June 26, 2002 featuring The Book On Matt Morris
June 26, 2002
TEAM NEWS: 40-33 (1st place, NL Central, 2 game lead on 2nd place Cincinnati)
It's been a tough week on the field and a tragic week off it for the Cardinals. The Cards have lost 4 in a row, and are 5-5 in their last 10. Understandably, the hearts and minds of the players just don't seem to be in it after the deaths of long-time broadcaster Jack Buck and star RHP Darryl Kile earlier this week. We ask that you join us in remembering them in our humble attempt to pay tribute to their lives.
Rotation
Staff ace Matt Morris continues to pitch brilliantly. In the past week, he's gone 7 innings twice, allowing just 2 runs in each of his starts, going 1-1 in that span and lowering his ERA to 3.03. He's now 10-5 on the year, with 100 K's in 116 innings, and should continue to keep this up the rest of the way.
Next start: June 29 vs. Cin
Veteran righty Woody Williams continues to excel since being traded to the Cardinals last August. While he fell to 4-3 in his last start, Williams held the Cubs to just 3 hits over 7 innings. Unfortunately, two of the hits were solo shots to Fred McGriff, and the Cards gave him just one run of support. The bats have been quiet lately, but should pick up enough to help Woody out a bit.
Next start: June 26 vs. Mil
28 year old rookie Jason Simontacchi had the toughest start he will ever make on Sunday night, pitching in Darryl Kile's spot in the rotation a day after his tragic death. Simontacchi performed valiantly, but surrendered 5 runs in 5 innings, watching his ERA jump from 2.45 to 3.00, and sufferring his first loss in the majors in an 8-3 defeat at the hands of the Cubs. He should be back and ready to go next time out.
Next start: June 28 vs. Cin
22-year-old lefty Bud Smith just can't seem to get it going this season. After a tremendous breakthrough rookie year last season, Smith is getting ripped apart so far this year, and has allowed just under 2 baserunners per inning. His stuff is too good for him to be getting hit this hard, and he just needs to adjust to hitters, since they've adjusted to him. It may take a few more starts, but look for Smith to pick it up a bit in the second half.
Next start: June 27 vs. Mil
Rookie Travis Smith has been called back up to fill the void in the rotation. He's not considered a long-term option to start in the majors, but may be keeping the seat warm for top pitching prospect Jimmy Journell, who was called up to AAA Memphis this past week, or until Rick Ankiel is done rehabbing.
Bullpen
It appears that closer Jason Isringhausen is almost all the way back from his elbow problem which sidelined him for the better part of three weeks. Izzy has pitched pretty well in three outings since his return, allowing just 3 baserunners and 1 run in 3 innings. He's struck out 3 in his last two outings, but hasn't seen a lead get to the 9th for him in a while.
Normally known for being a workhorse, lefty setup man Steve Kline has only appeared 19 times so far this season. Kline spent about a month on the DL earlier this year, but looked to be coming along nicely over a week-long span where he hadn't allowed a baserunner. The problem? Kline hasn't pitched since June 19.
Mike Timlin continues to be the workhorse this year, and has been fantastic with the exception of the long ball. Despite having allowed 8 homers already (his career worst is 9 in a season), Timlin has maintained a solid 2.92 ERA because home runs seem to be all he gives up. His 0.92 WHIP this year has been phenomenal, and he leads the team with 7 holds so far.
Dave Veres has been fantastic lately, allowing just 1 run and 3 hits in his last 7.2 IP. He recorded his second save of the season in that span, but don't expect him to see any more as long as Izzy's healthy.
Infield
1b Tino Martinez has resumed slumping. Honestly, he's just too good to be playing this poorly, but he's hit a putrid .188 over the past week, lowering his average to .236 on the year. Normally, July and August are when he kicks it into high gear, so hopefully he'll provide an infusion for the offense.
2b Fernando Vina had a seven game hit streak snapped last night against Milwaukee. The 33 year old had an amazing start this year, and his power numbers should start to take a hit the rest of the way. However, look for him to continue to get on base, steal a bag here and there, and score a lot of runs in the second half.
SS Edgar Renteria is mired in a 4-14 slump, though he has started running a bit more often when he reaches. He still has the potential to steal 30 bases this season, and, while his power numbers are weak so far, he should start to pick it up a bit in the homer department. His 18 doubles almost match last year's total already, and he's bound to start putting a few of those over the wall at some point.
3b Placido Polanco is seeing less and less action lately, as Eli Marrero seems to be playing a bit more in the outfield lately, which is moving slugger Albert Pujols to 3b. However, Polanco did hit 2 homers in a game, which is usually about half of his total season's production. Don't expect any more of these outbursts, but maybe he'll start picking his average up a bit.
Outfield
LF/3b Albert Pujols has been the team's most productive player over the past week, despite going just 5 for 22. His 2 homers and 4 RBI account for about 1/3 of the team's total run production in the past week. All in all, he continues to live up to the hype that surrounds him after last season, and is batting .288 with 16 homers and 50 RBI so far.
CF Jim Edmonds returned from the DL on June 16, but doesn't seem to have gotten his timing back. A 3 for 21 slump since his return has seen his average drop from .341 to .319, and he's had just 1 RBI over that span. Honestly, he's not a .340 hitter, so it was going to drop off at some point. Let's just hope this tailspin doesn't last much longer, as he's capable of some major production once he gets clicking again.
Disappointment is the only word that can describe the performance of J.D. Drew so far this season. The potential five-tool stud has played (which is rare for him) in most games, but has now found something else to whine about. He apparently recently went to Walt Jocketty and asked for a trade, saying he can't play for Tony Larussa much longer. More on this later.
Eli Marerro filled in so well for Jim Edmonds when he was on the DL that he's seeing a little more playing time in LF. Marerro's .278-6-27 season so far doesn't say much if you want to play him in the outfield, but his eligibility at Catcher still makes him a viable option in deep leagues.
Local Perspective
There has been a tremendous outpouring of emotion all over the St. Louis area about the deaths of Jack Buck and Darryl Kile. A memorial was placed in front of Busch Stadium last Thursday for Buck, and the memorial for Kile was placed right in front of it on Monday afternoon. A memorial service for Kile in Busch Stadium will be held today at 12:30 PM.
While the team hasn't performed well lately, most fans could care less about actual baseball. Most of us just feel a sense of loss throughout the entire community. As the fans embrace the team and the constant media attention begins to ease, the fans realize that the Cardinals should be ok.
The Book On
Matt Morris
Matt Morris, 27, broke into the majors as a 22-year-old starter in 1997 with the Cardinals, posting an amazing rookie year that saw him tie for the team lead in wins (12) while he posted a 3.19 ERA and 149 strikeouts to go along with a team leading 217 IP. His bulldog mentality on the hill earned him accolades as the Cards ace of the future. He missed the first half of his second season in 1998 with a strained shoulder, but came back in the second half to live up to his billing as the ace of the staff. Despite making just 16 starts, Morris finished third on the team in wins (7) and had an amazing 2.53 ERA in his 113+ innings.
Unfortunately, Morris would injure himself in Spring Training the next season, and missed all of 1999 and half of 2000 after having "Tommy John Surgery" on his pitching elbow. Many wondered if he would ever return to full strength, and he pitched out of the bullpen in 2000 upon his return, posting a solid 3-3 record and 3.57 ERA in 53 innings over 31 appearances. His velocity looked to be right on target. His location seemed to be on. But nobody was sure just how deep he could go into games.
In 2001, Morris made the rotation out of Spring Training, primarily being touted as the team's fifth starter before the season. By the time the year was over, it was clear that he had regained his stature as the ace of the staff. Morris posted an amazing 22-8 record, tying for the league lead in wins, and finished second only to Darryl Kile on the team in ERA (3.16). His pre-surgery low-90s fastball had jumped up to the mid-90s, and his curveball was just ungodly, leading to a team high 185 strikeouts.
So far this season, Morris looks to have continued his dominance of the league, as he's gone 10-5 so far with a 3.03 ERA and 100 K's in 116 innings. The bulldog mentality lives on, as he's pitching deeper and deeper into games, though he needs to drop his pitch counts a bit. Pencil him in for anywhere from 16 to 25 wins a season for the next 5 or 6 years, as Morris remains one of the best young pitchers in the league.
Injuries
Jim Edmonds is back after a stint on the DL with a sprained right wrist.
Andy Benes is rehabbing with an arthritic knee in Memphis, and may be with the club soon.
Garrett Stephenson is out until at least August after requiring surgery for a strained hamstring.
Rumor Mill
The Cardinals will likely be looking for a veteran replacement to fill out their vacant spot in the rotation. They could also use a little help either at third base or in left field, which is flexible because of Albert Pujols' versatility.
RF J.D. Drew apparently walked into GM Walt Jocketty's office last week demanding a trade. It's been known throughout St. Louis for some time that Drew and Larussa aren't exactly made to work together, and Drew's constant whining seems to be making both the team and the fans sick of him. Larussa will probably always compare him to Mark McGwire, who usually played through those smaller injuries that always cause Drew to take a lot of days off.
Scott Rolen's name has floated around a bit around here, as the Cardinals have been named on his list of teams that he'd like to be dealt to. He clearly won't be in Philadelphia at the end of the year, but neither will J.D. (see battery incident a few years ago.... lol) after shunning the Phillies when they initially drafted him years ago. Something would likely have to be worked elsewhere, maybe with some prospects.
On the Farm
Jimmy Journell
Journell, widely considered the Cards best prospect, was promoted from AA New Haven to AAA Memphis this past week when the Cardinals called up Travis Smith. The 24-year-old righty was nothing short of amazing for the Ravens so far this season, going 3-3 with a 2.70 ERA. His K/BB ratio is fantastic (66/18) and his WHIP was just 1.02 in 66+ innings in AA. While, ideally, he'd have a little more time at AAA before being promoted to the majors, look for him to be up in early August if he pitches well in Memphis.
Quick View
Add/Acquire
J.D. Drew - I don't know exactly what the situation is here. His battling with Larussa can't be helping as he tries to zone in a bit at the plate, but he's just too good a hitter not to come around, and if he's traded somewhere, it'll surely happen.
Jim Edmonds - Most guys see their value drop when their batting average drops 22 points in a week. Edmonds is no different. However, he'll come around.
Woody Williams - Williams has been and will be on this list all year. Pitching coach Dave Duncan has him throwing his old slider, which he hadn't used for years because he thought it looked too similar to his curveball. The slider has a lot to do with the resurgence that we've seen since he came here, as it's added yet another pitch to his arsenal, and he throws it amazingly well.
Eli Marrero - I have a feeling that, by the end of the season, Marerro will be playing either LF or RF on an everyday basis. Polanco just doesn't bring as much to the table offensively as Marrero, which means Pujols will continue to see a lot of action at 3b. If Drew goes, Eli will be the most likely candidate for the full-time job in RF.
Bud Smith - If you have room for a bench guy right now, he'll be worth it down the line. Trust me.
Jason Isringhausen - He hasn't had a save in almost a month. While this was mainly due to injury, he's been back for over a week. Maybe you can find some sucker who's too freaked out about his lack of recent production.
Drop/Deal
Jason Simontacchi - It may be time to shop him around. While Sunday night's start was a very emotional one, and I'm not sure that this will become a trend, you're likely to see a few more outings that look like that in the near future. So see what you can get for him while his value's this high. Do not drop him outright though.
Fernando Vina - Again, he should be shopped, not dropped. Vina is a very solid option at 2b, but he's not as good overall as he's shown so far this season. Count on a slight dropoff the rest of the way. If you have a solid backup, Vina could fetch you more than you think.
