Cubs Rally for Two in 8th to Claim Victory

Danny Lockhart drilled an RBI single to right to drive-in Dustin Geiger from 3rd base with the tying run, and Shawon Dunston, Jr scored the go-ahead run (the eventually winning run) on an errant pickoff attempt at 3rd base, as the Cubs rallied for two in the 8th to edge the Angels 4-3 in AZ Instructional League action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa.

The Angels took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 2nd inning when catcher Carlos Ramirez took Cubs starting pitcher Jose Arias deep for a two-run HR over the LF fence.

The Cubs tied it up in the bottom of the 6th, as Dan Vogelbach tripled off the top of the right-centerfield fence just to the right of the “Green Monster” (Batter’s Eye) with one out, Reggie Golden followed with an RBI double off the LF fence, and Dustin Geiger knocked-in Golden with an RBI single to CF.

Watching Vogelbach hustle around the bases for his triple brought to mind a man running for a bus that was pulling away from the stop. The only thing that would have added to the picture would have been if Vogelbach had been carrying a briefcase and an umbrella. But for a big man, Vogelbach runs pretty well.

The Angels took back the lead in the top of the 7th on a two-out RBI double by Abel Baker, before the Cubs plated the game-tying and game-winning runs in bottom of the 8th.

Two more Cubs pitchers headed for the Arizona Fall League got a tune-up in today’s game, as Marcus Hatley and Chris Carpenter each threw an inning. Both pitchers will be working out of the Mesa Solar Sox bullpen. (The AFL begins play next Tuesday).

Long & lanky 6’3 LHP Christopher Pieters made his pro debut in today’s game, throwing a 1-2-3 11-pitch 5th inning (4-3, F-8, F-8). Pieters is all arms & legs, and has a similar pitching style as that of Cubs Dominican LHP Willengton Cruz.

A native of Curacao, Pieters signed with the Cubs this past summer as a 16-year old during the International Signing Period for a reported $350K bonus. He turned 17 last week.

As has been the case for much of Instructs, the three umpires working the game were “wired” and in communication with an umpire instructor sitting in the Observation Tower behind home plate. The instructor can provide the young arbiters with real-time teaching moments as may be necessary during the course of the game, although the umpires and the instructor also occasionally meet face-to-face between innings to discuss matters of importance.

In Cubs Instructs roster news, 17-year old catcher Alberto Mineo has returned home to Italy. This was planned in advance and had nothing to do with anything that transpired at Instructs (and in fact Mineo has been very impressive). He will return to Fitch Park next Spring and will attend Extended Spring Training April-June before likely being assigned to the AZL Cubs.

Here is the abridged box score (Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1. Rubi Silva, RF: 0-3 (K, 4-6 FC, F-8)
2. Javier Baez, SS: 1-3 (K, 1B, K, PO)
3. Rafael Lopez, DH #1: 0-3 (3-1, 4-3, K)
4. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 2-3 (1B, 3B, K, R)
5. Reggie Golden, DH #2: 1-3 (6-4-3 DP, 2B, K, R, RBI)
6. Dustin Geiger, 3B: 1-2 (K, 1B, HBP, R, RBI, SB)
7. Shawon Dunston, Jr, CF: 1-3 (6-3, P-3, 1B, R)
8. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-3 (1-3, K, 1B, RBI)
9a. Yaniel Cabezas, C: 1-2 (6-3, 1B)
9b. Justin Marra, C: 0-1 (F-8)
10. Garrett Schlecht, LF: 0-2 (K, BB, K)

PITCHERS:
1. Jose Arias: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 38 pitches (22 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO
2. Marcus Hatley: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 15 pitches (9 strikes), 0/2 GO/FO
3. Chris Carpenter: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 GIDP, 21 pitches (16 strikes), 2/0 GO/FO
4. Christopher Pieters: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 11 pitches (6 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO
5. Tarlandus Mitchell: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 7 pitches (6 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO
6. Amaury Paulino: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 6 pitches (4 strikes), 0/2 GO/FO
7. Luis Liria: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 8 pitches (5 strikes), 2/0 GO/FO
8. Andrew McKirahan: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 11 pitches (7 strikes), 0/3 GO/FO

ERRORS: NONE

OUTFIELD ASSIST
CF Shawon Dunston, Jr - runner thrown out 8-6-5 trying to stretch double into triple

ATTENDANCE: 34 (including cubs.com beat writer Carrie Muskat)

WEATHER: Partly cloudy & breezy with temperatures in the 90’s

Tags: 
Marcus Hatley
Chris Carpenter
Cubs Minor Leaguers
Dustin Geiger
Dan Vogelbach
Danny Lockhart
Christopher Pieters
AZ Instructional League
Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sat, 10/01/2011 - 3:22pm
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Comments

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 10/01/2011 - 5:09pm

Watching Vogelbach hustle around the bases for his triple brought to mind a man running for a bus that was pulling away from the stop. The only thing that would have added to the picture would have been if Vogelbach had been carrying a briefcase and an umbrella. But for a big man, Vogelbach runs pretty well.
---
Az Phil: The imagery is awesome! Great work as usual.

What are your thoughts on Andrew McKirahan? Pretty interesting that the last 5 pitchers had such low pitch count innings (11, 7, 6, 8, 11). Seems unusual the Cub pitchers.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Sat, 10/01/2011 - 9:33pm

Submitted by Cubster on Sat, 10/01/2011 - 4:09pm.

What are your thoughts on Andrew McKirahan? Pretty interesting that the last 5 pitchers had such low pitch count innings (11, 7, 6, 8, 11). Seems unusual the Cub pitchers

=============================

CUBSTER: I would say Andrew McKirahan is the Cubs #1 lefty reliever below AA. He should start the 2012 season at Daytona.

McKirahan isn't on a par with Gaub, Maine, or Beliveau, and might not ever be, but he has some definite upside.

One thing the Cubs do at Instructs is teach pitchers the importance of throwing strikes, especially strike one. For Wild Things like Luis Liria and Tarlandus Mitchell, this concept is hard to grasp, because they think they have to nibble to get good results.

A couple of years ago the Cubs brought Chris Archer to Instructs specifically to work on throwing strikes, and while he got hit fairly hard while learning to do that, he also learned what he needed to learn to become the Cubs #1 pitching prospect and the Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year the very next season.

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 10/01/2011 - 5:27pm

Joel Sherman tweets, Theo to the Cubs rumor

http://tinyurl.com/3u9snjn

...and Buster Olney tweets (chimes) in on the same vein:

http://tinyurl.com/4xyrdrv

plus one more Olney tweet on the Cubs:

As the Cubs' situation plays out, we may find out in the end whether they prefer Theo Epstein or Andrew Friedman.

Submitted by crunch
on Sat, 10/01/2011 - 5:37pm

this should cost a cubic fuckton of wasted money.

...and probably some of the farm system, too...for a f'n suit. can we have BOS's entire scouting staff, too? unlike Mooneybawls would have some believe, the GM needs those eyes and ears...and lots of them.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Sat, 10/01/2011 - 8:53pm

the GM needs those eyes and ears...and lots of them.

----

But we have Jim Hendry's high school friends as scouts, what are you complaining about? :)

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 9:12am

The Magic Scout theory... Moneyball has a better track record than magic scouts.

Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 5:08pm

scouts tell the GM what the hell he's looking at. you think a .480 average with 10 hr means anything on a piece of paper when you're handicapping AAAA highschool baseball in central Alabama? you think the GM even travels to see 1/2 of these guys? ...or a 1/4...or 1/10...or 1/25? most of the time it's even less that that. some GMs don't even see the 1st rounder they're going to pick. what use is a guy who hits .400 in college if 1/2 his hits come off the thin (inside/hands) of the bat being helped by the fact it's aluminum, not wood? (answer, not much when you put a real bat in his hand and see it getting sawed off).

that's a gem you just busted out, there.

beane needs his scouts, likes his scouts, and uses his scouts to make decisions...unlike what some pieces of fiction would have others believe. that stupid book has melted the minds of otherwise normal-minded baseball fans who think they have to pick a side in a war that a non-baseball fan writer invented.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 7:32pm

LOL!

Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 7:35pm

yet another impressive counter-argument.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 7:43pm

All scouts do essentially the same thing, crunch. It's the team that uses them, both incorporating their information, and telling them what information to get, that does the best.. duh.

Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 7:53pm

that is a very rudimentary, yet true, way of looking at it. it's like saying highschool/college baseball players hit baseballs and a guy with a higher BA/OB% does it better...it's very flawed, yet true in it's own way.

also, are you a narcissist or a sociopath?

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 9:57pm

No,

also are you a hypocrite or a retard?

How did you read the book and not understand it? It's about market inefficiencies, not about OBP or talking bad about Carlos Pena or whatever your friend whispered into you ear.

If any group of scouts is roughly the same, yet some teams do a better job drafting and developing players, what would a reasonable person conclude? Well, there's two reasonable conclusions, neither of which includes "bring your scouts" for a new GM.

Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 10:16pm

i'm a retard.

i'm also capable of reading a book as much you're capable of remembering parts of stuff you want to in order to make a point while ignoring other parts.

specific incidents suddenly get broadened until an umbrella of things can be said and the person you've decided to argue with is an idiot.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 2:15pm

What part am I ignoring? It seems like you read a book called "War on Scouting" that no one else caught.

What do you think the Cubs should look for in a GM, or do you think all GM's are just the same and it's the guys with the lucked into the good scouts that win (or that it's all just luck)?

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 4:24pm

quit arguing with a retard. you stupid?

if you think i'm getting into something already explained and makes sense to everyone but you...again...AGAIN...well...

at what point does it sink in that this happens with many people, many times a month? it's not just me, ya know. people are just calling it out more lately after a while off. when you had MikeC to argue with it kept you distracted. some nights you jump on and it's a slew of comments to different people, all combative, and most of them looking for some kind of pissing match. if you didn't insist on always being right it might not irk some. people are allowed to have opinions and be wrong and be corrected and correct others who are wrong and be right and etc etc...but you, sometimes...damn.

if you think there was nothing said discounting scouts in "that book"...and if you think it wasn't dramatically fictionalized in order to make beane look revolutionary for dramatic effect (setting up an old guard vs. new guard conflict...aka, one of the central themes of the book's drama) then who was reading what? nevermind the fact you think scouting skills are akin to being a weekend-course graduate bounty hunter...i dunno how to break you of that without sitting you down in a crew of them watching them trade notes and talk.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 5:58pm

I just asked for your opinion, and you went on a 200 word diatribe off subject. What's wrong with you?

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 7:00pm

i'm a retard...duh.

Submitted by Ryno
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 10:57am

You get the right guy and it's money well-spent, imo.

Submitted by crunch
on Sat, 10/01/2011 - 5:25pm

hipster douches behind home plate in freshly bought PHI gear blocking people behind them holding up a "pujols are stinky" sign.

yes, we see you and your shiny new "we got tickets to the game" hats and shirts...now put down your little signs and quit blocking the baseball fans behind you.

thank god they only know 1 baseball "joke."

Submitted by Cubster
on Sat, 10/01/2011 - 9:47pm

guess the religion site...Theo Epstein (scores a 12)

Hank Greenberg (13), Sam Fuld (9), Ryan Braun (10), Bruce Springsteen (6), Rex Grossman (6), Stephen Strasburg (5), Sandy Koufax (14), Kevin Youkilis (11), JJ Putz (4) and some fun others by categories you can search for. Albert Einstein and Mel Blanc (15, high score tie with several others). Pretty obvious who scored a zero...Mel Gibson too.

http://www.jewornotjew.com/search.jsp?SEARCH=...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 11:04am

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/...

Cubs would like Ryno back in the Cubs family.

http://muskat.mlblogs.com/2011/10/02/102-zamb...

Venezualen paper saying Ozzie would like to bring Z with him to Miami

Submitted by navigator
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 11:12am

What's your best guess on how much $$ the Cubs would have to send along with Z to get that deal done, Rob?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 11:16am

all of it?

I can't imagine a team would have to pay more than $2-$3M if the Cubs want anything back of value. Maybe up to $5M if the Cubs get nothing back.

Submitted by navigator
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 12:20pm

Just looking over the Marlins SP staff, with Josh Johnson on the DL they had real problems filling the #5 spot in the rotation. Used seven or eight pitchers there.

So, if Johnson comes back successfully and they resign Vazquez the only spot for Z is the #4 or #5. The Marlins #4 this year was Chris Volsted and he put up numbers (1.42 WHIP, 4.89 ERA) remarkably similar to Z's in 2011 but he only cost them $445,000. So, yeah, maybe it would take "all of it" to move Z to Florida.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 1:32pm

Vazquez is said to be heavily leaning towards retirement.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 7:13pm

Why should Zambrano waive his "no trade" knowing that the Cubs will almost certainly release him (eating the $18M and thereby allowing Z to make his own deal) if they can't trade him?

If he does get released, Zambrano will still get his $18M for 2012, and the Cubs would have to pay all of it minus the MLB minimum which Z's new team would have to pay (presuming Zambrano opts to even play next season).

And if the Cubs release him and he does choose to play in 2012, by being a free-agent, Zambrano would be able to shop for the best deal for him (not the best deal for the Cubs), like maybe his new team gets him for the MLB minimum in 2012 (with the Cubs paying the balance of the $18M) PLUS an extention beyond 2012, maybe with a player option.

When he was asked about Zambrano's future a few weeks ago, Ricketts should have said that the Cubs were looking forward to Zambrano returning in 2012 with a new attitude (not that he would have actually meant that), and that the Cubs were expecting Zambrano to be a really good middle-reliever and that they aren't going to let him hit anymore (which is what Zambrano REALLY likes to do) because it is just too dangerous to take a chance of injury with such a valuable middle reliever, just so Zambrano would not be so sure that he would get his release if he refuses a trade.

And then he would also know that if he refuses a trade and does play in 2012, it will only be with the Cubs, and he will be absolutely miserable. And so then he would be more inclined to accept a trade, or he might even just retire (maybe with a "golden parachute" cash settlement that would at least save the Cubs a few million).

This isn't like the Milton Bradley or Todd Hundley situations in years past, because Bradley and Hundley did not have NTCs.

Again, knowing what Ricketts said, why should Zambrano OK a trade (even one highly-favorable to the Cubs) when he will almost certainly get released if he doesn't?

Submitted by crunch
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 7:26pm

i hope Z and his agent isn't that classless...though it could be done.

as many tantrums as Z throws he's never been too vindictive afterwards...then again he has ozzie in his ear. =p

Submitted by George Altman
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 12:24pm

It would be revolutionary if the Cubs had a GM/President who would inform Z's agent that the Cubs sincerely hope his client is interested in agreeing to a mutually beneficial trade prior to the 2012 season. If Z wants to play hardball, I would inform his agent that the Cubs look forward to his client being the anchor of their middle-relief corps this coming season.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 12:27pm

with Hendry gone, Z won't want to be here and will accept any trade offer, well any to an NL team. He may hem and haw about an AL team, but eventually cave in.

If this means Samardzija in the rotation, I hope you're all happy, look at what you caused. :)

Submitted by George Altman
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 2:06pm

I would hope whoever becomes GM will sign a $3-5M/yr FA-SP from somewhere to go with Garza, Dempster, Wells, and Cashner.

If anyone was added to the rotation, it should be Marshall and leave Samardzija in the pen where he finally made a somewhat decent contribution to the team.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 2:19pm

what they need to do is find someone really fucking good to go with Garza.

Dempster, Wells, Cashner as your 3,4 and 5 look a lot better than your 2-4. They'll also have to find some depth unless everyone likes Jay Jackson, Rusin, Struck and Coleman. And since I believe all those guys have options, make them earn it. Actually make Cashner and Wells earn it too. Also fix the defense, they'll all look a lot better if they can fix the defense.

unfortunately the only guy that fits that bill is Shields that might be available. Might as well give the rest of the farm system to the Rays. I don't mind CJ wilson, they could use a lefty, but don't put him under "really fucking great" category and seems he'll be too expensive and I believe he put up his best numbers vs. Mariners, A's and Angels this year.

Maybe King Felix will be available in a trade, but I can't think of any other ace types that might become available.

Submitted by Charlie
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 8:18pm

Fuck 2012.

It's my new version of there's always next year.

Submitted by George Altman
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 10:11pm

If we're going to go for a real good TOR partner for Garza, then let the wish list begin:

1. A GM who can do what Epstein, Friedman, and Gillick have done.
2. An ace SP to go with Garza
3. Fielder at 1B for the next 5-6 years.
4. A second-baseman or third baseman who could produce a .825-.850 OPS
5. A LF or RF who can produce a .850 OPS (RH or LH, don't care)
6. A roster without Koyie Hill, Blake DeWitt, and Jeff Baker and/or a manager who views them as injury replacement starters over minor league prospects.
7. A manager who creates a real culture of accountability, professionalism, and performance-based lineups.
8. A player development staff that takes draft picks and minor league free agents and makes them BETTER. Pitchers who have at least 3/1 K/BB ratios, throw 65% first pitch strikes, throw 65% strikes, and WHIP's under 1.30; Position players who can play at least one position major-league average, produce an .800 OPS unless you're a middle infielder, utility player.

I could probably go on, but that's my short list.

Submitted by Dr. aaron b
on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 9:58pm

If it's a simple release deal. You might as well just let Z stay and be a good-league average 3-4 starter and reap the rewards of him really trying in a contract year.

Makes no sense to eat his money, only to drop another 5-10 million to replace his production. Especially since his value can do nothing but increase at this point.

Hopefully the next GM isn't the blubbering Farley esque idiot that the last one was.

Submitted by Charlie
on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 1:06pm

I think the general sentiment around here is that there is no going back after even the owner said he doesn't see Z coming back.

I don't see why not, though.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 8:55pm

As much as I would like Ryno to be the manager, I don't want an owner who is telling the GM who to hire. We aren't going to attract any established GM with that kind of stuff.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 11:14am

seems to believe a lot of decisions are already made with the Ricketts pulling the strings.

Pena back, Ninja and Cashner as #4 and #5, get rid of Z, etc..

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 7:41pm

Weird... if it's true, which I doubt, it makes Ricketts sound more and more like he's going to try and pull a Jerry Jones...

Has an MLB owner (other than Steinbrenner) screwing around with the team had any success in the last 30 years?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 8:45pm

Astros didn't do too bad with McLane, ended poorly of course.

don't really buy that any of those decisions are made, other than they maybe they don't intend to spend much in the offseason. Hopefully one of these GM candidates will convince them they'll suck for 3-5 years with that plan.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 10:01pm

Astros got a bit lucky with getting Clemens and Petite at below market value at first. Most owners would have done the same thing. Later when he had to pay closer to market value for them was when he stopped investing in prospects.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 10:25pm

my memory was that he talked Clemens into coming to Houston after Petitte signed, but either way.

6 playoff appearances in a 9 year span (18 years overall) and a span of 11 of 13 seasons over .500.

think most fans would be happy with that...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 11:44am

Yeah, but McClane wasn't calling the shots back then. It was only when he put Purpura in as his puppet.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 12:02pm

i don't know enough about the situation, thought he was always of the meddling variety. I don't know how specifically he meddles, other than his standing order of "never give up on a season".

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 12:13pm

My impression is that he came into it later. I wasn't here for the early years though. Sort of like he meddled one time, it worked out and then he got encouraged to do it more, but that was around 2003 or so.

His hiring of Wade was sort of tacit acknowledgement that he had screwed up.

But yeah, he probably is around an Angelos level meddler.

Submitted by navigator
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 12:23pm

If you're interested in the baseball portion of the Pan Am Games, competition runs from Oct. 19-25 and ESPN3.com is covering with video feeds (in Spanish). I don't know how much of the baseball will make it on the air though.

http://www.guadalajara2011.org.mx/documentos/...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 12:38pm

Bears playing the "ignore Steve Smith defense" again...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 12:53pm

Hester still good.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 2:30pm

cute Martz, run the damn the ball on 3rd and 1 next time.

terrible spot though by the ref.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 8:59pm

Ok ppl I do not play for the cardinals. Same name, diff person, stop tweeting.... #JustSayin #annoying

http://twitter.com/CCarp37/status/12067748747...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 10/02/2011 - 10:02pm

You do play for the Cardinals, you moran.

Submitted by Ryno
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 11:00am

awesome.

Submitted by JoePepitone
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 1:38am

AZPhil -- I'll be in the Phoenix area next Friday and Saturday (10/7+8). I found a schedule for the Arizona Fall league which shows the Mesa Solar Sox playing at home on Saturday at 9:35pm Eastern time (I presume at Fitch Park?) but I can't find any schedule for the Cubs Instructional league game on Friday and Saturday. Do you know when and where they are playing on those two days? Thanks!

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 9:58am

Submitted by JoePepitone on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 12:38am.
AZPhil -- I'll be in the Phoenix area next Friday and Saturday (10/7+8). I found a schedule for the Arizona Fall league which shows the Mesa Solar Sox playing at home on Saturday at 9:35pm Eastern time (I presume at Fitch Park?) but I can't find any schedule for the Cubs Instructional league game on Friday and Saturday. Do you know when and where they are playing on those two days? Thanks!

============================

JOE P:

FRIDAY 10/7:
ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE
12:30 PM (local)
Mesa Solar Sox (CHC, CHW, BAL, MIN, PIT)
at Salt River Rafters (AZ, COL, DET, HOU, LAD)
Played at the Main Stadium at SALT RIVER FIELDS AT TALKING STICK
Pima Road between Indian Bend Road & Via de Ventura
Adjacent to Loop 101 Pima Freeway

FRIDAY 10/7:
AZ INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE
12:30 PM (local)
Cubs at Mariners
Played at PEORIA SPORTS COMPLEX (83rd Avenue & Bell)
Mariners side (minor league field)

====================================

SATURDAY 10/8:
AZ INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE
10:00 AM (local)
Angels at Cubs
Played at FITCH PARK (6th Place & Center Street in Meaa)
CUBS MINOR LEAGUE COMPLEX

SATURDAY 10/8
ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE:
6:30 PM (local)
Salt River Rafters at Mesa Solar Sox
Played at HoHoKAM PARK (Center Street north of Brown Road in Mesa)
CUBS SPRING TRAINING STADIUM

Be advised that AZ INTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE game times & locations are subject to change without advance notice.

Submitted by JoePepitone
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 10:05am

Many thanks, AZPhil!

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 10:26am

JOE P: You will need this...

Here is the updated (as of 10/1) numerical roster for the AZIL CUBS (players):

2 Yaniel Cabezas, C
3 Javier Baez, SS
4 Rafael Lopez, C
5 Danny Lockhart, INF
7 Micah Gibbs, C
8 Trey Martin, OF
9 Neftali Rosario, C
11 Carlos Penalver, INF
12 Luis Acosta, INF
13 Eliecer Bonne, OF
15 Rubi Silva, 2B-OF
16 Mark Malave, C
20 Shawon Dunston, Jr, OF
21 Taiwan Easterling, OF
22 Dan Vogelbach, 1B
25 Dustin Geiger, 3B-1B
27 Garrett Schlecht, OF
28 Reggie Golden, OF
29 Rock Shoulders, 1B
30 Dillon Maples, RHP
32 Zeke DeVoss, 2B-OF
33 Zac Rosscup, LHP
34 Ian Dickson, RHP
35 Michael Jensen, RHP
36 Tarlandus Mitchell, RHP
37 Kyler Burke, LHP
39 Tony Zych, RHP
40 Dustin Fitzgerald, RHP
41 Justin Marra, C
47 Andrew McKirahan, LHP
48 Charles Thomas, RHP
49 Scott Weismann, RHP
50 Luis Liria, RHP
51 Christopher Pieters, LHP
52 Jose Rosario, RHP
54 Austin Reed, RHP
55 Starling Peralta, RHP
56 Amaury Paulino, RHP
57 Tayler Scott, RHP
58 Larry Suarez, RHP
59 David Henrie, RHP
60 Felix Pena, RHP
61 Jeimer Candelario, 3B-1B
62 Jeffrey Baez, OF
63 Frank Del Valle, LHP
64 Jose Arias, RHP
65 Matt Spencer, LHP
67 Alexander Santana, RHP

The instructors wear numbers that duplicate the players numbers in most cases (like game manager Mark Johnson is #8), but the instructors have names on the backs of their jerseys, while the players do not.

Submitted by JoePepitone
on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 12:12am

Wow. Thank you, again!

Submitted by Cliffy
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 10:31am

Arizona Phil can you help please.

Can you please define MLB rules regarding tampering?

Does the way the Florida Marlins went about getting Ozzie violate those rules.

Follow up question; If the story about Ozzie speaking with Zambrano is true how does that not constitute tampering.

Also I follow Rock Shoulders twitter account he is on a plane now to Chicago, surgery on his knee is Tuesday. Give him a shout out on twitter he's very approachable.

Submitted by Arizona Phil
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 10:40am

CLIFFY: An MLB club cannot speak to a player, manager, coach, GM, etc (or anyone representing them or a third party who is in contact with them) about present or future employment while that individual is under contract with another MLB club, unless the club receives permission from the individual's present club.

Clubs are also not permitted to talk publically about signing a player or hiring a manager, GM, etc if the individual is under contract with another MLB club.

Sometimes news leaks out through the media and tampering charges are thrown around, but they are hard to prove.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 11:19am

SI's Peter King takes a break from football to point out that Theo Epstein has spent a ton of money on free agents since 2005 with little to no success:

"...Theo Epstein, whose major free-agent signings since 2005 are Edgar Renteria, Julio Lugo, J.D. Drew, Daisuke Matsuzaka, John Lackey, Marco Scutaro, Mike Cameron, Carl Crawford and Bobby Jenks.

You can look it up: Since 2005, Epstein has signed those nine players to contracts totaling $462 million, with an additional $51.1 million paid to a Japanese team to acquire Matsuzaka. Of that $513 million spent, and those nine players, only Scutaro has been worth every dime of his contract -- and his deal was only for two years and $12.5 million."

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers...

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 11:38am

Peter King is the Phil Rogers of the NFL

http://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/tag/fun-w...

who are these GM's that nail all their FA contracts?

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 11:42am

Looking at that list, Epstein hasn't "nailed" a single FA contract since 2005.

And calling Peter King the Phil Rogers of the NFL is ridiculous. King is an actual journalist who travels the country interviewing people. Rogers just makes shit up.

I also had to double check that TRN didn't hack Rob G's account to make such a ridiculously dumb post.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 12:01pm

to each their own...

Lackey's the only real bad one in there, shame his wife got breast cancer and he's now going through a divorce. Crawford is certainly tipping towards a bad one. Dice-K was a thing in and of itself, still got a WS ring out of him and a trip to the ALCS. Drew put up a few good seasons, most smart folks realize that you get FA's for the beginning of the deal and absorb the backend.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 12:28pm

I bet they wish someone would absorb Jenks' back end.

What Theo hasn't done, yet, is crippled the team's financial flexibility with long term deals that went busto, though he has some potential to do that with Crawford, Gonzalez and Lackey.

If you're going miss on FA contracts, at least have the good sense to devlop multiple MVP and Cy Young candidates like the Red Sox have done. Maybe that has just been luck, and it's all a sham like it was in Oakland.

I don't know if it is the case, but I suspect that Epstein and gang have some sort of long term plan.

That's what really bugged me about the previous Cubs regime. It's like they didn't realize next year was going to happen, ya know, like next year. If things don't work out to plan, recognize the sunk costs (Soriano and Zambrano etc) and react accordingly. Don't blow all your resources in 4 for 1 trades and Carlos Pena signings trying to save money that is already down the drain.

Submitted by Paul Noce
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 3:00pm

Peter King rebuts your argument that Drew has been a good signing:

"Stop giving me stats showing how good Drew's been, and that's he the nth-best right-fielder in the league since signing. A player who, in five years, hasn't scored 90 runs once, hasn't hit 25 homers once, and hasn't driven in 70 runs once is not worth even half of the $14 million a year Drew cost. Period."

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 3:16pm

Someone should tell Peter King it's not 1996 anymore.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 3:23pm

oh well, Peter King!!!!! stick to shitty football reporting...

they signed JD Drew to get on-base and win a World Series, probably while knowing that he gets injured a lot. Also to play some defense. Would you prefer the $14M paid to Fukudome?

Fangraphs has him worth $7.6M, $22.4, $18.6, 9.6, (-1.1).

not quite $70M, but definitely better than half.

Submitted by big_lowitzki
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 3:32pm

Peter King rebuts your argument that Drew has been a good signing:

Which is why Peter King should stick to football.

Submitted by Dusty Baylor
on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 10:46am

Renteria? $8 mill for an 89 OPS+ and 30 errors
Cameron? Ugh...$15 Mill/2yrs for a Zero
Lugo? A 71 OPS+ for 3 yrs/$26.5 million

Oof..well, you got to swing to hit a HR?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 1:02pm

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospect...

Szczur #8 in FSL top 20 (was #9 in Midwest League)

no other Cubs.

Hak-Ju Lee #3

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 1:03pm

Cubs short list allegedly is:

Boston senior VP Ben Cherington, Chicago White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn and Atlanta’s pro scouting director John Coppolella

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/oriole...

says Angels may make a run at Beane.

Baltimore paper and all, wouldn't take it too seriously.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 1:09pm

and this

#Cubs Ricketts enamored with #RedSox, MLB exec tells me. If not Theo for GM, don't underestimate Sox aassis GM Ben Cherington for Cubs.

so I presume what happened is Red Sox didn't make playoffs, Ricketts called up to start asking permission to do interviews, then people started making up shit since then.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 1:40pm

Ben Cherington sounds familiar, is he a Moneyball name or just someone we bandied about after Hendry got fired?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 1:43pm

bandied about after Hendry got fired,

Red Sox guy below Epstein

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 2:01pm

Thanks. I still like Hahn if Beane or Epstein aren't coming.

None of those guys are in the playoffs... shouldn't the Rangers have a guy to pilfer too?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 2:08pm

I know everyone likes Daniels now, but he'll forever be the guy that traded Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Young away for a middle reliever (and Adam Eaton I guess).

Soriano trade was crap too.

whomever runs their drafts though seems to have a pretty good clue.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 3:44pm

Salmatatachia, Feliz and Andrus wasn't a bad haul for Texeira either.

Submitted by Koyies Bansaw
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 3:59pm

Also acquired their # 4 starter, Matt Harrison, in that deal.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 4:04pm

a few good deals of course and not much ammo for me when the team is doing well, but that trade will always stick out to me.

Submitted by Hrubes20
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 4:38pm

More international amateurs than draft. Their drafts are actually pretty "meh".

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 1:10pm

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/68455-john-lac...

Wells for Lackey proposition

Soriano for Wells actually makes a little sense(and I mean little) now that Wells is with the Angels, never did with Toronto.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 1:13pm

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Boston-Red...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 1:47pm

Bizzarre. GM'ing for the Cubs, he probably never feels the need to make the Lackey, Crawford or Cameron deals.

You can win the NL Central just by buying the draft.

Submitted by The E-Man
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 2:47pm

ROB G: what ks the sentiment with respect to the Angels GM situation in SoCal?

Is your wife upset or happy?

It seems like they have had decent teams, and unfortunately been ip against the Rangers.

However, with only four teams in their Division, their odds every year coming out pf the gate are better than the Cubs.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 3:06pm

not sure my wife knows about it yet, she checked out after they were eliminated.

As the article says, they usually promote from within, I doubt they'd be going for the same types as the Cubs, if for no reason other than Scioscia isn't going anywhere and no one is complaining about their drafts. They seem to have a organizational philosophy that I doubt they're going to venture far from.

I read a few bits after Reagin quit that people say he was overmatched...not sure of the specifics behind that criticism, but that Wells deal looked as bad as Hendry signing Bradley at the time. In terms of how vocal everyone was from the beginning that this is a bad idea.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 2:31pm

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php...

thinks it's a free article, Sandberg is on there

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 2:45pm

Not to pick a fight with crunch, but that very last "scouts view" quote is classic. The guy had a "career year" with a .332 OBP and 98 RBI's.

It will be criminal if Sandberg doesn't get a big league job this year.

Submitted by crunch
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 5:16pm

that alone should tell you scouts have different tools/abilities and aren't the same.

you're too busy playing pick-a-side, though.

it's not a war, no matter what michael lewis made you believe. he's a book author. there is/was no war. leave the battlefield. come home.

also, some of that texas praise in an above post belongs to "moneyball-maligned" ron hopkins (a very nice and smart/respected guy in the game, not an old/confused guy who's got strong opinions on fat catchers). the O's are currently rebuilding their scouting department with him as a part of it (crosschecking again)... they brought in some new scouts in the effort including larry chase (former mets scout) who could probably be a scouting director, himself, if he wanted to work full time. they have some serious talent (along with j.stockstill on player dev) assisting the scouting director. it's a kinda super-crew...be interesting to see what they develop over the next many years.

it isn't the GM vs. the world...it's not the GM calling all the shots. if beane had a group of scouts he didn't trust or listen to he'd be the damn idiot...but that was just book drama (lol, fat catchers and ugly girlfriends).

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 6:02pm

Sorry, if I wanted to call attention to something I found interesting, on your blog. Man, you need to take a break. I clearly said it wasn't to pick a fight, but what did you do?

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 6:37pm

crunch is still confused by how comments work on a blog. :)

I keed.

new post up.

Submitted by Rob G.
on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 4:53pm

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers...

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