JUPITER, Fla. _Chris Carpenter threw off the mound for the first time, officially, in the Cardinals’ camp on Sunday. He said he was pleased with his 20-plus pitch effort and had a smile on his face as he watched catcher Yadier Molina try to corral some of his breaking pitches.
“If (Carpenter’s) smiling, I’m smiling,” said general manager John Mozeliak, who watched the session.
Carpenter, who had thrown a couple of sessions before camp began, said,”I felt good.” The righthander hasn’t been healthy since the first game of the 2007 season but threw with increasing intensity as the workout continued.
Also throwing for the first time was righthander Joel Pineiro, who still hasn’t heard if he will be on the Puerto Rican squad, managed by Cardinals third-base coach Jose Oquendo, for the World Baseball Classic next month. It has been suspected that Pineiro wouldn’t be on the team because of the need for just three starters and the presence of such starters as Javier Vasquez, Ian Snell and Jonathan Sanchez.
But Pineiro said, “How could I not be one of the staters? For the last eight, 10 years, it’s been Javy Vasquez and me.”
Pineiro, 7-7 with the Cardinals last year, started two games for Puerto Rico in the WBC in 2006.
Among the early arrivals of position players Sunday were Most Valuable Player Albert Pujols and fast-rising No. 1 draft pick Brett Wallace, perhaps the third baseman of the near future. .
Pujols, spying outfielder/infielder? Skip Schumaker at a nearby locker, cracked, “I hear you’re playing second base. Make sure you don’t blow out my hamstring. Every throw right at the chest.”
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I don’t care if Pujols wants to play in the WBC. He’s a big boy and he knows what he’s doing. Plus, he didn’t ask to be paid for it, he asked for insurance. He asked for that specifically so that if he does get injured, then the insurance will pay the Cards for what we have to pay him. He wants to play, but he doesn’t want to saddle the Cards for an expensive salary for an injured player. As far as I’m concerned, that is as classy, responsible, and mature an action as you will ever see in today’s professional sports world.
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Can someone explain to me why someone is more at risk of injury playing in the WBC than in spring training games? If you lace them up, go between the chalk lines, and give your best effort there doesn’t seem to be any difference. Should we ask Albert not to play in Spring Training? And as for Pinerio, name a Puerto Rican born pitcher in MLB that has won more games over the past seven years than him and Vasquez.
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Oops – the previous post should have been on the Ludwick thread.
As for Pineiro – what bothers me is that he seems more concerned about the WBC than he does about his MLB responsibilities – and he’s not alone; I’m still concerned that Albert is taking an unnecessary risk if he plays in the WBC, and I’m annoyed that Oquendo will be leaving the team to manage Puerto Rico in the WBC just when we need him most (with the Schumaker-at-2B stuff going on). But national pride, and all that, I guess.
I wish to heck they’d play the WBC in October, not March.
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Well, Ludwick doesn’t have to fly to Phoenix tomorrow – all he has to do is take what the Cards are offering.
Seriously, negotiations nowadays are nothing compared to the way things used to be. Read “Ball Four” again sometime, when Bouton describes how he tried to get a raise from $10,500 to $20,000 after having won 21 games in 1963, only to be low-balled at $18,000 – and threatened with a $100-a-day fine for every day he didn’t sign the contract.
The best line in the story is when he quotes Dan Topping Jr. as telling him, “Don’t forget, you get a World Series share.” Bouton responded, “Fine; I’ll sign a contract that guarantees me an extra $10,000 if we don’t win the World Series.”
Anyway, Bouton wound up signing for $18,500, then won 18 games in the regular season and beat the Cards twice in the 1964 World Series. He asked for $30,000 for 1965; the Yankees offered $27,000. He got his thirty, after another long holdout, but the Yankees wanted him to keep it quiet. Which, naturally, he didn’t. But this was in the day when ballplayers weren’t supposed to tell what they were making.
(Another related story – the GM tells a player, after they’ve agreed on a particular contract amount, not to tell anyone what he’s making. “Don’t worry,” said the player. “I’m as ashamed of it as you are.”)
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Pinerio is a long shot backup plan type pitcher! I dont care what team we are talkin about! Even in 07 he stunk it up in important games i.e. the cubs game that he got shelled in! He has wore out his welcome and has proven more than once not to be very classy! And more importantly he sucks! Sorry JO el you need to have your ass in camp workin. You dont even deserve a spot on our team let alone starting rotation. Hey MO is pedro an option what about all the other unsigned free agents?? We got some holes?? give us something! anything!!!!
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I am aware that he was referring to his spot on the Puerto Rican team roster, and Mr. Hummel indicated the possible alternatives “Javier Vasquez, Ian Snell, and Jonathan Sanchez.” I can see where he is in the running, as Ian Snell is no great prize; but I don’t see why he thinks he should just be handed the job.
His quote “How could I not be one of the staters? For the last eight, 10 years, it’s been Javy Vasquez and me.” seems pretty arrogant for a below league average pitcher.
My point was that I hope he isn’t coming into camp with the same attitude of entitlement about the Cards’ rotation. I hope he has dedicated himself to pitching like the guy that was playing for a contract and his professional life in ‘07, and not like the complacent chucklehead that wilted during the ‘08 campaign.
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Pinero was referring to his spot on the Puerto Rican rotation, not the cards.
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Can Pineiro be serious? I know he wasn’t as bad as some make it out last year, but I can’t see how he thinks he should just be handed the job after the collection of talent listed as options. I hope he doesn’t believe that the Cardinals “owe” him a spot in the rotation just because he was here for 1+ years with them.
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