2006 NSBB Minor League Player of the Year: Sean Gallagher

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Kinda surprised at the split with Hill (especially since Rich only threw 100 innings in the minors). I figured Veal would win it on his own. Both desered it.

[Brian]

Kinda surprised at the split with Hill (especially since Rich only threw 100 innings in the minors). I figured Veal would win it on his own. Both desered it.

 

Do they usually give it to two people? Didn't both Gallagher and Epatt win last year?

[Balsa]

The DON makes himself known.

[Chris]

Here's the official release from the Cubs:

 

CUBS NAME HILL AND VEAL MINOR LEAGUE

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Saturday, September 16, 2006

 

The Chicago Cubs today announced that left-handed pitchers Rich Hill and Donnie Veal have been named the organization’s minor league Players of the Year.

 

Hill, 26, split the 2006 campaign between Triple-A Iowa and Chicago. Despite making just 15 starts with Iowa, Hill ranked second in the Pacific Coast League with 135 strikeouts while amassing a 7-1 record and a 1.80 ERA (20 ER/100.0 IP). He held opponents to a .179 batting average while allowing just three home runs and 21 walks in 100.0 innings of work.

 

Originally drafted by the Cubs in the fourth round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Hill recorded 10 or more strikeouts in six of his starts. He notched back-to-back 14 strikeout performances in his final two Triple-A starts of the season, July 16 at Albuquerque and July 22 vs. Memphis.

 

Hill twice earned Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors – April 6-16, when he struck out 16 and allowed just two earned runs over two starts, and May 29-June 4, when he struck out 21 over 12.2 innings of work. In addition, he was the starting pitcher for the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star Game and was named the left-handed pitcher on the All-Pacific Coast League Team.

 

The six-foot, five-inch Hill is 5-6 with a 4.60 ERA (40 ER/78.1 IP) with Chicago this season. He has gone 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA (6 ER/36.0 IP) in his last six games (five starts).

 

Veal, who turns 22 on September 18, combined to go 11-5 with a 2.16 ERA (37 ER/154.1 IP) and 174 strikeouts in 28 starts between Single-A Peoria and Single-A Daytona in his second professional season. In 154.1 innings of work, he surrendered just seven home runs and 82 walks while limiting opponents to a .175 batting average. He allowed three or fewer earned runs in 25 of his 28 starts.

 

Veal began the year with Peoria, and went 5-3 with a 2.69 ERA (22 ER/73.2 IP) in 14 starts. He held Midwest League hitters to a .179 average while winning five of his final six decisions before he was promoted to Daytona in mid-June. He posted a 6-2 record with a 1.67 ERA (15 ER/80.2 IP) in 14 starts for Daytona, limiting opponents to a .170 average while striking out 88 in 80.2 innings of work.

 

The six-foot, four-inch Veal was named the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week for July 17-23 after he went 1-1 with a 2.53 ERA (3 ER/10.2 IP) and 15 strikeouts over two starts.

 

Veal was selected by Chicago in the second round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft and signed by Cubs scout Steve McFarland.

[Laura]

Congrats to both! Hill celebrated in style. 8)

 

Kinda surprised at the split with Hill (especially since Rich only threw 100 innings in the minors). I figured Veal would win it on his own. Both desered it.

 

Do they usually give it to two people? Didn't both Gallagher and Epatt win last year?

 

They usually give separate awards to the ML pitcher & player of the year, and Gallagher & EPatt did win last year. I think Pinto & Dopirak won in '04. IIRC, they usually announce them at the same time and a bit earlier as well.

 

The press release makes it sound like they just decided to name two pitchers as the ML players of the year instead of separating the awards.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Congrats to both! Hill celebrated in style. 8)

 

Kinda surprised at the split with Hill (especially since Rich only threw 100 innings in the minors). I figured Veal would win it on his own. Both desered it.

 

Do they usually give it to two people? Didn't both Gallagher and Epatt win last year?

 

They usually give separate awards to the ML pitcher & player of the year, and Gallagher & EPatt did win last year. I think Pinto & Dopirak won in '04. IIRC, they usually announce them at the same time and a bit earlier as well.

 

The press release makes it sound like they just decided to name two pitchers as the ML players of the year instead of separating the awards.

 

Is that a pretty good sign that our minor league positon players aren't award-worthy?

[Laura]

Is that a pretty good sign that our minor league positon players aren't award-worthy?

 

Or just that the pitchers were supremely award-worthy. :wink:

 

I'm in the camp who thinks that Pie's season was better than it might appear at first glance.

[NCCubFan]

I'm in the camp who thinks that Pie's season was better than it might appear at first glance.

Me too. In the minors you need to look beyond the numbers. He had a good season at AAA considering his age plus the fact that, due to his injury last year, he only had about a half season in AA. And he definitely showed the right trend, doing better in the second half of the season. I'd like to see him get about another half year in AAA, but I wouldn't mind seeing him called up for the second half of the year (as long as he's going to play, that is).