FanHome - View Single Post - Chat Room Session of February 11th with Guest Mike Lindskog

BleacherBum593 · February 12th, 2007, 03:24 PM

Ewttexas We're going for a threepeat tonight.

BleacherBum593 Lets go ahead and get started, the rest can catch up when they get here

BleacherBum593 You once said that the Springfield Cardinals' job was the premier announcing job in all of minor league baseball. Do you still feel that way?

Mike Lindskog No doubt, between the Stadium, the fan support and the fact that it's owned and operated by the Cardinals, there's a lot of guys that would give up a limb to work where I do...I'm very lucky

Ewttexas Do you announce the games on the road as well as at home?

Mike Lindskog Yes...travel with the team for a 140-game schedule - lots of bus trips....tough ones to places like Midland and Corpus

BleacherBum593 I saw in another interview that you did this week, that you were able to take you dad to Game 5 (The Clincher) of last years World Series in St Louis. How special was it to be there with your dad?

Mike Lindskog It was awesome...I'm from Washington State and he was flying in so we could do the Chiefs/Hawks game in KC...we were fortunate to find some tickets and made the drive up to STL at the last
moment. It was definitely a weekend I'll never forget

BleacherBum593 First time at a clincher?

Mike Lindskog I've been to three WS but yes this was the first clincher...it was the first WS game for my dad, so he will always remember it as well

BleacherBum593 Did you stick around all weekend for the festivities?

Mike Lindskog No, we had some stuff to do on Saturday morning but it was an adventure just getting back to the car...the city was going CRAZY! They were well behaved but 24 years is a long time to wait

Mike Lindskog I read to a lot of kids in the community, as part of our reading program, and I always joke to them that I was their age the last time STL won the World Series. They look at my like I'm REALLY OLD.

BleacherBum593 I asked Cody Haerther last week about the “Saturday Night Miracle” game in Little Rock last season. He said it was one of his most memorable games ever. In that game, Little Rock led by 7 with 2 out in the top of the ninth. Springfield proceeded to score 8 runs
after 2 were out and then set them down in the bottom of the 9th. What was it like announcing that comeback in the top of the ninth?

Mike Lindskog That game was as memorable as I've ever been involved with. Cody was struggling and worked the count for a walk...so that was as big of an at-bat as any in the inning. The inning started harmless enough and at the time, you're starting to talk about who's pitching tomorrow and what you're going to cover in the post-game show. The hits kept coming and I remember the ARK outfielder had a chance to catch Stavinoha drive at the wall, but he let it go over his head...that tied the game. Josh Pressley, who's no longer with the Cardinals, dropped the game-winning hit to complete the comeback...it was awesome...biggest comeback I've ever been a part of in 14 years

BleacherBum593 Who did you have on the post-game show that night?

Mike Lindskog Our post-game show unfortunately doesn't give us the opportunity to do interviews, but you could have picked about nine guys that were instrumental in the comeback

BleacherBum593 Speaking of the left fielder

BleacherBum593 Then the next day, another bizarre thing happened. Springfield jumped out on top early and when Little Rock made a pitching change (I believe in the third), they also removed their LF, who still had not made a play that whole weekend. As he approached the dugout, one of the coaches for Little Rock, met the LF a few feet in front of the dugout and tore into the player about his lack of fielding. It got pretty heated and then the next thing you see is the coach and player going at it, tumbling down the steps, swinging away at each other. Did you catch that “event” for the radio and have you ever seen anything similar in all of your broadcasting days?

Mike Lindskog Wow...you are very wise

BleacherBum593 I had front row seats behind the Cards dugout for both of those games that weekend.

Mike Lindskog That's pretty much what happened. I didn't get the visual but I heard from the players exactly how it went down. You never want to see that happen, but they were struggling and sometimes tempers
flare when a player may be dogging it. The only thing I saw was some scuffling and heard a lot of yelling. It was quite the ordeal...the player got suspended for about a week.

BleacherBum593 To the right of me was a cameraman from a local station and he got it all on tape. He was going bananas of thinking it would make the 5 o'clock news. Unfortunately, it never did.

Mike Lindskog That was a wild series. There was also a walk-off grand slam by ARK that same series.

BleacherBum593 Changing gears - Part of your job is doing pre and post game interviews? Is there any one interview that stands out in your mind?

Mike Lindskog This past season, I got to do Bob Gibson during the game...that was memorable

BleacherBum593 (Gibson) Bobblehead night?

Mike Lindskog Being owned by the Cardinals, you can imagine we get more perks than other affiliates and interviewing Bob Gibson or having Stan the Man throw out a first pitch is pretty awesome

Mike Lindskog Bob Gibson wasn't actually there for his bobblehead night...he made opening day. This year it will be Red Schoendienst. Again...we're very fortunate.

BleacherBum593 That answers my next question.

Mike Lindskog The plan is for Red to throw out the 1st pitch on Opening Night...we will also be doing figurines of him later in the year. At least that's the plan...

BleacherBum593 Sounds like your going to do all the Hall of Famers.

cardsfan What's the latest on Rick Ankiel--do you think he'll ever make it back to the majors again?

Mike Lindskog I do a lot of public speaking circuits.... and that's the most common question I get. I have him starting the year in AAA, but he may very well start in Springfield. The Memphis outfield is very crowded and there's guys that need Abs.

Ewttexas With all of the off season moves, how do you see Springfield this year?

Mike Lindskog Haerther, Gorecki and Stavinoha are all prospects...it's strange that they could all be starting in AAA or all be starting in AA, but I doubt they'll ALL be in Double-A. Maybe Stav, just because it's only his third year coming up

Mike Lindskog I was telling some people the other day that this year is my toughest to gauge. So many questions about pitching and outfield.
There are a number of guys that should most likely be in AAA.
Parisi, Pals, Lambert and Pomeranz should all make the jump, but chances are 1 or 2 may be left in Springfield, so it's a matter of who stays and who advances .

BleacherBum593 Springfield’s OF could be loaded this year. There’s the possibility of Colby Rasmus Jon Jay, Ian Church and Joey Mather making the jump to AA, plus depending on the situation at Memphis, you could see anyone of the following - Haerther, Stavinoha, Ankiel and/or Gorecki - looking for playing time at Springfield. Which 5 would you
like to keep?

Mike Lindskog Rather than say "like to keep", I'll say who I think will be in Springfield.... I want to see them advance...so I'd be selfish to hold them back .

Mike Lindskog I think it'll be some combo of Rasmus for sure. Then maybe Stavinoha and Ankiel....but Amaury Marti factors in there. As does Jay...I honestly don't know, nor expect the other two to be in Springfield when camp breaks

Mike Lindskog Church and Mather...don't know much about them

BleacherBum593 Bouncing back to pitching - This upcoming season, you’ll probably get a chance to see a couple more potentially. John Vuch said in week 1 of our chat series here, that Mitchell Boggs and Jaime Garcia could open the season with Springfield. Have you seen either one pitch before? And are you looking forward to seeing them on the mound?

Mike Lindskog Could...I'd guess should....no I haven't seen them pitch yet. I bet they both are in the rotation in April though....I know that Garcia is a huge prospect...future's game last year and Boggs...I think he threw a no-no for Palm Beach last year...so that will be something fun to talk about.

BleacherBum593 Who do you look for to make the Springfield Bullpen in 2007?

Mike Lindskog Well, I think Sillman is going to big league camp...he'll be our closer. We were very happy with Mark Worrell last year. So far Palm Beach has sent us some good closers. Hard to say with some of the rest...Dennis Dove should be working for us, but he'll have a shot to make the AAA club. Maybe Mark McCormick...I heard he's got good stuff. A lot of these questions will get better answers upon visiting spring training in March.

Mike Lindskog Last Spring Training, I remember watching Colby Rasmus hit on the extended Spring Training field. He looked so thin and lanky...I thought, man he's the CF of the future? But, he had a great year....show's what I know.

BleacherBum593 Understand. I believe you said earlier that you were going down in March. Still true?

Mike Lindskog That's the plan....head down to ST around mid-march for a few days. Our staff has organized a trip to entertain sponsors the last few years and I've been lucky enough to tag along....mixing in some "work" but mostly, catching up with the guys and figuring out who's coming to Springfield

BleacherBum593 Nothing like watching 4 games at once on the back 40, is there?

Mike Lindskog Being around the minor league facility is a lot of fun...if you've never done spring training, it's worth the trip. I hope to get to AZ for a quick weekend as well....hopefully the week before FLA. That would be the ultimate, to pull two spring trainings in one year. My
wife is a Flight Attendant for Southwest Airlines so i have some free flight benefits...that's how I can hopefully mix in a trip to AZ for a weekend.

BleacherBum593 I've got a bunch of people trying to get in to the room. So if anyone has any questions, go ahead for the next few minutes and ask them.

Ewttexas Does it give you a special felling when one of the players ie Kinney, Thompson, etc. make s it the big leagues?

Mike Lindskog We didn't have Brad Thompson...but Josh Kinney is our boy! He's one of those guys that you really end up rooting for. Great guy, loves to fish and hunt, fits into the Springfield scene very well. To watch him get Piazza out and then Beltran...it was awesome! I was nervous for him in the World Series....more like rooting for your buddy than rooting for your team.

cardsfan Do you think a lot of the first basemen in the organization will eventually get traded or converted to a different position?

Mike Lindskog 1st base certainly seems to be a dead end.... you have to stockpile your minor league system...so that means all positions. But, if there was a chance to draft a picher or a 1st baseman....I think they
should be looking pitching.

Mike Lindskog They've filled 1st base with a minor league veteran last year...Juan Richardson and he did very well for us.. in memphis...I think they've done the same thing. Last year it was Juan Diaz.... and a host of other non-prospects

cardsfan I know someone that knows Mike Ferris who played for Palm Beach last season. I think he was a second round pick a while back.

Mike Lindskog Yeah...I don't know a whole lot about Ferris…struggled to hit the mendoza line.

BleacherBum593 Ferris - great hitter in college with the metal bat, but that hasn't translated very well with the wooden bat. But, Duncan started slow and look at where he's at today.

Mike Lindskog (Matt) Dyer can play first...and third. You have to be versatile.

Mike Lindskog Matt Dryer that is. He began the year as our first baseman...struggled and was sent down to PB, finished playing a lot of 3B there

Ewttexas I guess that I'm confused, Mike. Where were you when Thompson set the minor league record for consecutive scoreless innings?

Mike Lindskog Are you talking about when Thompson was in Double-A, cuz that would have been in Tennessee with the Smokies, pre-2005. I've never covered him.

Ewttexas Yes but that was our affiliate at the time.

Mike Lindskog Right...pre-2005. So at that time, I was in El Paso, Texas. Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin....big Dbacks prospects

Ewttexas Gotcha. Thanks.

End of Part 1

February 12th, 2007, 03:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,903	Chat Room Session of February 11th with Guest Mike Lindskog Ewttexas We're going for a threepeat tonight. BleacherBum593 Lets go ahead and get started, the rest can catch up when they get here BleacherBum593 You once said that the Springfield Cardinals' job was the premier announcing job in all of minor league baseball. Do you still feel that way? Mike Lindskog No doubt, between the Stadium, the fan support and the fact that it's owned and operated by the Cardinals, there's a lot of guys that would give up a limb to work where I do...I'm very lucky Ewttexas Do you announce the games on the road as well as at home? Mike Lindskog Yes...travel with the team for a 140-game schedule - lots of bus trips....tough ones to places like Midland and Corpus BleacherBum593 I saw in another interview that you did this week, that you were able to take you dad to Game 5 (The Clincher) of last years World Series in St Louis. How special was it to be there with your dad? Mike Lindskog It was awesome...I'm from Washington State and he was flying in so we could do the Chiefs/Hawks game in KC...we were fortunate to find some tickets and made the drive up to STL at the last moment. It was definitely a weekend I'll never forget BleacherBum593 First time at a clincher? Mike Lindskog I've been to three WS but yes this was the first clincher...it was the first WS game for my dad, so he will always remember it as well BleacherBum593 Did you stick around all weekend for the festivities? Mike Lindskog No, we had some stuff to do on Saturday morning but it was an adventure just getting back to the car...the city was going CRAZY! They were well behaved but 24 years is a long time to wait Mike Lindskog I read to a lot of kids in the community, as part of our reading program, and I always joke to them that I was their age the last time STL won the World Series. They look at my like I'm REALLY OLD. BleacherBum593 I asked Cody Haerther last week about the “Saturday Night Miracle” game in Little Rock last season. He said it was one of his most memorable games ever. In that game, Little Rock led by 7 with 2 out in the top of the ninth. Springfield proceeded to score 8 runs after 2 were out and then set them down in the bottom of the 9th. What was it like announcing that comeback in the top of the ninth? Mike Lindskog That game was as memorable as I've ever been involved with. Cody was struggling and worked the count for a walk...so that was as big of an at-bat as any in the inning. The inning started harmless enough and at the time, you're starting to talk about who's pitching tomorrow and what you're going to cover in the post-game show. The hits kept coming and I remember the ARK outfielder had a chance to catch Stavinoha drive at the wall, but he let it go over his head...that tied the game. Josh Pressley, who's no longer with the Cardinals, dropped the game-winning hit to complete the comeback...it was awesome...biggest comeback I've ever been a part of in 14 years BleacherBum593 Who did you have on the post-game show that night? Mike Lindskog Our post-game show unfortunately doesn't give us the opportunity to do interviews, but you could have picked about nine guys that were instrumental in the comeback BleacherBum593 Speaking of the left fielder BleacherBum593 Then the next day, another bizarre thing happened. Springfield jumped out on top early and when Little Rock made a pitching change (I believe in the third), they also removed their LF, who still had not made a play that whole weekend. As he approached the dugout, one of the coaches for Little Rock, met the LF a few feet in front of the dugout and tore into the player about his lack of fielding. It got pretty heated and then the next thing you see is the coach and player going at it, tumbling down the steps, swinging away at each other. Did you catch that “event” for the radio and have you ever seen anything similar in all of your broadcasting days? Mike Lindskog Wow...you are very wise BleacherBum593 I had front row seats behind the Cards dugout for both of those games that weekend. Mike Lindskog That's pretty much what happened. I didn't get the visual but I heard from the players exactly how it went down. You never want to see that happen, but they were struggling and sometimes tempers flare when a player may be dogging it. The only thing I saw was some scuffling and heard a lot of yelling. It was quite the ordeal...the player got suspended for about a week. BleacherBum593 To the right of me was a cameraman from a local station and he got it all on tape. He was going bananas of thinking it would make the 5 o'clock news. Unfortunately, it never did. Mike Lindskog That was a wild series. There was also a walk-off grand slam by ARK that same series. BleacherBum593 Changing gears - Part of your job is doing pre and post game interviews? Is there any one interview that stands out in your mind? Mike Lindskog This past season, I got to do Bob Gibson during the game...that was memorable BleacherBum593 (Gibson) Bobblehead night? Mike Lindskog Being owned by the Cardinals, you can imagine we get more perks than other affiliates and interviewing Bob Gibson or having Stan the Man throw out a first pitch is pretty awesome Mike Lindskog Bob Gibson wasn't actually there for his bobblehead night...he made opening day. This year it will be Red Schoendienst. Again...we're very fortunate. BleacherBum593 That answers my next question. Mike Lindskog The plan is for Red to throw out the 1st pitch on Opening Night...we will also be doing figurines of him later in the year. At least that's the plan... BleacherBum593 Sounds like your going to do all the Hall of Famers. cardsfan What's the latest on Rick Ankiel--do you think he'll ever make it back to the majors again? Mike Lindskog I do a lot of public speaking circuits.... and that's the most common question I get. I have him starting the year in AAA, but he may very well start in Springfield. The Memphis outfield is very crowded and there's guys that need Abs. Ewttexas With all of the off season moves, how do you see Springfield this year? Mike Lindskog Haerther, Gorecki and Stavinoha are all prospects...it's strange that they could all be starting in AAA or all be starting in AA, but I doubt they'll ALL be in Double-A. Maybe Stav, just because it's only his third year coming up Mike Lindskog I was telling some people the other day that this year is my toughest to gauge. So many questions about pitching and outfield. There are a number of guys that should most likely be in AAA. Parisi, Pals, Lambert and Pomeranz should all make the jump, but chances are 1 or 2 may be left in Springfield, so it's a matter of who stays and who advances . BleacherBum593 Springfield’s OF could be loaded this year. There’s the possibility of Colby Rasmus Jon Jay, Ian Church and Joey Mather making the jump to AA, plus depending on the situation at Memphis, you could see anyone of the following - Haerther, Stavinoha, Ankiel and/or Gorecki - looking for playing time at Springfield. Which 5 would you like to keep? Mike Lindskog Rather than say "like to keep", I'll say who I think will be in Springfield.... I want to see them advance...so I'd be selfish to hold them back . Mike Lindskog I think it'll be some combo of Rasmus for sure. Then maybe Stavinoha and Ankiel....but Amaury Marti factors in there. As does Jay...I honestly don't know, nor expect the other two to be in Springfield when camp breaks Mike Lindskog Church and Mather...don't know much about them BleacherBum593 Bouncing back to pitching - This upcoming season, you’ll probably get a chance to see a couple more potentially. John Vuch said in week 1 of our chat series here, that Mitchell Boggs and Jaime Garcia could open the season with Springfield. Have you seen either one pitch before? And are you looking forward to seeing them on the mound? Mike Lindskog Could...I'd guess should....no I haven't seen them pitch yet. I bet they both are in the rotation in April though....I know that Garcia is a huge prospect...future's game last year and Boggs...I think he threw a no-no for Palm Beach last year...so that will be something fun to talk about. BleacherBum593 Who do you look for to make the Springfield Bullpen in 2007? Mike Lindskog Well, I think Sillman is going to big league camp...he'll be our closer. We were very happy with Mark Worrell last year. So far Palm Beach has sent us some good closers. Hard to say with some of the rest...Dennis Dove should be working for us, but he'll have a shot to make the AAA club. Maybe Mark McCormick...I heard he's got good stuff. A lot of these questions will get better answers upon visiting spring training in March. Mike Lindskog Last Spring Training, I remember watching Colby Rasmus hit on the extended Spring Training field. He looked so thin and lanky...I thought, man he's the CF of the future? But, he had a great year....show's what I know. BleacherBum593 Understand. I believe you said earlier that you were going down in March. Still true? Mike Lindskog That's the plan....head down to ST around mid-march for a few days. Our staff has organized a trip to entertain sponsors the last few years and I've been lucky enough to tag along....mixing in some "work" but mostly, catching up with the guys and figuring out who's coming to Springfield BleacherBum593 Nothing like watching 4 games at once on the back 40, is there? Mike Lindskog Being around the minor league facility is a lot of fun...if you've never done spring training, it's worth the trip. I hope to get to AZ for a quick weekend as well....hopefully the week before FLA. That would be the ultimate, to pull two spring trainings in one year. My wife is a Flight Attendant for Southwest Airlines so i have some free flight benefits...that's how I can hopefully mix in a trip to AZ for a weekend. BleacherBum593 I've got a bunch of people trying to get in to the room. So if anyone has any questions, go ahead for the next few minutes and ask them. Ewttexas Does it give you a special felling when one of the players ie Kinney, Thompson, etc. make s it the big leagues? Mike Lindskog We didn't have Brad Thompson...but Josh Kinney is our boy! He's one of those guys that you really end up rooting for. Great guy, loves to fish and hunt, fits into the Springfield scene very well. To watch him get Piazza out and then Beltran...it was awesome! I was nervous for him in the World Series....more like rooting for your buddy than rooting for your team. cardsfan Do you think a lot of the first basemen in the organization will eventually get traded or converted to a different position? Mike Lindskog 1st base certainly seems to be a dead end.... you have to stockpile your minor league system...so that means all positions. But, if there was a chance to draft a picher or a 1st baseman....I think they should be looking pitching. Mike Lindskog They've filled 1st base with a minor league veteran last year...Juan Richardson and he did very well for us.. in memphis...I think they've done the same thing. Last year it was Juan Diaz.... and a host of other non-prospects cardsfan I know someone that knows Mike Ferris who played for Palm Beach last season. I think he was a second round pick a while back. Mike Lindskog Yeah...I don't know a whole lot about Ferris…struggled to hit the mendoza line. BleacherBum593 Ferris - great hitter in college with the metal bat, but that hasn't translated very well with the wooden bat. But, Duncan started slow and look at where he's at today. Mike Lindskog (Matt) Dyer can play first...and third. You have to be versatile. Mike Lindskog Matt Dryer that is. He began the year as our first baseman...struggled and was sent down to PB, finished playing a lot of 3B there Ewttexas I guess that I'm confused, Mike. Where were you when Thompson set the minor league record for consecutive scoreless innings? Mike Lindskog Are you talking about when Thompson was in Double-A, cuz that would have been in Tennessee with the Smokies, pre-2005. I've never covered him. Ewttexas Yes but that was our affiliate at the time. Mike Lindskog Right...pre-2005. So at that time, I was in El Paso, Texas. Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin....big Dbacks prospects Ewttexas Gotcha. Thanks. End of Part 1 Last edited by BleacherBum593; February 12th, 2007 at 03:27 PM.