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Arizona Phil's Archives
Cubs Drop Game, Cut Six
I wasn't at the game, but the Cubs dropped a 4-2 decision to the Colorado Rockies today at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson.
box score
After the game, the Cubs announced several roster cuts, optioning C Geovany Soto to Iowa, and sending NRI LHP Ryan O'Malley and Carmen Pignatiello, C Jake Fox, 3B Casey McGehee, and 1B Micah Hoffpauir to the minor league camp at Fitch Park.
The Cubs have also released RHP Eli Diaz and Alfredo Francisco, LHP Nate Bland, C Kevin Ciarrachi, 1B Jason Hart and Luther Murphy, INF Derek Wathan, and OF Tony Miller and Nate Price from minor league camp, and OF Davy Gregg has retired.
Diaz was a 2006 40th round draft pick out of Texarkana JC who pitched at AZL Mesa last season, Francisco was a one-time hot-shot Dominican 3B prospect who received a big bonus from the Cubs five years ago, but was converted to a pitcher when he couldn't learn to hit curve balls and sliders, Murphy was a 2005 "draft+follow" JC player (selected in the 46th round out of Palm Beach CC) who signed with the Cubs prior to the 2006 Rule 4 Draft and then was assigned to AZL Mesa, Price was a '06 NDFA (University of Iowa) who hit a combined .263 as a "4th OF" at Peoria and Daytona last year, Ciarrachi was signed last December after playing in professional independent leagues the previous five seasons, and Bland (ex-HOU) , Hart (ex-TEX), Wathan (ex-FLA), and Miller (ex-COL) were minor league FAs signed to minor league contracts during the off-season by the Cubs. Gregg was a speedy CF selected in the 27th round of the 2005 draft out of the University of South Carolina who played at Boise in '05 and at Peoria last year.
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Cubs Bats Come Alive, Simultaneously Sink Mariners and Detox Brewers
A day after they were shutout on two hits by a trio of Angels pitchers at Diablo Stadium in Tempe, a Cubs split squad exploded for 22 hits, defeating a Seattle Mariners split squad 16-4 before a crowd of 8,625 at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa today.
box score - CUBS VS SEA at MESA
Padres Spoil Cubs St. Patrick’s Day Party at HoHoKam
Jose Cruz, Jr and Kevin Kouzmanoff each hit two-run home runs, as the San Diego Padres defeated the Cubs 7-3 before a capacity St. Patrick's Day crowd of 12,764 and an international WGN-TV audience at extremely hot (record-setting mid-90's) and sunny Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa today.
box score
Sox Shock Cubs at Tucson Electric
This time I'm SURE the game was on WGN-TV (because that's how I watched it), so I'm not going to go into a complete review of the game, but the White Sox defeated the Cubs 7-6 yesterday at VERY hot (upper 90's) Tucson Electric Park.
box score
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Cubs Big Bats Torpedo S. S. Mariner
Cliff Floyd hit a three-run homer and doubled, Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run home run, Alfonso Soriano went 3-3 with two singles, a triple, a stolen base, and a run scored, and Jacque Jones (a single and a double and two runs scored) and Matt Murton (a single and a walk) reached base twice, as the Cubs defeated the S. S. Mariner (that's "S. S.," as in "Split Squad") before a capacity crowd of 12,771 at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa today.
box score
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Roster Crunching, 40-Man Style
Almost every year, one or two Non-Roster Invitees (NRI) contend for a spot on the Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster.
This year, it appears that veteran utility INF Tomas Perez has the best shot among the NRI to make the Opening Day 25, since Manager Lou Piniella says he believes the Cubs will need two utility middle-infielders. Ryan Theriot is definitely one, and unless the Cubs go outside the organization and make a trade for somebody like Marlins supersub (SS-2B-CF) Alfredo Amezaga, Perez would seem to be the logical front-runner to become the Cubs second utility infielder.
But who are the other candidates, and if Perez does get the job, who gets dropped from the Cubs 40-man roster?
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Cubs Cut 14, ST Roster Now at 44
The Cubs announced 14 roster cuts after today's game in Scottsdale, bringing their Spring Training roster down to 44 players.
OPTIONED TO IOWA (AAA):
Scott Moore, IF-OF
Clay Rapada, LHP
OPTIONED TO TENNESSEE (AA):
Brian Dopirak, 1B
OPTIONED TO DAYTONA (Hi-A) :
Jeff Samardzija, RHP
SENT TO MINOR LEAGUE CAMP (NRI)
Jason Anderson, RHP
Tyler Colv
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As a Rule
For the first time since 1996, the MLB Playing Rules Committee has voted in several rules changes for 2007, including a couple of changes to MLB Rule 10 (official scoring).
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Make Mine Piniella
The smell of freshly-cut grass, and temperatures in the 60's with nary a cloud in the sky. A smilin' Lou Piniella strolling from field to field, bantering with the fans and signing autographs. The sound of bat on ball, and pitchers practicing covering first on a ball hit to the first-baseman. Ah, yes. While it might not be absolutely as good as it gets, it's pretty close.
Your pal AZ Phil and about 100 hopeful Cub fans attended the Cubs first Spring Training workout of 2007 this morning at Fitch Park in Mesa. It was a mandatory work-out for the Cubs' 30 pitchers and six catchers, but six position players (infielders and outfielders) who were not required to report showed up anyway.
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Cubs 2007 Spring Training Roster, Contracts, and Options
The rain has stopped, skies have cleared, Kerry Wood is a lean, mean, fighting machine, and with pitchers, catchers, and a few of the position players having reported to Fitch Park yesterday (minus Carlos Zambrano, whose arrival was delayed), and with the first offical Spring Training workout scheduled for this morning, here is the up-to-date Cubs 40-man roster and ST NRI list, the contract status and minor league option status for all players on the 40-man roster, the list of Cubs minor league players who will be eligible to be free-agents after the 2007 season and those who will be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft next December, and AZ Phil's pre-ST Cubs organizational depth chart:
An Eternal Cub, Forever Young
This time each year, I get stoked. It's automatic. It never fails.
I'm in Arizona. The weather's great. It's time for Spring Training.
But there's this one thing that gnaws at me, that keeps me from enjoying the experience quite as much as I would like to enjoy it. The start of Spring Training is fun, but there's this one memory from my youth--it's kind of a Long Sorrow--that I guess will be in the back of my mind for the rest of my life.
For those of you who don't remember him or who aren't all that familar with his career, Ken Hubbs was born in Riverside, CA on December 23, 1941, and as a 12-year old, he led his Colton (California) Little League team to the Little League World Series championship game in Williamsport in August 1954. Colton lost the game to future Cub Billy Connors and his Schenectady (New York) team, but by the time he was a senior in high school (1959), Kenny Hubbs was nothing but a winner. President of his high school class and a star football, basketball, and baseball player, he could have followed his older brother Keith to BYU--where he probably would have been a two or three-sport star and BMOC. But Kenny instead chose to sign a professional baseball contract with the Chicago Cubs (yes, YOUR Chicago Cubs), all the more significant because this was before the amateur draft, and Hubbs had the option to sign with any of the then-16 MLB clubs.
A TCR Cubs Spring Training Preview for the Casual Fan
The Super Bowl is over, March Madness isn't until next month, and the NBA and NHL regular seasons (AKA the playoffs) haven't started yet. So what time IS it? Well, it's time again for Spring Training, which is when professional baseball teams gather in Florida and Arizona to prepare for the coming season.
Cubs Actually Really Do Sign Cliff Floyd
After what only seems likes months or perhaps years, the Chicago Tribune and numerous other Chicago media are reporting that the Cubs have (finally, at long last) signed FA OF Cliff Floyd.
Terms are being reported as $3M for 2007 plus some type of mutual option for 2008.
Although Floyd was rated an MLB Type "A" free-agent, the Cubs will
not los
Cubs Round Up More of the Usual Suspects
In addition to signing Jeff Samardzija to a major league contract last week and INF Tomas Perez to a minor league contract (with an NRI to ST) the week before, and while waiting for Cliff Floyd to decide what he wants to do, the Cubs have signed several additional FAs to minor league contracts recently:
Samardzija Gives Up Football
Some of you might remember back to last June, when the Cubs selected Notre Dame RHP (and WR) Jeff Samardzija in the 5th Round of the Rule 4 Draft (June Draft). The Cubs subsequently gave Samardzija what was reported at the time as a record-setting multi-million dollar bonus that the Cubs hoped would ultimately dissuade Samardzija from pursuing a career in the NFL.
Not so, apparently
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Recent comments
CubbyBlue (view)
Incredible moment. Huge part of the fun of working there is when something magic like that happens, and you get to interact with baseball fans.
TarzanJoeWallis (view)
That bear hug was indeed awesome. Word is that Dansby has become an outstanding clubhouse leader and that moment really demonstrated it. That reaction was one of a proud coach/mentor who’s student just excelled. I’m not even sure who was more overjoyed, Dansby or PCA. A veteran expressing that kind of unabashed support and enthusiasm for a struggling rookie is beyond fantastic to see.
CubbyBlue (view)
BAHAHA! I've actually not seen a single fight, but can't wait to see 70 degrees for sure!
crunch (view)
next time i roll up into wrigley i'll try to start a fist fight and maybe we'll meet.
be prepared. i'm gonna make you earn your money.
seriously, though...that's a cool as hell "retirement" assignment. i imagine it will be better with warmer nights.
Cubster (view)
I was there for the PCA homer as well. 50 degree baseball is no longer fun when sitting in the shade (knit hats, scarves and gloves are football gear) but I agree it’s one of those really cool moments. I loved the bear hug given by Swanson at home plate and of course the added impact that the PCA homer became a game winner.
Cubster (view)
Holy Screaming Bananas
CubbyBlue (view)
In honor of dispatching with the Astros, this painting is titled “The Sweep”.
I retired a couple years ago, and took a job at Wrigley as a security guy. SO cool having Wrigley as your office. SO cool being there when PCA got his first hit.
“The Sweep” happens at the end of every game - the security staff sweeps through the ballpark making sure it’s empty.
(Hopefully I’ll be putting this painting up often this year.)
Lastly, because working for the Cubs, they understandably don’t want you voicing opinions on social, which is why I’m only painting the banners here.
First.Pitch.120 (view)
Honorable mention to Jim Bullinger via BleedCubbieBlue:
Bullinger, a converted shortstop, had pitched in three games before he came to the plate. He had entered the game to relieve starter Shawn Boskie after four innings, and came to the plate to lead off the fifth, and hit Rheal Cormier's first pitch over the left-field wall to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead; they eventually won the game 5-2 in 14 innings. Of the 129players to homer in their first MLB at-bat, Bullinger is one of just 32 to hit that blast on the first big-league pitch he saw (including Contreras) and one of just six pitchers to do so.
TarzanJoeWallis (view)
Most of this activity will lead nowhere, of course, but it is fantastic that they’re looking for talent in every nook and cranny. You never know where that can lead, and virtually nothing is lost if if leads nowhere, as long as no one of superior talent and potential is losing an opportunity.
First.Pitch.120 (view)
Fun 1st Hit / HR Fact…
Recent Cubs players to have HR as 1st MLB hit:
PCA
Morel
Happ
Contreras
Baez
Soler
Castro