Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Dillon Maples Has Wild Pro Debut at Fitch

Reggie Golden smacked a bases-clearing three-run double into the LF corner with two outs in the bottom of the 3rd inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead, and Rubi Silva and Dustin Geiger collected three hits apiece, as the Cubs defeated the Rockies 8-4 in AZ Instructional League action this afternoon at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa 

Making his pro debut, 19-year old RHP Dillon Maples got the start for the Cubs, but was unable to complete even one inning thanks to a bout with wildness. After striking out the first man he faced with a nasty breaking ball, Maples walked the bases loaded on 13 pitches, and then allowed a bloop RBI single to RF as the Rockies took a 1-0 lead. Maples then got the ground ball he wanted, but it wasn’t hit hard enough to turn two, so another run scored.

By that point Maples had reached his pitch limit, and so he was pulled from the game with two outs and runners at 1st & 3rd. For the day, Maples threw a total of 25 pitches, but only nine strikes.

RHP Dustin Fitzgerald relieved Maples and got the final out of the inning on a strikeout (swinging).

Although he was the Cubs 14th round pick in the 2011 June draft, Maples was rated as one of the top HS pitching prospects in the country. He fell to the 14th round only because he was considered virtually “unsignable” due to a strong commitment to attend the U. of North Carolina (where he would have been the punter on the UNC football team and the "Friday night starter" on the Tar Heel baseball team). But the Cubs enticed Maples to give up his college dream with a reported $2.5M signing bonus (equivalent to “1st round money”).

Down 2-0, the Cubs scored once in the bottom of the 2nd as Dustin Geiger rapped the first of his three hits (a single), stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on a throwing error, and scored on a Jeffrey Baez 4-3 GO.

Reggie Golden put the Cubs ahead to stay in the 3rd with his two out bases-loaded three-run line-drive double into the LF corner, scoring Carlos Penalver (who had singled leading off the inning), Shawon Dunston, Jr (who had drawn a two-out walk), and Dan Vogelbach (who drew a two-out walk to load the bases).

The Cubs scored twice more in the 5th as Rubi Silva led off with a single, and scored on an RBI double off the left-centerfield fence (near HR) by fellow Cuban defector Yaniel Cabezas. Dustin Geiger then drove Cabezas home with a two-out line-drive single to left.

The Cubs scored again in the the bottom of the 6th, as Rubi Silva blasted a two out triple into the right-centerfield alley, scoring Carlos Penalver (who had singled in front of Silva) from 1st base, and then they plated their final run in the bottom of the 8th when Dustin Geiger and Jeffrey Baez doubled (Geiger had to hold up at 3rd base because he went back to 2nd base to tag-up) and then Geiger scored on a Penalver 5-3 GO.

It should be noted that five of the Cubs eight RBI came with two outs, and it is also noteworthy that Rubi Silva got all three of his hits (two singles and a triple) and Dan Vogelbach drew all three of his walks off LHPs. (Both Silva and Vogelbach are LH hitters).

Here is the abridged box score (Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1. Rubi Silva, 2B: 3-5 (1B, P-2, 1B, 3B, K, R, RBI)
2. Yaniel Cabezas, DH-C: 1-4 (F-9, K, 2B, F-8, R, RBI)
3. Shawon Dunston, Jr, CF: 0-3 (F-8, BB, P-1, K, R)
4. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 0-1 (BB, BB, BB, K, R)
5. Reggie Golden, DH #2: 1-4 (K, 2B, P-6, K, 3 RBI)
6. Dustin Geiger, 3B: 3-4 (1B, L-7, 1B, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB)
7a. Neftali Rosario, C-DH: 0-3 (K, L-7, K)
7b. Micah Gibbs, PH: 0-1 (F-7)
8. Jeffrey Baez, LF: 1-3 (4-3, BB, K, 2B, RBI)
9. Garrett Schlecht, RF: 0-2 (2-3, BB, K, BB)
10. Carlos Penalver, SS: 2-4 (1B, P-4, 1B, 5-3, 2 R, RBI)

PITCHERS:
1. Dillon Maples: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, 25 pitches (9 strikes), 1/0 GO/FO
2. Dustin Fitzgerald: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 14 pitches (11 strikes), 0/2 GO/FO
3. Luis Liria: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 40 pitches (21 strikes), 3/4 GO/FO
4. Frank Del Valle: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 43 pitches (27 strikes), 0/2 GO/FO
5. Andrew McKirahan: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 1 WP, 24 pitches (19 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO

ERRORS: 1
3B Dustin Geiger - E-5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)

CATCHERS DEFENSE
1. Neftali Rosario: 1-2 CS, 1 PB
2. Yaniel Cabezas: 1 PO

ATTENDANCE: 28

WEATHER: Overcast with high winds & blowing dust, with temperatures in the 80’s

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

AZ Phil's take: PROJECTED OFF-SEASON 2011-12 CHICAGO CUBS 40-MAN ROSTER 38 players PITCHERS (20): * JEFFRY ANTIGUA (will likely be added to 40-man roster by 11/20 deadline) * JEFF BELIVEAU (will likely be added to 40-man roster by 11/20 deadline) Alberto Cabrera Chris Carpenter Andrew Cashner ROBERT COELLO (will likely be added to 40-man roster post-2011) Casey Coleman Ryan Dempster (player option) Rafael Dolis Matt Garza * John Gaub JAY JACKSON (will likely be added to 40-man roster by 11/20 deadline) * Scott Maine Carlos Marmol * Sean Marshall DAE-EUN RHEE (will likely be added to 40-man roster by 11/20 deadline) * James Russell Jeff Samardzija Randy Wells Carlos Zambrano OUT OF MINOR LEAGUE OPTIONS: Samardzija ARBITRATION ELIGIBLE: Garza and Wells CATCHERS (4): Welington Castillo * Steve Clevenger # Koyie Hill Geovany Soto OUT OF MINOR LEAGUE OPTIONS: Soto ARBITRATION ELIGIBLE: Hill and Soto INFIELDERS (9): Jeff Baker Darwin Barney Starlin Castro * Blake DeWitt * RYAN FLAHERTY (will likely be added to 40-man roster by 11/20 deadline) # MARWIN GONZALEZ (will likely be added to 40-man roster by 11/20 deadline) * Bryan LaHair D. J. LeMahieu JOSH VITTERS (will likely be added to 40-man roster by 11/20 deadline) OUT OF MINOR LEAGUE OPTIONS: LaHair ARBITRATION ELIGIBLE: Baker and DeWitt OUTFIELDERS (5): Marlon Byrd * Tony Campana * Tyler Colvin Alfonso Soriano MATT SZCZUR (will likely be added to 40-man roster by 11/20 deadline) LIKELY POST-SEASON OUTRIGHT: Esmailin Caridad, P Marcos Mateo, P Lou Montanez, OF Kyle Smit, P ARTICLE XX-B MLB FREE-AGENT: Ryan Dempster, P (player option - likely will come back ) * John Grabow, P Reed Johnson, OF Rodrigo Lopez, P Ramon Ortiz, RHP * Carlos Pena, 1B Aramis Ramirez, 3B (mutual option - likely will opt out) Kerry Wood, P 2012 PROJECTED PAYROLL: + Has NO TRADE rights + Alfonso Soriano ($18M) + Carlos Zambrano ($18M) + Aramis Ramirez ($16M mutual option or $2M club buy-out in 2012) + Ryan Dempster ($14M player option in 2012 + $1.5M in deferred salary from 2010) Carlos Silva (RELEASED - $2M 2012 buy-out still to be paid) Carlos Marmol ($7M) Marlon Byrd ($6.5M) Carlos Pena ($5M deferred from 2011 salary) Sean Marshall ($3.1M) + Jeff Samardzija ($3M club option) SUB-TOTAL: $75M (presuming Ramirez club option is exercised and then Ramirez opts out, and presuming Samardzija club option is declined) NOTE: If Samardzija’s 2012 club option is declined, he would lose his “no trade” rights and would revert to being an “auto-renewal” player for 2012 (subject to a unilateral club option 20% pay-cut from his 2011 $3M salary), and if he is cut the max 20% he would receive a non-guaranteed $2.4M contract for 2012 (and Cubs would owe him $600K severance if he is released prior to 2012 Opening Day). PROJECTED ELIGIBLE FOR SALARY ARBITRATION POST-2011: Jeff Baker ($1.5M?) Blake DeWitt ($1M?) Matt Garza ($9M?) Koyie Hill ($1M?) Geovany Soto ($5M?) Randy Wells ($2.5M?) ESTIMATED SUB-TOTAL: $20M? (or $18M if DeWitt and Hill are non-tendered on 12/2) AUTO-RENEWAL (PRE-ARBITRATION) POST-2011: JEFFRY ANTIGUA (presuming he is added to 40-man roster) Darwin Barney JEFF BELIVEAU (presuming he is added to 40-man roster) Alberto Cabrera Tony Campana ESMAILIN CARIDAD (likely post-season outright) Chris Carpenter Andrew Cashner Welington Castillo Starlin Castro Steve Clevenger ROBERT COELLO (presuming he is added to 40-man roster) Casey Coleman Tyler Colvin Rafael Dolis John Gaub MARWIN GONZALEZ (presuming he is added to 40-man roster) RYAN FLAHERTY (presuming he is added to 40-man roster) Bryan LaHair D. J. LeMahieu Scott Maine MARCOS MATEO (likely post-season outright) LOU MONTANEZ (likely post-season outright) DAE-EUN RHEE (presuming he is added tom 40-man roster) James Russell Jeff Samardzija ($2.5M - if 2012 club option declined) KYLE SMIT (likely post-season outright) MATT SZCZUR (presuming he is added to 40-man roster) JOSH VITTERS (presuming he is added to 40-man roster) ESTIMATED SUB-TOTAL: $9M (includes $2.5M salary for Samardzija, average $450K 2011 salary for another 12 auto-renewal players on MLB 25-man roster, and average $75K minor league “split“ salary for the 13 players who would be on optional assignment to minors), or $10M if DeWitt and K. Hill are non-tendered on 12/2 and are replaced on 25-man roster by auto-renewal players ESTIMATED TOTAL 2012 PAYROLL $103M - $104M 2012 CUBS MLB PAYROLL BUDGET: $???M (it appears that 2011 Cubs MLB payroll budget was $130M) NOTE: The Cubs 2010 payroll budget was apparently originally $140M, but the team actually ended up spending only $132M of it after Dempster‘s contract was re-structured (back-loaded) and Lilly, Lee, and Theriot were traded. The Cubs 2011 payroll budget was apparently originally $130M, but the team actually ended up spending only $128M of it. So if the payroll budget is $130M again in 2012, and with $103M-$104M the likely 2012 payroll as of right now, the new Cubs GM should have about $26M-$27M to spend on free-agents and/or trade acquisitions.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Submitted by The E-Man on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 10:12pm. Wow, AZ PHI! You had a busy time at your computer! Really interesting projections. Couple items I am wondering about: Why would the new GM want to keep a 30-year old career minor leaguer in Lahair who had one great Minor League season on the 40-man? Also, Caridad was a top ten prospect. Has the club thrown the (Silent) towel in on him? ========================== E-MAN: I think no matter who the GM is, Bryan LaHair will be back in 2012. I don't think he is viewed as a career minor leaguer anymore. Right now he is seen as more of a late bloomer (like Nelson Cruz, Michael Morse, Ryan Vogelsong, Ryan Ludwick, et al) than 4-A guy. Which brings something up that I have noticed for a long time but finally got clear after talking to some scouts over the past few weeks. And that is, there is such a thing as a late bloomer in baseball. The problem is you never know who they are going to be, and their careers are shorter than the average player who hits MLB at age 24 or 25 just because they get a late start and have fewer peak years, but they do exist, and you have to keep an open mind about them. As for Esmailin Caridad, he will be 28 this month (he is a year younger than LaHair), but unlike LaHair he is on the backslide. He has regressed over the past couple of years, and finished the season on the DL at AA Tennessee. The Cubs should be able to get him through waivers, and once they do, he will be under club control as a minor league player through the 2014 season (presuming he doesn't get selected in a Rule 5 Draft). In other words, he cannot be a Rule 55 minor league FA until post-2014 (at age 31). He was originally signed by the Hiroshima Carp (NPB) in 2006 and attended their Dominican Acedemy for a couple of seasons, and the Cubs signed him after he requested and was granted his release by the Carp in December 2007. Therefore his first season playing in the minor leagues was 2008, and he has to spend at least seven seasons on the active list or DL of a minor league team(s) before he can be a 6YFA. So if he can get it back together sometime over the next three seasons, he should be toiling in the Cubs organization when it happens. And if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Any possibility the Cubs spend some of that money Yu Darvish, if the Ham Fighters post him? He seems like a worthy gamble, but the Cubs got burned on the Fukudome deal and certainly the Red Sox don't have quite the pitcher anybody was hoping for in Matsuzaka. I wonder what kind of wear and tear Darvish has--he's pitched over 200 innings a number of times. The SP market is pretty uninspiring, but it's a pretty glaring need for the Cubs with only a few names in the low minors to be even a little excited about--McNutt, Whitenack, Wang, etc.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

i like the guy, but i wouldn't give up anything of value for the suit. this is a guy who signed c.crawford to a slugger's deal...along with his other albatrosses...and cruising on a slew of kids in a system that hasn't produced much in years. he's not that brilliant. props for putting together a group of over-rated kids to rip off SD for agonz, though. when he was cutting his teeth he pissed off a ton of other GMs/organizations...luckily for him (and potential trading) a lot of people he pissed off are no longer in a job of high power. his stunts surrounding dice-K pissed off a lot... -edit- well, calling casey kelly overrated is a bit harsh...high expectations and too-early hype given his age/experience, but too early to say he's overrated...very good arm. though rizzo is young, himself, i don't like his bat as much as some do.

berg + b.shitter outrighted to AAA...someone please claim them...at least berg. dunno what shape schlitter is in after his elbow fell off, though. he was interesting for a little while.

but very random twitter rumor of Ricketts/Fleita/Kaplan/Wilken headed to Boston on a private jet

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

he's just a lot more human than people give him credit for until recently. some feel it's "what have you done for me lately"...for others, it's "it's been a while since you've done anything"...still love the agonz deal, though. they at least don't bury him over the gagne trade like some...it worked out like crap, but it wasn't a bad gamble...just worked out worse than anyone imagined.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/6711/brenly-wont-miss-nu… "He's a numbers gatherer," Brenly, the Cubs television analyst, said Wednesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "He gets his stats at the end of the year every year but defensively he's just fallen off the face of the earth. As a baserunner he kills you, he's a log jammer on the bases, and I'm not buying any of this leadership for Starlin Castro stuff at all. okay, the defensive thing is mostly true Brenly said Ramirez has been a productive hitter during his time in Chicago but Brenly said Ramirez struggled in the clutch and defensively at third base. "It's hard to think back recently, especially last year, and remember any big RBIs that he had or any period of time where they won a lot of games because of the way Aramis was swinging the bat," Brenly said. "There's no question about it, you look at the stats and he's the best third baseman they've had since Ron Santo, maybe the only third baseman the Cubs have had since Ron Santo .870 OPS with RISP last year, link to "Clutch Stats" on BR http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=ramirar01&year=2…

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

bob needs to cut the b/s and just hate the fact ramirez is so casual and not the leader he could be if he'd bother to give the effort. that kind of stuff bothers bob, it seems. i don't think ramirez slacked on the field, but once his AB or defensive inning was over he might as well have been reading a magazine in the dugout the past couple years.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I swear to God. Whose beloved puppy did Ramirez run over? Why do media people keep coming up with this garbage? If there was one Cub player in the last 10 years who actually made me inch toward believing in "clutch" hitting, Ramirez was it. He is the author of the most Clutchy McClutch from Clutchville moment in the last 5 Cub seasons (2007 walk-off vs. MIL). I know he sucked in the playoffs. Fine. But arguing that the team's best hitter wasn't "clutch" and only "gathered" "numbers"...ARGH *faints dead away*

[ ]

In reply to by Pell Mell

Yeah. For a while ARam was the poster boy for #5 hitters--a guy with decent power who also didn't strike out excessively, wasn't a hacker and wasn't overly passive at the plate, would go with the pitch to right center if he had too, and could be counted on to drive in 100 or nearly 100 runs per year. The defense criticism is valid--he only had one or two decent defensive years. But once a guy is into his 30s, don't you kind of figure you know where he stands on defense? It wouldn't be realistic to expect him to be something he's not at that point.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

as I mentioned earlier, Marlins likely gave up more to avoid tampering charges, no such thing exists with Theo. If you read the Gammons article I linked, Beane and DePodesta talked about their only being 3 players worth trading Beane to the Red Sox for: Youkilis, Ramirez and Shoppach. When Beane was headed to Boston in November 2002, he and his Oakland assistant Paul DePodesta discussed the compensation issue. They agreed that Boston had only three interesting prospects: Hanley Ramirez, Kelly Shoppach and Kevin Youkilis. DePodesta wanted Youkilis, but Beane told him, "There is so little here, you can't leave me barren." DePo also didn't want to hold up the move, because then he would assume the general manager's job.

I was stuck in the car for a few hours today and turned on The Score for the first time in years. Boers/Bernstein are as annoying as I ever remembered, however, they claimed a "report" said Cubs officials chartered a plane to Boston and Crane Kenney was not on the passenger list, which made them happy. But they never said who was reporting it, and I can't find any info on a quick Google search. But perhaps Ricketts is headed to Boston as we speak.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

i just don't believe he was calling shots like some people blow it up to be. he was known for running around all places you don't see a president and took his role as a team executive to a point of ego, but meh...i see more speculation than truth in some of the people claiming he was/is as powerful as they think he is. the whole soriano thing people are blowing up is f'n retarded. if the owner didn't want more soriano...more soriano wouldn't have happened. people really think he's calling shots on that? that seems to be the biggest "thing" people have against him. having an ego, defecting blame, and taking credit for other people's work is just being an asshole...he's not team building.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

just one thing if the owner didn't want more soriano...more soriano wouldn't have happened. Zell and Tribune didn't care about one thing that didn't involve the Cubs past the moment either sold the team and Soriano wasn't going to be any of their problems. Anyway McDonough took most of the blame on that one already with an assist from Kenney on the final sign off. otherwise, to each their own, it seemed you were writing it in a voice of "I know things" rather than a "this is my interpretation" of things. Didn't want people confused like you had any actual information on what actually happened.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

i'm responding to what i've read. people took the last texas-tracy (rigs) article pretty seriously when nothing much was actually said. i know he's known as a meddler...but some people have him running things. what have you read that leads you to believe he's calling shots? i've read a bunch of crap and most of it involving soriano. ...and yeah, signing off on things is what he does when he has the money to make it happen and someone's asking him to do it...that's what they do. was he out there championing for soriano or something?

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

not too many people have opinions on it other than blog writers, sports radio, and a few sports writers...and i'm yet to see anything involving him running anything player-wise other than helping others find a way for them to do their thing. i don't see championing...campaigning...just an annoying egomaniac poking his head all over the park rather than sitting around his office trying to get another ad plastered on the outfield wall. there's a difference between being a nosey jerk and actually running things. i'm yet to hear/see anything of him running things, but more than a few instances of him running his mouth and being seen too much. having an ego isn't running things. i just don't see the enhanced impact...i see a guy who tied parts of his ego to the team in an overblown manner. pretty much... "having an ego, defecting blame, and taking credit for other people's work is just being an asshole...he's not team building."

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

some people have no love for the guy...like this guy. a celebration of one of the greediest persons to run a corporation in this modern age...no sense of giving on the personal or corporate level...strangling of supply lines to keep hardware artificially expensive...apple tax lobbyists becoming as big of a part of the company as the developers... ...and all this coming on during "occupy wall street" i wish i could roll my eyes on the innerwebs. don't get me wrong...even with all that i don't wish his death. i sure as hell hate he had to go through so much cancer crap just to die, too. living through it can be rough...i wouldn't wish cancer on anyone, or the crap you have to put up with to deal with it.

[ ]

In reply to by Newport

so sorry, yo...going through it myself, stage 2-B colon cancer. i watched the end of the season (except the last couple games) in the hospital having my second surgery (reconnecting my colon and removing my ileostomy (crap sack) bag)...it's also why i'm up at stupid hours since march of this year. i'm going to be okay. my surgeries are over...all that's left is 12 more weeks of chemo once i get over my anemia and i can start it again next week. spring/summer i've set aside for rehabbing my body before getting back to work. the hardest part is over for me, but it's going to take time. i'm 6'4" and 152lbs. right now...was 143lbs. right before surgery. two weeks of post-surgery real food has done wonders, though i have the stamina of an 80 year old rather than someone in his mid-30s (turned 35 while in the hospital). i hope you're going to be okay and that you can handle anything you have to go through. hope your support crew is good stuff, too...

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

When I read some of your vague comments on your mystery medical condition earlier this summer, it sounded vaguely familiar. I've got stage 3 melanoma, diagnosed in July. The prognosis for anyone with stage 3+ melanoma is pretty poor, I'll be lucky to see 50(I'm 33 now). I had a chunk of my left upper calf removed that was slightly larger than a hockey puck in both depth and width in early July. They left that massive hole open(for a month) until my second surgery to remove lymph nodes in my groin and lower abdomen. Then they did skin grafts on my calf hole and the massive hole they made in my groin to remove the nodes. They used muscle from my inner thigh to fill the hole in my groin before putting the skin on top of it. My leg is jacked, it looks like I got in a knife fight with a shark on steroids. I'm back at work and have yet to have any chemo, etc. Unfortunately(maybe?), most of the treatments for melanoma are for people with tumors that cannot be removed or for those that are stage 4 and close to death. And none of them work very well, plus they all have the same shitty side effects. So for now it's "wait and watch", CT scans every two months until something troublesome pops up. So far so good, and I feel pretty damn good. It's drastically changed the way I feel about everything. I don't take shit from anyone and I don't worry about the petty bullshit that others seem to complain about. Interesting year. First kid, finally got season tickets, cancer, and I quit smoking(cancer is the best way to quit smoking, btw). If you happen to be in Chicago next spring or summer, I'll take you to a game. By that time we may both be so skinny, we could share a seat, lol. BTW, the doctors at Northwestern kick fucking ass. Hot nurses too!

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

ha. i don't think he was evil, fwiw. re: steve jerbs...from a friend of mine... "Steve Jobs is like Ty Cobb, a game changing asshole who's influence and accomplishments will be debated for a long time to come, but no one can deny that the game will never be the same again." that pretty much sums up my feelings on the issue without naming names or calling out specific actions...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-1006-rogers-c… something about Ricketts hiring a 2-man team.. That would mean it's conceivable he could hire Epstein and someone on his secondary tier such as White Sox assistant general manager Rick Hahn or Braves director of pro scouting John Coppolella. The most likely hire to work alongside Epstein — as opposed to be sitting in the main chair — would seem to be Padres assistant GM Josh Byrnes, who was with Epstein from the start in Boston. and then refutes himself a paragraph later Sources close to Ricketts say it's possible but unlikely. And, after all, the Cubs have tried this model before, in the era when Andy MacPhail was president and Ed Lynch and then Hendry had GM titles.

Some say don't draft HS RHPs in 1st round. Tim Wilken took Carpenter in 1st in '93, Halladay in '95. Back in the High Life again so 2 guys that blew out their arms, good examples.

Steve Jobs dead at 56. One of the great innovators of the 20th Century. And, someone whom I am indebted to for generally useful products I have relied upon Apple designs every day since 1989 for career and fun. R.I.P. Steve.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Sad news. I had just picked up a Macintosh 128 earlier today, got home, was going through all of it (got it from the original owner, includes original bill of sale), and then heard the news. Even the Windows users who had Macs owe much to Jobs without knowing it. Fascinating guy. And Woz, too.

Recent comments

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    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.