SGF Cardinals Homestand Report: Frisco RoughRiders

Each homestand for the Springfield Cardinals offers a ton of baseball value. Not only do we get a chance to evaluate potential future St. Louis Cardinals talent, but we get to pull back the curtain and see other future Major Leaguers.  Each time a new team comes to Hammons Field, we will offer up a Homestand Report, detailing what happening with the Springfield Cardinals and their opponents.

Springfield Cardinals

Overall: 42-39 overall, 4-7 in second half, 5.5 games back of NW Arkansas

Last roadtrip: 3-3, beating Midland (2-1) and losing to Frisco (1-2)

The SGF Cardinals are in an interesting position. Despite having very little high-end MLB talent, the system is in position to make the playoffs. Because NW Arkansas won the first half, and should continue to get top-flight shipments of talent from its blossoming farm system, if the Naturals win the second-half, the next best overall record will get in. That’s where Springfield’s above-.500 first half comes in handy. Currently, the Cardinals lead Tulsa by 4 1/2 games.

Plus, the second half is a good time to come to the park and see recently promoted players. And with that said…

The good

• Francisco Samuel, RHP: Kary Booher of the News-Leader chronicled this in today’s editions, but Samuel has altered his delivery and reclaimed his role as closer for Springfield. He earned saves on July 1 and 4 and will get the ninth-inning calls from here on out. The loser here is RHP Adam Reifer, who was the closer once Eduardo Sanchez was promoted to Triple-A Memphis last month. Reifer was Sanchez’ setup man while Samuel was on the DL — twice — and as the closer, Reifer 34 in 32 2/3 innings, with only nine walks.

Double-A stats: 13 appearances, 14 2/3 IP, 1-0. 2 saves, 3.68 ERA, 20 L, 13 BB, .200 BA against

• Tony Cruz, C/DH: After the Cardinals blew up their original plan to have Steven Hill be the everyday catcher, Cruz has been blistering at the plate since grabbing at-bats and behind-the-plate time. More than a third of his hits (9 of 26) have been for extra bases and he already has nine walks in 81 plate appearances. And he’s better defensively than Hill. Is it possible that if he can continue to hit, Cruz will leapfrog Hill on the organizational depth chart?

Double-A stats: 72 ABs, .361/.427/.542 (.968 OPS), 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 7 2Bs

The bad

• Gary Daley, RHP: I’m not picking on Daley, I promise. I know he earned the Glutton For Punishment Award during our first-half honors, but Daley had his worst (see: shortest) start of the season Saturday at Frisco. He lasted only 2 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs (five runs) — all in the third inning. He gave up seven hits and walked three. His season ERA ballooned north of 6, which is still below his career minor league ERA. Will he be an Eric Haberer-like roster casualty in the next month? Texas League hitters hope not.

Career Minor League stats prior to 2010: 12-21, 6.48 ERA, 94 appearances, 51 starts, .279 BA against

2010: 3-10, 6.01 ERA, 16 starts, 79.1 IP, 57 Ks, 42 BBs, .314 BA against

• Daryl Jones, CF/LF: Fan favorite and 40-man roster member Jones is just 2-for-18 (.111) after the All-Star break and has just one walk. It’s lowered his season batting average below .250 and isn’t providing the top of the order presence many hoped for. He claims he’s healthy, but if this is healthy, he may be here the rest of the season.

Double-A stats: 273 ABs, .249/.331/.341 (.672 OPS), 3 HR, 31 RBIs, 10 2Bs, 29 BBs, 8-of-14 in steals

Who’s new?

• Tommy Pham, OF: A toolsy guy — and long the apple of many STL farmhand followers collective eyes — was promoted on Saturday and should fill the at-bats left by Aaron Luna, who earned a promotion to Triple-A despite playing a true position. Pham was a 16th round pick in the 2006 draft and signed out of high school for $325,000.

While still just 22, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound Pham has never been able to spectacularly put all of the pieces together.

• Double-A stats: 11 ABs, .273/.467/.455 (.921 OPS), 1 RBI, 2 2Bs, 1 SB
• Single-A stats: 237 ABs, .262/.377/.392 (.769 OPS), 3 HR, 27 RBIs, 42 BBs, 59 Ks, 13-of-17 in steals
• Career MiLB stats: 1,183 ABs, .212/.294/.352 (.647), 29 HR, 136 RBIs, 65-of-85 in steals

• Jermaine Curtis, 2B: Many expected Curtis to be in Double-A much sooner than 2010, and when he got here, they expected him to hit. So far, his pro career has been a disappointment. A fifth-round pick in 2008 out of UCLA, Curtis tried to stick at third base, but it hasn’t panned out. Why? His offense. In 2009, Curtis hit .197/.301/.229 (.530 OPS) in 314 High-A at-bats. Ouch.

• Double-A stats: 0-for-6
• 2010 Single-A stats: 156 ABs, .256/.383/.308 (.691 OPS), 0 HR, 20 RBIs, 23 Bs, 19 Ks
• Career MiLB stats: 590 ABs, /.247/.348/.327 (.675), 4 HR, 54 RBIs

This series’ probable starting pitching matchups

• Today, 7:10 p.m. — Frisco, LHP Richard Bleier (4-6, 5.66 ERA) vs. SGF, RHP Gary Daley (3-10, 6.01)

• Friday, 7:10 p.m. — Frisco, RHP Ryan Tatusko (7-1, 3.48 ERA) vs. SGF, RHP Scott McGregor (1-2, 2.29 ERA)

• Saturday, 6:10 p.m. — Frisco, LHP Martin Perez (3-4, 5.46 ERA) vs. SGF, LHP Nick Additon (3-5, 4.73 ERA)

Promotions

• Thursday — Johnsonville “Buck a Brat” and Missouri Lotto Giveaway

• Friday — Friday Night Fireworks

• Saturday — Pink Replica Jerseys to first 2,500

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Frisco RoughRiders

There are few minor league systems that are as loaded as the Texas Rangers and their Double-A affiliate directly reflects that notion. Coming into the season, Baseball America rated the Rangers as the second-best farm system in all of baseball, and their top two prospects — Neftali Feliz and Justin Smoak — are already with the AL West leading club.

The Double-A team is just as solid in their own right, winning the Texas League South’s first half and jumping out to a 10-2 start in the second half. The prospects are lined up and ready to be on display at Hammons Field.

The studs

• Martin Perez, LHP: Rated as the Rangers’ No. 3 overall prospect, Perez is actually in the middle of a bad season. Through 15 starts, he’s 3-4 with a 5.46 ERA. The strikeouts are there (68 Ks in 64 1/3 IP), but hitters are batting .269 off him and he’s allowed 68 hits and 36 BBs. Still, the 6-foot Venezuelan is only 19 years old and in Double-A. I think there’s time, don’t you? He starts in Saturday’s game.

• Engel Beltre, OF: It’s tough to imagine any 20-year-old having a better season than Beltre. The 6-2, 180-pound Dominican blistered High-A by going .331/.376/.460 (.836 OPS) in 263 at-bats. When he was promoted to Double-A, he kept it going by going 10 for his first 18 with a home run and seven RBIs. It’s the breakout year that the career .255 hitter needed and has to make the Boston Red Sox sick for including him in the Eric Gagne deal back in 2007. Ouch.

• Matt Lawson, 2B: The former Missouri State Bear leads all RoughRiders in home runs with 7 and trails in RBIs (34) by one. At 14th round pick in the 2007 draft, all Lawson has done is hit and stand out amongst a very talented roster. He will likely surpass all of his career high numbers, including his 10 HR and 57 RBI, output last season at High-A.

Double-A stats: 292 ABs, .277/.371/.438 (.809 OPS), 7 HR, 34 RBIs, 16 2Bs, 5 3Bs

Who’s new?

Outfielder Marcus Lemon was activated off the disabled list today. He takes the place of former big leaguer Endy Chavez, who played in a handful of games for Frisco. Engel Beltre was promoted to Double-A on July 1, when Lemon was placed on the DL.

Texas League standings (second-half)

North Division
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
*	NW Arkansas	10	2	.833	-	-	7-1	3-1	9-1	W6
	Tulsa	6	3	.667	2.5	58	3-1	3-2	6-3	L1
	Arkansas	5	7	.417	5.0	54	3-3	2-4	3-7	L1
	Springfield	4	7	.364	5.5	54	1-2	3-5	4-6	W1

South Division
	Club	W	L	PCT	GB	*ELIM #	Home	Away	L 10	Streak
*	Frisco	10	2	.833	-	-	4-2	6-0	8-2	W1
	San Antonio	5	6	.455	4.5	55	4-2	1-4	4-6	W1
	Midland	5	7	.417	5.0	54	3-5	2-2	5-5	L1
	Corpus Christi	0	11	.000	9.5	50	0-4	0-7	0-10	L12