Courtesy: Baseball News Hound

The Latin American prospects intrigue me for two reasons. 1. The skys the limit. These prospects are always nabbed with having huge ceilings. It all depends on the right organization and how they develop them. The second reason is you can grow a personal (well, not so personal) bond with them, by just following their progression in the minors.

I emailed Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus and Texas Farm Review, who answered two questions regarding Texas Rangers slugger Ronald Guzman, and Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Wagner Mateo.

Starting with Ronald Guzman, he’s a sweet swinging left-handed bat, who has HUGE power potential. I’ve attached a video of his cage performance. Here’s what Parks had to say:

“Guzman could be a monster, with a swing similar to Eric Hosmer in the sense that he doesn’t power up and look for the long ball. His swing is measured and balanced, with contact first. He shows the ability to drive the ball with authority, and the ball just naturally explodes off the bat. I think he has a chance to be a superstar. 60+ future bat; 70+ future power. “

Bill Mitchell

Moving onto Wagner Mateo, I was/am a huge fan of Mateo. I believed when he was being hyped that he was the real deal. Also, I find it unjustifiable to write off Dominican prospects. Many of these athletes never played organized baseball, so it’s all about becoming comfortable to your environment. However, his stats from last season were pretty head shaking, and have me second guessing myself.

Mateo has a major strike out issue that needs to be addressed. He whiffed 88 times in just 230 at-bats. This could be a part of why the Cardinals voided his contract. Mateo failed a physical with the St. Louis Cardinals, who originally signed him in 2009, because of an unknown eye issue. He’s only 18 years-old, however, he needs to take a huge step forward this season to remind people of what he was signed for. Jason Parks had this to say:

“I’ve seen Mateo a bunch, and it’s just not very pretty. I know scouts that saw him as an amateur and he was just awesome. If the eye is still an issue, it would make sense; he struggles with basic contact at the plate and his routes in the outfield are bad. It could be a number of factors, though. Based on what I’ve seen, he looks like a good candidate to never escape short-season ball.”

What are your thoughts about Guzman and Mateo?

The 2012 Baseball America Prospect Handbook is set to be released soon. For those that have never purchased one before, I strongly recommend picking a copy up (I have already reserved mine). The book is the ultimate guide and really does help a lot.

Each year though in the handbook, under each team’s section there includes a “breakout prospect” and a “sleeper” prospect. As I sat looking at last year’s copy, I though it would be interesting to see how BaseballAmericadid in their predictions. For each team I have listed the breakout and sleeper prospect as projected by BA and included their stats for the 2011 season as well as some blurbs on some of the players. I am going to include the NL teams in my first article and roll out the American League Teams tomorrow.

Arizona Diamondbacks:

Breakout: Wagner Mateo—18 years old, Left-handed, Outfielder. He hit .228/.309/.379 in 230 plate appearances at rookie level. He had 6 homeruns, 25 RBI, and 4 stolen bases.

Sleeper: Yonata Ortega—25 years old, right-handed, relief pitcher. 4.11 ERA, 12.0 K/9, 5.1 BB/9 in 57 innings between High A and Double A.

Atlanta Braves:

Breakout: Erik Cordier—25 years old, right-handed, starting pitcher. Had a rough year with a 5.14 ERA, 5.0 BB/9, and 6.4 K/9 in 91 innings between AA and AAA.

Sleeper: Lee Hyde—26 years old, left-handed pitcher, reliever. Pitched forWashington. 5.68 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 6.2 BB/9 in 38 innings pitched at AAA.

Chicago Cubs:

Breakout: Aaron Kurcz—21 years old, right-handed, starting pitcher. 3.28 ERA, 9.9 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 in 82.1 innings at High A.

Sleeper: Matt Cerda—21 years old, left-handed hitting, third baseman/second baseman. Hit .283/.394/.357 with 1 homerun, 43 RBI with a 15.2 K% and 15.2 BB% in 467 plate appearances at High A.

Cincinnati Reds:

Breakout: Andrew Cisco—20 years old, right-handed, starting pitcher. Drafted 6^th round of 2010 draft. Did not pitcher last year due to Tommy John surgery.

Sleeper: Daniel Tuttle—21 years old, right-handed, starting pitcher. 4.59 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 in 80.1 innings between rookie ball and Low A. 3.32 FIP at Low A.

Colorado Rockies:

Breakout: Rosell Herrera—19 years old, switch hitting, shortstop. Hit .284/.361/.449 with 6 homeruns, 34 RBI, 5 stolen bases, and 8 triples in 275 plate appearances at Rookie level.

Sleeper: Josh Rutledge—22 years old, right-handed, shortstop. Known for his great defense but hit .348/.414/.517 with 9 homeruns, 71 RBI, 9 triples, and 16 stolen bases in 523 plate appearances.

Florida Marlins: (NowMiami Marlins)

Breakout: Arquimedes Caminero—24 years old, right-handed, relief pitcher. Caminero pitched in only 1 inning last year and I cannot find out why anywhere. The flamethrower touches 101 MPH and he could be a nice piece at the back of a bullpen.

Sleeper: Jheyson Manzueta—22 years old, right-handed, starting pitcher. Posted a 6.57 ERA with a 6.5 K/9 and a 6.6 BB/9 in 100 inning pitched between Low A and High A. Obviously his command needs to be improved.

Houston Astros:

Breakout: Telvin Nash—20 years old, right-handed, outfielder. Hit .274/.380.488 between rookie ball and Class A but a large majority as Class A. Had 14 homeruns and 37 RBI but strikeout numbers were very high.

Sleeper: Jose Perdomo—20 years old, right-handed, starting pitcher. 9.00 ERA with a 10.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in only 18 innings (5 games started).

Los Angeles Dodgers:

Breakout: Scott Schebler—21 years old, bats left-handed, outfielder. Hit .285/.324/.529 with 13 homeruns, 58 RBI, and 8 triples in 315 plate appearances at Rookie Level. Good mix of power and speed.

Sleeper: Shawn Tolleson—23 years old, right-handed, reliever. May be one of the best sleeper picks. Had a 1.17 ERA, 13.7 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, and a 1.014 WHIP in 69 innings between Low A, High A, and Double A.

Milwaukee Brewers:

Breakout: Erik Komatsu—24 years old, left-handed, outfielder. Was traded to the Nationals last year in the Jerry Hairston Trade. Hit .277/.367/.382 with 7 homeruns, 48 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in 521 plate appearances at AA for both clubs. Had good BB numbers and low K numbers.

Sleeper: Dan Merklinger—26 years old, left-handed, starting pitcher. 4.10 ERA with a 7.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 158.0 innings at Double A.

New York Mets:

Breakout: Darrell Ceciliani—21 years old, left-handed, center fielder. Hit .259/.351/.361 with 4 homeruns, 40 RBI, and 25 stolen bases in 488 plate appearances for High A. Stats were down from 2010 when he hit .351/.410/.531 at Low A.

Sleeper: Zachary Dotson—21 years old, left-handed, starting pitcher. Pitched in only 1 inning last year, and I’m not sure why. Previously served a 50 game suspension in 2012 for testing positive for a stimulant.

Philadelphia Phillies:

Breakout: Jonathan Pettibone—21 years old, right-handed, starting pitcher. He really performed well with a 2.96 ERA, 2.92 FIP, 6.4 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, and a 1.137 WHIP in 161.0 innings pitched for High A.

Sleeper: Colby Shreve—23 years old, right-handed, relief/starting pitcher. Had a 2.87 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 in 84.2 innings pitched.

Pittsburgh Pirates:

Breakout: Victor Black—23 years old, right-handed, relief pitcher. Had a 5.05 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 5.0 BB/9 in 35.2 innings pitched between Low A and High A. A large majority of the year was spent at Low A.

Sleeper: Evan Chambers—22 years old, right-handed, center fielder. Hit .234/.350/.374 with 11 homeruns and 20 stolen bases in 525 plate appearances for High A. Needs to lower strikeout numbers.

St. Louis Cardinals:

Breakout: John Gast—22 years old, left-handed, starting pitcher. Had a 4.02 ERA, 6.3 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 in 161.1 innings pitched between High A and Double A. K/9 numbers were down and BB/9 numbers up.

Sleeper: Kevin Thomas—25 years old, right-handed, starting pitcher. Rough year with a 6.44 ERA, 5.14 FIP, 6.82 K/9, 4.71 BB/9 in 93.2 innings for Double A.

San Diego Padres:

Breakout: Jose De Paula—21 years old, left-handed, starting pitcher. Had a 5.22 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 7.0 K/9, and 3.0 BB/9 in 112.0 innings for Higha A. First full season after a stress fracture in his elbow.

Sleeper: Eugenio Reyes—21 years old, right-handed, starting pitcher. Pitched in only 4 innings last year in rookie ball. Has drawn Simon Castro comparisons.

San Francisco Giants:

Breakout: Mike Kickham—23 years old, left-handed, starting pitcher. Had a 4.11 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 8.30 K/9, and 2.98 BB/9 in 111.2 innings pitched for High A.

Sleeper: Armando Paniagua—21 years old, right-handed, relief/starting pitcher. Had a 7.50 ERA, 2.28 FIP, 9.75 K/9, and 3.75 BB/9 in only 12 innings last year at rookie level.

Washington Nationals:

Breakout: Adrian Sanchez—21 years old, switch hitting, second/third baseman. Hit .262/.295/.353 with 3 homeruns, 51 RBI, and 25 stolen bases in 577 plate appearances for High A. Average was down from previous seasons.

Sleeper: Wade Moore—24 years old, bats left-handed, outfielder. Hit .206/.325/.308 with 3 homeruns, 35 RBI, and 16 stolen bases in 375 plate appearances for High A.

Yes, I wanted to make sure that no one else can be harassed over what you are about to read, so I will stick my name on this one and see what happens.

Today’s entry very simply is in response to questions that I do get asked from time to time. What is listed below is the three most common questions I get during the off-season, especially at this time of the year, with one of those questions getting split into two, only because it is suddenly needed to be.

I will also give what my thought was in January, and what it is today, as some of them have also changed.

1. Who is the next Osprey position player to make a Major League Baseball roster?January answer: Paul Goldschmidt
Answer Now: Taylor Harbin or Paul Goldschmidt

The main reason my answer has changed here is because of Harbin’s hot start. Back in January, I thought that if Goldy had a decent run the next TWO seasons, he would have a chance, somewhere. Then, he had a great Cactus League run, and now has seven home runs in the place where most power hitters go to get their careers derailed, the Southern League. But, again, I was thinking he would get a shot in 2013, not 2011.

And all of a sudden, Harbin is suddenly finding offense to go along with his solid defense. Harbin can now also play second, shortstop or third base, which makes him a versatile player who could spot-start in the Major Leagues.

Prediction: If Harbin continues to hit well over .300, he will possibly get a look in September. The Mobile BayBears are off to a great start, and unless there’s a pressing need to move people around, both Harbin and Goldy will be in Mobile until they are out of the post-season hunt. But, as of now, it will be one of these two players who will be the first former Osprey without MLB experience to get the call as a position player.

2. Who will be the next Osprey pitcher to make a MLB roster?
January answer: Evan Scribner
Answer now: Evan Scribner or Tom Layne

While it is still likely that Jarrod Parker will be in a D-backs’ uniform by September, I still think one of his 2007 teammates will get the call first. It will take an injury or two before Layne gets the call up, but he would be a solid lefty out of the bullpen. Scribner – who, like Layne, is at Triple-A, but with the Padres – has been given the closer’s role the past two seasons (he was at Double-A San Antonio in 2010), and if there is a need with the big club, he may very well be the closer-in-waiting.

3. Who is the most likely 2010 Osprey to return for 2011?
January Answer: Domingo Soriano
Answer Now: Robby Rowland

I think part of my answer is to help with Rowland’s karma and get him to a full-season club. But when I heard he was being kept in Extended Spring Training, I began to hope that Rowland would become the Opening Day starter for the Osprey. If Soriano ends up back in Missoula, which the chances are good of happening, he will be in the lineup more often than not, because he is a player that needs to get reps to get better.

Prediction: Rowland ends up in South Bend, Soriano heads to Yakima, and Ty Linton comes back and wins Pioneer League Player of the Year honors. OK, I know I am WAY out on a limb here, but why not? Remember the headline …

4. If you could choose the Opening Day lineup for the Osprey, what would it be?

Well … if you insist … if I could choose a lineup based on who is in Extended Spring Training, this is what I would wish to be on Hector De La Cruz’s lineup card on June 20:
Ender Inciarte CF
David Narodowski SS
Ty Linton LF
Eric Groff 3B
Wagner Mateo RF
Jae Yun Kim C
Stephen Cardullo 2B
Fidel Pena 1B
Antonio Sepulveda DH
Robby Rowland P

Of course, the chances are better for me to hit a Adonys Chapman fastball than for both Inciarte and Narodowski to come back to Missoula, but hey … I was just following the rules …

That said, would not be a bit surprised if the Osprey have an outfield led by Linton, Mateo and Soriano. If Groff ends up back here, it’s to play second base, which means Cardullo would be a shortstop. Kim and Pena will likely be together – whether it’s Missoula or Yakima – with Pena being a likely DH, since his bat is solid enough to have in the lineup every day.

So there you go. If I had to pick one of these I feel the most comfortable about – it’s actually two. I really do believe that, pending how things shake out, that Evan Scribner is the next former Osprey to make his MLB debut, and that Goldy is the next position player to make his debut.

- The Arizona Diamondbacks made a bunch of roster moves over the weekend. The good news first - everyone on the 40-man roster now is under contract, including a handful of former Osprey. Those players who signed their one-year deals were right-handed pitchers Yonata Ortega, Daniel Stange and Esmerling Vasquez; left-handed pitcher Jordan Norberto; catcher John Hester; and outfielder Gerardo Parra.

- The inevitable news … the beginning of trimming the roster. Read about the former Osprey who were sent back to minor-league camp here.

- The D-backs’ now have 40 players in Major League camp, 32 on the 40-man roster and 8 non-roster players. One of those non-roster players – 2010 Osprey alum Adam Eaton, whom apparently reported to minor-league camp in great shape after working out with his former Miami University teammates in the off-season. Here’s a story from his hometown newspaper getting into more on his off-season.

- Here’s a story that ran in Sunday’s Arizona Republic on former Osprey outfielder Carlos Gonzalez. What might have been …

- Arizona Republic writer Nick Piecoro blogs about the minors, including the potential rotations in both Mobile and Visalia. A number of former Osprey are included in those rotations, and could see more, since the fifth spots are still up for grabs. They’ll start playing minor-league spring games on Tuesday.

- Another nugget that Piecoro sharea is that 17-year-old prospect Wanger Mateo would start his stateside pro career with a short-season club – which means Yakima, Missoula or in the Arizona Rookie League. Mateo – who was originally signed by the St. Louis Cardinals, but concerns about his vision caused the Cards to void his deal – hit .257 with four home runs and 45 RBIs in 67 Dominican Summer League games in 2010. And if you haven’t seen the video … this was done about two years ago, but it shows a bit of Mateo’s ability.

- By the way, a big thank you to all of those who visited the Osprey booth at the 2011 Kids Fair, and who participated in the Kids National Anthem tryouts.

- The Missoula Osprey’s biggest and most successful community program is the Hit the Books Reading Program, which begins today in 31 Missoula-area elementary schools. The 2010 Osprey Hit the Books Reading Program encouraged over 4,000 area students to read over 50,000 books, and over $100,000 of prizes were awarded to students by the Osprey.

Unfortunately for the Cubs, his record has been less than stellar since then.

Even at 20 Castro is far from the youngest player to advance to the “Big Show.” The Cubs had a young man in 1969, who was supposed to set the world on fire. His name was Oscar Gamble and he was nineteen years old. Although he went on to have a good career, he never came close to what the Cubs thought he was going to be.

Joe Nuxhall is the most famous of the war-time teenagers, as he is the youngest person to play at the major league level. Nuxhall was just a freshman in high school in Hamilton, Ohio, when the Reds took notice. Cincinnati eventually signed Nuxhall midway through his sophomore season and he made his major league debut on June 10, 1944 at the age of 15 years, 10 months and 10 days old. Nuxhall only played one game that year, pitching two thirds of an inning and giving up five runs on two hits with five walks and no strikeouts. He did not play again at the major league level until he was 23, but he went on to a 16-year career with the Reds and won 135 games.

Alex Rodriguez is the most recent youngster to make his debut in the major leagues, doing so at the age of 18. He played his first game for the Seattle Mariners on July 8, 1994, just nineteen days before his 19th birthday.
Earlier this month the St. Louis Cardinals signed Wagner Mateo, a 16-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic while the New York Yankees signed Gary Sanchez, a 16-year-old Dominican prospect as well. Both are considered among the top talents in Latin America.

While this trend towards younger players continues, other leagues have been using players straight out of high school for a while. In the NBA it became so common that they hade to put a rule in to stop it.

It seems that the trend is more about talent and less about getting a player ready to compete.

Written by Chris Papas

After providing this confirmation, Huddy asked if the Giants were going to have an offday before he makes his season debut against them in their April 9 home opener.  He was trying to figure out whether he’d get a chance to oppose his buddy Barry Zito, who had risen to prominence with him in Oakland. 

When I informed him that he’d more likely face Jonathan Sanchez, Huddy said, “Well tell their manager not to get any ideas about holding (Tim) Lincecum back for their home opener.”

Instead it looks like Derek Lowe will draw the short straw and match up against the reigning Cy Young Award winner. So within the season’s first five days Lowe will likely be opposed by Carlos Zambrano and Lincecum. 

And then to top things off it appears he won’t pitch during the early season series against the Padres.  Hey, but isn’t it great to have the honor of making yet another Opening Day start?

Grapefruit League opener:   The Jason Heyward batting practice tales grew stale a few days ago.  It’s time to see what the kid can do against live pitching and MLB Network will provide you a chance to watch him make his Grapefruit League season debut against the Mets tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET. 

The weather forecast for the Port St. Lucie area isn’t exactly promising.  But if the rain holds off, you’ll get a chance to see Tommy Hanson start and likely work two innings before handing the ball to the bullpen, which will consist of Kris Medlen, Jesse Chavez, Mike Dunn, Chris Resop, James Parr and Manny Acosta. 

Dunn and Chavez have put themselves in position to battle for the last remaining spots in the bullpen.  For now, I’d still have consider Acosta a long shot, who may draw attention from some pitching-needy clubs over the next couple of weeks. 

Chipper Jones, Troy Glaus and Matt Diaz are not scheduled to make the trip to Port St. Lucie.  They will likely make their GL season debuts when the Braves host the Mets on Wednesday afternoon.

Hudson is scheduled to start Wednesday’s game.  The relievers will consist of Peter Moylan, Eric O’Flaherty, Mariano Gomez, Stephen Marek (the remains of the Mark Teixeira trade), Johnny Venters and Jeff Lyman.

Venters seems to be a long shot to begin the season in Atlanta’s bullpen.  But the 24-year-old left-hander has caught Bobby Cox’s attention with his sinker.

“He’s got a good chance to do something with that kind of sinker,” Cox said. “He’s got to pitch in the big leagues with that kind of sinker.”

Chipper potential early retirement: I’ll admit that I have never given much thought about the possibility that Chipper Jones would walk away from the game if he struggles again this season.  But while talking to him again this morning for the story currently on MLB.com and braves.com, I will admit that there was definite sincerity in his voice and facial expressions. 

At the same time there was an excitement about the results he could realize after working with his dad to fix the mechanics of his swing.  While watching him last year, I thought he was being victimized by self-induced pressure to supply the club with power. 

But it was interesting to hear him say that he feels his bad habits developed over the previous five years while attempting to compensate for a variety of different injuries.   As the story mentions, he believes he might need to face live pitching for a few weeks before truly gaining comfort with these refined mechanics. 

No interest in Mateo:  One of our more knowledgeable bloggers inquired today about the Braves possibly having interest in Wagner Mateo,  a 16-year-old outfielder from the Dominican whose $3.1 million agreement with the Cardinals was voided last year because he failed a physical. 

But a Braves source have since informed me that they do not have any interest in Mateo.  

Blog: Obviously, You’re Not a Golfer
Twitter: @MatthewHLeach

It’s a very busy night for tidbits, so fortunately I have some new music as I write. The new Pearl Jam album is streaming online now, and you can go check it out yourself. On top of that, I picked up the new Living Colour album this afternoon.

Anyway, on with, you know, the baseball…

* Kyle Lohse threw a bullpen session today and is expected to pitch sometime in the Houston series. It would almost certainly be Monday or Tuesday. If they wait until Wednesday, someone else would need to be slotted in to take the Tuesday start, since a fifth starter will be required them.

* ESPN.com reported today that Wagner Mateo “is having vision problems that may affect his contract status” with the Cardinals. I spoke with John Mozeliak today, and while he didn’t go into much detail regarding Mateo, he acknowledged that there is a medical concern with Mateo.

“There are some things medically that we’re looking at,” Mozeliak said. “We’re hopeful that in the next few weeks we can have everything settled.”

* Brendan Ryan was back in the lineup today after missing some time due to a finger injury.

“He’s playable,” TLR said. “I don’t know if he’s got a little soreness left, probably, but a lot of guys have soreness here in September. So he’s playable.”

* Twitter founder Jack Dorsey (aka @jack) visited the park today and threw out a ceremonial first pitch. I’ll have a little more on this shortly.

* Troy Glaus’ status remains uncertain as he attempts to recuperate from a strained left oblique. TLR had this to say regarding Glaus:

“I think there’s a big question mark next to him. But there’s definitely not an X next to him.”

He also said that it’s possible that Glaus’ situation might increase the chances of a David Freese promotion. Last week, TLR downplayed the likelihood of Freese being called up.

* Albert Pujols and Ryan Ludwick were both back in the lineup after being hit by pitches in the ninth inning on Sunday.

* TLR re-affirmed today that he expects to go with 14 hitters and 11 pitchers on the postseason roster.

Today’s playlist is in honor of the new Living Colour album. And it’s… some old Living Colour.

“Middle Man”
“Time’s Up”
“Elvis is Dead”
“Auslander”
“Sacred Ground”

-M.

* TLR said that Todd Wellemeyer’s next start is not a sure thing. They’re going to make a decision in the coming days, but at this point, Friday is TBA.

* Colby Rasmus had an injection in his troublesome left heel and is improving. He’s available to come off the bench tonight and likely will be ready to start tomorrow.

* Wagner Mateo is here, wearing a Cardinal jersey with number 09 and taking some swings and working out.

* John Mozeliak sounded like it’s all but certain that the Cardinals will not trade any more prospects before the deadline. If they can move Glaus, they will look into doing that. But a move where they send a youngster out for help in the bullpen or rotation is pretty much off.

Today’s lineup vs LHP Randy Wolf:
1. Lugo 2B
2. DeRosa 3B
3. Pujols 1B
4. Holliday LF
5. Ludwick RF
6. Molina C
7. Ankiel CF
8. Ryan SS
9. Carpenter P

Dodgers lineup:
1. Furcal SS
2. Hudson 2B
3. Ramirez LF
4. Ethier RF
5. Blake 3B
6. Loney 1B
7. Martin C
8. Kemp CF
9. Wolf P

-M.

* The Cardinals have reportedly agreed to terms with 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Wagner Mateo. Reports vary a bit on the dollars, with Jorge Arangure of ESPN saying $3.1 million and Baseball America saying $3 million. John Mozeliak would not confirm that the club has a deal, but expressed optimism that the Cardinals will reach a deal with a Dominican prospect on or after the July 2 start of the signing period. More on this on the site later.

* Brendan Ryan is dealing with some soreness in his wrist, which the team is calling tendinitis. He had a cortisone shot today and likely won’t start any games in this series. Monday is probably a good guess for when Ryan can start again, though he could obviously pinch-run as early as today. Tyler Greene gets the start at shortstop.

* Kyle Lohse’s throw went well today. He threw three simulated innings, with Chris Duncan, Khalil Greene and Jason LaRue taking swings. Including warmup tosses, Lohse estimated he threw about 85 total pitches. The next step is likely a Minor League rehab start on Thursday, July 2 at Springfield. He could then slot back into the rotation on the road trip that ends the first half.

* Several members of the Rams, including first-round pick Jason Smith, visited the clubhouse today and received a tour. Smith will throw out the first pitch before tonight’s game.

* I got a peek at one of the All-Star batting practice jerseys (NL/home) this afternoon, and to my eye it looked pretty sharp. It’s red with “National” across a bat, and an arch across the top fo the lettering, and it has light blue stripes down the sides and some light blue piping. I’m not trying to sell you one, but the only image I can find online is here. It looks pretty busy in the photo, but seeing one in person, I thought it looked good.

* To combat the heat, the Cardinals stretched in the weight room today. However, they took batting practice on the field as usual. TLR said he had heard some talk of a potential time change for tomorrow’s game but that they simply weren’t able to make it work. Obviously it’d be much cooler for a 6 pm game than a noon game.

Today’s lineup:
1. Schumaker 2B
2. Rasmus CF
3. Pujols 1B
4. Ludwick RF
5. Ankiel LF
6. Molina C
7. Thurston 3B
8. Wainwright P
9. T.Greene SS

And finally, you had to know what today’s playlist would look like. Some people are unwilling or unable to put aside a lot of the non-musical aspects of Michael Jackson’s career, and I certainly understand and respect that. For me, though, his music was incredibly exciting and incredibly important, and since I honestly don’t know what happened in other areas of his life, I’ll just thank him for a lot of music that meant a lot to me (and many other people) and send sympathy to his friends and family. And, of course, honor him with a playlist:

“Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”
“Wanna Be Starting Something”
“Beat It”
“Man in the Mirror”
“Smooth Criminal”

-M.