Opening Day: Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-7-11

[Northside Blues]

Considering the big league rotation issues and the injury to Jay Jackson at AAA, I really wish they'd stretch Carpenter out again. Even if you don't think his future is in the rotation, it doesn't hurt right now.

 

Carpenter has had injuries problems as a starter. Not sure it wouldn't hurt.

[sneakypower]

Daytona won 6-1: http://daytona.cubs.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110406&content_id=17465000&vkey=news_t450&fext=.jsp&sid=t450

 

Starter LHP Brent Ebinger got the win, and in the three innings he pitched, allowed one run on four hits while also striking out four. Ebinger's off-speed stuff was on-point, locating his sinker and curve ball nicely.

 

RHP Jordan Latham closed the game out for the Cubs, throwing a scoreless seventh inning. He gave up one hit and struck out one.

my favorite part

Burgess crushed a double to deep right center field and walked twice, reaching base in three of his four at-bats.

[toonsterwu]

Considering the big league rotation issues and the injury to Jay Jackson at AAA, I really wish they'd stretch Carpenter out again. Even if you don't think his future is in the rotation, it doesn't hurt right now.

 

Carpenter has had injuries problems as a starter. Not sure it wouldn't hurt.

 

To the best of my knowledge, he's only had one injury as a starter. His collegiate injuries came about from a basketball game and the side effects that came from it. Now, whether or not he had the control and the changeup to stay as a starter is a fair question. I'm also still not a huge fan of Carpenter going with a 4-seamer out of the pen when his sink was his best thing.

[craig]

...Now, whether or not he had the control and the changeup to stay as a starter is a fair question. I'm also still not a huge fan of Carpenter going with a 4-seamer out of the pen when his sink was his best thing.

 

Where'd you hear that Carpenter is going 4-seamer instead of 2-seamer? I agree that seems unwise. I hope that's exaggerated or misleading. Given that he's only about a dozen innings of relief, a few here in camp and a dozen or so in AFL, we don't really have much pitching to draw from, and none outside of Arizona. Once he gets out of Arizona, where it's dry and maybe his 2-seamer doesn't sink much anyway, I wonder if he won't mix in his fair share of 2-seamers.

[craig]

Man it's going to be fun to have minor league baseball and box scores back again.

 

Considering the big league rotation issues and the injury to Jay Jackson at AAA, I really wish they'd stretch Carpenter out again. Even if you don't think his future is in the rotation, it doesn't hurt right now.

 

Carpenter has had injuries problems as a starter. Not sure it wouldn't hurt.

 

To the best of my knowledge, he's only had one injury as a starter. His collegiate injuries came about from a basketball game and the side effects that came from it. Now, whether or not he had the control and the changeup to stay as a starter is a fair question. I'm also still not a huge fan of Carpenter going with a 4-seamer out of the pen when his sink was his best thing.

[toonsterwu]

...Now, whether or not he had the control and the changeup to stay as a starter is a fair question. I'm also still not a huge fan of Carpenter going with a 4-seamer out of the pen when his sink was his best thing.

 

Where'd you hear that Carpenter is going 4-seamer instead of 2-seamer? I agree that seems unwise. I hope that's exaggerated or misleading. Given that he's only about a dozen innings of relief, a few here in camp and a dozen or so in AFL, we don't really have much pitching to draw from, and none outside of Arizona. Once he gets out of Arizona, where it's dry and maybe his 2-seamer doesn't sink much anyway, I wonder if he won't mix in his fair share of 2-seamers.

 

That's a fair response that I don't really have much to say to right now. It's quite possible that being in Arizona for Fall League and spring had him going with 4-seamers more, and that's what I'm basing it off of (as the reports out of Fall League (haven't really paid attention this spring) said he was going to the 4-seamer a lot, IIRC).

[toonsterwu]

Man it's going to be fun to have minor league baseball and box scores back again.

 

Considering the big league rotation issues and the injury to Jay Jackson at AAA, I really wish they'd stretch Carpenter out again. Even if you don't think his future is in the rotation, it doesn't hurt right now.

 

Carpenter has had injuries problems as a starter. Not sure it wouldn't hurt.

 

To the best of my knowledge, he's only had one injury as a starter. His collegiate injuries came about from a basketball game and the side effects that came from it. Now, whether or not he had the control and the changeup to stay as a starter is a fair question. I'm also still not a huge fan of Carpenter going with a 4-seamer out of the pen when his sink was his best thing.

 

Agreed. I love MLB, but I can't follow MLB 162 games a year (particularly reading online responses, some of which get ridiculous over 1 game). I'm far more intrigued with certain aspects of MiLB at the beginning of the year than I am with MLB.

 

For me, the thing I'm looking forward to this year is to see how the young arm's progress. Unfortunately, some of the intriguing arms won't be with a full-season club to start the year, but there's still enough to look forward to. I'm also curious about some of the youngsters in the lower levels, like Geiger and Darvill, along with more notable names like Golden. We need the pipeline to continue to develop, particularly when the current top tier (McNutt/BJax) get called up.

[davell]

I'm with you guys: I'm much more into the minors than I am the majors, right now anyway. Other than Castro, Cashner, and to a much lesser extent, Colvin and Barney, it's probably just not going to be fun watching a very averagish team, in all likelihood.

 

I'm very interested to see how some of these guys progress, but even moreso, I'm interested this year in IFA and what we do in the draft. To me, that's where we can turn our averagish system(only because of the Garza deal) into a borderline elite one quickly.

[Outshined_One]

Opening night lineup for Daytona:

 

2B Watkins, L

3B Cerda

CF Ha

1B Bour

DH Castillo, W

LF Burgess

C Brenly

RF Perez, N

SS Lake

[Outshined_One]

Tennessee's lineup:

 

CF Jackson, B

LF Flaherty

2B LeMahieu

RF Spencer

3B Vitters

C Clevenger

1B Ridling

SS Gonzalez, Ma

P Rusin

[craig]

Simpson sharp through 3 as I write this, 5K's, struck out side in 3rd.

 

Nice to see him get off to a quick start.

 

I wonder if he's done, or if his pitch count allows him longer than 3 innings? Bunt single, and a long-drawn-out-AB walk.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

Whitenack 2 er's thru 5 innings. 3 k's no BB.

 

Burgess went yard.

[toonsterwu]

Sure feels weird to see Lou Montanez's name in a Cubs MiLB boxscore again ... and in the upper levels at that.

[Guest]

Flaherty started at LF today, LeMahieu at 2nd and Marwin Gonzalez at SS.

 

Cerda started at 3B, Lake at SS and Watkins at 2B.

 

Hayden Simpson's final line: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR. Not a shabby pro debut.

[ctcf]

Flaherty started at LF today, LeMahieu at 2nd and Marwin Gonzalez at SS.

 

Cerda started at 3B, Lake at SS and Watkins at 2B.

 

Hayden Simpson's final line: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR. Not a shabby pro debut.

 

Outstanding.

[toonsterwu]

I found it funny that LeMahieu, a guy who, coming into this season, had little power, was batting 3rd, and Brett Jackson, a guy who has some power, is leading off, but here hopes that DJ turns it around, and here hopes that Brett continues working on cutting down his K's.

 

Matt Spencer is a bit old for AA (25), but I really wonder if he can put together a top season and force his way into AAA by midseason. He had a solid AA campaign last year.

[illiniguy]

Flaherty started at LF today, LeMahieu at 2nd and Marwin Gonzalez at SS.

 

Cerda started at 3B, Lake at SS and Watkins at 2B.

 

Hayden Simpson's final line: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR. Not a shabby pro debut.

Anyword on his velocity?

[ctcf]

Jackson is 2-3 with a triple and 2 BB so far.

[TruffleShuffle]

good outing from whitenack: 7 ip, 6 h, 2 er, 0 bb, 5 k, 13 go/2 fo.

 

beliveau relieved and allowed a hit with 2 K's in an inning.

 

cerda is 2-4 with a double, lake has a pair of singles in 3 AB (and playing SS?), beef welington is 0-4 with 2 K's as the DH, watkins 2-4 as the 2B.

 

vitters went 3-5 with a double while spencer was a triple short of the cycle.

[Vinestal]

Did they send Simpson to Peoria because of the mono? I mean it's a little unusual to send 1st round starters out of college to low A isn't it? I think he's going to quickly prove he belongs in Daytona/Tenn.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Hayden Simpson's final line: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR. Not a shabby pro debut.

 

Thats Marmol numbers there.

[Little Slide Rooter]

2 quick qustions:

 

1. Wheres Kyler Burke?

2. Why is Wellington Castillo DHing in Daytona?

[Outshined_One]

2 quick qustions:

 

1. Wheres Kyler Burke?

 

Converting to pitcher; apparently he has a good arm and is a lefty.

 

2. Why is Wellington Castillo DHing in Daytona?

 

Working through some injury issues I think.

[Little Slide Rooter]

2 quick qustions:

 

1. Wheres Kyler Burke?

 

Converting to pitcher; apparently he has a good arm and is a lefty.

 

.

 

You're not serious, are you?

[Outshined_One]

2 quick qustions:

 

1. Wheres Kyler Burke?

 

Converting to pitcher; apparently he has a good arm and is a lefty.

 

.

 

You're not serious, are you?

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_TufJDWGvofw/TPOXu9XWDuI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/RzonXxGjsvk/s1600/nielsen.jpg

 

Link

 

Also not a surprise is the news that Kyler Burke is being converted to a pitcher and will begin the season at extended spring training. Burke has a cannon arm, rated to be the organization’s best in the outfield, but has largely struggled at the plate in five seasons hitting just .244. His best by far was 2009 when he hit .303 for the Chiefs, drove in 89 runs and was named the Cubs’ minor-league player of the year. With his arm strength, that he was a pitcher before being drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2006 and will still only be 23 for the bulk of the season, moving Burke to the mound is almost a no-brainer.The Cubs have found some gems in doing this before, with Carlos Marmol being the most notable, so it is worth a shot.