Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-28-2009

[E.J.]

Which is why you should never listen to me.

 

Haha. At least you know your faults.

[17 Seconds]

Jake hits his 12th HR and 8th double in nineteen games. How can he perform like this and not be called up considering the many injuries? If there is absolutely no intention of playing him than trade him for a reliever. His value is never going to be higher than it is right now.

 

They need to DL someone for him to come up. The problem is, Fox can only play 1B and maybe the corner OF. He's a righty Hoffpauir.

 

There has to be an AL team or 2 taking notice of this guy. He can knock the cover off the ball, and can play multiple positions, though ineptly. Granted, hes on the older side for a prospect, but hes not ancient yet. If only hed take the time to tone up his defensive skills.

 

I'm pretty sure it's not a matter of "taking the time" to fix his defense

[Guest]

Knoxville News-Sentinel[/url]"]Coleman (3-1) yielded seven hits and four runs in five innings because he couldn't find the corners. The right-hander walked two and struck out two.

 

"He wasn't quite as sharp, still pretty good stuff," Sandberg said. "He was competitive."

 

Coleman clearly had difficulty locating his two-seam fastball - a staple to left-handed hitters - consistently.

 

His biggest mistake was grooving a two-strike pitch to Francisco after issuing a four-pitch walk to Zach Cozart with two out. Carolina's third baseman deposited the next pitch onto the berm in right-center field for his fourth home run.

 

"I felt if I could get the ball in there (on his hands) enough I could freeze him," Coleman said. "Instead of pounding it in there, I tried to guide it. It came right back across the plate.

 

Peoria Journal-Star[/url]"]“Carpenter and I have similar stuff, so I got a good read (of the Kernels) off him,” Archer said. “I went from basically how he threw and took that into the second game.”

 

Both pitchers mixed curves with their fastball, although Carpenter said he did not have his best breaking pitches working.

 

“I felt stronger as the game went on. I was finally throwing strikes,” Carpenter said. “Any time you give up the leadoff hit of the game, it makes you work a little harder. I just battled through it.”

 

...

 

Archer’s Game 2 outing equaled his longest of the season and lowered his earned-run average to 1.59. His eight strikeouts were a career high.

 

“They had no chance against him,” Chiefs manager Marty Pevey said. “They were tardy. They weren’t catching up with him and they couldn’t see the ball well.”

[Guest]

http://www.pjstar.com/photos_graphics/x1072299077/Dare116-JPG/g150190bb58ffaaade060f09ae3a9cbc5f78750e7063c24.jpg

Ridling crosses home after his HR in game 2

 

http://www.pjstar.com/photos_graphics/x303486480/Dare124-JPG/g1a914089ebe5028fd7f8e60820ff1b66c276e3fe7831c4.jpg

Archer

[Guest]

Link has video highlights of Peoria's DH shutouts: http://centralillinoisproud.com/content/fulltext/?cid=56412

 

• Rebel Ridling sac fly in game 1.
  
• Chris Carpenter throwing out a bunter.
  
• Carpenter getting a K looking.
  
• Josh Harrison RBI single in game 2.
  
• Rebel Ridling's 2-run HR.
  
• Chris Archer getting a K looking.
  
• Interview with manager Marty Pevey.
  
• Junior Lake making a diving stop at SS.

[Guest]

http://www.thecubreporter.com/2009/04/28/cubs-split-exst-games-giants-fitch-park#comment-131828 (link includes box score to 1 of 2 games AZ Phil watched)

 

The highlights:

 

Meanwhile, another squad of Cubs blanked a second squad of Giants 11-0 in a seven-inning game on Field #2, as Larry Suarez and Carlos Rojas threw lights-out shutout ball over the seven innings.

 

2008 4th round pick 18-year old Matt Cerda was moved from catcher to 2B for a while recently when his defensive problems behind the plate were affecting his hitting, but he has apparently been moved back to catcher (at least for the time-being), although he was a DH today. Whether he will end up as a catcher or a second-baseman is still TBD.

 

18-year old Korean bonus baby Hak-Ju Lee (2008 Tommy John surgery) is being eased back to SS, although he was a DH today. He has put on some weight since last year and looks a lot stronger, but he also may be outgrowing SS.

 

Fellow 18-year old Korean Jae-Hoon Ha has been the most-impressive position player so far at EXST, displaying plus-power while playing mostly RF. He is a converted catcher

 

OF Jose Valdez has a leg injury and RHP Cedric Redmond has a broken finger on his right hand.

 

And from the comments section:

 

18-year old Australian OF Sean Williams throws & bats left-handed and has a smooth line-drive stroke, and 18-year old Jae-Hoon Ha bats right-handed with much more of a power stroke. And Ha is being used exclusively in the outfield at this time. Cubs Player Development Director Oberi Fleita is something of an expert when it comes to spotting catchers (he was a catcher himself, playing for Jim Hendry at Creighton and then later in the Orioles organization), so if Oneri saw any potential for Ha to advance as a catcher, he would not have been moved to the outfield so quickly.