Iowa Cubs update
Promotion of the Roster Snatchers
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Slowly, the infiltration has begun.
Marlon Byrd’s banishment from the nest cleared the way for Tony Campana’s temporary custody of the roster spot reserved for Brett Jackson. If Soriano’s reinvention as a singles hitter who doesn’t even manage many of those goes on, how long might it be until LaHair takes his team-leading [no, it’s not saying much] slugging totals to the outfield and defers to Raker Rizzo, the scourge of PCL pitchers, at first base? We shall see.
In the meantime, today at Principal Park the Cubs-in waiting wrapped up a four-game set with their Cardinal counterparts from Memphis, dropping a 4-0 yawner in front of a sun splashed crowd that couldn't have cared less. On the mound for the Redbirds was their prized pitching prospect, Shelby Miller. Miller’s stumbled a bit out of the PCL gate so far but remains highly touted [#8 prospect in baseball per BA last time I looked] and eagerly awaited in St. Lou as shadows lengthen on the careers of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.
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I-Cubs Still Looking for Way Out
Round Rock hasn't had any trouble getting into the jet stream above Principal Park. The Express have belted four homers in two games including a back-to-back pair Friday night off of Casey Coleman that were the difference in the 4-3 contest. But the home team remains homerless, having split the first half of a four-game set to open the season.
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I-Cub Jabs Outpoint Round Rock Roundhousers
Tuesday night I endured a local school board meeting. It comes with the territory of my day job. I sat glassy-eyed in the gallery, my mind drifting ahead 48 hours at which point I would be sitting in the stands on Opening Night at Principal Park, cracking open peanut shells instead of stifling yawns.
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Jackson Two Really Can Say Goodbye
The weather on closing day was as perfect as it had been inclement on Opening Night. A full house was still trickling in at a leisurely holiday pace into the third inning. Enough came to nudge the season turnstile meter past the half million mark for the seventh time in the last eight seasons despite a last-place team that lost more games than it won for the first time since 2005 [for the record, the home slate was well above sea level at 40-31] and the loss of three dates, most recently on the Saturday night of a holiday weekend on the final home stand. Oddly, the franchise ended up setting an attendance record for a three-game series over the weekend, thanks in part to a rainout that nobody wished for.
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'P' Stands for Pitching?
The first hint that it was not a normal night at Principal Park came when the national anthem was whistled.
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BJ Bookends Not So Subtle Hints
The street that runs behind the right-center field wall of Principal Park in Des Moines is no Sheffield Avenue. Ballhawks do not roost there nor are there rooftops from which knotholers eavesdrop on the ballgames. Beyond it runs the Des Moines River which has been known occasionally to swell up and invade the playing field.
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The Range of Scales & Other Things
And we thought his range was limited! Sayonara, Bobby, and thanks for the memories.
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Too Often to the Wells
Before yesterday the last time I saw Randy Wells start a big league game he failed to retire a batter, though he may have broken a sweat. By that low standard his outing versus the earnest young Royals of Kansas City was, I suppose, an improvement. After the first five hitters he faced hit safely and the sixth was walked, Wells' remarkable streak of futility with yours truly in attendance had reached the depth of a dozen consecutive batsmen. Might he again retire having retired no one?
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Mighty Casey Has Struck Out 7 & Walked but 2
Welington Castillo was penciled in at DH today for the I-Cubs but he got his catching in before the game by lunging about to stop all the ceremonial first pitches from pint-sized birthday boys and lame-armed luminaries. The only one that got past him was flung by a mascot creature from some non-profit.org.
From atop the left-field wall beckoned the giant glove that homers sometimes land in, wiggling against its moorings in the breeze that slightly relieved the generally welcome heat of summer. The thing's almost as big as the one sported by Tony Campana.
Well, Well, Wells...What Have We Here?
What are we to make of Randy Wells' rehab start this afternoon at a very blustery Principal Park in Des Moines? He was flashing mixed signals.
The booming home run he gave up in the top of the first on which Iowa cf Lou Montanez did not budge was understandable. The batter who struck it was hitting .377 and the wind was blowing out so briskly that the flag pole the ball flew beyond was wobbling visibly.
Wells was workmanlike in the first two frames, requiring 15 pitches in each of them. In the 3rd he seemed to find a groove when he threw only six pitches, all of them strikes.
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Recent comments
crunch (view)
bleh.
at least MIL has lost the past 2 nights, too.
crunch (view)
madrigal pinch hitting for matt mervis vs jansen?
okay.
crunch (view)
surprising amount of cubs fans at the park, too. HR really brought them out.
Cubster (view)
hmmmm...
4-4
beisbol can be fun
crunch (view)
4 singles and 0 walks (1 HBP) through 7 innings for cubs batters...amazing they even have 1 run.
crunch (view)
nico gets his 5th error on the year...damn.
Childersb3 (view)
Folks, I've known Richard Lovelady since he was an 18 yr old Freshman at East Ga State College in Swainsboro, Ga.
I was the WBB Coach at EGSC and Richard was their prize recruit from outside of Hinesville, Ga.
My roommate was the Pitching Coach there.
Richard showed up a skinny, loose lipped, 83mph Lefty. Pretty good basketball player actually.
My roommate became the head coach.
Richard came back from a minor injury for his Sophmore year a more serious man. He hit 90mph and started mowing GA JUCO hitters down. It was really fun to watch.
He was the first D1 signee for EGSC baseball (school had only had athletics for five yrs at that point). He went to Kennesaw St and became their closer. One yr later, he hit 100mph and KC drafted him in the 10th Rd.
He lost the high velo with a surgery a while back.
It's so cool to see him in MLB. And now he's a Cub!! It's crazy to realize I actually "know" a Cub.
He's a legit good guy.
Easy to root for!!!
Cubster (view)
Tim. Thanks for remembering Lee Elia Day. It will always be one of the most epic rants in all sports. It took about 3 seconds to recognize him from your picture but I did get it right.
Now that Les Grobstein is no longer with us, that might contribute to this grand piece of Cubbery fading.
Just like fine wine, it should be savored...unedited. 40 years, wow.
Dolorous Jon Lester (view)
Does he have any options left, Phil?
crunch (view)
morel in the lineup and playing 3rd.