Sports Illustrated: Construction Of A Contender (re. St Louis Cardinals)

[G-Snarls]

About 1/3 of the way through it

 

Good read so far. Long. Mostly about their 2009 draft.

 

Interesteing for those who want to know about behind the scenes in the draft room of team who seems to be very good at it

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/20131025/cardinals-2009-draft-carpenter-miller-rosenthal/?sct=mlb_t11_a2

[G-Snarls]

TBH, it's clear there was some luck involved in that draft. But the organization obvously knows what they're doing.

 

Carpenter in the 13th round, and Rosenthal in the 21st?!?! Dammmm.

[jaysblue]

The Cards 2009 draft was pretty awesome.

[Dr. Dinger]

The Cards continually draft college guys who can hit for average and walk but lack a firm defensive profile (Craig, Carpenter, Piscotty, and to a lesser extent Wong). Then they develop the hell out of them and the rest league is left wondering how they missed out. It's not always about athleticism and defensive prowess, and I think some FOs lose sight of the fact that hitting is really the carrying tool for major league contributors.

[G-Snarls]

The Cards continually draft college guys who can hit for average and walk but lack a firm defensive profile (Craig, Carpenter, Piscotty, and to a lesser extent Wong). Then they develop the hell out of them and the rest league is left wondering how they missed out. It's not always about athleticism and defensive prowess, and I think some FOs lose sight of the fact that hitting is really the carrying tool for major league contributors.

 

Yeah. It's not just about drafting. It sounds like they have a great program and great success at developing players and finding roles for them. This may be what the Blue Jays lack the most.

[G-Snarls]

The Cards 2009 draft was pretty awesome.

 

Yep. Though if Shelby Miller had been taken by any of the 18 teams ahead of them they were going to draft Trout.

 

Of course, almost every team in baseball except the Angels have a similar tragic story about that year. And Miller looks excellent.