St. Louis Post Dispatch

[Tavarin]

Newark No More: Gateway City Finally Among Rising Stars
Part 1: A Brief History of the Newark Sea Devils
12/24/2015

Today, the city of St. Louis got an early Christmas present, as the Newark Sea Devils officially became the St. Louis Gaedels, giving what was once a prominent major league baseball city their first team in the Rising Star League. But what exactly is this city getting? Four straight seasons under .500 and a career record 424 games under .500 makes it clear that the former Sea Devils are no prize.

The Newark Sea Devils came into existence in the first year of the Rising Star League, 1990. A group of investors that included former Newark residents Philip Roth and Jerry Lewis put up the money to give Newark a major league team the New Jersey city had been waiting for since the dominant Newark Bears left town in 1950. And things worked out well off the bat, as the team finished 94-68, good enough for first place in the EC South. But, that season ended poorly as the team lost in 7 to the Boston Greens to lose the EC Pennant, and the teams fortunes began to collapse thanks to a payroll that was knocking on the door of $150M, causing the team to lose $37.5M. The payroll fell in each of the next four seasons, dropping from $105M in 1991 to $68M in 1994, but the city began to desert the team, as they finished 4th or below and lost money in each of the four seasons. The worst season of those initial years had to be 1993, as they finished 53-109, had less than 1 million fans for the first time in their history and still managed to lose close to $30M. This caused many of the big investors to drop out of the Sea Devils project, forcing the team to start from scratch and build from within.

After the debacle of 1993, the team slowly started to build itself back up, posting a better record in every season from 1993 to 1999. The rebuilding process seemed to be at an end in '99 as the Sea Devils went 92-70, beating the Baltimore Kings by 4 games to win the EC South. Unfortunately, the Conference Championship went just like it did in 1990, as the team lost 4 games to 3, this time to the New York Cosmos. This led to a lot of hope in 2000, as the team increased their payroll up above $90M, but the bottom dropped out, as the team lost 29 games on its 1999 performance, finishing 63-99 and losing $28.5M. This began another awful era for Newark, as from 2000-2006 the team topped out at 73 wins, and still lost money despite payrolls being mostly around $50M-60M.

The one good part of the 2000-2006 seasons were draft days, as the team pilled up some very good talent, including OF Tenho Vääräniemi, starting pitchers Sidney 'The Stormin' Mormon' Peters and Charlie Anderson, as well as power hitting SS Lan-fang Li, 1B Tommy Rose and OF Jesus Jaramillo. All of this talent came to fruition in 2007, as the team won the EC South with an 89-73 record before falling to the powerhouse Philadelphia Spectres. With the #1 offense in the league, many Newark fans thought that they could finally break through to the League Championship for the first time in 2008.

But in 2008, the downfall of the Newark organization came in the form of a huge league restructuring as new commissioner Greg Yale replaced the owners of all 20 teams, including the Sea Devils. The new owner of the team, the Trigg Corporation immediately made their mark on the city, building the monstrosity that was the Sea Devils Ballpark. This gigantic dome prison was built with the support of the Quikrete Company, which provided Marlon Trigg with all of the concrete he would ever need. Unfortunately, Trigg went a bit crazy, building everything in the stadium out of concrete, including the field, which was later painted green and even all of the food in the concessions before fans complained about health safety issues.

The one thing Trigg didn't change was the team he put out on the field, and they overcame the craziness to win the EC South for the second straight year, finishing 7 games ahead of Atlanta with a 90-72 record. Alas, they once again met the Spectres train in the Conference Championship, losing yet another series 4 games to 3. Things didn't click so well in 2009, as the team finished 74-88, 22 games back of first in the EC South, but the team recovered in 2010 to win their 3rd division title in 4 years with a record of 85-77, good enough for another Conference Championship defeat at the hands of the Spectres. By this time, things were falling apart in the front office, as Trigg vanished towards the start of 2010, leaving the team in dire straits, as they lost stars Charlie Anderson, Lan-fang Li and Tenho Vääräniemi to free agency, as there was no owner to discuss extending their contracts.

Due to the disappearance of Trigg, Commissioner Yale decided to bring in a new owner in the form of Mak Dolnick, who had made a small fortune betting on turtle racing before the sport was ruled illegal in 2009. Dolnick was unable to take over the team until early 2011, and with a major league roster at 15/25, he had a lot of work to do. So, he signed some aging veterans to one year deals, traded for power hitting 3B Jose Negrete from Pittsburgh, and at the trade deadline acquired SS Fernando Hernandez to give the team some pop at the top of the lineup. All of these moves were enough to get Newark to match their 2010 record of 85-77, but that was only good enough for 2nd, 16 games behind a much improved Atlanta. Dolnick then resigned Hernandez to a foolish $25M a year deal at the end of the season, hoping that a full season out of him paired with Negrete, Rose and CF sensation Jose Cano would be enough to make the playoffs again. Unfortunately, that backfired, as the $96M spent in 2012 was put to waste with the team dropping to 80-82, good enough for 3rd in the EC South.

With their payroll still around $90M thanks to the big contracts of Hernandez, Rose and Cano, the Sea Devils were unable to make any big moves in 2013 and finished with their worst record since 2004 at 66-96. The team's 25th anniversary in 2014 wasn't much better as the team "improved" to 70-92, but saw attendance drop for the 4th straight season. A frustrated Dolnick had already begun negotiations with the city of St. Louis and during the 2014 playoffs, he got approval from the league office to move the Sea Devils. 2015 ended up being a quiet farewell for Newark as the team finished at 58-104, their worst record since they lost 109 games in 1993. Former first round pick Jesus Jaramillo was the only player to speak out regarding the move, cutting off contract negotiations with management after it was announced, but stayed with the team before being traded to New Orleans at the end of the season. An angered city gave the team minimal support, as attendance dropped for the 4th straight season to just over $1.5M people, the lowest showing since only 1.3M saw the 2006 Sea Devils finish 72-90. This was capped off by a meager crowd of 7,857 seeing the team lose their final home game to the Spectres 12-3. The team did manage to end the season right, as they finished their final week of existence with a 6-1 record, including taking the final 3 games of the season from the Spectres.

When the city of Newark looks back on their 26 seasons of major league baseball, residents will look back fondly at the 5 division titles, but not much else. But if residents expect a new baseball team, they will likely have to go back to being a minor league town, as any future owners looking to relocate or expand to a new city will focus on the close to $90M lost over 26 seasons instead. But at least Newark has gotten off on the right foot with the fiery destruction of Sea Devils Ballpark that was organized after the final home game was played on September 22nd.

Please join us in our next issue, as we will take a look at what we can expect from the Gaedels in the future.

[Tavarin]

Newark No More: Gateway City Finally Among Rising Stars
Part 2: So, What is There to Look Forward to: Major League Edition
12/25/2015

The 2015 Newark Sea Devils were not a good team, as their 58-104 record last year clearly shows. But, what exactly do we have to look forward to in St. Louis?

Well, first off is the beautiful new stadium in downtown St. Louis that has been under construction all year. Named Veeck Park after Bill Veeck Jr, former owner of the St. Louis Browns, this 40,000 seat stadium is state of the art, with a picture perfect grass surface and a retractable roof that should help out in the sweltering summers of St. Louis. With a new nickname comes a new logo, which is pictured below.



But, all of those changes are cosmetic. Is there anything at the major league level to give fans hope of contention next year? Let's take a look.

Offense:

The offense will be led by a pair of lefty hitting power hitters, in the form of 23 year old 1B Julian Manuel and 30 year old OF Jose Cano.

Manuel had a breakout season last year, hitting .287/.329/.553 with 42 HR and 121 RBI in his first full-time major league action. Manuel was fantastic against right handed pitching last year, with a .317/.363/.626 line to go with 40 HR in 495 at bats. He struggled mightily against southpaws though, hitting only .164/.184/.254 with 2 HR and 8 RBI in 122 at bats. Manuel was solid against lefties in 2014, so he will likely get another chance to prove himself against southpaws next year.

Throughout his career, Cano has struggled with injuries, as he missed most of 2008 and 2010 with injuries and missed 39 games last year with a pair of nagging injuries. But when he's in the lineup, you have a pretty good idea of what he's going to do, as he is a career .288/.365/.536 hitter. Since coming back from injury in 2011, Cano has seen his OPS rise in each of the 5 seasons, capping off with a career high .961 OPS last year. Cano's contract takes up 1/3 of the team’s payroll, but is a fan favorite and will likely be with the team until his contract expires after 2017.

The only other starter to finish with an OPS over .750 was rookie Joe Smith, who hit .335/.452/.511 over 47 games in AAA before being called up to the majors. Smith started off his major league career even better, but missed 5 weeks with a hamstring strain. He wasn't quite as good after coming back from the injury, but still had a very good 76 game stretch with a .319/.417/.513 line, which was good enough for EC Rookie of the Year consideration.

The rest of the starters each have some big flaws. C Curt Johnston is a very good defensive catcher, and shows a lot of pop with at least 20 homers in all three of his full seasons, including 29 dingers and 93 RBIs last year. But, as his power has gone up, his patience at the plate as plummeted, as over 456 games, Johnston has struck out 504 times and only walked 49 times, for a career .295 OBP despite a .275 average. Johnston is signed through the 2017 season, and will have to prove himself if he wants to stay with the team any longer than that. IF Ryan Sharpe had a surprisingly adequate rookie season last year, as he hit .282/.327/.375 while showing good eye with 32 walks compared to only 35 strikeouts. Sharpe was acquired from the New York Cosmos in 2014, and was a surprise September callup, as he only hit .231/.266/.325 in 160 AAA at bats. He totaled 3 singles over 8 at bats and then impressed management enough with his maturity in spring training to secure a roster spot. An early season injury to Bartolo Arias opened a starting spot for Sharpe and he was solid enough to replace opening day starting 3B Paul Koch once Arias was healthy. Sharpe will likely never be an All Star, but he's got a chance to be a league average infielder.

Infielder Bartolo Arias is a slightly above average defender at 2B, 3B or SS, and last year had his best season since 2010. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean a whole lot when you're a career .261/.297/.412 hitter. Arias is a very good gap hitter, with 44 doubles and 8 triples last year, but with only one more year left on his deal, the 33 year old is unlikely to stick with the team past this year. 2B Mike Wright is a less talented version of Arias, as he is a below average defender, but has kept his starting spot by being the best of some pretty bad players. His one skill is pounding the gaps, as he has 79 doubles in the last two years.

Pitching:

The pitching will be led by a trio of solid starting pitchers, Larry Duplessis, Neil Turner and Nate Bingham.

Duplessis, 25, jumped onto the scene in 2012, impressing scouts in his 16 late season starts with a 3.88 ERA. Once Sydney Peters was traded, Duplessis stepped up as the ace of the staff, seeing his ERA drop from 4.45 in his first full season in 2013 to 3.78 last year. Despite posting the lowest ERA of his career last year, it was a struggle for the righty, as he went 9-18, leading the EC in losses. His future looks quite good, with the declining ERAs and rising K/BB, and looks like a bargain for the next two seasons.

The 32 year old Turner had a nice bounceback season last year, as his ERA dropped from 5.79 in 2014 to a career low 3.80 last year. Scouts feel that the extra movement he added to his fastball was the key last year, and while he was a little wilder in 2015 than 2014, he should still be a solid contributor to the staff.

Bingham, 23, was the first round pick in 2012, which was Dolnick's first draft with the team. Since being drafted, he has slowly climbed the minor league ladder, and earning the #17, #24 and #13 ratings in Baseball America's Top 100 Prospect Lists between 2013 and 2015. He got his first taste of major league action after the All Star break last year and held his own, going 5-7 with a 4.25 ERA over 16 starts. Over 95.1 innings of work, He struck out 110 and only walked 34. Bingham has the best stuff on the team, pairing a fastball that can touch 100 MPH with 4 other above average pitches.

29 year old Robert White was called up around the same time as Duplessis, and seems to be a solid innings eater. In his major league career he is 35-39 with a 4.48 ERA. The majority of his career has been in the rotation, except for 9 relief appearances in 2013. White doesn't have an overpowering fastball, but does a solid job of mixing his 4 pitches.

The bullpen was heinous last year, with a 5.21 ERA, and only has a couple of notable relievers, Julio Diaz and Leandro Bruni.

Diaz, 26, has been the innings eater of the pen the last three seasons, totaling 351.1 innings of work over 270 appearances (one start). He isn't overpowering, but has adequate control and a rubber arm. Bruni, 28, pitched in Barcelona in 2014 before being signed before the 2015 season. After being pushed into the closer role due to injury, Bruni was impressive in spurts, but still ended the year with a 5.89 ERA thanks to giving up 14 homers in 73 appearances. What impressed scouts was the combination of his stuff and control, as he struck out 74 and walked only 19 in 73.1 innings of work.

The only other reliever of note is former closer Woody Simpson, who partially tore his UCL on 5/16 last year and will likely be out until spring training. Before the injury, Simpson had an electric arm, striking out 57 in only 51.2 innings of work in the majors. His command isn't great though, as his 50 walks can attest to.

Please join us in our next issue, as we will take a look at the Gaedels minor league system to see what fans have to look forward to.

[Tavarin]

Newark No More: Gateway City Finally Among Rising Stars
Part 3: So, What is There to Look Forward to: Minor League Pitching Edition
12/26/2015

Today, the St. Louis Gaedels revealed their new hat logo for the 2016 season. The hat logo, with former St. Louis Browns player Eddie Gaedel featured is pictured below. Gaedel was made famous in 1951, when Browns owner Bill Veeck Jr. signed the 26 year old Gaedel to a major league contract. He made his only appearance in uniform on August 19, 1951 wearing the number "1/8", and proceeded to draw a 4 pitch walk out of pitcher Bob Cain before being replaced by pinch-runner Jim Delsing. After the game, Gaedel's contract was voided by American League president Will Harridge, and while he never appeared again on a baseball diamond, his name has lived on in baseball mythos.



Previously we previewed the major leagues of the Gaedels. Today, we will take a look at what's to come out of the pitching in the minors.

AAA Anaheim Rage:

The pickings are slim in AAA, led by 23 year old Gabriel Espinosa, who has a lively arm with 162 strikeouts in 148 innings of work, but saw his ERA balloon from 2.31 in 14 starts last year to 5.41 in 26 starts this year. He still will have a chance at making the major league roster, but might see his career turn towards the bullpen.

The only other pitcher under the age of 26 is 24 year old Dan Bertrand, who has been solid in 2 seasons in AAA, going 21-15 over 52 starts with a 3.67 ERA. His peripherals aren't pretty with 247 strikeouts and 130 walks in 296.2 innings of work, but he could still see work in the majors next season. Leading the non-prospects with a major league shot is Roberto Cortez who went 12-2 with a 3.32 ERA in AAA last year, with 113 Ks and only 32 walks in 116.2 innings of work. He has 5 pitches which he mixes well and likely will be promoted in spring training. Anibal Moya is a 28 year old soft tosser who has spent 12 seasons in the minors, going 125-67 with a 2.71 ERA, but with only 19 innings above AA. He signed with the team in 2013 and spent 3 years in AA, going 34-20 with a 2.83 ERA, striking out 253 and walking only 33 in 521.2 innings of work. He will likely start out the season in AAA, but has an outside shot at a roster spot.

AA Reno Mountaineers:

AA is a little better, with Ruben Romero the most impressive prospect. The 20 year old southpaw has a live arm, hitting the upper 90s, but could have control of 4 very good pitches at his peak. He was acquired from Detroit in the Tommy Rose trade and has quickly climbed to AA, going 9-3 with a 3.48 last year, with 142 strikeouts and only 31 walks in 106 innings of work. He might get promoted to AAA before the start of the season depending on how he throws in camp. The only other starter is 22 year old Yoichi Kishita, who had 4 starts in AA last year, going 2-2 with a 5.54 ERA. His A ball time was much better as he went 10-3 with a 2.52 ERA. He has 4 solid pitches, and will start out 2016 in AA once again.

The top reliever is flamethrower Ed Hopkins, who saved 14 games last year in AA, striking out 42 in only 28.1 innings of work. His fastball hits the upper 90s and he has a split-finger fastball that reminds some people of Bruce Sutter. He could get a shot in AAA with a good spring. Likely staying in AA to start 2016 is 2015 3rd rounder William Crookes, who spent time in Rookie Ball, A and AA last year, going a combined 7-6 with 11 saves and a 1.78 ERA. He started 13 games in Rookie Ball before making 20 appearances out of the pen in A and AA. Over 106 innings of work he struck out 72 and walked 10, none in his 21.1 innings out of the pen. The other lively arm is 25 year old Travis Armstrong, who hits 100 MPH with his fastball, and was the closer before Hopkins came to AA on and off for 3 seasons, going 13-8 with 45 saves and a 3.54 ERA, striking out 162 and walking 49 in 129.2 innings of work. He likely will join Hopkins in AAA next season.

A Louisville Stompers:

The standout pitcher in A ball is the #7 pick in 2014, 20 year old Che Cannilo, who has spent part of two seasons in A ball, going 18-11 with a 4.58 ERA in 35 starts. Cannilo's strength is his 100 MPH fastball, which he backs up with 3 lesser pitches. He will likely spend the first part of 2016 back in A, although a good spring could find him in AA. Another solid prospect is the #20 pick in 2015, 19 year old southpaw Desi Suarez. Suarez split 2015 between Rookie and A and showed good control, with only 27 walks in 152.1 innings of work. His major weakness is his tendency to give up the homer, as he gave up 9 in 11 starts in A last year. He will likely stay in A ball to begin 2016.

Other notable pitchers in A ball include 23 year old Scott Valentine, who has 49 starts in 2 years in A, going 22-10 with a 4.11 ERA. He saw his strikeouts rise and walks drop between his two seasons, so he should find himself in AA very soon. 21 year old Conrad Hart has a live arm out of the pen, with a high 90s fastball. His 4.68 ERA in A ball last year was bumped up by a .405 BABIP, but he'll likely start 2016 back in A. 21 year old Lucas Nuyten doesn't quite have Hart's fastball, but has a wicked curveball that could find him in the majors down the road. He will probably join Hart back in A.

Rookie Ball Birmingham Gunners:

No one of note, but closer Francisco Castillo has been closing games in Birmingham for the last 4 seasons, seeing his ERA drop from 5.25 in his first professional season to 1.29 last year. He has gone 14-12 with 113 saves in 128 chances, walking only 40 over 187.1 innings of work.

Top 10 Pitching Prospects in the Gaedels minor league system:

1. Che Cannilo, RHP, 20
2. Ruben Romero, LHP, 20
3. Desi Suarez, LHP, 19
4. Yoichi Kishita, RHP, 22
5. Gabriel Espinosa, RHP, 23
6. Ed Hopkins, RHP, 24
7. William Crookes, RHP, 20
8. Scott Valentine, RHP, 23
9. Conrad Hart, RHP, 21
10. Lucas Nuyten, RHP, 21

Please join us in our next issue, as we will preview the hitting side of the Gaedels minor league system.

[Tavarin]

Newark No More: Gateway City Finally Among Rising Stars
Part 4: So, What is There to Look Forward to: Minor League Hitting Edition
12/27/2015

Today, the St. Louis Gaedels revealed their new uniforms for the 2016 season. They are pictured below with Rookie of the Year candidate RF Joe Smith previewing the new look of the team.



Previously we previewed the pitchers in the Gaedels minor leagues. Today, we will take a look at what's to come out of the hitters.

AAA Anaheim Rage:

There is a lot of hitting talent knocking on the door to the majors in AAA, led by the #12 pick in 2013, IF Alonso Sanchez. The 21 year old can play first, second or short and some scouts think his eye can compare to just about any prospect in the RSL. He had a terrific first season in AAA last year, hitting .333/.402/.457 with 8 HR and 74 RBI. He will only be promoted to the majors if he has a starting spot, but he's definitely got a shot with a good spring training. 22 year old Keith Jones opened eyes with his bat speed last season, as he hit .371/.413/.522 in 186 AA at bats, and then topped himself by hitting .378/.422/.560 in 339 AAA at bats. He hit 43 doubles, 15 homers and drove in 100 between the two levels last year. Jones' one weakness is his defense, as he had been a 1B or DH every year until last season, when he got 75 starts in LF and 7 starts in RF, proving why he was stuck at 1B with 9 errors in LF and 5 in RF. Despite Julian Manuel blocking him at 1B, he has a chance to get a platoon role if Manuel continues to struggle against LHP. Despite hitting left handed, Jones has done very well over his career against southpaws, hitting .331/.367/.443 in 411 total at bats.

Also knocking on the door is C Darrell Byers, who was drafted in the 4th round last year, 79th overall, and proceeded to destroy AA and AAA pitching. In 109 at bats in AA, he hit .404/.488/.615 with 5 HR and 32 RBI in only 28 games, quickly getting a promotion to AAA. He did just fine there, with a .377/.447/.537 line to go with 12 HR and 78 RBI. Byers isn't the greatest defensive catcher, as he threw out only 17 out of 80 baserunners, and had 8 passed balls in 82 AAA games after having none in AA. He might find his way into the majors with an eye-opening spring training, but with Curt Johnston blocking his way, he will likely find himself back in AAA. 2B/SS Eric Patterson could also find himself in the majors, as he hit .324/.391/.469 in 339 at bats in AAA last season. The 24 year old pounds the gaps, with a total of 40 doubles and 13 triples between AA and AAA last season. No one has more pressure on himself entering 2016 than OF Vicente Collazo, who saw his numbers drop across the board in his second straight season in AAA, going from .302/.354/.428 to .290/.354/.400. Providing the majority of the pressure these last two seasons has been 1B Alfred Karg, who Newark traded to Denver in 2011 in exchange for Collazo and IF Eric O'Quinn. All Karg has done these last two seasons is hit 100 homers and drive in 312 for the two time WC pennant winning Glaciers. If Collazo wants to look for a bright spot in 2015, his walks rose from 42 to 53, but it's not much of one.

Other notable AAA hitters include 2B Larry McKenzie, who didn't impress many last year with a .294/.328/.410 line, but will likely start 2016 in AAA thanks to his skills turning the double play, as he turned 93 last season. IF Sergio Rico could be a good utility player someday thanks to solid bat that hit .339/.369/.435 in AA last year, as well as his solid defense at 3B and SS. 2015 6th round pick Dustin Taylor followed Byers on his journey through AA and AAA last season, hitting .409/.412/.459 in 242 AA at bats before cooling down in AAA with a .350/.368/.393 line in 234 at bats. He could also find himself a solid utility player some day, as he can cover 1B, 2B or 3B, and has a knack for stealing bases, with 25 in 33 attempts last year. Non-prospects OF Matt Markley and 1B/2B Ivan Molina might also get major league spots, as Markley spent most of last year with Newark before being demoted late in the season, while the 28 year old Molina impressed scouts in his first RSL season, hitting .307/.384/.450 in 280 AAA at bats.

AA Reno Mountaineers:

The hitting talent thins as we get to AA, with C Ryan Burnett, who was the #34 pick in 2013, the only notable prospect. The 21 year old was lost in Darrell Byers' run up AA and AAA, as Burnett hit .342/.398/.406 in 187 at bats in A ball before being promoted to AA and hitting .341/.399/.429 in 217 at bats. Burnett is a little better behind the plate than Byers, and saw his ability to throw out runners improved drastically between A and AA as he threw out only 2 of 28 baserunners in A, but 8 of 27 in AA. Burnett will likely start 2016 back in AA, although if Byers is promoted to the majors, he might get a shot in AAA.

No other batters in AA will likely sniff the majors, although 25 year old Eduardo Morales could be gritty enough to one day ride the bench.

A Louisville Stompers:

Things brighten up a little in A, which is led by the #7 pick in the 2015 draft, IF Camden McPherson. The 20 year old McPherson is very raw, hitting .259/.367/.329 in 216 at bats in Rookie Ball before scuffling in 146 at bats in A ball, with a .199/.224/.281 line. We will focus on the good aspects of last year, as in Rookie Ball, McPherson walked 37 times and only struck out 21 times. McPherson is above average at 1B and 3B, with a solid, but wild arm. McPherson will get another chance at A in 2016. OF Bob Wise is the next best hitter in A ball, as the 20 year old struggled after being drafted #31 overall in 2014, hitting .186/.213/.243 in 424 at bats in Rookie Ball. 2015 went much better for him, as 311 at bats in Rookie Ball produced a .277/.320/.444 line and a promotion to A. He wasn't great after the promotion, with a .213/.270/.272 line in 136 at bats, but scouts love the energy he brings to the team, as in his two professional seasons he's stolen 31 bags in 34 attempts, including all 18 of his attempts last season. He will get another shot in A in 2016.

21 year old 2B Trent Wiggins was the next Newark pick after Wise in 2014, and reacted to professional baseball in the same way with a .188/.217/.232 line in 393 Rookie Ball at bats in 2014. 2015 went a little smoother as he stayed in Rookie Ball and hit .265/.296/.371 in 437 at bats. Wiggins is a very good defensive 2B, and hits the gaps well with 36 doubles and 3 triples these last two seasons. He will join Wise by starting 2016 in A. 2015 8th rounder LF/RF Dalton Atkins is the only other notable prospect in A, as the 23 year old had a good first season in Rookie Ball, hitting .329/.364/.423, and showed a solid eye with 18 walks and only 9 strikeouts in 404 at bats. He will start off 2016 in A.

Rookie Ball Birmingham Gunners:

The hitting is pretty thin in Rookie Ball, with the most notable prospect being the #31 pick last year, C Leonard Ackerman. The 22 year old had an up and down year last year, with a .229/.271/.353 line in 385 at bats. He did hit 22 doubles and 8 homers, and showed that he was quite adept behind the plate, throwing out 18 of 50 baserunners. He will likely start 2016 back in Rookie Ball, but will likely be in A by the All Star Break.

Another solid prospect is 18 year old OF Antonio Torres, who was drafted in the 5th round last year. His first season in Rookie Ball was rough, as he hit only .190/.231/.239. Torres is still quite raw at this point, and will stay in Rookie Ball to start 2016. 9th round pick Werner Russell showed why he lasted that long, as his professional debut was a disaster with a .118/.157/.146 line in 323 at bats. He's obviously very raw still at the age of 18, but he doesn't really have a position, with appearances at catcher, first base and third base last year. He'll be hoping to at least hit his weight in 2016 as he gives Rookie Ball another shot.

No other batters will likely ever sniff the majors without a lot of help.

Top 10 Hitting Prospects in the Gaedels minor league system:

1. Alonso Sanchez, 1B/2B/SS, 21
2. Keith Jones, 1B/LF, 22
3. Ryan Burnett, C, 21
4. Darrell Byers, C, 22
5. Camden McPherson, 1B/3B/SS, 20
6. Bob Wise, OF, 20
7. Eric Patterson, 2B/SS, 24
8. Vicente Collazo, LF/RF, 24
9. Leonard Ackerman, C, 22
10. Larry McKenzie, 2B, 22

Top 10 Prospects in the Gaedels minor league system:

1. Che Cannilo, RHP, 20
2. Ruben Romero, LHP, 20
3. Alonso Sanchez, 1B/2B/SS, 21
4. Keith Jones, 1B/LF, 22
5. Ryan Burnett, C, 21
6. Darrell Byers, C, 22
7. Desi Suarez, LHP, 19
8. Camden McPherson, 1B/3B/SS, 20
9. Yoichi Kishita, RHP, 22
10. Bob Wise, OF, 20

Thank you for joining us for our preview of the St. Louis Gaedels organization. Please stay with the St. Louis Post Dispatch all season as we bring you in depth analysis of the Gaedels.

[Toona the Cat]

Good stuff. Best of luck.

[Tavarin]

Gaedels Introduce Franklin, Announce Signing of Petty
1/14/2016

Today, the St. Louis Gaedels officially introduced OF Adrian Franklin, who agreed to a deal with the team on Monday, and then revealed that they had come to an agreement with free agent 1B Brandon Petty.

The 30 year old Franklin is coming off of the best season of his career last year, as he hit .273/.338/.455 for the Los Angeles Stars. A former first round pick in 2008, Franklin will fit right in with a Gaedels team that finished 2nd in extra base hits last year, as he hit 46 doubles, 11 triples and 8 homers last year. Franklin has plus speed and is a very athletic left fielder who sees the ball very well off the bat and can play any OF spot if necessary. Exact contract numbers were not revealed, but we do know that he signed a 3 year deal that could be worth as much as $12M if Franklin reaches his incentives.

Petty, who is also 30 years old, had a rough year in Washington last year, getting only 266 at bats as a bench player and struggling to a .259/.313/.391 line. Scouts feel that Petty can hold his own against any pitcher in the league and love his work ethic, but his defense at 1B is shaky and he has little to no speed. Petty will likely ride the bench behind Julian Manuel, but if Manuel continues to struggle against left handed pitching, Petty could fill in well at 1B, as he is a career .300/.360/.430 hitter against southpaws. No contract specifics were revealed, except for the fact that Petty had agreed to a 2 year deal with the team.

The team also announced they had agreed to minor league deals with pitchers Gabriel Gonzalez and Pedro Gomez. Both players split their time between AAA and the majors last year, as the 30 year old Gonzalez spent his time with the New Orleans Nighthawks, posting a 3.38 ERA in 64 innings in AAA after falling flat in a pair of starts in the big leagues, with losses in both starts to go with a 9.35 ERA. The 29 year old Gomez had a little more luck in the majors, with a 4.20 ERA over 15 innings of work with the Washington Senators and a 3.96 ERA in AAA before partially tearing his labrum in mid August. Gomez was a soft thrower anyway, and scouts say the time off has actually helped Gomez with his control. Both players will likely spend all of 2016 in AAA, but should provide some pitching depth in case of injury.

The Gaedels also agreed to extensions with 6 minor leaguers, most notably OF Vicente Collazo.

[Felix]

Good stuff, Mak. Always good to see more writing in the RSL

[Tavarin]

Gaedels Shore up Bullpen With Pair of Southpaws
1/28/2016

The St. Louis Gaedels held a press conference today to introduce the two new members of their bullpen, southpaws Geraldo Martinez and Jurgen Ackerman.

Martinez, 29, agreed to terms with the team almost two weeks ago on January 15th, but because of some problems with his physical, the team held back confirming the signing. Martinez has made his way around the league in the last few seasons, spending time in Minneapolis, Washington, Denver and New Orleans. His time in New Orleans last year was the worst of his career, as he posted a 7.09 ERA in 72.1 innings of work out of the bullpen. Martinez stuck out 64, but walked 31 and gave up 98 hits for a 1.98 WHIP. The Gaedels are cautiously optimistic that those numbers will get better, as his BABIP was .396, more than .070 higher than his previous career high. Scouts are still high on Martinez, saying that he mixes his 4 pitch arsenal well and seems to always have the ball around the plate with his above average control. His money pitch is his fastball, which sits in the high 90s, topping at 97 MPH. He does make his share of mistakes high in the zone, which likely helped inflate his ERA last year. According to our sources Martinez agreed on a 1 year deal with a base salary of $2M and incentives that could double his salary.

Ackerman, 33, had a solid first season in the Rising Star League last year with Pittsburgh, posting a 3.86 ERA over 25.2 innings of work. Ackerman posted a very nice WHIP of 0.94 last year, although that was likely helped by a .155 BABIP. The Gaedels feel that the abnormally low BABIP was countered by the 6 homers that Ackerman allowed in only 27 appearances. Ackerman has a pair of above average pitches, with a hard sinker that can hit 95 MPH and a wicked 12-6 curveball. Scouts are impressed with his command, but despite the great movement on his curveball, Ackerman has a tendency to leave it hanging up in the zone. Ackerman agreed to a 2 year deal with the team worth $2.5M a season with the same incentives that the team offered Martinez.

The only other signing was a minor league deal with 33 year old right-hander Travis McCarthy. McCarthy spent all of last year in Barcelona, and wasn't impressive with a 6.82 ERA over 21 starts. McCarthy has never had success in the majors, with a career 5.42 ERA over 390.1 innings of work. He's a soft-thrower and will likely never see time in the majors unless there's a mass epidemic of injuries on the pitching staff.

[Tavarin]

Gaedels Sign Smock to 3-Year Deal
2/3/2016

The St. Louis Gaedels seem to have completed redesigning their bullpen for the 2016 season, as they agreed to a deal with 30 year old reliever Steve Smock late last night.



Smock, pictured above sporting his new Gaedels uniform, had spent the past three years with the Atlanta Storm organization, missing all of 2014 after partially tearing his UCL and then suffering a mid-season setback. He was healthy in 2015, and was solid enough coming off of Tommy John surgery, pitching 95 innings of 4.64 ERA ball while striking out 101 and walking 50. In his RSL career, Smock is 35-38 with 88 saves and a 3.96 ERA, striking out 593 in 568 innings of work. Smock mixes two excellent pitches, a fastball that can hit 100 MPH and a knee-buckling slider, but occasionally has trouble with his command. Scouts say that Smock is one of the smartest players in the league and his work ethic is second to none, and he should provide some good experience in the Gaedels bullpen. He will likely start off as a set-up man to Leandro Bruni, but could find himself closing games if Bruni struggles.

Exact contract details were not revealed, but the deal with last three seasons, with a base salary around $3M a year plus undisclosed incentives. The signing puts the Gaedels payroll close to $60M, which seems to be the teams limit considering the expenses of moving the team from Newark. But, don't be surprised if the team finds a way to spend a little extra money if they're competing for a playoff spot.

In other Gaedels news, former closer Woody Simpson threw a little bit for scouts at Veeck Field the other day, as the 25 year old is recovering from tearing his UCL in mid-May, which required the same Tommy John surgery that Steve Smock had in 2014. Based on how he threw, Simpson will likely be close to full strength in time for spring training, which will be a great help to a bullpen that finished towards the bottom of the league last year.

[Codone]

I offered this guy a contract. I only wanted him for one season so offered him almost 5 mil and he wouldn't accept it. O well on to someone else.

[Tavarin]

Gaedels draft Hayes with #2 overall pick
3/1/2016

The St. Louis Gaedels took advantage of the first draft selection in team history, 2nd overall, and took 18 year old phenom J.J. Hayes out of Syosset High School in Syosset, NY. Scouts across the league are enamored with Hayes' potential, as they say his ability to get the bat on the ball is phenomenal, with good pop going the other way and a very patient approach at the plate to go with above average speed and excellent instincts on the basepaths. In high school, Hayes played both second base and shortstop, and showed he is a very sure-handed and reliable on defense. He is a little more confident at second, but scouts think he can develop into a fine shortstop, so don't be surprised if he plays there to start off his professional career in Birmingham.


Hayes, pictured above, is the #5 prospect in the RSL according to Baseball America

With their 2nd round pick, 26th overall, the Gaedels took another 18 year old, Dennis Frederick out of Reno High School in Reno, NV. Scouts are split on Frederick, with some very impressed by his bat speed and power potential, and others focusing on his poor plate discipline and defensive shortcomings. Frederick played all three outfield positions and a little first base in high school, and will likely find himself in a corner outfield position in his prime. The Gaedels will give him a chance to play in center field to start off his professional career in Birmingham, but that probably won't continue as he moves up the minors.

The Gaedels took another 18 year old with their 3rd round pick, 50th overall, in the form of right-handed pitcher James Edwards. Edwards, who went to Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, PA, is an odd breed of pitcher, as he rarely throws a fastball, choosing to pound the bottom of the strike zone with a sinker that can reach 94 to 96 MPH and a wicked slider. His breaking stuff is so hard to handle that in his final game of high school he broke three bats in a row. He's been trying to develop a changeup, but only has been using it as a change of pace with little confidence. His control is above average, but nothing special, and tends to overuse the inside of the plate. He will begin his professional carer in Birmingham.

With their 4th round pick, 74th overall, the Gaedels took another 18 year old right-handed pitcher in the form of Lúcio Olvera. Olvera, who hails from Luis Munoz Marin High School in Añasco, Puerto Rico, mixes a 93-95 MPH fastball with a terrific changeup and also occasionally throws a curveball that might become average one day. Scouts love his temperament, as he is very feisty on the mound and really goes after hitters. He also shows good command, picking his spots well, but occasionally overthrows his fastball, which gets him into trouble. He will also begin his professional carer in Birmingham.

The Gaedels had a pair of 5th round picks and with their original pick, 98th overall, the team took 18 year old switch-hitter Johnny Stady out of Quebec High School in Quebec City, Quebec. Scouts project Stady to be an above-average hitter with average power and a solid, if unspectacular eye. In high school he spent time at each outfield position, as well as a little bit of first base and third base, and he projects to be a corner outfielder in his prime. He's got a little bit more range than 2nd round pick Dennis Frederick, which might suit him better for center field, but he will likely start off his professional career in a corner outfield spot in Birmingham.

With their other 5th round pick, 104th overall, which was acquired from New Orleans in exchange for exclusive negotiating rights with Jesus Jaramillo at the end of the season, the Gaedels took 18 year old Tim McLaughlin out of Park Center Senior High School in Brooklyn Park, MN. Scouts say he adjusts quickly to the pitchers he faces and shows some solid pop in his bat. But, McLaughlin's true worth is seen in his ability to play all over the field, as he played just about everywhere in high school, excluding catcher and left field. McLaughlin will likely find himself a super utility guy if he ever reaches the majors, but he will start off his professional career starting wherever he can in Birmingham.

With their 6th round pick, 122nd overall, the Gaedels took 21 year old Carlos Trevino out of North Attleboro, MA. Trevino, who went to the University of Massachusetts before being drafted, has three adequate pitches, a 92-94 MPH fastball, an above average slider and an average changeup. He's still a little inconsistent and tends to overthrow under pressure, but scouts say he compares well to Gaedels starting pitcher Robert White. Trevino will likely start off his professional career in Birmingham, but could find himself promoted to Louisville by the All Star Break.

With their 7th round pick, 146th overall, the Gaedels took 18 year old Fraser Jones out of Tucson High School in Tucson, AZ. Jones played catcher in high school and scouts say he should be a capable defender at the professional level. He's a line drive hitter with some raw power, but has minimal patience at the plate and just isn't consistent enough as a hitter to be reliable in the majors. He will start off his professional career in Birmingham.

With their 8th round pick, 170th overall, the Gaedels took hard-throwing righty Bernardo Arteaga out of Roosevelt High School in Seattle, WA. Arteaga, 18, has a very live fastball, consistently hitting in the upper 90s. He mixes that fastball with a cutter that cost Seattle high schools a lot of money in broken bats last season, and also is trying to develop a changeup. He is very inconsistent with his control and doesn't have a lot of movement on his fastball, but could be a solid reliever at the big league level someday. The Gaedels will start him off as a starting pitcher in Birmingham, but that is only to get some innings under his belt.

With their 9th round pick, 194th overall, the Gaedels took another hard-throwing righty in the form of 22 year old Robert Thompson. Thompson, who went to the University of Massachusetts and grew up in Deerfield, MA, has a fastball that hits the high 90s and a hard biting slider. He is very feisty as a reliever, and attacks lefties inside. His control is another thing entirely, as on his good days he still has mediocre control. He will start off as the closer in Birmingham.

The Gaedels wrapped up their draft with their 10th round pick, 218th overall, and took righty David Joyce, who went to St. John's University in New York, NY. Joyce, 22, throws a fastball in the mid-90s and mixes it up with a deadly splitter. He is tough on hitters from the opposite side of the plate, but has no consistency with his fastball and has minimal control at best. The Gaedels will start him off as a starting pitcher in Birmingham, but he is not likely to reach the majors unless he figures out how to throw strikes.

Below is our updated top 10 prospect list for the Gaedels system. We have also included the rankings of any prospects in Baseball America's Top 100 list in parenthesis.

Top 10 Prospects in the Gaedels minor league system:

1. J.J. Hayes, 2B/SS, 18 (5th overall in BA Top 100)
2. Che Cannilo, RHP, 20 (32nd overall in BA Top 100)
3. Ruben Romero, LHP, 21 (39th overall in BA Top 100)
4. Alonso Sanchez, 1B/2B/SS, 21
5. Keith Jones, 1B/LF, 22
6. Ryan Burnett, C, 21 (84th overall in BA Top 100)
7. Darrell Byers, C, 22
8. Desi Suarez, LHP, 19
9. Camden McPherson, 1B/3B/SS, 20
10. Yoichi Kishita, RHP, 22 (94th overall in BA Top 100)

Thank you for joining us in our review of the St. Louis Gaedels 2016 draft. Please join us next time when we will go over which players will be invited to spring training.

[Tavarin]

Position Battles to Watch in Spring Training
3/4/2016

The St. Louis Gaedels invited a total of 35 players to battle for 25 roster spots in spring training. Besides the 25 players that were on the roster after the free agency period, the team invited 1B/2B/SS Alonso Sanchez, 2B/SS Eric Patterson, 1B/OF Keith Jones, C Darrell Byers, OF Vicente Collazo, OF Matt Markley, P Anibal Moya, P Woody Simpson, P Dan Bertrand and P Gabriel Espinosa to spring training.

In this article we will take a look at a few key position battles that will shape the first 25 man roster of the St. Louis Gaedels.

5th Starter:

With the top 4 spots in the rotation set with Larry Duplessis, Neil Turner, Nate Bingham and Robert White, there will be one open spot in the rotation. With the team going to a 6-man rotation for spring training, that leaves a pair of options, both who spent 2015 in AAA, Roberto Cortez and Gabriel Espinosa.

Cortez, 28, had a good year last year, as he posted a 2.58 ERA in 7 starts in AA before going 12-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 18 AAA starts. Cortez is not overpowering, topping out in the low-90s with his fastball, but he can also mix in any of 4 other average pitches. This resulted in a good strikeout rate last year, as he struck out 159 in 162 combined innings last year.

Espinosa, 24, struggled in his second run in AAA last year, as his ERA jumped from 2.31 in 14 starts with the team to 5.41 in 26 starts in AAA. Espinosa is highly projectable, with a fastball that can hit the mid-90s that he mixes with another 4 solid pitches. In 148 innings last year, Espinosa struck out 162, but also walked 69, showing Espinosa's main weakness, his control, which even on his good days is poor.

Who Will Win?

Espinosa may have more innings in AAA under his belt despite being 4 years younger, but his control problems will likely keep him in AAA for the start of 2016, giving the 5th starter spot to Roberto Cortez.

Final Bullpen Spot:

After a busy free agency period, the Gaedels signed three relievers that are almost guaranteed a roster spot to start off 2016, Steve Smock, Jurgen Ackerman and Gerardo Martinez. Closer Leandro Bruni and reliever Julio Diaz are also guaranteed spots in the pen, which leaves one spot remaining between Woody Simpson, Anibal Moya, Dan Bertrand and Lou Whitehead.

Simpson, 25, is coming off of Tommy John surgery after tearing his UCL last season, and started off 2015 nicely, with a 2.35 ERA and 18 Ks in 15.1 innings of work. Simpson is a power pitcher, mixing his high-90s fastball with a hard-biting cutter and a mediocre changeup. In his major league career he's struck out 57 in 51.2 innings of work, but also walked 50.

Moya, 29, is a big wild card, as the soft-tosser has only 19 innings above AA in his 12 year professional career. Last year in AA he was quite good, going 13-5 with a 2.40 ERA while striking out 92 and walking 14 in 176.1 innings of work. Moya's main strength is his control, as scouts say he can put the ball in any corner at will. But, he won't fool anyone with his 4 below average pitches, which will likely put him in AAA to start off 2016.

Bertrand, 25, has spent the past two seasons in AAA, going a combined 21-15 with a 3.67 ERA over 52 starts. Bertrand mixes a low-90s fastball with a very good curveball and a below average changeup, but his control leaves a lot to be desired. Bertrand does an okay job of keeping the ball low, but is still a long-shot for the final spot.

Whitehead, 36, is the only reliever to spend extended time in the majors last year, as he went 7-12 with a 5.13 ERA in 156 innings between the bullpen and the rotation. Whitehead can't even hit 90 MPH with his fastball at this point, but can control it on either side of the plate very well.

Who Will Win?

We are going to assume that Moya and Bertrand will need more work in the minors. That leaves us with Simpson and Whitehead, and we feel that the team is more likely to keep the hard-throwing Woody Simpson than the soft-tossing Whitehead.

Second Base:

For the majority of the past two seasons, the Gaedels have started Mike Wright at second base. But, with a pair of very talented youngsters knocking on the door in the form of Alonso Sanchez and Eric Patterson, as well as Paul Koch and Juan Rosas being able to cover second, let's see if this will be the end of Wright in St. Louis.

Wright, 30, doesn't have a lot of upside, as his .247/.303/.387 career line shows. Wright's major strength is his power to the gaps, as he has 79 doubles in the past two seasons combined, but other than that he doesn't have a lot of value. He's a below average defender at second, has average speed, below average power and not a very good eye.

Sanchez, 21, had a very good season in AAA last year, hitting .333/.402/.457 with 8 homers and 74 RBI. Sanchez's strength is his patience, as he works the pitcher hard and draws plenty of walks. He has also shown some extra-base power, as his 35 doubles last year shows, and scouts are confident that it will eventually develop into above-average home run power in the majors.

Patterson, 24, spent last year split between AA and AAA, hitting .300/.354/.453 in 150 AA at bats before hitting .324/.391/.469 in 339 AAA at bats. Patterson spent last year at shortstop, but also has good instincts at second. He has solid extra-base power, with 40 doubles and 13 triples between the two levels last year, but isn't disciplined enough at the plate and will likely find himself in AAA to start of 2016.

Who Will Win?

Alonso Sanchez will be getting the majority of starts at second during spring training, and after posting a .402 OBP in AAA last year, we predict he'll get the starting spot over Wright and Patterson.

Left Field:

With the departure of Jesus Jaramillo to free agency, the Gaedels will have to decide whether they want to fill the open left field spot with a youngster like Keith Jones or Vicente Collazo, or someone with more major league experience like Adrian Franklin or Alex Castillo.

Jones, 22, is probably the best hitter of the group, as he hit .378/.422/.560 in his first 339 AAA bats, showing good power with 30 doubles and 10 homers. Jones has plus raw power and a solid, but unspectacular eye. His main weakness is the fact that he was a 1B for the majority of his career, but with Julian Manuel solidified at first, he has been trying to learn to play the outfield. Unfortunately, he still has a lot of work to do defensively, and will likely be back in AAA to try and hone those skills.

Collazo, 24, saw his numbers dip in his second straight year in AAA, as he saw his slugging drop from .428 to .400 while his OBP stayed at .354. Collazo projects as an above-average hitter with a solid eye and above-average power. He's a slightly better defender than Jones, but isn't anything special. He still has work to do in AAA, and will likely find himself back there to start off 2016.

Franklin, 30, signed a three-year deal with the Gaedels this offseason after hitting .273/.338/.455 in Los Angeles last year. He is one of the best defenders out of all the left field options, and combines very good gap-power with plus speed. He needs to work on his plate discipline and doesn't have much home-run power, but still is the favorite entering spring training.

Castillo, 29, didn't have the greatest year in 2015, hitting only .227/.300/.324 coming off the bench. The majority of those at bats came off the bench, but when he had to step in for an injured Jose Cano. He plays great defense at the corners, and also is above average in center, mixing in his above-average speed with excellent instincts. He will likely find himself backing up the outfield again in 2016.

Who Will Win?

While Jones and Collazo have the most potential out of any of these options, they each have glaring flaws that will keep them in AAA to start off 2016. That leaves 4 outfielders to battle over one starting spot and two bench roles. We feel that Adrian Franklin is the best option to get the starting spot, with Castillo backing up all three outfield positions.

Backup Catcher

Backup catcher might not seem that important, but with the amount of talent the Gaedels have at the catching position coming up, the backup catcher spot will have a domino effect on the rest of the minors. The two candidates are Manuel Nieves, the incumbent backup and Darrell Byers, the fast-rising prospect.

Nieves, 24, was not impressive as a backup last year, hitting only .160/.229/.255 in 106 at bats. Nieves is a better defender behind the plate than Byers, and has solid power, but makes infrequent contact and can't lay off the high stuff.

Byers, 22, rocketed through the minors in his first professional season, hitting a combined .383/.457/.556 between AA and AAA. Byers is an average defender behind the plate, and adjusts very quickly to the pitchers he faces. He also has average power, but isn't disciplined enough at the plate to use his power consistently. His eye is average, but he had solid peripherals last year, with 57 walks and 66 strikeouts.

Who Will Win?

The performance of Nieves last year was definitely not impressive, but he was rushed into a backup role after only 205 mediocre at bats in AAA where he hit .239/.314/.322. Despite this, we predict that Manuel Nieves will get the backup spot again, but Byers will be up in the majors by the All Star Break as he will prove he has mastered AAA.

We hope you've enjoyed this look at the position battles to watch in spring training. Please join us in our next issue when we'll break down spring training and reveal the first ever 25-man roster in St. Louis Gaedels history.

[Tavarin]

Gaedels Trim Roster to 25, Prepare for Opening Day
Manuel Placed on DL, Will Miss First Two Weeks of Season
4/2/2016

The St. Louis Gaedels held a press conference today, announcing that they had demoted 9 players to AAA Anaheim and that star 1B Julian Manuel was placed on the 14-day disabled list and would miss the first two weeks of the 2016 season.

For a team that lost 104 games last season, the St. Louis Gaedels had an adequate spring training, going 11-13 to finish 2nd behind the New York Cosmos among all EC Orion teams. The spring started off well, with the team winning 5 of their first 7 games before suffering an 8 game losing streak in which the team scored more than 3 runs only once. The team ended the spring a little more like they started it with 6 wins in their last 9 games.

Unfortunately, the team suffered a blow in a 6-1 win against the Cincinnati Twins on the 26th, as Julian Manuel left the game after doubling in the 5th inning. The team was hopeful that they could get Manuel healthy in time for Opening Day, but after consulting with doctors, the team chose to put the 23 year old slugger on the disabled list, guaranteeing he would miss the first two weeks. The team will certainly miss the pop in Manuel's bat, as he hit .355/.385/.565 with 7 doubles, 2 HR and 12 RBI in 62 spring at bats, but the team is confident that Brandon Petty will be able to fill in nicely, as he hit .304/.467/.391 in the spring.

Entering the spring, the team had some important decisions to make, so let's take a look at how they went:

5th Starter:

Our two candidates were Roberto Cortez and Gabriel Espinosa. The veteran Cortez wasn't great, walking 13 and only striking out 8 in 16 innings of work, but he posted a 4.50 ERA and pretty clearly was more impressive than Espinosa. The 24 year old never was comfortable, walking 12 and striking out 6 in 14 innings of work, and got battered to a tune of a 7.07 ERA.

In the end, Espinosa was one of the 9 demoted to AAA, giving the 5th starter spot to Roberto Cortez.

Final Bullpen Spot:

Our four candidates for the final bullpen spot were Woody Simpson, Anibal Moya, Dan Bertrand and Lou Whitehead. Bertrand didn't get much of a chance, with only 4 innings of work over 5 outings, but gave up a pair of homers in his third outing and ended up with a 9.00 ERA. Moya was much more impressive, as he pitched 14.1 innings over 15 outings, striking out 11 and walking only 2, posting an ERA of 3.77. Whitehead was also impressive, as he got the same 5 outings Bertrand did, but was much better, lasting 9.2 innings and posting an ERA of 2.79. Simpson seemed to be back to his old self, as he struck out 18 over 16.1 innings of work, but also walked 10 and posted an ERA of 3.31.

In the end, the Gaedels decided to go with the upside of Woody Simpson, demoting Moya, Bertrand and Whitehead to AAA. Moya and Bertrand will both start in AAA Anaheim, with Whitehead scheduled to occasionally get spot starts, but spend the majority of his time out of the bullpen, which will likely give him the advantage if the team needs a reliever in the big leagues.

Second Base:

All three candidates, Alonso Sanchez, Eric Patterson and Mike Wright, were solid in spring training. Sanchez was very impressive, walking 16 times in 23 games and posting a .293/.440/.448 line. Patterson didn't get a big chance, with only 29 at bats, but 6 of his 7 hits were for extra bases and he added 5 walks for a solid .241/.353/.483 line. Wright got even less of a chance, with only 14 at bats, and his .286/.375/.357 was pretty much what the team expected out of him.

Due to his strong spring, not only was Alonso Sanchez given the job at second base, but due to his terrific patience, the team will start off the 2016 season with Sanchez leading off. The Gaedels also decided to give Eric Patterson consistent at bats in AAA, so they demoted him, leaving Wright as a backup infielder for now.

Left Field:

Entering the spring, there were four candidates, Keith Jones, Vicente Collazo, Adrian Franklin and Alex Castillo. Collazo proved he needed more work in AAA with a .172/.250/.276 spring, while Jones hit well with a .258/.303/.516 line, but scuffled defensively. Out of all the candidates Castillo was the most impressive with a .323/.333/.548 line compared to Franklin's .224/.321/.306 line.

In the end, both Collazo and Jones, as well as non-candidate Eric Honeywill, were demoted to AAA, leaving Franklin and Castillo as the two candidates. Despite the strong showing by Castillo, the Gaedels decided to go with Adrian Franklin as the starting LF, as even though he wasn't making good contact, he showed better patience with 7 walks compared to Castillo's total of 1.

Backup Catcher:

Both candidates, Manuel Nieves and Darrell Byers, had good showings in spring training, with Nieves hitting .278/.316/.444 and Byers hitting .311/.367/.467. Surprisingly, the decision ended up being made because of the struggles of starter Curt Johnston, as he only hit .212/.305/.231, showing more patience at the plate, but sacrificing the power that he had been developing the past three seasons.

Due to Johnston's struggles, the Gaedels decided to demote Nieves and go with Darrell Byers, as they feel he is a better candidate to platoon with Johnston than Nieves, and will even start off 2016 as the starting catcher against left handed pitching.

After getting their roster down to 25, with Mike Wright getting to keep a spot thanks to the injury to Manuel, the Gaedels revealed their starting lineup for Opening Day at the beautiful new Veeck Park tomorrow night against the Cincinnati Twins.

1. Alonso Sanchez, 2B
2. Adrian Franklin, LF
3. Joe Smith, RF
4. Jose Cano, CF
5. Brandon Petty, 1B
6. Curt Johnston, C
7. Ryan Sharpe, 3B
8. Bartolo Arias, SS
9. Larry Duplessis, SP

In other Gaedels news, one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, 22 year old southpaw Ruben Romero, was promoted to AAA to start off 2016. Romero was very good in AA last year, going 9-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 16 starts, striking out 142 in 106 innings of work while only walking 31. Romero was ranked the #2 pitching prospect in the organization entering the spring, and is #39 on Baseball America's Top 100 list.

Please join us tomorrow when we will take a look at the Gaedels effort on Opening Day.

[Tavarin]

Gaedels Open 2016 With Win Over Twins
4/4/2016

Last night, the St. Louis Gaedels rode a solid performance by starter Larry Duplessis along with a balanced offensive attack in a 7-3 win over the Cincinnati Twins to start the 2016 season in front of a very excited 39,674 fans.

The first inning went as well as any Gaedels fan could have hoped, as Duplessis retired the side in order to start the inning, and then the Gaedels took advantage of an error by star third baseman Adam Baggaley as Jose Cano doubled home Alonso Sanchez to give the team an early lead.

The score stayed like that until the bottom of the 5th, when Bartolo Arias doubled to leadoff the inning, advanced to 3rd on an error by pitcher Andre O'Grotty on a bunt from Duplessis, and came home on a double by Sanchez. An RBI groundout by Adrian Franklin made it a 3 run lead, and then Joe Smith made it 5-0 with 2 run shot to right-center.

The Twins cut into the lead in the top of the 6th, as pinch hitter Eugene Cain doubled with one out, advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout. Then, Tuck Taylor singled and Baggaley made up for his first inning error with a 2 run shot to center to cut the lead to 2. That was as close as the Twins would come, as the Gaedels tacked on two in the bottom of the 8th with a 2 RBI double by Bartolo Arias, and Duplessis and reliever Juan Diaz shut down the Twins the rest of the way.

The Gaedels and Twins will continue their series tonight, with Neil Turner scheduled to defend his home turf against 20 game winner Bill Evans.

[Redleg]

Very informative, Mak. Good writing.

If young Bingham can have a breakout year, your Gaedels could keep it interesting in the Orion.

[Tavarin]

Gaedels Month in Review: April 2016
St. Louis Buzzing as Gaedels End Opening Month in First
5/1/2016

The St. Louis Gaedels capped off their first month of existence with a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Phantoms, but that wasn't enough to sully a solid first month which finds the Gaedels sitting at 15-10, 1.5 games ahead of the New York Cosmos.

Majors:

The Gaedels were led by their offense in April, as perennial MVP candidate Jose Cano had a very productive month, hitting .258/.374/.573 with a team leading 7 HR and 26 RBI. Perhaps the best sign in Cano's month was his patience, as he led the team with 15 walks, which is on pace for a career high in walks. Cano was also helped by a healthy Julian Manuel, who showed that his production in the past two seasons was no fluke once he recovered from an early spring training injury, hitting .432/.460/.591 in his first 44 at bats.

Another area of strength on offense was the performance out of the catching platoon of Curt Johnston and Darrell Byers. Johnston provided the power against right handed pitching, hitting .274/.328/.613 with 6 HR and 11 RBI, while Byers did an excellent job of reaching base against left handed pitching, with a .404/.429/.532 line through his first 47 big league at bats. The performance of Byers, as well as the drastic splits of Alonso Sanchez (.183/.301/.239 against RHP, .357/.400/.679 against LHP) is a big reason why the Gaedels are 7-0 against southpaws this season.

Other notable performances include the early power of SS Bartolo Arias, who already has 9 doubles, 2 triples and 3 homers this season for a .522 SLG, as well as solid months from both corner outfield positions, with LF Adrian Franklin hitting .293/.352/.455 and RF Joe Smith hitting .293/.368/.424. The aforementioned Alonso Sanchez had better numbers before a 2/22 stretch last week, but is still impressing the team with his 14 walks in 25 games.

The pitching for the Gaedels was solid, led by young phenom Nate Bingham, who was terrific in 4 of his 5 starts, with a 1 inning, 4 earned run stint against the Atlanta Storm the one flaw of his first month. Despite that effort, Bingham went 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA over 31.1 innings of work, striking out 28 and only walking 8 while posting a WHIP of 1.02. Rookie Roberto Cortez was also impressive, winning each of his first three outings before losing a pair of games last week, for a 3-2 record and an ERA of 3.52. Staff ace Larry Duplessis also had a solid month, going 2-1 with a 4.34 ERA, but he struggled in his last outing against Milwaukee, lasting only 2.1 innings while giving up 5 earned runs.

The other two members of the rotation didn't get off to very good starts, as Neil Turner rode a terrible outing against the defending champion Pittsburgh Eagles (2 IP, 8 ER) to an 8.17 ERA in the first month. But, considering his ERA sat at 15.96 after that outing against Pittsburgh, things could be going far worse for the 32 year old. Robert White had even less luck in his first two starts, never getting past the 4th inning while allowing 13 hits and 10 earned runs against Pittsburgh and Washington for a tidy 15.88 ERA. He has managed to lower his ERA to 5.84 in his last three starts, but still has been inconsistent, with a 4 IP, 4 ER outing sandwiched in between a pair of 7+ IP, 1 ER outings.

The bullpen has also had a mix of excellent starts and terrible starts, and that can be best shown by the performances of the two southpaws on staff. Jurgen Ackerman has been outstanding, allowing no runs in 15.2 innings of work over 12 appearances, striking out 14 and walking 5. Gerardo Martinez, on the other hand, has been heinous, with only 9.1 innings of work over 12 outings and an ERA of 10.61. Martinez has been the victim of some bad luck, with 5 homers being hit against the 29 year old after only giving up 9 in 72.1 innings last year.

Also getting off to a slow start was Woody Simpson, who was crushed in 3 outings against Pittsburgh, giving up 8 earned runs in only 1.1 innings of work for a tidy 54.01 ERA. His other 5 outings were much better, as he's given up only 2 hits in 6 innings of work, striking out 6 and only walking 2 to lower his ERA to 9.82. The other flame-thrower in the bullpen, Steve Smock, got off to a much better start, allowing only 1 earned run in 14.2 innings of work over 12 outings for an ERA of 0.61, striking out 16 and walking 7. Despite the push from Smock, closer Leandro Bruni has been impressive enough to keep his job, with 9 saves in 10 chances to go with a 2.35 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP.

Major League Batter of the Month for April: CF Jose Cano
Major League Pitcher of the Month for April: SP Nate Bingham

Minors:

The big news of the month for the Gaedels minor league system were a pair of promotions, as yesterday top pitching prospect Che Cannilo was promoted to AA Reno after a terrific start to 2016 in A Louisville, as the 20 year old went 3-1 with a 1.36 ERA, striking out 46 and walking only 9 in 39.2 innings of work. Also getting promoted yesterday was 25 year old closer Ed Hopkins, who will move from AA Reno to AAA Anaheim. Hopkins has a very live arm at the end of the bullpen, as his 17 strikeouts in 11.1 innings of work shows, but his control got him the promotion, as he's only walked 2 so far.

The Gaedels have also been impressed by Gabriel Espinosa, who is 3-2 with a 2.56 ERA over his first 5 starts, striking out 34, but walking 16 in 31.2 innings of work. Espinosa's improvement has been his ability to miss bats, opponents hitting .050 worse so far this year. Recent draftee Bernardo Arteaga has also been impressive in his first Rookie league action, allowing only a single unearned run in 19 innings of work over 3 starts. 6th round pick Carlos Trevino also got off to a good start in Rookie ball, and was promoted to A Louisville after only 2 starts. He hasn't been great in 3 starts in Louisville, with a 6.62 ERA, but scouts aren't too worried yet.

Earlier in the month, one of the top hitting prospects in the system, C Ryan Burnett was also promoted from AA Reno to AAA Anaheim, as he hit .421/.450/.553 in 38 at bats in AA. So far he has shown that to be a smart move, as he has hit .350/.372/.475 in his first 40 at bats in AAA. He's not the only hitter doing well in AAA, as 24 year old OF Vicente Collazo has gotten off to a great start in his third season of AAA, hitting .389/.463/.674 with 6 HR and 22 RBI, while showing improved patience with 12 walks and only 15 strikeouts so far. 1B/OF Keith Jones is also hitting well, with a .372/.396/.543 line, but he hasn't seen any improvement to his defense in left field.

Last year's #7 pick, IF Camden McPherson, has gotten off to a solid start in A Louisville, after struggling to a .199/.224/.281 line in 146 at bats in A ball last year. So far, McPherson is hitting .324/.395/.394, and has shown improved patience at the plate, with 9 walks and only 6 strikeouts so far. OF Bob Wise has also seen his numbers in A Louisville improve after struggling last year, seeing his line in A ball rise from .213/.270/.272 last year to .313/.363/.410 so far this year. Braz Still seems to have finally mastered Rookie ball in his 4th year, with a .390/.468/.598 line so far. A former 5th round pick in 2013, Still has been plagued by injuries, but is still only 22 and could find his way to the majors as a bench player eventually.

Minor League Batter of the Month for April: OF Vicente Collazo
Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April: SP Che Cannilo

To start off May, the Gaedels are in Minneapolis for a 3 game set with the Vikings, before heading back to St. Louis for 7 in-division games, 4 against the New York Cosmos and 3 against the Philadelphia Spectres. It should be quite interesting to see how the Gaedels stack up against these teams, as they have finished 1-2 in the standings in each of the last three seasons.

[Tavarin]

Gaedels Month in Review: May 2016
Tough Month Drops Gaedels Out of First
6/1/2016

The St. Louis Gaedels ended the month of May with an exciting 6-4, 15 inning win over the first place New York Cosmos, as Alex Castillo hit a 2 run homer with 1 out in the top of the 15th inning off of southpaw Stanley Taylor to give the Gaedels the winning margin. With the win, the Gaedels capped off May with an 11-17 record, putting the Gaedels at 26-27 overall, 4 games back of the Cosmos.

Majors:

The Gaedels struggled across the board in the month of May, with both the offense and pitching staff performing far worse than they did in April.

The offensive leader was CF Jose Cano, who hit .262/.361/.631 with 11 HR and 29 RBI, and had the best single performance of the month by hitting for the cycle and driving in 5 against the New York Patriots on the 18th. 1B Julian Manuel hit 7 homers and drove in 15, but that was all he brought to the table with a .210/.276/.438 line.

Other notable performances on offense came from Bartolo Arias, who continued his rare power outing with a .320/.395/.500 line, and while the catching platoon of Curt Johnston and Darrell Byers wasn't quite as good as they were in April, Johnston hit 5 HR and 13 RBI to go with a .301/.314/.530 line, and Byers hit .356/.375/.400 to continue his excellent rookie campaign. Fellow rookie Alonso Sanchez continued to show signs of his talent with 15 walks, 7 doubles, 2 triples and 3 homers from the leadoff spot, but that was only good enough for a .241/.339/.426 line.

If the Gaedels are going to contend for a playoff spot, they will need outfielders Joe Smith and Adrian Franklin to step up, as both were awful in May, with Smith hitting .226/.272/.255 and Franklin hitting .171/.237/.271. 3B Ryan Sharpe technically had a better May than April, but his OPS was still under .600 and he is very close to losing his job at the hot corner.

The pitching staff had a couple of bright spots, as Larry Duplessis, Nate Bingham and Robert White all had solid months, with Duplessis having the lowest ERA at 3.07 to go with a 2-1 record, striking out 38 and walking 20 in 41 innings of work. Bingham didn't get any support in his 6 starts, as he went 0-3 with a 4.14 ERA despite 41 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 37 innings of work. The other bright spots came out of the bullpen, led by closer Leandro Bruni, who went 1-1 with 6 saves and a 1.13 ERA to go with 15 strikeouts and 4 walks in 16 innings of work. Southpaw Gerardo Martinez recovered from a miserable April by going 1-0 with a 2.98 ERA over 17 appearances, while Steve Smock struck out 30 and walked only 7 over 20.2 innings of work.

The other two members of the rotation didn't have good Mays, as rookie Roberto Cortez proved why he was in the minors until this year by going 0-4 over 5 starts with a 8.14 ERA, striking out 20 and walking 17 in 24.1 innings of work. Neil Turner had a slightly better May than April, lowering his ERA from 8.17 to 6.93, but continued to get no help from his defense with a .380 BABIP leading to batters hitting .325 against him in May and a 6.08 ERA in the month. The only major struggles in the bullpen came from Woody Simpson, who allowed 12 runs, 10 earned over 9 innings of work for a tidy 10.00 ERA in May, and a 9.92 ERA overall. He still has a live arm, with 11 strikeouts and 5 walks in those 9 innings, but shoddy defense helped opponents hit .333 against him in May thanks to a .400 BABIP.

Major League Batter of the Month for May: CF Jose Cano
Major League Pitcher of the Month for May: SP Larry Duplessis

Minors:

The theme in the minors in the month of May was injuries, as the Gaedels placed 8 players on the disabled list in May, including top prospects Keith Jones, Vicente Collazo and Larry McKenzie.

But really, the big news in the minor leagues continues to be the performance of top pitching prospect Che Cannilo, who took to AA in a big way, going 3-1 over 5 starts with a sparkling 0.79 ERA. In 34.1 innings of work, the 20 year old struck out 52 and walked only 14, with opponents hitting .194 against him. Gabriel Espinosa also continued his success in AAA, going 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA over 6 starts, striking out 46 and walking 9 in 39.2 innings of work. His 2.27 ERA in AAA makes it very tempting for the Gaedels to give him a shot in the majors, and he might get that shot if Roberto Cortez continues to scuffle.

Other notable performances from pitchers include Desi Suarez in A, as he went 3-0 with a 2.68 ERA in May, striking out 38 in 37 innings of work while walking only 10. William Crookes took advantage of Ed Hopkins being promoted to AAA, not allowing a run in 10 innings of work, striking out 10 and walking 3. Yoichi Kishita wasn't quite ass good as Cannilo in AA, but still went 4-1 with 33 strikeouts and only 4 walks in 34.2 innings of work.

The most impressive hitting performance in the minors came from IF Camden McPherson, as he hit .343/.386/.533 with 3 HR and 26 RBI in A ball. He will likely be promoted to AA at the end of the week. IF Eric Patterson continued to hit the ball well in AAA, hitting .321/.369/.518 with 12 doubles, 2 triples and 2 homers, while OF Antonio Torres hit .363/.427/.462 in Rookie Ball, and will likely get a shot in A ball at the end of the week.

Minor League Batter of the Month for May: IF Camden McPherson
Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May: SP Che Cannilo

To start off June, the Gaedels will finish their 3 game set against the New York Cosmos before heading back to St. Louis for a 3 game set with the Denver Glaciers. Don't expect any wins in those 4 games.

[Tavarin]

Cano Sidelined With Fractured Finger
6/7/2016

The St. Louis Gaedels may have beaten the Dallas Power 6-2 last night, but it was a pyrrhic victory for the team, as star CF Jose Cano fractured a finger on his right hand and will likely be out until the end of July. It is not clear how Cano suffered the injury, as the 31 year old left the game in the second inning and was replaced by Alex Castillo.

Cano has been having one of the best seasons of his career, hitting .258/.367/.596 with 19 homers and 56 RBI and showing a great combination of patience and power at the plate, with his homers and walks on pace to set career highs before the injury. Replacing Cano on the 25 man roster will be OF Vicente Collazo, who will report to St. Louis on Sunday the 12th in time to face Vancouver. Collazo has been terrific so far in AAA, hitting .402/.475/.692 with 7 homers and 24 RBI. He did miss 5 weeks with a strained hamstring, but in his first game back from action he went 3/4 with a double and a home run, and scouts say he is ready for the majors. Collazo will likely get the start in left field, as despite a 2/3 outing last night, LF Adrian Franklin is only hitting .245/.301/.375 for the season. Replacing Cano in center field will likely be Alex Castillo against right handed pitchers, with Franklin moving from left field to center field against southpaws.

Replacing Cano's production in the lineup is a completely different problem, and will likely rest on the shoulders of 1B Julian Manuel. Manuel had a 2 run homer in the 9th inning of yesterday's game, and is hitting .297/.342/.514 with 9 homers for the season. RF Joe Smith will also need to step up and provide some power, as after hitting .319/.417/.513 in his first major league action last year, the 26 year old has struggled all season, hitting only .271/.335/.367.

Life without Cano will begin with the Gaedels finishing their 3 game set in Dallas with the Power. They will then travel to Mexico City for a 3 game series against the Guerreros before heading back to St. Louis.

[Tavarin]

Bingham Out Month After Rotator Cuff Strain
6/17/2016

For the second time in just over a week, a St. Louis Gaedels victory was spoiled by an injury to one of their stars. This time, it was star pitcher Nate Bingham going down in an eventual 11-1 Gaedels blowout of the Philadelphia Spectres. The injury occurred in the bottom of the 5th inning, as Bingham struck out leadoff hitter Alonso Camacho, but immediately called for trainers and was helped off the field holding his right arm. The diagnosis after the game was a strain of his rotator cuff, which will keep the 23 year old Bingham out of action for at least 4 weeks.

Bingham hadn't had much luck in his 14 starts this season, with a record of only 2-5 despite a 3.92 ERA to go with 85 strikeouts and only 23 walks in 82.2 innings of work. Replacing Bingham on the 25 man roster and in the rotation will be 24 year old Gabriel Espinosa, who is coming off of his first professional All Star selection. Espinosa has had a very good season in AAA so far, going 9-4 in 14 starts with a 2.51 ERA. He has struck out 103 in 89.2 innings of work, walking 33, and has seen his K/BB rise in each of his 3 seasons in AAA. This will be a good audition process for Espinosa, as the struggles of Neil Turner (4-7, 6.44 ERA) and Roberto Cortez (4-8, 4.83 ERA) have led to the Gaedels sitting below .500. Espinosa might also get a bullpen shot once Bingham returns, but only if Woody Simpson continues to struggle.

In other news, there was a mix-up with the commissioner's office that saw injured star CF Jose Cano stuck on the 25 man roster all of this week. Because of this, OF Vicente Collazo got to participate in his first career All Star Game, but struck out in his only plate appearance. Collazo will hopefully join the team in Boston for a two game series with the Greens, but who knows with Commissioner Yale running things.

[Tavarin]

Sanchez Ties RSL Record With 6 Hit Performance
6/20/2016

2B Alonso Sanchez tied an RSL record yesterday as he recorded 6 hits in a 13-1 St. Louis Gaedels blowout of the Boston Greens. Sanchez got started early, singling and later scoring to leadoff a 3-run 1st inning. He then singled with 2 outs in the 2nd inning, and led off a 4-run 4th inning with another single. He added his fourth single of the day with one out in the 5th, doubled to lead off the 8th, and capped off his night off by driving in Ryan Sharpe with a single in the 9th.

After the game, Sanchez made a brief statement, saying "I just tried to get myself in a good count and have a good at-bat. That's all I can control." This record performance will hopefully help kickstart a tough rookie year for the 21 year old Sanchez, as on the season he is hitting .238/.331/.394 with 7 homers and 36 RBI.

Tonight the Gaedels will finish off this brief two game series with the Greens before traveling back to St. Louis for a 4 game series against the first place New York Cosmos.

[Tavarin]

Month of Injuries Continue as Bruni Will Miss 2-3 Months
6/23/2016

A painful June for the St. Louis Gaedels continued last night as in the midst of an 11-5 rout by the New York Cosmos, closer Leandro Bruni strained his hamstring and will likely be out until early September. It is not clear how Bruni injured himself, as he entered the game in the top of the 8th, retiring both batters he faced. With Bruni the 7th Gaedels pitcher of the night, it was assumed that the 29 year old closer would finish the top of the 9th, but instead out came starter Roberto Cortez, who had last pitched on the 18th.

This is a tough injury for the Gaedels to take, as Bruni was having an excellent sophomore season, going 1-3 with 18 saves in 19 chances and an ERA of 1.88. In 43 innings of work over 37 appearances, Bruni struck out 39, walked only 11 and allowed a WHIP of 0.98. Replacing Bruni at closer will likely be 30 year old Steve Smock, who is currently 2-1 on the season with a 2.66 ERA. In 47.1 innings of work this season Smock has struck out 66 and walked 20. Replacing Bruni on the 25-man roster will be 37 year old Lou Whitehead, who has split time in AAA between the rotation and bullpen, making 9 starts and 8 relief appearances totaling 60.1 innings with a 5.07 ERA, 34 strikeouts and only 6 walks.

[Tavarin]

Gaedels Month in Review: June 2016
Injury-Plagued Gaedels Limp Into July
7/1/2016

The St. Louis Gaedels ended the month of June on a down note, as they started a 3 game series at home against the Cincinnati Twins with a 7-0 loss. A weakened offense with the loss of Jose Cano struggled to only get 6 base runners all night against starter Andre O'Grotty and reliever Judson Wright,
while Gaedels starter Gabriel Espinosa was chased from the game after 5 innings. The loss gives the Gaedels a record of 12-15 in June and 38-42 overall, 9 games back of the first place New York Cosmos.

Majors:

The theme in June at the major league level was injuries, as the team lost star CF Jose Cano, young SP Nate Bingham and shut-down closer Leandro Bruni for extended time. With Cano only playing 6 games in June, the offense was led by a trio of players, 1B Julian Manuel, RF Joe Smith as well as the catching platoon of Curt Johnston and Darrell Byers.

Manuel had a much better June than May across the board, as he hit .342/.372/.588 with 6 HR and 14 RBI last month. He did hit more HR and drive in more runs in May, but showed a much more well-rounded game that also included 10 doubles, compared to only 3 in May. For the season, his numbers are very similar to 2015, as he is hitting .304/.348/.529 with 14 HR and 37 RBI overall. Also recovering from a rough May was Smith, as he hit .287/.370/.525 with 6 HR and 14 RBI in June, showing a much better eye at the plate with 11 walks.

The catching platoon of Johnston and Byers continued to play as well as they had all season, with Johnston hitting .352/.387/.602 with 6 HR and 13 RBI in his 93 plate appearances in June and Byers hitting .342/.468/.579 with 2 HR and 6 RBI in his 48 plate appearances. Both players have been terrific this season, with Johnston hitting .313/.346/.579 with 17 HR and 37 RBI, and Byers hitting .369/.424/.500 with 3 HR and 15 RBI in limited action.

The pitching staff was weakened by the losses of Bingham and Bruni, but got a surprise rebound from starter Roberto Cortez, who despite a 1-3 record had a much better June than May with a 2.94 ERA to go with 30 strikeouts and 13 walks in 33.2 innings of work. Also rebounding in June was veteran Neil Turner, who went 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA in June, striking out 28 and walking 10 in 30.2 innings of work. His performance was good enough to lower his ERA below 6.00 for the first time all season, but with an expiring contract, he is likely auditioning for any teams that want to trade for him. Larry Duplessis continued his solid play in 2016 by going 2-2 over 6 starts with a 3.89 ERA, striking out 37 and walking 15 in 37 innings of work.

The bullpen was led by the terrific work of Julio Diaz, who appeared in 17 games in June, going 1-0 with a 0.92 ERA, and striking out 17 and walking only 3 in 19.2 innings of work. The rest of the bullpen was only so-so, as Woody Simpson lowered his ERA from 10.00 in May to 3.21 in June, and continued to show his fine arm with 26 strikeouts in 14 innings of work, but also walked 15. New closer Steve Smock also continued to show his live arm, with 24 strikeouts and 12 walks in 17 innings of work and a 3.18 ERA.

Unfortunately, the southpaws of the Gaedels didn't quite have it in June, led by Gerardo Martinez and his 8.18 ERA. In 11 innings of work, Martinez struck out 9, walked 9 and seems to be proving to the league that his 7.09 ERA last year was no fluke. Jurgen Ackerman also struggled in June, with a 5.68 ERA in 12.2 innings of work, and since Ackerman is already close to doubling his innings from last season, the team will need to watch his workload as the season progresses.

Major League Batter of the Month for June: C Curt Johnston
Major League Pitcher of the Month for June: SP Roberto Cortez

Minors:

The minor leagues were a mixed bag in the month of June, as some good prospects tried to recover from injuries, while others took advantage of the promotions they got entering the month.

IF Camden McPherson had the most impressive hitting performance of the month, as he was promoted to AA early in June and has been terrific so far, hitting .405/.440/.481 after being promoted to AA. It will be very interesting to see if McPherson can continue this performance in AA, as if he does, he'll have a shot at a big league roster spot next season. Another top hitting prospect who performed well in June was C Ryan Burnett, who hit .386/.449/.523 with 2 HR and 15 RBI in June, improving his overall AAA numbers to .322/.368/.407. Burnett might find himself stuck in AAA for a while, with Curt Johnston's contract not expiring until after 2017.

The Gaedels also got solid hitting performances from 1B/LF Keith Jones, as he hit .317/.379/.490 line in June. His numbers in 2016 still aren't quite as good as he hit last season, and scouts aren't very optimistic about his big league chances anymore since he got back from a strained rib cage muscle, saying his bat speed has slowed down and the power doesn't seem to be quite there anymore. Also performing well in June was OF Antonio Torres, who was promoted from Rookie Ball to A Ball early in the month, and hit .414/.490/.529 between the two levels, including .366/.451/.479 in his first 81 plate appearances in A ball.

For the first time all season, the best pitching performance in June didn't come from Che Cannilo, as he "struggled" in June compared to his first two months, only going 2-1 with a 3.62 ERA in 5 starts. He did strike out 37 in 27.1 innings of work while only walking 13. The best pitching performance in the minors came from 22 year old Conrad Hart, who was outstanding after being put in the rotation, going 3-1 over 4 starts with a 0.30 ERA, 33 strikeouts and only 6 walks in 30 innings of work.

Also impressing scouts in June was 20 year old southpaw Desi Suarez, who had his first 3 starts in June in A ball, going 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in 22 innings of work, striking out 30 and only walking 2. His first two starts in AA weren't quite as good, but he still went 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA, striking out 10 and walking 3 in 13.1 innings of work. Fellow AA pitcher Yoichi Kishita was also very good in June, going 4-1 over 5 starts with a 2.00 ERA. In 36 innings he struck out 37 and walked only 10.

The Gaedels also got a pair of fine pitching performances in AAA, led by Dan Bertrand, who went 5-0 over 5 starts with a 1.45 ERA, striking out 30 and only walking 6 in 31 innings of work. Ruben Romero was also impressive, going 3-1 with a 2.75 ERA over 36 innings of work, striking out 41 and walking only 9.

Minor League Batter of the Month for June: IF Camden McPherson
Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June: P Conrad Hart

The Gaedels will start off July with the final two games of their 3 game series against the Cincinnati Twins. After a day off, the Gaedels will then have three game series with the New York Patriots and Washington Senators before taking off for the All Star Break.

[Tavarin]

Sharpe to Miss 6 Weeks After Oblique Strain
7/3/2016

The bad luck with injuries for the St. Louis Gaedels that plagued the team in June seems to have continued into July, as third baseman Ryan Sharpe strained his oblique muscle in last night's 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Twins and will miss the next six weeks. Sharpe hurt himself in the top of the 5th inning, as Twins SS Marvin Powell started off the inning with a line drive on the first pitch from reliever Lou Whitehead. Sharpe immediately jumped up and snagged the ball, but grimaced and clutched his left leg as he landed and was assisted off the field by trainers.

Sharpe was having a rough sophomore season, hitting a woeful .253/.295/.324 with 1 HR and 36 RBI. He had shown signs of rebounding in June, with a .272/.341/.407 line, and was beginning to show a better eye at the plate with 7 walks and only 6 strikeouts. Sharpe will be replaced on the 25-man roster and at third base by 23 year old Sergio Rico. Rico has been very good in his first shot at AAA, hitting .324/.364/.456 with 20 homers, 1 triple, 5 homers and 41 RBI in 63 games. Perhaps his most impressive attribute has been his eye, as he walked 19 times and only struck out 16 times. Other scouts are more impressed by his glove, as he has above average range and a terrific arm at the hot corner.

[Tavarin]

Manuel to start in All Star Game
7/10/2016

Today, Julian Manuel was selected to start in Monday's All Star Game for the EC All Stars at first base. The 24 year old Manuel was injured to start out the 2016 season, but has still had a very good first half, hitting .311/.351/.520 with 14 homers and 39 RBI over 74 games. This is Manuel's second career All Star appearance, as he came off the bench in the 7th inning of last year's game, struck out in his first at bat and walked with 2 out in the 9th.

At the break, the Gaedels sit at 41-47, 12 games behind the New York Cosmos, but should receive a boost in the next two weeks as power-hitting CF Jose Cano and hard-throwing youngster Nate Bingham will be coming off the DL. Bingham originally had a chance to return to the lineup towards the end of this week, but had a scare on the 8th while trying to rehab his rotator cuff strain and will likely be out an extra week or two.

The Gaedels have had an interesting season, going only 17-34 at the new Veeck Park, but going 24-13 on the road. That record could quickly change after the All Star break, as the Gaedels will be on a 12 game road trip out of the All Star Break, with three game sets in Philadelphia against the Spectres, New York against the Cosmos, Miami against the Cyclones and finally to Pittsburgh and the defending champion Eagles. In the first half of the season the Gaedels went a combined 10-18 against these four teams. Both Cano and Bingham might be back for the Pittsburgh series, although the team might not take a chance and wait until the team returns to St. Louis to face the Greens on the 28th.

[Tavarin]

Gaedels Make Noise On Eve of Trade Deadline
7/31/2016

Earlier today, the St. Louis Gaedels made a pair of deals with the trade deadline rapidly approaching. First they traded starting pitcher Neil Turner to the San Francisco Reds in exchange for pitching prospect Aaron Gross and Pittsburgh's 3rd round pick in next year's first year player draft.

The 33 year old Turner was in the last year of a 2 year deal he signed with the team, and after a rough first two months seemed to have turned his season around, lowering his ERA from 6.93 at the end of May to 4.92. For the season, Turner went 6-8 over 21 starts, striking out 113 and walking 40 in 124.1 innings of work. As it was last year, Turner's major weakness was giving up the long ball, as he gave up 18 dingers after allowing 31 last year. He will join a Reds team looking to make the playoffs for the first time in the organization's history, as they sit 8.5 behind the Chicago Phantoms in the WC Hubble and 7 games behind the Denver Glaciers for the WC Wild Card spot.

In the 20 year old Gross, the Gaedels add more pitching depth to their system. Gross has spent all of 2016 in A ball, going 3-8 with a 4.42 ERA over 20 starts. Scouts are split on Gross, with some thinking his solid command and top-notch movement will translate well into a 4th or 5th starter, while others think his average stuff will see him top off as a long reliever if he ever reaches the majors.

Then, with only minutes to spare before the deadline, the Gaedels made a deal with the Atlanta Storm, acquiring pitcher Joe Busch in exchange for catcher Ed Harvey.

Busch, 25, has had a checkered history since entering the league in 2010, advancing quickly through the minors, but finding no success in the majors with a career 5.76 ERA. He also got into repeated fights with San Francisco management, especially over his rehabbing of a torn rotator cuff over this off-season. The son of Philadelphia Spectres owner Joe Busch, the team hopes the younger Busch will just shut his yap and provide the team with another arm for the minor leagues. But don't be surprised if the Gaedels call him up to face his dad's team in September.

Harvey, also 25, has had an odd career since being drafted by the then-Newark Sea Devils in the 10th round of the 2014 draft. He's a career .181/.199/.259 hitter, although oddly he's hit .167/.184/.214 in Rookie Ball compared to .207/.226/.342 in A ball. He was reportedly very unhappy with life in the Gaedels organization, so hopefully he can find his niche with the Storm.