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Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-15-2006

Outshined_One

By Outshined_One,
in Cubs Minor League Talk

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Flames24Rulz All-Star

Flames24Rulz

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted

Daytona wins 10-4! Besides Harvey homering, Jake Fox also had a 3 run shot as well. Good to see the D-Cubs offense finally come alive.

 

Peoria loses 2-1 on the difference being the 2 run homer by Quad Cities :( Atkins did have a solid effort going 5 innings and striking out 6 while allowing no runs.

Jon Chicago Cubs

Jon

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Aardsma into pitch for the I-Cubs in the 8th. A very good start for Rich tonight :D

And only on 91 pitches. Rusch can't afford another bad outing tomorrow.

Iceblink Draft Eligible

Iceblink

Verified Member
Posted
Posted (edited)

So here's the report from Round Rock where the ICubs beat the Express:

 

Hill was looking great early. He came out throwing a lot of fastballs - most in the 88-91 range. He seemed to work low and in, especially to righties. He threw a few curves, including a total knee-buckler to strike out lefty Luke Scott, but was mostly working with heat.

 

The only hard hit ball against Rich through the first four was a sharp liner for a single.

 

He did look really, really bad trying to field a push bunt to first by Charlton Jimersen leading off the 1st. He took a bad angle on the ball, then sprawled out trying to dive and flip and made a dirt angel. I'm not even sure he touched the ball.

 

In the 4th, the leadoff guy got on, then the pitcher bunted to third. McGehee fielded and threw a strike to 2B and should've got the lead runner, but Ojeda wanted the double-play too badly and didn't look it in. Ball in short center, E6, runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out. Hill really bore down and K'd Jimersen, then popped out the next guy. The Express manager then inexplicably tried the double-delayed steal with the pitcher on first. Easy run down and out of the inning.

 

Soto showed some nice poise walking out to the middle of the diamond and calming down the team after the error.

 

In the 5th, the velocity dropped to the 86-88 range and the Astros farmhands started to get better contact. He gave up the triple to Jimersen that drove in their run, and it was a legit rope to right center. He reached back and hit 90 to get a popup and get out of the inning.

 

After that speedbump, he got through the 7th and 8th without a lot of trouble. (EDIT: meant to say 6th and 7th.)

 

Aardsma was absolutely filthy. He was throwing 94-95 and causing horrible swings. Really impressive outing. I caught some of the 9th on the radio and the announcer said it was the best hard, sinking fastball he'd seen since Carlos Silva pitched there in the AA All Star game in 2002. Looking at Silva's career numbers, he must not throw anything else well.

 

As for position players, Pie was the best player on the field. He had a sharp ground-ball double down the 1st base line early, then a smoked liner that one-hopped the wall down the RF line late. Both drove in a run, and both came against the softish-tossing lefty starter, Barzilla (great name). He also walked and fanned. The K was swinging at a pitch that was well out of the zone.

 

Augie Ojeda produced two terribly weak pop liners to the right side, including one that was a "line" out on a hit & run for an easy double play. So, with two outs and a man on second, the manager channelled Monty Burns and decided to play the percentages. He walked Ojeda intentionally. Hill hit a pretty sharp grounder that the third baseman sprawled for. His throw went into right center, the go ahead run scored, and Pie took the next pitch into right for his second RBI double.

 

Between the error and hitting balls that would have bounced off of wet paper towels, Ojeda looked rough. Not sure why he's in the lineup with that kind of game.

 

Buck Coats hit two sharp lined singles against the lefty starter. He hit a ball off his instep in his third AB and then struck himself out. He struck out looking in the 9th and complained about what looked like a definite strike. He lost a fly ball that Pie wound up catching.

 

Sing didn't get many good swings.

 

Soto, Theriot, and Hill all laid down very good sacrifice bunts. Soto looked very comfortable behind the plate. Seems like one of those guys who was born to play that position and control the infield.

 

One interesting side note that won't show up in the box score. In Pie's second AB, he took a tight fastball at the waist and glared at the pitcher. Seemed like an overreaction. He wound up walking on 4 pitches. He wound up on second after Theriot's sacrifice, which Theriot may have beaten, but was called out. McGehee grounded out to short and probably beat the play at first, but was also called out. McGehee took a couple steps toward the umpire (who made the call from in between first & second in the 3 umpire rotation) and gave him a loud, two syllable retort that may have rhymed with pull snit.

 

So, the next batter also grounded out. Pie ran out the play and ran full speed to the dugout, where he was visibly hot. A few guys seemed to try to calm him down. He put the helmet up with some force, and took a few moments to vent and calm down.

 

I think he was angry at the calls by the umpire, especially the second one on McGehee. Definitely seemed like a fiery guy, but got it under control - gotta like that.

 

So, a very good game by Hill and a dominant one by Aardsma, and Pie was as advertised.

Edited by Iceblink
TruffleShuffle Cooperstown

TruffleShuffle

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
I still have zero confidence in Ryan Harvey's potential to be a good major league ballplayer. Yeah, it's nice that he's hit for a lot of power at every level so far, but his BB/K ratio of 50/240 in 191 games coming into this year is horrible. He's at 1/14 this year in 7 games, so he's not improving. To be honest, if he doesn't show improvement in that area after this year, I wouldn't be opposed to moving him to pitcher and seeing what he could do there.
CaliforniaRaisin GOAT

CaliforniaRaisin

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted (edited)

Wonderful report, Iceblink! This isn't the first time we've heard of Pie's fiery attitude. I'm impressed that he was mad for his teammate too. :)

 

Oh yeah, and gotta call up Aardsma.

Edited by CaliforniaRaisin
Iceblink Draft Eligible

Iceblink

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
Wonderful report, Iceblink! This isn't the first time we've heard of Pie's fiery attitude. I'm impressed that he was mad for his teammate too. :)

 

Oh yeah, and gotta call up Aardsma.

 

My pleasure. Pie really glided around the bases, too. He may have thought about a triple on the second double, but Hill was in front of him and couldn't score.

 

In the post-game segment, the Round Rock announce team had good things to say about Pie and Hill, and they were most impressed with Aardsma. For what it's worth, they touted his stuff as better than what you'd see in most major league pens.

abuck1220 Iowa Cubs

abuck1220

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted

two one way tickets to chicago, please.

 

outstanding work by hill and aardsma tonight. hill has to be ahead of gooz by quite a bit at this point. pressure's on rusch tomorrow.

cubweiser03 ACL Cubs

cubweiser03

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
Aardsma-Looks like the Cubs may really have something here. He's putting up some nasty numbers and if his FB is in the mid 90's thats great. Good reports on him too. I wouldnt be in a rush to call him up because i like the pen a lot but it sure gives them some depth in case of injury or if Novoa bombs. Id be more inclined to bring him up sooner than wuertz.
CubsWin Myrtle Beach Pelicans

CubsWin

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
Aardsma into pitch for the I-Cubs in the 8th. A very good start for Rich tonight :D

And only on 91 pitches. Rusch can't afford another bad outing tomorrow.

I agree. I hope Hendry does as well.

 

Isn't it great to have the depth in an organization such that the pitchers in AAA are actively competing with the one in the majors for playing time?

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