Minor League Discussion & Boxes 5-3-2007

[jersey cubs fan]

Did we get Kroeger as a minor-league free agent? He's doing really well so far this season' date=' his .376/.404/.529/.934 line is really nice. I hope he can keep it up.[/quote']

 

Claimed off waivers from Arizona Diamondbacks, 1/6/06 by Phillies, not sure how he got to the Cubs.

 

Minor league free agent signing during the winter.

 

Yeah, he's going to turn 25 this year and he's back in AA after 2.5 years of doing nothing in AAA (actually, his first exposure to AAA was good, but it's been all downhill since). He did well in AA, at 22 in 2004, but his overall minor league numbers are bad.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Did we get Kroeger as a minor-league free agent? He's doing really well so far this season' date=' his .376/.404/.529/.934 line is really nice. I hope he can keep it up.[/quote']

 

Claimed off waivers from Arizona Diamondbacks, 1/6/06 by Phillies, not sure how he got to the Cubs.

 

Minor league free agent signing during the winter.

 

Yeah, he's going to turn 25 this year and he's back in AA after 2.5 years of doing nothing in AAA (actually, his first exposure to AAA was good, but it's been all downhill since). He did well in AA, at 22 in 2004, but his overall minor league numbers are bad.

 

It looks like the Phillies cut him shortly after signing him too, not too promising.

[BigSlick]

I saw Colvins grand slam. It was awesome! Opposite field on the first pitch, glorious.

 

You were at the game?

 

Daytona News-Journal[/url]"]Everybody dreams -- bases loaded, you've gotta get this run in -- and when you get those situations you really want to take care of them and not let them pass you by," Colvin said. ""I love coming up in situations like that. I love having men on base. I want to be that guy who has to get it done. I put the pressure on myself and I love it when I come through like that. It makes me feel very good."

 

Colvin's second home run of the season gave the crowd of 4,083 something to cheer. The big Thirsty Thursday crowd had been waiting for a chance to make some noise. Until Colvin's home run, the Cubs hadn't scored and only managed two singles.

 

"Tyler likes to swing at that first pitch, too," Cubs manager Jody Davis said. "It was definitely a big blow because we had nothing going until then. Their starter just completely shut us down."

 

...

 

All it took was one pitch for Reed to rip a game-winning single to right field.

 

"To get the game-winner is a pretty unbelievable feeling," Reed said. "(Simmons) had to come after me with the bases loaded. That's what I went up there thinking. I was ready from the get-go. I got something up in the zone and just took a rip at it. It worked out."

 

It was a win that not only excited the fans, but the players on the field. The Cubs rushed the diamond to congratulate Reed.

 

"That was a good confidence builder for the whole club," Davis said. "It was a big emotional win for us. We got some big hits and we got (four) double plays when we needed them."

 

Yup. I was pretty worried we were gonna be no hit going into...the fifth I think.

 

Big game, lots of people there, I guess because of the Thirsty Thursday.

 

Atkins pitched very well, wouldn't have given up any runs had the infield defense not been atrocious.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Peoria News Journal[/url]"]"I thought our guys did a nice job laying off slow stuff that was inviting," Sandberg said. "I liked the patience there and that set the table. It was nice to come up with runs when it looked like we weren't going to get anything."

 

...

 

The five runs gave starter Jake Renshaw plenty of cushion.

 

"That really takes the pressure off," Renshaw said. "When you can get that you aren't afraid of making a mistake."

 

Not that Renshaw did anyway. In six innings, his longest outing of the year, the right-hander gave up just three hits and an unearned run. He struck out four and walked none.

 

"I worked hard all week to get to this point and things paid off," Renshaw said. "My fastball was working well so I used that to set up the off-speed pitches to get them out."