2013 Cubs Minor League Camp - Last Day

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 2:19pm

2013 Chicago Cubs Minor League Camp drew to a close this morning, as the Iowa Cubs completed their final Spring Training work-out before flying to Albuquerque this afternnon. They willl open their PCL season versus the Isotopes Thursday night.



Most of the I-Cubs participated in traditional Spring Training drills and B-P on Field #2, while rotation-starter Drew Carpenter threw a bullpen session. (Matt Garza participated in the PFPs).


Meanwhile, three members of the Iowa bullpen threw in the 11-inning intrasquad-"sim" game on Field #3.


The game cannot be box scored because players sometimes traded places in the field mid-inning, players hit for both "teams," and a pitcher's "inning" was sometimes stopped mid-AB when the pitcher reached the 15-pitch mark. It was really more of a hybrid scrimmage than either a "sim" game or an intrasquad game.


Each of the pitchers who worked on Field #3 threw 15 pitches per inning, and each pitcher threw anywhere from one to four innings (depending on the pitcher): The pitchers themselves were a Motley Crew, some being Iowa relievers getting work, some were pitchers from the Boise/Mesa (Extended Spring Training) squad, and others were rehab guys.  


FOUR INNINGS: Josh Conway


THREE INNINGS: Jose Rosario


TWO INNINGS: Hunter Cervenka, Loiger Padron, and Larry Suarez


ONE INNING: Daniel Adrian, Kyler Burke, David Cales, Esmailin Caridad, Casey Coleman, Carlos Guerrero, Matt Iannazzo, and Cory Wade,     


Rosario and Conway (Cubs 2012 4th round draft pick out of Coastal Carolina) were especially good, both cruising effortlessly through their mulitple innings with minimum stress. Conway has made a remarkable recovery from 2012 TJS and almost made the Kane County starting rotation, throwing a 92-94 MPH fastball, a hard slider, and a decent change-up.


David Cales (2011 shoulder surgery) was the most-impressive pitcher today, striking out all four hitters he faced (all four swinging) in his 15-pitch inning. Cales has a nasty slider, and he almost made the Tennessee bullpen, but was left behind at Extended Spring Training to get innings.


The Boise/Mesa position players traded places with their "mirror" periodically, switching back & forth between defense and offense. (The five catchers alternated between warming up pitchers in the bullpen, catching in the game, and hitting).


C: Erick Castillo, Justin Marra, Wilfredo Petit, Neftali Rosario, and Lance Rymel  


1B: Xavier Batista and Jose Dore


2B: Roni Torreyes and Danny Lockhart


3B: Mark Malave and Jacob Rogers


SS: Carlos Penalver and Danny Lockhart


LF: Trevor Gretzky, Dong-Yub Kim, and Garrett Schlecht


CF: Rashad Crawford and Shawon Dunston Jr


RF: Reggie Golden and Jeffrey Baez


There wasn't much hitting in the game (the pitchers mostly dominated), although Reggie Golden did rip a triple off lefty side-armer Matt Iannazzo, and looked just fine hustling around the bases (he had surgery for torn knee ligaments just about this time last year).


RHP Larry Suarez hit Jeffrey Baez with a pitch on the upper left shoulder (almost hit him in the head), as Suarez continues to battle "Steve Blass Disease."


 


 

Tags: 
Cubs Minor League Spring Training Recap
Matt Garza
Josh Conway
Jose Rosario

Comments

Submitted by toonsterwu  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 3:06pm  
I'm not exactly the biggest Torreyes fan ... but boy it still seems weird as to why he's in extended spring training.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 3:13pm  
well, he didn't get to ST until very late...it's probably that...just getting his work in.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 3:42pm  

Roni Torreyes reported to Fitch Park on 3/18, about a week after the other position players.

He started playing in games for Tennessee about ten days ago, and he was the regular 2B for the Tennessee squad all last week, until he was moved down. 

Torreyes is not injured, and while I guess he might have been sent to Extended Spring Training because he reported late, it's not like he wasn't hitting well in AA games (because he was). His defense was not too good, however. 

Submitted by toonsterwu  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 3:56pm  
Hey, Do you think he's out of shape? Just wondering, because your critique of his defense the other day stood out. It didn't sound/look that bad last year. I'm just trying to think of reasons why he might get demoted all the way to XST. It's the most interesting move this spring, IMO. I've run through the other standard possibilities to get dumped to XST, and none of them seem all that realistic (switching positions, making a swing adjustment, teaching him something about 2nd defensively ... ). I guess he could simply be passed by Amaya/Bruno, but that seems unlikely. Perhaps some sort of "punishment" (I guess if he wasn't in shape, that dropping him to XST would be a "punishment")? Anyhow, curious how you thought he looked physically.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 4:30pm  

TOONSTER: Torreyes could be out of shape (at least defensively). His defense at Minor League Camp looked sluggish, and while that might have to do with his reporting a week late, he is hitting & running fine. So I can't say for sure why he's at EXST.

It will be interesting to see how long Torreyes stays down here.   

Submitted by Jackstraw  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 7:26pm  
Punishment for not doing things the new Cubs Way?

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 7:52pm  
he's not an under-radar, non-star, low/medium impact player signed to a 1-year deal with the expectation to be traded away in June/July. ...oh, you mean the other "new cubs way"...nevermind.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 3:26pm  
AZ PHIL: Are you as high on Tim Saunders as many seem to be now?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 3:32pm  

E-MAN: I had thought that after trading Tony Campana, that Matt Szczur was the fastest player in left in the organizatoin, but after watching him a lot at Minor League Camp, I now believe it's Tim Saunders.

Saunders has plus-speed and is an outstanding base-stealer, he has the athleticism and versatility to play anywhere on the field, and he's a really good hitter.

I suspect he will play all over the place at Daytona, and he has a good chance to finishg the 2013 season at Tennessee. 

He is a definite MLB prospect.

Submitted by craig  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 3:51pm  
Phil: Michael Jensen isn't listed on any of the Daytona, Tennessee, or Kane rosters. Have you seen him in camp and do you have any idea what's wrong with him?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 4:20pm  

CRAIG: Matt Loosen and Michael Jensen are both missing from full-season rosters, and I don't know why.

One thing that happens at Minor League Camp (and it doesn't happen at big league camp because it's two weeks longer) is that sometime a starting pitcher can't build up his arm strength suficiently to break with his team as a starting pitcher, so he is placed on the DL and left behind at EXST to build up arm strength (which typically takes maybe a week or two). It's not a problem with relievers. 

Hopefully that's all that's up with Loosen & Jensen.

 

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 4:32pm  
Once his wrist heals, where do we expect Albert Alomar will start the season?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 4:49pm  

BOB: If the Cubs do with Albert Almora what they did with Dustin Geiger last year after he broke his hamate bone the last day of Minor League Camp,I would think Almora will be brought along slowly at EXST, and then get assigned to Kane County after the conclusion of Extended Spring Training the first week of June (presuming there are no medical setbacks along the way).  

There are usually a lot of roster adjustments made around the end of Extended Spring Training, because the June draft takes place the same week that EXST ends, and then Boise and Mesa begin play a week or two after that. So (for example) Almora could be moved up to KC at or near the end of EXST, and then one of the outfielders at KC could be moved down to Boise. 

Last year, Javier Baez started the season at EXST, and then was moved up to Peoria at the end of May and Marco Hernandez was moved down to Boise, even though Hernandez had just started to hit a Peoria.  

 

Submitted by Hagsag  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 4:57pm  
I believe there will be a new group of Latins coming to Fitch this weekend.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 8:22am  
Thanks Phil. So if he was not injured can I assume the he would have started in Kane County?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 8:47am  

BOB: Yes. Almora was going to KC before he got hurt.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 7:02pm  
3 passed balls for jp arincibiabiababia through 2 innings...josh thole is in AAA because hank white made the team over him, even though he was dickey's personal catcher last season during his cy young run.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 7:59pm  
cubs pick up nate's mid-season replacement... "Cubs signed OF Ryan Sweeney to a minor league contract."

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 8:25pm  

That' s bad news for one of the Iowa outfielders, probably Ty Wright.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 9:04pm  
yu darvish is perfect through 6ip (vs HOU, of course)...but he's thrown 82 pitches (11 Ks) and this is April 2nd...might get interesting.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 9:17pm  
perfect through 7ip...93 pitches (12 Ks) last perfect game vs astros...last year, matt cain. this team f'n sucks.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 9:39pm  
perfect through 8ip...107 pitches (14 Ks)

Submitted by QuietMan  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 9:58pm  
Marwin Gonzales with a base hit.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 9:59pm  
HOLY CRAP! PERFECT GAME -RUINED- AFTER 8.2ip! ...single up the middle by m.gonzalez. clean single...only darvish had a chance to make the play and it would have been snap/woah snag as it shot down the middle of the field into the OF.

Submitted by The Joe  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 10:02pm  
That was painful to watch. Heck of a game, though.

Submitted by crunch  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 10:14pm  
it would have punished me in fantasy baseball, but i was hoping he'd nail the perfecto.

Submitted by Charlie  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 6:24am  
It definitely would've been cool to see Darvish get into the record books as the only pitcher to ever toss a perfect game in an exhibition played by a Major league team against a double-A team. The Houston Astros: Going for three years in a row of 100+ losses.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 10:51am  
The patented "CRUNCH JINX" in action! Nice work! ;)

Submitted by tim815  on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 10:45pm  
Marginally off-topic, but can you step-by-step an International Spending trade for us? To make it easy, if not accurate, have the trade be Shawn Camp going to Philly, with the Cubs at $5 million, and Philly at $2 million. Thanks for everything.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 8:33am  

TIM: If you're talking about a trade involving a club's International Signing Bonus Pool (ISBP), in the hypothetical example you gave the Phillies can trade $500K of their ISBP to the Cubs.

Clubs can trade their ISBP, but it must be traded in quarters. In other words, if the Phillies have a $2M ISBP, they would have to trade $500K (no more & no less) anytime they trade their ISBP, and they could do it four times.  

However, a club that receives a quarter of the other club's ISBP must have an ISBP of their own that is (in aggregate) at least twice the value of the ISBP received.

So, while the Cubs could receive $500K of the Phillies ISBP in a trade for Camp (because the Cubs ISBP in your example is $5M), the Cubs could not trade a quarter of their ISBP ($1.25M) to the Phils, because $1.25M is more than half of the Philies ISBP ($2M).

Also, something to keep in mind about the ISBP limit is that exceeding the limit does not cause a draft pick to be forfeited. However, there is a penalty-tax for exceeding the ISBP by 5% or more, and exceeding the limit by 5% or more triggers restrictions on how much a club can spend on individual players during the next International Signing Period (ISP). NOTE: The ISP runs July 2nd though the following June 15th, and no players covered by the ISBP restrictions may be signed June 16th through July 1st.  

A club that exceeds its ISBP by 5-10% in a given ISP would be permitted to sign only one international first-year player to a bonus of $500K or more in the next ISP, a club that exceeds its ISBP by 10-15% in a given ISP would be prohibited from paying a bonus in excess of $500K to any international first-year player during the next ISP, and a club that exceeds its ISBP by 15%+ in a given ISP is prohibited from paying a bonus in excess of $250K to any international first-year player signed during the next ISP.

One strategy to consider is to spend like there is no limit every-other-year and take the punishment (tax plus restrictions), and then basically sit out the next year. I doubt that any organization would do that, but if one year in particular has a group of "once-in-a-generation"-type talent that would cost (let's say) $10M to sign, it might be worth it. 

Also note that this system will probably be significantly changed if an international draft is implemented.

Submitted by tim815  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 9:23am  
Thanks, as always. I thought that was how the ISP worked. But, since none of the major media types will bother until it happens, that's why I asked. Toronto put themselves on probation for the class that starts on July 2, as I recall, by spending heavily last year. So the Cubs only have 28 opponents for the 2014 IS period. Linked to a solid sounding SS from Venezuela for early July, as I remember.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 10:01am  
Yep. As I understand it, the day to watch is July 2nd. Keep monitoring the Cardinals scouting gossip if you're interested in this. They know what they are doing.

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 10:17am  

E-MAN: Here is a rarely seen video of MLB scouts and Latin American Scouting Coordinators rushing to sign 16-year old Dominican prospects on July 2nd, 1893.

link  

Submitted by The E-Man  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 10:52am  
Ha! Awesome. Anyway for those Redbirds to get'er done.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 6:36am  
I liked a Bruce Miles comment in comparing Shark to a certain past opening day starter: "I couldn’t help but wonder how Zambrano would have reacted to Monday’s first inning, both with the walk and with Lillibridge’s error. It might not have been a pretty."

Submitted by Cubster  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 7:06am  
speaking of like-able quotes... from the Sun-Times article, Sveum (on Marmol):
“Last year we were kind of in the same situation and lost the game,” Sveum said of that opener against Washington in which Kerry Wood blew the lead with three consecutive walks in the eighth and Marmol surrendered the go-ahead run in the ninth. “It’s very important to get off to a good start — and win Game 1 on the road as well.”
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/...

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 11:20am  
Nice. Sveum is growing on me.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 9:23am  
My internal conflict on Marmol Heart: Cut this guy now. Head: No, no. Leave him as closer to increase his trade value. Wins do not matter this season. Heart: Wins always matter, and Marmol has no trade value. Head: Now he doesn't, but with a couple of months of good appearances who knows. Heart: No one is going to be fooled by a couple of good month, if he is lucky enough to have them. Etc. Etc. http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/i...

Submitted by tim815  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 9:26am  
Head: It's not like anyone in Iowa looks certain, or anything.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 9:36am  
Heart: Can we at least move him out of the 9th inning?

Submitted by Ryno  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 3:06pm  

He should be pitching middle relief.

Submitted by Cubster  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 9:39am  
Head: Can we get him to throw more fastballs and fewer sliders.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 9:45am  
I was surprised to see that his pitch chart showed 63.2% sliders to 36.8% fastballs on Monday. I thought the bench was calling all his pitches now?

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 10:42am  
Interestingly, ESPN's hot zone shows that he was actually able to spot the slider better than the fastball, but I was at work so your actually performance may vary.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 11:24am  
I think the whole business about having catchers call the pitches was to make him work faster and not think about stuff so much, if I remember right, and I may not be remembering right. But if he's not locating his fastball it just gives credence to Sveum's feeling that he just didn't have it.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 2:21pm  
Whitenack claimed by Indians.

Submitted by JoePepitone  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 2:55pm  
Dang.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 2:58pm  
can't blame this one on g.concepcion...this year's 40-man at least looks sane.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 3:41pm  

Astros are Bad News Bears without Kelly Leak bad.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 5:00pm  
Lineup v LHP: Sappelt, Castro, Rizzo, Soriano, Hairston, Castillo, Lillibridge, Gonzalez, Jackson. Here's to a winning streak.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 5:32pm  
i was about to freak about about b.jackson being on the club...then i remember spring training is over, there's no DH, and that's e.jackson.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 5:37pm  
oft-injured ex-cub semi-prospect darin downs (now 28) just threw some filthy stuff in relief for the tigers...had a great spring, too. he took an earned run off a walk that was knocked in off a double given up by villareal...but he threw a nice 1.1ip (3k). unless the gun was off, he was bringing it 93mph (last year it was close to 90mph with decent results in a limited look)...nice mid-80s slider.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 6:08pm  

I don't think Starlin Castro is accustomed to the cold.

Submitted by Newport  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 8:08pm  
They should make these pussys spend the winter in Chicago.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 6:21pm  
1ip, 3Ks, 3 batters faced...welcome to the cubs e.jackson

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 7:18pm  
4th inning...jackson has lost almost all control of his fastball and slider...and welly is demonstrating that he's a pretty good blocker behind the plate. it's like having zambrano back...only without all the wasted emotion.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 7:32pm  
slider seems to have returned in the 5th...occasional fastballs in the dirt are still continuing. odd stuff.

Submitted by Rob G.  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 6:58pm  

Halladay on pace for 27 k's

...on 256 pitches.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 7:05pm  
not too far from a typical high school pitcher workload...especially in japan...he can do it.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 7:10pm  
soriano still sucks at playing the ball off the wall...giving away extra bases...fun stuff when someone is on base. waiting for a bounce is one thing...waiting for it 30-40ft away on a slow paced jog is another.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 7:12pm  
castro *facepalm* sigh... footwork confuses him yet again...handcuffs him trying to make a play before he gets the ball...backhanded "ole" catch fails badly...ball trickles into the OF.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 7:49pm  
h.rondon is throwing 88-90mph fastballs...badly. 4 pitch walk to start his big league career. ...follows it up with a K of alvarez...hit 91mph on one of his fastballs. his pickoff move to 1st is nearly non-existent. he can check a runner with a toss, but that's about it.

Submitted by toonsterwu  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 11:40pm  
Was the velocity this low in the spring? I was too busy to really pay attention, but I recall all the winter hype about his mid-90's fastball.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 8:01pm  
rizzo takes a fastball to the shoulder and he goes down like he took a fastball to the helmet...that was odd. he seems to be fine, fwiw.

Submitted by Newport  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 8:12pm  
Based tanked for the mighty Lillibridge! Wandy fittin to get shanked if he hits anymore guys.

Submitted by crunch  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 8:25pm  
bases loaded, 1 out...K, popout...ah, the cubs.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 8:39pm  
As I said yesterday, this is the shit Lilli does: k, k, k, k, E4. Barney is a huge upgrade over this stiff...

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 8:52am  
It is a bad sign for your offense when you see Barney as an upgrade.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:15am  
ARZ wins in the 16th [email protected] game in chase field history j.collmenter goes 5ip in relief for ARZ to pick up the win (pitched 1.2ip last night).

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 3:42am  
i would...once again...like to thank MLB Network for bringing bob costas back to the world of baseball... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtzQZeiW7dQ

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 10:57am  
DeJesus CF Castro SS Rizzo 1B Soriano LF Schierholtz RF Navarro C Valbuena 3B Lillibridge 2B Wood P

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 12:32pm  

The Cubs have loaned catcher Sergio Burruel to Tabasco (Mexican League) so that he can get regular playing time. They did the same thing last year with RHP Yoanner Negrin, and in years past with others.

Burruel was born in Mexico but attended HS in Phoenix (Trevor Browne HS).

BTW, although the Mexican League is designated AAA by Minor League Baseball, it actually is equivalent to Hi-A (like Daytona).  The reason it is designated AAA is so that players on the reserve lists of Mexican League clubs cannot be selected in a Minor League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 12:48pm  
tigers sign valverde (minor league deal)...lulz.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 1:23pm  
t.wood pulled after 6ip (85 pitches) of 1 hit, 2bb, 4K ball...alright, then. cubs have a 1 run lead (1-0).

Submitted by Newport  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:05pm  
It's Marmol time!!!!!!!

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:11pm  
he just threw a non-swinging strike...should have tivo'd it. ...and then gives up a single to follow it. ...and then a walk... taka up in the pen. ...and then a rbi single...

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:13pm  
So what your saying is he doesn't have his good stuff.

Submitted by Newport  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:14pm  
He has his stuff. Does N. Korea need a closer?

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:15pm  
based on early returns and this spring...i think this is his good stuff. his stuff actually doesn't look that bad today...he's not missing by much when he misses. unfortunately, he's not missing bats today. ...and now another run is in on a single...tieing run at 3rd. neat.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:15pm  
I expect that this will be the end of his closing days.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:17pm  
K and a DP! cubs win!

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:18pm  
Cool, I reverse jinxed him.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:24pm  
That's good Rob. We can use you for situational jinxes, and CRUNCH for any potential no-hit bid jinxes against the Cubs.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:24pm  
lulz etc.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:06pm  
Let's hope Marmol doesn't waste the insurance runs provided by Schierholtz.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:31pm  
He tried mightily. Really made his best effort to lose that lead. It was almost heroic, that effort. On a more positive note, that was some good baseball with Rizzo taking that walk like a good *veteran* hitter might, and then Sheirwhatever really doing a nice job working the count. I had to slap my cheek to make sure I wasn't dreaming about watching a real baseball team.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:32pm  
Marmol wasn't bad today. The Pitt announcers admitted that the ump blew strike three on Martin. And Rizzo could have gotten more glove on the Gaby Sanchez grounder. (But I don't want to criticize Rizzo after that beautiful SB.) Marmol morphs into a decent closer when he's angry--as when the tying run (a fast guy like McCutchen) gets to third with one out.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:40pm  
If we are looking for silver linings, since he only gave up two earned runs his ERA dropped.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:47pm  
scott feldman-esque.

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 3:25pm  
He's not going to get those close calls until he stops pulling his Mitch Williams act.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:52pm  
Roger Ebert passed away today. http://news.yahoo.com/sun-times-famed-movie-c...

Submitted by The Joe  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:58pm  
Two thumbs down.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 3:03pm  
:(

Submitted by johann  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 3:12pm  
This one hit me hard. I've been reading and watching his reviews since I was a kid and our tastes were very much in common. Not to mention, I've been loving his longer writing since he started his site and blog. This is a loss to me:-/

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 3:18pm  
same...except for his dislike of extreme low-brow humor (or violence-with-humor involving kids) i could rely on him to review a movie or otherwise match my views on a lot of stuff. he was my "go to" reviewer.

Submitted by billybucks  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 3:45pm  
He fought a good, hard and very public fight. Well done, Roger.

Submitted by JoePepitone  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 4:06pm  
I've also been reading him since kid-hood -- which is starting to feel like a real long time ago now. In years, if not behavior. I had always gravitated towards him over Siskel, even before they first had their TV show. Now I'll have to figure who to read to avoid the unforgivable sin of picking a bad movie to watch. I'm sorry -- that seems too flip for how I feel about him and his writing. I liked reading his opinions even about movies I didn't care about seeing or other topics. He had a real feel for being able to express the human experience. That doesn't come along often.

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 4:24pm  
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/... this is one of my favorite positive reviews (cuz he's got some gem negative reviews) of one of my favorite films...and it's rather apt.

Submitted by jacos  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 4:28pm  
His final blog, rest in peace Roger and I will always remember the balcony is closed- http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2013/04/a_lea...

Submitted by The E-Man  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 6:44pm  
Very sad right now. Glad I got to see him speak one time at a Barnes and Noble.

Submitted by johann  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 9:46am  
Amazing piece about him written back in 2010: http://deadspin.com/5482198/my-roger-ebert-story

Submitted by billybucks  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 2:52pm  
Cubs bang out 11 hits in 3 games. I know it was cold, but...yikes. Has anyone in the history of baseball swung at more 0-2 sliders in the dirt than Sori? CPat might have, if given the chance, although there are/were fewer LH pitchers to feast on him. Has any hitting coach mentioned to Fonzi that virtually every 0-2 pitch to him is a slider low & away? Very annoying to watch...over and over and over...

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 3:58pm  
sori's always had a "hole" in his swing that he can't tell a fastball from a slider...it's why he used to stand at the very front of the box and try to catch them before the hard break. now that he's had to move a little back in the box to compensate for slower bat speed he's lost a bit of the "cheating edge" he used to take with his approach.

Submitted by JoePepitone  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 12:40am  
"Has anyone in the history of baseball swung at more 0-2 sliders in the dirt than Sori?" I nominate Shawon Dunston, Sr. I loved Shawon but he took less walks than Sori and could always get sucked in by a slider low and away.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 3:56pm  
So this team started the season with a road series team against a team many like to finish above .500 despite getting terrible situational hitting and atrocious infield defense? Baseball be weird.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 4:38pm  
'There's no word for "pitch count" in Japan' http://www.baseballnation.com/hot-corner/2013...

Submitted by crunch  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 5:01pm  
kerry wood threw more than a few 150+ pitch outings in highschool...and threw a few games on 2-3 days rest, to boot. it seems every year since the late 90s, someone finds a kid's boxscore where he throws 150+ pitches in a game and it gets blown up as if it isn't happening rather regularly all over the country. what's happening to this kid in japan, though...wtf? ...almost 800 pitches in 9 days...damn.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 5:19pm  
Patrick Mooney‏@CSNMooney Garza threw a 25-pitch bullpen session today in Arizona and is scheduled to do so again Sunday in Atlanta.

Submitted by Rob Richardson  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 8:54am  
It looks like the team and the city are close to a deal. http://www.suntimes.com/news/19279481-418/lon...

Submitted by Newport  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 9:57am  
Tunney is a penis. Nobody in the neighborhood wants a parking garage.

Submitted by The E-Man  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 11:11am  
I can totally agree it would seem. I live in Evanston so will either ride my bike, take the El, or park (in a secret location) on the street and enjoy about a mile walk to and from. But for the folks that live in the WAY burbs have a tougher time. Other than building a garage on this site for them (and those not ambulatory), what other solutions, including remote lots, are there? The Bears have run buses from Monroe and Grant Park for 35+ years. I Only know of the DeVry lot for the Cubs for remote parking.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 11:23am  
For the first time, the alderman publicly said he has agreed to allow the team to put up a large video scoreboard in left field despite the objections of rooftop club owners surrounding the stadium. But he cautioned that the size still is being worked out. Tunney also said there’s agreement on another sign in right field... ...While the size and exact location in left field of a Jumbotron-like screen have not been resolved, it will block some of the rooftop views, Tunney said. He also said any dispute between the rooftop owners and the team would have to be resolved privately. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/c...

Submitted by Dusty Baylor  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 9:56am  
Hey...John Sickels talking sleeper PRospects for 2013. Starling (Starlin?) Peralta and Logan Watkins mentioned... http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/4/4/41805...

Submitted by Rob G.  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 11:57am  

Brian Roberts is cursed...out 2-4 weeks with a ruptured tendon in his knee

Submitted by The E-Man  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 12:04pm  
I saw the play last night. He did a head-first slide. I have no idea how he fucked up his knee. It wasn't a close play, no spiking or collision. That is at least ONE trade Hendry didn't do that worked.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 2:02pm  
"ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports that Dontrelle Willis has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League." ...ducks also have vlad. i hope they have Aflac. HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. etc.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 3:21pm  
"Angels minor league catcher Carlos Ramirez was suspended 50 games for his second violation for a drug of abuse." adderall strikes again. at some point, baseball (and this entire nation) is going to have to face up to the fact that there's a lot of people getting addicted to and strung out on this crap amphetamine...or at least acknowledge that the 1000000000000000000000000 pills per year in circulation don't match the amount of people needing proper treatment for it's production levels. he's a non-prospect catcher, btw.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 6:37pm  
s.feldman vs m.minor...this should be fun...or not... feldman vs K-heavy and HR-heavy lineup...which way will the scales tip tonight? D. Sappelt cf S. Castro ss A. Rizzo 1b A. Soriano lf S. Hairston rf W. Castillo c B. Lillibridge 3b A. Gonzalez 2b S. Feldman p

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 6:39pm  
m.minor strikes out 2 in the top 1st with a castro fly-out...it took a little more than 3 minutes. neat.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 6:46pm  
braves HR- 1 Ks- 0 boo.

Submitted by QuietMan  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 7:26pm  
Stolen base against Feldman and Castillo. Runner should have been out. Alberto Gonzalez took the throw about 7 feet in front of secondbase and reached back for the tag - which he missed on. Wild pitch. Sac fly. 2 - 0.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 7:56pm  
they're doing "the wave"...complete with yelling while they do it...in ATL. along with the "tommy hawk chawp" it's one of the most annoying places in baseball to watch a game. ...also, s.harriston hit a solo homer. 1-2, top 5th.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 8:07pm  
feldman with 2 wild pitches, 1 HBP, and 4bb...that's not his style even when he sucks. odd lack of command tonight.

Submitted by crunch  on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 9:19pm  
rondon brought it 91-93mph tonight...more velocity than his last appearance.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 8:40am  
AZ Phil: Brad Nelson is playing 3B for Iowa, and the big team obviously needs some pop. Can he hang there defensively, at least on par with the sub-par performances we've seen already this year from Valbuena and Lillibridge?

Submitted by Arizona Phil  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 1:14pm  

JOHN B: While he played a few games at 3B in AAA 2009-11, Brad Nelson playing 3B for Iowa is strictly "in a pinch."

Submitted by John Beasley  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 1:15pm  
Perfect. That's exactly what the Cubs are in!

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 3:45pm  
stupid Fox saturday blackouts...i wanna watch STL/SF, not yet another NYY game. East Coast Fox...NYY/NYM/BOS/ATL games 99.9% of the time. meh. cubs on WGN later this evening, btw.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 4:06pm  
For once I mean it ... wait 'til next year!

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 4:35pm  
after paying i.stewart $4.25m to suck or not play the past 2 years he should be a bargain at $1.5m-ish next year...and s.feldman might be $3m rather than $6m...assuming s.feldman isn't traded for some 17 year old dominicans. good things on the horizon.

Submitted by John Beasley  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 4:43pm  
I meant the end of Fox Saturday blackouts. http://tracking.si.com/2012/10/02/mlb-fox-med...

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 6:01pm  
best news i've heard all day. upvote.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 6:10pm  
a.simmons late scratch for ATL after spraining his thumb on a heads-first slide last night...he missed a few months injuring himself on a heads-first slide last season.

Submitted by Ryno  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 6:14pm  
Parachat?

Submitted by QuietMan  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 6:59pm  
I'm ready for a Reds/Yankees type rule on hair cuts and facial hair.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 7:06pm  
josh reddick disapproves.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 7:31pm  
rizz-OH!

Submitted by jacos  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 7:37pm  
Tony Four Sacks-2

Submitted by The Joe  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 8:54pm  
Fujikawa doesn't want to close.

Submitted by The Joe  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 9:20pm  
Neither does Marmol.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 9:20pm  
neither does marmolAIDS. tie game.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 9:24pm  
game over...marmol sucks...etc etc etc

Submitted by The Joe  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 9:32pm  
Jinx, buy me a hooker.

Submitted by crunch  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 9:53pm  
google "eddie from manhattan escort" on google and i'll hook you up. -NSFW- ...or humanity.

Submitted by The Joe  on Sun, 04/07/2013 - 3:04am  
Now I'm going to go bathe in bleach.

Submitted by Newport  on Sun, 04/07/2013 - 9:15am  
I drank bleach after the game last night, I'll give you my leftovers.

Submitted by jacos  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 9:26pm  
So len is talking "not easy to move to a new closer this early, you can put fujikawa in but what do you do with marmol..." Upton homers game over. I know what you can do with Marmol.

Submitted by Ryno  on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 9:27pm  
What's so fucking hard about it?

Submitted by Old and Blue  on Sun, 04/07/2013 - 9:17am  
"I had my pitches working," Marmol said. "I just missed my pitch. I didn't do anything bad." That's the problem. His pitches don't have the movement they once had. I remember, it seems like a long time ago now, when the stuff he threw really seemed unhittable. Unfair. That stuff isn't there anymore. Once in awhile he'll throw a nasty slider but it's almost like he went into the way back machine to grab one just to show us what he once used to be like. He was fun to watch. Now, he's fun for the other team. Their eyes must light up when he gets on the mound. It's too bad, but it is what it is. Time for Sveum and TheoCorp to close this chapter of Cubsdom. Gad, what a horrible game. The only thing worse than the lack of clutch hitting by the two kids, Castro and Rizzo, to break the game open, was Marmol's embarrassment.

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  • Charlie 18 min 13 sec ago (view)

    This is the take if you see him as a legit prospect. Which, maybe? I know little about him, and his numbers in limited AAA exposure last season were really nice. Maybe a lively ball helps his career.

     
  • bradsbeard 36 min 10 sec ago (view)

    Sounds like a long shot to get a trade done then. Thanks for clarifying!

     
  • Arizona Phil 56 min 22 sec ago (view)

    BRADSBEARD: Before making a trade with the Rule 5 Draft pick's former club, the drafting club must first place the player on Outright Assignment Waivers and any of the other MLB clubs can claim the player for the $50,000 waiver price and assume the Rule 5 Draft obligations (actually it's Rule 6 Selected Player obligations, but you know what I mean). 

     
  • bradsbeard 2 hours 11 min ago (view)

    AZ Phil, the "work out a trade" part of Rule 5 is still a mystery to me. Do the Cubs have to put Megill through waivers and (if he clears) offer him back to SD before they can trade for him?

     
  • Arizona Phil 2 hours 11 min ago (view)

    For those of you who didn't see the game, here are the pitch-velo readings from Wednsdays Cubs - Royals game: 

    Kyle Hendricks: 
    FB: 84-87 
    CH: 77-80 
    CV: 78-80
    NOTES: An amazing pitcher... he's probably in mid-season form right now...  just needs to gradually increase innings...   

    Alec Mills: 
    FB: 89-92 
    SL: 80-82 
    CH: 77-80 
    CV: 66-70 
    NOTES: A legit candidate to be the 5th starter 

     
  • Craig A. 3 hours 10 min ago (view)

    he

     
  • Craig A. 3 hours 10 min ago (view)

    He'll be 27 in May and he's played in 36 games at AAA. Seems like he should be playing regularly. 

     
  • Dolorous Jon Lester 3 hours 54 min ago (view)

    I really like this idea. They've talked of a 3rd catcher as 26th meaning Phegley, who seems a waste of roster space, good spring notwithstanding. Higgins is far more interesting 

     
  • tim815 7 hours 1 min ago (view)

    Is Brailyn Marquez getting any time in big league camp? Having him around the veterans would seem a solid use of resources.

    Thanks, as always.

     
  • Charlie 7 hours 21 min ago (view)

    Hot take: The Cubs should be considering PJ Higgins as the potential 26th man. 3rd catcher / infield sub who can put the bat on the ball.

    I think I'm just stealing an AZ Phil projection from a while ago, actually. But it makes sense!

     
  • Charlie 8 hours 23 min ago (view)

    Zagunis's stock has dropped a lot since his first exposure to MLB pitching. His 2019 at AAA is particularly alarming given the power spike in that league.

     
  • Hagsag 13 hours 59 min ago (view)

    I see that Dillon Maples hasn't pitched yet. Is he injured or spending time in the lab?

     
  • Arizona Phil 21 hours 18 min ago (view)

    The Cubs have purchased the contract of 26-year old RHRP Jonathan de Marte from Quebec (Frontier League) and he has been assigned to AZL Cubs Blue.

    He is the closer for Team Israel and has no previous experience in affiliated ball.

    He was a NDFA out of the U. of Richmond in 2017 and has been playing independent ball for the past three seasons in the Atlantic League and Can-Am League as well as winter ball in Australia this past winter. 

     
  • Arizona Phil 23 hours 9 min ago (view)

    DJL: Nothing from Sunday or Monday. 

     
  • Arizona Phil 23 hours 10 min ago (view)

    W-RAT: Mark Zagunis was sent outright to the minors last September, and because he did not have the right to elect free-agency after being outrighted he remains under club control through the 2020 season, and so he is signed to a minor league contract that expires at 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the conclusion of the 2020 World Series. 

     
  • Wrigley Rat 23 hours 40 min ago (view)

    Thank you AZ Phil! Does that mean he's been signed to a minor league contract, then? Because he's out of options.

     
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