Minor League Discussion & Boxes 6-24-2006

[Laura]

Peoria wins over the Swing 9-7 -- 2HRs for Ryan Norwood

 

Full game report at PeoriaChiefs.com (Thanks, Nathan!).

 

 

Ryan Norwood supplied the power with homers in back to back innings as the Peoria Chiefs rallied for a 9-7 victory Saturday night against the Swing of the Quad Cities. The Chiefs have now won 10 of their last 11 road games and move to 2-1 on the half and 43-29 overall. ...

Pepsi Player of the Game

Ryan Norwood (1B) - The Chiefs slugger homered twice and drove in three runs. Norwood’s sixth inning homer tied the game 5-5 and his seventh inning two-run shot put the Chiefs up 9-6. He finished the game 2-for-5 with three RBI.

Notes… The last Chiefs player to hit more than one homer in a game was Eric Patterson who hit a pair on July 19th last season against Cedar Rapids…The Chiefs are now 22-2 on the season when scoring six runs or more in a game…Mark Reed’s career high 11 game hit streak ended with an 0-for-5 night…The two teams finish the two game series Sunday with a rare 5:00 PM start…The Chiefs will have RH Scott Taylor (3-2) on the mound against RH Trey Hearne (4-2)…The pregame show begins at 4:45 PM online at http://www.peoriachiefs.com.

 

From the full report, sounds like two embarrassing groundball-through-the-legs errors on Swing 1Bman AJ Van Slyke (I'm guessing a relation to Andy Van Slyke?). 4 of the Chiefs' 9 runs were unearned.

[Laura]

Someone posted in Baseball Discussions that DLee had been recalled after the game. Has anyone else heard this?

 

Sounds like he will be in the Cubs game tomorrow.

 

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -Derrek Lee will be back with the Chicago Cubs for Sunday's game at Minnesota after just one minor league rehab appearance.

 

The move to activate Lee from the disabled list will come one day sooner than expected, as injuries to Tony Womack and Freddy Bynum during Saturday night's 3-0 loss to Minnesota forced Chicago's hand.

 

LINK

[Blueheart05]

Someone posted in Baseball Discussions that DLee had been recalled after the game. Has anyone else heard this?

 

Sounds like he will be in the Cubs game tomorrow.

 

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -Derrek Lee will be back with the Chicago Cubs for Sunday's game at Minnesota after just one minor league rehab appearance.

 

The move to activate Lee from the disabled list will come one day sooner than expected, as injuries to Tony Womack and Freddy Bynum during Saturday night's 3-0 loss to Minnesota forced Chicago's hand.

 

LINK

 

Thanks, I didn't know Bynum got hurt as well.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Pawelek ended up giving up 2 more runs. His final line:

 

4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1/1, WP

 

Boise down 5-1 in the 7th.

[Quakers]

I just got back from the Boise game, so I will post some highlights now and more details and a few pictures tomorrow.

 

1) I am sorry to say, but I wasn't that impressed with Pawelek. Every once in awhile he would let one go and I would say wow, but then every once in awhile one would end up at the back stop. To be fair poor defense hurt Mark. He wouldn't have given up the first two runs but for an error by the shortstop Baez. An error by the second base man, Matulla, indirectly led to the third run. And a wild pitch from Mark was key in the fourth run. But Mark was never dominate on the mound. The second time through the line-up SK started to get better swings off him. He has talent, but...

 

2) DJ Lewis looks like a stud player in the making, but... He also seems to be a bit of a showboat. He got picked off first by the catcher after straying too far after a pitch. He let a routine single go between his legs. I think he will be OK, but he needs to focus on the game.

 

3) The player that caught my eye was Baez. He ripped a double down the left field line in his first at bat. And while he did commit an error (a wicked line drive right at him. His glove went to the right spot but his body couldn't resist the impulse to get out of the way, so the ball dribbled past him.), I think he has the makings of a decent shortstop.

 

4) SK, for whatever reason, showed no desire to pitch to Lansford. Nothing came close to the plate and he walked 4 times.

 

Remember, this is all based on one game. More tomorrow.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Dang, they changed the first two runs Pawelek surrendered from unearned to earned. His line now consists of 4 ER in 4 IP.

 

1) I am sorry to say, but I wasn't that impressed with Pawelek. Every once in awhile he would let one go and I would say wow, but then every once in awhile one would end up at the back stop. To be fair poor defense hurt Mark. He wouldn't have given up the first two runs but for an error by the shortstop Baez. An error by the second base man, Matulla, indirectly led to the third run. And a wild pitch from Mark was key in the fourth run. But Mark was never dominate on the mound. The second time through the line-up SK started to get better swings off him. He has talent, but...

 

From what I can tell seeing one video of his start last time out, he still needs work on control and his mechanics seem to need more work. Is there anything besides that that concerned you?

Edited June 25, 2006 by CaliforniaRaisin

[CaliforniaRaisin]

2) DJ Lewis looks like a stud player in the making, but... He also seems to be a bit of a showboat. He got picked off first by the catcher after straying too far after a pitch. He let a routine single go between his legs. I think he will be OK, but he needs to focus on the game.

 

I guess it wouldn't surprise you to know his nickname is "Hollywood." :D

[texascub]

Isn't Lewis the one that walks up and draws an "X" in the dirt by the foul line before he steps into the batter's box? I don't know why but it kinda bothers me when whoever it is walks up and does it; I always feel like lashing out and saying "You're a freakin' minor league, get in the box and hit", but of course then I'd look like an idiot screaming into my laptop screen so it's rather pointless.

[TruffleShuffle]

4) SK, for whatever reason, showed no desire to pitch to Lansford. Nothing came close to the plate and he walked 4 times.

 

Jeez, 4 walks in one game? Have the Cubs released him yet?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I just want it noted that I claimed Lewis as a favorite of mine last year when he was in Mesa based on his walk rates. Join me on the bandwagon as those sexy walk rates continue now in Boise.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

4) SK, for whatever reason, showed no desire to pitch to Lansford. Nothing came close to the plate and he walked 4 times.

 

Jeez, 4 walks in one game? Have the Cubs released him yet?

 

His stat line so far this young season: .176/.481/.176/.657

[E.J.]

4) SK, for whatever reason, showed no desire to pitch to Lansford. Nothing came close to the plate and he walked 4 times.

 

Jeez, 4 walks in one game? Have the Cubs released him yet?

 

His stat line so far this young season: .176/.481/.176/.657

 

That IsoD is Dunnesque. Now if he can just get that slugging up.

[cubweiser03]

I see Wells wasnt welcomed to AAA very nicely.

Pawelek with another turd.

[CubinNY]

4) SK, for whatever reason, showed no desire to pitch to Lansford. Nothing came close to the plate and he walked 4 times.

 

Jeez, 4 walks in one game? Have the Cubs released him yet?

 

His stat line so far this young season: .176/.481/.176/.657

 

That IsoD is Dunnesque. Now if he can just get that slugging up.

 

If he's anything like pops he won't be hitting for much power.

[Quakers]

Isn't Lewis the one that walks up and draws an "X" in the dirt by the foul line before he steps into the batter's box? I don't know why but it kinda bothers me when whoever it is walks up and does it; I always feel like lashing out and saying "You're a freakin' minor league, get in the box and hit", but of course then I'd look like an idiot screaming into my laptop screen so it's rather pointless.

 

I didn't see Lewis do it, but I did see Alfred Joseph do it. I was wondering why?? Maybe it is a way of remembering someone??

 

I know Puello ws with Boise last season, but wasn't Joseph too?

 

Also, I hope my report on Lewis doesn't unfairly tag him as a head case. It could have been just one game. It seemed like several of the Hawks were still getting into the swing of things as professionals.

[Quakers]

4) SK, for whatever reason, showed no desire to pitch to Lansford. Nothing came close to the plate and he walked 4 times.

 

Jeez, 4 walks in one game? Have the Cubs released him yet?

 

His stat line so far this young season: .176/.481/.176/.657

 

That IsoD is Dunnesque. Now if he can just get that slugging up.

 

If he's anything like pops he won't be hitting for much power.

 

I wasn't sure why they were not pitching to Lansford. It could be that he has learned from his father the importance of OBP. He was batting second and that is what his role is, to get on base by whatever means possible so the guys behind him can drive him in. But my impression was more along the lines of that SK was not pitching to him.

[Quakers]

Dang, they changed the first two runs Pawelek surrendered from unearned to earned. His line now consists of 4 ER in 4 IP.

 

1) I am sorry to say, but I wasn't that impressed with Pawelek. Every once in awhile he would let one go and I would say wow, but then every once in awhile one would end up at the back stop. To be fair poor defense hurt Mark. He wouldn't have given up the first two runs but for an error by the shortstop Baez. An error by the second base man, Matulla, indirectly led to the third run. And a wild pitch from Mark was key in the fourth run. But Mark was never dominate on the mound. The second time through the line-up SK started to get better swings off him. He has talent, but...

 

From what I can tell seeing one video of his start last time out, he still needs work on control and his mechanics seem to need more work. Is there anything besides that that concerned you?

 

They must have changed the ruling on Baez's error. It was a tough play in the sense that it was a wicked line drive. A basehit by NWL standards, but an error by MLB standards.

 

1) Whatever Mark was throwing it induced mainly ground balls. Most of the hits against him were seeing eye grounders or weakly hit fly balls.

 

2) The first hit of the game was a comeback liner that Mark knocked down mainly in self defense. I was worried for an instant that he would be hurt.

[Quakers]

A few other observations.

 

They have a new scoreboard at SK stadium that posts the speed of the pitch. Unfortunately it is in right field which is the sun field, so I was unable to see it until the 5th.

 

I did see Francisco. He struggled in his first inning of work, but settled down in the next two. I don't know how accurate the scoreboard radar is, but his fastball topped out around 86.

 

Blevins looked fairly good as the closer. More confidence on the mound than Pawelek and Francisco. Is this why he has returned to Boise, to work on becoming a closer?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Blevins looked fairly good as the closer. More confidence on the mound than Pawelek and Francisco. Is this why he has returned to Boise, to work on becoming a closer?

 

He completely revamped his mechanics and they wanted him to break that in at Boise.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2006/06/25/cwScwAjF.jpg

 

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20060625/capt.3c218a5c15664d0a94cfa59db7615ec3.cubs_lee_baseball_iacn105.jpg

 

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20060625/capt.ffee056c345042788f117ee0b8d6edf8.cubs_lee_baseball_iacn103.jpg

 

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20060625/capt.4e9dc8229d7a4773a136dcbcfd86472d.cubs_lee_baseball_iacn104.jpg

 

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20060625/capt.fc0e07e1e38245c5b67a4c39128cadc6.cubs_lee_baseball_iacn102.jpg

 

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20060624/capt.96ae482917ad42bc8a6b6afb51293f89.cubs_lee_baseball_iacn101.jpg