Cubs 2010 2nd round draft pick Reggie Golden slugged a two-run HR over the LF scoreboard and onto 8th Street to give the Cubs a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the 6th, but the Brew Crew rallied for four in the 8th as the Cubs and Brewers played to a 7-7 tie in the Cubs 2010 AZ Instructional League opener at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this afternoon.
There are 47 Cubs minor leaguers participating in Instructs at Fitch Park (22 pitchers, five catchers, 12 infielders, and eight outfielders), including eight players who are making their U. S. debut after spending the 2010 season playing in the Dominican Summer League, four draft picks and one non-drafted free-agent who signed too late to get into game action in August, and one Korean bonus baby. Also among the 47 is Cubs 3B prospect Josh Vitters, who is at Instructs rehabbing his broken hand and preparing for play in the Arizona Fall League next month.
Two of the newcomers made their pro debut in today's game, as LHP Casey Harman (2010 29th round draft pick out of Clemson) threw 1.1 IP of hitless shutout ball, walking one while striking out two, and catcher Max Kwan (2010 NDFA - U. of Washington) went 1-3 with a single and an RBI.
Harman was Clemson's #1 starter ("Friday night starter") in 2010 and beat #1 ranked Arizona State at the College World Series in June. Although he was selected in the 29th round, Harman received a $150,000 bonus (equivalent to "5th round" money) when he signed with the Cubs at the August 16th deadline.
Kwan suffered through an injury-plagued college career at Tulane and then later at Washington, but he has good size for a catcher (6'3 220), and helps provide depth at the catching position going into the 2011 season.
The Cubs will be playing a 21-game AZ instructional League schedule, with the last game on October 16th (they play every day Monday-Saturday up through 10/16, with no games on Sundays).
Here is today's abridged box score (Cubs players only)
brendan harris (LAA) breaks an 0-24 slide with a single vs SEA.
in other news...brendan harris is still playing baseball.
h.rodriguez...5 pitches...0 outs...men on 2nd and 3rd.
welcome to the cubs, guy.
hbp, single, soriano fielding error allowing runners to advance, sac fly, ground out to SS, popout at the wall in CF.
1ip 1h 0bb 0k..1r/0er
Jim Callis@jimcallisBA
#Cubs sign 2nd-rder Rob Zastryzny for $1.1 mil. Missouri LHP, adds & subtracts from 86-95 mph FB, flashes plus changeup.
Slot value was $1,361,900.
Reyburn's been terrible all night. What an asshat.
EPIC cubbery in the bottom 7th...holy crap...wow.
swaimy's busy trying to get tossed...
he gets his wish.
just wow.
w.castillo picks up his 8th walk of the season tonight...
it's his 7th walk since May 23rd.
I would be doing the same.....in the stands. St. Louis is swampy.
game on...
10 pitches in and s.miller is POURING sweat...he looks like a glazed doughnut.
tarp off the field...
"Carrie Muskat @CarrieMuskat
#Cubs vs #STLCards hope to start at 8 pm CT"
wow...a desipio article that doesn't turn into frat boy chest bumping or a series of profanities before 3-4 paragraphs end...someone's going to get fired.
This morning I got wind of a new Al Yellon article so poorly thought out, so unreasonably daffy and so incompetent that I cursed the Twitter Gods for suspending my account because I wanted to share some good old Steve Stone motherboy flesh with the world. http://www.desipio.com/?p=4452
rain delay...tarp on field...not heavy, but they're not going to be playing baseball for 30-60 minutes, minimum.
I managed to read it all. I'll summarize: "I want the Cubs to win".
Dude is really going out on a limb.
BA says Cubs are going after OF Eloy Jimenez out of the Dominican
http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/eloy-jimenez-stands-out-amo...
and MLB.com article says Cubs are 1 of 7 teams with serious interest in RHP Miguel Gonzalez out of Cuba
Like base coaches, they'll probably end up with helmets on
Ben Badler@BenBadler
With minor league all-star games this week, expect a slew of prospect promotions very soon.