Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 21

by Josh Timmers on Jul 21, 2010 11:05 PM CDT in Minor Leagues

Two days now and still no one has lost in the minors.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs made the Oklahoma City RedHawks blue, 8-5.

Iowa starter Jeff Samardzija topped Rich Harden in the battle of the 2009 Cubs. Samardzija got the win by pitching five innings and allowing two runs on four hits. One of the two runs was unearned. Samardzija walked three and struck out six. Samardzija improved his record to 7-1.

Brian Schlitter had a bit of difficulty in his rehab appearance. He only got one out while giving up a hit, a walk and an unearned run. He did have a strikeout.

Scott Maine collected his fourth save. Maine threw 1.2 innings and allowed three hits but no runs. He didn't walk anyone and struck out two.

Micah Hoffpauir extended the 2009 party by homering off of his former Cub teammate. The two-run homer was Hoffpauir's 13th homer of the year and his third in three games. Hoffpauir was 1 for 4.

Second baseman Bobby Scales showed his 2009 teammate no mercy as he hit a solo home run off of Harden as well. It was Scales fifth homer. Scales was 1 for 3 with a hit-by-pitch.

Shortstop Darwin Barney was 2 for 5 with three RBI. Right fielder Brad Snyder was 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Third baseman Matt Camp was 3 for 4 with a double. He scored twice and knocked one in.

Tennessee Smokies

Counted the number of Waffle Houses they could see on the road from Knoxville to Jackson, MS. Last I heard, they were up over 100.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs cracked open the Charlotte Stone Crabs, 5-2.

Starter Brooks Raley dominated the Stone Crab hitters tonight, giving up only one run over seven innings. Raley surrendered five hits. He struck out eight and walked none as he collected his fifth win of the season.

Left fielder Smaily Borges was 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. Right fielder Kyler Burke was 2 for 4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI. Third baseman DJ LeMahieu went 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Catcher Michael Brenly extended his hitting streak to 20 games by going 1 for 4. Bob, I honestly wouldn't blame you if you decided to spend the rest of the season announcing the Daytona Cubs games. They've got to be more fun than that abomination this afternoon.

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs smashed the Fort Wayne Tin Caps, 10-0.

Nick Struck got his fourth win with a six inning start tonight. He allowed only two hits. He walked two and struck out six.

Shortstop Hak-Ju Lee led the Chiefs attack tonight by going 4 for 5 with a triple and his first home run of the season. Lee scored twice. He hit the triple in the first inning and the solo home run in the second. He singled in his fourth at bat and then had two more plate appearances to get the cycle, but he singled and walked instead.

Left fielder Nelson Perez hit a three-run home run in the first inning, his fifth home run of the season. Perez went 2 for 5 with four RBI.

Second baseman Logan Watkins went 2 for 5 with a triple and an RBI. He scored twice. First baseman Justin Bour went 2 for 5 with a double. Bour also scored twice and knocked one in. Center fielder Francisco Guzman went 2 for 4 with a walk.

DH DJ Fitzgerald was 4 for 5 with a double and a run scored.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks cleaned up the Tri-City Dust Devils, 7-2.

Austin Kirk picked up the win with five shutout innings tonight. Kirk gave up three hits, walked one and struck out three.

Left fielder Matt Szczur got his average back over .400 by hitting 3 for 4 with a double. He scored twice and batted one in. It's clear to me that Szczur is too good for the Northwest League and he's probably wasting his time going back to Villanova this fall, at least as far as his professional career goes. I can understand the desire to get a degree and win another FCS championship, however.

Right fielder Alvaro Ramirez was also 3 for 4 with a double. He scored one.

First baseman Richard Jones and DH Chris Huseby were both 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Jones had two RBI to Huseby's one, however.

Jones was also named NWL Hitter of the Week, so congrats to him.

AZL Cubs

Day off.

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Comments

I hope

that Bob Brenly read this.

"Whenever one finds himself in the majority, it is time to step back and reflect," Mark Twain.

by WindisBlowingOut! on Jul 21, 2010 11:14 PM CDT reply actions

I like Bob

as a color guy so I don’t want him to go. But for his own mental health, Daytona might be better.

by Josh Timmers on Jul 22, 2010 12:52 AM CDT up reply actions

A couple of questions, Josh:

1. Is Harden in AAA rehabbing or was he sent down? I haven’t been following Harden…

2. Any word on Shark’s stuff? Is it getting better, or are his numbers just looking ok now? I have noticed that he has had some respectable appearances lately. The stats are strong. Any word?

"Manny Trillo is coming in to pinch run. You know, for a lot of teams, you would pinch run for Manny Trillo." - Harry Caray

by Archie on Jul 22, 2010 9:28 AM CDT reply actions

answers

1. Harden is rehabbing.

2. I haven’t heard anything about Samardzija’s stuff. I assume it’s the same stuff he’s always had. But it’s never been an issue of pure stuff with Samardzija as much as it’s been controlling the stuff he does have. In that sense, he’s still walking too many batters.

by Josh Timmers on Jul 22, 2010 11:35 AM CDT up reply actions

Random off-day idea, Josh...

Knowing that it would be real, real early for such a thing… would you (or one of the other big followers of the minors) care to take a stab at where you think our top 21 prospects will begin next season and where, in a best-case scenario, they might be at the end of 2011?

I’m liking our system more and more… so I’m constantly looking for Cub-related diversions and hope, especially after yesterday’s wretched effort by the big club.

Shut up Joe Morgan.

by fsuapollo on Jul 22, 2010 9:55 AM CDT reply actions

just for you

I’m assuming you are talking about the top 21 from the community list, as my personal list is different. Also, at some point, I’ll try to make a post assessing the system. It’s a good time to revisit several things, such as the 2010 draft, the Wilken record (considering that Wilken may be a primary factor as to why Hendry gets another year), and the overall state of the system, which is weaker than last year. Anyhow, I’ll take a quick stab at what you are asking for (prospect/where I think they will start 2011/where I think they will end up in a best case scenario)

1. Cashner, Cubs rotation on an innings limit, Cubs rotation
2. Brett Jackson, AAA, big leagues by midseason.
3. Vitters, AA, AAA.
4. Jay Jackson, Cubs pen/Iowa shuttle, September cup of tea in rotation if we are out of it, if not Cubs pen.
5. Lee, A+, AA.
6. Carpenter, AAA, Cubs cup of tea late in the year perhaps.
7. Archer, AA, AAA or cup of tea with Cubs.
8. McNutt, A+, AA.
9. Simpson, A, AA.
10. LeMahieu, AA, AAA.
11. Barney, Cubs, Cubs.
12. Flaherty, AA, AAA.
13. Dolis, AA, Cubs pen.
14. Diamond, Cubs pen/Iowa shuttle, Cubs pen.
15. Chirinos, AAA.
16. Coleman, AAA, Cubs pen/in AAA as emergency starter.
17. Rusin, AA, AAA.
18. Castillo, Cubs, Cubs.
19. Ha, A+, AA.
20. Watkins, A, A+.
21. Cerda, A+, AA.

Just to be clear, I don’t believe these players will all end up at the respective levels I have for the end of the year, but fsuapollo did ask for best case scenarios. I guess I didn’t choose best case for all of them, and in certain cases, went with really positive scenarios (for example, I could see McNutt in AAA or the Cubs pen for a best case scenario, a situation where the control is improved and his changeup has dramatically stepped forward, and I could see a situation where maybe LeMahieu or Flaherty are in the bigs as utility players).

by toonsterwu on Jul 22, 2010 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions

as a side note, still tweaking my own lists, as I haven't updated them in awhile

but my current top 15 looks roughly like

1. Brett Jackson, B+.

2. Hak-ju Lee, B.
3. Jay Jackson, B.
4. Chris Archer, B.
5. Kenneth McNutt, B.
6. Josh Vitters, B.
7. Chris Carpenter, B.

8. Hayden Simpson, B-

9. Chris Rusin, C+ (borderline B-)
10. Reggie Golden, C+.
11. Rafael Dolis, C+.
12. Dae-Eun Rhee, C+.
13. Robinson Chirinos, C+.
14. Jin-Yeong Kim, C+.
15. Ryan Flaherty, C+.

Still sorting out my list, though, and haven’t had that much time to work through my thoughts and finding out new info.

by toonsterwu on Jul 22, 2010 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Thank you

for doing this.

by Josh Timmers on Jul 22, 2010 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks a bunch for taking a stab!

Couple questions, if you have the chance…

The ‘A’ for Simpson I assume means Peoria (instead of A+ Daytona). Do you think he will start there straight away, or might the Cubs hold him for a bit in XST since he won’t pitch the rest of this regular season?

Any particular reason Dolis wouldn’t start in Iowa?

It looks like you think Castillo will be the Cubs’ back-up catcher next year… is he seen as a better fit for that role than Chirinos because of catching experience?

And do you think the system is weaker because of development issues or is that primarily due to the “graduation” of Colvin, Cashner, & Castro??

Thanks for all the comments above and below. You and Josh (and other contributors) truly do a fantastic job of keeping us up to date with what is going on down on the farm.

Shut up Joe Morgan.

by fsuapollo on Jul 22, 2010 3:40 PM CDT up reply actions

no problems i've had a light and easy day

simpson – it was in referencing peoria. (I’ll put A+ for Daytona). That said, after typing it, I was half thinking that they might jump him to Daytona to start. Part of it will depend on how he looks at instructs later this fall, and part of it may depend on how he looks next spring. Btw, most indications are that he will pitch this fall at instructs. It really is just a stab.

Dolis – I could see him in IOwa, heck, I could see him break camp and head north. I just wonder if they’ll want him to work on all his pitches a bit more, and AA might be better for that than the hitting friendly/veteran savvy PCL. Again, just a stab.

I think most people view Chirinos as a potentially better backup catcher, as he’s viewed as a good mentor type. I like Welington Castillo a bit more than most, so that may be coloring my views, but he’s had a solid season and is on the 40 man right now. I think it could be open competition between the two for the backup job, so I could see it flipped.

Combination of graduation/deveopmental issues with some (mainly – the bats) and some injury (Justin Bristow was a guy I was hoping would break out this year, dong yub kim has been out).

by toonsterwu on Jul 22, 2010 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions

What is the scouting report on Szczur?

I know he is has tons of speed (second fastest college player in the draft I think), I expect good defense and obviously he hits for average (batted .400 in college too). He looks like a pretty big guy. Is he projected to hit for power at all, or is he the pesky slap the ball lead-off type? Also, does he have the arm strength to profile in RF, or is he more of a CF/LF in the future?

Keeping my fingers crossed he doesn’t blow an ACL, break his leg, get a concussion, etc. playing football this fall. From what I’ve read, it sounds like he always wanted to play professional baseball, just hope he’s not harboring visions of Bo, Deon, and Brian Jordon.

by Bradsbeard on Jul 22, 2010 10:29 AM CDT reply actions

leadoff type/average to below averager arm strength

by toonsterwu on Jul 22, 2010 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions

BTW

I’ll be going to the Smokies game in Pearl tonight, but will not, of course, be stopping in at Waffle House. I have my standards, you know!

by Bradsbeard on Jul 22, 2010 10:31 AM CDT reply actions

Josh, I really appreciate your efforts. It is the main thing

I enjoy reading on the site.

One question, can Barney play 2nd? With Castro at SS for a while, why haven’t they moved Darwin over to 2nd? Any thoughts on that?

by cubswin on Jul 22, 2010 10:46 AM CDT reply actions

sure barney can play 2nd

but his bat would be decidedly below average there. he’s not a long term answer there. He’s probably being groomed more as a utility infielder/backup short.

by toonsterwu on Jul 22, 2010 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions

What he said

Barney can play second. The issue is that you’d like a little more pop out of your every day second baseman these days than Barney is going to provide.

Barney is kind of a younger version of Ryan Theriot.

by Josh Timmers on Jul 22, 2010 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions

I can totally see the point on wanting a bit more pop out of 2B...

But in the current construction of the Cubs, isn’t a lead-off type the best fit?

It seems to me the Cubs have pop, at least hypothetically, all across next year’s OF (Sori, Byrd, Colvin), at 3B & C. 1B is a wild card, but you would assume whoever mans that spot won’t be just a slap hitter. That leaves only the up the middle IF spots with questionable pop… and no true lead-off hitter (Colvin isn’t terrible there, but not a long-term answer, IMO, and Castro may or may not develop into a lead-off guy).

Thoughts?

Oh… and is there any chance Barney could develop into a lead-off type hitter? I’m hoping (against hope?) that is a possibility as his high baseball IQ might overcome some skill limitations.

Shut up Joe Morgan.

by fsuapollo on Jul 22, 2010 3:46 PM CDT up reply actions

barney

if he’s a lead off type, it’s more in the ryan theriot mold.

as a side note, while many have been loosely penciling in Barney for a utility role, we shouldn’t rule out Camp. Both are light hitting guys. Camp isn’t as good at short as Darwin, but he’s played most of the IF positions (off the top, don’t recall him playing first before) and all three OF spots before.

by toonsterwu on Jul 22, 2010 3:53 PM CDT up reply actions