Palm Beach Cardinals Announce 2011 Roster
The 2011 roster is highlighted by two former Cardinals first-round picks, one each from the last two drafts. Right-handed pitcher Shelby Miller, selected by St. Louis with the 19th overall pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, is expected to be featured prominently in the starting rotation after being honored as the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season. Miller, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound Houston, Texas native, posted a 7-5 record with a 3.62 ERA for Quad Cities (Class-A) in 2010, striking out 104 batters in 104.1 innings. He is rated as the No. 1 prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals organization by Baseball America and is listed as the No. 13 prospect in the nation.
Right behind Miller as the No. 2 prospect in the organization is infielder Zack Cox, the Cardinals first-round selection (25th overall) in the 2010 draft. Cox, who played in four Spring Training games this year with the Major League club, appeared in only four games with the Gulf Coast League Cardinals last season and had six hits in 15 at-bats. The 6-foot, 215-pound left-handed hitter set the University of Arkansas record with 102 hits and a .429 average in 59 games with the Razorbacks and was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 20th round in 2008. He was also the first Cardinals draftee since J.D. Drew back in 1999 to receive a Major League contract upon being signed.
Expected to join Miller in the Cardinals starting rotation is right-hander Joe Kelly, rated the No. 10 prospect in the organization and the Cardinals 3rd round pick in 2009. Kelly, who transitioned into the starting rotation last season with Quad Cities, went 6-8 with a 4.62 ERA in 26 games (18 starts) after starting just two of 16 games a year before. He played collegiately for the University of California at Riverside, where he left as the career saves leader with 24.
Kelly was among a handful of players now on the Palm Beach roster to receive an invitation to this year's Major League Spring Training, including Miller, Cox, right-hander Maikel Cleto and catcher Audry Perez. Cleto went 4-9 with a 6.16 ERA for the Seattle Mariners' Class-A Advanced affiliate (High Desert Mavericks) last season and was part of the trade that sent infielder Brendan Ryan to the Northwest last December. Perez joins Palm Beach following an All-Star season with Batavia in which he hit .315 with 47 RBI, while also ranking third among New York-Penn League catchers with a 37.8% caught-stealing ratio.
The roster includes eight players who spent all or part of the 2010 season with the Cardinals, including right-handed pitchers Arquimedes Nieto and Jesse Simpson. Nieto went 9-7 with a 3.44 ERA in 20 starts while Simpson posted a 2-1 record with a 4.05 ERA in 10 appearances out of the bullpen.
Catchers Luis De La Cruz and Travis Tartamella, infielder Domnit Bolivar and outfielders Jarred Bogany, D'Marcus Ingram and Ryde Rodriguez will also return to the Cardinals. Former Palm Beach Cardinals pitcher Jared Bradford will begin the season on the disabled list.
The announced roster also includes 16 members of the 2010 Quad Cities River Bandits, including All-Star selections Ingram (OF) and Eric Fornatero (RHP). Infielder Alan Ahmady was second on the team in batting average (.304),outfielder Edgar Lara was second in home runs with 17 and lefty Dan Calhoun led the squad in wins (10-0, 3.75 ERA) to highlight the rest of the list.
The 2011 Cardinals will look to improve upon a 75-65 record, good for third in the Florida State League South division, under the leadership of returning manager Luis Aguayo. Jeff Albert will return as the hitting coach while Dennis Martinez will serve as pitching coach, a position he also held from 2008-09. Manabu Kuwazuru will be the new head athletic trainer.
Palm Beach opens its season on the road Thursday, April 7, at the St. Lucie Mets. The team's home opener is Saturday, April 9, at 6:35 p.m. at Roger Dean Stadium, kicking off an early six-game homestand. The opener is also the first ever Slammin' Saturdays game, complete with post-game fireworks and an on-field concert featuring Beatles tribute band Let It Be.
For more information on the Palm Beach Cardinals, Class-A Advanced affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, and to reserve tickets, please call (561) 775-1818 or visit www.palmbeachcardinals.com.