Minor League Discussion & Boxes 7-13-2007

[craig]

I don't know if or when it will happen. I was ready to move Harvey to the mound a year ago. But I'd kind of like to give Harvey and Johnston a crack at pitching. Strong guys with strong arms. It's easier to pitch a fast baseball when you can think about which pitch you're going to throw and decide the action yourself. Rather than to throw a fast moving baseball and need to decide in a matter of microseconds whether or not to swing, where it's going to be by the time it reaches the plate, and how to lay the swing out so as to hit a moving ball. Johnston still has plenty of time to develop as a pitcher.

 

I know Fleita prefers more patience, but I don't expect that Johnston is going to make it as a player.

 

Leon Johnson, what a start that guy has had.

 

Wyatt has a zillion walks and K's very rarely, just as was true in college.

 

A theory: K-prone power hitters have more problems adjusting to better pitching or to wooden bats. Contact hitters with good eye, good walk rates, low K rates, but short on power, I think those guys are much less likely to flop against improved pitching. Fuld, Wyatt, Barney, no-power low-K guys like that never hit HR's anyway. So going pro doesn't cost them aluminum-bat HR's anyway. If you're living off of BABIP and walks for your OBP, you can often promote with limited change in your HR's or K's.

[Guest]

I don't know if or when it will happen. I was ready to move Harvey to the mound a year ago. But I'd kind of like to give Harvey and Johnston a crack at pitching. Strong guys with strong arms. It's easier to pitch a fast baseball when you can think about which pitch you're going to throw and decide the action yourself. Rather than to throw a fast moving baseball and need to decide in a matter of microseconds whether or not to swing, where it's going to be by the time it reaches the plate, and how to lay the swing out so as to hit a moving ball. Johnston still has plenty of time to develop as a pitcher.

 

I am ready to see Harvey move to the mound, hopefully the move comes in instructs this fall.

 

Obviously the Cubs aren't ready to move Johnston to the mound since he's showing signs of life at Boise and is still only 20. I'm not ready to give up yet on his bat yet but I expect he'll eventually have to be converted too. He always struck out way too much but he does have good patience too (of course, a lot of guys have racked up walks for Boise which begs the question - are the Hawks a patient team or do the NWL pitchers have such poor control that it's hard not to take some walks?).

 

It's a shame the Cubs rushed Johnston up to Peoria last season, I worry that we might see the same problems with Samson now that he's up in Peoria and skipped Boise (Samson is obviously doing much better at Peoria than Johnston ever did and he seems to have a better approach and a far superior BB/K ratio).

[the splendid splinter]

I don't know if or when it will happen. I was ready to move Harvey to the mound a year ago. But I'd kind of like to give Harvey and Johnston a crack at pitching. Strong guys with strong arms. It's easier to pitch a fast baseball when you can think about which pitch you're going to throw and decide the action yourself. Rather than to throw a fast moving baseball and need to decide in a matter of microseconds whether or not to swing, where it's going to be by the time it reaches the plate, and how to lay the swing out so as to hit a moving ball. Johnston still has plenty of time to develop as a pitcher.

 

I am ready to see Harvey move to the mound, hopefully the move comes in instructs this fall.

 

Obviously the Cubs aren't ready to move Johnston to the mound since he's showing signs of life at Boise and is still only 20. I'm not ready to give up yet on his bat yet but I expect he'll eventually have to be converted too. He always struck out way too much but he does have good patience too (of course, a lot of guys have racked up walks for Boise which begs the question - are the Hawks a patient team or do the NWL pitchers have such poor control that it's hard not to take some walks?).

 

It's a shame the Cubs rushed Johnston up to Peoria last season, I worry that we might see the same problems with Samson now that he's up in Peoria and skipped Boise (Samson is obviously doing much better at Peoria than Johnston ever did and he seems to have a better approach and a far superior BB/K ratio).

Its not as much the bb/k ratio (which is a key componet) but Sampson has a VERY good baseball mind, especially to compete pretty decent in the Midwest League at 19.