The Future Is Where We Are Going to Spend the Rest of Our Lives

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 1:23am

The Amazing Criswell (from Plan 9 from Outer Space): Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown... the mysterious. The unexplainable. That is why you are here. And now, for the first time, we are bringing to you, the full story of what happened on that fateful day. We are bringing you all the evidence, based only on the secret testimony, of the miserable souls, who survived this terrifying ordeal. The incidents, the places. My friend, we cannot keep this a secret any longer. Let us punish the guilty. Let us reward the innocent. My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts...


Lewis Brinson and Kellin Deglan hammered two-run doubles and nine pitchers (including six of their Top 10 pitching prospects--Alex "Chi Chi" Gonzalez, Andrew Faulkner, Jake Thompson, Luke Jackson, Luis Ortiz, and Jose LeClerc) combined to toss a five-hitter with 13 strikeouts, helping the Rangers Prospects defeat the Cubs Prospects 5-1 in the 2015 Cubs-Rangers Spring Training Futures Game played Monday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Apparently the Cubs didn't get ALL of the Rangers best prospects in trades over the past three years (at least not yet), because they obviously have a few left in their system (and Rangers #1 prospect Joey Gallo didn't even play in the game).  

Willson Contreras knocked-in the lone Cub run with an RBI double, but probably the best overall performance by a Cub position player was turned-in by 2014 #1 draft pick catcher Kyle Schwarber, who walked in both of his At Bats (both times on 3-2 pitches), and also helped Corey Black get out of jams in two different innings by throwing out Ranger baserunners trying to steal (one at 2nd and one at 3rd).

And the best Cub pitching performance was by #1 pitching prospect C. J. Edwards (acquired from the Rangers in the Mattt Garza trade back in 2013), who retired all six men he faced (K, L-4, K, 4-3, F-9, K - all strikeouts were swinging). 

Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only) 

CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Jacob Hannemann, RF: 0-3 (3-1, K, 4-3)
1b. Kevonte Mitchell, CF: 0-1 (K)
2a. Albert Almora, CF: 1-2 (1B, 5-3)
2b. Eloy Jimenez, RF: 1-2 (1B, F-8, R)
3a. Kyle Schwarber, C: 0-0 (BB, BB)
3b. Willson Contreras, C: 1-1 (2B, HBP, RBI)
4a. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 0-2 (K, K)
4b. Victor Caratini, 1B: 0-1 (BB, 4-6 FC)
5a. Christian Villanueva, 3B: 0-2 (K, 5-3)
5b. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 1-2 (F-7, 1B)
6a. Billy McKinney, LF: 0-2 (1-3, K)
6b. Charcer Burks, LF: 0-2 (6-4-3 DP, K)
7a. Mark Zagunis, DH: 0-2 (K, K)
7b. Gioskar Amaya, PH-DH: 0-2 (6-3, P-3)
8a. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 0-1 (BB, P-6)
8b. Chesny Young, 2B: 0-2 (K, 5-3)
9a. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-2 (K, K)
9b. Gleyber Torres, SS: 1-2 (3B, K)

CUBS PITCHERS
1. Corey Black: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 65 pitches (39 strikes)
2. C. J. Edwards: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1/2 GO/FO, 24 pitches (19 strikes)
3. Armando Rivero: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 11 pitches (9 strikes)
4. Josh Conway: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GO/FO, 26 pitches (15 strikes)
5. James Norwood: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 0/3 GO/FO, 10 pitches (6 strikes)
6. Steve Perakslis: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0/2 GO/FO, 11 pitches (8 strikes)
NOTE: Hunter Cervenka and Juan Carlos Paniagua were on the roster and in the bullpen but did not pitch in the game

CUBS ERRORS: 1
3B Jeimer Candelario - E-5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE
Kyle Schwarber: 2-2 CS

WEATHER: Dark (it was a night game) and a bit breezy with temperaures in 80's

ATTENDANCE: 118

 

 

 

Tags: 
Cubs Minor League Spring Training Game Recap
Willson Contreras
C.J. Edwardfs
Kyle Schwarber

Comments

Submitted by Cubster  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 5:58am  
Thanks AZ Phil: Glad to hear that the Rangers still have worthy future Cubs in their system

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 7:40am  
Tribune headline: Cubs' demotion of Kris Bryant sparks outcry http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball... Gotta love the media. Outcry? Really? I could see a headline like, "MLPA attempts to interfere with Cubs' roster decisions." But I haven't heard an outcry. It was a semi-fun topic to sort of argue about, but it's hardly controversial in the way they make it out to be. With Olt at a .400 OBP I'd like to see Bryant get some outfield reps in a place that doesn't have a brick wall. I'm also curious to see what Stella!!! can do, although that's more related to the Baez demotion.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 8:42am  
It's a safety issue. With the bleacher only half-complete, if Bryant starts banging home runs off the steel, it could weaken the stability of the structure.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 8:51am  

wonder how Maddon is going to deploy Alcantara and LaStella? So far LaStella has had the better spring...

Alcantara: 48 PA's 256/313/442 16 K/4 BB

LaStella: 44 PA's 333/395/410  6 K/3 BB

Could start both of them at 2b and 3b some days and Alcantara can be short side platoon in LF while Denorfia is out.

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 9:02am  
Newspaper headline that's misleading? In this day and age? /buggywhip makers

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 8:23am  

Morosi with a good article on how this service time issue is mostly chest puffing by the MLBPA than having any real bite

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/chicago-cu...

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 10:15am  
Blind squirrel Paul Sullivan ‏Tweet- Assuming he pays his dues, @MLB_PLAYERS union owes Mike Olt an apology for its "bad day for baseball" statement on Bryant demotion.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 10:44am  
Was I the only one who said, who the hell is Steve Perakslis?

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 11:06am  
someone doesn't follow university of maine baseball...scoff... he got a chance to put in 0.1ip this spring...got a strikeout and a save...might be the peak of his career (now or later).

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 11:11am  
i know more than a few people here know/understand what's going on with the bryant situation and are cool with it (even those lying to themselves who honestly believe the money/service issue aren't the major driving forces)...but if you want to get the groundswell take, check out comments on general publication news sites. there is outcry...it's just not coming from those who follow the cubs like hawks...of which we're a minority.

Submitted by waveland  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 11:35am  
I can't wait until mid-april when all this bryant service time shit is over; it made me give up completely on another baseball forum I frequented because every time the topic came up there was a flood of posts about the cubs "stealing" from him and old white billionaires oppressing the working man

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 11:51am  
i don't even give a fu... those of us who follow the team closely knew there was a 90-100% chance of this happening before spring training even begun. i'm more upset about the cubs getting into bidding war over a 38 year old catcher who can barely hit and who's arm is on the decline...and if a backup catcher is at the top of my list of things to be upset about, then things aren't that bad (to me).

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Thu, 04/02/2015 - 9:58am  

In the future, the Cubs (and other MLB clubs) should just not invite guys like Kris Bryant to big league camp. 

Just have him report to Minor League Camp, and he can hit ten home runs in obscurity against Round Rock, Nashville, and Reno, and he can be brought up to play the last four innings of an MLB Cactus League game maybe once a week and wear # 94 or # 98 with no name on the back, just like Jeimer Candelario, John Andreoli, and Stephen Bruno did. 

Only players on the MLB 40-man roster and free-agents signed to a minor league contract where a Spring Training NRI is part of the deal should be in big league camp.  

Submitted by jacos  on Thu, 04/02/2015 - 10:29am  
~drops mic~

Submitted by Carlito  on Thu, 04/02/2015 - 12:47pm  
Absolutely correct!!

Submitted by jacos  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 12:49pm  
AZ Phil- Nice Ed Wood reference. /"Because all you of Earth are idiots!"

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 1:56pm  

@GDubCub Looks like two OF spots between Sweeney, Lake and Szczur.

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 2:47pm  
Really? :( Should be one outfield spot between the three of them, to be surrendered to Denorfia almost immediately. #ThingsThatDon'tReallyMatter

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 3:50pm  

I'm guessing this for now:

C: Montero, Ross, Beefy

INF: Rizzo, LaStella, Alcantara, Castro, Olt

OF: Coghlan, Fowler, Soler, 2 open spots

Just means Herrera is a goner, which is good. Lake and Szczur have had better springs than Sweeney. Sweeney is left-handed though and has a contract. We'll see how Maddon feels about young bench guys. Lake against lefties isn't a bad thing imo and you could theoretically throw a glove on him to play 2b, ss or 3b in a real desperate pinch. I think he's a terrible defender wherever you put him, but not my call.

Szczur will be vying for the Honorable FuldTheriotBarney White Scrappiness Award

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 3:52pm  
Rob G.-- I don't know if you're planning to do the old Cubs stats guessing game spreadsheet you ran on the site prior to the Cubs total irrelevance, but I have some recommendations for this year if you do (beyond the usual who has the most saves, who leads in OPS, number of wins, etc.): 1. Who plays the most innings / gets the most starts at 3B? 2. Ditto but for LF? 3. How many errors does Castro commit at SS? 4. How long do the Cubs carry 3 catchers? 5. Who gets the most PAs as DH in interleague games? 6. Who puts up the best OPS against same-handed pitchers? Looking forward to paying way more attention to the MLB team this year than in the past several!

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 4:04pm  

probably not, too hard to grade and maintain.

Good questions though.

And cheers to that last sentence.

Submitted by Charlie  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 7:44pm  
Good questions though. Don't patronize me! Seriously though, that makes sense. I do wonder what others might think of as similar sorts of questions going into the season, even if we don't need to have a whole spread sheet full of our predictions.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 4:06pm  

Bears sign RB Jacquizz Rogers...a walking Key 'N Peele sketch.

always expected more from him at Atlanta, decent Third down back I suppose.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 4:17pm  

heh..

@ESPNChiCubs Lester on long at-bats: "Those always suck..either get a hit, walk or just do something."

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Tue, 03/31/2015 - 4:29pm  

Jon Lester threw a very high-percentage of strikes this morning (74%), but in a lot of cases a Smokies hitter would keep fouling off pitch-after-pitch until he got one he could drive. You could see Lester was amused (not angry), because he sort of sighed and smiled when he was unable to put left-handed hitter Bijan Rademacher away, as Rademacher took Lester ten pitches deep into an AB with foul ball-after-foul ball before finally flying out.