Although short-sighted analysis would have suggested otherwise, St. Louis Cardinals centerfielder Jon Jay and third baseman David Freese weren’t going to struggle at the plate forever.

Cardinals fans quickly became anxious about both players in April as Jay struggled to a .213 batting average, and Freese was even worse at .163 as he returned from an oblique injury he suffered in spring training.

But Jay is now hitting .273, including four homeruns while playing very solid defense, and Freese has bumped his average up to .211 heading into play Saturday, including a grand slam for his first homerun of the season in the first inning Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Plus, each is likely to improve from here.

Jay is a career .298 hitter, and Freese has a career average of .289 and averages 16 homeruns per season.

Sometimes players simply get off to bad starts. That’s no reason to wish for centerfield prospect Oscar Taveras to take Jay’s job or for the Cardinals to trade Freese.

Sure, neither Jay nor Freese are likely going to be All-Stars this season and neither figures to have the much potential to be a Most Valuable Player candidate in their careers, but they are vital pieces of the Cardinals’ team.

For example, the Cardinals had a 15-11 record in April while Jay and Freese struggled. That’s good, and bullpen problems played a large role in at least four of those losses, but the Cardinals also got minimal production from their centerfield and third base positions, which are traditionally two of the most important offensive positions on the team.

Once the calendar turned to May, the Cardinals went on an 11-3 surge as Jay and Freese started to hit the ball better.

Jay’s improvement came from adjustments in his swing. He has always been a singles hitter, but his approach at the plate included a lot of movement in his hands. That allows ample opportunity for his timing to get messed up and creates a lot of unnecessary movement.

But Jay made the required adjustments. He now holds the bat up straighter in his stance and has a more direct approach to the ball. And now he looks like a hitter who could bat .300, which is the type of batter Cardinals fans remember from Jay’s first three seasons with the team.

Freese’s development has been a little slower. He did have a five-game hitting streak last week but had only one hit in each of those games. However, he’s been recovering from the oblique injury, and those types of injuries tend to linger, not to mention the twisting motion required to hit puts stress directly on the injury part of his body.

In any case, the signs of progress from both players are welcome for the Cardinals, and they could help power the team through an extended stretch of winning baseball.

The Cardinals entered play Saturday with a 27-14 record, the best in Major League Baseball, and that could get even better because of the team’s upcoming schedule.

The Cardinals beat up on non-divisional opponents in the current home stand by winning five of seven games against the Colorado Rockies and New York Mets. Now they’ll head to the West Coast to play the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, who had a combined record of 35-46 heading into play Saturday and were the bottom two teams in the National League West Division.

The Cardinals already had a strong team with consistently great performances by their starting rotation and sections of their lineup hitting well, but they could continue to contend for the best team in baseball title throughout the summer if players such as Jay and Freese join the run-production party as the weather warms up.

All it took was smart, steady work, and a little bit of patience.

It’s easy for Kansas City Royals fans to become cynical when the team is playing yet another meaningless September and likely another losing season. But this year, three of the Royals Minor League affiliates are in the playoffs: the short season Rookie Burlington (NC) Royals, the High A Wilmington (DE) Blue Rocks and the AAA Omaha (NE) Storm Chasers.

The Burlington Royals won the Appalachian League East division 41-25 and played a three game series against the Johnson City Cardinals, a Cardinal affiliate. The Royals won the series two games to one, advancing to the three game League Championship Series against the Elizabethton Twins, a Twins affiliate. The Royals and Twins split the first two games, the Royals winning 3-2 in the first contest and the Twins winning the second game 4-3.

The final game was at Elizabethton and with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Royals were ahead 6-1 and were one out away from winning the championship.

Then Kansas City Royals luck struck the Burlington Royals. The Twins had a walk, a hit batsman scored a run, a wild pitch scored another run and then a three run homer tied the game 6-6. The Royals would get the final out and extra innings would decide the winner of the contest. But in the bottom of the 12th, the Twins got three walks before first baseman D.J. Hicks hit a grand slam, winning the final Appalachian League Championship game 10-6.

It was a crushing loss to the Burlington Royals, but the good news was only 573 people saw the final game and it will prepare the young Royals for disappointment. Yes, I’m cynical, but that’s what Royals fans do.

Class High A Wilmington won the Carolina League Northern division with a 37-33 second-half record. Yesterday the Blue Rocks started a three game Division Championship series against the Lynchburg Hillcats, a Braves afilliate, who was a first-half Northern division winner. The Blue Rocks lost the opening game of the series 8-0 at Wilmington. The winner of the series will face the winner of the Winston-Salem Dash (CWS) and Myrtle Beach Pelicans (TEX) series for the Carolina League Championship.

The last time the Blue Rocks were in the playoffs was in 2009, when they had players like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Johnny Giavotella, Louis Coleman, Danny Duffy and Everett Teaford on the team. By the way, the 2009 Blue Rocks lost in the first round of the playoffs against the Hillcats.

The third Royals affiliate to make the playoffs are the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers. The Chasers won the Pacific Coast League title last season and this year they won the American Northern division with a 83-61 record. Yesterday, the Chasers opened a best of five game American Conference Championship series against the Dodgers affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes and as of 10pm Wednesday, the Chasers were ahead 8-4.

The Chasers have top prospects Jake Odorizzi and Baseball America and USA Today Minor League Player of the Year Wil Myers, along with solid minor leaguers Irving Falu, Clint Robinson, Mitch Maier and Nathan Adcock. And current Royals Johnny Giavotella, Everett Teaford, Will Smith, Vin Mazzaro, Tony Abreu and David Lough contributed to the Chasers successful season.

If the Chasers win the series, they will face the winner of the Reno Aces (ARI) Sacramento River Cats (OAK) for the Pacific Coast League Championship in a best of five game series.

It’s encouraging, but despite some of the current Royals players having Minor League playoff experience, it hasn’t translated to winning in the Major Leagues. The playoff success of the Royals minor league teams shows the strength of the farm system, but that success hasn’t translated to the Major Leagues yet.

Time will tell if the Blue Rocks and Storm Chasers win their league titles or go down like the Burlington Royals. The Blue Rocks and Storm Chasers have one thing on their side. They aren’t named the Royals. Sorry, I’m being cynical again. But that’s what Royals fans do.

Minor League baseball is truly a joy.  Seeing a combination of players that may or may not be the next best thing in your organization can carry a feeling of something special on any given night.

Last night in Omaha, the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, the stars aligned in a way that happens very seldom.  A combination of rehabbing major leaguers, top prospects, and an ace level starting pitcher just starting his 2012 conditioning converged on Werner Park to put on a show for a sell-out crowd.

Roy Oswalt would toe the mound for the visiting Round Rock Express, finding Royals prospect Jake Odorizzi opposing him in relief of another rehabbing major leaguer, Everett Teaford.  The Storm Chasers’ lineup would feature Chris Getz and Salvador Perez beginning their rehab assignments for the parent club as well as one of the top professional hitters at any level, Wil Myers.  The game would not disappoint in any way, especially for the home crowd.

After Teaford got his work in over two innings, Odorizzi would throw six and two-thirds innings of one run baseball to ensure a win for the home team.  Odorizzi would string together 10 strikeouts over only two walks on his way to a victory over the opposing ace.  Roy Oswalt?  He did not fare so well.

The third inning would be the downfall of Oswalt as he would give up a lead-off double to Anthony Seratelli he would get one out before surrendering three consecutive base hits loading the bases.  With bases juiced full of Storm Chasers, Wil Myers stepped to the plate.  In just 18 AAA games, he has already hit five home runs, adding to his 13 home runs in 35 AA games this season.  His 19th homer of the season would come on a 2-0 count as a grand slam off one of the most successful major league pitchers in recent memory.

The Storm Chasers would put a win on the board with a final score of 7-2 over the Round Rock Express.

Our favorite Royals photographer, Minda Haas, was on hand last night in Omaha to catch all the action and fun.  Below you will find a photo gallery of 50 pictures from Minda, with everyone from Teaford and Myers to Sal Perez and Roy Oswalt featured.  Enjoy the look at a truly special night through a very talented eye.

Feel free to use the buttons below to scroll through all the photos.

Anthony Seratelli Double Down The Line

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All rights reserved by Minda Haas

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.
Follow him on Twitter here.

It’s been an interesting major league career for Alex Gordon. The player proclaimed as the next George Brett, a can’t miss prospect, almost became the next Clint Hurdle, the Royals late 70′s can’t miss prospect who did miss.

It started out so well. After a stellar collegiate career at the University of Nebraska, the Royals selected Gordon as the second overall pick of the 2005 draft, part of a class that included Justin Upton, Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki. In 2006, Gordon debuted in AA Wichita, with a .325/.427/.588 line with 23 home runs and 101 RBI. With no real third base options at the major league level, the Royals proclaimed Alex Gordon as their starting third baseman in 2007.

And what a debut it was! Opening day at Kauffman Stadium against the Boston Red Sox with Curt Schilling on the mound. Bottom of the first inning, bases loaded and Alex Gordon, the Kansas City Royals savior, the next George Brett, was at bat. Wouldn’t it be great if he hit a grand slam, or at least got a hit? Instead, he struck out swinging after seven pitches.

After a while, the rumblings began. Gordon strikes out a lot. He has poor plate discipline. There’s holes in his swing. He has trouble against left-handed pitching. He doesn’t look comfortable at third. While Gordon had a solid 2007 and 2008, He didn’t look like the superstar player the Royals and their fans expected.

In 2009, a hip injury limited Gordon to 49 games on the majors and 30 games in the minors. Gordon hit .232/.324/.378 in the majors, while averaging .327/.427/.588 in the minors.

Then in 2010, it became worse. Gordon broke his thumb in spring training, which started a disastrous season. Gordon played in 74 games in the majors, with a career low .215/.315/.355 line. Another hot third base prospect was on his way, Mike Moustakas. Billy Butler was firmly at DH and Eric Hosmer was on his way as the future first baseman. It appeared Gordon’s career was fading away, with nowhere to go.

So the Royals did what a baseball manager does when a kid can’t play: send him to the outfield. After recovering from his thumb injury and playing 12 major league games, the Royals sent Gordon to AAA Omaha to learn how to play the outfield. He eventually came back to KC, playing 55 games in left and three games in right. It was a last ditch effort to salvage what was a disappointing career. Maybe Gordon wouldn’t be a superstar, but maybe he could be a solid, if not spectacular outfielder.

Everything clicked in 2011. Gordon played in 151 games, 148 of them in left field. He didn’t get hurt and batted .303/.376/.502, hit 23 home runs and lead the American League in outfield assists with 20. He also led the league in fielding percentage with .911, winning an AL Gold Glove his first year as an outfielder. The improvements were dramatic.

So what happened to make 2011 Gordon’s breakout season? Gordon worked with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer after the 2010 season to rebuild his swing, changing his batting stance, his swing path and his approach to the plate. These adjustments improved his average against left-handed pitchers to .278/.358/.471 in 2011 compared to his previous high of .234/.312/.317 in 2008. Gordon hit well and got on base enough for manager Ned Yost to make him the lead-off hitter. Gordon also worked on his outfield skills, like fielding balls hit to the outfield during batting practice. This led to Gordon being more comfortable in left field, having more time for the ball to come to him and make plays.

But will Gordon’s performance carry over to 2012? Seitzer worked with Gordon during the off-season and wants him to cut down on strikeouts. Gordon’s 2012 spring training numbers are .426/.476/.685, which are good, but it’s the regular season that matters. It does appear Gordon has found his stride and if he stays healthy, 2012 could be like 2011.

Another question is will he stay with the Royals? Gordon recently signed a one-year deal for $4.775 million, avoiding arbitration. The Royals made a long-term offer to Gordon’s agent, Casey Close, but the discussions are on hold. Gordon becomes a free agent in 2014 and with Gordon’s breakout 2011 season, the Royals would like to sign Gordon to a long-term deal. But if Gordon continues to play well, will the lure of free agency be too much? If the Royals can’t sign Gordon to a long-term contract in 2013, he’s likely to become a free agent.

Alex Gordon has become the player the Royals and their fans expected him to be. It just took a few years, a position change and hard work by Gordon and the coaches to get there. Gordon will not be the next George Brett. He’s going to be the next Alex Gordon.

So who’s this big, burly guy mashing the ball all over the ballpark for the Cardinals the first week of Grapefruit League play, you ask?

That would be Matt Adams, and the 6’3”, 230-pound lefty is no joke. I won’t go off the deep end on you and overblow four days’ worth of relatively meaningless spring training games (though he is hitting .417 with a grand slam and 7 RBI), but what I will tell you is this guy can hit.

Obviously, how much success Adams will carry over to the big league level one day is yet to be determined, but based on his track record in the minor leagues, Cardinals fans should be on the edge of their seats to see this guy play. In 2009, Adams broke into the Cardinals organization hitting .355 over half a season playing rookie ball and Low-A, with 10 HRs and 52 RBI in just 63 games. The next year in High-A, the first baseman hit .310 with 22 HRs and 88 RBI. And last year in Double-A Springfield, Adams went deep 32 times and drove in 101 RBI in just 115 games.

Translation: Adams would be averaging 35 HRs and 131 RBIs per season over a 162 game schedule. His minor league career average is .316.

His presence in the lineup is undeniable. Every time he walked to the plate last year at Hammons Field in Springfield, MO, you could sense a buzz in the crowd. He’s easily the most legitimate deep-threat that’s come through the system in the past decade, and let’s not forget that the Cardinals’ minor league system has produced the likes of Allen Craig and Colby Rasmus, who combined for more than 150 career home runs before breaking into the big leagues.

It’s hard to say exactly when fans could first see Adams playing in St. Louis. For this year, the Cardinals have Lance Berkman penciled in at first base, with Allen Craig ready to step in fulltime should Berkman go down with a lengthy injury. But the 36-year-old Berkman is more of a temporary stopgap in the wake of Albert Pujols’ departure, and likely won’t be a part of the Cardinals’ organization more than another couple of years. With Berkman currently signed to a 1-year, $14 million contract, Adams may get a crack at the starting job as soon as next year if he continues to mash the ball in the minors.

It will be interesting to see how Adams continues to play throughout the course of spring training. He’s off to a hot start, and if he keeps it up for another few weeks, there’s an outside chance he could make the opening day roster. Skipping Triple-A isn’t unprecedented, especially at first base.

I seem to remember another Cardinals first baseman who made the jump past Triple-A about a decade ago. What was his name again? With any luck, Matt Adams will help Cardinals fans forget.

The United Cardinal Bloggers puts together monthly projects and post ideas for the group of us to chime in on.  Next month will start another run of round-table discussions, a personal favorite.  This month they have asked us each to summarize our top five iconic moments in St. Louis Cardinal history.

That’s a lot of history to pour through, even for a historian like myself.  My top five will be moments that I personally remember, whether on television or in attendance, that are ingrained in my mind and truly define my love for that franchise.

Number Five: Where 1998 Started
A lot of writers will plug in the great home run chase into their top fives, but I’m not sure many would utilize Opening Day of the 1998 season.

As a fan, it is one of my favorite games to attend.  The fanfare and celebrations around the city are a holiday like no other.  From the parade of champions to the player introductions, it is a ballgame that rivals any other.  In 1998, long before anyone realized the special season we were about to witness, the player we would all cheer for to chase the unreachable record would start things off in grand style.

During a scoreless game entering the bottom of the fifth inning, Dodger starter Ramon Martinez would find himself in some trouble.  A lead off double to Gary Gaetti followed by a base hit by Tom Lampkin would have runners at the corners with no one out.  Back-to-back strikeouts of Cardinal hurler Todd Stottlemeyer and lead off man Royce Clayton had Martinez back on top.  When the Dodger pitcher failed to retire Delino DeShields, Mark McGwire stepped to the plate with the bases full.  The one ball, no strike pitch to McGwire landed deep in the left field seats, an opening day home run in front of a crowd of just under 48,000.  The city of St. Louis would erupt in the middle of the game and while home runs 61, 62 and 70 would not only be etched in the record books, it was the opening day grand slam that I was in attendance for that started it all.

Number Four: The Passing Of The Guard
A tumultuous few years seen a Cardinals franchise changed forever.  Fan favorite manager Whitey Herzog would leave, former popular player Joe Torre would arrive and take the reigns of a team that had very little support from upper management, and a new era would be ushered in with the arrival of Tony LaRussa.

Tony would stick around for a long time, making decisions that would make the most die hard fan question his methods, only to find that his methods lead to victories, and championships, along the way.  The biggest change, and the one that most fans could not bring themselves to move past, happened after the arrival of LaRussa, however.

Prior to that arrival, in 1992, franchise legend Ozzie Smith had filed for free agency.  By December, the team had reached an agreement on what was being called a “Lifetime Contract”.  That contract guaranteed the short stop three million dollars a year and automatically renewed the following season if he reached a modest amount of plate appearances.  The contract also included a $500,000 signing bonus, payable upon retirement, and a 10-year personal services contract.

in 1996, with the arrival of Tony LaRussa, Walt Jocketty, and a new ownership, the team reached an agreement with former Giants short stop Royce Clayton.  It was the beginning of the end for the man known as “The Wizard”, Ozzie’s playing time was cut drastically and his contract would not roll over.  While Ozzie had reached the age of 41, many fans believed him still capable of handling the position and was forced out of the league by the new regime.  Ozzie would retire after the season and enter the Hall Of Fame later as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, but the decision to remove him from the short stop position in St. Louis was the single most iconic personnel change in my life at the time.

Number Three: Go Crazy Folks
On a personal note, my family moved to Missouri in 1985.  I was a young, eight year old boy that was just truly discovering the beauty of the game.  That summer, I attended a Cardinals game against the Chicago Cubs and had fallen in love with the beauty of listening to the game on the radio.

I was sitting on the living room floor, not to far from our console television, with the sound on mute so that we could hear Jack Buck instead of the national announcers.  I can remember the feeling of anxious anticipation with Ozzie at the plate.  No one, not one baseball fan anywhere, can say honestly that they expected what happened next.

Angela at Diamond Diaries explains that reprinting the words and recounting the scene does not do it justice.  The moment, as provided by Ozzie Smith, was shared by Jack Buck.  It was the combination of the two that created a moment in my mind that will live forever.  Without Jack’s call, it was a great walk off moment.  But with Jack Buck on the mic and Ozzie Smith hitting his first home run of the year from the left side of the plate, the moment became iconic.

Number Two: Grief
It is hard to believe that number two on our countdown will have happened 10 years ago by this summer.

I remember the news on June 18, 2022 announcing the passing of a man that I had grown to idolize.  The reason I wanted to write and do radio and continue being around this game was Jack Buck.  The sight of him, frail and suffering, in front of a crowd days after the September 11th tragedy was hard to watch and harder to process.  Legends like him are not supposed to die.  When he passed away, I wept openly.  A man I had never met face to face, yet I felt I spent a portion of my adult life with, was gone and I reacted as if he was family.  Because he was.  One of my first articles for Baseball Digest contained the simple phrase “I miss Jack Buck…” and I don’t think I have written another line with as much feeling as I did that day.

As iconic of a moment as the passing of Jack Buck was, it was four days later that the moment came to close in Chicago.  Settling in to watch a game with the Cubs, I could not understand what the delay was.  The game was delayed but there was no rain and the announcers were not saying why, other than an emergency.  A tearful Joe Girardi, the Cubs catcher and team captain at the time, approached a microphone near the plate and announced that the game would be postponed due to “a death within the Cardinal family”.  We would later find out that Darryl Kile, the Cardinals ace of their pitching staff, had lost his life in his hotel room the night before.  Ironically, Kile’s last pitching performance was a 7-2 Cardinal victory over the Anaheim Angels on the day Jack Buck passed away.

In four short days, the Cardinals family had been shaken to the core.  The moment, all four days of it, is etched in our minds.

Number One: We Will See You Tomorrow Night
Maybe it ranks this high because it was so recent.  Maybe it is because I am a sucker for announcers.  Maybe it is because of who I watched the game with.  Maybe it is all of those reasons.  However you count it, this past post season was magical.

The night of Game Six was amazing, no doubt.  From the game tying hits, the come from behind moments, and the “they just won’t go away” moments, it was an emotional roller coaster ride that I had never experienced as a fan.  The end of the game, however, is what ensured that I would never forget it.

David Freese would send the crowd home happy with a game winning home run to center field that would fit the mold of the season.  A game-six, walk off home run was enough to make it iconic.  What came across the television cinched it as a moment I will never forget.  When I heard Joe Buck exclaim as the ball landed in the grass beyond the center field wall, “We will see you …. tomorrow night,” I immediately commented that he used his father’s call.  A moment for the ages suddenly spanned a generation of fans.  It brought back memories of Jack.  It created a new found respect for Joe.  It wasn’t forced.  It didn’t feel scripted.  It simply flowed across the screen and then, as friend Bob Netherton points out, he and Tim McCarver did the thing that most broadcasters fail to do.  They shut up.  The let the fans at home be overflowed with the emotion of the moment and share in the joy of the fans at the park.  Cardinal Nation, from coast to coast, was united.  It was an amazing, and iconic, feeling.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Thursday morning the BBWAA official Twitter feed announced which Hall of Fame candidates the Veterans Committee will consider. The complete list: Buzzie Bavasi, Ken Boyer, Charlie Finley, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, Allie Reynolds, Ron Santo, and Luis Tiant.

Of the men on the list, two stand out to me: Ken Boyer and Jim Kaat. Kaat played for the Cardinals, but it was the last 3 years of his career. He was a member of the 1982 World Champs, but played the majority of his career in Minnesota.

Ken Boyer, on the other hand, played the majority of his career in St Louis, and was one of the key members of the 1964 World Champs. He happens to be the only Cardinal with a retired number who is not in the Hall of Fame. Boyer should be in the Hall, not solely to clear that historical footnote, but because he was really good.

How good was Ken Boyer? He finished in the MVP top 20 every year from 1958 through 1964. Four of those years (1959-1961, 1964) he finished in the top ten, and won the MVP in 1964. Boyer’s 119 OPS+ from 1955 to 1965 is seventh best among me with at least 5500 at bats during those years, and the men ahead of him on that list are all in the Hall of Fame. A third baseman, he won five Gold Gloves while with the Cardinals.

That 1964 season was definitely his best. His MVP award was the first one one by a NL third baseman in almost 50 years. After leading the Cardinals to an improbable NL pennant, he won Game 4 of the Series with a Grand Slam, and contributed 3 hits to the Cardinals Game 7 triumph, the last Fall Classic ever played at Sportsman’s Park.

Like Ted Simmons, another Cardinal who didn’t get much HOF consideration five years after he retired, Boyer’s HOF case may have been hurt by hanging around too long. He won that MVP at age 33 with a 130 OPS+. In the years that followed, plagued by back problems, he never again cracked 110. Boyer played one more season with St Louis, then bounced around the majors for several seasons, playing for the Mets, White Sox, and Dodgers.

He retired following the 1969 season. At the time of his retirement, only Eddie Mathews had hit more HR as a third baseman.

The problem guys like Boyer face is the dwindling number of people who were alive to see him play. Those of us at this end of the timeline are reliant on what we read, what we see World Series highlight DVDs, and whatever we can cull from his statistical record. Boyer has never had a lot of support amongst the BBWAA vote – he peaked with 25.5% of the vote in 1986 – but the peers he played with clearly perceived him to be one of the elite players in baseball.

There are several men on this year’s list who have good cases for election. Ken Boyer is one of those men.

Mike Metzger is an I-70 contributor. He maintains a blog about the San Diego Padres. Follow him on Twitter.

SPRINGDALE, AR – Will Smith and Kelvin Herrera’s combined no-hitter that featured a triple play is up for vote in an online competition hosted byminorleaguebaseball.com that seeks to determine the best game at the Double-A classification from this past season.

On July 19^th, Smith, the Naturals’ ace combined with hard-throwing reliever Kelvin Herrera to no-hit the Arkansas Travelers in North Little Rock. The occasion marked the first no-hitter in the four-year history of the Naturals.

In the sixth inning, Smith allowed his only two baserunners as he walked the first two batters. Next, ninth-place Travelers’ hitter Alberto Rosario grounded into a 5-4-3 triple play, also a franchise first. Following the game, the Naturals, along with assistance from the Elias Sports Bureau and the Texas League, determined that neither in Major League history nor Texas League history has a triple play been turned during a no-hitter.

Further, the Naturals’ media relations department failed to find any evidence of the feat ever having been accomplished in professional baseball history. The game received attention from both statewide media in Arkansas as well as media in Kansas City, and was featured as a Top Ten play on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

Naturals fans may also want to cast a vote in the ‘best team’ category, as the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, fresh off their Pacific Coast League Championship and berth in the Triple-A National Championship game, are up for that award.

Omaha players Luis Mendoza (best starter) and Lorenzo Cain, who’s cycle and seven RBI game landed Omaha in the running for Triple-A’s best game. Former Natural Salvador Perez’ third grand slam in the span of a week in late July came with Omaha; that game is also in the running for Triple-A’s best game of the year. And former Naturals’ slugger Kila Ka’aihue’s September 10^th homer that sent the Storm Chasers to the PCL Finals is up for the vote for one of the best homers this season across the minors.

Fans can visit nwanaturals.com and click on the media wall link and cast their vote. Voting concludes on October 20^th.

Texas League News and Notes from the Past Week

Players report to Fall League: Naturals’ outfielder Wil Myers along with several of his teammates, including shortstop Christian Colon, left-hander Brendan Lafferty, right-hander Jeremy Jeffress, and infielder Anthony Seratelli are all unpacking again, this time in Surprise, Arizona. Next week they’ll begin their season as the Royals’ representatives with the Surprise Saguaros, the Royals’ co-op affiliate in the AFL. Seratelli is a roster replacement for former Naturals’ first baseman and Texas League Triple-Crown winner Clint Robinson, who had surgery for a sports hernia and is headed to Arizona to rehab this weekend. The Fall League commences on October 4^th.

Playing for your country: A handful of Naturals are involved with their respective countries as they make preparations to compete in the 2011 Pan American Games. The competition will occur October 14^th-30^th in Guadalajara, Mexico. Tim Smith and Jamie Romak are once again teammates with Team Canada, andMario Santiago along with former Natural Irving Falu are expected to play for Puerto Rico. Former Diamond Hog Drew Smyly, who finished the season with the Detroit Tigers’ Double-A club, will play for Team USA as will Travelers’ pitcher Matt Shoemaker, the reigning Texas League Pitcher of the Year.

This will be the 16^th edition of the Pam American Games. The eight qualifying teams (USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Mexico) were determined through the qualifying tournament held last summer. Cuba has won the past eight Pan American Games dating back to 1971.

Instructional Insights: The Royals once again this season are fielding two clubs in Arizona this fall, not including the players with the Fall League team. They partner with the Texas Rangers for a Surprise-based “Advanced League” club and also have the regular Instructional League club which all teams typically field. The “Advanced League” club is where former Diamond Hog Brett Eibner, Naturals’ left-hander Kevin Chapman, and other players that spent all or part of 2011 with full-season Class-A clubs are placed, while the regular Instructional League roster features younger players including those drafted this past June.

Major League veteran, former Natural and Springdale resident Vance Wilson is managing one of the clubs, while former pitchers Devon Lowery and Julio Pimentel – both Naturals in 2008 – are serving among the coaching staff. Naturals’ clubhouse/equipment manager Danny Helmer is also in his second season working as an equipment manager in the Instructional League.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

The fine folks at the Northwest Arkansas Naturals provide us with a brief rundown of the Royals farm system every week. The details are listed below:

Triple-A

As the regular season enters its final month, the Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) appear to be rounding into form. The club when 6-1 over the last week, carrying an active six-game winning streak into Thursday’s game against Sacramento. The Storm Chasers have outscored their opponents 45-12 in those six games, a sign that the team is firing on all cylinders. Omaha has now opened up a six-game lead in the PCL’s American Northern Division.

Who’s Hot

Another week brings another standout performance for second baseman Johnny Giavotella, who went 5-for-6 against Oklahoma City on Sunday and followed that performance with a three-hit game two days later. With 33 doubles, a .391 on-base percentage and 72 RBI, Giavotella is beating down the door to Kansas City. Also swinging a hot bat is Lorenzo Cain, who has now hit safely in eight of his last nine games and drawn seven walks in that span. Catcher Salvador Perez has made a strong first impression at Triple-A, as he connected on a grand slam in his third game with Omaha and is hitting .286 through his first week at the level.

Who’s Not

It’s hard to find fault with much that the Storm Chasers did last week, but Vin Mazzaro allowed four runs in just 3 2/3 innings of work his last time out. Irving Falu is one of the only Omaha hitters who did not put together a great week, as he is just 4-for-18 in his last five games.

Double-A

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Texas League) continue to be one of the streakier teams in the system, as the club followed a stretch of 10 wins in 12 games with five losses in their last seven. Despite going 2-5 last week, the Naturals managed to regain sole possession of first place in the North Division’s second half standings with Wednesday’s win at Tulsa.

Who’s Hot

Found more often in the “Who’s Not” section this year, left-hander Chris Dwyer has turned his season around over his last three starts. Dwyer has won all three and allowed a total of five runs in those games, as he tossed seven innings of one-run ball on Sunday against Springfield. A reason for his success is improved control, as Dwyer has struck out 19 while walking five in those three games. Outfielder Paulo Orlando has a 10-game hitting streak as of the writing of this report, racking up four hits on July 31. Orlando has tripled in each of his last three games and is hitting .386 through 17 games in his return to Double-A.

Who’s Not

Though he turned it around with a quality start and win on Wednesday night, Will Smith could not get out of the fifth inning on July 29, allowing a season-high nine runs on 10 hits against Springfield. Also on the mound, Jeremy Jeffress could not harness his control in Saturday’s start, as he walked five in 3 2/3. Though he did go deep for the first time in over a month on Tuesday, Wil Myers does not have a multi-hit game since July 21 as his batting average has dipped to .246.

Class-A Advanced

After fading in the middle part of July, the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) rebounded last week, going 4-2 in the last seven days. The team still has plenty of work ahead of them, though, as they trail first-place Frederick by 10 games in the second half standings and would need to erase a six-game deficit to snag a potential wild-card spot from the Potomac Nationals.

Who’s Hot

Though he went 0-4 on Wednesday, outfielder Yem Prades is riding an impressive string at the plate. He had collected hits in nine straight games, including four two-hit games, a pair of three-hit games and a four-hit game. Prades also scored at least one run in every game during his streak, raising his batting average from .255 to .303 in the process. Tim Melville turned in the club’s best pitching performance of the week as he spun seven scoreless innings against Kinston on July 29, striking out five with just one walk.

Who’s Not

Melville’s success was not shared by rotation mate Tyler Sample, who has now allowed five or more runs in each of his last four starts. Sample allowed six runs on eight hits and four walks last time out, pitching just 4 1/3 against Winston-Salem on Tuesday. At the plate, outfielder Carlo Testa was just 3-for-19 last week and has not homered since July 9.

Class-A

The Kane County Cougars have put that mid-July five-game losing streak in the rear view mirror with back-to-back solid weeks. The Cougars went 5-2 since last week’s report, continuing their impressive second-half turnaround. Unfortunately for the club, the Quad Cities is just as hot, as the River Bandits lead Kane County by a game in the Western Division second half standings.

Who’s Hot

Brett Eibner has showed off his power in stretches this season but may now be starting to harness his ability into overall production. The former Arkansas Razorback has hits in eight of his last nine games, including five hits in his two most recent contests. With impressive plate discipline (29 walks in 50 games), and power (.457 slugging percentage), Eibner’s numbers will look even better if and when he starts hitting better than his current .220 clip. Starter Greg Billo continues to blow away the Midwest League, firing six innings of one-run ball in his last start. Billo now has 97 strikeouts and just 21 walks to go along with his 1.48 ERA.

Who’s Not

Catcher Juan Graterol did have two hits on Wednesday night, but that snapped a stretch of six consecutive hitless games, during which Graterol went 0-for-21 at the dish. He has just two extra-base hits in 80 at bats for Kane County. In the rotation, Santiago Garrido has allowed four runs over five innings in each of his last two starts, though he is 1-0 in those games thanks to the Cougars’ offensive output.

Short Season/Rookie

The Idaho Falls Chukars (Pioneer League) had lost three straight games heading into last week’s report, then won three straight before losing another three in a row in the early stages of the league’s second half. The 3-3 week puts the Chukars at 18-24 overall and 1-3 in the second half of the season.

Who’s Hot

Second baseman Michael Liberto may be listed at just 5’7”, 170 lbs, but that hasn’t stopped him from raking in the Pioneer League this year. Liberto has a 10-game hitting streak at the writing of this report and is batting .366 in his first 23 games with the Chukars. Reliever Edwin Carl did allow two runs in as many innings in his last appearance but has still been Idaho Falls’ most effective hurler, boasting a 1.57 ERA through 14 appearances with the club.

Who’s Not

Shortstop Adrian Martinez has not swung the bat as well as the other half of Idaho Falls’ double-play combo has. Martinez was just 3-for-16 at the plate last week and is batting .227 for the Chukars with just three extra-base hits. On the mound, a move to the bullpen has not helped right-hander Robert Penny, who has given up 12 runs in a total of four innings over his last three appearances.

The Burlington Royals (Appalachian League) went 2-4 last week, falling further behind in the league’s East Division. At 16-26 overall and eight games out of first, the Royals need an August turnaround if they want to have the postseason in their future.

Who’s Hot

Justin Trapp has perhaps been the team’s hottest hitter over the past month, and the 20-year-old continued that theme this week. He recorded three two-hit games and clubbed a pair of homers as well. Burlington’s best starting pitcher this season, Matt Ridings, delivered his longest outing of the year as he tossed six innings of one-run ball against Bluefield on July 29.

Who’s Not

It was not a good week at the plate for popular slugger Murray Watts. Watts was just 2-for-20 at the plate, though he did draw seven walks to contribute to the club’s offensive effort. After his torrid start to the Appy League season, Watts has just one home run in the last two weeks. Talented prospect Robinson Yambati has not found a rhythm to this point in the season and endured his worst outing of the year on July 28, as was tagged for seven runs and did not get out of the first inning.

Down in the southwest, the AZL Royals (Arizona League) have shared a similar fate to their Short Season and Rookie brethren this season. The club went 3-3 last week but is just 14-21 overall.

Who’s Hot

Nick DelGuidice has kept up his remarkable pace into August, as he is currently hitting .414 for the club. DelGuidice has recorded at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games and has totaled 13 doubles in 30 contests this season. Fellow outfielder Terrance Gore also has hit well of late, as five hits in the last two games have pushed his batting average to .375. Reliever Sam Runion has given up just one earned run in his first six appearances in complex league play.

Who’s Not

Everyday first baseman Brian Gaylord has yet to get his bat going this season and is just 1-for-19 at the dish in his last four games. Reliever Casey Edelbrockallowed seven earned runs over 3 2/3 innings in his first two outings, part of a pitching staff that has an unsightly 6.97 ERA.

Former Naturals outside the Kansas City organization

The Major League Baseball trade deadline impacted one former Natural in particular, as Juan Abreu was part of the package that the Atlanta Braves sent to Houston in exchange for outfielder Michael Bourn. Abreu made his debut for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, allowing a run in two innings of work. He now joins several other former Naturals in the Pacific Coast League, as Blake Johnson fired 3 2/3 scoreless innings for Colorado Springs last week while Corey Smithwas just 2-for-14 at the plate for Albquerque.

Reliever Dan Cortes may be back in the PCL at some point, but for now he is on the Seattle Mariners’ active roster. Called up in just before the deadline, Cortes yielded a run in two innings over two apperances for the Mariners since last week’s report.

Down in the Southern League, Ernesto Mejia led the parade of former Naturals on the Mississippi Braves’ roster with three two-hit games last week. Mejia is now batting .302 with 28 doubles and 17 homers for the M-Braves. Shortstop Ed Lucas has a seven-game hitting streak, and is hitting .255 for the club. In the Mississippi bullpen, Rowdy Hardy worked a pair of scoreless outings in the past week while Ben Swaggerty has not pitched since last week’s report.

Elsewhere across affiliated ball, Chris McConnell picked up a pair of multi-hit games last week for Harrisburg, the Nationals’ Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League. One level below, Jose Duarte is hitting .252 for the Jupiter Hammerheads but was placed on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to July 30. Also in the Florida State League, Harold Mozingo has a 2.25 ERA through five games with the Dunedin Blue Jays.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.

The fine folks at the Northwest Arkansas Naturals provide us with a brief rundown of the Royals farm system every week. The details are listed below:

Triple-A

The Omaha Storm Chasers (Pacific Coast League) endured their first rainout in a month in the midst of a key series against their division rival Memphis Redbirds. Omaha split that four-game series and went 3-3 during the last week, remaining atop the PCL’s American Northern division by a game and a half.

Who’s Hot

One of the unheralded but valuable arms on Omaha’s roster is Luis Mendoza, who has gotten into a groove of late. After beginning the season in the bullpen, Mendoza moved to the rotation and has allowed just two runs in his last three starts combined. His 2.75 ERA tops all PCL qualifiers and he was recently named to the league’s All-Star team. Joining Mendoza on the All-Star team is Johnny Giavotella, who had three multi-hit games last week to raise his average to .323. Somewhat lost in the Royals’ logjam at first base, Kila Ka’aihue punctuated a solid week with a walk-off grand slam on Tuesday.

Who’s Not

Joaquin Arias finds himself in a rough stretch. While it is tough for any utility player to get into a consistent rhythm, Arias has just one hit in the last five games he has started and his batting average has fallen to .194 with a .215 on-base percentage. Former Natural Paulo Orlando is also in a bit of a slide at the plate, as he also has just one hit in his last five games. Infielder Lance Zawadski has gone hitless since June 23^rd and is 0 for his last 10.

Double-A

The Texas League All-Star break came at a good time for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, who could use the time off to recharge their bats after last week’s series against the Arkansas Travelers. The Naturals were shut out in three of those four games and have not won since last week’s farm report, falling to 1-5 in the second half of the season.

Who’s Hot

Southpaw Chris Dwyer has been a tough-luck loser in his last two starts. Against the Travelers this past Saturday, Dwyer allowed just a run on four hits over 5 2/3 innings and did not issue a walk. It was Dwyer’s first walk-less outing this year and could be a sign of things to come. One player whose bat did not go cold is Wil Myers, who had three doubles last week. In the bullpen, Kelvin Herrera (1.61 ERA, 28 K/1 BB) and Kevin Chapman (0.77 ERA, 13 K/4 BB) continue to mow down opposing batters.

Who’s Not

Anthony Seratelli had an absolutely torrid June that tapered off a bit toward the end of the month, as the switch hitter went 1-for-15 in his last four games before the All-Star break. Tim Smith is in the midst of a 1-for-13 slump since his 12-game hitting streak, though both Smith and Seratelli should be able to get their bats going again in short order. Edgar Osuna had a rough outing in his most recent start, allowing six runs in just four innings against the Tulsa Drillers.

Class-A Advanced

The Wilmington Blue Rocks (Carolina League) started the 2011 season on a roll but faded toward the end of the first half. Though the team is just 3-4 in the second half, they find themselves in a three-way tie for first in what is a jumbled Northern Division. The Blue Rocks have lost four of their last five games and will look to turn things around this week.

Who’s Hot

Outfielder Nick Francis continues to deliver for Wilmington. Francis hit safely in all but one game last week and had four multi-hit games in that span. Despite spending nearly a month in Double-A, Francis is one off the team lead with seven home runs. Right-hander Tim Melville has pitched well of late, as he allowed just one run and struck out six in his last start. Noel Arguelles was a tough-luck loser on Wednesday as he tossed 6 2/3 innings and gave up just two runs while striking out four. Arguelles has impressed with his control, only walking five batters this season.

Who’s Not

Whit Merrifield has just one hit since last Thursday, going 1-for-22 in that span. Also struggling at the plate is catcher Jose Bonilla, who does not have a hit in his last three contests and is now batting .222. By and large, Wilmington’s pitching staff had a solid week, though reliever Glenn Gibson allowed three runs in one inning during his most recent appearance.

Class-A

The Kane County Cougars (Midwest League) are off to a scorching start in the second half of the season. Despite beginning the half on the road, Kane County went 5-1 last week, tying them with Beloit for first place in the league’s Western Division in the early stages of the second half.

Who’s Hot

Brett Eibner had a pair of three-hit games last week and hit four home runs in that span as he continues to put his early-season thumb injury behind him. Eibner is still hitting just .206 this season but is certainly trending upward. Brian Fletcher matched Eibner with four home runs last week and had a seven-game hitting streak that earned him Midwest League Player of the Week honors. Right-hander Leondy Perez allowed just an unearned run over seven innings in earning his second win of the season.

Who’s Not

Kane County’s 3.60 team ERA is in the top third of the league, though reliever Mitch Hodge has allowed at least two runs in his last three appearances. Offensively,Yowill Espinal has yet to see his batting average climb above .200 since late April, while Alex Llanos is just two for his last 15.

Short Season

The Idaho Falls Chukars’ (Pioneer League) 2011 season got off to an inauspicious start, as the team lost 20-0 on opening day and 12-4 one day later. Since then, though, the Chukars are 5-3 and sit at .500 through the first week and a half of their season.

Who’s Hot

Infielder Daniel Mateo has hit in each of the seven games in which he has played, carring a .407 average and a .448 on-base percentage into Thursday’s action.Runey Davis has a six-game hitting streak of his own and has hit one of the team’s three home runs. On the mound, Brian Peacock fired four scoreless innings to earn the save against Orem on Monday.

Who’s Not

Henry Moreno is one of the few Chukars who is off to a slow start with the bat, as the first baseman is hitting .211 and has struck out 16 times without drawing a walk. On the mound, Jose Sanchez and Brian Penny have both had a pair of rough starts, as the two players have yielded seven or more runs in each of their first two starts this season.

The Appalachian League has not been kind to the Burlington Royals this season, as the club is 1-8 through the first week and a half of play. In particular, the Royals have struggled away from home, going 0-6 on the road to this point in the year.

Who’s Hot

Though he has yet to homer, right fielder Jovan Pickett leads all of his Burlington teammates with a .353 batting average through nine games. Much of the team’s power has come from slugging first baseman Murray Watts, who has four of the team’s 10 home runs. The team’s lone win was earned by right-hander Jason Mitchell, who tossed five scoreless innings against Pulaski on Tuesday.

Who’s Not

Angel Baez retired just one batter in his first start of the season and has allowed four runs in both of his outings. The 20-year-old Dominican native did pitch into the fourth inning his last time out and will look to build from there. The Royals’ left fielder, Cameron Conner, is hitting just .185 in the early going while infielder Justin Trapp is at .206.

Playing under the lights to escape the sweltering Arizona heat, the AZL Royals (Arizona League) are just 2-6 in the early stages of complex league play and are looking to stem a four-game losing streak entering Thursday’s action.

Who’s Hot

A few young players are off to strong starts with the bat, as 19-year-old Jerico Blanco is hitting .480 while Travis Lane (.450) Nicholas Cuckovich (.424) and Nick DelGuidice (.400) all at or above the .400 mark. On the mound, reliever Parker Bangs has a team-high nine strikeouts through his first three outings.

Who’s Not

The AZL Royals have an unsightly 8.23 team ERA to this point, as Christian Witt (2.1 IP, 13 ER), Fernando Cruz (3.2 IP, 8 ER) and Brian Edelen (6.1 IP, 10 ER) will look to shake off slow starts. Offensively, Kevin David has just two hits through his first 16 at bats, while Rainier Bello (.154) and Carlos Garcia (.172) have also struggled early on.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.