MINOR LEAGUE: LEG INJURY HALTS LOCAL'S STELLAR YEAR.

Byline: Nathan Kurz Special to the Daily News

The timing couldn't have been any worse for Cody Haerther.

The Chaminade High of West Hills product was nearing the end of a breakout season with the St. Louis Cardinals' Single-A affiliate in Peoria, Ill. when pain in his left leg intensified.

An MRI revealed a stress fracture.

Haerther hasn't played for the Chiefs in more than a month and was sent home on Aug. 3 to Chatsworth for rehabilitation.

He has been stuck at home, seeing friends and family while rehabbing three times a week. But Haerther, 21, isn't exactly enjoying the time off.

``It's horrible,'' he said. ``Everything was going so well. It was real bad timing. I started playing mental games with myself when I had to watch the guys play and I couldn't be out there. But I was glad they allowed me to go home. It was just murder to sit on the bench.''

Haerther finished the season hitting .316 (103 for 326), second in the Midwest League behind teammate Daric Barton, who is batting .326.

But to qualify for the batting title, Haerther needs 378 plate appearances.

He had only 367, including walks, sacrifices and hit batsmen. He also had 20 doubles, five home runs, 45 RBI and a .383 on-base percentage (still sixth best in the league).

The left leg began bothering Haerther during the Chiefs' second series of July at Battle Creek, Mich. A torrential rain during one game ruined traction on the field. Haerther's leg buckled under the stress and later developed shin splints.

He originally was a sixth-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2002 major league amateur draft.

With rookie-league Johnson City the next year, the lefty Haerther hit .332 with 12 doubles and three triples and only 30 strikeouts in 226 at-bats.

After back-to-back .300-plus seasons, Haerther is expected to receive a promotion to the team's high-A Palm Beach, Fla. club next season.

``I reached all my goals,'' he said. ``I know the organization is happy with me. If (the Cardinals) really had given up on me, they wouldn't be sending me to the Florida Instructional League in September.''

The 6-foot, 195-pound Haerther might make the jump to Palm Beach with a familiar face. Chiefs shortstop Brendan Ryan (Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks) was a senior when Haerther was a sophomore at Chaminade.

``I knew that name was familiar when I first got there, but then I looked him up and it all came back to me,'' Haerther said. ``I guess it's a small little world in professional baseball.''

Ryan is fourth in the league in batting average (.313) and seventh in stolen bases (28). He also was voted the team's most popular player, and shared team offensive player of the year honors with Haerther.

--Starter or reliever?: Greg Ramirez (Rio Mesa/Pepperdine) has moved from role to role during the early part of his minor-league career.

Ramirez was the WCC Pitcher of the Year as a starter at Pepperdine in 2003, and after being drafted in the 22nd round of that year's draft by the Mets, he started and relieved for Brooklyn in the Single-A New York-Penn League. He was 1-3 with a 2.96 ERA and one save in 18 appearances, including five starts.

Once he was promoted to Single-A Capital City this year, the Bombers put Ramirez back in the bullpen. He was nearly unhittable, going 5-0 with a 1.44 ERA and 10 saves and had 57 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings.

But Ramirez was placed in the starting rotation on July 24, and has remained there ever since. As a starter, Ramirez is 2-0 with a 3.85 ERA in seven starts.

He had arguably his worst outing of the year on Thursday, when he allowed six runs - only two earned - and five hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.