(Jupiter, FL) Earlier this afternoon, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter again confirmed that he would not be participating in the upcoming World Baseball Classic with Team USA.
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Bummed about missing the opportunity to represent Team USA in the WBC…wishing them the best! GoAmerica!
— Matt Carpenter (@MattCarp13) March 5, 2017
Prior to the back stiffness and missing the WBC, Carpenter had been enjoying his Spring Training and the process of getting settled into first base.
“Yeah, you know I’m excited,” Carpenter said recently. “It’s a good position. I think it puts our defense in a really good chance to succeed and move some guys around. I’m looking forward to it and think it will be a good fit.”
This off-season, Carpenter worked on the position at home, but then arrived early to camp to work with Jose Oquendo.
“We got a jumpstart on what we needed to do,” said Carpenter. “I’m real comfortable. Last year, I just kind of went over there without any kind of time to work on it and this year, I’ve had the opportunity to get out there and work with Oquendo and get a grasp on some fundamentals and footwork around the bag, so I have a much better understanding of that and looking forward to putting it into use.”
Last season, Carpenter started 35 games at first and has appeared there 94 times in his career. But nearly two thirds of his big league career has been at third base (436 games).
“It’s not that big of a difference,” says Carpenter. “It’s definitely on the other side, but having played second and seen that side of the infield gives me a little bit of head start maybe over a guy who hadn’t. That transition has been fairly smooth.”
STAFF ADDITIONS
–The St. Louis Cardinals announced several hirings and promotions this morning, as Ron “Pop” Warner, who has been elevated to Assistant Field Coordinator, Dane Sorensen takes the position of Director of Baseball Development, and Jeremy Cohen is now Director of Baseball Analysis and Systems.
Also earning promotions within the Baseball Operations staff are Patrick Casanta to Manager, Baseball Systems and Erick Almonte to Palm Beach Cardinals (A) Hitting Coach.
Among the new hires was the addition of former player Travis Tartamella to the staff.
Tartamella, who appeared in three games for St. Louis in 2015, spent just over 300 games behind the plate in the Cardinals minor league system and has been named the Minor League Catching Instructor for the Cardinals.
Other new hires consist of:
Brandon Allen – Johnson City Cardinals (R) Hitting Coach
Joshua Lopez – Peoria Chiefs (A) 4th Coach
Aaron Klinec – Springfield Cardinals (AA) 4th Coach
Adrian Martin – Memphis Redbirds (AAA) 4th Coach
Emily Wiebe – Baseball Operations Fellow
Rick Strickland – Minor League Hitting Consultant
Mauricio Rubio – Northwest Amateur Area Scout
photo credit: STLBaseballWeekly.com
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