Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-29-2009

[craig]

I think if a guy is rated as the best prospect in the minors, or pretty close (Corey), "uber" probably wouldn't be hyperbole.

 

Nice to see Jackson having a good game. Interesting what a new season can do, though. Last year he was 72K/50IP. Even today, when he's on, he still doesn't have K's going. He's got the fly-ball thing working for him today, though.

 

Ty Wright started slow but he's been doing very well lately. Hit .300 last year, he's been around 1.000 OPS over the last 10 days. Overall OPS is still under .800, but he's got his average up to .284.

 

I'm always interested in a guy who can have 8 K / 6 BB / 67 AB. If you K that little, it means you can hit the ball and won't need an inordinate BABIP or an inordinate number of HR's to sustain a decent BA. If you K that little, it also suggests to me that you don't have major holes in your swing, so you are less likely to get exposed by better pitching following a promotion.

 

Without real HR power or a CFer's arm, it's hard to see him projecting as an impact starter, obviously. But its sometimes useful to have a Reed Johnson-type hitter available in case of injury or whatever.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Vitters is only OPSing in the mid .700s in A ball so far. Heres the real star of the Chiefs

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_543693.jpg

Check out that that stash.

[ELCABALLO45]

Anyone see the OPS leaders in the PCL so far?

 

Fox (obviously), Gamel (Brewer 3rd baseman) AND...

 

Matt Murton

[CubColtPacer]

A unique sequence in the Tennessee game. It's not very often that you'll see a team bunt with their relief pitcher on deck, and then the other team respond by intentionally walking that relief pitcher.

 

It did not work out for Carolina though as Tennessee has scored 3 runs in the inning, the last 2 coming on Barney's third hit of the game.

 

If Barney can show a little more with the bat than last year (which he is doing quite a bit so far) then he will likely be the player pretty soon here who is called up if the Cubs need another backup middle infielder. That's pretty much what his destiny is..to be a 2nd backup MI on a major league team.

[Guest]

7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K on 75 pitches for Jay.

 

After pitching to 2 batters in the 8th and not getting either out, tack a walk and a hit onto that line and you can close the book on him.

 

Actually, 1 of those guys scored too.

 

Final line for Jay: 7+ IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Finally a real strong outing. I'm pretty sure that's his pro career high in innings for an outing too.

[Guest]

Argh, back to poor control for Dolis, 4 walks in 3 innings.

[craig]

Vitters is only OPSing in the mid .700s in A ball so far. Heres the real star of the Chiefs

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_543693.jpg

Check out that that stash.

 

Last year Ridling was 50K/8 BB in 165 Peoria AB, rather Harveyesque.

 

Thus far he's a more acceptable 12K/9BB/54AB. Still pretty high K-rate for a guy in low-A who's almost 23. But it's progress.

[Outshined_One]

Vitters is only OPSing in the mid .700s in A ball so far. Heres the real star of the Chiefs

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_543693.jpg

Check out that that stash.

 

Last year Ridling was 50K/8 BB in 165 Peoria AB, rather Harveyesque.

 

Thus far he's a more acceptable 12K/9BB/54AB. Still pretty high K-rate for a guy in low-A who's almost 23. But it's progress.

 

He's a fan favorite, but the guy needs to get bumped up to Daytona and succeed there if he wants a realistic chance at making the majors.

[chattbaseball]

In Peoria, double for Vitters and Ridling. HR for Burke.

[Outshined_One]

In Peoria, double for Vitters and Ridling. HR for Burke.

 

Burke's had a good first month of the season. I've liked him for awhile, although he's had a lot of trouble in Low A until this season.

 

Third time's the charm?

[chattbaseball]

On the mound in Peoria, Cabrera:

 

6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 K, 2 BB

 

Chiefs up in the 8th, 7-0.

[TruffleShuffle]

aside from a few singles in his first couple of games, castro hasn't been hitting at all in daytona. send him down, dummies.

[Little Slide Rooter]

aside from a few singles in his first couple of games, castro hasn't been hitting at all in daytona. send him down, dummies.

 

Nobody was hitting in Daytona. They were no hit this evening.

[manbearcub]

aside from a few singles in his first couple of games, castro hasn't been hitting at all in daytona. send him down, dummies.

 

Nobody was hitting in Daytona. They were no hit this evening.

damn. didnt they get no hit a couple days ago as well? or was that Tenn?

[falcon]

aside from a few singles in his first couple of games, castro hasn't been hitting at all in daytona. send him down, dummies.

I wouldn't be surprised if that move isn't in the works......the grapevine is saying that Jake Opitz has been called up to Daytona from EXTST. today.

[Guest]

aside from a few singles in his first couple of games, castro hasn't been hitting at all in daytona. send him down, dummies.

 

Nobody was hitting in Daytona. They were no hit this evening.

 

That was yesterday.

 

They got 6 hits today.

[Guest]

Nice outing for Cabrera.

 

Good to see another XBH for Vitters. All 4 of his XBHs this season have come in the last 10 games.

 

Burke is nearly OPSing .900.

[Guest]

Knoxville News-Sentinel[/url]"]"Everything clicked," said Jackson, who lost his first three starts and saw his earned-run average balloon to 9.45. "I finally threw like I should be throwing the whole year."

 

"I felt more relaxed and more myself this game than anything else," he said. "The first couple of outings I was nervous. After that I was dealing with my confidence level. I just threw it all out the window and started over."

 

Said Tennessee manager Ryne Sandberg: "That was a game he needed to get under his belt so he can get on a roll. He pitched very well for us in the spring and he's a good pitcher."

 

...

 

Jackson has a full repertoire of pitches but strike one seemed to work best. He either got ahead in the count or had the Mudcats hitting the first pitch for routine fly balls.

 

"That's key in our pitching philosophy here - getting ahead and pounding the strike zone," Jackson said. "I did a better job of that today."

 

...

 

Less than a year ago, Jackson was playing at Furman University in his hometown. Now he is the Cubs' No. 5 prospect.

 

"I think about that all the time," said Chicago's ninth-round draft pick in 2008. "It's a gift and a blessing to be able to be out on the field with some of these guys."

 

"Everything is moving fast," Jackson said. "Hopefully, I can get moved up again."

[karenmac]

it looks like O_O missed the story of the night in Burlington, the center fielder Tony Campana:

(from the Chiefs wrap-up story]

 

Casey's General Store Player of the Game - Tony Campana (CF)- Campana collected his second three-hit game of the season and also drew two walks. He singled, stole third and scored in the third. The center fielder drove home a run with a single and stole second in the fourth and then tripled and scored in the sixth. Campana finished 3-for-3 with two steals, three runs scored and a RBI.

 

***************

wasn't there, but glad to see the Chiefs with some momentum! Hopefully they'll get the Thursday game in - I'm starting to consider building an ark here in Central IL :wink: