Cub prospects in the news

[Brian]

You have to love a guy that can spin a baseball question into a fishing analogy

 

Was he upset about spending most of his first pro year in rehab?

 

"It's kind of a weird way that I learned this, but I was fishing with my dad," Maples said. "We go to the Outer Banks [in North Carolina] fishing. We're sitting there, there's probably 20 guys. There's a guy who has a huge drum [fish], and he's reeling it in, and the line snaps. I'm like, 'Man, I'd be [ticked] off, I'd be mad.'

 

http://www.executivefishingcharters.com/dusty-bass.jpg

[BeerHere]

I'd love to be wrong, but I don't see what there is to like about Maples. Bad delivery, already has an injury history. I sincerely hope he puts it together.

[CUBZ99]

Thanks for posting that link. After reading that article it is easy to see why Maples has dropped off many of the prospect lists.

[CubsWin]

Thanks for posting that link. After reading that article it is easy to see why Maples has dropped off many of the prospect lists.

Your welcome.

 

I think this a big year for him. I'm not that down on him from based on the article. The plan was always to improve his mechanics. The forearm soreness is a concern, but there was no mention of any specific MRI results that were damning.

 

He followed his own conditioning plan the previous off season and got shut down, however he was pitching pain free at the end of the year. He followed the Cubs plan religiously this time. That makes this the big show me year. The stuff is still there. The Cubs hired this new pitching conditioning guru from Vanderbilt. So, I still excited about him, but then I'm optimistic by nature.

[Guest]

Too bad he struggled to ht .200 in the DSL:

 

@billazbbphotog: Cubs shortstop Luis Acosta with impressive BP session. Clean swing, good bat speed, plus power. Will debut in AZL this summer.

[Guest]

Too bad he struggled to ht .200 in the DSL:

 

@billazbbphotog: Cubs shortstop Luis Acosta with impressive BP session. Clean swing, good bat speed, plus power. Will debut in AZL this summer.

"hit straight ball very good..."

[jersey cubs fan]

Bruce Miles ‏@BruceMiles2112

Mark Prior to address #Cubs minor leaguers today

[Guest]

Not really sure where to put this, but LOL

 

http://chicagosidesports.com/an-artistic-rendering-of-a-cubs-fans-wet-dream/

 

 

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/castro-plaque.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/rizzo-plaque.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/almora-plaque1.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/jackson-plaque.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/soler-plaque.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/baez-plaque.jpg

 

[Cubswin11]

Not really sure where to put this, but LOL

 

http://chicagosidesports.com/an-artistic-rendering-of-a-cubs-fans-wet-dream/

 

 

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/castro-plaque.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/rizzo-plaque.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/almora-plaque1.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/jackson-plaque.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/soler-plaque.jpg

http://chicagosidesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/baez-plaque.jpg

Well.... That's interesting....

 

Why do we only have Almora for 3 years and of all teams he ends up on the Brewers? Also is "The Rizz Kid" really something people call Rizzo? If so this must be stopped immediately.

[sneakypower]

i don't know if i'd call the Almora scenario a wet dream; he's the greatest baseball player of all-time, and leaves after 4 seasons with us

[Cubswin11]

i don't know if i'd call the Almora scenario a wet dream; he's the greatest baseball player of all-time, and leaves after 4 seasons with us

We probably are getting Braun and Gallardo back for him in that trade with Milwaukee

[Guest]

I like that he's optimistic enough to create Hall of Fame plaques for 2 Cubs and 4 Cubs prospects, but realistic enough to try and guess that they'll only play in Chicago X number of years.

[CubInOK]

i don't know if i'd call the Almora scenario a wet dream; he's the greatest baseball player of all-time, and leaves after 4 seasons with us

Well, he won the 2022 WS with 2 different teams. I guess it's just part of being the greatest player of all time.

[Bobson Dugnutt]

i don't know if i'd call the Almora scenario a wet dream; he's the greatest baseball player of all-time, and leaves after 4 seasons with us

Well, he won the 2022 WS with 2 different teams. I guess it's just part of being the greatest player of all time.

 

haha, it must have been updated, because now almora is sticking with the cubs until 2024.

[Guest]

Story on Koronka recommending Almora in his first year scouting: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130214&content_id=41634674&vkey=news_chc&c_id=chc&tcid=tw_article_41634674

[Guest]

Not sure where to put this, because there isn't really a catch all minor league thread and I'm not gonna start one just for this, but a buddy of mine who has been trying to find work in baseball (and last year worked in the PCL front office) says he was offered a job as the Cubs rookie league PitchFX guy. Which means we are going to have pitchFX in rookie ball.

 

I wonder how many organizations can say that.

[Guest]

Not sure where to put this, because there isn't really a catch all minor league thread and I'm not gonna start one just for this, but a buddy of mine who has been trying to find work in baseball (and last year worked in the PCL front office) says he was offered a job as the Cubs rookie league PitchFX guy. Which means we are going to have pitchFX in rookie ball.

 

I wonder how many organizations can say that.

Given all the electronic advances on the farm, this shouldn't be surprising but I am still super impressed by this news.

[craig]

Not sure where to put this, because there isn't really a catch all minor league thread and I'm not gonna start one just for this, but a buddy of mine who has been trying to find work in baseball (and last year worked in the PCL front office) says he was offered a job as the Cubs rookie league PitchFX guy. Which means we are going to have pitchFX in rookie ball.

 

I wonder how many organizations can say that.

Given all the electronic advances on the farm, this shouldn't be surprising but I am still super impressed by this news.

 

Yes. I think the quantitative record-keeping is going to really impact the way they evaluate, and train. I think it's a pretty big deal. Plate discipline analysis will go a whole lot deeper than the W/K kind of assessment that's about the best we fans can use.

 

I also think having the comprehensive video records of every pitch is also a big deal. Not like days when a bigwig makes a couple of 3-day visits, and gets a skewed opinion on a guy if he happens to slump or happens to hit a couple of HR's.

[CubsWin]

Not sure where to put this, because there isn't really a catch all minor league thread and I'm not gonna start one just for this, but a buddy of mine who has been trying to find work in baseball (and last year worked in the PCL front office) says he was offered a job as the Cubs rookie league PitchFX guy. Which means we are going to have pitchFX in rookie ball.

 

I wonder how many organizations can say that.

Given all the electronic advances on the farm, this shouldn't be surprising but I am still super impressed by this news.

 

Yes. I think the quantitative record-keeping is going to really impact the way they evaluate, and train. I think it's a pretty big deal. Plate discipline analysis will go a whole lot deeper than the W/K kind of assessment that's about the best we fans can use.

 

I also think having the comprehensive video records of every pitch is also a big deal. Not like days when a bigwig makes a couple of 3-day visits, and gets a skewed opinion on a guy if he happens to slump or happens to hit a couple of HR's.

This is awesome news. I love what the Ricketts family and the FO are spending their money on. Tom Tango. Cameras in every stadium. A pitchFX guy. Derek Johnson. Needed and aesthetic improvements to Wrigley. The Triangle building. A hotel. New Dominican and spring training facilities. All of these things will improve revenue and performance.

[davell]

AZPhil broke news(I think) with a comment he made today: Cubs have a VSL team now. I don't know whether it comes at the expense of one of our DSL teams or not.

[CubsWin]

AZPhil broke news(I think) with a comment he made today: Cubs have a VSL team now. I don't know whether it comes at the expense of one of our DSL teams or not.

Interesting...

[craig]

AZPhil broke news(I think) with a comment he made today: Cubs have a VSL team now. I don't know whether it comes at the expense of one of our DSL teams or not.

 

It's at the expense of a DSL team.

 

I'd be curious to hear the reasoning. They've supposedly invested heavily in Dominican academy. Have optimal training facilities and coaching staff. Seems surprising to take a bunch of the guys away working at lesser facilities with with perhaps lesser coaches after all the gush the Dominican facilities have received.

 

Perhaps the new rules factor. You can't buy a lot of top guys. Might be easier to attract a $200K Venezuelan if he can stay closer to home? Or if you're one of those $50K guys that don't particularly count against the cap, and five teams are offering the same, why not stay home if you can? Or, maybe they've got or are building some top-tier academy in Venez too, that just hasn't gotten so much buzz?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

AZPhil broke news(I think) with a comment he made today: Cubs have a VSL team now. I don't know whether it comes at the expense of one of our DSL teams or not.

 

I may be imagining things, but I could have sworn this came out awhile ago.

[davell]

AZPhil broke news(I think) with a comment he made today: Cubs have a VSL team now. I don't know whether it comes at the expense of one of our DSL teams or not.

 

I may be imagining things, but I could have sworn this came out awhile ago.

You're right. Not sure if it ever came up here, but Muskat mentioned it back in December. And we are losing a DSL team, to put one in the VSL.

[Cubswin11]

Didn't really know where to put this, but Almora got engaged

 

https://twitter.com/albertalmora/status/304430962870206464/photo/1