Morris is mending at rapid rate
By Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch
JUPITER, Fla. - The Cardinals have made official their optimism regarding Matt Morris.
"He's ahead of schedule because he hasn't had any setbacks," Duncan said after watching Morris' session.
"He hasn't had a day where he was stiff and didn't think he should throw. He's been able to follow the rehab program without missing a beat."
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Road back leads to Jupiter
By Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch
02/27/2005
JUPITER, Fla. - Tattered, emotionally worn and derailed by anxiety attacks and injury, Bill Pulsipher made a surprise visit several years ago to the New York Mets' spring training facility to ask for a job - on the grounds crew.
Once among the Mets' gleaming young pitchers, Pulsipher appeared to heads groundskeeper Tommy Bowes as a man "down and out," rudderless without baseball. So Bowes made him a deal.
There were outfields to mow, infields to rake, chores to do, but Pulsipher had to pledge to spend just as much time working out as well. Bowes offered the lefthanded pitcher a chance to rebuild his career.
Starting at ground level.
A lefthander with 101 major-league appearances, Pulsipher is the most intriguing of the Cardinals' nonroster invitees. The 31-year-old lefty is coming off his best 12 months of pitching since two operations and a battle with severe anxiety eroded the ability he showed as a rookie. On three teams, from the independent Atlantic League to the Caribbean Series, Pulsipher was a combined 18-10 in 33 appearances (32 starts) this past year, throwing for a 3.75 ERA in 216 total innings.
He curtails his anxiety with medicine.
"Every day," he said. "Every morning."
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Sunday in Camp: Pujols vs. Reyes
BY DERRICK GOOLD Post-Dispatch Baseball Writer
02/27/2005
With games just a few days away, some pitchers -– like Thursday’s scheduled starter Mark Mulder -– graduated to simulated innings Sunday. Rookie Anthony Reyes -– he of the straight brim and percolating fastball -– was among the pitchers working innings. But, where Mulder faced a handful of middle infielders, Reyes faced the following group:
John Mabry. So Taguchi. Scott Rolen. And, Albert Pujols.
This is what many gathered to see: Pujols vs. Reyes.
Pujols was the first batter to face the Cardinals’ top-rated prospect. Reyes, a 23-year-old righthander, fired the first pitched for a looking-strike fastball. Pujols fouled off the second pitch. A slider hooked low for the third pitch. The at-bat went five pitches and ended with Pujols popping up to right.
Mabry worked an 0-2 count into an eight-pitch “walk” in his first shot against Reyes.
During Pujols' second trip, Reyes got a fastball up for a ball. The second pitch was over the heart of the plate -– for just a moment.
Plenty of time for Pujols to crush it over the fence in left-center.
Reyes, who pitched on the same University of Southern California team as Mark Prior and even shares some of the same warmup routines, has some cut to his fastball and can follow with a changeup. He fired a breaking ball to Pujols in a third at-bat that stayed low and tempting.
Pujols held off, but yelled to the prospect: “Good pitch right there.”
Two of the batters Reyes faced struck out looking.
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Journell displays a strong arm a year after injury
By Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch
02/26/2005
JUPITER, Fla. - It's been less than a year, yet pitcher Jimmy Journell says it feels "like 10 years" since he last threw to a hitter. But what he's done so far in spring training was summed up in one word by Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan.
"Impressed," Duncan said.
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Duncan on Ankiel: "He looked good"
By Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch
02/25/2005
Ankiel struck out 23 and walked only two batters during last season's three stops. His success translated to the Puerto Rican winter league until an elbow "twinge" cut short his stay.
"I'm excited, but who has a crystal ball?" La Russa asked. "He pitched a lot last year, his arm got sore; he's just got to stay healthy. We'll take it day by day."
"I'm going to do the same thing I did last year - take the ball, go out and pitch," Ankiel said.
As for limitations, La Russa added, "He could start the game or come in the middle of an inning. I just know whenever he comes into the game the opposition isn't going to be too happy to see him."
