Get to Know: The Iowa Cubs (Minor League Preview)

This is the first of four diaries . . . err . . .fanposts examining the top four teams in the Cubs Minor League System.  These will serve as a preview of the upcoming minor league season.  Each post will examine the roster of the team and what Cub fans should be looking out for.

PLEASE RECOMMEND!  I spent hours on these previews and I don't want them to get lost among April Fools jokes and complaints about the batting order.  So if you find this valuable, please hit the recommend button, because I'm not going to waste my time on writing this stuff up if no one is reading it.

Also, the roster provided here may contain some errors.  The official websites haven't updated yet and other sources for the final rosters have contradictions.  Keep in mind that the roster may change up until the first pitch as well.

Who is not here:  The I-Cubs go first, so they get a little administrative duties.  The sad news for the Cubs minor league system in the release of Brian Dopirak, the first baseman who just three years ago was Baseball America's #1 prospect in the Cub system.  Dopirak was never able to build on the 39 HR season he had in the Midwest League in 2004.  While he did have a foot injury in 2006, he was fully healed for 2007 and played poorly. He hit well in High A Daytona, but struggled at AA Tennessee. 

Dopirak is a lesson to fans (and me in particular) about getting too excited about prospects in the low minors.

Outfielder Chris Walker and pitcher Tim Layden were also among the minor league players released at the end of spring training.

Two players who have not been released, but whom will not be found on any minor league roster, are Mark Pawelek and Josh Vitters.  Both players are staying behind in extended spring training in Arizona.  Pawelek is working on a new delivery that the Cubs hope will put his control and injury problems behind him.  

The Cubs are treating Vitters like a newborn baby.  They are being very careful with him and don't want to rush him to the Midwest League before they are convinced that he can handle it.  There has also been some concern expressed in the organization about the injury risk of making a lifelong Southern Californian with very little professional experience play baseball in Peoria in April.

Both Pawelek and Vitters may get added to the roster in Peoria in May if the Cubs feel they are ready.  Most likely though, they'll open up in Boise in June.  I would expect to see Vitters, at least, show up on the Peoria roster sometime this season, either in May or in August.

The Iowa Cubs

Who's in Charge?  The Iowa Cubs are managed this season by former Brewer rookie of the year Pat Listach.  Listach is in his ninth season in the Cubs organization, having spent the past two seasons as their AA manager.  The Cubs seem really high on Listach and likely see a future major league manager in him. This is mentioned because Listach may be the second or third-best prospect on the I-Cubs.

Former Dodger Von Joshua is the hitting coach and former Ranger Mike Mason, who played half a season with the Cubs in 1987, is the pitching coach.

Who is Pitching?  The best reason to see the I-Cubs early this season is their pitching rotation, which is lead by a pair of Seans.  Sean Marshall and Sean Gallagher should be familiar to most Cub fans by now.  Marshall was in the Cubs rotation for most of the year last season.  Gallagher pitched briefly in the majors last season, but returns to the minors for his first full season in AAA.  Gallagher relies a low 90s fastball and a plus curveball and is a potential #3 starter in the major leagues.  Baseball America has compared him to a young Jon Lieber.

Joining the Seans in the rotation is Mark Holliman, who is a  young "crafty" right-hander, if such a thing exists.  Holliman rarely hits 90 on the radar gun, getting by with a wide assortment of off-speed pitches.  That junk was good enough for him to toss a seven inning no-hitter in AA last season.  Because he's such a junkballer, his upside is limited, but he's always managed to get guys out, which counts for something.  Don't count him out.

Candidates to fill out the rest of the rotation are holdovers from last season:  J. R. Mathes and Al's favorite pitcher, Les Walrond.  But look for some of the young guns from AA Tennessee to get promoted as the season goes on.

The bullpen has a couple of interesting players.  Jose Ascaino, obtained from the Braves for Will Ohman and Omar Infante, throws smoke but needs to control it better and develop his change up and curve.  He has the potential to be a future closer or a minor league flame out.  Billy Petrick and his heavy sinker will join him, and Petrick could be the first guy to get a call to Chicago when there is an opening in the Wrigley bullpen.

Juan Mateo will continue to work on his comeback from injury in the bullpen in Des Moines. Neal Cotts will try to come back from being Neal Cotts as well.

Fun Fact:  The Des Moines Register is conducting an on-line poll to determine who the greatest players are in the history of the Iowa Oaks/Cubs.  Les Walrond is one of the choices for greatest left-handed starter.  He's losing badly right now to Vida Blue. Maybe Al could start an on-line campaign?

Who will hit?  The I-Cubs have four catchers listed on their roster, but Jake Fox's days as a catcher are over.  But he's still a right-handed outfielder/first baseman with major league power.  The question is whether he can bring enough power and make enough contact to handle left field or first base in majors.  Fox turns 26 in July, so one of the stories to watch in Iowa this summer is whether or not Jake Fox takes enough of a step forward to deserve a major league roster spot.  This is likely Fox's last chance before becoming Micah Hoffpauir.

The veteran catchers, JD Closser and Koyie Hill, are major league backups who are looking show enough to get the call if Geovany Soto or Henry Blanco get injured. Casey McGehee will likely play more third base than catcher, but he's looking to be an all-around utility man who can catch and play a corner infield spot.  He won't hit for a high average, but he'll draw a walk, chip in a double or two and generally be productive.

First baseman Micah Hoffpauir returns to Iowa for his fourth season with the I-Cubs, which should say something about his status as a prospect.  Cub fans got excited about him in Mesa, but he's 28 years old and missed almost half the season last year with an injury.  If he can play right field he might have some major league value, but his fielding record in 35 games in the outfield early in his minor league career is not encouraging.

Eric Patterson probably should have Mike Fontenot's job in the major leagues, but he hasn't done anything to earn it yet and Fontenot hasn't done anything to lose it. Patterson will probably will play everywhere but catcher and shortstop at Iowa as the Cubs try to see if he can fill a utility role.  He's already a major league hitter with a good eye, good speed and doubles power.  He needs to prove himself defensively in AAA.  I would expect that Patterson would be the first player to get the call to the majors after an injury to a position player.

Carlos Rojas is a minor league shortstop who is a throwback to the days of Mark Belanger and Buddy Biancalana.  He's a slick glove who can't hit a lick.  Minor league veterans Andres Blanco and Luis Figueroa round out the infield.

The outfield, besides Fox and Patterson, is anchored by two Cub fan favorites, Sam Fuld and Matt Murton, neither of whom really need any introduction.  Josh Kroeger is the final outfielder.  He was a prospect years ago in the Diamondbacks organization, but failed in a brief trial with the Snakes in 2004.  The Cubs found him on the scrap heap last year and he tore up AA and got himself quite a fan following in these pages although not from this author.  He's a contact corner outfielder who doesn't have speed, power or draw walks, but has hit for a high average in the past.  He's organizational filler right now, but he's not without talent and still has a small chance of being a fourth outfielder/pinch-hitter in the major leagues.  Kroeger is one to watch to see if he can recapture any of the promise that made him a prospect in Arizona five years ago.

He's not listed on the roster right now, but I was under the impression that Andres Torres would play for Iowa this summer as well. He's insurance in case Sam Fuld gets injured.

Fun Fact:  Carlos Rojas has had 1751 minor league at-bat and has never hit a home run.  Not even an inside-the-park one.  

What to watch for in Iowa:  The Cubs rarely put many of their top prospects in AAA, and that's true this year as well.  Other than Sean Gallagher and maybe Billy Petrick, all the other I-Cubs are either major league veterans who got squeezed out of Chicago, organizational filler, or prospects with big question marks.  Still, it should be fun to watch and see if some of those prospects, like Patterson, Fuld and Fox, answer those questions and get called up to the majors this summer.  By mid-season, expect some of the better prospects in Tennessee to get the call to Iowa and see how they get challenged by the better competition.