Minor League Discussion & Boxes 7-29-2008

[davell]

Nelson Perez hit another homer tonight and Antigua pitched 3.2 innings of hitless/walkless baseball with 3 K's.......I'm sure Perez will turn into Pedro Cerrano trying to hit a curveball at higher levels, but he's interesting for sure at this point anyway. Antigua seems like a guy ready to break out and become a "known name" within a year or so. It'd be really nice to see him make Peoria next year.

[Guest]

Kitt Kopach got the start for Mesa and continues to struggle: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2 HBP.

 

Jeffry Antigua was fantastic, twirling 3.2 scoreless and hitless with 3 strikeouts.

 

Nelson Perez hit his AZL-leading 9th HR.

 

EDIT: Beat by davell!

[Guest]

And James Russell's July slide continued tonight. He had an 8.05 ERA and a .309 BAA in the month and gave up 6 more in 5 innings. He did strike out a career high 7 though.

[Jon]

The 30,000+ at Wrigley head home wet. The game was suspended due to rain with the score tied 6-6 with 2 on, 2 out in the bottom of the 9th. It will be resumed tomorrow at 6.

[manbearcub]

The 30,000+ at Wrigley head home wet. The game was suspended due to rain with the score tied 6-6 with 2 on, 2 out in the bottom of the 9th. It will be resumed tomorrow at 6.

 

At Wrigley still? That will be odd.

 

And who calls a rain delay with 2 outs in the ninth?

[Jon]

The 30,000+ at Wrigley head home wet. The game was suspended due to rain with the score tied 6-6 with 2 on, 2 out in the bottom of the 9th. It will be resumed tomorrow at 6.

 

At Wrigley still? That will be odd.

 

And who calls a rain delay with 2 outs in the ninth?

No, it'll be back at Peoria. I'm not sure how hard it was raining. I didn't know there were storms in the area until my DirecTV went out. But when I looked at the radar, it sure didn't look like it was going to move out of the area anytime soon.

[chattbaseball]

Another tie game in the ninth in Salem-Keizer...Boise ties it up in the 8th, and it's now 3-3...

[UBlink]

So tonight the I-Cubs had 2 primary PH options on the bench - Dubois (1.112 OPS) or Craig (1.416 OPS AAA - 1.076 overall). Wow.

[Outshined_One]

I just got back from the game at Wrigley.

 

The bad weather had managed to hold off until the 9th or so, when a few rain drops started falling here and there. The bottom of the 9th started fine, but once the Chiefs got two men on base, the weather just kicked in. The Cougars tried delaying for time on the mound, but the umps told them to break it up and get back to the game. Flores got to 3-1 before sheets of rain started falling and lightning was striking nearby. The game was called then.

 

Quick notes on the game...

 

-None of the pitchers impressed me. Siegfried was clocked up to 91 in his first inning of work, but he got pounded in his second inning and worked around 87/88 in it. He does this toe tap thing in his delivery that makes me think he's tipping his pitches. Santana looked decent, but the guy has a lot of command and control issues to work out before he's legitimate.

 

-Wyatt made a really good play throwing a runner out at home. He also had an attempted diving catch that was about an inch from being a spectacular play. He looks pretty good out in CF.

 

-The Cubs game was on the monitors and people were going nuts accordingly.

 

-Ridling's HR was not a cheapy, 380 feet to right center into a cross wind. Guyer's HR had a bit of help from the wind, but went 366 feet.

 

-Josh Harrison is short. He's also really fast. He needs to work on his fundamentals around the bag, though, since he lollygagged on a play at 2B when Samson caught a liner and the runner was leaning a bit and also nearly screwed up a caught stealing by not holding the glove on the runner.

 

-Jemile Weeks managed to get hurt on the first play of the game. There was a close play at 1B and I couldn't tell if he tried to slide into 1B and botched it or if he just fell.

 

-The umps were pretty blah. The strike zone was inconsistent and Rosa was robbed of a 2B thanks to two indecisive umpires.

 

No one really shined or stood out for either team. I wanted to get a better look at Rosa at 3B, but he didn't have many plays go his way. Ridling and Bautista look like men among boys, but neither particularly played like it. No one on the Cougars wowed me, either.

 

However, it was a lot of fun. The players were smiling and enjoying the fans. It took Guyer a bit to learn that the LF bleachers are usually full of attention-starved people, but he seemed to catch on after awhile. A lot of guys just looked absolutely giddy to be out there on both teams. Wrigley was pretty full, save for the upper deck.

 

The only weird thing about the game was all of the minor league entertainment stuff. Seeing it at Wrigley was just...weird. Yes, the Zuperstars made an appearance. There were spinning bat contests. There was a musical chairs contest. A fake Steve Bartman made an appearance. Someone decided it would be hilarious to give Ronny Woo Woo tickets to this game, but he seemed relatively normal and tolerable compared to a few things that were trotted out there. However, since I'm not a kid and I don't have kids, that stuff was clearly not intended for me. The kids and parents around me absolutely loved it, though.

 

I'm glad I went, suspended ending aside.

[imb]

cashner: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (unearned), 4 BB, 3 K.

 

:x

 

so in a way, rich hill did pitch on tuesday

[NCCubFan]

The only weird thing about the game was all of the minor league entertainment stuff. Seeing it at Wrigley was just...weird. Yes, the Zuperstars made an appearance. There were spinning bat contests. There was a musical chairs contest. A fake Steve Bartman made an appearance. Someone decided it would be hilarious to give Ronny Woo Woo tickets to this game, but he seemed relatively normal and tolerable compared to a few things that were trotted out there. However, since I'm not a kid and I don't have kids, that stuff was clearly not intended for me. The kids and parents around me absolutely loved it, though.

Did Harry Canary lead the 7th Inning Stretch?

 

I attended the Southern League All-Star Game at Carolina a couple of weeks ago (day before the major league All-Star Game). They didn't have the full Zooperstars cast but Harry was there leading the stretch and Bird-Zerk and friends were there too. I'm sure kids would have enjoyed them more, but I still thought it was entertaining (even though I go to minor league teams for baseball more than entertainment).

[Outshined_One]

Did Harry Canary lead the 7th Inning Stretch?

 

He was out there with Dutchie Caray and someone whose name I missed when they sang the stretch, oddly enough.

[Guest]

Another tie game in the ninth in Salem-Keizer...Boise ties it up in the 8th, and it's now 3-3...

And Mejia blows it in the bottom of the 9th. :(

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

Did Harry Canary lead the 7th Inning Stretch?

 

He was out there with Dutchie Caray and someone whose name I missed when they sang the stretch, oddly enough.

 

By chance, could it have been Pete Vonachen?

[Outshined_One]

Did Harry Canary lead the 7th Inning Stretch?

 

He was out there with Dutchie Caray and someone whose name I missed when they sang the stretch, oddly enough.

 

By chance, could it have been Pete Vonachen?

 

Sounds about right.

[NCCubFan]

Did Harry Canary lead the 7th Inning Stretch?

 

He was out there with Dutchie Caray and someone whose name I missed when they sang the stretch, oddly enough.

 

By chance, could it have been Pete Vonachen?

 

Sounds about right.

He's the former owner of the Chiefs (father of Rocky Vonachen, who I believe is the current owner). He was one of Harry's closest friends and delivered the eulogy at his funeral. So it would make sense if he were the third person.

[Guest]

All boxes posted!

[BCVM22]

I was at the Wrigley game. Good fun and good to get a chance to see the younger guys in the system play. Clammy Sosa eating the Bartman dressalike was a highlight. I was hoping to get to see the end, but Mother Nature said "no soup for you." It was absolutely pouring when they finally called it.

[TruffleShuffle]

if you're a minor leaguer like rebel ridling or guyer and you hit a home run at wrigley, that has got to be an AWESOME feeling.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

McDaniel is just ridiculous.

 

Pie stayed hot, although I guess going 2 for 6 lowers his AVG for the month.

 

Cerda walks again, 12/10 BB/K in 76 AB.

[CubinNY]

McDaniel is just ridiculous.

 

Pie stayed hot, although I guess going 2 for 6 lowers his AVG for the month.

 

Cerda walks again, 12/10 BB/K in 76 AB.

I wonder if they'll bring up Pie and let him play a lot if they get a big lead the final month of the season.

[Mugged By Fluffy]

The only weird thing about the game was all of the minor league entertainment stuff. Seeing it at Wrigley was just...weird.

 

 

Yeah the overall atmosphere was weird and so unlike Wrigley. I couldn't get over it either. Loud music in between innings, team personnel launching beanbag baseballs and T Shirts into the stands, a goofy PA announcer and no organ music introducing batters.....huh? 35 years of going to games and I've never seen anything like this here before.

 

30 K is a pretty nice crowd, but wow.....when was the last time you saw the place with that many empty sections? Even the bleachers weren't sold out.

[Guest]

http://www.pjstar.com/adump/x469169666/Chiefs-Wrigley-9/g1a911b7b4338540b741e3b2fc23cd292ece7f5b322d108.jpg

 

http://www.pjstar.com/adump/x1346895233/Chiefs-Wrigley-8/g1a913e53cc9e34feab9fc18890fee36e75dab28170c476.jpg

Luis Flores tags out Petey Paramore

 

http://www.pjstar.com/adump/x518448679/Chiefs-Wrigley-4/g17d19052aa54941ebfe4ad5eede92438b6cdea862ad617.jpg

Guyer after his HR

 

http://www.pjstar.com/adump/x1542102979/Chiefs-Wrigley-2/g1a91079ec10f195423c6737ef4d3a0434ee1ad6c0d10f8.jpg

National anthem

[Guest]

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x478787036/Reigning-at-Wrigley

 

Walking out and seeing the big scoreboard and the stands, it’s an amazing feeling,” Chiefs outfielder Jonathan Wyatt said. “This place is sacred.”

 

“It’s a lot bigger than it looks on TV, that’s for sure,” Chiefs third baseman Jovan Rosa said.

 

Ridling took a 2-1 pitch from Kane County starter Jamie Richmond to the opposite field, clearing the ivy-covered wall in right-center. “I knew I hit pretty well,” Ridling said. “To hit one here in front of 30,000 people is pretty incredible.”

Guyer yanked the very next pitch 380 feet into the bleachers in left. “I had no idea it was gone, that’s why I was sprinting around the bases,” Guyer said. “I almost missed first base.”

 

“We were like little kids on the bus trying to look out the window,” Samson said. “We were trying to get a look at it form the outside and looking forward to getting on it.” The feeling was mutual in the Kane County dugout. “It’s pretty exciting for the players,” Kane County manager Aaron Nieckula said. “Growing up a Cubs fan it is for me, too, but this is about the players.”

 

PeoriaChiefs.com[/url]"]The Chiefs attendance tonight of 32,101 is believed to be the second-largest stand alone Class A game…The highest attendance in Class A came when Redwood faced Reno on July 4, 1981 in San Diego’s Jack Murphy Stadium during the 1981 MLB strike…This crowd more than doubles the previous Midwest League record…

[karenmac]

 

-The Cubs game was on the monitors and people were going nuts accordingly.

 

-Jemile Weeks managed to get hurt on the first play of the game. There was a close play at 1B and I couldn't tell if he tried to slide into 1B and botched it or if he just fell.

 

-The umps were pretty blah. The strike zone was inconsistent and Rosa was robbed of a 2B thanks to two indecisive umpires.

 

The only weird thing about the game was all of the minor league entertainment stuff. Seeing it at Wrigley was just...weird. Yes, the Zuperstars made an appearance. There were spinning bat contests. There was a musical chairs contest. A fake Steve Bartman made an appearance. Someone decided it would be hilarious to give Ronny Woo Woo tickets to this game, but he seemed relatively normal and tolerable compared to a few things that were trotted out there. However, since I'm not a kid and I don't have kids, that stuff was clearly not intended for me. The kids and parents around me absolutely loved it, though.

 

It was indeed Pete Vonachen that helped with the 7th Inning stretch. He was the guy who managed to keep affiliated baseball in Peoria when it wasn't looking like we were going to get O'Brien Field built. Pretty sure everyone in Peoria and surrounding area knows him!

 

We were right in front of Jemile Weeks when he got hurt. It happened very quickly, but the best I could tell was that, as he was leaning for the base, his foot hit it awkwardly, causing a stumble (making it look like he dove in late!). When the trainer was working on him, it seemed like they were treating it like a charley horse, so not sure what his prognosis actually is. Perhaps some sort of strained leg muscle?

 

Knowing the cub game was on the monitors explains a lot. I couldn't always tell why things were erupting with cheers, as we were in row 7.

 

Bad umps are par for the course in the Midwest League. I was sitting with a bunch of other booster club people and we were laughing at the fact there were 4 umps for the game (god forbid anything *embarrasing* like blowing a call happen!!!)

 

Lastly, I totally missed that Clammy Sosa ate Bartman...I had seen the whole "eat someone else" thing before so wasn't paying attention. Figures. Believe it or not the music was tolerable compared to usual and we got to hear Gary Pressey on the organ!