40 Minor Leaguers to Mesa for Instructionals

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Scout.com[/url]"]Pitchers:

Oscar Bernard

Jerry Blevins

Marco Carillo

Julio Castillo

Jose Ceda

Miguel Cuevas

Rafael Dolis

Darin Downs

Jesse Estrada

Kitt Kopach

Kevin Kreier

Tim Layden

Jeremy Papelbon

Mark Pawelek

Jake Renshaw

Rocky Roquet

Jayson Ruhlman

Larry Suarez

Roberto Sotolongo

 

Catchers:

Matt Canepa

Jake Muyco

Mark Reed

Chris Robinson

 

Infielders:

Russ Canzler

Steve Clevenger

Dylan Johnston

Josh Lansford

Kyle Reynolds

Alan Rick

Nathan Samson

Joe Simokaitis

Nate Spears

 

Outfielders:

Cliff Andersen

Matt Camp

Yusuf Carter

Tyler Colvin

Ryan Harvey

Deryck Lewis

Drew Rundle

Jeremy Williams

 

The name that stands out for me is Larry Suarez. The Cubs seem to think he's pretty advanced if they plan on having him in the U.S. so soon. Maybe he'll skip the DSL? A couple of big names who I would have liked to have seen at instructs are Chris Huseby and Billy Petrick (I hope Billy's shoulder soreness hasn't morphed into something worse). Alan Rick is now listed as a first baseman.

 

Play gets underway next Friday.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Hrm, Josh Lansford is listed as going to instructs, but Nathan said a few weeks ago that he was going to the new Hawaii Winter League. :shrug:

[karenmac]

Hrm, Josh Lansford is listed as going to instructs, but Nathan said a few weeks ago that he was going to the new Hawaii Winter League. :shrug:

 

I'm pretty sure it's Koerber and Lansford going to Hawaii. Scout.com probably just has an older list? Interesting to see Alan Rick's potential conversion to 1st. Did he play much there when he was in Daytona? I also wonder if Jesse Estrada is going to get converted back to a starter or whether he'll continue getting developed for the pen.

 

Thanks for the heads-up Raisin :)

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Hrm, Josh Lansford is listed as going to instructs, but Nathan said a few weeks ago that he was going to the new Hawaii Winter League. :shrug:

 

I'm pretty sure it's Koerber and Lansford going to Hawaii. Scout.com probably just has an older list? Interesting to see Alan Rick's potential conversion to 1st. Did he play much there when he was in Daytona? I also wonder if Jesse Estrada is going to get converted back to a starter or whether he'll continue getting developed for the pen.

 

Thanks for the heads-up Raisin :)

 

Yeah, Nathan said it'd be Koerber and Lansford.

 

Rick had gotten some time at first base (tough to get a lot though with Matt Craig around), but mostly, he was DHing.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

http://cubs.scout.com/2/568012.html

 

19-game schedule released. A 1 pm game in Mesa in September seems like punishment.

[WrigleyField 22]

The name that stands out for me is Larry Suarez. The Cubs seem to think he's pretty advanced if they plan on having him in the U.S. so soon. Maybe he'll skip the DSL? A couple of big names who I would have liked to have seen at instructs are Chris Huseby and Billy Petrick (I hope Billy's shoulder soreness hasn't morphed into something worse). Alan Rick is now listed as a first baseman.

 

Play gets underway next Friday.

 

I thought he was solid at catcher defensively? He certainly doesn't have the bat for 1B even if he couldn't handle catcher defensively. Any speculation or explanation on this move?

[karenmac]

Alan Rick is now listed as a first baseman.

 

Play gets underway next Friday.

 

I thought he was solid at catcher defensively? He certainly doesn't have the bat for 1B even if he couldn't handle catcher defensively. Any speculation or explanation on this move?

 

Rick was solid defensively as catcher, but Jake Muyco, for instance, was much better than solid defensively, so there may not be room for him in the system any longer as a catcher. However, with Craig and Norwood at first, that move seems equally questionable, so not exactly sure what's up with this.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Alan Rick is now listed as a first baseman.

 

Play gets underway next Friday.

 

I thought he was solid at catcher defensively? He certainly doesn't have the bat for 1B even if he couldn't handle catcher defensively. Any speculation or explanation on this move?

 

Rick was solid defensively as catcher, but Jake Muyco, for instance, was much better than solid defensively, so there may not be room for him in the system any longer as a catcher. However, with Craig and Norwood at first, that move seems equally questionable, so not exactly sure what's up with this.

 

Rick has guys like Soto, Reyes, Richie and Fox are ahead of him with guys like Robinson, Muyco, Reed, Canepa and Mercedes behind him. Apparently he is going to be the odd man out in the catcher situation. In terms of his bat, he had a red hot second half and was batting fifth a lot for Daytona in August.

 

I have no clue what's up with Matt Craig - two years at AA and then a year at A+ where he was supposed to work on catching but didn't play a single inning at catcher? He seems like he's now just an organizational guy. Next season, I'd guess Hoffpauir/McGehee will play first for Iowa, Dopirak for West Tenn (err, the AA team, wherever it is), Norwood at Daytona and Canzler at Peoria.

[Guest]

When I've seen Rick play catcher, he seemed too tall for the position. He had a hard time getting his knees out of the way to get at some balls when I watched him.

[karenmac]

When I've seen Rick play catcher, he seemed too tall for the position. He had a hard time getting his knees out of the way to get at some balls when I watched him.

 

That's interesting, as many of the folks I've heard talk about Reed say that he'll have to get converted to the outfield at some point because he's too small to be a catcher. So, the Cubs have got a 3 bears scenario going on...this one's too tall, this one's too small...who will be just right?!?

[Jehrico]

I wonder if they expect his offense to improve if he doesn't have to focus on everything that goes into being a catcher...

[WrigleyField 22]

Alan Rick is now listed as a first baseman.

 

Play gets underway next Friday.

 

I thought he was solid at catcher defensively? He certainly doesn't have the bat for 1B even if he couldn't handle catcher defensively. Any speculation or explanation on this move?

 

Rick was solid defensively as catcher, but Jake Muyco, for instance, was much better than solid defensively, so there may not be room for him in the system any longer as a catcher. However, with Craig and Norwood at first, that move seems equally questionable, so not exactly sure what's up with this.

 

Rick has guys like Soto, Reyes, Richie and Fox are ahead of him with guys like Robinson, Muyco, Reed, Canepa and Mercedes behind him. Apparently he is going to be the odd man out in the catcher situation. In terms of his bat, he had a red hot second half and was batting fifth a lot for Daytona in August.

 

Was there any reported change in his swing that would lead to believe he has turned the corner, or are we hoping he just "got it"and will continue to hit well?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Alan Rick is now listed as a first baseman.

 

Play gets underway next Friday.

 

I thought he was solid at catcher defensively? He certainly doesn't have the bat for 1B even if he couldn't handle catcher defensively. Any speculation or explanation on this move?

 

Rick was solid defensively as catcher, but Jake Muyco, for instance, was much better than solid defensively, so there may not be room for him in the system any longer as a catcher. However, with Craig and Norwood at first, that move seems equally questionable, so not exactly sure what's up with this.

 

Rick has guys like Soto, Reyes, Richie and Fox are ahead of him with guys like Robinson, Muyco, Reed, Canepa and Mercedes behind him. Apparently he is going to be the odd man out in the catcher situation. In terms of his bat, he had a red hot second half and was batting fifth a lot for Daytona in August.

 

Was there any reported change in his swing that would lead to believe he has turned the corner, or are we hoping he just "got it"and will continue to hit well?

 

He changed his batting stance during the second half, which he attributed to his improvement.

[cuubs4life]

any idea if we will be able to view the results/box scores for these games?

[ChiefsVoice]

Well Im out here in Phoenix visiting friends before my drive to LA and I stopped by the facility on Tuesday to say hi to everyone and watch the game vs. LA.

 

Dolis started threw 2 innings and looked good. he got in trouble a couple times cause of misplyed flyball (by rundle in CF) and a dropped pop-up by Clevenger at 1st.

 

The lineup I saw was Alan Rick at 1b, Clevenger at 2b, matulia at ss, reynolds at 3b, reed c, harvey in rf, rundle in cf and lewis in lf and Pie DH and led off....the pitchers i saw were Dolis, J. Castillo (nicknamed Animal), Tim Layden, Marco Carillo and Roberto Sotolongo. The first 4 threw 2 innings each, Soto threw one. Layden gave up an unearned run and Carillo gave up a long 2 run HR in a 3-1 Dodger win.

 

Pie never got on base on his own, but in these games there are apparently no subbing rules. Whenever anyone singled or reached first with no one else on base Pie ran for them. he stole one base, got caught once and picked off 1st by a lefty. Reynolds smoked a couple of balls. Harvey K'd twice swinging. Robinson looked good in his at bat late in the game. Lewis is pretty fast in the OF and Matulia made a nice play at SS.

 

Apparently from the people I talked too over dinner tonight, Colvin is looking great. He played today in SCottsdale but I had other things to do. And Dylan JOhnston is healthy and hitting the ball well too and running but not back at full speed. I would expect him back in Peoria in 2007. Others that have impressed this fall are Ceda, Dolis and Lansford.

 

Was good to see those guys and talk to harvey, muyco and carter as well. I sat in the bleachers with Estrada and Blevins most the game and with Jody as well. Got a chance to talk to most of the rovers and the other guys we have had in 2005 and 2006. Also got to meet papelbon, kopach and saw pawelek throw in the pen. He is throwing thursday but i need to get on the road to LA before the 1:00 start.

 

Just wanted to give you guys an update.

[Mephistopheles]

Ooh Good stuff. Thanks.

 

Speaking of Dolis, did we have find out the kids age?

[ChiefsVoice]

Ooh Good stuff. Thanks.

 

Speaking of Dolis, did we have find out the kids age?

 

 

According to the roster Oneri gave me at the game his DOB is 1/10/88 so 18...19 on 2007's opening day.

[weather2]

Glad to see that Lewis is a quick runner. He only had 2 SB this year but had an impressive 0.212 isolated power (e.g., 10% of his ABs resulted in doubles).

 

Hopefully, the fact that he played LF/DH last year doesn't reflect on his defense.

[illiniguy]

Ooh Good stuff. Thanks.

 

Speaking of Dolis, did we have find out the kids age?

 

 

According to the roster Oneri gave me at the game his DOB is 1/10/88 so 18...19 on 2007's opening day.

Soon they will all be born after the first night game. Pretty amazing.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

MiLB.com's AZ Instructs Notebook[/url]"] Chicago Cubs

 

Camp Cubs is closed for the season, with their instructional league schedule concluding on Oct. 14. While there were plenty of individual highlights, the organization was more pleased by the overall results of the fall season.

 

"Collectively, the pitchers really threw the ball well," Cubs director of player development and Latin American Operations Oneri Fleita said. "Our goals were simple: Throw first-pitch strikes, working on varying their looks.

 

"Offensively, we're tyring to make sure they hit strikes, like you always try to do. From a defensive standpoint, we're really pleased at how they caught the ball. Our coordinators did a wonderful job, made it like they were learning but made it fun. Instructs can be very boring and draining. They did a great job and had the guys focused from start to finish."

 

Pitchers who really stood out were Grant Johnson, the 2004 second-round pick who cleared up some flaws in his delivery; Mark Pawelek, the 2005 first-rounder who built on his strong finish in Boise at instructs; and Rocky Roquet, a fifth-year senior signing who is a converted position player with a big arm. Showing only a big fastball in the past, he's developing a slider the Cubs didn't really see this season.

 

Offensive positives ran the gamut, with Felix Pie spending a few weeks in camp to work on his baserunning and Josh Lansford showing some things with his bat he didnt show in Boise this summer. This year's first-rounder, Tyler Colvin, who had a strong debut, kept on impressing offensively, as did Russ Canzler.

 

No camp is without a position change, and the Cubs were no exception. Matt Camp played second in college but had been an outfielder in the Cubs system. He's back at second, and Fleita feels he's found a home there.

 

Then there's Ryan Harvey. The 2003 first-round pick has been a disappointment to some, moving slowly and having difficulty with things like plate discipline along the way. But the Cubs are pleased with his progress and think in many ways he's ahead of the game, despite his apparent struggles. "He's like a lot of high school guys," Fleita said. "They say he's moved slowly, but if he had been drafted this year out of college, he would've been a first-rounder and still would've gone to Boise."

 

Instead, Harvey spent the year in the Florida State League. His overall numbers aren't what a guy who was talked about as a possible No. 1 pick is expected to put up -- .248, 20 homers, 125 strikeouts and 25 walks -- but there's more than just the season-ending stats to consider. Harvey hit .316 in both July and August, bringing his second-half numbers to .282, 14 HR, 47 RBIs in 68 games.

 

"The last three months of the season, he did pretty well," Fleita said. "He still hit 20 home runs in a pitcher's league. We're pleased with his progress. Would we have liked to him have moved faster? Sure, why not. But sometimes we forget he's ahead of where a lot of guys who were drafted that year and went on to college are."

 

Good to hear about Grant Johnson. Besides Pawelek and Colvin, I'd read elsewhere (from Cub Reporter) that Ceda, Cuevas, and Renshaw also looked good.

[craig]

Thanks super much, raisin. Lots of positivity. Helpful to remember that it's Fleita, the Hypemaster supreme.

 

1. What do we know about Roquet? What position did he play? He pitched two college seasons, and is already 24. Ihadn't realized that he was a position convert, or that he has a "big arm". I'll pay more attention to him now.

 

2. Some familiar stories. Last winter, we were also hearing that Grant Johnson had made progress, updated his slider, yada yada. Did we get any "stuff" reports on him this past year? He was drafted for his velocity, of course; but my understanding was that he's been pretty much a soft-tosser. Is that right? And, I know he missed some time this year. Was this arm trouble, or a different injury? And if arm, was it related to his other miscellaneous health problems of the past?

 

3. The Harvey talk is also very familiar, right out of Fleita's standard script for Luis Montanez.

 

4. The talk about swinging at strikes, that is not that familiar. Hopefully they are trying.

 

5. I'm very pleased that they've moved Camp to 2nd. For a little batting-average/OBP/no-power dude, 2B is a place where an OBP can make a big-league job. But CF is usually reserved for super-athletes. Camp and Clevenger could provide a couple of guys who for 2B who don't strike out at all and have pretty good plate discipline, but no power.

 

6. I also liked the positive note about Lansford. I think he's a pretty interesting prospect. Hopefully one of the things he showed with the bat that he hadn't before was some power.

 

7. Positivity about Colvin is always good to here.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Grant Johnson had a hamstring injury this past season.

[Athletics36]

Pretty sure Grant had some shoulder issues this past season.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Pretty sure Grant had some shoulder issues this past season.

 

Ugh, my injury was better.

 

Craig, a lil info about Rocky. It looks like he transferred quite a bit in college. While he played both ways in HS, he was recruited by Florida State to play OF, redshirted and returned to the mound once he got to Santa Ana in 2003. In terms of his "big arm": I know he's supposed to throw low 90s with a power slider but his control is lacking.

 

I agree with you on Harvey, I'll believe it when I see it.

[the splendid splinter]

Rocky Roquet almost had 2 strikeouts and inning in Boise this summer and at times did until late August. His fb avg 93-95 and was up to 97 with an inconsistent slider, it was an all or nothing yr for him. Couple of outings really raised his era but he needs to throw more strikes and quit picking at the zone.