Minor League Discussion & Boxes 6-1-2009

[Outshined_One]

Box Scores

 

Iowa lost 6-2 Box Score

 

CF S. Fuld 3/5

2B N. Spears 2/5, R

1B D. Deeds 2/5, K

C S. Clevenger 1/4, E (1, throw)

DB D. Macias 2/4, RBI, K

SP M. Atkins 4 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR, 2-5 GO-FO

RP J. Russell 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 5-3 GO-FO - AAA debut

 

Tennessee lost 9-2 Box Score

 

2B T. Thomas 0/4

LF T. Wright 2/4, R, K, E (5, throw)

3B M. Smith 0/4, 2 K, E (9, fielding)

RF-CF T. Colvin 1/2, 2B (1), BB, K - first AA start of the year

C W. Castillo 0/3, K

SS D. Barney 1/3, K, 2 E (13, throw, fielding)

PH-RF J. Mota 1/1, R, HR (1), RBI

SP HW Chen 3+ IP, 11 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 4-2 GO-FO

RP A. Maestri 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, HBP, 1-0 GO-FO

 

Daytona won 4-0 Box Score

 

SS S. Castro 1/3, R, BB, 2 K, SB (8)

2B N. Samson 0/3, RBI, 2 E (8, fielding, throw)

C R. Chirinos 2/4, 2 R, HR (7), 3 RBI - 4 HR in last 2 games

1B J. Rosa 1/4, 2B (12), E (2, fielding)

DH J. Jones 0/3, BB, K - first start above rookie ball

3B M. Gonzalez 2/4

SP R. Searle 5.2 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 9-5 GO-FO

RP A. Alburquerque 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1-0 GO-FO

 

Peoria with an off day.

 

DSL Cubs 1 lost 5-4 Box Score

 

SS A. Alcantara 2/4, 3B (1), BB, SB (1) - age 17

3B J. Peña 1/5, R, 2B (1), 2 K - age 18

RF X. Batista 2/5, 2 R, HR (1), 2 RBI, K - age 17

1B Y. Astacia 3/4, R, K, 3 SB (3) - age 17

2B J. Rodriguez 2/4, RBI, K, SB (1) - age 17

SP R. Vargas 2.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2-2 GO-FO - age 17

RP A. Ruiz 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1-2 GO-FO - age 20

 

DSL Cubs 2 lost 13-6 Box Score

 

SS C. Henry 0/5, R, 3 E (3, fielding, throw, fielding) - age 17, received $110,000 bonus last year

CF G. Robles 1/5, 2B (1), RBI, K - age 18

3B J. Altagracia 1/5, R, 2B (1), K, SB (1), E (1, throw) - age 17, received $140,000 bonus last year

C H. Suarez 1/3, RBI, BB, E (1, throw), 4 PB (4) - age 17

2B M. Perez 1/4, R, 3B (1) - age 18

SP D. Castro 1.2 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, WP, 1-1 GO-FO - age 17

RP G. Peña 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, WP, 0-1 GO-FO - age 19

RP R. Mejia 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HBP, 2-2 GO-FO - age 17

 

OVERALL: 1-4

[ctcf]

No Cubs or Vitters. Lame.

[NCCubFan]

I'm planning to go to the Smokies game at Carolina.

[craig]

(from 5/31 thread)..

cashner was around 93-96 i was surprised when they took him out of the game so early! he had a low pitch count....

 

samson also a surpriser, making all the tough plays look easy very solid...

 

im am interested to see sasser and albaqueque and if they move quickly, last night al was at 95 looking smooth

 

Thanks much for the report, especially for some of these guys who we don't discuss that much. Good to hear that Cashner looked good and fast, and didn't have any visible injury reason to get pulled.

 

Nice to hear that Samson's defense looks good. I haven't thought much about him, given that his power has been on the Joey Gathright side. (He has three extra base hits thus far...) But in looking, he's got a .361 OBP.

 

Samson has a most remarkable stat line: 20BB/4K/124AB. Wow, when's the last time we had a hitter with 20BB to 4 K? Obviously he isn't drawing any pitch-around-him walks, that's for sure. And obviously he isn't keeping his K's so low by swinging early. Guys with .282 slugging, that's not too exciting. But, he's still only 21. Hopefully by the time he's 24 he'll have doubles power. And perhaps at some point he'll let it rip a little more and hit the ball a little harder, even if his K's do go up some.

 

Do we know anything scouting-wise on Sasser? 21st rounder isn't inspiring, and 23-year-old in A-ball isn't inspiring either, and he has no attention-grabbing peripherals or anything. But he had an ERA under 3 last year, and it's under 2 this year, and he's been strongly GB-oriented both years. Walks quite a few, it seems. Is it possible that he might have enough arm to make it as a Loogy someday?

 

Thanks for report on Al Alb, I haven't given him much thought either. He's still 22, and having misses as much time as he has it's not like he's a fossil. If he's throwing a smooth 95, he's got some pretty snazzy K/BB/ERA/GO stats. Keep an eye on him guy, I'd guess. Don't want to fry his oft-injured arm, of course, but if safe I wouldn't mind see him throwing more innings.

 

He's a guy who's been around forever, he may need to be put on the 40-man this winter, if they want to protect from Rule 5, but he may actually be eligible for 6-year free agency otherwise, too.

 

Nice to have the DSL games going again.

[Guest]

Probable Starters

 

Iowa: RHP Mitch Atkins (2-6, 8.00 ERA, 54 IP, 50 K/25 BB)

Tennessee: RHP Hung-Wen Chen (2-4, 4.87 ERA, 44.1 IP, 28 K/10 BB)

Daytona: RHP Ryan Searle (3-3, 3.57 ERA, 40.1 IP, 20 K/13 BB)

 

Sorry, I can't do DSL starters.

[Guest]

From BA's transaction report for last week:

 

Reinstated from inactive list: RHP Julio Castillo

 

Wow. The legal situation hasn't even been resolved.

[dlocks]

Where will castillo pitch now? Has he even been assigned to a team yet?

[Guest]

Where will castillo pitch now? Has he even been assigned to a team yet?

 

He was doing side sessions at extended spring training for the last month. If he does pitch in actual minor league games this season, I'd guess he stays in Mesa for the summer. That way, he won't have to deal with opposing crowds and there will be more Cubs staff around him.

[Little Slide Rooter]

So far through 3.2 innings, Mitch Atkins has given up 6 ER on 10 hits. The guys been nothing short of brutal all season. Maybe he could use some time in Tennessee.

[Guest]

Jericho Jones is batting 6th and DHing in his first full season ball start. Tyler Colvin is batting 6th in right field in his first start at AA this season.

[Guest]

Starlin Castro walked for just the 5th time this season. Robinson Chirinos keeps hit hot hitting up with a 2-run HR in the first.

 

Searle: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 5 GO-4 FO

 

Colvin doubled in his first Tennessee at bat of the season.

[Keener98]

Jericho Jones is batting 6th and DHing in his first full season ball start. Tyler Colvin is batting 6th in right field in his first start at AA this season.

 

:scratch:

[Outshined_One]

Starlin Castro walked for just the 5th time this season. Robinson Chirinos keeps hit hot hitting up with a 2-run HR in the first.

 

Searle: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 5 GO-4 FO

 

Colvin doubled in his first Tennessee at bat of the season.

 

Second AB. He had a PH appearance yesterday.

[Tryptamine]

Tony Thomas's current slump is enough to make even Soriano blush. Not much offensively to get excited about in Tennessee right now.

[RyneSandberg]

Someone needs to stop the bleeding in Tennessee, they are about to lose their ninth straight?

[Outshined_One]

Someone needs to stop the bleeding in Tennessee, they are about to lose their ninth straight?

 

I think they're dead tired. That whole 12 games in 8 days thing without an off day must have wreaked havoc on everyone.

[sandbergcubs]

went to the game again tonight to see chirinos BLAST another 2 home runs... he does not deserve to be here much longer haha :-))

 

searle, although gave up like 8 hits, there were a few broken bat hits and lucky bleeders.. and one right under the glove of the 3rd baseman.

did not walk anyone and through approx 60 pitches and only 15 balls

ball was moving and sat 90-93, also hittin 93 in the 6th inning. curveball was around 82 the ones that i saw. altough pitching to contact and gettin areound 10 ground balls.

 

albaqurque also looking good again tonight in the 9th.

 

defence a little poor tonight excepting for the throw out at the plate from 8-6-2.. castro threw a strike to get the 3rd out for searle.

 

campana beating out another bunt, and also stealing a base. if he develops doubles power he could be very useful.

[Wrigley Rat]

Important to note that Chirinos' 2 HR's were both grand slams.

 

Looking at the Dominican Cubs 2 team, they made something like 6 errors today and the pitchers struck out 16 hitters (I think). Interesting stats - it's like being at a T-ball game or a coach-pitch game.

 

So Taguchi has been activated by the Iowa Cubs (not sure of corresponding move).

[sandbergcubs]

Important to note that Chirinos' 2 HR's were both grand slams.

 

 

 

that was last night! he hit another 2 tonight!

[craig]

sandberg, keep up the great game reports. The Searle and Alb reports are encouraging. Quite the streak for Chirinos. I can only imagine how fired up we'd have been if he'd had a couple of games like this 5 or 6 years ago.

 

You mentioned Sasser yesterday, he's having a good year. How fast does he throw, and do you know what he's got besides fastball?

[NCCubFan]

I went to the Tennessee-Carolina game. Not much to be excited about. The Smokies got smoked 9-2 and they committed the same number of errors (5, including 2 by Barney) as they had base hits. They did get a pinch hit HR from Mota (his first of the year) after the game was out of reach and, by doing so, raised his BA to a whopping .183. Colvin doesn't even have his name sewn on the back of his uniform yet.

[Guest]

Looking at the Dominican Cubs 2 team, they made something like 6 errors today and the pitchers struck out 16 hitters (I think). Interesting stats - it's like being at a T-ball game or a coach-pitch game.

 

The strike zone is a bit bigger in the DSL.

 

$140,000 man (err, 17-year old) third baseman Joel Altagarcia got his first pro XBH today - a double. He does have 3 Ks in 9 at bats, though.

[Guest]

went to the game again tonight to see chirinos BLAST another 2 home runs... he does not deserve to be here much longer haha :-))

 

searle, although gave up like 8 hits, there were a few broken bat hits and lucky bleeders.. and one right under the glove of the 3rd baseman.

did not walk anyone and through approx 60 pitches and only 15 balls

ball was moving and sat 90-93, also hittin 93 in the 6th inning. curveball was around 82 the ones that i saw. altough pitching to contact and gettin areound 10 ground balls.

 

albaqurque also looking good again tonight in the 9th.

 

defence a little poor tonight excepting for the throw out at the plate from 8-6-2.. castro threw a strike to get the 3rd out for searle.

 

campana beating out another bunt, and also stealing a base. if he develops doubles power he could be very useful.

 

Thanks for the reports. Good to hear Searle was keeping his velocity through the end of his outing and wasn't being hard hit. I was wondering how he could give up 9 hits and be scoreless through 5.2.

[biittner77]

went to the game again tonight to see chirinos BLAST another 2 home runs... he does not deserve to be here much longer haha :-))

 

searle, although gave up like 8 hits, there were a few broken bat hits and lucky bleeders.. and one right under the glove of the 3rd baseman.

did not walk anyone and through approx 60 pitches and only 15 balls

ball was moving and sat 90-93, also hittin 93 in the 6th inning. curveball was around 82 the ones that i saw. altough pitching to contact and gettin areound 10 ground balls.

 

albaqurque also looking good again tonight in the 9th.

 

defence a little poor tonight excepting for the throw out at the plate from 8-6-2.. castro threw a strike to get the 3rd out for searle.

 

campana beating out another bunt, and also stealing a base. if he develops doubles power he could be very useful.

 

Thanks for the reports. Good to hear Searle was keeping his velocity through the end of his outing and wasn't being hard hit. I was wondering how he could give up 9 hits and be scoreless through 5.2.

 

Scattered 9 hits I guess. No walks was the key.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Maybe its time to let Chirinos, whose seemingly been with the organization since the Riggelman era make that big jump to AA.