MiLB, Palm Beach Cardinals Launch “The Nine” and Recognize Outstanding Black Players

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

In celebration of Black History Month, throughout February, teams across Minor League Baseball are taking a look back at five of the best Black players to suit up for their club.

Minor League Baseball announced the launch of “The Nine,” a new, Black-community focused outreach platform specifically designed to honor and celebrate the historic impact numerous Black baseball pioneers made on the sport. The initiative aims to provide new opportunities for youth baseball and softball participation, while further diversifying the business of baseball that embraces millions of passionate fans.

While some of these standout performers went on to long and illustrious Major League careers, others simply had great Minor League careers or, in some cases, just one incredible season that went down as “a year for the ages.”

Here is a look at five of the best Black baseball players ever to suit up for the Palm Beach Cardinals.

Tommy Pham

Palm Beach Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham lays down a bunt at Roger Dean Stadium in 2009. The then 21-year-old hit eight home runs that year on his way to a .691 OPS that season.

Tommy Pham was a Cardinal, both for the big league club in St. Louis and as a coveted prospect in the minor league system. Selected by the Redbirds in the 16th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft, the outfielder reached Palm Beach in 2008.

The Las Vegas native spent parts of three seasons with the Beach Birds, including all of 2009. He slashed .232/.313/.378 that year, following that up with a .262/.377/.392 line in 68 games in 2010. Pham also hit 12 homers across his 209 total games with Palm Beach before earning a promotion to Double-A Springfield midway through ‘10.

Pham would reach the majors with a callup to St. Louis in 2014, the same season he was named a St. Louis Cardinals Minor League All-Star. The right-handed slugger would remain in St. Louis until midway through 2018.

Xavier Scruggs

Xavier Scruggs of the Palm Beach Cardinals in action during a 2011 game against the Tampa Yankees at the George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

After the Cardinals took Xavier Scruggs in the 19th round of the 2008 draft, the first baseman spent 2010 and 2011 with Palm Beach and stood out for his power. Scruggs hit 34 homers in 204 total games with the club. After compiling an OPS of .834 in ‘11, the California native was promoted to Double-A Springfield.

Scruggs earned a call to the majors in 2014 while also spending 2015 in St. Louis. The then 28-year-old did not return to MLB after 2016, instead finishing his career with stints in the Korean and Mexican leagues. In 2021, he returned to the Cardinals as the organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant while also taking an analyst position at ESPN.

Adron Chambers

Adron Chambers slugs a line drive against the Tampa Yankees in 2009. The outfielder batted .284 in his lone season with Palm Beach.

Hailing from Pensacola, Fla., Adron Chambers was selected in the 38th round of the 2007 MLB Draft by St. Louis out of Pensacola State College. The lefty reached Class-A Advanced in 2009, spending the entire season with Palm Beach. He sported a .284/.370/.400 slash line in the Florida State League before earning a promotion to Double-A Springfield ahead of 2010.

Chambers is perhaps best known for his role in the 2011 World Series championship run for the Cardinals. The outfielder only saw action in 18 regular season games for the club, but accumulated a .375 batting average during that stretch. Chambers scored the game-winning run as a pinch runner against the Chicago Cubs on September 24, helping the team clinch a playoff berth by a single game. The Cardinals would beat the Texas Rangers in a thrilling seven-game World Series one month later, bringing the franchise its 11th world title.

Sam Freeman

Sam Freeman pitches for Palm Beach during the 2009 season. The southpaw threw 33.0 innings on the year.

Sam Freeman was another major leaguer who went through Palm Beach on his way to ‘The Show.’ Selected by the Cardinals in the 32nd round of the 2008 draft out of the University of Kansas, he only appeared in a single game for Palm Beach after spending most of the season in the Rookie Leagues.

Freeman stood out as a member of the Florida State League club in 2009, where in 26 appearances, the relief pitcher boasted a 1.64 ERA and a 0.939 WHIP.

The native of Houston recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2010 before earning a callup to St. Louis in 2012. He spent parts of three seasons with the Cardinals and would remain a major leaguer through 2020.

Maikel Cleto

Maikel Cleto delivers a pitch for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in 2013. The right-handed arm would pitch in the big leagues in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Maikel Cleto was signed as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic. The right-handed pitcher was part of a trade to the Cardinals organization in 2011 after spending time as a prospect for both the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners. In five starts for Palm Beach, Cleto accumulated a 2.48 ERA and a WHIP of 1.034 in 2011. The impressive numbers helped earn him a promotion to Double-A Springfield, before being called up directly to the majors in June.

Cleto would spend time with both the Cardinals and Chicago White Sox from 2011-14, where he saw action in 41 big league matchups as a relief pitcher.

FSL announces Covid-19 relief efforts in all cities

Here is a link to the original story on the team's website.

 

Today the Florida State League announced that all its member teams will be participating in a League wide effort to support Covid-19 relief. The 12 teams have partnered with LiveSource to set up an auction site that will make bidding for auction items a simple and efficient process. The collectible memorabilia and unique FSL experiences will be offered through this online auction beginning today- Tuesday, June 9th and concluding on Tuesday, June 30th at 11:59 pm ET.

Florida State League President Terry Reynolds said “ I could not be prouder of all our FSL teams for coming together in this very worthwhile effort. The dollars earned from each team’s sold auction items will stay and be used for the Covid-19 relief efforts in that team’s area”.

The auction will offer many fun and unique items some of which are listed below:

  • Jackie Robinson specialty jersey.
  • Adam Wainright signed photo.
  • Brian Anderson signed Jupiter Hammerhead jersey.
  • Game worn Daytona Tortugas batting helmet.
  • Ceremonial First Pitch at a Fort Myers Mighty Mussels game.
  • FSL season pass allowing entrance in all 12 FSL stadiums.
  • 20 person VIP Suite at a Bradenton Marauder game.
  • Blake Snell signed July 4th Hat.
  • Dennis Martinez signed Palm Beach Cardinals jersey.
  • Wander Franco signed Jersey.
  • Lots of signed baseballs and countless “bucket list” experience items to bid on.

The Florida State League is made up of the following teams.

  • Bradenton Marauders
  • Charlotte Stone Crabs
  • Clearwater Threshers
  • Daytona Tortugas
  • Dunedin Blue Jays
  • Florida Fire Frogs
  • Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
  • Jupiter Hammerheads
  • Lakeland Flying Tigers
  • Palm Beach Cardinals
  • St. Lucie Mets
  • Tampa Tarpons

For further details on this most worthwhile charitable event go to www.desktop.livesourceapp.com or you can view all the items and place a bid by downloading the LiveSource App on your Apple or Android device.

Contact Kasey Blair [email protected] or Andrew Seymour, General Manager-Palm Beach Cardinals at 561-630-1855 or [email protected] for additional questions.

Cardinals having an impact on and off the field

Members of the Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads shaved their heads on June 17 to support the Vs. Cancer Foundation. Over $7,500 was raised for the event.
Members of the Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads shaved their heads on June 17 to support the Vs. Cancer Foundation. Over $7,500 was raised for the event.

Palm-Beach-CardinalsThe Palm Beach Cardinals, the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, have had a terrific first half to the 2014 season. The team landed five All-Star selections to the Florida State League South roster, individuals have won weekly league awards and have been promoted within the organization, and overall, the team has been winning a lot of games.

None of the individual honors or impressive team winning streaks come close to how the 2014 squad has impacted the community off the field.

Vs-Cancer-logoEarlier this month the Cardinals teamed up with the Vs. Cancer Foundation to raise money to help the fight against childhood cancer. On Tuesday, June 17th, Roger Dean Stadium hosted the Vs. Cancer Foundation Fundraiser Night at the Ballpark. Members of the Palm Beach Cardinals lined up to get their heads shaved in front of the dugouts following the game that night against the Jupiter Hammerheads.

Palm-Beach-Childrens-HospitalPrior to the event, players on both the Cardinals and Hammerheads collected donations via fundraising pages to support the cause. Once the Cardinals learned that half of all proceeds from the fundraiser would benefit national childhood cancer research and the other half would help local children at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital, the team joined together to make the event a huge success.

The whole team took to social media right away, getting hundreds and hundreds of retweets from family, friends, and fans. Former college teammates and loyal supporters in the Cardinals organization took notice and helped spread the word. News about the team’s efforts spread like wildfire and the donations started pouring in.

The team goal of $5,000 was met after just three days of fundraising and was eventually shattered by more than one thousand dollars. Members of the team, led by Charlie Tilson and Joe Cuda, created an autographed ball giveaway for select fans who donated. The team spread the news via twitter that five autographed balls would be given away at random to those who donated to the cause.

“I’m just glad I could be a part of this,” Cuda said. “I never would have thought that it would have created this much buzz. It’s crazy how the baseball community is so connected together.”

On June 17th, the Cardinals gathered in front of the home dugout following the game to cap an extremely successful fundraising campaign by shaving select team members heads. Players who participated in the head shaving event were, Cuda, Tilson, Iden Nazario, Bruce Caldwell, Alex Mejia, Jesus Montero, Nick Martini and Jimmy Bosco. Even head trainer Keith Joynt stepped into the dugout barber shop to support the cause.

For the Cardinals, this wasn’t a one-time ordeal. Players have been giving back to the community all season long.

In early May, members of the team signed up to visit Palm Beach Children’s Hospital to spend time with children for a few hours before a home game. While just a few guys were asked to ride along for the visit, multiple players asked if they could go as well for fun.

While the fact that the Palm Beach Cardinals ranked in the top five in numerous batting and pitching categories among Florida State League teams in the first half of the season is impressive, the character of the guys in the Cardinals clubhouse is something to be commended.

The 25 players in the Cardinals locker room are truly making a difference in the Palm Beach community.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Palm Beach Cardinals. Click here to view the original story.

Vs. Cancer Foundation Night to be held on June 17

Cardinals players and staff join fight against childhood cancer

Palm-Beach-CardinalsRoger Dean Stadium has partnered with the Vs. Cancer Foundation to raise money to help the fight against childhood cancer. On Tuesday, June 17th, Roger Dean Stadium will host the Vs. Cancer Foundation Fundraiser Night at the Ballpark. Members of the Palm Beach Cardinals and the Jupiter Hammerheads will get their heads shaved on the dugouts following the 6:35 p.m. game between the two clubs.

Prior to the event, players and staff members from both the Cardinals and Hammerheads will be collecting donations via fundraising pages to support the cause. Donations can be made by visiting Cardinals.vs-cancer.org or Jupiter.vs-cancer.org.

Vs-Cancer-logoThe Vs. Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving kids’ lives by empowering athletes and communities to fund lifesaving childhood cancer efforts.

The founder of the Vs. Cancer Foundation is Chase Jones, a former UNC-Chapel Hill baseball player. Chase was diagnosed with Stage IV Brain Cancer at the age of 18. With the help of national research and community support, Chase is six years cancer-free and has now dedicated himself to helping children with childhood cancer through his foundation.

Alliance-for-KidsHalf of all proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit national childhood cancer research, and the other half will help Alliance for Kids, a division of Palm Beach Children’s Hospital. The goal of the Vs. Cancer Foundation is to invest in our kids of tomorrow while also helping kids just be kids even while battling cancer.

Roger Dean Stadium’s merchandise manager Linda Hanson will be one of several players and staff members participating in the event. If she receives $2,500 on her fundraising page or in money donated in the Team Store, she will also take part in the head shaving following the game.

Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday night for the 6:35 p.m. game. You can still purchase tickets at the Roger Dean Stadium ticket office from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or by calling (561) 630-1828. For more information on the event, visit www.PalmBeachCardinals.com or call (561) 775-1818.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Palm Beach Cardinals. Click here to view the original story.