Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Knicks Beat Lakers With Familiar Strategy

The BCB Scouting Bureau

We're trying something new this season and we're asking for your help.  Relax, it will be fun.

Every year dozens of you go to see the Cubs minor league affiliates.  Most of you post nice recaps of your experiences and we appreciate them greatly.  But it got me to thinking that with all the Cub fans we've got watching minor league games, we've got a kind of scouting bureau here.  If only there was some way to organize it so that other fans could easily access it and get answers to their questions about minor leaguers.

So that's what I'm trying to do.

Most of the work that's being done here is on my end.  I want you do to the fun part, which is go to the minor league games and report back to me and the rest of the board what you saw.  What I want to do is better organize what you are seeing.

What I'm going to do with your reports?  I haven't completely figured that out yet and some of this I still have to work out with Al and what we can do on the site.  But right now my plan is to, at the end of the month, reprint all of these reports in one story that will hopefully be somewhere on the site that everyone can find.  But they'll be cut up and re-arranged so that under one heading of "Josh Vitters," for example, you would find every comment from every poster who saw Josh Vitters play that month.

I've already gotten some good reports on the I-Cubs from znohitter and the Peoria Chiefs from cwyers, outshined_one and mikew.  If you've posted one that I've missed, please tell me in this thread so that I can track it down.  Don't worry, everyone will get credit for what they've reported.

So what do I want from you that's different?  Not much, really.  One thing I'd like to know is who is going to the games.  If you're planning on going to a minor league game involving a Cubs affiliate, I'd like to know about it as soon as possible and I'll mark it down on my calendar.  I may (or I may not) give you a special assignment--something that I or other people on the board have been asking about.  For example, we may want to know what Andrew Cashner's velocity is at or how many off-speed pitches he's throwing.  Or we may want to know your thoughts on exactly how bad Jake Fox's defense really is.  Don't worry.  We're not going to ask you to grade a curveball on a 20-80 scale.  Nor am I going to ask you seven or eight questions so that you get to the point where you're working rather than enjoying the game.  It'll be one question, maybe two in case the subject of the first question doesn't actually play.

If people tell me enough in advance that they're going to see a team, I can ask the whole community what kinds of questions they want answered and pass one on.

Now we still want you to post a whole report from your trip to the game and what you saw.  In fact, that's part of the process.  If you go to see a Chiefs game and see that Josh Harrison struck out and looked bad on a curve ball, we can ask the next "scout" to check out Harrison to see if he's really having problems with curve balls or whether he just got fooled that one time.  And of course we also want to hear about the hot dogs and the dizzy bat races--this is, after all, Bleed Cubbie Blue:  Home of the "Tomato Inning."  But we won't include that in the final scouting report.

If you can't contact me in advance, still file a report about the game in the Daily Minor League Wrap section as you always have.  This is a request, not a requirement.

The other thing I'd like to ask of your reports is that you clearly mark every player you're writing about.  Separate paragraphs, when possible, for each player in your recap, will make it easier to cut and paste things together.

If you want, I can give you a silly title like "Bleed Cubbie Blue Southern League Bird Dog."  You can put it in your sig line, impress your friends and embarrass your girlfriend or boyfriend.

From experience and common sense, I know we're going to get a lot of Iowa Cubs and Peoria Chiefs reports, many fewer Tennessee Smokies reports and we'll really be hurting to get eyewitness accounts of the Daytona Cubs.  So while I definitely want to hear from you if you see the I-Cubs or Chiefs, I really want to hear from you if you live somewhere where you can see Smokies or D-Cubs.

So to sum up:  I'm going to try this and see if we can pull it off.  I want to know in advance, if possible, when you are going to a game.  I may give you a short assignment.  Continue to post your recaps as you always do, but do keep in mind that I'm going to cut and paste your report into little pieces , so try to make everything clear and easy to do so.  It wouldn't hurt you to bold the player names or use bullet points or things like that.

If this works like I hope it will, we should have a nice file on many of the Cubs minor league prospects that the readers here can refer to at any time.

Oh, and you can e-mail me by clicking on the little envelope next to my name at the bottom of the page.  And thanks in advance.

Comment 22 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Down?

You’re already in! Thanks for your Chiefs report.

But the idea is to try to coordinate what you’re doing with other fans around the Midwest League. Kind of like getting the blind men to compare notes about the elephant. :-)

by Josh Timmers on Apr 20, 2009 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions  

Reminder for anyone in the north suburbs or the Milwaukee area

You can see the Peoria Chiefs play the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Miller Park this Friday.

All tickets are $10. Let’s get a lot of Cubs fans up there rooting for the Chiefs!

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Apr 20, 2009 8:07 AM CDT reply actions  

I know I'm organizing a group to go to this game.

Over the years I’ve caught my farm team (the Chiefs) take on my “hometown” team (Kane County). Friday could be the second time i catch the farm team take on my “Screw Tuesday classes, I want to tailgate, pay dirt cheap ticket prices, get drunk on $1 beers” team (the T-Rats). I was at the opener a couple years ago when it was 30 degrees not including a stiff wind chill and my beer froze. If it’s the T-Rats running the whole show, all of you need to bask in the glory of the Bratzooka.

"You just don't know understand how frustrating this is"- Kevin Borseth

by TkGoUWGB on Apr 20, 2009 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions  

I'll be there

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Apr 20, 2009 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions  

Woo! Sounds like fun!

I can expense report my concessions purchases, right? :P

by znohitter on Apr 20, 2009 8:20 AM CDT reply actions  

Oh sure

I’ll pay it out of all the money Al sends me. :-)

by Josh Timmers on Apr 20, 2009 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions  

VEB

…has a sister site called “future redbirds.” Pretty sweet.

by fanofthegame on Apr 20, 2009 8:36 AM CDT reply actions  

I plan

on going to the Smokie game on May 7th against the Miss. Braves. Hopefully to get an autograph or picture of Ryne. I’ll report back whatever you would like.

by blueballs on Apr 20, 2009 10:06 AM CDT reply actions  

Thank you!

Give me an email a week or so before the game and I can ask you some questions. I can tell you right now we’ve already got a standing request from our friends over at the Oregon State site for any information we can get on Darwin Barney.

by Josh Timmers on Apr 20, 2009 1:16 PM CDT up reply actions  

Iowa Cubs will be in Nashville this coming weekend...

….I’ll try to get to as many of the 4 games as I can (or as the wife will allow without lawyering up on me)…..I’ll also try to sit with Milwaukee’s NL Central scout—his insights are usually interesting.

"Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like to him."
Solomon

by cubfever7 on Apr 20, 2009 10:19 AM CDT reply actions  

Yes--April can be a topsy turvy month....

in more ways than one.

"Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like to him."
Solomon

by cubfever7 on Apr 20, 2009 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions  

non-cub farm teams

maybe this is a dumb question. do you want any scouting on non-cub farm teams? let’s say i go see a new orleans zephyrs game and you’ve been wondering how matt craig is doing since leaving the i-cubs….or the rumor mill has it that burke badenhop might be a mid-season minor league acquisition…… do you want info on these players too? or perhaps players that the i-cubs might be facing in the near future?
the i-cubs dont come down here until july, but i’m hoping to get to a zephyrs game before that. let me know if you want the scoop!

by nolacubbiegirl on Apr 20, 2009 11:48 AM CDT reply actions  

We want to hear about your trip to the game

And you can certainly post them in either a fan post or a comment in the MLW. But I’m not going to collect them and make a file on them. I’ve got enough to do with the Cubs without trying to start scouting the Marlins system.

Those games will just continue to be posted as they always have.

by Josh Timmers on Apr 20, 2009 1:20 PM CDT up reply actions  

badenhop

i looked it up & it looks like badenhop is with miami’s organization. are we trading with them?

by tim815 on Apr 20, 2009 4:22 PM CDT up reply actions  

it sounds like...

the bcb scouting service will eclipse

the cubs efficiency of the mcphail years

by tim815 on Apr 20, 2009 3:25 PM CDT reply actions  

I'm really looking forward to this!

If I lived near any of these teams/had money to get to their games, I would file a report -but that is unlikely :(

by Pat19 on Apr 20, 2009 10:16 PM CDT reply actions  

Sorry for the double post

but I also wanted to thank you, Josh, for the great minor league wraps and for this project. I love reading about the farm system, and you do a great job.

by Pat19 on Apr 20, 2009 10:17 PM CDT up reply actions  

I know its a few months away

but I plan to go to a game or two when the I-Cubs come to Omaha, July 28 – 31

by BigDcubbie on Apr 21, 2009 2:02 PM CDT reply actions  

Daytona Cubs at Clearwater and Dunedin

I can take the Daytona Games May14th-19th (at Clearwater Threshers and at Dunedin Jays).

I usually sit right behind the scouts with the radar guns. Do you have a pitching scout sheet I can record speeds on? Last game I sat behind Ryan Searle and Dan McDaniel recording pitch speeds.

I’ll also have games Sept 4-7th at Clearwater.

by FLvines on May 4, 2009 10:40 AM CDT reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to Bleed Cubbie Blue, the Chicago Cubs blog for the SB Nation, created on February 9, 2005 by Al Yellon

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Small
Jazz Up Your Recs!
Img_0001_small
Value of Various Plate Approaches
284_small
Cubs' Fantasy Camp 2012 as seen by a Player's Wife
P7200073_small
Randy Hundley Fantasy Camp 2012

Recent FanPosts

Small
Arguably OT: Aussie Baseball Finals Go To Decisive Game Three
Small
New Cubs draft strategy player development
Jeffnewwork_small
What I Expect From The Cubs In 2012
Wrigley_scoreboard_small
What To Do With Alfonso Soriano
Small
A quick update from the 2012 concessions orientation
Caray_small
Is there any FA left worth going after?
Marvin_the_martian_small
Thoughts On Gerardo Concepcion: Trust The Scouts
Star_small
What if Hendry were still our GM instead of TheoJed?

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

FanShots

Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.

Recommended FanShots

Nice article about Ernie Banks
Yankees Hire Jim Hendry
Dale Sveum Meets Early Arrivals At Camp Buss

Recent FanShots

The Rickettsification of Wrigleyville has begun!
Marlins' Cespedes Offer 6 years, under $40M (MLBTR Link)
BCB Fantasy Baseball 2012
Former Cubs Blogger Interviewed on The Score
Cubs vs. Rangers In Las Vegas Tickets On Sale Monday 2/13
Hoyer driving to Spring Training with his dog
Hoyer-Soriano likely a Cub to start 2012, Garza extension talk a possibility
Law's Top 100 prospects
Ranking the Farm Systems
WGN Releases Season Schedule

+ New FanShot All FanShots >

Featured Poll

Poll
How many games will the Cubs win in 2012?

  308 votes | Results

It Is Only...

It Is Only...

Cubs By The Numbers

Cubs By The Numbers is a history of the ballclub by uniform number, but the biographies help trace the history of our beloved team in a new way. For everyone who's a Cubs fan, anyone who ever wore the uniform is like family. Cubs By The Numbers reintroduces readers to some of their long-lost ancestors, even ones they think they already know.

Click here to order your copy, available now!

Recent Stories in Ticket Exchanges


Managing Editor

Alyellontoppscard_small Al Yellon

Front Page Contributors

Primary_fc_small Josh Timmers

Marvin_the_martian_small Shawn Domagal-Goldman

Other Contributors

Dsc_0139_small David Sameshima

Toonmike_small Mike Bojanowski