Know your Cardinals: 5 questions and a ‘Star Wars’ review with 6 Redbird roster hopefuls
There comes a time in every spring training when there are no more people whose winters must be inquired after and when everyone plausibly in the best shape of their lives has been documented.
That time is generally within three days of players arriving at camp, but it’s good form to pretend otherwise for a while longer.
Now, with opening day looming in just three weeks, the time has arrived to learn more about the players who might make up the St. Louis Cardinals’ opening day roster, some of whom could scarcely believe the group of five questions they were being asked.
This year’s survey participants: John King, Michael McGreevy, Pedro Pagés, Andre Pallante, Thomas Saggese and Michael Siani. Thanks to them for their patience and perspective.
Question 1: What was your worst subject in school?
King: “English. The reading part. I think I was just lazy.”
McGreevy: “Math. Yeah, it’s just not good. It just didn’t click.”
Pagés: “Probably history. Never really got into it.”
Pallante: “Any form of handwriting. I’ve got the worst handwriting that…I think a preschooler could probably have better handwriting than me.”
Saggese: “Probably English.”
Siani: “English. Writing.”
Question 2: What movie have you seen most often?
King: “Probably The Dark Knight.”
McGreevy: “Any of the Star Wars movies. I’m a huge Star Wars guy. It’s on my rookie baseball card.”
Pagés: “Home Alone. One. Maybe two. Honestly one and two are just my favorite movies ever.”
Pallante: “I feel like Wedding Crashers is always on TV at the hotel.”
Saggese: “The Big Lebowski, probably.”
Siani: “Two. The Dark Knight, and Goodfellas. That’s my favorite.”
Intermission: Michael McGreevy’s thoughts on the Star Wars films:
“Yeah, I’ve got, actually…[McGreevy takes his phone out of his locker, searching for his list]. This might have changed since the last time I looked at it. So, my least favorite has to be The Last Jedi. It’s just, I just don’t like it…It’s a good movie. I think it’s visually amazing. I like what they did with the Force dyad between Ren and Rey. I think that’s super interesting. I think that if they looked at that further, that would be cool. But because it’s a trilogy, I personally don’t think it goes well with 7, 8, 9.
“I didn’t like Rise of Skywalker, but once again, it’s visually spectacular, but it just doesn’t go with the story. But I like Empire, and New Hope’s just super nostalgic, my first Star Wars movie, but I remember Empire Strikes Back.
“The first time I was about to watch Empire, my dad came home from work, and he had two Stormtrooper blasters from Toys ‘R’ Us or whatever. So, like, when the Hoth battle is going on, me and my friend are shooting the TV and stuff. So I think it’s Empire, New Hope, Revenge of the Sith are the top three.”
Question 3: Which of your teammates would be the best influencer?
King: “Maybe like, Victor Scott. I feel like I see him on the media all the time and he’s pretty good.”
McGreevy: “Probably Vic. He’s so good on the camera. The second it comes up it’s like, oh, he’s money.”
Pagés: “I’d say Lars [Nootbaar]. He already has a big social media following.”
Pallante: “I’ll just go with [Alec] Burleson] because he’s not afraid to take chances.”
Saggese: “First person that comes to mind is Noot, because he kind of is, I feel like.”
Siani: “Probably Lars.”
Question 4: What baseball job would you want other than being a player, coach or broadcaster?
King: “I think grounds crew.”
McGreevy: “What does that leave me with? Maybe a writer.”
Pagés: “I’ll be a trainer. I’ll take a trainer’s job. Grounds crew? I’m good on that one. You know, help the guys out, get better. I wanted to do that when I was in school, but I didn’t. Too hard.”
Pallante: “Grounds crew.”
Saggese: “What does that consist of? Being a grounds crew would be cool.”
Siani: “I guess some sort of, like, analyst. Like a post game analyst.” [This is definitely a broadcaster.]
Question 5) Which one of your teammates has a bad nickname or needs a better one?
King: “I don’t know if there’s any bad nicknames in here. I call [Ryan] Fernandez ‘Fern Daddy.’ I don’t know.”
McGreevy: “Masyn [Winn] calls Gordon [Graceffo] ‘Gordo,’ and, you know, it’s very unfortunate in Spanish.” [It means “fat.”]
Pagés: “Burly Biscuits is such a good one, so it can’t be that one.”
Pallante: “‘Screen Time’ [for Fernandez]”
Thomas “Saggy T” Saggese (the inspiration for this question): “[redacted]. Scratch that out.”
Siani: “I don’t know if we have anybody with a bad nickname in here. [Siani is reminded of ‘Saggy T’.] Oh, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. That’s it.”
Michael McGreevy on Star Wars, cont.:
“I grew up with the Clone Wars TV show. That stuff I love. I remember when it came back out over COVID, me and my brother watched the last episode at like 3 AM California time. I read a Star Wars trilogy [of books] this year halfway through the year. It was like…Timothy…Zen? Zahn! Timothy Zahn. Heir to the Empire. Like, I read those too fast.”
