Quote:
Originally Posted by raybec 4
Pardon me if I don't share your enthusiasm about our young pitchers. Martinez has a 10 cent head, Reyes is an unknown until he gets some innings under his belt and Flaherty and Weaver are just prospects.
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we will see soon enough.
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BenFred: Cardinals' bet on young pitching faces early test
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. • Cardinals officials speak of Jack Flaherty as if the prized prospect is a grizzled veteran renting space in the body of a rookie.
He’s an old soul. More serious than silly. Slow to smile, and quick to cover it when he does — even after he received the news he would depart Florida as the Cardinals’ fifth starter for the time being.
“He showed a little teeth,” manager Mike Matheny said Sunday afternoon. “He didn’t try to. But he did.”
“Just a little,” Flaherty admitted as he prepared to board a bus that rolled toward the airport without Adam Wainwright.
What a difference one week makes.
When Flaherty was optioned to Class AAA, the message he received was as clear as the major-league rotation was secured. A strong Grapefruit League performance had cemented his place as first man up. If one of the Cardinals’ starters encountered significant turbulence, Flaherty would get the call. One regrettable session of conditioning sprints later, and here he is.
“You thought I was lying, didn’t you?” Matheny told the 22-year-old.
“To get an opportunity to do something like this, it’s special,” said Flaherty. “I’m just looking forward to helping the team in whatever kind of role or situation my name might come up.”
What had been an extremely upbeat and mostly injury-free camp did not end soon enough. Two bad hamstrings have once again stirred concerns about the Cardinals’ pitching. Is it versatile, or just vulnerable?
The front office believes it’s the former. It has hinged its hopes on promise while shrugging off the lack of proven production.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colum...4de965d96.html