Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Today's double-barreled day off for the Chicago and Iowa Cubs seems like a good time to assess how the two teams' fortunes intertwine as their respective seasons round third.
Like their parents the Iowa Cubs enjoy a five game bulge over their nearest divisional pursuers [the Cardinal proteges in Memphis]. Since the PCL regular season ends on Labor Day [Monday, September 1], the I-Cubs are only a couple dozen games away from a likely playoff spot. That likelihood makes the annual speculation about September call-ups a little less idle than in most years.
Here's a quick summary of guys who figure to get some consideration as extras in the claustrophobic dugout at Wrigley:
1. Micah Hoffpauir - What's there to say? The guy's hitting .350+ with 73 RBI's in 49 games! A question of when, not if.
2. Jason Dubois - 20 HR's in 179 AB's figure to get him a few shots when a late-inning PH with power from the right side is called for.
3. Koyie Hill - Got hot along with the weather to get the BA north of .280; also gunning down about a third of enemy base-stealers. A third catcher who switch-hits is a given.
4. Casey McGehee - Has steadily, quietly amassed 76 RBI's while primarily manning 3B; might spell Aramis a time or two if the Chicubs clinch with any room to spare.
5. Felix Pie - Still listed on the active roster but hasn't played in August since he retwisted his testicle or whatever.
6. Andres Torres - Can there be such a thing as a poor man's Angel Pagan? Torres is a switch-hitting OF @ .303 BA, .397 OBP & 17/20 SB's. Remember him in case Felix can't get his balls unknotted.
7. Michael Wuertz - His season has only Wuertzened since the demotion. Despite one gaudy outing of 3 perfect innings that included 7 K's, he's racked up a 6.30 ERA in 10 Iowa innings so far.
8. Mitch Atkins - Not likely, but just so you'll know, this guy is 5-0 with a 3.90 ERA since coming up from Tennessee. His last start read as follows: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K's.
At some point there will be decisions to make about how many battle fronts the organization wants to fight on simultaneously. Troops may have to be pulled from the PCL playoffs to enable a September surge in the NL Central or simply to give the frontliners some R&R before the REAL playoffs begin in October.
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#1 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Not to sound like a broken record, but what about the Guz? And that's a bit too many testicular - related expressions for a morning post, if you ask me. But thanks for the update, wasn't aware of a few of those player's progressions this season.
#2 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
I didn't include 'the Guz' because he hasn't been in Des Moines [yet] this year, but he is active now & maybe the most likely extra pitcher for the stretch, especially given LP's penchant for young,'power arms', even surgically repaired ones...
#3 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
We had a question in an earlier thread regarding Guz's options remaining, perhaps someone can fill us in on that status.
#15 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Check out the 40 Man roster info in the TCR Junk Drawer.
Guzman will have one option left, according to AZ Phil.
#4 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
I imagine Kevin Hart will also be considered for a September call-up. He's been pitching exclusively in relief since being demoted and has done really well.
Of the I-Cubs, I imagine we'll see these guys in September (to fill these roles):
Hoffpauir (to be D. Ward)
K. Hill (3rd catcher)
Pie (if he's healthy-- defensive replacement, pinch-runner)
Wuertz (if he straightens out-- bullpen depth)
Hart (bullpen depth)
and perhaps Angel Guzman if he's healthy.
and maybe, just maybe Rich Hill if he straightens out, though I'm not optimistic about that.
Those are pretty decent reinforcements. And all of these guys are on the 40-man roster.
rock on,
ROMERO
#11 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Every single Kevin Hart 2008 appearance has been dogshit.
I've seen him twice in person, including the disasterous 7/12 affair in Rich Hill's debut.
He is great in AAA, and a head case in the majors.
No fucking way do I want him to pitch unless the team is leading by 10.
If the Cubs are going to experiment, I would personally prefer seeing other prospects than Hart this year, at least.
#16 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Koyie "5 MPH" Hill is not on the 40 man roster.
#25 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
an easy fix with Adam Harben and Jake Fox still there, plus they'll have an open spot with Eyre gone.
#44 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Agreed... i was just pointing that they all were NOT on the 40 man roster.
#58 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
I figure that we see Randy Wells and Donnie Veal in early September as well.
Veal is rule 5 eligible after this season if he isn't added to the 40 man.(and will 100% be taken.)
Wells is eligible for both rule 5 AND ML free agency if he isn't added to the 40 man.
September seems like a good time to get some real world evaluations on these two. I will be shocked if either guy isn't added to the 40 man. Justin Berg is in the same boat. He has an outside chance of being added.
#59 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
I think you're going to be shocked.
#63 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Shocking!
#5 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
By the way, FP is actually out w/ a sore hand, an injury not thought to be in any way related to the one jokingly referenced in the post. I'm feeling a bit wrong as one man making light of another's discomfort in that sensitive region...
#6 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Touche, Romero, re: Kevin Hart...
#7 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
References about eating young and testicles in the same post are a little bit too much to swallow if you ask me.
#8 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Mike W-
Thanks for the Pie clarification. I can now uncross my legs.
Any idea when he will return?
Also -- it seems like Ascanio hasn't been doing too well (?). Hopefully, he can get things straightened out. He looked liek he had some potential.
#9 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Glad to see how well Hart's been doing so far - but not so enthused about his call - up. The guy seems to turn into a pumpkin every time he faces major league hitters - there must be better options available.
#13 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Wasn't Hart pretty good last year?
Other guys who may get Setember looksies:
Chad Fox is lurking... hard to believe there's room for him in the organization but not Eyre.
Piggy has pitched a little better than his ERA indicates.
Fuld can do some pinch running.
Jake Fox is hitting a bit better in AA. His defensive flexibility and the fact that he is on the 40 man already may give him the nod over Dubois.
#17 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Fuld has been pretty awful all year - I would be surprised if he gets called up.
#20 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Well, if he's working hard, it doesn't matter how bad he's playing. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets called up, because Lou may have one of his crushes on him, and he can be of some use, even if he doesn't bat.
#18 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Yep. Hart was pretty good LAST year. So was Rich Hill.
As MLB players THIS year: blech.
#10 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Eat their young? The Cubs will starve to death if they try that. The I-Cubs are a really old team loaded up with MLB retreads and AAAA geezers because the system had an admitted lack of prospects at the AA and AAA levels. They even went so far as demoting Sam Fuld, Jake Fox, and Matt Craig to AA in order to fill the vacuum down there.
Micah Hoffpauir tops my list as well. He's heir-apparent to the job currently held by this
guyslug (.227 2HR 9RBI .346 .394) who is 0 for his last 10 games.But Jason Dubois is just there to fill Hoffpauir's size AAA shoes when the Cubs call.
Not to quibble, but Koyie Hill isn't hot right now. He's cooled down considerably in the heat. Something like .219 in his last ten games. And he hasn't hit well at home all year. The road is another story. He's a .320 hitter out of town and a likely September call-up.
Not mentioned in your article, but on my list is Kevin Hart. He's being used as a reliever lately, adjusted well, and has a 2.57 ERA in that role.
#62 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Some good points navigator,
Last year's Icubs team was loaded with prospects. However as of right now. Trades,attrition and regression have thinned the prospect heard of the upper levels.
My hope is that the cubs pass on the AAAA types this offeason. Instead they need to aggressively promote the guys in the lower levels this year. Assuming good health next spring, hopefully we see:
Iowa:
Colvin
Veal
Lansford
Reynolds
Ceda
Castillo
Knoxville:
T Thomas
Barney
Marquez Smith
Clevenger
Papelbon
Canzler
Carter
Wright
Daytona:
Riding
Rosa
Guyer
Johnston
Flaherty
Cashner
In order to promote these guys. An upper level purge is going to be needed.
#12 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Again - beating a dead horse - Kevin Hart is a great AAA pitcher. In the majors, he is a head case that cracks at the slightest situational difficulty. Blech.
He's Rich Hill, without the back spasms.
#21 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
If it were up to E-Man, Alex Rodriguez would have spent the last 12 years in Tacoma.
Isn't it possible for people to struggle a bit on the majors, go down to AAA, work on some things and then come back up to the majors and be successful?
#26 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
why are you back?
Great comparison - Alex Rodriguez and Kevin Hart
#28 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
There was a lack of Pinhead references.
#30 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
Why are you still here?
Should I list every successful major leaguer who went down to AAA at some point? The list literally be thousands of players long. My point is, that when you try to judge a player's entire career based on three weeks of performance, you're going to be wrong more times than right. In this particular case, the player already has had some ML success.
So, being that you haven't seen him pitch in Iowa, what are you basing your black and white decision on? If the Cubs brass had used the same logic, they wouldn't have made the playoffs last year.
#37 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
I agree.
Look, I hope he gets it together, Real Neal.
He has the "power arm", Lou likes.
I've only seen him this year in the "Bigs", and he has not done well (which is why Lou sent him packing right after the 7/12 game I referred to).
In a heated pennant race, it just seems like for this year, there may be other options that could be ahead of him. I was hoping Ascanio would get it together, but his MiLB stats aren't that pretty right now either.
IF anyone has seen him recently, it would be great to hear about him.
#40 Re: Will Cubs Eat Their Young in September?
One more righty power arm, to replace Howry in the 7th would be great. If it's not going to be Hart or Wuertz... I don't really see any other potential candidates on the 40 man roster.
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