Minor League Discussion & Boxes 5-12-14

[Guest]

@KernanSean: .@albertalmora guns down runner at the plate after @StoneCrabs score twice to tie it at 5 in T5. I'll say it again. His D is MLB now. #Cubs

[Guest]

Soler is just getting the day off, he's not hurt. (Brett asked Mick Gillispie, the Smokies announcer, to clarify this.)

I hope, but it does seem a little fishy that they used a defensive replacement for him last night and now he's out. Hopefully it's nothing.

 

They were up by like 7 and Cutler was also replaces at first at the same time. Could easily be a precautionary/defensive replacement situation.

[Guest]

Let's go ahead and replace Baker with Rafael Lopez already.

[Guest]

@TommyBirch: Baez makes a nice sliding catch in foul territory. He's shown some really nice range this series. Crashed into the wall the other night.

[RammyFanny]

Soler is just getting the day off, he's not hurt. (Brett asked Mick Gillispie, the Smokies announcer, to clarify this.)

I hope, but it does seem a little fishy that they used a defensive replacement for him last night and now he's out. Hopefully it's nothing.

 

They were up by like 7 and Cutler was also replaces at first at the same time. Could easily be a precautionary/defensive replacement situation.

Gotcha, it was still close when I was watching. I forget they score about 5 runs per inning.

 

Bryant's 0-3. He just hit what looked like a lazy popup to center, and it ended up being about a foot short of the wall. The loft, or whatever you want to call it, he gets is pretty crazy.

[Gilby]

Soler is just getting the day off, he's not hurt. (Brett asked Mick Gillispie, the Smokies announcer, to clarify this.)

I hope, but it does seem a little fishy that they used a defensive replacement for him last night and now he's out. Hopefully it's nothing.

 

They were up by like 7 and Cutler was also replaces at first at the same time. Could easily be a precautionary/defensive replacement situation.

Gotcha, it was still close when I was watching. I forget they score about 5 runs per inning.

 

Bryant's 0-3. He just hit what looked like a lazy popup to center, and it ended up being about a foot short of the wall. The loft, or whatever you want to call it, he gets is pretty crazy.

 

11 straight PA's without a K!

[Guest]

@billazbbphotog: Josh Conway (Cubs 2012 4th round pick) pitched 1 inn in extended spring game. 1st game action this year. FB 88-90 with hard breaking ball.

 

@billazbbphotog: Willin Rosario and Justin Ruggiano rehabbing for their respective teams in Cubs - Rockies extended spring game.

 

More from Arizona Phil: http://www.thecubreporter.com/05122014/ruggiano-conway-return-game-action-riverview-park

 

RHP Josh Conway (Cubs 2012 4th round pick - Coastal Carolina U.) saw his first game action in more than a year, getting the start for the Cubs and pitching one inning (17 pitches). His fastball was clocked at only 89-90 MPH (he was peaking at 94 last year), but his two-seamer had good sink and his hard-slider was dive-bombing the lower part of the strike zone. 

 

Conway underwent "Tommy John Surgery" (TJS) after suffering a torn UCL in a game against Liberty University prior to being drafted by the Cubs (a "2nd round talent" who supposedly fell to the 4th round only because of the TJS), and after spending the 2012 season on the 60-day DL he came back strong and was without question the most-impressive pitcher at Minor League Camp in 2013. He continued his outstanding work into Extended Spring Training, and he appeared to be about ready to join the Kane County or Daytona starting rotation (he had thrown 5.0 IP and 80 pitches in his previous start), when he suffered a season-ending elbow injury (described at the time as a stress fracture) while pitching in an EXST game at the Brewers Maryvale Baseball Complex on May 4, 2013 (see link). 

[Guest]

Bruno snapped his streak of games without a HBP.

 

Wada was very good again: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 8/3 K/BB, 1 HR, 2 of the walks were IBB

[gscool89]

Javy walkoff single

[ScrubMD]

Finally a good AB by Baez. Worked full count, fouled off a couple pitches, then got a single.

 

And it was a walk-off single. So that's cool.

[Cubswin11]

Finally a good AB by Baez. Worked full count, fouled off a couple pitches, then got a single.

I'm calling it, he's gonna go on a Sorianoin type run the next 2-3 weeks.

[Guest]

@KernanSean: .@albertalmora with his 2nd assist of game. He made great recovery on ball that took wicked bounce off CF wall and was part of 845 putout.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Nice D, Albert. Now remember how to hit.

[Guest]

@TommyBirch: Javier Baez said his walk-off single was a nice confidence builder: "It feels great. I was just trying to make contact." #Cubs #PCL #MiLB

[UK1679666180]

Let's go ahead and replace Baker with Rafael Lopez already.

 

I can't believe he's been at AA for so long, I don't understand. I'd love to see him jump AAA and go to the majors. His approach isn't going to get exploited by veteran minor leaguers.

[Fro]

Let's go ahead and replace Baker with Rafael Lopez already.

 

I can't believe he's been at AA for so long, I don't understand. I'd love to see him jump AAA and go to the majors. His approach isn't going to get exploited by veteran minor leaguers.

 

I'm guessing he needs time at AAA to learn pitch framing or some other invented metric of the week.

[craig]

Let's go ahead and replace Baker with Rafael Lopez already.

 

I can't believe he's been at AA for so long, I don't understand. I'd love to see him jump AAA and go to the majors. His approach isn't going to get exploited by veteran minor leaguers.

 

This has probably been discussed in threads previously, so apologies in advance. But what do we know about his defensive abilities? Awful, or simply below-average relative to major-league norms?

[SouthSideRyan]

Let's go ahead and replace Baker with Rafael Lopez already.

 

I can't believe he's been at AA for so long, I don't understand. I'd love to see him jump AAA and go to the majors. His approach isn't going to get exploited by veteran minor leaguers.

 

I'm guessing they want to keep a major league vet as one of the catchers and Luis Flores has an even more hilarious .351/.547/.432 aided by his 16/3 BB/K