Glendale HS coach Howard Bell has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Photo credit: GlendaleBaseball.com

First reported by KSPR.com, Glendale High School baseball coach Howard Bell was diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) last December. Two fundraisers have been set up to help Bell:

• Monday February 6th - Kickapoo at Glendale girls basketball: the night will include a silent auction, wristbands for sale, and passing the bucket.
• Sunday February 12th - Pancake Breakfast at Applebee’s on Primrose: the buffet breakfast will be served from 7-10 am, tickets are $5 at the door or can be purchased from various teams including Missouri State, Evangel, Drury, and several area high school teams

Also, Drury baseball coach and former Glendale coach Mark Stratton said the following on his Facebook page:

Looking for 1985-2011 Spfld. MO Glendale HS Baseball Alumni. Coach Howard Bell has been diagnosed with ALS. We are planning a future (June) alumni game/get-together along with Kickapoo, Hillcrest, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Parkview, and many others at Meador Park to help offset the financial stress for Coach Bell & his family. Help me spread the word to Falcon Nation and beyond…one of our own needs our help… Facebook me, or www.drurypanthers.com to reach me.

Before becoming the Glendale coach in 2005, Bell was a star at Parkview who was conference Player of the Year while at SMS. He was drafted by the New York Mets, but never got his career off the ground after a car accident. He has a 66-44 career record.

For more information on how to help, contact email Marsha Bauer at bauerx4@yahoo.com.

I mean to do this all the time, but there’s a backlog of stuff I need feel compelled to comment on. Here goes.

* Don’t sweat last night’s Missouri State Bears loss to Oral Roberts too much. Sure, the Bears’ 68-63 loss at Oral Roberts isn’t encouraging, but we are learning more about this team all the time. What can we take away from the surprising Bears’ first loss? Their level of physical and mental toughness.

It never dawned on me that a Missouri Valley Conference team might be physically pushed around by a Summit Conference team, but that’s what happened. How many loose balls and rebounds did Oral Roberts seem to grab, especially Steven Roundtree (12 rebounds) and Michael Craion, a Kansas City Ruskin product (who played here in SGF against Central a few years ago)? Caleb Patterson, Isaiah Rhine and Christian Kirk aren’t the most physically imposing dudes. Couple that with the amount of scrap and hustle ORU showed, it made MSU look soft and disinterested, which we all know isn’t the case. When it comes time to mix it up with the big ‘tweener bodies in the MVC, hopefully MSU will have an answer.

On another note, the announced attendance at ORU was 3,352. Right, if you multiplied by 3. There’s no way there were more than 1,000 fans there, at least the way it looked on the Ozarks CW broadcast. We had some fun with Facebook, and this is what happened:

Here were the highlights:

• A public pool
• Milli Vanilli reunion conert
• Waffle House
• The WNBA Draft
• A Herman Cain sensitivity training seminar
• The original screening of Gigli
• A Kardashian marriage counseling session
• Hyvee
• A Bears baseball game
• A proctologist office
• Kansas Alumni Night in Columbia

And, the prohibitive winner (at least it was my favorite):

For more fun on Facebook, join the party at Facebook.com/TheHighRoadShow.

Kimbo Slice will be in SGF in February.

* Don’t try to compare Kimbo Slice to B.J. Flores, and vice versa. There has been a lot of speculation about SGF’s emerging/blossoming/interesting boxing scene. After there were no major professional boxing fights in SGF for years, there are now two within two weeks of each other, when B.J. Flores will have a fight on Jan. 28 at the Shrine Mosque (no opponent announced, yet) and Internet street fighting sensation Kimbo Slice at Drury’s O’Reilly Family Event Center (no opponent announced, either) on Feb. 11.

Some are trying to diagnose why there are two cards so close to each other. While this week, Wes Slay of Slay Promotions made it clear that he and Flores are no longer working together, I think people need to calm down and not read too much into the situation. Even if there is beef — which neither has gone on record about, yet — Instead, they should enjoy it, and not get caught up in the truth of the following statement:

“There has never been a more well-known fighter come through Springfield … than Kimbo Slice,” Slay said. “He will be by far the biggest celebrity, from a sports perspective, that’s ever fought (in Springfield).”

Think about it. The entire narrative of Flores’ return was to make it his personal mission to earn a major championship fight, and pave that road here in SGF. So far, so good for the Willard native, since he’s 2-0 with a TKO and a decision here in SGF. But don’t feel like you have to choose Flores over Kimbo or vice versa. Slice is a novelty show. He’ll likely never fight for a heavyweight world title. He’s coming to town and it going to try to (legally) decapitate his opponent, not engineer an evening of the sweet science. You’re going to pay to watch it. So am I.

You don’t have to choose. Go to both. And think about it this way: If the Kimbo Slice fight makes money, imagine who else Slay and his company will bring. He keeps saying the OFEC is nicer than most of the venues in boxing. Now it’s time to see if it, and the Shrine Mosque, can contain two boxing events in two weeks.

More awards for DGB.

• Cardinals fans, it’s really time to get nervous about Albert Pujols: I won’t go on and on about this, but no matter what side of the fence you’re on, it’s almost put up or shut up time in the Albert Pujols sweepstakes. Whether you believe they should spend the cash elsewhere or invest the most money in franchise history in one player, the wheels will really begin spinning Monday when the Winter Meetings start.

I’m still on record as saying the Cardinals should pony up whatever it takes to sign Pujols, but the way the reporting is flowing, that number might be lower than anyone could have anticipated. Should be a fun week.

• Dorial Green-Beckham is named Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year: Duh. Click here to see why.

Ozark native Lucas Harrell is back in the big leagues, and he had a great debut on Friday.

is back to the big leagues, and he’s making a great impression. Less than a month after being claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, Lucas Harrell dazzled in his Houston Astros debut on Friday, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a start, striking out 4, walking 2 and allowing only 3 hits to the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers.

A free agent after the season, Harrell is putting his best foot forward. Since joining Houston’s organization, he not only has that stellar spot start to his credit, but in 9 starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Harrell was 5-2 with a 1.72 ERA and 38 strikeouts and 24 walks in 52 1/3 innings.

An Ozark native, Harrell was a recent guest on The High Road with Allen Vaughan, where he talked about his sinkerball, enjoying a team that is fighting for respect and playing time, and trying to bat against Zack Greinke.

You can stream the interview below, download it, or subscribe to the TAG Magazine ITunes feed by clicking here.

How much will reports of Shelby Miller's alcohol related suspension impair his public image in SGF?

Shelby Miller’s squeaky clean image just took a hit.

The St. Louis Cardinals‘ first-round pick in 2009 who collected a $2.875 million signing bonus was suspended for a violation of team rules, according to the club and first reported by the Springfield News-Leader and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. But as we all know from covering sports, team rules can mean many things — many very interesting things.

The News-Leader’s account pointed out the organization’s deceit. Reporter Kary Booher said the team initially told the media Miller was missing a start as a way to keep his innings total lower. But, as it turns out, Miller was actually suspended. Oops.

The, the P-D’s Rick Hummel (a Hall of Famer) came in an dropped a bomb reporting the following:

According to a couple of sources familiar with the situation, the incident involved an altercation at an apartment complex in Springfield, with alcohol also being involved.

Sources said this was not the first such incidence for Miller. No teammates were involved.

Uh-oh. I’m sure news will come out about what exactly happened if there is a police report, but it will go a long way to knocking down the Golden Boy image Miller has cultivated for himself in his short tenure here in SGF.

Back in July we chronicled the impact Miller is having on the Cardinals organization and the fans here in SGF. In 13 starts, Miller is 7-3 with a 2.97 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings. The suspension isn’t expected to be long, but still, drunken apartment fighting (reportedly)?

Jackson

Coming into the 2011 season as Double-A, scouts and fans still weren’t sure what to make of shortstop Ryan Jackson. He’d hit all of 3 career home runs, never had an OPS of more than .731 and he fell to the 5th round of the 2009 draft because no one was sure he’d ever learn how to hit.

But he’s been a revelation all season long, currently flaunting career highs in nearly every statistical category with the Springfield Cardinals:

.278/.339/.422 10 HR, 69 RBIs, 30 doubles

And, he plays a slick shortstop, which coupled with the struggles of former SGF Cards Tyler Greene and Pete Kozma, might give him a shot at a legitimate major league future. Jackson was a recent guest on The High Road with Allen Vaughan and discussed his hitting prowess, what a road trip to Corpus Christi, Texas is like and his future within the organization.

You can stream the interview below, download it, or subscribe to the TAG Magazine ITunes feed by clicking here.

Parkview 1B/OF Spencer Johnson has orally committed to play baseball at Missouri State.

Spencer Johnson is staying at home to play his college baseball. The Parkview High School junior has orally committed to Missouri State University, a coup of sorts for MSU coach Keith Guttin and his staff.

Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound first baseman/outfielder caught regional attention when he nearly broke the single-season home run record as a sophomore, slugging 14 home runs, as well as hitting .563 with 46 RBIs. As a junior, he hit .438 with 13 home runs, 43 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He entered this season with a ton of hype.

“It was a perfect fit. I live like 5 minutes away from it,” Johnson said. “The offer was great. I have a way better chance at playing at MSU than if I went somewhere else. I’m trying to play, you know?”

Johnson was referring to interest from other large schools such as Louisville, LSU, Oklahoma State, etc. They were interested, but never offered and he was sick of waiting. He’s already the school’s leader in home runs, runs scored and RBIs and still has his senior season to go at Parkview.

Johnson is one of 8 MSU commits, including Johnson and Westminster Christian Academy outfielder Tate Matheny. Yes, Tate Matheny is the son of former St. Louis Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny.

The University of Pittsburgh backed out on Matt Adams' scholarship offer, so he became a D-II superstar and it gave him the chip on his shoulder he needed to become a pro prospect.

The Matt Adams that we get to see at Hammons Field is the same Matt Adams that no one thought deserved to play Division I baseball, let alone deserve a 23rd round draft pick, a spot in Double-A or even a spot as one of baseball’s top first base prospects.

The Matt Adams that’s a legitimate Texas League triple crown contender with a .321 batting average, 24 home runs and 81 RBIS, isn’t supposed to be good enough.

The Matt Adams that’s a soft-spoken, humble guy with a habit of launching home runs on to the top of the Hammons Field training facility, has arrived as a player and a man.

—————-

See, Matt Adams didn’t belong in Division-I college baseball. At least that’s what they thought. So he went to Division-II Slippery Rock University and proved them wrong.

Adams, the Springfield Cardinals‘ first baseman, grew up in Philipsburg, a small town in central Pennsylvania. During his senior year in high school, he turned enough heads to get a scholarship offer to play baseball at the University of Pittsburgh, but at the last minute they told him they didn’t have room.

“They just over-recruited,” Adams said, “and me being the smaller town guy, they thought I wasn’t capable of playing up to their level.”

Pitt told Adams he had a spot on the team, but he would have to walk-on, which he couldn’t afford. So Adams decided to sign at Slippery Rock, where his high school coach played college ball. Slippery Rock head coach Jeff Messer said he couldn’t help but smile when Pitt passed on Adams.

“We knew what we were getting and we were very excited that Pitt wasn’t the place to go and he chose to go to Slippery Rock,” Messer said. “It was a no-brainer that he was going to be a very good player for us.”

His freshman year, he showed the Panthers what they were missing, leading Slippery Rock with a .421 average, 24 doubles and five home runs. He was upset that Pittsburgh turned him down, but he was determined to make the best of things at Slippery Rock.

“I tried to fit in with the guys they had on the team and just adjust to it and go about my business the right way there,” Adams said.

This is generally what it looks like right before Matt Adams smokes a pitch on top of the Hammons Field practice facility.

Adams led the Rock in batting average, doubles, home runs and RBIs his next two seasons. His junior year, he won the Division-II batting title with a .495 batting average.

“That was with people pitching around him,” Messer said. “From his freshman year on, the conference was pretty aware of what he was capable of doing so a lot of the offensive numbers he put up were with guys pitching around him.”

After his junior season, he decided it was time to move on — to the pros.

——————

Matt Adams didn’t belong in the first 22 rounds of the draft. At least that’s what they thought. So the Cardinals grabbed him in the 23rd round.

Adams is a very humble guy, but he is also confident of what caliber player he is. He decided that if they didn’t see it right away, well, he would just make sure they noticed eventually.

Phillip Wellman, Adams’ hitting coach in Springfield, said that this quality is what makes Adams the player he is.

“He’s extremely humble and that’s what allows him to stay on an even keel and keep a positive attitude,” Wellman said. “There’s not much that gets him down and I think that’s an element in any player’s ability to improve is to admit what your weaknesses are.”

Adams tore it up in Low-A Quad City

If Adams had many weaknesses, they certainly weren’t apparent his first two years in the minors. He worked his way through two rookie leagues and Low-A by doing what he’s always done: drive the ball gap to gap, hit for average, hit for power and drive in runs. Adams is a big guy, listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds (admittedly a little bigger), but he’s at his best when he’s lining the ball into the gaps instead of swinging for the fences.

In the 2010 season, Adams hit .310 with 41 doubles in Low-A. The Cardinals decided that the 699th overall pick in the 2009 draft had suddenly become a prospect.

—————–

Matt Adams didn’t belong in High-A. At least that’s what they thought. So the Cardinals sent him straight to Springfield to start the season in Double-A.

“There’s a reason why there’s different levels,” Wellman said. “You progress normally one level to the next. Him skipping a level, we knew he might hit a few bumps in the road. In the meetings we all believed the kind of person he was and the attitude that he possesses was going to allow him to overcome any bumps in the road, and he has.”

The bumps came early for Adams, he struggled in the first two weeks of the season, rushing his swing and trying to do too much. He credits Wellman with helping him get back on track.

“I was rushing everything with my load and my set up,” Adams said. “He taught me how to slow things down and get into a good hitting position.”

It has been working ever since. This season, Adams is hitting .321/.374/.606. He also leads the team with  21 doubles, 24 home runs and 81 RBIs.

The left-handed Adams has that textbook swing that looks effortless. He stays compact the whole time and then explodes to the ball and follows through with great fluidity. He’ll say it’s a product of going to the batting cage everyday, but there’s some things you just can’t teach.

“I think at birth, he was a hitter,” Messer said. “A lot of people want to take credit for what he does with the bat, I’m not going to do that. He’s just a born hitter.”

The big league Cardinals have been set at first base for the past decade or so with Albert Pujols. So all of a sudden, Adams, the 23rd round pick, kept coming up in all kinds of trade rumors. We will have a much better idea of Adams’ place in the organization when Pujols becomes a free agent this offseason. Adams isn’t too worried about all that, he’s just going to keep doing what he always has: work hard and get hits.

“I don’t really pay attention,” Adams said. “I just let it do its thing and come to the ballpark ready to play.”

For now he is enjoying minor league life as much as he can, but he definitely has his eyes on bigger things.

“The longer he’s here, you realize that he has an innate ability to make adjustments on the fly,” Wellman said. “Those are the characteristics you find in a big league hitter, I have no doubt in my mind someday we’re going to be watching him play on TV.”

Major League Baseball may finally be the place where Matt Adams belongs, no matter what they think.

Everyone likes see the local athlete succeed. That’s why we created SGFers in the Bigs, a snapshot of where they are playing and how they are playing. Because it’s likely with all of these athletes, we’ve watched them do something incredible — and now we can all brag on them.

Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (Missouri State)

Howard went on a power surge at the end of the month. In the last nine games of July, he hit .343 (12 for 35) with three home runs, six doubles, and seven RBIs. Howard’s tear capped off a great month for the Phillies offense. In July, the Phillies led the majors in runs, hits, batting average and OPS. And oh yeah, their pitching is pretty good, too (fewest runs allowed in the NL this season).

Shaun Marcum, Milwaukee Brewers (Missouri State)

The Cardinals roughed Marcum up Tuesday night to move within 2.5 games of first place. But Marcum’s performance in his three previous starts is no small reason why the Brewers are in the driver’s seat of the NL Central. With Zach Greinke and Marcum dominating at the top of the rotation, the Brewers could be poised for a deep run this year.

Brad Ziegler, Arizona Diamondbacks (Missouri State)

Ziegler was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks on the last day before the trade deadline for first baseman Brandon Allen and minor leaguer Jordan Norberto. It is great news for Ziegler. He leaves the third place A’s (12 games back) to join an Arizona team that is tied with the Giants atop the NL West. Ziegler has yet to make an appearance for the D-Backs.

Jeff Gray, Seattle Mariners (Missouri State)

Gray pitched in Mariners wins for the first two times last week. He gave up a run in one inning against the Yankees. Then he earned his first hold of the year by pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings in a one-run win over the Rays. The Mariners are trying to see what Gray is made of. After not using him for the first half of July, he has now pitched seven times since July 14 with a 1.69 ERA during that stretch.

Scott Elbert, LA Dodgers (Seneca HS)

Elbert made two appearances this week and ran his scoreless innings streak to seven. On Saturday, Elbert worked around two hits and a walk to toss two scoreless innings. Elbert has had a solid July, 2.35 ERA, but all of his July appearances came in games the Dodgers lost. Hopefully he has earned some meaningful innings as the season winds down.

Ross Detwiler, Washington Nationals  (Missouri State)

Detwiler pitched 3 1/3 innings of shutout baseball in two tight games for the Nationals this week. On Saturday against the Mets, Detwiler got his first career hold, getting four outs in a 3-0 Nats win. Washington likes Detwiler out of the bullpen right now, but he won his only start this year, so expec to see him crack the rotation before the year’s over.

Majors

Minors

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SGFers in the Minors

Lucas Harrell, Houston Astros Triple-A (Ozark HS)

Harrell must be disappointed that Brett Myers and Wandy Rodriguez are both on the Astros roster after the July 31 trade deadline. If one of those two would have been moved, there would have been a roster spot for Harrell. He will just have to bide his time in the minors. Harrell took out some frustration on the home plate umpire in his last Triple-A start, he was thrown out in the second inning for arguing a play at the plate.

Minors

Majors

Matt Palmer, Los Angeles Angels Triple-A (Missouri State)

Palmer turned in another solid start Saturday, giving up two runs in five innings. He has now won his last three starts. It has been a rough season in Triple-A for Palmer, but he is getting hot right now. He has done a great job keeping the ball on the ground this season, 2.05 ground out/air out ratio.

Minors

Majors

Scott Carroll, Cincinnati Reds Triple-A (Missouri State)

Carroll turned in his best performance in a month Wednesday night. He gave up two runs in five innings but settled for a no-decision. We know he has the talent, he went 3-1 with a 4.60 ERA in June, but he was winless in July. Hopefully he is back on track.

Toby Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins Triple-A (Missouri State)

In six games last week, Gardenhire went 10 for 25 (.400) with seven RBIs. Gardenhire’s bat has not been too consistent this year, but he raised his average 15 points last week. If he keeps up this tear, the Twins will have to think about giving Gardenhire his first shot playing for pops in the big leagues.

Buddy Baumann, KC Royals Double-A (MSU & Rogersville HS)

After spending over a month on the Temporary Inactive List with an arm injury, Baumann finally got back on the field. He started for the Arizona League Royals Tuesday night. He only lasted 1 2/3 innings, giving up three runs (two earned) and striking out five.

Pat Doyle, Cincinnati Reds High-A (Missouri State)

Doyle got roughed up on Saturday, giving up six runs (five earned) in only 1 1/3 innings. He was much better Tuesday night, pitching two innings and giving up one run. It has been a wild season for Doyle, but he needs to regain the form he had earlier in the year if he wants to move up again anytime soon.

Mike Kickham, SF Giants Low-A (Missouri State and Glendale HS)

Kickham had a rough start Sunday. He gave up six runs on 10 hits and four walks in four innings. That’s the highest ERA he’s posted in a start this year. Kickham is at his best when he is racking up strikeouts, he had only two on Sunday.

Josh Mazzola, SF Giants Low-A (Missouri State)

In his last 10 games, Mazzola is hitting .333 with six doubles and two stolen bases. Mazzola has struggled against righ-handed pitching this year. He is hitting .219 with 51 strikeouts against righties

Brett Sinkbeil, Pittsburgh Pirates High-A (Missouri State)

Sinkbeil was on his game Sunday. He got his first win in over a month by giving up one run on four hits in six innings. Hopefully this start will re-solidify Sinkbeil’s place in the rotation. In July, he bounced between reliever and starter and struggled at both.

Aaron Meade, LA Angels Rookie Pioneer League (Missouri State)

The Owlz are keeping Meade in the bullpen after he struggled through five starts. Meade pitched a 1,2,3 inning Monday night. Lefties are hitting under .200 against Meade this season, so it makes sense to use him as a reliever for those lefty-lefty match ups.

J.C. Casey, White Sox Rookie Appalachian League (Missouri State)

Casey pitched three shutout innings of relief for the Appalachian League White Sox this week. This move may be just what Casey needs to find his stuff. He struggled in seven games with the Rookie Pioneer League Great Falls Voyagers, but he has been solid in four games with the Appalachian League squad.

Tyler Clark Detroit Tigers Rookie Gulf Coast League (Catholic HS)

Clark pitched three scoreless innings of relief last week. He has not been scored on since July 11. Clark has 10 strikeouts in his last 6 1/3 innings. Expect Clark to move up a level in September when the big league club starts making changes.

Seth Conner, Blue Jays Rookie GCL (Rogersville HS)

Conner is really seeing the ball well right now. This week he went six for 15 (.400). In two weeks, Conner has raised his average 93 points. He joined the club mid-season so it took him a while to adjust, but Conner has been hitting everything lately. Let’s hope he can keep it up.

Dan Kickham, Detoit Tigers Rookie Gulf Coast League (Missouri State and Glendale HS)

Kickham got his first two career wins this week. He pitched an inning of shutout relief on Saturday to notch his first W and then he came back with two scoreless innings on Tuesday to record another win. Kickham is settling in nicely, his scoreless innings streak is up to 7 2/3 innings.

Wait, I thought they were in pro baseball…

• Former MSU catcher Dallas Hord is on the reserve list in the Florida Marlins system, he has not played since June 3.
• MSU second baseman Kevin Medrano was drafted in the 14th round by St. Louis and is yet to sign.

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

Record: 14-19

Current Homestand: 3-0 vs. Arkansas

The Cardinals swept the Arkansas Travelers, the Texas League North first half champs, in the first half of this homestand. Now they take on the current Texas League North leaders, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

The Cards were dominant in all phases against Arkansas, they outscored the Travelers 25-12. Nick Additon struggled in his return to Springfield, but the bullpen came up huge.

Now they take on a few future Kansas City Royals. The Naturals are one of the most talented teams in the league, they have won four of their last five.

The good

Jorge Rondon

• The Bullpen: The Springfield bullpen has been their Achilles heel this season. The hitting has been there and the starting pitching (for the most part) has been consistent. Against Arkansas this week, the Cardinals bullpen did their Boston Red Sox impression. Cardinals relievers pitched 10 innings and gave up only one run.  In the first game, the Cards bullpen tossed four scoreless innings in a tight 7-5 win. The next day, starter John Gast did the heavy lifting, going eight innings. The bullpen came through again to ensure the sweep with five innings of work on Thursday. Struggling Jorge Rondon turned in 2 1/3 scoreless innings against Arkansas.

• Ryan Jackson, SS: The Cardinals shortstop is hitting .357/.438/.500 with four doubles in his last 10 games. In three games against the Travelers, he had five hits. He has a .281 average on the year and his 26 doubles are the most on the team. Jackson started the season red-hot, and now it looks like his numbers are climbing back. He has also been solid on defense, too, only 14 errors in 101 games.

• Alex Castellanos, RF: A few weeks ago, we thought Castellanos was coming back to Earth after a red-hot start. Lately, Castellanos is proving that his early success was no fluke. In his last 10 games, Castellanos is hitting .419/.457/.860 with a ridiculous six doubles, two triples, three home runs and 10 RBIs. A hamstring has sidelined him for a few games, though.

The bad

Nick Additon

• Nick Additon, LHP: The lefty began the season in Springfield and was dominant. He went undefeated and was moved up to Triple-A in early May. He struggled in Memphis over the next two and a half months. Tuesday he was assigned back to Springfield and he started on Thursday. Additon didn’t make it out of the fourth inning against the Travelers, giving up four runs on seven hits.

Who’s new?

This series’ probable starting pitching matchups

• Today, 7:07 p.m. — NWA, LHP Will Smith (9-7, 3.99) vs. SGF RHP Michael Blazek (9-4, 5.89 ERA)

• Saturday, 6:07 p.m. — NWA, RHP Jeremy Jeffress (0-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. SGF, RHP Shelby Miller (6-2, 2.29 ERA)

• Sunday, 6:07 p.m. — NWA, LHP Chris Dwyer (4-9, 6.34) vs. SGF, RHP Joe Kelly (2-1, 7.04 ERA)

Promotions

• Today — AM Pyrotechnics Fireworks Friday

• Saturday — Hiland Dairy Louie Pillow Mascot Giveaway (first 2,500), 1936 Throw-back Jersey Auciton

• Sunday — Empire Bank Fans Giveaway (first 5,000), Hiland Dairy Ice Cream Sunday, MO National Guard Kids Run the Bases

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Northwest Arkansas Naturals

The Kansas City Royals have the best farm system in baseball according to Baseball America. Six of KC’s top 30 prospects are healthy on the Naturals roster, including three of their top 10 prospects. In the second half of the year, the Naturals are finally playing like the most talented team in the Texas League. They lead the North Division by two games over Tulsa.

Outfielder Wil Myers, shortstop Christian Colon and pitcher Chris Dwyer are all on Baseball America’s list of the top 100 prospects. Myers is the No. 10 prospect in all of baseball and although he is slumping right now (.139 average his last 10 games), he is one of those players you want to get out and see while you have the chance.

The studs

• Christian Colon, SS: The Royals picked Colon No. 4 overall in the 2010 draft and he has been a solid producer this year at Double-A. He has a great eye at the plate, this season he has as many walks as strikeouts (37). He is big league ready in the field, only 11 errors on the year. Also he has seven home runs, two of which came against the Cards last week.

2011: .254/.327/.347, 7 HR, 53 RBI, 37 BB, 37 SO, 16 SB

• Jeff Bianchi, 2B: : Colon’s double-play partner has been seeing the ball well lately. In his last 10 games, KC’s No. 21 prospect is hitting .371/.476/.400. Bianchi missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he got of to a good start this season and was a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star. He does not have much power, but he’s a smooth fielder who can hit for average.

2011: .280/.332/.366, 1 HR, 40 RBIs, 14 SBs (4 CS)

• Other Baseball America Top 30 prospects: No. 2, Wil Myers, OF; No. 8 Chris Dwyer, LHP; No.25, Jake Odorizzi, RHP; No. 26 Derrick Robinson, CF

Texas League Standings

Everyone likes see the local athlete succeed. That’s why we created SGFers in the Bigs, a snapshot of where they are playing and how they are playing. Because it’s likely with all of these athletes, we’ve watched them do something incredible — and now we can all brag on them.

Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (Missouri State)

The Phillies have been on a tear lately, winning seven of their last 10 games. It has, however, been in spite of Howard who is just 8 for 36 (.222) with 12 strikeouts during that stretch. For the Phillies to make a run in October this season, they will need Howard to find his stroke. Good news: he is on a four game hitting streak, so hopefully he’s coming around.

Shaun Marcum, Milwaukee Brewers (Missouri State)

In his last start against the Giants, Marcum looked like the pitcher we saw at the beginning of the year. He went seven innings, giving up two runs and striking out five to beat Matt Cain for his second win in a row. In his previous 22 innings, Marcum had given up 11 walks, but he did not walk any Giants his last time out.

Brad Ziegler, Oakland Athletics (Missouri State)

Ziegler made three appearances and did not give up a single run. Two of those outings came with the A’s nursing small leads. Ziegler has been on a tear since the All-Star break, pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings. He has been a solid middle reliever for Oakland this season.

Jeff Gray, Seattle Mariners (Missouri State)

Gray pitched three innings last week and gave up one run. Gray has seen a lot of action lately. He has pitched 6 1/3 innings since the All-Star break and has only given up one run in that span. Unfortunately there isn’t much for the Mariners to get excited about, since they just extinguished a 17-game losing streak.

Scott Elbert, LA Dodgers (Seneca HS)

Elbert is living the life of a left-handed specialist in a major league bullpen. This week, he faced one batter, Washington’s Jerry Hairston and got him to pop out. Elbert has not allowed a run since July 4. He has been a valuable part of the Dodgers’ bullpen.

Ross Detwiler, Washington Nationals  (Missouri State)

Detwiler pitched 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief, allowing one hit and one walk, against the Dodgers last week. Detwiler got tagged for a couple of runs in a relief appearance July 15, so it was good to see him bounce back. He looks like he belongs on the big league roster

Majors

Minors

——————-

SGFers in the Minors

Lucas Harrell, Houston Astros Triple-A (Ozark HS)

Harell got his first win with Oklahoma City this week. He went seven innings and gave up four hits and two runs. Harrell has made two stellar starts for the Redhawks, it looks like it’s only a matter of time before he gets called up to Houston.

Minors

Majors

Matt Palmer, Los Angeles Angels Triple-A (Missouri State)

Palmer had a great week. On July 20, he tossed 7 1/3 innings, giving up two runs to earn his first win in a month. Five days later, he was even better, giving up one run on six innings to get the win. Palmer also had 16 strikeouts in the wins. Palmer desperately needed a couple of strong outings, hopefully he is back on track.

Minors

Majors

Scott Carroll, Cincinnati Reds Triple-A (Missouri State)

In his last start, Carroll didn’t make it out of the fourth inning, giving up seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits. He has lost four straight decisions and given up at least five runs in each of his last three starts.

Toby Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins Triple-A (Missouri State)

Gardenhire went 3 for 16 (.188) at the plate this week. He was, however, able to draw three walks and steal a base. If Gardenhire makes it to the bigs, it will not be because of his hitting. He is a lot more valuable as a fielder, but he needs to raise his average to have any shot at moving up.

Buddy Baumann, KC Royals Double-A (MSU & Rogersville HS)

Baumann, a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star, was placed on Northwest Arkansas’ Temporary Inactive List on June 26 to make room for big-time prospect Jake Odorizzi. Baumann has yet to return to action.

Pat Doyle, Cincinnati Reds High-A (Missouri State)

Doyle pitched six innings of relief this week, giving up one run and striking out six. On Monday, he got his first win in nearly a month. After a wild couple of weeks in which Doyle bounced around to Double-A and Triple-A, he is back to dominating in High-A like he has done all year.

Mike Kickham, SF Giants Low-A (Missouri State and Glendale HS)

Kickham had a quality start on Monday, pitching 6 1/3 innings, giving up two runs and striking out seven. He still got the loss, however. Apparently the Giants’ High-A club isn’t too much different than the big league squad when it comes to giving run support. Kickham has twice pitched at least five innings of shutout baseball only to get the no decision.

Josh Mazzola, SF Giants Low-A (Missouri State)

The GreenJackets may be struggling to get runs for Kickham, but don’t blame Mazzola. He went on a tear this week, going 11 for 27 (.407) and is riding a seven-game hitting streak. Mazzola also had four doubles and a home run last week. He has been hot and cold with the bat this year so hopefully he keeps this up for a while.

Brett Sinkbeil, Pittsburgh Pirates High-A (Missouri State)

Sinkbeil had a tough week. He lost his start, giving up five runs in five innings. Then he gave up four runs in a three-inning relief appearance. Sinkbeil has alternated between starting and working out of the pen this month and it has not gone too well. In July, he is 0-3 with a 8.38 ERA.

Aaron Meade, LA Angels Rookie Pioneer League (Missouri State)

After a great relief appearance last week, Orem tried Meade out of the bullpen again on Saturday, this time it didn’t go so well. In 1 1/3 innings, Meade gave up three runs and two homers and didn’t record a strikeout. Meade is undefeated this year when he does not give up a home run.

J.C. Casey, White Sox Rookie Appalachian League (Missouri State)

Casey was demoted to the White Sox Rookie Appalachian League. He has made two appearances there, pitching 3 2/3 innings and giving up one run while striking out five. Casey struggled in seven games with the club’s Advanced Rookie team so hopefully he can get his confidence back here.

Tyler Clark Detroit Tigers Rookie Gulf Coast League (Catholic HS)

Clark made three relief appearances this week. He pitched 2 2/3 innings of shut out baseball, allowing one hit and striking out three. The righty has not allowed a run in four straight appearances. He also has a .111 opponent batting average against left-handed hitter this season.

Seth Conner, Blue Jays Rookie GCL (Rogersville HS)

The 19-year-old has been on a tear. In his last 10 games, he is hitting .400/.522/.657 with two home runs, seven RBIs and 10 walks. Conner really struggled early on, but he stuck with it and it certainly looks like he is hitting his stride.

Dan Kickham, Detoit Tigers Rookie Gulf Coast League (Missouri State and Glendale HS)

Kickham has only been called upon to get one out in his last two appearances. In the first one, he also gave up a pair of walks. The second time, he came in, got his out and left. He has not given up a run in five straight appearances, but he is averaging less than an inning every time he comes in.

Wait, I thought they were in pro baseball…

• Former MSU catcher Dallas Hord is on the reserve list in the Florida Marlins system, he has not played since June 3.
• MSU second baseman Kevin Medrano was drafted in the 14th round by St. Louis and is yet to sign.

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

Record: 11-19

Last road trip: 1-3 vs. NW Arkansas

The Cardinals lost three of four to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals their last roadtrip. Let’s hope the Cardinals pitching wakes up at home this week. In four games against the Naturals, the Cardinals gave up 32 runs.

The Cardinals return home this week to take on a couple of Texas League North opponents, the Arkansas Travelers and the Naturals. The Travelers won the Texas League North first half title by a game over the Naturals and the teams have swapped spots so far in the second half. First up for the Cards are three games against Arkansas. The Travelers are the LA Angels Double-A affiliate. The Cardinals will no longer have to contend with Mike Trout, the No.1 prospect in baseball has now moved up to the big league club, but Arkansas still has some of the Angels’ top talent.

The good

Jose Garcia

• Jose Garcia, 2B: Garcia was received from Memphis on June 27 despite tearing it up in Triple-A. In Springfield, it has been more of the same for Garcia. He is hitting .328/.388/.411 and over his last 10 games, he has a .405 batting average. Something tells me Memphis may want the 23-year-old Venezuelan back before the year is over.

• Samuel Freeman, LHP: In his last three relief appearances, Freeman has gone 3 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and no runs allowed. He has had a few shaky outings this year, but hopefully the Texan is putting it all together. On the year, he has a respectable 4.29 ERA. Freeman may be the answer to the struggles Springfield has had in the bullpen.

The bad

Michael Blazek

• Pitching control: the Cardinals pitching staff leads the Texas League in a few undesirable categories. The Cardinals have hit more batters (71) and given up more home runs (124) than any other team in the league and they are also a close second in walks (361). In addition, Springfield has the league’s highest ERA (5.49) Michael Blazek leads the team with 22 home runs given up, seven hit batsmen and 44 walks, but he also leads the team in wins (9), go figure.

Who’s new?

This series’ probable starting pitching matchups

• Today, 7:07 p.m. — ARK, RHP Orangel Arenas (8-5, 3.98) vs. SGF RHP Joe Kelly (1-1, 6.50 ERA)

• Wednesday, 7:07 p.m. — ARK, RHP Eddie McKiernan (4-9, 5.70 ERA) vs. SGF, LHP John Gast (1-1, 5.10 ERA)

• Thursday, 7:07 p.m. — ARK, LHP Drew Taylor (2-7, 4.25) vs. SGF, RHP Scott Schneider (5-8, 6.13 ERA)

Promotions

• Today — Maria’s Steve Carlton Bobblehead Giveaway (first 2,500) and KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night Tickets

• Wednesday — Discovery Center Great Minds at Play Day

• Thursday — “Buck a Brat” $1 Johnsonville Brats

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Arkansas Travelers

On Sunday, the Travelers snapped a seven-game losing streak that took them out of first place in the North. They scored only 11 runs during the skid, which is good news for the Cardinals’ struggling pitching staff.

Six of the Angels’ top 30 prospects, according to Baseball America, are on the Arkansas roster and though Trout is gone, there are still some must-see players like 23-year-old third baseman Luis Jimenez and dominant right-hander Garrett Richards (11-1, 3.23 ERA). This is the last time the Travelers come to Springfield before the last week of the season in September.

The studs

Loek Van Mil

• Loek Van Mil, LHP: Baseball America ranks the Dutch left-hander as the No. 20 prospect in the Angels organization. The reliever has not given up a run in his last 14 2/3 innings. The Cardinals are one of the last teams with a shot to score a run against Van Mil in July, something no other team has done this season. He is really hitting his stride lately, he has given up only six hits this month.

2011: 3-2, 2.52 ERA, 35 2/3 innings, 10 runs, 13 BB, 27 SO.

Luis Jimenez

• Luis Jimenez, 3B: : Jimenez is easily the most dangerous bat in the Arkansas line-up. His 14 home runs, 30 doubles and 74 RBIs are all tops on the team. Jimenez is the Travelers’ only position player in Baseball America’s top 30 list. Luckily for the Cardinals, Jimenez is struggling recently. In his last 10 games, he is hitting just .222 with three RBIs and seven strikeouts.

2011: .292/.341/.500, 14 HR, 74 RBIs, 11 SBs (6 CS)

• Other Baseball America Top 30 prospects: No. 7 Garrett Richards, RHP; No.11, Trevor Reckling, RHP; No. 20 Orangel Arenas, RHP, No. 28 Drew Taylor, LHP

Texas League Standings

Everyone likes see the local athlete succeed. That’s why we created SGFers in the Bigs, a snapshot of where they are playing and how they are playing. Because it’s likely with all of these athletes, we’ve watched them do something incredible — and now we can all brag on them.

Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (Missouri State)

Howard has come out slow in the second half of the season. In four games since the All-Star break, Howard is 1 for 15 with one RBI. Howard is still tied for the NL lead with 73 runs batted in. Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez have stepped up this week, but the Phillies need Howard to break out of this mini-slump.

Shaun Marcum, Milwaukee Brewers (Missouri State)

Marcum got his first win in more than a month Sunday. He gave up two runs in five innings against Colorado. In Marcum’s five previous starts, he was 0-1, but the Brewers lost all of those games. As the team’s No. 2 pitcher, Marcum has to give Milwaukee a chance to win every time he steps on the mound.

Brad Ziegler, Oakland Athletics (Missouri State)

Ziegler pitched in two meaningful situations right out of the All-Star break. On Friday, he came in with the A’s up one and got four outs without allowing a run. The next day, he got the win after pitching a shutout 10^th inning against the Angels. Ziegler was used too often with the A’s losing in the first half of the season, so this was good to see.

Jeff Gray, Seattle Mariners (Missouri State)

The Mariners claimed Gray on May 13 and he pitched four times before the All-Star break. Since the mid-summer classic, Gray has already pitched twice. He pitched 3 1/3 innings of shutout baseball with three strikeouts in two losses to the Rangers. In three July appearances, Gray has a 1.69 ERA.

Scott Elbert, LA Dodgers (Seneca HS)

Elbert was perfect in three innings of relief last week. If Elbert keeps pitching like this, the Dodgers will have to promote him to a more prominent role in the bullpen. Elbert should start to see meaningful duty in lefty-lefty match ups.

Ross Detwiler, Washington Nationals  (Missouri State)

Detwiler made his second relief appearance of the year on Friday and he had the unenviable task of trying to stop the bleeding. Detwiler came in with the Nationas down five in the fifth inning. He gave up two earned runs in the two innings he pitched and the Nats went on to lose 11-1. Detwiler was solid in his one start this season so hopefully he can work his way back into the rotation.

Majors

Minors

——————-

SGFers in the Minors

Lucas Harrell, Houston Astros Triple-A (Ozark HS)

Harrell made his Oklahoma City debut after joining the Astros organization before the All-Star break. He took the no-decision despite pitching five shutout innings. With Houston tied for last in the National League in ERA, Harrell should get a big-league call up in no time.

Minors

Majors

Matt Palmer, Los Angeles Angels Triple-A (Missouri State)

Palmer gave up four runs in four innings his last start with a season-high five walks. Palmer has a ridiculous 3.60 ground out/air out ratio at home. On the road, however, he has struggled to keep the ball down. He has given up eight home runs in seven road games.

Minors

Majors

Scott Carroll, Cincinnati Reds Triple-A (Missouri State)

Carroll’s struggles continued Monday when he gave up five runs in five innings to take the loss. He is 0-3 in his last five starts. Carroll has kept the ball down during the stretch with ground out/air out ratios between 2.00 and 4.33. Carroll was hit hard in the three losses, however, giving up at least seven hits all three times.

Toby Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins Triple-A (Missouri State)

It has been an up and down year for Gardenhire at the plate. He is down right now. In his last 10 games, he has as many strikeouts as hits (6). He is hitting .214 in July, his lowest month of the season. And his batting average is somehow worse (.208) when he gets ahead in the count.

Buddy Baumann, KC Royals Double-A (MSU & Rogersville HS)

Baumann, a Texas League Mid-Season All-Star, was placed on Northwest Arkansas’ Temporary Inactive List on June 26 to make room for big-time prospect Jake Odorizzi. Baumann has yet to return to action, it’s hard to tell what the hold up is.

Pat Doyle, Cincinnati Reds Double-A (Missouri State)

Doyle has been all over the Reds organization the past couple of weeks. He pitched one game in Triple-A and two games in Double-A, but wasn’t too sharp in either location. On July 13, the Reds moved him back to Class-A Dayton, where he started the year. It’s never easy to get demoted but Dayton is probably the best place to play in Class-A. On July 9 they set the North American Professional sports record with their 815^th consecutive sell out.

Mike Kickham, SF Giants Low-A (Missouri State and Glendale HS)

On Monday, Kickham went six innings, giving up three runs to earn his first win since May. The win was a long time coming for the lefty, who had pitched well in a few no-decisions during the winless stretch. Kickham is averaging 1.06 strikeouts per inning this year.

Josh Mazzola, SF Giants Low-A (Missouri State)

Mazzola has 12 strikeouts in his last 10 games. On the year, he is striking out once every 3.88 at bats. That strikeout rate is ok when you’re Ryan Howard, but when you have eight home runs and 32 RBIs, not so much.

Brett Sinkbeil, Pittsburgh Pirates High-A (Missouri State)

Sinkbeil returned to the starting rotation Saturday and didn’t make it out of the fourth inning. He allowed 10 base runners, but only gave up three runs. Sinkbeil’s only win of the year came on June 22 and he hasn’t gone five innings in a start since then.

Aaron Meade, LA Angels Rookie Pioneer League (Missouri State)

On Saturday, Meade made his first relief appearance of the year. He was stellar, allowing one hit over three shutout innings with five strikeouts. Hopefully Meade will find his confidence coming out of the bullpen. He has pitched so much better this season against lefties, so his baseball future may be as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen.

J.C. Casey, White Sox Rookie Pioneer League (Missouri State)

Casey gave up four runs (one earned) in a July 17 outing against Orem. Casey has an 11.37 ERA in four July games. He was sort of thrown in with the wolves, going to High-A Great Falls despite going undrafted. So far, he has yet to find his footing, but hopefully this experience will be helpful in his career later on.

Tyler Clark Detroit Tigers Rookie Gulf Coast League (Catholic HS)

Clark got four outs without giving up a run on Saturday. It was a good bounce-back outing for Clark who was roughed up for four runs in 1 1/3 innings his last time out. Clark has only pitched in five games this year, but it’s never good when you have more walks (7) than strikeouts (6).

Seth Conner, Blue Jays Rookie GCL (Rogersville HS)

Conner is 5 for his last 15 (.333) with two RBIs in his last four games. On Saturday, Conner had a career-best three hits. Hopefully this is the beginning of a run for Conner who has struggled in his first 20 pro games. Of his 16 total bases, he stole three of them.

Dan Kickham, DT Tigers Rookie Gulf Coast League (Missouri State and Glendale HS)

Kickham didn’t allow a hit in two relief appearances last week. He had his best outing as a pro on Saturday, striking out two in a 1,2,3 inning. After a rough couple of outings to start his career, it looks like Kickham is settling in.

Wait, I thought they were in pro baseball…

• Former MSU catcher Dallas Hord is on the reserve list in the Florida Marlins system, he has not played since June 3.
• MSU second baseman Kevin Medrano was drafted in the 14th round by St. Louis and is yet to sign.

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

Second half record: 9-13

Last Roadtrip: 2-2 vs. Northwest Arkansas

The Cardinals lit up the scoreboard last week in Springdale, taking two of four from the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and putting 26 runs on the board during the series. The Cards also got solid pitching performances from top prospects Shelby Miller and Joe Kelly in their two wins.

In Thursday night’s game, starter Michael Blazek pitched well enough to win, but Jorge Rondon gave up four runs in the bottom of the ninth to give Northwest Arkansas the win.

This homestand, the Cards square off against the Tulsa Drillers, the Colorado Rockies Double-A affiliate loaded with top prospects.

The good

• Zack Cox, 3B: It was only a matter of time before Cox started hitting like the Cardinals No. 2 prospect. He is tearing it up of late. Over his last 10 games, Cox is hitting .395/.435/.605 with seven RBIs. Cox is definitely one of those guys who will make you say “Remember when he was in Springfield?” and if he keeps hitting like this, he won’t be here much longer. So get out and see the Cardinals third baseman of the future while you still have a chance.

• Joe Kelly, RHP: Speaking of guys who you will be watching in the big leagues one day, Kelly was dominant against Northwest Arkansas last week going eight innings and allowing three hits and two runs. The Cardinals No. 10 prospect, Kelly, struggled in his Springfield debut against Midland, giving up seven earned in four innings, but now he looks like he has found his groove. It’s must-see baseball whenever Kelly or Shelby Miller takes the mound for Springfield.

The bad

• Jorge Rondon, RHP: It looked like Rondon was putting it all together in the bullpen. He went four straight relief appearances without giving up a run starting on July 3. But he had a major setback in Springdale on Thursday. In the bottom of the ninth, Rondon gave up four runs and only recorded one out for his third blown save of the year. With the Cardinals hitting like they are and the starting pitching coming together, the bullpen is the only question mark.

Who’s new?

This series’ probable starting pitching matchups

• Today, 7:07 p.m. — TUL, TBD vs. SGF, RHP Scott Schneider (4-7, 5.42 ERA)

• Tuesday, 7:07 p.m. — TUL, TBD vs. SGF, RHP Michael Blazek (9-3, 5.26 ERA)

• Wednesday, 7:07 p.m. — TUL, TBD vs. SGF, RHP Shelby Miller (5-1, 2.08 ERA)

• Thursday, 7:07 p.m. — TUL, TBD vs. SGF, Joe Kelly (1-1, 6.75 ERA)

Promotions

• Today — Fazoli’s Four Pack Monday

• Tuesday — KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night Tickets

• Thursday — Cline Dental Cardinals Garden Gnome Giveaway (first 2,500), “Buck a Brat” $1 Johnsonville Brats

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Tulsa Drillers

Baseball America ranks the Rockies farm system 10^th best in baseball, and nine of the organization’s top 30 prospects are on the Tulsa roster. The Drillers have arguably the best defensive catcher in the minor leagues in No. 2 prospect Wilin Rosario. They may also have the best power hitter in CF Tim Wheeler, who is third in the minor leagues with 26 home runs.

To go along with those two, the Drillers also have four highly-regarded pitchers. The Drillers finished a game ahead of Springfield in the Texas League North first half standings and they sit a game ahead of the Cards so far in the second half.

The studs

• Christian Friedrich, RHP: The Drillers have not announced their pitching rotation this week after Esmil Rogers was promoted. But most likely, Friedrich will pitch either Wednesday or Thursday against either Shelby Miller or Joe Kelly. It’s not everyday, you get to see two top prospects duel it out at Hammons Field. Friedrich has 77 strikeouts to only 24 walks and the lefty has not allowed more than 3 runs in any of his last 10 starts.

2011: 6-6, 3.75 ERA, 77 k, 24 BB, .271 BAA

• Tim Wheeler, CF: The Rockies No. 21 prospect leads the Texas League with 26 home runs. He can also hit for average, .312, and he has 15 stolen bases. Wheeler is the total package and when he’s hot, look out. He has five multi-home run games this year. He is one of the most exciting every day players in minor league baseball, keep your eye on number 7 all week.

2011: .312/.392/.610, 26 HR, 73RBIs, 15 SBs (9 CS)

• Other Baseball America Top 30 prospects: No. 2 Wilin Rosario, C; No. 10 Hector Gomez, SS; No. 14 Casey Weathers, RHP; No. 15 Rob Scahill, RHP; No. 25 Cory Riordan, RHP; No. 28 Ben Paulsen, 1B; No. 29 Thomas Field, 2B.

Texas League Standings

Brian Walton

Should the Cards acquire a relief pitcher? A starting pitcher? A shortstop? How good are Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez and Matt Adams? With the Major League Baseball trade deadline on the horizon, there are few better than TheCardinalNation.com’s Brian Walton to talk about all things St. Louis Cardinals.

Walton was a recent guest on The High Road with Allen Vaughan where the two talked about everything involving the Cardinals, including prospects you should know about below Double-A Springfield. Walton has been a huge part of Scout.com’s Cardinals coverage and can be currently found at FoxSportsMidwest.com and has his own radio show every Friday at KXNO 1460 AM in Des Moines, Iowa.

You can stream the interview below, download it, or subscribe to the TAG Magazine ITunes feed by clicking here.

Everyone likes see the local athlete succeed. That’s why we created SGFers in the Bigs, a snapshot of where they are playing and how they are playing. Because it’s likely with all of these athletes, we’ve watched them do something incredible — and now we can all brag on them.

Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (Missouri State)

Howard went on a mini-tear before the All-Star break. In his last five games, Howard was 8 for 23 (.348) with five RBIs. It’s hard to overstate Howard’s importance to the Phillies, he has been their go-to bat all year. In games in which he has more than one hit, the Phillies are 20-5.

Shaun Marcum, Milwaukee Brewers (Missouri State)

Marcum was solid in his last start. He gave up three runs in six innings but settled for a no-decision when the Brewers lost in extra-innings. Marcum has not won a start since June 12 against the Cardinals. Over his last five starts (two of them shortened by injury), Marcum has a 6.43 ERA.

Brad Ziegler, Oakland Athletics (Missouri State)

This week, Ziegler made two appearances, pitching three innings and giving up two runs. Ziegler turned in a solid first half of the year. He did not give up a home run and has walked only 10 in 32 1/3 innings. Five of his last six appearances came in games that Oakland was losing so hopefully he sees more meaningful duty in the second half.

Jeff Gray, Seattle Mariners (Missouri State)

On Saturday, Gray made his first appearance since June 11. He pitched two innings and gave up one run in a 9-3 loss to the Angels. It’s good to see Gray pitching again. He was not on the disabled list, so it’s hard to know why he went almost a month between appearances.

Scott Elbert, LA Dodgers (Seneca HS)

Elbert came in with Dodgers down one to the Mets in the seventh inning last Wednesday. He was perfect in one inning with a strikeout. Elbert did not give up a run in six of his last seven appearances. The lefty specialist has yet to give up a home run this year.

Ross Detwiler, Washington Nationals  (Missouri State)

After tearing up Triple-A this year, Detwiler finally got called up to the big leagues last week. He got the win in his first start of the year, pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings before Aramis Ramirez went yard on him. Four days later, Detwiler pitched two innings of shutout relief in a close loss to the Rockies.

Majors

Minors

——————-

SGFers in the Minors

Lucas Harrell, Houston Astros Triple-A (Ozark HS)

On Friday, Harrell was claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros. Harrell was dominant with the White Sox’s Triple-A team this year and he had two stints in the big leagues. He said on The High Road with Allen Vaughan Monday that he will be inserted into the staring rotation for Triple-A Oklahoma City this weekend. Harrell seems poised for a breakthrough so hopefully we will see him in an Astros uniform soon.

Minors

Majors

Matt Palmer, Los Angeles Angels Triple-A (Missouri State)

Palmer lost his third start in a row last Wednesday, giving up six runs in seven innings. Palmer had seven strikeouts in the game, but also gave up 11 hits. Palmer has had a rough go of it this year in the minors. When your opponent batting average (.339) is higher than Ichiro Suzuki’s career average (.328), that’s not a good sign.

Minors

Majors

Scott Carroll, Cincinnati Reds Triple-A (Missouri State)

Carroll struggled in his start last Friday, giving up five runs in six innings. Between May 31 and June 18, Carroll went 4-0 in four starts and looked poised for a call up. In his four starts since then, Carroll is 0-2 with a 5.33 ERA.

Toby Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins Triple-A (Missouri State)

Over his last 10 games, Gardenhire is hitting .207 with seven strikeouts and one walk. If Gardenhire gets a call up this year it will be because of his versatility. His primary position is second base, where he has a .991 fielding percentage this year, but he has also played short stop, third base, two outfield positions and catcher.

Buddy Baumann, KC Royals Double-A (MSU & Rogersville HS)

On June 26, Baumann lasted only two innings in a start against the Arkansas Travelers. Five days, he was placed on the team’s temporarily inactive list, when the Jake Odorizzi moved up to Double-A. Baumann has been stellar for the Naturals this year and he was eligible to return on July 4, so it’s hard to tell what’s going on.

Pat Doyle, Cincinnati Reds Double-A (Missouri State)

Doyle has bounced all around the Reds system recently. He tore it up in Single-A this year, made an emergency appearance in Triple-A, giving up two runs in two innings. Finally he has settled in Double-A where he has made two appearances. Doyle was solid his first time out in Double-A, pitching 1 1/3 innings of shutout baseball. His next outing didn’t go so well, Doyle was roughed up for five earned in one inning.

Mike Kickham, SF Giants Low-A (Missouri State and Glendale HS)

Kickham got the no-decision his last time out, giving up four runs in six innings. He struck out eight but also gave up two home runs. Kickham has not won a start since May 23, despite two starts in which he went at least five innings and did not give up a run.

Josh Mazzola, SF Giants Low-A (Missouri State)

Mazzola is working on his power stroke. In his last seven games, Mazzola has two home runs and five RBIs. On the flip side, he has also struck out 10 times during that stretch. Mazzola has been solid in the field this year, he has only five errors this year, despite playing four different positions.

Brett Sinkbeil, Pittsburgh Pirates High-A (Missouri State)

Sinkbeil made two appearances last week, one as a starter and one out of the bullpen. He pitched 5 2/3 innings all together and gave up six earned runs. In his 1 1/3 innings relief appearances, Sinkbeil had five walks and let six runs in, two of them charged to him.

Aaron Meade, LA Angels Rookie Pioneer League (Missouri State)

In his last start, Meade gave up seven runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 innings. His team rallied to win 10-9 in the bottom of the ninth and save Meade his third straight loss. Meade has yet to get a win and has lasted more than five innings only once in five starts. If he continues to struggle as a starter, he might find his niche as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen. Lefties are hitting only .188 against him.

J.C. Casey, White Sox Rookie Pioneer League (Missouri State)

Casey took his second loss of the year on July 6 when he was roughed up for five runs in 1 1/3 innings. Four days later, Casey gave up one run on three hits in one inning against Helena. Walks have been a bit of an issue for Casey, he has seven walks with only eight strikeouts.

Tyler Clark Detroit Tigers Rookie Gulf Coast League (Catholic HS)

Clark got roughed up in his last outing, giving up four runs in 1 1/3 innings with three walks and a home run. Though Clark is a right-handed reliever, he has actually been tougher against lefties. He has faced eight lefties this year and only given up one hit.

Seth Conner, Blue Jays Rookie GCL (Rogersville HS)

Conner has yet to find his groove in 15 games as a minor leaguer. He had his best game of the year by far on July 5, going 2 for 3 with a double, a home run and four RBIs. In four games since then he is hitless with five strikeouts.

Dan Kickham, DT Tigers Rookie Gulf Coast League (Missouri State and Glendale HS)

Kickham made a relief appearance on July 12 , giving up a run and three walks and only getting one out. He has given up four runs in 1 1/3 innings as a minor leaguer after the Tigers drafted him in the 33^rd round this summer.

Wait, I thought they were in pro baseball…

• Former MSU catcher Dallas Hord is on the reserve list in the Florida Marlins system, he has not played since June 3.
• MSU second baseman Kevin Medrano was drafted in the 14th round by St. Louis and is yet to sign.
• Former MSU and SGF Cardinals pitcher Matt Frevert retired on July 4.

Ozark native Lucas Harrell has a new uniform to wear.

Just three days after being claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros, Ozark High School grad Lucas Harrell was a guest on The High Road with Allen Vaughan Monday.

If you missed the news Friday, Harrell was outrighted off the Chicago White Sox’ 40-man roster and was claimed by the Astros. It’s given the 26-year-old Ozark native a new opportunity, and he’ll start his ascent back to the big leagues at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

During his radio appearance, Harrell talked about starting over with a new organization, consistency in his sinkerball and a tremendous story about playing himself in a video game.

You can download or stream the interview below, and you can subscribe to the TAG Magazine ITunes feed by clicking here.

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

Record: 5-10 (second half)

Current homestand: 1-2 against Frisco

This homestand, the Cardinals square off against two  Texas League South Division teams in Frisco and Midland. Frisco took two of three from the Cards in the first half of the homestand. Shelby Miller got the start in the first game of the series and gave up one run in a 3-2 Cardinals win. In the next two games, the Cardinals gave up 20 runs and lost twice.

This is your last chance to see the Midland RockHounds, the Oakland Athletics’ Double-A affiliate. The RockHounds have lost their last four games, but they still have Grant Green the most highly touted infielder in the A’s organization. Most believe that the A’s farm system is in a re-building phase and the RockHounds’ 27-43 record in the first half of the season did little to quiet the doubters.

The Good

• Jermaine Curtis, DH: Celebrating his 24th birthday on Sunday, Curtis has the best eye on the Springfield roster. He has 20 walks with 21 strikeouts. Curtis struggled in 23 games with the Cardinals last year, but the 2008 fifth rounder has settled in this year. His line is an impressive .287/.387/.407. He has been tearing it up in the second half of the season, hitting .407 in his last 10 games. The downside, Curtis has just three home runs this year, not enough for a DH.

• Charles Cutler, C: Cutler has played in only 30 games this season, but he’s made the most of them. He is hitting .352 with 14 RBIs. Cutler was picked nine rounds after Curtis in 2008 and that year they were both New York-Penn League Mid-Season All-Stars. On the defensive side, Cutler has caught 30 percent of would-be base stealers. Cutler was called up to Springfield late last season and struggled but he has been red-hot through 88 at bats this year.

The Bad

Schneider

• Scott Schneider, RHP: The 23-year-old has been very inconsistent over the last month. He has followed great starts with terrible ones. Last week was no exception. On July 2, Schneider faced Frisco on the road and went six innings giving up one run. Six days later the Roughriders came to Springfield and tagged Schneider for 10 runs (5 earned) in 3 1/3 innings. Schneider obviously has the ability to shut teams down, he just needs to do it on a consistent basis.

• Jose Rada, RHP: The Venezuelan tore through the minor leagues last season. He had a 1.42 ERA in 14 appearances for the Quad City River Bandits. He started this season in Palm Beach, but last only two games before he was promoted to Springfield. Since joining the Double-A club, Rada has hit the first bump in his career, he has a 6.75 ERA in 32 games. In his last appearance, he gave up four runs in 2 2/3 innings and he went on the DL July 5.

Who’s new?

This series’ probable starting pitching matchups

• Today, 6:07 p.m. — MID, RHP Gary Daley (3-1, 2.72 ERA) vs. SGF, RHP Joe Kelly (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

• Monday, 7:07 p.m. — MID, RHP Jason Bergmann (0-5, 8.54 ERA) vs. SGF, RHP John Gast (1-0, 4.15 ERA)

• Tuesday, 7:07 p.m. — MID, RHP Shawn Haviland (2-28, 7.34 ERA) vs. SGF, TBA

Promotions

• Today — Rick’s Automotive Pink Drawstring Bag Giveaway (first 2,500), Pink Cardinals Jersey Auction, Hiland Dairy Ice Cream Sunday, Missouri National Guard Kids Run the Bases.

• Monday — Fazoli’s Four Pack Monday

• Tuesday — KRAFT Singles Tuesday Night Tickets.

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Midland RockHounds

Five of the A’s top 20 prospects are on the Single-A roster in Stockton so the RockHounds are a year away from being one of the most loaded teams in the Texas League. For now, they still have Green the 2009 first rounder who was a Texas League Mid Season All-Star this year. The RockHounds roster is full of players who are not highly-touted but are still performing at a high level. First baseman Michael Spina has been a reliable power hitter for the RockHounds. The 2009 11th round pick leads the team with 10 homers and 52 RBIs and he is hitting .300 over his last 10 games.

The studs

• Grant Green, SS: Baseball America has Green as the No. 3 prospect in the Oakland organization and he is certainly playing like it. Green, who is hitting .288/.350/.401, will play in the Futures Game this week so I’m not sure if we will see him in Springfield. If he makes it to Hammons Field, fans are in for a treat. Green has been Mr. Consistent since being drafted by Oakland. He hit over .300 in his first two years in the minors and he is not far behind that in his first year of Double-A duty. Green leads the team with 21 doubles.

(Editor’s note: Crap, Green is out of town at the Futures Game, MLB’s All Star game for the best prospects in the game.)

2011: .288 BA, .350 OBP, .401 SLG, 21 2B, 40 RBI, 4 HR, 28 BB, 68 K

• Stephen Parker, 3B: Green’s sidekick on the left side of the infield is not as heralded as the shortstop. But the 2009 fifth rounder has been solid for the RockHounds this year. The Utah native is the A’s No. 24 prospect according to Baseball America and he is hitting the ball well this season. In his last 10 games, Parker has been smoking the ball, hitting .389/.488/.472. Parker has struggled making contact at times, his 73 strikeouts are second most on the team.

2011: .275 BA, .353 OBP, .406 SLG, 16 2B, 8 HR, 48 RBIs, 38 BB, 73 K

• Other Baseball America Top 30 prospects: No. 5 Pedro Figueroa, LHP

Texas League Standings

Ozark native Lucas Harrell is now property of the Houston Astros.

Ozark High School alum Lucas Harrell might just have received the break his professional baseball career needed. The 26-year-old righthanded pitcher was claimed off waivers Friday by the Houston Astros.

Harrell has been pitching very well for the Charlotte Knights, the Chicago White Sox’ Triple-A club, and was called up to the big leagues twice this season. But, in a move to clear room off the 40-man roster, Harrell was placed on waivers and the Astros — the team with the worst record in baseball — claimed him.

The Ozark native and 4th round pick in the 2004 draft is excited for the opportunity — and knows a change of scenery might be the best thing for him.

“I was pitching very well, but I’m happy to go somewhere with a lot of tradition,” Harrell said. “They are struggling, but we’re going to try to get back to the (Craig) Biggio and (Jeff) Bagwell days.”

So far in 12 Triple-A starts, Harrell is 7-3 with a 3.27 ERA in 74 1/3 innings, striking out 56 and waling 26. In 3 big league appearances, Harrell has a 7.20 ERA in 5 innings, allowing 11 hits, striking out 5 and walking 1.

Harrell said he was unsure of his next assignment, whether it was Triple-A Oklahoma City or to the big leagues. When searching Harrell’s name in the MiLB database, it says he is on Oklahoma City’s roster. Harrell will be a guest on The High Road with Allen Vaughan at 2:20 p.m. Monday on Jock98.7 FM or streaming live here at TAGsgf.com

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

Record: 4-8 (second half)

Last roadtrip: 1-2 at Frisco; 2 -1 at Midland

On their last road trip, the Cardinals split two series with Texas League South Division opponents Frisco and Midland. Both teams come to Springfield this week, starting with Frisco, for the team’s first homestand since the All-Star break.

This is your last chance to see the Frisco Roughriders. They are the Texas Rangers’ Double-A affiliate and they are not short on pitching. The Roughriders have three of the organizations top four prospects, and they’re all pitchers. The Rangers’ No. 1 prospect is 20-year-old lefty Martin Perez, who is scheduled to start Saturday.

The Good

Eric Duncan

• Eric Duncan, 2B: Duncan came into the league with a lot of hype, he was drafted right out of high school by the Yankees in the first round. In 2005, he hit 19 home runs and Baseball America called him the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect. Four mediocre years later, he was released. Since then he has bounced around with different teams and different positions, but it looks like he may have found a home at second base in Springfield. Duncan has rediscovered his power stroke with 10 homers this year. In his last 10 games, Duncan is hitting .316 with four home runs.

• Michael Blazek, RHP: The former 35^th round pick has been Springfield’s best pitcher this year not named Shelby Miller. The Texas League All-Star has not been dominant this season, but he has been solid and that is more than you can say for most of the Cardinals staff. At 9-3 Blazek has had a nose for the win column. He won his last two starts, giving up four earned on 11 innings with 13 strikeouts. He has 43 strikeouts in his last 42 2/3 innings.

The Bad

Kevin Thomas

• Kevin Thomas, RHP: The 2008 33^rd rounder got roughed up his last time out. On July 4 against Midland, he gave up 11 runs and didn’t make it out of the second inning. In his last six starts, he is 0-5 with a 18.90 ERA. In May it looked like Thomas might be putting it together, he had a 1.21 ERA in five starts that month, but he has struggled since.

• The Cardinals at home: Entering this homestand, the Cardinals have the worst home record in the Texas League this year at 17-23. Corpus Christi has six fewer wins than the Cardinals, but they are stlll a game better at home. Hopefully they can deliver for the home crowd this week.

Who’s new?

• St. Louis Cardinals reliever Eduardo Sanchez will make a rehab appearance in Springfield on Thursday

• 1B Matt Adams returned from the DL on June 24 (he went on the DL June 5)

Southpaw pitcher John Gast

• LHP John Gast was promoted from Palm Beach on June 27

• INF Jose Garcia was received from Triple-A Memphis on June 27

• C Travis Tartamella was activated from the DL July 4

This series’ probable starting pitching matchups

• Today, 7:07 p.m. — FRI, RHP Carlos Pimentel (3-5, 4.84 ERA)vs. SGF, RHP Shelby Miller (4-1, 1.89 ERA)

• Friday, 7:07 p.m. — FRI, RHP Joe Wieland (0-0, 1.64 ERA) vs. SGF, RHP Scott Schneider (3-6, 5.30 ERA)

• Saturday, 6:07 p.m. — FRI, LHP Martin Perez (4-2, 3.19 ERA) vs. SGF, RHP Michael Blazek (9-3, 5.31 ERA)

Promotions

• Today — “Buck a Brat” $1 Johnsonville Bratwurst

• Friday — Missouri Lottery Baseball Bingo, AM Pyrotechnics Friday Night Fireworks

• Saturday — Great Southern Paint-Your-Own Louie Bobblehead (first 2,500)

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Frisco Roughriders

In 2009, Baseball America ranked Texas’ farm system the best in baseball. Last year, the Rangers had the No. 2 minor league system. They had to dip into their minor league reserves during last year’s World Series run, but they still entered this year with the No. 14 farm system.

Frisco is where the Rangers are storing their aces. Of the organizations top 17 pitching prospects, 6 are Roughriders, including their top three Martin Perez, Tanner Scheppers and Robbie Erlin. We should see Perez make a start and Scheppers come out of the bullpen this week at Hammons Field.

The studs

• Martin Perez, LHP: Baseball America ranks the lefty as the No. 24 prospect in baseball and the best in the Rangers organization. The Rangers were sad to see Cliff Lee go this offseason, but it hurts a little less knowing they have this lefty in their system. The 20-year-old played in the Texas League All-Star Game and is on the Futures Game roster this year. Good timing for the Cards, Perez has struggled in his last four games, going 0-2 with a 4.98 ERA.

2011: 4-2, 3.19 ERA,  82 K, 36 BB, .245 BAA.

• Tanner Scheppers, RHP: The former first round pick was called up to Double-A on June 19 and he did not give up an earned run in his first 6 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. The Cardinals were the first team to get to Scheppers, they roughed him up for three runs in less than an inning on June 30. Eric Duncan hit a two-run homer off of Scheppers, the only one he’s surrendered all season at any level. The Rangers No. 3 prospect, he played in last year’s Futures Game.

2011: 1-0, 3.86 ERA, 12 K, 4 BB, .194 BAA

• Other Baseball America Top 30 prospects: No. 4 Robbie Erlin, RHP; No. 5 Engel Beltre, CF; No. 22 Joe Wieland, RHP; No. 23 Fabio Castillo, RHP; No. 26 Jose Felix, C; No. 30 Jake Brigham, RHP.

Texas League Standings

Everyone likes see the local athlete succeed. That’s why we created SGFers in the Bigs, a snapshot of where they are playing and how they are playing. Because it’s likely with all of these athletes, we’ve watched them do something incredible — and now we can all brag on them.

Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies (Missouri State)

His 67 RBIs are the second most in the NL, behind MVP frontrunner Prince Fielder. Howard is still tied for fifth in the NL in home runs, despite going deep only once in his last 11 games. His 93 strikeouts in 85 games are cause for concern, especially since he doesn’t have to face the Phillies pitching staff.

Shaun Marcum, Milwaukee Brewers (Missouri State)

Marcum’s last four starts likely cost him a spot on the NL All-Star roster. He is 0-1 in his last four starts (two of them shortened because of a hip injury) and has given up five home runs during that stretch. Still, Marcum would have been a deserving pick to represent the Brewers in Arizona next week. Maybe after his grand slam yesterday NL captain Prince Fielder will pick him to be on the league’s home run derby team.

Brad Ziegler, Oakland Athletics (Missouri State)

Ziegler saw some meaningful duty this week and pitched well. On Friday, he pitched a shutout inning with the A’s leading the Diamondbacks and on Monday he struck out the only batter he faced in a 2-1 loss to the Mariners. Ziegler has not allowed a run since taking his first loss of the year on June 22 when he hit the Mets Justin Turner with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 13^th.