Cubs Minor League Wrap -- April 25

by Josh Timmers on Apr 25, 2009 11:57 PM CDT in Minor Leagues

Boy, am I glad I made the decision to spend the day with my family rather than follow the Cubs.

But there is Josh Vitters news tonight. Other guys with hot starts to the season continued to dominate.

Iowa Cubs

Finally. The I-Cubs played someone other than Round Rock or Albuquerque. But the results weren't very good as the Iowa Cubs were silenced by the Nashville Sounds, 6-3.

Jose Ascanio continued to pitch well in the rotation, although he hasn't really been stretched out yet. Ascanio pitched four shutout innings, allowing only two hits and two walks. He struck out four.

Bad news from Jason Waddell for all of those yelling "Bring on the understudy!" Waddell took the loss in relief. He allowed three runs on three hits and two walks over only 1.2 innings. Waddell only struck out one.

It's about time to admit that something special is going on with Jake Fox. The first baseman (well, he stands near first base with a glove on) hit his ninth home run of the year already. Fox was 2 for 3 with a double, the home run and two RBI. He walked once as well. Fox is now hitting .438 with an OBP of .493 and a pretty unbelievable SLG of 1.000.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies deep-fried the Carolina Mudcats, 5-0.

Starter Casey Lambert evened his record to 1-1 tonight by allowing only two hits over six innings. He struck out two and didn't walk anyone, although he did hit a batter.

Jeremy Papelbon had two shutout innings of relief. He gave up three hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out one.

Jake Fox may be setting all kinds of records in Iowa, but the guy who has to be moving up the prospect charts is Tony Thomas. The second baseman was 2 for 4 tonight with a double and a run scored. Thomas has an OBP of .438 so far this season, along with four home runs and three steals.

Center fielder Matt Camp was 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Third baseman Jonathan Mota was 2 for 4 with and RBI.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs only managed to get seven baserunners tonight, but they made them all count as they scored six runs to frustrate the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 6-3.

Starter James Leverton got the win by allowing only one run over six innings. He was touched for only two hits and allowed only two walks. Leverton fanned four.

David Cales notched his first save with a scoreless ninth. Cales allowed a hit and a walk in the inning and struck out one.

Third baseman Marquez Smith stayed red hot by hitting his fifth home run of the season tonight. Smith was 1 for 2 with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored.

DH Tyler Colvin was 0 for 1, but had an RBI on a sac fly and stole two bases after being hit by a pitch.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs shucked the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 6-5.

Starter Marcus Hatley didn't pitch well, but got the win anyway. Hatley pitched five innings and allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk. Hatley struck out two.

Mike Perconte threw 1.2 innings of shutout relief. He gave up two hits, walked no one and struck out three. Ryan Buchter retired the final batter to get his second save of the year.

Third baseman Josh Vitters hit his first home run of the year tonight, a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Vitters was 1 for 4 on the evening.

Right fielder Nelson Perez hit his second home run of the year, also in the fourth inning. Perez was 1 for 3 with one RBI.

Outfielder Kyler Burke is starting to heat up. Burke was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. He scored twice and knocked one in. Burke has gotten his batting average up to .297 and his OBP up to .381.

DH Josh Harrison was 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.

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Jake Fox, latest graduate of the "Jim Hendry Draft and Develop DHs School"

Brian Dopirak, Brendan Sing, Jason Dubois, Micah Hoffpauir, Jake Fox. Apparently Jim Hendry fails to understand the the Cubs play in the National League. At least he has the foresight to trade DH in the making Josh Donaldson away.

For those not bright enough to grasp the fundamental underpinning of a message board, please take note that "EVERYTHING I state is an OPINION."

by BLou on Apr 26, 2009 12:07 AM CDT reply actions

Wow

Sing and Dubois were drafted before Hendry became GM.

Jason Dubois was a 14th round pick. Micah Hoffpauir was a 13th rounder. Brandon Sing was a 20th round pick. The fact that two of those players even made the majors should be considered a triumph, not a failure. Or are you still upset that Hendry bypassed Reid Santos, Daniel Mead and Blake Blase (the three picks directly after Micah) to pick Hoffpauir? Hoffpauir was the only player signed out of the 13th round of the 2002 draft to make the majors. (Anthony Reyes made the majors, but he didn’t sign after that draft. And he went before Micah.)

Dopirak was a second and Fox was a third. Maybe you have a point there, although Fox was drafted as a catcher.

And you forgot undrafted free agent Blake Lalli and 30th round pick Russ Canzler. They’re born DHs too. You’re right. Hendry is a bum for not finding the next Alex Rodriguez hiding somewhere in the 13th round.

by Josh Timmers on Apr 26, 2009 1:40 AM CDT up reply actions

Take the St. Louis approach for the next week or two

Based on how Fox has been hitting, maybe we should take the Cardinal’s approach until our big bats are healthy again. They have the most errors in the majors, but make up for it by their bats. As long as we’ve got backups playing, and people playing out of position for a while, why not have those guys be bigger bats? Dump Gathright, as I doubt anyone here sees him actually spending the entire season on the bench. Let Edmonds know we need him, and while he’s prepping for the majors, bring Fox up. Let him play 3rd (I know, his defense would be horrible there). If we’ve got both Hoff (RF) and Fox in the lineup instead of Johnson and Miles, do you think that we’d have a better chance at winning or not? I think we would. When Jimmy Ballgame is ready to play, let Fox take that long drive back to Iowa to slug 1.000 some more…Obviously something’s going right in St. Louis, and it’s not their fielding.

"The finish line is just the start of the next race."

by Sobenergy on Apr 26, 2009 12:49 AM CDT reply actions

Fox's defense would be more than horrible at 3B.

He’s a DH, nothing more. That would cost us games.

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

by Al Yellon on Apr 26, 2009 4:09 AM CDT up reply actions

If the Cubs were going to use him at third

it would behoove them to start working him out there pronto. IIRC, the Cubs thought about working him out there during Spring Training, but I don’t know what came of that or if they even did.

I think Fox could be useful at the Major League-level, if he can demonstrate an ability to play LF, RF and 1B at an average level. At the very least, if he could do that, it would lend some versatility to the bench.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Bill Potter on Apr 26, 2009 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions

Too bad Lou would never bench Lee

and put Fox over there for a game. Fact is Lou is a veteran player type manager. He has no problem flaming his younger guys or guys who havent been around a long time.

He has a history of calling out the young guys and backing the veterans. God forbid he would bench Lee – Im tired of lazy fly balls.

"Hey.....Cubs win!!!" ---Harry
"Swung on belted!!!"---Chip

by Hammer on Apr 26, 2009 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions

If Lou were going to bench Lee...

…. they already have a first baseman on the roster, who has started zero games there this year.

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

by Al Yellon on Apr 26, 2009 12:05 PM CDT up reply actions

The Cubs need to give Fox a try

Derrek Lee only has 1-2 good years left in him, if that. They need another first basemen if the future, and it won’y be Hoff because he is probably in his prime right now, at 29. All he’ll ever be for this team is a good backup or a decent starter.

"Check the magic of a winning season and there are always reasons beyond the talent." Ned Colleti

by wrigleyrocker12 on Apr 26, 2009 9:04 AM CDT reply actions

Mateo promoted, Ruhlman, too

I have a quick note on Ruhlman, nothing much (he pitched a third of an inning for the I-Cubs last night, after just 6.3 in AA. He had spent a “full” season in Boise, and full seasons in Peoria and Daytona, so this was a quick move).

Re. Fox – the guy will get pummeled in the majors, he was even less of a clue on the strike zone than Hoffpauir, IIRC.

by Harry Pavlidis on Apr 26, 2009 9:36 AM CDT reply actions