A St. Louis Bust.

Jeremiah Edwards
May 10, 2017
3 min read

Name: Wes Swackhamer

Card Company: Topps

Year: 2005

Team: St. Louis Cardinals

Bats/Throws: L

Ht: 6'2

Days like this are going to happen I'm afraid. Days where I draw players that never made it to the majors. However, that does not mean that I won't chronicle his career, and share some interesting facts. With all that being said let's begin, and I hope you enjoy.

Okay first let me repeat the obvious thing here, Wes Swackhamer never played in the MLB, in fact he never made it out of Single A. He was drafted in the 5th Round by the Cardinals in 2004, hoping that the 6'2 210 lbs. corner outfielder could turn into a solid player. And they weren't wrong to think that. In the 2003 New England Collegiate Summer League he finished tied for second in the league with seven home runs and third in RBI's with 36. He wouldn't pan out however, posting in three years a career minor-league stat-line of (.236 BA), (.287 OBP), (8 HR's) and (67 RBI's).

I find it hard to believe that with a last name like Swackhamer he was that bad. I mean with that type of name you would think that he would kill the ball every time up. His name sounds like the type of name that you would find in an unlicensed baseball game like Super Mega Baseball where they have to make up names for the players. Yep he sounds perfect to be on a team with players like Hammer Longballo or Rip Dingers, going up against pitchers named Joanna Heater or Hurley Bender.

Now that the hard part is out of the way, let's evaluate the minor-league teams he was on. That includes their name, stadium, and if there still around today. Because honestly that was all the interesting things I could find out about Wes Swackhamer.

The first team he played for was the New Jersey Cardinals. They were a Short Season Single A minor league team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals that folded in 2005. They played their home games in Skylands Park, which was your typical Minor League Ballpark with ads all over the place.

In 2005 Wes would travel over 850 miles to Davenport IA, beginning his new life as a member of the Swing of the Quad Cities. They were an affiliate of the Cardinals until 2013 when they became a Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. Although the team still exist today they go by a new name, they are now called the Quad Cities River Bandits. The stadium they played in was called Modern Woodmen Park, which sat along the river that runs through Davenport. The downside of being on the river is that it tends to flood.

Wes would eventually move on to his final team, the Palm Beach Cardinals. This team not only exist today but is still under the same name and is still a Single-A affiliate of the Cardinals. They play in Roger Dean Stadium, which is now also the spring training home for both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins. Other than that, it still looks like your typical minor league park, nothing special here.

I would like to thank you for sticking this one out. Not every card can be a good one but that doesn't mean I won't try to make the most out of it. If you're going to take away anything from this article please remember to search your local area for minor and independent league teams, as they can provide a great baseball experience for a fraction of the price.

Until next time just remember that the name doesn't make the player the player makes the name.