2008 Instructs

[SouthSideRyan]

That's pretty much the creepiest thing I've ever seen.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

By the way, am I the last person to notice Billy Petrick's sponsor on his Baseball Cube page?

um, ok...

[jersey cubs fan]

By the way, am I the last person to notice Billy Petrick's sponsor on his Baseball Cube page?

um, ok...

 

that's the thing that I think it is, right? wow

[Guest]

By the way, am I the last person to notice Billy Petrick's sponsor on his Baseball Cube page?

um, ok...

 

that's the thing that I think it is, right? wow

 

Yes it is.

[splintersag]

By the way, am I the last person to notice Billy Petrick's sponsor on his Baseball Cube page?

um, ok...

 

that's the thing that I think it is, right? wow

 

Yes it is.

Yikes. http://www.northsidebaseball.com/Forum/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif

[Guest]

I guess some people are really pulling for Petrick to make it to the big (league).

[falcon]

I heard that the Cubs instructional team played the A's to a 3-3 tie on Wednesday with only Tony Campana, Jericho Jones (double,bb), and Josh Vitters getting hits. The team has only 8 hits in the last two games. Must be facing some really good pitching.

[Guest]

I heard that the Cubs instructional team played the A's to a 3-3 tie on Wednesday with only Tony Campana, Jericho Jones (double,bb), and Josh Vitters getting hits. The team has only 8 hits in the last two games. Must be facing some really good pitching.

 

There was no report yesterday from Arizona Phil so thanks for filling the void!

 

Welcome to the board.

[falcon]

With a week to go in instructionals, AZ Phil is MIA. I sure appreciate his reports from Arizona......I guess he's concentrating on the Cubs-Dodgers series.

[JimSorgi]

By the way, am I the last person to notice Billy Petrick's sponsor on his Baseball Cube page?

um, ok...

 

that's the thing that I think it is, right? wow

 

Yes it is.

Yikes. http://www.northsidebaseball.com/Forum/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif

That is incredibly strange.

[biittner77]

North

American

Marlon

Brando

Look

Alikes

 

That is what it stands for... I hope.

[Guest]

Brandon Guyer getting good reviews from Baseball America and Jody Davis:

 

Baseball America[/url]"]October Not All Bad For Cubs

 

It didn't take long for Cubs outfielder Brandon Guyer to start turning heads this fall. The fifth-round pick out of Virginia in 2007 homered in consecutive days during the first week of the season, including a scorching line-drive shot over the 20-foot high fence at the Cubs' Fitch Park facility in Mesa.

 

Guyer's performance comes after a solid season at low A Peoria in which the righthanded hitter batted .269/.331/.498 with 14 home runs and 22 stolen bases after starting the season late while recovering from a spring shoulder injury. Guyer isn't surprised by his performance.

 

"I had the power when I played in Peoria this year," he said. "I think it's just a combination of me getting healthy right now. I feel like when I'm healthy I can compete with the best."

 

He's also striving to be a more complete hitter.

 

"I want to work on becoming a more patient hitter and using the whole field," he said. "I've been making progress at that."

 

Cubs instructional league manager Jody Davis, who manages the Cubs' high A Daytona affiliate, likes what he's seen from Guyer this fall.

 

"I've seen a lot of improvement," Davis said. "He was banged up in spring training or he would probably have made a higher club … probably would have been with me in Daytona. He looks like he's made great strides this year."

 

Guyer played more in left field during the regular season, but is working primarily in center field this fall. One of his goals for instructional league is to get used to the position and improve his routes to the ball. Davis believes that Guyer has the range to be a center fielder but also that he should have enough power to play one of the corner outfield spots.

[Guest]

Tim Wilken is a huge fan of Starlin Castro: http://ww2.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081014&content_id=468878&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

 

Meet Starlin Castro, an 18-year-old phenom who Wilken predicted will be a frontline shortstop before long. And the former Scout of the Year award winner has a pretty good track record when it comes to predicting these things.

 

"He's going to be a special player," Wilken said. "He's got every chance to be as good as or better than (five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove shortstop) Tony Fernandez."

 

Wilken enumerated Castro's tools as above-average power potential, baserunning abilities and defense.

 

"In his hitting action, he's got about as good wrists as I've seen in quite some time," Wilken said. "Very supple, and he'll have opposite-field power because he lets the ball travel."

 

When it comes to what he needs to work on at instructional league camp and in future months, Wilken thinks he only needs to refine some of the little things.

 

"Other than just concentrating on the little things that he'll need, there's not a real big hole in his game anywhere for me," he said. "He probably needs to get a little better on his basestealing, how to read pitchers, taking his leads, things like that. But I think he'll be able to pick it up because he's so instinctive."

 

"Guys start tailing off in this league in August, and yet he got better in August," Wilken noted. "So I think that's another attribute. If you had put him in the Draft this summer, he would have been a first-round pick."

 

http://ww2.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2008/10/15/rXuRn8Vl.jpg

 

Please note the bolded. I love scout speak.

[Guest]

Inside the Ivy confirms the rumors that Josh Lansford has converted from third base to pitcher: http://cubs.scout.com/2/808547.html

 

Per the link, guys Oneri was impressed with: OF Brandon Guyer, Starlin Castro, Junior Lake, new Korean signee Soo-Min Jung and reliever Jake Muyco.

 

Cubs Minor League Field Coordinator Dave Bialas on Lake and Castro:

 

“They made great improvements and strides in Instructs. I think on the infield front, that’s probably the two guys that pop up off the top of my head.”

 

On Jung:

 

Fleita said that from a pitching standpoint, the Cubs were impressed by young Korean right-hander Soo-Min Jung, a recent signee on the international market.

 

“He got in to throw a little bit, but the fact he got there and got a chance to experience what we’re going to expect from him next year was good,” said Fleita.

 

By the way, Brandon Guyer, Josh Vitters, Matt Cerda and Nate Samson are all at the Cubs Dominican Republic academy right now.

[Guest]

Dominican Instructs roster, courtsey of ITI

 

PITCHERS (27)

 

Jeff Antigua (LHP)

Rogelio Carmona

Wellington Cruz (LHP)

Manolin DeLeon

Rafael Dolis

Antonio Encarnacion

Carlos Galvez (LHP)

Yohan Gonzalez

Alvido Jimenez

Joel Lanfranco

Luis Liria

Jade Mendez

Dionis Nunez

Julio Pena

Junior Pena

Marcos Perez (LHP)

Roderik Pichardo

Gorge Pineda

Ramon Reyes

Santo Rodriguez

Joe Rosario

Abner Ruiz

Julio Sanchez

Deuris Severino

Miguel Sierra

Jose Tineo

Harol Tolentino

 

CATCHERS (4)

 

Matt Cerda

Pedro DeJesus

Yamel Liria

Alvaro Sosa

 

INFIELDERS (11)

 

Joel Altagracia (1B)

Yohan Astacio (2B)

Robert Bautista (SS)

Vismeldy Bieneme (2B)

Starlin Castro (SS)

Carlos Henry (2B)

Junior Lake (SS)

Carlos Morales (SS)

Juan Pena (3B)

Nate Samson (SS)

Josh Vitters (3B)

 

OUTFIELDERS (7)

 

Melvin Camarena

Alejandro Damian

Brandon Guyer

Francisco Guzman

Nelson Perez

Gregorio Robles

Jose Valdez

 

Players expected to make their professional debuts in 2009 are: Cruz, Encarnacion, Jiminez, Lanfranco, Mendez, Severino, DeJesus, Altagracia and Astacio.

 

Altagarcia and Henry were the Cubs two 6-figure bonus signings in Latin America this past summer.

 

It's good to see Rafael Dolis actually pitching again. :)

 

One guy who wasn't in the Arizona instructs or here is OF Jesus Morelli who hit really well in the DSL (I haven't seen a teenager hit that well in the DSL for the Cubs ever). Either he's been hurt or he really isn't as much of a prospect as we thought he'd be considering his stats and age.