Springfield Rolls; St. Louis Rocks a Trade

While the St. Louis Cardinals and the Memphis Redbirds have their struggles, the Springfield Cardinals are rolling.  On Friday, they clinched a playoff appearance with a 10-2 win over the Tulsa Drillers. On Saturday, I traveled to Tulsa to check out this hot Springfield team

 

 

"Well, there's something you don't see every day" -Dr. Peter Venkman (Ghostbusters)

 

 

As I approached the park, I saw something strange in the neighborhood:

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still not sure what the Ghostbusters car was all about.  It drove around the field playing the Ghostbusters theme song.  It stopped behind homeplate and guys got out armed with proton packs.  I was really hoping for a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man sighting.  But, there were no ghosts to bust and no one got slimed. 

 

 

On a Roll...

 

The Springfield Cardinals picked up where they left off the night before, although the Tulsa Drillers were given hope when their starter Keith Weiser struck out Cardinals lead-off hitter, Antonio DeJesus.

 

 

 

 

 

Shortstop, Peter Kozma, came to the plate.  Kozma's hometown is a few miles north of Tulsa, so the local boy always gets a few cheers.  Kozma singled.

 

 

 

 

 

The Drillers were worried about Kozma, a base-stealing threat.

 

 

 

 

As well they should be.  Kozma swiped second.

 

 

Kozma's fellow infielder, second baseman Daniel Descalso, who is hitting .329 and slugging .532, knocked a double to score Kozma.  He did it so quickly that I did not get a picture until he was on second base.

 

 

Steven Hill, who is listed as a catcher but was playing left field, flew out to right.  Tony Cruz, who is listed as a catcher and was playing catcher, reached on a error.  Descalso scored from second as the Drillers first baseman chased down the missed catch.

 

 

 

A fan behind me made the comment that "an error is like a can opener".  It is probably a common expression, but I had never heard it.  In this case, it turned out to be true.

 

 

Centerfielder, James Rapoport, singled quickly (i.e. no pic).  That brought to the plate, big first baseman, Matt Arburr.  How big you ask?  6' 4", 260 pounds.  Mike Hamilton was called up to AAA Memphis, so Arburr is getting his chance.  He did not miss this one:  2 RBI Double.  In the seventh, he would also have a solo home run.

 

 

 

 

Third baseman, Mike Folli, ended the inning with a fly-out to right.

 

 

 

But, the damage was done.  Cardinals lead 4-0.  They had another four run inning in the third, but Kozma's first run would be all the Cardinals would need, as starting pitcher, Ryan Kulik, pitched a beaut.  Eight shut-out innings, five hits, one K, no walks.  Twelve groundouts.  Eleven flyouts.

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler Norrick came in to pitch the ninth.  The Missouri native was un-hittable, but not necessarily in a good way.  He walked the bases loaded AND struck out the side.

 

 

Cardinals win 9-0.

 

In most minor league parks, you will find a between innings food race.  You might think if you have seen one, you have seen them all.  I must give a tip of the hat to the folks at Drillers Park that flirt with heatstroke to dress up as QuickTrip food items. 

 

Hot dog, Taquito and Egg Roll are very creative in mixing up the race and coming up with gimmicks to make it interesting.  In the latest installment, Egg Roll came from behind with a snow shovel, knocked Hot Dog down with a sharp blow to the back.  As Taquito attended to his fallen food item friend, Egg Roll crossed the finish line.

 

 

 

 

 

Everything is Coming up De-Rosas

 

Yep, that pun was a stretch.  As I drove home from Tulsa, I tuned into MLB Homeplate on XM Radio.  When they said they had a breaking story on a Cardinals trade, I held my breath.  Trades make me very nervous.  Perhaps, I get too attached to Cardinal players.  I usually hate to see them go. 

 

Then, all the trade rumors had been about a rental deal for Matt Holliday.  In all the scenarios I heard, the price seemed too high.  I did not make sense to me to trade the second best power threat (Ludwick), plus a pitcher, plus a prospect just to have Holliday for a few months.

 

So, with breath held, I listened to the news:  Mark Derosa for Chris Perez and a "player to be named later".  I exhaled in relief.  I can live with that.  In fact, I am excited about it.

 

My mind went into high gear, considering all the defensive alignment options.  That was followed by all the offensive line-up options.  The possibilities are endless. 

 

Mark DeRosa is such a good fit.  I have secretly always liked this player, even when he was a cub.  Not that I liked playing against him, but next to catching, utility players are my favorite.  DeRosa can play anywhere, and by all accounts he is a class act, a great guy to have in your clubhouse.

 

 

And, doesn't it feel like we stole him from the cubs?  That may be the thing that puts a rather evil smile on the face of Cardinal Nation.  The cubs traded him to the AL, so DeRosa could not hurt them.  They signed our utility player, Aaron Miles, out from under our nose.  Ironically, Miles has not played nearly as well as a cub.  That made payroll room for the cubs to sign Milton Bradley, who has been nothing but a blight.  Now, DeRosa is back in the NL Central, in the clubhouse of a division rival and posed to do damage to his former team.  Score a coup for the Cardinals.

 

All that said, I will miss the flame-throwing, Chris Perez.  And, he may come back to haunt us, as traded players often do.  I wish Perez all the best.  I hope he has a great career, and stays in the American League.  Here is Perez warming up in San Francisco:

 

 

 

 

And, there is a list of potential "players to be named later".  I do not know who is on this list, and that makes me nervous.  But, for today, I look forward to seeing DeRosa wearing the 'Birds on the Bat'.  He is the type of player that was born for it.