Cubs Minor League Wrap -- May 11

by Josh Timmers on May 11, 2009 10:43 PM CDT in Minor Leagues

Iowa Cubs

The I-Cubs downed the Memphis Redbirds, 6-2.

Greg Reinhard got the "emergency" start because of Jose Ascanio's promotion to the majors, and gosh-darn it if the former Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawk didn't throw a no-hitter. OK, it wasn't a no-hitter because he only threw four innings, but he didn't allow a hit or a run before leaving the game after only 41 pitches. Reinhard did walk one and struck out three.

Because Reinhard didn't go five (cue my rant on how the five-inning win rule shouldn't apply in the minors), the win was awarded to Vince Perkins. Perkins allowed one unearned run on one hit over three innings. He walked one and struck out two.

Right fielder Brad Snyder hit his eighth home run in a 2 for 4 afternoon. Snyder also had a double, scored twice and batted three in. Center fielder Sam Fuld was 1 for 2 with two walks and two stolen bases. Fuld scored twice.

First baseman Jake Fox returned to the lineup after missing most of the weekend after getting speared by the remains of a broken bat. Fox was 1 for 3 with a two-run triple. He scored twice and was also hit by a pitch.

Third baseman Kyle Reynolds was promoted from AA Tennessee and went 0 for 4. Reynolds was hitting .088 in AA prior to his promotion, just in case anyone thinks Reynolds could be a stopgap replacement for Ramirez.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies were edged by the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, 4-3 in 13 innings.

Hung-Wen Chen spent most of his five-inning start trying to dodge trouble. Chen gave up nine hits but only three runs. He struck out three and walked only one.

After that, the bullpen settled down until the 13th inning, allowing only one hit and one walk until then. James Russell threw two perfect innings, followed by David Cales retiring all four batters he faced. Jon Gaub allowed a single in 1.1 innings and Alex Maestri walked a batter in his two and a thirds innings pitched.

Finally, Jeremy Papelbon took the loss in the 13th inning. He allowed one run on two hits and two wild pitches in his inning.

DH Russ Canzler was promoted from Daytona and made a big splash by going 3 for 4 with a walk and two RBI. Third baseman Marquez Smith had three hits in six ABs. He also scored twice.

Right fielder James Adduci went 2 for 6 with a run scored, but he did strike out thre times, including to end the game in the bottom of the 13th inning with the tying and winning runs on base.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were crushed by the Tampa Yankees, 8-3 in six innings. I'd like to say that the game was called by the mercy rule, but of course it was rain.

Starter James Leverton was battered around for four runs on five hits in only three innings. He walked one and struck out two. Henry Williamson gave up a run over two innings and Steve Vento got rocked for three runs in the one inning he pitched.

Right fielder Dylan Johnston was 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. DH Ryan Keedy and center fielder Francisco Guzman made their 2009 debuts tonight. Keedy was 1 for 3 with an RBI and Guzman was 0 for 1 with a walk.

Peoria Chiefs

Off-day.

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Comments

The more I see you write

about the Reinhard kid, the more it makes me want to actually see his stuff. Hopefully he can become a good pitcher in the pen and help us out down the stretch

by cubsfaninatl on May 11, 2009 10:55 PM CDT reply actions

Some moves of note...

OF Tyler Colvin to 7 Day DL (Concussion) for Daytona
RHP Steven Vento activated from 7 Day DL for Daytona

IF Kyle Reynolds and RHP Blake Parker promoted from Tennessee to Iowa
1B/OF Russ Canzler and RHP David Cales promoted from Daytona to Tennessee
1B Ryan Keedy and OF Francisco Guzman promoted from EXST to Daytona

Keedy manned 1B for Boise last season and was a 16th rounder in the 2008 draft. He hit for a .333 BA with a .419 OBP, although he didn’t showcase the kind of power you’d like to see out of a 1B.

Guzman played in the DSL last season and put up decent, but unspectacular numbers at the plate. Doesn’t seem like he hits for much power.

by Outshined_One on May 11, 2009 11:39 PM CDT reply actions

Thanks for the summary

Also P David Cales was promoted to Tennessee from Daytona, which opens up the second spot in Daytona since Tony Campana seems to have avoided the DL for now.

Keedy’s unimpressive power is compounded by playing in Boise, which is a very good hitter’s park. But what do you expect from a 16th rounder drafted after his senior season? So far, he’s doing as well as could be expected.

by Josh Timmers on May 12, 2009 1:44 AM CDT up reply actions

Why should the 5-inning rule not apply in the minors?

What’s your reasoning?

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

by Al Yellon on May 12, 2009 3:13 AM CDT reply actions

For one

They play seven inning games in the minor leagues. So a guy pitched four innings and then three guys pitch the final three innings and a reliever who gives up two runs in one inning gets named the “winner” over some guy who threw four shutout innings, simply because he didn’t start the game. That’s actually true in some nine inning games as well.

Pitchers in the minors are often taken out for pitch count reasons or even, as was a case a few days ago in TN, that the team wanted to get as many pitchers into a game as possible. In such case, one pitcher is simply ineligible for the win because they threw the first pitch of the game. No one ever intended them to go five innings. Sometimes you even see the “no regular starter, six or seven relievers” strategy in the minors.

Two, it’s kind of an antiquated rule anyway from an era when starters were expected to throw a complete game. It’s designed to keep a guy who gave up eight runs in three innings from getting the win simply because his team scored ten runs, and to award the win to the more deserving relief pitcher who kept the opposition from ever taking the lead. The rule was a way to make sure the more deserving pitcher gets the win, but the exact opposite happens in the minor leagues. The less deserving pitcher is routinely awarded the win.

I’m not saying that a starting pitcher who doesn’t go five in the minors should automatically get the win if their team doesn’t relinquish the lead. In such a case, the official scorer should decide who the most effective pitcher was, and they shouldn’t be forbidden from choosing the starter if he happened to be the most effective pitcher.

I wouldn’t even be opposed to making the change on the major league level, but I can’t think of an example of when a starting pitcher got removed before five innings for any reason other than ineffectiveness or injury. Maybe back in the days of heavy platooning when Chuck Tanner would have a “beard” starter and then switch to a reliever after an inning, but those days are long gone.

by Josh Timmers on May 12, 2009 3:44 AM CDT up reply actions

Makes sense to me.

Major league relief pitchers often get “wins” in situations as you describe. The stat isn’t always descriptive of how well the individual pitched.

Baby keeping you awake?

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

by Al Yellon on May 12, 2009 3:52 AM CDT up reply actions

i think the rule is ignored in

preseason and all star games.

if the all star game is ‘for real’, josh’s rule should pass…. at least in the minors.

by tim815 on May 12, 2009 8:11 AM CDT up reply actions

Yes on the baby

She woke up and demanded to sleep with her mother and so I moved out to the couch for a while. Decided to check the board on my way to the living room.

Ah, parenthood.

by Josh Timmers on May 12, 2009 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions

.088 earns you a PROMOTION to the next level?

Sign me up. I can hit .088. Heck, maybe even .089.

Go Green! Go White! GO STATE!
King Leonidas: Spartans! What is your profession?
Spartans: HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!

by Zeke on May 12, 2009 6:43 AM CDT reply actions

It's a numbers thing

When you’re hitting .088 in AA, they don’t care about you as a a prospect anymore. The promotion is probably temporary and with limited playing time, so they promote the guy hitting .088 because who cares if his development is hindered by the promotion?

by Josh Timmers on May 12, 2009 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions

Seems counter-intuitive somehow...

Go Green! Go White! GO STATE!
King Leonidas: Spartans! What is your profession?
Spartans: HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!

by Zeke on May 13, 2009 6:56 AM CDT up reply actions

Fox getting speared

the DM paper quoted the injury as the broken “spear” of the bat actually went about an inch into his leg and doctors had to stitch the hole. Can you believe? Ouch! Fox wanted to get back in the lineup much sooner but wasn’t allowed until yesterday.

This is only the beginning....Lou Pinella end of '07 season and Chicago Transit Authority (the band when they were really good).

by mrcubsfan on May 12, 2009 8:12 AM CDT reply actions

I'm surprised

that doesn’t happen more with all the broken bats.

by Josh Timmers on May 12, 2009 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions

Unfortunately, it is happening more.

For Fox to get hit with one at first is surprising, though, given the distance the bat would have to travel. It reminds me of Rick Helling, who was impaled by a bat a few years ago.

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 May 12, 2009 1:12 PM CDT up reply actions

As hard as I try to keep up with the Cubs' minor league system...

…this Reinhard kid seems to have come out of nowhere. Has he been in the system long? Was he picked up in a trade? Forgive my laziness in not looking this stuff up myself.

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 12, 2009 9:46 AM CDT reply actions

Acquired for Jae Kuk Ryu

Had a mediocre season in AA last year. Maybe he developed a new pitch?

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

by cubzfan on May 12, 2009 10:09 AM CDT up reply actions

Hm, maybe so.

Thanks!

I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.

by daver on May 12, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm just speculating here

but I have a lot of respect for Dennis Lewallyn, the Cubs pitching coach at AA Tennessee. He’s been down there teaching pitchers the cut fastball with some success—Kevin Hart went from nobody to a prospect after learning the pitch, for example. I wonder if Reinhard has picked up a cut fastball.

Can we get any help from our Iowa scouts?

by Josh Timmers on May 12, 2009 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions