Minor League Discussion & Boxes 8-16-2009

[Outshined_One]

Box Scores

 

Iowa won 4-0 Box Score

 

CF M. Camp 2/5, 2 RBI, K

2B A. Blanco 0/3, K

LF/1B M. Hoffpauir 0/3, RBI

RF B. Snyder 0/2, 2 BB, R, K

C C. Robinson 0/4, R

1B B. Scales 0/3, BB, 2 K, SB (7)

3B N. Spears 0/3, BB, R, K

SS D. Barney 1/3, BB, R, RBI

SP J. Russell 5 scoreless, 4 H, 5/2 K/BB, 3-7 GO-FO

RP J. Stevens 2 scoreless, 1 H, 3/0 K/BB, 3-0 GO-FO

RP V. Perkins 1.1 scoreless, 2 H, 1/2 K/BB, HBP, 3-0 GO-FO

RP J. Gaub .2 perfect, 1/0 K/BB, 0-1 GO-FO

 

Daytona won 1-0 Box Score

 

CF T. Campana 1/4, 2 K

SS N. Samson 1/4

DH J. Opitz 0/3, BB, K

RF B. Guyer 2/4, K

3B J. Vitters 1/4, R, RBI, HR (1)

SP J. Jackson 6.2 scoreless, 4 H, 7/0 K/BB, 6-7 GO-FO

RP R. Sommer 2.1 scoreless, 2 H, 4/0 K/BB, 2-1 GO-FO

 

Peoria won 15-0 Box Score

 

CF B. Jackson 4/6, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2B (4), HR (5), K

3B R. Flaherty 2/3, R, RBI, 2B (20), HR (18), HBP

PH/3B D. Macias 1/1, BB, 2 R

1B R. Ridling 1/6, R, 3 RBI, 2B (30), K

RF K. Burke 1/4, 2 BB, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B (39)

SS DJ LeMahieu 3/6, R, RBI, K

DH J. Rosa 0/4, RBI, HBP

LF N. Perez 4/6, R, 2 RBI, K

C M. Brenly 0/6, 3 K

2B J. Lake 3/5, 3 R, 2B (18)

SP J. Bristow 6 scoreless, 2 H, 4/0 K/BB, 9-4 GO-FO

RP J. Beliveau 2 scoreless, 2 H, 2/1 K/BB, HBP, 2-2 GO-FO

RP R. Buchter 1 perfect, 2/0 K/BB, 1-0 GO-FO

 

AZL Cubs lost 13-3 Box Score

 

CF F. Guzman 1/3, BB, R, K

SS R. Bautista 2/4, 2 RBI, 3B (5)

DH S. Burruel 0/3, BB, 2 K

1B/3B J. Petraitis 0/4

3B/2B D. Kemp 0/4, 2 E (3, throw, fielding)

1B B. Springfield 0/1, K

SP B. Raley 1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB, 2-0 GO-FO

RP M. Sierra 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1/2 K/BB, 3-4 GO-FO

RP C. Hams .2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1/1 K/BB, 2 WP, 1-0 GO-FO

RP G. Pineda .1 perfect, 0-1 GO-FO

 

OVERALL: 3-1

 

Tennessee, Boise, and the DSL teams with an off day.

[TruffleShuffle]

jay jax - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K. hopefully they've made their point about the disciplinary stuff; he's too good for the FSL.

[toonsterwu]

jay jax - 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K. hopefully they've made their point about the disciplinary stuff; he's too good for the FSL.

 

Yeah ... he's now at 6ip, 3 h, 7 K's. The FSL is nothing for him and Daytona is out of it. He should be back in Tennessee for their playoff push. A rotation of Jackson/Cashner/Carpenter at the top would give the Smokies a good shot to make up the ground.

[TruffleShuffle]

vitters hit his first home run at daytona to break a scoreless tie. he needs to start picking it up; he's been awful since the promotion.

 

jackson done at 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K. sommer got the last out in the 7th. jackson's ERA is 0.36 at daytona.

[NCCubFan]

Did we ever learn what Jackson did to get himself demoted?

[TruffleShuffle]

daytona wins 1-0. nothing much interesting to report beyond jackson's good game and vitters' home run (he was 1-4).

 

brett jackson has doubled and scored in 2 AB for peoria, and flaherty has his 18th home run. still early in that one.

[TruffleShuffle]

peoria continues to mash, up 7-0 after 3.5 innings. jackson adds a 3-run homer in the 4th, he's now 2-3 with a double and homer. flaherty has also doubled and homered, burke has a walk and lemahieu a single. and not to be forgotten, the great nelson (not neifi) perez has singled twice.

[toonsterwu]

While I still believe you can't read too much into Brett Jackson's performances until Daytona, I am very impressed with his play so far. He's showing better discipline early in his career than Colvin ever did, and from what we know so far, I think he handles the bat better than Colvin did at the same point, able to do different things. So far, it really feels like a case where the college pitching wasn't good enough to really threaten him, so the kid took some hacks. We'll have to see how he does as he move up. One thing I am very pleased about ... every day, I am thankful the Diamondbacks took the, imo, overhyped AJ "Sam Fuld-plus" Pollock and prevented us from having to make a decision on that. Even if Pollock develops and Jackson crashes as they move forward, I still prefer that we had Jackson over Pollock (I simply did not want AJ Pollock, sort of like a few Bears drafts ago when I simply didn't want Cedric "A-Train plus" Benson.

[manbearcub]

jackson's homer was a bomb into the river in the Quad Cities.

 

 

 

for reference:

 

http://quadcities.riverbandits.milb.com/images/2008/06/12/uhOvNUGS.jpg

Edited August 17, 2009 by manbearcub

[Little Slide Rooter]

In other news, AAA cant mess with John Gaub.

[TruffleShuffle]

While I still believe you can't read too much into Brett Jackson's performances until Daytona

 

i'm not sure why that would be the case. low A is probably pretty comparable to pac 10 baseball. colvin had a relatively mediocre line of .268/.313/.483/.796 in boise his first year; the warning signs were already there about his poor patience and lack of contact skills.

 

i'll say this, i'd rather have brett jackson doing what he's done so far than have pollock's .267/.303/.398/.701 line in the MWL.

[manbearcub]

Jackson makes a diving catch and then singles for his 4th hit of the game.

[TruffleShuffle]

11-0 peoria now. jackson is 3-5 with a single, double, homer, 2 runs, 3 RBI and a K. flaherty was 2-3 with a double and homer, also was HBP in his fourth AB and stayed in the game, but was PH for in the 8th inning - hopefully just a precautionary thing or two get the backup (david macias) some playing time in a blowout. burke is 1-4 with a walk and double, lemahieu 2 singles in 5 ABs, junior lake has a single and double. they're in first place in the division right now - would be nice to see them make the playoffs and get some of these guys some postseason experience.

[toonsterwu]

While I still believe you can't read too much into Brett Jackson's performances until Daytona

 

i'm not sure why that would be the case. low A is probably pretty comparable to pac 10 baseball. colvin had a relatively mediocre line of .268/.313/.483/.796 in boise his first year; the warning signs were already there about his poor patience and lack of contact skills.

 

i'll say this, i'd rather have brett jackson doing what he's done so far than have pollock's .267/.303/.398/.701 line in the MWL.

 

Put it this way ... I think it's nice that he has success, but imo, success at Peoria means far less than failure at Peoria. Short of it is, one of the overlooked pre-draft assets about Jackson was that he could hit. Sounds simple, but this wasn't a toolsy guy that showed flashes here and there - the ability was there.

 

Maybe I'm just being conservative, but while I was probably one of the few Cubs fans ok with the pick, I still am not reading all that much until he gets to Daytona. Doesn't mean I'm not impressed with his start - I am. Hey, maybe I'm just being too conservative.

 

Btw, not to harp on a topic that I've beat to death on several Cubs boards, but for the life of me, I still did not understand why Pollock got so much hype, no disrespect to him, his family, his friends intended. It's not that I thought he was overrated (well, he went higher than I thought, but the D-backs made the move which was understandable, I think most had him late first). It's just, guys with Pollock skillsets, IMO, can be found later. Is he better than guys with similar skillsets? Perhaps, but I can't think it's that much better. There were other guys that I preferred to Brett when we made our pick, but I was fine with the pick, and just happy that it wasn't Pollock.

 

I really love the emerging diversity in skills in the Cubs system. We aren't as lockstepped as we once were, imo, and are building a nice, diverse cast of players, from their abilities to where they are from.

Edited August 17, 2009 by toonsterwu

[toonsterwu]

I am really excited to see Bristow have a good start after struggling last time out. He's had a fairly decent season, and as Raisin and I were discussing in another thread awhile back, I don't think people had huge expectations for him this year. I was looking more towards next year, when he had more time to get into a rhythm. This is a guy who, imo, still has some more growth potential. Not a special arm, but a solid guy that adds good depth to our system. Still has more work to do, but love the control he's shown this year.

[TruffleShuffle]

Put it this way ... I think it's nice that he has success, but imo, success at Peoria means far less than failure at Peoria. Short of it is, one of the overlooked pre-draft assets about Jackson was that he could hit. Sounds simple, but this wasn't a toolsy guy that showed flashes here and there - the ability was there.

 

yeah but he was kind of a toolsy guy. the scouting report wasn't that he was a polished player who should move quickly; he hit .321 - good but not great for college - and then hit just .237 in conference play. he struck out 61 times in 53 games, which isn't good at all for aluminum bat. he was always going to walk more than colvin, but it wouldn't have been surprising if he'd struggled to make contact and hit for a low average.

 

the scouting reports that i read suggested that his swing was more geared to contact and not power, yet he struggled to make contact. it seems that he's adding some power and also improving the contact, both of which are good signs.

[TruffleShuffle]

peoria finishes off a 15-0 beating :shock:

 

jackson 4-6, 2 singles, double, homer

flaherty 2-3, double, homer, HBP

burke 1-4, double, 2 BB

lemahieu 3-6

lake 3-5, double.

 

team is playing great right now and a number of guys are emerging as exciting offensive prospects.

[illiniguy]

I would really like to see Lake start to drive the ball a bit more. Our system is a heck of a lot better than a year ago that's for sure.

[toonsterwu]

Put it this way ... I think it's nice that he has success, but imo, success at Peoria means far less than failure at Peoria. Short of it is, one of the overlooked pre-draft assets about Jackson was that he could hit. Sounds simple, but this wasn't a toolsy guy that showed flashes here and there - the ability was there.

 

yeah but he was kind of a toolsy guy. the scouting report wasn't that he was a polished player who should move quickly; he hit .321 - good but not great for college - and then hit just .237 in conference play. he struck out 61 times in 53 games, which isn't good at all for aluminum bat. he was always going to walk more than colvin, but it wouldn't have been surprising if he'd struggled to make contact and hit for a low average.

 

the scouting reports that i read suggested that his swing was more geared to contact and not power, yet he struggled to make contact. it seems that he's adding some power and also improving the contact, both of which are good signs.

 

I didn't think Brett was a guy that should move fast, but part of that was due to our past history with toolsy guys. I did think he was a guy that would be pushed, and I figured he would be alright-solid in the lower levels. I didn't know what to expect this year, some guys are tired after their college seasons and need time to adjust, but I figured in June, at least by late 2010, that he would probably be at Daytona. That timeline has been accelerated. I was actually referencing the reports on his ability to hit for wood during, uh, I forget, was it, um Northwoods or Cape Cod? Also, the K's never bothered me as much because it was a dramatic jump from his first two years. A concern, yes, but it was never the dramatic issue for me that it was for others.

 

Anyhow, I guess it's partly due to the fact that I didn't expect him to flounder in the lower levels that makes me want to wait and see what he does in Daytona. Doesn't mean I'm not pleased about his performance so far. I'm impressed, particularly since the recent reports seem to suggest that he's a smart hitter who doesn't box himself in and handles the bat well.

[toonsterwu]

I would really like to see Lake start to drive the ball a bit more. Our system is a heck of a lot better than a year ago that's for sure.

 

Slighty peering towards 2010 for a moment, I'm excited that, for the most part, we should probably have several intriguing guys at each full season level. Peoria looks like it could be fascinating again, although it might be a team that struggles due to youth. Most of the bats in Peoria right now should be headed to Daytona. I'm not real sure I see anyone being jumped to Tennessee. Maybe Flaherty. That said, a long way to go before next spring.

 

Two small dreams I have:

 

a) One day, our GM can stop signing a ton of washed up has beens/never was for AAA.

b) That we will be able to fill our "role players" in the big leagues with guys from the system, saving us a bunch of money in the process (certainly, I am hoping for star talent as well, but if we develop the role players, that will give us some help the next years and offer financial flexibility when contracts start coming off, rather than having to pay ridiculous amounts for middle relievers).

 

I said this in another thread, but I think that the system might be the best in the NL Central. Certainly, not something to get too excited on, but a huge step in the right direction and one that could bode well for our future.

[Outshined_One]

Put it this way ... I think it's nice that he has success, but imo, success at Peoria means far less than failure at Peoria. Short of it is, one of the overlooked pre-draft assets about Jackson was that he could hit. Sounds simple, but this wasn't a toolsy guy that showed flashes here and there - the ability was there.

 

Maybe I'm just being conservative, but while I was probably one of the few Cubs fans ok with the pick, I still am not reading all that much until he gets to Daytona. Doesn't mean I'm not impressed with his start - I am. Hey, maybe I'm just being too conservative.

 

I'm with you on that general assessment. Considering a number of the Cubs' top prospects have hit the wall in Daytona following an excellent season in Peoria, it seems like Daytona is a make or break point for our hitters, especially the ones who have had issues with plate discipline.

 

However, considering Jackson is doing nothing short of destroying the ball down in the MWL after a mere 17 games, it's impossible to ignore his success. If he finishes the season OPSing over .900 while walking at a decent rate and keeping his strikeouts at a manageable level, I'll seriously consider him a Top 5 prospect in this system.

[Outshined_One]

Brooks Raley made his professional debut with the AZL Cubs, pitching a perfect inning and striking out one.

[Keener98]

Sure is nice to see Peoria playing well. Here is a little story about Brett Jackson

 

4 of my Cardinal fan friends went to the Chiefs game last week when Lilly was there. They were sitting right by the on-deck circle, and apparently giving Jackson [expletive] the entire time during warmups. So in one of his at bats(i think 1st) they were giving him crap, calling him a female dog, etc...and Jackson looked over at them and said, "Ill show you a female dog". Walked up to the plate, and absolutely murdered the pitch off the wall for a double.

 

Next time up they started heckling him because he "only" hit the wall, so Jackson tells them again, "watch this", and he then crushes a pitch for a HR. When he touched home plate and was heading to the dugout, he asks them, "How they liked that one".

 

So in one of his next at bats they tell him, "Ok, you hit another one out and the strippers are on me at Club Caberet". He starts laughing, and says, "Club Caberet, oh yea"? They again tell him yup they are on them, if he goes yard again. He tells them they have a deal, and walks up to the plate and crushes a HR opposite field, and when going back to the dugout he tells them "Ill meet you guys there", and starts laughing his ass off. Needless to say my buddys went to the strip club, but Jackson didnt show up. Probably a good thing as Id rather he not get arrested.

 

Just thought it was pretty funny story and thought Id share it.

[TruffleShuffle]

a) One day, our GM can stop signing a ton of washed up has beens/never was for AAA.

 

yeah but that's kinda what AAA is. in 2007 iowa's roster (especially offense) was loaded with prospects; this year it just happens to be a bunch of of retreads. it's more an indication of the pathetic 2004-05 drafts than it is a statement about jim hendry. someone has to play at that level, and you want a team like iowa to be competitive, even if there aren't a lot of prospects there. come the second half of next year i'd expect a lot more prospects to be playing there.

 

b) That we will be able to fill our "role players" in the big leagues with guys from the system, saving us a bunch of money in the process (certainly, I am hoping for star talent as well, but if we develop the role players, that will give us some help the next years and offer financial flexibility when contracts start coming off, rather than having to pay ridiculous amounts for middle relievers).

 

yeah this is important. obviously it would be nice to develop a pujols or hanley ramirez, but ideally you will develop your bench and bullpen with cheap options from within, rather than dumping money into those areas. it certainly looks like there are a number of bullpen options close to the majors (gaub, stevens, perkins, parker, reinhard, samardzija, maestri, carrillo), robinson or clevenger could be adequate backup catchers, barney has a very good glove and looks like at least a decent offensive player, marquez smith is a potential utility guy. the depth has certainly improved this year.

 

I said this in another thread, but I think that the system might be the best in the NL Central. Certainly, not something to get too excited on, but a huge step in the right direction and one that could bode well for our future.

\

 

you may be right. pittsburgh's system is improved, houston is a joke, milwaukee is decent, the reds are below average, and the cards system sucks now that they've dealt away most of their prospects. in any case, with the payroll crunch and an aging roster, the cubs really need to draft well, sign well and develop talent from within to prevent some pretty lean years from 2010-13 or so.

[TruffleShuffle]

Sure is nice to see Peoria playing well. Here is a little story about Brett Jackson

 

4 of my Cardinal fan friends went to the Chiefs game last week when Lilly was there. They were sitting right by the on-deck circle, and apparently giving Jackson [expletive] the entire time during warmups. So in one of his at bats(i think 1st) they were giving him crap, calling him a female dog, etc...and Jackson looked over at them and said, "Ill show you a female dog". Walked up to the plate, and absolutely murdered the pitch off the wall for a double.

 

Next time up they started heckling him because he "only" hit the wall, so Jackson tells them again, "watch this", and he then crushes a pitch for a HR. When he touched home plate and was heading to the dugout, he asks them, "How they liked that one".

 

So in one of his next at bats they tell him, "Ok, you hit another one out and the strippers are on me at Club Caberet". He starts laughing, and says, "Club Caberet, oh yea"? They again tell him yup they are on them, if he goes yard again. He tells them they have a deal, and walks up to the plate and crushes a HR opposite field, and when going back to the dugout he tells them "Ill meet you guys there", and starts laughing his ass off. Needless to say my buddys went to the strip club, but Jackson didnt show up. Probably a good thing as Id rather he not get arrested.

 

Just thought it was pretty funny story and thought Id share it.

 

that is fantastic.