MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Caravan Brings Cardinals Greats and Former QC Stars

Published on January 7, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


With anticipation for the nearly sold-out Cardinals Caravan at Modern Woodmen Park already high, the Quad Cities River Bandits and St. Louis Cardinals announced on Wednesday a star-studded group of current and former Redbirds that will be on hand.

The traveling squad for the Caravan is highlighted by flame-throwing reliever Chris Perez and outfielder Nick Stavinoha, both of whom are former Quad Cities standouts set to return for the first time since becoming major leaguers. The Cardinals have particularly high hopes for Perez, who is a candidate to become the team's closer this season. They will be joined by a pair of teammates - reliever Josh Kinney and infielder Brendan Ryan - as well as former Cardinals John Tudor, Danny Cox, Tom Lawless and Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky, who will serve as the emcee of the event.

"We're thrilled to have such a great mix of former Quad Cities stars and great Cardinals major leaguers past and present," said River Bandits' owner Dave Heller. "Interest in the event has already been strong and, with fewer than 70 tickets left, we are virtually certain the event will sell out. It will be especially exciting for our fans to see Chris Perez and Nick Stavinoha; we always tell our fans that Modern Woodmen Park is the place to see the next generation of Cardinals' stars, and these guys are living proof that the road to St. Louis goes straight through the Quad Cities."

The Cardinals Caravan will take place on Monday, January 19, in the Suite Banquet Area at Modern Woodmen Park. Doors will open at 11:00 a.m. for the event and the program will start at Noon. The $15 admission includes a full lunch buffet in addition to the entire program. With such a high demand for tickets since they went on sale in mid-December, only a very limited number of seats are still available. They can be reserved by calling the River Bandits front office at (563) 3-BANDIT, logging on to www.RiverBandits.com or visiting Modern Woodmen Park at 209 S. Gaines St. in downtown Davenport.

Perez and Stavinoha both made their professional debuts in the Quad Cities after being drafted by St. Louis out of college. Perez, one of the Cardinals top prospects, struck out more than one batter per inning and earned a save in half of his appearances with the club in 2006. He continued to impress while climbing the ladder to the big leagues, eventually posting a 3.46 ERA with 42 strikeouts and seven saves over 41 appearances during his rookie season with St. Louis in 2008. Stavinoha made his mark in the Quad Cities by hitting .344 and slugging 14 homers in just 65 games during the 2005 season. He also made his major league debut in 2008, playing in 29 games as a reserve corner outfielder.

Kinney and Ryan are both talented young players that have seen their roles with the Cardinals increase over the past few seasons. Kinney emerged as a post-season hero as a rookie during St. Louis' championship season in 2006, and despite battling elbow injuries since the right-hander has posted a 2.53 ERA over 28 relief appearances. Ryan burst onto the scene by hitting .289 as a rookie in 2007 and has since played all across the infield, proving himself invaluable to manager Tony LaRussa.

The four current players hope that their careers will have as much of a lasting impact on Cardinals nation as the four former players that will join them at the Cardinals Caravan. Former closer Al Hrabosky, also known as "The Mad Hungarian," will run the event's program. Hrabosky spent most of the 1970's with St. Louis, experiencing his best season in 1975 thanks to a 13-3 record and a league-leading 22 saves. Following his playing career he became a broadcaster for the Cardinals in 1985 and also has his own radio show in St. Louis.

Danny Cox and John Tudor are best remembered for their spectacular play during St. Louis' pennant-winning season in 1985. Cox went 18-9 with a 2.88 ERA while Tudor finished second in the Cy Young voting with a 21-8 record and a sparkling 1.93 ERA as the duo led the Cardinals to the National League Pennant and a thrilling seven-game intrastate World Series against the Kansas City Royals. Tom Lawless was also a member of that team, but it was two years later when he cemented his name in Cardinals lore with a clutch game-winning home run against the Minnesota Twins in Game Four of the 1987 World Series.

"This is a great way to kick off 2009," said River Bandits Vice President and General Manager Kirk Goodman. "Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training in just a few weeks and the River Bandits season is just around the corner. We've got a lot more great things planned for next season and we're gearing up for another stellar year at Modern Woodmen Park!"

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Midwest League Stories from January 7, 2009


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