Mike Matheny began the parade of St. Louis Cardinals staff that were promoted in the offseason. The former catcher became the manager of the Major League Baseball franchise after the retirement Tony LaRussa, Matheny turned into a full-fledged manager after being an instructor in the minor league level.

Minor League AAA Memphis Redbirds manager Chris Maloney was promoted to be a first base coach under Matheny’s leadership. Ron “Pop” Warner, who managed the AA Springfield Cardinals for five years, will take over the Redbirds.

The line of succession seems to be working well for the Cardinals. Maloney became the most successful manager in Memphis history with an overall record of 367-350 in five years. Likewise, Warner was with Springfield for five years and had a 364-347 record.

The moves line up what may be another successful season in 2012 for the entire organization. Warner will likely start to call up some minor leaguers from Springfield to Memphis. He will be familiar with prospects and their playing abilities coming up the pipeline.

Maloney will also be familiar with players once they get to the parent club in St. Louis. The next few years should be loaded with talent as prospects begin to develop and move up to play in the Gateway City.

The minor league system has been a point of pride for the Cardinals. Both of the upper-tier minor league clubs are within 200 miles of St. Louis. Any call-ups can happen in a quick turnaround if the Springfield or Memphis clubs are playing at home. Plus any rehab assignments are played in front of fans that will cheer on their hometown favorites.

One other benefit of having teams close to St. Louis is that the parent club comes down to play their smaller teams. The St. Louis Cardinals were supposed to play in Springfield in 2011 but weather canceled the game. KOLR 10 reported St. Louis will schedule two exhibition games in Springfield at the end of spring training in 2012. That means fans will get a look at the World Series champs before they begin their title defense on Opening Day next year.

William Browning was born in St. Louis and is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

By Alex Fritz

– Contributor

Follow @sbnstlouis on Twitter, and

Like SB Nation St. Louis on Facebook.

MARCH
DATE	TRANSACTION
March 31, 2011	Selected the contract of RHP Miguel Batista from Memphis (PCL). Placed RHP Adam Wainwright on the 60-day DL and INF Nick Punto on the 15-day DL, retroactive to March 22.

APRIL
DATE	TRANSACTION
April 5, 2011	Signed RH/LHP George Wheeler after manager Tony La Russa insisted on having an ambidextrous pitcher.
April 6, 2011	Released RH/LHP George Wheeler, who has been dead for 65 years.
April 13, 2011	Placed RHP Brian Tallet and RHP Bryan Augenstein on the 15-day DL. Recalled RHP Fernando Salas and RHP Eduardo Sanchez from Memphis (PCL).
April 17, 2011	Purchased the contract of Mayor McCheese, assigned to Memphis (PCL).
April 18, 2011	Released the rap album John Mozeliak: Trader, Playa
April 19, 2011	Placed 2B Skip Schumaker and OF Allen Craig on the 15-day DL, Schumaker retroactive to April 16 and Craig to April 17. Activated INF Nick Punto from the 15-day DL. Recalled 1B Mark Hamilton from Memphis (PCL).
April 22, 2011	Traded LHP Trevor Miller to Los Angeles Dodgers for UIF Aaron Miles. John Mozeliak severs the phone line in manager Tony La Russa’s office, forbids La Russa from imitating him. Traded UIF Aaron Miles to Los Angeles Dodgers for LHP Trevor Miller. Traded four dollars for a new box of tissues in La Russa’s office.

MAY
DATE	TRANSACTION
May 1, 2011	Signed Ted DiBiase. No reason, really.
May 2, 2011	Placed 3B David Freese on the 15-day DL. Activated INF-OF Allen Craig from the 15-day DL.
May 9, 2011	Activated Go-Go-Gadget-Arms.
May 17, 2011	Claimed RHP Jess Todd off waivers from the N.Y. Yankees. Transferred RHP Bryan Augenstein from 15-day to 60-day DL.
May 18, 2011	Placed INF Nick Punto on the 15-day DL. Recalled INF Pete Kozma from Memphis (PCL).
May 19, 2011	Placed into therapy for having to recall Pete Effing Kozma to the major league roster.
May 21, 2011	Claimed to have invented frozen yogurt.
May 23, 2011	Placed C Gerald Laird on the 15-day DL. Activated 2B Skip Schumaker from the 15-day DL. Recalled C Tony Cruz from Memphis (PCL). Optioned RHP Mitchell Boggs to Memphis. Announced Rule 5 draft RHP Brian Broderick was returned by Washington and assigned to Memphis.
May 25, 2011	Traded 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr for 1986 Donruss Jose Canseco, 1988 Score Gregg Jeffries, and 1993 Stadium Club Todd Van Poppel.
May 28, 2011	Placed SS Ryan Theriot into “timeout” for ten minutes following Icy Hot being found in Brian Tallet’s jock strap.

JUN
DATE	TRANSACTION
June 1, 2011	Placed RHP Kyle McClellan on the 15-day DL. Recalled RHP Lance Lynn from Memphis (PCL).
June 2, 2011	Placed OF Matt Holliday on the 15-day DL. Recalled RHP Maikel Cleto from Springfield (TEX). Set self on fire.
June 3, 2011	Recalled graphic childhood nightmare involving Judith Light, Dick Van Dyke, and a Capri Sun pouch.

Read More: Gerald Laird (C – STL), Nick Punto (SS – STL), Skip Schumaker (2B – STL), Miguel Batista (P – STL), Mitchell Boggs (P – STL), Mark Hamilton (1B – STL), David Freese (3B – STL), Allen Craig (LF – STL), Lance Lynn (P – STL), Tony Cruz (C – STL), Bryan Augenstein (P – STL), Brian Broderick (P – STL), St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers

Follow @sbnstlouis on Twitter, and

Like SB Nation St. Louis on Facebook.

Do you like this story?

ST. LOUIS (AP)—The St. Louis Cardinals purchased the contract of infielder
Matt Carpenter from Triple-A Memphis on Friday and recalled first baseman Mark
Hamilton(notes) from their top farm club.

Rookie right-hander Maikel Cleto was optioned to Double-A Springfield and
infielder Pete Kozma(notes) was optioned to Memphis.

Manager Tony La Russa said right-hander Lance Lynn(notes), who gave up five runs in
5 1-3 innings in his major league debut on Thursday night, would get another
turn in the rotation. The Cardinals are short a man with Kyle McClellan(notes) on the
15-day disabled list with a hip injury.

Lynn wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been optioned.

“Woke up. I was just hoping,” Lynn said. “I was glad to get that first
one out of the way. Now it’s back to work.”

Cleto made his major league debut in a 12-7 loss to the Giants on Thursday
and gave up five runs in two innings, while Kozma was 1 for 8 at the plate since
his first major league callup on May 17.

La Russa said Kozma needs to get playing time.

Carpenter was batting .283 with two home runs and 23 RBIs in 52 games at
Memphis before his first major league callup. Hamilton batted .200 in 16 games
earlier this season with St. Louis and was batting .452 (19 for 42) in 12 games
at Memphis since May 19.

“If you’re not nervous, you are probably not human,” Carpenter said.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ decision to send Dalton’s Mitchell Boggs down to Triple-A Memphis brought with it surprise, ideas and plenty of questions on Monday afternoon. By Tuesday, some answers were starting to filter through.

Boggs was optioned to Memphis to reactivate second baseman Skip Schumaker from the disabled list in what has become a tightly debated topic in Cardinals fan circles (judging from online chatter) and even in the clubhouse. But before we get to that, let’s define what this deal is for both Boggs and the Cardinals.

So far this season, manager Tony La Russa and the upper management of the team have gone with a 13-to-12 pitcher-to-fielder mix on the 25-man roster. With the return of Schumaker, that ratio reversed and meant that a pitching roster spot had to be eliminated. Included on that roster are a pair of pitchers who have been unqualified busts this season — Miguel Batista and former closer Ryan Franklin. And while Boggs has had some struggles in May, less than a month ago, La Russa and his staff had confidence to turn the ball over to him as closer four games in a row.

Miguel Batista would be a steal for the Cardinals at the bargain basement price of $750,000 if he were the Miguel Batista of 10 years ago. However, the 40-year-old pitcher has been seldom seen this year, with just 16 appearances and an 8.31 ERA in May. Franklin was seen as the closer this team really needed after a monster year in 2010, when he converted 27 of 29 save opportunities.

But this season has been almost the exact opposite. He blew four of five save opportunities in May before being taken out of that role altogether. Like Batista, Franklin has been seldom seen as well, appearing in 13 games and sporting a 9.20 ERA. Here is the kicker though, as far as Boggs is concerned: Franklin is making $3.25 million.

Boggs is only 27, so both of those pitchers have a good decade on him. He also is making a lot less money at $431,000 this year. So here is the list of reasons why Boggs (and not someone else) was sent down:

• Money and business appearance: Upper management isn’t going to be in a big hurry to send down either Batista or Franklin.

For one thing, Batista has been playing longer than most of those guys have been alive, and what is he really going to work on in Memphis that he can’t do in side sessions with the big club? But he still isn’t getting that much work and one of the main reasons for that was Boggs. They are both playing the same role on the team as middle relievers.

As far as Franklin is concerned, the team has too much money tied up in him. Players that make that much money only go down to the minors with an injury. To send either of those players down in May is to admit a colossal mistake. Boggs is the easy choice when it comes to money and years of service, especially since the Cardinals still have options on him.

• Boggs’ role: Late Monday, La Russa said going down to Memphis would allow Boggs to be used as a starter, which should give him a chance to improve on his variety of pitches. According to Joe Strauss of The Post-Dispatch, Boggs was moved out of the closer role because he didn’t have great variety.

La Russa told mlb.com that he doesn’t see Boggs’ stint in Memphis as a permanent situation.

“I expect him back this year and to play a major role,” La Russa said, adding that Boggs’ return could come as a starter or as a reliever. “The most important thing is that Mitchell is a young guy that, as soon as he can have command of extra things, he can be very special.

“It’s tough to do it here as a reliever unless you’re in all of those games just to get work, and that’s not been happening too often.”

But it is unlikely that Boggs will be a starter for the Cardinals. He was a starter all throughout his career coming up in the minors, but he never found a spot in the rotation. Nothing has changed with the Cardinals holding the options on all five starting pitchers plus Adam Wainwright for next season.

According to Strauss’ story, Boggs is set to make a start Wednesday of 30-40 pitches at Salt Lake City before returning Saturday for 40-50 pitches in Memphis against Omaha, working every fifth day after that on higher and higher pitch counts.

• Veteran loyalty: La Russa has a habit of sticking with guys that have served him well before, which is why Franklin will likely be given every opportunity to recapture his form from last year. Batista is certainly a veteran, but he has never played for La Russa before in his career.

Veteran loyalty is a good thing, but when it comes to comparing numbers, sometimes the only numbers that matter are the investment into a player.

• Boggs needs the work: For four games, Boggs was the closer for the squad after Franklin’s April of woe. He saved three straight games before blowing a save on April 26 in Houston.

Since that time, he has made just eight appearances and hadn’t pitched for the Cards in a week. Since the blown save, he’s thrown just 108 pitches total. For the season he is 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA, but most of the damage has come in those brief appearances in May. In two games in Atlanta at the end of April, Boggs had two appearances of middle relief, pitching an inning in each and lowering his ERA to 1.84.

He certainly has the stuff, it is just a matter of finding more consistent pitches to go along with a lively fastball. He obviously isn’t going to get that work with the big club if the Cardinals are going to plug both Batista and Franklin in the same roles.

“It works for him and it works for us,” St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan told Strauss. “It’s going to give him an opportunity to pitch every fifth day and an opportunity to go multiple innings, which makes it easier for him to utilize his secondary pitches.”

All of these are factors in why Boggs is in Memphis and not in St. Louis. Understandably, it’s frustrating to root for a guy and see him doing well and seemingly not get the respect that he is due when you see a player with Boggs’ talent sent down by his parent club.

But think of it less as a lack of respect and more an investment in what he could be.

Either way, don’t see it as a demotion.

Chris Whitfield is a sports writer for The Daily Citizen. You can write to him at chriswhitfield@daltoncitizen.com.

Read More: Brian Broderick (P – WAS), Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals

Minor league starter Brian Broderick, a surprise Rule 5 pick by the Washington Nationals after a solid season at the St. Louis Cardinals’ AA affiliate, was returned Monday after two months of sparing use in the Nats’ bullpen. Broderick appeared in 11 games and finished with an ERA of 6.57; his groundball tendencies were out in full force, but he had trouble getting his high-80s fastball past Major League hitters.

Broderick was nowhere near the Cardinals’ Major League picture despite both matching Dave Duncan’s standing eHarmony personal ad for heavy-fastball pitchers and going 11-2 with a 2.77 ERA in his first exposure to the high minors. With a strikeout-per-nine of just 4.9 in Springfield he simply doesn’t miss enough bats yet, at least as a starter.

The Nationals fans at Federal Baseball did not seem especially concerned by the news, at first glance. With Mitchell Boggs being moved to the Memphis rotation on the same day it’s not immediately clear in what role Broderick will pitch; left-handed equivalent Nick Additon, who was recently promoted from Springfield, might be headed back down.