Cubs Spring Training Recap
A. J. Pollack reached base five times on four singles and a walk, Kelly Johnson had four hits including a double and a three-run HR, ex-Cub Xavier Nady had four hits (including a grand slam HR) and scored three runs, and David Winfree had three hits including a solo HR and a three-run HR, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 15-8 drubbing of the Cubs in what was the final Cactus League game for the Cubs (although they will be playing what's billed as an "intrasquad charity game" tomorrow morning at Dwight Patterson Field before flying to Chicago later in the day).
By Arizona Phil at Tue, 03/29/2011 - 8:35pm
Tyler Colvin crushed a towering grand slam HR over the RF fence to cap a Cub four-run 8th inning rally and narrow a six-run deficit to two runs, but the Colorado Rockies hung-on to defeat the Cubs 6-4 in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny & warm Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.
By Arizona Phil at Sun, 03/27/2011 - 7:19pm
Starlin Castro drilled a three-run double to cap a four-run 7th inning rally, as the Cubs defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-3 in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny & warm Mesa, AZ, this afternoon
By Arizona Phil at Fri, 03/25/2011 - 9:13pm
Darwin Barney singled and scored in the 2nd inning and sliced a two-out two-run triple into the RF corner to cap a four-run 5th, while Alfonso Soriano slugged a solo HR in the 4th and singled and scored in the 5th, leading the Cubs to an 8-7 victory over the crosstown-rival White Sox before a capacity crowd at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny and warm Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.
By Arizona Phil at Thu, 03/24/2011 - 10:55pm
Battling for the 5th starter's job and perhaps his big league career, Carlos Silva threw six innings of three-hit ball, retiring 17 of the last 18 men he faced, and Reed Johnson--also battling for a spot on the 25-man roster--singled twice and scored two runs, leading the Cubs to a 3-1 victory over the Oakland A's in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny & warm Mesa, AZ, this afternoon
By Arizona Phil at Wed, 03/23/2011 - 7:08pm
Carlos Pena crushed a three-run HR, Starlin Castro tripled, singled, scored a run, and knocked-in another, and Geovany Soto drove-in two runs with a wind-blown double, as the Cubs took a 7-4 lead after the top of the 4th inning in Cactus League action at damp and windy Tempe Diablo Stadium, in a game that was called due to rain after 3-1/2 innings before it was an official game.
By Arizona Phil at Mon, 03/21/2011 - 6:42pm
Welington Castillo continued his torrid Cactus League hitting, lining a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to score Bobby Scales from 2nd base with the winning run, as the Cubs edged the San Francisco Giants 3-2 in front of an all-time record crowd of 13,465 under overcast skies at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.
By Arizona Phil at Sun, 03/20/2011 - 7:40pm
Darwin Barney reached base five times on three singles and two walks, Starlin Castro slugged a three-run home run, and Carlos Pena ripped a double and two singles, but it wasn't quite enough, as the Cincinnati Reds outslugged the Cubs 14-13 in Cactus League action before a capacity crowd of 13,186 at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in warm and sunny Mesa, Az, this afternoon.
By Arizona Phil at Fri, 03/18/2011 - 8:37pm
Esmil Rogers threw five innings of one-hit shutout ball, and the Colorado Rockies defeated a split squad of Cubs 4-2 in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson at HoHoKam Park in sunny & warm Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.
By Arizona Phil at Tue, 03/15/2011 - 7:40pm
Bobby Scales had two singles, a double, two RBI, and two runs scored, helping the Cubs rally from a 4-1 deficit to take a 6-4 5th inning lead, but the Reds scored two runs in the 6th to tie the game and an unearned run in the 7th to take the lead, and then held-on to edge the Cubs 7-6 in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny and warm Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.
Both the Reds and the Cubs were playing with split squads, with each team's other half playing each other in Las Vegas.
By Arizona Phil at Sat, 03/12/2011 - 7:06pm
Ryan Dempster threw five shutout innings and Carlos Pena drove-in two runs with a solo HR and a single, leading the Cubs to a 4-3 victory over the White Sox in Cactus League action at Camelback Ranch this afternoon.
By Arizona Phil at Fri, 03/11/2011 - 6:13pm
Brett Jackson rifled an RBI single into the LF corner with two outs in the bottom of the 9th to score Jim Adduci from 2nd base with the winning run, as the Cubs scored one in the 8th and one in the 9th to edge the Cleveland Indians 2-1 in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny & warm Mesa this afternoon.
By Arizona Phil at Thu, 03/10/2011 - 5:52pm
Melky Cabrera drove-in three runs with a bases loaded triple to key a five-run 1st inning and the Royals never looked back, as the Cubs were thumped 13-4 by Kansas City in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny & warm Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.
By Arizona Phil at Wed, 03/09/2011 - 7:07pm
Five Colorado pitchers combined to throw a five-hit shutout, and Jordan Pacheco crushed a pinch-hit three-run home run, leading a Rockies split squad to a 4-0 whitewashing of the Cubs in afternoon Cactus League action at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort on Salt River Maricopa-Pima Indian Community land located east of Scottsdale today.
By Arizona Phil at Tue, 03/08/2011 - 6:47pm
Up from Minor League Camp (Fitch Park) to provide some back-up insurance on the bench, D. J. Lemahieu slugged a pinch-hit two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to give a Cubs split squad a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in warm & sunny Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.
By Arizona Phil at Sun, 03/06/2011 - 8:56pm
Pages
0-7 with 3K soriano vs chapman brought on to pinch hit with 2 on, 2 out, in the 9th.
make that 0-8 with 4K...cubs lose by 3.
...not like there was much better options, fwiw. meh.
Return of CRUNCH!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jGpauNUaWY
c.granderson (NYY) broken left pinky after HBP...unbelievable.
no hitter gone after 8.1
a.sanchez (
CHCDET) no hitter through 7scott feldman 2r HR (1st career)
...cubs pitchers are rather awesome hitters this season. a few doubles, a couple homers...15 rbis for cubs pitchers.
cubs up 3-0, top 2nd.
Phil,
Will you give us a scouting report on the young Latino pitchers at Fitch. Do any of them impress? Thanks.
Hot Sheet Chat:
What is Jorge Soler's upside and or MLB comp? Thanks
Jim Shonerd: Scouts do worry about his swing mechanics a bit, but overall he’s got plenty of power and blends it with a feel for hitting. His offense was in a bit of funk after he got back from his suspension, but now he’s hitting .324 in May and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end the year in Double-A.
Soler and Baez at #11 & 12 on Baseball America's weekly hot sheet.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/prospect-hot...
Give jd a few years and put one of his kids in the Cubs system, then compare them.
Soriano's lack of awareness carries on past the diamond....
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/24/alfonso-soriano-is-tired-of...
says he's tired of losing, doesn't want to be on a team with a bad record
yet is still on team with bad record after not wanting to be traded to Giants last year
a bit hard to hear...and a heavy on "bad" language (and humor)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16Q8xga6P_0
Black Like Me By Mark Grace
http://deadspin.com/old-scouting-report-on-mark-gr...
a little less than 2 weeks til the draft...
M.Appel - 98.1ip 77h 21bb 121k - 2.20era
J.Gray - 110ip 69h 21bb 127k - 1.55era
K.Bryant - 203ab 69h 12db 30hr 60bb 38k 7/11sb - .340/.504 avg/ob% (9 errors/55 games playing 3rd)
Glad the love wasn't directed toward Gracie. Slumpbuster or jail bait.