From: CardsFan on 15 Jun 2010 08:42 "Tom" <drsoong(a)aol.com> wrote in message news:364a401f-48ac-4b45-b9d1-4bfbd64d0ba4(a)5g2000yqz.googlegroups.com... On Jun 9, 8:38 am, "CardsFan" <m...(a)here.com> wrote: > "Tom" <drso...(a)aol.com> wrote in message > > news:100d2332-2a92-45f8-8ed4-590fe2290c2c(a)k39g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/E... > > Nice... > > Tom > > Ludwick would like to be noticed for defense > > BY JOE STRAUSS > ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH > 06/08/2010 > > LOS ANGELES � Ryan Ludwick has a Silver Slugger. He has no problem > saying he wants to pair it with Gold Glove. > > Ludwick, who entered Monday night's series opener against the Los > Angeles Dodgers leading the National League in hitting with runners in > scoring position, would like his exploits in right field to become > just as noticeable. > > "It's been a goal of mine to get some recognition for something I've > worked so hard at my whole life," said the normally low-key Ludwick. > "It would feel good, to be honest with you." > > Ludwick reached St. Louis in 2007 after signing as a minor-league free > agent known as something of a plodder with an arm more accurate than > powerful. Reality has shown Ludwick to possess a knack for getting > alert jumps, taking sound routes and combining solid judgment and > awareness in addition to a live arm. > > Ludwick believes injuries earlier in his career typecast him as a > deficient defender rather than blessed with tools that allowed him to > play center field during his early years in the Oakland A's minor- > league system. > > Ludwick prides himself on his acumen as a baserunner and a defender, > two areas often overlooked in the game's statistics-mad culture. > However, at least one respected assessor of defense play considers > Ludwick tied with Atlanta Braves rookie Jason Heyward as tops at his > position. > > According to John Dewan's "Fielding Bible," which rates each play in > every game, Ludwick and Heyward are "plus-10." Only the Seattle > Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki is rated higher (plus-11) among major league > right fielders. The system calculates Ludwick's defense has saved the > Cardinals six runs. > > Ludwick remembers himself as a 5-foot-2 high school freshman who grew > to 5-foot-10 as a sophomore and became a 6-foot-1 junior. While > waiting to develop, he threw himself into becoming a voracious ball > hawk. Ludwick never has played anywhere other than outfield. > > "I've always had a lot of confidence in my ability to play defense," > Ludwick said. "For whatever reason, that hasn't been how I've been > perceived. I can't really say why. Injuries, maybe." > > Ludwick, 32 next month, is no gymnast in the outfield. A hip is held > together with a rod inserted in 2002. He required knee surgery a year > later. However, he's without an error this season after making one in > 2009 and has used the season's first two months to splice a highlight > reel worth of plays. Most recently, Ludwick leaped against the right > field wall at Busch Stadium Saturday to extend reliever Jason Motte's > run of perfection. Motte left the game having retired 31 batters over > a 10-game span. > > "I became known as 'a bat' and a possible defensive liability," he > recalled. "I take a lot of pride in my defense. It's been my goal to > remind people with my play that I'm more than that." > ____________ > > ISTR from someone's reply that Lomax said Ludwick is the biggest bargain > on > the team. For best bargain I'd have to vote for one of Rasmus, Freese or > Garcia. I do agree Ludwick really has become a solid contributor in more > ways than one. > > What is the chance of moving Ludwick to cleanup and Holliday to second in > the batting order? It's been tossed around in some places. > > AJM Hey Alan, didja see tonight's game or the lineup? Holliday 2nd, Luddy cleanup and they both delivered nicely! Tom _________ I await the bonus check the Cardinals are surely going to send me. AJM
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