The Future Is Now: Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Showcase Preview, Saturday 11/7, 7:15 CT

by Al Yellon on Nov 7, 2009 1:00 PM CST in Game Threads

The 2009 baseball season has just ended, and in a way, you could say that tonight, the 2010 season begins.

While we are not going to see the most-hyped prospect, Stephen Strasburg -- he was scratched due to a strained neck muscle -- or Cubs prospect Josh Vitters, also scratched with a minor injury, there will be plenty of players in tonight's game who you'll see in the major leagues next season.

Among them are Giants prospect catcher Buster Posey, who played in two games against the Cubs last September; Hank Conger, who may be the Angels' next catcher; and, of course, the Cubs' own Starlin Castro, who we have been talking about here all throughout the AFL season. Castro enters tonight's game leading the AFL in batting average (.424). Castro probably isn't quite ready for the major leagues -- he won't turn 20 until March and has played only 31 games above A ball -- but he'll likely get into some spring training games next March and could get a September callup in 2010.

Andrew Cashner, also in the AFL, won't play tonight either, so the only other Cubs prospect who might participate will be Blake Parker, who had 22 saves for Iowa last year and who might have a shot at the major league bullpen in 2010.

There were a number of players from the 2008 AFL who made significant impacts on the 2009 major league season, including Tommy Hanson, Gordon Beckham, Matt Wieters, Bud Norris and Phil Hughes. I figure enough of you are interested in, and will be watching, this game, that it deserved its own game thread.

Broadcast and other detailed information after the jump.

MLB.com article about tonight's game, which will begin at 7:15 CST.

MLB Network will carry a live broadcast of the Rising Stars Game with Diamondbacks announcer Daron Sutton and MLB Network's Tony Clark in the broadcast booth. A live video feed will also be available on MLB.com.

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Castro is a stud.

I’m super excited. :D

by BWoodrum on Nov 7, 2009 1:05 PM CST reply actions

Sounds like a lot of the luster from this game is already gone

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Nov 7, 2009 1:10 PM CST reply actions

Mixed feelings:

Cool: A live video feed will also be available on MLB.com
Uncool: will begin at 7:15 CST

Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
- The Mock Turtle, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -

by eths on Nov 7, 2009 1:26 PM CST reply actions

I'm sure there will be an archive you can see in the morning.

It’s not like the result of this game really matters — you can watch it later just to enjoy the players and their performances.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 7, 2009 3:39 PM CST up reply actions

Funnily there is no link for the game on the MLB.TV Media Center page at mlb.com

Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
- The Mock Turtle, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -

by eths on Nov 7, 2009 4:02 PM CST up reply actions

My guess is...

… that if you’re going to find this link, it would be somewhere on this page.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 7, 2009 4:08 PM CST up reply actions

I hope you're right

Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
- The Mock Turtle, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -

by eths on Nov 7, 2009 4:20 PM CST up reply actions

They should do more stuff like this...

and should also broadcast these types of things on the MLB network.

by Shawn Domagal-Goldman on Nov 7, 2009 2:24 PM CST reply actions

oops

They ARE broadcasting it on the MLB network. Nice…

by Shawn Domagal-Goldman on Nov 7, 2009 2:26 PM CST up reply actions

There will be another AFL game later this month...

… the championship game on the 21st.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Nov 7, 2009 3:39 PM CST up reply actions

They should stream more of this on the internet for international fans.

Making the game available is an important aspect of improving the sport’s standing on a world wide basis. Something which MLB has been woefully poor at. Olympic Golf instead of Baseball (and Softball) – geeeez…

Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
- The Mock Turtle, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -

by eths on Nov 7, 2009 2:46 PM CST up reply actions

at least you're not subjected to the whims of MLB's arcane blackout restrictions...

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 7, 2009 3:08 PM CST up reply actions

True, but the whims of night games are almost as bad at times

At least the games are archived, so listening to the audio at work next morning is an option, even if I usually already have seen somewhere or other how the night games ended.

But it is weird that sometimes it’s easier for me to watch a Cubs (day) game than for a fan who lives Rockford, Illinois.

Well, I never heard it before, but it sounds uncommon nonsense.
- The Mock Turtle, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll -

by eths on Nov 7, 2009 3:26 PM CST up reply actions

rumor has it that

Keith Law will have Castro in his Top 20. This is amazing that this kid has climbed this fast.

by socalbob on Nov 7, 2009 4:17 PM CST reply actions

Parker looks like Jake Fox

I’m trying to figure out who Cashner looks like.

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by cubzfan on Nov 7, 2009 7:08 PM CST reply actions

a hippy?

"hey

by jesus christos on Nov 7, 2009 7:18 PM CST up reply actions

hope we dont introduce him to Soto

Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living."

by DC Cubbie on Nov 7, 2009 7:42 PM CST up reply actions

This guy, perhaps?

"Enough foreplay- let's get crackin'"- Fred Garvin

by davidalanu on Nov 7, 2009 8:43 PM CST up reply actions

Castro is starting and batting 2nd

by va cubsfan on Nov 7, 2009 7:09 PM CST reply actions

East Division Starting Lineup

PIT – CF Jose Tabata
CHC – SS Starlin Castro
BAL – DH Brandon Snyder
OAK – LF Grant Desme
ARZ – 1B Brandon Allen
SF – C Buster Posey
PHI – RF Domonic Brown
BAL – 3B Josh Bell
OAK – 2B Jemile Weeks

LAA – RHP Tommy Mendoza

by va cubsfan on Nov 7, 2009 7:12 PM CST reply actions

West Division Starting Lineup

SEA – CF Dustin Ackley
CHW – RF Jordan Danks
KC – 3B Mike Moustakas
CIN – LF Chris Heisey
CIN – 1B Yonder Alonso
STL – DH Daryl Jones
SD – 2B Lance Zawadzski
HOU – C Jason Castro
SEA – SS Carlos Triunfel

ATL – LHP Mike Minor

by va cubsfan on Nov 7, 2009 7:16 PM CST reply actions

Augh! I missed Castro's first at-bat

Wha hoppen?

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by cubzfan on Nov 7, 2009 7:27 PM CST reply actions

broken bat single to center.

by bikemonkey on Nov 7, 2009 7:29 PM CST up reply actions

castro looks like a young michael jackson

but without a fro

"hey

by jesus christos on Nov 7, 2009 7:33 PM CST reply actions

Looks like..

Castro is gonna get 2 at bats in the first inning.

by bikemonkey on Nov 7, 2009 7:40 PM CST reply actions

Already 7-0 East with 2 outs in first

The West pitcher Mike Minor (Braves) is done

by va cubsfan on Nov 7, 2009 7:45 PM CST up reply actions

Youch!

Collision at second. Everybody looks fine.

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by cubzfan on Nov 7, 2009 7:52 PM CST reply actions

Field

hope Castro gets afew plays. Really want to see what he looks like in the field.

"It's a funny old world. Man's lucky if he gets out of it alive." W.C. Fields

by KedzieKid on Nov 7, 2009 7:53 PM CST reply actions

Castro 2 for 3

inside-out swing, and a “Texas Leaguer” according to the announcers.

Let’s see a steal here!

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by cubzfan on Nov 7, 2009 8:46 PM CST reply actions

Talking to myself

“He read the ball down in the dirt, was aggressive, made them make the play, and now finds himself on third base with two down.”

“This young man’s hands are lightning” —Tony Clark

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by cubzfan on Nov 7, 2009 8:49 PM CST up reply actions

I'm watching a killer Pink Floyd documentary

Who’s winning? How’s our kid playing?

by chilango2 on Nov 7, 2009 9:22 PM CST up reply actions

Starlin Castro went 2 for 3 with two singles and a run scored

He left the game in the 5th

by va cubsfan on Nov 7, 2009 9:38 PM CST up reply actions

Thanks man

by chilango2 on Nov 7, 2009 9:44 PM CST up reply actions

Just saw this sign on the telecast: "Holy Cow! Keep the Cubs in Arizona"

complete with the Harry Caray caricature.

by va cubsfan on Nov 7, 2009 9:43 PM CST reply actions

I'm very excited about Castro however

it is good to keep in mind that players who end up being major leaguers do well in the AFL as do players that don’t. It is a hitters’ league. Two words of warning: Luis Montanez. Now that said, it sure would be nice to see a position player come up at a young age and be productive, wouldn’t it?

by the nth on Nov 7, 2009 11:05 PM CST reply actions

My Thoughts

I too missed Castro’s first AB due to traffic and having to walk a mile from my parking spot to the stadium. sigh I got a great parking spot just a day earlier, but there were only about 40 fans at that game. :) Anyways, I think I got a couple good pics of Starlin in his 3rd AB and I’ll get around to posting them. Don’t know when though …

Anyways, I was impressed by his aggressiveness on advancing on a wild pitch that was only a foot or two away from the home plate. I couldn’t tell from my seat but it looked like he was safe at second. Once again, he didn’t work the counts much and saw only 7 pitches in 3 ABs. He didn’t have any difficult plays at short so it’s hard to tell how good he is.

Blake Parker was less successful in his inning. He started the inning hitting 93/94 but he steadily lost velocity as the inning went on. I saw a few 89s on the stadium gun. He struggled to throw his breaking pitches for strikes too. Fortunately, he got Yonder Alonso to chase a couple of balls to get through his inning.

To me, the two best pitchers at the game were Tanner Scheppers and Drew Storen. Tanner sat at 95/96 and topped out at 99 a couple of times on the stadium gun. The biggest question with him is his health. Storen took the loss but a bad play by Jemile Weeks allowing the leadoff man to reach and what should have been a game tieing home run became a game winning one instead. He made one mistake and lost the game. He also sat at 95/96 but didn’t have the top velocity of Scheppers. He also showed a pretty good slider too.

As for the position players, Chris Heisey stood out for me. I’d seen him in a couple other games and he looks like a good player to me. Just what Cincy needs, another good young OF. A starting outfield of Bruce, Stubbs and Heisey could be a powerhouse in a couple of years. Ike Davis has a nice swing and could be a good 1B for the Mets. He couldn’t be any worse than Danny Murphy, right? :) Yonder Alonso also looks like a real good hitter but might not have a position in Cincinnati. Buster Posey and Grant Desme look like players too.

Well, that’s about it. I’m about to drink today’s Bears game from my memory. Mahalo

I reject your reality and substitute my own.

by WayneCampbell08 on Nov 8, 2009 4:43 PM CST reply actions