Minor League Discussion & Boxes 6-1-11

[Outshined_One]

Box Scores

 

Iowa won 7-5 Box Score

 

RF F. Perez 1/5, RBI, 2B (7), K

2B B. Scales 1/4, BB, 2 R, RBI, HR (3), K

3B M. Smith 2/5, 2 R, RBI, 2B (13), HR (5)

1B S. Moore 2/5, R, 3 RBI, HR (4), 2 K

C W. Castillo 2/4, BB, R, 2 K

LF T. Wright 0/4, BB

SS J. Mota 1/4, RBI, 2B (7)

CF M. Camp 0/2, 2 BB, R, K

SP J. Jackson 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, WP, 11-3 GO-FO

RP B. Parker 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2-0 GO-FO

RP M. Mateo 0 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 2 HR

RP E. Caridad 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

 

Tennessee won 7-3 Box Score

 

CF B. Jackson 0/5, K

SS J. Lake 1/5, R, SB (1)

3B J. Vitters 2/3, R, RBI

RF N. Perez 1/2, RBI, K

LF R. Ridling 1/4, R, K

1B S. Clevenger 1/4, R, 3 RBI, HR (4), K

2B M. Gonzalez 3/4, R

RF/3B N. Samson 1/4, RBI, 2B (9), K, E (4, throw)

C L. Flores 1/3, R, 2B (2), HBP

PH M. Spencer 0/1, K

SP C. Rusin 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 14-2 GO-FO

RP R. Searle 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1-0 GO-FO

RP K. Smit 1 perfect, 1 K, 1-1 GO-FO

RP C. Carpenter 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0-1 GO-FO

 

Daytona won 10-3 Box Score

 

LF R. Silva 1/5, 2 R, K

2B M. Cerda 3/5, 2 RBI

CF JH Ha 2/5, R, RBI

1B J. Bour 2/4, R, RBI, HR (14), 2 K, HBP

RF M. Burgess 1/5, R, 3 RBI, HR (9), K, Assist (1B)

C C. Noble 1/3, 2 BB, R, K

SS L. Watkins 2/4, BB, R, K

SP J. Lorick 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 10-3 GO-FO

RP J. Serrano 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 2-3 GO-FO

 

Peoria lost 4-3 Box Score

 

CF M. Szczur 1/5, K

SS E. Soto 0/4

1B R. Cuneo 2/3, BB, R, 2B (4)

3B G. Rohan 1/4, K

DH R. Jones 1/4, R, RBI, HR (8), K

C M. Gibbs 1/3, BB, R, RBI

2B A. Alcantara 2/3, BB

LF KM Na 1/4, RBI, 2B (1), K

SP A. Kirk 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, HBP, 3-8 GO-FO

RP R. Lopez 2 perfect, 2 K, 3-1 GO-FO

RP B. Shafer 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, WP, 3-1 GO-FO, E (1, throw)

 

DSL Cubs 1 won 11-10 in the 12th Box Score

 

SS F. Sanchez 2/6, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B (1), K, HBP

RF J. Baez 3/6, BB, R, 3B (1), 2 K, Assist (1B)

1B G. Jimenez 1/4, BB, 2 RBI, 2 K

RP J. De La Cruz 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 0 K, 0-2 GO-FO

RP A. Colinas 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 1-2 GO-FO

 

DSL Cubs 2 won 8-3 Box Score

 

2B A. Gonzalez 2/6, R, RBI, 2B (1), 3B (1), 3 K, E (2, fielding)

SS C. Penalver 0/2, 2 BB, HBP, E (2, throw)

3B J. Candelario 0/3, 2 BB, R, RBI

C W. Petit 2/4, BB, 2 R, PB (1), E (1, throw)

RF E. Mercedes 2/4, BB, R, K, SB (1)

RP W. Telles 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, WP, HBP, 3-1 GO-FO

 

OVERALL: 5-1

[Guest]

Probable Starters

 

Iowa: RHP Jay Jackson (1-4, 7.56 ERA, 33.1 IP, 14 K, 15 BB)

Tennessee: LHP Chris Rusin (1-1, 4.60 ERA, 47 IP, 33 K, 10 BB)

Daytona: LHP Jeff Lorick (3-1, 4.04 ERA, 42.1 IP, 28 K, 13 BB)

Peoria: LHP Austin Kirk (3-2, 2.06 ERA, 52.1 IP, 45 K, 10 BB)

[TruffleShuffle]

what is with these 6:43 start times for tennessee?

[CubColtPacer]

what is with these 6:43 start times for tennessee?

 

It apparently was picked to make the start times of games a reference to a 6-4-3 double play.

[pitchcs]

what is with these 6:43 start times for tennessee?

 

It apparently was picked to make the start times of games a reference to a 6-4-3 double play.

 

 

Wow, that's dumber than 7:11 for the WSox

[Little Slide Rooter]

what is with these 6:43 start times for tennessee?

 

It apparently was picked to make the start times of games a reference to a 6-4-3 double play.

 

 

Wow, that's dumber than 7:11 for the WSox

 

Maybe all Cubs games should start at 1:03. 1:04 next year.

[Brett]

So when does Kirk start to get serious consideration for a promotion? Another month or two? I'm assuming he ends the year at Daytona.

[jersey cubs fan]

what is with these 6:43 start times for tennessee?

 

It apparently was picked to make the start times of games a reference to a 6-4-3 double play.

 

 

Wow, that's dumber than 7:11 for the WSox

 

7:11 was a smart marketing tie in.

[toonsterwu]

So when does Kirk start to get serious consideration for a promotion? Another month or two? I'm assuming he ends the year at Daytona.

 

My hunch would be mid-season. Around the ASB times for the leagues would be my guess (which is the 18th in June for FSL) . I think it's going to happen sooner than later, though. He's already working into the 6th with relative consistency while having good performances. The rotation in Daytona looks like Rhee, Rosscup, Kurcz, Lorick, and Wallach right now, but we have to see what happens when the arms in AA get healthy (will Struck get moved back down - if he performs, I doubt it). Lorick and Kurcz could be moved out of the rotation for different reasons - the former because he's struggled as a starter, and the latter because his future might be/should be in the pen.

 

Anyhow, MiLB had an article on Bour "Boar" (not sure how people might pronounce that as burr ... as Justin notes in the article). Nothing too in depth.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110531&content_id=19815964&vkey=news_l123&fext=.jsp&sid=l123

[Guest]

Another Justin Bour HR.

[abohnhoff]

Good night in Huntsville...

2 for 3 with an RBI for Vitters

3R HR for Clevenger(starting at 1b tonight)

Good outing so far for Rusin 4.1 IP, 2H, 0R

 

0 for 3 for BJax...is it not necessarily a lock any longer that he will be a quick call up to Chicago? I know hes just coming off an injury, but if I remember he was also struggling a bit before his injury.

 

HR's for Bour (14) and Burgess (9) in Charlotte

[Little Slide Rooter]

Good night in Huntsville...

2 for 3 with an RBI for Vitters

3R HR for Clevenger(starting at 1b tonight)

Good outing so far for Rusin 4.1 IP, 2H, 0R

 

0 for 3 for BJax...is it not necessarily a lock any longer that he will be a quick call up to Chicago? I know hes just coming off an injury, but if I remember he was also struggling a bit before his injury.

 

HR's for Bour (14) and Burgess (9) in Charlotte

It was speculated, but I don't recall it ever being a lock.

[TruffleShuffle]

much better outing for jay jax, even though he didn't strike out many guys.

[craig]

Jackson is hitting in the mid .260's. I don't think it really makes sense to call him up. He started hot, and he had an unconscious BABIP. But his average is now more or less what you'd expect based on his K/HR, right? I think leaving him alone for a while to work things out makes a lot of sense.

 

Anybody know what happened to Vitters? He got pulled out mid-game. He's been unusually healthy this year, so he's probably due.

[pitchcs]

Starting for Aramis tomorrow

[XZero771679666304]

Starting for Aramis tomorrow

 

 

No, Quade would sit him and start DeWitt at third. Because that's how he rolls.

[ddwyer]

Some of us were not especially pleased that Lake was promoted to Tennessee. However, one of the benefits of his promotion is that it allows Watkins to play SS and Cerda to play 2B regularly. I'm not sure this will happen but it would be nice to see them get extended playing time there to see how they perform.

[toonsterwu]

Watkins bat has been a bit better over the last 10. I never really anticipated much power, although I know some did, and there were reports that he showed some pop in practice. Let's see if he can keep this up.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Good to see a solid outing from Jay Jackson

 

Does anyone out there know if Jonathon Motas ceiling is anything other than Andres Blanco? Is he any good defensively?

[toonsterwu]

Solid defensively, but there was never any high expectations with the bat.

 

Off the top, I seem to remember the Cubs pondering him as a catcher a couple years ago, but I don't recall too many reports on that, so I'm assuming that didn't take well.

 

I think he's an upper level utility infielder type if he sticks around, a guy who, if the stars align, could perhaps get a brief look in the bigs at some point, so a Blanco comparison may be fair.

[craig]

Some of us were not especially pleased that Lake was promoted to Tennessee. However, one of the benefits of his promotion is that it allows Watkins to play SS and Cerda to play 2B regularly. I'm not sure this will happen but it would be nice to see them get extended playing time there to see how they perform.

 

That's a good point. I'm not sure how often it will happen, but getting Cerda some 2B action would be nice. I think it's pretty safe to guess that he's not in Watkins class defensively, though, which may perhaps speak to his future as a big-league infielder.

 

Seems kind of funny, now some are saying that Watkins really needs to play SS. I recall AzPhil talking about how Watkins was really a 2B and that his throwing didn't look right for SS.

 

The Watkins/Cerda thing might be a bit of a puzzle/mistake.

 

A fundamental farm principle is that you prioritize around better prospects, and lesser prospects get fit in as best they can around the better ones, whether that be in terms of promotion or position.

 

How might that apply to Cerda/Watkins? If the Cubs think Watkins is the superior prospect, then Cerda should be moved accordingly. That almost looks like what happened.

 

But at this point we kind of know that Watkins potential is pretty tiny. He has a chance to blossom into something approaching a Paul Bako type hitter, although of course Watkins' power is way less than Bako's and he strikes out a lot more. So it's probably a reach to blossom into Bako, but sometimes you get lucky and things like that can happen.

 

But even if he did blossom into a Bako, how good of a prospect is he even then? And if he's the better prospect and Cerda the lesser, that doesn't speak well to Cerda's status.

 

But, what if Cerda really is the better prospect? (Seems that way to me, since he's a .400+ OBP guy...) If so, then Cerda should be used where it's best for his big-league development. If that's 2B, then move lesser prospct Watkins to 3B or bench or SS or OF or Peoria or extended spring training or whatever. Move the lesser prospect for the good of the better prospect.

 

Seems dumb of me for Watkins to have kept Cerda off of 2B.

[CUBZ99]

But at this point we kind of know that Watkins potential is pretty tiny. He has a chance to blossom into something approaching a Paul Bako type hitter, although of course Watkins' power is way less than Bako's and he strikes out a lot more. So it's probably a reach to blossom into Bako, but sometimes you get lucky and things like that can happen.

 

That is some good stuff. =D>

[Guest]

Brett Jackson, OF, Cubs (Double-A Tennessee): 0-for-5, 1 K. Hype has cooled down significantly, 4-for-28 with 10 Ks in last ten games and down to .266/.391/.468 overall.

 

Austin Kirk, LHP, Cubs (Low-A Peoria): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 3 K. Left-hander makes up for average velocity with command and movement; 2.04 ERA in 57.1 innings with the Midwest League hitting just .171 against him.

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=14122