Todd's stock rising
Cardinals' organization high on young Kilgore pitcher
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

THE BIG TIME MIGHT BE COMING SOONER THAN LATER - Kilgore native Jess Todd (above), a pitcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, spent a little time with "the big team" during spring training in March, and is currently in a Class A Advanced assignment with the Cardinals' Palm Beach, Fla., team.

Kilgore native Jess Todd is taking the old "small town boy makes good" phrase and blowing it out of the water.

Todd, a former Kilgore High School, Navarro College and University of Arkansas standout who was drafted last summer by the St. Louis Cardinals organization of Major League Baseball, has made the Cards' Class A Advanced team in Palm Beach, Fla.

Todd is the son of Kim and Tom Todd of Kilgore, and Kim took time to write a report for the News Herald from one of their recent trips, explaining how Jess was actually a part of the big team's roster during some of their spring games in Jupiter, Fla.

"He also was sent on four different times with the big-league team to their games, and was in the bullpen in case they needed him in relief," Kim wrote. "He never got to play in a big-league preseason game, but he did get the call to start warming up once."

She said Jess got to meet several Cardinals' players, and developed a friendship with slugger Albert Pujols, who kept referring to Todd as "kid" (to Pujols, he is - Todd is only three years removed from his senior season at Kilgore High School!). Pujols paid a tip for Todd at one point in their trip, telling the Kilgore native he needed to hang onto his money.

"Jess told us that he was trying not to act starstruck, but it was pretty awesome to be on the same bus with some of these guys you have watched play on TV," Kim said.

It appeared that Todd was headed to Davenport, Iowa for a minor-league assignment, and in fact, he already had living arrangements planned.

But happily, he had to make other plans.

Two weeks before he was scheduled to begin the season, Todd was informed by the Cardinals that he had made the Class A team in Palm Beach, and that he would remain in Jupiter.

Last year after being drafted, Todd was assigned to the Muckdogs, a small Cardinals' club in New York. He shared living quarters with eight other players, and to be honest, was happy to be playing baseball for a living. Now Todd is living in a condiminium with four bedrooms and four baths. "Not really roughing it," his mom laughed.

So far with the Palm Beach team, Todd has a win and a save, and has pitched three games through 12 innings. He's allowed six hits, two runs, walked three, struck out 11, and has a good 1.50 ERA.

His pitching coach right now is former MLB pitcher Dennis Martinez, a former star with the Baltimore and Montreal organizations. Todd told his parents that Martinez has been a very big help for his game, teaching him how to pitch both mentally and physically.

If you'd like to keep up with Todd on a regular basis, do so online at palmbeachcardinals.com.

The Kilgore News Herald likes to provide up-to-date information on all former Kilgore-area athletes. If you have information to share, drop an e-mail to News Herald sports editor Mitch Lucas at sports@kilgorenewsherald.com, or call him at (903) 984-2593.