Baby Birds

Cardinal A-AAA farmhands gathering for a meeting

#1 Cardinal prospect, Shelby Miller RHP

#3 Cardinal Prospect, Oscar Taveras OF with buddy Starlin Rodriguez 2B

#5 Cardinal prospect, Kolten Wong 2B

#6 Cardinal prospect, Tyrell Jenkins RHP

#9 Cardinal prospect, Matt Adams 1B

WARNING: ENTERING STL BASEBALL COUNTRY

Red. Isn't it a wonderful color? A red vintage Corvette. A gorgeous redhead. A healthy heart. A juicy beefsteak tomato. Cherry cobbler. Red wine. Red lipstick. Red licorice. Red rose. And the red uniform jersey and hat of the reigning baseball world champions, the St. Louis Cardinals. All beautiful in their singular splendor. And is there a more handsome logo in all of professional sports than the birds on the bat ? I don't think so!

The annual winter/springtime arrival of red in Jupiter, Florida trumpets yet another year of historic baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and their loyal fans. Over 250 players, 50 coaches and team assistants from all class levels descend on the ball fields in Jupiter for Spring Training while thousands of fans watch their every move each passing day in March. Awash with red, except on the bottom line, the players refine their skills, the fans scrutinize the action and both sides hope for success on all baseball fields in the Cardinal world in 2012.

For some rookie players, this spring will be the first time they don the red and the birds on the bat unis. What a thrill that must be! For the ownership and the fans, these youngsters represent the future of the Cardinals. Every Spring Training season brings new faces to camp and some not so new faces. There is hope in the newness and freshness of a baseball spring. Hope is the most refreshing of all emotions. Players feel it. The fans embrace it. This spring in Jupiter is no different from all the others.

Thanks to some very smart player selection and development over the last seven years by Jeff Luhnow, previous head of Cardinals' scouting and drafting talent, the Cardinal farm system is brimming with talent. Pictured above is just a sampling of the more known talent from which the Cardinals will benefit for years to come.

What you may not know is just how stacked the Cardinal farm clubs are. At every level the Cardinals have a bounty of talented young men. Players like CJ McElroy, Kolten Wong, Lance Jeffries, Xavier Scruggs, Starlin Rodriguez, Nick Longmire, Boone Whiting and many others who will become known and recognized by their coaches and the fans as they progress and work their way through the minors.

These young men chosen not only for their obvious athletic skills but also for their character bespeaks of Cardinal pedigree. However, most will fail to make it to the majors, such is the nature of the uber-competitive business of baseball. Many will sustain career ending injuries. Some will be traded. But at some point, the most talented and blessed home grown talent will arrive quietly with their body of work in tow. They will get the opportunity to perform under the bright lights of Busch Stadium much like those who have recently preceded before them like Allen Craig, Jaime Garcia and Daniel Descalso. For that is the primary goal of every minor leaguer: to play for the big league club...for a long time.

So, for all those young men dressed in red with hopeful dreams of playing a boys game, baseball, well into adulthood, may your dreams come true.

Go Cards in 2012.