Jon Jay knows nothing's guaranteed with Cardinals

Rookie Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay knows the drill. He exists in the big leagues as a day-to-day player.

When manager Tony La Russa gives him a chance to do something, he needs to do it. If Jay can’t get the job done, he knows the club will give somebody else an opportunity to succeed.

“I’m just trying to survive,” Jay said after the Cards’ 9-8 loss to the Reds on Tuesday night. “I’m trying to make it each week.”

During spring training, Allen Craig outperformed him and earned a spot on the big league roster to open the season. Then Craig struggled, so Jay got his first crack at the bigs.

Craig recently got another shot. It lasted one at-bat. Craig didn’t get a hit, and back to the minors he went -– making room for veteran Aaron Miles.

Watching the young Cards develop (or not, in some cases) has been one of the most interesting subplots to this season. This franchise has leaned on home-grown players more in the last two seasons than ever before during the La Russa Regime.

Many rookies are getting a chance. Some, like David Freese and Jaime Garcia, are starring. Others, like Jay and Nick Stavinoha, have developed some staying power in part-time roles.

Still others, like Craig and Joe Mather, didn’t hit well enough to stick this season.

The good news for La Russa: He doesn’t have to manufacture a sense of urgency among his extra players. They know that a ticket to Memphis awaits those who can’t keep up.

Rookie P.J. Walters did fine in his first appearance this season, an inning-eating relief assignment. Then he won his first start, beating the light-hitting Padres in spacious Petco Park.

Then the Reds racked him, taking him deep three times Tuesday night. Now Walters is back on the clock. General manager John Mozeliak would have many veteran options should he look outside the organization for help.

Rookie Adam Ottavino did OK in his big league debut, lasting long enough at Wrigley Field to earn another start. But he, too, is in the majors on a game-to-game basis.

The Cards brought up reliever Fernando Salas for one game, got a good effort from him, then sent him back. The team added Evan MacLane to the 40-man roster, brought him up for a day and returned him to Memphis unused.

Catcher Bryan Anderson got his first big league taste earlier this season. Shortstop Tyler Greene got another couple of weeks in The Show while Felipe Lopez was hurt.

In time, many of these players could become regulars in St. Louis. But they will all have to earn their opportunities through repeated performance.

In that context, Jay’s recent breakout is notable. He has looked like a big leaguer from Day One, playing smooth defense in the outfield, running well on the bases and offering a quick lefthanded option at the plate.

This is what the Cards expected when they drafted him out of the University of Miami as a semi-finished product. The front office figured he would rise quickly through the minor leagues and offer support sooner than later. He did.

But there is a difference between looking like a big leaguer and delivering major league production. Jay finally drove in his first two big league runs with a double on Memorial Day, then he smacked his first homer Tuesday night during his 3-for-5 performance.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, he came up with a runner on first base and nobody out. The Cards trailed 9-8 and were out of pitching. Ryan Franklin had just worked two innings and weary relievers Kyle McClellan and Jason Motte were to be used only in an emergency.

So rather than order Jay to bunt the runner over, La Russa had him swing away. Jay worked to a 3-1 count against Reds closer Francisco Cordero. He swung through a fastball for strike two, then crushed the ball up the middle.

If the ball were hit another two feet to the left, it probably reaches center field for another hit. As it was, it turned into a 4-6-3 double play.

“I put a good swing on it,” Jay said. “Hit it right at him and they turn the double play.”

So his breakthrough game ended on a bummer note.

“I’m just trying to put good swings on the ball and have it carry over,” Jay said. “This is the big leagues. They don’t just hand out jobs. I have to continue to work.”

This player development process brings a lot of trial and error, but it also brings extra energy to a team trying to win the 162-game marathon. A little desperation can go a long way in this game.



(stltoday.com)