Cards' 1st-Rounder Coming To Town
August 26, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release
Less than three months ago, the St. Louis Cardinals made a splash in the 2009 draft by selecting 18-year-old phenom Shelby Miller with the 19th overall pick. Now, the flame-throwing right-hander will begin his professional career in the Quad Cities.
Miller, rated by Baseball America as the seventh-best pitcher in the entire draft, signed with the Cardinals on August 17 and was officially introduced to the St. Louis media on Tuesday at Busch Stadium. He will join the Quad Cities River Bandits on the road in Peoria today and spend the rest of the 2009 season working out and getting acclimated to professional baseball. He is scheduled to work out and throw a few side sessions with the possibility of making an appearance or two late in the season, one of which could fall during the River Bandits last home series of the year from September 2-4.
"Having Shelby Miller join the River Bandits is really exciting for our fans," said River Bandits owner Dave Heller. "Players such as Colby Rasmus and Rick Ankiel have shown that the road to St. Louis starts in the Quad Cities. We're very proud of the many great players who have worn the Quad Cities uniform, and Shelby Miller is another great talent on his way to the majors. I know two or three years from now, our fans are going to be proud to say they saw Shelby Miller pitch in the Quad Cities. This is a great chance to see a future major league star."
During Miller's senior season at Brownwood High School in Texas, the talented flame-thrower racked up 153 strikeouts in just 77 innings while going 10-2 with a stifling 1.90 ERA. He allowed just 38 hits and walked 36. Miller showed off his all-around skill set during the state 3-A regional semifinals, when he struck out 16 batters while tossing a three-hitter and blasting a three-run homer to lead Brownwood to a 3-1 win. The 6-foot-3, 207-pounder was also selected to the 3-A All-State Second Team in football as both a Tight End and Punter.
Miller's calling card is his fastball, which has been clocked as high as 97 mph and regularly sits at 92-93 mph with "tremendous life" and deception, according to Baseball America. The publication - considered the foremost expert in the evaluation of baseball talent - also projects Miller's curveball to be a "plus pitch" down the road and touts his "sound mechanics and arm action and a blue-collar work ethic." Though he slipped out of the top 10 in the 2009 draft due to signability concerns, the Cardinals were able to meet Miller in the middle and sign him away from a commitment to Texas A&M with a reported bonus of $2.875 million.
"Our final three regular season home games from September 2-4 are already loaded with a variety of great promotions," said River Bandits Vice President and General Manager Kirk Goodman. "For our fans to have the possibility of seeing Shelby Miller make his professional debut at one of those games presents the potential for a truly momentous occasion. The final homestand of the regular season may very well get even more exciting."
UP NEXT: The River Bandits continue an eight-game road stretch with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday night in Peoria, but will be back at Modern Woodmen Park for the final three regular season home games of the year from September 2-4. The action resumes with a Modern Woodmen Half-Price Night on Wednesday, September 2, as the first 1,000 fans will get a special River Bandits hat and the famous Klement's racing sausages will be in attendance. The last Thirst-day Thursday of the year will also be Tattoo Night, and fans that get a free River Bandits tattoo will be able to show it at the box office for a free berm ticket to any game in 2010. Lastly, the 2009 regular season will conclude with Fan Appreciation Night on Friday, September 4, featuring the first-ever Bandit Wedding and one last pyrotechnic extravaganza on a Fireworks Friday!
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