The Cardinals have recalled outfielder Adron Chambers and pitcher Brandon Dickson from Memphis (AAA) and they will join the team prior to tonight’s game.

Chambers, 25, was batting .308 in 37 games for Memphis this season with one home run and 12 RBI.  He was batting .327 (17-for-52) in May and has hit at a .331 (31-94) clip against right-handed pitching this season.  The left-handed hitting Chambers appeared in 18 games for the Cardinals last September, collecting three hits in eight at-bats (.375) with 4 RBI.

Dickson, 27, was 2-3, 3.42 ERA in eight starts for Memphis this season.  He has allowed 51 hits in 47.1 innings pitched, walking just 11 while striking out 31.  The right-handed throwing Dickson held right-handed batters to a .227 BA.  He fanned a career-high 10 batters in an 8.0 inning effort against Iowa on May 2.

Dickson made four appearances for the Cardinals last season, including his first Major League start on Sept. 1 at Milwaukee.

Chambers will wear uniform # 56 and Dickson #65.

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It was so touching because their father-son relationship had been worn down during Ray’s rebellious teenage and young adult years and was never repaired before the father died. This one single act made everything right again in Ray Kinsella’s life because he was able to show his father he loved him, just by asking if he wanted to play catch.

The bond of baseball has tied fathers and sons (and daughters) together for generations. And we’d like to hear your favorite stories or memories of the baseball (or other sports) connection between you and your father, or you and your children.

Special Fathers Day Promotion:

Send us your favorite Father-Son/Daughter memory and you could see your essay included in our Father’s Day article and you could win the Grand Prize.

Contest Details:

Write one or two paragraphs (or however long it takes) about your favorite baseball memory or other sports memory with your father or your children. The Grand Prize winner will be drawn from a hat with all the names of people who submitted entries—so you don’t have to be a great writer to win—you just have to enter to be considered.

All entries must be submitted by noon on Friday June 15 to be eligible for the contest and should be submitted earlier to be considered for the Father’s Day Article. Why not just do it right now while you are thinking about it? 

How to Submit Your Entry:

Email it to: SportsZone1380@gmail.com

The Grand Prize:

2 BOX SEATS TO A CARDINALS GAME: Wed. July 25^th vs. Dodgers

Seats are directly behind home plate, section 15l row 1

VIP Parking Pass

$25 Gift Certificate to Lumiere Place 

Special Fathers Day “Live” Remote Broadcast

Fri. June 15 1 p.m.-3 p.m.:

We will be celebrating fathers and their children at our special Fathers Day remote broadcast at The Sports Zone Bar & Grill on Watson in the Kenrick Plaza in Shrewsbury.  Each Friday we do “live” remotes there but this time we’ll have prizes and give-aways and special fun for the Fathers, so bring your father or children up. We will announce the winner of the Grand Prize that day.

How to Stay in Touch With The Contest and Learn More About the Fathers Day Remote:

Sign up for our new StL Sports Page and The Sports Zone Radio Show FACEBOOK Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/StL-Sports-Page/407097975987807

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https://www.facebook.com/pages/StL-Sports-Page/407097975987807

former St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk following a ceremony honoring Faulk during halftime of the Cincinnati Bengals - St. Louis Rams football game at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on December 18, 2011. Faulk is teaming up with Lumiere Place and some celebrity friends for a benefit golf tournament. UPI/Bill Greenblatt UPI

ST. LOUIS, MO–Lumière Place Casino & Hotels is teaming up with NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk to create the first ever Lumière Place Golf Classic, St. Louis’ premier celebrity golf event on June 10^th and June 11^th at Stonewolf Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus signature course.  The Lumière Place Golf Classic will feature top celebrity golfers competing for a $50,000 purse, with proceeds benefiting the Marshall Falk Foundation. Foursomes are available and open to the public.

“I’m excited to once-again host a golf tourney in St. Louis and I thank Lumière Place for their support in making this event possible. I’m passionate about the game of golf and look forward to a competitive tournament and a great weekend with many of my celebrity golfer friends,” said NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk.

Joining Faulk on the green Sunday and Monday will be a star-studded lineup of gridiron greats and sports legends, including NFL Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson, Marcus Allen, Richard Dent and Bruce Smith; 5x Pro Bowler Sterling Sharpe; 2x Pro Bowler Marc Bulger; MLB Hall of Famer Joe Morgan; 4x All-Star Jim Edmonds; 2x All-Star Vince Coleman; St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher; Rams GM Les Snead; NHL Hall of Famer Brett Hull; St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Rick Horton; as well as numerous sports and entertainment celebrities scheduled to participate in this epic tournament.

The Lumière Place Golf Classic officially kicks off with a ‘Pairings Party’ June 9^th at Lumière Theater from 7:00—9:30 pm, featuring gourmet food, live and silent auctions, and entertainment.

The tournament will take place Sunday June 10^th and Monday June 11^th at Stonewolf Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus signature course.  Sunday shotgun start is 1:00 pm; Monday shotgun start is 10:00 am.  On Sunday night, there will be a private party for all celebrities and amateurs inside Stadium Sports Bar and Grill at Lumière Place from 8:00 pm until midnight.

“The Marshall Faulk Foundation is dedicated to building bright futures and making a difference and it is truly an honor for us to host the first ever Lumière Place Golf Classic with Marshall. We look forward to supporting this great foundation, playing alongside legendary athletes and enjoying the Stonewolf Golf Club,” said Jeff Babinski, Vice President and General Manager of Lumière Place.

The 18-hole Lumière Place Golf Classic will also provide participants with all-inclusive food and beverages, as well as premium gift bags.  For more information on the Lumière Place Golf Classic and to purchase a foursome, please log onto www.lumiereplacegolfclassic.com.

About The Marshall Faulk Foundation

As a 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Marshall Faulk’s on the field accomplishments have been matched only by his philanthropic efforts.  To date, the Marshall Faulk Foundation has provided more than $1,000,000 in financial assistance and hands-on involvement to programs in Indianapolis, St. Louis, New Orleans and Southern California.

The Marshall Faulk Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for youth by increasing opportunities for them to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.  By building corporate partnerships within the community, the foundation is able to provide financial assistance to projects focusing primarily on sports development and education.

About Lumière Place Casino & Hotels

Lumière Place includes a 75,000-square-foot casino with 2,000 slot machines, more than 55 table games, and a dedicated poker room.  The resort boasts seven restaurants including Stadium Sports Bar and Grill and Chef Hubert Keller’s Burger Bar, which offers everything from fresh-ground basic hamburgers to versions with white truffles and foie gras.  Additional restaurants include Cielo, Asia, The Kitchen Buffet & Bistro and Peet’s Coffee & Tea.  Nightlife attractions include the piano bar, Aqua, and the high-energy lounge, globar.  Lumière Place also features a large VIP lounge available to select casino customers.

Lumière Place also includes Lumière Link, a 400-foot tunnel featuring two sections of moving walkway.  It provides an easy and secure pedestrian link between St. Louis’ central business district, the Lumière Place resort and the Mississippi Riverfront.  Also located on the Lumière Place complex are the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, the first and only AAA Five Diamond property in Missouri and the all-suite, upscale HoteLumière which features a four-story waterfall inside the atrium.  To learn more about Lumiere Place, please visit www.lumiereplace.com.

For information on how to play in the tournament and for pricing: http://stlsportspage.com/marshall-faulk-teams-up-with-lumiere-place-casino-and-resorts-for-golf-classic/

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We are authors and we like to promote other people's books.

National baseball writer, novelist and author of nine books,  Tim Wendell will be in St. Louis Thursday night for a 7 p.m. appearance at the main branch of the St. Louis County Library on Lindbergh Blvd. to talk about his new book “SUMMER OF ’68″. The event is open to the public and is sure to be an interesting one.

In 1968 the country was in turmoil. It was the year Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and then Bobby Kennedy was killed. There were riots going on. But what was happening in baseball?  Many books have been written about this time period but this is the first one that weaves in the national situation with the national pasttime.

Tim Wendell, who has been covering baseball  for years helped start USA Today’s Baseball Weekly, now Sports Weekly. He was the American League beat writer at the time Rob Rains was the National League beat writer.

Wendell appeared on “The Sports Zone with Rob Rains and B.J. Rains on 1380AM weekdays from 1-3″ this week and to listen to that interview click the link. It will take you to a second page and you will need to click the link just above the “social media” icons:  Tim Wendel 05-15-12

Description of the book from Amazon.com:

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ST. LOUIS, MO. (May 16, 2012) – 

Graduates of elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, college, or any other type of graduation are welcome to walk in a pre-game parade around the field sporting their cap and/or gown. The parade will begin at 12:10 p.m. culminating with a 1:15 p.m. game in which students and former students may stay and watch the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“We are excited to offer this new event honoring recent graduates for their achievement,” said Joe Strohm, Vice President of Ticket Sales. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the Cardinals to congratulate each graduate as we join them in celebrating this important academic milestone.”

Tickets for the day are on sale now for $15 and include Pavilion level seating as well as a voucher for a free hot dog and soda. All ticketed fans ages 15 and under will also receive a Yadier Molina Rawlings Bat.

To purchase tickets, visit cardinals.com/graduation, or groups of 25 or more can call 314-345-9500. Tickets will be available through July 1. Help celebrate your graduate’s special day by reserving a spot today.

ST. LOUIS

Jay is currently ranked 5th among National League batting leaders with his .343 mark.  He missed six games last month after hitting the outfield wall on April 19, but was batting .339 (21-for-62) since returning to the lineup on April 27.

Robinson was optioned to Memphis on Sunday, and enjoyed a 3-hit game for the Redbirds last night in his debut with the Triple-A squad.  The right-handed hitting rookie is batting .311 with one home run and 5 RBI in 23 games with the Cardinals this season.

The St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame Bar and Grill is partnering with  Isaac Bruce to raise money  for his Isaac Bruce Foundation in an event that is open to the public. Here is the information:                                     

WHEN:           Fri., May 18 from 5-8 p.m.

WHERE:        St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame Bar & Grill (formerly Pujols 5), 342 Westport Plaza, St. Louis, MO  63146

DETAILS:      Join Isaac Bruce at St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame Bar & Grill (formerly Pujols 5) in Westport Plaza on Friday, May 18 from 5-8 p.m.  Bruce will be on hand to sign autographs and take pictures to raise money for the Isaac Bruce Foundation.

Twenty percent of all restaurant sales will benefit the Isaac Bruce Foundation and a minimum restaurant purchase of $10 is required for an autograph or photo.  A donation of $25 per autograph and $10 per photo is requested.  Cameras will not be provided for photos.  Autographed photos of Bruce will be available or attendees can bring an item to be signed.  Cash, check and credit cards will be accepted.  All donations are tax deductible.  All ages are welcome!

Raffle tickets are available at Hall of Fame Bar & Grill or by calling 314-369-4074.  There will be two chances to win raffle items that include a signed authentic Bruce jersey, two pregame field passes and two tickets to a Rams home game, a signed football, gift certificates and more!  Winners will be drawn at 7:30 p.m. on May 18 at Hall of Fame Bar & Grill and another set of winners will be drawn on Saturday, June 30 at the Isaac Bruce Foundation’s free football clinics.  Tickets are available one for $5 or three for $10.
The Isaac Bruce Foundation focuses on health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and education. Through the foundation, Isaac reaches out to youth and teaches them at an early age the importance of a healthy lifestyle.  For more information on the Isaac Bruce Foundation, visit www.isaacbruce.org.

Isaac was the first of three second-round draft selections (33rd overall) by Rams in 1994 NFL Draft.  Currently, he is No. 2 on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list behind Jerry Rice and No. 5 on the NFL’s all-time receptions list.  He also has more than 1,000 career receptions and more than 15,000 career receiving yards.  Bruce made one of most famous plays in illustrious history of Rams’ football, catching 73-yard touchdown pass from QB Kurt Warner with under two minutes to play in the game to give Rams’ 23-16 victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.  He is a four-time Pro Bowl selection, including three consecutive (1999-2001).  Bruce was the 1995 and 1996 recipient of Daniel F. Reeves Memorial Award, given to club’s MVP, one of four players (DE Jack Youngblood 1975-76, RB Eric Dickerson 1983-84, and RB Marshall Faulk 1999-01) in team history to be honored with the award in back-to-back seasons.  Bruce also holds three Rams’ single-season records, including most receiving yards (1,781), most receptions (119) and most consecutive 100-yard receiving games (six).  In addition, he is the Rams’ career leader in receptions, receiving yards, 100-yard receiving games, 1,000-yard seasons, touchdown receptions, postseason receiving yards, and is the only player in team history with four 100-yard receiving games in the postseason.

Contact Tiffani Wilson Burris at 314-369-4074 or tiffwilson@aol.com for more information or to schedule an interview with Isaac to promote this fundraiser.

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St. Louis Cardinals Skip Schumaker fields a ground ball off the bat of Chicago Cubs Tony Campana for an out in the first inning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on May 14, 2012. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

By Rob Rains

The Cardinals apparently forgot one of the fundamental tenets of the game of baseball Monday night at Busch Stadium – when the other team is trying to hand you an out, take it.

Out of four sacrifice bunt attempts by the Cubs in the span of eight batters in the eighth and ninth innings, the Cardinals only executed the play correctly one time – and the resulting two runs were the difference in the Cubs’ 6-4 win and the Cardinals’ fourth consecutive loss.

“We haven’t had a whole lot of those with our defense, which has been pretty consistent,” said manager Mike Matheny. “That definitely hurt us.”

The score was tied at 4 heading to the eighth after the Cardinals used a four-run sixth inning to wipe out a 4-0 Chicago lead, but they immediately got in trouble after a leadoff single by David DeJesus. Tony Campana bunted the ball in front of the plate, but instead of getting the force out at first, catcher Yadier Molina threw to second and his throw short-hopped shortstop Rafael Furcal, allowing both runners to be safe.

Starlin Castro followed with another bunt attempt, which first baseman Lance Berkman turned into a third-to-first double play, the one good defensive play in the final two innings. After an intentional walk to Bryan LaHair, Alfonso Soriano came through with an RBI single, which drove in Campana.

The fielding problems continued in the ninth, when Geovany Soto was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Berkman fielded a bunt by Darwin Barney and threw to first, but second baseman Skip Schumaker dropped the ball for an error. With runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Joe Mather dropped down another bunt, which Berkman fielded and again threw to third, getting the force out — but this time David Freese’s throw to first went wild, allowing Barney to come around and score.

“You see it work one time and it’s a big boost to get that to happen,” Matheny said. “I want them to be aggressive.”

That was what Berkman tried to be – twice – and had the play work once, but not the second time.

“I don’t think there’s anything that’s too aggressive unless you’re doing something that’s ridiculous that has absolutely no chance of success, and I didn’t feel that way about that play,” Berkman said. “David was off balance a little bit. The play happens so quick that you don’t realize your feet are not under you until it’s too late. I think that’s what happened there. We had a chance to turn a double play and I would rather see a guy make a mistake like that instead of being scared that he might throw one away.

“My college coach always told me if you’re going to make a mistake make sure it’s aggressive. So I’ve always tried to play that way and I like it when guys play that way.”

What usually happens, as Berkman knows all too well, however, is that when a team is struggling as the Cardinals are now, those aggressive plays sometimes turn into bad plays, which is exactly what happened on this occasion.

“During the course of a season you are going to have little ruts where you are not getting the breaks,” Berkman said. “We’re not playing well, and that compounds the problem. We didn’t play very good defense tonight. They played a better ballgame than we did, they got more breaks and they won.

“This team has a lot of character and we knew it was not going to be smooth sailing all year and this is one of those spots where we just have to try to put an end to this little skid and get back on the right track.”

The Cardinals have not had a lead after an inning since the sixth inning of their game Friday night against the Braves, a span of 33 consecutive innings. Where the problem has been starting pitching or the lack of coming through with a key hit in the past few game, it was the defense’s turn to fall off in this game.

The Cardinals came into the game leading the National League in fielding percentage, having committed a league-low 16 errors in their first 34 games.

“Our play is not as sharp as we would like it right now,” Matheny said. “We’ve got a long stretch ahead of us and a lot of baseball to play. We’ve seen the kind of baseball we can play and we’ve seen the kind we can play on the poor end also if we’re not real careful. We’re in a spot right now that we’re going to have to work our way out of. This is not the way you want it to go.”

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Sanchez, 23, was 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in 14 appearances in Memphis.  Despite a tough start, the right-hander did not allow a run or hit in his last five appearances.  He also did not allow a run during seven Spring Training appearances, striking out 14 batters over eight innings.

Last season, Sanchez made 26 Major League appearances compiling a 3-1 record with a 1.80 ERA and struck out 35 batters in 30 innings with five saves.  He finished the 2011 season with 10 consecutive scoreless appearances over 12 innings.

Romero, 34, appeared in 11 games this season for the Cardinals posting an 0-0 record with a 10.13 ERA in 8  innings.  The Cardinals were his sixth team over the course of 12 Major League seasons.