a small committee to close, the three pitchers would be Jonathon Broxton, Kevin Seigrist or Seung Whan Oh………..all I can say to this is please don’t do this Matheny. The Cardinals brought Oh here for a better reason than to be a set up guy. For heaven’s sake in Korea they called him The Final Boss for a good reason. This season Oh has a 1.66 ERA and a 6.38 K/BB ratio in 37 games. Oh has the stuff to thrive in the role. Oh’s fastball has a bit better than average velo, and his hard slider has strong 12-6 movement, which makes it a weapon against the opposite side.He needs to be the Closer right now, come on Matheny give him a chance.

Ballpark Village Phase Two News

Some details of possible new development at Ballpark Village are getting out.

The information comes from a solid source: Bill DeWitt III, president of the St. Louis Cardinals.

In remarks Thursday evening at the Post-Dispatch’s Top Workplaces event at the Joule event venue in Lafayette Square, DeWitt provided an update on future plans for the second phase of Ballpark Village.

He said the desire is to break ground next year on development of 280 to 290 residential units, office space, a hotel and more retail space.

Ballpark Village’s first phase, the complex of restaurants and bars next to Busch Stadium, opened in 2014. The rest of the site is a parking lot. The Cardinals and Cordish Cos. of Baltimore are co-developers of Ballpark Village.

Efforts Friday to get more information about Ballpark Village development were unsuccessful. DeWitt and Jim Watry, Ballpark Village’s chief operating officer, did not return calls.

DeWitt has spoken frequently about his desire to build a mixed-use project at Ballpark Village. He has had in his office a site plan of the 10-acre site. He’s said Ballpark Village has three good sites for office buildings plus room for a hotel and a tall, thin residential tower without blocking views of the Arch from inside Busch Stadium.

When such buildings might go up remains anyone’s guess.

Real estate experts say that until rents for Class A office space increase downtown, new office construction is unlikely without a tenant already committed.

Source: missourian.com

Fan Fest All Star Legends Schedule

I love the All-Star Game due to fond memories of me and my dad watching our favorite players from around the AL and NL Leagu get together to have some fun. When I saw the list of ex-Padres players that will be signing autographs, doing clinics, Q&A, and other fan related fun I was giddy with excitement but sad that I couldn’t be there. Here is the schedule for the above I have mentioned……

FRIDAY, JULY 8

Autographs	Time
Trevor Hoffman	10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Kurt Bevacqua	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Randy Jones	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Steve Garvey	12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Chris Gomez	12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Orlando Cepeda	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Juan Eichelberger	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Bobby Jones	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Archi Cianfrocco	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Diamond Clinics	Time
Dave Winfield	10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Trevor Hoffman	11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Chris Gomez	2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Bobby Jones	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Clubhouse Q&A Session	Time
Trevor Hoffman	9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Dave Winfield	11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Randy Jones	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Archi Cianfrocco	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Orlando Cepeda	3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

World’s Largest Baseball Photo Op	Time
Dave Winfield	9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Steve Garvey	11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Kurt Bevacqua	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Juan Eichelberger	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 9

Autographs	Time
Fred Lynn	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Dave Dravecky	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Rollie Fingers	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Jesse Orosco and Kevin Mitchell	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Gaylord Perry	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Mark Loretta	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Chris Gwynn	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Garry Templeton	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Steve Finley	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Diamond Clinics	Time
Trevor Hoffman – Special coaching appearance at Strike Out Stains Challenge attraction	11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Mark Loretta	12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
David Wells	2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Chris Gwynn	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Jesse Orosco and Kevin Mitchell	3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Clubhouse Q&A Session	Time
Fred Lynn	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
David Wells	1:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Steve Finley	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

World’s Largest Baseball Photo Op	Time
Trevor Hoffman	10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Dave Dravecky	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
David Wells	2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Garry Templeton	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, JULY 10

Autographs	Time
Heath Bell	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Gaylord Perry	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Damian Jackson	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Andy Ashby	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Ferguson Jenkins	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Greg Vaughn	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Scott Linebrink	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Gary Sheffield	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Dale Murphy	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Diamond Clinics	Time
Damian Jackson	1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Ferguson Jenkins	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Greg Vaughn	3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Clubhouse Q&A Session	Time
Lou Brock	11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Lou Brock	1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Scott Linebrink	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Dale Murphy	3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

World’s Largest Baseball Photo Op	Time
Andy Ashby	12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lou Brock	12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Heath Bell	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Gaylord Perry	1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Gary Sheffield	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 11

Autographs	Time
Rollie Fingers	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Tony Oliva	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Jim Robinson and Pedro Sierra	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Tony Gwynn Jr.	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Ferguson Jenkins	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Brian Giles	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Nate Colbert	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Sterling Hitchcock	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Bert Campaneris	4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Diamond Clinics	Time
Dave Winfield – Special coach appearance at Home Run Derby attraction	10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Fred McGriff	11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Vlad Guerrero	12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Dave Winfield	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Tim Raines	1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Tim Raines – Special appearance at Home Run Derby attraction	2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Andre Dawson – Special appearance at Home Run Derby attraction	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Sterling Hitchcock	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Clubhouse Q&A Session	Time
Fred McGriff	10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Ozzie Smith	10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Dave Winfield	11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Rod Carew	11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Tony Gwynn Jr.	12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Jim Robinson and Pedro Sierra	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Vlad Guerrero – special appearance at Hispanic Hall of Fame Ceremony	1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Tony Oliva and Rod Carew	1:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Andre Dawson	2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Bert Campaneris	2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Nate Colbert	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Brian Giles	4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

World’s Largest Baseball Photo Op	Time
Dave Winfield	10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Vlad Guerrero	11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Fred McGriff	12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Andre Dawson	1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Tony Oliva and Rod Carew	2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Tim Raines	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 12

Autographs	Time
Gaylord Perry	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Ryan Klesko	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Chris Cannizzaro	10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Terry Kennedy and Randy Ready	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Rollie Fingers	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Orlando Cepeda	1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Luis Tiant	3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Diamond Clinics	Time
Terry Kennedy	12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Ryan Klesko	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Randy Ready	3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Clubhouse Q&A Session	Time
Gaylord Perry	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Luis Tiant	2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

World’s Largest Baseball Photo Op	Time
Chris Cannizarro	12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Source: MLB

Brayan Pena to return in July

Brayan Pena is now getting closer to the end of his 20 day rehab with the Springfield Cardinals. He has missed the entire season so far with a knee injury that required surgery, was supposed to give the Redbirds a threatening bench bat and a serviceable backup who would allow starter Yadier Molina to take more days

. It will be more than likely that the Cardinals will part ways with veteran backup Eric Fryer. The 30-year-old Fryer has been great in a very limited role with St. Louis, hitting .406/.457/.469 in just 35 plate appearances. The hard part is what to do at this point. Would the Cardinals keep Fryer anyway and bring up Pena? If they do they would have to send down Greg Garcia. With Pena having a two year contract he needs to be on the 25 man roster despite his horrible batting line while in the minors. A decision will need to made by the All-Star Game