Cardinal advent calendar, Day 1: Jason LaRue
[Note: When we were younger, we always thrilled to tear November off the calendar and see December, because it meant something special: a new advent calendar and opening one little door with a piece of chocolate behind it each day until Christmas. So we thought we'd make our own advent calendar of sorts and "unveil" a little present each day for you, gentle reader. Count down the days until December 25 with us with a little capsule of each of the 25 players who mainly comprised the Cardinals in 2009. We'll start with the team's newest signing, Jason LaRue. We hope you enjoy, even if there's no chocolate.]
| B-Ref name | jas laru |
| Contract Status | Re-signed 11/30/09 (1 year, $0.95 million) |
| 2009 stat | Had more HBP (4) than walks (3) |
| Career stat | With 106 career HBP, ranks 15th among active players and 61st all-time and is first among active players in HBP rate |
| 2010 Projection | .282 wOBA (Bill James) |
| Memorable moment | With the Cardinals playing at Colorado, LaRue replaced an injured Yadier Molina in the fourth inning and, with the score tied 3-3 in the seventh inning, hit a solo home run that was the eventual game-winner in the team’s division-clincher. |
| Quote | "In a million years, would I ever think about coming up in a situation like that, my first at-bat, hitting a home run? No. For me, I can’t write a script any better." (on hitting the game-winning home run 9/26 ) |
Cowboy continued his role as a contributing backup catcher in 2009, giving the Cardinals a positive return ($1.4m) on their investment ($.95m) … Defining moment came when he helped team clinch division with home run in Colorado … The two parties recently agreed to extend the arrangement another year at the same salary, no surprise given LaRuncan’s penchant for defense-minded veterans for the role.
