Jon

Most have their masters in Moderating already. Of course, I didn't need a degree. I just showed up the day they opened the site.

Mr. Sing- As someone who hits for power, walks a lot, and strikes out a lot, what goes through your mind right before a 3-2 pitch? Do you "protect the plate" more in that situation or do you tend to take close pitches? Also, is there one person in the Cubs organization that you feel has helped you the most, either with your swing or just general development? Thanks and keep up the great work!

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!

Results: Iowa scored 3 in the 9th to win 6-5 Box Score CF C. Patterson 2/4, 2B (4) 1B-3B S. McClain 1/5, RBI (68), 2 R LF B. Grieve 3/4, 2B (9), RBI (36), R 2B-3B M. Fontenot 3/5, 2B (17), 2 RBI (30), 2 K C M. Johnson 2/4, 2B (10), 2 RBI (17), BB, K SP C. Pignatiello 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 6/0, 1 HR RP B. Brownlie 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2/0 RP J. Van Buren 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2/0 West Tennesse lost 8-3 Box Score 2B R. Theriot 1/5, K SS N. Garciaparra 1/4, R 1B-3B C. McGehee 0/4, R, BB, 2 K RF-1B B. Sing 1/2, HR (23), RBI (62), R, 2 BB, K LF-RF L. Montanez 2/4, 2B (7), K 3B-SS A. Sisk 0/4, K, E (2) CF B. Coats 1/3, 2 RBI (32), BB C C. Kopitzke 1/4 LF D. Bacon 1/1 SP R. O'Malley 2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 0/0, 1 HR RP J. Searles 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4/1 RP D. Aardsma 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1/0 Daytona lost 8-5 Box Score 3B S. Moore 0/4, K, E (19) 1B B. Dopirak 2/3, HR (11), 2 RBI (50), 2 R, BB DH P. O'Toole 2/4, 2B (6), 2 R, K RF J.J. Johnson 3/4, 2B (23), 3 RBI (38) 2B R. Chirinos 2/4, E (12) SP J.R. Mathes 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6/3, E (1) RP A. Tavares 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1/2 RP J. Gerk 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2/0 RP L. Gwaltney 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0/0 Peoria won 12-2 Box Score DH A. Granato 2/5, RBI (28), R, K 2B E. Patterson 1/4, RBI (54), K RF R. Harvey 1/4, R, BB, K LF B. Flowers 2/3, 3B (3), 2 RBI (38), 3 R, 2 BB SS J. Simokaitis 2/4, 3 R, BB C O. Bernard 3/5, HR (1), 2B (8), 4 RBI (20), 3 R 1B-3B D. Larsen 2/4, 3 RBI (42), BB, E (17) SP S. Gallagher 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 5/0 RP W. Nolen 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1/1 Boise committed 6 errors and lost 9-2 Box Score CF D. Gregg 1/4 DH K. Reynolds 1/4, 2B (9), R 2B J. Rios 1/3, E (6) SP M. Atkins 4.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 7/1, 1 HR RP R. Chambers 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3/0 RP J. Ortiz 3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0/5 Mesa Cubs were off.

After three straight walks and a pitching change to leadoff the 8th inning, Patterson singled to drive in a run. He's 2-4 with a double, RBI, and strikeout. The I-Cubs scored 3 in the inning to tie the game. Williamson went back out there and pitched the 8th. He gave up a leadoff single, groundout FC, groundout FC, error on a pickoff throw, and groundout. His final line: 2 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 HR. Bartosh went out for the 9th, though, and gave up a run on 2 hits and a walk to take the loss.

The Boise box is up. Hagerty didn't do so good... Williamson's line for Iowa: 1 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 HR:

Wellemeyer's final line: 5.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts. Todd had a shutout through 5. He left in the 6th with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out.

And he's 1-2 with a double and strikeout so far. Wellemeyer is back in there. He has struck out 3 and walked 1 in addition to giving up 3 hits through 3 scoreless. He has yet to get a groundball out.

http://www.jonmdavis.net/cubs/july292005.mp3

you were a fan of the sac bunt and run to set things up for macias? I hate small ball, yes, but I didn't mind it as much as the usual sac bunt (especially since I had faith that Murton could actually get it down, but that's a minor point). Macias seems to be making more consistent contact as of late.

My goodness that was huge. I'll also say that it was a pretty well managed game by Dusty once it started. I can't say I disagreed with any of his moves (off the top of my head), including leaving Prior in there.

Not the first time (see the game in Houston). He sometimes thinks he can just blow a guy away and tries to do so even when it doesn't make as much sense. And by the way, tough error on Murton. It was a bad throw, but it took a real long hop in front of Blanco. No reason that should go to the backstop.

Couldn't see where Blanco set up, but three straight fastballs in hittable spots is not a good idea.

I've been begging for Lee to get a rest for about two weeks now. He knew the weather forecast going into the series in Cinci but still didn't sit him. Lee said that he could barely move at times in the heat in St. Louis but still, no rest. He complained again about how tired he was yesterday and still isn't resting. The fact that he complained publicly twice about being tired when he usually says he wants to play every day is significant. If Dusty needs to go one game without either Lee or Ramirez, that's fine by me. Resting a player who's not swinging at 100% is going to be better for the team in the long run. I agree with everything you've said. But if Lee's name wasn't in the lineup today, you know all hell would've broken loose. Yes, it would have. But I'm not sure it would have been people going both ways. May have just been the usual split.

I've been begging for Lee to get a rest for about two weeks now. He knew the weather forecast going into the series in Cinci but still didn't sit him. Lee said that he could barely move at times in the heat in St. Louis but still, no rest. He complained again about how tired he was yesterday and still isn't resting. The fact that he complained publicly twice about being tired when he usually says he wants to play every day is significant. If Dusty needs to go one game without either Lee or Ramirez, that's fine by me. Resting a player who's not swinging at 100% is going to be better for the team in the long run.

A week or two ago, yeah. Stole it right out of his backyard. It's a blue and white Trek.

You know, as much as I bash Dusty, we do have a terrible time with managers in general (and perhaps also general managers?). What's wrong with this organization in that regard? Can't always blame the manager. Comes from the top down, yeah. I don't think something like resting players is discussed with Hendry, though.

Neifi is a pioneer of suckitude. He is always blazing a trail of new and inventive ways to fail. Derrek needs a day off, IMO. Then Derrek should have hinted at that. Oh, wait. He did. Dusty has been very un-Dusty-like in that regard this year. Any other year and he would not have been riding Lee and Burnitz this hard. Hopefully once ARam gets back Derrek can get a day or two off... the Cubs' offense is pretty lousy with ARam and DLee; I'd hate to see it without both of them in the lineup. Dusty had his chance to do that yesterday, though. Perhaps he'll sit Lee or Burnitz Sunday (when I'm going...) to give one of them 2 days off. Whenever there's a late extra-innings game, the same thing almost always happens. Once they lose that 2nd game after the late one, everyone says that it's always the 2nd game when you feel really sluggish (and not the first). Lee talked about it. Dusty talked about it. And yet nothing is done to avoid that. If it's true, why rest people the next day and not the 2nd?

Neifi is a pioneer of suckitude. He is always blazing a trail of new and inventive ways to fail. Derrek needs a day off, IMO. Then Derrek should have hinted at that. Oh, wait. He did. Dusty has been very un-Dusty-like in that regard this year. Any other year and he would not have been riding Lee and Burnitz this hard.

I'm surprised Lee didn't crush that first pitch. Right down the middle and ankle high. That's apparently well within his strikezone.

I love this guy...

Good news about Guzman. Let's just keep our fingers crossed (or continue to keep them crossed since first doing so over 2 years ago...). If Pie is back in 8 days, he'll have missed over 7 weeks.

What an AB by Blanco. Missed a hanging curve but came right back and crushed a knee-high fastball through the wind. What an AB.

And yet, no days off...

Any word on how he was running?