Wrigley Rat

And with the 31st pick of the 2009 Amateur Draft, the Chicago Cubs select... (Anyone know if there will be video on mlb.com this evening? Or will it just be an update of draft picks?)

A good night for Tony Thomas: 3-for-3 with a walk, 2 SB's, 1 2B, 2 runs, and 1 RBI. Aaron Miles 2-for-3 at Iowa, 1 run, 1 K, leading off and playing 3B. Mitch Atkins with a nice performance (finally!). 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER (on a solo HR), 0 BB, 7 SO, 1 HBP.

Aaron Miles assigned to Iowa.

http://www.thecubreporter.com/2009/06/05/rivas-leads-cubs-victory-fitch Sad :( Why? Boise's season starts in 15 days and Mesa's in 16 days. Guaranteed box scores every day plus some newspaper, radio and even TV coverage in the case of Boise. Yeah - I'm excited about all of that, but I enjoy reading Arizona Phil's notes. Can we get an Idaho Phil to do that for Boise? I will watch some of the home games, but what about those darn away games? :)

http://www.thecubreporter.com/2009/06/05/rivas-leads-cubs-victory-fitch Sad :(

http://www.thecubreporter.com/2009/06/05/rivas-leads-cubs-victory-fitch 1 for 6 (a single) with 2 walks, a run scored, and a SB. He also struck out twice.

Important to note that Chirinos' 2 HR's were both grand slams. Looking at the Dominican Cubs 2 team, they made something like 6 errors today and the pitchers struck out 16 hitters (I think). Interesting stats - it's like being at a T-ball game or a coach-pitch game. So Taguchi has been activated by the Iowa Cubs (not sure of corresponding move).

Strange play. Think he got taken out on the slide at 2B? That'd be my guess - the Peoria Journal Star has a story on today's game, but it doesn't even mention the injury - maybe it's just day-to-day. The Journal Star doesn't send reporters to road games. They put together an article by A. Listening to my broadcast and try to take notes for a quick recap. B. Doing it from the box score/recap or C. Taking the recap that I send out to media and create their quick blurb. It doesnt make financial sense for them to travel with us and they never have except for the playoffs. But they still do a great job getting an article in every day by listening to the game and using the recap I provide on the website. But sometimes they do miss things. Good to know - thanks!!!

Strange play. Think he got taken out on the slide at 2B? That'd be my guess - the Peoria Journal Star has a story on today's game, but it doesn't even mention the injury - maybe it's just day-to-day.

"Peoria Chiefs shortstop Ryan Flaherty left the game due to an injured leg. " That's all the recap said - probably not what you wanted though. Here's the play that he must've gotten hurt on: "Jaime Pedroza grounds into a force out, first baseman Rebel Ridling to shortstop Ryan Flaherty. Dee Gordon out at 2nd. Jaime Pedroza out at 2nd. Jaime Pedroza out at 2nd, catcher Michael Brenly to first baseman Rebel Ridling." http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t443&t=g_log&gid=2009_05_29_peoafx_swmafx_1

We officially have nothing left from the "Mike Wuertz to Oakland for Robnett and 2B Justin Sellers" trade. And don't look at how Wuertz is doing for Oakland - it makes me sick (too bad Lou didn't like him): http://www.thebaseballcube.com/Players/W/Mike-Wuertz.shtml

OF John Ford-Griffin signed by Iowa. OF Richie Robnett released. LHP James Russell promoted to Iowa. LHP Jayson Ruhlman sent back to Tennessee. RHP Jesse Estrada released. RHP Marco Carrillo promoted to Tennessee. LHP Jeremy Papelbon activated from DL.

I will disagree with that assumption - I think he is climbing up the prospect charts, but like Jake Fox, he doesn't really have a position that he has excelled at defensively. In college, he pitched and played catcher/1B. He was a little raw in both areas when the Cubs picked him up. Despite his age, he has seen success everywhere he has been. I think of him the same way I think of a pitcher that has had TJ surgery (give him a little more time) - he is a little old for his levels, but if he continues to have success, you can't argue with that. IMO, part of the promotion of Steve Clevenger was to give Lalli, Welington Castillo, and Russ Canzler more at bats between catcher and 1B. Don't be fooled by Mark Reed's promotion who seems to be quietly fading away. I don't think he's shown enough to be more than a minor league backup catcher. :(

I want to see Blake Lalli moved up to Iowa from Tennessee. He just turned 26. He's a lefty catcher/1B. He is hitting 361/415/931 in 97 AB's. Only 11 K's. Last year at Tennessee, he hit 286/324/810 in 70 AB's with 18 K's. He has 62 doubles and 17 HR's in 839 minor league AB's which hints that he's a line drive hitter. His fielding percentage at catcher is .988 in the minor leagues while at 1B it is .983. At Tennessee, he is limiting Steve Clevenger's and Welington Castillo's AB's (74 & 78 respectively). Clevenger needs more playing time, so this will allow him to play more 1B. Castillo can play more catcher. Russ Canzler can back up 1B and LF. At Iowa, Mark Johnson is doing nothing. There is no reason to keep him around since if we needed another catcher, we would put Chris Robinson on the 40-man roster and call him up (370/389/908 and he's excellent defensively). Also, Jake Fox should be playing everywhere (LF, RF, 3B, C, 1B) to increase his trade value (since we obviously have no intention of calling him up). By having Lalli at Iowa, Fox will need to play positions other than 1B more often. If anyone is worried about releasing Mark Johnson, other moves could easily be made (Macias back to Peoria, Matulia back to the DL, Fuld/Robnett/Spears sent to AA). At Extended Spring Training, there are five catchers waiting for an opening (John Contreras, Matt Cerda, Jose Guevara, Alvara Sosa, and Juan Medina). The Cubs will inevitably draft more catchers in a couple weeks. There are two or three catcher spots available at Boise and Mesa - not everyone will get a spot. By moving Lalli up, all of the others can move up thus creating an opening at Peoria for one of those guys. Of course, if you prefer to move up a 1B instead, that works too. Sean Hoorelbeke and Chris Weimer deserve to get out of Extended Spring Training too! EDIT: Add Jericho Jones to that list as he went 2 for 3 today while playing 1B according to Arizona Phil. What d'ya think? I'm procrastinating and avoiding writing report cards. This took a nice chunk of time to write!

Jose Ascanio returned to Iowa to make room for Zambrano. Jake Fox played again at catcher today.

Hopefully all of this year. He needs to work on those secondary pitches and also work on his control. And I haven't given up hope that he might stick as a starter though he's eventually going to have to get into the 4th inning for that to happen.. Cashner is really wild. Last year he walked more a batter per inning (as a pro; he hadn't been equally wild in college). This year he's still really wild; I don't know where they record how many guys he's hit, but when you sum up walks, wild pitches, and HBP, he's averaging more than a wild-event per inning. And the extraordinary wildness is also why he's exhausting his pitch count within 2 or 3 innings. That kind of wildness doesn't play in either rotation or relief. He's in a minor-league rotation to pitch and try to get a hint of control. How much control he develops will dictate how far he goes and in what role he pitches, if he ever gets enough to pitch productively in the majors. Just a thought - If he's working on his secondary pitches, his problems with control could be due to that. Having no pitching experience myself, if someone asked me to come out and throw a forkball every third pitch every game, I would consider myself lucky if the catcher was even able to get a glove on it! Since his history indicates that his control has been fine, I have a tendency not to panic. I will assume that the Cubs brass will eventually have him scrap any pitches that he is just not getting the hang of. I think most pitchers work on those pitches in EST, but with him being such a high draft pick and an older player, I imagine there is some pressure to have him pitch in full-season ball. Just my two cents.

My sentiments exactly. Given how Hart's pitched this season, him blowing it was to be expected. I am almost glad that happened, because he is likely the next candidate to get called up. Hopefully Lou/Hendry see this and decide to call someone else up when they want another bullpen arm. I really doubt he's the next likely candidate to get a callup. His numbers have just been abysmal this season. I have to assume he was basing that comment on something that Iowa's pitching coach said a couple days ago - Something about how Stevens needs to improve his secondary pitches before they send him up and how Hart's secondary pitches will be what allows him to be called up soon.

My sentiments exactly.

Matt Camp homered for the Iowa Cubs to tie it. Then they had the winning run on 3rd base with nobody out, but Jake Fox, Nate Spears, and Mark Johnson couldn't drive him home. Then the Cubs get the lead - again from a Matt Camp hit. Then Kevin Hart proceeds to lose the game for them. Frustrating game.

Steve Vento activated from the 7-day DL for Daytona.

hasn't he been in the system forever. Yeah - he was probably close to being cut at different times in the past, but his versatility is keeping him around (he can play catcher and all of the infield positions).

Andres Blanco with a grand slam for Iowa. They now lead 4-3 in the 7th inning.

Iowa: Jeff Samardzija 0-0 3.75 ERA 12 IP 11/4 K/BB Tennessee: Marcos Mateo 0-0 1.08 ERA 16.2 IP 11/9 K/BB (Combined Iowa & Tenn) Daytona: Rafael Dolis 1-3 3.32 ERA 21.2 IP 17/14 K/BB Peoria: Chris Archer 1-0 1.17 ERA (after today's game) 23 IP 26/15 K/BB (Jake Fox not in the lineup today after being hit at 1B by a broken bat yesterday)

Jake Fox left the game in the seventh inning after being hit with a broken bat while playing first base. Maybe someone can update us on his status if they know more.

So did Marquez Smith want the game to end or what? 2 outs, bottom of the 12th, men on 1st and 3rd, ground ball to 3rd and he throws the ball to 2nd with no one covering. Game over. Tony Thomas' fault for not covering 2nd or Smith's?