Minor League Discussion & Boxes 8-13-2008

[rawaction]

Cashner should be done, easily his best outing as a pro:

 

4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 6 GO-1 FO.

 

That curve is amazing when it's on.

 

Groundballs are most impressive to me.

[Guest]

Cashner should be done, easily his best outing as a pro:

 

4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 6 GO-1 FO.

 

That curve is amazing when it's on.

 

Groundballs are most impressive to me.

 

I had the feeling it was more because short season hitters couldn't get around on his fastball. We'll see if he can be a ground ball pitcher as he goes up the ranks and finds hitters who are better able to handle mid/upper 90s FB.

[Guest]

Third time through for the 2-3-4 hitters:

 

Two out RBI double for Drew Rundle (went the other way).

Vitters flies out to the wall in dead center, a few feet from a 400 foot home run.

Flaherty will lead off the bottom of the 5th inning.

 

Chris Carpenter will pitch in the top of the 5th.

[Guest]

Yowza, Chris Carpenter was awful: 1 IP, 4 H (3 doubles), 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.

 

Flaherty flies out.

[davell]

Reyes only got through 4 tonight, giving up 5 hits and 3 runs(all earned) 1 walk, and had 6 K's. Morelli had a 2-4 night, with a double and 2 RBI. Mayora went 4 innings, giving up 2 hits, no runs, a walk and 2 K's......Obviously, Morelli already has a thread about him, so he's becoming fairly well-known on the board, but Reyes and Mayora are 2 pitchers down there that we should be keeping an eye on as well anyway. Along with Marcos Perez for sure, who has the best stats of them all.

 

On a side note, I think this has been answered before, but do we know how old Caridad actually is? Is he becoming someone to watch as well?

 

Nice to see Colvin getting AWFULLY close to .250 after tonight anyway. I hope he keeps this up for the rest of the year and salvages something.

[Guest]

Rundle grounds out to end the 5th. He's 1 for 2 with a double and 2 walks.

 

Vitters just hit an infield single to start the 6th. He's 2 for 3 with a double and a HBP.

 

Flaherty just singled too. He's 1 for 3 with a walk.

[RammyFanny]

Didn't Cashner say he was going to start out as a reliever since that was the quickest way to get to the show?

 

I'm definitely not complaining, but they are using him as a starter now, no?

[chattbaseball]

Raisin, did you see Perez slide into second, or I mean center field? Not even close...!

[Guest]

Raisin, did you see Perez slide into second, or I mean center field? Not even close...!

 

That was hilarious. I've never seen "runner's interference" called before but that was so blatant.

 

Great pitching by Luke Sommer.

[imb]

colvin, colvin, colvin. im onboard, buddy.

 

also. lol at vitters .344 batting average. sexy.

[Guest]

Dan McDaniel now has a 0.39 ERA in 23.1 innings at Boise. 0.35 ERA in 25.2 innings when you count his time at Mesa. He also has 38 strikeouts and 12 walks in those 25.2 innings.

[Guest]

AZL Cubs wins it in 11:

 

* Alcibiades Made remains in the game as the designated hitter.

* Starlin Castro triples (4) on a fly ball to center fielder Rashun Dixon.

* Injury Delay.

* Richard Delgado intentionally walks Matthew Cerda.

* Injury Delay.

* Richard Delgado intentionally walks John Contreras. Matthew Cerda to 2nd.

* Alvaro Sosa strikes out swinging.

* Tony Campana singles on a ground ball to first baseman Franklin Hernandez, deflected by pitcher Richard Delgado. Starlin Castro scores. Matthew Cerda to 3rd. John Contreras to 2nd.

 

Nothing like two injury delays sandwiching an intentional walk. And a walk-off RBI single deflected off the pitcher. I bet the 3 folks in the stands in Mesa went nuts.

[rawaction]

Colvin at .353/.382/.667 for the month of August.

[Uber]

Guess who homered for Iowa again? Hint: some fat guy has the job thats rightfully his.

 

The beautiful thing about that - he took that one to right field - the pitch before he went to the left corner and went foul at the pole by about 2 inches. He's some kind of monster.

[Guest]

Des Moines Register[/url]"]"The guys are playing well," Hendry said. "I'm very happy with (Iowa manager) Pat Listach, a rising star as a manager in the industry. He certainly has a big-league future coaching and possibly managing, so he's done a great job here."

 

...

 

"Phenomenal year," Hendry said about Hoffpauir. "I tell you what, in all the years I've been with the Cubs - I ran the minor leagues when I came here in '95 - I don't think I've ever seen a guy have that many RBIs in so few at-bats. He missed a lot of the season. He was up in Chicago for a while. He's on a great run and he's a terrific guy. I'm glad for him. His big-league days, they are going to happen again."

 

Hendry would not provide specifics about when or which of Iowa's players may be heading to Chicago yet this season.

 

"It's always tough decisions, but we just hope both teams make the playoffs and we'll try to figure out which guys should come up," Hendry said.

 

"We've got good players. They are playing hard. We love the Iowa Cubs. The operation here is run as good as there is in minor-league baseball."

[Little Slide Rooter]

Colvin at .353/.382/.667 for the month of August.

Is he again becoming our fair haired child as Brenley likes to say?

[Little Slide Rooter]

Des Moines Register[/url]"]"The guys are playing well," Hendry said. "I'm very happy with (Iowa manager) Pat Listach, a rising star as a manager in the industry. He certainly has a big-league future coaching and possibly managing, so he's done a great job here."

 

...

 

"Phenomenal year," Hendry said about Hoffpauir. "I tell you what, in all the years I've been with the Cubs - I ran the minor leagues when I came here in '95 - I don't think I've ever seen a guy have that many RBIs in so few at-bats. He missed a lot of the season. He was up in Chicago for a while. He's on a great run and he's a terrific guy. I'm glad for him. His big-league days, they are going to happen again."

 

Hendry would not provide specifics about when or which of Iowa's players may be heading to Chicago yet this season.

 

"It's always tough decisions, but we just hope both teams make the playoffs and we'll try to figure out which guys should come up," Hendry said.

 

"We've got good players. They are playing hard. We love the Iowa Cubs. The operation here is run as good as there is in minor-league baseball."

 

If Hoff was 23 or 24, they wouldnt be able to get him up fast enough. Hes been solid the past few seasons, though hampered by injury, but nowhere near the AAA juggernaut hes been this season. Im just saying he deserves a shot this year, and if he proves himself, hes given that first bat off the bench job next year instead of overpaying some wash up to do it. I know hes ancient for a prospect, but Im surprised that no teams inquired about him at the deadline.

[Uber]

Des Moines Register[/url]"]"The guys are playing well," Hendry said. "I'm very happy with (Iowa manager) Pat Listach, a rising star as a manager in the industry. He certainly has a big-league future coaching and possibly managing, so he's done a great job here."

 

...

 

"Phenomenal year," Hendry said about Hoffpauir. "I tell you what, in all the years I've been with the Cubs - I ran the minor leagues when I came here in '95 - I don't think I've ever seen a guy have that many RBIs in so few at-bats. He missed a lot of the season. He was up in Chicago for a while. He's on a great run and he's a terrific guy. I'm glad for him. His big-league days, they are going to happen again."

 

Hendry would not provide specifics about when or which of Iowa's players may be heading to Chicago yet this season.

 

"It's always tough decisions, but we just hope both teams make the playoffs and we'll try to figure out which guys should come up," Hendry said.

 

"We've got good players. They are playing hard. We love the Iowa Cubs. The operation here is run as good as there is in minor-league baseball."

 

I forgot that I spotted Hendry there. Spent half the night looking up into the boxes to see if I could locate him and try to sneak up for a picture.

[Guest]

BA's Short Season Daily Dish[/url]"]Prospect Of The Day

 

Andrew Cashner (Cubs) was a reliever at Texas Christian, but the Cubs have been pitching him every fifth day and increasing his workload each time out. The 19th-overall selection in this year’s draft started his third game for Boise last night and proved that the third time is a charm by not allowing a hit against Spokane over four innings. The 6-foot-6 righthander notched four strikeouts and lowered his Northwest League ERA to 7.45 through his first 9 2/3 innings pitched. Cashner, however, was a little wild as he also walked two and threw a wild pitch.

 

Prospect Nuggets

 

While Cashner was lights out on the mound, Boise’s offense continued putting up runs in bunches, defeating Spokane 12-4. The onslaught was led by first baseman Ryan Keedy (Cubs) who went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. Left fielder Drew Rundle (Cubs) and third baseman Josh Vitters (Cubs) both went 2-for-4 with a double.

[Guest]

Apparently Cashner was routinely hitting 96 mph in this start while Carpenter was more around 92-93.

[craig]

Apparently Cashner was routinely hitting 96 mph in this start while Carpenter was more around 92-93.

 

Thanks for the update. A poster at my other board attended the Guzman game the other day and commented on it, so I thought I'd pass that along too:

 

"I saw Guzman pitch last night... From what I saw his velocity was 96-97-98 all night. He didnt throw any offspeed pitches worth a crap at all. I only saw 2 curveballs out of however many pitches he threw and oldfan could have hit them. I didnt see any signs of a changeup or slider."

 

Obviously that's a mixed report. The absence of any breaking stuff, and the couple being apparently pretty ugly, is discouraging. But the velocity report I think is very encouraging as to Angel's health. An article posted earlier had mentioned him hitting 95, and had also mentioned that his first 13 pitches were all fastballs. But when an article mentions 95, I'd thought that might be his fastest tops-at-95 pitch, and that perhaps he was resting more in the 90-93 zone. Which might be less than he used to throw, and not fast enough to workin the majors without movement or offspeed stuff.

 

But if he was at 95 by one report and routinely hitting at least that fast on tennessee's stadium gun, then it's apparent that he hasn't lost much if any of his former velocity. Which would suggest that, at least for the moment, he's healthy. If he's healthy and throwing mid 90's or better, he's a prospect again. And IIRC Az Phil says that he still has options for next year, so he can work on getting his offspeed stuff back during the remaining outings this summer, during winter leaguer perhaps, and then in the minors next spring.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Apparently Cashner was routinely hitting 96 mph in this start while Carpenter was more around 92-93.

 

Thanks for the update. A poster at my other board attended the Guzman game the other day and commented on it, so I thought I'd pass that along too:

 

"I saw Guzman pitch last night... From what I saw his velocity was 96-97-98 all night. He didnt throw any offspeed pitches worth a crap at all. I only saw 2 curveballs out of however many pitches he threw and oldfan could have hit them. I didnt see any signs of a changeup or slider."

 

Obviously that's a mixed report. The absence of any breaking stuff, and the couple being apparently pretty ugly, is discouraging. But the velocity report I think is very encouraging as to Angel's health. An article posted earlier had mentioned him hitting 95, and had also mentioned that his first 13 pitches were all fastballs. But when an article mentions 95, I'd thought that might be his fastest tops-at-95 pitch, and that perhaps he was resting more in the 90-93 zone. Which might be less than he used to throw, and not fast enough to workin the majors without movement or offspeed stuff.

 

But if he was at 95 by one report and routinely hitting at least that fast on tennessee's stadium gun, then it's apparent that he hasn't lost much if any of his former velocity. Which would suggest that, at least for the moment, he's healthy. If he's healthy and throwing mid 90's or better, he's a prospect again. And IIRC Az Phil says that he still has options for next year, so he can work on getting his offspeed stuff back during the remaining outings this summer, during winter leaguer perhaps, and then in the minors next spring.

 

So are you essentially saying not to hold our breath for him to make an impact this season?