Chris

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/DJAXXFAN/Ballparks%20Thread/AAAIowalogo.jpg Iowa Cubs, Pacific Coast League, AAA Level http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/DJAXXFAN/Ballparks%20Thread/iowacubsfieldpicture2.jpg Park Name: Principal Park Address: 350 Sw 1st Street Des Moines, IA 50309 Website: http://www.iowacubs.com Phone Number: For ticket information, see below. Phone: (515) 243-6111 Fax: (515) 243-5152 Map: LINK In addition, be sure to look at the Principal Park on the Iowa Cubs home page for additional stadium information. Seating Chart & Ticket Prices: LINK Ticket Information: Tickets are available on this Web site or by calling the ticket office at (515) 243-6111 or 1-800-GO-I-CUBS. Tickets are available during regular office hours and the hours before all home games. The Iowa Cubs offices are open 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday all year. The office also is open 9:00am to noon Saturday from March through September. Gift certificates are available for tickets and other Iowa Cubs merchandise at the front office during regular hours. Tickets can also be purchased over theinternet. Schedule: LINK Policies and Procedures: Please check the Iowa Cubs home page for policies and procedures.

In an effort to show our support for the Minor League affiliates in the Cubs organization and to provide NSBB users with Minor League affiliate information, this thread has been created. In this thread you will find important information about the facilities of the teams in the Minor League system. If you would like to contribute a review from your attendance at one of these parks, please feel free to PM it to me so I can add it to the park information. Thank you for your support of our Minor League affiliates and for your support of NSBB!

Enclosed are the responses to your questions and comments sent to Dave for this Q & A. A big thank you to Dave for taking time out of his schedule for us here at NSBB! Dave Keller Q & A NCCubbieFan Location: near Raleigh, North Carolina As a roving instructor, do you rotate among the minor league teams on a set schedule, or do you go wherever it seems a player is most in need of extra coaching? Also, have you worked with Corey Patterson much since he was sent down? If so, has he made much progress and do you think he's anywhere close to returning to the major leagues? all of the roving instructors set their schedules for the 1st half of the season during spring training, and we understand which players are at each level, and we try to prepare for possible problems or extra needs as the season goes on....i am in contact with our hitting coaches almost everyday, and we talk about the players on a constant basis, which in the long run helps us from 'emergency' trips....yes, as to corey patterson...pat listach and i were with corey his whole time in iowa, and before he started his 'stint', we met in mesa for a week or so, and tried to come up with a game plan as to what we needed to 'adjust/change' with his approach...his work habits were tremendous and i was very pleased with the direction he was headed when he was called up last week... _________________ JonMDavis Location: Evanston, IL Mr. Keller- Just between us, do you have a favorite level/age to work with? Are there certain things you'd try to work on with prospects at West Tenn. or Daytona that you wouldn't with guys in Mesa or Boise? And how did your time managing Advanced A ball, A ball, and Rookie ball help with your current role as the roving hitting instructor? Also, before you join an affiliate, how do you know what to work on with a specific player? Is it a combination of advanced reports from Mr. Flieta and then on-hand observation on your part or is it strictly the latter? Thanks! every level has it's challenges...as players get closer to the big league level, the "mental game" becomes more important...as players move from level, we have certain aspects of our hitting program that we need to make sure--if possible--the player undrestands and can accomplish mentally-physically- and fundamentally...managing and coaching at every level has helped me realize what is important at each level and how the "progression teaching " is applied to each player....several people/coaches have input on what kind of plan we need to put into place with each player...we try to establish a base/foundation with each player and using drills, video, and other teaching tools, then we develop a plan for the player and our hitting coaches at each level go over it with the player individually so he understand what he needs to do to improve. _________________ NorthsideAvenger Mr. Keller; First of all, my name is CJ Keller, no lie. So seeing a Keller in the Cubs org. brings a smile to my face. But what gets me, is that you share the same name as my father, David Keller. Again no lie. So i get to mess with him about it. So, it brings smile to my face knowing that a Keller is working for the Cubs. Now that I go that off my chest...let me ask you something, if you don't mind....is there a player in the minors---not necessarily with the Cubs---that has that great feel for hitting like a Tony Gywnn, or a Wade Boggs? And I know you can't put one prospect over the next, but privately within the Cubs is there one particular prospect you enjoy working with, regardless if he is a top prospect, or a career minor leaguer? no, but there are players at each level that are tremendous to work with and will go thru a wall for you to get better, then there are others that question everything that we try to teach to help them become successful...that's the challenge of coaching no matter the level... _________________ series65cubsfan Location: East Los Angeles/SGV Mr. Keller, Thanks for answering our questions here. How hard is it to teach someone an "inside out" swing. This would allow the hitters to hit where they are being pitched and working all the fields. My problem was that I was a straight pull hitter batting left handed and learned to "inside out" the pitch learning to switch hit right handed. Do you feel it's too late for player coming it to A ball to learn that? Not necessarily switch hit but to go the other way with the pitch instead of weakly grounding out trying to pull everything? Thanks! lefties always seem to be able to get away with being pull hitters because of the direction the game is played---'counter-clockwise'...inside out as a right handed hitter isn't all that bad, and as players get more experience, we can taech them to pull...it's very hard to teach a pull hitter to hit the other way after they've grooved thier swing.....work habits come into play anytime there's a change in mechanics.. _________________ abuck1220 Location: Iowa thanks for taking our questions... do you feel as though there is some over-arching organizational philosophy toward hitting? the last few years the cubs' on-base percentage hasn't been as high as some would like it to be...do you feel that there is a philosophy of 'aggressive hitting' that kinda comes down from above? if there is an organization-wide theory on hitting, does it mesh well with your ideas on hitting? also, i've been slumping pretty bad in slow-pitch softball...any advice? no, in the minor leagues we stress just about everything, and explain to the players why it's important...you have to be aggressive and learn to hit the fastball!!! but we also emphasize strike zone discipline as well...we as hitting coaches have our philosophy concerning 'progressive teaching' and every player is different...lots of communication and work/physical labor by our hitting coaches to help each player improve....in softball, try to let the ball get alittle deeper, up in the zone and don't try to pull too much... _________________ Outshined_One Location: Chicago, IL or Madison, WI Mr. Keller, First off, thank you so much for taking our questions here! We really appreciate it. On this website we have a lot of parents of children who might be interested in getting into baseball as well as some younger posters who want to get into baseball at lower levels (i.e. high school). My question is, what kind of basic advice would you give to these people as a hitting coach? Are there any bad habits that young hitters should avoid at all costs or good habits that could help a player go a long way in life if they start them early enough? Thanks again! ELBOWS DOWN--PLEASE!!!! your body doesn't move correctly when they are up and bigger problems result!!!! choke-up, and teach your kids how to play "pepper"...it's a contact game that teaches kids to control the barrel of the bat, and get over the fear of the ball.. _________________ UK Say you have two different types of hitters, one who is fairly closed that you would like open their stance to take advantage of their pull power more often, while possibly risking a bit of contact in the process (I think of Murton). Second, is the player that you'd like to close their stance (Tony Batista comes to mind) to maybe generate more contact at the risk of losing power, which situation is more difficult to correct (assuming each have the same work ethic and ability to adapt). NEVER ASSUME!!! great q's, have worked with both, tony in winter ball in the dominican the last 3 yrs....each player does something different, and you have to do what's best for each player...contact is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING...power is god given and you can teach players certain things to help them with 'driving the ball' _________________

We got this one

And as already mentioned, be sure to send your questions and comments to Dopirak! We need to get the questions and comments turned in by Tuesday night!

I guarantee that the Jaxx and Daytona Cubs will not lose today.

A little silver lining, we got Dave Keller's q & a tonight!

FWIW maybe we can get that session with Rich Hill completed :wink:

I wish I could, but unless he's back in AAA this year I don't see it happening unless I mail it to him and he's willing to do answer it and send it back. Very frustrating...

Great job by the fans behind home sitting down for that AB!

CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!!!

Oh man, that first pitch was meat

ha ha, tense moment coming

Just setting up the DP...

So Joe, was it because his feet weren't set or because he had to rush the throw?

Ugh

ha ha, Holla

Yay! Great, another q & a that doesn't get completed. Thanks, AAA.

Cabrera for MVP!

Seriously, that's enough of that Sorry. Need to do learn to do my *cussing* with my mouth and not my fingers. I know frustrations are high, but this we have to follow the guidelines Thanks for your understanding.

Seriously, that's enough of that

Ugh, Jaxx lost another

Hopefully the groundscrew will do a better job than the away game not long ago.

Thanks in advance! It's time for the Jaxx to get a W, this losing streak stinks.

We got this one