Steve Stemle isn't a household name.

At least not yet.

But stay around awhile, baseball fans, because the New Albany, Ind., product is making a name for himself in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization.

"Hey, guys, he's about two starts from making it to the big leagues," said New Albany High School baseball coach Chris McIntyre to his current players recently. "All he needs is two more quality starts, and he will be playing for the Cardinals."

Stemle, 26, is pitching for the Memphis Redbirds, an AAA club in the Cardinals' system. The star player for New Albany in 1998, he was drafted out of high school by St. Louis. He's been working his way to the big leagues ever since.

The road to St. Louis has not been perfectly smooth. Stemle had a less-than-impressive 5-10 record in Memphis entering the last week of July. He had receoved inadequate run support in several games.

Stemle did have an impressive earned-run average -- 3.26. His strikeouts-to-walks ratio also was outstanding. He had struck out 72 and walked only 27 in his first 121 and one-third innings of the season.

Stemle is expected to be moved up to St. Louis by Sept. 1 of this season at the earliest or sometime next season, especially since the Cardinals have major pitching woes.

St. Louis has a weak starting rotation, something that has made Manager Tony LaRussa's struggle in its fight for a National League Central title. With Woody Williams the only St. Louis starter to put up consistent numbers, the rest of the rotatation is suspect at best. Matt Morris, the staff's ace, is injured, and the rest of the rotation has been unreliable.

Stemle's ERA, therefore, makes him attractive to LaRussa and the Cardina's front office. He has the potential to become the fifth starter in the rotation.

It would be quite a feat for young man from a small town along the Ohio River to suddenly find himself in the majors. If Stemle gets to St. Louis, he will become the teammate of Albert Pujols, who is vying with Barry Bonds of San Francisco for NL most valuable player, Jim Edmonds, Edgar Renteria and Scott Rolen, another Hoosier.

And one day soon he may be a name baseball fans drop in casual conversations.