Harrison Bader Gets the Call
Tuesday July 25 is a night that Harrison Bader will remember for the rest of his life. The Cardinals gave him the call to the show and in the bottom of the ninth he found himself standing on second base, as the winning run.
The journey to Busch was rather quick for Bader. After hearing his name called with the 100th overall pick in the 2015 draft he has enjoyed success at every level. Arriving in AAA Memphis for the second half of the 2016 season the speedy centerfielder from the University of Florida was destined to make it, it was just a matter of when.
Coming to Peoria
Bader’s first pro assignment was with the State College Spikes of the NY-Penn league. However, it wouldn't be for long as he got the call to Peoria after hitting .379 in 7 games.
On July 7th he, and fellow Cardinals teammate Paul DeJong, arrived in the Midwest League and led the Chiefs on a 20–6 run. That run was just what the team needed, serving as the catalyst that sparked a playoff berth. In 54 games that season Bader slashed .301/.505/.869, hitting 9 bombs, driving in 28 RBI while swiping 15 bases.
Here we look back at some of his top moments wearing a Chiefs uniform.
The Ascent
Bader would not be returning to Peoria the following season. He was skipping over Advanced-A Palm Beach and heading to AA Springfield. Bader slashed through 82 Texas League games to a line of .283/.497/.848, with 16 homers and 41 RBI. He then packed up his bags and was on his way to Memphis, the final stop before the show. He struggled the rest of the way, playing 49 games for the Redbirds hitting .231.
He would build on that experience in 2017 and after spending Spring Training with the big league club, Bader was headed back to Memphis. There, he showed he belongs slashing .297/.517/.871 with 19 bombs, in 97 games.
The Show
On Tuesday morning Bader got the call that every kid dreams of; the St. Louis Cardinals added him to the 40 man roster and called him up to Busch. Just so happened Dad was in Memphis watching him play and the two hopped in a car for what Jose De Jesus Ortiz headlines, “the ride of a lifetime”. Ortiz has the full story here, in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
The 23 year old made it to the Gateway City to see his name in the lineup, batting 7th and playing centerfield. Interestingly enough, Harrison was joined in the lineup by four of his 2017 Memphis Redbird teammates. One has to think that familiarity made the whole day more relaxing.
In his first at-bat Bader hit a routine ground ball to short that he very well may have beat out, but was ruled out nonetheless. To be so close to the ever-elusive first Major League hit had to be tough, but he bounced back and in the bottom of the ninth that moment came. In a tie ballgame he ripped a double down the left field line and stood on second base, representing the winning run. After a sac-bunt moved him to third, it was Jedd Gyorko who drove him home for the win! That whole sequence can be seen below.
Suffice it to say, Tuesday night was a night Bader will never forget! Fox Sports Midwest caught up with him postgame to discuss.
The haul of the 162-game Major League season means a plethora of prospects make their debut every summer. These stories never seem to disappoint though, as each guy has a unique story on his road to the show.
Rick Hummel, of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, has Bader’s story.
Here’s to a long and healthy career! Hope you enjoyed reading, be sure to check back with the Playing in Peoria blog for more stories like this one and more.
