Words with Wisdom: Interview With Cardinals Prospect Patrick Wisdom
By Brian French
I recently caught up with Cardinals 1st Round Supplemental (#52 overall) draft pick Patrick Wisdom about a variety of topics including his childhood and recent draft experience. Wisdom will likely report to short-season Batavia of the New York-Penn League to start his Cardinals career. During his three year tenure at St. Mary’s College, Wisdom hit .303 with 29 HR and 109 RBI with a strong 80:106 K/BB rate over 585 AB.
Here is what MLB.com had to say about Wisdom upon his selection:
“Power-hitting college bats always get attention. With Wisdom, it will come down to potential vs. performance in 2012. Wisdom has shown the ability to hit the ball out to all fields when he makes contact. He has plus power to the pull side. The issue is that he hasn’t been able to show an ability to make consistent contact to tap into that strength. Wisdom is a solid defender at third with a plus arm, with more than enough glove to stay at the hot corner. It all comes down to the bat for Wisdom. If a team thinks that his junior year struggles were an aberration and that he can find some consistency at the plate, it will see a player who profiles well as a run-producing third baseman of the future.”
Additionally, Baseball Prospect Report recently profiled Wisdom and mentioned that he shares some similarities to current Ranger prospect Mike Olt and former St. Mary’s College third baseman Mark Teahen.
So with no further delay let’s hear from the man himself!
BF: Tell me a little about where you grew up and where you went to school?
PW: I grew up Murrieta, CA. I originally went to a private school in Escondido, CA but then attended 4th grade and on in Murrieta. I graduated from Murrieta Valley High School in 2009.
BF: What brought you to St. Mary’s?
PW: Saint Mary’s College caught my eye when I went to a baseball recruiting camp. I performed really well that weekend and they made me an offer that next week.
BF: What was your favorite baseball team and/or player growing up?
PW: My favorite baseball team growing up was the San Diego Padres and the Anaheim Angels (at the time they were the Anaheim Angels). I grew up loving Ken Caminiti and Mark McGwire. My mom would dress me up as Ken Caminiti for Halloween with a make-shift drawn on goatee. I was a huge fan of these guys.
BF: What is your favorite food?
PW: My favorite food would have to be home cooked meals. My mom and dad really know how to cook and I always love coming home to home cooked meals.
BF: Has 3rd base always been your preferred position?
PW: When I was younger I caught a lot and also pitched. I started playing 3rd base when I got to high school. I love it now.
BF: What is your mentality like on the field? How about in the batter’s box?
PW: I am a very aggressive player on the field and in the batters box. I have always had an aggressive mind set. Although the key to baseball is being calm, I am aggressive when I need to be. I would say aggressively calm (haha).
BF: Aside from being drafted what has been the most exciting accomplishment on the field in your career?
PW: My freshman year I hit two home runs at Stanford, one being a grand slam. My sophomore year I hit a go ahead home run against USF in the 7th inning to help us win the series. My junior year I hit a go ahead home run against nationally ranked Oregon State at the Spring Training Facility for the Rangers and Royals and was named the player of the game.
BF: How much do you know about or follow the St. Louis Cardinals?
PW: I know a good amount about the Cards. I have followed McGwire for a long time and have tried to emulate his swing. I also know Allen Craig because he is from my area. The Cardinals are a team that I followed for awhile and I love the organization and I’m truly honored to by a part of it now. Playing in the Heartland is where I belong.
BF: What was draft day like for you? Any gatherings or events?
PW: The draft day was very exciting!! My family and I watched the draft at my house. I wasn’t expecting to go on the 1st day so my hopes weren’t that high but was still excited to see a lot of my friends be picked. My adviser informed me that it wasn’t looking promising for me and I was okay with this because I understood the circumstances. Then he informed me not more than 5 minutes later that I was going 52nd to the Cardinals. On TV they were at pick 50, so when the Cardinals representative came up to the podium and said my name my family and I went crazy!! Screaming, crying, hugs, yelling, high fives, and more screaming (haha) it was a great time! I was honored to see my name come on the TV, it was a special moment.
BF: How did you find out the Cardinals picked you?
PW: I found out through my adviser that they were going to pick me. I have kept in contact with their scout Matt Swanson, who is a great guy, and I knew that they were interested. I couldn’t be happier!
BF: What do you hope will be your contributions to the Cardinals organization?
PW: I plan on helping the Cardinals win a few more World Series and playing 3rd base for them everyday while giving them my best effort everyday. I will continue to learn and get better and pursue my dream of playing in the big leagues for the Cardinals.
As with any prospect it will be a struggle to turn their tools into skills and Wisdom is no different. He will have a long road ahead of him to reach the majors but with his determination and passion for the game he stands a great chance to live out his dream. Standing at 6’2 210 lbs there is a lot to like about a power hitting third baseman and Cardinals fan’s should be happy to hear that he has already signed and can officially add him to their collection of talented players at the hot corner. Just for fun, here is a video of him taking Trevor Bauer yard back in 2011 (the bomb goes off at the 4:23 mark).
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