Fall Instructional League

[Wrigley Rat]

Games started today. Arizona Phil wrote it up.

 

http://www.thecubreporter.com/09212012/cubs-turn-dbacks-away-fitch-park

 

(I didn't see a discussion thread on this, but feel free to move it if there is one.)

[Guest]

Yay, Alcantara is healthy and playing again!

[davell]

Yeah, that was my first thought as well. I hope we get a good report on Paniagua from AZPhil. I'm really getting hopeful already with him.

[El Duderino]

Yay, Alcantara is healthy and playing again!

 

He's alive!

[davell]

AZPhil thinks Struck gets our designated starter nod in the AFL and Rhee gets converted to reliever.

[Guest]

AZPhil thinks Struck gets our designated starter nod in the AFL and Rhee gets converted to reliever.

Sounds about right. I was expecting Rhee would relieve in the AFL.

[Guest]

@billazbbphotog: Good matchup tonight in rare Instructs night game - Dillon Maples (Cubs) vs Andrew Chafin (Dbacks).

[Guest]

Scary stuff in the second Instructs game of the fall:

 

The game was halted for about 25 minutes with two outs in the top of the 5th after Cubs outfielder Trey Martin was hit in the head with a pitch. Paramedics from the Salt River Fire Department were called by the Diamondbacks team trainer, and the ambulance responded directly to home plate where Martin was laying on his back.

 

Martin was transported via ambulance to a local hospital (presumably SHC - Osborn) for evaluation. He was conscious when he was loaded into the ambulance.

 

Dillon Maples struggled with control and Carlos Martinez was just plain bad.

 

http://www.thecubreporter.com/09232012/diamondbacks-let-bats-do-their-talking-stick#more

[Guest]

Yesterday (Johnson, McNeil, Prieto, Lang and Hoffner pitched): http://www.thecubreporter.com/09242012/cubs-way-path-victory-indian-school-park

 

Today (Blackburn, Underwood, Reed and Paniagua pitched): http://www.thecubreporter.com/09252012/brewers-pitching-magnifico-maryvale

 

Also, infielders Arismendy Alcantara and Carlos Penalver will be going to the Dominican Academy on 10/1, and the seven AFL players (Pitchers Dae-Eun Rhee, Kevin Rhoderick, Nick Struck, and Tony Zych, SS Javier Baez, IF-OF Rubi Silva, and OF Matt Szczur) will be at Fitch Park 10/1-10/6 to prep for AFL and will likely see some Instructs game action during that week. And OF Brett Jackson is also expected to report to Instructs next week, possibly immediately after the Cubs complete their three-game series at Arizona this weekend.

 

In the comments today:

 

THE CUBS WAY - MORALE DEPT:

 

A couple of things to note since Oneri Fleita was fired and was replaced as Player Development Director by Brandon Hyde :

 

1. Cubs minor leaguers no longer are requred to hike up their pants legs to knee level.

2. A P. A. system was hooked up at Fitch Park that allows music (player's choice) to be blasted during Batting Practice.

 

Also (and this goes back about six months):

 

1. Players assigned to Minor League Camp,.Extended Spring Training, AZL Cubs, and AZ Instructional League now usually travel to road games via tour bus. (They used to travel in a convoy of two or three maxi-vans, with the players and gear crammed together inside, and with the trainers or coaches driving the vans).

2. Fitch Park clubhouse meals are catered daily by Bill Johnson's Big Apple Restaurant.They used to have fresh fruit available for the players to eat, but not full meals.

[WrigleyField 22]

Flieta made minor leaguers hike up their pants? I mean its obviously a way better look, but ehat a weirdo.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[davell]

Whether you're for the rebuild or not, you've got to think our minor leaguers are excited as hell by all the extra attention they're receiving. Very cool to even read about the catered meals. Not sure whether that's the norm and we were just in the Dark Ages though.

[Guest]

Something I liked from yesterday's report:

 

So far, the Cubs have drawn 20 walks in their first three Instructs games (20 walks used to be a couple of week’s worth).

 

and from today's:

 

The Cubs drew six more walks today, bringing their four-game BB total to 26.

 

...It probably didn’t help the Cub cause that Jorge Soler, Albert Almora, Dan Vogelbach, and Chadd Krist did not make the trip to Maryvale. It was their turn to remain at Fitch Park and participate in an Instructional “Camp Day.” (Each of the position players have a “Camp Day” once a week where they do not play in the game that day, instead receiving one-on-one instruction in various phases of the game with the camp’s instructors).

[treebird]

Yesterday (Johnson, McNeil, Prieto, Lang and Hoffner pitched): http://www.thecubreporter.com/09242012/cubs-way-path-victory-indian-school-park

 

Today (Blackburn, Underwood, Reed and Paniagua pitched): http://www.thecubreporter.com/09252012/brewers-pitching-magnifico-maryvale

 

Also, infielders Arismendy Alcantara and Carlos Penalver will be going to the Dominican Academy on 10/1, and the seven AFL players (Pitchers Dae-Eun Rhee, Kevin Rhoderick, Nick Struck, and Tony Zych, SS Javier Baez, IF-OF Rubi Silva, and OF Matt Szczur) will be at Fitch Park 10/1-10/6 to prep for AFL and will likely see some Instructs game action during that week. And OF Brett Jackson is also expected to report to Instructs next week, possibly immediately after the Cubs complete their three-game series at Arizona this weekend.

 

In the comments today:

 

THE CUBS WAY - MORALE DEPT:

 

A couple of things to note since Oneri Fleita was fired and was replaced as Player Development Director by Brandon Hyde :

 

1. Cubs minor leaguers no longer are requred to hike up their pants legs to knee level.

2. A P. A. system was hooked up at Fitch Park that allows music (player's choice) to be blasted during Batting Practice.

 

Also (and this goes back about six months):

 

1. Players assigned to Minor League Camp,.Extended Spring Training, AZL Cubs, and AZ Instructional League now usually travel to road games via tour bus. (They used to travel in a convoy of two or three maxi-vans, with the players and gear crammed together inside, and with the trainers or coaches driving the vans).

2. Fitch Park clubhouse meals are catered daily by Bill Johnson's Big Apple Restaurant.They used to have fresh fruit available for the players to eat, but not full meals.

 

theo intentionally building a loser again

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bill-johnsons-big-apple-restaurants-mesa

[toonsterwu]

AZPhil thinks Struck gets our designated starter nod in the AFL and Rhee gets converted to reliever.

Sounds about right. I was expecting Rhee would relieve in the AFL.

 

I made this remark somewhere recently, maybe not here ... but Rhee as a reliever (something that was always a possibility dating back to his Peoria days) ... could be one of the more fascinating relieving arms in the system. I mean ... if he can ramp up the fastball a bit to say, 93/94 on a more consistent basis, then he has late inning potential, as he might have a more consistent out-pitch than any of our other top relieving options.

[Guest]

Thursday: http://www.thecubreporter.com/09272012/soler-energy-cubs-way-future - Jorge Soler had a big 3-RBI double. Beeler and Arias pitched well.

 

Friday: http://www.thecubreporter.com/09282012/dbacks-rally-three-8th-edge-cubs Dillon Maples dominated (4 Ks in 2.2), Juan Carlos Paniagua struggled.

 

Today: http://www.thecubreporter.com/09292012/vogelbomb-sinks-snakes-salt-river-fields Vogelbach hit a monster HR (against a lefty, at that). Starling Peralta, Pierce Johnson and Paul Blackburm were strong but Duane Underwood struggled.

[Guest]

Thursday: http://www.thecubreporter.com/09272012/soler-energy-cubs-way-future - Jorge Soler had a big 3-RBI double. Beeler and Arias pitched well.

 

Friday: http://www.thecubreporter.com/09282012/dbacks-rally-three-8th-edge-cubs Dillon Maples dominated (4 Ks in 2.2), Juan Carlos Paniagua struggled.

 

Today: http://www.thecubreporter.com/09292012/vogelbomb-sinks-snakes-salt-river-fields Vogelbach hit a monster HR (against a lefty, at that). Starling Peralta, Pierce Johnson and Paul Blackburm were strong but Duane Underwood struggled.

 

 

LOVING all these walks

[El Duderino]

 

theo intentionally building a loser again

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bill-johnsons-big-apple-restaurants-mesa

 

almost missed this, hahaha

[davell]

We're not giving this thread nearly enough talk, but AZPhil thinks Nathan Dorris has been a nice surprise that coukd develop into a quality lefty SP prospect. He thinks Maples, Lang, Underwood, and McNeil all get left behind at EXST, but that Blackburn likely begins at Kane County. Says he doesn't throw hard, but is very smart, even pitches backwards, countwise, keeping hitters completely offbalance. Johnson probably begins there too, he thinks Paniagua can start off in Daytona.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

We're not giving this thread nearly enough talk, but AZPhil thinks Nathan Dorris has been a nice surprise that coukd develop into a quality lefty SP prospect. He thinks Maples, Lang, Underwood, and McNeil all get left behind at EXST, but that Blackburn likely begins at Kane County. Says he doesn't throw hard, but is very smart, even pitches backwards, countwise, keeping hitters completely offbalance. Johnson probably begins there too, he thinks Paniagua can start off in Daytona.

 

"Doesn't throw hard" already for Blackburn? That's disappointing. Phil said he's struggling to reach 90. Despite coming at the end of a long season, that's concerning.

[Guest]

Instructs game posts from Phil since my last post:

 

http://www.thecubreporter.com/10022012/soler-vogelbach-supply-cub-power-papago-park

 

http://www.thecubreporter.com/10032012/cubs-triple-their-pleasure-defeat-fitch-park

 

http://www.thecubreporter.com/10042012/cubs-cant-solve-socratic-problem-speed

 

http://www.thecubreporter.com/10062012/candy-triple-not-so-sweet-angels

[Guest]

Carrie Muskat[/url]"]* Congrats to Jesse Hodges (@TCHodgy), who hit his first professional home run, a two-run shot, in Monday’s instructional league game against the Athletics. The Cubs signed Hodges after seeing him play in the World Junior Tournament in South Korea. A Canadian, he had a full scholarship at Grayson College, a junior college in Texas. His home run was well-timed as he connected in front of Cubs international scout Steve Wilson, who signed the infielder, as well as Hodges’ grandfather, who was at the game, and most of the Cubs brass, including Theo Epstein. I’ll have more on Hodges.

 

Arizona Phil[/url]"]Meanwhile, Jesse Hodges hammered a two-run home run and a double, Jorge Soler drilled a two-run triple, Marco Hernandez roped an opposite-field two run double, and Tim Saunders singled, walked, stole a base, and drove-in a run, to help propel the Cub offense.

 

The 18-year old 6'1 210+ Hodges (2012 NDFA - Victoria, B. C.) was signed by the Cubs last month to a 2013 contract ("Signed for Future Service") after starring for the Canadian Junior National Team at the IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship in South Korea. He was used as a DH in today's game, but he is a third-baseman by trade.

 

Cubs 2012 3rd round draft pick RHP Ryan McNeil (Nipomo HS - Nipomo, CA) had an especially poor outing, allowing three home runs in one inning (not easy to do at Fitch Park Caverns), while Cubs 2012 6th round draft pick RHP Trey Lang (Gateway CC) surrendered four doubles in 2.1 IP.

 

And in AZ Phil's comments:

 

Juan Carlos Paniagua, Duane Underwood, and Dillion Maples all throw fastballs in the 94-96 range (and Paniagua can hit 97 fairly sonsistently), but Underwood and Maples (especially Maples) have difficulty commanding their heat. Underwood has struggled so much with finding a consistent release point that he was relegated to throwing three innings (45 pitches) in a controlled "sim" game instead of in an AIL game last week.

 

Paul Blackburn, Pierce Johnson, and Nathan Dorris have the best breaking balls, anfd Johnson has a solid fastball and a decent change, too. Blackburn's fastball velocity has been down so far.

[KingCubsFan]

We're not giving this thread nearly enough talk, but AZPhil thinks Nathan Dorris has been a nice surprise that coukd develop into a quality lefty SP prospect. He thinks Maples, Lang, Underwood, and McNeil all get left behind at EXST, but that Blackburn likely begins at Kane County. Says he doesn't throw hard, but is very smart, even pitches backwards, countwise, keeping hitters completely offbalance. Johnson probably begins there too, he thinks Paniagua can start off in Daytona.

 

"Doesn't throw hard" already for Blackburn? That's disappointing. Phil said he's struggling to reach 90. Despite coming at the end of a long season, that's concerning.

I'd wait for an offseason of training before giving up on any increased velocity. And it sounds like he's not going to need to throw 95 to be successful.

[Guest]

We're not giving this thread nearly enough talk, but AZPhil thinks Nathan Dorris has been a nice surprise that coukd develop into a quality lefty SP prospect. He thinks Maples, Lang, Underwood, and McNeil all get left behind at EXST, but that Blackburn likely begins at Kane County. Says he doesn't throw hard, but is very smart, even pitches backwards, countwise, keeping hitters completely offbalance. Johnson probably begins there too, he thinks Paniagua can start off in Daytona.

 

"Doesn't throw hard" already for Blackburn? That's disappointing. Phil said he's struggling to reach 90. Despite coming at the end of a long season, that's concerning.

I'd wait for an offseason of training before giving up on any increased velocity. And it sounds like he's not going to need to throw 95 to be successful.

 

Yeah, I don't think that's concerning for an 18-year old who has thrown way more in a year than he ever has and had a break between his HS season and when he signed.

[Guest]

Arias continues his strong run at Instructs: http://www.thecubreporter.com/10112012/bums-score-extra-base-hits-fitch-park

 

More from yesterday at Instructs: http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2012/10/cubs-fall-league-recap-a-small-glimpse-of-the-future/

[Guest]

http://www.thecubreporter.com/10132012/almora-soler-and-baez-shine-under-arizona-sun