Minor League Discussion & Boxes 8-5-13

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Box Scores

 

Iowa lost 6-5 Box Score

 

Tennessee lost 6-4 Box Score

 

Daytona (game one) Cancelled - Rain

 

Daytona (game two) Cancelled - Rain

 

Kane County lost 12-4 Box Score

 

Boise had the day off

 

AZL Cubs in progress Box Score

 

DSL Cubs won 12-5 Box Score

 

VSL Cubs lost 9-8 Box Score

[Guest]

Probable Starters

 

Iowa: RHP Justin Grimm (7 IP, 3.34 FIP, 11.57 ERA, 7 K, 5 BB)

Tennessee: RHP Matt Loosen (40.1 IP, 7.79 FIP, 6.92 ERA, 35 K, 30 BB)

Daytona (both games): RHP Scott Baker (3.1 IP, 7.70 FIP, 2.70 ERA, 2 K, 2 BB), RHP CJ Edwards (5 IP, 0.60 FIP, 0.00 ERA, 8 K, 1 BB) and/or RHP Pierce Johnson (31 IP, 3.36 FIP, 2.90 ERA, 28 K, 12 BB)

Kane County: RHP Felix Peña (84 IP, 3.40 FIP, 3.43 ERA, 62 K,2 7 BB)

AZL Cubs: LHP Gerardo Concepcion (2 IP, 3.70 FIP, 0.00 ERA< 1 K, 0 BB)

 

I don't know what is going on with Daytona's rotation after all these rain outs and it appears MiLB.com doesn't either.

[CubsWin]

The forecast for 5pm in Daytona is a balmy 84 degrees, 77% humidity and a 30% chance of rain. If they get the first game in, the 8pm forecast calls for a 40% chance of precip. Tuesday's basically the same.

 

C.J., we hardly knew ya...

[TruffleShuffle]

the funny thing is, if they would play at like 9-10am, they'd get in almost all of their games. i lived in miami for a couple of months in late summer, and it rarely rained before noon, unless there was a tropical low in the area. but in the afternoon and early evening it was like clockwork.

 

unfortunately the minor league club needs to make some money, so they play when the thunderstorms are occurring or have already rendered the field unplayable.

[CubsWin]

Arismendy Alcantara has been a bit streaky this season so his line over his last 10 games (.190/.292/.238) doesn't really raise any red flags for me. But he has played 19 games in 19 days if you include the Southern League All-Star game. Prior to that, he played 5 games in 3 days, then traveled to New York on July 13th, played in the Futures Game, traveled back on the 15th and had one day off before playing in the All-Star on the 17th. That's 25 games in 26 days. In the south. In July and August. He's already played a dozen more games than he has in any previous season. The dude's 5'10", 160 lbs. Anybody think he might just be a tad tired? Yowza...

[CubsWin]

the funny thing is, if they would play at like 9-10am, they'd get in almost all of their games. i lived in miami for a couple of months in late summer, and it rarely rained before noon, unless there was a tropical low in the area. but in the afternoon and early evening it was like clockwork.

 

unfortunately the minor league club needs to make some money, so they play when the thunderstorms are occurring or have already rendered the field unplayable.

I know! I was looking at the forecasts, and all of them had the mornings rain free! Unfortunately, the downpours lately have been so heavy that the fields have been unplayable even the next day. Crazy...

[CubsWin]

Javier Baez played a total of 76 games in High-A this season. Cut those games in half and the difference is as stark as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

 

In his first 37 games in High-A, he struckout 46 times and walked 5 times. That's basically a 9:1 ratio. We were all rightfully concerned. But it was mid-May, and he was a supposedly headstrong yet highly-talented 20-year-old, so patience was in order (for him and his fans).

 

In the next 39 games before his promotion, he K'd 32 times and walked 16. A 2:1 ratio. In his final 21 games, he had 18 K to 12 BB, a 1.5:1 ratio. Clearly, he had shown improvement.

 

In his first 17 games in AA, he struckout 25 times and walked only 3 for an 8:1 ratio. Patterns repeat, right? So what has he done since then? 14 K, 7 BB in his last 10. He's hitting .268/.375/.537 in that span. He's definitely shown the ability to learn, adjust and be coachable.

 

So far, he's played 27 games in AA and has the exact same amount left in the regular season. I can't wait to see who shows up for the next 27. Jekyll or Hyde?

[The-Kris-Bryant]

Obligatory sample size comment. Of course I'd rather have the improvement than not.

[Guest]

Obligatory sample size comment. Of course I'd rather have the improvement than not.

 

I don't think the sample size argument applies here. The trend is so overwhelming that it transcends ss.

[Cubswin11]

Obligatory sample size comment. Of course I'd rather have the improvement than not.

 

I don't think the sample size argument applies here. The trend is so overwhelming that it transcends ss.

Pretty much agree, especially when just yesterday someone posted that article stating that they are/have been explicitly working with Javy on pitch recognition/selection. So you know he's been putting in a concentrated effort to take more pitches/walk more and it's not just a random sample that he's lucked into some walks (though I'm sure he has had some ab's where he sees 4 pitches that aren't even close).

[rawaction]

Let's hope this is a permanent thing, and they don't have to keep working with him so diligently at every level. I'm sure he will be constantly reminded how to approach ABs, but it would be nice to not have the huge struggles to make contact early at each stop (though he is young for every level he's been at and pitching gets better at each level).

[BeerHere]

Do the VSL playoffs start today?

[scarey]

You have to assume that pitchers at each level are also eventually learning that if you put the ball in the zone, there's a chance Baez will crush it. I do believe he's been improving on pitch recognition/selection, but putting the fear of god into the opposing pitchers has to at least be a contributor to his improved discipline at each level..

[A New Era]

You have to assume that pitchers at each level are also eventually learning that if you put the ball in the zone, there's a chance Baez will crush it. I do believe he's been improving on pitch recognition/selection, but putting the fear of god into the opposing pitchers has to at least be a contributor to his improved discipline at each level..

 

In that scenerio, he still gets credit for learning not to swing at crap pitches.

[scarey]

You have to assume that pitchers at each level are also eventually learning that if you put the ball in the zone, there's a chance Baez will crush it. I do believe he's been improving on pitch recognition/selection, but putting the fear of god into the opposing pitchers has to at least be a contributor to his improved discipline at each level..

 

In that scenerio, he still gets credit for learning not to swing at crap pitches.

 

 

I'm taking no credit away from him. My only point is that if the guy continues to hit for monster power, his IsoD should improve whether or not he improves his plate discipline or not. That applies for the majors too.

[Guest]

Do the VSL playoffs start today?

 

No, a best-of-3 series starts tomorrow.

[rawaction]

Per Twitter, it's Baker and Edwards (scheduled) for the 2 games today.

[wekim81]

Per Twitter, it's Baker and Edwards (scheduled) for the 2 games today.

which undoubtedly won't be played.

[jersey cubs fan]

Daytona Cubs ‏@daytonacubs 17m

It's raining again at The Jack. Tonight's games have been canceled. All tickets are good for any future D-Cubs game. Cubs return home 8/10.

[Guest]

Seriously unbelievable

[Tyrant]

Haha

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Just for the sake of argument, the Carolina League has eight teams, seven of which are on Player Development Contracts that all expire in 2014 (the 8th is owned by its MLB franchise). Lynchburg, Potomac and Frederick are all close enough to their MLB counterparts that they get a boost in popularity and probably wouldn't be interested in switching.

 

You'd have to target one of the four remaining teams and hope they want to make a switch.

[scarey]

Daytona Cubs ‏@daytonacubs 17m

It's raining again at The Jack. Tonight's games have been canceled. All tickets are good for any future D-Cubs game. Cubs return home 8/10.

 

 

http://www.gifsforum.com/images/gif/troll%20face/grand/s4xqhk.jpg.gif

Edited August 5, 2013 by scarey

[Cubswin11]

Theo should just fore fit the rest of Daytona's season in the FSL and move some guys up and send the rest back to Arizona to do intra-squad games/practices/instructs they'd seriously get more out of that.

[Guest]

Just for the sake of argument, the Carolina League has eight teams, seven of which are on Player Development Contracts that all expire in 2014 (the 8th is owned by its MLB franchise). Lynchburg, Potomac and Frederick are all close enough to their MLB counterparts that they get a boost in popularity and probably wouldn't be interested in switching.

 

You'd have to target one of the four remaining teams and hope they want to make a switch.

 

Don't think the teams already in the Carolina League know how bad the FSL and California League are. The Cubs couldn't make a move this past offseason for that reason.