Cubs Minor League Wrap: July 1

by Josh Timmers on Jul 2, 2011 1:36 AM CDT in Minor Leagues

Coming soon to an ivy-covered park near you?

I just got back from Safeco Field where I saw Jason Vargas shut out the Padres 6-0 with a six-hit shutout in a game where he never broke 88 mph according to the stadium gun. I guess that's appropriate, since it was 80s night that Vargas was in the 80s the entire game. But I got a "Mariners Vice" poster with Justin Smoak and Miguel Olivo as Crockett and Tubbs.

I had a great time and Safeco Field is a great place to watch a ballgame. I sat in the first row of the upper deck near first base and had a great view of downtown Seattle.

Just a reminder: I'm going to be travelling home all night tomorrow and won't get home until after midnight. So there probably won't be a Minor League Wrap tomorrow night. I probably won't get around to it until Sunday morning, which for you people in the Midwest might be slightly after noon.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs zapped the New Orleans Zephyrs, 5-2.

Ramon Ortiz was limited to four inning tonight amidst rumors that he's getting promoted to Chicago. Ortiz did not allow a run and gave up only two hits. He did not walk anyone and struck out two.

Marco Carrillo was the only I-Cub pitcher to allow a run tonight, but he was awarded the win because Ortiz did not pitch five innings. Carrilo gave up two runs on five hits over three innings. He did not walk anyone and struck out four.

Justin Berg was perfect over the final 1.1 innings to get his second save. He did not have a strikeout.

Brad Snyder had two doubles in a 2 for 4 effort. Snyder batted three runs in and scored once.

Tyler Colvin went 2 for 4 with a double and scored twice. Catcher Chris Robinson was 2 for 3 with an RBI.

Tennessee Smokies

The Smokies were extinguished by the Carolina Mudcats, 6-3 in ten innings.

Starter Dallas Beeler went seven innings and he allowed three runs, all of which scored on a pair of home runs. Beeler gave up six hits total. He walked one and struck out two.

Rafael Dolis allowed a three-run home run in the top of the tenth to take the loss. In the one inning Dolis pitched, he allowed two hits and a walk. He struck out two.

Center fielder Brett Jackson lead off the bottom of the first inning with his eighth home run of the season. Jackson was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Shortstop Junior Lake was 3 for 5 with a triple and a stolen base. He scored once.

Daytona Cubs

The D-Cubs swept a double-header from the Tampa Yankees, 2-1 and 1-0.

Angel Guzman started game 1 and pitched two innings without allowing a run. He gave up but one hit. Guzman walked nobody and struck out two.

Jeffry Antigua relieved Guzman and gave up one run on two hits over two innings to get the win. Antigua did not walk anyone and struck out two.

Casey Harman had two shutout innings to get his first save. Harman allowed a hit and a walk while striking out four.

Justin Bour hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his 17th blast this season. Bour was 1 for 3 and had both RBI.

Evan Crawford was 2 for 2 with a double and a stolen base. He scored once. Crawford also went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk in game two.

In game two, Dae-Eun Rhee pitched a two-hit shutout in the seven-inning game. Rhee walked only one (although he did hit one batter too) and struck out six.

First baseman Michael Brenly went 2 for 3 and scored the only run of the game.

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs were blasted by the Burlington Bees, 18-4.

Hayden Simpson got hit hard for six runs on six hits over 1.2 innings. He walked two and did not strike anyone out.

Richard Jones went 3 for 4 with a double and his 14th home run of the season. Jones had three RBI and scored twice.

Rubi Silva went 3 for 5 and scored a run.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks baited the Yakima Bears, 11-3.

Luis Liria threw five shutout innings and got the win. He gave up only two hits. He did not issue a walk and struck out six.

Catcher Rafael Lopez was 3 for 3 with a walk and his first professional home run. He hit it with a man on in the top of the first inning. Lopez scored three times and had three total RBI.

Left fielder Ben Klafczynski also hit a two-run homer in the top of the first that was his first pro homer. Klafczynski went 3 for 4 with a walk and four RBI. He also scored twice.

Second baseman Brad Zapenas had two doubles in a 2 for 5 game. Zapenas scored three times.

Right fielder Reggie Golden was 0 for 1 with four walks. He scored twice and walked in a run in the eighth inning.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Athletics, 8-7 in ten innings.

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Comments

Good to see Jackson and Lake getting it going

Hopefully they keep it up. Vitters was 1-4 with a triple. Good to see Beeler pitch well again after a rough last few outings. Golden’s night was ridiculous. Definitely helped improve that K:BB ratio. About time for Lopez to get the callup to Peoria. He’s already 23 and needs to advance quickly once he shows he can hit the level, and I clearly think he’s shown that at Boise. I just don’t have much faith Cubs will promote anyone, I mean I’m sure they will, but it’s just hard to believe it. Good start from Liria as well. And if I was Simpson, I would kill Alcantra. His whole night is different if it weren’t for him.

by Ryno G on Jul 2, 2011 2:11 AM CDT reply actions

Agreed on Jackson.

That’s back to back good nights for him after a LONG stretch of awful. Hopefully he’s fully recovered from the injury now.

by SouthernCub on Jul 2, 2011 8:25 AM CDT up reply actions

BTW

I’ll be at the Smokies games the next two nights. Hoping for a good start from McNutt Sunday night.

by Ryno G on Jul 2, 2011 2:16 AM CDT reply actions

Wilken

I was giving him the benefit of doubt heading into the season(being squeezed in amateur spending by Tribune Co.) But what have we actually seen in his 5 plus yrs in charge of our draft. Total mid level prospects. Midget middle infielders that hit 280-290 at their given level, can’t steal a base, and are average defensively. When will we pay for multiple tool players(power and speed) that can actually have big impact on a ML team. We also settle for 4-5 rotation guys with upside. I have yet to see his golden touch( Holliday-Carpenter i.e. a top end guy) Anyway I’m fine with Wilken leaving with Hendry at the end of the season, the only caveat is that were supposed to sign the top two Latin American prospects tomorrow.

by joeby231 on Jul 2, 2011 2:17 AM CDT reply actions

You mean today?

And the top two? Where’d you hear this? And, btw, there really isn’t a consensus on IFA. Everyone has different opinions.

by Ryno G on Jul 2, 2011 2:45 AM CDT up reply actions

You would have loved

our system 15 years ago.

I'm a Cubs fan. The Jaded Bitterness comes as a Standard Feature.

by timh815 on Jul 2, 2011 6:43 AM CDT up reply actions

Granted. But the point remains- how much production have we gotten from the last 6 drafts?

We have had some good international signings, but the run of poor drafts is well into its second decade.

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by D98 on Jul 2, 2011 8:07 AM CDT up reply actions

Not bad drafts under Wilken...

Barney, Colvin, LeMahieu, Campan, Cashner, Carpenter, Coleman, and Russell have all made the majors with varying degrees of success. Some have done so fairly quickly.

Jackson, Szczur, and Flaherty have shown signs that they might become productive major leaguers in the next few years.

Vitters has had mixed reviews and Simpson has struggled early.

We haven’t gotten a superstar from Wilken (yet), but I’d argue he’s been fairly productive for us overall). Our biggest threats for superstars are a ways off still.

by SouthernCub on Jul 2, 2011 8:35 AM CDT up reply actions

Wilken is doing an exceptional job.

Here’s Wilken’s first six #1 picks for the Cubs. Two of them (Colvin and Cashner) have already made positive contributions in the majors. Jackson and Flaherty are due up soon. And Donaldson was dealt in a package for Rich Harden, and has logged major league at-bats for the A’s.

2009 1st – Brett Jackson
        2008 1st – Andrew Cashner
        2008 1st – (s) Ryan Flaherty
        2007 1st – Josh Vitters
        2007 1st – (s) Josh Donaldson
        2006 1st – Tyler Colvin

Now, compare that with the previous six #1 picks before he arrived. None of these players… I repeat NONE of them, ever reached the majors.

2005 1st – Mark Pawelek
        2003 1st – Ryan Harvey
        2002 1st – Bobby Brownlie
        2002 1st – (s) Luke Hagerty
        2002 1st – (s) Chadd Blasko
        2002 1st – (s) Matt Clanton

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jul 2, 2011 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions

There's a lot of distance between "exceptional" and "abysmal".

He’s done an okay job with the draft. Better than Hendry did, sure. But Hendry was just amazingly bad.

So far, the Wilken first rounders haven’t done much. But I’m not overly concerned with that round in and of itself – it’s just one round. It’s still early for most of Wilken’s work to have born fruit, but the total contribution of every player drafted in the last 6 years combined hasn’t amounted to a whole lot. And we have very few players in the system dominating at any level.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the remaining expectations that we have for a major star player coming from the last 6 drafts are almost entirely tied up in Brett Jackson. And those expectations are already tempered down to “above-average MLB contributor” and “Mike Cameron without the power or as much speed”.

I’d like to see Flaherty with the big squad soon. I hope that Hendry succeeds in moving some of the dead wood off the roster as soon as possible. I just don’t see a ton to get really excited about in our system.

MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown

by D98 on Jul 2, 2011 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions

Your expectations are too high...

Carpenter and Halladay didn’t become aces until 6-8 years after they entered pro ball. Most of Wilken’s picks haven’t been around for nearly that long.

In a short time, Wilken has drafted several big leaguers. He hasn’t had a superstar yet, but give him a few more years on that.

by SouthernCub on Jul 2, 2011 8:39 AM CDT up reply actions

Oooh, Alex. I'll take Irony for 800

What is “Where was Tim Wilken employed when Toronto selected Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay with First Ronud picks in the mid 90’s?”

Correct, Wilken was with Toronto for both pitchers’ selections.

I'm a Cubs fan. The Jaded Bitterness comes as a Standard Feature.

by timh815 on Jul 2, 2011 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions

So...

… if Jason Vargas can do that, why can’t Casey Coleman?

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by Al Yellon on Jul 2, 2011 6:55 AM CDT reply actions

Not enough control?

Obviously your question was more rhetorical.

by SouthernCub on Jul 2, 2011 8:26 AM CDT up reply actions

True.

However, I note that when Vargas was Coleman’s age (23) he struggled just about as much as Coleman has. Two teams (Mets and Marlins) gave up on Vargas before he found success in Seattle. Perhaps the Cubs should just stick with him and give him a shot.

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by Al Yellon on Jul 2, 2011 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions

Vargas

Didn’t walk anyone, so that’s a big point in his favor. Believe it or not, Vargas has three shutouts this season, tied for the AL lead.

Vargas does have the advantage of pitching in Safeco. It’s easier to be more confident around the plate there. But he does not have a big home/road split. What he does have is 12 starts at home and only five on the road.

I agree with you. Coleman might need a year or two to work on his control, but he could end up as an effective back end of the rotation starter.

by Josh Timmers on Jul 2, 2011 9:17 AM CDT up reply actions

Which is why Coleman needs to be in the major leagues NOW

… instead of wasting starts on Rodrigo Lopez and Ramon Ortiz, who are NOT part of this team’s future, nor can they help the team win games now.

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by Al Yellon on Jul 2, 2011 9:23 AM CDT up reply actions

Coleman

I don’t think he’s a major league starter. But I’d rather go with upside over wasted innings from someone who probably shouldn’t pitch in a major league game at this stage in his career.

Can't we go ahead and officially replace Wayne Messmer with Dwight Smith?

by Eric Foster on Jul 2, 2011 9:27 AM CDT up reply actions

Exactly.

Maybe you’re right. Coleman might not be a MLB starter. But with this team going nowhere, we have three months to find out.

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by Al Yellon on Jul 2, 2011 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions

Coleman needing a year or two to work on his control

does not seem to logically imply that he needs to be in the majors NOW.

Maybe it’s better for his development to let him refine his secondary pitches or whatever in a more forgiving environment, where the only people that judge him are those who know what he’s working on.

It sounds like you’re arguing he should be up because the Cubs need someone, not thinking about what will maximize his future value. Current value is irrelevant with the team among the worst in both leagues.

Angel Guzman is the man.

by cubzfan on Jul 2, 2011 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions

Current value is irrelevant with the team among the worst in both leagues.

Maybe, but what is the point of throwing away games with pitchers who are not part of this team’s future?

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by Al Yellon on Jul 2, 2011 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions

The purpose is

To help Coleman develop in such a way he can contribute more in the future.

Angel Guzman is the man.

by cubzfan on Jul 2, 2011 5:30 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Having him face Triple-A hitters, IMO, isn't the way to do it.

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by Al Yellon on Jul 2, 2011 6:59 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah he did, but...

He consistently had a better BB rate and actually had a decent K rate (much better than Coleman’s). And Vargas did better in the lower minors. I’m not sure the comp holds beyond “they both struggled at 23.”

I agree that Coleman might as well get a look this year and maybe next, though. Makes more sense than going with Ortiz.

by SouthernCub on Jul 2, 2011 9:36 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Reggie Golden with 4 BBs. Nice. A power hitter with plate discipline.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)

by SackMan on Jul 2, 2011 11:35 AM CDT reply actions

He is only in a short season league

I am sure by the time he gets to high A the Cub organization will make a free swinger of him.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either

by Doggie Stalker on Jul 2, 2011 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions

I see Kyler Burke pitched for Boise.

That does not seem to be going very well.

He did get 6 Ks in 3 innings, though.

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by D98 on Jul 2, 2011 12:13 PM CDT reply actions

I was listening last night.

His catcher ’wasn’t helping him out very much’. The third stringer (Guevara) was throwing his glove after pitches in the dirt instead if shifting after them.

When you get a ‘position switch’-type, you’re really looking for a surprise, but of what I’ve been hearing, I like about 8 of the Boise pitchers so far. Burke is one of them.

I'm a Cubs fan. The Jaded Bitterness comes as a Standard Feature.

by timh815 on Jul 2, 2011 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions