Cubs Minor Leagues

Several Cubs minor leaguers who can be an MLB Rule 55 minor league free-agent (6YMiLFA) or who are eligible for selection in next month’s MLB Rule 5 draft are making noise in the Venezuelan Winter League (VWL).  

There is a tendency for fans to write-off older players in the minor leagues. But throughout the history of baseball there have been many players labeled “4-A guy” or "career AAA player” who became successful front-line players after being given a chance. And that's still true today, as many minor league players buried in the bush leagues long for the serendipity of being in the right place at the right time.

Here are the FINAL unofficial statistics for the Cubs AZ Instructional League team. (There is no Official Scorer at Instructs games, so the stats are not official).

The Cubs and Giants played to a 1-1 tie this morning at Indian School Park Field #2 in Scottsdale, in what was the Cubs final 2010 AZ Instructional League game.

The Cubs finished with a record of 7-9-4 in Instructional League play.

Roberto Lopez laced a double into the LF corner to knock-in the tying run, and Drew Heid hit a sacrifice fly to RF to drive-in the winning run, as the Angels scored six runs in the bottom of the 9th and edged the Cubs 9-8 in AZ instructional League action at Diablo Park Field #3 in Tempe this afternoon.  

Evan Crawford singled twice, stole a base, and scored a run, and Justin Bour reached base three times on two singles and a HBP, leading the Cubs to a 2-1 victory over the A’s Split Squad #1 in AZ Instructional League action this afternoon at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa.  

The A’s scored two runs in the bottom of the 7th to overcome a 2-0 deficit, and then neither team could plate another run, as the Cubs and the A’s Split Squad #1 played to a 2-2 tie in AZ Instructional League action at Papago Park Field #2 in Phoenix this afternoon.  

Five Cub pitchers combined to throw a two-hitter and Justin Bour drove-in two runs with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly, leading the Cubs to a 3-1 victory over the A’s Split Squad #2 in AZ Instructional League action at Papago Park Field #2 in Phoenix this afternoon.

With the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies set to move their Spring Training & Minor League operations from Tucson to a new joint/shared facility at Salt River Fields at the Talking Stick Resort next year, it is likely that the "Arizona Advanced Instructional League" (AKA "Arizona Parallel League" or "Junior Arizona Fall League") will be expanded to include at least two teams from the east-side of the metro Phoenix area (AZ and COL).

Five Cub pitchers combined to throw a no run, no hit game, but the Angels threw a three-hit shutout of their own right back at the Cubs, as the two teams played to a scoreless tie in AZ Instructional League action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning.

San Francisco Giants 2009 2nd round draft pick Tommy Joseph (Horizon HS – Scottsdale, AZ) blasted a two-run home run to cap a five-run 3rd as the Giants trounced the Cubs 13-2 in AZ Instructional League action at Indian School Park Field #2 in Scottsdale this afternoon. Local-boy Joseph also hit a two-run bomb in yesterday’s 12-1 Giants victory at Fitch Park.

Tommy Joseph cracked a two-run home run to lead the Giants to a 12-1 drubbing of the Cubs in AZ Instructional League action at Fitch Park Field #1 in Mesa this afternoon. (Field #3 remains unplayable in the aftermath of the torrential rain and flash flood that hit Mesa Tuesday afternoon).

Trayce Thompson crushed a towering home run and the White Sox scored five runs in the 6th to overcome a 3-1 deficit, as the Cubs dropped a 7-4 decision to their crosstown rivals in AZ Instructional League action at Camelback Ranch this afternoon.

The Cubs and the A’s Split Squad #1 squared-off in AZ Instructional League action at Fitch Park Field #3 this afternoon, in a game that was halted due to a sudden, torrential rain storm after three innings, with the Cubs ahead 1-0. And it was a real gully-washer, too, as much of Mesa (including Fitch Park) was under water within minutes.

The Cubs scored the lone run of the game in the bottom of the 1st inning. Logan Watkins lined a one-out double into the RF corner, advanced to 3rd base on a WP, and scored on a Josh Vitters sacrifice fly to the warning track in LF. (Vitters once again got the start at 1st base, and handled his one and only chance without incident).

Hak-Ju Lee ripped a double and a triple, drove-in three runs, and scored another, Gioskar Amaya had three hits (two singles and a triple), two RBI, and two runs scored, and five pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts, as the Cubs blanked the A’s Split Squad #1 7-0 in AZ Instructional League action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this afternoon.

The game was halted with two outs in the top of the 9th after a severe thunderstorm came roaring into Mesa, causing BP screens and tarps to fly across Fitch Park amidst high winds, heavy rain, and lightning & thunder, as the Cubs ran for their clubhouse, the umpires hot-footed it for their dressing room, the A’s loaded up their gear (and themselves) into their two maxi-vans, and the scouts in attendance made a beeline for their cars parked in the lot across the street.