amag
02-18-2002, 10:28 AM
2/15/2001 3:04 pm ET
Cards pitchers and catchers report to Florida
Edmonds, Pujols, Martinez, Taguchi among the early reporting players
By Patrick Mulrenin
MLB.com
Months of waiting have officially ended for the Cardinals and their fans as pitchers and catchers reported to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida Friday morning.
The biggest arrival of players, including some position players that are not required to report until Feb. 19, occurred between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. to the Cardinals complex behind the right field wall of the ballpark. St. Louis shares the facility with Montreal, whose complex is behind the left field wall.
Many look forward to donning the uniform once again and getting out onto the field for the start of a new season. Some may dread the physical training with strength and conditioning coordinator Pete Prinzi, but everyone knows that it is a necessary evil if they plan to be successful.
After most of the pitchers got situated at their respective lockers, they went outside and had an informal workout. They paired off and played catch under the watchful eye of pitching coach Dave Duncan.
Matt Morris, who won 22-games last season for the Cardinals, makes his offseason home in Jupiter and has spent many days over the last three months at the St. Louis Spring Training facility. Morris said that today is an exciting day, even though there is not any game-action involved.
"Today is just a report day. We're just kind of showing up whenever," Morris said. "Tomorrow starts with physicals so it's relaxed. Most of Spring Training is a relaxed atmosphere except when it's your turn to get on the hill or do your job out on the field. Other than that, they kind of let you roam around and do what you want to get ready, not to goof around because there's always somebody knocking on the door behind you.
"Spring Training is fun and I think that is why a lot of the fans come down because it's a relaxed atmosphere. The games don't mean as much. It's more or less 'Let's get ready for the season,' so it's more of a fan environment."
Most of the 2002 version of the Cardinals had a chance to meet and get together last month in St. Louis for the team's annual Winter Warm-Up at the Millenium Hotel. Although the event serves primarily as a way for the fans to meet the players, new teammates, such as reliever Jason Isringhausen, outfielder So Taguchi and first baseman Tino Martinez benefit from early introductions. Some players use it as a chance to catch up and find out what each other has been doing over the offseason.
But there is nothing that compares to that first day in the clubhouse in Florida.
"The Winter Warm-Up kind of gets us going and we see each other again and kind of get excited about the season," Morris said. "Guys usually show up a week early down here. To put on your spikes and your glove is a different story than being in a hotel signing (autographs). Just being able to have the freedom to throw and run around and take your runs and match up with your (throwing) partner and find out whom you're going to throw with most of the time. It's definitely a different kind of excitement."
One of the players that arrived a few days early was Isringhausen, the team's new closer, who signed a three-year deal with St. Louis in the offseason. He has used the time to get to know some of his new teammates and start his pitching program for the Spring.
After spending a week with "Izzy", some players may have forgotten that he closed games for Oakland last season.
"That's the funny thing about baseball," Morris said. "You work together for a week and it feels like you've been together a couple of months. I was excited, but I was able to meet up with him before most of the guys got down here and did some throwing with him and watched him do some throwing off the mound."
Some of the position players that arrived early include Gold Glove center fielder Jim Edmonds and NL Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols. The newest Cardinals, Martinez and Taguchi, who will play in his first season in the Majors after 10 years in Japan, also were early arrivals.
Taguchi speaks very little English, but that did not stop teammates from introducing themselves to their new teammate. Reliever Steve Kline greeted Taguchi with a full nelson and wrestled him to the floor. This is typical of Kline, who is a high school wrestling coach in the offseason.
I'm excited for (So)," Morris said. "He's walking around and it's a totally new surrounding, new players, new everything, new language. Steve Kline tackled him already, took him down and was wrestling with him. The poor guy, he doesn't hardly know anybody and Kline's got a full nelson on him. It's fun. We're trying to make him feel at home. Baseball is the universal language so I think we'll all fit in well."
Even though the first full team workout is not for another five days, the 2002 season has officially begun.
Patrick Mulrenin covers the Cardinals for MLB.com. He can be reached at patrickmulrenin@website.mlb.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Cards pitchers and catchers report to Florida
Edmonds, Pujols, Martinez, Taguchi among the early reporting players
By Patrick Mulrenin
MLB.com
Months of waiting have officially ended for the Cardinals and their fans as pitchers and catchers reported to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida Friday morning.
The biggest arrival of players, including some position players that are not required to report until Feb. 19, occurred between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. to the Cardinals complex behind the right field wall of the ballpark. St. Louis shares the facility with Montreal, whose complex is behind the left field wall.
Many look forward to donning the uniform once again and getting out onto the field for the start of a new season. Some may dread the physical training with strength and conditioning coordinator Pete Prinzi, but everyone knows that it is a necessary evil if they plan to be successful.
After most of the pitchers got situated at their respective lockers, they went outside and had an informal workout. They paired off and played catch under the watchful eye of pitching coach Dave Duncan.
Matt Morris, who won 22-games last season for the Cardinals, makes his offseason home in Jupiter and has spent many days over the last three months at the St. Louis Spring Training facility. Morris said that today is an exciting day, even though there is not any game-action involved.
"Today is just a report day. We're just kind of showing up whenever," Morris said. "Tomorrow starts with physicals so it's relaxed. Most of Spring Training is a relaxed atmosphere except when it's your turn to get on the hill or do your job out on the field. Other than that, they kind of let you roam around and do what you want to get ready, not to goof around because there's always somebody knocking on the door behind you.
"Spring Training is fun and I think that is why a lot of the fans come down because it's a relaxed atmosphere. The games don't mean as much. It's more or less 'Let's get ready for the season,' so it's more of a fan environment."
Most of the 2002 version of the Cardinals had a chance to meet and get together last month in St. Louis for the team's annual Winter Warm-Up at the Millenium Hotel. Although the event serves primarily as a way for the fans to meet the players, new teammates, such as reliever Jason Isringhausen, outfielder So Taguchi and first baseman Tino Martinez benefit from early introductions. Some players use it as a chance to catch up and find out what each other has been doing over the offseason.
But there is nothing that compares to that first day in the clubhouse in Florida.
"The Winter Warm-Up kind of gets us going and we see each other again and kind of get excited about the season," Morris said. "Guys usually show up a week early down here. To put on your spikes and your glove is a different story than being in a hotel signing (autographs). Just being able to have the freedom to throw and run around and take your runs and match up with your (throwing) partner and find out whom you're going to throw with most of the time. It's definitely a different kind of excitement."
One of the players that arrived a few days early was Isringhausen, the team's new closer, who signed a three-year deal with St. Louis in the offseason. He has used the time to get to know some of his new teammates and start his pitching program for the Spring.
After spending a week with "Izzy", some players may have forgotten that he closed games for Oakland last season.
"That's the funny thing about baseball," Morris said. "You work together for a week and it feels like you've been together a couple of months. I was excited, but I was able to meet up with him before most of the guys got down here and did some throwing with him and watched him do some throwing off the mound."
Some of the position players that arrived early include Gold Glove center fielder Jim Edmonds and NL Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols. The newest Cardinals, Martinez and Taguchi, who will play in his first season in the Majors after 10 years in Japan, also were early arrivals.
Taguchi speaks very little English, but that did not stop teammates from introducing themselves to their new teammate. Reliever Steve Kline greeted Taguchi with a full nelson and wrestled him to the floor. This is typical of Kline, who is a high school wrestling coach in the offseason.
I'm excited for (So)," Morris said. "He's walking around and it's a totally new surrounding, new players, new everything, new language. Steve Kline tackled him already, took him down and was wrestling with him. The poor guy, he doesn't hardly know anybody and Kline's got a full nelson on him. It's fun. We're trying to make him feel at home. Baseball is the universal language so I think we'll all fit in well."
Even though the first full team workout is not for another five days, the 2002 season has officially begun.
Patrick Mulrenin covers the Cardinals for MLB.com. He can be reached at patrickmulrenin@website.mlb.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.