Minor League Discussion & Boxes 7-15-2007

[Guest]

Sounds like Wade was hitting 88-89 at least early in his outing today.

[Guest]

Josh Donaldson is a HR machine - he just hit #5 and that was way out.

[UK1679666180]

Sounds like Wade was hitting 88-89 at least early in his outing today.

 

Was that after the 1st inning? He hit 88-89 last year at Peoria and by the 4rd was down to 83-84.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Josh Donaldson is a HR machine - he just hit #5 and that was way out.

 

How long before they move him to some tougher competition?

[otis89]

Sounds like Wade was hitting 88-89 at least early in his outing today.

 

Yeah. Len mentioned that he was between 87 and 89 during the Cubs game.

[UBlink]

Scott Moore has a .852 OPS now... he's really gotten going after a bad first start. Obviously he's not going to be a starter with ARam in his way, but he could be a pretty solid backup option next year. PECOTA likes him a lot - has him at around a .265/.340/.480/.820 line the next few years.

 

His splits make him look like a platoon player at best - .952 OPS against RHP but .592 against lefties.

[Guest]

Sounds like Wade was hitting 88-89 at least early in his outing today.

 

Was that after the 1st inning? He hit 88-89 last year at Peoria and by the 4rd was down to 83-84.

 

I only checked in in the first inning. Looking at his third inning, I bet he got tired and lost velo.

 

Josh Donaldson is a HR machine - he just hit #5 and that was way out.

 

How long before they move him to some tougher competition?

 

Next season, I'd think.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Sounds like Wade was hitting 88-89 at least early in his outing today.

 

Was that after the 1st inning? He hit 88-89 last year at Peoria and by the 4rd was down to 83-84.

 

I only checked in in the first inning. Looking at his third inning, I bet he got tired and lost velo.

 

Josh Donaldson is a HR machine - he just hit #5 and that was way out.

 

How long before they move him to some tougher competition?

 

Next season, I'd think.

 

Why not see if he can handle some tougher competition now? It's obvious he's better than the pitchers in short season ball.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

who the hell is John Nelson and why is he anywhere near this organization?

 

A 27-28 year old who can't hit out of KU and the Cardinals organization? I say we stone him.

[Warpticon]

Sounds like Wade was hitting 88-89 at least early in his outing today.

 

Was that after the 1st inning? He hit 88-89 last year at Peoria and by the 4rd was down to 83-84.

 

The...4rd?

[RichHillIsABeast]

Scott Moore has a .852 OPS now... he's really gotten going after a bad first start. Obviously he's not going to be a starter with ARam in his way, but he could be a pretty solid backup option next year. PECOTA likes him a lot - has him at around a .265/.340/.480/.820 line the next few years.

 

His splits make him look like a platoon player at best - .952 OPS against RHP but .592 against lefties.

 

What would you call Felix Pie?

[snoodmonger]

who the hell is John Nelson and why is he anywhere near this organization?

 

A 27-28 year old who can't hit out of KU and the Cardinals organization? I say we stone him.

 

If you really want him dead, just put him on Mizzou's hoops roster. He's bound to be shot or beaten up outside a DQ in no time.

 

 

As for Donaldson, I'd like to see him promoted, too. Also, is the prevailing wisdom still that mateo will be used as trade bait this year?

[NCCubFan]

Sounds like Wade was hitting 88-89 at least early in his outing today.

 

Was that after the 1st inning? He hit 88-89 last year at Peoria and by the 4rd was down to 83-84.

 

The...4rd?

It follows the 3nd. :D

[Guest]

Why not see if he can handle some tougher competition now? It's obvious he's better than the pitchers in short season ball.

 

At the very least, I'd like to see more than 36 AB at short-season before promoting him.

[Guest]

IowaCubs.com[/url]"]Cubs Dethrone Royals 13-2

Iowa Aviods Four Game Sweep

By Deene Ehlis / http://www.iowacubs.com

 

Scott Moore and Felix Pie each hit 2 homeruns as Iowa blasted Omaha 13-2 to salvage the final game of a 4 games series at Rosenblatt Stadium. The Royals had won the first 3 games, all by one run and 2 in extra innings.

Pie homered with a man on in the first against Luke Hochevar, Kansas City's #1 pick in 2006 making his AAA debut to give Iowa a 2-0 lead. Moore homered with a man on in the second for a 4-0 lead and Pie led off the 3rd with his second homer of the day. With the Cubs leading 5-2 in the 8th, Moore capped off a 5 run inning with a 3 run homer. Cubs Manager Buddy Bailey was impress by Scott Moore, "It was his best game of the year, driving in five and on base every time with 3 extra basehits."

 

The skipper was pleased, not just with the Cubs offense, but with the whole team's effort, said Bailey, "I thought everybody contributed....with 13 runs and 13 hits, everybody will look at that, but we pitched a real good ballgame today."

 

Juan Mateo made his first AAA appearance of the season and gave Iowa just their second quality start in the last 19 games. Bailey on Mateo, "He did a great job, we gave him some runs and he never got close to relinquishing the lead."

 

Buck Coats went 0-4 to end a 19 game hit streak.

 

SmokiesBaseball.com[/url]"]Smokies rally again in the ninth, win 7-6

 

Sevierville, TN – For the second consecutive night, the Tennessee Smokies scored three runs in the ninth inning to come from behind, this time with a 7-6 win over the visiting Mobile BayBears. The crowd of 3,246 was entertained with 9th inning comeback as the Smokies improved to 13-12 for the second half of the season.

 

The bulk of the scoring in today’s game came early on, as both the BayBears and Smokies hitters touched up both starting pitchers. In the BayBears first inning, Emilio Bonafacio greeted newly acquired Smokies starter Ryan O’Malley rudely with a single to left field. Carlos Gonzalez continued his hot hitting for Mobile with a double to center field, which scored a run. Ronnie Merrill followed with a double of his own to score Gonzalez, and then scored on an RBI single by Jarred Ball. When it was all said and done, Mobile had a 3-0 lead.

 

Tennessee struck right back in the bottom half of the first to help out O’Malley. Jake Fox got the two out rally with a single to continue his torrid hitting this series off BayBears starter Brooks Brown. Matt Craig then crushed a double off the center field wall to score Fox and pull within 3-1. Casey McGehee stroked a single to center field to bring Craig around, and moved to third on a hard hit single by Jorge Cortes. Chris Robinson smoked a hard hit ball that third baseman Rusty Ryal could not handle to bring home McGehee. After one complete inning, the score was tied 3-3.

 

The Smokies took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fourth, thanks in part again to the hot-hitting Fox. After a two-out single by Issmael Salas, Fox strode to the plate and proceeded to rip a double over center fielder Justin Upton’s head to score Salas. With a 4-3 lead, Craig singled on a line drive to center fielded by Upton, who gunned the ball home. Fox bowled over catcher Wilkin Castillo, but he somehow held onto the ball and Fox was called out at home.

 

Mobile evened the score at 4-4 in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Ronnie Merrill to score Gonzalez, and then took the lead from the Smokies in the top of the eighth inning. The highly touted 1st round draft pick Upton cracked a line drive two-run home run over the right center field wall to stake Mobile to a 6-4 lead.

 

For the second consecutive night, the Smokies mounted a huge rally in the bottom of the ninth. With Sam Fuld on first with nobody out, Issmael Salas walked. Fox drilled a single to left center field to load the bases for Craig, who smoked a high line drive over the head of Upton to the center field wall to bring both Fuld and Salas home and tie the game at 6-6. Pinch hitter Joe Simokaitis drilled a hard line drive right at Bonifacio, who got Fox out at home with the force play. Chris Robinson then hit a high chopper to Merrill Jr., who gunned the ball home late to get the sliding Craig. After being called safe for the winning run, the entire Smokies dugout emptied and celebrated at home plate for the second consecutive night.

 

Adalberto Mendez (3-3) picked up the win for the Smokies after pitching a scoreless ninth inning. Abe Woody (4-6) took the loss giving up three runs in the ninth inning.

 

PeoriaChiefs.com[/url]"]Chiefs Win 6-5 Over Quad Cities

 

Peoria, IL – The Peoria Chiefs used late inning heroics from their designated hitter Blake Lalli to pick up a 6-5 win over the visiting Swing of the Quad Cities on Sunday afternoon. The win moves the Chiefs to 13-10 on the half and 44-48 overall and back into first place in the Western Division.

 

Ryne Malone singled off of Swing reliever Armando Carrasco to start the bottom of the ninth inning. Lansford moved him into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Russ Canzler was intentionally walked to set up Lalli’s at-bat. Lalli lined Armando Carrasco’s 1-0 pitch down the right field line to score Malone to give the Chiefs the win.

 

Wade Miller struck out five of the first six batters he faced including striking out the side in the first inning. Miller finished the day with three innings of work while allowing two runs on four hits and striking out five. He finished with a pitch count of 39.

 

The Chiefs loaded the bases in the second inning off Dickson with no one out. Russ Canzler and Lalli both singled. Jim Adduci reached on a bunt to load the bases. Alfred Joseph drove in the first run of the game with a groundout to third to score Canzler to make it 1-0.

 

Quad Cities got to Miller in the third inning after Christian Lopez and Antone DeJesus hit back-to-back singles to start the inning. After getting Daryl Jones to line out to first, Jared Schweitzer delivered an RBI single to score Lopez to tie the game 1-1. The next batter Tony Cruz hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right to score DeJesus and put the Swing in front 2-1.

 

Peoria took back the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Lalli started the inning off with a four pitch walk. He moved to third base on consecutive wild pitches while Wellington Castillo was batting. After Castillo walked, Matt Camp drove a double to the right-centerfield gap to plate both Lalli and Castillo and give the Chiefs the lead back at 3-2.

 

Malone and Lansford picked up back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with no outs to start the fifth inning. With Lalli batting Malone scored on a wild pitch to make the lead 4-2. Lalli walked and sent Dickson to the dugout. Reliever Kyle Sadlowski did not fair much better as Adduci singled to score Russ Canzler and make it 5-2.

 

Chiefs reliever Casey Lambert struggled in the sixth walking the bases loaded. Christian Reyes brought the Swing within a run with a two-run double to make it 5-4. Lambert walked Jaime Landin with one out to reload the bases and was lifted for lefty reliever Jayson Ruhlman. Ruhlman hit Christian Lopez with a pitch after getting ahead 0-2 to tie the game at 5-5. He did record a strikeout of Daryl Jones to get out of the bases loaded jam.

 

Papelbon worked an inning of scoreless relief while allowing just one hit. Lambert went 1 1/3 and surrendered three runs and walked four batters. Ruhlman pitched 1 2/3 of relief and allowed two hits but no runs. Alex Maestri picked up the win with a scoreless ninth inning to set up Lalli’s ninth inning heroics.

 

Gorman’s Pub Player of the Game: Blake Lalli (DH)- Blake drove in the game winning run with a single in the ninth inning to score Malone from second base. Lalli finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and a run scored.

 

BoiseHawks.com[/url]"]Hawks Hold on to First Place with 7-2 Win Over Tri-City

 

The Boise Hawks held on to first place in the Eastern Division with a 7-2 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils Sunday night. Dustin Sasser pitched five shutout innings for the win allowing just two hits. He walked one and struck out three. Jordan Latham and Chris Siegfried each pitched two innings to secure the victory.

 

Kyler Burke continued his hot hitting, extending his hitting streak to five games with a home run, a double and an RBI single leading a 10-hit Hawk attack. His first home run of the season started the scoring for the Hawks in the third inning and his diving catch in right field snuffed a ninth inning rally for the Dust Devils and ended the game.

 

Josh Donaldson had a pair of hits, including his team-leading fifth home run of the season, and drove in a pair of runs. Marquez Smith had an RBI single that extended his league-leading total to 22 and Dylan Johnston and Billy Mottram both had RBI doubles.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Why not see if he can handle some tougher competition now? It's obvious he's better than the pitchers in short season ball.

 

At the very least, I'd like to see more than 36 AB at short-season before promoting him.

 

But he's already played against AA-level competition in the SEC? :p

[UBlink]

Scott Moore has a .852 OPS now... he's really gotten going after a bad first start. Obviously he's not going to be a starter with ARam in his way, but he could be a pretty solid backup option next year. PECOTA likes him a lot - has him at around a .265/.340/.480/.820 line the next few years.

 

His splits make him look like a platoon player at best - .952 OPS against RHP but .592 against lefties.

 

What would you call Felix Pie?

 

:shock:

 

I couldn't come up with words - OPS LHP/RHP/Total with Iowa this year:

 

.443/1.254/1.057

 

I guess that's why they have LOOGY's.

[TruffleShuffle]

Why not see if he can handle some tougher competition now? It's obvious he's better than the pitchers in short season ball.

 

At the very least, I'd like to see more than 36 AB at short-season before promoting him.

 

plus you don't want him to take playing time away from any of the zero prospects currently in peoria.

[cubweiser03]

Im all for promoting Donaldson.

[the splendid splinter]

Why not see if he can handle some tougher competition now? It's obvious he's better than the pitchers in short season ball.

 

At the very least, I'd like to see more than 36 AB at short-season before promoting him.

 

But he's already played against AA-level competition in the SEC? :p

The best team in the SEC`either Vandy or Miss State could'nt play 400 winning % in the Arizona League for a course of the season, because the teams have limited pitching depth, they maybe ok for the 1st two games of a series, bu the last two/three they would get hammered! Players need to learn how to play everyday for the 1st times in their lives.

[Guest]

Why not see if he can handle some tougher competition now? It's obvious he's better than the pitchers in short season ball.

 

At the very least, I'd like to see more than 36 AB at short-season before promoting him.

 

But he's already played against AA-level competition in the SEC? :p

The best team in the SEC`either Vandy or Miss State could'nt play 400 winning % in the Arizona League for a course of the season, because the teams have limited pitching depth, they maybe ok for the 1st two games of a series, bu the last two/three they would get hammered! Players need to learn how to play everyday for the 1st times in their lives.

 

Vance is joking.

[Guest]

Peoria Journal-Star[/url]"]"I felt a lot better than I had been the last few weeks," Miller said. "It was good to get back out there, and everything seemed to feel pretty good so that's the most important thing."

 

Miller's fastball topped out at 88 miles per hour. He also mixed in a few changeups and breaking balls in the second and third innings.

 

"I just wanted to go out there and throw," he said. "I didn't want to go out there and throw breaking ball after breaking ball. So I just wanted to throw fastballs and try and spot them up. I was able to do that early."

 

While Miller said he had "no idea" when and where his next appearance will be, Sandberg said Miller will likely make a few more starts with Peoria.

 

"I imagine we'll have him for a couple more starts, but that's all unofficial right now," Sandberg said. "Anytime there's a rehab here, it's kind of a big deal."

[craig]

On Donaldson, anybody who's watched or listened or closely followed the box scores have any perspective on how he's doing defensively? On the spectrum of Pudge to Koyie Hill to Barrett to Jake Fox, where would donaldson seem to fit currently, and project to fit once optimized?

 

Even worse than Fox? At least better than Fox, but no Michael Barrett? Just fine, actually rather good, better than Barrett and at east as good as Koyie?

 

I'm hoping that he'll end up better than Barrett, hopefully as good or better than Koyie.

 

I'm somewhat worried that he may be even worse than Barrett, and may end up down somewhere in the forget-it area of Jake Fox.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

who the hell is John Nelson and why is he anywhere near this organization?

 

A 27-28 year old who can't hit out of KU and the Cardinals organization? I say we stone him.

 

If you really want him dead, just put him on Mizzou's hoops roster. He's bound to be shot or beaten up outside a DQ in no time.

 

 

As for Donaldson, I'd like to see him promoted, too. Also, is the prevailing wisdom still that mateo will be used as trade bait this year?

 

You have it backwards, we're the ones who decide that beating someone down with a shotgun is a worthy endeavor.

 

As for Mateo, I hope they use him as insurance against injury. They're screwing around with Gallagher so much he won't be ready if needed to start games competitively.

[Guest]

On Donaldson, anybody who's watched or listened or closely followed the box scores have any perspective on how he's doing defensively? On the spectrum of Pudge to Koyie Hill to Barrett to Jake Fox, where would donaldson seem to fit currently, and project to fit once optimized?

 

Even worse than Fox? At least better than Fox, but no Michael Barrett? Just fine, actually rather good, better than Barrett and at east as good as Koyie?

 

I'm hoping that he'll end up better than Barrett, hopefully as good or better than Koyie.

 

I'm somewhat worried that he may be even worse than Barrett, and may end up down somewhere in the forget-it area of Jake Fox.

 

7 G: 2/9 SB, 1 PB, 2 errors (pickoff and throwing - both yesterday).

 

He was also 2/9 in SB at Mesa.

 

He's looked fine when I've watched Boise games, nothing bad stands out in terms of his receiving skills. He's rather athletic and has made some fine defensive places on bunted balls. I have yet to see a game where he's had to try to throw out a base stealer, though, so I can't comment on that.