Tagged: Adam Ottavino
#Twinterview number three with @AdamOttavino
As promised, another #Twinterview took place earlier today. Here’s the Q & A in case you missed it!
@memphisredbirds: Alright @AdamOttavino, are you ready to get this #Twinterview started?!
@AdamOttavino: absolutely! ready and willing! #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Great! Now, how has your offseason home in Brooklyn, NY been treating you? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: it has been good so far, been working hard and enjoying being home. Here is a pic i took http://t.co/eEEfLCDA #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Good to hear, so what has been keeping you busy this offseason? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: I have been preparing for next season, dominating in Fifa 12 from PS3, and giving some lessons to local kids #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Dominating in Fifa 12, eh? So you think you’re better than fellow teammates @jonjayU and @DanielDescalso? #Twinterview
@Adam Ottavino: Well, I don’t want to brag, but I have the ring in Fifa, and they have the real ring i want…WS Ring #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Touche sir, soon enough! What made you want to become a baseball player? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: my dad taught me the game, and its been a companion every year since…the only thing i ever felt meant to do #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: What are your parting words for 2011 Redbirds manager Hammer? #Twinterivew
@AdamOttavino: congrats!! Hammer was a great manager to play for and I am happy he is going to be in STL this year #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: What are your thoughts on Pop managing the Redbirds next season? #Twinterview
@Adam Ottavino: The team is in great hands…Pop is another great manager…I am sure the team will have a good year #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Which Cardinals player do you think you have learned the most from? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: Many players have helped me, but I have watched Adam Wainwright closely , and learned a lot from him and his approach
@memphisredbirds: He is certainly a good guy to watch. Who is your favorite athlete? Why? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: Jimmy Key was my favorite pitcher growing up..overall athlete I would Say Muhammed Ali, he changed the world #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Who have people said you look like? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: I have heard lots of names, josh hartnett, tom brady, ashton kutcher… personally i don’t see them but oh well#twinterview
@memphisredbirds: We’ll go with Josh Hartnett. If you weren’t in baseball, what would you be doing? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: I think I could have a sports talk radio show or something someday #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Tell us one thing about you that the fans don’t already know. #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: My arms can do this: pic.twitter.com/C1AU7NDB
@memphisredbirds: Oh wow, did not see that coming. Impressive. What are your words to live by? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: Make Haste…Slowly (meaning things take time, but consistent work will pay off) #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Let’s go back to 2006. Describe in 140 characters how it felt to be drafted in the 1st round of the MLB draft? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: surreal feeling..took a while to hit me…my 3 years at Northeastern had helped me achieve a major goal for me #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: And how was it working through your shoulder injury in 2010? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: crazy, i had never been through anything like that. I felt helpless. Thankfully I wasn’t, and now I feel great. Thanks to all the people who helped me get healthy and back on the field, they deserve the credit #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: What is the most difficult part about playing professional baseball? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: just the everyday grind…people are at the beach and you can’t go… it ok though because I love it #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Always good to love what you do. If you were on a reality TV show, which one would it be and why? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: The Amazing Race…I love the traveling aspect, and flying a lot is easy at this point #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Yea, you’ve got to be used to the traveling by now. So, how are you preparing for next season? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: I strength train with @strengthcoach64 and throw nights during the week with local pro ballplayers i know #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: Liked the shout-out right there. What was the best decision you ever made? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: To go to College instead of signing out of high school..i was 17 and not ready. I had a great college experience and got bigger and stronger #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: One last question: what do you like most about being part of the Cardinals organization? #Twinterview
@AdamOttavino: They have a great history, and I have been blessed with great teammates in my career #twinterview
@memphisredbirds: That’s all from us here in Memphis, thanks for participating in this #Twinterview! And as always, good luck next season!
@AdamOttavino: Thanks for having me! #twinterview
Leave a comment if you have any suggestions on who should participate in our next #Twinterview!
Saturday Notables
Saturday, July 4, 6:35 PM – Memphis
Redbirds (37-43) vs. Round Rock Express (37-44)
- Tonight’s line-up is as follows:
1. Jon Jay – LF
2. Daniel Descalso – 2B
3. Nick Stavinoha – 1B
4. Brett Wallace – 3B
5. Brian Barden – RF
6. Donovan Solano – SS
7. Matt Pagnozzi – C
8. Shane Robinson – CF
9. Adam Ottavino – P
- With Jarrett Hoffpauir in St. Louis (see below), 2B Daniel Descalso was moved up from Springfield today and will make his Triple-A debut tonight. Descalso was hitting .323 (93×288) for the S-Cards.
- Fireworks will foloow tonight’s game, which bodes well for the Redbirds, who are 4-0 before fireworks.
- Brett Wallace starts anew after posting an impressive 15-game hit streak from June 15 to July 1. Wallace had a hit Friday and looks to for it to be the start of a new string of hits.
- Jarrett Hoffpauir made his major league debut Friday night a memorable one, coming in as a pinch hitter in the ninth to hit a two-run single that gave the Cards the lead over Cincinnati.
- Adam Ottavino looks for the first Triple-A win of his career tonight. Ottavino is 0-9 with a 5.30 ERA in 2009.
- Among other new additions to the Redbirds squad is infielder Mark Hamilton, who joined the club on June 27 from Springfield. In his three games as a starter for Memphis, Hamilton is hitting .455 (5×11).
- St. Louis Cardinals right-handed pitcher Kyle Lohse will make a rehab start in Memphis on Tuesday, July 7th’s Round Rock series finale. Lohse made a start in Springfield on Thursday, allowing two runs on three hits over 4.2 innings.
What We Learned From OKC
At the plate:
Center-fielder Shane Robinson has come out strong, posting a hit in each game of the series and leading the team in hits with six. All of the ‘Birds regular starters have recorded a hit, but have been fairly quiet at the plate, averaging 6.67 hits a game, not helping the run production of 2.3 runs per game. With 2008 sluggers Nick Stavinoha and Joe Mather not getting a hit until Saturday night, the offense just has not been able to find its groove.
Against Rangers Top Prospects:
No. 1 Neftali Feliz pitched four scoreless innings against the ‘Birds. He walked a ton of people, but looked pretty great doing. Those balls were crossing the plate at a lethal speed.
No. 2 Derek Holland was scheduled to start on Sunday’s game, but the rain helped the ‘Birds dodge those left-handed bullets.
Against Lefties:
Avoiding Holland, the ‘Birds only faced one inning of left-handed pitching. Gabbard came in on Friday to deliver a HBP on Jay and a walk to Mather before being relieved. Quite the different story on Saturday, when Ballard came in to pitch a hitless inning. Still, the LHP remains an untested facet of the game for the ‘Birds thus far.
On the mound:
The Redbirds have a certain standard to live up to this season after leading the PCL with a 4.34 ERA in 2008. So far so good, we thinks.
Starters:
Mitchell Boggs started the’Birds season off right after getting the Opening Day nod for Memphis. He showed flashes of the same pitcher who lead the PCL in ERA last year, staying on the hill for six innings and allowing just one run on five hits. Boggs was a consistent starter for the ‘Birds and I think Memphis fans can expect much of the same in ’09. Boo-yah
Adam Ottavino might have collected the loss in his first taste of Triple-A action, but he put together a fairly solid performance in his Redbird debut Friday night. The right-hander allowed just one earned in a little over five innings of work, issuing three walks and fanning five.
P.J. Walters absolutely dominated in his first start of the year, with a seven-inning performance that saw the pitcher not allow a single RedHawk on base until he issued a walk in the top of the fourth and was hitless through five and two-thirds innings of work. If he stays on this kind of pace, opposing batters are going to be in for a long season.
Relief:
Right-hander Chris Perez was the star of the bullpen over the weekend, adding a save Saturday to a resume that already included a win he collected the previous Thursday. In his two appearances over the weekend, Perez posted three shut-out innings with three strikeouts and two walks. Each of his two outings came when the game was within a run, which shows he’s a go-to-guy in tight spots.
Jess Todd was another member of the ‘Birds staff that had a couple of appearances over the weekend. His first came Thursday night in relief for Mitchell Boggs when Memphis was clinging to a one-run lead going into the seventh. He started off with a 1-2-3 seventh, but struggled some in the eighth and let the lead slip away when the ‘Hawks drove in two runs at the top of the inning. His appearance Saturday went a little smoother, as the right-hander went one inning without any Oklahoma City batters getting on base. If the last couple of games are any indication, Todd should be capable of chewing up some crucial middle innings when getting the call from the bullpen this season.
Team Rating: B-
With a solid starting rotation (still yet to see Hawksworth and Mortenson) and a few choice closers, the pitchers look to be a strong part of the team. Probably an A for starters and a B+ for relief. However, it’s the offense that is the biggest question mark. Where are our heavy-hitters? Giving the team a C for hitting is still probably generous. Average it together and there you have a B-.
Cardinals trim roster by eight; six pitchers among those re-assigned
The list of potential Redbirds got a little longer today as the Cardinals optioned eight players, trimming their Spring Training roster down to 37 players. Among those players re-assigned to minor league camp were pitchers Clayton Mortensen, Adam Ottavino, Jess Todd, and infielder Allen Craig. Outfielder Brian Barton and pitchers Mitchell Boggs, Charlie Manning and Matt Scherer were also optioned by St. Louis. Be sure to keep up with us as more information comes trickling out of Florida and Opening Day gets closer.
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