Chat with Oneri Fleita

[mlpeel]

Mark,

 

Any chance of getting an interview with John Stockstill either right before or right after the draft in June?

 

Consarn it, vance, you spoiled my surprise. There's a 100% chance of it: I arranged it before I arranged this interview with Mr. Fleita.

 

Though perhaps I shouldn't say 100%: Mr. Stockstill's about 50 times harder to catch up to than Mr. Fleita...

[Chris]

This may be OT, but what was his response to the questions asked by Oneri? I am curious as to what he opinion was of NSBB after responding to the questions.

[mlpeel]

This may be OT, but what was his response to the questions asked by Oneri? I am curious as to what he opinion was of NSBB after responding to the questions.

 

If this question is directed to me, I'm afraid you'll have to rephrase it: I don't know what you're trying to ask.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Mark,

 

Any chance of getting an interview with John Stockstill either right before or right after the draft in June?

 

Consarn it, vance, you spoiled my surprise. There's a 100% chance of it: I arranged it before I arranged this interview with Mr. Fleita.

 

Though perhaps I shouldn't say 100%: Mr. Stockstill's about 50 times harder to catch up to than Mr. Fleita...

 

Thanks, Mark. I'm looking forward to that one very much. There is now no doubt this is the best independent Cubs site on the web.

 

So, we've gotten Fleita, Stockstill....what about Hughes?

[mlpeel]

So, we've gotten Fleita, Stockstill....what about Hughes?

 

I do have an interview scheduled with Hughes, but that's for my research: I won't have room for anyone else's questions, and I'm not clear how much of the topic matter will be of interest to NSBB readers. But if I haven't exasperated him after that interview, I can sound him out about answering NSBB questions at some future time.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

So, we've gotten Fleita, Stockstill....what about Hughes?

 

I do have an interview scheduled with Hughes, but that's for my research: I won't have room for anyone else's questions, and I'm not clear how much of the topic matter will be of interest to NSBB readers. But if I haven't exasperated him after that interview, I can sound him out about answering NSBB questions at some future time.

 

You're the best, Mark. We need to find some way to reward you for all your efforts. If we ever end up at a Cubs game or minor league game at the same time...dinner is on me!

[Chris]

This may be OT, but what was his response to the questions asked by Oneri? I am curious as to what he opinion was of NSBB after responding to the questions.

 

If this question is directed to me, I'm afraid you'll have to rephrase it: I don't know what you're trying to ask.

 

Wow, I must've been tired when I wrote that.

 

What I was trying to ask was "What was Oneri's reaction or response overall to the questions asked by the posters at NSBB?". I was curious as to what his overall opinion was in regards to the site based on the questions he received.

[mlpeel]

What I was trying to ask was "What was Oneri's reaction or response overall to the questions asked by the posters at NSBB?". I was curious as to what his overall opinion was in regards to the site based on the questions he received.

 

He was careful not to betray any opinion. I got no impression that he was impressed or exasperated or bored or anything -- though a couple of questions made him laugh. I daresay it seemed much like "Down on the Farm" or interviews by other fan sites.

[craig]

This is a tangent. A few years back, some people had the feeling that the Cubs were all tools, not skills in terms of prospects. That hitters as a rule lacked plate discipline (Corey, Kelton..) and that they were swimming with power arms often lacking in control (Zambrano, Juan Cruz, Felix Sanchez, Frankie Beltran, Todd Wellemeyer...) There was a view that the team encouarged "aggressive" hitting (i.e. hack away) at the expense of plate discipline, and drafted pitchers for power, not necessarily control.

 

Whether that was ever true then I don't know, but it seems that isn't applicable anymore. In terms of hitting, Fleita's comments in the chat, at convention, and in VineLine make frequent reference to plate discipline, in a very favorable way for Murton and Coats type guys, in a recognition that it's a pivotal issue for Dopirak and for whether or not a Puello can become a top guy. Sing's patience has been praised and encouraged, and a number of hitting prospects in recent years have referred to plate discipline as a focus area. I don't think there's justification for thinking that the cubs just train guys to be undisciplined hackers. Granted, they may draft guys who are, beleiving (perhaps naively?) that discipline will just come with time. But even the draft seems to have gravitated more toward guys who take some walks and perhaps have more plate discipline of late. Reed certainly seems of that type. Eric Patterson also took a lot of walks, so whether he has pitch recognition skills I don't know, but he must have some value for plate patience. Harvey, Brendan harris, Craig, Todd Ritchie, seems like a fair number of the higher-selected guys lately have had some interest in plate-discipline. (Jake Fox is an interesting one, appears to be pretty impressive in terms of contact skills, not a K-aholic type, but thus far hasn't walked much at all.)

 

In terms of pitching, Fleita has championed a number of guys who don't throw very hard. Valdez, Connolly, and Koronka among them, none of them jazz up the BA juices because they don't throw hard. But Fleita seems quite serious about them. I know, those are lefties, maybe different with righties. But clearly the drafts have *not* obsessed over velocity, and have focussed very nicely on control and breaking pitch. As Mark has noted in the past, the priority on the makings of a good breaking pitch is central to their prospect evaluation. And recent high picks Johnson, Brownlie, Blasko, Hagerty, Nolasco have all seemed to be reasonably control-oriented.

 

Anyway, seems to be a pretty balanced and healthy appreciation.

[ZZ Thorn]

With all the turnover in the minors, one minute it's fair to say they're all tools, the next minute you could say they're all brains. I don't think the Cubs system is aiming for one or the other - they're trying to make good, well rounded major leaguers. One thing you can't say is the Cubs don't have a very exciting farm system going into '05.

 

And apparently Mr. Fleita can't say a bad word about any Cubs minor leaguer - maybe he's hoping for an expansion of the rosters to 62.

 

J/k - he seemed to be fair in his praise and to really focus on a players key assets. He didn't say Pie was going to have a phonomenal eye next year or anything outlandish like that, so that makes me more inclined to agree with him. Speaking of Pie, great to hear he's added 10-15 lbs! He doesn't need to radically change his approach other than selectivity, which is something every hitter needs to constantly work on, with the added lbs those line drives will turn into home runs.

 

A great chat tho Tim. Looking forward to a possible chat with Hughes Peel.