Minus the venerable veteran Joakim Soria, the Kansas City Royals bullpen had to have felt about like a college pitching staff last season. The primary contributors ranged in age from 21 to 25.

Whether by choice or by default, the Royals stocked their bullpen with rookies and rolled the dice last season. The results were mixed, but the experience gained gives KC much to be excited about going into 2012.

Greg Holland was the most effective setup man of the bunch.

“It was just a lot of fun,” Holland said of being part of such a young bullpen. “I think with being a young team we have a lot of camaraderie that I don’t know if a lot of other teams have.”

Holland leads a group of relievers, including Crow, Louis Coleman, Tim Collins, Blake Wood and Nate Adcock, who were barely old enough to buy a beer to celebrate victories last season. He said the group’s experience winning together at the minor league level could help them be successful in KC.

“We’ve been through highs and lows, all the way from the time we were drafted to being on the same (minor league) teams all the way up to the major league season.

“We’re young, but we expect to win,” Holland said at a recent Royals caravan stop. “I think being young, we’re ready to go out there and raise the bar.”

And no young reliever is generating more enthusiasm than Holland. While Aaron Crow got the most publicity and the all-star invitation, Holland quietly impressed those who know pitching best.

None other than Jeff Montgomery, media analyst and former Royals all-star, is singing Holland’s praises.

“He certainly has proven to himself, and to his teammates and to the organization, that he has the stuff to do whatever they want him to do as a major league pitcher,” Montgomery said recently, stating that Holland has all the makings of a big league closer.

A rocky big league baptism in 2010 forced Holland to begin last season in Omaha, but a promotion wasn’t long in coming.

While the other rookies ran hot and cold, Holland was consistent and effective from the moment he was promoted in May. In 60 innings, Holland surrendered just a .933 WHIP and struck out 74. His 1.80 ERA was by far the best of any Royal with more than 15 innings pitched.

Strikeouts have always been a part of Holland’s game. Unfortunately, so have control issues. Holland credits his ability to get ahead of hitters for the improvement.

“I got my first call-up in 2010, and my problem was not getting ahead in counts,” Holland said. “I was falling behind and then having to be too predictable. You know, 2-0 fastballs are a lot easier to hit than 0-2 fastballs.

“I knew, and the coaches knew, and the front office knew, that I had the stuff to be good. It was just how long is it going to take me to figure out how to get ahead. I really worked on it and got better at it and was able to do it for pretty much the whole year.”

Holland said he might have had more success than his bullpen mates because he learned to control his thoughts on the mound.

“I don’t have it all figured out, but I know I was able to control myself,” Holland said. “When things start going bad, it’s always better to give up one run than two runs. And you’re going to give up runs. So you’ve got to stay calm so that you don’t compound those mistakes.

“You see guys get amped up in those situations and then you walk a guy and that leads to an extra run. Being able to control your emotions helps a lot.”

Montgomery points to mechanics when describing Holland’s closer-type stuff.

“Everything he throws is going downhill,” Montgomery said. “Whether it’s from the arm angle or if its from the velocity, or the lack of, and the movement of the baseball, if things are going down, you have a chance to get hitters out. And that’s what I saw from Greg Holland from day one last year.

“He reminds me a lot of myself, because he’s a guy who wasn’t a high draft choice, wasn’t a guy who was expected to be closer someday. But he’s got the stuff to do it.”

Taken in the 10^th round as a 21-year-old out of Western Carolina University, Holland needed four-plus years of development in the minors to get him ready to succeed in the big leagues at age 26.

Montgomery, also a former collegian, was drafted in the 9^th round and didn’t become a full-time big leaguer until he was 26.

Montgomery spent a couple of years in the set up role before amassing 304 saves as a closer. Holland may well be on a similar career path. He saved four games last year, while also notching five wins in relief.

Holland so impressed the league that his name has come up in trade rumors this winter. But to this point, the Royals seem determined to hold onto him.

With Soria and newcomer Jonathan Broxton the likely candidates to close games this season, Holland’s role remains to be seen. But he says he doesn’t mind that KC added Broxton to the mix.

“He’s an all-star, and he’s proven he can close, so that was a really big move,” Holland said. “I feel like we’ve got four or five guys down there who are legitimate closers.”

Holland believes his bullpen mates will be more than just a year older this season. He foresees dramatic progress as a whole.

“We expect to do better than last year. If everyone stays healthy, you’ve got Broxton and Soria who are all-star caliber closers. And then Crow who was an all-star last year. Timmy (Collins) had some walk issues, but has electric stuff. We’ve all seen that. I think we have a really good chance of being a top-notch bullpen.”

Tonight is why I love Major League Baseball. My eleven-year-old stepson, Carson, showed up to watch the game wearing an Albert Pujols shirt and a Philadelphia Phillies hat, which his brother, Linus, promptly stole (to wear backwards, natch). They are perched in their beanbag chairs, one red (for the Saint Louis Cardinals), the other navy blue (for the Kansas City Royals) transfixed as we flip from game to game. My husband, Kirk, is happy because his favorite player in baseball, the improbable Bruce Chen, is throwing his customary mid-eighties heat. I have my family around me. Life is just how I want it to be.

Original photo courtesy of Erika Lynn

As I mentioned in a previous post, when I lived in Michigan, my grandfather often took me to Tiger Stadium. Though contributing to my mishmash of baseball loyalties, sitting with him in a mostly empty park watching a mostly inept Tiger squad cemented the inherent connection between baseball and the male members of my immediate family. It also prepared me to be a Royals fan, because I grew accustomed to losing without complaint. It was enough that I was there with someone I loved, watching the team I loved pitch and hit and catch, and there was at least the theoretical possibility that the Tigers would pull one off.

I don’t mean to leave the impression that our social lives consist of watching baseball games. Or, rather, just Major League Baseball games. We also watch fifth grade baseball games. This summer, the local league Carson played for assigned their teams the names of actual minor league teams. We ended up being the Lugnuts, named for the team out of Lansing, Michigan. Linus was L’il Lug. Kirk and Carson went so far as to order official Lugnuts hats…mainly because Carson insists on wearing flat brimmed caps and looking ridiculous…er, trendy. I was the wife of the head coach, yelling encouragement while taking pictures. My best friend, Mike Engel (you may know him from the Kings of Kauffman blog or on Twitter as @michaelengel), took over for me as statistician. After the games, we adults would pow wow in my back yard, dissecting the plays over Boulevard Wheats.

But elementary school baseball is over and, after tonight (the Royals/Twins game is currently in the seventh inning), Royals ball is over for the season, too. I’m trying to not think about it too hard. I’m sure my boys and I will find something to fill the long, empty hours.

Like the World Series.

Ask Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas how easy it is to make the jump from the minor leagues to the big show.

A month ago, everyone thought calling up Hosmer and Moustakas was the kick-start the Royals needed to hang in the race for the AL Central Division. Now, mired in last place, those promotions look more like an admission that 2011 is over and we’re beginning extended spring training for 2012.

Hosmer and Moustakas haven’t been flops. But they haven’t been rookie sensations either. They simply have shown that no matter how great you are in the minors, the major leagues are a whole different ballgame.

Look no further than the numbers Kila Ka’aihue and Mike Aviles are posting at Omaha to see evidence of that truth. Does anyone think those numbers indicate Kila and Aviles are now equipped to succeed against big league pitching?

Two previous articles checked the mid-season progress of the Royals’ minor league teams and minor league pitching prospects. This article will do the same for the Royals’ position prospects, with a full admission that greatness at the minor league level does not necessarily point to brighter days ahead for the big league club.

Baseball America’s #8 and #9 ranked players – Hosmer and Moustakas – are now in KC. Beyond those two, the highest hopes were pinned on catcher-turned-outfielder Wil Myers. While KC is in desperate need of catching help, it was decided that Myers bat was just too far ahead of his glove.

Myers has heated up at the plate since returning from a serious cut on his knee (suffered in an off-the-field incident), raising his average to .288. His power numbers are not great, but the 21 year old will press for a promotion to Omaha before the season is up. Though he hasn’t set any worlds on fire this year, no one is questioning Myers’ ability.

A lot of people thought KC reached when they took Christian Colon with the fourth pick in the 2010 draft. Looks now like those people might be right. He was called a college version of Derek Jeter, and it turns out that might not be a compliment. His leadership, maturity and consistency may have overshadowed his limited physical tools. Colon got off to a very slow start at Wilmington last year and hasn’t really sped up since.

Colon is hitting just .253 with just four homers in the hitter-friendly Texas League. A bigger problem could be that he may not have the defensive skills to stay at shortstop. If he’s going to be relegated to second base, he’d better be special at the plate to merit the #4 pick. So far, he hasn’t been.

One other player received recognition in MLB.com’s list of top 50 prospects – Johnny Giavotella is currently rated the #7 second baseman in the minors. Taken out of the University of New Orleans in the second round in 2008, Giavotella is soon to be 24 years old. He’s moved through the minors one level per season, but has hit well at every stop. Currently batting .324 with 53 RBIs at Omaha, Giavotella’s problem may be that he’ll never be more than adequate defensively.

If Chris Getz doesn’t firmly grasp the second base job in KC, Giavotella may be given a chance. But the fact that he’s limited defensively, coupled with the fact he can’t play short or third, may keep him from making it to KC permanently.

The guy who is probably closest to getting the call to the big leagues is Lorenzo Cain, an athletic centerfielder acquired in the Zack Greinke trade. Melky Cabrera blocked Cain from making the big-league squad in spring training, but it may be just a matter of a mid-season trade before Cain patrols center in KC.

Cain is hitting .295 with some power at Omaha, but he has not been used in the leadoff spot, which is troubling because he was seen as a possible table setter at the big league level. His on-base percentage is .360, but he has stolen a mere seven bags thus far.

Myers and Colon have had somewhat disappointing seasons. But another highly-touted prospect has been even more of a letdown thus far – Kane County centerfielder Brett Eibner. Eibner didn’t sign early enough to see any action in 2010. Now injuries have slowed the five-tool Arkansas Razorback draftee from making much headway in 2011.

Having played in just 15 games, Eibner is currently hitting a paltry .182. He’s already 22 years old, and is still several stops away from KC. The second half of this season will be crucial for his chances.

The long wait continues for two other older players – David Lough and Clint Robinson. Time is ticking for both former collegians. Lough is 25, Robinson 26.

If Cain is slated to play center in KC, then Lough may finally squeeze out Mitch Maier as the fourth outfielder. He brings a gritty combination of speed and power and is hitting .308 at Omaha.

Robinson may never get a shot at the big leagues, but its not because he can’t hit. After winning the triple crown at Northwest Arkansas last year, he’s posting unbelievable numbers once again. He’s currently hitting .327 with 17 homers through 75 games. His on-base percentage is .402 and his OPS is .973. With Billy Butler and Hosmer already in KC, the Royals will have to get creative for Robinson to have a chance.

One of the gems deep in the Royals system is Cheslor Cuthbert, a slugging 18-year-old third baseman. The Royals have brought him along slowly, but Cuthbert is hitting .302 with four homers in 28 games at Kane County. He will be one to watch closely over the next few seasons.

Catching has been one of the great black holes in the Royals system. The best current hope in the system is Northwest Arkansas’ 21-year-old Salvador Perez. Big (230) and tall (6’3”) for a catching prospect, Perez has been with the Royals since he was 17, slowing making his way through the system. He’s currently hitting .262 with four homers and is thought to be solid defensively.

Wilmington – the Royals’ high A level team – plays in a pitcher-dominated league, and they have several hot pitching prospects. The only batter making a mark this season is 21-year-old second baseman Rey Navarro who is currently hitting .284 with a team-leading eight homers.

The development of Myers, Colon and Cain are of the utmost importance to the future of the Royals. Much less is invested in the older prospects – Giavotella, Robinson, and Lough, but they may yet receive a shot. Not all of the younger prospects will work out, but the Royals will watch anxiously what happens to Perez, Eibner and Cuthbert.

Developing prospects is a crapshoot, and numbers on the minor league level tell just a part of the story. With Ka’aihue and Aviles raking in Omaha, that fact was never more apparent.

The purpose of a baseball team’s minor league system is to produce a winner at the highest level. Based on that criteria, the Royals’ farm system, ranked number one in the off-season, will have to wait to receive its final grade.

Photo Courtesy of Minda Haas

But a preliminary evaluation at the mid-point of the season reveals mixed results.

The Royals farm system was so loaded with prospects in January that Baseball America actually called it the greatest accumulation of talent they had seen in 22 years of rankings.

With that kind of talent, you would think the Royals would dominate at every level of their farm system. But of course, it doesn’t work that way. Some of the prospects were certain to make the big league squad, while others would not live up to such lofty billing.

In Baseball America’s system, 100 points were given to a number 1 prospect, down to one point for a number 100 prospect, to accumulate a total ranking. The Royals tallied 574 points, the most ever by any team.

The Royals had nine players ranked in the top 100 – 8) Eric Hosmer, 9) Mike Moustakas, 10) Wil Myers, 18) John Lamb, 19) Mike Montgomery, 51) Christian Colon, 68) Danny Duffy, 69) Jake Odorizzi, 83) Chris Dwyer.

Three of the players who factored into that ranking – Hosmer, Duffy and Moustakas – have since been promoted to the big league squad. So in that sense, the farm system is paying dividends.

Several top farm hands who didn’t make the top 100 have contributed at the big-league level as well, particularly in the bullpen. The youth movement is well underway.

But as the minor league teams reach the halfway point in their season, the system is due for a check-up.

In this article, each of the top four teams will be reviewed. In two subsequent articles, the pitchers and position players will be scrutinized.

Kansas City Royals:

First, a quick look at the big league club to see the impact of the farm system at the highest level. While the Royals will not threaten for a playoff spot, rookies are gaining valuable exposure.

While Hosmer, Duffy and Moustakas have received the most attention, Aaron Crow may have achieved the most success. Shutting down teams in the late innings and even spelling Joakim Soria, Crow is living up to his potential. Crow was left out of Baseball America’s top 100 because he struggled mightily as a starter in 2010.

Crow, Nate Adcock, Louis Coleman, Tim Collins, and Everett Teaford are all seeing their first action as big leaguers, with generally positive results. Throw in Greg Holland, Jeremy Jeffress and Blake Wood and you have a bevy of young guns for the Royals to build a dominant bullpen.

Hosmer and Moustakas were promoted in the first half of the season to join youngsters Alcides Escobar and Chris Getz in an all-under-27 infield. Jerrod Dyson got some experience in his second partial season in the outfield.

Omaha Storm Chasers:

The Triple-A affiliate benefits from not only up-and-coming prospects but also big leaguers who are sent down, either due to failure in KC or to injury rehab. The Storm Chasers leads their four-team division with a 36-28 record.

Promotions have left the team with few young prospects. Montgomery has struggled thus far, while Jeffress has been tried as a starter. Johnny Giavotella has risen to the top as a second base prospect, while Clint Robinson continues to rake minor league pitching. Dyson’s ship may have sailed, but fellow outfielders Lorenzo Cain and David Lough are forced to wait for their chance.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals:

The Double-A squad is loaded with top prospects, yet has struggled to a 29-30 mark, particularly due to injuries. Myers missed nearly a month, while Lamb is headed for Tommy John surgery.

Meanwhile, other top prospects have struggled. Dwyer has been a complete disappointment, while 2010 first rounder Colon is headed for bust status. The franchise’s top catching prospect, Salvador Perez, is struggling at the plate.

On the bright side, Kelvin Herrera and Kevin Chapman are relievers on the way up.

Wilmington Blue Rocks:

The high-A squad is 32-30 and in second place in its four-team division. If Lamb and Dwyer falter, Blue Rocks 21-year-old hurlers Jake Odorizzi and Noel Arguelles may step into the void. Pitching is ahead of hitting at the high-A level, with other prospects including pitchers Tyler Sample, Tim Melville, Justin Marks and Michael Mariot.

Kane County Cougars:

The lower level of the farm system needs a boost. The Royals addressed the need by drafting high schoolers with their first five picks last week. Kane County is just 27-36 and sits in seventh place in its eight-team division.

The biggest disappointment of the Cougars’ season is five-tool outfielder Brett Eibner. Due to protracted contract negotiations and injuries, the 22-year-old former Arkansas Razorback has played in just a handful of games as a pro.

Jason Adam, a 2010 draftee from Blue Valley Northwest High School in Kansas City, has been impressive on the hill. He heads a staff of several other pitching prospects who are experiencing the ups and downs of development.

Keep an eye on Chelsor Cuthbert, who is being brought along slowly as a third-base prospect. Just 18, Cuthbert has already played in more than 50 games at three levels and is viewed as an advanced hitting talent.

While it was easy to get excited about Baseball America’s preseason ranking of the farm system, it has often been said that having potential just means you haven’t done anything yet.

Until the big-league Royals begin competing for championships, a number one ranking of farm systems is merely a consolation prize. While there will always be injuries, flops and attrition at the minor league level, the poor performance of several key prospects takes the shine off the ranking. Five months after the ranking was announced, the reality is that the big league team is still bad, and the success of prospects is never guaranteed.

The unexpectedly electrifying start the Royals got off to last weekend removed the focus temporarily from where it had been primarily trained for the last several months – the minor league system.

With gutty comebacks and dramatic walk offs, the big league Royals gave fans something to take their minds off the future. But for the last couple of seasons, the top pastime of Royals fans has been to follow the exploits of the clubs in Omaha, Northwest Arkansas and the teams of the far-flung lower levels.

It would be a good thing if the Royals could do well enough this season that the minor leaguers could just develop at their own pace, rather than have us dissecting their every move. And that seemed the case on Saturday when the team’s top minor league teams played an exhibition game at the K.

Before last Friday, I anticipated Saturday’s Royals game to be merely the appetizer before the real meal. I actually expected some fans to show up late, to skip the big league game in favor of the exhibition. But when Saturday came, there was enough of a buzz about the Royals that the exhibition seemed the afterthought.

Don’t get me wrong. The minors have not been forgotten.

I was shocked by the knowledge of the fans that remained in the crowd at 3:30 on Saturday. People sitting around me chatted about each player that stepped to the plate or that took the mound, as if they had followed his career for years.

“How far was that bomb by Hosmer down in Surpise?”

“I was surprised Osuna didn’t get promoted, weren’t you?”

“No, we didn’t draft Will Smith. He was part of the Callaspo trade.”

But it just goes to show how starved Royals fans have been for something to put their hope in. And just how much attention this crop of minor leaguers has garnered.

The exhibition did more than just show off the talents of the youngsters. It also revealed some of the decisions the franchise has made about the development of the players. Here’s a look at the makeup of the Omaha and Northwest Arkansas rosters and the placement of key prospects:

Omaha:

Eric Hosmer – I had wondered if he might start the season at AA, but by spring that had been decided. One could argue he’s the best first baseman in the organization, so starting him at Northwest Arkansas for more seasoning wasn’t necessary. He didn’t do anything offensively in the exhibition, but his defense was spectacular.

Mike Moustakas – He’s starting at AAA, but might make the jump sooner than later. He looked good at the plate and in the field last Saturday.

Clint Robinson – Here’s the odd man out. Billy Butler seems entrenched, and with a big contract he won’t be easy to trade. The Royals aren’t about to do anything to short-circuit Hosmer’s progress. So that leaves Kila Ka’aihue with one year to prove he belongs in the big leagues, so he might fetch something in a trade. Robinson, on the other hand, would seem to have no window of opportunity. The best he can hope for is a trade to another organization. For his sake, he hope he gets a chance somewhere.

Lorenzo Cain – He was sent to AAA so that he could play everyday. It was sort of disappointing that Cain, one off the primaries in the Greinke trade, didn’t make the big club. He will need to distinguish himself soon, or the Royals may stand pat with Melky Cabrera in center. Cain is not young – he’s just days shy of 25. Centerfield is crowded and Cain needs to show he’s the team’s best longterm option.

Gregor Blanco – Nearly made the big league club. Then he cleared waivers, so he’ll start at AAA. He actually looked pretty good in the exhibition, even hitting an inside-the-park homer. The Royals will have trouble sorting out the situation with Blanco, Cain and Jerrod Dyson. They all look pretty similar – and pretty average – at this point in time.

Mike Montgomery – The pitchers dominated the exhibition, and Montgomery was head-and-shoulders above the rest. He didn’t surrender a hit over four innings and made some pretty good prospects look hapless. He could also make the jump if KC needs starting pitching (which it most certainly will).

Danny Duffy – Wasn’t as impressive as Montgomery, but about as effective. He could also conceivable be in KC before the season ends. The elevation of Aaron Crow to the Royals’ bullpen may have been precipitated by the emergence of other starters in the system. Crow had better get it done now, or he’ll be bypassed by these other youngsters.

Others to watch: Louis Coleman, Kevin Pucetas, Blake Wood, Johnny Giovatella, David Lough, Paulo Orlando

Northwest Arkansas:

Christian Colon – Though many suspect a move second base is inevitable, Colon started the exhibition at shortstop and was not impressive. He went 0-5, struck out twice, and committed a throwing error. He will likely spend the entire year at AA, and he has a lot to prove.

Will Myers – Started in right field but didn’t do anything to distinguish himself. If he hits like everyone seems to think he will, he could potentially move up to AAA during the season.

Derrick Robinson – Robinson has hit his ceiling. Centerfield is too crowded with speedy, but otherwise marginal, talents, and Robinson is the least of these. He may eventually play his way up to AAA, but he’s already 23.

John Lamb – Locked horns with Montgomery and wasn’t outmatched. The AAA hitters only mustered one run off him. He’s young. He won’t turn 21 until July, but he will probably get promoted at some point this season.

Chris Dwyer – His promotion to AAA probably depends on the movement that goes on above him. Otherwise he’ll try to improve on the 2-1 record and 3.06 ERA that he posted for the Naturals at the end of last season.

Others to watch: Will Smith, Jeff Bianchi

During the offseason we have been taking a look at the past, giving readers a timeline of St. Louis baseball throughout history. Last time we learned about how Branch Rickey made the jump from the Browns to the Cardinals, and how his sharp work in the front office started to turn around a Cardinals team that had languished in last place since its inception in 1899.

While Branch and Cardinals’ owner Sam Breadon had launched their secret plan to own minor league teams in 1919 when they purchased half of a Class C team in Arkansas, what good would that do them when the players they owned were ready to move up to the next team? Rickey and Breadon put their heads together and kept calling up every contact they could, trying to get in with more minor league clubs.

Some of the contacts were easier than others. Rickey called up one of the owners of the Houston team in the Texas League and said they wanted to buy an 18 percent interest in the team for $15,000, and the owners took him up on his offer, no money down. Rickey had built a reputation for not breaking his word, and people trusted him unwaveringly. Breadon did his part, snaking out a 50 percent interest in the Class A Syracuse team after going out and getting drunk (literally) with the owner of the team during one evening of the winter meetings in Kansas City. Things moved slowly, but by 1925 the Cardinals owned a team at every minor league level, from Class D to Triple A.

Considering the revolutionary nature of this adventure, there were many unique problems. Since the Texas League did not allow higher leagues to own teams in their league, Rickey had to put ownership in the name of a third party. The Houston president tried to sell a budding superstar by the name of Chick Hafey to another team, and when Rickey found out he was forced to match the offer on his own player! Eventually the Texas League challenged his ownership, but Rickey told them that unless they wanted to pay the $500,000 that it would take to buy him out they should be quiet. Not surprisingly they left him alone, and Rickey soon bought out the Houston team, as well as the teams in Little Rock, Syracuse and St. Joseph.

Rogers Hornsby

While all this was going on, baseball was obviously still being played. Now that the Cardinals were actually able to afford to pay their players enough to keep them they were also seeing some success in the standings. In 1922 they even made a push for the pennant! Rogers Hornsby was proving Rickey brilliant by picking up his third consecutive batting title. He hit .370 in 1920, .397 in 1921, and blew everyone out of the water by having one of the single greatest seasons in the history of baseball in 1922, picking up the Triple Crown by leading the league in batting average (.401), home runs (42), and RBIs (152). Just for good measure he also led the league with 46 doubles and 141 runs.

Hornsby was a beast of a man, and hit line drives so hard that fielders feared for their lives and appendages. The classic poet Ogden Nash even referenced Hornsby in his poem “Line-up for Yesterday: An ABC of Baseball Immortals”:

H is for Hornsby

When pitching to Rog

The pitcher would pitch,

Then the pitcher would dodge.

Hornsby was the complete package: hitting for power, fielding sharply, enough confidence to fill a whole team, and the one that everyone overlooked: running. His speed was vastly overrated, and he stretched doubles into triples on a regular basis. He was simply the best, and expected everyone else to recognize his greatness as well. It was creating quite a stir in St. Louis, as many fans spent long afternoons and evenings arguing about which St. Louis hitter was better – the slugging Rajah or “Gorgeous George” Sisler of the Browns. In reality the two were apples and oranges. Sisler had some power and slapped hits in bunches, but Hornsby was a one man wrecking crew, and wanted everyone to know about it.

Jim Bottomley

Hornsby was not the only Cardinal making waves in 1922. “Sunny Jim” Bottomley was called up towards the end of the season, and made a quick impression, hitting .325 in 37 games. His kind and inviting spirit caused him to be the idol of the Knothole Gang kids, and his being one of the first solid prospects to come out of Rickey’s farm system meant that all eyes were on him.

It would be one thing if Bottomley had been just another solid hitter. Instead he provided a rather stark contrast to the cold and callous attitude of Hornsby. He was personable, a clubhouse leader by example rather than by spitfire. Although he was just a rookie in 1922, he was pushing his way to being front and center in just a fraction of a season.

But how about that 1922 season? The Cardinals had a shot, finishing up with an 85-69 record after going 87-66 in the 1921 season. Those two records were the best finishes the team had achieved since the 1899 St. Louis Perfectos season. Yet even with a solid finish, the team still finished eight games back of John McGraw and his champion New York Giants. The reason for it was simple – when a team like the Giants (or Yankees in the AL) got to a certain point in the year and couldn’t quite push over the top, they would just buy whoever they wanted, no matter the pricetag.

Obviously, this still happens to a certain extent today, but the problem was back then it did not matter the date in the season, so teams could pick up whoever they wanted right on through the end of September. Rickey and some of the other front office people from around baseball caused a stir, and Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the commissioner of baseball at the time, finally had to put his foot down. He eventually had to issue an edict proclaiming that after June 15, teams could not trade players, except for waiver transactions. The trade deadline was born.

While Rickey was making waves in the front office and building a farm team from the ground up, he was also the manager on the field. While he had formerly thought of himself as a student of the game, Rickey was now in a position where he could be the teacher as well. He loved charts and spreadsheets, keeping track of statistics that were so new and complicated he was the only one who understood most of them. His mostly uneducated players, many of whom were plucked off back lots and out of coal minds, had no idea what Rickey was talking about. Roy Stockton of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch confirmed their confusion when he wrote, “Rickey’s players could not understand his ideas or execute them. The majority either became wanderers in a labyrinth of theories or took to scoffing at it all.”

The Rajah took exception to how Rickey managed. In 1923 Hornsby publically criticized his manager mid-game. When Rickey tried to pull him aside to sort through the issue after the game, Hornsby was not about to settle down, swearing at the manager and almost causing the mild-mannered visionary to throw a punch. The superstar decided to take matters into his own hands afterward, and complained for several days of a skin infection that held him out of the lineup. When Rickey eventually tried to coax the Rajah into returning, he refused.

Sam Breadon

This could not go on. Rickey went to Sam Breadon and asked him for permission to suspend Hornsby for the rest of the season. To the owner’s credit, he put the team and his manager above his superstar and agreed to the suspension. Things stayed tense between player and manager throughout the entire 1924 season as well, and Breadon, despite his non-confrontational disposition, knew that something had to be done.

During spring training in 1925, Breadon approached Rickey and asked him to consider stepping down as manager. He tried to be logical – Rickey was doing great things in the front office, but he was getting stretched very thin. Would it not be a smart move to focus on one thing wholly instead of trying to be everywhere at once? Rickey agreed and even pretended to name a replacement, but the announcement never came. Rickey did not want to give it up.

After a 13-25 start to the season, Breadon did what he should have done before – he quit asking. He informed Rickey that he would be stepping down immediately and that Rogers Hornsby – the same man that had been a thorn in Rickey’s side for the past two seasons – would be taking over as player/manager. Rickey was dumbfounded, but Breadon was smart. All the great teams had a superstar player manager at the time, from the Tigers with Tris Speaker to the Browns, where George Sisler was leading the charge. The fans responded in droves, and attendance spiked 125,000 above the 1924 season.

Everything looked to be moving along just fine, until Breadon did what no manager likes and entered the clubhouse after a tough loss. Hornsby swore at the owner and ran him out of the clubhouse. Steaming mad, Breadon stormed into Rickey’s office and demanded that the vile superstar be traded immediately to whoever would take him. Now Rickey was in a bind. What would happen to a team and a city that had rallied behind Hornsby and the Cardinals?

Angela Weinhold covers the Cardinals for i70baseball.com and writes at Cardinal Diamond Diaries. You may follow her on Twitter here or follow Cardinal Diamond Diaries here.

Considering the fact that there are less than 300 miles between the St. Louis Cardinals and their AAA affiliate Memphis Redbirds, one would think the two teams have fairly similar stories.

If you think that, you could not be more wrong.

Beyond the fact that both teams play baseball, wear the birds on the bat, and shared some of the same players this year (Allen Craig and Fernando Salas have worn quite a path between the two cities this season), it would be tough to find two teams that are more polar opposites of each other.

Fanbase

Face it, most regular baseball fans pay little to no attention to minor league teams on a daily basis. They watch their major league team, check the standings, and go about their day. Players who get called up from the minors are just a cursory note in the newspaper or on the team website until they do something to get the regular fan’s attention.

While many believe that the fans in Cardinal Nation are of above average baseball intelligence, I imagine many of them fit this description quite nicely, including myself up until the last year or two. Life is too busy, or the minors just not interesting enough to keep track of what player is where and how each team at each level is doing. Minor league teams have fans, but they are usually localized around where each team is located. There are not a lot of Johnson City Cardinals fans running around out there, because most people either have no idea where Johnson City is (Tennessee – and yes, I had to look it up), or have very limited interest in how a rookie-level baseball team is doing.

With the still relatively new state of social media, many fans have been brought into a more aware state of how their teams’ minor league affiliates are faring on a daily basis. While the fanbase for any minor league will never be as large as one of the big league squads, I know many fans that have become fairly recent members of the Baby Birds, an affectionate name given to the Memphis Redbirds.

Manager

Tony LaRussa. Every baseball fan knows the name, and many know his track record. He began coaching in 1979, is third on the all-time career wins list for managers, is a two-time World Series winner and four time Manager of the Year winner (three times in the American League, once in the National). He has a law degree, has had books written about him, and even put his name on some video games back in the 1990s. He plays old school, hard-nosed baseball and believes that teaching absolutely does not occur at the big league level.

Chris Maloney. Google barely recognizes Maloney, instead thinking you are searching for the Law and Order: SVU actor Christopher Meloni. If that is not an indication of how little is known in the world about the Memphis skipper, not much else will convince you. Maloney is in his fourth year at the helm for the Redbirds and his nineteenth overall as a manager, despite being just 47. He has won Manager of the Year honors in three different leagues (New York-Penn, South Atlantic and Texas) while also being named the Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball Weekly in 1993. He led the Redbirds to their 2009 AAA championship. He is a strong advocate for teaching, trying to stay consistent and constantly improving.

As you can see, the comparisons here are nil, minus that whole ‘birds on the bat on their jerseys’ thing.

Talent Level

The Cardinals sent five players to the All-Star game this year – Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. At various times this year, all of those players have been labeled as potential MVP, Cy Young or Gold Glove Award candidates.

This is without mentioning Jaime Garcia, who this week had to make his case to management to stay in uniform and on the field for the rest of the year instead of being shut down after extending his career innings workload a mere year after having Tommy John surgery. It also fails to point out David Freese, who, until being sidelined indefinitely with a series of ankle mishaps, also found himself thrown in the Rookie of the Year talks with Jaime. Jon Jay, another rookie who made the jump up and down from Memphis once or twice before sticking in St. Louis early in the summer, has also made his mark on the big league club.

The rest of the starters include Colby Rasmus, who came up through the system and looks to still play a strong part in the future of the Cardinals, Brendan Ryan, who has struggled this year with the bat but ranks at the top of the shortstop heap with his glove, and Skip Schumaker, who has brought up his hitting statistics to a more reasonable level after having an incredibly short start.

Down in Memphis there are ballplayers. Not many of them look like superstars. There are no Stephen Strasburgs or Adrolis Chapmans hanging out, just waiting for the call to swing up to the majors and be the star everyone knows they will be. Some of the stars of the Memphis roster – namely Allen Craig, Fernando Salas, Tyler Greene and Jon Jay – have been on the yo-yo between the perks of the bigs and the buses of the minors. Others like Nick Stavinoha, Joe Mather, Adam Ottavino, Evan Maclane and PJ Walters have all been on and off the roster due to injuries and cups of coffee in the majors. Towards the end of the year Lance Lynn made a splash by striking out 16 en route to the winning the game that would send the team to the PCL championship series.

Even with all the players on the team that have made big league trips this year, many more are looking to make that final step. The names and faces might be unfamiliar now (Daniel Descalso? Mark Hamilton? Jim Rapaport? Who???) but they might or might not be unknowns for long. Despite it all, the team is so devoid of talent to outsiders that it took trading a major leaguer in Ryan Ludwick in order to pull in Jake Westbrook for a stretch run that never quite ran the way people thought it would.

…but that’s just what we see on paper!

Fair enough. You should look at how the teams match up this year, right?

Here is the short story: the Cardinals, despite all their superstars and big names, have not made it happen. They get hot for a few games, then trip all over themselves finding new and creative ways to lose. They play reasonably well against winning teams and fall apart against teams that have been making October plans since July.

The Redbirds? They win. None of the players on the roster look like superstars in training. There are really no big-name prospects or sleepers just waiting for the right moment to have their break-out that swings them up to the big leagues for good. Major leaguers? This is possible, but no stars in the making as far as anyone has said. Yet the Redbirds keep winning and winning and winning, to the point that they made it to the PCL championship series for the second year in a row.

What gives? The Cardinals sometimes are unable to buy a pack of gum, much less a win this year, yet the Redbirds, despite having their best players randomly plucked off the roster for weeks and months at a time, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat repeatedly over the course of this season. It makes perfect sense while simultaneously making no sense at all. This is why baseball is played on the field and not on spreadsheets and computers. You never know what will happen, and this tale of two teams is living proof.

You hear the term often in the analysis of things…a little something called “known quantity”. In this week’s stunning trade of former-All-Star, Silver Slugger, and fan-favorite Ryan Ludwick, many fans have used the term in defining the value of the outfielder, especially when comparing him to the relatively unproved platoon of Jon Jay and Allan Craig that will replace him now and likely also in 2011. That the Cardinals paid too steep a price for the talent of Jake Westbrook, acquired in the three-way deal from Cleveland that sent Ludwick to the Padres is almost a certainty, though it was a deal that John Mozeliak and company felt necessary.

Upon hearing the news, like many fans, I was heartbroken. Ryan Ludwick is as classy a player to have ever worn the birds on bat. Among the things I would consider to be known is that Ludwick was very well liked and respected in the Cardinals clubhouse. In his three and a half years with the Cardinals, his overall offensive production was second on the team only to Albert Pujols and he was perhaps the only player on the 2010 squad to consistently not strand base runners at second.

But truth be told, Ludwick’s days in a Cardinals uniform were numbered the moment Matt Holliday signed a team record $120 million contract. A third-year arbitration eligible player, it was unlikely that the team would submit to the significant raise that Ludwick would command this offseason. A decision made less taxing to organizational brass with the emergence of Jon Jay, off to a blistering hot start to his big league career and hauling in a wage more closely resembling that of your primary care physician.

And speaking of physicians, health was the caveat all along with Ludwick. At just 23 years of age, his major league debut was with the Texas Rangers back in 2002. But a freak hip injury suffered while running shortened his season and began a stretch of several years toiling between minor league teams and hospital operating rooms. The fractured hip required a metal rod be inserted to keep the crack from worsening. A detached kneecap that occurred while sliding the following year would lead to a couple more surgeries. Another injury to his wrist required a metal plate be placed in his forearm.

Any one of these injuries might have weakened a lesser man’s resolve. Yet if you did not know the tribulations of Ryan Ludwick, you would swear he played the game like a man who has never experienced the pain of injury and rehabilitation.

Therein lies the difficulty in accessing the trade of Ludwick. We love the guy. We all know what he is capable of on the field, as well as the character and integrity with which he represented the Saint Louis Cardinals organization. But even at the relatively young age of 32, it is difficult to invest long-term in a guy with so many previous trips to the DL knowing that you would not be carrying him past 2011, and knowing that looming is an enormous contract for your future Hall of Fame first baseman. These are the other known quantities.

Mozeliak essentially put the onus on the remaining offense and conceded that, if this team is to reach October baseball, it will be pitching that gets them there. Having spent the first half of the season watching half of the infield hit at a pitcher’s clip, this premise, I suppose I can endorse.

But that does not mean I have to like it.

Justin Adams is a freelance writer and staff writer for i70baseball, as well as Cardinals columnist every Thursday for InsideSTL.com. Follow him on Twitter @Intangiball