Cubs Minor League Wrap -- May 22

by Josh Timmers on May 22, 2009 11:35 PM CDT in Minor Leagues

In case anyone was still wondering: Josh Vitters is good.

The "mystery" of Jake Fox's catching has been solved. Both Iowa catchers, Chris Robinson and Mark Johnson, have been dealing with injuries. Neither was available to catch on either of the days Fox did. It was an emergency catcher situation, not a "showcasing" for a trade situation. Fox was back at first tonight.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs beat the Fresno Grizzlies, 3-2.

Kevin Hart got the start tonight and he pitched four good innings, allowing only one run on one hit. Hart walked one and struck out three. Hart was also 2 for 2 with a double.

He was relieved by Vince Perkins, who improved his record to 3-0. Perkins allowed one run on two hits. Perkins walked one and struck out two.

The save went to Blake Parker who threw a perfect ninth. He struck out two Grizzlies.

The losing pitcher for the Grizzlies was Matt Kinney, which I mention only because my mom used to know his mom.

Left fielder Jason Dubois was 2 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies dropped a double-header to Birmingham Barons, 3-2 in eight innings and 6-1.

In the first game, starter Hung-Wen Chen had a great start. Chen pitched six shutout innings, allowing only four hits and a walk. Chen fanned three.

He was let down by his bullpen, as Brian Schlitter blew the save when he gave up a two-run home run in the top of the ninth. Schlitter allowed two runs on two hits and a walk over one inning. He struck out one.

Alex Maestri got the loss. He allowed a run in the one inning he pitched. Maestri gave up one hit, walked no one and struck out two.

Catcher Welington Castillo hit his third home run of the year in the first game. Castillo was 1 for 3.

In the second game, Jesse Estrada got the start after having been sent down from Iowa. Estrada didn't pitch any better in AA, as he got shelled for four runs in 3.2 innings. Estrada allowed seven hits and walked one. One of the runs was unearned. He struck out one.

The day Paul Sullivan gives John Gaub a nice write-up in the Chicago Tribune, he gives up two solo home runs in the one inning of relief he pitched tonight. Gaub did strike out two.

Catcher Steve Clevenger was 2 for 3 with a double. Left fielder Ty Wright went 2 for 3.

Daytona Cubs

You know that Southwest Airlines commercial where the pretend that it's always sunny in Florida and that a single cloud makes for a bad day? What the heck are they talking about? It rains a ton in Florida! Just ask the Daytona Cubs. They've got time since they couldn't play again tonight.

Just as an aside, major league teams east of Denver live in mortal fear of having their high-A team in the Cal League because it's so far away. I simply don't understand that. Do they realize that it almost never rains here after April? Your prospects won't be sitting on their butts in the Cal League.

Peoria Chiefs

The Chiefs wiped out against the West Michigan Whitecaps, 14-4.

Starter Alberto Cabrera picked up the loss tonight by allowing five runs in 3.2 innings. Two of the runs were unearned. Cabrera gave up eight hits, walked one, hit two batters and didn't strike anyone out.

Reliever Erik Hamren had a terrible night. He was charged with allowing seven runs in only a third of an inning.

DH Josh Vitters only had one hit again tonight, but it was his ninth home run of the year and his sixth in seven games. It was a solo home run.

Center fielder Kyler Burke also hit a solo home run. It was his fourth. Burke was also 1 for 4.

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Comments

Do you think it may be time to move Vitters up a level?

by MattHaggard on May 23, 2009 1:55 AM CDT reply actions

How excited can one get

About a guy that has walked 3 times in 150 ABs? I mean, aren’t young pitchers supposed to struggle with their control?

There are many theories as to why Vitters doesn’t walk and none of them convince me much. He may succeed, but it’s getting really worrrying.

by Luis on May 23, 2009 6:24 AM CDT reply actions

Here's a theory.

He’s 19 years old and in his first full professional season.

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

by Al Yellon on May 23, 2009 7:53 AM CDT up reply actions

One more theory

that doesn’t convince me. It’s the same for the pitchers he is going against, and I bet that it’s probably more difficult for a pitcher to throw strikes when young than a hitter to draw walks. It all evens out in the end.

by Luis on May 23, 2009 8:17 AM CDT up reply actions

See Howie Kendrick.

Howie could hit so many bad pitches he never learned to walk.

Derrek Lee is good.

by DGU on May 23, 2009 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions

I meant to write more.

Basically that at this point I’m not worried. Let him hit what he can hit. But as he moves up, I’ll want to see the walk rate increase.

Derrek Lee is good.

by DGU on May 23, 2009 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions

he also

has a great eye for the strikezone and is extremely good at contact. hes facing single a pitchers. with his striek zone discipline and contact skills he should be able to pick out atleast one pitch to swing at from these pitchers. i dont mind at all that he only has 3 walks. However, i would be more concerned if this doesnt get better as he mopves up through the system as opposing pitchers get more challenging

by Glacier on May 23, 2009 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions

I saw him play last season in Boise

and I saw him draw a walk. (Actually two, but one was intentional.) They were clearly pitching around him with an open base and he didn’t offer at anything that wasn’t near the strike zone, despite the winning run being on second base.

In his other ABs, I never saw him swinging at pitches in the dirt or breaking pitches a foot outside. It’s just that in every AB, the pitcher throws one pitch in the strike zone and he just doesn’t miss very often.

by Josh Timmers on May 23, 2009 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs

Rec'd

Derrek Lee is good.

by DGU on May 23, 2009 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions

exactly

the point i was trying to make. It may not show by the walk totals but the fact of the matter he is still has a good idea of the strike zone and oiverall pretty good plate discipline. I for one am not worried about his patience or k zone discipline at all. I love how he showing the power right now too. This is the best stretch hes been in since being with the cubs and it has made me all the more excited for him.

by Glacier on May 23, 2009 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions

I've seen this argument also

I don’t find it completely convincing either. How many times do we see pitchers in the majors come in and throw anything but balls? So Vitters never sees pitchers like this?

I think it might be more accurate to say that Vitters is very good at hitting balls outside of the strike zone, ala Vladimir Guerrero. Thus, he puts most balls in play while striking out at a moderate rate.

by Luis on May 23, 2009 2:01 PM CDT up reply actions

He does that too

He can hit balls that are outside the strike zone. But what I’m saying is that he doesn’t often swing at balls that are unhittable.

I’ve just got to say though—his OBP is .382. He’s second in the MWL in home runs and he leads the league in Slugging—and he hasn’t even turned 20 yet. It sounds to me like you’re complaining about the fact that he’s the next Vladimir Guerrero and not the next Albert Pujols.

by Josh Timmers on May 23, 2009 3:21 PM CDT up reply actions

Florida weather

Let’s just say that there’s a good reason the NHL franchise in Tampa Bay/St. Pete chose the name ‘Lightning’.

"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root

by Clutch16 on May 23, 2009 11:38 AM CDT reply actions

More on Florida weather

I’m wondering if the reason that Vitters hasn’t been promoted is the dicey weather in Florida. The D-Cubs have been missing a lot of games because of rain.

by Josh Timmers on May 23, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Kyler

I haven’t been able to be a regular reader of the comments in these updates this year so far. Forgive me if this has been asked and answered recently. What do you guys think of Kyler? He’s on his third trip through the Midwest League, but he’s hitting .313/.354/.522.

Derrek Lee is good.

by DGU on May 23, 2009 12:30 PM CDT reply actions

Burke

No need to apologize. It’s a good topic.

I think Burke has finally mastered the Midwest League. The Cubs stopped screwing around with his swing and left him alone and he’s finally getting some results. He’s still young and athletic and if he had gone to Vanderbilt, he’d just be entering the draft next month, so he’s really not behind the development curve yet.

Still, I’d like to see him keep this up for a while and get promoted to Daytona before I get excited. I’m worried that the flaws in his swing that the Cubs tried to correct are going to get exploited as he moves up the ladder.

Still, I think we can stop the talk about making him a pitcher now.

by Josh Timmers on May 23, 2009 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks.

So, it seems like we have a kid who’s doing what his tools will let him do; but those tools may not carry him all the way to the majors if the holes in his swing persist. Well, at least he’s hitting right now.

Derrek Lee is good.

by DGU on May 23, 2009 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions

Burke

is who we got for barrett correct?

by Glacier on May 23, 2009 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions

Correct

along with Rob Bowen.

by Josh Timmers on May 23, 2009 3:23 PM CDT up reply actions

Burke and Ridling helping Vitters

One good thing for Josh Vitters this season is he’s on a fairly good hitting team. With Harrison, Burke and Ridling all hitting well around him, pitchers are less likely to pitch around Josh, and he’s getting good pitches to hit. Granted, he has been mashing, you can’t put him on for Burke or Ridling to get a shot at driving him in. This could also contribute to his lower walk rate.

by chattbaseball on May 23, 2009 5:00 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't buy it.

There’s no evidence that “lineup protection” makes any difference on the major league level, let alone in the Midwest League. They don’t get detailed scouting reports on the opposing team. Heck, I’d bet for a lot of pitchers, Josh Vitters might be the only batter on the Chiefs they’ve heard of. Most minor league pitchers don’t read Baseball America or follow the stats on MiLB.com

Minor league pitchers are trying to impress scouts and their manager more than they’re trying to win ballgames. If Vitters is getting an unnatural numbers of strikes, I think a more likely explanation is that pitchers are trying to make a name for themselves by striking out the top hitter in the MWL.

by Josh Timmers on May 23, 2009 5:52 PM CDT up reply actions

I would buy the whole “lineup protection” argument much more than “trying to make a name for themselves by striking out the top hitter in the MWL.” These teams’ parent organizations’ brass don’t give a rip about who someone strikes out. (“I struck out Josh Vitters today! I gave up 7 ER in 4 IP, but I have now arrived, because I struck out the best hitter in the MWL!” – no…) Ask the players personally and they’ll tell you they love hitting around other good hitters.

You’re right, minor league players in general are primarily concerned with their individual accomplishments and working their way through the organization. But the best way to get that recognition is to show the “powers that be” how they personally can contribute to their team’s success. There is a much greater sense of TEAM and CAMARADERIE on these minor league teams than you would think.

Even though they may not get the same type of scouting reports in the MWL they get in the MLB, each team keeps fairly detailed information on everyone they face. So after you’ve seen a team a few times, you’ve got a good idea of what they have.

And you’re sorely mistaken if you don’t think MWL pitchers keep their own records. Not all, but many minor leaguers keep good notes for themselves (both hitters and pitchers).

by chattbaseball on May 24, 2009 12:02 PM CDT reply actions

Lineup Protection Study as it relates to Walks

Josh, check out this link and look at Bonds case regarding his walks while “protected” with Matt Williams, and “unprotected” with Williams back in 1996.

http://www.thediamondangle.com/marasco/opan/protect.html

While Bonds’ power numbers weren’t really affected by having “protection”, his walks per 100 ABs doubled when Williams hit behind him, which means he got more strikes.

I’m not trying to argue with you, or say that I’m right, but I think there’s a much stronger case for lineup protection than “striking out the best hitter in the MWL.”

by chattbaseball on May 24, 2009 12:14 PM CDT reply actions