Gary LaRocque is in his eighth season as the St. Louis Cardinals’ director of player development. With baseball returning to Memphis — the Durham Bulls visit AutoZone Park on May 4th — LaRocque shared some thoughts on the Cardinals’ farm system.
Flyer: There was some Major League Baseball in 2020, but with the minor leagues shut down, development was almost entirely behind closed doors. How have the Cardinals managed their farm system during the pandemic, with player growth still a priority?
LaRocque: During the last 12 months, the first thing we did was make sure conditioning was appropriate. We had weekly or bi-weekly calls to our players in May and June of last year, and we had the alternate [training] site for some of our players [in Springfield, Missouri]. But for the majority of players, we had to make sure they were doing their conditioning work. We were less concerned that a pitcher was throwing his innings at the time, because they didn’t have access to someone [to catch]. It wasn’t fair to ask them to go beyond [pandemic] protocols. Starting in October, we had a call process with every player, and we started a gradual build-up for what would be minor-league camp. Pitchers started throwing at the turn of the new year. The kids reported to camp in very good shape.
Player development in baseball is, literally, a day-to-day process. And game conditions are the best classroom. Have you seen a development gap of any kind among players in the Cardinals system after a lost 2020 season?
If I were a player, I would have preferred to have been playing [games] for six months last year, then winter ball. That said, we weren’t able to do it. We had to prepare for now. We decided what the next-best thing was, and that was conditioning. The kids are anxious. They’re ready, and they came very prepared. We won’t know [about a performance gap] until they get out and play a while. So far, so good.
A recent jewel of the Cardinals system is Dylan Carlson. He would have played much of 2020 in Memphis, but ended up starting games for the Cardinals in the postseason. What’s your take on his progress . . . again, with that lost minor-league season taken into consideration?
With most players, it’s what they did with the time. He was at the alternate site, he was in the big leagues. He’s a tremendous worker, very focused. He stepped into the big leagues this year, ready to contribute. For any player in our system, not being able to play last year . . . everyone was affected by it. But now we re-start. [Carlson’s success] is not unexpected. We look forward to his future. His work ethic is tremendous and he’s going to help the Cardinals.
Is there an organizational emphasis for the Cardinals when it comes to drafting and developing players? The late George Kissell played a huge role in the right (and wrong) way to learn and play the game.
Randy Flores and the scouting staff work really hard. We’ve always worked hard at bringing good athletes into the system. We weigh heavily on our baseball development department and our analytics to contribute to evaluations. It’s been a nice mix.
The Cardinals’ outfield has been somewhat of a musical chairs in recent years. What’s your view of the current crop of outfielders, and what needs to happen to see more offensive production from that position group?
I focus on the minor-league development, and players getting there. I watch every day. Players need time to develop. When players get to the Double-A level and the Triple-A level, it’s all about performance. We accept that as part of the challenge for player development. We try to make sure players from the Class-A level understand that projection is something that allows them to be [in professional baseball]. The development process turns that into performance at Double-A and Triple-A. Then in the big leagues, ultimately, the idea is not to just get there, but contribute. [The current outfielders] need time. [Cardinal manager] Mike Shildt and his staff are tremendous. They’re very well prepared. The combination makes us anxious to see what the season-long results will be. Most of the Cardinals’ coaches came through our system. [In addition to Shildt, Cardinals first-base coach Stubby Clapp and third-base coach Pop Warner are former managers of the Memphis Redbirds.] There’s a lot of continuity there.
Has there been a player who surprised you with his rise through the Cardinal system? Someone who made the big-league roster ahead of schedule?
As a farm director, you’re extremely proud of the players who move their way through the system and ultimately contribute [in the major leagues]. I wouldn’t say I was surprised, but I was pleased to see that when they got there, they didn’t just stay, but they contributed. It’s taken a lot of factors. [Cardinals president] John Mozeliak and his staff have always trusted the minor leagues. We want to show them, continuously, that the kids that come up are prepared.
Who are some players Memphis fans should keep an eye on when baseball returns to AutoZone Park next month? The Redbirds appear to have a slugger (Nolan Gorman) and a few pitchers (Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson, to name two) worthy of attention.
Many of the players at our alternate site will be in Memphis, though some who have been training here [in Jupiter, Florida] will be there. Players who have been on the Cardinals’ taxi squad will be on the Memphis roster. We’re excited to get to May 4th. Like fans in Memphis, we’re excited to get things started.
The minor leagues have been completely restructured, with MLB franchises now limited to four farm teams. How has this impacted your job and the jobs of Cardinal scouts?
We continue to help players with “the grind to get there.” We focus on what May looks like, focus on today’s schedule. If you help players with short-term focus and long-term vision of where they’ll be as the season progresses, that’s something they work toward. We’ve lost some clubs, as you mention. But for April, we’re where we want to be: healthy, playing, getting our work in.
Only four Triple-A franchises have been affiliated with their parent clubs longer than Memphis and St. Louis. What’s kept this partnership so strong for two decades?
We’ve really enjoyed being in Memphis. This is my 14th year [in the Cardinals system], and I’ve really enjoyed my time in Memphis. It’s a wonderful match. Fan support has been tremendous. The ballpark’s great, the city’s great. We’re fortunate. We have Memphis, Springfield, and Peoria [in our farm system]. Regionally, that helps us. We’ve worked closely with the Memphis front office and everyone’s been super.
