2009 Chiefs Q & A with Nathan Baliva

[CaliforniaRaisin]

With pitchers and catchers already reporting, Nathan Baliva, announcer for the Peoria Chiefs (low-A), has once again graciously agreed to have a thread where he will answer some questions about the Chiefs throughout the 2009 season! This will be a great opportunity to not only get to ask questions to a first hand source, but to get to know Nathan over the course of the season.

 

Please note that Nathan is being very gracious to interact with us. With that being said, please understand that Nathan may or may not be able to get to your question right away and that there may be times where he is limited in regards to what he can say on certain issues.

 

This session will be in accordance with the NSBB Q & A Guidelines. Thank you to Nathan for taking the time to visit with us here at NSBB. In addition, thank you to all of you for making NSBB such a wonderful posting community!

[wvcbxl]

Hi Nathan,

 

Thanks for taking the time to read our question.

I'd like to know how you prepare yourself for the new season, and more specifically to report on the new players you'll be watching. You obviously get information from the organization, but do you also contact your colleagues in Boise for more information? And conversely, do you ever get such questions from your counterparts in Daytona?

[ChiefsVoice]

Hi Nathan,

 

Thanks for taking the time to read our question.

I'd like to know how you prepare yourself for the new season, and more specifically to report on the new players you'll be watching. You obviously get information from the organization, but do you also contact your colleagues in Boise for more information? And conversely, do you ever get such questions from your counterparts in Daytona?

 

Thanks for the question WVCBXL...Before I get to it, let me say thanks to Raisin and the mods for setting this all up and bringing us together. I come to the NSBB boards daily during the season, multiple times a day in fact to get information, contribute answers and participate in discussions and I enjoy the conversations and the job done by the mods. I have been checking the board quite a bit in the offseason as well as we get ready for 2009, so thank you for allowing me to be a part of this great community you have all formed. Please keep the questions coming and I will get to them as best as I can. Any and Everything is fair game.

 

As for this first question, I prepare extensively. I read anything I can get my hands on about our players and other teams players. Prospect guides, newspaper and online articles we find on google, media guides, etc. Last week I put together my "Big Board" of about 50 guys who I think we could get this year and we have already started finding bio information on those players. There will always be a surprise or three and some guys who we can't find information on (or at least not in English!). But we will get most of them found before ST ends. The Cubs get us updated looks once ST starts and our trainer will let me know roster changes as they happen. Hopefully I will head out there as well the last week of March and do some interviews and see our squad first hand. I do also call Boise if I have trouble finding infor or have questions and work with their great staff. Especially when we need photos for our website. And yes I talk (or have in the past) to the broadcasters in Daytona when we send guys up there. Ditto for Tennessee and Iowa. We all work together the best we can to get player info, stories, photos, etc.

 

During the season I read up on articles as well, especially from the players home town or college towns to get background info that they might not always tell us. I pride myself on my research and stats knowledge and weave it into the broadcast to be as entertaining and informative as I can. Thanks again for the 1st question, keep them coming gang!

 

NB

[Guest]

Could you tell us who is on your 50-strong Big Board or do you need to keep that private?

[ChiefsVoice]

Could you tell us who is on your 50-strong Big Board or do you need to keep that private?

 

Well I just made up a list of all of Boise's roster from last year, those who started at Mesa, those who finished the season here (Ridling, Opitz, Flores, Harrison, Whitlock, etc) along with a few guys who I personally think might repeat this level and then some of the guys coming back from injury like Rhee, Cabrera, Guzman, Suarez, Huseby, Campana, etc. who are question marks. Even Dolis. I have no idea where those guys are in their rehabs but I'll put them on the list cause odds are good that even if they don't break camp that we will see them sometime in 2009 like we did last year with Muldowney and Blackford.

 

And finally some of the new international signees you guys have been talking about on the board like Su-Min Jung and Hak-Ju Lee, Starlin Castro and Junior Lake.

 

They are just guesses on my part, knowing who has been released, traded and signed helps. I haven't seen anything from the Cubs yet and probably won't for another couple of weeks. But I'd rather research 50 guys right now and have 18 of them end up here and only be scrambling for 7 instead of scrambling for all 25 in three days at the first of April.

[falcon]

Nathan, Thanks for the work you're doing and the insights you provide. I understand the minor league pitchers & catchers report to ST on Sat March 7 followed by the position players on Wed March 11 with workouts beginning on March 12. Do you know when this huge group of players get divided up by level? Is it pretty much "controlled mayhem" at Fitch Park for about three weeks?

[ChiefsVoice]

Nathan, Thanks for the work you're doing and the insights you provide. I understand the minor league pitchers & catchers report to ST on Sat March 7 followed by the position players on Wed March 11 with workouts beginning on March 12. Do you know when this huge group of players get divided up by level? Is it pretty much "controlled mayhem" at Fitch Park for about three weeks?

 

Falcon-

Thanks for the question. They break them up for drills but not in 25 man teams. More like 40. Especially with "Daytona" "Peoria" and "Extended." They also play games for most of the time they are out there. For example we will play the Oakland teams and if Iowa and Tennessee are at Fitch then the Daytona and Peoria teams will go to the A's complex and it works like a Peoria vs. Kane County exhibition game. There is a little less structure though. For example, two years ago when we were there, Cliff Floyd just went from field to field and jumped into the batters box when he wanted since he didn't travel with the Cubs that day and Felix Pie was a designated runner at first base for any player that reached.

 

But they do get to play together as a Peoria team and as players are cut from big league camp the rosters are revamped and cut down until they get to our opening day 25. They will also play intra squad games (Iowa vs. Tenn and Daytona vs. Peoria).

Hope that answers your question.

 

NB

[Guest]

and Felix Pie was a designated runner at first base for any player that reached....

 

NB

 

Not really a question but, it didn't seem to help him much. He's quite possibly the worst base stealer I've ever seen.

 

Anyway,

 

Who's the best player you've ever seen play that never made "the show"? What I mean is who is the guy you watched that you thought was a no doubt big leaguer who never made it or had a cup of coffee and fizzled?

 

Thanks for your time.

[ChiefsVoice]

and Felix Pie was a designated runner at first base for any player that reached....

 

NB

 

Not really a question but, it didn't seem to help him much. He's quite possibly the worst base stealer I've ever seen.

 

Anyway,

 

Who's the best player you've ever seen play that never made "the show"? What I mean is who is the guy you watched that you thought was a no doubt big leaguer who never made it or had a cup of coffee and fizzled?

 

Thanks for your time.

 

There have been a few. We won the title in 2002 with Danny Haren, Yadier Molina, Chris Duncan, Tyler Johnson, etc..but there were two #1 picks on that roster in Shaun Boyd and Justin Pope who never made it. Boyd was the MVP that season hitting .315 at 2B and Pope was in the neighborhood of 8-1 as the opening day starter.

 

in 2003 3B Travis Hanson was all-MWL for us and a great overall player who never got above AAA.

 

But so far I would say that the #1 guy on this list would be Ryan Harvey. He had 24 HR and 100 RBI in an injury season. Hit some monster blasts and played a great RF. I know he isnt done, but he would be at the top of that list right now.

 

NB

[Guest]

Howdy, Nate!

 

I'm definitely hoping to be able to get down to Peoria more often this season and will definitely try to hit the games at Kane County.

 

Being on the road with a minor league team must lead to quite a few interesting stories. Are there any that stand out that you'd care to share with us?

 

Thanks!

[ChiefsVoice]

Howdy, Nate!

 

I'm definitely hoping to be able to get down to Peoria more often this season and will definitely try to hit the games at Kane County.

 

Being on the road with a minor league team must lead to quite a few interesting stories. Are there any that stand out that you'd care to share with us?

 

Thanks!

 

Hey Tim, we hope to see you in Peoria (and even KC) all season. There have been quite a few interesting stories, and even a few I can tell here. Most involve pranks. One of my favorites was in 2004 when we were still affiliated with the Cardinals. It was June, right after the draft and we had two catchers hurt in the same game. They rushed us a catcher who they had signed as a non-drafted free agent out of a Division 2 school and he met us in Cedar Rapids. He caught a ride to the hotel and was assigned his own room then met with a few guys for lunch. Well, we go to get on the bus in the early afternoon for a 10 minute ride to the stadium, and the kid is sitting there on the bus in full uniform, spikes included! Apparently he had mentioned at lunch that wherever he played in college they didn't have locker rooms and wore their jerseys on the bus so the guys he was with said oh yeah we do that here too. And the poor kid fell for it.

 

Another fun one involved Julio Garcia when he was our manager in 2005. He was (and is) one of the funniest people I have ever met. He found out that one of our players had a thing for a woman who worked at the ballpark who was either engaged or married. We were on the bus and said player was all the way in the back. He got the players number from a teammate, called the player and pretended to be said fiance/husband and threatened the player if he ever talked to the woman again. The front half of the bus was doing all we could to not bust up laughing as they went back and forth and the player was trying to defend himself. It ended with the player challenging for a fight and then Julio stood up and said oh yeah? Come on up to the front of the bus and say that to my face. The whole bus lost it.

 

And finally, we had a lengthy rain delay in 2007 at Cedar Rapids. We were supposed to start at noon and it was pouring and the field was underwater. They wanted to play badly cause it was all school kids with free tickets. So we hung around and ended up starting at 3:15. Well to pass the time, our players did a fake bobsled race which was hilarious. right behind home plate they did the entire routine with a driver and all four of them shifting side to side at each "turn." then the CR players tried to top that with a game involving the tarp roller. One of their players was hiding inside the roller and the other guys rolled him around the field. Then the two teams got together, 9 to a side, and did a best of 5 Rock Paper Scissors tournament behind home plate in the rain. The fans went nuts. They put the contest on the videoboard and kept score on the scoreboard. It was a great way to pass a few hours. Meanwhile, Ryne stood in the rain and signed autogprahs for about 90 minutes non stop for pretty much everyone at the ballpark.

 

Those are my top 3 stories that I can tell here. Thanks again for the question, and keep em coming!

[jersey cubs fan]

There have been quite a few interesting stories, and even a few I can tell here.

 

...............

Those are my top 3 stories that I can tell here. Thanks again for the question, and keep em coming!

 

 

Would you be able to tell tell any others while leaving out specific names, or without even hinting at the names?

[Bear Cub]

Nate, are you excited about Josh Vitters being a Chief this season?

[CUBZ99]

Nate, Thanks for taking time again this year to answer our questions.

 

1. How would you rate Rhee, in comparison with other pitchers that you have seen at that level? I realize that his season ended with injury last year, but is he a player to be excited about?

 

2. Is there a player not listed in most of the Cubs top ten prospects list, that you think deserves more respect as a prospect?

[ChiefsVoice]

Nate, are you excited about Josh Vitters being a Chief this season?

 

Bear-

 

Selfishly I really am, I hope he is with us. I have been able to watch some big name first round teenage prospects in this league with other teams but not on a day to day basis. I think it would be an outstanding experience to see him day to day around all these Cubs fans. It is too bad he got injured last year with us for just four days because I think he would have been phenomenal for him to learn from Ryne and Desi.

 

Would be great to have Vitters and Flaherty in our infield, but who knows what will breakdown in spring. They could both be here, 1 could be here or they could both skip us.

[ChiefsVoice]

Nate, Thanks for taking time again this year to answer our questions.

 

1. How would you rate Rhee, in comparison with other pitchers that you have seen at that level? I realize that his season ended with injury last year, but is he a player to be excited about?

 

2. Is there a player not listed in most of the Cubs top ten prospects list, that you think deserves more respect as a prospect?

 

Cubz-

 

Anytime, thanks for the questions.

 

1. Rhee was dominant in the time we had him. At the same level we saw from Sean Gallagher in 2005 and Danny Haren in 2002. Also along the likes of Blake Hawksworth in 2003 who was also unfortunately injured before the all-star break. I would be very excited about him and hopefully he is ready to go this summer at some point, maybe even back here if not in Boise for a few innings at a time. I'm sure they will be careful with him in 2009 but he has all the pitches and really seemed to adjust to our culture.

 

2. Outside the top 10 the easy answer is Brandon Guyer. But I'm going to go outside the top 30 and give you a name to watch. Nate Samson. Hardest working kid you will find and can play SS or 2B. Takes instruction well, has a great attitude and just turned 21 at the end of August. I think he will have a big 2009 and it wouldn't surprise me to see him back with Ryne at AA before this season ends. Those (Guyer/Samson) would be my two off the 2008 Chiefs position players to make it to the Majors before all is said and done.

 

NB

[ChiefsVoice]

There have been quite a few interesting stories, and even a few I can tell here.

 

...............

Those are my top 3 stories that I can tell here. Thanks again for the question, and keep em coming!

 

 

Would you be able to tell tell any others while leaving out specific names, or without even hinting at the names?

 

Let me think about some and I'll get back to this one. The fun ones have way too much to censor!

[falcon]

Josh Vitters with a homerun & Jericho Jones a double Thursday, as the Peoria team beats the Giants low-A team 8-4. Re-match today at Fitch park. I sure hope we'll be getting some reports on the minor leaguers as they prepare for the upcoming season. I hear that they've already begun to move players down as players from major league camp are moved down.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Nate,

 

What's your take on my favorite Cubs prospect, Jericho Jones? Do you think he has a shot of roaming the OF in Wrigley some day?

[Guest]

Josh Vitters with a homerun & Jericho Jones a double Thursday, as the Peoria team beats the Giants low-A team 8-4. Re-match today at Fitch park. I sure hope we'll be getting some reports on the minor leaguers as they prepare for the upcoming season. I hear that they've already begun to move players down as players from major league camp are moved down.

 

Thanks for the update! Please let us know if you hear any more about the goings ons at Fitch. Feel free to start a new thread if you want, these types of updates probably deserve their own thread.

[falcon]

I heard that Peoria low-A lost today to the Giants low-A team 8-5. Jericho Jones was the dh and went 3 for 4.Keedy sat out with a sore knee. Brenly behind the plate. Willis in lf, Macias in cf, Perez in rf,Vitters at 3b,Castro at 2b.That's all I could find out.

[ChiefsVoice]

Nate, are you excited about Josh Vitters being a Chief this season?

 

Bear Cub-

 

Yes I am. The whole organization seems to talk about him more than other players we have had the last few years with a possible exception of Eric Patterson. I enjoyed the few days talking to Josh last April when he was with us in Great Lakes and Lansing before he was injured. Hopefully he is with us from day one this season and healthy. After seeing what Mike Moustakas did in this league last year, I want to see what Josh can do for us.

[falcon]

Peoria Low-A team defeated the A's Low-A team today 3-2. Not a lot of hits today. Michael Brenly had a hit,as did David Macias and Sean Hoorelbeke. Jericho Jones 2 for three with a walk,double, and a game winning rbi single. Larry Suarez pitched 2 good innings then they followed with a new pitcher for each inning.That's all I know

[Guest]

Sweet, Suarez pitching for Peoria and pitching well. :)

[ChiefsVoice]

Nate,

 

What's your take on my favorite Cubs prospect, Jericho Jones? Do you think he has a shot of roaming the OF in Wrigley some day?

 

Hey Vance, I don't know a ton about Jones though he has been one of the guys on our research list the last week. I would imagine we would have him here given his age, draft spot and his outstanding numbers from Mesa. Hopefully he follows right along with the talent we had in the OF last year with Johnston, Wyatt and Guyer. I'll reserve opinion on what his ceiling is after I see him play but the numbers in Arizona sure give you/me/Cubs reason to hope!