2009 Season Review: Peoria Cardinals

SURPRISE! 2009 was the official coming out party for the 2009 Eastern Division Champion Peoria Cardinals launch into relevancy.


2009 Season Review: Peoria Cardinals
By: Dave Grubb; Peoria Cardinals Owner


From Day 1 back in the winter of 2005/06, the Peoria Ownership made the vow that if they were to invest in a professional baseball franchise that they would not be content for that team to be mediocre. Through several long, losing seasons that saw publicly questioned draft picks and trades completed by this team’s Front Office it all paid dividends in 2009. From the very day that the 2008 Peoria Cardinals cleaned out their lockers for the last time, finishing just 4th in the league in wins, GM Dave Grubb caught many by surprise when he claimed his team a 2009 Playoff Contender, and believed that the team was just a tweak away from competing with the big boys.

“If we aren’t one of those final six teams playing meaningful ball through September, I will personally go door-to-door and apologize to every resident in the great city of Peoria, Illinois”, said Peoria Cardinals GM Dave Grubb at a recent charity sledding event hosted by 2008 Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee. –An excerpt taken from the Christmas, 2008 Edition of Peoria Free Press – “A Look Ahead To 2009”

This focus only gained momentum as the team scored big twice in the 2009 EHCC Major League Draft. While most ‘experts’ still seeing Peoria as a team still in ‘rebuild’ mode mocked the selection of a 36 year-old corner OF, Raul Ibanez, with its first pick (and 33 year-old SP Randy Wolf with its R3, P7). The nay-sayers did nothing to bother GM Dave Grubb who had the last laugh, watching Ibanez absolutely destroy EHCC pitching in the first half of the season; launching 22 HR, driving in 69 and hitting right around .310! Ibanez was slowed in the second half with injuries, but still went on to post career highs in power numbers. Randy Wolf went on to post well over 200 IP, with his numbers actually gaining momentum all the way through the season (posting a sub-3, 1.02 WHIP throughout the second half of 09). These veteran presences implanted into the young Peoria lineup was invaluable in getting the Cardinals player’s minds ready to believe that they were indeed ready to be winners.

Throughout the season, much like with every other quality EHCC team; Peoria faced tough decisions, trade opportunities, and a rash of injuries that could have easily derailed their season. SP Edinson Volquez came into the season as one of Peoria’s blue-chippers, but never could get consistent before blowing his arm off and being lost for much of 2009 and most likely all of 2010. C Geovany Soto, coming off of an All-Star Rookie season, had a little problem giving up the weed, and then mixed in some injuries to have an absolutely forgettable season. SP Chad Billingsley, arguably the hottest pitcher in the EHCC in the first half, ran completely out of gas at the turn of the season, conditioning questions that will surely need to be addressed with this 25 year-old, 250 pounder.

As quickly as chips started falling apart in Peoria however, the front office stayed on top of its business; working the phone lines, burning the midnight oil on AIM and constantly scouting talent around the league. The Cardinals were able to make several Free Agent pickups throughout the season that proved to be intrical to their run at the Eastern Division title. One of these huge additions was two-thirds of the entire bullpen. JP Howell and Rafael Soriano were brought in via Free Agency and instantly brought in much needed closer mentalities, and most importantly closer stats. Both men would finish the season with well over a K per Inning, ERA’s under 3 and solid save numbers. SP Bronson Arroyo, an original draft pick in 09 of the Cardinals but later released, was brought back halfway through the year and performed wonders. Posting a league-best ERA in the second half (2.24, 1.04 WHIP). Arguably one of the team’s MVPs in 2009 was also a Free Agent pick-up, Super-Utility Man and best nickname in the EHCC, Ben “Zorilla” Zobrist. Zobrist burst onto the scene immediately and never slowed. Zobrist saved the day once Ibanez went down, picking up exactly where Ibanez left off; finishing the season with a line of .297/.405/.543, 27, 91, 91, 17 and at still 28 the Cardinals hope they have caught lightning in a bottle. Time will tell, but for one season he was a total beast!

The trade market had mixed results for the Cardinals in 2009. The brightest trade GM Dave Grubb was able to swing, and arguably the most controversial in EHCC History, was a match made with the fire-sale minded, rebuild driven, now defunct, Winston-Salem Green Monsters. The deal centered around former top-prospects Jay Bruce, Chris Davis and Andrew Miller departing Peoria in return of OF Grady Sizemore and SP Rich Harden. At the time of the trade, the Cardinals were sitting just outside the playoff picture and knew that in order to make a legit run this trade was the only way to send the message that they were serious about winning! This trade long-term is sure to benefit both teams. One trade that I’m sure the Cardinals would love to do over if they could would be the deal that sent Ubaldo Jimenez (15-12, 3.47 ERA, 198K) for SS Rafael Furcal. Of course, with the emergence of Zorilla through the year, it is easy to second-guess the teams decision to acquire the SS, and the team was starting to lose hope that Jimenez would gain the control he showed once he arrived in Quebec City. Overall, Furcal looked pretty flat during his time with Peoria in 09, but the fans hope that with a year removed from back injuries Furcal can provide the flash at the top of the lineup they were looking for.

Everything else for the 2009 Peoria Cardinals went as close to ‘according to planned’ as plans go in Fantasy Baseball. The team expected great strides from C/3B Pablo Sandoval, 3B Ryan Zimmerman, 2B Robinson Cano, OF Matt Kemp, SP Adam Wainwright; as well as continuing to get all-star performances from 1B Mark Teixeira and SP Cliff Lee.

2009 Eastern Division Champions. Enjoy it Cardinals fans, with perennial powerhouses like Las Vegas, Weymouth and Bridgewater it is sure to be another dog fight in 2010.