Cards on Negro Leagues: 'Baseball is family'

The Cardinals, White Sox and teams around Major League Baseball on Sunday celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro National League -- the first structured Negro League that lasted for an extended period -- with all players, managers, coaches and umpires wearing a Negro Leagues 100th anniversary logo patch on their uniforms.

At Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox had iconic Negro Leaguers, including Andrew “Rube” Foster, Minnie Mi?oso, Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe and Jackie Robinson, displayed as commemorative cutouts in the seats located near their dugout.

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The festivities are part of what has become a summer-long celebration of the Negro Leagues and its players. The “Tipping Your Cap” initiative that started in June was part of it, too, and Cardinals players and staff played their part in the campaign. Paul Goldschmidt was one of the players who sent a video in to show his appreciation for the players who played in the Negro Leagues.

“Baseball is a family,” Goldschmidt said Sunday. “And just to know the players that played, a lot of them before me, I wanted to show respect and appreciation for all those guys. I love baseball. I’ve said that a ton of times. I’ve loved this game from an early age. Any way we can just make sure we know that everyone is appreciated and help to continue to grow the game -- I think that’s where my head was at.”

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For manager Mike Shildt, Sunday’s celebration was about continuing the awareness of social justice issues that the team talked about at the beginning of the season, when the Cardinals held a team meeting discussing how they could support their Black teammates and coaches.

“It’s great timing in the sense that we want to continue to have awareness,” Shildt said. “We talked about this earlier in the year -- but also moving forward, and think about how we continue to do our part to make sure we’re honoring the past and the sacrifices that were made in the Negro Leagues."

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Reyes throws heat back in Majors
Alex Reyes' outing Saturday was like a welcome-back party for the former top prospect. After the Cardinals took a two-run lead in the second game of their doubleheader against the White Sox, Reyes came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth inning. He struck out the side and flashed three 98-plus-mph fastballs to end each at-bat with a strikeout. It was Reyes’ first Major League appearance since April 5, 2019, when he allowed three runs in one inning against the Padres. He was optioned to Triple-A Memphis shortly after and was injured for most of the rest of the year.

Coming into Spring Training and then Summer Camp, Reyes said he felt good with his arm and his pitch mix. A positive COVID-19 test sidelined him during Summer Camp and saw him start the season at the alternate training site in Springfield, Mo., to build up, but Saturday showed what he could do for the Cardinals moving forward.

“The ball was coming out of my hand well in Springfield,” Reyes said. “Obviously, when you start playing actual games, there’s adrenaline that kicks in. I just feel good, and that’s what’s important.”

Reyes emphasized that phrase -- feeling good -- multiple times Sunday morning. After three years of injuries that have mostly kept him off the field and away from the Majors, Reyes is focused on making sure he stays healthy this year.

“It was a positive outing, and that’s what you look for, a 1-2-3 inning however you can get it,” Reyes said. "That’s what I’m always going to look for. I feel good, and that’s what's important. Everything else is whatever we need for the team.”

Woodford optioned; Cards plot starters vs. Cubs
After Saturday’s doubleheader, the Cardinals optioned Jake Woodford, who started Saturday’s second game for his Major League debut, and kept 29th man Ricardo Sánchez. Woodford could be back as soon as Monday as the 29th man for the Cards' doubleheader against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The team chose to option Woodford because he pitched three innings Saturday and wouldn’t have been available to pitch Sunday.

Lefty Kwang Hyun Kim will make his first start as a Cardinal in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader. Game 2 will be a bullpen game based on who the Cards need to use in the first game. Austin Gomber will likely join the team on Monday and could start the second game.

Daniel Ponce de Leon will start Tuesday, and if Jack Flaherty is ready to go by Wednesday, he will start Game 1 of that day's doubleheader vs. the Cubs. The Cardinals are being cautious with Flaherty because he hasn’t pitched since Opening Day on July 24. Shildt said the right-hander will throw a bullpen session at Wrigley.

“He’ll be able to pitch Wednesday if everything is going accordingly, and at this point, there’s been nothing to indicate otherwise,” Shildt said. “It’s the layoff. He’s the last guy to physically pitch. It makes sense that he’d be the one who needs to be built up the most.”

Quotable
“He impresses me every day. He’s awesome. I think the writing’s on the wall for him to be a great player for a long time. Everyone sees the hits and all that, but it’s just the little things. He prepares. He’s a hard worker. He’s team-oriented; it’s not about himself. He’s very studious, always trying to get better and learn, doesn’t think he knows it all. So just the little things that can kind of point to a better chance of long-term success.” -- Goldschmidt, on top prospect Dylan Carlson