Kris Bryant Wins All the Awards
First, Bryant takes home the minor league HR crown over his buddy Joey Gallo...for that he got a trophy and $200 per home run. Then USA Today named him the minor league player of the year, thanks in part to that HR crown and an eye-poppin 325/438/661 slash line with 78 total extra-base hits in less than 600 PA's between AA and AAA. And then Baseball America placed him on their 2014 Minor League All-Star team. It's been a helluva nice run for fans with Alcantara, Hendricks, Baez and Soler coming up, but the two best are very likely still awaiting their phone call and bus ticket.
So while 2015 looks like a year of hope instead of despair, the end of 2014 has been a pleasant surprise. The Cubs have played .500 ball over their last 100 games and there's little reason to believe they won't be able to at least match that next season and hopefully surpass it. I have to believe they're firmly entrenched in the spoiler role for the remaining games and as the "team no one wants to play." It would be even more fun if Anthony Rizzo wasn't out for a good time (possibly the rest of the season) or however long Castro will be out, but seeing what the kids can do without the pressure of September is going to make this last month of games fun to follow.
- In minor league news, Daytona trashed Dunedin last night 11-1, Vogelbach and Schwarber hit home runs and the team combined for 7 extra-base hits. Rob Zastryzny went 6 innings, giving up just a run on 4 K's, 1 BB and 5 hits. Boise lost their opener to Hillsboro though, 5-2, thanks in large part to 4 errors. Jake Stinnett started and went 5 innings with 8 K's, 0 BB's, 2 H and just one unearned run. Alex Tomasovich had the lone extra-base hit, a home run, but also contributed one of the errors that lead to one of Hillsboro's runs. All 3 playoff teams go tonight, Daytona goes with Tayler Scott, Kane County throws out Jen-Ho Tseng and Boise begins with Jeremy Null.
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