Newest Cardinal Kevin Jarvis gets an opportunity to show that his performance in AAA Memphis so far this year---0.78 era and 20 Ks in 23 innings over four starts---is for real and he has transformed himself from the pitcher who wore out his welcome for four different organizations in 2004 (Padres, Mariners, Rockies, Pirates) into a reliable middle reliever who can be counted on to eat some innings when called upon during one of the team's busiest stretches of the 2005 season.

The righthanded Jarvis (pictured above in an editorial cartoon posted by a Mariners' fan to commemorate his release last May 4) was the last pitcher cut in spring training, losing out to lefty Bill Pulsipher, and accepted an assignment to Memphis, where he's been, apparently, nothing short of dazzling. As the Cardinals are in the early stages of a run of something like 21 straight games without a day off, adding an extra pitcher to the roster to replace the languishing Hector Luna makes sense.

But who exactly are the Cardinals getting here: the crafy veteran who has flummoxed PCL hitters for three weeks, or the guy who pitches like a guy who's compiled a 5.93 career ERA in 750 innings?

Somehow, I have a hard time believing that Kevin Jarvis v.2005 is much different than the pitcher who has been knocked around more over the last 10 years than just about any other pitcher out there. His career ERA+ of just 74 has got to be among the lowest of our era for a pitcher who's survived as long as he has. In fact, the peak of Jarvis's career came in 2000-2002, when he reeled off ERA+'s of 100, 84 and 88, and his next-best season was in 1995, when he had a 5.70 era (ERA+ of 72).

Jarvis has to have one of the highest home run rates of any pitcher ever, assuming a minimum number of innings (say, 500). I don't have career-rate numbers, but Jarvis has averaged 39 homers allowed per 200 innings pitched over his career. Now, in the history of baseball, a pitcher has allowed more than 39 homers in a season 21 times.

Some of his corkers include 1997 (17 homers allowed in 68 innings); 1999 (6 in 14 innings); 2000 (26 in 115 innings, but in his defense that year, half his games were at Coors Field); 2001 (37 in 193.1 innings); and last year (5 homers in 15 innings).

I'm pulling for the 35-year-old to give the Birds some quality innings, but I hope his shiny, small-sample-size AAA numbers don't tempt the Cardinals to use Jarvis in any high-leverage situations until he's proven that he has, indeed, been cured of chronic gopheritis.